Psalm 135. I want, by God's enabling me, to
preach to you this morning on a subject that a lot of folks,
excuse me, that a lot of folks, especially
religious folks, especially those, tell us that this subject, is
of no real practical benefit to God's people. The subject
of the message, of the book, of the psalm, of this text, which
will be verse 5, is the sovereignty of God. The sovereignty of God. David, as you know, was called
the sweet psalmist of Israel. He wrote so many songs of praise
that were used in the worship of his God. He never wrote perhaps
a sweeter song or uttered a more blessed note than this. Indeed,
this was the spring of all his songs because it rings with this
key note, this key note, verse 5. For I know that the Lord is
great. Is that good news to you? For
I know that the Lord is great and that our Lord is above all
gods. No better title Could I give
to this song than what is right in the verse? The Lord is great. It just occurs to me now that it is in the present tense. Not that the Lord was great,
will be great, but he is great. He is the Lord that changes not. So whatever he was, he is. There is really no past tense
with God. The Lord is great. Notice in
the first clause of this verse that the word Lord, are you looking
at it there in verse 5? The word Lord is all capital
letters. Capital L-O-R-D. So that being the case, we're
not surprised to read what follows. That he's great. If he's the
capital L-O-R-D, then of course he's great. Why wouldn't he be? Why wouldn't he be? And then
again, our Lord is above all gods. All gods. Why wouldn't
he be? If he's the Lord, he must be
great. He must be great. And he must
be above all other so-called gods. For example, and I'm sure
that which is the most famous of all David's Psalms, the 23rd,
it begins much the same way as our text. Verse 1, David writes
this sweet note, the Lord, again, all capital letters, the Lord
is my shepherd. Billy just said, ooh. Exactly. The Lord is my shepherd. The same Lord that is great and
is above all gods. Now if that is so, and it is,
man can't change that, man can't alter that, man may not like
it, he may not bow to it, but it's still so. And if the Lord
is my shepherd, then naturally this should follow. The Lord
is my shepherd, I shall not want. I shall not like. If the Lord
God Almighty is my shepherd, if I'm one of his sheep, he's
responsible to provide everything I need. The sheep are not responsible
to keep themselves, to provide for themselves, to protect themselves,
to feed themselves. The shepherd does all that for
them. David says, The Lord is my shepherd. And everything that David declares
in that sweet psalm, Psalm 23, rests on this sure foundation
of a sovereign God, a sovereign God, the Lord. It is precisely
because of this that David says throughout the psalm, He maketh
me to lie down. The emphasis is on He. He leadeth
me. He leadeth me. He leadeth me,
O blessed thought, He leadeth me, wherever I go, wherever I
be, to still my God that leadeth me." David said, he restored
my soul. David even says this, because
the Lord is his shepherd, he says, he makes me to lie down
in green pastures. And David says, even though I
walk, I'm walking, We all are. Right now, through the valley
of the shadow of death, David says, because the Lord is my
shepherd, I won't be afraid. David, you're not exaggerating,
are you? You're not afraid to die? You're not afraid to taste
death? Why? Why, David? Why? Because
he is with me. That's what David said. Now,
if he is not the Lord God Almighty, then David would most certainly
never have written with such assurance and such confidence,
would he not? It is the truth of our sovereign
God that gives such confidence. It's the foundation of it. Is
it wrong for a child of God to believe that whatever his God
has promised, he's able to perform? Is it wrong to believe that promise?
No, the wrong runs in the opposite direction, doesn't it? That our
thoughts of God are too small. They're too low. I think Martin
Luther said that to an enemy of free grace in his day. He
told him, your God is too small. He's just too small. We can never
think too much of God, can we? Our thoughts are way down here. That's the best we can do right
now. Our thoughts can never reach
high enough. We cannot trust him too much. Now, I've got some things that
concern me, that bug me, that bother me, but I don't ever have
to be concerned that I trust God too much. No. No, again, I don't trust him
enough. He's trustworthy. He merits. He's worthy of all the trust
that I can invest in him. He's proven himself so. Psalm
121. I told you we'd be reading the
psalms and I hope that you'll return to these and read along
with me. Psalm 121. Another sweet psalm by David. Verse 1. I will lift
up mine eyes unto the hills, For whence cometh my help? My
help cometh from the LORD, capital letters, which made heaven and
earth. He will not suffer thy foot to
be moved. He that keepeth thee will not
slumber." I like that. He's always on duty. He never
falls asleep at his post. Behold, he that keepeth Israel
shall neither slumber nor sleep. No, he's the great, good, and
faithful shepherd. He doesn't do that. If the Lord
is keeping watch over me, then I don't need to. If the Lord
never slumbers, then I can lay down and sleep if he's watching
over me. I need not pace the floor, need
not worry. I'm not saying that I do. I wouldn't
suggest that. That's not true. But really,
there's no cause for it if the Lord never slumbers and is watching
over me. Psalm 127 verse 2. It deals with
this very subject. 127 and 2. It is vain, it's futile,
it's useless, there's no point in it. It is vain for you to
rise up early and to set up late to eat the bread of sorrows.
Ouch! Ouch! That gets close to home. And the reason is, don't do this. For so he giveth his beloved
sleep. Now child of God, I know you
will say yes and amen to this question. Is there ever a sweeter
sleep for you as that when you are able by the grace of God
to commit all your cares, all your trials into his hands and
then lay down and sleep? Sleep like a baby in the arms
of its protective mother. Oh, the old hymn writer put it
this way, it's so sweet to trust in Jesus. I don't think there's
nothing sweeter this side of heaven, is there? It is so sweet
to trust in Jesus, just to take him at his word, just to rest
upon his promise, just to know, thus saith the Lord. Yes, it
is sweet to trust in Jesus, just from sin and self to cease. Wow, that's tough to do, isn't
it? Oh, I want to solve this problem
myself. I want to take care of this myself. And I'll make a mess of it every
single time. Oh, I would whole much rather
trust in Jesus just from sin and self-decease, just from Jesus
simply taking life and rest and joy and peace. That's good. The definition of the sovereignty
of God is found in the word itself, sovereignty. Within the word,
you find this. Reign. Reign. R-E-I-G-N. Sovereignty means exactly that. God reigns. God reigns. Period. Explanation point, but
never a question. God reigns. Everything stands
on this truth, or it falls if it's not true. It crumbles if
God is not sovereign. If God's not sovereign, then
he does not reign. And if God does not reign, now
listen to this, if God does not reign, he's not God. That's exactly
right. That's exactly right. If God
Almighty doesn't reign, absolutely, always, completely, totally,
then he is not God. He's not to be trusted. Everything
stands on this. Folks and folks say, religious
folks again, some of them may be coming to your mind right
now. I've had fellows tell me this. Preachers, so-called preachers,
I wouldn't get out of bed to go listen to them, that say God
is not completely sovereign. And they claim to speak for God?
No, no, no. Folks say this is a matter of
really no practical benefit to God's people. They say God's
sovereignty? Like predestination. Most Baptist churches today would
rather you go in and utter a cuss word than predestination. They'd
be less offended by that. They say that this subject of
God's sovereignty, God being God, God reigning and ruling,
it's really too lofty to be of any everyday down where I'm living
kind of benefit. As my dear pastor, who's now
in Gore, used to say, let's put some shoe leather theology on
this. Some walking around benefit. This is not a high doctrine suited
only for theologians sitting around ivory towers. No, this
is the teaching for those pilgrims, those strangers down here in
the trenches, living in a world that hates their God, being in
that world and making their pilgrimage. This is the truth that sustains
them. This is the pillow on which they
lay their weary head at night. God Almighty has his way always. This is the thing that gives
them a good hope, knowing that the Lord is great, is the foundation
of that hope. If God doesn't reign, throw every
promise in the book out the window. They're worthless. They're worthless. If God's not God Almighty, just
shut the book, bolt the doors, and let's just go out, do the
best we can. Oh, but we know it's not so.
Our blessed hope rests right here. It rests on no uncertain
foundation, not on any precarious ground, like man's work. Hmm, that's faulty, to say the
least. Or man's will, that's even faultier. or man's worth. Oh, the truth
of God's sovereignty is secure because it rests right here on
the eternal rock of ages. That's where it is. The rock
of ages. Psalm 61. Another song by the
sweet singer. Psalm 61 in verse 1. Hear my
cry, O God, attend unto my prayer. Isn't it noteworthy? to observe what reverence, what
standing in holy wonder, David and these other writers, when
they're in the presence of God, they don't seem to take for granted.
They certainly don't subscribe to that philosophy that God is
at my beck and call. They have no place, no room in their thinking
when they come before God that he is like a spare tire, I'll
use him when I want to. They certainly don't think that
Jesus Christ is a stairway out of hell or a doormat to heaven,
oh no. No, they don't take for granted
that God's the old man upstairs and he'll just give me whatever
I want whenever I want it. No. Look at David. You can almost
picture him bowing down before God when he says, hear my cry,
oh God. It's a matter of mercy. I'm begging
you to hear my... I don't take it for granted that
you will. You certainly don't have to. You're not obligated
to. Oh, but Lord, if you will, hear
my cry. Attend to my prayer. From the
end of the earth will I crown to thee, when my heart, oh, listen
to this, when my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher
than I. For thou hast been a shelter
for me and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in thy
tabernacle forever. I will trust in the covert of
thy wings, Selah, Selah. Pause. Time out. Think about it. On page 259 of our hymn book,
the hymn puts it this way. Oh, sometimes the shadows are
deep, and rough seems the path to the goal, and sorrow sometimes
how they sweep, like tempest down over the soul. As David
said in Psalm 61, my heart is overwhelmed. Oh, sometimes how
long seems the day, and sometimes how weary my feet, but toiling
in life's dusty way, the rock, the rock's blessed shadow, how
sweet. Oh, then to the rock let me fly,
to the rock that is higher than I. Oh, then to the rock let me
fly, to the rock that is higher than I. Psalm 93. Psalm 93. This note, David sounds over
and over and over again. The Lord reigneth, he is clothed
with majesty, the Lord, capital letters, the Lord is clothed
with strength, wherewith he had girded himself, the world also
established that it cannot be moved. Thy throne is established
of old, thou art from everlasting. From everlasting to everlasting
thou art God. The floods have lifted up, O
Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice. The floods left
up their ways. That's why the Parsonage is not
fit to live in anymore. But look at verse 4. The Lord
on high is mightier than the noise of many waters. Yea, than
the mighty waves of the sea. The Lord on high is mightier. In Mark's Gospel, chapter 1,
we read this in verse 4, John did baptize in the wilderness
and preached the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, the
forerunner of Jesus Christ. In verse 7 of Mark 1, this is
what John said, There cometh one mightier than I after me. If you stop with me, John says,
you're stopping short. I'm not the Christ. I'm not the
Messiah. I'm not worthy to untie his sandals. There is one coming after me
that is mightier than I. Mightier than I. Jesus Christ
was mightier than John because it was not said of John but of
Jesus Christ these words. John's name doesn't mean this.
Jesus does. Call his name Jesus for he shall
save his people from their sins. It would be so easy to pitch
tent right there, wouldn't it? He shall. Not that he'll try
to, he shall. Not that if people will allow
him to, that's not what it says, he shall. He came into this world
on a mission. He was sent by God the Father,
made of a woman, made under the law to redeem, not to attempt
to redeem, not to offer to redeem, but to redeem his people from
their sins and bless his wondrous name. That's exactly what he
did. He lived up to his name. He got the job done. Hallelujah. What a Savior. It would take
one mightier than John to save his people. It would take that
one who was the eternal Word made flesh, that man who is himself
God. God. If you could walk by that stable
that night of his birth, that little dark-complected Jewish
baby boy, that infant, in the arms of its his young mother,
and someone told you, you see that? Yeah, he looks, don't look
any different than the other newborn Jewish baby. Well, let me tell you this, that's
God. That's God. That's the one who
was in the beginning with God. That's the eternal word of God.
That's the very expression, image of God Almighty. That's the one
who in the beginning created the heavens and the earth. That's
God. Wow. That would be my reaction. Wow. Wow. That's the mighty God, the
everlasting Savior and the Prince of Peace. This question was not
asked of John the Baptist. Who is this that cometh from
Edom with dyed garments from Basra? this that is glorious
in his apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength.
And only one that was mightier than John could answer that question,
and he did. I that speak in righteousness,
mighty to save." That's him. That's what, that's who I need. I need a mighty savior. I'm a
mighty sinner. I need grace that reaches deeper
than the stain has gone. Him making me an offer to save
me is not going to do me any good. Oh, I need one who's able
to save unto the uttermost all that come unto God by him. Yes,
and that's who he is. Mighty to save. Jesus Christ
is that rock. He said it himself, didn't he?
That rock upon which his church is built, and that is the reason
that when the rains descend, and they do, oh, the storms come
up so quick, don't they? My soul, how suddenly things can change. Our circumstances can change,
but thank God our sovereign savior doesn't. He's that rock. And when the rains descend, and
the floods come, and the winds blow, and they beat upon our
house, it will not fall, because it's founded upon a rock. He's that one who by himself
purged our sins, that's what the book says, and obtained eternal
redemption for us. He's the sovereign savior of
his people, who being made sin by the holy Lord God, and having
trod the winepress alone of God's wrath, shouted with a voice,
a loud voice, that was heard by God, whose justice he had
satisfied, these glorious words of complete and final triumph,
it is finished. It is finished. I have put away
the sins of my people. It's finished. I've satisfied
God's holy justice. It's finished. I endured the
wrath of God that was due to my people. It's finished. I brought
in an everlasting righteousness. It's finished. It was finished
at the time he said it was finished, not depending upon anything done
by anybody else. He did it all. Jesus paid it
all. Psalm 118, Psalm 118, verse 22,
verse 22. The Lord quoted this very verse
to the leaders, the religious leaders, the Pharisees, the scribes,
the high priest, and they didn't even realize it. Didn't even
realize it was speaking of him. They did the very thing that
was prophesied. Verse 22, the stone which the
builders, the leaders, refused has become the headstone of the
corner. I heard Brother Henry Mahan say one time, you know
what keeps the gospel out of most churches today? The pastors. The leaders, the leaders. The
stone nonetheless, though refused, has become the headstone of the
corner, and David says, this is the Lord's doing. He's done
this, what do we do? Just stand and marvel. It's marvelous
in our eyes. Oh yes, then to this rock, let
me fly, to this rock that is higher than I. This wonderful
truth, that the Lord is great, that he is sovereign, he reigns,
really? It has no practical benefit for
God's people? Oh, such a declaration just proves
folks' ignorance. David says, I know that the Lord
is great and that our Lord is above all gods. All gods. Only he, only he can be trusted,
is trustworthy. Into his hands has been committed
all things. Father, you've given me power
over all flesh in the church and in the world. The saved and the lost. Father,
they're all in my hand to give eternal life to as many as thou
has given me. Oh yes, is there any practical
benefit to it? Is there any practical benefit
to knowing that the grace of God brings salvation? How about
believing that God works all things together for our good?
If he's not sovereign, he couldn't do that. How about the assurance
that he's able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless
before the presence of his glory with exceeding glory? Is that
helpful to know? Is that comforting? Is it comforting
to hear your great shepherd say, I'm going to the Father's house
to prepare a mansion for you? Especially for you. And if I
go and prepare that mansion for you, you can count on it that
I'm coming back and take you to be with me in the Father's
house forever. Is that beneficial? Is that not
practical? Oh, does that not give us reason
to joy? Well, every one of those things. whether they succeed or fail,
whether they are true or only proved to be fables, depend upon
this, the Lord is great. How it rejoices our hearts to
know that these things don't depend on you or me. All these things I mention, all
these marvelous blessings, this hope, are sure and certain arrival
in glory Aren't you glad to know that none of that depends on
you, but it's totally dependent upon the only wise God our Savior,
to whom be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now
and forever. Amen. I love that article in
your bulletin today. If you haven't read it, when
you get home, have a quiet moment, read it. Dear Brother Henry Mayhem,
He says, as we grow older, a sure shelter was the title of his
article. As we grow older, anybody here
exempt from that? As we grow older and experience
the fulfillment of God's promises in Christ Jesus, as we prove
the peace and rest that our Lord truly gives and become more aware
of the vanity and the emptiness and insecurity of religion, the
flesh in the world. We are not swayed by the loud
claims of new revelations, nor alarmed by the rise and fall
of religious professors, nor distressed by our own failures. We look around at it all, then
flee again to our refuge, the Lord Jesus Christ." A couple
of days ago, the pastor's wife out there in Rescue, California,
Kathy Reeves, was talking with Robin, and she was discussing,
they were discussing what sweet fellowship we had, and that the
subject of fellowship came up in their Bible study. And one
old brother, one old brother, he's 84 I think, Kathy told Robin,
he said this, what's fellowship? He says it's fellers in the same
ship. I like that, fellers in the same
ship. And that one who's responsible
for all the fellers in that ship is the captain of our salvation,
the Lord Jesus Christ. And the Lord had his way, has
his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds
are the dust of his feet. He's the master of the sea, billows
his will obey. And he says that none of those
that his father entrusted into his care, put into his hands,
shall ever be snatched out and never perish. I love that passage
in Mark, don't you? Chapter 4. Our Lord looked at
his disciples and said, let us pass over unto the other side. Mark 4 and 35. Let us pass over
unto the other side. Do you think they'll make it? I mean, there's going to be a
fierce storm arise. I mean, they no sooner set sail
than a fierce sudden storm comes up. At least four of these fellas,
perhaps more, were experienced fishermen, and they were scared
to death. They'd never seen nothing like this. And on top of that,
to beat it all, Jesus Christ is asleep. He's asleep. Hmm. You think they're going to make
it? They have to. Because that one who is sleeping
because he's tired, because he was made like unto his brethren,
is also the mighty God and Savior. He stands on the deck of that
ship and says, peace be still, and there's a great calm. He
has calmed many a storm in the heart of this center. There's
been many a time that I sat alone, and as we read in John 6, it
was dark. It was dark. Oh, it was dark. I couldn't see any light, no
light at the end of the tunnel. It's dark and Jesus was not come
to them. Oh, but he came, didn't he? He
came walking on the water and said, peace, don't be afraid,
it's me, it's me. Oh, I love that, don't you? And
not surprisingly, it would be a surprise if we did not read
this. After our Lord said, let us pass
over into the other side, Verse 1 of the next chapter says, and
they came over into the other side of the sea. They crossed
over. They crossed over. They all crossed
over. They all crossed plumb over.
All the way over, didn't they? That reminds me of what we read
in Revelation chapter 7. John, who are these that are
arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from? John said,
sir, you know. You know. You tell me. And he
said, these are they which came out, they came out of great tribulation
and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood
of the Lamb. They came out, they all came out, and they all came
plum out. Therefore, are they before the
throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple, and
he that sitteth upon the throne shall dwell among them. They
shall hunger no more for anything. Neither shall they thirst any
more, not with the fountain of living water. Neither shall the
sun light on them, nor any heat, for the Lamb, the Lamb, which
is in the midst of the throne, shall feed them, and shall lead
them into living fountains of waters, and God shall wipe away
all tears from their eyes." I try to do that sometimes. I
can't do it for myself, much less for anyone else. I'm aware
as much as folks who share with me have some idea of what they're
going through. And I try to comfort them. Usually I go away thinking what
a miserable, miserable attempt. Oh, but when God Almighty takes
His omnipotent hand and wipes the tears away, We're never gonna
cry again. There won't be any reason to
in glory. All tears shall be a thing of
the past. In the first clause, let me wrap
this up. In the first clause of our text,
there's the fact of God's sovereignty. For I know that the Lord is great. The prophet said, the Lord, in
Isaiah 43, said this. But now, thus saith the Lord,
that created thee, O Jacob, And he that formed thee, O Israel,
fear not, don't be afraid, don't be afraid, for I have redeemed
thee, I've redeemed thee, I've called you by name, you're mine.
When you pass through the waters, not if you pass through, you
will, you are. When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you. And through the rivers, they
shall not overflow you. And when you walk through the
fire, you shall not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle
upon thee. When thou passest through the
waters, deep the waves may be in cold, but Jehovah is our refuge
and his promise is our hope. For the Lord himself hath said
it, he the faithful God and true. When thou passest through the
waters, thou shalt not go down, but through. Our Lord is above
all gods. Whatsoever, verse six, this is
the outcome of that sweet, sweet truth. Whatsoever the Lord please,
That did he in heaven and in earth, in the seas, in all deep
places. Whatsoever the Lord pleased,
that did he. Oh, little flock, fear not, our
Lord said. Fear not, little flock. Here's
one of the blessed things that God is pleased to do. It is your
father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. He giveth and
he giveth, and he giveth more grace. Listen to the eyewitness
account, an eyewitness account of those who no longer, like
us, see through a glass darkly, but see face to face. They have
a perfect vision, those already in glory. And here's their testimony. I heard, as it were, the voice
of a great multitude, and the voice of many waters, and as
the voice of mighty thundering, saying hallelujah for the Lord
God omnipotent, reigneth. Blessed is that man or woman
who can say, I know that the Lord is great and that our Lord
is above all gods. Amen. Amen. Thank God that that's
so.