Would you turn to the 62nd Psalm? This has always been one of my
favorite psalms. You'll find the word only in
this psalm six times. Charles Spurgeon called it the
only psalm. And four times the word is translated
only, once, truly, and once, surely. But they're all in this
psalm. So look at these as we read this
psalm together, the only psalm. Truly, only, My soul waiteth
upon God. From him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation. He is my defense. I shall not
be greatly moved. How long will you imagine mischief
against a man You shall be slain, all of you, as a bowing wall
shall ye be, and as a tottering fence. They only consult to cast
him down from his excellency. They delight in lies. They bless
with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. My soul, wait thou only. upon God, for my expectation,
my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation. He is my defense. I shall not
be moved. In God is my salvation and my
glory. The rock of my strength and my
refuge is in God. Trust in him at all times, ye
people. Pour out your heart before him. God is a refuge for us. Selah. When you see that word,
it doesn't need to be stated. It means think about this, consider
this, meditate upon this. Surely men of low degree are vanity and men of high degree
are a lie. To be laid in the balance, they
are altogether lighter than vanity. Trust not in oppression and become
not vain in robbery. If riches increase, set not your
heart upon them. God has spoken once, twice have
I heard this, that power belongeth unto God. Also unto thee, O Lord,
belongeth mercy, for thou renderest to every man according to his
work. Let's pray. Lord, we come into your presence
with thanksgiving. For who you are. We come. With thanksgiving. For your son. He is who you are. And for your spirit, for he is
who you are. And we ask in Christ name, your
beloved son's name. that you would meet with us and
speak in power to our hearts for Christ's sake. Forgive us
of our sins for Christ's sake. Lord, enable each one of us to
behold his glory and rest in him. We pray for your blessing upon
all your people wherever they meet together. Accept our thanksgiving
in his name, we pray. Amen. The only song. I like that title. The only song. Only, only is
true. Only, only is true. True is found in the word only. Scriptures only. Christ only. Grace only. Faith only. The glory of God only. Only my soul waits on God. Now, my marginal reading says
truly or only my soul is silent before God. From him cometh my
salvation. My soul is silent before God. Now, what's that mean? What do I say? He is so glorious. He is so great. He is so infinite
that any words fall below expressing proper praise to him. I like
what Paul said when he said, thanks be unto God for his unspeakable
gift. Now praise, no doubt, is to be
audible, but when it comes right down to it, what do I have to
say that's worthwhile? that is worthy. And that's why
he says, praise is silent before thee. The best praise is silent
praise. Faith is silent. It waits only
upon him. Truly, my soul is silent before
God, from him cometh my salvation. Salvation is of the Lord, therefore
I wait on him. Verse two, he only is my rock. We looked at this last week,
verse two, chapter 61. From the end of the
earth will I cry unto thee. When my heart is overwhelmed,
lead me to the rock that is higher than I. He only is my rock, my
immovable rock, my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation. And I love the way Simeon expressed
this. When he was holding the Lord
Jesus Christ in his hands as an eight-day-old baby, he said,
Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes
have seen thy salvation. The person of Christ is God's
salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation. He is my defense. I shall not be greatly moved. Now, this is why David says,
I'm secure. Three titles. He's my rock. He's my salvation. He's my defense. He's my high place. He's my rock. He's my salvation. He's the reason
for salvation. He himself is salvation. Salvation
for his sake. I love the way the parable of
the marriage feast begins. The kingdom of heaven is like
unto a certain king that made a marriage for his son. That's God's motive. Creation
is for Christ's sake. Election is for Christ's sake.
Redemption is for Christ's sake. Every aspect of salvation is
for Christ's sake. Ephesians 4, 32, Be kind, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath
forgiven you. You want to know why God can
forgive you? Is it because you've been sorry enough and promised
to be better? No, for Christ's sake. That's
all the reason he needs for Christ's sake. Now look what he says in
verse three. He says, how long will you imagine
mischief against a man? He's speaking to the unbeliever.
You should be slain all of you. As a bowling wall, a wall being
pressed and getting ready to break apart, as a tottering fence
shall you be. David is speaking to his enemies
who wish him ill. Verse four, they, these people
he's speaking about, he's talking about the depravity of man, the
people he mentions in verse three, they only, there's that word
only again, they only. consult to cast him down from
his excellency. They consult to cast the Lord
Jesus down from his excellency. They have no love for him and
they want to see him brought down. They only seek to cast
him down from his excellency. They delight in lies. And this
is talking about every natural man. They delight in lies. They delight in lies with regard
to God. They delight in lies with regard
to man. They don't love the truth. They
delight in lies. They bless with their mouth.
Oh, they say praise the Lord and they use religious language.
They bless with their mouth. But here's what's going on on
the inside. They curse inwardly. They curse who God is. They curse
God's valuation of what man is. There's no real love to God in
these people in seeking to cast him down from his excellency. You're the natural man. Now listen
to me. This way I'm born. This is the
way you're born. We're born with a hatred of Jesus Christ. Somebody
says, no, I'm not. guilty of hating Christ. Well,
you might not be guilty of hating the Christ that you've imagined,
but the one of the Bible, men's view of God and Christ are seen
when they hear the true gospel preached. That's when you find
out what men really think. Now, David says again, my soul,
verse five, my soul wait thou only upon God. Four, my expectation,
my hope is from him. Now I have hope right now that
I'm gonna be saved, that God will look at me and say, well
done, thou good and faithful servant. And that expectation
is wholly because of him. God looks to Christ and everything
he requires of me, he looks to his son for. My expectation is
from him. He only, verse six, he only is
my rock. There's that word again. He only
is my rock. He only is my salvation. He's
my defense. Now that word defense is high
place. High place. Now how high is the
Lord Jesus Christ? He's high, isn't he? He's seated
at the right hand of the Father. He is high and every believer
is seated together in him, according to Ephesians 2, 6. Now, how high
is Christ? How secure is Christ? How safe
is Christ? That's how safe I am. That's
how secure I am in the Lord Jesus Christ, my defense. He is my
defense, my high place. Therefore, I shall not be moved.
I can't be moved if I'm in him. Verse seven, in God is my salvation
and my glory. The rock of my strength and my
refuge is in God. Now notice how he says, in God
is my salvation. First Corinthians 1.30, of him
are you in Christ Jesus. In God is my salvation. Of Him
are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us. Notice the strength of that language.
He's made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, holiness, and
redemption, full deliverance. That Paul went on to say, according
as it's written, he that glorieth. You're going to glory in something.
You're either going to glory in yourself, you're going to
glory in God. One of those two places. As it's
written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. In God
is my salvation and my glory. The rock of my strength and my
refuge, a mighty refuge is our God. A bulwark never failing. My refuge is in God, accepted
in the Beloved. Now, may the Lord give me and
you the grace to chew on that for just a moment. Right now,
I am accepted in the Beloved. In God is my salvation. And look
what he says in verse eight. Trust in him How often? At all times. Trust in Him at all times. At all times, He's in absolute
control of all things. I don't know how many times I'll
get frustrated and then the Lord will give me the grace to remember
He's in control of everything. trust in Him at all times. At all times, all of His people
are accepted in the Beloved, at all times. There's never a
time when I'm not accepted in the Beloved. At all times, salvation
is all of grace, At all times, Romans 8, 28 is in effect. 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,
trust in him at all times. And he even says what a blessing
this is. He even says, pour out your heart
before him. Whatever's in your heart, you
can't fake before God. We can fake before men, but not
before God. He sees what's there, casting
all your care upon Him, for He careth for you. Isn't that a
precious verse? Trust in Him at all times. Pour
out your heart before, don't try to be something you're not
before Him. Pour out your heart before him,
he knows. God is a refuge, a stronghold for us, Selah. Now he makes this statement that
I think is, it's almost funny because it's
so true. Surely men of low degree, low
born men, Men who the world would consider as unimportant. Men
of low degree. You know what they are? Vanity. Vanity. Nothing more. And men
of high degree. Men who think they're something.
Men who think they count. Men who consider themselves powerful
in this world. The movers and the shakers. The
people who think themselves to be somebody. I love that scripture
where Paul says, if a man thinketh himself to be something when
he's nothing, he deceives himself. Men of high degree, what are
they? A lie. A lie. Put them both together. Put them
on the balance. You know what they come out to
be? altogether lighter than vanity. Have you ever thought about how
unreasonable the fear of man is? I love what David said in
Psalm 39 verse five, man at his best state, best state, is altogether
vanity. Surely every man walketh in a
vain show. Every man walks in that vain
show, me and you included. I love the scriptural description
of men. Low degree, vanity. High degree, worse, a lie. Put them both together and they're
all together lighter than vanity. Now he gives some, huh? sage
wisdom to us, trust not in oppression. Trust not your ability to manipulate
things to get them the way you want them. That's what that's
talking about. Trust not in your ability to
manipulate things and put pressure on things to make sure what you
want comes to pass. Don't do that. Don't do that. Wait on the Lord. Trust not in
oppression and become not vain in robbery. Robbery, taking what
doesn't belong to you. Now that means so much more than
shoplifting or going into a grocery store and stealing something.
That's talking about robbing God of glory. That's talking
about taking credit where credit's not due. Don't become vain in
robbery. If riches increase, Set not your
heart upon them. Everybody is interested in being
financially stable. I want to be able to pay my bills,
you do too. This is not about even desiring
to be rich. I love the scripture in 1 Timothy
6, they that will be rich, that's their will. And the reason people
are rich, that's what they wanna be. I mean, that's what they've
set out for. I know that the Lord made it
to where they can be that way, but that's, they that will be
rich fall into snare and many foolish and hurtful lusts which
drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money
is the root of all evil. Now, if riches increase, the
Lord may make them to increase. Set not your heart on them, Remember,
His blessings are spiritual blessings. Riches can be a curse if they
make you find security in them and not in Christ Himself. He
said, if riches do increase, don't set your heart on them.
I mean, they can fly away so quick. I mean, the Lord can take
them away just like that. Where your treasure is, Christ,
there your heart is. He is my treasure. He is my riches. If riches increase, set not your
heart upon them. Verse 11, God hath spoken once. Twice have I heard this. It gives
us some idea of the importance of this statement. God has spoken
once, I've heard it twice. This is, this is to be confirmed
all together. Power belongeth unto God. Power belongeth unto God. You know what that means? That
means he has a monopoly on power. It all belongs to him. No man has any power at all. Now, I brought this up before. I remember I was riding in my
car, and I was listening to the radio, and it said they were
gonna give the five most powerful men in the world. And I thought,
phooey. No man has any power. Power belongeth
unto God. Any power you have is borrowed
power. The only reason you have any
power or influence, which you don't in and of yourself, but
it's what God's given you to accomplish his purpose. Pilate looked at the Lord and
said, Don't you know that I have power? How do you reckon the
Lord felt when he said that? Don't you know that I have power
to release you or to condemn you? You're in my hand. And the
Lord said, you could have no power at all over me. except it be given thee from
above." You are God's pawn doing God's will. That is true of everything. Now, I think it's very interesting
in the scripture. We read of five things that belong
to the Lord. Now, we know everything belongs
to him because Psalm 24, one says, the earth is the Lord's
and the fullness thereof. The world and they that dwell
therein, everything belongs to the Lord. So I can't say that
this doesn't belong to the Lord. He's in control of it all, but
still there are five specific things that are said to belong
to the Lord. Power belongeth to the Lord. Salvation belongeth to the Lord. That means it's utterly up to
Him as to whether or not me or you will be saved. Salvation
belongeth to the Lord. We also read this, Vengeance
is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. Vengeance belongeth
to the Lord. Don't you try to get revenge
on anybody, that belongs to the Lord. He's in control of that. And then Daniel said, and I love
this, Righteousness belongeth to thee." To us, confusion of
faith. That's what Daniel said about
himself all week. All we have come to us is confusion
of faith. But righteousness belongeth to
the Lord. If you have righteousness, it's
because he gave it to you. It's not because you worked it
out and achieved it by what you did. There's only one righteousness. You believe that? There's only
one righteousness, the righteousness of Jesus Christ, the righteousness
of God, the righteousness that belongs to Him. Righteousness
belongeth to the Lord. And look at verse 12. Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth
mercy. Here's the fifth thing. Also
unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy. Mercy is God not giving
you what you deserve. But look what he says. This almost,
if you don't know the gospel, this statement doesn't make any
sense. Also unto thee, O Lord, belong with mercy, for thou renderest
to every man according to his work. Now, how's that? How can Mercy belonged to God,
and yet He gives every man exactly what they deserve. Well, remember
how mercy and truth are met together, and righteousness and peace have
kissed one another in the gospel? Turn to 2 Corinthians chapter
5 for just a moment. For we must all appear before
the judgment seat of Christ. You're going to appear before
the judgment seat of Jesus Christ. That's an appointment you can't
get away from. We must all appear before the
judgment seat of Christ. that everyone may receive the
things done in his body according to that he hath done, whether
it be good or bad. Here's the fact. If I'm in Christ,
everything I've done in my body is good. Like that Republican Who beat
on his breast crying God be merciful to me the sinner Christ said
I say unto you that man went down to his house Justified You
know what that means? having never sinned all the things
done in his body are good Now, talking about mercy. By his mercy,
he made it so every believer receives the things done in their
body as good. Now, if that's talking about
anything else, I don't have any hope. And it's not talking about anything
else. This is how real justification is. I stand before God having
never sinned. You say, how could that be? You
have sinned. Christ made it to where it's not. And my personal
testimony, if you want to know the skinny on me and know the
reality about me, read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. There is
my life before God in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now that's a glorious
statement, isn't it? Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth
mercy, for thou renderest to every man according to his word.
Now listen to this. If you want to meet God on the
footing of your own works, go for it. He'll meet you there.
If you want to meet God on the ground of the pure, free mercy
of Christ, He'll meet you there. He renders to every man according
to his works. Okay. Man, what in the world's wrong
with that guy? I don't know what's wrong with it. It's over for
us.