You turn back to Numbers chapter
10. And tonight we're going to observe
the Lord's table together. And if I'm a believer, I ought
to be there to observe the Lord's table. He said this do in remembrance
of me. He didn't say this absence yourself,
but this do in the remembrance of me. I've entitled this message, Come With Us. We Will Do The
Good. Come With Us. We Will Do The
Good. Now, let me say this by way of
introduction. The gospel is exclusive. The gospel is inclusive. It's both of those things. And
it's very important that we understand both of those things. The gospel
of this book is exclusive. It excludes all other ways. The gospel is inclusive. It brings people in. Now, what
do I mean, or what does the Bible mean, more importantly, about
this thing of the exclusivity of the gospel? Well, look what
Moses said in verse 29. And Moses said unto Hobab, his
brother-in-law, the son of Raguel, the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law,
We are journeying unto the place of which the Lord said, I will
give it you. Come thou with us and we will
do thee good. For the Lord hath spoken good
concerning Israel. He didn't say he's spoken good
concerning the whole world, all men without exception. He didn't
say that at all, did he? He said, the Lord has spoken
good concerning Israel. Now who is Israel? Israel represents the elect. Let me show you that. Physical
Israel represents spiritual Israel. Now what is meant by that? Turn
with me to Romans chapter nine. Verse six, it's not as though the word of
God has taken none effect for they are not all Israel, which
are of Israel, neither because they are the seed of Abraham.
Are they all children, but in Isaac should I see be called
that is they, which are the children of the flesh, just natural born
Israelites. These are not the children of
God, but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
For this is the word of promise. God's promise at this time will
I come and Sarah shall have a son. And not only this, but when Rebecca
also had conceived by one, even by our father, Isaac for the
children being not yet born, neither having done any good
or evil that the purpose of God, according to election might stand. And here's God's purpose that
excludes every other. Salvation's not of works, but
of him that calleth. It was said unto her, the elder
shall serve the younger. As it's written, Jacob have I
loved. This is what God says. Jacob
have I loved. But Esau, God says, I have hated. What shall we say then? Is there
unrighteousness with God? Is God unfair? That's the natural
man's response. Maybe you were thinking that
when you read that. Is God unfair? God forbid, for he saith to Moses,
I'll have mercy on whom I will have mercy. I'll have compassion
on whom I will have compassion. So then it's not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, that exerts himself, that's excluded. But of God that show with mercy
for the scripture sayeth under Pharaoh, even for this same purpose,
have I raised the up that I might show my power in thee and that
my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore, at
the mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will, he hardens. It's exclusive in it. That being said, the gospel is
so inclusive. It's seen in the word whosoever. Whosoever. That means you, that
means me. You can't say I'm shut out. Whosoever. Are you whosoever? How do you
answer that? Whosoever. shall call upon the
name of the Lord, shall be saved. Whosoever will, let him take
the water of life freely. God has never turned away a sinner
who came to him for mercy. You can just write that down. If God didn't give you mercy,
it's because you didn't want it. God has never turned any
sinner away who came to him for mercy. And if you come for mercy,
you shall have it. Now, these were Moses' words
to his brother-in-law. I guess he'd known him for at
least 40 years. They had hung out in the desert,
watching the sheep. Remember, he left Egypt when
he was 40, and this is the time when they're leaving Egypt. And he's known this man for at
least 40 years. I suppose they were friends.
And he says to him, we are journeying unto the place which the Lord
said I'll give it you. Come thou with us. Now, he wasn't
an Israelite, but Moses still says, come thou with us. You
see, the salvation of Gentiles, like me and you, have always
been God's purpose. Come thou with us. We will do
thee good. For the Lord has spoken good
concerning Now, Moses begins with what God said. Come with us, because the Lord
said. The Lord has spoken. That's our
appeal. Our appeal is with what God has
said. The Lord said he'll, we're going
to the place the Lord said, I'll give it to you. The Lord said
that. The Lord has spoken good concerning Israel. Now we're
beginning with what the Lord said. That's where we gotta begin.
Now we're not beginning with what the Lord told me to tell
you. Like I've got some kind of special communication from
the Lord and I'm here to give it to you. You know what that
is? That's a cult leader. That's all that is. God's given me this
special message and now I'm going to give it to you. You're not
gonna hear it without me. That's what cult leaders say. So we're not talking about some
special message communicated to me that you won't hear unless
I give it to you. No, we're talking about what
the Lord said. You can read about it for yourself
in his word. Now the Bible, Claims to be the
word of God. All scripture is given by inspiration
of God. God breathed every word. God breathed. The scripture came
not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake
as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. Every word, God breathed. That book you have in your lap
is God breathed. If God can create the universe,
if God can make a way to be just and justify the ungodly, then
God can inspire a book and keep it preserved throughout the centuries,
the very Word of God. Now, this is Moses' appeal to
his brother-in-law. God said this, the Lord has spoken
good concerning Israel. That's our appeal, isn't it?
The Word of God. The Bible is the Word of God. I love the way Moses says, we're
going on a journey. We're going on a journey. Now
at the time, he didn't know it was going to be a 40 year journey.
He didn't find that out until the 14th chapter. He thought
it was going to be a short journey, but he said, we're going on a
journey. And here's where we're going.
You know, this is, I think it's kind of interesting, this is
kind of used in religion, this thing of being, we're going on
a journey, go with us, we're gonna have a good time. You know,
kind of an appeal to the flesh, that church across the street
says, your journey begins here. I hope not. But the appeal, though,
of this journey, we're going on a journey to a place that's
a lot better than anything here. It's the place where the Lord
said, I'll give it to thee. That's the journey we're going
on. A journey, you know, this world really is not our home,
is it? We're passing through. We're
passing through. It's going to be over soon, but
we're going on a journey. where the Lord said, I'll give
it to you. Now this journey, this place
we're going is better than anything this world has to offer. It's
better. I don't care what you get out
of this world, this is better. Anything you get with this world
will end up being unsatisfactory. What shall profit a man if he
gain the whole world and lose his soul? What shall a man give
in exchange for his soul? That's what the Lord said. And
this place we're going is a whole lot better, infinitely better. There's pleasure in this that
the world knows nothing of. This thing of seeing the glory
of Christ and resting in Christ and being found in him and having
his righteousness and having his presence. There's nothing
that the world has that can be compared to this. We're going
on a journey where the Lord said, I will give it you. Now let's think just a moment. He says, I will, we are journeying
under the place. And that word place carries with
it the idea of a wide open space. Liberty. Liberty. Don't you want liberty? Freedom? Oh, this is free. This is not
confining. This is absolute freedom. You're
debt free, and you get to do what you want to in this place.
It's free. And notice he calls it, we're
going to the place where the Lord said, I will give it thee. Now let's think of the power
of the Lord to give. If I say I'll give you something,
well, hopefully I will. I might end up lacking the power
to do it. I might not be able to do it.
I might forget about it. And really, what I give isn't
much of a big deal anyway. Anything I can give you, somebody
else can give you something better. You know that. But we're talking
about him who has power to give. You remember when the Lord said,
if you then Being evil. Anybody, is he talking to me?
Yep. If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to
your children, how much more shall your heavenly father give
good things to them that ask him? Now think of his power to
give. First of all, He can do it by
grace. You don't have to measure up. I don't deserve God's gifts. You're right about that, but
that doesn't have anything to do with Him giving them. He does so freely. And He's all-powerful. He's absolutely
sovereign. His will is always done. If He wills to give you a gift,
you're gonna have it. You know, His gifts are such
that He's already given them. Whatever you have now, whatever
He gives you now, you've always had in His mind. He saved us,
He called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but
according to His own purpose and grace, which were, what? Given us in Christ Jesus before
the world began. Now, He gave Himself. for our sins. He said, my peace I give unto
you. Now, don't think of the peace
he has with his father. He knows when the father looks
at him, the father's altogether pleased with him. And he gets
such peace from that. He gets such peace from his righteousness,
from his perfect obedience. from his sinlessness, from the
efficacy of what he did. Oh, the peace of the Lord Jesus
Christ. He said, my peace, I give unto
you. He said, the glory that thou gavest me, I have given
them. What gifts he has to give. Whoso drinketh of this water
shall thirst again, but whoso drinketh of the water that I
give shall never thirst. You know what that means? That means in Christ Jesus, you
look to him and you're not gonna be looking for anything else.
You know, when someone says that there's gotta be something else,
well, you've never seen him in the first place. If you ever
drink of this fountain, you're gonna find complete satisfaction
in being saved by him only, and you're not gonna be looking for
anything else. He's the only satisfying one in the world.
You won't thirst again in drinking of him. Him hath God exalted
with his right hand to be a prince and a savior to give repentance. You want that gift? Have your
mind changed? And the forgiveness of sins.
What a gift to have my sins all forgiven. And I can only think
of my sins as forgiven sins, blotted out sins, canceled sins.
What a gift. He said, no man can come to me
except it were given to him of my Father. Now there's a gift,
isn't it? To be given the grace to come to Christ to find everything.
Everything in the gospel, he gives. And everything that he
requires of me, he gives freely by his grace. Thanks be unto God, which giveth
us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. I mean, I'm given
the victory. I'm given the victory to where
it's my victory. Through the Lord Jesus Christ, I will give
to him that's of a thirst the water of life freely. He that
spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall
he not also with him freely give us all things? You interested in what he gives?
I am. Oh, we're on a journey to the
place where the Lord said, I'll give it thee. I'm interested
in that. I wanna go on this journey. Now look what Moses says. Oh,
may the Lord, the Spirit make this real to each one of us.
He says in verse 29, we're journeying unto the place of which the Lord
said, I will give it you. Not, I will give it you if I
will. That's the way God's gifts work. I will. Not, I will if. I will. I will and you shall. That's the gift of God. And look
what he says to Hodab. Come with us. Come with us. We will do thee
good. Come with us. Now listen to me
real carefully. The message of the gospel is come. Right now, just as you are. Not waiting to get better. Not
waiting for some kind of experience that makes you think you're now
fit to come. The message of the gospel is
come. Come with us. We will do the
good. Now remember, Hodab was not an
Israelite. Moses wanted him to come though,
didn't he? Come with us. And you know, that
is our message. Come with us. Not go away. Not get better. Not wait till
something happens that'll make you fit to come. Not wait till
you learn more. Not wait till you have more victory
over sin. Right now, come with us. We will do you good. You come
with us, it'll be good for you. It'll be the best thing you can
possibly do in life. Nothing is as important as this. Come with us. Don't stay away. Come with us. You can gain all
this world has to offer, and you'll find it all to be vanity,
vexation of spirit, and unsatisfying. Now, you will. Come with us. Come with us. We're journeying
to the place the Lord said, I'll give it to you. Come with us. We will do thee good. And look what it says. Four, here's why. The Lord has
spoken good concerning Israel. Now here's our appeal. Here's
why we say come with us. The Lord has spoken good concerning
Israel. Now who is Israel? Well, You'll
remember from Genesis chapter 32, Israel was Jacob. And God
changed his name to Israel. As a prince, you have power with
God and prevail. Jacob, Jacob, this sinful man,
this cheat, this deceitful man, that's what he was. You look
at the history of this man, he was a deceiver. You remember
the way he deceived his own brother to get the birthright? And to
get the blessing? I mean, he was a deceptive man.
There's nothing that you could say about this man that is good,
really. But he belonged to the Lord.
And God said, Jacob of our loved. And he gave him a new name. Your
name is Israel. And I think it's interesting
throughout the scripture. He keeps calling him Jacob and Israel.
Jacob's the old man. Israel's the new man. Jacob and
Israel. And he's addressed as both. Jacob
and Israel. The Lord has spoken good concerning
Israel. I'm going to read you some scriptures.
Thou shalt not curse the people, speaking of Israel, for they
are blessed. How can I curse whom God hath
not cursed? Lo, the people dwell alone, speaking
of Israel, and shall not be reckoned among the nations. They will
not be looked upon as the enemies of God. Who can count the dust
of Jacob or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the
death of the righteous. Speaking of Israel, I want to
die their death and let my last in be like his perfect conformity
to the Lord Jesus Christ. This has spoken of God. He has
not beheld iniquity in Jacob. How would you like to be in that
position where God doesn't behold iniquity in you? He hath not
seen perverseness in Israel. Well, that's where I wanna be.
I wanna be where God sees me as without iniquity, without
perverseness. The Lord God is with him and
the shout of the king is among them. And I know what that shout
is. It is finished. What a shout from the king that
is with Israel. Israel, how goodly are thy tents,
O Jacob, the tabernacle of Israel. It shall be said of Jacob and
Israel, what hath God wrought? We know we're the work of God.
We know our salvation is utterly the work of God. Israel represents
the whole company of God's elect. Those that Christ lived for,
those that Christ died for, those that Christ was raised for. The
Lord has spoken good concerning Israel. Now, listen real carefully. What's the mark of an Israelite?
How can I know if Christ came to save me? How can I know if
Christ doesn't behold iniquity in me and has not seen perverseness
in me? There's one identifying mark.
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. If I am a sinner, all I do is sin. I cannot not
sin. I don't talk about the way I
used to be. have nobody to blame but myself
for my sin. It's all my fault. I can't sit
in judgment on any son of Adam for anything because of my sin,
my sin. And I've got no claims on God. That's who Christ came to save. Well, that's not me. Sorry. Sorry. You're in a bad place. Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners. The Lord has spoken good concerning
Israel. Now, turn with me to Romans chapter
eight. Come with us. Come with us. We will do thee good for the
Lord has spoken good concerning Israel. How good? Look in verse
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. Now that's a
place I want to be. I want to be in a place where
everything's working together for my good. Don't you? All things that
covers all things, the bad stuff, the good stuff, the indifferent
stuff, all things. The painful things, all things
work together, not separately. The sovereign God is in control
of them all. Whatever he does is right. All
things work together for good to them that love God, to them
who are the called according to his purpose. Now you see the
exclusivity there. All things don't work good for
everybody. But they do for those who love
him, for those who are the called according to his purpose. Four,
whom he did foreknow for love, he also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn
among many brethren. Don't you want to be going to
that place? Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them He also
called. Whom He called, them He also
justified. Don't miss that. If you're justified,
that means you have no sin. That means you have no guilt. That means you're righteous before
God by what Christ did. Whom He justified, this is how
complete it is, He glorified. This is how sure, already glorified. Oh, what shall we say then to
these things? If God be for us, now that's
a good place to be, isn't it, to have God for you? I wouldn't
want to be anywhere else. 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? Now, listen here. In Christ,
there's nothing that can prevent God from giving you everything. You can't mess it up. You can't
mess it up. There's nothing you can do that
would prevent God from freely giving you all things because
he's already given his son. Verse 33, who shall lay anything
to the charge of God's elect? Nothing can be laid to your charge.
It's God that justifies. Who is he that condemneth? You
can't be condemned. How come? It's Christ that died. Yea, rather that's risen again.
Who is even at the right hand of God? Who also maketh intercession
for us? Who shall separate us from the
love of Christ? That's the place we're going.
That's a good place, isn't it? I wouldn't want to be anywhere
else. Come with us. Turn with me to
Revelation chapter 22. Now, the gospel is exclusive. Christ said, I am the way, no
man comes to the Father but by me. That excludes all other ways. Salvation is for Israel. It's for His elect. That's exclusive. It's for anybody who wants mercy. Now look in Revelation 22, verse
17. Here is the message of the Spirit,
and here is the message of the bride, the church. And the Spirit
and the bride say, come. You know the Lord said, Him that
cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. Now the exclusiveness
of that is seen in all of the Father giveth me shall come to
me. That's exclusive. But how inclusive is this? Him
that cometh to me, I will for no reason whatsoever cast out. You come, you will be received. You will be. This is the message. Come, not go and do. Not go and
make yourself fit. Not go and improve yourself.
Not go and wait till you become better. Come, right now, as you
are, to the Lord Jesus Christ. Listen to this scripture. These
are the words of our Lord. He said, come unto me, all ye
that labor. and are heavy laden, and I will
give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn
of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart." The Lord is so approachable.
You won't be turned away. He says, I'm meek. I'm lowly
of heart and you'll find rest for your souls. My burden, my
yoke is easy and my burden is light. Now, if salvation by what
you do is an unbearable burden to you, if salvation by works
is an unbearable burden to you. Come to the Lord Jesus Christ. He will receive you and the fact
that you come means he's already received you. Let's go on reading. The Spirit
and the Bride say come. Let him that heareth say come.
That's the message I'm to give. Let him that heareth what the
Spirit and the bride say, let him say the same thing, come. Let him that is a thirst, come. And whosoever will, let him take
the water of life freely. There's only one condition you
have to meet. You don't have anything to bring.
and you must receive it freely if you receive it at all. Are you a believer in the Lord
Jesus Christ? Come. Are you a sheep gone astray? You know, sheep do that. Come. Are you an unbeliever? That's all the more reason come. This is a command. This is not
good advice. You know, I guess in some respects,
it sounds like an invitation, but it's not an invitation. You
see the thing about an invitation is, is if you reject it, it's
not necessarily wrong, but if it's a command, you're commanded
to come. Moses looks at his brother-in-law,
Hodab, and he says, we're on a journey where the Lord said,
I'll give it to you. Come with us. We'll do thee good. For the Lord has spoken good. This is the good. It's not what
we do. It's what the Lord does. The
Lord has spoken good concerning Israel. May the Lord give us
grace to come, but I'll turn back to our text. This is what I'm closing with. I want us to look at Hodad's
response. Verse 30, and he said unto him, I'll not go. Not interested. I'll not go. But I will depart to my own land
and to my kindred. He heard this glorious message
and he said, nah, not interested. What about me? What about you? Well, there was a man that came
up to the Apostle Paul, the Ethiopian, I mean, the Philippian jailer,
and he said, sirs, what must I do to be saved? Now, he didn't say, what must
I do to save myself? He already knew that was out
of the question. What must I do to be saved? And here, Paul's
answer, believe. on the Lord Jesus Christ and
thou shalt be saved. Rely on Jesus Christ only as
all that is needed and all that's required for you to be saved
and you shall be saved. Let's pray. Lord, we ask in Christ's name that you will enable us to come
to thy son. Lord, say to each heart here,
come with us the spirit's message, the bride's message. Lord, how we thank you that you
spoken good concerning Israel. Bless this message for Your glory
and for our good. Lord, work Your work. Lord, we
know that salvation is of Thee, and we wait upon Thee to do Your
work. In Christ's name we pray, amen.