Happy Is That People

Q: What does the Bible say about God's strength?

The Bible teaches that God is our only source of strength, as illustrated in Psalm 144, where David proclaims, 'Blessed be the Lord, my strength.' The Bible consistently emphasizes God's strength as the foundation for our own. In Psalm 144, David recognizes the Lord as his strength and rock, a dependable refuge in times of distress. This theme is echoed throughout Scripture; for instance, in Psalm 18, David asserts, 'The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer.' It teaches us that true strength comes from relying on God, especially when we are overwhelmed. In moments of trial, believers are called to look to God in hope, trusting that He provides all necessary grace and strength.

Q: How do we know spiritual armor is necessary for Christians?

Spiritual armor is essential for Christians to withstand spiritual battles as outlined in Ephesians 6, where Paul instructs believers to put on the whole armor of God. The necessity of spiritual armor is made clear in Ephesians 6, where Paul describes the spiritual warfare Christians face against forces beyond the physical realm, including principalities and powers of darkness. In this passage, believers are encouraged to be strong in the Lord and equipped with the full armor of God, which includes the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness, among others. This armor symbolizes our reliance on Christ and His righteousness to combat spiritual adversaries. The understanding that we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces reinforces the need for divine protection and empowerment through God’s Word and Spirit.

Q: Why is it important to understand our position in Christ?

Understanding our position in Christ as rulers and priests is vital as it affirms our identity and inheritance in God's kingdom, as stated in Revelation 1. Recognizing our position in Christ is profoundly significant because it establishes our identity as God's chosen people, made kings and priests through His grace. Revelation 1:6 illustrates this by declaring, 'He hath made us kings and priests unto God.' This identity offers assurance of our standing before God and our role in His kingdom. It teaches believers to approach God with confidence, and it prompts us to live in a way that reflects our high calling. Acknowledging our position in Christ also encourages us to embrace our responsibilities within the church and to share the gospel with others, knowing we are under His lordship.

Q: What does the Bible say about God's mercy and grace?

The Bible teaches that God's mercy and grace are foundational to His relationship with humanity, offering forgiveness and transformation to His people. God's mercy and grace are central to the biblical narrative, illustrating His compassion and unmerited favor towards humanity. Psalm 144 emphasizes that the Lord is not only our strength but also our goodness, highlighting that any goodness we possess comes from Him. God's mercy is evident in His willingness to deliver us from sin, death, and hell, as seen in the gospel message. God's grace is transformative, enabling us to live holy lives that reflect His character. The assurance of being recipients of His mercy and grace should inspire humility, gratitude, and obedience among believers, recognizing that these gifts are not earned but freely given.

Again, Psalm 144. Lord willing, I'd like to look at these 15 verses here this morning. We read, blessed, blessed be the Lord, my strength. My strength, the strength of this body, the strength of the mind, Strength in affliction and trial. Blessed be the Lord my strength. That's our only. He alone is our strength. We have no strength apart from him. And that word strength, it can also be interpreted my rock, a rock. The Lord is my rock.

You know, David, He certainly spoke from experience here. How often did we read in scripture about him fleeing to the rock for shelter? Fleeing to the rock when in distress. Fleeing to the rock when overwhelmed. Fleeing to that rock when in a time of trouble.

In Psalm 18, David wrote this. He said, I love thee, O Lord. My strength. He's my strength. He said, the Lord is my rock. He is my fortress. He's my deliverer. He's my God. My strength in whom I will trust. My buckler, the horn of my salvation, my high tower. I will call. What will I do in a time of trouble? David said, I will call upon the Lord. I'll call upon Him who is worthy to be praised and who has saved me from my enemies. And we look to Him, we look to that rock by faith. We look to that rock in hope of eternal salvation. And we are completely dependent upon Him for all supplies of grace and strength. David prayed this in Psalm 61 too.

He said, from the end of the earth will I cry unto thee. He said this, when my heart is overwhelmed. Are you ever overwhelmed? We're often overwhelmed, aren't we? He said, when I am overwhelmed, lead me, lead me to this one place. Lead me to this one person. Lead me to the rock. that is higher than I. Lead me to Christ, the Lord. He alone is my strength. He alone is my rock. He alone is my God. Look again here at verse one.

It says, blessed be the Lord, my strength, which teacheth my hands to war and my fingers to fight. You know, the gospel offends the natural man. And men will do all they can to resist that gospel. Men will do all they can to keep that gospel from being preached. But the Lord, in his wisdom, and the Lord in his mercy, he furnishes his people with spiritual armor for that battle. to fight against spiritual enemies. Look, turn to Ephesians 6. Ephesians chapter 6. Look, beginning with verse 10. Ephesians 6, verse 10, finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord. Be strong in the Lord, be strong in the power of His might.

Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities. against powers, against rulers of darkness, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore, take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in that evil day.

And having done all to stand, stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, with the truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness, but the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. The gospel of peace. Listen, not declaring peace where there is no peace, but peace where there truly is peace.

Above all, take the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. That's what we desire to look into, isn't it? The word, the word of God. Pray with all prayer and supplication in the spirit and watching there unto with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. Spiritual armor. to give boldness in the face of the enemy. Spiritual armor that ultimately gives his people the victory. Again, Psalm 144. He's the Lord, my strength. And then verse two, it says, my goodness, my goodness. Now that doesn't speak of any goodness of ourselves. It's the Lord, our goodness. He's the God of all mercy. He's the God of all grace.

And then we read here, He's my fortress, a stronghold, a very present help in time of trouble. My high tower, my deliverer, What's he delivered us from? Oh, much. He's delivered us from sin. He's delivered us from Satan. He's delivered us from this world. Delivered us from affliction. Delivered us from temptation. Delivered us from wrath. The wrath to come. Delivered us from ruin, from death, and from hell. And David goes on here and he writes, the Lord is my shield, in whom I trust, who subdueth my people under me.

Verse three, Lord, what is man? What is man that thou takest knowledge of him, or the son of man that thou makest account of him? That's quite a question, isn't it? What is man? What is man in the presence of an infinite God. What is man in the presence of a God who's holy? A God who is sovereign in all things. Man is no more than a creature made from this earth. We come forth from the dust. Man who is but dust and ashes, described in scripture, listen, as a sinful creature that drinks iniquity like water.

And yet the Lord not only takes notice of him, the Lord not only knows him, he knows all things. And he takes way of noticing him in a way of providence, in leading and directing, in a way of grace and mercy. Think how, I don't know if we think, how intimately the Lord knows his, he says that the hairs of our, the very hairs of our head are numbered.

He knows every detail of his people, his elect, his chosen, and listen, they're no better than any other. Yet, he owns them. He acknowledges them as his peculiar people. They're his. And not only does he know them, but he makes himself known unto them. He's pleased to reveal himself to his people.

In John 10.14, he said this, he said, I am the good shepherd, and I know my sheep." And what else does he say? And I am known of mine. What is man? Truly, what is man that thou art mindful of him?

David must have, you're right, I bet he often wondered about God's goodness to him. Do you ever just take a minute and consider the goodness of God to his people. The goodness of God to me, right? The goodness of God to each one of us. In taking us, listen, look what he did to David.

David was a shepherd and God raised him to the throne. Think he ever wondered back at those days sitting out there on the hill farming and guiding those sheep? That the Lord would raise him to the throne? But even more so, even more so that he would take a sinful man and make him a partaker of his grace. that God would show mercy, make him an heir of glory.

What is man? Truly, what is man that thou art mindful of him? Verse four, man is like to vanity. His days are as a shadow that passeth away. David wrote in Psalm 39 5, he said, behold, You've made my days as a hand breath, and my age is nothing before thee. Verily, every man, every man at his best state is altogether vanity. A shadow, a shadow that just, it passes the way. Our life is not only as a shadow, but it's a shadow that's about to depart. Shadows aren't around very long, are they? A mirage, an image of something and then it's gone. This body begins to die as soon as it's born.

And it's David. Lord, enable us to trust God, to trust Him. For in Him, we have everything. In looking to man, man is nothing, nothing. And yet, our great God condescends to save the people, to take notice. That word vanity, it means a vapor. It's here and then it's gone. Vanity, we're nothing. Back to Psalm 144, look at verse five.

Bow by heavens, oh Lord, and come down. Touch the mountains and they shall smoke. Another interpretation reads it this way, oh Lord, bow the heavens and manifest thyself, reveal thyself, make thyself known to us. He bowed down, he came down, he came down to this earth, he came from heaven.

God became a man. God from all eternity gave his son a people out of every tribe, kindred, tongue, people, and nation. Jew, Gentile, black, white, young, old, male, female, rich, poor, a people. And he gave them to his son. He gave them to Christ. And Christ, he bowed down. He came down. In the fullness of time, he came down to this earth and was made in the likeness of sinful flesh. He became a man. He made himself, scripture says, he made himself of no reputation and he took upon himself the form of all things, a servant, a servant. And he was made in the likeness of man.

And he came down to this earth and he lived and he died for this purpose. He died for his sheep. He laid down his life for his sheep, for his church, for his people, for his bride. And in doing so, he made them perfectly righteous. perfectly righteous through his obedience, through his sacrifice. And he went to the cross and that debt that we owed, that debt that we could not pay, he paid it in full. Not as an example, not as a reformer. He didn't come to this earth and die so that Every man and woman that walked this earth would be saved.

He died for a particular people. He died for his church, for his sheep, for those who will believe. He came down. He bowed down. And listen, he will come again. Scripture is clear about that. He's going to come again. And men say, well, that's not fair. I don't think that's what that says. I don't believe that. They refuse to believe. They refuse to come to Him.

You know what our Lord said? For those who will not come to Him, for those who will make every excuse in the world to not come to Him, He said, you will not come to Me that you might have life. What's that leave us to do? Come to Him. He said, come unto me, all you that are weary and heavy laden with this promise, I will give you rest.

Bow down to heavens. Bow down to heavens and come down. Verse six, again, of Psalm 144. He said, cast forth lightning, scatter them, Shoot out thine arrows and destroy them. Send thine hand from above, rid me, and deliver me out of great waters. Deliver me from the hand of strange children whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

I'll sing a new song unto thee, O God. Upon a saw tree and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee. Verse 10, it is he, it is he that giveth salvation unto kings who delivered David his servant from the hurtful sword. Salvation, salvation unto kings. Maybe you read that and you say, well, I'm not a king. Turn to Revelation 1. Look at verse 1. Revelation 1, verse 1.

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass, and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John, who bare record of the word of God and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, of all the things that he saw, blessed is he that readeth and heareth the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written therein, for the time is at hand. And John said to the seven churches which are in Asia, grace be unto you. Same message, same message, grace be unto you. Peace from him which is and which was and which is to come and from the seven spirits which are before his throne and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the first begotten of the dead and the prince of the kings of the earth, and to him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood."

And then look at verse 6, "...and hath made us..." What? Kings. "...hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Kings and priests. He loved us, He redeemed us, and He has made us kings and priests unto God. The Son of God. He takes that which is poor and needy. Scripture says this, he raises up the poor out of the dust. He lifted up the needy, where? Out of the dunghill. The poor and needy. He makes the poor and needy for himself as kings and priests.

Not unto man, unto God. David speaks here of, listen, of salvation and of deliverance. Look at verse 11. Again, Psalm 144. Rid me, deliver me from the hand of strange children whose mouth speaketh vanity. Their right hand is a right hand of falsehood. And this is a familiar prayer. This is the same request that he mentions back in verse 7. He says, deliver me from the hand of strange children, the people of a strange nation, of a strange language, of a, listen, of a strange religion that worship not a true God, but worship a strange God. Those who are aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the covenant of promises, a generation of vipers. Deliver me from the enemies of Christ.

Verse 12, that our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth, that our daughters may be as cornerstones polished after the similitude of the palace, our sons, that the Lord would make our sons to be strong, well-rooted in the gospel, well-rooted like young trees. You know, when those roots are developed, you take a tree that has strong roots when it's young, that tree will flourish even in times of drought.

We're told this in scripture, train up a child. Train up a child. And that means to instruct. It means to teach. Train up a child in the way which they should go. And when they're old, they'll not depart from it. Not provoking them to wrath. Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. What's he saying here?

That they would, listen, that they would grow, that they would grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. That our sons, again, that the Lord would, that they would be, make them well-rooted, strong, young trees. Our daughters raised up into a holy temple of the Lord. Being parts of that spiritual building, laid on the foundation, and that foundation throughout the scriptures is Christ. That they would be the daughters who would be women who profess godliness. Paul writing to Titus, turn there with me, turn to Titus 2.

There's much instruction here, but just look at verse 4. Talking about the aged women, it said that they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blaspheme. And then concerning the young men, it says, likewise exhort them to be sober-minded. In all things, showing thyself a pattern of good works and doctrine, showing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.

Let's read on here, just a few more verses here. Psalm 144, verse 13, that our garners may be full, affording all manner of store, that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets. There's a lot here, but listen. Every, one thing's clear here, every need, every need is provided. Every need. Any wonder David said, my cup runneth over.

Verse 14, that our oxen may be strong to labor, that there be no breaking in, that there be no going out, that there be no complaining in our streets. One of the old writers said this is a prayer for the ministry, for the security, for the unity, for the happiness of the church.

Where the work of the church is, listen, not dreaded, but cheerfully performed. When the enemy is Not in the house, but rather kept outside the gate. No departures. Where faith and contentment are of greater importance than complaints. When faith and contentment silence complaints.

Lord, make that our prayer. Now last, look at verse 15. Verse 15, happy, blessed, happy is everyone. Happy is that people. That in such a case, what is their case? which the people described in the previous verses of this passage. It's a people in whom the Lord is their strength, their rock, their God. A people whom the Lord has given their hands to war. He's put upon them the whole armor of God. A people for whom the Lord is their goodness, their fortress, their high tower, their deliverer.

A people that He has delivered from sin, from Satan in this world. A people that He has delivered from affliction and temptation. A people He's delivered from the wrath to come. A people from whom He has delivered from sin, from death. and from hell, happy, happy as that people.

A people knowing the greatness of God and the holiness of God that can ask this question, Lord, what is man? What is man that thou art mindful of him? A people for whom the Lord bowed down that he came down to this earth to save. A people he came to deliver, a people that had been, listen, made kings and priests unto God.

Happy is that people. His sheep, his church, his bride. A people made perfect through his obedience. A people for whom, happy is that people. for whom the Lord Jesus Christ went to the cross and died and paid their debt in full. A people happy as that people that dwell together in unity. Look again at verse 15. Happy. Do you know that people? Happy as that people. that in such a case, happy, yea, happy is that people whose God is the Lord. All right, Isaac, come lead us in a closing hymn.

Happy Is That People

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about God's strength?

How do we know spiritual armor is necessary for Christians?

Why is it important to understand our position in Christ?

What does the Bible say about God's mercy and grace?

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Happy Is That People

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about God's strength?

How do we know spiritual armor is necessary for Christians?

Why is it important to understand our position in Christ?

What does the Bible say about God's mercy and grace?

Sermon Transcript

Comments

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