Turn with me back to Psalm 44. Psalm 44. I want to look at a few verses in this passage this evening. The message is entitled, Words of Encouragement for the Church. We can always use encouragement, can't we? Words of encouragement for the church. Well, verse one of Psalm 44, here we read three words. We have heard. We have heard. The gospel must be heard. Over in Romans 10, turn there with me, if you will, Romans chapter 10. Romans 10, look at verse 13. It's a familiar passage, Romans 10, verse 13.

Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they've not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard. And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except they be sin? As it's written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things. But they've not all obeyed the gospel, for Isaiah said, Lord, who hath believed our report?

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. None can be saved who do not call on him. We must call on the name of the Lord. And none can call upon the name of the Lord if they don't believe he's willing and able to save. And none can believe he's willing and able to save if they've not heard. if they've not heard of his grace and mercy in Christ, have not heard of his death, of his resurrection, of his redemption. And none can hear these things unless the gospel be preached to them. But we read here in verse one of our text, it says, we have heard, we have heard. And we have to hear, not just, listen, not just with this outward ear, but with the heart.

To hear with a desire. You know, if somebody's telling you something important, you want to hear it, don't you? There's a necessity to listen. To hear with understanding, to hear with need. I need to hear His gospel. I need to hear of the Savior. And we read here that faith depends on hearing and hearing depends on the Word of God. It's essential. It is essential to hear, to hear the Word, to hear His Word. Turn to Matthew 13. Matthew chapter 13. Verse 15, Matthew 13, verse 15.

Our Lord said, he said, this people's heart is waxed gross and their ears are dull of hearing. And their eyes they've closed lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and should understand with the heart and be converted and I should heal them. And he says this, he says, blessed are your eyes for they see, and blessed are your ears.

For what reason? For they hear. They hear. And only God, only God can give a seeing eye and a hearing ear. Proverbs 20 verse 12, just listen. Let me read it to you. The hearing ear, the hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made both of them.

These things are of the Lord. God's people, they hear. They hear his voice. Our Lord said in John 10, he said, my sheep, What's peculiar about my sheep? He said, they hear my voice. They hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give them eternal life and they shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

We have heard. That's a comforting word, isn't it? That's a word, we have heard. Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Well, second, turn back to our text, back to Psalm 44. We've heard. Look at verse two. Here's the second point. We've heard how thou didst.

Who didst? The Lord. The Lord. Salvation is the work of God alone. That's comforting, isn't it? Think about just about everything we lay our hand to, we manage to goof up. But this thing of salvation is completely independent of us. Salvation, it's of the Lord. It's the work of God alone. The salvation of the righteous is of the Lord. You've heard this before. Salvation's of the Lord completely. It's of the Lord in its origination. Salvation's of the Lord in its execution. and its application. Salvation's of the Lord and its sustaining power. And salvation is of the Lord in its ultimate perfection. It is all of Him and it is complete in Him.

You know, men, mankind, not just men, but mankind does some pretty foolish things. especially with regard to salvation. How foolish is it to turn to the Virgin Mary? Does it say anywhere in scripture to do that? How foolish is it to turn to the priest? How foolish is it to turn to the law? How foolish is it to turn to the church?

The Lord Jesus Christ says this, if any man thirst, where's he to go? If any man thirst, let him come to me. Why do men look to those who cannot save? They look everywhere for salvation instead of simply looking to the Lord Jesus Christ. Looking to Almighty God and begging for mercy. Turn over to Isaiah 45. Isaiah 45, verse 19. Isaiah 45, verse 19.

I've not spoken in secret in a dark place on the earth. I said not under the seat of Jacob, seek ye me in vain. I the Lord speak righteousness. I declare things that are right. Assemble yourselves and come. Draw near ye that are escaped of the nations. They have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image and pray unto a God that cannot save. That's going on around this country. Men, pray unto a God that cannot save. He says, tell ye and bring them near. Let them take counsel together. Who hath declared it from ancient time? Who hath told it from that time?

Have not I the Lord? And there is no God else beside me, a just God and a Savior. there is none beside me." What do we read there in our text? How thou didst. Jonas said this, he said, I'll sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving. I'll pay that which I have vowed.

Salvation is of the Lord. It's all of him. Salvation is the work of God in Christ alone. Salvation is not something we do for God. Salvation is not something you do for yourself. Not something the preacher does for you. Salvation, we just read that, salvation is of the Lord. It's all of Him. The entire work. the whole of the work whereby a lost sinner is saved from his natural state of sin, his natural state of ruin, and is translated into the kingdom of God and made an heir, an heir of eternal happiness. It's of God, and it's of him alone. Salvation belongeth to the Lord. Salvation of the righteous is of the Lord.

Brother Henry wrote this years ago, but it's still pertinent. He said, men today plead with sinners to accept Jesus. Men of old pleaded with God to show mercy. God be merciful to me, the sinner. Men today boast that they've accepted that they've accepted Jesus. Paul said, I obtained mercy. God was merciful to me. All the way back there in Genesis, we read this, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Men today sing, I choose Jesus. The apostle wrote, whom he foreknew. He predestinated. He called. He justified. He glorified. Beginning to end, He chose you to salvation. How thou didst. Well, let's read on in our text. Again, back in Psalm 44. Look at verse three. They got not the land in possession by their own sword. They didn't get it by their doing and dying. They didn't get it by their effort, did they? Neither did their own arm save them. This arm of flesh cannot save.

What's he say there? He says, but thy right hand, thy right hand, the right hand of God, a symbol of his power, a symbol of his majesty, of his favor, Salvation by God's free and sovereign grace. Turn with me to the book of Daniel. Look in Daniel chapter four. Daniel four. Verse 30. Nebuchadnezzar had been warned of these things. And look what happened. Look at verse 30.

The king spake, and he says, it's not the great Babylon that I've built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power. and for the honor of my majesty." Isn't Nebuchadnezzar just a clear picture of us? Can't we just see ourselves every morning waking up and doing this exact same thing? He said, while the word was in the king's mouth, he didn't even finish the sentence, did he? While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken, The kingdom is departed from thee, and they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beast of the field.

They shall make thee to eat grass as oxen. Seven times shall pass over thee until thou knowest. You're gonna learn something here. That the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and he giveth it, he giveth it to whomsoever he will. In the same hour was this thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar, and he was driven from men, and he did eat oxen as grass, and his body was wet with dew of heaven, till his hair grew out like eagle's feathers, and his nails like bird's claws, and at the end of days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up mine eyes into heaven, and my understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the Most High. And I praised and honored him that liveth forever and ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation. He's sovereign. God is sovereign. He is all powerful. And then look at verse 35.

And all the inhabitants of the earth, what about us? We're reputed as nothing. And he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand or say unto him, what doest thou? And at the same time, now because at the same time, my reason returned unto me, and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honor and brightness returned unto me, and my counselors and my Lord sought unto me, and I was established in the kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me, and now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise," he was praising himself, wasn't he? He was taking up with himself, but he said, now, I praise and extol and honor the king of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment, and those that walk in pride, he is able to abase.

You see that? Just one quick little story there. God is absolutely sovereign. He's sovereign in all things. Our Lord said this, He said, I'll have mercy on whom I'll have mercy. I'll be gracious to whom I'll be gracious. And He owes no man anything. If He shows mercy, if He shows grace, it is sovereignly bestowed and only He can give it. Well, back to our text. Again, back to Psalm 44. Here's the fourth point. Look at verses six and seven.

He said, I'll not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me. But thou, thou hast saved us. I can't save myself. Not with anything, not with my bow, not with my sword, but he says, thou hast saved us. You've saved us from our enemies and you've put them to shame that hate us. Here's another picture of the believer's life. We are completely, we are totally and completely dependent upon him. He saved us. Just three words. Don't you love the simplicity of the gospel? Nothing. He saved us. Turn to the book of Titus. Titus chapter 3. Titus 3. Follow along with me beginning with verse 3. Titus 3, verse 3. It says, for we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving diverse lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.

That's where he found all of us. But after that, the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness, which we've done, but according to his mercy. Are you with me? Are you following along with me? According to His mercy, He saved us. Not by works of righteousness, which we've done, but according to His mercy, He saved us. By the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost, Is that clear? Did that just jump off the page at you? He saved us.

That's the message of this Bible. That's the message of the Word of God. It declares that salvation is all of grace. It's all of Him. He saved us. And if a sinner is to be justified, It must be God who does the justify. And he does it according to his mercy. Not according to our goodness, our so-called goodness, not according to our merit, but according to his mercy. He saved us. Salvation.

It is always determined, it's always dependent, it is always accomplished by Almighty God and none other. Not by works of righteousness, not by works of righteousness which we've done, but according to His mercy, He saved us. Well, back to our text again here in Psalm 44. Look at verse 8. In God we boast all the day long and praise His name forever. In God we boast. To Him, to Him be the glory. To God be the glory.

Paul writing to Timothy in 1 Timothy 1.17, it says, now unto the king, eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be glory to him. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen. To him be all honor and glory forever. In the book of Jude, let me just read it to you, it says, Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty and dominion and power both now and ever.

It's all His. The Lord Jesus Christ, who is able to keep His people, to keep His elect from finally falling, and is able to present them faultless. Faultless. I know some of you have been introduced before to other people. Have you ever been introduced as faultless? Let that sink in for a minute. He presents us faultless before the Father. To Him be, who gets the glory in that? It's His, isn't it? To Him be glory.

In the book of Luke, we read, it says, the birth of our Lord, suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly hosts praising God, saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and goodwill toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, let's go to Bethlehem and let's see, let us see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. Romans 15, 16, that ye may with one mind and one mouth Do this. Glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God's glorified when the perfections of His nature are declared and ascribed to Him. Men of this world, they go about trying to rob God of His glory. It's all ascribed to Him. when we take notice of the hands, the works of His hands, and the glory of His majesty, when we offer praise up to Him, to give thanks to Him for His mercies, temporary mercies, daily mercies, eternal mercies.

He's glorified when His saints gather together. And why do we gather together? We sing that song, we've come into this house and we've gathered in His name for what purpose? To worship Him. To Him, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. In God we boast, in God In all things, in all things, God is to be glorified. He alone is worthy.

Well, quickly, for sake of time, go back to Psalm 44, but skip down to verse 18. Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way." One word, one word here, perseverance, perseverance. Paul writing to the Hebrews, he said, we're not of them who draw back into perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. How is it? How is it that we're not turned back? How is it that we don't depart from Him? Prone to wonder, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love. How is it? How is it that we don't turn back?

Because the believer is kept. kept by the power of Almighty God. His people will persevere. His people will persevere without fail, preserved by His grace, preserved by His power, saved by God's grace in Christ. And with that, With that, with him, our salvation is secure. If it was dependent upon any of us, if it was dependent on all of us collectively, we'd just hang it up. God will not let his people go. He'll preserve them to the end. He will bring them to glory. And it's all of His power, it's all of His goodness, it's all by His grace.

You ever just think about that? That just sounds too good. That just sounds too good to be true. Turn with me back to, we looked at a portion of this, but turn back to John. chapter 10. John chapter 10. And just listen. Follow along, but just listen to these words. And these are the words of our Lord. This is the Lord Himself speaking. And listen to what He says. He says, My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me, and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish.

Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My father, my father which gave them me is greater than all. And no man is able to pluck them out of my father's hand. I and my father are one. Will God's people persevere? This is the Father's will, which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I will lose nothing. He's not gonna lose one, but raise them up again at the last day. I pray the Lord would comfort us through his word, that he would encourage us through his word. All right, Isaac, come lead us in a closing hymn.