Go with me if you would back
to Psalm 56. Psalm 56. Last Wednesday night, you might
have recognized it as I was reading the scripture, last Wednesday
night we looked at verse 8 where David said, thou tellest my wanderings. Put thou my tears into thy bottle. Are they not in thy book? That was the only verse I felt
led to deal with last Wednesday night. But as I was reading through
the chapter, one other line caught my attention and I want us to
look at it tonight. The end of verse 9 says, This
I know For God is for me. What a thing to know. What a thing to know. God is
for me. You know, God is not for everybody. He said in Jeremiah 1, Before
I formed thee in the belly, I knew you. But he said in Matthew 7,
he's going to say to many in that day, depart from me. I never knew you. So God is not
for everybody. But David said this. I know God is for me. He said, I know it. I know it. God is for me. How do you know
that, David? He said, He told me in His Word. He told me in His Word. In verse
10, He said, In God will I praise His Word. In the Lord will I
praise His Word. He said it in His Word. He said,
I'm taking His Word for it. He's given me faith to believe
Him and believe what He says in His Word. I'm just taking
His Word on it. Go with me over to Psalm 119. David penned this Psalm. Psalm 119, verse 49. He said,
remember the word unto thy servant. upon which thou hast caused me
to hope." He said, you've said something in your word that I'm
hoping in. Would you remember what you said
in your word? Verse 50, this is my comfort in my affliction. This is. For
thy word hath quickened me. Your word has done it. Verse
76, He said, Let I pray thee thy merciful kindness be for
my comfort according to thy word unto thy servant. Let thy tender
mercies come unto me that I may live for thy law is my delight. This word right here, can we
enter into that with Him? This word right here is our delight. Verse 81, He said, My soul fainteth
for thy salvation, but I hope in thy word. I'm fainting, waiting
for the physical, eternal salvation. He said, but this whole time
I'm hoping in thy word. Verse 103, he said, how sweet
are thy words unto my taste, yea, sweeter than honey to my
mouth. Through thy precepts, I get understanding. Therefore, I hate every false
way. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
and a light unto my path. David said, this I know because
of your word. I know that you are for me. Lord, I know you are for me because
you've given me a heart to believe your word. I know it. Now, I pray the Lord would make
this real to us. That's my prayer. I pray he would
make this real because he said in his word that he changes not. That's what He said, He changes
not. Everything He has said to His
saints in His Word, He says to His saints today because He changes
not. And if we would ever truly get
a hold of the fact that He is for us, if we could ever really
wrap around that, that He is for us, it would change everything. It would change everything, it
would ease all our sorrows, it would stop all of our fears,
all of them. Go with me over to Matthew 28. Matthew 28 verse 19, Go ye therefore and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever
I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even unto
the end of the world. I'm with you. Our Lord said,
I am. And he said, you remember this, you go into all nations
and you preach his gospel. And He said, you remember, I
am with you always, even unto the end of the world. The word
with, I am with you always. The word with translates with. And it also translates for. I am for you. You go out and
preach that gospel. But Lord, won't persecutions
arise yet? Won't tribulation come? Won't this, sorrow, that?
Yes. But you remember, I am for you
always. Even unto the end of the world. Always. Always. God was always
for his people. There has never been a moment
in time when God was not for his people. Romans 5 says, He
was for us while we were yet sinners. He was for us even then. While we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us. He died for us. Ephesians 2 says,
But God who is rich in mercy for His great love wherewith
He loved us even when we were dead in sins." Even then, God
was for us. He was for us. In the height
of our wicked ungodliness, I mean the absolute height of
man's ungodliness while his people were spitting on him and cursing
him. Can you imagine his people, his
own people, standing at the foot of the cross while he is hanging
on the cross, cursing him to his face? Can you imagine that?
Spitting on him. Telling him, I hate you. I hate
you. Put him on that cross and don't
take him off of it. Even then, in the middle of the
pain of the nails and the thorns, in the middle of the agony of
the wrath and the punishment of God, even then, this is what
he cried, Father, forgive them. They know not what they do. They
don't know what they're doing, Father. Even then, God was for
us. Peter denied Him at that very
moment. Our Lord was going in to pay
the eternal debt of Peter's sin. He was literally going in for
Peter. He was going into bondage that
no man could ever know in order to set Peter free. He put himself
under the utmost bondage that could be imagined in order to
set Peter free. And Peter absolutely denied him. And this is what the Lord said
to him. He said, Peter, I have prayed for you that your faith
fail not. He said, Satan is about to sift
you. But he did. But he said, I prayed for you.
that your faith fail not." You know, the effectual, fervent
prayer of the righteous man availeth much, much. God is for us. If we are in Christ,
if our hope is in Christ and in His Word, if we are completely
trusting in His Word, completely trusting in His Son. God is for
us. And the amazing thing about it
is, in order for God to be for us, He had to be against Christ. He had to be against the one
we're trusting in. It was the only way. He had to
take everything that He is against in us. There are so many scriptures
in this book where the Lord said, I'm against them. I'm against
this. I'm against that. He had to take
everything that he was against in us and he had to lay it on his own
son. He had to remove everything from
us that would cause him to be against us. And he had to put
that on his own son, causing his own son to cry, my God, my
God, why hast thou forsaken me? The reason is because he was
for us. That's the reason. He was for
us. He forsook him because he was
for us. Go with me over to John 18. John 18, I've always loved this
passage of scripture. This is our, our Lord being betrayed
by Judas. And, uh, he's coming with this
huge mob, you know, with, with, uh, staves and they're coming
to take the Lord. John 18 verse one says, when
Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with his disciples
over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which
he entered in his disciples. And Judas also, which betrayed
him, knew the place, for Jesus oft times resorted thither with
his disciples. Judas then, having received a
band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees,
cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. Jesus,
therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went
forth and said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus
of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am. And Judas also, which betrayed
him, stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto
them, I am, they went backward and fell to the ground." Don't
you adore that? Don't you adore that? The Lord
put Himself on that tree because He was for us and always did
He let it be known, I'm in control. Here they come with all their
sticks. You know, they're going to come take God Almighty. And
just before they take Him and bring Him to Pilate, He just
knocks them all down. And in their blindness, they
still don't see who He is. Because He said in verse 7, Then
asked He them again, Now whom seek ye? And this time they didn't
say God Almighty. They still said Jesus of Nazareth.
We seek this man. Jesus answered, I have told you
that I am. If therefore you seek me, let
these go their way." And that right there is God for us. He said, if you seek me, you
let every single one of them go. That the saying might be
fulfilled which he spake, of them which thou gavest me have
I lost none." Our God has always been and our God will always
be for us. Everything he has ever done is
for us. Everything. Now, here is a question
we have to ask. When we're dealing with this
subject, this is a question we absolutely have to ask. And I
pray we might receive some great comfort from knowing the answer
to it. The question is in Romans 18. Now, based on what we know already,
based on what we've seen and what we know, David said, this
I know. Based on what we know, here's
the question. Romans 8 verse 31 says, what
shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be
against us? Is God for us? If we are in Christ, He most
certainly is. If we're in Christ, God is for
us. Well, if God be for us, then
the question is, who can be against us? If God is for us, who can
be against us? Now, I want to see if God will
make this come alive to our hearts. I pray He will. Romans 8 verse
32 says, He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up
for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us
all things? I have now seen that verse of
scripture in a light that I have never seen it before. I've never
seen this before. This verse of scripture is saying
what I always interpreted it to say. God has given all things
to Christ and He's made you to be a joint heir with Christ.
And it's saying that. But this verse of scripture is
also saying, if we belong to Him and we have a need, If we belong to Him and we have
a need, if we're in a moment of true, absolute need, He will
empty all the resources of heaven for us. We had a need that only the Son
of God could fill. So, He spared not His own Son. but delivered him up for us. And he's saying that ought to
be proof to us, that ought to be absolute proof to us that
he shall, along with his own son, he gave his son, and along
with his son, he will also freely give us anything we need. We
needed his son, and he gave him. And along with His Son, He will
give us anything else we need. He'll empty all the resources
of heaven for us, if that's what we need. If He's willing to give
His Son, He's willing to give it all. And that's the truth. If He's willing to give His Son,
He's willing to give it all. That's not a lie. That's not
wishful thinking. And that's not an exaggeration.
I want to show you something in 2 Kings 6. That's not an exaggeration. That
is not fairytale. That's not hopeful thinking.
2 Kings 6. Now the king of Syria wanted
Elisha to be dead. He hated him and he wanted him
to be dead. In verse 13, the king of Syria
said, go and spy where Elisha is that I may send and fetch
him. And it was told him saying, behold,
he is in Dothan. Therefore sent he thither horses
and chariots and a great host. You see the margin for great,
it says heavy. This king of Syria sent a heavy
host. And they came by night and compassed
the city about. And when the servant of the man
of God was risen early, Elijah had a helper. He had a minister,
a servant with him. When the servant of the man of
God was risen early and gone forth, behold, and host compassed
the city, both with horses and chariots, and his servant said
unto him, Alas, my master, how shall we do? And he answered,
Fear not, for they that be with us are more than they that be
with them. Was he speaking metaphorically? No. Was he speaking spiritually? No. Verse 17 says, And Elisha
prayed and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may
see. And the Lord opened the eyes
of the young man and he saw and behold, the mountain was full
of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. And when they came down to him,
Elisha prayed unto the Lord and said, Smite this people, I pray
thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness
according to the word of Elisha. And Elisha said unto them, to
this enemy, This is not the way, neither is this the city. Follow
me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek. But he led
them to Samaria, Syria's enemy, Israel. And it came to pass,
when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, Lord, open
the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the Lord opened
their eyes, and they saw, and behold, they were in the midst
of Samaria. And the king of Israel said unto
Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? Shall
I smite them? And he answered, thou shalt not
smite them. Wouldst thou smite those whom
thou hast taken captive with the sword and with the bow? Set
bread and water before them that they may eat and drink and go
to their master. And he prepared great provision
for them. And when they had eaten and drunk,
he sent them away and they went to their master. So the bands
of Syria came no more into the land of Israel. God is for us. God is for us. Our God said you
don't have to be afraid of the pestilence by day or the terror
by night. God is for us. If I could, honestly, I would
use all the resources I have for them. And God can. And He does. He's for us. Look at our text on the way back
to Romans eight. We're almost finished, but stop
at Psalm 56 verse nine. It says, when I cry unto thee, then shall
mine enemies turn back. This I know for God is for me. I know for God is for me. Now
go with me back to Romans 8. Romans 8 verse 31 it says, What
shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be
against us? He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all. How shall he not with him also
freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. I
can imagine our adversary trying one more time, one last time,
to bring up a railing accusation against us on the day of judgment,
but God won't hear it. It's God that justified us. Verse
34 says, Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea,
rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of
God. who also maketh intercession for us." Don't turn to him, but
do you see the margin for maketh intercession? Hebrews 7, Hebrews
9, 1 John 2, you see those? Hebrews 9 says, for Christ is
not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the
figures of the true. but into heaven itself, now to
appear in the presence of God for us." God for us. 1 John 2 verse 1 says, My little
children, these things write I unto you, that you sin not,
and if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus
Christ the righteous. God is for us. No matter what
comes in this life, as long as we're in Christ, nothing can
change that. Nothing. Verse 35 says, Who shall
separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation? That
means trouble. I'm in trouble. Shall distress? That means narrowness of room.
That means everything is closing in on me. Persecution? That's pressing hostility. Famine? A scarcity of food. You know, there may be nothing
left over, but we won't be without. Nakedness? That's a scarcity
of clothing. They may have rags and holes
and rips, but we won't be destined to. We won't be without peril,
that's danger. Sword, that's battle. Verse 36 says, as it is written,
for thy sake, we are killed all the day long. We are accounted
as sheep for the slaughter. That means we may seem to be,
and we may see ourselves to be just sheep for the slaughter.
I feel so helpless. I feel so powerless. I feel so
defenseless. I feel like I'm just a sheep
waiting to be slaughtered. Verse 37 says no. In all these
things, in this distress, in this tribulation, in this persecution,
in this famine, in all these things, we are more than conquerors
through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither
death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers,
nor things present, I'm persuaded that whatever we're in the middle
of right now, or whatever is waiting right around the corner
for us. Verse 38, I'm persuaded that neither death nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present
nor things to come. Nor height, nor depth, nor any
other creature shall be able to separate us from the love
of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. And the reason is because
God is for us. God is for us. Chapter 9 verse
1 says, I say the truth in Christ, I lie not. Just like David said,
this I know. I pray God would cause us to
know, cause us to know it. God is for us. All right, let's
all stand together.