Mark chapter 4. We'll read the
scriptures here in a minute, beginning at verse 35. I love
this passage of scripture. I look at this passage as another
example of what's true of God's entire word, and that is what
someone referred to as the infinity of God's word. There's nothing
else like it. It reflects on the one who wrote
it. How often you've been reading a portion of scripture, one that
you thought you were very familiar with, and you would see something
and you would say, well, I never saw that before. That's God's
Word. That's God's Word. The Word of
God is always timely, isn't it? It's always relevant. It's always
needed as the necessary food of every child of God. Peter
put it this way in his first epistle. He said, as newborn
babes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow
thereby, if so be you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. If
you have an appetite for it, God's given it to you. The sincere
milk of the word is meant the gospel. The Gospel. Only the
Gospel. Because the Gospel of God, the
true Gospel of God is about God's Son. It's about God's Son. That makes it good news. None
better. Take Christ out and there's no
good news. The believer having learned something
about their own emptiness. And Christ's all-sufficiency,
their earnest longing, the longing of their heart is to be satisfied
with the sweet consolation, the milk of God's word. The great
shepherd makes us to lie down in green pastures, leads us beside
the still waters and how sweet that is. Read along with me now
here in Mark chapter 4 beginning at verse 35. I've preached a few times before
from this passage, and I dare say you've heard more than one
message from this passage as well. As I was looking over my
notes this afternoon, I was reminded of a visit one time I was having,
or making rather, in the hospital. A dear friend and brother was
in the hospital, and I went to visit him, and at the time I
went, they were having lunch, and he was eating his lunch.
And I said, listen, that's fine. You eat and I'll just sit here
and talk if that's okay with you until you're done. And he
was eating a piece of meat, or trying to, and finally he pushed
his tray aside and he said, I declare, Brother Larry, the longer I chew
on this, the bigger it gets. I just can't, I just think I'm
going to put it aside. That's true of God's Word, isn't
it? The more we chew on it, the bigger it gets. I think there's
enough here to remind us that there's enough here sufficient
for one more meal. Now let's look here in Mark 4,
verse 35. This will also be our text. The
title of my message is, Christ Our Captain. Christ Our Captain. And oh, what a captain he is.
Verse 35, and the same day, After a day of toil and preaching and
healing, a day of labor, our Lord was tired. He was tired. Yes, He was the mighty God. He
was the Prince of Peace, the Everlasting Father, but he was
man. And as man, he was tired. Paul said, great is the mystery
of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. The same day when the evening
was come, he saith unto them, let us pass over unto the other
side. And when they had sent away the
multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there
were also with him other little ships. And there arose a great
storm of wind, And the waves beat into the ship, so that it
was now full. And he was in the hinder part
of the ship, asleep on a pillow. And they awake him and say, Master,
cares thou not that we perish?" They should have known better
than that. Can any of us plead not guilty? They're imagining
the same thing at times. Verse 39, and he arose. He arose. He always rises to
the occasion on the behalf of his people. He arose. Oh, can
you just picture this? And he rebuked the wind and said
unto the sea, peace be still. And it laid at his feet like
an obedient dog at the voice of its master. And the wind ceased,
and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, why are
ye so fearful? Why is it? How is it that you
have no faith? And they feared exceedingly and
said one to another, what manner of man is this? Did Peter say
to his brother Andrew, did you see what I just saw? Did James
say to his brother John, did you see that? Our eyes deceiving
us. Did you just see what he did?
Did you see what kind of man is this? They were amazed. They
stood in holy wonder in the presence of God Almighty. In the presence
of the Word made flesh. And they feared exceedingly.
and said one to another, what manner of man is this that even
the wind and the sea obey him? And they came over into the other
side of the sea into the country of the Gadarenes. Christ our
Captain. The word translated Captain only
occurs four times in scripture. Literally it means one who leads. That's our Redeemer isn't it?
One who leads. My sheep hear my voice. I lead
them. I lead them out and they follow
me. One who begins any course of
action and he hence becomes a commander. It has that meaning as well.
Christ is our commander in chief. One of the most important roles
for the President of the United States is that of commander in
chief. He's the commander in chief.
He's supposed to be. Acting in that capacity, the
president finds himself ultimately responsible for the safety and
security of the United States and all of its citizens. They're
his responsibility. Now, we may have caused the question
that concerning men that occupy that office from time to time
in the White House, but we never have reason to doubt the ability
The qualifications of the captain of our salvation. He's responsible
for his sheep. I find great comfort in that,
don't you? I find great comfort in that. Jesus Christ must give
an account for me. He promised his father that he
would. The Father in that everlasting
covenant of grace committed all of his chosen people, all of
his elect, he committed them into the hands of the Great Shepherd. And the Great Shepherd became
responsible to do everything God Almighty required of him
on behalf of his people. He has to answer for them, and
it will be to the glory of His great grace and power, that in
that day, of all which the Father hath given Him, He shall say,
They're all here, I have not lost one." Not one! Oh, that's the captain of our
salvation, is it not? One of the descriptions, and
I know you're aware of this, that the Word of God gives to
His people is that of pilgrims. Pilgrims. God's people are described
as pilgrims. We read that of believers long
ago like Noah and Abraham in Hebrews chapter 11 and others.
Hebrews 11 verse 13. Concerning these old believers
we read, these all died in faith. They didn't have a religious
spasm and got over it in a day or two. These all died in faith. Faith is not a one-time thing.
These live in faith and they die in faith. Once we receive
the gift, the precious gift from God by His grace of faith, we
can never quit believing. Aren't you glad that's so? We
never can quit believing. These all died in faith, not
having received the promises, but having seen them afar off,
and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed
that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they
that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful
of that country from whence they came out, they might have had
opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better
country, that is, a heavenly, wherefore God is not ashamed
to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a city.
No matter, no matter when a believer may live in this world, this
is always true, their pilgrims, They're pilgrims. Whether they
lived in the days of Noah, or Abraham, or David, or they live
today, they're pilgrims in this world. They just don't feel at
home in this world. They shouldn't, Brad. They shouldn't. God won't allow them to. They
have their eye and their heart on something far, far better. That's what Paul said. I desire
to depart and to be with Christ, which is far, far better. Oh, to be with the Lord. Though
they hadn't received the promises, yet we read there in Hebrews
11, they saw them afar off. Oh, by faith they saw them. Faith
has a strong eye. It can see afar off. It can see
the promise. Mercy's at a great distance.
Just as Abraham saw Christ's day and he rejoiced in it. He leaped for joy at it. They
were persuaded of these promises, that they were true and should
be fulfilled. Faith sets its seal that God
is true, and they embraced them. Faith not only has a strong eye,
it has a long arm. And they embraced this promise
of God, and laid hold of it as a blessing at a great distance,
and it made it to them a present possession, and they rejoiced
in it. rejoiced in their God of hope,
and they confessed while doing so, while living in this world,
while making their journey across the sea of life, they confessed
that they were strangers and pilgrims on this earth. That's
their condition. Is it not, child of God? Strangers
and pilgrims. They're strangers as saints whose
home is in heaven. And as such, while they live,
they're pilgrims while they travel toward their heavenly home. Their
acknowledgment is this, their condition, and they were not
ashamed to own it. Both their lips and their lives
confess their present condition. They expected little from this
present world. People ever ask you, Albert,
how's the world treating you? How's the world been treating
you? Well, let me tell you, it treats me like it always has.
Not very good. I don't expect good treatment
from the world. Christ said don't expect it.
Don't expect Him to treat you any different than they treated
me. These old believers, as all of us do, just don't expect much
from this world. The other day Robin was telling
me that she ran into someone who had heard that we had got
flooded a second time. And they asked her, well, did
you lose everything? Did you lose everything? And
I told Robin, you know what, honey? I said, right now, we
don't yet know how much we've actually lost. We've packed some
things in crates, and we've unpacked a few and found out after they
were packed. They weren't worth packing. They were destroyed
in the flood as well. Found things that we thought
would have been okay, but they were broken and useless. And
then I thought to myself, I said, Robin, you know what? We still
have Jesus Christ, don't we? Don't we? We still have Christ. We haven't lost Him. I'm still
His, and He's still mine. There's no flood. There's no
sickness. There's no disaster. There's
no disease. Nothing can separate me from
the love of God that's in Christ Jesus. The old hymn puts it this
way. Love with an everlasting love.
Led by grace that love to know. Spirit breathing from above.
Thou has taught me it is so. Oh, this full and perfect peace. Oh, this transport all divine.
In a love which cannot cease. I am his and he is mine. Nobody can take that. Nothing
can change that. Paul in Romans 8 challenged anything
past, anything present, anything future to separate him from the
love of God that's in Christ Jesus. He said, I'm convinced,
I'm persuaded it's never going to happen. It's never going to
happen. He is forever only His. Who the Lord and me shall part,
or with what a rest of bliss Christ can fill the loving heart.
Heaven and earth may fade and flee. Firstborn light and gloom
decline. But while God and I shall be,
I am His and He is mine. Oh, don't you like that? The Lord hath appeared of old
unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting
love. Therefore, you are on your own.
O God, save me from such so-called lovers that know I have loved
thee with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness
have I drawn thee. Oh, we're in his heart, we're
in his hand and nothing can pluck us out. Pilgrims, you know the
Greek word for pilgrim is temporary sojourner. Just temporary sojourner,
that's what we are in this world. That describes believers regardless
again of when they may be making their pilgrimage through this
world. Paul in Philippians 3 wrote this, verse 20, for our conversation
And that means more than just the way we talk. Our conversation,
the way we live, our citizenship is how it's used here, is in
heaven. For whence also we look for our
Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, that's the heaven of heaven,
is it not? I hear people talk about mansions
and going in streets. build my mansion next to mommy's.
That's not heaven. Oh no, heaven is to be where
Jesus Christ is. To be with him forever and to
see him as he is. Who shall change our bow body
that it might be fashioned like unto his own glorious body according
to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto
himself. Oh John Newton, In one of his
many hymns, and he wrote hundreds, he expressed it this way, as
when the weary traveler gains the height of some commanding
hill, his heart revives if over the plains he sees his home though
distant still. Almost home. Almost home. Thus
when the Christian pilgrim views, by faith his mansion in the skies,
the sight his fainting strength renews and wins it his speed
to reach the prize. The thought of heaven his spirit
cheers, No more he grieves for troubles past, Nor any future
trial he fears, So he may safely arrive at last. Jesus, on thee
our hopes we stay, To lead us on to thine abode, Assured thy
love will far repay The hardest labors of the road." Amen, Mr. Newton. Paul said, I suppose,
I reckon, and I like Paul's arithmetic, He added it up, he weighed it
out, and he said, I reckon, this is the sum of it all, I reckon
that the sufferings of this present life are not worthy to be compared
with the glory that shall be revealed in us. Oh, the glory
of being made like unto our Redeemer. Isaiah chapter 33, thine eyes
shall see the King in his beauty. Man, it takes faith to believe
that, doesn't it? Me, Larry Criss, I shall see
the King in his beauty. They shall behold the land that
is very far off. Oh my soul, if I see the King
of Kings, Jesus Christ, I'm sure, as Newton said, that will more
than repay, that will outweigh the hardest labor while we were
on the road to get there. Will it not? When we read the
words here in verse 35 of Jesus Christ when he says, let us pass
over to the other side. Here's the first thought and
we just have several. The first thought when we read
these words is this, we're reminded we're still on the sea, aren't
we? We're not in heaven yet. People from time to time, and
it's sad, from time to time somebody comes along with a wild story
that they died and then came back to life, came back. They
died and went to heaven, went to heaven and then came back.
Or they died and went to hell and then came back. Now I'll
tell you what, one or two things is true, either they're plumbing
insane, They're plum crazy or they're just a huckster. They're
just a liar trying to milk some poor soul out of their money.
When a soul dies, they're not coming back. They're not coming
back. And when we leave this world
as believers, we won't be back. And you know what? We won't want
to come back, will we, Joe? No, we won't want to come back.
Those dear brethren of yours and mine that are now in glory,
oh, can you just imagine? Can you imagine them now, around
the throne of grace, with those white roses we read about this
morning from Revelation 7, waving that palm leaf of victory? Can
you imagine someone asking them, would you like to come back?
Are you serious? Oh, no, no. They're in glory.
They're in heaven. They're with that one who loved
them and gave himself for them. No, they would not want to come
back. Notice how this verse begins here in Mark 4 and 35. And the
same day when the evening was come. Our time here is still
brief at the very best, is it not? It's compared in the Bible.
Our entire life is compared to a single day. Just a single day. Listen to this psalm, part of
the psalm. The psalm of Moses, Psalm 90.
A prayer of Moses, the man of God. Lord, thou hast been our
dwelling place in all generations. During those 40 years of wilderness
journey, they'd set those tents up at night, take them down in
the morning, next day do the same thing again, over and over
and over again. Can you imagine Moses looking
at all that? And he thought about God. Oh, we might not have a
permanent dwelling place here, but our God's been our dwelling
place for all generations. Before the mountains were brought
forth, wherever thou did form the earth and the world, even
from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. Thou turnest man
to destruction, and sayest, Return, ye children of men. For a thousand
years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and
as a watch in the night. Thou carriest them away as with
a flood. They are as asleep. In the morning
they are like grass which groweth up. In the morning it flourisheth
and groweth up. In the evening it is cut down
and withered. The earth and its mountains and
the universe and its worlds were born of him, that is God. But
he himself had no origin, had no beginning. Our time is but
a sigh on the other hand. Oh, what a contrast, just a breath. The swift rush of a mountain
stream, a tale told by a campfire at night. The grass of a morning's
growth. We're here and then we're gone.
In the morning. In the morning. That's a picture
of vitality, isn't it? That's a picture of youth. Oh,
we were young. We thought we could do anything. Nothing's going to stop us, but
it didn't last very long, did it? Where did it go, Brett? Where is the time gone? Now the
evening of our life has come for most of us in the evening.
My sister here just a few weeks ago sent me a picture to my phone. She said, do you recognize any
of these? I opened it and it was quite
a few men and women. is a picture she took at our
50th year high school reunion. I wasn't there, of course, and
it was postponed because of COVID. It should have been a couple
of years ago, but 50 years. And she said, do you recognize
any of them? And I text my sister back, and
I said, Ann, the only one I recognize is you. And I showed the picture
to Robin, and I said, I don't know any of those people. They're
all old. They're old. I can't identify with them. Like
the disciples, though, we're still on the sea. We're still
on the sea. And being on the sea, storms
will still arise. There's no getting around it.
Storms will still arise. Someone very well said, God had
only one son without sin, but none without sorrow. Christ was
the man of sorrows and very well acquainted with grief. And no
one who follows Christ will find that they can do it so without
denying themselves. And that's a painful business,
isn't it? Cody, I can deny you. That's
not a problem. Oh, but to deny self? That's
tough, isn't it? But Christ said, if you don't
deny yourself, this is where the rubber meets the road. If
you don't deny yourself and take up your cross and follow me,
you cannot be my disciple. Not that you can be and you'll
just lose some reward. Oh no, no, you can't be my disciple. I will not allow it. If you don't
bow to me, 100%, you cannot be my disciple. I like what old
J.C. Rouse said. If we are true Christians,
he wrote, we must not expect everything smooth in our journey
to heaven. We must count it no strange thing
if we have to endure sicknesses and losses and bereavements and
disappointments just like other men. Free pardon and full forgiveness,
grace along the way, and glory at the end, all of these our
Savior has promised to give, but he has never promised that
we should not have afflictions. A religion that costs nothing
is worth nothing. A cheap Christianity without
a cross will prove in the end to be a useless Christianity
without a crown. Every little flock proves that
there are no exemptions to this rule, no exemptions to suffering
for God's people, to heartache, to burdens, to tears for every
child of God. And as we found here with the
disciples, when those storms arise on the sea of life, we're
afraid. We're afraid. We try not to be,
don't we? I want to honor God in this trial,
this heartache, whatever it may be. I want to honor God in the
storms of life, but I fail at that so badly. So badly. I like how this lady put it. I think I shared some of her
poems with you when I was here last time. I believe I sent one
to Pam. This lady was an impotent for
most of her life. So she wrote from experience,
from personal experience. She said, one day at a time,
with its failures and fears, with its hurts and mistakes,
with its weakness and tears, with its portion of pain and
its burden of care, one day at a time, we must meet and must
bear. One day at a time, but the day
is so long, and the heart is not brave and the soul is not
strong. Oh, thou pitiful Christ, be thou
near all the way. Give courage and patience and
strength for the day. Swith cometh his answer so clear
and so sweet. Yea, I will be with thee thy
troubles to meet. I will not forget thee, nor fail
thee, nor grieve. I will not forsake thee. I never
will leave. I never will leave. And that
brings us to our second thought here. It's true that we're still
sailing on the sea of life. And we still often have storms
arise so unexpectedly, suddenly. And we still are very much afraid
when they do, proving that men at their best are only men at
best. But remember, remember, all that is true. Oh, but this
is true as well. Christ our captain is still on
board. He never abandons ship, does
he? He's still on board. It was he that initiated this
journey, didn't he? Let us, he said, let us pass
over unto the other side. Jesus Christ started this journey
and everything he starts, he finishes. Anything he puts his
hand to, he completes it. He always has. He's never failed. God said, you want to behold
something? You want to see that one in whom I delight? You want
to see the one in whom I am well pleased? Behold my servant. my
righteous servant, my son." Listen, I'm telling you, God says about
him, he shall not fail. That's our captain. That's the
captain of our salvation. That's our commander-in-chief.
Not that fellow in the White House. Oh, but that fellow that
rules over God's house, God's church, His body, His bride,
His sheep. He never abandoned sheep. Jesus
Christ says, let us pass over into the other side. His last
words to his disciples before he ascended back to glory. Remember
that? He met them on Mount Olivet just
like he said he would. Go there, I'll meet you there.
He always does what he said he would do. And just as he ascended
back to heaven, back to the glory that he had with the Father before
the world began, he said, now you go into all the world and
preach the gospel to every creature. Start at Jerusalem. Start where
they hated me most. Start where they crucified me.
Start there, because the gospel is the power of God and the salvation.
Oh, Lord, give me more faith to believe that. But he said,
and take this with you, brothers. Take this with you, my children,
as you're going through the world preaching the gospel to every
creature. Lo, I'm with you always. even unto the end of the world. Amen. He never forsakes his own. I'm with you always. I remember
many years ago I was trying to pastor a little church in Annstead,
West Virginia. Daryl, that wasn't real far from
Fairmont. Not far from where I first met
Don Fortner in Lookout, West Virginia. But one night, two
of my deacons wanted to get together. They said, I think we should
go through the neighborhood and introduce you as our pastor and
invite people to church. I said, well sure, we can do
that. So we went to several places and knocked on doors and got
mostly just lame excuses why they wouldn't be able to come.
But we came to this one house, just kind of dark and foreboding,
no light on or nothing. It was already beginning to get
dark and the door was open. The brothers, these deacons were
both brothers, they said to me, Larry, the meanest man in town
lives here. All he does is sit in there and
drink and cuss. Threatens to shoot anybody that
comes around. And he said, but he needs to be witnessed too.
He needs to be invited to hear the gospel too. So we think we
ought to go speak to him. And I said, well, I agree. And
they said, I tell you what, you go and we're going to stay back
here on the sidewalk and pray for you. I said, what? We'll
stay back here and pray for you. Jesus Christ never abandons his
own, does he? He never sends us out and says,
you're on your own. No, he said, let us pass over
to the other side. You know the only way? The only
possibility that these disciples could have drowned, Jesus Christ
would have had to drown. He would have had to go down
too. Our glorious head would have to suffer. He would have
to drown. He would have to succumb. And
that can never happen. No. Jesus Christ never abandons
the ship of grace that his people are sailing on. Never. Never. Listen, child of God, this promise
is to you. And how many times has he already
made it good on your account? Every time. Every time. This
is his promise to every child of God. Hearken unto me, O house
of Jacob. and all the remnant of the house
of Israel, which are born by me from the belly, which are
carried from the womb. And even to your old age I am
He. Joe, you told me this morning
you're 91 years old. Turn 91. My mother last month,
July, month before last, she turned 94. Even to your old age
I am He. And even to the whore hairs I
will carry you. I have made and I will bear,
even will I carry you and will deliver you. I was with you when
you came into this world." God says, I was there. I was there.
I brought you into this world. I've kept you. I've called you.
And He said, when you go to leave this world, I'll be there too.
I'll be there from beginning to end. With such a promise as
that, from such a Savior, such a captain of our salvation, there
really is no good answer to the question, is there? Why are you
so fearful? There's not a good answer to
that, is there? There's really no reason for it. Why are ye
so fearful, proving that we're only flesh after all? You remember
King Darius had to have Daniel thrown into the lion's den. The
king spent his night just tossing and turning, worried about Daniel. I kind of suspect Daniel just
put his head back on the mane of one of the big lions and just
slept like a baby. But the king rose up early in
the morning and came to the lion's den and cried with a lamentable
voice unto Daniel. And the king said to Daniel,
O Daniel, servant of the living God, is your God whom you serve
continually able to deliver you from the lions? Is he able to
deliver you? And every believer, every redeemed
sinner can answer with Daniel and say, yes, my God is able
to deliver me. Has he not? Is there any believer
here that's ever had a promise of God unfulfilled? Has God ever
in one time, no matter what the circumstances, has he ever left
you on your own? The captain of our salvation,
when he says, let us pass over into the other side, let me tell
you, brothers and sisters, it's not a surprise we read down here
in verse 1, and they passed over into the other side. Well, why
wouldn't they? Why wouldn't they? And every
child of God that's been redeemed with the precious blood of Jesus
Christ, they're going to be with Him in glory. Who's going to
stop them? Who's going to stop them? I ask
you that this morning. The old hymn writer put it this
way, How firm the foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid
for your faith in His excellent Word. What more can He say than
to you He hath said, to you who for refuge to Jesus hath fled? In every condition, in sickness
and health, in poverty's veil or abounding in wealth, at home
or abroad, on land or sea, as days may demand, shall thy strength
be. Fear not, I am with thee, O be
not dismayed, for I am thy God, I will give thee aid. I'll strengthen
thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, upheld by my gracious,
omnipotent hand. The soul that on Jesus had leaned
for repose, I will not, I will not desert to his foes. That
soul, though O'Hale should endeavor to shake, I'll never, no never,
no never forsake." You've probably heard the story about a young
girl whose father was the captain of a passenger ship. She went
with him on one occasion, and while they were way out on the
sea, a severe storm arose one night. And all the crew were
going from cabin to cabin, knocking on the door, telling the passengers,
get up. Get out of bed. The ship may
not endure this storm. Get ready. We're getting the
lifeboats ready. Get on your life jackets and so forth. And
they knocked on the cabin where the captain's little girl, she's
about eight years old, was sleeping. And they woke her up and told
her what was going on. She said, well, is my father
still on board? And they said, yeah. She laid
back down to go to sleep. My father, brothers and sisters,
our father's still on board. He never abandons ship, does
he? He says, let us pass over to
the other side a picture of his great salvation I find in Exodus
chapter 14. The last two verses of Exodus
14 is a summary of what's just taken place. The children of
Israel crossing the Red Sea by a miracle of God's great power.
The last two verses of that chapter read this way. Thus the Lord
saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians. And
Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the seashore. And Israel
saw that great work which the Lord did. which the Lord did. Upon the Egyptians and the people
feared the Lord, like the disciples. What manner of man is this? They
feared the Lord and believed the Lord and His servant Moses. And chapter 15 begins with a
song of praise. They give all the glory to the
one who gave them all the grace. parted the sea and allowed them
to cross over and destroy Pharaoh and their enemies. Exodus 15,
here's just a part of that psalm. The enemy said, I will pursue,
I will overtake, I will divide to spoil. My lust shall be satisfied
upon them. I will draw my sword, my hand
shall destroy them. What are we going to do? What
are we going to do? Is God's purpose going to be
set aside? Is it going to be made void?
Is it going to come to nothing? What are we going to do? Thou
didst blow with thy wind. That's all God, that's it. There's Pharaoh, there he goes
sinking like a stone. Thou didst blow with thy wind,
the sea covered them, they sank as lead in the mighty waters.
Who is like unto thee, O God, among the gods? Who is like unto
thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Thou
stretchest out Thy right hand, the earth swallows them. Thou
and Thy mercy has led forth the people which Thou has redeemed. Thou and Thy mercy has led forth
the people which Thou has redeemed. Thou has guided them in Thy strength
unto Thy holy habitation. Thou shall bring them in. and
plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance. In the place,
O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the
sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established, the Lord
shall reign forever and ever." That sounds a lot like the song
of the redeemed in Revelation chapter 14. Listen to these words. Revelation 14 and 1. And I looked,
and lo, a lamb stood on the Mount Zion. But he's not by himself. And with him, a hundred, forty,
and four thousand, representative of all God's redeemed, having
his Father's name written in their forehead. And I heard a
voice from heaven as the voice of many waters, as the voice
of a great thunder, and I heard a voice of harpers harping with
their harps. And they sung as it were a new
song before the throne, and before the four beasts and the elders.
And no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and
four thousand which were redeemed from the earth. These are they
which were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are
they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed
from among men. Not redeemed with all men. All
men weren't redeemed. They were redeemed from among
men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their
mouth was found no gal, for they are without fault before the
throne of God." Wow. Wow. Chapter 15, verse 3, And
they sung the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song
of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord
God Almighty, just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Last of all, what should we take
from this? What practical benefit is there
in studying this miracle of our Lord. Is there, as Brother Don
used to say, any shoe leather theology here? Something that
can get down to where I live? Oh yes, there is. First, when
we hear Jesus Christ say, let us pass over to the other side,
we shouldn't expect to read anything other than this. And they came
over to the other side. When the Great Shepherd says
to his sheep, they shall never perish, that means they shall
never perish. Storms notwithstanding, they
shall never perish. Sins notwithstanding, they shall
never perish. We sing the old hymn about grace
that is greater than all our sin. Thank God that's so. I'm lost if it's not. And so
are you. But that can never be because
Christ is still able to save to the uttermost all that come
unto God by Him. Isaiah chapter 43. This is one
of my favorite favorite portions of God's Word. Isaiah 43 verse
1 will bring this to a close. But now thus saith the Lord that
created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, fear
not, for I have redeemed thee. I have called thee by thy name,
thou art mine. When thou passest through the
waters, I will be with thee, and through the rivers they shall
not overflow thee. When thou walkest through the
fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle
upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the
Holy One of Israel, thy Savior. I gave Egypt for thy ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba for thee, since thou wast precious in my sight.
That was been honorable. And I have loved thee, therefore
will I give men for thee and people for thy life. Fear not,
I am with thee." Another poem by that lady I mentioned, Annie
Flint, Annie Johnson Flint, went like this. When thou passest
through the waters, deep the waves may be in cold, but Jehovah
is our refuge, and his promise is our hold. For the Lord himself
hath said it, he the faithful God and true, when thou passest
through the waters thou shall not go down, but through, but
through. Let me leave you with the words
of Paul to the Ephesian elders in Acts chapter 20. Paul told
them, and now brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of
his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance
among all them which are sanctified. Amen. Amen. Thanks be unto God
for the unspeakable gift of his son. God bless you. God bless
each of you.