As we said in the reading, this
psalm has been described given the title of a marching psalm. When I found that out, I thought
of a hymn of Mr. Isaac Watts, and I'm sure I'm
pretty sure he probably had this psalm in mind when he wrote these
words. We're marching to Zion on page
514. It says, Come we that love the
Lord and let our joys be known. Join in a song with sweet accord
and thus surround the throne. We're marching to Zion, beautiful,
beautiful Zion. We're marching upward to Zion,
the beautiful city of God. And that's exactly what David
refers to in this psalm. It's the march of pilgrims up
to Jerusalem, the place where God Almighty promised to meet
with his people, the tabernacle. In Exodus chapter 34, God through
Moses gave the command concerning that. We read in chapter 34,
verses 22 and 23, And thou shalt observe the feast
of weeks, that was one. And the feast of the first fruits
of wheat, two. And the feast of in gathering
at the year's end, the harvest, that was three. Three times in
the year shall all your men appear before the Lord God, the God
of Israel. And that's the theme of this
psalm historically. And as we again pointed out in
the reading, it's so apparent throughout that David longed
to join that march up to Jerusalem, though for some reason he doesn't
seem to be able to at the time. But his desire, his verbal desire,
is apparent throughout the psalm. And that begs the question, that
begs the question, David being an example of a believer who
wants to worship God, why wouldn't Why wouldn't a believer want
to be in that place where God Almighty has promised to be?
Why wouldn't they? There can be no good answer to
that. There can be no good answer or
reason for a believer deliberately absenting themselves from the
worship of God. Remember what our Lord said.
My soul, this would top the list of reasons. This would be more
important than all the rest. But primarily this, the Lord
Jesus Christ spoke these words. You know where I'm going, don't
you? Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am
I. Did you know that Assembly of
Believers is the only place Christ has promised, matter-of-factly,
to meet with His people. Oh, I know the Lord is with us
always. But He has promised to manifest Himself in a way that
He doesn't otherwise, where two or three people are met together,
are gathered together in His name. There am I. Whoo! I don't want to miss that.
Do you? John, I don't want to miss that.
Ask Thomas. There am I, Jesus Christ says,
in the midst of them. A believer doesn't need any more
reason than that. The title of my message is this.
Taking our text from verse 7. And don't you like the sound
of this? I know this, as we said, historically
refers to those Pilgrims going up to Zion, one of the three
times of the year, up to the tabernacle to meet where God
promised to meet with them. But it refers to more than that.
It refers to God's true Israel, the true children of God, those
who are Jews inwardly and not outwardly. Think of that when
you read these verses, or these words rather, in verse 7. They
go from strength to strength. Every one of these I like that. Every one of them in Zion appeareth
before God. Every one of God's people. Every
one of his chosen. Every one of his redeemed. Every
one of those called out of darkness. Every one of those given grace.
They go from strength to strength as they journey to that city
whose builder and maker is God. The heavenly Jerusalem. Every
one of them in Zion, appeareth before God, even Larry Criss. Even a weak vessel like Larry
Criss appeareth before God. The title of my message is this.
All present and accounted for. All present and accounted for. Every one of them in Zion appeareth
before God. When I thought of that title,
I also thought to myself, where have I heard that? So I did a
little research, Billy, and the experts say that this expression,
all present and accounted for, most certainly, almost certainly
originated in the armed forces. It was a response to the roll
call. When the soldiers were gathered,
it was an expression used to offer assurance that no person
was missing. The people that should be in
a certain location are present and none are unaccounted for.
Oh my soul, think of the captain of our salvation. Everyone in
Zion appeareth before God. The figure, as we said, of a
pilgrim is expressed throughout this psalm. Now let's make application
of this figure of a pilgrim to the true Israel of God. And you have multiplied examples
of that throughout the scripture. Romans chapter 9. Romans chapter
9. Why don't you look there with
me. Romans chapter 9 verses 1 through 8. Paul writing, I say the truth
in Christ, I lie not. My conscience also bearing me
witness in the Holy Ghost. that I have great heaviness and
continual sorrow in my heart." Now this is the same man who
on down in the chapter speaks of the certainty of the salvation
of all God's elect. Nobody understood that outside
of the Lord Jesus Christ himself, then the Apostle Paul. Very likely
that was among the things that Peter referred to when he said,
Paul writes some stuff pretty hard to understand, the deep
things of God. God had given Paul wisdom and
a revelation in the knowledge of himself and of his great truths
concerning the salvation of his people, election being one of
those. But this is my point. Even though
the Apostle Paul makes mention of that, and he goes on down
to say it's not, salvation is not, salvation is not of him
that willeth, or of him that runneth, but of God that showeth
mercy. Yet, he expresses his deep personal,
true burden for his lost brethren. Are those things incompatible?
Of course not. You've heard me say it before.
Any belief in the doctrines of God's grace, election, for example, that gives a believer less of
a compassion for the lost That's not a God. That's not scriptural. And Paul is the prime example
of that, is he not? Oh no, Jesus Christ himself is
the example of that. He wept over Jerusalem. And who
better than he knew who the elect were, and yet he said, oh Jerusalem,
oh Jerusalem, how often I would have gathered you, and the problem
lies here, not in God's predestination, but you would not. There is no
sinner, no lost sinner that will ever stand before God and be
able to blame not being left on the reason why he didn't come
to Christ. It will be because he would not
come as Christ said. The problem is here. Ye will
not come to me. Come unto me all ye that labor
and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. But ye will not
come to me. That's the problem. Thank God
that his people, by his grace, are made willing to come in the
day of his power. Verse 2 of Romans 9 again. I
have a great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart, for I could
wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren,
my kinsmen, according to the flesh. Strong words. Who are
Israelites, natural Jews, to whom pertaineth the adoption
in the glory and the covenants and the giving of the law and
the service of God and the promises, whose are the fathers and of
whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all,
God bless forever, amen. And then Paul seems to raise
a red flag. Verse 6 of Romans 9. Paul seems
to say, now don't misunderstand what I just said. Don't misunderstand
my burden. Don't think for a minute that
that negates God's purpose or makes his word void. No, verse
6, not as though the word of God had taken none effect. They
are not all Israel, which are of Israel. Neither, because they
are the seed of Abraham, are they all children. But in Isaac,
the son of promise, the son of a miracle of God's grace. But
in Isaac shall thy seed be called. Isaac is a type of the believer. It required a miracle. Abraham
and Sarah were past age for bearing children. It required a miracle. At this time will I come, God
said, and Sarah shall have a son. Not like Ishmael, he represents
the mere professor. He's a product of the flesh.
He's a product of his own doing. This is a self-made conversion. But Isaac, oh, that's a miracle. That's who God's true Israel
is. That's who the true Jews are.
They are all products of God's amazing grace. Neither because
they are of the seed of Abraham are they all children, but in
Isaac shall thy seed be called. Verse 8. That is, they which
are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of
God. Now that bears repeating. In
this day of religious confusion, just absolute insanity, these
are not the children, that is, they which are the children of
the flesh, these are not the children of God. Larry, that
kind of Wipes out the majority of religious folks in our day.
Because they base their salvation to be no more than making a decision. Children of the flesh. They base
their hope of standing accepted before God Almighty upon something
they did. They jumped through the religious
hoops of the day. They made a decision. They shook
the preacher's hand. Children of the flesh, these
are not the children of God. Oh, but the children of promise
that required a miracle of God's amazing grace, nothing less than
that can produce a child of God. The children of promise, they
are counted for the seed. They're the true believer. They're
the true pilgrims that are mounting up to Zion. Only God in Christ
can make a believer. I hope you believe that. I hope
you believe that. I hope you know that by personal
experience. I know when God stripped me and
brought this proud rebel down. Man, people, I went to folks
who professed to know God, and what must I do to be saved? Well,
you need to get your Bible, First, get a haircut, and then get you
a Bible, and read that Bible, and pray. Just pray, pray, pray.
And then another said, well, you need to come with me. And
I had no better sense, so I went with him. And then when the preacher
gives his altar call, you need to trot up there, and you'll
get saved up there at the altar. So I did that. Repeat after me. I repeated after him. How is
it, young man? I'm lost. That's how it is. Well,
let's try this again, he said. Let's say the sinner's prayer
again. See, I was a hard case. I didn't want him telling me
I was saved. I wanted to know by God's spirit bearing witness
with my spirit that I was saved. I couldn't take his word for
it. So we prayed again. How is it now, young man? What
do you say now? Well they wanted me to make a
false profession and they could all pat me on the back which
they ended up doing anyway and God said you're lost and they
said you're saved. And finally, he said, now, young
man, he didn't know what to do with me, John. I mean, most of
them that trotted up there, I mean, it was just boo, boo, boo, like
spitting cars off an assembly line, just converse, just spit
out like that, you know, make your decision, yeah, I'm ready,
I'm saved, but don't you ever doubt it. Don't you ever doubt
it. He said, go out and just live like you always done, just
live like hell, like you've always done, but don't you doubt you're
saved because you made a decision for Jesus, my soul. Man-made
converts. God, deliver me from that. Deliver
me from that. And I came to that place. God
brought me to the place where I quit looking to man, quit looking
to myself, and fell down before him just like that filthy outcast
leper. And I remember saying, I'm confused. I've done all they've
told me to do, and I'm lost. If I die tonight, I'm going to
hell. I don't care what they told me.
I know I'm lost. I'm lost. And I know that only
you can save me. Would you save me? Would you
have mercy upon this filthy sinner? And just like he did to that
leper, I will. I will. Be thou clean. Oh, Louie, I wish I could sing
right now. I believe I'd take off. Oh, he touched me. He touched me. In all the joy
that floods my soul, something happened and now I know I don't
need the preacher to tell me. I don't need the soul winner
to tell me. He touched me and he made me whole. Only God, by
the grace of God in Christ Jesus, can make a believer. Baptists
don't make believers. Catholics don't make believers.
Calvinism doesn't make a believer. Only Jesus Christ by His mighty
grace can make us new creations in Christ Jesus. That's His work.
That's His work. Listen to this in John chapter
1 verse 12. But as many as received Him,
to them gave He the power, He gave it to them, to become the
sons of God, even to them that believe on His name. The next
verse explains why they received him. Which were born not of the
blood, my daddy was a preacher, my great grandfather was a preacher,
none other, who were born not of the blood, nor of the will
of the flesh, nor of the will of man, not their own will or
other people's will, but by the will of God. I heard one fella
put it rather quaintly, but I thought, well that's pretty accurate.
He said, standing in a garage will not make me a car, and sitting
in a church will never make me a Christian. Oh no, God does
that. Matthew chapter 3, the very thing
we're speaking of, that the children of the flesh, Abraham's fleshly
seed from Ishmael, they're not the children of God. Isaac, the
son of promise, represents his people. In Matthew chapter 3,
The religious folks came to John the Baptist because he was a
novelty. I mean, here's a strange fella. He's down there on the riverbank
preaching and we never heard anybody talk like he does. I
mean, he's saying we need to repent. These Pharisees and the
Sadducees came to him. He said, you vipers, whoa, whoa,
John, you want to retract that? I mean, you're talking to the
elite of the religious world here. You're talking to the who's
who of Jerusalem. You open up Sunday morning's
paper and Mr. Pharisee would be on the top
of the list and you call him a bunch of vipers. John said,
think not to say within yourselves, we have Abraham to our father.
That's exactly what they said. We're God's people because we
can trace our We can trace our roots back to Abraham. That makes
us believers. And John said, no it don't. No
it doesn't. Say not we have Abraham to our
father for I say unto you that God is able of these stones to
raise up children unto Abraham. And that's exactly what these
people did, didn't they? Again and again, time and time
again, they told Christ, who you calling a slave? What do
you mean a slave to sin? We've never been slaves to anybody.
Abraham's our father. We don't need you. And Christ said if you were Abraham's
children, you would do the works of Abraham. There's the difference. There's the difference. You've
heard the story. You've heard me say it. Henry
was having a conversation with a woman one time, dear brother
Henry Mahan. Henry asked her, Are you a believer?
Are you a Christian? Oh, yes, Henry. I've been a Christian
all my life. You've heard that, haven't you?
I've been a Christian all my life. Henry said, Lady, that's
too long. That's too long. That's a good
answer. I hope she took it to heart.
Compare that to this. For you are the children of God
by faith in Christ Jesus. Oh, that doesn't sound so easy. That doesn't sound like 1, 2,
3. That sounds like more than me raising my hand or making
my decision. You mean the only way I can believe
on the Son of God, to the salvation of my soul, is if God Almighty
grants me faith? Well, that's what the book says.
That's what the book says. You can believe grandpa and grandma
and throw God's Word out, but no one is saved apart from faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ. Galatians chapter 3. Verse 27,
for as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, it's not
talking about the water, it's talking about the work of God's
Holy Spirit, baptizing us into Christ Jesus, making us one with
Him, putting us in Him. I like that expression too, don't
you? As many, as many of you as have been baptized into Christ
have put on Christ. have put on Christ. Now this
morning, as I trust every one of us did, we got up, we took
time to get ready, you know? Showered, shaved, put on some
good smelling cologne and all that stuff. And I looked in the
mirror and I thought, man, Terry, I said, looking good, looking
good. It's about the best I can do.
I'm all dressed up now. Oh, child of God. That's the
way a lot of people do with religion. They just wear it. Just wear
it maybe one day a week. Like when they put on their clothes. Oh, Paul said, we are true believers,
true Jews that have put on Christ. Put on Christ. Oh, I like the
sound of that, don't you? Put on Christ. dressed in His
righteousness alone. Thoughtless, thoughtless to stand
before the throne. Having put on Christ in the sight
of God Almighty, I'm thoughtless. Man, talk about being all dressed
up. In Romans chapter 11, here's
a good text before our text in verse 7 of Psalms 24. Paul said,
so then, all Israel shall be saved. I like that. All Israel
shall be saved. All God's people shall be saved.
All spiritual Jews shall be saved. All believers shall be saved.
They, everyone, shall appear before God in Zion. All the way, my Savior leads
me. All Israel shall be saved, for
it is written, there shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, capital
D, the Lord Jesus Christ, and shall turn away ungodliness from
Jacob. Believers are pilgrims and strangers
in this world. God's pilgrims and God's strangers. That's what the Lord Jesus Christ
said, didn't he? That's what he said. In John
chapter 15, verse 18, He tells his disciples before he goes
to the garden, before he's betrayed, before he's crucified, he tells
them, if the world hate you, you know that it hated me before
it hated you. If ye were of the world, the
world would love his own. Child of God, rejoice if the
world hates you. Thank God that if you don't feel
at home here, you shouldn't. You shouldn't. Be concerned if
you do. Be concerned if all your energy,
all your time, all your thoughts are consumed with this world.
The love of this world is enmity with God. If he were of the world,
the world would love his own. But because you are not of the
world, but I have chosen you out of the world. Oh, thank you,
Lord Jesus. Thank you that you chose me out
of this world. Thank you that you didn't leave
me in this world. Thank you that my heart is not
set on this world as it once was. I'm so thankful and give
you praises that you called me out of darkness and you made
me a pilgrim and a stranger in this ungodly world. Thank you,
Lord, that I'm just passing through. Marching on to Zion. Remember
the word that I said unto you our Lord went on to say? The
servant is not greater than his Lord. If they have persecuted
me, they will also persecute you. If they have kept my saying,
they will also keep yours. But all these things will they
do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that
sent me." Chapter 16, verse 1 of John. These things have I spoken
unto you that you should not be offended. Don't be alarmed
when this world Treat you as they do. Don't be startled. Expect it. Don't expect any different. Verse 2 of John 16. They shall
put you out of the synagogues. Yea, the time cometh that whosoever
killeth you will think that he doeth God's service. And these
things will they do unto you, because they have not known the
Father, nor me. But these things, verse 4, I
have told you, that when the time shall come ye may remember
that I told you of them. And these things said unto you
at the beginning, because I was with you." Let me say this before
we move on. The Word of God, the Word of
God, that which you hold in your lap, the Word of God knows nothing. Now that should matter, that
should have some weight with us. The Word of God knows nothing
about that so-called Christianity that has no conflict, no battles,
No warfare. They walk hand-in-hand, friends
with this world. That's not biblical Christianity.
That's a by-product of the day's easy, fleshly, God-dishonoring,
man-made religion. Man-made converts. That's not
God's. The conversion that God performs
demands conviction before conversion. It demands a stripping before
it closed. It demands getting lost before
we're found. It demands grace that makes my
heart to fear in preparation to that same grace relieving
my fear. That's what I want. In Hebrews
chapter 11, we read verse 8, by faith Abraham, when he was
called to go into a place which he should after receive for an
inheritance, obeyed. Well, imagine that. He obeyed.
He went out not knowing whether he went, by faith. And child
of God, apply these words to our text. Apply them to yourself
as a child of God. We're pilgrims and strangers.
Let's take our place with those that's gone before, like Abraham,
the father of us all. By faith he sojourned in the
land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles
with Isaac and Jacob. the heirs with him of the same
promise for he looked for a city which hath foundations whose
builder and maker is God. Through faith also Sarah herself
conceived strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child
when she was past age because she judged him faithful who had
promised." On down in that same chapter verse 24, by faith Moses
when he was come to years refused refused to be called the son
of Pharaoh's daughter. My soul, why would Moses do that? Be known as Pharaoh's grandson? The riches of Egypt? The honor,
the power, the glory? Moses looked at something a lot
more important. Choosing rather to suffer affliction
with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for
a season. You can't do both. You can't
do both. Esteeming the reproach of Christ
greater riches, greater riches than the treasures of Egypt,
for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. And like these
pilgrims our text speaks of, in their journey, spiritual Israel,
God's people are giving grace all the way to glory. That's
what he says down here in verse 11, doesn't he? The Lord will
give grace. Child of God, don't you find
that comforting? If you've tasted his grace, you're
going to be with him in glory. If he's giving you grace, that's
the forerunner of glory. That's glory in the bud. That's
waiting to be fully blossomed. Grace gives way to glory. If
he's called you out of darkness, all the way your Savior's going
to lead you. You're going to mount up to Zion
with shouts of glory and victory saying, grace, grace unto it,
to the praise of the glory of the triune God. Daily, hourly,
he'll supply you with all the spiritual strength by his grace
till he appears before God, till you appear before God in heaven. In this world, the Lord said,
you shall have tribulation. I'll bet you no child of God
here needs to be convinced of the truth of that promise, do
they? Do you? Or we seem like have difficulty
with some of the promises, really believing them, believing them
practically and acting and reacting on them, But I dare say nobody
needs convinced of this. Christ said, I promise you this.
In the world, you're going to have tribulation. Yes, we hurt. We hurt. And we suffer. And we weep. Weep with bitter
tears for that battle within. Oh, wretched man that I am. The
mere professor doesn't know anything about that, but the true child
of God does. We weep for our lost loved ones. I can't get their attention.
Can't get their attention. For years and years, I've been
trying. Can't get their attention. Every time I see them, I remind
them of their need of grace. Remind them of their need of
glory. I tell them, hey, Larry, my oldest son, a few miles down
the road, Larry, there's a faithful man preaching the gospel of God's
free grace. Why don't you get up on Sunday
morning and take your family and go down there? He won't do
it. Won't do it. Rather go to where they have
more entertainment for their children. That hurts. His daddy weeps for
him. Pilgrims. Pilgrims and strangers
in this world. We hurt some of our members now. The family. Part of the body.
Bobby and Lester. They're hurting. They weep. And
we weep for them. We weep for them. We suffer with
them. Just as we pointed out there in verse 6, the valley
of Baca, it's the valley of weeping. The word means the valley of
tears. Oh, but he makes our deserts. We all can testify to the tribulation,
but bless his name, we can also testify to the sufficiency of
his amazing grace. Just as it says there in verse
6, he makes our deserts to blossom with the rain of his sweet grace. Weeping may endure through the
night, but it's not going to be forever. It's not going to
be forever. Joy cometh in the morning. He gives songs in the night. And in the meantime, until that
glorious morning, until the dawning of that new day, when time shall
be no more, they go from strength to strength. They fall. Pilgrims fall. Christians fall,
but they shall never fall away. They'll never fall away. Larry,
I feel so very low. You'll never fall away. Larry,
I'm hurting. You'll never fall away. Ask Peter. I don't know that man. I can't
be one of his disciples. I'll cuss a blue streak to prove
to you, to convince you that I don't know the man. He had
fallen so swiftly because he leaned up on the arm of flesh
that he wouldn't even say the name Jesus. But he didn't fall
away. Go tell my disciples and Peter. They go from strength to strength.
The righteous also shall hold on his way. And he that hath
clean hands shall be stronger and stronger. But the path of
the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more unto
that perfect day. But they that wait upon the Lord
shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings
as eagles. They shall run and not be weary.
They shall walk and not faint. But we all, with open face, beholding
as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same
image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. James chapter 4 verse 6, these
few sweet words, but he giveth more grace. He giveth more grace. Bobby sings that song to us sometimes
too, doesn't she? Remember, one verse says, he
giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater He sendeth more
strength when the labors increase. To added affliction, he addeth
his mercy. To multiplied trials, his multiplied
grace. Grace and peace be multiplied,
Peter wrote, never divided. Every one of them in Zion appeareth
before God. That's a must-be thing. In Revelation
chapter 4 verse 1, John writing, and he says, After this 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
might be hereafter. I hope you know that's not what
it reads. I'll show you things, he that sat upon the throne tells
John, I will show thee things which must be hereafter. Must be hereafter. because this
is the will of God, and none can stay His hand. Isaiah chapter
46, the Lord speaking, remember the former things of old, for
I am God, and there is none else. I am God, and there is none like
me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times
the things that are not yet done, saying, my counsel shall stand,
and I will do all my pleasure. I was reading the other evening
again, from Mr. Spurgeon's biography that was
compiled by his wife and secretary shortly after his death. Mr. Spurgeon said this on one occasion,
he said, I cannot comprehend the gospel which lets saints
fall away after they've been called, or allows the children
of God to be burned in the fires of damnation after once believing
in Jesus Christ. Such a gospel I abhor. I do too. If ever it should come to pass
that sheep of Christ might fall away, my fickle, feeble soul
at last would fall a thousand times a day. He went on to write,
if one dear saint of God had perished, so might all. If one
of the covenant ones be lost, then so may all. And then there
is no gospel promise true, but the Bible is a lie. and there
is nothing in it worth my acceptance. I will be an infidel at once
when I can believe that a saint of God can ever fall finally. If God had loved me once, he
will love me forever. God has a mastermind. He arranged
everything in his gigantic intellect long before he ever did it. And
once having settled on it, he never alters it. The righteous
shall hold on their way. Every one of them in Zion appeareth
before God. Not only does the purpose of
God demand that we be with Him in glory, Christ must see it
to prevail of His soul. That's another must-be thing.
The redemption of Jesus Christ accomplished the redemption of
His people. It was an effectual redemption.
and it infallibly secures grace for all his redeemed ones. Not
one, not one of those Christ redeemed from among men shall
ever perish. Not one of the blood-bought sheep
can ever be lost. Not one member of his body can
ever be severed from their glorious head. Not one part of the bride,
the church, can ever be destroyed. Those that Christ redeemed shall
most assuredly obtain grace and glory. Let me bring this to a
close. I know you weep now, and sorrow
and hurt. And you will, as long as you're
in this world, more or less. But child of God, take this with
you. There's a better day coming. Oh, there's a better day coming.
And it's coming quick. It's coming quick. Listen to
the captain of your salvation. And you now therefore have sorrow,
but I will see you again. And your heart shall rejoice,
and your joy no man taketh from you." Isaiah chapter 35, verse
10. And the ransom of the Lord shall
return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon
their heads. And they shall obtain joy and
gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. And as we're
all gathered around the throne of God with the captain of our
everlasting salvation, he'll exclaim to his glory, all present,
all present and accounted for. The other evening, Robin and
I watched the recording of the funeral of my dear, dear friend,
Bobby Estes. It was at Grace Baptist Church
a few weeks ago where Brother Don, of course, is the pastor.
And they began the service as we watched it. The service began
by playing the song that Judy so often sang, Bobby's Wife,
who 12 years before that, her funeral was held in the same
place. And as they played that recording
of Judy's, I could just see her. setting at that piano. Every
time she would sing that song, Carlos, I would just weep like
a baby. It touched my heart. Deeper than the stain has gone. And I used to tell her, Judy,
why don't you record that? You need to record. Oh, she'd
say, no. I'd say, Judy, record that. And she finally did. One day, Went to church and she
goes, here you go. You've been aggravating me for
years now. You've got the first CD. Deeper than the stain is
gone, the last verse says, when with holy choirs we're standing
in the presence of the king and our souls are lost in wonder
while the white robe throngs 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 has gone. Praise
the Lord for full salvation. God still reigns upon the throne
and I know the blood still reaches deeper than the stain has gone. God bless you. Thank you for
your attention.