Now, this evening the message
will be from this psalm, and I do pray the Lord will bless
us with a heart of worship. Worship and adoration. He seeketh
such to worship Him in spirit and in truth. Now, I'm not real
smart, but I do know this much. There is no true worship, spiritual
worship, and sincerity of heart before the throne of God without
truth without Christ who is the truth there's no worship there's
no approach unto God without Christ the Lord Jesus Christ
now the title of the message this evening is taken from verse
7 of Psalm 28 and the title is Trust in the Lord and help. It says in verse 7, the middle
part, My heart trusted in Him. Man, and I'm helped. I am helped. I am helped mightily. Those who are led to trust Christ,
the Lord Jesus Christ, and believe Him are truly those who have
been mightily helped of the Lord. For the Scriptures declare in
John 15, our Lord said, without me you can do nothing. Nothing. Those who trust Him
are those who have been mightily helped of God Almighty. And it's
the Lord, everything we are, by His mighty and sovereign grace. For who has made us to differ
from another? Who made us to differ? What do
we have that we have not received by the sovereign grace of God? The Apostle Paul put it this
way in 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. Grace is never given in vain. The grace of God has a mighty
effect. But I labored," he said, more
abundantly than they all, preaching and traveling and ministering.
The Apostle Paul was blessed of God. He said, I labored abundantly,
more than any, yet not I, but the grace of God. The grace of
God which was with me, and the grace of God that enabled me,
called me, saved me, sent me, redeemed me, chose me, the grace
of God. Thank God for His sovereign,
saving, fetching, glorifying grace in Christ Jesus. Now, let's notice verses 1 and
2 in our psalm. Unto thee, Lord, unto thee will
I cry, O Lord, my rock. He's the firm establishment
of our foundation. He's the rock upon which we rest. Be not silent to me, lest if
thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the
pit. Hear the voice of my supplication
when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands, I lift up my hands
empty, sinful, I lift up my hands toward thy holy temple." And
that speaks of God's mercy seat in Christ Jesus. Now twice in
these two verses, David says, unto thee will I cry I will cry
unto thee. You know, a cry is an expression
of sorrow, isn't it? It's an expression, it's an urgent
plea. It's not just mumbling, it's
crying out unto the Lord. It's the expression of distress. It's a distress call. An expression of sorrow. And
it is a call for help me. Help me. Now, notice to whom
we direct our cry. Notice to whom we direct our
cry. Unto thee will I cry. I cry unto the Lord. Now, our little children, they
cry, don't they? They cry, usually they cry unto
Mama. And if they can't get the ear
of Mama, they cry unto Daddy. But they cry out in their expression,
Hear me, Mama! Hear me, Daddy!" And they keep
on crying until they get some attention, don't they? That's
the way it is with the believer. We cry unto our great God and
King. Not unto men. Not unto men. We cry unto God. We cry unto
our God. Our children, when they're in
distress, they don't go down the street and call on the neighbor,
do they? Not when Mom and Daddy's home.
They cry unto mom and dad. And believers, my friend, in
distress and sorrow, when in need of mercy, when in need of
forgiveness, when in need and grace to help in time of need,
we cry unto the Lord. Look what it says there. He is
our rock. He is our rock. He alone is immutable,
unmovable, the solid foundation upon which we rest, our hope,
our help, and our salvation. I've counted it up in the book
of Psalms, the Lord Jesus Christ 28 times is called the rock on
which we rest. Let me show you just a few of
them. We've looked at this before. Notice back in Psalm 18, Psalm
18, Verse 2, the Lord is my rock,
my fortress, my deliverer, my God, my strength, in whom I'll
trust, my shield, my buckler, my horn, the power of my salvation. He's my high tower. He's my rock. And then last week, we looked
at this in Psalm 27, verse 5. For in the time of trouble shall
He shall hide me in his pavilion, in the secret of his tabernacle
shall he hide me. He shall set me upon a rock."
A rock. I like this one here. I like
all of them, but this one here is special. Turn to Psalm 61. Psalm 61. He only is my rock
in Psalm 62, but in Psalm 61, verse 2, You got it? Psalm 61 verse 2. From the end of the earth will
I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the
rock that's higher than I am. Lead me to that exalted rock. The rock Christ Jesus. Leaning
on the rock. I hold not the rock, but the
rock holds me. We used to sing a song. I wish
I could remember the rest of it. I hold not the rock, but
the rock holds me. Find Deuteronomy chapter 32.
Deuteronomy 32. And notice this scripture here.
Talking about Christ our rock. Christ our foundation. He's a
foundation that God has laid. That tribestone. That precious
cornerstone. In Deuteronomy 32, notice verse 30, Deuteronomy 32 verse
30, how should one chase a thousand and two put 10,000 to flight? How could two men defeat 10,000?
That's the question. Except their rock had sold them. That is, promoted them, protected
them, helped them, gave them power. And the Lord had shut
them up." Look at verse 31 now, "...for their rock," the enemies,
"...their rock is not as our," notice, capital R, their rock's
not like our rock. "...their God," not like our
God, "...their God, the Philistines, the Malachi, the Hittites, the
Jebusites, and all the other iths." Their rock's not like
our rock. even our enemies themselves being
judges. Oh, our rock, he's high and lifted
up. He's the rock upon which we rest,
that tried, precious cornerstone, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, notice
this in verse 2, back in our text here. Hear my voice, the
voice of my supplication when I cry unto thee. When I lift
up my hands, my hands toward thy holy, holy oracle. Unto the Lord our mercy seek
do we look." That holy oracle is that temple of God in which
inside that Holy of Holies is where the mercy
seat, remember? Over the Ark of the Covenant.
And that high priest once a year took that blood of a designated
sin offering and that blood he went under the veil into the
Holy of Holies and put that blood on the mercy seat. And all that
is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ who is our mercy seat,
who shed his blood to put away all our sin. So where do we look? We look to the Lord Jesus Christ. He is blood atonement. He is
glorious person. Where atonement is made and where
the mercy is seeked, where God is pleased to have mercy towards
sinners. Would you gain access unto God
who is God? We must come through the designated
way that God has given, and that designated way is Christ Himself. He is the Mediator. He is the
Great High Priest who has somewhat to offer. What did He offer as
the Great High Priest? Not the blood of bulls and goats.
He entered in once to the holy place, not made with hands, but
into heaven itself. now to appear in the presence
of God for us, having obtained eternal redemption for us." Yes,
we do have a great high priest who does have somewhat to offer,
and he offered his own blood, and that's how we enter in. In this, we lift up, when I lift
up my hands, we lift up our hands empty, empty, and when he stretches
forth his hand, he fills the desire of our heart. It says
that in Psalm 145. But we look for mercy, God's
mercy to us in Christ Jesus. We lift up our empty hands as
a mercy beggar unto Him who is able to supply all our need according
to His riches in glory through Christ Jesus. And our cry is
this. Our cry is this. Lord, don't
leave me alone. You see that? Be not silent to
me. Don't leave me to myself, lest
I go down to the pit, don't leave me alone." If the Lord would
simply leave us to ourselves, we would certainly perish under
His just, holy wrath. You see, in Adam, death, judgment,
and condemnation. You know, we're not only dead
in sin, separated from God, in Adam all died. You know we've
already been sentenced and executed? Dead in Adam. And Adam all died. If God would leave me to myself,
dead in sin, I would certainly perish throughout all eternity
under that just condemnation of God. For we are not deserving
of the least of His mercies. What are we deserving of? His
just and holy wrath. For the wages of sin is death.
That's what I've earned. That's what I am, sin. Thank
God He's pleased not to leave us alone. Lord, don't leave me
to myself. Don't leave me to myself. If
you do, I surely go down to the pit, the pit of destruction,
the pit of eternal ruin. But I like what's recorded in
Job 33. Deliver them from going down to the pit, God said. I
found a ransom. Payment full. And when He pays
our sin debt, you know what? We're set free. When the ransom
is paid, the prisoner's set free. You don't pay the ransom and
keep the prisoner. When the ransom's paid, the prisoner's
set free. And we've been set free in Christ.
You shall know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
Free indeed. Free from the law. Oh, happy
condition. Jesus had bled and there is redemption
in Him. Free. Stand fast in liberty wherewith
Christ has set us free. Now notice in verse 3, 4, and
5, he spells out here what happens to those who God simply leave
to their own wicked devices. Here's what we all deserve. Therefore we cry, draw me not
away with the wicked, verse 3, draw me not away with the wicked,
with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbors,
but mischief is in their heart. Give them according to their
deeds, according to the wickedness of their endeavors. Give them
after the work of their hand, and render to them what they've
got coming, because they regard not the works of the Lord, nor
the operation of his hand, he shall destroy them, and not build
them up." Now, this is strong language. This is strong language. But my friend, when you get right
down to it, this is what all of us deserve. We're not worthy
of the least of God's mercy and of His truth. And notice the
description, the portion of the wicked here. the wicked unbelievers. He says they're workers, they're
workers of iniquity, workers of iniquity. The sad thing about
it is they go masquerading about as workers of the Lord. As we read in Matthew 7, Lord,
we've done this in your name. We've done that in your name.
We've done many wonderful works in your name. He said, depart
from me, you workers of iniquity. I don't recognize you. I don't
love you. I never have loved you. You're
not mine. Away with you, you workers of
iniquity. They're always going about, these
workers of iniquity, under the guise of different religious
slogans, different religious sayings. God loves everybody. God's trying to save everybody.
Christ, He died to try to save all men everywhere. These workers
of iniquity, they masquerade as workers of the Lord, but they're
far from it. They go about to establish their
own righteousness by the work and deed of their own hand, rather
than submitting unto the righteousness of God, which is found in Christ
Jesus, and they're nothing but workers of iniquity. That sums up all false religion. Workers of iniquity. And here's
what they say. These workers of iniquity, these
false preachers, they speak peace to their neighbors. But mischief
is in their heart. They speak peace to their neighbors.
They proclaim peace with God upon the ground of their doing,
upon the ground of their merit, upon the ground of their righteousness,
upon the ground of their work. It's no peace at all. We don't
speak peace to sinners upon the ground of their effort or the
ground of their doing at all. Peace is only made one way. Turn
over here to Colossians chapter 1. Jeremiah talks about the false
prophets saying, peace, peace, that's all they say. Peace, peace,
God loves everybody. God's not mad at anybody. God's
trying, but you won't let Him. They say, peace, peace, and Jeremiah
said, there is no peace. Not that way. How is peace made? Here it is, Colossians chapter
1. For please the Father, verse 19, that in Him should all fullness
dwell, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him
to reconcile all things unto Himself. By Him, I say, whether
they be things in earth or things in heaven. And you that were
sometimes alienated, enemies in your mind by wicked works,
yet now hath He reconciled. He did this in the body of His
flesh through death to present you holy, unblameable, unreprovable
in His sight. And those for whom He has made
peace, they do continue in the faith, grounded and settled and
not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you've heard,
which was preached to every creature. Wherefore, I, Paul, was made
a minister. it's only peace with God through
Christ being justified by faith we have peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ so draw me not away with that crowd with
the wicked with the workers of iniquity draw me not away with
the crowd that speak peace, peace to all men peace upon false foundation
I don't want that kind of peace to you But mischief, it says here, is
in their heart. Their hearts are full of mischief.
Their hearts are full of evil. You know, the heart, Jeremiah
says, is desperately wicked and deceitful above all things. Who
can know it? Our Lord speaks about this. He
speaks about this same crowd over here in Matthew 15. Turn
over there. Matthew chapter 15. Matthew 15. Look at this. Their
hearts are full of mischief. They're workers of iniquity.
They speak peace to everyone, but mischief's in their heart.
Their heart's full of wickedness. Our Lord said, Out of the abundance
of the heart proceedeth evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication,
theft, false witness, false witness, and blasphemy. Notice in Matthew
15, verse 7, he said, you hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you,
saying, this people draw nigh unto me with their mouth, and
they honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me,
for in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrine the commandments
of men, not the truth of God. draw me not away with that wicked
crowd." They're workers of iniquity. See what he's saying? They speak
peace upon a false foundation and their hearts are full of
mischief. Now look at verse 4. Give them
according to their deeds, according to the wickedness of their endeavors,
give them after the worker their own hands, and render to them their deserving,
because, because, why? They do not regard the works
of the Lord, nor the operation of his hands. He shall destroy
them, and righteously so, and not build them up. God shall
destroy them. They regard not the works of
the Lord. Now, let's look at a couple of
scriptures here. They regard not the operation
of His hand, you know, the works of the Lord. Turn to Psalm 111. Psalm 111. No regard for His
sovereign work of providence, nor any regard for His sovereign
work of salvation. They regard their own work and
will to be of higher value. They say, well, God has done
all He can do, now the rest is up to you. Well, whose work really
makes it complete then? If God done all He can do, and
He has to wait on the sinner to add His merit, His part, then
who really makes the thing work in that scheme? But look what
it says here in Psalm 111. Look at verse 4. Well, verse 3, this whole psalm
talks about the work of the Lord. His work is honorable and glorious.
His righteousness endureth forever. He has made His wonderful work
to be remembered. The Lord is gracious and full
of compassion. He has given meat unto them that
fear Him. He'll ever be mindful of His
covenant. He has showed His people the
power of His works. that he may give them the heritage
of the heathen. The works of his hands are truth,
verity, judgment. All his commandments are sure.
They stand fast forever. They're done in truth and uprightness.
He sent redemption unto his people. He commanded his covenant forever. Holy and reverend is his name. The work of the Lord, my friend,
endures forever, and the work of salvation is all by the doing
and dying of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's not according to our works,
according to His work. You know, we could say it, and
rightly so, salvation is all of works. Wait a minute now,
wait a minute. His, not mine. It's His doing,
His dying. I didn't try to throw you off
there, but you see where I'm going with that. is a work. He honored the law for us. He
put away sin. He magnified God's law and justice.
That's all He's doing. His perfect obedience unto God. That's what we love to declare,
the work of Christ, finished, accomplished. But it says here
in our text, they regard not the works of the Lord, nor do
they regard the operation of His hand. Aren't you glad that
God operates with His hand? It says of Him that none can
stay His hand or say unto Him, Lord God, what doest Thou? It's the operation of His hand.
He sticks His hand in our heart and makes us new creatures in
Christ Jesus. by Him. This is a circumcision
that Paul talks about, made without hand. It's the operation of God
on the heart. He operates us with His wise,
skillful hand. He takes the sharp instrument
of His Word, the sword of the Spirit, and He operates upon
the heart of the sinner, and He does it with such precise
success. He's never had a failure. when
he operates upon a sinner. Oh, he'll accomplish the work.
God who has begun a good work in you, being confident of this
very thing that God who has begun a good work in you, maybe it'll
get done. Oh, if you cooperate, God's time,
but you won't let Him. That's not what it says. Being
confident of this very thing that God who has begun a good
work in you. Whose work is it? His work. How
does it start? God begins His work in you. He
will finish it. He will complete it in a day
of His power. You see, these folks here in
Psalm 28, they regard not the works of the Lord. They think
more highly of their own doing. They think more highly of their
own work. They think more highly of the
operation of their hand. It says here, God Almighty will
destroy them. That's sad. That's sad. To disregard the
sovereign, holy, complete, redeeming work of the Lord Jesus Christ
and going about to establish a work of your own, a righteousness
of your own, certainly God will reveal that refuge of lies. It says that in Isaiah 28. And
He'll not build them up. He'll bring them down to everlasting
destruction. He shall destroy them. not build
them up or lift them out. Vengeance does belong unto the
Lord. He will recompense. There will
be a righteous and just everlasting punishment. Our Lord said in
Matthew 26, These shall go away into everlasting destruction.
And he says again in that same chapter, verse 41, Depart from
me, you cursed, into everlasting fire. They regard not the works
of the Lord. nor the operation of His sovereign
hand, He'll destroy them. Now, verse 6-8, here's our prayer. Blessed be the Lord, because
He has heard the voice of my supplication. The Lord is my
strength, my shield, my heart trusteth in Him, and I am helped. Therefore, therefore, my heart
greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him." Our
prayer now turns into praising the Lord for His mercy unto us, and His grace given unto us.
And we do confess our hope of salvation is totally in Christ. It's a good hope through grace.
God's people are blessed people with all spiritual blessings
in Christ Jesus. They are a blessed people and
they are a praising people unto God, now and eternally. That's the song of eternal glory
is unto Him who loved us and washed us from our sin in His
own blood. To Him be all the honor and glory
both now and forever. Now notice in verse 7 and 8,
blessed be the Lord, like what the Apostle Paul said in Ephesians
1. Bless God who had blessed us with all spiritual blessings
in Christ Jesus. Praise the Lord. David says in
Psalm 103, Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within
me, bless His holy name. Here's the reason being, the
Lord is my strength, my shield, my heart trusts in Him. Let's
look at these five things that are given here in these next
two verses. Verse 7 and 8, the Lord is my strength, my strength. He's the strength of my life.
He's a strength of my salvation. Now, this is not talking about
physical strength. A man can be totally physically
weak and sick and dying, but in his spirit and in his soul,
resting in Christ, Christ is the strength of our spiritual
life, our spiritual existence. He's a strength of our forgiveness.
He's the strength of our righteousness, isn't He? He's the strength of
our salvation. The Lord is my strength. He's my strength. And then he
says here, He's my shield. My shield. Although we are weak,
frail, and sinful creatures in the flesh, Christ is our strength. He's our strength. Paul said,
when I'm weak, that's when I'm strong. When I'm weak, that's
when I'm strong. And it says that Christ is my
shield. Christ is my shield. The Apostle Paul, in Ephesians
chapter 6, when describing our spiritual armory, our spiritual
weapons, he said, we fight not against flesh and blood, but
against principalities and powers. He said, above all things, taking
the shield of faith. The shield of faith. You see,
Christ is our protection, He is our defense. The shield of
faith looks to Christ, looks to Him alone. He's our defense
from all enemies, seen and unseen, known and unknown. I would rather
have His shield, the shield of faith, than the shield of the
flesh, wouldn't you? I get quite amused about these
religious con artists that go around and try to impress young
people by taking a frying pan and bending it up and doing it
in the... You know, I'm strong! The Lord made me strong! That's
not what he's talking about. It's our spiritual strength in
Christ Jesus. He is our shield. All flesh is
grass. We look to Him. And then he says
here, thirdly, my heart trusted. and is trusting, my heart trusted,
and I am trusting him. This is the evidence of a new
heart given in regeneration, for salvation is a heart work. He said, my heart trusteth in
him in the Lord. This is the evidence of a new
heart given of God, for salvation is that work in the heart. heart
trust in the Lord Jesus Christ is never disappointed and will
never be ashamed. We can say with the Apostle,
I know whom I have believed and I'm persuaded he's able to keep
all that which I've committed unto him against that day. What a privilege God has given
us to trust him with all things. He does all things wise by his
good gracious providence my heart is trusting him therefore I'm
helped I'm helped I'm helped I'm surrounded that word means
protected suckered he's our help he says this in Hebrew Hebrews
chapter 4 saying that we have this great high priest that's
exalted and that's ascended and seated at the right hand of God,
seeing that we have a great high priest. He said, he said, come
unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden. He said, I will
give you, I will give you rest. He said, come boldly unto the
throne of grace that you may obtain mercy and grace to help
in time of need. In time of need. I've trusted
the Lord and I'm helped. I'm helped in time of need. When
is that time of need? I don't know about you, but with
me it's all the time. It's all the time. I need His
help all the time. This is our confession. He's
our helper. He's our helper. For every day
we are helped by Him, surrounded by Him, and protected by Him
in every way. He is our help. Our Lord said,
without me, as I quoted earlier, He said, without me you can do
nothing. nothing. Therefore, because He has given
me a heart to trust Him, He has granted faith in Christ, the
Lord is my strength, my salvation, I am helped. Therefore, my heart
greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him." My heart
greatly. Now notice, it just doesn't say
my heart rejoices. Although it does. It does. It says here, My heart shall
greatly rejoice. Turn over here to Psalm 32. Look
at verse 11. Look at verse 10 and verse 11.
Many sorrows shall be to the wicked, but he that trusteth
in the Lord, mercy shall encompass him about. Be glad in the Lord
And rejoice, ye righteous, and shout for joy all ye that are
upright in heart. My heart does greatly rejoice
in Him. We need not fear overdoing this. giving too much honor and glory
unto His name, for we serve a great Savior, who was worthy of all
honor, praise, and glory. The song of the redeemed throughout
eternity is unto Him who loved us, worthy as a lamb that was
slain, to receive all honor, glory, blessings, and power,
both now and forever. My heart greatly rejoices in
Him. You remember from Philippians
chapter 3, And chapter 4, that whole book really, Philippians,
talks about rejoicing in the Lord. Rejoicing in the Lord.
Rejoice in the Lord always. And again I say, rejoice! We
have no confidence in the flesh. We rejoice greatly in the Lord,
for He is my song. He's my song. Look at verse 8. The Lord is their strength. The
Lord is their strength. He is the saving strength of
His anointed. And that's Christ. He's the saving
strength of the anointed. God the Father has blessed and
anointed the Lord Jesus Christ as a God-man mediator to accomplish
all our salvation. It says that in Hebrews 1, 8
and 9. The Lord has anointed him. He
said that in Isaiah 61 and quotes it when he's God incarnate in
the flesh there recorded in Luke chapter 4. The Spirit of the
Lord God is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the
gospel, to set the captive free, to heal those who are brokenhearted. The Lord is my strength and he's
a saving strength. of the Lord Jesus Christ. He
is anointed prophet, isn't He? The Lord Jesus is the anointed
prophet. What does He do as the anointed
prophet? You remember the promise God gave to Moses in Deuteronomy
18? I will raise up a prophet from
among the brethren who will speak all my truth, all my word, and
him you shall hear, and those who will not hear him he'll require
at your hand. The Lord Jesus is that anointed
prophet to reveal salvation unto us. He is that anointed priest
to redeem and purchase salvation for us, and He is the anointed
King. As we studied in Psalm 2, I've
set my King upon my holy hill, Zion. The Father loveth the Son
and has given all things into His hand. He is the saving strength
of His anointed. You see, it's who the Lord Jesus
Christ is. It's who He is that gives power
to everything He did. His Word was with power. Everything
He did, He did with power and great glory. The Father had given
Him all power over all flesh that He should give eternal life
to as many as the Father had given Him. He is the saving strength of
our salvation. Now, in closing, look at verse
9. Save thy people. This is our desire. This is our
prayer. Save thy people. Lord, bless
thy inheritance. Bless your people. Lord, feed
them. Feed them. What do we desire
to feed upon? Christ. He is the bread of life. He's our water. He's our bread. That's our diet. That's everything
we need. Bread and water. He said, I'm
the bread of life. He that believeth on me shall
never hunger. He that cometh to me shall never
thirst. He's that water of life flowing up into everlasting salvation. He is the well of salvation. Save thy people. Boy, He did.
Call His name Jesus. He shall save thy people from
their sin. Save thy people. He did and He
will. In our heart, in our experience,
He'll apply that salvation unto us. Save thy people. The Lord,
the Good Shepherd, will cross the path of His people and save
them with His mighty grace, and He will bless them, and He will
feed them, and He'll lift them up for a while. He'll lift them
up as long as they hold out. Not that what it says, is it?
He will lift them up forever. Forever. Everything God does
in the way of salvation, He does forever. He gives His sheep eternal
life, and they shall never perish. He'll lift them up forever. The Lord Jesus Christ is high
and lifted up. God raised Him from the dead.
He ascended to glory, seated and enthroned. That's lifted
high up, isn't it? We're lifted up in Him. In Him forever. In Him forever. He's saved with an everlasting
salvation. Well, glory to His name. Glory to His name.