Will you turn to Psalm 115? Psalm 115. When I was preparing this message, I thought about the time when
I was a boy. That's been a while. When I was
a young boy, I remembered thinking, man, time sure does drag by. I couldn't wait to be 16 so I
could get my license. Couldn't wait to be 18, be a
man, be on my own. Couldn't wait to be 21. And I
remember thinking, boy, I wish it would soon get here. It goes
by so slow. I'll tell you what, I haven't
thought like that, John, for a long, long time. As a matter
of fact, it's the opposite. I think I can now appreciate
the words of old Joe when he said this. Now, Job said, now
my days are swifter than a post. They flee away. They are passed
away as the swift ships, as the eagle that hasteneth to the prey. Another year gone. Another 19,
no, 2021's gone. Now 2022, a new year begun. And
we don't know what this year may bring. We don't know if we'll
be around to see the end of another year. The wise man said this,
Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day
may bring forth. Man, isn't that so? We just don't
know, do we? The Lord told His disciples on
the Mount of Olives, the last time that He appeared to them,
when He led them out to the Mount of Olives, And they were still
wondering, Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom
to Israel? And he said, that's not the issue.
That's not exactly what he said, but he said, that's not for you
to know. Don't be concerned about that.
It's not for you to know the times and the seasons, which
the father had put in his own power. Do what I've told you
to do. Go into all the world and preach
the gospel. Stay right here, as the father
told his young son one time. I'm going to go do some things.
I'm going to put you right here, and you stay right here until
I come back. And that's what the Lord told
his disciples. Go into all the world and preach the gospel,
and you stay right here until I come back. While it is true
there are many things that we do not know, that we do not know
what tomorrow holds, what our tomorrows hold. We just don't
know. We know something better than
that. Every child of God knows something better than that. We
know who. We know who holds all of our
tomorrows. We know that we're in His hand.
And we can sing with blessed assurance and certainty the words
of old John Newton when he wrote, Through many dangers, toils and
snares, I have already come. Tis grace that's brought me safe
thus far." Isn't that true? Isn't that true? There's no other
explanation. It's God's grace that's brought
us safe thus far. And this is also true. And grace,
that same reigning, abounding, sovereign grace, and grace will
lead me home. That's sweet, isn't it? It's
not recorded in our version of that old hymn, but one verse,
the original, says this, the Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures. He will my shield and portion
be as long as light endures. You may recognize this next article
that I'm going to share with you. I used it several times on the Sunday before the end
of the year or the first Sunday for the new year. It's the entry
from the diary of Augustus Toplady. He wrote that famous hymn, Rock
of Ages. He was a preacher as well. But
on December 31st, 1767, he wrote this. Upon review of the past
year, I desire to confess that my unfruitfulness has been exceeding
great. My sin still greater. and God's
mercies greater than both. I like that, don't you? Oh, thank
God that we're sin abound. His grace doth much more abound. Every child of God, every true
believer can testify to that. Can they not? I want to remind
myself and you three things, just three things. This will
be my outline. Three things that God's word
assures us of. These are not matters of speculation. These are not things based upon
man's opinion. Those things are irrelevant.
These are things that God himself emphatically, plainly declares
to all of his children in his word. The title of our message
is Our God. Our God. Attorney, are you there
in Psalm 115? And here's the first thing. God
assures us that His purpose cannot fail. That's not if He's God. God's purposes cannot fail. This verse in Psalm 115 is just
as true today as when God Almighty inspired Paul, or rather David,
to write it. Look at verse 3. But our God,
our God, is in the heavens. He hath done whatsoever He hath
pleased. Our God. David gives this direct
answer to the question of his enemies. They asked him in, I'm
sure, a mocking way, David, where is now your God? Where's your
God now, David? Your own son has rebelled against
you. He's chased you from the throne. You hide out now in caves
in the wilderness. Where's your God now, David?
Why don't you cuss God and die? As Job's wife told him, And David,
by the grace of God, he proves the sufficiency of God's grace
with his answer. You ask me where our God is,
I'll be glad to tell you. Our God's in the heavens. He's
where he's always been. And that doesn't mean that God
only resides there. That means God is ruling everything. All things. Our God's in the
heavens and he's doing whatever he wants to do. Where is now
your God? He is doing whatsoever He is
pleased according to the counsel of His own will. God has sovereign
dominion and universal rule everywhere and always. Yes, God is sovereign
and we rejoice in that. The definition of sovereign is
contained within the word reign. R-E-I-G-N. Our God reigns. When we say God is sovereign,
that's what we mean. God reigns. I've had people tell
me in conversation, folks, religious folks, Yes, we believe God is
sovereign, but, wait a minute, wait a minute. No, no, no buts,
no buts. God is sovereign, no, no, except,
no, God is sovereign. Up to this very moment, David
tells us his decrees have been fulfilled and his eternal purposes
accomplished. His providence is undisputed.
His throne is unshaken, and His purposes are unchanged. Unchanged. As unchangeable as
God Himself is. He changes not. This is what
they rejoice in in glory. That multitude before the throne,
we read, they rejoice and give honor to Him, saying, The Lord
God omnipotent reigneth. Reigneth. And thank God that
it's so at the end of this great drama of human history. The omnipotence
of God and His immutability and His faithfulness will be more
than vindicated to the eternal confusion of all His enemies.
They will be forced to say what His children very willingly say,
the Lord God reigns. He reigns. Blessed be the name
of the Lord. You remember in Daniel chapter
6 there was a king, a great king. Darius was his name. And there
was in his kingdom one of God's elect, Daniel. And the princes
were jealous of him, so they arranged, knowing that Daniel
prayed to his God, they influenced Darius to make the law that if
anybody prays to any other God, that he would be cast into a
lion's den. You know the story. Chapter 6, we read this. When
the princes accused Daniel and said, told the king, he's breaking
your law. Now, your law can't be changed.
It's on the books. It's got to be honored. It can't
be set aside. Daniel chapter 6, verse 16, after
they told him this, then the king commanded, and they brought
Daniel and cast him into a den of lions. Now the king spake
and said unto Daniel, Thy God, whom thou servest continually,
he will deliver thee. And a stone was brought and laid
upon the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own
signet, he stamped it, and with the signet of his lord, that
the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel. Oh, my soul. But there was another king. There
was another king whose purpose would prove superior to that
of King Darius, the king of kings and the Lord of lords. Our God.
Our God. Daniel chapter 6 again, verse
19. Darius goes and spends the whole
night just tossing and turning and wondering and worrying because
he loved Daniel. But he couldn't break his own
law. I don't know this, but I suspect That Daniel just slept like a
baby. He probably just laid his head back on one of those lines
and just slept. The next morning the king arose
early and he went in haste to the den of lions. And when he
came to the den he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel.
And the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of
the living God, is thy God, whom you serve continually, able to
deliver thee from the mouth of the lions? Is your God able? Is he that great? Is he that
powerful? Did he preserve you? Did he protect
you, Daniel? Is your God able to deliver you? Is God able to deliver His people? Is God able to keep them from
falling? Is God able to bring them all
to glory? Is He mighty enough, gracious
enough, wise enough? Is He able to present them to
Himself without a spot or a blemish or any such thing? Is He such
a mighty God and Savior that He will present His people to
Himself without any trace of sin? My soul! Now that requires a great God
and Savior, does it not? Daniel, is thy God able to deliver
you? And here's Daniel's answer, and
the answer of every child of God. Then Daniel said unto the
king, O king, live forever, my God, my God. not your heathen gods, but my
God has sent his angel and has shut the lion's mouth and they
have not hurt me." Is God able to deliver? Oh yes he is. Is anything too hard for God?
No. Nothing's impossible for him.
Compare that to what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians chapter 1. 2
Corinthians chapter 1. I like what Paul says here. And
you're not Listening to the words of some armchair theologian,
David had been in the trenches. I'm sorry, Paul had been in the
trenches like David and Daniel. He's speaking from experience.
2 Corinthians 1 verse 9, but we had the sentence of death
in ourselves that we should not trust in ourselves. God taught
us that. That we should not trust in ourselves
but in God which raiseth the dead. who delivered us from so
great a death, and does deliver, in whom we trust that he will
yet deliver us. Paul was saying God has saved
us, and God is saving us, and God will yet save us. After this,
Paul finds himself in a dungeon. Paul, what you wrote about God
saving, and continuing to save, and will yet save you, did it
hold up? Did it hold up? Paul, do you
still believe that? Because you're sitting in a dungeon.
You don't even have a blanket to keep you warm. It's cold. Everybody's forsaken you. And
you know that at your next answer, the next time you stand before
Nero, that he's going to issue your execution. He's going to
demand that you be put to death. Paul, is your God still able? At my first answer, Paul wrote,
No man stood with me. All men pursued me. I pray God
that it might not be laid to their charge, notwithstanding."
Well, don't you like that? But God. But nevertheless, notwithstanding,
the Lord stood with me. The Lord stood with me and strengthened
me. that by me the preaching might
be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear, and
I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord shall
deliver me from every evil work, and he shall preserve me unto
his heavenly kingdom, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Amen. That means, so it is. So be it. Or it is so. That's our God. That's our God. And listen to the words of God
from God's own mouth. He says to every child of God,
no matter where they are, what they're going through, remember,
remember. Oh God, help me to remember.
the former things of old. Remember, I am God, and there's
none else. I am God, and there is none like
me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from the ancient
times the things that are not yet done, saying, my counsel
shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. All of it. All of it. I will do all my whatever
I'm pleased to do. That's what David said in the
psalm. Our God's in the heavens. He's done whatsoever He hath
pleased. Oh, that God's worth trusting
in, isn't it? That's worth lying down in the
sweet assurance that it is well with my soul. It must be well
with my soul if I'm in the hands of my great shepherd. Now take
those words that we just read from Isaiah 46, my counsel shall
stand and I will do all my pleasure and place them before this promise
of the Lord Jesus Christ. He says to every child of God,
fear not little flock, it is your father's good pleasure to
give you the kingdom. That's God who said I shall do
all my pleasure, he's pleased to do this, to give you the kingdom. Christ's flock in this world
is a little flock, but we're God's little flock. Oh, we're
God's little flock. We are sheep of Jesus Christ.
We're his bride, his church. Listen to what the great shepherd
of the sheep says. I came down from heaven, not
to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this
is the will of him that sent me, of all that which he hath
given me I should lose none, not one, but raise them up again
at the last day again. He speaks in chapter 10 and says,
My sheep, hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow
me. And I give them eternal life.
They don't earn it. I give it to them. The same life
that's in me is in them. The same life in the body flows
to every member. Or rather, that's in the head
flows to every member. And I give them eternal life.
And they shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand. And again, John 17. Oh, this
is holy ground. That high priestly prayer. He
said, I've manifested thy name, speaking to his heavenly Father,
unto the men which you gave me out of the world. They were yours,
and you gave them to me, and they have kept thy word. While
I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name. Those
that thou gavest me, I have kept, and none of them is lost but
the son of perdition that the scripture might be fulfilled.
They cannot be kept. from their everlasting happiness. A child of God cannot be kept
out of heaven. Christ went on to pray, Oh, is
this not the icing on the case? Father, I will, the day whom
thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they might behold
my glory. Wow! Who's going to keep me? God says, I will do all my pleasure.
Christ says it is his pleasure to give you the kingdom and to
be with me where I am. Christ speaks here as if he,
one commentator said this, Christ speaks here as if he did not
count his own happiness complete unless he had his elect to share
it with him. For it is the bringing of many
sons to glory that makes the captain of their salvation perfect. I find great comfort, don't you?
I've told you this before. I find great comfort in knowing
that Christ, my Great Shepherd, agreed that the Heavenly Father,
in that everlasting covenant of grace before the world was
ever created by Him, to be my surety. And when He agreed to
be my surety, He became responsible for me. Oh, I like that. I like
it. Jesus Christ has the answer for
me. Thank God, I don't answer for
myself. Jesus Christ will answer for
me. I'm not my own. I've been bought
with a price. Remember, it's the Father's good
pleasure to give you that. And God, our Father's counsel,
shall stand and He will do all His pleasure. We read concerning
Abraham in Romans 4 that Abraham staggered not at the promise
of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory
to God, and being fully persuaded that what God had promised, our
God, He was able, our God, able to perform. I want to believe
that. Don't you, John? Don't you? I
want to believe God like that. Because not only will it comfort
us, but it will glorify our God. It will glorify God. I told you
a few weeks ago, it may have been the last time we met, about
that old black preacher that lived years ago in Richmond,
Virginia. And so I asked him, when you
get to heaven, what if they stop you at the pearly gates and ask
you what right do you have to be here? Brother Bruce Crabtree
reminded me that old John Jasper also said this, if after believing
on the Lord Jesus Christ, he afterwards would cast me out
and I would be lost, it would cost him more than it would cost
me. He said, because I would lose
my soul, but God would lose his honor and glory. And that's exactly
right. That's exactly right. The glory
of God is wrapped up in the salvation of his people. The work which
his goodness began, the arm of his strength will complete. His
promise is yea and amen, and never was forfeited yet. Things
future, nor things that are now, nor all things below or above. can make him his purpose forego
or sever my soul from his love." Here's the second thing. Jesus
Christ. Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God,
did not die in vain. Oh, we know that. Oh, but my
soul, what comfort there is in being reminded of it. You want
to be comforted? Enjoy some sweet peace? Have
a good hope? Of course we do. Of course we
do. Then look for your acceptance,
for your standing before God, for your hope of heaven. Look
where God looks. Look where God looks. For those
things, He doesn't look to you. No, no, no. Mr. Pink, A.W. Pink said this, The
great mistake made by most of the Lord's people is in hoping
to discover in themselves that which is to be found in Jesus
Christ alone. That's hard to argue with, isn't
it? God looks to only one person for those things, for the satisfaction
of every precept, and as the foundation for fulfilling every
promise. And he tells you and I, look
where I look. Look where I look. Behold my
servant. This is God speaking. Behold
my servant, whom I uphold, mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth. I have put my spirit upon him.
He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not
fail. God demands perfection. Absolute
perfection. He going to look to you to give
it? And everyone says, look, look, behold my servant. This
is where God looks. This is my beloved son in whom
I am well pleased. And we're accepted in him. We're
as accepted as he is, being in God's son. And God says, look
at him. You want to rejoice? You want to find comfort? You
want hope? Listen, he shall not fail, nor be discouraged till
he has set judgment in the earth. And the owl shall wait for his
law. Who could that be but the Lord Jesus Christ? Nothing he
ever did was in vain. Nothing he ever thought was in
vain. Nothing he ever put his hand to wasn't fulfilled. Everything,
everything concerning the Son of God, we can say he did not
fail. Jesus Christ came to save his
people from their sins. That's why he came into the world.
Jesus Christ by Himself purged our sins. It was Christ who entered
once into the holy presence of God because He had obtained eternal
redemption for us. It was Jesus Christ who knew
no sin, that God made to be sin for His people, that we be made
the righteousness of God in Him. Until we see the Son of God dying
in the sinner's place, it's impossible It's impossible for us to conceive
that sin might be forgiven. It's impossible to have a clear
conscience. But Christ's death shows us how
God can be both just and justify this guilty sinner. Atonement
made demands that God forgive those for whom atonement was
offered. God must be just and justify
a sinner because Christ bore those sinners' sins all away
in His own body on the tree. Oh my soul, now, now, God Almighty
can be perfectly just when He justifies a sinner. Because the
sinless Savior died, my sinful soul is counted free. For God
the just is satisfied to look on Him And pardon me. For Christ's
sake. For Christ's sake. God have forgiven
you. What did Paul say? For Christ's
sake. We were chosen in Christ. We
were accepted in Christ. Christ has made in us wisdom
and righteousness and sanctification. We believe we will be brought
to heaven and presented to God in Christ. It will be Christ.
It will be Christ that stands in the forefront, just like he
did that night when Judas brought that mob and he said, if you
seek me, here am I. But these, my sheep, have to
go free. They have to go free. He shall
stand at the head of that army, that multitude that no man can
number in glory to his name. He shall say, Father, here they
are. Here they are. I've lost none. Yes, the Son
of God himself. will bring us around the Father's
throne and we will hear these words, come ye blessed of my
Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of
the world. And according to the word of
God, we expect to be among those who shall see and hear this. I'm about to say, can you imagine
this? My imagination doesn't reach that far. And I saw a new
heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the
first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea. And
I, John, saw," and we'll see this, the holy city, New Jerusalem,
this is God's church, this is Christ's bride, coming down from
God out of heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, behold, the
tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them,
and they shall be his people. And God himself shall be with
them and be their God, and to experience this. And God, our
God, shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall
be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there
be any more pain, for the former things are wiped away." That's
our God. That's our God. And my soul brethren,
what about this? and there shall be no more curse,
but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and
His servants shall serve Him, and they shall see His face." And they shall see His face. Face to face with Christ my Savior. Beloved, now are we the sons
of God. and it doth not yet appear what
we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear we shall
be like him, for we shall see him as he is. One hymn writer
wrote this, bold shall I stand in that great day, for who ought
to my charge shall lay, through Jesus' blood absolved I am from
sin's tremendous curse and shame. This spotless robe the same appears,
when ruined nature sinks in years, No age can change His glorious
hue. This robe of Christ is ever new. That robe is the perfect righteousness
of Jesus Christ. That's what He clothes His people
in. Remember what the Father said
to that sinning, prodigal son when he came back home? Get the
best robe. Bring forth the best robe and
put it on him. Put it on him. And with Jesus'
spotless garments on, we are as holy as God's own Son. Here's the last thing. The triune
God would never forsake His work of grace. Never. Never. No matter what. No matter what. Paul, in Ephesians 2 and 10 says,
for we are His, God's workmanship. created in Christ Jesus and two
good works. The believer is a new man, a
new creation, and God is his creator. He didn't make himself. Baptism doesn't make him a new
creation. Learning doctrine doesn't make
him a new creation. No, this is by the operation
of our mighty God. And Paul in Philippians 1 and
6 wrote this, being confident of this very thing that God,
which had begun a good work in you, will perform it into the
day of Jesus Christ. And we have the evidence of that
in God's Word. Again, the last book of the Bible. And I look, John said in chapter
14 of Revelation, and lo a lamb stood in glorious sovereign majesty. He stood. Oh, he did. He stooped when he was made like
us and became obedient unto the death of the cross, but now he's
victorious and he stands. on the Mount Zion, and with him
140 and 4,000, representative of all God's elect. And I heard
a voice from heaven as the voice of many waters, and as the voice
of a great thunder, and heard the voice of harpers harping
with their harps, and they sung as it were a new song before
the throne, and before the beast and the elders. And no man could
learn that song but the 140 and 4,000 which were redeemed from
the earth. These are they which were not
defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are they which
follow the Lamb wheresoever he goeth. These were redeemed from
among men, being the firstfruits of God to the Lamb. And in their
mouth was found no guile, for they are without fault before
the throne of God. Yes, we believe that our God
will do all his pleasure We believe that Jesus Christ shall see of
the travail of his soul and be satisfied. We rejoice to know
that dear dying lamb, thy precious blood will never lose its power.
It ain't gonna happen. It ain't gonna happen. Till all
the ransomed church of God be saved of sin no more. And we
believe that our God will accomplish his purpose in glorifying his
son and the everlasting salvation of all his chosen. Let me close
with this from Isaiah chapter 43. But now thus saith the Lord
that created the old Jacob, and he that formed the old Israel,
fear not, fear not, I've redeemed you. Don't be afraid. Don't be
afraid. I've redeemed you. Larry, don't
be afraid. I've redeemed you. I've called
you by your name. You're mine. And when, not if,
When you pass through the waters, I'll be with you. I'll be with
you. And through the rivers, they
shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire,
you won't be burned. Neither shall the flame kindle
upon thee." A lady by the name of Annie Flint, I believe it
was her name. She was an invalid all of her
adult life. But she wrote this. Seas of sorrow,
seas of trials, bitter as anguish, fierce as pain, rolling surges
of temptation, sweeping over heart and brain. They shall never
overflow us, for we know His word is true. All the waves and
all the billows, He will lead us safely through. When you pass
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 is the faithful God and true, When you pass through
the waters, thou shalt not go down, but through. Now the Lord Jesus Christ himself,
and God, even our Father, which hath loved us and hath given
us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort
your hearts and establish you in every good word and work. Amen. Amen. Let it be so. God bless you.