Thy Blessing Is Upon Thy People

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

The Bible teaches that God's blessings of salvation, forgiveness, and protection are upon His people. According to Scripture, God's blessings are not based on our circumstances but on His promises. In Psalm 3, the psalmist declares, 'Thou blessing is upon Thy people.' This assures believers of God's favor and presence, even when it may not look or feel like it. The blessings of salvation and forgiveness come through Christ, as Ephesians 1 states that we are blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. These blessings include our election, redemption, and being accepted in the Beloved, which reflects God's grace towards us.

Q: How do we know election is true?

The doctrine of election is supported by multiple biblical passages and is rooted in God's sovereign choice. Election is a vital doctrine in Reformed theology, emphasizing God's sovereignty in salvation. Ephesians 1:4-5 states that God 'chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.' This reflects God's predetermined plan, showcasing His grace and mercy towards a specific group of people. Additionally, the testimony of believers throughout Scripture, such as the accounts of David and Paul, highlights God’s active role in electing individuals for His purposes, and this reinforces our assurance of salvation.

Q: Why is the concept of salvation important for Christians?

Salvation is essential as it represents God's grace, forgiveness, and the foundation of one's relationship with Him. Salvation is central to the Christian faith because it is through Christ's sacrifice that we are redeemed and reconciled to God. Ephesians 1 speaks of redemption through Christ's blood and the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace. This concept denotes the depth of God’s love for humanity, revealing that salvation is a gift rather than an achievement. Understanding salvation reaffirms the believer's identity in Christ, who is described as our glory and protector. The assurance of salvation fuels our faith and provides comfort amid trials, knowing that we are secure in God's grace.

Q: What does it mean that God is a shield for His people?

God as a shield signifies His protection and defense over His people in all circumstances. In Psalm 3, David declares that 'But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me.' This metaphor illustrates God as a protector, safeguarding believers from both physical and spiritual dangers. The Hebrew term suggests a comprehensive surrounding protection; not only does God guard us from attacks, but He also defends our minds and hearts against despair and doubt. In moments of trouble, believers are reminded to trust in God's sovereignty, as He is ever-present and actively involved in our lives. This promise of divine protection provides comfort, allowing us to rest securely in His care, as seen in the assurance of Psalm 46, which describes God as our refuge and strength.

Q: Why should Christians have confidence in God's promises?

Confidence in God's promises is rooted in His faithfulness and the fulfillment of His Word throughout history. Christians can have unwavering confidence in God's promises because He is faithful and trustworthy. Throughout Scripture, God has proven His commitment to His people, exemplified in His covenant promises and their fulfillment in Christ. Verses such as Ephesians 1 highlight that we have been predestined according to His purpose, demonstrating that God’s plans are certain and assured. The trials and tribulations that believers face do not negate His promises; instead, they often serve to deepen our faith and reliance upon Him. By holding onto God's Word, Christians are reminded that His purposes will ultimately prevail, providing hope and assurance even in difficult times.

We had good singing, good reading. I hope I don't mess it up. In Psalm chapter 3, I title this message, Thy Blessing
is upon Thy People. The blessing of salvation, the
blessing of forgiveness, the blessing of Cleansing is upon
God's people. The blessing of all that He possesses
is upon you. Thy blessing. The other night,
putting Cole to bed, and I said, The Lord bless you, son. He said,
What do you mean by that, Pawpaw? What do you mean by that? I said,
I mean that He keep you. Keep you safe and be with you."
He said, okay. I know he didn't understand,
but maybe someday he will. God bless him. The Lord bless
thee. His blessing is upon you. You
who believe the gospel. It may not look like it. Rarely
does it ever look like it. Rarely does it ever really feel
like it. But you can be assured of this, God said it and it's
so. His blessing is upon his people. Now, this psalm was written by
David during the time that Absalom tried to take the throne from
him. There's probably not a more sad
experience except for what our Lord went through, the way he
was treated, and what David went through here with Absalom. But you know, God put David through
these experiences, and I know he didn't realize it at the time,
but they spoke of Christ. Apply this to the Lord Jesus
Christ as we go through this tonight. And I know that had to be A very
distressing time for David, but God put him through it. You and
I might see through these Psalms the experience of David, what
our Lord went through. We've been going through Hebrews,
and we have read where it says, we have not a high priest that
can be touched with our infirmities, but was in all points tempted
as we are, yet without sin. We have a high priest who knows
what it is to hurt. We have a high priest that can
be touched. That woman said, if I can but
touch the hem of his garment, I'll be made whole. She touched
more than his hem. She touched his heart. He touched her heart. He touched
her heart first and brought her I want to show you something
over here. Now, when you get time, when
you go home, you can read this experience of David in 2 Samuel
chapter 15. But to show you how this applies
to the Lord Jesus Christ, I'm just going to read you one verse.
In verse 30, 2 Samuel chapter 15, and David went up by the ascent
of Mount Olivet. and wept, and wept as he went
up. He had his head covered, and
he went barefoot, and all the people that was with him covered
every man his head, and they went up weeping as they went
up. But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olivet and wept
as he went up. You know where that is? It's the Garden of Gethsemane.
That's the garden where our Lord went. And he wept that night
and cried. It says over here in Hebrews,
he cried with tears, with tears and was heard in that he feared.
He was heard for the holiness of his life. So we know how this
applies to our Lord. Now, he starts out here, verse
one and two, and he makes known his trouble to God. We tell each other our troubles. And it's good to talk to each
other, one another, about our troubles. We know what to pray
for, you know. Know to pray for one another.
But the one who can do something about it, the one who can truly
deal and do something with our troubles is our God. Our God. He says here, Lord, Jehovah,
the self-existent One. How are they increased that trouble
me? Many are they that rise up against
me. Our Lord had many enemies. And when He entered in upon His
earthly ministry, they just increased. He would do a miracle. and gain
more enemies. He would heal someone and gain
more enemies. He would do something good and
gain more enemies. That shows you how lost and depraved
this world is. The only perfect man that ever
walked on this earth and stayed that way and did nothing but
good, he went around doing good. And the more good he did, the
more enemies he had. It's amazing, isn't it? It's
amazing. And the believer has no less
enemies. David, who was king of Israel, a beloved king, so
he thought, and he was. He was, by some, but not by all. Absalom set out to do a real
conspiracy against his father. against David, he started kissing
up. You read that chapter. He started
kissing up to the people and telling them how he was a politician. I mean, he was a politician to
the core. He was telling them what he would do if he was the
king and how he would take care of their problems. And so when
it came, whenever he had finally gotten the favor of most of the
people, he ran his father out of town.
Such a sad situation. When our Lord came into Jerusalem,
when He came unto His own, the Scripture says what? His own
received Him not. He came to His own people, all
those types of shadows and pictures, all those things that pointed
to Him, and they turned thumbs down on Him. The priests and
the Pharisees who should have received Him, rejected Him. Instead
of saying, or instead of receiving Him, As their king, he was despised
and rejected of men. That's the kind of reception
our Lord received when he came. Many enemies, many enemies. Many, he says, are they that
rise up against me. Satan, demons, all men and women
who have not been born of God hate him. He said that strong. I told a man years ago, years
ago, that he hated God. I was in my 20s. He was in his
20s. We went to school together. I told him he hated God. And
he got upset with me. He said, I don't hate God just
because I don't go to church or because I don't believe or
because I don't do this or that or because I'm not religious.
That doesn't mean I hate God. Well, even if you did those things,
you'd still hate God. Unless you've been born of God.
Unless a man is born of God, unless a woman is born of God,
they are born with a natural enmity to God. We're not born
loving God, we're born into this world, every soul is born into
this world with enmity in their heart against God. It's born
in us. It's born in us. Many are they
that rise up against me. And many attack his hope in God. Look here in verse 2. Many there
be would say in my soul, there's no help. There is no salvation
for him in God. They don't only rise up against
him, they rise up against his God. I remember when I lost my job at
the National Mines, I was working. A man said to me, you must not
be living right. He said, you must not be living
right. There's no help for him in God. That's what Job's friends
said to him in a roundabout way. That's what they were saying
to him. Job, you must have done something wicked. There's no
help for you. There's no help for you in God. Look over here in Matthew 27. Look in verse 42. He saved others. Himself He cannot
save. If He be the King of Israel,
let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him.
He trusted in God, let him deliver him now, if, if God will have
him. He trusted in God, let him deliver
him now, if God will have him, for he said, I'm the son of God. No help for him in God, he's
still hanging on the cross. They attacked, they not only
attacked him, they attacked his God. This is one of the first
areas that Satan attacks. That's our hope. That's our hope
in God to save us. To put a doubt, to put a doubt
in our minds and our heart of God's love, God's purpose, God's
determination to save us. There's no hope for him in God,
not at all. Oftentimes, when looking at a
believer, it looks like there's no hope for him or her, doesn't
it? Sometimes it looks that way. Israel and Egypt looked hopeless
for 400 years. They were still God's people.
Christ on the cross. Is there anyone who looked more
hopeless than when our Lord was nailed to the cross? There is no help for him in God.
This is what they say. But now what do you say? What do I say? But thou, O Lord,
and you have to think of Ephesians chapter 2. But God, who is rich
in mercy, but thou, O Lord, art a shield for me, my glory and the lifter up of
mine hand. The Lord will not forsake his
anointed." The Lord Jesus Christ knew that. He was never afraid. He was never scared. The only
time he cried out was on the cross, My God, my God, why hast
thou forsaken me? He was never afraid of men, but the experience of being forsaken
of God is beyond our comprehension. That's just beyond what we can
comprehend. But the Lord will not forsake
his anointing. Christ had full confidence, and we are to have
the same. He had full confidence that his
God who is God, who is the only God, there is no other God beside
me, just God and the Savior, would bring him out. He knew
that. Sleeping on that boat in the
storm. There he is in the storm, raging. Disciples, scared to death. Scared to death. Scared they
were going to drown. Carest thou not that we perish?"
They had to wake him up. They were just as safe as when
he was asleep as when they woke him up. Because the God of Israel never
slumbers or sleeps. They were okay. They were safe.
They were safe. But now notice what he says here.
You can just hear his confidence and his faith in God. He says
here, Oh Lord, oh Jehovah, thou self-existent one, you're a shield
for me. The word in the original means
more than a shield. It means a buckler, round about
me. You know, a shield is something
you hold in front of you, but what about your backside? You
know, you can be shot from the backside and killed just as easy
as from the front side. He's more than just a shield.
He's a buckler. That's the meaning it has to
it. He's surrounded. Listen, we are surrounded by
God. We live and move and have our
being where? In Him. We are in Him. He surrounds us. Surrounded by, safe. Safe. Protected. Look over in Psalm
46. God is our refuge and strength, a
very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though
the earth be removed, and someday it will. And though the mountains
be carried into the midst of the sea, someday they will. Though
the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains
shake with the swelling thereof, there is a river, a river of
grace, a river of mercy. And the strength of that river
shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles
of the Most High. God is in the midst of her. She
shall not be moved. God shall help her and that right
early. You believe that? Our Lord believed
it with full confidence. And we ought to believe it no
less. No less. Then He said, You are not only
my shield, you are my glory. You are my glory. You are my
strength. You know, this is King David
speaking. His glory was not his family.
His glory was not the kingdom he was ruling over. His glory
was not his accomplishments in battle. His glory was his God. His glory was his God. Jesus Christ is the glory of
his people. He is our glory. It's not anything
I've accomplished or anything I do or will do or shall do.
Christ is my glory. He's my shield. And He's the
lifter-up of my head. I think of our Lord here when
He says He's the lifter-up of my head. Nailed to the cross. put in the tomb. He is our head, and he rose again. Our head is lifted up. And where
the head is, the body is right there with it. It's not detached. There's no detachment. He's the
lifter up of my head. Our Lord knew, the Lord Jesus
Christ knew that his Father would save him. He knew that his soul
would not be left in the grave. And we should have that same
confidence. We should have that same full confidence that when
it comes time to die, and it's coming, we should die with this same
full confidence that we too shall be lifted up. Our head is lifted up, and if
we're a part of the body, we too will be lifted up. We're
already lifted up in him now, but one day we will be lifted
up. I mean, we'll experience the whole thing. We will experience
the whole thing of being lifted up, raised up out of that grave
to die no more. Then he says here in verse four,
I cried unto the Lord with my voice." Our Lord spoke audibly
to God over in John 17. You know, that's recorded. But
often, often when he prayed, I have no doubt, those disciples
heard him pray many times with their voice. Now, he hears us
when we don't put a voice to it. He hears our hearts. He hears
our silent prayers. but every now and then put a
voice to it. I cried unto the Lord with my
voice, and listen, he heard me out of his holy hill. He heard
me. He hears the prayers of his people,
and he answers in his time, when it is best for his glory and
our good." That's when he answers. I cried and he heard. I cried and he heard. How many
times does that happen? I cried and he heard. Prayer is ordained of God. God
hears the prayers of his saints for Christ's sake. For Christ's
sake. With my voice. He hears our groans. He hears our groans. We all lift
up the voice to him. He hears that too. To speak to
him. Just like I'm speaking to you.
Just like I'm speaking to you. It says in verse 5, after he
says, But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me, You are my protection
round about, all around me. You are my glory. You are the
lifter up of my head. I cry to the Lord with my voice.
He heard me out of his holy hill. He heard my prayer. Now I can
go to sleep. I lay me down and slept. I wait for the Lord to sustain
me. Here is holy repose. I know I'm not giving this to
justices to do this tonight, but here is holy repose. He prayed. He believed. And he laid down. And he went
to sleep. For me to pray, To lay my troubles
before the Lord and to lay down and worry and worry and fret. And I know, I know we're in this
flesh. I know that. I do it. You do
it. But I tell you what, we ought
to do this. We ought. I know this. I know
this. We ought to be able to lay down
and sleep in a storm because the storm is His. He hath his
way in the whirlwind and in the storm. It's his storm. It's his. And we ought to be
able to lay down. He said, I laid me down and slept. But I also see in this the resurrection
of our Lord, his death and resurrection. I cried unto the Lord with my
voice as he did on the cross. My God, my God, why stop forsaking me? There was a lot of things
said that he said to his father there. He cried with his voice.
And he was heard. He said, into thy hands I commend
my spirit. And he died. He slept. Just like Lazarus. His body was dead. That body that was prepared for
him was dead, but now the Lord was alive. It's like Lazarus. He sleepeth. He said, let us
go. He's asleep. They said, well,
if he's asleep, he'll do well. Then he said to them plainly,
Lazarus is dead. They didn't understand what it
was to sleep. They didn't understand I laid
me down and slept and then I awaked on that third day. That third day he came out of
that tomb. I awaked for the Lord sustained me. He kept me. He kept me. Just like he'll keep
us when that hour comes. He'll sustain us too, just like
he did his son. Now I will not be afraid of ten
thousands of people that have set themselves against me round
about. Ten thousands of people? Do you have any idea how many
enemies our Lord had? Just the demons. Just the demons. Let alone the whole world except
for those whom he saved. But he said, I will not be afraid.
And now listen, our Lord was a real man. He's a God-man, but
he's a man. And as a man, he says, I will
not be afraid, though ten thousand set themselves against me. Yea,
do I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will
fear no evil. That applies to Christ. That
applies to the Lord Jesus Christ. As a man, he walked through this
valley of the shadow of death. I would not be afraid of ten
thousands of people that have sent themselves. I
mean, they are absolutely determined to kill me. How many times did
they try to take our Lord's life? How many times? But his hour
had not yet come. And no one will take our life
until our hour comes. Nothing will take our life, no
one will take our life until our hour has come. Someone wrote
one time that we are immortal until he makes us mortal and
takes us home. We have a time to spend here.
And I don't care if ten thousands of people set themselves against
us. They can't do anything to us.
How many people have been in a car wreck, a wreck that really
doesn't look that bad, and died? And then I've seen people who've
been in a disastrous wreck, the car all mangled up and they're
alive. They live. Life is His to give or to take. We don't die accidentally. We might die in an accident,
but it won't be an accident we die in. I kill, and I make a life. I wound, and I heal. That's our
God. That's our God, and that's the
God that's hated by this world. omnipotent God is the God of
salvation and hated by this world. We have nothing to be afraid
of, though 10,000 set themselves against us. Arise, O Lord, save
me, O my God, thou hast smitten all my enemies upon the cheekbone.
Boy, that's confidence, isn't it? Thou hast, that's past tense,
isn't it? He said, My enemies have already
been destroyed. They've been defeated. They've been defanged. Thou hast
broken the teeth of the ungodly. Would you be afraid of a dog
if it had no teeth? Would you? I don't care how big that dog
is. He ain't going to hurt me if
he doesn't have any teeth. That's why he's saying here,
he has defanged Satan, all those demons, death held in a grave. He's taking the sting out of
all of them. Thou hast broken, for thou hast
smitten, oh my dear, that's done. Our Lord is victorious. The battle's won. The battle
has been won. The victory has been achieved. So go home and sleep tonight.
Lay me down and sleep. Salvation belongeth unto the
Lord. David knew. He knew that for
him to come out of this, God would bring him. It would be
God who would bring him out. It wouldn't be King David with
his armies. It would be God. It would be God. Salvation belongs unto the Lord.
It's His to give. Or not. Or not. Thy blessing is upon
thy people. He planned it. Salvation is His. He's the one who planned it.
He purposed it. He's the one who sent His Son into this world
to execute it. He sends the Holy Spirit to apply
it. He will keep us, and He will bring us home. Salvation is of
the Lord. Now Jonah knew that, didn't he?
Oh, I tell you what, he ended up in the belly of that whale,
and he knew. He knew. If he came out of that
thing alive, God would have to do it. And that's the point, that's
the place where God brings everyone whom he saves. If you make it out alive, forgiven,
cleansed, the Lord will have to do it. He'll have to do it. And he says here, Our blessing is upon thy people. Our blessing. And I want to close
with reading Ephesians chapter 1, part of it. Ephesians chapter 1. Paul, an
apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which
are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus, grace be to
you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be the God and Father by our Lord Jesus Christ, who
hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings. You don't lack any of them. You're
not going to come up short. You're not going to be missing
any blessing needed to stand in His presence. Who hath blessed
us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ,
according as He hath chosen us. Oh, the blessing of election. God chose a wretch like me. I was sitting at home today.
And I was thinking about when this life is over, I was thinking
what it's going to be like to stand in His presence, to be
in that perfect world where there's no sin, no sorrow, no sadness.
We're like Christ. And to think that I actually
am a partaker of it. All because He loved me and chose
me, not because I did anything. I didn't impress him. If anything,
I would depress him, if that were possible. But I didn't impress
him. It just seemed good in his sight.
Even so, Father, it seemed good in thy sight. I mean, I thought
about that for a good while today, just to be there. And you know
the only reason you're there is that lamb. God loved. God loved you. And that lamb
died for you. The Holy Spirit called you. He
applied it. Took you home. And you didn't
do a thing to get it. You know, just like my parents.
Of course, they didn't pick me either, but I didn't pick them.
I didn't pick them. There I was. according as He hath chosen us
in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame." There's a blessing. Without blame. Our sins are gone. God remembers them no more. But
I do. I do. David said, My sin is ever
before me. We remember them. We know who
and what we are. We know that. But you know what? We are without blame before Him
in love. There's a real union there. Love
is that union. Having predestinated us into
the adoption of children by Jesus Christ Himself according to the
good pleasure of His will, to the praise of His glory, to the
praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted."
There's a blessing. Accepted. You're mine. You are
mine. Accepted in the Beloved, in whom
we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins.
There's a blessing. There's a blessing. Redemption.
bought through His blood and forgiveness of sins according to the riches," listen,
of His grace. It's all of grace. It's all of
grace. Wherein He hath abounded toward
us in all wisdom and proofs, having made known unto us the
mystery of His will," there's a blessing. The vast majority of this world
doesn't have a clue who God is, and he's made known unto us the
mystery of his will. According to his good pleasure,
which he hath purposed in himself, that in the dispensation of the
fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in
Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even
in him, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance. There's
a blessing. What an inheritance we have.
You know, we leave things to our children, some more than
others. Some leave more than, you know,
they have more to leave to them than others have. But we all,
we're all going to have the same inheritance. That's everything
he has, and everything he is, is ours in Christ. It's ours. And what a blessing. That's according
to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel
of his own will, that we should be to the praise of his glory. Trophies. I'm looking. Here's
the responsibility of me, on my part, standing here. I'm looking
at trophies of God's grace. I'm looking at God's children. Are you particular who you leave
your children with? Are you? And here I have God's children. Here are people for whom the
Lord Jesus Christ absolutely suffered hell for, the hell of
God's wrath. And I'm responsible to stand
here and feed the sheep, brag on our Lord, point you to
Him. Like John the Baptist said, Behold,
the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. And
the next day, you know what he said? The same thing. Behold,
the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. He
never changed the message. He kept pointing them to Christ.
I might not be a good pointer. I wouldn't make a good bird dog.
I can tell you that. But my job is to point you to Christ. continually. I may stumble through it, but that's my responsibility.
Point you to the Lord Jesus Christ. Thy blessing. Here's another
blessing. Let me finish here. Verse 13. In whom he also trusted,
after that he heard the word of truth. There's a blessing.
God sent the gospel to you. Not everyone has it. Remember
Paul wanted to go to Asia? And God forbid him, he went down
there to, was it Philippi? Well, anyway, Lydia was there.
And Lydia was from Asia. She was from Asia. And she went down there and Paul
preached the Gospel to her. Then later on, he went. God sent
the Gospel to you. In a little while, I don't know
when, Hope it's not in our lifetime. But I tell you this, there will
come a time the gospel will not be preached here. It will happen. It'll happen. All you have to
do is just look history. Look over history. Where is the
church at Corinth? Well, that one's in heaven. But
where is there one now over there? Ephesus and all those places.
Where are they? God has a sheep. He has a number
of people in a certain area and a certain time. I assure you
that when he's called them out, there'll come a time the gospel
will not be preached here. That's sad, but it's so. It's
history. Just look throughout the history
of the scriptures. So what does that mean? That means cherish
it while you've got it. I mean cherish it. Cherish it. That the gospel of your salvation,
in whom also after that you believed, you were sealed with that Holy
Spirit of promise. There's a real blessing. We are
not walking through this wilderness alone. We're not walking alone. God is in you. God is in His people. Thy blessing
is upon thy people. And I tell you what, who read
in the Scripture, stand in awe. In Psalm 4, stand in awe that
He has given us the Gospel and His blessing is upon us right
now. And I thank you for it.

Thy Blessing Is Upon Thy People

What does the Bible say about God's blessings?

How do we know election is true?

Why is the concept of salvation important for Christians?

What does it mean that God is a shield for His people?

Why should Christians have confidence in God's promises?

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Thy Blessing Is Upon Thy People

What does the Bible say about God's blessings?

How do we know election is true?

Why is the concept of salvation important for Christians?

What does it mean that God is a shield for His people?

Why should Christians have confidence in God's promises?

Sermon Transcript

About John Chapman

Comments

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