The Lord for us, with us, in us, among us

Psalm 126. Psalm number 126. Psalm 126, verse 3. The Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad.

Isaiah chapter 41. The book of Isaiah in chapter 41. Verse 10.

Fear thou not for I am with thee, be not dismayed for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee, I will help thee, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Hebrews chapter 13.

Epistle to the Hebrews in chapter 13. Verse 21. Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory forever and ever.

Amen. A final reading in the well-known chapter Matthew 18 and verse 20. Matthew 18 verse 20.

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. The Lord has promised to bless to us the reading from his good work. I think you'll all agree that no matter what you and I do, we should make much of the person of Christ.

And I'm going to prove that today very quickly from the Bible. Now for example, in worship we should make much of the person of Christ. Let me give you two examples.

You remember the Lord's parents? They brought him to Jerusalem to present him to Jehovah. You remember the man Simeon? He takes the child Jesus into his arms and he blessed God. So remember in worship you and I should make much of the person of Christ.

What about the preaching of the gospel? There's one man in the Bible he's called an evangelist and his name is Philip. You remember two things about Philip in Acts chapter 8? Philip went down to Samaria and he preached Christ unto them. And remember Philip goes up into the chariot and he preached to the eunuch Jesus.

Let me speak to every gospel preacher. Preach Christ and nothing more. Preach Christ and nothing less.

Preach Christ and nothing else. Make much of Christ in the preaching of the gospel. What about the ministry of the Word of God? When Paul wrote to the Romans, he wrote about Christ and the church.

When Paul wrote to the Corinthians, the Romans Christ and the cross. When Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he wrote about Christ and the church. When he wrote to the Thessalonians, he wrote about Christ and his coming.

My point this afternoon is this. As our brother has brought before us in the ministry of the Word, make much of the person of Christ. I've read four things this afternoon and they say if you can't draw oil in 15 minutes, stop boring.

I've read four scriptures today in relation to Christ. Let's notice the four very quickly. Psalm 126, the Lord for us.

Isaiah chapter 41, the Lord with us. Hebrews chapter 13, the Lord in us. And Matthew chapter 18 and verse 20, the Lord amongst us.

So there's a week's meetings for you. Now let's think of the first thing. Because what the Lord has done for us, we should be glad.

Because the Lord is with us, we are strengthened. Because the Lord is in us working, there should be likeness to Christ. And because the Lord is amongst us, there is holiness.

In case I don't get to that, let me say this. In the midst, his place he taketh. Holy thus the gathering maketh.

Every thought of him awaketh. Praise in his name. I want to ask this audience today one question.

Are you glad? Or are you sad? I don't know if the late Arnold Adams ever came down this way, but he was a man that made many good statements. And if a man makes a good statement, I try to write it down and I try to remember it. One of the statements Mr. Adams once made was this.

There are far too many Christians there enduring their Christianity instead of enjoying their Christianity. And my question to you today brother sister is this. Are you enduring your Christianity? Or are you enjoying your Christianity? Let me give you two examples.

I'm going to give you an Old Testament example. And I'm going to give you a New Testament example. Two chapters that every Christian perhaps knows this afternoon.

We're going to think about Psalm 107. Every Christian knows Psalm 107. And we're going to think about Romans chapter 8. And every Christian knows the truth of Romans chapter 8. Now what is Psalm 107? They usually call me the man of threes, but I'm going to give you four today.

And I'll try and work and give you seven someday. Ever notice four things in Psalm 107? For example, four times you read this, Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, his wonderful works to the children of men. Four times in Psalm 107 you read that verse.

Come again. Four times in Psalm 107 the children of Israel cry unto the Lord in their distress, in their trouble, and in their sorrow. Come again.

Four times in Psalm 107 the Lord delivers out of distress, out of trouble. Now you have four pictures of Israel in Psalm 107. And you say to me this afternoon, what are the four pictures of Israel in Psalm 107? Get them in your mind.

First of all, they are wanderers in the wilderness. Secondly, they are prisoners in the sail. Thirdly, they are fools in their folly.

And then fourthly, they are mariners on the sea. Wanderers in the wilderness, prisoners in the sail, fools in their folly, and mariners on the sea. I'm going to speak about one today.

Wanderers in the wilderness. Notice four things that mark them. First of all, they have no place.

It says no city to dwell in. So they had no place. Secondly, they had no provision.

They were hungry. They were thirsty. They had no provision.

The third thing about them is this. They had no power. Their souls painted within them.

And then of course, fourthly, they had no divine presence. I tell you what a picture. No place, no provision, no power, and no divine presence.

But you know the Lord gave them a place. And the Lord gave them provision. And the Lord strengthened them and satisfied them.

Then you get the verse. Oh, that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, his wonderful works to the children of men. The Lord has done great things for us whereof we are glad.

Let's come very quickly to Romans chapter 8. How does Romans chapter 8 begin? No condemnation. How does Romans chapter 8 end? No separation. Listen today to the words of the hymn writer.

No condemnation. Blessed is the word. No separation forever with the Lord.

With his blood he bought us. He cleansed our every stain. With joyful hearts we'll praise him.

The lamb for sinners slain. No condemnation. No separation.

But what do you have between those two phrase? Listen to it today. We are more than conquerors. Through him that loved us.

Now remember it does not say we're conquerors. It says we are more than conquerors. What marks a conqueror? A conqueror goes against the enemy and he fights with all his might and the conqueror comes out victorious.

What marks more than a conqueror? He does not even need to go against the enemy. We are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ our Lord. I tell you today dear child of God the truth of Romans chapter 8 is this.

The only qualification for glorification is justification. You might say that's quite a mouthful. So it is.

I heard the brother say that 50 years ago and I didn't know what he meant. But I'll tell you what he meant. He meant this.

If you're saved, if you're justified, you will be glorified. For the only qualification for glorification is justification. Now I'm still on my first point.

A man told me one time I had more points than a porcupine. I'm not finished with Romans 8. Ever notice in Romans 8 God is for us? Have you ever noticed in Romans 8 that Christ is for us? Have you ever noticed in Romans 8 that the spirit of God is for us? Let me give you three verses and move on. Listen to the first verse.

If God be for us it martyrs not who is against us. For remember one man and God is always in the majority. God is for us.

Romans 8. Come again. The Lord Jesus Christ in Romans chapter 8 he's seated at the right hand of God and he's making intercession for us. The Lord Jesus Christ today is at the right hand of God and he's making intercession for us.

And then I come to Romans chapter 8 and I read a verse like this. The spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered. And I leave the verse today but I want to leave it with you.

The Lord has done great things for us whereof we are glad. There might be a young Christian here today and you're asking yourself the question what great things has the Lord done for us? Let me give you a few things very quickly. Said I was moving on but I'm still here.

You know he's brought us from distance to nearness. He's brought us from darkness into light. He's brought us from bondage into liberty.

He's brought us from death and to life. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness. The Lord had done great things for us whereof we are glad.

Now I'll touch one more and I'm going to sit down. The Lord with us. Would I be right in saying this? If the Lord is with an individual that individual will know it and remember others will recognize it.

And I'm going to prove that today from the Bible. If the Lord is with an individual that individual will know it and others will recognize it. Now let's go through the Bible.

You remember Isaac? You remember Isaac in Genesis 26? Listen to what it says. The Philistines saw plainly that the Lord was with Isaac. As those Philistines looked upon Isaac they saw that the Lord was with him.

Come again. You remember Potiphar and Joseph? Potiphar knew. Potiphar saw that the Lord was with Joseph.

Come again. You remember David? Do you remember Saul? Do you remember 1st Samuel chapter 18 is it? It says that Saul knew. And Saul saw that the Lord was with David.

You remember that verse in 2nd Chronicles 15 about Asa? Listen to what it says about Asa. They went out unto him in abundance because they saw that the Lord his God was with him. You remember what Nicodemus said about the Lord in John chapter 3? We know that thou art a teacher come from God.

For no man can do those miracles that thou doest except God be with him. Now let me say three things very quickly. The Lord is with us in temptation.

Let's stop for one moment. What was the secret, the success of the life of Joseph? Young brother, young sister get this. Three times in the life of Joseph I read those words.

God was with him. And one of the three is this. In the house of temptation, the Lord was with Joseph.

I come to that verse in Isaiah 43 is it? When thou passest through the waters, I'll be with thee. Through the river it shall not overflow thee. And through the fire thou shalt not be burned.

He's with us in temptation. He's with us in the trials of life. But one more.

He's with us in the toils of life. Though I am with you always, even unto the end of the age. Amen.

Now what does it mean for the Lord to be with us? First of all, it means strength. That's what we read in Isaiah 41. Listen to it.

Fear thou not for I am with thee. Be not dismayed. I am thy God.

I will strengthen thee. The Lord with us means strength. But then I come to Psalm 23 and I notice this.

The Lord with us means comfort. E' though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For thou art with me.

Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. The Lord with us means comfort. But come to Hebrews chapter 13.

The Lord with us means contentment. Be content with such things as ye have. For he himself has said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.

The Lord with us means contentment. Come again. The Lord with us means prosperity.

The Lord was with Joseph and Joseph was a prosperous man. The Lord with us means prosperity. And then I don't know where I am now, but the next one, the Lord with us means power.

You turn to second Chronicles one and one, you read a verse like this. The Lord was with Solomon and the good King James conversion translation says, and magnified him exceedingly. Another translation says, made him powerful.

So remember the Lord for us, the Lord with us, the Lord in us and the Lord.