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. I want to welcome you to our
broadcast this morning. If you would, if you have a Bible
handy, take it and turn to the 110th Psalm. That is the 110th
Psalm. If you don't have a Bible, but
you are listening, just listen as I read this chapter. Psalm
110, the 110th Psalm. We read in Psalm 110 these words.
The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand until I
make thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of
thy strength out of Zion. Rule thou in the midst of thine
enemies. Thy people shall be willing in
the day of thy power. In the beauties of holiness from
the womb of the morning thou hast the dew of thy youth. The Lord has sworn and will not
repent. Thou art a priest forever after
the order of Melchizedek. The Lord at thy right hand shall
strike through kings in the day of his wrath. He shall judge
among the heathen. He shall fill the places with
the dead bodies. He shall wound the heads over
many countries. He shall drink of the brook in
the way. Therefore shall he lift up My
title for this morning is this, and it's, it's like five words from Psalm
110 in verse three. Here's my title, Thy People Shall
Be Willing. That's my title and my subject
for this morning. Think of it, what a tremendous
psalm this is. Psalm 110, Messianic Psalm, as some call it. And rightfully
so, it's a Messianic Psalm. That means it's a psalm that
is a prophecy of the coming Christ. It was a psalm given hundreds
of years before Jesus of Nazareth ever came along. And it's clearly
recognized even by those who are truly in the Jewish religion
that hold to the Old Testament as the word of God was a messianic
psalm. It was a psalm prophesying the
coming of the Messiah, the coming of the Christ. But it's more
than a prophecy about Christ. Far more than just a prophecy
about Christ. Parts of this psalm, now think
about this. Parts of this psalm gives us brief glimpses into
the covenant conversation that the father had with the son long
before the world was made. Do you know what I said? I said,
parts of this psalm gives us brief glimpses into the covenant
conversation the father had with the son long before the world
was made. Now, I understand that someone
may break down what I just said there and say that doesn't really
jive or fit with the eternality of God. And I understand that.
If you know how to state it better than that, I understand. But
I'm trying to state it as best I can of something eternal, something
that never really had a beginning, but yet was and is. So again, I say parts of this
Psalm give us Brief glimpses into the covenant conversation
the father had with the son long before the world was made. And
we'll look at that here in a moment. But first, let's note the first
verse. Look at what it says. The Lord. Notice how it's spelled
there, the capitalization and all. The Lord, said unto my Lord. Notice that. Both of these words,
though, are used numerous times in the Old Testament to refer
to God Almighty, the creator of the universe, the God of Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob. Both words are. The Lord said
unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand until I make thine
enemies thy footstool. Now think about that. This phrase
here, this verse here, this sentence we might say here in Psalm 110
and verse one, this This verse is directly quoted or referred
to at least 13 times in the New Testament. You ever thought about
that? This one verse in Psalm 110 verse one is quoted or referred
to at least 13 times in the New Testament. Now I'm not gonna
give them all to you, but let me kind of summarize it. Think
about it. Five times it is directly quoted in the New Testament.
in the New Testament. The whole verse is quoted in
the New Testament. Also, not only that, Christ's
exalted position, that is thee, Lord, said unto my Lord, sit
thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
Five times, as I said, it's directly quoted in the New Testament,
but Christ's exalted position is referred to four times. And
the words are actually used. Thee, Lord, said unto my Lord,
sit thou at my right hand. But not only that. Christ's reigning
until all enemies are brought down is referred to some four
times. You see, it's five times directly
quoted. It is referred to, at least a
portion of the words, the Lord said unto my Lord, is referred
to four times, and then Christ reigning until his enemies are
brought down, made his footstool, are referred to four times. 13 separate times in the New
Testament that verse one of Psalm 110 is mentioned, but there's
Far more to it than just that. Far more to it than that. As
I mentioned before, as I mentioned before, this psalm, parts of
this psalm at least, gives us brief glimpses into that covenant
conversation. And it was far more than a conversation.
As I said, you could break this statement down and tweak it and
say you kind of faltered. I understand that. But parts
of this psalm give us brief glimpses into the covenant conversation
the father had with the son long before ever the world was. God,
in triunity, being eternal, the Father established what Christ
would do before time ever was. Now, let me show you this in
the scripture, in the New Testament. If you're following along, turn
to 1 Peter, chapter one, and listen to what Peter says, and
it's actually just one verse there, and I would encourage
you to look at the context, make sure I'm not taking it outside
of the context, but I want you to listen to what Peter writes.
First Peter chapter one, and yes, verse 20. It's speaking
of Jesus Christ. It's because it says in verse
19, let me read that too. But with the precious blood of
Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. But
then look, look at what it says. Who verily, that is truly, truly,
that's what it says. who truly or who verily was foreordained
before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these
last times for you. So I'm saying that everything
that Christ was when he came to this world, everything that
he became when he came to this world as a man, and everything
that Jesus Christ thought, and said and did was already dealt
with by God the Father long before the world was. You see it? Who
verily, truly was foreordained before the foundation of the
world, but was manifest in these last times for you. And then
not only that, look also at John chapter 10. And listen to what
our Lord Jesus Christ said in John chapter 10. Some amazing
words here. And remember, these are not the
words of some fanatical preacher. They're not even my words. I'm
just going to read to you and make a comment or two about what
Christ said. These are the words of Jesus Christ recorded in Holy
Scripture. And in John chapter 10, we read
these words, specifically verse 17 and 18. Listen to what it
says. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my
life, that I might take it again. Now look, no man taketh it from
me, but I lay it down of myself. Now, let me stop there a moment.
Men and women, evil men and women were guilty of the body and blood
of Jesus Christ. They crucified him and hung him
on a tree. But the power of his actual life
was in his own hands, was in his own hands. It says he gave
up the ghost. That's what this book teaches.
Hanging on that cross, he gave up the ghost. Yet men tortured
him and would have tortured him to death had they had that power. But look, look, amazing. Therefore
does my father love me. Because I lay down my life that
I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but
I lay it down on myself. I have power to lay it down,
and I have power to take it again. And then here's the word. Here's
the phrase I want you to look at. This commandment. Do you
see that? This commandment. have I received
of my Father. So again I say in my faulting
way. Again I say in my faulting way.
The parts of this Psalm give us brief glimpses into that covenant
conversation. The Father commanding the Son.
You have this right. Your life will be in your own
hands. You will lay down your life at
the moment I have commanded you to lay it down. What an amazing
thing to think of. Again, I say, God in triunity,
Father, Son, and Spirit, and God sending the Son in His own
likeness, in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned
sin in the flesh, but He did exactly what the Father had conversed
with Him about to do when He came. So again, I say, God in
triunity. being eternal. The Father established
what Christ would do before time ever was. And we read of that
solemn oath. It's an oath here. We even see
an oath. The Lord hath sworn. You see it? The Lord hath sworn. The Lord hath sworn. Think of
that. We read of this solemn oath the
Father declared of the Son ere time ever was. The Lord hath
sworn and will not repent. Thou art a priest forever, ever,
forever. That word in the Hebrew goes
back as far as it goes the other way. It goes one way as far as
the other. There is no particular starting
time, if I can put it that way. The Lord said unto my Lord, sit
thou on my right hand. I make thine enemies thy footstool.
That same Lord, the Lord, has sworn and will not repent. Thou,
that is this Lord who is to sit at his right hand. Thou art a
priest forever, forever after the order of God. of Melchizedek,
the Lord at thy right hand shall strike through. Notice the way
it's spelled. This is Jesus Christ. The Lord
at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his
wrath. Do you understand? God is love,
yes, but God also has wrath. God is compassionate and gracious,
but God is also holy. God forgives sin, but he only
does so through the sacrifice of his dear son. So again, I
say this, this solemn oath that the father declared to the son,
it was before time ever was. All things about Christ were
immutably predestinated with irresistible divine certainty. Do you understand that? That
everything Christ was, everything that Christ became when he became
flesh, when he was made flesh, and everything that Christ thought
and said and did was declared and predestinated by God immutably
with irresistible and divine certainty, so much so that Then
on one occasion, the Jews who were very, some of the Jews,
who were very angry at Jesus Christ, hated him. They hated
him. They did not believe that Jesus
the Messiah was indeed the Christ. They wanted him dead. But they
said with themselves, within their small group of, that small
group of high elite religious men in the nation of the Jews
of that time said, one thing we can't do is kill him on the
Passover. We just can't, we cannot, they wanted him dead. And they
said, we can't kill him on the Passover. Guess what day he was
crucified on? The Passover. And he had stirred
them up with the truth. No, he didn't have to put any
kind of evil in them. He just kept preaching to them the truth.
The truth. The truth. and it stirred them
up into such an evil, despicable hatred for him that he ended
up on the very day of Passover hanging on that tree. Again, as I say, all things about
Christ were immutably predestinated with irresistible divine certainty,
and take note, of another declaration of hope here to fallen humanity. Now, you hear what I said? A
declaration of hope to fallen humanity. We're fallen. Do you realize that? God ever
taught you that? I'm not talking about what Some
of these preachers, I'm talking about has God ever taught you
that you're fallen, that when Adam sinned in the garden, that
we were made sinners, and that everything we are and say and
do by nature flows from that corrupt nature, that corrupt
heart. Do you understand that? And yet
I say, I say this. that there is hope here in this
chapter. There is hope here in these verses
to fall on humanity. And my title and my subject is
this. Here it is, the last few minutes
I have. My title and subject is this. Thy people shall be
willing. You see that? Thy people shall
be willing. Listen to me now. This truth
This fact, this promise of God the Father to God the Son, this
is no less immutably certain, for its consummation depends
upon Jesus Christ. Do you hear what it said? Psalm
110, again, verse three. Thy people, who the Lord, capital
L, little o-r-d, the Messiah. His people, thy people, shall
be willing in the day of thy power. What a tremendous statement
of hope to someone like me. What a tremendous statement of
hope to someone like you, if God Almighty opened your eyes
to see it. and give you ears to hear it, and give you a heart
to perceive it. Again, I say, this is no less
immutably certain for its consummation because it depends on Jesus Christ. Divine power exercised, do you
hear what I said? Divine power exercised demands
consummation. God, my God, the God I serve,
the God of Holy Scripture, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. My God never tried to do anything. Never. My God never wants men
to do anything. My God has done whatsoever he
hath willed in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants
of the earth. And I am saying that scripture
declares to Jesus Christ, or to us, because the Father had
declared to the Son in eternity, thy people shall be willing in
the day of thy power and divine power exercised demands consummation. Now in the time that I have left,
let's examine this glory. Let's examine this phrase. Thy
people, thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. First
of all, here's the first thing. God, even God the Son, because
God the Father gave these people, those who are called thy people,
God the Father gave these people to the Son. You'll read that,
John chapter 10. You'll read that. God has a people. Think about this. Go back sometime.
I'm not going to read it. But go back sometime and read Acts
chapter 18 verses 9 through 11. And the apostle Paul had went
to Corinth to preach the gospel and had been preaching there
the gospel for some time. And began to experience great
opposition to the gospel he was preaching. And Paul began to
fear because people were coming very disturbed at the truth that
he was preaching. And the God of all glory, in
the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, came to Paul and said,
Paul, do not be afraid. He said, I have much people. That's when Paul first got there
and began to preach. He said, I have much people in this city. You see, if you're one of God's,
You've been one of God's since before the foundation of the
world. And that's just the way it is. I'm not here to debate
that, argue that. That's just the way it is. God
has a people. But listen to me now. God's people
have a plight. They have a problem. And their
problem is just like everybody else. They're unwilling by nature. Do you hear what I said? They're
unwilling by nature. Turn with me if you're following
along. Turn to Ephesians. The book of Ephesians, Paul's
epistle to the local assembly at Ephesus. And listen to what
the apostle Paul says there. He writes these words. Ephesians
chapter two, let's begin in verse one. And you, hath he quickened,
who were dead in trespasses and sins. The people Paul's talking
about here, what? Dead in trespasses and sins. That's not a good place to be.
That's not a good place to be. And you, as he quickened, who
were dead in trespasses and in sins, wherein in time past ye
walked according to the course of the world, according to the
prince of the power of the air. This is what your walk was like.
Whose walk? These people here that God had
quickened, those who were dead in trespasses and sins. Those
he had quickened. As a matter of fact, as he begins
writing to these people, he says that God chose you before the
world began, and he chose you in him, in Christ. He said, God
predestinated you, and that's before the world began, because
the predestination in the divine order actually came before the
election. He says in verse five of Ephesians
one, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children
by Jesus Christ himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.
So you see it? He says, wherein time passed,
you walked according to the course of this world. according to the
prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in
the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our
conversation as our way of life and time passed in the lust of
our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and the mind." That
word there, desires, you know what it means? Your will. This
is what our will was by nature. even the elect of God, even those
predestinated. That's why God had to elect them
and predestinate them, because they, in the fall of Adam, would
be just like everybody else. And that's what he says, among
whom also we all had our conversation in time past in the lust of our
flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and the mind, and
were by nature the children of wrath, that is, we hated God,
the children of wrath, even as others Verse four, see it? But God, oh, isn't that sweet? But God, who is rich in mercy,
for his great love, wherewith he loved us, even when we were
dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, and
Paul couldn't stand it any longer, he says, by grace are you saved. Do you see that? You see? I'm
saying that this is hope. Thy people, this is hope to fallen
men and women. Thy people shall be willing in
the day of thy power. God has a people. God did not
elect some based on their willingness. God elected them to be willing. Do you hear what I just said?
God elected them, he predestinated them to be willing in the day
of his power. Romans 9 is clear. When it comes
to God's mercy, when it comes to God's grace, when it comes
to the election of grace, he says this. Paul writes this in
Romans 9. It is not of him that willeth
or of him that runneth, but of God. that showeth mercy. I'm
here to tell you God has a people. Secondly, God has a people who
shall be, do you hear what I just said? God has a people who shall
be willing. Listen to what Paul wrote to
some believers, those who were chosen by God before the world
was, those who were predestinated unto the adoption of children.
Listen to what he says, Philippians chapter two, and listen to these
words, verse 12. Philippians 2 verse 12, wherefore,
my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence
only, but now much more in my absence. In other words, you
wasn't putting on a show. You didn't do this just when you
went to church. This is who you are now. It's who you are now.
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not in my
presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your
own salvation with fear and trembling. Now look, four, it is God. which worketh in you both to
will and to do of his good pleasure. Do you see that? Of his good
pleasure. Not only that, look at 1 Corinthians
chapter 15. 1 Corinthians chapter 15, and
listen to what verse 10 says. Paul writing says, but by the
grace of God, I am what I am. And his grace which was bestowed
upon me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than
they all. But then he says, yet not I. but the grace of God which was
with me. Not only that, listen to what
the writer of Hebrews says. Hebrews chapter 12, and listen
to these words. Hebrews chapter 12. I'm sorry, Hebrews, pardon me,
Hebrews chapter 13 verse 20. Now the God of peace, now the
God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus,
that great shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting
covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will,
working in you that which is pleasing in his sight through
Jesus Christ to whom be glory forever and ever. And he says,
amen, amen. So again, I say God has a people.
God has a people who shall be willing. But thirdly, God has
a people who shall be willing in the day of his power. You see that? In the day of his
power. Listen to me now. I got a question
for you. How powerful is your God? The
God you say you believe in, how powerful is he? Does he depend
upon you for your willingness? Or is he able to make you willing
in the day of his power? You see, my God is almighty.
That's what this book says. My God is almighty. That means
he has all might. He has all power. He has all
strength. He has all authority. He is almighty,
my God. never purposed not to be almighty. You ever heard somebody say,
well, I believe God's sovereign. I believe God's in control, but he just
purposed not to be sovereign and not to be in control all
the time. That's like saying God purposed not to be God. And
that is not only ludicrous, it is blasphemy. My God never purposed
not to be almighty and not to be God. And number four, he is
almighty over all. Psalm 76. Psalm 76, listen to
what Psalm 76 says. And verse 10, listen to it. Surely the wrath of man shall
praise thee. That's how much God's in control
of all this. Surely the wrath of man shall
praise thee. The remainder of wrath thou shalt
restrain. Now think about, chew on that
for a little while. Oh, I get what I'm telling you.
God has a people. God has a people. God has a people
who shall be willing. And God has a people who shall
be willing in the day of his power. And what is that? It's
the power to create life, spiritual life. Not just physical life,
but spiritual life. And you hath he quickened who
were dead in trespasses and sins. As God spoke this whole universe
into existence out of nothing, God Almighty will breathe upon
his people and work his sovereign power within his people by his
spirit to give them life from the spiritual dead, but then
he will also send his gospel by a man that he has appointed
to send his gospel, and they'll preach that gospel, and the spirit
will then come upon that person, invade them from within, and
bring them to bow to the feet of Jesus Christ. You see, God's
power in this making willing is wrought in that two-fold way.
He regenerates and he converts, and he regenerates by the power
of his spirit, and he converts by the power of the preaching
of his gospel, wrought by his spirit. God's power in this making
willingness wrought in this two-fold way in regeneration and conversion. Listen to me. There is never,
ever any exception. You hear what I just said? There
is never, ever any exception to this divine rule. Thy people,
thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. I would encourage you. Later
on today, Lord willing, 12 noon on the same station, WVBACW,
you can hear a portion of one of our Lord's Day Sunday morning
messages.