It's interesting that we read from the book of Revelation this morning, because I distinctly remember during my college years in the fellowship group that we had that the pastor, as he was beginning a study in the book of Revelation, I think he could tell that there were a bunch of college-age students kind of looking apprehensive at the prospect of studying this book, and he understood that it could be difficult to interpret and to understand. But he gave us this as his introduction, that we should think and consider the overarching theme of the book of Revelation all throughout the study. And that overarching theme is God wins. There are lots of images, there are lots of different symbols, and there's often disagreement among Christians about the timing of all of the events of that book. But the anchor that we should consider, if you are even studying the book of Revelation, perhaps yourself, is that God wins. In Revelation, God's victory is seen in His rendering judgment by casting into the lake of fire His enemies, Satan, the other fallen angels, and those who had not submitted to Him by turning from their sin and turning and putting their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. And God's victory is also seen in His bringing into heaven Those who were redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, of the Lord Jesus Christ. People from every tribe, every kindred, and every tongue. This morning we continue in the book of Micah, which has been a part of our Wednesday night study series and has been the text from which I've preached when I've preached on a Sunday morning. And like what is seen in Revelation and in other prophetic books throughout the Bible, we see vivid images in the book of Micah. We see various symbols, and there can be disagreements regarding the timing of the fulfillment of Micah's prophecies. And with poetic language used throughout the book, the Book of Micah contains promises of judgment pronounced not only against the nations that were the enemies of Israel, but promises of judgment against Israel itself. We see at this point in time when Micah was prophesying that this nation of Israel has now been divided into two kingdoms. There's the northern kingdom, which is called Israel, and the southern kingdom called Judah. And judgment had already been rendered against the northern kingdom, Israel. They had fallen to the Assyrians in 722 and 721 BC. And judgment against the southern kingdom, Judah, has been pronounced. So we read the first prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem in Micah 3.12. This is the first prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem in the Bible, in fact. And that verse says, therefore, because of you, Zion shall be plowed as a field, Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height." And while God used the Assyrians to bring judgment against the northern kingdom, Micah prophesied that God's judgment against Judah would be rendered through the Babylonians, who at this point in time were not a global power. But as complete as the rendered judgment of Israel was, and as complete as the promise and the eventual judgment of Judah would be with the destruction of Jerusalem, just as complete and comprehensive was God's promise of salvation. The complete and comprehensive nature of this promised salvation is seen in that this salvation had a near-term dimension. As we read in Micah 4, verse 10, after the pronouncement of exile in Babylon, it says, There, or in Babylon, you shall be rescued. There the Lord will redeem you from the hand of your enemies. And the complete and comprehensive nature of God's promised salvation also had a broader long-term dimension as well. Chapter 4 opens describing the end times or the latter days, which would include the rebuilding of Jerusalem, God's establishment of peace between the nations, God's preservation of his people, the gathering of a remnant of those who were afflicted and driven away by God. the transformation of a weak group of people into a strong nation, and the restoration of Jerusalem to its former dominance. After these great promises, Micah's prophecy goes even further, as we saw in the beginning of chapter 5. And in that chapter, we saw the promise of a powerful ruler. In the opening verses of chapter 5, we're told that this powerful ruler would be born in Bethlehem, Ephrathah, displaying his human lineage and his connection to the house of David. And this ruler would also be from of old, from ancient days, displaying his divinity. This powerful ruler is the promised Messiah, the Chosen One, the Lord Jesus Christ. And as verses 2 through 5a of chapter 5 detail, this powerful ruler would rule on God's behalf. He would shepherd and protect and be a peace to God's people. And note that all of this is being declared during a time where there seemingly is no peace. If you're living in the southern kingdom at that time, you in fact know that the northern kingdom has been conquered. If you're living in the southern kingdom at that time, you know that the Assyrians are making their way through Jerusalem because they've invaded the southern part of the kingdom and making their way slowly north to Jerusalem. And so to hear promises of peace, to hear promises of protection when there seemingly was none, and to hear of a powerful ruler when the rulers of your time were unrighteous and were not carrying out justice, surely and hopefully would bring great hope to you. Today's passage continues and extends God's great promise of salvation. And just as the book of Revelation declares God wins, today's passage also declares that God wins, as we will see God's victory over enemies without and enemies within. That is our introduction. Please stand if you are able. And we will read Micah 5, and I will begin at verse 1 to give us the context for our passage this morning. Now muster your troops, O daughter of troops. Siege is laid against us. With a rod they strike the judge of Israel on the cheek. But you, O Bethlehem of Ratha, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth. then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel. And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. and he shall be their peace. When the Assyrian comes into our land and treads in our palaces, then we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight princes of men. They shall shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword and the land of Nimrod at its entrances. And he shall deliver us from the Assyrian when he comes into our land and treads within our border. Then the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples, like dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass, which delay not for a man, nor wait for the children of man. And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep, which, when it goes through, treads down and tears in pieces, and there is none to deliver. Your hands shall be lifted up over your adversaries, and all your enemies shall be cut off. And in that day declares the Lord, I will cut off your horses from among you, and will destroy your chariots. And I will cut off the cities of your land, and throw down all your strongholds. And I will cut off sorceries from your hand, and you shall have no more tellers of fortunes. And I will cut off your carved images and your pillars from among you, and you shall bow down no more to the work of your hands. And I will root out your asherah images from among you and destroy your cities. And in anger and wrath, I will execute vengeance on the nations that did not obey. Please be seated. In today's passage, God's victory over enemies without and enemies within will be seen in God's rout of his enemies through his chosen one, God's reign over his enemies through his chosen ones, and God's response to his enemies in his chosen ones. First, let's look at God's route of his enemies through his chosen one. Verses 2 and 3 of chapter 5 describe the coming of God's powerful ruler. And then verses 4 through 5a describe the characteristics of this powerful ruler and his rule. And while the first half of verse 5 declared that this powerful ruler would be the peace of his people, pointing to the blessing that will come in the end times or the latter days, the second half of verse 5 brings us back to the stark reality of the days in which Micah prophesied. We read that in our second half of verse 5, where it says, when the Assyrian comes into our land and treads at our palaces, The Assyrians were the most impactful enemy of both the northern and southern kingdom in Micah's day. And as indicated before, the Assyrians had already conquered the northern kingdom and were steadily invading and taking ground in the southern kingdom. And referenced in this verse, verse 5, and then twice in verse 6, the Assyrians are declared as Israel's enemy specifically. But they represent Israel's enemies more generally. For in verse 6, you will see a reference to Nimrod. And Nimrod points to a man that is seen in Genesis 10, verses 8-12, which says this, Cush fathered Nimrod. He was the first on earth to be a mighty man. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord. Therefore it is said, like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord. The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Achad, and Chalna. and in the land of Shinar. From that land he went into Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-er, Kala, and Rezin. Between Nineveh and Kala, that is the great city." So this description of Nimrod indicates that his kingdom not only included Babylon, but also included Assyria. And both nations, along with the other nations that we see described in Micah 411, assembled themselves against Israel and were quoted as saying, let her be defiled and let our eyes gaze upon Zion. Israel's enemies wanted to see Israel's downfall. And God used both Assyria and Babylon to bring about that downfall in judgment upon Israel. But Israel's downfall after the Assyrian and Babylonian conquests did not last forever. And in the rest of verse 5 and into verse 6, God's promise of salvation is once again pronounced. For what do we see in the response to the Assyrians and other nations coming into the land and treading in Israel's palaces? We continue in verse 5, Then we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight princes of men. seven shepherds and eight princes will be raised against the enemies. In Hebrew literature, the number seven denotes completeness, and the number eight denotes something that is more than enough. And so what is being said here is that the remnant of Israel will have a complete and abundant response to the nations that will come against her. And this will not simply be a defensive posture, but there will be an offensive element as well, as we read in verse 6. They shall shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod at its entrances. Psalm 23 tells us that the rod and the staff are the tools of the shepherd. They are used to protect and to direct the sheep. But in our passage in verse 6, we're told that these shepherds and princes would shepherd the land of Assyria with a sword. As we heard yesterday, men, the sword is an offensive weapon. It's a weapon that is used to subdue, to conquer, and to rule over. And that weapon would be used to rule over the land of Assyria and Israel's enemies. Note also that Nimrod will be dealt with at the entrances. The enemies of Israel will in essence be stopped at the door. And while it will be the seven shepherds and eight princes that will be raised up against these enemy nations, ultimately it's God's powerful ruler who will bring about the deliverance from the enemy, as we read in the rest of verse 6. And he shall deliver us from the Assyrian when he comes into our land and treads within our border. These are words of hope. being delivered to a nation facing the prospect of defeat and exile. And while the promise of God's judgment is sure, these words of promise that God will route the enemy through this powerful ruler, through the Messiah, are just as sure. And this routing of the enemy has eschatological elements, and that word eschatological means the end times. It's talking about the end of all things. And that is when all of these things will be actually fulfilled at the Messiah's second coming. But as Christians, we see the fulfillment of the routing of our enemies in Christ's first coming as well. Colossians 2 verses 13 through 15 says, And you who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with Him. having forgiven us all our trespasses by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame by triumphing over them in him. Through Christ's death and resurrection, God made an open display of our enemies of sin, hell, and the grave. And we, like the remnant who were the first hearers of Micah's words, all are worthy only of God's condemnation. But by God's grace, we are recipients of the spoils of the victory that God has won through Christ. We hear this in the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 verses 53 through 58. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on the immortal, then shall come to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is hell. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Are you thankful? for God's victory over sin, hell, and the grave that He has given to you through salvation in Christ. Do you look forward to that day when His victory will be fully displayed? We will have added to His having granted us freedom from the penalty and power of sin, will have added to us complete freedom from the practice and presence of sin as well. Do you look forward to that day? How the first hearers of Micah's words likely look forward to this future day when their enemies would be vanquished. But God's victory in our passage is not limited to just routing his enemies, routing those nations which sought to destroy the nation with which he had established his covenant. We will see now God's victory through his reign over his enemies, through his chosen ones. Who are these chosen ones through whom God's reign will be shown in the latter days? These chosen ones are the remnant of Jacob. The dictionary definition of remnant is a small quantity of something or something that has been left over. The remnant is a group of people who are part of the larger nation, and who are the same remnant that has been previously spoken of in Micah. In chapter 2, verse 12, they are spoken of as part of the promise of salvation in the first cycle, where God promises, I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob. I will gather the remnant of Israel. I will set them together like sheep in a fold. like a flock in its pasture, a noisy multitude of men. God promises to gather, to care for, and to protect this remnant. In chapter 4, verses 6 through 7a, it's part of the promise of salvation in the second cycle of the book. We read this, "...and that day declares the Lord, I will assemble the lame and gather those who have been driven away and those who I have afflicted, and the lame I will make the remnant, and those who are cast off a strong nation." Here, God once again promises to gather the remnant and says that that remnant will be made strong by His great power. In Micah 5, our passage this morning, we see two aspects of God's reign through His remnant, through His chosen ones. The first aspect of God's reign through these chosen ones is one of providing refreshment to the surrounding nations. We see this in verse 7. It says, Then the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples, like dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass, which delay not for man, nor wait for the children of man. This verse indicates that this remnant among the nations will be the blessing that God intended Israel to be when He promised Abram in Genesis 12 to, I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. Just as the dew and the showers which come by God's common grace bring much-needed water for the fields, the remnant of Jacob, God's chosen ones, will be a refreshment to the nations as they will be a testimony, a clear testimony of God's grace to his people. Indeed, God's grace is clearly indicated in this verse, as we're told that the dew and the showers that would come down are not dependent on man. They are wholly dependent and given by God. As much as man in our age would try to make one think that he can control the climate, This verse is telling us that the dew and the showers are controlled and commanded by the one true God. We see similar sentiments about God's intentions for Israel in relation to the nation in Psalm 72, which is a royal psalm where we read in verse 6, speaking of Israel's king, may he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth. And then in verses 16 through 19 of the same psalm we read, May there be abundance of grain in the land, on the tops of the mountains may it wave, may its fruit be like Lebanon, and may people blossom in the cities like the grass of the field. May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun. May people be blessed in him, all nations call him blessed. And while this remnant would be a refreshment and blessing to the nations, we see the other aspect of God's reign through His chosen ones, in that God's intention was that for this remnant to be feared. We read in verse 8, the remnant of Jacob, shall be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep, which, when it goes through, treads down and tears in pieces, and there is none to deliver. Micah uses the metaphor of a lion for this remnant, a lion who is in the forest, a lion who is among sheep. And each of us knows that the lion is a predator, The lion is an animal that is to be feared. And those hearing Micah's prophecy were to understand that the fear that this lion should impart is declared in what the lion is said to do as it is among the beasts of the forest and among the sheep. We see in this verse that the lion is to tread down or violently trample upon anyone who would seek to stand against him. The lion is to tear in pieces the same phrase that Jacob used to describe Joseph's coat when it was delivered to him by Joseph's brothers. And that the lion cannot be thwarted in his actions. And we read that in the phrase, there is none to deliver. and displaying the totality of God's reign over His enemies through His chosen ones, we read verse 9's address to this remnant when we read, Your hands shall be lifted up over your adversaries, and all your enemies shall be cut off. also showing the finality of the remnant's enemy's defeat. And just as God's complete routing of his enemies will be clearly and fully seen in the end times, when the Messiah comes again, the Christian sees these same aspects of being both a refreshment and causing fear to those around us. In Colossians 4, 6 we read, let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. But at the same time, we are also called to deliver the Word of God to people. The Word of God, which Hebrews 4.12 tells us, is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. We're called to be peacemakers in Matthew 5.9. but we're also called to declare the sharp edges of the gospel as well. We're called to point people to God's law and its requirements, and to their failing to perfectly obey God's law, and their deserving of the full weight of God's wrath because of their sin and rebellion, calling people to repentance and faith in Christ. Christ declared in Luke 12, 53, that He would indeed, because of His message, He would cause the division of father and son, and son and father, that He would cause division between mother and daughter, and daughter and mother, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law and mother-in-law. And finally, in 2 Corinthians 2, 14-16, we read, But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God amongst those who are being saved, and among those who are perishing. to one, a fragrance from death to death, to the other, a fragrance from life to life. Are you not only declaring the gospel with your words, but are others who are around you seeing the gospel lived out in your life? Are you living out the gospel And is God reigning in your life and causing you to be a aroma of Christ? As we read in 2 Corinthians, for some it will be from death to death, from some, for some it will be life to life. So life you live, match the gospel you believe and declare. And if it does, we know that ultimately God is the one who determines whether to grant salvation to those to whom you have declared the gospel, because he ultimately rules and reigns over all. Up to this point, we've been looking without at the enemies of God. We've looked at Assyria, Babylon, the other nations that have sought to destroy Israel. And as we know, God always goes beyond what can be seen outwardly. And especially when it comes to his dealings with anything that would oppose him. And we see this, as we now see in the last section of our passage, God's response to his enemies in his chosen ones. Think of how the book of Micah began, and in fact, don't think, let's look at how Micah began. Turn to Micah chapter 1. Micah chapter 1, starting in verse 2, just after the introduction of who Micah is and the time in which he prophesied. And we read this, here you peoples, all of you. Pay attention, O earth, and all that is in it, and let the Lord God be a witness against you, the Lord from His holy temple. For behold, the Lord is coming out of His place, and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth. And the mountains will melt under Him, and the valleys will split open like wax before the fire, like waters poured down a steep place. All this is for the transgression of Jacob and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? And what is the high place of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem? Therefore I will make Samaria a heap in the open country, a place for planting vineyards. And I will pour down her stones into the valley and uncover her foundations. All her carved images shall be beaten to pieces. All her wages shall be burned with fire. And all her idols I will lay waste. For from the fee of a prostitute she gathered them, and to the fee of a prostitute they shall return." In these verses we see God's anger against His people. And God's response to their sin is judgment. judgment against the northern kingdom, judgment against the southern kingdom as well. And in turning back to Micah 5, verses 5b through 9 of our passage, God has promised to rout the enemy to reign over the enemies of Israel in the coming age. But also to come in the coming age is the route and reign over enemies that God identifies in and among His chosen ones. Look at the words that Micah spoke to his generation beginning in verse 10. And in that day declares the Lord, I will cut off your horses from among you, and will destroy your chariots, and I will cut off the cities of your land, and throw down all your strongholds, and I will cut off sorceries from your hand, And you shall have no more tellers of fortune. And I will cut off your carved images and your pillars from among you. And you shall bow down no more to the work of your hands. And I will root out your Asherah images from among you and destroy your cities. And in anger and wrath, I will execute vengeance on the nations that did not obey." These words are God's words. that Micah is declaring. And it declares what God plans to do. Verse 10 begins with, in that day. In what day? In the latter days. In the end times. And what is it that God declares that He is going to do as we read through all of these verses? In one word, destroy. He is going to destroy. And no longer is God's focus on the nation seeking to destroy Israel, but His focus is turned to His chosen one, to His remnant. And God promises to destroy that which is found in His chosen ones. Note what is first on the list for destruction, verses 10 and 11. I will cut off your horses from among you, and will destroy your chariots, and I will cut off the cities of your land, and throw down all your strongholds." Before God had established Israel on the promised land, God spoke this to Israel through Moses in Deuteronomy 17, verses 14 through 16. It says, when you come to the land that the Lord your God has given you, and you possess it and dwell in it, and then say, I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me, you may indeed set a king over you whom the Lord your God will choose. One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you who is not your brother. only he must not acquire many horses for himself, or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the Lord has said to you, you shall never return that way again." Here we see that God knew that Israel would one day reject him as their king. and demand an earthly king like all of the other nations. This would be fulfilled in 1 Samuel 8. But long before that occurred, God had already instructed Israel on who their king was to be. It was to come from the nation, not from outside. And he also instructed them on how the king was to behave. He was not to acquire horses for himself or have the people return to Egypt. Centuries later, After Israel has been established in the Promised Land, as they have regional dominance, and that dominance is at its height, we read in 1 Kings chapter 10, please turn there, 1 Kings chapter 10, starting at verse 23. Thus, King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. And the whole earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind. Every one of them brought his presents, articles of silver and gold, garments, myrrh, spices, horses and mules, so much year by year. And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. And the king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stone, and he made cedar as plentiful as the sycamore of the Shephelah. And Solomon's import of horses was from Egypt and Q. And the king's traders received them from Q at a price. A chariot could be imported from Egypt for 600 shekels of silver and a horse for 150. And so through the king's traders, they were exported to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria. So we see the disobedience of King Solomon, who gathered to himself horses and chariots. Went even further, he imported horses from Egypt. And why was all this done? To increase Israel's military strength. In verse 26 of 1 Kings 10, told us that the horses were stationed in chariot cities. And one of those cities that was used to store these horses and chariots was Lackish. a city that was previously named Enmica, as we read in Micah 1.13, during the pronouncement of judgment. It says, listen, harness the steeds to the chariots, inhabitants of Lachish. It was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion, for in you were found the transgressions of Israel. And what was the sin of Israel that was exposed in Lachish, and the sin that God says He will cut off and destroy in Micah 5.11? And that sin is Israel's trust in her military power for protection and salvation from the enemy, instead of trusting in the Lord for protection and salvation. In verse 11, God promised to cut off the cities and strongholds that Israel built against the enemy, in which they also trusted in as a source of protection. And listen to God's indictment of trusting only in military power in Psalm 33, verses 16 and 17. No king is saved by the size of his army. No warrior escapes by his strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance. Despite all its great strength, it cannot save. Horses and chariots cannot save. Cities and strongholds cannot save. only God can save. But Israel was saying otherwise as the people were putting their trust in their military power instead of God. In Micah 5 verses 12 through 14 we see another area of focus for God's destruction. We read, I will cut off your sorceries from your hand. You shall have no more tellers of fortunes. I will cut off your carved images and your pillars from among you. You shall bow down no more to the work of your hands, and I will root out your Asherah images from among you and destroy your cities. God promises to cut off sorcery and fortune-telling from their hand. In their essence, sorcery and fortune-telling is wanting to tap into the supernatural, but doing so without God. Wanting to use that which is demonic to know what is to come. The carved images, pillars, and asherah poles with its ties to fertility were the tools used for the worship of false gods. which was prevalent in the nations surrounding Israel. And so when we survey the horses and the chariots and the cities and the strongholds and all the stuff used for false worship, we can see them as an outward manifestation of what resided in the hearts of God's chosen ones. And what was that? Unbelief in God and discontentment with God. Noted Old Testament commentator Dale Ralph Davis says this about these verses. They, God's people, are not satisfied with his mere promise of security that we read in 5, 10, and 11. They are not content with the limits of Yahweh's revelation. They want secrets from the magical arts. They want to be able to take control of their circumstance. Mere commandments are not enough. They want secrets for success. Verse 12, the simplicity of Yahweh's worship grates on them. They want the added thrill of visible likenesses. We see that in verse 13. Nor are they content with Yahweh's provision. They want to do something. Wait, they want to contribute to the drama of fertility, hence the pillars and poles. the Baal and Asherah show, and participating in the sex sideshow at the shrine, and doing their part to nudge fertility into a higher gear. And it would be easy for us to view this scene and point to Israel's foolishness, but are we not the same? In fact, we have more revelation than those to whom Micah spoke. We live on the other side of the cross. We have the full revelation of God in the Bible. We have been brought into salvation by the Spirit's effective work of the truth of the gospel in our hearts. And yet, do we not have other trusts in our hearts from time to time? Are you trusting in what your hands have perhaps built for you? What your skills have gained for you? Are you trusting in your bank account or your retirement account that you've built up, which gives you a sense of financial security, providing a defense against all of the economic uncertainty that we face today? Have you begun to trust in some form of righteousness? Perhaps you're experiencing a season marked by a more vibrant prayer life, a greater desire to hear and to read God's Word, all good things. But perhaps you're coming to wrongly believe that your improved performance is somehow giving you a better standing with God. and simply trusting in the finished work of Christ and the perfect righteousness that He gives to His own. Are you growing dissatisfied with God and His full revelation of Himself in His Word? Are you beginning to think of and possibly seek something more exciting for your Christian walk? Being tempted to explore what's offered in our church age that may seem more exciting than simply seeking the Lord through reading His Word and through prayer. So you consider these questions and you become convicted by the Holy Spirit as He reveals your unbelief and your discontentment to you. You may also feel that it is virtually impossible for you to break free from these things. Because we can become so enamored by what is tangible that we forget how to walk by faith in God. And I'm not talking about walking in faith as some mystical thing, but I'm simply talking about believing God's Word when He says that He will never leave us or forsake us. Believing God's Word that He has given us every spiritual blessing in the Lord Jesus Christ. Believing God's Word that He will be faithful to complete the work that He has begun in each one of us. And the completion of that work is seen in his response to his enemies that he identifies in us. And not only responding to it, but destroying them, as he promised in our passage this morning. One of God's greatest blessings to his people is His destruction of any and everything that would take our devotion, trust, and adoration away from Him. One of God's greatest blessings to His people is His destruction of any and everything that would take our devotion, trust, and adoration away from Him. And this destruction is a blessing because it brings an end to anything that would build in us a self-confidence. That would cause us to think more highly of ourselves than we should. and instead causes our dependency to be holy and completely on God. This destruction brings us to a place where we fully know, as 2 Corinthians 12, 9 tells us, that God's grace is sufficient and that His power is made perfect in our weakness. God is holy. And we as people are called to be holy as He is. He is God alone and He will not share His glory with another, nor will He share the rightful throne that He has with another. And though we stand before God guilty of allowing other things to sit upon His rightful throne in our hearts, we have the promise that we read in 1 John 1, 9, that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We thank God that mercy, grace, and hope are always available for God's people who go astray, but who return to Him in repentance and faith. But as we see in the last verse of the passage, there is no hope for those who do not obey God. For we read in verse 15, and in anger and wrath, I will execute vengeance on the nations that did not obey." Because of our sin and rebellion, all of us are only deserving of God's anger and wrath. And this anger and wrath is a righteous anger and wrath, because the person that does not obey God is denying him the worship, the devotion, and the obedience that he rightly deserves as the sovereign creator and ruler of all. Because of our sin, we are spiritually dead, and are enemies of God, and are in a dangerous place, because as His enemies, we are under His wrath, and if we remain there, we will rightly receive His just response to our sin, which is an eternity in hell. That punishment is God executing vengeance. That punishment is God avenging His holy name, which we have clearly disregarded in our rebellion. But God, in His great mercy, has provided a way of escape from His wrath. That way of escape is the Lord Jesus Christ, who is fully God and who became fully man. He came to this earth through a virgin birth and he lived a completely obedient life, fulfilling the law in doing all that the law commanded, not only in his outward deeds but also inwardly in his heart, fulfilling all of the requirements of the law. And though he was without sin, he voluntarily went to the cross, where he actually fulfilled the other part of the law, because the law was full of commandments, but it was also full of curses that would come upon the one that did not perfectly obey them. And so as he hung on the cross, he received the anger and the wrath that God would pour out, and that is deserved for every person's sin that was loved before the foundation of the world. All of their sin. Not one sin was unaccounted for. He died, was buried, and on the third day he was raised in victory. He was raised showing that the Father accepted His sacrifice. And no more sacrifice is needed. His atonement for sin was full and complete. He's in heaven now. He sits at the right hand of God. And one day He will return. Not in humility. not in weakness that came in His first coming, but in great power, great glory, great majesty, and He will come to judge the living and the dead. Every one of us will stand before Him. Everyone who has lived and who is living will stand before Him, and He will call those who have been bought by His blood into heaven And He will condemn those who have turned from Him, who have not obeyed Him. He will send them into everlasting torment. The latter describes you this morning. If you are one who is trusting in your own works, that somehow you will be able to argue before Christ that somehow your good works are outweighing your bad works, or that you haven't killed or murdered anyone or robbed from anyone, and you think that is the argument that your eternity can hang on. I call you today to see that God's requirement is far higher than you can ever imagine. That God's requirement is one that you can never attain yourself. That God has provided the Lord Jesus Christ. So I would pray and ask that you would strongly consider your position this morning. And if you can say and recognize that you are under the wrath of God, that you need the forgiveness, the full forgiveness of your sins, repent, turn from that sin, turn to the Lord Jesus Christ, and trust in His finished work. For the Christian, how are we to respond to this passage? We should rejoice in that God has routed our enemies. making an open display of them at the cross. Secondly, we should seek to have God's reign in our hearts and lives be seen and heard through the declaration of the gospel to others, through our lips, but also through our lives, being the aroma of Christ wherever we are, recognizing that some will not turn from their sin and turn to Christ, But God in His great mercy may cause others to be brought out of spiritual death and into life in Christ. And finally, we should ask God to destroy any other trust that is outside of Him. To destroy our unbelief in Him. To destroy any discontentment that we have with Him. And recognize that He has been nothing but good to us. that He has given us every reason that we should trust Him fully. He provides for us. He cares for us. And He has given us all that we need. As we close this morning, I'd like to close looking at Psalm 20. Please turn to Psalm 20 as we close this morning. And this is a Psalm of David. May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble. May the name of the God of Jacob protect you. May He send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion. May He remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices. May He grant you your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans. May He shout for joy over your salvation and in the name of our God set up our banners. May the Lord fulfill all your petitions. Look at these verses and pay particular attention to these. Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed. He will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand. Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright. O Lord, save the king, may he answer us when we call. Now we know that David was the king and was praying this, but we also know that those same promises that the Lord will save his anointed, that He will save us with His mighty hand, and that we do not need to trust in whatever horse or chariot we are trusting in. We can trust simply in the name of the Lord our God, the name that is above every name, the name that is the One who has redeemed us. Let us call upon the Lord now to use this passage in our lives for His glory. Our God and Father, we do thank You for Your Word. Lord, we thank you for your great warnings to your people and your great warnings to all people. We thank you for your promises of salvation to those upon whom you purpose to save. So Lord, as we consider where we might be putting our trust outside of you, where we might be putting our confidence outside of you, where we might be showing our discontentment with all that you have provided for us. Lord, forgive us. or cause us to walk in a way that would bring glory and honor to you. Starting in our hearts, starting by changing our desires, starting by causing our spiritual eyes to be lifted up to heaven, to see that you have given us all that we need in Christ. And Lord, we do pray that in the coming days you would cause us to be further conformed to the image of our Lord and Savior, so that our lives would fully align with the gospel that we believe and that we declare to others. Father, help us to honor you in all of our ways. And Lord, as we go forth from here, cause us to desire to know you in a greater way. Not so that we can think that we are any more accepted by you, but because we love you. And we recognize that our love only because you first loved us. Lord, bless this word to our hearts and cause fruit to be born in our lives, fruit that would remain and would be to Your glory. We pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen.