Did you hold your place in Isaiah
43? The quote that heads your bulletin
today, just above the readings in your bulletin, was taken from
an entry in the diary of Augustus Toplady on New Year's Eve, 1767. I'd like to share with you the
rest of that entry. It's not very long. But he wrote
this on New Year's Eve. All day within, reading, the
thought of how many acquaintances I have lost by death within the
course of this year dwelt with great weight upon my mind. The
following persons are some of them. And he named at least a
dozen and said there were many more. And then he writes. And
yet I am spared. Lord, make it be for good and
not for evil. There are that I know of but
two things worth living for. One, to further the cause of
God and thereby glorify him before the world. And two, to do good
to the souls and bodies of men. When I read that, I couldn't
help but be reminded that we too have lost dear friends in
this past year or a little longer. The Lord was pleased to take
to himself just a little over a year ago one of my very best
friends, Brother Dave Coleman. And I had the great honor to
have a part in his funeral service on May the 28th, 2019. And this is what Dave's pastor
and my pastor wrote in a tribute to him in the funeral brochure
on that occasion. Of course, Brother Don Fortner,
he wrote this. David Coleman is a beloved and
cherished friend and brother. In the sweet fellowship of our
Lord Jesus Christ, I had the privilege of serving our God
and Savior with him as his pastor for 38 years. My cherished friend
suffered much pain and weakness in recent years. I wept for him
much, and I tried to pray for him and his family." No more. No more. Don wrote, "'Thank you,
my God, for your wonderful grace bestowed on my friend in Christ,
and thank you for your rich mercy bestowed on me in giving David
Coleman to my friend. As I read that again, I thought,
that expresses not only how I felt about Dave Coleman, but what
I felt about the man who wrote it, Brother Don, and I know you
did too. And Don had no way of knowing
that in less than a year from the time he wrote that, that
he himself would be called to glory, to behold his glorious
Redeemer forever. I miss them fellas. I miss them
both very much, but I look forward to soon, and I hope I am sincere
when I say that, soon, by the grace of God, the same grace
that presented them without fault before the throne of God, by
that same reigning grace that this unworthy sinner, I hope
to join them there very soon. in that place where we read in
Revelation chapter 21 these words, and the city had no need of the
sun, neither of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God did
lighten it, and the lamb is the light thereof. You remember several
years ago when brother Dave Coleman was here He wanted to come back
for our conference, but he never was able to for one reason or
another. But he sang just about it. I
remember him sitting at the piano and said, Larry has about run
out of hymns, because he sang in every service a couple of
times. You remember this one? I listened to this on a CD. Wayfaring Stranger. Oh, I'd love
to hear Dave sing that. I am a poor wayfaring stranger
while traveling through this world below. There is no sickness,
toil, no danger to that bright world to which I go. I'm going
there to see my Savior, who shed for me his precious blood. I'm
just a-going over Jordan. I'm just a-going over home."
Yes, God's people in this world are well described and thankful
that it's so. We're just wayfaring pilgrims
looking for that city that hath foundations, whose builder and
maker is God." Before we come to our text, again from the diary
of Mr. Toplady on New Year's Eve, upon
review of this past year, I desire to confess that my unfruitfulness
has been exceeding great, my sin still greater, and God's
mercies greater than both. Can any believer not take those
words as their own? Looking back over this past year,
can we not say with John Newton, it is grace that's brought us
safe thus far. There's no other explanation.
And grace will lead us home. Mr. Toplady went on to write,
it is now between 11 and 12 at night, nor can I conclude the
year more suitably to the present frame of my own mind than with
the following verse from one of my hands. which expresses
both my sense of the past and my humble dependence on divine
goodness in the future years to come. In this hymn, he referred
to as this, God, Arthur, and ground of my hope, thee, thee,
for my God I vow, my glad Ebenezer set up, and own that thou hast
helped me till now. I must on the years that are
past, I'm sorry, I muse on the years that are past, wherein
my defense thou hast proved, nor wilt thou abandon at last
a sinner so signally loved." Thank God for that. The precious
promise of Jesus Christ, and this is what I want to talk to
you about. The precious promise of Jesus Christ to always be
with his people. What a happy note to end a year
with. What a happy note to begin a
new year with. The title of my message is this,
The Precious Promise of Christ's Presence. We read from Isaiah
chapter 43. But I could go to any book of
the Bible, beginning in Genesis, all the way through the Revelation
and find many, many texts for this subject, the presence of
Christ, the promise of His sweet presence. Look, if you will,
for example, still in Isaiah at chapter 41, chapter 41, verse
10, verse 10. And notice how many of these
places, in these places, it begins with fear not. Fear not. Don't be afraid. Yes, we're living
in perilous times. This world's not getting any
better. It's getting worse, just as Paul said it would. But God
says to you and I, our great God and Savior says, Fear not. Verse 10 of Isaiah 41, Fear thou
not. Why? For I am with thee. I am with thee. Be not dismayed. Be not dismayed. Don't be overwhelmed. Don't be caught off guard. Don't
be bewildered. For I am thy God. I am thy God. And God is just not standing
by as an observer in the lives of his people. Oh no, look what
he says. I am thy God. I will strengthen
thee. Just don't look at you and say
you need to be strengthened. He says I will strengthen you.
I will not observe you in a time of need and consider that you
need help. He says, I will help you. Yea,
I will uphold you. You ever feel like you're just
ready to throw in the towel? Look what God said. I will uphold
you. This is the Lord God. This is
God Almighty. This is the one who has his way
in the world. When? This is the one who accomplishes
all of his purposes. And he says, I will uphold you
with the right hand of my righteousness. I will do that. You have my word. Again, Isaiah chapter 41, verses
13 and 14. Are you still there? Verses 13
and 14. For I, the Lord thy God, will
hold thy right hand. Isn't that a sweet, sweet picture?
I know you all recall as parents and grandparents holding the
hand of your child or grandchild and helping them along across
the street, watching out for them. For I, the Lord thy God,
will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, fear not. There it
is again, Billy. Fear not. I will help thee. Fear not, thou worm, Jacob. And ye men of Israel, I will
help thee, saith the Lord, and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of
Israel. And again, Isaiah 43 that we
read from a moment ago. I love these verses. Verse 2,
look at it again. It's worth a second look, or
a third and a fourth. Verse 2, when thou passest through
the waters, I will be with thee. Oh, I'm so thankful for that.
I'm so thankful for that, because we will pass through the waters.
Christ says, I will be with thee. And through the rivers, when
the storms of life are raging, Christ doesn't abandon ship and
say, every man for himself. No, he says, when you pass through
the rivers, they shall not. They shall not overflow thee.
When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned,
neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. Fear not again, verse
5, fear not, for I am with thee. You see why I say? What a blessed
promise from our God to end another year and to begin another year. to end the day and to begin the
day, because His mercies are fresh every morning and new.
This was the same sweet promise that the risen, exalted, reigning
Savior gave His eleven disciples before He sent them out into
the world and began at Jerusalem was his command, the place where
he was most hated, the place where he was murdered, the place
where he was crucified. He said, I'm sending you into
the world to preach my gospel, and I want you to start there.
Oh, my soul. When he appeared on the Mount
of Olives with them for the last time, before he ascended back
to glory, this is what he said to them. All power is given unto me. All power. That means nobody
else has that. He's got it all. Remember what
he said to Pilate? Pilate said, why aren't you answering
my question? Don't you know? Don't you realize?
I've got the power to release you. It's all up to me. And I've
got power to let you go. You remember what Christ said
to him? I know you do. He said, you don't have any power
at all. You can't do nothing unless my Father, my God, allows
you to do it. All power is given unto me with
that at your back, with that upholding you. Go ye, therefore,
and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe
all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And, Lord, I am
with you always, even unto the end of the world. And the chapter
concludes with amen. Let that be so. Let that be so. You can go through the acts of
the apostles. And you'll find this sweet promise
fulfilled over and over and again and again in the lives of the
apostles. For example, in Acts chapter
18, Paul is in Corinth. Corinth was a notoriously wicked,
wicked place. One commentator said that I remember
reading, if somebody wanted to insult you, If somebody really
wanted to shoot you down, they'd say, you act like a Corinthian.
Whoa, wait a minute. How dare you? It was a wicked,
wicked, immoral place. Practice all manner of perversion,
pretty much like our day. Paul was there. He was there. And we rarely think of the apostle
Paul being fearful. But we have to remember he was
flesh. He was flesh. I don't know what he was fearful
of. But I know while he was in Corinth, we read in verse 9 of
Acts 18, then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision,
be not afraid. Be not afraid, but speak and
hold not thy peace. continue to preach the glorious
gospel because even in Corinth, the Lord seemed to be telling
him, my word shall not return void. Even in Corinth, the gospel
is the power of God unto salvation. So Paul, you just keep on preaching
and don't be afraid. Leave the results to me. And
then he says in verse 10, for I am with thee, I am with thee,
just like he promised. And no man shall set on thee
to hurt thee. And look at this. For I have
much people in this city. How about that? Billy, I see
you smiling. It makes me smile too. Paul preach. Witness. Carry on. Keep going. Because I have much people in
this city. Even in this wicked place, I
have much people. It sounds like even in that wicked
place of Corinth, there was what the scriptures tell us, an election. There was a remnant according
to the election of grace. Brothers and sisters in Christ,
pray that God will remind us, you and me, this little flock
here, remind us that is always true. That's always true. As Paul said in Romans chapter
11, even at this present time also." And of course, he was
referring to Elijah's time when God told him, when Elijah was
hiding out in a cave having a little pity party. And he said, Lord,
I'm the only one left, I'm the only one left. God said, Elijah,
you don't know what you're talking about. Let me tell you what you
don't know. I've got 7,000 I've reserved
that's not bound to need to that false idol veil. And Paul said,
even in Elijah's time, even in my time, at this present time
also there is a remnant according to what? Man's free will? Oh no! God's free grace, according
not of works, but of God's purpose and grace which was given us
in Christ before the world began. Our God is a God of purpose.
I declare the idea that just It's just evidence of people's
ignorance. And religious people are the
worst. Talk about a God who has a new idea. Talk about a God
that might do something today that he didn't intend to do from
eternity. A God that can be changed. A
God that can be manipulated. A God that wants to do something
but can't. How ignorant is that? That's
just stupid. That's just stupid. Sometimes
I want to say, wait a minute, wait a minute, stop, stop. Did
you hear what you just said? Now stop and think about what
you just, a God who wants to but can't? A God that needs my
help? My soul. Terry, if he needs my
help, he's in trouble. He's in trouble and I'm in trouble
too. Oh no, no, no, no. When the heathens,
when the heathens mocked David and said, where's your God? David
said, I'll tell you where he's at. My God's in the heavens.
He's not like your gods. My God's in the heavens doing
whatsoever he hath pleased. Paul wrote, there is a remnant
according to the election of grace. That is why, brothers
and sisters, that's why the world stands. I hear these so-called
prophecy experts with their charts and their signs. They make you
dizzy trying to figure this out, trying to understand about the
signs of the times. People seem intrigued by that. You know, this is going to happen.
There's going to be one coming of the Lord, then another coming.
There'll be one judgment, two judgment, three judgment. Oh,
no, no, no, no. There's going to be seven years
of tribulation, then there's going to be... No, no, no. You
know why the world stands? It's not determined by what you
do, or what I do, or what they do in Jerusalem. You know why
God allows this wicked world. And I said it just the other
day. I said, I can't help but wonder, how long is God going
to allow this to continue? And you probably have thought
the same thing. I mean, you see the brazen wickedness. I mean, it's shoved in our face
all the time. And if you think it's not right,
that it's not normal for men to love men and women to love
women, then you've got the problem. You're homophobic. Yes, I am. I guess I am. Because
the Word of God is against that. So why doesn't God judge this
world? He judged Sodom for those very
things, because at this present time there's a remnant. That's
the reason. The great shepherds still have
sheep, and He's going to call them. That's exactly what Peter
said in his second epistle, chapter 3. And this was his answer to
the scoffers and the mockers. They came and said, where's the
sign of His coming? Where's He at? Where is he at? This Jesus you say that's coming
back, that's going to return, where is he? We've been hearing
that stuff all of our life. And this was Peter's answer.
The heavens and the earth, which now are, by the same word, by
God's word, are kept in store, reserved until the day of judgment
and perdition of ungodly men. Why does God do that? Peter tells
us in the next verse, verse 8 of 2 Peter 3. But beloved, don't
be ignorant of this one thing. They're ignorant, but don't you
be ignorant. As some in counts, or rather as be ignorant of this
one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years
and a thousand years as a day. The Lord is not slack concerning
his promise. We need to remember that, don't
we? We need to remember that. The Lord is not slack concerning
His promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering,
what? To usward. To usward. To His people, His chosen, His
elect. Not willing that any should perish,
but that all, all should come to repentance. And one day, one
day, somewhere, there'll be a moment, there'll be a time when Jesus
Christ calls that last chosen sheep. that last redeemed sinner,
He'll raise the new life, making them a new creature in Christ,
and then, then He shall say, time shall be no more, and He'll
come back and gather His elect from the four corners of the
earth, and they'll be with Him forever. That's why the world
stands, and that's the only reason. Until that happens, Christ said
this, all that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him
that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out, because there
is right now a remnant according to the election of grace." I
have people tell me, I have preachers tell me, some of my family has
told me, and I know you've had the same thing said about you.
If I believe that, if I believe God had purpose to save a of
people, then why preach? Why witness? That's more religious
foolish talk, isn't it? The question is, why not? That's
the reason to witness. That's the reason to preach.
That's the reason to pray, knowing that God has chosen a people
to salvation. They must hear. They must be
brought to Christ. They must believe, and they will.
It didn't discourage Paul, did it? When God told him, Paul,
don't be afraid. Preach. Hold not thy peace, because
I have much people in this city. In the very next verse we read,
he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word
of God among them. Why wouldn't he? After hearing
the news that God gave him. Listen to the word made flesh
speak. Listen to the great shepherd
himself. Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold, them
also, now check this, I must bring. Wow. I must bring. And they shall
hear. They shall hear my voice. And
there shall be one fold and one shepherd. There is no question
about that. And that's exactly what Paul
found out. He writes to that church at Corinth,
that wicked city, these words in 1 Corinthians 6. You're familiar
with these. After he had left there, sometime
after that, he wrote to them. Know you not that the unrighteous
shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Now listen to this. And God hasn't changed his mind
about that. I don't care what the world says,
whether they be our loved ones or not. Let God be true. I'm more concerned about God's
honor than man's honor, whether that man's my son, my daughter,
my father, or mother. Paul wrote, be not deceived,
neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor infeminate,
nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous,
nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit
the kingdom of God, period. That's just so. But thank God
Paul didn't stop there, did he? In the next verse he said, and
such were some of you. Such were some of you. Some of
you were in that category. Some of you were doing those
very things. And again, he didn't stop there. Paul said, but, but, Child of
God, I hope that brings a shout in
your heart, but such were some of you, but you're not like that
anymore. You don't live like that anymore.
You don't practice those ungodly things anymore. Why? You were
like that, yes, but now, Paul said, you're not like that anymore. You are washed. present tense. You are sanctified. You are justified
in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of His grace.
Paul, are you saying that if any man be in Christ, he's a
new creature? That's exactly what he's saying.
No exception. And it's this precious promise
of Christ's presence that is the basis of why believers live
as they do in this present world. Is it not? Is it not? Listen
to what Paul writes, or the writer, I think it was Paul, in Hebrews
chapter 13. This is the basis of a believer's conduct in this
world, the presence of Christ. Paul says in Hebrews 13 and 5, Let your conversation be without
covetousness and be content. So it's a pleasure to talk to
a contented person, isn't it? It's kind of rare because most
people are complaining and bellyaching all the time, but a contented
person Paul says, be content with such things as ye have,
for he has said, I will, and here's the basis why we should
be content, for he has said, Jesus Christ has said, I will
never leave you nor forsake you. Therefore, let your conversation,
and conversation means more than talk. No, it means the way we
walk in this world. Not just what we say, but what
we do. The way we live our lives. That's
what the word means. The way we conduct ourselves.
My life should be a testimony to that faith in Jesus Christ
that I profess with my mouth. To profess my belief in God's
sovereignty, in God's providence, and be all the time bellyaching
about my lot in life is just a contradiction, isn't it? And
it's a poor testimony. And the reason why it should
not be that way is for he has said, I will never leave you,
Larry. I will never forsake you. And
the blessed fruit of that knowledge, that truth is this. So that we
may boldly say, the word is my helper, and I will not fear what
man shall do unto me. Remember who gives us this glorious
promise, the Lord Jesus Christ, that one who declares himself
to be the eternal I am. He's the one comes to you and
I. He's the one that tells us again and again and over and
over and over. Fear not. Fear not. Why? Why? Because I'm with you. I'm not going to lose you. You're
not going to slip through my mighty hand. I'm not going to
forget you. I'm your God. I owe this story
to Brother Don Fortner. I read it in one of his old messages
the other day. He said several years ago there
was a meeting of some brawl-kissing, some brawl-kissing, tree-hugging
New Agers in Orlando, Florida. Walking around the Harley Motel
in Orlando, hundreds of these oddballs were wearing t-shirts
with these words written in large, bold letters across the front.
I am. I am. And in smaller letters,
underneath I am, the shirts read, and that's all that matters.
Can you imagine? And Don said they didn't realize
it, But in their proud, self-centered egotism, they were proclaiming
the one thing that they most despised. The Lord our God, our
God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ says, I am, and that's
all that matters. Is that right? Is that right,
child of God? I am, he says, and that's all
that matters. This is the one whose name is
I am. I am, he revealed himself to
Moses at the burning bush. That was the Lord God. That was
our Lord Jesus Christ. I am. That means I am the eternal
God. I am everlastingly God. I've
never had a beginning. I'll never have an end. From
everlasting to everlasting, I am God. I am. Billy, sometimes after
service you'll come up to me and we'll chat and you'll say,
Larry, I just can't get a hold of that. And I said, Billy, I
can't help you. Because I can't get out of it
either. So he didn't have a beginning. Everything we touch, everything
we see, everything we think about has a beginning. Oh, but not
him. He had no beginning. I am. I
am. And when the word was made flesh,
he came into this world and he said, I am the bread of life.
I am the light of the world. I am the door. I am the good
shepherd. I am the resurrection and the
life. I am the way, the truth, the life. I am divine. The Lord
Jesus Christ is the great I am. And child of God, that's all
that matters. That's all that matters. The
little church I pastored for a few years, attempted to pastor,
would probably be more accurate, many years ago. The only pastor
they had before that time was a man by the name of Watson Dufour.
He and a few other of the men started the church. He pastored
that church, I think, for 40 or 50 years. He was gone when
I came on the scene. But he knew Don. He knew Don.
Don said he was one of the few men in the area that would have
anything to do with him, because he pastored not too far from
where Watson pastored. But Don told me the story that
when Watson had died, after 40 years or longer pastoring that
church. At the gravesite, one of the deacons, Harold Cole,
he was still there when I was pastor, he was praying and he
said, Lord, we have followed our pastor as far as we can go. I never forgot that. We followed
our pastor as far as we can go. They couldn't go any further.
But Jesus Christ, and you can say the same about former pastors,
can't you? But Jesus Christ, the good shepherd
of his sheep, makes this promise to each one of his own. I'll
never leave you. I'll never leave you. I'll never
forsake you. Christ is the only one that can
make that promise. Isn't that right? Pat, you can't
tell Terry that. Terry can't tell you. I can't make that up. There's
going to be a time coming. We're going to part from one
another. Death's going to come. I remember
Don and Shelby telling me on more than one occasion, Shelby
especially, she said, Larry, you know sometimes when me and
Don get on a plane and it's a long flight over water for hours and
hours like to England, when we're seated and before we take off,
We look at one another and say, maybe God would be pleased to
take us home at the same time. That's what they want. But God
was pleased to take Don before Shelby. Before Shelby, wasn't
he? But she, like every other child
of God, has this blessed assurance. As Job said, when a few years
are come, then I shall go the way from where where I shall
not return. Oh, and in the meantime, we have
this precious promise of Christ's presence. In death, we say goodbye
to everyone else but not Him. Huh? Yea, though I walk through
the valley of the shadow of death, thou art with me. Thy rod and
thy staff, they comfort me. Just the other evening, Robin
and I were watching the evening news. Coronavirus, coronavirus. But they were interviewing this
doctor. He was at a hospital where there was so many people
just dying, just dying. And he said, what is so sad?
What breaks my heart? A lot of these poor folks are
dying and there's nobody there. No loved one, no family, no companion. They're dying alone. And Robin
and I looked at each other at the same time and said, that's
so sad. That's so sad. A child of God need not fearing
ever dying alone. According to God's word, I hope
I'm honest when I say it makes me look forward to it. According
to God's word, when he calls one of his own home, There'll
be an unseen to the natural eye. There'll be one there. There'll
be one there. We read it in those verses. I'll
be with you. I'll be with you. There'll be
one there that's loved me with an everlasting love, who purchased
me with his own precious blood. He'll be there to take my hand
and lead me to the Father's house. and I'll be with him forever.
Oh, he leadeth me, he leadeth me. By his own hand he leadeth
me. Oh, what a sweet, sweet thought. He maketh me to lie down in green
pastures. He leadeth me beside the still
waters. When is this true? When is it
not true? that he will be with us? The
answer is, all the time. There's never a time that he
won't be with us. I like what Joshua said when
he was dying, when he was leaving this world. In Joshua chapter
23, and every child of God can make this his testimony. Jesus
Christ, Emmanuel, God with us, always with us. Joshua said in
chapter 23 verse 14, And behold, he gathered round all the elders
of Israel, and he said, Behold, this day I am going the way of
all the earth. And you know, you know in all
your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing hath failed
of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning
you. all are come to pass, all are
come to pass, and not one thing hath failed." Not one thing hath
failed. You remember what we read in
Revelation 4? John said in verse 1, I looked,
and behold, a door was opened in heaven, and the first voice
which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me,
which said, Come up hither, And I will show thee things that
must be hereafter. Why must they be? The next verse
tells us. Immediately I was in the Spirit,
and behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat upon the
throne. That one John saw upon the throne
is our King, God, and Savior. And He sets King forever. This promise is good everywhere. I remember reading a statement
in Brother David Evanston's bulletin a couple years ago. I may have
used it in our bulletin. But he said, if there was one
square foot anywhere on this planet that God Almighty didn't
rule and reign, I would always be afraid that I'd be standing
within that square foot. Oh, no. He rules everywhere. Christ is our great God and Savior
everywhere, all the time. Thou shalt guide me with thy
counsel, and afterward receive me the glory. Concerning that
verse, Mr. John Newton wrote a letter. He
was writing to a friend, and he said, when I hire a carriage,
you know, the horse and buggy days, he said, when I hire a
carriage, he said, I give myself up with the utmost confidence
to the driver. He knows the way. He knows how
to manage better than I do, and therefore I seldom trouble him
with questions or directions, but I read a book and just sit
and take it easy. He said I wish I could trust
the Lord so, but though I have given myself up to the care of
infinite wisdom and love, and in my judgment believe they are
engaged on my behalf, I'm ready to direct my guide and to question
him at every turn and secretly to wish that I had the reins
in my hand. Oh no, thank God that He leads
us along. Here's last of all. Last of all,
why should we believe this? Why should we grasp this promise,
the precious promise of Christ's presence, as we've said throughout
the message? Because Christ says so. Christ makes this promise. That
makes it reliable. That makes it certain. That makes
it sure. That makes it trustworthy. Every
attribute of God is an argument, is a reason why this must be
so. His wisdom, His mercy, His power,
His will, His grace, His word, His Son makes it so. Look, if you will, we'll wrap
this up. Isaiah chapter 46. Look there, if you will. I love
these verses. Isaiah 46, verses 3 and 4. The older I get, the sweeter
they become. Because it's talking to older
believers. Isaiah 46, 3 and 4, hearken unto
me, verse 3, O house of Jacob and all the remnant of the house
of Israel, which are born by me from the belly, which are
carried from the womb, and even to your old age I am he. I'm the same God, same faithful
God. Even to your old age I am he.
And even to whore hares will I carry you. I have made, and
I will carry, and will deliver you. Compare that to this. And I heard a voice from heaven
saying, blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth.
Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors, and
their works do follow them. If Christ is the only Savior,
and He is, the only way to God, and He is, if this is the record
that God has given to us, eternal life, and this life is in His
Son, if He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not
the Son hath not life, if that's so, and it is, then I must have
Christ. I must have Christ. I must trust Christ. I must know
Christ. This was Paul's dying testimony,
so to speak, wasn't it? I know whom I have believed. It was not dead doctrine Paul
was looking to, or dry dogma. No, that's not what he needed,
but a living Savior. A living Savior. In just a moment,
in a few moments, we'll observe the Lord's Supper. As I'll read
from 1 Corinthians 11, we're told that we observe this, we
do what Christ commanded, until He come. And then we won't need
this reminder. We do this until He come. I mentioned at the beginning
of the message, Mr. Toplady's entry into his diary
on New Year's Eve many years ago reminded me some friends,
loved ones, that I'd seen go on to glory. And Judy Estes was
one of them. Judy was a wonderful singer.
Most of y'all probably have her CD. I was always telling her
when I was in the church in Danville with her under Brother Don, I'd
say, Judy, you need to record that. you need to record some
of those songs. I'd love to be able to listen
to them anytime." And one evening, before service started, she came
up to me and she handed me a cassette. She said, now would you just,
would you quit bugging me? Here it is. You've got the first
one. And one of the songs that was
such a blessing to me was the one she would sing entitled,
Deeper Than the Stain Has Gone. Bobby's shaking her head. You've
sang that for us too, Bobby. Let me close with that. When
with holy choirs we're standing in the presence of the King,
and our souls are lost in wonder while the white-robed choirs
sing, then we'll praise the name of Jesus with the millions round
the throne, praising for the power that reaches deeper than
the stain is gone. Praise the Lord for full salvation. God still reigns upon His throne,
and I know the blood still reaches deeper than the stain has gone. May God enable us to rejoice
in that wonderful truth as we observe the Lord's table. Amen. God bless you.