Psalm 78 this evening. We'll
just kind of This is one of those psalms where it's it's it's a
50 plus verses and we're just gonna Kind of take off running
and see how far we get But there's one there's one phrase
in it, I believe makes a good title tonight kind of Everything's
gonna kind of lead up to this and that is set your hope in
God set your hope in God. So verse one, Psalm 78, give
ear, O my people, to my law, incline your ears to the words
of my mouth. You see this a lot in the scriptures,
hearken, ho, give ear, listen. You remember in our Proverbs
study a lot of that from Solomon. Listen to me. Give your attention. There's something, we know that
There are some things you can kind of give half your attention
to in this life. I'm real bad about that. Vicki
might accuse me of some things that aren't necessarily true.
I'm not listening to her, but I am kind of bad about it in
some ways. I'm sure all of us at one time or another have done
homework and watched TV at the same time, and so you know all
about that, and there's varying degrees of that in all kinds
of things. But even in that, if it's something you really
want to see, the homework goes away, doesn't it? We got our priorities right,
don't we? Some things just don't require your full attention.
God's word is not one of those things. It's very important for
us when we come to hear the word of God to clear our minds. We
even pray, Lord, get all the junk out of our minds and hearts
so we can concentrate on you and all of the unimportant matters
And let's face it, all of them are unimportant compared to what
God said. If this is truly the word of God, and it is, then
everything's unimportant compared to that. But may we incline our
ear. I like the phrase that Solomon
uses a lot, apply your heart, apply your heart to wisdom. It's
interesting that the same word is used in reference to God toward
us. Listen to Psalm 116 too. Because
he hath inclined his ear unto me, Therefore will I call upon
him as long as I live. God. You think about that how
shameful that God is willing to listen to the likes of us.
He'll incline his ear to us. But when he speaks. Seems like
everything else gets in the way doesn't it. Ballgames and dinner
plans and everything else seems to take precedent. In our thoughts. We're all very susceptible to
that the flesh is weak. And in the verse one also he
uses this phrase, oh my people, oh my people. This is a reminder
here that God's word is to his people. This book is to his people. It's not an instruction book
on how to live. That's not what the Bible is. I know you'll hear
that in religion. These are written that you might
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and that you might have life
through him. That's what the book says, and all that the Father
giveth to the Son are coming to Him. So this is written to
a specific, peculiar people. It's written to those who shall
believe, who He knows from eternity are going to believe because
He gives them faith and purposes to before the foundation of the
world. All of the spiritual blessings
are in Christ from the foundation of the world. We're blessed in
Him. So listen to Acts 2 39 for the
promise is unto you and to your children. This is the gospel
being preached. He said the promise is unto you the gospel truth
and promises unto you and your children and all that are far
off even as many as the Lord our God shall call. It's to those
that he sends it to who he intends to call the epistles are written
to the churches and to in a couple of cases to individual believers.
Of course all mankind is responsible to hear. And we can't just preach
to believers. We don't know the difference.
We don't know wheat from chaff. And unbelievers are warned and
they're given space to repent in the word of God. But God's
word is given for the salvation of his elect. These are written
that you might believe. And all who shall believe will
hear it sooner or later. And then there's an O. O my people. Oh, my people. God's word is
always delivered by somebody who cares. It's not just given forth as
facts and you can do what you want to do with it and I don't
really care one way or the other. No, there's an oh here. Oh, my
people. Whenever God speaks, he speaks
through someone who deeply and greatly desires the salvation
of those who are spoken to. He always arranges it that way,
we've seen it before. And then he uses these phrases,
my law, my law and the words of my mouth. That's what you
listen to, my law. God's law is not the 10 commandments
only. It's all of God's truth, which
has the force of law. The word is direction or instruction. But we need to understand, we
use the word directions a certain way. God's directions are not
given as a suggestion. They're life and death. God's
law is written, but he also sends a voice. Hear my law, he said. Don't just read it, hear it.
Because it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching, heralding,
broadcasting the truth. That's the way God saves sinners,
hear it. He sends a voice and he gives
understanding ears to hear It pleased him to do it that way
he's gonna save his people that way And then verse 2 he says
I will open my mouth in a parable I will utter dark sayings of
old And here we're reminded of what our Lord said in Matthew
13 10 the disciples came and said unto him Why do you speak
to them in parables? Why is the word of God hidden
to most people? Why can two different people
read this book and get completely different message out of it? In fact, anybody that reads it
without the understanding of the Holy Spirit, without revelation
from God, are gonna completely miss it. The whole Jewish religion
missed it, according to the Lord Jesus, with few exceptions. Listen, he said, why do you speak
to them in parables? The disciples asked the Lord,
and he answered and said unto them, because it is given unto
you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to
them it's not given. Now, we're exhorted to give ear, to
incline our ears, but know this also. That's an exhortation that
we're to heed. Incline your ear. Because this
is the means which God uses. But understand something too.
When God has a message for you, you're going to get it. You're
going to get it. It's given to you to know. It's
through you being attentive. It's through you being interested.
It's through you applying your heart. But if God's got a message
for you, you're going to get it. And this book is for his
people and they're gonna get it. It is given to them. He has a way of getting your
attention. Saul of Tarsus wasn't interested, but it was given
to him anyway, wasn't it? To hear what God had to say to
him. It was given to him in spite of him. He gets our attention and he
gives understanding. He opened their heart that they
might understand the scriptures. open their understanding. The
word of God is misunderstood, it's perverted, there's great
controversy generated everywhere that the word is quoted. But
God's people are real clear on it. Isn't that amazing to you? You can take, now think about
this with me. This is an important point. You can take what you
might think is the most universally agreed upon scripture in the
Bible. Just pick something that you think nobody would ever argue
over that. Everybody thinks, you know, everybody
can understand that. And post it somewhere publicly,
and before you know it, there'll be a fight. Won't there? I've seen it over and over and
over. There's gonna be an argument,
there's gonna be debate, there's gonna be disagreement, and usually,
there's gonna be people hatin' one another over it. Just a matter
of time. Yet, God's preachers, think,
keep that over here on this side, and then think over here, God's
preachers every week all around the world, they're not going
to communicate with one another, they're not going to coordinate
with one another, and yet all of them are going to preach exactly
the same message from various portions of Scripture, and God's
people are going to receive it, and delight in it, and rejoice
in it, without a single word of dissent or disagreement. Isn't that amazing? The most
universally accepted scripture over here. But if you don't have
ears to hear it, you're gonna fight over it, you're gonna fuss,
you're gonna argue, you're gonna hate somebody before it's over. Oh, but when God gives ear, we
all hear in the same voice. Hear in the same voice. I gotta
tell you this story. One time when I was real young,
And I thought, you know, I thought I was going to preach, you know,
the gospel. And I don't remember how old
I was. I must have been 18, 19 years
old. And, well, I should have shut my mouth until I was 40,
but I didn't know any better. But I was preaching the truth,
but you know what I mean. I preached a message, and the
fellow that I was kind of associating with at the time, who probably
didn't believe half of what I said, My dad was there. I believe it
was the first time I ever preached. And my dad wanted to be there.
He was there. And that fellow that I was kind of associating
with, he was the pastor of that church. And he had heard the
truth before. He knew Henry Mahan. He knew
some other fellows. And he said, boy, you sounded
like Henry Mahan when you preached that. And I was listening to
Henry constantly. So I'm not surprised I sounded
a little bit like Henry. And I think what he was implying
was that I was copying Henry. And there might have been some
truth to it. I was young and I didn't know anything, but I
knew the truth when I heard it by God's grace. And my dad, you
know, he stood up for me. He said, you know what? It's
probably because they preaching out of the same Bible. That's good. I appreciate that,
Dad. But that's just the truth. We're preaching out of the same
Bible, aren't we? And it doesn't matter where. And the people
of God are gonna hear and rejoice in it. We see that in the scripture.
Some rejoice, some were glad, and some were mad. And the ones
that are glad are the ones with ears to hear. And it's gonna
make everybody else mad. And boy, we've witnessed it,
haven't we? And then verse 3, a parable. Now let me say one
more thing about that, a parable. It's a dark saying. He said that
there, a dark saying, a parable, a dark saying, mysterious, but
it is given unto you. If it's clear to you, thank God
for it. It's a gift of His grace. And then verse 3, which we have
heard and known, and our fathers have told us, listen to what
you already know. We've seen this in the scripture
before, haven't we? God's word has never changed.
We've all heard it many times and yet it's always new. I can
sit and hear a preacher preach and preach the same message I've
heard since I was a little boy. And sometimes it's like I've
never heard it before in my life. It's so fresh and so new and
so wonderful. But John said, these things have
I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God,
that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may
believe on the name of the Son of God. I'm preaching to you
that believe that you might believe. That's what we're saying here.
Our fathers have told us, he said. Our fathers told us. Why? Because God told them to. Teach
them unto your children and your children's children. But also,
you know why our fathers told us these things? Because they
loved us. They loved us. My dad, he brought
me to church with him when I was little, just a little. Couldn't
pay attention, sit by my grandfather, and it was like there was some
kind of sleeping gas underneath the pew, you know, that would
come out. I'd go to sleep within 10 minutes. But my grandfather,
he always had a little piece of candy in his pocket for me.
I'd eat that first, you know. And then I'd go to sleep. But
I was in the church. I was under the gospel because
my dad loved me. And I'm bringing my children
to hear the gospel too, and that's why. That's why. Same reason. Who's gonna tell
your children if not you? Who's gonna teach them? Who's
gonna bring them if not you? This world has nothing for them. Verse four, let's read verses
four through six together. We will not hide them from their
children, showing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord,
all the reasons that he's worthy of praise, all of his wonders
and glory and acts and all of his accomplishments and his strength,
his wonderful works that he hath done. Verse five, for he established
a testimony in Jacob. He's done that, hadn't he? if
it was a if he just gave it to us and let us run with it it
would be extinguished before long but he's established his
word in his church and we he's always got a witness doesn't
he appointed a law in Israel which
he commanded our fathers that they should make them known to
their children that the generation to come might know them even
the children which should be born who should arise and declare
them to their children. That's how people learn the gospel
from those that love them, from those that love them. From your
parents that love you, from a pastor that loves you by God's grace
and his providence and perfect design, a pastor after his own
heart. And we've seen before what that
means. What would that mean, a pastor after my own heart,
God said? Why did he send his pastors because he loved us and
so he sends pastors that love us, too Thank God, let me just repeat
one thing in that he established a testimony in Jacob His spiritual
Jacob his chosen his people look at Psalm 147 verse 15 Psalm 147 This is what we're talking about
he's established his word with his people But don't take that
for granted now because look what it says 147 15 Let's read
a little bit of the context verse 15. He sendeth forth his commandment
upon earth His word runneth very swiftly Where does it go? Well, that's what we're fixing
to say. He giveth snow like wool. He scattereth the hoarfrost like
ashes. He casteth forth his ice like
morsels who can stand before his cold. But he sends his word
out and melteth them. He causeth his wind to blow and
the waters flow. He showeth his word unto Jacob,
his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. And this, look at
this now, don't take it for granted. He hath not dealt so with any
other nation. And as for his judgments, they
have not known them. He shows it to his people. Praise ye the Lord. What grace,
what free grace, sovereign grace, that he would establish his word
with us, give us ears to hear, give us eyes to see, and a heart
to to carry on his ministry. Verse
seven, that they might set their hope in God. You see how everything kinda
leads to that? That's why that's the title. That they might set
their hope in God. That's why he did it. That's why you need to listen
up. That's why our fathers told us. That's why his word is established
in Jacob. So that sinners might set their
hope in God. To set it, to establish it, an
anchor for the soul, Paul said. We have an anchor for the soul. And not forget the works of God,
but keep his commandment. This is what John said, I quoted
it a while ago. These are written that you might
believe. He established his word in Jacob that they might set
their hope in God, that they might believe on Christ and believing
they might have life through his name. That's the reason. Not that they might know how
to act. People see the Bible as a, you know, an instruction
book on how to act. No, we're not ever going to act
right. Of course, we have an example
in the scriptures. Of course we do. Of course we're
instructed, we have some guidance concerning life, but we're not
ever going to measure up to God's standard. It's not to show you
how to act, it's when you don't act right, you have a refuge.
If the Bible is to straighten us up so that we'll be holy,
it's a failure. It's a waste of paper. The Bible
is so that when we don't measure up, when we don't do right, when
we break God's law, when we're sinners and we see ourselves
to be, we have a refuge. It's a him book, not an us book. It's not about my behavior, it's
about what he did and why. Sinners don't need guidelines,
they need grace. Sinners don't need suggestion.
They need a substitute. That's what this book is about. And he said, and don't forget
it. I know you've heard what God did about sin. How God deals
with sin, how he can be just and justify a sinner. Now, don't
forget it. Don't be sidetracked from it.
Don't be removed from the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus. That's
the word here. It's not that we're gonna forget
that somebody named Jesus died on a cross. We're not gonna forget
that. But what he's saying is don't forget why. Don't forget
what he accomplished. Don't forget who it is that died
there. Second Peter 112, wherefore I will not be negligent to put
you always in remembrance of these things, though you know
them, and be established in the present truth. I know you're
established in the truth, but I'm gonna remind you anyway.
Yea, I think it meet as long as I'm in this tabernacle to
stir you up by putting you in remembrance. That's what it said
in our text. Don't forget, don't forget his works. Don't forget
what God did about sin. And as I said, this forgetting
is not so much that you don't remember that Christ died, but
when you begin to trust in the flesh, what are you doing? You've
effectively forgotten Christ and what he did for you and why. When you despair because of sin,
you've forgotten Christ. When you complain and fret, you've
forgotten him and what he did. When you neglect the worship
and the ministry, you've forgotten Christ. That's the forgetting
he's talking about. Not that you're going to forget
that he died, but you're going to forget the magnitude of it, of who it
was that died and what he accomplished when he did it. He gave us the
ordinance of the Lord's table and said, remember, remember,
as often as you do this, remember me. Not because he thought we
would forget that he died on a cross, but because he knew
that we would forget all that that means. That he loves, we're going to
forget that he loves us so that he gave himself. Do you forget
that? We might as well be honest about it. You would never worry
about anything if you hadn't forgotten that. If you remember how much he loves
you, you're not going to worry about that stupid stuff. You've forgotten that we are
as secure as the throne of God himself, safe though the worlds
may crumble. You've forgotten that we're blessed
with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ
Jesus. You just flat forgot it. And that's why he says, remember,
don't forget, this do in remembrance. I'll put you in remembrance through
the preaching of the gospel. We forget that every, and don't
forget this either now. This is forgetting Him and Him
crucified. If you forget that every blessing
we have is exclusively because of His body and His blood, His
person and His work, His incarnation, His death, how easily we forget
that. Every blessing we have is because
of Him. We're not gonna forget He died
on a cross, but we're gonna forget that unless God graciously reminds
us. Jack Shanks, my pastor in Texas
a long time ago, wrote one time something that I still remember,
and I don't know that I remember the exact words, but it doesn't
matter. The essence of it was this. He said, look to Calvary
and gaze upon the Savior there until all that is on the cross
is in your heart. And that's what we're doing.
If we can just see Him as He is, doing what He did for us,
until all of that, all of Him and all of His work is in our
heart, it sure would be a lot easier
in this world, wouldn't it? And that happens through His
word, through His gospel. That's why He's saying, listen
up, hearken, don't forget, Tell your children that they might
set their hope in God. In his righteousness, in his
offering for sin, the Lord Jesus Christ. And then he said there at the
last of that verse, keep his commandments. Keep his commandments. Do you
remember the lesson Our Lord taught the rich young ruler regarding
this. When you think like him, like
that rich young ruler, that you've kept all the commandments of
God. That's what he said, I've kept all these from my youth
up. And when you get to thinking like that, you need to know and
understand what he needed to understand. that to come to the
Lord Jesus Christ, to follow Christ exclusively, to believe
on Christ as the one thing needful, and everything else can just
be sold and given away. Christ is all and the one thing
needful. You need to understand that that
happens only by grace through faith in him. One thing you lack,
and it's everything. It's just one thing, but it's
everything. And that is that Christ is all. Go sell everything
you have, give it to the poor, get rid of all your false gods,
and follow the one true God. And come to him the only way
a sinner can, by Christ Jesus. With men, it is impossible. That's what we need to understand
about keeping the commandments. That's what he taught him, didn't
he? That rich young ruler came saying, what must I do to inherit
eternal life? He said, keep the commandment.
Well, I've kept them from my youth up. You're lacking something.
Go sell all you have, give it to the poor, and come follow
me. That's the end of the commandment, Christ. The commandment of God,
the work of God is that you believe on him whom he has sent. By the
deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified, With men, it is
just as impossible to abandon all and follow Christ as it is
to keep the commandments of God. You're not going to do any of
it. That's what he said. With men, it's impossible. Under
the old covenant, it's impossible because it depends on men. But
the new covenant is not dependent upon us. It's dependent upon
the Lord Jesus Christ. And so he said this, with God,
all things are possible. With God. With God. When God does something about
it, you will sell all you have, you'll get rid of all your false
idols, and you will follow me. That's what Zacchaeus did in
the next chapter. That's the difference between
man and God. Man walks away sorrowful. God says, you're coming home
with me. I'm coming home with you. There's your mind. Verse 8, it might not be as their
fathers. Harken, set your hope in God,
and don't be like your fathers. Don't be like them. Don't be
a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that set not their
heart aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God. And
you know what the truth is about that? We are just like them. We are in ourselves, we're just
like them. Stubborn, rebellious, evil, and unfaithful. Just like
our fathers were. You can't get a clean thing out
of an unclean. In ourselves, we're exactly like them. But
there is a difference. Don't be like them. How in the
world am I not going to be like them? I am just like them. Isaiah
said, except the Lord of hosts had left us a very small remnant,
we should have been as Sodom. We should have been like unto
Gomorrah. He calls the nation of Israel Sodom. In the same
chapter, you're just like them, except the Lord did something. The Lord made a difference. Ephesians
2, let's read that and we'll be through. Ephesians 2. Verse 1, very familiar here. And you have
he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins wherein in
time past you walked according to the course of this world.
You were just like your father was, according to the prince
of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the
children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our commerce.
There are no exceptions. We are all the same. In time
passing, the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the
flesh and of the mind, and we're by nature the children of wrath,
even as others. But God, when he says don't be
like them, he's not saying, well, you just need to be better than
they are. No. Here's the difference. But God, who is rich in mercy
for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were
dead in sins, Even when we were just exactly like the children
of wrath, we were children of wrath, just
like them. Even when we were dead in sins,
verse five, hath quickened us together with Christ, by grace
are you saved, and hath raised us up together and made us sit
together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages
to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness
toward us through Christ Jesus. Keep His commandments. Don't
be like your fathers. How does that happen? But God. There's the difference
right there. The difference between the two
thieves on the two crosses on either side of our Lord when
He was crucified. You know what the difference
between them is? God rich in mercy. That's like we just read. God who is rich in mercy. The difference between Judas
and the Apostle Peter is God rich in mercy.