Let's take our Bibles and turn
to the book of Proverbs. Proverbs chapter 8. I would like to look this morning
for a few minutes at verses 8 to 11. I've entitled this message, The
Words of Christ. You know, it's ever been the
Father's will that His elect hear the voice of wisdom. God's always purposed that. If
He's ever purposed it, He's always purposed it. He doesn't change. having fallen in the garden,
fallen in rebellion against God, now is in a state by nature of
spiritual darkness, deafness, blindness. He just doesn't hear. He can't hear the voice of Christ
by nature. He just doesn't hear. But he who has everlastingly
loved his people, the scripture does set forth that he speaks. That's what verse 1 of chapter
8 says, does not wisdom cry and understanding put forth her voice? He cries, he speaks. Wisdom, verse 2 says, stand in
the top of high places. He speaks from heaven. We looked
at this last week. He speaks also in the way, the
places of the paths. Almighty God is going to speak
wherever His people are. He's going to find them. We'll speak to them. He says in verse 6 here, For
I speak of excellent things, and the opening of my lips shall
be the right things. For my mouth shall speak truth,
and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. So we know that the
Lord speaks. Oh, that he might speak to me
this morning. I want to hear. I know that His Word sets forth
it. He said, My sheep hear My voice. And the sheep of God are anxiously
waiting to hear. They want to hear. They do. God's sheep do. They're there. Based on His Word, He said, I
speak. And in the heart of every believer,
They say, Lord, speak, for thy servant hears. That's
what Eli told Samuel to say. Speak, Lord, thy servant hears. I'd like to consider the words
of our Lord this morning. Here's the first thing that I
know concerning Him who speaks. He's the only one that's worthy
to be heard. The Scripture sets forth, verse
8, all the words of my mouth are in righteousness. There is
nothing froward or perverse in them. There's nothing twisted. There's
nothing false in the Word of God. Now, I do know that men
rest, W-R-E-S-T. They'll twist the Word of God.
But the Scripture sets forth that when he speaks, he said,
my words are not twisted. They're not false. They're right. They're not unsavory. Not to
God's people. The problem is not with the Word
of God. The problem is with my ability
to hear and my willingness or unwillingness, let me say it
like that, to hear. There's nothing twisted. Nothing
wrong. That's what he said with God's
Word. This is God's Word. What will
we find wrong with God's Word? Now, I know men will say, it's
not fair, it's not right, that can't be. I understand that they
say that. I understand it. By a new heart,
I don't agree with them now, but there was a time that I did. I remember the first time I ever
heard anyone speak of God's sovereign grace. I thought to myself, you poor
disillusioned person. Surely you can't believe that. God would never show distinguishing
grace, it is by His Word that man knows
of himself and who God Almighty is. My words are right. They are in righteousness. Nothing
crooked about them. It's by His Word that we know
what God demands for peace before Him. What does God demand for
peace before Him? What does God demand for peace?
Holiness. Holiness. Perfect. Absolute perfection. Absolute holiness. Absolute righteousness. What does it demand for a man
to stand accepted by God? Absolute holiness. And only in the Beloved are we
accepted. Only in Christ. Not of ourselves. Concerning
His words, He's the only one that's worthy to be heard. It
was by His word that we are told what God demands and how God's
been appeased, how reconciliation has been made through the blood
of Christ, not by any works that we've done, none. All of our righteousnesses, man,
when you start thinking about, Placing the security of your
eternal soul on something that you do, something that you've
done, whatever it is or whatever you whatever you've done that
you think you've done to merit. Salvation before God, whether
you think it was that your faith, you know, you've placed, you
know, I have faith in my faith. Well, I believed, therefore,
I'm saved. I accepted Jesus. I walked down
an aisle. Whatever you think that you've
done, let me tell you what it's worth. Let me tell you what it's compared
to. Filthy rags. Minstrel's claws. That's what
it is. Make you a coat out of that.
Make you a nice coat and then put it on. Tell me how proud
you are of it. That's what it's compared to.
You think that's repulsive. Yes, it is. Yes, it is. He's the only one that's worthy
to be heard. How would we know where we stand
before God if it would not be by His words that are right and
just? He said, wickedness, in verse
7, is an abomination to my lips. He's worthy to be heard. Here's
the second thing I know. His words must be revealed. Verse 9 says, They are all plain
to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge. Paul said in 2 Timothy 2.7, Consider
what I say, and the Lord give thee understanding in all things. The Lord give you understanding. You see, it is by the grace of
God that a man or a woman is made to bow to this truth. By
nature, I don't understand. By nature, I don't see. His words are plain to him that
understands. Nicodemus, you mean to tell me
that you're a ruler in Israel and you don't understand that
you must be born again? It didn't surprise the Lord that
Nicodemus didn't know that. The Lord revealed to Nicodemus
that Nicodemus didn't understand. You say that you're a master
here. I mean, you're up and you don't
understand. The Ethiopian eunuch coming and he
was reading the scriptures. Philip asked him, he says, Understandest
thou what thou readest? The Ethiopian eunuch wisely answered,
How can I? Except some man should guide
me. My words are plain to him that
understands. You that believe. I know that
we, by faith, we believe the Lord's words.
We believe Him and we trust Him. Let me ask you something. Are not His words, The words
of who He is. The words that He, as Nebuchadnezzar,
under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, said, you know,
He doeth as He will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants
of the earth. No man stays His hand. No man
has the right to question Him. Do you not, by the grace of God
and the power of God by a new heart, are not those words plain
to you now? where before they weren't. If the Lord gives a man or a
woman understanding, they're plain. They're right. And by the grace of God, you'll
continue to believe it, being kept by the power of God. They're
plain. They're straight. They're level. This is right. Salvation is by
grace. That's plain. That's right. Of
myself, I can do nothing. Now, I'm going to tell you something.
As I am born in Adam, in my opinion, I can do anything. Sure, I can believe if I want
to. As I am born in Adam, sure, I can come to God. And I will
when I'm ready. I've done a few more things.
I'll settle down when I'm ready." Oh, how foolish this man! His words are plain to him that
understands it, and right to him that finds knowledge. Understanding and knowledge is
a gift of God. You that sit this morning and
believe His Word by His grace, by His power, you that have a
heart to believe Him, I know that you're looked upon by your
neighbors and family and stuff. I know you're looked upon as
foolish. I know you are. I know you're looked on as being
narrow-minded, and surely you can't believe that the gate is
that narrow. Surely you don't believe that
Almighty God just has an elect. Surely you don't believe that. I know what they think. I know
how they talk. And I know that for you that
are found in Him, called in Him, blessed in Him, I know that your
faithfulness and your steadfastness evil spoken of? I know. I know. Oh, it's by the grace of God
that you have a desire to look to Him, to long for His peace
and joy and smile. By God's grace. David said in
Psalm 119, 125, I am thy servant. Isn't that a joy to be able I
have a heart that would say that. I am Thy servant. I am Thy servant. Give me understanding that I
may know Thy testimonies. Allow me to, in my heart, just
sit at Your feet. Just allow me to be able to think
on You. Just allow me the privilege to
be able to just sit here and just be quiet and just hear and
trust You. I am Thy servant. Psalm 119, 144, The righteousness
of Thy testimonies is everlasting. Give me understanding and I shall
live. His words are hidden from the
wise and the prudent. Oh, but there are some babes
that the Scripture says that His Word is revealed to. Given
unto babes. It's given unto you to believe.
It's given unto you to understand. John 6.44 says, It is written
in the prophets concerning those that the Father draws to Christ,
they shall be all taught of God. And every man therefore that
hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh to me." They come. They're always coming. They came
in the day of their regeneration. They heard. They believed. In
their heart, they come. When a man comes to Christ, What
does that mean? He trusts Him. He trusts Him. He trusts Him. Do you realize the grand gift,
joy and privilege to be able to trust Him? To trust Him. He that I've never seen with
these corporal eyes, I see Him. Someone says, is that presumption? Paul says, I know whom I have
believed. We have eyes to see. By faith,
we see Him. And in our heart, we understand. And then lastly, His words are
life. He's the only one that's worthy
to be heard. His words must be revealed. And His words are life. Receive, verse 10, my instruction,
and not silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold. For
wisdom is better than rubies, and all the things that may be
desired are not to be compared to it." What shall a man give in exchange
for his soul? That was a question out of Mark
8.37. What will you give in exchange for your eternal soul? You know, untold numbers leave this world
daily, trading their soul for temporal care of this world. What's it worth? What's it worth? Money? Is it worth that? Fame, is it worth that? What will you give? What will
a man give? I read an article Brother Paul
Mahan wrote one time talking about what a man will give in
exchange for his soul. And he started just listing things,
you know. Just all kinds of stuff. What would he exchange? What
is worth more than your eternal soul? Receive my instruction, and not
silver. Now, I've got, you know, I've got bills. I've got bills. I've got this. I've got that.
Well, I've got those too. We all got them. Receive my instruction. Who knows,
the Lord may be pleased this morning to say something. He
may say something to me this morning. I pray so. I pray that God would
say something to me this morning. I had someone send me something
yesterday, a long list of stuff that I'd asked him for. And it was some information articles that he
had written on a certain subject that I asked him about. And oh,
it's just pages after pages after pages of stuff, you know. And
I was reading through it, and I mean, there was one little
section. out of all of the stuff that
I heard that day, and he just jumped out at me. And I thought,
that's what I needed to read right there. There's the answer
to my question right there. Have you ever been in a service
and sat here, you know, we started this morning at 930 and it's
about 17 minutes till 11. I should be done here in five
minutes. I've been here a little over
an hour. But have you ever sat there for an hour, hour and a
half, and then all of a sudden, the Lord said something to you
and you heard one thing that just, you know, that one thing
that you thought, you know what, that was like a breath of fresh
air. I needed that. That was a morsel flavor that just ignited my heart. And that's what you think about.
That's what you remember. That's what you muse on. The
Lord taught you something. Receive my instruction. It's
more worthy of anything. Oh, the preciousness to receive
the instruction from His mouth. You know, it's better to die
broke homeless and without an obvious friend in this world
than to die without Christ, without His instruction. Matthew 6.20
says, But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither
moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through
and steal. Hearing the Word of God, the
Word of Christ, hearing that that's an evidence
of life that you hear, that you understand. My sheep hear my
voice. That's a fact. Here's the question. Do I hear
Him? Do I hear His voice? Lord, speak
to me. Let me ask you this in closing.
Do you have a heart wants to hear. I think that's a good question. Do I really want to hear? Do
I truly desire to hear? Do I hear Him? My sheep hear my voice. I know
them and they follow me. Here's a question I've got for
you. Do you want to follow? Do you have a desire to follow? If a man or woman has a desire
to follow, they do. They do follow. John 5.24 says, Verily, verily,
I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him
that sent me, that is, believeth that he that
sent me sent me, to redeem you, He that believeth, that He that
sent me, that He that everlastingly loved me and chose me, He that
everlastingly set His affection on me and put me in Christ and
sent Him into this world to live for and die for, to redeem, to
establish a righteousness before Almighty God that I myself could
never establish. He that heareth my word and believeth
on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into
condemnation, but is passed from death to life." If you hear and
believe, you believe Him. What do you believe? I believe that He is as you just said a few minutes
ago, Brother Scott, to me. He's altogether precious. He's
altogether lovely. Is He altogether lovely to me? That's my question. Is He altogether
lovely to me? I know He is to the Father. Has He given me understanding?
His words. He's all at once worthy to be
heard. His Word has got to be revealed
to me. If His Word is revealed to me, that
Word is life. I can rest my soul on Him. May the Lord add His blessing
to this message to my heart. For Christ's sake, amen.