Hebrews 13. You may have guessed the verse. I can't think of a better way
to begin this new year before us, or to close out the old,
than to be reminded of this blessed, blessed truth. Jesus Christ, that one who is our Savior and
who himself is salvation. We're told Jesus Christ the same. You can't say that about anything
else, can you? Day by day we look in the mirror
and we say, oh, how swiftly we change. But the Lord, I said
to him this morning when he came in, Happy New Year. He said,
yeah, another one, we begin another one. And how fastly they come
and go, do they not? Do they not so quickly, just
one upon the heels of another? So many changes within, without.
Oh, but we read of that one with whom we have to do, that one
that is the most precious to us, that one which is most valuable,
the one of whom we could do we could not rather do without concerning
Jesus the Christ, our Savior, the same yesterday and today
and forever. Looking back over this past year,
we've all experienced change. We've all experienced changes.
Some for the better, some for the worse. And we might be tempted
to think at times concerning those difficult times. Is nothing
stable? Is nothing for sure? Is there
nothing certain anymore? Yes, thank God there is. Our
Redeemer says to each of His own, I am the Lord and I change
not. I change not. Jesus Christ the
same yesterday, today, and forever. Old Newton wrote one of the verses
of his famous hymn, his most famous hymn, says, through many
dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come. Here we stand. Here we stand. And we may look
back even now and in our memory think of a trial that we thought
at the time we were passing through it, this is too much. This is
that last straw. I cannot bear this. I cannot
endure this. And yet here we stand on this
side and we sing His grace has brought me safe thus far. Children of God, for you and
I, that's the only explanation, Joe. There can't be anything
else. There could be no other reason,
no other answer to the question, what has brought us safe thus
far? It's His grace. And His grace that's proven sufficient
for us thus far, right up to this very moment in time. His
grace shall lead us home. Now, there's a foundation. their
stability. Jesus Savior changes not. Not in his glorious person, no
change whatsoever. Not in his glorious purpose,
as Joe read to us a moment ago. He's the same in his everlasting
love to each of his own. Having loved his own which were
in the world, he loved them unto the end. the same unchanging
effectual redemption, the same value, the same merit, the same
worth, the same pleasant acceptance before God Almighty to whom he
offered himself without spot and without blemish. And the
same precious blood cleanseth us from all sin. And we stand
this morning before our holy Lord God, accepted because we're
dressed in that same spotless robe of righteousness. You know
what? You know what? That robe will
never fade. That robe will never lose its
luster. That robe presents us before
God without a blemish, without a stain, without any such thing. Amidst all the changes within
and without, he abideth forever the same. Isn't that a comfort? This is why the child of God
can sing in all of his circumstances what we just sang a moment ago.
On Christ the solid rock I stand. And Christ said, the gates of
hell shall not prevail. Nothing can pluck them out of
my hand. Turn if you will to Joshua chapter
23. Joshua chapter 23. In this chapter
we're told that the time had come for Joshua that will come
to all God's people. The time that he should leave
this world. In verse 2 of Joshua chapter
23, we read this. Joshua called for all Israel,
and for their elders, and for their heads, and for their judges,
and for their officers. And he said to them, I am old
and stricken in age. I've changed. I've changed. I'm not the young man I used
to be. I'm not that one that led you into the promised land.
I'm not as youthful as I once was. I'm an old man now. I'm
well stricken in age. And ye have seen all that the
Lord your God hath done unto all those nations because of
you. If God be for us, who can be
against us? For the Lord your God is he that
hath fought for you. Look down, if you will, at verse
14. I love this passage. Verse 14, Joshua is speaking
and he says, Behold this day I am going the way of all the
earth and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls
that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which
the Lord your God spake concerning you. All are come to pass unto
you and not one thing hath failed thereof. And our Joshua Jesus
makes this claim. Not one promise shall fail. He said heaven and earth shall
pass away. As a vesture they shall be folded
up and laid aside once they've served their purpose, but he
says my words, my words shall not pass away. Not one promise
shall fail. All shall come to pass. The old hymn on page 75 of our
hymn book was written by a man named Henry Light in 1847. The original hymn had about eight
verses to it. Ours in the hymn has four. He finished writing that hymn
on the same day, the Sunday, that he stood before his congregation
that he had pastored faithfully for so many years and preached
his farewell sermon, his last sermon. He finished this hymn
on that same day. He was dying of tuberculosis,
and in three weeks of that day that he delivered his last sermon
to his congregation and finished this hymn, he was gone. He'd gone to be with the Lord.
He wrote, abide with me. Fast falls the evening tide. The darkness deepens. Lord, with
me abide. When others' helpers fail and
comforts flee, help of the helpless, abide with me. Swift to its close
ebbs out life's little day. Earth's joys grow dim and its
glories pass away. Change and decay in all around
I see. O thou who changes not, abide
with me." And our Joshua said, I'll be
with you always, even until the end of the world. I fear no foe
with thee at hand to bless. Eels have no weight, tears no
bitterness. Where is death's sting? Where
grave thy victory? I triumph still if thou abide
with me. Hold thou thy cross before my
closing eyes. Shine through the gloom and point
me to the skies. Heaven's morning breaks, and
earth's vain shadows flee. In life, in death, O Lord, Abide
with me. Turn if you will, let's look
at a passage or two. Psalm 33. We can stamp immutable,
unchanging upon every attribute of our unchanging God. Unchanging
in His power. Is anything too hard for the
Lord? Unchanging in His love. I've
loved thee with an everlasting love. Unchanging in His purpose. Unchanging in His grace. Unchanging
in His mercy. We read this throughout the scriptures.
Here in Psalm 33 verse 10. The Lord bringeth the counsel
of the heathen to naught. He maketh the devices of the
people of none effect. Oh, but the counsel of the Lord
That shall stand forever. The counsel, the purpose of God
shall stand forever. The thoughts of his heart to
all generations. I am the Lord, we read in Malachi. I am the Lord, I change not.
But the verse doesn't stop there, does it? I am the Lord, I change
not. Therefore, therefore, for this
reason, This is the reason ye sons of Jacob are not consumed,
because I change not. Peter says, I'll never deny you.
A few hours, just a few brief hours later, he's cursing, cursing,
trying to prove to our Lord's enemies that he has no knowledge
of Jesus of Nazareth. I don't know the man. Oh, but
having loved his own, which were in the world, he loved them unto
the end. Peter was no less loved by his
Redeemer when he was denying that he ever knew Him than when
he stood and said, I know that you're the Christ, the Son of
the living God. There was no change in Christ's
love for fickle Peter. And in the beginning of yet another
year before us, we can certainly apply these words of James to
this coming year. Whereas we know not what shall
be on the morrow, for what is your life? Joe, what is your
life? It is even as a vapor, anything
more fleeting, anything more fragile, it is even as a vapor
that appeareth for a little time and then vanishes away. I don't know what tomorrow holds. But my comfort doesn't lie there,
does it? It doesn't lie there. My hope
doesn't lie in whether I know what tomorrow holds because I
do not. I don't know what a day might
bring forth. I don't know what tomorrow holds.
Oh, but here it is, John. Here's the comfort. But I know
who holds all my tomorrows. All my tomorrows are in the hand
of my great shepherd. They're all in his hand who doeth
all things well. Think of this, child of God.
All that Christ now is, he is to you this day. All that
he ever was, yesterday, he now is. All that Christ will be in
eternity to come, in heaven itself, he is to you right now. Isn't that a comfort? Right now. Don't look for hope in yourself,
in your fickle character. You're changing feelings. Luther
said, Oh, feelings come and feelings go. Feelings are deceiving. My hope is in the Word of God.
None else is worth believing. But look to him who changes not,
who cannot be changed. Nothing changes him. Turn, if
you will, to Psalm 73. We read Psalm 72 a moment ago.
But look here in Psalm 73. One of the many Psalms of David. Oh what a checkered life the
son of Jesse led. At times so bold in the cause
of his God, standing before that giant Goliath and he said, you
come to me with your sword and your spear but I come to you
in the name of the Lord God of Israel. And then at other times
see him as he has a man murdered so he can take his wife. Truly,
verse 1, truly, surely, God is good to Israel, even to such
as of our pure heart, but as for me, but as for me, God is
good. There's no question about that.
His very name is an abbreviation of good. But as for me, as for
Larry Criss, now that's another story. That's another story. God is good. He's always been
good to me for 63 years. And for quite a few of those
years, though I knew it not, God was good to me. John, you
spoke this morning in your lesson about prevenient grace. Grace
before grace. Oh, how he kept me. preserved
me and would not let me go until he called me by his grace. As for me, my feet were almost
gone. My steps had well nigh slipped. And throughout the psalm, David
speaks about the reason of his great trial and temptation. He
was envious, envious at the wicked. Imagine that. David, to whom
God had given a throne, made king. Blessed with everything,
all spiritual blessings and heavenly places in Christ was with David
and yet he turns his eyes momentarily to the wicked and he said, I'm
jealous of them. Ever been there? Ever been there? But look, David changed, but
his God didn't change. Look what we read down at verse
22. So foolish was I and ignorant. I was as a beast before Thee.
Nevertheless, nevertheless, I am continually with Thee. Thou
is holding me by my right hand. You won't let me go." Our Lord
said to His disciples, When the multitude turned and walked away,
he asked them, will you also go away? Will you also go away? Yes, I will. I most certainly
will if he doesn't hold to my hand. But he's promised that
he would. Nevertheless, yes, I was ignorant. Yes, I was foolish. Yes, I was
envious. Yes, I was like a beast. Nevertheless,
I am continually with thee. Thou has not let go of me. Thou has holded me by my right
hand. Thou shall guide me with thy
counsel. And afterwards, oh, sweet afterwards. Peter, you cannot follow me now,
but you shall follow me afterwards. Afterwards, oh joy, or rather,
weeping may endure through the night. Oh, but afterwards, joy
cometh in the morning. Afterward, receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but thee?
And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee." I'm
sure that David rejoiced to know that his salvation did not depend
on him, don't you? And I am so thankful, I am so
thankful that no part of my salvation, Lester, oh I'm so glad of this. Not justification, not sanctification,
not redemption. No part of my salvation whatsoever
depends upon the least in me. It's all His doing. That's what
gives this sinner hope. I would have no hope otherwise.
There's a quote in today's bulletin by Mr. Toplady. He says, upon
review of the past year, he wrote this in his diary. In 1767, on
New Year's Eve, he wrote upon review of the past year, I wish
to confess that my unfruitfulness has been exceeding great, my
sin still greater. And so, so must I. So must I. Must make that same
confession. Oh, how unfaithful. How unfaithful. How prone to wonder. prone to wonder, prone to leave
the God I love, my sin still greater than my unfruitfulness.
Oh, but God's mercy, God's mercy, God's grace has been greater
than both. God's grace has been greater
than my unfruitfulness, my unfaithfulness, and all my sins. His grace yet
abounds more and more. As I said a moment ago, we don't
know what tomorrow holds, but knowing who holds tomorrow, we
can look forward with hope. This year may be a time of sickness,
because flesh is still flesh, but Jesus, who changes not, who
is the same yesterday, and today, and forever. He's still the great
physician, every miracle. Every miracle is a picture of
his power to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him. He can, in this very hour, in
this very place, make himself known to whom he will. Ask Barnabas. Bartimaeus, is he who is the
light of life? Is he who in the beginning said,
let there be light? Is he mighty to say? Can he yet,
by his same omnipotent power, simply exercise of his will,
open blinded eyes, old Bartimaeus would say, can't you just hear
him? Can't you just hear him? I'm
sure he would never tire of saying it. Oh, let me tell you, let
me tell you, that day I sat by the gate of Jericho. And I heard
that Jesus was passing by and I cried for mercy. Son of David,
have mercy on me. Have mercy on me. And in my mind's eye, I go back and I see another beggar. I see another beggar. I see another
blind sinner. Lost and undone. And Jesus of Nazareth came by.
He came to where I was. My soul. He came to where I was. And opened
my blinded eye. Jesus have mercy on me. Oh I
love this text. In Luke 18 we read, and Jesus
stood still. Jesus stood. He stopped and said,
bring him to me. Bring him to me. What do you
want, Bartimaeus? Oh, I want to see him. So be it. And Bartimaeus opened
his eyes and he saw the Lamb of God. Mr. Spurgeon said, oh,
he opened my eyes and I could have looked my eyes out. Oh, how precious did that grace
appear the hour I first believed. Oh, yes, Jesus Christ the same
yesterday and today and forever. What about that woman? That poor
dying woman who had spent all of her living on quacks. And was nothing bettered, but
rather grew worse. Jesus passed by her one day. And Luke tells us she thought
to herself, if I can just touch the hem of his garment, that's
all it'll take. That's all it'll take. Oh, he's full of grace. Full
of grace and truth. If I can just get through this
crowd, if I can just some way get through this crowd, if I
can just make contact with Him, or if I can just touch Him, I
shall be made whole. And you know the story. She reached
forth and that moment, that moment, that moment she was made perfectly
whole. He did for her what nobody else
could do. Oh, the touch of the master's
hand. He said, someone had touched
me, for I have felt virtue flow out of me. Flow out of him. His grace, his mercy, his righteousness
flows from him to needy, helpless sinners. Oh, yes, the same yesterday,
today, and forever. Oh, precious. How precious is
that flow? That flow from Him to needy sinners
that makes them white as snow. This year may be some lonely
times before us. Oh, but listen. Jesus promised
to you is this, I'll never leave you. And I'll never forsake you. Turn back, if you will, to Isaiah. Isaiah chapter 49. Isaiah chapter
49. So many of these that we could
read. But look what we read here in Isaiah chapter 49, verse 14. This is the word of our faithful
God that changes not. Verse 14 of Isaiah 49, But Zion
said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten
me. And our God replies this, Can
a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion
on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will
I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon
the palms of my hands, thy walls are continually before me. What should we do with that blessed,
blessed truth? Seeing then, Paul says, that
we have such a high priest, Jesus the Son of God, let us come boldly
to the throne of grace that we may find mercy and grace to help
in time of need. Let us come to him. And maybe,
oh, there's no maybe about this. There's no maybe about this.
There will be trials because he faithfully has told us in
the world, as long as you're in this world, ye shall have
tribulation. Anybody here this morning been
exempt from that? No, no. And we never will be
as long as we're in this world, but still, our Joshua The captain
of our salvation will bring us all home. Everyone. Turn back, if you will, to the
Psalm. Psalm 84. Let's look at another here. Psalm
84. Psalm 84 and verse 7. Concerning God's people, we read,
they go from strength to strength, everyone Every one of them in
Zion appeareth before God. Verse 11. For the Lord God is
a sun and a shield. The Lord will give grace and
glory. No good thing will he withhold
from them that walk uprightly. The Lord shall give grace and
glory. No sinner that has ever tasted
of his grace will not fail to enter glory. Turn, if you will,
to Revelation chapter 7. We have a picture of this very
thing. In Revelation chapter 7, John
said, I saw a multitude before the throne, in verse 9, which
no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people in tongues,
stood before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white
robes and palms in their hands, and cried with a loud voice,
saying, Salvation to our God, which set us upon the throne,
and to the Lamb." Verse 13, And one of the elders answered, saying
unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes, and
whence came they? And I said, sir, thou knowest.
And he said to me, these are they which came out of great
tribulation. In the world you shall have tribulation,
but these are they which came out of great tribulation. They all came out. Glory to his name, they all came
out. They all stand before the throne. They all wave the palm leaf of
victory. They're all clothed in white
robes. They all cry salvation to our God, glory to his name. They all came out of great tribulation
and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood
of the lamb. Therefore, therefore. Are they before the throne of
God and serve Him day and night? They love Him with an unsinning
heart. With an undivided heart. He has
their complete undivided attention always. And they serve Him day
and night in His temple. And He that sitteth on the throne
shall dwell among them. Oh, to grace how great a debtor
daily I'm constrained to be. Without a doubt, that battle
that we read of in the scriptures, that battle within, will not
cease as long as we're in this world. The spirit lusteth against
the flesh and the flesh against the spirit. We will still cry
out, O wretched man that I am, present tense. Present tense. When I was first saved, I ignorantly
thought that the time would come that I would get beyond that.
I would get beyond that. Oh, no. Old Adam is still too
strong for Larry. Who should deliver me? Paul said,
oh, wretched man that I am, who should deliver me from the body
of this death? And he answered the question,
didn't he? I thank God through Jesus Christ the Lord. There
is therefore now no condemnation. Child of God. I pray that he would bring that
to your remembrance. When you lie down tonight, or
any night, after a trying day, after a difficult time, or while
going through a trial, And remember, nothing can touch this. He'll
hold to my hand. There is now, therefore now,
no condemnation. Nothing can touch that to those
who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8 and 1 begins with no
condemnation and ends with no separation. Oh, how blessed is
a believer is. Blessed are those to whom the
Lord will not impute sin. And it is also still true that
now we see through a glass darkly, but not then. Not then. I had my daughter-in-law, Larry's
wife Donna, concerning her cousin losing her child. It happened
during Thanksgiving when I was there visiting. And she came
home and asked me, I don't understand why that happens. Why would God
allow that to happen? And I said, I don't know. I don't
know, but I do know this. That child is now in glory. That child is undoubtedly one
of God's elect. That child now beholds the king
in his beauty. That child will never experience
what some of us do. Thank God that child is now beholding
his face. And that is still true, is it
not? We read in Revelation 22 verse 4, and they shall see his
face. of heaven, glory of glory, they
shall see his face. Turn back, if you will, to 2
Samuel. 2 Samuel chapter 23. We read
the last words of Joshua. We're told here that these are
the last words of David. David, the sweet singer in Israel,
2 Samuel chapter 23. Verse one, now these be the last
words of David. David the son of Jesse said,
and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the
God of Jacob. And the sweet psalmist of Israel
said, verse five. I like this. Although my house
be not so with God, and I think we can all identify
with that, can't we? But he didn't stop there, did
he? Yet, yet, nevertheless, yet, he hath made
with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure,
Sure. What makes it so sure? Because
He entered it into that covenant on the behalf of all of His people
with the Son of David, the great shepherd of the sheep whom God
raised from the dead through the blood of the everlasting
covenant. The triune God entered into covenant
for the salvation of His people. And Christ is the surety of that
covenant. Yet he hath made with me an everlasting
covenant, ordered in all things and sure. And David said, oh
as he departed this world to be with his God, he said, this
is all my salvation and all my desire. I need no more. I want no more. Although he make
it not to grow. In Joshua chapter 12, you need
not turn there, we read this. They did eat of the fruit of
the land of Canaan that year. Joshua led them into the promised
land. Forty years they had wandered
in the wilderness, but now they entered the promised land. No
more weary wilderness. No more pitching tents. No more
fiery serpents, they entered into rest. And perhaps, perhaps,
perhaps this year, our Joshua, Jesus Christ the same, may will
that this year some of us be with him where he is. And he that sets upon the throne
We'll wipe away every tear from our eyes. In heaven, we'll never
have a reason to cry, John. Never have a reason to cry. Nothing
to cry about. And so shall we ever be with
the Lord. Swift to its close ebbs out life's
little day. Earth's joys grow dim. Its glories
pass away. Change and decay in all around
I see, O Thou who changes not, abide with me. Now unto Him that is able to
keep you from falling and to present you faultless before
the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise
God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power,
both now and forever. Amen. Amen. God bless you.