Take your Bibles and let's go one last time to Psalm 17 this morning. And we're gonna see where the yellow brick road ends. We've been walking this path for a better part of four weeks. This is week number five. And we're gonna see the end of the yellow brick road and why it is so very vital that you and I get on the yellow brick road, stay on the yellow brick road, because the end is something, something we don't want to miss. Psalm 17. We're just gonna get into the text this morning. If you're physically able, I'm gonna ask that you go ahead and stand with me at this time. Last Sunday, we read the first 12 verses. So today, as we wrap up Psalm 17, I just want you to begin reading with me in verse 13, and we'll read verses 13, 14, and 15 together, okay? Psalm 17. Altogether in verse 13, the Bible says, arise, O Lord, disappoint him, cast him down, deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword. From men which are thy hand, O Lord, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure. They are full of children and leave the rest of their substance to their babes. As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness." And all the church said? Thank you, and you may be seated. So Psalm 17 speaks to me about the yellow brick road. It is a path of safety. It is a path that leads to a city whose builder and maker is God, and it has enemies just off the road. trying to lure us off the path, just like Dorothy and her three friends. But God has given us a path of safety to bring us to a place where he is. And so the first four verses showed us a path paved in gold. That is a path of prayer. God gave us instructions about how to stay on that path. And then the second section of the yellow brick road was found in verses five through eight. And that was the past petition for grace. If you and I are gonna ever stay and walk the yellow brick road, i.e., if we're ever gonna be pleasing to God and walk with God day by day, we're gonna need the grace of God to do it. Number three, last time we talked about the past prilers of greed in verses nine through 12. And there we identified the characteristics of our enemy and we noted them because it's the same characteristics today as they look for us to take a misstep to knock us off of the yellow brick road. Number four today, the past prayer for governance. David said, arise, O Lord, disappoint him. Who is that? That's the greedy lion, the lion that's lurking in the secret places from last week. Arise, O Lord, disappoint him, cast him down, deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword, from men which are thy hand. "'O Lord, from men of the world, "'which have their portion in this life, "'and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure.'" They're full of children. "'And leave the rest of their substance to their babes.'" Now, what's going on in these verses? Friend, this is David's request for how he wants God to deal with his enemy. In other words, this is David's ask of the Lord. And this request of God involves three matters. Number one, Lord, bring him down. Number two, Lord, bring him disappointment. And number three, bring me deliverance. In other words, God intervene, God take control, God govern in this situation. David says, I have a greedy lion lurking in the secret places, therefore arise, O Lord, and disappoint him, and cast him down, and deliver my soul from the wicked. Now, this is not the first prayer of this Psalm. It's actually the third prayer. Do you remember in verse number one, David said, hear the right, O Lord, attend unto my cry. And then in verse six, I have called upon thee for thou wilt hear me, O God, incline thine ear and hear my speech. And now again in verse 13, David says, arise, O Lord. In other words, I have enemies just outside the yellow brick road, the path of the destroyer. I don't wanna get out there. God, I'm surrounded. The enemy is ready to pounce. I can't win this without you. Arise, oh Lord. Complete dependence. empty of self. God, I can't defeat this roaring lion. I can't defeat this greedy lion on my own. Father, I need Jesus to enter into this fight. So call on Jesus in faith, church. He, the Lion of Judah, will cast down the greedy lion, listen, and deliver our soul from the wicked. Satan must bow the knee in submission to the authority of King Jesus. Can I remind you that's exactly what's gonna happen at the Battle of Armageddon? The devil is gonna be disappointed. His seven-year coup will be utterly foiled. The devil's not only gonna be disappointed, he's gonna be cast down into hell for 1,000 years, and then deliverance of the nation of Israel for a millennium. That's exactly what happened on the cross of Calvary and at the empty tomb. The devil was disappointed. His plan backfired. Matter of fact, the Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians chapter two and verse number eight, for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. He was disappointed and he was cast down. Jesus defeated sin and he defeated his foe, the devil, and we have victory today through the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's deliverance for our souls when we repent, place our faith and trust in him. Friend, can I tell you, God wants to do that exact thing in your life right now, today. He wants to disappoint the devil's designs against you. If you're saved and you're trying to live for the Lord, now listen, if you're saved and you have no testimony, you're living for yourself, it's all about me, myself, and I, self is on the throne of your heart, the devil and his minions aren't gonna pay you no attention. You're doing no harm. to his cause, you're making no impact for Christ. But if you're a Christian, and you're trying to live for God, you're trying to share the gospel and influence and encourage people to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, i.e. to walk the yellow brick road, then he has designs against you. And I wanna tell you, God wants to disappoint the devil's designs against you. He wants to cast him down, deliver you from his devices. What do we do, preacher? Call upon him. Surrender your will to his will. Commit your way to the Lord. Arise, O Lord. Listen, and he absolutely will for that kind of heart. Heaven's chariots will speed to your rescue. Now, notice the end of the verse here in verse 13. David says, deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword. He's talking to God here. Deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword, from men which are thy hand. Now, what in the world does that mean? That's the first question I asked when I read it. David said, the wicked are God's sword and they are God's hand. Now, how can that be? Confusing? Perhaps. Listen, our enemies are under the providential rule of Almighty God. They can do no more than they are allowed to do. David understood this principle. And in order for you and I to pray more effectively and with more wisdom as troubles begin to mount in our life, we too need to grasp a hold of this same principle. The wicked which is thy sword from men which are thy hand, thy sword and thy hand. And a good question to ask is this, what can a sword do without a hand? And the answer is not much. Can I take you back to the book of Job? In the book of Job, did not Satan have to get permission first before he could do anything against Job or against his family? Yes, yes he did. And that's exactly the context here. Listen, God has power to control. God has power to restrain the wicked. But we need to also remember that sometimes God does use the wicked to chasten his own people, thus leading us to repentance and dependence upon God and God alone. When we get away, God, sometimes they will become his sword and his hand. God's sword, God's hand, the same hand that heals and protects will also wound if and when necessary. God can and God sometimes does remove the hedge of protection to serve his greater purpose. And the greater purpose is always us walking down the yellow brick road. And so with this confusing language, the main thing I want you to remember here is that God is in control of the wicked, even Satan himself. So don't be afraid to use that language and pray in that regard as trouble mounts church. God is sovereign, nothing can happen that is not the will of God. You say, I don't know about that preacher. Remember God has a perfect will, and God has a permissive will. We want to live in that perfect will, where the blessings and presence of God are with us. If we venture to the path of the destroyer as a saved person, if we get off into the permissive will of God, then things may not go the way we hoped and intended that they should. Church, he rules and he overrules in time and eternity. God rules and he overrules in the spirit world and in the physical world. He rules and overrules in the seen and the unseen. So in verses 13 and 14, we find the past prayer for governance. And we're seeing David's ask of the Lord, number two, Now I want you to see David's assessment to the Lord. And here the enemy is further described and in three ways particular. We notice their portion, their prosperity, and their progeny. First of all, in verse number 14, their portion. David said, they are men of the world who have their portion in this life. Not only their portion, brother Brian, their prosperity. David said, whose belly thy fillest with thy hid treasure. And then thirdly, we see their progeny. They are full of children and leave the rest of their substance to their babes. And so David's assessment to the Lord, he is further describing the enemy. First of all, let's dig a little further into their portion. Look at verse 14, from men which are thy sword, O Lord, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life. David said, they are men from and of the world. And that's really it, isn't it? Friends, you and I, we are either men of the world, or we are men who have been born again from above. Now, which one are you? Are you a man of the world? A woman of the world? Or have you been born again from above? What does your life say? What does your testimony paint? What does your walk tell the rest of the world? A man of the world or somebody that has been born again from above? You say, preacher, I've been born again from above. Who else knows that besides you? We have to have a testimony for the Lord. God knows who are his, but my friend, we are to have a walk, that's what this Psalm is all about, so that others can see our good works, our life, our change, and glorify our Father, which is in heaven. And so these men, these ungodly men, they are totally consumed by the world. They have no part of the world to come. We live for eternity. They live for that which is earthly. Now, the physical enemy David was facing here was Saul and his leadership. Saul and his leadership were not spiritually minded. They only thought of things pertaining to this fleeting world. They lived for time and not eternity. They lived for their own pleasure and not for the glory of God. I mean, their entire existence is engaged on this earth and this earth only. And so they devote all of their energy, all of their time, all of their resources, all of their talents, all of their thoughts, they devote it all to this world and to the spirit of this world. Ephesians chapter two and verse number two talks about that. Speaking of those who say they walk according to the course of this world. David said, men of the world, there is a world to come, but these men have no part of it. They have no future. Their pursuit of wealth and prosperity, that's the aim of their life. That's what they love. That's what makes them tick. They're nothing but earthworms, no future beyond the ground upon which they walk. They don't care about God's favor on their life. They don't care about God's blessing on their life. They are men of the world. And then David says, which have their portion in this life. Now, those who choose that and walk that path, listen, they do have their portion in this life. There is pleasure in sin. There is. The Bible tells us that. There is pleasure in sin for a season, the Bible says. And so they have their pleasure for 40, for 50, for 60, for 70 years, but they lose in the end. They lose in the end. And the sum total of a billion years from today will be much more pain than pleasure. And so I tell you, choose carefully the course that you walk. Be careful about choosing the course of this world. Live for eternity and not for the weekend. Live for rewards in the afterlife, not rewards in this life. Friends, we can't have the earth and heaven for our portion together, and wise men will always choose that which lasts longer, eternity. And God, being a good God, gives these men exactly what they want. The next life will be barren of blessing for them. We're talking about David's assessment to the Lord. We've seen their portion. What about their prosperity? Look at our text again. From men which are thy hand, O Lord, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life. Their prosperity is this, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure, thy hid treasure, and their belly is full of it. What is this? Brother Matt, the age-old complaint of the saints. God, they have it all and we don't have nothing. And so this dilemma is answered for us clearly in Psalm 37. Let me give you a couple of verses, Psalm 37 verse one. God said, fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. Why God? Drop down to verse number nine, for evildoers shall be cut off. but those that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth. In other words, as we look at that in context of the yellow brick road here in Psalm 17, the yellow brick road is a path with an endless hope, while the path of the destroyer is a path with a hopeless end. What is this hid treasure that God fills their belly with? Well, church is exactly what it sounds like, silver and gold. It's God's, it's found in the earth and being of the earth, being of the world like they are, God lets them have it. And so they spend the strength of their days, they spend the strength of their years wallowing around in it. God fills their carnal appetites with this wealth, with this prosperity. He fills the desire of their heart, they are prosperous. One preacher said this, a good man never denies his dog bones. And being a generous God, he allows these wicked men to have the bones of gold and silver. in heaven, gold is esteemed no higher than the asphalt is. Gold is what literally paves the streets in glory. That which is precious on the earth, gold, is trodden underfoot in heaven. And that which is trodden underfoot on earth, the blood of Jesus, is highly esteemed and precious in heaven. And so as David talks about their assessment, we've seen their prosperity and we've looked at their portion. Number three, their progeny. Look at the end of the verse. whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure, they are full of children and leave the rest of their substance to their babes. Now, that seems a little confusing and odd to us because in our wicked culture, in our wicked day, we do not appreciate the worth of children. Folks, today, society has this idea that children make a rich man poor, but they are a million miles in the wrong direction. The clear testimony of Scripture is that children make poor man rich. Do you know that by experience? Have children enriched your lives? Have children been a blessing to your life? I hear these people, they make these comments. Children are not a burden. They are a blessing. And David said, they are full of children. And the ancients, they rightly saw children as a rich blessing, many children, all full and lacking nothing. Something else. David said they leave the rest of their substance to their babes. They pass their prosperity on to their family for future generations. In other words, Brother Byron, they have very enviable wills as they bequeath great wealth to their descendants. Yes, silver spoons in the mouth at birth is a real thing. While the righteous have nothing of this world to bequeath to their children, God, that is so unfair. Thank God for household salvation. Amen. Listen, materially speaking, they lack nothing. They have all this world can offer with this one exception. They never obtained the greatest gift that a man can receive. The most precious jewel in the universe is not oared or mined out of the earth, is not a precious stone that has to be pushed through the fire to get the dross off and to get it pure. They never obtained the most precious gift, my friend, I'm talking about the gift of God's salvation through Jesus Christ. Money simply cannot buy it. And the great tragedy of these prowlers of greed, the great tragedy of their existence is that they are without the gift of God. You remember what Peter told us? Peter said, you're not redeemed with corruptible things, such as silver and gold, but with the precious blood Listen to what Jesus said concerning these men, their heart, their thoughts, and their ultimate end. Go with me to Luke chapter 12. We're familiar with this story. I just wanted to be refreshing our heart and mind as we conclude our thoughts here on this point. Luke chapter 12, verse 19. Matter of fact, I'm gonna start reading in verse 16. And he, Jesus, make a parable unto them saying, the ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, what shall I do? Because I have no room where to bestow my fruits. And he said, this will I do. I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say unto my soul, soul, thou has much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee, then whose things shall those be which thou hast provided. In other words, there's no U-Hauls behind a hearst. You can't take it with you. Live for that which is eternal. And then Jesus said, so is he that layeth up for himself treasure and is not rich toward God. And he said unto the disciples, therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, which you shall eat, neither for the body, which you shall put on. The life is more than meat and the body is more than raiment. What's the takeaway from this? Don't be penny wise and dollar foolish. Don't live for the present and forfeit the future. Don't aim for the country club and miss the mansion in glory. Don't feel the appetite of your belly, but starve your soul. And don't dress in luxurious attire, but have underneath it an old wicked heart. The businessman, the athlete, the entertainer, the politician, listen, I get it, I know, I get it, I get it. Their lifestyle is so flashy, it is so tempting, but which future do you want for you and for your children? Theirs are the future of the people. of God, and that leads us to the final verse of this Psalm. The yellow brick road. We looked at the past prayer for governance. Now look at verse number 15. Church, fasten your eyes right here, because everything we've said for the last four and a half weeks has driven us to this singular point. Look at verse 15. David said, as for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness. David said, you've heard my prayer three times, God. As for me, yes, they laugh. Yes, they mock and yes, they hate us, but the day of judgment is coming. They have a grim future, I have a glorious future. Hell awaits them, heaven awaits me. Church, this is where the yellow brick road leads to. Listen, it leads to a reversal of circumstances. Look at our text again. As for me, that is a stark contrast. That's a 180 turn from everything that's just been said in the last six verses about these men of the world. David said, as for me, as for me, I'm gonna behold thy face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness, a reversal of circumstances. So how does that apply? It applies just like this. In this world, we are hunted. In the world to come, we're gonna be honored. In this world, we may be poor, but in the world to come, we're gonna be prosperous. In this world, we may be accused, but in that world, we're gonna be acquitted. In this world, we need God's protection. In that world, we're gonna be in God's presence. In this world, we're ridiculed and we're resented. In that world, we're gonna rule and we're gonna reign. In this world, we have to fight sin. In that world, we're gonna be free of sin. In this world, we know sorrow and heartache. In that world, we'll know satisfaction and Jesus Christ. In this world, we live to face death. In that world, which is to come, we're gonna live free of death. And the very opposite is true for those who are unsaved. For those who are unsaved, there's also gonna be a reversal of circumstances. If you're unsaved in this world, you may be powerful, but in the world to come, you're gonna be a pauper. If you're unsaved in this world, you may be famous, but in the world to come, you're gonna be infamous. If you're unsaved in this world, you may be living the Miller high life, but in the world to come, you're gonna be living hell's low life. If you don't know God in this world, you may ignore him, but in the world to come, you're gonna have to face him. David said, ask for me. Yes, the yellow brick road leads to a reversal of circumstances. It is the past promise of glory. As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied when I awake. with thy likeness. Fasten your eyes on that verse, my brothers and sisters, from the youngest of us to the oldest of us, male and female, those with a hard heart and those with a heart that is on fire. That's something to shout about right there. And let me show you why. Number one, because of the blessed sureness of seeing Jesus. Look at our text. David said, as for me, I will behold thy face. We're gonna see Jesus one day. David said, I will behold thy face, rock-ribbed assurance. There's no waffling, there's no stuttering, there's no hem-hauling. One day we will see Jesus guaranteed. Two appointments, everybody in here, everybody in the whole world can't weasel out of, we can't get out of. We have an appointment with death and we have an appointment with deity. Hebrews chapter 9 and verse 27 says this, for it is appointed unto man once to die, And after this, the judgment. The appointment with death, you have an appointment, God says, to die, and then you have another appointment after that with him. After this, the judgment. We will see the face of God. What did Jesus say in that blessed sermon? The Sermon on the Mount, Matthew chapter five, verse number eight, Jesus said this. He said, blessed are the pure in heart, watch this, for they shall see God. You say, preacher, I thought the Bible taught that no man can see the face of God and live. The Bible does teach that. It does in this present world and in this life. We can't see the face of God and live. A good example of that is in the book of Exodus there. God speaking to Moses in Exodus chapter 33 and verse number 20. And he, God, God says to Moses, and he said, thou canst not see my face, for there shall no man see me and live. But in Psalm 17, verse 15, David here is talking about the world to come. He's not talking about this world or this life. He's talking about the world to come for he says, I'm gonna see God's face, look at it, when I awake. That is after I die and I am free of sin. Do you know why we stay on the yellow brick road? My friend, we stay on the yellow brick road because it leads to a place where our faith becomes sight. Revelation chapter 22 and verse number four, the Bible says, and they, the people of God, those who have repented of their sin, placed their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Bible says, and they shall see his face. That's a promise. They shall see his face. Yes, I know you long to see Jesus. You're gonna get to see Jesus. Just wait on God's time and serve him in the here and now. Walk down the yellow brick road. They shall see his face and his name shall be in their foreheads. Now, we really don't know all that much about heaven itself, do we? We just don't, but we know an awful lot about its king. A saint of old said this about heaven. He said, it's an unknown region with a well-known inhabitant. That's pretty good, isn't it? Somebody wrote this. They said, my knowledge of that life is small. The eye of faith is dim, but it's enough that Christ knows all and I shall be with him. Verse Corinthians chapter 13, verse number 12. Paul said, for now we see through a glass darkly, but then, when I awake, but then face to face. Friend, it's seeing Jesus that makes heaven heaven. Isaiah 33, verse number 17, thine eye shall see the king in his beauty. We're not gonna see him as he was when he walked the dusty shores of Galilee. We're gonna see him in his glory. We shall see the king in his beauty. What a blessed day for the believer. David said, as for me, I will behold thy face. The blessed sureness of seeing Jesus. And church, can I tell you something? I'm gonna see Jesus too. You say, preacher, that's awful arrogant. That's awful bold. That's a lot of confidence in yourself. No, my friend, you got that all wrong. It's not bold at all. It's called faith in the Word of God. It's not confidence at all. I have no confidence in me. I don't trust me any further than I can throw me. And the last time I checked, I can't throw myself at all. But I have a lot of confidence in Jesus. I have a lot of confidence in the Word of God. He's never failed. He's kept every single one. The blessed sureness of seeing Jesus. Why do we walk the yellow brick road? Why is there something to shout about at the end of that walk? Because of the blessed sureness of seeing Jesus. Number two, because of the blameless sinlessness when we see Jesus. Look at the text again. David said, as for me, I will behold thy face in my heart. Righteousness. The blessed sinlessness when we see Jesus, when we see him, it will be in righteousness. In other words, free from the presence of sin. And Brother Matt, there's no other way I'd wanna see him. No other way. You say, preacher, if God lets you see him now, I wouldn't wanna do it. Let me tell you why. The Bereans said this, John 12, verse 21, they said, we would see Jesus. Do you wanna see Jesus? Do you have a heart like the Bereans? Yes, I get it. I wanna see the one who paid the price for my sin. I wanna see the one who sacrificed so that I could be saved his own life. I wanna see the one who's loved me like nobody ever has. Yes, I wanna see Jesus like the Bereans. We would see Jesus even so come Lord Jesus, but I'm so glad that in his wisdom, God's gonna only let me see Jesus in righteousness. Because if I saw Jesus right now, it would be tainted. It would be tainted by my sin. I'd be so embarrassed. I'd be so shamed. And I'd be quaking in my boots. But when I awake, there's gonna be no more sin. We're gonna be free from sin, thus, enjoying Jesus in righteousness, in perfect purity, our joy then will be at its maximum. My friend, the blameless sinlessness, when we see Jesus, how good, how wise of God to let us see Jesus in righteousness with unsullied fellowship. Don't you want that first time when you lay your eyes upon him, to be with no shame, no guilt. Yes, how good is God? In Exodus 33, God allowed Moses to what? To see the back parts of his glory. But in heaven, the Bible says, then face to face, we shall behold him in righteousness. Be careful. Be very careful of those who have claimed to have seen Jesus Christ. I don't care what movie it is, what book it is. what testimony it is, what their rank and file is. Be careful of those who claim to have seen Jesus Christ, seeing the glorified Christ with the presence of sin still in us would mean instant death. Why do you think Jesus had to revive the apostle John on the Isle of Patmos in Revelation chapter one? But at the resurrection, we're gonna be pure and white, not a speck of sin. We must see him in righteousness. And that's exactly what God has planned for you and I. Number three, we talk about the end of the yellow brick road and why it is a path whose promise leads to glory, because there's a blessed sureness of seeing Jesus. There's a blameless sinlessness when we see Jesus. And number three, there's the blissful satisfaction of seeing Jesus. Look at what David said. He said, as for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness, I shall be satisfied. When I awake, i.e., in that moment, and from the time that I have first trusted Jesus Christ, I will finally, finally have that which my heart has since and so long yearned for. Satisfaction. The completion of my salvation, the completion of our salvation, seeing Jesus, no more sin. That's satisfaction. Is there any hesitation in your heart with that statement, my friend? Sincere satisfaction, beholding Jesus and no sin. In other words, Brother Danny, who would dare envy earthly treasures and possessions when the Redeemer is mine? Who cares how it is for others and how much they have and how little I have when the Redeemer is mine? I serve him now, church, and I'm satisfied with my current payment. the forgiveness of my sin. I serve him now, church, and I'm satisfied with my future payment, a forever in his blessed presence. And so as Jesus said, I lay up treasure in heaven because that's where my inheritance is. I will not envy you. I will not envy yours. I'm satisfied with mine. I have Jesus, the blissful satisfaction of seeing Jesus. Number four, the bodily substance when we see Jesus. Look at this church. As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied. Look at these three words. When I awake, death and then resurrection. When I awake our bodies are going to die one day unless we're alive when Jesus comes our bodies are going to die one day but our bodies are going to be resurrected one day also because it says when I awake Now, the Bible speaks of sleep when we die, okay? It calls it a sleep, and that's what the bodies do. It's all gonna happen when I awake. It all happens on that great getting up morning. You know what this world is? This world is nothing more than an earth-sized massive cemetery. And one day, one day, this planet-sized graveyard is gonna yield up its dead. David said, when I awake, what did Jesus say in John chapter five? He said, marvel not at this, for the hour is coming in the which all that are in the grave shall hear his voice and they shall come forth. Souls don't sleep, bodies do. What happens to the soul when the body dies, when the body sleeps? The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 5 in verse number eight, for the people of God to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. You know what this is? It's an earth suit for my soul. This is not who I am. My soul is who I am. This body is going to die. It's going to expire. Bodies die. Souls don't. To be absent from the body, present with the Lord. What if you're not saved? To be absent from the body, to remain as you were separated from the Lord. You will not be with the Lord. You will remain in a place of separation like you lived your life on this earth. You didn't come to Jesus. And so you will stay separated from him and you'll go to a place called hell. Bodies sleep when they die. Souls continue on somewhere forever. Bodies sleep when they die. but not forever, did you know that? The body doesn't sleep forever, one day they shall awake. David said, when I awake, one day they shall be resurrected. Let me give you a very powerful scripture, mark it down there in your Bible, Daniel chapter 12 and verse number two, the Bible says, and many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Now friend, when that happens, we're gonna have a new body that can't die, that won't know disease or decay, that won't be destroyed. It's gonna be a body like Jesus. And so with this earthen vessel, this earthly body, cancer may infest it. But if we are entrenched in the word of God, encourages our heart with rich faith, we can be satisfied because We have a new body waiting on us, one that even fire can't harm. We may have a body that is deformed, but I'm gonna have a perfect body when I see Jesus, when I awake, a perfect body of unison. You say, preacher, I don't have any physical problems. Give it time. This stuff will start to turn gray. At a fallout, things start to sag and droop and wear out. You start having to putting things on your face so you can see. Things in here start falling out. As a process of decay begins to lose elasticity, wrinkles. disease and aches and pains and old age, no such things are allowed in the world to come, church. Not in the world in which we will awake in. What a glorious comfort. My friend, that's where Paul is today. That's where our friend Hugh is. Why? Because they were perfect people? No, because their sins have been forgiven, because they placed their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Our loved ones in Christ are not gone, they're simply waiting on us. Sin may be present in this fleshly tabernacle, but God's promised us a celestial body that is mutually exclusive from it. Okay, one more point, and we're done with the yellow brick road. Boy, I'm glad where the end of it is, Brother Earl. There's a blessed sureness of seeing Jesus. There's a blameless sinlessness when we see Jesus, a blissful satisfaction of seeing Jesus. There's the bodily substance when we see Jesus, and number five, the beautiful sameness when we see Jesus. Look at the end of the text. As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness. When we see Jesus, we're gonna be just like him. The text says when I awake, it will be with thy likeness. Now I can't fully understand what Jesus is like in heaven in all of his glory. I just can't. I read what the Bible says and some of those scriptures, my friend, those phrases, they simply can't be fathomed. I mean, you ever read Revelation chapter one? That's the Jesus we're going to meet. And it even seems as beautiful and as powerful and as magnificent and star studded as the disciples were there on the Mount of Transfiguration. It even seems that was still some veiling of his ultimate. Glory. Read Revelation chapter one, but I do know this, even though I can't comprehend everything that it means, I do know I'm gonna be just like Him. with thy likeness. Let me give you the New Testament counterpart, 1 John 3 and verse number two. Beloved, now are we the sons of God. Did you know that if you're saved, you're not waiting to become a child of God? Did you know if you put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, you're not waiting to get into the family of God? This whole notion of purgatory and not knowing until you die what's gonna happen, my friend, that is a lie from the pit of hell. I don't care what priest in robes says it, or what preacher from behind a pulpit. The Bible says, now are we the sons of God. You place your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, you're saved right now, that moment. Okay? Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear, watch this, we shall be like him. For we're gonna seem as he is. What a change that's gonna be. I believe when I behold the face of God because of the miracle working power of God and his matchless grace. This old sinful being, Joe Perini, Joseph Lucian Perini Jr., born June the 1st, 1974 into this world, is gonna be just as pure as he is, free of sin. Little boy was traveling across the country on a train. It was a four-day journey. On the second day of the journey, he was just skipping up and down the aisles of the train. I mean, this is four days on a train across the country. Day two, he's skipping and running up and down the aisles of the train, and somebody asked him, aren't you tired of the journey? And the boy said, yes, but I'm going to see my father on Friday. Thursday, the third day of the journey, he's up again, he's running and skipping up and down the aisles, everybody's sitting there tired, backs hurting, sitting on those chairs and the coaches. And he's running and skipping up and down those aisles and somebody said, hey, aren't you tired of the journey? Aren't you wearied from the journey? And the boy again said, yes, but I'm gonna see my father on Friday, I'm gonna see him tomorrow. And then on Friday, the train pulled into the station He gets off of that train, he locates, he sees his father, he's there waiting, he runs and he jumps right into the arms of his father. Say, preacher, are you tired of the journey? I sure am. I am. But my friends, I'm gonna see my father someday. I'm gonna exit the train someday. I'm gonna get to the end of the yellow brick road one day. And life's trials are gonna seem so small when we see Christ. One glimpse of his dear face, all sorrow will erase. So bravely run the race till we see Christ. Would you stand with me this morning? My dear brothers and sisters, for the last five weeks, I've preached as best as I know how from Psalm 17 to your heart. And the final psalm substance of it is this, stay on the yellow brick road. It leads home. It leads to eternal glory in heaven with Jesus Christ. This land that we walk the road on, this earth, it's not our home. but it's leading us to our home, so stay on it. Early 19th century, an American tourist was visiting Poland, and he's an old Polish rabbi there, and as he went in to the rabbi's home, he was astonished to behold his home. It was a very simple home. There was a Bible there and books about the things of God there. There was one table, one chair, and his bed. And that's it. Surprised, the tourist said, Rabbi, where's your furniture? And the rabbi said, where's yours? And he said, you don't understand. I'm just a tourist. I'm just passing through. And he said, so am I. So am I. This world is not our home. We're just a passing through. Our home is laid up somewhere beyond the blue at the end of the yellow brick road. Our gracious Heavenly Father.