We read in the Holy Scriptures
where a leper came to our Lord Jesus while He walked here on
this earth and said, Lord, if Thou willest,
Thou canst make me whole. And that pure, spotless Lamb
of God reached out with His omnipotent hand and said, I will. touched Him and cleansed Him
from His leprosy. That's what happens to every
child of God when He touches us by His Spirit. He cleanses
us from all filthy sin and unrighteousness. And I had the honor and the privilege
of witnessing the hand of God touching those two men who just
subbed to Him. It's like getting saved all over again. Our God
is so good. And when He touches us, that's
the joy of our eternal soul. We'll praise Him forever and
forever for opening our blind eyes, unstopping our deaf ears,
raising us from that state of spiritual deadness. I believe
every physical healing that our Lord performed while He was here
on this earth points to the spiritual healing of His children when
He touches us under the preaching of His gospel. Turn to Malachi,
if you will, the third chapter. It's the last book of the Old
Testament. Malachi chapter 3. God, our wonderful
Savior, created all things. executed all things, is executing
all things, and will execute all things according to His eternal
purpose by and for the glory of Jesus Christ, the God-man,
and for the good of His chosen blood-bought people who were
purchased by the doing and the dying of Christ, our blessed
Redeemer. You don't have to turn there, but we read these words
in Revelation 4.11, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory
and honor and power, for Thou hast created all things, and
for Thy pleasure they are and were created. Jesus Christ, our
Creator, spoke everything into existence by the word of His
mouth. As we were leaving the church building last night, one
of the visiting brothers was looking up in the sky and he
said, look how clear, how clear it is. Look at those stars. I
said, isn't that amazing? He said, yes, it is amazing.
How can we not be amazed when we look upon creation? as that which our wonderful God,
the Lord Jesus Christ, has spoken into existence just by the word
of His mouth. And we heard this last night,
if any man being Christ is a brand new creature, creation, that's
God's work. We should be even more amazed
at His creating work in us than what we are, what we see with
the physical eye. So our God is great, greatly
to be praised. I remember hearing our brother
Michael Smith, one of the messages he preached here some time back. He's a member of this church,
just started preaching, but God has given him the gift. And in
his message, as he was magnifying our God for his marvelous works,
he asked this question and he answered it himself. Is God that
good? He said, yes, He is that good. And He is. Our God is good. Everything about Him is good.
Everything He does is good. And everything He does is for
the eternal good of His chosen people. Our Lord purposed everything. Purposed
everything. And like I already have said,
He executes all those things that He decreed before a star
ever twinkled in the sky. And He didn't have to give a
second thought to what He purposed to do. He's that great. And not only did He not have
to give a second thought, not only did He purpose everything
that comes to pass, He's so immutably perfect and so powerful that
nothing can stop Him. He cannot change. He wouldn't
change if He could. He's that perfect. How can you
change something that you do if it's perfect? And so when
we look at creation and what's around us, this should be in
our minds. This is what God has done. We
read in Proverbs 16.4, the Lord hath made all things for Himself,
yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. What does that mean? The Lord hath made all things
for Himself, yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. False religionists don't believe
that. But they can't deny it. That's just as plain as can be.
That's what the Word of God says. The problem with ungodly, unenlightened
religious folks is not that they don't know the meaning of certain
words. The problem with them is simply this, they don't believe
God. And like we heard last time, they hate God. And that was our
condition before the Lord came and touched us as those two brothers
were singing about in that song just a few moments ago. The holy,
Inspired word of God says that he, God himself, will have mercy
on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou
wilt say then unto me, why doth he yet find fault? For who hath
resisted his will? Nay, but, O man, who art thou
that replies against God, shall the thing formed say to him that
formed it, why hast thou made me thus? We dare not even question
God. And we read these words in Daniel
4.35, All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing.
And he, God, doeth according to his will an army of heaven
and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay
his hand or say unto him, What doest thou? That's the God we
worship. Brethren, Jesus Christ, our blessed
Redeemer, is the glorified God-man who is seated on His sovereign
throne in glory, working all things after the counsel of His
own will. And we read this scripture last
night and the night before last, I think, and we know, Romans
8, 28, and we know that all things work together for good to them
that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. Those And only those who have
been called out of darkness love God. And we didn't love Him in
our unregenerate state. We were enmity against God, not
subject unto the law of God, neither indeed could be. But
God put His love in our hearts. That's an exotic, doesn't come
from within. comes right from Him, who loves
us with an everlasting love. The love of God is shed abroad
in our hearts by God, the Holy Spirit. From Romans 8, 28, Pastor
Henry Mahan said, This promise of eternal good and well-being
is not a blanket promise to all men, but only to those who have
received Christ, who love Christ, and who have been effectually
called by His grace in saving faith to saving faith. There
is no mercy or grace outside of Jesus Christ. Now listen to
these words in Malachi chapter 3 verses 16 through 18. Then they that feared the Lord
spake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened and heard
it. And a book of remembrance was written before him for them
that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name. And they
shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I
make up my jewels. And I will spare them as a man
spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return and
discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that
serveth God and him that serveth him not." Now in these verses
of Holy Scripture, there is a clear contrast before us between God's
children and self-righteous religionists. Cannot be denied. We could not
discern that difference in our unregenerate state. Matter of
fact, we were with the wicked in our unregenerate state just
like them. Verse 17 says, In that day, and I believe this
has reference to the day of our deliverance from spiritual death
under the preaching of God's glorious gospel. Dr. John Gill
gave reference to that very truth in his commentary. In that day,
God the Holy Spirit revealed to us His chosen people that
were a peculiar treasure in his sight, his jewels, object of
his eternal love. In that day, the day we heard
the voice of Jesus Christ speaking to our heart, the day we received
the spirit of adoption embracing the glorious gospel truths that
give him all the glory, God's children and his sons and daughters
were spared as a man spareth his own son. That's God's doings. Verse 18 says, Then shall ye
return. Peter tells us that we were as
sheep gone astray, but are now returned unto the shepherd and
bishop of our soul. God owns us, lock, stock and
barrel. We were His before a star ever
twinkled in the sky. We were chosen in Christ before
the foundation of the world. Word of God says He loves us
with an everlasting love. But we were sheep that had gone
astray. It is interesting that to God that we serve never refers
to us as goats. God's not in the business of
changing goats into sheep. He's saving His lost sheep. We
had gone astray, and the Lord sweetly wooed us into His waiting
arms under the preaching of His gospel, giving us eternal life,
letting us know that He has purposed all of this for the glory of
Jesus Christ and for our eternal good. In that day, the day of
God's power, and by His gift of true saving faith, we willingly
by God-given faith, ran into the waiting arms of our Savior.
Nothing could keep us from coming to Him. God made us willing in
the day of His power, drawing us by His sovereign, irresistible
power by faith, coming into a living union with the true and living
God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Then, by the Spirit of God who
works in us, We learned to discern between the righteous and the
wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him
not. The righteous are those who have no righteousness of
their own, as Pastor Wardow was saying in his prayer to our God.
We have nothing to offer him. But it took the Spirit of God
to bring us to that understanding as He broke our heart, as He
convicted us of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. As He dealt
with us, making us miserable before Him with a broken and
a contrite heart that moved us to cry out to Him for mercy.
We knew we were bankrupt. We knew we had nothing to offer
God. And by His enlightening power, we understand today, we
understood as we heard the truth from those who were called of
God to preach, we heard that it's not of our free will, it's
not our decision. It's not of Him that willeth,
nor of Him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. And
He's the one who makes us aware of our need of His sovereign
mercy. and of Jesus Christ, who paid
the ransom price in full for all of our sins, that God would
have mercy on us for Christ's sake. You know, this doctrine, which
is as false as false can be, that God loves everybody, that's
a lie right out of the pit. And those who are in hell know
that. I wonder, oh God help me not to take this
lightly. I wonder how many who have gone
out into eternity trusting in their decision for Jesus, in
their free will, are right now at this very moment in eternal
torment. Verse 16 says, Then they that
feared the Lord spake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened
and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them
that feared the Lord and thought upon His name. Brethren, the
fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and that's the work
of God. That's the work of God. in our unregenerate state, we
had no fear of God. God's enlightened children have
true reverence, true reverential fear for God. And we don't fear
God's wrath. That's been taken care of. Our
Lord Jesus endured the wrath of God as our substitute. The
Apostle John, writing under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit,
tells us that perfect love casteth out fear. I hate my sin, my evil thoughts,
my wicked ways, but I don't fear coming judgment. Do you? I've already been judged in my
substitute. I've already been found guilty
in my substitute. I've already been punished in
my substitute. God is a just God. He cannot
demand payment twice. He cannot. He wouldn't be just
if he punished one for whom Christ died after punishing us in Christ. You know, when I first heard
about God's holy justice, knowing that I had sinned against Him
and deserved to be cast into eternal torment, that subject
of His holy justice, that God must punish sin, gripped my heart
with fear. Now it is the most blessed truth
that causes me to not only put my complete trust in my Savior,
but give Him all the glory for delivering me from the wrath
to come. God has justified us because
of Jesus Christ who loved us and gave Himself for us. What
a wonderful God. Now there's a contrast. Like
I mentioned earlier, in these verses of Holy Scripture, between
religious folks who have wrong thoughts of God and those whose
minds are filled with good thoughts of God, minds that are filled
with sincere love, minds that are in perpetual awe because
of who Jesus Christ is and what God has done for the glory of
His darling Son. Malachi 3, Verses 13-16 says, your words
have been stout, that's arrogant, against me saith the Lord. Yet
you say, what have we spoken so much against thee? Ye have
said it is vain to serve God. And what profit is it that we
have kept His ordinance and that we have walked mournfully before
the Lord of hosts? And now we call the proud happy?
Yea, they that work wickedness are set up. Yea, they that tempt
God are even delivered. Then they that feared the Lord
spake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened and heard
it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them
that feared the Lord and that thought upon His name." So it's
obvious that there's a contrast between folks that we're reading
about in the Holy Scripture and those who truly are filled with
love and adoration to God for His mighty works. That's been
the case in every generation. There's always been that contrast
between religious folks and those who are truly born again, as
we heard from Brother Rick Warder last night. Those who have experienced
the miracle of the new birth. It's true in this generation.
In the goat barns that Pastor Fortner mentioned last night,
there are people who profess to be followers of Christ, who
are reading the same scriptures that we read. Now some of them
have revised editions that I don't recommend at all, but some of
them do hold to the King James Version. They read the same scriptures,
they sing the same songs, they profess to be Christians. Yet
their teaching lies and believing lies that robs God of His glory,
makes the cross of Christ of none effect, tramples underfoot
the blood of Jesus Christ, calling it an unholy thing. That is a
common thing. And God hears all of that. But
it's an abomination in the sight of our wonderful God. But He
also hears not only the words that come from the lips of His
chosen, blood-bought, enlightened children, but those words that
are in our hearts, words that we can't even express verbally. The praise and the love and the
adoration that's there. God, He looks right into the
heart. All things are naked and open
unto Him with whom we have to do. That's Jesus Christ. He's
the written Word. He's the living Word. And He
knows the thoughts and the intents of our heart. And He knows when
we're gathered together, worshiping Him in spirit and in truth. And
He hearkens unto those. In other words, He is aware of
that. He knows the truth that He has
put in our hearts. And it pleases Him. It pleases
our God that we are gathered in His name worshiping Him, giving
Him all the glory. We read these words in Isaiah
7.20. If they speak not according to
this word, it is because there is no light in them. But our
Lord Jesus said to some unbelieving Jews, He said, Ye believe not,
because you're not of My sheep. He says, He that is of God heareth
God's words, ye therefore hear them not, because you're not
of God. Well folks, listen! God is the one who commands the
light to shine in our hearts and give the light of the knowledge
of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. We were in darkness
before he touched us, before he spoke to our heart, before
he called us out of that darkness. And we loved that darkness. We
loved it. We wouldn't change if we could.
We liked what we were doing. But it's God who makes the difference. It's God who brings us out of
that darkness into his marvelous light. And we read in Colossians
chapter one, that we are to give him thanks for calling us out
of darkness and translating us into the kingdom of Jesus Christ
our Lord. Our Lord hearkened, he gave special
attention to those who speak often one to another and a book
of remembrance was written before him. A book of remembrance is
God's way of speaking to us in a language that we can understand.
God doesn't need books. He doesn't keep records. Our
God is omniscient. He knows all things. The only
thing He forgets is our sins, and He does that for the glory
of God, because our sins are purged from His sight forever.
I mentioned this already in one of my messages. God sees no sin
in His chosen people. He sees no sin in Israel, spiritual
Israel, because He sees us in Jesus Christ. Without sin, does that bless
you? If that doesn't bless you, God
help you. There's no sin in the sight of God in His chosen blood-bought
children. He remembers those who love Him
and speak often in His name, in the name of Jesus Christ our
Lord. He is not unrighteous to forget our work and labor of
love which we have shown toward His name, in that we have ministered
to the saints and do minister. Can I take you back to Isaiah
chapter 14? Let's leave Malachi and go back
to Isaiah chapter 14 just for a moment. And I want to share
a verse with you that absolutely astonished me when I read it. And it has to do with how great
our God is. He is so great that we can't
even begin to describe the greatness of our God. All the attributes
of God should encourage us and move us to continual praise and
adoration. He's omniscient. He's omnipotent. He's omnipresent. Any of the
attributes of God should cause us Just be in perpetual awe. And all those attributes are
fully and clearly shown in the scriptures that they belong to
Jesus Christ, our risen Lord and Savior. He's very God of
very God. He's not some puny, finite God
of Somebody's imagination is trying to do something and can't. He's not standing before you
pleading and begging you to let you have His way with Him. He's
going to have His way whether you like it or not. And His way is perfect. Always perfect. And His way is
always accomplished. What He has decreed, what He
has purposed, shall come to pass by His sovereign power. Listen
to this. If you're in Isaiah chapter 14,
look at verse 24. The LORD of hosts hath sworn,
saying, Surely as I have thought So shall it come to pass, and
as I have purposed, so shall it stand. Now this is God's wording. He's speaking about Himself.
And I know it had reference to the destruction of a bunch of
ungodly people called the Assyrians, but it has reference to everything
about God, what He has purposed. He is so perfect. that his thoughts
are immutably perfect. He doesn't have to give a second
thought to anything. Boy, I tell you, that can't be
said about any of us. I don't know how many times I
have set out to do something, giving thought to it, and in
the middle of it, have said, boy, I wish I had given a little
more thought to this, and had to change what I was doing in
order to accomplish what I wanted to do. But that's not God. He
is perfect. Everything about Him is perfect.
His thoughts are perfect. His deeds are perfect. His way
is perfect. His will is perfect. And here's
something I hope you can grab a hold of in reference to verse
24 of Isaiah 14. God was thinking on us when He wrote our names in the
Lamb's Book of Life before the foundation of the world. His
thoughts were toward His chosen people. His love for us was in
His mind when He chose us in Christ Jesus before the world
began. He purposed to send His only
begotten Son to suffer and bleed and die for our sins. This was
in His mind. Now let me share something with
you that the Word of God says about Himself. And Brother Rick
Borda was mentioning this in one of his messages. It's hard
to understand God striking hands with God. And it is. But maybe
this will help you a little bit to understand that. The Word
of God says that He God Himself is of one mind. Is of one mind. God doesn't have two, three minds.
There's three glorious, divine persons in the Godhead. Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit, like we heard already during these meetings. The Word of God teaches us There are three that bear record
in heaven. It's the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit. Three divine persons. All of
God's enlightened children are Trinitarians. But we believe
there's only one God. He is of one mind. Who can turn
Him? God in His infinite wisdom and in His mind as He was thinking,
and I don't even know how to put that into words, we were
in His thoughts. He was thinking on us. His love,
His perfect, redeeming work that He purposed before a star ever
twinkled in the sky. The Word of God tells us in 2
Timothy 1.9 that God has saved us and called us with a holy
calling, not according to our works, but according to His own
purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before
the world began. So His thoughts concerning us
came to pass just exactly as He thought, as He purposed This
is God. We're talking about God. And
we're to think on these things. We're to be reminded of these
things. We should speak often one to another of these things.
And by God's grace, that is the result of our public worship,
of our gathering together. God has ordained ministers and
our purpose and standing before you is to preach the gospel of
Jesus Christ. There's only one gospel. That's
our business, to preach the gospel, to stir up your pure minds by
way of remembrance, to remind you of who God is, what He has
done, what He is doing, what He will yet do, which we may
not know as far as God Himself is concerned. But we do know
this, and I was talking with some folks during this conference,
He shall save all of His people. He shall deliver all of them
out of darkness. Our Lord Jesus said in John 6,
37, All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me, and him
that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out. Those two brothers
who stood before you singing a few moments ago, they came
out of darkness. by the hand of God who touched
them under the preaching of His glorious gospel. That's God's
work. Just a couple out of the countless
numbers in our way of counting that God has chosen, redeemed
with His precious blood, they're all going to come, all of them. Our God has determined that He
will have a people that will be conformed to the image
of Jesus Christ our Savior. He predestinated that. And we're
going to come. Thank God we have come. I encourage
you with these words. Do not let anything move you
away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard. Gather often
in the name of Jesus Christ for public worship. Assemble together,
not just for the hearing of God's Word, but in the fellowship to
follow. I am so thrilled to witness people
who come to our conference talking to one another about the things
they have heard. God hears this. He hearkens unto this. And a
book of remembrance is written For those who think on his name,
who speak often one to another, that should encourage us to speak
often to one another. God help us to just be so filled
with His love that He has put in us, with praises to Him that
come from the new heart, to often speak, speak often of Him, to
delight in this glorious time together, to speak continually
of those things that give our God all the praise and all the
honor and all the glory. Amen. Thank you. Brother John,
if you will please.