In the middle 1800s, there were
two very heretical groups, religious organizations that sprung up
mostly in Kentucky and Tennessee, and from there spread through
other parts of the world. Alexander Campbell's Campbellite
Church, called the Church of Christ, an Arminian religious
group began to teach salvation by baptismal regeneration and
good works along with the grace of God. And of course, you know
how they have spread. They go by many different names,
various groups of them, but Campbellite religion was one of them. Among
Baptist folks, another group sprang up. The Campbellites took
one group out of the Baptist churches, and there were those
who began to teach that the Baptist church He's the only true church. And if you're going to be a member
of the bride of Christ and the body of Christ, you've got to
be a part of a Baptist church that can trace its history back
to John the Baptist in the days of our Lord and his apostles.
Making salvation in its ultimate glory and blessedness the reward
of you choosing to be in the right church and getting baptized
the right way. Both teachings are heretical. Both teachings put some measure
of grace, some measure of salvation in your hands, accomplished by
your hands, and rewarded to your hands. But when the scriptures
speak of the church of God, be sure you understand there is
one church to which you must belong. If you would be A member
of the saved, you must be a member of that church. If you're a member
of that church, all is well. You're saved and you're saved
forever. If you're not a member of that
church, nothing is well. You're lost and you'll be lost
forever. To be in the church is to be
in Christ. For the church is the body of
Christ. The church is the bride of Christ. The church speaks of the whole
host of God's elect, all God's chosen, from Adam to the very
last of God's chosen who shall be saved by God's grace in this
world. Now, this is not a denomination. I was thinking as I was sitting
here, thinking about how to begin this message. I remember reading
years ago about Mr. Spurgeon who was so famous worldwide
because of the great ministry God given him in London. He pastored
Metropolitan Tabernacle, a Baptist church that had been rich in
Baptist history for 200 years before he came there. And he
was asked by the Baptist in America to come to America and hold a
series of meetings to increase the Baptist church. And Spurgeon's
response was classic Spurgeon. He said, I wouldn't go across
the street to make another Baptist. let alone across the Atlantic.
That's not our business. The Church of God is not a denomination. The Church of God is not a single
local church or a multitude of local churches. The Church of
God is not this local church. It is not the Church of Rome.
It is not the Mormon Church, the Anglican Church, the Campbellite
Church, the Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church, or the
Baptist Church. I'm talking about the church
of the living God. This is how it's spoken of in
scripture. It's spoken of as His family. His kingdom. The kingdom of heaven. The kingdom
of God. It's called the temple of God.
It's called the tabernacle of God. This is the church that
is built by Christ and built upon Christ. He said to Peter,
our Lord did, upon this rock, I will build my church. I build
it and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. This
church, the church of the living God is described by the apostle
Paul in Ephesians chapter two, as being a habitation of God
through the spirit and habitation of God through the spirit. It
is the church. that is loved, redeemed, and
saved by Christ. Christ loved the church and gave
himself for it. The only door of entrance into
this church is Christ Jesus the Lord. Faith in Christ is the
only way we enter this church. If you would be a part of this
family, you must be born into this family. In fact, our Lord
Jesus told Nicodemus, you cannot see let alone enter into the
kingdom of heaven, except you be born again. You must be born
again. The only way to come into God's
family is not by the waters of baptism, not by a religious decision,
not by some work you perform, but it is by the birth that God
gives, birthing you into his kingdom by his grace and by his
spirit. The church I'm talking about
is a universal church. I know that folks, Landmark fellows
and Baptists who spell Baptist with a big B like to poke fun
at us, they're universalists. And they suggest by that that
we believe that all the churches go together, make up one church.
You know better and they know better. The church is universal
in this sense. It is made up of all God's elect
in heaven and upon the earth. Now I want you to see this. Turn
to Hebrews chapter 12. I'm not just talking to you,
defending a doctrine. This is what the scriptures teach.
Hebrews chapter 12. The church of God is universal. It is made up of all God's elect,
wherever they are, all the time, both in heaven and upon the earth.
Hebrews 12 verse 22. But ye are come unto Mount Zion. Well, I thought that was talking
about the Jews and Israel. Read on. You're coming to Mount
Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,
and to an innumerable company of angels. Now watch this. What
is that? To the general assembly and church
of the firstborn. The church of him who is the
firstborn, or it may be read the church of the firstborn ones.
Because all of God's elect in Christ are firstborn sons. They are all heirs of God and
joint heirs with Christ, which are written in heaven to God,
the judge of all, the spirits of just men made perfect, and
to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood
of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of evil. When
we come together in this place, Particularly, I think of this
on Sunday mornings, Sunday evenings, because at this hour, when we
met this morning, some of God's people all over the world are
gathering to worship, just like we do. They gather in groups
larger than this and in groups smaller than this. But as we
gather to worship God, we gather around one altar. We gather around one altar. in
one place. That altar is Christ the Lord. That place is the throne of God. We don't just gather here as
a local assembly, but we come together in the spirit of God,
worshiping Christ on his throne. And when we do, we come to Mount
Zion, the city of the living God. and join in worship with
the saints of God already in glory and with the saints of
God gathered around that throne around the world. The church
of God is universal. It is invisible. That is to say,
it cannot be seen or known by the eye of man. We see it only
in parts and very small parts of that. It is a spiritual church. the mystical, spiritual body
of Christ. But it is a gathered church.
Gathered, as we just read in Hebrews 12, around the throne
of God. Not gathered in one building,
but gathered in heaven around the land. Ye are come, gathered
here by the purpose of God, gathered around the throne by faith in
Christ, and soon gathered around that throne in heavenly glory.
Now I want you to turn with me to Isaiah chapter 33. This church
is the city of God. This church is the new Jerusalem.
This church is the Israel of God, the mother of us all. This church is the seed of Abraham.
And this church is God's Zion. My subject tonight is look upon
Zion. Let's read together Isaiah chapter
33 verses 20 through 23. Look upon Zion. The prophet's
writing this word of prophecy, and we'll see it's a prophecy
concerning a great time of trouble and darkness for Israel. Sennacherib
sent Rabshakeh, and they're taunting, berating, threatening the destruction
of Israel and of Judah, threatening the destruction of Jerusalem.
And the Lord God says in the midst of this, look upon Zion,
the city of our solemnities. Thine eyes shall see Jerusalem,
a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down.
Not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed. Neither
shall any of the cords thereof be broken. Obviously, that can't
be talking about Jerusalem as a political commercial city. It's talking about something
spiritual. It's talking about the heavenly Jerusalem, the church
of God, the church and kingdom of the living God. Read on. But
there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers
and streams wherein shall Go no galley with oars, neither
shall the gallant ship pass thereby, for the Lord is our judge. The
Lord is our lawgiver. The Lord is our king. He will
save us. Thy tacklings are loosed. They
could not well strengthen their mast. They could not spread the
sail. Then is the prey of the great
spoil divided. The lame take the prey. When this prophecy was given,
Isaiah is writing to his people at a time when Jerusalem was
reduced to its lowest extremity. The city treasures were gone,
completely exhausted. No help could be expected from
any corner on the earth. The cruel, barbaric, merciless
Assyrians were swallowing up cities and nations like a wild
beast gulps its food. It seemed inevitable Jerusalem
must be destroyed. It seemed inevitable that Jerusalem
would be consumed by Sennacherib and his army of trained beasts.
But God here promises that he will protect his people. And
protect them he did. Sennacherib did not so much as
enter the city. He didn't shoot one arrow against
Jerusalem. In spite of all his blustering,
one night the angel of the Lord killed 140,000 Assyrians and
Sennacherib fled to his house like a whipped pup with his tail
between his legs. What a picture of God's goodness
in preserving and keeping his own. In our text, God's prophet
says, look upon Zion as if to say, Pay no attention to Sennacherib. Pay no attention to the Assyrians. Pay no attention to Rabshakeh's
newspaper reports. Pay no attention to your enemies. Pay no attention to those things
that frighten men. Give them no heed. Pay no attention
to them at all, but look upon Zion, the city of God, and believe
God concerning her. Believe God concerning her. I have to acknowledge this is
one of those messages that must first be preached to the preacher. And I've been preaching it to
myself for a few weeks now. We see the reports on the news
and we see all the assaults against what people consider to be Christianity.
But those assaults are against God's church, God's kingdom,
God's word, that's the object. And we begin to fear. How many times have you said
to your wife, as I've said to mine, or you ladies have said
to your husbands, as my wife has said to me, we fear for our
children and our grandchildren and the generations ahead. Quit
looking at the newspaper reports. and quit looking at what barbaric
heathen do in Congress and quit looking at what barbaric heathen
do around the world, but rather look to Zion and see what God
has promised concerning his church and walk in peace. See what God
has promised concerning his church and walk in peace. You know the
analogy. Zion is clearly the church of
God. Though we're constantly surrounded
by strong, numerous enemies, the Church of God is never in
danger. The Church of God is never in
danger. Did you hear me? The Church of
God is never in danger. It's not in danger now. It never
has been in danger, and it never shall be. The church of God is
the city of God, protected and defended by God himself. The church of God is never in
danger. Now let's look at these four
verses, and I want to call your attention to four things. First,
in verse 21, Isaiah describes Zion, the church of God, as the
city of our solemnities that shall endure forever. Look at
verse 20, look upon Zion, the city of our subordinates, thine
eyes shall see Jerusalem, a quiet habitation. Can you imagine convincing folks
in Hezekiah's day? Well, Sennacherib has got his
army surrounding Jerusalem and Rabshakeh is taunting them. And
you've read the letter that Rabshakeh read from Sennacherib and how
we've conquered this nation and that nation, this city and that
city. They trusted their gods too. They didn't help them. And
these folks don't have anything. How are they going to fight against
this army of Assyrians? They've got nothing. And Isaiah
says, The city of our solidities, thine eye shall see Jerusalem
a quiet habitation. A tabernacle that shall not be
taken down. A tabernacle, that's a weak thing. That's not something you build
with concrete and steel. That's not something you build
with wood. That's a tabernacle. It's just a tent. It's just a
tent. The tabernacle shall not be taken
down. Not one of the stakes thereof
shall ever be removed. Neither shall any of the cords
thereof be broken. This church is not a temporary
institution. This one is. This one is. I would like to think that the
truth of God will be preached from this pulpit until the world
ends. But that's a rare thing. That's
a rare thing. That's a rare thing. I can count
on one hand, and I wouldn't have to use all five fingers, all
the churches I know in history that have succeeded more than
two generations of preachers in faithful gospel witness. All
those churches of Asia Minor, those faithful churches are gone.
The church at Ephesus, the church at Colossae, the church at Galatia,
the church at Corinth, the church at Philippi, They're all gone. They're all, in time, are consumed
away. No local church is a permanent
thing. But this church, the City of God, this is not a temporary
institution. It can never be destroyed. It
shall never be removed. It abides forever. It's like
that bush that Moses saw that burned but was not consumed. The Church of God throughout
her ages has burned with fires of persecution, heresy, trouble
one side, trouble on another side, trouble within, trouble
without, but she never consumed. So the Church of God stands forever. And notice how Isaiah describes
this church. It is a city of our solemnities. Here the saints of God are gathered
in solemn assembly to worship God. The city of our solidities. Now I don't suggest that you
go visit any of the churches around us. But I would suggest
maybe you might want to just get on your internet system and
look at how their services are conducted. You don't have to
listen, just look at it. And you'd say, Well, there's
no solemnity there. This contemporary religion of
our day, by which men and women are entertained on their road
to hell, is nothing but contemptible contempt of God. But the Church
of God is a city of our solemnities, where there is the solemn worship
of God, here in the Church of God, the true Church of Christ. The Word of God is solemnly referenced. Solemnly preached and solemnly
believed. It is believed and preached as
the word of God. Believed and preached in its
entirety and it is solemnly received. I have absolutely no question
concerning any of you here, concerning this assembly. If I show you
something in this book, you bow to it. If it's here, we bow to
it. No matter how it may be contradictory
to what we've learned previously, or what we've heard previously,
or what we were taught growing up, if it's in the book, we bow
to it. Everywhere else, men make the
book of God bow to their opinions. Here, the ordinances of Christ
are solemnly kept and administered. We baptize folks in the name
of Christ, just exactly as our Lord taught us, by immersion. It's not a form of baptism. Immersion
is baptism. We observe the Lord's table,
just as it was done in the New Testament, taking bread and wine
in remembrance of our Savior. Here in Zion, the city of God,
the sacrifices of faith are solemnly offered. as Mark came here and read the
scriptures and led us in prayer just a moment ago. What a solemn
thing. And we join heart to heart at
the throne of God in solemn prayer. We seek to sing God's praise
solemnly. I don't mean by that in sad mournful
tones. I mean by that with solemn sobriety
and seriousness. We bring our gifts. gifts of
gratitude. We bring our gifts willingly.
Bring our gifts as a man purposes in his heart. According as God
has prospered each, each one giving as he will cheerfully
for the support of the cause of Christ, his kingdom, and his
church around the world. The Lord God dwells here and
makes himself known here. Where two or three are gathered
in my name, there am I in the midst of them. You're the temple
of God, the spirit of God dwells in you. Throughout the scriptures,
in the Old Testament and the New, throughout the scriptures,
God's worship and God's service was conducted in public assemblies. That was true throughout the
scriptures, and that's still true today. God's worship, God's
service is conducted in public assemblies just like this one.
Men and women together, collectively worshiping and serving God under
the direction of appointed pastors, God's messengers, just as in
the old day, they were directed and gathered, gathered and directed,
guided by God's appointed prophets and priests and apostles. So
today, we worship God in the solemn assemblies. And these
assemblies of worship, they're more than acts of religious duty
or religious service. We've come here as an act of
divine worship. Oh, my soul, Merle. Once in a
while, once in a while, we come here gathered by God's Spirit
in the name of Christ. And we experience a little of
what this book describes as worship. We see a little bit of our Lord's
glory and His grace. We experience a little of His
mercy. We experience a little bit of
the blessedness of His goodness to us. He makes Himself known,
at least in measure, and we worship Him. worshiping him in his appointed
way. The church of Christ is described
here as a quiet habitation, a habitation of peace. The visible church
is often disturbed by heresies, strife, turmoil, division, inward
trouble, outward opposition. We've had a little here and we'll
have a little more, but not the church of God. The Church of
God is a quiet habitation. A quiet habitation. Shelby and
I have the privilege that most don't have. We get to visit a
lot of churches. And we have friends in churches
all over the world. And everywhere we go, we find
hearts warm and welcoming. Hearts delighted in the gospel
of God's grace, delighted in God's goodness, delighted in
that which God has done for us. This church, the church of God,
is God's temple, inhabited by God's spirit. God's saints meet
in his house. God's saints are united. a united people because they're
one in Christ, one in heart, one in purpose, one in doctrine.
And God's house is always under his protection. It is a habitation
of peace. John Gill suggested that these
words, a quiet habitation, might be rendered a quiet sheepfold.
Christ is the shepherd, the saints are his fold, into which he gathers
his sheep, and it's a quiet habitation. So that in this fold, there's
no possibility of a lion or a wolf breaking in and harming the sheep.
Though we now see trouble on one side or another, the promise
is, thine eyes shall see Jerusalem, a quiet habitation, and so it
shall be. when the church is all gathered
with Christ in glory, we will see God's Jerusalem, a quiet
habitation, undisturbed by anything. I don't suggest that it's going
to happen, and I don't mean to sharply rebuke where rebuke is
not needed, but if that's the way we will experience things
in heaven's glory. So that in heaven's glory, we'll
look back over the past, over all those things that troubled
us so much, caused us so many tears and so much pain. We'll
look back over those things and say, thank God for that. It's
a quiet habitation. How quiet, Lindsay, we ought
to be in the midst of trouble now. God has promised not a hair
of your head will fall to the ground except according to his
purpose. Now look at the blessed security
he promises. It is a tabernacle that shall
not be taken down. Not one of the stakes thereof
shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof
be broken. The church itself, as I said,
is just a feeble tabernacle, a tent. A tent with no stability,
with no permanence. But being the building of God,
it's a tabernacle that shall not be taken down. In fact, you
get over to the very end of the book of Revelation, the very
end of Holy Scripture, in Revelation 21, verse 3, the tabernacle of
God is with man. The tabernacle of God is with
me. Here in glory is God, in the
fullness of his glory in his Son, tabernacling with men in
heaven's eternal bliss. Not one cord broken, not one
stake taken out of the ground. Our feebleness is no reason to
doubt our preservation and perseverance. When we're weak, then we're strong.
We have no carnal weapons of warfare. We have no earthly riches. We possess nothing of astounding
wisdom. But this tabernacle shall not
be taken down. This tabernacle is one that God
pitched to not man. Therefore, it stands forever. Not one of the stakes of this
tabernacle shall ever be removed. The stakes, I presume, refer
both to gospel preachers and to believers. The church of God
stands forever in the stakes, in the ground. God's servants,
God's people, shall not be removed. They shall not be removed. They are given life eternal,
held in the hand of our Savior and in the secure place of God's
promise. They shall not be moved. I think
of the stakes referred to God's purpose, God's decrees. They
shall not be moved. God Almighty has purposed the
salvation of his people and God Almighty will bring it to pass.
Perhaps these stakes refer to God's promises by which we are
secured. Neither shall any of the cords
thereof be broken. These cords that tie the tabernacle
and the stakes together so there's security and permanence. God's
everlasting love, covenant mercy, blood atonement, God's saving
grace. They shall not be broken. The cords are strong and firm
and they stand strong and firm forever. Perhaps the cords refer
to gospel doctrine. And I can spend a little time
here. Time needs to be spent. These days, men come up with
new doctrine every day. New visions are found every day. Everybody wants something new. They're curious about curious
things. And preachers know it. And preachers who love preeminence
will find some new doctrine to lead away disciples after themselves.
Understand this statement and understand it well. If it's new,
it's not true. If it's true, it's not new. God's truth stands permanently
revealed as one truth in the book of God, and it does not
change. We will not alter the doctrine
of the gospel for anybody. or any reason, as God gives us
grace. We will not alter the ordinances
of the gospel for anybody, for any reason, as God gives us grace. All right, now look at verse
21. Here the Lord God tells us that He will be to us a place
of broad rivers. But there the glorious Lord will
be unto us, a place of broad rivers and streams. wherein shall
go no galley, that is, no ship of war with oars. Neither shall
the gallant ship pass thereby. In ancient times, well-defended
cities were cities surrounded by broad, deep rivers. The rivers provided protection,
and the rivers provided opportunity of commerce, and the rivers gave
fertility to the land. Jerusalem had no rivers. All
she had was the little brook Kidron, which was little more
than a creek. But God promises his church,
the true Zion, that he, the glorious Lord, will be unto us a place
of broad rivers. Turn to Psalm 46. Psalm 46. Would you see this? God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear. Now,
if something else is our refuge, something else is our strength,
we've got reason to fear. But God is our refuge. God is
our strength. God is our help in time of trouble.
Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed. Though
the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea. Though
the waters thereof roar and be troubled. Though the mountains
shake with the swelling thereof. There is a river, the streams
whereof make glad the city of God. The holy place of the tabernacles
of the Most High. God is in the midst of her. She
shall not be moved. God shall help her in that right
her land. The heathen raised, the kingdoms
were moved. God uttered his voice and the
earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us.
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Come, behold the works of the
Lord. What desolations he hath made
in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto
the end of the earth. He breaketh the bow. He cut the
spear in sunder. He burneth the chariot in fire.
Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the heathen.
I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us.
The God of Jacob is our refuge. He is the glorious Lord, the
Lord of glory. It was a place of broad rivers.
Ezekiel speaks of it as rivers to swim in. Christ, this broad
river of God, is the security of God's church. What a defense
he is. Why fear? Why, oh my soul, allow
anything to shake you? Why, Don Fortner, will you tremble
before anything? The Lord, God, my Savior, is
a broad river. A broad river, and He is my Savior. He is our Lord, our lawgiver,
our King. He will save us. Verse 22. The
church here speaks with great pleasure of our interest in Christ
under every character and looking at him as our Lord, our judge,
our lawgiver, our king, our savior. We trust him and depend upon
him. We bow to his word, bow to his
will, worship him, walk before him, recognize that he is the
judge of all. the judge by whom we are cleared
of all charges, the judge who declares us righteous, the judge
who defends us, and the judge who will destroy our foes. He
will save us from all our enemies, from all our sins, from all our
guilt, from all our bondage, from all our weakness, from all
our danger. He will save us from ourselves. Now here's the fourth thing. God gives a promise. No enemy
shall ever harm God's church. Injury is not even a possibility. Now, when I speak of God's church,
I want you to understand me. Sam, I'm not just talking about
the whole of church. I'm talking to you. You're part
of God's church. Injury is not a possibility. Injury is not a possibility.
Harm is not a possibility. He says in verse 21, no galley
with oars. Neither shall any gallant ship
pass thereby. In verse 23, thy tacklings are
loosed. Talking about our enemies and
their ships. They could not well strengthen their mast. They could
not spread the sail. Then is the prey of the great
spoil divided. The lame shall take the prey. What a picture. What a picture. At least four things are promised
here. The church of God has many enemies who would destroy us
if they could. That's clearly revealed here.
But to the eye of faith, The church has no enemies at all.
Mr. Spurgeon said, faith so clearly
perceives the feebleness and frailty of man that like her
Lord, she taketh up the nations as a very little thing and counteth
all her adversaries to be but a drop in the bucket. No weapon
that is formed against thee shall prosper. Every tongue that shall
rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the
heritage of the servants of the Lord. And their righteousness
is on me, saith the Lord. And as promised, all our adversaries
shall be thoroughly confused and their goals completely frustrated. Now this is almost more than
I can get my mind around, but I know it's so. All our adversaries
shall be completely confused and their goals completely frustrated. I want you to listen to this. In preparing the message, I read
some things by Spurgeon, and he stated things so well. He
said, oh, how glorious it is to see the confusion of God's
enemies. Some say the devil is wise, but he is a fool, and he
has been a fool from the very beginning. All he has ever done
is to throw stones into the sky which have fallen down upon his
own head. He always shoots his arrows backwards,
the wrong way, or the wrong end foremost. When the whole of this
world's drama shall come to an end, There will be one tremendous
laugh from earth and heaven against the devil, for they will say,
aha, aha, aha, he has been God's drudge all the while. He has
been but God's drudge, working out God's glory. He thought he
was having his own way, doing his own will. And he has been
but a black slave to carry the materials out of which God shall
bring forth triumphs that shall shine throughout eternity. We believe God, do we? God rules! And Satan himself
is but God's drudge by which God gathers and brings materials
for his praise and our good forever. And every enemy of God's church
shall be so thoroughly destroyed that the weakest of God's saints
shall spoil him. Read Revelation 17 and 18. how
that all the kingdoms of this earth, all the kings of the earth,
all the merchants of the earth shall bring all the riches of
the earth and lay them down at the feet of God's saints, the
bride of Christ, the heavenly Jerusalem. Bring them all into
his kingdom. All things shall at last be down
to the glory of our Savior and our everlasting happiness. So
I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not
worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed
in us. Our light affliction, which is
but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal
weight of glory. Oh, what a statement. Those things
that are most contrary to what we think we want. Those things
that are most contrary to our natural desires, those things
that are most contrary to what we would plan in purpose, our
light afflictions, are things by which God is working. for us, an exceeding and eternal
weight of glory. So that in the last day when
all is done, the trial of your faith, being more precious than
gold that perish, though it be tried with fire, will be found
to the praise and honor and glory of our God at the appearing of
Jesus Christ. Look upon Zion. Look back yonder. When Adam felled in the garden, how terrible things appeared.
When Abraham left earth the Chaldees and started to follow the Lord
God, what difficulties, what trials, what foes he met and
his family. At last, God brought famine,
starvation, and the children of Israel go down to Egypt. And
there's Joseph sitting right beside the king of Egypt on his
throne, and Joseph's in charge, and he takes care of the children
of Israel and they prosper and grow. And then there rose up
a Pharaoh who knew not Joseph, And the children of Israel spend
400 years in terrible bondage, in terrible bondage, beaten,
treated as slaves to the Egyptians, and God delivers them. And they
go through those period of the judges. And after one nation
after another, brings them into captivity. Throughout their lives,
one war after another, and they go into Babylon and God brings
them out of Babylon. God then destroys the physical
nation and destroys the city of Jerusalem. Surely now God's
purpose is brought to nothing. Oh no, oh no. He's just given
birth to the church in another age. He's given spiritual life
and the gospel goes to the four corners of the earth because
of persecution. because of adversity, because
of trial. The saints of God back then would
do just like the saints of God try to do today. They would all
gather in one place and all have a big party and live together
in peace all the time. Everything go just fine and nothing
be accomplished. But God spreads his church everywhere
because he has his people everywhere. and God protects them everywhere,
and God makes them prosper everywhere, even when they appear to be in
the utmost minority, and in the utmost straits, God daily adds
to his church, such as should be said. And when he's done, you weak and lame ones, shall
easily take the spoil from the foes because they can't even
raise the sails to their ships. You who have been spoiled shall
be the spoilers. You who have been robbed shall
be the robbers. You who appear to have been conquered
shall be the conquerors through Christ our King. Amen.