The notices for the coming week
are, God willing, as follows. Next Lord's Day, there'll be
a prayer meeting at 10.30 in the morning, and Matthew Hyde
will preach here in the afternoon at two o'clock. Pastor will preach here on Thursday
evening at seven o'clock. There will be no prayer meeting
on Tuesday this week. The collections and online giving
were 2000, this was for the month of April, were £2,513.95. Donations
to the book fund were £45. We sincerely thank you for your
continued support of this cause of truth. Let us commence our services
today by singing together hymn 362. The tune is Ascalon 567. How pleased and blessed was I
to hear the people cry. Come, let us seek our God today. Yes, with a cheerful zeal, we
haste to Zion's hill. and there our vows and honours
pay. Hymn 362, tune Ascalon 567. How peace and restful sound,
To hear the people cry. Come, let us eat the fruit today.
Yes, with a tearful sing, In praise to Zion's hymn, And there are clouds upon the
day. Cycle thrice happy ways, Earth,
born with wondrous grace, Earth, Lord of strength and grace, We
bow. In thee have Christ appeared, We pray and praise and give The
sacred cost and joyful shout Then, David's great-grandson,
As he takes his royal throne, He speaks for race and child
and man, ♪ If it's the saints we've had
♪ ♪ We may trust in ourself ♪ ♪ And humble ourselves ♪ ♪ With joyous
praise ♪ May peace last ten thousand years,
and joy within me bear, ♪ Bless the soul of every man ♪ ♪ Heaven
and earth teach thy peace ♪ ♪ And richness thy increase ♪ ♪ A thousand blessings on him who
else could ♪ ♪ Life to him we turn
out ♪ ♪ Peace to this sacred house ♪ ♪ Where my friends, my
kindred, dwell ♪ ♪ And since my glorious dawn ♪ let us read together from the
holy word of god in the prophecy of Isaiah, chapter 66. Isaiah's
prophecy, chapter 66. Thus saith the Lord, the heaven
is my throne and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house
that ye build unto me? And where is the place of my
rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those
things have been, saith the Lord. But to this man will I look,
even to him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth
at my word. He that killeth an ox, as if
he slew a man, he that sacrifices the lamb as if he cut off a dog's
neck, he that offers oblation as if he offered swine's blood,
he that burneth incense as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own
ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations. I also
would choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon
them, because when I called, none did answer. When I spake,
they did not hear, but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose
that in which I delighted not. Hear the word of the Lord, ye
that tremble at his word, your brethren that hated you, that
cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified,
but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed. A voice of noise from the city,
a voice from the temple, a voice of the Lord that renders recompense
to his enemies. Before she travailed, she brought
forth. Before her pain came, she was
delivered of a man-child, Who hath heard such a thing? Who
hath seen such a thing? Shall the earth be made to bring
forth in one day, or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon
as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. Shall I bring
to birth, and not cause to spring forth, saith the Lord? Shall
I cause to Bring forth and shut the womb, saith thy God. Rejoice
ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her. Rejoice for joy with her, all
ye that mourn for her. That ye may suck and be satisfied
with the breasts of her consolations. That ye may milk out and be delighted
with the abundance of her glory. For thus saith the Lord, behold,
I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the
Gentiles like a flowing stream. Then shall ye suck. Ye shall
be borne upon her sides. Ye shall be dandled upon her
knees. As one whom his mother comforted,
so will I comfort you. And ye shall be comforted in
Jerusalem. And when ye see this, your heart
shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb,
and the hand of the Lord shall be known toward his servants,
and his indignation toward his enemies. For behold, the Lord
will come with fire and with his chariots like a whirlwind,
to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of
fire, For by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with
all flesh, and the slain of the Lord shall be many. They that
sanctify themselves and purify themselves in the garden behind
one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination
and the mouse shall be consumed together, saith the Lord. For
I know their works, and their thoughts, it shall come that
I will gather all nations and tongues, and that they shall
come and see my glory. I will set a sign among them,
and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations to Tarshish,
Pur and Lod, that draw the bow to Tubal and Javan to the Isles
of Farol. that have not heard my fame,
neither have seen my glory, and they shall declare my glory among
the Gentiles. And they shall bring all your
brethren for an offering unto the Lord out of all nations,
upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules,
and upon swift bees, to my holy mount in Jerusalem, saith the
Lord. As the children of Israel bring
an offering in a clean vessel unto the house of the Lord. And
I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith
the Lord. For as the new heavens and the
new earth which I will make shall remain before me, saith the Lord,
so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to
pass that from one new moon to another And from one sabbath
to another shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the
Lord. And they shall go forth and look
upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against
me, for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire
be quenched, and they shall be in a boring unto all flesh. May the Lord bless thee, reading
of his own precious word, and grant unto us a spirit of real
prayer. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,
which is and art and art to come, we bow before thy glorious majesty. Thou art the Alpha, and the omega,
the beginning and the ending, and the first and the last. We come to bow before thy glorious
majesty, we come as poor sinners. We would not heedlessly rush
into thy presence, but we would come in humility and love, in
confession of our sin, our shortcomings, our heart wanderings, our backsliding. aerial manners in this wilderness
journey. 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. Gracious
God, we do pray that thou wouldst remember us, even this day, as
we gather round thy holy word. and that thou wouldst be with
us, and that thou wouldst speak to our hearts, open our ears
and our eyes, and our hearts. We read of one, O Lord, Lydia
the seller of purple, whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended
upon the things that were spoken. Lord, we do pray that it may
be so today, that where there are those closed hearts, they
may be opened, and where there are those deaf ears, they may
be opened, and those blinded eyes. Lord, this is the mighty
work of thy spirit. Holy, divine, and blessed spirit
of truth, we pray for thy heavenly power, for thy divine unction
to be poured forth this day, and that thou wouldst graciously
hear us. Lord Jesus, thou didst say, take
heed how ye hear. And Lord, may it be so, Lord,
that we may take heed to the things that we hear and those
things that we read in thy holy word. Grant that the eyes of
our understanding may be enlightened. The word of truth may be opened.
The spirit of power may be present. that there may be the application
of the truth unto our hearts. Lord, we do pray that thou wouldst
graciously remember us then. Grant us the spirit of adoption
whereby we may cry, Abba, Father. That sacred sense of being a
son or a daughter of the Lord God Almighty. Lord, grant that
This may be a divine reality in our hearts even today. Forgive us of all our sins. Wash
us in the precious blood of Jesus. Cleanse us from all our unrighteousness. We come like thee, Psalmist of
old, against thee and thee only have I sinned and done this evil
in thy sight. Gracious God. Oh, we do pray
that thou would remember us then as a church and as a congregation. Remember each one present in
the sanctuary today. Remember those that are away
and graciously be with them. And remember us, Lord, as we
gather together around the table of the Lord this afternoon. Remember
us with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people visit
us with thy great salvation. Lord, we do pray that thou would
remember our brethren, the deacons, give grace, wisdom, and help
in all their responsibilities. Remember, Lord, we pray thee
the words spoken by thy servants while we've been away, and grant,
O Lord, that there may be something that shall abide. We do humbly
pray thee. We thank thee for the help given.
And oh Lord, we do pray that thou would remember the little
ones, the children, the young and the rising generation. Raise
up a seed to call thee the Redeemer blessed. Bring them to living
faith in Jesus Christ. Put the fear of the Lord, which
is the beginning of wisdom into their hearts. Remember our young
friends, graciously be with them, graciously guide them, direct
them, teach them thy ways, lead them in thy paths, open their
hearts to receive thy word, bring them to living faith in Jesus
Christ, make them true followers of thee and of those who through
faith and patience inherit the promises, be with them in all
the paths of providence and grant them thy divine direction in
the way that they should go. We do humbly beseech them. We
pray for parents that they always give wisdom and grace and help
to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of
the Lord. Remember, Lord, the families as they gather for divine
worship and grant that spirit of worship. For all things are
sanctified by the word of God and prayer. Lord, we pray that
they always remember Then all in the midst of the journey of
life, graciously guide and direct and teach and lead, we do humbly
pray thee, bring them to thy feet, cause prodigals to return,
cause their mighty arm to be made bare. We do humbly pray
thee, Lord, we pray for those that are as far from God as sheep
can run, that thou wouldst graciously cause them to return. There's
nothing too hard for thee, for with God nothing shall be impossible. We thank thee that thou art the
King of kings and the Lord of lords. Indeed, thou art able
to do abundantly more than we could even ask or think. Thou art God over all and blessed
for evermore. Lord, remember that those of
us in the evening time of life's journey, and that graciously
prepare us for that great change which must come. Chained and decaying all around,
I see. O thou who changest, not abide
with me. Remember this village, send out
the glory and light of the gospel. Gather in precious souls. Oh,
do grant that something may be done in the name of the holy
child Jesus. One and another may be gathered
in and thy word may be richly blessed. That there may be mighty
signs and wonders that shall follow the preaching of the word. Remember thy servants. and graciously
be with them and help them. We will especially pray for thy
dear servant as he commences his ministry at Grand Rapids
today, and that great change for the family. We lovingly commend
him to thee and the church and congregation there, and pray
that it may be a day to be remembered, one of the days of the sons of
men. We do humbly beseech of thee. Thou hast promised concern in
thy church, I will abundantly bless her provision, I will satisfy
her poor with bread. O thou great God, let us see
thy work, and thy power, and thy glory, as thou used to be
in the sanctuary. Arise, arise, O God of grace,
into thy rest descend, thou and the ark of thy strength, and
let thy priests be clothed with salvation, and thy saints shall
shout aloud for joy. Oh abundantly bless the provision
of thy house and satisfy her poor with bread. Let thy hand
be upon the man of thy right hand, the son of man, whom thou
madest strong for thyself. Oh Lord of hosts, oh God of Israel,
oh thou that dwellest between the cherubim, shine forth. We do humbly beseech of thee. We do pray, most gracious God,
that thou, in thy precious mercy, would hear prayer then for thy
Zion and for thy people and for thy servants as they labour in
word and doctrine today. And we pray thee, the great Lord
of the harvest, to send true labourers into the harvest and
to build the walls of Jerusalem. Lord we do pray that they will
remember those that labour in word and doctrine among the nations
of the earth. Remember Ian Sadler and that
great work that he does in so many places in the distribution
of the word of God and the exposition of it. Oh gracious God do richly
supply all his many needs. Remember the Savannah Education
Trust and that great work that they're doing with the Christian
schools in in Ghana. And remember, Lord, we pray thee
the Mombasa mission and pour forth thy blessed spirit there
and grant that we may see thy work and thy power and thy glory. Lord, we do pray for our nation. We live in dark and solemn days.
The wickedness abounds on every hand. And yet, Lord, we have
much to be thankful for. We pray, most gracious Lord,
to revive the church in the land, and that it may bear thine holy
arm in the gospel, and to raise up those that fear thy name in
Parliament. Do hear us, Lord, we pray thee,
for thy great namesake. Remember our King, Grant thy
rich blessing upon him and upon the royal household. O Lord,
we do beseech of thee for thy great name's sake. O gracious
God, do incline thine ear. We thank thee for every mercy
and every blessing. We thank thee for our little
house of prayer. We thank thee for our brethren
and sisters in Christ. We thank thee O Lord for every
mercy of thy kind providence we thank thee for the wonderful
glories of the incarnation of the Son of God and the holy life
he lived and thereby the holy law he fulfilled and honoured
and magnified for the bringing in of everlasting righteousness
for his people. Oh, we thank Thee for Calvary,
where the Lamb was slain, where sin was put away, where divine
justice was satisfied, where God and sinners are reconciled.
We thank Thee, most gracious Lord, for the death and the resurrection
of our Lord Jesus Christ, for what He has done, for this Lord
is all our hope. God forbid that I should glory,
saving the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. O gracious God,
incline thine ear, remember all in affliction, trouble, trial,
perplexity, sorrow, or bereavement, and undertake for each one. Come,
O Lord, and touch one's lips with a live coal from off the
heavenly altar. 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
352. The tune is Abbeydale, 274. The moon and star shall lose their
line. The sun shall sink in endless
night. Both heaven and earth shall pass
away. The works of nature all decay. Hymn 352. tune abbeydale 274 ♪ And from no sin in heav'n descend
♪ ♪ Amen ♪ ♪ The breakers in the
meadow gone wide ♪ ♪ And sheltered in the dew ♪ ♪ Christ the angel of the Lord
♪ ♪ Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus ♪ ♪ Christmas shall not be propelled
♪ ♪ All is calm, all is bright ♪ you. ♪ Which spurned with tinge ♪ ♪
The sin that slain ♪ ♪ We behold thee ♪ ♪ And admonish thee ♪
♪ Since from thy birth ♪ Greatly feeling today, the Lord's
gracious help I direct your attention to the chapter that we read,
the prophecy of Isaiah chapter 66, and we will read verses 15 and
16 for our text. Isaiah chapter 66, reading verses
15 and 16 for our text. For behold, the Lord will come
with fire and with his chariots like a whirlwind to render his
anger with fury and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire
and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh and the
slain of the Lord shall be many." Very solemn words. A message from the God of heaven to poor sinful man. The apostle says, for there is
the time appointed when the Lord will judge the world in righteousness. In the holy scriptures of truth
it is very clear that there are only two types of people on earth
in the eyes of God and that is the Lord's people
whom he has chosen and separated unto eternal life and everlasting
glory in Jesus Christ, who he will sanctify with the spirit
of truth, separate them from the ways of sin and unrighteousness,
and bring them to living faith in Jesus Christ, so that they
become followers of the Lord, followers of Jesus Christ. What a mercy if we have those
evidences that we are indeed a follower of Jesus Christ. We have a statement of divine
truth at the beginning of this chapter. Thus saith the Lord,
the heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool. Where
is the house that you build unto me? where is the place of my rest?
For all those things have mine hand made and all those things
have been set the Lord. When Solomon prayed at the dedication
of the first and that magnificent temple that he built in Jerusalem
and he says to the Lord in prayer that the heaven of heavens cannot
contain thee, let alone this house of prayer. He had a realization
of the infinite being of the eternal God, who is in all places
at all times, who cannot be contained anywhere. God is everywhere.
God is everywhere. God is in all places at all times. He is and infinite being but he says here precious words
of divine truth in the second verse but to this man will I
look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and
trembleth at my word you know my beloved friends if we indeed
have the work of the divine spirit of God in our hearts, if he dwells
in our hearts. Because that is where, and we
need to be very clear on this, that is where eternal life begins
in the heart of the believer. It's when the Holy Spirit enters
in. There's that lovely word in John's gospel, in that valedictory
discourse of our Lord Jesus Christ in John 14, 15, and 16. And the
Lord Jesus extensively speaks there of the divine person of
the Holy Ghost. And he makes this lovely statement,
and he will dwell with you forever. He will dwell with you forever.
I had a minister say once, a good man, But he was completely wrong
in what he said. He said, we will not need the
Holy Ghost in heaven. He will dwell with you forever.
He that hath begun a good work in you shall perform it unto
the day of Jesus Christ. And he, the divine, eternal spirit
of God will dwell in the hearts of the Lord's people forever. precious truth. And where the
divine spirit is working, there is a humbling of ourselves
under a sense of our sinfulness, of our wretchedness, of our helplessness,
of our hopelessness, of our insufficiency. There's a realization given in
the heart, in the very soul of the believer that They're sinners. They're sinners. They cannot
do anything right. You know, how true that is, we
read of it concerning Jesus Christ. Without Thee we can do nothing,
and we can't. It's true of the Holy Ghost.
Without Thee we can do nothing. Without Thy heavenly power, O
Lord, no sweets the gospel can afford. no drops of heavenly
dew will fall. He says here in verse five, hear
the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word. How many
of us tremble at the word of the Lord? How many of us tremble
at the holiness of God? How many of us tremble at the
holy law of God? and tremble at the thought of
living and dying under that holy law and under it's condemnation
and under it's terrible curse forever and ever tremble at his
word but you know this trembling at his word as it says in verse
2 even to him that is poor of a contrite spirit and trembleth
at my word That spirit of contrition, a contrite spirit, humbled under
the word of God, humbled under the word of condemnation, humbled
under a sense of condemnation and of sinfulness. Humbled under it. You know, naturally
speaking, without the divine work of the spirit in the heart,
we would rebel against it because that is what we are by nature. We would fight against it. But where the Holy Spirit grants
those precious graces of the Spirit and grants faith in our
Lord Jesus Christ and real repentance and godly sorrow for sin, there's a humbling There's a
humbling under it. One hymn writer says, doesn't
he? I remember a man years ago saying to me, I could never come
to that. And if my soul was sent to hell,
thy righteous law approves it well, justifying God in our own
condemnation. God would be just. That's the
realization given in the heart. And this particular man, he said
to me, I can't say that. He was still hardened. I can't
say that, he said. You see, my beloved friends,
that tremble at his word. Hear the word of the Lord, ye
that tremble at his word. For that What a precious thing
it would be, my beloved friends, if there are those that truly
tremble at God's Word, truly tremble at God's holiness, God's
righteousness, God's greatness, God's power, God's wisdom, infinite
wisdom, infinite power, an infinite presence of the eternal God,
a realization that God is holy, and righteous altogether. You see, it speaks here of Jerusalem,
of Zion. It says in verse 9, concerning Zion,
shall I bring to birth and not cause the spring forth, saith
the Lord? Shall I cause the spring, bring
forth and shut the womb, saith thy God? This is speaking spiritually. Rejoice ye with Jerusalem and
be glad with her, all ye that love her. Rejoice for joy with
her, all ye that mourn for her, that ye may suck and be satisfied. We read in the New Testament
of the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, that
you may suck and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations,
those wonderful consolations. that come to these poor trembling
sinners, the consolations of the gospel of Jesus Christ, of
the infinite love of God, our Heavenly Father, in sending forth
His Son to be made of a woman made under the law that He might
redeem them that are under the law and to live a life that was
holy and pure on behalf of his people and fulfill and honor
and magnify that holy law and bring in everlasting righteousness
and offer a glorious sacred holy sacrifice on the cross of Calvary
and shed his precious holy blood to atone for the sins of his
people. These are the consolations of
Zion, the blood of Jesus Christ, God's son, cleanseth us from
all sin, the consolations of Zion, that ye may milk out and
be delighted with the abundance of her glory. For thus saith
the Lord, behold, I will extend peace to her like a river and
the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream. Then shall
ye suck, ye shall be born upon her knees and be dandled upon
her. niece. You see, my beloved friends,
these wonderful blessings that the Lord sends unto Zion, unto
poor sinners. He opens their hearts. It's lovely that account, isn't
it, in Acts of the Apostles, where the apostle was where prayer
was wont to be made by the riverside. And then we read of Lydia, the
seller of purple, whose heart the Lord opened. Whose heart
the Lord opened. Isn't that what we need? Nobody
else can open our hearts. Wonderful, precious thing, when
the Lord opens the heart. When Christ is revealed and Christ
is made precious. A door of hope is open wide in
Jesus' bleeding hands and side. Ah, my beloved friend, sinners
are welcome still. To Christ, the sinner's friend,
they are. This is where the consolations
of the gospel are found. This is where peace is found.
This is where salvation is found. in the glorious person of our
crucified saviour, when he suffered in the ruined place instead of
his people, when he died for our sins and rose again for our
justification. These are the consolations of
Zion, of Jerusalem. He goes on here, verse 13, as
one whom his mother comforted, so will I comfort you. and you
shall be comforted in Jerusalem and when you shall see this your
heart shall rejoice and your bones shall flourish like an
herb and the hand of the Lord shall be known toward his servants
and his indignation toward his enemies. There's coming a day
when the Lord will judge the world in righteousness. He will. It's a solemn day. We read in
Hebrew chapter nine, as it is appointed unto man once to die,
so after death, the judgment, the day of judgment. My mind,
it just goes to those words that we have in the second epistle
of Paul to the Thessalonians. and in the chapter one. And he says there in verse six, seeing it as a righteous
thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble
you, he's writing to the church of God, and to you who are troubled,
rest with us. When the Lord Jesus shall be
revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire,
taking vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the
gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting
destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory
of his power, when he shall come to be glorified in his saints
and to be admired in all them that believe, because I attest
to me among you was believed in that day. So we notice here
these two sorts of people, those that know and love our Lord Jesus
Christ and have become followers of him and those that know not
God and have no faith in Jesus Christ. You know, How many Christians
there are? Obviously I'm speaking of those
that profess Christianity. That it has to be said of them,
they know not God. They profess Christianity. But they do not have the Holy
Ghost in their hearts. They do not have Christ in their
hearts. They do not know the love of
a heavenly father. They give credence to the word
of God as it is the truth of God. But they live in the world
and of the world. I know not God. What a solemn
thing. I cannot think of a more solemn
thing. To go through life expecting to go to heaven. and then to
come there and to hear those solemn and
awful words depart from me, ye cursed. Christ says, many shall
say unto me in that day, just think of that, many shall say
unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, and I will say unto you, I never
knew you, I never knew you. You see, my beloved friends,
the true Christian has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
The true Christian is born again of the Holy Ghost. The true Christian
has living faith. There are many that have just
a historical faith. They have a faith that the Word
of God is the Word of God, but they do not have that living
faith. They do not have a living experience. When I was in Scotland, one of
the Free Presbyterian ministers, he said to me, Mr. Wright, what
is the difference between a reformed Baptist and a strict Baptist? And I had to sit and think for
a while. And I said, well, the reformed Baptists, who are usually
Calvinistic, They believe the truth but I
said the difference between generally the reformed Baptist and the
strict Baptist is that the strict Baptist insists on an experimental
knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus. That you'll experience
the truth. You'll know by experience conviction
of sin. You'll know by experience that
you're a sinner, you're undone, you're ruined. And you'll know
what it is to flee unto Jesus Christ, the only saviour of sinners.
And you'll know when the light of the gospel shines into your
heart. You experience it. Sadly, from one's own experience,
most of what we would call the Reform, not saying completely,
but most of what we would call Reform Baptists, there's no emphasis
whatsoever on experience. There's an emphasis on the doctrine,
and that doctrine may be very correct, but there's no emphasis
on the vital need of the indwelling of the Holy Ghost, of the experience
of divine truth in the heart, and coming to Jesus Christ as
a poor, wretched sinner, and laying hold of Christ. You see, my beloved friends,
These things are written in God's Word for our instruction. Many shall say unto me, Lord,
Lord. And I will say unto them, I never
knew you. I never knew you. It's a solemn
thought, isn't it? You know, there are many places
in the Word of God where this clear distinction is made. For behold, the Lord will come
with fire. and with his chariots like a
whirlwind to render his anger with fury and his rebuke with
flames of fire for by fire and by his sword will the lord plead
with all flesh and the slain of the lord shall be many the
slain of the lord shall be many you just think of that my beloved
friends you see we read in the Word of God in the previous chapter,
chapter 63. Christ coming to judgment. Those
first six verses, Christ coming to judgment. I've heard it expounded
that this is Christ when he's red in his apparel, when he's
shed his precious blood, but it doesn't mean that. Who is
this that cometh from Edom, with thy garments from Bosra, this
that is glorious in his apparel, travelling the greatness of his
strength, I that speak in righteousness, mighty to say? Now listen, wherefore
art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that
treadeth in the wine fat? This is when Christ comes to
judgment. I have trodden the winepress alone, and of the people
there was none with me. For I will tread them in mine
anger, and trample them in my fury. This is not Christ coming
to salvation, this is Christ coming to judgment. He's the
judge of all the earth. For I will tread them in mine
anger, and trample them in my fury, and their blood shall be
sprinkled on my garments. So it's not speaking of his own
blood, is speaking of the blood of his enemies, and their blood
shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment,
for the day of vengeance is in mine heart." Notice this, we've
just noticed it in Thessalonians chapter one there of the second
of Thessalonians, for the day of vengeance is in mine heart,
day of judgment, And the year of my redeemed has come. It's
the same day. It's the same day. I looked and there was none to
help. I wondered that there was none to uphold. Therefore, mine
own arm brought salvation unto me and my fury, it upheld me. And I will tread down the people
in mine anger and make them drunk in my fury. I will bring down
their strength to the earth. It's a very solemn thought the
day of judgment and the fury and it says in our text, Behold
the Lord will come with fire and with his chariots like a
whirlwind. You think of a whirlwind, you
think of the destruction of a whirlwind and when the Lord comes a second
time it will be like a whirlwind. There will be terrible destruction.
just like a whirlwind and his chariots like a whirlwind
to render his anger with fury and his rebuke with flames of
fire. I think it's in the Book of Psalms
and as is so often in the Book of Psalms you find all those
rich doctrines both solemn and blessed in the Book of Psalms.
When the Lord speaks of the day of judgment there, it says in
Psalm 11, this is verse four, the Lord
is in his holy temple. The Lord's throne is in heaven.
His eyes behold, his eyelids try the children of men. The
Lord tried the righteous. He doesn't try the wicked. The
Lord trieth the righteous. The trial of your faith, the
apostle speaks of it. The trial of your faith being
much more precious than of gold or silver that perisheth. The
Lord trieth the righteous. Those of you here that have a
hope in his mercy but you're really tried, you're really tempted,
you're really perplexed. The Lord trieth the righteous,
but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. Upon
the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible
tempest. This shall be the portion of
their cup. You see, my beloved friends,
these things are written for our instruction. that we might be instructed in
the way of righteousness and in the way of truth. You see, it says in Psalm 21, speaking of
the Lord coming to judgment. In verse 8, thine hands shall
find out all thine enemies. Thy right hand shall find out
those that hate thee. Thou shalt make them as a fiery
oven in the time of thine anger. The Lord shall swallow them up
in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them. Their fruit shalt
thou destroy from the earth, and their seed from among the
children of men. For they intended evil against
thee, They imagined a mischievous device which they are not able
to perform. Therefore thou shalt make them
turn their back when thou shalt make ready thine arrows upon
thy strings against the face of them. See my beloved friends,
it speaks in the book of Psalms about coming up against the shields
of the buckler of the God of heaven. Very solemn, isn't it? It's appointed unto man once
to die, and after death, the judgment. God has appointed that
day when this world shall depart on fire. You see, my beloved friends,
it's divinely I'll tell you where this is most clearly laid out
and the Lord coming with fire because you know the Lord he
said that he would no longer flood the world and destroy the
world as he did in the days of Noah but that he will come with
fire and it is with fire that he shall judge the world. In the second epistle of Peter,
in that third chapter, how clearly does the apostle speak there
of the second coming of Jesus Christ. And he starts that third
chapter, this second epistle, Beloved, I now write unto you,
in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance,
that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before
by the holy prophets and of the commandment of us the apostles
of the Lord and Saviour, knowing this first, that there shall
come in the last days scoffers walking after their own lusts. My beloved friends, if That word
is not true today. We see the wickedness and the
evil that is on every hand in the day in which we live, the
immorality, the unrighteousness. Men shall be lovers of pleasure
more than lovers of God. Scoffers walking after their
own lusts and saying, where is the promise of his coming? For
since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were
from the beginning of creation for this they willingly are ignorant
of that by the word of God the heavens were of old and the earth
standing out of the water and in the water whereby the world
that then was that is in the days of Noah being overflowed
with water perished but the heavens and the earth which are now by
the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the
day of judgment and petition of ungodly men. But beloved,
be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord
as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day. Time doesn't
mean anything to God. He lives in eternity. He lives
in one eternal now. And God is just as aware of all
eternity to come as He is in all eternity past. He lives in
eternity. He is infinite in all His very
being. The Lord is not slack concerning
His promise. as some men can't select this.
And his long-suffering to us all, remember he's writing to
the Church of God, his long-suffering to us all. Not willing that any
should perish, but that all should come to repentance. We know from
Holy Scripture very clearly, very emphatically that there
is a chosen people. And God is not willing that any
of them should perish. And this world will remain until
that last vessel of mercy has been quickened into life and
brought to living faith in Jesus Christ. And then the archangel's
trump shall sound. And the Lord is long suffering
with the wickedness and evil that is in this world. not willing that any of those
whom he has chosen and redeemed should perish but that all should come to repentance
but the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. Time and time again we read in
the New Testament as a thief in the night suddenly that day suddenly we shall see the son
of man coming in power and in great glory and every eye shall
see him every eye shall see him but the day of the lord will
come as a thief in the night in the which the heavens shall
pass away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with
fervent heat the earth also and the works that are therein shall
be burned up seeing then that all these things
shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought ye to be in
all holy conversation and godliness and speaking now to believers
looking for and hasting unto the coming the day of God wherein
the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved with and the elements
shall melt with fervent heat all these things everything physical
shall be dissolved completely nevertheless we according to
his promise look for a new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth
righteousness, and new heavens are denuclear. Wherefore, beloved,
seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may
be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless, accounting
that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation. Even as our
beloved brother Paul, also according to the wisdom given unto him,
hath written unto you. And he says and it's true isn't
it in verse 16 as also in all his epistles speaking of in them
of those things in which are some things hard to be understood
which they that are unlearned and unstable rest. There are
some things in scripture that are hard to be understood. They're
often spoken of as being mysteries. You take the mystery of the Trinity,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. And yet the scriptures
insist there is one God. There is but one God. But within
the Godhead are three divine persons. But still one God. Just one God. But three divine
persons subsisting in the Godhead. How can three be one and one
be three? That's a mystery, isn't it? The
mystery of the Trinity. Then we have the mystery of the
incarnation of the Son of God. Great is the mystery of godliness.
God was manifest in the flesh. It's a mystery. How can the infinite,
the eternal, take into union with his divine nature, a holy
human nature? But that is what happened in
the glorious person of Jesus Christ. It was in that holy human
nature that the Son of God fulfilled and honored and magnified the
holy law of God on the behalf of his people and thereby brought
in everlasting righteousness. And it was in that holy human
nature that the Son of God offered that sacred holy sacrifice on
the cross of Calvary. It is. that atone for the sin
of the church. It was in the precious blood
of that holy human nature that satisfies all the demands of
divine justice. As far as the east is from the
west, so far have I removed thy sin from thee, O Israel. How?
By the precious sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He died, he entered
into death, the Lord of life and glory. eternal son of the
father the lord of life experienced death he did it's a mystery isn't
it but he did and on the third day he rose again that he might
destroy death and him that had the power of death that is the
devil you see my beloved friends these things are written for
our instruction for our admonition For behold, the Lord will come
with fire and with his chariots like a whirlwind to render his
anger with fury and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire
and by his sword, that's the word of his mouth, his sword.
He hath a sharp two-edged sword. For by fire and by his sword
will the Lord plead with all flesh and the slain of the Lord
shall be many. You know, in the book of the
Revelation, on several places in the book of the Revelation,
we see Christ coming in power and in great glory. And we read,
I'm thinking in particular here of the 16th chapter of the book
of the Revelation, about the vials being poured out. And then it says in verse 16,
and he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew
tongue Armageddon. Notice this, he gathered them
together. We actually find them surrounding
the Church of God, that's what's revealed here. And their purpose and their object
was to destroy the Church of God. But we read here that it
was God that gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew
tongue, Armageddon. And when he'd gathered them together,
The seventh angel poured out his vial into the air and there
came a great voice out of the temple of heaven from the throne
saying, it is done. And there were voices and thunders
and lightnings and there was a great earthquake such as was
not since men were upon the earth. So mighty an earthquake and so
great. You see, a time of great destruction
when the Lord comes in power and in great glory. You know
it again in the book of the revelation chapter 20 a very clear word is given us there from verse 11 and I beheld and
I saw a great white throne and him that sat on it oh it always
strikes me and I saw a great white throne that in of itself
was magnificent, comma, and him that sat on it. Who was it? Jesus, King Jesus. From his face the earth and the
heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them. And
I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books
were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book
of life, and the dead were judged out of those things, which were
written in the books according to their works. And the sea gave
up, this describes that there's no hiding place. And the sea
gave up the dead which were in it. And death and hell delivered
up the dead which were in them. And they were judged every man
according to their works. And death and hell were cast
into the lake of fire. This is the second death. whosoever was not found written
in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. It says
in verse six, blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first
resurrection. On such, the second death hath
no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall
reign with him a thousand years. The second death. those that
had part in the first resurrection. The second death hath no power.
What is the first resurrection? It's when a poor sinner is born
again of the Holy Spirit and brought from spiritual death
into spiritual life. It's the new birth. That is the
first resurrection. On such, the second death hath
no power. For behold, the Lord will come
with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his
anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire
and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh, and the
slain of the Lord shall be many. May the Lord add his blessing. Let us now sing together hymn
number 496. The tune is Triumph 691. Day of judgment, day of
wonders. Hark, the trumpet's awful sound,
louder than a thousand thunders, shakes the vast creation round. How the sums will the sinner's
heart confound. Hymn 496 to the tune Triumph
691. ♪ O come all ye faithful ♪ ♪ Joyful
and triumphant ♪ ♪ O'er the land of the free ♪ ♪ And the home
of the brave ♪ Help us shepherds, help us shepherds,
build us, build us out of now. ♪ See the child of angel Mary ♪
♪ Lovely matter see divine ♪ ♪ Give her love for Israel, Mary ♪ them shall say, this is God's
plan. ♪ Gracious Savior ♪ ♪ For me ever
♪ ♪ Ever mine ♪ ♪ At his call the dead are anchored
♪ Christ, the life-blood that hath saved me, O Lamb of God,
all-giv'n Saviour, Thine is the truth, let her be. ♪ And that Savior, and that Savior
♪ ♪ Both world and man, God of Israel ♪ Forest flowers, imagination ♪ Will separate your trembling
heart ♪ ♪ When you hear your congregation ♪ ♪ Interconcerted
in love ♪ Thou with Satan, Thou with Satan,
and its angels have I come. Up to those who have confessed,
love and serve the Lord beloved. He will say, Come ye, ye blessed, See the kingdom, light,
and sound. You forever, you forever, ♪ O'er the ramparts we watched,
were so gallantly streaming? ♪ ♪ May this mortar courage raise
♪ ♪ Swiftly God's great day approaches ♪ ♪ Sighs fill their ears ♪ ♪ To change
her face ♪ ♪ We shall triumph ♪ ♪ We shall triumph ♪ ♪ When the
bandits gain our face ♪ Now may the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, the sacred fellowship
of the Holy Spirit, rest and abide with us each. Amen.