If you'd like to follow along,
I'm gonna be in the 27th Psalm. Psalms 27. I'm gonna read the
first four verses. Psalms 27, verse one. The Lord
is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is
the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies
and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled
and fell. Though an host should encamp
against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war should rise
against me, In this will I be confident. One thing have I desired
of the Lord, that that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the
house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty
of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. And I can read that and say amen.
I like that, I do. But I'm gonna spend this time
in verse one of this song. My title for Paul when he gets
this is the Lord is my salvation. Or the Lord is my salvation. Or the Lord is my salvation. Or the Lord is my salvation. You can accent any word you want
on there, but don't ever leave out the Lord. Okay. As by way of introduction, I
got, I got two absolute rules for you. I know people say, and
to some extent in a natural sense, it's true. There's an exception
to every rule. Well, I got two rules for you
that have absolutely no exception. None, not one, not one exception. The first rule is this. Every
sin, every single sin, no matter how big, no matter how small, shall receive its just punishment. And the wages of sin is death. Every sin's gonna receive its
just punishment and there are no exceptions to that. Not a
one. Now the second absolute rule
is this. No sinner for whom Christ died as substitute and surety
will ever suffer for any sin at God's hand. Not one, not one. And the reason for both of those
rules being absolute is this, God's justice is absolute. Christ took in his own body on
the tree the sins of his people. They were punished, every single
one of them. And God will not require that
at our hands. Now that's not saying You won't
suffer your own consequences for your sin. This is just saying
that there's no condemnation now to those that are in Christ
Jesus. That's all I'm saying. And that is absolute also. No
exceptions, neither one. I read that and I just thought
I'd share it with you. I like that. Well, I remember in school,
you know, you get your grammar lessons and you're spelling I
before E except after C and then it's the other way around. unless
it's a weird word because weird is spelled E-I. I don't know
why that doesn't fall in there. There are exceptions to things.
But I'm gonna tell you this, there's no exception to God's
justice either way. Either way. I like that, I do. But here we have a Psalm of David. Psalm 27. And he starts with
this, the Lord is my light. Oh, I like that, I like that.
Let me be more specific though. Because I'm gonna say it this
way. The Lord Jesus Christ is my light. This is of whom David
is writing here. He is writing of Jesus Christ.
We say it, but I don't think a lot of people get it. People
in the Old Testament were looking for the Messiah to come. They
were looking for Jesus Christ. We know who the Messiah is now.
He didn't have a name, but he did have this name, the Lord. The Lord Jesus Christ. He's my
light. He is the light of men. He shines in darkness. Oh, I like that. And he also
shines in the day. John chapter one, starting in
verse four, it says this, in him was life and the life was
the light of men. This is talking about the word
that was with God and the word that was God and the word that
was, it's talking about Jesus Christ. In him was life and the
life was the light of men. And the light shined in the darkness. And the darkness comprehended
it not. The darkness didn't get it. The
Lord Jesus Christ shines all the time. I like saying that. You understand? Even better,
I like knowing that. Whether I see him or not, he's
shining. Whether you see him or not, he's
shining. He's the light. He's not the
light bulb that we can turn on and off with a switch. He's the
light. And he shines in the darkness and he shines in the day. He
shines in the night, he shines in the dark morning. He shines
all the time. Oh, I like that. There's never
a time when the light doesn't shine because he is the light
and he always shines. And the darkness does not comprehend
him. Darkness doesn't comprehend him
in the day or in the night or in the dark of the morning. Understand,
if you're in darkness, you're a darkness. If our gospel be
hid, it's hid to those, what? That are lost. Whom the God of
this world has blinded their minds, why? So they won't see
the light. Oh, I don't know. But let me jump over just a couple
of chapters here to John chapter three and read this. The darkness
comprehended it not, all right? And this is the condemnation.
that light is coming to the world, and here's why the darkness doesn't
comprehend it, and men love darkness. Men love darkness rather than
light. Instead of the light, neither
cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But
he that doeth truth cometh to the light that his deeds may
be made manifest that they are wrought in God. I like that. Not all men hate
the light, but the darkness does. Men love darkness, but not all
men. Not all, all. And the reason isn't the men,
the reason is the Lord Jesus Christ. We'll get into that a
little bit later. So let me be as specific as David
is here in Psalms 27 verse one. I wanna tell you this. The Lord
Jesus Christ is my light. And I'd like for him to be your
light. Because he's not everybody's
light. They don't see him. They don't wanna see him. Matter
of fact, if they get a glimpse of him, they hate him. They'll
hate him. But they hated him without a
cause. I know people don't want to believe.
Nobody hates Jesus. Yes, they do. The Jesus of this
book. They may not hate their own Jesus.
They may not hate the one they believe, the one they preach,
the one that they've heard their whole lives. I've heard this
my whole life. Are you saying that everybody
I know who goes there and listens to this false Jesus is lost? I hope not, I hope not. I was listening to a false Christ
at one time. Now I heard it in my head a little
differently than the man who spoke it. Because he was using
the word Jesus, and I was thinking the Lord Jesus Christ, and he
was thinking Savior Jesus. You understand? I don't need to go into that, I
don't have time. John chapter eight verse 12,
I'll just read this to you. Then spake Jesus again unto them
saying, I am the light of the world. He that followeth me shall not
walk in darkness. He that followeth me shall not
walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. Who's the
light of life? He is. Oh my. Because here's
the thing. The Lord Jesus Christ is both. He's the one by whom I see and
you see. And he's the one we are to see. I like it. He's the source of
the light and he's the light we're supposed to be looking
at. Ah. What? Those who know The Lord,
the Lord of light, they follow him. They'll not walk in darkness. I like that, I do. David says,
like he said, the Lord is my light. And, and, that wasn't
good enough. The Lord is my salvation. The Lord is my salvation. The
Lord Jesus Christ himself is my salvation. I wish I could
say this better or clearer or something, but I have to say
it. Salvation is a person. Salvation is not a creed. Salvation
is not a denomination. Salvation is not a church. Salvation
is not a program. Salvation is a person. I'm still
drawn back to that old fella, Simeon, when Jesus Christ was
brought as an infant. And he said, let me have it.
And he held him in his hands. He's just a little fella. But
he looked to God and said, Lord, let thy servant depart in peace
now. I've seen thy salvation. He was
looking at an infant. He had an infant in his hands.
No, he had salvation. of God's people in his hands,
personally. Ah, that's just, that old man,
he knew it. He knew it, he was waiting on
it. He was waiting on him, waiting for the Messiah, waiting for
salvation, and there he is. The Lord Jesus Christ is my salvation. He, himself. Now I know this
is a fine point, and I don't wanna, I don't wanna, denigrate
anything true. But I think it's a very important
point. You understand? The work of Jesus
Christ, where he performed everything the Father gave him to do, he
performed his Father's will, kept the law perfectly, and that
is glorious. Because Jesus Christ loved the
Lord God. with all his heart, with all
his mind, with all his soul, with all his strength, all the
time. All the time. But that's not my salvation.
I mean, that's glorious. And it's wonderful, true doctrine. But that's not my salvation.
That's not my salvation. the perfection of the Son of
God. I mean, he loved his neighbor as himself, all the time. I'm lucky if I can do it once
a week, a year, or whatever, once a neighbor. Oh my, I mean, I've learned all
kinds of doctrine from my humble beginnings as a former Catholic.
I was about as ignorant about the truth as you can get. I've learned even sound doctrine.
Sovereignty, election, predestination, preservation of the saints, the
hard stuff. Limited atonement. Particular redemption, if you
will. And his gracious, wonderful,
true doctrine is not my salvation. Sound doctrine is good and it
is to be learned, but I'll tell you a secret that a lot of some
people don't know. Doctrine doesn't save you, Christ
saves. You understand what am I saying
here? Jesus Christ did not say, come unto my works. He didn't say, come to my words. although we should hear it. We
should hear his word. Get this, and this hit me after
I already typed all this up. The gospel message is not to
come to the gospel. The gospel message is to come
to Christ. It's not to come to the church,
it's not to come to the preacher, it's not to come to the denomination,
It's not to come, watching them fellows this morning, it's not
to come to the baptismal pool. No, no, the gospel message is
to come to Christ. What did Jesus Christ said? Let's
see, Matthew 11. That's what I got written down
here and I hope I wrote it down correctly. Matthew chapter 11
and verse 25, oh yes. At that time, Jesus answered
and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because
thou hast hid these things from the wise and the prudent and
hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed
good in thy sight. Now that's the revealing part
and the hiding. That's what people don't wanna
say. Oh, Jesus wants everybody, no. I thank thee, Father, you've
hid these things from the wise and the prudent. For so it seemed
good in thy sight. All things are delivered unto
me of my Father, and no man knoweth the Son but the Father, neither
knoweth any man the Father save the Son, and he to whomsoever
the Son will reveal him. Then he says these words, what?
Come unto me, yeah, come unto me. Come unto me, all ye that
labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my
yoke upon you and learn of me, I am meek and lowly in heart,
and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and
my burden is light. I like that. Understand, yes,
we are to come, but come to him. Come to him. You don't come to
me, you don't come to Walter, you don't come to Paul, you don't
come to any man. Come to Christ. That's what he
said. That's the gospel message there.
Come unto me, come unto me. Yes, come unto me. He is all my salvation. He is, he is. Come unto the one
who performed the Father's will. Come unto the one who perfectly
kept the law. Come unto Christ, the sovereign,
electing, predestinating, the God of all grace. Come unto him,
come unto him. You understand, come unto the
true holy one who did die and died the death as a malefactor. I like that word. He died. the death of a cursed man. Why? Because he took our curse
in his body on the tree. He became a curse for us. He became our perfect substitute. Come unto the holy one. Come
unto the one who took in his body all the sins of every single
person the Father gave to him. Come unto him who is the light
and who shines night and day. Come unto him who is the way
and the truth and the life and no man comes to the Father except
by him. Come unto him, come unto him. He is salvation, the Lord is
my light and my salvation, come unto him. and he will give you rest. Because you're not gonna come
unless you're weary and heavy laden. You're not gonna come
unless you're burdened. You're not gonna come to his
rest until you know you need a rest. Unless you know, know there's
nothing you can do to be acceptable to God. and you're coming to
Him because He is acceptable to God. Oh my. Oh, learn of Him, learn from
Him, and learn Him. He is my light. Follow Him. Follow Him. Come to Him and follow Him. If you continue not, If you continue, you're my disciples
indeed. Follow him, follow him, follow
the light. You will not walk in darkness.
And it's not because I'm gonna give you any light, it's because
he is. It's because he is. The salvation is of the Lord. And salvation is the Lord. He's a person, our salvation
is a person. And he is all of your salvation. I like that, I like that. David
asks this question, whom shall I fear? The Lord's my light and
the Lord's my salvation, whom shall I fear? Well here's the
answer, no one and nothing. No one and nothing. Now I'm not
saying you won't fear, but that's who you should fear, no one and
nothing. because no one and nothing can ever take the Lord Jesus
Christ away from you. Never happen. He said, I will
never leave you, nor never forsake you. You understand? Here's the great thing about
this, okay? Whom shall I fear? I don't even have to fear me.
You understand where I'm coming from here? Walter, I can't send
away his day of grace. A lot of people think you can't.
Oh, you'll send away your day of grace. No, no, no, no, no,
no. He's the God of all grace. If
he's gonna be gracious to you, he's gonna be gracious to you.
And he will continue to be gracious to you. Oh, I like that. I don't have to fear me. You
know why? Because the Lord is the strength
of my life. The Lord is the strength of my
life. It's not me. You understand? Not in life,
not in death. I don't have to fear anyone.
And right now, at this present moment, standing here before
you, I still have no strength. But bless God, when we were without
strength, Christ died for the ungodly. You know you're ungodly. You're
gonna know a little bit of your ungodliness in this weariness
and labor when you come to Him. He's our strength, we're still
without strength. The Lord is the strength of my
life, of whom shall I be afraid? No one, no one, not those that
kill the body. Fear Him that can cast body and
soul into hell. But don't fear anyone else. You
understand? And I thought about, I didn't
know whether I wanted to write this down and let this go out
all over the world wide web. But here's the thing. I don't
fear Satan. Now, I don't want to talk to
him. I don't want to be around him.
But I don't fear him. Because I'll tell you this, I
know Satan's master. And he's my master too. Understand,
I'm not trying to brag, I'm not trying, no, I don't wanna talk
to him, I don't wanna hang around him, I don't wanna do anything,
have anything to do with Satan, but I don't live in fear of him. I'd much rather talk with the
God of my salvation. What? My redeemer from all sin. Moved by his divine compassion. Oh my. Whom shall I fear? Verse four says this, though,
and I love this part, too. One thing have I desired of the
Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house
of the Lord. Isn't that nice? Isn't that nice? Isn't that good? Isn't that great? Understand, if God, the Lord,
Jesus Christ, is your light and your salvation, you're gonna
wanna dwell in his house. You're not gonna wanna dwell
in yours anymore. You've had enough of yours, you wanna be
in his. I like that, I do. And that's it, that I may dwell,
live there. in the house of the Lord. Where?
With the family of God. With the family of God. Want
to gather together. And here it is, all the days
of my life. You know what that means? Right
now. Right now. This is where I want
to be right now. In the house of the Lord. And
I'm not talking about this building. I'm talking about in the family
of God. We are members of his body. Now members in particular,
too. He knows each individual member
of his body. He puts it exactly where he wants
it. And he is our head. Oh, all the days of my life,
now while I'm living and breathing, I desire to live in the house
of the Lord. And I'm gonna tell you something, in the hereafter,
I desire to live in the house of the Lord. What? To behold the beauty of the Lord. Ah, to behold his beauty. To
see the beauty of the light. To see the beauty of my salvation. He is my salvation. To see the
glory of his light. To learn, what? And to inquire
in his temple. I like that. Oh my. You will never learn of the Lord
Jesus Christ from this world. We have his word right here.
And this is the only authority we have of the Lord Jesus Christ. What's it say, Luke 24 and verse
45? Speaking of Christ, it said,
their understanding that they might understand the scriptures,
the scriptures. Inquiries are to be made in the
house of the Lord. I like that, in his house, in
his word, in his word. So what does it mean to know
that Jesus Christ is my light and my salvation? It means you
want more. It means you want more. You wanna
see more. You wanna know more. You understand? We want to live with him. In
his house. To see the beauty of the Lord.
To inquire in his temple. To behold the beauty of the Lord. I like that. We want to live
in the house of the Lord all the days of our lives. I like
that. I can tell you, if you wanna
know, I can tell you when this will happen, when it did happen
to you, and when it will happen to you, if it's going to happen
to you. Look at verse eight. David wrote this in Psalm 27.
When thou sayest, Seek my face. My heart said unto
thee, thy face, Lord, will I seek. And I'm gonna tell you this,
and not before. If you know what I'm talking
about, you know what I'm talking about. And if you don't know what I'm
talking about, you don't know what I'm talking about. But this is the thing,
David told us And actually, Jesus Christ wrote the same thing,
or he said the same thing, and John wrote it down. John five
and verse 25, he says this. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the
voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live. He's not talking about the resurrection
of the actual physical dead. He's talking about what David's
writing here. When thou sayest, seek ye my face. When Christ
speaks to you, you will answer. When Christ speaks to you, you
will answer. And you will answer correctly. Because he'll put
it in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure, and
I could not leave that out. When thou said, seek my face,
my heart said unto thee, thy face, Lord, will I seek. Oh,
I like that. You will seek the Lord Jesus
Christ. You will come to the Lord Jesus
Christ and you will know he is your light and your salvation.
And this will all happen when he finds you. That's when it
happens. When he says to you, when he
speaks to you, it'll happen. I guarantee it. You know why?
Because he said it. That settles it, whether you
believe it or not. I like that. When thou said,
seek ye my face, my heart said unto thee, thy face, Lord, will
I seek. The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is
the strength of my life. Whom shall I be afraid? Thank you, Lord, for your grace
and your goodness and your son, our Lord Jesus Christ. You are
our light. You are our salvation. We have
no other. And we have everything we need
in you. You've given your son to us and
given us unto your son. Lord, thank you for bringing
us in. Lord, be with Walter as he comes
to preach and Paul as he is out there preaching. Lord, give us
all ears to hear, eyes to see, and a heart to understand your
word, your will in this day and every day. Amen.