Turn to 1 Samuel chapter 2 if you would. 1 Samuel chapter 2. I was thinking about this message coming together for the dear folks down there in San Diego for a Bible study. I purposely did not record last week's Bible study for them because I wanted to be able to bring this message again today. And it applies to you and I as well. Now, I want to set the table for what was on my heart.

You know, those dear folks down there, those brothers and sisters in Christ, you've got to, they've got to be like Samuel. or not sorry, I'm sorry, Isaiah. Remember how Isaiah cried out to the Lord, Lord, I'm alone, I'm all alone. They've killed all your prophets, I'm the only one left. Well, this is how they feel down there. I mean, their pastor that they had just decided he couldn't be a pastor anymore. And rightfully so, I want to make sure I state that, rightfully so.

And he walked away from the pulpit. And another man stepped in, a member of one of the families. And it wasn't long after he stepped into the pulpit that a neighbor who he, if I remember the story correctly, someone that he was renting a property to came over onto his doorstep and shot him. Knocked on the door, he opened the door with a smile on his face, and the man took his life.

Go on from there. So there's two. There's two right there. Then another man, who they thought would be a pastor for them, was called. He had preached the gospel. It seemed like he was a preacher, like one that we used to know. He came and then one day he decided that he was gonna go down the path of teaching that the world was flat. And that the only way you could be saved was to believe that the world was flat.

I heard him say it with my own ears. When people told me these, I was like, there's no way. I can't believe anybody would do this. And so I tuned in to the recorded message and sure enough, he did. He came right out in tears and said, so there's three. And then another man that I dearly love, they called to be the pastor, and for some reason, which I have no understanding of, and I told him I didn't understand, he had to leave as well. He packed up his family and they left. So picture that.

God's blessed us here. We had a pastor for 38 years in this church. 38 years, Pastor Gene and his wife ministered at this church. Then we thought another man was going to be a pastor here, and it turned out not. We all know the story behind that, or most of us know the story behind that anyway. He was removed, and the Lord put me here. So we've been very blessed that we have had a pastor.

Do you know the folks there at Danville where Don Fortner preached? They still don't have a pastor, and it's going on six years. Our brothers and sisters over in Montana, at Great Falls, Montana, they went for years without a pastor. I don't even know how many years it was. They brought a pastor in from England. He had problems and didn't have to go back to England. And this was during the COVID time. Couldn't get back into the United States.

What I'm trying to bring before you is you see the picture of Isaiah? I'm alone. We don't... They've killed all your prophets. Now, we haven't had to go through that severity, but am I wrong in thinking that some of you have thought the same way as me? Boy, we sure are a small group of people now.

I remember when there was You remember when there were times where this place was so full of people, we had to put chairs down these aisles. Lord, are you drying up your churches? Some of our brethren that preach have a congregation of four. Other brethren that used to have congregations of 100 have 20. Most of our brethren who preach the truth have congregations of less than 20. Lord, are you drying up your church? What's happening? Where are all of your people? They're all gathered right where they should be is what the answer is to that question.

Folks, this church today, despite being a smaller number than it used to be, despite being four people for Friday night service, outside of those who were online. If it wasn't for those who were online, there would be only four. Now, we have some, at times, we have 15 people, 15 to 20 people online with us. So we continue on our Friday night service for that reason only. And if that's all we had online, I'd still continue with Friday night service.

But you see where I'm going with this? Isaiah's crying out, Lord, I'm alone. We're alone, we're so small. I mean, look, there's only one other church in this area all the way over in Marysville. The closest ones that we know besides that is San Diego and the Dalles, Oregon. Then you gotta go all the way across the other side of Colorado to get to any.

Our Lord's Church, the called out, the people who are called out of the world, out of religion, and into his truth, into his spiritual truth. The light was caused to shine in our hearts as he brought out in Bible study. It's as sure today as it was when there were numbers. It's as sure this moment because it's the church of God, not the church of men. Look here with me, if you would. Before I get to there, let me just state this.

The reason I shared with you what San Diego has gone through is because I want you to understand how their desperation of asking, Lord, do you even want us to have a church here? Should we even have a church with the four men who we thought were to be our pastors are gone and nobody, there seems to be no candidates at all that want to come because of the numbers.

Look here at 1 Samuel 2, verse 35. sent of God to speak the Word of God, so that's what he's doing, he's speaking as of God, I will raise me up. Thus saith the Lord, I will raise me up a faithful priest, a faithful high priest, one who will be the go-between between A sinful man, as our brother Mike brought out in Bible study. A man who has fallen from the perfection that he was made in. A man who raised his hand up and said, I will do it my way instead of God's way. He says, I will bring a faithful priest, the one to go between them and me, that shall do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind. Did it say he will try? No. God is going to raise someone up. Remember what it says in Matthew? Remember what it talks about in Matthew? Has Moses raised up the serpent in the wilderness? God's going to raise somebody up. And that person he's going to raise up is going to be a faithful one.

We're gonna get, let's go on a little bit further here. He's gonna do all that is according to my heart, my mind, and I will build him, and this is what I want you to see, a sure house. Do you know what that's what church is? Churches, those who are called out, it's a house. It's a group of people.

It's like Israel was used as an example in the Old Testament scriptures. They were called out from the world. They were called out from the religious. They were given the oracles of God to prove who God was, to show who they were to look to. And even after doing that, they still turned away when the Lord removed his hand of grace from them. says, I will build him, that one that he's going to raise up, that faithful priest, I will build him a sure house and he shall walk before my anointed forever. Why did, why did this one To give you an example, or to give you an understanding of what this is talking about, this is a man who was sent to Eli. Eli was the high priest at the time, and he was an old man, and he had been a high priest for a long time. And his sons, he had two sons that he had raised up to also be in the priesthood.

And they had gone astray and became wicked. They had began, they saw the gleam of the money that was coming through the front door, the door of the church. Ooh, there's some money there. We could do good stuff with that. Whatever it was, they got away from what the service of a priest was. and they began to serve themselves.

So this man was sent to tell Eli that his sons were gonna die, that God was gonna take their lives, and in doing so, he tells them, he tells Eli, that I will raise one up who will do all that I say, who will do all the things according to my heart, as it states there. He will walk, and he shall walk before my anointed forever. Turn over to Psalms 65, if you would, Psalm 65. I wanna read one verse over there.

We're talking about a sure house. We're talking about the house of God. If we are the house of God, if we belong to the Lord Jesus, If we are those for whom He represented, those for whom He was the substitute on that cross, that's what we talked about in Friday night's Bible study, substitution. You remember the story of Barabbas?

Brabus was let go, Pilate let Brabus go free and he crucified the Lord Jesus because he offered him to the people. He asked the people, who do you want to crucify? It was their custom to let somebody go. And everybody cried out, let Brabus go, crucify the Lord Jesus. They didn't call him the Lord, crucify Christ.

That's substitution. Everyone for whom Christ died on that cross is part of his church. Everyone for whom the rock of God's church, the cornerstone, everyone for whom he died is a living stone, part of that building, the sure house. That's what I wanna talk about. Look at here in verse four of Psalm 65.

Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, Did you catch that? Blessed are the ones who he chooses, not those who make a decision, not those who decide to get baptized, not those who go to church on a certain day, but whom thou choosest. Blessed is the one whom thou choosest and causes. Not only did he choose us, he causes us to be here. Every one of you are here today because God has caused you to be here.

If he had not caused you to, you know, people call me up, I've shared this with you before, people will call me up. I got a text message, John, I'm sorry, we're not gonna be there Sunday. You don't need to be sorry to me. I guarantee you, you are exactly where God would want you to be. If he wants you here in church, you're gonna be here. If he wants you to be with your family having an event today, you're gonna be there. See folks, we worship a God who rules over everything. He's either God of all things or he's not God at all and we're wasting our time.

I don't fret for those who aren't here. Now, that kind of contradicts what I said at the beginning, doesn't it? Because I did say it kind of bothers me that our numbers are small. But I'm not fretting over you because you can't be here. You were in Hawaii the other day. I was so happy for you. I was so glad for you. Edward was supposed to be on a trip. I was surprised to see him here this morning. I was glad for him to be on his trip. Kathy and I were, well, I was in San Diego. I was glad to be in San Diego. She was in Medford with my daughter the week before. I was glad for her to be there.

Folks, we're right where God wants us to be. And this is all building up to how this church, this church that God is the foundation of, that Jesus Christ and Him crucified is the message of, is a sure foundation. God calls it a sure church because it's not based on what we do. It's based on the one who is our surety, the Lord Jesus. It's based on what he has done.

Look here, let's finish this. And he may dwell in thy courts and we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house. See, that's our problem, isn't it? We're struggling with being satisfied with his house. Would you not agree with that? When we think about the numbers and how small we are, when we think about our friends in San Diego who can't seem to, the Lord has not given them a pastor, a good pastor, we're struggling with that. We're struggling with being satisfied with the goodness of thy temple, even of thy holy temple. This house is not a house built with hands.

Turn over to 2 Corinthians chapter 5, and while you're doing that, allow me to read from Ezekiel 36. Our Lord tells us in Ezekiel 36, He says, Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord. Folks, if you're the house of God, this is the Lord God Almighty speaking to you. Unto the house of Israel, let's say it, Lord God, I do not these things for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake.

You see why it's a sure house? You see why we have no reason to doubt God's house? See, while we have no reason to question our numbers, our numbers are perfect. They're exactly what God has for us. They're exactly what he has purposed to come and hear the truth of who our Savior is. It's exactly the numbers that he has determined to come together and worship him in spirit and in truth. We've been chosen from before the world was to hear his word. Can anything, can anything turn the purpose of God? If it could, we wouldn't be calling him God, would we? Therefore saith unto the house of Israel, thus saith the Lord, I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for my holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whether ye went I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them, and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes." I will take you from among the heathen and gather you out of all the countries.

Does it sound like there's any wiggle room there? You know, when you're building a house, Mike knows this better than anybody, that's what he does for a living. He builds houses, he builds things. But there's a little wiggle room always, isn't there Mike? There's always a little wiggle room. There's no wiggle room with God. Everything he's stating here is purposeful and meaningful. I will sprinkle clean water, he says. He didn't say, maybe I'll do it. He says, I will.

This is God's people. We're talking about the surety of this place that God has given us. The surety of the messages being preached here at Rescue. The surety of our gathering. It's not in us. Our surety is Him. I will sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all of your filthiness, from all of your idols will I cleanse you. Over in 2 Corinthians chapter 5, we read these words, beginning in verse 1, For we know that if our earthly, we're talking about a sure house, a sure house of God, for we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we would have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. That's what we're talking about.

Folks, this world is not our home. Did you ever sing that song just walking along, thinking to yourself? Bill Silva and I would be talking on the phone as I was driving my truck around town. He was disabled, so he couldn't work. And I miss him. we would get carried away with the news of the day. I could imagine what he'd have to say about today's news. I can picture it. And we, sometimes we'd go down that path a little further than we wanted to, and one of us would start singing this song.

This world is not my home. I'm just a passing through. If heaven's not my home, then Lord, what will I do? Folks, this world is not our home. Everything that God is doing in our hearts today is weaning us from this world. All the troubles and the trials that we go through are to take our eyes off of the things of this world and point us to our Savior.

That's what, I think, didn't you just read the scriptures a moment ago about where Paul said, thing from me three times, the thorn in his side. You were just talking about that in the Bible study, weren't you? Yeah. Not a part of that. Yeah, and the Lord said, my grace is sufficient for you.

When we're down, folks, when we're getting hammered by the things of this world, and some of us are going through some pretty heavy hammering right now, I can tell you that. Pray for your brethren. Pray for your brothers and sisters here in this church. We don't always see the depths of our hammer. Our hammering. There, that's better. We don't always see it in each other. But as your pastor, I know that there are some here today who are.

When God hammers us that hard, it's because the flesh is, I don't want him to knurl over me. I need to do this myself. No, you can't. That's what he's telling us, you can't. Look unto me. Paul, you can't take that thorn out of your side. Look unto me because your weakness makes him.

Our earthly, we have an eternal one in heaven. For in this, verse two, we groan earnestly, desiring to be clothed upon with our house. Oh, how we want to be, we want to be clothed with the house of God. I don't want to be found with any righteousness in myself.

As Mike brought out in Bible study again, you see how God leads things into this, Mike? He said, don't let your right hand know what your left hand is doing. That's what the scriptures tell us. Why? Because we'll start bragging about what the right hand is doing.

I want to be clothed in his house, which is from heaven. What is the surety of this heavenly house? Turn over to Matthew 16, if you would. What is the surety of this house? Over in Matthew 16, we have some verses over there I wanna look at, and I know they're familiar to some of you, very, very familiar, but there are some who are not, who need to look at this, and even for those that are familiar, it's like the book of Ephesians, chapter one.

Do you ever get tired of it? No. I love to be reminded. I love to come to the table of remembrance and be reminded of who my savior is. I love to look at, because that's his love for us. You realize that? Every time we look at him and what he's done for us, it's a reminder of how deep his love is for us. Those people who stand out on the street corner and say, Jesus loves you, and everybody walks by. How do you know?

Let me tell you something, if Jesus loves you, it's not worthy to be thrown out there as though it's nothing. It means something. It means a great deal to those who are sinners and who have no ability to do it on their own, who have to look to him for all things. Look here at verses 13 through 18 of Matthew 16, beginning at verse 13.

When Jesus came into the coast of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, whom do men say that I, the son of man, am? Now remember, the question is here, what is the surety of this heavenly house? How could God say in the Old Testament, I will build a sure house, one that is for sure, it's gonna happen no matter what? Well, here's what it's built on.

Where do men say that I, the son of man, am? Whom do men say that I, the son of man, am? And they said, some say that thou art John the Baptist, verse 14. Some, Elijah's, and others, Jeremiah's, or one of the prophets. He said that to them. Okay, so this is what the world says I am. I'm some kind of a prophet. I may be a good preacher, a good speaker, high priest even. Now I want to know, who do you, who do you say He is?

Listen to Peter's response, verse 16, And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Deliverer, the Messiah, the One who will come because the people can't do it and deliver them from their sins, deliver them from the bondage of sin. the very sin that we come into this world with tied to, held down by. This is the one who's gonna, this is who he is. This is what Peter's saying. This is who he is. You're the Messiah. You're my deliverer. You're the Christ, the son. You're not just the Christ, you're a special, you're the deliverer because you are the son of the living God. Christ, who has all power in heaven and earth and under the earth.

Peter is declaring that very thing right there. And Jesus answered and said in him in verse 18, blessed art thou, Simon Barjona. And he says this statement next, which really has to come into play here. It says, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. Again, I can refer right back to your Bible study again. You said it yourself there as well. We can't do that. I can't speak to your hearts. Folks, salvation is a heart matter. This flesh has got to be thrown off. We're not taking this flesh into heaven with us. This flesh cannot enter into heaven because it's sin. It has to be put away. We'll be changed in the twinkling of an eye for those of us who are alive on this earth when the Lord returns. But other than that, the body goes back to the dust, goes back to the dirt that it came from.

Blessed are you. You're blessed because this revelation, this answer that you have given me. You have said, I am the Christ, the son of the living God, and the only way you could know that is if God the Father hath revealed it unto thee. And then he says, I say also unto thee, thou art Peter, and upon this rock, upon the answer that he gave, that the Christ, the son of the living God, I will build my church. My house, and here's a surety for you, the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Not even you can stop yourself from being saved of God. Brings a great smile, doesn't it? I know. If I could, I would mess it up. I would mess it up.

What is the surety of this heavenly house? It's built upon the rock that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God. This rock is the cornerstone. Turn over to 1 Peter chapter 2. This rock is the cornerstone of that house, that heavenly house, that house that is built.

And that's why we preach Christ and Him crucified. Folks, every piece of scripture, every page between both covers of this book is all about the Savior, the Lord Jesus. If you can't find Christ, then you shouldn't be preaching it. The very first thing that Gene Harmon taught me was get on the road to Christ the moment you start at the pulpit and stay there. And I hope I have. And I hope the Lord continues to allow me to do that.

So this rock, this cornerstone, this solid rock that we sing about here in chapter two, beginning at verse one, we read these words. Wherefore, laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and all evil speakings, as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby. Now look down at verse 10. Actually, I'm gonna go to verse eight. Now, seven. Unto you therefore which believe. Why did I do that? Six. Five. Let's just go back to verse two or verse three. Read the whole chapter. Read the whole thing, John. Why are you skipping verses in the first place, right?

If so be that you have tasted the Lord is gracious to whom coming as unto living stone. Disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious. You see the house that he's building here? See the house that he's building up, the sure house? It's built by God, it's not built by hands, as we read back there in 2 Corinthians, verse five. Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices except for God by Jesus Christ.

Wherefore, also, it is contained in the scripture, behold, I lay in Zion a cheap cornerstone, elect, precious, and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded unto you, therefore, which believe. Oh, ask yourself this, is he precious? Is God precious to you? He is precious, according to these words right here.

But unto them which be disobedient the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner and the stone of stumbling, a rock of offense, even unto them which stumble at the word being disobedient, whereunto also they were appointed.

But ye, ye, those of you who are the living stones of the sure house, ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people that ye should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. This rock, this cornerstone is the very thing that we build, that has been built, that this church has been built on. This is that sure house, the house that worships God in spirit and in truth. A sure house is a house that speaks and lives of Him that is sure in all that He is, Christ the God-man. Turn over to Matthew chapter 1. Matthew chapter 1. This is why this house is sure, it's built on the God-man, Christ Jesus the Lord. And we see over in Matthew chapter one, verse 23, these words.

Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is God with us. Is that what we talk about every Sunday? Is that what we worship when we come together? The God-man, Jesus Christ Emmanuel. We speak and live of him that is sure in all that he is. He's the God-man.

He's Christ the priest. Look over at Hebrews chapter three. Hebrews chapter three. Look at verse 1. We're talking about Christ. The stone. The cornerstone of the sure house. Hebrews chapter 3 verse 1, Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider, ponder, think of this, the apostle and Jesus. You know what a priest is, right? Priest is a go-between. They're the ones who take the sacrifice into the holiest of holies and sprinkle it on the mercy seat. Well, Christ is all of that. He's the priest who's gone into the holiest of holies.

He sits on his throne right now, and that's the next one I want to show you. He's Christ the King. Turn over to 1 Timothy chapter 1, just a few pages to the left of Hebrews there. Chapter 1, verse 17. Now unto the King. That's our Lord and Savior. The King, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. Three things. that Christ always, that the people of God who abide in the sure house speak of and live of, and that is Christ the God-man, Christ the priest, and Christ the king. God help us to always keep that before us as we go about our way. Amen.