Psalm 106. Psalm 106, verse 47
is our text. It's one verse. Like you, I read
the psalm, read through the psalms, and I know sooner finish the
psalm than I start over again. And some verses just, all the
psalms are wonderful, but some verses just really jump out at
me, and this did. Verse 47, save us, O Lord our
God. and gather us among the heathen
to give thanks unto thy holy name and to triumph in thy praise. Save us and gather us. The prayer
of David for the church. He's praying for the church.
He's asking that the Lord gather them and save them. Do you pray
for this gathering? Do you? The gathering is a congregation,
congregation, church, flock, flocks together, gathered together,
gathered to a flock, gathered, God's people. Do you pray for
this gathering? Do you pray for Disgather. Tonight. Did you? Do you? Are you? You must. You need to.
Every time we meet, unless the Lord blesses us, unless the Spirit
of God blesses us, we won't get anything out of you. You won't
hear a word. You won't hear a word. Disgather. You know, great things could
happen if the Lord met with us, if the Lord was pleased. Somebody could be born again
tonight. That's right. Somebody could
get great peace that had great sorrow and trouble. Somebody
could get great comfort that's full of fear and doubts. And
somebody could get great wisdom that doesn't know which way to
turn. Somebody could, we all can be
greatly restrained and kept from falling and kept, keep us gathering
together. If He doesn't keep us gathering
together, we'll forsake the assembly of our salvation. Pray. The Lord uses prayer. Pray for
this gathering. Years ago, it started, as far as I know, at
13th Street. The men would meet in the study
together before Wednesday night service. And there were 25 or
more men there, and about half of them or more were young men.
I was one of them. Most of us were in our 20s and
early 30s. And we all felt it was such a
great privilege to be there. We all were so grateful to be
sitting there. I remember before the Lord you
know, really dealt with me. And when he was dealing with
me, I remember thinking, well, I'd like to be in that, sitting
with those fellas. And then I gathered with them. We sat together. We all felt
such a privilege, and we were anxious for the preaching to
start. And we didn't carry on. There
were no foolishness going on. I remember distinctly, especially as young
men, we'd be huddled together by twos, discussing with each
other something we'd read in the scriptures that way. I remember
distinctly sitting with John Chapman right here, Joe Terrell
right here. And we were just discussing the Scriptures. And
then a man prayed for us and read the Scriptures and prayed
for us. And we all prayed for the preacher. And the Lord blessed
that preacher, Henry Mahan. Oh, did He bless him. We were
all anxious to go out there and hear the preacher. And the Lord
blessed that preacher. And ten men or more out of those
young men went out preaching themselves. And there were lots
of people saved because of that. This is not in vain. The gospel
is powering up. It really is. This is David's
prayer for the congregation. This is my prayer for this congregation. Save us. Together. We're saved together. Saved together. Quickened together. Saved from
the heathen. Together. It was a time, brother,
we did not want to gather with the saints at the river. Any
song, sing any song with that. Oh, now, that's our heart prayer.
Shall we gather? I love that song. It says, shall
we gather at the river? And the chorus says, yes, we'll
gather at the river. A beautiful river. None more
lovely than our Lord's. Saved. Who does the saving? The
Lord. Salvations of the Lord. Where
is that? Jonah 2.9. Salvations of the
Lord. Jonah said that was in the belly
of the whale. No way to get out. Salvations
of the Lord. The Lord saves. Saves us from
what? Wrath. Wrath. God's angry with the wicked every
day. It's obvious. He saves us from wrath. He saves
us from judgment. Condemnation. There is no condemnation. Now, no condemnation to them
that are in Christ, who saved us and washed us. He saves us
from sin. Sin that once held us totally
captive. Still tempts us. Still hounds
us. But it doesn't control us like
it once did. We saved us from captivity. Captive to the God
of this world. Captive to the world. Totally
smitten by and taken with and following the world. He saved
us out of the world. He saved us. Only he can take
a man out of this world and give him a a desire to come out. David Edmonds and I were talking
today, and we concluded that who's going out of the world
is those who want out. The world likes the world just
fine. They don't want out. Everybody
wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to go out of the world. They want to continue in a carnal
utopia, but they're enjoying that. But like Lot, the Lord
being merciful to him, began to vex him. He was vexed. He wanted... He's sitting at
the gate. Sister Helen, he was sitting at the gate, I believe
he was praying, and the Lord sent two angels to take him out. The rest of the
day they watched at his gates and waited. Saved by the triune
God, election by the Father. If God hadn't chosen us, we would
never choose Him. Blessed be God for His sovereign
electing mercy and grace. Saved by the redemption of the
sin of Jesus Christ, by the blood. Saved by the blood of the crucified
one. That's it. Saved by the Spirit
of God and regeneration. He must give new birth. A trial
in God. These three are one. One work.
The salvation of God's people. Salvations of the Lord. Saves. It says in 2 Timothy 1, it says
that God hath saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according
to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace which
was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. And then
over in Titus it says this, that after the kindness and love of
God our Savior, toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us. Salvations of the Lord. Save
us, O Lord, and gather us. Save us, O Lord our God, and
gather us. Who gathers these saved ones
together? Who brings these saints together?
These sheep, these saints, these saved ones together? The Lord
gathers. He's the shepherd of the sheep. He gathers them. I
know my sheep. I gather them. They'll all be in one fold, one
flock, one Savior. He's the one that gathers. He
gathers them. The Father gives the command. The Son lays down His light.
And the Holy Spirit brings them in to Christ. We wouldn't gather
if the Lord didn't gather us. Look at the next psalm, Psalm
107. O give thanks unto the Lord,
for he is good, is mercy, and doeth forever. Let the redeemed
of the Lord say so. Whom he hath redeemed from the
hand of the enemy and gathered down. of the land, from the east, from
the west, from the north, and from the south. He literally
gathered us from the north, and the south, and the east, and
the west. Literally, people out of every
kindred, nation, and tongue under heaven. Gathered together, one
in Christ. All through the scriptures, this
gathering is mentioned. Let me just read you some. I
wrote them down for the sake of time. I'll read you some of
them. Jacob called his sons together. He said, Gather yourselves together,
that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last
day. Gather yourselves together, sons, sons of Jacob. I'm going
to tell you what's going to happen to you. And that's what I'm doing
tonight. You've gathered here. The Lord's
gathered you. He's made you willing, a day of His power, and you've
gathered yourself here. And I'm going to tell you what's
going to happen to you in the day's end. You want to know?
It's all good. It's all good. He goes on to
say, Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob, hearken
unto Israel your Father. I got good news. I got good news. Gather yourselves. Psalm 50. The Lord said this in Psalm 50. He said, let me find it. Psalm
50. And we looked at this when the
plague hit and we weren't supposed to gather. And I gathered from
God's Word, this is what it says, gather my saints together unto
me, those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. He commanded,
gather, gather my saints together. Weren't we blessed? Aren't we
blessed to continue to gather? There's nothing on earth, can
you say this, there's nothing on earth better than this, right?
On earth, it's going to get better. You're going to hear a whole
lot better preaching. Virgie is hearing some good preaching. Oh, man, I want to be standing
beside her. Gather means to bring together. Turn to Ephesians 1. This is
your favorite passage of Scripture, Ephesians 1 and 2. Gather means to bring together. One gathering, or company, or
body, or union, or relationship. That's what gather means, together. Let me read it again. It's one
gathering, together. It's one gathering, a company,
companion, a body, like your members are gathered together,
not separated. A union, united, a relationship,
family. Family is always going to be
family, aren't they? Blood, blood kin. Whose blood? Christ's blood. Ephesians 1, he blesses God in
verse 3, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places
or things in Christ according as he has chosen us in Christ
before the foundation of the world that we should be holy
and without blame before him in love having predestinated
us under the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according
to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of
His grace wherein He hath made us accepted in the blood. Bless
God for choosing us. And verse 10 says, in the dispensation
of the fullness of time, He might gather together in one all things
in Christ. Are you in Christ? Is Christ
in you? Well, He's going to gather you
together with the saints out there. Chapter 2. Chapter 2,
I tell you this, I read it in a study and it was like I'd never
read it before. And you. And you. Who were dead. In trespass and sin wherein time
passed you walked according to the course of this world. according
to the prince of the fire and the air, the spirit that now
worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our
conversation in time past, the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling
the desires of the flesh and the mind, by nature the children
of wrath, even as others. But God. Oh, who's rich in mercy. For His great love wherewith
He loved us, even when we were dead in sin, hath quickened us
together with Christ. By grace, you say, raised us
up together. and made us to sit together. I wish I was sitting there with
you. I really do. Huddled up like sheep. Those
pews are awful. That pew is mighty comfortable,
isn't it, John? John, it's comfortable. This ain't too comfortable. But sitting together, huddled
up together under the sound of the I'm going to sit together
in heavenly places in Christ. In the ages to come, He's going
to show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness
toward us through Christ Jesus. So we're gathered by the Lord
together, brought together as a flock, as a congregation, quickened
together, crucified together, buried together, risen together,
and some day He's coming to gather us all together. He's going to
bring all the ones that went before us with him. There's never
going to be a separation. No more partying over there. I've had so many things to say
and so many Scriptures. I can't turn to them all, but
let me just read this. Isaiah 43 is one of my absolute
favorite passages of Scripture. It tells what all the Lord has
done for His people. It says, I'm the Lord thy God,
the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior. I gave Egypt for your ransom.
Ethiopian Siva for thee, since I was precious in thy sight." Why were we precious in his sight?
Was anything precious about us? He chose us, that's why. He made
us, he purposed for us to be his children. I've loved thee, that's why.
Therefore I will give men for thee, people for thy life. Fear
not. I'm with thee, I'll bring thy
seed from the east, gather thee from the west, I'll say to the
north, give up. To the south, keep not back.
Bring my sons from afar. Bring them from New York. Bring
my daughters from the ends of the earth. Take them out of Sodom
and bring them to the Holy Land. Everyone is called by my name.
I've made him. I've created him for my glory.
Yeah, I've made him. Bring forth the blind people. That was us. The blind people
have eyes. The deaf people have ears. He
brought us here to give us eyes, give us ears. Let the nations
be gathered together. Let the people be assembled. And I'm going to tell you, he
says, what I've done for you. That's what we gather to do.
He says, I'm the Lord. He says, I've declared and I've
saved. I've saved. Oh man, what a God we have. What a great salvation. Alright,
go back to Psalm 106. And this is a key because we've
been looking at Exodus. We're going to continue to look
at it. Where were the children of Israel when He saved them?
Among the heathen. Right in the middle of Egypt.
They were just like them until the Lord saved them. That's the
whole story all the way through this, bringing them out from
the heathen. Save us, O Lord our God, and
gather us from among the heathen. Who is a heathen? What is a heathen?
A heathen, the word means Gentile. It means a foreigner, a stranger
to the covenant, a stranger to God. They don't know God. They
don't know the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They don't
know, they don't worship, they don't gather in the name of the
God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ. They don't. They don't know the
God who's sovereign, who's holy, who's just, who is God. They
don't know the God who is God. We keep reading about inventions.
They've invented a God. They've got idols. Egypt had
as many idols as it did people, didn't it? And whatever you believe
is fine. We all have different faiths.
We all go to God. No, we won't. There's one Lord
and one God in there. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob. The Lord Jesus Christ. He is God. God, they don't know
the God who chooses, who does the choosing, the sovereign electing
God. They choose their God. Our God
chooses us. That's the God of the Bible isn't
it? Can it be anything plainer than that? Not when He gives
you eyes to see. That's what Proverbs 8 and 9
says. It's all plain to Him to understand it. But He's got to
give us an understanding of it. Got to open our eyes, blind eyes,
our left ear. We will hear this Bible all our
lives in religion and not hear it. That God does the choosing. Bless His holy name. We just
read that, didn't we? When did He do it? Before the foundation of the
world. Why? Because there is something good in it? No, to
the praise of the glory of His praise. Because we are holy? No, to be
holy. To be unduly through Christ. They don't know the God, the
sovereign, electing, predestinating God. Aren't you glad? We just
read Ephesians 1. Aren't you glad God has predestinated
all things? Oh, my. I'd run hiding in a cave
if that were not so. Stockpile arms. But as it is,
I am in a cave. Cleft of the rock. They don't
know the God who's covenant-making God. We're saved because God
made a covenant about us, and He won't forget it. We forget
it, but He said, I can't forget it. He remembered for them His
covenant. He makes a covenant. Whatever
He says concerning His people, it's done. Nothing can change
it. God doesn't change. He doesn't
change His mind. Covenant. They don't know this covenant
keeping God. They think they made a covenant with God. They don't know the sovereign
Lord Jesus Christ who has absolute power and authority over all
flesh. Aren't you glad? Aren't you glad our Jesus is
not pathetic and weak and a failure and standing outside and hoping,
wanting, wishing and praying and believing in us? I've read
signs like that. Jesus believes in you. Can it get any more blasphemous
than it is today? They don't know the Sovereign
Lord Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, the One who came to redeem and
bless God, John, He redeemed the blood of Jesus Christ, God's
Son, cleanses us from all sins. And you don't make it effectual? He didn't offer that blood to
any mankind. He offered it to God. And God
accepted it on our behalf. They don't know the Sovereign
Lord Jesus Christ, the Shepherd who keeps His sheep. He said not one of them is lost.
If I could be lost, I'd be lost a thousand times. But bless His
holy name, my Sovereign Savior said, I give unto them eternal
life and they shall never perish. Oh, we'll run off, but he said
there's no place you can go, I won't come get you. They don't
know that Jesus Christ. Heathen! I don't care what it's
called, Southern Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Catholic, whatever,
it's heathen! Heathen religion. There's one
religion. It's the religion of Jesus Christ.
The Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation of the Lord. Anything
else is false religion. He that don't know Him, that
don't believe Him, Pharaoh said, who is the Lord that I should
obey? You're going to find out. He said, I don't know the Lord.
You will. Everyone will. They never kneel down. Pharaoh
said, I'm not going to let your people go. Yes, you are. And he did, didn't he? Why? Because
the Lord is God. Aren't you glad? I'm so glad. So glad. Save us from the heathen. You know, most of you that were
in religion, you were heathen. I was in a troop church and heard,
but I was still heathen. I didn't believe in God. We're
all heathen until the Lord saves us, isn't it? And such were some
of you. But you're washed. Oh, man. Heathen. As I said, they have
their gods. A god of philanthropy, a god
of goodness and love and peace, a god of health, wealth and happiness,
a god named Jesus. He's not the Lord Jesus. Save
us from among the heathen. Where are we saved to? Look at
our text. Save us, O Lord God, and gather
us from among the heathen to give thanks unto thy holy name. What's his name? Well, John, you know, there's
only one name under heaven given among men whereby we must be
saved. There's neither salvation in any of us. And it's the name
of Jesus Christ. That's His holy name. To Christ. We're brought to Christ.
We're saved from among the heathens to be brought to Christ. To all
be taught of God and everyone taught of God cometh to Christ.
Look at Luke 17. I've read this. So many times,
it's the same as in Matthew 24, Luke 17. Matthew 24, as you know, is the
Lord telling His disciples at end times, in the days of Noah
and when He shall come. And Luke 17 is the same. And
I've never put all this together, but look at this. Luke 17, verse
20. When he was demanded of the Pharisees
when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said,
The kingdom of God cometh not with observation. It's not outward. You're not going to see it. Neither
shall they say, Lo here, lo there. Look, they're building the temple.
Well, big deal. That doesn't mean a thing. Let them build it. Christ is
not going to go in there. Right? Behold, the kingdom of
God is where? Within you, among you. The kingdom
of God is already here. The king reigns and rules and
his people are in his heart. They're in his kingdom and he's
in them. He said unto the disciples, the
days will come when ye shall desire to see one of the days
of the Son of Man ye shall not see. It was the dark ages, wasn't
it? The longest time. Oh, it was
plunged in darkness. Thousand years of darkness. And
they shall say to you here, see here, verse 23, see there, go
not after them. Don't join them. For as the lightning, here it
is, as the lightning that lighteth out of one part unto heaven,
shineth upon the other part unto heaven, so shall also the Son
of Man be in His day. Every eye is going to see Him
when He comes. Secret rapture. But first he must suffer many
things. Read on. He must suffer many things. Verse
27. He said, As it is in the days
of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man.
They did eat. They drank. They married wives,
they were given in marriage until the day that no one entered in
the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise,
also as it was in the days of Lot, they did eat, they drank,
they bought. This is the heathen. That's all
they thought about. They bought, they sold, they
planted, they builded. The same day that Lot went out of Sodom,
it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them
all. Even thus shall it be in the
day when the Son of Man is revealed. And that day he which shall be
on the housetop and his stuff in the house, let him not come
down to take it away. He that is in the field, let
him likewise not return back. Remember Lot's wife. The world never was out of her
heart. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it. Whatever it is, whoever it is.
Whosoever shall save his life shall preserve it. Lose his life
shall preserve it. That is for Christ's sake. For
the gospel's sake. I tell you, and that night there'll
be two men in one bed, one taking the other left. Two women grinding,
working together. One taking the other left. Two
in the field, one taking the other left. And they answered
and said unto him, Where, Lord? Where? Where are these taken
to? Where are these ones gathered
from the heathen? Where are they taken? One from this and one
from that. Where are you going to take them? He said, where
so ever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered to
gather. That's the gospel. That's Christ.
That's the body. That's Christ and Him crucified.
God's people always are gathered by God to hear the gospel of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you hear me? Do you hear me?
This is not just a motto, a slogan. We're not just trying to be,
you know, keep saying the same thing. But this is truly who
God gathers His people to. Jesus Christ. that gathers them to Him, they
gather to give thanks to His holy name. Gathered to give thanks. There was a time, go back to
the text, I'm going to close. There was a time we never gave
thanks. We thought we did things, you
know. that we accumulated things, our
industry, by our hard work and all that. We found out, and I
remember that 2 Corinthians 4, 7 being one of the verses I memorized
as a young believer. What do we have that we haven't
received? And if we received it, why would
we glory? How could we glory as if we had
not received it? I remember that just impressing
me. I have nothing to glory in, but one thing. What is it? The cross. The cross. The cross. So he says, he prays,
Save us, O Lord, our God, gather us from among the heathen to
give thanks unto thy holy name. We're all gathered here to give
thanks. For what? Everything. In everything, give
thanks. For this is the will of God in
Christ Jesus concerning you. We give thanks for the good.
We give thanks for the bad. We give thanks for the peace.
We give thanks for the war. We give thanks for the prosperous
time. We give thanks for the lean time.
We give thanks. It's all of the Lord. It's all
His goodness. It's all His goodness taking His people out. Thankful
people. Thankful for it. You read with
me Psalm 106. What all the people, how often
they provoked the Lord. In that one word, twice, nevertheless. No matter what they did, where
sin abounded, grace is nevertheless. Nevertheless. It didn't matter,
John. Boy, should they have been a
thankful people to what? Should we? That no matter what
they did, nevertheless, He saved them for His name's sake. That's
who He is, Savior. That's who He saves, sinners.
This is a faithful saint. It's worthy of all acceptation
because all are sinners. But you don't know who will accept
it, who will receive it? God's elect. God's elect. So, save us to give thanks unto
thy holy name. Blessed be the name of the Lord. And, it closes with, to triumph
in thy praise. Now, one more passage, 2 Chronicles
20. 2 Chronicles 20. 2 Chronicles 20, to triumph in
thy praise. You know, the joy of the Lord
is your strength. This world will bring you down. You mingle with the world like
children of Israel, you'll become like the world. You'll be full
of doubts and fears and bitter and murmuring and complaining,
and you'll be like the world. You'll be worldly. Come after
and among them, he said. Be separate. But we triumph in his praise. When we get together, Praise
our Lord Jesus Christ to hear about Him. It's deliverance. It's triumph. Look at this. 2 Chronicles 20, the Lord sent
this Jehaziel to preach one message to the children of Israel. The
only message, as far as I know, He ever preached. In verse 12,
Jehoshaphat And all the people were gathered, surrounded by
the enemies. Jehoshaphat said, O our God, wilt thou not judge
them? We have no might against this
great company, the heathen, that cometh against us. Neither know
we what to do. Our eyes are upon thee. And all
Judah stood before the Lord, their little ones, their wives,
and their children. Save us. O save us from the heathen. And Jehaziel, the Lord sent a
man to stand up and preach a message. None of these people fired a
shot. None of them. And this man said, here's what
he said. He said in verse 17, You shall not need to fight in
this battle. Set yourselves, stand still. Verse 17. Have you heard that
before? Stand still and see the salvation
of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Fear not, no meanness
made. Tomorrow go out against them,
for the Lord will be with you. And they all fell down and worshiped
the Lord. Go down to verse 21. So Jehoshaphat,
he heard. He heard and he got them all
together. He appointed singers that should praise Verse 21,
that should praise the beauty of holiness. Who? His. And as
they went out before the army, he said, Praise the Lord for
His mercy endureth forever. And when they began to sing and
to praise, the Lord killed all their enemies. They killed all their enemies.
They killed each other. They were smitten. If you see Christ and Him crucified,
hanging on Calvary's tree, and now seated at the right hand
of the majesty on high, triumphant over sin, death, and hell, abolished
death, brought life and immortality to the life through the gospel,
victory's over. Like Joshua said, it's all over
but shout. You'll shout. One of these days you're going
to shout. You want to now, but you're too self-conscious. One of these
days we're going to shout. We'll shout. And so our psalm
ends with a prayer. Blessed be the Lord, God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting. And this is my prayer. This is
our prayer. Blessed be the Lord. And let all the people say, Amen.
Let all the people say, Amen. Praise you, Lord. Bless us every
now and then. All right. Hear this man.