Well, this is a real treat for
me. I was thinking about what Gabe
was saying and asking the Lord to help us. I know we're tired. But boy, what a joy to be able
to come together and be tired. Be tired with a desire to want
to worship. Ask the Lord to help us. I pray
the Lord does so tonight. Turn with me back to Genesis
chapter 20. Sarah, Abraham's wife, has been
taken by a king. king of Girar named Abimelech. And Abraham had said he and his
wife had made a pact. And he said, when we go somewhere,
he said, for fear of them killing me, he said, I want you to say,
I'm going to tell them you're my sister. And she said, I'll
tell them that you're my brother, and that's what happened. And
now this king has taken Sarah. Look at verse three, first two
words of verse three. But God, But almighty God, who rules in
heaven and earth, had come to this king, Abimelech, had come
in a dream, and he told him, he said, the woman that you've
taken is another man's wife. And you're a dead man. You touch
her. Almighty God knows the thoughts
of all men. That amazes me. Psalm 94 11,
the Lord knoweth the thoughts of man that they are vanity. I thought about that passage
of scripture and I thought, you know, how lightly, how little,
how insignificantly we think concerning the Lord. He knows. He knows everything, knows everything
that every man thinks, intends, he knows. The Lord had come to him in this
dream and Abimelech pled himself to be innocent. He said, I did this out of the integrity
of my heart. But the Lord revealed to Abimelech,
it wasn't out of the integrity of your heart that you didn't
touch her. I kept you from touching her. I was the one that kept you from
sinning against me. All sin is against God. David prayed in Psalm 51, for
against thee, thee only have I sinned and done this evil in
thy sight. But we realize that every infraction,
everything we don't even know that we're doing is against the
Lord. And so, The Lord instructed this
man concerning something. I'm the one that kept you. The Lord had promised Abraham
that Sarah would have a son, Abraham's son. And through that
son would come the Messiah. I kept you from touching her.
God's honor at stake. If that man touched her, God
said, I'll kill you. You know, we don't realize what
we go through as being always the will of the Lord. I'll just
be honest with you. I'm the first one. Something
comes up and I don't know where, why did that happen? I was thinking
about the Apostle Paul, that Almighty God might deliver him
from being exalted above measure with pride, send him a messenger
of Satan, a thorn in the flesh to keep him, to keep him. Paul asked the Lord, he said,
to remove that thorn, I besought the Lord thrice, that he might
remove that, and the Lord's answer was this, my grace is sufficient. I was thinking about Brother
Larry, when you were praying here, I thought, God sent that
storm. God sent that storm. The Lord
sent that storm and put, all that water in that house, that
the Lord might be honored. God might be glorified. And his
people might be blessed to be able to, for the glory of God
and the good of God's saints. I thought, what a blessing. All
things, and we know that all things work together for good
to them that love God. You mean even that? Yes, even
that. Even Sarah being captured, even Sarah being captured, taken.
Almighty God rules and reigns in heaven and earth. So here
the Lord has told Abimelech, I kept you from touching her. I suffered thee, verse six, not
to touch her. Now verse seven, I'd like to
stay in verse seven for just a few minutes tonight. The Lord
says, now therefore, realizing that it was not your integrity,
it was not your innocence, I stopped you. Therefore, restore the man
his wife. Now, Sarah is here as a picture
and a type of the bride of the Lord Jesus Christ. And she's
in bondage. She's in bondage to someone that
doesn't love her. Someone that's not her husband.
But rather she's in bondage to one who opposes all that's honorable
and good and God-honoring. Here's a king. He's got her and
now she's in his harem. And as a type of the Lord Jesus
Christ bride. We realize something. The Lord
has a bride. He's always had a bride. The
scripture said in Hosea 2.19, I will betroth thee unto me forever. Looking at the wording of that,
time out of mind, past or future. And I will betroth thee unto
me in righteousness. and in judgment and in loving
kindness and in mercies. This blessed union has been established
by Almighty God and it is a union that is never to be dissolved. A union according to the scriptures,
it says it was established in righteousness and judgment, setting
forth the truth that no unrighteousness or no justice is left unsatisfied. This is a holy union, a precious
union. She is the bride of Christ. But something happened. In Adam's
transgression, the bride fell, and she fell into bondage. But here's a blessed thought.
Never from her relationship as being the bride of the bridegroom. She died in Adam. She died spiritually
in Adam. And she is in bondage to sin,
to Satan, to death, but she's his bride. Restore the man his wife. That is setting forth the will
and the purpose of the father concerning the son. This wife,
the wife of the only begotten of the father is in need of restoration. She can't restore herself. She's
captive. And Abimelech has been commanded
to restore Sarah, setting forth the Lord's purpose. And Sarah's
restoration to her husband would therefore magnify the blessed
rescue of Sarah. Sarah's in bondage, but the glory
of the rescue, the glory of the restoration, Turn with me to
Psalm 69, four. He told Abimelech, you restore
the wife, but there's only one that can restore. Psalm 69, verse
four. Here's the Lord setting forth
his work. Psalm 69, verse four. I said, yeah, 69, I'm sorry.
69, verse four. They that hate me without a cause
are more than the hairs of mine head. They that would destroy
me, being mine enemies wrongfully are mighty. Then I restored that
which I took not away. Sarah's bondage was the result
of a lie. Abraham said she's my sister.
And she said, he's my brother. And the king of Gerar took her,
thinking that that was the way it was. It was a lie. Out of
fear, Abraham said what he said. But in the garden, the bride
of the Lord Jesus Christ had come into this world, She became in bondage because
of the lie of Satan told to Eve, and Satan came to Eve and said,
hath God said that you should die? Yes, if we take of the fruit,
God said we'll die. He said you're not gonna die.
God knows that in the day that you eat thereof, you're gonna
be like God. Eve took of the fruit, She saw
that it was good for food. She ate of it. But it was not
until Adam ate, and when Adam ate, their eyes were opened,
and they knew that they were naked. A lie And now mankind
is in bondage to sin, Satan, and death. And now all men, all
women have come forth now, and we all walked, the scripture
says, according to the course of this world, according to the
prince of the power of the air. We're all in bondage. We're all
born in bondage. Bondage to sin, Satan, death. Spiritual death, we died immediately. And because of that spiritual
death, we're gonna die physically. And but for the grace of God,
we'll die eternally. But God. The Lord Jesus Christ
has come into this world to restore that which he took not away.
We're in bondage to sin. What must he do to deliver us
from the body of this death? Sin, what must he do? He was
made sin. 2 Corinthians 5, 21, for he hath
made him to be sin for us who knew no sin. that we might be
made the righteousness of God. He was made what we are, carried
our sorrows, the scripture says, yet we did esteem Him stricken,
smitten of God, and afflicted, and being made sin that held
us in bondage. The scripture sets forth He died
under the penalty that was due us. He put away our debt to the
law, and now regenerated by his power and grace, the scripture
says, sin shall not have dominion over you, for you're not under
the law, but under grace. He conquered it, death. How did
he conquer death for the sheep? He died. he died bearing their
guilt their sin bore their guilt in his own body and died suffering
the penalty and wrath of the law in their stead and was buried
but three days later the father manifested his victory over death
and raised him from the grave he conquered sin He conquered
death. And Satan, the scripture sets
forth that Satan, the adversary of the sheep, was defeated in
heaven, thrown out of heaven, thrown down to the earth. Now
all the power that he has, he goes around as a roaring lion,
seeking whom he may devour. All of Satan's power is delegated
by the Lord to Satan. He's God's devil. but he's defeated,
thrown out of heaven and the power of the Lord Jesus Christ
over Satan was manifested in the wilderness when the Lord victoriously resisted
the devil and his temptation. And soon the scripture sets forth
in Revelation 20 verse 10, the devil is gonna be cast into the
lake of fire and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Now let me tell you where God's people are right now. Turn to
Colossians chapter two. Colossians two. Here's the blessed state of all
of us found in Adam, fallen into sin, captive, bondage, needy,
restoration, restored, Restored from sin, the bondage of sin.
Restored from death, the penalty. Restored from captivity of Satan,
strong man. One who's stronger than the strong
man. Went into his house, bound him. Led captivity captive. Colossians. Chapter 2, verse
10 to 15, and ye are complete in him, which is the head of
all principality and power, in whom also you're circumcised
with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body
of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ. buried
with him in baptism, wherein also you are risen with him through
the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from
the dead. And you, being dead in your sins, and the uncircumcision
of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven
you all trespasses, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances
that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out
of the way, nailing it to his cross. And having spoiled principalities
and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over
them in it." Sarah. was to be restored to
her husband. And the scripture declares that
the one to whom she was to be restored, turn back to Genesis
chapter 20, who is he? Who is her husband? The scripture says, verse seven
now, therefore restore the man his wife for or because he is
a prophet. Hold your place there. I want
you to turn to Deuteronomy 18, 15. Deuteronomy 18, 15. You restore
the man his wife because he is a prophet. I want you to look who came into
this world and restored his people, redeemed them from the bondage
of their sin, redeemed them from the penalty of the law, from
the surety of death without the restoration. took them from the
captivity of Satan. Let me show you who he is. Deuteronomy
18, verse 15. The Lord thy God will raise up
unto thee a, I want you to look at that next word. Do you know,
I wish I did know the significance of that capital P. But that capital
P is everything. The Lord thy God will raise up
unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee. Of thy brethren
like unto me, unto him ye shall hearken. That verse of scripture
is probably one of the clearest declarations concerning the Lord
Jesus Christ being the prophet. of Almighty God. You know what
a prophet does? He speaks to the people from
God. He tells the people what God
has to say. The prophet. He's a prophet. I looked up that word right there,
prophet. And this is what it said. A genuine prophet. A genuine prophet. The spokesman. Who is a prophet like the prophet from God who
is God? That's a genuine prophet. You
restore the man his wife, for he is a prophet. He's my prophet. He is sent from heaven itself to God's people
to set forth God's will, God's purpose in their restoration. I wanna know about that. Tell
me what God has to say about saving me from myself, from the
penalty of my sin. God over all, who is blessed
forever, did condescend and take upon himself our nature. Made in the likeness of sinful
flesh, made in the likeness, he knew no sin, but made in the
likeness of sinful flesh that he might be a merciful and faithful
high priest. Deuteronomy 18, 15 said, Moses,
speaking under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, said, God,
it's your sin, a prophet. Made like unto me, he said. Made
like unto Moses as the authority, as the appointed authority over
God's people, but with this wonderful exception, difference. Moses
was a servant of the Lord, and the prophet is the Lord. He is God. Back in Genesis chapter
20, restore the man, his wife, for he is a prophet and he will
pray for thee and thou shalt live. Now here we behold the sustaining
keeping grace and power of the Lord Jesus Christ for his people. Turn with me to John 17. As the
great high priest, whoever liveth to make intercession for his
people, he prays for us. Now listen, you restore the man
his wife, for he's a prophet. and he will pray for thee and
you will live. Now here's what he's saying. If he prays for you, if he prays
for you, you'll live. And I'll show you why right here.
John 17. Verse 6, I have manifested thy
name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world. Thine
they were, and thou gavest them me, and they've kept thy word.
Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given
me are of thee. For I have given unto them the
words which thou gavest me, and they have received them, and
have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have
believed that thou didst send me. Now this next verse right here
is the very heart When the Lord told Abimelech, he shall pray
for thee, and thou shalt live. Look at verse nine. I pray for
them. Who? Those that you've given
me. I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast
given me, for they are thine. Look at verse 24, Luke. Father,
I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where
I am, that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given
me, for thou lovest me before the foundation of the world. Oh, that the Lord prays for me.
Pray for me. You know, I've done it, you have
too. You're in need of somebody to
pray for you, somebody you trust. That's just a catchphrase for
a lot of people, I know that. You know, my thoughts and prayers
are with you. But for somebody that I have
a heart and believe knows the Lord, knows the God that I worship,
when they tell me, I'm praying for you. but that the Lord prays
for me, that the Lord prays for me. Restore the man his wife,
for he's a prophet, and he will pray for thee, and thou shalt
live. Back in Genesis chapter 20, we'll
wrap this up. And if thou restore her not,
know that thou shalt surely die, thou and all that are thine. Here's what he's saying. Restore
the man his wife. And if you refuse, if you refuse,
is what he's saying. If you restore her not. If Abimelech refused to restore
Sarah to her husband, If he sought only disobedience before God,
if he proceeded to try to take her and defile her, when the
Lord, as I said a few moments ago, had told Abraham, Sarah's
gonna have your son. Sarah's gonna have a son by you,
Abraham. If you restore her not, know for surely you're gonna
die and all that's thine, all that has the heart that you have,
you're a dead man. That's what he told him in verse
three. To touch with disrespect the
people of God is a personal attack upon the Lord himself. Saul Saul,
why persecutest thou me? The bride is his body, one with
him, vitally united with him in covenant mercy, covenant grace.
The Lord told when he separated the sheep and the goats, Matthew
25, 40, He said, inasmuch as you've done it unto one of the
least of these, my brethren, you've done it unto me. And this
is the desire to be kept by the Lord, who loves us, gave himself
for us. Listen to David, Psalm 17, eight.
Keep me as the apple of thine eye. Hide me under the shadow
of thy wings. And the Lord, according to Isaiah
46, 10, The Lord who has magnified his
word, that's Psalm 138 verse two, he's magnified his word
above all his name, shall establish that his counsel shall stand
and he will do all his pleasure. Now therefore, restore the man
his wife, she's in need of restoration. And the only one that can restore
the bride of Christ is the bridegroom. And he said, I restored that
which I took not away. Restore the man his wife, for
he's a prophet. He shall pray for thee, and thou
shalt live. And if thou restore her not,
know that thou shalt surely die, thou and all that are thine. Thank the Lord for the blessed
restoration of his people. We would have never restored
ourselves. Thank God that he was pleased to come down and
deliver us from the bondage of sin, death, Satan, self, this
world. For his glory and for our eternal
good, amen.