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. If you would this morning, and
you have your Bibles, turn with me to Psalm 15. Psalm 15. And I'm going to read the whole
Psalm. Lord, who shall abide in thy
tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and
worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. he that
backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbor,
nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor, in whose eyes a
vile person is contend, but he honoreth them that fear the Lord,
he that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. He that puth
not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent,
he that doeth these things shall never be moved. I'm sure there are a lot of people
who think, you know, in this world, who think that this might
could be them. In this they may have some thoughts
like the following. I have turned over a new leaf,
and now I am living holy before God, so now I can dwell there. I have made my decision for Jesus,
so now I can dwell there. I know there are more than these,
more sayings than these, but that's enough for now to mention,
because it does not take much to show the lie of such claims. First of all, if you have turned
over a new leaf, then it means before you turned over a new
leaf, you were not doing those things you claim you are now
doing. If you made a decision, then
it means you at one time did not make this decision you claim
to have made now. But this is a holy hill. This
is a place set apart by God himself. The text certainly does answer
the question for us in two ways. It tells us who will not dwell
there and who will dwell there. The one that doeth these things
it speaks of in this passage will dwell in this place. Those
who do not do this will not dwell in this place. The one that doeth
these things it speaks of in this passage will dwell in this
place. There is one that has done these
things. It certainly was not fallen sinful
man. This does not say he that eventually
does these things. It says he who does these things. That means completely and perfectly. I hope the listeners will be
honest with themselves and to God. We in and of ourselves could
never do these things. But we do not have to rely on
ourselves to admit these things. God tells us that we would never
do these things in and of ourselves. We, as we are born in Adam, do
not have what it takes, you might say, to do these things or to
be these things. This is not talking about us.
We can step back one more Psalm and find that out. Psalm 14. Psalm 14 one says, the fool has
said in his heart, no God, they are corrupt. They have done abominable
works. There is none that doeth good. Now someone might say, well this
says the fool has said, and I'm not a fool. But we must read
it further because it defines to us itself who it is talking
about. In verse two and three we read,
the Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, that's
all of us, to see if there were any that did understand and seek
God. They are all gone aside. They
are all together become filthy. There is none that doeth good.
No, not one. The things spoken of in Psalm
15 are certainly good. But this says here that there
is none that doeth good, not one. So we can see this is clearly
talking about all of mankind from the beginning to the end
of time. There is none that doeth good,
that good that we read about in Psalm 15. So there must be
someone who can do these things or God would not have told us
this. Again, someone might say, but this is just in the Old Testament. God made things different after
New Testament time, after Christ came. Paul the Apostle tells
us, and he is referencing the Old Testament, and it says in
Romans 3, in Romans 3, 9 through 18, and if you would turn with
me there, Romans 3. Romans 3, 9 through 18. See if
this sounds familiar. What then? Are we better than
they, talking about Jews and Gentiles? No, in no wise, for
we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles that they are all
under sin. As it is written, there is none
righteous, no not one. There is none that understandeth.
There is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of
the way. They are together become unprofitable. There is none that doeth good,
no not one. Their throat is an open sepulcher.
With their tongues they have used deceit. The poison of asp
is under their lips, whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed
blood. Destruction and misery are in
their ways. And the way of peace have they
not known. There is no fear of God before
their eyes. This was in the time of the apostles.
So this is in our time. This was after Jesus Christ had
ascended to the right hand of the Father. Paul, by the inspiration
of the Spirit of God, tells us it is still this way and it will
always be this way with sinful men. Man has always been this
way from the fall of our daddy Adam until the end of time. Man
in and of himself will always be this way. So what are we to
do? We find ourselves, if God is
pleased to reveal this to us, but we find ourselves in sort
of a pickle. Because we do not and cannot
do these things spoken of in Psalm 15. But if we do not do
this, then how can we ever abide in his tabernacle or dwell in
his holy hill? Well, with man, this is impossible. Man is totally incapable of doing
these things. I do not say this to be mean.
But if you think you can, you are deceived. God says you cannot,
and what God says is so. So go back to Psalm 14. 14.4 says, have all the workers of
iniquity no knowledge? The answer is no. They do not
have any knowledge, and they will do what they can to prevent
those who trust whose trust is in the Lord alone, and they themselves,
they will prevent them from calling upon the name of the Lord. When
someone like me tells you the truth of God, those to whom God
has not done a work of grace on will always stop their ears,
because they have not that righteousness which is of God. The one who
has, can, and does do this, is God himself. There is but one
who can, did, and does do these things. That is God himself manifest
in the flesh. Jesus Christ our Lord. Psalm 14, seven says, oh that
the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion when the Lord
bringeth back the captivity of his people. Jacob shall rejoice
and Israel shall be glad. The salvation of Israel is Jesus
Christ the Lord. And it is he that would be lifted
up on that tree to be made sin for those whom he came to save. God the Holy One, and the only
one who is holy in and of himself, had to come down as a man. And
he did in the person of the Son, Jesus Christ the Lord. What do
we read of him in 1 Peter 2 and 21, verses 21 and 22? For even
here unto were ye called, because Christ also suffered for us,
leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps. Who
did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth, Here we can
see this as he that walketh uprightly and worketh righteousness and
speaketh the truth in his heart that we read in Psalm 15. He
never told a lie, he always told the truth. Scripture in fact
says he, that is Jesus Christ, is the truth, the way, and the
life. First Peter 2 and 23 we read. Who, when he was reviled, reviled
not again. When he suffered, he threatened
not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously. This is telling us that he did
not backbite with his tongue. He never spoke a lie, so he never
did evil against his neighbor. In fact, the scripture says that
he died the just for the unjust. So not only did he not speak
evil of them, but he did something for them, even though it is certainly
true that those for whom he died were very sin against God himself. Then in 1 Peter 2 and 24 we read,
who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree that
we being dead to sins should live unto righteousness by whose
stripes ye were healed. This very verse shows us that
Jesus Christ in what he did being the very righteousness of God,
the scripture says, He did hold those in contempt that are vile,
and yet he does this. But those for whom he died for,
because he took their sins in his own body, and they being
in him, can at the appointed time fear the Lord. He certainly
did swear to his own hurt when he made an oath by himself to
himself that, in Hebrews 6 and verse 13. For when God made promise
to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he swear
by himself. This was the promise of the coming
seed, and that seed was Christ, in which he would come as the
sacrifice to God for sin. Him being made sin for us, and
he was set like a flint to do this work, which he did and completed
it fully. being forsaken of God. He cried
with a loud voice, it is finished, or tetelestai, paid in full. His mind could not be changed
from this work. He now sits alive at the right
hand of God as a man. He did nothing but die himself.
not taking anything from anyone, but giving everything, and it
is he that shall never be moved. First Peter 2.25 says, for ye
were as sheep going astray, but are now returned unto the shepherd
and bishop of your soul. So those for whom he died for
being born just as every, those for whom he died being born just
as every other fallen son or daughter of Adam is born in corruption. These it says, here we were sheep
going astray. But because of what he did in
dying on that tree has returned us to him that owns us and it
is he that is our shepherd and the overseer of our souls. He
is our salvation. We can, in and of our own selves,
do nothing, even in light of what Jesus Christ did for his
elect, those chosen in him from before the foundation of the
world. Back in Psalm 14, we read, Oh,
that salvation of Israel will come out of Zion, when the Lord
bringeth back captivity of his people. Jacob shall rejoice,
and Israel shall be glad. This was written looking forward
to that time when Jesus Christ would come. We can now read this. Oh, that salvation of Israel
has come out of Zion. The Lord has brought back the
captivity of his people. Jacob does rejoice and Israel
is glad. Jacob are those who God chose
in Christ before the foundation of the world. Romans 9 says,
Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. To look at what
God says that all men, as he sees them, and it is all about
what God sees, but as he sees mankind, and that is utterly
sinful and wicked men. Oh, the depths of mercy that
come from him to set his love on some Jacobs from before the
foundation of the world. God hates wickedness and pride.
So it is no wonder that he hated Esau. The wonder is that he loved
Jacob. But then it says Israel shall
be glad. Israel here is the Israel of
God. Scripture says they are not all
Israel which are of Israel. Meaning just because they are
an Israelite by blood does not make them a true Israelite of
God. Those whom God chose from before
the foundation of the world, they are the true Israel of God. God will in time bring them to
him. It is what he came in this world
to do. So Jesus Christ has accomplished salvation. Jesus Christ will
reveal salvation to man. This he does through the preaching
of the gospel. That which I am doing right now.
God for those he chose will in time do a work for them in grace,
giving them life. But not just life for life itself. They are given life so that they
might hear the gospel and believe. This they will do when God is
pleased for this to happen. It will not happen before that
time and it will not happen after that time. What God does is sure. If you are a vessel created unto
mercy, there will come a time when this gospel will conquer
you. It will tear down those walls of rebellion that you have
built up against God, against his son, against his gospel,
and against his people. He will leave you exposed, naked
before him, with nothing for protection. If God does this
for you, You will come begging and crying for mercy and be glad
when he gives it. I hope that there are some who
hear this and this is the case for you. I pray that there are
those out there hearing this and they have that gut feeling
hearing his word proclaimed that they are just that close from
being destroyed in the holy justice before God. Knowing they cannot
abide in his tabernacle nor in his holy hill. Oh, the sweet
sound of the gospel to those ears. There is a place of refuge. It is in his tabernacle, which
is in his holy hill. Jesus Christ is that place. Oh,
that you might be found in him. I can tell you this because the
one speaking to you is one who has found refuge there. Knowing myself to be at enmity
with God as I am born in Adam. I know that it must be that he
died for me and rose to eternal life for me. If he did, I am
forever placed in him. That is, Jesus Christ, the tabernacle
and holy hill of God. I am glad he humbled me from
my pride, just as he did to Nebuchadnezzar, so that now, instead of crying,
if that is who God is, I don't want a God like that. to saying
this Daniel 4 and verse 37 now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol
and honor the king of heaven all whose works are true and
his ways judgment and those that walk in pride he is able to abase
which will also lead us to doing this Psalm 9 and 11 Sing praises
to the Lord, which dwelleth in Zion. Declare among the people
his doings. Oh, his work, and if it is any
work worthy of God, it will be his work. Because we have no
good works apart from him working in us, both to will and to do
of his good pleasure. But those works of his we proclaim. We sing praises to him. We lift up our voice in supplications
to him. So if there are those who are
listening to that might say, I have turned over a new leaf
and now I am living holy before God. So now I can dwell there
in his holy hill. Throw your works into the dung
pile, because that is where they belong. Scripture says that even
our righteousnesses are as filthy rags in his sight. You might
look really good before men, but men are not going to save
you. It is the sight of God that matters. The only thing God sees
as righteous, that which he calls his righteousness, is Jesus Christ
the Lord. Drop your works now and bow down
to this sovereign Lord who does all things right. May it be that
he has been pleased to abase you, because we know from scripture
that he is able to abase. The question for most of us should
be, will he? You will not come to him bringing
your works in front of him because he will destroy you. It must
be that Christ has stood in your place and that when God sees
you, he sees his son, Jesus Christ. Therein will the righteousness
of God be seen by God and there alone. Any other way and you
will fall. If there are those out there
that might say, I have made my decision for Jesus, so now I
can dwell in his holy hill. Your decision means nothing to
God. God does not ask us to make a
decision. God has chosen those for whom
he was pleased to love. So it is all up to his choice.
You must plead to him for mercy. But if you are those who lift
up your fist in defiance against God, the one that chooses and
has placed his tabernacle in his holy hill, he will destroy
you. The fact that you do not believe
it does not at all affect God in what he has said. The fact
that you do not believe this will in no way change God's mind. The fact that you do not believe
this in no way disannoys God's word. His word is forever. The fact that you do not believe
this just confirms to scripture to be the truth. Because the
scripture says there is none that seeketh after God. There
is too much pride in that simple wicked heart. Lay down your arms against God.
If you can do this, then he has given it to you to do this. If
he has, you will gladly take side with God against yourselves,
knowing that this is the only thing that is just and right
as it concerns you and your capital crimes against him. Sin is a
capital crime against God. The scripture says, the soul
that sinneth, it shall die. This will never change. Either
you will die that eternal death for yourself or Jesus Christ
died that death in your place. God will not at all acquit the
guilty. Sin must be paid for and the
only place of safety is if he died for you. We have all sinned and come short
of the glory of God. We have read that in two places
in the Old Testament, Psalm 14, and then in Romans chapter 3.
We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. Again, this
is what God says in His Word. You can fight against it all
you want, but it's not going to change what God has said.
He is a just God, and justice must be satisfied. It is saddening to see those
who fight against this. Knowing that I am born just as
everyone else was, dead in trespasses and in sin. Knowing that this
evil, wicked heart, the one we read about in Jeremiah, The heart
that is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. We can't
even know it. But knowing that all they need
to do is to bow down to him and believe him and they will be
saved. But with men, this is impossible. Because they are
dead and cannot see it no matter how hard they look. but God be
thanked. There are some whom he will bring,
he will bring you low. He will humiliate you. He will
bring you low and he will reveal himself to you, humbling you. If he does, you will see this
very God I am proclaiming to you today and you will be glad. You will not be able to get away
from it. You will cry out. Thank you God that Christ is
your tabernacle and thank you God for providing salvation and
righteousness which dwells in your holy hill. You have brought
salvation down to me in your anointed, in your anointed. The
shepherd and bishop of our salvation has come to Zion. Praise your
holy name. Now, just a reminder, at 12 noon
on WVVACW, you can hear a portion of one of our Sunday morning
messages. You can tune in and listen to one of those messages.
Or, if you can, come here and be with us. We're just a little
past Little Beaver State Park on Annabel Lane. We start at
10.30. Come hear Jesus Christ and Him
crucified ProCoin.