Psalm 107. Psalm 107. And tonight our text we can read
from verse 42 and 43. Psalm 107 verse 42 and 43. The title of the message this
evening is The Observation of the Wise. The Observation of
the Wise. Look at this with me and read
with me. In Psalm 107, verse 42, the scripture says, The righteous
shall see it and rejoice, and all iniquity shall stop her mouth. Whoso is wise and will observe
these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness
of the Lord. Whoso is wise. Now the psalmist
throughout this chapter repeats this phrase over and over. The phrase that is found in verse
31. Oh that men would praise the
Lord for His goodness and for His wonderful works to the children
of men. Now if there are any wise men
They will observe these things, these wonderful works of God
to the children of man, and they will render praise to God. If we are wise, if we are wise
in the things of God, we will praise the Lord for His wonderful
works. Now men may marvel at the wonderful
works of God's creation and what a wonderful work it is. The sunlight
is coming down and the grass is growing and the trees are
blooming and it's beautiful. We noticed as we went in this
evening, we were just looking at the green grass and how the
sun shines down on it and the shade of the trees and the colors,
the purple trees and the white trees are beautiful. this time
of year. Truly, we would be wise to praise
God for His creation. Men would be just wise to recognize
that God is sovereign, that God is all-powerful, all-wise in
His creation. We would stand in awe of the
sunlight and the rain. We would see the seasons and
the calendar and see the faithfulness of God. You can see the power
of God. You can see the judgment of God. You can see a lot about God in
creation. But all this knowledge of God
in creation cannot make one wise unto salvation. We can know mortality. We can understand and know the
guilt by our conscience. Men may gain knowledge by reading
the Bible, they may become master theologians, but unless God Unless
God in sovereign free grace reveals to us His wonderful work of salvation,
unless He actually shows us, unless we actually experience
the resurrection from the dead, unless we are born again of the
Spirit of God by the power of God, we could not understand
the wonderful works of God, this wonderful work of salvation. Unless He actually gives us His
goodness, we'll know nothing of His goodness. Unless He shows
us His love by Jesus Christ, we would never know His love.
Not by looking at the things that are made. The scriptures
are clear in Romans that the world knew God, but they glorified
Him not as God. They knew by the things that
were made. We would never praise Him. And we would never understand
His loving kindness. And therefore, we would never
be wise. Unless God makes us wise, we
would never be wise. Now, how are sinners made wise? How can we, who are only able
to sin, obtain righteousness? Look at this in verse 42. It
says, The righteous shall see it. How is it that we can see
it? How is it that you and I are
able to see the wonderful works of God in salvation? Because
He has made us righteous. He has made us righteous. This
comes by the grace of God alone. Righteousness comes by the grace
of God. We believe in the Lord Jesus
Christ. We are counted wise because He
made us righteous. And He made us righteous by the
work of Jesus Christ. In Romans 3, 22 it says, Even
the righteousness of God which is by the faith of Jesus Christ. I love that. I'm glad it's not
by our faith. We are not made righteous by
our faith. Why is that? I'm glad because
my faith is weak. Because my faith wavers. My faith
is so unstable. We just read in the previous
verses about how the men go out into the sea and how the waves
are cast up to the heavens and drop down to the depths. That's
how I feel most all the time. Like a drunken man staggering
to and fro. I'm so glad that the foundation
of my righteousness is not based on my faith. It is based on the
faith of Jesus Christ. And His faith, perfect. Perfect
faith. There was no one who had perfect
faith in God but the Son of God. And by this perfect faith, He
obtained the righteousness of God by this faith. Scripture says in Romans 10 verse
4, it says, For Christ is the end of the law. For righteousness
to everyone that believeth. I obtained this righteousness
through faith. I believe in Christ. But this righteousness was made
by Christ. and received by the faith of
Christ that was given to me. This faith that I have, even
the faith that I have now, is a gift of the grace of Almighty
God. It is the work of God in a man
to cause him to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. This is not
a human work. It's not something man is born
able to do. We're not able to believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ unless God gives us faith. And when
He gives us faith, we see that Christ is not the beginning of
the law. He is the end of the law. I'm
so thankful He's the end of the law and not the beginning. I'm
so glad that now I believe in Christ. It's not that we have
to start obeying the law now. No, He's the end of the law for
righteousness to everyone. Such a wonderful work is this.
It is the desire of every believer in Christ. Everyone who believes
in Christ. It is our utmost desire to be
found only in the righteousness of Christ. I don't want to be
found in any other righteousness. Do you? Do you have any hope
in your righteousness? Or in the righteousness of another
man? No, our righteousness is in Christ
and I desire not to be found having mine own righteousness
which is of the law, but in the righteousness, the righteousness
which is by, which is through faith, the faith of Christ. Paul says that in Philippians
3, 9. Not having mine own righteousness which is of the law, but that
which is through the faith of Christ. These words are altogether
important. I love these words. The righteousness
of God which is by faith. Now look at this. We who have
the righteousness of God. Look what the scripture tells
us. You. You righteous people. Listen. You who are made righteous. The
righteous shall see it and rejoice. And all iniquity shall stop.
The righteous shall observe it. He says that in the next verse.
Whoso is wise and will observe. Who are going to be wise? Those
who are righteous. Those who are made righteous
by the righteousness of Christ. We observe Jesus Christ as all
our righteousness. And in this we rejoice. Rejoice with joy unspeakable
and full of glory. We have the righteousness of
Christ. This is not a hypothetical. This
is a reality. This is the truth of the matter. We have now, right now, in this
present mortal sinful frame, we have the righteousness of
God imparted unto every one of us who believes. And we who see
this, we rejoice in this. This should be a great object
that we keep before us every minute of every day. We should
always keep this work of God before our eyes. Because it is
a work of God. It is a work of God. We observe
Jesus Christ as all our salvation. For we are His workmanship. Created in Christ Jesus unto
good works. You who are believed, do as many
good works as you want to. Just don't trust them. Don't
trust in one of them. Don't lean on one of them. Don't
even think about one of them. Do them as much as you want to,
but don't lean on one of them to be righteous. Always leaning
and observing the righteousness of God which is by the faith
of Christ. Always resting on Him. And we who believe are not only
made righteous, but notice this, and all iniquity shall shut up,
shall stop her mouth. I'm going to ask a rhetorical
question. I remember our brother Bob, he used to answer those
rhetorical questions. I had to be very careful to ask
a rhetorical question. Believer, do you still have trouble
with your sin? You who are righteous, do you
still not have trouble with your sin? Yes. Do we not still struggle and
wrestle with our God concerning our salvation? Tis a point I
long to know. Oft it causes anxious thoughts.
Do I love the Lord or no? Am I His or am I not? Dear believer in Christ, this
is a common struggle. This is a common struggle. If
you are not having this struggle, I would really be concerned for
you. Because every person in scripture
has had this struggle. Paul had this struggle. Oh, wretched
man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Believer in Christ,
this is our common struggle with this sinful flesh that we still
live in this mortal, sinful body. Yet observe, while living in
this body, while struggling with sin, observe this and be wise. Be wise. Observe the Word of
God and His wonderful works among the children of men. Observe.
God's loving kindness. Believers see this and rejoice
that all iniquity must shut its mouth. All iniquity must shut
its mouth. At the law of God, men are made
to be silent. Isn't that right? The scripture
tells us In Romans 3.19 it says, Now we know that whatsoever the
things of the law sayeth, that sayeth to them that are under
the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world
become guilty before God. This is the purpose of the law.
The purpose of the law is to shut my mouth. The purpose of
the law is to shut your mouth. Job said this, I have heard of
thee with the hearing of mine ear, but now mine eye seeth thee,
wherefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes. The law makes men to be silent,
but Jesus Christ makes sin to be silent. Sin to be silent. Jesus Christ has come and shed
His blood for all the sins of His people, and iniquity, sin,
cannot speak against His people anymore. Isn't that what comes
up? Isn't that what causes the conflict,
is our sin? Doesn't it defile our conscience?
Doesn't our conscience become heavy and burdened because of
our sin? Our sin constantly is yelling
at us, constantly is telling us, guilty, guilty, guilty! But as we observe the blood of
the Lord Jesus Christ, our sin is silent. Because my sin has already been
paid for. Jesus Christ has forever and
ever and ever put away my sin. Go over to Daniel chapter 9. This was the prophecy concerning
the Lord and His coming, Daniel chapter 9 and verse 24. Seventy weeks are determined
upon thy people and upon thy holy city. This was 490 years before the
Lord Jesus Christ was to come into the holy city, into Jerusalem.
He was to come for this purpose, finish the transgression, to
make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity,
and to bring in an everlasting righteousness, to seal up the
vision in prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy. wise believer in Christ and observe
God's wonderful work that He has done for you. For you. Behold Jesus, the spotless Lamb
of God. When you observe Christ, John
said, herein is love. Not that we loved God. Don't
base your salvation on your love for God. That's as weak as your
faith. Don't trust in it. Herein is
love, not that we love God, but that He loved us and gave His
Son. to be the propitiation for our
sins. If you want to know anything
of the loving kindness of God, it must be seen in the face of
His Son. It must be seen by the greatest
gift that God could possibly give to man, and that is His
Son, His own precious Son. God, who purposed that we should
be holy and without blame, sent Christ His Son to finish the
transgression. to make an end of sin and to
make reconciliation for iniquity. This is what the offering of
the blood of Jesus has done. It's done this with all our trespasses,
all our sins and all our iniquities. He suffered the just punishment
of God for our sins and forever put them away. Where is away? Gone. I don't know where away
is. Away is so far God can't remember
them. Away is so far. It's so far as
the east is from the west. I cannot measure how far God
has removed my sin from me. But it's so far that God will
never punish me with my sin. Never. Never will God punish
me for my sin. Because Christ was already punished. Christ had already paid the debt. And this was the will and purpose
of God, that we be made righteous in the image of His Son. So that all that God predestined
to be righteous, He called. And whom He called, He also justified. And whom He justified, He also
glorified. Now when was this calling, when
was this justification, when was this glorification? You feel glorified? In the mind
and purpose of God it's as though it's already been accomplished.
Already been done. Oh that men would praise the
Lord for His goodness. Oh that His church would praise
the Lord for His goodness. What then is the conclusion of
God's purpose and the work of Jesus Christ? If God be for us,
who can be against us? That's the conclusion you can
make to this. If you would be wise, keep this ever before your
face, if God be for us, who could be against us? Who can charge us with any crime? Who can charge us with any sin
before the face of God? Who can condemn us? The law? No. Christ is the end of the
law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. Can Satan? No.
He's been cast out that accused the brethren. Can ourselves?
No. Not even this old defiled conscience,
even though we feel guilty for our sins. Yet we know before
the throne of God we are justified. Innocent of all charges. Innocent. Not pretend. Really innocent before God. Is there anything that is able
to charge us with sin? No. Sin and iniquity must shut
their mouths. The righteous shall see this
and rejoice, and iniquity must be quiet. It must be silent. Because of the blood of Jesus
Christ. Is there anyone that can condemn
us? No, God justified us. Christ died for us. Yea, rather
is risen again. And there is therefore now no
condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus. Yes, we still sin. But Jesus
our Savior ever liveth to make intercession for us. The scripture
is very clear. If any man says he is without
sin, he hath made God a liar. Now we don't ever confess that
we are without sin in this present body, in this world. We confess
our sins. And this is the gospel that is
so refreshing to us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive
us our sins. Ye righteous, see Christ and
rejoice that iniquity has no voice. Say ye to the righteous, it shall
be well with him. It shall be well. Our salvation
is by the grace of God. He chose us, redeemed us, called
us, keeps us, and He shall finish the work. Rejoice now in the
understanding of the loving kindness of our God. Look back in your
text just for a few seconds. Rehearse with me. Rehearse with
me this gospel. This thing must be repeated. It must be rehearsed in our minds
and our hearts. It must be kept fresh by prayer
and supplication before our God. Notice in verse 33. Our natural
state. Let me turn over here. I'm on
the wrong page. Verse 33. He turneth rivers into
wilderness and water springs into dry ground, a fruitful land
into barrenness. for the wickedness of them that
dwell therein. We thought ourselves to be a
wellspring of righteousness at one time. We thought ourselves
to be a fruitful land. Surely God would be good to us. Surely God would forgive us.
We deserve it. That's how we felt. That's how
natural men feel about this. We by nature were fools and made
lies our refuge and falsehood we hid ourselves. But praise
be to God for His mercy to dry up our righteousness. Praise
God to reveal to us the barren fruitfulness of our own self-righteousness. He took the sin we thought to
be fruitful and made it a barren wasteland. And we were made Because of our sins to wander
aimlessly in the desert, in the wilderness, yet by His grace
He made us hunger and thirst for righteousness. And where
there was a barren wilderness, notice what God does. He turneth
the wilderness into standing water, and dry ground into water
springs. And there He maketh the hungry
to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation. Only those who are dry of any
righteousness will God make a river of righteousness. It's only out
of the barren wasteland of the sinner that God creates a fruitful
land of righteousness. Isn't that what He's done for
us? We who are dry and barren now, we have a wellspring of
life! You remember those scientists,
when they got so happy, they thought they found a drop of
water on Mars? They thought they... Oh, life! See, there was life
on Mars. We got a little drop. There's
a wellspring of water in me that overflows unto life. Because God made the wilderness
a pool of water. And see what our Beloved says
to us. Go to Song of Solomon. Song of Solomon. And chapter
4. Chapter 4, verse 9. This is the Lord speaking to
you. Listen to His Word. Listen how
He speaks to us. Verse 9. Thou hast ravished my
heart, my sister, my spouse. Thou hast ravished my heart with
one of thine eyes with one chain of thy neck. How fair is thy
love, my sister, my spouse! How much better is thy love than
wine, and the smell of thy anointments than all spices. Thy lips, O
my spouse, drop as the honeycomb. Honey and milk are under thy
tongue, and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of
Lebanon. A garden enclosed is my sister,
my spouse, a spring. Shut up, a fountain sealed. Thy plants are an orchard of
pomegranates with pleasant fruits, camphor and spikenard, spikenard
and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense,
myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices, a fountain of gardens,
a well of living waters. and streams from Lebanon. That's
how God sees us. Does that not thrill your soul?
That He is ravished in His heart for you. That He loves us so
much that He put within this barren
wasteland a fountain of water and gardens of righteousness. The Lord sees us as sweet A well
that is shut up and full of righteousness and living waters. And what do
we say to our beloved? We say, Awake, O north wind,
and come thou south. Blow upon my garden, that the
spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his
garden and eat his pleasant fruit. Because of His love and grace,
because of His righteousness, we should rejoice and seek His
Holy Spirit and say, Come and make use of us. Blow thou wind from the north
or from the south, the cold wind from the north or the warm wind
from the south, whichever way His providence would blow. Sometimes it blows from the north, and it's cold. Sometimes His providence blows
from the warmth of the south. But whichever way, whichever
way, come and use us. Holy Spirit, blow. Wind upon
us that we may give glory to God, that we who are saved may
see the loving kindness of our Savior. And lastly, believers, observe
and be wise and see that God will make us fruitful. Go back
to your text and see this. Verse 38 in Psalm 107, it said,
He blessed them also. I'm sorry, go back in verse Verse
37 says, And sow fields and plant vineyards, that they may yield
fruits of increase. He blesseth them also, that they
multiply greatly, and suffereth not their cattle to decrease.
Again they are diminished and brought low through oppression,
affliction, and sorrow. He poureth contempt upon the
princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness where
there is no way Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction,
and maketh him families like a flock." As we are able to understand
the loving kindness of God, God will make His servants fruitful
servants. Fruitful servants. As we are given the Holy Spirit
to dwell in us, as He has given to everyone a measure of faith,
let us also put to it work, labor. Not one time has the Lord given
the battle to His people that they are not called to fight. We are called to fight. And all
the while you fight, know this, you have the victory. The victory
is yours. The victory is yours. God says, I will bless. I will
bless your fruit. I will bless them and multiply
them greatly. How little do we see what God
actually does with us? I don't know. I cast the seed
at a venture and I have no idea where the seed lands or how it's
landing or where... I don't try to plant it inside
a person. That is a fruitless work. Because
then I would receive some glory for it. But God says, I'll bless
you. Cast the seed at a venture. And God will bless and increase
His people. And again, He will diminish us. That's how He blesses us. John said this. John the Baptist
said, He must increase, but I must diminish. I must decrease. Let the righteous see this and
rejoice. Rejoice in the humility of grace. and may god use us as he sees
fit. We say come. Come my beloved
into your garden. and eat your pleasant work. See
your pleasant work and give us grace to see it. I long for more
grace to see his great love and work of I want to see it again and I
want to see it again because I need it more today than I did
yesterday. Praise God for his wonderful
works among the Children of Man. Let's stand will be dismissed
in prayer.