Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, located at 905 Yadkin Street in Kingsport, Tennessee, would like to invite you to listen to a message of sovereign grace by their pastor, Gabe Stoniker. And now, Pastor Gabe Stoniker. I would like to speak to you today from Psalm 138. Psalm 138, we are going to be looking at the last three verses for our text, verses six through eight. And we will see that there is much comfort in these verses, much comfort. There is much truth in these verses. And I pray that the Lord will make them a blessing to us. David began the psalm, the very first line in the psalm, he said, I will praise thee with my whole heart. He said, I'll praise thee with my whole heart. And here's the reason why. This is a good reason to praise. Our text beginning in verse six, it says, though the Lord be high, Yet hath he respect unto the lowly. That's a good reason, isn't it? Though the Lord be high. Yet hath he respect unto the lowly. Just think about that. Just think about that. He said, though the Lord be high. That means exalted. It means lofty. And He is. He truly is. The Lord is high above. High above. He is exalted above. I want to just stroll through some Psalms and some verses of Scripture that say that and show that to us. He's so high above. I want to very quickly read through some. You're welcome to turn with me if you want to, or you can get a pen and write these down and look at them later if you want to. But the first one is in Psalm 61. Psalm 61, verse two, it says, from the end of the earth will I cry unto thee when my heart is overwhelmed. lead me to the rock that is higher than I." The rock that is higher than I, how high is he? Well, he's higher than me and he's higher than you. Higher than I, David said. Over in Psalm 87, Psalm 87 verse five says, and of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her and the highest himself shall establish her." The highest himself. He himself is the highest. What that means is there's no rival to him. There's no rival. He's the highest. Psalm 92 verse 1 says, It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord and to sing praises unto thy name, O most high. He is the most high. Verse eight right here in Psalm 92, it says, but thou Lord are most high forevermore. Never will he cease to be the most high, never. He is the most high and he is the most high forevermore. That's wonderful news. Psalm 97 verse nine says, for thou, Lord, art high above all the earth. Thou art exalted far above all gods, not only high above all men, but high above all little g gods, all of the gods that men have made up in their mind. The false gods, imaginary gods, he's high above all of them. Psalm 99 verse two says, the Lord is great in Zion and he is high above all the people. In Isaiah 40 it says, all nations before him are as nothing and they are counted to him as less than nothing and vanity, that means empty, they're counted to him as emptiness. Why is that? It's because he's so far above them, he's so far above us, he's so far above all things, all things. Over in Psalm 113, Psalm 113 verse 4, it says, the Lord is high above all nations and His glory above the heavens. David said, our God is in the heavens. That's what David said. Where's your God, David? He's in the heavens. Our God is in the heavens and He is. He is, but he's not just in the heavens. He's above the heavens. He's far above the heavens. He's above the host. He's above the angels. He's above everything that's there. His glory is above it all. Psalm 139, verse six. It says, such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is high. I cannot attain unto it. David said, he is so high. He said, I can't even fathom how high he is. He said, that knowledge is just too wonderful for me. I can't even attain to it. I can't even enter into it. But if you look back at our text right here, Psalm 138 verse six, it says, though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly. Now that's beautiful. That is beautiful. That is good news. That's wonderful news. Even though he is so high, and so lofty and so exalted, yet the word of God says, even so, he has respect. That means he sees, it means he beholds, it means he thinks on the lowly, the lowly. Who are the lowly? The definition of that word is the humbled, the humiliated, the broken, the depressed because of their sin, because of their sin. All because of their sin. It's always because of their sin. All who are broken and contrite because of their sin. All those who cry, I'm such a sinner before you. Woe is me, I'm such a wretched man. Not only because of what I do, but because of what I am. Such a sinner. Even though he is so high, he says in his own word, he has respect to the lowly, the broken over their sin. He beholds them, he thinks on them. How amazing is that? What does he think on concerning them? Well, Isaiah 57 says, Isaiah 57 verse 15, it says, for thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is holy. I dwell in the high and lofty place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit. He said, that's who I dwell with. to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones, to revive it. Verse 18 right here says, I have seen his ways. The Lord God said, I have seen his ways and I will heal him. I will lead him also and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners. God himself is the one. God himself is the one that breaks men and women over their sin. If a man or a woman becomes broken over their sin, his or her sin, God is the one who did that. God is the one who revealed his holiness to them and revealed their sinfulness to them and caused them to see that they don't stack up before him. They're not worthy to stand in his presence and they see what they've done and see what they are. God is the one who breaks men and women over their sin. Only God's people are truly broken over their sin. I'm not talking about just someone who says, well, I shouldn't have told that lie or I shouldn't have, I'm a, you know, I sinned once last week. No, no, no. I'm talking about men and women who are crying, God be merciful to me. I cannot get away from this. If you don't reach down and lay hold of me, I'm going to die in my sin. Only God's people are truly broken, I mean broken, over their sin before him. God is the one who does that but God himself is also the one who raises that sinner back up. God is the one who brings the good news of his word to sinners. Therefore, if a man or a woman has been made lowly by God, Then these are his thoughts toward that center. This is what he raises that center back up with. He says, you're mine in the word. He says, I'm speaking to sinners. I'm speaking to wretched, filthy, rotten centers who have rebelled against me. This is what he says, you're mine. In spite of your lowliness, I've redeemed you. I came to redeem sinners like you. Worst of the worst. The Apostle Paul cried, I'm the chief, I'm the chief. You're mine, he says. I have redeemed you. I have purchased you. I have washed you. Yes, you are as filthy as you think you are, but you're washed. I've washed you. I have made you clean. I have made you holy. I've made you pure. And I've done every bit of that with my blood. I've done every bit of that in my blood. Yes, you're a filthy sinner, but you're a sinner who has been washed in the blood of the Lamb. And he says, I have and I will raise you up and seat you right here in the heavens with me. That's what his word says. He has and he will. Raise up his people and they will be seated forever with him, in him. David said, this is what he said, though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly. Oh, what a reason to praise. Well, back in Psalm 138, verse six says, though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly. It says, but the proud, but the proud, those who don't see themselves to be lowly, which is a lot of people on this earth, many, many people on this earth. Those who are not ashamed to stand before God. Those who are not ashamed to stand in their natural condition. Those who think, I've done some good works with these hands. I've done right before God. God is happy with me. God is pleased with me. I'm acceptable to God. Those who are not broken. No, I'm not broken. I'm pretty proud of myself. not broken and not contrite before him over their sin. Verse six says, Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly, but the proud he knoweth afar off. Now far off means he's going to destroy them. That's the truth. He's going to destroy them, the proud, the self righteous. The self-saved, the self-earned that says I've done what God has required of me, I did it. Our Lord said I didn't come to call the righteous, the self-righteous, I came to call sinners and God said concerning the proud, the self-righteous, he's going to cast them out, far off, he's going to destroy them. Depart from me, I never knew you, cast them into outer darkness. Proverbs 3 verse 34 says, Surely he scorneth the scorners, but he giveth grace unto the lowly. The lowly, those who cry with John the Baptist, I must decrease. I must decrease. What a blessing of God it is to be brought low before him. If you are low before him in your sin, you're a blessed person. God has done that. If you're crying, God, be merciful to me, please. I need your mercy. You're a blessed person. God has done that. All who are brought low by God over their sin are raised up by God. All of them. Verse seven says, though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me. thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies and thy right hand shall save me." He said, though I walk in the midst of trouble, there are all kinds of trouble in this life, there's all kinds but the trouble he's talking about right here is the time of trouble. That great moment of judgment for my sin, that's why men and women become anguished and burdened before God, it's because judgment must come for their sin. That great time of trouble, this is what David said in Psalm 27, he said, this is my hope right here, this is my hope. It's that in that great time of trouble, That moment when judgment comes to me because of my sin, my hope is that he will hide me in his pavilion. Where is his pavilion? in the person of his own self, in the shelter, in the tabernacle of his own self. David said, my hope is that he will hide me in his pavilion. In the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me. The secret of his own body. And my hope is that he will set me up on a rock. David said that rock is Christ. That tabernacle is Christ, that rock is Christ. And when the flood of judgment comes, David said, if I'm in him and standing on him, I'll be safe. I'll be protected from the mighty blow, that judgment over my sin. And I'll tell you, that's our only hope. It truly is. Our only hope is not that we can right our wrongs and fix our mistakes. It's that God put us in Him and hid us in Him and judged us in Him. It's not in our work for Him, our works for Him. That's what man thinks it is. Well, what have you done for Jesus? You want to be saved, don't you? It's not in our works for Him. It's in His great work for us. That work that He finished on the cross, the death of His cross. Verse seven says, though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me. Thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies and thy right hand shall save me. He said, you will revive me, you'll quicken me, you'll bring me back to life. How? He said, your right hand. That's Christ, the right hand of God. He said, your right hand shall save me. How? Christ shall save me. What David is saying in that right there is described in an old song that was written. I love this old song. The song says, once my soul was astray from the heavenly way and was wretched and vile as could be, But my Savior in love gave me peace from above when he reached down his right hand for me. When Christ Jesus reached down for me, when he reached way down for me, I was lost and undone without God's precious Son. But that's the moment. In that time of trouble, that's the moment when he reached down his hand for me. Verse 6 says, Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly. But the proud he knoweth afar off. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me. Thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me. Now verse eight says, the Lord will perfect that which concerneth me. The Lord will perfect. that which concerneth me." Perfect means finish, complete. It's perfect. It's perfect. He will finish. He will complete. The Apostle Paul told the Philippians, he which hath begun a good work in you, he will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. If he started it, if God has started a work in me and in you, He will finish it. If God started it, God will finish it. That is told to us all over the Word of God. All over the Word of God. I'll show you my favorite place that it's told though. Ruth chapter 3. I love this story. Ruth chapter 3. In this story, Boaz represents Christ. The great landowner. the only man who has the right and the ability to redeem, the only one. Ruth represents God's people, God's chosen people, the ones that the Father chose to be the bride of Christ. Ruined, heathen sinners, that's who they were. And Boaz right here has just made a promise to Ruth. Christ the Savior making a promise to his ruined people. She came to him and she said, if you will redeem me, you can. If you will, you can. And he said, I most certainly will. I will. He said, I want you to go back home to your mother-in-law. Naomi is her name. And he said, I want you to wait right there. He said, I'll take care of it. I'll take care of it. So Ruth goes back to Naomi and told her what Boaz said, the Redeemer said, and this is what Naomi said to Ruth. All right, Ruth chapter three, verse 18. Then said she, sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall. For the man will not be in rest until he have finished the thing this day. She said, you sit still, do nothing. Wait on the Lord. Wait on the Redeemer. If He started this, He will not stop until it's finished. You just look to Him. You just wait on Him. He started this, He'll finish it. That's the truth of the gospel. That's the glory of the gospel. Back in our text, Psalm 138, verse six says, Though the Lord be high, yet hath He respect unto the lowly. but the proud he knoweth afar off. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me. Thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me. The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me. Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth forever, forever. His mercy, our forgiveness in his blood, it will endure forever. And he ended verse eight by saying, forsake not the works of thine own hand. Please don't forsake the works of thine hand. Do you know what the works of his hand are? Ephesians 2 verse 10 says, we are his workmanship. If we are his people, if God chose us and gave us to Christ, we're the works of his hand. And David said, please don't forsake the works of your own hand. Please don't forsake us. He said, I'll never leave you. I'll never forsake you. If the father gave you to me, I'll never leave you. I'll never forsake you. Even though I'm high and lofty, I've set my affection on the low, the lowly, the needy, and I've purposed in my heart to save them. And that's what I'll do. That's what I'll do. That's why David said at the beginning of the Psalm, I'll praise thee with my whole heart." What a good reason to praise him. I pray the Lord will make that a blessing to us. Now I have just a couple of minutes left in our time on the program and I would like to take this moment to tell you about something. The congregation here at Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, we have an app. For all internet devices, cell phones, tablets, computers, you can download our app. And the app is called Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church. And if you download that app, you will have access to everything that we preach and everything that we load onto the internet. All of these TV broadcasts are loaded onto a website called Sermon Audio, and that's the app we have. And all of the messages that we bring in our worship services, all of our Sunday school lessons, they're all loaded onto this website. And if you would like to have access to everything that we preach, just download that app and it's all right there. We will also still be glad to send you CD copies of anything that we preach, but for most people who have that capability, it's all right there. I also would like to encourage you to come and worship with us. We preach the word, like Paul told Timothy, we preach the word of God, and you can see that and hear that in our messages here. We preach Christ in the word, Christ crucified in the word. And if you believe that, and if you look to Christ, and if you look to his word, then I want to encourage you to come and worship with us. I pray the Lord will make this a blessing to all of us. Till next week, good day. You have been listening to a message by Gabe Stoniker, pastor of Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church in Kingsport, Tennessee. If you would like a copy of this message, or to hear other messages of sovereign grace, log on to our website at ksgctn.org. If you would like to come and worship with us, our service times are Sunday morning Bible study at 10 o'clock a.m., worship at 1045 a.m., and 6 o'clock p.m., Wednesday evening at 730 p.m. Please tune in next week for another message of God's free and sovereign grace.