with me. Thou changest not, thy compassion
may fail not. As thou hast been, thou forever
wilt be. Great is thy faithfulness, ♪ Thy hand hath provided ♪ Great
is thy faithfulness ♪ Lord of youth ♪ Summer and winter and
springtime and fall in their courses of love. Join with our nature in manifold
witness to her faithfulness, mercy, and love. My faithfulness, morning by morning,
you must remind me. All I have needed, thy hands
have provided. Great is thy faithfulness. Pardon for sin and the peace
that endures to cheer and to guide. Strength for today and bright
hope for tomorrow. Blessings of mine with 10,000
before. May this, my faithful men, All I have needed thy hand hath
provided. Now, you can turn back, if you
will, to Ezekiel chapter 36. Mankind is so ignorant of God. Mankind is so deluded that most of what man believes
about God is exactly the opposite. Exactly the opposite. Most men and women believe that
God just exists to serve man. God's just some big sugar daddy
who's just waiting around to see what he can do for people. Most people believe, like one
man, Oral Roberts, said that God created man because God was
lonely. and they needed him. So he created
man, and now God derives all his pleasure and his satisfaction
from and devotes all of his time. He's got nothing better to do.
He devotes all of his time to trying to help men and women
and make man happy, try to get That's exactly the opposite of
what this book says, exactly the opposite. God doesn't need man. He never has and he never will.
The only reason God created man, Scripture says one reason is
because he's pleased to do it according to the good pleasure
of his own will. And God created man to serve
God, not vice versa. God created man to serve God
in his purpose. God had a reason, a purpose for
creating man and all things. See, God didn't need the world.
God didn't need the universe. God didn't need anything or anybody,
but he had a purpose, and that purpose is We can understand
a little bit about this purpose. That purpose is, God did and
does everything for his glory. Man exists to serve God, not
vice versa, and to glorify God Almighty. Listen to these words from an
old confession of faith, a great old confession of faith. In describing God, it says, God
hath all life, glory, goodness, blessedness, in and of himself,
and is alone in and unto himself all sufficient. That means needing
nothing, standing in need of any creatures, not standing in
need of any creatures which he hath made. Nor does God derive
any glory from them. He's all glory. What's going
to add to the essential glory of God? But God only manifests
his glory in, by, unto, and upon them. He is the fountain of all
being, of whom, through whom, to whom are all things, and has
most sovereign dominion over them, to do by them, for them,
or upon them whatsoever he himself pleases. And to him is due from
angels and men, and every other creature whatsoever worships
Service, obedience, he is pleased to require of them. God does not need man or men. And God created men or man for
his glory. Let me illustrate this. There was an old preacher, years
ago, who was on his way somewhere to either preach or meeting somewhere
and couldn't make it the weather was bad and he couldn't make
it. And on his way he was in a strange
town. Other than his hometown. And
he on his way he couldn't make it to where he was headed so
he ducks in a little primitive chapel off the side of the road
and it turned out as it were to be a black church. And the preacher, the old black
preacher, was preaching on the creation, God and his creation. And he was using Genesis chapter
1 as his text. In the beginning, God. And he
was talking about how before God created man, in the beginning
there was God. And before God created animals,
in the beginning there was God. And he went on, and before God
created the stars and the moon and the sun, the heavens, he
said there was God. And before he said God created
the world, he said in the beginning there was God. And he said in
the course of his message, he looked back at that soul, that
lone white man, and said this out loud. He said, He said, Where was God before
he created everything? Where was God in the beginning? And the man took him by surprise. He said, I don't know. And the preacher hollered out
and said, He was in his glory. That's where he was. He was in
his glory. What's that? Whatever it is,
that's where he was, and that's where he is. And he doesn't need
anything to add to that. So everything God has done, is
doing, or will do, is for his glory, especially salvation. Now you think about the word
saving. Saving men and women which are called worms in the
script. What? What on earth? Why in the world would God Almighty
want to save something that's rotten, that's spoiled? You generally
throw it out, don't you? Don't you generally throw out
what's been spoiled, rotten, corrupt? Why in the world would
God want to save us? for his glory. And God reveals
his glory in saving some people. Now here in Ezekiel 36 there's
a story about the children of Israel. God chose a people. He had an elect people. Yeah,
that's what I said. That's what God says, elect. God chose a people. Remember,
before anybody bought whether someone hears this by tape or
whatever. Before we balk at the word elect,
remember, God doesn't need anybody. He doesn't need anybody, he said. Why should he choose everybody
when he doesn't need anybody? But God did choose a people,
and the Scripture says we saw Wednesday night how that he called
them by the name of Jacob. or in a man named Jacob, later
called Israel. And throughout the Scriptures,
God's people are called Israel, for short. These people, these Israelites,
God's chosen people, were no better than other people. As
a matter of fact, they were worse, because God had been merciful
to them and gracious to them, but they turned right around
and rebelled against him. God just poured out heaven, gave
them bread to eat, and they turned around and said, We don't like
this bread you're giving us. God gave them water out of a
rock, and they turned around and rebelled and said, We'd rather
have beer in Egypt or to have wine. We like this water. You see, God was ever merciful
and gracious to these people over and over again, but they
rebelled against them. They weren't any better. They
were worse, but they were God's people. And all of these people,
they represent or they symbolize God's chosen people everywhere. In fact, I'm presuming, I'm taking
for granted, I'm hoping that you're one of God's people, but
when I say this, I don't know, but I hope so. Perry Kinsley,
Henry Soule, God's people. You ain't no better, Henry, than
the average Joe on the street, are you? Huh? Oh, no. You're worse. I don't mean outwardly,
I don't mean you actually sin openly or immoral. You're more
moral than the average man. But the fact that you sin at
all against such grace and mercy means you're worse, doesn't it?
You've got more life than the average man. But these people,
you see, Israelites, they are not all Israel which are Israel.
In other words, Many of these people back then died, and God
said you'll never perish, but some of them died, right? Well,
not all Israel were Israel. God had a chosen people, even
in that number, Joshua and Caleb and a few youngsters. Neither
is circumcision. Now, circumcision was a sign
of God's people. It was a distinguishing mark
between God's men and heathen out there, OK? But circumcision,
Paul went on to say, is not outward, but it's inward. It's of the
heart. Even women must be circumcised in the heart, cutting away the
old flesh, he said. So what God says concerning Israel
here, and we're going to see this, is principally speaking
about God's spiritual people, even us. If we believe the Lord
Jesus Christ. Now look at it with me. Ezekiel
36. Here's the purpose in God's saving
a people. Ezekiel 36, verse 16. The Lord spoke to Ezekiel, saying,
verse 17, Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their
own land, they defiled it by their own way. They went their
own way. and by their doing, by their
action. And their way was before me as
the uncleanness of a removed woman. I poured my fury upon
them, for the blood that they had shed upon the land, for their
idols, their idols. And I scattered them, they're
scattered among the heathen, dispersed through the country
according to their way, according to their doing. And when I entered
under the heathen, and when they entered under the heathen, they
profaned my holy name." Now these are supposed to be
the people of the Lord. But yet it says of them, the
house of Israel, they were defiled, they were unclean, they were
just like the heathen. You couldn't tell them apart.
They were scattered, and they were profane. They were blasphemous. They were idolaters, worshiping
false gods. They were blasphemous. They weren't
thankful. Blasphemy is not being thankful,
but rather a reproach to God. And that's us. It's every one
of God's people, by nature, before God did a work. Every one of
them. And we're still that way to a
great degree. But, verse 21, God says, I had pity. Why? Because they're a pitiable people?
Huh? Oh, they're poor, poor folks.
Is that what God is saying here? I had pity. Poor, sweet, pitiable
people. Huh? No. God doesn't have pity on man
because he's pitiable. Huh? God doesn't have pity on man
because man's a pitiable creature. He's poor. He's sweet. He's just
gone bad, you know. It's a product of his environment.
Man's not to be pitied, he's to be blamed, right? Man is not to be pitied. Man
is willfully and obstinately rebellious, right? You know yourself,
you know it's true. Man is not pitiable. But no,
this is what God says, I had pity for my namesake. You see that? "...for mine holy
name, which the house of Israel hath profaned among the heathen,
whither they went." They profaned my name. I have pity on, not
on them, on my name. What is his name? What is God's
name? He said, I am the Lord thy God. That is my name. But man, but
he says, my people have forgotten my name. Right. And he says, even the preachers
think to cause my people to forget my name. Right. The same is happening
today. Preachers today are preaching
everything but the name or the character, the person of God
Almighty. He says, My people have forgotten
who I am. They have forgotten the Lord
their Maker, even to the point of saying, No God. Men have reached the point even
to where they're saying, there's no God at all. Fools. But God says, you will remember. You will remember. Listen to
this verse in Isaiah 46. He says, you'd be turning over
to Isaiah 43. Isaiah chapter 43, turn over
there. God says, I will bring it again to mine, O you transgressors. Remember the former things of
old, for I am God, there is none else. You've got a God, whether
you want to worship Him or not. You know what? I've got a God,
whether I believe Him or not. I'm going to stand before a God
whether I believe that or not, it's true. But God chose a people
to remember him. What is unbelief? It's just forgetting
God, isn't it? Huh? Isn't it? Unbelief, just
forgetting God, saying either forget you, God, or just forget
about God for the world, right? Idolatry. Go after some other
God. But God chose a people, a remnant,
to remember him and to praise him and to acknowledge him and
to glorify him throughout eternity. Look at this, Isaiah 43, verse
7. He says, "...everyone that is
called by name I have created him for my glory." Look at verse
21. He says, have I formed to be happy and
to come to heaven someday. High in the sky, meet mama, so
the circle won't be unbroken. No, this people have I formed
for myself, and they will show forth my praise." My praise. This is the foreign to the natural
man. This is what heaven's going to
be like. A lot more marvelous and wonderful. But this is what heaven's going
to be like. Heaven will be. The reason people
will inhabit God's habitation is to sing for God. In the Old
Testament, it said there were some people that were appointed
singers. God said, I'm going to appoint
such and such, this tribe over here that will be Levi's priests,
so I'm going to appoint over here singers. Appointed. Sing! He said. Buddy, they better
sing. And they sang. And mourners were appointed back
then. You know people were expressly ordained to mourn when people
mourned? Sing, mourn. And heaven, the
reason God is going to put people in heaven, is to sing for Him. You know it? To appoint us as
singers. Yes. is choir practice. The song says, Let those refuse
to sing who never knew our God. Doesn't it? Heaven is not for
us to continue our earthly fun. God just create a heaven so we
can have a carnal utopia I know you like what you're doing. I
hate to spoil the fun. We'll just continue it over there.
We'll let you play golf or whatever you... Heaven is for His glory. And people are going to be there,
what, to have fun? No, for His glory. And I tell
you what, though, people that are going to be there to give
Him glory are having fun doing that right now. Now, if you don't understand what
I'm saying, You don't have to worry about being in heaven anyway. If you don't enjoy it now, you're
not going to be there. I'm telling you, read the book
of Revelation sometimes. Day and night, they sing unto
him. I look forward to it. I tell
you, I'm not just blowing smoke here. I'm not just like Scott
would say, I'm not just preaching, I'm telling you the truth. I've
preached a little while, now I'm going to tell you something.
I enjoy this. Can you believe that, Anthony?
Can you believe that? I actually enjoy being here.
I do, I mean it, buddy. Kevin, if you'd have told me
that when I was 18, 19, 20 years old, Enjoy? Well, Mom and Dad make
me go to church. It's like pulling teeth. I enjoy
this. I do. I can't explain it. I'll just tell you. It happens. It happens. I enjoy it. I enjoy looking at the script.
Not always. I don't say all the time. There's
times when I look at this book and I think, What in the world
is this saying? I'd rather be doing, I'd rather
be watching a basketball game or something. I'll just be honest
with you. There's times when I, the beautiful
day out there and I come down here and I'm supposed to study,
bring a message and the sun's shining. I think, oh man. But there's no thank, I'm thankful
there aren't many golfers in here. So we're a weakness. I'm
just being honest with you. But Henry, I'm telling you, God
is my witness. I enjoy being here. I enjoy worshiping
God. I really do. That gives me hope.
And someday, I don't enjoy worship like I'd like to. I don't enjoy
worship like I ought to. But thank God I do enjoy it.
There was a time when I didn't enjoy it at all. I'd rather be
anywhere but there. Anything but that. And here in the gospel, I'll
drive for miles. It doesn't matter. I enjoy it.
And after I've driven there and heard it, it's like I didn't
even take a drive. You know, I used to enjoy listening to
the Rolling Stones. I used to enjoy listening to
the Rolling Stones. It made my hips gyrate. But now I really enjoy hearing
the Rock of Ages, son. If you had told me that back
then, that I would prefer hearing the Rock of Ages over the Rolling
Stones, I would have said, No, the fact was I was a crazy
man. And now there's times when I
get a chill up my spine here in the Rock of Ages. Explain
that. And I don't enjoy it now like
I would like to. I look forward to the day when
I can worship without getting tired. without ceasing, without drop. Somebody's going to say, let's
sing a verse, that verse of that song, unto him that loved us
and washed us from our sins in his own blood. Let's sing! And
Buddy, the chief of sinners, the scripture says, is going
to sing the loudest. Unto whom much was forgiven, they'll love
much, and they'll be singing loud, on key. Loud! And we'll get through the first
verse, and Henry, somebody said, let's sing it again. But we've
sung it a thousand times already. I don't care, let's sing it again. Got better. Thousands of verses,
same as the first. Sing it. Explain that. You can't explain it unless you
feel a little bit of it now, right? Like I said, if you'd
have told me that years ago, I'd have been... Are you nuts? Are you crazy? There was times
when I'd camp out on the cold ground, you know, to get tickets
to a some kind of show, I'd do that now to hear one of the world's
foremost preachers. This is what heaven's going to
be like. I'm telling you. And a mark of somebody that's
going to be there is somebody that's here that enjoys this
right now. Granted, it's not close. It leaves much to be desired
as far as glorifying God and But I tell you, this Word is
able to thrill you. Let's go on. I've got to hurry.
I want to thrill you here. The purpose for these people,
what I'm trying to say here, what God is saying here is the
purpose for God saving the people is for His glory. Not just to
have fun in heaven, but for God's glory. for his glory." That's
God's purpose. And they'll know, verse 22, "...thus
saith the Lord, I don't do this for your sake, O house of Israel,
but for my holy name's sake." See, I've profaned it. I'm still
profaning it. I'm still taking the Lord's name
in vain. I've still profaned it. I still reproach to him,
Rick. I ain't glorifying God. Are you glorifying God? Huh?
I ain't even given him a gun to that. Have we spoken out? 117, is it? Oh, that men would praise the
Lord for His goodness! Oh, that they would do that!
Oh, that I would! I haven't done it yet, but this
is it going to, one of these days. For my holy name's sake,
you profaned it. In verse 23, he says, I'll sanctify
my great name which was profaned among the heathens, which See that's the purpose, right? That's the purpose of salvation. Now here's the way of salvation.
Just like man is ignorant of who God is and why God is, just
like man is ignorant of God's purpose. They think God is for
man. That's the other way around.
It's exactly the opposite. Exactly the opposite. Man is
for God, not God for man. Man is more ignorant of this
thing of salvation, even more ignorant. Man thinks this, think
about this, and you hear it all the time. Man thinks that God
thought up, after the law didn't work, God thought up a contingency
plan, you know, and sent Jesus down here to folks and to show
him how to live right. And he did all he could do, and
he came back, and now God has done all he can do, and now it's
up to you. Isn't that what they're saying? God's done all he can do, and
now it is up to you. But no. That would be salvation up to
man, wouldn't it? The Scripture says salvation
is of the Lord. of the Lord. God purposed it,
God purchased it, God the Son purchased it, God the Holy Spirit
applies it. Salvation is of the Lord. Man's
salvation says this. Man's salvation, the gospel according
to man today says, if you will, God shall. Right? Only if it's all backwards.
If you will, if you're willing, God shall. If you will give your
heart to Jesus, God will, God shall save you. Salvation by grace says, God
says, I will, therefore you shall. Isn't it? We've read, you know,
the more than seventeen times. God says this in seventeen verses. I will. You shall. Boy, I like this. Look at verse
twenty-four. You're going to see, oh, such
a clear picture of how God saves sinners here. Verse twenty-four.
I will take you. Bob Ross, if according to the
mercy and grace of God, he says, I'll take you. You know what
that is? Election, buddy, isn't it? I take you! That's election. I will take
you! Salvation is according to the
will of God, the predestinating purpose and electing will of
God Almighty, right? Well, what about whosoever will?
What about whosoever will? Huh? Revelation twenty two seventeen
zone time it's used in Scripture other than when Christ said who
ever will. Follow me. Revelation twenty two seventeen
who's ever willing to take the water of life freely one time. Who's who will. Whosoever will. Whosoever God wills. Right who
will who God wills that people shall be made willing. Whosoever
I don't know who they are. It's written, he said, whosoever.
Thy people, whosoever they may be, will be made willing in the
day of God's power. Salvation's not us choosing God.
God's choosing us. Right? All who love God Almighty
do so because he first loved them. I tell you what, folks,
this is the grand old truth. This ought to thrill your heart.
This is why God saved you. Do we grow tired of hearing it?
The only reason we love God is because God first loved us. The
only reason we choose God, and we do choose God, but not until
after the fact. The only reason we choose God
is because He first chose us. The only reason that we will
call upon God is because God first called upon us. He says, I'll take you. Sherry, put your name right there. We might get a chill there, a
little thrill there, if we put our names right. But God Almighty,
nothing can add to His glory. He says, I choose Sammy Parks.
Who? The angels might be saying, who? Sammy says it. Who? Epiphas said
it. Who am I? David said it. Who am I? What is my... David said it about the whole
mass of humanity. What is man that's our mind's
life? I choose Sammy Parks. I take you. Election, what a sweet word.
What a sweet thing. Glory to God for election. Glory to God for election. I
take you. And I'll take you from... among
the heathen there's election and there is sanctification.
Thank you for. That's certainly a part say sanctification
of the spirit from among the heathen you say I just read about
how God's people he said you were you were you were defiled
idolatrous wicked filthy wretched deserving the wrath of God right
yet you who who may yet you you were But God, you were, but God
says, I'll take you from them. Like a cattleman, like a cowboy
curling out the herd, you know. They may be mixed in with some
others, sheep and goats they are. But he goes through there
and picks out his sheep. Sets his love and affection upon
them. Culls them out of the herd. You
see, because all we like sheep have gone astray. Every man,
we've all turned our own way, right? And unless God, unless God stops us, I sat there
just unmoved, just like some have and do, so unmoved. But unless God had arrested my
attention, I wouldn't even be here now.
And he calls us, but God separates a few out of the herd to save.
Wow, on earth, what in the world does God need for that? Even so, Father, it seemed good
in your sight. I'll take you from among the
heathen and gather you, look at this, gather you out of the
countries, gather you. How does he gather? How does
God gather his people? Look back at chapter thirty-four
with me. God gathers by the gospel of
grace. God gathers by the gospel. What
is that, simile or synonym? Come on, help me, son. God gathers
by the gospel of his grace. He gathers, he calls. You see,
the great shepherd of the sheep, the Lord Jesus Christ, calls
his sheep out. How does he gather them from
among the heathen? They look just like the heathen. They look
just like them. out there mixed and mingled.
You look at us sometimes, John, right? If people see us in some
unguarded moments, they think, well, he ain't no Christian,
wouldn't he? Well, he looks like a goat to
me. Right? How does God gather his
people? How does he separate them? Look
at Ezekiel 34, verse 11. Thus saith the Lord God, behold,
I Even I will search my sheep and seek them out. Verse 13.
I will bring them out from the people and gather them. All the
way through here. I will. Verse 14. I will feed
them. Verse 15. I will feed my flock.
I will. Verse 16. I will seek them. Verse
20. Therefore, thus saith the Lord
God unto them, behold, I even I will judge between fat cattle
and lean cattle. Verse twenty-two, I will save
my flock. Verse twenty-three, I will set
up one shepherd. On and on it goes. Who does the
saving, Bob? God does, doesn't he? I will,
I will. And he does this by calling them
by the gospel. What is the gospel? The gospel, in the Book of Romans,
says the gospel is the power of God unto salvation, everyone
that believes it, right? power of God, the dunamis, the
dynamite, the dynamite, the call of God,
the gospel is the, you see where the word of the king is, power,
right? Kings don't ask anything, do
they? Kings don't say, would you like to accept Jesus? Oh, no. God commandeth every
man, doesn't he? He commandeth men everywhere
to He says, believe on the Lord. He doesn't ask us, does he? And
where the word of the king is, when he's determined to call
one of his sheep, he's going to get them, isn't he, Jeanette?
Sheep! And they may look like goats,
mingled among them, but when they hear that voice, that powerful
voice, they're going to come out. Come out from amongst religion
and idols, from the far, from the north, from the east, south,
and west. Gathering to him, it says. Gather to Christ. Come to Christ by faith through
the gospel call. Look at verse 25 in our text.
It says, right here, justification. He says, I'll sprinkle clean
water upon you. Verse 25. I'll sprinkle clean
water upon you and you'll be clean. How are you going to be
clean? Well, if you quit your ways.
No. When I sprinkle clean water upon you. You'll be clean from
all your filthiness from all your idle. I will cleanse you. That's justification. We got
time Hebrews chapter 9. Look over Hebrews 9. We are justified. By the blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ. We say I thought it said justified
by faith in Romans 5. It does, but Romans 4 said before
that they were justified by his blood. by his blood. You see, faith, Henry, faith,
all faith is saying is, it's the blood. Right? Faith is not what, it's the blood
that justifies you. Right? Isn't it the blood? It's
the blood, it's your faith that makes atonement for your soul.
No. It's the blood that makes atonement
for the soul. God says, when I see your faith,
I'll pass over you. When I see the blood, I'll pass
over you. Now, faith will look to the blood, but the blood is
what God justifies our wicked, sinful soul. The blood is what
will purge your conscience, not your faith. Johnny, you don't
feel like you have much, do you? The blood, the blood is the object,
the one who shed it. We must be sprinkled or washed
in the blood to be free from sin. Hebrews 9, verse 19, when
Moses had spoken to the people according to the law, he took
blood of calves and goats and water and scarlet wool and hyssop
and sprinkled the book on all the people and said, This is
the blood of the testament which God has joined or given to you.
Moreover, he sprinkled with blood the tabernacle and all the vessels,
and all things are by the law purged with blood. Without the
shedding of blood there is no remission. But it's not possible
that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sin. A goat
can't do anything for a man, but a man can do something for
a man. A perfect man, that is. So it was necessary, you see,
that Christ offer a blood sacrifice. Christ, verse 24, is not entered
into the holy place made with hand. Those are figures of the
truth. But he's entered into heaven right now to appear for
us before God. And it's not as though he did
offer himself often as a high priest, entered into the holy
place every year with blood of us, but then he must often have
come down. That's what the masses do. Sacrificing
God, Christ over again, saying that the wine becomes blood.
But now once in the foundation, in the end of the world, before
the foundation of the world, once in the end of the world,
hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. and he obtained put away see
him. Put them away by his sacrifice
and. Our text said back to the text.
And our text says you put away our idols if we see that the
blood. Listen to this if we see that
the blood is our only hope before this holy God will drop our idols
like hotcakes now. If we see that the blood is the
only thing that's going to make us acceptable to God Almighty,
we'll drop everything like a hot cake, like a hot horseshoe, because
it condemns us. Our idols, we'll put away our
idols, our self-righteousness. If we see that only the righteousness
of Christ will make us accepted, we'll drop our righteousness
God says it's filthy, I smell something, I don't want that
then, right? I want to be accepted, I want
to know God. Anybody who really wants to know God will know the
truth, know the doctrine whether or not it's God. If you really
want to know and worship God, they'll know it. And when God
says all your righteousness, your morality, your church going,
your religion, filthy rags, I smell something, it's got to be perfect,
we'll drop it, won't we? I don't want that then, right? And when God says, it's the blood,
the blood's the only way you're going to get in my presence.
And the faith will say, well, it's the blood then. It's the
blood, not what I do with it. It's the blood. Cover my, let
your blood be propitiation on the mercy seat for my son. Won't
say it to the priest. He'll drop, he'll drop all these,
these idols. He'll drop all other mediators.
When he sees that the scripture says there's one mediator between
God and men. The man, Christ Jesus, he'll
drop all these mediators on it. There won't be any priests, there
won't be any father. You have one father, one Lord,
one mediator, right? He'll drop them like a hot cake. Put away their idols. So you
see, election, sanctification, call, justification. Look at this, here's regeneration,
verse 26. A new heart. I'll give you. It's all right here, and God
does it all. Verse twenty-six, A new heart
will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you. I'll take
away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I'll give you a heart
of flesh, a new heart. Salvation is the great physician
doing a heart transplant in us. Taking away a stony heart. I'm
looking in the faces right now. I'm not even looking at the face.
I'm looking at the top of the heads of some people. That this is
bouncing off like a lead balloon. That they could care less about
this. It's absolutely the last thing
on earth they're interested in. That's what you call a stony
heart. Boom. It's not touching anything. Unbelieving,
unfeeling, unmoved, unrepentant, unaffected, unthankful, dead
heart, dead heart. You say grace, what a charming
sound, charming to me. Mercy, oh I need mercy, not me. Oh the love of God, the love
of God, how rich and pure. How measureless and strong It
shall forevermore endure The saints' and angels' song Oh,
love of God And some people say, I don't need that. It doesn't
mean anything to me. It's hard. That's the way I was. That's
exactly the way I was. You could hear that and just
be unmoved. I'm looking at a woman right
now, I've got a tear in her eye. Think of that. A heart of flesh,
tender, he said. Touches them. The Word of God
actually moves them. Touches them, tender, repentant,
broken. Sins are ever before me. A hard
heart says, what sin? You've got no right to tell me
that, I'm no sinner. Heart, or the fleshly heart says, oh, my
sin. Broken heart, contrite heart,
receptive heart, tell me more. Not tell me less, not when is
this going to be over with. Tell me more. I preach to some people, they
say, don't look at your watch. Keep preaching. A loving heart, a grateful heart.
With grateful hearts, this anthem we sing. A heart that's alive
unto God that beats for God. A man after God's own heart,
the Scripture says. A heart that beats! And when
Christ is preached, the gospel is preached, it actually flutters!
You ever been in love? Well, that's a silly question.
You're supposed to have been, anyway. How about that girl when
you first started dating that girl? Well, she just walked,
just the smell of her perfume, emerald or white shoulders or
whatever it may be. Boy, they got some wicked perfumes
on the market now. But, you know, you get just a,
oh, heart of flutter. That's what happens to some people
when the gospel is preached. Hearts actually flutter. Ain't
that great? Fleshly heart, you see, it's
not hard anymore. God says, I'll have to, God will
have to be the one to do it. I can't do it. I've tried my
best already this morning. Screaming, singing, crying, begging. I won't do it. I won't do it. God's got to have to do it. I
need to learn that too. Screaming and singing and crying
and begging. Let me just start preaching. It'd be enough. I just read that
a while ago. God could use that. But I feel compelled and necessity. God says, I'll give you a new
master, too. Verse 27, I'll put my Spirit
within you. My Spirit within you. As many as are led by the Spirit
of God, they're the sons of God. And what the Holy Spirit does
is lead a man to Christ by faith. And then He leads him to walk
in the ways of God. Look at verse 27 again. Cause
you to walk like Christ in my statue. You shall keep my judgment. Believe Christ. Keep His commandment. Won't be just a hearer, you'll
be a doer. It's all right here in it. You seen this with me?
I hope you do. Verse 28, and you shall, God
says I will and you shall. Polly ain't no ifs, ands, and
buts about this. If God says I will, I will that
Polly Sigmund be saved. You shall, sister. I like that. I like that. I know that's my
only hope. That's this boy's only hope here.
What about you? God says, I will and you shall.
You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your father. You shall
be my people and I will be your God. There was a time when I
said, no, and God said, yes. Yes. Ah, boy. Here's growing in grace
he said I'll save you from all your unclean this is first one
John one man said he's faithful to cleanse us from all unrighteousness
right. All of it unclean old habits
and ways God. Can. God does. Old habits and ways are passing
away. I tell you what, like I said a while ago, rolling stones die
hard. They still make my hips want to gyrate. I'm just being real honest down
to earth with you this morning. They still do, folks. But I'm
telling you, I really enjoy more singing the praise of my Lord.
And someday, Mick and the boys ain't going to enter into my
mind. All uncleanness, the old man.
I'm not saying the old man's getting better. He's just dying.
You see, the more he dies, the more he's fought, the more he
raises his ugly head. See, he dies hard, John, doesn't
he? Dies hard. He's raising his ugly
head and says, I want you to not kill me. Oh, you're already
dead, man. He just smells worse. You see,
the more it corrupts, it just smells worse. But the new man
now is being created in the image of Christ, growing just like
Christ grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God. I mean,
so is the new man and the believer, thank God. Sometimes I wonder,
but God says it's true. You will. I will save you. I will. And I'll call for the
corn. You're getting corn this morning. There's some folks out
there feeding on cherry you're eating at the king's table. You're eating at the king's table
this morning. Cornbread and milk. Milk of God's Word. That's what
my dad loved, cornbread and milk. I ate some the other day. I must
be getting old because I like that stuff now. Cornbread and
milk. When I was a young man, give
me steak, potatoes, cornbread. I'm going to lose my teeth next.
Corby, you're eating cornbread and milk, and you love it, don't
you? Corn. But there's a famine going on out there. Scripture
says, you're not going to, you're going to eat corn. God says,
I'll call for the corn. Well, fools are feeding on fodder. There's fools out there, Terry,
feeding on fodder. I wish I could say the word I've
got in my mind right now. Husks, dung. But some prodigals,
he calls away from that. He says, come on home. Lamb for
you to chew on a little bit. Feeding on his body and his blood.
No famine. There's a famine of the word
nowadays, I tell you. Ain't one preacher in 10,000
that's gone verse by verse through Ezekiel 36. It's a king's table. Hope we don't ever take it for
granted. And they'll bear fruit. I've got to hurry. I will multiply
the fruit of the tree. and increase. You see, that's
what God has ordained. That's how God is glorified.
We bear much fruit. That's what this thing is all
about. You know what salvation is all about? Like I said at the
beginning, not to make us happy, make us look Christ, for God's
glory. You see, Christ said, I must
be about my Father's business. He was consumed with it. He didn't
care about his own happiness, What made him happy was God's
glory. And someday we're going to be
like that. What will make us the happiest is giving glory
to God, just looking at Him. I derive as much or more glory,
don't you men, in going in at night when that little girl's
sleeping on that bed, just looking at her. Margaret, you can't fool
us. Just look at that baby. You see,
other people, that's not their child, other people look at your
little girl, your little boy, Yeah, he's cute. Little rat. But Margaret, man. Oh, he's an
apple of my eye. I just love him. I can't get
enough of him, right? And someday, heaven, that's what
heaven's going to be like. We're not going to get enough
of looking at him. That's what you and I were just talking about,
Terry, wasn't it? And I go up and say, are you
Moses? Yeah, I'm Moses, but look here. Look at that, would you? fruit, bear fruit to the glory
of God, and they'll have a good memory. God's making you have
a good memory. You see, the world is forgetful,
forgetful of God, forgetful of what they are. They look in the
glass, it's like looking in the mirror, you know, at the book.
There's people hearing this message this morning and going out and
going to continue like they were. But God's people see themselves
and remember. God brings to remembrance, right? Some people forget. But he says, you'll remember,
verse 31, the evil of your own ways and your doings that were
not good. And you'll what? You'll love
yourself. Here's salvation, feeling better
about yourself. Like Robert Shuler says, the
next Reformation is going to be the dignity of man. Oh, my, that's when Christ is
coming. My, my, that's the Reformation. That's a deformation. They'll
loathe themselves. You're going to get worse in
your own eyes. Worse. Your iniquities, your sin, your
abomination. Now remember, verse 32, he says,
now remember what this is all about. God says, I'm going to
do all this for you. But I'm not doing it for your
old, stinking, rotten self. What in the world would He need
with you, John Davis? Huh? He says, I'm doing it for my sake.
Is that all right with you? Oh, you better believe it. You
better believe it. You see, see if I can explain
this. I'm not supposed to be explaining
business, but I want to do it anyway. You see, whatever is
mine, if I go around saying I'm the greatest, well, everybody
would rise up in arms. No, you're not. No, you're not. You know good, I'm the best looking.
Oh, no, you're not. That's plain to see. No, you're
not. But when God says this, God can say it, you see. When
God says, I'm God, there's none else. I am the greatest. What do we say? Yes, he is. And all of his people say that.
Goats don't, but, don't they? But the sheep say, yes, he is,
isn't he? Oh, yeah, he is. Say it again. I'm God. Yeah,
we like it that way. He is the greatest, isn't he?
All honor, glory, power, wisdom, strength, and honor goes unto
him, whatever adjective he can give. Right? Why can God say
that? Because he is. He that cometh
to God must believe that he is. And the reward of them that diligently
seek So God can say this. I don't do this for your sake.
He shouldn't. I do it for my sake. That's fine. I'm just glad you're
doing it. Right? I'm just glad you're doing
it. But. He says, look at verse 37
and I'll quit. Verse 37 and 38. He says, Now
thus saith the Lord God, I will yet for this be inquired of.
by the house of Israel. You see prayer a man never prays
until God. Man didn't call on God until
God first calls on him. Turn to Joel chapter two Joel
chapter two and I promise you this is it. Joel chapter two
if you've never seen this and actually seen it with your own
eyes looked at it you need to. OK, everybody quotes Romans 10,
13, whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved,
right? That's right. Right. But where did that verse
come from? Paul is quoting that verse from
Joel chapter two, and you can't quote that out of context. All
right, salvations of the Lord, salvation begins with God in
the beginning, God. See, this is where men have got
this thing back with a beginning with men, aren't they? And then
they say, if you do that, then they will go to God. No, you
go to God first, then don't you? Lord, if you will, they shall. And Joel 2, chapter 2, look at
it. It's in this too, it's just amazing.