I'm sure I've used this story
before, but I think it's a good one. There was a little girl in her
cabin on board a passenger ship. Her father was the captain of
that ship. In the middle of the night, a great storm came up. The crew thought it was possible
that the ship might go down, so they were getting the lifeboats
ready and waking up all the passengers. When they came to the door of
the cabin where the little girl was, they opened the door and
said, wake up, wake up. We're in danger. There's a severe
storm. And she said, half asleep, but
she said, Well, is my father still on board? And they said,
oh yes, the captain, yes, he's still on board. And she wanted
to lay back down and go to sleep. I hope the message will be conducive
to helping us remember that our father is still on board. He's
still on board. As the hymn writer put it, Writing
this hymn, Horatio Spatford, it is well with my soul after
suffering great tragedy, losing children on a stormy sea. Afterwards wrote, when peace
like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows
roll, whatever my lot thou hast taught me to say, it is well,
it is well with my soul. If God is still on board, if
Christ is still the captain of our salvation, it will be well
with our soul. If it's well with Him, it'll
be well with us. Let's look at two verses here. We've read the psalm together,
but let's look at two verses, verses 22 and 23 here in Psalm
118. The stone which the builders
refused has become the headstone of the corner. This is the Lord's
doing. God did this. And it is marvelous
in our eyes. As you probably know, the book
of Psalms is the largest book in the Word of God. It's a book
about the worship of God. The very word Psalm means praise. Praise. The book of Psalms, therefore,
is a book of praises. That which is essential to the
praise of God dominates these 150 Psalms. Worship. Worship. That means prostration. The bow down. To worship and
praise the Lord our God is to prostrate ourselves before Him.
Taking our place, where would that be? In the dust. In the
dust, before our great and holy God, and acknowledge and adore
His perfection, His work, God Himself. God Himself. Another of the Psalms says this,
Psalm 95 verse 6, This was Luther's favorite psalm,
Martin Luther. The 118th psalm was his favorite. This is what he said about it.
This is my psalm, my chosen psalm. I love them all. I love all Holy
Scripture, which is my consolation in my life. But this psalm is
nearest my heart. And I have a peculiar right to
call it mine. It has saved me from many oppressing
danger, from which no emperor, nor king, nor sage, nor saint
could have saved me. It is my friend, dearer to me
than all the honors and power on earth." I'm sure the reason
Luther said those things about this psalm, it served as sort
of a milestone for him. God's Word is like that, isn't
it? In our experience, so many scriptures serve like milestones
that remind us of a particular severe trial,
a severe storm. And God has brought a verse or
a portion of His Word to our hearts and gave us such peace,
such encouragement by dropping a precious promise into our souls,
we arise and say, oh, it is well with my soul. It must be. And afterwards, every time we
come across that particular passage or verse, we remember that experience. Some dear lady had on the margin
of her Bible, nearly every other page, the words, the letters,
rather, T and P. And someone noticed it and asked
her, what does that mean? Why do you have that written
so much on the margin of your Bible, T and P? She said, tried
and proved. God's been true to His word.
Last week, our message was for 1 Peter chapter 2, verses 4 through
7, Christ Most Precious. Those verses were taken from
our text here, a portion of it. Verse 22, in 1 Peter 2 and 4,
to whom coming as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men,
but chosen of God and precious. Then verse 7 of 1 Peter 2, unto
you therefore which believe he, Christ, is precious. But unto
them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed,
the same is made the head of the corner." Verse 22 of this
psalm. The title of the message today
is God's Marvelous Work. God's Marvelous Work. First,
just consider, as we mentioned in the reading, how this psalm
applies to David personally, and then how it applies to that
one who was greater than David, the Lord Jesus Christ, and then
how it applies to you and I. Oh, if God would allow us to
just consider and recall His great grace, His unmerited His
Son, our great God and Savior, and the fact that He would have
mercy on such a sinner as I am, indeed, that's a marvel. That's
a marvel in my eyes. Verse 23 again, this is the Lord's
doing. It is marvelous in our eyes.
What exactly is David talking about? What is this that he speaks
of? And of course the answer is verse
22. The stone which the builders refused is become the headstone
of the corner. Again, I remind you that historically
David speaks of himself. He was anointed as Israel's king,
but he was rejected by the builders, the leaders, those in authority,
especially King Saul. But he was God's anointed, Billy. David was God's chosen. Think
about that. He was anointed to be king way
before he ever sat upon the throne. Saul did everything he could
to prevent it. How many times did he attempt
to kill David or have him killed? But again, I tell you, David
was God's anointing. He was God's chosen. That matters. That matters. That difference
makes all the difference. Don't consider who David is. No, no, not just that. Don't
stop there, you'll stop short. But consider whose David God
is. If you start with man, like most
religion does, you're bound to go wrong. Make man the center
and you're bound to go wrong. It's inevitable. It's like looking
through the wrong end of a telescope. You ever did that? And everything
looks small. Well, if your focus is man, it
should. Oh, but turn that telescope around.
And behold, our God is in the heavens doing whatsoever he hath
pleased. God is the center of everything. As Paul asked the question in
1 Corinthians 4, who? Remember, these folks were proud
at the church at Corinth. Paul told them again and again,
you're puffed up, you're puffed up. Have you forgotten? Have you forgotten who maketh
thee to differ from another? Who? He's the cause, the Lord
Himself. Psalm 115. But our God is in
the heavens. He hath done whatsoever he hath
pleased. Yes, God chose David. God loved
David. God anointed David. That makes
a difference. None can stay God's hand. or
saying to him, what doest thou? He says so many, many times throughout
the word, does it not? Isaiah chapter 46, verse 9, verses
9 through 11. Remember the former things of
old, for I am God, and there is none else. I sometimes act
and react to things like I don't believe that at all. like I've
forgotten that altogether. God says, don't do that. Remember,
I am God, and there is none like me. God who doesn't change. Your circumstances may change,
but God doesn't change. Things take you by surprise,
but never God, because He doesn't change. If He's God today, He's
God tomorrow. If He rules over everything today,
He'll rule over everything tomorrow. He's God, declaring the end from
the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not
yet done same. Oh, He speaks as the God that
is. My counsel shall stand, and I
will do all my pleasure. John, he sounds like he's trustworthy. It sounds like that I can commit
everything to Him, and it'd be wise for me to do so. Again,
Isaiah 46, calling a ravenous bird from the east, and the man
that executed my counsel from a far country, yea, I have spoke. I have spoken it. I will also
bring it to pass. I purposed it, and I will also Do what? Whatever he wants to
do. Whatever he's purposed to do.
Whatever he wills to do. Why wouldn't he? Why wouldn't
he? If he's who he claims he is,
God over all, ruling and overruling everything for his own glory,
who's going to prevent him? Who's going to stop him? You've
heard it, and I've heard it too. All the time. It's religious
folks that say it. It's not the drunk. It's the
preacher in most pulpits. If God had his way. If God had
his way. Do people that hear that never
stop and think what just came out of that fella's mouth? If
God had his way, who's stopping him? God sent Samuel. You know the story. The prophet
Samuel to Jesse's house. That was David's father, Jesse.
Because that's where David lived. David was the youngest of Jesse's
eight sons. He was a shepherd. He kept his
father's sheep. But David, the youngest, the
shepherd, was one of the sheep that Christ was given rather
to Christ by the Father before the world began. David the shepherd
was one of the great shepherd of the sheep's flock, given to
him by the Heavenly Father. I'm sure David thought of that. Setting out under a tree perhaps,
looking out over his father's flock. And he said, oh, the Lord
is my shepherd. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall
not want. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall
not like. He'll protect me. He'll keep
me. He'll watch over me. He'll guard me. And he'll bring
me to my father's house one day. Oh, he's my shepherd. And the
Lord Jesus Christ himself said, I am the good shepherd, and I
know my sheep. Oh, I know my sheep. I love my
sheep, and am known of mine. And I give them eternal life,
and they shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand, my Father which gave them to me. is greater than
all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand."
Samuel was sent by God to Bethlehem. That's where Jesse lived. He
went there to anoint Israel's future king, Bethlehem. Do you
know what that word means? It means house of bread. House
of bread. That's where Christ was born,
wasn't it? In Bethlehem. in the City of David, Christ
the Bread of Life. In 1 Samuel 16 is the story of
Samuel's visit to Jesse's house. You remember it. Each of Jesse's
sons, seven anyway, were there at first and as each one passed
before Samuel, He thought to himself, surely,
surely, this is God's anointed. And God said, wrong Samuel. He's
not my chosen. He's not my anointed. You're
looking at the outward appearance. You're judging by outward appearance. But God judges by the heart.
And seven sons passed before Samuel. And God said, he's not
the one. And Samuel's confused. So he
asked Jesse, are these all your sons? And he said, oh, no, there's
one more. There's one more. He's out keeping the sheep. He's
out tending my flocks. Didn't even think it was necessary
for him to be here. He's the youngest. And Samuel said, remember what
he said? Fetch him. Send and fetch him. All that have learned of the
Father come to me, Christ said. Fetch him. And he sent and brought
him in. Now David was ruddy, and with
all of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the
Lord said, Arise, anoint him. none of his big brothers, but
him, for this is he. You see your calling, brethren,
how that not many wise men enter the flesh, not many mighty, not
many noble are called. But God hath chosen the foolish
things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen
the weak things of the world to confound the things which
are mighty, and base things of the world, and things which are
despised. hath God chosen, yea, and things
which are not, to bring to naught things that are, that no flesh
should glory in his presence, that according as it is written,
he that glorieth let him glory in the Lord." This is how Paul
expressed it, thanking Him for God's mercy. How marvelous. Oh, the depth of the riches both
of the wisdom and knowledge of God, how unsearchable are his
judgments and his ways past finding out. For who hath known the mind
of the Lord, who hath been his counselor, who hath first given
to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again. For of him,"
oh, this is the Lord's doing, for of him, and through him,
and to Him are all things to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." Oh, not unto us, O Lord,
not unto us. And then we're told, this is
the Lord's doing, and it's marvelous in our eyes. I don't know how
long it was from that day that Samuel, God's prophet, anointed
David, And until he actually sat upon the throne as Israel's
king, a lot happened in between. And David probably penned this
psalm that day that he finally took the throne. This is the
day, verse 24, which the Lord hath made. Join with me, David
says. My voice alone is not enough.
All ye join with me. Consider what God has done. We
will rejoice and be glad in Him. Secondly, behold, a greater than
David is here. David speaks prophetically, and
he speaks of that one who was David's son. and David's God,
the Lord Jesus Christ. I know that so. Our Lord applied
these very verses to himself, speaking to the builders when
he was on earth. In Matthew chapter 21, verse
42, Jesus said unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures?
And they had. They had. They'd read it many
times. Didn't have a clue what it meant, but they'd read it.
Have you never read in the scriptures the stone which the builders
rejected? The same has become the headstone
of the corner? This is the Lord's doing, and
it's marvelous in our eyes. Therefore say I unto you, the
kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation,
bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this
stone shall be broken. but on whomsoever it shall fall,
it will grind him to powder." And when the chief priests and
the Pharisees, the builders, had heard his parables, they
perceived that he spake of them. The Lord Jesus Christ himself,
he's God's living stone, that tridestone, that elect, precious,
chief cornerstone that God appointed from everlasting. the Jewish
builders, the scribe, the priest, the Pharisee, the Herodians,
they rejected him. We'll not have this man rule
over us. We see no beauty in him. We know who he is. What's all the fuss about? Crucify
him. We have no king but Caesar. He just, this Jesus of Nazareth,
he just doesn't fit in. We just can't find a place for
him in our religion. He's trying to destroy the tradition
of our fathers. We can't have that. But it didn't stop God, did it? The stone which the builders
refused, well, that's the end of it. All is lost. No, no, no. It's true. The builders, the leaders, they
refused him. But he has become the headstone
of the corner anyway. How did that happen? This is
the Lord's doing. This is the Lord's doing. He
exalted him a prince and a savior. He becomes, despite everything
they did to the contrary to prevent it, God has made Christ the headstone
of the corner. He's the chief cornerstone in
the foundation of the church. He's that chief cornerstone that
the two walls come together and meet there. Jew and Gentile,
Ephesians 2, so making one. The church's one foundation is
Jesus Christ the Lord. Isaiah chapter 28. Verse 16,
Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for
a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone.
a sure foundation, he that believeth shall not make haste." When I
read that, I think God is saying, Larry, just calm down. Just relax. Just be like, don't make haste,
rest easy. Just rest easy. Your father's
still on board. 1 Corinthians 3, verse 11, for
other foundations, can no man lay than that which is laid,
Jesus Christ." Ephesians 2, we referred to it just a moment
ago. Now, therefore, we are no more
strangers and sporediners, but fellow citizens with the saints,
and of the household of God, and are built upon the foundation
of the apostles and prophets. They're built upon the same foundation
that you and I are. There's always been only one
foundation. There's only always been one
way to God. There's always been only one
mediator, one savior, one door, and it's the Lord Jesus Christ.
He's the one foundation of the apostles and the prophets, Jesus
Christ himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom all the
building, fitly framed together, groweth unto a holy temple in
the Lord. and in whom also you are builded,
together for a habitation of God through the Spirit." God
raised him up. Let this mind be in you, which
was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought
it not robbery to be equal with God, but made of himself of no
reputation. and took upon him the form of
a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found
in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto
death, even the death of the cross." You remember what the
builders said when they stood at the foot of the cross and
saw the Son of God? They mocked Him. Can you imagine that? Can you
imagine being at the execution of the most wicked person you
can think of and just mocking them? No, no. People don't do that. They did
it to the Son of God. Hey, hey, if you're really the
Son of God, why don't you come down from the cross? Hey, you
that build the temple, destroy it, and then build it again in
three days, come on down from the cross if you're really the
Son of God. And they mocked him, the builders. Wherefore God also hath highly
exalted him, in spite of everything they could do, and given him
a name above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee
shall bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things
under the earth. And every tongue shall confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. David says, this is the Lord's
doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes. The exalted position
of Christ and His Church is not the work of man. It doesn't depend
on man to continue. It's God's doing, and it's marvelous
in our eyes. Oh, what useless, what vanity,
what folly it was for these builders. They were all overpowered by
the great architect of the church, God. He's the builder. He adds to the church daily such
as should be said. This is His doing, marvelous
in our eyes. We actually behold it by faith. We see it. this astonishing work
of grace before our very eyes. Faith sees our great master,
far above all principality, all power, crowned with glory now. He's not the suffering Savior
anymore. He's the mighty, ruling, sovereign
monarch of the universe. And God Almighty has put the
rule at everything. Mark it down. Capitalize it.
Highlight it. Make them all big letters. Everything is put in the hands
of His Son. He has exalted his son and said,
set thou my son right here on my right hand until I make all
your enemies bow before you. Bow before you and confess that
you're the Lord, the glory of God the Father. Yes, faith sees
our great master far above all, all power and might and dominion,
in every name that is named, not only in this world, but in
that world which is to come. And it's marvelous, is it not? It's marvelous in our eyes. God's
work must be accomplished. In the Hebrew, where we read
these words, it's marvelous in our eyes, it says it is wonderfully
done. Not only is the work itself a
marvel and a wonder, but the way God did it is in such a wondrous
way. Last of all, apply these words
to those who are built upon this foundation, Christ the chief
cornerstone. Psalm 28 verse 1, unto thee will
I cry, O Lord my rock. Don't you like that? Don't you
like the sound of that? O Lord my rock. Be not silent
to me, lest if thou be silent to me I become like them that
go down into the pit." Psalm 42. Is this not marvelous in
our eyes? I waited patiently for the Lord,
and He inclined His ear unto me and heard me. Oh my, what
a wonder! What a marvel! Because He didn't
have to do it. Again, In our day, people think
that God owes salvation, that it's something they've earned,
that God's unfair if He doesn't save all. Oh no. If God condescends,
and it would be a part of great condescension for Him to do,
if He condescends, if He bows low enough, To hear the cry of
one needy sinner, one rebel, one outcast rebel, one outcast
leper, one blind Bartimaeus, if he hears the cry of that one
and he stands still, oh my soul, is that not marvelous in our
eyes? I waited patiently for the Lord and He inclined unto
me and heard my cry. And that's not all. He brought
me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the mirey clay, and
set my feet upon a rock, upon a rock, and established my goings. Whom do men say that I am, Peter?
And Peter said, you're the Christ, the Son of the living God. And
Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon
Barjona, for flesh and blood have not revealed this unto thee,
but my Father which is in heaven. And I say unto thee, thou art
Peter, and upon this rock, Jesus Christ himself, I will build
my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. How about that? that you grow discouraged. I
do, too. We look out at the small number. Some have left. But I read this. I hear the great architect of
his church. I hear him say, upon this rock,
I will build my church. Nothing's going to stop it. No
one's going to prevent it. The gates of hell shall not prevail
against it. I read again the other evening,
I think I mentioned this to you last Sunday, I've been reading
again the autobiography of William Jay. That man began preaching
when he was about 16 years old and preached almost up to, within
a few months of his death, I think 84 years old. In his lifetime
he saw Whitefield and Spurge. What about that, John? I was reading him again the other
night and he told the story about visiting John Newton, whom he
knew, just shortly before Newton died. When he left, after he visited
John Newton, he jotted down something Newton had told him. Newton was
blind then. He told William Jay, he said,
my memory is nearly gone. But I remember two things, that
I am a great sinner and that Christ is a great Savior. John Newton on his tombstone,
you know what it says? These words are written. John
Newton, once an infidel and a libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa,
was by the rich mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
preserved, restored, part and appointed to preach that faith
which he had long labored to destroy. By the grace of God,
I am what I am." Martin Luther said, if you see yourself as
a little sinner, you will inevitably see Jesus Christ as a little
Savior. Is that not exactly right? Is
that why most of your neighbors Most folks that you know, your
loved ones, mine, are in that category. They talk about a little
savior. That's all they need. They're
little sinners. Oh, I'll tell you what, they
can speak for themselves. You're looking at a great sinner.
I take my place, a Paul scoot over, I'm the chief of sinners. As in your bulletin article,
these few lines, It took a miracle to put the stars in place, and
it took a miracle to hang the world in space. But when He saved
my soul, cleansed and made me whole, it took a miracle of God's
love and grace. What's marvelous about walking
down an aisle? What's marvelous about shaking
a preacher's hand? What's marvelous about repeating
a prayer after them? What's wondrous about that? Oh,
but when God Almighty came to me, and He reached out His hands
to me, and He brought me up out of that horrible pit, and put
my feet up on the solid rock of Jesus Christ, and put a song
of praise in my mouth to His glory and grace, man, that was
marvelous. That was marvelous. It was wondrous. like the children of Israel.
What a marvel it was to them when God opened up the Red Sea
and they walked across. Can you just see that multitude?
At least a million, perhaps three million people. Imagine that,
standing on the other side. Not one of them perished. But
they look back and all their enemies are gone. Pharaoh, his
chariots, his horsemen, they've all drowned. Thus the Lord saved Israel that
day, we read in Exodus 12, out of the hand of the Egyptians.
And Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the seashore. And Israel
saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians.
And the people feared the Lord and believed the Lord and His
servant Moses. And they sang a song of praise.
Who is likened to thee, O Lord, among the gods? Who is likened
to thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? The stone which the builders
refused has become the headstone of the corner. This is the Lord's
doing. It's marvelous in our eyes. On Christ's salvation rest secure. The rock of ages must endure. Nor can that faith be overthrown
which rests upon the Living Stone. No other hope shall intervene.
To Him we look, on Him we lean. Other foundations we disown and
build on Christ, the Living Stone. In Him it was ordained to raise
a temple to Jehovah's praise, composed of all His saints who
own no Savior but the Living Stone. but most adore his precious
name." Oh, the most wondrous, marvelous thing about salvation
is the Savior, is the Savior Himself. "...but most adore his
precious name, his glory and his grace proclaim. For us the
lost condemned undone, he gave himself the living stone." In
John chapter 6, let me wrap this up. Our Lord spoke these words. All, all, ever how many that
is, is all. That the Father giveth me shall
come to me. And him that cometh unto me I
will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven,
not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
And this is the Father's will which has sent me, that of all
which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise
it up again at the last day. They will come to me." They are
coming to him. He's calling his sheep, his elect,
out now. They are coming to him, and they'll
all come to him in eternity. They'll all come out of great
tribulation. They'll all be satisfied when
they awaken His likeness. They'll all be where Christ their
glorious Redeemer is. I thought of this hymn as I was
preparing this message. I thought this would be a good
one to conclude with. Wish I could sing. 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 throat, praising for the
power that reaches deeper than the stain is gone. Praise the
Lord for full salvation. God still reigns upon his throne.
Father still on board. And I know the blood still reaches
deeper than the stain has gone. Then, then, when we no longer
see through a glass darkly, but we shall behold Him with an unsinning
heart, oh, how we will praise our great God and Savior and
know, know that this, this is all the Lord's done.
You know how marvelous it will appear in our eyes. God bless
you. Thank you for your time.