There is a time of famine, not of bread, but of the Word of God, just a famine. And I'm thankful that God has given us this time and this place, and I ask that He would be gracious to us this morning and deliver this Word through the power of His Spirit

There is no power in the man. Remember, there's no power in the man. I remember listening as a child, I remember listening to Don preach. I don't think I've ever seen a man with more power. Listen to Donnie Bell, I've never seen a man with more energy preach the gospel. Listen to Henry, I've never heard of a man with more heart. and love. And yet there was no power in any of that. I stand before you as the least of them. There is no power here. But there is power. And it comes from God as He takes and makes application. That's my desire for you. My desire for my own self is that God make application of His Word for the comfort of His people, for the quickening of the dead. And all of this I'm amazed at how one message could quicken a sinner to life and at the same time comfort someone who's already been quickened. It just does. In the hands of God, that's what the message does. And I'm thankful God has given it to us. I do pray he would do it again this morning.

Talk about prayer. Every message and every service, we should be actively engaged in prayer. As we listen, as we hear, as I preach, I'm constantly asking God for grace and mercy in His Word. You should pray the same for yourselves. May God bless us this morning with His Word. Remember those that are sick, Tia is not feeling well. Pray for others who have physical trials, physical difficulties. And thankful for the ones that the Lord has given healing to. And all of that is in His hands, all of it. We give thanks. Let's go to Him in prayer.

Our gracious Father, we bow ourselves before you in the name of Jesus, our Savior. We dare not come in our own name, but in his. These things that we have mentioned, we plead this morning, that you would be gracious to us, that you would be gracious to me. Give me the strength, the ability, the mind, the heart, and the will, all according to your grace and for your glory. Give me strength to preach the word, faithful to declare it. And Father, these that have come to hear it, I pray that you would give them the ability to hear it, to receive it, be blessed and comforted by it. Pray for those that are sick. Please heal. Please. Simply by your command, it will be done. We pray for it and ask for it. Bring them again to us so we can worship together again. Wherever your saints meet this morning, these things we have asked for ourselves, we ask for them. Pray for those that don't have pastors that you would even as they gather together and hear the word, either from some man or whatever means that you've given them, I pray that you'd make it effectual to them and send them pastors, Lord, please. Father, these things we ask in the name of Jesus Christ and for his sake. Amen.

Now take your Bibles, turn back with me to Psalm 110. 110. Title of this message, The Promise of God to Christ. The Promise of God to Christ. Now, I know that every believer Every believer goes through many difficulties and trials, many afflictions. Scripture tells us that it's necessary. It's needful for us. David even said, it is good that I have been afflicted. Why? That he might draw us to himself. That's his purpose for our afflictions. But we have them. Many of these afflictions bring us to despair. They bring us to a point of hopelessness so as to lose our assurance. Assurance is something that a believer can have and a believer can lose. Matter of fact, Tim James told me one time about assurance. He said, the moment you look for assurance, you've lost it. The moment you look for assurance, you've lost it.

So we lose our assurance. We become hopeless and in despair. John Newton wrote

tis a point I long to know.
Oft it causes anxious thought.
Do I love the Lord or no?
Am I His or am I not?

See, trials bring us to despair. And this is common among God's saints. And it's common because we still maintain this old man of sin. Every one of us still maintains this old man of sin. And unbelief often overwhelms us because of the situation, because of the circumstance, because of the trial. Our unbelief is overwhelming.

But God has given us His Word for the comfort of our souls. The Word of God is the source of our comfort in this life. The trouble with us is we look at the providence, we look at the circumstance, we look at the thing that's happening to us. And we base God's affection or God's grace or God's forgiveness on the present circumstance. This is what the sin nature does all the time. And it's not like you control it, it just happens. You don't set out to do it, but this is the nature of the old man.

But what is to be then the comfort, real comfort? It's the Word of God. The promises of God are our comfort. He has by His grace not left this thing up to our imagination or our feelings. Boy, there's an evil thing, isn't it? Feelings. You know what Luther said, and we often say it, feelings come, feelings go, feelings are deceiving. Nothing else, nothing but the Word of God is worth believing. It's the Word of God that doesn't change. My feelings change. This doesn't. This doesn't change. God's Word is as immutable as God. God's promises are as immutable as God Himself. They won't change. They cannot change because He does not change. He does not change.

So they're not left to our feelings, but are given to us, He's given to us His promises. That's what this word is, His promises, His oath. Now yes, now listen to this, and this is what I want you to get out of this this morning, is that God's promises are not directly to you. They're not based on you in any way. They are not based on your merits of it, your feelings about it, your thoughts about it. The promises of God are not directly to you, they are not founded upon you, but they are founded upon God's promises to Christ. And then through Christ they are given to you. They are founded upon God's promises to Him and then given to us only through Him. Only through Him. The foundation of His promises are never dependent then upon us. That's the comfort. There it is. All God's promises of forgiveness, salvation, pardon, justification, sanctification, redemption, heaven, eternal life, glory, all of those are never founded in any degree upon you. Man, if that don't lift the burden, nothing will. They're not dependent on you. They're dependent upon Jesus Christ, to whom the promises were given.

Go to Galatians, and this is just the premise, but go to Galatians, look at chapter 3. Galatians chapter 3 verse 16. Notice what the scripture says. Now, to Abraham and to his seed were the promises made. He saith not to seeds as of many but as of one unto thy seed which is Christ. Now Abraham was a beneficiary of all the promises of God, wasn't he? He was a beneficiary. And they were to him only through who? The seed. Only through the seed could Abraham ever receive the promises. If you have any of these promises that are given here, it's only because of God's promise to him. So all who are founded upon Christ, have hope because our promises were first given to him and then we through faith receive these promises.

I'll give you another scripture. Blessed be Ephesians 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with what all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. Now where are all these blessings found? Where are they found? Christ that's where they're found God promised that all the spiritual blessings given to us are founded by our Union with him and nowhere else

So now then as we see that that's just the introduction I'm telling you that this is where the promises are founded now I want you to see the promise of God to Christ and in this we have hope In this we have confidence because this promise is sure. Let's look at this now together.

First of all, God promised Christ that he should be king. God promised Jesus that he should be king. Look at that. The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. Now, we know this is speaking of Christ because that's what our Lord Jesus says in Matthew 22. Those Pharisees ask him a bunch of questions and he said, let me ask you a question. Turn this around. Whose son is Christ? And they, boy, they gave a softball question, right? They just thought they hit this out of the park. They said, well, he's David's son. Well, yeah.

Now then, he goes to this scripture and he says, how then Could David call his son Lord? He said, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool. They didn't understand this, that the Christ was to be both God and man. The son of David and the son of God. Messiah the Christ This was the prophecy the Lord said unto my Lord sith out my right hand that God was going to Christ was going to come in the flesh This was a this text declares it he who is the son of David was also David's Lord David's Lord would come in the flesh to be the anointed Savior When I speak of Jesus Christ, I want you to understand he is God He's God God manifest in the flesh and here Jehovah the father you see now that the division of the the blessed trinity of persons here in this text the Lord the father said unto the son my lord what sit down at my right hand what did God promise him God swore by an oath that Christ would be King When was this given? When was Christ promised to be king? This is an eternal promise. This is an eternal promise.

Just as much as God swore that Jesus was His Son, He said in Psalm 2, listen to what He says, I declare the decree, the Lord said unto me, Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten thee. When was that? That was the eternal day. He was the eternal Son of God. And God swore that the eternal Son, the Lord of David, would sit at his right hand and be king. Go to Proverbs chapter 8. Two things here about the Lord Jesus. Proverbs chapter 8. Look at verse 22. The Lord here in the personification of wisdom, this is speaking of Christ. Christ is the wisdom of God. Look what he says in verse 22. He said, The Lord possessed me in the beginning of His way before His works of old. The word possessed means begotten. The Lord hath begotten me, when? In the beginning of His way. Now, can you tell me the beginning of His way? There is no beginning of His way. It's an eternal begotten. I am the eternally begotten Son of God, is what that text is telling us. He possessed me. He begotten me. This shows that He is the eternal Son of God.

Now look at this second verse. I was set up. Not only was I eternally begotten, I was also eternally set up from everlasting, from the beginning or ever the earth was. This setting up speaks to us of His office. He was set up to be the Messiah. the ruler, the king.

My friends, this Jesus of whom I'm speaking is God, but He Himself, He is God from all eternity. Now, you understand this, that the Son was equal with the Father in every way. in will, in power, in purpose, in all divine attributes, the Son Himself by divine right was King. How is it that God is going to set Him up to be King? He was King! Scripture says, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and all things were made by Him. Did that not make Him King? Is He not King already? You see, Christ was king from the beginning because he was himself God.

But then the scripture says he's set up from everlasting. This is speaking of his office as Savior, Redeemer, King, Priest. You see, it was the Father that covenanted with the Son that he should become a man and as the God-man be made king. As the God-man, He was to be made king. God decrees by this, that Jesus, His Son, should come into the world as a man. As a man. That He would unite Himself with human flesh, so as to accomplish what? The salvation of His people.

He was a king. And when Christ came into the world, that's exactly what He did. He obeyed the law of God as a man, being found and fashioned as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient, even unto death. Behold Jesus Christ, our King, as he came into this world, meek and lowly. You know, when he came into the world, what did those wise men say to Herod? When they came to Herod, they said, Where is he that is born king? Where is he that is born king? And though he was king, yet he humbled himself, and by his own obedience and by his death he obtained righteousness and satisfied the justice of God.

Therefore, in the fullness of time when He came and accomplished this, after His victory and success, listen, God raised Him from the dead and this text was fully fulfilled. When Jesus Christ died and was successful, now I love preaching a successful Savior, because you know that's what I need. I need a successful Savior. I don't need a cooperative effort. in this matter of salvation. I need somebody to do it for me. All of it. And that's what Christ did.

He came and as King, I loved how He walked through this world. You could not, I mean, the majesty just poured out of Him. His own enemies said, man, never man spake like this man. He was King. He said He spake not as the Pharisees, but one that has had authority. He was King. Yet it wasn't shown until when? Until after he died, God raised him from the dead and sat him on the throne of heaven where right now there is a man in heaven sitting on the throne of God ruling all things after the counsel of his own will.

King! I tell you what, how idiotic is foolish religion to tell men to say, make Jesus your Lord. You idiot! Your acknowledgement of him being king has nothing to do with him being king. He's king because God made him king. He is king. I don't care what men think. God said, you sit on my right hand and I'll make your enemies your footstool. Now whether you acknowledge that or not, it doesn't really matter. Why? Because the promise was to Christ. The promise was given to him. And God fulfilled that promise when he raised him from the dead. After he had accomplished salvation according to the scriptures, God raised him from the dead and set him on the right hand of the throne of the majesty on high. And Jesus himself said, now all power is given unto me in heaven and earth. To do what? To give eternal life to as many as thou hast given me.

You don't have to question what he's doing. You may not understand the providence, I'll tell you this, you don't have to guess what he's doing. He's saving his people from their sins. That's what he'll do. Well, he's king. Who will stop him? Who will say unto him, what doest thou? Who?

Now then, look at this. I want you to see this. Go back to your text. And I want you to see this, God who promised Christ to be king also promised him a people. Let me ask you, what good is a king without people? I mean, Joanne, I can anoint you queen of Sellersburg. And what? If you don't have anybody following you, if you don't have any power or authority, I mean, just putting a name on it doesn't make you anything. What do you have to have to be king? You have to have people. You have to have someone to rule over or you're not king. So what did God promise Christ as king? He promised Him a people.

Now men claim Men would claim that Jesus is king, yet deny that He has a people. That's a mockery, friends. It's a mockery to say God anointed Him to be king, and yet He don't know who His people are. They hadn't decided yet. I don't sound anything like a king to me. They say He has rule, He rules from eternity, but fail to recognize that He had a people from eternity. Christ is King from eternity, then you can be sure of this, He had a people from eternity. He had a people.

In this text, we see that Jesus was not only given the scepter of the throne of God, but He was given a people. Look at verse 3. What does He say? Thy people. Thy people. Thy people. When God set up Christ to be King, He also set up the subjects of Christ. His people. And notice this, His people shall be willing. His people shall be willing.

Now I want to understand three things, because I know this, if there's any hope for me, I must be one of these. If there's any hope for my soul, any comfort for me, I must understand that if Christ is my King, then I know this, I must be His people. And that's what God gives in that covenant, isn't it? He said, I will be your God and you shall be, what? My people. You see, only the covenant promises are given to Christ and only are they beneficial to the people. His people. Scripture says, He shall come into the world, and thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save, who? His people.

Any Christ that doesn't have a people is not king. God says, know thy people. I'm going to give you three things about these people. First of all, they're given to Christ. In this covenant of promise here, they're given to Him. The throne was given to Him. and the people were given to Him. Secondly, the people were purchased by Him. And thirdly, they were conquered by Him. This is the sovereign election of God that we were given to Christ. You who believe, I want you to understand why you believe. You believe because you were given to Christ. This is the election. People argue about the complexities of election. Election's not complicated. You just don't like it. God chose a people before the foundation of the world and gave them to Christ. Now, what's hard about that? He purposed that they should be saved and no one else. Is that hard? Well, you don't like it, but it's not hard to understand.

2 Thessalonians 2 and verse 13. We are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord. Now why are we giving thanks? Because God hath from the beginning chosen you to what? To salvation. Only the people of God were chosen by God to salvation. That passage in Ephesians, where we said that all the blessings, heavenly blessings are in Christ Jesus according as God has chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world. Purpose, that we should be holy and without blame before Him. Motivation in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children means by Jesus Christ, by Jesus Christ.

Jesus, the appointed King of God, was given a people, and thus, as King, he was responsible for his people. When God gave his elect to Christ, he made Christ responsible for their salvation. What we call a surety. A surety. Someone who guarantees This is the comfort of the gospel, is that all the salvation is the responsibility of Christ. Remember when Judah took responsibility for Benjamin, he said this, I be surety for the lad, if I bring him not again, let me bear the blame. He was surety. That's what Christ was as King. He is responsible for his people.

And because His people were born all together in sin, His people were of the fallen race of Adam. We were brought to ruin and death. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered in the world, and death by sin, so death passed upon all men. You see, the elect and those that were not chosen, there's no difference between us. There's no natural difference. Nothing that separates us from them. We're the same, born dead in sins, incapable.

So Jesus Christ was also anointed like Adam to be a representative, a king, so as to bring his people from ruin to glory. I like in John 6, I think it's very clear what we're talking about God's people giving to Christ. Jesus said this, he said, all that the Father giveth. What are they going to do? They shall come to me. When they do, I will in no wise cast them out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me. And this is the Father's will, that of all He hath given me, I should lose, tell me, how many? Nothing. Why? Because I'm king. I'll lose nothing.

Boy, for any of us to say something like that is an arrogant statement, wouldn't it? Tell me what you're going to do right after the service. Tell me. You have thoughts about what you're going to do, but you have no idea if it's actually going to happen. This is the only one who can say that. He said this, all that the Father has given me. I'm not going to lose one of them, but raise them all up at the last day. Why? I'm king. I'm king.

I tell you what, I praise God for His electing grace, because if there was no electing grace, there would be no salvation. If I was not given to Christ, I never would have come to Christ. I never would have submitted to Him. I would have, in my rebellion, like every other man, said in my heart, I will not have this man to rule over me. What a foolish thought that is, isn't it? He who is king, and you say, I'm not going to let him rule over me. Dummy, he already is. He's king. Secondly, his people were not only given, they were purchased. Look at verse 2 of our text. He said, The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion. Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.

See, all Christ's people were given to him from eternity. He was promised to be their King, their Redeemer, but His people by nature were not willing subjects. Were not willing subjects. Matter of fact, we were born enemies. We were born enemies. In Ephesians 2, Paul says we were born dead in trespasses and sins. We all had our conversation in time past in the lust of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as others."

Now that word, children of wrath, means we were haters of God, just like everyone else. That's who His people are. His people, by nature, were haters of God. Scripture says, "...because the carnal mind is enmity against God." Proof, "...for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be."

You see, we've all sinned, we've all missed the mark of the glory of God, and by nature are all as an unclean thing. So then, what's the conclusion of this? It's impossible for us to save ourselves. Though we were given to Christ, listen, if we were given to Christ and then salvation was left up to us, it would be impossible. Impossible.

Remember what the disciples said when Jesus said it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter into heaven? You know what the disciples said? Who then can be saved? You just said it's something impossible. He said, yeah, it is impossible with you. It's impossible with you. You see the rebellion of man against that? When God says it's not possible, what does man say? Man says it's possible. God says, you cannot earn my favor by your obedience. And man says what? Yes, I can. Jesus said, no man can come unto me except the Father which has sent me draw him. And rebellious man says, yes, I can. Why? They're haters of God.

You see, God's elect not only needed a king, they also needed a redeemer. They needed someone to save them. illustrate this, the Good Samaritan in Luke chapter 10. Our Lord said that there was a man that went from Jerusalem down to Jericho. What a beautiful picture that is. From the place of worship down to a cursed city. That's exactly where we were headed. From God to hell. That's where we were headed.

And you remember, he fell among thieves. And the thieves took everything he had, stripped him of his raiment, and beat him half to death, and there he is, laying there bloody, ready to die. What a picture of us. We were robbed. In Adam we all died. In Adam we lost all of our righteousness.

And then you remember that came that priest, and that Levite came down, from Jerusalem. And they looked at the man and they both passed by. You want to know why? Because they were not allowed to touch him. They were not allowed to have compassion on him. What a picture of the law. The law could look at us. The law could condemn us. The law could say, Oh, look at him. He's dying. Yep, that's right. He's dead. That's all it could do. It could not help.

Then comes the Good Samaritan. The King. The King comes and the Lord Jesus Christ being in the picture of the Good Samaritan. Scripture says he bent down and he bound his wounds, poured in oil and wine, the spirit and his blood. Can you get a more vivid picture? He bound him up, put him up on his own beast and carried him to the end. gave the innkeeper the money and said whatever you have after this I'll be back and I'll pay it what the Samaritan he took full responsibility for the man all of it he had compassion he bound his wounds he put him on his feet he brought him to the end he paid the innkeeper and if there's anything old he's going to pay it

What a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ who came into this world for one purpose, to redeem His people from their sins. Our Lord Jesus as King, He alone had power to rule in the midst of His enemies. But He was given power and responsibility to redeem His people who were what? Among His enemies.

Our Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion. What is He to do? Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. How did He redeem us? How did He buy us? Look at verse 6. I want you to know this, that the King over all creation is just and will and must punish sin. Look at verse 6. What does God say about His King? He shall judge among the heathen. Let's read verse 5. The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of His wrath. He shall judge among the heathen. He shall fill the places with the dead bodies. He shall wound the heads over many countries.

What is this? He's just. He's righteous. He is holy. And in His day of wrath, He'll come and every knee shall bow before Heal. You understand that? That these people who think they're actually in charge are not really in charge. It amazes me. Why? You look at some of the rulers of this world, how they heap together treasures, and they're old. They're on the way out. And what are they doing? They're still heaping. They still think they have some authority, some legacy to keep.

No. Listen to this. If you are not in Christ, you are among the dead bodies. He said He shall fill the places with the dead bodies. When He comes in judgment, if you are found outside of Christ, there is no way you're going to escape His judgment. No way. Well, how then shall we, who are his people, escape? Look at verse 7. Here's how we, his people, will escape. He shall drink of the brook in the way. This brook has reference to the brook Kittron. Remember when David was exiled, he was cast out and he had to cross over this brook. This brook, I've said this many times, it is not a clear stream as we think of a brook. It's not that kind of brook. This was the drainage pipe that led from the sacrifices. All of the dung and all of the blood and all of the entrails flowed down this brook. It was a filthy sewer is what it was. David had to cross over this and the scripture says that David crossed and his people crossed.

What a picture of Christ. And in John chapter 18 in verse 1, that's exactly what Jesus Christ did. When He spoke these words, He went forth with His disciples over the brook Kittron, the same brook. And that's the brook here spoken of. He shall drink of the brook in the way. What does this mean? This means that Christ, our King, was to drink in all of the sins of His people. all of your sins. In order for Him to redeem His people, He Himself must bear their guilt. I can't understand this. I can't fathom this. How He was made sin for us who knew no sin. Yet it was so. To what degree? How? I don't know. I can't even begin to understand that, how He was made sin and yet maintained His holy perfection. Yet He did. And He bore our sins in such a way that God was just to punish Him for our sins. See, we didn't escape without a sacrifice. We didn't escape without an offering. Christ became our offering. That's what he says in verse 4. He said, The Lord has sworn and will not repent. Thou art a priest forever. Not after the law, but after Melchizedek, an eternal priest. Not only was He the eternal King, He was our eternal priest. And His sacrifice actually redeemed His people.

This is the difference between the Christ who is King And the Christ proclaimed today is this, success. Our Lord Jesus, our King, was successful to redeem all His people from all their sins. And how do I know? Because God raised Him from the dead. If He didn't, then He would still be in the tomb. He bore our sins. Scripture says, by His one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.

Thirdly, His people are conquered people. His people conquer people. All of Adam's race were created in the image of God, but when we were sinned, we lost that. It was marred. Our nature, our will, our mind are all enslaved to sin. Therefore Jesus said, ìNo man can come to Me.î This is why we would not come to Him. We would not, though He chose us, though He redeemed us, if left to ourselves, we still would not come. But He didnít leave that to ourselves. He didnít leave our choosing to ourselves. He didnít leave our redeeming to ourselves. And He did not leave our coming to Him to ourselves.

Listen to what he said, look back at your text and see thy people, thy people chosen, thy people redeemed, thy people shall be willing, when? In the day of thy power. Isn't this wonderful? You who believe, you're willing, aren't you? That's a silly question. You that believe, are you willing to believe I confess I don't believe enough. The more I see, the more I know my unbelief. I only want to believe more. I'm not willing to go back in the other direction, are you? I'm not willing to repent from Him. I'm not going to go to Him and then turn back to anything.

Thy people shall be willing. What's the motivating cause? In the day of thy power we are made willing. In the beauties of holiness. In other words, God gives us a new and holy nature by which we now are willing. Thy people shall be willing. It's not an option. It was an option for you to come to Christ. Now before He actually quickened you, yeah, you thought it was some option. That you had some decision you had to make. Well, you know, heaven, hell, I'll make the decision. No. You knew this. That if you came to Him, it's only because He gave you power and grace to do it. That's it. You that are still coming to Him. Do you find in yourself any more strength to come I find in myself less strength. I feel like I'm going in the wrong direction. I want more strength. But I know I don't have it in myself.

Thy people shall be willing. And this is because he gave us a new nature. He gave us a new heart. Therefore we who were his enemies now are conquered. Are you conquered? Have you submitted yourselves? If you have, why have you submitted yourselves and others not? Do you get any glory for it? Any praise? No. Because we were made willing. Because He gave us a new heart, a new mind, a new will. which now we submit ourselves to Him as what? All our salvation. All our salvation. Is this your confession?

See, my hope is this, that God promised Him to be King. That's all my hope. And He, as my King, came and accomplished my salvation, all of it. It was His responsibility as King to do this for His people and He did it. God set Him on the throne and then by grace in the day of His power we were made willing subjects in the beauty of holiness from the womb of the morning.

Thou hast the dew of thy youth. Where does dew come from? You just, you wake up in the morning, it didn't rain, and yet there it is. That's how you were saved. It wasn't there, and then all of a sudden it was. The miracle is grace. And it's the dew of thy youth. In other words, it's eternal. It's never ceasing. It's a constant, perpetual youth. His mercies are new when? Every morning. Every morning.

I am very grateful that God has conquered our souls. You that were enemies, now you love Him. Now you serve Him. Because He has made you whole. I know this, God's got a people and I don't know how many there are. Christ's got a people. I know that my King has redeemed his people from their sins. And the only hope I have is this, that he has given me the grace to believe on Christ. And that's how his people walk through this world. Just shall live by faith. I believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. You know what? I believe on Him now, and now, and now, and now, that's how we walk.

So when all of these difficulties and trials come in, what's your hope? It's not based on the circumstances, it's based on God's promise to Christ, that He's King, that He has saved us, and this, that He will keep us. As King, He keeps us. I like the way that Paul puts it in Ephesians. He said we are sealed with the spirit of promise. The seal is like that of a king. The king would have a ring that only the king had. And when he folded up a decree and he put the wax on it, he would put his seal on it. And no one was allowed to open that on penalty of death. That's what he says about our souls. They're sealed. They're sealed up. It don't matter what happens outside, ain't nobody getting inside to take that out.

Our Lord Jesus Christ said, 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. Neither shall any man pluck them out of my Father's hand. Why? I'm king. Who, who shall stand in thy presence and match omnipotence? Unfold the grasp of thy right hand and pluck the sinner dense. Who? No one. Why? He's king. He's my king. And because of God's grace I am his people. I am his son. A willing subject. A willing subject to a gracious Lord who has only shown me mercy and love and kindness.

Oh may God comfort your soul that your assurance doesn't rest on you, but the promises that God made to him. Those promises are always yea and amen. Where? In Christ. In Christ.

Pray God will comfort you. Let's stand and be dismissed in prayer.

gracious father dismisses with your mercy thank you for allowing us to worship praise our I do plead father that you'd be gracious in the midst of our afflictions cause us to look to him only to Him, always to Him, for grace and mercy, and not how we feel or what we think, but that your promises are sure to all the seed because of Him. I ask this in His name and for His glory. Amen.

You're welcome. I love you.