Good morning. Let's take our
Bible, and then we'll turn to 1 Samuel. 1 Samuel will be our text, and we want
to find verse 8 of chapter 21. 1 Samuel 21. 1 Samuel chapter 21 at verse 8. I'm glad that John read that
psalm. because it's the Psalm of David, we often find David
in his life was a man so blessed of God and anointed of God in
so many ways, be yet he was a man that knew trouble, heartache,
and sorrow. We find here in 1 Samuel 21,
that is the occasion here in David's life at this time. We
find David on the run. His dear friend Jonathan had
warned him that old King Saul was about to kill David or was
seeking his life. Saul knew that David was the
Lord's anointed. I believe he knew that one day
David would be king. But Saul in his eager and wicked
ambition was to end David's life so as to sustain his reign there
in Jerusalem. David here is fleeing for his
life. Look at verse 8. And David said
unto Himalek, Himalek is the priest of God. And is there not
here under thy hand spear or sword? For I have neither brought
my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business
required haste. Now David's not being completely
open here before the priest of God. He seemed to indicate that
he's on an errand for the king, when just the opposite is true,
he's running, running from the king. And the priest said, the
sword of Goliath, the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley
of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod,
if thou will take that Take it. Now, can you imagine what this
sword of Goliath looked like? It must have been large. It must
have been a special, unique instrument. If thou wilt, take it. For there
is no other save that here. This priest, and why this priest
had the sword of Goliath? Go figure. I don't know. But
in the good providence of the Lord, all this came to pass.
that David might have a weapon and that we might use this statement
in the preaching of the gospel. There is none here like that
sword and David said there's none like it. It's one of a kind. There's no other sword like that
sword of Goliath. There's none like that. And then
he said, that's the one I want. Give that sword. Give that sword
to me. Now you remember the story of
David. how the Philistines came attacking Israel, and how David,
being a young boy, he took those five stones and that sling, and
he went out to meet that giant Goliath. Goliath came in all of his armor
and all of his battle gear, and David said,
I come to you in the name of the living God. And he took those
stones and put one in the sling. And you know the story, how it
hit the giant in the forehead and killed him. And he fell down
and David ran up, not having a sword, and he took that sword
of Goliath, raised it up and removed his head. That's the sword that we're talking
about. David knew that that instrument
was a good weapon. It was a sound weapon. It was a weapon that he could
make use of to defend himself. Now, that's the background. David being worn by Jonathan
of Saul's evil intentions against him to put him to death, flees
for his life. He flees in haste, he takes no
food, he takes no weapon, but he flees to a place of refuge. He flees to the priest of God.
Even in his fleeing to the priest of God, we have a picture and
type of a sinner fleeing to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our
great high priest. The Lord Jesus Christ, he is
our refuge. We read a moment ago that we
have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens. Seeing
that we have a great high priest, let us come boldly under the
throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help
in time of need. Our God is a very present help
in trouble. David, as you read in the preceding
verses, David also receives the bread, the showbread from the
priest of God. And we know even in this that
we have a shadow and type of the gospel for those 12 loaves
of the showbread. Picture what? Christ our bread. The Lord said, I am the bread
of life. He that cometh to me shall never hunger. He that believeth
on me shall never, never thirst. The Lord Jesus Christ, he is
our defense. He is our refuge. And Christ
is our bread. And he's our refuge at all times. We're to trust him at all times,
ye people. Pour out your heart before him,
for God is a refuge for us. When David inquired about a weapon,
he was told there was no weapon there, but that one sword that
Goliath had, David had used that sword before to remove Goliath's
head, and he said, when he found out about that one sword, he
said, indeed, there is none like that one sword. Give that sword
to me. Now the title of the message
is, there's none like that. There's none like that. Give
me the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no other gospel
like the gospel of God concerning Christ, is there? Every believer
of the gospel of Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ, can respond
with similar words, can we not? There is no gospel like the gospel
of God concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the only gospel,
the gospel of Christ, that's the power of God unto salvation. There's just one gospel. There's
just one way God saves sinners, and that's through the Lord Jesus
Christ. In Him, by Him, and through Him. Give me the Lord Jesus Christ. Give me the gospel of Christ.
It's the gospel of God, the gospel of His grace, the gospel concerning
the Lord Jesus Christ. Of that gospel, Paul says, I'm
not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. For it is the power of
God and the salvation to everyone that believes this gospel. Therein is the righteousness
of God revealed in that gospel. There's no message like the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Can't you say
in your heart, when you're sitting there and you come here, what
do you want to hear? When you come here, you who believe the
gospel, you want to hear Christ. That's why Paul said, I'm determined
to know nothing among you but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. We come preaching the gospel.
As Paul said again, we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus
the Lord and ourselves your servant for His sake. And then when Paul
was in prison, waiting to have his head removed for the gospel,
when he writes back to young Timothy, you remember what he
says? You preach the gospel. Preach the word. Be instant in
season, out of season. Always preach the gospel. Now,
Christ and Him crucified. His person and His work. Who
He is and what He accomplished. We can't get too much of that. I've never heard A believer,
now notice how I said that. I've never heard a believer complain
that we preach the Lord Jesus Christ too often, or that we
exalt him too highly, or give unto him too much glory in the
salvation of sinners. I've never heard a believer complain.
Now I've heard some people complain. All you preach is Christ, Christ,
Christ crucified. That's all I hear week after
week. You tell me about the Lord Jesus Christ, all that he is
and all that he has done. Don't you have anything else
to preach? No. No. My message is Christ. That's
what you hear when you come here. Pastor Nybert preaches the Gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ. He always points you to Him. God forbid we should glory save
in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot give Him too
much honor and glory. I'd like to be guilty of it,
of honoring the Lord Jesus Christ. For we read in Scripture, worthy
is the Lamb that was slain to receive all honor, glory, blessings,
and power both now and forever. I love what Cornelius said when
Peter came to his house. You remember? We're all here
to hear all things commanded thee of God. Now, let's take this phrase here. There's none like that. There's
none like that, give it me. There's none like that, give
it me. Now I've preached from this outline many times. And
if my memory serves me right, I even preached this outline
here about 20 years ago. But it's time to repeat it. So
I'm gonna give it to you again. There's none like that. There's
none like that, give it to me. Now I have five things. Here's
the first one. In regard to the holy inspired word of God, the
written word of God, there is none like that Word that you
hold in your hand, in your lap, there's none like that Word.
Give me the Word. Preach the Word of God to me. Now, let's turn in our Bible.
Ephesians chapter 6. Ephesians chapter 6. Oh, the
blessedness of the Word of God. The power of the Word of God. Notice Ephesians chapter 6 verse
13, Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may
be able to withstand in the evil day, having done all to stand.
Stand therefore, having your loins girded about with the truth,
having on the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet
shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, He made
peace for us with his own blood. Above all, taking the shield
of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery
darts of the wicked. Take the helmet of salvation
and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. You cannot make too much of the
Word of God. For the Word of God is quick
and is powerful. and it is sharper than any two-edged
sword. It's not the words of men that
brings about Holy Spirit conviction. It's the word of God. It's the
bare word of God. We know this, consider this.
There's nothing like that word, give it to me. Consider who the
author is. Who's the author of this book
we call the Bible? The Bible is the Word of God
from cover to cover. And believers believe everything
written within the Word of God. Consider who the author is. All scripture is given by inspiration
of God. Holy men of old spake as they
were moved by God the Holy Spirit. Consider not only who the author
is, that book you hold in your hand, The very inspired written
word of God. Consider the subject of the book.
What is the theme of the book? What is the subject of the book? This book's all about the Lord
Jesus Christ. It's all about him. Remember,
our Lord said this, recorded in Luke 24, in the beginning
of Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them and all
the scriptures the things concerning himself. This book is all about
Christ. No matter where you turn, Genesis
all the way through the Old Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
all the way through the Revelation. The Revelation is what? The Revelation
of who? The revelation of Christ. You
ever notice in that book how many times he's revealed in his
sacrificial character as the Lamb of God? That's the key. The whole book is about the Lamb
of God. Behold the Lamb. Worthy is the
Lamb that was slain to receive all honor, glory, blessings,
and power. You see, the book's all about
Him. That's why we make much of the Word. That's why you're
a pastor week after week. Study after study, when the men
read, what do you read? You don't bring in John Gill,
do you? You get run out of town. Now, I love to read John Gill,
don't get me wrong. And I quote John Gill from time
to time. But this is what we use, right here, the word of
God. My wife asked me an interesting
question this morning as we pulled up here. I guess I was the first
one here this morning. And she said, as I was looking
over my notes again, she made the comment to me. She said,
what would you do if you came down here and you forgot your
notes? I've got the book. Just open
the book and preach the word, preach the word, preach the word.
God's people never weary of hearing the Lord Jesus Christ. Preach
the Word. Remember our Lord said to those
Pharisees, you are they which search the Scripture, but they
are they which testify of Me. To Him give all the prophets
witness. Moses wrote about who? The Lord Jesus Christ. It's all
about Him. So consider the author of the
Word. Consider who the subject of the book is, the Lord Jesus
Christ and Him crucified. And then consider the effects
of the Word preached when it's blessed with God the Holy Spirit
taking that Word that's a sharp, powerful instrument and then
operating upon your heart. the power of God, the Holy Spirit. And that's what happens in conviction
and conversion. We hear the word, but not as
it is the word of men, but as it is in truth the word of God
that worketh mightily in you who believe the gospel of God
concerning our blessed Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul said,
our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power
and in the Holy Spirit in much assurance. The Word comes. And you see the effects of the
Word. Jeremiah said, it's like a hammer. It's like a hammer
that breaks the hard heart. The Word of God is so quickening,
so quickening of His own will, begat he us with thee, Word of
truth being born again, not of a corruptible seed, but of an
incorruptible word with the word of truth, the word of God. It is so quickening. It is heartwarming. It's a guide and light unto us. The word is a lamp unto our feet,
a light unto our path. It's the children's bread. It's
the believers milk. We are to desire the sincere
milk of the Word that we might grow thereby. You see, there's
nothing like the Word of God. Every believer can say, give
me the Word. Preach me the Word. Preach the
Word to me. There's nothing like that. Give
it to me. Give it to me that I may learn of Christ. Take the
yoke of Christ and to learn of Him. Give me the Word of God
that I may have faith in Christ. True faith is not ignorant. True
faith is not ignorant faith. True faith is born of right knowledge.
True faith comes by hearing and hearing what? The Word of God. The Word of Truth. Nothing like
the Word of God. Give it to me. Give that Word
to me that I may have faith in Christ. Give me the Word that
I may grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. When the Apostle Paul was winding
up his ministry, he said to those elders at Ephesus, now brethren,
I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able
to build you up, not puff you up, build you up and to give
you inheritance among all them that are sanctified. The word
of the Lord is perfect in converting the soul. Now, that's the first
point. His word, the word of God, the
written word, the living word, the Lord Jesus Christ. There's
none like that word. Give it to me. Give me the word. Preach the word of Christ to
me. Now here's the second point.
In regards to salvation, let's find another reference. Let's
turn to Isaiah 45. In regards to salvation, and
that's what sinners need. You know you're a sinner. You're
a blessed man. Sinners are seeking the Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ. Did you know that? If you're
a vile, wretched, guilty sinner, And know so by the revealing
of God the Holy Spirit, you're always seeking the Savior, the
Lord Jesus Christ. In regard to salvation, Isaiah
45. Isaiah 45 verse 20. Assemble yourselves and come.
Draw near together ye that are escaped of the nations. They
have no knowledge that set up wood of their graven image. And
pray unto a God that cannot save. Tell ye, and bring them near,
yea, let them take counsel together. Who hath declared this from ancient
time? Who hath told it from that time? Have not I, the Lord? There is no God else beside me,
a just God and Savior. There is none beside me. Now
look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth. For
I am God, and there is none else." He's the only Just God and He's
our Savior. Now that's an amazing statement.
He is just and the justifier of those who believe in the Lord
Jesus Christ. In regard to salvation, there's
none like that, Savior. None like that salvation. Can't
you say in your heart this morning, Lord, give me that salvation?
Give me Christ. Give me that salvation in Him. I remember reading from Acts
chapter 4 when Peter makes that bold confession before those
men where he said, neither is there salvation in any other
for there's no other name under heaven given among men whereby
we must be saved. There's just one Savior. There's
just one salvation. The Lord said, I am the way,
I am the truth, I am the life, no man come to the Father but
by and through me. We often put it this way, when
we talk about salvation. Now, there's just one salvation.
There's just one Savior. There's just one true and living
God. God who is God, who is sovereign in all things and in all His
way. We often, when we talk about
salvation, we use this term. Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation's of the Lord in its
origination. Salvation's of the Lord in its
execution. Salvation's of the Lord in its
application. Salvation's of the Lord in its
sustaining power. Salvation's of the Lord in its
ultimate perfection. To be conformed to the image
of the Lord Jesus Christ. There's just one Savior, one
God, and one salvation. My friend, salvation's in a person.
You know that, don't you? Salvation's not in this church.
Salvation's not in any of these other churches up and down this
road. Salvation's in Christ. I love what Simeon said when
he lifted up that 40-day-old baby, the Lord Jesus. He said, Lord, let me die. I've
seen Thy salvation. There's just one Savior. There's
none like Him. Give me the Lord Jesus Christ.
Give me eyes of faith to look to the Lord Jesus Christ. The
whole of this salvation is totally of the Lord. He is called in
Scripture, not only a just God and Savior, but He's called God
our Savior. Who is the Lord Jesus Christ?
He's Almighty God. Manifests in the flesh. The Word
was made flesh and dwelt among us. And we know that salvation
is totally by His grace. 2 Timothy 1.9 tells us over and
over, doesn't it? It's God who saved us and called
us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to
His own purpose and grace that was given us in Christ, given
us in Christ before the foundation of this world. Salvation is totally
by the grace of God. He purposed it from all eternity. We read of the Lord Jesus being
the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. He purchased us
salvation with His own blood. You're no more your own. You're
bought with a price. God bought the church with His
own blood. He redeemed us from the curse
of the law, being made a curse for us. And He performs the applying
of it to whom He will. He said it's not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. Salvation not by the free will
of man. Man does have a will, but it's
not free. It's in bondage to his nature.
Salvation, therefore, is not by the free will of man. Salvation
is by the free and sovereign grace of God. You've heard that
before. That's been preached in this
place. ever since this pastor started
preaching. I've been following this ministry
of Brother Todd for a long time. Over there on the storefront,
over here at American Avenue, and then here. About what, 35
years or so. And the Lord has blessed this
ministry in such a grand and glorious way, but the message
is always the same. It's salvation of the Lord. That's
been the message from the beginning of this ministry? And I dare
say as long as the Lord blesses your dear pastor with breath
to stand and ability to stand, it'll be the last message that
you hear him preach. Salvation of the Lord. There's
none like that, give it to me. There's no other sacrifice for
sin, is there? But the Lord Jesus Christ, no
other sacrifice for sin. He appeared once in the end of
the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. There's
no other righteousness before God than by that faithfulness
of the Lord Jesus Christ and Him crucified. You see, righteousness
is not based upon your faithfulness. Righteousness, as it's revealed
in the gospel, is based upon His faithfulness. That's what
He freely imputes unto us by His grace. Blessed is the man
to whom the Lord imputed righteousness without works. justified, being
justified freely by His grace. There's no other sacrifice for
sin. There's no other righteousness
but that faithful obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ, being
obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. There's no
other way of reconciliation between God and a sinner, is there? Is
there another way of being reconciled? No, God was in Christ reconciling
us unto Himself. Now, there's just one God and
one Mediator. There is no other Mediator. There
is no other way of salvation. There's none like that salvation.
I'm talking about the salvation as revealed in this book. The
salvation is of the Lord. The salvation is in the Lord
Jesus Christ. There's none like that. Give
that to me. I want that one. I want that
salvation is of the Lord. Give it to me that I may be justified
before God. Give it to me that I may win
Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness,
which is of the law, but that which is through the faithfulness
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Give that salvation to me that
I may be accepted in the beloved, the Lord Jesus Christ. How about
it? There's nothing like that, is
there? than the salvation that is of the Lord and found in Christ."
I wonder if Paul said, I count everything else lost, dung, and
ruined that I may win Christ and be found in Him. That's where I want to be found,
in Christ and in no other. Now, here's the third thing.
In regard to God's love. Turn over to 1 John. 1 John,
we could read many different scriptures about the love of
God, having loved His own, He loved them to the end. But in
1 John chapter 3, 1 John chapter 3, in regard to God's love revealed
and made known in Christ toward His people, there's none like
that sovereign, electing, everlasting, eternal, saving love of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Nothing can separate us from
the love of God which is in the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 John 3,
verse 1. You with me? Behold, take a good
look at this. What manner of love the Father
hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called sons of God? Therefore the world knoweth us
not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we 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 and see him as he is. Oh, behold, what manner of
love. There's no love like this love
of God that's found in the Lord Jesus Christ. The old songwriter
put it this way about the love of God. Could we with ink the
ocean fill? And were the skies of parchment
made, were every stock on earth a quill, and every man a scribe
by trade? To write the love of God above
would drain the ocean dry, nor could the scroll contain the
whole, though stretched from sky to sky. Behold what manner
of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that he would call us
an adopted son of God, born into the family of God, We know this
about His love. What does the scripture teach
about His love? His love is electing love. It's electing love. The whole what manner, He said,
this is electing love. God, it's God who had loved us
and He's loved us with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving
kindness does He draw us unto Himself. And this love of God
is an electing love. But we are bound to give thanks
always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because
God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification
of the Spirit and belief of the truth, whereunto he called you
by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jesus
Christ. This love of God is the sovereign,
everlasting, electing love of God. It's sacrificial love. It's still there in 1 John 4,
verse 10. It's sacrificial love. Here in
His love, not that we love God, but that He loved us and sent
His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. You want to know
about love? Here it is. Right here is this
love. Sacrificial love. He laid down
His life for us. His love is sovereign love, is
it not? I have loved, Esau have I hated,
that the purpose of God according to election might stand. His love is drawing love. He
loves us with an everlasting love and he draws us to himself. His love is glorifying love.
Turn just a couple pages there if you're still in 1 John. Find
Revelation 1, Revelation 1 verse 5. It's glorifying love, it's
adopting love. Revelation 1, 5, from Jesus Christ,
who is the faithful witness and first begotten of the dead, and
the prince of the kings of the earth, and to him that loved
us and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and has made
us kings and priests unto our God and his Father, and to God,
to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Those who are washed in their
sin, they glorify God. and to Him who loved us and washed
us, and they give Him all the honor and glory. It's glorifying
love, and it's adopting love. He's adopted us unto the family. There's none like the love of
God in Christ. Can't you say in your heart,
give me that love? Oh, may God love me that way.
We read in the book of Romans chapter 8 that nothing can separate
us from the love of God which is in the Lord Jesus Christ. None will perish for whom Christ
loves. They'll all be brought to glory
because He loves them with a saving love, with a sacrificial love,
and He will lose none of those for whom He died. I don't want
anything to do with a love that is a failure. Some preachers
say, well, God loves me, but I perish anyway. Nonsense. There's no one gonna perish for
whom God loves because he loves them with an everlasting love.
He died to put away their sin. And then he says, of all that
the father giveth me, I'll lose nothing, but raise it up again
at the last day. God loves His people in Christ
with an everlasting love, and we know the love of Christ cannot
fail. Nothing He does can fail. One of my favorite verses in
the book of Isaiah, Isaiah 42, 4, where it says, He cannot fail. He cannot fail. I don't want
anything to do with a failed Savior, do you? I don't want
anything to do with a failed love, do you? I want that love
that's effectual, that's sovereign, that gets the job done. There's
none like that love of God found in Christ and revealed in Christ. Lord, give me that love. Love
me that way in Christ. Enable me to love Him. We love
Him because He first loved us. Enable me to love Him. Now, here's
the fourth thing. Let's find a book of Romans,
chapter 5. In regard to saving faith, in regard to saving faith. There's none like that. Talking
about the faith of God's elect. Roman chapter 5. There's none
like that. There's none like that faith
that's a gift of God. Faith is a gift of God. There's
none like that. Give it to me. Give it to me. If we begin reading
at Romans 4, Verse 25, we see the Lord was delivered for our
offenses and raised again for our justification, therefore
being justified, therefore being justified by faith we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have
access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and we rejoice
in hope of the glory of God. You see, Saving faith is the
precious gift of God. For by grace are you saved through
faith, and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God. There's
none like that faith of God's elect, given by God. There's none like that faith,
give it to me. We read in scripture for without faith, it is impossible,
it is impossible to please God. A man without faith is a man
without Christ. A man without Christ is a man
without salvation. You see, faith is the gift of
God. We know that faith is obtained
through the righteousness of Christ. Faith is something that's
obtained, 2 Peter 1. To them that have obtained like
precious faith through the righteousness of God our Savior. Faith is not
something that's worked up. Faith is not something that you
merit. Faith is not something you earn. We have obtained like
precious faith. We've obtained it by the sovereign
will, by the sovereign power, by the sovereign gift of God.
If you're sitting there this morning looking to Christ for
all of your salvation, you're a blessed man. You're a blessed
person. Blessed indeed. You see, saving
faith has one object. Saving faith has one object,
looking unto the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the author and finisher
of salvation. Faith believes Him, loves Him,
and the faith of God's elect acknowledges that salvation is
of the Lord. Give me that faith that I may
receive the Lord Jesus Christ as all of my salvation. We read in John 5, 24, Verily,
verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth
on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into
condemnation, but is passed from death unto life. Give me faith in Christ, that
I may please God. Give me faith in Christ, that
I may lay hold on Him. Give me faith in Christ, that
I may be justified. Remember from Acts 13, by him
all that believe are justified from all things which you could
not be justified by the law of Moses. I want that faith. Give
me that faith of God's elect that loves the truth, that acknowledges
the truth, that's not ashamed of the truth of God in Christ. Lord, give me saving faith that
I might truly worship God in spirit and in truth. That's how
we come to Him. We come to Him by faith. Coming
to Christ is not something physical. As the old preachers say, come
to Christ and don't move a muscle. Come to Christ in your heart.
Look to Him. Trust Him. Rest in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Now, here's the last thing. In regards to our hope, in regards
to our hope, find 2 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, look at verse 16, 2 Thessalonians
16, 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 verse
16, chapter 2. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself
and God even our Father who has loved us and has given us an
everlasting consolation and a good hope through grace. There's no hope like the hope
of grace. Comfort your hearts, establish
you in every good word and work. In regard to our hope of salvation,
There was no hope like that hope that's a good hope by God's grace. You see, the Lord Jesus Christ,
He is our hope. If you look right across the
page in 1 Timothy 1 Timothy chapter 1 verse 1, Paul, an apostle of
Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and Lord Jesus
Christ, our hope. He's our hope. Christ in you
is the hope of glory. Our hope of salvation is based
upon the eternal, unchanging promises of God, the exceeding
great and precious promises of God that cannot change because
God does not change. This was David's hope of salvation,
was it not? He said, the Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want The Lord is my light and my salvation. In whom shall I fear? That was
David's hope. And that's our hope. That's the
hope of every believer. Christ is our hope. Our hope of salvation is not
a mere wish, a shot in the dark, but rather it's in a blessed
person. And I repeat what I said earlier.
Salvation is in a person. The Lord Jesus Christ. There
is no other hope as this hope. As David said, his last words,
Although it be not so with my house, God hath made with me
an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and is sure, this
is all my hope. This is all my salvation. All
my desire. The hope we have in Christ is
the anchor of our soul. The hope we have in Christ is
the joy of our heart. With the Lord Jesus Christ, there
is endless hope. Is there not? It's an endless,
eternal hope we have in Him. Without the Lord Jesus Christ,
we have a hopeless end. There's no hope like salvation
in Christ. Give me that hope. In Romans
chapter 15, turn there. I'm almost through, be patient.
Romans 15. I was looking at this earlier
today. Romans 15, 13, now the God of
hope. He's a God of all comfort and
the God of all grace, but he's a God of hope. Fill you with
joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope, that
you may abound in hope through the power of God, the Holy Spirit.
This hope we have in Christ is certain and sure. There's nothing
like that. There's nothing like that hope.
Give it to me. Now, our prayer this morning,
for you and for me, there's none like our God and our Savior. Give me, by your grace and by
your power, give me faith in my heart that I might look to
Christ. And it's looking, it's coming,
it's believing. Faith is not an isolated experience. Faith is a continual, ongoing,
working process within you, causing you to rest in Christ, believing
Him, coming to Him, looking to the Lord Jesus Christ. This is
a record that God has given to us eternal life, and this life
is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son hath
not life. You see, Christ is all. and in
all. In Him grows all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily. In Him grows all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily. And in Him we are what? Complete. Complete. There's no
other Savior. There's none like that. His Word,
His salvation, His grace, His hope, the peace we have, which
passeth understanding. He made peace for us with His
own blood. Well, I pray the Lord will bless
his word. We've been through the word, quoted the word, read
the word, and I pray the Lord will bless his word to your heart.
And Lord willing, Lord willing, I'll be back with you this evening,
and I'll bring the same message to you. The same message to you. Someone said of my pastor one
time, Brother Henry Mahan, someone said of my dear pastor one time,
they said, When you've heard him one time, you've heard him. Because he had just one message.
And I could say that of your dear pastor. When you've heard
him one time, you've heard him. That's his message, is Christ.
And that's my message, is the Lord Jesus Christ. When you come
back tonight, I'm gonna tell you the same thing again. Salvation's
up the Lord, and salvation's in him. Lord bless you. Thank you.