Lesson 38 Outline:
The great advantage of spiritual knowledge. Part 2. (Knowledge is Strength)

Worship service 11/19.

Greetings and grace to you, from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ who hath all authority from the Father to work His will in the world and in the church. Ephesians 1:21 says, “‭‭and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church…” All things in heaven and earth are given to the Son to be under His dominion. Therefore as the Psalm says, “we will not fear even though the earth be removed…” For He must reign until he hath put all things under His feet. The effects of Christ’s reign are not always so visible in the world just as the church is not always so visible in the world as to be noticed and countenanced by kings and emperors, yet our doctrine remains the same, our message remains the same, our duty remains the same and wheresoever we are whether in wealth or poverty, sickness or health, honor or ignominy we will not fear what man will say or do to us, for Christ is our King and He rules in our hearts and will set all things right at the last day. Therefore we can look to Him in love and confidence knowing that He is working all things together for us so that we might be saved, and remembering this we come before Him on the Lord’s Day to worship Him.

Psalm 12: 1 The Prophet lamenting the miserable estate of the people, and the decay of all good order, desireth God speedily to send succor to his children. 7 Then comforting himself, and others with the assurance of God’s help, he commendeth the constant verity that God observeth in keeping his promises.

To him that excelleth upon the eight tune. A Psalm of David.

12:1 Help, Lord; for there is not a godly man left; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.

2 They speak deceitfully every one with his neighbor: flattering with their lips and speaking with a double heart.

3 The Lord cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things:

4 Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?

5 For the oppression of the needy, and for the sighs of the poor, Now will I arise, saith the Lord, and will set at liberty him, whom the wicked hath snared.

6 The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, refined seven-fold.

7 Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve him from this generation for ever.

8 The wicked walk on every side: when they are exalted, it is a shame for the sons of men.

David in this Psalm shows us that even when God fulfills His promises to His people and brings them into a fruition of their expectations, still they have many trials to overcome and have no reason to believe that all will be perfectly in order in this life. Although in our own hearts we are fully persuaded that God is for us and Christ reigns in heaven waiting to exact vengeance on His enemies and recover His people from the snare of the devil, still the greater part of the world remains in ignorance and unbelief, billions perishing in sin and idolatry. Therefore in the Psalm David shows forth what is the godly response to the wicked surrounding them, for He neither joins their enterprise, nor projects himself to make him appear righteous while they appear wicked, like the stupefied Baptists and pseudo evangelicals today with their signs and picketing clinics trying to get sinners to stop sinning. In opposition to both of these methods David resorts to prayer and calls out to God for deliverance from the evil influence of men. He calls to God for help and patiently waits for His salvation. It is also important to remember that wicked men do not so malign and assault the truth so as always to speak against it in the letter, but secretly and hypocritically. So David says, “they flatter with their lips and speak with a double heart” proceeding to call down God’s curse upon those that do such. “The Lord cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things” Such as boasting in wealth, fame, privilege, status, merits, free will or moral superiority, such proud boasting the world is full of inside and outside the profession of Christianity. The wicked outside the profession of religion boast in material things. The wicked who call themselves Christian boast in religious things. Those who are Arminian boast that they have done what others have not, believe and accept the free offer. The Calvinist boasts that he has studied theology and come to more rational conclusions, though he still calls proud flatterers Christians so that he may exalt himself over them. The Lord will cut off all flattering lips whether they call themselves believers or no. It is also important to note that throughout scripture accusations are leveled according to their conclusion and reality not only according to what they say. So that if a man says, “I believe in the free will of man to choose good or evil, to believe in Christ or not to believe” we rightly conclude that he is saying, “I am justified by my own work and not by the merits of Christ.” In the same manner David inveighs against the religious hypocrites of his own day and accuses them of independence outside of God’s authority, as if God’s law was not in their heart, but they interpreted it as they saw fit. So he accuses them of saying, “our lips are our own and who is Lord over us”? Just as the Baptists do today rebelling against the Westminster standards and inventing their own religion independent of historic Christianity. Thus David, proceeding again to take refuge in God pleads as the poor and needy and not as the proud and boastful. As we have said before, God will vindicate those who are just and upright in their lives regardless of what men call them, but He reserves wrath and anger for those who depart from the right way. Therefore whatever men may say of us, it matters nothing at all so long as we maintain a righteous course of life. God will judge them for their hypocrisy while He justifies us as godly and righteous persons.

Calvin,
In the commencement David complains that the land was so overspread with wicked men, and persons who had broken forth into the commission of every kind of wickedness, that the practice of righteousness and justice had ceased, and none was found to defend the cause of the good; in short, that there remained no longer either humanity or faithfulness…It is a thing very distressing to relate, and yet it was perfectly true, that righteousness was so utterly overthrown among the chosen people of God, that all of them, with one consent, from their hostility to a good and just cause, had broken forth into acts of outrage and cruelty. David does not here accuse strangers or foreigners, but informs us that this deluge of iniquity prevailed in the Church of God. Let the faithful, therefore in our day, not be unduly discouraged at the melancholy sight of a very corrupt and confused state of the world; but let them consider that they ought to bear it patiently, seeing their condition is just like that of David in time past.

Calvin,
As those who are resolved to act truthfully in their intercourse with their neighbors, freely and ingenuously lay open their whole heart; so treacherous and deceitful persons keep a part of their feeling hidden within their own breasts, and cover it with the varnish of hypocrisy and a fair outside; so that from their speech we cannot gather any thing certain with respect to their intentions. Our speech, therefore, must be sincere in order that it may be as it were a mirror, in which the uprightness of our heart may be beheld.

Henry v7,
This intimates that, as long as the world stands, there will be a generation of proud and wicked men in it, more or less, who will threaten by their wretched arts to ruin religion, by wearing out the saints of the Most High, Daniel 7:25. But let God alone to maintain his own interest and to preserve his own people. He will keep them from this generation, (1.) From being debauched by them and drawn away from God, from mingling with them and learning their works. In times of general apostasy the Lord knows those that are his, and they shall be enabled to keep their integrity. (2.) From being destroyed and rooted out by them. The church is built upon a rock, and so well fortified that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. In the worst of times God has his remnant, and in every age will reserve to himself a holy seed and preserve that to his heavenly kingdom.

Opening prayer,
Our holy and righteous Father, Sovereign Lord of heaven and earth, and preserver of the meek, we come before thee in adoration and praise of thy Great name, for thou hast wrought wonders on the face of the earth. Thou hast preserved thy people and kept them from evil in all ages of the world, and when they were persecuted unto death, thou didst stir in them a spirit of serenity and confidence so that they went to their death as a bridegroom to his wedding, with joy and gladness. Therefore we come before thee knowing that thou art merciful to the meek and Father to the faithful. We know that thou will always and forever guide and protect the righteous from the generation of the wicked. The wicked, O Lord, the wicked have encompassed us on all sides. The heathen have increased and exercised dominion on the earth and spread their lies by force and manipulation. They enforce their feminism and gender policy on the nation as law, and seek to destroy those who will not bow to these idols. The church also has fallen and bowed down to The idol of free will, and they worship God according to their own works and not according to heavenly doctrine. Destroy them therefore O God, break their teeth in their mouth and confound their efforts. Let them fall by the same traps which they lay for the righteous while thou delivererest us out of all danger. We hope in thee O God , we hope in thee. We trust not in numbers, or strength of arm, or politics, but we trust in the living God, and we know that He will deliver us from this evil age even as it is written. So save us O God, that we might rejoice in thee. And let thy name be forever praised and adored in the hearts of thy people who bless thee and worship thee in Jesus Christ, Amen.

Lesson 38.
The great advantage of spiritual knowledge. Part 2. (Knowledge is Strength)

1. The advantages, you see, in this design, are many and great; the way to spiritual knowledge is hereby made more easy, and 2. the ignorance of this age more inexcusable. If, therefore, there be any spark in you of love to God, be not content that any of yours should be ignorant of him whom you so much admire, or any haters of him whom you so much love. If there be any compassion to the souls of them who are under your care, if any regard of your being found faithful in the day of Christ, if any respect to future generations, labour to sow these seeds of knowledge, which may grow up in after-times. That you may be faithful herein, is the earnest prayer of…

Intro.
a.The Westminster Confession as an expedient to knowledge.
b. The warning against carnal knowledge in our days turned into a theological absolute.
c. The importance of acquaintance with generals, before descending into the particulars. Spiritual knowledge in general, then spiritual knowledge as it relates to the subject.
d. The application, spiritual knowledge is eminently useful, therefore at all cost and by all means seek to obtain it. Be zealous to obtain it.

1. Knowledge is power against the enemy>
Job 12:13, Prov. 8:14, Ecc. 7:19, Ecc. 9:16, Proverbs 2. Ecc. 7:12.
i. Knowledge is a weapon.
2 Cor. 10, Heb. 4:12, Eph. 6:12, comp Prov. 2:13
a. A weapon against the wicked of the world.
b. A weapon against heresy.
ii. Knowledge is a defence.
a. Knowledge of justification and the free grace of God produces peace and joy in opposition to the assaults of Satan.
b. Knowledge of Christ’s virtue and sacrifice emboldens us to walk in the way of holiness as Christ walked and resist temptation.
iii. Knowledge is essential to our warfare.
Conservative politics is ignorance.
Baptist evangelism is ignorance.
Neo Calvinist preaching is ignorance.
a. Who we are fighting.
Eph. 6:12
Who the devil’s agents are.
2 Pet. 2:1
What their doctrine is.
Rom. 10:3, Phil. 3:2-3
What their lifestyle is like.
1 John 2:15-17, 1 Pet. 4:1-5
b. What our own ability and power is against him.
John 15:4-5, Rom. 8:37, Ps. 44:3
c. How we are to do Battle against an enemy stronger than we.
Hearing the word.
Romans 10:14
Loving our neighbor.
Matthew 5:13-16
d. How that faith in his word being so weak and despised in the world is the instrument God uses to conquer His enemies.

And so may we ever go forth as conquerors, hearing God’s word, and obeying His will from the heart.

Closing prayer,
Our gracious and glorious Father in heaven,
We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers the Reformers and Puritans have told us the works that thou hast done in their days, in the times of old. How thou hast driven out the heathen with thy hand, and planted them; how thou hast destroyed the people, and caused them to grow. For they inherited not the land by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou didst favor them. Thou art our King, O God: command deliverances for thy Reformed church. Through thee have we thrust back our adversaries: through thy Name have we trodden down them that rose up against us. For we do not trust in the bow, neither can the sword save us. But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to confusion that hate us. Therefore will we praise God continually, and will confess thy Name for ever. But now thou art far off, and puttest us to shame; and goest not forth with our armies. Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy: and they which hate us spoil for themselves. Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen. Thou sellest thy people for nought, and dost not increase their price. Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us. Thou makest us a byword among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people. Our confusion is continually before us, and the shame of our face hath covered us, For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; for the enemy and avenger. All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant. Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way; Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death. If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god; Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart. Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter. Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off for ever. Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our misery and our affliction? For our soul is beaten down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth. Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies’ sake. Amen.

YouTube Audio: https://youtu.be/82A8bz-tytA