He Has Done All Things Well — Mark 7

0:00 Well, morning. Most definitely a pleasure to be with you all again. With Christmas only being one week away, my prayer for you all and each of you is that you'll have a safe and blessed holiday, a blessed Christmas with your family and friends, and may we, especially for those who know the Lord Jesus as their personal savior, that we would really delight in God's unspeakable gift. God's unspeakable gift, the Son of God, the wonder that he would give him. One of my favorite lines on a Christmas card that I got many years ago was something like this.

0:42 In a single gift, God gave everything that he had that we might have everything that we would need, and the Lord Jesus is the only one, is the only gift that truly satisfies, and I hope we can say amen. He's the one that will not break, he does not fade away, he will not fail. What a wonderful savior he is, but he is. May God help us to really delight in him this Christmas season. Of all the 66 inspired books of the Bible, I want to proclaim to you today that I especially love the Gospels, the four Gospels.

1:24 Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, you may be asking, Why do I love the four Gospels? All the other books have their place. Well, what I love about the four Gospels is the grand subject is the Lord Jesus. He's a grand subject. He's actually a fulfillment of the verse that appears in Psalm 40, but also in Hebrews chapter 10, A body you have prepared for me.

1:50 I come to do thy will. And of course we're going to be celebrating his birth in about a week. But the wonder that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Just a wonder of that. And in the four Gospels, what I love is all the close encounters of the divine kind that sinful mortals had with him in the four Gospels, especially in his three years of public ministry.

2:22 Now, what I love about the Gospels, and we're going to read a few of these in a minute, for example, but we're going to focus on one, is the comments and their responses of these mortals as Jesus did a miracle, or he said something, his wisdom, his works, his ways, and I just love their comments and I love their responses. I'm going to give you a couple examples of what I'm talking about. If you were to look in Luke chapter two, when Jesus was about 12 years old, he went into the temple one day and he was sitting in the midst of the doctors, and he was hearing them and asking them questions, and I love the response in verse 47. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. Well, mean, you and I are because he's God incarnate.

3:21 But they're all astonished at his answers. I love that response made about our blessed Savior. In Mark chapter four, the disciples were in the boat. Jesus said, let us go on the other side. And my understanding out of the 12 disciples, it was either seven or nine of them were very experienced fishermen, and they knew about storms on the sea, but a storm came up, rose up, the water was filling the boat, and they all kind of pushed the panic button a little bit.

3:53 And Jesus was asleep in the boat, and they woke him up, he said, Master, Master, don't you care that we perish? Do you remember his response? Well, he stood up and spoke, and he said, Peace, be still. And what was the response of the disciples? What manner of man is this that even the wind and the sea obey him?

4:16 I love that, I just love that. In John six:sixty eight, Peter said to the Lord Jesus one day, he said, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Think about that. Jesus has all the answers, but he's the one who can give eternal life.

4:58 Science doesn't have an answer for all of that, but the Lord Jesus has the answer. He is the one who can give eternal life and make life worth living. In John seven forty six, the Pharisees who hated our savior, they sent their officers to arrest him. They came back empty handed, he said, How come you haven't taken him? Do you remember their response?

5:26 Never a man spake like this man. Never a man spake like this man. Oh, how wonderful it must have been to hear his actual words two thousand years ago. And in John eleven forty seven, the Pharisees came to the end of themselves, and they said, what do we? This man doeth many miracles.

5:50 If we don't stop him, the Romans are gonna come and take our place away in all this, all men are gonna believe on him, and I would say that's a good thing. But if we don't stop him, all men are gonna believe on him. But today, I want to concentrate on one particular incident and response of some unnamed person. So my text today is Mark chapter seven verse 37, and Jacob, you can come up here and finish my message, because Jacob was talking about this morning the Lord's Supper. So Mark chapter seven verse 37.

6:33 I love this scene in Mark chapter seven, and we'll read a few verses prior to verse 37. I'm reading from the authorized. I know a lot of people have different translations now, but I'm reading from the authorized. In Mark chapter seven, verse 37, a miracle, the Lord Jesus was performing a miracle, and we'll read from verse 32. And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech, and they besought him to put his hand upon him.

7:14 And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ear, and he spit and touched his tongue. And looking up to heaven, sighed, and said unto them, Ephesah, that is, be opened. And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them, that is, this man and his disciples, that they should tell no man. But the more he charged them, so much more a great deal they published it.

7:47 And I love verse 37. And they were beyond measure astonished, saying, he has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak. It was about four years ago I was just meditating on that little quote, He has done all things well. And with the help of God the Holy Spirit, these four precious reminders came to me about our Savior, that he has done all things well.

8:22 Has done all things well, is doing all things, and will yet do all things well in each of our lives, which we need to not only remember, but we also need to respond with awe, adoration, and especially appreciation. Well what are these four reminders about he has done all things well? Number one, he has done all things well in our creation, his creation. He has done all things well in our salvation. He is doing all things well today in your life and my life in our sanctification.

9:04 Our near future, or excuse me, he will do all things well in our near future glorification. Our Savior, the perfect, the precious Son of God, has, is, and will do all things well, and I hope we can say amen at the end of all this. Believe me, he's more wonderful than we can describe or comprehend. His creation is a reminder that he has done all things well. Would you look at Genesis chapter one for one momento?

9:59 I'll read the first verse. It says, In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. I want to make it very plain that the Trinity, all members of the Trinity were involved in creation, but God in His wisdom has given the Lord Jesus the preeminence that He is the creator in John chapter one, Colossians chapter one and Hebrews one. So God in his wisdom has given the Lord Jesus as a credit as our creator. So it says, in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth, and of course it lists all the things, the six days of creation, but we must especially note the last verse of this great chapter, after God rested it from six days of creation.

10:51 Verse 31, and God saw everything, everything that he had made, and behold, and notice his testimony, it was very good. It was very good. That's good enough for me. The wonder of God's immense creation, and three distinctive acts in his creations, three very special distinct acts in his creation, the heavens, the earth, and all that it contains, and last of all, you and I as man. God has done all things well, and we can say amen to that.

11:35 And unfortunately it wouldn't take too long in the Garden of Eden that the world's first couple would mar everything when they took a bite of that fruit. That everything would be marred. But until Adam and Eve fell in the garden, everything was perfect and God was well pleased. Everything was perfect. So we have the reminder that he did that in the beginning.

12:02 I'm still lost in awe of the wonder of creation, especially when I look at the heavens, the stars being innumerable. I took nine credit hours of astronomy, just as a little bit as a, I don't know, I guess just enjoy astronomy, and I just can't get over the awe of the heavens, And then you got the earth and all its creatures and everything else, you and I, you and I, that's the most exciting thing. Well, also have the reminder that he has done all things well in you and I. Would you turn to Psalm 119? How do we know this?

12:49 Psalm 119, it's a tremendous testimony spoken by David about himself, but by the way of application, it applies to you and I. David, in Psalm 119 verses 13 through 13, excuse me, I'm sorry, please forgive me, Psalm 139, forgive me. I've got my numbers mixed up, I'm glad I'm not a quarterback. Psalm 139, verses 13 through 16, please forgive me. This is a testimony of David about himself, but by the way of application, it applies to you and I.

13:35 Regardless of what you think about yourself, or how you feel about yourself, this applies to you and I. In Psalm 139 verse 13, David said, for thou hast possessed my reins, thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee, and I love this next statement, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made, marvelous are thy works, you're my creator, and that my soul knows right well. My substance was not hid from thee when I was made in secret and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance yet being on perfect, and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

14:34 If you were to look at Psalm 119 verse 71, the unknown writer says, Thy hands have made me and fashioned me. The wonder that our Lord Jesus, what a tremendous artist he is. What a tremendous, and I can't even think of all the words beside an artist, craftsman. What a tremendous craftsman he is, and especially when he made you and I. When he made you and I.

15:09 In all of God's wondrous creation, I will remind you, my brothers and sisters, that you and I are the crown jewel of all God's creation. The heavens are pretty awesome, the earth is pretty awesome in all its contents, but you and I are the crown jewel of our savior. He knew exactly what he was doing when he fashioned you in the womb, to be what you are today, to be what you are today. He knew exactly what you were doing. I'm lost in wonder, Ned.

15:47 You know, I want to ask you a question before I proceed here. I know we have young people in here, and I know we have some older people. When you get up in the morning and look in the mirror, what are your thoughts about yourself? Are you happy the way you presently look, or would you like to be maybe just a little bit different, like sometimes, well you know, Lord, I would like to be a little taller, or maybe you could give me blue eyes. I've always admired guys with black hair, I love to have black hair, I don't have it.

16:25 I lost a lot of my hair, but I love to have black hair, but the Lord in his wisdom chose not to give me black hair. But anyway, when you look in the mirror, whether you're young or old, do you have a tendency to be like the Proverbs? The eyes of man are never satisfied. Are you satisfied the way you look? I'm not talking about so much maybe our outward appearance.

16:48 Are you really satisfied to what you look like in the mirror? But think about this, when the Lord Jesus created you, he knew exactly what he was doing. And I want to remind you, my brothers and sisters, I don't know what you think of yourself, oh, you're one of a kind. I don't believe for a minute that God makes doubles, and I could back it up with some proof. I don't believe God makes doubles, so you're one of a kind, and you're very special, and you're very precious in the eyes of your creator, And I hope you can say, and shame on her if you don't, that you and I are fearfully and wonderfully made, even though we get a little bit disappointed what we might be like right now.

17:38 You and I are fearfully and wonderfully made. I believe it was in 1910 that Henry Ford had the privilege, or the credit, of starting the assembly line. Now since 1910, I couldn't come up with any figures of how many millions of cars have come out of Detroit since 1910, it'd be in the millions, But they all came from the same mold. They all come from the same mold. You and I don't come from the same mold.

18:14 You and I are unique, and we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Think about that. I hope you would think about that and give your creator and my creator the glory, even though we can be a little disappointed that you and I are fearfully and wonderfully made. Think about that and dwell upon that. Well, what should our response be to your creator and my creator?

18:44 I think it should be one of all adoration and especially appreciation, that you can say to your creator and my creator, thank you Lord that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Would you forgive me when I'm not happy with myself? Would you forgive me? Well, not only do we have the reminder that his creation is a reminder that he has done all things well, but the next one just thrills my soul to no end. Our salvation is a reminder that he has done all things well.

20:25 First Corinthians 15 verses three and four, Paul the writer. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for your sins, our sins, my sins, and notice the proof, according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he arose again the third day according to the scriptures. What I love about this particular two verses, there's three distinct events. There's three distinct events in these two little verses. Number one, we have the reminder that he died for us, that he died for us.

21:11 I cannot get over, I cannot get over that the Lord God Almighty, who became incarnate, that he would come into this world, that he would go to the cross for me, I can't get over that, But I'm extremely thankful that he did that. What about you? The Bible reminds us it's our sin that separates us from a holy God. All Adam and Eve did was just take a little bite of fruit, and that's why there's so many problems in this world, and problems in your life and my life, that's all they did. They didn't rob a bank, and all the sins that we can think of.

21:51 But I am so thankful that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and I can say with Paul that I'm one of the chief. I'm so thankful. What about you? That he left the glory of heaven to come down into this world and suffer. Suffer.

22:11 You know, we do know about suffering, which comes in three forms, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. But think of it all he endured for you and I, to save us from the lake of fire, to save us from the wrath of God, which I deserve, and you deserve. I'm so thankful that he died for you, he died for me, he died for everybody, bar none. The worst of the worst, the most vile, the most depraved, the most immoral, amoral, ungodly, and wicked, he died for all. He died for you.

22:45 He personally died for you and I. I'm lost in wonder at that. Now, the second distinct event was what do you do when someone dies? Well, you bury them. He was buried.

22:59 His burial was not a typical burial. Do we remember when the Pharisees and the religious leaders came to Pilate? They said, Lord, they said something like this, Lord, we remember that deceiver said that in three days he's going to rise again. How about sending some of your boys down, and we're going to seal the tomb, we're going to do all this, and make sure he doesn't rise from the dead? So his burial was very unique.

23:29 A Roman guard, a centurion, and in our terminology today, they would have been the special forces. Nobody was going to steal him from that tomb, they weren't going to break him out. And so if they were caught sleeping or something was to happen, they would all lose their lives. And I remember the words of Pilate, he said these words, he says, make it as sure as you can that he will not rise from the dead, make it as sure as you can. And then we have the culmination of all this, we have the reminder that he arose from the dead.

24:12 And please notice the proof. According to the scriptures, besides Peter and Mary and the other, there was over 500 witnesses. They saw him again. By the way, in a court of law, eyewitnesses carries the greatest weight. If you ever get in trouble and you get arrested, the first thing you're going do is look for eyewitnesses, aren't you?

25:25 But one of the best expressions of our salvation is found in hymn number 97 in your red hymn book. If you want to look at that, that's fine. I'm going to read you these words. I feel like these words best express what I could ever say to God. What I love about Hymn 97 and the Red Hymn book, it really goes into a fair amount of details about all that he endured for you and I, and I'm going to read these words.

25:57 Thou life of my life, blessed Jesus, thou death of the death that was mine. For me, for me was thy cross and thy anguish, thy love and thy sorrow divine. Thou suffered the cross and the torment that you might forever go free. A thousand, a thousand thanksgivings I bring blessed Savior to thee. Verse two.

26:30 For me, for me, one of the chiefest sinners in this world, thou hast borne the reproaches, the mockery, hate, and disdain, the blows and the spittings of sinners, the scourging, the shame, and the pain. To save me from bondage and judgment, Thou gladly hast suffered for me a thousand, a thousand thanksgivings. I bring blessed Savior to thee. O Lord, from my heart I do thank thee for all thou hast borne in my room, thine agony dying on solst alone in the darkness of doom, that that you in the glory of heaven forever and ever might be, a thousand, a thousand thanksgivings I bring savior to thee. I'm gonna ask you a question.

27:34 Besides the services on Sunday, when was the last time that you have personally thanked the Lord Jesus for all he endured for you? Do you love your salvation? I love his salvation. Do you love his salvation? Do we love his salvation?

27:52 How should we respond? I say the least, the very least we can do is with thanksgiving. One of my favorite verses in the Old Testament, even though it's not about the Gospel, is Psalm chapter 70, verse four. Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee, and let such, let such as love thy salvation, say continually, let God be magnified. Do you agree with that?

28:27 When you think about what Jesus did on the cross, do you agree with that? Let him be magnified. Lord, thank you. Please, let us not reserve Thanksgiving only for Sunday. Let us do it often for what he has done for you and I.

29:26 I love John seventeen seventeen. In this verse, we have the reminder that he has been, he still is, sanctifying you and I through what means? Through the word of God. Through the word of God. Thy word is truth, sanctify them, no, thy word is, what does it say now, forgot.

29:55 Lord, okay, yeah. Please forgive me, I'm having a senior moment. They are coming more often. Sanctify them through thy truth, I'm sorry, thy word is truth. Of all the books since the modern printing press began, I think, in 1490 by, and I can't remember who did it, Gutenberg, nice Alfteutsch name, Gutenberg.

30:27 Since Gutenberg has done that, and all the books that have rolled off the printing presses in this world, I just want to remind you, my brothers and sisters, none of them can compare to this book. For it's light, it's life, it's encouragement, it's strength, it's help. There's so many superlatives and adjectives. There's nothing like our Bible, and what it can do, when you and I pick up this book, make the effort, and hopefully we do this every day, we pick up this book and we at least read our Bibles, and somehow, supernaturally, it has what? A transforming, a sanctifying effect on our minds and our mouths in our lives, doesn't it?

31:18 And you can all attest to that. I know you can attest to that. I am so thankful for this book. I am so thankful for this book. What's your quiet time like?

31:29 What is your quiet time like? Are you reading your Bible? Do I read my Bible? Shame on us if we're not, because if we're not, it's not going to have any effect on you, is it? We need to invest.

31:44 We need to invest in this book daily, often, and read about what? The wonders of our blessed savior, how really wonderful he is. Are we doing that? Are we doing that? I like a quote by D.

31:59 L. Moody, and maybe it applies to somebody today, and sometimes it applies to me. This book will keep me from sin, or my sin will keep me from this book. So I don't know what your quiet time is like, but I hope you're having one. Because it has a sanctifying, a transforming effect on our thought lives, our words, our deeds, and why we do what we do.

32:27 That's the only book that's gonna change your life, is this book. We have the reminder that he has been, still is, sanctifying us through the trials of life. Trials of life or the knocks of life is something that we don't like to talk about, we don't like to think about, but there are some in this room right now that are going through some tough times. It could be physically, it could be emotionally, it could even be spiritually, but trials of life are just the way it is, that's what sin has done. That's what sin has done.

33:09 But these all have a purpose, they all have a purpose. Will you please look at Romans chapter eight and verses twenty eight and twenty nine? What is the purpose of trials in my life? What is the purpose of troubles? What is the purpose of tears?

33:27 We do shed tears from time to time. What is the purpose of all these things? Why does God allow these things to happen? Read the book of Job sometime and how he was perplexed. He was perplexed.

33:43 What is the summation of trials in my life today? Troubles, tears, temptation, what is the summation? Romans eight twenty eight and twenty nine. Paul writes, and we know that few things work together for good. I seem to have read that wrong, and we know that all things, things, notice the adjective of modifying things, all things work together, for what purpose?

34:22 For good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate. And what is the grand purpose of trials in your life and my life? What is the grand purpose? To be conformed to the image of his son.

34:44 That's a grand purpose. We may not like it, but that's the way it is. Do you think God knows what he's doing when it comes to his will for your life and my life? Do you think he knows what he's doing? Everything he does is perfect.

35:00 What's that verse in Isaiah? For my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts are higher than your thoughts. Our God, our savior, he knows exactly what he is doing and what he is allowing to happen. Now let me make, with one exception there, unless there's some grievous sin in your life and my life, what he has allowed to happen, he knows exactly what he's doing. He knows exactly what he is doing for what he allows.

35:33 One day it struck me that everything that God, except there's a sin, some grievous sin in my life, everything that he allows to happen in my own life is for my good, but is for his glory. It's for my good, it's for your good, but it's for his glory. I hope you can agree with that. Because whether you like it or not, it's gonna happen, it's gonna continue to happen, and we're going to be conformed to the image of his son. That's the purpose.

36:07 Displeased, like the one guy said, Lord, I believe, help me in my unbelief. What can I say? Accept it. From time to time, I look at the disciple's prayer, not my will, but your will be done today, In hard times as well as the good times. Not my will, but your will be done.

36:34 I hope you can say that. Not my will, but your will be done, because he knows what he's doing. I found a quote, I don't know who made it, it says, and I love this, it's very short, it's very precise, and it gets right to the point. The trials of life are not to make us bitter, it's to make us better. It's your response and my response is what our problem is, or how we're dealing with that, what is my attitude?

37:02 Lord, do you know what you're doing? Or, thank you, Lord, I trust you, I know what you're doing. The trials of life are not to make us bitter, they are to make us better. I love that hymn, love that hymn, O Christ, ye is a fountain, I'm gonna read a line from you, just thrills my soul, concerning his will for your life and my life. I think that's number 85 in the Red Hymn book.

37:31 He is our creator, and he is also all the events in our life. Emmanuel's Land, I'm sorry, is a wrong title. In Emmanuel's Land hymn, the second line says, and I just love this, I get lost in thought when I read these words about my life, With mercy and with judgment, my web of time he wove, and I the dews of sorrow were lustered with his love. I'll bless the hand that guided, I'll bless the heart that planned, when thrown where glory dwelleth in Emmanuel's land. Can you and I still bless our God for our current trials?

38:12 Can we still give thanks? Are we lost in awe? Are we lost in adoration? Are we lost in appreciation, even though we may not like it, of what he is doing today? Can we do that?

38:27 I hope we can. Well, not only do we have the reminder that he has done all things well in his creation, our salvation, he is presently doing all things well, my last one is our near future glorification is a reminder he will do all things well. Now I could have had a lot of thoughts on this one, so I tried to simplify it. We have the reminder that he has promised you and I glorified bodies. Philippians three twenty one.

39:47 This is an event that's gonna happen in your life and my life. Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. I'm lost in wonder at that, that someday I'm going to trade in this present shell, it's just a shell, for a better body. I'm excited about that. I'm excited about that because I'm not always happy what I see in the mirror.

40:28 And of course we put all the emphasis on the outside, it's the inside of what counts, but with my present shell, I like to trade it in for a glorified body. What about you? I like to trade it in. No more pain, no more temptations, no more troubles, no more bills, no more school. How many no mores can you name?

40:55 But the one I'm excited about in the presence of the Lord Jesus, there'll be no more presence of sin and no more power of sin. That's the one I'm really excited about besides the new body. Come quickly, Lord Jesus, come quickly. There's gonna be a whole lot of no mores, but I'm excited about that. Someday we're gonna trade these bodies in for a better one, and what a deal that's gonna be, what a deal.

41:20 And last of all, we have the reminder that he has promised to present us faultless to himself. Bible trivia, where is that found in the Bible? Jude chapter one, right? No, Jude twenty four and twenty five. A couple weeks ago I kept saying Jude chapter one, I got rebuked.

41:44 Jude chapter 24 and verse 25. I love this doxology, I love this doxology. Now unto him, this day that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory, notice the reaction of our Savior with exceeding joy, To the only wise God, our Savior, be what? Be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever, and amen. Do you agree with that?

42:30 Amen. Therefore seeing that we have these four reminders that he has done all things well in his creation, in our salvation, presently in our sanctification, and in our near future glorification. Let us respond daily, continually with awe, adoration, and appreciation of our Savior's perfect will and ways in each of our lives. May God help us. To respond with all adoration and appreciation.

43:38 What can I ask beside? Can I doubt his tender mercy, who through life has been my guide? Heavenly peace, divinest comfort, hereby faith in him to dwell, for I know whatever befall me. Can you finish the line, Jesus doeth all things well. That's our savior, that's my savior.

44:07 He's our creator, our savior, our blessed hope, our all in all. We got a lot to be thankful for. God help us. Our Father in heaven, thank you again for your precious son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for reminding us of his unsearchable greatness in this little bit of time.

44:32 His unsearchable greatness, especially expressed in these four reminders. He has done all things well when he created me and us, when he died on the cross to save us, what he is doing presently this very minute and tomorrow, and what he will do for us in the near future. Oh, to God be the glory. To God be the glory for all these things that he has, he is today, he will do all things well. All we can say is to God be the glory, and thank you, Lord Jesus.

45:10 We are lost again in all of you. God help us, our love for you would increase, and God help us, our appreciation of you would increase in this present evil world. God help us, and we ask this in Jesus' name, amen.