Bruce has such a blessing. Thank
you. Thank the Lord for that. I'm going to ask you to take
your Bibles and turn with me to the book of Isaiah. Isaiah
43. I got up this morning And as I was trying to seek the
Lord, to know where to go, my heart was drawn again to Isaiah
43. And what I want to do is I want
us to, all of us, I want us to just Let's forget all preconceived
ideas about who God is. And I want us to just, for a
few minutes, I want us to look in the Word of God. And I want
to find out again, what does God say about who God is? I was listening to the message
that our brother just preached and I thought, I need to hear
that. I need to hear afresh who is
God. Now, I tell the folks and Katie
all the time, now listen, we're going to stand before God, every
one of us. We're going to stand before the
Lord. and the books are going to be opened. And Almighty God is going to
deal with us in absolute righteousness. The scripture says, you just
hold your place right there in Isaiah 43. Now here's a man that
was placed by God in a position of being Pharaoh in Egypt. And the Lord sent Moses and Aaron
to go tell this guy who had now authority, humanly speaking,
over all the Hebrews that were in Egypt. And Moses went, I'm
going to read out of Exodus 5, first few verses here. Moses
went, according to the word of the Lord, and this is what Moses
said, this is Exodus 5, verse 1. Thus saith the Lord God of
Israel, let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me
in the wilderness. Now listen to what this man said. And he was just being honest. But this is an honest answer.
This is an honest answer. Because this is the way all men
are by nature. Verse 2, And Pharaoh said, Who
is the LORD, that I should obey his voice, and let Israel go? I know not the LORD, Neither
will I let Israel go. We sing that last song. And I
thought about that passage of scripture. I don't know God. At least he
was honest about it, Bruce. I don't know God. I don't know
who God is. That's man by nature. And people
think they know who God is. I want to know. I want to know. Now, Isaiah 43, and knowing that
man by nature is ignorant. Boy, if God ever brings a man
or woman to a point where they can admit, I don't know who God
is. Who is the Lord? That's what
Thoreau said. Who is the Lord that I should serve Him? I don't
know God. Man by nature is an ignorant creature. Psalm 14. I look at Psalm 14
and I think, Oh Lord, help me. Psalm 14. Verses 2 and 3. Bruce, you know,
you were talking last night about it in Ephesians. It said, this
is how man thinks that God deals with election. God, they say,
looked down before time and saw who would choose him. And based
upon God's perception, They at least give him the credit in
their foolishness to say that God's eternal. They say, look
down to see. I tell people, yes, God did look. But I want to know what God says
about his look. Psalm 14, 2 and 3, The Lord looked
down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any
that did understand and seek God. And they all gone aside,
they all together become filthy. There's none that doeth good.
No, not one. So if you want to know if God
looked, He did look. And if you want to know what
God saw, this is what He saw. There was none good. None sought the Lord. I want you to take your Bibles
and turn to 1 John 5. I'm going to ask you to turn
a few places here. But this is what I want to know.
I want to know who is the God of this Bible. The God before
whom all men, women, are going to stand. 1 John 5. Whenever we leave this world without a mediator, I'm telling you, we have no hope,
but not just any mediator, the mediator of God's choosing. First
John 5, 11 and 12, this is the record. that God hath given to us eternal
life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath
life. He that hath not the Son of God
hath not life. Now here's where I am right now.
Admitting, let's just get, again, all preconceived ideas. He that
hath the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son of God
hath not life. Now, I want to know. Tell me who the Son is. Tell me concerning what God has
to say about Himself and about His Son. Scripture sets forth this truth. Romans chapter 9, Romans chapter
9, again, I just want to look in the Word of God. Romans chapter
9 and verse 15, this is Paul the
Apostle quoting from what God told Moses in Exodus 33. Tell me, Lord, concerning your
attitude toward men and women. Here's what he said, Romans 9,
15. For he saith to Moses, I will
have mercy on whom I'll have mercy, and I will have compassion
on whom I'll have compassion. I've heard men say that all you
have to do is exercise your free will. Just exercise your free
will. God wants to give everybody a
chance. Well, what does God say about it? Well, the next verse
said, 16, so then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth. but
of God that showeth mercy. Well, what about Pharaoh? We
just read about when Pharaoh said, I don't know who God is.
Here's what God had to say about Pharaoh's attitude. Verse 17,
for the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, even for this same purpose,
have I raised thee up that I might show my power in thee, and that
my name might be declared throughout all the earth. And therefore
hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will, he hardeneth. He leaves to themselves. Does God have the right to do
that? Absolutely. I want to know who
is the Lord. I know what The scripture says
concerning the Lord, He's sovereign. Psalm 135 verse 6, Whatsoever
the Lord pleased, that did He in heaven and in earth, in the
seas, and all deep places. God's not a beggar. God's not trying to do anything.
God does as He will. Who said that? Nebuchadnezzar.
Nebuchadnezzar went out one night, looked over, oh my, look at this
great Nineveh that I have built. And the scripture says while
he was speaking, while the words were still in his mouth, God took his mind from him and
let him go out for years and graze out in the field. God was
pleased to give his mind back. This is what Nebuchadnezzar said,
He doeth as he will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants
of the earth, and no man can stay his hand. No man saith unto
him, What doest thou? God Almighty is omnipotent. What does that mean? He has all
power. How much does that leave me or
you? All power. Acts 17, 24, God that
made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord
of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands. God Almighty is God. Like you said, that's
what you said. There's one. There's not but
one. And I have no part in his power. He has mercy and compassion on
whomsoever he will. Romans 9, 21 asks this question. Hath the potter power over the
clay? of the same lump to make one
vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor? Absolutely. Well, here's what
I want to know. In Isaiah 53, knowing who God
is, here's what I want to know. What does the Lord have to say
to His people? And I know the Lord has a people.
Bruce, again, I'm going to lean heavily, man, on what you've
been preaching on. God Almighty, according to Ephesians chapter
1 verse 4, God has chosen a people in His Son before the foundation
of the world. that those people should be holy
and without blame before Him in love. So here's the Lord. Here's what the Lord has to say.
In Isaiah 43 verse 1, But now thus saith the Lord. Now I just, again, You've heard
this, but I want us to look again. Whenever you see capital L, capital
O, capital R, capital D, Jehovah. Father, Son, Spirit. Jehovah. God the Father who has
chosen a people and given them unto God the Son as their surety. and God the Spirit who will surely
call them out of darkness. Now thus saith the Lord that
created thee. Created thee, not speaking of
man's original creation, but the work of God's grace, spiritual. He did create us originally.
We are the creation. He has made us, created us. Here's what he says, Now thus
saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob. Again, turn back with me to Romans
9. I'm not going any farther until
I look at this again. Romans chapter 9. We read these
words. If we're not careful, we just
kind of go over them. Romans chapter 9, verse 9, this
is the word of promise. At this time will I come and
Sarah shall have a son. And not only this, but when Rebecca
also had conceived by one, even by her father Isaac. For the
children being not yet born, neither having done any good
or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might
stand. Not of works, But of him that
calleth it was said unto her, the elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have
I loved, but Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? Is there
unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses,
I'll have mercy on whom I'll have mercy, I'll have compassion
on whom I'll have compassion. So back in Isaiah 43. But now thus saith the Lord that
created thee, O Jacob. You know who he's talking to?
He's talking to somebody he loves and has chosen to love and is
eternally loved. And God who doesn't change will
never not love him. I'm talking to you, Jacob. He
that formed thee. Oh Israel. Hold your place. Turn to Genesis
32. Genesis 32. He's talking to Jacob. He'll catch her. Huckster. Trickster. Genesis 32, look at
verse 24. Now here's Jacob. Jacob is going
on a place called Haran. He left his home 20 years before
because God was pleased to give Jacob the blessing through his
father Isaac. Jacob wasn't the older brother. His brother Esau was. And the blessing always goes
to the older, unless God says it doesn't. And God gives the blessing to
the younger boy. They were twins. But Jacob was
born after Esau. And God had told Rebekah, their
mama, Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated. And she knew that
Jacob was going to get the blessing, and Jacob got the blessing. How did he get it? He came in
there. His mama had told him, she said, you go kill a couple
of goats. You bring them to me. I'm going to prepare savory meat
for your father that he loved it. Like Esau does. And she took
those skins and put them on his neck and on his hands. took that
goodly garment, raiment, Esau, put it on him. And he went, stood
before his daddy. You talk about a beautiful picture
of standing and being blessed for the sake of another. Man,
we could go right here, Bruce, and just see this one. And Jacob
stood before his daddy. And his daddy's eyes were bad. And Jacob stood before his daddy,
and his daddy's singing, this is Esau, I'm going to bless Esau.
And he stood before his dad, and his daddy said, you sound
like Jacob, but you feel like Esau. Come here, let me smell
you. He came before him, and he smelled
him, he smelled that raiment. That's the smell of my son. And
he blessed him. They'd asked him before. Boy,
this one gets me, Clay. He said, Are you truly Esau? Are you truly Esau? And he said,
I am. We stand before God in the merit
of another, of the Lord God of heaven. He said, you smell just
like my son. That same boy, Jacob, he got
the blessing. And God sent him through the
means of his parents. He said, you go back to Haran
now. Rebecca told him, his mama told him, you go back to Laban. My brother, I'll send for you.
As soon as your brother's anger is assuaged in a few days, 20
years later, he's now coming back home and God met him. This is where we are. God met
him on his way back to his house. Genesis chapter 32, 24, Jacob
was left alone and there wrestled a man with him. till the breaking
of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed
not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh, and the
hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint as he wrestled with
him. And here's Jacob wrestling with
the Lord, and the Lord who is allowing Jacob to wrestle with
him. And he, that is, verse 26, the
Lord said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I
will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he said unto him, this is
the Lord speaking, What is thy name? Now here's a man that's
honest. Here's an honest man. What is
your name? My name's Jacob. I'm the trickster. I'm the huckster. I'm the supplanter. What is your name? He said, Jacob,
verse 28. And he said, that is the Lord. Thy name shall be called no more
Jacob. But Israel, a prince with God. For as a prince hast thou power
with God and with men, and hast prevailed. And Jacob asked him
and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. He said, Wherefore
is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him,
and Jacob called the name of that place, Peniel. I've seen
God face to face, and my life is preserved. And he passed over
Penuel. The sun rose upon him and he
halted upon his side where God had touched him. He walked differently. Walked before God. And now back
in Isaiah 43. But now thus saith the Lord that
created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel. Listen
to this. Don't be afraid. Men have good reason to be afraid
of God. Why? Because He's God. God who
does as He will. Why? Why would I not have reason? He says, fear not, for I've redeemed you. Without a substitute, men have
got good reason to be afraid. Don't you be afraid. Who's he
talking to? He's talking to Jacob. That by
the grace of God, God Almighty has been pleased to make an Israel. I have redeemed you by payment,
by ransom. I've redeemed you. I paid for
you. I bought you. You're dead from
the bondage and the curse of the law. from the penalty of
hell, penalty of sin, penalty of death. Don't be afraid, I've
redeemed you. There's no mortgage left on you,
not on your part, no mortgage. I've redeemed you, I've called
thee by thy name. I've addressed you for who I
say you are. You ask any believer, what is
your name? Well, in myself, I know what
my name is. My name is Jacob. And that's a name that every
believer declares honestly. I know something about myself.
I don't know the depth of what I am, but I know this. I know
that I am being born in Adam, I'm a sinner, and I admit it. I'm Jacob, but have the Lord
to say, your name is Israel. Can it be so that God would be
pleased to cause this sinner to know something of redemption? But fear not, for I have redeemed
you, made sin, and call thee by thy name. Now
listen to this. Thou art mine. You're mine. That's hope. That's hope. You're mine. From the heart of
the Savior himself, to his people, he says, I bore your guilt. Everything
that not only I have done and I'm doing as I'm preaching, but I shall do for all of his
people. I bore your guilt. I don't even know what I've done.
I don't know the depth of what I've done. Sins of commission,
things I've done, things that I should have done that I didn't
do. I don't even know what I've done. This is the God that we
deal with, must deal with. You're mine. I redeemed you. I called you. You're my Father's gift to me. You're mine by gift. You're mine
by purchase. And by the grace of God, all
that the Father giveth me, he said, shall come to me. Psalm
110 verse 3, thy people shall be willing in the day of thy
power." They come in willing submission. Do men and women
have to come to Christ? Absolutely. Will they come to
Christ if God leaves them to themselves? Absolutely not. But given a heart to come to
Him. Then He said in verse 2, "...when thou passest through
the waters..." And they will. They will. I will
be with thee, and through the rivers they shall not overflow
thee. When thou walkest through the
fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle
upon thee. You know when Israel came out
of Egypt and they came to that, they came to a point It came
to a point of land, if you looked at it, if you had a map, you
could just see where it was just a little point of land, right
there where the Red Sea, and they were, that's where they
were brought by the direction of God. It came to the place
called, I think it was Pyhahiroth, was the name of that little old
point. And there's all the people. And here comes the Egyptians. And here comes Pharaoh. Here
comes his army, and he's coming after them. Now you talk about
between a rock and a hard place. Here comes this mighty army,
and there's the Red Sea. Now they've got one option, humanly
speaking. They're going to die, humanly
speaking. But he said, when thou passest
through the waters, Here God causes a great wind to come,
blows all night, and God parts that water. He talked about a
beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus himself being opened, his
side opened up, laying down his life, opened up. The only safe
passage they had is if that water opens up. If it don't open up,
we ain't gonna make it. And he went across some dry land.
He said, when thou, when thou passest through the waters, I
will be with thee. And through the rivers, they
were getting ready to cross over the Jordan River. And when the
foot of the priest touched that river, the water just backed
up, just stood up. I'll be with thee. When thou
walkest through the fire, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, thou shalt not be burned, neither
shall the flame kindle upon thee. Why? How can this be? Verse 3, For I am the LORD thy God, the
Holy One of Israel, thy Savior, I gave Egypt for thy ransom,
Ethiopia and Sheba for thee. Don't be afraid. The covenant God that we'll deal
with, that we'll do that which is pleasing in his sight, He's
going to deal with all the enemies of God and God's people, Satan,
this world, this flesh. Don't be afraid. How can this be? Verse 4, Since
thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honorable and
I have loved thee, therefore will I give men for thee, and
people for thy life, because you are valuable in my sight."
Me! Esteemed, prized, highly valued
in His sight? How can that be? Because God Almighty has chosen
in His Son A people that Christ has borne their guilt and charges
unto them. Those that believe Him. That
He gives a heart to believe. That He gives faith to believe.
Righteousness. Loves Himself. You mean that
God Almighty who chose to show mercy Why would He choose me? Hold your place. Turn to Ephesians
1. Why would He choose me? I already
know that He looked down in time and I know what He saw. He saw
that there was none good, not one. Why would God set His affection
on anybody? The Scripture says, Ephesians
1.5, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children
by Jesus Christ to himself, and look at these next words, according
to the good pleasure of his will. I have no other answer. Why would
God choose to show mercy to one and leave another to himself.
Why? Because it pleased him to do
so. There's no other answer. None. I know what he saw when he looked
down through time or into eternity, whatever. The Lord looked from
heaven. I know what he saw. But what he did was according
to the good pleasure of his will. Fear not, verse 5, for I am with thee. I will bring
thy seed from the east and gather thee from the west. I will. I will say to the north,
give up, and to the south, keep not back. Bring my sons from
far and my daughters from the ends of the earth. I'm with you. I will bring thy seed. I will gather thee. Don't be
afraid. My sons and my daughters, adopted,
predestinated, unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to
himself. Heirs of God, joint heirs with
Christ, from all the places in all of the world that they've
been scattered. What does it say? Verse 5, don't
be afraid, I'm with you. I will bring thy seed from the
east. God knows where his people are. I'll gather thee from the
West, I will say to the North, give up. I will say to the South,
keep not back. All that the Father giveth me,
John 6, 37, shall come to me. How many's coming? How many's
coming? Of all that the Father gave the
Son, of all the Son redeemed, how many's coming? All of them. Is he going to lose
any of them? Not a one. How many is going
to be in heaven? All that the Father wrote in
the Lamb's Book of Life from before the foundation of the
world. When did he write that book? It's always been written. I've always loved you. That's
what he said. I've loved you with an everlasting love. Don't
be afraid. My question is to you. What think
ye of Christ? You know what a believer is going
to say? He's my Lord and my God. That's what Thomas said. My Lord
and my God. I pray that God have mercy upon
us today. I pray God show mercy today.
I pray God teach me afresh who God is for His glory and my eternal
good. Amen.