May it please God to bless us
together this evening as we meditate in his word. Now let's turn to
the book of the Proverbs, chapter 18, and we'll read verse 10. The book of the Proverbs, chapter
18, and reading verse 10. The name of the Lord is a strong
tower. the righteous runneth into it
and is safe the truth of God's word is there
is only one place of safety we like to think perhaps of being
safe don't we, we like being Think of being safe in our houses,
safe in our journeys, and safe in what we do. But the most important
thing is for us to know that we are safe in the arms of Jesus. That's the greatest safety that
we can be privileged and favoured to know and to understand and
to believe in and to rejoice in and if we therefore are confident
of that wonderful blessing it will only be because of God's
grace to warn us but it is something that we should desire to recognize
and to realize in our spiritual life that there is this safety
in Jesus and that we desire to know the comfort of it because
it is a very comforting truth to know that our souls are eternally
safe well here we have in these words in this book of the Proverbs
this statement to encourage us in this position where we read
The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous runneth
into it and is safe. And really what we have here
is a broad word because the name of the Lord is a very comprehensive
and a very far-reaching word. And it encompasses really everything
that you and I can want or can need. We know, and I hope we
know, the lord is the king of kings and the lord of lords the
lord is a great and precious savior the lord is a great and
glorious rock the lord is a priest well we have so many situations
and uh... we know that um... He is also
a brother born for adversity. We know he is a friend. Well, what many, many descriptions
there are surely of this one, the Lord. And so, as we ponder
such a statement, the name of the Lord, and whatever form that
may take in our lives, at the present time and I believe as
you and I travel through life we will come into various scenes,
various situations where the Lord will be needful, Lord will
be precious in so many of his virtues and so many of the words
that describe our great and glorious God well the name of the Lord
then what is it? we're told it is a strong tower
now then why does someone need a strong tower? well perhaps
more so in days past it was a place of refuge a place where people
could escape to and once they were inside the tower especially
if it was built of stone it was very difficult to actually assail
it and difficult to get inside it and generally speaking it
was a safe place well the name of the Lord to God's people is
a strong tower, it's not a weak tower it's a strong tower and
therefore it's a place of safety and to therefore be found in
that strong tower that means really abiding in Christ what
a safe and what a strong place it is and I suppose it really
indicates to us closeness to the Saviour you know by virtue
of a tower they weren't very large on plan but nonetheless
they were secure but the Lord Jesus Christ is indeed a great
and glorious strong tower to his church and therefore to know
the safety in Christ is to be found in Christ and not outside
of Christ and if we are found in Christ it's because we have
the evidence of what he has done for us so that he hasn't passed
us by he hasn't left us on one side he's heard our cry and he's
been that one who's taken notice of us remember that blind man
Bartimaeus what did he do he cried out he wanted to come to
this strong tower the Lord Jesus Christ he knew that there was
healing power in the Savior he needed He needed to be blessed
with sight. That may be, in a spiritual sense,
the same with us. We may perhaps feel to be blind. Now, it's a good thing to feel
to be blind. You may say, well, I don't think
it is. Well, a true believer comes to
that position where they feel to be blind and they want to
see. they want to be blessed with
spiritual sight and therefore they will cry out and like Bartimaeus
did but they might come and they might come to Jesus and he cried
out didn't he very simply, Jesus thou son of David have mercy
upon me now he didn't come saying I'm a good character and I deserve
to have my sight granted to me, not at all He recognized that
there was that one thing he needed and that was mercy. Now the true
child of God will realize they need mercy. They may feel to
be blind and they may feel they haven't really any spiritual
sight. But it's a good thing to not
pretend we have a spiritual sight when we don't have a spiritual
sight. It's a good thing to seek for that spiritual sight. And
here was blind Bartimaeus crying out, Jesus, have mercy upon me. Well, the Lord didn't pass him
by. The Lord didn't ignore him. He didn't come to him and call
him immediately. And we should never give up in
our prayers to our God. We should never think, well,
there's no point in crying or praying anymore. God won't hear
me. The name of the Lord is a strong
tower. He's that one that you and I
need to come to. He's that one that we need to
be found inside. He's that one that we need to
come to And to hear his voice speaking to us, well, we know
the result that the Lord did call Bartimaeus. And he did come
to the Savior. Yes, and he wasn't encouraged
to, but he did nonetheless. And what did the Lord give him?
He restored his sight. Well, you and I need spiritual
sight. And therefore, what a favour
it would be if we come like this, crying out, to come to this strong
tower. The name of the Lord is a strong
tower. We may feel, therefore, that
we're not seen clearly. We may feel perhaps that we're
out of the secret. We may feel perhaps there's no
hope for us. Well, we should never give up. The Word of God gives us no encouragement
to give up. The Word of God gives us every
encouragement to press on, and to press on because of this knowledge
of the Lord, who is so great, and so glorious, and so wonderful,
and so powerful. and as the Lord may bring us
to himself, and as we may be able to come to this strong tower,
and to find that safety in Christ, what would it be? Well, the hymn
writer tells us, a refuge for sinners. The gospel makes known,
it is found in the merits of Jesus alone. That will be a strong
tower. That'll be a place of safety.
That'll be a place of blessing, to know that the Lord Jesus is
all that you and I need. He is the one thing needful.
And if the Holy Spirit shows us how suitable He is, you know,
in this tower, in Christ, what a time of blessing there is because
how suitable Christ is now the favour is the Lord knows all
about us He knows about you, He knows about me He knows our
innermost thoughts perhaps our faint thoughts He knows our innermost
desires they may not be very strong, they may be perhaps rather
weak desires But if we have a true desire, if we have a true concern,
how is it we possess it? It's because God has brought
us indeed into this strong tower. Now, once we're in Christ, the
devil will do all he can to destroy our safety. but he will never
be successful he may rage he may try everything he can to
distract us to try and turn us out but once in him in him forever
no one is lost who comes to Christ no one is lost who is found in
Christ it is that place of perfect and it is that place of eternal
safety so this evening if we have a little evidence in our
hearts that we are found here in this strong tower and we can
therefore rejoice in this truth the name of the Lord is a strong
tower because the name of the Lord is so suitable to us to think that this great god
is a great god and to think that he is the king of kings and the
lord of lords and to think that we as poor unworthy sinners of
the earth can approach at any time in any place unto that great
majesty on high the king of kings We can't turn up at Buckingham
Palace and demand to see our Queen, can we? There wouldn't
be any opportunity, probably, but we can enter into the presence
of the King of Kings through our glorious Saviour, the Lord
Jesus Christ, at any time. Well, what a wonderful thought
that is, surely, and what a great comfort it is and this king is
so much greater than any earthly king and this king can do for
us so much more than any earthly king can do for us an earthly
king could give us many things you know Pharaoh gave Joseph
didn't he great great blessings but you know Joseph received
the greatest of blessings from the king of kings which was the
gift of eternal life how wonderful then that you and I can come
to this one in the name of the lord just ponder that the king
the king of kings and we can come to him and he doesn't turn
us away no he may not answer us immediately but he doesn't
turn us away we may have to wait a little while for him to acknowledge
us and for him to answer us we may have to be patient for a
little while but he will not turn us away and so surely how
encouraging such a truth is to know that we have this Lord and
how what a word of safety it is I want to really come back
again and again to this word of safety because you see if
we're in Christ we're eternally safe and therefore we can come
to this one this lord and not an earthly lord but a heavenly
lord the heavenly lord and that one who created all things and
the one who sits in majesty in glory just like Isaiah saw in
that wonderful vision. I saw the Lord high and lifted
up He had a good view didn't he of the Lord What a blessing
in our little lives if we by faith have a little view of the
greatness of our God the name of the Lord Yes, he's not a little
God He's a great king and may that give us that humble confidence
To come to him bringing those large petitions
because he can dispense great blessings sometimes we live it
the greatness of our God our faith is sometimes very small
nothing against small faith but what a blessing when God increases
that faith so we're able to come to this name of the lord and
believe him to be that great and glorious king who can do
all things and can do everything you know the things which are
too hard for us we're encouraged to bring it to the lord you know
how sad it is so often we forget to bring things to the lords
don't we the name of the lord whatever situation we are found
in to bring the situation to the lord in the things of our
souls so important in the things of our natural life is also so
important. I often think of the case of
Don Denby when he was with us and there were a number of occasions
when he would tell me that he was driving his car because as
he got older it wasn't quite so easy to park a car and he
was getting older and he used to go into the car parks and
there wasn't a place and he would pray to God for a parking spot
and one would appear for him. Well, he was able to give God
the praise that God had answered his prayers. Well, what was it? The name of the Lord, a prayer
hearing and a prayer answering God. That's the name of our God. He hears and he answers prayer. sometimes perhaps we forget perhaps
we may have driven around car parks and not found places perhaps
we haven't prayed about it we need to remember to pray for
everything because spiritually our prayer is our vital breath
to pray to this one who is the name of the Lord is a strong
tower So the Lord can do everything. He is so strong. He is so great. He is so wonderful. Maybe therefore
have that confidence in him and then to think that he also is,
of course, our great high priest. And I think this is a wonderful
blessing, isn't it? Remember, throughout the word of God, there
was the need of that priest to actually approach unto the majesty
on high. the high priest had to enter
in to the holy place not without blood and we today we know that
we have a high priest in heaven seated at the father's right
hand to intercede for us the name of the lord well to you
and me tonight is he a great and glorious high priest now
you see he is a strong tower and he will not fail us he will
not fail us a strong tower naturally wouldn't fail and our God is
a strong tower especially as a great and glorious high priest
to present our prayers unto our Father I'm sure often we don't
seem to be able to pray very clearly we don't seem to be able
to really express ourselves well the blessing is the Lord knows
and he understands us and he hears a sign he understands a
sign he understands that which we really want and we can't really
seem to express it And he can therefore take those sires and
present them to his father to receive those answers. The name
of the Lord is a strong tower. Well, what a blessing then to
have such a great God. And then we might think of him,
this at the name of the Lord, what does he say? David says,
the Lord is my shepherd. this one who leads and directs
us you know a shepherd a natural shepherd may perhaps sometimes
leave his sheep may perhaps sometimes forsake his sheep but the heavenly
shepherd he never leaves us and he never forsakes us so think
of that the name of the Lord as our shepherd how confirming
it is really to think that David who was of course a shepherd
boy and understood very much the life of the shepherd and
he was able to bring that beautiful analogy in the 23rd Psalm and
be able to say the Lord none less the Lord is my shepherd
just the same as the word is here the name of the Lord is
a strong tower to David the Lord is my shepherd and because of
that because he was a strong tower what could he say? I shall not want and that's true
today that doesn't mean to say that we'll have everything that
we want but it does mean that we shall have everything that
we need and especially in a spiritual sense and David here humbly had
this confidence in his God as this heavenly shepherd well what
a mercy for you and me tonight to think of this this God this
Lord as this strong tower this great shepherd that although
he has so many sheep to look after not one is lost he knows
where everyone is and he's watching over them and he's round about
them and what does he do? he feeds us he feeds us and he
gives us that grace to follow him and he tells, David says,
he makes me to lie down in green pastures you see he brings really
is an illustration of this great God the Lord the name of the
Lord is a strong tower what does he do? he makes us lie down we
may have got frustrated we may have been rushing around we may
have been trying to bring our plans to fruition we may have
been working very hard to do just that then the Lord comes
and takes hold of us and makes us lie down to stay where we
are stay where we are makes me to lie down in green pastures
he doesn't put us in a place of a desert he doesn't cause
us to be found in a place of drought he brings us into this
place this is the wonderful blessing here the name of the Lord this
great God and how humbling surely it must be to think that we see
these children of God are able to claim this great blessing
of their God and my friends today by God's grace you and I are
also able to claim the great blessings of God because we have
a God who doesn't change He makes me to lie down in green pastures
and he leadeth me beside the still waters the Lord leads and
here you see was his leading the name of the Lord is a strong
tower he was brought into this tower he was brought into this
place to rest he was led there and it was a place of resting
and it was a place where his soul was restored now we do sometimes
need our soul to be restored perhaps we don't always like
to think of that but you see the name of the Lord is a strong
tower and the Lord can restore us and the Lord does restore
us and we may have just wandered away instead of coming to this
strong tower we look to ourselves we look to our own strength and
of course it's failed well the lord in love to our souls and
how wonderful that is in love to our souls he restores our
souls he brings us into this place of safety into this tower
he brings us into himself and there he shows us the cost of
our salvation now there's no greater restoration than when
the Spirit of God leads us into the truth as it is in Jesus when
the Lord the Spirit of God leads us to see what Christ has suffered
so that we might be blessed with eternal life there's no greater
restoration than that when the Lord comes alongside and shows
what he's done and how rebellious we've been, how hard-hearted
we've been, and how we've perhaps wandered away. We've been attracted
and perhaps detracted by the poor things of time. And then
the Lord is this heavenly shepherd that's brought us back into this
strong tower. And as we viewed then, by faith,
the blessed sufferings of Christ, What has it done? It's restored
our soul. There's no greater blessing,
there's no greater way of restoring our soul than to lead us into
the death of Christ and to realize that this great and glorious
shepherd, he laid down his life so that we might possess life. And of course, David goes on,
he leadeth me in the paths righteousness for his name's sake all these things are for the
honor and glory of God he leads you and me in our little life
for the honor and glory of his great name for his name's sake
never forget that bless God it is so And so then, David's able to
exclaim, remember this shepherd, this is one of the names of this
great and glorious Lord, the heavenly shepherd. It's a wonderful
name, isn't it? What a name of comfort it is.
Though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. And perhaps that may be, it may
be lonely. It may sometimes be dark. But
remember, the Lord is the same the darkness and the light are
both the same to him what is darkness to us is not darkness
to the Lord and so he says though I walk to the valley of the shadow
of death I will fear no evil what was that? he was resting
in that safety which is to be found in Christ that's why He
was able to say, I fear no evil. It wasn't because of his own
strength. No, for thou art with me. He
had that humble confidence that his God was with him. He may
not have been viewing him at the present time, because there
he was in this valley of the shadow of death, but God gave
him faith to believe that although perhaps he couldn't actually
see him, Yet he had that faith to believe the Lord was nonetheless
with him. Nonetheless with him. And he
tells us, thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Well, to be
under the rod means to be counted under the rod and into the flock
of Christ. Now prepare as a table for me
in the presence of mine enemies. Well, and then he tells us, it
wasn't a mean feast. it wasn't mean food it wasn't
mean drink thou anointest my head with oil my cup runneth
over and surely what he was doing when he was showing to us that
this heavenly shepherd was giving him that food which was so suitable
and made such a blessing to him he was able to then conclude
with the evidence of these things surely there's no doubt about
it He who has helped me hitherto will help me all my journey through. Surely, goodness and mercy shall
follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the
house of the Lord forever. Now, is this not then a strong
tower? Are these not words of comfort
to us as we view our heavenly shepherd? In the name of the
Lord, Is it not a wonderful place of safety? The name of the Lord
is a strong tower. Well, He is, of course, our great
and glorious Savior. Let us not pass over that. Surely
there's no greater thing to encourage us and to comfort us than to
know that the Lord of life and glory, the only begotten Son
of God, took on himself our human form to live and to stand and
to die in our place to pay the punishment that was due to us
to pay the price that was on our head to redeem our souls
and my friends what a price the price of course we know was his
precious blood well the name of the lord saviour isn't that
a strong tower, isn't that a wonderful support to us isn't that something
that we can rest in in a place of safety as we realise what
christ has done the wonderful act of that salvation that he
fulfilled on the cross at calvary yes what he endured no tongue
can tell, beyond our comprehension. But, as the hymn writer says,
but this we know, it was done for us. Now if you and I have
that evidence that this Lord, this great Lord is our High Priest
and our Shepherd, surely it is the evidence that He is our Saviour. because he's put into our hearts
the wonderful evidence of divine life because he's put into our
hearts the evidence that we are born again of his spirit and
he's put into our hearts that realization that these are the
vital things these are the things which are eternal these are the
things which will stand when all the things in this vain world
are finished and are burnt up. Saviour well then surely we come
down to that lovely little line how sweet the name of Jesus sounds
in a believer's ear I believe if the Lord brings us into this
strong tower then how sweet the name of Jesus sounds it's sweet
to our ear we'd love to hear it salvations in that name. There's our hope in what Christ
has done. The name of the Lord is a strong
tower. And of course, this Lord is,
as we know, described so clearly in the word of God as the Lamb
of God that taketh away the sin of the world. And here's food
for our soul. As we're in this strong towers,
we're in Christ. I think of him as the John the
Baptist describes him, behold the Lamb of God, the taker of
the way, the sinner of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ. And that
picture that we have throughout the Old Testament of the Lamb
slain, the blood shed, safety under the blood. We're safe in
the arms of Jesus because of the grace and blessing of that
shed blood. The name of the Lord is a strong
tower. He goes on, the righteous runneth
into it and is safe. Well, we know we're safe in that
tower. We know we're safe if we're in
Christ. and let me say again that is
the only place of safety out of Christ there's no safety but
in Christ we're eternally safe and so we have this statement
the righteous runneth into it now that's not those of course
who are righteous in their own eyes because of what they've
done such views are wrong and such views are of course unrighteous
because we're not righteous in and of ourselves we're sinners
and any sin makes us unrighteous but we are righteous and why
are we righteous? because we've been justified
by the Lord Jesus Christ we've been made just, that's why we're
righteous and therefore if we are righteous there's only one
place to go there's only one place to run and where's that? that's to Christ and so we have
this true statement the righteous runneth into it and is safe well
in our little lives have we had those situations perhaps a situation
where we've been in desperate need perhaps we've been chased
around by the devil perhaps we've been tempted to run away and
to give up religion altogether and then you see there's been
that wonderful drawing influence of the Holy Spirit and then to
have been directed to realize there's only that one place of
safety and how foolish I've been looking anywhere else and then
you see it's as though we have new life and instead of dawdling around
we run because of what Christ has done for us there is that
evidence within and you know that's the great truth the work
of the Holy Spirit is the work within and there is that evidence
within And it's the evidence that you and I know. It is the
work of the Holy Spirit. It's not something that we've
done. It's the work of God. And we can bless Him for it.
And because of it, the righteous then. We're not righteous in
and of ourselves, but we are righteous. We're righteous in
Christ because He has given to us His robe of spotless righteousness. he's taken our sin upon himself
he's given us his righteousness what an exchange what an exchange
naturally we can never think of anything like it can we but
here we have in the great and glorious plan of salvation almighty
God himself gloriously condescending to come down and to take our
sins all our sins, every sin the sins of today the sins since
we've been here sitting in chapel tonight the sins throughout our
life they've all been washed away in the precious blood of
the Lamb and we stand not in our own righteousness We stand
complete in Him, clothed with His righteousness. Well, how
humbling that is. Now, surely then to think of
this, dressed like that, blessed with this wonderful favour, we're
told then, the righteous runneth into it and is saved. We run
to Christ as our great and glorious Saviour, and we're We're pleased
to do so. And we long that we might be
kept close to the Saviour. We read, don't we, in Solomon,
those lovely words, draw me. We will run after thee. Well,
if we see the blessed Saviour and what He's done in His great
work of salvation, then you see surely there is that attraction
he draws us to himself to that finished work we will run after
these says Solomon here he says again the righteous
runneth into it and is safe there can be no safer place can there
than being in Christ clothed with his righteousness we're
safe through time we're called to face whatever we're called
to endure we know it is well with our soul because of what
Christ has done the name of the Lord of tonight bless God if
the name of the Lord is a precious name to us the name of the Lord
is as a strong tower no possibility of it being destroyed the righteous
runneth into it and is safe. Amen.