Psalm chapter 99. We'll be looking
at this psalm throughout its entirety tonight. Psalm 99. The title of the message is,
The Holy God Reigneth. The Holy God Reigneth. And that's what David, the psalmist
here, begins. He says, The Lord reigneth. The Lord reigneth. Now, he didn't
say, The Lord reigneth? He's not asking a question. He
is making a simple declaration, a very simple truth. This is a factual statement. The Lord reigneth. That's it. Very simple. The Lord
reigneth. This truth is seen in His creation. It's manifest to everyone who
has half a brain to think about it. If you would just look at
the complexity of creation, you know that the Lord God Omnipotent
reigneth. No one else could do what this
What has been done in creation of this world? Nothing and no
one could have done this, but the omnipotent God that reigneth
over all things. This is seen in history concerning
the providence of God. This is a truth in the hearts
of every son and child of Adam, whether he'll recognize it or
not, the Lord God reigneth. It's a truth. He reigns. It's a truth that even Satan
and the host of hell must accept, must confess. We saw this when
the Lord Jesus came down before that demoniac of Gadara. And
that man came running and he said, Lord, You are the Son of
God! What have we to do with Thee?
Is it time? Has the time come? That you should
judge us and condemn us to our eternal damnation in hell. You're
the Son of God. They had to confess it. They
can't do anything but confess it. The Lord God reigneth. Go over to Job. See the words
of God Himself in Job chapter 38. The Lord speaking to Job. In chapter 38, it says, Then
the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, Who is
this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird
up now thy loins like a man, for I will demand of thee, and
answer thou me. Where was thou when I laid the
foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measure thereof,
if thou knowest, and who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon
is the foundation thereof fastened? And who laid the cornerstone
thereof when the morning stars sang together and all the sons
of God shouted for joy? Or who shut up the sea with the
doors when it break forth as if it had issued out of the womb? When I made the cloud, the garment
thereof, the thick darkness, a swaddling band for it, and break up for it my decreed place,
and set bars and doors, and said, Hitherto shalt thou come, and
no further, and here shalt thy proud waves be stayed. Were you
when I made the earth? God asks. Where were you? And upon what foundation did
I place this earth? Where was the first cornerstone
of this world? Where is it? Even today, men
cannot answer these questions. Where were you? You were nowhere
to be found. We were nowhere but in the purpose
and decree of the Almighty. Go over to Job 40. Moreover, the Lord answered Job
and said, Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him?
He that reproveth God, let him answer it. And go down to verse
7. It says, Gird up thy loins now
like a man. This is the second time He said
it. Be a man. Be a man, you that speak without
knowledge. Be a man, gird up your loins,
I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. Wilt thou disannul
my judgment? Wilt thou condemn me, that thou
mayest be righteous? Hast thou an arm like God, or
canst thou thunder with a voice like him? Deck thyself now with
majesty and excellency, and array thyself with glory and beauty.
Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath, and behold every one that is
proud, and abase him. Look on everyone that is proud
and bring him low and tread down the wicked and their place. Hide
them in the dust together and bind their faces in secret. Then will I also confess unto
thee that thine own right hand can save thee." Can you bring
the proud down? Can you bring the sinner down
to the dust? He said, when you can bring that
man down to the dust, then I'll confess you can save yourself.
We can't even bring ourselves down to the dust, much less someone
else. Where was man when God spoke
the heavens and the earth into existence? We cannot even begin
to understand the greatness of the visible creation. How in
the world can we understand the Creator who made it? It says in this scripture that
even God cares for the animals. You know what? I have dogs and
I like my dogs, but I don't like every dog. I don't take care
of every one of them. Matter of fact, I'm sure that
I neglect mine. But I know this, God has in thought
every one of them. He rules over all of them. And so then, who is man to contend
with God? Who are we to contend with this
truth, the Lord reigneth? Who is anyone to say God does
not reign? God who is wisdom and gives wisdom,
how is it that we would instruct Him as to what is best for us?
And yet we try that all the time. We seem to think we know what's
best for us. Can any man disannul God's judgments? Can we find fault with God? Will
you find fault with God? Something happens in our lives.
Something that's devastating to us. Do we find fault with
it? I condemn myself. I'm like Job. I put my hands
and say, Oh Lord, what else can I say? I repent in dust and ashes. Nothing. I have nothing. What is man that thou art mindful
of him? The truth is that there is none
righteous, no, not one. The truth is that man cannot,
by earthly wisdom, find out God. The more God has allowed us to
know of His great creation, the more man has tried to even refuse
his existence. Instead of drawing us to God,
the more man knows about creation, it repels him from God. He resists God's sovereign right
to reign over all things and over all men. God reigneth over all things. Would to God He would give us
such grace to see that. Do you believe that? He rules over all the circumstances. Do you believe that? And friends, He rules over especially
salvation. This matter of salvation is something
that God reigns over. He reigns over all things. Even
Nebuchadnezzar, when he was struck down and God gave him wisdom,
he stood up and he said, I bless the Most High, I praise and honor
Him that liveth forever and ever, whose dominion is an everlasting
dominion. And His kingdom is from generation
to generation. And the inhabitants of the earth
are reputed as nothing. And He doeth according to His
will in the armies of heaven. And the inhabitants of the earth
and none can stay His hand. or saying to him, what doest
thou? The Lord reigneth. There are no accidents with God
because God reigneth over all things. There are no accidents
in this world. How foolish it is for man to
strive with his Creator. How depraved and dead are men
in spiritual understanding who would resist that God reigns
over all things. Isaiah said, Woe unto him that
striveth with his Maker! Let the pot-shirt strive with
the pot-shirt of the earth! Shall the clay say unto him that
fashioneth, What makest thou? or, Thy work hath no hands? Friends, this world says the
Lord's work has no hands. I can't see God. I can't see
His work. I can't see Him working. So therefore,
He doesn't exist. What a foolish statement. What
a foolish and arrogant statement that is. God says, I reign. And you're a fool to strive with
your Maker. And not only does God reign,
friends, God is holy. It's one thing for someone to
reign, but it's altogether different when he that reigneth is holy. Holy. Go back to your text. The Lord
reigneth, let the people tremble. He sitteth between the cherubims,
let the earth be moved. The Lord is great in Zion and
is high above all the people. Let them praise thy great and
terrible name, for it is holy." Men continue in evil, the Scripture
says, because an evil work is not executed speedily. They continue
in evil because they do not believe that God is holy. They will not yield to His deity. And they say, Thy work hath no
hands. And because the sentence against
an evil work is not executed speedily, their heart of the
sons of men is fully That's fixed. Fully fixed to do evil. But I declare unto you all that
the Lord that reigneth is holy and we should tremble. Scripture says that Moses exceedingly
feared and quaked. If you are a sinner who has not
been given faith to believe on Christ, if you have not been
saved by the grace of God, then you should be terribly afraid.
You should be terribly afraid. Not of me. Not of man. But of God. Because God is holy. You should tremble as the devils
do, because you are under the same condemnation if you are
without Christ. Do you see anyone trembling at
the mention of God's name? When you mention God's name,
is there any trembling? I know this, with the host of
hell there is trembling. The devil knows there is a God
and he trembles. The Lord reigneth and should
be feared by sinners because He sits between the seats of
the cherubim. He is a holy and just God. You remember what would happen
if the high priest walked in without blood. He would be immediately
killed because he had no blood. He had no offering for his sins. A man dies in his sins. This
God that reigns, He is holy, and therefore requires man who
is sinful to be holy, even as He is holy. The Lord God that reigns sits
upon the mercy seat, the seat of His holy throne, and He will
judge all men by holy and righteous judgment. Now, I've not experienced
a holy and righteous judgment. Have you? Never. Our laws were based upon
each other. We bend. We understand each other. We say, well, you know, you've
lied to me and I've lied to you and we've all lied to each other.
So we can bend our rules a little bit. We can have compassion on
people without justice. God can have compassion without
justice. He can't. He's holy. He must judge holy. Look at this
in verse 4 of your text. The King's strength also loveth
judgment. The King's strength loveth just judgment. Thou dost establish equity. Thou executest judgment and righteousness
in Jacob." Stop for a minute and consider
God with whom you have to do. God is holy. And if we're not as holy as God
Himself, hell will be our reward. But notice where God sits. That between the cherubims is
also not only a place of judgment, but it is a place of mercy. That's why it was called the
Mercy Seat. If you remember, the two cherubs
had their wings touching each other and it was God that came
down and sat on the Mercy Seat. This is what He has reference
to here. That God sits on a throne of judgment and a throne of mercy. A place of mercy. If God is holy and God reigns
over all things and no one can stay His hand or say unto Him,
what doest thou? If you have sinned and God will
judge all sin, then where are you going to go? You better make
haste. It says, let the earth be moved.
Let all men run to refuge. Find a refuge. You need one. Let the whole earth be moved. Oh, that God would move sinners
to come to the mercy seat and beg for mercy. Beg for mercy. But where would one come for
such mercy? Where do sinners come for refuge
from the wrath of God? Well, look where God sends them.
He said the Lord is great in Zion. Where are we going to hear
about a God that is holy, that reigns, and where are we going
to hear of mercy and grace but in Zion, among God's people,
God's church? Go and hear God's message. Go and hear God's message, not
just anywhere, not just everywhere, but where God has sent someone. Go to the church of God who knows
that our God reigneth. Do we not know that? We know
that. The church knows that our God
reigneth. Go to a place where God is holy,
where God is just, where God is great and infinite in all
of His perfections. Where is He found in such a place?
He's found among His people in such a place. In this place,
He is honored for His perfections, for His glory, for His majesty. Among His people, He is great.
If any sinner will hear of the greatness of God, he will hear
it where God has sent someone to preach the gospel. of God's
grace. Friends, there's a lot of places
to go. You can go anywhere you want to. But you better go where God sends
somebody. Because that's where the message
is. The message for sinners Go to the church because believers
in Christ know that the Lord reigns. And that the Lord is great among
all. And is above all His people. We know that He is above all
of us. I know that. The Lord God reigns. Rules everything. Nothing's outside
of Him. And I bow down and I worship
Him. May the Lord God in our hearts,
may search our hearts to know that He alone is worthy of our
worship and the glory of all His people. He is worthy of worship. Worthy of praise. Sinners go
to Zion, they will come to God as all the saints of God do.
When a person comes in and hears the message of Jesus Christ by
the power of the Holy Spirit, do you know that he is going
to have the same path as us? When you commune with me about
concerning our experiences may be different, but I'll tell you
this, the object of our faith is not The object of our faith
is not different. The spirit of God that quickened
our soul is not different. The faith by which we believe
is by the grace of God is not different. Comes by the same
Lord. And so will every sinner come
the way of all saints. Well, how do the saints of God
approach God? How do you approach God? How do we pray to God? How is
it that we come with such boldness of heart? Do we come as though
God is equal or that we're equal with God? Do we come that way? Does anyone who even knows that
they have the righteousness of God imputed and imparted to them?
Which one of us would come to God in such a way as to be irreverent? None of us. Oh, no. That's not how you come to God. We come with reverence and godly
devotion, for God is holy. Ecclesiastes says, don't be rash
with your mouth to rush into the presence of God, for God
is in heaven and you are on the earth. Don't be rash. Don't be rash. We come to God
as our Father, our King, our Lord. We come to give Him praise
and thanksgiving. Sinner, come and see. Come and
commune with before God. Come and see how it is that the
Lord reigneth, and He is holy, and come that you might find
mercy. Because this is the calling of
the message. Mercy. All sinners must come in need
of mercy. You know what? I still need mercy.
I have not ceased to need mercy. I need it every day. So if you
want to see how to come to God, come follow me. Because I'm going
to come begging for mercy. I'm not going to come demanding
anything of God. Come seeking mercy. All sinners must come. And if
you come seeking mercy, there's only one way that God's church
comes, and that is by the person and work of Jesus Christ. We
come by a representative man. We come by a substitutionary
man. A mediator. One that stands between
us and God. One that comes and communes between
us and the mighty God that reigns. And His name is the Lord Jesus
Christ, the eternal Son of God. That's how we come. We come by
person. The Lord loveth judgment. Who among men love judgment? Who could say that? Even the
word itself. It inflicts a sense of hostility
in the flesh. When you say, judgment! And you
say, oh, I love that. There's only one who's like that.
There's only one man. And his name is Jesus Christ.
He loved judgment. Why is that? Because he was holy. What is it that we fear about
judgment if we have no guilt? There's no fear where there's
no guilt. But we have what? We have a conscience. We have guilt. So therefore,
judgment, the word, not something we love. But this man, he loveth
judgment. The king loveth judgment. God, who loved judgment, has
by himself established equity. He has accomplished, he has executed
judgment and righteousness, where? In Jesus Christ, Jacob, in his
seed. See the condescension the Lord
uses to even be called Jacob. Oh, how the Lord identified with
us in such a way we could not comprehend when he condescended
to become a man. Now, this word equity. He said
he established equity, it means no difference, it means evenness. If any sinners to come to God,
it must be on an even ground, an even ground. How will you
come to God? Well, if you're going to come
to God for mercy, you're going to come on an equitable ground.
that you are absolutely and completely unworthy and absent of any righteousness. That's how you'll go. That's
how you must go. You must compare yourselves,
not among yourselves, but by Jesus Christ. He is the standard
by which all men should compare themselves as to whether they
are worthy of God's eternal judgment or God's eternal love. He's the
standard. He's the ground by which sinners
come. All have sinned and come short
of the glory of God. What a sad case it is when men
compare themselves to each other. Well, you know, if that pastor
is going to heaven, I sure am. Because he sure is bad. He's
a mean fellow talking about infants being born in sin. Oh, you're
a bad man. I'm surely better than you are.
I'm sure you are. I have no doubt about that. But
are you good as God? Because that's the standard.
Are you holy as God? The sinner must come on an even
playing field, because we have all sinned and missed the mark. We must come unworthy, seeking
mercy. That's something we don't do
with each other, is it, usually? I mean, we don't have a monarchy.
We don't have anything to relate to in this, but other than God
seeking mercy. Absolute, absolute free mercy,
because there's no other kind of mercy than free mercy. Otherwise,
it's merit. I don't want to come to God with
merit, I don't have it. I cannot merit it. We stand on even playing field. Jesus is that straight gate and
that narrow way, and this is not a legalistic way or a way
of smallness. It is a only way. It is the only way to God. Jesus said, I am the way, the
truth and the life. And no man comes to God but by
me. That's not narrow enough for
you. I don't know what it is. There's only one. You got to
come only one way and you only come by one man. By faith in
Jesus Christ alone. Scripture says there is none
of the name given among men whereby we must be saved. If any sinner
will come to God with equity, will not come to God with equity,
will not repent. And friends, know this, God is
not a respecter of your person. God doesn't care who you are
or what status you've achieved or what work you've done. in
this world. We all must come as sinners.
The sovereign God has established salvation only by free and sovereign
grace through faith in Christ, who loveth judgment. Christ is the only one God has
ever accepted. The only one. And if you're not in Him, You're
not accepted. It's that simple. It's that black
and white. And the church knows and declares
that judgment and righteousness were executed when God imputed
our sins to His Son. I told you that God cannot be
merciful at the expense of His justice. He cannot. And the only way by which a sinner
can be brought into the presence of God and be accepted is that
our sins be charged, our sins be punished. And this is the way of mercy,
is that He imputed our sins to Christ. He hath laid on Him the
iniquity of us all who knew no sin. that we might be made the
righteousness of God. Jesus Christ has come and fulfilled
all the righteousness of God by His absolute perfect obedience. I believe in Him. He is my righteousness. Would to God I could let go of
any thought of righteousness or righteous deeds of my flesh
and see that Christ is all my righteousness. What a breath of fresh air that
is. That I'm not trying to earn God's
favor. Christ has already earned it.
in my place. God is never going to punish
me for my sins. Do you know that? Do you hold
that? Because that's, you know, we
can build, man can build on the highest mountain, the firmest
rock in all the world, and they can build the most rickety shack
in the world, but one thing about it, their shack may fall down,
but that rock is not moving. I'll tell you this, our rock
doesn't move. Our rock is Christ. Jesus Christ is all our hope
of righteousness. The King's strength also loveth
judgment and doth establish equity and execute a judgment and righteousness
in Jacob, in Christ. Exalt ye the Lord our God and
worship at his footstool." What else can you do? What else will the church do
but worship at his footstool? I can identify with a woman who
said, when Jesus said that bread is for the children, Not to be
given unto dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord, but
the dogs received the crumbs from the master's table. I take
my place with her." Have you taken your place with her? We worship at His footstool because
God has exalted Him and given Him a name that's above every
name. Jesus Christ is both Lord and Christ. In verses 6 and 8 it says, Moses
and Aaron among the priests and Samuel among them that called
upon his name, they called upon the Lord and he answered them. What a blessing that is. These
men were sinners. These men were sinners and they
called on the name of the Lord and he heard them. If He heard
them, will He not hear us? We who come in equity. We come as sinners. We come to
a holy God that reigneth and we come only by His one offering
for sin. And we seek mercy. And we know
this, that everyone who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ He shall
be saved. The scripture said, The day is
coming, and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son
of God, and they that hear might live. Is that what it says? Maybe? Perhaps? Probably? No. They shall live. If God ever
speaks to your heart, I know this, you shall live. Was there
any question Lazarus was coming out of that tomb? Do you suppose
there were any debate as to Lazarus debating with himself as whether
to come out or not? No. There's no debate about this. When God moves on a man's heart,
he will believe on Christ. He must believe on Christ. He shall live. and have faith
in Christ. And God will hear him. All who
are saved are saved by the grace of God. And look, he spake unto
them in the cloudy pillar, and they kept his testimony and his
ordinances that he gave them. What is this? Faith. Sinner, believe on Christ now. That's his ordinance. This is
testimony. Believe on Christ now and you
shall have peace in your soul. I'm not telling you to believe
about Christ. I'm telling you to believe on
Christ. Believe in Christ. This is the work of God's grace. In verse 8, Thou answerest them,
O Lord our God, Thou wast a God that forgavest them, though Thou
tookest vengeance on their inventions. A forgiving God. I may not be a smart man, but
I know this, only a sinner needs forgiveness. And I realize I'm in constant
need of forgiveness. John says that if a man say he
hath not sinned, he made God a liar. Scripture says if we confess
our sins, he is faithful and right to forgive us our sins. And you know what? Every time
I ask, He forgives me. Without question. Without question. He's faithful and right. Oh, that speaks peace to the
one asking, to the one in need of forgiveness. Thou forgavest
them. But notice the warning. He took
us vengeance or he dealt in judgment with their invention. Our God
is a chastening God. Our Father, who is in heaven,
he chastens his children. Not for our harm, but for our
good. Scripture says, despise not the
chastening hand of God. Matter of fact, if you are not
in chastisement, then are you bastards and not sons. Are you skipping through this
life or are you having trouble? Because I'm telling you what,
God's people, we get taken to the woodshed. God's people are chastened people. Do you have a burden concerning
your sin? Are you chastened about your
sin? Are you just content to go on in sin? And say, well,
God will just forgive me. He's faithful and just. He'll
just forgive me. Any man that has that has no idea of what
grace is. And what is left to do but exalt
the Lord our God and worship at His holy hill? Friends, we worship our God,
not another. I will not give place to another
God. We must not give place to another God. We must not give
honor to another God than our God that reigneth. To our God
who is holy. To our God who has sent His Son
to be the only acceptable offering for sin and who has accomplished
salvation. Any other God I have no care
to hear about. A weak, effeminate God that can't
help me, that can't save me, that needs me, is a God I don't
need. I need a God who absolutely does
everything for me. Who's accomplished everything.
And I'll tell you what, that God is to be worshipped. He's to be reverenced. He's to be exalted. And I worship my God, and he
closes the psalm with this, for the Lord our God is holy. For we who have been saved by
God's grace and have been forgiven our sins, the holiness of God
is a precious thing. Because I know this, God cannot
lie if He's holy. God cannot demand twice payment
for sin and be holy. My God is holy. He's just. And I, by Jesus Christ, am justified before a holy God. And so He directs our paths.
Every day, the Lord God reigneth. May God give us peace to say
that in every instance, in every circumstance, in every trouble. The Lord God. And this is what
we'll sing in heaven. It says in Revelation, we'll
sing this. The Lord God omnipotent reigneth. He reigns still. He'll always reign. What are we to fear? If God before you, who can be
against you? May God bless you. May God lead
you. according to his mercies. Let's
stand and be dismissed in prayer. Cody, would you dismiss us in
prayer, brother?