I want you to take your Bibles
and turn with me to Psalm 98. Psalm 98. The Apostle Paul, speaking to
Timothy, said this, gave him this word of instruction. He
said, Timothy, preach the word. preach the Word. I would like
to just take the 98th Psalm and just take those nine verses for
just a few minutes and set forth what Almighty God
has to say concerning this truth. This is what I've entitled this.
Marvelous things that he hath done. The scripture declares in verse
1, O sing unto the Lord a new song. Now here the Spirit of God exhorts
the people of God to do something in their heart that they absolutely never did
before they were called out of darkness. He exhorts them to
sing a fresh song, a new song, a new song to them, a song of
the heart, a song of a new tongue. You know, before any of us were
converted, we sang, we take these songs right here, I remember
coming up, going to church, and singing, you know, Amazing Grace. I knew all the words, and I never
thought for one second that I wasn't singing unto the Lord. Didn't really make that much
difference to me, but if you were to ask me, are you singing
those songs unto the Lord? Well, absolutely. I mean that,
I mean, you know, I, you know, but when Almighty God calls a
man out of spiritual darkness, he sings a song, not concerning
a song that brings all the honor and glory and praise unto him,
a song of arrogance and pride, filled with his own works, words,
Songs that makes Him, man, to be the author and finisher of
His faith and salvation is now wrought by me. That's what I
always thought. Because Almighty God wanted to
save me. And if I'd let Him, then He'd
save me. If I'd give Him my heart, if
I'd open my heart to Him, He knocks. At the door, if you've
ever looked at that painting, you know, there's supposed to
be a fella standing there at the door. There's no doorknob
on the outside. Obviously the only doorknob would
be on the inside where the person was and if you would open the
door to him, he'd come in. That's the only song I ever thought
about singing. That's the only song I ever knew.
But when Almighty God gives a new heart, when He comes in regenerating
grace and saves an object of His mercy, when that object, that vessel
of His mercy was not even looking for Him, no man seeks after God. God seeks after man first, and
then Almighty God gives him a new heart, then that man Then he'll
seek after him. He'll call upon him then, but
when the Lord gives a new heart, we sing a new song, a fresh song
that we never knew before. What is that song? Look at it.
Oh, sing unto the Lord a new song. Here's what it is. For
he hath done marvelous things. Now, I want you to notice. He
hath done marvelous things. Things that were beyond the capability
of a mere man. Things that were done marvelously
by God Himself. You know, you think what Almighty
God has done in the redemption and salvation of a people. Before the foundation of the
world, He chose them in Christ. I always knew them. They were
always His. And then in the fullness of time,
marvelously, conceived in the womb of a virgin, the Lord Jesus Christ. He marvelously
lived before God. And Almighty God declared this
truth concerning him, this is my beloved son in whom I'm well
pleased. Marvelously, based on God's word,
he never one time knew sin. Never one time failed to do only,
always those things that pleased the Father. The Spirit of God
would have never recorded that God was well pleased with him
if there was one infraction of God's law. Marvelously went to
the cross and was made sin. I still, I know it's so, but I cannot
enter into the fullness of that. He was made sin. hanging upon that cross, was God's Lamb, hanging on that
cross, was sin. I even say that, and I have to
say it because God's Word says it. And still, I think, Lord,
let me say that with reverence. Let me say that with respect.
Let me say that with thanksgiving because there God Almighty dealt
in absolute justice with what I am and put it away. For all that He had everlastingly
loved, God in absolute justice and wrath dealt with it. Died. He died. was buried and marvelously
three days later God raised him from the dead. And he's marvelously
right now at the right hand of the Father ever living to make
intercession for his people. He hath done marvelous things. Hold your place right there.
Turn to Romans 8. We've read this before. Romans chapter 8 verse 30. Now
listen to all of these things that are passed in. The great
things that he hath done. These are hath done. Moreover
whom he did predestinate, That was already done. He did predestinate. Then He also called, and whom He called, that word right
there, called, it means named. When God Almighty was wrestling
with Jacob, He asked him, He said, what's your name? He said,
Jacob. He said, your name's Israel.
you're a prince with God. He called him that. That's what
he named him. Whom he did predestinate them
he also called. He named them. Old Jeremiah,
he said, I knew you. You're mine. And whom he called
and named them he also justified. Past tense. Whom he justified
them he also glorified. Let me tell you about this marvelous
thing. You say, we're sitting right here this morning in this
congregation together. That's right. That's right. And seated in the heavenlies
right now with Christ. He's done some marvelous things.
How can these things be? I don't know. But I can tell
you this. Sing unto the Lord a new song.
For He's done marvelous things. Look at 2 Timothy. 2 Timothy
1.9. Here's another blessed passage
of Scripture that we read and rejoice in what we
read. 2 Timothy 1.9. 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. When did Almighty
God save His people? In Christ. According to the Scriptures,
before the world began. and in time it's manifested.
And he calls his people out of darkness and teaches them what
he's done. And moved upon David to pen those
words. Oh, sing unto the Lord a new
song. He has done marvelous things. His right hand and right arm
have gotten him the victory. And again, notice the wording,
His right hand, His holy arm, by His power, by His grace, by
His mercy, by His will, by His decision, only of the Lord Jesus Christ
could it be said, Isaiah 63.3, I have trodden the winepress
alone. and of the people there was none
with me." Only of the Lord can it be said. Our great High Priest,
our King, only He trod the winepress of God's wrath. He did so by
Himself. If we would have had anything
to do with God's justice, apart from the Lord Jesus Christ. I
can tell you right now we would have been crushed forever. He
tread the winepress of God's wrath by himself, redeeming from
the penalty of the law, the justice that was due, the law, where
the law finds sin. Let me tell you what's going
to happen. It's going to deal with it. I've said before, no
plea bargaining, no wavering, absolute, I'm a just God. He tread by himself. Verse 2,
the Lord hath made known his salvation. Now this is a marvelous
thing. by the appearance of the Lord
Jesus Christ in human flesh. Jehovah, Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit, hath made known, He has uncovered, He's revealed His
salvation. Christ Himself, who is our salvation,
and by Him, Redemption, rescue by our salvation Himself. The
Lord hath made known His salvation. We could have never discovered
that. How can a dead man discover anything? How can one dead in
trespasses and sins? No heart. Dead, a dead heart. Dead eye, dead ears to the things
of God. How could He? Look at what holds
you place again. Turn over to John 17, 6. John,
the Gospel of John 17. Listen to the words of the Lord
Jesus Christ concerning the Lord hath made known His salvation
by Christ. John 17, 6 to 8. Here's the words of the Lord,
I have manifested thy name, thy character, I've manifested your
glory unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world. Thine
they were and thou gavest them me, they've kept thy word. Now they have known that all
things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given
unto them the words which thou gavest me, and they have received
them, and have known surely that I came out from thee. They believe
that thou didst send me." Let me tell you a marvelous thing
that God's done. He's revealed Himself and His
purpose to His people. That's what He's done. That's
a marvelous thing. A man, a woman dead in trespasses
and sins, and Almighty God would be pleased to manifest His name,
manifest His glory onto His people. I'm going to teach you something.
I'm going to teach you something that you don't know. Something
that you couldn't know. unless Almighty God was pleased
to do so. He made known His righteousness
as He openly showed in the sight of the heathen, Jew and Gentile. All Jews looked at all others
that were not Jews, and they were the heathens. But Almighty
God, here's a marvelous thing. Out of every nation and kindred
and tribe and tongue, God has a people. And he's going to save
them. He's going to reveal himself.
And the psalmist says, that's what you've done, your righteousness,
you've openly showed in the sight of the heathen. Every believer,
out of every kindred, tribe, tongue, people, believe the same
exact thing. If God Almighty saves one out
of false religion in the United States or He saves them out of
the Far East or something, I'll tell you what they believe. They
believe this gospel right here. Look at verse 3, concerning the
marvelous things He's done. He hath remembered His mercy. He keeps it in remembrance. Now every person that Almighty
God has everlastingly loved, He knows them. He knows them.
And for them, for everyone that He said to Moses, I will have
mercy on whom? I will have mercy. I will have compassion on whom? I will have compassion. This
is what I know for a fact. Almighty God knows where every
one of them are. He knows when he's going to cause
them to be born. He knows when they're going to
die. He knows exactly in the fullness of time when it pleases
him to call them out of darkness. And he remembers. He remembers. He keeps in remembrance. He never
fails to remember. I got a real problem just remembering. I just, you know, I call it,
I just call it, I give it excuses, you know. getting older, you
know, I just don't make the effort that I should. I tell you what,
I'm honest. I'm honest with you. I should
take a note from my wife. I'm telling you, she writes down
everything. Everything. And therefore, I
just use that as an excuse, Mitch. She'll remember. Don't you remember? Almighty
God remembers. He hath remembered His mercy. Aren't you glad? You that know
Him, aren't you glad that He never forgot? You that He's called
out of darkness, aren't you glad that His mercy and compassion
is according? to His everlasting covenant of
grace, and He remembers. I think about that thief on the
cross, Lord, would you remember me? Lord, would you remember
me? When I come to point, Brother
Scott, remember him saying that? He said, here's the confidence
I have. He said, when I can't remember
my own name, He does. What confidence? What assurance, what a marvelous
thing. He hath remembered His mercy
and His truth toward the house of Israel, toward His people,
toward His elect, the house of Israel. He's kept His promise
to fulfill every prophecy concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. Luke chapter
1, I'll read this for you. Luke 1, 68. Luke chapter 1, listen to these
words. He's remembered His truth. Luke 1, 68. Blessed be the Lord
God of Israel. That's not spiritual, I mean
physical, that's spiritual. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel. for he hath visited and redeemed
his people." You know, there were a lot of them that were
natural sons of Abraham. They were Israelites by just
human blood. But think of all those that were
really Israelites, you know, physical descendants. of Abraham
that would not hear his word. He told those Pharisees, they
told him, he said, won't you tell us, won't you be truthful,
won't you tell us what you're saying? He said, I told you.
You believe not because you're not machine. He was talking to
Jews, physical Jews. But these right here, blessed
be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed
his people. Man, when you see that His people,
remember, He has an elect, He's got a chosen, and has raised
up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant,
David, not King David, spiritual David, the Lord Jesus Himself. And as he spake by the mouth
of his holy prophets, which hath been since the world began, he's
remembered his truth. He does not forget. Scripture says Isaiah 7, 14,
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold, a virgin
shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
What does that mean? God with us. God with us. And the scripture says back in
Psalm 98, latter part of verse 3, and all the ends of the earth
have seen the salvation of our Lord. Not all men, you know that
without distinction when it says all the ends of the earth, but
those people that I was talking about out of all the nations
and kindred. Verse 4, make a joyful noise
unto the Lord, all the earth. Again, there's none that desire
to make a shout of triumph. unto God, except those that have
been shown their need of a Savior." You know, a believer is continually
being shown his need, and therefore continually makes a joyful noise
unto the Lord. I've said before, try to pray. Lord will in this next service,
I'm going to try to bring a message on prayer. Try to pray. You that know him. And tell me
if you need him. Tell me if you need the Spirit
of God to help your infirmities. Tell me if you know what to pray.
Tell me if you understand the depths of making intercession
to God or pleading to the Lord. Tell me if you do. Make a joyful
noise while you're sitting right here listening to what's been
said. You know the sad part? If I had to recite back to you
what I've already said and remember what I've already said, I'd have to go back in my notes,
Neil, and try to, you know. Make a joyful noise unto the
Lord. He remembers. He never forgets. He remembers
His mercy. Make a loud noise, the scripture
says. Verse 4. Make a loud noise. You know what that is? Courageous.
Make a courageous noise. What do you mean? Don't be ashamed
of Him. When we're confronted concerning
His glory, His honor, His gospel, His grace, His mercy, make a
loud noise. The Lord Jesus Christ has saved
me. in spite of me. Save me by His
grace that I'd never do anything about. Said I did, but I didn't. Make a loud noise and rejoice. Sing praise. Sing praise. Listen to Isaiah 52.9. Break
forth into joy. Sing together. That is in unity. Ye waste places of Jerusalem,
even in the places where God's people seem to be in the greatest
distresses. That's what it is. For the Lord
hath comforted his people. That is, he's pitied them and
consoled his people. And hath redeemed Israel. Rejoice. In just a few minutes, we'll
sing some songs. I pray that the Lord causes me
to think about what I'm singing. Lord, give me a heart when we
sing whatever Brother Gary picks. Give me a heart to sing it and
sing it unto the Lord. In verse 5 and 6, sing unto the
Lord with a harp, and with harp and the voice of a psalm, with
trumpets and sound of cornet, make a joyful noise before the
Lord the King. Now, while we are never forbidden
to use physical instruments in reverential praise, I was in Houston a few weeks ago there
at Brother David Pledger's and there was about four or five
people playing off to the side here. They were playing instruments. There was a couple of violins
and there was a flute and there was a cello and a piano. And I'm telling you it was so It was played so reverentially,
it was just... and I couldn't help but comment
after I got up to speak what reverence, how beautiful it was. It was just done so tastefully
and it wasn't a big performance, but it was just beautiful. And
so therefore I'm saying this, it's not that we're forbidden
to reverently praise and worship the Lord with physical instruments. But the singing unto the Lord
with harp would probably, and I say that because of the scripture
that I'm about to read, refer to the harp of the new heart. The heart that praises God in
prayer for His memory and compassion and mercy to his people. Listen to this. Revelation, when
he had taken the book, the four and twenty elders, and the four
and twenty elders refers to the entire church of the Lord Jesus
Christ, fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them
harps and golden vials full of odors, that is, aroma, which
are the prayers of the saints. And they sung a new song, saying,
Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof,
for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood
out of every kindred, tongue, people, nation." Sing unto the
Lord with the strings of the heart. Sing unto the Lord with the voice
of a psalm. Sing back unto the Lord that
which He sang to us. You know, when we sing songs
here, if there's one word that seems to give praise or honor
or something to man, what are we going to do? Change that word
right there to this, right here. We're going to sing unto the
Lord, exalting and praising Him. Then verse 7 to 9, let the sea roar and the fullness
thereof, the world and they that dwell therein. Let the floods
clap their hands, Let the hills be joyful together before the
Lord, for he cometh to judge the earth with righteousness,
shall he judge the world and the people with equity." Now,
you know, there's times that we'll find in scriptures, verses
like that, let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof the
world, and they that dwell therein the floods, clap their hands,
and the hills be joyful together before the Lord." When we read
these things, of these inanimate, well, I don't know if that's
the right word, it's just like oceans, and seas, and trees,
and winds, and mountains, and things that Praise. Hold your
finger right there. I'm going to close this. I'm
wrapping this up. Look at Psalm 148. Look at Psalm
148. There was a real blessing. I saw Psalm 148 in this particular passage that
I thought was so marvelous concerning these things that we You know,
look at verses 148, Psalm 148 verses 1 to 5. Now listen to
this. Praise ye the Lord, praise ye the Lord from the heavens.
Praise Him in the heights. Praise ye Him, all His angels.
Praise ye Him, all His hosts. Praise ye Him, sun and moon. Praise ye Him, all ye stars of
light. Praise Him, you heavens of heavens,
you waters that are above the heavens. Let them praise the
name of the Lord, for He commanded and they were created. Now when
we find things like that, the hills, the stars, the sea, when we find creation, being
said to praise the Lord. What or how is that understood? How is that? Listen, here's what
it is. These things that were created
by God, back in our passage Psalm, let the sea roar. Whenever you
go down to the ocean, go to the seashore and you're standing
there and you're watching these waves, they're coming in and
as they get close, we were down in Myrtle the other day and I
was watching this water and it got right up here to the beach
and it crashed over and it had a roar sound to it and I thought
you know what that's doing Just exactly what God created it to
do. That's what it's doing. You know
what the stars are doing when we behold them at night? Just
exactly what God created them to do. The sun, the moon, the sun comes up at a perfectly
ordained order. Just a little bit different every
day, every day. The seasons change. These trees
that are changing right now, you know what they're doing?
They're praising God for the order, doing exactly what He
created them to do. Now you know the only thing that
does not praise God doing exactly what it was created to do, is
a man dead in trespasses and sins. But when Almighty God is
pleased by His mercy and compassion to call him out of darkness and
gives him a new heart and a new tongue and gives him some understanding
of who He is and who God is, that man then Obviously with the presence of
sin, which grieves Him and will until He leaves this earth. But
I'll tell you what He does then. He does what God created Him
to do. He does give honor unto the Lord. You that know Him,
you do praise Him. I know we see through a glass
darkly, but we see. Almighty God has been pleased.
to give His people some understanding of the marvelous things that
He's done, giving them a heart and a mind to now call upon Him,
seeking Him, praising Him and blessing Him. Let all of these
things, let the floods, verse 8, clap their heads, let the
hills be joyful together before the Lord. And why are they doing
that? And those that God has given
a new heart, why do they then do it? The last part. For he
cometh to judge the earth with righteousness shall he judge
the world and the people with equity. All creation joins in
the song of praise because of the righteous judge. He who is
coming back. He who's coming back to do that
which He has absolutely, everlastingly determined He's going to do.
His people are going to be with Him, and He's going to deal with
sin. He's conquered all the enemies
of His people. He's gotten the victory over
them by His own power, and He's made known that victory unto
His people through the gospel, and given them faith to believe
it. And he's going to come back and he's going to settle all
the accounts according to his everlastingly will and purpose. Oh, the marvelous things that
God's done. May the Lord bless these words
to our heart for Christ's sake. Amen.