Thank you for the message, Joe.
I'll tell you a little secret about Joe and Bonnie. They're
like your pastor and his wife. They are superb musicians. So I let that out on them a little
bit. They're both very, very talented. She's not as gifted
to preach as he is, but they're both good musicians. Comfort, yeah. Comfort, yeah,
my people. Sayeth your God, speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her that her warfare
is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned,
for she hath received the Lord's hand double for all her sins. Sitting there a minute ago, looking
at your faces, I couldn't help but to wonder what pain some
of you are enduring. Two weeks ago, I got a call from
my dear friend, Brother Darwin Pruitt, a member of the church
in Danville, for years, and pastor of the Grace Patriotic Church
in Taylor, Arkansas, He'd taken his wife to the hospital, and
they sent her immediately over to Shreveport. Found out she
had a brain tumor and took it out. Large tumor. And then I spoke to him Monday,
no, Tuesday morning, and went back to the doctor. And the doctor informed him that she has something
less than 12 months left on this earth. Now, we're believers. We're believers. Somebody asked
me, how's God been doing? I said, well, I wasn't looking
at Him, and I wasn't holding His hands, so I can't be able
to say it, but He believes God. I know that. And we recognize
the blessedness of being absent from the body and present with
the Lord. But to lose The temporary companionship
of those you love is painful. To watch them suffer is very,
very painful. And I've been trying to figure
out a way to be of some help, to comfort my friends. How can
I comfort them? How can I administer comfort
to you? I mean, it's your difficulties,
your trials, your heartaches. Let me begin by sharing with
you, I hate that word share, I'm preaching, I'm not sharing,
I guess I'm to declare it to you. But let me begin by telling
you something, my three favorite subjects. The first is God's
sovereignty. Our God is in the heavens. He
hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. In heaven, in earth,
and in all deep places, He performs His will. Always, all the time,
with everybody. Our God rules the universe absolutely. Nothing comes to pass except
by His decree, by His goodwill, by the operation of His hand.
He said, I make light and create darkness. I make peace and create
evil. If it comes to pass, God did
it. If it comes to pass, God did
it. Understand that and you'll find
something that will help you through difficulties and trials
and heartaches. The second thing that gives me
great, great joy, peace and comfort is the gospel doctrine of substitution
with which our brother wrapped up his message just a little
bit ago. He, the Lord God Almighty, hath made him sin for us who
knew no sin. that we might be made the righteousness
of God in Him. With those words, the Apostle
Paul sets before us the effectual substitutionary atonement of
our Lord Jesus Christ. The Son of God was made sin for
His people. I like what our pastor had to
say just a minute ago, made to know sin. He's the only man who ever lived
who knows sin. The only one. The only one who
really knows what it is to be sinned before God. He was made sin by an act of
grace and justice. God transferred to him our sins,
our guilt, our punishment. that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him by an exact same transfer of grace and justice. Made righteousness. As he was
rewarded for sin, we shall be rewarded for righteousness. And the third subject that greatly
rejoices my heart is God's good providence. Turn to Romans chapter
8 and verse 28. Romans chapter 8 and verse 28. We know. All who are born of
God and taught of God know. We know by the witness of the
Word, and the witness of God's Spirit, and the witness of our
spirits. We know. That all things work
together. Together. Don't look at them
isolated. You'll never get any peace there. You look at one thing, you say,
that can't possibly be good. They all work together for good,
to them that love God, to them who are the called according
to His purpose. Here the Spirit of God declares
to us the holy, wise, and good, adorable, and rich providence
of our God. That's my subject this evening.
Divine Providence, that which quietens our fears. Divine Providence, that which
quietens our fears. Nothing is more comforting to
the believer's heart, nothing so affectionately quietens our
fears, as God's good providence. The assurance that God, our Father,
our Heavenly Father, rules the universe all the time for us. The Lord performeth all things
for me. Did you get that? The Lord performeth
all things for me. Specifically for me. All things. May God, the Holy
Spirit, now enable us to understand that which is revealed in this
book and teach us to believe God. Oh, I want to believe God. I want to believe God. I want
you to look at five texts of scripture tonight. We'll begin
in Isaiah 41. I want to make five statements. Isaiah 41, verse 10. Here's the
first statement. We have entirely too many fears. Entirely too many fears for a
people to whom the Lord God has sent. Isaiah 41, 10. Fear thou
not, for I am with thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy
God. I will strengthen thee, yea,
I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand
of my righteousness. Why can't we believe God? Has he not proved his great faithfulness? David heard God's promise and
believed Him. His faith in God gave him quietness
of heart. God's promises quietened his
fears, didn't it? Listen to this. He said, Yea,
though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will
fear no evil, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they
comfort me. David said, I will both lay me
down in peace and sleep. For thou, Lord, only makest me
to dwell in safety. He said, when my father and my
mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up. He believed God's promise, Joe.
He just flat believed God. And he was a man of sinful flesh
just like you and me. He was a man with the same struggles
we had, the same weaknesses we had, same trials we had, same
heartaches we had, and then much more. But he believed God. He said, yea, though I walk through
the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. How come? Because God's with me. God's
with me. God's with me. Here's the second
thing, Matthew chapter 6. Matthew chapter 6, verse 28. We have far too much anxiety
and worry about earthly material things for people to whom the
Son of God says this. Why take ye thoughts for raiment? What do you think about what
you're going to wear? Consider the lilies of the field, how
they grow. They toil not, neither do they
spin. And yet I say unto you that even
Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these.
Wherefore, if God so clothed the grass of the field, which
today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, Shall he not much
more clothe you, O ye of little faith? It is written in the scriptures,
My God shall supply all of your need according to His riches
in glory by Christ Jesus. All your need. Shelby and I in
the mornings before we go over to the office always, almost
always, have a couple cups of coffee before we ever get out
of bed. She brings it to me in bed and we sit and talk and reminisce.
It's a good practice. And we reminisce a lot about
God's provision. How often God just opens the
heavens and drops things in our lamps. Just opens the heaven and drops
things in our lap just as they're needed. My God shall supply all
your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Why
should I worry, fret, and pace the floor day by day and night
by night when God my Savior has promised that my Father will
for His sake provide me with everything I need in this world. Why should I ever concern myself
about that which God, who cannot lie, has promised? Look at verse
31, Matthew 6, 31. Therefore take no thought, saying,
What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or wherewithal shall
we be clothed? For after all these things do
the Gentiles seek. That's what everybody else lives
for. For your heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of
all these things, but seek ye first the kingdom of God and
his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.
Take no thoughts for tomorrow, for tomorrow shall take thought
for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the
evil thereof. No need to fret about what's
coming tomorrow. Take care of things for today. God guides
you through today. He guided you through yesterday.
He'll guide you through tomorrow. John 6, verse 37. Here's the third thing. We have far too many doubts.
far too many doubts concerning God's mercy, love, and grace
for a people to whom the Son of God has sent. All that the
Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me
I will in no wise cast out. Now I know that you, many of
you, have trouble here. I do too. The Savior said, I
give unto them eternal life. And they shall never perish.
Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. I've preached
on this matter many, many, many times. But I still have difficulty
with the state of assurance. And I'll tell you why. Because
I still have difficulty looking the wrong place. I keep looking
in here. I keep looking in here for peace
and assurance. It's not to be found there. It's
there at the right hand of the majesty on high where Christ
sits. He who is the anchor of our soul is in glory. Our unbelief,
our doubts, our fears are inexcusable. I won't attempt to justify them
or make excuses for them. Upon what grounds dare we call
into question the mercy, love, and grace of God So if I don't
doubt God, I doubt myself. I doubt that. I doubt that. We have absolutely no reason
to entertain any doubt concerning our God and our Savior. Did He
not promise and shall He not fulfill it? Mr. Spurgeon made this statement.
He said, the scripture says, he that believeth on the Son
of God hath everlasting life. I believe on the Son of God,
I have everlasting life. That's not too complicated, is
it? I believe on the Son of God, I have everlasting life. But what about your devotion? Ain't much to it. What about
your faith? Not much to it. What about your
love? Not much to it. What about your
godliness? Not much to it. What about your
service to the master? Not much to it. Not much to it. If I look to those things to
give me peace, I have none, if I'm honest. If I'm honest. Where is your assurance? I believe
on the Son of God. I trust Christ. That's all the
hope I've got. I trust Christ. I trust Him. His blood, His righteousness,
yes, Him. I trust His obedience, His death,
yes, I trust Him. I trust the Son of God. Why should
we ever question His promise? Paul was a sinner just like me,
just like you. Saved by God's grace, just like
us. And he didn't question God's promises. Turn over to 2 Timothy
chapter 1. 2 Timothy chapter 1. Listen to what it says. Verse 12. I'm not ashamed. I'm not ashamed. What our Lord promised, he that
believeth on me shall not be ashamed. Also, I'm not ashamed. For I know whom I have believed.
And I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've
committed unto him against that day. Go back to chapter 8 of
Romans. 2 Timothy, chapter 4, verse 6. Listen to this. Most of our churches
today, a fellow being moved out of the church for making a statement
like this. Listen to what Paul said. I'm now ready to be offered,
and the time of my departure's at hand. I've fought a good fight. I've finished my course. I've
kept the faith. Henceforth there's laid up for
me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous
judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but
unto all them also that love his appearance. That's confidence,
Dave. That's confidence in God. Look
at Romans chapter 8, verse 31. What shall we then say to these
things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared
not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall
he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay
anything to the charge of God's elect? It's God that justifies. Who is he that condemneth? It's
Christ that died, yea, rather than is risen again, who is even
at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for
us. Who shall separate us then from the love of Christ? Shall
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness,
or peril, or sword? As it is written, for thy sake
we are killed all the day long. We're counted as sheep for the
slaughter. They and all these things, we're more than conquerors
through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, I stand convinced,
that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,
nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height,
nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us
from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. What
does all that mean? I'm not going to doubt God's
love for me because of something I've done or thought. His love's
free and unconditional. I'm not going to doubt God's
mercy because of some sin I've committed. His mercy is for the
sinful and the guilty. I'm not going to call into question
His grace because of my transgressions. Where sin abounds, grace superabounds. I'm not going to be suspicious
of God's goodness because I don't deserve His goodness. His mercy
is for the undeserving. I'm not going to doubt His faithfulness
because of my unfaithfulness. His faithfulness stands forever.
The foundation of God stands assured, having this sealed,
the Lord knoweth them that are His. If we believe not, He abideth
faithful, He cannot deny Himself. All right, here's the fourth
thing, John 16, verse 33. We spend entirely too much time
grumbling and complaining about our trials and troubles for a
people to whom the Lord Jesus has said, John 16, 33, these
things have I spoken to you that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation.
You can bank on it. But be of good cheer, I've overcome
the world." We ought not be surprised when
trials come. We ought not be surprised by
heartaches. We ought not be surprised by disappointments. We ought
not be surprised if they don't come. God in Israel sows the
seeds of affliction, pain, and toil. These spring up and choke
the weeds that would else or spread the soil. If we're His,
we will be tried. Blessed is the man that endureth
temptation. For when he is tried, he'll receive
the crown of life. Blessed are you when you're tempted
and tried. and you're opposed and you're
hurt and you're made to test yourself all together into his
arms because you've got nowhere else to go. As long as you can go somewhere
else you will, I promise you. As long as you find somewhere
else for help, you'll go there. As long as you find peace somewhere
else, that's where you'll go. But when you've got nowhere else
to go, oh, blessed are you, for you'll find yourself cast down
at the throne of grace, seeking His mercy, His love and grace.
Every ounce of gold that's ever been perfected and made valuable
had been refined by fire. And if God puts the gold of his
grace in us, he will make us to pass through the fire. Behold,
I have refined thee, but not with silver. I have chosen thee
in the furnace of affliction. Beloved, think it not strange
concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some
strange thing had happened to you. Trouble comes, and our first
response is, why me? Why me? Our first response, ultimately,
why not me? Why not me? Our light affliction,
which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and
eternal weight of glory, while we look not at things which are
seen, but things which are not seen. For the things which are
seen are temporal, things which are not seen are eternal. Shall I be carried to the skies
on flowery beds of ease while others fought to win the prize
and sailed through bloody seas? Not likely, not likely. Our trials,
Paul calls our light affliction. If you read the first 16 verses
of chapter 4 in 2 Corinthians, you'll read that and you'll think,
how can he say light afflictions? Our trials are nothing compared
to what others have had to endure before us. Our trials are nothing compared
to what our Redeemer endured as our substitute. Our trials
and our griefs are nothing compared to the weight of glory that shall
be revealed in us. Our right affliction, which is
but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal
weight of glory. Brother Gene, we'll be better
off for every one of them. For every one of them. For every
heartache, for every tear, for every taste of bitterness, for
every bitter thing and every sweet thing, we've been better
off for it. Better off. Our Heavenly Father rules the
universe and performs all things for us. He only doeth wonders. Isn't that amazing? They told
Moses, they said, you go down and tell Pharaoh to let my people
go, and I know he won't let you go. I'll harden his heart so
that I may perform all my wonders in the land of Ham, so that I
may perform all my wonders in Egypt. What's that? By all those
judgments upon Egypt, God showed a distinction between Israel
and Egypt, and he brought Israel out of Egypt with a high hand
and a stretched out arm. Alright, turn to Hebrews chapter
11. Hebrews chapter 11, verse 8. Here's the fifth thing. We have entirely too much attachment
to this world and to this present life for people who are looking
for a city whose builder and maker is God. God forgive me. By faith, Hebrews 11 verse 8,
by faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place
which he should have to receive for an inheritance, obeyed and
went out not knowing whither he went. Verse 9, by faith he
sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling
in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of
the same promise. Verse 10, for he looked for a
city which had foundations, whose builder and maker is God. We know that to be absent from
the body is to be present with the Lord. We know that if our earthly house
and this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a
house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. The sooner the better. The sooner the better. Brother
God, you don't really believe that. You hang on, soon you're
going to find out whether I do or not. The sooner the better. Soon, we will be delivered from
the cares, and the heartaches, and the trials, and the grumblings,
and the corruptions, and the doubts, and the fears, and all
our attachment to this world, when we're delivered from this
body into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. Back years ago, Brother Darwin
Pruitt was pastored out in Alexandria, Louisiana, down in Ball, Louisiana,
where Milton Howard is presently. And there was a man there, Brother
Marvin Stoniker's dad, Gerald Stoniker, he and his wife owned
a restaurant called Stoniker's Restaurant. And they had huge crowds in there.
It was a great seafood place. Good place to go to really chow
down. I mean, you'd go in there and
gain 15 pounds in an hour. It was a great place to eat.
Nothing green in there, just all grease. All grease and butter. And there was a little boy sitting
in there and the place was crowded. And he had a corn cob. He'd gotten
every bit of the corn off of it. He was just getting all the
butter off of it he could. And it's not like me, his daddy
wouldn't sack him on the head and tell him to let go of it.
His daddy would bargain with him, try to get him not to let
go. Not to say it longer, he's bigoted, let go of that corn
cob. He wouldn't let go. Finally, Gerald came over. He
wanted the table. He said, do you mind if I try? He said, no. He reached behind him and handed
him a chocolate candy bar. That boy dropped that corn cob
and grabbed that candy bar. He saw something he wanted better,
something he wanted more, something more valuable than that greasy,
dirty corn cob. Our religious works will be dropped
like a hot potato if ever we get hold of Christ's finished
work. Our boasted good deeds will have no value to us if we're
allowed and made to see what Christ has done for sinners by
his obedience unto death as our substitute. Our righteousness
will appear to us what they really are, just filthy rags if ever
we come to see Christ's perfect righteousness. Our goodliness
will wither and die like the mown grass in a furnace if ever
we come to see the goodness and glory of God in Christ Jesus
like Isaiah did. If ever we see Christ, there'll
be no more argument about our goodness No more debate about
our worth. No more fuss about our will.
Like that little boy in the restaurant. You'll drop your worthless greasy
corn cob. Your empty nonsense. If ever you come to see Christ
Jesus the Lord, and you'll grab him because you can't help it. Of course, you can't help it.
It's called free grace. Irresistible grace. Grace that
comes by the revelation of Christ in you. Oh, may God do that for
you, for Christ's sake. Amen.