So that on Jesus, dead, clean,
for it's own, I will, Lord, I will not desert to its foe. There so, though all hell should
endeavor to shake, I'll never, no, never, no, never, All right,
turn with me to John's Gospel, chapter 18. John, chapter 18. Lord willing, Wednesday night
we'll probably look at this chapter as well. the Lord when they came for Him
in the garden. But this morning, just the first
two verses really struck me and blessed me. I hope they'll be
a blessing to you. Verses 1 and 2, chapter 18, when
Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples
over the brook Sidra, where was a garden, into the which He entered
and His disciples. And Judas also, which betrayed
him, knew the place, for Jesus oft times resorted thither with
his disciples. This is the garden of Gethsemane,
where he was often with his disciples. Now this book, God's Word, is
his book, no doubt. Every word, every word is God-breathed,
And one way we know that it is his word is it's so marvelous,
it's so amazing. There's a message, there's truth,
there's wisdom, infinite wisdom to be found in every line of
every word. If the Lord will give us ears
to hear and eyes to see. These words spake after he had
spoken these words, it said. After he'd spoken these words.
Now what did he speak? You've been with me, haven't
you, for the last several weeks? Greatest message ever preached,
John 13 through 16. And the greatest prayer ever
prayed is high priesthood prayer. These words. He said this often. Look at verse... Go back to chapter
15 of John. Chapter 15. He reminds us that
the things he's spoken and things that he's written for us Oh,
let us not let these things slip. Let us fear. Let us not let them
slip, as do others. These things, verse 11 of John
15, these things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain
in you, that your joy might be full. The Word of God is for
the joy of His people, the comfort, the consolation, the salvation
of His people. Look at chapter 16, verse 1. These things have I spoken unto
you. that you should not be offended.
You're going to be persecuted. You're going to be afflicted.
You're going to go through trials and troubles and tribulations.
You're going to. I've told you in the world you
should have tribulations. But these things have I spoken
to you. To you. Have you heard them? They're to you. That your joy
might be full. That you don't be offended. These
things have I spoken. Look at verse 4. And these things
have I told you. And when it comes, you'll know,
you'll remember. Hey, He told me that. Don't be
surprised, He said. These things that I told you.
Remember, verse 25, these things have I spoken unto you in Proverbs.
But the time cometh when I shall no more speak unto you in Proverbs.
I'll show you plainly. Hasn't He? Hasn't He opened the
Scripture to us by the way? Has not our heart burned as we
open the Scriptures unto these things? Verse 33, look at this. He said, These things have I
spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace. Chapter 17,
verse 1. These words. Brethren, God's Word is everything. It's
everything. You're so blessed this morning
to be sitting here, reading God's Word. Did that bless you, Canticles? These words. After he spoke,
these words. These words spoken. These words.
He's always speaking. The Lord was always preaching
and teaching the Word of God. Always. That's why He came. That's
what He's called. The Word. That's His name. He's the Word
made flesh. God who does not speak out loud,
Only through His Word, God, who is the invisible God, was made
flesh and dwelt among us. The Word of God, and we beheld
His glory. He came to make the Father known,
the Word. How do you know what a man is
thinking unless he speaks to you? This is why Christ came. He said, No man knoweth the Son,
but the Father, neither knoweth any man the Father, Saved the
Son, and He to whom the Son will reveal Him. He came to make known
the Father. Came to make Him known. He's
the voice of God. He's the Word of God. He's the
authority of God. He created the worlds by the
Word of His power. Christ did. Yes, He did. He's
God. He made the world by the Word. He was the one who said,
let there be life. You have the Trinity there in
the first three verses of Genesis. You know that? In the beginning
God, And it says, the Spirit of God moved, and then the voice
of God. He created the worlds by the
word of His power. He upholds all things by the
word of His power. That's Christ. He reigns, He
rules over everything. We're created by Him, born again
in Him, by Him, begotten by Him, we're kept by Him. Christ. He's
everything. He's all. God has put in His
hand, upon Him, for us, all things. Don't you love that? I and my
beloveds, if He is yours and you're His, it's all good. And our Lord speaks His Word
through by what I'm doing right now. Right now, I'm just declaring
unto you, just repeating what He has said. You need a blessing?
Then listen. What you're hearing right now.
So, the Word dwelt among us, verse 1. After He'd spoken these
words, He went forth, the Word that was made flesh, He went
forth with His disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a
garden into the which He entered, and His disciples. And verse
2 says, He oft times resorted there with His disciples. He
was always with His disciples. Always. Always. You say, no,
one time He put them in a boat and sent them across. No, he
said, I'm with you always. He was with them. He was on the
mountain. This is the omnipresent God. He's ever with us. In whom
we live and move and have our being. He was with them. He saw
them. He was with them. They didn't think he was. They
thought they were going down. They thought they were going
to perish. No, he came quickly. Calmed the ocean. Calmed the
sea, didn't he? He said, why were you afraid?
I'll never leave you. He's always with His disciples.
Are you one of His disciples? Are you one of them whom He prays
for? He's always with His disciples.
His delights are with them. He's their husband. They're His
bride. He's their father. They're His
children. He delights to be with them.
He delights to be with them. He's with His disciples always. And he went over this brook called
Cedron with his disciples and into this garden where, and we'll
talk more about the brook in a moment, but he's often found
in this garden. He was often found in this garden.
He resorted there often. It was his resort. It was their
resort. It wasn't some fine, posh palace. But it sure was fine, because
the Lord was there. This was where he resorted with
his disciples. He was often found there. In
fact, if you would ask his disciples, where's the Lord? You know what
they would probably tell you? He's in his garden. What did
you just read with me? I'm getting a little ahead of
myself, but just so you'll remember what you just read with me. Fairest
among women, where is your beloved? I'll tell you where he is. He's
in his garden. That's where you'll find him.
You want to find him? Go where he is. What's his garden? That's his church. That's his
people. Where's the Lord? He's probably
in his garden. You want to find the Lord? He's found in his garden.
You want to find his true disciples? Well, find his true disciples.
Where are they? They're with Him, in the garden. That's where they are. Wherever
He was, that's where they wanted to be. He wanted to be with them,
they wanted to be with Him. They're husband and wife. That's
true love, isn't it? Scripture says in Proverbs 8,
His delights were with the sons of men, rejoicing in the habitable
parts of the earth, and His delights were with the sons of men. He
came to dwell among us. He's a friend of publicans and
sinners. He's delighted to be with His disciples. And their
delights were with Him, too. There's no place they'd rather
be than be with Him. Where He is, they are. We read
Psalm 133, didn't we? The last line says, that's where
the Lord has commanded the blessing. That's where you'll get the blessing.
Husband and wife together, living together, love. Enjoying one
another? More of that garden in a moment.
But look at Luke chapter 6 with me. Luke chapter 6. Look at this. His disciples. Who are they?
Well, they're chosen by Him. There you go again, preacher.
Yes, sir, I will. This is how you know. He chose
them. They're His disciples. He called
them. Look at Luke 6 verse 13. When it was day, He called unto
Him His disciples. Mark tells of this. Mark 3 says, He went up into
a high mountain and called unto Him whom He would, and they came
to Him, His chosen one. That's how you know them. They
come when they're called. He calls them and they come,
called by the gospel. He chose 12. Simon, look who
He chose. Simon. That's the first. Simon
would tell you that he's the chief of sinners. Oh, but Simon,
you're of an apostle. I denied the Lord. After all
he'd done for me, I acted like I didn't even know him. I reverted
back to that old cussing sailor that I used to be, that old cussing
fisherman. He left me alone just for a minute, and I fell and
became just like the old man that was in me. Oh no, it's not
me, it's not me. I see my calling. He asked old
Simon Peter, he said, I tell you, I see my calling, not me.
He calls foolish things. He calls things that are not.
He calls the nothings and the nobodies for his glory. Christ said, I am glorified in
them. I am glorified by choosing the likes of by choosing the
likes of Mary Magdalene, by choosing the likes of Rahab the harlot,
by choosing the likes of that thief on the cross. I'm glorified
in that. I'm glorified in choosing sinners. Where am I? Oh, it says in verse
17, He came down with them and stood in the plain. We preached
the whole message on that one time, years ago. He came down. Stood with them. Who? These bunch
of sinners. Where? In the plain. A plain
man with some plain sinners. Plainly spoke. In the plain,
the company of his disciples. They were his companions. Constant
companions. They were his disciples. How
do you know them? He chose them. How do you know them? He revealed
himself to them. His disciples were who He loved
and He told them secrets. Remember? They were His friends.
He said, I call you friends because I tell you intimate things. You're
with me and I reveal my mind. I reveal the Father to you. I
reveal myself to you. This is salvation for you to
know the living and true God, He said, and Jesus Christ whom
He has sent. And He reveals the Father to
us and He reveals that He is the Father. And He reveals Himself
to us. Who He is. Why He came. Who He
came for. He came for you. if you're a
sinner. He said to his disciples one
day, he asked this question, whom do men say that I am? And
they said, well, they're saying good things about you. Everybody
everywhere is, you know, they're excited about you and talking
about you and some say you're Elijah. Now, if you said that about me,
that'd be a high compliment, wouldn't it? Not to him. And
some say you're John the Baptist. risen from the dead. Well, there's
no man born of woman greater than John the Baptist. Yeah,
there is. Some say you're one of the prophets.
Oh, no. He is that prophet of whom Moses
spoke. To him give all the prophets
witness. Our Lord said to them, to them, whom do you say that
I am? Simon Peter. He said, Alartha,
Christ, the Son of the Living God, we know who you are, you're
the Son of the Most High God, you're God manifest in the flesh.
He said, have not I chosen you? Chosen, Isaiah 43, that you might
know me, who I am, chosen. He said, flesh and blood didn't
reveal that to you, Simon, but my Father which is in heaven.
You know who Christ is? Are you one of His disciples?
Huh? Am I a disciple? Are you a disciple?
Do you know Him? Do you follow Him? Do you believe
Him? Do you? Do you love Him? Come on now. He asked Simon Peter after Simon
Peter denied Him, didn't He? At the fire, didn't He? He sure
didn't act like He knew the Lord, didn't He? Didn't act like He
loved the Lord, did He? But when the Lord pressed Him
for an answer, Do you love me, Simon, son of Jonah, sinner though
you are, deny me though you did? Do you love me more than these,
more than this world, more than this thing? Do you, Simon? What'd
Simon say? Yea, Lord, thou knowest I love
you. Why? Because you gave me that
love. Tis not that I did love thee
first, but thou loved me. Do you love Him? Do you hang
on His words? Remember, many disciples went
back and walked no more with Him. These are hard sayings.
This is hard language. All this talk of sovereign Lord
and sovereign mercy, and choosing whom He will, and no man can
come, and so forth, and eating His flesh, and drinking His blood,
and a holy God that demands blood. This is too hard. This is bloody
religion. It's not a smooth thing. We're
leaving. We're not going to hear any of
that. And Christ turned to His disciples and said, will you
also go with me? Simon Peter. Simon Peter, the chief of sinners,
yet he couldn't help himself. He had to speak out of the abundance
of the heart. Peter had to say something. Aren't
you all going to say something? Then I'll say it for you. Where
are we going to go, Lord? To whom are we going to go? Who
would we go back to? What will we go back to? The
pith? The dung heap? Thou hast words of life. My life hangs on your word."
Well, am I going to go back to the husks, the hog pen? The prodigal devil wanted to
go back to that place again, didn't he? This is life to me. Are you one of his disciples?
Does your life hang on His Word? Do you need His Word? Do you
feed on His Word? Are you one of His disciples? Do you know Him? Do you follow
Him? Do you believe Him? Do you love Him? Does your life hang
on His Word? Where is He? Here's what the
beloved said. Here's what the disciple said.
Where is He that I may find Him? He's in His garden. Then that's
where I'm going. That's where I'm going to go.
You remember in his prayer in verse 24 of John 17, he said,
Father, I will that those whom thou hast given me be with me
where I am, that they may behold my glory. I've always looked
at that, John, as being in glory someday. No, it's where he is
now. where I am, He is with His people,
where two or three are gathered. That's where I want to be. Do you? I must be one of His
disciples. Because there's no place I'd
rather be. No one I'd rather be with. Now the Lord left His Father
to come for the likes of us. He left His Father He left heaven
where everybody loved Him, and adored Him, and praised Him,
and worshipped Him, and wanted Him, and needed Him. He left
them to come to this place. And He says, why did He do that? Because He loved us. Alright,
now He says, if you love Me, you will leave your father, your
mother, your husband, your wife, your son and your daughter. Yes,
you will. Yes, you will. These disciples did. I remind
you that they had fathers and mothers like us. They had wives
like us. We know the story of at least
one wife, Simon Peter's wife and his mother-in-law. But they
never mention them in their writings. They never mention them. They
never talk about dear old mom, or dear old dad. They loved them,
you know they did. Do you know who they loved supremely?
Do you know who they wanted you to know? Do you know who was
their all in all? Do you know who was their father,
who was their mother, who was their brother, who was their
friend? Do you know who was their husband? It was Jesus Christ. How do you know that? Because
they left everybody. And our Lord said, well, you
also go on home to your family. Lord, you're everything to us.
You are our family. That's what he said one day,
didn't he? Who is my mother? Who are my brothers? They left their father's house,
and our Lord said, if any man loved father, mother, husband,
wife, son, or daughter, I love my daughter. Nobody loves their
daughter better, more than I love mine. Nobody. As much yet, not
more. You leave. You leave them. You'll
leave them for Christ. That's how you know. That's how
you know. One of the surest signs I know.
The Scriptures tells us that. Certain proof of His discipleship.
You leave all for Christ. You love Him. You walk with Him.
You need Him. You've got to be with Him. He's
your husband. For this cause shall a man leave his father
and mother, that he cleave unto his wife. The two become one. I'm telling you a mystery, Paul
said. I'm talking about Christ and
his church. And that's what he did, and that's
what she does. Every one of them. And they don't
think it's a great loss. They think it's a game. I think
it's a game. My daughter loves me, but she
left me for a man. And I'm glad. He's a fine man. I gave her hand to that man.
That's a whole other picture right there. of the Father giving
us to Christ, His Son. But look at 2 Corinthians 6 with
me very quickly. And I'm going to keep saying
this as long as God's Word is written, as long as God's Word
stands. I'm going to keep warning. Your
blood's on my hands if I don't. 2 Corinthians 6, I'm going to
keep saying these things. As long as God's Word stands,
as long as I stand to preach His Word. 2nd Corinthians 6,
because this is the greatest danger that a believer faces.
2nd Corinthians 6, verse 14. Be not unequally yoked together
with unbelievers. What fellowship hath righteousness
with unrighteousness? What communion? What have you
got to talk about? Hath light with darkness? There's only one purpose for
light. to expose darkness. What concord
hath Christ with Belial? That's the seed of Christ and
the seed of Satan. What part hath he that believeth
with an infidel, an unbeliever? What agreement hath the temple
of God with idols? You're the temple of the living
God, as God hath said. I will dwell in them and walk
in them. I will be their God. They'll
be my people. Wherefore, come out from among
them. Be ye separate, saith the Lord.
Touch not the unclean, and I will receive you. I'll be a father
unto you. You'll be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord God
Almighty." Now, our Lord had dealings with thousands, didn't
He? He had dealings with. He was in the midst of millions
in the course of His lifetime. Yet, He was a companion of His
disciples. Right? He didn't commit himself
to others, but he was totally committed to his disciples and
they to him. He was theirs and they were his.
David, the king of Israel, he's the king of Israel, he has to
have dealings with the people of Israel. Thousands and millions
of people. David was a merciful and kind
man. A man after God's own heart.
David was a gracious man. David was an approachable man.
He was a friend to all. But he said, I'm a companion of them that fear thee. That's
my companion. Jonathan. You want to find David? He's
with Jonathan. Christ came into the world, and
the world received Him not, but as many as received Him, to them,
gave Him the right. Christ said of His people, He
said, they're not of the world, even as I'm not of the world.
Didn't He? And He prayed in His prayer,
Father, don't take them out of the world, but keep them from
it. Because it's the greatest temptation
to them. evil communications, corrupt
good manners. What's that? It's people. It's people. John said, love
not the world, nor the things of the world. Things of the world. Now this leads to this next line
in our text. Go back to our text. Because
this leads into this next line. John 18 verse 1. Now he was He
went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where
was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples,
and Judas." Judas knew. He knew where this
garden was, but he's not in it right now. He left. He left. He was once a disciple. Thought he was. They thought
he was. And not one single one of those
disciples suspected Judas. Not one. We ought to hear this
with trembling. Not one single disciple suspected
Judas. If somebody said, Judas is the
betrayer. No way. No way. That can't be. Not Brother Judas.
Not Brother John. He's been with us a long time.
He's been with us from the beginning. That can't happen. That can't
be. Oh yeah. If I leave Him alone, if I leave
Him alone, if He leaves us, if He leaves us and goes after
this world, He'll sell me out. Right? You know it's so. You know it's so with you. Judas
is selling out. He's trading Christ for What?
Where'd he go? Where'd Judas go? Where'd he
go? He went to the religious people. He went to the Sanhedrin,
to the Pharisees, the scribes and the Pharisees. He went into
modern religion. And if you'd asked Judas, he
might have said, they're good men. Oh, they're deceivers. They hate Christ. Oh no, no,
they're kind, they're merciful, they know the scriptures. Oh, Judas. He's selling out. He's trading
Christ for people, for money. Paul had a close companion named
Demas. Followed him everywhere. Paul
thought he was a fine believer. And then one day, he left him. And Paul wrote to young Timothy,
he said, Demas hath forsaken me. I bet you tears were saturating
the letter that he wrote to Timothy. He said, Demas hath forsaken
me. Why? He loved this world. He loved this
world more than Jesus Christ. Can you believe that? Can you believe that? that our
brother Demas would leave the Lord Jesus Christ for rubbish. We had a young man that came
here for years. We loved him dearly, didn't we?
Had a biblical name. His name was Steve. We loved him, didn't we? Fine
young man. One day he got a new job and
just all in just one In one short time, he got a new job, he got
a new house, he got a new car, and he left. And he never came
back. Did he? We still love him, don't
we? Still care for him, still pray
for him. He left Christ for this world.
Perishing things of clay, born but for one brief day, pass from
my heart away, O may the Lord Jesus be mine." He's a goner. He's going to perish with this
world, and the things of this world are going to perish. Everything
he left Christ for is going to perish, and he's going to perish
with them, unless... Maybe he's a prodigal. I sure
hope so. Don't you? Lord, don't leave me to myself.
Don't let me Don't let me go, don't let me go." Thomas, one
time, left for two days, three days. Thomas, a couple of Thomases
in here, let this be a warning. Thomas left Christ and the disciples
just for two or three days. What happened to him? Oh, full
of doubt, full of fear. Where'd he go? Where'd Thomas
go? Did he go back home? Did he go back to his friends?
I guess. Did they do him any good? No,
they did him worse. They did him worse. He'd have
been better off back in that what? Upper room. In the upper room. Or at least
out fishing with the boys in the boat. But Christ said, where
my disciples are, that's where I am. Moses told all the people,
don't leave the house where the blood is on the doorpost and
the lintel. Don't you dare. or your blood's
on your head. You stay in the house and the
blood's on his head. You'll not perish, you'll pass
over. I'm so thankful for Hebrews 10.
It warns us, warns us so much. Let us not forsake the assembly
of ourselves together as the matter of some of you. For what? For whom? If we sin willfully after we've
received the knowledge of the truth, there's no more sacrifice
for sin. That means leave the gospel. That means apostatize.
That means go away. That's what that means, sin willfully,
if we do. There's a fearful looking for judgment and fiery indignation. But not during the cleft of the
rock. Stay in the cleft. Oh, how much sorer punishment,
suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy who trodden underfoot
the Son of God, who says they love him, and leave him." When
Thomas went back and left, and you know what his family said?
You know what his family said when he left for a little while?
You know what Thomas' family said? They said, I told you.
I told you it wasn't nothing to do with him. He's dead. Oh, thank God for His drawing
grace. He drew old Thomas back, didn't
He? Thomas, He said, be not faithless, but believe Him. And we've said
often that you know good and well that, buddy, wherever the
disciples were from then on out, Thomas is going to be on the
front row. He's going to be early. You know he is. I'm not going
to miss a thing. I almost miss Christ. Well, in Hebrews 10, I wanted
to say this. It says, it's a fearful thing
to fall into the hands of the living God. Call to remembrance
the former days in which you were illuminated and you endured
a great fight of affliction. You went back to those that you
knew and loved and told them about the gospel and they didn't
receive it and you were persecuted for it and you were a gazing
stock and reproach and affliction came upon you and you became
a companion with them that were same used the same way. You became
a companion. And Paul said, you had compassion
of me. You loved your preacher more than anybody for telling
you about Christ. He said, don't cast that away.
Don't go after anything else. Don't do that. A little while
he that shall come shall come. I'm reading the Scriptures. That
just shall live by faith. Live on faith. Where's faith
come from? The Word of God. Hang on it. You get out from under it, your
faith will be gone. Become weak, sickly. But, he said, the last line of
Hebrews 10 says, but we're not of them that draw back under
perdition. He said, I'm persuaded better
things of you. Man, I love that. I like the
warnings, I need it. Because I'm like the children
of Israel. I'd say, look at those leeks and onions. Well, those Hittites and Hivites,
they're nice people. They seem sweet enough. They
don't know God, and they'll draw your heart away. Canticles 4. May I go there with
you? Canticles chapter 4. Song of Solomon, chapter 4. All
right. The place the Lord always resorted
was a garden. This is significant. Oh, you're
going to love this. You're going to want to turn
to every scripture I tell you to, okay? Believe me, you're
going to want to turn to this. The Song of Solomon, chapter
4. Christ came into his garden. Christ is the Word. He loved
to walk in the garden. Garden of Gethsemane. Gethsemane
means the oil press. It was an olive garden, olive
trees. Oh, does that ring a bell? This
garden was where you'd find the olive tree that was pressed for
its precious oil that burned the light. Are you with me? This garden
was where Christ was. Christ is the garden. Christ
is the olive tree. Christ, the oil, is His precious
blood. Christ, the Word, loved to walk
in the garden, especially in the cool of the day. I thought I'd see some recognition
there. The voice of God loved to walk in the cool of the day,
in the garden. That ring a bell? Genesis 3. The first sinners,
Adam and Eve, fail. And it says the voice of God
can walk in, in the garden, in the cool of the day. It means dusky. It means the
day is passing to dusk. Right when the sun's going down,
it's about to be dark. That's where he was walking at
that time. It's about that time when they
came for him. Are you a sinner? Are you a son of Adam? Are you
a sinner? You'll find the Lord in his garden. You'll find peace,
joy, pardon, forgiveness of sin. You'll find the Lord in his garden.
The garden of Gethsemane represents Christ's resort with his people
and this is where he loved to be. Look at Song of Solomon 4
verse 1. Behold thou art fair. This is
Christ speaking to his people. Thou art fair my love. Behold
thou art fair. He's talking about his church.
Brother Walter, one of his recent messages here was on this very
thing. That Christ was talking, he's
talking about his church there. Thou art fair. She said, remember
what she said earlier? I'm black. Me? Fair? Oh, he said, you're fair. Look at verse 7. Thou art all fair, my love. There's
no spot in thee. There's no spot in you. That's
what Christ says about his people. Smile, this is what Christ says
about His black ones. How can you be black and yet
come black? How can you be a leper covered with spots and yet He
says, there's no spot in thee? Do you know? This is the gospel. Peter said, be diligent that
you may be found of Him without spot. How, Peter? Paul tells us, Oh, that I might
win Christ and be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness
which is of the law, but that righteousness which is of faith,
by faith, the faith of Christ, covered in His righteousness.
That's how you'll be found of Him, without spot. Because He's
able to present you faultless before the presence of His glory.
make you holy and unblameable, unreprovable in God's sight.
How? You can't do it. You can't scrub
off the spots. Can the leper change his spot?
Can the Ethiopian change his skin? Neither can you. He can
and he does. He presents us. Oh, you remember
the story of the leper in Leviticus 13? You remember that story? Spurgeon is the first one that
drew this to our attention, everyone. He preached on the leper. The
leper would go in to the the priest, and the priest, if he
could find one good place on him, find one good place on him, he
said, unclean. They came in, and he just had one little spot,
one little spot on him of leprosy, and all over, he's a really good,
looks good, he looks good all over, except he's got one little
fault. The priest would say, you're unclean. Do you remember this? Alright? Then
if the fellow would come in, and the priest would look him
all over, and the priest couldn't find one good thing. In his flesh, he couldn't find
one good thing. You know what the priest said? Clean! Some of you know what that means. Christ came into this world to
save sinners. What kind of sinners? Romans
7 sinners. Paul wasn't a finer man on earth
than the Apostle Paul. You know what he said about himself?
In my flesh dwelleth no good thing. You know what Christ said?
Clean. Righteous! He said, I didn't
come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Are you
a sinner? The Most High Priest of God says,
clean. Righteous. Without spot. You're fair, my love. You're
fair. Where do we get this fairness?
Where do we get this comeliness? Like the child in Ezekiel. He made her lovely. Man, is this good or what? He called her a garden. Look
at it. Verse 11, Thy lips, O my spouse,
drop as a honeycomb. Honey and milk are under thy
tongue, and smell of thy garments is like the smell of leaven.
A garden enclosed is my sister. She's a garden. And I just love
to be with her. The Lord loved to be with us.
Oh, yes. A fountain, verse 15, a fountain
of gardens, a well of living waters, a stream from Lebanon.
That's His church. That's His people. Why? Because
that's where He is. Oh, awake. Oh, I love this verse.
Awake, O north wind, verse 16, and come, thou sad blow, Oh,
Holy Spirit, come and blow upon my garden. Every believer in
here ought to pray this prayer. Oh, come, Holy Spirit, blow upon
my garden. Let the spices that flow out. Let the gospel of Christ be a
sweet smelling savor. And let me be a sweet smelling
savor to others. Let me be a garden that where
my brethren and others may find some repose. Don't let me be... The world is a polluted place. The world is a foul-smelling
and poisonous place. Oh, the garden of the Lord. Don't
you come in here as a place to resort. with His disciples, with
Christ. Don't you come in here to get
washed by the blood of the Lamb. Don't you come in here to get
anointed with His fresh oil. Don't you come in here to have
your feet washed. Don't you come in here to hear
His blessed voice. Don't you come in here to smell the sweet
smelling savor that's Christ and Him crucified. Do you? Do
you? Do you? You must be one of His
disciples. He's come for you and He's coming
back for you. Well, what about this brook?
Go with me to 2 Samuel 15. I'm telling you, you're going
to want to see this. You think it's been good so far?
This brook of Cedron or Cedron in the Old Testament, this brook,
our Lord went over this brook into the garden. Someone else
did that. You see, the Lord Jesus Christ is called the Son of David. The Son of David. You remember
Romans 1, chapter 1, Paul said, I'm separated of the gospel of
God, which He promised before by His prophets that Christ will
be made of the seed of David. You remember that? God said of
David, He's really speaking of Christ. He said, He shall build
me a house. The Son of David. He said, I
will establish His throne forever. David? No. Son of David, Christ. Listen to these Psalms. Psalm
89. Listen to this. Psalm 89. Here's
what the Lord says. I found David, my servant, with
my holy oil have I anointed him, with whom my hand shall be established,
my arm shall strengthen him, the enemy shall not exact upon
him, nor the son of wickedness afflict him. I'll beat down his
foes, foes before his face, and plague them that hate him." Who's
he speaking about? David? Christ, son of David. Well, David, here in this story,
in verse 13, look at 2 Samuel 15, 13. It came a messenger to
David saying, the hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom. Absalom's turned against you. One of your sons has turned against
you, and he's after you, and they're coming to get you. That
sound familiar? Our Lord went into the garden,
crossed the brook, and they came after Him. Read on. David said unto all
his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, we're leaving,
going out of town. Christ was just in Jerusalem,
wasn't He? Wasn't He? And He's leaving. Where's He
going? Outside the camp. Read on. "...Let us go, let us
flee. Will not else escape Absalom?
Make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, bring evil
upon us, smite the city with the edge of sword. And the king's
servant said unto the king, Behold thy servant..." Here's what they
said. We're ready. We're ready to do whatever my
Lord the King shall appoint." Peter said, Lord, we'll die with
you. Are you reading this with me?
This is talking about Christ. All right, the King went forth,
verse 16, the King went forth, the King! And all his household
were after him. They're following him. His disciples
are following him. They're following him. His servants,
they're following him. He's their king. The king went
forth and all the people after him and tarried in a place that
was far off. And all his servants passed on
beside him. They're beside him. Where will
you find his servants? Right beside him. They're his
servants. They're serving him and one another. That's how you know. and the
Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and the Gittites, six hundred
men which came after him from Gath, passed on before the king."
The king, he's their king. These are the fellas that came
down with him, brother, down in the cave. You remember those
fellas that came to him in the cave? Four hundred of them. Remember that? Four hundred of them. in distress,
in debt, and discontented. They came to David in the cave.
He became a captain over them. That's Christ in the rock, the
crucified one. He's the one we're in debt and
distress. We come to Him. He became a captain
over them, the captain of their salvation, delivered them from
all their debt. Their discontent was gone. They
were happy, full of joy with Him. Well, they gained some discipleship. Two hundred more joined in with
them from different places. left there and he walked in 200
more gathered where there's a fella named Atei, verse 19. Atei, the Gittite, he went through
this place, Gittite, Gath, and this fella named Atei just started
walking with him, okay? And David said, where are you
going? Are you going with us? Go home,
verse 19. Return to your place about Abide
with the king, meaning Absalom. Go back. You're just a stranger. They don't know you here in exile. But you go back. This is not
going to be pleasant. If you follow me, this is not
going to be pleasant. We've got enemies. They're going
to try to kill us. We're going to be persecuted and afflicted,
and they're going to try to kill you. If you're with me, they'll
try to kill you. They're going to hate you. Go on back now.
They don't know you yet. You haven't been with me long. Read on. He said, You just came
yesterday, verse 20, should I this day make you go up and down with
us, seeing I go whither I may, and return thou, and take back
thy brethren, mercy and truth be with thee? He said, Leave,
depart. And Attea answered the king and said, It sounds like
Ruth. Are you reading it, or you're
missing it if you're not? Verse 21. It sounds just like Ruth
to Naomi. Itaius said, as the Lord liveth,
and as my Lord the King liveth. See, he has life eternal now.
He knows the living and true God, and he knows God's King.
He said, surely in what place my Lord the King shall be, whether
in death or life, even there also will thy servant be. Where
you go, I'll go. Where you die, I'll die. Your
people be my people. Your God's my God. I'm not going
anywhere. I want to stay with you. You say that? So David said to
Attea, okay, go, pass over, we're passing over. And Attea the Gittite
passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones that
were with him, little ones, that's what Christ called his little
ones, and all the country wept, David's leaving Jerusalem, and all the country wept with
a loud voice, and all the people passed over, and the king also
himself passed over the brook, Kidron, or the Way of the Wilderness.
And let me read this to you in closing. Is this God's Word? My, my. My, my. I'm unworthy to tell
it. But it says that our Lord, Psalm 110, verse 1, the Lord
said unto my Lord, turn there, I want you to see it. The Lord
said unto my Lord. Psalm 110. This is, David, Peter
quoted this when he preached at Pentecost. So we need to see
this. Psalm 110, in closing. The Lord said unto my Lord. Christ
quoted this too, didn't He? Sit thou on my right hand, at
my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord
shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion. That's Christ. Rule
thou in the midst of thine enemy. Thy people, though. Thy people
shall be willing. Free will? No. God's will. Sovereign will. In the day of
thy power. In the beauties of holiness.
His beauty. His holiness. From the womb of
the morning. That's the dew of thy youth.
The Lord has sworn. and will not repent. Thou art
a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek, our high priest. Christ just prayed that prayer,
the high priestly prayer, and he's going into the holy of holy
with the blood to put it on the mercy seat, on the cross of Christ.
He's the priest after the order of Melchizedek. And the Lord,
after he arose from the grave, the Lord at thy right hand shall
strike through kings in the day of his wrath. He'll judge among
the heathen. He'll fill the place with the
dead bodies. He shall wound the heads over many countries. drink
of the brook in the way and lift up the head. Has your
head been lifted up? Brethren, Christ is all. He's
all. He's Lord, He's King, He's Prophet,
Priest, King, He's the garden, He's the oil, He's the brook,
He's the water, He's everything. Oh, I hope the Lord gave you
a little drink of that brook. It's amazing, isn't it? Just
amazing. Wednesday night, Lord, we're going to look at the rest
of this where they came for Him and He said, whom seek ye? Alright, stand with me. Our Father, we stand amazed That's
your blessed Word that so clearly speaks of Christ, the Word made
flesh. Oh, dear God, thank you. We rejoice with the Lord Himself
who rejoiced that you hid these things from the wise and the
prudent, but revealed them unto babes. And oh, we're such babes.
Revealed them unto us and our children, even our little children
have the fact of it. The truth of it. Oh, may you
put it in the hearts to love thy truth, to love thy son. Oh,
Lord. Take these things of Christ and
convince of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Take the Word and
operate upon us. Take the Word and cause someone
to be begotten of it, born of it, life given from it, before
it's everlastingly too late. We've heard the word of salvation. Today is the day of salvation.
Oh Lord, we ask, we beg, for Christ's sake, for the salvation
of your people that you would bless thy word, the heart. If
you do not do it this morning, let it take the seed. We know it won't return, but
we'll take it and when it pleases thee, water it, cause it to spring
up, and grant salvation, we pray. We'll give you all the honor
and glory. We thank you so much. We fed upon your word that is
you. We fed upon your word which is Christ. We thank you so much
for it. We're unworthy to hear it, unworthy
to tell it, but we're so thankful for it. Forgive us, forgive us,
forgive us for taking it for granted. Forgive us for being
dull of hearing. Forgive us for being like the Shulamite woman
who slept who slept, who slept, who slept. Oh, Lord, let us not
sleep as do others, but redeem the time. Thy coming draweth
nigh. Oh, come, Lord Jesus, come quickly,
we pray. Come for your people. Come into
thy garden, we pray. In Christ's name, amen. You're
dismissed. Marvelous. Marvelous. Yeah. Marvelous. Thank you.