Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of Proverbs 17. Proverbs 17. I have so enjoyed going through this blessed
book of Proverbs verse by verse. And the other day when I was at Brother
Tom Harding's last Thursday night, we were talking about going through
a book, taking a book of the Bible and just starting at the
beginning and going through that book. And when you do that, what
you do is you deal with things that you normally would not deal
with. You deal with things that sometime are just so magnificently
wonderful that you've heard before in times that you deal with things
that you may not have heard that much before. And that's good. That's good. This is the way
the Lord wrote it. And so, as we continue going through this
book of Proverbs, I want to deal today with the
next two verses. It's verses 7 and 8 of the 17th
chapter of the book of Proverbs. And I want to tell you before I begin,
let me just tell you in a few words what this passage is all
about. It's dealing with the absolute
necessity of God calling a preacher. And God blessing the message
of the preacher that God sent. Now this is what I mean. I heard
a question here the other day and it was this. Do you think
that it's possible for the Lord to save someone that's under a false
gospel, sitting under a false message, a message that by and
large is not the truth. But is it possible for that false
preacher to make a statement, quote a scripture, and the Spirit
of God bless that segment of his message to the salvation
of his elect. Now, let me answer the question
for you, because you're sitting there wondering. The answer? No. No. God Almighty blesses what
God sends. God blesses the messenger with
the message that the Lord sends. I'm going to show you where There
are instances in the Scriptures where absolute truth was quoted. Absolute truth was quoted, but
not blessed of God. There's much truth being quoted. You turn on any television program,
and you're going to hear a lot of good things. You're going
to say, What does the Lord bless to the
salvation of His people? I heard Brother Henry Mahan say
one time, 99% of rat poison is good. It's good stuff. The rat
wouldn't eat it if it wasn't tasty. But he said that 1%, that
little leaven, leavens the whole lump. They train bankers, I've told
you this, people that handle money all the time. You know
how they teach them to detect counterfeit? They let them just
handle good money. Just handle good money. That's
all. That's all you deal with. Good money. And when you pick
up one that's counterfeit, something's wrong here. What does God bless
to the salvation of His people? that we've established what this
passage is all about. Let's look at Proverbs 17, verses
7 and 8. Excellent speech becometh not
a fool, much less do lying lips a prince. A gift is as a precious
stone in the eyes of him that hath it. Whether soever it turneth,
it prospereth." This morning we're dealing with
this blessed subject of the Word of God. Excellent speech. That's what verse 7 says. Excellent
speech. That is, superior language. That which excels. That which
remains, that which causes to abound. When we consider this
blessed subject, the Word of God, there is no limit to what
could be said concerning God's Word. It is eternal. Because the Lord is eternal.
Heaven and earth, the Scripture said, shall pass away. But my
words shall not pass away. Matthew 24.35. The Word of God
is declared to be the actual personification of God Himself. In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word was
made flesh. and dwelt among us, and we beheld
His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,
full of grace and truth." God's Word is the guide of God's people. Psalm 119, 105. Thy Word is a
lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path. We walk according to
God's Word directed by His Spirit. Romans 8.14 says, For as many
as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Almighty God, exalted and honored
His Word above all things, I will worship toward Thy holy temple
and praise Thy name for Thy lovingkindness For thy truth, for thou hast
magnified thy word above all thy name." There is no limit
to the honor that is to be given God's Word. Faith, without which
no man is going to please God. Faith cometh by the hearing of
the Word of God. This is it. God's Word is going to be the
judge of all men. The Lord Jesus Christ said in
John 12.48, He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words
hath one that judgeth him. The word that I have spoken,
the same shall judge him in the last day. Oh, how precious is God's Word. Hear it. Study it. Guard it. Pray that God would
speak to our hearts through it. Thy word, David said, have I
hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee. So precious is the Word of God
that the Scriptures reveal this morning. that there is an offense
against Almighty God for its unauthorized use. Excellent speech becometh not
a fool. That is to say, Speaking God's
Word, excellent speech, is not suitable, it's not beautiful,
it is not pleasant, and it's not comely to God's honor when
spoken from the mouth of the wicked for their own selfish
lusts. God blesses what God sends. God blesses what God raises up. As I said a moment ago, as God
Almighty, will He bless just any casual mention of His Word
to the salvation of His elect? I'm not saying that the Lord
won't send a person that's sitting under false religion, cause them
to go and sit under a consistent preacher and save them. I'm not
saying that He won't bless you to send them out. But Paul said,
I'm not ashamed of the gospel. I'm not ashamed of the gospel
of God's sovereign, saving grace. It is the power of God unto salvation. Turn to Acts 16.16. I'm going
to give you an example here of someone telling absolute truth. Acts 16.16. And it came to pass as we went
to prayer, a certain damsel Possessed with a spirit of divination,
met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying. The
same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are
the servants of the Most High God, which show unto us the way
of salvation. And this did she many days, but
Paul being grieved, turned and said to the Spirit, I command
Thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And He came
out of her the same hour." Now here was Satan himself speaking
through a human mouth, setting forth absolute truth, but for
the wrong reason. She was mocking God's preachers. She was mocking God. Mocking
God's preachers. Just like Satan did in the desert
when Satan quoted Scripture to the Lord Jesus Christ whenever
he was being tempted. Did God Almighty bless that word
from the mocker, from the mouth of Satan himself? Does God bless
just anything, just a casual mention of His Word? But this
demon-possessed damsel was nothing more than a wolf in sheep's clothing
like those of Jude 1.4. Here's what Scripture says, those
who have crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to
this condemnation, ungodly men, turning or perverting the grace
of our God into lasciviousness, impure life, and denying by their
actions the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. This is
what they said. Well, if we're saved by grace
through faith, what difference does it make? Ungodly men perverting
the grace of God. False professors who creep in
under false pretense. And they utter some truth, but
they corrupt the truth, the Scripture says, by their lives and their
lies that they add with it. Denying the Gospel. Denying true
grace. Sovereign, saving grace. By God's redemption, by God's
salvation, by God's purpose. Look at Acts 19. Acts 19, verse
13. Acts 19, 13. Then certain of the vagabond
Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil
spirits the name of the Lord Jesus. saying, I assure you,
by Jesus whom Paul preaches. Now here's what they were going
to do. They were vagabond Jews, just scum. And they'd seen that
which God was pleased to do through the preacher that God called. They were going to do what Paul
was going to do. They were going to get some notoriety of themselves.
They were going to bring some honor to themselves. And they,
I assure you, they said to that demon, I command you by Jesus, whom Paul preaches. I don't know him, but Paul preaches
him. And there were seven sons of
one Sceva, a Jew, a chief among the priests, which did so. And
the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know and Paul I
know, but who are you? And the man in whom the evil
spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed
against them, so that they fled out of the house naked and wounded."
Seven traveling demon extractors. False preachers. Men to bring glory to themselves. Their own purpose and gain. Spoke. In the name of one they did not
know, Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And
the evil spirit who had knowledge of who the Lord Jesus was, but
obviously not the grace to know Him, overpowered them. Jesus I know, Paul I know, but
who are you? Who do you think you are? You're
going to take the precious, excellent speech of the gospel, and you're
going to exalt yourself, and you think God's obligated to
bless and well you up with pride and honor, look what I've done?
I am the Lord. I'll have no other gods before
me. Men stand in pulpits. and take
the precious Word of God and speak as though they themselves
have the ability. I can do this myself. God's going
to bless what God raises up. Those arrogant fools took upon
themselves to speak. And they thought that they had
the authority to do so. And I'm telling you, they paid
dear for it. I'm going through the book of
Hebrews right now, studying ahead in preparation for the messages,
and I'm in Hebrews 13. Paul was saying that we preach to you
as those that must give account. Give account. I give account
to myself right now. I'm thinking to myself, Marvin, You best think through
what you're saying. You best think through and make
sure you sought the Lord over this. I give account to you as
you hear the gospel of God's free grace. But I give account
ultimately before the Lord. I know He's here. Two or three
are gathered together in my name. I'm in the midst of you. And
I think to myself, as I stand before God Almighty and preach
and set forth His blessed Scriptures, you give account. I give account
unto the Lord as I seek God for you, praying for you. Every morning as I rise, in my
mind, I start visualizing where everybody is sitting and going
right down the aisles, calling your name before God, Asking
God's blessing. Give an account unto the Lord.
Praying for you. Seeking God's leadership and
direction. Studying. These men stood up
and thought they could presumptuously, I can just handle the Word of
God any way I want to. And Almighty God is not mocked. Does the Lord take lightly men
just presumptuously? Does He take lightly men speaking
in His name? Now you think about this. Do
you think that He needs someone to pull His chestnuts out of
the fire? Do you think He's just hoping that somebody will stand
up and say something that will be honoring something that hopefully
his spirit might be able to use to maybe save one of his people. Psalm 50, 16 and 17, But unto
the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes? Or that thou shouldest take my
covenant in thy mouth, seeing that thou hatest instruction,
and casteth My words behind thee." Who do you think you are to stand
up and preach My words? Who gave you the authority? You
see what I'm saying? Think God just lightly takes
it. It takes this blessed Scripture,
these precious words, this excellent speech. Men in pride and arrogance
think that they have the right to speak in God's name, and they
don't. I'm telling you, in that day the books will be opened.
And men, apart from a mediator, will give account even to the
taking of God's Word. Not being sent by God. Those
that God sends, I'm telling you, those that God sends, God teaches. God teaches the gospel. God gives
them a heart for it. God keeps them. God upholds them. God blesses them. But to bless
that which the Lord did not send, don't think it so. When God Almighty caused him
to see the Lord in the year that King Uzziah died, this is what
he said, Woe is me, for I am undone. I am cut off, because
I am a man of unclean lips. I am contaminated. I am defiled. See, that's how one that God
calls. I'm standing here right now,
and if you only knew, my heart is racing. I can feel it beating
in my chest. Knowing. I feel it right here. Knowing the responsibility that
I have to declare God's Word. Almighty God took that man Isaiah,
brought him down, Taught him what he was. Took coal from off
the altar. Put it on his lips. Your iniquities
taken away. Then said, who shall I send? Who will go for us? With a new
heart, God's people, in the day of God's power, made willing.
They said, Lord, what would you have me to do? Excellent speech
becometh not a fool. It doesn't adorn him. It doesn't
make him beautiful. Much less, second part of the
seventh verse, much less do lying lips apprentice. The first part
of it was dealt with those that take and set forth Truth. Not called of God. Much less, let me tell you something
that says worse, much less do lying lips, lips of lying as
my margin says, a prince. That word prince right there,
it means a self-called one. A volunteer who is self-called. That's what it means. A self-called
volunteer. Here the Scripture reveals that
which is far beneath that which has already been mentioned. That
which even is dishonorable to Almighty God. But this is truly
to the damning of men's souls Words that are totally destitute
of the truth have nothing but lies about God. That woman that was possessed
of a demon, was there anything that that woman said that was
not so? These men are of the Most High God. Was that true? I guess it was. They show unto us the way of
salvation. Is that what Paul and the others
were doing? Yes. That's what they were doing.
Did God bless what she said? No. God didn't send her. And Paul, through the power of
the Spirit of God, cast the demons out. These men right here, these are
absolute liars. Setting forth that which is totally
untrue. Though the world thinks that
all preaching has some good in it, and that all men are truly
working toward the same end, the Scripture refutes that. False
prophets and false preachers reveal that their message is
from Satan. I want you to turn to John 8.44. Our Lord is talking to some Jews
here. And this is what He tells them.
Now, these were religious people. Religious, religious, religious. Oh, I'm telling you, their works,
we couldn't have held a candle to their consistency. Here's
what the Lord said to them. Ye are of your father the devil,
and the lust of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from
the beginning and abode not in the truth, because there is no
truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own,
for he is a liar and the father of it. And because I tell you
the truth, you believe me not." Men that are not preaching the
gospel of God's free grace. are not sin of God. Men that are not preaching the
gospel of God's electing, redeeming, regenerating, and preserving
grace, sovereign grace, are not sin of God. The Lord said that. There's not a little good in
a menagerie of lies. God's preachers preach truth
consistent with this gospel right here. And I'm telling you, sitting
under false religion is damning to men's souls. God
said that. Those that are not preaching
the truth are sent of Satan. The Lord told them. You are of
your Father the devil. And the lust of your Father,
the damnation of men's souls, that's what you do. He's a murderer. Never a bold in the truth. He's
nothing but a liar. And it's only by the grace of
God that God teaches anyone that. Jude 1.8. reveals these false
preachers to be filthy dreamers. Let me read this to you. Jude. There's just one chapter in Jude.
Likewise also, these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion,
and speak evil of dignities. They're filthy dreamers. Not taught. God's Word. They're speaking from their own
thoughts. They're filthy dreamers that
defile the flesh by unclean behavior and despise dominion. That is God's Word and God's
preachers. They speak evil of dignities. But when the Lord blesses a sinner
with the knowledge of truth, to know the only true God and
Jesus Christ whom He has sent. He grants faith. God gives a new heart. Before, back in Proverbs 17,
before this gospel that is quoted by men, if there's any truth
there being quoted, it doesn't adorn a fool. Lying lips. Through those that are self-called,
it doesn't adorn them. It doesn't beautify them. It
does not. Men don't make themselves beautiful. Verse 8 says, A gift
is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it, and
whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth. That gift, if you've
got a margin there, it says a stone. of grace, the message who is
of the stone himself, the rock himself. The stone of grace,
that gift, a gift, that gift of the glory of God, the teaching
of the gospel, the teaching of God's mercy and grace to His
people, A gift is a precious stone in the eyes of him that
hath it. It has been given to. It's given
unto you to believe. It's given unto you. Faith is
the gift of God. That's Philippians 1.29. For
unto you it is given in behalf of Christ, not only to believe
on Him, also to suffer for His sake. Salvation is the gift of
God. out of works, lest any man should
boast. Now this gift, this stone of
grace, whether that means the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, who
is altogether lovely, whether that stone of grace is His Word,
His pure, holy Word of the gospel of His grace, whether it be faith
to believe in without which no man can please God, it's by the
grace of God. And all three of those things,
you can't really separate them. Well, do you mean faith? Do you
mean Christ? Do you mean the knowledge of the gospel? How
do you separate any of that? It's to know Him. It's to believe
Him. It's to realize by this precious
gift, that gift that's a precious stone, In the eyes, in those
new eyes of Him that hath it. He that hath my word. He that
knows me. Whenever that stone of grace,
that knowledge of Christ, through the gospel, through the preached
gospel, from those that God has sent and raised up, I'll give
you pastors according to my heart. They will teach you. through
the blessing of God's Spirit, give you knowledge of who He
is, that stone of grace, that precious stone. And the eyes
of him that hath it, listen to this, whethersoever it turneth,
it prospereth. God blesses. God blesses what
God raises up. And when you see that precious
stone of grace, when you see Him, when you hear of Him, when
we read of Him, when He is blessed to our hearts through the preaching
of the gospel, whithersoever it turneth, whatever the lot
that God has for you, for me, wherever Almighty God leads us
and directs us in this life, predestinated, wherever He directs
us, wherever your lot will be, if your lot is to be, Sick your
lot is to be. Whatever, whatever. Whether,
soever, it turneth. The Lord blesses it. It prospers. It accomplishes the will for
which it was sent. His Word never returns void. He sends His Word. He blesses
His Word. Men take God's Word and think
that they have the power to do whatever they want to do. It's
always going to be for the wrong motive, because the Lord has
not abased them, not brought them down, not revealed anything.
The only thing that He can do is well them up in pride. Exalted. Exalted in their own
eyes. But that which is given, the
gift, the gift of God, that precious stone of grace, wherever God
leads and God directs His people, whether so ever it turneth, it
prospers according to the will and purpose of Him that sent
it for Christ's sake and for the good of His people.