Sometimes those little side rows
that he takes, they get a little bit unpredictable. Yeah, sometimes I'm really good
on the highway and go 80 miles an hour, and then go 50 and only
spend. I just like to drive fast. Huh? I just like to drive fast.
I don't like windy roads. All right. Even if you're driving.
Even if I'm driving. I like windy roads. Do you? Yeah.
I don't like it. I don't have to willer it now,
because they're wiling the road, and they have me cutting over
into all these things. I love it. I did a job with Junior a couple
of weeks ago. I think it was a month ago already. And I was somewhere up in the
lake there, Table Rock. And to get there, I would get
in the car, sit in the car, and just drive. It was just like
this. And I got there, and I didn't
feel like working. Yeah, at least five minutes.
Let me ask him over there. Do you have something in that
you're OK with? Yeah, I got it all. If you would, turn to page 290.
290, Be Still My Soul. Be still, my soul, the Lord is
on thy side. Bear patiently the cross of grief
or pain. Leave to thy God to order and
provide. In every change ye faithful will
remain. Be still, my soul, thy best,
thy heavenly friend. Through thorny ways leads to
a joyful end. Be still, my soul, thy God doth
undertake To guide the future as He has the past. I hope thy confidence let nothing
shake Oh, now Bumeria shall be pride at last. He's still my soul, the waves
and wind still know. His voice who ruled them while
he dwelt below. Be still, my soul, the hour is
hastening on, When we shall be forever with the Lord, When disappointment,
grief, and fear are gone, Sorrow for God, love's purest joys restored. Be still, my soul, when change
and tears are past. All safe and blessed, we shall
meet at last. Let's see, day by day, let's
see what number that is, day by day. $2.99, thank you, Eric. $2.99, day by day. and with each passing moment,
strength I find to meet my trials here. Trusting in my Father's
wise bestowment, I've no cause for worry or for fear. He whose heart is kind beyond
all measure, ? Lives unto each day what he deems best ? ? Lovingly
is part of pain and pleasure ? ? Mingling toil with peace
and rest ? ? Every day the Lord himself is near me ? ? With a
special mercy for each hour ? O my cares he fain would bear and
cheer me, he whose name is Counselor and Power. The protection of
his child and treasure is a charge that on himself he lay. As thy days thy strength shall
be in measure, ? List the pledge to me he made ? Help me then
in every tribulation ? So to trust thy promise, O Lord ? That
I lose not faith's reconsolation ? Shun to me within thy holy
word Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting, dare to
take us from a Father's hand. One by one, the days, the moments
fleeting, till I reach the promised land. I would like to read Psalm 46.
Psalm 46. To the chief musician for the
sons of Korah, a song upon Alamoth. God is our refuge and strength.
a very present help in trouble. Therefore, will we not fear,
though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried
into the midst of the sea, though the waters thereof roar and be
troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof,
Selah. There is a river, the streams are of, shall make glad
the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most
High. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved,
God shall help her, and that right early. The heathen raged,
and the kingdoms were moved. He uttered his voice, the earth
melted. The Lord of hosts is with us.
The God of Jacob is our refuge, Selah. Come, behold the works
of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He
maketh wars to cease unto the ends of the earth. He breaketh
the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder. Sorry about that. He burneth the chariot in the
fire. Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among
the heathen. I will be exalted in the earth.
The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge,
Selah. Our heavenly father, we thank
you for allowing us once again to gather together in this week
night. to hear this blessed gospel proclaimed
to us. Oh Lord, what a comfort to know
that that great shepherd has taken care of all that is necessary
to please you, Father. He has done everything necessary,
the substitution for our sins. And Father, will you allow us
this evening to rejoice in this glorious gospel, the Lord Jesus
Christ. Be with brother Eric, oh Lord,
once again, You have helped him in the past. Lord, will you go
before him once again this evening? For each time is a new time.
Father, continue to give him strength and health, that he
may bring forth this word, that he might rightly divide this
word, and that it may be fed to us, Lord, that we may have
an appetite. Father, be with Michelle also,
as they both labor with us. Help them and be with their children.
Oh, Lord, you know all things perfectly. where there is the
intention for some of them to move here. Lord, will you help
them and make their way plain before them? Be with all our
loved ones, Lord. You know all things most perfectly.
And what is impossible with man is possible with you. Father,
we especially remember Johnny and Scott. Father, will you please
remember them in mercy? And if it's in your will, Lord,
will you grant healing mercies once again? Give the doctors
and the nurses wisdom. And Lord, remember him in mercy,
grant him comfort for his soul and also Johnny. And Lord, remember
us as a local assembly. Continue, Lord, to gather us
together and give us the financial wherewithal and all that is necessary
to continue in this place. Father, remember us in this evening.
For Jesus' sake alone, amen. All right, brethren, let's turn
to Isaiah 42. Isaiah 42, and we'll be looking
at verses 2 through 4 this evening. Now, our last message, God the
Father was preaching His Son, our Mediator, Jesus Christ, He
who he delights in, and upon whom his spirit rests. Isaiah
42 says, Behold my servant, whom I uphold, mine elect, and whom
my soul delighteth. I have put my spirit upon him.
He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. we gloried in
the preaching of our savior Jesus Christ. We saw how our father
exalted his son and rejoiced in him and made him sweet to
us. And tonight, we look at this
gentle servant of God, how gentle and kind and gracious he is to
his people who are needy sinners, He helps us, not because we are
worthy of His help, not because we've done anything to deserve
that help and that comfort, but in spite of what we are and who
we are and the things that we've done in this flesh, our Savior,
our God, our Creator, He's gentle to us and He's very gracious.
And so I've titled this message, the gentle servant, the gentle
servant. And we'll have three divisions,
one for each verse that we look at tonight. And the first one
is not striving, not striving, because our savior didn't strive. And we'll speak, well, let's
look at what that means here. When he was here in his earthly
ministry, when he was ministering the truth and the light of God
to his people, the Lord God says of his son, Jesus Christ, he
says in verse two, he shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his
voice to be heard in the street. Now, as we look at these next
three verses, it's good for us to see how the gospel writer,
how Matthew used this very word, which speaks of Christ, how he
used it in the gospel, where he placed it, and what was going
on concerning our Lord, because it's speaking of the Lord Jesus
Christ himself. And so, let's turn over to Matthew
12. Matthew 12, and verse 19, picks up the corresponding verse
here in Isaiah 42, 2. And Matthew writes it this way,
he shall not strive nor cry, neither shall any man hear his
voice in the streets. All right, so where Isaiah says
he shall not cry, Matthew says he shall not strive. And Isaiah
says, nor lift up. And Matthew says, nor cry. And
then they pretty much say what seems to be the same words following. Neither shall any man hear his
voice in the streets. Now to correctly understand how
this word is fulfilled by Christ here, I think it's important
that in Matthew here, we look at that context, look at what
was going on that moved Matthew to see this is what the scriptures
foretold of the Messiah. This is what they said concerning
him. And we see it here in these very
acts before us that's occurring here in his earthly ministry.
This is what the scriptures said of him. And so Matthew, if we
look there, It actually begins in Matthew 12, verse 1. Chapter
12, verses 1 and 2. Now, there were two events. This
was the Sabbath day. It was the Sabbath day. It was
early in the ministry of Christ. In Mark, it comes, I think, in
chapter 2. It's that early in the ministry
there. there's two events that occur
on this day that help us, that give us an understanding, that
shed light on what this is saying concerning our Lord. All right,
so verse one and two says, at that time Jesus went on the Sabbath
day through the corn, and his disciples were in hunger, and
began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat. But when the Pharisees
saw it, they said unto Christ, Behold, thy disciples do that
which is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath day." Now We do well
to note here that Christ wasn't doing this. There's nothing that we could
say against Christ. There's no charge that any man
can bring against Christ. There's no guile found in his
mouth. He committed no sin. He broke no law. Because if he had, the Pharisees
would have said, why do you? do this which is not lawful but
instead they said why do what they said to him why do your
disciples do that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath day
and Christ when he speaks back when he speaks to the Pharisees
here he doesn't make He doesn't do anything that says that it
wasn't unlawful for them to do it. He doesn't find some weakness
in their argument or something of that nature to say, no, that's
not what the law says. He didn't address them in that
manner. He never comes out and says it
wasn't sin under the law or that the law didn't speak to this
at all. Instead, what he does is gives two examples where the
perfect law is broken. Where the perfect law is broken,
and yet those who break it are blameless. They're blameless,
all right? And the one account that we'll
look at is from 1 Samuel 21, and you could read the whole
account in verses one through six of 1 Samuel 21. I'm not gonna
do that, but I'll give you a summary of what's going on. David was,
his life was in danger. Saul wanted to kill David. And so David was fleeing from
the presence of Saul because he knew Saul, if he catches him,
if he sees him, he's going to have him put to death. And so
David fled from the presence of Saul and he had some men with
him who cared, who were, who, who, who, put themselves around
David, they loved David, and they served David, and so they
were with him, and David now has been riding for some time,
and he's hungry, and the men that are with him are hungry
as well. And so he goes up to where the
priests are, there in a town in the wilderness, and he asks
him for five loaves. He asks the priest there for
five loaves of bread. they didn't have anything that
was common there. They had no common bread, nothing
that they could share or give to David and the men. It wasn't
right for them, according to the law of Moses, it was not
right for them to have that bread. And yet They came to an understanding
of what they could do, and it says in verse 6, 1 Samuel 21
6, So the priest gave David hallowed bread, for there was no bread
there but the showbread that was taken from before the Lord
to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away. Now, I've
heard men who love the law and live by the law of Moses try
to find an excuse and say, well, it wasn't the fresh bread from
that day. It was kind of okay because it
wasn't the freshest, the holiest of bread. It was a little less
holy. So therefore it was okay. No, that's not what the word
says. It was not lawful for them to have that bread. And so what
we see here and what the Lord is teaching us, right, in responding
to these Pharisees is that David is asking for mercy. David's
asking for mercy. He's hungry, he's in great danger,
and he desperately needs food, and he's asking for mercy. And
the scriptures declare to us that all who seek the Lord for
mercy shall find it. All who need grace, they shall
find it. Those where the Father creates,
where the Spirit creates that need, And in that sense, by his
power and grace revealing in us our need, he gives mercy and
grace to the sinner so that all who seek it shall find. And so
David could take that bread because he needed mercy and he found
mercy. He was shown mercy. Now, at the
time of the Sabbath day here, when the disciples are with Christ,
they're ministering with Christ. They're ministering to the people.
That day before was a very, very tiring day. And they spent all
day laboring among the people and serving the people with their
Lord. And they had no place to lay
their head. No place comfortable. They had no home to retire to
or to go and be served by anyone, they slept outside, most likely,
and they had nowhere where they were that somebody could make
them a nice meal that morning before they went off to Temple. And so they're hungry. They're
hungry. And they're going now through
the field there. As they went, they decided, look,
here's some grains here. And they picked the grains, and
they rubbed it in their hands. So they're laboring for it. They're
working for that grain. And then they were eating it.
And the Lord himself is there. And he doesn't correct them.
He doesn't forbid them from doing it. He allows them to do it because
they need mercy and grace in that hour, not the harshness
of the law. They need mercy. And the scriptures
say, Matthew 5, 7, Blessed are the merciful, for they shall
receive mercy. And even James 2, 13 says, For
he shall have judgment without mercy that hath showed no mercy,
and mercy rejoiceth against judgment. Now the Pharisees there were
exacters. They were exactors. They said,
this is the law. This is what you're to do. And
they were watching. They were watching for fault.
And then they accused them of their fault. And they brought
it out into the light. And they showed judgment rather
than mercy. Judgment rather than mercy. And
like those Pharisees, you can imagine that after 2,000 years
of us being called Christians, right? And the church is growing
and establishing themselves and becoming more and more steeped
in religion, how in Christendom, if you will, there's modern day
Phariseeism, right? We can be just as harsh with
people about our laws, and rules, and regulations, and what we
think is important, and become exactors about it, and become
very harsh with people who actually need mercy, and grace, and patience,
and our care, and our prayers. And so it's good for us to remember
that sinners need mercy. We need mercy. And when it says
in Matthew 12, 19, therefore, because that's what it's looking
back to is what's going on there on that Sabbath day and how,
and, uh, the other one was where the Lord had the man stretch
out his hand and it was healed in the temple there on the Sabbath
day. And, and again, it says there
in Matthew 12, 19, in response to those events of how, of how,
well, it's not in response to how they were, but it says to
us how Christ was to sinners. And so when it says he shall
not strive, it's speaking of not him with the Pharisees, but
him with his children, the sinners that needed his mercy. He didn't
strive with them. He didn't beat them. He didn't
knock them down and destroy them when they needed mercy. You see
that? They're out there. They're hungry.
They need mercy. He wanted them to eat. They're
weary. They've been laboring, and He's
shown them mercy. And so our Savior, our Lord,
showed great tenderness and kindness to the weak and the weary sinner
who needs mercy. Christ wasn't an exactor. The
Pharisees were exactors, but Christ was not an exactor. And
it says, when he says in Matthew 11, Matthew 11, 28 through 30,
it says, you know, this is true of him. He says, come unto me,
all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn
of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest
unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden
is light." It's either heavy and harsh and heavy-handed and
demanding, or it's light. and he's gentle with us, and
he teaches us. We do learn, we do grow in the
grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, and we want to, but
he's very tender to the weak and the brokenhearted. He's very
tender with the needy sinner. You know, this week I had the
opportunity to speak with a young man, we were texting, And this
man is obviously new to his understanding of the Lord and faith. And I don't know everything that
he knows, but he, you know, said some things as he's expressing
his difficulties and what's on his heart. He said some words
and some phrases that could be a trigger for us to say, huh,
that doesn't, I wouldn't word it that way. You know, I wouldn't
say things that way. And the temptation when you know
something, knowledge puffeth up. And the temptation when you
know something is, well, maybe I should address that. Let's
go there and start correcting these things. But the reality
is, he's young. He doesn't know. He's not saying
this to hurt or to defame Christ or to demean him in any way or
to cause trouble. He's just expressing his heart. And so, you know, when someone
speaks like that to us, we want to, to speak to them in that
same tenderness, not just correcting and being exactors and holding
them. You know, I'm going to show you
a thing or two. No, it's not like that. We minister in that
tenderness, right? In the same way that our Lord
ministered tenderly to his disciples. I mean, when you look at the
disciples, you see they loved him. They loved him for a reason,
because he was not an exactor with them. He was very gracious
and very tender with his people. And, you know, another thing,
you know, especially in you know, where we understand the gospel
and we speak freely of the salvation of our God, how he saves by sovereign,
free grace, and we rejoice in those things. And that's important. We're not to trample the blood
of Christ. We're not to speak of him carelessly
or as though salvation is our work. And so there are important
things, but there are some things that doctrinally, people get
very offended and begin to break fellowship with brethren, people
who love the Lord, and it's clear that the Lord loves them, and
yet over some certain doctrines or certain verses and interpretations
of those things, people are willing to separate over some of them. It's not the gospel, and yet
they're willing to separate. And I understand that people
have a different understanding maybe of what comes under the
umbrella of the gospel, and there can be differences, but I would
say let us seek to be merciful and gracious, right? One example.
You know, we know that it's by the preaching of the gospel that
the Lord saves his people. It's by the preaching of the
gospel that the Lord saves. And I rejoice to declare the
gospel of Jesus Christ to you and what he has accomplished
for his people. And so we look to declare how
that Christ laid down His life as a willing sacrifice to pay
the price of our sins, to put them away, and to do for us what
we cannot do for ourselves. But we declare that, but there's
some doctrines knowing the importance of preaching, right? And then
you come to something like children, whether or not the Lord saves
unborn children who die in the womb, you know, whether they're
murdered or they died naturally of being, you know, just not
coming forth. And, you know, some people, you
know, some would hear that and say, well, you know, if you don't
carry that through all the way, our system of theology through
all the way and say that they're all lost because they didn't
hear the gospel, then you don't believe the gospel. I would say,
you know, or you're saying that people are saved another way.
And that's not true. That's not at all what we're
saying. We're freely declaring that God saves through the preaching
of the gospel. And I love systematic theology.
Systematic theology is a great help, right? Because when you're
looking at the scriptures and you come to a scripture that
seems, you know, the way it's worded doesn't seem as clear
to you, but with an understanding of these things that are clearly
written in the scriptures over here from this scripture and
that scripture, it adds light and informs us what this other
passage here means. It gives some clarity on it more
easily. And so I totally understand that,
but you look at knowing the truth that we must preach the gospel
because that's how God saves. I mean, and how do you explain
John the Baptist, when Martha was six months pregnant, and
Mary comes in being three months pregnant, and says, hello, Martha. And John leaps in Martha's womb
at the sound of Mary's voice, who's carrying his Lord. Because
the Spirit did it. The Spirit did it. And I know
some say, well, it's the first organ. I guess you could say
organ. It's the first thing created,
one of the earliest things formed, in human life is the ear. And
I think that's sweet. And I think it's very telling
and encourages us to preach the gospel. And another example would
be David. David, who prayed when he lost
his first child with Bathsheba at seven days old, he said, I
know that I shall see him. And I don't think it was just
to say, so long, son, as the Lord condemned him to hell, and
that David was saying, yep, I agree wholeheartedly, Lord. I mean,
he could be, but the way he said it was, I know that I shall see
him. It'll be a warm embrace. It'll
be a comforting thing. Now, I understand that there's
a disagreement there from hearing the need to hear the gospel versus
a young child. The Lord is able to make them
hear it. The Lord is able to save them, even at a young age. How he does it, I don't know,
and I'm not even necessarily saying all are saved. I'm just
saying that there are things that happen that don't always
fit neatly in our systematic theology at first. Sometimes
we grow to learn it and to see it. I'm always open to talk and
to study these things out more, but I'm just saying be patient
because, I mean, is David wrong? for having that hope? Was he
wrong for that? Because if he's wrong, we still
know that he was beloved of the Lord. And if he was loved of
the Lord, well then, if we're wrong on things, shouldn't we
hope and trust that the Lord still loves us? I mean, my hope
isn't that my doctrine is fully perfect, my hope is in Christ. And that's where our hope is,
that the Lord Jesus Christ laid down his life for me, that he
bore my sin, and that he bore your sin, and that he put it
away by his precious blood and that he has obtained for me eternal
life. And that's our hope. And you
that have that same hope, we rejoice with one another and
are glad and trust that wheresoever we're in disagreement, the Lord
is able to overcome those things. You know, I often think that
if persecution ever came to America or all around the world, if it
rose up and began to really affect the Christian church, you know,
I would think that, you know, there may come time for some
people who are united in their doctrine, right? When suddenly
there's a cost for confessing Christ publicly and there's a
cost, whether it's you lose friends and family or you lose possessions
like the early brethren where they lost houses and lands and
property that was rightfully theirs and they lost it or some
even lost their life, their precious lifeblood. And I would think
that there, if persecution arose like that, we would find that
some where we had doctrinal remit Maybe there was an agreement
then, suddenly. They forsook for the world. And
then there's others who, though there is no fellowship or agreement
today, that the Lord could use that to bring the body together. And I trust that he would teach
his people that which is necessary to know, the gospel. That he
would teach them, but it would be done in mercy, and in grace,
and in patience. laboring with one another in
the spirit of grace and kindness. And that's really what I'm saying.
I'm not saying to encourage a person in their sin or to encourage
a person in lies about Christ, but to be patient, right? To
be gentle and kind the way our Savior was gentle and kind. And so, because again, if our
hope was in our doctrine, well then it better be 100% correct
on everything because The reality is our hope is Christ, and that's
where we rest our hope. All right, so back in our text
there, the point of verse two here, which says, he shall not
cry. back in Isaiah 42 to he shall
not cry nor lift up nor cause his voice to be heard in the
street that's showing us how our Savior interacted with needy
sinners because he did deal with the Pharisees he did put Pharisees
in their place both figuratively and literally he put them in
their place except he delivered them in grace. And so our savior
was, he wasn't proud and boisterous in the street and arrogant and
cocky. He was gentle with those who
needed mercy and grace. That's what that verse is declaring
to us. All right, now the next point is that he's not overbearing. So in verse three, we have a
tender description of our Lord. And it says, and these two will
go faster, a bruised reed shall he not break and the smoking
flax shall he not quench. And so this describes us brethren
in times of weakness and in times of hurt and pain and suffering
and sorrow, when we're fearful, When we're afraid, whether it's
justified or not, it's those times when we're brought low. And it can be in regards to a
young or a new convert, but we know that it also affects us.
We know that we're also like that, where we become afraid
and are troubled and weighed down and burdened and weary,
and we become worthless in our own estimation, and we become
low in ourselves and thoughts of ourself. And so, like a reed,
which is easily bent, that's how we, that's how poor, weak
sinners become. And they have a need, and they're
not used for much, just like a reed isn't used. It's not that
strong piece of hardwood that's used to frame a house. It's just
a thin, grass, if you will. And so, you know, for the broken
hearted child who's frail and hurting, Christ helps his children
and he strengthens them in kindness, right? He doesn't lean on them
and put all kinds of more pressure from him and say, now you need
to get this right and you need to straighten that up and you
need to start doing this. he's gentle, he's patient, right? And so when we're dealing with
a sick brother or sister, someone who's struggling, pray for them
and speak, encourage them, encourage them and be kind and gentle.
And because our savior, he covered them with his own blood, right? He cleanses and covers his children. He keeps them with his spirit
so that even when we can't pray, And when we're so troubled and
stirred up in our minds and we're confused and hurting about many
things, the Spirit prays and intercedes for us and prays those
things that we have need of praying that we don't know what we should
pray, yet the Spirit prays on our behalf. And so even when
we have little faith and we don't have much to come before the
Lord with, our Savior appears for us. And He goes and pleads
to the Father on our behalf. And we are accepted of Him because
He loves the Son. He delights in the Son. And because
He delights in the Son, He delights in all who come to Him in Jesus
Christ the Son. And so, we trust Him for that. And so, don't despair. If you're
hurting and troubled, sick and afraid, and whatever it is that's
weighing you down, Don't despair, look to Christ and believe on
him. For a bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking
flax he shall not quench. Meaning he won't, like a candle,
right? Like your fingers wet them and then on the wick there,
he doesn't put it out. He encourages, he fans that flame
with his grace and mercy and he strengthens it again in his
good time. All right. Now we come to the
victory, and the victory is accomplished not because we ourselves are
strong or mighty or so great, but the victory is accomplished
by Christ. And so here we see him conquering
gloriously in the truth. So the text says, verse three
at the end there, he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. Now, if you hold your place there,
Isaiah 42 and just look at Matthew 12 that the way he covers it
there in verse 20 is he says till he sought same phrase is
instead of unto truth it's till he send forth judgment unto victory
unto victory and so that victory is it's used to describe all
the rest, almost all the rest of what is in Isaiah 42 verse
4. And so, that victory is in the
truth going forth, right? The Lord bringing truth to his
people. And it says in verse 4 of Isaiah 42, he shall not
fail nor be discouraged till he have set judgment in the earth. And so, This speaks of what our
Savior accomplished for us. It's accomplished. Our salvation
has been accomplished by the Lord there on the cross when
he bore our sin before the Father under the wrath of God, and he
put it away as our sacrifice, as our offering to the Father
to make atonement for our sins. And he accomplished that work. And His blood cleanses us from
the guilt and the shame of sin. And He comforts us now. And He gives us His Spirit and
power to know Him, to hear these words and to be encouraged that,
yes, Lord, though I see my sin and see what I am in myself,
Lord, You are salvation. You are kind and gentle and patient
and tenderly caring for me. And so He works that in his people,
and we see how he saved us from our debt, how he's the one who
works faith in us, that he delivered us from death and not we ourselves,
and so we carry that message, right? Even when you're speaking
to those without that seem to speak favorably of Christ, but
we gently encourage them in the truth and declare, oh, isn't
it a mercy that God should work in us faith, that he should give
us that ear of faith, that he should turn our hearts which
were set against him in enmity and in anger and in hate, and
he turned us to behold him, to see that he is the minister that
God sent, the salvation of God who worked my salvation and even
turned me from my death to the true and living God. Because
there's many out there that that seem to speak well of Christ,
but not with understanding. Not with understanding. He's
just a good luck charm. He's just a little extra help.
And so gently we teach them. And we declare what He's done
for us in creating this faith in our hearts. And just declaring
the truth. Just keep declaring the truth.
And as they're enabled to hear it, giving them more truth and
help them to hear praying that the Lord help give them an ear
to hear because that's what it takes right no one's going to
hear it just like we never heard it until the Lord gave us a heart
and an ear to hear it and to receive his word and so we declare
what Christ has done and it's not the law of Moses that saves
sinners but it's Christ Christ who save sinners you know the
law declares that that the law declares that we're sinners helpless
sinners but the lord jesus christ declares that we are sinners
saved by his grace and mercy all right now Verse 24 then concludes
saying, And the isles shall wait for his law. Now this is not
the law of Moses, it's the gospel law of liberty. It's the salvation
light of Christ. So the isles, being those nations
far away, which is the Gentile nations, that's how they spoke
of us It's talking about they wait for his light. Not that
they had some idea or sense that the gospel was going to come.
They were in complete darkness. But they were made to hear it. And when they heard it, they
realized this is what we've waited for all our lives. This is the
truth. This is liberty. Yes, Lord, this
is salvation. I was in darkness and didn't
even know it. But now that I've heard it, with
the hearing of the ear, and I've seen thee with the seeing of
my eye. Lord, I repent, and thus it matches. And I believe you,
Lord. I abhor myself, but I believe
you." And that's exactly what Matthew 12, 21 confirms, and
in his name shall the Gentiles trust. We trust in Christ, not
Moses. We trust Christ to save us. We're not trusting our goodness
now to save us. We're trusting Christ ever, ever
trusting him. And so through the infinite wisdom
of God, the Jews became jealous when they began to understand
through the preaching of Paul and the apostles, when they understood,
wait a minute, You're telling me all those prophecies were
saying the gospel was going out to the Gentiles and they became
jealous and angry and they tried to stop the preaching. They forbid
Paul and Barnabas from preaching to the Gentiles, but our God
cannot be refused. And so it says in Acts 28, 28,
be it known therefore unto you that the salvation of God is
sent unto the Gentiles and that they will hear it. And that's what we saw, right?
The Lord gave us that example in Acts 13 where the Gentiles,
when they heard what Paul and Barnabas were saying, they said,
we want to hear that message too. We want to hear this message
of grace. And when they heard it the next
week, they rejoiced in it. And it says that all who were
ordained to eternal life believed. And that's why we're preaching. And that's why we're gentle.
because we know that the Lord has an elect people that he's
ordained to hear this and they're our brethren and so go and be
gentle in seeking them out and being clear, be clear and speak
the truth but be gentle and patient just as the Lord was gentle and
patient with you. He was gentle and patient with
each of us. So I pray the Lord Bless that word and that you
are given a heart to rejoice and give God. Thanks for his
gentle servant Let's pray our gracious Lord we thank you father
for Your mercy and grace in sending to us such a gentle Savior Who
is so kind to us? who doesn't strive with us and
isn't overbearing with us. But Lord, you've shown yourself
to be so patient and so kind and so tender to us. And we pray
that you would give us that same spirit in ministering to others,
especially them that are lost, that you would give us the words,
Lord, we want to speak the truth, we want to declare Christ our
Savior, not a false idol, Christ, but the true and living God.
And Lord, help us to both declare Him in power, as well as being
able to minister to the needs of needy sinners who need your
gospel and would hear it, Lord, if you would give them an ear
to hear it. We pray this in our Lord and Savior's name. And Lord,
help us with one another, our brethren, especially those that
are weak and weary and those that are sick. Lord, help us
to be gentle and kind with them and to encourage them in the
faith of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It's in his name
we pray and give thanks. Amen. Okay, brother, you close this. Our closing hymn is going to
be 258, He Hideth My Soul. A wonderful Savior is Jesus my
Lord, a wonderful Savior to me. He hideth my soul in the cleft
of the rock where rivers of pleasure I see. He hideth my soul in the
cleft of the rock that shadows a dry, thirsty land. He hideth my life in the depths
of his love, and covers me there with his hand, and covers me
there with his hand. A wonderful Savior is Jesus my
Lord, He taketh my burden away. He holdeth me up and I shall
not be moved, He giveth me strength as my day. He hideth my soul
in the cleft of the rock that shadows a dry, thirsty land. He hideth my life in the depths
of his love and covers me there with his hand, and covers me
there with his hand. With numberless blessings each
moment He crowns, And filled with His fullness divine, I sing
in my rapture, O glory to God, For such a Redeemer as mine. He hideth my soul in the cleft
of the rock that shadows a dry, thirsty land. He hideth my life
in the depths of his love and covers me there with his hand,
and covers me there with his hand. When clothed in His brightness
transported, I rise to meet Him in clouds of the sky. His perfect salvation, His wonderful
love, I'll shout with the millions on high. He hideth my soul in
the cleft of the rock that shadows a dry, thirsty land. He hideth my life in the depths
of his love and covers me there with his hand. And covers me there with his
hand. Thank you.