Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church,
located at 905 Yadkin Street in Kingsport, Tennessee, would
like to invite you to listen to a message of sovereign grace
by their pastor, Gabe Stoniker. And now, Pastor Gabe Stoniker. I invite you to turn with me
this morning to Psalm chapter 40. Psalm chapter 40. Right under the title, There
is a heading that says, A Psalm of David. It says, To the Chief
Musician, A Psalm of David. David is the one who penned this
psalm. David felt what he was writing. David meant Every word of this. And so do all of God's people.
David's words are our words. But let's not forget that David
penned this under the inspiration of the Spirit of God. Over in
2 Peter 1, verses 20 and 21 say this, knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture
is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in
old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as
they were moved by the Holy Ghost. Every bit of that was said by
the Holy Spirit of God Almighty. These are the words of Jesus
Christ. in Psalm 40 verse 7 says, then
said I, lo I come, in the volume of the book, it is written of
me. This book wasn't written about
David. The volume of this book is not about David. Our Lord
said Moses wrote of me. Over in Luke 24, our Lord met
two men on the road to Emmaus. And in verse 25 he said, O fools
and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!
Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into
His glory? And beginning at Moses and all
the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the
things concerning himself. Psalm 40 is gonna tell us something
about Jesus Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ. And as we read
these words, let's listen to him saying them. These are the
words of Christ himself. Back in Psalm 40, verse 1 says,
I waited patiently. Who could say that in truth and
in sincerity but Jesus Christ? John 1 says, In the beginning
was the Word, the Word was with God, the Word was God. Way back
in the beginning of eternity, before time existed, Between
God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit, a covenant
was made. A purpose was ordered that one
day in time it should come to pass. And the Lord says, I waited
patiently. And then he created Adam. He
formed him from the dust of the ground. He breathed life into
his nostrils. And Adam fell. just like God
knew He would. And man fell in Adam. And it
was 4,000 years before He would come here, before Christ would
come here and physically, in the flesh, redeem Adam back to
his spiritual state with God. And our Lord said, I waited patiently. Then He came. He was born. And they called his name Emmanuel
because God was with us. The thought is amazing. It's
so amazing to think that toddler that walked around Joseph and
Mary's house, that was God. That was the highest God. He
never cried. He never acted like he needed
anything. He was so patient. Mary pondered all of that. That's
what the scripture says. She kept all those things in
her heart. And aside from his birth and
the time that he was 12 years old, astounding those teachers
in the temple, there's nothing written about him until the age
of 30, 30 years old. Everything we know about him
is over a span of three years, just a little more than three
years. Think of everything he did in
that 30 years before that. If it was all written down, the
scripture says the world could not contain the books that were
written. That was God. That was God. But he didn't begin
his ministry until he was 30 years old. He didn't start preaching
until he was 30 years old. God said, I waited patiently. I waited patiently. Then when
the time came for him to accomplish his mission, And they laid him
in a tomb and he became separated from God. And his soul became
an offering for sin. This is what he cried to his
father. In Psalm 40 verse 12 it says,
innumerable evils have compassed me about. Mine iniquities have
taken hold upon me so that I'm not able to look up. They are
more than the hairs of mine head. Therefore my heart faileth me. Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver
me. O Lord, make haste. to help me. Let them be ashamed and confounded
together that seek after my soul to destroy it. Let them be driven
backward and put to shame that wish me evil. Let them be desolate
for a reward of their shame that's saying to me, aha, aha. While he laid there in the depths
of wrath, at the bottom of judgment for three days, crying, be pleased,
oh Lord, to deliver me. While he cried for three days,
this is what he said. Psalm 40, verse one. I waited patiently for the Lord,
and he inclined unto me and heard my cry. He brought me up also
out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet
upon a rock, and established my goings. He hath put a new
song in my mouth, even praise unto our God. Many shall see
it and fear, and shall trust in the Lord. Blessed is that
man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the
proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. It is finished. It is finished. I waited patiently. Now it is
finished. Redemption is accomplished. Salvation is secured. In verse 16 it says, let all
those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee. Let such
as love thy salvation say continually, the Lord be magnified. My fallen have been brought back
to God. Turn with me over to Romans 8.
If you have your Bibles open, go with me to Romans 8. Verse
16 says, the Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that
we are the children of God. And if children, then heirs,
heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if so be that we
suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. Verse 29 says, For whom He did
foreknow, He also did predestinate, to be conformed to the image
of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 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." All things. Through His death, we have been
made adopted brothers to Him, joint heirs. And look at what
He has to say about that back in our text. This is precious. Psalm 40 verse 5, He says, Many,
O Lord my God, are Thy wonderful works which Thou hast done and
thy thoughts which are to usward. Usward. He includes himself in
the usward. Many, O Lord my God, are thy
wonderful works which thou hast done and thy thoughts which are
to me and my brethren, to me and my bride, to me and my friend,
usward. They cannot be reckoned up in
order unto thee. If I would declare and speak
of them, they are more than can be numbered. God the Father thinks
on God the Son. He is daily His delight. And
if we're in His Son, while God the Father thinks on Him, God
the Father thinks on us. He thinks on all those who are
in Christ. Verse 6 says, Sacrifice and offerings
thou didst not desire. The blood of bulls, the blood
of goats, the blood of lambs, the blood of doves, they couldn't
get the job done. Sacrifice and offering thou didst
not desire. Mine ears hast thou opened. I hear what you're requiring.
Burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Men sacrificed
and they sacrificed and they sacrificed, trying to make atonement
for their souls. But judgment just could not be
met. The law just could not be satisfied. Verse seven says, then said I,
lo, I come. In the volume of the book, it
is written of me. What's the volume of this book
about? Jesus Christ and Him Crucified. If you want to know what this
whole book is about, here's the answer. Jesus Christ and Him
Crucified. Every passage, every text, what
is it saying? What does it mean? What is the
mystery in it? Here's the answer. Jesus Christ
and Him Crucified. If you want to know the truth
of a scripture, look for Jesus Christ and Him crucified in it.
You'll find the meaning. Go with me over to John chapter
4. John 4 verse 34 says, Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to
do the will of Him that sent Me and to finish His work. That's it. That's what this book
is about. That's exactly what the whole
book is about. Over in John chapter 6 verse
38 says, For I came down from heaven not to do mine own will,
but the will of Him that sent me. And this is the Father's
will which hath sent me, that of all which He hath given me,
I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last
day. And this is the will of Him that sent me. that every
one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting
life, and I will raise him up at the last day. Christ came
here for one purpose, one mission, to be the atonement, to be the
appeasement, that sacrifices and offerings could never be.
That's why he came. That's why he came. Look at Luke
chapter 9 with me. Luke 9 verse 28 says, And it
came to pass, about an eight days after these sayings, he
took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to
pray. And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered,
and his raiment was white and glycerine. And behold, there
talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias. who appeared
in glory and spake of his decease, which he should accomplish at
Jerusalem. The father said, this is my will. You go accomplish death for them. This is my will. Well, back over
in our text, in Psalm 40, our Lord says in verse eight, I delight
to do thy will. Oh my God. Yea, thy law is within
my heart. He delighted to do that. He delighted. Hebrews 12.2 says, who for the
joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame. Our Lord says in verse nine,
I have preached righteousness in the great congregation. Lo,
I have not refrained my lips, O Lord, thou knowest. I have
not refrained my words. His words are his righteousness. He said, I have preached righteousness. His words are what we preach.
The only reason we know about his glorious gospel is because
he told us. He didn't hide it from us. Look
at verse 10, he says, I have not hid. This gospel is a mystery. Paul called it the mystery of
godliness, but it's a mystery that hasn't been hid. The true message of Christ is
a secret. The Lord said to a man named
Manoah, why do you ask for my name, seeing it is a secret? It's a secret. But it's a secret
that has been declared unto all the world. Until God gives a
man or a woman eyes to see, it remains a secret though. A blind
man can't see it. A deaf man can't hear it. Everybody on this earth knows
the name Jesus. Every single person. But the
Lord Himself said, no man knows the Son, but the Father. And nobody knows the father save
the son, and he to whomsoever the son will reveal him. And he says some good news here
in verse 10. He says, I have not hid, number one, thy righteousness. What is the righteousness of
God? What is the righteousness of
God? It's Jesus Christ. We're not trying to establish
our own righteousness, are we? We hunger and thirst after thy
righteousness. Thanks be to God, he didn't hide
that from us. He didn't hide the righteousness
of Christ from us. He says, I have not hid thy righteousness
within my heart. I have declared thy faithfulness. What is the faithfulness of God? It's Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ
is the faithfulness of God. Turn with me over to Lamentations
chapter 3. Lamentations 3 verse 22 says,
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because
His compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Great
is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith
my soul. Therefore will I hope in Him."
In Him. In Him. Our Lord said back in
Psalm 40 verse 10, I have not hid thy righteousness within
my heart, I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation. What is the salvation of God? It's Jesus Christ. He is the
salvation of God. Lamentations 3 verse 26 says,
it is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for
the salvation of the Lord. David said, the Lord is my light
and my salvation. He is my salvation. Psalm 40 verse 10 says, I have
not hid thy righteousness within my heart. I have declared thy
faithfulness and thy salvation. I have not concealed thy loving
kindness." What is the loving kindness of God? It is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the loving kindness of
God. Greater love hath no man than
this. that a man lay down his life
for his friend. Lay down his life for his friend. Back over in Psalm 40, verse
10 says, I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart. I have declared
thy faithfulness and thy salvation. I have not concealed thy lovingkindness
and thy truth." From the great congregation. What is the truth
of God? What is the truth? Is anybody
looking for the truth? When it comes to this thing of
religion, when it comes to this thing of salvation, when people
talk about heaven, and what is required to enter
into heaven, what is the truth? What is the way, the truth, and
the life? Our Lord said, I am the truth. I am the truth. Salvation is a person. Righteousness is a person. Faithfulness is a person. Loving kindness is a person.
Truth is a person. Jesus Christ is that person. Paul said, oh, that I might know
thee. Our Lord told the father, this is life eternal, that they
might know thee. the only true God in Jesus Christ
whom thou hast sent. Thanks be to God He has not hid
the truth from us. Unworthy sinners. We don't deserve
His truth. We deserve an eternity of punishment
for our wickedness and our evil, vile sin. That's what we deserve. But God who is rich in mercy,
For His great love wherewith He loved us, He has quickened
us together with Christ. Do you know that if you know
Christ, you know all you need to know? Do you know that Christ is all?
If you have Christ, you have all you need to have. The answer is not in the mind. It's not in doctrine. It's not
in theology. The answer's in a person. The
answer's in a person. Christ is that person. Oh, may we say, as Psalm 40,
verse 11 says, withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O
Lord. Let thy loving kindness and thy
truth continually preserve me." Who is the loving kindness of
God? Who is the truth of God? It's Christ. Who is the mercy
of God? It's Christ. Oh Lord, let Him
preserve me. Let Him preserve me. If I'm going
to be preserved, it's only going to be in Christ. If God the Father preserves Him,
then God is going to preserve us because we're going to be
in Christ. That's our only hope is being in Christ. Verse 16
says, Psalm 40 verse 16, it says, let all those that seek thee
rejoice and be glad in thee. Let such as love thy salvation
say continually, the Lord be magnified. Who is the salvation? Christ. Let such as love Christ
say continually, the Lord be magnified. The Lord be magnified. I was dead in my trespasses and
sins. And look at what great things
he has done for me." That's the only thing a sinner can say.
That's the only message a sinner can preach. Every time the Lord
would heal somebody, he would tell them, now you go tell how
great things the Lord had done for you. Great things. That's all we can tell. How great
things he has done for me. Let all those that seek thee
rejoice and be glad in thee. Let such as love thy salvation
say continually, the Lord be magnified. Because I was dead and my Lord
spake these words for me. Now, these are the words of Christ.
These are the words of David. These are the words of me. Psalm
40 verse 17, Christ spake these words for me as he bore my sin, as he paid
my debt, as he laid in that tomb for me. This is what he said. Because of that, this is what
I say. Psalm 40 verse 17. I am poor and needy. I am poor and needy. Yet the Lord thinketh upon me. Thou art my help and my deliverer. make no tarrying, oh my God. Our Lord said, I am the man that
hath seen affliction. He saw affliction for us. In his affliction, he prayed
that prayer for us. And the scripture says, the prayer
of a righteous man The prayer of the righteous man availeth
much. God's going to answer his prayer.
He's going to answer his prayer. And he said, I pray for them.
I'm poor and needy, yet the Lord thinketh upon me. Thou art my
help and my deliverer. Make no tarrying, O my God. Because
God answered his prayer, in him God is going to answer my prayer.
God is going to answer the prayer of every sinner that he has chosen
to put in Christ. In Christ. Oh, may the Lord make
these words our words. May the Lord cause us to cling
to these words and hope in these words. Until next Sunday morning,
may the Lord bless his word. You have been listening to a
message by Gabe Stoniker, pastor of Kingsport Sovereign Grace
Church in Kingsport, Tennessee. If you would like a copy of this
message or to hear other messages of Sovereign Grace, you can write
to our physical mailing address at 905 Yadkin Street, Kingsport,
Tennessee 37660 or log on to our website at kingsportsovereigngracechurch.com. If you would like to come and
worship with us, our service times are Sunday morning Bible
study at 10 o'clock a.m., worship at 10.45 a.m. and 6 o'clock p.m.,
Wednesday evening at 7.30 p.m. Please tune in next Sunday morning
at 8.30 for another message of God's free and sovereign grace.