Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of Psalms chapter 2. Psalm chapter 2. I'd like for you just to hold
your finger there and turn over to Isaiah chapter 6. I'd like to read the first Chapter 6, and then we'll look
at the book of Psalms. The scriptures set forth in the
year that King Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon a
throne high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
And above it stood the seraphims. Each one had six wings. With
twain he covered his face, with twain he covered his feet, with
twain he did fly. And one cried unto another and
said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth
is filled of his glory. And the post of the door moved
at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with
smoke. Then said I, Woe is me, for I
am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell
in the midst of a people of unclean lips. For mine eyes have seen
the King, the Lord of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims
unto me, having a live coal in his hand. which he had taken
with the tongs from off the altar. And he laid it upon my mouth,
and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips, and thy iniquity is
taken away, and thy sin is purged." Let's pray. Father, would you bless this morning
Bless that which we have heard and which we shall, for Christ's
sake. Amen. Isaiah said, in the year that
King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord. He was sitting upon a throne,
high and lifted up, and His train, His skirts, The glory of the
heavens filled the temple. And the seraphims, the glorious
manifestations of the triune God in Christ. The seraphims. Above the throne of the Lord,
they cried, the scripture says, unto another, holy, holy, holy. is the Lord of Hosts. The whole
earth is full of His glory. That is, His glory is the fullness
of the whole earth. Then Isaiah said, Woe is me! I am undone, I am cut off, because
I am a man of unclean lips. I dwell in the midst of a people
of unclean lips. For mine eyes have seen the King,
the Lord of Hosts. Oh, what mercy that Almighty
God would bring a man to see something of himself, needy,
helpless, unclean. And then from that exalted position,
being above the throne, there through one of the seraphims,
Isaiah said unto me, and he had in his hand a live coal, taken
with one of the tongs, the Scripture says, from off the altar. And
he laid it upon my mouth and said, Lo, this hath touched thy
lips, and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin is purged."
Oh, the glory and mercy of Almighty God to take the live coal of
God's Word which is from Christ himself, the altar. We have an altar. And apply it
to the lips of a man's heart, and to declare to that man, by
grace, under the preaching of the gospel, having seen God Almighty
by faith, your iniquity is purged. God has put away your guilt. Can you imagine that Almighty
God would teach a man that, unsought, that man not seeking God, not
following after the Lord, that Almighty God would stop him. In the midst of his waywardness,
God Almighty would just arrest him. Just like he arrested Saul
of Tarsus, he arrests every one of his elect. Now I want you to turn to Psalm
2. And in this blessed psalm, there
are three speakers. Three are going to speak. The Father, the Son, and the
Holy Spirit. And this blessed song, which
is the triune testimony of God's mercy to His people, God is going
to speak. And here's the voice of the Father.
And He asks in verse 1, Why do the heathen rage? And the people
imagine a vain thing. Almighty God sets forth that
man is a rebel against him. God himself asked this question. I thought, what a question. Why
do the heathen Rage against Almighty God. Why
do they have a tumultuous, the margin says, assembly? Why are
they mad? Why are you mad? Why does a heathen,
a rebel against God? If a man dies in rebellion against
God, if a man stands before God Almighty, and Almighty God puts that man
in hell, Why are you mad? You did what you wanted to do.
You wanted to rebel against God. Why if a man believes a false
gospel when God Almighty warned him? Believe not every spirit. Why if a man trusts in his own
works? of self-righteousness, why if
a man believes I have done something, why if almighty God in that day
casts him out, why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a
vein empty Why are men raging against the revealed truth of
Almighty God? I'll tell you why. Man is dead in sin. He's a rebel
against God. You consider man's enmity and
folly against God. It says they rage and they imagine
a vain thing. Let me ask you this. Why? To the heathen race. Why does
a man rage against God when Almighty God said, I will have mercy on
whom I'll have mercy? Why? That is the very statement that
men ought to praise God Almighty for. You mean to tell me that
in Adam, All that die in Adam that God Himself has set forth,
that He's going to have mercy and compassion on whomsoever
He will? Do you think that it's possible
that God would have mercy on me? Could I find myself in that number? Why do the heathen rage? Why do they assemble themselves? Why such a violent uproar against
God? Why? Ignorantly, they meditate upon
something that they cannot do. That is, thwart. the purpose
of Almighty God. Verse 2 and 3, The kings of the
earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together
against the Lord and against His anointed, saying, Let us
break their bands asunder, and let us cast away their cords
from us. Does a man think, here the Scripture
says forth, that man is a spiritually impotent creature. The scripture
sets forth that God's law, God's rule, God's word, God's truth
shall surely stand. The soul that sinneth is going
to die. Does a man truly think that he
can set himself up and take counsel against the Lord? against Jehovah,
Father, Son, Spirit, and against His anointed, the Lord Jesus
Christ Himself, God Himself, becoming a man. Does a man think
that he can take counsel and get together and figure out,
we're going to break their bands asunder? I'm not going to have
God Almighty to rule over me. I'm not going to have this man
to tell me what to do. I have my own free will. And I can make up my mind for
myself. Man doesn't believe he's dead.
He doesn't believe that. Man does not think that he is
impotent before God Almighty. Do you think that you can break
the band of God's authority? Do you think that you can stand
up and resist Almighty God? Can a man break the ban of God's
law? Can a man be his own God? Can
man destroy the mandates of God? Who made all this? Who created
all this? Who made you? Who made me? The soul of every man, every
woman is His. The souls of all men are mine. He said, I will do with my own
as I will. Can a man separate himself from
the cords of God's purpose? to show compassion to whomsoever
he will. Leave a man to himself, and I'll
tell you sadly, that old man with his wicked heart will do
nothing but die in his sins. I'm telling you, I pray that Almighty God deliver
us from the thoughts that we have the ability to separate
ourselves from God and His counsel, His anointed, break the bands
asunder and cast away His cords from us, and we can be our own
man. God help us. Because I'm telling
you, if that's the case, if that's the way we die, we're going to
perish. All but He that rests in heaven. I can tell you this, He's going
to have His way. Psalm 33 11, the counsel of the
Lord standeth forever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations. Men are born with a heart that
says, I'm not going to have God tell me what to do. I'll tell you this, I know this. I can do something. I can do something. My faith
is going to save me. My baptism is going to save me.
My profession is going to save me. My church membership. I'm
a member of Katie Baptist Church. I was born in this church, raised
in this church. I sat under Brother Scott. I'm
glad. If Almighty God doesn't deliver
you from finding all of your rest and comfort in that, you're
going to perish. The scriptures set forth that
Almighty God, who hears and knows the very thoughts of men's hearts,
he that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh. The Lord shall have
them in derision. Oh, bless the Lord that Almighty
God has set forth He shall do all His pleasure. I'm telling
you right now, a man raging against God Almighty and thinking that
he can hinder God's purpose, did Almighty God say that man
was incapable? Yes. Did the Lord Jesus Christ
say no man can come to Me except it were given unto Him of My
Father? Yes. Did Almighty God say, without
me, you can do nothing? Yes. And man will raise his head
in rebellion against God, and Almighty God will laugh at him. He'll laugh at him. Can you imagine? I'm telling you that the raging
tumult of the rebel against God can no more hinder God's purpose
than a howling dog. Can arrest the progress of the
moon. Dog just sit there and howl all night at it. And that
moon's going to do just exactly what it does. It's going to stop
God. He shall have them in derision.
He's going to mock them. You mock God Almighty? You mock
God's Word? You say in your heart, I will
not believe that. I'm telling you, God's going
to mock you. for the objects of His mercy.
Almighty God is going to do something. He's going to have to do something.
The Scripture says, "...for then He shall speak unto them in His
wrath, and vex them in His sore displeasure." God Almighty is
going to deal with sin. He's going to deal with rebellion,
and for the wicked, This is what's going to happen. Let me just
be honest with you. Listen. Here's what's going to
happen. A man that refuses to bow. Now this is what the Scripture
says. Almighty God said that I'm going
to show mercy to whomsoever I will. Now that's what the Lord said.
Almighty God has set forth that He has a people. He's got an
elect. The Scriptures are so filled
with that, we could spend the rest of the day talking about
God's elect, and God's predestinating glory, and God's choosing, and
God's purpose, and on and on and on. God Almighty says He
has a people. And here's how you'll know. God
Himself has said that His people, will realize that they can do
nothing to justify themselves before God. Marvin, how can I
know that I'm one in that assembly? How do I know? Here it is. I'm going to tell you the whole
thing. You believe God. You believe
God. You take God's side against yourself.
You say, Lord, as You say You are, You are. As You say I am,
I am. The Scripture sets forth, He's
going to speak unto all that rebel against Him in wrath and
all that do not bow. And I'll tell you this, your
very bowing is a result of Almighty God giving you a new heart. He
has to impart life. He's got to give you a new heart. He has got to create in you what
is not there. And He will give you a new heart. He'll put you under the truth.
He'll teach you. He'll grant you faith to believe.
And that faith is the result. It's not the reason for your
salvation. Faith is the result of life. Faith. You believe God. He's
going to deal with those that stand in rebellion against Him
in wrath. And to fall into the hands of
a living God, that's a fearful thing. But I'll tell you this,
His people, they're going to have their sin dealt with too.
They're going to have their guilt dealt with too. And Almighty
God is going to deal with the objects of His mercy, all that
have been chosen in Christ. Does God have a right to do that?
Does God Almighty have a right to make one vessel unto honor
and another vessel unto dishonor? Does He? Yes, He does. Yes, He does. I know what the
natural man thinks. I know what he thinks. Man, I've
been there. That ain't fair. That ain't fair. As I've said before, you want
to talk about fair? I bet if Almighty God lets everybody
perish, we're all guilty. We're all guilty. That ain't
fair. Well then, and Adam will all
die. And Almighty God sends this whole
world to hell. And God is just. And man's guilty. And man got just exactly what
he deserved. Now, I'm telling you, that's
just the way it is. Almighty God is going to deal
with all sin. He's going to deal with it either
personally in that sinner, or He's going to deal with it in
a substitute. Oh, what is He going to do? He must be just. Here's what
he does. He said in verse 6, Yet. Yet. Well, that's one of those, I
think, in that Scripture that says, but God who is rich in
mercy. Yet. With all that's been said
in those first five verses, have I set my King upon my holy hill
in Zion. Here's what we are in ourselves.
We are rebels against God, running just as fast as we can away from
Almighty God, and Almighty God says, stop them, arrest them.
Stop. From going down to the pit, I
found a ransom. Found a ransom eternally. He has always found a ransom.
God has never learned anything. Nothing has ever come. into God's
knowledge that wasn't there before. Almighty God says, yet have I
set, I have anointed my King upon
my holy hill of Zion. Let me tell you what's going
on right now. Almighty God ruling. He's ruling. He's doing just
exactly what He will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants
of the earth. And no man is stopping Him. He's
doing just exactly what He's eternally purposed to do. He's
calling out His sheep unto the sound of the gospel. Unto that
blessed message that exalts His darling Son. The one that was
crushed. Almighty God is set. But this
blessed King, this blessed Redeemer, He didn't assume that spiritual
kingdom Himself. It was given Him. I have set. Look at Hebrews 5. We're going
through the book of Hebrews. Hebrews 5, verses 4 and 5. This
is what the Scripture says. Hebrews 5, verse 4 and 5, No
man taketh this honor, being a priest unto himself. But he
that is called of God, as was Aaron, so also Christ, glorified
not himself to be made an high priest. But he that said unto
him, Thou art my Son, today have I begotten thee. In that eternal
today with God, the great I Am, He who ever liveth eternally
set up. The Father anointed the Son to
be the head of His glorious kingdom. Here's some good news. I've already
read what we are in ourselves. I already know what we do by
nature. We rage against God. We imagine
vain, empty, silly things. man-centered, man-exalting, self-righteous. Oh, just pat ourselves on the
back and powder our faces. It's just a stench in the nostrils
of Almighty God. And set ourselves up and said,
I'm not going to listen to that mess. I'm not going to hear that. And Almighty God said, I'm going
to laugh at you. I'm going to mock you. You mock
me? You'll be mocked. Whatsoever
man sows, that's what he's going to reap. But the Lord has set
up His King upon His holy hill. Anointed. Jehovah appointed His
people to have a sovereign Redeemer and a Mediator that would represent
them before Him. God is going to be approached
totally in absolute holiness. You don't come into God's presence
except absolutely holy. Perfect. And what did He do?
The Lord was made like unto His people. He was made like unto
His people, yet without sin. The representative. The mediator. The surety. Chosen of God. And accepted of God. And everything that we need. God shall supply all of your
need according to His riches and glory by Christ Jesus. Do
you know what that means? That means that everything that
God demands of His people, He looks to the Son. He looks to
the Son. Here's some good news. He looks
to His Son. Listen to Psalm 84.9. Behold, O God, our shield. Christ Himself. Behold, O God,
our shield. And look upon the face of Thine
Anointed. Lord, You demand absolute obedience. Lord, look at Christ for me.
Lord, look at my shield. This is what God said. I have set up My King upon My
holy hill. And then the Lord Jesus Christ
speaks. Starting in verse 7-9. He is the voice of the Son. I
will declare the decree. The Lord has said unto me, Thou
art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, this is what
the Father said to him, ask of me and I shall give thee the
heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the
earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them. With a
rod of iron thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. The Lord has a decree. An authoritative
order. According to the absolute dictates
of His holiness and His law. A decree. It's an order by a
competent ruler. And this decree satisfies all
of the demands for justice and mercy. And this decree, it's
absolute holy. Holy. And it even must be declared
by one who is absolutely holy. This cannot even be spoken except
by Him who is absolutely holy. This glorious decree, the glorious
gospel. We stand here and we preach. This dear brother stands here.
I try to stand here. and preach. And the glorious
gospel of God's grace, this decree. Paul says, we preach unto you. In Christ's head, we declare
unto you the gospel. In Christ's head, this glorious
gospel. Absolute holiness itself. That book that was given. There was one sitting on the
throne. And in his hand was the book. The book, The Decree of
Man's Redemption. Sealed with seven seals. This
is what God has to say. This is how God is going to satisfy
Himself. This is how Almighty God is going
to save a sinner. This is how God is going to be
just and justify a sinner. This is how God is going to do
it. Here's the book. And no one was found in heaven
or under the earth that was worthy to open the book or to declare
its decrees. What we preach is absolute holiness
unto the Lord. And when we preach, how we must
realize, oh, but for the grace of God, even in my presentation,
if God were to mark iniquity, I would not stand before Him.
It's by the grace of God that you can even hear this. It's
by the grace of God that this glorious gospel has been allowed
to be here all these many years. this glorious decree, the gospel
of God's sovereign saving grace that is in direct conflict with
the devices of man and his raging and his imagination and his vain
thinking. Who's worthy? Who's worthy? And
John said there was none found worthy. And he said, I wept.
Oh, I wept bitterly. One of the angels came over I
said, don't weep, don't weep. Behold, the Lamb, He's worthy
to take the book and to loose the seals thereof and to declare
the decree of Almighty God that peace is established before God
and a rebellious people that He's everlastingly loved. peace,
he's going to declare it. The Lord says, I will declare
the decree. He said to me, Thou art my son,
this day have I forgotten thee. Ask of me, and I'm going to give
you the heathen for your inheritance. Here's a promise. I'm going to
give you out of every Nation and kindred, that's what he said,
I will give thee the heathen for thy inheritance and the uttermost
parts of the earth for thy possession out of every nation and kindred,
tribe and tongue of people that I've chosen to show mercy to.
I'm going to give these heathens, those that have raged in their
own hearts in rebellion against God Almighty, not all of them,
But those that He chose to show mercy to. That's what He said.
Those that would never come to Himself a new heart, I'm going
to give them sinners from the uttermost parts of the earth.
Those who are in themselves nothing but a desert. They're going to
be made in Christ for takers of the oasis of His holiness. I'm going to give you the heathen
for your inheritance. The heathen? Yeah? Is there any other kind out there
that God saves? This is a faithful saying. The
Lord Jesus Christ came to this world to save sinners. Heathens.
Just like me and you. Heathens. And Almighty God is
going to rule. Thou shalt break them, verse
9, with a rod of iron, dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
Everybody is going to bow. Let me just set forth, whether
it be haters of God who die in their sins or those who shall
be willing in the day of His power, everybody is going to
be bowing. He is going to conquer His people.
Oh, He is going to magnify His justice or His mercy. I looked something up a while
ago. I want you to turn to Revelation 19. Four times. Four times. Revelation 19, four
times in all of the Scriptures. Four times in all of the Scriptures. The word hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. The word hallelujah
is actually in the Scriptures, hallelujah. Four times that word
is used, Pat, in all the Scriptures. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Four times. In all four times
it is found right here in these six verses in Revelation 19. And after these things I heard
a great voice of much people in heaven saying, Alleluia, salvation
and glory and honor and power unto the Lord our God. God's
people are going to set forth and cry, Alleluia, because He
is sovereign. For true and righteous are His
judgments, for He hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt
the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of
His servants at her hand." And again, they said, hallelujah. And her smoke rose up forever
and ever. They're going to cry, hallelujah,
when God puts rebels in hell. Hallelujah, because He's sovereign.
Hallelujah, because he's just. And the four and twenty elders
and the four beasts fell down and worshiped God that sat on
the throne saying, Amen. Hallelujah. And a voice came out of the throne,
saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear
him, both small and great. And I heard, as it were, the
voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters,
as the voice of mighty thundering, saying, Hallelujah, for the Lord
God Omnipotent reigneth, God Almighty reigneth. is absolutely
in total, absolute control of all things. God Himself is going
to absolutely have every knee bow. Every tongue is going to
confess. God the Father has spoken. God
the Son has spoken. And now the Spirit of God, in
closing, in verses 10 to 12, says this, Be wise. Now therefore, O ye kings, be
instructed, ye judges of the earth, serve the Lord with fear
and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry,
and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. Here's what God the Spirit says.
Be wise. The fear of the Lord is the beginning
of wisdom. God's going to have to make a man wise unto salvation.
There's the command. There's the command right there.
Be wise. Be wise. Lord, you're going to have to
make me thus. I don't have the ability to do
that. Lord, would you give me a knowledge of your Son? Be instructed. That's what he says. Be wise.
Be instructed. The wisdom of this world is foolishness
with God. Don't refuse Him who speaks from
heaven. Hear the gospel. If Almighty
God has set forth in His Scripture that which He set forth, be instructed. Lord, instruct me. Lord, teach
me. Serve the Lord, verse 11, with
fear. And rejoice with trembling. Let
reverence for Him. Be mixed with your joy. Lord,
thank You. Thank You for teaching me. Oh,
God, help me. Help me, Lord. And be reconciled
to Him. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry
and you perish from the way. Lay hold of Him. That's what
the Scripture says. Lay hold by faith. He who kisses
the Son kisses the Father. and kiss them, and trust Him.
James 4.10 says, Humble yourself. Now, I know that a man will never
do that of himself. But if he, by the grace of God,
God gives a man a new heart, when God Almighty commands that
man to humble himself by God's grace, by God's power, God will
give a man a heart, and that man will bow before Him. And
he won't find any glory in it of himself. He'll say, Lord,
I am what I am by Your grace. You have taught me. Blessed are
all they that put their trust in Him. Oh, I pray that the Lord
bless these words to our hearts. This is what we are in ourselves.
This is what the Son has said concerning the decree. I will
declare. I will declare the decree. He
is the light of the world. He's the instructor. The illuminator. The life that we have, He taught
us by His Holy Spirit. Lord, teach me. Lord, help me. For Christ's sake. Amen.