While you're turning there, we
will observe the Lord's table tonight, and I've entitled the
message for tonight, David, Goliath, and the Gospel. David, Goliath,
and the Gospel. Back to John chapter 20, verse
28. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord, and my God. Now, last week, we considered
doubting Thomas. And this week, we're going to
consider believing Thomas. There's no greater confession
regarding the person of Christ in all the Word of God than right
here, when Thomas says regarding the Lord Jesus, my Lord and my
God. I have entitled this message, When Thee Becomes Mine. When Thee Becomes Mine. He's Thee, Lord. That's wonderful. But in my experience, this is
even better. He's my Lord. He is God, whether I acknowledge
that or not, that when He is my God, when
thee becomes my. Christ is the Lord. And He's the Lord, whether you and I acknowledge
it or not. I've heard preachers say, won't
you make Jesus the Lord of your life? You ever heard a preacher
say that? Make Jesus the Lord of your life. That's a denial of His Lordship.
If you can make Him Lord, that means you're the Lord, not Him.
Isn't that so? If you put him into place as
Lord, that means you have some control over him. We do not make him Lord in any
sense of the word. He is the Lord. God hath made this same Jesus
whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. The word Lord means the supreme
authority, the power, the cause, the controller. That's what we're
saying, or that's what the Bible's saying when the Bible says He
is Lord. It means He's the cause. He's
the supreme controller. He's the decision maker. You
know what that means? That means you are in His hands,
and it's up to Him as to whether or not you'll be saved or whether
you'll be damned. It's up to Him. He is the Lord, the one whose
will is done. Whatsoever the Lord pleased,
that's did. and earth, and heaven, and seas,
and all deep places. Our God is in the heavens, he
hath done whatsoever he hath pleased." That is the Lord. Now His Lordship is seen in these
three areas. First, now remember what Lord
means. It means He's the cause. It means
he's the one who makes the decisions. It means he is the one who is
in control. He's the Lord. His Lordship is
first of all seen in creation. He's the Lord of creation. Colossians 1 16 says. All things were made by him.
And for all things, whether they be thrones, principalities, powers,
things present, things past, things to come, whatever it is,
all things were made by him. Now when he created the universe,
when he created all things, how much did you have to do with
that? How much control did you have in that? What say did you
have in that? Absolutely none. Where were you
when he created the universe? He did it by himself, as an act
of his will as the Lord. His Lordship is seen in Providence. Hebrews 1, 2, and 3 says, turn
with me there, Hebrews chapter 1, verse 1, sundry times and in
divers manners spaken times passed unto the fathers by the prophets,
hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son, whom he hath
appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds."
There's his lordship in creation. Who, being the brightness of
his glory and the express image of his person and upholding all
things by the word of His power. Now that word upholding is the
word that is usually translated bring. He brings everything. He brings everything to come
to pass. He's in control of all things
in providence. Providence is everything that
happens in time. Everything that happened to you
last night, He's in control of. Everything that happened to you
ten years ago, He's in control of. If you're alive tomorrow
and whatever takes place, He's in control of. Providence. Providence. He's in control of
everything. Proverbs 16, 33 says the lot
is cast into the lap. That seems like luck, doesn't
it? That seems like it happened. The lot is cast into the lap,
but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. He's the Lord
of Providence. He's the Lord of everything that
happens. Aren't you glad it's that way?
He's the Lord. He's Lord in salvation. Salvation is of the Lord. Now, what does that mean? Well,
how much control do you have in creation? None. How much control do you have
over providence, over what takes place? None. None. How much control do you have
in salvation? None. Salvation is of the Lord. As to whether or not you'll be
saved, it's utterly up to Him. Leper understood this. He said,
Lord, if you will, you can make me clean. It's up to you. I can't make myself clean. I
can't do anything to make you make me clean. It's utterly up
to you as to whether or not I'll be clean. If you will, you can
make me clean. You know, I remember something
very clearly when the Lord was first dealing with me. What he
was dealing with me was about the doctrine of election. How
God chose who would be saved. And here's what, here's what
hit me about election. If God chooses who will be saved,
there's nothing I can do to make Him choose me. I'm totally, it's
up to Him. I have no control in this thing.
And that's what troubled me so much and bothered me. I have
no control. But that's exactly where I needed to be brought
to. Because only when you have no control will you cry for mercy. Lord have mercy on me. If you
don't do something for me, I'm gone. He is the Lord. Whether you and I acknowledge
it or not, Jesus Christ is Lord, and one day, everybody is going
to be made to confess it. At His name, every knee is going
to bow, and every tongue is going to confess that Jesus is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. Now, Jesus is the Lord. Jesus Christ is God. Now, I want you to hear that. Jesus Christ is God. He's the mighty God. He is the
everlasting Father. He is the Prince of Peace. How
can you call Him that? Because the Bible does. Isaiah
9-6. He's God. John 1, 1 through 4, turn with
me there. Gospel of John, chapter one. In the beginning was the word. He never had a beginning. In
the beginning, the word already was. And the Word was with God,
and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning
with God. All things were made by Him,
and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was
life, and the life was the light of men. The Word was with God,
and the Word was God. Jesus Christ is God Almighty,
the uncreated, eternal God of glory. He's God. You know, the
thief understood this. He didn't understand that he
believed it. He believed it. He said, don't you fear God?
He's talking about that one hanging by him on the cross that that
other thief was railing at. Don't you fear God, seeing you're
in the same condemnation? You know, when the Lord cast
those demons out of the gathering and they went into the 2,000
pigs and went and drowned. And you can read this in Luke
8, 39, where the Lord said, you go home and you tell your friends
and family what great things God has done to thee. You know
what he said? He went home and told his friends
and family the great things Jesus had done. Was he wrong? No. He told him the great things
that God has done. In Colossians chapter 2, verse
9, we read, In him, in the Lord Jesus Christ dwelleth all the
fullness of the Godhead in a body. Now, whether or not you and I
believe this has no bearing on the fact. He is God. Very God of very God. in absolute control. Someone says, I don't believe
that. He's in control of that, too. He surely is. I reject that. He's in control
of that. He's in control of everything
that passes through your mind. Jesus Christ is God. He is Lord. But Thomas' language is my Lord and my God. He went from saying, I will not
believe, to my Lord and my God. Now, when does the Lord become
my Lord? When does the living God become
My God, when does the become mine? I turn back to John chapter
20. Here's the answer. In Thomas's
case. And it will be the same answer
in our case when these two things take place. Now, there's two
things that got to take place for the Lord to become my Lord
and the living God to become my God. Here's when thee becomes
mine. First of all, in John chapter
20, verse 28, then Jesus said unto him, Thomas. Verse 27, then saith he to Thomas,
verse 27, reach hither thy finger and behold my hands and reach
hither thy hand and thrust it in my side. You want me to tell
you when he became Thomas' Lord and God when he revealed himself
to him. Not before then. When he reveals
himself to you, the Lord becomes my Lord. And the God becomes
my God. When did Thomas say, my Lord
and my God? When he revealed himself. Let
me show you a passage of scripture in Galatians chapter 1. Galatians
chapter 1. He said in verse 11, this is Paul speaking, he says,
I certify you brethren, I assure you that the gospel which was
preached of me is not after man. It's not derived from any human
source. For I neither received it of
man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus
Christ. For you've heard of my conversation
in times past in the Jews' religion, how to be on measure. I persecuted
the church of God and wasted it. And I profited in the Jews'
religion above many of mine own equals in my own nation, being
more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. I was
going somewhere. But when it pleased God, who separated
me from my mother's womb, and called me by His grace to reveal
His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the heathen. Immediately
I conferred not with flesh and blood." When did Thomas say, My Lord
and my God? Well, first of all, when Christ
revealed Himself to him. when he obeyed the command. What was the command? Thomas,
be not faithless, but believing. And when Thomas heard that, you
know what he did? He believed. When Christ says to you, be not
faithless, but believing, you know what you're going to do?
You're going to believe. You're going to believe and you're
going to say with Thomas, my Lord and my God, you're the Lord
said, not everyone that sayeth unto me, Lord, Lord shall enter
the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my father,
which is in heaven. He said, why call you me, Lord,
Lord, and do not the things that I say. Now, when Christ Jesus
is your Lord, You're going to do what he says. When he says
believe, you know what you're going to do? You're going to believe. When he says
repent, you know what you're going to do? You're going to
repent. When he says deny yourself, you know what you're going to
do? You're going to deny yourself. When he says take up your cross and
follow me, you know what you're going to do? You're going to
take up your cross and you're going to follow him. I love what
Barnard used to say. He said, don't tell me who your
savior is. Tell me who your Lord is. And
then I can tell who your Savior is. Who's your Lord? Who's your Master? My Lord and
my God. When does He become my? Well, when He reveals Himself.
When He reveals Himself, I say, My Lord and my God. And when
He tells me to believe, be not faithless, but believing, I believe. Now, He's my Lord. And when does he become my God
in the sense that Thomas said? He said, my Lord and my God.
He's God, whether I see it or not. He's God, if I never believe. He's God. That's who he is. He's
the mighty creator. But when does he become my God
in the sense that Thomas said, my Lord and my God? I can answer that question. You
know when he becomes your God? When you see him as God. When you see him as God. He is your God. Now remember, he's not God to
everybody in the sense that Thomas is speaking of. You see, if He's
your God, that means He's for you. If God be for us, who can
be against us? When is He my God? Turn with me to John chapter
9 for a moment. John chapter 9. Now, this fellow had been excommunicated
by the religious. That's generally what happens.
The man that the Lord restored his sight to. And we read in
verse 35 of John chapter 9, Jesus heard that they had cast him
out. And when he found him, he said
unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? And he answered
and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou
hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And
he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him. He only worshipped God. He worshipped him as God. When does Jesus Christ, who is
God, become my God when I see him? Now, would you turn with
me to Isaiah chapter 40? Isaiah chapter 40. Look at verse 9 with me. O Zion, that bringest good tidings
Get thee up into the high mountain, O Jerusalem, that bringest good
tidings. Lift up thy voice with strength, lift it up, be not
afraid, saying to the cities of Judah, Behold your God. Behold your God. Now let's go back to verse 30. Now this is a prophecy. regarding
John the Baptist in verse 3. The voice of him that crieth
in the wilderness. This is quoted in Malachi 2 regarding
John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Lord Jesus Christ. The
voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, prepare ye the way
of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our
God. You know, in God's day, when
John the Baptist was preaching. If you were going to hear from
God, you wouldn't hear from him in the synagogues, would you?
You wouldn't hear from him in the temple. You wouldn't hear
from him in organized religion. You had to go out in the wilderness.
And there you'd hear this voice. You know, somebody said to me
recently, I believe God is moving amongst the Southern Baptists.
Now, I'm not picking on any denomination, but the thought occurred to me,
well, if he's moving among the Southern Baptists, then he's
moving among the Catholics and the Presbyterians and the Methodists
and every other kind of man-made denomination. Now, let me remind
you, denominations, I don't care if you're talking about Baptists
or Catholics, Methodists, Presbyterians, whatever denomination you're
talking about, it's man-made. The Bible doesn't recognize anything
like that. And the fact of the matter is, God does not use man-made
religion. If you're going to hear from
God, it's not going to be through some denominational-backed, seminary-trained
speaker. Just like in John the Baptist's
day, you hear the voice. of one crying in the wilderness,
not backed up by man's religion. The voice crying in the wilderness. Prepare you the way of the Lord.
Now, what's that mean? What does it mean to prepare
the way of the Lord when John the Baptist said, prepare you
the way of the Lord? Well, it means the word actually means
face it. Face it. Face the way of the
Lord. Look upon the way of the Lord. The way of the Lord is Christ.
He's the way to the Father. Look at it. Prepare ye the way
of the Lord. Make straight in the desert a
highway for our God. Clear the path. Don't make it
difficult with human philosophy. Now look what he says in verse
four. This is the voice crying from the wilderness. This is
true evangelism. This is true evangelism. I heard a preacher
recently complain about the shallowness of evangelism. There ain't no
such thing as shallow evangelism. If it's shallow, God's not in
it. It's not true. Shallow evangelism. There's no
such thing. If it's shallow, that's man's
word, not God's. No such thing. Here's the true
message of evangelism. Every valley, every low place,
every sinner shall be exalted. And every mountain, every high
place of self-righteousness and pride and human merit, every
mountain and hill shall be made low. And the crooked shall be
made straight. That's the gospel right there.
Crooked sinners are made straight. That's justification. And the
rough places They're going to be made plain, smooth. That's
sanctification. This is the Lord's work. Verse
5. And the glory of the Lord shall
be revealed. Because he said it, so it's going
to happen. And all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth
of the Lord hath spoken it. The voice said cry. And he said, what shall I cry?
Well, here's the message. Here's the message. Cry! What am I supposed to say? What
do I cry? Here's the first word. All flesh. All flesh is grass. And all the goodliness thereof
is of the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower
fades, because the Spirit of the Lord blows upon it. Surely
the people is grass. The grass withers, and the flower
fades. All flesh is grass. Now, what does that mean, all
flesh? Well, turn with me, hold your
finger there, and turn with me to Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8, verse 6, For to be carnally minded is
death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind, that's
the mind that we're born with when we come into this world,
the natural mind, The carnal mind is enmity against God. It's enmity itself. It's against
God. For it's not subject to the law
of God. Neither indeed can be. It doesn't
have the ability to be. So then they that are in the
flesh, remember all flesh is grass, they that are in the flesh
cannot They lack the ability to please God. Now when I say
that all flesh is grass, I say, well I'm not saying it, God's
saying it. No man has the ability to do anything to please God. Nothing but wounds and bruises
and putrefying sores. All flesh is his grass. He goes
on to say, and the goodliness thereof. The good stuff. The
religion, the good works, the good deeds is as the flower of
the grass. It withers and falls away. It's
no good. It's disgraceful. It's going
to fail. You know, Luke chapter 16, verse 31, the Lord said that
which is highly esteemed among men. What's highly esteemed among
men? Whatever it is, it's an abomination
with the Lord. All flesh is as grass." Now,
this is the true message of evangelism. Any watering of this down, it
ceases to be evangelism. Like I said, there's no such
thing as shallow evangelism. The voice said, cry. What shall
I cry? All flesh is grass. All the goodliness of man, it's
like the flower of the field is going to fade. It ain't going
to last. It won't stand before God in judgment. Anything that
has your flesh in it or my flesh in it, it will not stand before
God. You'll have to sin. Anything
that has anything to do with flesh is going to hell. That's
so. All flesh is grass, but back
to our text, Isaiah 40. The grass withers, the flower
fades, but the word of our God. Who's that? That's the Lord Jesus Himself.
The Word of our God shall stand forever. There's one thing that's
going to stand before God in judgment. Christ and those in
Him. That's it. That's it. Christ
and those in Him. Now look in verse 9. O Zion, that bringest good tidings. Get
thee up to the high mountain of Jerusalem that bringeth good
tidings. Lift up thy voice with strength. Lift it up, be not
afraid. Say unto the cities of Judah,
Behold, your God. He's God. But behold, your God. And like I said, He's your God. When He reveals Himself to you,
and when He reveals Himself to you, you see Him as God. All that God is, He is. Behold your God. Now, would to
God that He would enable us by His Spirit to behold our God. In faith's eye, you know, you
see things by faith, not by sight, by faith. We walk by faith, not
by sight. Oh, would to God that by his
grace we'd be enabled to behold our God. Now, behold him as your
surety. I'm speaking to every believer.
Behold him as your surety. The one who stood before you
or stood before God for you before time began. Behold your surety,
all that God requires of you. Christ said, I bear the complete
responsibility for it. Everything you look for out of
Todd, I'll be responsible for. Behold your God. Behold your God. As He became
incarnate, the Word was made flesh. Behold your God. born in a manger, smell of manure
in the air. There he is, the living God. Why did he come in the flesh?
He came because he's the surety. He said, I will bear responsibility
for all those you give me. And he came for that very purpose.
Behold him as he becomes flesh. Behold him as he keeps the law. Behold him who never sinned.
He knew no sin. Behold your God. He kept the
law of God perfectly in his person. He never sinned. Behold him in all the aspects
of this life. Behold him being subject to his
parents. Now, some of you kids, sometimes you have a hard time
being subject to your parents. You think they're wrong about
this. They may be, but you're still supposed to be subject
to them. But think about the Lord. being subject to his parents. He was
subject to his mom and dad. He knew a whole lot more than
they did, obviously. But he subjected himself to them.
Behold him as he is at the well, weary with his journey. Behold
him in his life. Behold your God. Behold him in
Gethsemane's garden. Beholden when he's praying and
blood spurts out his pores and drops onto the ground. He's under
such stress. What stress was he under? Was
this merely the fear of the physical pain that was ahead of him? I
dare say that there are people who had just as much or more
pain. Maybe they had a longer time
of pain. This is not what It was. It wasn't just the dread of pain.
It was at this time, he was in complete and utter darkness. He was suffering the full equivalent
of hell as the sin-bearing substitute. He was made to be sin. God forsook
him. He sweats great drops of blood.
Behold him as he's nailed to a cross. My God, my God, why
have you forsaken me? I'll tell you why God forsook
him, because he was made sin. And he deserved to be forsaken
of God. My sin became His. Behold your
God on the cross. Behold Him close His eyes and
die. The God-man died as a sin-bearing
substitute. I can't understand that. I don't
understand how the God-man could die. I can remember one time
a guy wrote me after I preached. And he was here. He visited a
couple of times. He said, you're wrong saying the God-man died.
He said his body part died, but his God part didn't. So you can explain everything.
I wish I was as smart as you. You can't do that. I don't understand
how the God-man died, but he did. And I know what he accomplished
by doing it. He accomplished the complete
salvation of everybody he died for. I love to think of him dead
in that tomb. Three days later, he opens his
eyes. He's alive. God raised him from
the dead. Why did He raise him from the
dead? Because God was satisfied with what he did. completely
satisfied and he was satisfied with everybody he did it for.
Behold your God as he's raised from the dead. Behold him as
he walks out of that tomb. Behold him during that 40 days
with his disciples when he comes to poor old stupid unbelieving
Thomas. Thomas. Doubting Thomas. And he says, Thomas, be not faithless,
but believe him. You know what Thomas did? He
believed. He said, my Lord and my God, behold Him as He ascends back
to His Father. That's your God. Behold Him as
He, even right now, is at the right hand of the Father, representing
you. And it's not like you sin and
He says, oh, Lord, forgive Him this time. All He does is bring
His presence before the Father. Just His presence is all that
needs to be said. Behold your God. My Lord and my God. When does Thee become
my? When He reveals Himself. Thee,
Lord, becomes my Lord. The God becomes my God. When he reveals himself, and
when we obey the command, Todd, be not faithless, that's what
I am by nature, but believing. And when he says to me, believe,
The ability to believe comes with the command. All he's got
to do is say to you, believe. You know what? You'll believe. My Lord. Jesus Christ is my Lord. He's the Lord of my life. He's
my Lord. And He is my God. My Lord and my God. Let's pray.