WESTSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH
PASTOR: TERRY VAUGHAN
SERMON TITLE: YOU CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON JESUS
“For God so loved the world , that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:16-18
TEXT VERSE: PSALMS 121:1-8 “I WILL LIFT UP MINE EYES UNTO THE HILLS, FROM WHENCE COMETH MY HELP. MY HELP COMETH FROM THE LORD, WHICH MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH. HE WILL NOT SUFFER THY FOOT TO BE MOVED: HE THAT KEEPETH THEE WILL NOT SLUMBER. BEHOLD, HE THAT KEEPETH ISRAEL SHALL NEITHER SLUMBER NOR SLEEP. THE LORD IS THY KEEPER; THE LORD IS THY SHADE UPON THY RIGHT HAND. THE SUN SHALL NOT SMITE THEE BY DAY, NOR THE MOON BY NIGHT. THE LORD SHALL PRESERVE THEE FROM ALL EVIL: HE SHALL PRESERVE THY SOUL. THE LORD SHALL PRESERVE THY GOING OUT AND THY COMING IN FROM THIS TIME FORTH, AND EVEN FOR EVERMORE.”
I noticed three things in this chapter. First of all I want you to notice that the Lord is your helper. Two, I noticed that He’s your keeper. Thirdly, He’s your preserver. The reason I say today if you’re here and you’ve been saved by the Grace of God and the reason that Jesus can do these things is in the book of Hebrews 13:5 “..for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” So I want you to know that Christ is always there for you if you’re one of His. He will never leave you nor forsake you. He’ll never slumber or sleep. There will never be a time when we call upon God that He’s not available for us. The Bible says He’s there even before we call upon His name.
I want you to notice two things. First of all I want you to notice how small and how little we are. Second I want you to notice how big and how great He is. When we notice how great and how big God is and how little and humble we are, we’re heading in the right direction. In John 3:30 it says “He must increase but I must decrease.” You can always count on Jesus. A lot of people think they need other things. You may not always be able to account for those that you’re around but when you’re dealing with humans in the flesh there’s always an opportunity where people can let you down. I remember times when I’ve had my own family members let me down. I’ve had friends that I thought would stick with me till the end and come to realize they weren’t true friends. They left and forsook me. Anytime you’re dealing with the flesh the old flesh will let you down. Paul said that in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. The Bible says that the Spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak. I thought about how God helps us. The text verse says that I will left mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord.
Number one I want you to know today the way God helps us is He thinks about us. Psalms 40 :17 says “But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer...” I’m glad there’s an old sinner boy down here that God thinks about. No matter where I’m at or where I go, He’s thinking about me. You say preacher, what’s he thinking? The Bible said in Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Aren’t you glad the Lord helps us by thinking about us? When there’s nobody else around and nobody else to help I want you to know that you can always count on Jesus. One place in the Bible says that when your mother and your father forsaketh thee just draw nigh to Jesus because he never will. He’s looking down right now and he’s thinking about you.
Number two: He looks at us. You ever noticed that? He’s got eyes. He can see. Look at First Samuel 16:7 “But the Lord said unto Samuel, look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” You may not see me as anything on the outward appearance but God looks at me and sees a child of God. It doesn’t matter what we have on the outside but what matters is what we have on the inside. I’m glad I have salvation this morning. He doesn’t look at me and say you ain’t no good. He don’t look down and say you ain’t worth anything. He don’t look down and say I’m not going to spend time with you because you’re not worthy of me. He looks down and sees that precious blood he shed on calvary. That’s makes me somebody.
Number three: He talks with us. If you’ve never had a little talk with Jesus, you’ve never made it right. Everybody is going around trying to do God’s business without talking to Him or checking in with Him. It ain’t right. He talks to His children. Look at Luke 24:32 “Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?” When’s the last time you talked with God? When’s the last time God talked with you? He doesn’t speak in a mans voice. He speaks in a God voice. He speaks in a spiritual still small voice. You can tell me what you want me to do all you want to and if I hear it with my natural ears you can be sure it ain’t coming from Him. He’s speaking to somebody today. Right now.
Number four: He’s praying for me. Look at Luke 22:31-32 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” It don’t matter if I’m praying for you or not. What matters is that Jesus is. He’s thinking about you, looking at you, talking with you and praying for you. The Bible says we have an advocate with the Father. Jesus Christ is like our attorney. He’s pleading our case up to God the Father. I’m glad I have an attorney in Heaven. Everything we do is not always right but Jesus takes what’s not right and he takes it to the Father and He says, “Father forgive them.” If you’re here today and you’re lost, I want you to know Jesus is praying for you. If you’re here and you’re backslid, I want you to know Jesus is praying for you. Not only is He praying for you but he’s looking at you and he’s thinking about you.
Number five: He answers us. I was sitting at the piano this morning and God spoke to my heart and He said you remember that prayer you prayed this morning? ( I prayed God let me just feel the spirit again this morning) I looked up from the piano bench and saw everybody standing up and praising God and I felt his Spirit. Get your heart right with God and he’ll answer you. Some people say they’ve prayed and prayed and prayed and God hasn’t answered their prayers. The Bible says your sins will separate you from God. Don’t you live in sin and expect things to be right with you and God. It’ll never happen. You cannot serve two masters. If you’re prayers aren’t being answered it’s not God’s fault, it’s your fault. Jeremiah 33:3 says “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” James said, you have not because you ask not. You ask and you have not because you ask amiss. We have to ask it in Jesus name according to God’s will. If it’s in God’s will and you ask it in His name and you’re one of His, He’ll answer you.
Number six: He forgives us. First John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” There’s some things I won’t talk to anybody else but God. You say preacher, I want to know your business. You’ll only know it if God reveals it to you because I’m going to check in with him before I tell anybody else. He forgives us. That’s how we get help from the Lord. He’s a forgiving a God. You know what He said on the Cross of Calvary? When one of them old soldiers was piercing His side and he’s been spit on and reviled and mocked him....He looked up and said, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”
Number seven: He protects us. First Peter 3:13 “Who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?” The Psalmist said that even mine enemies came upon me and stumbled and fell. He said I will not fear what man can do unto me. God protects us through the storms and the trials and the tribulations and all the bad things and all the evil things. The Lord is my shepherd. He’ll not suffer the foot of the righteous to be removed. You can’t tear down a righteous man or woman of God. I don’t care what you throw at them. They’ll stand on the blessed word of God. They’ll follow the blessed Spirit of God. It’s not their strength but God’s strength and he will protect them. If he didn’t, Satan would have torn us down long time ago.
Number eight: He supplies us. Sometimes we’re not supposed to pick and choose what our needs are. We’re supposed to let God choose for us. Sometimes what we think is a need might really be a want. And God might want to not let us have it. If we don’t need it, He’s not going to give it to us. If it isn’t going to help you spiritually, God’s not going to give it to you. Philippians 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” How do we get help from the Lord? He supplies us. Look how big he is and how little we are yet he supplies our needs. None of us are worthy of God’s grace. But thank God he’s our help. He’s our keeper. He’s our preserver. He loves us and he’ll supply our needs. Preacher, my needs aren’t being met. You better check in with the Lord Jesus. He don’t go back on his word. Maybe you’re not in a position where he can supply your needs.
Number nine: He cares for us. First Peter 5:6-7 “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
I don’t care who you are, how old you are, how young, how big, how small, what color, where you’ve been...it don’t matter...if you’ll just come to Jesus Christ, he’ll make all things new, he’ll make all things right and he’ll care for you. He’ll care for you more than anybody ever will. I used to think my mama cared for me a whole lot and she did and still does. I had one of the lovingest mamas on the face of this earth. She never said a bad word about anybody. Everyday she’d make sure she told you she loved you everyday. But I know one that cares for me a whole lot more than my mama ever could. The only way she can care for me is with that old natural love but he’s cares for me with a spiritual love. He’s concerned about our souls. If he cares about you, you don’t have to worry about anything else. The Lord is on our side. The Bible says that if God is for us, who can be against us?
Number ten: He loves you. First John 4:19 “We love him, because he first loved us.” I thought about Lazarus in John 11. Lazarus was there in the tomb in verse 35 and Jesus came over where Mary and those people were weeping and the verse says that Jesus wept. Verse 36 says, behold how he loved him. The Bible says this, Greater love hath no man than this that a man would lay down his life for his friends. Whether your spouse loves you, whether your mom and daddy loves you, whether your children loves you, whether your friends love you....I’m telling you, Christ loves you! If he loves you then you have all the love you’ll ever need this side of heaven.
I want you to turn to First Corinthians 6:19-20 Here’s why he cares for us “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
You know why he helps us so much? Because we belong to him. If your ones of Gods children he loves you and he’s going to give you what you need. I wonder if you know today where your help comes from. Quit trying to get it out of people and get it from God. I can’t always meet your needs but Christ can. I’m subject to let you down. Who are you putting your trust in?
Let us pray: Father, I have heard your still small voice speaking to me today and Lord I want to answer. I believe you sent your son Jesus to earth to die on that old rugged cross for me. I believe in my heart that Jesus came and arose on the third day. I ask you Lord to forgive me of my sins. I know that I am nothing and I ask you Lord to save me. Save me O Lord for I want to come and live with you in Heaven one day after awhile. I am so sorry for all the things I have done in this fleshly body. I ask this in the name of your precious son: Jesus Christ. Amen.
