If you would, open your Bibles
to Psalm 34. Psalm 34. I had Brother Tim read that portion
in Luke, and it's wonderful how he brought out the contrast between
the riches of this world and spiritual riches, because that's
what we'll be speaking on this morning. The name of the message
is called The Wealthy Family. The Wealthy Family. Now if we
read this psalm that we're gonna look at, we'll look at a few
verses in it. If we read this psalm with an
eye to David's Lord, of whom David was a type, and to whom
he ministered as a prophet, we must turn to the evangelist and
behold the deliverance of Christ from the powers of darkness at
his resurrection. Our Lord was delivered from the
powers of darkness at his resurrection. And if we read this psalm as
applicable to every true believer in Christ, in all our struggles
and our deliverances from sin, and our final triumph over death
and the grave, we must still consider the believer in Christ,
still consider the believer in Christ as only conquering in
His name, only conquering in His name, and only triumphing
in His salvation, in and through Him alone. So
let us look, therefore, at this psalm with a steady eye upon
our Savior, a steady eye upon Christ. We know that that the
law and the prophets, they testify of him, of Christ. And it is only in him that we
who are poor, bankrupt sinners. Are made rich only in Christ. only in Christ. And this is true
for every single believer in Christ. We are rich spiritually
in him, in him alone, in ourselves. Again, we're bankrupt. Poverty
stricken sinners with no hope in ourselves, but oh, in Christ,
the riches that we have in him, that we have in him. Look at
Psalm 34, verse 1, a psalm of David when he changed his behavior
before Abimelech, who drove him away and he departed. I will
bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually
be in my mouth. God's people give praise to our
God. We give praise to our God. We
give praise to our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, the one who
has saved us from our sins. And all the saints, both Old
Testament and new, all the elect of God, they praise and worship
Christ. The Old Testament saints were
looking to Christ, looking to Him. We look back to what He's
done, and now we still look to Him, don't we? But now He's in
glory. He's our risen Savior, He's ascended,
and we're still looking to Him. And beloved, we will spend a
lifetime looking to Him, and then when we get to glory, our
faith will be sight. Our faith will be sight. We can't
see him right now, but we hope in him and we believe in him.
We trust in him. We rest in him. But one day we're
seeing him face to face. Oh, what a day and what comfort. What a day that'll be and what
comfort that can bring us for our loved ones who died in Christ.
Or our friends who died in Christ. We had fellow soldiers here.
Fellow believers have been promoted up to glory. They're beholding
him right now. Face to face. And I'll tell you
what, they are praising Him with perfect praise. Perfect praise. Scripture says this in 1 Thessalonians,
In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ
Jesus concerning you. We're to give thanks. And who
do we give thanks to? We give thanks to God through
Christ, who is God. God incarnated in the flesh.
Look at verse 2, it says, my soul shall make her boast in
the Lord. A lot of people like to boast. Religion, and you all
know I came out of that, and you who came out of religion,
you remember we used to boast in what we did, didn't we? We
used to boast in the things that we'd done. Oh, I prayed a prayer. I walked the night. I gave my
heart to Jesus. How can a dead man do anything? Boasting in ourselves, what we
did. Salvations of the Lord. He must save us. He must bring
us. He must regenerate us. He must
do it all. And then who do we make our boast
in? Who do God's people boast in? Christ! The Lord Jesus Christ. And this is who the preacher
boasts in. We boast in Christ. Look at who
He is. Look at what He's done for His
people. So God's people, my soul, David says here, my soul shall
make her boast in the Lord, Jehovah, the self-existent one in the
Hebrew. And look at this, the humble
shall hear thereof and be glad. Those who are of a humble and
contrite spirit, right? We're proud, proud by nature. Oh, we're proud sinners by nature.
But what does God do to the believer? He humbles us. He makes us contrite. Oh, and the humble are glad. You who believe, you who are
regenerated by the Holy Spirit, are you not glad that Christ
is your Savior? Oh my, does your soul not just
rejoice in who He is? My, my soul shall make her boast
in the Lord. The humble shall hear thereof
and be glad. So again, the believer in Christ does not boast in man
or find our confidence in man or in any supposed works of righteousness
which we supposedly do or men do. We know that our righteousness
is nothing but filthy rags in the eyes of the Lord. But the
believer boasts in the Lord Jesus Christ. We boast in what He's
done. He went to Calvary's cross and died my substitute upon the
cross. He shed His blood for the remission
of my sins so that God's law and justice would be satisfied.
He did it all. I'm simply a receiver of this
marvelous grace, this mercy which I have received. is all through
him. And I am a sinner saved by grace. I'm still a sinner, but I'm a
saved sinner. And every one of God's people
say, yes, that's me. That's me. I'm a saved sinner, and I can
only boast in Christ. I can only boast in what he's
done. He's our wisdom. He's our strength. He's our righteousness. He's our justification before
God. And in Christ, we are so rich, beloved. We are so rich. rich in his righteousness. Oh,
and his redemption, which has purchased the souls of all his
people when he shed his blood on Calvary's cross. Oh, his work,
how rich is his work? And how rich is his salvation?
And look at verse three, the psalmist goes on and writes,
Oh, magnify the Lord with me. Oh, you who believe, magnify
him with me. Come rejoice, rejoice, magnify
the Lord. Praise his mighty name for what
he's done. And let us exalt His name together. So the psalmist
invites those of a humble and contrite spirit, those who have
been taught of God, regenerated by the Holy Spirit of God, born
again to rejoice at the goodness of God to them in and through
the Lord Jesus Christ. And it's by God's mercy. By God's
mercy. So let us join together with
David and inscribe the greatness of who Christ is. Let us magnify
who He is. In our hearts, let us praise
Him for His wonderful works. Oh, and He cannot be made great
by men. He can only be declared how great
He is. He can only be declared how great He is. Oh, magnify
the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. Let us exalt His greatness, beloved. Let us praise Him. Let us proclaim
Him to be the Most High. Let us proclaim His glorious
perfections, His absolute holiness, His majesty, His sovereign rule. Let us proclaim and magnify His
wondrous works, both in providence and in redemption, especially
when we who believe know what we were saved from. know who
it was who saved us. Let us magnify and exalt the
wondrous work of redemption of Christ in my life. Oh, my, my
beloved. Look at verses four to seven.
I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from all
my fears. They looked unto him and were
lightened, and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried,
and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him
and delivereth them. This angel of Jehovah, the angel
of the Lord, is none but Christ, beloved. It's none but Christ,
the angel of the covenant. Oh, he is the mediator between
Jehovah, between God and his people. He is the one who encamps
round about us. Remember, we looked at him as
our shield and he encompasses us. He's an all encompassing
shield. He encamps around his people.
Oh, my. And Christ delivers his people.
He delivers his people. just like He delivered Daniel
in the lion's den. My goodness. And how many times
can we look back in our lives, and at the time we had no idea,
before we were saved and after we were saved. And He preserved
us and kept us. Oh my. And He will continue to
deliver His people all the time that they are upon this earth.
Turn, if you would, to 1 Samuel 21. 1st Samuel 21. Now, at the beginning of this psalm
it refers to how the Lord has delivered David. It says, A psalm
of David when he changed his behavior before Abimelech who
drove him away and he departed. This is spoken of over in 1st
Samuel 21. And how the Lord has delivered David
from Abimelech in Achash who is the Philistine king of Gath.
And David no doubt prayed for deliverance. He no doubt prayed
for deliverance. Because our text says, I sought
the Lord and He heard me and delivered me from all my fears.
And they looked unto Him and were lightened and their faces
were not ashamed. This poor man cried and the Lord heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord
encampeth round about them that fear Him and delivereth them.
Look at 1 Samuel 21 verse 1. then came David to knob to a
Bemalac the the priest in the Bemalac was afraid at the meeting
of David and said unto him why art thou alone and no man with
thee and David said unto a Bemalac the priest the king hath commanded
me a business and had said unto me let no man know anything up
the business whereby I send thee and what I have commanded thee
and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place now
therefore what is under thine hand give me five loaves of bread
in my hand or what there is present and the priest said to David
and the priest answered David and said there is no common bread
under mine hand but there is whole bread if the young men
have kept themselves at least from woman and David answered
the priest and said unto them of truth woman have been kept
from us about these three days since I came out in the vessels
of the young men are holy in the bread is is in a manner common,
yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel. So the
priest gave them hallowed bread, for there was no bread there
but the saw bread that was taken from before the Lord, and to
put hot bread in the day when it was taken away. Now a certain
man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before
the Lord. That's an interesting statement
right there. Detained before the Lord. His name was Doeg,
an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdsmen that belonged to Saul.
And David said unto Abimelech, And is there not here under thine
hand spear or sword? For I have neither bought my
sword nor my weapons with me because the king's business required
haste. And the priest said, the sort
of Goliath, the Philistine, whom thou slowest in the Valley of
Elah. Behold, it is here wrapped in
a cloth behind the Epod. If that will take it, take that,
take it. For there is no other save that
here. And David said there was none
like that. Give it me. Now there's a sermon
right there. There is none like that. That's
right. There's none like Christ. But
look at it. Now we see David pleased to get. Look at verse
10. It says here, and David arose and fled that day for fear of
Saul and went to Akash, the king of Gath. And the servants of
Akash said unto him, is is not this David the king of the land?
Did they not sing one to another of him and dances saying, saw
it slain as thousands and David is ten thousands. And David laid
up these words in his heart and was so afraid of Akash, the king
of Gath. So no doubt are no doubt David prayed to prayed to God
during that time because we see it in our text in the psalm.
And this is the time that that's spoken of. This is the time that
that psalm is spoken of right here. And look at this, and he
changed his behavior before them, and framed himself mad in their
hands, and scrambled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle
fall down upon his beard. He's doing some acting. He's
acting like a madman. Then said Achash unto his servants,
Lo! see this man is mad. Wherefore have ye bought him
to me? Have I need of a madman, that ye have bought this fellow
to play the madman in my presence, till this fellow come into my
house? And then look at verse 1 of chapter 22. David had therefore departed
thence and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And when his brethren
in all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to
him. So we see that the Lord protected
David. He heard his prayer and he delivered
him. He delivered him from that king.
That king could have slayed him, but the Lord delivered him. And
David is delivered from the hands of his enemy by our great God
and king, the Lord Jesus Christ. He preserved him in the court
of Akash. It was the Lord who preserved him from being harmed
there. And it was the Lord who bought him to safety with his
men. And there is no doubt that here in the text he speaks of
his own experience at that time. Now think about what our Lord
went through. Think about what He went through.
Think about the attacks that He went through. Think about
how He was despised and hated of man. Think about how all hell
was against Him. And He was delivered. He was
delivered. What a picture. We see a beautiful
representation of the fullness and the suitableness and the
completeness and the all-sufficiency of our God in Christ to answer
all the needs and all the wants of His people. Oh, He encompasses
us, beloved. The angel of the Lord encampeth
round about them that fear Him and delivers them. And if you're
going through a situation and you feel despair, Beloved, you
who are the beloved of God, look back at what the Lord's delivered
you from. And know that he will take you safely through whatever
you're going through. And he does. And he proves it
constantly over and over and over. How quickly we forget.
How quickly we forget. But all we just need to look
back at how the Lord's delivered us. Constantly. Constantly. Look at verses eight. Starting
in verse eight, the scripture declares, oh, taste and see that
the Lord is good. Blessed is the man that trusts
in him. If you're trusting in Christ, you are blessed. You
are blessed beyond beyond comprehension. Beyond comprehension. Blessed
is is that man that trusted in him. Oh, fear the Lord, you saints,
for there is no want to them that fear him. And there's our
text. Oh, fear the Lord, ye saints, for there is no want to them
that fear him. To the young lions, the young
lions do lack and suffer hunger. But they that seek the Lord shall
not want any good thing. Oh, my. So let us consider verse
nine a little more in depth. Oh, fear the Lord, ye his saints.
For there is no want to them that fear him. Now, they that
are Wealthy in this world are actually, and who do not have
Christ, although they are wealthy in the world's goods, they are
poor and bankrupt. Poor and bankrupt. They are not truly wealthy who
appear to be so. Those who boast in their wealth.
The lost sinner is most poor. He has no God to comfort him.
He has no savior to deliver him. He has no guide to lead him.
He has no advocate to plead for him. He has no peace. No peace to support him through
trials and tribulations. And he has no title to heaven.
To encourage him through this journey in this world. But the believer We have confidence
and comfort in death, don't we? Because our confidence and our
comfort is in Christ. And also, we have a wedding garment
to appear before our great God. The righteousness of Christ.
The perfect, spotless righteousness of Christ. And we have a home. Glory, where we will spend eternity
with our Savior. Think upon this, the richest
man in the world will soon have all his riches exhausted. He
can't take any of it with him when he dies. And he may find himself in a
wretched and miserable state, poor, blind, and naked. If he passes from this world
without Christ, he will find himself poor, blind, and naked,
standing in the presence of the Almighty God, standing in his
own self-righteousness, clothed in his own self-righteousness.
Now on this world, he may have the appearance of prosperity,
but in reality is bankrupt, bankrupt. True riches belong to another
family. Look at our text, O fear the
Lord, ye his saints, for there is no want to them that fear
him. We are rich in spiritual blessings in Christ. The scriptures
declare this, grace be to you and peace from God our Father
and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in Christ Jesus, in heavenly places in Christ. All
our riches are in Him. and they're not the riches of
this world. We know that anything we have, the Lord's given us. And we use it for His glory.
For His glory. My. So we can't boast in anything. My goodness, what riches the
believer has. And think of how much is laid
up for us in heaven. God is for His people. God is
for his people. In his eye is ever upon us. Think
of that. He's promised to never leave
us nor forsake us. And we know we're sinners. But
he said, I'll never leave you. Never. No matter what the social standing
of a child of God, they are far richer than the most richest
person in the world. Far richer. My goodness. and true riches belong to the
family of God in and through Christ alone. That's all. That's
all. We may struggle in this world.
We may go through different things, but we are the most richest people
in the world. My goodness. It's wonderful. And though though God's people
may appear poor and may appear to be in want all the time, they're
really rich. Really rich. Because God has
provided all they need in Christ. All that a sinner needs is found
in Christ. I was talking with Brother Donnie Bell about that
this week. Everything we need is in Christ. Everything. All our wants and desires are
fulfilled in Him. Now, there's some wants and desires
that aren't good for us. but everything we need, all that
a sinner needs. And I speak to you here who do
not know Christ. And I pray the Holy Spirit will
move in your life. All that a sinner needs is found in Christ alone. And we who are redeemed say,
Amen. We know that. The Lord has taught
us that. All that a sinner needs is found
in Christ. Turn if you would to Romans chapter
5. Romans chapter 5. And then put your finger in Colossians
chapter 1. Romans chapter 5 and Colossians chapter 1. What do I need to stand before
God? Well, I need to be justified. And I live in a, before I was
saved, I had no peace, but now I have a peace that passes all
understanding. And think of this, no matter
what comes, God's people have a peace, don't we? We see world
events going on, we still have a peace. Because our hope and
our rest is in our sovereign God. Look at Romans chapter five,
verses one and two. Therefore being justified by
faith. We know faith's a gift from God, don't we? It's not
something we can muster up. But look at that, being justified
by faith. So the believer has justification
before God. He's counted blameless. We have peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ. Man longs for peace in this world.
The believer says, I have peace with God through Christ. I'm justified. I can stand in
the presence of God. And again, see, our boast isn't
in religion. Our boast was in our own self-righteousness
and what we were doing. The grace believer, the person
who's born again says, The only reason I can stand in front of
Christ, in front of God, is because of what Christ has done for me.
I boast in Him. Therefore, being justified by
faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Remember, I am the door. No other way. That means Buddhism
is wrong. That means Hinduism is wrong.
That means Islam is wrong. That means Mary worship is wrong.
There is only salvation in Christ and him alone through Christ,
through our Lord Jesus Christ. I look at this by whom all by
whom also we have access by faith into the grace wherein we stand.
Who do we stand in, beloved? Christ and Christ alone. And rejoice in the hope of the
glory of God, that's my hope, beloved Christ. I ask you who do not know Christ,
what's your hope? I know you're hoping in something.
Because everyone has a hope in something, whether it be themselves.
The believers hope is in Christ. Some people hope in the richest.
Some people hope in their strength. Some people hope in their youth.
Some people hope in their standing. Some people hope in who they
are. The believer says, I hope in Christ. I hope in Christ alone. Oh, he's the one sure hope. The
one sure hope. Look at Colossians chapter 1.
Colossians chapter 1. We know that Christ is God incarnated
in the flesh. And that all the fullness of
the Godhead dwells in Christ. Look at this wonderful portion
of scripture. Colossians chapter 1 verses 19 to 23. And Christ himself became a man.
And went to Calvary's cross and died. Died as the substitute
for his people. Look at this in Colossians 1,
verses 19 to 23. For it pleased the Father that
in Him, being Christ, should all fullness dwell. And having
made peace, how do we have peace? Look at this. And having made
peace through the blood of His cross. I have peace with God
because Christ shed blood. That's the only reason. I can't
have peace with God by my works. But I have peace with God through
Christ, beloved, and praise His name. And heaven made peace through
the blood of his cross, so it's by his works, not by ours, by
him to reconcile all things unto himself. By him I say whether
they be things in earth or things in heaven. And you that were
sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works.
That's our natural state right there. Enemies in our mind by
wicked works, by our sins. That's us. That's how we come
into this world. And I know because I know how
I used to think about Christ before the Lord saved me. I lived the first quarter of
my life. Pleasing the flesh. My goodness, actually, almost
the first half over. When I was around 33, the Lord
started to reveal himself to me. But I lived for myself all before
that. And I know what this means. Although
I didn't profess to hate God, yet my works said that. I did not know him. I had a God in my imagination
whom I cooked up, but I had never read the scriptures. How do you know who God is? Unless
you look at the scriptures and he reveals himself to us. My
goodness, and how many people out there have cooked up a God
of their imagination, not even knowing what the scriptures say
about who God is? And when He reveals Himself,
and He reveals Himself in His redemptive work and what He's
done for His people, when we're regenerated by the Holy Spirit
and born again, we rejoice, beloved. We rejoice in who He is. And
you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked
works, that's our sins, yet now hath He, look at this, reconciled. God's people are reconciled.
Reconciled. in the body of his flesh, and
we need to be reconciled because we were enemies with God. He's
loved his people from eternity with an everlasting love, but
in our natural state and in our minds, we didn't want nothing
to do with, we used to say like the Israelites, I'll not have
this man rule over us. That's what we used to say by
our works. In the body of the flesh through
his death to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable
in his sight, we could just sit there. God's people, through
Christ and His sacrifice, will one day be presented holy and
unblameable and unreprovable in this society. But right now,
the believer is clothed in the perfect righteousness of Christ.
And when God looks upon us, he sees Christ. Isn't that amazing? That's why he says, your sins
and iniquities I'll remember no more. Why? Because they've
been bought and paid for. They're gone. The penalty has
been paid for. And what great joy this brings
the believer, who's a sinner still, right? Holy and unblameable and unreprovable,
no one can find fault with Him in His sight. And it's all in
and through the Lord Jesus Christ. And it says, if you continue
in the faith, and we know that God's people, those who are truly
born again, we know from Jude, that He will keep us. And He
will one day present us faultless. It says, if you continue in the
faith, grounded and settled, who's the root and foundation
of our salvation? Christ. And be not moved away
from the hope of the Gospel. Again, our hope is in Christ.
We're not hoping in ourselves anymore. We hope in Christ, which
ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which
is under heaven, whereof I, Paul, am made a minister. The family
of God have a joyful hope, beloved, and we are rich beyond words.
And we have one object, one hope, Christ in him alone. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
by the commandment of God, our Savior, and the Lord Jesus Christ,
which is our hope. First Timothy 1.1. That being
justified by his grace, The opposite of what man thinks man thinks
are justified by their works being justified by his grace.
We should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
You see how hope keeps being bought up and that's in Titus
3 7. Turn if you would the Romans chapter 8. God's people as family
are assured of strength equal to their day and given grace
to make it through all our trials and troubles. And in this verse,
knowing that, knowing our sovereign God, knowing that he delivers
us, knowing that he encompasses us roundabout, look at this verse.
It's a verse we're familiar with, but if we keep in mind that it's
the Lord who encompasses us, look at this. Romans 8, 28, and
we know that all things work together for good to them that
love God. Now, most people stop there.
But look what the verse says, to them who are called according
to His purpose. That's the electing grace of
God in Christ Jesus. My. So God's people are content
with God's wise and holy appointments in our lives, because that's
what our trials and tribulations are. They're all ordered by our
great God. And we are content and we we
ask him to give us grace and strength when we go through these
times. We are to comply without protest
to the will of God. And we are often filled with
joy, which flows from His presence during times of trouble, in times
of temptations, in times of tribulation. The believer cries out with Job,
he cries out this, I know my Redeemer liveth. I know He does. I know He does. Do you? Is He your Redeemer? Oh, I pray
that God would make it so, if He's not. Oh, even though we cannot see him,
we know he lives. We know he makes intercession
for us with the father. And what do we do? We await our
promotion, don't we? We await our promotion and one
day we'll be in his in his presence. Oh, my turn, if you would, the
Romans, Chapter six, Romans, Chapter six. And I'll read Psalm
23, 4, which says this. Yea, though I walk through the
valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For thou
art with me, thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Christ
is our support, beloved. He's our sure support in death
and in life. And God's people anticipate heaven
as their portion forever. Look at Romans chapter 6, verses
1 to 7. What shall we then say? Shall
we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid, how shall we that
are dead to sin, and we are dead to sin in Christ, live any longer
therein? Know ye not that so many of us
were baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized into His death?
Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death, that
like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of
the Father, even so we also walk in newness of life. For if we
have been planted together in likeness of His death, We died
with Christ. I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless,
I live, Paul wrote. For if we being planted together
in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness
of his resurrection, knowing this, that our old man is crucified
with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed. Henceforth,
we should not serve sin, for he that is dead is freed from
sin. We are free, beloved. And we
saw that in our study this morning in Sunday school, right? We go
in and out. Freedom in Christ. And what do
we await right now? We await our promotion. We await
for that time when we'll be in the Lord's presence. And it's
not very long, because our life is like a vapor, Scripture says.
It may seem long to us, but our life is like a vapor, beloved.
And remember, remember the stones made ready? We're stones made
ready. We're being we're being hewed
to be ready to fit in the temple when we get home to be with the
Lord. Oh, my beloved. So there's no lack for God's
people. All we truly need is promised in Christ and confirmed
by the blood of Christ. And he shed his precious blood
for us. Grace be to you and peace from
God, our father, from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with
all spiritual blessings and 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, having
predestinated us into the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to
Himself according to the good pleasure of His will, His will,
to the praise and the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made
us accepted in the blood in whom we have redemption through his
blood, even the forgiveness of sins according to the riches
of his grace. Our salvation is all according
to the riches of his grace. And the believer in Christ is
rich in Christ. Rich. Remember that. We are Again,
we are far richer than the richest man in this world. Why? Because
Jehovah is ours. And we are his. And he is ours because we are
his. Think of this. We are so rich
because his wisdom is our guide. The one who the one who orders
all the universe. The one who keeps everything
going. The one who scripture says all things consist by is
our God. He watches over us. We are rich
because his fullness is our inheritance. Oh, my. All that we have is from
the riches of Christ, from the riches of Christ. And we are
far richer than anyone else because of his mercy, which we've obtained,
which we've obtained. He's we didn't obtain it by our
works. We obtained it by his mercy and
grace and by him giving it to us. Oh, my. And think of this, his love is
our heaven. We're going to be with Christ
in glory forever. And is it not a comfort to you
who believe right now? And I ask you this because I
know we're sheep of God. And when we start to ponder these
wonderful truths, it just fills our hearts with joy. Does not
thinking upon the love of Christ, the everlasting love of God,
and knowing who we were growing up, knowing who we were in our
teen years, knowing what we did, knowing where we went, knowing
what we said. But to ponder that God's love
was set upon us even when we were in that state, even when
we were enemies in our minds by wicked works, his love was
still set upon his people. I'm never going to get over that.
And that can bring us such joy here on Earth. that even when
I was dead in trespasses and sins, yet He loved me. He loved
me. Think of that. It's incredible. It's incredible. In all God's people who proclaim Christ, this is
our standing. We are one in Christ. We are
rich in Christ. Just think of having the Almighty
God, Jehovah, the self-existent One, for your present, consisting,
eternal friend. Turn, if you would, to John,
chapter 15. John, chapter 15. The person He laid down His life
for are described as His friends. Now by our natural birth, we
looked in Colossians, we're enemies in our mind by our natural birth.
But they were loved by Christ even when they were enemies in
their own minds. Because his love is everlasting
towards his people. And now we are his friends. Look
at John chapter 15, it says, greater love hath no man than
us. So no love, no matter how strong it is in this world, can
even compare to the love which Christ has for his people. It
doesn't even come close. And we know how we love our spouses,
and we know how we love our children. We know how we love our family
members, and we know how we love God's people. But it doesn't
even come close to the love of God, to the love that Christ
has for his people. Greater love hath no man than
this. Look at this, that a man lay down his life for his friend.
Who did Christ lay down His life for? His sheep, right? His friends. Ye, this is the Master's words,
ye are my friends if you do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call
you not servants, for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth,
but I have called you friends. Oh my gosh. This is God incarnate in the
flesh saying this. For all things that I have heard
of my Father I have made known unto you." Who does He make known
unto the things of the Father? His people. He doesn't make it
known to everyone. But He reveals it to His people,
doesn't He? We know that. Almighty God is the believer's
constant, present, eternal friend. And they are now His friends
because of Christ. shedding his own precious blood,
he's purchased them. He purchased us, beloved. He
purchased his friends at Calvary's cross, and they
are born again by the Holy Spirit of God. And why may we just marvel. May we marvel at this. We know
the scripture said we were enemies in our minds, right? May we marvel
at this. Grace turns enemies into friends. It turns enemies into friends. My goodness. We love our Savior. We who are born again. My goodness. Turn, if you would, to Psalm
68, verse 19. Psalm 68, verse 19. Now remember,
these enemies had shown no love for Him, no affection. But they
were chosen the Father in eternity. And they were given to Christ
by the Father. And those who were enemies in their own minds
towards Christ at His birth, and all those for whom Christ
died at Calvary, will be born again by the Holy Spirit of God.
All His people, all that the Father giveth Him, shall be born
again by the Holy Spirit. And may we who are redeemed marvel
that we are one of the number. May we just marvel. And let us
ponder. That the believer has the wealth
of deity to supply and satisfy you as we are complete in Christ.
And Brother John, we were talking about this verse this morning
a little bit. We are complete in Christ and
we are daily loaded down with benefits. Look at this. Psalm
68, 19. Now just think of this. Daily it says. We don't even
know the benefits that we receive daily. Oh my goodness. His mercies are what? New every
morning, aren't they? New every morning. And think
of this. You have breath to breathe every morning. That's a benefit
from the Lord. That's a benefit from the Lord.
Oh my goodness. Blessed be the Lord who daily
loaded us with benefits. Even the God of our salvation.
Daily loads us down. Oh my goodness. what great rest the believer
can find in Christ. And if you are born again by
the Holy Spirit, if Christ is your rest, if Christ is your
Savior and your Redeemer, this verse is true of you. Blessed
be the Lord who daily loatheth us with benefits, even the God
of our salvation. No truth is more clearly revealed
in Scripture. No subject is more rich with
comfort. Human strength may be exhausted.
Health may decline. Courage may fail. Riches may
flee. Friends may forsake. Enemies
may increase. All circumstances may change
for the worse, but for the believer, oh, fear the Lord, ye His saints,
for there is no want to them that fear Him. We are rich in
Christ. And those who seek the Lord do
not lack any good thing. And this, of course, is speaking
of spiritual things, right? I ask you who believe, do you
lack anything spiritual? No, because we have everything
in Christ. Everything. He's my redemption.
He's my salvation. He's my all in all. Here, pilgrim, is your staff.
Take it and travel home. Here, saint, is your medicine.
Drink and forget your misery. Here, believer, is your fortune.
Take it and live upon it while you reside here below. Here,
fearful soul, is your cure. Use it to scatter your fears
and cheer your fainting hearts. And in verse 10 in our psalm
says, The young lions do not lack and suffer hunger, but they
that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing. Here is
true wealth and here is true comfort. Here is all that the
sinner needs. All that the sinner needs for
life, all that the sinner needs for death, and all that the sinner
needs for eternity, Christ. Christ and Him alone. Turn, if
you would, to Matthew 11. We're closed with this text. We're closed with the words of
the Master. Are you laboring in your own
self-righteousness? Are you laboring in religion?
Trying to gain merit and favor with God by your own works? Are you trusting in your own
riches, which will bring you no rest, but the only true rest
is in Christ? Look at Matthew 11, verses 28
to 30. Come unto me. There's the general call. Come
unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest. Oh, what rest the believer can
find. What rest the believer can find in Christ. Come unto me, all ye that labor
and are heavy laden. Oh, how much works-based religion
is heavy labor. Heavy labor. But for the believer,
we have rest and I will give you rest. Rest, true rest is
only found in Christ. Take my yoke upon you and learn
of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart. This is the God of
the universe, the God man, God incarnate in the flesh. Now,
when Scripture says meek and lowly, think of that he was in
the glories of heaven and angels were worshiping. And he left
the glories of heaven to come to this earth, this sin-cursed
earth, and to die for the sins of his people, meek and lowly
in heart, beloved. And he accomplished what he sought
out to do. He cried, it is finished. And because of that, ye shall
find rest unto your soul. The only rest I have is in Christ
and Him alone. And look at this, for my yoke
is easy and my burden is light. Religion is heavy labor. But what freedom the believer
has in Christ, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. What a Savior, what a Redeemer
is Jesus Christ, my Lord. I pray that if you don't know
Him, that He grants you faith to believe if it's His will. Heavenly Father, we come before
Thy throne in awe of Your provision for us, in awe of how rich we
who believe are in Christ Jesus our Lord. And, O Lord, You who
were rich became poor for us. You left the glories and splendors
of heaven to die upon Calvary's cross for the sins of Your people,
that we might be rich in awe how rich Your people are in You. Oh, Lord Jesus, may we rest and
trust in you and may you teach us and guide us as we walk through
this world and journey through this world. May you ever be our
rest, our hope and our comfort. We love thee and praise thee
because you first loved us in Jesus name. Amen. Won't you take your hymnals and
turn with me to number 298, number 298, God Leads Us Along, number
298. Let's stand. It's raining deep
as there's so great and so sweet, but this is where children of
God O come, let us adore Him, O come,
let us adore Him, Some through the waters, some
through the blood. Some through the fire, but all through the blood. Some through
great sorrow, but God hears our song. In the night season and on the
day time. Sometimes I look out where the sun shines so bright. ? God bleeds his dear children
of God ? ? Sometimes in the valley, in darkness of night ? ? God bleeds his dear children of God ? Some through the water, some
through the flood. Some through the fire, but all through the blood. Some through great sorrow, but God
gives us song. ? In the night season and on the
day of war ? ? No sorrow she caused and saved it of most ? ? Our nation's dear child and our God ? of our cause, and I think it's
near to win the war. So to the Father, to the Son, Some through the flood, some
through the fire, but unto the blood. Some through great sorrow, but God is a song in the night season
and all the day long. Away from the fire and away from
the flame, my peace is here to remain. Away from the glory, in turn of his name, my peace is here
to remain. Some to the bodies, some to the
blood. Some to the fire, but all to the blood. Some to great sorrow, but back is the song. ? In the life season and on and
beyond ?