Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus
and His love, I love to tell the story because I notice true. It satisfies my longings as nothing
else can do. I love to tell the story, will
be my theme in glory, to tell the old, old story of Jesus and
His love. ? I'd love to tell the story
? More wonderful it seems ? Than all the golden fancies ? Of all
our golden dreams ? I'd love to tell the story ? It did so
much for me And that is just the reason I tell it now to thee. I love to tell the story, will
be my theme in glory, to tell the old, old story of Jesus and
His love. I love to tell the story, tis
pleasant to repeat. What seems each time I tell it,
more wonderfully sweet. I love to tell the story, for
some have never heard. The message of salvation from
God's own Holy Word. I love to tell the story, will
be my theme in glory, to tell the old, old story of Jesus and
His love. I love to tell the story for
those who know it best. Seem hungering and thirsting
to hear it like the rest. And when it seems of glory, I
sing the new, new song. Twill be the old, old story that
I have loved so long. I love to tell the story. Twill be my theme and glory to
tell the old, old story of Jesus and his love. Thank you. Good morning. If you would, turn
with me to Hebrews 10. Eric read some out of this in
his message, and it's such a good chapter. It tells us Christ is
everything. Hebrews chapter 10. A book with the theme of Christ
is better. And he is to every believer.
He's all in all. Fred told me to tell everybody
hello. And he sends his greetings and his love and all the church
there in Sellersburg. So they know we're here today
and I was thinking, Today, what a blessing it is to think you
guys are an hour behind us or ahead of us. I can't keep up
with it, but when they meet. They meet at 11 o'clock. So when
they're meeting you guys are meeting. And what a joyful thought
it is. To think about believers all
over this world. Worshipping Jesus Christ. The
one who said I and my father are one so. But they send their
love, and we appreciate you guys. We're glad to thank, you know,
the scripture tells us in Hebrews to exhort one another daily.
And Fred's told me multiple times that when we exhort one another
and not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, that we're
an encouragement to each other. You know, just us coming here
and seeing this little group of people, what an exhortation. You know, and so it's so important
to come to public worship and worship Christ in public. So
let's read this chapter here, at least part of it. I don't
think I'll read the whole thing. It's pretty lengthy, but we'll
start here in verse one. For the law, having a shadow
of good things to come and not the very image of the things
can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year
continually make the comers there into perfect. It was impossible. We're not gonna be saved by the
law. For then would they not have ceased to be offered because
that the worshipers once purged should have no more conscience
of sins. But in those sacrifices, there
is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not
possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away
sins. Wherefore, when he cometh into the world, he saith, sacrifice
an offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared
me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin, thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, lo, I come. In the volume of the book, it
is written of me to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, sacrifice
and offering and burn offerings for sin, thou wouldest not, neither
hadst pleasure therein, which are offered by the law. Then
said he, lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the
first, that he may establish the second. By the which will? We are sanctified through the
body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stand of
daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices,
which can never take away sins. But this man, Christ. But this
man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat
down on the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting till
his enemies may bade his footstool, for by one offering he hath perfected
forever them that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is
a witness to us, for after that he had said before, this is the
covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith
the Lord. I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their
minds will I write them. and their sins and iniquities
will I remember no more. Now where remission of these
is, there is no more offering for sin. Having therefore, brethren,
boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new
and living way, which he hath consecrated for us through the
veil, that is to say his flesh, and having an high priest over
the house of God, and that's all speaking of Christ, let us
draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having
our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies
washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession
of our faith without wavering. for he is faithful to promised. And let us consider one another
to provoke unto love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling
of ourselves together as the manner of some is, but exhorting
one another and so much more as you see the day approaching.
Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Our gracious Father in heaven,
we bow before you through this victorious Savior, thanking you
for the salvation that you purchased with your own blood. Our Father, we give thanks this
day for the light that you give unto all your children. We're
so thankful that you left us not to ourselves, but that it
pleased you to reveal Christ to us that sit here. And Father,
we ask that you keep us and preserve us. And Lord, give us light. Cause us to look away from ourselves
and to look to you and to you only for all of our salvation.
Lord, we confess our sin. We are so prone to look to our
flesh and to look to something that we bring to make our salvation
more real. And Father, forgive us of our
sin. Cause us to look to the end of
the only. Would you be with your men that you've raised up after
your own heart today as they assemble all over the world?
And Lord, would you give your pastors a message to feed your
sheep? Lord, be with all your people
and Lord, give them ears to hear. These precious life giving words.
There's salvation nowhere else as Eric just told us about. If
we forsake this way, there's no other hope for us. There's
no other hope for humanity but Christ. That one sacrifice. And Father, at this time we do
pray for all those churches, especially our friends that we
know, Lord, that are without pastors. Lord, we pray that you
would send pastors to them and Lord, unite them and cause them
to exhort one another and point one another to Christ. And Lord,
just keep them, I pray. We pray for your mercies. We
pray for our children and our grandchildren, Lord. Lord, reveal
the truth to them. We can't reveal your truth to
anyone. We can't even reveal the truth
to ourselves, Lord. We are forced to wait upon you. Lord, cause us to graciously
wait and hope in you, in Christ's name, amen. As you remain sitting, let's
sing 351, Keep Me Near the Cross, 351. Near the Cross. ? Jesus keep me near the cross
? ? There a precious fountain ? ? Free to all the healing stream
? ? Flows from Calvary's mountain ? In the cross, in the cross, be
my glory ever. Till my raptured soul shall find
? Press me on the river ? ? Near the cross a trembling soul ?
? Love and mercy found me ? There the bright and morning star Sheds
its beams around me In the cross, in the cross Be my glory ever
? Till my raptured soul shall find
? ? Rest beyond the river ? ? Near the cross, O Lamb of God ? Bring
its scenes before me. Help me walk from day to day
with its shadows over me. In the cross, in the cross, be
my glory ever, till my raptured soul shall find Crest beyond
the river, near the cross I'll watch and wait, hoping, trusting
ever. till I reach the golden strand
just beyond the river in the cross In the cross be my glory
ever, till my raptured soul shall find rest beyond the river. Thank you. and it's just been going in and
out. Okay. I'm just going to try it one
more time. It's on now, so. All right. Good morning, brethren. We're going to be looking at
Judges, the book of Judges this morning, chapter 1. My text is found in the first
two verses, Judges 1, verses 1 and 2. Since this is our first message
in the book of Judges, let me just say a few words about it,
that it's a collection of accounts of individuals, their lives and
the actions that the Lord raised them up to do. It's an account
of about 14 individuals, and it shows that this office, it's
an office that the judges had. They were raised up by the Lord
at a particular time when the children of Israel had no one,
no one to help them, no one person to rise up and to deliver them
from the hands of their enemies. This time period was before Israel
had a king. And it spans about 300 years.
And it began around the year 1400 BC, before Christ. 1400
before Christ was born to about 1100 before Christ was born. We see here that these judges,
they weren't kings. They weren't necessarily raised
up for a lifetime. They were called of God and used
of God for a specific purpose, to deliver the people of God.
And I think that word office is a blessed key. Because in
the way that it points to Christ, in the way that this book is
used of the Lord in showing us this view of our Savior who fulfills
every office of our need, everything that the people of God need,
Christ was sent of God. Christ was spared, not by the
Father, in order to deliver us from every enemy, to provide
for us in every need that we have. He fulfills all the offices
for the children of God. He provides everything for His
people. Our Lord is the one who came
in the weakness of flesh in order to fulfill all righteousness
for His people. He came and fulfilled all that
was written of Him. And he went to the cross as the
Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world, meaning
all his people scattered throughout the world. And he made himself
an atonement for our sins as our high priest. He offered a
perfect offering to the Father to make an atonement for our
sins. He gave his life and was raised
again as our Savior, as our Savior, the one whom we look to and trust
in. And he's gone into heaven now
as our intercessor, pleading your life to the Father to deliver
you, to provide for you, to give you everything you need. And
he sits enthroned in the heavens as our King. reigning and ruling
and implementing the will of God in heaven and in earth and
He shall return again as our Deliverer, as our Redeemer, to
pick up that which He purchased beforehand with His own blood. And when He returns, He shall
judge the earth. He fulfills every office, more
than even what I just traced out for you there. In Isaiah
33, 22, the prophet said, for the Lord is our judge. The Lord
is our lawgiver. The Lord is our king. He will save us. And so Christ is all. He's all
to the brethren. Truly, Christ is all and in all. He's everything to the believer.
And so he fulfills each and every office which is working together
for our good to save you, his people, to provide salvation
for you. And this time of Judges, another
way in which we see this book points to Christ, it's a time
leading up to salvation. the time of the kings. It's a
time pointing to Christ, our one true King, who is the Lord
of Lords and the King of Kings. Jeremiah 23, verse 5 and 6, Behold,
the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David
a righteous branch, and a king shall reign and prosper, and
shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah
shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely, and this is his
name whereby he shall be called the Lord our righteousness. That's your Savior. That's your
God. That's your King, the Lord Jesus
Christ. So our text this morning, we're
looking at verses one and two, and we're not going to read of
any of the judges. But what we do see here are two
offices that our Lord fulfills, that are typified first in the
death of Joshua, in Joshua, and then in Judah. And so this book,
it opens with the death of Joshua. And we see how that Joshua's
death was effectual in the children of God. Because after Joshua
died, they sought the Lord. They sought the Lord. They didn't
turn to other gods. They sought the true and living
God. And that's what the death of
our Savior does. It works in us. How can I be
saved? How can I be just with you? Lord,
who shall save me? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and thou shalt be saved. That's the word of our God to
his people. Look to my son, look to my servant,
look to the one whom I've sent, the Lord Jesus Christ, and you
shall be saved. And then we see it speaks of
Judah, also a picture of Christ. Judah, our Lord, is the line
of the tribe of Judah. And unto him shall the gathering
of the people be. All of God's people are gathered
to our Judah, the Lord Jesus Christ. I've titled this message
After the Death of Joshua. After the Death of Joshua. Let's
read Judges 1 verse 1. Now after the death of Joshua
it came to pass that the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying,
Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first, to fight
against them? When Joshua died, There was no
designated leader. There was no other person appointed
to lead the people of Israel. And before Joshua died, he was
faithful and he was steady in declaring the Lord to the people.
He shed light on the truth. He pointed the hearts of the
people to the true and living God. And some of his final words,
if you turn back a page into Joshua 24, Joshua 24, look at
verses 14 and 15, we see how Joshua turned the hearts of the
people to the true and living God. And he said in verse 14,
Joshua 24, 14, now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve him in
sincerity and in truth. And put away the gods which your
fathers served on the other side of the flood. That's another
word for river. He's speaking of when you were
on the other side of Jordan, before we entered into the promised
land, He said, put away those gods which your father served
in ignorance and in darkness, and those that were served in
Egypt, and serve ye the Lord. And if it seem evil unto you
to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom you will serve.
whether the gods which your father served that were on the other
side of the flood, those who couldn't bring you up out of
Egypt, or the gods of the Amorites, the one who cannot save their
people from the wrath which God is bringing upon them and delivering
this land into the hand of his people. Go serve them if you
think you should do that. But as for me and my house, we
shall serve the Lord. we shall serve the Lord and that's
what the house of our Joshua our Yeshua the Lord Jesus Christ
because that's what his name is Jesus Joshua or Yeshua in
his house we serve the Lord we serve the true and living God
looking to him, believing him because he is our salvation.
And so when Joshua died, there was none that was appointed to
take his place. There was none, no one person,
no central leadership given to the people. And that's actually
meaningful. Because Joshua, being a type
of Christ, there is no other one that we look to. We don't
look to another to lead us. We don't look to anyone else
to provide for us, and to keep us, and to sustain us, and to
do everything for us. It's our Jesus, our Lord Jesus
Christ. He's our Joshua, who brings us
into the promised land. There is no other one to look
to, and that's what's being declared here. When Moses was preparing
to be gathered unto his people, he turned the hearts of the people
to Joshua. Go back another book to Deuteronomy.
One book earlier, Deuteronomy 31, at the end of the book there. 31 verses 22 and 23. Moses therefore wrote this song
the same day and taught it to the children of Israel. So Moses
wrote a song and rehearsed it in their ears. He wanted them
to remember it and it says in verse 23 And he, he's speaking
of the Lord, this is his song now, and the Lord gave Joshua
the son of Nun a charge, and said, be strong and of good courage,
for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land, which
I swear unto them, and I will be with thee. And so the picture
there that the Lord gives to his people is Moses was the one
used of God to give the law to the people. Moses is a type of
the law, that law written on tablets of stone. which the people
tried to keep in their flesh and could not keep it. And the
fact that Moses wasn't used of the Lord to bring the people
of Israel into the land of promise is because he's the law. And
the law cannot save us. The law cannot deliver us safely
unto God. Because by the law is the knowledge
of sin. By the law we see how far short
we fall of God's glory. None of us will be saved or brought
into God's presence excepted of him by the keeping of the
law. And so Moses must die. Moses must perish. Because we're
not married to the law. We're not saved by the law. We're
not delivered by the law into the promised land. We're delivered
into the promised land by Joshua. our Jesus, the Lord Jesus Christ. And so the law points to Christ. The law drives us to Christ. When we hear the law rightly,
we're driven away from the law to Christ, who is our salvation,
to Christ, who is the hope of his people. And so that's why
Joshua is the one who brings the people over the River Jordan
into the Promised Land. And that's why there's none to
follow Joshua. because Joshua is a type of the
Lord Jesus Christ. And so we look to none other. No other one takes the place
of our Lord and Savior. There's none other to look to,
none other to hope in, none other to preach, none other to confess.
It's Christ and Christ alone. Now, looking at this phrase here
in Judges 1.1, It says now after the death of Joshua. I want to see how this relates
to the death of our Lord Jesus Christ because It's an interesting
way to start the book, after the death of Joshua. And that's
because it's setting our hearts. It's to let us to know that Christ
has brought salvation for us. These things weren't written
for them. These things are written for
our sakes. And that's what Paul said in
Romans 15, 4. When he said, whatsoever things
were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we, through
patience and comfort of the scriptures, might have hope, hope set upon
Christ. As he said to the Jews in John
539, search the scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal
life, and they are they which testify of me. And so this Judges
1.1, after Joshua died, it's testifying to us of the Lord
Jesus Christ. It's speaking of Him. Christ's
death results in our life. Christ's death bears fruits of
righteousness in his people. Because of him, because of his
sacrifice, we're delivered from the wrath of God. We're delivered
from an eternity in hell separated from our God. We have spiritual
life because he gave his life for his people to deliver us
from condemnation. Speaking of our Lord in Romans
4.25, Paul said of Christ that He was delivered for our offenses,
our sins, our trespasses, our transgressions, our iniquities. Christ was delivered and He is
raised again for our justification. declaring that we are forgiven,
we are delivered because Christ has accomplished that which God
sent him to do in putting away the sin of his people that God
may be merciful and gracious to his people. You can see that
in Romans 3 24. Let's turn there. Let's see with
our eyes. Christ went to the cross and
there he gave his life, bearing the punishment of his people
for their sins and their iniquities. And he obtained our forgiveness,
Romans 3.24, being justified freely by God's grace through
the redemption, the blood redemption, the blood purchase that is in
Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through
faith in his blood. And that word propitiation declares
that by Christ's coming and what he accomplished for us takes
the wrath of God which was directed at us and was going to rain down
on us and it was turned away from us and put on Christ. That's what the propitiation
is. Christ turned away the wrath of God from us and put it on
himself to put away our sin, to deliver us. to declare his
righteousness for the remission or the forgiveness of sins that
are passed through the forbearance of God, meaning that all of God's
children are saved through Jesus Christ. Old Testament looking
unto the coming of Christ were saved this way? not by the law,
they were saved looking unto Christ and all those who come
after Christ's death and resurrection, looking back to behold our Savior,
the Messiah, the Christ whom God had sent. All of God's people
are saved through the Lord Jesus Christ to declare at this time
his righteousness that he might be just and justifier of them
which believeth in Jesus. And so all who hope in Christ
are justified. And that means God's saying to
us, you're righteous. That's what justification is.
That's what they hear who are justified of God. You're righteous.
Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter into thy rest,
which I have prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
Because that's when Christ was crucified, the lamb slain from
the foundation of the world. He was already appointed unto
this work. Nothing's going to stop him.
Nothing prevents him from accomplishing that which God has purposed to
do for you whom he loves and committed to the care of his
son, Jesus Christ, who fulfills every office and every purpose,
every need you have. It's all met in Christ. Praise God. Rejoice in him. Be glad, brethren, for your salvation
is complete and nothing shall take you. from the hand of God.
Nothing can pluck you from Christ's hand, and nothing can pluck you
from the Father's hand, because we are complete in our Lord Jesus
Christ. And so because of Christ's death,
there's fruits of life born in you, wrought in you, which God
has purposed to bring forth from you. We're told that we're not
married to the law. We're not married to Moses. We're
dead to that law, that we might be married to another, even Jesus
Christ, who was raised from the dead, that we should bring forth
fruit unto God, that we should bear fruits of righteousness
to him. In Ephesians 2.10, for we are his workmanship. created in Christ Jesus unto
good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk
in them. The works you do are wrought
in you by your God. That faith, that hope, that not
trusting in yourself but trusting in him is all wrought in you
by your God. He brings forth those righteous
fruits beholding him and having no other hope or confidence When
you look at yourself and you see what you wouldn't see, and
you say, I'm a rotten example of a believer. Well, the Lord
uses that so that your hope isn't in your works. He's turning you
from trusting in self to behold the Lord Jesus Christ, that your
hope and confidence would rest in him. whom God has sent. And not be cocky and self-confident
and arrogant and self-righteous in yourself. It's all the mercy
of God for his people in the Lord Jesus Christ. And so that
fruit is what we see here being brought in the people of God
in verse one. Judges 1.1, what did the children
of Israel do? Well, after the death of Joshua
came to pass that the children of Israel asked the Lord, they
prayed, they sought the Lord. They looked to the Lord. They
didn't go to other gods. They didn't trust in themselves.
They prayed to the Lord. They asked the Lord. They went
to Phineas, the high priest. And he sought the Lord with the
Ummim and the Thummim. And he sought the Lord. And they
asked, who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first
to fight against them? And so it is that after our Lord's
death and resurrection, He arose from the dead and ascended up
to the Father, and the Father and the Son sent the Holy Ghost. as a gift to his people, whereby
we know the true and living God, and we seek him, and we cry out
to him, seeking him for mercy, so that by that spirit, we are
raised again, born again of the seed of Christ. Gone is the confidence
and the works in Adam. Gone are those things done in
the flesh. The old things are put away.
Behold, all things in Christ are become new. And by the Spirit
we hear and look to the Lord Jesus Christ. We see the Kingdom
of God. We see our need of him and see
his all-sufficiency for the sins of his people. And having received
that spirit of adoption, we cry, Abba, Father, help me, Lord. Have mercy on me. Save me from
my sins. Lord, don't treat me, don't see
me according to my works of righteousness. I don't want to stand before
you in the things that I've done. let me be found in your righteousness
whom you've provided your blessed precious son the Lord Jesus Christ
Lord let me be found in him clothed in his righteousness and and
so that's that's how we come to the Lord seeking him who shall
go up for us against the Canaanites first to fight against them and
so the Lord here in the next verse he directs the hearts of
the people to Judah. He directs the hearts of the
people to Judah, the line of the tribe of Judah. Who's that?
The Lord Jesus Christ. He turns our hearts to Christ. Unto him shall the gathering
of the people be. Our God turns your heart. When
he breaks your heart and brings you low in yourself, it's to
see that I have nothing to boast in, nothing to be confident of.
Lord, have mercy on me. And he turns our hearts to Christ
to behold his all-sufficiency, to behold what he's accomplished
for his people gloriously, wondrously. And he brings forth praise from
his people to rejoice in him. So the Lord says in verse 2,
Judges 1-2, the Lord said, Judah shall go up. Behold, I have delivered
the land into his hand. I've committed everything to
him. It's all his. He's accomplished all your warfare. All your works are finished in
my son Jesus Christ. Now who is Judah? Faithful Judah. He's the one who became shorty
for his brother Benjamin's life to deliver him safely to the
Father. We see a picture of Christ in
Judah who said, Father, I'll be shorty for him. I'll provide
everything for him. I'll bring him back safely, or
you'll hold me accountable, Lord. If I don't bring him back safely,
you hold me accountable. That's what Christ did for you,
his people. Joseph would have kept Benjamin
back. Judah spoke up and cried, no,
no, let him go. I'll be your bond servant. I'll
take his place and serve you for the rest of my days because
I ain't going to my father without Benjamin. And that's what your
savior, what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for his people. I'm
not going back to the father except I've provided your salvation
and delivered you just as I promised the father that I would do. And
so that's what we see in Judah. What else has Judah done? Judah
was the tribe who supplied the master builder. The Lord went
to Judah and selected the master builder who would build the temple,
the tabernacle in the wilderness. And I think his name was Bezalel. And it's spoken of in Exodus
31 and in Exodus 35. And it says of him that the Lord
has filled his heart with his spirit and he can do everything. There's nothing. He can do curious
works in all things. And that's what Christ does.
He is the master builder of God's temple here in the wilderness.
you his people, whom he's gathering and assembling by his blood,
by his glorious power, by his spirit, he's calling you out
and he's doing curious works in gold, in silver, in brass,
in precious things. which he works in you, filling
your hearts and minds, not with dead works of flesh that cannot
save, but with thoughts, wonderful, precious thoughts, hope and believing
and trusting in your God, beholding him. And he gathers you and assembles
you to be his temple, to be his people, whom he's gathered together
in the wilderness, devising curious works. And by his word, he divides,
he cuts the stones just like Bezalel did. His word divides
asunder the soul and spirit. He knows what to say to us. He
knows what to do for us. He knows how to bring us low
in measure and not destroy us, but to bring us low, humbled
before our God, that we would see our need of him and how precious
he is. Turn over to Zechariah. Go to
Zechariah 6. Zechariah 6. And we're going to look at verses
12 and 13. It's right before Malachi. So Malachi is the last book in
the Old Testament, right before Matthew. Go back one more book
to Zechariah, chapter six, verses 12 and 13. Our Lord says, and
speak unto him. Now behold all these offices
that are declared to us of what Christ shall accomplish. Speak
unto him, saying, thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, behold
the man whose name is the branch. And he shall grow up out of his
place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord. Even he shall
build the temple of the Lord, and he shall bear the glory,
and shall sit and rule upon his throne. And he shall be a priest
upon his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them
both. Brethren, that's Christ in every
way, in every office, fulfilling it all. for you his beloved bride,
his people whom he loves, and has called to himself and gathered
to himself to be merciful and gracious to you. Though our sins
don't deserve him, though we've done nothing to earn it, your
God is gracious to you. and gathering you together even
this day to hear his word and to hear the gracious words which
he speaks to his people through his son. He's the branch. He's
the one who grows up out of his place so that you look around
and say, where did these children come from? Who gave me these,
Lord? Who gathered these unto us? How did these children be born? when we're barren in and of ourselves.
It's the Lord. He's the builder of the temple
of the Lord, and He's our glory. He's the one whom we glory in,
and praise, and give thanks for, and to, and rejoice in, and encourage
one another in the Lord Jesus Christ. He sits and rules upon
his throne. He's our king. He's our priest
upon his throne. And Christ is our peace with
God. God is perfect and holy, and
you and I sinned in Adam. We fell in Adam and could bring
forth no good works, but Christ has come and restored that which
he took not away and has established peace between us sinners in darkness
and holy God, bringing us out of the prison, bringing us out
of death to behold holy God and to have fellowship with him,
not because we deserve it, but because he's worthy. and precious,
and has established peace by putting away our sins by the
death of Himself. Our Lord said in John 14, 27,
Peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you, not
as this world giveth, which is fleeting and passes away and
is easily wrecked and brought to nothing, I don't give you
as the world gives you. Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid." What a good word of confidence in
our day to hear that our Savior has given you everything. He's
provided everything. You don't need to fear or be
afraid. He's our all. Look to Christ. He's the line
of the tribe of Judah. He's the one who went up for
us and destroyed the Canaan, destroyed the Philistines, destroyed
all our enemies, destroying the devil, destroying sin, destroying
the grave, destroying death, destroying it all, the world,
everything. Our love that we have for the
world, he's put it away. and giving us a love for the
Father, that we might know Him and rejoice in Him. These things
He said in John 16, 33, I've spoken unto you, that in me ye
might have peace. In the world, ye shall have tribulation. You're going to be tried, and
your faith is going to be found. And through the fiery trial,
you'll be tried, you'll have tribulation, you'll have troubles
and difficulties, stripping you of vain confidences in the flesh,
but you'll find your all in me, your peace with God, so that
you don't need to fear what's going to happen. I've got it
all. And I'll hold you up. And I'll
give you faith. And I'll keep your hearts. And
I'll sustain you and provide for you. And in that day, when
it's time to go, I'll be all your confidence, and all your
comfort, and all your joy in that day. And you won't fear.
Just look to me. Just trust me. And your God gives
you that. He said, be of good cheer. I've
overcome the world. It can't overcome you. I've overcome
it all. by himself. So believe on the
Son of God for the forgiveness of sins. He's the one whom the
Father sent to save his chosen people. He gives everything necessary
for his people. He's all our righteousness, all
our confidence, all our comfort. We've committed everything to
God in him, in him. You that believe in him, you've
given it all. Say, Lord, do what you're going
to do because I have the inheritance of the saints, the Lord Jesus
Christ. He's my inheritance, and I am his. Thank you, Lord,
because it's all of his grace and mercy. The Father loveth
the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. All right, let's
turn to Hebrews 7. Hebrews chapter 7, verses 13
through 17. Hebrews 7, verse 13. This is showing us our Savior. For he of whom these things are
spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance
at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord
sprang out of Judah, of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning
priesthood. And it is yet far more evident,
for that after the similitude of Melchizedek there ariseth
another priest, who was made not after the law of a carnal
commandment, but after the power of an endless life. For he testified
thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek." And
I just went there to say that Christ is all. Your God has delivered
the land into his hands. because the Father loveth the
Son and hath committed all things into his hand. So rest in Christ. He is our peace, our deliverer,
our confidence, our Savior, our King, our returning Savior, our
Redeemer. He's everything. So I pray the
Lord bless your hearts and comfort you in Christ and in Christ alone. Amen. All right, brethren, let's
give this thing a second to finish and then we'll pray. And then we're gonna take the
Lord's Supper. Let me just say a few things
there that when we take the bread and the wine, this is for believers,
those who hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. There's no grace imparted
to us in doing this. There's no special effects and
special work by taking the bread and the wine. It's to remember
the Lord. It's to remember what He's done
for us. It's that time of when we just
thank the Lord for sending His Son, who gave His body and His
blood to deliver us from condemnation, to deliver us from the wrath
of God. And so you that hope in Christ
and have no other hope but the blood of Christ, take of the
bread, take of the wine, and rejoice in Him. All right, let's close in prayer, and then
we'll have Jordan come up. Our gracious Lord, we thank you,
Father, for your mercy and your grace, which you've abundantly
provided for us freely in your Son, Jesus Christ. Lord, you
saw us that we could do nothing to save ourselves or deliver
ourselves from your wrath. We have no righteousness of our
own, but you willingly sent your son, Jesus Christ, who gave himself
and shed his blood to establish peace between us and holy God. And Lord, we thank you for delivering
us out of darkness, delivering us out of the prison of sin and
death. that we might see Jesus Christ
and behold him and rejoice in his light and glory in him and
not another. Lord, thank you for this bread
and this wine. Lord, we pray that you would
set our hearts on Christ to remember him this hour, to be thankful
and rejoice in him. Not because this bread or wine
does anything special for us, but Lord, because you are made
precious and special to us, and we rejoice in you, and glory
in you, and have nothing to boast in except for you. Lord, keep
us ever in Christ, looking to him and him alone. It's in our
Lord's name we pray and give thanks, amen. All right, brother,
you can just come up and hand out the bread and the wine. I'm
going to read, after Jordan hands this out, I'm going to read in
1 Corinthians 11. Actually, you know what? I'll
go to Mark. I'll read from Mark. Let me read from Mark 14, which is where our Lord is eating
the supper with his disciples. And when I'm here, I usually
like to start in verse 27, and I'll read it, and then I'll just
sit down, and then we'll take the bread together, and then
we'll take the wine together when I sit down. So verse 27, It's a reminder that our Lord
said to his people, that all ye shall be offended because
of me this night. For it is written, I will smite
the shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered. But after that
I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee. And our Lord
showing that in ourselves, we are offended by the Lord. but
our Savior delivers us from that death. He delivers us from vain,
dead religion and trusting in ourselves, and blessed is he
that is not offended in Christ, in His words. And our Lord is
the one who cancels that offense, who delivers us from that death,
and delivers us from that offense to behold Him and to trust in
Him alone. Now, He said in verse 22, As
they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed and break it, and
gave to them, and said, take, eat, this is my body. And he
took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them,
and they all drank of it. And he said unto them, this is
my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many. Verily,
or truly, I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of
the vine until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom
of God. And when they had sung a hymn,
they went out into the Mount of Olives. Let me just get this. Let's all stand and sing a closing
hymn, My Savior's Love, 452. 452. I think I've got the right music
selected on my phone, but we'll find out. I stand amazed in the presence
of Jesus the Nazarene, and wonder how he could love me, a sinner
condemned unclean. How marvelous, how wonderful,
and my song shall ever be! How marvelous, how wonderful
is my Savior's love for me! For me it was in the garden he
prayed not my will but thine. He had no tears for his own grief,
but sweat drops of blood for mine. How marvelous, how wonderful
then my song shall ever be! How marvelous, how wonderful
is my Savior's love for me! In pity angels beheld him and
came from the world of life. to comfort him in the sorrows
he bore for my soul that night. How marvelous, how wonderful,
and my song shall ever be. How marvelous, how wonderful
is my Savior's love for me. He took my sins and my sorrows,
He made them His very own, For the burden to Calvary, And suffered
and died alone. How marvelous, how wonderful,
and my song shall ever be. How marvelous, how wonderful
is my Savior's love for me. With the ransom, the glory, His
face I at last shall see, Will be my joy through the ages, To
sing of His love for me. How marvelous, how wonderful,
And my soul shall ever be! How marvelous, how wonderful,
Is my Savior's love for me!