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welcome to everyone it's good to be back in the house of our God as our call to worship this evening you can turn in your Bibles to psalm 85 Psalm 85 a good way to direct our attention to the Living God by reading his written word beginning in verse 1 in Psalm 85 we read to the chief musician a psalm of the sons of Korah Lord you have been favorable to your land you have brought back to captivity of Jacob you have forgiven the iniquity of your people you have covered all their sin say law you have taken away all your wrath you have turned from the fierceness of your anger restore us oh god of our salvation and caused your anger toward us to seize will you be angry with us forever will you prolong your anger to all generations will you not revive us again that your people may rejoice in you show us your mercy Lord and grant us your salvation I will hear what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace to his people and to his Saints but let them not turn back to falling surely his salvation is near to those who fear him that glory may dwell in our land mercy and truth have met together righteousness and peace have kissed truth shall spring out of the earth and righteousness shall look down from heaven yes the Lord will give what is good and our land will yield its increase righteousness will go before him and shall make his footsteps our pathway a man well please take your Trinity hymnal on your Trinity salter rather and turn to Psalm 122 Psalm 122 will stand as we sing together you let us pray a gracious God in our Holy Father it is a joy and a privilege to gather in your house again on this lord's day we see the beauty of creation and it leads us to consider God the Creator we see the wisdom of your government and we are led to consider your sovereign providence the way you govern all your creatures and all their actions as we gather here together to sing the praises of our God we consider the preaching of the word and the gospel of our Lord Jesus we are led to consider that great work of redemption and we rejoice our Father in your mercy and in your kindness to us we rejoice in your sovereignty in the fact that you overcame our sin and our wickedness and our waywardness that through the life and the death and the resurrection of our Lord Jesus through the power of your Holy Spirit you brought us forth by your word of truth and in this father we give all praise and glory and honor unto you you are from everlasting to everlasting you are a holy God you are a God who is infinite eternal and unchangeable your God who is most glorious and most excellent and most wise you are a god who is worthy of the the worship of all your creatures and as the psalmist or rather the prophet asked who would not fear you a king of the nation's for indeed it is your do we know because of sin and lawlessness and death and Adam we know that the creature does not honor you the creature rebels the creature resists but thanks be to your great grace you have brought us 9 you have put a desire in our heart to draw nigh unto you through our Lord Jesus and we pray that tonight as we worship you would be exalted and glorified that as we worship father son and spirit would be praised that we would acknowledge that salvation is of the Lord it's not something we have done it's not something we've accomplished but it is by sovereign grace alone we would ask our Father that you would be pleased to dwell in the midst of your people here tonight we all come here with many challenges many temptations many difficulties that we face in this world so we pray that you would refresh us tonight in the worship of the Living God she would refresh us through the means of the Lord's Supper we thank you for your provision of this good gift for weary pilgrims and we would ask tonight Lord God that these things would have a blessed effect upon our own hearts and lives we would pray that the Holy Spirit would be active in this place that all that we do would redound to the praise and the glory in the honor of our great and living God we ask that you would forgive us for all of our sins and our transgressions we confess our iniquity father we have not loved you as we ought we have not loved our neighbor as ourselves and we have violated in these two commands that summarize the entirety of your 10 words and we ask that you would cleanse us in the blood of the Lord Jesus and how we thank you for that atonement how we thank you that he is our substitute and the sacrifice that that paid the debt at Calvary how we praise you and thank you that because of his perfect life of obedience unto the law of God we now have a righteousness imputed to us and received by faith alone father how we thank you for every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ that you have indeed lavished upon us and God as we sing tonight and as we look to your word and as we remember our Lord Jesus specifically in his death tonight that all these things would lead us to consider what a great and glorious and a wondrous God you are and may we worship you in spirit and in truth be with those in our midst with physical trials and challenges we ask our Father that though they they suffer in the outer man the inner man would be renewed day by day we asked he would look with favor upon each and every one in this church with spiritual trials and difficulties we know God that you empower your people for battle in this world and we would pray that you would supply those resources so that we may indeed persevere that we may be able one day to say with Paul that we have fought the good fight that we have finished the ray that we have kept the faith grant us help and these things are God and and cause us to do these things in a manner that is well pleasing in your sight we pray for other churches here in chilliwack we thank you that we're not alone gone we pray for these other places where the gospel is preached we ask that you would prosper them we ask that you would bless them richly we ask God that you would be pleased to just continue to grant peace to your true churches and cause them to know peace and unity and and all those good things that the Bible says are for the people of God we ask that you would have mercy in this land as a whole that you would revive the churches of Jesus Christ she would cause your people to think your thoughts after you caused us to be prayerful and cause us to be a focused upon the word of truth and may we indeed be faithful witnesses in this land and may you give us opportunities to to direct sinners to the Lord Jesus Christ and we would pray that you would awaken those who are dead in their trespasses and sins we live in a generation where men call good evil and evil good and we know the ultimate power is not through politics it is through the gospel of our Lord Jesus so we pray that you would send forth your word cause it to run swiftly and be glorified and we pray that you would do this for your honor and for the good of souls and we ask these things through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well please turn with me to the back of the Trinity hymnal to how great thou art an hour meditation this evening we're going to consider the greatness of God so this will be a fitting him to sing will stand as we sing together if you don't have it in the back of the hymn book then pick up another one and you should find it II well you can turn in your Bibles to 2nd Samuel 7 look at verses 18 to 29 I'll read the passage and then I want to remind us of David's prayer will not be exactly what we did on Wednesday evening i want to remind us of David's prayer and then I want to apply David's method focusing primarily on verses 22 to 24 but as I said I'll read it that's larger context beginning in 2nd Samuel 7 at verse 18 then King David went in and sat before the Lord and he said Who am I o Lord God and what is my house that you have brought me this far and yet this was a small thing in your sight O Lord God and you have also spoken of your servants house for a great while to come is this the manner of man o Lord God now what more can David say to you for you Lord God know your servant for your words sake and according to your own heart you have done all these great things to make your servant know them therefore you are great o Lord God for there is none like You nor is there any God besides you according to all that we have heard with our ears and who is like your people like Israel the one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem for himself as a people to make for himself a name and to do for yourself great and awesome deeds for your land before your people whom you redeem for yourself from Egypt the nations and their gods for you have made your people Israel your very own people forever and you lord have become their God now O Lord God the word which you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house establish it forever and do as you have said so let your name be magnified forever saying the Lord of Hosts is the God over Israel and let the house of your servant David be established before you for you Lord of Hosts God of Israel have revealed this to your servant saying I will build you a house therefore your servant has found it in his heart to pray this prayer to you and now o Lord God you are God and your words are true and you have promised this goodness to your servant now therefore let it please you to bless the house of your servant that it may continue before you forever for you O Lord God have spoken it and with your blessing let the house of your servant be blessed forever amen we'll let us pray father we thank you for the written word and we pray now for the Ministry of the Holy Spirit they would guide us and lead us and help us as we consider the greatness of God the greatness of God seen in his being and as well seen in his works may we marvel and may we adore and may we worship and may these things produce at us what they produced in David may there be worshipful prayer offered up by your people for your praise and for your glory again forgive us now for any sin and wickedness and darkness that affects our minds and help us to meditate upon your truth in preparation to participate in the Lord's Supper we pray these things through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well as I said it will not be a strict exposition of this passage as we saw on Wednesday night but just a reminder of David's prayer and then an application of David's method remember this is a response to the Davidic covenant in 2nd Samuel 7 and verses 1 to 17 God the Lord makes a promise to David that he will build David a house it will not be a physical dwelling it will not be a physical structure but it will be a dynasty a dynasty of Kings that ultimately will issue forth in the king of kings and Lord of lords even the Messiah the Lord Jesus Christ so David here's the promise of God called the Davidic covenant and then David goes to pray David goes to worship David goes to a door there's something very instructive here for us as Dale Ralph Davis says Yahweh's declarations stirred David's devotions his promises ignited David's praises and prayers that's how it should be when we hear the promises of God when we hear the good blessings of God we ought to respond with praise and worship and adoration and that is precisely what David does if we were to break this prayer down we'd see three major sections in the first place the confession of his own unworthiness in verses 18 to 21 david says Who am I o Lord God and what is my house that you have brought me this far we mentioned on Wednesday night David is from Bethlehem he's now in Jerusalem this is only about six miles away David isn't extolling the greatness of God in bringing him those six miles David is extolling the greatness of God in bringing him through many trials and many tribulations and many difficulties and many hardships David was hunted like a dog David was threatened by saw David was persecuted by many and yet the Lord God most high preserved him and David is able to muse and say Who am I o Lord God what is my house that you have brought me this far he rehearses God's previous grace the Lord had blessed him given him grace he rehearses the fact that there will be future grace there is no way we'll have this promise realized apart from the grace of God he highlights that its sovereign grace he indicates that it's according to your own heart not David's plan but God's own heart its sovereign grace so David begins with a confession of unworthiness he then goes on to an inscription of greatness to God in verses 22 to 24 and then he ends the prayer with petition a petition for fulfillment David doesn't run into the presence of God and say give me give me give me David runs into the presence of God confesses his own unworthiness and then extols the greatness of God and then after doing that he says to the Lord make good on your promises the promises of God of the foundation for our petitions to God it's because the Lord has promised that David then prays that God would bring this to pass or bring this to fruition so that's an overview of the prayer let's look at verses 22 to 24 David escribes greatness to God notice in verse 22 therefore you are great o Lord God a fitting response to the grace that he has rehearsed because of God's grace that David has been brought to this point a consideration of God's grace promotes David or provokes David to confess and testify therefore you are great o Lord God does the grace of God conquer your heart in like manner do you muse on where you've been and do you muse upon the fact that you are presently where you are and stole the goodness and grace of God and then say therefore you are great o Lord God David praises God or escribes greatness to God for God in other words he praises God for God he praises God for who God is notice in verse 22 therefore you are great o Lord God now notice for there is none like you nor is there any God beside you according to all that we have heard with your with our ears now David will go on to praise God for what he has done but before he gets to praising God for what he has done he praises God for who he is I used the illustration on Wednesday night was always nice to have my children thank me for when I gave them something or I provided something to them or I helped them out of a particular problem and they said thank you thank you Dad for doing X Y or Z that's always nice to hear your children say thank you Dad for being dad thank you for being you I just love you apart from your add extra works I love you for your ad intra being I just love you I love who you are and I'm thankful that you are my dad it never quite sort of fleshed itself out like that but but you see what David is doing here he's praising God for God brethren that's legit and we're going to apply David's method in a few moments to show you that that's legit we praise God certainly for creation and Providence and redemption we praise God for His mighty works involving his people but we praise God for who God is and that's precisely what David does therefore you are great o Lord God for there is none like you nor is there any God besides you according to all that we have heard with our ears now he moves from a consideration of God as God God intra or at intra to God as he acts towards his people at extra those works external to God and he rehearses three things about God concerning Israel he speaks of redemption he speaks of preservation and he speaks of position notice in verses 23 and 24 and who is like your people like Israel the one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem for himself as a people notice this and we pointed this out on Wednesday night redemption involves two things redemption involves liberation from the problem of the bondage but it also involves possession to the new owner you see God liberated each Israel out of Egypt he brought them out of bondage under his divine ownership the same pattern is seen in the New Testament we're not redeemed by the blood of Christ so that we can do whatever it is we want we are redeemed by the blood of Christ so that we will submit to our new master there is both liberation and possession wrought by God in terms of redemption he buys us out of the slave market of sin not so that we can continue in sin but that we will now submit to our new master we will now do his bidding we will be obedient to the one who owns us who possesses us whose slaves we now are by his grace this is seen several times in these three verse are in these two verses and who is like your people like it's real the one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem for himself as a people to make for himself a name and to do for yourself great and awesome deeds for your land before your people whom you redeem for yourself from Egypt the nations and their gods that's Redemption notice preservation verse 24 a for you have made your people Israel your very own people forever it's beautiful isn't it forever we have eternal security we will persevere because God will preserve us and then notice position at the end of verse 24 and you lord have become their God we saw something similar to this in Ephesians 3 you can turn there Ephesians chapter 3 whole idea of David extolling the goodness and power of God displayed through Israel was a means by which he can quantify the statement that god is great God is great for who God is God is great because he has redeemed Israel because he will preserve Israel and because positionally he is Israel's God this is a display of the power and the majesty and the excellence and the greatness of God Paul does the same thing in Ephesians 3 notice in verse 8 to me um less than the least of all the saints this grace was given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ notice verse 10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places though arguably the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places were able to see the greatness of God as God but in Redemption in the fact that the Lord saved the Church the church now becomes a display case if you will of God's greatness and power manifested such that when the principalities and the powers look down upon us on the Lord's Day they extol the greatness of God the fact that we are no longer continuing and patterns of rebellion and set and that we have been conquered by Amazing Grace and we are here worshiping the triune God doesn't that scream concerning the greatness of our God so that's David's method let's apply david's method notice we have not just the Davidic covenant but we have the New Covenant don't wait I wonder if we are as responsive to the New Covenant blessings that we have received as was David concerning the Davidic covenant in second Samuel 7 117 I said on Wednesday night in some senses brethren at the throne of grace we ought to out David David we ought to extolled the greatness of God in a way that would not make David jealous but it would hopefully cause David to say behold you know your God brethren we have many many things to thank and to praise our God for least of which is the blessing of the New Covenant the fact that our Lord Jesus Christ shed his blood for the remission of sins for many and that we are included among that many that New Covenant deserves and demands a response that New Covenant deserves and demands worship on the part of God's people that New Covenant deserves and demands this sort of prayer life concerning or what we see here in 2nd Samuel 7 notice as we consider with David in his response to the vithika venant as we respond to the New Covenant we can break it down in the same way those two sections the being of God who God is and as well what God has done in our lives let's consider the being of God now perhaps one of the best ways would have just taken a summary state looked at the various attributes said or spoken of god I just sort of compiled a brief list here there's no particular rhyme or reason or order it's not out of bobbing it's not out of birkoff but I have four things that I think we ought to consider as a help to promote in us this description of the greatness of God as we consider God as we consider who he is in the first place he is the one true and living God he is the one true and living God isn't this what Jesus says in John 17 3 and this is eternal life that they may know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you of San do you understand brethren we have what the bail worshipers and the Molech worshipers and the Astra worshipers and the Mammon worshipers and the sex worshippers and the drug worshipers and the comfortable tidy life worshippers we have what they don't we have the true in the Living God it's not as if there's a Pantheon out there it's not as if there's an A to Z in terms of gods and we just sort of pick and choose which ones we want we serve the one true and living God and as a result we ought to respond to him by ascribing greatness to him as well he is the Blessed triune God it's interesting Jesus says that they may know thee the only true God and coordinate a coordinate to that Jesus Christ whom you have sent we serve one blessed God in Trinity the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit Matthew 28 verses 18 to 20 go therefore make disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name singular of the father and the Son and the Holy Spirit we see the triune God in places like Ephesians 1 we see the triune God in Ephesians 4 brethren we see the triune God all over Scripture we see father son and spirit yet not three gods one God one essence three persons all blessed all equal in power and in glory thirdly we see God is unchangeable you can turn specifically to james won 16 to 18 God is unchangeable the precise theological term for this is immutability brethren this is a reason for us to ascribe greatness to God all of these things the one true and living God the Blessed triune God the fact that we serve an unchangeable god or an immutable god notice in verse 16 of James one do not be to see my beloved brethren every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning that's a text you can rest your soul on that's a text you can pillow your head with that's a tax that affords great comfort to the people of God what are we saying in 335 it talks about change and decay and yet God abides with me 335 specifically where we out here I know what's in here I just can't find it all around I see oh yes swift to its clothes ABS out life's little day earth Joy's growed in its glories pass away change and decay and all around I see isn't that experience is that life lived under heaven isn't that our lot I mean friends calm friends go relationships grow relationships break political leaders are raised up political leaders are put down sins or committed crimes are committed all around I see o thou who change us not abide with me brethren there is a world of comfort in James 1 16 and 17 Thomas Manton the Puritan divine says but God does not change there is no wrinkle upon the brow of eternity the arm of Mercy is not dried up nor do his bowels of love waste and spend themselves therefore David would say you are great o Lord God let's consider fourthly a subset of immutability a doctrine called impossibility you can turn to Acts chapter 14 I've noticed since the release of the book confessing the impassable God it hasn't been a ground swell of change in terms of the evangelical landscape the one hand I don't think a whole lot of people have read the book yet but on the other hand those who have read it continue to say things like they're making a big deal out of something that's insignificant they're making a big deal out of something that ought not to divide the people of God they're making a big deal out of something that just doesn't really affect us one way or the other brethren impossibility teaches us that God is not like us impossibility is the reason why our confession of faith can tell us that God is most loving that God is most gracious that God is most merciful and that God is most long-suffering you see impossibility teaches that God has not affected by things outside of himself nor from things inside which makes an increase or diminish both of which would imply that he was imperfect to begin with impossibility describes to us a blessed God a God who relates to his creatures in the fullness of his being and in his totality notice specifically in acts 14 at verse 14 the scene is simple there is in Lystra a man who was crippled from his mother's womb Paul observes him sees that he has faith to be healed says with a loud voice stand up straight on your feet and elite and he walked now the list reyns respond by wanting to worship Paul I mean as far as they were concerned that God's had come down in the likeness of man as far as they were concerned and Barnabas were hermes and and Zeus and and these men are these gods rather were worthy to be praised notice at the end of verse 13 then the priests of Zeus whose temple was in front of their city brought oxen and garlands to the gates intending to sacrifice with the multitudes but when the Apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude crying out and saying man why are you doing these things we also are men with the same nature same nature they're literally means same passions like passions the same sort as you are what's paul's implication God isn't God's not of the same nature God is not of like passions God is not like creature God rather is creator he goes on to say we are men also men we also are men with the same nature as you and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the Living God who made the heaven the earth the sea and all things that are in that fort all the doctrine of divine impossibility was something that applied to God and as it was applicable to God it meant that God alone ought to be worshipped that got alone if I can extend it just a bit to bring us back into second Samuel 7 territory God alone is great you don't worship men of like passions you don't worship men of the same nature you don't worship creature but rather you worship the Creator one who is not like us in passions one who is not like our nature now unfortunately the list reyns miss this lesson because the section ends with them continuing trying to sacrifice unto them the doctrine of divine impossibility along with its larger doctrine the doctrine of divine immutability present to us a great God and unchanging God a God who has purposed all things according to his own power according to his own plan and according to his own will and he will most certainly accomplished it for the glory of his own name and for his own honor the last thing I would just say the incomparable God as I said there are many sort of attributes that we can look at let's just look at two specimen passages just to show us that the New Testament understands that we ought to scan back and extend it and extorted being God first Timothy chapter 1 verse 17 first Timothy chapter 1 verse 17 Paul breaks out in praise Paul breaks out in doxology a consideration of redemption a consideration of the fact that he had been saved by grace a consideration of the fact that he was the chief of sinners but God saved him leads the Apostle to extolled the Lord verse 17 now to the King eternal immortal invisible to God who alone his wise beyond her and glory forever and ever amen and then in first Timothy chapter 6 notice in verses 15 and 16 which he will manifest in his own time he who is the blessed and only potentate the king of kings and Lord of lords who alone has immortality dwelling an unapproachable light whom no man has seen or can see to whom be honor and everlasting power amen now brethren it is perfectly acceptable and I'm going to argue in just a moment that we ought to praise God extol the greatness of God for his work of redemption for the fact that he preserves us for the fact that he has positioned us as his people and he is our God but there is a sense where the church at times is lacking in just coming into the presence of God and worshipping him for being God just acknowledging that he's got acknowledging that he's excellent acknowledging that he is infinite eternal and unchangeable in his being wisdom power holiness justice goodness and truth brethren God is ultimately the object of our worship yes his words extolling us to be sure but God just got his worthy of praise and worship ever and ever and ever he is in the language of the bride in the Song of Solomon chief among 10,000 he is in the language of the bride in the Song of Solomon altogether lovely he's just altogether lovely we had a baskin his presence we ought to enjoy his being we ought to extols attributes we ought to consider who he is and then worship adore honor and praise but notice we consider the works of God redemption certainly as we come to the supper tonight what do these elements preach to us they preach to us a bloodied bruised battered Savior who shed his blood on our behalf in order that he might redeem us remember his statement in Matthew 2028 the Son of man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many that ran summit and redemption are from the same Greek word the same route the same idea I didn't he didn't come to be served but to serve and to give his life his own life blood as a ransom for many he redeemed us what does paul the apostle saying Galatians chapter 3 you can turn their Galatians chapter 3 several texts extolling the goodness of God or the greatness of God rather as seen in the work of redemption Galatians 3 13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law having become a curse for us for it is written cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith Galatians 4 4 but when the fullness of the time had come God sent forth his son born of a woman born under the law to do what to redeem those who were under the law and the same sorts of concepts that are present in that statement of David's in 2nd Samuel 7 are true here he redeems his Israel through his own Precious Blood not so they can continue in paganism not so they can continue in heathenism not so they can bow to bail not so they can agent in in Molock worship but rather that they'll be submissive to their new master the Lord who has redeemed that I love the statement in Ephesians 1 the Apostle uses a verb there that indicates that when he chose us he chose us for himself and he not only highlights that with reference to the father but he indicates as well in Ephesians 17 concerning redemption in him we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence you see the same sort of pattern is evident in the New Testament as we find in David's prayer we extolled odd for his godhood we extolled god for his words as we gather tonight as we sing praises as we pray in our closets as we pray together as a church may the greatness of God so in fact our hearts that we would be full of adoration to this God and then notice he preserves us several passages that indicate this John 6 40 several passages more that you will think of no doubt because these are not isolated teachings Redemption preservation and position are taught throughout the New Testament scripture I just wanted to highlight a few specimen passages to encourage us to respond to God the way David responded when he considered God's Redemption preservation and positioning of Israel notice in John 6 40 and this is the will of him who sent me that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day if I said I will go do such and such there's a margin for error there is a margin for compromise if I say to my wife I will go get you some lawn ornaments for the backyard I could get hit by a car on the way and never be able to fulfill that particular responsibility but when Christ the Lord the one whom Hebrews 3a 13 8 says is the same yesterday today and forever when that one says and I will raise him up at the last day can there Benny I be any idea whatsoever that he will not make good on this promise or consider John 10 verses 25 to 30 under the head of preservation not only does David extol God for redeeming Israel but for preserving Israel not only ought we to praise God or honor the greatness of God for redeeming us but for preserving us notice in John 10 25 I told you and you do not believe the works that I do in my father's name they bear witness of me but you do not believe because you are not of my sheep note the conspicuous order he doesn't say you're not of my sheep because you don't believe you don't believe because you're not of my sheep you were not for ordained from the foundation before the foundation of the world there is conspicuous reformed theology in Jesus statement there you do not believe because you are not of my sheep the arminian says you are not his sheep because you don't don't believe no Jesus says you're not of my sheep because you are you not you don't believe because you're not of my sheep anyways he goes on my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any one snatch them out of my hand my father who has given them to me is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of my father's hand I and my father are one ever just ponder such text and say wow amazing fact that he's even saved me is amazing the fact that he's not going to let me go wow this just gets more incredible as the day's march on and then of course Romans chapter 8 Romans chapter 8 verses 37 to 39 the whole section is just powerful and rich 37 yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us for I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord he is great and greatly to be praised I love what our confession says concerning the perseverance of the saints this perseverance of the Saints depends not upon their own free will but upon the immutability of the decree of election flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father upon the efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ and union with him the oath of God the abiding of his spirit and the seed of God within them and the nature of the covenant of grace from all which arises also the certainty and infallibility thereof you do not persevere because you have grit and determination you do not persevere because you've got willpower you do not persevere because you're a bit stronger than that poor slob sitting next to you you persevere because of God you persevere because of what is indicated here you persevere because our God who has redeemed us will indeed preserve us and then the last statement david says is concerning position and you lord have become their God Pastor Porter read Matthew chapter 6 this morning how does Jesus teach us to pray are inert distant cold callous God if we hold to this doctrine of impossibility no our Father there's intimacy it's communion there's position we call him father he calls us children Hebrews 2 we read that the Lord Christ is not ashamed to call us brethren imagine Christ isn't ashamed to call us brethren we know him in a saving way again John 17 3 this is eternal life that they may know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou has sent we have been adopted had we continued to read on in Galatians 4 a passage that has been dealt with several times over the last several months in our church he goes on in Galatians 4 5 to redeem those who are under the law of that we might receive the adoption as sons and because you are sons God has sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts crying out Abba Father therefore you are no longer a slave but a son and if a son than an heir of God through Christ that's are a lot that's our position that's our privilege that's our blessing and we receive the Covenant privilege way back in Jannah in the vithika sui see God's covenantal promise i will be their god they shall be my people turn to second Corinthians chapter 6 an argument as to why we ought to be ought not to be unequally yoked notice in second Corinthians 6 14 do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers for what fellowship is righteousness with lawlessness and what communion is light with darkness and what a court is Christ with Belial or what part has a believer with an unbeliever and what agreement has the temple of God with idols now note for you are the Temple of the Living God as God has said I will dwell in them and walk among them I will be their God and they shall be my people David sees this as a reason to extol the greatness of God in 2nd Samuel 7 he says specifically in you Yahweh have become their God brethren we ought to consider Redemption preservation and our position as those things outside of God those works that he accomplishes as reasons why we praise him and adore him and honor him and celebrate the fact that he is indeed a great God and this passage is rehearsed to fresh or rehearsed again rather in Revelation 21 where it comes to fruition revelation 21 beginning in verse 1 now I saw a new heavens and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away also there was no more sea than I John saw the holy city New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God prepared as a bride adorned for her husband and I heard a loud voice from heaven saying behold the tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people God Himself will be with them and be their God and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes there shall be no more death nor sorrow nor crying there shall be no more pain for the former things have passed away I was speaking to a brother this morning speaking about those who have chronic pain and perhaps one of the things that persons who have chronic pain like our passages like these because this passage affords to the people with chronic pain this promise that there's a day coming when there will be no more chronic pain alright and I suggested to this particular brother that I think in the Sudan or in Ethiopia believers they're probably able to appreciate the passage of passages that speak of of no more hunger and no more thirst they probably appreciate those passages a bit more than we do because you see we have full refrigerators in full pantries we really don't know what hungry is and we say we're starving if we missed a supper we're not starving brethren we really are not that is hyperbolic that is wrong we ought not to suggest that we missed our morning Wheaties and somehow work we're going to pine away and starve to death but imagine if you were in the in Ethiopia you're in the Sudan and you came to these passages that said we get Jesus you no more hunger we got Jesus and no more thirst we get Jesus and no more chronic pain we get Jesus and and no more disease we get Jesus and no more problems or issues and and all of that whether that's a legitimate concern and that's something we ought to ought to a refreshing and rehearse in our hearts and minds but the ultimate thing is we get Jesus right we get Jesus and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people God himself we'll be with them and be their God and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes can there be any more testimony concerning that intimate position I mean isn't that the language of the parent whose child Falls and whose child rungs to him and who takes their cloth and wipes the tear from their eyes and bandages the booboo and gives it a kiss and hugs the child and embraces them that's intimacy that's position that's privileged that's blessing that's held out to the people of God that's in our future that is our president our future possession because of what Christ is done through his blood because of what God has done and in preserving us he is going to bring us into his heavenly kingdom this new jerusalem and we will be in the presence of god and of the lamb truly brethren we have a multitude of reasons to ascribe greatness to our God I shouldn't say we ought to out David David because that sounds competitive in a way that ought not to be but let's try to be David's let's dare to be a David at the throne of grace by extolling the greatness and the mercy and the kindness of our God will let us pray our Father we thank you for the holy scriptures and we thank you for the consistency that we find the god of redemption the god of preservation the god of brings us people into great position it's the same God from Genesis to Revelation we praise You Father Son and Holy Spirit and we extort greatness first and who you are the fact that you are the great and glorious and triune God as well we extolled for your works and we have benefited richly from what you have done in and through your son the Lord Jesus Christ as we eat this bread as we drink this cup may we respond with praise and worship and adoration given to you r dot and we ask through Christ our Lord amen well you can turn in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 26 Matthew 26 will read this particular section concerning the supper itself just a couple of pre-med preliminary thoughts remember that this is an ordinance given by Christ to the church it is given by Christ to believers it is not a converting ordinance it's not something that we give to people with the hopes that they become the Christians no it is something for believers those who by God's grace have looked to Christ who live those who by God's grace are walking in union and communion with him so it is for believers if you're an unbeliever we just kindly ask that you do not take the supper tonight as well it is for believers who are striving by God's grace to maintain a conscience void of offense toward God and toward men remember in first Corinthians chapter 11 the Apostle Paul there reproves the people of God he says when you come together to the Lord's Supper it's not the Lord's Supper it's not the Lord's table because you come with animosity become you because you come with disunity because you come with unkindness and with selfishness you are not observing the supper you are not engaged in that sort of one loaf expression of the unity of God's people so brethren the issue is we need by God's grace to maintain short accounts with him and we need to repent of our sins and we need to seek the Lord's forgiveness we need to seek the Lord's mercy as well by way of preliminary thought remember that the bread and the wine remained bread and wine they do not become something other this is not the Pope ish mass this is not the abomination of transubstantiation the bread and the wine represent they express they symbolize they they give us a tangible expression something that we can literally sink our teeth into to remind us of the great work of our beloved Savior the Lord Jesus Christ and while we consider the greatness of God generally we think specifically the redeeming work of our Lord Jesus for this is what we are taught in first Corinthians 11 as often as you eat this bread and drink this cop do so in remembrance of me it is an ordinance calculated and designed to bring a fresh to our minds the bloody cross of our Lord Jesus and his redeeming work for us well actually will read the section after the brothers pass out the bread so while the brother brothers pass out the bread you can turn in your Trinity hymnals to number 193 number 193 remain seated while we sing praise to God and after we get the bread will read the section and pray you we read in Matthew 26 beginning in verse 26 and as they were eating Jesus took bread blessed and broke it and gave it to the disciples and said take eat this is my body let us pray a gracious and our great God we thank you for the life and the death and the resurrection of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ we thank you for redemption through his blood we thank you for the fact that you have promised to keep us unto that great day and we thank you that you have covenant it to be our God and called us to be your people may these things continuously amaze us and may they send us to our prayer closets with rejoicing and with happiness and with delight in the God who has dealt so graciously and mercifully with us we thank you for the life and the Ministry of our Lord we thank you that he is altogether lovely in chief among 10,000 and we praise you that you've given us a saving interest in him and we pray through Christ our Lord amen well we'll take together well you may turn in your Trinity hymnbooks number 357 just a reminder that the juice is in the outer ring and wine is in the center juice is in the outer ring and wine is in the center 357 again remain seated as we sing you Oh we continue reading in Matthew's Gospel then he took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them saying drink from it all of you for this is my blood of the new covenant which is shed for many for the remission of sins but I say to you I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my father's Kingdom and when they had sung a hymn they went out to the Mount of Olives let us pray father we thank you for the shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ we thank you that it washes us from all sin god what a blessed reality this is our sin oh the bliss of this glorious thought is is nailed to the cross and we bear it no more blessed god and father we pray that you would help us to consider these things not just once a month it helped us to consider the gospel the cross of our Lord Jesus each and every day may these things produce in us worship to our God and we pray through Christ the Lord amen we'll take together we may turn in your Trinity hymnals to number 175 will stand as we sing together me the Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace amen well please be seated