Keep close to the Lord

Now shall we read please in Psalm 118. Now I am not going to read the whole psalm. I shall lift out certain verses as we move along.

We shall keep in mind that Psalm 118 was one of five or six psalms that were sung by the Savior and the disciples in the upper room. So it is very appropriate as we have just experienced the Easter weekend, it's very appropriate that this psalm has a meaning to this time of the year. Now please, verse 24.

118, verse 24. This is the day which the Lord had made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.

There's one thing, brethren, I learned. I was not only taught, but I learned very early in my Christian life. That is, in my relationship to divine persons, in my relationship to the Lord's people, in my relationship to divine service, keep close to the cross.

You see, it will keep you from being cold and careless and callous. I'll keep from being insensitive to the needs of others. I'll keep you humble, and God will use you.

No one will decry biblical knowledge, but paramount is in our lives to keep close to the Lord. Now this verse which we read already, some have applied it to a positive happening in your life. But brethren, in the context, this is a day the Lord has made, this is Calvary.

This is Calvary. Pivotal, central in the development of redemptive history. 4,000 years of creation had passed, number of creation, 3,000 years of redemptive history would follow.

In the middle of it, this is a day the Lord has made. When I first was received in the assembly, our brethren encouraged me to take part. Now that was, that was not easy, because my language and the English was somewhat limited.

Nevertheless, I sat down, took a piece of paper in the Bible, and I wrote down the most sanctified gospel of prayer that you isolate. Hold on. I waited for an opportunity.

It ultimately came. The assembly was at least 150 in fellowship. There was a pause.

And this prayer had memorized, and I'm not Mr. Gustafson, but it would have carried me two and a half minutes. As soon as I got up, the whole prayer went like, gone. You were smiling.

You should have been in my shoes. Oh, the devil attacked me with fury. At that moment, you know, God can teach you in a few seconds what some of us don't learn in weeks.

At that very moment, I only could think of the cross. After I'd made a start, I said, Lord, thank you for sending Jesus into the world to save me. And my theology came to an end.

That's all I could think of. Something very unusual happened, because the whole congregation said a hearty amen. I was sure I hadn't done that good.

A brother from the corner came to one of the elders. Oh, I thought I'm going to get it now. And he did.

He said, Brother Fred, were we ever happy to hear this morning? Seeing that the Lord has opened your mouth, don't let the devil shut it. I'll come to that in a moment or two. This is a day that the Lord has made.

We will rejoice and be glad in it. Now, please, let's look at verse 17. I shall not die, but live and declare the works of the Lord.

Let's go for a moment to Exodus 12, shall we? You know the scene, don't you? The Israelites were under divine instruction to apply the blood and kill the lamb. Midnight hour is approaching. Brethren, can you sense the apprehension, maybe the fear of the oldest? Asking his father, tell me, did you do as God commanded? The father says, all right.

Son says, okay, that's for you. But I'm the one whose life is at stake. You see the man's fear? Apprehension? Midnight hour comes.

Midnight hour passes. And from these various dwellings of the Israelites in Egypt arises a cry, I shall not die, but live. Tell me, remember when the Lord saved you? As a teenager, I didn't know the gospel.

I never accepted death as final and absolute. I said, why? Nature taught me, the mountains, the starry heavens, even animals that live closer than myself, I've had. How come I die and that bothered me? You know, when finally I trusted Christ, what God used to open my eyes, John 5 and 24.

Verily I say unto he that hears my word, believe with him that send me half. And I stopped for a moment and I said to the preacher, I've got it now. Way under in Jerusalem, at the northern part of the temple, there is Bethesda Pool.

You can still make it out. The water trickles still, although it's 15 feet below, to verify the biblical account. We stood with almost 50 Christians and I asked, my Bible in hand, I said, tell me, is there anyone here that can trace his salvation through the truth of John 5 and 24? A dear doctor put up his hand.

I said, my dear brother, within the sound of my voice, possibly within just a few yards, these were the words spoken by our blessed Savior to give us life. I watched a dear man, tears trickled down his cheeks, grateful appreciation for the grace of God that reached him. And it was right there.

Here it is, verse 17. Now let's look please to verse 6. The Lord is on my side. I will not fear what can man do unto me.

See, brethren, the Lord was completely aware as to what would happen. They took him near the fortress of Antonia, and there was a big column with rings, and they fastened his hands, both hands, and according to Isaiah, there were two men who administered the flogging. Paul tells us in the Corinthian letter that he received five times forty stripes, save one.

Brethren, the Romans didn't know such limitations. They didn't like you, and they scourged you until you died. The whole ribcage laid bare till you see the ribs.

Oh, what the Savior suffered! And there was just a beginning. I do not know how many stripes the Savior got. He knew what would come.

That's what he says. Verse 6. The Lord is on my side. I will not fear what man can do unto me, the awful dreadful ordeal of scourging.

Now please, verse 27. God is the Lord which has showed us light. Bind the sacrifice with cords even to the horns of the altar.

Now the general idea seems to be on the part of most brethren that here you have a rope tied around the horns of the sacrificial animal to drag and lead it to the altar. That's not the case at all. The offerer who brought his offering appreciated the sacrifice by substitution, that the women in Israel wove something like a scarf, a beautiful-looking covering.

They draped it around the horns of the sacrifice because they appreciated, this is my substitute, this is my sacrifice. Now tomorrow morning, brethren, we'll come here. While you gather in your respective assemblies, what's the purpose? With hearts touched, we adorn the sacrifice.

Tell me, young men, in God's name, tell me. Do you ever take part in the morning meeting in the assembly? Come on. You can talk about cars, can't you? You can talk about this, you can talk about that.

Why not give to the Lord his praise, due to his name, a simple word of thanksgiving? Come on now. Older men are going and they're going fast. Were the young men exercised about divine things in relation to worship? Bind the sacrifice with cords, the appreciation of the offerer.

Now please look at 22 now, verse 22 and verse 23. The stone which she built us refused has become the head of the corner. This is the Lord's doing, it is marvelous in our eyes.

You'll notice that Isaiah, 300 years later, quotes the psalmist, but he changes it a little. He says, God has laid a foundation stone in Zion. Now that's not the temple.

Here's God's administrative purposes. I met a businessman in Europe once. He talked a little about the gospel.

You know what he said? He said, your Jesus does not fit into our economic picture. Your Jesus does not fit into our political system. Your Jesus does not fit into our religious system.

That's a businessman in Toronto, clever man. Brother, how true. He's a look at you.

I thank for the grace of God that reached and saved you, no matter who you are. He is still on the outside, says Matthew, that his enemies cast him out. But ultimately, he's going to be not only the head of the corner.

We rejoice that God will give him the administrative head of future world government. And this is why Paul wrote the Ephesian letter, to declare that God is determined to make his son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the head not only of new creation, the head of future divine government. Amen to that.

Yeah, he's cast out. He's still not fitting in. And if you are taught a testimony to himself, brother, sister, you will not fit in either.

Whether it's in the college, university, at the workplace. And in the coming day, and brethren, we are quickly moving towards that. Did you ever notice that what Revelation 18 teaches is in part, now we're not in the tribulation, in part it's already beginning to take shape.

And that is, the worldwide economic conglomerate. What isn't made in China these days? What isn't made in Taiwan, in India? It has already started. I hadn't intended to say this.

You know, our brethren have taught us in days gone by, that in Europe, the revived Roman Empire will consist of ten states. Well, brethren, we have to rethink again. Because there are 27 member states.

Turkey has applied again and again. You know the reason why they will not admit it? Now you figure that one out. I'll tell you in the meantime.

There are 27 member states. Way under the city of Rome, many years ago, a computer was built that will ultimately govern the ten world regions, not just Europe. North America, South America, Australia, Asia, ten world regions, all governed by one of these computers.

This is just by the way. Oh, I say, my dear brethren, we are indeed living in the very last days. And therefore, you know, according to Matthew 24, as he outlined the character of this present age, which will intensify through the tribulation, he adds a action word.

Watch therefore. Be vigilant, young man. Oh, I know we all have to make a living.

Be vigilant. Be watchful. And the Savior applies the symbolism of the master and the servant.

Now verse 26, please. Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. We have blessed you out of the house of the Lord.

Well, you know, this has been confirmed by the Savior. He said afterwards rejected the altercation that he had with the priestly hierarchy, Matthew 23. He says, you shall not hence foresee me until you say, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

And that will take place. Did you know, brethren, now you young folks who study history, don't you? The last 100 years have proven definite signs that God is working. World War Number One prepared the land for the people.

World War Number Two prepared the people for the land. For in the incredible time of only three years after the Holocaust, which I experienced as a little boy, and this one thing that woke me up to my need for Christ, death on every hand, concentration camps, people were killed as closer to me. And I thought, what's wrong with this world? That set me searching.

And World War Number Three, which he can discern on the horizon of history, will prepare the people for the Messiah. There are three chief theaters in relation to Christ overcoming the world systems. One is in Edom, and says, Isaiah, who is he that cometh with garments stained and red? Now brethren, this is not Calvary.

This is a victory that Christ will obtain by meeting and destroying the southern forces, Edom. The other is up way under 85 miles north-northeast of the city of Jerusalem, Armageddon, the Valley of Jethreel, when Napoleon and his troops, by the way he couldn't conquer Akko on the Mediterranean, when he surveyed by the mountain paths that saw the Babylonians and the Assyrians and almost the Greeks coming into the Valley of Armageddon, Napoleon made almost a prophetic utterance. He says, he was a brilliant strategist.

He said, as far as I can see, all the armies of the world could do battle here. That's exactly what's going to take place. When the Savior will, he will not come as a lamb.

He did that 2,000 years ago. He'll come as a lion, subduing all opposition against himself. And the third geographical scenery of conflict will be the city of Jerusalem.

When he'll come, we'll be with him. He'll ascend, as he says in Matthew 24, the great high priest thought fit to crucify him because of the statement, the Son of God will come, Son of man, with great power and glory. Jerusalem will be sieged.

Zechariah, terrible things will take place. He will descend on the Mount of Olives. I'll split northward and southward, and he'll come and enter the Golden Gate.

Oh, just a minute, there's a problem. For see, the Muslims know the prophecy of the Old Testament, that Christ will come to Jerusalem through the Golden Gate. And they said, not as far as we're concerned, he's not coming through here.

And they bricked it up, 30 feet of bricks and stone and mortar. He's not coming through here. Now, brethren, it's amazing what a dynamite will do.

Also, they knew that no conscientious Jew will enter through the cemetery and be undefiled. So they buried their people there in front by the hundreds and the thousands. Well, I wasn't afraid to be defiled.

I separated myself from the company with two other Christians, climbed right to the Eastern Gate. And if there's any benefit of being corpulent or overweight, and two years before there was an American tourist, he was about 300 pounds. He went to the Golden Gate and took pictures.

And as he did, he broke through and landed among the skeletal remains of a man of a Palestinian. But by doing so, he uncovered, much to the surprise and the benefit of the archaeologists, he uncovered the lower gate of the Golden Gate. Archaeologists came right in.

And so what is it? Oh, the Savior is not going to be defiled. And he's coming through that gate, and he's going to have a dialogue with the functioning priest. I like that scene.

Some say that has nothing to do with Christ, but I rather think it has. And the priest will recognize this is no ordinary man. For he is supernatural origin.

He'll coming right to the top of Mount Olivets. The mountain will split. He coming in the temple area.

And by the way, most, if not all, the materials for the Tribulation Temple are ready to go. I talked to the chief rabbi. He said, you know, it'll only take us a few months.

We are so eager to build this temple. It'll only take us a few months. He will have a dialogue with one of the functioning priests, and the priest will notice something rather strange about this man.

He has wounds in his hands. And we'll ask the Savior, tell me, tell me, what are these wounds in thine hands? And the Savior will say, these are the wounds I received in the house of my friends. All Israel will be stirred.

A nation likely be saved in an incredible time of a day or two. Finally, they recognize who he is. He's come to deliver Israel.

And so here now we come to the last section, please. Let's read, please, verse 28. Psalm 118.

Thou art my God, I will praise thee. Thou art my God, I will exalt thee. Notice the individual response.

Again, I like to address myself to younger men at a gathering. The need for worshipers. Our brethren taught us in the city of Toronto where I grew up in the assembly, large numbers, 114 fellowship.

They taught us that worship must come before service. But they never gave us a scripture. As we like to have substantiation, we like to have basis for what we believe and teach.

And you'll find it in Matthew chapter 4. The Savior himself said to Satan, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve. Here's the verse. Why worship before service? Brethren, worship occupies itself with who God is, what he can do, and what he does do.

It is a quality that gives weight to service. It expresses your appreciation. It warms your heart.

And when you preach the gospel, people recognize this man on the platform. He has life. In closing, can I encourage you sisters? In the sovereign providence of God, I heard the gospel in the open-air park.

Eight brethren, eight sisters stood there. Before I reached the brethren who preached, there was a lady in her forties. She handed me a gospel paper.

I'd never met her before. Don't know her name, didn't know where she lived. I looked at her face.

She invited me to sit down, and I thought to myself, I do not know you, but you have something I need. Brother, she didn't preach. Her faith radiated Christ.

She knew what it was to adorn, like a nudist, the sacrifice with scarves, handmade colorful. Her whole face radiated Savior on the strength of her invitation. I sat down.

She will not lose her award. I took a funeral some time ago. It is so sad, brethren, to lose good men and women.

God used. Where are the younger men who will now take up the place of older ones in worship, in prayer, and in testimony? I will praise the Lord. Individual response.

Now notice in verse 2 and 4, you've got the tribe of Aaron, the priestly tribe. They've awakened who this Jesus is. I say, I would like to hear these Jews in the coming day worship, because you see, they now know the meaning of the true sacrifice.

On it goes all Israel, all Israel. Let Israel say, the Lord be praised. And from the nation of Israel, I will go to the nation thronged about us, all because, of verse 17, this is a day the Lord has made Calvary.

We will rejoice and be glad in it.