Take your Bibles and turn with
me to the book of Psalms, chapter 3. Psalms, chapter 3, verse 8. Psalms, chapter 3, verse 8. Salvation belongeth unto the
Lord. Thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah. Let's pray together. Our Father, thank you that you've allowed
us to meet together tonight. Lord, thank you for your presence.
Thank you for the blessing of having a heart that wants to
hear the word of God, that wants to assemble with your people.
Lord, would you bless the word tonight to our understanding?
Would you ignite our hearts with the gospel? We pray for these
that have been mentioned. Lord, you know, have mercy for
Christ's sake. Amen. If somebody were to ask a believer, just what do you believe? Kind
of sum up to me what you believe. This verse of scripture right
here to me is the summation, this is the totality of the fullness
of the gospel of God's free grace. This is it right here. Salvation
belongeth unto the Lord. Now, let me ask you this. Is
there anything that we proclaim here that has not come under
that verse of scripture? Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is by the grace of
God. Salvation is not of works. Not of man's works. lest any
man should boast. This world and its religion sets
forth salvation to be a cooperative effort between God and man. That's whatever denomination
it's under. If it's not A gospel church,
where the gospel of God's grace is concerned. I've said before,
they all have their different little pack of peanuts, but it's
the same thing. It's just You got to do this
because the Lord's done this, and when you do that and then
you accept His offer of grace, we believe in grace, but it's
an offer. It's a gracious offer. No. No. That's works. That's man's works. This world's religion teaches
that the Lord Jesus Christ came into this world to be the Savior
of all humanity. and that God's desire is that
every man and woman and child born in this world without exception,
God wants them to be saved. I'll tell you this, the counsel
of the Lord is going to stand. And if Almighty God willed that
every person be saved, I'm going to tell you this, they'd all
be saved. This world's religion portrays
God Almighty to be nothing more than one who has a desire to
show mercy, but he's in check. He's held captive to man's will. That's the most blasphemous,
degrading, silly message that can be set forth It just says
that salvation is in man's hands. That's what it's saying. And
that's not what the Scripture says. Salvation belongeth unto
the Lord. Man thinks that his righteous
works is going to merit standing before God. But listen, man is
born to see. Somebody said one time I heard,
They told Brother Scott, they said, you don't need to be preaching
that. You're going to deceive people.
Brother Scott said, they're born deceived. Listen to this. Man, speaking of man, he feedeth
on ashes. A deceived heart hath turned
him aside that he cannot deliver his soul He cannot deliver his
soul. Nor can he say, is there not
a lie in my right hand? He doesn't have sense enough
to realize that he's holding a lie. He doesn't know it. He's
deceived. Galatians 6.3 says, for if a
man think himself to be something, when he's nothing, he deceiveth
himself. for man to think that he has
the ability to accomplish his own salvation, that he has the
will to be saved before God Almighty, before the Lord has spiritually
called him out of darkness. For man thinks he can do something
before the Lord has given him a new heart. He's got a false
hope. And he does not believe the Lord
Jesus Christ either. Because the Lord said, no man
can come to me except my Father which hath sent me draw him. No man has the ability. No man
can. If I tell you, you cannot walk
to Morgantown from here. You say, well, yeah I can. Yeah,
I can. I've got the ability. I may take
a little time, but I can do it. I can walk to Morgantown. You
know, I ain't that far. But if the Lord says, no man
can come to me, that means he doesn't have the ability to do
it. The Word of God declares that
salvation, rescue, deliverance, of a sinner belongeth unto the
Lord." He belongs to the Lord because he was the one that chose
his people from the beginning to salvation through sanctification
of the Spirit, setting apart of the Spirit and belief of the
truth. It was the Lord who redeemed
his people to Himself. The Lord chose, the Lord redeemed
by Christ's blood. He redeemed His people out of
every kindred and tongue and people and nation. And it's the
Lord that calls His people by grace and quickens them by His
Holy Spirit and teaches them by the Holy Spirit that salvation
was not of themselves. The Lord taught them that. Not
of Him that willeth, or him that runneth, but God that showeth
mercy." And then the latter part of this verse says this, Thy
blessing, which is God's salvation, is
upon thy people. It's particular. It's distinguishing. God chooses to save whomsoever
He will. The Lord said that. God's people
have been eternally blessed. I mean, our blessing did not
begin when we were born. It didn't begin when we were
converted. We've always been blessed. God's
people, who have everlastingly been loved by the Lord, have
eternally been blessed of God. Blessed in eternity, in heavenly
places, before the world was ever formed. God chose them to
salvation. Before mankind was ever brought
into existence, God's people, those elect out of every nation,
kindred, tribe and tongue were predestinated. Their destination
was determined beforehand to adoption. The adoption of children
by Jesus Christ to God before they were ever born, before they
were ever created. They were accepted in the Beloved. And before they were ever born,
Almighty God saw the Lamb slain from before the foundation of
the world. They've always been blessed. They've been blessed
eternally. And they're blessed in time.
Think, think right now. Think about how the Lord has
kept you before you were converted. Where were you? I can tell you
this. Boy, you don't want to start
stories about where you were. You don't want to start starting
with me. Because I bet you I could probably hold my own with you. Ask my mama. I guarantee you. But I think how the Lord kept
me in the dread, in the slew of despond, how the Lord kept
me, didn't allow me to die, didn't allow me to, no telling the depth
of depravity. Almighty God has blessed His
people in regenerating grace The Lord was preaching the Sermon
on the Mount and I got these points from his sermon. Blessed
to see themselves as poor in spirit. Now you think about that. That you would see yourself unable,
needy. That's a blessing. Blessed to
be made to hunger and thirst after righteousness, true righteousness. Do you realize that an unbeliever
does not hunger and thirst after the righteousness of God? They
got their own. Blessed to be given a heart of
mercy in regenerating grace. to possess a pure heart, a new
heart I'm gonna give you. I'm gonna give you a new spirit,
new mind. I'm gonna put my spirit in you. I'm gonna write on your
heart, I'm gonna write my law, the law of Christ on your heart. Blessed, blessed are the pure
in heart, they shall see God. Blessed to be a peacemaker, for
they shall be called the children of God. And listen to this, blessed
when you're persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom
of God, kingdom of heaven. Blessed because you have eyes
to see and ears to hear. You realize if you hear this
gospel and believe it, see it, see yourself for who you are
and see the Lord for who He is and realize the salvation of
all of grace. Do you realize that you're a
blessed person? Blessed because your iniquities are forgiven
and your sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord will not impute sin. Listen to this, blessed because
your names are written in heaven. Blessed eternally before we're
ever born. Blessed in time. But I tell you
this, God's people shall be blessed. Listen to this. Blessed are the
dead which die in the Lord from henceforth. Yea, sayeth the Spirit that they
may rest from their labors and their works do follow them. There will never be a time that
we will not be blessed of God. Go through eternity blessed of
the Lord. Now David said that salvation
belongeth unto the Lord. Thy blessing is upon thy people. And that word Selah, I've read
as much as I could read on that, I guess. Most think it's a musical
note, a note of triumph, is all I can say, but it's to muse upon. Stay right here and muse on that,
it's what he said. But David, coming up to that
last, that 8th verse, right there when he was talking about salvation,
what he said in verses 1 and 2, How are they increased that
trouble me? Many are they that rise up against
me. Many there be which say of my
soul, there's no help for him in God. Selah. Truly and primarily. Those are
the words all these psalms are. These speak of the glory of the
Lord Jesus Christ. But God's people enter into these
also. We understand something of this. He perfectly, we impart, but
primarily it's attributed to the Lord Jesus Christ. He was
the one mocked, ridiculed, doubted, laughed at, scorned. as he went
about doing his father's will. But listen to this, Lord, how
are they increased that trouble me? Many are they that rise up
against me. Many there be that say of him,
there's no help for him in God. Did we not read these words in
Matthew 27, 43? Those that ridiculed him wagged
their heads that he trusted in God. Let Him deliver him if He
will have him, for He said, I'm the Son of God. But does a believer
not experience somewhat these troubles? Does not the world
say in their hearts at least, you know, there's no help, there's
no salvation for those that trust God? You know why they say that? Because they don't believe God.
They don't believe there's any help for them in God and they
say that of God's people. Psalm 86 14, Oh God, the proud
are risen against men. The assemblies of violent men
have sought after my soul and have not set thee before them. Many there be which say of my
soul, there's no help for him in God. Didn't the Lord tell
Peter, Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you that
he may sift you as wheat. And let me ask you this, talking
about the enemies of God, does not our old unbelieving heart
tempt us to suppose that in the midst of adversity and trial
and tribulations, God has forgotten you? The Lord has forsaken you. You
ever find yourself thinking that? He said, I'll never leave you.
I will never forsake you. And my whole heart lies to me.
It's deceitful, above all things. But let me tell you what God's
people say. In the midst of the trials, midst of the tribulations,
midst of the troubles, we're going to struggle. Now, we struggle.
Yes, we do. But I'm going to tell you what
a believer will come to this conclusion. Though He slay me,
I'm going to trust Him. I'm going to trust Him. That's
what Job said, Job 13, 15. This is the answer to the enemies
of God's people. Look at verse 3. But thou, O
Lord, art a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter up of my
head. Lord, you are my protection. Lord, I'm struggling. Lord, I'm
hurting. But Lord, I believe You. I believe
You surround me. I believe You're my shield above
and beneath, without and within. And by Your faithfulness, by
Your Word, You protect me from the fiery darts of Satan and
You keep me in the midst of these struggles. Lord, You're my glory. You're
my abundance. You're my dignity. You're my
richness. You are. And you're the lifter
up of mine head. Lord, because if you didn't do
it, it wouldn't be lifted up. You've lifted me from that slew. You've triumphed over hell and
death and the grave for me. And you've exalted me in Christ.
Lord, help me. Help me. I cried unto the Lord with my
voice, and He heard me out of His holy hill, Selah. You know, it's so wonderful when
the scripture reveals to us the things that are so. How would
we really know that God heard? How would we know? I've never seen Him with my eyes.
But I've seen him by faith. And the scripture says, when
a believer calls upon him, he hears. David here verbalized. He said, I cried unto the Lord
with my voice. You know a lot of times we pray
in heart, silent prayer. And there's times that we're
moved to pray out loud. Sometime in a congregation, but
sometimes just by yourself, driving down the road. Sometimes in your
heart, sometimes not. David said, I cried unto the
Lord with my voice. You know, the Lord Jesus did
that. Matthew 26, 39, he went a little further, fell on his
face and prayed, saying. He spoke it. Oh, my father, if
it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not
as I will, but as thou wilt." David said, I laid me down and
slept. I awaked, for the Lord sustained
me. You know, God's people walk in this world
and In all of their afflictions, they're secure. Somebody said,
I just don't see how I can lay down and close my eyes and go
to sleep. Yeah, you can. If the Lord gives you rest, you
can. Ask Him. Ask Him. He said you have not
because you ask not. I laid me down and slept. God's
people are able to rest in the Lord. They rest in their hearts.
But I'm going to tell you something. There's a beautiful, beautiful
picture here that's much, much deeper than David laying down. Here's the picture of the Lord
Jesus Christ. In His crucifixion, His substitutionary
death, He said, I laid me down. Nobody takes my life from me.
I laid it down. I slept three days. He slept. And I awaked in resurrecting
glory three days later. He came out of that tomb. And
this is the conclusion. For the Lord sustained me." He
sustained him on the cross, he sustained him in the tomb, and
he received him into glory. There's a message right there,
Neil. One verse, right there. Then
the scripture says, verses 6 and 7, I will not be afraid of ten
thousands of people that have set themselves against me round
about, Arise, O Lord, save me, O my God. For Thou hast smitten
all my enemies upon the cheekbone. Thou hast broken the teeth of
the ungodly. Let me ask you this. If the Lord
be for us, who can be against us? What do we have to fear? Lord,
You're the Savior. You've conquered all my enemies.
You've smitten them, David says, upon the cheekbone. That, the
scripture bears out. Job, I'm gonna show you something. Job 16.10. Job 16, I'll read
this to you. Job 16.10 says this, to be smitten on the cheek was
a reproach. What he did, slapped in the face. Job 16.10, they have gaped upon
me with their mouth, they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully. They have gathered themselves
together against me. Lamentations 3.30, Lamentations
3.30, I'll read that one to you too.
It says, he giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him. He's
filled full with reproach. To be slapped in the face was
an act of reproach. David said, I'm not going to
be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves
against me round about. Arise, O Lord, and save me, O
my God, for thou hast smitten all my enemies upon the cheekbone. and you slap their teeth out.
That's what he said. Thou has broken the teeth of
the ungodly. Almighty God is just. Almighty God is going to take
vengeance upon the enemies of his people. Lord, who do we have
to fear? You've smitten them upon the
cheek. And Lord, you've broken the teeth
of the ungodly. They don't have any power. They're
teethless. They're teethless. God's for
us. Who can be against us? They don't
have any teeth. What do we have to be afraid
of? The grave for a believer? Death for a believer? Where's
the stain? The Lord is conquered. He's the
ruler. Salvation belongeth unto the
Lord. And thy blessing is upon thy
people. Lord, bless the Word to our hearts.
For Christ's sake. Amen.