Alright, if you'll turn with
me to Isaiah chapter 26. Isaiah chapter 26 verse 1. In that day shall this song be
sung in the land of Judah. We have a strong city. Salvation
will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Open ye the gates that
the righteous nation, which keepeth the truth, may enter in. Thou
wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee,
because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever,
for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. Now when you read the
word of God, and you're seeking for comfort and for assurance,
Look for God's shalls. S-H-L-L-S. When God says shall,
look for God's shall. There's no assurance in man's
will. There's no assurance in our will. The best that a man's will can
offer to you and to me is it has to submit to this if the
Lord will. But when you hear the Lord, the
triune God of glory say, shall, then you can rest assured God
shall bring it to pass. Last time we saw in chapter 25
verse 9, it shall be said in that day, lo this is our God. This time our text begins in
chapter 26 verse 1 with these words, in that day shall this
song be sung in the land of Judah. In that day of God's grace and
salvation, the gospel day of grace, the day in which we live,
in the land of Judah, in the great congregation, in the congregation
of the saints, the church of the living God, it shall be sung. That's what we're looking at
this time. We're going to look at four verses of this song. The first
verse has to do with salvation. The second verse with mercy.
The third verse, grace. And the fourth verse, exhortation. Now first we see salvation, verse
1. We have a strong city. Salvation
will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Now the first word
is we have a strong city. We have. Those of you who have
been given the gift of faith by God have this strong city. It's the church of God. I quote it to you often, especially
through these passages, you come unto Mount Zion and unto the
city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, the church of the
firstborn. That's what we're dealing with
here. Now this city is made up. It's not a city like Princeton
is a city. It's a city made up of brethren. The brethren are the city. The
people of God are the city. And brethren are a strength to
each other in this city. Look over at Zechariah chapter
12. It's just before Malachi. Zechariah
chapter 12. The last book is Malachi, the
one before it, Zechariah. Look over there with me. Zechariah
12, verse 5. And the governors of Judah shall
say in their heart, The inhabitants, do you see that? The inhabitants
of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of hosts their God. The inhabitants. Brethren are
a family, the inhabitants of this city. We're a family and
we defend each other and we take care of each other. We pray for
each other. We provide for each other. Our
strength is unity. The strength of brethren is to
be together in unity. One way that we protect each
other and we serve each other is by reminding each other of
this next glorious truth about this city. The strength of this
city is Christ Jesus, the Son of God, our salvation. That's
the strength of this city. Now, look at verse 1 again. You
know the italicized words are placed in the text by the translators. So you can read the King James
Version, the translation, without the italicized words, and very
often you get a stronger meaning. Now watch this. Isaiah 26.1. We have a strong city. Salvation
will appoint walls and bulwarks. That changes the whole meaning
of the verse, doesn't it? That makes salvation Somebody. Not just something, but somebody.
Salvation will appoint walls and bulwarks. Christ, our salvation. He is our salvation. He is a
wall. He is a bulwark to us. And our safety and our security
is that Christ Jesus is our salvation. He is the city. He is our salvation,
the city. Look back at verse 9 of chapter
25. The song begins in chapter 25
and here in verse 9 we see that it's about Him. It's about Him. Listen. It shall be said in that
day, Lo, this is our God. We have waited for Him. He will
save us. This is the Lord. We've waited
for Him. We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation, the
Lord's salvation, the Lord Jehovah's salvation. I showed you last
time when Simeon was in the temple and when they brought the Lord
Jesus to him and he hailed the Lord Jesus, he said, I've been
waiting for the Lord's Christ. the Lord's salvation. And when
he held Jesus in his hands, in his arms, he said, Lord, I have
seen thy salvation. Salvation is a person. The mountains,
as the mountains are round about Jerusalem, that city, as the
mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his
people from henceforth even forever. That's what the Scriptures teach
us. Listen to this next word. For I, saith the Lord, will be
unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory
in the midst of her. This is what the Lord says of
this city. Turn back over to Revelation
3 with me. Revelation 3. And while you're
turning there, let me give you some words, some names of this
city and some meanings. Jerusalem. The name Jerusalem
means foundation of peace. We're just saying Christ is the
church's one foundation. He's our foundation of peace. Salem is another name for this
city. Salem means peace. Christ is
king of Salem, which is king of peace. Another name for it
is Ariel. It means the Lion of God. Christ
is the Lion of God. Now watch in Revelation 3. Verse
7 tells us, These things saith he that is holy, he that is true,
he that hath the key of David. He's got the key to the gates.
He that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth.
Now look down at verse 11. Behold, I come quickly. Hold that fast which thou hast. What did our text say? We have
a strong say. He said hold fast that which
thou hast, which you have. That no man take thy crown. Him
that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God and he
shall go no more out and I will write upon him. Now watch this.
I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the
city of my God. Now, skip the italicized. Here's
the name of my God in the name of the city of my God. New Jerusalem,
which cometh down out of heaven from my God and my new name. Now you see that? The name of
the city of my God in the name of my God. New Jerusalem, which
cometh down out of heaven from my God and my new name. The name
of this city and his name are one. Look with me at Jeremiah,
Jeremiah chapter 31. Jeremiah chapter 30, I'm sorry,
chapter 33. Are you there with me? Jeremiah 33,
16. In those days shall Judah be
saved. and Jerusalem shall dwell safely."
This is talking about His people. This is the city, the people,
the Jerusalem, His people. And this is the name wherewith
she shall be called, the Lord our righteousness. The name of
this city is the Lord our righteousness. He is, and let me read you Ezekiel
48, 35. The name of the city from that
day shall be the Lord there. Jehovah Shema, the Lord is there. That's gonna be the name of the
city. He said, I'm gonna give you a new name. The name of the
city of my God and my name. The Lord is there. Thou shalt
call thy walls. Look at Isaiah 60, Isaiah 60. In verse 18. Violence shall no more be heard
in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders. Isaiah 60
verse 18. Violence shall no more be heard
in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders. How can that
be? How can we be protected like
that and not any of this violence come upon us in this city? How
can that be? Look at the next word. But thou
shalt call thy walls salvation, and thy gates praise. You see that? We have a strong
city. Salvation. Christ Jesus, our
salvation, will appoint walls and bulwarks. And He is the wall
and the bulwark. Christ's blood is a bulwark.
That's what it is, Christ's blood. He's purged us of our sin. His
blood cleanseth us from all sin, what Art just read out of 1 John.
His blood cleanseth us from all sin. He cleanseth us. And it's against the power of
sin. It has no dominion over you. Christ's righteousness is
like a wall of fire that encloses us round about. Judgment can't
come upon you. Violence can't come into those
walls because His righteousness surrounds this city. Christ's
mediation for us. His intercession for us. He ever
liveth to make intercession. He prays to God. He prays to
the Father. And He brings us together with
the Father in Himself. And this is our protection, brethren. Christ's wisdom and power. Limitless. No boundaries to it. His power and His wisdom is our
defense. You who've been born of the Holy
Spirit of God, who've been given this gift of faith, who's had
this Word written on your hearts, this is His Word to you. My sheep
hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give
unto them eternal life and they shall never perish. Neither shall
any man pluck them out of my hand. My father which gave them
me is greater than all and no man is able to pluck them out
of my father's hand. I and my father are one. We have
a strong city, a strong city. Right here in the midst of this
city is a city that's stronger than this natural city. When
this Rocky Hill and then Princeton and New York City and all these
cities, when they're gone, this city right here will remain. This city will remain. A mighty
fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing. Our helper, he
amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing. Did we in our strength
confide, our striving would be losing. We're not the right man
on our side, the man of God's own choosing. Just ask who that
may be. Christ Jesus, it is he. Lord,
sabaoth his name from age to age the same, and he must win
the battle. Now the second verse of our song
is mercy. The second verse is mercy. Look
at verse 2. Acts 26 verse 2. Open ye the gates that the righteous
nation which keepeth truth may enter in. Open ye the gates that
the righteous nation which keepeth truth may enter in. Open ye the
gates. Be turning with me to Psalm 118.
Psalm 118. Now Christ Jesus is the door. He is the way. He is the truth. He is the life. No man, no sinner
can come to the Father but by the Son. He's the way. He's the
truth. He's the life. But the word here
in the text is gates, plural. Now, truth is a gate. Truth is a gate. Truth gives
entrance just like a gate gives entrance. Now we preach one gospel. We preach one doctrine. TULIP,
T-U-L-I-P, total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement,
or particular redemption, meaning Christ bought, He put away the
sin of a particular people giving Him. Irresistible grace. No man can resist the grace of
God. The wind blows where it will.
You can't see it coming or see it going, but just like that,
the Spirit of God comes and has, we've seen something of the wind
this past weekend. No man could resist it. The Spirit
of God's irresistible. and preservation or perseverance
of the saints, but it's all one doctrine. Those are gates into
one glorious gospel, one glorious truth, but it's just one truth. They all stand together. They're
compacted together. I hear people say, he's a four-point
Calvinist. I don't know how that can be.
How could that be? You take one of these glorious
truths out, And you're giving glory to man in all, in everything. But this is what I'm pointing
out to you. We have these many glorious truths,
but they stand as one compact doctrine. Now look at Psalm 118.
This is a psalm of mercy. So often where you find this
word gates, you're going to find the word mercy. That's why I
say this is mercy. Open ye the gates. This is mercy
right here we're talking about. Mercy to sinners. Now watch this. This is a psalm of mercy. Psalm
118 verse 19. Open to me the gates of righteousness. I will go into them. That's plural. That's many gates. Now watch
this next word. I will praise the Lord, this
gate of the Lord. That's singular. Into which the
righteous shall enter. I will praise Thee, for Thou
hast heard me and art become my salvation. So you see, read
it again now. Open to me the gates of righteousness. I will go into them. And when
I go into them, what am I going to do? I will praise one, the
Lord, this gate of the Lord into which the righteous shall enter.
Now there are many truths, there are many gates of righteousness,
but Christ Jesus is the fulfillment of all righteousness. He is the
focal point of the gates. It doesn't matter where you enter
in, how you come in, which of these gates, which of these glorious
truths we talk about, they all have their entrance into one
gate, the straight gate, Christ Jesus the Lord. Let me give you
an example of that. The cause of salvation is the
love of God. Totally outside of the objects
of His love, the love of God. He loves whom He will. It's unchangeable. It's unalterable. It's everlasting
love. It's a gate of righteousness,
the love of our God. But where are we going to behold
the glory? Where are we going to see the
glory, this holy love of God? Where are we going to see it?
In the gate, Christ Jesus the Lord. We behold the love of God
one place. It's in one place. It's in Christ
Jesus the Lord. The foundation of salvation is
the purpose and will of God. The foundation is the purpose
and will of God. God's purpose and God's will
is a gate of righteousness. It's a righteous purpose. It's
a righteous will. Where are we going to behold the glory of this gate of righteousness? Where are we going to behold
it? in the straight gate, in Christ Jesus alone. The source
of salvation is the electing grace of God. He chose whom He
will and passes by whom He will. The electing grace of God, that's
a gate of righteousness. It's righteous for God to choose
whom He will. Where are we going to behold
this glory? Where are we going to behold it? in the straight
gate. He chose His Son, and He chose
us in His Son. That's where we behold it. The
ground of salvation is the covenant of grace, the everlasting covenant
made between God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy
Spirit, ordered in all things. And sure, that's a righteous
gate. Where are we going to behold
this righteousness of this gate? in Christ. He said, I will give
my son a covenant to the people. The Lord Jesus Christ said, this
is the New Testament written in my blood. I lay down my life. I have ordered. I have made this
covenant that my father ordered in all things. I've made it sure
to my people. That's where we behold the order
and the sureness of this covenant, the glory of it. The security
of salvation is the power and wisdom of God. If we're going
to know that God's power and His wisdom is righteousness,
it's a righteous gate, His power and His wisdom, where are we
going to behold the power and wisdom of God? Those who are
called Christ is power and wisdom of God to you. We behold it in
one gate. So the psalmist says, open to
me the gates of righteousness, and I'll go into them. I'll praise
the Lord, this gate of the Lord. There's a bunch of truth, but
I'm entering into them in this one gate. Brethren, this is the
application. We cannot show any greater mercy,
any greater mercy than to open up these gates that sinners might
behold Christ the gate and enter into Him. No greater mercy. That's
what God, this song says, open ye the gates. Now why does the
Lord say open ye the gates? Look at verse 2 and the second
half of it. That the righteous nation which
keepeth the truth may enter in. God in mercy says open these
gates to all sinners. Don't hold back anything because
one sinner's rich or one sinner's poor, because one sinner's male
or one sinner's female, because one sinner's black, one sinner's
white, because one sinner's a Gentile, one sinner's a Jew. Don't hold
back any of this glorious gospel, from any. Open these gates to
all sinners. Open these gates to all sinners
without exception. Why? Because God has an elect
people, this righteous nation, this one nation, God's nation,
God's true Israel is made up of a people gathered from among
many nations. brought out from among them,
drawn out from among them, and nothing else will draw these
sinners out into this one nation than the glorious good news of
our Lord Jesus Christ. Open these gates. Open them. Open them up to all. that those that I've made righteous,
which keepeth the truth, those that I've made to possess it,
may enter in. It's because the righteous nation
is made up of people out of many nations. Now, turn over to Isaiah
43, 5. This is sure salvation. And because
He says this to us, listen to what He says now. Verse 5. Isaiah 43, 5. Fear not. Fear not. You got opportunity
to open these gates. Fear not. It's difficult sometimes to speak
plainly when you know that one to whom you speak may reject
it. This is what he says, fear not. Why? For I am with thee. I will bring thy seed, thy children
from the east. and gather them from the West,
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, even every one that is called by my name, for
I've created him for my glory, I've formed him, yea, I've made
him. You don't know, but that, turn over, be turning to Isaiah
60. We don't know, but that one that has, I've seen this before,
I've seen, you remember, You remember some of those firefighters
that Bob used to talk to down, a good friend, Bob Morrell, worked
as a firefighter down in Franklin. So many times he'd bring firefighters
to the services, you know. And there's been ones that would
just, I mean, just vehement, I don't know how to say it, just
hatred towards God, just passionately hating what he would be saying
to them. And now there's some of them
sitting right down there. Every time the gates are open, they're
there. They enter the city and they're
hearing this glorious good news and rejoicing in it. And we never
know the one to whom we speak may be one that he's called by
his name in the everlasting covenant of grace. And it's not that we're
going to persuade them. It's not that we... He just said,
all you got to do is just open these gates. Declare Christ the
straight gate. And whatever side of this diamond
that you're declaring, whatever one of these gates you're declaring,
declare Him. Open the gates. And He said,
I will bring them. I will bring them. Look at Isaiah
60 verse 11. Therefore thy gates shall be
opened continually. They shall not be shut day nor
night, that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles,
and that their kings may be brought. For the nation and kingdom that
will not serve thee shall perish. Yea, those nations shall be utterly
wasted." But look at this, the glory of Lebanon shall come unto
thee. Listen how he describes them,
the fir tree, the pine tree, the box elder together. And all
different kinds of trees he's going to bring in to this place.
He's going to do it to beautify the place of my sanctuary, he
said. And I will make the place of
my feet glorious. He walks in his sanctuary. He
walks in this city. It's the place of his feet. And
he said, I'm going to bring in all these different kinds of
fragrant trees that I've made right. I'm going to bring them
in to beautify my sanctuary. I'm going to compact them together
with every other joint to supply what every other joint needs
so that I beautify my place. So open these gates. Verse 14,
the sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto
thee. One day they're mad and they
afflict you, but the next day they will come bowing down and
saying, thank you for teaching me this gospel. Watch him. He
says, And all they that despise thee shall bow themselves down
at the soles of thy feet, and they shall call thee the city
of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel." Look down
at verse 21. Verse 21. Thy people also shall
be all righteous. You here who have been given
new heart and faith and repentance and to trust on Christ, you know
what you are? Says our God, you know what you
are? All righteous. And you know what you are collectively
as this city of God? All righteous. All righteous. They shall inherit the land forever. the branch of my planting, the
work of my hands, that I may be glorified. That's why he says,
open up these gates. You listen to this. Let me just
give you an application here for this. Listen to this scripture. This is what the scripture says
about our God. Our God reserves mercy for thousands. As long as there's mercy reserved,
as long as there's still a remnant left of these thousands that
He reserves mercy for, He says, fear not. Open up your gates
and fear not. I will bring them. I reserve
mercy for them and I will bring them. If we'll walk in that constant
realization, in the constant realization that He is right
now reserving mercy for thousands. We can speak boldly as we ought
to speak. That'll give us boldness to speak.
I believe, I'm convinced a man who won't speak boldly as he
ought to speak, don't really believe it. This is our God. He reserves mercy for thousands. Alright, here's the third verse.
Irresistible grace. Irresistible grace. Verse 3,
Isaiah 26 verse 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect
peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee. Now this is what we saw last
week. This is how I began the message. It shall be said. We
will be glad. We will rejoice in His salvation. It shall be sung. This song shall
be sung. Why? Because thou wilt. Because He will. He will keep
in perfect peace. Our God will keep us in Christ,
the Prince of Peace. Christ is our peace with God.
God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing
their transgressions unto them. But He made His Son, who knew
no sin, to be sin for us that we might be made the righteousness
of God in Him. Therefore, being justified by
faith, we have peace with God. And He gives us this faith to
rejoice in this grace wherein we stand, and we have great peace
with our God. Christ is our peace. Christ has
perfected peace for His people. He is the perfection of peace.
God put us in Christ. Of God is Christ made unto you
peace. And He says here, that will keep
him in perfect peace. He'll keep you in Christ our
peace. That is our perfect Pete. Christ
is. Who is He going to do this for?
Look down at the verse again, verse 3. For him whose mind is
stayed on thee. That word stayed means to be
fixed. It means to be established. He
shall not be afraid of evil tidings. His heart is fixed, trusting
in the Lord. His heart is established. He
shall not be afraid, the psalmist said. But I see such frailty
in myself. I don't see any perfect peace
in myself. My peace is so interrupted. The
peace of mine is interrupted. I don't have any perfect peace
in me. How is it that I can be said
to be fixed on Him? Now listen to the strength. Thou
wilt. Thou wilt keep Him in perfect
peace. Fix your thoughts upon this word,
Thou wilt. Fix your mind upon Christ, upon
His blood, upon His righteousness, upon His intercession, upon His
providence, His power. Faith is not you looking to your
faith. Being fixed is not looking to
you and saying, oh, but I see such frailty in me. Faith is
not looking to your faith or your strength or trusting in
you. Faith is trusting in Him. Trusting in Him. In Him is perfect
peace. Paul said, now to Him that is
of power to establish you according to my gospel. And the preaching
of Jesus Christ, that's how he's going to do it. in this city,
in this mountain. That's how He's going to do it.
Through the preaching of Jesus Christ. And here's how. According
to the revelation of mystery. You're sitting here listening.
Your mind's here and there and so on. And He says, He turns
on the light again in your heart and He fixes you in the heart
by revelation. And it's just like you see Him. And He fixes you on Him. He fixes
your eyes on Him. He fixes your heart on Him. He
fixes your mind on Him. He establishes you. Because He's
got the power to do that. And He does it through this Gospel,
through the revelation of Christ, the mystery of God. And He won't allow anybody to
be ashamed who trusts Him. Why won't He? Why is this a sure
word? Now get this. Look at the end
of verse 3 there. The end of verse 3. Because He
trusteth in thee. That's the assurance. Because you trust in Him. That's
your assurance. Now make sure you understand
that. It's not talking about you. Now don't make your trust,
because you trust in Him. Psalm 25, turn there with me
real quick, let me show you this. I want you to see David's prayer,
and you'll find this throughout the Psalm. This gives us a few
cases of it right here. But in Psalm 25, the believer's
prayer, and our confidence and our assurance that God is going
to keep us is because for the sake of the honor of His name. Because He said He would. Because
you trust in Him. Now watch David. Psalm 25 verse
2. Oh my God. I trust in Thee. I trust in Thee. Let me not be ashamed. Let not
mine enemies triumph over me. Yea, let none that wait on Thee
be ashamed. Look down at verse 20. Oh, keep
my soul and deliver me. Let not me be ashamed. Why? Because I put my trust in Thee. If I put all my trust, if you
fathers sitting in this room, if one of your children come
to you and they say to you, Dad, I've heard you say, I can trust
you. I've heard you tell me you're
going to provide for me. I've heard you tell me, according
to your word, you're gonna keep me and preserve me and provide
for me. Now, Dad, I've put all my trust
in you. Now, don't let me be ashamed
because I'm trusting you. I'm trusting what you said according
to your word. I'm trusting you. Let me not
be ashamed now. You're going to provide everything
that you said you would provide for that child because your word
is on the line. Your name is on the line. Who
you are is on the line. And that child has come to you
and has said, I believe you. Now I'm just trusting you. That's
why the believer can be assured that God will perform His Word
because you've put your trust. All your eggs are in one basket.
You've put all your trust in Him. Look over at Isaiah 49. Isaiah 49, verse 23. You might, you and I, we might
let our children, we might not fulfill our word to our children,
but not Him. Watch this, Isaiah 49, 23. And kings shall be thy nursing
fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers. They shall bow
down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up
the dust of thy feet. And thou shalt know that I am
the Lord, For they shall not be ashamed that wait for me."
You won't be ashamed. Why? Because you've put your
trust in Him. Because you've put your trust
in Him. That's a good word. He keeps
us going with His song on our lips like a swimmer through that
water. Like we saw last week, God the
Holy Spirit He quickens, He regenerates, He renews, He refreshes, He continually
makes us sing this. Father, Thou wilt, Thou wilt
keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee. And here's
why. Because He trusts in You. Because
He trusts in You, Father. stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are
fully blessed, finding as He promised, perfect peace and rest. Now, here's the fourth verse.
This is the verse of extortation. Verse 4. Trust ye in the Lord forever.
This is our song. Trust ye in the Lord forever.
If you've never trusted in the Lord, if you've never trusted
in Him, I pray he'd give you grace this hour, tonight, right
now, where you are, in your heart, without wiggling a finger or
toe, he would give you full assurance to trust in the Lord. Flee to Christ the city of refuge,
this strong city, Christ is God's salvation for His people. He's
the wall, He's the bulwark of protection for His people. Salvation
will appoint these walls, this fortress of salvation will appoint
these bulwarks and these walls. He says, for me to tell you,
to open the gates, I've been trying tonight to open these
gates to you, so you can behold Christ the straight gate. And
He tells me to behold, to tell you, the gates are open. The gates open. It's open. Christ the way. There's a way
to the Father. There's access to the Father.
Christ Jesus the Lord. Come by faith in Him and have
boldness to enter in. having your bodies washed, your
conscience purged, being made a new creation in Him, you can
come. How do I know I can? Do you trust
Him? Do you? I just don't know how
to say it, but when you do, when you do trust Him, you will trust
Him. When He makes you to trust Him,
you will trust Him. You will sing this song. You
will be glad in His rejoicing when He makes you to be glad
in His rejoicing. And He'll keep you there. He
will keep you there. Now look at the next word. Trust
ye in the Lord forever. Trust Him now and don't ever
stop trusting Him. No matter what. It doesn't matter
what comes about. No matter what the situation
is. Trust Him. You know, your hands might be
tied where you can't do anything with your hands. Your feet might
be nailed to where you can't do anything with your feet. Your
body may be perishing to where you can do nothing with your
body. Your flesh may be shriveled up to where you can't do anything.
You have no power, no strength, no nothing. But you can trust Him. You can hang there with your
hands nailed and your feet nailed and you can say, Remember me
when you come into your kingdom. That's trusting Him. That's all
He says for you to do. That's all He says for you to
do. Trust Him forever, forever. Why? Look at the next word. Because
in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. Trust Him everlastingly
because in Him is everlasting strength. Trust Him forever because
in Him is strength forever. The Lord is good unto them that
wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him. Now His word is
certain. This is what He says. Isaiah
26.1, In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah. Somebody is going to sing this.
That tells me somebody shall sing this song. Are you going
to sing it? Are you that one? Are you one
of that number that's going to sing it? It shall be. He's going to make sure somebody
sings this. Is there any needy sinner here
that's going to sing this song? Are you the one of whom he's
speaking that shall sing this song? Will you sing this song? Let me ask you something. Do
you wonder why the Lord says this song shall be sung? You
wonder why we sing? When we come into this place,
you ever wonder why do we sing? We begin the service and we end
the service by singing. You ever wonder that? Why we
do it? Why will he have this song to be sung? Well, one reason
is you may not feel like singing.
You may not see the point in singing. But this center right
here, me, I need for you to sing this song to
me. I need to hear you singing this
glory of God to me. I may not feel like singing.
I may not think I can sing. I may not can carry a tune. But my brethren sitting here
around me need to hear the words of this song sung to their hearts. And you, you need this song sung
to your heart. That's why we sing. That's one
reason. But I'll give you another reason. And this is an even better
reason. I looked up joyful noise today,
and you know in every case in scripture where you find it,
this is what you find. Make a joyful noise unto God. Sing aloud unto God our strength. Make a joyful noise unto the
God of Jacob. I will sing of mercy and of judgment. Unto thee, O Lord, will I sing. You see, he wrote the words to
this song. He put the melody in your heart
to this song. He performed the work. He performs
the works that we sing about in this song. And He says, because of my grace,
this song shall be sung. Because I've created Him for
my glory. I've created Him to hear Him
sing to me, the Lord said. What are we going to say to that?
Look at Hebrews chapter 13. What are we going to say to that? Hebrews chapter 13, verse 14. Here we have no continuing city,
but we seek one to come. By Him, therefore. By Him, therefore. Let us offer
the sacrifices of praise to God continually. That is the fruit
of our lips giving thanks unto His name. All right, let's sing
it. Let's sing it.