Turn with me to the book of Psalms,
chapter 15. Psalm 15. This psalm begins with this wonderful
question. Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? Now that's a marvelous question
that every believer wants to know. Now that's a wise question. Here's what he's asking. Lord, who's going to be with you now
and then? Who's going to be found in heaven with you? Now I want
you to notice that David didn't ask a man. He doesn't want a man's answer
because man give you an answer and it might be the wrong answer. I can't afford to rest my soul
And what a man's got to say if it's not consistent with these
scriptures. Now there's a lot of folks running
around and everybody has got an answer to this question. But
here's the funny thing, they're all different answers. Every
different denomination has got a different answer. Now somebody's not telling the
truth. And I want to know. I want to
know. I'm going to stand before God
and I know this. It's going to be soon. I don't
know. It might be today. It might be
in 25 years. I don't know. But I want to know the answer. Now if somebody is not telling
or giving an answer according to these scriptures. And that
means that they don't know the answer. Because if God reveals
to them the answer to that question, who shall abide in thy tabernacle,
in thy holy hill, then God revealed it to them. Now the Lord thanked
the Father. That time Jesus answered and
said, I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because
Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and has
revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed
good in Thy sight. The Lord thanked the Father.
Father, I'm thankful You did not reveal. To those that see
themselves as wise in themselves, prudent in themselves, I thank
you that you didn't show them. Now I tell you what we do to
that prayer, we bow to it. We bow to that. The psalmist question, who? It covers time and eternity.
He's asking about the character and he's asking about those that
are going to be found with the Lord, in the Lord, on
earth and in eternity. Lord, who? What's the character? Those that
shall abide. Who shall abide? Who shall sojourn
for a while? Temporarily dwell for a while. That's what abide means. Just
for a while. Who shall abide in thy tabernacle? You know the tabernacle in the
wilderness. You know that was just temporary
till Solomon built the temple. You know the tabernacle, it moved. It was when the pillar of the
cloud moved, it moved. How long did they stay in one
spot till the pillar moved? Took it down. The priest carried
it. They went. Who shall abide for
a while in this church on earth? Who shall be there? That's what
he's asking. Who's going to be here, Lord? And who shall dwell? That is remain, continue, established. That's what it means. Who shall
abide and who shall dwell in thy holy hill? in heaven. Listen to Psalm 33-4, I cried
unto the Lord with my voice and he heard me out of his holy hill. Lord, who's going to be with
you on the church, you know, abiding and, Lord, and going
to dwell with you? Who are they? David asked about
the distinguishing marks of God's people. There's a lot of professors,
I know that. But evidently, if everybody's
got a different answer, and they don't line up with these scriptures
right here, then they're tares. Now, I don't know if they're
tares or wheat. I mean, it may be evident being tares. That's
why the Lord told in that parable, servants came, you want to go
tear up the tares? He said, no, you leave them alone. You don't
know, they may be wheat. And you don't know it. You leave
them alone. You just leave them alone. Well,
I think we need to straighten them out. No, you don't. I think
we need to... No, you leave them alone. In the end time, I'll separate
them. I know my own. Lord, who shall abide in thy
tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
Here's he, verse 2, that walketh uprightly, worketh righteousness,
and speaketh the truth in his heart. That's who it's going
to be. He that walks right, works right
and speaketh the truth in his heart. Now every believer is
going to say this one thing right there. In myself, I'm sunk. I don't have hope. I don't have
a prayer. I don't have a chance. He that
walketh uprightly, worketh righteousness, speaks the truth in my heart,
never even thinks, never even deviates in his thought. A man or woman truly regenerated
by the grace of God desires that those things be accomplished
in him. That's what Paul says, I know in me that is in my flesh
there dwelleth no good thing for to will is present with me. Let me tell you what I really
want. I want to walk uprightly before God. I want to. I want
to. I want to work righteousness. And in word and thought and deed,
I never deviate. And I want to speak the truth
and speak it in my heart. And I am an utter failure. Oh, but being found in the Lord
Jesus Christ, robed in His righteousness with His obedience, imputed to
me that God would look upon me in Him. And when He looks upon
me, He sees Him. And this is what He can say concerning
His Son. This is my beloved Son, in whom
I'm well pleased, and everybody in Him. Everybody he represents,
I'm pleased with his body. Truly, a believer is going to
say, Galatians 2.16, knowing that a man is not justified by
the works of the law. The law is going to condemn him.
That's what the law is going to do. By the law is the knowledge
of sin. That's what the law is going
to do. The law doesn't justify anybody. It tells you what you
are. Knowing that a man is not justified
by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ. Even we have believed in Jesus
Christ, we believed in Him, admitting that we're not justified by the
works of the law. We're justified by His work, His obedience, His
righteousness charged to us. I'm telling you now, that's...
There's a believer who can settle down right there. I'm thinking
back on what I just preached. I know, I know just a little
bit about there not being any good in me, that is in my flesh.
The Lord Jesus Christ alone continually walked perfectly without spot, without blemish
before God, only of the Lord walked. without guile, without
hypocrisy. The Lord asked the Jews one day.
He said, which of you convinces me, which of you can bring forth
one proof that I have ever sinned? Which of you convinces me of
sin? The Scripture says, "...we have
not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of
our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are,
yet without sin." Which of you can convince me of sin? Which
of you can prove anything? When the Father has said, this
is my beloved Son whom I am well pleased, the Lord alone walked perfectly. The Lord alone worked righteousness. His work was to do justice. My meat is to do the will of
Him that sent me. I do always those things that
please Him. Thirdly, Christ alone continually
spoke the truth in His heart. Brother Henry said this, he's
not only the true God and true man, but he's truth itself, the
sum and substance of all the truths of the gospel. You know, how easily I can say
one thing to somebody and think another. I can think something
else and you don't know it. Only of the Lord can it be said. He speaketh the truth in his
heart. Look at verse 3 and 4. He that
backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbor,
nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor, in whose eyes a
vile person is condemned, but he honoureth them that fear the
Lord. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. Now, who is going to be found
in heaven? Well, in 3 and 4 it says that
the ones that's not a tail bearer, he that backbite is not with
his tongue. He doesn't slander or lay a false
charge with his mouth. One that doesn't think or do
anything hurtful or unkind to somebody else. Oh, we're getting
deeper and deeper. One that never receives, one
that never supports, one that never sustains a reproach, a
scorn, or a disgraceful thing said or insinuated about somebody
else. Guilty, guilty, guilty. The one that's going to be found
in heaven possesses such a character as to never, never show any type
of respect to anyone that sees themselves as something. He always totally estimates the
character by a right standard. He's never one that has a thought
of showing any kind of respect unto men because of their rank. No. He's always the one that
honors His people. We said, never takes up a reproach,
verse 3, against his neighbor and whose eyes a vile person
is condemned, honors them that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to his own hurt
and doesn't change at all. What do you mean there? that
has made a promise and has entered into a contract, and if he sees
it's going to turn out contrary to what he thought his expectations
to be, to his own disadvantage, he still adheres to the engagement. You know, I'll tell you what,
we'll enter into an agreement with somebody, but if it goes
south, and it's going to cost us Everything, maybe. Which one of us would not figure
out a way to get out of it? We're going to crawfish on that
thing. I don't know if you know what that means. Crawfishing,
that means backing up. You know what a crawfish is? They swim backwards with their
tails in. Which of us is not going to crawfish? The scripture sets forth, the
one that's going to be found in heaven, that is one that sweareth
to his own hurt." I want you to hold your place right there.
Turn to Genesis 43. Genesis 43, that's swear to his
own hurt. I could not think of a better
scripture than this one. Here's a beautiful picture of
the Lord Jesus Christ, but it's about Judah. Judah. And he's... He's going to have to go before
Joseph. Remember, Judah and the other boys had sold Joseph into
slavery. What they did is sold him to
a band of... The Lord put Joseph over in Egypt. Joseph now second
in command. He got everything under Pharaoh. And he's got the one that's got
control of the corn. Well, here comes Israel's boys. And here's Judah in Israel. The daddy's got one boy left
at home. It's Benjamin. That's his youngest. And Joseph, he knows who they
are. They don't know who he is. And
he told them, he said, how's your dad doing? He's doing pretty good. He said,
you got any other brothers besides you guys? They said, yeah, we
got one boy. Benjamin, youngest, youngest.
And Joseph says to those that don't recognize him, he says,
you go get him. You bring him to me. Judah tells him, he said,
listen, you don't understand. He said, I just don't think my
dad will do that. He said, see, he said, we had
another brother that, well, we lost and about killed my dad. And this is the youngest. If
I go back and get the youngest one and take him, he said, I
just don't think that my dad's going to be able to handle it.
I just don't think he will. And Joseph tells him, he said,
if you don't bring that boy back here, he said, then don't show
up. And Joseph's got all the food.
Just don't show up. Well, Judah goes back. He's going
to have to talk to Israel, his daddy. He said, Dad, we're going to have to bring
Benjamin with us. Oh, I just don't know. Dad, if we don't
go back with Benjamin, he's not even going to receive us. He's
not even going to see us. We're going to starve. And here's
what Judah said to his dad, Israel. Genesis 43. Verse 8 and 9, Judas said unto
Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we'll
arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and thou,
and also our little ones. will be surety for him. Of my
hand shalt thou require him. If I bring him not unto thee,
and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame forever." You know, whenever the one that's
going to be found in heaven, back in Psalm 15, Only if him swore to his own hurt, I will be surety for those that
you've given me. If I don't bring them to you, redeemed, regenerated, washed
white in my blood. If I don't present them to you, I'll bear the guilt of that forever." And the father trusted him. He alone swore to his own hurt. I'll bear the brunt. I'll lay
down my life for the sheep, and I will save them." And the Father
sent Him. Who's going to be found in heaven?
All that's found in the Lord Jesus Christ. The One that changes
not, never changes. I'm the Lord. I change not. Malachi 3.6. Therefore, you sons
of Jacob, you supplanters, you hucksters, you shysters, you
inconsistent ones, therefore you sons of Jacob, you that I
love, are not consumed. And then lastly, verse 5, he
that putteth not out his money to usury, or taketh reward against
the innocent, he that doeth these things shall never be moved. One that does not, that does
not put out his money to usury. Now let me say this. There's nothing wrong with lawful
usury, making some interest on money. The Lord used that as
an example one time in a parable in Matthew 25. But that's not
what it's talking about. Who's going to be found in heaven?
Those that doesn't put out his money to usury? Well, if that's
all it takes, well, I ain't going to put no more money in the bank,
I can tell you right now. I'm not going to make any money on
my money, because if I don't make any money, if I don't make
any interest, And I'll go to heaven. He that putteth not out his money. Now the key to that is his money. There it is. Concerning a man
putting out his money. You know, let me just quote this
scripture in closing. This is all going to make sense.
Everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that
hath no money, no money, nothing to buy with, nothing to bargain
with, come ye buy, and he come buy wine and milk without money
and without price, you that don't have anything to bargain with,
you come. But now hold it, he that putteth
not out his own money, Spiritually. You that are not putting out
with your own spiritual investment, your own will, your own works,
your own decisions. He that puteth not out his money. No, let me buy by faith. Because I don't have anything
to buy with. I don't have anything to bargain.
What am I going to bargain with God with? May I be found looking to Him. The man that's going to be found
in heaven is the man that comes by faith. That's what he said. He that put if not out his money
to usury. Let me tell you what usury is
in closing. It means that I put money in
the bank or stock market or something like that I got a return on my
investment. I gave you something and I am
giving something back because I earned it, because I was shrewd,
because I bought Walmart back in the 60s. Because I had that ability to
be able to watch the market, usury, and I made, oh, you that
put it not out his money to usury, or taketh reward against the
innocent, he that doeth these things, doeth, he that doesn't
take reward against the innocent, that right there, he that can't
be bribed, taketh reward against thee. That's what that word reward
means. He that cannot be bribed. You remember Eli had a couple
of boys, Hophni and Phinehas. They were priests and they took
reward, unlawful reward. They could be bribed. A believer is one who looks to
the Lord Jesus Christ and says this, though He slayed me, I'm going
to trust Him. I'm going to rest in Him. Who
shall be found in heaven? I can tell you who it is. All
that's found in Him. Lord, bless the Word to our heart. For Christ's sake, Amen.