As I mentioned in the reading,
we'll go back to Psalm 39 in a moment and consider as our
text, verse 7. David asked the question, and
now Lord, what hope I for? What wait I for, rather? Am I
any different than the unbeliever who has his heart set in this
world? What do I wait for? Consider
that question And then David gave the answer. He gave the
answer. My hope, my hope is in thee. I want to consider as an introduction,
though, a few verses in Romans. Romans chapter 13. Romans chapter
13. Verse 11. And that knowing the
time, that now it is high time, not
just time, but it's high time to awake out of sleep. Now, he's
speaking to God's people. Thankfully, we don't sleep the
sleep of death, dead in sins. We've been quick and made alive
by the grace of God and the Spirit of God, but we can still get
drowsy, can't It's time to awake out of sleep for now, right now,
is our salvation nearer than when we believe. The night is
far spent. The day is at hand. Let us therefore
cast off the works of darkness. Our past life as an unbeliever
will suffice to have worked the works of darkness. And let us
put on the armor of light. I believe that God allows often
his children to suffer in order to make them willing to let go
of this world. Because sometimes we can allow
our roots to sink too deep in this world which we say is not
our home. In Micah chapter 2, the Lord
said to his people in that day, and it's applicable to you and
I today, Arise, God said, arise ye and depart, for this is not
your rest. This is not your rest. Don't
look for that in yourself which only Jesus Christ can give. Don't
look for that on earth which can only be found and realized
in heaven. This world is not our rest. It wasn't designed to be. And
it's not fit to be. Our Lord has prepared a better
place for us. and we must not hold too tight
a grip on this world. Oh for grace, as Paul exhorted
believers in Galatians 3, oh for grace to set our affections
on things above. Why Paul, why? Why there? Because that's where
Christ is. That's where Christ is. I once
read a story about a man who used to walk down a a country
lane, on each side of the lane there was a pasture. On one side
the grass was very short, the horse was there, but it was pretty
slim pickings for him. So this man, each day that he
knew he would be passing that way, would take an apple and
he would stop at the fence and hold that apple out in his palm
and that horse would just gallop over and eat it. In the course
of time, that horse was sold to the man who had a pasture
across from it. And on that side of the road,
it was plush. There was plenty for him to eat.
That same man would walk down that country lane and stop and
hold out his hand with the apple in it and that horse just ignored
him. Didn't need him anymore. Sometimes
God allows our pastures to grow pretty sparse to make us hungry
again for him. I think you have an example of
that when the children of Israel what were in Egypt. Remember
that? They had settled down there. God had told them, years before
God had told them, this place is not your rest. I'm going to
bring you out. Joseph, before he died, reminded
them of that very thing. And he said, and when you go,
when God brings you out to that land that flows with milk and
honey, you take my bones with you. Take me out of this place.
It's only temporary. Oh, but the children of Israel
had forgotten that. So God did something. In Exodus chapter 1 we read these
words in verse 8. Now there arose a new king over
Egypt which knew not Joseph. And he made them slaves. Therefore
they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens.
And you know what that produced? That jogged their memory. Then,
you know, God has a way of getting your attention. If God wills
to get your attention, he'll get it. He'll get it. He'll get
your attention. He got their attention. When
they felt the whip of the taskmaster, they were no longer at ease.
Then their memory was jawed and they thought, oh, God said, God
promised, this is not our resting place. This is not our home. And they began to pray that God
would deliver them. You have that recorded in chapter
2. They began to pray, it came to pass, and God heard their
groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with
Isaac, and with Jacob. God didn't make them leave against
their will, did he? Did he? Sometimes when we preach
God's effectual grace, God's saving grace. Grace that gets
the job done. Folks say, well, you're saying
God saves people against their will. You've never heard me say
that. You've never heard me say that. And you never will. Because
God doesn't save people against their will. But like the children
of Israel, he didn't make them leave Egypt against their will,
did he, Lester? But he made them willing to go.
He made them willing to go. Man left to himself. That's you
and that's me. Christ said, you will not come
to me. You will not come to me. If left alone, you will not come
to me. There's no power on earth that
can make you willing to come to me. And yet he said, who's
serving when? Whosoever will, let him come.
Let him come. Take the water of life freely. Come and drink. Come and drink
and live forever. What's the answer to that? Ye
will not and yet he says, whosoever will, the answer lies right here.
My people shall be willing in the day of my power. No, they're not saved against
their will, but oh God in his mighty grace makes them willing. I remember Several times, several
times when I would visit Brother Lowell in the last months of
his life here, he would say to me, Larry, I'm tired. I'm tired. I want to go home. I want to go home. He asked me
to pray with him and for him that God would take him home.
And I did. God says concerning his dying
child, come. You've told here long enough. You've suffered long enough.
Your warfare is over. Come. All things are ready. Arise and depart for this is
not your rest. This earth, this world is not
your rest. One of Fanny Crosby's Many hymns,
I think, expresses this very well. She wrote, someday the
silver cord will break, and I know more as now shall sing, but all
the joy when I shall wake within the palace of the king. I can only imagine. Someday my
earthly house will fall and I cannot tell how soon it will be but
this I know my all in all has now a place in heaven for me. Set your affections on things
above where Christ is and I shall see him face to face and tell
the story saved by grace. I shall see him face to face
and tell the story saved by grace. Revelation chapter 22 verse 4,
I think the greatest promise in the word of God and they,
they shall, without a doubt, without question, they shall
see his face. Paul said, now is our salvation
nearer than when we first believed. are complete, everlasting salvation. Right now we've been saved from
sin's penalty. Right now every believing child
of God has no condemnation. They're in Christ Jesus. He's
been condemned for them. He suffered for them. He's delivered
them from the curse of the law because he was made a curse for
them. He was their substitute. Either he was or he wasn't. Either
he was or he wasn't. Either he took the place of his
people or he didn't. As when they came for him in
the garden and he stepped forth in front of his disciples and
said, I'm Christ, take me, but let these go their way. And they went their way. They
went free. He was their substitute. We've
been saved from sin's penalty. We're being saved from sin's
dominion. Sin shall not have dominion over
you because you're not under the law but you're under God's
grace. And soon, very soon, God's people
will be saved from sin's very presence. Roger asked me this
morning, he said, Dad, what bothers you? What do you struggle with? He says, I sometimes think preachers
don't have any struggles. I said, oh, no. Same thing you do, son. Same
thing you do. I struggle with sin. I struggle
with unbelief. Oh, but one day, soon, we'll
be saved from sin's very presence, from sin's very existence. As Moses told Pharaoh when he
wanted to compromise, that is, Pharaoh, and asked him to at
least leave his cattle behind. Remember what Moses said to him?
Not going to happen. There's not a hoof going to be
left behind. And so it is. Turn, if you will,
to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. Here is a verse much like what
we read in Romans chapter 13. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. Verse 8. But let us Unlike the unbeliever, let us
who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of
faith and love, and for an helmet the hope of salvation. For God
had not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our
Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us. who died for us. Verse 10 is the master argument
for our salvation. It's the reason for obtaining
this everlasting salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. Why? Because
he died for us. That matters. That shouldn't have to be said,
but sadly it does. That matters. Surely, surely
What Christ suffered, being made sin, enduring the wrath of God
Almighty, surely that wasn't for nothing. Surely he shall
see it prevail in his soul and be satisfied. And the reason,
the foundation, upon which the child of God has a hope of salvation
rests right here. Jesus Christ died for us. That makes all the difference
in the world. Otherwise, otherwise Christ died
in vain. People hear that the Lord loved
the church and gave himself for it. That Christ loved his bride
and laid down his life for his bride. where he himself prayed, Father,
I pray not for the world. Not for the world. And folks
say, oh, that's terrible. That's just awful. I just can't
stand that. I just can't bear to think of
that. You mean Christ didn't die for everybody? Let me ask
you this. Which is worse? to say that Christ
didn't die for all, to say that he did, and the very ones he
shed his blood for end up in hell anyway. Which is worse? One robs God of his glory, of
his honor. One is a reflection, a bad reflection
on every attribute of the triune God. Where is the justice of
God? Where is the justice of God Almighty
if He punishes Jesus Christ for my sins and then turns right
around and punishes me for the same sins. Where is God's justice?
Where is His love? Where is His mercy? And what
does the death of Christ mean after all if those for whom He
suffered end up suffering for those same sins after all? Thank God it shall never be. Christ did not die in vain. In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul said,
If Christ be not risen from the dead, like some were saying,
then we don't have any hope. We're yet in our sins and our
faith's vain. Our faith's an empty thing. Oh, but then he went on to say,
but now. I like the nows of God's Word,
don't you? But now there's no condemnation
of those who are in Christ Jesus. Now we have an advocate with
the Father. Now we have a high priest. Now we have a faithful and good
shepherd ever watching over us. Now is Christ risen from the
dead. My soul. Remember what that means. Now
is Christ risen from the dead. He said just days before He would
lay down His life for His sheep. He said now is the hour come
Now is the hour come, except if corn of wheat fall into the
ground and die, it abides alone. Oh, but if it die, if it die,
what's going to happen? It's going to bring forth much
fruit. Christ is the first fruits of
all of his people, and his resurrection means this. Now is Christ risen
from the dead, and it means this. Redemption has been obtained. Redemption is obtained. What
Jesus Christ accomplished at Calvary, then and there, in no
way depends on what you and I do in time. Never. He said it is. Not that it's going to be. It
might be. I hope it may be. No, it is. It is finished. Redemption was
obtained. Then and there, glory to His
name, sin was put away forever. And God Almighty was satisfied. He was satisfied. Had he not
been, had he not been, Christ would have never risen from the
tomb. But now is Christ risen from the grave and become the
first fruits of all of his people. And all of them, his sheep, shall
follow their great shepherd. Turn, if you will, to John's
Gospel. We're going to go back to Psalm 39 in a minute. But look in John's Gospel. I know these are very familiar
verses, but oh, how blessed they are. This is the Great Shepherd
speaking. And he's not speaking of things
that may be, but things that will be, shall be. In John's Gospel, chapter 6,
verse 37, he says, All, not most, but all, all that the Father
giveth me shall come to me. They'll come in time. The sheep
will hear my voice and they'll follow me. They'll hear his voice
and they'll come to him in time. And they'll come to him in glory.
Father, I will also that all those whom you've given me be
with me where I am. This place is not your rest that
they may behold my glory. 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 is sent me, that of all
which he had given me, I should lose nothing. The great shepherd
said, my sheep are in my hand, I give them eternal life and
they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out
of my hand. I should lose nothing, but should
raise it up again at the last day. What a comfort. Robert Haldane made this statement. I ran across it the other day.
I thought it was good. He said, the first great difficulty
is to convince a man that he's a sinner. Is that not so? Oh, find me a sinner. Everybody's
seen. Everybody's had an experience.
Everybody's made a decision. Oh, find me a bankrupt sinner
with nothing to pay. The first great difficulty is
to convince a man that he's a sinner, but the second difficulty is
to persuade a believer that he is forever safe in Christ. Is that not so? Our salvation,
that time when we shall be with the one who bought us with his
own precious blood, is nearer now than it's ever been. That's
what we read in Romans 13. That's what we read in 1 Thessalonians
5. Nearer now than when we first believed. How close? How near? As near as that last
breath you just took. As near as the time it takes
for a vapor to appear and then poof, it's gone. As near and
as certain as the will of God Almighty can make it. Now, let's
look again back in Psalm 39. Psalm 39, verse 7. The psalmist asked, and now,
Lord, what wait I for? Unlike the world, unlike the
men who have their hearts set in this world, Father, what about
me? What wait I for? That's the question
he asked. You remember what Peter wrote?
Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always, child
of God. Peter's speaking to believers.
He says, be ready always to give an answer to anyone who should
ask you the reason of the hope that is in you. What would be
your answer? What's your answer? And it's
not a multiple-choice question. I remember when we would have
tests in school. I would always be pleased if
it would be a multiple-choice quiz because then Although I
hadn't studied, there was always the possibility out of the three
answers, there was one in three chance that I would pick the
right one. This answer is not multiple choice. There's only one answer. Lord,
now what wait I for? What's the reason of the hope
of a believer? And David answers the question.
My hope is in thee. My hope is in thee. Soon the
great day of the Lord will come. When he says, time shall be no
more, and as a vesture, we read in Hebrews 1, this world, he'll
fold it up and lay it aside. Before him who sits upon the
throne, the heavens and the earth shall flee away. That time shall
soon come. That day that men call a fable,
that day that many will dread, that day that Paul told the wise
men on Mars Hill, the philosophers, That day that God Almighty has
appointed in which he will judge the world in righteousness, strict,
absolute, pure, mitigated, unyielding righteousness. That day that
we read of in Revelation chapter 20. Let me read it to you. And I saw the dead small and
great stand before God this day. And the books were opened. And
another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the
dead were judged out of those things which were written in
the books according to their works. And the sea gave up the
dead which were in it. And death and hell delivered
up the dead which were in them. And they were judged every man
according to their works. And death and hell were cast
into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And
whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast
into the lake of fire. When this shall happen, When
the heaven departs and men shall see the Son of Man coming in
the cloud of power and great glory, and they'll pray to the
rocks and the mountains, fall on us and hide us from the face
of Him that sits upon the throne. For the great day of His wrath
has come, and who shall be able to stand? Indeed, who shall be
able to stand before such a just and holy God? I remember not
long after I was saved. I don't put much stock in dreams.
but one that I never could shake. I dreamt that I was on a mountaintop
and I heard a trumpet sound and the scripture, the trumpet shall
sound and the dead in Christ shall rise first. It was just
so clear in my mind. And I looked and there he comes. There he
is. There he is, the Son of God. The son of God's coming for his
bride. The great shepherd's coming for
his sheep that where he is, they may be there also. And I heard
crying behind me. And I turned and there was Father
and my brothers praying for the rocks and the mountains to fall
on them. It's reality. It's no fairy tale. Christ said then and that day
and that day. Many shall stand before me, saying,
Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not do many
mighty works in your name? And then shall I profess unto
them, I never knew you. What will your hope be then? What will my hope be then? I
wonder How will standing before the presence of a just and holy
God, how will those decisions appear then? How will a moral
life appear then? Before that one who says it must
be perfect before I'll accept it. How will my religious experience
appear then? What will God say to you, to
me? Enter into the joy prepared for
you. or depart into everlasting darkness? What hope will any
sinner have in that day? And David says, it's right here.
My hope is in thee. In thee. Turn to 1 Timothy chapter
1. 1 Timothy chapter 1. I want us
to look at this verse together. 1 Timothy chapter 1, verse 1. David said, my hope is in thee. And Paul echoes the very same
hope. Verse 1, writing to his beloved
Timothy, Paul says, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment
of God our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. Now don't just cross
out the which is. Those words which were in italics
are in italics. It should read like this, Jesus
Christ Our hope. Nothing else. No one else. Jesus Christ our hope. He who
never changes. He who never fails. He who never
breaks his promise. Christ our hope. Nothing more. Nothing less. Nothing else. Nothing between. Nothing between
my soul and my Savior. Remember what God said concerning
him? Jesus of Nazareth came to Jordan
one day to fulfill all righteousness, to identify himself with his
people, to picture his own death and resurrection, to be baptized
by John. He's baptized and my soul At
that moment, when he comes up out of the water after being
immersed, he was buried. You don't bury somebody with
a few drops. He came up out of the water and
the heavens were opened and a dove descends, lands on him and at
the same time God says, this is my beloved son in whom I am
well pleased. He never said that about anybody
else. Never. Abraham was known as the
friend of God. And God himself said, David is
a man after my own heart. But only of Christ did God say,
this is my son in whom I am well pleased. Only Christ could say,
I do always those things that please my father. He entered
this world saying, I come to do thy will, oh my God. And my salvation, your salvation,
depends upon whether he did it or not. Did he accomplish the
purpose for which God sent him into this world? Salvation is
his doing. Salvation is not something you
do for God. Salvation is not partly God's
work and partly yours. Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation
is all of the Lord. He shall save his people from
their sins. That is Jesus Christ. If he doesn't
do it, It doesn't get done. Believer's hope is in Him. Found in Christ, God is well
pleased. This is my beloved Son in whom
I am well pleased. Being in Him, God is well pleased
with you and I as well. Think of that. Jesus Christ our
hope, a good hope, Paul says in 2 Thessalonians. God who has
given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,
not through my merit, but through the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
My acceptance before God is measured not by my worth. Ooh, oh man,
how dreadful that would be. My acceptance by God Almighty
is not measured by my worth, but the worth of my Savior. Can
you put a limit on His worth. Can you put a limit upon the
merit, upon the value of the Lord Jesus Christ? Oh no. In Him dwelleth all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily. Paul said, by the grace of God
I am what I am. If I'm elect, my election is
of grace. If I'm redeemed, my redemption
is of grace. If I'm called, I'm called by
God's grace. And if I'm kept, if I'm preserved,
I'll be preserved by grace. In Titus chapter 2 Paul said
we're looking for that glorious appearing and the blessed hope
of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ. In Hebrews 6 he said
we have a shore, a certain anchor within the veil. Jesus Christ
himself has entered for us as our forerunner. In Christ, believers
have all that God Almighty requires. Wisdom, righteousness, sanctification,
and redemption. Turn, if you will, to Colossians.
Colossians chapter 1. In Ezekiel, we're told that God,
after the work of grace, He performs for His people. He says, that
thou renown'st forth among the heathen for thy beauty, for it
was perfect. How in the world can that be?
How can it be said of any sinner that he's perfect? Through my
comeliness, which I put upon thee, saith the Lord God. In Galatians chapter 1, Paul
tells us that in Christ we're perfect. Perfect. Galatians 1
verse 21. Verse 21 and 22. And you that were sometimes alienated
and enemies in your mind by the wicked works, yet now hath he
reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present
you holy, unblameable, unreprovable in his sight. Look down at verse
27 in the same chapter. to whom God would make known
what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles,
which is Christ in you, the hope of glory, whom we preach, warning
every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may
present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. I've told you the
story about the man who in his will specified concerning a portrait
of his son, the only one he had, his son that he loved dearly
who had died. And after a while, the father died as well, and
he had an auction. And this man had paintings by
Rembrandt, Van Gogh, just famous artists. And people gathered
all around, came from all around for this auction. And the first
thing that the auctioneer set out was the portrait of this
man's son. And everybody said, what's this about? What's this
for? What about the Van Goghs, all these? This is what we want
to, this is what we came for. And there was one man who worked
for the father, and he bid what he could. Nobody wanted to bid,
and sold the portrait. And after he did so, the man
said, the auction's over. What? What do you mean it's over?
What about all these other paintings? And the man said, the father
in his will stipulated, whoever gets the son gets everything. And Christ Jesus, God's son,
God says, whoever has the son, has everything. Everything. Look here in Colossians chapter
2 verse 9. For in him dwelleth all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily. And he who has the Son has everything. And you are complete in him. Complete in him. Oh in myself
I am broken. Anything but complete. Unrighteous
without God and without hope. But only One place. There is only one place where
sinners are complete. Where they have all they need
to be accepted by God Almighty. Where they lack nothing. You
are. Are. Present tense. Now. At this moment, child of God.
And this will never change. This will always be so. Complete. Whole. Whole. having everything. You are complete
in Him. That's how David answered the
question. Lord, what wait I for? My hope
is in Thee. Oh, in that day to be found in
Him. Complete in Thee, no work of
mine can take, dear Lord, the place of Thine. Thy blood hath
parted and bought for me, and now I am complete. in thee. Dear Savior, when before thy
bar all tribes and tongues assembled are, among thy chosen will I
be at thy right hand, complete in thee. Yea, justified, O blessed
thought, and sanctified, salvation wrought, thy blood hath pardoned
both for me, and glorified I too shall be. What wait I for? My hope is in thee. God bless you. Thank you for
your time.