Let's look back at 1 Peter 1. The psalmist David said in Psalm 119, and that whole psalm, the whole psalm
is just about God's word. This is our subject this morning.
This is what we're going to look at, God's Word. The whole psalm,
Psalm 119, every verse is about God's Word. And I just counsel you to go
there and look at it. But David said in Psalm 119, He said, It's good for me that
I've been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes. It's good for me, he said, that
I've been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes, thy words. He said this after that, The
law of your mouth, the word of your mouth is better unto me.
than thousands of gold and silver. Now, only an afflicted man knows
what he's saying. Your word, just a word in Caesar from God,
your word, is better unto me, it's invaluable. When you need
it, it's the one thing needful. I believe it was last Sunday's
bulletin, Maurice's article, and maybe the Sunday before that,
where he quoted Psalm 119, verse 92. It says, "'Unless by law
your word had been my delights, I would have perished in my affliction.'"
I wouldn't have made it unless you had spoken to me, unless
you had said something to me. Now, the only man who has gone
through that can understand that unless you had spoken to me,
I was going to perish. I was going to perish. God's word. God's word. I feel like quitting right now,
trying to tell you the value of God's word. Peter said it. Let's hear Peter.
The Lord did and said many hard things. People laughed. He turned to Peter and the disciples
and said, Will you also go away? It's tough, isn't it? It's tough,
isn't it? What Peter said. Where are we going to go? Thou
hast the words of life. Life. Life. I'm a dead man without
it. God's word. Who can tell it's
worth? Who can declare what God's word is? I wish you'd find that
for me in that book. An old preacher named William
Huntington one time wrote something about God's word,
what it's worth. It's the best thing I've ever
read, and I'll give it to you eventually. But maybe he'll just
speak one word this morning, and that will suffice. Who can declare it, really, but
only God. Only God, his word. Here's what God said about his
Word in Jeremiah 23-29. It's not my Word like a fire. God's Word is the only thing
that can heat up these cold hearts, isn't it? We go through cold
times, and we feel like, Am I dead? Is this mercy claim gone? I just
can't hear the gospel anymore. Am I dead? And then the Word
comes like a fire. It burns in your heart. Maybe
I'm not dead after all. Did not our hearts burn within
us? He said, Is not my word like a hammer? Doesn't your heart
feel hard as stone? I started to say, Some of the
time. Most of the time. Stone? That's God's word. The only thing that can get through
this hard heart, isn't it? Only thing, a hammer, he said.
Oh, God's Word, when it comes, it'll bust us up, break us. Paul said in Hebrews 4, God's
Word is quick. It's life. It's life. It's life. It's the only thing that gives
life. to dead people. One day they are sitting there
dead as a hammer to the word of God. And all of
a sudden God, in his good time and fullness of time, God sends
forth his word, and a dead, rotten, no-good prodigal son or daughter
or man or woman or whatever lives! Alive! Quick! It's powerful! Powerful! sharper than a two-edged sword,
pierces. It's the only thing that does. God created all things with his
word. Listen to this. I'm trying to tell you what God's
word said, from God's word. God created all things with his
word. He said, Let there be. And there was. He created all
things. And he creates spiritual life
by his word. Let there be light. God's word. He upholds by his
word. He casts down by his word. Breaketh up, breaking, let him
be broken. He's broken. Let him be raised
up. And he's raised up with a word. He leads, he guides, he rebukes
by his Word, God's Word. He chastens. We saw that Wednesday,
didn't we? How that God, in mercy, does
most of his chastening with his Word. He raises up, he casts down,
he gives knowledge with his Word. We're so ignorant, so ignorant.
Lord, how can I? Except some man show me. His
Word. Wisdom. I don't know what to
do. Fatherly. Peace. I don't have peace. Well,
there it is. There he is. Comfort. Consolation. Faith. Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief,
okay? It cometh by the hearing of the
Word. God speaks to his people, listen
to this, God speaks to his people, he deals, listen very carefully,
he speaks to and he deals with the hearts and the minds of his
people one way, one way, one way. Listen to me, God speaks
to his people, he deals with them one way, through his word. either reading
it or hearing it. Now listen to him now. It's the only way God speaks
to us, not signs, visions, emotional experiences, traumas. No, no. Those things God may use. I mean, God does use means and
circumstances and so forth, but to bring us to the Word. And then this is how he teaches
us. This is how he leads us, this
is how he guides us, this is how he comforts us, this is how
he speaks to his people. This is the only way. Why? Why? Why won't God speak out
loud? Why won't God send a bolt of
lightning? Why? Why won't he do something? Just show me and I'll believe.
We just live by faith. Our Lord said one time, he said,
they won't believe, though a man rose from the dead. He said,
an evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign. No sign,
no sign will be given except, gentlemen, what's that? That's
the gospel. This is the word which by the
gospel is preached unto you. This is how God speaks to us,
the gospel, the word. One way. Why does God not speak
to us out loud? Why does God only speak through
his word? Why does he not use visions and
signs and wonders and all that? Why? Why does God only speak
through his word? Listen to me very carefully. so will know it's God speaking." Can you say that? A voice, a
vision? You can't trust it. Where does it come from? He speaks through this. You know
who wrote this. get the same source. We all have
the same source, and we all hear the same things. That's how we
know, because at the mouth of two or three witnesses, a thing
is established. You understand? When God speaks
to you through his Word, and somebody else hears the same
thing, it must have been God. Somebody else hears the same
thing. Yay, millions hear the same thing, get the same source. It's God. It's God speaking,
he said. There are many signs and wonders
and visions, and many fellows say, God told me this. Now, who
is God speaking to? Do you understand that? Many preachers say, God told
me. He did, didn't he? I didn't hear
him say that. As a matter of fact, in Jeremiah
23, the Lord said about those false prophets who go out there
and tell everybody all this stuff that the Lord told them, he said,
Who heard God say that? That's what God said to them.
He said, Where did these fellows get that? I didn't say it. You see all these signs all over
the place today? This so-called God Speaks campaign
that men are using? You've seen it. There's one of
these places over on Main Street that's got it up there, and it
says something that God was supposed to say, you know, here, and then
God's name down there. Where'd he say that? He didn't
say that. That's horrible blasphemy, isn't
it? To say what God hasn't said.
To tell me, and God told you something. God speaks one way. Right here. That way we'll know
God said it. We all have the same soul. Did
you hear what I said here? Yeah, I heard that. Same thing? Same thing. I mean, God said
it, didn't he? Yeah, he did. So if anyone is ever saved, he
or she is saved through the hearing of this word. That's it. Not
a vision, not a sign, not a wonder, not experience, not nature. not
nature. Things made declare his power,
his Godhead, but not salvation. The things that are made don't
tell us how God can be merciful, how God can be just and yet justify.
Only the gospel does that. So experiences don't do it. Somebody
said, one old writer said, profession born during the time
of the storm will be quickly forgotten in the time of the
calm. It's always so. Salvation is from sin. Salvation is all about God save
us from our not our trouble, but our sin. That's what it's all about. You understand that? And God
saved one way. It pleased God by the foolishness
of preaching. Preaching what? Paul said, God
forbid that I should go, that I should preach anything. But
Christ crucified. The Word of God. Peter said this.
Look down in verse 25. Peter said, The word of the Lord
endureth forever, and this is the word which by the gospel
is preached unto you." Not everybody. He was writing to the believers,
Sam. He was writing to believers and
us, strangers, scattered. Look at it. Verse 2, he calls
them elect. We're going to preach the gospel right now, all right?
This is the Word. Men say, I preach the Word, I
believe the Word. Well, what does your preacher
preach? He preaches the Bible. I believe the Word. Do you now?
Do you believe this one Word? I preach the Word, do you preach
this one Word? Just tell me. Do you believe? Do you preach? Do you declare,
do you glory in this one word, the sound of this one word, elect? Who does? God's elect. You hear that? Oh, this is where
it all started. And listen to this, more than
a doctrine, this is our comfort. God, before the world began,
elected a people. I mean, chose sons of Adam, and
I believe I am one of them. Yes, me. Who? Me. If God be for me. God elected me. Do you see how
it all started right here? More than a doctorate, it's a
person choosing persons to do what? To save them! And all that he says that that
is—inheritance, incorruptible, undefiled—elect. It's good that God would drive this
one word home to our hearts right now. Just one word. A word in
season. I'm not arguing a doctrine, I'm
glorifying a God who chose some persons and gave them to his
Son, who came to do everything for them. Here's the gospel. We saw it in the bulletin. You
can't teach the gospel without preaching it. There is no gospel. Oh, but if this is there, this
is good news. This is good news. If there's
a holy, sovereign God who reigns and rules among the armies of
heaven and heavens and the earth, and none can stay in His hand
or stand in Him, what good is that? Here's what He did. He
said, I elect John Davis. I'm going to choose John Davis. And hell or high water ain't
going to touch it. He ought to go to hell and the
rest of the sons of Adam. But I chose him. You see, more than a doctrine,
I've chosen it, and I'll prove that I'm going to save him. I'll
set my son down here and make him a bloody mess. You're not
redeemed with corruptible things. Look at verse 18, for as much
as you know, you're not redeemed with corruptible things, silver
and gold. Oh, man, bribing God, vain conversation,
empty works, dead works received by tradition. But verse 19, the
precious blood of the Lord. This holy, sovereign, omnipotent,
just God said, I'm going to justify this rotten son of Adam. I've
chosen him, and I'm going to give him to my son. Why would anybody
argue? How could anybody argue? The
elect don't argue about election. They're going to glorify God
throughout all eternity, unto him who loved us, chosen us.
This sovereign God chose me, who was dead, total depravity.
I was dead, all children of wrath, even as others. But God, who
is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved me, him
he hath quickened us. He gave us to his Son, sexual
atonement. There's no gospel unless Christ
actually put away my sin. They said he did. Scripture says
he did. God's Word says he did. They
came down here when he by himself purged our sin. Who sins? Elect
sin. Purged them, put them away. They're
gone. Folks, that's our trouble. We're
going to realize someday just what our real troubles were. And then we're going to praise
God for getting rid of them. The reason where our troubles
come from is sin. He put them away. And the
effectual atonement of Christ's blood is right now, right now,
before the Lord. When I see the blood, I'll pass
over you. And God's Spirit, he sends his
Holy Spirit to these no good, wretched, but elect sons of his,
sends the Holy Spirit down with the gospel, the blessed news,
the angels came down and said to shepherds. Who? Shepherds. Why didn't he go to Kings and
he didn't go to Herod? Shepherds sitting on the side
of a hill looking to the backside of a sheep. Who? You see your
calling, brethren? Not many wise men, not many mighty,
not many nobles, oh, no, no, no mechanics, railroaders, secretaries, truck drivers, you
name it. Things that are not in this world.
We've been hidden these things for the wise and prudent, didn't
bring this glorious declaration Kings, Bill Clinton doesn't know
the gospel. Queen Elizabeth doesn't know
the gospel. Ah, but Prince, Prince Deborah
and her. Who, who, who? Now, who'd you
say? Princess Anne? No, no, no, Deborah. Well, who's that? God knows. He foreknew her. He's going to say of these queens
and all these haughty talk, I never knew you. Ha! That brother! Huh? Bang, tell her. Tell her, I chose her. My son died for her. Sins are
gone, gone, gone, gone. Send the Holy Spirit to comfort
her, seal her. Give her faith, repent it, break
her heart first, and keep breaking it in all the days of her life.
That's what the Holy Spirit does. Keep breaking her heart, keep
breaking her heart. Why? So she'll keep coming to me,
Jehovah Rappa. Keep breaking her heart. If she
ever goes without a broken heart, she won't need me. Keep making him or her poor and
needy. If they ever quit being poor and needy, they won't need
me, Jehovah-Jireh. Keep having them fall in holes
and fall down and wander, prone to wander, Lord, I say, keep
having them wander so that they'll keep coming back to Jehovah-rah,
the Lord their shepherd. That's more than a doctor, and
that's a person coming and working and working in the lives of his
people. And in preservation and perseverance
of the saints? Oh, what a gospel. Oh, we've
got perseverance of the saints. I will not let him go until he
does the same. David said, How long? How long?
How long? How long? David said, I'm ready to halt.
I'm ready to quit. I'm ready to quit. I'm going to quit. Peter
said, I'm going to quit. No, you're not. Job at first, you know, Job,
oh, it's the Lord, you know, the Lord gave you the Lord's
prescription. Why, why, why? When you start asking, why, why,
why, why, why? And then God said, Shut up, Job.
Now listen to me. And he said, huh, now I know.
David said, oh, look at that, look at that, look at that, I
don't understand what's wrong with him, he went into the tabernacle.
Huh, now I know. The cup's on the throne. I was a fool, I was a fool. See, he's removing everything
from me, so I'll have everything in him. He's given the world
everything, fattening them like cattle for the slaughter. Withholding
troubles, withholding sinfulness, withholding temptation, withholding,
withholding, withholding. Now, they think they're rich
and increased with goods, and they're going to perish. Keeps his own people beggars. You see that? Perseverance more
than a doctrine. Look at verse 5, "...who are
kept by the power of God through faith." Through faith now. By grace you say, through faith.
Oh, I believe. Look at verse 8, and what we've
been talking about is, and I've just really been paraphrasing
everything Peter said for sake of time. Verse 7, the trial of
your faith, more precious than of gold it perishes. Faith is
a precious thing. It's a rare thing. Not many people
have it. This faith of God's elect? The faith of God's elect,
not many people have it. God's elect do, though. How'd
they get it? God gave it. The God who chose
them gave it. It's not of yourselves, it's
a gift of God. It's precious, too. Oh, it's the only thing
that will see us through the trial and trouble. Precious faith
is precious, more precious. Though it be tried with fire,
verse 7 says, it's going to be found under praise. Everything
is going to be found under praise. Every single thing is going to
be found under praise. Goodness and mercy will follow
me whatever I'm going through right now. Surely, goodness is going to follow me.
Mercy is going to be found under praise. Hebrews 11, God's Word,
Hebrews 11, read it. They were stoned. They were sawn
asunder. They received their children
from the dead. They were hung. They were butchered. They were
tortured. These all died in faith, and they said, praise God for
cutting me in two, for stoning me, for killing this and killing
that and removing this, and God, praise God! Throughout eternity,
right now, they're singing, praise God for everything He's done. It's going to be found unto Look at this, and honor. Verse
7. Praise and honor. I told you
about that person who went through, that believer who went through
great, great, great, great trials, and oh, there have been many. And somebody said to him, Lord
must love you an awful lot. He must be one of his choice
servants. I found it to be so. Honor and honor. Our Lord said,
Peter said, it's given unto us not only to believe but to suffer. Why? For his name's sake. To show forth his glory. That's
the next thing. Honor and glory. God's going
to get the glory. He's going to get the glory.
He's going to get the glory. He's going to get the glory. You see, listen to me very carefully. We are not our own. None of us. We don't own anybody. We don't
own our children, our families. They belong to God. God's going
to use them however He sees fit for His glory. They don't belong
to us. Never have. Never will. It's
the Lord. Thank you for giving. Thank you
for giving. He didn't deserve such a thing
as this. He gave. The Lord take it. Bless you. He gave to me. I was highly honored. Oh, how highly honored. How highly honored I have been.
Have you been honored? It's an honor to sit right here
this morning and hear what you're hearing. What an honor. going to be found
in honor and glory. Oh, glory. Look at verse 8, "...whom having
not seen, ye love." Do you? You've never seen Christ, Robert.
You've never seen Jesus Christ. I haven't either. Do you love him? You really don't have to hesitate,
do you? I know what's going through your mind. Oh, not like I want
to, not like I ought to. Sometimes I don't act like or
feel like I love him. Do you believe? Our Lord said,
He that believeth on me shall never perish. He that believeth shall never
die. Believest thou this? Huh? Do you believe this? Our Lord said it. He that believeth. Do you believe? Oh, yes, Lord. I believe that I'm elect. I'm God's child. And verse 4
says, I've got an inheritance. Incorruptible. An inheritance.
How do you get an inheritance? If it's someone's father or mother
or grandfather or uncle or somebody dies and leaves you, whatever,
you know. Whatever. That's how you get an inheritance.
How do we get anything? Somebody died. Somebody died. The son died. God's son died. We have an inheritance. We're
joint heirs, the scriptures say. Inheritance. Incorruptible. Oh,
my. He used to kid my father-in-law. He used to kid me when I was
dating my wife. When we were dating, he owned
a golf course, an 18-hole golf course. I love to play golf.
He had a sports car, a Jaguar XK8. Steve, every now and then,
he'd let us take that out on a date. Oh, man, I'm going to
marry this girl. Free golf and a sports car. As
soon as we got married, Steve, he sold them both. And he'd kid me. He'd say, well,
I've got this old bulldog. He had a white, English bulldog
on a flat face. He said, you can have her. I don't want that. No matter
what the inheritance is, it's nothing. It's going to fade away
too, no matter how great it is. But here it says, our inheritance
is incorruptible. Incorruptible. undefiled, that
fadeth not away, and reserved in heaven for you." What is it? Not of what? Christ said, in
me you have life. I am the resurrection. Abraham,
I am thy exceeding great reward. You give me. Paul said, for me
to live is Christ's. To die is gain. What gain? with him. I love him
now. I haven't seen him, but I love
him. I haven't heard his actual voice, but I've heard his word,
and I believe, I believe, I believe. But bless your heart, I'm going
to see him, face to face, and that'll be
glory. And, oh my, he says here, Verse
9, receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of
your souls. And who can tell? Who can tell
that? Because I hadn't seen, you hadn't heard. Salvation of
your souls. People, this whole ball of dirt
is just fading away, it's just fading away real fast. We're
all faded like a leaf. That's what Peter said. They're
all grass, they're all dying, they're all withering. But the
Word of the Lord endures forever. What God said is true. Old Brother
Charlie Payne, a right-hand man, elder, many years in 13th Street
Baptist Church, many, many years in his prime. I was about 58
years old. I was a virgin in his prime,
a right-hand man. That's when the Lord's Church
was just thriving under men like that, and the Lord struck him
down. Triple bypass, and then a little
while later he had to have another one. Laying in that hospital,
my father went to visit him. He looked up at him and said,
Pastor, he said, everything you've said is true. The Lord took him. It is. It is. So verse 13, gird up the
loins of your mind. See that? Gird up. Hitch up your
britches. Gear it up along to your mind.
Hope to the end. Don't dwell on the past. Hope
to the end. It has a good end. We're going
to live happily ever after, Stan. Receiving the end of your faith,
the salvation of your soul. Gear it up. It's all going to
be brought at the revelation of Jesus Christ. And who can tell? It might be
that 12 minutes. No man knows. It's going to be. You can count on this. Our Lord
said it's going to be at a time when you think not. Yes, who can tell? The Word of the Lord, God's words,
the only way he speaks, I hope he spoke to somebody. He did to me. I needed it. I needed it. I hope somebody else did. How firm a foundation, ye saints
of the Lord, is laid for your faith in his excellent word."
What more can he say to you than he has said to you, who for refuge
to the Lord Jesus have fled? Have merit of foundation, ye
saints of the Lord. He is ready for your faith in
His excellent Word. What more can He say? And to you He hath said, To you who for refuge The fourth
verse is kind of like the first peter in the fourth verse. Let's
sing that. When through fiery trials thy form we shall bow
Hey, hey, last verse. you. you you