OK, this evening we're going
to look at Psalm 91. Psalm 91. And I'm entitling the
message from the words found in verse 1. BELIEVERS IN THE
LORD JESUS CHRIST, THEY DWELL IN THE SECRET PLACE OF THE MOST
HIGH GOD. THE SECRET DWELLING PLACE OF
THE MOST HIGH GOD, AND THAT SECRET PLACE IS NONE OTHER THAN THE
LORD JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF. WHAT IS THIS SECRET PLACE THAT
THE BELIEVER CONTINUALLY DWELLS AND ABIDES IN? Well, it's not
really a place as a physical place, but a person. Who do we
abide in? We abide under the shadow of
the almighty God, the Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is
the most high God. And the believer finds everything
in Christ. EVERYTHING. HE'S OUR WISDOM,
RIGHTEOUSNESS, SANCTIFICATION, AND REDEMPTION. IF YOU WOULD
LOOK ACROSS THE PAGE AT VERSE 9, IT GOES ALONG WITH THAT, BECAUSE
THOU HAST MADE THE LORD WHICH IS MY REFUGE. JEHOVAH GOD MY
SAVIOR IS MY REFUGE EVEN THE MOST HIGH. HE'S OUR HABITATION. Him we live and move and have
our being he's our dwelling place in the secret place that God
has provided for us It's none other than the Lord himself who
is our refuge, who is our righteousness, who is our redemption, who is
all of our salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ himself. And this
secret place that we abide in is a person who is provided by
the almighty God. He is the one who says the Lord
will provide, HE IS THE PROVISION. HE IS THE PROVISION FOR US. THE
LORD JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF WHO IS THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. THIS PSALM LIKE SO MANY OTHERS
IS FULL OF THE BLESSED PRECIOUS GREAT EXCEEDING PROMISES OF GOD
THAT'S REVEALED AND REALIZED ONLY IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. NOW WE STUDIED before many Psalms
and they have a title below Psalm 91 or Psalm 92. You remember
last week Psalm 92 was a Psalm or a song for the Sabbath day.
Many times the Psalms say it'll be a Psalm of David. But look
back at Psalm 90. It says there in Psalm 90, a
prayer of Moses, the man of God. Some of the Psalms were penned
by David, some by Moses, and some by others. But notice in
Psalm 91, it has nothing there. And therefore, many of the old
writers think that this Psalm, along with Psalm 90, is another
Psalm of Moses. And if that's so, NOT THAT IT
MAKES ANY DIFFERENCE, ALL SCRIPTURES GIVING THEM GOD. BUT IF MOSES
IS DEPENDENT, MOSES WAS BLESSED TO EXPERIENCE THE SAME HOPE THAT
BELIEVERS TODAY HAVE AS WELL. REMEMBER THE LORD SAID OF MOSES,
HAD YOU BELIEVED HIM, YOU WOULD HAVE BELIEVED ME BECAUSE MOSES
WROTE ABOUT ME, THE LORD SAID. MOSES HAD ONE HOPE. IT WASN'T
THE LAW THAT THUNDERED FROM SINAI. MOSES HAD ONE HOPE, AND THAT
IS THE LORD JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF. I AM THAT I AM, THE LORD SAID
TO HIM OUT OF THAT BUSH THAT BURNED AND WAS NOT CONSUMED.
WHEN MOSES TOOK UP HIS PEN TO WRITE, THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO
MOSES, STARTING IN GENESIS THROUGH DEUTERONOMY, HE WROTE ABOUT THE
LORD JESUS CHRIST. THAT'S WHAT THE FIRST FIVE BOOKS
AND ALL 66 BOOKS OF THE BIBLE ARE ALL ABOUT THE LORD JESUS
CHRIST. TO HIM GIVE ALL THE PROPHETS
WITNESS. REMEMBER OUR LORD SAID TO THOSE
TWO MEN ON THE ROAD TO EMMAUS, REMEMBER WHAT HE SAID? Beginning
of Moses and all the prophets he expounded unto them and all
the scriptures the things Concerning himself All about himself. Wouldn't you like to have heard
that sermon? Remember what those two men said? Didn't our heart
burn? Within us when he opened to us
the Word of the Lord Now I want us to consider this psalm in
four parts. I BELIEVER'S DWELLING PLACE,
VERSE 1 AND VERSE 2, AND THEN WE CAN PICK UP VERSE 9 AS WELL
IN THAT FIRST PART. THE SECOND PART IS THE BELIEVER'S
CONFIDENCE, VERSE 3 THROUGH 8, OUR CONFIDENCE IS NOT IN US,
IT'S IN CHRIST OUR REFUGE, CHRIST OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. AND THEN THE
THIRD THING WE SEE THE BELIEVER'S REDEEMER, THE BELIEVER'S REDEEMER
AND REFUGE, VERSES 9 DOWN THROUGH VERSE 13, AND THEN IN CLOSING,
VERSE 14 AND 16, THE BELIEVER'S PROMISE OF SALVATION. EVERYTHING
THAT GOD HAS PROMISED HIS PEOPLE, AND HE'S PROMISED A WHOLE LOT.
HAVE YOU EVER MADE A PROMISE AND COULDN'T KEEP IT? BECAUSE
OF DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES. EVERY PROMISE THE LORD MAKES,
HE KEEPS ABSOLUTELY PERFECTLY. NOW, LET'S LOOK AT THE FIRST
THING, VERSE 1 AND 2, THE BELIEVER HAS A HABITATION. HE HAS A DWELLING
PLACE. LET'S READ THESE TWO VERSES AGAIN.
HE THAT DWELLETH, DWELLETH THOSE WHO ABIDE IN THE SECRET PLACE
OF THE MOST HIGH. That's the refuge the Lord has
provided himself. Shall abide or lodge, as the
marginal reference has, under the shadow, the shadow of the
almighty, the all-wise, all-powerful, almighty, most high God. I will say of the Lord, IT'S
ALL OF THE LORD BECAUSE SALVATION IS OF THE LORD. HE IS MY. NOW I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE IS TO
EVERYBODY ELSE BUT AS A BELIEVER WE CAN SAY PERSONALLY HE'S MINE. THE LORD IS MINE AND I'M HIS.
I WILL SAVE THE LORD. HE'S MY REFUGE. I WILL SAVE THE
LORD. HE'S MY FORTRESS. HE'S MY FORT. I RUN TO HIM. I LOOK TO HIM AND
THEN HE'S MY GOD. WHAT A PLACE FOR HABITATION FOR
BELIEVERS. THEREFORE WE SAY IN HIM, IN HIM
WILL I TRUST. WHO DO WE TRUST? HIM. THAT'S WHAT FAITH IS ALL ABOUT.
FORSAKING ALL, I TRUST HIM. All about trusting Him. By God's
eternal purpose, power, and electing grace, the Lord Jesus Christ
is our dwelling place now and forever. For He saves us with
eternal salvation. He says, I give my sheep eternal
life, and they shall never perish. No man can pluck them out of
my hand, My Father which gave to me is greater than all, and
no man can pluck Him out of my hand. We shall abide and reside
and lodge in Him, in the Lord Jesus Christ, this secret place
of His love in His heart. We're one with Him. What's true
of the head is true of the body. Hold your place there and turn
back over here to Psalm 27. Psalm 27 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, AND HE SHALL
SET ME UPON THE ROCK. HE TABERNACLED WITH US. WE ARE
HIDDEN IN HIM BECAUSE WE ARE ONE WITH HIM. WHEN GOD SEES US,
HE SEES US IN CHRIST, OUR SECRET DWELLING PLACE." AREN'T YOU THANKFUL
FOR THAT? WHAT A DWELLING PLACE GOD HAS
PROVIDED FOR US. THE MOST HIGH, THE ALMIGHTY LORD
IS OUR HABITATION. HE HAS PROVIDED THIS HABITATION
FOR US. WE DWELL IN HIM. WE ABIDE IN
HIM. WE STAY PUT IN HIM. WE'RE KEPT
BY THE POWER OF GOD. IN HIM, HOW SAFE AND SECURE ARE
WE? SAFE AND SECURE AS THE LORD JESUS
CHRIST HIMSELF. DON'T TURN BACK, LET ME JUST
GET THIS FOR YOU. IN PSALM 27, VERSE 1, HE SAID,
THE LORD IS MY LIGHT, HE'S MY SALVATION, WHOM SHALL I FEAR? THE LORD IS THE STRENGTH OF MY
LIFE, WHOM SHALL I BE AFRAID? THE LORD IS MY LIGHT, MY SALVATION,
MY REFUGE, MY DWELLING PLACE. NOW LOOK AT VERSE 2. will save the Lord. He is my
refuge." Now this is not, you remember we studied Isaiah 28
where it talks about people hiding in the refuge of lies? REMEMBER
GOD SAID I'LL SWEEP AWAY THOSE REFUGE OF LIES? THIS IS THE REFUGE
THAT HE HAS PROVIDED FOR US. I WILL SAY OF THE LORD, HE'S
MY LIGHT, HE'S MY SALVATION, HE'S MY RIGHTEOUSNESS, HE'S MY
REFUGE, AND HE'S MY FORTRESS. HE'S MY FORTRESS. THAT IS, HE'S
OUR STRONG DWELLING PLACE. HE'S OUR FORT. Whenever you were
a kid, did you used to build a, we'd go out in the woods or
go somewhere and we'd get a group of neighborhood kids together
and we'd build a fort. And we'd think it'd be real strong,
you know, just sticks and cardboard and a few rocks. And a big old
wind would come up. AND WE GO TO THE HOUSE AND WE
COME BACK WHEN THE STORM WAS OVER AND THE FORT WOULD BE GONE.
IT'D BE JUST BLOWN AWAY. THIS FORTRESS WE HAVE IN THE
LORD JESUS CHRIST IS ENDURING. IN HIM WE'RE SAFE. IN HIM WE'RE
SECURE BECAUSE HE IS MY REFUGE. HE IS MY FORTRESS. HE IS MY FOUNDATION. HE IS MY ALL AND IN ALL AND HE'S
MY GOD. This one who is our abiding place
is the most high God. He's my God. Now, you remember
what Mary said? My soul doth rejoice in God my
Savior. That's our hope. That's our hope. Remember what Thomas confessed
to the Lord? HE SAID TO THOSE MEN, HE SAID,
I WON'T BELIEVE THAT HE'S RISEN FROM THE DEAD UNLESS I SEE HIM
MYSELF. AND WHEN THE LORD APPEARED TO
HIM, REMEMBER WHAT THOMAS SAID? MY LORD AND MY GOD. HE'S MINE. BY HIS GRACE I WILL
SAY OF THE LORD. IT IS OF THE LORD THAT WE ONLY
SAY THIS. WE'D NEVER SAY THIS LEFT TO OURSELVES. WE'D NEVER SAY THE LORD IS ALL
MY HOPE. I will say, of the Lord. It's
of the Lord. He is my refuge. He is my fortress. The strength we have is in Him.
The strength of our salvation is in Him. He's my God. He's
the Almighty. He's the Most High God. This
is the one who is able to save us to the uttermost. You see
what a strong refuge and righteousness and salvation we have in Christ.
Therefore, it leads us to this, I will trust Him. In Him will I trust. Now, when should we trust Him?
When should we trust Him? Well, when all the skies are
blue and all the lights are green, AND ALL THE CHILDREN WERE FED
AND EVERYBODY, EVERYTHING'S GOING WELL. TURN TO PSALM 62. WHEN SHOULD WE TRUST HIM? VERSE 5, MY SOUL AWAKE THOU ONLY
UPON GOD, FOR MY EXPECTATION IS FROM HIM. PSALM 62, VERSE
6, HE ONLY IS MY ROCK, HE'S MY SALVATION, HE'S MY DEFENSE, I
SHALL NOT BE MOVED, AND GOD IS MY SALVATION, MY GLORY, The rock
of my refuge and my strength is in God. Boy, the record is
just clear. It's over and over and over again.
Now, when should we trust Him? He's my salvation. He's all my
glory. He's the rock of my strength,
my fortress, my habitation, my refuge is in God. Trust in Him
at all times. When? TRUST IN HIM AT ALL TIMES,
YOU PEOPLE. POUR OUT YOUR HEART BEFORE HIM.
WHY? GOD IS A REFUGE FOR US. THAT WORD SELAH MEANS TAKE THAT
TO THE BANK. You can count on that. Meditate
and dwell upon that. He is my refuge, my fortress,
my fortification, my strong city, my God, my peace, my comfort,
my salvation. He cannot fail. Wouldn't you
like to have an unfailing Savior? ONE WHO DIDN'T TRY AND FAILED,
BUT ONE WHO CANNOT FAIL BECAUSE HE IS THE MOST HIGH GOD. THAT'S THE ONE WE REST IN. BOY,
THAT GIVES US CONFIDENCE, DOESN'T IT? AND THAT'S THE NEXT POINT.
VERSE 3, DOWN THROUGH VERSE 8, WE SEE THE BELIEVER'S CONFIDENCE. HE SHALL DELIVER THEE, NOT MAYBE,
COULD BE, PERHAPS, SURELY HE SHALL DELIVER THEE FROM THE SNARE.
THE SNARE IS A TRAP, A TRAP OF THE FOWLER. from the snare of
the one who would hunt us, and hound us, and hunt us, and from
the noisome pestilence, he shall cover thee with his feathers. That is the almighty God. Under
the shadow of his wings, he shall cover thee with his feathers. Now, This is symbolic language. The Lord doesn't, not gonna pluck
a bird and cover us with feathers, but birds, when they're born,
baby birds are naked birds, naked, they have no feathers, they have
no covering. And that's like us when we're
born, we're naked and guilty before God, but you know what
he does? He provides us feathers. COVERING, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS,
THE ROBE OF GARMENT OF HIS SALVATION, AND UNDER HIS WINGS, UNDER HIS WINGS, UNDER HIS PERSON,
UNDER HIS WORK, THOU SHALT TRUST. HIS TRUTH SHALL BE SHIELDED. HIS TRUTH SHALL BE THE TRUTH
OF WHO HE IS, THE TRUTH OF WHAT HE DOES, WHAT HE HAS DONE, THE
TRUTH OF HIS REDEMPTION. HE SAID HEAVEN AND EARTH ARE
GOING TO PASS AWAY, BUT MY WORD, MY TRUTH WILL NEVER PASS AWAY. HIS TRUTH IS OUR SHIELD. WHEN
SATAN TEMPTED THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
CAME BACK EVERY TIME WITH A WORD OF TRUTH, DIDN'T HE? HE REBUKED
THE ENEMY, SATAN HIMSELF, THE DEVIL WITH THE WORD OF TRUTH.
WE SHOULD DO EXACTLY THE SAME THING. ALWAYS RELY UPON THE RECORD
OF GOD. TO REBUKE ANY HERESY OR ANY ENEMY. SURELY HE SHALL DELIVER THEE. SOME OLD WRITERS SAID I LOVE
THE SHALLS AND WILLS OF GOD'S WORD. HE SAYS I SHALL BE THEIR
GOD AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. I will be their God and they
shall not depart from me. That's positive language. It's
not I will if you will. I shall and you will. That's
the language of scripture. You remember in Jeremiah 32,
God said they shall be my people and I will be their God. Not
if, maybe, or could be. That covenant of grace UNALTERABLE. IT NEVER CHANGES. GOD NEVER CHANGES
IN HIS PERSON, HIS CHARACTER, OR HIS PROMISE. HIS WORD OF TRUTH
IS CERTAIN AND SURE. HE SAID, I AM THE LORD, I CHANGE
NOT. THEREFORE YOU SONS OF JACOB ARE
NOT CONSUMED. THERE ARE NO UNCERTAINTIES CONNECTED
WITH THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. AS DAVID SAID UPON HIS
DEATHBED, IT IS ORDERED THAT ALL THINGS BE AND IS SURE. ALL THE PROMISES OF GOD IN HIM,
I'VE BEEN READING SECOND CORINTHIANS PREPARING FOR OUR STUDY WHEN
WE RESUME OUR BIBLE STUDY IN SECOND CORINTHIANS CHAPTER ONE,
BUT IT TALKS ABOUT, ABOUT HIS PROMISES. ALL THE PROMISES OF
GOD IN HIM ARE YES, AND IN HIM, AND AMEN, AND TO THE GLORY OF
GOD. THEY DO NOT CHANGE. THEY CANNOT
CHANGE. GOD SAID, I'VE SPOKEN IT, I'VE
PURPOSED IT, I'LL BRING IT TO PASS, I'LL DO IT. NOW, OUR CONFIDENCE OF OUR SALVATION
RESTS TOTALLY IN HIM, HIS WORD, HIS TRUTH, WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR
US. REMEMBER FROM OUR STUDY IN PHILIPPIAN CHAPTER 3 WHERE PAUL
TALKS ABOUT WHO WE ARE, THE TRUE ISRAEL WHICH WORSHIP GOD IN THE
SPIRIT THAT REJOICE IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND WE HAVE NO CONFIDENCE
IN THE FLESH. NOT MINE, NOT YOURS, NOT ANYBODY. BECAUSE WE TRUST THE LORD JESUS
CHRIST. THOSE WHO TRUST IN THE FLESH,
THE LORD SAID, THAT'S THE CURSE PLACE TO TRUST. HE SHALL DELIVER
THEE. HE SHALL DELIVER THEE. HE'S CALLED
OUR DELIVERER. YOU REMEMBER ROMANS 11, 26? HOW
MANY PEOPLE WILL HE DELIVER? WELL, HE'LL DELIVER PROBABLY
50 PERCENT OF HIS PEOPLE. AT LEAST 50 PERCENT OF THEM. 75 PERCENT OF THEM MAYBE? HE
WILL DELIVER ALL HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SIN. HE WILL NOT LOSE ONE
OF HIS SHEEP. HE SAID, I'LL RAISE THEM UP AGAIN.
IT'S THE LAST DAY. ALL THAT THE FATHER GIVETH ME,
THEY'LL COME TO ME, AND THOSE THAT COME TO ME, I WILL AND KNOW
WHY CAST THEM OUT. HE'S OUR DELIVERER. HE SHALL
DELIVER US FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW, AND HE HAS. HE'S REDEEMED
US FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW, BEING MADE A CURSE FOR US. HE'S
DELIVERED US FROM THE PENALTY OF SIN, DIDN'T HE? HE PUT AWAY ALL OUR SIN BY THE
SACRIFICE OF HIMSELF. HE'S DELIVERED US FROM THE WRATH
OF GOD TO COME. THE WRATH DUE US FELL ON OUR
SUBSTITUTE. THERE IS THEREFORE NOW NO CONDEMNATION
TO THOSE WHO IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. HE'S DELIVERED US FROM
THE SNARE OF THE DEVIL AND FROM THE LAST ENEMY WHICH
IS DEATH. HE SAID I AM HE THAT LIVETH AND
WAS DEAD. Behold, I'm alive forevermore. I have the keys of hell and death.
Aren't you glad you have a deliverer, a redeemer? I like what Job said,
I know my redeemer liveth. He liveth, one God, one mediator
between God and men, and that is the God-man, the Lord Jesus
Christ. He shall deliver us, and then
it says in verse four, he shall cover us. I need a covering. YOU REMEMBER FALLING AT HIM AFTER
HE SINNED? WHAT DID HE DO? HE TRIED TO COVER
HIMSELF, DIDN'T HE? DIDN'T WORK, DID IT? FIG LEAVES
WON'T COVER. YOUR WORKS WON'T COVER. WHAT
WILL COVER? THAT WHICH HE PROVIDES. HE SHALL
COVER THEE WITH HIS, HIS FEATHERS, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. HE PROVIDES
IT, AND HE COVERS IT, AND IT'S A ROBE OF HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS.
IT'S THE GARMENT OF HIS SALVATION. HE SHALL DELIVER THEE, HE SHALL
COVER THEE, AND WE ABIDE UNDER HIS WINGS. NOW, WE USED TO RAISE
CHICKENS OUT ON THE FARM, AND WHEN THOSE LITTLE CHICKS WOULD
COME AROUND MOTHER HEN, Any time there was a danger around, she'd
make a certain noise and they'd run and those little baby chicks
would get under her wings and she'd put them wings down and
them little chicks were just, they didn't worry about anything.
They was under mama's wings. That's what we have in type and
picture, but oh, so much more. UNDER HIS WINGS, THE WINGS OF
HIS POWER, THE WINGS OF HIS GRACE, THE WINGS OF HIS LOVE, THE WINGS
OF HIS MERCY. DON'T YOU WANT TO BE THERE, ABIDING
IN HIM, DWELLING IN HIM, OUR HABITATION? UNDER HIS WINGS. OH, YOU'LL TRUST. YOU'LL TRUST
HIM. UNDER HIM, WE CAN'T GO WRONG. THE WINGS OF HIS GRACE, THE WINGS
OF HIS LOVE, MALACHI SAID THERE'S HEALING IN HIS WINGS. YOU REMEMBER? THERE'S HEALING IN HIS WINGS.
MALACHI 4-2. HIDING, HE'S OUR HIDING PLACE. HE'S OUR COVERING. HIS TRUTH,
VERSE 4, HIS TRUTH SHALL BE OUR SHIELD. OUR SHIELD. WE DON'T TRY TO SHIELD OURSELVES.
WE DON'T TRY TO DEFEND OURSELVES. THE LORD IS OUR SHIELD. HIS TRUTH,
THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL, THE TRUTH OF WHO HE IS, THE TRUTH
OF WHAT HE HAS DONE. HIS TRUTH SHALL BE OUR SHIELD
AND OUR BUCKLER. HE'S OUR DEFENSE. A SHIELD IS
A... THOSE OLD TIMERS BACK YEARS AGO
WHEN THEY WOULD FIGHT WITH SWORDS AND SHIELDS, A SHIELD IS A DEFENSIVE
WEAPON. YOU HOLD IT UP AGAINST THE ENEMY
AND THE ENEMY STRIKES A SHIELD BUT IT PROTECTS YOU. THE LORD
JESUS CHRIST IS OUR SHIELD. BEHIND HIS SHIELD WE ARE SAFE. THE ENEMY CAN'T GET TO US. His
truth is our shield. You know, there's some things
God cannot do. Did you know that? He cannot
lie. He cannot change. He cannot lie. HIS WORD IS TRUTH FOREVER. HE'S GIVEN US THE SHIELD OF FAITH.
AND BECAUSE HE'S EVERYTHING TO US, VERSE 5 AND 6 AND VERSE 7,
THOU SHALT NOT BE AFRAID. IF GOD BE FOR US, WHO CAN BE
AGAINST US? IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S A TERROR
BY NIGHT, OR THE ARROW THAT FLIES BY DAY? IF GOD BE FOR US, WHO
CAN BE AGAINST US? WHO CAN LAY ANYTHING TO THE CHARGE
OF GOD'S ELECT? THERE'S NO CONDEMNATION TO THOSE
WHO ARE IN CHRIST. WHAT IS THE CURE FOR FEAR? FAITH
IN HIM. THOU SHALT NOT BE AFRAID OF THE
TERROR AT NIGHT, OR THE ARROW THAT FLIES BY DAY? THE PESTILENCE
THAT WALKETH IN DARKNESS? We're surrounded right now with
this COVID pestilence. God's in control of all those
things. We need not fear resting in him, nor the destruction that
wasted that noonday. Why? We're under his wings. WE'RE SHIELDED BY HIS TRUTH.
WE'RE IN HIM. A THOUSAND SHALL FALL AT THY
SIDE, TEN THOUSAND AT THY RIGHT HAND. AW, BUT IT WON'T COME NIGH
US. JUDGEMENT AND DESTRUCTION'S ALL
AROUND US, AND THEN THE FINAL DAY THIS HEAVEN AND EARTH GOING
TO MELT, AND HE'S GOING TO MAKE A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH.
WHERE SHALL WE BE IN THAT DAY OF DESTRUCTION AND JUDGEMENT?
WHERE SHALL WE BE FOUND? WHERE DO I WANT TO BE FOUND?
WHERE DO YOU WANT TO BE FOUND? IN HIM. THAT'S WHY WE COUNT ALL
THINGS THAT LOST THAT WE MIGHT WIN CHRIST AND BE FOUND IN HIM. THAT'S WHERE I WANT TO BE FOUND
WHEN THE LORD COMES BACK. VERSE 8, ONLY WITH THINE EYES
THOU SHALT BEHOLD AND SEE THE REWARD OF THE WICKED. WHAT IS THE REWARD OF THE WICKED?
THE WAGE OF SIN IS DEATH. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'LL SEE IN
THAT DAY OF JUDGMENT. WE'LL SAY AMEN TO THEIR CONDEMNATION. WHAT IT SAYS IN THE REVELATION,
WE'LL SAY AMEN TO THEIR CONDEMNATION. IF GOD BE FOR US, WHO CAN BE
AGAINST US? THE ONLY REMEDY THAT GOD GIVES
US FROM OUR FEARS AND GUILT IS FAITH IN CHRIST. KNOWING OUR
LORD IS SOVEREIGN OF THE UNIVERSE, IN CONTROL OF ALL THINGS, NOTHING
COMES OUR WAY BUT BY HIS SOVEREIGN DECREE. AND IT'S ALWAYS WORKING
FOR OUR GOOD, NEVER AGAINST US. our light afflictions, which
are but for a moment. They don't work against us. They
work for us, exceeding eternal weight of glory in him. Now, here's the third thing.
The believer's redeemer and refuge, because he's the cause. Look
at verse nine. Verse nine down through verse
13. EVERYTHING WE HAVE AND EVERYTHING WE ENJOY IS BECAUSE. IT'S NOT
BECAUSE YOU WALKED AN AISLE. IT'S NOT BECAUSE YOU MADE A DECISION.
IT'S NOT BECAUSE YOU PRAYED THROUGH. IT'S NOT BECAUSE YOU REPENTED.
IT'S NOT EVEN BECAUSE YOU BELIEVED. FAITH DOES NOT PRODUCE SALVATION. FAITH IS THE RESULT OF SALVATION.
BECAUSE THOU HAST MADE THE LORD. THE LORD JESUS CRIES, HE IS MADE
UNTO US. I LOVE THAT WORD, THOU HAST MADE
THE LORD. HE'S MADE UNTO US WISDOM, RIGHTEOUSNESS. GOD MADE HIM TO BE SIN FOR US,
WHO KNEW NO SIN THAT WE MIGHT BE MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF
GOD IN HIM. BECAUSE THOU HAST MADE THE LORD,
HE'S MY REFUGE. HE GETS RIGHT BACK ON THAT SAME
THEME DOESN'T HE? HE IS MY REFUGE. HE'S MY HIDING
PLACE. EVEN THE MOST HIGH GOD, THE MOST
HIGH GOD. HOW HIGH IS HE? NO ONE HIGHER
THAN THE LORD OUR GOD. HE SAID, I AM GOD, BESIDE ME
THERE IS NO OTHER. HE'S THE MOST HIGH GOD. HE'S
OUR DWELLING PLACE. THEREFORE, VERSE 10, THERE SHALL
NO EVIL BEFALL THEE. Neither shall any plague come
nigh thy dwelling, for he shall give his angels charge over thee. In all thy ways he will keep
us. There shall be no evil before
thee, no plague will come nigh thy dwelling. Now listen to this. We do experience the evil of
sin. I know that is in me. Paul said,
in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. Oh, wretched man that
I am. We do experience the evil of
temptations. I wish I didn't have evil thoughts,
but I'd be lying if I said I did not have evil thoughts. WE DO
EXPERIENCE THE EVIL OF SIN, THE EVIL OF TEMPTATION, THE EVIL
OF BAD THOUGHTS, THE EVIL OF AFFLICTION AND SICKNESS, BUT
NOT THE EVIL OF PUNISHMENT FOR OUR SINS. THAT'S BEEN TAKEN CARE
OF. GOD, WHEN HE CHASTISES HIS CHILDREN,
HE'S NOT DOING THAT as a chastisement for our sin, whom the Lord chastises,
he does so out of love. The sin question's been taken
care of. The Lord Jesus Christ put away our sin by the sacrifice
of himself. The plague of our sin and the
curse of our sin will never come against us because the Lord Jesus
Christ took all our sin and he took all of our wrath and he
took all of our judgment. Now what's left for us? SALVATION,
FORGIVENESS OF SIN. CHRIST HAS DEALT WITH OUR SIN
ALREADY, SO MUCH SO, YOU REMEMBER PSALM 103, AS FAR AS THE EAST
IS FROM THE WEST, SO FAR HAS HE SEPARATED OUR SINS FROM US. HE HATH NOT DEALT WITH OUR SIN
AS HE SHOULD HAVE, BUT RATHER IN OUR SUBSTITUTE HE DEALT WITH
OUR SIN, AND HE SEPARATED OUR SIN FROM US AS FAR AS THE EAST
IS FROM THE WEST. LET ME READ THAT TO YOU IN PSALM
103, VERSE 10. HE HATH NOT DEALT WITH US AFTER
OUR SINS, now rewarded us according to our iniquities for as the
heaven is high above the earth so great is his mercy toward
them that fear him as far as the east is from the west so
far hath he removed our transgression from us." God said their sin
and their iniquity will I remember no more. Now verse 11, 12, and
13 FOR OR BECAUSE, THERE'S ANOTHER
BECAUSE HERE, VERSE 11, BECAUSE HE SHALL GIVE HIS ANGELS, HIS
ANGELS NOW, CHARGE CONCERNING THEE, TO KEEP THEE IN ALL THY
WAYS, THEY SHALL BEAR THEE UP IN THEIR HANDS, lest thou dash
thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion
and the adder, the young lion and the dragon. Thou shalt trample
under feet. Because we're strong? No, because
of the Lord. Because of his ministering spirits
sent forth to minister to them who shall be the heirs of salvation.
Does every believer have a guardian angel? No, they have A guardian
of angels, plural, who minister about, I've never seen an angel,
but the angels of God are right here tonight. Did you know that? He said, we're two or three together,
together in my name. There I'm in their midst. And
then he said, the angels, when the gospel is preached, the angels
desire to look into those things. Isn't that amazing? The Lord
is with us when we meet together. We are kept by His power. One
of the means the Lord has ordained to minister unto the saints of
God is a mighty army of angels. They bring great destruction
upon the enemies of God, but they bring great protection upon
believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, I've had some terrible things. I don't know how to explain it
to you. I've had some terrible things happen to me, and I should
have been dead many times over. But some miraculous, unexplainable
way, I had no harm. The angels were about. Even before
I knew the Lord, even before I knew His gospel, HE WAS STILL
WATCHING OVER HIS CHILDREN. BEFORE I KNEW HIM, HE KNEW US.
THE FOUNDATION OF GOD STANDETH SURE, HAVING THIS SEAL, THE LORD
KNOWETH THEM THAT ARE HIS. NOW WE DON'T WORSHIP ANGELS,
NOT AT ALL, BUT THEY DO SERVE GOD'S PURPOSE. THEY DID TO THE
LORD JESUS CHRIST WHEN HE WAS IN THIS BODY OF FLESH. REMEMBER
AFTER 40 DAYS? HE FASTED AND PRAYED, AND THEN
SATAN UNLEASHED HIS ARTILLERY AGAINST HIM, TEMPTING THE LORD. AND WHEN ALL THAT WAS OVER, WHEN
THE LORD REBUKED HIM WITH THE WORD OF GOD, IT SAID THE ANGELS
OF GOD CAME AND DID WHAT? THEY MINISTERED UNTO HIM. WHEN HE PRAYED IN THE GARDEN
OF GETHSEMANE, AND HIS SWEAT CAME OUT LIKE GREAT DROPS OF
BLOOD, IT SAYS THERE THE ANGELS CAME AND MINISTERED UNTO HIM. AT HIS RESURRECTION, THE ANGELS
DESCENDED AND ROLLED THE STONE AWAY. AND THE ANGELS DECLARED,
HE'S NOT HERE, HE'S RISEN. AND THEN WE STUDY IN THE BOOK
OF ACTS, REMEMBER, when the Lord ascended to glory, and those
angels said to the apostles, this same Jesus that you see
go away, you know what? He's coming back. And he's coming
back with a host of, a heavenly host of all the angels of God,
the elect angels. Isn't that amazing? VERSE 14 HERE'S THE BELIEVER'S
PROMISE OF SALVATION BECAUSE HERE'S ANOTHER BECAUSE HE HAS
SET HIS LOVE UPON ME. HE SET HIS LOVE UPON ME. WHEN DID GOD START LOVING HIS
PEOPLE? He loved them with an everlasting love, therefore his
loving kindness will he draw them to himself. Because he set
his love upon me, sovereign love. Hail sovereign love that first
began a scheme to rescue fallen men. Hail matchless, free, eternal
grace that gave my soul a hiding place. I will set him on high. I will deliver him because I've
set my love upon him. I will deliver him. I will set
him on high. That is. OUR FORERUNNER IS ENTERED
INTO HEAVEN AND IS SEATED, AND WE'RE SEATED IN HIM BECAUSE HE
HATH KNOWN MY NAME. GOD'S GIVEN HIM A NAME WHICH
IS ABOVE EVERY NAME. AT THAT NAME EVERY EMPEROR WILL
BOW, EVERY TONGUE WILL CONFESS THAT JESUS CHRIST IS LORD, NEITHER
IS THERE SALVATION IN ANY OTHER NAME. VERSE 15, HE SHALL CALL
UPON ME, AND I WILL ANSWER HIM. WHOSOEVER SHALL CALL UPON THE
NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED. GOD HELP US TO CALL. I WILL DELIVER
HIM IN TROUBLE. I WILL DELIVER HIM AND I WILL
HONOR HIM. GOD HONORS THOSE WHO HONOR THE
SON. VERSE 16, WITH LONG LIFE WILL
I SATISFY HIM. SATISFIED. BELIEVERS ARE TOTALLY
SATISFIED WITH THE LORD. THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, BUT WHAT
IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN US BEING SATISFIED IS ALMIGHTY GOD IS
SATISFIED. THIS IS MY BELOVED SON IN WHOM
I AM WELL PLEASED. AND HE WILL SHOW HIS PEOPLE,
REVEAL HIM, WITH LONG LIFE WILL I SATISFY HIM AND SHOW HIM MY
SALVATION. WE'LL NEVER SEE IT. WE'LL NEVER
SEE IT. UNTIL HE SHOWS IT TO US. WE'LL
NEVER SEE THE SALVATIONS OF THE LORD UNLESS HE REVEALS HIMSELF
UNTO US. HE'S HID THESE THINGS FROM THE
WISE AND PRUDENT AND REVEALED THEM UNTO BABES, RIGHT? EVEN
SO, FATHER, FOR SO IT SEEMED GOOD IN HIS SIGHT. THAT'S WHAT HE SAID TO SIMEON,
LORD, LET ME DEPART IN PEACE. I'VE SEEN THY SALVATION. And that's our hope, that's Christ. Under the abiding of his wings, under
the shadow of the Almighty, we have refuge and righteousness
in the Lord Jesus Christ.