In this psalm, David writes as a sad and downhearted person. In fact, in verses 5 and 6, David says his "soul is cast down." We do not know exactly why David is downhearted, but he is probably going through some kind of difficulty or suffering. It is almost as though he feels that God is not there with him. He gives us the picture of a deer longingly looking for streams of water, panting, breathless and thirsty but not finding any water. 

Oftentimes, we find ourselves with the same types of feelings. When we face disappointments, struggles or obstacles in life, we often become sad and downhearted. And like a deer looking for water, we find ourselves looking for some kind of solution to our problem -- something that will make the situation better. 

It is during these desperate moments, when we realize that we need God and we long for Him. We search for Him because we know that He can satisfy our need. From these two verses, today, I would like to share with you three points from our passage today.

TEXT -- Isaiah 53:6: "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." 

Words are important. They can be used for good or for bad. We use them to communicate our thoughts, our feelings, and our desires. We could not function in this world without words. Bestselling author, Roy Williams, said "Words start wars and end them, create love and choke it, bring us to laughter and joy and tears. Words cause men and women to willingly risk their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor. Our world, as we know it, revolves on the power of words." 

There are many important words in the Bible. God used words to communicate his loving plans and desires for His creation. Today, I want to draw your attention to one little word that carries a great deal of importance. That word is the word "all". It occurs over 4,600 times in the English Bible. The word "all" means: "each, every, the whole, all things, or everything." 

Allow me to share with you four truths from the Bible that this little word communicates: 

1. First of all, the Bible tells us that all have sinned. 

2. Secondly, Jesus Christ paid for the sins of all the world.

3. Thirdly, the Bible lets us know that all people can be saved.

4. Fourth, today, the Bible tells us that God invites all people to be saved. 

TEXT -- John 8:31-32: "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." 

We all want freedom in our lives and in our society. Some of our greatest rights are described as freedoms -- freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom to choose how we want to live our lives. But perhaps, the most important area in which we want freedom is our personal lives. Many people desire freedom from addiction to drugs or alcohol, freedom from a cycle of abuse, freedom from negative relationships, or freedom from feelings of depression. 

People try all kinds of ways to set themselves free from the negative situations in their lives. People try counseling, therapy, religious rituals, yoga, meditation, and a whole range of other methods to set themselves free from personal and spiritual bondage. But the Scripture teaches us that the only truly free people in the world are those who have made Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior and who obey Him with all their heart. Jesus Christ said, "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" 

Allow me to share with you how Jesus Christ makes people free in every aspect of their lives. 

1. First of all, Christ frees people from the penalty of sin.

2. Secondly, Jesus Christ frees people from the power of Satan. 

3. Thirdly, Jesus Christ frees people from the pain of the world.

TEXT -- Matthew 7:13-14: "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." 

The Bible contains many wonderful words of hope, encouragement, instruction, and blessing for God's children. But because God is truthful and the Bible is a truthful book, it also contains words of judgment, condemnation, and punishment. In short, the Bible tells the good and the bad. In light of that, today, I want to share with you five sad truths that are found in the word of God. 

I. The first sad truth is that not everybody is going to be saved.

2. The second sad truth found in God's word is that more people will be lost than will be saved. 

3. The third sad truth found in the Bible is that many who are expecting to be saved will be lost.

4. The fourth sad truth is that no one will be saved after death.

5. The fifth sad truth is that this could be your last opportunity to be saved. 

TEXT -- Luke 12:15-21: "And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. And he spake 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 to my soul, Soul, thou hast 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 shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. 

We should not lightly call someone a fool. Jesus warned against this in Matthew 5:22 when He said, "whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire." But I believe it is safe for us to say that the man described in this passage was a fool, because God called him a fool. Today, I want to give you four reasons why God called this man a fool. 

1. First, this man was concerned only with things 

2. Second, this man thought things would satisfy his soul 

3. Third, this man planned for time and not eternity 

4. This man thought he had plenty of time 

+ Plus, listen to Hillsong singing "Worthy is the Lamb" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"

TEXT -- Luke 23:26-33: "And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus. And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him. But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck. Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us. For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry? And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death. And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left." 

This passage of Scripture from the book of Luke describes the most important event in history -- the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. This entire event can be summed up in one phrase from this passage. That phrase is found in verse 33 -- "there they crucified him." I want to focus on those four little words today and share with you what happened during the most important event in history. 

+ Plus, listen to Kathryn Scott singing "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"

TEXT -- 2 Corinthians 6:1-2: "We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)" 

During our last time together I shared with you the urgency of not waiting until tomorrow to give your life to Christ. This is such an important issue in the Word of God and there is more that we can learn from the Bible about not putting off this all-important decision. Let us look now at the tragic choices of three people who said "tomorrow!" 

TEXT -- 2 Corinthians 6:1-2: "We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)" 

Have you signed a contract with the devil that you will never be saved? Have you signed an agreement in which you faithfully and solemnly promised Satan that you would spend eternity in hell? Did you solemnly promise never to be saved? 

CERTAINLY YOU DID NOT! 

The devil has never asked any person to sign such an agreement. He will never ask a sinner to sign a contract never to be saved, or to promise to spend eternity in hell. Satan is too wise, too shrewd, too cunning, to do such a thing. He is a deceiver---but he is no fool. He is the destroyer, but he is not stupid! 

Satan is subtle and extremely wise. He can appear in many forms, but he most frequently appears as "an angel light". It is true that he walks about "as a roaring lion...seeking whom he may devour"; but he will take any form and use any method to lead a soul to hell! He never asks anyone to promise never to be saved. All he wants is--- 

ONE DAY AT A TIME 

Satan is content with one moment, one second, at a time, because life is so brief, it is compared to vapor or steam as it pours from the teakettle, or the early morning fog, which appears for a little moment and then vanishes. James 4:13-14 reads, "Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." 

The devil knows that if he can get you to put off salvation one day at a time, if he can get you to ignore one warning at a time, he will eventually claim you as his victim and will damn your soul in the lake of fire and brimstone! 

I am now giving you a message of WARNING concerning sin, death, judgment, and damnation, and in this message you will also be given the plan of salvation. 

TEXT -- I John 1:7: "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." 

During our previous time together, we saw how God used the whole Bible to speak to us about one simple but extremely important truth -- that "the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." 

There are three other important things that God wants us to know about the blood of Jesus Christ his Son. The first thing is that the Blood was promised. The second thing is that the Blood was provided. And the third thing is that the Blood is powerful. 

TEXT -- I John 1:7: "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." 

The most important thing you need to know is contained in this single verse -- "the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." This simple expression sums up the basic message of the Bible. 

Everyone who has ever taught or studied knows that the basic fundamental of teaching is repetition. No matter what the level of education is, repetition is key to learning anything well. 

The fact that "the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin" is something that God wants us to know very well. It is so important, that it is repeated in various ways throughout the Scripture many times. Today, let's look closely at the importance of this truth. 

TEXT -- Matthew 9:27-30: "And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us. And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it." 

Thankfully, Jesus healed many blind people during his ministry on earth. But did you know that blindness in the Bible is also a metaphor for a person's spiritual condition when he or she is without Jesus Christ? Second Corinthians 4:3-4 says, "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." The "god of this world" is the devil who blinds people to the light of the Gospel of Christ. 

In this story of two blind men who seek Christ, I want us to consider several things which took place physically that also apply spiritually to those who need Christ. 

1. First, I want you to notice that these blind men were earnest. 

2. Second, I want you to notice that these blind men were persistent. 

3. Third, notice that these men had a definite object in their quest. 

4. Fourth, we see that these blind men confessed their own unworthiness. 

My friend, you may be in a state of spiritual blindness today. You may still be bound by sin. If you are, then you are on your way to hell. The Bible says in Revelation 21:8, "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." 

Jesus Christ is asking you the same question that he asked the blind men. Do you believe that He is able to save you? Hebrews 7:25 says, "He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him (Jesus Christ)." The Bible says that Jesus can save you. Many millions of people have trusted Jesus to save them. I know Jesus can save you because He saved me. The question is, Do you believe He can save you? 

Everything depends on the answer to that question. When Jesus asked these blind men this question, they said, "Yea, Lord!" They said, "Yes, Jesus, we believe you can heal us of our blindness." And then the Bible tells us that Jesus "touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. And their eyes were opened..." 

TEXT -- Ephesians 2:8-9: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." 

Currently, we are addressing the topic of how man is saved by God's grace alone through faith alone as stated in the Bible. During our last time together, we saw three reasons why man cannot save himself. Man cannot save himself because of who he is. Man cannot save himself because of what he can do. And man cannot save himself because of how he feels. 

Today, let's turn our attention back to Scripture and look closely at Ephesians 2:8-9. Verse eight says, "for by grace are ye saved..." What is grace? Grace is defined as "good will, loving-kindness or favour." Biblically-speaking, grace is "the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues." 

Providing grace is the part of salvation that God must do. And God has already done his part. God showed his grace by sending His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins. Titus 2:11 says, "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men." When Jesus Christ hung on the cross, that was God's grace put on display for all the world to see. 

Now, it is man's turn to make a move. In other words, by displaying His grace, God put the ball in man's court. Now, man has to act on the grace that God has provided. What is man's role. Verse eight says, "For by (God's) grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." God provided his grace because of his goodwill and loving-kindness, now we must have faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. We must receive the free gift of salvation that comes from Christ's death. 

TEXT -- Ephesians 2:8-9: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." 

If you could gather in one great assembly a representative of every religion in the world and spend thousands of hours discussing the question, "How can man be saved?" you would only end up with two doctrines regarding salvation. One, that God saves man. And two, that man saves himself. As we see from God's Word today, the Bible teaches that God saves man by grace alone through faith alone. I want to point out to you today, three reasons why man cannot save himself. 

I. Man is not saved because of what he is.

II. Secondly, man is not saved because of what he does.

III. Thirdly, man is not saved because of what he feels. 

Right now, my friend, you can stop trying to get to Heaven on you own and take advantage of the grace that God is offering you. The Bible says in John 3:16, "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." 

TEXT: Ephesians 1:3-7 -- "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." 

Yesterday, we saw several ways that God's forgiveness is NOT given out. Today, first of all, I want you to notice, the only way that God's forgiveness IS given out is -- FREELY! It is so simple, you might not get it. God's forgiveness is given out FREELY! You don't pay for it. You don't work for it. You don't do anything at all for it. 

God's fists are not clenched tightly over the supply of forgiveness; but He gives it out freely by His grace. Romans 5:20 says, "But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." No matter what your sins are, God has forgiveness enough for you. 

You see, God is infinite. He is not limited by space, time, matter, ability or anything else. If I got ten billion dollars from God tomorrow, that doesn't mean that God would have any less money than He did when He gave some to me. And if he forgave the most wicked sinner of the most wicked sin, that does not mean that He has any less forgiveness available than what He had before. He is infinite. And His forgiveness is measureless. 

Now, you might be saying, 'You've told me a lot about how wonderful this forgiveness is. How do I get this forgiveness from God?' Let's take a look back at verse seven. The verse says, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins..." 

Notice the word "whom". This shows us that the forgiveness comes through a Person. Who is that Person? That person is Jesus Christ. Forgiveness of sins comes to us entirely through Jesus Christ. It does not come through the church, through a priest, or through a ritual. It comes through Christ. 

TEXT: Ephesians 1:3-7 -- "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace" 

I want to draw your attention today to verse seven of our passage. Paul is writing this letter to the Ephesians to encourage them in their personal faith. And in this, the beginning of his letter, he mentions the "forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." And that is what I want to focus on in our time together today. At some time in our lives, we all need forgiveness from others, and most of all, we need forgiveness from God because we are all sinners. Let's look at five aspects that show us the greatness of God's forgiveness. 

1. First of all we see that God's forgiveness is not according to the character of the offender. 

2. The second thing we notice is that God's forgiveness is not according to our sins. 

3. The third thing we notice is that God's forgiveness is not limited by time. 

4. The fourth thing we notice is that God's forgiveness is not given according to our remorse for our sins. 

5. The fifth thing we notice is that God's forgiveness is not according to the strength of one's faith.