Sovereign Grace Chapel, located
at 135 Annabel Lane in Beaver, West Virginia, invites you to
listen to a gospel message concerning Jesus Christ our Lord. Deuteronomy 34, I did not know,
and still do not know, because I'm not done yet, that God would
let me finish the first five books of the Bible. I figured
I might be dead before I got to Deuteronomy chapter 34, and
I may be before I finish this message. I may keel over dead
right here this morning. Deuteronomy 34, Moses went up
from the plains of Moab. unto the mountains of Nebo, to
the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho. And the Lord
showed him all the land of Gilead unto Dan, and all Naphtali, and
all the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah unto
the uttermost, utmost sea, and the south, and the plain of the
valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees unto Zoar, God lets
Moses see all the land. That is an amazing thing to consider. But when you read this, if you
read it, did you think of that word Zoar? You remember Zoar? Zoar is where Lot begged to go
rather than going to the mountains, he said to the angels, please
let me, I pray you, go into this city. It's a small city. Now
just chew on that one for a while. Let's move on. The Lord said
unto him, this is the land that I swear unto Abraham, unto Isaac,
and unto Joseph, saying, I will give it unto thy, S-E-E-D, seed. Let us never move from the principle
that is given us in scripture. It is seed as of one, not seeds
as of many. The land belongs to Christ. It's his. That's what it's saying. Let's move on. And I have caused
thee to see it with thine eyes. But thou shalt not go over thither. This is Moses. He has spent 40
years tracing in circles around through the wilderness, leading
a stiff-necked and rebellious people, and God says you will
not step one foot into that land. So Moses, the servant of the
Lord, died there in the land of Moab. according to the word
of the Lord. And he buried him, that is the
Lord buried him. And he buried him in a valley
in the land of Moab over against Beth Peor, but no man knoweth
of his sepulcher unto this day. I don't know all the reasons
for that, but I know one reason for that. You know what men and
women would do today if they knew where Moses had been buried?
They'd been worshiping that burial site. Christians will be making
pilgrimage over here to Beth Peor and bowing down to some
tomb or some sepulcher. Israel did it to the brazen serpent.
Remember, it was ordained of God for a specific time, for
a specific purpose, and as you read through the scripture, you
come years down the line, somebody stuck that thing in a closet
somewhere. Somebody had evidently found it and they brought that
thing out. You know what the people were doing? They were worshiping
the brazen serpent. And the king, was it Hezekiah?
Am I remembering my memory correct? Hezekiah ground it to powder
and put it in the water and said, you people drink it. Here's your
God, put him in your belly. worshiping a worthless, this
is what Hezekiah called it, nehushtan. You know what that means? A worthless
piece of brass. Consider that. Now, and Moses
was 120 years old when he died. His eye was not dim, nor his
natural force abated. He was still in what we might
say the prime of his life. And the children of Israel wept
for Moses in the plains of Moab 30 days. So the days of weeping
and mourning for Moses were ended. And Joshua the son of Nun was
full of the spirit of wisdom for Moses had laid his hands
upon him. You see that? And the children
of Israel hearkened unto him and did as the Lord commanded
Moses. An amazing statement right there,
is it not? And as a matter of fact, I will
say more about this later, they did during the whole lifespan
of Joshua. In the land, they did the whole
lifespan of Joshua and the lifespan of those that directly knew Joshua. But once Joshua and those elders
died, the people again began to plunge into total idolatry. Now, let's look, verse 10, 11,
and 12. And there arose not a prophet
since in Israel, like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. Now think about that. God is
spirit, correct? Spirit is that immaterial part
of anything, that which cannot be seen. As a matter of fact,
God in his absolute holiness and glory cannot be viewed by
fallen sinful men. Yet Moses talked with the Lord
what? Face to face. So who must that
have been? Could have been none other than
Jesus Christ the Lord. in all the signs and the wonders
which the Lord sent him to do, in all the land of Egypt to Pharaoh,
and to all his servants, and to all his land, and all that
mighty hand, and in all the great terror which Moses showed in
the sight of all Israel. And thus the book of Deuteronomy
ends. There is much that could be said
from this chapter. but I want to go in this direction.
Moses, Joshua, and the Israelites are more than types and shadows.
You hear what I'm saying? They're more than types and shadows.
Moses and Joshua and the Israelites teach us many lessons. Moses
is a type of Christ. Remember in his birth? All that
took place, he's the deliverer that God sends into Egypt to
deliver the people of Israel. But Moses is also a type of the
lawgiver, so much so that John puts it this way. The law came
by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Joshua clearly is a type of Christ
because the people had success as long as Joshua was alive. But as soon as Joshua died, they
plunged, began to plunge into idolatry. And folks, that's why
Jesus Christ is eternal even as a man. Because you and I,
even as redeemed, saved people, would not persevere unto the
end were it not for the living, reigning, reconciling Lord God
Jesus Christ. So I say they're more than types
and symbols. Consider this, they were real
people. with actual depravity. And even
though we are never shown one fault of Joshua. Go read the
book of Joshua sometime. Often you will find it worded
this, when a battle was fought and won, who did the credit go
to? Joshua. Joshua, not the people,
but Joshua being led by God Almighty. They were actual people with
actual depravity and in actual need of mercy. Moses, Joshua, and the Israelites
are not figments of men's imaginations. These were at one time real,
living, breathing people. And God showed some of them mercy.
and others he did not. Now is that what's taught in
the book of Deuteronomy? It is. Anyone who denies that
is denying the facts. Mason, not even the truth, they're
just denying the facts that are presented in this Bible. For
instance, you could speak to someone, and some have. I heard
one individual one time speak. He began to quote Romans 8, 28,
and all of those great verses that follow in that passage.
And the person he was speaking to says, well, I don't believe
it like that. Well, he was just quoting what the book says. How
many times have you quoted? Someone says, well, God loves
everyone. And you quote, Jacob have I loved
and Esau have I hated. And they say, well, I don't believe
that. Well, then you don't believe the book. Someone says, well,
it sounds to me like the first thing to do is to convince someone
that the book of God is absolutely true. I can't do it. Some preachers
hold ministries around trying to prove that the Bible is inerrant.
infallible, verbally inspired, plenary inspired. I don't have
to do that. You know why? Because God the
Son said when he sent his spirit, he will convince the world. That's
Jews and Gentiles. That's bond and free. That's
rich and poor. That's male and female. He will
reprove the world of sin, of righteousness, and judgment.
I don't have to reprove anybody of it. I am called to proclaim
it. then the Spirit of God takes
that truth and convinces whom He will of that truth. Here's the question, when it
comes to mercy, when it comes to salvation, when it comes to
all of those great words that describe the many great blessings
that comes with God's mercy, God's salvation, God's compassion,
who is it that has the mercy? God. And this book encourages us to
beg him for that mercy. But we dare not demand it of
him. Because you do not have, I do
not have a right to demand of God his mercy. If you go out
here today and you offend somebody and you hurt them seriously,
whether it's physically or just verbally or whatever it is, go
to them and demand to them that they show you mercy. It ain't
gonna work. It ain't gonna work. Mercy cannot
be earned. It cannot be demanded or else
it is not mercy. Who has mercy? But here's another
question, who does not? Who is regenerate? That is, to
whom has God given by his spirit spiritual life. We're all born
dead in trespasses and in sins. There are people who are elect
that's chosen by God before the world began. There are people
that God rejected before the world began. Right? That's what
this book clearly teaches. But in time, God sends his spirit
and gives those people spiritual life because the elect are born
as spiritually dead as the reprobate, as the rejected. I am persuaded
I'm one of God's elect, but I am no better by nature than the
worst reprobate that ever walked. Jacob was not better than Esau. As a matter of fact, comparing
man to man, Esau was probably more noble than Jacob was. His
name meant surplanter. He was a conniving, conniving
person. But who has mercy? Who does not?
Who is regenerate? Who is not regenerate? Who believes
God? There's one. Who believes God?
And who does not? Has that question ever burned
in your soul? Have you ever wondered about the answer to those questions
concerning yourself and concerning others? If you haven't, you're
a heartless piece of work. If you haven't, you're heartless.
Heartless. Does that question burn? Think
of this, look at Moses' resume. And there arose not a prophet
since in Israel, like unto Moses, the Lord knew him face to face.
And look at all that God used him to do. Go back and look at
Egypt. I mean, this man walked up into the face of the most
powerful man upon the face of the earth in that region, in
that time, and says, God said, let my people go. He didn't go
up and beg him to do it. He said, God said, do it. And
scripture calls him the most meek man that ever was. So meekness
is not Mahatma Gandhi walking around like this. No, meekness
is this. You know who your God is. And
you are nothing, but my God is everything. And when my God commands,
don't be ashamed, don't be afraid to set forth his commands. That's meekness. But here's Moses.
Look at him. There has been no greater prophet
than him. And yet, Mason, God didn't let
him put one toe in the promised land for one sin. It was because of one sin. You
remember? Remember what he did? He struck
the rock a second time. Now there was a rock that water
came out of and gave the people of Israel their water all throughout
most of their 40 year journey. And Paul comes along and tells
us that rock was none other than Jesus Christ himself. And when
the rock first appeared, God said, take your staff and strike
it. And when Moses struck it, water gushed, sweet, unsalty,
pure water gushed forth from that rock and the people drank.
But they needed water on another occasion. And God said, speak
to the rock. What did Moses do? Must I bring
you forth water out of this rock? He got angry, you remember? Raised
up his staff and hit it again. And because of that one thing,
He was never allowed to step a toe within the promised land. Why? Because Christ don't die
but one time. He was stricken once and once
only. Why? Because when he did it that
one time, he secured, he accomplished all that God meant for him to
accomplish. He saved some people when he
died on that tree. Those he saved when he died on
that tree didn't even know it. but he had saved them. He secured
all mercy and grace toward them and that would be eventually
given to them by dying in their place on that tree and you don't
hit Christ a second time. You just speak to the rock. and
then the rock will give forth his water as he is pleased. And because of that one sin,
Moses didn't enter in. Look at Israel's resume. And
the children of Israel wept for Moses. They wept for Moses. Now what had their ancestors,
their mothers and fathers, been doing for 40 years? Badgering
Moses, wanting to kill Moses, were they not? And yet here is
this younger generation raising up and they now mourn Moses. Well, the older generation wanted
him dead. And they mourned for him. And look at what it says, the
last part of verse nine. and the children of Israel hearkened
unto Joshua, that's the hymn there, and did as the Lord commanded
Moses. Were they better than the others?
Remember, they came out of the loins of those who had come before
them. He that is born of woman is a
few days full of trouble. Can a unclean thing bring forth
a clean thing? Were these people of Israel,
were these Jews better than their parents? No, because the scripture
says we've all sinned and come short of the glory of God. Yet
Moses is told he can't go in, and this group of people march
in and begin to conquer the land, you see it? Now look at Joshua's
resume. And Joshua, the son of Nun, was
full of the spirit of wisdom. And as I said before, you read
through the book of Joshua, you will not find one fault in Joshua
mentioned. But Joshua was as sinful as me.
And Joshua was as sinful from you. It wasn't because Joshua
was a special person, for Moses had laid his hands upon him. Do you see that? Now, when you
read When you read Deuteronomy 34, can you see the difference? Can you say, all right, I understand
now who's saved and who's not. I can point them all out. I can
look at that one and say, well, that one's got it. And I can
look at this one and say, well, this one doesn't have it. We
might say that, but we got a 50-50 shot. It's a 50-50 shot. You know why?
Because salvation is something that when it happens to you.
Now Paul spoke about what God did for us. But because he did
certain things for us, he's gonna do certain things to us. But
those things are primarily, I'm not saying they're all, but they're
primarily, and I know they began down in here. Down in here. You see, I've heard And I have
even said myself, so I'm not trying to preach down anybody.
I'm just trying to state the facts as they are. I have heard
and even said myself, well, so and so may be one of God's elect.
You ever done that about somebody? So and so may be one, and we
start to treat this person different than we would another because
we at least hope they might be one of God's elect, huh? Ever treat that child or grandchild
with all this great love, because they might be one of God's elect,
but then meet somebody on the street that just got under your
craw, and in your mind, you just wish it just went on to hell.
Huh? Now, none of you good church
folk ever did anything like that, did you? No, yeah, we have. Or this. Well, I think God's
working on so-and-so. You ever said that about somebody?
I've seen God work on some people, what I thought was God working
on some people, And they come into this small group and just
love this group and go for years and years and years. And the
next thing you know, what happens? They turn their back on the truth
of God. Turn their back on the truth
of God and walk away. And don't, I'm not talking about
somebody moving and having to go to another place and find
another place to worship. What I'm talking about, I will
not follow that God. Ellen, after years, of being
received into a grace fellowship. When we think, well, so and so
may be one of God's elect, or I think God's working on so and
so, maybe, maybe not. Judas felt great remorse, didn't
he? He felt great remorse, but what
did he do? He went out and hanged himself.
Esau was seeking for a change. He wished he was different, and
he sought it carefully with tears, but he couldn't find it. He couldn't
find it. You see, when God does his work,
now what I'm gonna give you, if you want to follow along,
that's fine. First John chapter five. I was gonna say I'm gonna
move quickly so you don't have to turn, but you don't have to
turn anyway, but 1 John chapter five. I wanna give us five things
that manifest who is really saved, who is converted, who is regenerate,
who's not regenerate, who is a believer, who is not a believer. When I say who is a believer,
I mean who believes God, not believes in God. Not believes
it, but believes God. Look at 1 John 5. Whosoever,
that's a word that's liked today, right? Some people use that one
word to build a whole doctrine around that one word. Do they
not? But you know what whosoever means?
Whosoever. But it's qualified. It's qualified. It's only a certain group of
whosoever. because everybody else are whosoever
will not. They are not a part of that group.
Whosoever, what's that say? The next qualifier, the qualifier
rather. Whosoever believeth. And isn't
that exactly what John 3.16 says? For God so loved the world that
he gave his only begotten son. For what purpose? For God so
loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish. A person who remains an unbeliever's
never been under that love. Never intended by God to be saved.
It's that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but
have everlasting life. Whosoever believeth, but then
here is the qualifier for the believing. Whosoever believeth
that Jesus is the Christ. You see that? Now it doesn't
say whosoever says it, There's a lot of people that say it,
but they don't believe it. A lot of people say it, but they
don't believe it because they've never really heard what it means
for him to have or to be the Christ. I'll give you one passage.
Isaiah chapter 42. This describes who the Christ
is, and of course, you look at Isaiah 42, look at the first
few verses, Christ actually quotes that of himself, and it's recorded
in the New Testament. So we know this is speaking of
Christ. Look at what it says in verse four of the Christ,
God's elect one. Remember, God's people are chosen
in him, based upon him. He is their merit. He is their
surety. But he was chosen because of
his merits. He was chosen because of his
righteousness. Mason, he is, in one manner of
speaking, he is the only elect person. The one that was chosen
because of who he was. We're chosen in him. That is
because of his purpose and who he is. He was chosen in himself. But look at what it says of him.
Verse four of this Christ. He shall not fail. Now let's
just stop right there. I'm not even gonna read anymore.
You can read the rest, read all of it later. Make sure what I'm
telling you is the facts, the truth. But one moniker of the
Messiah is what? He shall not fail. Now I ask any reasonably minded
person, and I simply do that because I don't know who has
life and who doesn't. I don't know who can see and
who doesn't. But if someone, attempts to do something, and
it is said of that person that they expended their whole being
to accomplish something, and yet it doesn't come to pass.
Can you say that they did not fail? No, they're a complete
failure. You see, if you want to know
what did God intend to happen, through the death of Jesus Christ,
go to the last two chapters of the Bible, and read the last
two chapters of the Bible, when God sums it all up, and that's
exactly what God intended to do through the death of Jesus
Christ. Some people are in glory with
Christ, and some people are under the condemnation of God. That's
what God meant to do. You see, when God does his work,
whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Messiah is born of God. And I can only answer that for
me, that if I believe that Jesus is the Christ, I can only answer
that for me. You can only answer that for
you. You cannot answer that for someone
else. If I were to ask my wife, honey,
Do I believe enough so that you think I'm one of God's? Well,
I'm sure I'm just putting her in a spot. She lives with me,
sleeps with me, spends a lot of her life around me. If she's
honest, she'd probably have to say, I don't see a lot in you. What about you? I see your faults
and your failures and your utter sins. so that can only be known
by the individual down in here. Whosoever believeth that Jesus
is the Christ is born of God, and everyone, so how many does
that include? That's all the whosoever, but it's all the whosoever
believeth that Jesus is the Christ. That's a qualifier, no one else. Whosoever believeth that Jesus
is the Christ is born of God, and everyone that loveth him
that begat, that's the one that did the birthing, that begat,
loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we know that
we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his
commandments. For this is the love of God,
that we keep his commandments. And I will tell you something,
this word keep is not about do. It doesn't say whoever does the
commandments. What does it say? It's to keep them. What do you
do? You put them in here.