272 I hope it's built on nothing
less and righteousness. I dare not
trust the sweetest spring, but only lean on Jesus' name. On Christ the solid rock I stand,
all other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand. When darkness fills his lovely
face I rest on his unchanging grace Every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil On Christ the solid rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand. His hope is common in His blood,
Support me in the wounded flood. When all around my soul gives
way, He is all my hope and stay. On Christ the solid rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand. He shall come with trumpet sound
O may I then in Him be found Dressed in His righteousness
alone Faultless to stand before the throne On Christ the solid
rock I stand Be seated. Hymn number 112. Hymn number
112. Up Calvary's mountain, one dreadful
morn While Christ my Savior, weary and worn Facing for sinners,
death on the cross That He might save me from this loss ? Blessed Redeemer ? Precious Redeemer
? Seems now I see Him ? On Calvary's tree ? Wounded and bleeding ?
For sinners pleading ? Blind and unheeding ? Dying for me Father forgive him, thus did
he pray Meanwhile his life flooded the fast array Praying for sinners
while in such foe No one but Jesus ever looked so Blessed Redeemer Precious Redeemer
Seems now I see Him On Calvary's tree Wounded and bleeding For
sinners pleading Blind and undead ? He died for me ? Oh, how I
love Him ? Savior and friend ? How can my praises ? Ever find
Him ? Through years undone ? Earth on heaven's shore ? My tongue
shall praise Him forevermore ? ? Blessed Redeemer, precious
Redeemer ? ? Seems now I see Him on Calvary's tree ? ? Moved
and pleading, for sinners pleading ? If you have your Bibles with you this evening,
we'll turn back to the book of Timothy. We'll read 2 Timothy,
chapter 1. 2 Timothy chapter 1. We'll begin
reading in verse 1 and read the first 14 verses. 2 Timothy 1. Paul, an apostle of
Jesus Christ, by the will of God, according to the promise
of life, which is in Christ Jesus, to Timothy, my dearly beloved
son, grace, mercy, peace from God the Father in Christ Jesus
our Lord, I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure
conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in
my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful
of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy, when I call to remembrance
the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy
grandmother Lois and thy mother Eunice, excuse me, unicy, and
I am persuaded that in the also. Wherefore, I put thee in remembrance
that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the
putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the
spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed
of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me as prisoner. But be
thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the
power of God, who hath saved us. and called us with an holy
calling, not according to our works, but according to his own
purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before
the world began, but is now made manifest by the appearing of
our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death and hath
brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,
whereunto I am appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher
of the Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer
these things, nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom
I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that
which I have committed unto him against that day. Hold fast the
form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me in faith and
love which is in Christ Jesus, that good thing which was committed
unto thee, keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us. God Almighty, all-powerful, all-mighty,
omnipotent, God the Father, we come to you through your blessed
Son, Lord Jesus Christ. Father, we thank you for all
you've given us in our Savior, all that you've given us in Christ. Bless the peace we heard of this
morning, the abundant grace, the abundant
mercy, Lord, we thank you for your infinite
mercy and grace in your power. Thank you for your wisdom. Thank
you for your perfect will. Lord, how thankful we are that.
Knowing that you control all things in this world. It is written, you know the number
of the hairs on our head Lordwin. Just cannot fathom. how much
you care for us. We thank you for your perfect
faithfulness. We thank you for your written
word, for the spoken gospel. Thank you for everything you've
revealed to us of yourself. Lord, we ask that you'd meet
with us once more this evening. I ask that you'd give Brother
Larry Criss the ability to stand here and proclaim the gospel
freely. Let him speak it boldly and plainly. Lord, we ask that you would bless
it to our hearts. Bless it to his heart as he stands here to
speak. Lord, and for those who are unable
to be here, who are watching and listening online, we ask
that you would bless them too. It's promised in your word, Lord,
where two or three are gathered in thy name. So let us be gathered
in thy name, Lord. Let us not meet in vain. Pray for wisdom and mercy and
grace and all things that you send our way. Cause us to look
unto thee and thee alone. Lord, we ask for mercy and grace
for our lost loved ones, for our friends and our family, those
who know you not. We know that you are able. Lord, we ask that thou will be
done for Christ's sake. Amen. Hymn number 224. I know not why God's wondrous
grace to me he hath made known, Nor why unworthy Christ in love
redeemed me for his own. I have believed and am persuaded
that He is able to keep that which I've committed. I know not how this saving faith
to me He did impart. Nor how believing in His word
brought peace within my heart. But I know whom I have believed
and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I've committed
unto Him against that I know not how the Spirit works,
Convincing me of sin, Revealing Jesus through the Word, Creating
faith in me. I have believed and am persuaded
that He is able to keep that which I've committed unto Him
a kiss that day. I know not what ? May be reserved for me ? Of weary
ways or golden days ? Before I face I see ? But I know whom
I am believing And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I've commuted Unto Him against that day. I know not when my Lord Or if I walk the hill with him,
for me it is the end. I am believing and am persuaded
that He is able to keep that which I've committed unto We have brother Larry Chris here
with us again from Sylacauga, Alabama. That's all the introduction
you're getting tonight. I want you to come bring us another
good news message, brother. Thank you for this morning. Come
on when you're ready. Thank you, Houston. It's been
a delight to be with you. It always is. I appreciate your
pastor asking me to come in his place. It's always an honor.
I always feel like I'm right at home here amongst you. Would
you turn tonight to Psalm 39, the 39th Psalm. one of the many Psalms of David. I suppose one reason why God's
people are, it seems, so much attracted to the Psalms, they
read their own life's experience there, don't they? We know something,
by God's grace, what it's like to lie beside the still waters,
to find the sweet comfort and assurance of the presence of
our dear Redeemer, but we also know what it's like, as David
cried out, O God, I've sinned against you. We've had those
experiences. Here in Psalm 39 verse 1, I said
I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue.
I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me.
I was done with silence. I held my peace even from good,
and my sorrow was stirred. My heart was hot within me while
I was musing. The fire burned, then spake I
with my tongue, Lord, make me to know mine end. That's a wise
prayer, isn't it? Lord, make me to know mine end
and the measure of my days, what it is that I may know how frail
I am. Behold, I was made my days as
a hand breath. and mine age is as nothing before
thee. Verily every man at his best
state is altogether vanity. Selah." That selah means pause,
stop, think about what you just read. Verse six, surely every
man walketh in a vain show. Surely they are disquieted in
vain. He heapeth up riches and knoweth
not who shall gather them. And now, Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in thee. Deliver me from all my transgressions. Make me not the reproach of the
foolish. I was dumb. I opened not my mouth
because thou did it. Remove thy stroke away from me.
I am consumed by the blow of thine hand. When thou with rebukes
dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume
away like a moth. Surely, every man is vanity,
see light. Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give
ear unto my cry. Hold not thy peace at my tears,
for I am a stranger with thee. and a sojourner as all my fathers
were. Oh, spare me that I may recover
strength before I go hence and be no more." David, in this Psalm,
verse 7, will be our text. He asks a question and then he
gives the answer. We want to consider both. Here's
the question, what wait I for? And then here's David's answer,
just five words. My hope is in thee, period. Nothing else, nothing more, nothing
better. Nothing in addition to, my hope
is in thee, that is God, my Lord, my Lord and Savior. The title
of the message tonight is A Believer's Hope. A Believer's Hope. Believers in this world have
a hope. It's a good hope. It's a steadfast
hope. It's a sure hope. It's a living
hope. We'll consider those things in a moment. In the last couple
of weeks, I've heard Robin in conversations with people concerning
the passing of our dear friend and faithful Believer, Bobbie
Buckner. Many of you knew her. Two weeks
ago today, God called her home, just before one o'clock in the
morning. My wife was with her, had been with her most of that
week. She was with her when she took her last breath, and God
took her to glory. Took her home. Said, that's enough,
Bobbie. That's enough. You've suffered
enough. It's time for you to be with
me where I am." And I've heard Robin say to the folks in conversation
since that time that she has bittersweet feelings about that. Now I think we can all identify
with that, can't we? While we're saddened when God
calls one of our beloved brothers or sisters home to glory, we're
saddened by it because we'll no longer see them, at least
not in this life. And yet at the same time, at
the same time we rejoice when we think about where they're
at right now. Where they're at right now. Oh
my soul, if we could somehow just draw back the curtain that
separates the seen from the unseen, the earthly from the heavenly,
and look in the glory and see the joy upon the face of those
our loved ones who have departed to be with Christ. Hear them
sing in one united voice, in perfect harmony, glory to our
God that sits upon the throne, the Lord, the Lamb, he had redeemed
us with his own precious blood. The Word of God says this about
the death of a believer. Paul, in writing to the church
at Thessalonica, some folks there, believers, were concerned because
they were confused about loved ones who had died in the Lord,
who died as believers. Where were they at now? where
their soul in the grave with the body. What's the truth about
where our loved ones that have died in faith have gone? And
Paul tells them this in chapter four. These are familiar verses
to you. Verse 14, 13, I'm sorry. But I would not have you to be
ignorant, brethren. Paul said, I want you to know
this. Don't be in the dark about this. Concerning them which are
asleep, those who have died, that you sorrow not. even as
others which have no hope." The believer died with a hope. For
if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them
also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. They must
be with him now. If he's going to bring them back,
he'll bring them back to unite that body, that risen, glorified
body, and they'll be forever with the Lord. And Paul said,
wherefore comfort one another with these words, a believer's
hope. That's always good to remember,
isn't it? As we go through this world,
there's so much to distract us, so much chaos, so much insanity. I don't know how else to describe
it. It's just an insane time. Just
when I think, well, I've seen it all, the next morning I turn
on the news and I say, well, I guess I haven't. It's more
insane today than it was yesterday. But for the child of God, for
the believer, for those who have genuinely tasted of the grace
of God, they know that the life and the death of a believer is
different. God has made it different, as
our Lord told Moses concerning the death of the firstborn in
Egypt that night. This is from Exodus chapter 11,
verse 5. Our Lord told Moses, and all
the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn
of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn
of the maidservant that is behind the mill, and all the firstborn
of beasts. And there shall be a great cry
throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it,
nor shall there ever be any more. It didn't stop there, did it? That's not the end of the story.
Now, but, but, there's another one of those blessed exceptions. But, but, God said against any
of the children of Israel should not a dog move his tongue. not a bark, not a bark, against
man or beast, that ye may know, that ye may know how that the
Lord hath put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel." God
puts a difference in the unbeliever and the believer. There's a difference
that only grace can make. Only grace can make that difference
because it's effectual grace. It's not an offer. God's grace
is not an offer. God's grace is an operation.
God's grace makes us new creatures in Christ Jesus and anyone who
truly experiences the grace of God, they'll never be the same.
They'll never be the same. Now you can trot to the front
of the church and make a decision for Jesus and get up and go out
and it won't make a lick of difference. You know it and I know it. We
see it all the time. We've seen it all the time. Oh,
but for those who genuinely experience God's grace, they'll never be
the same after that. And we can all agree with old
Newton. We can all identify with what he said. He said, I'm not
what I ought to be. I'm not what I want to be. Oh,
I'm so deficient. He said, and I'm not what I'm
going to be one day. But he said, I can tell you this,
I'm not what I once was. Oh, amazing grace, how sweet
the sound that saved a wretch like me. Here in Psalm 39, David
seems to have been in some sort of trial. We're not told exactly
what the circumstances was, the particulars of this trial, but
David, as was often the case, was going through a conflict.
As he said in another psalm, Psalm 34, many, many, not just
occasionally, not just now and then, James, but many are the
afflictions of the righteous. Someone said a believer is either
coming out of a trial or going into one, one or the other. Not
just a few, but many and often. But that verse didn't stop there
either. Many are the afflictions of the
righteous, but But, don't you love that word, but the Lord
delivers him out of them all. Perhaps, from David's language
here in some of the verses, perhaps it was the death of some dear
friend. or relative that was the occasion of his trial. It
suggested to him the thoughts of his own mortality. Someone
dies. We said, yeah, yeah, that's sudden. That was unexpected and so forth.
But we never stopped to think, what came to them is coming to
me. This is what David said. He applied
it to himself. He said, Lord, verse 4, Lord,
make me to know my own end and the measure of my days, what
it is that I may know how frail I am. My life is a vapor. Poof! It's here and then it's
gone. It's like a blade of grass that
rises in the morning and at night it's cut down and it's withered.
Such is our life. Daryl and I and Joyce and Brad
and Pam, Robin and I were having lunch today out at the park and
we talked about that. The brevity of life. Man, I tell
you what, Brad, I can remember when I thought 40 was old. Man, I haven't thought that for
a long time. I'm 73 now, and you know what
one of the most remarkable things about that? Where did the time
go, Stan? Man, it flew by, and it continues
to do so. The old Puritan John Flavel said
this, the candle of your life is almost burnt down. The hourglass
of time is almost run out, yet a few, a very few days and nights
more, and then time and nights and days shall be no more." David,
after looking at things below, finding there's no sure hope
in the world, nothing certain in the world, turns his eyes
above, where his real hope is, in God himself. And David answered
his own question. When he said, what wait I for?
He said, my hope, my hope is built on, rest on, trust in,
not anything in this world, not anything in man, not anything
in myself, not anything that I've done, not anything that
I've experienced, not anything that I've accomplished. My hope
is in thee, and that makes it a good hope. On Christ we sang
in a moment ago, my hope's built on nothing less than Jesus' blood
and righteousness. This is true of every believer,
no matter where they live, no matter when they live, no matter
how long they live, their hope is in God. In Psalm 121, David
said this in verse 1, I will lift up my eyes, oh for grace
to lift up my eyes. You look around and you become
discouraged. Look within and you become disheartened. Oh,
but look above, and there sits our great God and Savior, ever
the same, full of grace and truth. He never changes. I will lift
up my eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help. My help
cometh from the Lord. My hope is in thee, which made
heaven and earth. He will not suffer that foot
to be moved. He that keepeth thee will not
slumber. Someone said, there's no need
for me to stay awake and bite my nails and paste the floor.
My great shepherd's awake. He's always on duty. He's always
watching over me. He's always true and faithful.
Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. Every believer's hope rests upon
an unchanging God. looked in the mirror before I
came here tonight, and I thought, oh, well, I guess that's about
the best it's going to be. That's about it, you know, gray
hairs more and more, you know. Oh, but my God, he never changes. Our Lord Jesus Christ has the
dew of the morning, the dew of his youth. From everlasting to
everlasting, he raises his hands to the heavens and say, I am
the Lord, and I change not. I change not." Oh, that gives
a believer hope, doesn't it? Another old Puritan, William
Grinnell, said this, God loves the saints as the purchase of
his own son's blood. They cost him dearly. and that
which is obtained by such a great expense shall not be easily lost
he who was willing to expend his son's blood to gain them
will not deny his power to keep them our great shepherd said
nothing no one at any time shall separate my sheep from me i will
come to them you remember that night our lord commanded his
disciples after he fed the multitude. He commanded them to get in a
ship and go to the other side. And as they went, a great storm
arose. This is in John 6 and said, it
was now dark. It was dark and Jesus was not
yet come. But he came. He came. He came in a way they never thought
of. He came in a way they least expected. He came walking up on that stormy
sea saying, it is I. Don't be afraid. I love that
passage of scripture. There's been many a times that
in my Life, when I thought, oh, it's dark. And what is worst
of all, Jesus doesn't seem to have come to me. But let me tell
you, child of God, he's always come. He's always come when it's
best for my good and his eternal glory. And you remember what
the disciples said when he stepped in that boat and said, peace
be still? And those waves laid down their
feet at his voice because he was their creator. They had to
obey him. They had to hear him. And they
looked at one another and said, I've never seen nothing like
this. What kind of man is this? Even the waves in the sea obey
him. That's our unchanging God. The
hymn writer said, change and decay in all around I see, O
thou who changes not, abide with me. Man will fail, flesh will
fail. Our dearest loved ones will feel,
oh, everything changes. Oh, but our God, that rock upon
which we rest, never changes. Paul said, if ye then be risen
with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ
setteth in sovereign, supreme majesty. setteth on the right
hand of God. Set your affection on things
above, not on things on the earth, for you're dead and your life
is here with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life shall
appear, then shall ye also appear with him." Wherever the bridegroom
is, the bride has to be. Wherever the head is, every member
of his glorious body, his church, must be also. One is as certain
as the other. The proof of God's acceptance
of his son was the resurrection from the dead. When he raised
him from the dead, it was God saying, Amen, my son, I'm satisfied
with everything you did on the behalf of your people. I accept
them in you. And they'll never be separated
from that God. David said, Lord, what wait I
for? He looked around at how other
men lived, what their hope was, what their love, what their desire
was, how they spent all their time just getting all you can
get. David looked around. What can I expect in view of
these things? Not long life, because my life
is brief. It's a short story. His age is
as nothing. And I don't look for help from
man, because he's altogether vanity. And I don't look for
riches and honor. They are such poor, fading, perishing
things. I'm going to a city, David said,
where the roses never fade. Wasn't there an old hymn like
that one time? Going to a city where the roses
never fade. Lord, what wait I for? The psalmist,
therefore, turns to his God. He has thought on the world and
everything in it, and is relieved, is comforted in knowing that
such vain things are all passing away, but his hope rests upon
his unchanging God. What wait I for? What is my expectation? Where is my confidence? To whom
do I look? I am nothing, the world's nothing,
all earthly sources of confidence and consolation sooner or later
fail. What wait I for in life, in death,
in a dying world, in a certain coming judgment? in an eternity
at hand. Eternity lies before us. A just
God lies before us. What wait I for? What is it that
I need most of all? What can prepare me to meet God
Almighty? David said, My hope is in thee. What wait I for? Am I waiting
to stand before God, trusting in the labors of my own hands? Am I like those who have spent
their whole life because they are entirely ignorant of God's
righteousness, what God demands? They've gone about preparing
their own righteousness and won't know better till they stand before
the King of Glory and hear Him say, I never knew you depart
from me. Is that what I wait for? What
wait I for? Am I like that rich fool? who
had so much, he said, the only solution is to tear down my barns
and build bigger barns, and then I'll put all my goods, and I'm
gonna kick back and take my ease and say, eat, drink, and be merry,
because you have much goods laid up in store for many years, but
God, the thing most important that he should have thought about
first, he never thought of at all. God spoke to him that very
night. God does that. Death and life
are in the hands of God. It's not determined by a man.
It's not determined by doctors. It's determined by God Almighty.
And he said to that man, you are a fool. You're a fool. You spent your entire life accumulating
all this stuff, and you're going to leave it all behind. How much
did he leave behind? He left it all behind. God said,
you're a fool. When the day comes for believers
to die, the only thing that will matter, the only thing that will
matter is their relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ. David
says, my hope is in Him. If I have Him, I have true riches. I have durable riches. Oh, I
want the riches of His grace, don't you? Something that the
world can't buy. I want to be rich in grace regardless
of whether I have any earthly possessions or not. I told Robin
the other day, we were talking about someone, and it's amazing
and sad how that families will come to odds when a relation
dies, and who's gonna get what, and they'll squabble over these
things. And I told Robin, well, I don't have to worry about that.
Because I've got nothing to leave behind. My daughter and my two
sons won't have nothing to fight about because I'm not leaving
them nothing. I don't have nothing to leave them. But here's the
answer of a believer. David said, what wait I for?
And here's the answer. Here's the answer of every true
believer. My hope is in thee. The psalmist
was adrift for a while, but now he returns to himself and comes
to his right mind. and to a right way of judging
things, making the Lord the object of his hope and his trust, expecting
all good, all grace, and all glory alone from him. This is
the hope, the scripture says, that makes not ashamed those
who possess it. Here the psalmist steps off the
sand and puts his feet up on solid rock of ages, the Lord
Jesus Christ, and he says, my hope's in him. I think I'll just
stay put. Believe I'll just rest in Him.
My hope is in thee, the Lord, the self-existent, the God from
everlasting to everlasting." Now you try that on. Larry, God
Almighty, He never had a beginning. I can't wrap my little mind around
that, can you? But David said, my hope's in
Him, the Lord's self-existent. and true, worthy of the confidence
of his people. As is often said, we don't always
trust him, but he's trustworthy, isn't he? Oh, my, our Lord is
trustworthy. You remember what Joshua did?
He was ready to die. He called the elders of the children
of Israel around his bed, and he said, listen, you, you're
going to bear me record this day. He said, I'm going the way
of all the earth, but you know that in everything God Almighty
promised us, everything he said has come to pass. Not one word
has failed of all that he promised, and it never will. Thank God
he's trustworthy. From the sand to the rock, if
not today, oh, the storm shall arise, and there's one storm
coming from which only those in Christ will be kept from being
swept away. And David had but one hope, and
that hope entered within the veil. Hence he brought his vessel
to a safe anchor, and after a little drifting all was at peace. Old
Robert Hawker said this, oh how blessed it is to set loose and
detach from all things here below. Just keep a loose grip on it,
because you're going to turn it loose soon anyway. He said
that we may have our conversation in heaven. That while going home
to our Father's house, we may use the world as not abusing
it, knowing that the fashion of it passes away. Like the patriarchs,
may we be always on the lookout for that city which has foundation,
whose builder and maker is God. That's my Father's house. That's
where Jesus Christ is and he says, I want you there. I'm preparing this place for
you and there won't be empty mansions. There won't be cobwebs
in the corner of the mansions of glory. All of them will be
occupied by God's people, the sheep that Jesus Christ has redeemed. How thankful to God. The God
of all grace, that sinner must be who is waiting and watching
for Christ because his hope is in him. If my hope is in him,
then it's a good hope. It's a good hope. We read this
verse this morning, 2 Thessalonians 2 and 16. Now our Lord Jesus
Christ himself and God, even our Father, which hath loved
us and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through
grace. Through grace, that hope rests
on God's free grace, not man's so-called free will. Grace that
reigns, grace that abounds, grace that is greater than all my sin. Will anything less than that
do for you? Grace that's greater, grace that
reigns, grace that is able to keep me from falling. Now, I'll
tell you what, that doesn't require little grace, that requires great
grace. To keep me from falling, but
not just that, to present me faultless, without fault, not
only without sin, but without fault, before the throne of God. Grace that saves. Grace that
saves me today. Grace that will save me tomorrow.
Grace that will keep me safe forever. Grace that will bring
me right into the threshold of heaven and take me into the Father's
house. And so shall we ever be with
the Lord. Oh, it's grace that's kept me
to this day and will not let me go. If my hope is in Him,
then it's a blessed hope. Simon Barger, you're a blessed
man. My father's done something for
you he didn't do for everybody. He's revealed to you who I am. Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah. My father has revealed to you
who I am. It's something how these little,
I'm sure you've noticed, these little religious caches just
catch on. People, you know, just, I don't
know, they just pass them and they just seem like they go around.
Now it's have a blessed day. Every wife, have a blessed day.
You pay the cashier, have a blessed day. You know, when they used
to buy you groceries, have a blessed day. I wonder what they mean
by that. When they say, have a blessed
day, hope that you're healthy, hope that you're wealthy, because
there's a lot of hucksters that say that's what the blessings
of God are. It's being healthy and wealthy.
Oh, no, no. You know what the blessing of
God is? You know what the true riches is? It's to know who the
son of God is. It's to know that I belong to
Him, that I am His and He's mine, that He's loved me, that He's
watching over me, that He's going to keep me, and He's going to
take me all the way home. There is just no question about
that. There's no doubt about that. For the grace of God that
bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that
denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should live soberly
and righteously and godly in this present world, looking for
that blessed hope. That blessed hope, it's not what,
it's not where, it's not how, it's who. Who's coming? Looking
for that blessed hope in the glorious appearing of the great
God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. Oh my soul, think about that
blessed hope. Child of God. It hurts. We're not immune from
heartache. When God's people are saved,
they're not immune from heartache and sadness. We endure all the
things that is the common lot of every man, and then those
things that the unsaved man knows nothing about, that battle that
rages within. But Paul described in Romans
7, oh, but there's a better day coming. All glory to God, there's
a better day coming. 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. How do you illustrate that? How
can you say, oh, Job said, I know. Though the skin worms devour
this flesh, yet with my own eye, I shall see God. I shall see
him for myself and not another. Old John Newton penned these
lines. He said, when the Christian pilgrim
views, By faith his mansion in the skies, The sight his fainting
strength renews, And wings his speed to reach the prize. The
thought of home his spirit cheers, No more he grieves for troubles
past, Nor any future trials he fears, So he may safe arrive
at last. Tis there, he says, I am to dwell,
With Jesus in the realms of day, then I shall bid all my cares
farewell, and he's gonna wipe all my tears away." You remember
when your children were younger, or perhaps you're young parents
now, you might say to them, now why are you crying? Why are you
weeping? You got nothing to cry about. In heaven, we're gonna
have nothing to cry about. Gonna be nothing to cry about.
No sorrow, no pain, no anguish, no death, no sin. If my hope
is in Him, then it's a living hope. It's not a dead thing. No, no, no, no. It's a living
thing. This is what Peter called it
in his first epistle, chapter 1. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us According to His
abundant mercy have He gotten us again into a lively hope,
a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead
to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not
away, reserved in heaven for you. God's people has a reservation
in heaven and nobody can erase it, nobody can take it out. who
are kept by the power of God through faith into salvation,
ready to be revealed in the last day. The hope of a child of God
is a living hope. It gives life in himself, and
it looks for life as its object. Life from the Son of God, the
ever-living Savior. From the very first moment that
God opened our eyes and said, Look unto me and be ye saved. Look and live. From then till
now, we've been kept alive by the power and grace of God. We have his word. The captain
of our salvation that tells us we shall never perish, my sheep
shall never perish, nothing shall snatch them out of my hand. Because
I live, ye shall live also. The same life, the same life
that is in our head, the Son of God, is the same life that's
in every child of God. It's everlasting, it can never
end. I'll live as long as Christ lives. He that believes in me, he told
Martha, shall never die. Even the temporary separation
of soul and body at death does not even interrupt the everlasting
life imparted by Jesus Christ to every one of his believing
people. The other evening, just a day or so after dear Bobby
went to glory, I was in our church looked at the place where she
sat, some of her stuff, her Bible, and some of her things were still
sitting there. And I thought about just about
a week before God took her home, it was late one night, we were
exchanging emails. And she sent me one, and she
included this in it, oh, it just cheered my heart. She said, one
thing I know, Christ has given me faith in him. And whether
or not this is the last leg of my journey or just a detour,
I will praise him in whatever state I'm in." That's grace. That's grace, isn't it? 1 Timothy
1 and 1, Houston read it this morning. Paul, an apostle of
Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Savior and Jesus Christ,
the which is that follows that is in Italian. That means it
wasn't in the original, so let's leave it out. Jesus Christ, our
hope. That's enough. That's enough. That's all. That's sufficient.
God accepts me for Christ's sake. I may have told you this story.
Well, if I did, I can't remember, and you're about to hear it again.
Years ago, Brother Lindsey Campbell, God took him home. God took him
home, what, a couple of years ago. You knew Lindsey. Faithful, faithful man. He, as part of his family reunion,
would have a golf outing. And he and his brothers and nephews
and so forth, they would take on whoever they could get to
play against them. So he asked me one time to join. And they would play two different
courses a day for two days in a row. And this one time, we
were playing at one of the courses was the private club in Danville,
Kentucky. I'd never been there. I just
drove by. It was private. They wouldn't let me in. And
so I just got there early, Brad, because I wanted to take a look
around. I wanted to check it out. So I was in the clubhouse
just walking around. And I said, yeah, yeah, it's
all right. And some guy kept eyeballing
me. And he came up to me and he said,
how are you? I said, I'm fine. How are you
doing? He said, what are you doing here? I said, I'm going
to play golf here in about 30 minutes. I'm going to tee it
up, play golf. He said, you know this is a private club. I said,
yeah, I know that. He said, only members can play
here. I said, I know that too. And he said, you're not a member.
I said, I'm sure not. And about that time, old Lindsey
came through the door, and I said, I'm with him. And that guy looked
and said, well, it's OK then. You know what? Pretty soon, when
all mankind stand before God Almighty, and the books are being
opened. And all men are being judged out of that which is written
in the books. And death and hell are giving
up the dead that's in them. And everyone whose name is not
written in the Lamb's Book of Life are being cast into the
lake of fire. If I should be asked, what do
you think gives you the right to enter this place? Oh, I'm
going to point at Jesus Christ and say, I'm with Him. And God's going to say, well,
welcome home. Come on in to the joy prepared for you from the
foundation of the world. Oh, it's a hope that will never
make those who have it to be ashamed. There's a people, there's
a people who know the last day, the judgment day is coming. They
know it's not a fairy tale. The world does. The world does.
But they have no fear of its coming. It's not because they're
foolish or lack concern or care. They're not afraid because they
know their sins have been put away, their sins are covered
by the blood of Christ, and they rest in the Savior's perfect
righteousness made for them. He's given them his word, my
people shall never be ashamed. His honor, His name, and His
blood are pledged to bring them home to God, and all His church
will come and prove Jehovah's free, unchanging love. But Israel, this is God's Word
from Isaiah 45 verse 17, but Israel, shall be saved in the
Lord with an everlasting salvation. Ye shall not be ashamed, nor
confounded, world without end, which hope we have as an anchor
of the soul, both sure and steadfast, which entereth into that within
the veil. What is sure and steadfast anchor
is the hope of a believer. The old hymn writer expressed
it this way. The man who wrote this hymn was
the son of a slave. He said, when the storms of life
are raging, stand by me. He always has, hasn't he? And
he always will. When the storms of life are raging,
stand by me. When this world is tossing me
like a ship upon the sea, thou who rulest wind and water, stand
by me. Remember, in the storm God incarnate
is in the vessel with you. And he will bear the whole up
until the time of deliverance. He looks across the sea of eternity
and he said, let us pass over. He looks over to glory, over
to heaven and says, let us, both of us, me with you, let us pass
over into the other side. Many years ago, tried to pastor
a little church in Annstead, West Virginia, not far from where
I first met Don Fortner, where he pastored. He'd already moved
to Kentucky by that time. But we were out visiting one
time, me and two deacons. They said, let's go out, and
we'll let folks know we have a pastor now, and we'll invite
people to church. And I said, yeah, that's good.
So one summer evening, I met with him, and we invited folks
to church. And we came to this one house.
There wasn't a light on. It was beginning to get dark.
The door was open, but you couldn't see much inside. And they said,
this is the meanest man in town. All he does is sit in there and
drink. They like to darken curses and
threatens anybody that steps on his property. But we think
he needs to be invited. I said, yes, certainly do. I
think we ought to invite him to hear the gospel. He needs
to hear the gospel too. I said, yes, I agree. They said,
you go up and we'll stay back here. Our great shepherd doesn't
do that. He said, let us pass over into
the other side. I love how this lady expressed
it. She wrote, when thou passest
through the waters, deep the waves may be in cold, but Jehovah
is our refuge and his promises are hold. For the Lord himself
has said it, he the faithful God and true, when thou comest
to the waters, thou shall not go down but through. With Job, remember what old Job
said? I will wait till my change comes. Thank God there's a change coming. Twice in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul
speaks about we shall be changed. One of these days, I will love
him as he deserves to be loved. I will worship him as he deserves
to be worshiped. I will honor him as he deserves
to be honored. I will praise him as he deserves
to be praised, because I shall be changed. We're waiting to
see him who loved us and gave himself for it. Oh, child of
God, imagine. We're waiting to see his face. And that's going to be worth
the wait. That's going to be worth the wait. And the ransom
of the Lord shall return, and shall come to Zion with songs
and everlasting joy upon their heads, and they shall obtain
joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away through
the gates of the city in a robe of spotless white. He will lead
me where the tears shall never fall. In the glad song of ages,
I shall mingle with the light. Oh, but I long to see my Savior
first of all. Oh, what a blessing. And I look
forward to being in that place where there'll be no more death
or sorrow or weeping or tears or pain or sickness. Oh, but
most of all, they shall see his face until that day comes. Until
he comes for us, or comes to take us to be with him, we'll
do as your pastor says, just keep looking out the window.
Donnie was preaching in our church at a conference, I believe, one
time, and he used that expression, and I never forgot it. We'll
just keep looking out the window. He which testifieth these things
say, surely I come quickly. Amen, even so come Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
be with you all. Amen, amen. God bless you. It's
been a delight to be with you. Let's have a word of prayer. Our most heavenly, almighty,
precious Father, we thank you once more through your blessed
son. Thank you for this gathering of saints. We thank you for the
word we just heard. Lord, we ask that you would bless
it to our hearts. Keep your word continually on
our hearts as we go through our week. Lord, we pray for traveling mercies
for Brother Larry and his wife as they travel, and pray for
our pastor and his wife as they're traveling. Lord, I ask that you
keep your hand upon all of us. Keep us where we won't be kept.
Cause us to do thy will, Lord, and to keep looking unto thee. but we pray that will be done
in all things for Christ's sake. Amen. Thank you for those messages.
And I forgot to tell you this morning to go stand back there
so everybody can shake your hand and hug you and whatever. That'll be all right too. Let's
stand together and sing number one in the chorus book. My hope is in the Lord. Find a key that we can sing it
in, maybe. ? My hope is in the Lord ? Who
gave himself for me ? And paid the price of all my sin at Calvary
Verse two. ? No merit His anger to suppress My only
hope is found in Jesus' righteousness And now for me He stands Before
His Father's throne He shows his wounded hands and names me
as his own. Verse four. My Lord has done
it all. No work is left for me. In this I rest. My soul is blessed
eternally. There'll be no Wednesday evening
service as pastor is away. Brother Cody Henson will be here
preaching for us next Sunday, Lord willing. You're dismissed.