Psalm 115. I'm entitling the
message from the words found in verse three of Psalm 115. Our God is in the heavens. Our God, but our God is in the
heavens. He has done whatsoever He has
pleased. Whatever the Lord is pleased
to do, that's what He does. He does all of His pleasure.
always has, always will, all his pleasure, all his purpose
will be done. Now this Psalm, as many Psalms
do, and as all the Word of God does, gives a sharp contrast,
doesn't it? A contrast between the true,
almighty, holy, sovereign, eternal, and living God and contrast that
to the useless, dead idols and gods of the heathen. Now there's
a sharp contrast there. I mean there's a distinct contrast
between the useless idols of men and the true and living God. Now let's consider verse 1. It
begins with a double negative, a double negative. You see it
there? Not, not, not unto us. Oh Lord, not unto us. But unto
thy name, that name which is above every name, that name at
which every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that he's
Lord to the glory of God the Father, but unto thy name, thy
name, his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty
God, the Everlasting Father. Unto thy name, the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ, we give glory, not unto us, Not to the preacher,
not to the church, not to any creature, but rather who gets
the glory for such salvation, for great things he had done?
Not the creature, the creator. He gets all the glory, not unto
us, oh Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name. We give glory,
we give glory. for your mercy and for your truth's
sake. Now, we know this, don't we? We know this. There is no glory
due to any man or angel. All glory is due to God alone. This is the believer's motto,
is it not? We sang a moment ago, to God
be the glory, great things he has done. We have seen repeatedly
in our study in the revelation. I'm seeing this more and more
all through scripture that everything God He does for His glory. His glory. Worthy is the Lamb
that was slain to receive all honor, glory, and blessing both
now and forever. See, it's all about salvation.
It's all about His glory. His glory, the glory of the blessed
Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. Our wise and infinite sovereign
God has so designed... He did this on purpose. This
just didn't happen. Our wise and infinite God has
so designed salvation that Jesus Christ must have all the preeminence. We read that a moment ago, didn't
we? In Colossians chapter one. He must have all the preeminence,
deservedly so. He must have the first place. He must have the chief place.
He must have the chief glory. All glory is due to the Lord
Jesus Christ alone. In Galatians chapter six, we
read this. God forbid, God forbid we should
glory except in the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ in him crucified. He that was glorious, let him
glory only in the Lord. Give him glory and honor unto
his name for his mercy and for his truth. Give him glory for
his mercy and his truth. Now, Not by works of righteousness,
which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us. It is of the Lord's mercies that
we are not consumed. We give glory unto our blessed
Redeemer for covenant mercies given unto us. Covenant mercies. The Lord's mercy, the Lord's
truth. All glorify the Lord Jesus Christ,
don't they? His mercy and His truth. All
glorify the Lord Jesus Christ in all aspects of salvation. Pardon, forgiveness, righteousness. Who gets all the glory? Christ
alone. You have the Lord Jesus Christ.
We've studied this in John chapter one. Christ is full of mercy,
full of grace, full of truth. Remember? The word was made flesh
and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the
only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Remember Colossians chapter one?
It please the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell. All the fullness of mercy is
found in Christ. He is the mercy seat. He is our
propitiation. All the fullness of truth is
found in the Lord Jesus Christ. It's of His fullness that we
have grace for grace. In Him dwells all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily and in the Lord Jesus Christ we stand
complete. Now, Where does that leave us? Well, to God be the glory, doesn't
it? For his mercy, his great mercy. Wherewith he loved us
even when we were dead in trespasses and in sin. Every knee one day
will bow and confess and give him glory and confess that he
is Lord to the glory of God the Father. One old preacher of the
past said this, No praise is due to any man, none at all. And then he asked his question,
have we being? Not unto us, he gave us being,
he gave us life. Have we health? Not unto us,
but unto thy name by mercy and thy truth. Have we outward comforts? Not unto us. His mercy, His truth. Have we friends? Not unto us,
but unto His mercy and His truth. How about the means of grace?
Not unto us, not unto us, but His mercy and His truth. Have
we saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? Not unto us. It's His
mercy and His truth, isn't it? Everything we have. Gifts and
grace, gifts of the Spirit, and grace in the Lord Jesus Christ,
not unto us, but unto thy name be glory forever, both now and
forever. Have we hope of glory in Christ
Jesus? Well, Christ in you is the hope
of glory, but not unto us. Unto thy name do we give glory. for all things. You see, the
scripture is absolutely clear on it. All praise and glory is
due to the Lord Jesus Christ. All we have is of His grace,
mercy, and love toward the undeserving, toward the unlovely. His mercy
is everlasting. Can't you say with the Apostle
Paul, I am what I am by His grace? It's because of his mercy. It's
because of his truth that we are not concerned. Mercy and
truth, you remember Psalm 85? Mercy and truth are met together.
Righteousness and peace have kissed each other in Christ Jesus. In Christ Jesus, the truth of
God's justice is magnified and his mercy is magnified as well,
isn't it? In Christ. Now, look at verse
two. Now, the believer says, oh, to
God be the glory. To God be the glory. Oh, we give
thanks, the glory of his mercy, the glory of his truth. Now,
the heathen, what do they say? Where is this God of glory? Where
is this God of truth? You see verse two? Where is this
God of truth? Where is this God of glory? Well,
really, where isn't he? He's everywhere present. But
the heathen, because he's ignorant of God, the true and living God,
he would say, well, where is this God? Or we might put it
this way, David, King of Israel, where is your God? We know where
our God is. We put him over here on a stump.
We put him over here in the Temple of Dagon. We know where our God
is. Baal and Asherah, we know. We
made him, we know where he is. Where's your God, David? We can't
see him, where is he? God is spirit. God is everywhere,
present. But the heathen, because of the
ignorance and blindness and deadness of his heart, he would say, well,
where is your God? Where is this God that you worship?
Notice the response. But our God is in the heavens. He's in the heavens. He's everywhere. He hath done whatsoever He hath
pleased to do. Our God is sovereign. Our God
is seated on a sovereign, absolute, undisputed throne of glory. He does according to His will
in the army of heaven, among the inhabitants of this earth,
and none can stay at His hand. None can say to Him, Lord God,
what doest Thou? He's on the absolute undisputed
throne, doing and working all things after the counsel of His
own will. Of Him and through Him and to
Him are all things. You know what it says next? Guess
what it says next? Of Him and through Him and to
Him are all things to whom be glory both now and forever. You see, it all gets back to
His glory, doesn't it? Our God is in the heavens. Oh,
the heathen, they know where their God is. that our God is
everywhere present. And he does all things after
the counsel of his own will. Look over here to Psalm 135,
turn over there. Psalm 135, look at verse four
and five. Psalm 135, for I know that the
Lord is great. The Lord is great, that our God
is above all gods. The gods of the nations are idols.
Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven, earth,
sea, and all deep places. He causes the vapors to ascend
from the ends of the earth. He maketh lightnings for the
rain. Saw some of that today and yesterday. Who makes the
lightnings for the rain? Who makes the rain? I like this
statement here. He brings the wind out of his
treasuries. He had this storehouse full of
wind. Sometimes he opened the door and he let some of it out.
Our God is in the heavens. He's done whatsoever He's pleased.
Now listen to me. This is so. The only place a
sinner will truly worship is at the throne of the Almighty
Sovereign God. The only place you really worship
is at the throne of the undisputed absolute Sovereign God. He demands surrender. His people gladly surrender.
Now I want to ask you a question. It says there that our God's
in the heavens, back to the text, Psalm 115, and He's done whatsoever
He is pleased. Now, here's the question. What
has it pleased the Lord to do? What has it pleased the Lord
to do? The Scripture is not silent on this point. There's five things
revealed in the Word of God that it pleased the Lord to do. Let
me give them to you quickly. First of all, it says in 1 Samuel
12, 22, that it pleased the Lord to make you His people. It pleased Him to do that. His
electing grace is according to His sovereign will and purpose. As God, we're bound to give thanks
to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God has
chosen you to salvation. We call that the Bible doctrine
of election. It's a blessed, blessed truth.
It pleased the Lord to choose His covenant people. Secondly,
In Isaiah 53 10 it says, it pleased the Lord to bruise him as our
substitute, bearing our sin, putting away our sin. God made
him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made
the righteousness of God in him. So it pleased the Lord to bruise
him, to wound him in our room and in our stead. We know it
pleased Pilate. It pleased the Jews. It pleased
the Romans. to kill the Lord Jesus Christ,
didn't it? But what we must see, we must look beyond the instruments
of the cross to the author of the cross and see the work of
God, the sword of God, justice plunged into the heart of the
Lord Jesus Christ. It pleased the Lord to bruise
him. and in our stead, room and stead. As I've said to you more
than one time, it's not what men did at Calvary, that's our
hope. It's what God was doing at the cross, that's our hope.
But it pleased the Lord to bruise him. That's an amazing thing,
is it not? Thirdly, we read in Colossians chapter one a moment
ago, it pleased the Lord that in the Lord Jesus Christ should
all fullness dwell. It pleased God Almighty that
in the body that God had prepared him in the God-man mediator,
all the fullness of God dwells in that God-man mediator. He
is God. How can he be less than fullness?
The fullness of sovereignty, the fullness of omniscient, omnipotence,
He knows all things, He has all power. It pleased God Almighty
that in the Lord Jesus Christ, in that God, man, mediator should
all fullness dwell. Fourthly, it pleased God to call
out His people through the preaching of the gospel. It says that,
doesn't it? Doesn't it? It says that, doesn't
it? First Corinthians chapter one,
it pleased God through the foolishness of preaching to call out his
covenant people. You say, well, if God elected the people, Christ
died for the people and the Holy Spirit quickens them, why preach
the gospel? He commanded us to do so. And
he uses the preaching of the gospel to call out and quicken
his people. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth.
Here's the fifth thing. Galatians chapter one, what did
it please the Lord to do? It pleased God to save sinners
according to his sovereign purpose. Remember, we read it Sunday,
Colossians chapter one, verse 15. When will a sinner be saved? You remember what Paul said?
When it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, called
me by his grace to, what? Reveal his son in me. See, it pleased God to do that.
Aren't you glad it pleases God to save sinners? Aren't you glad
it pleases God to send forth the message of the gospel through
an earthen vessel that he, you know why he puts the gospel?
Paul said, we have this treasure in an earthen vessel that the excellency and glory
may be of God. See, even in that, he uses weak
vessels, sinners, redeemed by His grace to go forth and preach
the gospel that He might be. He didn't send angels. He sent
sinners to tell other sinners about Christ and the gospel.
But our God's in the heavens. He had done whatsoever He has
pleased to do. Mark it down. His pleasure, His
purpose will be done. Now, here's the contrast. Their idols. Now, our God, I
don't know about these gods out here. The gods of men. Our God is in heaven. That's
what this book reveals. He's on the throne of absolute
dominion. Their God. You see, our God,
not like their God. Says that in Deuteronomy. Our
God's not like, our rock's not like their rock. Their idols
are silver and gold. Their gods are the work of their
hand. They have mouths, but they speak
not. They have eyes. They don't see. They have ears. But they don't hear anything. They have noses, but they don't
smell. They don't work. They have hands,
but their hands can't accomplish anything. They handle not. They
have feet. They're not going anywhere. If
that idol goes anywhere, it has to be moved. They don't speak. They don't
speak. Neither speak they through their
throat. They don't hear. They don't speak. He's really
making fun of Midney. Well, you know, you shouldn't
criticize another man's religion. The Word of God does. You shouldn't
be critical on those people. The Word of God's critical. Straight
as a gate narrows away. They that make them are like
unto them, so is everyone that trusteth in them. The description
of the idols of men and the gods of men who want to and can't
who have tried and failed, what a vast contrast." Don't you see
the contrast? I mean, you've got to be dead
not to see the contrast. Between life and darkness, between
life and death, darkness and light, this same statement is
given again in Psalm, in case we missed it, in Psalm 135, He's
going to give it to us again. Now think about this. This illustrates,
doesn't it, how totally depraved and sinful people really are.
They think they can make a God to their own likeness, their
own fondness, bow down to a dead idol and hope for life and salvation
and pray unto a God that cannot save. It says in Isaiah 45. A God who wants to and can't,
who has tried and failed, what kind of God is that? It's an
impotent idol. Is it not? Those who say, well,
God wants to, but you won't let Him. That doesn't sound like
this God here who does whatsoever He pleases. That sounds like
another God, doesn't it? Aren't you glad that the Almighty
Lord had turned you from your idols of impotent self to the
true and living Almighty God? We read that in 1 Thessalonians
recently where Paul says how You turned or you were turned
to God to the true and living God. You turned to God. You were
turned to God from your idols. Turn me Lord and I shall return. He does the turning. You see,
our God, our Lord, he has eyes to see our need, doesn't he?
He has ears to hear our crying. He has hands to meet our need
according to his riches in glory. His mouth and his throat, his
tongue, he speaks the words of life to tell us how he provided
salvation for us. The Lord will provide. He has
feet. The Lord Jesus Christ was a real
man. The Lord has feet to tread the
winepress of the wrath of God alone. Our Lord has feet to carry
us as the good shepherd. He puts us on his shoulders and
carries us all the way to glory. He's the forerunner who has entered
in. A forerunner must have feet to run, doesn't he? He's the
forerunner who has entered in for us. Our God is the true and living
God. Now look at verse eight in our text. They that make them,
they that make them are like unto them. So is everyone that
trusteth in them. They that make them are like
unto them. Now, you look at that statement.
They that make them. Idol makers are like the idols
that they make. And know what that says? So is
everyone that trusteth in the idol. What is an idol? Impotent, lifeless, cold, and
dead. Sinners by nature are dead in
trespasses and in sin having no spiritual life without God
without Christ without hope without life Idol makers are like the
idols they worship Dead dead They do not see his glory do
they? Their mouth is full of cursing
and bitterness, says in Romans 3. They do not have eyes to see
His glory. They do not have ears to hear
His word. They do not have noses to smell
the sweetness. of his satisfying sacrifice. They do not have hands of faith
to receive the Lord Jesus Christ. Their hands are defiled with
blood. They do not have feet to walk in the way of truth.
The steps of a righteous man are ordered of the Lord. Says
in Romans 3, their feet are swift to shed blood. Cursed is everyone
that trusted them. You know what the problem is?
They're depraved sinners. You remember from Isaiah chapter
one where it said, the whole head is sick, the whole heart
is faint, from the sole of the foot even to the head, there's
no soundness, no goodness in it, but wounds and bruises and
putrefying, ulcerated sores, total depravity. Now, isn't that
a contrast? That's one of the sharpest contrasts
between the true and living God and those who have idols, and
those who are idol worshipers. Now, verses nine and verse 11,
because our God is in the heavens, because He's a sovereign, living,
true, eternal God, whose mercy is everlasting, whose truth endures
throughout all generations, says in Psalm 100, His mercy is everlasting,
His truth endures forever. Oh, Israel, people of God, Trust
thou in the Lord. Trust Him. Trust Him. Can He
be trusted with our salvation? Absolutely. Absolutely. Can we trust Him to work out
perfect righteousness for us? Can we trust Him for all forgiveness
and righteousness? Absolutely. We can trust the
Lord Jesus Christ to accomplish all our salvation. For He is
our help. He is our help. He is our help. He is our shield. Turn back to
Psalm 46. Psalm 46, verse one. He is our
help. Psalm 46, one. God is our refuge
and strength of every present help in trouble. Psalm 46, one. You see it? God is our refuge
and strength. A very present help in trouble,
therefore will not we fear. When I was sitting at the top
of my stairs on July 17th in 2010, and the water coming up,
I didn't think it was gonna stop, this verse here came to my heart.
And I sat there on top of the stairs and quoted this verse
over and over and over and over again. God is our refuge and
strength, a very present help in trouble, and it gave me comfort.
He gave me comfort. He is our help. Vain is the help
of man. The Lord is our help. Turn over
here to Psalm 121. Psalm 121. The Lord is our help. How much
help can an idol give? None. Look at Psalm 121. I'll lift
up my eyes unto the hill, for whence cometh my help? My help
cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and the earth. He's our
helper. You see that? He's our helper. We're told to come boldly unto
the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace
to help. You need help? I need help. In time of need. Well, when is
your time of need? When do I need help? All the
time. And he is our shield. You see that? Oh, Israel, trust
thou in the Lord. He is their help and their shield.
Says this three times. Oh, house of Aaron, trust in
the Lord. He is their help and their shield.
Ye that fear the Lord, you that believe the Lord, trust the Lord.
He is their help. He is their shield. What is a
shield? A defense. Christ is our defense. You know, faith is called the
shield of faith. His truth is our shield. His
truth is our shield. Don't turn. Let me just read
this to you. I've got this reference down here. Psalm 91 verse four. His truth is our shield. His truth shall be shield and
buckler. His truth. His truth is our shield. You see, you can never make a
mistake trusting the Lord. Never. It is right to trust Him. It is right to look to Him for
help, shield, salvation. It is right. He would have us
do it. And you know why? Gives Him all the glory. Doesn't
it? Gives him all the glory. Now
look at verse 12 and 13. The Lord, he's been mindful of
us. We've been on his mind for a
long time. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of his son. The Lord, we've been on
his mind from all eternity. He's loved his people with an
everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness, he says, I'll
draw you to myself. The Lord has been mindful of
us in that eternal covenant of grace. He will bless us. He has. Blessed us with all spiritual
blessings and heavenlies in Christ Jesus. He will bless the house
of Israel. God's covenant people. He will
bless the house of Aaron. We've been made priests and kings
under our God. He will bless them that fear
the Lord, both small and great. He will bless us. He has, He
has, and He will bless us. He will ever be mindful of us.
Now think about this. The storehouse of His mercy can
never be exhausted. He will bless us. Bless us, bless
us, bless us now and forever. You see, He's plenteous in mercy.
He's plenteous in redemption. He has and He will bless us to
all eternity. He'll never leave us. He'll never
forsake us. Now, what does that cause you
to do in your heart? To trust Him for all things. Trust Him. He's ever been mindful
of us. He's our help. He's our shield. Trust Him. He'll bless us. And then it says,
verse 14, He will increase us. He'll increase us more and more.
He will increase us more and more. The Lord must increase
and His people must increase in Him. As we grow in grace and
in the knowledge of Him, we learn to trust Him more. We learn to
trust Him more and to, just to let go and trust Him. Just to
let go and trust Him. He will bless us. He will increase
us. Now look at verse 15. Ye are blessed of the Lord, which
made heaven and earth. You are blessed of the Lord.
The heaven, even the heavens of the Lord are the Lord's, but
the earth, He's given that. to his children. Believers are
blessed with an abundance of blessing. Look at verse 17 now.
The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down to the
grave. Those who were dead to the Lord,
dead in sin, those that are idol makers will not praise the Lord. will not give him glory and honor. The souls of departed saints,
believers who die in the Lord, we're gonna see in our next study
in Psalm 116, look at verse 15. Psalm 116, verse 15, it said,
precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.
Well, those who were dead in trespasses and sin do not praise
the Lord. They don't give him glory to
God. Believers do now, and when they die, How about when they
die? Our body goes back to the dust. The souls of departed saints
can and do praise the Lord. These departed saints die not
with their bodies. You know, death is a separation
of the soul from our body. We don't sleep in the grave.
The body does, but the soul doesn't. Believers go immediately in the
presence of God and employed in the service of God Continually
praising him as do the angels And you know what they saying
Worthy is the lamb receive all honor and glory. You see we learn
that song here and We just continue to sing it there But verse 18
We will bless the Lord Bless the Lord, oh my soul and all
that is within me. Bless His holy name. But we will
bless the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. We will bless Him and then it
says, it closes with, now praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord. Believers are eager to bless
the Lord, aren't they? Now and forever. Ever. From the rising of the
sun to the going down of the same. The Lord's name is to be
praised. Believers are eager to praise
the Lord. As long as we live, as long as
we have being, we will bless the Lord. Being made spiritually
alive, quickened by his spirit and grace, enabled of God, ascribing
all glory to God for great things that he has done. Now, back to
verse one. Not unto us, O Lord, not unto
us, but unto thy name give glory for thy mercy and for thy truth's
sake.