Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of Hebrews. Hebrews chapter 13. Hebrews 13. The last two times we were in this
book, I dealt with verse 20. And I'm
going to read verse 20, to bring us right into verse 21 where
I would like to look tonight. Now, the God of peace that brought
again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of
the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
make you perfect in every good to do His will, working in you
that which is well-pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ,
to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Let's pray. Our Father, we thank You this
evening Oh, for the precious time that we have. Lord, You've given us one more
time to meet together. I pray that You'd bless Your
Word. Lord, bless it to the comfort of Your people. Bless it to the
calling out of Your elect. Lord, establish us, settle us. Help us, we pray, for Christ's
sake. Amen. The Lord has commissioned His
people, especially His preachers, comfort
ye, comfort ye, my people, saith the Lord. I pray that tonight that we might be comforted. We
need comfort. We desire comfort. I want to
be comforted. We are in this world. Scripture
says that God's people are not of it. They are in it, not of
it. And the Lord is doing something
in His people, and that which He is doing is
to the honor and praise of His glory and grace. And they are
good and they are settling. But what He is doing and why
He is doing it, that is what I want to deal with tonight. Why are we still here? Why are God's people still in
this world? What is the Lord doing in His
people? And why is He doing it? What
is He doing and why is He doing it? That is what we will deal
with tonight. The God of peace that brought again from the dead
our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood
of the everlasting covenant, Listen to what he says here.
Make you perfect in every good work. Now, Paul the apostle,
who I believe penned this epistle, is praying for God's people. This is a prayer that has been
penned according to the purpose of the Spirit of God. You know,
Scripture says everything that the Lord had done had been written
down. Everything that He had done had
been written down, that the world would not contain the books. But you know everything that
the Spirit of God was pleased to write down, that God did by
and far through the Lord Jesus Christ. Obviously, it's all down
to one book. Now, if everything had been written,
the world wouldn't contain all the books. I tried to think about
that. That thought just amazes me. I thought, oh, that which He
did when He was in this world. But it's all by the Spirit of
God's good pleasure, it all comes down to one book. One book. Boy, we ought to make much of
this one book, shouldn't we? The God of peace make you perfect. Here's the apostle casting the
care of God's sheep into the hands of the One who
cares for them. Who cares for them heartily. You know that. He loves them.
But cares for them in all that they need. According to His riches
in glory. The apostle was praying that
the Lord would work in them. Preparing them. For their walk in this life,
yes, that's exactly right. For their walk in this life.
But for their walk right out of this life into glory. The apostle had faithfully preached
God's Word to these people. But he was only a voice. He knew that. Every true preacher
knows that. 1 Corinthians 3, 6 and 7. The
Apostle says, I have planted. Apollos watered. But God gave
the increase. So neither is He that planted
anything, neither He that watereth, but God that giveth. The increase. Only the Lord can
bless His Word. The vessel through which the
message is preached. As John the Baptist said, I'm
just a voice. I'm a messenger. I'm a messenger
with a message. And we beseech you, in Christ's
stead, be reconciled to God. But here was the apostle praying,
God make you perfect. Now I know this. In this world,
there is a nature in every believer that is holy. Now you know that. That which is born of God sinneth
not. But there is an old man that
is still with us and in this world, We're walking in this
world coupled with this body of death. Sin is present with us. But what
Paul is praying is that I'm praying that God mature you, fit you. The Word is, adjust
you. Praying that the Lord would make
you perfect Frame you is another definition. Frame you. Oh, how we need what God is doing
in His people. We need this. God's people need
to be fitted, adjusted, framed to walk in this world as believers. His vessels of
His mercy as His witnesses. And how? How is He doing it? I know this is what He's doing. Let's look at how He's doing
it. In just a second, I'm going to get to why. Why He's doing
it. Let's look at 1 Peter. Just turn
over. Hold your finger there or put
your marker there. Turn over to 1 Peter 5.10. 1
Peter 5.10. This is what He's doing. The Apostle
said that praying that God mature you, fit you, adjust you, frame
you. Here's how He's doing it. 1 Peter 5.10, But the God of
all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ
Jesus after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish,
strengthen, and settle you." I want to just consider just
for a second who is perfecting His people. Peter says the God
of all grace. You know, I began to think of
the grace of God. You know, the Scriptures talk
about the covenant of grace. There was a covenant that Almighty
God entered into with Himself on behalf of those that He had
chosen in Christ Jesus before the foundation of the world Settled. Sure. That's what David said.
He hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things.
And sure. It's all my salvation. All my
desire. So we talk about the grace of
God. Think of the covenant. The grace of God. That God from
before the foundation of the world would enter into that covenant
to save His people. But think about the regenerating
grace. What about redeeming grace? That
the Lord Jesus Christ laid down His life for the sheep. And all
that the Father giveth me shall come to me. They're going to
be regenerated. How about keeping grace? We're
still here by the grace of God, kept by the power of God. Through
faith. How about dying grace? Grace to leave this world. I don't know anything about it. I've watched it and wondered
at it, marveled at it. It's actually a marvel. to behold
the grace of God that would keep His people in the hour of their
departure." Just settled, settled. But of all these things that
can be spoken of concerning grace, here's the description that Peter
gives under the inspiration of God's Spirit. But the God of
all grace, all grace, grace, that forgives, grace that forgets. You know, you start talking about
us being gracious to one another. You know, if somebody has offended
you, and I mean, they've truly, I mean, they have just greatly,
they have offended you, done you wrong. And you know, there
is forgiveness. But to forget it? Carl, I just can't get it out
of my mind. I mean, I'm just not capable
of being able to get it out of my mind and just say, OK, that's
it. I'm just never going to think of that again. There's times
that I'll think of things that happened to me when I was little. I mean, little. I was telling
my mom and dad something one time that I remembered. I remembered
it. I remembered where I was standing.
I remembered I was in the old house and there was a staircase.
And I told my dad I remembered something that happened. And
I described it. And he told me, he said, you
couldn't possibly remember that. You'd have been too small to
remember that. And I said, Dad. I can describe it. I remember
it. I just couldn't get it out of
my mind. I couldn't erase it. But to forget
only God. God Almighty says we confess
our sins. He's faithful and just to forgive
us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. that
according to His Word, He forgives. For Christ's sake, our debt being
paid by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, He justly
and faithfully forgives His people. I'll tell you what else He says
He does. He forgets it. He forgets it. Now, you listen
to this. The sins of God's people. What does the Scripture say?
What does the Scripture say about them? Well, the Scripture says
that they are cast behind His back. Now concerning Him who is omnipresent,
He is everywhere. He is everywhere. So where would
behind His back be of Him who is everywhere? You say there
is no place like that where God is not. I know there is no place
like that. And that is where the sins are. They are as far as the east is
from the west. And he who is omniscient, who
knows all things, said, I will remember them no more. And I
know, I know, I will remember them no more in wrath. But he said, I'm not going to
remember. That's grace. That's grace. My friend, when it comes down
to forgiving, and forgetting and covering. Not ever, ever, ever. You know, you owe me some money
or something like that. When I was at home, I was in
business with my dad for a while and then I ended up taking over
the business. Somebody beat me out of a whole
order of windows. I put windows in their house.
And they just wouldn't pay me. Wrote me a hot check. Wrote me
a hot check. And I called them and I tried
to get my money and stuff like that. And they just, you know,
never did get it. And you know, I just remembered
it. I just remembered it. Only God Almighty is the God
of all grace. But the God of all grace, 1 Peter
5.10, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Jesus Christ. Who called? He called. wants to twist this thing around
and says that he's the one that calls on the Lord. If a man calls
on the Lord, it's because the Lord called him first. If a man
loves God, it's because God loved him first. If a man seeks God,
it's because God sought him first. The God of all grace who has
called us unto his eternal glory. by Christ Jesus. You know, when
it comes to God being the God of all grace, He's faithful,
isn't He? That's where 1 Corinthians 1, 9 says God is faithful. Faithful to what? Faithful to
His Word. Faithful to His promise. Look
at this promise. Romans 9. I love this chapter.
Romans 9, verse 15, 16. Listen to the promise of God.
God is faithful. Romans 9, 15, 16, For he saith
to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. I will
have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So it is not
of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that
showeth mercy. God is faithful. faithful by whom you were called
unto the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." God is
faithful to show His people mercy, but His mercy is only found in
His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. You try to approach God People
talk about approaching the Lord. You try to approach God outside
of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Scripture says He is a consuming
fire. You try to approach God apart
from the Mediator. Not a Mediator. The Mediator. Apart from Him. And here's what
we'd find. I will by no means clear the
guilty. But in Him, in the Lord Jesus
Christ, the Scripture says, the God of all grace who hath called
us unto His eternal glory by Jesus Christ, that fellowship,
we've been shown grace, mercy, God's faithful to His Son to
His Word, to His people in His Son. But listen to this, 1 Peter
5.10. This is how. This is how He's
doing it. "...But the God of all grace,
who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after
that ye have suffered a while." Now, in this life, this is what
we're promised. This is what every believer is
promised. In this life, you're going to have tribulation. It may be physical. If you live long enough, it will
be. It may be family. In this life, you're going to
be hated by all men for His namesake. Men will ridicule you. They did
Him. But in this life, we're going
to suffer. But here's the thing. after that ye have suffered a
while." You see the grace in that. You see the mercy of God
in that. Just a while. It's just a while. There's going to be an end of
these trials for God's people. We're going through some trials,
testings, chastenings, troubles, sufferings in this life. And
all of God's people, that's going to be their lot. This is the
lot. And we cannot be surprised. Don't be surprised. This is the
way it is. This is the way it's going to
be. You parents, you get a call from
your kids, you know, Dad, Mom, I've talked to you, told you
before. Man, I always tell my kids, just
don't string me on like that. Just tell me right now. As soon
as you call me, tell me what it is. But I'm telling you, the
sufferings for a believer is just for a while. And when we
are taken out of this world, it's over. All the suffering,
no more tears. No more suffering. No more trials.
This is the worst that a believer is going to have it. This is
the worst right here. But listen, you leave this world. Listen to me. You leave this
world without the Lord Jesus Christ as your substitute. And
this is the best you'll ever have. This is the best of it. You will live separated from
God Almighty under His judgment. And this world knows nothing
of that judgment that's going to be suffered when a man or
woman leaves this world. But there's a reason. There's
a reason for this, that He's perfecting His people, adjusting
them, framing them, fitting them. It's so. How is He doing it?
He is doing it as we go through this world and suffer, try. Did our Lord suffer? He was a
man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Those sufferings
that He endured for His people and His people, that is their
right too. But here is why the Lord is doing
it. That after you have suffered
a while, make you perfect. establish, strengthen, and settle
you. The God of all grace is maturing
His people. He is establishing them, strengthening
them, settling His people. And He is doing it right now
while we are in this world. There is no doubt about that.
And He is doing it For this reason, now get a hold of this, and you're
only going to get a hold of this, I know, I say this to myself,
only by faith can we get a hold of what He's doing. He has predestinated, you know
this, alright, hold your finger there again, Ephesians. You know that Ephesians 1, 4,
and 5 says this. We've read this so many times.
Lord willing, we're going to start in the book of Ephesians
here in the next few weeks. I'd like to go through this book.
But Ephesians 1, verses 4 and 5, according as He hath chosen
us in Him before the foundation
of the world, that in order that we should
be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestinated
us." He has determined the destination. He set the limit beforehand. He set the boundaries beforehand. "...having predestinated us unto
the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself according to
the good pleasure of His will." Now here is what the Lord is
doing as He is perfecting us, establishing us, strengthening
us, and settling us as we suffer a while. He is preparing His
people. Now listen, this is what I told
you a while ago. By faith we believe this. He
is preparing His people through these sufferings As He's settling
us and establishing us, He is preparing His people in this
world to be like His Son. This is why we're going through
what we're going through. I'm going to prove that to you. 1 John 3.2. 1 John 3.2. You say, you mean to tell me
everything we're going through? That God, while we're suffering
for a while... You know, we've looked at this
so many times back in Hebrews in this 13th chapter. And He said, Whom the Lord loveth,
He chasteneth. Why? Why? Why would you have to go
through suffering? Couldn't the Lord just eliminate
all that? Why do we have to go through
it? Because Almighty God in His infinite
wisdom, purpose and will, because He's the God of all grace that
I cannot enter into the depth of in His sight, It is right. It is the best. And here is the
best for His people, that He would settle us and establish
us that we might be like His Son. 1 John 3, 1 and 2. what manner of love the Father
hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of
God. And because He's called us the
sons of God, therefore the world knoweth us not." I'll be honest with you. We look
around at each other. And we see the frailties in ourselves
and in each other and especially the world look at us. They don't
look like sons of God to me. Well, they're not the ones that
determine that. Behold what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the
sons of God. Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew
us not. Beloved, verse 2, now are we
the sons of God. And it doth not yet appear what
we shall be. But we know that when He shall
appear, this body of death is going to
be put off. When He shall appear, This corruption
is going to put on incorruption. This mortality is going to put
on immortality. When He shall appear, we shall
be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. Like I said, I know that the
world doesn't recognize God's people. as being God's sons. We're in a body of flesh just
like everybody else, and we're subject to the miseries and trials
of this world. But I tell you this, God's people
are aware of the sin that's in them. They know something about
it, and they grieve over it. They loathe it. According to His Word. Turn with
me. I'm telling you this. Philippians
3. Philippians chapter 3, verse
20. According to His Word. According to God's Word. When
He appears, we're going to be changed. Philippians 3, verse 20, 21. Our conversation, our life, our manner of walk
is in heaven from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord
Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body that it may be
fashioned like unto His glorious body according to the working
whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself. The Lord of glory is doing something
in His people. He's preparing us to leave this
world. He's preparing us. He has predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ Himself. He's
ordering our steps right now. And Scripture bears forth that
He is settling us and establishing us, fitting us to be like His Son. And right now, the Scripture
says, it doesn't appear what we shall be. But by faith, we
know. We know. According to His Word,
we know that there is going to be a change. And you know, we
began to anxiously anticipate it, but to be like Him, to see Him
as He is and be like Him. Back in Hebrews 13, verse 21, the God of peace make you perfect
in every good work in every good act and deed and
effort. That word good right there is
speaking of something that is done within us. I mean, I look at the outward
manifestation in myself and I think, I just can't see anything good.
I don't see any attitude that I've had is right. I see sin
is mixed with all that I do, but the Scripture sets forth,
make you perfect in every good work. He's maturing you. He's establishing you. He's perfecting
you. You say, Lord, as You say You're
doing, You're doing. But make you perfect in every
good work. Make you that which is of value
and virtuous. Not for the praise of men. I'm
going to tell you something. You're not going to get any praise
from men, but for the glory of God. Matthew 5, 16. Listen to this. so shine before men that they
may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Oh Lord, help me. I have seen the inconsistency,
but the Scripture says that He is fitting His people. How is
He doing it? We are just suffering for a while.
working in us that which is right in His sight, adjusting His people
and framing them by His chastening hand of mercy, those loving chastisements
that we are going through. The next time, and I am asking
this for myself, Lord, help me the next time when these things come my way,
that I might be made to remember by Your Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit,
bring this back to my mind. You're doing this. You're preparing
me. Lord, You're settling me. You're adjusting me. I need some
fine-tuning. I know that. And Lord, You know
exactly how to do it. As I'm suffering for a while because You're going to make
me just like your Son, in your Son. I'm going to be like Him. You know, Paul says these light
afflictions, boy, don't they work an eternal weight of glory.
We don't glory in them. They're grievous. That's what
Paul says. These trials are grievous. But,
oh, what they do! What God is doing! The Lord has
given His people a heart that is zealous, Titus 2.14, of good
works. God's people study to adorn the
doctrine of God, our Savior in all things. And they have their
conversation as it becometh the gospel. God works with them. He that worketh in you the will
and the do of his good pleasure. And this they do for one purpose,
to honor him. They've been made willing in
the day of his power." The Lord's people, they're not lifeless
robots. He's fine-tuning them, and he's
doing it perfectly. chastening, loving hand of chastisement. And I'm telling you this all
the while. I know this. Without Him, I can do nothing.
I don't have anything to brag on. Paul says, glory, glory in
Him. Philippians 2.13, For it is God
which worketh in you both to will and do of His good pleasure. There is a will, believer. You
have a will. A new will. You have a new will
to come to Christ right now. He that cometh unto me, I will
in no wise cast out. You have a will to hear His voice. My sheep hear my voice. I know
them. They follow me. You have a will
to trust Him. You have a will to have His Word
hidden in your heart that you might not sin against Him. You
have a will to obey. A believer does. And he looks
at himself and he has no confidence in himself. But the Scripture
says that it is God that makes you perfect in every good work
to do His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in
His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and
ever. Amen. Lord, teach us. As we go through this life, my
friends, there is a reason why we are suffering. I mean, think
about it. Why would we go through this
world and remain in this world through trials and tribulations
and sufferings and chastisements and go through this world some
of the believers were sworn into and some were crucified and some
of them were stoned? Why? Why? Because the God of all grace
who has chosen according to His gracious mercy to cause us to
suffer for a while. It's not the way I've chosen
to do it. But He did. And He's right. His way is right. His way is perfect. and has chosen to cause us to
go through this world and suffer a while, that He might settle
us, perfect us, adjust us. Because there's coming a time
after we've suffered a while, He's going to usher us right
into His presence. And when we see Him, we're going
to be just like Him. Not until we leave this world.
I can tell you that. In this world, we're going to
continue to suffer. But in that day, to see Him as
He is and be like Him. Lord, teach us. Lord, help us to behold Your
gracious mercy for Christ's sake.