Open your Bibles, if you would,
to Numbers chapter three. Numbers chapter three. The name of the message is Sovereign
Grace. Sovereign Grace. God's grace
is sovereign. He rules over all. Our great
God is sovereign, therefore His grace is sovereign, therefore
His mercy is sovereign. He is absolutely sovereign overall.
There is nothing, nothing visible or invisible that is not under
His dominion, that is not under His rule. And the fact that we are saved,
is all according to the sovereign grace of God. The true and living
God. The one true and living God. And this is brought forth both
in the Old Testament and in the New. The fact that our God is
a sovereign God and that he's gracious to whom he'll be gracious
to. He'll have mercy on whom he'll have mercy. And compassion
on whom he'll have compassion. And we who are the people of
God, we are in awe that He has had compassion and mercy and
grace upon us. So let's look at a couple of
portions of scriptures, first in Numbers chapter 3 and Numbers
chapter 8, which bring forth the sovereign grace of God. Numbers
chapter 3 first, we'll read verses 5 to 8, and we see here the separation from amongst Israel
of the tribe of Levi. The separation, again, of the
tribe of Levi from amongst Israel for God's use. And we're seeing that it's God
who does this. And the Levites are to serve
God as priests. Now, did the Levites say, hey,
we'll do this. We're going to volunteer for
this, Lord. No, not at all. God chose them, out of all of
Israel, to be the priests. Look at Numbers chapter 5 verses,
or Numbers chapter 3, I'm sorry, Numbers chapter 3, verses 5 to
8. And the Lord spake unto Moses,
saying, bring the tribe of Levi near and present them before
Aaron the priest that they may minister unto him. So God tells
Moses to bring the tribe of Levi before Aaron so that they might minister unto
them. And look what else they do. And they shall keep his charge
and the charge of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the
congregation to do the service of the tabernacle. And they shall
keep all the instruments of the tabernacle of the congregation,
and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service
of the tabernacle. Now keep in mind, beloved, that
we are separated by our great God. That we are separated by
our great God from the rest of all the rest of humanity. Did we volunteer for it? No. No, we were rebels running the
other way, weren't we? In our natural state. And God
has chosen his people to serve him as spiritual priests. Turn,
if you would, to 1 Peter 2. God has chosen us, for the rest
of humanity, to serve him. We're serving him as spiritual
priests. Yeah, we're a chosen people by
God. God has chose us. And we know he did that in eternity.
God has separated us, beloved, from all the rest of the world. Was there anything in us that
made him say, well, I'm going to choose Wayne, or I'm going
to choose Neil, or I'm going to choose Jim, or Kevin? Was there anything in us? that made him do that? Absolutely
not. We had no merit at all, did we?
None. None. He looked at us and just
saw us in our sinfulness. And by his grace and mercy, he
separated us by choosing us in Christ. That's the key, in Christ. And if you're a believer, he
did that for you, too. Every single believer. He chose us
in Christ in eternity. Praise His mighty name. So we're
chosen people by God from before the world began. Now we can't
really take that in, can we? But it's truth proclaimed, isn't
it? It's a fact. Ephesians chapter
1 verse 4 brings that forth, that we're chosen in Him, in
Christ, before the foundation of the world. It's a state of
fact. It's not up for debate. Many kick against the pricks,
don't they? I did before the Lord saved me. I remember talking to somebody
one time. They tell me about election, and I said, you're
crazy. I told him that when I was in religion. I told him that
flat out. I said, you're crazy, man. He just looked at me and smiled.
And he said, well, one day you'll understand why. By his grace
and his mercy, I understand now. He went crazy. He was telling
me the truth. Oh, my. See, but I thought salvation
was all about what I did back then. And now I realize it's God who's
separated us. It's God who saved us, because
he chose us in Christ by his sovereign grace and his sovereign
mercy. Look at here in 1 Peter chapter
2. Look at this. Speaking again, Peter's writing
to born-again, blood-washed believers, right? He's not writing to the
world. He's writing to God's people. And he says this, but
ye, who's that? That's God's elect. But ye are
what? A chosen generation. You are
chosen out of your generation if you're a believer in Christ. God chose you. You know, people
say, well, God looked down through time, and he saw who would choose
him, and then he saved them. No, that's not true. That's a
lie from the pit of hell. Because God looked down through
time, and we're all just a bunch of miserable sinners. And out
of each generation, he chose us. That's what this means. Isn't that amazing? Chose to
bestow his grace upon you, so that you and I are just receivers
of his mercy and his grace. Think of all the people in our
generation. Millions of people. And he chose you and I, if you're
a believer. We'd just stop right there, couldn't
we? Because we can just think about that for the rest of the
week, or the rest of our lives. But we won't. I mean, we won't
stop there. Hopefully, that just keeps staying
in our minds, that we are a chosen generation, all because of the
grace of God and the mercy of God. Now, look at this. A royal
priesthood. A holy nation. Do you feel holy? We don't feel holy, do we? But
the scriptures declare that we're a holy nation. Peculiar people. That ye should show forth. What's
the design of God saving us? that ye should show forth the
praises of him, God, who hath called us out of what? And notice
who called us out of it. We didn't say, well, I'm going
to make a decision now to walk with Christ. No, he called us
out of what? Darkness. That's what we were in. Have
you ever walked around your house or outside when it's pitch black? I've told you guys, I like to
leave a little light on so I can see where I'm going at night.
Now lately I found out my phone is perfect for that. If I just
hit it, the light's the way, I can just, so I'm not tripping
over my dog or the cat, right? Because I've done that before.
I'm sure we all have some time. But so, so we have a light now.
But you ever notice when it gets really dark, it's a thick darkness,
and you can't see a lot? You can close your eyes and try
to have your eyes adjust to the darkness, but it's still really
thick. It's even darker than that. We
were in utter darkness. We were so blind, we couldn't
see nothing. We were in the darkness of our
sins. Look what it says here. Who called
us out of that? Who did it all? Well, God did,
right? That ye should show forth the
praises of him who hath called you out of darkness, past tense. We were there, we're now out
of that darkness. Isn't that wonderful? Now our
paths are lighted. Lighted by his word, lighted
by he who is the light of the world. My oh my. And into what? His marvelous light. The light
of knowing who Christ is. We were taken out of that dark
spiritual darkness that we were in, dead in trespasses and sins. And now we are quickened by the
Holy Spirit of God and made alive in Christ. Bought from the darkness
that we were in to the marvelous light of the Lord Jesus Christ.
All according to his sovereign grace. all according to his sovereign
mercy, all according to his will and purpose, which he purposed
in himself. It's wonderful, isn't it? And
then look at verse 10. This is wonderful. Which in times
past were not a people, that's speaking of our natural state,
right? But are now the people of God.
How? By God's amazing grace. which had not obtained mercy,
but have now obtained mercy." Look at that, present tense. We who believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ have present tense obtained mercy. Isn't that wonderful? And that's the mercy of God.
That's the sovereign mercy of God that we have obtained. Do we deserve it? No. Do we merit it? No. Does God give it? Yes. How does he give it? According
to his sovereign grace. According to the free and sovereign
grace of God, he gives us mercy, he grants us faith to believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ. God the Father chose us. The
Lord Jesus Christ redeemed us by his grace. And God the Holy
Spirit calls us out of the darkness of our sin into the marvelous
light of the Lord Jesus Christ. How praise his mighty name. He
didn't leave us where we were, beloved, because we're his people. Now with that in our minds, let's
turn to Numbers chapter 8. And we'll read verses 5 to 7
in Numbers chapter 8. keeping in mind the sovereign
grace of our great God, the almighty sovereign grace. Now, God's grace,
no one can stop it. No one can stop the sovereign
grace of God. I like to say irresistible calling is invincible calling. You cannot resist it. When God
calls one of his sheep, that sheep can't resist. Why? Because we're made willing
by the power of God in the day, in the time of love. I ask you, when God called you
to Christ, did you run to him? Did you go from being in darkness
to being in spiritual light? Did you have an understanding?
Although it was very little, right? And still is. Even the
oldest Christian are, what we know, just a little wee scratch. We can't get proud about what
we know in Christ, can we? It's just a little scratch. But
thank God he's revealed that to us. And think of, the Bible
is all that God's, just what God's revealed about himself.
There's even more about him we don't even know. Norm Wells said that one time
to me, and I said, Norm, that's outstanding. He said, there's
so much more we don't even know about our God. And he just chooses
to reveal this little bit to us. My, how great is our God? Well, we can't even comprehend
it. The one who controls the snow
falling from the sky, The one who controls the water going
up and coming down. The one who, the clouds are the
dust of his feet. The one who spoke this whole
world into existence. The universe, everything we see,
just by the word of his power. And beloved, that's our savior. The word of God. He's the one
who saved us by his grace. And that's sovereign grace, isn't
it? That's sovereign mercy. Oh my. And we've obtained it,
we didn't earn it, we didn't deserve it, we didn't merit it,
but we've obtained it by the grace of God. In Christ Jesus our Lord. All
because, all because the Lord Jesus Christ died for us on Calvary's
cross according to the sovereign will and purpose of God. And
because God, by his free and sovereign grace, chose us in
Christ. And Christ redeemed us. He purchased us, beloved, with
his precious, precious blood. It's done. Trust in him. Trust him when he says it's finished. It's finished. Rest in that truth. Rest in that proclamation by
the Son of God. By the word of God incarnate,
as far as our salvation, it is finished, praises mighty name. Oh, what a great God we have.
What a great God we have. Look at this in Numbers chapter
8. Look at this in verses 5 to 8. And the Lord spake unto Moses,
saying, take the Levites from among the children of Israel
and cleanse them. And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse
them, sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave
all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make
themselves clean. Then let them take a young bullock
with his meat offering, even flour mingled with oil, and another
young bullock shall thou take for a sin offering. Let us never
forget. That is, we read the Old Testament
scriptures, we read the accounts of the Old Testament, that all
these things happen to them for types and for our learning. For our learning. Turn, if you
would, to 1 Corinthians chapter 10. 1 Corinthians chapter 10. Beloved of God, all the Old Testament
teaches of the Lord Jesus Christ. There's types and pictures and
shadows of his wonderful work of redemption, which he accomplished
at Calvary's Cross. Look at this in 1 Corinthians
chapter 10. We're reading a rather long portion here, but that's
okay. 1 Corinthians chapter 10 verses
1 to 12. Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be
ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all
passed through the sea." How did they pass? How did they pass
through the Red Sea? God parted the sea, didn't he?
And they walked upon dry ground. That's a picture of the mercy
of God, isn't it? That's the sovereign grace and mercy of
God on full display. And his people passed right through
that to the other side, didn't they? On dry ground. And what
happened to them Egyptians? What happened to the enemies
of God when they went flying in there? And then chariots,
I'll tell you what, those chariots, they were war machines. They
had archers with them. A guy riding a chariot, archers
with them. And they were deadly with their
aim. They had honed their skills, beloved, in many battles. Nothing to the Lord. Is there
anything too hard for the Lord? Is there any enemy that will
threaten our great God? Absolutely not. And the enemies
of God are devoured, are destroyed when that water just falls upon
them. And that pictures the wrath of
God, beloved, falling upon unbelievers. Remember their wheels fell off?
How'd their wheels? Their wheels all of a sudden just start falling
off their chariots. I'll tell you what, they keep
them chariots in expert shape. All of a sudden, the wheels just
start falling off. Well, we know who made those wheels fall off,
don't we? Off they fell. Can you imagine them gypsies
looking at that water? And all of a sudden, it just
starts closing in upon them. And they vanish. The enemies
of God vanquished. God's people walking on dry land,
safe. and secure, because their great
God kept them that way. Our great God kept them that
way. He keeps us that way, too. And they were all baptized into
Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and did all eat the same
spiritual meat, and did all drink the same spiritual drink. For
they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them, and
that rock was Christ. But with many of them, God was
not well-pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
Now these things were for our examples, look at that, for our
learning. 1 Corinthians 10 verse 6, now these things were for
our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil
things as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as some
of them, as it is written, the people sat down to eat and drink
and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication,
as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty
thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ,
as some of them tempted, and were destroyed of the serpents.
Neither murmur ye, as some of them murmured, and were destroyed
of the destroyer. Now all these happened unto them
for what? Examples. Look at that. That we might learn from what
they did. And they are written for our
admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore,
let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed, lest he fall. My. So the Old Testament teaches
us of the Lord Jesus Christ. And in the two passages we looked
at there in the book of Numbers, we have a type of the sovereign
grace of God in the salvation of his people. God chose Levi
out of all of Israel. And they are a priesthood set
apart by God for that purpose. And they picture, again, the
elect of God, like we saw in 1 Peter 2, verses 9 and 10. They picture the elect of God
who being made righteous kings and priests unto God. How? By Christ's substitutionary death
upon the cross. and all according to God's will
and purpose. We are predestined to be conformed
to the image of the Son, beloved, who is the King of kings, our
great high priest, the Lord, our righteousness. So think upon this. When we look
at God's dealing with Levi, we are seeing God dealing with the
sinner, saved by grace. and appointed
to a lofty service unto God. Again, we're kings and priests,
serving our great God, to offer acceptable sacrifices
by Jesus Christ, all according to the sovereign grace of God.
Everything goes back to Christ, beloved. And remember, the only
one who made Levi to differ, that tribe to differ from all
the other tribes, is God. Who made you to differ from anyone
else in your generation? Who made me to differ from all
my family and friends and the people of my generation? Who
made us to differ? God, and God alone. He's the only one made us to
differ. It's a will and purpose of God that sinners are saved,
that they're separated from the world and called according to God's
wonderful calling. The first thing we see in Levi
is in his nature. Turn if you would to Genesis
chapter 49 verses 5 to 7. We see the kind of people that
make up God's priesthood, and how we
were in our natural state. Genesis chapter 49, we see the
characterization of Levi and his brother. Genesis 49 verses
5 to 7. Simon and Levi, our brethren,
instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. Look at that,
verse 5. Simon and Levi, our brethren,
instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. O my soul, come not thou into
their secret, unto their assembly, mine honor. Be not thou united,
for in their anger they slew a man, and in their self-will
they dig down a wall. Cursed be their anger, for it
was fierce in their wrath, for it was cruel. I will divide them
in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel." So Jacob here was referring
to the deceitful and murderous actions which Levi took against
Shishun. The son of Hamor in Genesis chapter
34, turn over there if you would. Shechem, the son of Hamor, had
defiled Dinah, Jacob's daughter, and Simon and Levi's sister,
and they were going to extract some revenge. These two brothers after they
had struck a deal with Shechem and Hamor that all the men in
the city would be circumcised, went in after those men had been
circumcised and they were recovering in pain and they killed them
all. Genesis chapter 34 verses 25
and 26. Look at this. And it came to pass on the third
day when they were sore that the two that two of the sons
of Jacob, Simon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, took each man his sword,
and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males. They
just slaughtered them. And they slew Hamor and Shechem,
his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of
Shechem's house, and went out. They went and delivered their
sister, didn't they? And they extracted revenge. for what Shechem had done. And
Jacob proclaimed that these two men were wicked and cruel. We
saw there in Genesis chapter 49 verse 5, Simon and Levi are
brethren, instruments of cruelty in all their habitations. And
that's what he's speaking of, what we just read. That's why
he called them instruments of cruelty. And Jacob proclaimed that His
honor could not unite with them, nor would he enter into their
secret. Brother Tim James brings forth that this is a picture
of the relationship of the holy God with sinful men. His eyes
are too pure to behold us, to behold evil. And he will no
wise clear the guilty, will he? He cannot have anyone evil in
his presence. And he will no wise clear the
guilty. Now, there was another man known to the early church
who wasted the church, caused havoc. And he was present when
they stoned Stephen. And he even gave consent to the
stoning of Stephen. And this man, beloved of God,
he sought to crush the church. He sought. to destroy the church. He sought to remove it from the
face of the earth. That was his intentions. You know what his name was? Saul of Taurus. And the grace of God came upon
him, and he wrote, this is a faithful saying, worthy of all acceptation,
that Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners, of whom
I'm chief. That same man who sought to destroy
the church was a receiver of the grace of
God. In another place, he wrote this, unto me who am the less
than the least of saints is this grace given, that I should preach
among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, The Apostle
Paul and Levi in the Old Testament, they were the same in their natural
state, weren't they? We're all the same in our natural
state. Levi didn't know that his tribe
would become the priesthood of God. And by his actions, we wouldn't
say that, would we? Paul, the last thing that people
who were working with Paul would think was that the Lord would
save him. He who was breathing out cruelties
and slaughtering the church. And yet he was an object of divine
mercy and did not even know it. He had no clue. So the Apostle Paul and Levi
in the Old Testament were the same in their natural state.
Levi and Paul were examples of what it takes to save cruel,
fierce, wicked men. The sovereign grace of God. The
only one who made them to differ is God. Bring it home. The only one who made us to differ
is God. Is God. Beloved of God, Only
the sovereign, majestic, free, and sovereign grace of God will
suffice to save a man or to save a woman. Only the grace of God
can turn such men into trophies of God's grace. And our prayer
is, oh Lord, draw in your lost sheep. Show lost sinners their
desperate need for you. And the people praying that,
are but saved sinners. And our desire is, O Lord, please,
please save souls. And He does, all according to
His grace and His mercy. And you and I who believe are
trophies of God's grace. We can testify that the only
one who made us to differ is is the same one true and living
God who made Levi to differ, and who made Paul to differ,
and who's made every single saint of God to differ from all the
other people that they lived with. By nature, every one of us have
been weighed in the balances and what? Found wanton. Remember that Old Testament?
Thou has been weighed in the balances and found wanting. The
story in the Old Testament in the book of Daniel. My, oh my. But praise be to God. God had
mercy and grace upon his people. His blood-washed saints, the
purchased one of Christ, have been declared in Christ righteous, qualified for heaven, all according
to the mercy of God. Now that should put a spring
in our step, shouldn't it? Not because we deserve anything,
because we don't deserve any of that mercy. As a matter of fact, if we got
what we deserve, we'd be in hell, wouldn't we? But God has mercy on his people.
Truly, this is sovereign grace on display. Because by nature,
we're all vile sinners. We're all God-hating rebels.
That's what the scripture says. You know what natural man's describe
like this. This is a biblical description
of natural man. Destruction and misery are in
their ways. With their mouth, they have used deceit. The poison
of asp is under their tongue. That's a declaration of natural
man, even if they don't think they're sinners. That's the declaration
that they're sinners. And we were there. And again,
we're but safe sinners, aren't we? By the grace and mercy of
God. So Paul and Levi's natural state
was the same as ours. The same natural state of every
born-again, blood-washed saint of God. But praise be to God,
our great God visited them in his sovereign mercy, didn't he?
Now let this comfort your soul if you're a believer this week.
God has visited you in sovereign mercy. God has visited you with
sovereign grace. Amazing, isn't it? It's absolutely, did you deserve
it? No. Did you merit it? No. Could you ever earn the right
for it? No. But God in his mercy and his
grace. At the appointed time of God,
he visits us in mercy. And when he does, we see the
glory of our sovereign grace. We see the glory of the sovereign
grace of our God in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ, don't
we? And we praise His mighty name.
We praise and thank Him for His goodness and His mercy. Let's read Numbers chapter 3,
verses 5 to 8 again, and then put your fingers in Numbers chapter
8, verses 5 to 8. And again, I'm going to read
Numbers 3, and I'm going to ask you before I do, who made the difference
between Levi and his brethren? Numbers chapter 3. And the Lord
spake unto Moses, saying, Bring the tribe of Levi near. There's
the calling. And present them before Aaron,
the priest, that they may minister unto him. Well, surely Levi didn't make
the difference, did he? And his brothers didn't push
the tribe of Levi and say, well, this is the best tribe. We know Jacob wouldn't have done
that because of what he spoke about him in Genesis 39. But
see, God chose him, didn't he? God made the difference. Bring the tribe of Levi near
and present them before Aaron, the priest, that they may minister
unto him. Now let's go to Numbers chapter
8. God is the one who brings sinners
from the dunghill to be seated among princes. Numbers chapter
8, look at this. And the Lord spake unto Moses,
saying, verse 5, take the Levites from among the children of Israel
and cleanse them. And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse
them, sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave
all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make
themselves clean. Then let them take a young bullock
with his meat offering, even fine flour mingled with oil.
And another young bullock shall thou take for a sin offering. On what ground can God, who is
just and holy, bring such as one as I, and you, and Levi,
and Paul to be his honored priests? Well, we know again that Levi
didn't volunteer for the job. He didn't say, well, I made a
decision, Lord, I'm going to be the priest. He didn't do that,
did he? No, he was standing there in
the midst of his other brethren. And God told Moses, you bring
Levi and that tribe up here. You separate them from amongst
their brethren. Levi didn't make a move. until
God commanded it. You ever think of that? Levi
didn't make a move until God commanded it. My, oh, my. He was chosen by
God. He is bought before God. What
does the scriptures declare about each one of God's saints? But
of God are ye in Christ, who of God has made unto us wisdom,
righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. It's a work of
God. Levi's self-will, like every
other person born into this world, who is the seed of Adam, had
no inclination to come to God. None. No attraction to cause
him to approach unto God. But again, he's a chosen vessel
in Christ before the foundation of the world. He's part of the
royal priesthood of God. Scriptures declare, blessed is
the man whom thou choosest and causes to approach unto thee. If you've been caused to approach
God, you're blessed. Because it's God who's caused
you to approach him. It's all his work. And look at verse 7 of Numbers
chapter 8. And thus shall thou do unto them,
to cleanse them, sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let
them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes,
and so make themselves clean. Now two things are brought forth
here before us in this text. God's people, of God's people,
and these two things represent what Christ has done for us by
his death on the cross. Purifying and washing, and we
see shaving. These picture the work of Christ,
cleansing the sinner by his precious, precious blood, through his word,
and in the cutting off of that which grows by nature. That which grows by nature. These
wonderful truths are set before us. Oh, the word of God is absolutely
wonderful, isn't it? We are cleansed by the washing
of the word, and the spirit of God has dominion over the old
nature. The shaving of the hair so accurately
depicts man's nature. Even as he's being saved by grace,
it still grows back. The shaving of the hair teaches
us that our old nature is neither involved in the service of God.
It also teaches us that it cannot be reformed. Because why? Because
it keeps growing back, doesn't it? It keeps growing back. Brother
Tim James brought this forth about this shaving of the hair. He said, It must be cut off,
and that by the razor of the spirit, the double-edged sword
of the Lord, which pierces even to the dividing asunder of the
soul and the spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner
of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Nature will never,
never improve. That's what Brother Tim James
says. Our old nature will never, never
improve. Only the razor will keep it in check. Spirit of the Lord. Sin shall
no longer have dominion over you, he says, because you are
not under the law but under grace. So one of the first lessons that
we are taught by the Holy Spirit of God is that our old nature
is judged, condemned, and sentenced to death. And we are taught that
whatever it is Whatever is produced by nature is condemned by God,
right? These people going about trying
to establish their own righteousness before God are doing it in the
flesh, beloved. Not according to the Spirit. They're trying to work their
own righteousness by their own flesh, and God will have nothing
to do with it. So rejoice, beloved of God. We
are purified by the blood of Christ, by God, and will one day stand in his presence,
all according to the grace of God. We also see the washing
of the clothes. This is representative of the
self-judgment or the condemnation of our nature from our own heart.
By the grace of God, beloved, we are clothed now in a new garment. What is that garment? It's the
righteousness of Christ, which has been imputed to us. We're
made clean in God's eyes by the precious, precious blood of the
Lord Jesus Christ. And that's the only thing that's
made us clean, is the blood of Christ. Not by works of righteousness,
which we have done, but according to his mercy, he has saved us. According to his mercy according
to his grace and that sovereign mercy and that sovereign grace
isn't it? And you and I are objects of
that mercy all According to the sovereign will of God so never
forget as we go through this world in this week Never forget
things that come your way God's in full control He's in charge of everything.
He's in charge of everything. There's nothing happening outside
his permissive will. Nothing. My oh my. By the grace of God, I am what
I am. By the grace of God, I am what
I am. And only by the grace of God. When our Lord Jesus Christ, when
he died on that cross, all our sins were imputed to
him. Every single one. Now they were
all future for us, weren't they? They were all future for us.
But the scripture says we were in Christ. I'm crucified with
Christ, nevertheless I live. Yet not I, but I live by the
grace the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. We're crucified with Christ 2,000
years ago. He did it all, didn't he? He did it all. And praise the
God he finished the work of salvation. Praise God that everything that
God demanded for the payment for our sins is done. It is finished. How? By God's sovereign grace. Praise his mighty name. Heavenly
Father, we thank you for your mercy and grace which has been
bestowed upon us in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. That we
who are your people think upon the fact this week that the only
one that's made us to differ from anyone else in this world
is you, Lord. You, Father, chose us in Christ. You, Lord, redeemed
us in Calvary's cross. And you, Holy Spirit, regenerated
us and brought us to Christ, gave us faith to believe. We
pray that as this message goes forth, Lord, that you'd use it
for your glory. Oh, that you'd save lost sinners,
Lord. That you'd show them their desperate need for you as what
you've done for we who are your people. that they may proclaim
and rejoice with us in the sovereign mercy and grace of you. Glory to your name, Father. We
love you because you first loved us. In Jesus' name, amen.