Go with me, if you would, back
to Psalm 115. Psalm 115. Verse 3 says, But our God, I titled this message, Their
God and Our God. Verse 3 says, But our God is
in the heavens. He hath done whatsoever He hath
pleased. There are many gods that exist
in the minds and hearts of people all over this world. Meaning
there are many ideas that people have of who they think God is. And every different idea is a
different god. There are many gods that exist
throughout the denominations of Christianity. Oh, there's
so many denominations. Why do we have so many denominations?
We only need one. But there are many, many gods
in the minds and in the hearts of people all over this world.
But the reality is there is only one true and living God. There is only one God who is
in the heavens, seated on a throne, and His name is the Lord Jesus
Christ. He says continually throughout
His Word, I am God, beside me there is none else. There's none
else. There's no other God. There's
no other Savior. All of the other little g gods. These gods of men and women's
imaginations. They are no gods at all. None at all. None of them are
living. Everybody has an idea of who
they think God is. None of those, if it's contrary
to this Word, none of them are living, which means they're dead.
People worship dead gods. They can't do anything. They
know they can't. They say they can't. They can't
save. All of them are worthless. They're
all worthless. Without you, they're all worthless.
They're all helpless. It doesn't matter whether they
go by the name Buddha, or Mohammed, or Mary, or even many of them
that go by the name Jesus. There are lots of Jesus, little
g-gods. If we are talking about a weak,
worthless, helpless God that needs us to do something for
Him, then we're not talking about God at all. I'm not sure who
we're talking about, but we're not talking about God. Therefore, all of these false
gods, so many of them, all of these false gods that men and
women have made up in their mind. People think, well, I think God
is like this. And somebody else will say, I
don't know. I think God is like this. All
of them can be thrown into one category. They are all known
as their gods, their idols. Now before we go any further,
we must understand this. All of us, we must understand
this. But for the grace of God, their
God would be our God. But for the grace of God, had
the true and living God left His people to themselves, had
He not laid hold of them and pulled them out, had He left
us to ourselves in our way, the way that we knew naturally all
through this life, all of us would be bowing before
the idols of their gods. All of us would. It takes the
grace of God. It takes the kindness and mercy
and favor and grace of God. Only the grace of God can make
a sinner see and hear and believe on and bow before the true and
living God. Only the grace of God can do
that. We take no credit. It's the only way it can happen.
God has to make it happen. So there's no room for pride.
When we talk about their God and our God, oh, there's no room
for pride. There's no room for boasting.
There's only room for praise and thanks. We declare this in
praise and thanks. Verse 18 in this chapter says,
But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. That's a believer's response.
All thanks and all praise be unto Him. Verse 1 says, Not unto
us. Before he said this, he starts
by saying, Not unto us, O Lord. Not unto us, but unto thy name
give glory for thy mercy and for thy truth's sake. Now for
just a moment, I'd like for us to look at the difference between
their God, which every little g God, every made up God and
a made up God is, is a God who is not the way he has described
himself to be in his word. All of these little G gods are
thrown into the category of their God. Let's look at the difference
between their God and the one and only true and living God,
who by His grace has allowed His people to call Him our God. Their God and our God. That's
all I want us to do is just see this difference. And it's a big
difference. It's a big difference. Hold your place right here and
look at Deuteronomy 32. Deuteronomy 32, Moses said in
verse 31, For their rock is not as our
rock. You see that lowercase r and
that capital R? Their rock is not as our rock. The true and living God, verse
37, He shall say, Where are their gods, their rock, in whom they
trusted? which did eat the fat of their
sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offerings. Let
them rise up and help you and be your protection. See now that
I, even I am He, and there is no God with me." I kill. He said, let me make that clear.
You know, things happen and men and women die every day. And
I had a woman tell me one time concerning something that had
happened. She said, God did not want that
to happen. I said, ma'am, if God did not want that to happen,
that wouldn't have happened. He said, I kill. I make a life. I wound. And I heal, neither
is there any that can deliver out of my hand." Moses said it. God said it. And we're going
to see in our text that there's a big difference. It's not subtle. It's not subtle. Well, we're
all close. We're all close. We can all come
together. We're not in alignment on every
single thing, but it's so close. No, there's a big difference.
There's a big difference. And I pray God will open our
eyes this morning to see it. I honestly do. I pray God will open our eyes
to see this difference. Go back to Psalm 115 with me. Verse 3 says, Our God is in the
heavens, He hath done whatsoever He hath pleased. But verse 4
says, Their idols, their gods, are silver and gold, the work
of men's hands. May we enter into that. May that
be emphasized. The work of men's hands. That's an excellent description
of a false God. A false God who's being preached
and believed on. If in order for me to have my
God, it requires the work of my hands, I have a false God. That's not God. If He can't be my God without
the work of my hands, I have a false God. If He is reliant
on me, now God wants to save you if you'll let Him. Are you
going to let Him? He's standing there knocking
at your heart's door. Aren't you going to open it?
He's waiting. He took the first step, all you
have to do now is take the second. If He is reliant on me, I have
a false God. I have a false God. Silver and
gold in the scripture, they represent many things. But one of the things
they represent is the law, God's pure, holy, perfect, royal law. They represent the value and
they represent the perfection that He demands. Men come before Him thinking,
well, I'm going to bring the best I have, buddy. The best
is not good enough. It's not good enough. Gold is tried in the fire. Thy dross to consume and thy
gold to refine. They represent the purity that
He requires in order to be satisfied. How good does a person have to
be to enter heaven? As good as God! as good as God. That's the purity he demands
in order to be satisfied. God gave Moses commandments concerning
the tabernacle itself and everything that would be in that tabernacle
for man to be able to come before him. And he said it all has to
be covered in silver and gold. The pillars have to be, the sockets
have to be, the utensils have to be, the altar has to be. Everything
that was required for God to be satisfied. That silver and
gold is a picture of the perfect fulfillment of His law. If the
God that I am bowing before says, the law cannot be fulfilled,
it cannot be satisfied without the works of my hands, then I'm
bowing before a false God. The true and living God of heaven,
the Lord Jesus Christ said, I came to fulfill the law for my
people. That's why I came. I did not
come to destroy it. I came to fulfill it. Christ
is the end of the deeds of the law. for righteousness. What that means is everything
that God demands out of His people to be allowed to walk in, Christ
did it for them. And He took it and covered them
with it. And they stand there in His righteousness, not their
own. Love your neighbor as yourself.
I promise no one has ever done that in this room. He did. Oh, greater love had no man than
this. He laid down His life for those
who were His enemies. So here's the difference. A false
God needs man to do everything for Him. And here's the declaration. Do. Do. Now come on now, brother. Come on. Do. You're going to
have to do now. It's time to start working. You
better start working. You got to do. That's the declaration
of a false God. The true and living God does
not need man to do anything for Him. He said, all the gold and
the silver in the hills is mine. He said, if I was hungry, I wouldn't
ask you. He doesn't need our yard sales. He doesn't need anything. Nothing. He does everything for
man. And the announcement is, Done. That's the message. Done. It's over. It's finished. It's settled. The law is fulfilled. Does that relieve anybody? The law is fulfilled. Everything
that is commanded for us sinners to keep, Christ kept it. The
law is fulfilled. God is satisfied. Here's the
declaration. Rest. Just rest. Christ has already finished the
work. That's a big difference. That's a huge difference. Psalm 115, verse 3, Our God is
in the heavens. He hath done whatsoever He hath
pleased. He's done whatsoever He has pleased. Their idols are silver and gold,
the work of men's hands. They have mouths. They're gods. They have mouths. They have given
them mouths. And I think of, you know, they
used to melt gold and silver down and form these little idols
and they'd set them up on the shelf and they'd give them mouths.
And men are doing the same thing in pulpits today. They have mouths,
but they speak not. I pray that we all, and oh, as
many as the Lord would allow, would come to understand this
right here. If I cannot find what my God has said in this
book, I have a false God. People say
all the time, they say it all the time. Well now you know God
says, and then fill in the blank with something. Well now God
says, but it can't be found in this
book. People make up things, things of their imagination,
but it cannot be found in this book. If I cannot find what my
God says in this book, I have a false God. The true and living
God has a mouth and He has spoken. He has spoken. Go with me to
Deuteronomy 32 again. Deuteronomy 32 verse 1. Give ear, O ye heavens, and I
will speak. And hear, O earth, the words
of my mouth. My doctrine, and that word doctrine
means words, teaching, shall drop as the rain, my speech shall
distill as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and
as the showers upon the grass, because I will publish the name
of the Lord, Christ Jesus the Lord. God the Father says, He
goes on in verse 3 to say, Ascribe ye greatness unto our God. In Hebrews 1, God the Father
said to God the Son, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever. Verse four says, he is the rock. That rock was Christ. He is the
rock. His work is perfect for all his
ways are judgment, a God of truth and without iniquity, just and
right is he. The father said, give ear and
I'll speak of him. I'll speak of Christ. don't turn
but the true God said in Isaiah 55 as the rain cometh down and
the snow from heaven and returneth not thither but watereth the
earth and maketh it bring forth and bud that it may give seed
to the sower and bread to the eater so shall my word Be that
goeth forth out of my mouth, it shall not return unto me void,
but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall
prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. What he's saying is,
if I have spoken it, it shall come to pass. I'll do it. Go with me back to Psalm 115. Verse 5 says, They have mouths,
but they speak not. Eyes have they, but they see
not. If there is anything that my
God can't see. And I'll just mention one of
the most common ones. This is one of the most common
things that the gods of men's imaginations can't see. If my
God can't see my sin. If he cannot see my sin, if the
God that I worship If I think that He's so happy with me and
He's just so proud of me and so pleased with me because I
believe in the depths of my soul that He can't see my sin. You
know those thoughts we have? And we think, gosh, let's just
omit that one. We won't say anything about that
one. If I believe that He really cannot
see my sin, If I believe I can hide my sin
from Him, then I believe in a false God. Turn over to Psalm 139. Psalm
139, verse 1. It says, Oh Lord, thou hast searched
me and known me. Thou knowest my down sitting,
my uprising, you know, everything I do, every single thing I do,
you see it all. My down sitting, my uprising,
thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my
path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways,
for there is not a word in my tongue. But lo, O LORD, thou
knowest it all together. Verse 12 says, Yea, the darkness
hideth not from thee, but the night shineth as the day. The
darkness and the light are both a light to thee. It doesn't matter,
you see it all. Verse 23, David said, Search
me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts and
see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way
everlasting. What's the way everlasting? Christ. Not my do's and don'ts and the
works of my hands. Christ. He said, I'm the way. I'm the way, the only way. David
said, Lord, you see it all. You see me for what I truly am. Job 34 says, his eyes are upon
the ways of man and he seeth all his goings. All of them. Look with me over at Matthew
chapter 9. Matthew 9, this is the true and
living God. Matthew 9, verse 1, And He entered
into a ship, and passed over, and came into His own city, And
behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a
bed. And Jesus, seeing their faith, said unto the sick of
the palsy, Son, be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee. And
behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves." They
didn't say it out loud. This was in their mind and in
their heart. They said within themselves, this man blasphemeth. And Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, Wherefore think you evil
in your hearts? He could see the sin of their
thoughts without them ever even saying a word. In John 5, the
Lord Jesus Christ said, I know you that you have not the love
of God in you. He could see inside their heart.
He said, I know what's inside you. I see the sin. I see it. He sees the sin of the deed. He sees the sin of the thought.
He sees the sin of the motive of the heart. But thank God that's
not all that he sees. All right, I'm going to repeat
that. He sees the sin of the deed.
He sees the sin of the thought. He sees the sin of the heart.
But thank God that's not all He sees. Turn with me over to
Exodus chapter 12. Exodus 12, verse 12. He said, For I will pass through
the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn
in the land of Egypt, both man and beast, and against all the
gods of Egypt, I will execute judgment, I am the LORD. and the blood shall be to you
for a token upon the houses where you are. And when I see the blood,
I will pass over you And the plague shall not be upon you
to destroy you when I smite the land of Egypt. I see the sin,
I see the wickedness, but I'm sending my son to be the lamb
of sacrifice. I'm sending my son to shed his
blood as a payment for all of your sins. We can't right our
wrongs. Once sin is done, wrong is done. And the only thing that will
right our wrongs is the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ poured
all over His people, covering all of those sins. And God the
Father says, when I see the blood, when my eyes see His blood, the
blood of my Beloved, I'll pass over you. Your blood will not
be shed because His blood was shed. Don't we thank God for
the fact that He has eyes and He can see? The true God, He
has eyes and He can see. Go back with me to Psalm 115. Verse 3 says, Our God is in the
heavens, he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. Their idols
are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths,
but they speak not. Eyes have they, but they see
not. They have ears, but they hear not. Isaiah 45 said, they
have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image
and pray unto a God that cannot save. Men and women all over
this world are crying out in constant prayer. There are places
that have 24 hour prayer, round the clock prayer. People take
shifts. Men and women are crying out
in constant prayer to a God that cannot hear a word they're saying.
and can't do anything for them. But the true and living God said,
I have heard. I've heard their groanings, I've
heard their murmurings, I've heard their crying to me. And I'm going to help them. And
I'm going to deliver them. Why will he do that? Why will
he hear and why will he deliver? It's because of a sweet-smelling
savor that was offered unto Him. Our brother just told us about
it. Oh, a sweet-smelling savor. Verse 6 goes on to say, Their
gods have noses, but they can't smell anything. Noses have they,
but they smell not. The true and living God said,
I've smelled the sacrifice that I provided for the sin of my
people. I've smelled my lamb slain, and it's such a sweet-smelling
savor unto me. For that reason, they can approach
me boldly, and they can ask for mercy and grace to help in time
of need. And I'm going to hear them. David
said, bow down your ear to me. He said, I'll do that. I'm going
to hear them. I'm going to answer them and I'm going to deliver
them from all their troubles. Verse 7, it says, They have hands,
but they handle not. Have you ever heard somebody
say that their God has no hands but your hands? God has no hands
but your hands? That's a false God. That is a
false God. The true and living God said
in Psalm 98 that His right hand and His holy arm had gotten Him
the victory. The true and living God has hands. Not only do they handle, they
can be handled. He said, Thomas, reach hither
thy finger. and behold my hands." Isn't that
what he said? The hands that were pierced for
you, the hands that hung on a cross of calvary, brutal suffering
and death in your place. Touch it. Thomas, behold my feet. Up Calvary's mountain one dreadful
morn walked. Their gods sit there and they
make feed on them, but they can't walk. Up Calvary's mountain one
dreadful morn walked Christ our Savior, weary and worn, facing
for sinners death on the cross that he might save them from
endless loss. Verse 7 says, They have hands
but they handle not, feet have they but they walk not, neither
speak they through their throat. Their gods have no voice. The true and living God has a
voice. Just ask Saul of Tarsus. He was on his way to Damascus
to persecute all who worshipped the true God. And just before
he got there, he heard the voice of God. And it knocked him off
of his horse. It stopped him in his tracks.
And that is still happening today. Psalm 29 says, The voice of the
Lord thunders The voice of the Lord breaks cedar trees. The voice of the Lord is powerful. Somebody's going to say, well,
I've never heard his voice. Does he still speak out loud?
No, he speaks to the heart. And when he speaks to the heart
of his child, he says, I am. That's what he says. You've never
heard of me before. You've heard of all these imaginary
made up gods that people are declaring. But I've come to you
and here's what I have to say directly to your heart. I am. And then thank God he always
says, fear not. I'm with you. Be not dismayed. I'm your God. I will still, I
know what you are. I'll still give you aid. I'll
strengthen you, help you, and cause you to stand, upheld by
my gracious, omnipotent hand." All who hear him speak to the
heart, this is what they're going to say, no man spake like this
man. I've never heard anything like
this before. I've heard of a lot of gods before,
I've never heard anything like this god. The glory, the sweetness. He says, if any man thirst, let
him come unto Me and drink. Not let him come to the work
of his hands. Not let him come to turning over
a new leaf. Not let him come to, let him
come to Me. He says, come unto Me, all ye
that labor and are heavy laden. I'll give you rest. He says, Father, forgive them.
They know not what they do. He says, today shalt thou be
with me in paradise. Verse 4 says, Their idols are
silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths,
but they speak not. Eyes have they, but they see
not. They have ears, but they hear not. Noses have they, but
they smell not. They have hands, but they handle
not. Feet have they, but they walk
not. Neither speak they through their throat. They that make
them are like unto them, so is every one that trusteth in them.
Many of you have heard the story of that young man in Mexico,
and I'm done, but that young man in Mexico whose family worshipped
idols. In their house, they had a mantle
or some kind of ledge, and they had about six or seven little
idols that they'd set up, and the father told the whole family,
we're going to bow down and worship these idols. But God revealed
Christ to this young man. I mean the true Christ as He's
revealed Himself in Scripture, the true and living God. And
this young man kept trying to tell his father, these little
idols are no gods at all. Stop bowing down to them. Stop
worshipping them. They can't save. And his father
just wouldn't hear of it. He wouldn't hear anything about
it. So one day while his father was at work, he got a hammer
and he smashed all of them but one. And he laid that hammer
in front of the one that he didn't smash. And his father came home
and saw that and he just, fury came over him. And he looked
at his son and said, what did you do? And his son pointed at
that one idol that was left standing and said, he did it. And his
father said, boy, you know good and well he couldn't do that.
He said, that's what I've been trying to tell you, Dad. They
can't do anything. You're worshipping a God that
cannot save. We need to be worshipping the
true and living God. These false gods are no God at
all. Verse 9 says, O Israel, trust
thou in the Lord. Lord means sovereign, owner,
controller, the ruler. He is their help and their shield.
O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord. He is their help and their
shield. Ye that fear the Lord, trust
in the Lord. He is their help and their shield.
The Lord hath been mindful of us. That's the Gospel. And He
will bless us. He will bless the house of Israel.
He will bless the house of Aaron. He will bless them that fear
the Lord, both small and great. The Lord shall increase you more
and more, you and your children. You are blessed of the Lord,
which made heaven and earth. The heaven, even the heavens,
are the Lord's, but the earth hath He given to the children
of men. The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down
into silence. But we will bless the Lord by
His grace, thank God, because He caused us to. We will bless
the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord,
the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the true and living God,
and He's our God. Praise the Lord. Alright, let's
all stand together.