Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. Men are natural-born idolaters. They always design and serve
gods which think like they do and reward the behavior they
most like to exhibit. They know exactly the habits
and whereabouts of these gods and worship and serve them according
to a schedule which suits their own activities. David says that
the one who is the true and living God does exactly as he pleases
in the heavens and the earth. He is never surprised, disappointed,
or lonely, nor does He ever stand in need of anything. He is perfect
and complete in all of His ways, glorious above the imagination
in His person, and totally satisfied at the unfolding of His purpose.
He lacks nothing that His creation can supply, nor can He be made
more or less glorious by anything that they may provide or do,
or neglect to provide or do. David said, He hath done whatsoever
he hath pleased. Now if that be true, then it
behooves us to ask, wherein is the Lord's pleasure? He has pleasure
in selecting a people to be called by His name. For the Lord will
not forsake His people for His great name's sake, because it
hath pleased the Lord to make you His people. The Jews thought
that those whom He was pleased to call His own were members
of a certain race or tribe. Though Israel was chosen for
a season as a type and foreshadow of the sons of God, the true
elect sons of God have always been a remnant out of every tribe
and tongue on the face of the earth. Their number has never
increased nor diminished. Number two, He has pleasure in
righteousness. I know also, my God, that Thou triest the heart
and hast pleasure in uprightness. This cannot be discovered in
men, for even our righteousness is as filthy rags in his sight. Is it any pleasure to the Almighty
that thou art righteous? Or is it gain to him that thou
makest thy ways perfect? Is not thy wickedness great,
and thine iniquity is infinite? He is of purer eyes than to behold
evil, and canst not look on iniquity. Number three, he has pleasure
in his son. This is my beloved son, in whom
I am well pleased. Hear ye him. The Lord Jesus Christ
is that one who is the delight of his Father. Behold my servant,
whom I uphold, mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth. And
he is the one to whom all of the promises are given. In Christ
dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Number four,
he has pleasure in the redemption of sinners. Yet it pleased the
Lord to bruise him. He hath put him to grief, when
thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin. He shall see his seed,
he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall
prosper in his hand. Since he was pleased to love
his elect and delight in uprightness, it has pleased him to offer himself
as a sacrifice for their sin. To declare, I say, at this time
his righteousness, that he might be just and the justifier of
him which believeth in Jesus. The Lord Jesus did not go to
the cross out of any obligation. We have redemption only because
of his good pleasure. And number five, he has pleasure
in the proclamation of the gospel. For after that, in the wisdom
of God, the world by wisdom knew not God. It pleased God by the
foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. The plain
gospel message is that God was in Christ, reconciling the world
unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them. The Lord
could have chosen any method or means of communicating this
glorious truth unto men that He desired, but it pleased Him
to raise up fallen men to be proclaimers of this glorious
truth, to lift up the name of His beloved and to preach this
word of reconciliation to the poor and lowly, the haught and
the lame, and those who are thirsty and hungry. Men are but clay
vessels in the hand of the Lord. He can raise them up or put them
down, open their mouths or shut them according to His good pleasure.
The preacher is but a means of communication to the minds of
men the glorious message that Jesus Christ has accomplished
the salvation of sinners. The power of God to bring life
unto dead sinners is still solely in His hands and applied directly
by His Spirit's power according to His sovereign will. Preachers
are used by him to bring the glorious word of reconciliation
to those he has thus awakened. What a privilege it is for any
son of Adam to be entrusted with this glorious message of hope
and peace. What a blessing it is both to
the messenger and the hearer. God is pleased to draw men unto
himself as this word is proclaimed and rebel sinners are brought
out of darkness and into the light of this glorious gospel.
For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and
ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded
the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts to give
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in
earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and
not of us. Do you rejoice in Christ? For
a free CD containing 15 of these radio broadcasts, send an email
to forthepoor at windstream.net.