Alright, Deuteronomy chapter
12. We'll read several verses. Deuteronomy
chapter 12, verse 8. Ye shall not do after all the
things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right
in his own eyes. For ye are not as yet come to
the rest, and to the inheritance which the Lord your God giveth
you. But when ye go over Jordan, and dwell in the land which the
Lord your God giveth you to inherit, when he giveth you rest from
all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety, then,
then shall there be a place which the Lord your God shall choose
to cause his name to dwell there. With thither shall ye bring all
that I command you, your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your
tithes, and your heave offerings of your hand, and all your choice
vows which ye vow unto the Lord. Ye shall rejoice before the Lord
your God, ye, and your sons, and your daughters, and your
menservants, and your maidservants, and the Levite that is within
your gates forasmuch as he hath no part nor inheritance with
you. as you read Deuteronomy chapter
12. And especially as you read Deuteronomy
chapter 12 verses 8 through 12. If you think of a piece of property
and you think of a temple made with cedars and firs from Lebanon
and with stones hewn from the quarries, then you're thinking
wrong. You're thinking wrong. Well,
first of all, the salvation of God in Christ and the salvation
of God that is in Christ is also by Christ. Amen. Many say or
speak about salvation being in Christ, but they don't teach
the salvation is by Christ. Amen. But the salvation of God
that is in Christ and by Christ does not leave the saved on the
outside. The salvation of God in Christ
and by Christ brings us to the inside. It brings us into the
promised place of rest, of inheritance, of safety, of worship, of rejoicing,
all these things. Now the word worship's not mentioned
there, but when you talk about bringing all these offerings,
that was an act of worship back then. So again, the salvation
of God in Christ doesn't leave people on the outside, it brings
us into rest, into inheritance, into safety, into worship and
rejoicing. Deuteronomy 12 was never fulfilled
in the Old Testament. Did you know that? They never
fully had rest. because this rest, spoken of
in Deuteronomy 12, was pointing toward Him who is our rest. And you can read Hebrews chapter
four, verses one through nine, and the writer of Hebrews makes
that absolutely clear. That wasn't the rest that God
was really talking about. These things were picturing,
symboling, figuring someone and something greater to come. And
He has come. There are those who are now entering
into that rest. Because even a few hundred years
later, David confirmed it by saying, we haven't got there
yet. There remaineth therefore a rest in the people of God.
Now, read the text again in your mind's eye in light of this,
conversion and the central altar. Once you pass over Jordan, things
will be different. Right? Right now we're doing
what's right in our own eyes. Once you pass over Jordan, that
will change. Read now Deuteronomy 12 verses
eight through 12 in that light. Read it in light of the symbolism
that it conveys. Read it in light of the shadow
that it is. Those things were teaching those
folks lessons about something they wouldn't even get to experience. And read Hebrews 11. They didn't
receive the promise. Isn't that what it actually says?
They didn't even actually receive the promise. Why? Because the
promise wasn't talking about a piece of land. It wasn't talking
about physical safety and physical rest. It's talking about rest
in Christ, safety in Christ, dwelling in Christ. There's the
land. My title, as I've already given
you, is Conversion and the Central Altar. Now think about this. When on the other side of Jordan,
when on the east side of Jordan, all men, even the elect, You
know what I said? When on the east side of Jordan,
all men, even the elect by nature, we all do whatsoever is right
in our own eyes. That's the main cry against us. It's not simply man does wrong. Of course we do wrong by nature,
but our problem, we are so depraved, we are so rebellious, we are
so corrupt that we do what is right in our own eyes. You see that? That's our problem.
You see, the promised goal is rest, right? The promised goal
is inheritance. The promised goal is safety. The promised goal is worship. The promised goal is rejoicing
at the central altar. But not until the central altar. On this side of Jordan, there
is no rest. There is no inheritance. There
is no rejoicing. There's no safety. There's no worship. On the east
side of Jordan, we always, we all do, even the elect of God,
we all do what's right in our own eyes. Think of it, many heard
the promise. Go back to Hebrews now, chapter
four, just a couple verses there. And I want, pray God we see this. And this is where the Apostle
Paul is talking about that rest, specifically chapter 3 and chapter
4. But in chapter 4 he says this,
let us therefore do what? Fear. Lest the promise being
left us, and notice that us is in italics. And I thought, what,
what was promised being left, and what is this? Then I realized
what the word is really saying. If you look up the Greek word
for being left, you know what that is? To abandon. That's the
word, left. To abandon, to leave, to run
away from. Now read it in this light, let
us therefore fear lest the promise being abandoned You see it? Of what entering into rest any
of you should seem to come short of it. In other words, there
was to be no presumption here. This is a promise of God, but
it's only for those who cross over Jordan. Only for those who
by faith cross over Jordan because what does he say? For unto us
was the gospel preached as well as unto them. But the word preached
did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that
heard it. In other words, there were many
who heard the promise, but it was abandoned. It was abandoned. And if you look at chapter three
of Hebrews, it was abandoned in unbelief. They rebelled, and
those who rebelled in unbelief, he says, their carcasses rotted
in the wilderness. They were not allowed to even
cross over Jordan, Joe, let alone find rest, inheritance, safety,
worship, and rejoicing. Well, I've heard that all my
life. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. You could hear about the promise
all your life. It doesn't matter unless God
Almighty moves you into the promised land. As long as you or I dwell
on the east side of Jordan, we are doing what is right in our
own eyes. You see, their unbelief caused
their carcasses to fall on the outside. They could not. And God had swore in His wrath
they would never enter in because of unbelief. And you know, sometimes
that unbelief, go back and look at it. It's very subtle. I mean, it's not always, Mason,
it's not always, I hate God. No, sometimes it's great swelling
words of love for God. But there's no living faith that
back up those words. No things that bow you into the
dust and cry out, this promise must be carried out by God or
it won't be done. And you see, it takes an act
of God in grace and mercy to go from the outside into the
land. Did you read it? But, wait a
minute. Ye shall not do after all the
things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right
in his own eyes, for you're not yet as come to the rest and to
the inheritance, which the Lord your God does what? Offers you. No, he gotta give it to you. Look, but when you go over Jordan
and go over Jordan, you must. Yes, sir. And when you go over
Jordan and dwell in the land, why? Which the Lord your God
giveth you to inherit. You see it? In other words, this
is going to take an act of God. Here's one of the prime examples
of unbelief. Preacher of grace pointed this
out once. I knew it, but it's like all of a sudden, just like
a light bulb goes off. God said, go in and take the
land. Unbelief said, we can't do it. There's giants in the
land. Oh, it's a glorious land. Oh, look at the glory over there
in that land. But we just can't do that. We
can't do that. There's giants in the land. And
God said, all right, every one of you is going to die in the
wilderness. Every one of you that said this, you're going
to die in the wilderness. And then they thought, well,
that ain't good. We will go over now. And God said, no, you won't. You're gonna die in the wilderness. See how subtle unbelief is? When
God says go, unbelief says won't go. Can't do it. And then when
God says, all right, you're gonna die here in your unbelief, oh,
we will then go. Really? Really? See, it takes an act of the sovereign
God in mercy to bow us down to say, you know what? I'm going
across Jordan no matter what. Because when people went across
Jordan, not everybody lived to enjoy the inheritance of that
land, did they? Some died in battle, did they not, Mason?
Even to the extent that they were enabled to enjoy those pieces
of property. Not everybody got to do that,
did they? Even so much so is this true that it pictures Christ
that even Moses himself was not allowed to cross over Jordan.
And you know why? Because he struck the rock a
second time. When God said, you strike it
the first time, water gushed forth. Then God said the second
time, go speak to the rock. Moses took up his staff and hit
it. And God said, you're not going over. He got to view it
from the mountaintop. But that was it. So again, I
say it takes an act of God and grace and mercy to go from the
outside into the land. Once delivered from our own sight,
that's the first problem. Is to be delivered from the place
where we're doing what's right in our own sight and then moved
into the place to where God's gonna set up the central altar
to worship there. Do you see it? You see, rest,
to have rest, to have inheritance, to have safety, to have worship,
and to have rejoicing. God Almighty must deliver me
from me. It wasn't their enemies that
were the problem. God wiped them out at times,
Mason, with a... What was their problem? What's
my problem? Me. Me in here, that's my chief problem. I want to do what's right in
my own eyes. That's my problem. Oh, but bless
God when he gives you mercy and grace and parts the Jordan for
you. I mean, you done had the Red
Sea parted. Here's unbelief. You've done
had the Red Sea parted for you and now you're worried about
this little muddy creek. Huh? Think about that. The Red
Sea has been parted. They walked over on dry ground,
and Pharaoh's army has drowned behind them, and now they come
up to Jordan, and I've seen it, and it can't be a whole lot different
than what it was even then. In some places, you can wade
across that thing. John baptized in it. It couldn't
have been a roaring stream. Huh? No, all those enemies was
just an excuse. We don't believe God. Ah, but
when God Almighty calls you to cross Jordan, guess what? You,
the one who's been doing right in your own eyes, yes, you're
going to cross Jordan, but that was back then. And we were all
that way back then. You see, your problem is not
me. And my problem ain't you. Your problem is you. And my problem
is me. And if it wasn't for me, I wouldn't
have a problem. And for you, if it wasn't for
you, you wouldn't have a problem. We are our own worst enemy. Even God wasn't against us. He
was always for us. But we're so looking at what's
right in our own eyes, we won't acknowledge what's right in God's
eyes. Think about it. Here's what happens
when God begins to deliver an individual. Here's what happens
in conversion. We begin to see ourselves like
God sees us. And we begin to hate what we
once loved. You mentioned Romans 7, this
is what we're talking about. On this side of Jordan, we're
doing what's right in our own eyes. Now on the other side of
Jordan, we're still capable of doing what's right in our own
eyes. But all of a sudden, our eyes are being fixed on something
else now. The eyes are being fixed on the promise. There's
a glorious inheritance over there. There's a rest to be had. There's
a central place to worship. God's promised it. There's a
place we can rejoice, isn't it? And it says, I am going to head
toward that no matter what. We begin to see ourselves like
God sees us, and we begin to hate what we once loved. And
remember, even this is not something that happens one time and then
everything's fixed up. Here's Job, and Job was a man
that God himself said, this man fears me and avoids evil. Isn't
that what God said about him? You know, I shudder to think
that, I don't know that God would say that about me, Neil. But
he said that about Job, be that as it may. He said, this man
fears me, and he eschews evil. And look at all that Job went
through! But you know what, even at the end of that, you know
what Job said? He said, I've heard of you with the hearing
of my ear, but now my eyes, mine eyes sees what? You. Wherefore, I hate myself. And I repent in dust and ashes. There's crossing over Jordan.
Yes, sir. There's crossing over Jordan.
But not only that, we begin to see God as God is, too. Yes,
sir. You see, on this side of Jordan,
on this side of conversion, the elect, the elect, we all do what's
right in our own eyes. Exactly. But when God takes us
across Jordan, a new object begins to strike our sight. Exactly. The rest becomes vital, the inheritance
becomes vital, the safety becomes paramount, the worship is preeminent,
and the rejoicing is glad to be had. It's glad to be had. We begin to see God as God is,
begin to see his person, we begin to see his son, we begin to see
his gospel, and now we love what we once hated. And all of this
is working together. When it comes to us, we hate
what we used to love. When it comes to him, we love
what we used to hate. And it's just a reversal. And
it's all still there. But the priorities have changed.
Do you see what I'm saying? The priorities change. When God
takes you across Jordan, the priorities will change. They'll
change. We love what we once hated. This
must happen or we're still on the outside. Until this happens,
you're still on the east side of Jordan. And as long as you're
on the east side of Jordan, you can't claim anything. Think about it. When brought
into God's place of rest, then our own sight is no longer the
driving force. Our own sight's still there.
But it's no longer the driving force. That's why Paul said clearly
in Romans 7, now what I used to love, I hate that. What I
used to hate, I love that. Now sometimes, I don't even know
how to do that which is right. And he's looking directly at
the law when he says that. He said, you know what, I'm a
wretched man, but I have deliverance. through Jesus Christ. There,
he says, I can rest. There, I have an inheritance.
There, I find safety. There, I can worship. There,
I can rejoice. So when brought into God's place
of rest, in our own sights, no longer the driving force, there
is where grace reigns. Did you know that? There's where
grace reigns, and there's where love constrains. Paul says the
love of Christ constrains us. Now I've said it over and over
again, and I hope to get a hold of it like I should even myself,
but when you love something, you begin to spend time and emotion
and money and effort on it. Now don't you? If you really
love something, Neil, if you love guns, you're gonna spend
some time and some money on that, ain't you? If you love God, if
you love his gospel, if you love his people, you're gonna spend
some time with them, some money on them, some effort about it.
Even if you're like the widow, this can't throw in but two mites.
But she had thrown in more than all of the wealthy had thrown
in Mason with all of their wealth. Because she threw in all she
had. That two mites was nothing compared to most. But that's
all she had. She was willing to give it all.
You remember that little whore had that alabaster box of ointment?
I don't know, but I've read some of the people who studied a lot,
they said that probably was almost a whole year's salary. Mason,
I looked at that and I bowed down in shame. And she brought
that alabaster box of ointment and used it to anoint Christ
for his burial. Think about that. And that bows
me down in shame. I give a couple dollars and I
feel like I've done something. Think of it. Think of it. Oh,
when God takes you across Jordan, you'll begin to see yourself
for what you really are. I've constantly thought about
me, me, me, me. Here's what I think. Here's where
I stand. Here's what I think about this.
This is what I believe. Doesn't matter about all that.
What does God say? Because by nature, we all do
that which is right in our own sight. And think about that statement,
when it finally hit me, Joe, to do what is right in your own
sight. You see, even when we think we're
doing the best that can be done, God calls it abomination. The prophet Isaiah said that
even our righteousnesses are as filthy rags in God's sight. The question is not, what do
I see? The question is not, how do I
see things? The question is, what does God
see? The question is, how does God see things? Oh God, help
me to see that. Oh God, there's where grace reigns. And let me tell you something,
when God saves a sinner, grace has been reigning. Now grace
reigns eternally, but grace reigns, begins to reign individually
when God Almighty breathes life into a dead alien soul. And when
He breathes that life into a person, He breathes that life into a
person for a reason. That's so they can hear the gospel
and believe Jesus Christ and follow Him and serve Him. That's
what it's about. That's what crossing over Jordan
is all about. There's where grace reigns and
love constrains and the spirit of God buds forth and blossoms
fruit. We begin to rest. Even while
we labor. Mason, there's a conundrum right
there. And look at Hebrews 4 again. Enter into rest, and whoever
enter into rest, to cease from his own works, even as God did
for his. Labor, therefore, to enter in. Now think about that.
Why? Because it's not a labor with
these. It's a labor in here. It's about taking sides with
God against myself. It's about acknowledging before
God that what I see don't matter. It's what God sees that matters.
What I expect don't matter, it's what God expects that matters.
Oh, there's where it's at rest. Inheritance, safety, worship,
rejoicing, and now one more thing. One more thing, together. Look back at that, back at... Deuteronomy 12, eight through
12, specifically verse 12. Now I didn't say, I'm not talking
about rest, inheritance, safety, worship, rejoicing, all goes
together. It does all go together. But
I'm talking about all these things and together. It says, and ye
shall rejoice before the Lord your God. Most of you. Or a good part of you. Huh? Now this rest, This inheritance,
this safety, this worship, this rejoicing is for who? You, your
sons, your daughters, your menservants, your maidservants, and even the
Levite. In other words, there are no
exceptions. Now think about this. The only
sheep that is alone is a lost sheep. Think about that. The only sheep that is alone
is a lost sheep, because that's why he's alone, he's lost. That's
why he stays alone. Now granted, he can't save himself,
but he's still lost. That's the only reason you're
alone. I don't need to be with God's people. Then you're a lost
sheep at best. Maybe not even a sheep at all,
at worst. because even the sheep, when
they're alone, that's because they were lost. As he goes out,
the good shepherd goes out and finds the sheep, lays him on
his shoulder, and rides, walks, I'm sorry, all the way back home
to that sheep. And when he gets home, he says,
rejoice with me. Do you think that sheep's not
gonna rejoice too? Huh? I tell you what, that sheep,
he gonna frolic with the rest of the sheep that's already been
brought home. Now ain't he? The sheep gonna frolic together.
And let me tell you, I don't believe in, well, he goes out
and saves me and I run away again, you gotta come back and save
me again. No, it don't work that way. Our Lord put it this way,
and other sheep I have which are not of this fold, them also
I must bring, therefore I know, Neil, they gotta come in, because
he gotta bring them there. Roy Jr., he said, that's my job.
That's not the sheep's job. He said, that's my job. And he
said, there's gonna be one shepherd. Now how many of us believe there's
really gonna be just one shepherd? We believe that, don't we? Deuteronomy
12 talks about that one central altar, right? But you know what
he also said before he said even the one shepherd, you know he
said there was gonna be one more of? One fold. Didn't he? Now bless God, if
you're in that fold, you will be with other sheep. Because
that's where the sheeps are at. Huh? You can't help but be around
them because that's where all the sheepies get brought through.
One fold. and one shepherd, and the one
fold is just as absolute as the one shepherd. In other words, found sheep gather
together and worship together and rejoice together. It's just
the nature of the thing. Turn to Philippians 3. You notice,
it's nothing new. Philippians chapter, somebody
said, you're just saying the same old thing over again. I
can't help it. It's all I got to say. Philippians 3, finally
my, what's that word? Fellow sheepies. Right? Finally my brethren. Now if somebody's
really your family, if they're your brethren, you want to be
around them. because this is a different kind
of family here now. These are a bunch of lost sheep
that's been found. They have the one shepherd now,
the central altar that if you all worship the central altar,
you're gonna have to meet up every once in a while, ain't
you? Don't you think so? If there's only one place you
can worship and rejoice and rest and find inheritance and find
safety, you're gonna have to meet with one another there.
some kind of togetherness, whether it's this, or whether it's calling
one another on the phone and talking every once in a while,
whether it's writing a letter or texting a text, somehow, Mason,
you're gonna have contact with other sheep. You're gonna wanna
have contact with other sheep. You can't help it, because you
all go to one place to worship. You're gonna meet up somewhere
or another, ain't you? Why does he say, finally, my
brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you,
to me indeed, is not grievous, but for you it is, uh-oh, what? Safe. Isn't that what we've been
talking about? Safe. Now what? Beware of dogs. Remember all those, even in that
promised land, there's abominations spread forth by the enemy. Ain't
it? You go there and you tear them
things down. Paul says, watch out for them. They're around,
they have to beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware
of the concision, for we ought to be the circumcision. Is that
what that says? No. No, it says, for we are.
For we are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit and
rejoice in Christ Jesus and all of that way about doing
what's right in your own eyes, we know what that's all about
now, don't we? Exactly. It's not that it ain't
still there. You carry that right across Jordan
with you. Yes, sir. But you know what it is now.
Yeah. You know what it's about now. You know the evil of it
now. You know the sin of it now. You know the degradation of it
now. You know the dishonor to God of it now. We rejoice in
Christ Jesus, and we have no confidence in the flesh. Why?
God's crossed us over Jordan. This thing is different now.
You see, salvation is real. It's not theoretical. And it's
not just for heaven. Salvation begins now. Rest, inheritance, safety, worship,
rejoicing, and together all starts now. If you're actually alone, then
evidently you ain't at the central altar. Huh? Because if everybody who's worshiping
this God his way is worshiping at the central altar, eventually
you're gonna cross paths. Ain't that just the way it is?
Huh? It's the way it works. Can't
help it so much so that Paul puts it this way. Turn to 1 Corinthians
12. I'll give you one verse and then you look at the context
later. No member of Christ's body can dwell alone. You know what I said? Oh, you may
try, but it won't work long. You'll be miserable. You'll be ashamed of yourself.
there'll be no true safety or peace experienced, felt, even
felt. Why? Here's why. Look at verse
21, just this one verse, and look at the context. He's talking
about what? Christ is the head, we're the body, right? So much
so that in Ephesians, Paul says we're bone of his bone, flesh
of his flesh. That is togetherness, is it not?
Huh? And all of us, not just some,
it's not just the preacher and a couple deacons and a few of
the really faithful Christians at Crow. No, it's all of us if
we're in Christ. This is all true of us. We're,
he's the head, we're the body, we're members in particular,
but then look at what it says, and the I cannot. Do you see what that says? If
the I can, then evidently it ain't really an I. The eye cannot say into the hand,
I have no need of thee. Nor again the head to the feet,
I have no need of you. Why? Because you're a part of
the body. You know better. Can't do without the other parts.
Christ's body is a unified whole. And that's why he tells us in
Ephesians, endeavoring to keep the unity of, it's there. We
just often don't see it. We're so, it's that we're so
blind. We don't see it. We're so careless
concerning it. And I'm not talking about just,
I don't mean just coming here. If this was all it was about,
then we don't even have to, why do we meet every week? You see
what I'm saying? It's not just about coming here.
That's not really what I'm saying. I'm saying God's people rest. They find inheritance, they find
safety, they worship and they rejoice together. And they're
glad for occasions like this when they can physically get
together. It's a part of the rejoicing. You know, if it pains
you to be here, you might as well not be here. And I've kept
saying that, kept saying that, and our crowd keeps getting smaller
and smaller. Doesn't it? But bless God, he's
weeding them out. Ain't he now? I mean, if you're
going to stay around here, you're going to have to have a, like
Earl used to say, a backbone like a saw log. And you're going
to have to quit wearing the emotions out here on your shirt sleeve.
Because eventually, one of the other things, you'll quit wiping
your nose on your shirt sleeve. And you'll run to Christ. And
you'll grow up and be somebody, be a man in Christ, be a woman
in Christ. And you'll quit your belly aching
and crying and complaining about yourself. Why? Because self does
what? It does whatsoever is right in
its own eyes. Faith says, I'm gonna follow Christ, even if
it means going into battle, and I have to die while my brothers
or sisters live. Right? That's right. Jericho was a great victory,
was it not? But there were other times, Mason, when some of them
suffered. And then sometimes, even in the land, they failed,
didn't they? But ain't it, it's a whole lot
better to fall and stumble in the land than it was when you
was falling and stumbled outside on the east side of Jordan. And
I'm not saying it's okay to fall, but you're gonna fall in the
land. Even when you're brought into Christ's back spirits, you're
still gonna fall. But it's better to fall there
than to fall on the outside. Because as long as you're on
the outside, you've got no right to claim what's on the inside. Again, I say no member of Christ's
body can dwell alone. It's impossible. You can't do
it for long. You just can't do it. It'll eat
at you. It'll nag on you. You miss a
Sunday or two. Just missing a Sunday or two,
and guess what? Bad weather comes, and I feel like I'm backslid.
It snows a foot and you can't even get here and you feel like
something's been missing in your life. It ain't just coming here
and me preach. It's the fellowship of the saints
together to worship together and rejoice together. To fight
together, to be in the war together. In other words, let me sum it
up. Either grace reigns over me and in me or I am without
grace. But when we believe in sovereign grace, it ain't just
God's sovereign to start it, and then, well, we'll just make
it to heaven. Joe's message is the summary to what I'm saying
now. Go back and listen to Joe's message again. Once God lays
a hold of you, he never lets you go. He never takes his hand
off of you. He may withdraw his restraint
of you in certain things, but he never takes his hand off of
you. It says, though the righteous fall, Huh? He shall not be what
utterly cast down. Why? For the Lord upholdeth him
with his hand. That lets me know that when I
failed, Joe, I was fallen in his hand. I'd rather fall in
his hand than to be fallen out here. Now, I don't want to fall,
but you will fall. You'll fall. Thank God. When
he converts you, you're falling in his hand. I like that, don't
you? That is rest. Is it not? That is an inheritance. There's
some safety. There's some worship. There's
some rejoicing together. Because I ain't no better than
you. You know, people really got this idea that the preacher
is supposed to be, he's the light of the world. at least the light
of the church. That ain't so. Christ is the
light of the world. Christ is the light and head
of the church. I'm just a good example of what it is to be a
sinner saved by God's grace. That's what I am. And so are
you. So are you. So there is rest.
There is inheritance. There is safety. There is worship. There is rejoicing, but within
only. only on the inside, only in the
land. Do you see what I'm saying? And
only at the central altar. When you go into the land, God
will establish the central altar. Now we know he has established
the central altar now. You see, you either worship Christ
or you don't worship at all. It's that way. And I mean it.
You either worship Christ or you don't worship. It doesn't
matter what you say with your mouth. They could stand on the east
side of Jordan and talk all day long about how great it's gonna
be once they're in the land. If you didn't go in the land,
where did you die at? On the other side. That's the way the
scripture puts it. Your carcass fell in the wilderness. Now that's a big difference between
the people that's promised and God, through an act of God, get
to go into rest, Joe, and a people who's just called a carcass.
You think God thinks the same way about everybody? You know? Rot and die and rot
in the wilderness. I don't want to die and rot there.
Do you? You know where I want to die?
In faith. That's where I wanna die, in
faith. Because Hebrews, it sums all them people up. All of those
great men and women who, what does it say? Conquered kingdoms,
wrought righteousness, stopped the mouth of lions. But every
one of them did what? Their life is summed up, huh?
These all died, how? In a flame of glory. That ain't
what it's all about. No, these all died, how? In faith. Oh, to be found in Him. not having
mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but the righteousness
which is of God by faith, by the faith of Jesus Christ, to
be found in him. So there I say it, there's the
rest, there's the inheritance, there's the safety, there's the
worship, there's the rejoicing, and it always takes place together. Don't you remember? One of the
prophets said, Lord, I'm all alone. Now he didn't want to
be alone. So this idea that I can be alone if I want to, if you
want to be alone, you've got a problem. He said, Lord, I'm
all alone. And what did God say? No, you're
not. Don't care about how you feel,
it's not how you see it, it's how God sees it. And he's saying,
you ain't alone, I got 7,000 more. Right? Now how many percent more is
that? Somebody add that up. That goes up into what? 7,000%
more? What is it? Somebody figure it
out real quick. Here's one guy, he thinks I'm all alone. God
said, no, I got 7,000 more like you. You know, that's the way
it is. How many times do you look at
us and say, boy, this ain't much? I mean, really, come on now.
Maybe you don't ever do that, but I'll tell you, I do. I say,
this ain't much. I've been preaching here for 30 years. The more I
talk, the more people leave. If I'd have just shut up, Neil,
from the first Sunday, maybe I'd have had more people around.
You know what, may have had more people around, but you know what,
we'd have had a whole lot more error, a whole lot more lies,
and a whole lot more trouble than we even have now. Because
the truth wouldn't have been proclaimed. There'd still been
abominations in the land, and we'd still been walking everybody
after what's right in their own eyes. You see, that's where it's
at. It's good to dwell in the land.
It's good to rest. It's good to see some experience,
some inheritance. It's good to have safety. It's
good to worship. It's good to rejoice. Together. I don't want to do this alone.
Do you? Do you? If you do, God might
let you taste that. And then you'll wish you didn't
taste it. Oh, Father, help us. Teach us these things. Reign
over us and reign in us, Lord, by your grace. And ask it in
Christ's name. Amen.