Exodus 14 verse 30. Thus the Lord saved
Israel that day. That's our text. Thus the Lord
saved Israel. I like that little word thus,
don't you? We don't use it much today, do
we? But it just sums everything up. like I've mentioned before,
like Walter Cronkite. Jacob, you don't remember him.
Your daddy probably watched him. My daddy did. We only got two
channels up at Holler. So anyway, Cronkite, Walter would
always end his evening weekly news broadcast by saying, and
that's the way it is, on March 31st, 2024. Thus, thus, The Lord saved Israel. That's
the way it is. I like that word, don't you?
The Lord saved Israel thus, this way. This is how it happened. This is how salvation always
happens. It's the Lord's doing. If the
Lord doesn't save me, I'll never be saved. This is God's work. It's not a combination of God's
will and man's will and all this other foolishness you hear. The
Lord saves his people, does he not? Look again, if you will,
or rather, let's look at verse 28. So we'll perhaps better appreciate
what we have already read. But verse 28, and the waters
returned, of course, speaking of the Red Sea, and covered the
chariots and the horsemen and all, A-double-L, all the host
of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. There remained
not so much as one of them, but, but, but the children of Israel
walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were
a wall unto them on their right hand and on their left. Thank God for those blessed buts. Verse 28, what we just read,
it reminds me what God said, what we read in scripture, it's
a fearful thing. It's a fearful thing to fall
into the hands of a living God. People today think God is whatever
they imagine him to be. If you, unless you live in a
cave or have your head buried in the sand, today especially,
but it's not just confined to today, it's everyday, people,
some of your children, Mine, grandchildren, your neighbors,
they think, and they're adamant about it, they're dogmatic about
it. They think God is whatever they want him to be. That's exactly
right, ain't it? I experienced it all last week
when I visited my family. I heard this, I heard that, and
I'm thinking to myself, I don't know who you're talking about.
A God that tries? A God that just requires a decision?
Walking up the aisle and repeating the sinner's prayer? Jesus Christ
didn't have to die. If that's all it takes? No. People imagine that God is whatever
they want Him to be. That's what my article that I
hope you keep and you read and maybe even pass out to someone.
You thought, God said, this was His indictment, this was His
charge, to Israel, you thought that I was just like you. It's
not so, and I'm going to prove to you that it's not so. You
made a fatal, fatal error, but that's most people, and I imagine
it'd be a safe bet that you are thinking of lots of people, children,
neighbors, relations, just about most of the people you come in
contact with think that God is whatever they imagine Him to
be. And God says, I want to prove that you're wrong. Prove that
you're wrong. Oh, it's a fearful thing to fall into the hands
of a living God. Old Martin Luther, the great
reformer, he said this, I want nothing to do. Now listen to
this. Are you listening? Please listen. It's a fearful
thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Martin Luther
said, I want nothing to do with God outside of Christ. I want nothing to do with God
outside of Christ because Christ is the mediator between me and
God. Without Christ, I don't have
a mediator. I don't have an advocate. I'm
going to stand before God Almighty, a just and holy God, not a God
that I'll imagine what he should be to make me comfortable, but
God as he really is. Now you think about that. You
think about squaring off before God Almighty that Jesus Christ
said many, many in that day shall do and think right up until they
hear it from his own mouth. I don't know you. They'll stand
before him right up to the judgment when all mankind is ushered before
his August white throne of justice. Lord, you know us. We prophesied
in your name. We cast out devils in your name.
We did many mighty works in your name. I cannot begin to imagine,
much less try to convey to you, the horror that must grip the
hearts of those people when they think he's going to just come
on in. We got a crown for you. We're
going to put your mansion next to mama's. And he says, depart
from me. I never knew you. I never knew
you. Now you read Matthew 7. That's
exactly what Jesus Christ said it will be in that day. I never
knew you. And you know, he went on in the
parable to describe the fatal mistake that those people made.
They didn't build on the rock. That's what the parable illustrates.
He says this is how this happened. This is why this will happen
in that day. People expect the inner glory
and I'm going to cast them into outer darkness, into hell forever.
It's because they weren't on the foundation. They didn't build
their house on the foundation. They built it on sand, their
own works, their own righteousness, their own religion. everything
and anything but the one rock of salvation that Jesus Christ
is, that God has laid. If I'm not on him, it doesn't
make a lick of difference if I'm a five-point Calvinist or
a raving rank Arminian. What difference does it make
if I'm not built on him? Is that right? Is that right?
Martin Luther said, I want nothing to do with God outside of Jesus
Christ. Oh, how much more should I appreciate
him as my advocate with the Father. I'm not going to answer for myself.
There was an old black man, this just now comes to mind, I read
it last night I think, John Jasper. It may have been in slave times,
I'm not sure, it doesn't matter, but somebody asked him, John
Jasper, when you get to heaven, What's going to give you the
right, what makes you think you've got the right to enter heaven?
John Jasper, you're not allowed in most places here on earth.
Black's not allowed. Keep out. Can't even sit next
to a lot of people. So John Jasper, if that's all
the rights you have here, what makes you think you're going
to have the right to enter heaven? He said, I'll tell you why. I
won't be there on my rights. I'll be there on the rights of
Jesus Christ, my Lord. He'll answer. John Jasper ain't
going to answer himself. Jesus Christ is going to answer
for me. Oh, my soul, aren't you thankful that you have an advocate
with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. Look again at
verse 9. of chapter 15 here in Exodus. The enemy said, I will pursue,
I will overtake, I will divide the spoils, my lust shall be
satisfied upon them, I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy
them. That's pretty bold talk, isn't
it? One of my favorite movies is True Grit. the original one
with old John Wayne. Remember when they're in that
valley and he's got three or four across the field facing
him and he's all by himself? And they exchanged a few bold
claims and Sheriff, what was his name? It
doesn't matter. Wayne played him. But he said, feel your hand. He said, I'm going to either
take you in a lie, where you'll be hanged at the judge's convenience,
or I'll just kill you right here. So what do you say? One of them
said, I say that's pretty bold talk for a one-eyed fat man.
That's pretty bold talk. Favorite of me, wasn't it? Pretty
bold talk for a weak, fleshly man, leaning on the arm of flesh. The word of God declares this,
what they claim just not so. Again in chapter 15, in this
song of praise after Israel is brought through the Red Sea,
who gets the credit for doing it? Thus the Lord saved Israel.
In this song of praise after Israel is brought through, who
gets the credit for it? Who's the song about? Oh, praise
you, Moses. We honor you, Moses. We give
you credit, Moses. We'd have never got here without
you. We'd have never made it without you. Oh, Moses, let's... Let's sing a song to you, or
your brother Aaron, or one of, whoever. No, no, there's not
one word in this song about what they did. It's a song about what
God did. I mean, that just kind of makes
sense, doesn't it? We give all the glory to the one from whom
we received all the grace. Is that not so? Is that not so?
Is that not what the book teaches? Who gets the credit? I already
mentioned in the reading, God's response to those bold claims
by Pharaoh and his big army. God just blew and they sunk as
a stone. Now look at them as they sink
to the bottom. Look at the children of Israel
as they pass over and to the other side. And then they stand
and look back on Pharaoh and his armies floating around, washing
up on the shore, all those spears, all those weapons. I imagine
they gathered them up. But then, with that in mind, with
that picture in your mind, what do you think about man's will
now? What about man's will now? Well, that just illustrates,
confirms what the Word of God says everywhere. It's not of
him that willeth. It's not of him that willeth.
It wasn't of Robin, Chris that willed. That didn't get it done,
or Billy, or anybody else, or Larry, Jacob. Thank God, it's
only a grace that you're not an Esau Jacob. Bobby Buckner,
Delilah Bleedlove. It wasn't your will. It's not
of him or her that willeth, it's of God that showeth mercy. To
God be the glory. Great things he hath done. Whose
will prevailed here? Who had their way? Are you thinking
what I'm thinking of? Preachers everywhere. All my
life I heard, if God had his way, if you'll just give God
a chance, I mean, I was pretty much dumb as a rock, but I thought
to myself, what do I need a God for that needs my help? If he
needs my help, he's in as much trouble as I am. No, no, no.
Salvation is of the Lord. Child of God, aren't you glad
it is? Amen, nod your head something. Aren't you glad it is? Salvation
is of the Lord. God always triumphs. God's never
been defeated. What did they sing? The Lord
hath prevailed. Well, if he's the Lord, why wouldn't
he? Why wouldn't he prevail? Isn't that comforting? Why should
the heathen say, in Psalm 115, David said, wherefore should
the heathen say, where is now their God? Well, he's trying
to have his way. He's trying to prevail. Oh, no. David says to their taunts and
their jeers and their mocking, where's your God now, David?
Saul's trying to kill you. Your own son Absalom tried to
take over the throne. You're hiding out like a hermit.
Where is your God now, David? You know what David said. You
know what his answer was? My God is in the heavens. Our
God is in the heavens, Billy. He's done whatsoever he has pleased.
Another story just comes to mind about Martin Luther, the great
reformer. He got so down in the dumps.
on one occasion, so depressed. I mean, he was so low, as the
old saying goes, he could sit on a penny and swing his legs.
He was ready to throw in the towel. We don't think too much
about that great reformer, but left to himself, that's what
he did. The Pope sent out his hitmen
to kill him, but he got into a state of depression. One day
he came home, tail dragging between his legs, moping around, and
his wife met him, all dressed in black. I mean, dressed in
black, like she was going to a funeral. He looked at her and
said, I don't recall her name, but he said, who died? Who died? Why are you dressed like that?
Why are you mourning? And she said, because God died.
God died. Luther said, what are you talking
about God died? God lives forever. And she said,
well, then why don't you act like it? I'll quit mourning when
you quit mourning. He snapped out of it. He snapped
out of it. Oh, thank God. Our God is in
the heavens. He hath done whatsoever he hath
pleased. The Lord has his way in the whirlwind
and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. Oh,
he sounds like the God I need. I think it was Spurgeon said,
I have a great need for Christ, and I have a great Christ for
my need. Is that not so? But the children of Israel walked
upon dry land. Thank God for those butts. Last
Sunday, the 24th, we were at my mother's house, and I think
I mentioned to you before, Tom Harding has a website exclusively
featuring Henry's messages, especially his television broadcast, which
only lasts 27 or 28 minutes. I gave that link to several folks
while I was there, but Sunday morning I said, Ma, why don't
we sit down here and watch Brother Henry? And I think he preached
this message in 1993. As a matter of fact, it was on
Valentine's Day, February 14th. That's the day my daddy was born.
and that Pat went to glory. So there was Robin and myself,
and there's mom, 95 years old. So I put my iPhone down, she
doesn't have YouTube, and that's the internet, but put it right
there on the coffee table, and we print, Henry preached from
Psalm 23. The Lord is my shepherd. He just went verse by verse.
I'm sitting there thinking, oh, I wish I could preach like that.
I wish I could preach like that. I thought I knew that psalm pretty
well. Well, Henry preached stuff, he pointed out stuff that I had
never thought of. But that's just the evidence
of God's word. It's eternal, it's timeless,
it never wears out. He can bless, give you a thought,
you may read a verse all your life and God will open up a new
line, a new thought and you say, my soul, oh, what a God, what
a word. But anyway, The message was the
believer's comfort, the believer's comfort. And Henry, in the midst
of his message, told a story about, they may have been in
his church, because he was at that church, what was it, Bobby,
50-some years? But a man and a woman came to
him, in his home or in his office, but they were together, they
were in private, Henry and this couple, a man and his wife. Oh, they were just distraught.
They were just tore up. I mean, just weeping. Henry said,
what's the matter? They said, oh, Brother Henry,
we just, we don't know what we're going to do. Our daughter, our
daughter is pregnant and she's not married. She was brought
up in a church, but she's, she's, and they were just tore up. Of
course they would be. And they were believers. And
I'm sure there was some selfishness involved in that. What will people
think? We're so ashamed, you know. And
Henry listened to him a while. And he just got up, put his arm
around one and the other, and said, listen to me. Listen to
me. It's going to be all right. It's
going to be all right. Henry said it was probably a
year and a half after that he saw him. And they were holding
this beautiful little baby girl, grandma in her arms, and they
were just beaming with delight. And Henry said, remember what
I told you? It's going to be all right. Bob, it's going to
be all right. God took your dear, dear husband,
but it's going to be all right. Delilah, he took your parents.
I would have loved to have known. They might not have liked to
have known me, but I would have loved to have known. I wish I could
find some tapes of your daddy preaching. But it's going to
be all right. Larry Criss, Jesus Christ says, it's going
to be all right. It won't be easy, but it's going
to be all right. Storms are going to rise. They're going to rock
your boat. You think you're going down, but it's going to be all
right. You fill in the blank. Whatever you're going through,
the king of kings says it's going to be all right. But, verse 29,
but the children of Israel walked upon the dry land. It's going
to be all right. Brother Frank Tate has a great
article, A Roller Coaster Ride. My friend told me that the believer
always comes back to the start, His life is up and down like
a coaster. But no matter, Brother Frank
wrote, no matter how many twists and turns and ups and downs we
go through, the believer always keeps coming back to Christ. And it's going to be alright. Let's consider now how many times
we read in that we're not going to consider each time, but for
example, verse 29 of chapter 14. But, unlike the Egyptians,
but the children of Israel walked upon dry land. But, but, you
were children of wrath, just like everybody else. You walked
your entire life, that doesn't mean taking steps with your feet,
that just means the way you live. the way you lived in this world.
You were no different than anybody else. You were by nature, by
nature, you had the same nature as the ballast center. You were
children of wrath by nature, just like everybody else. And
we all had our conversation. Our hearts were in the world.
Is it not so? Can any believer deny this? Our
hearts were in the world. Our affections were set on this
world. Get all you can get because you only go around once. That
dear, dear, deluded man that's in the lady that Robin sits with, Miss Audra, she's got a son. I just met him briefly, but from
what Robin tells me, oh, he's a bitter, bitter man, just bitter. He can barely walk. We were gone. Robin got a call.
He had fallen. He can barely get around. He's
bitter as it can be. You know what he tells Robin
all the time? Just waiting for the judgment day. Just waiting
for the judgment day. Cusses and says, I'm just waiting
for the judgment day. No fear of God before his eyes. He may leave this world before
his old mother. Who made us the different? We all had our conversation,
this is Ephesians 2 and 3, in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling
the desires of the flesh and of the mind, that's all we lived
for, that's all we thought about, get, get, get, grab. And we're
by nature the children of breath, even as others, among whom we
all, no exceptions. Well then, why aren't we now? What happened? What happened? We're not like that lady that
told Brother Henry she'd been a Christian all her life, and
Henry said, lady, that's too long. That's too long. What made
the difference but God? But God. Thus the Lord saved
Israel. But God, who was rich in mercy,
for his great love were with he loved us. When he was on the
cross, I was on his mind. But God. even when we were dead
in sins. Now how's a dead man gonna take
the first step? Lazarus, if you'll take the first
step, I'll take the rest. No, we were dead in trespasses
and sins. He hath quickened us together
with Christ. He's a risen Savior, quickens
us, gives us life so that we may arise and follow him in newness
of life. This is, I'm pretty sure, This
is one of Don's hymns. Listen to it. It says, My soul
in darkness, death, and sin was lost and all undone. I did not
know my lost estate. I could not see God's Son, and
I didn't want to see Him. But God, but God, Billy Cobb,
but God in grace and power divine stepped in to save my soul. His
gracious purpose has prevailed, and He had made me whole. But
God, What blessed words of grace, he broke my stubborn will. Throughout
the great eternal age, I'll chant his praises still. Thank God
for his distinguishing grace. Thus the Lord saved Israel. That
was our text, wasn't it? Thus the Lord saved Israel. Again, your bulletin, I made
a note here The quote in your book, I like this, by old Thomas
Watson. I believe he was one of the old
Puritans. He said, God's decree is the very pillar and basis
on which the saint's perseverance depends. If what God has promised
he's not able to perform, let's just sell this place, see how
much we can get out of it, and just wait to die. You know, if
it's dependent upon anything but God's decree, God's good
pleasure, God's purpose, God's decree is the very pillar. And
this pillar is a soft pillow to lay our heads on, isn't it?
On which the saints' perseverance depends. It's not dependent upon
them, it's dependent upon God. That decree ties the knot of
adoption so fast. When Robin and I, seven years
ago, stood here and Brother Paul Mahan performed the ceremony,
uniting us together as one, And I've done quite a few myself,
but I said, what God has joined together, let no man put asunder. I made that promise that I would
cherish her and love her until I died. That was my promise. And only by God's grace would
I do it. I meant it when I said it, and
I mean it now. The fulfillment of that doesn't
depend on me, it depends on God. When God decrees something, He
ties the knot so tight, nobody can untie it. That decree, or
Watson wrote, ties the knot of adoption so fast that neither
sin, death, nor hell can break it asunder. When God the Father
presented His chosen, the Jesus Christ, asking him in that everlasting
covenant of grace, son, will you take these? Will you take
these? Will you take these as your bride?
Just like God presented Eve to Adam. He gave his church into
the hands and responsibility of Jesus Christ. Son, will you
do this? And of course, knowing everything
that would be involved if he agreed to it. I mean, God never
had a new thought, but in that everlasting covenant of grace,
the Father committed into the Son's hands, just as He did Eve
when He brought Eve to Adam. God gave His church to Christ,
His bride, and they fell, fallen, just like Eve did, just like
she did. But she was still Adam's wife,
wasn't she? We failed. And Adam all died. But God, Jesus Christ, made a
promise, a vow, a commitment in that covenant of grace to
God, his father, and said, I will do everything. Everything. I will, in the fullness of time
when you send me, I will go into this world, I'll become their
brethren, flesh and blood, and I'll become like them, so that
I can be a merciful and faithful high priest. I can identify with
them if I become like them, accepting sin. And Father, I also promise,
not only will I fulfill every jot and tittle of your holy law
in my life, I will go to that cross, and suffer your vengeance,
your justice, I will be forsaken by you so that my bride will
never be forsaken. That's what we want to remember.
And Father, I promise you, I promise you, you commit them into my
hands. You trust them to me. And I'll
do everything you require. I'll fulfill everything they
haven't. I'll live for them, I'll die
for them, I'll suffer for them, I'll bleed for them, I'll be
forsaken of them, I'll be made sin for them. And then, then
Father, when time shall be no more, I'm gonna bring my redeemed
bride back to you. Isn't that what Paul says in
Ephesians 5? And I'm gonna present them back to you. Everyone that
you gave me, I lost none. And here they are, Father. without
a spot, without a blemish. Husbands, love your wives. As
Christ loved the church and gave himself for it, that he might
present it to himself without a spot or a wrinkle or any such
thing. Thus the Lord saved Israel that
day. Let me wrap this up. Neither by the blood of goats
and calves, Hebrews 9 and 12, Neither by the blood of goats
and calves, but by his own blood, he entered in once into the holy
place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Revelations
5 and 9. And they sung a new song, saying,
Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof,
for thou was slain and has redeemed us to God by thine own blood
out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation. Grace
does not proclaim a redemption that is offered or a pardon,
but an effectual redemption that demands pardon. Jesus Christ
being our substitute justice is an argument not against us,
but for us. It would be wrong for God not
to save his people, not to bring them to glory, because Jesus
Christ satisfied justice. His wrath fell on his son. It
cannot fall on us. It cannot fall on us. There is
no condemnation to those who are in the church, those who
know five points. There's no condemnation to those
who are in Christ Jesus. It's going to be all right. It's
going to be all right. Thou shalt bring them in. That's
what we read in Exodus 15 verse 17. Thou shalt bring them in
and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance in the place,
O Lord, Notice them capital letters. Which thou hast made for thee
to dwell in, in the sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands hath
made. Ephesians 1 and 10. That in the
dispensation of the fullness of times he, Christ, might gather
together in one, or God rather, that he, God, might gather together
in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and
which are on earth, even in him. So all Israel shall be saved. God's true Israel. And in that day, the Lord will
stand before him, redeemed. It doth not yet appear where
we shall be, but we know when he shall appear, we shall be
like him, but we shall see him as he is. Thus the Lord said
to Israel, and thus the Lord, when we do this in a minute,
Thus the Lord saved Larry Criss. Now you tell me how thankful
I should be, how grateful I should be, how in love with Christ I
should be. It's in Ephesians 4, I believe. Beloved, love one another. Forgive
one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, has forgiven you. Huh? Loving one another, forgiving
one another. Oh, God, teach me that. Oh, Israel
shall be saved when Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
and take me home, what joy shall fill my heart. And I shall bow
in humble adoration and there proclaim, my God, how great thou
art. It's going to be all right. God
bless you. Thank you for your attention.