Good morning. Let's all stand together. We'll sing hymn number 199.

199. Sinners Jesus will receive,
Sound this word of grace to all,
Who the heavenly pathway leave.
All who linger, all who fall,
sing it o'er and o'er again,

Christ, receive the sinful man.

Make the message clear and plain
Christ received a sinful man
Come and He will give you rest
Trust Him for His word is plain
He will take the sinful last
Christ, receive the sinful men.

Sing it o'er and o'er again. Christ, receive the sinful men. Make the message clear and plain

Christ receiveth sinful men

Now my heart condemns me not
Here before the law I stand
He who cleansed me from all spot
Satisfied its last demand

Sing it o'er and o'er again
Christ, receive us, sinful men Make the message clear and plain Christ receiveth sinful men Christ receiveth sinful men
Even me with all my sins
Purged from every spot and stain,
and with Him I enter in,
singing o'er and o'er again.

Christ, receive us sinful men. Make the message clear and plain. Christ, receive us sinful men.

You'll be seated. We'll sing hymn number 212.

2.12 What can wash away my sin?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me full again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh, precious is the flow
that makes me white as snow.

No other fount I know, Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

For my pardon this I seek,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
For my cleansing this my plea,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh, precious is the flow

That makes me white as snow. No other fount I know, Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Nothing can for sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
Not a good that I have done
Nothing but the blood of Jesus Oh, precious is the flow That makes me white as snow. No other fount I know, Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

He is all my hope and peace,
nothing but the blood of Jesus. He is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh, precious is the flow that makes me white as snow. No other fount I know. Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Brother Cody Henson is with us this morning. And I asked him if he would mind to open up the service with scripture reading and prayer. And he graciously obliged. So brother, you come on.

Good morning. If you have your Bible, turn with me to Micah chapter 7. Micah chapter 7. If your Bible's like mine, it's page 1157. Micah chapter seven, we'll start in verse one.

Woe is me, for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grape gleanings of the vintage. There is no cluster to eat, my soul desire the first ripe fruit. The good man is perished out of the earth, and there is none upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood. They hunt every man his brother with a net, that they may do evil with both hands earnestly. The prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward, and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire. So they wrap it up. The best of them is as a briar. The most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge. The day of thy watchman and thy visitation cometh, now shall be there perplexity.

Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide, keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom. For the son dishonoreth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man's enemies are the men of his own house. Therefore, I will look unto the Lord. I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy. When I fall, I shall arise. When I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him until he plead my cause and execute judgment for me. He will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness.

Then she that is mine enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her which said unto me, where is the Lord thy God? Mine eyes shall behold her. Now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets.

In the day that thy walls are to be built, in that day shall the decree be far removed. In that day also he shall come even to thee from Assyria, and from the fortified cities, and from the fortress even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain.

Notwithstanding, the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein for the fruit of their doings. Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwells solitarily in the wood in the midst of Carmel. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old. According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I show unto him marvelous things.

The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might. They shall lay their hand upon their mouth. Their ears shall be deaf. They shall lick the dust like a serpent. They shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth. They shall be afraid of the Lord our God and shall fear because of thee.

who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage, he retaineth not his anger forever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us, he will subdue our iniquities, and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.

Let's look to the Lord in prayer. Our gracious, merciful, heavenly Father, we come to you today desiring to worship you. We come as sinners, we just read, woe is me. And that's what your word declares about us in this sinful, wicked flesh, woe is, Woe are we. I pray that you have truly taught us that we're nothing, that there is nothing we could possibly do to please you and that salvation is completely of thee.

Oh, I pray that you would reveal to each soul here today that the Lord is our light, our salvation, our all in all, the Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that we've truly gathered here in his name to worship him. I pray that you would be with our dear brother Rex as he stands to deliver your word to us Give him liberty to proclaim Christ and enable us to hear, to see and truly believe. Cause us to know the Lord Jesus Christ and be found in him and be saved in him. Cause us to look and be saved. Cause us to truly hear your voice.

We know that you've taught us that we're dead. We can't do anything. We can't come to you. We can't hear you, except you enable us to do so. Lord, please do that for us today. Thank you so much for this precious word we just read. You're so good to your people. Oh, Jacob, you're so good to Jacob, sinner. You're so good, so kind, so merciful to unworthy hell-bound sinners like Jacob. We thank you for delighting to show mercy to all who need it. I pray you would cause us to know our need and that you would meet that need in the Lord Jesus Christ through his blood and righteousness. Thank you for opening that precious fountain. Oh, how precious is the blood of Christ. Pray that you'd make it precious to us today. Thank you again for this time. Of all the churches in this world, even in this small town, and yet you've been pleased to establish your truth here. We're so thankful for that. I pray that you'd cause us to not take it for granted, but cause us to truly cherish what you've given us, and given us a place to come worship you, and a mouth by which to hear your word proclaimed.

Please be with us now. Please forgive us of all our sin. We're so sinful, but your grace is so great. Your mercy is everlasting. Please help us to worship you. Forget about ourselves. We pray for your will to be done in all things. I pray that you would cause us to trust you in all things. We acknowledge that the life of your child is not easy, but I pray you would cause us to trust you. You're so worthy to be trusted. Please give us faith to trust you and to look to Christ for all our hope of salvation. Forgive us now, bless us, be with us, lead us in all things, lead us in this service. Be glorified here today, be glorified all over this world. For it's in Christ's precious name we ask these things, amen.

Thank you, Cody. Let's all stand together and sing the hymn of the day in the bulletin. And I had already wanted to sing Amazing Grace today, and it was the hymn of the day in the bulletin, the tune. So after it's over, we're going to sing a couple of verses of Amazing Grace.

The spotless Savior lived for me,
and died upon the mount.
The obedience of His life and death
Is placed to my account.
Canst thou forget? that awful hour,
that sad, tremendous scene,
when thy dear blood on Calvary
Float up at every vein, O Savior,
know Thy wounds are fresh.
Even now they intercede,
still in effect.
O'er guilty men unceasingly they plead.
O love incomprehensible,
That made thee plead for me,
the Church of all.
have suffered death to set the prisoner free.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
that saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found.
Was blind, but now I see.

when we've been there. When we've been there ten thousand years bright shining as the sun we've no less days to sing God's praise than when we'd first begun.

Be seated. We're delighted to have Brother Rex Bartley with us, coming to us from Danville, Kentucky. Cody mentioned to me last night that he's known Rex his whole life. And one of the first things Rex told me this morning after I met him, I mentioned that Cody was gonna be reading for us this morning. He said, I usually have to go to Kingsport to see him, but I've known him since he was just a little baby. All the wonderful connections of our dear saints in Christ.

I don't know you, but I'm looking forward to getting to know you right here. You come up here and preach to us what the Lord's put on your heart. It is indeed good to be with you all. I've known your pastor for longer than either of us would like to admit, back when we didn't have any gray hair and had more of it. But I love that man. I've come to count him as a dear, dear brother over the years. Debbie and I have attended Grace Baptist Church in Danville, I think Many of you knew our pastor, Don Fortner. April will be six years that Don had been gone. But we've been attending there for a long time. And you can't help when you sit under a ministry like Don's to learn a few things about the gospel as the Lord reveals them to you. So pray for me. I never get in this place and I don't think of the words That Psalm, brethren, we have met to worship that line that says, all is vain unless the Spirit of the Holy One comes down. And if that happens, we'll be able to leave this place rejoicing in He who loved us and gave Himself for us.

Let's start today in the book of 1 John. Donnie and I, last time he preached for us, comparing notes on our misspent youth and marveling at God's goodness toward us in Christ of how our lives could have gone, but instead, God was merciful.

1 John 3. We'll read the first five verses. Familiar text, I'm sure, to all of you.

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God. Therefore, the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself, even as He is pure. Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is a transgression of the law. And ye know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him is no sin.

John begins this chapter with the word, Behold. Stop what you're doing, and pay attention to what is about to be said here. Look in amazement at the goodness and the mercy of our great God that we worship. In the manner that He displays His love toward us.

This word manner, it means the way in which something is done, the way one behaves toward and deals with others. So John is saying to those to whom he is writing, at the unbelievable, incredibly merciful way the manner in which our God has dealt with us. Stand in awe, he says, of the manner of the love that our Father has demonstrated to us.

And it says, Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us. This word bestowed, it means to present as a gift or a privilege Something that is given or conferred. God's love is given the same way that faith is given by His sovereign choice. It's bestowed on some and withheld from others.

But we have to ask as we read this text, why would God love a bunch of wretched sinners? He's infinitely holy. We are described as ungodly. He's righteous. we are utterly depraved. He's merciful, but we're hard-hearted. He's good, we're evil. Did He have anything to gain by showing mercy to a bunch of worthless sinners? How could He who possesses all have anything to gain by being merciful to us in our sins? I want to look at that today.

1 John 4, 16 tells us this, is love. Now, love, we have to understand, is as much one of his attributes as his mercy, his justice, his righteousness, his holiness. But our God must have an object on which to bestow that love, and certainly that love was from eternity toward his dear son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

But the love of God, the love of our God, is so abundant and overflowing that He chose a number, the Scriptures tell us, that no man can number on which to bestow that love. As our God is infinite, so also are all of His attributes, including His love.

God the Father simply loved us for one reason, for so it seemed good in His sight, not by anything we have done, but because of His mercy. There's an old saying, that actions speak louder than words. And they certainly apply here in the manner in which God the Father bestows His love upon us. Turn over with me to Ephesians 1. Verses I'm sure you're thoroughly familiar with. Ephesians 1. Starting in verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who have blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as he has 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.

All that we just read, our God did because it seemed right in his sight. It was according to the good pleasure of his will.

And of course, that verse that religion likes to quote so often, and they don't begin to understand it. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

This is the greatest demonstration of love that the world has ever seen. God the Father sending his Son to become an offering for our sin. And he gave his soul, Isaiah tells us, he made his soul an offering for sin so that our souls would never know the torments of the damned in hell.

Christ told his disciples, greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends. And he did exactly that, laying down his life and his soul to atone for our sins. This is why our blessed Savior is called the friend of sinners.

There's an old hymn. It's titled The Love of God. It's a great description of the magnitude of the love of our God toward sinners. Don, our pastor, used to read this. Very often the last verse of that hymn says this. Could we with ink the oceans fill? And where the skies of parchment made? Where every stock on Earth a quill and every man a scribe by trade. To write the love of God above would drain the oceans dry. Nor could the scroll contain the whole though stretched from sky to sky.

Then our text in 1 John tells us the result of God's love toward us, that we should be called the sons of God. Now stop and contemplate what those words mean. The sons of God. Children of the Most High, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. That is beyond what we would call good news. It's in a classification by itself. Adopted sons of the Lord of hosts. Not begotten sons. God only has one of those, but adopted sons. An adoption to which we were predestinated before the foundation of the world. According to those verses we just read in Ephesians.

But in order for that adoption to happen, something has to take place first. Something had to take place. And Paul writes of this in Galatians chapter four, starting in verse four. We read this, but when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his son made of a woman made under the law to this end to redeem them that were under the law that or in order that we might receive the adoption of sons without redemption. There can be no adoption.

In order to become a son of God, we must be every bit as righteous, every bit as holy as God himself. And there's only one way that takes place, that we're cleansed, that we're made righteous by the blood of Christ.

Men like to brag about being descended from royal blood. They like to talk about their lineage and their heritage. There is no more royal blood. than to be called a son of the living God.

Now, in Matthew 5, verses 43 and 44, if you want to look at it with me, our Lord told His disciples something. Matthew 5, starting in verse 43, it says, Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despisefully use you and persecute you.

And God the Father most certainly demonstrated those principles when our Savior came to this world to die. In verse 44, Christ lists four things that are impossible to do unless God gives us the grace to do them, because it is not in our nature to do any of these things. But our blessed Savior, we'll see in a few minutes, did them all for his people. This is an incredible demonstration of action speaking louder than words.

Commandment number one that our Lord gave his disciples, love your enemies. Now in Romans 5, Paul is describing how that we're justified by faith, how that we have access by faith into that grace wherein we stand. How that we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. How that in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. Ungodly. Those who were the exact opposite of anything good or righteous. But God the Father commended his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, enemies to this holy God of the universe. This is the manner which the Father showed his love toward us.

Verse 10 of Romans 5 says this. Speaking of loving your enemies. It says, for if when we were yet enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, Much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And Paul wrote similar words to the Colossians in chapter one, verse 21. And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled.

Love your enemies. When we were yet the enemies of our triune God, he loved us.

Commandment number two that the Lord gave his disciples, bless them that curse you. I'll be honest with you, and I think if you're honest, you'll say the same thing. When someone is openly and strongly making their hatred toward me known, it is the hardest thing for me to do. To meet that cursing with a blessing, and yet our Lord said, bless them that curse you.

And our blessed Lord, when he stood before Pilate, spoke not a word so that Pilate marveled. And our God magnificently displays this principle of blessing them to curse you in the redemption of his people. In Romans 3, there's a description of the nature of fallen man. And verse 14 states that their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. cursing and bitterness.

David wrote a similar description of lost men in Psalm 10, starting in verse seven. It says his mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud. His tongue is full of mischief and vanity. He said it in the lurking places of the village and secret places. Death. He murder the innocent. That is exactly what the so called free will of man did to our Lord Jesus Christ. It murdered the innocent.

And we're born with mouths that are full of cursing. We curse our fellow man. We curse God using his holy name in the most vile fashions. But because of the love that he had toward those chosen in Christ in the untold ages of eternity past, our God blesses many who used to curse him.

And the way that that is accomplished that God is able to bless us that used to curse him is described in verse 13 of Galatians or verse three of Galatians. His Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us, for as it is written, cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree. He was made a curse when he was made to be sin. This is the manner of the love that God displays toward his elect, how he puts into practice, bless them that curse you.

Commandment number three that Christ gave his disciples, do good to them that hate you. And we're born with a natural mind that hates God. Hates any mention of him. Romans 8 says, because the carnal mind is enmity So against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. It is an impossibility.

This word enmity means a deep seated hatred, hostility and animosity toward another. That is the state in which we were born into this world. And our own nature is still with us. It shall never lay down until this body goes into the ground. It's always there, constantly, constantly with us.

But very few people, you check and see if this is not so. When you talk to people about God, very few people will actually come out and say that they hate God. You'll talk to them about the things of God, and they'll say, I don't hate God. But what they really mean is they don't hate the God that exists in their own mind. A God that is there at their beck and call. a God who kind of stays in the corner till he's needed. And then when he's called upon, he's expected to answer that prayer swiftly.

It's kind of like I know we've all seen movies and things where a bunch of rich folks are sitting around at the table and the waiter is the butler standing over in the corner and they'll kind of motion clear the table and he'll clear the table and then go stand in the corner again. That's the way that most people see God. Just kind of stay in the background till I need you and then I'll I'll give you a holler.

But declare to them this absolute sovereign God who does what he will, when he will, with whom he will, and answers to no one, and they will hate you and the God that you declare. They'll declare that such a God is a monster. They will shout that that is unjust. that God cannot choose some and leave others, that it's just simply not fair.

They will speak of the God that you set forth in the same way that Thomas Jefferson did in a letter to John Adams. Jefferson is a man as far as a historical figure that I greatly admire. I love reading history and Jefferson, the man was a genius, greatly used of God in the establishing of this country. But unless something changed after he wrote this letter to John Adams, Mr. Jefferson is now perishing under the wrath of God.

Listen to what he wrote. I can never join Calvin in addressing his God. He was indeed an atheist, which I can never be. Or rather, his religion was demonism. If ever a man worshipped a false God, he did. The being described in his five points is not the God with whom whom you and I acknowledge and adore, the creator and benevolent governor of the world, but a demon of malignant spirit.

Mr. Jefferson, as so many of the sons of man had his idea of what God should be. And unfortunately, it was not similar to the God of this Bible.

Now, commandment number four that our Lord gave to his disciples, and pray for them which despisefully use you and persecute you. This, again, is extremely hard for any of us to do, a near impossibility unless God gives you grace to do so. It is not in our natural way of thinking, in our natural way of doing things, to pray for those whose job it is to make your life miserable. Yet that is exactly what our blessed Lord did as he hung between heaven and earth. Turn over with me to 1 Peter. I'm sorry, 2 Peter. 2 Peter Chapter 2. Pray for them which despisefully use you, our Lord said. And in 2 Peter, Chapter two, starting in verse 19, we read this. I'm sorry, first, Peter, I'm in the wrong book.

First, Peter, Chapter two. First, Peter, Chapter two, starting in verse 19, speaking of the love that Christ had. For his people, for this is thankworthy if a man for conscious toward God and do with grief suffering wrongly. For what glory is it when you be buffeted for your faults, you shall take it patiently. But if, when you do well and suffer for it, you take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even here unto were you called because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that we should follow his steps. Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. Who When he was reviled, reviled not again. When he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.

I love that hymn, Blessed Redeemer. Especially those words that say this, Father, forgive them. Thus did he pray. Even while his lifeblood flowed fast away, praying for sinners while in such woe, no one No one but Jesus ever loved so.

Now as our Lord was suspended on that Roman cross, He looked out through eyes no doubt nearly swollen shut from the beating He endured. And He looked out unto the faces of many who were rejoicing in His suffering and His agony And the Scriptures tell us that He loved them. Just try to imagine that. We hear the sacrifice of Christ on that Roman tree, and we rejoice in it because that was the price of our redemption. But there were many that actually witnessed the suffering and the sacrifice of this Lamb of God, who were a short time later made aware that that sacrifice that they had witnessed In person was that which purchased their redemption.

How do we know this? Turn over to Acts chapter 2. Acts chapter 2. This is how we know that Christ as He prayed for those that despised Him. In Acts chapter 2, starting in verse 22, Peter declares, ye men of Israel, Here are these words. Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as you yourselves also know him being delivered by the determinant counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken. Ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. You did this, Peter tells him. And then he drives that point home again in verse 36. Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this same Jesus whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.

And in the very next verse, we find many of those who had celebrated the birth of our, or I should say, the death of our Lord Jesus Christ, crying out, men and brethren, what shall we do? And Peter replied to them, repent and be baptized. Our merciful God saved about 3,000, we're told, that day. And God prayed for those who despised, or I should say Christ prayed for those who despised and persecuted him even unto death when he prayed, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.

Did you know Christ never prayed a prayer that was not answered? Never. Because his will was in perfect accord with the will of the Father. Perfect accord. But I feel sure that it did not stop there on the day of Pentecost, that there were others who heard through the preaching of the gospel of the disciples and others. who had witnessed the very death of Christ and cheered and endured as he hung there, who were later saved, who were later called to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what John wrote of in our text.

Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us. Ephesians 5 2 tells us this and walk in love as Christ also hath loved us and given himself for us. an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor. Christ put his love for his people into action.

And because of the unimaginable love to his people, our Lord Jesus Christ willingly bore the punishment, do their sins in the book of Isaiah, Chapter 63 in verse nine. We read this. This is speaking of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 63 9. It says in all their afflictions. He was afflicted. And the angel of his presence saved them in his love and in his pity. He redeemed them and bear them and carried them all the days of old. This is speaking of Christ and his people in all their afflictions. He was afflicted.

This is described so well in that 53rd chapter of Isaiah. Surely He had borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we did esteem Him smitten, stricken of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed.

Our afflictions became His afflictions. As He bore that punishment due our sins, He carried our sorrows. so that we would never know the unimaginable sorrow of the damned in hell. He carried those sorrows for us. In the same way that our afflictions became his afflictions, so his righteousness becomes our righteousness. Blessed, blessed substitution.

The next thing is verse in Isaiah 63 says, and the angel of his presence saved them. Now, from the moment that one of God's elect is conceived in the womb. Angels oversee that one until they're brought to faith in Christ.

Did you know that your mother, when she was carrying you, was immortal? Until you were born, there is nothing that could happen to your mother because it was determined in eternity past that you would be born and one day become the object of God's mercy.

And we like to talk about prevenient grace in our life. And we rejoice in that for sure, but when you think about it, prevenient grace in your life goes all the way back to your father Adam. Think of the circumstances that your ancestors had to survive in order for you to be born. Of the peril that many of them went through, wars and plagues and disease.

But they could not die until an offspring was born to them. So that you would one day come forth and be. An object, a trophy of God's grace. And we're told concerning the angels of God that they excel in strength. God the Father doesn't send someone to watch over us. Who's not equipped to do so to protect us? No, he sends his angels who the Scriptures tell us are exceedingly strong. and more than able to keep us from harm.

But as strong as angels are, both angels of God and the fallen angels, they cannot override the will of God when it comes to a safe center falling from grace. We know this from what Paul wrote in Romans. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, neither height, nor depth, or any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. So powerful is His saving grace and the love of God toward us that there is not a force in this universe able to separate us from Him. And then in verse 9 of Isaiah 63, it goes on to say this, In His love and in His pity He redeemed them. This word pity, it means sympathy and sorrow aroused by the misfortune and suffering of another.

And in Jeremiah 31, three, our God says this. Yay, I have loved thee with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness, have I drawn thee. An everlasting love is one that has no beginning. And knowing God has loved his people for as long as he has existed. He says, I am the Lord, I change not. God didn't one time hate us and at some point in time decide to start loving us. God loves his people with an everlasting love, one that has no beginning and no end.

And because God loves his people with an everlasting love, he redeemed us by the precious blood of Christ. Psalm 103 13 says, Like as a father pitieth his children, So the Lord pitieth them that fear Him. But because God the Father chose to take pity on His elect children, there was no pity. There was no mercy to be had for His Son when our sins were found upon Him. God's justice demands payment for sin. God's justice is not overridden by His love.

Psalm 69, 20, speaking of Christ. This is, to me, one of the saddest verses in Scripture. Psalm 61, 20. This is David speaking, but it's also our Lord Jesus Christ. He said, Reproach, I have broken my heart. And I am full of heaviness. And I looked for some to take pity. But there were none. And for comforters. But I found none. Our blessed Lord died alone, though surrounded by thousands, even forsaken by the father with whom he had dwelt in perfect unity and harmony for billions of millennia.

Ezekiel 5 11 describes the attitude toward God to those who sent against him. And it is this description of vivid description of how God the father dealt with his son when he was made sin for us. Ezekiel 5 11 says this. Wherefore, as I live, saith the Lord, surely because thou has defiled my sanctuary with all thy detestable things, And with all thine abominations, therefore will I also dismiss thee. Neither shall mine eyes spare, neither will I have pity. There was no mercy to be found for our blessed Savior when he was made sin for us. God took no pity on his son as he hung on that Roman tree, because by imputation he deserved every last ounce of wrath. It was poured out upon him and it was poured out without measure.

The scripture tells us that God is angry with the wicked every day. So how angry do you suppose that the God of this universe was when he found all the sin of all of his chosen people on Christ as he hung on that Roman tree? Never. Has God been as angry as he was that day? Because there has never been such a concentration of sin in one place to be punished. Christ took upon himself. We're told the iniquity of us all.

Ezekiel 79 gives us a similar description of how God the Father viewed his son as he hung between heaven and earth, paying that awful price for our sin. It says this, In mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity. I will recompense thee according to thy ways and thine abominations that are in the midst of thee. And ye shall know, ye shall know that I am the Lord that smiteth thee. Our Lord Jesus Christ knew exactly who it was that was smiting him, that was pouring out his wrath. That's why he cried out, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me? Because of our sin, He was smitten and afflicted of God. And verse 9 of Isaiah 63 goes on to say one more thing. He not only took pity, but He bare them, speaking of His people.

I already quoted the verses in Psalm 91. Verses 10 and 11. But let me quote verse 12. Speaking of the angels of God, it says they shall bear the up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against the stone. The protective hand of our God is carried out by his angels. And that verse also says, and he carried him all the days of old, like a good shepherd who picks up that lost sheep that we read about in scripture. carries it on His shoulders and returns it to the foe.

So our Savior carried us by His good providence all the days of old. Before and after we came to faith in Christ. But this verse means even more than that. When it says God carried us all the days of old, it is speaking of Christ carrying us in His heart. There has never been a time When we were put in Christ. We have always. And this is something my mind can't grasp, but we have always been in Christ. Carried us from the days of old.

This. Is the manner. In which you try and God just demonstrates his love toward us now in closing. Let me conclude with a word to those who are sitting here, or maybe will hear this in the future, that do not know the Lord in saving faith. Now, you've heard of the loving kindness of God, of His goodness, of His mercy and His grace. But the Scriptures also speak of another side of this God. They warn us that He will by no means clear the guilty. It warns us that the soul that sinneth, it shall die. That God is angry with the wicked every day, that the wages of sin is death, eternal death.

Now, you need to understand that the God that you have offended with your life of sin is a God of love. But outside of Christ, there is nothing but judgment and wrath. There is no mercy outside of Christ. But there is hope for you, lost man or woman. Everyone sitting here today who knows the Lord Jesus Christ in saving faith was once as you are, without Christ, without hope in this world. But the God of all grace did something for them that perhaps He will one day do for you. He gave them the gift of faith to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

And there's nothing you can do. To merit any favor from God. But you can put yourself in a position where maybe just maybe. Our God will show you mercy number one. You can put yourself under the hearing of the gospel every chance you get. Scriptures tell us that faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God, the preached Word of God, how that Christ died for sinners. Number two, you can read the Scriptures and seek the Lord in those wholly inspired words. And number three, you can plead to God to show you mercy. You can be as Ed Publican that prayed, God be merciful to me, the sinner.

None of these things will guarantee your salvation, but it is sure you will not come to Christ without doing them. God's Word tells us, And you shall find God may grant you grace to seek him with all your heart while he can be found. And perhaps the God of all grace might bestow his love upon you as he has done millions in the past. And if he does, if he enables you to believe. then you'll be able to behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called the sons of God.

Thank you for your attention. Thank you, brother. Let's have a word of prayer.

Lord God Almighty. Our precious and beloved Heavenly Father, we come to you. With our heads and hearts bowed once more coming to you through your precious son, Lord Jesus Christ. Father, we thank you that we. Our privilege to come to you. Thank you that we are privileged to sit here and worship freely. We're able to gather here. We have this place together. Thank you for the dear Saints who come out.

Or we thank you for. Your beloved Saint who proclaimed your word this morning. Lord, we heard of your righteousness and your justness. We heard of your merciness, your merciful graciousness. Lord, we thank you for sending your beloved son to live a perfect life and endure our iniquity on the cross. That way we may live with you.

Lord, we ask that you would bless this word to our hearts. Keep it. Keep it on our hearts. Ask for mercy for those who don't know you, Lord. Or we ask for traveling mercies. For the Saints who will be traveling. Or we ask that you would keep us as we go our way. Keep us from this world, keep us from ourselves. Keep us clinging unto Thee.

Lord, we ask that Thy will be done in all things for Christ's sake. Amen.

Let's stand together and sing number 29 in our course book, The Christ of the Cross. Number 29 in the course book.

On a hill far away died the Christ of the cross. He yielded to And there, in His grace, He dies in my place, the purpose of God to fulfill. So I'll cherish the cross. And before His throne I'll bow down. I will cling to the Christ of the cross. For he is the King, I must pray. Oh, the Christ of the Cross.

so despised by the world as a wondrous attraction to me. He, the dear lamb of God, left his glory above So I'll cherish the Christ of the cross And before His throne I'll bow down I will cling to the Christ of the cross For he is the King I must tread In the Christ of the cross and his blood so divine, a marvelous beauty I see. For he opened my eyes, that long had been blind, to behold him Now on His throne So I'll cherish the Christ of the cross And before His throne I'll bow down I will cling to the Christ of the cross For he is the King I must crown To the Christ of the cross I must ever be true His shame and reproach gladly bear For in love he constrains Till all shall be gained, and His glory forever I share. So I'll cherish the Christ of the cross, And before His throne I'll bow down I will cling to the Christ of the cross

There'll be no Wednesday evening service as pastor is away, but Lord willing we'll meet again next Sunday. You're dismissed.