The psalmist David said in Psalm
115, verses 1-3, not unto us, not unto us, O Lord, but unto
thy name give glory for thy mercy and for thy true sake. Wherefore
should the heathen say, where is now their God? But our God,
our God is in the heavens, and he hath done whatsoever he hath
pleased." Unfortunately, that's not the God that many preach
today. And friends, the more I study
the scriptures, The more I realize just how much I don't understand.
I sit in my study and I read, read some more, pray and read
some more, and just beg God to give me something that will comfort
and profit you spiritually. And I'm being honest with you,
I struggle. I struggle week in and week out.
I constantly need your prayers. There's so much that I don't
understand about God. There's so much I don't understand
concerning His Word. But it occurred to me recently
that I don't need a God that I can understand. I just need
God. There's so much that I don't
understand about the Lord Jesus Christ laying down His life for
wretched sinners. So much I don't understand. But
I really don't need to figure it out. I just need His redeeming
blood. You see, God is incomprehensible. That's a big word. That just
means He's past, mind, and out. He can't be understood. Not in
the fullest sense of the word. And to be honest with you, I
would be in bad shape and you would be in bad shape if we had
a God that we could understand. There are just many things I
don't understand about God. Now, there are many things that
we understand about one another because we're all very much alike.
There's none that doeth good, no not one. We're all grouped
in that category. There's none that seeketh after
God. They've all gone their own way. You see, you and I are very
much alike. But if God is like you and I,
we're all in trouble. For he'd be a mess just like
we are, if he were like one of us. But He's far above me, and
I'll just be flat honest with you, I don't understand very
little about Him. But I believe what this book
declares about Him. That's what faith is. God said
through the prophet Isaiah, He said, For as the heavens are
higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways
and My thoughts. higher than your thoughts. And
like Job, I utter things I don't understand, and I preach things
too wonderful for me. Such knowledge, David said, is
too wonderful for me. It's high. I cannot obtain it,
but I can believe it. And that's why it takes a miracle
of grace in the heart of sinners for men and women to do that.
It takes a miracle of grace. Now I want you to turn with me
first to Romans chapter 11. I want you to consider with me
this morning the God of the Bible. Look at verse 33 of Romans 11.
The Apostle Paul seems to be just almost at a loss for words
here. But he does a real good job in
conveying the thoughts of his mind and heart. He says, Oh the
depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are His judgments
and His ways past finding out. I just don't understand. I don't
understand all there is to understand about God. And for me to let
on like I do would be nothing but pride and arrogance. Verse
34, For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been
His counselor? For who hath first given to him,
and it shall be recompensed unto him again. For of him, and through
him, and to him are all things, to whom be glory forever." Let's
ask ourselves these questions. How deep are his riches? Unfathomably deep. How unsearchable
are his judgments? Well, his ways are past finding
out. Who's known his mind? Who's been
his counselor? Who has instructed him? Who has
ever given anything to God that God owes them in return for? Recompense. All things are of
Him, through Him, and to Him, and for His glory. Not unto us,
O Lord, but unto Thy name. Now I want us to consider some
serious questions that God asks in the Word of God. And I'm not
going to keep you long this morning, so I ask you to give me your
attention. If you would turn with me to Proverbs chapter 30. Proverbs chapter 30. And look
at verse 4. Proverbs 30 verse 4. Who hath ascended up into heaven,
or descended? Who hath gathered the wind in
His fist? Who hath bound the waters in
a garment? Who hath established all the
ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is
His Son's name, if thou canst tell? Who's done these things?
Has man? the God of the Bible, the only
true and living God. And He's the God that I put my
trust in, my confidence in, without any reservation or hesitation
because He's able. He's able. Have you ever seen
anyone climb into heaven and take charge? Can man grab the winds and control
them? No, but our Lord can. Peace, be still. Can anyone gather
the rains in his buckets, stake out the ends of the earth? Just
tell me his name. Tell me the name of his sons.
Let me know who this is. Turn with me to the book of Isaiah. Let's start in chapter 40. Let's
read a few verses beginning in verse 12. Questions. Who hath measured the waters
in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span,
and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed
the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Who? Who can? who hath directed the
Spirit of the Lord, or being his counselor, hath taught him?
With whom took he counsel? And who instructed him, and taught
him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and
showed to him the way of understanding? Behold, the nations," and it's
not just talking about a man, it's talking about nations, are
as a drop of a bucket. and are counted as the small
dust of the balance. Behold, he taketh up the ales
as a very little thing." I heard that explained one time by a
very capable preacher, that drop of a bucket, that's when you
empty the bucket and you get it all out and you hold it up
and there's that one little drop of water that's gotten on the
bottom of the bucket and it drips down. That's what the nations
are to God, nothing. That small dust of the balance,
just a little dust that's found on them that don't really make
any difference in what you're weighing whatsoever. It's such
a small thing. That's what the nations are to
God Almighty. Nothing but the dust. Small dust,
it says, of the balance. And He taketh up the owls as
a very little thing. Lebanon is not sufficient to
burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.
And all nations before Him are as what? Nothing. Nothing. And they are counted to him less
than nothing in vanity. So let me ask you, God says,
to whom then will you liken God? If He's all these things, who
are you going to compare Him to? What likeness will you compare
unto Him? There is none. The natural men
and women's problem is that they think that they are altogether
one as He is. We don't even resemble. We don't
even come close. Psalm 50, 21. Thou thoughtest
that thou was altogether one such as I. And that's what men
think. And that's why men's opinion
of God is so low. They've endeavored to bring God
down to their level so they can feel good about themselves. But
in the end, it's not going to matter, friends, because God
is God. And we're going to stand before
Him in judgment and give an account. Look at Isaiah 41, just across
the page here, verse 26. Who hath declared from the beginning
that we may know, and before time that we may say, He is righteous? Yea, there is none that showeth.
Yea, there is none that declareth. Yea, there is none that heareth
your words." Turn over to chapter 45, verse 21. Tell ye, and bring them near,
yea, let them take counsel together. Who hath declared this from ancient
time? Who hath told it from that time?
Have not I the Lord? And there is no God else. Beside me a just God and oh,
I'm so glad it says these next words and a savior I don't want
God to deal with me and justice friends I want God to deal with
me and mercy and he's a just God and because the Lord Jesus
Christ became flesh and dwelt among us lived for his people
died in their place and satisfied God's justice God is still just
but he's also a savior And that's the best news that ever hit these
ears, or yours either. He's a just God and a Savior.
And then he reiterates, there's none beside me. Don't look anywhere
else. Don't search anywhere else. You
see, friends, the Scripture is very plain, that we know in part,
we prophesy or preach in part, and we see through a glass dimly. But I tell you that what I know
in part, and what I see through this glass dimly, is that God
is ruling and reigning in the heavens, and He hath done whatsoever
He hath pleased. Now that's the God of the Bible.
I'm not interested in hearing about any God that's less than
that. Because any less God than that
can do me no good. Can be of no profit to me. You
don't hear these saints preach much anymore. Men, as I said,
have by their own evil devices lied on God and endeavored to
make Him one like unto themselves. That's what God said. He said,
you all together thought that I was one like you. Our Lord
told a parable in Luke 19. You don't have to turn there.
And he said these words, speaking of God's beloved son, he said,
but his citizens hated him and sent a message after him saying,
we will not have this man to reign over us. And that's what's
going on in this world today. Men don't want this God. They
don't want the Lord Jesus Christ. Not the one that's truly proclaimed
in the scriptures. They want a little puny God that
they can control by their free will. And they want a little
Jesus who wants to save them if they'll just let Him. But
that's not God. That's not the Lord Jesus Christ of the Bible.
This is the God with whom we have to do. Because this is the
only God that can be of any benefit to you. Now, you're either going
to bow to it, or you're going to reject it, refuse it, and
rebel against it. What's it going to be? Well,
that's between you and Him. But I tell you this morning that
it does not matter what you want concerning this matter. Christ
the God-Man is ruling and reigning over you and over all the affairs
of this world. And you can fight it and die
in your sin, or you can bow to it and have everlasting life.
So I want to quickly confess some things to you this morning
that I simply don't understand. God's given me faith to believe
his word, and that's what really matters. Doesn't matter if I
understand it or not. And you've heard me say, and
we've all seen the little bumper sticker, God said it, I believe
it, and that settles it. You can leave out the second
part. It don't matter if you believe it or not. God said it,
that settles it. That's just the way it is. I
have no clue how or do I understand how God spoke this world into
existence. I can read about it, I can meditate
on it, but the truth of the matter is, I can't understand. My little
finite mind will not allow me to understand how God said, let
there be light, and there was light. I don't understand it,
but the Bible says it and I believe it. I don't have a clue. I don't
understand at all how God formed man out of the dust of the ground
and breathed into him the breath of life and the scripture says
he became a living soul. I have no clue how he did that. And God made man's help me from
the rib of the man. I don't know how he did that.
I'm not going to try to explain it. I don't have a clue. But
his word says he did and by his grace I believe his inspired
word. I was reading yesterday. You
know there's a book out. You can get it. You might ought
to run out and get it this afternoon. That answers many of the unanswerable
questions in scripture. If they're unanswerable, how's
he going to answer them? This is a book that I will not
buy. I'll tell you that. Do you know that men and women,
intelligent men and women, and I use that word intelligent lightly
because men and women have serious debates on whether Adam and Eve
had belly buttons. I don't care. All I know is that
Adam and Eve fell, and I fell in them. And unless God's mercy
and grace saves me by the redeeming blood of the Lord Jesus Christ,
I'm lost and condemned. Their belly button don't matter
one bit to me. Men and women argue, disagree,
and debate about the most stupid things. I don't know. I don't know if Adam had a belly
button or not. I don't care. My only hope of
redemption is in the sacrifice of God's beloved son who shed
his blood in his people's place and God accepted it. Paul told
Timothy, he said, foolish and unlearned questions avoid. Pretty
plain, isn't it? Foolish and unlearned questions. Unanswerable questions. Avoid
knowing that they do gender strifes, and the servant of the Lord must
not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
and meekness instructing those that oppose themselves. People
that concern themselves with these things, you know what they're
doing? They're opposing themselves. That's exactly what they're doing.
If God, peradventure, would give them repentance to the acknowledgment
of the truth, that they may recover themselves out of the snare of
the devil, who have taken captive by him at his will. That's what foolish and unlearned
questions will bring. You'll be taken captive by him
at his will. I don't have a scientific answer
as to how God brought all those plagues upon Egypt, but I'm going
to tell you there are men out there that are trying to scientifically
prove how this happened and that happened. Well, the flies came
because of the dead frogs, and this, that, and the other, and
blah, blah, blah. It's ridiculous. They're not going to find out
scientifically. You know why? Because it was supernaturally
done. Men are still debating today
how the people of Israel crossed the Red Sea. I know how they
crossed it. God departed it. And it says
they walked across on dry ground. People that claim still today
that at certain times of the year the water in the Red Sea
was only three or four feet deep. So they could just walk across.
It says they passed on dry ground. You get in three or four feet
of water, friend, you're gonna get wet. Three feet of water.
And my question to these skeptics is, is if the people of God crossed
the Red Sea in three feet of water trying to discredit God's
supernatural miracle, the more amazing thing to me is that he
drowned all Pharaoh's army in three foot of water. Scientifically
proved. Gotta have proof. Gotta have
proof. That's not faith. I can't explain how God caused
bread to fall from heaven, but he did. I don't know how he caused
water to flow from a rock, and that rock followed his people
in the wilderness. Only God could cause a rock to
walk. I have no clue how the clothes
and sandals of his people lasted for 40 years without any wear
or tear. I can't answer, but that's what
the scriptures say. I can't explain how he led his
people by day by a pillar of a cloud and at night by a pillar
of fire, but I know he did because that's what this book that you
hold in your lap this morning proclaims. Men and women spend
their lives trying to discredit God's Word. By the grace of God,
I simply choose to believe it. I'm not going to waste my time
trying to figure it out. I can't explain how the walls
of Jericho fell down by the people walking around, blowing a trumpet,
and then shouting out in unison. I'll tell you what I suspect.
I suspect God knocked it down. And he left one little corner
where Rahab the harlot lived. and he saved her. That's why
I believe God knocked it down. And I don't understand how in
the heat of the battle, and we study this in the book of Joshua,
that Israel was out fighting the Canaanites and God rained
hell from heaven, which fell with such precision and accuracy
that it only hit and destroyed the enemies of God. Knocked them
off their horses. How can you explain that? I can't. I believe it's so. How does God
give a son that he promised to a man 100 years old whose wife
is 90? I don't understand that. But
the answer is simple and plain. It simply pleased him to do so.
That's the only answer I can give you. Why did God hide His
word from the wise and prove it and reveal it to unlearned
babes? Our Lord said it seemed good
in His sight. That's the only answer I can
give. Why did God make the Lord Jesus Christ sin for His people,
the perfect God-man who knew no sin, and make us the righteousness
of God in Him? Because He's God, and that's
how He saved sinners. Those sinners that He gave to
Christ before the foundation of the world. How and why does
God take stony hearts out of His chosen people who are sinners
by inheritance, by birth, and by practice, and give them hearts
of flesh that love Him? I don't know. The only answer
this sinner has is that he does as he pleases, and it seemed
good in his sight. And that answer is sufficient
for God's people. There's so much I don't understand.
How can men and women look at the beauty of God's creation,
see the sun that sustains life, behold the stars and the moon
at night, and deny that there's a marvelous, amazing, sovereign
God who created the whole shooting match? I don't know. I don't
know how men can do that. They're without excuse. John
12 also says that they could not believe because that Isaiah
said that he hath blinded their eyes and hardened their heart
that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with
their heart and be converted and I should heal them. Well,
that doesn't sound like a loving God. No, but it sounded like
a holy one. It sounded like a holy God that
works all things after the counsel of His own will. And David said,
Whatsoever the Lord please, that did He in heaven and in earth
and in all deep places. And He causes the vapors to ascend
from the ends of the earth. And He makes lightnings for the
rain. And He bringeth the wind out
of His treasuries. Who does? God does. Who smote
the firstborn of Egypt, both a man and beast? Who sent tokens
and wonders into the midst of thee, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh and
upon all his servants? Who smote great nations and slew
mighty kings? God did. And this is the God
with whom we have to do. Let me leave you with this. I'm
straight up telling you this morning that if you don't believe
in this God, if someone's told you about a God that doesn't
resemble the God that I'm telling you about this morning, I'm telling
you, I'm not lying to you because I love you, I care about your
soul. Trust me, I do. I want you to know God. They've
lied to you. They flat lied to you. And I
suppose the thing that baffles me and astounds me more than
any other thing that I don't understand is the greatest wonder
of wonders, that God would save a good-for-nothing wretch like
me. That's the thing that amazes me more. I don't understand that.
I don't. I don't understand why He would
save me other than this. when it pleased God who separated
me from my mother's womb and called me by His grace to reveal
His Son to me.