Okay, this evening we want to
take a look at Psalm 28. I just love to study in the book
of Psalms. I can turn anywhere to any 150
Psalms, any one of them, and I can read it upon any occasion,
any time of the day, and come away blessed. Blessed. SOMEONE CALLED THE BOOK OF PSALMS
A HEM-BOOK, THE CHURCH'S HEM-BOOK, SPELLED H-I-M, ALL ABOUT HIM,
THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. NOW, I'M TAKING THE TITLE FOR
THE MESSAGE FROM VERSE 7, PSALM 28, VERSE 7, THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH
AND MY SHIELD, MY HEART TRUSTETH IN HIM AND I AM HELPED. YOU NEED HELP, TRUST HIM. TRUST
HIM. I TRUST IN THE LORD AND I AM
HELPED. WHAT A BLESSING IT IS TO BE GIVEN
GRACE NOT TO TRUST YOURSELF BUT TO TRUST THE LORD. THE WISE MAN
SOLOMON SAID TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL THINE HEART LEAN NOT
UNTO THY OWN UNDERSTANDING, IN ALL THY WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM,
AND HE SHALL DIRECT THY PATH. PROVERBS 3, VERSE 5, AND VERSE
6. TRULY THOSE WHO ARE LED BY HIS
GRACE TO TRUST, REST, AND BELIEVE IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST ARE
THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN MIGHTILY HELPED OF HIM. FOR THE SCRIPTURE
SAYS, WITHOUT HIM WE CAN DO NOTHING. THANK GOD HE'S OUR HELP. HE'S
OUR SAVIOR. WE ARE EVERYTHING WE KNOW IS
BY HIS GRACE OF HIS FULLNESS. HAVE WE ALL RECEIVED GRACE FOR
GRACE? EVERYTHING WE KNOW HE TAUGHT US. EVERYTHING WE HAVE
HE GAVE IT BY HIS FREE AND SOVEREIGN GRACE. WE ARE WHAT WE ARE BY
HIS MIGHTY SOVEREIGN GRACE. WE QUOTE THIS VERSE Quite often, 1 Corinthians 15,
but by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace which
was bestowed upon me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly
than they all, yet not I, yet not I, but the grace of God. We're totally indebted. We sing
that song, oh, to grace, how great a debtor. Daily I'm constrained
to be, And that's so, isn't it? Now let's consider verse one
and verse two. Verse one and verse two. Unto thee will I cry, unto thee
will I cry, O Lord, he's the Lord I rock. Be not silent to
me, lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them to go
down into the pit with no help, with no salvation, with no mercy
if God leaves us to ourselves. He says again in verse two, hear
the voice of my supplications. I'm gonna cry and Lord, hear
my cry. How many times have we read this
throughout the Psalms where David and others cry unto the Lord. When I cry unto thee, WHEN I
LIFT UP MY HANDS TOWARD THY HOLY ORACLE. TWICE IN THESE VERSES,
DAVID SAYS, UNTO THEE WILL I CRY, AND WHEN I CRY, O LORD, UNTO
THEE. A CRY IS A CRY OF THE HEART. IT'S A CRY OF OUR PRAYER UNTO
THE LORD. A CRY IS AN EXPRESSION OF SORROW. A CRY IS AN EXPRESSION OF DISTRESS
AND HELP, IS IT NOT? When someone cries unto you or
when a, for example, a little child will cry out unto mama,
unto daddy, they cry out because they need help. And they cry
out because they wanna be heard. Help me right now. The cry is
an expression of distress. It's a call for help. But notice
to whom we direct our cry and our prayer, it is unto the Lord. AT ALL TIMES. THAT'S WHY WE'RE TO TRUST HIM
AT ALL TIMES. IT SAYS IN PSALM 62, TRUST HIM
AT ALL TIMES. YOU PEOPLE POUR OUT YOUR HEART
BEFORE HIM. GOD IS A REFUGE FOR US. NOTICE, UNTO THE LORD IS
A REFUGE FOR US. My rock will I cry. He alone
is the immutable, unmovable, solid foundation of our hope,
help, and salvation. He is the rock of our salvation. Now let me point out a few times
where it says that. Look back at Psalm 18. Psalm
18. I counted today, when I was looking
at this, 24 times in the book of Psalms, the Lord our God is
called the Rock. Psalm 18, look at verse one and
two. I will love thee, O Lord, my
strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress,
my deliverer, my God, my strength, in whom I'll trust. Boy. What a list. And the horn of
my salvation and my high tower. I'll call upon the Lord who is
worthy to be praised, so I shall be saved from my enemies. The
Lord is my rock. And then again, if you'll find
Psalm 27, Psalm 27. LOOK AT VERSE 5, FOR IN THE TIME
OF TROUBLE HE SHALL HIDE ME IN HIS PAVILION, IN THE SECRET OF
HIS TABERNACLE SHALL HE HIDE ME, HE SHALL SET ME UPON A ROCK. I LIKE WHAT IT SAYS IN DEUTEROMY
32, THERE'S NO ROCK LIKE OUR ROCK. And we know that this rock
here is none other than our blessed Savior, Redeemer, the rock of
ages. Turn to a couple others, if you
will look at Psalm 61. Psalm 61, verse one and two. Hear my cry, O God, attend to
my prayer. Psalm 61, verse two. From the
ends of the earth will I cry unto thee. When my heart is overwhelmed,
lead me to the rock. Oh, the high rock. It's higher
than I thou has been my shelter a strong tower Strong tower for
me and then one other psalm Psalm 62 Truly my soul waiters upon God
from him coming my salvation. He only is my rock and HE IS MY DEFENSE, I SHALL NOT
BE GREATLY MOVED. NOW, HE IS THE ROCK. NOW, WHAT
DOES THAT MEAN WHEN THE SCRIPTURE SAYS, THE LORD IS OUR ROCK, THE
ROCK OF OUR SALVATION, THE ROCK THAT IS HIGHER THAN I? IT MEANS
HE'S A SOLID FOUNDATION UPON WHICH WE REST. IF YOU'RE GOING
TO BUILD ANYTHING, YOU GO OUT OF A FOUNDATION. rock to build
upon the Lord Jesus Christ is that foundation that God had
laid in Zion remember Isaiah 28 God said behold I lay in Zion
for foundation of stone dried stone a precious corner stone
now like what the Lord told Peter remember UPON THIS ROCK I WILL
BUILD. IF HE BUILDS UPON THAT ROCK WHICH
IS HIMSELF, THE BUILDING IS CERTAINLY SURE. IT'S GOING TO STAND. HIS
CHURCH WILL STAND BECAUSE HE IS THE ROCK. ON CHRIST THE SOLID
ROCK I STAND, ALL OTHER GROUND IS SINKING SAND. WE BUILD UPON
THE ROCK OF OUR BLESSED SAVIOR THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. AND THEN
THE LAST PART OF VERSE 2 SAYS, WHEN I LIFT UP MY HANDS, THESE
ARE LIFTING UP THE HANDS OF PRAISE AND ADORATION TOWARD THY HOLY
ORACLE, OR AS IT SAYS THERE, THE ORACLE OF THE SANCTUARY.
I BELIEVE THAT'S A REFERENCE TO THE MERCY SEAT IN THE TABERNACLE
AND IN THE TEMPLE. THE MERCY SEAT, WHERE THAT, ON
THAT DAY OF ATONEMENT, THAT PRIEST WENT IN AND PUT THE BLOOD UPON
THE MERCY SEAT, AND WHAT IS THAT A PICTURE OF? GOD SAID WHEN I
SEE THE BLOOD ON THAT MERCY SEAT, I'LL BE SATISFIED. HE IS PROPITIATED
OR CHRIST IS OUR PROPITIATION. THE ATONEMENT WAS MADE UPON THE
MERCY SEAT. Now here's the point, if we would
gain access unto God, who is God, we must come through that
mercy seat, through that mediator, through that one sacrifice the
Lord Jesus Christ made for us. We know that Christ is our atonement,
Christ is our mercy seat, Christ is our sacrifice, Christ is the
way. Our Lord said, I'm the way, the
truth, the life, No one comes to the Father but by and through
me. So we look to the Lord Jesus
Christ who is our atonement. He is the one who reconciled
us unto God. So we cry unto Him, we look unto
Him, and we look unto Christ our sacrifice. WE LIFT UP OUR EMPTY HANDS AS
MERCY BEGGARS UNTO HIM WHO IS ABLE TO SUPPLY OUR EVERY NEED
ACCORDING TO HIS RICHES IN GLORY THROUGH THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. AND NOTICE WHAT HE'S PRAISED
FOR HERE. HE SAYS HE REPEATS IT TWICE.
BE NOT SILENT TO ME. BE NOT SILENT TO ME. VERSE 1. DON'T BE SILENT TO ME. WHAT'S
HE SAYING HERE? DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE. DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE. IF YOU LEAVE ME ALONE, I'LL GO
DOWN AND I'LL BE LIKE THEM TO GO DOWN TO THE PIT. IF THE LORD
WOULD SIMPLY LEAVE US TO OURSELVES, WE WILL CERTAINLY PERISH IN OUR
SIN UNDER HIS JUST HOLINESS. FOR WE ARE NOT DESERVING OF THE
LEAST OF HIS MERCIES, BUT RATHER CONDEMNATION. BUT THANK GOD THERE
IS MERCY WITH THE LORD. THANK GOD HE DELIGHTS TO SHOW
MERCY. THANK GOD HE DIDN'T LEAVE US
ALONE, RAISED US FROM THE PIT OF SIN, QUICKENED US IN THE LORD
JESUS CHRIST, AND MADE US NEW CREATURES IN HIM. HE DID NOT
LEAVE US ALONE. WE CRY UNTO HIM, LORD, BE MERCIFUL
TO ME, THE SINNER. I LIKE WHAT IT SAYS IN THE BOOK
OF JOB ABOUT DELIVER THEM FROM GOING DOWN TO THE PIT. THAT'S
WHAT IT SAYS THERE, SAVE ME FROM THE PIT. Deliver them from going
down to the pit. You remember why? I have found
a ransom. And that ransom price is none
other than the blood sacrifice of the blessed Savior. And when
the ransom is paid, we're set free. He paid it in full. When he by himself purged our
sin, he sat down on the right hand of the throne of God and
he set us free. Free indeed. Now, verse three,
four, five, talks about judgment. Draw me not away with the wicked, with the workers of iniquity.
And this is everything we are by nature. Draw me not away with
the wicked. What are we by nature? Wicked. born in sin, shapen in iniquity. Draw me not away with the wicked,
with the workers of iniquity." What are we by nature? Workers
of iniquity. We speak peace to their neighbors,
but mischief is in their heart. That's again, the heart is deceitful
above all things and desperately wicked. Out of the abundance
of the heart, the mouth speaketh. Mischief things wicked things
blasphemies things against God He says here in verse 4 give
them according to their deeds The wages of sin is death Boy,
I don't want what I've got. I don't want what I deserve.
I want mercy Mercy is God not giving me what I do deserve give
them according to their deeds according to the wickedness of
their endeavors and Give them after the work of their hands.
For our hands are defiled like our heart, like our feet swift
to run to destruction. Render to them their deserving. Because, 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. Draw me not away with the wicked. Separate me by your grace. Who
makes you to differ from another? What do you have that you didn't
receive? It's all by his grace. The workers of iniquity masquerade
as doing WORKS, GOOD WORKS FOR THE LORD. OUR LORD SAID TO THOSE
WORKERS OF INIQUITY, DEPART FROM ME, I NEVER KNEW YOU. WHEN THEY
BRAGGED ON THEMSELVES, LORD, WE PREACHED IN YOUR NAME, LORD,
WE'VE DONE THESE MANY WONDERFUL WORKS, HE SAID, DEPART FROM ME,
I NEVER KNEW YOU. THEY SPEAK PEACE UPON A BAD FOUNDATION. THE FALSE PROPHET SAYS, PEACE,
PEACE, WHEN THERE IS NO PEACE. HOW CAN A SINNER HAVE PEACE WITH
GOD ONLY IN CHRIST WHO MADE PEACE FOR US WITH HIS OWN BLOOD? THEIR HEARTS ARE EVIL AND DESPERATELY
WICKED. I LOVE THIS STATEMENT HERE, VERSE
5, THEY REGARD NOT THE WORKS OF THE LORD. THEY THINK MORE
OF THEIR WORKS. They go about to establish a
righteousness by their doing. This is all of us left to ourselves
in the depravity of our will, which is totally wicked, having
no ability to please God because they regard not the works of
the Lord. No man will regard the redeeming
work of the Lord that's not taught of God. NOR DO THEY REGARD THE
OPERATION OF HIS HAND." SALVATION IS HIS OPERATION. SALVATION IS
HIS DOING. SALVATION IS OF THE LORD. AND
THEY'RE SAT IN AND ADJUST INTO. HE SHALL DESTROY THEM AND NOT
BUILD THEM UP BUT TEAR THEM DOWN. those who go about to establish
the righteousness of their own, those who go about to hide in
a refuge of lies. You remember we studied from
Isaiah 28 what will happen to the refuge of lies? God said,
I'll destroy it. I only want to rest in that refuge
that he has provided, and that refuge is none other than Christ
himself, Christ himself. Now, Having said all that, draw
me not away with the wicked. Don't render to me what I've
got coming. Lord, I do by your grace regard
the works of the Lord. I do by your grace esteem highly
the operation of the hands of God. Now, verse six and following. for six, seven, eight, nine.
Let's talk about some blessings we have in Christ. Blessed be
the Lord. You know what David says over
and over? Bless the Lord, O my soul, and
all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord,
bless the Lord, because HE HATH HEARD THE VOICE OF MY CRY. I BLESS HIM. HE'S HEARD OUR PRAYER. OUR PRAYER NOW TURNS TO PRAISING
THE LORD FOR HIS MERCY UNTO US. and confessing our real hope
in Him. It's a good hope through grace,
is it not? God's people are blessed, a blessed people. He's blessed
us with all spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ.
God's people are blessed people, and they're also a people who
enjoy praising the Lord. GIVING HIM ALL THE HONOR AND
GLORY FOR THE SALVATION THAT IS OF THE LORD, UNTO HIM WHO
LOVED US AND WASHED US FROM OUR SIN IN HIS OWN BLOOD, TO WHOM
BE GLORY BOTH NOW AND FOREVER. BLESSED BE THE LORD, BECAUSE
HE HAS HEARD THE VOICE OF MY CRY. WHAT WAS THE CRY? LORD HAVE MERCY ON ME, THE SINNER.
HE NEVER TURNED A DEAF EAR TO THAT CRY OF MERCY, NOT ONE TIME. I'VE NEVER READ ONE TIME WHEN
ANY SINNER WAS TURNED AWAY WHO WAS SEEKING MERCY IN THE LORD. VERSE 7, THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH,
THE LORD IS MY SHIELD, MY HEART TRUST HIM. WE DON'T TRUST OURSELVES. OUR HEART TRUSTS HIM, AND THEN
I'M HELPED. I'M HELPED IN HIM. THEREFORE,
MY HEART GREATLY REJOICES, AND WITH MY SONG, I WILL PRAISE HIM. NOW, LET'S TAKE A LOOK HERE FOR
JUST A FEW MINUTES HERE. THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH. HE IS MY STRENGTH. LOOK RIGHT
ACROSS THE PAGE AT PSALM 27 VERSE 1. THE LORD IS MY LIGHT, MY SALVATION,
AND WHOM SHALL I FEAR? THE LORD IS THE STRENGTH OF MY
LIFE, OF WHOM SHALL I BE AFRAID? THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH. LOOK AT PSALM 46 VERSE 1. PSALM
46 VERSE 1. ALTHOUGH WE ARE WEAK AND FRAIL
AND SINFUL, CHRIST IS THE STRENGTH OF OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, CHRIST
IS THE STRENGTH OF OUR REDEMPTION, HE'S THE STRENGTH OF OUR SALVATION.
PSALM 46, 1, GOD IS OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH, A VERY PRESENT
HELP IN TROUBLE. HE SAID, COME UNTO ME, ALL YOU
WHO ARE LABORING, HEAVY-LADEN, I WILL GIVE YOU REST. CHRIST
IS THAT THRONE OF GRACE. HE SAID COME BOLDLY, REMEMBER?
COME BOLDLY UNTO THE THRONE OF GRACE THAT YOU MAY OBTAIN MERCY
AND FIND GRACE TO HELP IN TIME OF NEED. HE IS OUR HELP. HE IS OUR STRENGTH. WE LOOK TO
HIM. HE IS OUR STRENGTH, AND THEN
IT SAYS THERE HE IS OUR SHIELD. HE'S MY SHIELD. When you think of a shield, I
think of those old knights in shining armor. They would take
a sword in one hand and a shield, a sword to offense, to strike
out an offensive weapon, and a shield to defend. Well, the Lord is both sword
and shield, is he not? I don't turn because you know
this scripture well, but over there when it describes how we're
blessed in Christ, in Ephesians chapter six, I mean, my brethren
be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might, put on
the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against
the wiles of the devil. Take unto you the whole armor
of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, having
done all to stand. Stand therefore having your loins
girded about with truth, having on the breastplate of righteousness
your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel. Above all, taking
the shield, 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. And then it says, praying always
with all prayer and supplication. So that's what God gives us. He gives us strength. He is our
defense. He is our shield and our heart. Trust in Him. What a blessing it is to trust
in the Lord. What is trusting in the Lord?
It's faith, isn't it? It's faith. Forsaking all, I
trust. I trust him, my heart trusteth
in him. Now this heart trust here is
evidence of a new heart given of God. For salvation is a heart
work and when God does that work of grace in our heart, that heart
that's made new, he takes away that stony heart and gives us
that heart of flesh that beats after him. when he gives us a
new heart, we cannot but trust him. We believe him because we
have no option. We trust him because there's
no one else to trust. My heart trusts him. Those who trust the Lord Jesus
Christ shall never be disappointed, will never be ashamed. He's not
ashamed to call us brethren, and we're not ashamed of him.
As Paul said, I know whom I have believed, and I'm not ashamed.
I'm persuaded, he's able, he's able. Now here's the fruit of
trusting him, I am helped, I am helped. THIS IS OUR CONFESSION. CHRIST IS OUR HELPER. FOR EVERY
DAY WE ARE HELPED, WE'RE SURROUNDED, WE'RE PROTECTED IN MATTERS NOT
ONLY PHYSICALLY, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, SPIRITUALLY. HE'S OUR SPIRITUAL
STRENGTH, IS HE NOT? THEREFORE, VERSE 7, THE LAST
PART OF VERSE 7, THEREFORE MY HEART GREATLY REJOICES. WE GREATLY REJOICE IN THE LORD.
YOU REMEMBER IN THAT STUDY WE'VE DONE THROUGH THE BOOK OF PHILIPPIANS
HOW MANY TIMES THE WORD REJOICE IS GIVEN? WE ARE THE TRUE ISRAEL
WHICH WORSHIP GOD IN THE SPIRIT THAT REJOICE IN CHRIST JESUS,
HAVE NO CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESH, CHAPTER 3, VERSE 3, AND THEN
HE SAYS IN CHAPTER 4, VERSE 4, REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS, AND
AGAIN I SAY REJOICE, MY HEART DOES REJOICE IN HIM. And with
my song, with my song, I'll praise Him. I'll praise Him with a song
of thanksgiving. My heart does greatly rejoice
in Him. We need not fear, we need not
fear overdoing this, giving too much glory due unto His name,
for we serve a great Savior who is worthy of all honor and praise,
as Paul said, IN ANOTHER EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS, HE SAID, GOD
FORBID WE SHOULD GLORY, SAVE IN THE CROSS OF OUR LORD JESUS
CHRIST. I WILL PRAISE HIM. VERSE 8, THE
LORD IS THEIR STRENGTH. HE IS THE SAVING STRENGTH OF
HIS ANOINTED. NOW, DAVID WAS THE ANOINTED KING,
RIGHT? But David was just a type and
picture of the greater David, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is
a saving strength or the strength of salvation of his anointed.
And that is a reference to the anointed Messiah, the Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the anointed one. Remember
our Lord quoted Isaiah 61, There it's found in Luke chapter
4, but in Isaiah 61, we read, The Spirit of the Lord is upon
me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings unto
the meek. He has sent me to bind up the
brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and opening
up the prison to them that are bound, to proclaim the acceptable
year of the Lord. one of my favorite Psalms, find
Psalm 45 when it talks about the anointed of the Lord. It has a faint reference to David,
he was the anointed king, but it has a more important reference
to the Lord Jesus Christ as the anointed Messiah of God. You
remember Psalm 45? LOOK AT VERSE 6. THY THRONE,
O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER. THE SCEPTER OF THY KINGDOM IS
A RIGHT SCEPTER. THOU LOVEST RIGHTEOUSNESS, HATEST
WICKEDNESS. THEREFORE GOD, THY GOD, HATH
ANOINTED THEE WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS ABOVE THY FELLOWS. THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS ANOINTED
IN HIS PERSON, ANOINTED IN ALL OF HIS OFFICES, PROPHET, PRIEST,
AND KING. HE IS THE ONE BECAUSE HE IS THE
ONE APPOINTED AND ANOINTED OF GOD. HE IS OUR STRENGTH. HE IS
OUR STRENGTH. NOW, VERSE 9 IS JUST A PRAYER
THAT WE NEED TO... IT'S JUST AN ALL-COMPREHENSIVE
PRAYER UNTO THE LORD. HE SAYS FOUR THINGS IN THAT VERSE.
SAVE THY PEOPLE, BLESS YOUR INHERITANCE, FEED THEM, RULE THEM, AND THEN
LIFT THEM UP FOREVER. EVERYTHING WE NEED RIGHT THERE.
What do we need? Salvation. He saved us. Call his name Jesus, he shall
save his people from their sin. Salvation is of his doing, of
his work. Save thy people, and that's exactly
what the Lord did when he came here to seek and to save those
who are lost. Save thy people. Who are these
people? WHETHER HIS BY HIS CHOICE. OUR
LORD SAID YOU DIDN'T CHOOSE ME, I CHOSE YOU. WE CALL THAT THE
BLESSED DOCTRINE OF ELECTION, ELECTING LOVE. ALL THAT THE FATHER
GIVETH ME SHALL COME TO ME, AND THOSE THAT COME TO ME I WILL
AND KNOW WISE CAST OUT. WE ARE HIS PEOPLE, SAVE THY PEOPLE,
GIVEN TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IN THAT COVENANT OF GRACE, REDEEMED
BY HIS PRECIOUS BLOOD, AND THEN WERE CALLED BY HIS EFFICACIOUS,
is that too big a word? EFFECTIAL CALL. EFFECTIAL GRACE. WHAT GOD PROMISED,
HE FULFILLED. CALL HIS NAME JESUS, HE SHALL
SAVE. AT CALVARY STREET, HE SAID, IT IS FINISHED. IT'S DONE. I'VE COMPLETED IT. AND THEN HE
SAID, BLESS THINE INHERITANCE. NOW, SINCE HE SAVED US, He's
got to bless us. We're His people. Bless thine
inheritance. Who are these people? Heirs of
God and joint heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ? Blessed be
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to
His abundant mercy hath begotten us again to a living hope by
the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to inheritance
INCORRUPTIBLE, UNDEFILED, THAT FADES NOT AWAY, RESERVED IN HEAVEN
FOR YOU. I PETER, CHAPTER 1, VERSE 3 AND
4, WHO WERE KEPT BY THE POWER OF GOD, VERSE 5, SAVE THY PEOPLE,
BLESS THINE INHERITANCE, FEED THEM. FEED THEM. WHAT DOES HE FEED
HIS PEOPLE WITH? HE FEEDS THEM WITH THE BREAD
OF LIFE. HE FEEDS THEM WITH THE WORD OF
THE LORD. PETER, THE LORD RESURRECTED LORD,
SAID TO PETER, PETER, DO YOU LOVE ME? YES, LORD. FEED MY SHEEP. PETER,
DO YOU REALLY LOVE ME? YES, LORD. FEED MY LAMBS. FEED MY SHEEP. FEED THEM ALSO. AND HE DOES FEED US WITH THE
WORD OF TRUTH. WE DESIRE THE SINCERE MILK OF
HIS WORD, THAT WE MIGHT GROW THEREBY. FEED THEM. AND THAT
WORD ALSO CAN BE RENDERED, NOTICE A MARGINAL REFERENCE ON THE WORD
FEED, RULE THEM. RULE THEM. WE NEED A RULER. AND WE HAVE ONE. HE'S KING OF
KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. HE'S EVERYMAN'S LORD AND EVERYMAN'S
KING WHETHER THEY ACKNOWLEDGE IT OR NOT. WE ACKNOWLEDGE IT.
HE'S THE LORD OUR SHEPHERD WHO PROVIDES FOR US. AND THEN HE
SAYS HERE, LIFT THEM UP, LIFT THEM UP FOREVER. REMEMBER OUR LORD SAID, IF I
BE LIFTED UP, I'LL DRAW ALL UNTO ME. SINCE HE'S LIFTED UP, WE'RE
LIFTED UP IN HIM. WHEN HE CAME, HE LIVED FOR US. WHEN HE DIED, HE DIED FOR US.
WHEN HE WAS RAISED AGAIN, HE WAS RAISED FOR US. WE CALL THAT
REPRESENTATION. WHEN HE ASCENDED TO GLORY AND
SAT DOWN, WE SAT DOWN IN HIM. RAISED UP TOGETHER IN THE HEAVENLIES
IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. THE LORD SAVES HIS PEOPLE WITH
AN EVERLASTING SALVATION AND GIVES THEM ETERNAL LIFE. IF HE
GIVES HIS SHEEP, HE SAYS, I KNOW MY SHEEP. I've known of mine,
my sheep hear my voice, I know them and they do follow me, and
I give unto them eternal life, and no man can pluck them out
of my hand. The Father which gave them me
is greater than all, and no man can pluck them out of my Father's
hand. He'll lift them up forever and ever. They shall never, no,
never perish. NO ONE FOR WHOM THE LORD JESUS
CHRIST STOOD AS SURETY, SACRIFICE, MEDIATOR. NO ONE FOR WHOM HE
DIED WILL PERISH. THERE'S NO ONE IN HELL FOR WHOM
THE LORD JESUS CHRIST DIED. EVERYONE HE DIED FOR AS REPRESENTATIVE
MEDIATOR, THEY'RE SAVED WITH AN EVERLASTING SALVATION. Christ. They're already seated in the
heavenlies in the blessed Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.