These first five verses, Samuel
is getting old and so he's sort of saying some final words, although
he's still going to be around for a little while. He doesn't
know for sure. He knows he's getting old and he wanted to
say some things and just settle some things. And we see the same
kind of thing. I wanted to read from Acts chapter
20 to you because here we have God's spokesman, God's servant,
God's prophet saying some final words about the ministry that
the Lord had given him and how he had conducted himself in it.
And we have that same exact thing thousands of years later in the
Apostle Paul when he was at Ephesus. And this is good reading right
here. Look at Acts 20 verse 17. And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus
and called the elders of the church. And when they were come
to him, he said unto them, you know from the first day that
I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at
all seasons, serving the Lord with all humility of mind and
with many tears and temptations, which befell me by the lying
in wait of the Jews and how I kept back nothing that was profitable
unto you. but have showed you and have
taught you publicly and from house to house. And I thought
about this. If I were able to say some final words to you,
I would want to be able to say that as God's spokesman. I haven't
kept anything back. We haven't skipped around so
that I might teach you preconceived forced doctrinal statements and
just use the scripture to support that. We've gone verse by verse,
haven't we? I'm glad to be able to, I hope
I can say that to the end. We've gone verse by verse through
the scripture to just find out together what God said. And if
it ain't plain as the nose on our face, then he ain't said
it. It's clear, isn't it? It's clear. The message of scriptures
is the same and it's over and over. It's that Christ is all
that we are a disaster. That we need Him in every way
that a person can need somebody, and He saves us in every way
that a man can be saved. And we see that over and over.
I want to be able to say that, that we've expounded the Word of God
together, and found out the message of Scripture together, and we've
seen the person, we've rejoiced in Christ Himself. And not just
in some truths that we yield like weapons against people that
we're proud to be to know more than. I know so many people like
that. It makes me sick and I see that
in myself. And it makes me sicker. I don't
ever want to do that. Let's rejoice in Christ alone
himself. The person of God's son, his
love, his eternal love. Having loved his own, he loved
him to the end. His power. He does what he wants to do.
Isn't it wonderful to see that together in the Word of God?
In every text we look at, he does whatever he wants to do. Nobody can stop him when he does.
His authority. His righteous claims upon us.
He's the king. He's the sovereign king of glory. And what he does
is right just because he did it. His successful salvation
of His people. He did it all. His work of salvation in living
and dying for us is complete. It's just as finished as He said
it was. And we're just in on it by His grace. His person and
His work. I want to be able to say that.
And let's read a little further. Verse 21, testifying both to the Jews
and also to the Greeks' repentance toward God and faith Toward our
Lord Jesus Christ. We were sinful and wretched and
we're sorry for it. We ought to be sorrier. And believing on him, trusting
in him, resting in him fully. And now, behold, I go bound in
the spirit and to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall
befall me there, save that the Holy Ghost witnesses in every
city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things
move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might
finish my course with joy in the ministry which I've received
of the Lord Jesus." Notice he didn't say my ministry. He does
say my gospel because there's no mistaking. You can't think
for a second that Paul came up with the gospel. That can't be
misunderstood. But he calls it my gospel because
I'm resting all my soul upon Christ, who is that gospel. But
he don't say my ministry because people do get that confused.
And he makes it clear the ministry he gave me. The ministry of Christ
to testify. I've received of the Lord Jesus
to testify of the gospel of the grace of God. I didn't just up
one day and decide I wanted to be a preacher. And now behold,
I know that he all among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom
of God shall see my face no more. Paul's not necessarily dying
here, but he's saying some last words to these folks. like in
our text. Wherefore I take you to record
this day that I am pure from the blood of all men. You see
how similar that is to what Samuel said? I've done what God, in
another place he said, I've fought a good fight, I've finished my
course, I've kept the faith. By the grace of God, we do, don't
we? And I'm free, I'm pure from the blood, I have not shunned,
verse 27, to declare unto you all the counsel of God. I haven't
held anything back, I haven't tried to be popular, just tried
to Be honest under God. Take heed therefore unto yourselves
and all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you
overseers to feed the church of God which he hath purchased
with his own blood. I'd want to say some things like
that to you after I'm gone. Be steadfast. Be faithful. Don't compromise the truth as
we've learned it together from God. For I know this, that after
my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing
the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse
things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch,
and remember, that by the space of three years I cease not to
warn everyone, night and day, with tears." We're watchmen on
the wall, aren't we? And now, brethren, I commend
you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build
you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.
I have coveted no man's silver or gold or apparel. There is
another similarity in me. God's preachers aren't in it
for that. None of them are. Yea, you yourselves
know that these hands have ministered unto my necessities and to them
that were with me, Paul had to work, he built, he made tents,
I know, he may have done other things too, and you know, the
people of God just do whatever's necessary. I've worked with my
hands, so I'm not any more of a burden to y'all than I am.
This is a small group, and I understand that. We do what we gotta do,
all of us do. I've showed you all things how
that so laboring you ought to support the weak and to remember
the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, it is more blessed
to give than to receive. And when he had thus spoken,
he kneeled down and prayed with them all. And they all wept sore
and fell on Paul's neck and kissed him, sorry most of all for the
words which he spake that they should see his face no more.
And they accompanied him unto the ship. So You know, Paul and
Samuel both mentioned money, didn't they? And so that's important,
isn't it? I want to be able to say that,
that I've been as careful with your money, with the church's
money, as with my very own. And I've taught you, clearly,
as we go verse by verse, we come across it some, don't we? That
every penny we have, everything we have, comes from his hand. We're just giving him back what
he gave us. And as David said, who are we to even be privileged
to do that? I've never asked the church to
spend a dime that I would not have spent myself if I had it.
It's all been what was necessary, I believe. And as I said, I've
worked with my own hands and all of us have worked hard, haven't
we? Just as I often say to you, a lot has to happen for this
to happen, doesn't it? And by the grace of God, we do
what we gotta do. Because this is important to us. That's an
understatement. It's of vital importance. And
if I knew tonight that I wouldn't speak to you again, I'd say thank
you. I'd want to thank God before you for bringing us together
and for making this church what it has been and what it is. It's
been a wonderful blessing to worship with y'all. Specifically,
not just with people, but with y'all. The Lord's blessed us
special, hasn't he? And I'd add this, as Paul did,
talked about it a little bit. Actually, Simon Peter, listen
to what Simon Peter said. I won't be negligent to put you
always in remembrance of these things in 2 Peter 1 12, though
you know them and be established in the present truth. Yea, I
think it meet as long as I'm in this tabernacle to stir you
up by putting you in remembrance, knowing that shortly I must put
off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ has
showed me. Moreover, I will endeavor that you may be able after my
decease to have these things always in remembrance. I want
to do everything I can to make sure and I want to say to you
Find somebody that'll preach their gospel to you. If it's not me, it's you. Find
somebody without compromise and be faithful and support him and
honor Christ with your families in this place until you say your
last words. Don't ever stop. Somebody said to me the other
night, and it meant a lot to me. They said, Chris, not only do
I believe what you said tonight, I believe you believed it. I
do. Everything I've said to you is
the truth of God. I've said a lot of stupid things when I'm not
behind this bullet, but when I've been here, by God's grace,
I've told you the truth. And as Paul did, I commend you
to him. as he did the church at Ephesus.
But the truth is, you're probably stuck with me for a while, so. Verse 6, back in our text, and
Samuel said unto the people, it is the Lord that advanced
Moses and Aaron and that brought your fathers up out of the land
of Egypt. Samuel is saying two things here.
First of all, Saul, notwithstanding, The fact that you just admitted
that you were sinning when you desired a king, that notwithstanding,
your own unbelief and foolishness notwithstanding, God is your
true king. Just because you come up with
this nonsense and stray, doesn't mean God ain't your king anymore.
Just means you didn't want him. He's still your true king. He's
the one that led you isn't that what he said? It was a lord that
advanced moses and aaron. He gave him moses and aaron,
but it was god that did it through them And he always will he'll
it'll always be him It is the lord those are key
words right there in that verse And I'm standing here now tonight
speaking to you and another man may be standing here a year from
now, but don't you ever forget the Lord Jesus is your shepherd.
It is the Lord. He's your savior, your king,
your champion, and your teacher. He just uses a voice to do that. That's all it is. And secondly,
he's saying this, don't forget that he set you free. from the
bondage of Egypt, from horrible generational bondage. And let's
not forget that. He did it by the blood of the
lamb, didn't he? By the blood of the Passover lamb, he delivered
them from Egypt. And by the blood of the same
lamb, our Passover, Christ our Passover, he's delivered us from
bondage, from the bondage of sin in our flesh and the law. Don't ever forget that, he said.
It's because of that precious blood that you're free And then
verse 7 now therefore stand still You see that a lot in scripture,
don't you? You know why because we need to do that more We need
to stop a lot more and just stand still just quit Just quit it
That I may reason with you you can't be reasoned with as long
as you're doing something as long as you're about your business
And I can't either that I may reason with you before the Lord of all the righteous acts of
God, which he did to you and to your fathers." This is what
God's prophet did. He spoke to them of the Lord
and what he did. Not about them and what they've
done, but what the Lord did. That's what a faithful Spiritual
leader does act 17 to Paul as his manner was went in unto them
into the temple Into the synagogue and three Sabbath days reasoned
with them out of the scriptures. That's the same word Greek and
Hebrew, but He reasoned that's what Samuel said. I need to reason
with you a while Paul reasoned with them out of the scriptures.
What about opening and alleging that Christ must needs have suffered
And if you remember when Hophni and Phinehas did defraud the
people and did steal from the people and did, what were they
doing? They were destroying God's method of worship, which is Christ,
the Lamb, the Mercy Seeker, all of that's Christ. They perverted
that. So what is Samuel saying? I haven't
done that. By God's grace, I've been faithful.
And that's what Paul is saying here. What it says about Paul
here, that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again
from the dead. And that this Jesus, whom I preach
unto you, is Christ. We stand in the sight of God,
Samuel said, in the sight of God, before God, with his message,
his message to you, and we reason with you. Out of the scriptures,
not out of my head. You don't want to hear what's
going on in my head most of the time. The only reason there's
anything going on in my head right now is because we're in
the scriptures. Out of the scriptures. Samuel
said, I'm going to talk to you about what God has done. Where
are you going to find that out, Samuel? From his word, because
he told us what he did. His righteous acts. And the act
of all acts, the cross, the death that He accomplished, the Lord
Jesus Christ accomplished, that was first and foremost a righteous
act. It's a merciful act. But God
cannot be merciful at the expense of His righteousness. We need
to understand that. When you see something about
the righteous acts of God, Him destroying His Son on a cross
was righteous. That was the righteous judgment
of God falling upon our substitute. Christ must die because God must
be satisfied. His justice, his righteousness. God must be just and justifier. Well you say, well wait, because
he must be just but he doesn't have to be justifier. Yeah he
does because he said he would. He said he was going to have
mercy. But he don't have to have mercy on me now. I don't know
about that. I'm still hanging upon His mercy,
aren't you? For all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace. How can He just justify us freely,
without a cost? Through the redemption that's
in Christ Jesus, that's how. The Lord Jesus Christ shed His
precious blood under the wrath of God for my sin, and so I'm
justified freely. I heard somebody preach a whole
message one time on how God's love is not unconditional. That's
a stretch. I understand what they were saying.
It's conditioned upon Christ. Upon Christ's performance and
Christ's pleasing of the Father. True. But it's unconditional
to us. He justifies us. For really? Unconditionally? Why? Because Christ met the conditions
of the covenant. Maybe half a message on how the
love of God is not unconditional would be fine. But not the whole
thing, because it is unconditional to you. It's free to us. But whom God, through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation
through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for
the remission of sins. God, if God's going to remit
some sins, it's got to be right for him to do it. And Christ
is the way that that's true. From the sins that are passed
through the forbearance of God to declare, I say at this time,
his righteousness. And it's forbearance because
he didn't throw them in hell the minute they sinned. It's
forbearance in the sense that Christ had not died yet, although
he's the lamb slain from the foundation, where their sins
were covered before they committed them. in the purpose of God. To declare, I say at this time,
His righteousness. That's why Christ died, to declare
the righteousness of God. That was a righteous act. That
God might be just and the justifier of you. Him that believeth in
Jesus. Then verses 8 through 12 back
in our text, we're gonna have to fly through this, y'all. We
could preach three or four messages out of this chapter very easily.
But I'm trying to go through it in one fell swoop here. So look at verses eight through
12 with me. When Jacob was coming to Egypt
and your fathers cried unto the Lord, then the Lord sent Moses
and Aaron, which brought forth your fathers out of Egypt and
made them dwell in this place. The land flowed with milk and
honey, the promised land. And when they forget the Lord
their God, he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of
the host of Hazor, and we go on and on. And they cried unto
the Lord, and then he delivered them, and then they forsook him
again. Down through verse 12. What Samuel is saying to them
here is, God has been gracious and faithful to you, even though
you've forsaken him at every turn. When God was speaking to
Samuel about them being evil in choosing and wanting a king,
He said, this is how they've been acting from the start, Samuel.
You're just getting in on it this time. He showed them at times what
they deserved. He delivered them into the hands
of their enemies to show them what they deserve. To show them
what their will results in. So that they would cry unto Him
And then he was always faithful to his word to them though they
were unfaithful. Don't you hate that about us? I'm so glad that God is long-suffering
and patient with us and that he doesn't change. He said in
Malachi 3.6, the reason I haven't put you in hell is because I
don't ever change. I am the Lord, I change not.
Therefore, you sons of Jacob are not consumed. Even from the
days of your fathers, you are going away from my ordinances.
You just keep going away. You keep straying. I keep going
and finding you and bringing you home. And then you stray
again. And have not kept the return unto me. And I will return
unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. Over and over, our flesh proves
to be unfaithful, selfish, and rebellious. The Lord describes us in Proverbs
26, 11. As I've said to you before, I can't even hardly say that
word. I don't know what it is about that. I don't know if y'all
are that way too. When I was in elementary school
and somebody would throw up, I would hide my face. If I even smelt it, I'm a goner. I couldn't look at it. I didn't
want to hear it. And yet God says that's what
I am. I return like a dog. And I know
that's right. I know that's right. I am the
thing that is most repulsive to me. I am that thing. Thank God for his long-suffering
patience with us. He will not let us go. He lets
us see where we are and then He brings us back. God is leading us to the promised
land tonight. We're on the way, aren't we?
And we're fighting Him all the way. You say, well, if He's leading
us to glory, why are we fighting Him? That's a good question,
isn't it? That's a good question. How many times will we go astray
Before the Lord Jesus finally just says, that's enough. I'm
not going to go after him again. Just let him go. I don't reckon that's about to
happen, do you reckon? Listen to this, Hebrews 13, 5.
Let your conversation, your conduct be without covetousness. And
be content with such things as you have. Because you have more
than a lot of people, no, that's not what it says. Be content
with such things as you have, for he hath said, I will never
leave you. The Lord showed that to me just
a year or two, just not that long ago, and that's such a blessing
to me. Be content because he's with
you. And he hath said, I will never
leave thee, nor forsake thee. In other words, I'm never going
to leave you, and when you leave me, I'm not going to, what does
the word forsake mean? Abandon or leave you helpless. Look it up. Not only is he never
going to leave us, but when we leave him, he's not going to
leave us out there. He's not going to abandon us
to ourselves, to our own way. He's not going to leave us helpless.
I remember preaching on that one time where he left the 99
and went after that one sheep. You know why he went after that
sheep? Because he knows sheep. He ain't coming home. I'm gonna
have to go get him. I have to go get him. And because
that sheep was precious to him. He came home all the way. Rejoicing,
rejoicing. I found my sheep. Come and rejoice
with me. I found my sheep. All we lot
sheep have gone astray. And we just keep on straying. And notice he said, I will never
forsake you. I'll never leave you helpless.
He didn't just say, I haven't left you helpless. I didn't leave
you helpless. I'm not ever going to. Oh, that's
precious. Verse 13, back in our text. Now,
therefore, behold the king whom you've chosen and whom you've
desired and behold the Lord hath set a king over you. What you
wanted to happen. And here again, as we're gonna
see through this whole study, he's showing them again what
their will accomplishes. Disaster. That's why he gave
them a king. That's why he let them stray
in all the different ways that they strayed throughout the years
and centuries. But look, if you will fear the
Lord and serve him, and obey his voice and not rebel
against the commandment of the Lord. Then shall both ye and
also the king that reigneth over you continue following the Lord
your God. We read ahead in a couple of
lessons ago that Samuel said to Saul, if you had been faithful
and done what God said, you'd remain as king, but God's rejected
you because you refused his counsel. It's not complicated, is it? But if you will not obey the
voice of the Lord, verse 15, but rebel against the commandment
of the Lord, then shall the hand of the Lord be against you. We love, and quote off in that verse,
Romans 8, 28, I believe it is, where we know that all things
work together for good. If God be for us, who can be
against us? But you can turn that thing around
too, can't you? If God is against you, who's gonna help you? The hand of the Lord will be
against you now as it was against your father. So we've left God
many times over and even though we're living with a constant
reminder now of our rebellion against him. King Saul, they
were living under the rule of a constant reminder of their
rejection of God as king. And we do too. This flesh constantly
is a reminder, isn't it? He still promises to bless us. And it's a simple, uncomplicated
promise, isn't it? Honor me, and I'll bless you.
Very, very simple. But you have to remember, though,
too, now, this is, of course, the Lord talking to His people,
and His people do honor Him by His grace. They're willing in
the day of His power. He worketh in them, both to will
and to do of His good pleasure. And so those who honor Him, He
blesses. True. But also, they were under
the old covenant then. We have to remember that this
is not the gospel if you will God will that's not the gospel
This new covenant now the new covenant Unconditional Love and
revelation of God and mercy in Christ Was in full effect on
God's true Israel even back then because the new covenant is older
than the old one We know that right? It's an everlasting covenant
in Christ. Though God had saved them over
and over, this is showing us how stubborn and unfaithful we
are. He's showing them again. And
how gracious He is to receive them back. Though we've proven
unfaithful over and over, He still says, serve me and I'll
bless you. Was Israel faithful to God from that moment on? Of course not. That's why we
have the new covenant. Hebrews 8, 7, for if that first
covenant had been faultless, wait, there's something wrong
with the covenant? What is it? Let's talk about it. Then should
no place have been sought for the second. If that first covenant,
if you will, God will, if that had worked out, what do we need
a second covenant for? But finding fault with them,
he saith, behold, the days come. Sayeth the Lord, when I will
make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house
of Judah, not according to the covenant that I made with their
fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them
out of the land of Egypt. It's not going to be like that.
How's it going to be different, Lord? Because they continue not in
my covenant. They broke it. They sinned. They strayed. And they did it
over and over and over. And most of religion says that
the gospel is God giving you another shot at it. If you'll
do the right thing this time, I know you never have, nobody
ever has, but if you'll just do the right thing and sell,
you know, everything and give it to the people, but that was
some kind of a covenant. No, God was just showing that
man that with men it's impossible. With God it's possible. Only
by the grace and power of God are sinners saved. That's not
some kind of a deal that the Lord was making with him. He's
teaching us and that's what he's teaching us in our text, the
impossibility. That old covenant is never going to save anybody.
That's why he made the new one. Because they continued not in
my covenant and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. This is
the covenant that I will make therefore with the house of Israel
after those days. I will put my laws into their
mind and write them in their hearts. And I will be to them
a God and they shall be to me a people. I will, and they shall. That's different from if you
will God will. How different? Night and day. Night and day. They shall be to me a people,
and they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man
his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for all shall know me.
That doesn't mean they're not going to teach. We're not going
to teach our children that, but He's saying this, your knowing
of him, your knowledge of him is not just going to be about
that. I'm going to reveal myself to you. Every one of you, they
shall all be taught of God. And every one of them is going
to know me from the least to the greatest, for I will be merciful
to their unrighteousness. He's not waiting for us to finally
come around and not stray. It don't matter how many times
we stray, He's going to come get us because He's merciful
to our unrighteousness. And their sins and their iniquities
will I remember no more. God's Lamb is going to wash us
from them in His precious blood. That's the new covenant. Verse
16 back in our text. Now therefore stand and see this
great thing which the Lord will do before your eyes. Is it not
wheat harvest today? And somebody said, I think it
was John Gill or somebody. The reason he mentioned that
is because it was a time of year that it never rains. It just
didn't rain at all in that time of year. But that may or may
not be. I will call unto the Lord and he shall send thunder
and rain that you may perceive and see that your wickedness
is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord in asking
you a king. In other words, he's saying this.
If God gives you this sign that everything I'm saying to you
is coming from Him and not me, what did the miracles in the
New Testament do? They confirmed the gospel that
was preached. Samuel's speaking for me if this
happens. Also, if this happens, you're
a wretched, vile, you're the beastly wretch that you think
you are. It's God saying sure enough you
have sinned you did reject me as king And you're a fool and
you ought to go to hell Is that clear you have done this great
wickedness? So samuel called unto the lord
and the lord sent thunder and rain that day and all the people
greatly feared the lord and samuel God showed them by sign Remember where the Lord said,
no sign shall be given to this adulterous and perverse generation,
but the sign of Jonah, the prophet. In other words, the word of God. But what was God showing them
by this sign? He was confirming the words that Samuel spoke,
but also he was showing them that he's not a God to be trifled
with. He's the one that makes it rain,
and he's the one that makes it not rain. And apparently this was quite
a storm, the thunder. It said they were scared. They
were scared of great thunder and rain that day. And he also
showed them this. He did it on harvest day. He
caused it to rain. Samuel called upon the Lord and
God sent rain. What does that teach us? If God doesn't send rain, there
ain't no harvest days. And there's starvation and pain
and misery and suffering and death. Christ is life. That's what he's
saying. Can we remember that? What caused them to sin to begin
with in asking for a king? Oh, we've got a problem. We've
got to deal with this problem. We got these enemies coming after
us. We're going to need a king to go. Here is the God that they serve
and worship and are spoken to and have the prophet in their
midst. Have every outward advantage from the God who is able just
at his will to send them their greatest need. What's the greatest
need that man has? You can live without everything
but water. I'd say probably breath might
be a little bit more urgent than that. Guess who gives you that
too? The water. I think you can live
maybe a week and the last half of that week is you hallucinating
and wishing you were dead. And here God just sends them
that miracle, that life. And that was their problem to
begin with. They didn't look to Him for what they needed.
They reasoned in their own flesh. They exerted their own will upon
the matter. And so they came to this day.
We've sinned. Have mercy on us. If they just knew what God taught
them by this simple sign, they would have believed and been
faithful and depended on Him alone as their King and trusted
Him and said, Lord, our enemies are coming. What are you going
to do about it? Don't leave us to them. Don't let them have
us. Verse 19, And all the people
said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the Lord thy God,
that we die not. For we have added unto all our
sins this evil, to ask us a king. And Samuel said unto the people,
Fear not. You have done all this wickedness,
yet turn not aside from following the Lord. You might be thinking,
well, Chris, you're saying we're just a failure over and over
and over again. We stray and stray and rebel
and rebel. Then what's the use? Let's just
quit trying. No. No, don't turn aside from following
him. Don't listen to what he says
and just obey it. Just do what God said. But aren't
we going to stray again? Yeah. But don't turn aside from following
the Lord. Serve Him with all your heart. That's your business
tonight. For then you should go after
vain things. That was the problem. You wanted a king. You thought
vain things because you took your mind and heart off of Him.
Everything else is vanity. Things which cannot profit nor
deliver, for they are vain. The minute you take your trust
and your rest and your obedience away from Him, you're in a bad
place. You've sinned as the people of
God. What He's saying is here, learn
from it. Learn from it. That's why you
sought after faith. That's why you're saying today
we've sinned because you stopped Listening to God and obeying
God and hearing His Word and submitting to Him and serving
Him. So what's the lesson? Quit being
an idiot. It's not complicated what He
says. And here's the other message
of that, trust Him. Trust Him. Trust Him alone. You see what happened? You turned
aside from Christ. That's what happened. Learn from
that. Maybe next time God will have
taught us something. Maybe by means of these trials
and by means of his word and maybe he'll cause us to honor
him in affliction and fear next time. And as I said, I think
about this. Maybe next time we'll do better.
But don't trust that. Don't depend on that. Don't count
on that. Trust him next verse for the Lord will not forsake
his people And he's not going to not forsake them because they
finally wise up and do the right thing He's not going to forsake
him for his great namesake That's key. Isn't this a beautiful chapter? I love this study. This is a beautiful study Because
of who he is Because he's given his word Because He is faithful,
He's not gonna forsake you. Not because you're gonna wise
up and do better next time. Because it hath pleased the Lord
that you are His people. No, to make you His people. Oh boy. He's gonna get every
ounce of the glory, isn't He? I'm so glad. That's just right,
isn't it? It's just right that he should
get all the glory. Learn from your sins and the
trials that result from them. But even if you ever do learn
anything and maybe avoid some of the falls of the past, you're
still not ever going to be able to trust yourself. Your flesh is not going to get
any better. Growing in grace is a wonderful
thing. And I hope I know more now than
I did 10 years ago. The Lord's taught us some things,
hadn't he? But we're not ever going to be good. We're still
going to be living as long as we're in this flesh. It's the,
as Paul called it, the body of this death. You're going to be saved if you
are, because he is faithful and because he is gracious. It pleased
the Lord. We have not chosen him, but he's
chosen us. It pleased the Lord. Our salvation
does not depend on what we do and don't do. It depends upon
the pleasure of the Lord. And the pleasure of the Lord
in saving us has prospered in the hand of His Son, not yours,
not mine. We love Him because He first
loved us. Verse 23, Moreover, as for me,
God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to
pray for you. Oh, I agree. Amen. God forbid. God, don't
let me do that. Don't let me sin against him.
Notice, it would be a sin against him to not pray for you. God gave me the best people on
this dadgum globe as my brothers and sisters in Christ. What a
privilege it is to worship with you and fellowship with you.
What a transgression against God it would be not to pray for
you, not to bear my soul before Him. That He might be gracious
and merciful to you, and as Paul said, show you the height and
depth and width and breadth of His love. That you might be rooted
and grounded in the love of Christ. May we pray for one another,
even for the little stuff. It's not that little to us, is
it? And especially, though, for the
big stuff. Like we just talked about.