Well, good morning. Welcome. Welcome back. It's been a long time since we've been able to gather for services here. And we're, we're thankful to be here. As you know, our pastor, is under the weather. He's got whatever bug is going around and that is always exacerbated with him with some of those hormone therapies he's going through. He's weakened anyway. So we want to keep him in our prayers. And Lee as well.

I don't know if everybody knows or not, but she fell. Her walker hit something. She fell and she broke a small part on her hip and had to undergo surgery. to have a pin put in for that. She's in pain. She's having the side effects of pain medication, which you all are all familiar with. And she's hoping to get into physical therapy. She feels that she needs it. And so hopefully she'll be able to get into that and get headed in the right direction. I think she still would like to get that hip replaced.

And that's not out of the question with this pen, but let's just pray that the Lord's will be done for both of them and for others that are unable to be here today. I want to open the service this morning reading from John chapter 2. Turn to John chapter 2. And I want to pick up reading in John chapter 2 starting in verse 13.

And the Jews Passover was at hand and Jesus went up to Jerusalem and found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves and the changers of money sitting. And when he had made a scourge of small cords he drove them all out of the temple and the sheep and the oxen and poured out the changers money and overthrew the tables. and said unto them that sold doves, take these things hence, make not my father's house and house of merchandise.

And his disciples remembered that it was written, the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up. Then answered the Jews and said unto him, what sign showest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? And Jesus answered and said unto them, destroy this temple, and in three days, I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, 40 and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them, and they believed the scripture and the word which Jesus had said. going to end our reading there.

So I would stand as we sing our call to worship to the tune of I love thy kingdom Lord. Prepare me, gracious God, to stand before thy face. Thy spirit must the work perform for it is all of grace. In Christ's obedience clothe and wash me in his blood. So shall I lift my head with joy among the sons of God. Do Thou my sin subdue, Thy sovereign love make known, The Spirit of my mind renew, And save me in Thy Son. Let me attest thy power, let me thy goodness prove, till my full soul can hold no more of everlasting love. Okay, if you would now turn in your hymnal to song number 129 at the cross.

129. Alas, and did my Savior bleed, and did my Sovereign die, would He devote that sacred head for such a worm as I. At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light, and the burden of my heart rolled away.

It was there by faith I received my sight, and now I am happy all the day. Was it for crimes that I have done? He groaned upon the tree. Amazing pity, grace unknown, and love beyond degree. At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light, and the burden of my heart rolled away.

It was there by faith I received my sight, and now I am happy all the day. Well might the sun in darkness hide, And shut his glories in, When Christ the mighty Maker died, For man the creature's sin. At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light, and the burden of my heart rolled away. It was there by faith I received my sight, and now I am happy all the day.

But drops of grief can ne'er repay the debt of love I owe. Here, Lord, I give myself away. Tis all that I can do. At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light, and the burden of my heart rolled away. It was there by faith I received my sight, and now I am happy all the day.

I'm not used to using this. I want to have a scripture reading this morning of Psalm 51. If you'd turn to Psalm 51 please. This is a psalm that David wrote when Nathan the prophet came to him after he'd gone in with Bathsheba, after that great sin when David, a man after God's own heart, stole a man's wife and had him killed, murdered him. Let's read this.

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness, according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight, that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, And in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness, that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean spirit, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors away, and sinners shall be converted unto thee. Deliver me from blood guiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.

O Lord, open thou my lips, and my mouth shall show forth thy praise. For thou desirest not sacrifice, else I would give it. Thou delightest not in burnt offering, The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart, O God, what thou not despise. Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion. Build thou the walls of Jerusalem. Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering. Then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar. May the Lord bless his word to our hearts. Let's pray.

Our merciful, righteous, holy, heavenly father, we come before you this morning in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. That one that you, that son that you gave, that child that was born a man, that our sins might be laid upon him and endure your just punishment on the cross. Who lived a perfectly righteous life is our substitute, that we might be made the very righteousness of God in him. Father, we fear to come to thee any other way.

We're so thankful, Lord, that you've given us Christ and that we can come before your throne of mercy in him and be accepted. Father, we pray for this local gathering, this local congregation, Lord, leave us not alone. Father, we're so very thankful for the pastor that you've raised up for us, a man who diligently studies the word and shows us Christ. Father, we pray that you would uphold him, that you would not leave him alone, but that you would proclaim your word, the gospel of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ from this pulpit for many years to come. We know that the illness that he's enduring, the treatments that he's enduring that make him so weak and vulnerable, we know Lord that that's your will. We pray that they would accomplish your will, your purpose.

Keep us mindful, Lord, that thou art in control and your purpose is good. We pray for Frank and Janet. Not sure if she's ill, Lord, but I know that when Frank hurts, she hurts, as we all do. When one of our number is is sick, we're all sick, and we pray, Lord, for Frank and Janet, we pray, Lord, for Lee.

We know that it's thy will, and we pray that you would accomplish your will quickly, that you would return them to us, that we might worship together if it be your will, and that right soon. Father, we pray again that you would be with us here this morning. Lord, Take me out of this service this morning. Let your word speak to the hearts of your children. Send your spirit to be among us to anoint the word to the hearing ears of your sheep. We pray that it be your will. What we ask for us here this morning, we ask wherever men stand to endeavor to proclaim thy word of the Lord Jesus Christ that you would be with them, that you would feed your sheep. Now, Lord, we ask these things and all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ for our good and for his sake.

Amen. Okay. If you would turn over to first Kings this morning, 1 Kings chapter 8. Today I want to look at Solomon's prayer. It's a prayer that Solomon made at the completion of the temple. We've been going through and trying to hit some highlights in Old Testament pictures of Christ in our Sunday school class, and we're up to this portion this week. There's two things that most everybody in this world knows about Solomon, whether they're religious or not. They know that God granted him wisdom greater than any man before or after him.

If you want to look at that, let's turn back to 1 Kings chapter 3, we'll see that. I'm gonna start in verse five. In Gibeon, the Lord appeared unto Solomon in a dream that by night, and God said, ask what I shall give thee. And I wanted to read that because notice God's telling Solomon to ask him what he wants, but he's also saying, ask what I will give you. God put it in Solomon's heart to ask for what he's gonna ask for. God's gonna give it to him, and Solomon put it in his heart to ask for it.

Then in verse five, Solomon says, I'm sorry, in verse nine, Solomon says, give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad, for who is able to judge this thy great people? And then if you skip down to verse 12, it says, behold, this is God speaking, behold, I have done according to thy words. Lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart, So that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto you. So God granted Solomon wisdom that was greater than any man before or after him.

And then Solomon built a temple. He built a house for the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord to worship God. And both of those things are pictures of the Lord Jesus Christ. Obviously, Solomon the wisest Christ is God the wisdom of God and so in fact Christ spoke himself in in Matthew 12. verse 42 he talked about how the Queen of Sheba was going to came to see Solomon and that was a judgment on the people of this of his time because as Christ said behold a greater Solomon is here he was speaking of himself Christ Solomon's wisdom Solomon was just a picture of a greater Solomon to come and that's the Lord Jesus Christ and you know Solomon was wise enough Even we have the wisdom to know that house, a building, can't contain God. The heaven of heavens can't contain God. Yet, we read in John chapter 1 verse 14, speaking of Christ, and the word was made flesh and dwelt among us.

We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. And that dwelt among us, that word dwelt means tabernacled. He came and was in an earthly body. He lived in that body. And that's the mystery of God, that Jesus Christ, very God, the very God, was made flesh and he dwelt in a man's body.

And, you know, that temple that Solomon built, we know that that wasn't a special place in itself. It wasn't holy in itself. It was holy because God dwelt there. Just like this building here is nothing special. It's, you know, brick and mortar and tin roof or whatever the walls are here.

But it's where God's people meet. And when God's people meet, God said he would be there. And that's what gives it. That's why we long to come here. to hear God's word, to be in his presence. And, you know, that temple, if people thought it was special, God showed that it wasn't. He allowed it to be destroyed, right? That temple's gone. It's not with us anymore. But Christ is with us always. It's a picture of Christ.

And he told us himself that that temple represented his body. We just read that as we opened the service this morning. First John 19, 20, John 2, verses 19 through 21, Jesus answered and said to them, destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, 40 and six years was the temple in building, what thou reared up in three days? But he spake of the temple, his body. Christ told us that that temple that Solomon built represents his body.

It represents Christ. It's a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ. And so we're going to look at that picture today. And I want you to also understand that it's also a picture of God's people. As miraculous as that sounds, Christ and his people are one. The church is one with Christ. And so that represents us as well because God dwells in us.

1 Corinthians 3.16 says, know ye not that ye are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? What a mystery. What? Oh, that's miraculous. If we could just dwell on that and think the Spirit of God dwelling in this worthless flesh.

And where God's people go to worship and pray unto the Lord, he's there. I said that earlier. God says it in Matthew 18, for where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. And that's why we pray that, Lord, may we be gathered in your name this morning and be with us.

Give us an understanding. Show us Christ. Christ is the key. to all of these scriptures. So we're going to read through Solomon's prayer and I'm going to try to get out of the way of God's word a little bit. We could probably just read this prayer and it would bless the hearts of God's people. We're going to read through it. I'm going to make a few comments. But a couple things as we go through this, I want you to keep in mind as we read through this, so that it, just up front, I want you to keep in mind how that tabernacle is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ and his people, like we already talked about.

And then we're gonna see how Samuel continually asked God to hear and forgive. Hear and forgive. When the people pray towards the temple, he's gonna say, when they pray towards that temple, hear and forgive. And it's not praying to the east or praying to Mecca, it's praying towards Christ. It's repentance to God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the prayer. We're praying towards Christ, not towards some building. We're forgiven for Christ's sake. Like I said, praying towards that temple represents Repentance towards God and faith, faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ.

And we're forgiven for Christ's sake. In Ephesians it says, be ye kind one to another. Don't we need to keep that in mind? Tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. We're forgiven for Christ's sake. And that's what we pray.

It's looking to Christ, looking to Christ. That's the only place we have salvation and salvation. Isaiah said, look unto me and be saved all the ends of the earth for I am God. There is none else. So, like I said, I'm going to read through this, um, briefly comment and I pray that God would show us Christ in this prayer. and that he would allow me to get out of the way and show us Christ. So we're going to pick up in verse 22. So here the temple's built. This is the dedication of the temple.

And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Israel and spread forth his hands towards heaven. And he said, Lord God of Israel, There is no God like thee in heaven above or on earth below who keepeth covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart. So here we see there is no God like the God of Israel.

You know, they asked David, where's your God? And David said, our God is in the heavens. And what's your God done? Well, he's done whatsoever he hath pleased. There's no God like our God. And what makes our God so great? He keeps his covenant mercy. God, that's the good news of our gospel. God made a covenant with Christ before time began to show mercy to a people that he gave to Christ, to show mercy to his people.

And it's in Christ that we're able to walk before God with all our hearts. We can't do that in ourselves. We can't do that in our flesh. It's in the Lord Jesus Christ that we can walk upright before God. And God promised that He will do and He will not forget, even when we forget. When we forget to look to Him, we still have Christ constantly interceding for us. for the promises of God in him are yea, in him are amen, under the glory of God by us. It's through Christ and that covenant that God had with Christ from the time that the world began. That's where our salvation is. That's where the good news is for sinners.

Picking up in verse 24, who has kept with thy servant David, my father, that thou promised him, thou speakest also with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled with thine hand, as it is this day. Therefore now, Lord God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father, that thou promised him, saying, there shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, so that thy children take heed to their way, that they walk before me as thou hast walked before me. So here we were talking about David and I read that scripture earlier today about Psalm 51 where David knew his sinful self. Right.

But this is the this is this is the sure mercies of David that that even though he was a sinner he was a man after God's own heart in the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the sure mercies of David. Our salvation is because there's a man on the throne right now. You know, Solomon took over the throne of David and physically people saw that was the promise. But the promise is Christ is on that throne and he's on that throne eternally. He's David's Lord and David's son, the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the greater That's the picture that he's the son of David, our Lord Jesus Christ. He's our great high priest.

He accomplished his work and he sat down on that throne because his work was done. Every other high priest stood continually offering sacrifices one after another because that sin was never purged, that sin was never satisfied. He satisfied God's justice with one sacrifice, with his blood on the cross, and he sat down. till his enemies be made his footstool. He sat down on the right hand of God. There's a man on the throne interceding for us constantly. And it's because of that substitutionary work that God's children are able to walk in God's way in him. We're made righteous in him.

What is it that we have in our bulletin? This is a scripture very familiar, right? Second Corinthians. Second Corinthians 521, this is our creed. And I know you all know this, but I'm going to read it anyway. For he hath made him to be sin for us. Let's not get away from that. God has made Christ to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. That double cure. He was made sin. Our sin was punished in Him. It is no more. God's not like a parent like we are that we don't see the sin in our children, right? That's not my kid. My kid didn't do anything wrong. No, your child's a sinner.

God sees things as they are and our sin is gone because Christ died for those sins. Those sins were literally put on Him in His body on the tree and they were punished. And only God could endure that punishment that would take us eternity to death and hell to pay for one of our sins. In three days, God raised him up to show that sin's gone. It is no more. He's alive again. He was dead because of our sin. He's alive because it's gone. God sees things as they are.

In Christ, we have no sin. And in Christ, we're made righteous. We can come before the throne of God in righteousness, claiming the righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ. And that's a mystery that I'll never get over. Just like David, the sinner in my flesh, but God says, and what God says is true, a man after God's own heart. A man one with God, whose heart beats one with God. The father and the son are one, and in the son, we're one with the father. I just can't. I can't express how amazing that is.

And I hope that we never lose sight of that, that we don't just see those words and accept them. Well, verse 26. And now, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou speakest unto thy servant David my father. Let thy word be verified. God, I believe, but make it verified in my heart. Give me a heart that believes and comes to the Lord Jesus Christ, not just accepting the facts, but knowing and feeling my need. Show me my need for Christ. Cause me to come to him. Verify your word.

We're taught of God and we're made to believe just like David. All of God's people are going to be taught of God and made to believe. John 6, 45, it says, It is written in the prophets, and they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me. Lord, don't let me just hear these words. Verify your word in my heart. Teach me my sin. Teach me my need. Cause me to come to the Father in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Verse 27, but will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee, how much less this house that I have built it. Like we said, Solomon knows that this earthly house, this temple cannot contain God. But just like Job before him, he was looking forward to one that would come. That's what this Old Testament is telling us. Someone's coming, someone's coming. Job 19 verse 25, Job says, For I know that my Redeemer liveth, he liveth eternally, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. God's going to be made man. He's going to stand on this earth.

1 Timothy 3.16 it says, And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, and received up into glory. That's the mystery of godliness. All right, in verse 28, we're going to see the hope of every sinner saved by grace.

Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant. And unto his supplication, O Lord, my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer, which thy servant prayeth before thee today. Now Solomon's making a prayer before the people on this day. And physically speaking, you might think it's Solomon talking about thy servant. But like we said, Solomon is a picture of Christ. Christ is the servant of God. Christ is the one that's making that prayer. And that's our hope, is that, Lord, hear the cry of thy servant, our Lord Jesus Christ, who's making intercession for us.

Romans 8.34 says, who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. God, hear us, have mercy on us for Christ's sake. Hear us in Christ. Have mercy on us in the Lord Jesus Christ.

That's our only hope, is the intercession of Christ. and we come to God in Christ's name. That's how we've been taught to pray. In verse 29, that thine eyes may be open toward this house, night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, my name shall be there, that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer, which thy servant shall make toward this place. So here Solomon is asking for God to see His people with the eyes of love.

We need God to see us only in our Lord Jesus Christ. God's eyes are always on his beloved. Christ is his beloved. That's the Lord Jesus Christ. Low voice from heaven saying, this is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased. And when God looks at his people, although we see our sin in that old man, when God looks on his people, he sees his beloved son. And we're accepted in him. We're accepted in the beloved.

Ephesians 1.6, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us, what? Accepted. in the beloved, accepted in the Lord Jesus Christ. And even when our eyes aren't on him, his eyes delight in looking at us in Christ, day and night, day and night. He doesn't ever see us outside of Christ. There is no judgment We're perfect in the Lord Jesus Christ.

OK, so hopefully I've laid a little foundation there. Now we're going to get to this portion of his prayer where Solomon asked over and over for God to hear and forgive. Hear and forgive Israel of all their sins when they pray towards that temple, when they look to the Lord Jesus Christ when they pray in Christ's name. So let's read verses 30 through 36. I pray that the Lord would bless this.

And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, that's Christ, and of thy people, Israel. see thy servant and the people, when they shall pray toward this place, and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and when thou hearest, forgive. When you hear Christ's intercession for his people, forgive. If any man trespass against his neighbor, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house, then hear thou in heaven, and do and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head, and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness. When thy people, Israel, be smitten down before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee, and shall turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication to thee in this house, Then hear thou in heaven and forgive the sin of thy people, Israel, and bring them again into the land which thou hast given their fathers. When the heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against thee, if they pray toward this place and confess thy name and turn from their sin, when thou afflictest them, then hear thou in heaven and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, and teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and give reign upon the land which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance. Here we're instructed to pray, asking for forgiveness.

And like I said, looking towards that temple. It's not looking at a physical building. It's not looking to the east. It's looking to the Lord Jesus Christ. It's praying in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The temple of God that we look to isn't a building. It's a person. It's a person, the Lord Jesus Christ. That temple is gone. This building that we're meeting in today was a building that a false religion met in before us. And it's not the building, it's Christ. He is eternal. That temple of the Lord Jesus Christ will never be torn down. He ever liveth in the presence of God, making our prayers heard, causing intercession for us.

I talked a bit about this earlier, but Hebrews 7.25 says, But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood, wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

That temple was destroyed. In fact, that temple that It was the second version of that temple that Christ said, you know, I'll tear it down and raise it up in three days. It represents my body. It was even the second physical version of that temple that represented his body. But Christ is eternal. And he ever lives to make intercession for his people. I just can't get over that. Okay. Verse 37.

If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, locusts, or if there be caterpillar, if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities, whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness be there. That's talking about those plagues of Egypt. Those plagues when they were in the land of sin that God sent to Egypt, but you know, Those people experienced those plagues in the desert after they left Egypt because they were still susceptible in their flesh to those sins.

But unlike Egypt, they were plagued because of their sin but it wasn't under condemnation. God plagues us with our sin but not under condemnation. He's going to show us our sin and he's going to chase in his people but but it's for our good, it's for our eternal good. It's not under condemnation.

And in verse 38, we're gonna see what plagues God's children above all else. What's the biggest plague that we have? Verse 38, what prayer and supplication so ever be made by any man or by all thy people of Egypt which shall know every man the plague of his own heart. That's the plague, the worst plague of all, is the plague of our own heart. Knowing our evil, sinful, natural heart is the plague that kills the old man, that causes us to run to Christ. That's the first thing that God teaches his people when the Holy Spirit comes to convict them of sin, is the plague of their own heart. And when we hear that plague, verse 39, then hear thou in heaven, thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways whose heart thou knowest. For thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men, that they may fear thee all the days that they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers. It's only when we know the plague of our own hearts that we're going to run to Christ.

What did he say? The well don't need a physician. you think you have a righteousness of your own, you're not going to seek the righteousness of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. You don't know that you're sick. You don't go to that doctor until you know you're sick. And that's, if you don't feel that, that plague of your own heart, ask God to show it to you. In its heart, it hurts. It hurts to know your heart, but that's where salvation is.

Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner, the sinner. Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. It's through knowing the plague of our hearts and the need for Christ that we're made alive in the Lord Jesus Christ. And it talks about walking in his commandments. God is going to break our stony hearts and give us a new heart, a living heart in the Lord Jesus Christ. We're given his spirit as a Christ in us and Christ in us is how we can walk before God and God can justly accept us in the beloved. You know, Jeremiah said, the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it. Well, it's only when God shows us our wicked hearts that He's going to break our hearts and give us a new heart.

Let's turn to 1 John 1. I'm going to read a scripture over here. 1 John 1, verses 8 and 9. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. and the truth is not in us, we haven't been given the plague of knowing our own hearts. But, verse nine, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Praise God that there's forgiveness in our Lord Jesus Christ.

There's forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared. And, you know, you hear fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, right? Talking about the fear of God, that's not a fear of, gosh, if I don't do something for God, he's going to punish me. Or, you know, that's not a fear of punishment. The fear of God that, God's people have is to be found outside of Christ. I'm afraid to be found in myself, to approach God's throne of glory with my filthy rags of self-righteousness. The fear of God is to be afraid to be found anywhere except in the Lord Jesus Christ, where we're accepted and beloved. Let's turn back to 1 Kings 8. I'm going to pick up reading here in verses 41 through 50.

Moreover, concerning a stranger that is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy namesake, For they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched out arm. Many shall come and pray toward this house, here thou in heaven, thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for. That all the people of earth may know thy name, to fear thee, to do as thy people Israel, that they may know that this house, which I have built it, is called by thy name.

If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, whithersoever they shall send them, and shall pray unto the Lord toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward this house that I have built for thy name, then hear thou in heaven their prayer, and their supplication, and maintain their cause.

If they sin against thee, for there is no man that sinneth not, and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives into the land of the enemy far or near. Yet if they shall be think themselves in the land, whether they are carried captives and repent and make supplication under the, in the land of them that carried them captive saying we have sinned and done perversely, we have committed wickedness. And so return unto thee with all their heart, with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive. And pray unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest to their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name. Then hear their prayer and their supplication in heaven, thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause. And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, And all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before them that carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them.

So, here we see the hope of Gentiles. This is, you know, the strangers. In all, we were all strangers at one time, right? Not only are we Gentiles, not part of that physical Jewish state, but we were strangers from God before he revealed himself to us. But what's the hope of praying towards God? The hope is being found in the Lord Jesus Christ. We're not strangers in Christ. Let's turn to Ephesians 2. Like I said, I hope that God is speaking through his word and not my words. Ephesians 2, verses 13 through 19.

But now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us, having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in the ordinances to make him to make in him himself of twain one new man, so making peace. And then he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby, and came and preached peace unto you, which were far off to them that were nigh.

For through him we both have access by one spirit unto the Father. Now, therefore, You are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God. We were all strangers far off, but through Christ we're made fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God. We're made princes to God. And at the end of that verse, back in Kings, kind of talked about not being too hard on our enemies that have remained strangers, right?

I think we need to keep that in mind, that we were strangers once and God showed himself to us through nothing that we've done of ourselves. And God just might save them as well. We all know people caught up in false religion, just, I shouldn't even say false religion, religion, just religion, not Christ, not God, just caught up in religion and self-righteousness And they've got a zeal, they've got a heart, they want to please God, but they're ignorant. And yeah, very creation speaks of God's glory, but we need to lovingly, kindly point them to Christ. Someone did that for us once, didn't they? That's why we're here.

Someone lovingly, kindly said, I don't have any hope. I know my heart, I know the sin that I think, the sin that I do, the sin that I hope you never see. But even the things that go through my mind, I know what I am outside of Christ and I know that I don't have any hope. Unless I'm found in the Lord Jesus Christ, unless my sin was put on him and completely taken away, and unless his righteousness was given to me, that I can approach God, I don't have a hope in the world. I don't have anything.

And we've all been there. Even those raised under the gospel. You heard it. You heard it. You heard it. It was in your head. You knew it. You could tell these stories. You could say, yeah, that's Christ. That's a picture of Christ. But you didn't know him. You didn't have that love. You didn't have that need until one day you did. And we need to be very careful not to be too hard on others because we're no different. Who maketh thee different? Christ made us to differ, but in our natural selves, we were no different.

And we should pray for them like we pray for our children. God save them. Won't you bring a people to Christ that we might worship together with them, with our natural friends. Okay. I just want to finish up with the verses 51 through 53. In these verses, we get back to the why. The why there is forgiveness, the reason for forgiveness. Let's see if God shows us.

For they be thy people in thine inheritance, which thou broughtest forth out of Egypt. Egypt represents sin. from the midst of the furnace of iron, that thine eyes may be open to the supplication of thy servant, the Lord Jesus Christ, and unto the supplication of thy people Israel, those found in Christ, to hearken unto them in all that they call for unto thee. For thou didst separate them from among all the people of the earth to be thine inheritance, Is thou spakest by the hand of Moses, thy servant, when thou broughtest our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God. The why is according to his eternal covenant of grace in our Lord Jesus Christ. He chose a people to bring out of sin, separated from the world, made joint heirs with Christ. And we call to God to have mercy on us for Christ's sake.

Well, that's all I have. I pray that the Lord would bless this message to your hearts. If it hasn't, go back and read it again without me. But just know that that temple is Christ, the eternal one. And when we pray to God in Christ, we're accepted and applauded. All right. Let's pray.

Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for the word that you've given us this morning. Lord, we pray that you would give us hearts that seek our Lord Jesus Christ. we might be found in him, righteous before thy throne. Father, as we go out into this world, pray that you would keep us, that you would hedge us about, that you would guide us and lead us to Christ. Father, save us from outward sin that would bring reproach onto the gospel. But Lord, don't give us any hope in that self-righteousness. Lord, cause us to know only the righteousness of Christ. But Lord, let people see a difference that we might tell them there is no difference except in Christ. We ask these things and we. Pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ for our good and for his sake, Amen.

OK, Sean. OK, if you would turn in your hymnals to song number 235. And stand as we sing past me not. 235 ♪ Pass me not, O gentle Savior ♪ ♪ Hear my humble cry ♪ ♪ While on others Thou art calling ♪ ♪ Do not pass me by ♪ ♪ Savior ♪ Savior, Savior, hear my humble cry.

While on others Thou art calling, do not pass me by. Let me at a throne of mercy find a sweet relief. Kneeling there in deep contrition, help my unbelief. Savior, Savior, hear my humble cry. While on others thou art calling, do not pass me by. Trusting only in thy merit would I seek thy face. Heal my wounded, broken spirit. Save me by thy grace, Savior. Savior, hear my humble cry.

While on others Thou art calling, do not pass me by. Thou the spring of all my comfort, more than life to me. Whom have I on earth beside thee? Whom in heaven but thee? Savior, Savior, hear my humble cry. While on others thou art calling, do not pass me by.