There is a hymn that has these
words included in it. It says, Lord, roll back the
curtain of memory now and then and show me where you brought
me from and where I could have been. That seems to be what David
does here in this psalm, as he does in many of the psalms. Psalm
116. You may have noticed that The
theme in your bulletin today is one of thanksgiving, thankfulness. That should be one prominent
characteristic of God's people. They should be a thankful people.
Oh my soul, think of, as David does, the many blessings, the
benefits that God has been pleased as a matter of pure mercy to
bestow upon us. Where would we be? Where would
we be, Billy, without Him? What hope would we have apart
from his free grace in Christ with the holiday, Thanksgiving,
being just a few days away when we'll gather with family and
friends and enjoy a sweet time, a good time of fellowship and
plenty of good food. Verse 12, the question that David
asked there in the psalm, verse 12, it's been much on my mind
Charles Dickens, you remember, he wrote that famous, famous
story, A Christmas Carol, Old Scrooge, I think. He said that
we in America are somewhat mixed up. He told an audience one time
that instead of having one Thanksgiving day out of the year, we should
have 364. He said, use the one day just
for complaining and griping, but use the other 364 days to
thank God each day for the many blessings he has showered upon
you. That's a pretty good advice.
Mr. Spurgeon wrote a commentary on
the Psalms. If I'm not mistaken, it took
him longer to do that than any other commentaries that he wrote.
And it's called The Treasury of David. I have that. And in Mr. Spurgeon's introduction
in that commentary, On Psalm 116 he wrote this. He said, it
is the personal love, the theme of this psalm is the personal
love fostered by a personal experience of redemption. That is the theme
of this psalm and in it we see the redeemed answered when they
pray, preserved in the time of trouble, resting in their God,
sensible of their obligations, conscious that they are not their
own, but bought with a price, and joining with all the ransomed
company to sing hallelujah to God. Again, looking at the question
of verse 12, the title of my message is Overwhelming Obligations. David asked, what shall I render
unto the Lord for all his benefits to me? As someone once said,
let us be careful not to pay rent to the wrong landlord. For God's mercy, for God's grace,
for God's benefits, for God's great salvation, and number one
above all those things, indeed, that one in whom all those things
are To be realized, the Lord Jesus Christ himself, God's unspeakable
gift, let's be careful to pay our thanks to God. Notice what
David says, what shall I render unto myself? No, no. My effort, my work, my will,
my merit, oh no. What shall I render unto the
Lord for all these benefits? Or as he says in verse one of
the previous psalm, Psalm 115, not unto us, oh Lord. Oh, no,
not unto us, not unto us. If I believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ, how did that come to pass? God granted me the precious
gift of faith. If I'm redeemed, who redeemed
me? If I was chosen, if God purposed to save me, it was His choice,
not mine. Therefore, David says, not unto
us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory. Glory
to his name for thy mercy and for thy truth's sake. Compare what David says there
to Psalm 139. Turn if you will there for just
a moment. Psalm 139 verses 17 and 18. David
says in verse 17 How precious also are thy thoughts
unto me, O Lord, and how great is the sum of them. If I should
count them, they are more in number than the sand. When I
awake, I am still with thee." David, looking back over his
life, asked himself this question, the question of our text, and
he seems overwhelmed with all that God had done for him, does
he not? In 2 Samuel, The faithful prophet Nathan came
to David who wanted to build the Lord a house of worship,
the temple. And Nathan told him, God won't
allow you to do that, but your son that will come after you
shall. Verse 7 verses 12 and 13 in 2
Samuel chapter 7. Nathan is speaking to David and
he said, when thy days be fulfilled and you shall sleep with your
fathers, I will set up thy seat after thee, which shall proceed
out of thy vows, and I will establish his kingdom." Now, of course,
he's speaking of Solomon, but only typically. Behold, a greater
than Solomon is here. He shall build a house for my
name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. Now, that certainly isn't speaking
of Solomon, but the Lord Jesus Christ. When David receives this
news, look what he does. Verse 18, Then went King David
in, and sat before the Lord, and he said, Who am I, O Lord
God? Who am I? Who am I? And what
is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto? And this is yet
a small thing in thy sight, O Lord God, but thou hast spoken also
of thy servant's house for a great while to come. And is this the
manner of man, O Lord God? And what can David say more unto
thee? For thou, Lord God, knowest thy
servant for thy word's sake. And according to thine own heart
hast thou done all these great things to make thy servant know
them. Wherefore thou art great, O Lord God, for there is none
like thee. Neither is there any God beside
thee according to all that we have heard with our ears." David's
biography, if you will, His entire life could be summed up by one
verse of scripture in one of his other psalms. And this could
sum up as well every other believer. Psalm 23 is most well known. And the last verse David says,
surely goodness and mercy shall follow me. all the days of my
life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Has that not been the case with
you, child of God? Has that not been the case with
you? Grace preserved me. God preserved me by His grace.
When I was on a road of self-will, self-destruction, lost and undone,
not knowing God or my lot in life, grace preserved me. Grace
would not allow me to perish, I was kept, until grace called
me out of darkness into his marvelous light. And that same grace that
preserved me, that same grace by which I was called, that same
grace keeps me till this day and will not let me go. Thank God for that. Surely while
David was asking himself this question, looking back over his
life, He would recount God's many benefits toward him, and
he would bow before God in adoring wonder, remembering, first of
all, God chose me. Oh, my soul. Surely he would
remember that day while he was out in the field bringing the
youngest of his father's sons. It was his duty to tend the sheep. And he would recall that day
while doing so, his brother coming out to him and telling him, come
home, come home. God's prophet is at our house. Samuel is at our house. And he
wants you to come there. And when David came in, God whispered
in Samuel's ear. Now you know the story, how that
each of Jesse's sons had passed before Samuel. And unlike David,
they were muscular, strong, big fellas. And each time one passed
before Samuel, he said, now this has got to be God's anointed. This is him. He was ready to
anoint the future king of Israel. And each time, God said, no,
that's not him. That's not him. Samuel, you've
got this thing backwards. You're looking on the outward
appearance, which we all do. But God doesn't work that way.
God looks at the heart. So when that shepherd lad came
in, the youngest of Jesse's sons, then God spoke to Samuel and
said, that's him. That's the future king of Israel. Arise Samuel and anoint him because
my chosen is before you. Imagine that. Imagine that. I'm sure when David looked back
over his past, he would remember that. God chose him. Oh, but child of God, is it not
an equal wonder? Can we not join with David in
wonder and holy adoration as we read that God Almighty chose
his people in Christ before the world began. People say, oh,
I don't understand. I don't understand that scripture
in Romans 9 where it says God hated Jacob. I just can't understand
that. Well, I'll tell you what. If
God ever brings us down, and he does each of his elect, to
that place where we have some idea, just a glimpse of what
we really, really are. It won't be the wonder that he
hated Jacob. The wonder will be that he loved
Esau. that God's grace fell upon Esau,
that he chose, or I'm sorry, Jacob rather. Not that he hated
Esau, but how could he love Jacob? And oh my soul, pause in adore
and wonder and ask yourself, how could he love me? Remember
in 1 Corinthians chapter one, you see your calling brethren.
David is an example of this. You, every believer, is an example
of this. You see your calling, brethren,
how that not many wise men after the flesh are called, not many
mighty, not many noble are called. But, there it is, that's what
made the difference, but, but God, but God hath chosen You've
not chosen me, Christ said, but I've chosen you. But God hath
chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the things
that are 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 for this purpose, that no flesh should glory in
his presence. But of Him, that is of God. It's all God's doing. But of
Him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God has made unto us wisdom
and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Well, what then?
What then? That according as it is written,
he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. Turn, if you will,
to 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. Paul here speaking of the glorious
truth, the glorious doctrine of God's election. It was a favorite
theme of Paul's. Every epistle, he rings that
glorious note. He knew who had made him to differ.
In 1 Thessalonians chapter 1, Paul says, writing to the church
at Thessalonica, knowing brethren, beloved, your election of God. Well, now, how can anybody know
that? How can anybody know that their name was written in the
Lamb's Book of Life before the foundation of the world? How
can anybody know that? Paul tells us exactly how. The
only way to know. Knowing, brethren, we loved your
election of God, for our gospel came not unto you in word only,
but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance. As you know what manner of men
we were among you for your sake, And ye became followers of us
and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction and
with joy of the Holy Ghost." How do we know we're one of God's
elect? Peter said, give all diligence to make your calling. Oh, that's
how we know. Our calling is the evidence of
our election. Whom God did foreknow, He also
called. All those God chose in Christ
shall in time be brought to Christ and granted life and faith in
Him. Turn over a page or two if you
will to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. You see the same thing written
here. But here it's written against
the background of that horrible deception and delusion that Paul
speaks of that will engulf the world. Everybody, everybody except
the elect. Our Lord said in Matthew 24,
except those days be shortened, all men would be deceived except
for my elect's sake. Here against that dark background,
Paul says in verse 13 of 2 Thessalonians 2, but we are bound to give thanks. What shall I render to the Lord?
But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren,
beloved of the Lord, because God hath, God hath done this. God has chosen you. God has loved
you. Oh, my soul, think of that. Love
with an everlasting love. Beloved of the Lord, because
God hath, from the beginning chosen you to salvation through
sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth where
unto he called you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory
of our Lord Jesus Christ oh what shall I render to God oh my soul
he chose me think about that In Psalm 65, we read this in
verse 4, Psalm 65. Blessed, blessed, blessed, happy
is the man whom thou choosest and calls us to approach unto
thee, that he may dwell in thy courts. We shall be satisfied
with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple. God's choice and election of
his people is not the result of something we do. Have you
ever heard anyone describe election like this? Well yes, I believe
election is based on God's foreknowledge. Whom God foreknew. They were
granted that God foreknows everything. Therefore God looked down through
time and saw who would believe, so he chose them to believe.
That represents God involved in some unnecessary nonsense
to me. Oh no, God's choice wasn't based
upon foreseen faith. Oh no, because that very faith
by which we come to Christ is God's gift, God's choice, God's
election of grace of his people is exactly that. It's all of
grace. It's not the result of something
we do, but the cause of everything he does for us is in Christ. Election is spoken up there in
verse 4 of Psalm 65 as being in the present tense. Though
it was done before the world began, it's in the present tense
because this great work of grace is known and experienced in time. That's what we just read in 1
Thessalonians chapter 1. No one knows his election until
he's been affectionately called by God's Holy Spirit and given
life and faith in Christ. Notice the second clause of verse
4, Psalm 65. Blessed, or rather the first
sentence, blessed is the man whom thou choosest. That's election. God chose to save some in eternity
and those whom he chose to save in eternity he graciously cuts
out from the rest of mankind like a rancher. His flock His
herd is out in the pasture, his cattle, with everybody else's.
But then there's a time at round up that he comes and gathers
his cattle out of all the rest. He simply rounds up that which
is his at the appointed time, the second calls, and calls us
to approach unto thee. This refers to God's irresistible
saving grace, his effectual call by God the Holy Spirit. Election
both proceeds and is the source and the cause of all this. And
look at the next line, that he, that is that one that was chosen
of God and calls to approach unto God, that he may dwell in
thy courts. Sinners chosen and called by
God's grace are called to dwell, not just to visit. This is not
a temporary thing. This is an everlasting salvation.
An election is the source and the cause of this everlasting
happiness and satisfaction of God's saints in heaven. Look
at the last clause. We shall be satisfied with the
goodness of thine house. Remember what our Lord said.
Don't let your heart be troubled. Now, if you ignored the chapter
break there, John chapter 14, just ignore that. It was put
in a bad place there. In that context, he has just
told Peter who said, I'll never deny you. I'll never leave you. I'm ready to go with you. I'm
ready to go with you even unto death. And our Lord said, Peter,
you're going to deny this very night before the cock crows twice,
you're going to deny three times that you even know me. Let not
your heart be troubled. Let not your heart be troubled.
You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are
many mansions. We will dwell in the courts of
our great God and Savior. No wonder David sings, O blessed
is the man whom thou choosest and causes to approach unto me.
No wonder God's election was so much on his mind and heart.
It was the thought of God's election that made him leap. Remember,
when his wife, Saul's daughter, It irritated her when she looked
out and saw Saul, or rather David, the king, dancing before the
ark of God. And she said, that was shameful.
You embarrass me. That was disgusting. That's no
way for the king of Israel to act. And he said, I tell you
what, you think that's bad? You've not seen nothing yet.
I'll dance before the ark of God because he chose me. chose
me in his son by his grace. This doctrine is always spoken
of as being full of joy and comfort to every child of God. What shall
I render unto God for all of his benefits toward me? God chose
me. Sons we are through God's election
who in Jesus Christ believe by eternal destination saving grace
we now receive. Paul's my soul adore and wonder. Oh, that God would allow me to
do that more often. Don't take this for granted.
That's my, we sang it a moment ago, prone to wonder, Lord I
feel it. Oh, I'm prone to take God's grace
for granted. Pause my soul, adore and wonder,
and ask why such love to me? Grace has put me in the number
of the Savior's family. Election wrote John Aerosmith,
a man who lived many years ago. He said this, election having
once pitched on a man, it will find him out and call him home
wherever he may be. Election called Zacchaeus out
of a cursed Jericho. Election called Abraham out of
a adulterous ur of the Chaldees. Election called Nicodemus and
Paul out from the religion of the Pharisees. And whatsoever,
or rather, and whatsoever done heals God's elect, our election
will find them out and bring them home. That's exactly what
Christ said. Other sheep I have which are
not of this folk, them also I must bring. I like that. There's no
elbow room for perchance there or maybe or hope so or failure. Oh no, the one who spoke those
words was God's righteous servant of whom God himself said, he,
my righteous servant, he shall not fail. Hundreds of years before
he came into this world, God said, he shall not fail. Hear
him again speak. All that the Father giveth me.
I like this. All that the Father giveth me,
our Lord said in John 6, 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 my own will, but the will of him that sent me. And
this is the Father's will which has sent me, that of all, A-double-L,
of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, nothing
but should raise him up again at the last day. Can you imagine? Can you imagine what it would
require for him to lose one of his sheep? Can you imagine how
that would reflect on him, the Son of God, if he should lose
one of his sheep? Oh, that can't happen. As Bobby
has sung to us before, McShane owed him, two verses of it say
this, loved with an everlasting love. No, no, this is in our
book, I am his and he is mine. Loved with an everlasting love,
led by grace that loved to know. Gracious spirit from above, you
have taught me it is so. Oh, this full and perfect peace.
Oh, this transport all divine in a love which cannot cease.
I am his. I am his. and he is mine. Oh my. When you lie down tonight
may God bring the truth of that blessed reality to your heart.
I am his and he is mine. I might be hurting but I'm still
his and he's still mine. My heart may be prone to wander
but I'm still his and he's still mine. I may deny him like Peter
but I'm still his and he's still mine. I may sin. There's no maybe
about it. I will sin, but I am still his
and he's still mine. What are you saying, Larry? I'm
saying exactly what Paul said. There's nothing. Child of God,
nothing shall separate you from the love of God which is in Christ
Jesus. His forever, only his. Who the Lord and me shall part.
Ah, with what a rest of bliss Christ can fill the loving heart.
evident earth may fade and flee, firstborn light in gloom decline,
but while God and I shall be, I am His and He is mine." And
what shall we render unto God for this? Turn if you will to
Galatians, Galatians chapter 4. Remember this? What shall
we render unto our God? He chose us, yes. He chose us
in our glorious Redeemer. But we must be redeemed. And in Galatians chapter 4, this
is what we read. Verse 3, What shall I render
unto the Lord for this glorious truth? But when the fullness
of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman,
made under the law, to offer to redeem, to try to redeem,
to attempt to redeem, Oh no, to redeem them that were under
the law that we might receive the adoption of sons. How thankful we should be for
that. Jesus Christ redeemed us with his own precious blood.
No doubt about it. I'm his. He bought me. Old John Newton, in his study,
he had a sign on the wall in large letters. Thou shalt remember that thou
was a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God would
redeem thee." As he said to Moses that night concerning the children
of Israel, the Passover, when I see the blood, I will pass
over you. All because the blood of Jesus
Christ, God's Son, cleanseth us from all sin. And God says,
when I see the blood, Not your faith, not your repentance, but
when I see the blood of my son, I will pass over you. Jesus Christ
redeemed me. He paid the price of my redemption. He's satisfied. He got the job
done. When I was a boy at home, we
all, my father was old-fashioned. Me and my brothers, we all had
chores to do. And he expected us to do them.
and do them exactly as he told us to do. To do them when he
told us to do them. And if I didn't do it, he would
tell me, son, come back over here. Come here, look at this.
You've not finished the job. You've not finished the work
I gave you to do. Oh, God the Father, he'll never
say that concerning his son. He finished the work. Father,
our Lord prayed that night, I've finished the work that you gave
me to do. I've given eternal life to as
many as thou hast given me. Jesus Christ got the job done. He paid the price of our redemption. He satisfied God's justice and
now God in justice. If God's just, If God does what's
right, if Jesus Christ satisfied God's justice on my behalf, then
God in justice must say, deliver his soul from going down to the
pit because I found a ransom. And that's exactly what God does.
Strict justice said concerning God's son, awake, O sword, against
the man who is my fellow. Smite the shepherd. And God did. God did. He smoked Jesus Christ,
our glorious substitute. And the sure outcome of that
is this. Justice satisfied, demands that
the sheep must go free. Christ being made sin for us
means we must be made, and we are made, the very righteousness
of God in Him. One of my favorite places in
Scripture, and it's a picture. Oh, what a blessed, comforting
picture it is. of our redemption, of substitution. In John, John chapter 18, you
know the story. Jesus, therefore, knowing all
things that should come upon him, went forth and said unto
them, that is that mob that came to take him, whom do you seek?
They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed
him, stood with them. And as soon as he had said unto
them, I am he, they went backward and fell to the ground. Now who's
in control here? Then asked him them again, Whom
seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. I have told you, Jesus answered,
I have told you that I am he. If therefore ye seek me, let
these go their way. Don't you love that? If it's
me you seek, here I am. I'm not resistant, I'm not hiding,
take me but if you do let these go their way that the same might
be fulfilled which he spake of them which thou gavest me I lost
none Hebrews Hebrews chapter 9 another familiar passage concerning
redemption listen to these words Hebrews 9 verses 11 and 12 but
Christ being come a high priest of good
things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle,
not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building,
neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood
he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal
redemption for us." Turn to page 10, Hebrews chapter 10, verse
11. And every priest standeth daily,
ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can
never, which can never take away sin. But this man, the God-man,
after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at
the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting till his enemies be
made his footstool, for by one offering he had perfected forever,
forever them that are sanctified. God's Word knows nothing about
an atonement that doesn't really atone, or a redemption that allows
those that were redeemed to perish after all. nonsense. Again Hebrews
chapter 1, God who at sunry times and in divers manner spoke in
time past unto the fathers by the prophets had in these last
days spoken unto us by his son whom he had appointed heir of
all things but whom also he made the worlds who being the brightness
of his glory and the express image of his person and upholding
all things by the word of his power When he had by himself
purged our sins, what did he do? He sat down. Why did he sit
down? Because his job was done. The work of redemption was complete. Righteousness was brought in.
Trespasses and sins were put away. Therefore, he sat down
at the right hand of the majesty on high. Complete atonement,
the hymn writer said. Complete atonement, that was
me. and to the utmost farthing paid what e'er thy people owed. How then can wrath on me take
place if sheltered in thy righteousness and sprinkled with thy blood?
If thou hast my discharge procured, and freely in my room endured
the whole of wrath divine, payment God cannot twice demand. First
at my bleeding surety's hand, and then again at mine. And thank God he won't. he won't. What shall I render? Chosen,
yes. Redeemed, yes. But as we said,
we knew nothing of those wonderful truths until we experienced them. And thank God, everyone that
he chose, everyone Christ redeemed, shall be called in time for a
new call. Paul said he prayed for the church
at Ephesus that they might know what is the hope of his calling. 2 Timothy chapter 2, Paul spoke
of that purpose and grace which was given us in Christ, not according
to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace which
was given us before the world began. Overwhelming obligations,
is it not, to be thankful. Turn, if you will, to 1 Peter
chapter 1. 1 Peter chapter 1. Verse 2, 1 Peter 1 and 2. Elect according to the foreknowledge
of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience
and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Grace unto you
and peace be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy
hath begotten us again unto a lively hope. by the resurrection of
Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance to an inheritance
incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved
in heaven for you who are kept. I like that, don't you? We're
a kept people who are kept by the power of God through faith
unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Kept in the
hands of the great shepherd of the sheep. Jesus Christ is responsible
to preserve me. That's his work. It's not mine.
He's responsible. He promised his father that he
would. And bless God, he'll do it. Somebody asked Brother Henry
Mayhem one time, do you believe once a man is saved, he'll always
be saved? And Henry said, well, it depends
on who does the saving. If it's something that man does
for himself, Henry said no. But if salvation is of the Lord,
if it's God's doing, then yes, it's an everlasting salvation. And that's exactly how the scriptures
describe it. Hear our Lord's answer in John
10. My sheep hear my voice, and they follow me. And I give them
eternal life, and they shall never. I like that, don't you? They shall never perish, neither
shall any man pluck them out of my hand. And last of all,
what shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward
me? Heaven is our home. Heaven is
our place. We're being kept by the power
of God. And heaven is our home, awaiting
our arrival. We spoke of it a minute ago,
but again, in John chapter 14, Our Lord said, let not your heart
be troubled. You believe in God, believe also
in me. In my father's house are many
mansions. If it were not so, I would have
told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And he did. He has. And if I
go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive
you unto myself that where I am, there ye may be also. All those glorious blessings
find their assurance in Jesus Christ himself. They're all in
him. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable
gift. Now here's the hymn, a portion
of it, a couple of verses that Bobby has sung to us before. McShane's hymn, I am a debtor. Looking o'er life's finished
story, Then, Lord, shall I fully know, Not till then how much
I owe. When I stand before the throne,
Dressed in beauty not my own, When I see thee as thou art,
Love thee with unsinning heart, Then, Lord, shall I fully know,
Not till then how much I owe. And let me say this, let me say
this to you as we come to a close. I thank God for you. I thank
God for each of you. I thank God for your fellowship
and your friendship in the gospel. I never read these words in Philippians
chapter 1 that I don't think of you and I apply them to you.
Philippians 1 chapter 1 verse 3 Paul wrote, I thank my God
upon every remembrance of you. Always in every prayer of mine
for you all making requests with joy, for your fellowship in the
gospel, from the first day until now, being confident of this
very thing, that he which had begun a good work in you will
perform it into the day of Jesus Christ, even as it is meek for
me to thank this of you all, because I have you in my heart. With that, let me wish you a
very, very happy Thanksgiving. Amen.