The Psalms have always been a
sweet source of comfort for God's people in his world. They seem
particularly drawn to the Psalms, no matter when they lived, whether
it was at the time David penned them and other writers as well,
or any day since that time. Why is that? Why do you suppose
that is? I think it's because we read
our own biography there, don't we? We identify with so much
that's written in the Psalms. For example, when the psalmist
in Psalms 51 cried out, Lord, my sins ever before me, I've
sinned against you. It's not just Nathan I sinned
against, though I did, and Bathsheba, and the nation that you've made
me king over, but primarily and foremost, now I've made to realize
I've sinned against you. And he prayed, Father, wash me.
Wash me thoroughly. wash me thoroughly, and I shall
be clean. Forgive me of my iniquity, and
then I'll teach transgressors by way. Restore unto me the joy
of my salvation. I know that experience. But by
God's grace, as David also recorded in Psalm 32, blessed is the man Blessed is the man to whom you
will not charge sin. Remember, that's what Nathan
said to him when he came to him and said, David, you're the man. You're the man. And David confessed,
oh yes, I am. What did Nathan say to him? But
God has put away your sin. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord will not charge sin. But also I think the Psalms speak
of the experience of God's grace as well. David speaks of one
here in Psalm 85, for example, of one greater than himself. It's a biography, not only of
our needs, but it's a biography, a story of God's amazing grace. It's a history of God's grace. How that he giveth and he giveth
and he giveth more grace. If we stop and admire the men,
then we've not gone far enough. We admired the God that forgave
the men, the God that raised up the men, the God whose grace
was sufficient for these men who were only earthen vessels
like the rest of us. So I think that's why we're drawn
to the Psalms. David here speaks of that one
again, greater than himself, the son of David. Our Lord used
that expression and applied it to himself, David's son and David's
Lord. Look, if you will, again for
example at verse 1. This can only apply to that one. This can only be speaking of
that one who himself is greater than David, the son of David. Lord, thou has been favorable
unto thy land. Thou has brought back the captivity
of Jacob. The captivity of Jacob. You remember
our Lord after his baptism? And after the temptation in the
wilderness, Luke tells us that he came to Nazareth where he'd
been brought up. And he went into the synagogue
and they delivered him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. And he
opened it and found the place and he read these words, the
Spirit of the Lord is upon me. because he's anointed me to preach
the gospel to the poor. He's sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to set the captives free. And this is what David prophesied
that he would do, that our great emancipator, the Lord of glory,
would set the captains free. Look what he says in verse 2.
Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people. Six times in those
first three verses, he says thou. Thou, God, you've forgiven. You've
set us free. You've covered our sins. He's
speaking of things that only God could do. Lord, only God
can accomplish a work like that. Thou has forgiven the iniquity
of thy people. The word for forgiven as it's
used here means born away. It means born away, carried off,
and it has an allusion to that scapegoat over which the high
priest would symbolically, by laying his hands over, transferred
the sins of Israel to that scapegoat and then a just man, we're told,
would take it out into the wilderness where it would go away and never
be seen again. That's what the word here rather
is how it's used here. Forgiven, born away. And then
look what it says, thou has covered, verse 2, thou has covered all
their sin. The word there is removed. Removed. All their sin. And then the psalmist says, Selah. Selah. That is, pause. Pause. Stop. Stop and consider
what you just read. Stop and consider what you just
sang. Cause these Psalms were sung
in the worship of our God. Thou has forgiven the iniquity
of our people. Thou has covered all their sin. That's what Bobby sang to us
a moment ago. God's grace. The blood of Christ
reaches deeper than the stain has gone. That's the only kind
of grace that's going to help this sinner. Grace that reigns
over my great sin. Grace that is greater. Grace
that reaches deeper. And the psalmist says, Selah,
that is, pause. Think about it. wonder of this blessed truth. God has forgiven the iniquity
of his people. He has covered all their sin. All of it. It's all gone. Consider what that means. And
then after that, look at verse three. After pausing, And considering
what's already been spoken, verse 3 says, Thou hast taken away
all thy wrath. Thou hast turned thyself from
the fierceness of thine anger. All thy wrath. Verse 2 says,
He's taken away all their sin. Therefore, it naturally follows,
he takes away all his wrath as well. Because where there is
no sin, there's no wrath. Where there is no cause, there's
no curse. The cause has been removed. Sin. Therefore, God's wrath has been
removed, as Paul said in Romans 8. There is there now for no
condemnation to those who are aware in Christ Jesus, because
Christ Jesus, as the substitute for his people, bore their sins
away, all gone, as the psalmist says here. Now, skip down and
look for a few moments with me at verse 13. Verse 13. Righteousness shall go before
Him, and He shall set us in the way of His steps. That's a difficult verse. Difficult
verse. Commentators primarily defined
it in two ways. They said the righteousness refers
to Christ Himself. Going before Him, Him referring
to Jehovah. and shall make his footsteps
a pathway for his people to walk in. Another says this. It's like Blind Bartimaeus did
that we referred to this morning. He set himself in the way of
Christ's steps, though he knew it not. He got in the way of
mercy and grace. that one in whom mercy and grace
is personified, that one by whom alone mercy and grace of God
can be realized. It can only come to us through
Him, the Lord Jesus Christ. Nothing passes between heaven
and earth except it comes from that one Mediator, the God-Man,
Jesus Christ Himself. I am the way, he said, the truth
and the life. The title of my message is In
His Steps. There was a book written, I used
to have a copy of it, I don't anymore, but if I remember right,
it was written back in the late 1800s by that very title. In
His Steps. It was a very popular book at
the time. Sold thousands and thousands
of copies, but the premise of the book was this. Members of
a church joined together and promised one another that they
would for the next year, the next year of their life, that
they would only do and act as they felt like Christ himself
would do and act in every aspect of their life. But that was fiction. That book was fiction. This isn't. This isn't. This is true. These words are true. My sheep
hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. Looking again
at our text, apply those words to it. We're in his steps. And our great shepherd said,
my sheep will follow me. Follow me. Wherever He goes,
we'll follow Him. Those words were spoken by Him
who also said, I'm the way, and I'm the truth, and I'm the life. One is dependent upon the other.
What I mean is this, the claim to be the way to God is of little
comfort if the one who speaks those words is not telling us
the truth. If we have reason to doubt Him,
but not so. He who said, my sheep hear my
voice and they follow me. and I'll never allow anything
or anyone to snatch even one out of my hand. I'm giving them
eternal life and they'll never perish. That one who spoke those
words about his blessed sheep is himself the truth. That makes
it certain, does it not? As we've heard the expression
used, you can take that to the bank. No, it's better than that. The bank may fail, but the words
of Jesus Christ will never fail. He said, I'm the truth. I'm the
truth. I saw on the news within the
last week or so, pretty recent, that that fellow who came along
some years back and claimed to be the Messiah, do you remember
that, Reverend Moon? He claimed to be the Messiah.
A lot of young people followed him, believed him, were deceived
by him. He said that Christ came, but really didn't finish what
he came to do, so God sent him to finish. Well, he died. He
died in the last few weeks. He was 92 years old, but he died. And now he's facing an eternity
in outer darkness because he wasn't the Messiah. He wasn't
the truth. The one who spoke these words,
I'm the truth, this so-called Messiah stood before him. Oh
no, it's not the words of a mere man. But the God-man who says,
I'll never leave you. I'll never forsake you. Every
promise you read in God's Word, remember who said that to you. He who's loved you with an everlasting
love, Lonnie. He who said, I give my sheep
eternal life. He who said, I lay down my life
for the sheep. He who said to the Pharisees,
you only claim to be the shepherd. That's who he's talking to in
John 10. When he said, you only claim to be the shepherd, but
you're really not. If you see the wolf coming, you'll
leave the sheep. and let them tend to themselves.
Let them be destroyed. He said, I'm the good shepherd.
You only claim to be. I really am. I love the sheep. And I lay down my life for the
sheep. I do everything for my sheep.
And he who said those words again, I remind you, also said, I'm
the truth. I'm the truth. Righteousness
shall go before him and shall set us in the way of his steps. The same blessed truth applies,
does it not? He told his disciples that night,
I'm going to prepare a place for you. Just minutes before
that, he said, I'm going away. And just like I told the Pharisees,
I'm telling you that now. You can't follow me now. I'm
going away. You can't come now. I've trodden
the winepress alone. And of the people, there'll be
none with me. I must purge the sins of my people
alone. But he said, if I go and prepare
a place for you, I'll come again. He's the way, the glory. But
in that context, he spoke these words. and they were brokenhearted,
they were utterly confused. All the time, all the time, they
kept looking for him to set up an earthly kingdom. They didn't
understand his mission. Though he spoke of it to them,
they didn't understand it till after his resurrection, he appeared
to them, and from Moses and the prophets and the Psalms, he expounded
unto them the things concerning himself. But he said to them
that night, if it were not so, if what I'm saying to you weren't
true, if it wasn't so, I would not have told you. I'll come
again and receive you unto myself. John found it to be so. He was
one of those troubled, broken-hearted, confused disciples that night
those words were spoken and then afterwards saw him arrested and
then crucified. But John found out that those
words were so because in Revelation chapter 14, John saw a multitude
that no man could number. John saw with his own eyes the
very proof of everything that his Lord told him was so. A multitude that none can number. And in Revelation 14 we're told,
these were redeemed from among men. Do you see the extraction
there? Not redeemed with all men. What
good is a redemption that doesn't deliver me from my sin? Doesn't deliver me from wrath? What good is that? And I'll tell
you this, it doesn't deserve to be called redemption. Call
it what it is, a misnomer, call it a failure, but don't call
it redemption. Everybody Jesus Christ redeemed,
everybody He shed His precious blood for, thereby purging their
sins, they're going to be with Him in glory. John saw them.
He said, these were redeemed from among men. And these are
they that follow the Lamb wheresoever he goeth. How you like that? Wherever he goes. Wherever he
goes, his sheep are gonna follow. We're gonna follow, as our text
says, in his steps, wherever he may be. And John, in that
chapter, also said this, they are without fault before the
throne of God. Now, I realize in Revelation,
the word is not used there, but I'll put it in Selah. Think about
that. Think about that. Without fault
before the throne of God? Pause. Pause and think of that. How can that be? How can that
be? That sinners like you and I could
stand before the holy God, before Him who knows all about us, and
be without fault. How can we be without fault before
the throne of God? I'll tell you why. Because He's
without fault before the throne of God. Christ is without fault
before the throne of God, and we stand there in His steps. in His righteousness, in His
obedience, in His acceptance, by His merit, His worth, His
value. It's all about Him. That's why
we're without fault before the throne of God. My soul, how could
you be otherwise? How could you be otherwise? Huh? It's not possible. Oh, but with
Him, with His holy garments on, the hymn writer said, as holy
as the Holy One. And He shall set us, verse 13
again, in His steps. Remember what our high priest
prayed that night after, or rather just before being betrayed by
Judas? In that high priestly prayer,
Father, keep them that you've given me. Keep them in your word. Keep them. The world doesn't
know them, but I know them. I chose them out of the world. Father, sanctify them through
thy truth. And then he went on to say, Father,
I will also that those whom you have given me be with me where
I am, that they may behold my glory. Isn't it sad to hear people
talk about why they value heaven or their concept of heaven? And
they talk about things. I once saw two grown men that
profess to know God almost come to blows over whether the streets
of gold were pure gold or only gold-plated. Real spiritual fellows. The glory of glory and the heaven
of heaven, be what it may be otherwise, is this, where I am. to be with him. Could he be satisfied
otherwise? Father, I want those you gave
me, those that I came to this world for. In the fullness of
time, God sent forth his son, made of a woman, made under the
law, may liken to his brethren." Why? To redeem them that were
under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons. Father,
I want them that you gave me, those I came for, those I've
lived for, those I'm about to shed my blood for. I want them
with me where I am. Could he be satisfied otherwise? Now think about that. Could the
Son of God who laid down his life for all his sheep? Could
he be satisfied if they weren't with him in glory? If he couldn't
say to the Father, all that you've given me, I've brought back to
you, I've lost none. Glory to his name. Isaiah said,
he shall see the reveal of his soul, and he shall be satisfied. Now think about that. Think about
that. Could he be satisfied if one
for whom he shed his blood should perish? Could he be satisfied
if one that he redeemed is not with him in glory? How could
he be satisfied? The answer is he could not be.
It would prove him to be a failure. The devil could hold up that
one and say, aha, here's one that I plucked out of your hand.
Here's one you couldn't keep. Here's one I have. It'll never
happen. It'll never happen. Oh, the prophet
was exactly right when he said he, that is Christ, shall see
it through the barrel of his soul and he'll be satisfied. Satisfied. And will not God give
his righteous servant, that is Christ, his full reward? Of course he will. One hymn says,
he leadeth me, O blessed thought, or words with heavenly comfort
fraught, where'er I go, where'er I be, to steal God's hand that
leadeth me." Look in Psalm 84, just above the one we read. In
Psalm 84, we're told exactly that in verse 7. Speaking of God's people, we
read this. They go from strength to strength. Every one of them in Zion, appeareth
before God. And we're quoted from the last
book a moment ago. John saw all of them without
fault before the throne of God. And then down in 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. He will give grace and glory
in that order. Grace is the forerunner of glory. No wonder Paul said, be content. Be content with such things as
ye have. Why? My, we live in a discontented
day, don't we? When's the last time you talked
to a contented person? a satisfied person, a person
that's content. Paul said, having Christ, we
have everything. And that was the basis of his
exhortation. Be content with such things as
ye have. Why, Paul? You don't know how
little I have and how much more I need. Paul said, be content. Why? Because he had said, I will
never leave you and I will never forsake you. These words that
the psalmist speaks of following him or rather following in his
steps. Oh, that's contentment, is it
not? Spoken by him whose voice made
the winds to cease. When he says, I'll never leave
you, spoken by that one whose command made the waves lie down. And the result was there was
a great calm. A great calm. Was this not what
enabled a heartbroken father to sit down on a ship near the
spot where not long before another ship went down with his daughters
on board and he lost them? Was it not the grace of God and
the truth of the great shepherd that enabled that man to sit
down and pen these words? When peace like a river attendeth
my way, or sorrows like sea billows roll one wave after another over
my head, whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, it is
well, it is well with my soul. Lord, that's amazing grace. There is no other explanation.
The only explanation why Job, while sitting in dust, cough,
and ashes, after losing everything, instead of taking his wife's
advice of cursing God and dying, he said, the Lord gave. And the
Lord took away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
How do you explain that? Job was a man, just like you
and I, the grace of God. Oh, what comfort knowing that
I'm his and he is mine, and we're in his steps. How often do you
suppose Peter recalled the words of our Savior that night, referring
again back in John 13? Peter, you can follow me now,
but you shall follow me afterwards. Afterwards. Now, he spoke those
words to Peter just after Peter said to him, I'll never deny
you. Though all men deny you, I won't. I'm ready to go with
you to death. I'll never deny you. But see
him just a few hours later, following our Lord at a distance, following,
we're told, afar off, lest he be detected. lest he be associated
with Jesus of Nazareth. He keeps his distance. Oh, how
far he fell, and so quickly, leaning upon the arm of flesh.
And now look at him. Is that Peter? Is that Peter
standing there by the campfire of the Lord's enemies? Is that
the same one that said, I'll never deny you, I'll go with
you to death? And a little maid comes up to
him and says, you're one of his. You're one of his followers.
You're a Galilean. Your speech betrays you. And
Peter cursed and said, I'm not him. I don't know him. I don't
know that man. I don't know that man. He didn't
say Jesus. He said, I don't know the man.
He's a stranger to me. And then by the third time, when
he denied his Lord, he cursed to convince them that he couldn't
be a follower of that man. And at that moment, Luke tells
us, Luke is the only one that does. But the Lord turned and
looked at Peter. And Peter looked at him. And
now we see Peter running out into the darkness, weeping bitter,
bitter tears. Peter, you shall follow me afterwards. What Peter said didn't affect
what the Lord said. Peter denied Him, but Christ
wouldn't deny Peter. His words, that is Christ's words,
and His will, and His purpose are still unaltered by Peter's
failure. It's not changed. Peter, our
Lord knew everything that would happen. He warned Peter that
it would happen. But yet he said to him, Peter,
you can't follow me now, but you're going to follow me afterwards.
Nothing you'll do tonight or any day after this will change
that blessed faith. I want you with me in glory. Isn't that? A blessed, blessed
thought. These are they who follow the
lamb, whether so ever he goeth in his steps. Aren't you thankful
that that's so? That his faithfulness is not
determined by ours? Jesus Christ the same always. The same love. The same grace. The same faithful shepherd of
the sheep. Was this what David was considering,
setting, and looking over his flock? And he thought, just like
I'm a shepherd to my sheep. He said, the Lord's my shepherd.
He's my shepherd. He said, he leadeth me beside
the still waters. He maketh me to lie down in green
pastures. And he said, surely, goodness
and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will
dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Forever. Not one of his sheep will ever
be lost. He leads his dear children along. Some through fire, some through
heartache, some through the water. Oh, but bless God, all through
the blood, all through the cleansing blood of the Lamb of God. Therefore, are they before the
throne of God. Verse 13 again in Psalms 85. And shall set us in the way of
his steps. And what were his steps? Steps
of perfect obedience to God the Father. From his birth to his death. Steps of absolute perfect obedience. Not a thought. Not an act. no transgression whatsoever in
thought and deed of his holy father's holy law. And in that,
he was acting as the substitute for his people and were put in
his steps of perfect obedience. God accounts that to our to us. And then he went to Calvary and
paid the penalty. The writers refer to it as the
active and passive obedience of Christ. Obeying God's law
in his life, suffering the penalty of God's broken law in his death. And again, he puts me in those
steps too. Following Christ all the way
to glory. I don't know if I've told you
the story. I'm at the age now I think I can afford to forget
or you'll not hold it against me if I don't recall giving it
to you before because I'm at the age where I may forget. But
one time in the winter, I followed my father from our house up in
that hollow and the snow had to be that deep. And I was following
him behind him as he walked. And he was a big man. I was only
about 10 years old, trying to keep up with him. But I saw where
he was putting his foot down in the snow, so I would just,
as far as I could reach, I put my step where his had been. He
was leading the way. All the way, my Savior leads
me. All the way. And I'm walking
in his steps. steps of perfect obedience, perfect
righteousness, perfect acceptance, perfect pleasing to a holy God. He puts me in his steps. There was a fellow that I worked
with for a while when I was at the University of Kentucky. He was there for a little while.
The poor boy was just... I don't know how he got past
the interview. He was just as lost as he could be, but he'd
follow me. He'd be right on my heels, Todd. Often I would stop the few months
he was there and he'd bump into me. I mean, I don't know whether
he's fearful or nervous of what he was, but a lot of time I'd
be going somewhere and I'd stop. I didn't know he'd walk right
into my back. In his steps, I'm going to follow
him, Christ by his grace, right up to glory. John says,
they shall see his face. There's my redeemer. Job said,
I know that my redeemer But that's not all he said, did he? And
I know that I shall see him for myself. Yes, yes. The skin worm shall devour my
flesh, and yet in my flesh, I shall see God, my Redeemer. One hymn writer put it like this,
describing our union with Christ. He's the bridegroom. We're his
bride. He's the head. We're his body.
The hymn writer said one when he died and one when he arose
one when he triumphed or his foes one when in heaven, he took
his seat and heaven saying all hell's defeat righteousness shall
go before him and