All right, turn to the Song of
Solomon, chapter 8. The Song of Solomon, chapter
8. I'll read one part of verse 5
for this morning. Song of Solomon, chapter 8, verse
5. Who is this that cometh up from
the wilderness leaning on her beloved. Notice that the question is not,
look to who? We do not look to any man or
any woman. We look only to Jesus Christ. But the question is, who is this? that cometh up from the wilderness,
leaning on her beloved. That's my title. Who is this?
Who is this? First of all, this is someone
with a beloved. Yes, sir. That's right. There
are a people in this world that have Jesus Christ as their beloved,
even from all eternity. Amen. The scriptures are clear.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. who
have blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places
in Christ, according as he has chosen us in him before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before
him in love. And who is this Christ? He is
the beloved, the one in whom we were accepted even before
the foundation of the world. Men talk about accepting Christ,
but that is not the language of Scripture. Exactly. Men and
women must be accepted in the Beloved. Amen. And anyone who
ever finds the Beloved as theirs in time had Him as their Beloved
even in eternity, even though they did not know so. Who is
this that cometh up from the wilderness? It is one for whom
Jesus Christ stood as the beloved even before the foundation of
the world. And this is also someone with
the beloved that's in covenant union with them. Paul says, I
speak of Christ and the church of a mystery. What is that? It
is Christ and his church. The church rather is Christ's
bride. She is the one that's loved of
Christ and brought into intimate union with Him. Who is this that
cometh up from the wilderness? Who is the one that leans upon
her beloved? Only one who has Him as their
beloved. Secondly, this is someone who
is in the wilderness. Did not God say He found His
people where? In a waste, howling wilderness. And God's portion is his people. Someone says, well, that's talking
about Israel. That's exactly right. And he
doesn't mean by that, those were simply Jews. Because they are,
and this is true, when Paul penned it, didn't make it so, he penned
it because it was so. He said, they are not all Israel,
which are of Israel. Who is this that cometh up from
the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? It is someone who
is in the wilderness. Here's the question, have you
ever been shown that you're in the wilderness? That's the question. A lot of people claimed to have
been saved, and they've never been lost. A lot of people claimed
to have been clothed, they've never been stripped. The first
thing, one of the first things God does in our experience in
time by grace is He shows us that we are in the wilderness.
Yes sir, that's right. You don't just start believing
the doctrines of grace. One of the first things you believe
from God's holy word is there is none righteous, no, not one.
There is none good, there is none that understandeth, no,
not one. They're all together become unprofitable. That's where we begin. We begin
in the wilderness. Mason, he was my beloved before
eternity, but when Adam fell, he cast us all into the wilderness. And all men are there by nature,
but not all men know that. Exactly. Think about this. Christ came to where we were
terrestrially. Yes, sir. He actually came down
to this ball of dirt in God's universe. Yes, sir. Look at what
it says. Turn to, what is it, Luke chapter
2, and listen to these words. I know usually you don't hear
these words except around what is called Christmas time. Now
think about it, he came, who is this that cometh up from the
wilderness leaning on her beloved? So where are they both? In the
wilderness. And he came down to this wilderness. Listen to what it says. In Luke
chapter two and verse eight, and there were in the same country
shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock
by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord
came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about
them, and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them,
fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,
which shall be to all people, not just to some Jews. but also
to some Gentiles. Not just to men, but also to
women. Not just to the rich, but also
to the poor. Not just to slaves, but also
to the free. For unto you is born this day,
look at it, in the city of David. Mason, he came down to this waste,
howling wilderness. And he did so in a body of flesh. He was born and is said, thou
shall call His name Emmanuel. Because that means what? Interpreted,
it means God, think about it, with us. God with us. Christ came to where we are representatively. Look at what Paul said in Romans
chapter eight, in just one verse there. He came to us representatively. Romans chapter eight verse three,
for what the law could not do in that it was weak through the
flesh, God sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh
and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh. I heard a preacher
say some things several years ago and it stuck with me for
a long time. Think of this, the God of all
glory, and I'm not quoting him now. but the God of all glory,
that God that Isaiah, remember seen in the temple high lifted
up? And smoke filled the temple? That God of glory that Ezekiel
saw in that great magnificent vision with the wheels turning,
and Mason, and the lightnings, and the flashings, and the thunders,
this God came down and joined himself to the stink of human
sweat. And I don't say that to try to
be brash or anything. That God came down and that God
joined him to human excrement. Think of that. He came back to
where we were in the wilderness, made in our likeness. Here is
one who was impeccable. Here is one who was holy. Here
is one who was sovereign. And yet he had flesh just like
my fallen flesh, though he did not have sinful flesh. His flesh
was just like mine. His flesh was just like yours.
Christ came to where we are representatively, yet he was still fully distinct.
Look at Hebrews chapter seven. And somebody says, preacher,
explain all this to me. I can't do it. I'm not here to
explain it. I'm here to proclaim it. That portion Joe was talking
about. Whosoever liveth and believeth
in me shall never die. There ain't no explaining that.
He didn't ask Martha, do you understand that? He said, believe
us thou this. Listen to what it says, Hebrews
chapter seven and verse 26. For such an high priest became
us. He was made like us. For such
an high priest became us. Yet look at what it says, who
is holy. harmless, undefiled, separate
from sinners, and made higher than the heavens. And he did
not need to daily offer up sacrifice for his own sins. He had no sin,
in him was no sin, and he did no sin. Yet he came to the wilderness
where we were. Not only did He come to us terrestrially,
not only did He come to us representatively, but Jesus Christ came to where
we are as we are. It says in Luke chapter 15 verses
one through seven, it says that public and sinners came to Him
to do what? To hear Him. They came to Him
in the beginning to eat with Him. Then they started gathering
to do what? to hear him. Oh, when a man or
a woman begins to get an ear to hear and an eye to see and
a heart to perceive, they will not be able to get away from
the word of God. Will not be able to escape it.
It says he came and what did he do? He gave this parable that
if a person has a hundred sheep and loses one and it's lost where? in the wilderness. What does
a good shepherd do? The good shepherd goes himself,
where? Into the wilderness, where the
lost sheep is. And he searches until he finds
that sheep. He lays it on his shoulders and
he brings it all the way home. It's no wonder I can't help but
lean, Joe. He's got me up here. You see
that? Can't help but lean Paul when
he puts me up here Mac when he lays me on his shoulders. All
I can do is rest Rest on him think of it The Apostle John,
it said, lay on his breast at the supper. Now, it doesn't tell
us all this, but I can picture in my mind's eye, he's laying
there, and Joe, he's feeling the rise and fall of the breathing
of the Son of God. You imagine that? And he's laying
there and possibly even as the dishes were clanking and they
were eating that Passover and possibly when a really quiet
moment come, Mason, he could even hear thump, thump, thump,
thump, thump, couldn't he? Laying on the breast of Jesus
Christ. Oh, that I and you might be able
to lay on his breast by faith. You know why? Because he's not
far away from you if you're a believer. He's got you on His shoulders.
He's pulled you. He's drawn you in amongst His
breast. Jesus Christ came to where we
were as we were. He did not look for any fitness
in us. He did not look for any merit
in us. He came to where we was in a waste howling wilderness
full of sin and deceit and hate and corruption. He came to where
I was and he rescued me. He came to where you were and
he rescued you. Yet the truth is we are still
in this wilderness. isn't it? Who is this that cometh
up? Not has come up. Who is this
that cometh up from the wilderness? Even the apostle Paul said these
words and let me read them. I just want to read Romans, I'm
sorry, chapter seven. Paul didn't write John did he?
He wrote Romans. Romans chapter seven, verse 14. And look at the language. As
he is pinning these words, as the Holy Spirit is moving him,
Ellen, to write those words, look at what he says. For we
know that the law is spiritual. Does anybody doubt that he meant
that right in the present tense? Not the law used to be spiritual.
The law is spiritual. It was right in the present tense.
As I'm writing this, he said, we know. For we know that the
law is spiritual, but I am what? Carnal, sold under sin. Do you see it? We're still in
the wilderness. But thank God he's right there
with us in the wilderness. Look at what it says in verse
14. He says, these were not 14. Verse 18, for I know that in
me, that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. We're still in
the wilderness. But bless God, the beloved is
right there where we can lean upon him. Who is this that cometh
up from the wilderness, but doing what? Leaning. leaning upon her
beloved. Look what he goes on to say.
Verse 24, O wretched man that I used to be. Is that what he
says? No, as he's moved by the Spirit
of God, having been an apostle for a few years now. He still
writes, O wretched man that I am. Who shall deliver me from this
what? This waste-halling wilderness.
Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God
through Jesus Christ, our Lord. He came to where we are, but
thanks being to God, we are coming up from the wilderness. Are we
not? You know, I know you've heard
this before and I may not get it exactly right, but you know,
I am not what I used to be. and I'm still not what I ought
to be. But bless God, one day I will be what I'm supposed to
be. Amen. Jesus Christ has laid hold on
us and is bringing us up from the wilderness. We're leaning
on him. You don't work your way out of
the wilderness. You don't merit your way out of the wilderness.
The beloved must come to the wilderness where you are and
draw you unto himself. And when he does, you'll be glad
to lean. You'll be happy to lean. You'll enjoy in leaning. Thank
God we are coming up from the wilderness. Who is this that
cometh up from the wilderness? It's someone who's leaning upon
their beloved. And it's that simple. And yet
that profound at the same time. To lean upon Christ. You know,
think about it. Let me go to it again. All 12
disciples were not allowed to lay upon Christ's breasts. Is
that not so? One of those we know, one of
those was even a devil, an adversary from the beginning. Exactly.
Oh, but those who are God's, he's always near to us all. Amen. Think about it. No one
who has, this is not about someone who has leaned. Yeah, that's
right. A lot of people talk about, well,
I used to be in the wilderness. If you don't know you're still
in the wilderness, God ain't saved you yet. Because God, when
God first begins to reveal to you where you are by nature,
you will not get over that until you awaken His likeness. You
just can't get away from it. It's not one who has leaned,
it's one who is leaning. Who is this that cometh up from
the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? Secondly, those
who are leaning, lean only on the beloved. Amen, that's right. They need nothing else to lean
on. Exactly. Now I'm going to say a few things
to you, then I'm going to turn right around and say something
else that some people are going to think is a contradiction.
But I'm not coming up out of the wilderness because I attend
the gathering of the saints. That's right. But if you're coming
up out of the wilderness, you will attend the assembly of the
saints. I'm not coming about out of the
wilderness because I leaned on him. I lean on him because he is bringing
me up out of the wilderness. He has laid me on his shoulders
and he will carry me all the way home. And he will say, rejoice
with me. I have found my sheep that was
lost. Paul said this, beware of dogs. Beware of evil workers, beware
of the concision, for we are the circumcision that worship
God in the spirit and rejoice, where? In Christ Jesus, and what
else thirdly? And have no confidence in the
flesh. Why is it, Mason, that God continues
to allow me to see the corruption of my flesh? Why is that so? Why am I still so sinful? So
that, Sandy, I will not lean upon myself. Exactly. Because if you think you can
lean on yourself, you still ain't had eyes toward Jesus Christ. That's right. It's not that we're
not talking about someone who has leaned. Somebody says, well,
I believe the doctrines of grace. Aren't you still believing the
doctrine of grace? There you go. Well, I used to love the
Lord Jesus Christ. Don't you still love the Lord
Jesus Christ? That's it. And I'll tell you
this, we lean by faith. We lean by faith. How do I know
this? Because whatsoever is not of faith is sin. Now yeah, he's
talking about food and drink in that passage, Romans 14, 23.
But you know what he says? Whatsoever is not of faith is
sin. We lean by faith. We rest by
faith. We walk, hell, by faith. This leaning is faith. Who is
this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon their
beloved? Let me give you this. Now I'm
gonna give you a quote by Art B. Neuenswander. Some of you
probably remember Art. Some of you probably never met
him. But this is a quote that Earl was really blessed by and
he had Paul put it on the internet. And listen to what it says. Here's
what Art Neuenswander wrote. Do not mistake presumption for
faith. Faith must have the clear statement
of God. You hear what I said? Faith must
have the clear statement of God. Presumption, presumption is content
to assume things it supposes God might be or might do, but
without the clear word of God concerning it. Did you get that? That's a very good statement. And I'm gonna try to illustrate
this to you. And this will be the end of my
message. And this will be how short it will be. Now, I'm not,
it's gonna be a few minutes here. But here's the message. Who is
this? Who is this that cometh up out of the wilderness, leaning
upon her beloved? I want to know, am I really one,
Joe? I don't want to presume I'm one. Don't we read of those who presumed
and shall knock? And Jack, they're gonna expect
to get in. And the Lord of glory, the beloved,
will turn them away. That frightens me. This is serious
business. This ain't about just making
some profession of faith. And let me tell you, oh God,
give us an understanding. Open our understanding. Now listen
to me, before I even, I'm gonna give you some illustrations of
this. Let me read it again. Do not mistake presumption for
faith. Faith must have the clear statement
of God. Amen. Presumption is content
to assume things it supposes God might be or God might do,
but without the clear word of God concerning it. Yeah. Have
you ever thought to myself, oh, if I could concentrate more.
Have you ever thought that? It ain't about your concentration.
No where in this book does it ever tell us concentrate. It
says hear. It says submit. It says bow. But yet we, even we, even God's
people, we think that we can find some physiological thing
to help us hear the word of God. Now don't we? I've even heard
it here. We think we might find some psychological thing that
we can do to help us really hear the word of God. No, then opened
he their understanding. Or we might think we might find
some sociological thing. I got to twiddle my thumbs. I gotta do this, I gotta do that.
No, you're leaning upon yourself. You are not leaning, that is
presumption, not faith. Faith says, oh God, open my eyes. Oh God, open my ears. Oh God, open my heart. Think
about it, let me give you a few illustrations of things that
are presumption rather than faith. Here's a person who says they
believe in God, and they may well believe in God, because
even we can presume. Even a true believer can presume,
but presumption is not faith. Give you an illustration. Oh
God, I gotta have a job, and right down yonder's the job I
want, I'm trained for that, I'm gonna go do that. Then I trust
God that he'll just work everything out for me once I do that. That's
presumption. That's presumption. Does he not
say, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness? Then all this other stuff, even
stuff as simple as clothes on your back, food in your mouth
and drink in your mouth. Leave all that up to God. Trust
God for that because he doesn't tell you where you got to go
work. He didn't tell you which store you gotta go to buy your
groceries. He didn't tell you which store
you gotta go to to buy your clothes, but he does say, seek ye first
the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Well, I will go find, I will
get that job right down there, then I'll just trust God will
open up some place for me to go. That's the wrong approach.
And I'll tell you what, in my small repertoire of people I
know, I've not seen one person that's approached it that way
that's ever benefited from that. Tell me one. Anybody, I'm right
now. Tell me one that's benefited
from that approach. Why? Because it's presumption
and not faith. Faith must have the clear statement
of God. It believes God's word. Joe,
it's not our ultimate authority. It's our only authority. And faith leans on nothing more
and nothing else than God Almighty's promises in His word. You don't suppose He's promised
something to you and then say, I'm gonna believe that God's
gonna give me that. He ain't promised you nothing like that.
Hope is connected with faith and hope that is seen, it ain't
hope. It ain't hope. What about this?
I've seen this happen. I've seen this happen. Well,
I'm gonna find me a spouse. And when I found me a spouse,
I just prayed God that they come to be a believer. That's presumption. That ain't faith. Oh, it may
sound good. I'm gonna trust God that he'll bring him to the faith,
Joe. No, that's what he said. He says to believers, where are
we supposed to marry? In the Lord. in the Lord. That's the difference between
presumption and faith. I'm going to do this, then I'm
going to presume. You call it faith, but I'm going
to presume then God will make everything okay afterward. It
don't happen that way. It don't happen that way. That's
the difference between presumption and between faith. And whether
it be for your children, whether it be for your health, whether
it be for everything, no matter what it is, it's always Christ
and his truth, Christ and his gospel. Seek ye first the kingdom
of God and his righteousness. Then God will add to you what
you need. Now let me stop and say this,
you believe God, and you believe his word, and you believe his
promises, you will not get what your flesh desires. You will
get what God knows you need. But that's the problem with us
and our flesh. We wanna get what we want first, and then just
presume, and yet call it faith, well now God's gonna work all
this out. Well, it's after all Romans 8, 28, it's true, ain't
it? All things work together for good. You're exactly right.
And what he's going to do is bring you back down into the
dusty mud of this waste howling wilderness once again, so that
if you were ever leaning on him to start with, you will lean
on him again. Because if you ever get to that
place where, well, I, I used to lean, then you ain't leaned
his first time. Exactly. I don't care whether
it's your job. I don't care whether it's a spouse. The scripture says two cannot
walk together except they be agreed. They gotta agree first
before they can even walk together. Now, you are not going to contradict
God Almighty's truth and make something else so and then call
it faith. It's presumption. Oh, God save
us from presumption. Well, I've gotta have a place
to live. I need a house. I'm just going to go, and I just
trust God. I believe God. Based on what? Where does he
tell you that you are supposed to have your own house? Where is it at? He says if you
forsake everything, you'll gain a whole lot more than you lost.
Houses, lands, and everything. But that's not personal possession.
That's union with the people of God. We have a small group
here, but I know this. If my wife and I lost our house
today, I know I wouldn't have to live in my car. Do you believe
that? Do you believe that? I believe
that. Now that's believing God. That's
believing God. Mason, if I lose my job today,
when I go back to work, they say, this place is closed down.
Joe, I don't have to worry about whether I'm gonna have some food
in my belly. I'm sure there's enough people here that love
God that can say, we're gonna let them people go hungry. Don't
you think so? That's just the way it works.
But we want to presume rather than just believe God. What did
our Lord say? Turn to Matthew. And you know this passage, Matthew
chapter 10. And I'm not even gonna read the
first part of it. Preached on that I don't know how many times.
Matthew 10 verse 37, these are our Lord's own words. He that
loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. And don't let that word worthy
frighten you. This is not the worth of merit.
This is the worth of condition, what God Almighty's made you
to be. That's what this is talking about. He that loveth father
or mother more than me is not worthy of me. He that loveth
son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that
taketh not his cross and followeth after me is not worthy of me. And he that findeth his life
shall lose it. And he that loseth his life For
what? Not for self's sake. This is
not self-sacrifice. This is Christ's sacrifice. For
his honor, for his glory. He that loseth his life for my
sake shall find it. He that receiveth you receiveth
me. So don't come and tell me you're
a believer but you don't care about being with God's people.
It don't work that way. It is not so. Well, but there are exceptions.
Prove to me one. Prove it. I'm based on what this
says. He that receiveth you will receive
me. If you receive somebody, that means this. That means this. I have hammered on this and hammered
on this and hammered on this, and you know what? I cannot change
it one lick. But we preach the truth nonetheless. Why is it here? Why is love so
important? Go back now to what the passage
I mentioned to you, Matthew chapter six, verse 24. Get ready to close
down here. Listen at it. No man can serve
two masters. Now does anybody think they can
contradict that rule? You cannot. You might think you
are, but you won't be. No man can serve two masters.
That's just as much inability as John 6, verse 44, no man can
come. This is just as much inability,
just as much absolute negativity. No man can serve two masters.
Four, either he will hate the one and love the other, or else
he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot. Ye cannot
serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, take
no thought for your life. What? Take no thought for your
life. What ye shall eat or what ye
shall drink, nor yet for your body. Oh boy, how many of us
just said, I've got to work out. Now I'm not trying to preach
against working out. But let me tell you, the scripture
says this, bodily exercise profiteth how much? Little. It will profit
you. I'm not saying don't do it, but
it's not going to bring you closer to God. It's not gonna make you
healthier. God Almighty determines your
health. God Almighty, I know people that's
been exercising and while they're running, exercising, drop dead
of a heart attack. So that rule don't follow fast.
Does it not? Our life, our being, our very
subsistence, what we eat and drink and even put on our backs
is all determined by God. Well, I'm gonna do this and I
know God's gonna bless it. That's presumption, not faith. Now look, let's go on. what ye
shall drink, nor yet for your body what ye shall put on. Is
not the life, is not the life, not this life, is not the life.
Is not the life more than meat and the body than raiment? Behold
the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap,
nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feedeth them.
Oh, how that brings me down to the dust. They got just a little old bitty
nest that they build and live in. And who give them that ability?
God Almighty give them that knowledge, that knowledge to build that
little nest to live in, lay their eggs in. Are ye not much better
than they? Now let the people that like
hugging trees and animals deal with that one. Look at it, which
of you by taking thought, now here you go, well, I'm gonna
set my mind to this. No, sir, that's presumption,
not faith. Which of you by taking thought
can add one cubit under his stature? Our Lord was tough. He made sure
he used illustrations you couldn't break down. I might come up with
one, you might fight against it, but I dare you, try to fight
against that one. But you know that most of us,
as far as I know, almost everyone, as we grow older, we don't get
taller. We reach a certain height, and you know what happens? We
start to bend over and stoop and get shorter. That's what
I've heard them say in the medical field, right? Oh, if I was only
six feet tall, you'd just be that many more inches full of
filth and corruption. If you're 5'5 now and you're
six foot tall, you'd just be that many more inches of corruption
and filth and deceit. Oh, if I was 50 pounds lighter,
you still would be full of filth and corruption and deceit. You
thought I was going to say something else, didn't you? If I was 50
pounds heavier, no, lighter. And look, and why take ye thought
for raiment? Yet how many times have I? How
many times have I? I'm not preaching down at you.
I'm saying, let's beware that we're not exercising presumption
rather than leaning on him by faith. That's what I'm saying.
Because look, he's talking to God's people here. Look, consider
the lilies of the field, how they grow. They toil not, neither
do they spin. And yet I say unto you that even
Solomon in all of his glory, and we can't even relate to that
because we've never really seen it, you know? I mean, you remember
when the Queen of Sheba came, she said to half what he told
me. But yet our Lord says concerning these, even Solomon in all of
his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, now
he's getting to his conclusion. concerning this little point
in his sermon. Wherefore, if God so clothed the grass of the
field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall
he not much more clothe you, O ye of little, what? Faith. All this has to do with
faith. Believe God concerning what he
says, not what you assume. Believe God concerning what he
says directly in his word. Again, do not mistake presumption
for faith. Faith must have the clear statement
of God. Presumption is content to assume
things it supposes God might be or that God might do, but
without the clear word of God concerning it. And I'm talking
about my presumption as well as your presumption. And it goes
on and says, therefore, take no thought, saying, what shall
we eat? Or what shall we drink? Or wherewithal
shall we be clothed? For all these things do the Gentiles
seek. For your heavenly Father. That's how I know he's talking
to believers. Talking to believers. So I'm
not asking you to feel bad about yourself. Just be ashamed of
yourself. You don't have to feel bad. If you don't feel bad about
yourself all the time, there's something wrong with you. When
I wake up in the morning, I drive to work, and I'm driving to work
by myself, and I'm listening to a 45-minute gospel message,
and sometimes, Mason, as I'm listening to that glorious truth
of God, I feel as though I'm so unclean and undone and unworthy
of everything, even to have the job I'm going to. And yet I can
sit around and worry about whether I'm gonna have my job or not.
Look at what he says. For your heavenly father knoweth
that ye have need of all these things. And let me tell you,
he'll give it to you in proportion as to the way he's designed.
For your best and for your good. If it means you lose everything
and you gotta depend upon the charity of your brothers and
sisters in Christ. People say, I don't wanna accept
charity. That's the only kind I got. Everything I got, God's
given me. Everything. My house, my cars,
my clothes, my food, my breath, my heartbeat, God Almighty's
given that to me by charity. I've not earned a dime of it. Oh, God help me. And then he
says, but seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. And that's the whole plethora
of it. whether it's that righteousness he bestows upon men in Christ
Jesus or that righteousness in which we're to walk to honor
him. It includes it all, not just
one part of it. But seek ye first the kingdom
of God and his righteousness and what? And all these things
shall be then what? Added. In other words, faith
has its priorities straight. Presumption. has its own priorities. And it's about me. Or it's even
about other people. It ain't even about other people.
It ain't even worried about what other people gonna eat and gonna
drink. God'll take care of it. Believe him concerning the clear
statement of scripture. Take therefore, this is tough,
no thought. He didn't even say Mason little
thought. Do you know how impossible that is to do? You hear what
I said? How impossible that is to do?
That's why we still need repentance. That's why repentance is a good
thing, not a bad thing. Take therefore no thought for
the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of
itself. And I would think, after this, he would say, everything
will be okay. Now, wouldn't you? Isn't that
kind of the way everything's going? You seek first the kingdom
of God, all these things will be added to you, right? Seek
the kingdom of God, His righteousness, all these things will be added
to you. But look at how he sums it up. Sufficient unto the day
is the evil thereof. You know what he's telling us? When you seek first the kingdom
of God and His righteousness, all hell will break loose. That's what he's saying. Don't
think then that everything's gonna be hunky-dory. Don't think
that everything all of a sudden's gonna be fine. Why? Because God's
gonna give you what he's ordained for you, not what you want. And then he starts talking about
not judging others. Now you think there's some kind
of connection there? Huh? Now see, what most people want
to do is don't even mention anything. No, he's saying about not mention
it. He said, you got a problem, okay, your brother's got a problem,
deal with your problem first, then you can help your brother. We see all this flowing. Again,
that's what I said, I'm not up here preaching down to you. I'm
preaching to you as one that's in the wilderness just like you
are. And it's he that had to come and get me just like he
had to come and get you. And he has to bring us up out
of that wilderness. And when we come up out of it,
it's only gonna be by how? leaning on Him. Who is it that leans on Him?
It's the one that loves Him. We make a lot of faith, and rightfully
so. But Paul said in Galatians 5
verse 6, faith worketh by love. And another, I like, there's
another word that I like better. Now maybe that's fine for you,
but it's faith is energized. That's the Greek word. Faith
is energized by what? Love. Love, and I'm not talking,
it's not talking about L-U-V. It's talking about love for this
right here. This right here. Because again,
we have a more sure word of prophecy than some great vision that you
could have. It's this word right here. And
when you believe this word, then that is faith. When you just
say, oh God, I'm gonna do whatever I want and you take care of me,
that's presumption. And Mason, I think that's pretty
simple. But you know what? It's so hard to walk in. How many times have I called
my presumption faith? And then there's times when I
thought I presumed, but I was just resting on the word of God.
That's faith. You know, let me just give you
one last example. We hear a lot about ADHD in our day, right? I'm not a doctor. psychologist,
let alone a psychiatrist. And I would not dare say that
that's not a real malady. But you know what? Not only can
you not find physiological things that's gonna help you spiritually,
you can't find psychological things to help you spiritually,
nor can you find sociological things to help you spiritually.
You're not gonna find pharmacological things to help you spiritually
either. Well, that person, that little
child, if you give them a pill, they'll be able to listen to
the preacher better. That's a lie. That's a lie, because it's gonna
take a work of God to open their heart-minded ears, whether they
got ADHD or not. I mean, there was a man that
was a lunatic. They'd bind him with fetters
and chains. He'd break them and run around
naked in the tombs. And we still think today that
was just back yonder. No, we're still doing that today. I will not be bound. Oh, but
if we just give them some pill, or give them some sociological
thing to engage in, or some physiological thing to engage in, or some psychological
thing to engage in, they'd be better off. They might be better
off in this world. But they're not gonna see anything
spiritually until God Almighty does what? Casts out the devils,
and then, and then only, will you find them clothed, sitting
at the feet of Jesus, and in their right mind. It still takes
a work of grace just like it did for that fellow back younger.
And that's just the way it is. Mason, does hearing aids guarantee
that you can hear more of the word of God? I wouldn't tell you not to wear
your hearing aids, but your hearing aids ain't gonna improve your
spirituality. And yet we think that way sometimes. Don't we? Give me that little pill, it'll
calm me down. It just drugs you. Drink you a fifth of whiskey,
it'll probably do that too. Huh? And you don't even have to have
prescription for that. Now that was not a bit of advice, that
was a sarcastic remark. But it might be some good advice. Now that's on that tape, isn't
it? Oh Father, help us in these things. We are so prone to look
who is coming up from the wilderness. rather than asking the question,
am I one? That's coming up from the wilderness.
Oh, God calls us to lean on Christ. And we know by your grace, it
will be so in his name. Amen. Maybe that last part won't go
on TV.