Psalms chapter 4 But one verse verse 2 Psalms 4 and verse 2 And we are included in this verse, especially if we don't know the gospel. And before we knew, before we understood the gospel, this is speaking pretty well universally of men, men, women, boys, and girls. He addresses it this way, O ye sons of men, how long will you turn my glory into shame. How long will we turn God's glory into shame?

Well, naturally, we're born in sins, trespasses and sins. When Adam fell in the garden, he plummeted. The whole human race, as our representative, we all fell in Adam. We, in unbelief, are prone and bent to turn God's glory into shame. And that word shame in Hebrew is, I think it's disgrace. Yes, it's disgrace. How long, you sons of men, how long will you turn my glory into disgrace?

That's what we do. Our natural path forward, that's the way it is. That's what we do, that's what we are. Until God crosses our path with gospel truths and gives repentance and belief of his word of scripture, then and only then do we give the glory due his name properly.

What I'd like to do is to list just a few things that the children of Israel during the time of Christ, and if we were there, We would have done the same thing. Just a list of some of these mournful so-called honors that they gave Christ and that we would as well.

He was the long expected king. He was prophesied and now not everybody gave him hardship, gave him grief. But there are those who knew he was coming, prophesied that he was coming, Zacchaeus and different people like that. Simeon, they saw him and they rejoiced in his day.

But for the most part, this verse, verse two, sons of men, he came into Judea, to Jerusalem, but Bethlehem, how long will you turn God's glory in the person, in the face of Jesus Christ into shame? Well, let's look at the first one. Christ's birth. Christ's birth. Matthew chapter 2. Matthew chapter 2. Matthew chapter 2. Verse 16 through 18, then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, the Magi, was exceeding wrath and sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem and in all the coast thereof from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. That was fulfilled which was spoken by Jeremy or Jeremiah the prophet. And if you want to note this, it's Jeremiah 31 verse 15. It speaks about this prophecy. This was going to happen. Okay. So when the birth of Christ was announced, those who knew the truth rejoiced and the angels at the angels proclamation, the Magi, Mary, Joseph, et cetera. Oh, what glory they saw what glory came among men. What purity among corruption, what salvation was displayed to those who would not have it? They turned God's glory into shame.

How so? Well, the fact that Herod had all the children killed, two years and under, to promote his own protection, to promote his own protection. That's the first thing. That was the honor that Christ received at his birth. Well, what about Christ's procession to the cross? This was man's, and this is ours, outside of Christ. This is our procession of honor. The Legionnaires, the Jewish people, the priests, men and women, all led Christ, and you can find this in John 19, we won't turn there. They led Christ to Calvary's Hill, bearing the cross.

That was his procession. Oh, what honor was turned into shame and reproach. He did no wrong. It was a false trial, a mock trial. Yet he was buffooned and mocked by the crowd which paraded him to the place of the skull. That was his procession. His birth. Secondly, his procession. Thirdly, What kind of a drink of honor did they give the Lord Jesus Christ? Psalm 69. Psalm 69. Psalm 69 and verse 21. This is the prophetic, the words of Christ. They gave me also gall for my meat, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. That was their, the drink of honor.

He was a king of kings and he should have had a wine of the, from the grape, from the vine, but no, they gave him, instead of a cup befitting his office and character, vinegar and gall was offered to him. Yet, he didn't take it at first in order to suffer to the max for a propitiation for our sins and calamities. What inhospitable, is it that we were inhospitable to him? To the king of glory that turned his glory into shame.

Fourthly, What guard? A king is befitting to have a guard of honor. What was his guard of honor? Well, these vile men took his garments and divided them up among them. Gamblers themselves, seeking self pleasures, doing what we would do naturally, gratifying self instead of humbly bowing to his adored glory. He turned his glory into shame. Stripped him. and took his garments.

That was the guard of honor. The procession of honor, the cross, the drink of honor, gall, vinegar, wormwood. The guard of honor, these men, they didn't carry anything for the one sitting up, standing up, nailed to a cross. That can be found in John 19, Matthew 27, Mark 15, and Luke 23. That was his guard of honor. What about his throne? What about a throne of honor? Every king has a throne. It was a place next to two other malefactors hanging upon the cross or a cursed tree.

As if to say, if God were among us right now, such would his treatment be by us, even though he is our creation, we're his creation and he's the creator. Turn to Deuteronomy 21. Deuteronomy 21 and verse 22. If a man have committed a sin worthy of death, he didn't commit a sin, and it wasn't worthy of death. However, he is to be put to death and now hang him on a three.

That was his throne of honor. And this can also be read in Acts chapter five, Acts chapter 10 and Acts chapter 13. The glory of God turned to shame. Nextly, what was his title of honor? These are all things that a king would be expected to partake in. His birth, his procession, his drink, the guards, the throne. What about his title? He was king of the Jews for sure. Was he not the king blessed over all the universe, the heavens and hell, all things therein?

Yet we and outside of grace or they rather would call him appropriately the king of thieves. Referring to, of course, Barabbas, murder, insurrectionists. Let's let him go. Let's let him go. And what about those two on each side of him? Once again, turning God's glory to the ultimate shame, and as I said, disgrace. Pretty sad, pretty sad, really. But lastly, okay, that was historically. I can see your point. But how do we turn God's glory into shame? Oh, you sons of men, how long will you turn my glory into shame?

Well, Ephesians chapter two, verse eight and nine says, for by grace are you saved through faith, and that's not of yourself. It's a gift of God. It's God's glory to save sinners by his sovereign free grace alone, through Christ alone, by faith alone. All these are God's gift to sinful men, women, boys, and girls.

And yet every time we add our works, or our worth, or our merit to this work of Christ, we are turning God's glory into shame, or a common, detestable thing. Turn to Psalms 118. Psalms 118 and verse 22. The stone, that's Christ. And you can verify this if you were to look at Matthew when you go home, Matthew 21 and Acts chapter 4. These those two places in the New Testament quote this verse. The stone which the builders, that's us, refused is become the headstone of the corner. We're builders. We're like the Tower of Babel. We're going to build on our own foundation. But there's a stone which is the headstone in the corner.

That's the glorious Christ who is substantiated, who is verified, vindicated by the covenant of God's grace. That's how He saves. He doesn't save by any other. He doesn't save by anything we can do or don't do. This is the stone that God Himself has chosen. This is my glory. My glory is in my Son. Hear ye him, that's what the, in the Mount of Transfiguration. This is my beloved son, hear ye him. This is the stone which by us builders is rejected.

I know you say it's by God's grace. I know the hundreds of scriptures that center around God's grace and talk about the covenant. And what Bruce read in Isaiah 40, talk about all, he has a people, a chosen people, who he's gonna save, and nothing can be done to alter that. Sinners, just the same like everybody else, but the builders, but us, we're smarter. Now, you say it's by grace, we put works. You say it's by the baptism of the Holy Spirit, I say it's by my baptism, or sprinkling, or whatever I wanna do, I'm gonna stack that. And you say it's by your choice. No, I've got to choose. And I have to repent. And I have to. And I have to.

It doesn't make a difference what's the denomination. That stone is rejected by the... Refused! It's refused. That's a stronger word. This is probably the same word. I should have looked that up. It's refused. They're taking God's glory in making it shame. Don't do it. Don't reject the stone which God has placed. It cannot be moved. Don't do it.

Look to Christ alone for salvation and peace and hope. Turn to Isaiah 42. Isaiah 42. This is not these are not my words. These are the words from God. Inspired by the Word of God, Isaiah 42. And verse 8. I am the Lord. That is my name. And my glory. Will I not give to another? Neither my praise. to graven images. And though our text is true in Psalms, though it's true, how long will you turn God's glory into shame? Well, ultimately, God's glory is going to stand.

So I close and I implore all of us, young, old, agree with God regarding ourselves. My darkness, like we heard this morning, illuminate my darkness. Agree with God regarding ourselves. Agree with God regarding the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the stone, the only stone. Agree with God regarding himself. He's sovereign. He's in control.

There is no such thing as luck or chance. It's all been, it's all by his grace and all for his son's glory that we should bow to him and worship him. And lastly, fourthly, may we forsake our feeble doings or our not doings and trust fully upon the son of God's glory and therefore honor him. Amen and amen. Bruce, would you close us, please?