Good morning. Hello again. It's good to be home. If you will, we turn into Romans
chapter three. Romans chapter three. We're thankful to be back. Glad
we were able to go and we're glad to be home. I've experienced
some unique things that was different than I'd ever experienced. I
did some open-air preaching. I had to. And birds tweet whether
I'm preaching or not. Did you know that? We're just
so diligent and so holy and Pious that we can just pay attention
no matter what we prepare ourselves for the worship of God tell a
bird to eat Threw me off it though you all do It was nice to meet
the people of the Lord I've seen them from around this world over
the years from France and England and Ireland and Australia and
but to meet more of them and John told us He said, the Lord
has a great multitude, which no man can number, of all nations,
and kindreds, and people, and tongues. And they stood before
the throne, and before the Lamb. They were clothed with white
robes, and palms in their hands. And they cried with a loud voice,
every one of them, saying, salvation to our God, which sitteth upon
the throne, and unto the Lamb. And them, and those angels, and
the elders, and the four beasts, and all of them. They fell on
their faces and they worshiped God. They worshiped God. I have a good report for you.
I met those believers, those saints, from another culture,
from another continent, almost another language, and they have
the same thing to say. They have the same song to sing. Nothing's different. And that's
been, God doesn't change. and the people he saves, the
heart he puts in them, that don't change. Don't matter when or
where you are, it's the same. It's family. It's his family. It's the kingdom of God. I was
thankful Brother Marvin was here to preach to you as well. That
message on First Thessalonians was wonderful, and I love both
of them, but it just goes, I was thinking it goes really well
with what I have to say, but the gospel just goes good with
the gospel, don't it? I have an accent here in California
and there, and everyone knew I wasn't from there by the way
I talked. But you know what, Todd? Those
brethren spoke the same way I spoke. I mean it. God's people say the
same things. Look here in Romans 3, verse
21. Romans 3, verse 21. Paul writes, but now the righteousness
of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and
the prophets, even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of
Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe. For there
is no difference. There's no difference. Now there's
a difference between the worldly people, because God says, I'll
put a difference between you. But between his people, there's
no difference. What's the first thing? For all
have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We could camp out there for about
five or six millennia, couldn't we? All have sinned and come
short of the glory of God. You know, not one of them people
come up to me. I looked them in the eye. They didn't say,
you know what, I've sinned and I've come short of the civil law.
They didn't say, I've sinned and I've come short of the ceremonial
law. I didn't bring the turtle doves
and I didn't do the lambs and I can't do that. They did not.
One of them said, you know what I've seen and I've come short of the
moral law. Is that what that says? That's
not what that says, is it? They've sinned and come short
of the glory of God. The glory of God. We break those
things down, civil, ceremonial, moral, don't we? Seminaries don't
break that down. They don't define the terms God
does. God does. He said you come short of the
glory of God. The glory. They said what I say. Do you know that? They say what
you say. I'm dead. I was dead and he gave me life.
I was blind and he gave me sight. I see now. And there was a time
I did not see. It's so easy, I learned that
too this week. So easy, it's systemic. It means it's the same
across the boards and throughout time. A heathen can go around,
a theologian can go around and say, that church is wrong, and
that church is wrong, and that gospel, and I went there but
they were wrong, and I went there and they were wrong, and I went
there and they were wrong. It takes a power of God to say,
you know what, I was wrong. You get that? When were you wrong? Remember, they had a day they
was wrong. They said, I was a sinner. I don't care who was preaching
what. I don't care about false religion. It's false. It's like
counting dead snakes on the road. It's lifeless. It's legal. It's
dead. And I was. I was. And God did something for me.
I came short of his glory. I had sinned against a holy God.
That means I ain't his glory. I wasn't holy. What then? I was
in direct opposition. I was the opposite of glory,
and I was in direct opposition to God. I was at war with Him.
Can you say that? Do you remember a time you was
at war with God, or you've been saved forever? If you've been saved
forever, it's too long. God saved sinners. Remember when
He was a sinner? Still are, ain't we? Look here
in verse 24, being justified freely by His grace through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Whom? God hath set forth
to be a propitiation, a mercy seat, an acceptable bloody sacrifice
through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for
the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance
of God to declare, I say at this time, his righteousness, that
he might be just and remain holy and perfect and good and the
justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. He's the just and the
justifier. How can a man, if we see what
we are, I don't mean like, well, yes, all mankind is sin. I'm
sin. You see that. How can I be in
the presence of the Holy God? You know, in the oldest book
that's in this Bible, in Job, that's asked, how can a man be
just with God? It's worded a bunch of different
ways, but it's asked in Job 4, in Job 9, in Job 14, in Job 15,
in Job 25. Maybe mankind in this day ought
to ask that. How? Be like a little child into
that kingdom and say, how? That's important, isn't it? What about your finances? What
about your discipleship programs? How can you be just for a holy
God? That's important, isn't it? The Lord Jesus Christ, that's
how. But God, Job said, he answered the Lord, he said, I know that
thou He can't do everything that no thought can be withholding
from me. He said, I've heard of you by
the hearing of the ear, but now, I've heard all this before, but
now I see you. Something happened. You gave
me eyes. I was blind. Now I see, and I
abhor myself. Well, I knew something about
sins before. Now I know I am sin. That's all
I am. And I need a savior. Believers
of old, believers today, no matter the location, no matter the continent,
we have the same salvation, the common salvation. That's what
was in our bulletin last week, wasn't it? The, the definite
article, that doesn't make it common. We have the same common
salvation, the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
That's it, that's our salvation, him. Him, it's a him book, isn't
it? We love the Lord, we love his
people, and we will not leave him. We can't because he keeps
us from falling. He keeps us. He has to or I'd
run away. I've tried to run away. He drew
me back. He allured me. Hedged me about. All right. Turn over to Exodus 21. Here's
what coming to mind. I was on that plane ride back.
Had something else ready for you, but this just couldn't shake
it. Exodus 21. Lord gave rules for servants
and masters. That's what people, we're free
from the law. We know that, don't we? We know
we're free from the law. Now, can you have another God
but him? We're free from the law. Is it okay to cheat, lie,
and steal on purpose now? We're free from the law. Can
you go kick over your mom's garbage can and set your house on fire?
We know better than that, don't we? We know better than that.
Because of who fulfilled the law? Who fulfilled the law? That's why it's important because
God gave it and it's holy. And it's holy enough for Christ
to come fulfill it, isn't it? He gave rules here for servants
and masters in Exodus 21. In Exodus 21, one. It says, now
these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them. If
thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve, and in
the seventh, he shall go out free for nothing. In those days,
you could just rack up so much debt, you couldn't pay your debt.
And you have to sell yourself into slavery. to make amends
for that debt, and after six years, you completed it. Seventh year, you go out free. Verse three, and if he came in
by himself, he shall go out by himself. If he were married,
whenever he sold himself into this slavery, when he became
a servant, if he was married then, him and his wife shall
go out with him. He'll take out what he took in. Verse four, and if his master
have given him a wife, and she hath bore him sons or daughters,
the wife and her children shall be her masters, and he shall
go out by himself. What's that speaking of? Well,
how that affects us, because that's what we're worried about.
I'm me, things affect me. This is the preaching of the
gospel. If God gives children, if he gives life through the
preaching of the gospel, and that's the only way he does it,
and I'm just his temporary servant, and I go out from him, does that
mean that them children that I preach to go out with me? What
about Judas, those that Judas preached to? What about Demas,
that he preached to? What about those in our day,
that they've preached truth? God saved some folks, and then
they fail. Well, them children ain't yours.
Them children's the masters, isn't it? That was precious to
me. The wife and her children shall
be her masters, and he shall go out by himself. And, Verse
five, if the servant shall plainly say, if the servant shall plainly
say, here's the deep theological position that we have in our
statement of faith, no, this is plain. God's servants, his
people plainly speak. I love my master, my wife, and
my children. I will not go out free. That ain't complicated, is it?
If the Lord has his servants, We're His servants. We will not
go out free. Let me word it this way. I waive
all my rights. You stand on your rights? Cling
to them and go to hell? I mean it. Submit. Waive all your rights, whether
it's man-given or whatever. It's nonsense. Waive your rights. Do not go out free. Why? Because
I love Christ. I love His people. his bride,
I love those future children that's gonna come out of it.
Through the preaching of the gospel, we're gonna have children,
drawn to my little children, that's where they come from.
I love Christ, I love his current bride, I love those that'll be
born of him, and I'm not going anywhere. If he's pleased to
keep me, I ain't leaving. Is that plain? It's plain, isn't
it? If they say that, servants shall
plainly say, I love my master, my wife, my children, I will
not go out free, Then his master shall bring him unto the judges,
and he shall also bring him to the door or unto the doorpost,
and his master shall bore his ear through with an awe, and
he shall serve him forever." He's gonna serve him forever.
He's gonna go and bore his ear, put a big old hole right here
in his ear, and he's gonna be his servant forever, a willing
bond slave, a bond servant, a love servant forever. This is all
the Lord's people. They're in verse five. I love
my master, I love my wife, I love my children, and I won't go out
free. We are bought with a price. And we're brought willing in
the day of his power, publicly, in front of the judges. That's
why we profess Christ and believers baptism. That's why we take the
Lord's table. Because we're his. He's the master. And by his power, he makes us
willing We're brought out and open, and our ears are bored
out, and we're gonna serve him forever. A little pain with that. They didn't mention lidocaine
in there, did they? Now there's gonna be a little
bit of tears with it. There's gonna be a little bit of pain. Gonna be a little
uncomfortable with it. But it's a lot of affliction.
It's a reasonable service in it. But like all the scriptures,
that's our experience. That's those experiences, those
I've spent this last couple weeks with. That's the experience of
the Lord's people I've met throughout this world and throughout time.
That's the experience of the people that's written about it.
But if that's all we have, if all you had, I had a man look
me dead and he said, that's my experience and I ain't backing
down. It wasn't all joy. There's a
little bit of conflict there. If that's all you got, you know
what you got? A pretty set of earrings. That's it. It's a set of earrings. That's
all it is our experience, like all the scriptures, all the law,
all the prophets, they point to somebody, don't they? They
point to somebody, if we miss Christ, you missed it all. You
might have money in the bank, you might have well behaved children,
you might have a good life and a good employer that locks you
in and you're well respected in the community, and you've
missed everything. It's him. I had a sticker. Bob's seen it before. Little
sticker there from John. It said, Sir, he shall bring
forth judgment to the Gentiles. We read in Isaiah 53, yet it
pleased the Lord to bruise him. He hath put him to grief when
thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin. He shall see his seed,
he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall
prosper in his hand. We know he's talking about Christ.
He shall see the travail of his soul and be satisfied. By his
knowledge shall my righteous servant, that's who the servant
is, my righteous servant, justify many, for he shall bear their
iniquities. Zechariah says, here now, O Joshua,
the high priest, thou and thy fellows that sit before thee,
for they are men wonder at. For behold, I will bring forth
my servant, Who's that? The Branch, all capital letters,
B-R-A-N-C-H. Paul said in Philippians 2, let
this mind be in you, which is also in Christ Jesus, who being
in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with
God, but made of himself no reputation, and took upon him the form of
a servant, and was made in the likeness of man. And being found
in fashion as man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto
death, even the death of the cross." What does a servant do? The will of the master. What
does a child do? The will of the father, isn't
it? That's what servants do. Those disciples said, who's going
to be greatest? Who's going to sit beside you
on the left and right? He said to them, how is it that
you sought me? I'm sorry, the first thing the
Lord said, first thing recorded in his life, he was 12 years
old leaving that temple. And they came to him and said, where
are you being? First thing that's recorded, he said, how is it
that you sought me? Wished you not that I must be
about my father's business. This is what the servant said.
First thing he said, don't you know how to serve my father?
What was the last thing he said? It's finished. The servant began
a task and he ended the task and he completed the task. There
was a beginning, a continuance, and an end. He said, I must be
about my father's business. And he said, it's finished. Then, our Lord said, there was a strife
among them which should be the greatest. Lord, who's gonna be the greatest?
And he said, for where there is greater, he that setteth at
meat or he that serveth. You say the one that sets at
meat, the one that sets at the table and eats. You say that's
the greatest. He said, but I am among you as
he that serveth. That's our wicked sin nature
is to be in charge. Well, if they just do what I
said, oh, if I could just run stuff, they'd run things by me.
What our Lord do? He said, I'm among you as one
that service. He can't was gonna do it when we set at that table.
He brings that he's gonna serve us. What do we say? If he's give us a new heart?
What's it all horses? That's right, get to it. And
new hearts, just like john the baptist, I have needed being
baptized to you. He willingly laid down his life.
What does servant do? He laid down his life. No man
took it from him. No man took his life. He laid
it down willingly that he may take it up again. It says there
in verse two, if thou by a Hebrew servant six years, he shall serve,
and in the seventh year, he shall go out free for nothing. Once
that law is complete, once the law has been satisfied, you just
go out for nothing. You take out what you brought
in. Go home. How come the Lord didn't just
fulfill every jot until the law, and satisfy the law, and then
go on? Wasn't that enough? Why did he
have to go to that cross? Why? All the law was fulfilled.
Because the soul that sinneth, it shall surely die. The wages
of sin is death. He fulfilled that life of perfection
for his people, and then he had to bear their sin and their guilt. Father had to make him sin, who
knew no sin. The noun, the feminine noun.
He had to be made his bride, his wife that he loves. That
we might be made the righteousness of God in him. He had to. He had to, because he had to
be just. But we had to be justified. More of a mention of that, too.
It's not just as if I had not sinned. No, it's right. It's
right. How could that be? Now we're
back to Job. How could this man be just before
God? How? What's impossible with man
is possible with God, isn't it? Verse five says, and if the servant
shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children,
I will not go out free. You know what, even if you liked
your master, I thought about this. If I had wife and children
there that was born during those six years, and I like my master,
Well, I'd want freedom, wouldn't you? I don't want 10 people reigning
over me. Would you like to live in a land
that didn't have speed limits? You'll never get another ticket from
a cop ever. I'd like to drive on that road. I wanted to drive
on the Autobahn in Germany. I did. I want to drive without
speed limits. But you love your wife and your children. What
would you do? You'd grit your teeth. Go ahead, Pierce Mayor. I'm going
to do all this, first and foremost, because of my children. You got
to do it for the children. Why do people stay together nowadays?
Well, we got to stay together for the children. What about
the bride? Well, I'll do it for my bride.
I love my wife. What if you didn't have no children? I love my wife.
So I love you too, Pierce Mayor. That's what we would do, isn't
it? There's a way that seems right to man in the end's death.
Our priorities are all kinds of messed up. Ain't even close
to being right. What'd our Lord tell us? This
is plain what he saith. Thus saith the Lord. Seek ye
first the kingdom of God. And all this other stuff be added
to you. Is that what he said? Turn over to John 14. The love of
Christ constrains us. Doesn't it? That's our constraint.
It restrains and constrains. It keeps us from doing things
we want to do and makes us do the things that pleases Him and
fulfills His will. It constrains us. And the love
of the Father was the willing motivation. The love of the Father
is what constrained the Son. His love for the Father is what
made that happen. He had to be baptized with that
baptism you and I couldn't be baptized with. He had to drink
from that cup we were not able to drink from. Didn't he? Why? First and foremost, he loved
the master. First and foremost, he loved
the father. That's necessary. Not backwards
like us. Look here in John 14, verse 30.
John 14, 30. Hereafter, I will not talk much
with you, for the prince of this world cometh and hath nothing
in me, but that the world may know. What does everybody need
to know in this world? Here's what Christ says, that
I love the Father. that the world may know that
I love the Father, and as the Father gave me commandment, even
so I do. As he gave me a commandment,
that's what I do. I love the Father, I do the Father's will.
I love my master, is what this perfect servant says. He said,
arise, let us go hence, now let's get after it. That's what I'm
gonna do, let's go do it. You see that? The law has no
claim on the child of God, it does not. But why do we live
upright in front of all men? Because the love of Christ constrains
us. Who he is and what he did for us. There's love there. Love,
not law, love. Only a perfect servant can say
I love my master. Only a perfect servant can say
that. He loves his master. Secondly, he loves his wife.
Go read Song of Solomon. And that is not worded the way
I'd word it. I told Kermit one day, I said, you know what? I
said, you're as beautiful as the hair of goats on a thousand
hills. That don't sound good, does it? No, but it's who says
it? Who says it? Who's speaking? What's his thoughts towards me?
He says his bride's beautiful. I don't think I look beautiful.
I know this wretched heart, I know my thoughts and everything else,
but he knows his thoughts towards us. He said in Song of Solomon
410, how fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse, the church,
his bride. How much better is thy love than
wine, the smell of thine ointments than all spices. Oh, you're precious. And he loves his children. We
read in Isaiah 5, Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath
given me. Me and the children. First and
foremost, I love the father. I love the bride and I love the
children that the Lord's given me because they are for signs
and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, which dwells
in Mount Zion. This is proof. We, his offsprings,
are proof of who and what he is. We're proof of it. He loves the children that the
Father gave him. If you're in John, turn back to John 6. John 6. Verse 37. John 6, 37. He says, All that
the Father giveth me shall come to me. And him that cometh to
me I will in no wise cast out. 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. What's that
servant? What's his marching orders? Of
all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise
it up again the last day. And this is the will of him that
sent me, that everyone which seeth the Son and believeth on
him may have everlasting life, and I'll raise him up at the
last day. That's it. Who's that people?
Turn over to John 10. John 10. This perfect servant, he says,
I love my master. I love my wife. I love my children. It's specific, isn't it? What
did Paul tell us? He told wives, he says, submit
yourselves to your own husbands. If I went out in this town, I
told you this before, if I went out in this town and I said, you
know what? I love Kimberly. That's my wife, I love her, and I love
her just the exact same as I love every other woman in San Diego
County. What? I mean, my love ain't worth too
much, is it? It ain't worth squat. This perfect servant, he loves
his master, his wife, and his children. Look here in John 10,
verse 24. Then came the Jews round about
him and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If
thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. You tell me plainly. What'd that
servant say plainly? Tell us plainly. And he answered,
said, I told you, and you believed not. The works that I do in my
father's name, they bear witness of me. These people that do believe,
that's my witness. Paul said that. He said, you're
my, I don't need letters of commendation from a man. I don't need plaques
on the walls and sheepskins. You're my epistle. You're the
proof. I don't care what anybody thinks.
Lord's saying the same thing, but then Pharisee's it now. Verse
26, but ye believe not because ye are not of my sheep, as I
said unto you. He said, I already told you this.
It's not, you're not my sheep because you don't believe. You
don't believe because you're not my sheep. That's it. Verse 27, my sheep, what about
them? My sheep, they hear my voice
and I know them and they follow me. And if we're all following
Christ, what's gonna happen? We're gonna converge on him,
ain't we? We converge here every Wednesday and Sunday. That's
just so, that's just so, I get so tired. It's worldwide too. The Lord's people are the same
throughout time and throughout the world, and the Lord's enemies,
those that hate him, are the same throughout time and throughout
everywhere else. People walk around about how much they love
the Lord. Oh, I just love Jesus, and I love the gospel. And you
all have nothing to do with it, and you all have nothing to do
with his people. You don't want the master, you don't want the
bride, and you don't want the children. You love them from
afar. That's hogwash. You're lying,
and it makes me mad. I get angry, and then I have
to see my Savior again, so I call down thunder from above, Lord,
strike them down right now. Get them out of here that lie
on you and lie on your people. They diminish the glory of God.
That's what they fall short of, because they're seeking their
own glory, and it's a lie. He said, My sheep hear My voice,
I know them, they follow Me, and I give unto them eternal
life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them
out of My hand, no matter what. He said so. My Father which gave
them Me is greater than all. What did it say the master? He
gave the bride. While this servant's there, if
he gives him a bride, What does this say? My father which gave
them me. He's the one that gave it. The
bride he ordained to people to be made like his son before time.
He purposed it. The son purchased it. The Holy
Spirit comes and proclaims it, doesn't he? We read that in Ephesians
1. He gave them me and he's greater
than all and no man's able to pluck them out of my father's
hand. What's this triune God? I and my father are one. He's
telling them all this and he said you're looking dead at him. And the Jews took up stones again
to stone him. You know what taking up stones
is? That could be picking up a rock and throwing it at somebody's
head, or be like, well, that's your opinion. Well, that's just
what Kevin thinks. Well, now I'm telling you what
he said. That subtle, well, hmm. That's
taking up stones. Election's good news to those
that are senators. It's not bad news. If you're
convicted of sin, that's good news, because that's how God
can justify us and be just. That's it. Only because Christ,
the perfect servant, he's sin of God. Who is God? He willingly
became a servant. Because of that, we have a husband
and we have a father. We are brides of the Redeemer.
We are sons of God. That's it. Back in Exodus 21. He says, and if thy servant shall
plainly say, in verse five, if thy servant shall plainly say,
I love my master, I love my wife and my children, I will not go
out free. Our Lord said, take me, let my
people go. I won't go out free. They came
to him and said, who do you seek? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth.
And he said, I've told you I'm he. He said, if therefore you
seek me, let these go their way. He said, I won't go out for you.
You take me, let them go. Substitution. They mocked him. They said, you say you destroy
the temple and build it up in three days. Save yourself. Save
yourself. Set yourself free. If you're
a son of God, come down from that cross. Likewise, also the
chief priest mocking him with the scribes and elders said,
He saved others, himself he cannot save. Boy, how true that was.
He must suffer that cross, didn't he? Willingly endured it. Don't
let that become old hat. Don't let this gospel become
just something we've heard a thousand times. Make it new and fresh
every day, Lord. Be with us. He willingly Our
Lord had the love and purpose of his Father first and foremost
in his heart, always, and he had the love for his bride and
the love for his children. Wherefore, seeing we also are
encompassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us
lay aside every weight." What's bringing you down? What's burdening
you? Lay it aside. His dad said, pay
no attention to it. It's hard to do, isn't it? Lay
aside every way the sin which doth so easily beset us, and
let us run with patience the race that's set before us. People's
watching. Somebody's watching. Let us run
a race, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,
who for the joy that was set before him, the joy, Not just
like, well, I'll do it, willingly do it. The joy that sat before
him endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down on the
right hand of the throne of God. That one had his ear bore willingly.
Look here in our text, Exodus 21. Here's the boring of the
year, verse five. If thy servant shall plainly
say, I love my master, my wife, my children, I will not go out
free. Then his master, shall bring
him unto the judges, and his master, he, shall also bring
him to the door, or unto the doorpost, and his master shall
bore his ear through with an awe, and he shall serve him forever. Who bore the ear? The master
bore the ear, didn't it? The father bored the ear. He
did it. That's what we read in Acts 23.
He am being delivered by the determinate counsel, and for
knowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified
and slain." Mankind's the one that did it, and you know what?
You'd have done it too if you were standing there. I would have.
He said, your wicked hands are the means that he used, but the
Father purposed this. The Father purposed this. And
our Lord prayed while on that cross while they mocked him.
He said, Lord, forgive them. They don't know what they're
doing. And then there in Acts 2, Peter preaches to them. And
some of them were converted. Didn't happen right then, did
it? They didn't find out about it until it was proclaimed in
their hearts a little while later, wouldn't it? But it was the Father's determinant
counsel. It says in Isaiah 53, it pleased the Lord to bruise
him. He's the one that bruised him.
The Master's the one that bored the ear. And I thought this was
a real precious term, Psalm 40. Maybe I'm reaching too hard,
is that what it is? Am I digging too deep? I don't think so. Psalm
40. Psalm 40, verse six. This is Christ speaking. Psalm
40, verse six, sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire. Mine ears hast thou opened. Why do you say that? You know
what that word opened is? Dig, awe. It's a variation of
the same word in our text, bore. He said, you've opened my ears.
You bore my ear. You did that. Sacrifice and offerings
thou didst not desire. Mine ears hast thou opened. Burnt
offerings and sin offerings thou hast not required. Then said
I, lo, I come. In the volume of the book it's
written of me. I delight to do thy will, O my God. Here's the
servant speaking. Yea, thy law is within my heart. I have preached righteousness
in the great congregation. Lo, I have not refrained my lips.
O Lord, thou knowest. He's a faithful servant. I have
not hid thy righteousness within my heart. I have declared thy
faithfulness and thy salvation. I have not concealed thy loving
kindness and thy truth from the great congregation. This one
who is this faithful, perfect servant, he came to us preaching
salvations of the Lord. Preaching him to Christ, preach
Christ. Everything he's done. Turn over to Isaiah 50. Isaiah
50. Isaiah 50 verse 5, the Lord God hath opened, that's
the same word, plow, carve, dig, bore through. The Lord God hath
opened mine ear. And I was not rebellious, neither
turned away back. He knew no sin, and he didn't
back down from the task at hand, was it? I gave my back to the
smotters and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair. I
hid not my face from the shame and spitting. This is the faithful
serpent. The grace of God in Christ, that
he, for our sakes, willingly bore our sin in his body on the
tree. He was forsaken of the Father.
bored through for us. But now, you know what else about
that ear? Physically, that bore the ear? Well, I don't heal up
does it? There's proof there. There's a permanent scar there. Christ bears the scars of his
commitment, his love, and his service to his father, to his
bride, and his children on his feet and hand and his wounded
side, doesn't he? That's what Thomas said, I ain't gonna believe
unless I see it and touch his side. He said, Come here, Thomas. Look, my hands, my feet, myself,
put your hands right there. He bears those says if the servant
shall plainly say I love my master, my wife, my children, I will
not go out free. Then his master shall bring him
to the judges. He shall also bring him to the
door to the doorpost and his master shall bore his ear through
with an all and he shall serve him for ever. He ever liveth
to make intercession for us, doesn't he? What's done on Calvary's
tree is forever. Salvation's forever. You know
how many people are so mad at me across this globe? Lord saves
his people. They're his. No matter what you
do, you can't undo what he's done. That's good news. I don't care who says it ain't.
That's good news. What he did on Calvary's forever.
The law has no claim on us because that servant voluntarily cried
out. He said, I love my master, I
love my wife, I love my children, and I will not go out free. And
he said, I must be about my father's business. And he finished it.
He finished it. That's good news, isn't it? That's
good news. That's the one they wanted to see. That's the one
you wanted to see? I like to hear about folks, and
I love to hear about. They wanted to hear about you.
I talked a lot about you, and there's a whole bunch of brethren
down there, and I want to tell you about them. And that's good. I want to know my brethren. I
want to pray for them, know what troubles they're going through.
But it doesn't matter if we don't see Him, does it? And that's
what they wanted to see. Amen. Father, if You're pleased,
be with us. Lord, bless this word to the
hearts of Your people and make us rejoice and be thankful and
sing. for your almighty works. Thank you for our brethren you've
gave us in this present world, in this present time. Those that
love Christ, that kiss the Son, and that would see Him, will
make us turn from ourselves and turn to Christ. Save those children
you've yet to reveal yourself to. Make us a fruitful bride,
Lord. Thank you for this day. Forgive
us for what we are. It's because of your perfect
servant we ask these things. Amen. All right. We'll meet back at 1030.