Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of Psalms, Psalm 81. Psalm 81. This psalm
is penned. The whole psalm is dealing with
the Lord's mercies to His people. And I'd like to read verse 10,
Psalm 8110, and then we'll ask our Lord's blessing. Psalm 8110,
I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land
of Egypt. Open thy mouth wide, and I will
fill it." Let's pray together. Our Father, this morning we thank
You that we can call on Your name and realize that in the
name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Lord, we are able to actually
come into your very presence, into the very throne before the
throne of Almighty God, and actually speak to you. And you, having
provided for us salvation in Christ, He has paid our debt by His own
blood And even now, knowing that you cannot, will not, look upon
iniquity by that same blood, we are cleansed by the application
of that blood to our very soul. And we are reminded of it by
the Spirit of God that we can stand before you in Him without
spot, holy, without blame, robed in His righteousness. Lord, one of these days we're
going to understand that in its fullness. But right now, as we
see through a glass darkly, thank You. Lord, would You bless this
Word today? Would You help us to hear and
help us to understand? And I pray that Christ be honored. For it's in His name we pray. Now open your mouth wide and
I'll fill it. This blessed passage is obviously
the divine expression of eternal love and affection from the heart
of the God of all grace to the objects of His mercy. I read it immediately. I'm convicted. I'm listening to what it says.
Open your mouth wide, and I'll feel it. Here the Lord removes the veil
of doubt as to our relationship to Him
and His good pleasure. to provide every good and perfect
gift in Christ. This is God speaking. This verse is addressed to every
regenerated sinner who has been taught by the Spirit of God to
know And all of this righteousness is filthy rags before Him. I don't have any righteousness
of myself that will stand before God. I know that. Everyone that knows of himself,
he can do nothing to establish a right relationship before God. This is who the Lord is speaking
to. Those that know by grace and through faith, and that faith
is not of Himself, it's the gift of God, that he can absolutely hear from
God, that the Lord Himself cares for
His own. Cast all of your care upon Him. He cares for you. No one can make claim for that
promise right there unless he sees that in himself there's
no confidence in himself, no confidence in the flesh. What
can I do to merit salvation before God? Nothing. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. If I think
that I've done something to merit my relationship before God, if
I think that I have done something that God's looked at and God
Almighty has said, what you did was perfect and holy and right,
if I think that I've done that, I'm deceived. My heart's deceived
me. Four things I want to consider
about that verse 10 right there. Four things. Number one, consider
the mercy of the one who speaks. He said, I am the Lord thy God. I am the Lord thy God. Now, you
look at this and realize that it is by the distinguishing grace
of God that Almighty God reveals Himself to anybody. He hides Himself, the Scripture
says, in the darkness. Who by their own understanding
can find out God? The Scripture says that nature
reveals God. Now, can you imagine trying to
find out God Almighty by standing out there and looking
at a tree? Do you know what it's going to
take for me to see the glory of God in Christ? He's going
to have to reveal something to me that I don't have the ability
to know. I am the Lord thy God. This is
Jehovah speaking. This is Christ speaking as the
voice of Almighty God. The Scripture says, My sheep
hear My voice, I know them, they follow Me. He must reveal Himself. If you talk about mercy, I am
the Lord thy God. Can I find myself in that? I know that He's God. I know. The devil knows He's God. The
devil. The Scripture says that. Demons
believe that He's God. But is He my God in mercy, grace,
and compassion? That's the issue, Mitch. That's
what it's all about. He must reveal Himself and give
ears to hear and eyes to see before I can hear. Man by nature
is deaf spiritually before God. He's blind. He doesn't know it. He thinks he sees. It's all a
Tarsus thought he saw. He said all of these things that
I counted. Good things to me. You know all
of them, Philippians. I was born at the right time. I was circumcised at the right
time. I was born in the right family. I did this. I did this. I did this, this, this, this.
And one day on the road to Damascus, the Scripture says that Almighty
God in everlasting mercy and grace knocked that self-righteous
sinner And that's what we all are by nature. We're all ever
one of self-righteous rebels against God. Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Now
listen to his answer. I'm talking about the one that
trusted in himself that he was righteous. And the Lord Jesus Christ spoke
to him, said, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Listen to his answer.
Who art thou, Lord? Who are you? I'm Jesus whom you're
persecuting. It's hard to kick against the
pricks. He is the Lord. But the mercy, distinguishing
mercy of God, the I Am has revealed Himself. to His people to be
their God, their God. Exodus 36, 28, concerning all
that the Lord is going to apply the blood of Christ to, all that
He shall cleanse from the filthiness and idols of their heart, and
all that He shall give. A new heart, new spirit, and
calls to walk in His statues. This is what He says. You shall
be My people. I will be your God. What a relationship! Men know that He's God. Oh, that
He is my God in mercy and compassion. You'll be my people. I'll be
your God. Not that their relationship is something now that it wasn't
before. I'll tell you this, His people
have always been His people. Those that He's everlastingly
loved in grace and mercy in Christ, in electing grace, predestinating
grace and redeeming and quickening grace, all that He's going to
show mercy to, He's always loved them. He's always justified them
in Christ. Now, you stop and think about
that. Eternally justified them. Counted them not accountable. Not accountable. In Christ. You're talking about those born
in trespasses and sins. That's right. He's always justified them in
Christ. And in time, He's going to show
them that too. Open their eyes. I'm talking
about rebels born in Adam that Almighty God in Christ has always
looked in favor. In time. They are made aware
of who He is and who they are. In time, they are made to know
Him, who He is, your God. I am the Lord thy God. Oh, what mercy! Consider first
the mercy of the one that speaks. Secondly, consider how He has
exhibited His grace to His people. This is what He said. I am the
Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt." Now, you know, I know that the
Lord is obviously set forth in that Scripture as the one that
showed mercy to natural Israel, the national country, the national
people of Israel. He brought them out of Egypt
and made an actual physical deliverance from them. But let's consider
the spiritual application here. What mercy has he shown in deliverance? Egypt is a type of the bondage
of sin. We're all born in Adam. We're born in bondage to sin,
born spiritually Dead, dead, dead, dead, dead. Cannot do anything. Can't see anything. Can't hear
anything. Can't know anything. Dead. Dead. Appealing to a dead man to do
something is ridiculous. Appealing to a dead soul to act,
to move, to come, to think, to look. It's a miracle of God's grace
that God ever revealed to anybody that they're dead. Because as
soon as you realize that you are incapable, the Lord's already
done something for you. That's a miracle that God would
show that state. That man born in Adam, he can't
do anything. The strength of the Egyptians
to hold the nation of Israel captive The might of the Egyptians,
the power of the Egyptians, the army, the ability of the Egyptians
to hold the nation of Israel captive, the Hebrews captive,
was nothing compared to the captivity of sin. Or maybe one of them
might have slipped out under the gate. They might have fooled
one of the Egyptians. How is a dead man going to do
anything? What's a dead man going to do? What he needs is life. Life. Life. No one believes before life is
given him from above. No one thinks or writes. No one
sees. No one does anything toward Almighty
God until God does something for him. The baby is born. If that baby is still
born, that baby is not going to cry. If that baby is still
born, that baby can do nothing. But if a child comes forth and
cries, then you realize that nine months before, life was there. That cry is just
the evidence, the proof of what was already there. That baby
did not cry to become alive. That baby cried because it was
alive. There must be a new creation
created in righteousness. All that the Father has everlastingly
loved in Christ and chosen in Christ, all that the Son has
been given in electing grace, all that the Son has everlastingly,
eternally stood for as the surety, I'll answer. I will answer. They won't answer. I'll answer
for them. He deals with the Father. He
deals with God's law. He deals with all the requirements,
everything that is required for the sheep. The shepherd answers. You don't deal with these sheep.
God deals with Him, the shepherd. He's the one. By His Holy Spirit
that powerfully quickens and draws out of the darkness of
sin, death, bondage and unbelief. And He reveals to them, when
He calls them out of darkness, sitting under the gospel of God's
grace, this glorious message of the glory of God in the person
of the Lord Jesus Christ, they begin to learn. And God teaches
them, this is what I did for you. This is what I did. I've loved
you. I've always loved you. I chose you. I chose to show
mercy to you before the foundation of the world. I gave you to my
Son. The Spirit of God reveals to
the Lord Jesus Christ, I was made sin for you. I was made
what you are. And we sit and we hear and we
grow in grace in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior. And Almighty
God by His Spirit teaches us. And we rejoice in Christ Jesus. And the more we hear, the more
we learn, the more we're convinced. I never did anything. What did
I do? What did I ever do? He chose
to show mercy to me. He drew me to Himself. He gave
me eyes to see and ears to hear. Not what I had done. I knew I
didn't do anything. What could I do to merit salvation? What could I do? And under this glorious gospel
of God's free grace, sovereign grace, man, his ability and his
will have been put down. He must increase. I must decrease. I am the Lord thy God. which brought thee out of the
land of Egypt. I called you out of darkness. I made you what
you are. I'm God. You're the object of
my mercy. I've had mercy on you." And the
believer says, Lord, you've had mercy on me. Here's the third
thing. What has he commanded me to do? He says, my mouth wide." Here, the mouth. Actually, the
heart. The heart. That heart made alive to the
Master. That new heart that desires what
the Master desires. Now let me just be honest with
you. I read that Scripture right there, and I think to myself,
I want to do that. I want to do that. I think to
myself, here is the God of all grace. I'm talking about God.
I'm talking about the Lord God Himself, that I think so lowly
of Him, and I'm so embarrassed while I stand here. I'm listening
to what He has to say. And I know that just reading
that very Scripture right now, I know that faith cometh by hearing. I know that this is alive right
here. I understand that these words were penned hundreds and
hundreds and hundreds of years ago, but I'm telling you that
right now this is what He says to His people. Open thy mouth
wide. just the very command, rings
of mercy and compassion and supply. It echoes that He cares, that
He's all-sufficient, and that I cannot over-expect from Him. I can't. And I know I am embarrassed.
I find myself at times, I can't ask for that. That's too much. Too much? Too much to ask according
to His will and purpose from the One that spoke this world
into existence? The One in whose hands all men's
breath exist? The one who opposes all things
by the word of his power? Is anything too hard for the
Lord? I understand. Oh, let me tell
you what my old man wants. Let me tell you what my old man
is saying right now. Well, you know, we'll ask. You know, we
ask for a lot of stuff. I want this. I want that. I need this. And we'll find very
often that we don't get what we asked for because you know
why? We wanted to consume it on our own lust. That's what
we wanted. He mercifully withholds things
from us. Man, I think about how many times
my kids ask me for stuff and my answer was no. Why? I don't think that's best for
you. You're going to get hurt on that. You don't need that. You don't need a motorcycle. You can't do that. You can't
do this. Mercy, mercy, kindness. How much more the God of all
grace and knowledge. But hearing that command, I asked
myself, for He said, Open thy mouth wide. What does that mean? I want to
know. I want to know. Here's a command
from the Lord. Obviously, it's something that
can be done. He's not mocking His people.
He is not mocking His people. The only source to the answer
of that question, what does that mean, is obviously going to be
from the Word of God. I just want to read two or three
scriptures. And I pray that the Spirit of
God will bless these scriptures. I don't have the ability to be
able to. How do I teach that? Open thy mouth wide. How do I
teach that? I don't know how. But I can tell
you this, I can read God's Word and I can believe God. I know,
I know, I know where the power is. It's in His Word. Blessed by his spirit, so I'm
going to read a few scriptures and I do. I pray the Lord teach
all of us. Open your mouth wide. I want you to turn with in Matthew
8. Matthew 8. Read a few passages here. Matthew
Chapter 8. First 5 to 10. Just let me just
read this. May the Spirit of God. Bless
it to our Matthew. If I said Matthew 5, I meant
Matthew 8. I'm sorry. Matthew 8, beginning in verse 5. When Jesus
was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching
him and saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy,
grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will
come and heal him. The centurion answered and said,
Lord, I'm not worthy that thou shouldest Come unto My roof,
but speak the word only, and My servant shall be healed."
I am a man under authority. I have soldiers under Me. And
I say to this man, Go, and he goeth to another. Come, and he
cometh to My servant. Do this, he doeth it. When Jesus
heard it, he marveled and said to them that follow, Verily I
say unto you, I have not found so great faith." No, not in Israel. Open your mouth wide. My servant
is grievously sick. Would you just speak? Turn over
to Matthew 15. Matthew 15, verse 21. Then Jesus went thence and departed
into the coast of Tyre and Sidon. Behold, a woman of Canaan came
out of the same coast and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy
on me, O Lord, thou Son of David. My daughter is grievously bent
with the devil. But he answered her, Not a word.
His disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away, for
she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am
not sent, but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then
came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he
answered and said, It is not meat, not fit, to take the children's
bread and cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord, yet
the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master's table.
Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy
faith. Be it unto thee, even as thou
wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour." You know, we could read of a woman
with the issue of blood, many others. But I want you to turn
with me to Daniel chapter 3. This was a blessing to me. opened
your mouth wide." Daniel chapter 3. This was concerning three Hebrew
men that refused to bow to a golden idol set up by Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel chapter 3. They had been
told, when the music starts, you bow. You don't bow, you're going to
pay. Daniel chapter 3, verse 13, Then Nebuchadnezzar in his
rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They brought these men before
the king. Nebuchadnezzar spake unto them,
Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? Do not ye serve
my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? Now,
if you be ready, at what time you hear the sound of the cornet,
flute, harp, sacrament, psaltery, dulcimer, all kinds of music,
you fall down and worship the image which I've made well. But
if you worship not, you should be cast the same hour into the
midst of the burning fire at the furnace. And who is that
God that shall deliver you out of my hands? Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar,
we're not careful. to answer thee in this matter.
If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from
the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of thine
hand, O King. But if not, be it known unto
thee, O King, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the
golden image which thou hast set up." Based upon the instances of our
Lord's Here's what I believe it is to open your mouth wide. Number one, there's an appeal
by faith to the power of Almighty God. Opening your mouth wide is to believe, to be convinced nothing is too
hard for Him. I am the Lord, the God of all
flesh, Jeremiah 32, 27. This is what I quoted a while
ago. Is there anything too hard for
me? Open your mouth wide. The Creator of heaven and earth, the One that sustains us even
now, that was God's air that you just breathed. And he's able to give me one
more breath. We acknowledge that when providentially
our paths are directed to have to act, do we open our mouths wide as
we ought? That's what these boys said.
Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning,
fiery furnace. I know, first of all, opening
my mouth wide means that I am convinced of His ability. I am convinced of Him. The second
thing I know is that there is a resolve by faith. There is
a submission to His good pleasure. He will delivers out of thine
hand, O King. Maybe by death, maybe not. But
if not, be it known unto thee, O King, we will not serve the
gods, nor worship the golden image which thou set up. Opening
your mouth wide bows to the good pleasure of him who works all
things after the counsel of his own will. I know he's going to
do what he's pleased to do. Opening my mouth wide I know
that He is God, and I am going to ask. And if He is pleased in His good
pleasure and mercy and compassion to tell me no, Lord, so be it. My times, David said, Psalm 3115,
are in thy hand. Deliver me from the hand of mine
enemies. from them that persecute me.
The enemies of my soul, Satan and self and this world, Lord,
You alone can deliver me. Have Thine own way. Lord, have Your way. Open Your
mouth wide. You know, you think about little
birds that are in a nest, and here's the It's a good illustration
I can think of. Those little birds, they're right
there. They're right there in a nest. All of them just, you
know. Where are you going? Where are you going? We're in
this world right now. Where are you going? And that
mother bird comes, that daddy bird, whoever brings it. And
what he's done, what she's done, is she's brought what they need.
When they get there, it's not up for debate. It's not up for...
Their mouths come open and whatever the parent has, that's what they're
going to eat. Parents are going to give them
what's best. The Lord put that in that bird to know what to
give them. Almighty God. He said, open your
mouth. Open your mouth. I'm going to
feed you. They're appealing those little
birds to the strength of the One who alone can feed them.
He knows what's best. If Mama doesn't bring something
to eat, I'm not going to eat. And He said, I'm not going to
leave you. I'm not going to forsake you. Opening your mouth wide. We're going to have situations
where providence is directed. Things are going to cross our
paths. Your path and my path, they may not parallel just exactly
the same way, but all things are going to be brought before
God's people. I think about what you told me,
Carl. You have one opportunity to make the right decision. You
got one opportunity to make the right decision. There's times
that things are going to come your way. And you're going to
have to make a decision on what am I going to do. Lord, grant me the grace to open
my mouth wide and to bow to your good pleasure and do the right
thing. I'm so prone to, you know, Lord
help me. But here's the next thing I know
about this. Opening my mouth wide is often I know I'm never alone because
the Lord never leaves me nor forsakes me, but often we're
caused to make a stand that the world doesn't understand and
greatly opposes. Those three men, Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego, everybody bowed to that golden image. Oh, the
hindrance that we find often. from the unbelief in ourselves
and in others. Proverbs 29, 25, The fear of
man bringeth a snare, but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord
shall be safe. What is his promise? Open your
mouth wide. He said, I'll fill it. I'll fill
it. John 14, 13, Whatsoever ye shall
ask Here's the key, in my father's name, according to his character,
according to his will. That will I do that the father
may be glorified in the son. If you ask anything in my name,
I will do it. He has ascended up into heaven.
I know that. He's seated at the right hand
of the glory of God. We don't see his corporal presence
as his disciples did, as some did, but I'll tell you this. He's here. And He hears. And He cares. And He's able. Prayer removes
all the sense of distance. Prayer brings us into recognized
company with Him. God's people pray. Where is He
right now? I can talk to him. I know he
hears. Request for his honor, being
identified with his person, pleading the merits of the Lord Jesus
Christ and not asking, Lord, keep me from asking. Forgive me. Help me to not ask
amiss. Asking his name, setting aside
my own will and bow to his good pleasure. Open your mouth wide
and I'll fill it." Ask Him for the salvation of
your kids. Ask Him. Well, I know the Lord's
going to do what He's going to do. I'm just not going to ask. Ask. You think God's going to
do what He's pleased to do? Absolutely. As you put it on
your heart to ask you kids, open your mouth wide. Lord, increase the borders of
this church according to your eternal will. Lord, I pray that you'd save
these kids here. I pray God save your wife and
your husband. I pray God save your children,
your grandchildren. I pray be pleased. Open your
mouth wide. Lord, you've been merciful. Fifty-five
years you've allowed the gospel to be in this place. Lord, don't take your spirit from this
place. Lord, have mercy here. Lord, I pray you'd have mercy
on Betty. I pray for you girls. And pray for Bob. Lord, you've taught us, you've
sustained us. Lord, give me a heart to ask.
Keep me from asking for foolishness and silliness. Lord, help me
that I'll ask concerning eternal things. Lord, knit our hearts together
in the spirit of unity in Christ. Cause us to love one another
as we ought. Lord, show me Yourself. Help me. Lord, if You're pleased
to give me one more day on this earth, let me walk consistently
towards You. Lord, forgive me for being so
foolish and self-centered. Lord, have mercy. Open your mouth
wide. It is by the grace of God that
God would give us a heart to ask and a heart to bow and a heart that would be willing
to stand alone. Somebody may not understand what
you're asking. Maybe they don't understand why
you did what you did. But in your heart, you know this
is the right thing. This is right for me. This is
right for me. This is what I believe God wants
me to do. Open your mouth wide, and I'll fill it. May the Lord
bless these words to our heart, for Christ's sake. Amen.