Turn with me to Psalm 127. Psalm
127. Psalm 127 verse 1, the scripture declares except the Lord to build the house. They labor
in vain that build it, except the Lord keep the city. The watchman waketh but in vain. Two times in this verse of scripture
we're told that except the Lord, except He build, except He keep, And two times we're told of the
results of all the desires of men without Him. Vain. Empty. Worthless. Labor. Toil. Accept. The Lord build. Everything that we would even
seek to do. Nothing. Except the Lord keep the city. The watchman waketh. That is,
they watch. I've tried to prepare a message
here. I've entitled it, The Exceptions
to Entering the Kingdom of God. I've gone over these scriptures,
I've prayed, I've asked God's blessing on it, and I know this,
unless the Lord blesses it. It's just words. Almighty God has declared that
there is a house. There's a house of His pleasure,
a house of mercy, a house that must be built according to God's
will and God's power and God's purpose. It's declared to be
a city, except the Lord build the house, except the Lord keep
the city, except almighty God build it and keep it. It and
its results will be worthless. It's nothing. It's nothing. It's
nothing. The house of the Lord, the city
of our God, the church of the Lord Jesus Christ is building.
He's going to build it. He's going to keep it. One way. Through the preaching of the
gospel of God's sovereign grace. Of God's mercy. God's will, God's
covenant, His decision to show mercy. If God doesn't do it,
let me tell you what everything is going to come to that's not
built by Almighty God through God's means. He's a God of means. And Almighty God has declared,
I'm going to bless one thing. I'm going to bless the gospel
of my dear son. Unless the gospel of God's free
and sovereign grace, that gospel that declares man to be spiritually
impotent. Unless God builds it, I'm telling
you what's going to come to every place that the gospel is not
preached. Nothing but condemnation. Now write that down according
to this word. There is a city, it is lively
stones, the temple of God built up, a spiritual house. The scripture
declares, disallowed indeed of men, that is disapproved of,
rejected by, man by nature. You tell man by nature that God
is sovereign, that God chose, that Christ redeemed His elect.
that the Spirit of God only calls out the elect of God. And they'll
say, I don't believe that. It doesn't change the truth.
It's still the truth. This house is built according
to the Father's electing grace, the Son's redeeming grace, and
the Holy Spirit's regenerating grace, keeping grace. according to the eternal counsel
and purpose of Almighty God, the Lord Jesus Christ, the God-man
mediator, God who has, owns everything, the earth is the Lord's, but
being made flesh, humbling himself, making himself of no reputation,
Jehovah, The tri-unity God, one God, declared in scriptures in
three persons, that which will never understand
this side of glory, gave unto Him all power that He should
give eternal life, this is John 17, 2, to as many as the Father
has given Him. Now that's the truth. All that
the Father has given the Lord Jesus Christ is going to be saved. They're going to be called out.
This was declared in the Old Testament. Let me just read this
to you in the book of Zechariah chapter 6 verse 9 to 13. Listen to this scripture. And
the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Take of them of the
captivity even of Heldi, of Tobijah, and of Jediah, which are come
from Babylon. And cometh thou the same day,
go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah. Then take silver
and gold, and make crowns, and set them on the head of Joshua
the son of Josedek the high priest. And speak unto him, saying, Thus
speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Now here, what was just about
to be said is the declaration of what Almighty God has done
in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here is a type, this
is a ceremony that really took place. But this is what Almighty
God has declared the Lord Jesus Christ shall accomplish. Behold
the man who is the branch. He shall grow up out of His place. He shall build the temple of
the Lord. Even He shall build the temple of the Lord. He shall
bear the glory and shall sit and rule upon His throne. He
shall be a priest upon His throne and the council of peace shall
be between them and both. Who's going to build the house
of the Lord? God is. All of our desires and
all of our efforts, which we do, we pray, I pray. This is
what God's called me to do. This is my calling. What does
a pastor do? A pastor called of God preaches
the gospel. Period. That's what I'm called
to do. You go into all the world and
you preach the gospel. He's going to build His temple. He in whom the building was chosen. He for whom the building always
ever had a surety. Now according to God's Word,
this house is going to be completed. You know that. The counsel of
the Lord, that's going to stand. God Almighty has given a people,
Christ has redeemed them, the Spirit of God is gonna call them
out. But the scripture declares something
that I want us to consider for just a few minutes. There are set forth to be some
exceptions, exceptions to entering the kingdom of God. And these
exceptions can never be bypassed. that cannot be omitted, exceptions
that unless they're met, there will be no occupancy in
this temple, a temple that surely is going to be occupied. Almighty
God has set forth the exceptions Number one, unless God Almighty
was pleased to elect a people unto salvation, we would have
all perished. Romans 9, 28, and as Isaiah said
before, except unless, had it not been for the Lord of Sabaoth
had left us a seed, we would have been as Sodom and been made
like unto Gomorrah. Now, I know that this glorious
doctrine, truth of, when I say doctrine, what that means is
the truth of. I know that this glorious doctrine
is far from being what the world and its religion declares as
total cruelty. Now this is what Man by nature
thinks of election. They sneer at it. They make fun
of it. They say that, I don't know,
election, predestination, you know. Let me ask you something. Is it declared in the Word of
God? Well, if it's declared in the
Word of God, then we best deal with it. except Almighty God chose a people
out of the mass of humanity, out of every nation and kindred
and tribe and tongue. When God Almighty told Moses,
I will have mercy on whom I'll have mercy, I'll have compassion on whom
I'll have compassion, so then, It's not of him that willeth,
not of him that runneth, but of God that shows mercy. Somebody
said, that's not fair. I've often said, you want to
talk about fair? When Adam died in the garden,
I'll tell you what fair is. God just put us all in hell.
Now that's fair. Now that's fair. My friend, we
don't want fair on our part. We want God to be just and deal
with our sins. Almighty God chose a people. God Almighty, not as the world
says, God shutting people out. Man shut himself out. Man disobeyed God. You say, I
think that God ought to give every man a chance to be saved.
Man is dead. unless God does something for
him that he cannot do for himself. Man is going to perish. Now listen
to me. Let's just get it out of our
heads that we think that somehow, if God would just leave us to
ourselves and let everybody think about it, maybe somebody will
come to their senses. Man is not coming to his senses.
He's dead. He's dead. Election is the indescribable
mercy of God to choose to show mercy to men and women that cannot
help themselves. Election is the absolute exhibition
of compassion and grace Paul said to the church at Thessalonica,
2 Thessalonians 2.13, one of my favorite verses, but we're
bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved
of the Lord, because, because, because God has chosen you to
salvation. We're thankful. We thank God
that He chose you to salvation through sanctification of the
spirit and belief of the truth. I thank God that He showed mercy
to us. Oh, I thank God for election.
Oh, election. What a blessing. Except the Lord
of Shebooth had left us a seed. Except there's a remnant. According
to election, we're going to all die. unless Almighty God, in the person
of the Lord Jesus Christ, bear and suffer the sins of His people
and make them His own. We don't have any hope. We have no hope. The Lord Jesus
Christ in the garden of Gethsemane suffering the anguish and agony
of being made sin. When He was in the garden, He
knew He was going to die. And He knew He was going to be
made sin. These words are for us. Now listen. Oh my Father,
if this cup may not pass away from me except I drink it, Thy
will be done. I have had people call me on
this blessed passage of Scripture, 2 Corinthians 5.21, for He hath
made Him, and to be is in italics, so I'll just read it. For He
hath made Him sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be
made the righteousness of God in Him. What does that mean?
That means that hanging upon that cross in our precious substitute
and Savior, He who knew no sin, who was made sin, hanging on
that cross, was sin. And I tell you every time, I
say that with as much reverence as I can. Hanging on that cross
in our blessed Savior, the Lamb of God, He bore all of the sin,
he bore everything, everything I think, now listen, not only
me, but you that know him, he bore all, every idle thought,
every disrespectful word, every act of unkindness, every disrespectful
word toward him in our heart that we never said or should
have said, every, I don't even know, I don't even know the depth
of my rebellion. I have no idea. I don't know. I had people tell me, years ago,
unless a man confesses all of his sins, he's going to die in
no sin. Unless you repent of all your
sins, I don't even have any idea what I've done, or what I should
have done, as I said. But I can tell you this, except
he bear that drink that cup, I don't have any hope. if he
was not made sin, my sin. Unless God dealt with him and
satisfied the law's demand for justice, I can tell you this,
I'm going to suffer the wrath of Almighty God. Except God chooses,
except Christ be made sin, Number three, accept a sinner, have a change of heart concerning
how God justifies a sinner. Accept a sinner, change his heart,
and agree with God on how God saves sinners. And it's not this way, walking
down an aisle, coming to that piece of carpet, getting in water,
no sin. Almighty God saves sinners by
grace, through faith in Christ, believing in Christ alone. Luke 13, I want you to just hold
your place, turn to Luke 13. Luke 13, 1 to 5. The Lord was
speaking to His disciples. Luke 13, there were present at
that season some that told him of the Galileans whose blood
Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering
said unto them, suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners
above all the Galileans because they suffered such things, I
tell you nay, but except you repent, except you change your
thinking, you shall all likewise perish. Or those 18 upon whom
the tower of Siloam fell and slew them, think ye that They
were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem, I tell you
nay, but except ye repent. I don't mean turn over a new
leaf and straighten up and fly a ride and I'm going to start
doing church. Except you think differently. Now here's the problem with man. Can the Ethiopian change his
skin? Can the leopard his spots? Then may ye also do good that
are accustomed to do evil. Except a man thinks in his heart differently
than the way that he's been born to think. Except a spiritually
dead sinner One that can of himself do nothing, except you think
differently. Except you think as Almighty
God declares it to be. Except you do that. You who are
in spiritual bondage, all of us, except you repent. You're going to perish. Now you listen to the mercy of
God here, Ezekiel 36, 26, 27. A new heart also will I give
you. Lord, thank you. A new spirit
will I put within you. I'll take away the stony heart
out of your flesh. I'll give you a heart of flesh.
I'll put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes. You shall keep my judgments and
do them. Except the Lord build the house. except the Lord keep the city.
The Lord told Nicodemus, verily, verily, I say unto thee, except
a man be born again, born from above, except God do something for him
that he can't do for himself. You cannot see the kingdom of
God. You can't perceive it by faith.
You can't see God calling out His people and understand what
He's saying in His Word. You can't see it. You don't see
it. I don't see it. Except you be born again. John 3, 7-8. Marvel not that
I said unto thee, you must be born again. How can a man rebirth
himself when he's dead? He can't do that. The wind bloweth
where it listeth, thou hearest the sound there, but canst not
tell when it cometh, where it goeth, so is every one born of
the Spirit. Repentance is granted. Acts 11, 18. I'll read it to
you, one verse of Scripture. Acts 11, 18. The Scripture is
to get it now. As soon as it was day, there were no small stir. I'm
reading the wrong scripture, I've listed it wrong. Here's what, whenever Cornelius,
whenever Peter was there, I'm sure I'll find it, probably just
missed it one, that's okay. You know what it was, Cornelius,
a Gentile, began to speak with other tongues as Peter knew that
they had done on the day of Pentecost. And he said, look, the Lord has
granted repentance unto them too. Repentance, thinking differently. is granted by the Lord. It's a gift. Repentance is not
something we work up. It's granted. The Lord told a
group of people in John chapter 6 that which they could not do. No man can come to me except
the Father which has sent me draw him and I'll raise him up
at the last day. I tell men, according to the
Scriptures, come to Christ. Cast yourself upon the mercy
of the Lord. Seek the Lord while He may be
found. Unless the Lord builds the house,
unless the Lord keeps the city, no man can. You cannot do that. It's impossible to do that. The
Father chose to show mercy and compassion, yes, to unworthy
sinners. The Lord Jesus Christ paid the
debt of all those given to Him in electing grace. Oh, but unless
the Spirit of God gives a new heart, gives a new spirit, draws
affection and power, makes Him willing in the day of His power,
He won't come. He won't come. No man can come. A man must be given life from
above and robed in the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew 520, I say unto you that
except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the
scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the kingdom
of heaven. God must choose. Christ must
pay our debt. The Holy Spirit must draw us
to himself. God must robe us in holiness. Accept your righteousness in
all of us. All of us. All of our righteousnesses
are as filthy rags. All of our righteousness stinks.
the sight of God Almighty, we're all as an unclean thing. We start
thinking that we've really done something, you know. Well, you
know, whatever. It's all filth, pollution, crown
of our head, sole of our foot. Isaiah 61 10, I will greatly
rejoice in the Lord. My soul shall be joyful in my
God. He hath clothed me with the garments
of salvation. He hath covered me with the robe
of righteousness. As a bridegroom decketh himself
with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.
Someone may say I'm a believer because I accept the Lord. choose, except
the Lord drink the cup, except our righteousness, except the
Lord draw. Lastly, unless a chosen, redeemed,
regenerated sinner remains faithful, faithful to the end. How faithful? As faithful as Christ. That faithful? except a regenerated, redeemed
sinner remain faithful. Faithful to God. How? John 15, verse 4. Abide in me, and I in you, as the branch cannot
bear fruit of itself, except It abide in the vine. No more can ye except you abide
in me. Lord, don't look on me apart
from your Son. Lord, don't consider any of my
foolishness. Lord, thanks be unto you that
you bore my guilt and you paid my debt. And for Christ's sake,
that you pardon me Lord, the only faithfulness I have is the
faithful one, being found in Him. Wouldn't you hate to know
that you had to stand before God and answer for your faithfulness
since you believed? Oh, it's true. Once a man is
converted, he's converted, and God's going to keep him. Oh,
listen, how we're warned to make us realize our need of Christ. Take heed, brethren. This is
what Paul said to the Hebrews. He said, take heed, brethren,
lest there be in you an evil heart of unbelief in departing
from the living God. I've seen others leave. I've
seen others that profess to know Him leave. You've seen them walk away. And
they always have a good excuse too. They always have a good
reason. They always give a good excuse for it. I'm telling you,
if Almighty God doesn't keep us, we will not be kept. Colossians 1, Colossians chapter
1, 21 to 23. and you that were sometime alienated
and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy, unblameable,
unreprovable in his sight. If you continue in the faith,
grounded, settled, be not moved away from the hope of the gospel,
which you've heard and which was preached to every creature
which is under heaven, whereof I, Paul, am a minister. Yes, God Almighty's got a city,
a city of His building, a city of His keeping. And there's some
exceptions to it, except God choose, except He drink the cup,
except He draw us, except we find in Him faithfulness. But
I am so thankful that all of the exceptions He met Him. He met Him. And those exceptions
that He met, God looks upon me in Christ and says of me in His
Son, well done. Well done. Enter in. Enter into
the kingdom that was prepared for you from before the foundation
of the world. Who are we? We are they who are
kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to
be revealed in the last time. Oh, when I see the blood, I'll
pass over you. That's what you said, Fred. When I see the blood. Oh, don't look at me, but in
Christ. Keep me, Lord. Salvation is all
of grace. And Paul said, Oh, that I might
be found in Him. I found in Him. May the Lord
bless the Word fresh to our heart again. For Christ's sake and
our good and comfort. Amen.