Hi, everybody. Look forward to
where we can meet publicly again, but I'm thankful that we can
do this. I want to remind us that the
Lord sent the coronavirus and it is working together by him
for good to all them that love God to them who are the called
according to his purpose. And I realize that there are
people whose incomes are greatly affected by this. in this church
and know that the Lord will take care of us. That's his promise.
And I pray that the Lord would enable all of us to be carefree
during this time and to look at the fact that the Lord has
done this and he's in control of everything. And I'm so thankful
for that. Now I'm going to read a verse
of scripture in Psalm 17. If you can turn with me, I wanna
begin reading in verse 13 of Psalm 17, and I've entitled this
message, The Two Great Blessings of Heaven. Psalm 17, beginning
in verse 13. Arise, O Lord. Disappoint him. Cast him down. Deliver my soul
from the wicked, which is thy sword, from men which are thy
hand, O Lord, from men of the world, which have their portion
in this life, whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure.
They're full of children and leave the rest of their substance
to their babes. As for me, in contrast to them, as for me,
I will behold thy face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied when I awake
with thy likeness. One evening this week, I was
just musing, if that's the proper word, about death. Maybe I was
thinking I would get the coronavirus and die. And in reality, if that
did take place, that would be the greatest day of my life because
I would be brought into the very presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And I was thinking of death.
And I was thinking there are two things that make me anticipate
death and look forward to it. Number one, seeing the Lord Jesus
Christ, seeing his face. And number two, not being a sinner
anymore, not having to deal with this thing called sin that every
believer is grieved so much about. I won't be a sinner anymore.
I won't even remember what it's like to be a sinner when I am
in glory. And while I was thinking of that,
I believe the Lord brought this scripture to my mind. When David
said, as for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness. There's seeing the Lord. And
then he said, I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness. There we have being a sinner
no more. Now I believe that I speak as
a spokesman for every believer when I say our great desire is
to see him, to be with him, and to not be a sinner anymore. Now James said, what What is
your life? It's even a vapor, nothing more. It appeareth a little while,
then vanisheth away. David said, thou hast made my
days as a hand breath. That's not very long. And mine
age is as nothing before thee. In the grand scheme of things,
our life very brief, then eternity. Eternity in heaven, in indescribable
bliss, or eternity in hell, suffering the wrath of God. Life here is
so brief, so brief, and then eternity, where there is no time. Now, when David speaks of eternity. He makes this statement, as for
me, as for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness. I'll be so righteous in my experience
that I'll be able to behold thy face. I will be doing what the
seraphims can't do. As they fly around his throne,
the scripture says, With the six wings, with two wings, they
cover their face. They can't look upon him. And
David says, I'll be able to. You see, the believer has a righteousness
that's infinitely superior than anything a seraphim has. We'll
be able to behold his face in utter righteousness, no shame,
no having to look down. I'll be satisfied. I'll be completely
satisfied when I awake in thy likeness. Now, David says, as
for me, as opposed or in contrast to, as distinct from them. Now, who are the them that he's
speaking of? He says in verse 13, arise, O
Lord, disappoint him, cast him down, deliver my soul from the
wicked, which is thy sword. wicked are in your hand accomplishing
your will but deliver me from the wicked. Now when he says
as for me as opposed to the wicked, as for me in contrast to the
wicked. Now there are two kinds of people
in this world and this is so very important for us to understand
only two, the righteous and the wicked. You and I are right now
presently in one of those two groups where God looks at me
and says he's righteous or God looks at me and says he is wicked,
the righteous and the wicked. Now the Lord gives a parable
in Luke chapter 18. As a matter of fact, I want to
read it and before I read it, I want us to notice that in this
parable, we find out that the righteous all believe themselves
to be wicked. They take their place with the
publican, God be merciful to me, the sinner, and the wicked
all believe themselves to be righteous. They take their place
with the Pharisee, God, I thank thee that I'm not as other men
are," and he goes on to list what a good person he believes
himself to be. Now keep that in mind as we read
this parable, the righteous and the wicked, the righteous take
their place with the publican, God be merciful to me the sinner,
and the wicked take their place with the pharisee, God I thank
thee that I'm not as other men are. And verse 9 of Luke chapter
18, And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in
themselves that they were righteous and despised others. Two men
went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other
a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed
thus with himself, God, I thank thee. I give you the credit. I don't give myself the credit.
It's by grace I'm like this. I thank thee. that I'm not as
other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as
this publican. I fast twice in the week. I give
tithes of all that I possess. That is the language of the wicked. Now let's pay attention to the
language of the righteous. And the publican, standing afar
off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but
smote upon his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me, the sinner."
Now, listen to the words of the Lord. I tell you, this man, this
man who smote his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me, the sinner. And that's present tense. He's
not saying, I used to be that way, but now I'm better. No,
God be merciful to me, the sinner. I tell you, this man went down
to his house justified, utterly righteous, without guilt, without
sin, standing perfectly justified before God. This man went down
to his house justified rather than the other. For everyone
that exalts himself, that's the wicked, shall be abased. And he that humbleth himself,
that's the righteous, shall be exalted. You and I, right now,
present tense, are either in the group of the righteous or
the group of the wicked. and David says, as for me, as
opposed to them, the wicked. Now, David lets us know that
the wicked are instruments in God's hand. Notice how he says
in verse 13, arise, oh Lord, disappoint him, cast him down,
deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword. The Lord
hath made all things for himself, Yea, even the wicked for the
day of evil. These wicked men are your sword. You are in control of them, accomplishing
your purposes. And he says the same thing in
verse 14. For men, which are thy hand, O Lord, these men are
extensions of your purpose, you doing your will, you accomplishing
your purpose. Everybody is in his hand, wicked
and righteous alike. Everybody is in his hand and
he is doing his will. For men which are thy hand, O
Lord, for men of the world." Now don't miss this, men of the
world. Who are the wicked? They are
men of the world. The world of which John said,
love not the world, neither the things which are in the world.
If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in
him. For all which is of the world,
the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life,
pleasure, pride, power, that which the world seeks after is
not of the Father. but of the world. The same world
of which John said, he that loveth, he that is the friend, James
said, he that's a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Let me read you some things the
Lord said about the world. Remember, the wicked are called
men of the world. In John chapter seven, verse
seven, he said, the world cannot hate you, but me it hateth. everybody that's of the world.
Me it hateth because I testify of it that the works thereof
are evil. He said in John chapter 8 verse
23, ye are from beneath. You know every unbeliever is
from beneath. The Lord said you're of your
father the devil and the lusts of your father you will do. Every
natural man is under control of the devil. People think of
the devil as being members of the occult and so on. Well, they're
no doubt part of it, but every natural man is under the control
and the dominion of the devil. And he says, you are from beneath,
I am from above. You are of this world, I am not
of this world. He said in John chapter five,
verse 16 to his disciples, He said, you have not chosen me,
but I have chosen you. And there's election. You have not chosen me, but I
have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring
forth fruit. And your fruit should remain that whatsoever you shall
ask of the father in my name, he may give it you. These things
I command you that you love one another. If the world, there's
that word world, If the world hate you, you know that it hated
me before it hated you. If you are of the world, the
world would love his own, but because you're not of the world,
but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world
hateth you. Remember the word that I said
unto you, the servant is not greater than his Lord. If they
persecuted me, they'll also persecute you. And if they have kept my
saying, they will keep yours also. In John chapter 17 verse
6, I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest
me out of the world. They were born in the world but
before they were born in the world you gave them to me. Thine
they were and thou gavest them me and they have kept thy word. He said in verse 9, I pray for
them. Now listen to this, I pray not
for the world. but for them which thou has given
me. Now, how does David identify
these people who are of the world, men of the world? Let's look
back at our text in Psalm 17 and see exactly what it is he
says. He says in verse 14, for men
which are of thy hand, O Lord, for men of the world, and here's
how they're identified, which have their portion, this life. Now this is true of every man
of the world. They have their portion, they
have their desire, they have that which they seek, they have
which is truly important to them in this life. Not the life to
come, not eternity, but in this life. The rich man and Lazarus,
Luke Lazarus, Luke chapter 16. The rich man, the scripture says,
he fared sumptuously. He was arrayed in purple and
fine linen. He was living the life, he was
living the dream, he had what people would call a good life.
His portion was in this life and Lazarus, the beggar, he had
his portion in the life to come. Oh, he had a difficult life here,
but his life was in the life to come. I think about what the
Lord said in Matthew chapter six about those who do alms,
those who pray, and those who fast. He says, they do alms that
they may be seen of men in this life. They have their reward. Their reward is in this life. Men see what they do and pat
them on the back, they have their reward in this life. He talks
about those who pray to be seen of men. Well, they pray and men
see and men are impressed, perhaps even intimidated by their piety
and religiosity. And the Lord said, behold, they
have their reward. And that reward's in this life
and what a miserable reward that is. And then those who fast and
they disfigure the faces so they appear to men to fast. Verily
I say unto you, they have their reward. Men see their fasting
and are impressed with their ability to overcome their physical
passions. And they go, oh, there's something.
What a reward that is to merely have your reward in this life. Now, the Lord said, how can you
believe we'd seek honor of one another and seek not that honor
that cometh from God Now let's look on in verse 14, for men
which are of the world, for men which have their portion in this
life, whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure, they're
full of children and leave the rest of their substance to their
babes. They have very prosperous lives. They're full and they
have much money to leave to their children. They've had what People
would call a charmed a good life, but look what David says, as
for me, as opposed to them, as for me, I will behold thy face
in righteousness. I shall be satisfied when I awake
in thy likeness. Now as for me, my portion, is
not in this life. And you know, it really isn't.
And every believer will agree with me. We're just strangers
passing through, waiting for the life to come. And the only way I can say, I
will, David says, as for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness. This is not the I will of presumption. I'll do this and I'll do that.
No, this is the I will from knowing that God said, I will, and you
shall. Therefore, I will. This is not
the I will of presumption. This is the I will from God willing
it. I will. I will do this for you,
and you shall do this. Therefore, I will. I will behold
thy face in righteousness, unlike the wicked, who will cry out
in that day, who will say to the mountains and to the rocks,
fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the
throne and the wrath of the Lamb." No, we're not going to be crying
out like that. We're going to say, I will behold
thy face. The face that Paul described
in 2 Corinthians 4, 6. God who commanded the light to
shine out of the darkness has shined in our hearts to give
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God. in the face,
in the face of Jesus Christ, that same face that set his face
like a flint toward Jerusalem, who know he was coming for this
one reason, to die, to glorify his father, and to make his people
able to behold his face in righteousness, that same face that was marred
more than the sons of men, the same face that had blood dripping
down from the crown of thorns, the same face that had the beard
ripped out, that face now crowned with glory and honor. David said,
as for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness. Now, do I need to remind you
that there is only one righteousness? Yes, I do need to remind you
of that. I need to remind myself of that. I don't want us to get
confused with two things. There's only one righteousness. His. The scripture says our righteousness,
this is Isaiah 64, six, our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. Now I'm going to stand before
God in judgment day, beholding his face in perfect righteousness. Now, I've already said this.
I'm going to be doing what no seraphim can do. Now, the seraphims
that fly around his throne crying, holy, holy, holy. What do they
do? They cover their face and they
cover their feet. They're not able to behold his
face, but the believer will behold his face in absolute, perfect,
complete righteousness. I can't do it now. in my experience,
but one day I will. I'll behold his face with no
reason to look down, nothing to be ashamed of. I'll behold
his face in perfect righteousness." Now, somebody says, how is that?
Well, let me show you. First John chapter four, verse
17 says, herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness
in the day of judgment. Now, did you hear that? standing
before God in judgment with boldness, with no fear? How can that be? Here's how. Because as he is. Is he perfectly righteous? Is
he perfectly holy? Is he without sin? Can he behold
the face of God? As he is, So are we in this world. As he is perfectly righteous,
so are we right now in this world. And that is how we're going to
stand before God in judgment, having his righteousness as our
own personal righteousness before God. Now, does anyone say with
Nicodemus, how can these things be? I'm glad you asked. It's
called the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now I wanna begin
with this scripture, 1 Corinthians 1.30, of him. Are you in Christ
Jesus? Now everybody that is in Christ
Jesus is in because of him. He placed you in Christ Jesus. You didn't do something to get
in Christ Jesus. You're in Christ Jesus of him,
of him are you in Christ Jesus, in him eternally. Ephesians 1.4
says, according as he hath chosen us in him, before the foundation
of the world, there has never been a time when you were not
in him. Now of him, are you in Christ
Jesus? Now I'd like to quote 2 Corinthians
5, 21, for he, the same one of whom it is said, of him are you
in Christ Jesus. For he hath made him, the Lord
Jesus Christ, to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might
be made the righteousness of God in him. Now that's the righteousness
of which I'm going to behold his face in righteousness. The
very righteousness of God, just as truly as he made him to be
sin. Every believer he was made sin
for is made the very righteousness of God in him. And now back to
1 Corinthians 1.30, of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God
is made unto us wisdom. and righteousness, and sanctification,
holiness, and redemption, full and complete deliverance. Listen to this scripture, Hebrews
chapter 11, verse four, the writer to the Hebrews talking about
Abraham. He says, by faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent
sacrifice than Cain, by the which he obtained witness that he was
righteous. Everybody who looks to Christ
only, who brings nothing but that which is Christ has done,
they have this testimony. They're righteous. God testifying of his gifts and
by it, he being dead yet speaketh. In Revelation chapter 19 verse
8, to her, the church, every believer was granted, was graciously
given that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white. For this fine linen is the righteousness
of the saints. It doesn't say the righteousness
of Christ imputed to them. It says his righteousness is
their personal righteousness. As for me, I will behold thy
face in righteousness. Now I'm not going to be looking
down in shame because of my sin, there will be nothing to be ashamed
of. Having his righteousness, I'm holy, unblameable, and unreprovable
in the very sight of God. First John chapter three, verse
five says, he was manifested to take away our sins. And beloved,
that's what he did. And in him is no sin. If I'm in him, I have no sin. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It's God that justifieth them. Now, this is the blood bought
right of every redeemed sinner. The songwriter said, Jesus, thy
blood and righteousness. My beauties are my glorious dress. Midst flaming worlds, in these
arrayed with joy, shall I lift up my head. Bold shall I stand
in that great day, for who ought to my charge can lay. Fully absolved through these
I am from sin's tremendous curse and shame. My hope is built on
nothing less. than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest
frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name, on Christ, the solid rock
I stand. All other ground is sinking sand. Now, as for me, I will because
God willed it, because Christ secured it, because God the Holy
Spirit causes it, I will behold thy face in righteousness. And then David says, I'll be
satisfied. I'll be completely and utterly
satisfied. That's part of what heaven is,
utter satisfaction. Not thinking about what you need
or what you lack. utter satisfaction, complete
satisfaction, no guilt, no shame, no sin. I will be satisfied. Now listen to this verse of scripture
in 1 John 3, verse 2. Beloved, now, now, not tomorrow,
now are we the sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we
shall be, but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be
like him. For we shall see him as he is."
Not as he was, a babe in the manger, the carpenter keeping
the law, not as the man nailed to a cross with the crown of
thorns, we're not going to see him as he was, but as he is. The brightness of his father's
glory, the express image of his person, the son of God, the lamb
having been slain from the foundation of the world now in eternity
with his scars eternally with Him to let us know what He accomplished
in our behalf, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world
and what results from this sight, we shall be like Him, perfectly
conformed to His image. The end of predestination will
be realized For whom he did predestinate, then he also called, or for whom
he did foreknow, then he also did predestinate to be conformed
to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among
many brethren. When I shall stand before thy
throne, dressed in beauty, not my own, When I see thee as thou
art, love thee with unsinning heart, then, Lord, shall I fully
know, not till then, how much I owe." And what did David say
will come from this? As for me, I'll behold thy face
in righteousness, I shall be satisfied when I awake. in thy likeness." Now, let me
say a couple of things about satisfaction. Oh, what a wonderful
thing this is to be satisfied. And even right now while I'm
speaking to you, I am satisfied to be saved by Christ. I'm not
looking for anything else. I'm not looking for another experience.
I'm not looking for some kind of progress in my life. Now,
I want to honor him. I realize that. but that's, I
don't get any satisfaction out of anything that my fingerprints
are on or anything that I do but I'm completely satisfied
with being saved by him. I'm not looking anywhere else.
I'm satisfied to have his righteousness as the only righteousness I have.
I'm satisfied to simply be found in him. That's right now but
it's also true that right now I am not satisfied with myself. I'm aware of the fact that I
am still a sinful man. I'm not congratulating myself
or finding comfort in the fact that I say, God be merciful to
me, the sinner. Well, at least I know I'm a sinner.
That's like somebody saying, well, at least I know I'm an
ax murderer. At least I know I'm a pedophile. No. We don't
find any satisfaction in our sin. We hate our sin. We desire
complete deliverance from sin. And we truly cry, God, be merciful
to me, the sinner. And I find no satisfaction in
the here and now. I find satisfaction in him, but
I don't find any satisfaction in myself. Paul said, O wretched
man that I am, not that I was, but that I am. Who shall deliver
me from the body of this death? As long as I'm a sinner in this
flesh, I'm not going to have satisfaction, but I will then. David said, as for me, I will
behold thy face in righteousness. He's talking about judgment day.
And he says, I shall be satisfied when I awake in thy likeness."
Now, this is the future of every believer to awake in the very
likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ. My dear friend, me and you won't
even remember what it's like to be a sinner. He makes all
things new. The former things have passed
away. Now, somebody's thinking, how
can I know if I'm one of these people? who will behold his face
in righteousness. How can I know if I'm one of
these people who shall be satisfied, awaking in his likeness? Dare I take this promise to myself? I can answer that question. When the Philippian jailer said,
sirs, what must I do to be saved? Now, if you're saved, that means
you're gonna behold His face in righteousness, and this is
your future, to be completely satisfied, awaking in His very
likeness, perfectly conformed to the image of Christ, serves.
What must I do to be saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and thou shalt be saved. Somebody says, what does that
mean? Does that mean I'm supposed to believe that Jesus Christ
died for my sins? Armenian believes that. All you
got to do is believe in universal redemption and you believe that.
It's not believing that Jesus Christ died for your sins. Here
it is. Paul put it this way. For I know, 2nd Timothy 1 12,
I know whom I have believed. I know whom I have believed. And I am persuaded. I am utterly
convinced that he is able. And here's what I believe. I
believe he is able. That's faith. Believing his ability. I believe that he is able. I'm fully persuaded that He is
able to keep that which I've committed to Him against that
day, that great day of judgment. I have committed the complete
and entire salvation of my soul to Him. It has nothing to do
with what I do. It has hold it to do with his
ability to do what he said he would do. I am persuaded that
he is able to keep that which I've committed to him against
that day. Do you have that persuasion?
Do you believe he is able to save you with no help, with no
contribution from you? He is able to save you with no
help from you. If you believe that you are with
David, one of those people who can say, ask for me, I will behold
thy face in righteousness. I will be satisfied when I awake
in thy likeness. Now at six o'clock tonight, we'll
be Meeting once again, I'm going to look out of Acts chapter 12
on how the church prayed without ceasing. And that's what we're
going to consider. Let's pray together. Lord, how we thank you for the
hope we have in thy son. Because of his sacrifice, we
can say, as for me, I will. Behold thy face in righteousness,
and I shall be satisfied when I awake in thy likeness. In Christ's blessed name we pray,
amen.