Let us commence our service this
evening by singing together hymn number 249. The tune is King's
College, 716. O love divine, how sweet thou
art! When shall I find my willing
heart all taken up by thee? I thirst and faint and die to
prove the greatness of redeeming love, the love of Christ to me. Hymn 249, tune King's College,
716. When shall I find my peace? in heart, O take her now, my
dear. I pass the winter, I return Her prayers of redeeming love
and love for Christ her King. To the Kingdoms of heaven and
earth, We sing this song of search and hope, of that warm smile
of life. Bitter in pain, bitter to see, They cannot reach the mystery
of heaven, earth, and mind. God alone we know the love of
God, and how it now must share the throne in his host. ? Come let my sight ? ? Come let
my sight ? ? Come let my sight ? Let us read together from the
Holy Word of God in the epistle to the Hebrews in chapter 13 Hebrews chapter 13 let brotherly love continue be
not forgetful to entertain strangers for thereby some have entertained
angels unawares remember them that are in bonds as bound with
them and them which suffer adversity as being yourselves also in the
body. Marriage is honourable in all,
and the bed undefiled, but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. Let your conversation be without
covetousness, and be content with such things as ye have.
For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee,
so that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, and I will
not fear what man shall do unto me. Remember them which have
the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God, whose
faith follow, considering the end of their conversation, Jesus
Christ, the same yesterday and today and forever, be not carried
about with divers and strange doctrines, for it is a good thing
that the heart be established with grace, not with meats which
have not profited them that have been occupied therein. We have
an altar whereof they have no right to eat which serve the
tabernacle, for the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought
into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin are burned without
the camp. Wherefore Jesus also that he
might sanctify the people with his own blood suffered without
the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto
him without the camp bearing his reproach for here have we
no continuing city but we seek one to come. By him therefore
let us offer these sacrifice of praise to God continually,
that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But
to do good and to communicate forget not, for with such sacrifices
God is well pleased. Obey them that have the rule
over you and submit yourselves for they watch for your souls,
as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy
and not with grief, for that is unprofitable for you. Pray
for us, for we trust we have a good conscience in all things
willing to live honestly, but I beseech you, the rather to
do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner. Now the God
of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that
great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting
covenant, make you perfect in every good work, to do his will,
working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through
Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. And I beseech you, brethren,
Suffer the word of exhortation, for I have written a letter unto
you in few words. Know ye that our brother Timothy
is set at liberty, with whom, if he come shortly, I will see
you. Salute all them that have the
rule over you, and all the saints. They of Italy salute you. Grace
be with you all. Amen. May the Lord bless the
reading of his own precious word and grant to us the spirit of
real prayer. O Lord our God, we do desire
to bow before thy glorious majesty. Father, Son and Holy Ghost, hymn
by all the heavenly hosts, Lord, we poor sinners here desire to
come into thy gates with praise and with the voice of thanksgiving
for all thy tender mercies, thy loving kindnesses and thy great
goodness that has passed before us in the way. Above all, O Lord,
we pray that our hearts may be filled with grateful praises
for the wonderful glory of the incarnation of the Son of God
who loved us and gave himself for us. We do pray that this
evening hour we may worship him, that we may behold him, that
we may behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of
the world and 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. For, Lord, as many as
are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. May
we know that divine leading, that heavenly power, the unction
of the Holy Spirit as we gather around thy word tonight in the
pulpit and in the pew. And may the word of truth be
open to our heart and to our understanding. We do thank Thee
that through our Lord Jesus Christ, through His holy life, His perfect
obedience, there is everlasting righteousness brought in for
the Church of God. And this is all our hope. Our
hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. We do thank Thee for that precious
blood, that sin-atoning blood, for as much as we are not redeemed
with corruptible things as silver and gold, but with the precious
blood of Christ as of a lamb slain from before the foundation
of the world. We thank Thee for those eternal
counsels of salvation. We thank thee for that eternal
covenant, ordered in all things and sure. And as we've read together
in thy word, we thank thee for the blood of the everlasting
covenant, sealed and ratified in that glorious, sin-atoning
sacrifice on the cross of Calvary. Sin has been put away. Divine
justice has been satisfied. God and sinners are reconciled,
peace is made between God and man. Oh, we do pray that we might
know those divine drawings of our Heavenly Father, drawing
us under his best beloved and all-glorious Son. Oh, we do thank
thee that in and through our Lord Jesus Christ, we know and
we experience the love of our Heavenly Father. And all we do
thank thee for that love. God so loved the world, he gave
his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should be saved. All we do pray that tonight we
may have clear, believing views of our Lord Jesus Christ. And
that we do pray, most gracious Lord, to be made more spiritually
minded. that our heart and our affections
may be set upon things above and not on things of the earth. We pray to be drawn into spiritual
things and that it may be with us here tonight Lord as it was
with those two disciples on the road to Emmaus when Jesus himself
drew near and walked with them did not our heart burn within
us as he walked and talked with us by the way, as he opened to
us the scriptures. Grant that that may be so at
this evening hour. Remember our brethren, the deacons,
and give them grace, wisdom, and help in all their responsibilities. And Lord, we do pray that thou
wouldst remember each one of our brethren and sisters in Christ
in church fellowship and undertake for each one. Remember our dear
brother and sister in Holland and help and undertake for them
at this time. We do humbly beseech them. We
pray, most gracious Lord, that thou in thy great mercy would
remember this village, the surrounding villages and hamlets, gather
in precious souls, bless the word of the Lord distributed,
grant that it may redound to the glory of thy great name.
May the gospel's joyful sound, enforced by mighty grace, awaken
many sinners round to come and fill this place. Lord, do grant
it, we humbly pray thee, for thy great namesake. May the Lord
Jesus Christ be exalted as a prince and as a saviour, for to give
faith and repentance and remission of sins. cause the prodigals
to return and the wonderful grace of our Lord Jesus Christ to be
seen in this. Lord, we long for such a day
and to see thy wonderful power in the gospel again among us. And, O Lord God, we do pray that
thou wouldst bless the little ones and the children that gather
with us and grant that the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning
of wisdom, may be given to them in their young and in their tending
years. Do remember, Lord, we pray thee, our young friends,
and bless them indeed. Bring them to living faith in
Jesus Christ. Guide and direct them in all
the matters of providence and make a way where there seems
no way. We do humbly beseech thee. grant
them a partner in life's journey, one that fears thy great and
holy name. We do humbly beseech of thee.
And O Lord God, we do pray that thou wouldst remember parents
and give wisdom and grace to bring up their children in the
nurture and admonition of the Lord, and that thou wouldst remember
all in the midst of the journey of life and undertake for each
one. and guide us, O thou great Jehovah. Pilgrims in a barren land, we
are weak but thou art mighty, hold us with thy mighty hand.
Deliver us from the temptations of Satan, whether he comes as
a roaring lion to devour, or whether he comes as an angel
of light to deceive. We pray that thou wouldst grant
us that spirit of discernment to see who it is and fulfil that
ancient promise, when the enemy comes in like a flood, the spirit
of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. O gracious God,
do grant that that may be so. We do humbly beseech thee. And
we do pray, most gracious Lord, that thou in thy precious mercy
Would remember those of us in the evening time of life's journey.
Remember us in all our needs, in all our concerns. Remember
us with the favor that thou bearest unto thy people. Visit us with
thy great salvation. Draw us unto thyself. And that
Lord prepare us for that great change which must come. We do
humbly beseech of thee. Prepare me, gracious God, to
stand before thy face. Thy spirit must the work perform,
for it is all of grace. In Christ's obedience clothe
and wash me in his blood. So shall I lift my head with
joy among the sons of God. Lord, we do pray that thou, in
thy great mercy, send a day of real prosperity. And remember
thy servants, gird them with all sufficient grace, grant them,
and thus saith the Lord, the ability to preach the word, to
be instant in season and out of season. We do humbly pray
thee and grant mighty signs and wonders to follow the preaching
of the word. And we pray thee, the great Lord
of the harvest, to send true labourers into the harvest, O
Lord, we do humbly beseech Thee to hear us. Grant that Thou wouldst
raise up men with a passion for souls, with a longing for the
salvation of Thy people. We do humbly beseech Thee, and
blow with the wind of the Spirit among the churches. Grant an
ingathering, grant a building up, grant a renewing, a reviving.
Grant Thee fulfilling of those wonderful gospel promises, I
will bring thy sons from far, and thy daughters from the ends
of the earth, and they shall come from the north and from
the south, from the east and from the west. We pray that thou
wouldst bless the world as it goes out on the internet, that
it may be down to the great glory of thy holy name, and that there
may be a renewing and a strengthening of thy people among the nations
of the earth, we do humbly beseech of them. Remember those that
go forth from among us as a group of churches among the various
nations of the earth. We think of Ian Sadler and that
great work that he does in the distribution of the Word of God
and the exposition of it. We think also of the orphanages
that he runs and we pray that thou wouldst gird him with all
sufficient grace and supply his many returning needs. Remember
thy servant at the Mombasa mission and grant thy rich blessing upon
them there that he may see mighty signs and wonders to follow the
preaching of the word there. Remember the Savannah Education
Trust and the great work that they're doing in Ghana. Oh that
it may redound to the honour, glory and praise of the name
of Jesus Christ. That it may be to thy glory we
do humbly beseech of thee. Lord, we do pray that thou wouldst
hear us in heaven, thy holy dwelling place, and when thou hearest,
O Lord, forgive, that thou wouldst come and touch one's lips with
a live coal from off the heavenly altar. We ask for Jesus Christ's
sake. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 1014. The tune is Lewisham, 678. Brethren, let us walk together
in the bonds of love and peace. Can it be a question whether
brethren should from conflict cease? Tis in union, hope and
joy and love increase, hymn 1014, tune Lewisham 678. Let us go together in the fountain
of envy. Can it be a fresh comforter,
refuge from all its tears? ? Hail to Virginia ? ? Hail to
Virginia ? ? Firm and joyous ? ? Long and free ? ? O'er the
ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming ? ? In the ground ? ? And on every
side there's a cross ? ? There's a cross to be found ? O come,
O come, O come, O come, O come, you. ? And when we shall have no other
way ? ? But from the joy you bring ? Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia,
Alleluia, ? Let the angels sing their song
of praise ? ? To the heav'nly sound to hear ? ? And let the
angels sing their song of praise ? Greatly feeling today the Lord's
gracious help and we direct your attention to Hebrews chapter
13 and we'll read verse 17 for our text Paul's epistle to the Hebrews
chapter 13 verse 17 Obey them that have the rule over you and
submit yourselves for they watch for your soul as they that must
give account, that they may do it with joy and not with grief,
for that is unprofitable for you." We find in Holy Scripture and also in a balanced ministry
there is doctrine, experience, and practice and how we need
to put into practice those things that we believe and how we need
the Spirit of Christ to enable us to put into practice those
things that we believe and you know there's a root grace the
Apostle speaks of it in his epistles And that root grace is love. Love is the golden chain that
binds those happy souls above. He is an air of heaven that finds
his bosom glow with love. The Apostle speaks in the Epistle
to the Philippians of bowels of mercies. mercy flowing from our heart. He commences this chapter, let
brotherly love continue. Let brotherly love continue. We're exhorted to love one another. The Lord Jesus Christ said in
his own discourses concerning love, by this shall they know,
that is the world, By this shall they know that ye are my disciples
because ye have love one to another. And the reason I start on that
point of love is because it's what motivates us in whatever
we do. That stands out very clearly
in 1 Corinthians chapter 13 when the apostle speaks very extensively
on charity how that charity is not puffed
up true love is always accompanied
with humility there is a hymn I think in the book and the last
line of each verse is humility and love and where there is true
love there is humility. Because the true love of God
shed abroad in the heart will humble you. It will humble you. The mercy of God handled and
tasted and felt in the soul will humble you. The love of Christ shed abroad
in your heart will humble you. So always with true love is humility. Humility is the opposite to pride. And without true love there is
pride. We're proud of ourselves. We're proud of our love. We're
proud of our experience. We're proud of our knowledge.
But where there is that true knowledge that with the knowledge
of the truth, the knowledge of Christ There's always the balancing
knowledge of what we are as sinners. And this is the experience of
the truth in the heart. What we are as sinners. Poor,
ruined, wretched, how deserving sinners. And a sense of our sinfulness,
which is what the Holy Spirit gives where he lives and where
he dwells. that will produce by the Spirit's
grace humility. Humility. Humble yourselves therefore under
the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due season. We need this humbling work of
the Spirit in our heart. that will bring us to feel our
need, that will bring us to seek Christ,
that will bring us to value the blood of Christ. Why do we value the blood of
Christ? Because it cleanses from all sin. It cleanses from all
sin. And the deeper we feel our sinfulness,
the more deeply we feel our need of the blood of Christ. The more
deeply we feel the need of the application of the blood of Christ. And as the Apostle says here
in the last clause of verse 20, the blood of the everlasting
covenant. It's the blood of Jesus Christ,
the great shepherd of the sheep, the blood of the everlasting You think of the Passover lamb
when it was slain. Its blood was taken and it was
painted onto the lintels and side posts of the doors. And they took the slain lamb
indoors and they burned it with fire. They burned it with fire. It's
a beautiful time of our Lord Jesus Christ. There's only one
thing that preserved Israel in that night when the destroying
angel of God was to go through the land of Egypt. Every firstborn of man and beast
would be slain that night in the land of Egypt. What a terrible
night that was in the land of Egypt. We read that when that
happened a great cry went up. But wherever the blood was, the
blood of the Paschal Lamb, and the Lord had said, when I see
the blood, I will pass over you. And that was the distinguishing
mark between the Israelites and the
Egyptians. The blood. When I see the blood,
I will pass over you, the blood of the everlasting covenant. That Paschal Lamb, that Passover
Lamb beautifully typified our Lord Jesus Christ. We read that the Israelites had
to be very careful when they chose their sacrifices. And one
of the first things that stood out to them, it had to be without
blemish. our blemish. In the prophet Malachi
we read how that the Lord was greatly offended because the
Israelites were bringing instead of a lamb with a blemish they
would choose a lamb that was blind or was lame or something
of that nature. and it was an offence unto God.
Why? The reason that had to be chosen a lamb without blemish
is because it typified the sacrifice of Christ and he was without
blemish. He was without sin. He was without
sin in his incarnation. He was without sin as he lived
here upon earth as a babe, as a little child, as a man. We
read that he did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.
He was pure, he was spotless. Or as it says here in the Hebrews,
undefiled, the Lord Jesus Christ. And therefore the sacrifice that
he offered on the cross of Calvary was without sin. And that is
something, an essential doctrine of our most holy faith. It had
to be without sin. It had to be pure. It had to
be holy. You could have taken tens of
thousands of the finest specimens of mankind and offered them as
a sacrifice to God and they would have been refused. Why? Because they're sinful. We are
born in sin. we are shapen in iniquity we
are unrighteous altogether that is our state and that is our
condition the apostle quotes from the book of Psalms in the
third chapter of the epistle to the Romans and he quotes those
verses there is none that doeth good no not one not one there
is none righteous no not one but there is one who later became
righteous, our Lord Jesus Christ. He was
born without sin. It says that holy thing that
shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God, without
sin. He lived without sin and therefore
he offered a sacrifice without sin. I love that beautiful word
because I see Christ in it. In Psalm 37 and verse 37, Mark,
the perfect man is Christ. Mark the perfect man and behold
the upright, for the end of that man is peace. Now, the church is an orderly place. The Lord has laid out in Holy
Scripture a divine order for the church. We read of ministers,
pastors, deacons, elders. We read of all these and I have
to say they are flexible terms. Dr. Gill makes that point. They're
very flexible terms because the Apostle Peter when he writes
his epistle, he says to the brethren, I am an elder among you. So he
styles himself to be an elder and yet he was an apostle. So
they're quite flexible terms. Pastors. Pastors. Teachers. A pastor means an under-shepherd. We read here, in this chapter
of our Lord Jesus now the God of peace that brought again from
the dead our Lord Jesus that great shepherd of the sheep through
the blood of the everlasting covenant our Lord Jesus what
a mercy when we can really personally feel that our Lord Jesus the
great king and head of the church Now we read in Ephesians chapter
4 very beautifully the apostle lays out the gifts that the Lord
gives unto the church. He starts that chapter, I therefore
the prisoner of the Lord beseech you that you walk worthy of the
vocation wherewith you are called. Now notice the emphasis here
with all lowliness and meekness with long-suffering forbearing
one another in love. In fact, just before that in
the latter part of chapter 3, these were the words from verse
17 that were used by the Lord to bring me to faith in Jesus
Christ. Christ was revealed to me and
it was these precious words. that Christ may dwell in your
hearts by faith that ye being rooted and grounded in love may
be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth and
length and depth and height to know the love of Christ which
passeth knowledge that ye might be filled with all the fullness
of God. The love of Christ that passeth
knowledge that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.
And then he goes on here, the application of the truth to the
heart, and he says, with all lowliness and meekness, with
long-suffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavouring.
Now that word endeavouring is a very strong word. It means
to strive. is to strive with all your might. When the Apostle writes to the
Romans, he says that as much as it possibly lieth within you
to live peaceably with all men, as much as it possibly lieth
within you, endeavoring, striving to keep the unity of the Spirit
in the bond of love. We should never seek to introduce
controversial things into our conversation and to our fellow
believers stirring up strife some people are like that it's
their natural disposition but we shouldn't do that endeavoring to keep the unity
of the spirit in the bond of peace there is one body and one
spirit even as you are called in one hope of your calling one
Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who
is above all, through all and in you all. You see, but unto
every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the
gift of Christ. The more we know of the love
of Christ, the more we know of what the Apostle says in the
Galatians I think it is, Christ in you, the hope of glory. The more we experience that,
the more that we know that, the more that we shall endeavour
to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. Now he
connects this here in Ephesians 4 and he says, he's quoting here
from Psalm 68 where for he says when he ascended
up on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men this
is Christ of course now that he ascended what is it but that
he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth
he that descended is the same also that ascended far above
all heavens that he might fill all things Now just listen, when
he ascended up on high, he gave some apostles, and some prophets,
and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers. Then he
gives us the reason why he gave these various offices in the
church, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the
ministry. for the edifying of the body
of Christ. Wonderful thing when we're enabled
by the grace of God to edify one another with our conversation. And then he speaks here of the
end of this till we all come in the unity of the faith and
of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man. Unto the measure of the fullness
of Christ that is the perfect man. That we henceforth be no
more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every
wind of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness
whereby they lie in wait to deceive but speak in the truth in love
may grow up into him in all things which is the head, even Christ,
even Christ. You know, here in this chapter,
he speaks of Christ in verse 8, that well-known verse, Jesus
Christ the same, yesterday, and today, and forever. And then
what does he say immediately afterwards? be not carried about
with diverse, that means diverse, and strange doctrines. For it
is a good thing that the heart be established with grace, not
with means, which have not profited them that have been occupied
therein. With grace, not with means. Or may we know more of that grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ. That word, I think it's in James,
has been a very special word to me over the years. And he
giveth more grace. And he giveth more grace. My
dear beloved friends, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is inexhaustible. We read in Holy Scripture that
he is full of grace and truth. And he's always full of grace
and truth. and his people are constantly
drawing for that grace and truth that is in him but it never diminishes
it never gets less he's full of grace and truth and he giveth
more grace and he giveth more grace now in the verse previous
to that verse 8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday today and
forever We have a similar exhortation to what is in our text. Remember
them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you
the word of God, whose faith follow. Whose faith follow. Considering the end of their
conversation, Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and
forever. there's an exhortation here my
beloved friends and there is in our text obey them they have
the rule over you there's a proper church order we've just spoken
of it and when the apostles set up the churches they set them
up with a proper church order with ministers, pastors, deacons,
evangelists all in their various places, several in each church
We read of it in the Acts of the Apostles and in the Epistles.
There's a proper order in a gospel church. Now, he says here, obey
them that have the rule over you and submit yourselves and
he gives us a reason. For they watch for yourselves. For they watch for yourselves.
The whole end of the ministry especially a pastoral ministry,
is till we all come in the unity of the faith. It is to draw together,
it's not to divide, it's to draw together the Lord's people, be
drawn together in Christ, to be drawn together in love, in
union, in communion, one with another. He says, where there is this
order and where the Lord has placed these officers in the
church, obey them. They have the rule over you.
And submit yourselves. It's that lovely hymn, isn't
it? When is it brethren all agree?
And let distinctions form. When nothing in themselves they
see. And Christ is all in all. When Christ is all in all, self
is nothing. When Christ becomes the chiefest
among 10,000, then we are humbled. We're humbled in the dust of
self-abasement. It's like the hymn writer says,
doesn't he? Why me? Oh, blessed God, why me? Why
such a wretched me that must forever lie in hell We're not
salvation free. Why me? Humility. You can't see a reason why the
Lord should ever have mercy upon us poor, wretched, rebellious
sinners you feel yourself to be. Yet this is all of grace. And
He giveth more grace. And we will feel to need more
grace. Grace to be humble. Grace to
be submissive. And submit yourselves. And the
reason? They watch for yourselves. They look for your spiritual
benefit. They look to see whether you're
growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ. They look for it in your walk,
in your conduct, in your conversation. It's what they watch for yourselves. Obey them that have the rule
over you and submit yourselves for they watch for yourselves
as they that must give account that they may do it with joy
and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you. with joy, with submission, with humility,
with love, with love. Oh that the Lord would give us
these precious graces. They are indeed the graces of
the Spirit. We read in the third chapter
of Peter and of subjection one to another of loving one another
and he says likewise your wives be in subjection to your own
husbands that if any obey not the word they may without the
word be won by the conversation of their wives while they behold
your chaste conversation coupled with fear who's adorning, let
it not be that of the outward adorning, of the plaiting, of
the hair, of the wearing of gold, or of putting on apparel. But
let it be the hidden man of the heart, and that which is not
corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and a quiet spirit.
You see the spirit of grace is a spirit of love, it's a meek
and a quiet spirit. which is in the sight of God
of great price. For after this manner in the
old time the holy women also who trusted in God adorned themselves
being in subjection unto their own husbands. Even as Sarah obeyed
Abraham calling him Lord whose daughter she are as long as you
do well and are not afraid with any amazement likewise she husbands
dwell with them according to knowledge giving honour unto
the wife as unto the weaker vessel and as being heirs together of
the grace of life. Let your prayers be not hindered. Finally, be all of one mind,
having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful,
be courteous, not rendering evil for evil, These things are written, my
beloved friends, for our instruction. Sometimes it says here, railing
for railing, but contrary arise blessing. Blessing, not railing
one another, but blessing one another. You know, sometimes
we can let loose with our temper. Something really irritates us
and annoys us. so we rise up but that's not
grace it's just the opposite of grace finally be all of one
mind when Paul writes to the Philippians he says let this
mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who thought it not robbery to
be equal with God mind of Christ, who made himself
of no reputation. Christ did. You know, the very
last thing that we'll let go of is our reputation. But Christ
made himself of no reputation. He's Lord of all, he's King of
kings, he's the mighty God, he's the everlasting Father, and yet
he made himself of no reputation. He took upon him the form of
a servant, and was made in the likeness of man and being found
in fashion of the man he humbled himself and became obedient unto
death even the death of the cross wherefore God also highly exalted
him and giving him a name which is above every name that at the
name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven of things
in earth of things beneath the earth you see he's highly exalted
him It's giving him a name which is above every name. Not rendering evil for evil,
or railing for railing, but contrary wise, blessing. Knowing that
ye are there unto call, that ye should inherit a blessing. You see, he that will love life
and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil. and his
lips that they speak, no guile. These things, my beloved friends,
are for our instruction, our instruction. There's a verse
here in 1 Peter chapter 3 and I've often looked at it, verse
15, but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always
to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the
hope that is in you with meekness and fear. Oh that the Lord would
give us that grace to be good witnesses to always be ready
to give a reason of the hope that is within us. And the apostle
goes on in that same one Peter chapter three And he says, for
it is better if the will of God be so that ye suffer for well-doing
than for evil-doing. For Christ also once suffered
for our sins, just for the unjust. But he might bring us to God,
being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.
You see, my beloved friends, how he constantly sets Christ
before us. and the mind of Christ and the
spirit of Christ Christ in you Christ in you it
says in the fourth chapter of the first Peter about reproach in verse 14 if
you be reproached for the name of Christ happy are ye For the
spirit and glory of God resteth upon you. On their part he is
evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. But let none
of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or a busybody
in other men's matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian,
let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on this behalf. Oh, my beloved friends, may we
lay these things to heart, this spirit that we have in our texts,
obey them, they have the rule over you, and submit yourselves,
for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account. You know, is quite significant,
isn't it? In the book of the Revelation,
in the letters to the seven churches of Asia, every single one of
those churches had a minister. And the minister was called the
angel of the church. An angel means a messenger. And
a minister is a messenger. The angel of the church. And
God held each minister to account for what went on in his church.
It's a very solemn thought, isn't it? There were those that tolerated
false doctrine and the Lord rebuked them for doing so. There were
other things that were tolerated and the Lord rebukes them for
doing so. But it was the angel of the church
that was held to account just as it says here as they that
must give account that they must give account here on earth and
they must give account in the grander size when we must all
appear at the judgment seat of Jesus Christ we must give an
account the Lord Jesus in his parables he speaks of those that
are found watching and waiting they must give an account they
watch for your souls and they must give an account and to be
faithful in the ministry and to preach the doctrine of truth
unto you and to rebuke you when you're walking contrary to the
word of God and the ways of God and the spirit and grace of the
gospel and when they rebuke you the exhortation obey them they
have to rule over you submit yourself for they watch for your
souls as they that must give an account. On this point of
giving an account of the Lord's servants, John Bunyan says, speaking
of this giving an account, and faithfully warning and exhorting,
he says, soul blood stains deep. Soul blood stains deep. or that
we may not have the blood of others on our conscience. Have we warned? Have we directed? Have we guided? Because these
offices that are for the church, they are for giving direction
and guidance as the Lord by, in his word, directs us. As they that must give a cavern,
that they may do it with joy. What a great pleasure it is to
a minister when someone comes and says how the Lord has blessed
their soul, when the love of Christ has been shed abroad in
their heart, when the Lord Jesus has been revealed to them, when
Christ has been made precious. You know, when you tell these
things to the minister, he may not say much, but he greatly
rejoices his heart. and it greatly encourages him
to continue to continue in the way that they
may do it with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable
for you to do it with joy and not with grief then he goes on and he really
like a benediction to this this chapter and the epistle to the
Hebrews and he says that now the God of peace that brought
again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great shepherd of
the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant now
look at what he has the knowledge of this of the great shepherd
of the sheep, of the blood of the everlasting covenant, make
you perfect. The more we know of the love
of Christ, the more it will affect the way that we live, and the
closer we'll walk with Him, and the more that we breathe the
Spirit of Christ. Make you perfect in every good
work, to do His will, working in you that which is well pleasing
in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and
ever. Amen. To the glory of God the
Father. What a wonderful thing. And what
a joy it brings to the Lord's servants. John says in one of his epistles,
doesn't he, I rejoice to see my children walking in the truth. It's a great joy, it's a great
pleasure to the Lord's servants. And he gives us an exhortation
here, verse 22, I beseech you brethren, suffer the word of
exhortation. For I have written a letter unto
you in few words. Suffer the word of exhortation.
That we love one another. I've often told you the address
that my own father gave at our wedding, which was only five
months before he passed away. And it made a great impression
on me on the day, but you know, it's remained with me, right
through married life. Be kind, tender-hearted, forgiving
one another, even as God, for Christ's sake. has forgiven you
and you're often friends and you know we get in I'm speaking
now of husband and wife you get into an argument and perhaps
you say things that you shouldn't say rather hastily and that word has often times
come back to me be kind tender hearted forgiving one another
even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you. May the Lord
add His blessing. Let us now sing together hymn
number 248 The tune is Beautiful Zion, 444. Jesus, Lord, we look to Thee. Let us in Thy name agree. Show
Thyself the Prince of Peace. Bid all jars forever cease. Hymn 248. Tune Beautiful Zion,
444. you ? Is the song we love to hear ?
? When I'm lost and my head in the grave ? ? And all my sorrows
are gone ? The Prince of Peace be with you
all forevermore. Amen. O'er the ramparts we watched,
were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket's red glare, the
bombs bursting in air, Eternate, unite, and live, Of
the strength I have of Thee. Make us of the night and day,
Virgin sweet in full and grace, Early waking, old and wise, All
together, night and morn. Let us each adore him, each the
Father's heaven's heir, Do thy chapter have to be short? How do ye leave us here? Let us then with joy renew Till,
like falcon, they are gone Now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
love of God the Father, the communion of the Holy Ghost, rest and abide
with us each, both now and for evermore. Amen.