Let us commence our service this
evening by singing together hymn 715. The tune is Evening Hymn
709. When the blessed day of Pentecost
was fully come, the Holy Ghost descended from above, sent by
the Father and the Son to bring immortal blessings down and shed
abroad God's love. Hymn 715, tune Evening Hymn 709. In the first day of Pentecost,
the Son of God, the Holy Ghost, descended from above. sent by the Father and the Son
to bring the mortal persons down and shed a brood Sadhana roshi nirmaleku and holy God, from times of pain
and death on everyone. There can but have to be a sign
That God your love never confides. ? His love still dreams an hour ? ? Ever this justice I
was blessed ? With heav'nly gifts and shallow prayers, He bows
down, meek and mild, God has a holy house for God
To give and shout and praise and song and let their triumphant sound. O Thou Almighty God, the Queen,
Thou shakest my hand in a chair, Thou whistlest in a still. The bread of life, thy quick
deferment, thy power, thy love, and selfless faith. Let us read together from the
Holy Word of God in the prophecy of Isaiah and chapter 58. Isaiah chapter 58. Cry aloud, spare not, lift up
thy voice like a trumpet and show my people their transgressions
and the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily
and delight to know my ways as a nation that did righteousness
and forsook not the ordinance of their God. They ask of me
the ordinances of justice. They take delight in approaching
to God. Wherefore have we fasted, say
they, and thou seest not. Wherefore have we afflicted our
soul, and thou takest no knowledge. Behold, in the day of your fast
ye find pleasure. and exact all your labours. Behold
ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of
wickedness. Ye shall not fast as ye do this
day, to make your voice to be heard on high. Is it such a fast
that I have chosen, a day for a man to afflict his soul? Is
it to bow down thine head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth
and ashes under him? Will they call this a fast, and
an acceptable day to the Lord? Is not this the fast that I have
chosen, to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy
burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every
yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to
the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to
thy house, when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him, and
that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh. Then shall thy
light break forth as the morning, and thine house shall spring
forth speedily, and thy righteousness shall go before thee the glory
of the Lord shall be thy reward. Then shalt thou call, and the
Lord shall answer. Thou shalt cry, and he shall
say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst
of thee the yoke, that put him forth of the finger, and speak
in vanity, and if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy
the afflicted soul, then shall thy light rise in obscurity,
and thy darkness be as the noonday. And the Lord shall guide thee
continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat
thy bones. And thou shalt be like a watered
garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail and
they that shall be of thee shall build the old places. Thou shalt raise up the foundations
of many generations, and thou shalt be called the repairer
of the breach, the restorer of paths to dwell in. If thou turn
away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my
holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord,
honourable, and shall honour him, not do in thine own ways,
nor find in thine own pleasure, nor speak in thine own words,
then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord. And I will cause
thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with
the heritage of Jacob thy father, for the mouth of the Lord hath
spoken it. May the Lord bless the reading
of his own precious word and grant to us a spirit of real
prayer. O Lord our God, we do pray for
a spirit of true confession as we come to bow before thy great
and holy majesty, holy Holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which
is an art, an art to come. Lord, we are unholy. We are unrighteous altogether.
We are unclean. We go forth from the womb speaking
lies and hypocrisy. In sin did my mother conceive
me. Lord, we have to say against
thee, and Thee only have I sinned and done this evil in Thy sight. Gracious God, have mercy upon
us, we do pray Thee. We come to Thee. Lord, we cannot
come to Thee in our own name, in our own person. All our righteousnesses
are as filthy racks. But we thank Thee that we can
come in the name of Jesus and plead His precious blood and
righteousness and pray to be led and taught and guided and
directed by him and pray that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
and the love of God our Father and the sacred fellowship of
the Holy Spirit may rest and abide upon us. Help us Lord we
humbly pray thee to do that which is right in thy sight help us
to lay aside every weight and the sin that doth so easily beset
us, and that we might run with patience the race that is set
before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our
faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,
despising the shame thereof, and is now set down at the right
hand of the Majesty on High. For such an High Priest have
we, who is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God. We do thank
Thee, O Lord, that we have such an High Priest. We do thank Thee,
O Lord, that a door of hope is opened wide in Jesus' bleeding
hands and side. We do thank Thee for the cross
of Calvary, where sin has been put away, where divine justice
has been satisfied, where God and sinners are reconciled, where
a new and living way has been made into the holy place. Through
that once crucified, dead, buried, but now risen and exalted Lord,
who has swallowed up death in victory, who has brought life
and immortality to light through the gospel, We thank thee for
the glories of Christ. We thank thee for the holy life
he lived as a man, when he was made of a woman made under the
law, that he might redeem them that are under the law. O Lord,
we do thank thee for the perfect obedience, the holiness of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who did no sin, neither was guile found
in his mouth, for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness
unto all them that believe. And we thank thee for that glorious
everlasting robe. May we have that sacred sense
as we gather round thy word at this evening hour. Tis he instead
of me is seen when I approach to God. Lord, we pray that thou
wouldst bless us as a church and as a congregation. that thou
hast worked mightily, powerfully, and effectually amongst us. To
the great glory of thy name, quicken souls and make them cry,
give me Christ or else I die. Come and work, Lord. Thou hast
promised in thy word, I will work, and who shall let it? Thou
hast promised in thy word, I the Lord will hasten in his time.
O gracious Lord, we wait for thy appearing. And thou hast
said in thy word, if the vision tarry, wait for it, it is yet
for an appointed time. Help us to wait, to patiently
wait, and to watch unto prayer, to wait for thy appearing, to
wait for thy arm to be made bare. O Lord, we do thank thee for
every mercy of thy kind providence to each one of us personally,
and we thank thee for thy wonderful mercies, providential mercies,
to us as a church and congregation, and pray that thou would yet
work mightily, powerfully, and effectually among us, that we
may see signs following the preaching of the word. When we think 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 and from the east and
from the west. Lord, we long for thy appearing.
We long for thine arm to be made bare. We long for thy light to
shine. We long to see the pulling down
of the strongholds of Satan and the setting up of the kingdom
of the Lord Jesus in the hearts of sinners. Lord, let thy work
appear unto thy servants. and thy glory unto their children,
we do humbly beseech of thee. Lord, we pray. Remember our brethren, the deacons.
Give wisdom, grace, and help in all their responsibilities,
we do humbly pray thee. Help them to cast all their cares
upon thee and sustain and strengthen and help them. We pray for thy
servant expected among us on the coming Lord's day. We pray
that he may come up in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel
of Jesus Christ, and that there may indeed be signs that shall
follow the preaching of the word. We do humbly beseech thee. Fill,
O fill him with thy spirit. We do humbly beseech thee. We
pray, O Lord, for the little ones and the children that gather
with us. Lord, we lovingly commend them to thee and to the word
of thy grace, which is able to build them up and to grant them
an inheritance among them that are sanctified. And, O Lord,
our God, we do pray that thou wouldst graciously raise up a
seed to call thee the Redeemer blessed, a seed that shall praise
thy name May we see the fulfilling of that word. Instead of thy
father shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes
in all the earth. Lord, we long to see thy word.
Bless the dear young friends. Bless them with that rich grace
that is in Christ Jesus. Bless them with light and understanding
in thy word. Bless them with a clear view
of Jesus Christ, his love shed abroad in their hearts. and their
heart filled with love to the Lord Jesus. Bless them with that
grace to follow Thee and to serve Thee in their day and in their
generation. As promised, O Lord, I will work
and who shall let it? O let Thy work appear unto Thy
servants and Thy glory unto their children. Bless our young friends
with a partner in life's journey. Lord, we lovingly commend them
to Thee. and that Lord remember parents
and give wisdom and grace to bring up their children in the
nurture and admonition of the Lord. Remember all in the midst
of the journey of life. Remember the prodigals that have
wandered away and grant that they may come back, O Lord, with
that desire, that longing to worship Thee and to be in the
sanctuary. There's nothing too hard for
Thee. There are none beyond Thy power. Come, Lord, we do humbly
beseech thee, and have mercy upon us as a church and congregation,
and work mightily, powerfully, and effectually to the great
glory of thy name. Give us that rejoicing, O Lord,
over one sinner that repented. We do humbly beseech thee for
thy great name's sake. And, O Lord, we do pray that
thou would remember those of us in the evening time of life's
journey, and graciously prepare us for that great change which
must soon come, when we shall soar through tracks unknown and
see thee on thy judgment throne. Gracious God, do incline thine
ear, we do humbly beseech thee, and have mercy upon us, we do
pray thee. We pray, O Lord, for the sorrowing
church at Mount Bewes with the loss of a godly deacon. We lovingly
commend them to thee in their lowest state, that thou hast
graciously undertake for them. And bless the dear widow, we
do humbly beseech thee. And we pray for the sorrow in
church at South Chard, and the loss of our young friend, taken
so suddenly from time into eternity. Gracious God, we pray for the
Sorin family and the Sorin Church. Oh, do be with them at this time
and do bless them together and do help my dear servant expected
to become the pastor in January of that cause of truth. Do gird
him with all sufficient grace. We do humbly beseech of thee
and sanctify these things to the great glory of thy holy name,
we do humbly beseech of thee. And, O Lord, we do pray that
thou would remember thy Zion, remember thy servants as they
labour in word and doctrine upon the walls of Zion, gird them
with all sufficient grace, grant them a thus saith the Lord, help
them to preach the word and be instant in season and out of
season. and grant us that gracious determination
to know nothing among men, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Hear us, O Lord, we humbly beseech
Thee, and have mercy upon us, we pray Thee, that for Thy great
name's sake. O Lord, we live in dark and solemn
days, when the love of many waxes cold, when Zion is minish and
brought low, where few come to her solemn assemblies. O Lord
of hosts, O God of Israel, O Thou that dwellest between the cherubims,
shine forth, we do humbly beseech Thee. Let Thy hand be upon the
man of Thy right hand, the son of man, whom Thou madest strong
for Thyself, so will not we go back from Thee. O Lord, do hear
us, we pray Thee. We pray. that thou in thy great
mercy would graciously bless us then as a group of churches
that we may see, instead of a falling away, a building up, a renewing,
a reviving, a replenishing. Lord, there's nothing too hard
for thee. And that thou hast said, I will
bring thy sons from far and thy daughters from the ends of the
earth. Lord, we plead those precious promises. We plead for an outpouring
of the Spirit, for heavenly power, for divine unction upon the ministry
of the word. We do humbly beseech thee. Lord,
we do pray that thou wouldst now be with us as we turn to
thy holy word. Come and touch one's lips with
a live coal From off the heavenly altar, we ask with the forgiveness
of all sin, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 1147. The tune is Church Triumphant,
868. The heavens declare thy glory,
Lord. In every star thy wisdom shines. But when our eyes behold thy
word, we read thy name in fairer lines. Hymn 1147, tune Church
Triumphant, 868. O say can you see, by the dawn's
early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last
gleaming? ? From heaven arising, O China
? ? May we gladly be paradise. ? ? Harrowing star of changing night
? ? At night's ending shine thou on us ? ? Banner of Petraeus
thou hast raised ? ? Gave proof through the night
that our flag was still there ? ? Was strong, brave, and brave
? ? Now through all of them ? ? Ever strong and free ? ? Shall well
thy truth be on its way ? ? As thy kings have to their kings'
way ? ? God shall bless thee ? ? Give
in, O servants ? ? Till to the world thy day has come ? ? Till
Christ has opened nations' paths to thee ? ? That we have life to give us
all ? ? Face the Lord, righteousness arise ? Let's set our world in every
light. Thy gospel makes the simple right,
Thy laws the proof, Thy judgments right. The perfect purpose, dear women,
is to pray and sing to Him. ? Go, friends, I send my soul with
you ? ? Back in my home around you go ? Greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, I direct your attention to the chapter that
we read, the prophecy of Isaiah, chapter 58, and we will read verse 12 for
our text. Isaiah, chapter 58, verse 12. And they, that shall be of thee,
shall build the old waste places. Thou shalt raise up the foundations
of many generations, and thou shalt be called the repairer
of the breach, the restorer of the paths to dwell in. And they that shall be of thee. Who is the Lord speaking to his church, he's speaking
to Zion, the church of the living God. When I was exercised about
the ministry, which was over a period of about 13 years, the
first verse of this chapter used to walk up and down in my soul,
quite literally, cry aloud, Spare not, lift up thy voice like a
trumpet, and show my people their transgressions, and the house
of Jacob their sins. Very solemn word, and a very
solemn commission that is given to the Lord's servants. Show
my people their transgressions, and the house of Jacob their
sins. And then we have what follows
is some very solemn words to the children of Israel and today
to us as a church and as a congregation, to the church of God in the day
in which we live. He says here, yet they seek me
daily. and delight to know my ways as
a nation that did righteousness and forsook not the ordinance
of their God. They ask of me the ordinances
of justice. They take delight in approaching
to God. Wherefore have we fasted, say
they, and thou seest not. Wherefore Have we afflicted our
soul, and they'll take as no knowledge? Behold, in the day
of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. Solemn word. There wasn't a true
penitent spirit, yet they took delight in approaching unto God.
But there wasn't a true penitent spirit, there wasn't a true conviction
of sin but they actually thought that the Lord should hear them
and the Lord should answer them and the Lord should send them
answers of peace regardless of all their sin and all their wanderings
and all their disobedience. It gives that solemn word in
verse 4, Behold ye fast for strife and debate and to smite with
the fist of wickedness ye shall not fast, as ye do this day,
to make your voice to be heard on high." They were self-righteous. They thought the Lord owed them
something. They demanded that the Lord answer their prayers. Is it such a farce that I have
chosen A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his
head as a bulrush and to spread sackcloth and ashes unto him?
Will they call this a farce? And an acceptable day to the
Lord? Do you think God owes you something? Do you think that because of
your prayers the Lord owes you an answer? Because that's exactly
what Israel was here. You know friends, if we're truly
taught of the Spirit, we shall know that we're sinners. We shall know that we're undeserving
of the Lord's mercy. Because we have sinned. and come
short of the glory of God. We shall feel our shortcomings,
we shall feel our heart-wanderings, we shall painfully feel our backslidings,
and when the Blessed Spirit really gives you to feel your sinfulness,
your corruption, you'll realise that God owes
you nothing. It's a solemn place to come.
I'm not saying it's a place we come to very often. But it's
a very solemn place. The hymn writer expresses it.
And if my soul was sent to hell, thy righteous law approves it
well. That is to justify God in your
utter condemnation. Oh, that we could know more of
this and to bow before the Lord truly
under a deep sense. You see, they bowed before the
Lord. He says in verse five, is it
such a fast that I have chosen, a day for a man to afflict his
soul? Is it to bow down his head as a bulrush and to spread sackcloth
and ashes under him? Well, they'll call this a fast
and an acceptable day to the Lord. Do you feel that this is
what you deserve? That the Lord should hear you
because of your supposed repentance and your supposed godly sorrow? And you think the Lord owes it
to you? My beloved friends, the Lord
doesn't owe you anything. You and I deserve condemnation. We do. Because we all have sinned. You may fast. You may be very
religious. You may, as it were, spread sackcloth
and ashes under him. Will they call this a fast? An
unacceptable Day to the Lord. Now, the Lord goes on here to
tell us what is a true repentance and a true godly sorrow. A true confession. It's the way
we live. It's the things we do. Is this
the fast that I have chosen? To lose the bands of wickedness?
to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free,
and that you break every yoke. This is gracious gospel liberty. And when that is found, true
love, true love. Love to God, love to his ways,
love to his word, love to his holy commandments, love to the
house of God, love to our neighbor. Never forget that we profess
to follow Christ. And what did Christ say? I come
not to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. And thou shalt love
thy neighbor as thyself. You see, thou shalt love the
Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy mind, and thy neighbour
as thyself. That's what Jesus did. And we
profess to follow him. Jesus, on numerous occasions,
many times not even recorded in the Word of God, he fed thousands. He saw the people hungered and
weary and he fed them. He said, that's
what Jesus did. The disciples said, send them
away, send them to buy bread. He said, no, cause them to sit
down. And out of a very small amount
of food, he made it sufficient to feed the whole of those thousands
of people. And he did it again and again.
Why? Why? Because he loved them. Because
of love. The Apostle says, concerning
Christian believers, but ye have the mind of Christ. Do you have
the mind of Christ? The Apostle Paul, writing to
the Philippians, he said, let this mind be in you which was
also in Christ Jesus. the mind of Christ, to loose
the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the
oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke. Is it not to deal thy bread to
the hungry? It's what Jesus did. And that
they'll bring the poor that are cast out to thy house. When they'll see us the naked,
that they'll cover him. And that they'll hide thyself
from thine own, or not thyself, from thine own flesh. These are
the things that are pleasing to our Lord Jesus Christ. When
that spirit of Christ is found in the heart, in a man, a woman,
a boy or a girl, the spirit of Christ, the spirit of kindness,
The spirit of love, the spirit of compassion. That's the spirit
of Christ. He went about doing good. He
gives us that illustration in the Good Samaritan. The priest,
the Levite, both men highly elevated as being great men in their religion. And the Samaritan fell among
thieves. or rather the man going down from Jerusalem to Jericho
fell among thieves. The Levite, he was left as half
dead. The Levite passed by on the other
side. The priest passed by on the other
side. But the Samaritan, the good Samaritan,
came right where he was. It's a very telling, striking,
illustration the Lord gives because the Jews hated the Samaritans,
despised the Samaritans. The Lord Jesus uses a wonderful
example. We shouldn't despise others. No. Is it not to deal thy bread
to the hungry and that they'll bring the poor that is cast out
to thy house Would you do that? I guarantee you'd make all manner
of excuses. Well, they might be a burglar,
they might be this, they might be that. Or even they might be
smelly and they might do this and etc. We make all manner of
excuses as to why we should. My late grandfather, Jabez Field
of Black Boys Chapel, as a tramp came round to their house one
day, knocking on the door, begging, chapel house black boys, he's
right in the middle of nowhere and he was a bit smelly so they put
him out in the bike shed at the back of the chapel gave him a
meal a hot meal so that he could eat and apparently my grandfather
that when they'd taken the meal he dropped down on his knee and
he looked through the keyhole And the man was on his knees
thanking the Lord for his food. He said, I felt absolutely smitten
that I'd put him in the shed and not brought him into my house.
See, because that's what we're like. We're like the Pharisee,
come not near unto me, I'm holier than thou. You can make all manner
of excuses, what you might say good excuses as to why you shouldn't
do this, but they're wrong excuses. Is it not to deal thy bread to
the hungry, and that they'll bring the poor that are cast
out to thy house? And when they'll see us the naked,
that they'll cover him, and they'll hide not thyself from thine own
flesh. Then, then, when we're living
according to gospel precepts, when we're living according to
how Jesus lived, to how the disciples lived, How many times do we read in
the Gospels concerning Jesus? Jesus having compassion. Do you and I show compassion?
Or do you make excuses to why you shouldn't do these things?
Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health
shall spring forth speedily. Why? Because you've done good
works? No! The good works are the fruit
of the Spirit. The good works are because the
love of God has been shed abroad in your heart. The good works
flow from the fact that you love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity
and in truth. And it flows from that. And this
is what the Spirit of God is speaking to us here. Concerning,
then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine house
so spring forth speedily. and thy righteousness shall go
before thee, and the glory of the Lord shall be thy rear reward.
You see, and maybe we wonder why the Lord doesn't answer our
prayers, and doesn't, and he's silent. And it says here, verse
nine, then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer. Thou shalt
cry, and he shall say, here I am. If thou take away from the midst
of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger and speaking
vanity. If thou draw out thy soul to
the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then, notice this connective
word, then shall thy light rise in obscurity and thy darkness
be as the noonday. My beloved friends, the Lord
sees exactly how we live and exactly what spirit we are of.
or that this spirit of love and of kindness and of compassion.
You know, the amount of times we read, especially in my mind,
it just goes to the letters to the seven churches of Asia. And we read it on several occasions
in those letters. I know thy works. What about yours? What about
mine? There's a sad thing among us
as a group of churches, that as soon as a minister speaks
of good works, immediately you get the retort back, you'll never
get to heaven on good works. I'll tell you what, you'll never
get there without them. You won't. If the grace of God
has touched your heart, if the love of Christ has been shed
abroad in your soul, these are the things, this is the spirit
that we shall be on. and what the Spirit of God here,
speaking to the church today, if thou draw out thy soul to
the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then shall thy light rise
in obscurity and thy darkness be as the noon day. and the Lord
shall guide thee continually and satisfy thy soul in drought
and make fat thy bones and thou shalt be like a watered garden
and like a spring of water whose waters fowl not. These waters
is what led me to our first hymn. These waters is the Holy Ghost. It's the Holy Ghost, living water.
Rivers of living water shall flow into the soul of the true
believer. You know, we have those beautiful
words in the book of Deuteronomy concerning
the doctrine, the doctrine of truth. Deuteronomy chapter 32. Give ear, O ye heavens, and I
will speak, and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth, My doctrine
shall drop as the rain. My speech shall distill as the
dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers
upon the grass. Because I will publish the name
of the Lord, I strive you greatness unto our God. He is the rock.
His work is perfect. For all his ways are judgment,
a God of truth. And without iniquity, just and
right is he, my doctrine. You know, when the doctrine of
truth, the truth as it is in Jesus, when the doctrine of truth
drops as rain in the soul of the believer, it revives, it
renews, it replenishes. Just as a plant, if a plant is
drooping and you water it, the leaves all brighten up. It's
the same with the true believer. When the blessed spirit pours
forth the truth into the heart, so you have a living experience
of the truth of God. And then you know what this means,
my doctrine, the doctrine of truth when tasted and handled
with love. It was Martin Luther that said
doctrine is heaven. Doctrine is heaven. There is a very strange notion
amongst us, generally as a group of churches, that the minister
should always preach experience. But you know, it's vitally important
that the minister preaches doctrine as well as experience. In fact,
a balanced ministry is doctrine, experience and practice. My doctrine shall drop us a rain.
Have you known this? Have you experienced this? When
the doctrine of truth was made so precious to your soul, a word
of Holy Scripture had been sealed into your heart, my speech, that's
God's speech, shall distill as the dew, as the small rain upon
the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass. You know, friends,
when this happens, there's a total change in our lives, in our walk,
in our conduct. There is. I'll never forget when
I was brought into Gospel Liberty. We lived in Kroger at the time
and we went shopping one Saturday afternoon in Kroger and my heart
was filled with the love of God. And there in the center of Kroger
was a whole group of punk rockers with all their strange clothing
and their hair and all their piercings. Do you know, friends,
I felt my heart go up to the Lord with such a longing desire
that the Lord would call them by divine grace, that the Lord
would work mightily in their heart. You see, we can be so
self-righteous. Oh, I wouldn't do that. I wouldn't
be seen with them, et cetera. We're so self-righteous by nature.
Oh, to pray, to earnestly petition the Lord that he would work. I will work, and who shall let
it? And they that shall be of thee
shall build the old waste places. Thou shalt raise up the foundations
of many generations, and thou shalt be called the repairer
of the breach, the restorer of paths to dwelling. This is a
wonderful promise of future prosperity in Zion. and they that shall
be of thee. Those that shall yet be gathered
in, and those that of course are gathered in at this present
time, and they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste
places. Thou shalt raise up the foundations
of many generations. Thou shalt be called the repairer
of the breach, the restorer of paths, to dwell in. You know,
in that first verse of chapter 59, beautiful prayer it is, isn't
it? Behold, the Lord's hand is not
shortened, that it cannot say, neither his ear heavy, that it
cannot be, that he cannot hear. That is true today, friends.
We're exhorted to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. they shall
prosper that love thee. To pray for the peace of Jerusalem,
to pray for the prosperity of Jerusalem, to pray for an ingathering. I've often told you before, Isaiah
60 has been a chapter that has been so exceedingly precious
to me, to the point where it was so precious for so many years,
that I could almost say that that chapter was my chapter.
But look how it starts. Arise, shine. You know, friends, we're so slovenly.
But the solemn message the Lord had to the church at Laodicea,
thou thinkest thou art rich and have need of nothing. Thou knowest
not that thou art poor and blind. Arise, shine. For thy light is come, and the
glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. The glory of the Lord is
Christ. The light is Christ. Christ himself said, I am the
light of the world. But here, we have these wonderful
promises to the church. For behold, the darkness shall
cover the earth, and gross darkness the people. And he's preaching
now of the church of the living God. But the Lord shall arise
upon thee. and his glory shall be seen upon
thee, and the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings
to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about
and see, you see in our text, it is future prosperity, and
here it is. Lift up thine eyes round about
and see, all they gather themselves together. You know, friends,
if the Lord builds up Zion, if the Lord gathers in precious
souls, If you and I are truly exercised, you'll be watching
and waiting for them. Your eyes will be up onto the
Lord. They won't come necessarily dressed
as strict Baptists, all in their best suit and etc. They'll come
just as they are. But oh that the Lord would pour
upon us that spirit of real travail, Then thou shalt see and flow
together, and thine heart shall fear and be enlarged, because
the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, and the
forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee, the multitudes
of Camas shall cover thee. This is the future prosperity
of the Church of God. It is. Wonderful promises. that the
Lord gives here in this chapter 60. The sons, verse 10, and the
sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings
shall minister unto thee. For in my wrath I smote thee,
but in my favor have I had mercy on thee. Therefore thy gates
shall be opened continually. They shall not be shut, day nor
night, that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles,
and that their kings may be brought. And what has been always so sweet
to me for years is the last clause of chapter 60. I, the Lord, will
hasten it in his time. You see, he says in verse 13,
the glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the
pine tree, and the box together to beautify the place of my sanctuary. And I will make the place of
my things glorious. Heaven is my throne, the earth
is my footstool. I will make the place of my feet
glorious. He will pour forth his spirit
upon his servants. He will revive and renew his
people, and he will add unto the church such as should be
saved. Oh, my beloved friends, may we
be given this spirit of real travail. I will make the place
of my feet glorious. The sons also of them that afflicted
thee shall come bending unto thee, and they that despise you
shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet, and they
shall call thee the city of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One
of Israel. Whereas thou hast been forsaken
and hated so that no one went through thee, I will make thee
in eternal excellency a joy of many generations. my beloved
friends, these wonderful promises. If you go to chapter 61 and verse
4, and they shall build the old ways, and they shall raise up
the former desolations, and they shall repair the way cities,
the desolations of many generations, and strangers shall stand and
feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen
and your vine dressers. but ye shall be named the priests
of the Lord, and men shall call you the ministers of our God. Ye shall eat the riches of the
Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves. You see, and it goes on, verse
nine, and their seed, and their seed shall be known among the
Gentiles, and their offspring among the people, All that see
them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which
the Lord hath blessed. You see, these are promises to
Zion. Look at verse, chapter 62. These
wonderful blessings that the Lord has promised on Zion in
these gospel days, that's what he's prophesying. For Zion's
sake, I will not hold my peace. For Jerusalem's sake I will not
rest until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness
and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. Sin the
Gentiles shall see thy righteousness. And it goes on in verse five.
As a young man marryeth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee.
And as the bridegroom rejoiceeth over the bride, so shall thy
God rejoice over thee. I have set watchmen Upon thy
walls, O Jerusalem, we shall never hold their peace, day nor
night. And then earlier today, this verse seven seemed just
to get hold of me and give him no rest. It seemed to just get
hold of me. Keep not silence and give him
no rest till he establish, until he make Jerusalem a place in
the earth. These wonderful promises, my
beloved friend, that the Lord has given to Zion to the church
of the living God and they're given, my beloved friends, are
our encouragement that we should pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
We should pray for her prosperity. That we should seek by God's
grace to travail. It's only the Lord that can give
this to us. Travel. travail for souls. I've often said this and I really
feel it. A minister, I can never understand
a minister that doesn't long for prosperity, that doesn't
yearn over souls. I can't understand that. You
know it's said of William Tiptoe that when he used to preach Not
only was he the pastor of the great chapel in Abingdon, he
had a large congregation, but he spent a lot of his time traveling
throughout the country, sometimes preaching in barns, village greens,
chapels, wherever there was someone to hear him. And it's said that
when he preached, he used to weep, he used to wring his hands
weeping over the souls of his hearers. Oh my beloved friends,
may the Lord give us such a passion for souls, such a longing for
the salvation of souls, for building up of the walls of Jerusalem. Verse 11 in 62, behold the Lord
hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, say ye to the daughter
of Zion, behold thy salvation coming, behold his reward is
with him and his work before him. and thou shalt call them
the holy people, the redeemed of the Lord. Thou shalt be called
sought out, a city not forsaken. You see, my beloved friends,
these things are written for our instruction. And they that
shall be of thee shall build the old waste. Thou shalt raise
up the foundations of many generations. Thou shalt be called the repairer
of the breach, the restorer of paths to dwelling. In the prophecy of Ezekiel, we
see there some wonderful promises concerning the future prosperity
of Zion. Now I know in some senses that
It was that the children of Israel would return onto the land of
Israel from Babylon. But there's something far deeper
than that, my beloved friends. It's the Gospel Church. It's
the New Testament Church. We read in Ezekiel chapter 34 and verse 22, therefore I save
my flock and there shall no more be a prey I will judge between
cattle and cattle, and I will set up one shepherd, that's Christ.
I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them,
even my servant David. Christ is David's greatest son.
He shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd, and I will
be their God, and my servant David, a prince among them. I,
the Lord, have spoken it. I will make with them a covenant
of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the
land, and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in
the woods. And I'll make them and the places round about my
hill a blessing, and I will cause the shower to come down in his
season. There shall be showers of blessing. In Isaiah, often we read of the
trees of the Lord, the Lord's right hand planting. Here it
says in Ezekiel, and the tree of the field, and this is speaking
of the Lord's people, shall yield fruit, and the earth shall yield
her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall
know that I am the Lord when I have broken the bands of their
yoke and delivered them out of the hand of those that serve
themselves of them. It says future prosperity. Look
at verse 29. And I will raise up to them a
plant of renown. That's Christ. The glorious person
of God manifest in the flesh. The plant of renown. It says
in Ezekiel chapter 37 about a prince. That's Christ. I'll raise them
up a plant of renown. And they shall be no more consumed
with hunger in the land, neither bear shame of the heathen any
more. Thus shall they know that I the
Lord their God am with them. I will bring thy sons from far. You think of that wonderful promise.
I know I often quote it. I quote it because it's been
made exceedingly precious to me. I will bring thy sons from
far. and thy daughters from the ends
of the earth. And then there's that wonderful
promise in Psalm 45 where it speaks of the seed that
should follow on. The seed that should follow on. Psalm 45 is that beautiful messianic
psalm. speaks of the glorious person
of our Lord Jesus Christ. David says, my heart is indicted
in good matter. I speak of the things that I've
made touch in the King. My tongue is the then of a ready
writer. And he goes on, doesn't he, in a prayer
unto Christ. The prayer of King David, gird
thy sword upon thy thigh. He's praying to Christ. the great
Captain of the Lord of Hosts, the King of Glory. God, thy sword
upon thy thigh, O Most Mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty,
and in thy righteousness ride prosperously, because of truth
and meekness and righteousness. My beloved friends, these things
are written for us, to instruct us how to pray and for what to
pray. And thy right hand shall teach
thee terrible things, Thine arrows, that's the arrows of Christ,
are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies, whereby the people
fall under thee. You see, my beloved friends,
these things are written for our instruction. He speaks here
of the Church of Christ, the Bride of Christ. Verse 9, King's
daughters were among thy honourable women. Upon thy right hand descend
the queen in gold of Ophir. Hearken, O daughter, and consider,
says Christ speaking to the church. Incline thine ear, forget also
thine own people, and thy father's house. So shall the king greatly
desire thy beauty. For he is thy Lord, and worship
thou him. Worship thou him. And then the
verse that particularly has been special to me is verse 16. Instead
of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes
in all the earth. And they that shall be of thee
shall build the old ways places. Thou shalt raise up the foundations
of many generations. and thou shalt be called the
repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths to dwelling. Oh, that the Lord would so exercise
our hearts in prayer, in soul travel, that we might see a day
of real prosperity, that we may watch unto prayer. It's one thing
to pray, my beloved friends, then to forget all about it.
It's another thing to have real prayer and watch and watch to
see the Lord fulfill these wonderful blessings in Zion upon the Church
of God. May the Lord have his blessing. Let us now sing together hymn
number 608. The tune is Saint Godric 556. Ye souls redeemed with blood
and called by grace divine, walk worthy of your God and let your
conduct shine. Keep Christ your living head
in view in all you say, in all you do. Hymn 608, Tune St. Godric, 556. ? Dearest heart ? ? How long will
you be mine? ? ? Oh, I'll be all your love ? ? And then the
wonder shines ? In Christ your name we have been
given, In all you've said and all you've done. Jesus made you free, then you
are free indeed, ye sons of liberty. It covers the royal sea. O grant thee all, O Lord and
King, Your glorious name, O you King! The sons of heav'nly birth, Their
dignity face, Unite, Christians of earth, and take up Sabbath's place. The slaves to sin and sin can
do, For that to keep them all in peace. O bid it rightly go, ? Vision
helps me in my fears ? ? The call, wisdom and love ? ?
And love from every step ? ? Teach us to hope ? ? With Christ in
view ? ? And our praises in glory give ? ? In praise of faith and love ?
and make us watch and pray. O keep their souls above, nor
let us devastate. till nothing hath the strength
beneath, and lead us on with Christ in youth. 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 both now and
for evermore. Amen.