I love you pastor. About 18 years
ago I had just learned the gospel
only a year or two before that and was struggling to know how
to preach Christ and your pastor showed a great act of kindness
towards me and invited me to come up here and Tom Toll came
with me. I've been very, very blessed by knowing
Rupert and Betty and having the few opportunities I've had to
come up here. Some of you have been down to
Orlando. Your brethren in Orlando send
their greetings. It's a real blessing to be here.
Thank you for inviting me. I'd like to try to bring a message
tonight from a passage of scripture in Genesis chapter 30. Genesis
chapter 30. Will you bow with me and ask
the Lord to bless His word to our hearts. Our merciful Heavenly
Father, how grateful we are to be able to call you our Father
and have a throne of grace whereby we can come and plead your mercy,
knowing that we have an advocate, one who has successfully paid
the redemption price for our very souls, put away our sins
by the sacrifice of himself. Lord, we we thank you. That we
have acceptance. We thank you that we have access.
We thank you that we have. The promise of your presence
and your love, your grace and your mercy. Lord, how we pray
that. You would enable us to experience
that. Now we pray that you would send
your spirit in power. We ask that you would enlighten
the eyes of our understanding. Lord, we. We pray that you would. She would forgive us for our
inability. To worship you as we ought. Thank
you that we have one who bears the iniquity of our holy things.
Might he be lifted up? Might our hearts be drawn in
faith to him? We ask it in his name. Amen. I've titled this message, Every
Believer's Prayer. Every Believer's Prayer. And it comes from verse 27 in
Genesis chapter 30, where Laban, you remember, was Rebekah's brother and Jacob fleeing
from Esau went to his uncle's house in order to try to find
some place of safety and uh... uh... jacob stays there you remember
he he marries uh... aliya first and uh... and then uh... he uh... he marries
rachel and he stays there for twenty years twenty years And
the Lord blesses Laban's house because of Jacob's presence.
And now it's time for Jacob to leave. And Jacob tells Laban
that he's departing. And here's Laban's words to Jacob
in verse 27. And Laban said unto him, I pray
thee, if I have found favor in thine eyes, tarry, for I have
learned by experience that the Lord has blessed me for thy sake. Now God's word is exceedingly
broad. We could talk about all the detailed of the events that took place
with Laban and Jacob and try to draw from that some moral
lessons about faithfulness and honesty and sincerity, but those
sort of things do nothing to comfort my heart. The scripture says in the volume
of the book, it is written of me. This book is about the Lord
Jesus Christ. This book is a word of hope to
sinners. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people,
saith the Lord. Speak ye comfortably to them. If we don't understand these
passages of scriptures in light of the gospel, then we just haven't
really understood them. And what a glorious prayer this
is. I pray thee, if I have found
grace in thine eyes, that's what the word favor means, Terry,
Lord, don't leave me to myself. For I have learned by my experience
that God has blessed me for thy sake. You ever prayed that prayer? That's every believer's experience.
Lord, I know that when you take your hand off of me and lead
me to myself, I've got nothing but troubles. I've got nothing
but doubts and fears and unbelief. Oh, how I need your presence.
Lord, I know that the only hope that I have for you to bless
me is that it would be for Christ's sake. All the blessings of God
are in the heavenlies in Christ. Lord, don't, don't leave me.
That's my, that's my hope. That's my prayer. First Corinthians chapter 15,
chapter 10, verse 15 says the cup of blessing. Is it not communion with the
blood of Christ and the meat? Is it not communion with the
body of Christ? Oh, to eat of his flesh and to
drink of his blood. That's where the blessing is,
isn't it? The Lord told Abraham, he said, I am thine exceeding
great reward. Abraham, there's no blessings
outside of me. All the blessings of God are found in me. Malachi chapter three, verse
10 says, oh, that the Lord would open the windows of heaven and
pour out a blessing. that we shall not have room enough
to receive it. Now I enjoy the temporal blessings
that God gives me. I do. I'm thankful for good health
and I And I cry and grieve when I don't enjoy it. I'm thankful
for the blessings of comfort and peace and prosperity that
the Lord has given us. And when those things are called
into question, I'm fearful. I like those things. I don't
want to suffer in this world. And yet, I know that the greatest
blessings, my experience, is that the greatest blessings have
nothing to do with the temporal things that the Lord gives us
in this world. Those things are just that, aren't
they? They're temporal. The blessing that I need is the
blessing of God's grace, the blessing of the forgiveness of
my sins, the blessing of the knowledge of Christ. This is
life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God and
Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. That's the blessing that I need. In 2 Corinthians chapter 12,
Paul speaks of a thorn in his flesh, which is really just an
allegory for the next phrase that he uses in that same verse
where he says, a messenger of Satan. Well, that's the thorn
in the flesh. The thorn in the flesh is a messenger
from Satan. People try to figure out, well,
was his thorn in the flesh some sort of physical malady or affliction
or was it the persecutions that he experiences or what was it?
And it was all those things. It was all those things. It was
whatever Satan can use to draw me away from Christ. And you
remember what the Lord said to Paul? He said, no. I'm going
to take them away from you. My grace is sufficient for you,
for my strength is made known through your weakness." And Paul
said, I'll glory in my afflictions, therefore, these things are necessities,
because when I'm weak, then I'm strong. And so, David said, before
I was afflicted, I'd gone astray. You know, we sometimes we look
at people that are enjoying life without affliction and we think,
well, what a blessing that they've received from God. And yet, so
oftentimes, it's through the afflictions that we're most blessed. It's through the afflictions
that we're most blessed. The Lord tells us in Hebrews chapter
12, verse 11, that no chastening at the present time seems joyous,
but grievous. Nevertheless, afterwards, it
yielded the peaceable fruit of righteousness. And so our heavenly
father knows exactly what each one of us needs. And that's why
we know, we know that all things work together for good, for them
that love God and those that are called according to his purpose.
And we understand what James meant when he said, count it
all joy, my brethren, when you fall into divers, trials, and
troubles, and temptations, knowing this, that the trying of your
faith worketh patience, and patience, when it is complete, makes you
perfect and entire, lacking in nothing. So our loving Heavenly
Father knows exactly what each one of us needs in order to bless
us with spiritual blessings. That's the greatest blessing
that we need. I don't ask for afflictions.
But I know when they come, I know when they come, that the Lord
has designed them for my good. And He's designed them in order
to bless me with a blessing that goes far beyond the temporal
comforts of this life and of this world. And to cause me to
find my hope. and my satisfaction in Christ. Oh Lord, I pray thee, if I have
found grace, if I have found favor in thine eyes, tarry, tarry
with me, don't leave me. For I've learned by my experience
that God has blessed me for your sake. Isn't that the blessing? Isn't that the hope that we have?
In Genesis chapter 39, When Joseph was in Potiphar's
house, the scripture says, and the Lord blessed the Egyptians'
house for Joseph's sake. For Joseph's sake. What a glorious
picture of Christ Joseph is. Remember when Joseph was cast
into prison, accused of things that he had not done, falsely
accused and put into prison. And the scripture says that whatsoever
was done in that prison, you remember the guard of the prison
gave the prison over to Joseph to run it. And here he was a
prisoner. And the scripture says that whatever
was done in that prison, Joseph was the doer of it. What a glorious
picture of our salvation. Whatever's done, Christ is the
doer of it. He is the blessing. He's the
one that we need. He's the only one that can save
our souls. He's the only one that can put
away our sin. He's the only one that can give
us hope of eternal life. He is the one who fought the
battle for us. Yeah, verse I started to quote
a moment ago in Isaiah chapter 40. Comfort ye, comfort ye my
people, speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem. And tell them what?
Tell them their warfare is accomplished. Tell them their sins have been
put away. Their iniquity is cleansed. Oh,
that's the blessing. That's the blessing. Oh, Lord,
I pray Thee, if I have found grace in Thy sight, tarry, or
don't leave me. For I have learned by experience
that the blessings of God come my way for your sake. For your sake. Spiritual blessings. All the blessings of God according
to Ephesians chapter 1 are in the heavenlies in Christ. God's going to bless you. He's
going to bless me. with temporal blessings or spiritual
eternal blessings, it'll be for Christ's sake. I know the thoughts that I have
toward you, thoughts for peace, not for evil, that I might bring
you to your expected end. Oh, what hope. What hope? Our Lord does everything
right. He does everything perfect in
order to bring us to our expected end. Lord Terry, Terry with me. Ephesians chapter 1 verse 13,
blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who
has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in
Christ according as He, now here's the blessing, according as He
has chosen us in Christ Jesus before the foundation of the
world. The Lord Jesus Christ, that lamb that was slain before
the foundation of the world, God's got a covenant of grace.
David, that was David's prayer, wasn't it? That was his greatest
blessing. David's last words, although
my house be not so with God. The tabernacle of this flesh,
my home, my family, my children, oh, what a mess we'd make of
things. Yet, He has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered
in all things and sure. This is all my salvation. This
is all my desire. Here's the blessing. I can't,
you know, how many, how many times in my life I've seen people
accumulate the things of this world and establish for themselves
a reputation and a name Only to die. Only to die. Leave it all behind. Here's our hope. He's chosen
us in Him before the foundation of the world that we should be
holy and without blame. Now how are you and I are going
to be holy and without blame? You know what holy means, don't
you? Holiness is what God is. It's other than we are. The best way to understand this
concept of holiness is just other. He's other. He's not like us
in any way. When Isaiah saw the Lord high
and lifted up, what did he say? Holy, holy, holy is the Lord
God of hosts. Heaven and earth is filled with
his glory. That's what he heard the seraphim crying. What came
out of Isaiah's mouth? Woe is me, for I am undone. I'm undone. I'm a man of unclean
lips. Oh, I've seen the King. I'm going
to die. He's holy. He's lifted up. He's
glorious. And now the Lord said, tells
us in Ephesians chapter one, that the blessings of God that
are in the heavenlies in Christ, which he has chosen us, that's
the first blessing in the covenant of grace before the world began.
And now that we might be holy and without blame before him
in love, how are we going to be holy? Daniel put it like this, before
I saw him, I thought I was strong. But in light of his holiness,
in light of his glory, my comeliness, my strength, my glory was turned
into corruption. We're gonna be holy before God
if we're found in Christ. There's the blessing. There's
the blessing to be found in him. to be found in Christ. Not having
my own righteousness, I've got no righteousness. All my righteousnesses
are as filthy rags, but to be found in Him. Not having my own
righteousness which is of the law, but that righteousness which
is by the faith of Jesus Christ. Oh, that's the blessing I need.
That's what I want. I want to be able to stand before
a holy God and not be consumed by His holiness. And the only
way that's going to work is if He puts me in Christ. The Lord
Jesus Christ stands before God in my stead as my advocate, as
my sin bearer, as my righteousness, and presents himself to God on
my behalf. What a blessing. There's no blessing
in this world, there's no blessing to be received that's better
than that. To be justified before God? To be sinless before God? That's
the only way I can be holy. Only way I can be holy, the only
way I can be righteous, the only way I can be sinless is to have
no sin, to have no guilt. There is now therefore no condemnation
to them who are in Christ Jesus. If I'm in Christ, my sin's been
put away. He says, I've separated your
sin for as far as you, as far from you as the east is from
the west, and I remember them no more. That's the blessing
that I blessed is the man whom the Lord. Impute not sin. That's the blessing. Having predestinated
us and adopted us of children by Jesus Christ unto himself. Why would he bless me like that?
The next phrase tells us in Ephesians chapter one. According. to the good pleasure of his will,
to the praise of the glory of his grace. Oh Lord, if I have found grace
in thine eyes. Noah found grace in the eyes
of the Lord. What is grace? It's the opposite
of works. That's what grace is. It's free. It's God's sovereign pleasure
upon his people, according to the good pleasure of his will,
to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he has made
us accepted in the beloved. There's no blessing like that
blessing. Oh, let the world interpret the blessings of God based on
their temporal circumstances. Here's the blessing that we need. Here's the blessing that will
sustain your soul in whatever circumstances God ordains for
you. To know that I've got a righteousness before God, I've got an advocate.
I've got an advocate. My little children, I write unto
you that you sin not, but if any man sin, we have an advocate
with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous one. Oh, I've got
a righteousness before God. I've got a perfect standing before
God in the person of my Savior. That's the blessing. Lord, if
I found grace in thy sight, Terry, stay with me. Don't lead me to
myself. I've learned by experience what
I can do. When you allow me. You know,
we had this horrible event take place in our city a few weeks
ago where that man came in and shot up that bar and killed all
those people not far from where we live. And the whole world is thinking,
how could such a thing happen? How could such a thing happen?
I've heard that statement and I've heard that sentiment by
so many people. And what I'm thinking is, why
doesn't this happen every day? Why doesn't it happen here in
Spring Lake, North Carolina? Why doesn't it happen in my neighborhood?
Why doesn't it happen in my city every single day? The restraining grace of God
is the only reason. I mean, how many seriously unbalanced,
imbalanced people, mentally unbalanced people do you know? I meet people
all the time. How many people are there in
the world that are capable of such a thing? How accessible
are the means by which a man could do those things? And here's
what the scripture says, the wrath of man will praise me and
the remainder, what I can't use for my praise, I will restrain. And the only reason that these
things don't happen every day is the restraining grace of God.
And the only reason that you and I don't fall headlong into
the most horrible sins that could be imagined in this life. And the only reason that we don't
fall headlong into a devil's hell is the restraining grace
of God. Oh, Lord, tarry with me. Don't
leave me. Don't leave me to myself. I've
learned by experience. By looking in the world, I've
learned by experience what men are capable of and I've learned
by my own experience what I'm capable of. I know what I could
do. Lord, tarry with me. Tarry with me. Keep me. Keep
me from falling and present me faultless before the throne of
God with much joy. Lord, I'm Do you believe yourself to be
your own worst enemy? I know that's true about me.
I know, you know, we get in situations and we point our finger at people
and circumstances and we like to, you know, we go right back
to our father Adam playing the blame game, don't we? With, you
know, with accusing, but at the end of the day, When we are left
with the truth and with ourselves, we know, we know that we're the
problem. The Republican and the Pharisee
went into the temple to pray one day. And the Pharisee, he
was looking around, oh God, I thank thee that I'm not like other
men. Have you ever? You ever heard
someone say, but for the grace of God, there go I? Let me ask
you a statement. Let me ask you a question. How
is that statement any different than, God, I thank thee that
I'm not like other men? To whom much is given, much is
required. Who do you know in this world
that's been given more light and more grace and more opportunities
and more blessings than you've been given and remain as unbelieving
and sinful as you are? You see, we can't look outside
the church and say, but for the grace of God, there go. I, I'm
the problem. I'm the center who was in the
temple with that public and pray with that, with that Pharisee
praying that day, the publican who beat himself upon his breast
and we're not so much as even look up and said, what God have
mercy upon me. Now in the King James, it says
a center. You can look it up. It's not
a center in the original text. That's the indefinite article
A. It's the definite article. It's
definitely there. And what that publican was saying
was, God have mercy upon me, the sinner. The sinner. You believe that to be true about
yourself? Lord, I will destroy myself. I will leave you. I will die
an unbeliever if you don't restrain me, if you don't have grace upon
me. Lord, if I have found favor in
thine eyes, tarry with me, for I have learned by experience. I have learned by my own experience that God blesses me for Christ's
sake. For Christ's sake. My heart is wicked and deceitful. Lord, you looked at me and tried
to find a reason to bless me for what you see in me. Lord,
I'm the chief of all sinners. I need you to bless me for Christ's
sake. Romans chapter 4 verse 7 says,
blessed Are they whose iniquity are forgiven? Whose sins are
covered? That's what I need. I need my
iniquities forgiven. I need my sins to be covered.
And there's only one sufficient covering for that. The blood
of the Lord Jesus Christ is the only thing that's going to hide
our sins from God. But oh, how sufficient it is
to hide our sins. Isaiah put it like this. He said,
who is so blind as my servant? He's talking about Christ. He sees, yet he doesn't perceive. Our sins are so sufficiently
covered by the blood of Christ that God can't see them. They're
put away completely. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord will not impute sin. God made him sin. who knew no sin. When the Lord Jesus Christ went
to Calvary's cross, I was listening to a Calvinist preacher this
week and he was talking about that Jesus bore in his body all
the sins of all the people who will ever believe on Christ. And I thought, well, yeah, that's
true. That's true. But why say it like that? Why
say it like that? Are you trying to take the offense
out of the gospel? You see, what you've just done
by saying it like that is you've left a whole lot of folks thinking
that what the Lord Jesus Christ did on Calvary's cross would
be effectual for them if they would make the step of believing. The Lord Jesus Christ bore in
His body on Calvary's cross all the sins of all God's elect,
all that God chose in the covenant of grace. He put their sins away
once and for all, and God made Him sin, who knew no sin, that
we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. Oh, what, that's
the blessing? That's the blessing. to look
to the Lord Jesus Christ for all our acceptance before God. It doesn't have anything to do
with us. It has everything to do with
Him. Revelation chapter 20 verse 6
says, blessed and holy is he which hath part in the first
resurrection, on such the second death hath no power. When was the first resurrection?
It was 2,000 years ago when the Lord Jesus Christ was rewarded
by God the Father. God the Father would not allow
His Holy One to see corruption. He was obligated to raise Him
from the dead. Why? because he had satisfied
all the demands of the law and he had satisfied all the requirements
of divine justice by putting away the sins of his people.
God was satisfied and God raised his son from the dead. That's
the first resurrection. And Paul put it like this, oh,
that I might know him and the fellowship of his suffering.
Did I suffer when he suffered? Was I on Calvary's cross when
he was on Calvary's cross? Well, Paul said, I was crucified
with him. Nevertheless, I live, yet not I, but it's Christ that
liveth in me. The life that I now live, I live
by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself
for me. And Paul said, oh, that I might
know him and the fellowship of his suffering. Paul wasn't asking
for sufferings. He was wanting to be more believing
that when Christ died on Calvary's cross that he was in Christ and
that God was satisfied with the death of the Lord Jesus Christ
that I might know the fellowship of his suffering and what? The
power of his resurrection. And so the Lord says in Romans
chapter 20, blessed and holy is he which hath part in the
first resurrection. For the second death hath no
power over him. If you're born once, you're gonna
die twice. If you're born twice, you're
gonna die once. Most men, only experience they have is
physical birth. And what they have to look forward
to is physical death and then the second death. Separation from God for all eternity. Blessed and holy is he which
hath part in the first resurrection. Oh, there's my hope that when
Christ was raised from the dead, I was raised from the dead and
God was satisfied with Christ on my behalf. All the blessings
of God have come to me for your sake. Tarry with me. Don't leave
me to myself. I've learned this by experience. The second death hath no power. We don't fear hell. We don't
fear the wrath and judgment of God. We know that the fullness
of God's wrath was executed upon our substitute on Calvary's cross. He, the scripture says, is our
propitiation. In other words, there's no more
wrath. There's no more judgment. There's
no more anger. There's nothing but grace and
favor from a holy God who loves us for Christ's sake. What a
blessing. Revelation chapter 1 verse 3
says, Blessed is he that readeth and heareth the words of this
prophecy. Blessed of God. is he that hears
and reads the words of this prophecy. And then later on in Revelation,
it says that Jesus Christ is the spirit of prophecy. All prophecy
points to him. All the promises of God are yay
and amen in him. And I love when the Lord asks
the disciples, whom do men say that I am? Well, some say that
thou art John the Baptist, some Elijah, some one of the prophets.
Who do you say that I am? And one of those rare occasions
where Peter actually said something good, didn't stick his foot in
his mouth, what did he say? Thou art the Christ, the son
of the living God. We know and are sure we've got
no place else to go. Well, you've shut us up to yourself.
And what'd the Lord say to Peter? Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah. Flesh and blood didn't reveal
this to you. You didn't come to this on your own. You didn't
go to school and seminary and study the books and read the
commentaries. No. My Father revealed them unto
you. And the gates of hell shall not
be able to prevail against it. I have come in order to lead
captivity captive. I've come in order to tear down
the very gates of hell and to enter into the pit of hell. You
remember when Samson went to the Philistine city and he took
those gates and put them on his back, carried them away and the
children of Israel went in and routed the city. There's a picture.
That's what the Lord Jesus Christ did. He took down the gates of
hell and he comes into the very place where you and I are by
nature and brings us out. brings us out. Blessed is he
that readeth and heareth these words, for the gates of hell
shall not be able to prevail against this gospel. Oh, that's
the blessing, isn't it? That's the blessing. I'm thankful
for the temporal blessings that God gives us. But there's a whole
lot of folks in this world that are living very comfortable lives
and thinking that they're being blessed of God and they're not. They're not. When you think about it, whatever
causes me to have a less need for Christ is not a blessing. Not a blessing. If God's made
you prosperous, giving you comfort in this world. Thank him for
it. Thank him for it. Be generous with what he's given
you. But if that, if that blessing makes me less dependent upon
Christ, it's not a blessing. It's not a blessing. God gives
you good health. Enjoy it while it lasts. I promise
it's coming to an end. It's not gonna last. Thank God
for it. The real blessing we need is
for him to tarry with us. If I have found favor in thine
eyes, Lord, if I found grace in your sight, tarry with me. Don't lead me to myself, for
I've learned by experience that God has blessed me for Christ's
sake. Blessed are you when men shall
revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against
you for my sake. For so they persecuted the prophets
that were before you. Rejoice and be glad. That's a
blessing from God. I pray thee. That's where the blessings begin,
isn't it? The blessing begins when God sets our hearts to pray. God doesn't reward us with blessings
because we pray. If God has set your heart to
pray, I mean really pray. You know, we call a lot of things
prayer that aren't really prayers. Prayer is what we do when we've
got nothing else to do. No place else to go. All options
have been used up. You know, you hear people say
sometimes, well, you know, there's nothing left now to do but pray.
Only time you pray is when there's nothing left to do. That's what
real prayer is. It's falling on His mercy. And only the Spirit of God can
put that in our hearts when He makes us to be a sinner. I heard
a brother say one time, he said, you know, any problem in this
life that can be solved with money or time is not really a
problem. You think about it. Most every
problem, every problem, excluding one, can be solved with money
or time. Time one day is gonna solve every
problem. We're gonna stop breathing and all our problems are gonna
go away, just like that. Time's gonna solve it all, isn't
it? And we use money to solve a lot of our problems. There's
a problem that time nor money can't solve. It's called sin. Only the Lord can take that away.
What a blessing it is when He does. What a blessing it is when
He sets the heart to pray. He shuts us up. He causes us
to see, Lord, I've got no place else to go. I've got a sin problem
that's going to cast my soul into hell if you don't have mercy
upon me. That's a work of grace. God doesn't
reward us with the blessings of salvation because we pray.
Prayer is the evidence of faith. Faith is the gift of God. For
by grace are you saved through faith and that, not of yourself. It's a gift of God, not of works.
So when a believer is pouring out his heart in prayer to God,
that's a work of grace. That's something the Lord has
taken out the heart of stone and put in a heart of flesh.
We're not rewarded with salvation because we prayed or because
we believed. Prayer and faith is the evidence
that God has begun a work of grace in our hearts. What did
Laban say to Jacob? I pray thee. I pray thee. If I have found grace in thine
eyes. Oh Lord, the only grounds upon
which I'm able to come into your presence is grace. Not by works. Your free grace,
your sovereign grace, your favor towards me. For I've learned
by my experience that all the blessings of God have come my
way. for Christ's sake. Is that your
experience? Is that your prayer? That's really
the essence of every believer's cry for help, isn't it? Pastor?