Join me, if you would, in the
book of Zechariah chapter 6. We spent a little time in the
first part of chapter 6, verse 15 last week, and we found that
the Lord is going to find his flock afar off. That's where
we were put by nature. We were driven, in a sense, there
by Almighty God, driven out into the inner places of the earth,
and really, Being a far off is being in the fall. That is truly
a far off place. And yet the Lord has promised
to bring all of his lost sheep from afar and bring them to the
temple, bring them to himself, and bring them to the church.
Well, in this last phrase, last sentence of this verse, we have
a part of a verse of scripture That we have to keep in context.
And that's one of the things that I have learned in dealing
with this young man in Hood River. That we have to consider the
context. A verse of scripture pulled out
of context may prove a point, but it isn't the point that God
intended for it to say. So as we look here, and as I
read this last verse, it says, and they that are far off shall
come and build in the temple of the Lord. The Lord has promised
to draw them, bring them, call them from afar, from a far country,
from a far place. We might be very living next
to a church of the living God and still be in a far place if
we don't know Christ. And so when the Lord saves us,
we're brought out of that far place, out of that far country.
He brings us, I like a message I heard with regard to Mephibosheth
fetching grace. And he fetches us from that place.
We can't come on our own. Dead people can't walk. blind
people can't see the trail. So it just goes on from there.
And then it says, and ye shall know that the Lord of hosts has
sent me unto you. So, uh, Zachariah was going to
be identified and gospel preachers will be identified. I don't know
his name. You remember what the blind man said? I don't know
who he was, but I know this. Whereas I was blind. Now I see.
Well, it wasn't very long and the Lord acquainted himself with
that man that was now able to see. And the Lord acquaints himself
with his sheep and we know his voice. And it says here, the
Lord of hosts has sent me unto you. So the person, the gospel
preacher is made known to the person he's speaking to that
God gives the new birth to, that man preached the truth. Now,
we may have never heard it before. We've never seen anybody that
knew it before. But when God saves us, gives
us the new birth, we identify that is the truth. That's the
truth of the gospel. God used that person. Now, it
wasn't the person per se, but it was the message God gave him,
just like Zachariah. We have no idea what Zachariah
looked like, except he looked just like us. We don't know what
he wore, but he wore clothes. and he was called of God. He
was just a nobody. He was in a far country until
God called him and acquainted him with the gospel and made
him a gospel preacher. Well, in the last sentence of
that verse, it says, and this shall come to pass if you diligently
obey the voice of the Lord your God. It shall come to pass if
you diligently obey the voice of the Lord. Well, I had that
young fellow read that verse of scripture and then he went
off into what he thought it meant. Well, I said, one thing about
this verse of scripture, you and I can't obey it. We can't
obey this verse of scripture. In fact, I'm so thankful that
the fulfillment of prophecy and the coming of the Lord Jesus
the second time or salvation does not depend on our faithfulness. Can you imagine that, that our
faithfulness was going to be required before the Lord would
come back? He'd never be coming back if our faithfulness depended
upon the salvation of people. Now, we find through the scriptures,
God is very plain on who is faithful. Now, we want to be as faithful
as we can. When God saves us, we want to
be faithful, but we are frail in the flesh. But there is one
who is faithful, and his name is God Almighty, the Lord of
hosts. So would you turn with me? for
just a moment over to the book of 2 Timothy 2. The church is
blessed to enjoy the spiritual blessings because He abideth
faithful. We are so unfaithful. We're unfaithful
to the word. We're unfaithful to study. We're
unfaithful. We're just unfaithful. And yet
God is faithful and we get to enjoy his faithfulness on our
behalf. It's much like righteousness.
Faithfulness is imputed to us. His faithfulness is imputed to
us. We're faithful because He is faithful, and it's a gift.
Faith is a gift of God. It's not something that we create.
It's a faithful gift of a faithful giver, the Lord God Almighty. So over here in the book of 2
Timothy 2, 2 Timothy 2 and verse 13. You know, when I was in religion,
I never heard a preacher say he was unfaithful. They're all
faithful, boy. But when you're saved, you find
out woe is me, for I am undone. I'm undone. And I'm thankful
for my faithful Savior. Here in the book of 2nd Timothy
chapter 2 and verse 13 says, if we believe not. Now, he's
writing to believers. But if we believe not, yet he
abideth faithful. Well, there's times that Well,
I'm thankful that the salvation of people, the coming of Christ
the second time, or the fulfillment of prophecy is not dependent
upon my faithfulness. It's dependent upon His faithfulness.
And He is all-powerful, able to say and to do what He says
He will do. Well, it goes on to tell us here,
if we believe not, yet He abideth faithful, He cannot deny Himself. The Lord has made a promise.
And His word changes not. And when there was no greater,
He swore by Himself, I, as Lord of hosts, of King of kings, of
God of gods, promise to fulfill my promise to my people, and
that is, I will present them spotless, I will be faithful
to them in every day of their life. I will not lose any faithfulness
They will continue to be faithful because I am faithful. I'm thankful
that the Lord is like has a line on us. He draws us, He brings
us. And, you know, sometimes we stumble,
but we don't utterly fall, for He upholdeth us. I'm just so
thankful for the grace that God extends to us in Christ and provides
all that we need. We're unfaithful, wretched servants
of a most high God, and yet He said, Faith, welcome faithful
servants. Sound like a contradiction of
terms, but we rejoice in his grace. And so we believe not,
yet he abideth faithful. He can't deny himself. He has
much at stake, much at stake. And that is His Word, that is
His integrity, that is His Godhood. And when He said, I will present
them all spotless, or I will lose none of them, the church
says, hallelujah, because left unto me, I would not get there. Well, turn with me, if you would,
just a little further here in the 1 Thessalonians, back up
to 1 Thessalonians. In 1 Thessalonians chapter five,
1 Thessalonians chapter 5. We had a little discussion about
repentance today. And over there in the book of
1 Thessalonians chapter 1, we have one of the greatest examples
of repentance, turning to God from dumb idols. That's having
to change your mind about God. And here in 1 Thessalonians chapter
5 and verse 24, it says, faithful is he that calleth you. who also
will do it. So thankful for His faithfulness. Now, if we're able to fulfill
Zechariah 6, verse 15, the last sentence there, it is only because
of His faithfulness, His faithfulness to us. we are not able to do
the job. We fall far short of the requirements,
but He has all the requirements, He has all of the faithfulness,
He has all of the ability, and He makes His people able. So He, as it says here, He that
calleth, faithful is He. He that calleth, He is faithful. who also will do it. And then
Paul goes on to say, brethren, pray for us. What a privilege. Lord, keep us faithful. Well,
we have the promise he will, but Lord, the Lord is the only
being, God is the only being that deserves us to talk about
how he talks about himself. When he talks about himself,
he's not bragging. He's just telling the truth.
And he appreciates us responding to what we find in the word about
God. He's a creator. Yes, he is. Creator of heaven and earth and
creator of spiritual life. He is faithful. And another verse,
2 Thessalonians, if you turn there, 2 Thessalonians, as we
think about this requirement that is put there and that diligently
obey the voice of the Lord. I'd love to be able to do that.
I'd love to be able to do that, to diligently obey the word of
the Lord. That's my desire. I remember
a preacher we had, he says, we should get up every morning and
say, Lord, keep me from sinning. Make me faithful. Well, he's
going to do both. He's going to do both. We sin,
we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
All right, here in 2 Thessalonians. 2 Thessalonians 3, 2 Thessalonians
3, verse 1, 2, and 3, it says, Finally, brethren, pray for us
that the word of God may have free course and be glorified
even as it is with you. Now, it's an honorable thing
as we read this that God would have free course in the hearts
of the church. When it's preached, when it's
spoken of, when it's read, we say, oh, Lord, thank you for
your word. May be difficult. As we read last week, some of
Paul's writings are hard to be understood. Scriptures are just
hard to be understood, how to put it together. We know Christ
is the fulfillment of all of it. He's the spirit of prophecy. He's the fulfillment of all the
types and shadows in the Old Testament. But here, may the
word have free course. be glorified even as it is with
you, that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked
men, for all men have not faith. But the Lord is faithful, who
shall establish you and keep you from evil. I love it. I was asked about demons and
about Satan today. And I said, I don't know how
much of that I have to deal with, but I know who's going to deal
with it for me. The Lord. He dealt with them at the cross,
he dealt with demons as he found them. They said, are you here
to punish us before our time? He sent them where he wanted
them. They are at his command and I don't have to worry about
it. I know the problem with men's heart that's deceitful above
everything who can know it. Desperately wicked, that's the
problem. With leaders across the country, across the world,
and about the neighbors we have next door. And if it wasn't for
God, we'd be in the same situation. Well, chapter 10 and verse 23
of the book of Hebrews, would you turn there with me? Hebrews
chapter 10. And verse 23, how glorious is the gospel, how glorious
is the savior that's declared in the gospel as the faithful
one. Hebrews chapter 10, Hebrews chapter
10 and verse 23, it says here, let us hold fast the profession
of our faith without wavering, for he's faithful that promised. He's faithful that promised. God knows our frame. The Lord
knows our frame. But He has promised to take care
of the faithfulness. The Lord is faithful. It is His
faith that He gives to us. And so, it is only in Him that
we'll be able to fulfill that last sentence of Zechariah chapter
6 and verse 15. The scriptures are very plain
that our salvation does not depend on our works. Very plain. Everywhere we have that. And
it says, it's dependent upon the work of God. Now Daniel got
involved in this very subject. So if you turn with me back to
the book of Daniel. Book of Daniel, chapter 12. Daniel chapter 12. And verse 10, Daniel chapter
12 and verse 10. As that last phrase says, and
this shall come to pass if ye will diligently obey. This shall
come to pass, what? People brought out of the far
place. This shall come to pass if ye
shall diligently Obey the voice of the Lord your God. Aren't
you thankful that the salvation of those who are in a far place
is not dependent upon our faith, but His faith? That the salvation
of our own children is not dependent upon our faith, it's dependent
upon His faithfulness. Most of the time we've been pretty
poor parents. What would they see that they
could say, I want to follow that? Well, we're thankful that the
Lord, when he saves them, says, we're above that. We're above
that. We're above humanity. We're divine. We have someone who's able to
do far above our expectations. Well, here it says in Daniel
chapter 12 and verse 10, many shall be purified and made white
and tried, but the wicked shall do wickedly. and none of the
wicked shall understand." But the wise shall understand. None
of the wicked understand. They don't understand faith.
They don't understand faithfulness. They don't understand salvation.
They don't understand what it is to obey the word of the Lord.
They don't understand. But it says the wise understand. And what does the wise say? It's
all of grace. It's all of Christ. It's I have
all my hope in Him. There is nothing I can do that
will make me better in the eyes of God. I can't do anything even
after salvation that attracts the attention of God. I must
be in Him. Now, when we're in Him, in Christ,
He has all the attraction of God, and we're just there enjoying
the view from that blessed and sacred position. The wicked shall
do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand, but
the wise shall understand. All right? In the book of Malachi,
In the book of Malachi, would you turn there with me? The book
of Malachi chapter four. Malachi chapter four, verses
one and two. Book of Malachi chapter four,
verses one and two. We have the time when the day
cometh that shall burn as an oven. Well, I'm sure that there
were some preachers that were preaching this this summer. But that's not what it's talking
about. It's not talking about physical heat. It says, Behold,
the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud,
yea, all that do wickedly shall be stubble. All that do wickedly. Now, there's only two groups
of people in the world. Saved people and those who will
be saved. I'll put them in one category,
and lost. as the Lord said through the
prophet, that he will have mercy upon whom he will have mercy,
and the rest he'll harden. Now I'm not going to argue with
that. God says and does as He pleases,
and He simply asks us to declare what He says. All right? Going
over here in the book of Malachi again, chapter 1, it says, chapter
4, verse 1, And all that do wickedly shall be stubble, and the day
that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that
it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that
fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing
in his wings, and ye shall go forth and grow up as calves of
the stall. The calves of the stall didn't
have to go out there and work for a living. They didn't have
to eat. They didn't have to spend time.
They were fed, hand-fed. They were fattened. What does
the Lord do for us? He hand-feeds us. The manna. from above. He hand-feeds us
the message of Christ. It is He that feeds us. It is He that breaks the bread
of life. It is He that dispenses the Word
of God. And so, here's the distinction. There shall be those that will
be burnt like stubble, but there are those that will be faithful. Why? Because of his faithfulness,
he shall arise with healing in his wings, and ye shall know,
go forth as, grow up as calves of the stall, pleasant, fed,
taken care of, curried, all the rest of the stuff that goes with
being that favorite calf of the stall. That's the way the Lord
treats His people. And then John chapter 1. John chapter 1. We have here
in John chapter 1 this wonderful statement God makes. Now it's just not very long before
He gets to Nicodemus. He's setting the stage for Nicodemus.
He's setting the stage for everybody. that there's, well, as it says
here in John chapter 1 and verse 12, it says, but as many as received
Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even
to them that believe on His name. Hallelujah. But the next verse
says, which were born, which were born. God had an interest
in these before the foundation of the world and promised to
give them the new birth which were born not of blood nor of
the will of the flesh nor the will of man but of God. Here's the difference. God's
work in us. That's the difference. We'll
never fulfill that passage of scripture in the book of Zechariah
chapter 6 and verse 15, that last phrase. We'll never get
it done. But he said, this is what I will do for all my children.
This is what I'll do for all the elect. It may look like they
have made a decision for me, but then they will find out I
had them all along. I had their interest all along.
I was the lamb slain from the foundation of the world. I had
their names written down in the Lamb's Book of Life. They'll
come to the conclusion, salvation's of the Lord. It wasn't my belief. It was salvation is of the Lord.
It wasn't my interest. He gave me an interest. He created
life. He raised me from the dead. He
took me from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of his dear son.
He translated me into the light of the living God. We just come
to the conclusion, it's all of him. I have nothing. I contributed nothing. It was
all of the Lord. And so we may say as many as
believe on Him shall be He give power. That's the authority He
gives us to be the children of God. But it comes His way and
no other way. It comes by the new birth. The
real problem with attempting to do the last sentence without
the new birth The real problem with trying to get that job done
of fulfilling and obeying the word of the Lord without the
due birth is there is a very, very serious problem. It's impossible. We're dead. We're spiritually dead by nature. We have no ability to do a spiritual
activity. We can't even pray aright. You
know, even after we're saved, it tells us that we know not
how to pray as we ought, but the Holy Spirit makes intercession
for us with groanings that cannot be uttered. Before we're saved,
we don't know even the first thing about prayer. And most
prayer of an unbeliever is, Lord, I thank Thee that I'm not like
other men, and look at what I've done. and the prayer of a righteous
man, Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner." Now, that's the difference. The person who says, I kept all
that from my youth up. You know what the Bible says
about liars? Liar, liar, pants on fire. But
those who say, all of that I've kept in Christ. I've kept, I've
obeyed his word in Christ. I fulfilled his word in Christ.
I have seen the fulfillment of his prophecies in Christ. It's all of him. So the real
problem is that we have a problem. We're dead in trespasses and
sin. The Old Testament says in Jeremiah 13, 23, It says, can
the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then
may he also do good that are accustomed to do evil. If a leopard
can change his spots. then you can do good who are
accustomed to doing evil. And what do we say? It's impossible.
It's impossible for us to do what God said Israel. Would you agree to this Israel?
They said wholeheartedly, yes. We'll keep it all. And he proved
the very next second. They couldn't and they wouldn't. They couldn't keep it and they
wouldn't keep it. And we're the same. We cannot keep the law
of God. There's only one that could,
and his name is Jesus. And he gives us the righteousness.
He imputes the righteousness, the fulfillment of all the righteous
acts of God. He imputes that to us. He says,
now you can keep it. Now you can obey. Now you're
mine. Now you'll love me. But it's
not until after we're born again. Twice in the Psalms, twice in
the Psalms, almost word for word, twice in the Psalms, it says,
the Lord looked down from heaven. I was interested when I was comparing
them, because in my Bible, one of those verses was longer than
the other, and I says, how can that be, when they're identical?
They're not quite identical. In Psalm 14 and verse two, it
says, the Lord, Jehovah looked down. Jehovah looked down, and
in Psalm 53, it says, Elohim looked down, God looked down.
Same being, just looking at him from his character and attributes,
the self-existent one and the all-powerful one, one looked
down from heaven, he couldn't find anybody seeking after God,
not one. Now, he being an honest, true
God, if he had of, he'd have said so. Now, we're not honest
and true, but we think we see some that are us. I thank you, Lord, that I'm not
like other men. I can keep your law. Remember
the young man that said, I've kept all that from my youth up.
What else is there? What else do I do? What else is there?
Well, Zechariah chapter 6 and verse 17, if we honestly look
at that, we say, I can't keep that. I can't obey that. I cannot
keep all of the Word of God. But I know one who has. I know
one who has. He has loved the Word of God
forever. God loves His Word and He has
loved His Word forever and He gives us the imputed faith in
a sense to love it too. Psalm 14 and verse 2. Let's just
go over there. I quoted part of it but I just
want to look at this. It's twice in the book of the
Psalms and not that far apart we have the scene Psalm 14 and verse two. If you'll
notice here in this verse of scripture, it says the Lord,
and that's the capital letters, Jehovah. Jehovah in the Old Testament
is truly the Messiah of the New Testament, Christ. We identify
him that way. He is the Lord and Savior, Jesus
Christ. Here he is. His pre-incarnate
condition, if he ever gave an honest report, we have it right
here. Now we know he gave all honest reports, but this honest
report, he's looking, you know who he's looking at? He's looking
at Noah. He's looking at Abraham. He's
looking at Isaac. He's looking at Jacob. He's looking
at Joshua. What a character Joshua is. You
know, he defended the faith there at Mount of Sinai. He came down and says, there's
something going on in camp. But he looked down at Joshua,
and this is his report about Joshua, David Solomon. Ezekiel, Zechariah, and every
one of the saints that stood for the faith down through the
dark ages, even gave their life for what they believed. He looked
at them and he found the same report about them and down to
today. We go to the book of Hebrews
chapter 11. He could go down verse by verse, those great ones
of faith. And he says, I looked down from
heaven and didn't see one of them that did see. And here,
Psalm 14, verse two, the Lord looked down from heaven upon
the children of men without exception. Adam to the very present day. He could look in a moment in
the twinkling of an eye and see it all. Look down from heaven
upon the children of men. Now this is what he's looking
for. Now he's the most serious looking for this of ever. To
see if there were any that did understand and seek God. Noah weighed in the balance and
found wanting. Abraham weighed in the balance
and found wanting. Joshua weighed in the balance
and found wanting. Norm Wells weighed in the balance
and found wanting. Verse three, they are all gone
aside. They are all together become
filthy. There is none that doeth good,
no, not one. Now, this certainly was a text
verse for our brother Paul in the book of Romans. When he got
over there, he brought this all up. And then the Holy Spirit
led him to conclude Jews and Gentiles all under sin. They can't keep it. They can't
keep the simplest of it. They can't keep the, they can't
keep Genesis 1-1. And in that same vein over in
Psalm 53 and verse 2, by faith Sarah, God looked down,
Sarah's in the same boat. Rahab is in the same boat. Ruth's
in the same boat. Look down, here it says in Psalm
53 in verse two, God looked down from heaven, this is Elohim,
looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if
there were any that did understand and seek God. Every one of them
has gone back. They are all together become
filthy. There is none that doeth good,
no, not one. This is God's commentary on the
heart of all natural men. None doeth good, no, not one. Well, how can we find Rahab over
there in the book of Hebrews chapter 11? Grace. How do we find Ruth? How do we find Sarah? How do
we find Abraham? How do we find Abel? Grace, grace,
grace. God's grace, delivering grace,
saving grace. The new birth, God has taken
care of that as he saves his people from their sins. Our fallen
nature and state makes it impossible to obey God and obey His Word,
to submit to God's salvation. It's impossible. We will not
be able to submit enough to submit to God's purpose. We just don't
have the ability. And yet, God is gracious. God is gracious. The hope of
spiritual Israel, the church, is the work of God. God, the
innovator, inventor, giver of spiritual life. The lost sheep
are brought under the hearing of the gospel, and by God's grace,
he has promised to give them the new birth. Now, this is just
as difficult to explain the new birth as it is the natural birth. I ask a man today, did your children
have anything of the giving of the names that they wear today? Do they have anything to do with
the conception? No. Do they have anything to
do with their birth? No. And then he said, I know
where you're going. I know where you're going. It's
no wonder that Jesus told Nicodemus, you must be born again. There must be a spiritual birth,
just as Adam. God came upon him and breathed
into his nostrils the breath of life and he became a living
soul. We have that. The subject or summation of the
entire Bible is summed up in five words that Jonah spoke.
Salvation is of the Lord. That's the whole Bible summed
up. Genesis to Revelation. Beginning, middle, end. Salvation
is of the Lord. The words of Jonah sum up all
of the gospel, sum up all of the book of Genesis and Exodus
and Leviticus and Deuteronomy. All of it is summed up. All of
the prophets, all of the law, all of the psalms, all the songs
of God are summed up in that. Salvation is of the Lord. Psalm 3, verse 8. We're right
there in the Psalms. Let's just back up to Psalm 3,
verse 8. We rejoice in this. Through this,
we just rejoice. Psalm 3, verse 8. Salvation belongeth unto the
Lord. Psalm 3 and verse 8, salvation
belongeth unto the Lord. Thy blessing is upon thy people. They're the ones that understand
that. Salvation belongeth unto the Lord. It's His salvation. He gives it freely. to whomsoever He has written
in the Lamb's Book of Life. Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation
belongeth to the Lord. And as we read over there in
the book of Zechariah chapter 6 and verse 15, that last part,
the blessing is to those who obey the word of the Lord. Not
of ourselves, but by His grace, by His Spirit, by His revelation. He saves His people from their
sins and makes them glad. We're still in the Psalms over
here, so let's turn to Psalm 126, if you would. Psalm 126. Psalm 126. What makes a believer
glad? Notice here, Psalm 126 in verse
3, the scriptures share this, the Lord hath done great things
for us, whereof we are glad. What great things has he done?
Well, he had an interest in his church before the world was ever
created. He wrote their names down in the Lamb's Book of Life,
not that he would lose track of them, but for a record that
later he could say, see what I did for you before the world
was created. And then in time, He sent somebody
who knew something about Christ in front of us. Now, to begin
with, we probably said, I'm just doing fine the way I'm going.
Just doing fine. But he doesn't quit. Verse 126 and verse 3, "...the
Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad." We rejoice
in it. And then in the book of Proverbs,
the next book. Proverbs 12. Proverbs 12 and verse 25. This is just from a spiritual
standpoint, this is just so right. Heaviness in the heart of man
maketh it stoop. Now we know that from a standpoint,
just life sometimes, just heaviness of the heart makes it stoop.
But, what's he said? But a good word maketh it glad. Why do I want to sit in Bible
class? I want to hear a good word. We
put up with a lot in the world we live in, but I want to hear
the good word. I want to hear, I want to be
made glad by a good word. I want to rejoice in the Savior.
I want to rejoice in His salvation. I want to rejoice in what He's
done for me. And so that's why I sit in Bible class. That's
why I sit in, we have guest speakers. I want to hear a good word. I've
been all bent over. You know, I think before I get
to my end, I'm going to be stooped over. It's a natural process,
I guess. But to be stooped over from heaviness, I know what that was. Before
the Lord saved me, it was heaviness. Oh, my goodness. to find out,
to have someone tell you the truth and show you what you've
been holding on to is a fake. That's heaviness. Well, the good
word make you glad when the Lord gives us peace. And then over
in John, our last verse for tonight, the book of John chapter 8. John
chapter 8. in verse 56. We bring up Abraham again. By faith
Abraham. But here he says, your father
Abraham. Now he's speaking to a group
of people that saw Abraham as a genealogical They went back
in their genealogy to Abraham and they were very proud of that.
But the Lord says, your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day
and saw it and was glad. That's where the Lord brings
us. Rejoice to see his day. And was glad. And the Jews said
unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen
Abraham? And Jesus said unto them, Verily,
verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. the King of kings and Lord of
lords. And when Abraham saw his day, he was glad. Well, thank you. We'll stop there
and we'll pick up in Zechariah chapter eight, verse one next
time.