The Saved Jew Blesses His Merciful God — Willie Mullan

Six hundred and sixty-one, please. Six one, my times are in my hand, my God, I wish them there, my life, my friend, my soul, I leave entirely to thy care. Six hundred and sixty-one, please. And that's the first chapter, and this is number three you can sing by the notes handed to you.

Peter’s Jewish Believers and Their Spiritual Blessings

And we're looking up verses three, four, and five this evening. First Peter, verses three, four, and five. Those of you who have been attending the class of these lectures from Peter, you remember that on the first night we just looked at Peter himself.

And what a wonderful, what a unique, and yet what a humble sheriff he, this great man of God, was. Last week we not only looked at Peter, but we looked up the people Peter was writing to. He was writing to Jews scattered throughout Pontus and Cappadocia and Asia, all out through Asia Minor.

And this was the great apostle of the Jews, writing to these Jewish believers. And you remember he said that they were elect according to the full knowledge of God the Father, and we went into that just a little bit last Tuesday.

And we see that their election, because God elected them before the world began, it was substantiated by the sanctification of the Spirit. Yes, the Spirit came and set them apart for God down here on the earth through the preaching of the gospel, of course.

And then the practical effect of all this was that they were sanctified through the Spirit onto the obedience of Christ. And that was a great point because we were looking then directly at Christ's own personal obedience.

And Christ's obedience is always the standard for us before men. And when we obey as He obeyed, then this world is bound to take knowledge that we have been with Jesus. Because this election worked out through the sanctification onto the obedience of Christ, of this also with it, because they were sanctified of the Spirit onto obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus.

You see, the obedience of Christ is our standard before men. Under the blood is our state before God. That is different. God always sings up through the blood. We are sprinkled with the blood. And bless God, the blood shall never lose its power, we'll learn this evening.

For then the ransom post is safe to send them off. And I want you to think tonight as we start our little portion, I want you to think of this great sanctified Spirit-filled Christian man sitting with a pen in his hand.

I want you to try to sing his rapunzel. Try to imagine just what the great apostle Peter was like. Probably he had a long black beard, if I'm getting the picture right. And you know, he's sitting and he's being moved by the Spirit of God.

And he's about to write many blessings that belong to believers. And as they go through his mind, I've noted them down for you. Lots of pride, mercy, and new birth bestowed. And a living hope. Captively in hope, I've called it.

Aiming for nocturnal inheritance. And a faith that's empowered by God that will take us right to the end of the journey. And you know, as he sits with the pen in his hand, and he's beginning to enumerate these great blessings that belong to every believer, you know, his heart is so filled and touched and moved, that first of all, it overflows.

And he says, He's a proud and proud of our Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, who has blessed us. You know, he's just letting his heart flow, and he's praising the Lord. And you notice that I've called the portion this evening, A saved Jew blesses his merciful God.

Because we're going to learn a lot about abundant mercy this evening. And this is a saved Jew blessing his merciful God. Again, following on this exclamation of devotional praise, you find a merciful God's blessings for saved Jews.

All these many blessings, all crammed together in these three little verses. We've got to underline and take time with each one of them this evening. So when I say, this is a saved Jew blessing his merciful God, and this is the merciful God blessing for saved Jews, I want you to get this into your mind, that in the Church of Jesus Christ, there is neither Jew nor Gentile.

You know, these blessings are ours. And we too should be blessing God for them. Yes, these are ours. But you know, this is very wonderful how he pours out his heart here. I've called it Peter's praise.

See how it comes out in the floor. Blessed. You know, that's a rather special, unique Greek word. That's the Greek word that we get our English word eulogized from. The Greek word. And it means eulogized.

And eulogized means to praise and exalt and step in a high place. And you know, this is what Peter is doing in the depths of his soul. He's exalting the Lord. He's praising his name. He's blessing the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And you know, this is a great exercise. Because this is what David did when his heart was worn. Let's go back to Psalm 103 for a moment. Psalm 103. Oh, I think that every believer should get this into his heart and really put it there so that you can quote it at any time.

And I'll just tweet it and you try to get to hold it. David is saying, bless the Lord. All my soul. And all that is within me. Bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and forget not all his benefits.

He's just pouring out his heart. Just the very same way as Peter was doing. And then he begins to number the blessings too. To forgive us all thine iniquities. Is that true or is it not? So you need to wait till the end of the day to get forgiveness.

It's not a bit of you. Paul talks in this book about we have the forgiveness of sins. He doesn't talk about blessed is the man whose sin is covered, whose transgressions are forgiven. Oh yes, this is wonderful.

You know, it's the pill when you know that every stain, every black, ugly, evil, dirty, filthy sin has been forgiven. God has brought it out, all transgressions. None is tempted to praise the Lord for.

Yes, you can bless his name. Oh forgive us all thine iniquities. Oh heal us. And the word heal us there in the Hebrew tense, it's in a special tense. And it means who will eventually heal all thy diseases, and that will come to pass.

Oh, this old body is not redeemed. Yes, it's going to be redeemed. I was at the Royal Hospital today and went through a whole lot of sick. Yes. Then in the streets, by and by, every pain will be gone.

No more pain. No more sorrow. No more fear. Oh, this great God of ours is going to finish the job, and he will eventually heal all our diseases. One, you can bless God for that. In blessing God again, who redeems thy life from destruction.

Redemption and God’s Goodness

Oh, what an exhibition we had on Sunday nights here. You know, I had another character up here with me, and eighteen years ago, I led him to the Lord. He was a drunkard. Don't know, hadn't a boot on his foot when I met him.

And here were two of us on the platform, you know. And my dear friends, if the Lord hadn't come in when he did, where would we have been tonight? I could tell you where I would have been and where he would have been too, in hell.

But the Lord redeemed us this time. Oh, bless God every day for us. Bless God I'm not in the pub tonight. Bless God I'm not worried about many things tonight. Yes, I would have been destroyed. Yes, he is counting his blessings.

The grace poured in the middle of the verse, the crown of thee with loving kindness. He's done that to me all my life. And for some reason, the message that I've heard of being very candid about it. God's been good to me.

I couldn't deserve it, but he was. Who satisfies thy mouth with good things? All the things that God has given me to chew over in this book. And it's been wonderful. See what David's doing, did what Peter did.

He's numbered the blessings and then poured out his heart. Bless God. And you know, this is something that we should learn to do. I don't think there's enough of it. He's got a great big praying child in this church, and bless God for every one of them.

Sometimes I think we miss the mark, because we don't praise the Lord enough. And we ought to thank the Lord. Some of the young ones come to me and say, I can't praise, can you not now, I say. Well, just stand up and shut your eyes and thank God for all the things you know you have.

Couldn't you shut your eyes and say, thank you, I'm saved. Thank you for tending crops. Thank you for the work of the crops. Thank you for coming and finding me and lifting me. My neck has grown all nice.

But I'm no bother at all. And we don't praise the Lord enough. We want to do fancy prayers, do we? Stop thanking the Lord, do you see, or you'll get your mouth opened. Oh, you'll get it opened, all right.

Plenty to go on with. You'll have to stop your mind. Yes, do you see Psalm 107? Have a look at that, you know. Watch the psalmistry, just watch them. Verse 1. All give thanks unto the Lord for He is good, for His mercy endures forever.

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy, gathered them out of the land from the east, from the west, from the north, from the south. They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way.

They found no cities as well. And hungry and thirsty, their souls fainted in them. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses. He led them forth by the right way that they might go to a city of habitation.

Here's the thing. Oh, that man would praise the Lord for His goodness. That's the lesson we need to learn. You don't number the blessings in your mind. You don't roll them under your tongue like a sweet mushroom.

Don't be ready to cut them off in a string. Oh, remember where they came from. Bless the Lord, man. Bless the Lord. Learn to bless the Lord with everything that is within. Oh, that man would praise the Lord for His goodness.

That's what David did. That's what Peter did. That's what Paul did. That's what Peter did. Yes, just skip back and just see it. That's what our teacher did, isn't it? He was thinking about all these blessings that they're going to think upon.

He said, Bless the Lord. Be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. And I took time to put another note in there, in notable names. You know, I think this is really silly. He's looking up, you know, and his whole soul is overflowing because of the blessings of God and His kind blessings.

And then he gets this sort of thing. Be the God and Father. What a wonderful name that is, you know. When we were going through Genesis, and I dare not even think of starting it tonight, and yet I'm going to do, we notice the names of God in Genesis.

You remember where they all are, don't you? Well, in the first chapter, it is the word God. In the beginning, God. That is the Hebrew word Elohim. When you come to the second chapter, the name changes because it is the Lord God.

And in the third chapter, it is the Lord God. And Adam heard the voice of the Lord God in the cool of the day. Changed, you know. That is another name for God. He's not only Elohim. He's Jehovah Elohim.

And when you come to the fourth chapter, it's just Jehovah, the Lord. Sometimes He's God. Sometimes He's the Lord God. Sometimes He's the Lord. You see the names, wonderful names. Then you get the Almighty God.

Then you get the everlasting God. Then you get the Most High God. Then you get the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jesus. Oh, I can go on for dozens more, you know. But you know Peter has got the hold of something here.

He's calling Him the God of power. Oh, they never did it like that in the Old Testament. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though I like the way Peter, who knew our Lord Jesus so well, I like the way he says, Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Some of the wee fellows around here just call Him Jesus. Well, stop it. He happens to be Our Lord Jesus Christ. That's what it happens to be for you. There's a special sense when the word Jesus is used.

Like we'll use it on Sunday morning. When you see Jesus, it's a special sense. You know, God is the Father of our Lord Jesus and the God and Father of our Lord Jesus are the servant of God in a special sense.

Because He is our God and Father. Ah, but in another sense altogether. Oh yes. Let's go to John's Gospel to see if we can get anything out of that. John's Gospel, chapter 20, isn't it? And this is resurrection morning.

And Mary is at the tomb. And you remember this, how the Lord came and spoke to her. Let's read the story, verse 11. But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping. As she wept, she stooped down and looked into the sepulchre.

There's two angels in white city. The one at the head and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus hardly in for the rest of life. Hardly in for the rest of life. Do you get the sense? Because they don't know what to tell them when they come to the door.

Glory to Jesus! Yes, that's where it's hardly in, but it's not there now. They don't believe in the bodily resurrection. Well, I can tell you they do here. But the angels were at the head and the feet where the body of Jesus had laid.

That's why I know the angels never belong to the Baptist. Because if the angels had been Baptist, they would have been frightened for who was at the head and who was at the feet. And that's how I know they don't belong to the Baptist.

Verse 13. And they say unto her, Woman, why we pissed thine? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord. Do you know she had this nonsense in her mind? Nobody took Him away. I don't know why she got it.

But she had it in her mind. That was the conclusion. Because women do those sorts of things, you know. I'd better go on. I'll get into trouble. When the explosion went last night, it wasn't dangerous, was it?

It nearly lifted me out of the bed. And I looked at her face. She tells me every morning, I never slept a wink last night. I was out in the street in my top shorts for about two hours and a half. And when I went back in again, she was still swollen.

Never knew a thing about it. Yes. Oh, I'll get into trouble with the women before the night's over. Oh well. Verse 14. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back and thought, Jesus Stanley, and knew not that it was Jesus.

Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why we pissed thine? Whom seekest thou? She, supposedly, Yes, this is another idea she's got. Supposing him to be the gardener. You know, the dreadful things we all do. We jump to conclusions.

And we suppose this, and that, and the other. We get ourselves in the middle, you know. She, supposing him to be the gardener, said unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence. You know, she was so excited she didn't tell the gardener who he was.

She says, if thou have borne him hence. Just as if the gardener should have known who she was talking about. You can see she's really excited. Tell me where thou hast laid him. And I will take him away.

And the Lord just said one word. He just said, Me. Easy. And nobody could say it just like that. You know, this was the Lord's message. And it was the Lord's special message. Because it was just for one person.

It was just for me. I'll tell you this. If you want a wee message from the Lord for yourself, you'll have to get up early in the morning and go and see him. And even you are a woman who gets excited and puzzled.

You meet him, you know, at the point where you meet him. He'll have a message for you. And I'll tell you this. One word dried her tears. Just poured her tears. Lifted her crown. Took away her burden. One word just like that.

It was a revival word. Oh, the Lord could do a lot for her. Get up a bit and go and look for her. Yes. He said, Mary. She turned herself and stepped up to him. Robert. She knew it was a man. She herself unto her, touch me not.

She was just going to get the hold of him. For I am not yet ascended to my father. But go to my brethren and say unto them, I ascend unto my father and your father and to my God and to your God. And she get the hold of that man.

Because it didn't say, I ascend unto our father and our God. No, he didn't, you know. He just said, I ascend unto my God and your God. My father, your father. Because there is a difference, you know. There is a great difference.

And Peter knew the difference. You know, when we get an experience of God and the Holy Spirit enters into us, you know, we can say, Oh, Father, which art in heaven, in a way we could never do it before.

Ah, but that's only a personal experience. The Lord Jesus Christ was talking about something that was eternal. Yes, He was all, we say, Father. When He's talking in John 17 and praying, He looks His eyes and says, Father, give me the glory which I had with Thee that bore the foundation of the world.

Oh, yes, the Father and the Son were there then, which I had with Thee for the woman's book. I with Thee. Yes. Oh, yes, Peter got the sense of it. He says, Blessed be the God and Father. Oh, he got that right off.

He was a great guy. And I don't only like that bit, but I like the other bit. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. You know, I could give you a lecture now for about an hour.

On all the names that Peter had for Christ.

Oh, you young preachers, you're looking for material. All right, go and search it out. There's plenty of it. Now, start you off. I can't wait for you to start you off. Acts chapter 3. I mustn't do too much of this now.

I'm only sort of whetting the appetite of the young preachers now. You just take all the Acts of the Apostles where you find Peter preaching, and then take these two epistles of Peter and find out all the names that Peter has for our Lord Jesus Christ, and you'll be thrilled.

Now, here's chapter 3, the Acts of the Apostles. And Peter is preaching to a great crowd. Verse 12, the same time. When Peter saw it, he answered unto the people. You may not ask, well, why marvel ye at this?

Why look ye so earnestly on us? As though by our own power, our holiness, we had made this man to walk, because he had made the man to walk at the beautiful gate of the temple. The God of Abraham and Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his son Jesus, who he delivered up and denied him in the presence of Pilate when he was determined to let him go.

But ye denied the Holy One and the just, see verse 15, and killed the Prince of Life. See these lovely words he has? He calls our Lord Jesus the Holy One. He calls him the Just. He calls him the Prince of Life.

When he was preaching in the house of Cornelius, see chapter 10, I did this on Sunday night, so I mustn't do too much of it now. Peter came to the house of Cornelius. Verse 34, Then Peter opened his mouth and said, Of a truth I perceive that God has no respect for the persons, but in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him.

The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ. He is Lord of all. And I said that Peter was preaching Christ as the peace-giving Lord. Oh, what a lovely thing. Yes, preaching peace by the one who is Lord of all.

And then he said, verse 38, How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power. And I like to get the hold of this, because this is one of these special senses. He's not only saying that our Lord Jesus Christ is the peace-giving Lord, but he was the Spirit-filled Jesus.

Spirit-filled Jesus of Nazareth. When he was here on the earth. And then you'll notice that in verse 42 Peter said, He commanded us to preach unto the people and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the judge of quickened death.

You'll find out as you go through these sermons of Peter, these teachings. He's got some great statements. Let's go to 1 Peter again. On to 2nd chapter. 1 Peter, 2nd chapter. Here's the very lovely one at the end of the 2nd chapter.

Talking to these believers, He where our sheep gone astray, but are now returned unto the shepherd and bishop of your souls. Oh, how he can get the hold of it. Now take these letters and go through them.

See how he ends the first letter. The second letter. Second letter, almost his last word. Verse 18. But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And I'm telling you that I've missed a whole lot of them for your benefit.

You just go back and get them. I like these notable names. You know, as Peter's heart overflows with praise. Out come these very notable names. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. I think that was very wonderful.

Abundant Mercy and the New Birth

And now that he's got this part of his opened and he's blessing God, he's praising his name, then he starts to number the blessings. Now let's get into that now. We're back at 1 Peter 1 verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy.

You know, Peter was a great preacher. I do also think this man speaks because he gives so much. And you know, the adjectives are not just put there to make lovely sentences. He's really filled with the abundant mercy of God.

You know, I think this is something that every young preacher wants to get the hold of. Now, I'm after you young preachers now. So for some it's good news because it will do you good too. I think that if you get the mercy of God into its right perspective, you're going to be a preacher that will be of some use to God.

So what's we doing for you? Let's have a look at Paul's letter to the Ephesians. Ephesians, and we're at chapter 2. And Paul writing in this letter to the Ephesians, he's reminding these believers of death, that there was a time when they were without Christ when he came to them first.

Verse 12 he says,. But at that time ye were without Christ. You know, these foots were desolate. And there might be somebody in this meeting tonight sitting here with a Bible open and willing to come, and glad to come.

And dear sir, you're on the seat and you're without Christ. You have no savior. Which you gave your last time where you said you would go to hell. You're desolate. And he not only reminds them that they were desolate.

Do you see verse 1 of chapter 2? He says,. And you have be quickened who were dead. They were not only spiritually desolate, they were spiritually dead. See verse 2,. Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, that's the devil, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.

You know, they were not only desolate and dead, they were dominated by the devil. Such a foot living like that is theirs. Yet desolate, no savior. Spiritually dead, they don't know a thing about spiritual things.

And the old devil is working in their lives. They're dominated by the prince of the power of the air. Once again, see verse 3,. Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the darkness of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind.

They were not only desolate and dead, and dominated by the devil, they were defiled by flesh. Oh, what a pit to be in. You know what God's doing? He's piecing a horrible pit, that's what he's doing. When you're way down in there, you're desolate, spiritually dead, dominated by the devil, defiled by the flesh day after day.

And then one phrase he put in there at the end of verse 3,. And where by nature the children of wrath, they were almost damned. By nature, you know. The little babies born into this world, you know. Tiny little thing with dimples.

Inside that little baby's body is a thing called sin. And by nature, it's condemned already. By nature. Yes. I want you to get this. That not only were they desolate, and dead, and dominated by the devil, and defiled by flesh, and doomed by nature.

But it says this,. But, but God, who is rich in mercy. Did you get that? Because that's how God comes along to save folks. You know, you're having the thing within your breath to commend God. If he doesn't trust me in mercy, and because he's rich in mercy.

Let me tell you this, you can check the Bible as long as you like, but this is the only thing you'll find that God is rich in. All our talks about the rich, his art, his grace, I know all about that. But that's different.

This is something that it says God is rich in. God, who is rich in mercy. You know, you can hardly think of God being rich. And the cold, and the sober, and this, the carry on, and everything else. How can you say that God is rich?

Well, here is the one thing that God is rich in. He's rich in mercy. And if he hadn't been rich in mercy, not one of us would have been saved. Don't you understand? You know, Paul put this clear when he talked to Titus.

Let's have a look at Titus. And it's the third chapter. Paul's message to Titus. Chapter three. And I think Titus, he said, in chapter three, verse one, he says, put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers.

Talking to Titus to talk to believers to put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers. To obey magistrates. To be ready to every good work. To speak evil of no man. To be no brawlers. But gentle.

Showing all meekness unto all men. For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish. He's a man but when he played the fool. Disobedient. Deceived. Serving divers lusts and pleasures. Living in malice and envy.

Hateful and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared. Not by works of righteousness which we have done. But according to his mercy he saved us. Who taught you that you got saved by works?

Who taught you that? Ah, that Roman nonsense. That's what that is. Who taught you that? Because you weren't reading his book. You've never been saved by your works. It's only the mercy of God that's useful.

That God has to be rich in mercy to do a thing. He has not by works of righteousness which we have done. But according to his mercy he saved us. Ah yes, you know, we've got to get this correct, you know.

We must see this. That if God is going to save somebody in this meeting next Sunday night, it's not Mr. Moran's preaching that's going to do it. You can get that right flat now because I've learned that a long time ago.

And it's not the Baptist's fault. And the sooner we learn it the better. And the sooner you young preachers learn it the better. Because if you think you're going to do it, you'll be a long time before you see it.

It's just one look. Oh, it's the mercy of God. And I've learned to look for the mercy of God coming to these meetings. And it's the mercy of God that saves sunken sinners who are in the horrible pit. And I'll tell you this.

It's the abundant mercy of God that gives a new birth. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy has begotten us. That is how we get saved. Did you think it was your tie or your hair?

Because your tie or your hair won't work. No, it's the abundant mercy and the richness of it all. You know, it's just because God is rich in mercy that he gives comforts. And it's through the abundant mercy of God that man is born again.

But we'll come to that in a moment. You have to repent. Oh, yes, some of us are like Lot, you know, we get away back again. Way down to Sodom. That's where he was found. He was a righteous man. And he vested righteousness all day after day in Sodom.

Oh, backslider in the world. I'll tell you how he was restored. Have a look at Genesis 19. Genesis chapter 19. Don't you know he's in this horrible city? And the angel came and took him by the hand and took him out.

And he said, verse 19, Behold now, thy presence hath found grace in my sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast showed unto me in saving my life. I'll tell you how he was restored. I'll tell you this, you know.

Only the God who is rich in mercy can move poor sinners. And only abundant mercy can give them new life. Every type of mercy can restore backsliders. Oh, I'll tell you this, we need to learn a whole lot about the mercy of God.

It'll take a sharp set of youth. You'll find that you're not so big a sinner as you think you are. And I think if we learn this, we'll get on better with the priesthood. Because it's all of the mercy of God.

Yes. But I want you to get this. It's not only this multiplied mercy that's one of the blessings here. I want you to see the exact wording. Peter is saying, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us.

You know, this begotten is being born again. And I want you to get this, you know. Because this is another subject that we need to tie up with the mercy of God. Now, this is the Father's abundant mercy.

Of course, that's how you get born again. But I'll tie it all in in a moment. Now, I want you to see this bit. It's got the John Gospel. And it's the first chapter. John Gospel, chapter 1. And speaking of our Lord Jesus Christ, verse 10 says, He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believed on his name, which were born. How do you get born again?

You get born again by receiving Christ. Now, that's the Christward side of it. I want you to get that into your mind. You get born again because of the Father's mercy. You get born again because you received Christ.

You must wait that you cannot be born again. See what it says there. It says, but as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believed on his name, which were born, not of blood.

You see, just because your father's a Christian and your mother's a Christian, it doesn't mean that salvation runs in their veins. You cannot be born of blood, not born again of blood. And it says, which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh.

You just can't make up your own mind, you know, and say I'll be born again. Not to deceive you. Friend, if it was left for you to make up your mind, you would never make up your mind. It will take God to come and give mercy to you man.