Let's turn back to Psalm 40. This psalm has blessed me so
much. It really has. It has blessed
me so much. My eyes have been opened to Psalm
40. It's a fountain that keeps running
over with hope and comfort. It's insight. It's a deep well
of insight and knowledge into the things of God and the things
of Christ and His relationship to us. And I didn't even say
our relationship to Him. I said His relationship to us. Last Sunday morning we looked
at the first three verses from David's point of view. telling us how great things the
Lord had done for him. We were in Psalm 27, wait, I
say on the Lord, and then we came to Psalm 40 and read the
first three verses from David's point of view. I waited patiently
for the Lord. And then last Wednesday night,
we looked at verse 17 by itself. From our point of view, as our
hope and our cry, it says, I am poor and needy. Yet the Lord
thinketh on me." Isn't that something? This morning I want us to look
at the whole psalm in the way it was written. It was written
by the Spirit of God. Under the chapter title it says,
A Psalm of David. David penned this. And David felt this. David meant
this. So do all of God's people. David's
words are our words. But let's not forget this. David
penned this under the inspiration of the Spirit of God. Turn with me to 2 Peter chapter
1. Just in case no one has ever
seen this, let's turn to 2 Peter chapter 1. 2 Peter 1 verse 20 says, 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." David wrote this. It went through
his mind. It went through his heart. He
felt this. But the Holy Spirit of God Himself is the one who
said all of this. These are the words of Jesus
Christ. These are the words of Jesus
Christ. Back in Psalm 40, look at verse 7. It 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. That's
not what the book is about. It's not about David. Our Lord
said, Moses wrote of me. Turn with me over to Luke 24. Luke 24, and look at verse 25. This is when our Lord meets two
men on the road to Emmaus. Verse 25 says, Then He said unto
them, 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? Man! 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 going to tell us
something about Jesus Christ. As we read these words, let's
listen to Him saying them. Every word. Every word in Psalm
40 is the voice of Jesus Christ. Every word. Back over in Psalm 40, verse
1 says, I waited patiently. Who could say that in truth and
sincerity but Jesus Christ? Really? Really? Way back in the beginning, eons
we've been talking about, I've been bringing this up a lot.
Way back in the beginning. Way before, eons before time
ever existed, a covenant was made. Father, Son, and Spirit. A covenant was made. A purpose
was ordered. That one day in time it would
come to pass. And the Lord says, I waited patiently. Ordered. Done. And he says, I waited patiently.
And then he created Adam. Adam fell just like God knew
he would. He said, in the day that you
eat of this. He knew he would. And then from the time Adam fell,
it was 4,000 years before he would come here and
physically, in the flesh, redeem Adam back to his spiritual state
with God. Four thousand years from the
time he fell till the time Christ came to actually, physically,
in the flesh, redeem him. And our Lord says, I waited patiently. Then he was born. And they called his name Emmanuel
because God was with us. And that toddler that walked
around Joseph and Mary's house was God. Think about that. God. He never cries. He never acts like He needs anything. He's so patient. He's just so
patient. Mary pondered all that and kept
those things in her heart. There's something different here. Aside from our Lord's birth,
and him being 12 years old astounding those teachers in the temple.
There is nothing written about him until the age of 30. Now think about this. Everything
we know about him is over a span of three years. That's all we've
been told. Just think of everything he did
for the 30 years before that. God grew up. teenage years, his
twenties. If it was all written down, the
world could not contain the books that would be written. That was
God. But He didn't begin His ministry,
He came here. And Brother Caleb and I have
talked about this before. I had a burning, burning, burning desire
to preach. back in 2000. And the Lord didn't
give me the opportunity until 2008. And it killed me for eight
years. I was ready to go. I didn't tell
anybody. I didn't tell anybody. I was
ready to go. God was born on this earth And
he didn't begin his ministry and start preaching until he
was 30 years old. You know, we're just chomping
at the bit. I got something to say. God said, I waited patiently. That's amazing to me. 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. That's what happened in that
tomb. And His soul became an offering for sin. This is what
He cried to His Father while that was going on. Look at Psalm
40 verse 12. He says, for innumerable evils have compassed
me about. Mine iniquities... Oh, He took my sin and made it
His own. 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. Then 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 say unto me, Aha! Aha! Can you imagine? While he laid there in the depths
of God's wrath, in the depths of judgment for
three days, crying, Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me. While he cried for three days,
he said, I waited patiently. That's amazing. Psalm 40 verse 1 says, I waited
patiently for the Lord, and He inclined unto me and heard my
cry. That's Jesus Christ talking.
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, and
he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God,
many shall see, 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's finished. I waited patiently. He inclined
unto me and brought me up out of a horrible pit. And now it's
finished. Redemption accomplished. Salvation
secured. Look at verse 16. Let all those
that seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee. Let such as love
thy salvation say continually, the Lord be magnified." The Lord
be magnified. That's what we say. My fallen have been brought back
to God. The Lord be magnified. The Lord
gets all the glory. If the Lord will open our hearts
right now, I'm going to show you the most glorious sentence
I've ever heard. This is just amazing. Let me set it up. Turn with me
over to Romans 8. Romans chapter 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. Now look at verse 29. 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, joint heirs with Christ, the firstborn among many
brethren. Now look at verse 32. 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? Through his death, We have been
made adopted brothers to Christ. Joint heirs. And then look at what He has
to say back in Psalm 40. Back in Psalm 40, verse 5. This is the sweetest thought. Many, O Lord, my God, are thy
wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which
are to usward." That's Jesus Christ talking. Thanking His Father for His wonderful
works and His many thoughts that are to usward. Us. I'm one of them and we thank
you God. Isn't that amazing? usward, me
and my brethren. Many, O LORD my God, are thy
wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which
are to me and my bride, me and my friend. I thank you on all
of our behalf. They cannot be reckoned up in
order unto thee, If I would declare and speak of them, they are more
than can be numbered." Thank you. Isn't that amazing? God
the Father thinks on His Son. He is daily His delight. He thinks
on His Son. And if we're in His Son, while
God the Father thinks on Him, God the Father thinks on us.
All those who are in Him, us-ward. Verse 6 says, Sacrifice and offering
thou didst not desire. The blood of bulls and the blood
of goats and the blood of lambs and the blood of doves. They
couldn't get the job done. They just couldn't get the job
done. You didn't desire it, it didn't work. Verse 6 says, sacrifice and offering
thou didst not desire, mine ears hast thou opened. I hear what
you require, Lord. Mine ears hast thou opened. I
hear your word, your law. I hear what you require. Mine ears hast thou opened, burnt
offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Men sacrificed
and they sacrificed trying to make atonement for their souls,
but judgment couldn't be met. The law couldn't be satisfied.
Verse 7, Then said I, Lo, I come. In the volume of the book it
is written of me. What's the volume of the book
about? Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That's what the whole book is
about. Go to John 4. John chapter 4. Verse 34, 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 My meat. To do the will of Him that sent
Me and to finish His work. Look at 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, those and those alone. 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 that
appeasement that sacrifices and offerings could never be. That's
the only reason He came. You know why Christ was born
on this earth? One reason. To die. One reason. Well, He was, you know, He came
here to show us a better way and to strengthen humanity and
to spread good and to tell people about God and to this. No, He
didn't. None of that. He came here for
one reason, to die. That's it. Turn with me over
to Luke 9. 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
glistening. And behold, there talked with
him two men, which were Moses and Elijah." And here's a little
side note. I was thinking the other day
about how glad I am that in glory you're going to be you and I'm
going to be me. We're not going to be, you know,
we're going to be changed, but we're not going to be altered
floating things that kind of pass by each other and bump into
each other. You're going to be you and I'm
going to be me. Irene Christian, Gabe Christian. What's your name? Dickie Christian. But you're going to be you. The
you. And I'm going to be me. Job said,
I know with these eyes I'm going to see my Redeemer. A much more
glorified version of us. But they knew that's Moses and
that's Elijah. Okay now, verse 30, 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." What are they going to talk about?
The mission at hand. What He is to accomplish, His
decease. The Father said, this is My will.
You go and accomplish death. It's appointed unto every one
of them once to die. Everybody's got to die once.
You go do it for them. Accomplish that for them. Back over in our text in Psalm
40, the Lord says in verse 8, I delight to do thy will. Oh
my God, yea, thy law is within my heart. I delight. I hear what
you've commanded me to do. And your law is right here. I want to. I want to. He delighted to do that. Listen to this. Hebrews 12.2
says, Who for the joy that was sent before Him endured the cross,
despising the shame. Why did He do that? All the joy
that was put before Him. Our Lord says in verse 9, I have
preached righteousness in the great congregation. Lo, I have
not reframed my lips, O Lord, Thou knowest. My lips, His words. This is all His words. His words
are righteousness. His words are what we preach. You know what we preach? What
do y'all preach over there? The Word of God. The words of
Christ. The only reason we know about
this glorious gospel is because He told us. That's the only reason. He didn't hide it from us. Look
at verse 10. He says, I have not hid. This gospel is a mystery. Isn't
it? It really is. It's a mystery.
Paul called it the mystery of godliness. But it's a mystery
that hasn't been hid. It's in black and white. Open
the book. The true message of Christ is
a secret. The Lord told Manoah, why are
you asking for my name? It's a secret. But it's a secret
that has been declared unto all the world. This is a secret. Now you go out and declare it
unto all the world. Until God gives a man or a woman
eyes to see, it remains a secret. It remains a secret. A blind
man can't see it. Deaf man can't hear it. Everybody
on this earth knows Jesus. Everybody knows who Jesus is,
right? But here's what the Lord said, and this is the truth. 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." So he says in verse 10,
I have not hid, and this is good news, I have not hid thy righteousness. Here's another message right
here. We could be here Wednesday night, but we won't. Five points. This is Christ's message. And the first one is, I have
not hid thy righteousness. What is the righteousness of
God? Christ. We're not trying to establish
our own righteousness, are we? We hunger and thirst after We
hunger and thirst after thy righteousness. Thanks be to God He didn't hide
that from us. Here's the second one. I have
not hid thy righteousness within my heart. I have declared thy
faithfulness. What's the faithfulness of God?
Jesus Christ. Turn with me over to Lamentations.
Hold your place in Psalm 40 and turn to Lamentation 3. It's after Jeremiah. Lamentation
3. Look at verse 22. 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." Him. Him. Now hold your place here
and go back to Psalm 40. In verse 10, here's the third
one. The Lord says, I have not hid thy righteousness within
my heart, I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation. What is the salvation of God?
Jesus Christ. Go back to Lamentation 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. The Lord is my salvation. Back
in Psalm 40, he said, I've not hid thy righteousness within
my heart. I've declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation. I have not
concealed thy loving kindness. What is the loving kindness of
God? The Lord Jesus Christ. Greater love hath no man than
this, that a man lay down his life for his friend. Here's the fifth one. He said,
I have not concealed thy loving kindness and thy truth from the
great congregation. What is the truth of God? Jesus
Christ. Our Lord said, I am the truth. I am righteousness. We're searching
for righteousness. How can I be justified? God said,
I am. I'm searching for faithfulness.
Christ said, I am, because I'm not. I need salvation. I am. I need loving kindness. I am. I need the truth. I'm searching for the truth.
If anybody ever goes searching for the truth, I am. Christ said, I am the truth.
Do you know that if you know Christ, you know all you need
to know? That's a tongue twister. If you know Christ, you know
all you need to know. Did you know that Christ is all? I'm searching for something and
I don't know what? Christ. What's the answer to this question
I have? Christ. What do I do about this? Christ. Verse 11, withhold not thou thy
tender mercies from me, O Lord. Let thy loving kindness and thy
truth continually preserve me. That's a prayer and a word from
Christ. You think the Lord is going to
answer His prayer? Absolutely. If God the Father
preserves Him, then God is going to preserve us. We are in Him. Verse 16 now, verse 16 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. I was dead in my trespasses
and sins, and look what great things He did for me. In all things, the Lord be magnified. That's what we heard our sister
Tammy say this morning on that voicemail. That's what she was
saying, the Lord be magnified. In all things, the Lord be magnified. I was dead, so my Lord spake
these words for me. This is the words of Jesus Christ
and He's speaking these words for me. Look at verse 17. But I am poor and needy. Yet the Lord thinketh upon me. Thou art my help and my deliverer. Make no tearing, O my God." Our
Lord said, I am the man that has seen affliction. Our Lord said, The prayer of
a righteous man availeth much. God is going to answer his prayer.
He's going to answer his prayer. You know what his prayer was?
He said, I pray for them. I pray for them. Make no tearing,
oh my God. He said, I'm coming quickly.
Isn't that wonderful? I waited patiently. Thanks be
to God." You know that scripture, it says, the long-suffering of
the Lord is salvation. It is. Alright, I hope the Lord
will bless that. Let's stand together.