The notice is for the week. If the Lord will, Mr David Cornford
will preach next Lord's Day morning at 10.30 and there will be a
reading service in the afternoon at 2 o'clock. Mr Marcus Funnell
will preach on Thursday evening at 7 o'clock and there will be
a prayer meeting on Tuesday evening at 7 o'clock. May the Lord help us to commence
our worship today with hymn 952, the tune Rainsleigh 393. Beloved Saviour, faithful friend,
the joy of all thy blood-bought train, in mercy to our aid descend,
or else we worship thee in vain. Hymn 952, tune Rainsley 393. O say does that star-spangled
banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the
brave? How great is death! O how sweet
the sound! Shift thee in prayer! He went with me to sing and pray
in Christ's image. In blue heavens with rose, and
gold-trimmed anvils, Let us pray. Shall we adore thy
faith be told? will manifest thyself in peace,
thy tender passeth here in faithful love. ? Glory, glory, hallelujah ? ?
O praise and sing ? ? For cheering friends in time ? We humbly bow thy coming way,
seeking to know thee as our host. Welcome to the house of God. ? Unite our hearts with thee, dear
lamb ? ? Thou same to join us all in one ? ? To love and praise
thee ? All right, reading from God's
word. This morning let us turn to Corinthians,
the second epistle of Paul to the Corinthians and we'll read
chapters 9 and 10. 2 Corinthians and chapters 9 and
10. For as touching the ministering
to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you. For I
know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you
to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago, and your
zeal hath provoked very many. Yet have I sent the brethren,
lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf, that,
as I said, ye may be ready. Lest, happily, if they of Macedonia
come with me and find you unprepared, we, that we say not ye, should
be ashamed in this same confident boasting. Therefore, I thought
it necessary to exhort the brethren that they would go before unto
you and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had noticed
before that the same might be ready as a matter of bounty and
not as of covetousness. But this I say, He which soweth
sparingly shall reap also sparingly, and he which soweth bountifully
shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth
in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly or of necessity,
for God loveth a cheerful giver. and God is able to make all grace
abound toward you, that ye, always having all sufficiency in all
things, may abound to every good work. As it is written, he hath
dispersed abroad, he hath given to the poor, his righteousness
remaineth forever. Now he that ministereth seed
to the sower, both minister bread for your food, and multiply your
seed some, and increase the fruits of your righteousness. Being
enriched in everything to all bountifulness, which causeth
through us thanksgiving to God. For the administration of this
service, not only supplieth the one of the saints, but is abundant
also by many thanksgivings unto God. Whilst by the experiment
or proving of this ministration, they glorify God for your professed
subjection unto the gospel of Christ and for your liberal distribution
unto them and unto all men. And by their prayer for you,
which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you.
Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. Now I, Paul, myself, beseech
you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence and
base among you, but being absent and bold toward you, but I beseech
you that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence,
wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of
us as if we walked according to the flesh. For though we walk
in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh. For the weapons of
our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God, to the pulling
down of strongholds, casting down imaginations, and every
high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God,
and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ,
and having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience when
your obedience is fulfilled. Do ye look on things after the
outward appearance? If any man trusts to himself
that he is Christ, let him of himself think this again, that
as he is Christ, even so are we Christ. For though I should
boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us
for edification and not for your destruction, I should not be
ashamed. that I may not seem as if I would
terrify you by letters. For his letters, say they, are
weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and
his speech contemptible. Let such an one think this, that,
such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will
we be also indeed when we are present. For we dare not make
ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend
themselves. But they, measuring themselves
by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves,
are not wise. But we will not boast of things
without our measure. But according to the measure
of the rule which God hath distributed to us a measure to reach even
unto you. For we stretch not ourselves
beyond our measure, as though we reach not unto you, for we
are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ. Not boasting of things without
our measure, that is, of other men's labors, but having when
your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according
to our rule abundantly, to preach the gospel in the regions beyond
you, and not to boast in another man's line of things made ready
to our hand. But he that glorieth, let him
glory in the Lord. For not he that commendeth himself
is approved, but whom the Lord commended. There we leave the
reading of God's word this morning and may we have been instructed
through the reading of it together and be granted that help now
to truly pray. Most holy and eternal gracious Lord God, We come now before thee on this
thy day, that one day in seven that has
been set apart since the creation of this world
for the good of all. That day where we break from
our labors, set aside the matters of this world and rest The Lord for thy people, this
one day in seven is more than just the rest and may it be so
for every one of us here today. May it be a day where we are
brought to truly worship thee, to come into thy courts with
thanksgiving, to be found humbled and brought low before thee,
and to be able to say how great thou art. And Lord, may it be a day where
through faith we are enabled to look to an eternal rest, an
eternal Sabbath, heaven above. Lord, we pray, we desire that
we may taste and know a little of thy goodness in our worship
here today. May it be for many a foretaste
of that which is to come. So help us to come with that
true thanksgiving as we enter this morning our day of worship. But may this not have been the
start of it for many. May we have arisen with prayer,
arisen with praise, And may we go through this day with hearts
as such. Oh, we are constantly brought
to remember that without thee we can do nothing, but that we
can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth us. So do
strengthen us in the inner man by the powerful indwelling of
thy spirit. drawing our hearts and affections
away from the fleeting pleasures of the world, to that which is
eternal and everlasting, that which cannot corrupt and rust
and break down, but that which is fixed upon that which is certain,
the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God. So we thank thee for strength
to gather together this morning, We thank Thee that we have been
kept from falling into the depths of depravity that we will all
do left to ourselves. We thank Thee if we have come
humbly and willingly into Thy house this morning, desiring
to know Thee. For to know Thee is life eternal,
the only true God and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent. May it be
so, dear Lord, today. Thou alone art worthy of our
praise. What worthless worms we are,
and we deserve Thy righteous wrath and anger. Yet Thou hast spared many in
this place to find rest in Thee. And those, Lord, that do not
yet know that rest and love and joy in falling before Thee, thou
hast spared them to gather once more into thy house. So those
souls that may be dead this morning and lifeless, do you regenerate,
bring to life those that have been brought to life and yet
have not been able to lay hold on thee freely and fully by faith
and have turned in that act of true repentance. Lord, carry
on that work that thou hast begun as thou wilt do. And even today,
may they be set at liberty to say, this is the Lord whom I
adore. This is my God. This is my savior,
my shepherd, my king, my prophet, my priest, my friend, my all,
and in all. And those that do know thee,
Lord, today and have fallen before thee in adoration, praise, obedience,
and worship, Lord, may they again be found looking unto thee. For that is where our hope is
found, looking unto Jesus, knowing that he is the author and therefore
the finisher of our faith. And that yes, we are changeable
and our souls through many changes goes, but thy love no variation
knows. So help us to look to the eternal
unchanging love of thee. But Lord, thou knowest the needs
and prayers of all as they have assembled today, where there
has been and are those continual needs. Lord, maybe there are
those that feel their prayers are shut out. They come time
and time again and there is nothing. Where they doubt and they wonder
and they worry over their eternal state. May we plead one for another,
that we may know the outpouring of thy spirit, that we may know
that stirring within. For Lord, just a few words uttered
simply in thy name, accompanied by thy power, Lord, we'll do
remarkable things. We do not deserve thy presence
in our worship, but Lord, we do not plead what we deserve.
We plead thy name. We plead the precious blood of
Christ that cleanseth us from all sin. And we plead the promises
that where two or three are gathered together in thy name, thou wilt
be in the midst. So make thy presence known, soften
every hard heart, so that we today may be true worshipers
of thee. For our days are numbered, our
time is short, our lives are rapidly falling away. who will
give us more diligence, more zeal, more courage, more love,
more fruit, so that we, at the close of this day, do not go
home and do not lay upon our beds with a pharisaical pride,
but with a humble thankfulness that today we have known Thee. whom to know is life eternal. Let it be with this church and
people. We pray for their pastor as he preaches at Swabesie today. May he and Stuart have been given
those safe and prompt journeys to Swabesie. And may thy dear
servant now know that liberty proclaiming thy word unto the
people. May there be that what we have prayed for here, we pray
for there, that power from on high, blessing the word. And
as he hopes to travel to America tomorrow, do grant likewise those
safe journeys there, and bless his time amongst the people there
as he preaches, and may he be enabled too to have that time
of rest and refreshment, both naturally but also in his soul. And as he comes and labours among
the people here week by week, and as he has done now for those
many years, may they not become complacent, but ever prayerful
and truly seeking the blessing of thy word from his lips. And
Lord, encourage him and strengthen him in his pathway here. May there be those in the congregation
that are so wrought upon that they must profess the faith that
they know and be added to the church. May there be those, Lord,
that have left thy house and see no longer any need to come
and worship thee be brought back in. And may there be those in
this village and in the surrounding villages that are brought in
to join with our friends here and grant unto us each those
opportunities in our daily lives to be a right witness, to be
a light in a dark place and to speak of thy goodness. So bless each and every one from
the youngest to the oldest here today. We pray for the deacons
here in their pathway as they assist their pastor and support
the church. Lord, do help them in their many
and varied duties, and may they be given much wisdom and unity
as a church and people here for the honouring of thy name. For
those that are unwell or those older in years who now know varying
afflictions in body and mind upon them, and know they are
not what they once were, Lord, do grant unto them, Lord, that
sweet and solid assurance that it is well with them they mourn
yes over who they are but there is a foundation beneath them
that cannot change that they are found upon the rock Christ
Jesus and may they be a right and gracious witness to those
that are younger in years here and together may they bear one
another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. Pray for those
in the middle stages of life where whether it be families,
mothers and fathers here, or others in varying matters that
concern them all, Lord, do grant that help unto each. And may
we be found, and may they be found, seeking to do all for
thine honour and glory. And we will pray for the children
and young people here too, to provide for them in their needs. In employment and business, Lord,
do grant them much wisdom to do that which is right in thy
sight. Where there are those at school or in home education,
do help them as there may be changes in classes, changes in
schools, changes in curriculum. Lord, do help them to try hard
in everything that they do and to make the most of the varied
gifts and abilities that are given unto them all. But Lord,
we pray for these natural things, but whether young or old, May
they each be a people that are growing in grace and in the knowledge
of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. We pray for our congregation
at the church at Heathfield today. Do help them to be with Tim Kingham
as he labours among them. May there be, Lord, what we have
prayed for here as we pray for there, a true rich blessing known
in their midst. But we do not just pray for the
places that we know, Lord, we pray for all the gatherings of
thy people today. Wherever thy word is faithfully
preached, thy name is reverently respected, and thy people gather
with that true heartfelt desire to honour and glorify thee. Lord,
do be with thy people. Thou art with thy people, thou
hast promised it, but Lord, manifest thy presence and abundantly work. Lord, we pray for our nation.
We're living in a time of Great blessing, where we are favoured
with so much. Times of peace and relative prosperity,
times of comfort and many outward blessings. But Lord, we thank
Thee for that. But we plead with Thee in wrath,
remember mercy for the spiritual depravity to be found in this
land. Well, we mourn and wonder what will become of this nation.
But Lord, we know that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is
upon the throne. That, Lord, throughout time,
kingdoms have risen and kingdoms have fallen, but thy kingdom
cannot fail. So yes, Lord, we are a part of
this nation, and we plead for thy mercy to spare this land. But Lord, may we chiefly know
we are part of thy people and rest fully and freely in that.
To be with our government, Lord, put thy hand upon them powerfully
and turn back the tides of iniquity. We see a government in chaos
and disarray. We see and have seen for many,
many, many decades now, we could say, men pleasers in positions
of power. May we see those that seek to
please thee. For all the time we are trying
to please one sector of society and another, and trying to please
a supporter base of varying political parties will be blown hither
and thither. May the focus be brought back
to something that is unchanging, thy word which our nation has
in a very great degree been built upon. Turn us again to it, Lord. May again, Lord, the family unit
be truly promoted and honoured in our land. All wrong relationships
and ideologies be overthrown and condemned for what they are.
And may once more we see the benefits of the way that thou
hast ordered creation. But Lord, today, We are thy people,
gathered in thy name. And may we each, Lord, know we
are thine. May we be able to pause and ask
the question, are we ready to meet God? Are we made real Christians,
washed in the Redeemer's blood, and have we union to the church's
living head? That is what we need above all.
Deliver us, Lord, from settling down without this. May we know
thee more fully, more deeply, more freely. Lord, we seek the forgiveness
of our sin. Show us, Lord, more and more
what sinners we are. Not that we may grovel in it,
not that we may be brought down to utter depression, because
of it, but that through it it may further magnify thy astounding
grace and patience to unworthy sinners, so that it may bring
us to yet praise thee more and more in thy beauty's trace and
thy majesty adore. Lord, but help us to rightly
confess our sin. May it be abhorrent in our sight.
May we see what it has done to our Saviour and flee from all
that grieves thee. But now, as we gather round thy
word, we are in great need. Personally, Lord, do give us
every word to speak. Open our eyes to thy truth, and
that which we have been meditating upon and pondering over, Lord,
may it be a word for the people today, so that there may be that
fruit seen from the preached word. And for that, Lord, we
would therefore pray that the people will be given ears to
hear, that their hearts will be prepared to receive the word
so that today we may say, it has been truly good to gather
together. So we plead for the presence
of thy spirit, dear Lord. May we be able to know thee today
and prove what it is to be near thee. So forgive all and everything
that we have asked wrongly, and do make up in giving where we
have failed in our asking. For we ask all in and through
the precious name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen. Hymn 337, tune Dedication 24. From Egypt lately freed by the
Redeemer's grace, a rough and thorny path we tread in hopes
to see His face. Hymn 337, tune Dedication 24. Let me breathe. By the Redeemer's grace, Thorough
and lonely path we trek, In answer see His face. God bless his light, the way,
the faith, the perfect path, his only means to heaven. Amen. of peace. Faith keeps it close
and pure. How different from the wilderness we O'er the land of the free and
the home of the brave Thou shine, the light divine,
There we shall live, on Thou destined. The sun will rise, It creeps, and cares, and pains,
and feels distress of soul. God their eternal flame shall
reign, and we shall weep no more. No more. We draw no hand, nor foot, Our
joy would fail, O suffering saints, In need of the Lord to help us each here
this morning as we turn to his word I'll ask you to turn to
where we read from in the second epistle of Paul to the Corinthians
To Corinthians chapter 9 and verse 15. To Corinthians chapter 9 and
verse 15. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable
gift. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable
gift. Paul, in writing to the church
at Corinth here, was writing to a church that were troubled
in many ways. Corinth being a great city at
that time, where there were many and varied influences Coming
upon it being a great trading center and There was much false
teaching and many matters that Paul had to try and correct and
to set them right And one of these we see in this
chapter is Regarding Christian giving regarding that which they
should be doing one for another and for the Lord's people. We read a bit in that first verse
of this ninth chapter, for as touching the ministering to the
saints. Dear friends, He goes on about
what they should be doing and how they should be giving. And that, those in verse six,
so sparingly shall reap also sparingly. Those which show bountifully
shall reap also bountifully. But this giving, this supporting
one another, This giving of their natural talents or their natural
money to the Lord's cause needs to come, as we read from verse
seven, from the heart. Every man according as he purposeth
in his heart. So what is our giving? if our hearts are not right?
What is our giving if we do not know Christ? What is our giving
if we are unchanged and unconverted people? Our Christian giving is really
legalism. It is a duty. It is being done
grudgingly of necessity because we think that's what we need
to do and think that's what we ought to do. So Paul emphasizes and stresses
upon them, do you know Christ? And that's, dear friends, what
brings us to our text. Paul says, thanks be unto God
for his unspeakable gift, for his indescribable gift, the depths
you can never understand. Thanks be unto God for this.
And when you know this, when you are brought to look upon
this, when you are brought to cherish this most valuable of
all gifts, then your hearts will be right. Then will flow down
from your hearts true joy in giving that of which you have. So as the Lord will help us this
morning to look particularly at this 15th verse. To consider firstly the giver
of this gift. Thanks be unto God. Then to consider
the nature of this gift, his dear son. And then lastly to
consider the recipients of this gift, God's people. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable
gift. How have you come up this morning? I was gonna say, how have you
come up to chapel this morning? But it's not about coming to
chapel. It's about coming to worship
the Lord. Is that how you've come this
morning? Come to worship our God. Come to offer up those sacrifices
of praise and thanksgiving. Is that your desire this morning?
Thanks be unto God. our heavenly Father from whom
all goodness flows. James knew that, didn't he, when
he wrote in chapter one and verse 17. Verse 16 and 17. Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect
gift is from above. And where does it come from?
It cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness,
neither shadow of turning. For our Heavenly Father's love
to his people is an unchanging love. You may have known over
the years those that have loved you, those that have supported
you, those that have given to you and helped you Many, many
ways, but for one reason or another, maybe you've fallen out with
them, they've fallen out with you. Maybe the hand of death
has taken them from you, and you can no longer rely upon them.
Not our God. Those gifts that come down from
the Father of lights. There's no variableness in Him. There is no shadow of turning
in Him. He changes not. Is that your
comfort this morning, the giver of this indescribable gift that
we will look at? He knows who those gifts will
be given to. He knows what he'll give unto
each and every one of us. What a God we have. But what love is shown in that
giving. It's that love that purposed
it, isn't it? 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. Such love. And dear friends, that is the comfort of the Lord's
people, isn't it? The love that is shown through
his dear son. He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also
freely give us all things? If the giver of this gift, the
father, can give his only begotten son, deliver him up for his people,
surely then everything else that he gives, whether we view it
as good or whether we view it as bad, is out of this love. That's why in that same eighth
chapter of Romans, Paul could write, we know that all things
work together for good. To them that love God, to them
who are the called according to his purpose. Because he knew
his heavenly father that had sent his only begotten son in
that greatest manifestation of love that can ever be shown.
And therefore everything else that the giver, the father, sends
down upon his people is for their good. Do you settle down and can you
settle down this morning upon the giver of this unspeakable
gift? He knows what is necessary for
you. He knows what is needful for you, not for you to have
a comfortable life necessarily, not for you to have all your
problems taken away, not for you to live an easy life, but
to bring you to worship him, to bring you to rest upon a glorious
and loving heavenly father. Dear friends, do we know him?
Because to know him is life eternal. But this gift, the giver of this
gift, he doesn't react according to circumstances like we react
when we give gifts. No. According as he has 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 himself according
to the good pleasure of his will. This is the giver, that in God's
eternal plan he has chosen a people to reveal unto his unspeakable
gift to grant unto them the precious gift of faith, to believe in
Him, to turn unto Him, to rest in Him, the giver. You younger ones here this morning,
you know, don't you, when it is your birthday or Christmas,
you will be given gifts. Your parents, your friends, your
family, will give you presents. And when you are given a present,
what do we do? What should we say? We should
say, thank you. We should be thankful for that
gift. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable
gift. But with that gift, we don't
then say, how much do I owe you? What do I owe you for the present
you have just given me? And why? Because we know it is
a gift. The wages of sin is death, but
the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus. But God
commended his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us. And as we don't work for the
gifts, that we receive, so we can never work for the gifts
that this Heavenly Father gives unto his people. For by grace
are ye saved through faith, not of works, lest any man should
boast. This is the great giver of these
gifts, dear friends, this morning, God the Father. that so loved
the world that he gave his only begotten son. Thanks be unto
God for his unspeakable gift. And that is why when we come
to worship, that should be our aim, thanksgiving, praise unto
him. Yes, we may not know this unspeakable
gift as we once did, We may not be able to have that joy and
felt presence that we once did, but the giver of the gift hasn't
changed. Our sight of the gift may not
be as bright as it was as we're distracted by one thing and another
in our lives, but the giver of the gift hasn't changed, and
the gift hasn't changed, and the benefit of the gift hasn't
changed. Thanks Be unto God for his unspeakable
gift. But secondly this morning, consider
the giver of the gift, God the Father, but the nature of the
gift, his dear son. The gift of all gifts. It is an unspeakable gift, an
indescribable gift, a gift that we can never fully understand. And he is, Christ is unspeakable
firstly in his person. Unspeakable in his person. The word was made flesh and dwelt
among us. We beheld his glory, the glory
as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. The nature of this gift, that
eternal God, a just and holy God, who has every right to fold
up this earth and every one of the inhabitants of this earth
to be condemned to hell for the breaking of his law, took on himself human flesh,
humbled himself, became a man, was born of the Virgin Mary in
that manger in Bethlehem, was brought up in relative poverty,
was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, acquainted
with grief. But this, dear friends, This
one that was verily God is also verily man. This is the wonder
of the incarnation. Often think of those words of
Isaiah in Isaiah chapter six, where he had that great vision
and where he saw those seraphims crying out to each other, holy,
holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of his
glory. This vision that Isaiah had of God in all his glory brought
him to complete and utter humility. Where he said, woe is me, I am
undone. I'm a man of unclean lips and
dwell in the midst of an unclean people. This great and glorious
God that Isaiah had a little glimpse of, this same Lord came
down. unspeakable in his person, unspeakable, that this great
and glorious, just and holy God will come to this earth for unworthy
sinners like you and like me. that he would stand in that place,
unspeakable in his person. It's a beautiful hymn, that hymn
23, isn't it, where it speaks of the humanity of Christ. A man there is, a real man, with
wounds still gaping wide, from which rich streams of blood once
ran in hands and feet and side. This wondrous man of whom we
tell is true almighty God. He bought our souls from death
and hell, the price, his own heart's blood. So we do not have
a God like many other world religions where they have to try and work
their way up to this God and please this God and make themselves
suitable to be in the presence of this God through their own
works. The nature of this gift, Christ
in his person, came down to this earth. And we can now approach
this holy God through him. Through him. Unspeakable in his
person. but not only unspeakable in his
person, but unspeakable in his work. For he, God the Father, hath
made him to be sin for us. Who knew no sin, that we might
be made the righteousness of God in him? Yes, unspeakable,
that this holy God could come down and take on human flesh,
but unspeakable in what he did in his work. He was seen for
his people. The cross, dear friends, is the
center of God's giving. And what an unspeakable work
we see Yes, we can be amazed at the
many miracles he did. Granting eyes for the blind to
see, ears for the deaf to hear, healing the lepers and every
other sick and diseased person, feeding the 5,000. Yes, we can
be amazed at this work. But is that all you're amazed
about? at the work of God today, the work of God in Providence, that you were kept safe when
there was this accident and you could have been badly injured
or the Lord provided for you a suitable deposit for a house
and somewhere to live or gave you right friends at this occasion
and maybe took something away from you on another occasion,
Is that all we're amazed at? What can we say? Thanks be unto
God for His unspeakable gift. For there were many in Jesus'
time who saw His miracles and wanted the result of His miracles. But there were many who did not
want Him who did not need Him, who did not see Him as their
Savior, as their Redeemer. Dear friends, this is the unsearchable,
unspeakable, and unfathomable truth of this gift. He hath made Him to be sin for
us. What does that mean? You, every
one of your every one of you before us this morning. We have
all sinned and come short of the glory of God. If you don't
believe that this morning, then just read through the first three
chapters of Romans and have every excuse that you can ever build
up blown away. There is none righteous, no,
not one. We've all sinned, we've all come
short of the glory of God. But he hath made him to be sin
for us. And therefore, because he is
unspeakable in his person, unspeakable in his work, he is therefore
unspeakable in his worth and glory. Paul picks that up, doesn't
he, in Philippians chapter two, verse nine, wherefore God also
highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every
name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things
in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth, and
that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to
the glory of God the Father. He is unspeakable in his worth
and glory. He has been given a name above
every name, Every knee should bow before him because of his
person, because of his work. Every tongue should confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. But have you,
have you, have you confessed that Jesus
Christ is Lord? Have you confessed that your
hope is built on nothing less than this gift, Jesus' blood
and His righteousness? For if there is no true knowledge
of Him, if there is no confession of Him that He is Lord and we
are bringing glory of God the Father to Him, what is our religion
to Him? What is everything we do? If
we know not Him, whom to know is life eternal. This one is worthy of our praise. This one is worthy of our thanksgiving. This one is worthy of all that
we have. And when, dear friends, by faith,
we know this greatest of gifts, then we will be enabled to lay
up those treasures in heaven And not before. Not before, why? Because we'll see no worth in
them. We'll see no value in them. We'll see no need of them. You
know, you can go into a shop, can't you? And you can see great
and beautiful things or very expensive things which have absolutely
no attraction or use to you. And yet for someone else, they
will go in there and that'll be the thing that they need most. Maybe there'll be a tradesman
going into somewhere where you can buy tools. We only buy a
tool that is useful for us. We do not buy something that
we do not need. Dear friends, because worthless
is of no use. But what about Christ? Are we
falling before our heavenly Father and crying, Give me Christ, why?
Or else I die. I know I'm a sinner. I know I'm
unworthy. But I believe Christ Jesus came
into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable
gift. So yes, we have considered the
giver of this gift. We have considered the gift itself,
the nature of the gift, Christ himself. But when we get a gift, maybe it is Christmas time or
another season where many people get gifts, what do we look for?
A tag on that gift. Dear so-and-so, and we know that
gift is fast. So who is this gift for this
morning? Yes, God's people. But we need
to be more specific than that, don't we? Who are God's people? Who are God's people this morning?
That's the question, isn't it? Well, in the book of Hebrews
we read, Chapter two, verse 16, for verily he took not on him
the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham. He didn't come to redeem the
angels. He came to redeem humanity. He came to redeem sinful, unworthy
men, women, boys, and girls like you and me. Wherefore, in all
things, it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren,
that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest for his
people. He came to redeem fallen humanity,
and he is unspeakable in his person, as we have said, because
he took on our nature. but not for all in this earth.
Not for all. Not for all humanity. Otherwise,
why did Jesus speak so much about her? Eternal damnation. If he came to save sinners in
the category of everybody. Dear friends, he came to call
the sick. Jesus said, didn't he, they that
are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are
sick. I came not to call the righteous,
but sinners to repentance. So this is the recipient of God's
gift. Those who have been brought to
see what they are. You now know that they are sick,
that they need a physician. They need curing. They need him. And there are many that don't
feel that need. What does the hymn writer say?
All the fitness he requireth is to feel your need of him. And that is one of the signs,
dear friends, of the new birth. When that old heart of stone
is taken away and that new heart of flesh is given, the eyes are
opened to have a need. I need Christ. I am sick. I need to be made whole. He came to call sinners. Has he called on you? Has he
spoken to you? I often refer to that account
of the woman at the well at Samaria. Jesus had that need to go through
Samaria so that he could come before that woman and through
that conversation, gradually through that conversation, she
said, didn't she, that she had that need of that water. Give
me this water. that I thirst not, neither come
hither to draw first off that natural view of that water. But
as Jesus unfolded his truth unto her, she was brought to that
place where she longed for that gift. And God gave that gift
unto her. The woman went her way and said,
is not this the Christ? Is not this the savior of sinners?
Is not this that one thing I need? Dear friends, the recipients
of this gracious gift are unworthy sinners. But they're sinners that are
not forced there. That woman of Samaria was not
forced to believe. That woman's heart was opened
to feel her need. It's to those who are brought
to believe. As many as received him, to them
gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe
on his name. Do you believe this morning? Not with just a factual knowledge. Well, I believe it, of course
I believe it. The Bible says that Jesus Christ is the Son
of God. The Bible says that Christ came to save sinners. It's not
just a mere assent to facts that we look to. As we read, no man can come to
me except the Father which hath sent me draw him, and I will
raise him up at the last day. Drawn what? To the need of that
gift. Drawn in love unto him. And all that the Father giveth
me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in no
wise cast out. This is the beauty of the gospel
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The gift is there. The gift is revealed by the Holy
Spirit. And sinners come to that gift
and find their need satisfied. Find that which their soul has
been looking for and they are brought to trust in Christ and
in Christ alone. Believe and thou shalt be saved,
we read in the word of God. But maybe you say this morning,
Or that one who cried, Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief. Or maybe you feel to be like
those that were near the Lord at all times, his disciples.
What did they have to cry? Lord, increase our faith. Because dear friends, sometimes
the devil will twist and distort the gospel and say, well, you
need a deeper faith. You need a more substantial faith.
You need a more solid faith. Your faith is very wobbly. How
can you be a child of God if one moment you think you need
this gift and the next moment you don't? Why? Because dear friends, we're sinners
in the sight of a holy God. And we carry about an old nature.
And our hearts and affections are sometimes drawn aside and
the cloud of unbelief comes down. And we go hither and we go thither
and we are drawn away from our God. But those times come again
where we say, I need Thee, Lord Jesus. I need Thee again. I need that unspeakable gift. And we are brought to trust in
that gift, to rest upon that gift and to build upon that gift. You know, we mentioned in the
vestry, the lines of that hymn, on Christ, the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand. Something to trust in. What are
you trusting in this morning? Are you trusting in the prospects
before you in your career? Are you trusting in what you
have managed to accumulate through your career? Are you trusting
in the care and support of your loved ones and your family? Are
you trusting that in the National Health Service or the welfare
state or anything else? Or are you trusting in Him and this unspeakable gift? Dear friends, accept we repent.
we shall all likewise perish. The recipients of this great
and glorious gift are God's people. They are fallen humanity. They are sinners, not forced,
but those who are drawn to a savior, who turn unto him through repentance. And those who follow take up
their cross and follow him. So as we draw our thoughts to
a close this morning, there is a great and glorious
gift from God the Father for his people. Thanks should be
rendered unto him for his dear son. But do we thank him for
it in faith, repentance and obedience. and worship him as our prophet
and priest and king. If so, as it was with many at
the Church of Corinth, it will be seen, it will be known, but we can hide and give an outward
giving, act righteously, act uprightly, and tick all the boxes. But unless we know this gift,
it is nothing in his sight. And at that great day of judgment,
we can cry, Lord, Lord, have I not done this? Have I not done
the other in thy name? And he will say, depart from
me. I never knew you because you
have never known. my unspeakable gift. So may the
Lord bring us each to value this gift, to thank him for it and
to worship him in our hearts. Amen. We'll close this morning by singing
hymn 550, tune Samuel 2, 561. My soul, rejoice and sing thy
Father's glorious praise, and let his precious love employ
thee all thy days. Proclaim with honour to his name
that God is love, and still the same. Hymn 550, tune Samuel 2,
561. I so pray to my Sensei, my Father's
glorious praise, and that his precious love may be known. ? Proclaim with honor to his name
? ? That God is love and still the same ? was in its eternal will, and
which its precious name is a curse to all ill. ? Of the great I Am ? ? And as
a pilgrim he often is ? ? When he falls on to the knee ? And
see His life, how it takes flight. And in the hope, greatness of
Him, Sends His hope, that life can close the night. His hand is fastened in my heart,
Nor can it help from which it comes. the danger and the pain that
Christ my soul will cling to wherever it is I stay. ? The help I need ? ? Has no respect
? ? He cannot help ? ? But bless ? ? He's just a man ? The shepherd brings them here. I look for the blind man, From
the old well to take a spray. Dear Lord, we thank Thee at the close
of this morning service for thy unspeakable gift. And may that gift truly be fastened
in the hearts of many as God, as shepherd, priest, and king,
as our Lord, our life, and our head, from whom all blessings
spring. As all I need, as all I have,
while here, and when beyond the grave, this is the gift, and
we thank thee for it, and may we all be brought to thank thee
for it. Forgive everything that has been
wrong in our worship here this morning, and that alone which
has been of thee, do truly own and bless. The grace of the Lord
Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, fellowship of the
Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.