Let us commence our service by
singing the first four verses of hymn 122. The tune is Haslingdon
544. Join all the glorious names of
wisdom, love and power that evermortals knew, that angels ever bore. All are too mean to speak his
worth, too mean to set my Saviour for. Hymn 122, the first four
verses, tune Haslingdon 544. of wisdom, love, and power. Let
evermore close to you the angels ever call. O now to Thee, to speak His word,
to me, to set my shame afloat. God our Lord, then to tell us
of all his heavenly grace. ? God's unending value ? ? Still
teaches every man ? ? Arise with joy ? ? And on earth sing ? ? O'er all
the land of the free and the home of the brave ? The reigning clothes of flesh
Behind their angelic steps ? And close the promises ? ? And
fondles in his breast ? ? O Bishop Troy ? His Father's throne, To make
His raise her all times crowned. O Prophet of my God, my power
bless thy name. I thee the joyful hymns of our
salvation praise The joyful hymns Let us read together from the
Holy Word of God. in Paul's epistle to the Colossians
and chapter 2. Colossians chapter 2. For I would that ye knew what
great conflict I have for you and for them at Laodicea, and
for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their
hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and under
all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement
of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ, in
whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And
this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. For though I be absent in the
flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit. joy in unbeholding your
order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. As ye
have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in
him, rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith,
as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware
lest any man spoil you through philosophy, and vain deceit,
after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and
not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily, and ye are complete in him, which is
the head of all principality and power, in whom also ye are
circumcised with the circumcision made without hands. in putting
off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of
Christ, buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with
him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised
him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins
and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together
with him having forgiven you all trespasses, blotting out
the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was
contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his
cross. And having spoiled principalities
and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over
them in it. Let no man therefore judge you
in meat or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new
moon, or of the Sabbath days, which are a shadow of things
to come, but the body is of Christ. Let no man beguile you of your
reward in a voluntary humility, and worshiping of angels, intruding
into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by
his fleshly mind, and not holding the head from whom all the body
by joints and bands, having nourishment administered and knit together,
increases with the increase of God. Wherefore, if you be dead
with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though
living in the world, are you subject to ordinances? Touch
not, taste not, handle not. which all are to perish with
the using after the commandments and doctrines of men, which things
have indeed a show of wisdom in will-worship and humility
and neglecting of the body, not in any honour to the satisfying
of the flesh. May the Lord bless that portion
of his holy word and teach us how to pray. Almighty, most merciful
and eternal God of heaven, help us now to bow before Thee. Lord,
teach us how to pray and for what to pray, for we know not
what to pray for as we ought, but may the Spirit make intercession
for us. May we be enabled to pour out
our heart before Thee, And may it please thee to guide us, O
thou great Jehovah. We're pilgrims in a barren land.
We are weak, but thou art mighty. Hold us with thy powerful hand. We do humbly beseech thee. Hold
thou me up, that my footsteps slip not. Gracious God, we do
pray for thy upholding grace, for thy supporting grace. and
we pray for the grace of humility and of love and real faith and
repentance, godly sorrow for our sin. Gracious God, do incline
thine ear, do make us fruitful unto every good work, while our
days on earth are lengthened, may we give them lord to thee,
cheered by hope and daily strengthened. Gracious God, enable us to live
to thee, And what we think of the words of the dear Apostle,
I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you
present your bodies, a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable
unto me, which is your reasonable service, and be not conformed
to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that you might know what that good and perfect and acceptable
will of the Lord is. Lord, do grant us that grace
so to do, to live to Thee, to honour Thee in all we do, to
love Thee, to serve Thee, to follow Thee. O, do heal us, Lord. We do humbly beseech Thee. Make
us fruitful. We feel at times, O Lord, to
be so barren. We feel at times to be so far
off. O, we do pray that Thou wouldst
graciously bless us this day as we gather round thy word.
And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of
God our Father and the sacred fellowship of the Holy Spirit
rest and abide upon us for thy great name's sake. We 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, most blessed spirit
of truth, that thou wouldst come and open thy word to our heart
and to our understanding. Make it a living word, and make
it a word like we read of the dear apostle in Thessalonica,
for our gospel came unto you not in word only, but in power,
in the Holy Ghost, and with much assurance. We pray that it may
be so among us. The living word of the living
God, May it find an abiding place in each one of our hearts. We
do humbly beseech them. Lord, we pray for the little
ones and the children as they're brought into the sanctuary. We
lovingly commend them to thee and to the word of thy grace,
which is able to build them up, to grant them an inheritance
among them that are sanctified. We think of the ancient promise,
instead of thy father shall be thy children. whom thou mayest
make princes in all the earth. All we pray, most gracious Lord,
that thou wouldst richly bless the young. Bless the dear young
friends as they stand on the threshold of life's journey.
Bless them with that rich grace that is in Christ Jesus. Bless
them with light and understanding in thy word. Bless them with
Christ in their hearts, the hope of glory, that they may follow
thee and serve thee in their day and in their generation,
O Lord, we do beseech Thee. We pray that Thou wilt be with
them in all the paths of providence, to guide and direct them in their
schooling, in their education, guide and direct them regarding
any future employment, guide and direct them regarding a partner
in life's journey. Lord, we lovingly commend them
to Thee. Bless them indeed. We do humbly
beseech Thee. We pray, Lord, that thou would
be with all in the midst of the journey of life, and graciously
undertake for each one. We pray, O Lord, that thou in
thy great mercy would give parents wisdom and help in bringing up
their children, that they may be able to do so in the nurture
and admonition of the Lord. Remember all in the midst of
the journey of life, and deliver us each from the powers of the
enemy, the temptations of Satan, the allurement of this world,
that has the death in thousands heard. Lord, deliver us from
its power and from its dominion. Let sin have no dominion, Lord,
but keep my conscience clear. We do humbly beseech of thee. We pray that thou, in thy great
mercy, would remember each one of us in the evening time of
life's journey. Help us and undertake for us
Guide us safely unto thy heavenly kingdom. We pray for any in affliction
and trouble and trial and perplexity and pain. Lord, we would lovingly
commend each one to thee. Those that walk the path of bereavement,
support them. We think of the family of our
late dear sister, Ena, now in glory. We pray for the family. that thou would richly bless
them and support them, especially on this coming Thursday as we
gather around the open grave. We pray that thy presence may
be found, that thy love may be known, and that thy blessing
may be upon the family, and that it may be with them as it is
with us concerning her. We sorrow not as others that
are without hope. Gracious God, what a sacred thing
that is, the death of a believer. And, O Lord, we do pray that
thou would remember all thy servants today. Remember them, O Lord,
as they go forth in thy name. Remember them with the favour
that thou bearest unto thy people. Graciously fill them with thy
Spirit. Grant that fresh anointing of
the Spirit. And there may be signs following
the preaching of the word. We pray for our beloved brother
here and his dear one that thou has blessed them indeed this
day. and grant a time of true rest in the sanctuary, that rest
that is in Christ Jesus. Oh, we pray. Most gracious Lord,
that thou, the great Lord of the harvest, would send true
labourers into the harvest and would build the walls of Jerusalem. For I'm returned unto Jerusalem
with mercy. Lord, may it be so. May it please
thee to grant thy presence here this afternoon Grant the opening
of thy word. O Lord, we do thank thee. We
thank thee for all thy tender mercies, thy loving kindnesses
that have passed before us in the way. Thy mercies to us, O
Lord, are new every morning, and great is thy faithfulness. Tis of the Lord's mercies that
we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. We
thank thee for thy covenant faithfulness to thy people. We thank Thee,
O Lord, that all Thy people are safe in our Lord Jesus Christ. We thank Thee for the incarnation
of the Son of God. We thank Thee for that holy life
He lived as a man under the law, fulfilling Thy holy law, magnifying
and honouring Thy holy law on the behalf of His people, on
the behalf of His spouse, His church, His bride. Gracious God,
O what Thou hast done is beyond our comprehension, the bringing
in of everlasting righteousness for Thy people. O we do thank
Thee for it, that glorious everlasting robe that covers the nakedness
of a poor sinner, fitting them to stand in the presence of the
Eternal God. We do thank Thee. We thank Thee
for Gethsemane, when our sins were laid upon Him, for He laid
upon Him the iniquity of us all, and those sorrows, and that grief,
and that travail. He took our sins, and we've read
in Thy word, and He nailed them to His cross. We thank Thee for
our Lord Jesus Christ, our sin-bearer. He suffered in the sinner's place,
suffering Saviour, Lamb of God, O, we do bow in humble thanksgiving
before thee. We thank thee that thou didst
die for the sins of thy people, and didst rise again for our
justification, and art now ascended into heaven, that great high
priest at the right hand of the Father. Tis he instead of me
is seen when I approach to God. We thank thee, Lord Jesus, that
through thee we know our Heavenly Father and we thank thee for
that sacred gift of the Holy Ghost. Lord, without thee we
can do nothing. All we do pray that thou would
come and open thy holy word and open our hearts to receive it.
Remember the little hills of Zion, remember this village and
the surrounding villages and hamlets, the farmsteads, O that
many, many, many precious souls may yet be gathered in among
us here, that this little house of prayer may be filled with
hungry, longing souls pressing into the kingdom of heaven. O
Lord of hosts, O God of Israel, O Thou that dwellest between
the cherubim, shine forth, we do humbly beseech Thee, and let
Thy hand be upon the man of Thy right hand, the Son of Man, whom
Thou madest strong for Thyself. O gracious God, do help us and
be with us and do bless thy Zion, the little hills of Zion, up
and down the nation, wherever thy servants stand and thy people
gather. Have mercy, O Lord, we beseech
thee. Shine forth. We live in a day
when the power of Antichrist is so prevalent and increasing
day by day. Oh, we do pray that thou would
remember thy little remnants that thou wouldst remember thy
people, that thou wouldst grant us a reviving shower, that thou
wouldst grant a renewing and a replenishing in thy Zion and
in Engathering. O hear us in heaven, thy holy
dwelling place, as thou hast promised in thy word, 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. O Lord of hosts, do hear
us. humbly beseech thee, and graciously
bless us and revive us and renew us. Grant that personal reviving
and renewing and a closer walk with thee, a calmer heavenly
frame, a light to shine upon the road that leads me to the
Lamb. Arise, arise, O God of grace,
into thy rest descend. Thou and the ark of thy strength,
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. Oh Lord, we
do beseech thee, come and touch one's lips with a live coal from
off the heavenly altar. Come and open thy word that we
may delve into that deep that couches beneath. We ask with
the forgiveness of all our many sins for Jesus Christ's sake,
Amen. Let us continue singing the hymn
number 122 and we'll sing verses 5 to 8. The tune is Penryn 553.
Be thou my counsellor, my pattern and my guide. and through this desert land
still keep me near thy side. O let my feet ne'er run astray,
nor rove, nor seek the crooked way. Hymn 122, verses 5 through
to 8. Tune Penryn 553. I am strong. I am strong. I am strong. I am strong. I am strong. I am strong. And I wish that I was here with
you last night. I pray ? O'er all the steep and hurried
way ? ? I love thy shepherds always ? ? Which walk the wild
and free ? ? Heaven and earth ? ? Should call
me to thee ? ? Beneath this rock ? ? Recluse and aid me ? ? Give proof through the night
that our flag is still there ? ? O say does that star-spangled
banner yet wave ? O'er the land of the free and
the home of the brave? ? Thy shortly breaketh ? ? End
of days ? ? Jesus, thy great I praise ? ? Love that is mine
? ? With us this time ? ? He'll come
to the ground ? ? With us some time ? ? The world will greet
him ? Greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, I direct your attention to the chapter that
we read, the second chapter of Paul's epistle to the Colossians. And we will read verses 13 and
14 and 15 for our text. Colossians chapter 2 verses 13
to 15. And you being dead in your sins
and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened
together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses, blotting
out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was
contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his
cross, and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of
them openly, triumphing over them in it. How beautifully in this epistle
does the dear apostle set before us the wonderful glories of Christ
and the fullness that is in It says in verse 9, for in him dwelleth
all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Jesus is not just a man. He's not just a good man. He's
not just a righteous man. He's the holy God man. He's the
eternal Son of the eternal Father. He's the Word that was made flesh
and dwelt among us. The glorious person of Jesus,
the Son of God. You know, What people miss when
they deny the divinity of Christ is all our salvation is in the
divinity of Christ. It's in that glorious mystery
of godliness of God manifest in the flesh. He took our sins,
see, and this is what the Apostle means here. He's nailing it to
his cross. He took our sins and in the first
chapter, it's one of the most my most favorite chapters in
the Word of God, and especially you look at verse 12, giving
thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers
of the inheritance of the saints in light, who hath delivered
us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the
kingdom of his dear Son, in whom we have redemption through his
blood, even the forgiveness of sins. Then he speaks of the person
of Christ, who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn
of every creature, for by him were all things created that
are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible,
whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers,
all things were created by him and for him, and he is before
all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of
the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn
from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence
for it. It pleased the Father that in
him should all fullness dwell. Oh, my dear beloved friends,
there is such a fullness in Christ. It's an infinite fullness. There's
the fullness of salvation, the fullness of grace, that we've
quoted it twice already today and the word was made flesh and
dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the
only begotten of the father full of grace and truth and he's always
full that his people are constantly drawing on his grace but he's
always full there's a fullness in christ that is beyond our
comprehension there really is it's an inexhaustible fullness
there is in the glorious person of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
eternal Son of God, who was manifest in the flesh. Great is the mystery. It is a mystery. How can the
infinite, the eternal, assume that which is finite? But that's
what we see in the person of Christ. We see the eternal Son
of God assuming human nature, becoming bone of our bone and
flesh of our flesh. living as a man here upon earth
and we see in his life wonderful flashes as you might say of his
divinity shining through his humanity. You think of that when
Christ was on the sea with his disciples and there was a great
storm and he was asleep, he was asleep in the hindermost part
of the ship. Why? Because he was a true human
man, he knew what tiredness was, he knew not what weariness was,
he knew what weakness was, he knew what hunger was, he knew
what thirst was. He was a real man, though he's the eternal
God. Now the disciples, the boat was
taken on water, it was beginning to sink and the disciples were
greatly alarmed and they woke him up and they said, Master
save us or we perish. And Jesus arose and He rebuked
the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm, the divinity
of Christ. So you see the reality is a humanity,
and then you see the reality is divinity. And the disciples
said, what manner of man is this? That even the wind and the sea
obey Him. You see, He's the God-man. Doesn't
the Word of God declare unto us He's able to do abundantly
more than we can even ask for things? is because he's the eternal
son of the eternal father for in him dwelleth all the fullness
of the godhead bodily and I love the opening of this chapter it's
always been very sweet to me especially verses two and three
that their hearts might be comforted this is the desire of the apostle
for the churches that their hearts might be comforted being knit
together in love and unto all riches of the full assurance
of understanding to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God and of
the Father and of Christ. We should notice because it's
unusual, God the Holy Ghost is put first. The mystery of God
as the divine person of the Spirit of God and of the Father and
of Christ. in whom I hid all the treasures
of wisdom and knowledge." Now, I always feel that with the persons
in the Godhead put in this order, it displays to us the equality
that there is between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
These three are one. One infinite, almighty, and eternal
God. And what the Apostle says here,
the acknowledgement of the mystery of the Trinity. Now to our poor
fallen minds, our understanding, how can three be one and one
be three? But that's why he says the acknowledgement
of the mystery. It's beyond our comprehension.
But this is the fact, the reality. That the Father, the Son and
the Holy Ghost, that these three are one. One blessed, infinite,
almighty, and eternal God. They're of one mind, they're
of one spirit. They are one. They are the Lord Jehovah. Existing
in the glorious eternal Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. These three
are one. And the Apostle, he touches on
it, doesn't he, very beautifully in Ephesians chapter two. And
he says there, for through him, that is through our Lord Jesus
Christ, for through him we have access by one Spirit unto the
Father. The acknowledgement of the mystery
of the Trinity, of the glorious persons of the Trinity. May the
Holy Ghost open it to you. You know, just after I was brought
into Gospel Liberty, and the Lord so blessed my soul and I
was out working, in driving a truck. And the afternoon, the Lord so
blessed my soul, I was so overflown, like naptalized, satisfied with
favour, full of the blessing of the Lord. And I had to go
down to a farm, and on the way down this mile-long drive was
this chestnut copse. And I just stopped my truck,
and I went into that little chestnut And I bowed, I knelt before the
Lord. Now it was nothing visionary,
but it was as if a light shone all around me as I knelt before
the Lord. Oh, I felt such a love to my
heavenly Father. It was He that had chosen me.
It was He that gave me to His Son to redeem. And I felt such a love to our
Lord Jesus Christ that He left, He came from heaven, on earth. He lived as a man here upon earth.
He fulfilled and honoured and magnified the law for me. For
me that was what was so wonderful. He suffered and bled and died
for me. He rose again for my justification. Oh the fullness I felt of that
love to the Father, to the Son and then I felt such a love to
the Holy Ghost. It was that glorious, blessed,
divine person of the Spirit of God. proceeding forth when the
Father and the Son had entered into my wicked, sinful heart,
had quickened my soul into life, had convicted and convinced me
of my sin, and then He revealed unto me the wonderful, precious
things of our Lord Jesus Christ." What a fullness I felt there.
You know, friends, I'd never disbelieved. I'd been brought
up in a godly home. I'd never disbelieved in the
doctrine of the Trinity. I accepted it as being taught
it. Oh, how precious that was to have that revelation. I now
knew it. I'd always accepted it, but now
I knew it. Now I experienced it. I knew
the love of my heavenly father and the eternal love of his son,
Jesus Christ, and the divine eternal love, power, and grace
of the Holy Ghost. You see, friends, it's when we
experience these things, it's when the Lord opens them to us.
Nobody can shake me on that doctrine. Why? Because the Lord has revealed
it. And I've known it. It's living power in my heart.
I love it. I love the truth. In whom are
hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And then he gives
a warning here. And this I say. How he speaks
of the doctrine of the trinity and how everything is centered
in the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. And this I say, lest any man
should beguile you with enticing words. For though I be absent
in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit. Join in beholding
your order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. As ye have therefore received
Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him. Our faith, and the
more is revealed to us, the more we should live a godly life. You know what sanctifies? Some
people say, we know it's the Holy Spirit that sanctifies.
But how does the Holy Spirit sanctify? Separate, by revealing
Christ. By revealing Christ. And that
separates you from this world. Not in a pharisaical way. No. In love. Holy love to the Lord
Jesus Christ. That is what will sanctify you.
That is what separates. When you see what Christ suffered
and bled and died for your sins, it will sanctify you. You don't
want sin when Christ is made precious. That is, you know,
some people get very tied up on what sanctification is. It's
knowing Christ. It's having union with Christ.
That's what it is. We know the Spirit of God sanctifies
the Lord's people in that He separates them. The Father sanctifies
the Lord's people in that He chose them. The Son sanctifies
them by faith in his glorious person separating from the world. It says here rooted and built
up in him and established in the faith as he had been taught.
I heard a man say once he was preaching and he and he said
the one of the foundation today is there's a lack of the preaching
of the law. I thought man you do not know
what you're talking about. Not at all. It's the preaching
of Christ crucified. Other foundation can no man lay,
but that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus. Upon this rock
I build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against
it. The law is not a foundation. No. Christ is. Christ, the end
of the law. Christ, the fulfiller of the
law. That's the hope of the Lord's people. He came to deliver us
from the law. and you being dead in your sins
and the uncircumcision of his flesh, hath he quickened together
with him, having forgiven you all trespasses, blotting out
the handwriting of ordinances. He's speaking of the law, the
handwriting of all. Notice he puts the handwriting.
God wrote the law with his own finger upon tables of stone. And he says here, blotting out
the handwriting of ordinances. That was against us. And the
law is against us. You might say, what do you mean?
Why is the law against us? Because we're sinners. By the
law is the knowledge of sin and that's all the law can do. I
think it's Gadsby says in one of his hymns, the law gives me
neither feet nor hands. What does he mean? The law cannot
give you power to fulfill its holy commandments. It's utterly
impossible. If there's one here this afternoon
and you think you can fulfill God's holy righteous law, You're
deceived, you can't. That's one that has come and
done it. That's the glorious person of our Lord Jesus Christ. That's why he's called the end
of the law for righteousness. You can't fulfill it. One of
the great errors in the Galatian church was that the Judaizing
teachers in the Galatian church were teaching them that now they
have become believers in Christ because they were believers they
were able to fulfill the law. The Apostle immediately saw that
this was a gross and awful error. O foolish Galatians, who hath
bewitched you? He says. By the law is the knowledge of
sin. That's all. It cannot do anything
else for you. It cannot give you power to fulfill
its commandments. It cannot reconcile you to God.
It cannot bring the mercy of soul, the mercy of God into your
soul. The Apostle says in Romans 8,
for what the law could not do, could not do. It can't reconcile
you to God. It can't bring peace into your
conscience. No. Christ is the end of the law.
Christ has fulfilled the law. Christ has honoured the law. You think of that word in Isaiah
chapter 42. He, who? Christ. That chapter
begins Behold my servant, mine elect, in whom my soul delighted.
I put my spirit upon, who's it? Christ, the Father's first elect. I put my spirit upon him. And then it says later on, he,
Christ, will magnify the law and make it honourable. Christ
has done that. You might say, why can't we do
it? You may say, why has God given us a law that we can't
keep? My beloved friends, when Adam was created, he was perfectly
capable of fulfilling God's law. But he lost that ability when
he fell into sin. What a terrible fall that was.
When Adam, by transgression, fell, he ruined all his future
race. The seeds of evil once brought
in, increased and filled the world with sin. Oh, my beloved
friends, there is no light or life under the law. Even Moses
said, I exceedingly fear a quake. But there's light and life and
liberty in Christ. To those that are under the law,
under its solemn sentence of death, what does Christ say? Come unto me, all ye that labour
a heavy laden, and I will give you rest. take my yoke upon you
and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall
find rest for your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden
is light I think it's heart doesn't he when speaking of the glories
of Christ in heaven he says come then repenting sinner come and
trust upon his grace oh what thou wilt the total psalm is
cancelled by his death and you being dead in your sins and the
uncircumcision of your flesh Has he quickened together with
Him? With whom? With Christ. With
Christ. He that hath the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son of God
hath not life. You cannot get a clearer scripture
than that, can you? Do you have Christ? Do you have
a hope in Christ? You know, over the years in preaching
among the churches, it sometimes really struck me and really burdened
and quite distressed me that there are some people, they think
that being at chapel and always doing the right thing, that by
some means or other, by whatever it may be, that we will get to
heaven at last. My beloved friends, you will
only get to heaven if the Holy Ghost quickens your soul into
life In a sense here, it's speaking
of the eternal decrees of God. You being dead in your sins and
the uncircumcision of your flesh, has he quickened together with
him, having forgiven you all trespasses? You know, friends, and it's very
clear and very solemn, there's only one clear evidence of being
a child of God. You might say, what is it? To
be called by divine grace. To be called by divine grace. That's the only evidence I can
find in the Word of God. I think the Dear Apostle, he
clearly sets that before us in the Romans chapter 8. And he
speaks there of the being called In fact, there's a divine line
of things here, he says, in verse 28, and we know that all things
work together for good to them that love God, to them who are
the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he
also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that
he might be the firstborn among many brethren, that is Christ.
Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called. and whom
he called, them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he
also glorified. What shall we then say to these
things, if God before us, who can be against us, he that spared
not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall
he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay
anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies.
Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea,
rather that is risen again. who is even at the right hand
of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Call. Have you been called? Now, I want to be careful here. I don't want to cut off any young,
tender soul. Have you been made aware of your
lost condition? Have you been made aware of your
emptiness? Do you have, what the hymn writer
says, an empty void that the world can never fill? There's
just something empty. And you're searching, and you're
praying, and you're seeking. You know, that's the beginning
of being called. Come ye sinners poor and wretched,
weak and wounded, sick and sore, Jesus ready stands to save you. It speaks in that hymn of the
spirit's rising beam. It is to feel your need of him. Do you feel your need of him?
Something stirs within your soul. What a mercy that is. You keep
seeking. The Lord Jesus Christ himself
said, Ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find, knock
and it shall be opened unto you. Simple, precious words of divine
truth and invitation. Jesus loves poor sinners. Sinners
can say, and none but they, how precious is the Saviour. And
you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your
flesh, has he quickened? You see, that first work of the
Spirit, that first quickening, I want to be careful here too. I know of two godly men, the
first thing they ever knew about anything of divine life was the
love of Christ was shed abroad in their heart. So often, I used to be like it
when I was first out preaching, You lay down, definite way, your
soul will be quickened, you'll be convinced of your sin, you
know your darkness, your bondage, and then Christ will be revealed.
And that is often the case, but not always. We need to be very
careful. And sometimes the work of the
Spirit in the heart is very gentle. Like it says in Isaiah, hear
a little, there a little, line upon line, precept upon precept. Let me ask you a question, has
the Lord opened your eyes? I mean spiritually. So that you
see and feel quite differently than you used to be. And there's
this seeking within you, search, and when you come to the house
of God you feel the need of something and you pray for it. You may
not even know, I remember when the Lord began with me I didn't
know what I needed, but I needed something, but I didn't know
what it was. Maybe that's where you are. You need something but
you don't know what it is. See, where the work of the Spirit
is, it's in various ways and in different ways. We mustn't
lay down a straitjacket and the Lord will work like this and
the Lord will work like that. Because often it's not. I had a brother, my brother Timothy
passed away now 10 years ago. But he spoke to me on one occasion
about this, and he said it used to really trouble me. Ministers
would lay down exactly what you've got to have, you've got to be
quickened, you've got to know your wretchedness, your sinfulness,
and then Christ revealed. And he said, I wasn't like that
with me. He said, I was in my work one
day, and the love of Christ was so broad in my heart. Oh, he
said, I felt such a love to Christ. He said, I knew a lot of convictions
then afterwards, but the first I ever knew was divine love.
It shed abroad in my heart. Is there someone here today?
There's something moving in your soul. Heavenward, Godward. You keep seeking. You keep looking. You keep watching. You keep waiting. The Lord will appear. He will
appear. And you being dead in your sins,
and the uncircumcision of your flesh, Hath he quickened? Quickened
is an old English word which means to give life. Hath he quickened
together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses? Be it known
unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man, the man
Christ Jesus, through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness
of sins. The forgiveness of sins. You
know that's very beautiful where the apostle speaks of that isn't
it in the Acts chapter 13 and be it known unto you therefore
men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you
the forgiveness of sins and by him all that believe are justified
from all things from which he could not be justified by the
law of Moses. You can't be justified by the
law of Moses You can only be justified in Christ. Then you
say to me, what does justification mean? It means to be declared
without sin. That's the meaning of justification. To be declared to be without
sin. Why? Because Jesus suffered and
bled and died for your sins. And this is where forgiveness
is. David, in Psalm 130, he says, Out of the depths have I cried
unto thee, O God. Lord, hear my cry. But what does
he go on to say? But there is forgiveness with
thee. That was something the Lord had revealed to him. But
there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be fed through
this man, the glorious holy God man. He's preached unto you the
forgiveness of sins, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances,
That's the law that was against us, which was contrary to us,
and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. I often quote
this in this sense, he took our sins and he nailed them to his
cross, because that's exactly what this word means. He took
our sins and he nailed them to his cross. You think of our Lord
Jesus Christ, and you think of the Garden of Gethsemane, And we view the Saviour there
in agony, in grief, in sorrow. So tremendous was that weight
that was upon Him that He sweat as it were great drops of blood
falling down to the ground. And you might say, why? Tell me, Saviour, tell me why
thou didst suffer, bleed and die? Why? because our Heavenly
Father took our sins and He laid them upon Christ. The doctrine
of imputation. That is what happened in Gethsemane.
Our Eternal Father, He lifted the sin off of the Church and
He laid it on His Son. He imputed it to His Son as if
it was His own sin. And He takes the glorious everlasting
righteousness of the Holy God, man, and He imputes it to the
Church. What an exchange, that sovereign
grace, all sin abounded. Our sin become Christ's. His
righteousness becomes ours. The glorious everlasting robe
of the righteousness of Christ. Now, it was under the weight
of those sins. We cannot even begin to comprehend. The sin of the whole church,
the bride of Christ, was taken by the Father and laid on Him
there. It was laid on him there. And
there he said, Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass
from me, but not my will, but thine be done. This cup, this
cup of suffering, this cup of sorrow, this cup of grief, this
cup of agony, this cup of humiliation. He went
from Gethsemane in among the Jews, the Jewish elders, and
they mocked him and set him at war at North and accused him. And then he was taken to Pilate,
and then Pilate sent him to Herod. Herod abused him with his men
of war, set at North, stripped of his raiment, clothed in purple,
a crown of thorns on his head. Why? My sins. Never shall I forget. It wasn't
far from here, near Wadhurst. One morning, so distressed, I
was out driving in my truck, so distressed, felt awful sin. I'd been in a time of wonderful
love and that morning when I got up, I sinned in my heart. It
was a willful sin in my heart against God. And it was just
as if a shutter dropped down between myself and God. Oh, the
distress. I went from light to darkness.
I went from liberty to bondage. Why sin? Sin. And that happened
about seven in the morning. And as I was about my work, I
was so distressed, pleading with the Lord to have mercy upon me. I really thought I'd sin him
away forever. It was a willful sin. And about 11 o'clock that
morning, those words dropped into my heart with such heavenly
power. It was like a heavenly balm.
He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace
was upon Him and with His stripes. We are healed. What a sight I
had of my crucified Saviour. And oh, how it distressed It
was my sins were the nails in the sphere. It was my sins that
nailed him to Calvary. It was. You know, friends, real
religion is very personal. It broke my heart. It really
did. Blotting out the handwriting
of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us,
and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross, and having spoiled
principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing
over them in it, having spoiled principalities and powers, his
suffering, his death. What rejoicing there must have
been in the courts of Satan when the Lord of life and glory was
crucified. When he gave his life, what triumph
they thought they had. But in actual fact it was Christ
that was triumphing on the behalf of his people. In his humiliation. I have power. Son of God speaking. I have power to lay my life down. It was a powerful death. I have
power to lay my life down. I have power to take it again.
This commandment have I received of my Father. And when he said on the cross,
Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit, he commended his holy
human soul into the hands of his eternal Father. The body
without the spirit is dead, being alone, and he entered into death. Then the beginning of his exaltation
is he rose from the dead. He rose from the dead. I often
reminded you of how two or three years ago, now reading that godly
Puritan, Thomas Goodwin, and he's quoting that verse in Hebrews
9, concerning he will come a second time without sin unto salvation. And he just made this comment.
It was so sweet. There is your justification,
child of God. What did he mean? When Christ
rose from the dead, he rose for our justification. So all the
sin that was laid on him in Gethsemane, he suffered, he bled and died
for it. He paid the redemption price.
And the fact that he paid the redemption price is that he rose
from the dead. He rose from the dead for our
justification. that we should be declared to
be without sin. Because our sins and our iniquities
is put away forever and ever. He'll never remember them again.
And on rising from the dead he triumphed, having spoiled principalities
and power. He made a show of them, openly
triumphed over them in it. He has destroyed death, and him
that had the power of death, that is the devil. Christ has. It's only the Son of God could
do that. What a glory there is in the resurrection of Jesus
Christ. Come, see the place where the
Lord lay. He is not here, he is risen.
He's risen. We don't worship a dead Christ,
we worship a living Christ, who has the power of an endless life,
who is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him,
seeing he ever liveth, to make intercession for us. having spoiled
principalities and powers he made a show of them openly triumphing
over them in it and then uh 40 days he led them out that is
the disciples he led them out as far as unto Bethany he lifted
up his hands and blessed them and he was received up into heaven
he said to them didn't he all power is given unto me in heaven
and in earth And the Apostle says, doesn't he, he said, for
such an high priest have we, who is passed into the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God. A man there is, a real man, with
wounds still gaping wide, from which rich streams of blood once
ran in hands and feet and side. Where is he? At the right hand
of the Father. The Lord said unto my Lord, that
is the Father said unto the Son, sit thou at my right hand until
I make thine enemies thy footstool. and having spoiled principalities
and powers, that's the powers and workings of Satan. The kingdom
of Satan suffered a great shock when Christ rose from the dead.
He destroyed death and him that had the power of death, having
spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them, openly
triumphant over them in it. He openly triumphed, all could
see this wonderful, glorious truth. Oh my beloved friends,
Christ the Lord is risen today. He is. A living saviour. An almighty saviour. A mediator. There is one God and one mediator
between God and man. The man Christ Jesus who gave
his life for ransom for all to be testified in due time. There may be those of you here
that hunger and thirst for this, that long for this. And you,
being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh,
hath he quickened together with him, and hath forgiven you all
trespasses. Why? Because Jesus suffered and
bled and died for you, blotting out the handwriting and ordinances
what was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out
of the way, nailing it to his having spoiled principalities
and powers, he made a show of them, openly triumphing over
them in it. May the Lord add his blessing. Let us now sing the remaining
verses of hymn 122, Verses 9 to 12, the tune is Darwin's
537. My advocate appears for my defense
on high. The father bows his ears and
lays his thunder by. Not all that hell or sin can
say shall turn his heart, his love, away. 122 singing verses
9 to 12, 2 in Darwals, 537. O let my praise and thanks O
let my praise and thanks O let my praise and thanks O let my praise and thanks
O let my praise and thanks O let my praise and thanks O let my praise
and thanks O let my praise and thanks O let my praise and thanks O
let my praise and thanks O let my praise and thanks O let my praise and thanks O
let my praise and thanks O let my praise and thanks O let my praise and thanks
O let my praise and thanks O let my praise and thanks O let my praise and thanks
O let my praise and thanks O let my praise and thanks O let my
praise and thanks O let my praise and thanks O let my praise and
thanks O let my praise and thanks O let my praise and thanks O let my praise and
thanks O let my praise and thanks O let my praise and thanks O let my praise and
thanks O let my praise and thanks O let my praise and thanks O
let my praise and thanks O let my praise and thanks O let my praise and
thanks O let my praise and thanks O let my praise and thanks O let my praise and thanks
O let O come, O come, all ye faithful joyful and triumphant
O come, O come, all ye faithful joyful and triumphant O come, O come,
all ye faithful joyful and triumphant My dear almighty Mother, I conquer
and I win. Thy tender hand, Thy sword, Thy
reigning praise, I sing. I wish that now, in all I should
do, heaven comes to lift my feet. ? Thou and thy soul of Christ ?
? Have turned the tempter down ? ? Thy captive retainful to
comprehend ? The crown of people's sake shall
be the day of word and tale of truth. Awake! Should old numbers of men and
girls of men appear, The ever-spangled boat of freedom
is shipwrecked. I shall be saved, 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.