There he goes Okay, we're going to be in the
book of Psalms tonight Psalm 107 and This study tonight is
going to be called Let the redeemed of the Lord keep saying so we've
we had to looks at Psalm 107, the first couple of verses, and
that's where we're gonna pick up this evening. Let's start
with a word of prayer. All right, Heavenly Father, we
thank Theogon for this time you brought us together, and we pray
that you would be with us as we open your word, that you would
reveal yourself to us as you would have, and that you would
feed us from your word. We pray that you would watch
over and be with those that aren't with us. Be with Norm and Nancy
and Betty as they're together there and give them safe passage
back to us if it be your will. Be with us now and watch over
us in Jesus' name. Amen. And we had the two studies that
we did in Psalm 107 already, and I'm going to read the first
eight verses, and then we'll pick up a little bit where we
were, and then we'll continue where we're going. It says, O
give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth
forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord
say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy, and
gathered them out of the lands from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south. They wandered in the wilderness
in a solitary way. They found no city to dwell in.
Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Then they cried
unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of
their distresses. And he led them forth by the
right way, that they might go to a city of habitation. Oh,
that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his
wonderful works to the children of men. Now, the first time we
looked at at this entitled, Let the Redeemed of the Lord Say
So. We looked at that and that the redeemed of the Lord will
testify as to who has redeemed them. And that if indeed we are
redeemed by the Lord, we will say that we are redeemed by the
Lord. And we're going to look at that
again out of necessity as we touched what we're going to talk
about tonight. It's part and parcel of that. And who has redeemed
him? who the church is, who the church
belongs to. And then the second one we looked
at, again, the redeemed of the Lord will say so, and in that
regard, the redeemed of the Lord will rest in our Lord in what
He has done for us. And we're going to look at a
couple of verses about that. they will say so. We had a man out here a long
time ago to one of our family camps that brought a message
on so. It was because of who has redeemed
his people and what he has done that they can say so. They can
rest in bad situations or good knowing that all things work
together for good. to them that love the Lord, to
them that are called according to his purpose, his purpose will
be carried out and it is for the good of the church as a whole
and as his people as individuals. And in that regard, we can say
that in that way of saying, so we
can rest in what he has done. We entered into his rest. It
doesn't mean we don't have tough issues or physical things to
deal with in the world, but we rest in Him at that time. Turn to Ephesians just for a
minute. As I did the first couple of
lessons on this, And I've heard several messages
from Norman and Mike since then. I could probably do those messages
again with a lot of text added to them. But suffice to say that
we're always filling in the blanks, as it were, or adding to it,
or fleshing out these thoughts and what the scriptures say.
In chapter 2 of Ephesians, I'd like to read 13 through 15,
it says, But now in Christ Jesus, ye who
are sometimes were far off or made nigh by the blood of Christ,
for he is our peace who hath made both one and a half broken
down the middle wall of partition between us, having abolished
in his flesh, the enmity, even the law of commandments contained
in ordinances for to make in himself of twain one new man. So making peace and that he might
reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having, slain
the enmity thereby." Let me just stop at that thought there. Those who were sometime far off
are made nigh by the blood of Christ. It says, He is our peace
that hath made both one and tore the middle wall of partition
down or the veil that was there like in the temple when the veil
was rent. The separation there has been
taken care of. In Romans chapter 8, go to Romans chapter
8 if you would. In the second lesson we looked
at this passage in Psalm 107, we spent about a 20 minute parentheses
in the book of Romans. It didn't mean to be a study
in the book just of Romans, but it sure says how things are with
God's people and what He has done for us. In Romans chapter
8, and I'd like to read the first First 11, the first 11 verses
of this, and this is quite a passage and God's people love this because
of the... the position that it explains
that we have in Christ. It says, there is therefore no
condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not
after the flesh, but after the spirit. For the law of the spirit
of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of
sin and death. For what the law could not do
in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own son
in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in
the flesh. that the righteousness of the
law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh
but after the spirit. For they that are after the flesh
do mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after the Spirit,
the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is
death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because
the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to
the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are
in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh,
but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.
Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin,
but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the
spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in
you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken
your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you. And this,
of course, is the is the the key or a big part of the key
to any awareness that we have that he has redeemed us or or
any peace we can have is that it is his doing and it is spirit
and life put in us. It's not a religion that you
follow the steps and you can get to a particular spot. As
Paul in his earlier religious life and as a Pharisee, they
thought it was in sought only as a physical steps, you go so
many notches and you're going to get to where you need to go.
And they were told, search the scriptures for in them you think
you have eternal life, but they are they that testify of me,
Christ said. And they thought that doing the
law and the prophets took care of the problem, but if God, by
His Spirit, uses that, it makes us aware of the problem. It doesn't
fix the problem. And it cannot, as it says here,
the carnal man cannot do anything. He's dead. No want to even to do those things. So those things are given and
placed us in that position of peace because there is now no
condemnation because of those things that we couldn't do. That
condemned us before. That we were not able to do. The physical and the moral law
that was given to them never led to life. It only led to pointing
out death and what by nature we have. Back up just a little
bit in Romans chapter 7. In verse 24, it says, O wretched
man that I am, Paul says, who shall deliver me from the body
of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ,
our Lord. So then with the mind, I myself
serve the law of God, but with the flesh, the law of sin. And
as he recounted in before that, and as every believer knows that
the The flesh cannot do those things. The flesh cannot do righteousness
and cannot do those things that are required of the law or of
perfection. But it says, with my mind I serve
God. By his spirit that he puts in
us, and we're going to read part of that in a bit here, but his
spirit in us bears witness with our spirit that we are sons of
God. There's times that we don't, And as Paul is saying there,
outwardly, you would not necessarily know that. And that we do those things we don't want
to do and don't do those things we want to do, whatever those
things might be. And he says, who can deliver
us from that? And the only one is our Lord
Jesus Christ and His righteousness delivers us from that. We're
not tied to that. that the old nature as far as
the everlasting things are concerned. In Ezekiel, and we like the book
of Ezekiel. It's just a wonderful book. You know where I'm going probably,
but turn to chapter 37. I got to We're going to back up to chapter
36, but in chapter 37 we know that that's speaking about the
Valley of Dry Bones. The Lord carried Him in His Spirit
down to the midst of those valleys and He said unto me, Son of man,
can these bones live? And I answered, oh Lord God,
thou knowest. And we know the encounter that
he does. He puts the bones together and
he puts the sinews and the flesh and all them that's there. And then he put made and put
breath in them and made them live. And we know that the picture
here, is those of what God's people are like. What the church is made up of
and where they come from. And then, it says, in verse 12 of chapter 37, it
says, therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the
Lord God to the people, behold, all my people, I will open your
graves and cause you to come up out of your graves and bring
you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am
the Lord. When I have opened your graves, all my people and
brought you up, uh, out of your graves and shall put my spirit
in you and you shall live. And I shall place in you your
own place, you in your own land. Then shall you know that I, the
Lord has spoken it and performed it saith the Lord. A couple of
interesting things there that is true that when we are brought
up out of the grave spiritually and put in spirit, it says, then
you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed
it, saith the Lord. then it's not until we are made
spiritually alive that we can recognize these things. And then
at that time, it says, we'll know that I, the Lord, have spoken
it and performed it. So we know that those that are
teaching or preaching or reading of the scripture, that if He
has put the breath in, as it shows here in this picture. He
says he will. We know who has done it, who has spoken it, who
has done it, who has performed it, as it said here. Anything
that pertains to spiritual life and Godliness is from him, as
it says there. And then along the same thoughts,
back up to Ezekiel chapter 36. Another wonderful chapter that
speaks to our salvation and our life and
a spiritual living that He causes to take place. Starting in verse, I'm going
to read from verse 25 to 31. And you can read the rest coming
and going from that, but it says here, Ezekiel 36, 25. Then will
I sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all
your filthiness and from all your idols. I will cleanse you.
A new heart will I also give you. A new spirit will I put
within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh
and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit
within you and cause you to walk in my statues and you shall keep
my judgments and do them. And you shall dwell in the land
that I gave to your fathers and you shall be my people and I
will be your God. I will also save you from all
your uncleannesses and I will call for the corn and increase
it and lay no famine upon you. And I will multiply the fruit
of the tree and the increase of the field that you shall receive
no more reproach of famine among the heathen. Then shall you remember
your own evil ways and your doings that were not good and shall
loathe yourself in your own sight. for your iniquities and for your
abominations. This was to be somewhat in the physical
realm that he is talking to, but this is in the spiritual
realm. We don't realize what we came
from until after he reveals it to us. After we have eyes to
see that and ears to hear that, then we know those things to
be true. And at that point, the other
passages that speak about salvation and what man is like by nature,
and dead, there's no argument with that. We don't argue against
that because then we know where we came from and it's not of
our doing. So the words that we've heard
lately about in Isaiah, the speak comfortable words to my people
is what the gospel is and it's those words of we are dead and
we are made alive and who has done that and how's that come
about. The new heart and his spirit then we know somewhat
about the fall and we know somewhat about God as he reveals it to
us. In John chapter 6 and that's
another It could have ended up being a study of the book of
John in this same passage from the Psalms. I would like to read John chapter
6. 25 through 29 and up here he had
fed the people and they they saw some wonderful things that
were done and in verse 25 of John 6 it says When he had found
them on the other side of the sea they said unto him rabbi
camest thou hither Jesus answered them and said verily verily I
say unto you you seek me not because you saw the miracles
but because you did eat of the loaves and were filled and Labor
not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth
under everlasting life, which the Son of Man shall give unto
you. For him hath God the Father sealed. Then said they unto him,
What shall we do that we might work the works of God? Jesus
answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that
ye believe on him whom he hath sent. They therefore said unto
him, what sign showest thou that we may see and believe? But here
the point of verse 29 here, when Jesus answered them, when they
said, what shall we do that we might work the works of God?
And he said, this is the work of God, that ye believe on him
whom he hath sent. And it's not saying that Here's
the first step, you believe on him who God has sent. But this
in God's work is that this takes place. This is the work of God
that you believe on him who has sent. It's not It's not a step that we do or
we read and say, yeah, I agree to that. I got that one down
and then we'll move on to something else. But it's saying that the whole of seeking that which
endureth to everlasting life, which those things that speak
to that and to our Lord Himself, it's God's work that causes us
to believe that. It's not saying that this is, you do this and
you've done the work of God. That's only God can only do that
work. And he's the only one that can, as in Ezekiel, bring those
bones to life and put breath in us. So that's his work is
to do that. And God's people will recognize
that and know that. And then a couple more verses
here on the same passage. Verses 30 through 33, it says in verse 30, it says,
therefore they said unto him, what sign showest thou then that
we may see and believe thee? What dost thou work? Our fathers
did eat man in the desert, as it is written, he gave them bread
from heaven to eat. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily,
verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from
heaven, but my father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven and giveth
life unto the world. Then they said unto him, give
us that bread. But he is the bread. They wanted manna, and
he was the true manna. And it goes on and talks about
that more. But the true feed is that bread
of God that come down from heaven, the Lord himself. They looked for the outward answers
and questions that they were asking and he gave them the truth
of what spiritual matters were. By his spirit some at times understood
that. He showed them that. There was
a lot of them that went away and said, this is a bunch of
double talk. We're looking for bread and he's
talking about other stuff and don't understand it. But that's
what God's people are fed with, is that true bread of life. In Ephesians, turn to the book
of Ephesians for a minute, please. first chapter of Ephesians. This is again telling us it is the same
account as in Ezekiel is in the dry bones. It is the same account
there of what God does in His people. And I'd like to read
the first 13 verses of chapter one. It says, Ephesians, Paul,
an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, to the saints
which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus.
Grace be to you, and peace from God our Father, and from the
Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as he hath
chosen us in him before the foundation of the world. that we should
be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according
to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of
his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved, in
whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of
sins according to the riches of his grace, wherein he hath
abounded towards us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known
unto us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure
which he hath purposed in himself, that in the dispensation of the
fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in
Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even
in him, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance being
predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all
things after the counsel of his own will, that we should be to
the praise of his glory, her first trusted in Christ." And
we could go on, but the thought here is from beginning to end,
It shows that it is God that does this. There is no fill in
the blank on the card with what we do or our name or whatever.
God has done all these things to those whom he has set aside
for his own before the foundation of the world. The same picture
as in Ezekiel that puts the pieces together from nothing or from
dry bones and makes a person and makes a body out of that
and the flesh and the sinews and the spirit in them. And it's
the same thing here. There's no, there's, it's not
a how to list of things. It's a list of things that God
has done that he, as it says in verse nine, according
to his good pleasure, he lets us know some of the mystery of
this. We understand some of this, but pretty, pretty, pretty small
part of it, but we understand who did it and whose grace and mercy has been
shown to us in doing this. We're chosen in Christ. We know
because the Spirit of God gives life to us and otherwise we don't
know these things. If he doesn't, there's all kinds
of issues in religion. There's a lot of problems that
come up with these passages in religion. If the life isn't there,
they make no sense, but it's like those who sought after him.
Where's our part in this? How do we do the works of God?
And when it shows that all the works of God is God working on
us, in us, It kind of squeezes our part of it out and makes
it pretty small. And it shows that it's all of the Lord's doing.
And just as Ezekiel saw with those bones in that physical,
and I believe he saw it physically, he saw that account of that miracle
and the same way spiritually that God works in his people
and causes that. in Ephesians chapter 2, and you
hath he quickened. He hath quickened. He didn't
make it available for us. There's a commercial by, I just
detest it, on TV that, oh, in these bad times, if you say this
prayer and stuff, and that's all you got to do, and then dial
this number and we'll pray with you some, that it's a done deal. It makes such a mockery of it
and it is such a lie as to what it is and what the problem is
of sin and what the only means around that is. It just cheapens
it to make it just a show thing that you can do. We know that
is not the truth. Let's see where we are in this. In Philippians, turn to the book
just over a notch there. In chapter 4 of Philippians,
a thought in chapter 4 Chapter 4 of Philippians, starting
with verse 4 and reading down a bit, it said, Rejoice in the
Lord always, and again I say rejoice. Let your moderation
be known unto all men, the Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing,
but in everything by prayer and supplication. With thanksgiving,
let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God,
which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever
things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things
are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely,
whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue,
and if there be any praise, think on these things. And that those,
all those are, are thoughts. Uh, they're more than attributes
and his attributes are more than that, but those are, are thoughts
and, uh, um, comfortable words about our Lord. Those are, those
things are, are thinking of Christ. It's not other areas that it's
speaking about. And it said, the peace of God,
which pass all understanding, verse seven, shall keep your
hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. And as we said before,
the redeemed of the Lord will say so. They'll say, and they
know these things that he's revealed to them. And we know where our life came from and
who our Lord is. We'll say that and we'll testify
to that and we'll also rest in those things that he's done.
Bad storm comes along, so tough times come along. Now it's a
lot easier to say that and to say that's where we are than
it is to do that. In Colossians, just a passage
and a thought and we'll see where we go. Colossians chapter 1 verses
13-23. Verse 12, it says, giving thanks
unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the
inheritance of the saints in light, who hath delivered us
from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom
of his dear Son. in whom we have redemption through
his blood, even the forgiveness of sins, who is the image of
the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature. For by him
were all things created that are in heaven and that are in
earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions
or principalities or powers All things were created by him and
for him. And he is before all things,
and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body,
the church, the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that
in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the
Father that in him should all fullness dwell, and have he made
peace through the blood of his cross by him to reconcile all
things unto himself. By him I say whether there be
things in earth or things in heaven, and you that were sometime alienated,
and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy, unblameable,
and unreprovable in his sight. if ye continue in the faith,
grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope
of the gospel which ye have heard, and which was preached to every
creature which is under heaven, whereof I, Paul, am made a minister."
And here again recounting In few words really, the greatness
of redemption of his people and how it came about and the position
it puts his people in. you who are sometime alien and
enemies in your mind by wicked works are now hath he reconciled.
And brought him his people, reconciled his people to himself and so
brought peace. In that Christ has delivered us, Christ
redeemed us, reconciled to God in Christ's death, And it says
must continue in the gospel and God's people have no other choice. It's like, it's like Peter said,
who, where are we going to go? Uh, uh, when he, when he, uh,
said, you have the, the words of eternal life and, uh, uh,
there in looking back at, at Psalm 107 there, it recounts
those things in that, in that chapter, and just a couple of
thoughts, and then we'll close. But it says down through verse
eight, some things that God has led his people in this passage.
And then verse eight, it says, oh, that men would praise the
Lord for his goodness and his wonderful works to the children
of men. They do that. God's people do
do that. Natural man is not going to do
that. But these are recounting four
times in the rest of this psalm reciting how God leads and directs
and delivers his people and then says that, oh, that men would
praise the Lord for that. Well, God's people do. They're
the only ones that can because they're the only ones that realize
these things. And so back again to the original thought in it,
and it just expands on it through the rest of the psalm here. Psalm
107, let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed
from the hand of the enemy. And in verse one, give thanks
to the Lord for he is good, for his mercy endureth forever. And
it's a... It's a good spot to be in. It's
a good, it's the gospel in the Psalms. So with that, Mike, would
you close with a word of prayer for us? My God, thanks for the time to
be here and gather around your word, pray that you bless these
words to our heart now. Lord, especially ask you to be
with those that might have needs and those unspoken requests maybe
that are on the hearts of those. Bless each one according to your
perfect will. And bless the word that goes
out to the Lord over in North Carolina and other places. And
Lord, help us to be faithful in presenting the gospel here
in Norm's absence. Lord, before we ask in Jesus'
name, amen. Amen. Amen. And then the stop
button should be the... That one up there. There it is.