Psalms 25 Psalms 25 Just one
verse it's kind of I It's like a herald. It sticks
out. Every word of God is pure. Every
word of God is great. Every word of God is wonderful.
And then at times, there seems like there are some that are
more wonderful or more precious. He gives more grace. This just
struck me and I hope that it strikes you as well. Verse 14. verse 14 Psalms 25 verse 14 the secret
whatever that may be of the Lord is with them that fear him the
secret and and it's connecting conjunction and He will show
them those whom He reveals His secret to, His covenant. The secret of the Lord is with
them that fear Him, and He will show them His covenant. I just
had two thoughts. What is this secret of the Lord? Or you could also say whom is
that secret of the Lord, but it's all tied together. And secondly,
to whom Does He reveal the secret, not plural, secret of the Lord? I think secret and covenant,
it goes together. This secret, or counsel, or mystery, is God's redemptive glory by
and through Jesus Christ. For, to whom? his erring sheep,
his wayward children. Look with me, turn with me, if
you would, to Ephesians chapter three. Ephesians chapter three. We go up to verse seven, just
to kind of keep it all in context. Ephesians three, starting in
verse seven, and we'll go down to verse 11, where Paul says,
I was made a minister according to the gift of the grace of God
given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me,
whom am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given
that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches
of Christ, and to make all men see what is the fellowship of
the mystery, the secret, this is the secret thing, which from
the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created
all things by Jesus Christ to the intent, this is the intent
of his preaching, that now unto the principalities and powers
and heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold
wisdom of God, this counsel, this mystery, this secret, this
covenant according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in
Christ Jesus our Lord. Turn with me to Colossians chapter
one. Colossians chapter one. Starting in verse 25, this is
similar wording, but different. Paul writing again to the church
Colossae, Paul says, whereof I am made a minister according
to the dispensation of God, which is given to me for you to fulfill
the word of God. Even the mystery, the secret,
which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now
is made manifest to his saints. To whom God would make known
what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles,
which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. So this secret, or
this counselor, this mystery, it's his manifold wisdom, and
isn't it interesting how Christ is our wisdom? It's his eternal
purpose, Christ in him crucified to the glory of God. In Colossians,
this mystery, this secret, which was hid, but is now made manifest,
revealed, not earned, It's because they were Jews, well, it's to
the Gentiles. But this mystery or this covenant
to whom God reveals is not earned or worked, but it's all of grace. The riches of his glory, Christ
in you. So I go back to our text in Psalms
25. So then this secret has to do
with his gospel, which has to do with Christ, which has to
do with seeking and saving His lost sheep, Jew and Gentile,
a number no man can number. It has to do with His divine
everlasting covenant. Look again at our text. The secret
of the Lord is with them that fear Him, and He will show them
this secret, or this covenant. So it's all tied in together.
I've mentioned this so many times. Gary Shepherd preached a message
at Danville. He titled it, The Harmony of
the Gospel. And everything went back, and
everything pointed to Christ. The covenant? the creation, the
new creation, the new birth, justification, sanctification,
it all centers around Christ. Which, I think it's interesting,
which must be shown, the secret of the Lord is with them that
fear Him. Not all men have faith, not all men fear, so how does
that happen? And He will show them. He shows these people,
whoever they are, which are called saints, and in other places it's
called different other names, It must be shown. It must be
revealed. Revelation is not by decision. It's not by... It's by revelation. It's by revelation. This secret
of God's eternal purpose of grace or how he intends to save his
people from their sins or how God can be both just and justify
the ungodly, Romans 4, which in turn speaks of justification
by faith alone and Christ alone. And that to be justified is to
be declared righteous. That's what we have to be declared.
We're born in trespasses and sins. We don't have a righteousness. We must have a righteousness
that we can say is our own. And he calls us the trees, the
planting of the Lord, the trees of righteousness. Our righteousness
is of Christ. And also, to be declared righteous
is to be made holy, of which, without which, no person shall
see God. Hebrews 12, verse 14. You've got to have righteousness,
you've got to have a holiness, because God is perfect. And the
beautiful thing is, and you look back at this, the secret of the
Lord, it's he's revealing himself, that which was hid from the ages,
the salvation through grace. It was made known, it's made
known in Genesis chapter one. The gospel seen in Genesis chapter
one, God spoke in light. Well, there's the truth. There
was all darkness. Darkness covered the face of
the earth. That's us, we're born in sin, darkness covers the face
of the earth. Every child that's born in these
hospitals, born in sin, and until God creates light, and that's
through the preaching of the gospel, through the blood of
Christ, they will remain, we will remain in darkness. So,
to be declared righteous is to be made holy, and we know without
holiness no person shall see the Lord, and so then in our
text, this secret, this covenant, is only revealed to persons by
His sovereign grace. We cannot merit it, salvation. We cannot work for it. No person
or persons can declare or cause us to see, to know, or understand
this secret of the Lord, this covenant. You can't go to somebody
and then they say, you're taking, no, that's not, it's only understood
through the secret, the secret of the Lord, and that's the Lord
Jesus Christ, and His covenant, which we'll see in a little bit,
that He made with His Son, the Holy Spirit, before the world
ever was. Turn with me to Romans chapter
3. Now why can't we, why can't we understand the things of God from birth
by nature or practice? Why can't we understand the truth? See, we think we're born and
have a little understanding. No, we have no understanding.
We have no capacity spiritually to understand the secret things
of God, let alone His covenant. Romans chapter 3. In verse 9, what then, says Paul,
are we, the Jews, better than they, the Gentiles? No, in no
wise. For we have before proved, both Jew and Gentiles, they are
all under sin. As it is written, there is none
righteous. There we go. We've got to have righteousness.
Perfect. We've got to have holiness. No, not one. Verse 11, there
is none that understands. There is none that seeketh after
God. That's what we're talking about.
I'm not saying we're blanketly ignorant because There's people
who are amazing in their trades. There's people who are amazing
in their skills as physicians. There's people who are amazing
in satellites and all these different things. We're speaking spiritually,
which is what we're here for. We're not, I'm not here to pat
us on the back because somebody has an eye for interior decor.
I'm not, we're in, that may be true. I'm here, we need it for
spiritual, spiritualities, the things of God. Verse 11, they
are all going out of the way. All, that's not the person sitting
next to you, that's you, that's me. They're all going out of
the way. They're together become unprofitable. There is none that doeth good,
no not one. And you could just read, Turn
on the TV, read the newspaper, and see what we have become. How far we have fallen in the
garden. Back to our text. However, the
secret of the Lord, I want to know that, is with them that
fear Him. I want to know, I want to have
His covenant revealed to me. To whom is this secret, this
mystery, this beautiful covenant made known? Well, let's turn
back to Colossians chapter one. Colossians chapter one. And he says who it's revealed
to right in the text. Colossians chapter one. Verse 24, my flesh and His body,
which is the church. Verse 26, even the mystery which
hath been hid from the ages, from generations, but now is
made manifest, is revealed, is made plain to His saints. That's who. Not everybody. I
don't know who his saints are. I don't have a looking glass. One man said people walk around
with an E elect on their forehead. I don't have that. But it's manifest
to his saints. And that word saints just means
consecrated ones. We're set apart. We're set apart. And elsewhere in this book, And
it says it's a church in Ephesians. Elsewhere in this book, these
are called the elect. These are called chosen, revenant,
or sheep. They're never called goats. And
I know there's goats, because the Word says there is. Those
who are set apart by the free grace and decree of God in Christ
Jesus. And He also died for these sheep,
and we were awakened by the Holy Spirit of truth. This He does
by the preaching of his gospel, Ephesians chapter one. For in
one place, and if you want to look at Romans 10, it's very
plain there, but I like how it's worded here. Ephesians chapter
one, this he does. And you say, well, you're keeping
yourself busy, and it doesn't matter. Because like I say, God
can take me out and raise somebody else up. It's not the person. It's the calling. It's the gift.
But look at this in Ephesians 1, starting in verse 9. Having
made note unto us, the Ephesians, the mystery of his will, according
to the good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself, Christ
did, 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 being predestinated according
to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel
of his will, that we who receive and understand the counsel and
the secret things of God and His covenant that we should be
to the praise and the glory who first trusted in Christ. So you
can't trust in Christ and say you believe the gospel and then
do what you want to or just walk with it. No, we desire to be
the praise of His glory who first trusted in Christ. Look at verse
13. in whom, Christ, you also trusted after, after that you
heard the word of truth. Incidentally, it's the gospel
of your salvation. If words mean anything, that's
what he's saying. So we can't... Just because our
mom and dad understood the truth doesn't mean we have an open
road. It's a good thing that they believe the gospel because
they're going to raise you in the fear and admonition of the Lord. And
hopefully the Lord will be merciful and gracious to you after, sometime after. But you can't
just because your folks know it doesn't mean you have to understand
and the word has to be revealed to each of us. through the word of truth, also
called the word of grace, we're enlightened, the heart and mind,
he makes us willing in the day of his power, Psalms 110 verse
three. The result of this is we believe,
we repent, we seek baptism, and walk with him, we walk in his
word, and we walk with his people, the church, that's called fellowship.
You may have close friends, and you may do a lot of things with
unbelievers, but you're not having fellowship with them. That's
the wrong word. You can have fellowship with
those, like Amos says, unless two are agreed, they can't walk
together. Can't walk together. This word
of truth, this covenant, was David's only hope, for it speaks
of and regarding and about our gracious Lord over all. Turn
with me to 2 Samuel chapter 23. I just love this passage. 2 Samuel chapter 23, verses one
through five. I pray that this would be all
of our last words here this morning, if it's to be our last words. These be the last words of David.
David, the son of Jesse, and a man who was raised up on high,
the anointed of God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel.
This is what he said, the spirit of the Lord spake by me and his
word was in my tongue. The God of Israel said, the rock
of Israel spake to me, he that ruleth over men must be just
ruling in the fear of God, which would be good for the magistrates,
would be good for everybody in this room. And he shall be as
a light of the morning, that's speaking of Christ, when the
sun rises, even the morning without clouds, as the tender grass springing
out of the earth by clear shining after rain. Here's what this
David says. Although, he's honest with himself. I messed up, I didn't raise my
kids. I didn't raise all of them the way they should. I messed
up. Although my house be not so with
God. Everybody underneath my rule and my reign is not a believer.
Yet he, God, hath made with me through Christ an everlasting
covenant, ordered in all things and sure, for this is all my
salvation and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.
This, this covenant, it speaks of Christ. The covenant and Christ
and the secret things that belong to the Lord and belong to them
who he's revealed, It's ordered. Okay, we'll just go down the
list here. I looked up these words in the Hebrew. It's ordered,
that means it's predestined or prepared or arranged. Although my house be not so,
God hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ratified, sealed, verified
by Christ, death on the cross. Why he had to die? had to honor
God's law, had to honor God's righteousness, honor God's holiness,
honor God's demands, and take our sin, as we could never look
God face to face, the soul that sees that God, you know, without
a mediator is gonna die, but Christ gave us his perfections. Thereby we can come boldly to
the throne of grace. Yet he hath made with me an everlasting
covenant, ordered, predestined, prepared, arranged, Ordered in
all things and sure, that means guarded, hedged about, protected. For this is all my salvation,
that's prosperity, deliverance, and safety. And all my desire, is it our
desire? Is it our desire? Is it just
a desire on Sunday and Wednesday? The desire means all my pleasure,
Desire is things of value and delight. And we've talked about
this before, you know what you delight in. You know what you
delight in. People talking about this, you
smile, is he all of our delight? God and mammon, two different things, you can't
serve them both. I would say this, that this gospel,
this secret, that's revealed in this covenant encompasses
the entire saint of God. It's our life, it's our food,
it's our nourishment, it's our daily sustenance. Because we know what we were
and he's taking it all upon himself. Now I will say this, let's turn
to 1st Ammunition 20. This is a warning and this scares
me and I hope it scares you and I hope it causes you to think.
I've never seen it like this before. That seemed like a good
place to close. 1 Samuel chapter 20. We'll start in verse 16. Here's
the background. David and Jonathan, they love
one another as their own soul. David's flea, he's fled from
the palace because Saul hates him, he's trying to kill him.
And Jonathan knows this. So they get together and they're
going to decide how they're going to communicate. Because you can't
go to the courtyard because Saul's walking around with the javelin.
There's the picture. Look with me in chapter 20 of
1 Samuel verse 16. So Jonathan made a covenant.
Now remember we've been talking about a covenant and secret things.
Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, with David
saying, let the Lord even require it at the hand of David's enemies. Okay. Let's go up. Let's keep
reading verse 21. And Jonathan caused David to
swear again because he loved him for he loved him as his own
soul. Then Jonathan said to David, tomorrow is the new moon and
now shall be missed because thy seat at court will be empty. Why? Because my dad's trying
to kill you. And when thou hast stayed three days, then thou
shalt go down quickly and come to the place where thou didst
hide thyself when the business was in hand and shalt remain
by the stone easel. And I will shoot three arrows
on the side thereof as though I shot at a mark. And behold,
I will send a lad going, go to find the arrows. And if I expressly
say unto the lad, behold, the arrows are on this side of thee,
take them, then thou come for there is peace to thee and no
hurt as the Lord lives. So they've made this covenant.
Okay, they've made this agreement between two of them. Now look
with me at verse 35, skip ahead to verse 35. It came to pass in the morning
that Jonathan went out into the field. At the time appointed
with David, David was hid, and the little lad went with him.
And he said unto the lad, run, find now the arrows that I shot,
which I shoot. And as the Lord ran, he shot
an arrow beyond him. And when the lad was come to
the place of the arrow, which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried
out after the lad and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee? And
Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan's lad gathered up
all the arrows and came back to his master. Now look at this
verse. This is important. But the lad
knew not anything. Only Jonathan and David knew
the matter. Only Jonathan and David knew
the secret. Only Jonathan and David, the
covenant was revealed. Now this is my question to all
of us. Are we like that lad? There's a glorious covenant of
the grace of God for the wicked, the wretched, the filthy, and
the lost. Do we know anything about it?
Don't be like this lad. Come and hear the gospel Monday,
Wednesday, Monday, Wednesday. Don't know anything. I don't
know what you're saying. I don't understand. I don't understand
the truth, the secret things of God, though I've spoken of
them. Do you understand? Do I understand?
Do we know anything about this? We've been to church time after
time and still have not come to Christ for life, peace, and
eternal rest. When our text plainly says, the
secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him, and He will show
them His covenant. Has He shown this to you and
I? Are we just like this lad? But the lad knew not anything. That's scary. That's sad. that our Lord would have mercy
unto us and may we plead unto him that he would show us the
mercy that he so richly gives to those who call upon him. He's
a God rich in mercy, willing to forgive. Let us not sit and then leave
and then go play like the Jews did. They had the oracles and
the outspeakings of God And God took it away and grafted. Thank God he grafted us in. I
want to know this. I want to know his secret. I
want to know Christ. I want to know his gospel. And I desire
to know his covenant. Bruce, would you close this please?