Turn with me back to Psalm 28. Psalm 28. I want us to look at this passage
of scripture this evening, this prayer of David. Let's begin reading the first
eight verses. Verse 1, unto thee will I cry, O Lord,
my rock. My rock. Many years ago, me and
one of my cousins, we would stay at my grandparents' house from
time to time. by their house was a large rock. And we would often run to it. It was a bit of a hiding place. It was in the wide open, but
it was a bit of a hiding place for us, a place of safety. And as kids,
We were convinced that nothing could touch us when we were on
that rock. I drove by what's left of my
grandparents' place not too long ago, and the house is completely
gone. The swing that we used to swing
on is gone. Everything. The garage, there
was a garage that we would go out to and I don't know how we
didn't cut our fingers off playing with my grandpa's tools. All
gone. Only one thing remains. That rock. That rock. The Lord Jehovah. He is our rock. That's what scripture
says. He's our rock. He's the foundation
of our hope. He's that rock that cannot be
moved. A refuge. A refuge in time of
trouble. That one to whom we flee for
safety. for comfort, for rest. In the hour of danger, we flee
to him, to the rock. Unto thee will I cry, O Lord,
my rock. Be not silent to me, he says.
If thou be silent to me, I'll become like them that go down
into the pit. Verse two, hear the voice of
my supplications. When I cry unto thee, when I
lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle, hear the voice of my
supplication. David's saying, hear me, hear
me. I'm crying, I am crying to thee. Lord, would you hear me? And what a glorious thought that
he does not refuse his people. He hears the cry of his people. When we're in the spirit of prayer
and we labor and we use this opportunity Brady brought a message
not too long ago about the importunate widow. What's it mean to be importunate? It means to just keep coming
back, and coming back, and coming back. There in Luke 18, she continually,
there was a judge, and that judge was a, he was a wicked judge. He was an unjust judge. But she kept coming to him. It
said there was a widow, Luke 18, there was a widow in that
city and she came unto him saying, avenge me of mine adversary. And you know when she first started
coming to him and asking that, he wouldn't. He wouldn't. But after a while, afterward
he said to himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man, yet
because this widow troubleth me, I'll avenger, lest her continual
coming, with her continual coming, she weary me." She just continued to come back
to that judge with the same request, and he was a wicked judge. He
was an unjust judge, but scripture says that he heard her. You know our children, and I'm
guessing as a child, probably maybe still guilty of this, even,
I shouldn't blame children should I, still guilty of this, continue
to come and just ask, can I have this, can I have this, can I
have this? Shall not God avenge his own
elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long
with them? Luke 11 verse 10 says this, For
every one that asketh, receiveth. He that seeketh, findeth. He that knocketh, it shall be
opened. If a son shall ask bread of any
of you that's a father, would you give him a stone? If you
ask for a fish, would you give him a serpent? Or if he asks
for an egg, would you give him a scorpion? He said, if you being
evil know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much
more? shall your Heavenly Father give
the Holy Spirit to them that, here it is, ask, that ask Him. Unto thee will I cry. Hear me, Lord, hear me. Verse three, draw me not away
with the wicked and with the workers of iniquity which speak
peace to their neighbors. but mischiefs in their hearts.
They speak peace to their neighbors. Those who speak peace where there
is no peace. Verse 4, give them according
to their deeds, according to the wickedness of their endeavors,
give them after the work of their hands, render to them their dessert. I don't, I don't want, I don't
want what I deserve. I don't want what I am capable
of earning. Verse five, they regard not the
works of the Lord, nor the operation of his hands. He shall destroy
them and not build them up. They regard not the works of
the Lord. What are his works? What are some of the works of
God that men have no regard for? I can think of a few. One's creation. Men don't regard God's creation. They don't regard His sovereignty
in creation. In John 1, verse 1, listen to
these words. In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was
in the beginning with God, all things. Listen, all things were
made by Him. Without Him was not anything
made that was made. Yet men regard not God's work
in creation. And they come up with some of
the most foolish things to describe how this world came into existence. The two atoms just come out of
nowhere and ran into each other and a big explosion, a big boom
took place and there was the Earth. Isn't that like one of the most
foolish things you've ever heard? Men would give credit to anyone
apart from God for his work in creation. What about his work
in Providence? God's work in providence. Men
refuse to believe it. They refuse to give Him the glory
in all things. They would prefer to say things
like this. When something good happens,
what's perceived as good, they want to say like, boy, you're
just so lucky. Something bad happens, sickness
comes, death, trouble, pain, then what do they say? Oh, you're
just unlucky, just unlucky. Is that the case? Is that what
God's Word says? Oh. Listen, His works in Providence,
Paul writing to the Ephesians, he said, in whom also we have
obtained and inheritance, being predestinated according to the
purpose of him who worketh all things, all things after the
counsel of his own will. He is sovereign in all things. He's sovereign in creation. He's
sovereign in providence, yet men Men regard not his works. Verse 5 of our text, they regard
not his works in salvation. We read here the operation of
his hands. In 1 Samuel 19, 5, we read that
with his own hand, he wrought salvation. Salvation. Salvation is of the
Lord. It's all of Him. He'll show mercy
on whom He will show mercy. He said, Jacob have I loved,
Esau have I hated. Men regard not His sovereignty. But you know what? It doesn't change the fact that
He is. He's sovereign in all things.
Psalm 28, look at verse 6. Blessed be the Lord, because
He hath heard the voice of my supplications. The Lord, look
at verse 7, the Lord is my strength in my shield, my heart trusting
in him, I'm helped. Therefore, my heart greatly rejoices
and with my song will I praise him." If you look, you'll see this
is a psalm, a psalm of David. David had conquered many enemies. With his own hands, he slew a
lion. With his own hands, he slew a
bear. With a sling and five smooth stones, he slew Goliath. In doing so, he destroyed that
whole army of the Philistines. You know what he doesn't say
here? He doesn't say, look what I've
done. He doesn't say, Strength is in my hands. What's he say? The Lord. The Lord is my strength. He's my strength, my shield,
my heart trusted in him. And I am helped. Wouldn't it be good time just
to take time every day just to remember that I am, I am helped. Listen to the next verse. He says, the Lord is their strength. It's just not my strength, it's
their strength. And that's true of every believer. His church, without exception,
David says, the Lord is my strength. And the same is true for every
believer. Jehovah the Lord is their strength. All the saving strength of His
anointed. Now quickly, I want you to listen
to this prayer in verse 9. Save thy people. Bless thine
inheritance. Feed them also and lift them
up forever. Save, bless, feed, lift them
up. Four points, four requests. May the Lord make this our, not
just David's prayer, may He make it our prayer. As I was looking
across this passage, I come across an article by Brother Tom Hardy. I called him on the way down
here, and I said, Brother Tom, I really appreciate that article.
And I said, I thank you for the outline. He said, don't mention
that. So he may be upset with me, but
I hope not for long. Do you have verse nine? Here's
the first request. Save, save thy people. Save thy people. Who are these people? Who are
His people? The Lord's people, who are they?
Well, they're a people that belong to God by His electing love. Our Lord spoke in John 6 verse
37. He said, All that the Father
hath given me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I shall
in no wise cast out. We read, Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all
spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. they're in Him, according as
He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having
predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to
Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will. to the praise of the glory of
His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved. Save thy people. Save thy people,
those that are His, by His redeeming blood. He bought them. You're not your own. That's what
Scripture says. You're not your own. You were bought with a price. What was that price? What was
the price of the church of God? It says, the church of God which
he hath purchased with his own blood. There he is by the effectual
call of grace. He calls everyone, a chosen generation. a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
a peculiar people, that you should show forth the praises of him
who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." What's
the prayer? Save thy people. You know, in that question, it
declares what I need. I need salvation. I need to be
saved. Salvation. It's found in one
place. It's found in one person. It's
in the Lord Jesus Christ. That was Peter's prayer. A short prayer, a simple prayer,
but with great, great meaning. Remember what he said? Lord, save me. Save me. In the book of Jeremiah,
we read, Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed. And then he
says this, Save me. You save me, and I shall be saved. Thou art my praise. Lord, save
thy people. Here's the second request. He says, bless thine inheritance. Thine inheritance. Those who
are heirs of salvation. You know, in Christ, we're blessed
with an eternal inheritance that fadeth not. An inheritance incorruptible,
undefiled, that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you. Lord, bless your inheritance.
Bless the sheep of your hand. Bless the people of your pasture. Bless your people with all spiritual
blessings in Christ Jesus. Bless us with a zeal. Bless us
with a passion for the gospel of his free and sovereign grace
in Christ. Bless us with a unity. and to
love one for another. Remove that which would divide
us. You know, that comes, this thing
of division, it comes pretty natural to all of us. Lord, remove that from us. Paul
writing to the church at Corinth, he said, I beseech you, brethren,
by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the
same thing, that there be no divisions among you, but that
you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same
judgment. Bless us that we might be truly
one. There's one body, just one, one
spirit. Even you're called in one hope
of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one hope, one baptism,
one God and Father of all who is above all and through all
and in you all. Bless your people. Listen, bless
us with a greater confidence and assurance of thy salvation. caused me to rest in Christ and
Christ alone. All my hope, all my salvation. Third, feed them. Feed them. Last week, I'll tell this on
myself, last week Isaac convinced me to try a 72-hour fast. He said, Dad, this is going to
make you feel great. You got to try it. You got to
do it. And after about 60 hours, I noticed I felt a little weaker.
I noticed that my head was a little fuzzy. And I realized this. I've got to have food. I've got
to be fed. And I'd be fried up some bacon
and eggs that morning and I may have ate the plate along with
it. I was starving. Listen, the same is true spiritually. We must be fed. The believer
must have food or we'll become weak and faint with hunger. We must have food. Listen, we'll
become weak from lack of nourishment. Food. Listen, without food, I
don't have to tell you what happens if we go a long time without
food, do I? We'll die. We must be fed. God's sheep must
be fed. And they have a special diet.
Sheep food. And here it is. It's God's word. Oh, it's a terrible
thing to be hungry. It's a terrible thing to be hungry.
What's the prayer? Lord, feed them. Feed them Christ. He's the bread of life. Our Lord
said it. He said, I'm the bread of life.
He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth
on me shall never thirst." God's Word, the Scripture, we call
it a hymn book sometimes. Why is that? H-I-M, because it's
all about Him. From Genesis to Revelation, it
declares Him. It's all about Christ and we
must feed on Him. It's the Word of Life. Let me read to you from Acts
chapter 20. Acts 20 verse 28. Take heed therefore unto yourselves
and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you
overseers to feed the church of God which he purchased, that
which he purchased with his own blood. Listen, that he would
send laborers that He would raise up men to
not just pastor, but to go forth and preach the Word. Pastors to feed His church. In
the book of Jeremiah, we read, I'll give you pastors according
to My heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. You know, we know of congregations
that do not have They do not have a pastor. Wouldn't that
be a good prayer? Lord, send a pastor. Raise up a man to feed them. Give us a hunger, a hunger for
thy word, a desire for thy word and feed me. Send forth thy spirit
and make the word effectual to my heart. Feed me through thy
word. Scripture says this, blessed
are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they
shall be fed. Lord, feed them. And then last,
David prays this, he says, lift them up forever. Lift them up. Lift them up. That means to sustain
them. It means to support them. But
it also means to bear them. To bear them up like that shepherd
of old that would bear his sheep. Bear him up in his arms, hold
him close to his side. The Lord, he's pleased to carry
that great shepherd of the sheep. He carries the feeble sheep. He carries the young sheep, that
one that don't have its legs underneath it. He carries the
sickly sheep, the sheep of his flock, and he bears them up in
his arms. He lifts them up when they by
themselves are unable to. Lord, lift me up. Lift me up
from the dungeon of sin." David said, he brought me up also out
of a horrible pit, out of a miry clay. And you know where he set
him? We can go back to verse... He
set him on a rock. He set him on a rock and established my
goings. Like Lazarus of old, lift me
up. Lift me up out of the grave.
Lift me up from the curse of the law. Lift me up from the
dunghill of my works, of my self-righteousness. Lift me up and make me one. Make me one with Christ. And one day, one day, Lord, lift
me up to be with you. Lift your people up to be with
you. Lift them up to dwell with Christ
forever. Turn with me to one more scripture,
and I'll close. Turn to 1 Thessalonians. 1 Thessalonians 4. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. Look at verse 16. For the Lord himself shall descend
from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and
with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the
Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Lifted up to dwell with Him forever. Lift them up. Lift them up forever. Oh, that the Lord would make
this, make this our prayer. Make this our prayer. Make it
your prayer. Make it my prayer. Save thy people. Bless thine inheritance, feed
them also, and lift them up, lift them up forever. I pray you'd be pleased to bless
his word. All right, Isaac.