Let us commence our services today by singing together hymn 247, the tune of St Stephen, 229. O Lord, I would delight in thee, and on thy care depend, to thee in every trouble flee, my best, my only friend.

Hymn 247. Tune St Stephen 229.

Let us read together from the Holy Word of God in the Psalm 118. We'll read 117 also.

Psalms 117 and 118. O praise the Lord, all ye nations. Praise him, all ye people, for his merciful kindness is great toward us, and the truth of the Lord endureth forever. Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, because his mercy endureth for ever. Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever. Let the house of Aaron now say, that his mercy endureth for ever. Let them now that fear the Lord say, that his mercy endureth for ever.

I called upon the Lord in distress. The Lord answered me and set me in a large place. The Lord is on my side. I will not fear what can man do unto me. The Lord taketh my part with them that help me. Therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me.

It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. All nations compass me about, but in the name of the Lord will I destroy them. They compass me about, yea, they compass me about, but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. They compass me about like bees, They are quenched as the fire of thorns, for in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.

Thou hast thrust all at me, that I might fall, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and song, and is become my salvation. The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous, The right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly. The right hand of the Lord is exalted. The right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly.

I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. The Lord hath chastened me sore, but he hath not given me over unto death. Open to me the gates of righteousness, I will go into them, and I will praise the Lord, this gate of the Lord into which the righteous shall enter. I will praise thee, for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.

The stone which the builders refused is become the headstone of the corner. This is the Lord's doing. It is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day which the Lord hath made. We will be glad and rejoice and be glad in it. Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord. O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.

Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord. We have blessed you out of the house of the Lord. God is the Lord, which hath showed us light, buying thee sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. Thou art my God, I will praise thee. Thou art my God, I will exalt thee.

O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth forever.

May the Lord bless the reading of his own precious word and grant unto us a spirit of real prayer. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which is an art, an art to come, we desire to bow before thy glorious majesty, Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. We bow before thee, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, the one and true Lord God of heaven and of earth, in whom we live and move and have our being. We come to thee, most gracious God, in that wonderful name of thy Son, Jesus Christ. We thank Thee that we have a Heavenly Father who has loved us with an everlasting love, who has given us to His Son, who has redeemed us from all iniquity and given life and immortality unto us. We thank Thee for the Holy Ghost that He entered into our heart, that He quickened our soul into life, that He brought us to saving faith in Jesus Christ, that he took up the things of Jesus and revealed them unto us.

Blessed, holy, divine spirit of truth, we thank thee for thy heavenly power. We thank thee that thou alone are able to do these things and that we'll continue to do these things until the end of time, until that last vessel of mercy has been gathered into eternal glory, and brought to saving faith in Jesus Christ. We pray, most gracious Lord, that thou would pour forth thy power this day, that it may be with us as it was with their apostle, when he could say, for our gospel came unto you, not in word only, but in power, in the Holy Ghost, and with much assurance. Lord, we do pray that it may be so this day. And O most blessed Spirit of truth, we pray that thou hast opened the word of God to our heart and to our understanding, that thou didst graciously inspire men of old to write the holy scriptures of truth. And Lord, we pray that we may have the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ here with us this day.

that we may behold his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, that we may behold him as he lived that holy sinless life and fulfilled that holy righteous law and brought in everlasting righteousness for his people. Lord, we would enter into thy gates with praise and with the voice of thanksgiving, and we would delight in thee. My best, my only friend, we pray that we may hear the voice of Jesus even today, that it may come with divine power into our hearts, and that the love of Christ may be shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. We do humbly beseech thee. And may we know that sacred experience that we read of in thy word, for God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. May we know those divine drawings of our Heavenly Father, drawing us unto Jesus Christ, guiding us into the truth, opening the eyes of our understanding, or that we could be more spiritually minded. We desire to render thanksgiving, praise and adoration unto Thee, our great God, for that everlasting salvation, secured in that glorious, sacred, holy sacrifice of Calvary, and that we thank thee that he died for our sins and rose again for our justification, that we should be declared to be without sin because of that precious sin-atoning blood, the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, that cleanseth us from all sin,

And, O Lord, we do pray that thou wouldst remember us then as a church and as a congregation, and that thou wouldst put forth thy divine power in our midst. And we pray that the word of truth may be sealed into our souls from the youngest to the eldest.

We're unworthy, Lord, of the least of thy tender mercies. We desire to come in confession of our sins, our wanderings, our backslidings. We think of that sinful corruption of our old nature and we come to confess it before thee. We come with the dear apostle, that which I would, I do not, that which I would not, I do. I find a law within my members that when I would do good, then evil is present with me.

O Lord of hosts, come and deliver us, we pray Thee, from the snares of the wicked one, from the temptations of Satan, whether he comes as an angel of light to deceive or whether he comes as a roaring lion to devour, we pray to be delivered from his power and from his influence. And we pray that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God our Father and the sacred fellowship of the Holy Spirit may rest and abide upon us.

We have nothing in ourselves, O Lord. All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, we're all as an unclean thing. And as thy word declares, there's none that doeth good, no, not one. But we pray for the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that we may live unto him, that we may follow him, that we may serve him, that we may behold him as the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world, that we may touch the hem of his garment and draw from that sacred fullness that is in him.

We thank thee for every mercy of thy kind, Providence. Thy mercies are new every morning, and great is thy faithfulness, and we desire to bless thee, as we read together in thy word, to praise the Lord, for his goodness, for his wonderful works to the children of men.

Lord, we pray that thou would remember our deacons and richly bless them. Remember each one of our brethren and sisters in church fellowship and unite us together in that deep and sacred sense of Christian love, union and communion. We can say, oh Lord, I love the Lord. because he hath heard my voice, the voice of my supplications.

Lord, we pray that thou wouldst bless the little ones and the children as they're brought into the sanctuary. Bless them with that rich grace that is in Christ Jesus. Bless them with the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom. Bless each one of our dear young friends. Guide them and direct them. unto Jesus Christ and bring them to living faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Hear us, O Lord. Blessed Spirit, quicken souls and make them cry, give me Christ or else I die. O, do grant thy blessing, these rich blessings that thou alone canst give.

Lord, we do pray that thou wouldst graciously remember parents and Remember all them that are in the midst of the journey of life and graciously bless them, we do humbly beseech thee. Those that wander from the ways of truth and righteousness, stretch out thy almighty arm, show forth thy almighty grace and love and mercy and cause them to return. There is a period known to God when all his sheep, redeemed by blood, Ah, most gracious Lord, may we see them come.

May the light and truth of the gospel shine into this village and the surrounding villages and hamlets. And may many, many precious souls be gathered in. May the strongholds of Satan be pulled down. May the kingdom of the Lord Jesus be set up in the hearts of sinners. And may this little house of prayer be filled with hungry, longing souls pressing into the kingdom of heaven.

O Lord of hosts, O God of Israel, O Thou that dwellest between the cherubim, shine forth. Let Thy hand be upon the man of Thy right hand, the son of man, whom Thou madest strong for Thyself, so will not we go back from Thee.

Lord, we do pray that Thou would remember Those of us that are now in the evening time of life's journey, and prepare us for that great change which must come. O Lord, we do pray that thou would remember all thy servants as they labour in word and doctrine upon the walls of Zion today. Be with them in their journeys, be with them in the ministry of the word, and grant mighty signs and wonders to follow the preaching of the word. and that which is sown in weakness may be raised in strength.

Lord, let thy work appear unto thy servants and thy glory unto their children, we do humbly beseech thee, but for thy great name's sake. We pray, most gracious Lord, that thou wouldst remember our nation. We live in very solemn days. Iniquity abounds on every hand. The spirit and power of Antichrist is so prevalent.

We pray that thou wouldst arise. Arise, O God of grace, and into thy rest descend. Graciously may bear thine holy arm in the gospel, bring our sons from far and our daughters from the ends of the earth. We do humbly beseech thee. We pray that thou wouldst remember our leaders and give wisdom and guidance and direction. We pray that they always remember the Royal House and bless our King and the Royal House with that rich grace that is in Christ Jesus. We do humbly beseech thee. We look back in our history, O Lord, and there have been those of our royal household that have been followers of thee. We pray that they always do so again for thy great name's sake.

Lord, we We do pray that those remember those that labor in word and doctrine among the nations of the earth that go forth from among us. We pray for those that live in those places where the name of Christ is hated, where they are persecuted, imprisoned, even unto death. Lord, we pray that thou would send them help from the sanctuary, strengthen them out of Zion,

Remember the Mombasa mission and thy servants at labour there, and grant, Lord, we pray thee, the power of thy Holy Ghost and the ingathering of precious souls. We thank thee, Lord, that there are so many that gather there. We pray that the work of thy Spirit may be seen.

Lord, we pray that thou would remember the Savannah Education Trust, and the great work that they're doing in the Christian schools in Ghana, all that it may redound to the glory of thy great name and the good of precious souls. Remember Ian Sadler and the great work that he does in so many different places. Lord, gird him with all sufficient grace, supply their every returning needs, we do humbly beseech thee. Be with us now, Lord, as we turn to thy holy word. Come and open thy word to our heart and to our understanding. Do make up in giving where we do so fail in asking, as we ask for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

Let us now sing together hymn 125. The tune is Woolwich 846. Not all the blood of beasts on Jewish altars slain could give the guilty conscience peace or wash away the stain. Hymn 125, tune Woolwich 846.

Greatly feeling to need the Lord's gracious help, I would direct your attention to Psalm 118 and we'll read verse 27 for our text. Psalm 118 verse 27. God is the Lord which has showed us light by the sacrifice with cords even under the horns of the altar. God is the Lord. God is Jehovah.

As we were looking on Thursday evening in Genesis chapter one. In the beginning, God. God is the Lord. He's the eternal, the almighty, the self-existent Lord Jehovah.

This psalm, Psalm 118, is the last psalm of the great Hallel, which I believe begins in Psalm 112, this is the last psalm and this psalm was usually sung, the Great Hallel I should say, was usually sung at the time of the Jewish Passover and when our Lord Jesus Christ instituted the Lord's Supper it says they sung a hymn and went out and it would almost certainly have been from the Great Hallel.

Hallel is a different version of the word hallelujah, the great hallel, praise ye the Lord. And the other interesting thing for especially for young ones is that the eighth verse in this psalm is the middle verse of the whole of the Bible. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in the man.

This psalm This great Hallel, O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, because his mercy endureth forever. His mercy is as God is. We read in Psalm 103, the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him. The mercy of the Lord, the great goodness, that divine attribute of the mercy of God.

That is why Jesus Christ was sent by the Father into this world, because of God's mercy. That was a divine act of the Father. As we read in Holy Scripture, the Father chose a people from the ruins of the Adam fall, and he gave them. to his son. He gave them to his son, Jesus Christ.

I always feel that is very beautiful in that lovely prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ in John 17. And I always feel that's very beautiful in the opening passage of that prayer. These words spake Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come. glorify thy son, that thy son also may glorify thee, as thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. This is life eternal. This mercy that is manifested by the eternal God in the glorious person of his son Jesus Christ to a people that were given to Christ before the foundation of the world. I love that in the first epistle of Peter and it speaks therefore as much as you're not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold. No, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb slain from before the foundation of the world. These things were decreed and purposed by the Eternal God. His people are loved with an everlasting love. Everlasting love. A love that's from all eternity and a love that is to all eternity. That is God's love, it's infinite love, it's eternal love. Just as we read in Jeremiah 31, yea, I've loved thee with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness, have I drawn thee those sacred drawings of our heavenly father, That is what brings a poor sinner to Christ.

We read in John's Gospel, none come except the Father draw. None come except the Father draw. What a mercy that the Father does draw a people. That everlasting mercy. I always think of that beautiful hymn hymn number 11, and how beautifully it speaks there of the covenant mercy of God.

I mercy my God is the theme of my song, the joy of my heart and the boast of my tongue. Thy free grace alone from the first to the last has won my affections and bound my soul fast. Thy mercy in Jesus exempts me from hell, Its glories I'll sing and its wonders I'll tell. T'was Jesus, my friend, when he hung on the tree, who opened a channel of mercy for me. The mercy, thy mercy, his mercy endureth forever.

Now, we read in verse five, I called upon the Lord in distress. The Lord answered me and set me in a large place." You know, every one of the Lord's children, they know what it is to be distressed about sin. I've often said to you, I couldn't give anything for your religion if it doesn't have sin in it. You might say, what a strange thing to say, my beloved friends. If the Holy Ghost is working in your heart and my heart, you'll know what it is to be a sinner. You will. You'll know what it is to be in distress. You'll know what it is to feel exceedingly uncomfortable with yourself as the Holy Spirit opens up something of the inner sin of our heart. and it will bring you to call upon the Lord. This is the very nature of the work of the Spirit of God.

When He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will reprove the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. When He comes to a sinner's heart, and unless the Holy Spirit comes to your heart, you don't have spiritual life. It's not something you choose. It's something God gives. It's a free gift. It's free grace to poor, dead sinners. That means spiritually dead. Dead know not anything. But when the Holy Spirit enters the heart and gives life, then you know and you feel. Then you begin to understand. Sometimes this work of the Spirit is very gentle, but it will still bring you to understand and to feel that you're not right with God. It may even be like the hymn writer says, an aching void that the world can never fill. That's what you have in your heart, an aching void. There's something missing. aching void that the world with all its pleasures and all its treasures cannot satisfy.

The aching void. There's only one thing my beloved friends that will satisfy that aching void is the eternal love of our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ. And when you have a touch of that in your heart, when the love of Christ is shed abroad in your heart, then you'll begin to understand and to realize. You see my beloved friends, real religion is something that is experienced. It's not something that is intellectually understood. It's something that is experienced. And you can only know these things by experience. As you experience them in your soul, When you, under conviction of sin, you'll find darkness. You'll find bondage. But when you have Christ revealed and made precious to your soul, you'll find liberty. You'll find peace. You'll find light. You'll find light.

We have that in our text. God is the Lord. We're to show this light. How we need the Lord to give us light. David, he says, doesn't he, we see light in thy light. You see, there's this emphasis here in this Psalm.

In verse eight, it is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. David, he speaks here of being encompassed with enemies. It says in verse 11, they encompassed me about, yeah, they encompassed me about, but in the name of the Lord will I destroy them, with living by faith. They encompassed me about like bees, they are quenched as the fire of thorns, but in the name of the Lord. You know the name of Jesus, the name of the Lord. This is the name, the name of Jesus. This is the name the father loves to hear his children plead and all such pleadings he approves when offered in his name.

Lord Jesus, have mercy upon me. Lord Jesus, reveal thyself unto me. Lord Jesus, let me know that thou did suffer, bleed and die for my sins. Lord Jesus, wash me in that precious sin atoning blood that thou did shed on Calvary. Lord Jesus, clothe me in that glorious everlasting robe of thy righteousness so that I may be complete in him and accepted in the beloved. These are the longings of a living soul.

He says in verse 14, the Lord is my strength. and my son and his become my salvation. My strength and my son and his become my salvation. Now it speaks here in the verses 15 and 16 of the right hand of the Lord. We've often explained to you providential blessings in Holy Scripture are spoken of as left hand blessings. or all the blessings that you and I receive in life's journey, or all the things that the Lord gives us, so that we can live, etc., and have food and raiment, houses to live in, clothes to wear, they're called left-hand blessings. Right-hand blessings are those rich spiritual blessings that are in heavenly places, Christ Jesus. Right hand blessings are the blessings of the eternal covenant ordered in all things as sure. Right hand blessings are the precious blood of Christ, the glorious righteousness of Christ and these things experienced in the soul.

You see the right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly right hand of the Lord is exalted, the right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly, I shall not die but live and declare the works of the Lord. And then it speaks here again it's speaking of the way of salvation in verse 19, open to me the gates of righteousness, I will go into them I will praise the Lord, the gate of the Lord into which the righteous shall enter. What are this gate of righteousness? Jesus said, I am the way and the truth and the life, the gate of righteousness. That's what this is. Jesus said, I am the door by me, if any man entering, You see, the gate of righteousness. And Jesus has opened that gate. Jesus has made a new and living way into the holy place.

One of the hymn writers says, doesn't he, Jesus is the way to God. Jesus is the way to bliss. In this way the saints have trod, down from Adam's day to this. Jesus is the way. He is. This wonderful name, this gate of righteousness, I will go into them and I will praise the Lord, the gate of the Lord into which the righteous shall enter.

Now, who are the righteous? Those that are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. They are the righteous. It's called in Holy Scripture, white linen, which is the righteousness of saints.

On the day of atonement, the high priest, when he went into the holy place, it was only once a year on the day of atonement, the high priest went into the inner court, into the holy place in the tabernacle. And on that day, he divested himself of all the glorious robes of the high priest. and he was clothed from head to foot with white linen on that day of atonement when he went into the holy place. He is a beautiful type of Christ. That white linen represents the righteousness of Christ.

When the high priest entered into the holy place and the apostle says in the Hebrews, not without blood, not without blood, What did that represent? The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son. We cannot enter without blood. And when he was in there, he stood before the golden mercy seat and he sprinkled that blood seven times before the golden mercy seat. And the Lord said, there will I meet with thee, there will I commune with thee.

That tabernacle, the outer adornments of the tabernacle represent the holy human nature of the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ. Inside was the golden mercy seat and the golden cherubim, that represents divinity. You see, the tabernacle represents Christ. So when the high priest went in once a year and he sprinkled blood, it represented the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, from that sacrifice that was on the altar.

There will I meet with thee. Sinner, you cannot meet with this Holy God outside of Christ. Out of Christ, almighty power will devour. But in Christ, there's mercy, there's grace, there's love.

What does Jesus say to poor, wretched, ruined sinners? Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden. I will give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest for your souls for my yoke is easy.

What is it to be yoked? It's to be united and you know friends this is the vital thing in real religion to be united to Jesus Christ. Paul he says doesn't he when he writes to the Philippians that I may know him in the power of his resurrection. in the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death.

It says here in verse 22, the stone which the builders refused has become the headstone of the corner. It is the Lord's doing. It is marvelous in our eyes. The corner is where two walls meet. And this is probably quoted as much as any other scripture in the New Testament. The stone which the builders refused has become the headstone of the corner.

Jesus was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Now this stone, this rock upon which the church is built This place where two walls meet. You can look at that in so many, many different ways, the place where walls meet. There has to be a foundation stone to hold up those walls, otherwise the whole building collapses. And it is with the church of God.

Now the foundation stone with the church of God, as Peter asked or speaking to Christ, He said, thou art the Christ, the son of the living God. That was his confession of faith. But what did Jesus answer? Upon this rock, I build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. This place where walls meet, Gentile and Jew meet together, where? In Christ. There's only one way of salvation. There's only one door of hope that is open wide. in Jesus' bleeding hands and side. It's the only one. The stone which the builders refused has become the headstone of the corner.

Jesus was despised and rejected of the Jews, of the Sanhedrin. And they crucified him. They crucified him. Little realizing they were doing God's work. little realising that in this crucifying of this holy man, that this holy, loving, innocent man was the redemption of the church. When his precious blood was shed, it satisfied all the demands of divine justice. Ye are complete in him. We are accepted in the Beloved, in that precious blood of Jesus Christ, that's the only way of acceptance with God, in that glorious everlasting robe of the righteousness of Jesus Christ, the stone which the builders refused.

You see, in the death of Christ, In a sense, we can see verse 17, I shall not die, but live and declare the works of the Lord. We see Christ there. He died, but he rose again. He died to destroy death and him that had the power of death, that is the devil. That's what Christ has done. He's destroyed the works of the devil. And in that very act, I've got no doubt whatsoever when Satan saw Jesus dying on the cross of Calvary. I've got no doubt whatsoever. He thought he'd gained a victory But instead it was the destruction of his kingdom The eternal destruction of the kingdom of Satan by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ the stone Which the builders refused is become the headstone of the corner.

This is the Lord's doing it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day, the day that Christ was crucified, the day that Christ rose again. This is the day which the Lord hath made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. That wonderful, amazing, sacrificial sacrifice and death of our Lord Jesus Christ and on the third day he rose again. And that's what we have in our text. Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord. We have blessed you out of the house of the Lord.

God is the Lord, which has showed us light. Jesus said, I am the light of the world. I am the light of the world. I am the way, the truth and the light. No man cometh unto the Father but by me. What a wonderful thing if you and I know something of what it is to come to Jesus Christ, to cast all your care upon him as a poor, guilty, wretched sinner, and then to have revelations of the glory of our Lord Jesus given unto you. God is the Lord which hath showed us light, this glorious light that shines in Christ.

Bind the sacrifice with cords. When the Israelites brought their sacrifices unto the priest and unto the tabernacle worship in the outer court, they tied the bullock or sheep or goat, whatever it was, they tied it to the horns of the altar where it was slain. And this is the illustration here. Now, what is the illustration here to us? The spiritual application of it, bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. Jesus Christ was nailed to the cross of Calvary. Bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. Those sacrifices represented the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Jesus was taken by the hands of wicked men. He was nailed to a cross of wood. But you know, before he offered that sacrifice, he was in the Garden of Gethsemane. And there in the Garden of Gethsemane, our Heavenly Father, who's loved us with an everlasting love, He took our sins. Our Heavenly Father took our sins, lifted the sin off the church, and He laid upon Him the iniquity of us all. That's why the holy, sinless Jesus suffered bled and died for our sins.

He that did no sin, I often turn to it because it is such a beautiful revelation that is given to us in the second epistle to the Corinthians in chapter 5. It speaks there of our Lord Jesus Christ Says in verse 17, therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new, and all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation, to wit that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ. As though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. This is the verse in particular. For he, that is God, hath made him, that is Christ, He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin. Christ knew no sin. Christ did no sin. Christ's birth was a holy birth. Christ's life was a holy life, who knew no sin.

What a tremendous thing the gospel of Jesus Christ is for That is, our Heavenly Father made Him, that is His only begotten Son, to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. So, our sin becomes His, and His righteousness becomes ours. This is the Gospel, my beloved friends. This is the gospel of Jesus Christ.

God is the Lord, which has showed us life. Bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. So when that sin was laid on Christ, and we read in Luke's gospel, and he being in an agony, this is in the Garden of Gethsemane, sweat as it were, great drops of blood falling down to the grave. in an agony. Why? Because of the tremendous weight of the sin of the whole church was laid upon him. And he took that sin in Gethsemane and he nailed it to his cross. The apostle uses that language in the New Testament. He took our sins and he nailed them to his cross.

And because of that, because of that sinless holy sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father accepts that sacrifice that pays the redemption price for the sin of the church. He was made sin for us. He that knew no sin was made sin Or as it says in those lovely words in Isaiah 53, he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him. And with his stripes, we are healed.

You think of that word there is in Isaiah 52, If you think of our Lord Jesus bearing the sin of the church, and it says in Isaiah 52, his visage was marred more than any man's. More than any man's. The crushing weight of the sin of the church that was placed upon Christ, and that he was crucified. for those sins. He suffered, he bled, he died.

We cannot even begin, you know, there were two thieves that were crucified with our Lord Jesus Christ. They suffered tremendous in their bodies, same as anyone did that was crucified. But the tremendous sufferings of our Lord Jesus were far more than just the sufferings of his body, it was the sufferings of his soul. He said there on Calvary, didn't he? Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthanai. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why? Why was he in such agony and grief? Because he bare our sins. He bare our sins. He nailed our sins, bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. And that is what is represented here.

You know, my beloved friends, we've just sung that lovely hymn, I chose it on purpose. Not all the blood of beasts on Jewish altar slain, could give the guilty conscience peace or wash away the stain. But Christ, the heavenly Lamb, bears all our sins away, a sacrifice of nobler name and richer blood than they.

That rich, precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which has satisfied all the demands of divine justice. and reconciles a poor sinner unto God. He does. Doesn't the, I always feel that is very beautiful, the way the Apostle Paul in the epistle to the Romans, he speaks there so beautifully concerning the imputation of sin unto our Lord Jesus Christ by our Heavenly Father

And he says in the fourth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, he's speaking of the righteousness that Abraham obtained by faith. And it says in verse 21 of chapter 4, and being fully persuaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform, and therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. He believed God and it was imputed to him for righteousness.

That means the righteousness of Christ was imputed to Abraham by faith. Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered for our offenses. and was raised again for our justification.

He suffered and bled and died for our sins, but he was raised again for our justification, that we should be declared to be without sin in that resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because there is the evidence he left all the sin of the church in the grave. And because of that, the Lord says, their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more, because Jesus has left them all in the grave.

And when we see that dear savior rising from the dead, he break the bands of death. The apostle he goes on in the Romans and chapter five, he says, therefore being justified by faith, We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace where we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope. and hope make it not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us.

For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." That's the wonderful glory of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for the ungodly. He said, I come not to call the righteous, but sinners. Sinners are welcome still, to Christ the sinner's friend.

For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died to the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man would one die, yet per adventure of a good man some would even dare to die. But God commended his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Much more than being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life and not only so but we also join God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the at onement, that wonderful sin atoning sacrifice which we have in our text of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. God is the Lord and in that in that lovely word in the closing chapter of the prophet Micah.

How beautifully does the Lord speak in Micah chapter 7 verse 18. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity? He pardons iniquity. Sinners can say, and none but they, how precious is the Savior. Who is a God like unto thee? that parteth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage, he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us, he will subdue our iniquities, and they will cast all their sins into the depths of the

You think of the Day of Atonement, that day that the high priest went into the holy place. There was a kid goat that was sacrificed, its blood was sprinkled before the golden mercy sink. But there was another kid goat, upon whom the Lord fell, that was taken by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness. before he was taken by the hand of a fit man the high priest laid his hands upon the head of that scapegoat and he confessed all his sins so in a ceremonial way he transferred all the sin of Israel onto that scapegoat and then it was taken into the land not inhabited never to be seen again what a picture of the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ, their sins and their iniquities, will I remember no more, no more. God is the Lord. See, who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity? God is the Lord.

This is God's eternal plan. God would have been just if he'd have left the whole of the human race to eternal perdition. It would have been to the glory of his justice, because man had sinned and rebelled against him. But to show forth that glorious attribute of his mercy, he chose a people from the ruins of the Adam fall, and he gave that people to his son, Jesus Christ. Jesus said, all that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out. This salvation in Jesus Christ is divinely certain and it's eternal. It's eternal. It's everlasting salvation. You can't be in Christ one day and out the next because you've been given to Christ by the Father and Christ has redeemed you and Christ has shed his precious blood to take away all your sin and Christ has risen from the dead for our justification so that we're eternally safe in our Lord Jesus Christ upon this rock I build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

The Lord Jesus Christ in his teachings my mind it just goes to the 10th chapter of the Gospel according to John and the Lord Jesus speaking there. He says in verse 27, My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father which gave them Me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand, I and my Father are one. All the safety, all the eternal security of the Lord's family is in Christ.

He says, doesn't he, to comfort the heart of his disciples when he was to leave them He says, let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be. also. May the Lord add his blessing. Let us now sing together hymn number 1093. The tune is St Gregory 222.

How welcome to the tempest's soul amidst the storm's career, while horror spreads from coast to coast, is some kind haven near, but far more welcome to the soul is that secure abode when terrors all the conscience roll, the rock prepared of God.

Hymn 1093. Tune St Gregory 222.

Now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, the sacred fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us each. Amen.