Psalms 110. I want to read the
first three verses. Psalms 110. The Lord said unto
my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies
thy footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of
thy strength out of Zion, rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.
Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the
beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning thou hast
to do of thy youth." This is a coronation psalm. Christ is
King, and Christ is bidden by the Father to take His throne. The Lord said unto my Lord, the
Heavenly Father said unto the Lord Jesus Christ, Sit thou at
my right hand. The Lord Jesus is bidden to take
his throne. He shall triumph over all his
enemies until I make thine enemies thy footstool, and rule thou
in the midst of thine enemies. Satan shall be destroyed. All
powers, all principalities, all demons, all thrones of evil shall
one day be destroyed, and they shall be cast into hell. The wicked, the evil, the Christ-hater
shall be destroyed. He shall be cast into hell. The hypocrite, the false religionist
The unbelieving moralist shall one day stand before Christ and
hear him say, Depart from me, ye that work iniquity, I knew
you not. Bind him hand and foot, and cast
him into hell. There shall be weeping and gnashing
of teeth. Satan shall be destroyed. He's
the enemy of Christ. The wicked, the evil, The Christ-rejector
shall be destroyed. He's the enemy of Christ. The
hypocrite, the false religionist, the unbelieving moralist shall
be destroyed. He's the enemy of Christ. And then in 1 Corinthians chapter
15, if you'll turn there with me, verse 25. One of these days
all sin will be destroyed. There shall be no more sin. All disease shall be destroyed. There shall be no more disease.
There will be no more old age. There will be no more death.
For the Scripture says in I Corinthians 15, he must reign. Christ is
King, sit thou on my right hand. Christ must reign till he hath
put all enemies, not some of them, Sin is the enemy of Christ,
and it's going to be destroyed. Disease is the enemy of Christ. Death is the enemy of Christ,
and it shall be destroyed until I put all thine enemies under
thy foot. And the last enemy that shall
be destroyed is death. That's the day. That's what the
Lord is saying here in Psalms 110. The Lord said unto my Lord,
Sit thou at my right hand until I make all thine enemies, Satan,
demons, fallen angels, principalities, powers, the wicked, the unbeliever,
the hypocrite, the false religionist, sin, disease, death, all thine
enemies, shall be thy footstool, and thou shalt rule in the midst
of them." Every initial and every tongue shall confess in heaven,
earth, and hell, that Jesus Christ is the Lord." But here look at
the next verse, "...but thy people." Now here's the question, who
are his people? A king must have subjects. A king must have a people over
whom he reigns. and a people who bow willingly
before his scepter. There's no question about his
lordship. We know that. Christ is King. He's King of kings and Lord of
lords. There's no question about his
throne. The Father said in Hebrews, Thy throne, O God, is forever. But here's the question. O Lord,
who are thy people? O Lord, where are thy subjects? Where shall we find thy people? Are we not all enemies of God? Are we not all enemies of Christ? Are not all the sons of Adam
rebels against his reign and rebels against his law? We stand
like Ezekiel on top of the mountain and survey the valley, and it's
full of dry, dead, bleached, parched bones. They're all dead.
They're all dry. They're all lifeless. And the
answer comes forth, O God, can any of these bones live? Where
are thy people? Who are thy subjects? And where
shall we find them? And the answer comes back, Sit
thou at my right hand, for thy people shall be willing in the
day of thy power in the beauties of holiness from the womb of
the morning thou hast to do of thy youth." About five things
I want to point out. First of all, here is a promise
that the Lord has a people. Thy people, thy people. talks
about thine enemies. It talks about thine enemies,
thine enemies, thine enemies, but it also talks about thy people. One day Elijah, sitting by himself,
alone, seemingly deserted, they were seeking his life, and he
cried out, Lord, why don't you kill me? For I, only I, am left
alone. and they seek my life." But the
answer comes back, "'Nay, Elijah, thou art not the only one. I
have seven thousand in Israel alone who have not bowed the
knee to Baal. Lord Jesus Christ, thou hast
a people, numbered as the stars of the sky and the sands of the
seashore. promised to him by the Heavenly
Father, of whom he said, All that my Father giveth me will
come to me. Of whom he said, Of all that
the Father hath given me I'll lose nothing. In the old world
of sin and perversion and wickedness, there is a Noah who finds grace
in the eyes of the Lord. In Egypt's bondage, in Egypt's
slavery, in Egypt's wickedness, there's a Moses who chooses to
suffer the affliction of God's people rather than to enjoy the
treasures of Egypt. In Israel, with darkness and
paganism and superstition reigning, there is a Simeon. who looks
for the Messiah and who takes up the baby in his arms and says,
I'm ready to die, mine eyes have seen thy salvation. In Germany's
Catholicism there's a Luther. In Switzerland there's a Calvin.
In England there's a Bunyan. In Scotland there's a Knox. Do
not despair. Our Lord has a people. Thy people
Thy people, God tells him, sit thou on my right hand. Thy people,
thy subjects, in every age and every generation, he has a people. He calls them his sheep. He calls
them his jewels. He calls them his brethren. He
calls them his people. In Acts chapter 18, the apostle
Paul had been hounded and persecuted and hated, driven out of place
after place, and here he was in another city trying to preach. They were seeking his life. The
Lord came to him in the night and said, Paul, verse 9 of Acts
18, Paul, do not be afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace. I am with And no man's going
to set on thee to hurt thee, for I have much people in this
city. I believe down in the Yucatan.
I don't know who they are, but the Lord has a people. I believe
here in Ashland, Kentucky, and Arlington, Ohio, Huntington,
West Virginia. The Lord has a people. I don't
know who they are. I believe in the state of Kentucky.
I believe all over this country. I believe in Spain and England,
France, Germany, Russia. God has a people. He has a people. And just like He found Noah,
like He found Abraham, like He called David and called Moses,
like He called Luther out of Catholicism and these other men
out of idolatry and paganism, He's going to call His people.
Here is a promise, thy people. Secondly, here is their disposition. Here is their disposition. Thy
people shall be willing. God's people are willing people.
They're not an unwilling people, they're a willing people. Somebody
said, you preach that God has a people. And they're going to
be saved whether or not they ever believe the gospel. No,
I don't preach that either. I preach that God's people are
a believing people. God's people are a repenting
people. God's people are a willing people.
And if they're not willing, they're not God's people. They are willing
to be judged and condemned by the law. They are willing to
confess their sins and cry for mercy. They are willing to bow
to Jesus Christ as prophet, priest, and king. They are willing to
receive His scepter as Lord of their lives and Savior of their
souls. They are willing to be redeemed
on His terms. They are willing to be rebuked.
They are willing to be taught. They are willing to be instructed.
They are willing for the Word of God to be their rule. They
are willing to bow to His divine will. They are willing for His
providential care to be dominant in their daily lives. They are
willing. Thy people shall be willing.
There are no rebels in the family of God. They are willing people. Now, we can tell who the people
of God are by the fact that they are willing. I preach to some
people, I tell them of sin and its consequences, and I bid them
repent, but they are not willing. I tell them of hell and its terrors,
and I tell them to flee from the wrath to come, but they are
not willing. I tell them of Christ and His beauty, of Christ and
His saving power, I tell them of the efficacy of His blood,
and I bid them believe, and they are not willing. Now what do
I conclude from that? They are not His people. For
it says, Thy people shall be willing. Willing. I preach to others Somebody strays
in here, invited by a friend. Somebody comes in here, having
heard the radio broadcast. Somebody comes in here and sits
and listens, and I tell them about sin, and about death, and
about judgment, and about hell, and about Christ, and about eternal
life, and about the glorious gospel of His grace, and I bid
them believe it and receive it, and they're not willing. But I conclude one thing. But
they're not His people, for His people are willing. Somebody
else comes in, and I tell them about Christ, and they're willing
to submit to His sovereign mercy. I tell them about Christ, and
they're willing to hang for redemption on His cross alone. I tell them
about His mercy, and they're willing to put themselves in
His hands, in the hands of Christ the Mediator. They're willing.
They're willing to be broken. They're willing to be molded
by the grace of God. They're willing to kiss the feet
of the Son of God. They're willing to give themselves
wholly and completely to Him. What do I conclude from that?
They're God's people, for they're willing. That's the disposition
of the people of God. They're willing. Thy people shall
be willing. All right, here's the time when
they're going to be willing. It says, thy people, that's the
promise of a people. He has a people. Oh, he's got
enemies, but he's going to destroy them. But he's got a people,
and they are a willing people. And it says, they shall be willing
in the day of thy power. Now listen to me. I'm telling
you the truth. Christ does not gather His people
on just any day. He gathers them in the day of
His power. That's when He gathers them. Somebody said, I sure like to
be close by when God is blessing. That's a pretty good time to
be close by. I sure like to be there when God is pouring out
His Spirit. That's a good time to be there. I don't want to live in the days
of a famine of the Word of God. That means that I won't here
either. The preacher goes out, and a lot of people got the wrong
conception of this thing. The preacher goes out in zeal,
and goes out in enthusiasm, and he preaches, and he pleads, and
he persuades, and he reasons. But the Bible does not say that
his people shall be willing in the day of the preacher's power. It says his people shall be willing
in the day of his power. His power. And some people have
the idea that they can effect a religious experience with God
Almighty when and if they please. My friend, if you believe that,
you're in for a great surprise. For it does not say, His people
shall be willing in the day of their power. It says, His people
shall be willing in the day of His power. There's a lot of difference. There's a lot of difference.
That's what makes that song mean so much, Pass Me Not, O Gentle
Savior. hear my humble cry, while on
others thou art calling, do not pass me by." Christ has a people. They are willing people. They
are willing to be broken. They are willing to be convicted.
They are willing to surrender. They are willing to fall at the
feet of Christ. They are willing to trust Him.
They are willing to submit their souls to Him. They are willing
to commit themselves to Him against that day. But they are willing
in the day of His power. His power. Apostle Paul said in Galatians
1 15, When it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's
womb and called me by His grace, when it pleased God, He revealed
His Son in me. That was the day of His power.
When the Saul of Tarsus was journeying down that road to Damascus, leading
the rebels against the believers in Christ. The day of his power
came, and he smoked Saul, and unhorsed him, and broke him,
and convicted him, and brought him to faith. That was the day
of his power. The thief on the cross was hanging
next to Christ, and by God's grace it was the day of his power. The other thief didn't hear anything.
The soldiers down at the foot of the cross didn't hear anything.
The Pharisees who were jeering and muttering and mocking the
Master, they didn't hear anything. But for the thief on one side,
it was the day of his power. And he was made willing. He was
made willing to confess his sins. We receive what we deserve. He was made willing to fear Christ. He said, Do you not fear God?
He was made willing to confess the Lordship of Christ. He said,
Lord, He was made willing to see the kingdom of Christ. Remember
me. He was made willing to cry for
mercy when you come into your kingdom. In John 1, verse 12,
it says, As many as received Him. They do. They're willing
people. They're willing to receive Christ. John 1, 12. To as many
as received Him. willingly, lovingly, honestly,
intelligently they received Him. To them gave He power, the right,
the authority to become the people of God, the sons of God, even
to them that believe on His name. But they were born not of blood,
not of the will of the flesh, not of the will of man. They
were born of God in the day of His power. In Romans chapter
9, it's not in the day of the preacher's eloquence and power.
It's not in the day of the sinner's decision. It is in the day of
his power. That's when his people are made
willing. That's the reason the Church is filled with so many
unsaved Church members, is because we have tried to convert them
in the day of our persuasive powers. We have made them make,
under our persuasion and powers, decisions for Christ. We've plucked
the green fruit off the tree, and it's rotted on our hands.
He says in Romans 9, 15, he said to Moses, I will have mercy on
whom I will have mercy, I will have compassion on whom I will
have compassion, so it's not of him that willeth, it's not
of him that runneth, it's of God that showeth mercy. Thy people
shall be willing when? In the day of thy power. And my friends, you may not believe
it, but it takes the same power that raised Jesus Christ from
the dead to raise a dead sinner. The same power. It takes the same power that
opens Saul of Tarsus' eyes to open your eyes. The same power. It takes the same grace. God
said, Ezekiel, look upon the dry bones. Ezekiel, can they
live, O Lord? They can't give themselves life.
And I can't give them life. O Lord, thou knowest. Well, Ezekiel
preached to them. Say, O ye dry bones, hear the
word of God. So Ezekiel preached to them,
and they rose up. And God said, Ezekiel, say to
the wind, O Spirit of God, breathe on these bones. And the Spirit
of God came and gave them life. And that's the same power it
takes to raise a dead sinner from a spiritual grave. That's
the reason that all of this dragging people down the aisle and talking
them into decisions and putting evangelical pressure on them
to make decisions, to make professions, is ungodly. It's ungodly because
it gives men a false hope. It's ungodly because it brings
walking dead men into the church. It's ungodly because it's not
the way that God's people are made willing. They're made willing
in the day of His power. That's the preached word under
the power of the Holy Spirit. And if the Holy Spirit's not
there, nothing's going to be accomplished. Back to the text.
Thy people. shall be willing. Yes, they shall
be willing. They're not rebels. They're willing. They're willing for Christ to
get the glory. They're willing for God to be
praised. They're willing to be the chief of sinners. They're
willing to be less than the least of all the saints. They're willing
to give of their time and of themselves and of their money.
They're willing. They're willing to be broken.
They're willing to sit at the feet of Christ and be taught.
They're willing to be rebuked and chastened. They're willing
to go through trial and tribulation. They're willing. They're willing. But they're made willing in the
day of His power. His power. It takes a power beyond
human powers to quicken a dead sinner. It takes a power beyond
the power of eloquence to make a dead sinner's ears hear. It
takes a power beyond the power of man to give understanding
to darken hearts. And here's the character of His
people now. Thou people shall be willing
in the day of thy power, in the beauty of holiness." Brethren,
the holiness which characterizes thy people is not a feigned,
hypocritical holiness. It's not a material, outward,
religious, phony holiness. It's not a holiness that's connected
with obedience to certain prescribed duties. It's not a holiness of
words without deeds, and professions without actions. This holiness,
first of all, is the beauty of Christ's righteousness. Thy people
shall be willing in the day of thy power, and they're characterized
by this holiness. Clothed in his robe of spotless
white, All my guilt fades from sight. I am holy as he is holy."
But in the next place, it's the beauty of true humility. Listen
to Paul. I am what I am by the grace of
God. It is the beauty of sincere love. John said, if you love not one
another, you can't love God. It is the beauty of a forgiving
spirit. It's the beauty of a merciful
spirit. Blessed are the merciful, for
they shall see God. It is the beauty of generosity
and grace. It is the beauty of faithfulness
and loyalty. That's the beauty of holiness. Now notice the next thing. Thy
people shall be willing, thy people, thy brethren, thy jewels,
that particular peculiar holy nation, those subjects of the
King, they're going to be a willing people. It's the day of thy power
that made them willing, and they're willing in the beauty of holiness.
Now watch this. From the womb of the morning. I found this illustration. I
think it best interprets what the writer means here. He said,
did you ever awake in the early morning and go out and see the
dew drops glistening all over the earth? Did you ever awake
in the morning and go out and see the dew, beautiful, sparkling,
scattered everywhere, so pure and so brilliant? And you ask
yourself as you look upon that morning dew, where did it all
come from? And the answer comes back, it
was born from the womb of the morning. Mysteriously, noiselessly,
and divinely it came forth, and there it is. So God's people,
thy people, come forth from the womb of the morning just as mysteriously,
just as noiselessly, and just as divinely. For the word of
God is preached, and mysteriously a heart is broken. The word of
God is preached, and divinely a heart is smitten. The gospel
is preached, and mysteriously, and noiselessly, and divinely,
like the dew comes forth from the womb of the morning, an ear
begins to hear for the first time. He's heard words, but now
he hears God. He's heard law, but now he hears
the Spirit. He's heard preachers, but now
he hears God speak. Christ is lifted up, and mysteriously
and divinely and noiselessly a stubborn will is conquered. A wild ass's coat is broken. The call of the Holy Spirit is
given. and a soul responds, born from
the womb of the morning. It's not there, and then it's
there. In the day of His power, they
mysteriously, they divinely come forth, and they stand willingly
as trophies of His grace. And God finds them in the pulpit
and in the pew, He finds them in the jail and on the streets.
He finds them working in the factory and working busily in
religion. He finds them in civilized countries
and uncivilized countries. He finds His people. And through
the preaching of His Word, they mysteriously and noiselessly
and supernaturally and divinely, they come forth. And a man comes
to hear us preach, and he knows nothing, and he feels nothing,
and he senses nothing, and he experiences nothing. And he comes
back again, and one day there is on his brow the dew of God's
grace. It came forth from the womb of
the morning. Now here's the last thing. Thou
hast the dew of thy youth. What does that mean? Well, that's
a promise to God's people. concerning their king. He is
the same yesterday, today, and forever. We don't have the dew
of our youth any longer, and every day that passes by it grows
less and less and less. We're getting older. There are
men one time who were great leaders who had the dew of youth, dew
of their youth, but the years passed by and they were old and
broken and frail. and without strength, and they
were cast aside, and a new leader took their place. But our leader,
our captain, our king, he has the due of his youth. He is old
as heaven, but he has the due of his youth. He is older than
creation, but he has the due of his youth. He is old as God,
for he is God, and yet he has the due of his youth. He is not
a dead Christ. He is not a worn-out Christ.
He is not a wearish story. He is not an ancient myth. He has the due of his youth.
In power, he's the same. He is the same yesterday, today,
and forever. In love, he is the same. In mercy,
he is the same. In grace, he is the same. The
same Lord who called Saul of Tarsus out of darkness and gave
him light. is the one who called me 2,000
years later. And though I grow old, tired,
and frail, my Lord is the same. Though my mind forgets and fails,
my Lord is the same. Though my friends depart from
me, my Lord is the same. And though my ship be lost at
sea, my Lord is the same. Though trials may darken my way,
my Lord's the same. Though faint at close of each
day, my Lord is the same. Though I lose my most precious
jewel, my Lord is the same. And though I fret under his sovereign
rule, my Lord is the same. For it says in verse four, he
hath sworn and he will not repent. That is, he will not change.
He will not change. I am the Lord, he said, I change
not. Therefore you sons of Jacob are
not consumed. The king reigns until his enemies
be made his footstool, every one of them. But thy people,
rising up from the dust of all of this disease and defeat and
death, thy people, they'll be willing in the day of thy in
the beauty of holiness born from the womb of the morning, for
thou hast the dew of thy youth. Our Father anoint the word tonight
by thy Spirit Let the Word go forth in power, not in human
understanding, but in the power of the Spirit. Speak to our hearts. O Lord, let us not preach to
men's heads. We know that the mind must be
involved, we must think, we must consider. Thou hast said in Thy
Word, come let us reason together. But we don't want to preach to
men's minds, we want to preach to their hearts. We don't want
to just move their thinking and Have them change from one denomination
to another, from one system of doctrine to another. We want
the life of Christ to be born within them. The beauty of Christ,
the blood of Christ, the very person of Christ to be formed
within us. Speak to our hearts, O God. Minister
to our hearts. For if the cup is cleansed within,
it will be clean on the outside. Speak to us through thy word.
We thank thee for this service this evening, for thy presence.
In Christ's name, amen.