521. Come thou almighty King, help
us thy name to sing, help us to praise, Father all-glorious,
all-victorious, come and reign over us, ancient of days. Hymn number 35, tune Adoration
523. Oh. ? Almighty King ? ? Help us, thy
name to sing ? ? Help us in grace ? ? Ever glorious be ? ? Our own victorious ? ? On our
way of life ? ? We shall top place ? ? Jesus, come, Lord, arise ? ?
Let earth her Heaven be ? ? And make them whole ? ? And by your
mighty hand ? ? How joyfully and sweetly ? ?
Our God the King is born ? ? O'er the land of the free and the home of the
brave ? ? Come Thou Incarnate One ? ? Where
love Thy heart is strong ? ? And wills atone ? ? Come and Thy
people bless ? and give thy rest, such as spirit of heaviness would
thus descend. Come, Holy Comforter, my sacred
witness there in this meadow. Idea ever new in ev'ry heart,
A retrograspia mirage of thought. So to the great God in three
eternal praises be, thence and now. His Son in majesty, Let
us read together from the Holy Word of
God in the First Epistle of John, Chapter 5. The First Epistle of John, Chapter
5. Whosoever believeth that Jesus
is the Christ is born of God. and everyone that loveth him
that loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we know
that we love the children of God when we love God and keep
his commandments. For this is the love of God that
we keep his commandments and his commandments are not grievous.
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world. And this
is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who
is he that overcometh the world? But he that believeth that Jesus
is the Son of God. This is he that came by water
and blood, even Jesus Christ, not by water only, but by water
and blood. and it is the Spirit that beareth
witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that
bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost,
and these three are one. And there are three that bear
witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood,
and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of
men, the witness of God is greater. For this is the witness of God,
which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the
Son of God hath the witness in himself. He that believeth not
God hath made him a liar, because he believeth not the record that
God gave of his Son. And this is the record that God
hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son
of God hath not life. These things have I written unto
you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that you may
know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the
name of the Son of God. And this is the confidence that
we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will,
He heareth us. And if we know that He heareth
us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that
we desire of If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not
unto death, he shall ask and he shall give him life to them
that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death. I do not say that he shall pray
for it. All unrighteousness is sin and
there is a sin not unto death. We know that Whatsoever is born
of God sinneth not, but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself,
and the wicked one toucheth him not. And we know that we are
of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. And we know that
the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that
we know him that we may know him that is true, and we are
in him that is true, even in his son Jesus Christ. This is
the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves
from idols. Amen. May the Lord bless that
portion of his own precious word. Grant unto us a spirit of real
prayer. Almighty and eternal God of heaven, the high and lofty one that inhabiteth
eternity, whose name is holy, we do desire to bow before thee
under that solemn realisation that we are unholy, we are unrighteous,
We are unclean. Gracious God, we do desire to
come to Thee in that wonderful name, that precious name of which
we have been reading, Jesus, the Son of God. Thou hast declared
unto us in Thy Word that 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. We do thank Thee for that
incarnate mystery, God manifest in the flesh, the eternal Word
that was made flesh and dwelt among us. What a profound mystery
and glory there is in His person. And we come to Thee, O Lord,
this afternoon now in His precious name, and we plead His precious
righteousness We plead what he has done, his sin-atoning sacrifice. This is our only hope, his death,
his resurrection, his ascension into glory. We desire, O Lord,
a heart that is truly thankful for the wonderful and profound
glories of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. We thank thee for
what he has done. He loved not his life unto death.
We thank thee that by one offering he hath perfected forever all
them that are sanctified. We thank thee, O Lord, if we
have that witness in our hearts, by thy Spirit, that we are the
children of God, that we have been born again of the Spirit,
that we have been brought to living faith in Jesus Christ,
we are following him. May we indeed be followers of
thee, and of those who through faith and patience inherit the
promises. 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 with us each. We do humbly beseech of thee. Show us thy ways, teach us thy
paths, open thy word to our heart and to our understanding, to
grant we may know in the sacred experience of it the wonderful
presence, power, and love of our Eternal Father, and that
thou wouldst send thy Spirit into our hearts, crying, Abba
Father, we may know and realise and sweetly experience, for the
Father himself loveth you. And O Lord we do pray for the
presence of our Lord Jesus Christ here in the sanctuary, that we
may behold thy glory, the glory as if the only begotten of the
Father, full of grace and truth, There may be one and another
here, O Lord, that have come like that dear woman of old.
If I might but touch the hem of his garment, I should be made
whole. I do grant that this afternoon
hour we may indeed touch the hem of Jesus' garment and draw
from that sacred fullness that is in him. We do pray, most gracious
Lord, for the divine and the eternal power of the Holy Ghost,
to be sweetly known and felt and realised in our hearts. O Lord, we pray that we may have
that witness of thy spirit with our spirit, that we are the children
of God, that we are joint heirs with Christ, that we were chosen
before the foundation of the world unto life in immortality. in the person of thy Son, our
Lord Jesus Christ. We thank thee for what we have
read in thy precious word. These three are one. One blessed, infinite, almighty
and eternal God, we thank thee. Oh, for that fullness that there
is in thee, that fullness of everlasting love, that fullness
of power to say, that fullness of grace. For in him dwelleth
all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and he is full of grace
and truth. Lord Jesus, we do thank Thee
for that fullness that there is in Thee. We do thank Thee
that Thou art indeed the way, the truth, and the life. And
we do thank Thee that Thou hast lived here upon earth as a man,
under the law, and fulfilled that holy righteous law on the
behalf of thy people, and brought in everlasting righteousness
for thy people. And Lord, this is our only hope,
what thou hast done, thy glorious righteousness. Jehovah said,
can you, the Lord, our righteousness. We do thank the Lord Jesus that
thou didst suffer on the cross of Calvary, that thou didst put
away sin by the offering of thyself. We thank thee for that offering,
for by one offering he hath perfected forever all them that are sanctified. Help us to look to thee, help
us to cleave to thee. We thank thee that thou didst
die for our sins in that glorious offering. yet on the third day
thou didst rise again and thou hast ascended up on high and
we indeed have a great high priest who has passed into the heavens
and we desire a heart thankful for the wonderful glory of our
exalted saviour sitting at the right hand of the father may
we have that sacred witness of the spirit that we have an advocate
with the father Jesus Christ the righteous. Lord we do pray
that when we have done with this earthly pilgrimage we may have
an abundant entrance into thy heavenly kingdom. Help us to
lay hold of that hope that is set before us in the gospel.
Help us to lay aside every weight and the sin that does so easily
beset us. Help us to run with patience
the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus. Lord, remember us as a church
and as a congregation and work mightily, powerfully, effectually
among us. Grant mighty signs and wonders
to follow the preaching of the word. Grant the return of the
prodigals Lord, we long to see the prodigal's return. We long
to see the wonderful grace and power in this. For, Lord, there's
nothing too hard for thee. Indeed, thou art able to do abundantly
more than we could even ask or think. And thou hast said, open
thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. We pray that many many many
precious souls may be gathered from this village and the surrounding
towns and villages and that thou would bring our sons from far
and our daughters from the ends of the earth that we may 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 let
thy work appear unto thy servants and thy glory unto their children
O Lord, we do beseech of Thee, for Thy great name's sake, have
mercy upon us. O Lord, we pray Thee. Lord, we
pray that Thou wouldst deliver us from all evil, that Thou wouldst
deliver us from the power and dominion of sin, that Thou wouldst
bless the little ones and the children that gather with us.
May they be richly blessed of Thee in their young and tender
years. fear of the Lord, which is the
beginning of wisdom, may be given unto them. Lord, do hear us,
we pray thee, and have mercy upon us, we beseech thee. We
pray, most gracious Lord, that we may be led of the Spirit of
God, for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the
sons of God. Bless the young friends, bless
them with that rich grace that is in Christ Jesus, Bless them
with light and understanding in thy word. Lord, we pray that
it may be so with each of our dear young friends. Bless them
with a partner in life's journey. And bless them, O Lord, with
divine guidance in their lives, that they may see thy hand and
thy guidance in all matters. Lord, we pray. that thou wouldst
fulfil that word, instead of thy father shall be thy children,
who now mayest make princes in all the earth. We pray, most
gracious God, that thou in thy precious mercy wouldst hear us,
give thy gospel good success, hear the prayer of our opening
hymn, we do humbly beseech of thee. We pray, O Lord, for all
in any trouble or trial, or perplexity, or sorrow, or sadness, or bereavement. Gracious God, thou knowest all
things, thou seest all things, and there is nothing too hard
for thee. Lord, we pray for those in great difficulty and trouble
and trial, that thou wouldst be with them. We think of the
young friend on the Friday was in that terrible car accident,
Lord, we know not whether still in the body. We commend the family
to thee, pray that thou in thy great mercy, if it could please
thee, would be Jehovah Rophi. I am the Lord that healeth thee,
and that it may be down to the great honour, glory and praise
of thy name, we do humbly beseech thee. We pray, O Lord, that thou
in thy great mercy was to remember all in whatever path it is that
thou hast placed them, and every heart knoweth its own bitterness.
Lord, we pray that everything may be used to bring us to the
feet of Jesus. Lord, guide us by thy counsel,
and afterward receive us unto glory. Remember O Lord, the parents
who give wisdom and grace and help to bring our children in
the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Remember, O Lord, we
pray thee the families as they gather and bless them at home
in their family worship. We do humbly pray thee. And Lord,
we pray that thou in thy precious mercy would remember all in their
various concerns deliver us from the temptations of Satan, deliver
us from the power and dominion of sin. We do humbly pray thee. And thou hast said in thy word
that he will not suffer thee to be tempted above what thou
art able to bear. And sometimes, Lord, we fear
that we will be tempted beyond what we can bear. Oh, that thou
wouldst keep us, keep us close to thee, near to thee. We do
humbly beseech thee. We pray for those of us in the
evening time, the last journey, and we pray to be led and safely
guided unto thy heavenly kingdom and deliver us from the spirit
and power of unbelief. Remember our dear aid, Sister
Ina, we lovingly commend her to thee. Pray that thou wouldst
bless her and be with her and undertake for her. And at the
appointed time, grant an abundant entry into thy heavenly kingdom. We pray thy rich blessing upon
thy servants today, that they may be freshly anointed with
thy spirit, that they may preach the word and be instant in season
and out of season. We pray thee, the great Lord
of the harvest, to send true labourers into the harvest and
to build the walls of Jerusalem. Lord, thou seest the condition
of the churches and the state of Zion, and we earnestly petition
thee to have mercy upon us. Thou seest, O Lord, the condition
of the world and the terrible bloodshed. And Lord, we pray
that thou wouldst hear the cries of thy little remnant and that
thou wouldst put a stop to war and bring to naught the counsels
of the ungodly. Hear us, Lord, Humbly pray then,
we're thankful that thou art God over all and blessed for
evermore. We're thankful, Lord, that nothing
comes by chance. But give us that grace to be
humbled under thy mighty hand. We do humbly beseech of thee. We pray for those that labour
in word and doctrine among the nations of the earth. We pray
that thou wouldst gird them with all sufficient grace. Oh, do
hear us, Lord, we humbly beseech thee. Pray for our little group
of churches, and we are but a little group of churches. Lord, we pray
that the wind of the Spirit may blow, that there may be a reviving,
a renewing, a replenishing, that thy light and thy truth may shine
forth We pray, Lord, for the books that are published from
among us, that they may be to the great glory of thy name and
the good of precious souls and to the help and support of thy
little ones. We do humbly beseech thee. We
pray, most gracious Lord, that thou wouldst hear prayer for
the editors of our magazines and the secretaries of our societies
and the various committees as they gather. Lord, give wisdom,
give guidance, give direction, we do humbly beseech of thee. And that thou hast said in thy
word, not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord
of hosts. Oh, to see that mighty, powerful
work of thy Spirit, to see it in our own hearts, to see it
in our lives, to see it in the Church of God, Oh, do hear us,
Lord, to see in our children, our young friends, all that thy
work may appear, and to see it in the ingathering of precious
souls among us. Hearken, O Lord, we pray thee,
and grant that we may be labourers together. For as soon as Zion
travelled, she brought forth her children. 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 525. The tune is Wareham 431. What joyful news the gospel is
to guilty sinners in distress. It speaks of mercy rich and free
for such polluted worms as we. Hymn 525, tune Wareham 431. ? O come all ye faithful ? ? Joyful
and triumphant ? ? O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem ? His kings on mercy they can bring,
Those who for Jesus' worth shall sing. Jesus Christ, heaven, earth,
and heaven, joy, Earth, sky, and heaven, heaven, earth, and
heaven, joy, ? The Lord Jesus ? ? God in the
air ? ? And in the clouds ? ? God in the air ? O say does that star-spangled banner
yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave
? It shall not be there ? ? No
more shall be there ? ? For she is my strength ? Oh, say does that star-spangled
banner yet wave ? In heav'n's dark ? ? The Holy
Grail ? ? O let us sing joyfully ? ? For me ? ? For you as well ?
? We all adore you ? ? How near ye, Jesus ? ? How high to Him soar
? O holy day, O precious day, happy
day in all of creation's day. O say can you see, by the dawn's
early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last
gleaming? Greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, I'll direct your attention to the first epistle
of John, chapter five, reading verse seven for our text. First epistle of John, chapter
five, verse seven. For there are three that bear
record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost
and these three are one. This is contained in this text,
a very clear revelation of the Eternal God. These three persons subsist in the Godhead. God the
Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. And as this witness
is so clear, and these three are one. The children of Israel
under Moses, the Lord spoke through Moses unto them, and Moses said
unto them in Deuteronomy, The Lord, our Lord, is one Lord. And he always has been, and he
always will be. We do not worship three gods.
We worship one God. But three persons subsisting
in the Godhead. And this is revealed right throughout
scripture. Right in the beginning of Holy
Scripture, there is an intimation. I often think of that word, how
that the pathway of the Lord, it shineth more and more unto
the perfect day. and if you look through holy
scripture right from the beginning of scripture there are intimations
given to us right in the book of genesis that refer to a plurality
of persons in the godhead for instance when the lord was going
to create adam and eve It is said, let us make man. You see, we know that the scripture
maintains there is one God. The Lord our Lord is one Lord,
it's very clear. But then it speaks, it gives
us that first glimmerings of light that there is more than
one person in the Godhead. And yet it maintains that there's
one God. It's very, very clear. But there's
more than one person in the Godhead. And here, in this verse, is probably
the clearest and fullest expression of the doctrine of the Trinity. For there are three that bear
record in heaven. The Father, the Word, which of
course is our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost. And these
three are one. It's a wonderful thing when these
things are revealed to us. I don't believe there was ever
a time, even when I was a little boy, being brought up in a godly
home and sitting under a good ministry, I don't believe there
was ever a time that I did not believe in the doctrine of the
Trinity, in the bare doctrine of it. It was something that
we knew from a little child. That there was God the Father,
God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. And yet, you know, when
the Lord reveals it to you, when you have a revelation to your
soul, why that's something completely different. You might say, what
do you mean? Well, when something is truly
revealed through God's word, it becomes sealed into our hearts
by the Holy Ghost. When you have a realization that
you have a Heavenly Father, who chose you before the foundation
of the world, who sent his only begotten Son, into this world
to be made of a woman and made under the law that he might redeem
them that are under the law when you realize the truth of that
that your heavenly father sent his only begotten son and again there is of course
like we're saying there's a mystery in the trinity the same as there
is a mystery in the person of Christ You might say, what is
that mystery? Well, that God was made flesh. Great is the mystery of godliness
that God was manifest in the flesh. It's a profound mystery. It's one of the most profound
mysteries of our faith. Yet though it's a mystery, when
it's revealed, it's the very foundation of our faith. this
doctrine that we have before us and you remember I often quote
you Martin Luther doctrine is heaven it's the precious doctrine
of truth that feeds the souls of the Lord's living family and their soul is nourished and
it grows under the doctrine of truth when it's made precious
to your soul for there are three that bear record in heaven, the
Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one. Naturally speaking as we look
at things with our carnal mind we would say how can one be three
and how can three be one and that is with our carnal mind. But the facts are before us here
in the Word of God. This is one of the most fundamental
doctrines of our most holy faith. For there are three that bear
record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost. Now each one of these persons
And that's what I want to emphasize here. There is the person of
the Father, the person of the Son, and the person of the Holy
Ghost. They are sacred, divine persons. But they subsist in the Godhead. They do. When our Lord Jesus
Christ was baptized in the River Jordan, and it's revealed in
in the first chapter of John, Gospel, and John the Baptist,
he said it was revealed unto him, that upon whom he would
see the Holy Ghost descending in the form of a dove, that this
was the Messiah. And John said this is his witness,
that he beheld when he baptised the Lord Jesus Christ in the
River Jordan, said I knew him not but he did when the Holy
Spirit descended upon him when God had revealed it to him before
that that is what would happen and then he says it I bear witness
I beheld the Holy Spirit descending upon him like a dove and not
only that but he heard a voice from heaven it was the voice
of the Eternal Father speaking from heaven this is my beloved
son in whom I am well pleased. Now what a sacred witness to
us of the doctrine of the Trinity and also what a very sacred divine
approbation there is on the doctrine and the practice of believer's
baptism. It's there, wonderfully, it has
the stamp and the seal of heaven upon it. When Christ himself
was being baptised and introducing this ordinance into the New Testament
church, we have the witness of the Father, this is my beloved
Son, in whom I am well pleased. And we have the witness of the
Spirit there. Divine approbation upon Jesus,
the Son of God, as he was baptized in the River Jordan. And there are several references
in the Holy Scriptures, and several of them, as it were, with the teaching of the doctrine of the
trinity concerning baptism. My mind just for a moment it
just goes to the epistle to the Colossians and the second chapter
and we read at the second and third verses of that chapter
that their hearts might be comforted being knit together in love unto
all riches of the full assurance of understanding Now that is
my desire for each one of you, that the Lord by His Spirit and
by His grace would give you the riches of the full assurance
of understanding to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God as the
Holy Ghost and of the Father and of Christ in whom are hid
all the treasures of wisdom knowledge, in the Godhead, in the Father,
Son and Holy Ghost, this one God in whom I hid all the treasures
of wisdom and knowledge. In the second chapter of the
Epistle to the Ephesians, in the 18th verse, again we have
the clear teaching of the Holy Ghost given to us, for through
him That's Jesus, the Son of God, for through Him we have
access by one Spirit unto the Father. You see, these things
are so clearly and so beautifully set before us. Again, we go back
to the beginning of Holy Scripture, and when men were building the
Tower of Babel, they were going to build it up unto heaven, they
said, so they kept building and building. And what do we read
there? And God said, let us go down. Okay, notice the plurality. One
God, but let us go down and see this thing. These things are
written for our instruction. They are indeed. You know, there's
another which has always been particularly sweet to me in the
in the book of Numbers and the sixth chapter of the book of
Numbers and the last part of that chapter from verse 22. And the Lord spake unto Moses
saying speak unto Aaron and unto his sons saying on this wise
shall ye bless the children of Israel saying unto them and he
gives the exact form of the blessing. The Lord bless thee and keep
thee. It's the Father. The Lord make
his face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee, the Son.
The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace. You see the three persons in
the Trinity and they shall put my name upon the children of
Israel and I will bless them. Oh my beloved friends it's in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. In the last chapter of the second
epistle to the Corinthians we have that wonderful benediction
again it speaks of the Eternal God, the Almighty God. It is an exceedingly well-known,
we say, at the end of every service, don't we, the benediction. And
it's there to remind us of the eternity of God, the grace of
the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God of course is the
Father, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all. What wonderful grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, how we need that precious grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and how we need that wonderful love of our Eternal
Father, the love of God. You think of what's contained
in that, the love of God, the eternal love of God, the infinite
love of God, the powerful love of God, the almighty love of
God. That's what we see put forth
by our eternal Father in the sending forth of his only begotten
Son into this sinful world, to be made of a woman, to be made
under the law, that he might redeem them that are under the
law. and the communion of the Holy
Ghost be with you all. How precious is the communion
of the Holy Ghost. You know, here in the first epistle
of John, he speaks here of communion, and that wonderful communion,
or as it says here, fellowship, It says in the first chapter
of this first epistle concerning fellowship, verse 3, that which
we have seen and heard declare we unto you that you also may
have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father
and with his Son, Jesus Christ. Fellowship is communion. He lays down some very clear
things here. Verse five, this then is the
message which we have heard of him and declare unto you that
God is light and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that
we have fellowship with him, we have communion and fellowship
with him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth. a solemn thought that is. Oh
that the Lord would open our hearts and minds to understand
these things. It's a solemn thing to lie in
the way in which we live. It's a person that professes
to love our Lord Jesus Christ and yet lives in a in a way that
is completely different to his word. he said that is to lie and do
not the truth but if we walk in the light Jesus says I am
the light of the world if we walk in the light as he is in
the light we have fellowship one with another communion union
love it's the very essence of the Godhead I remember many years
ago now reading a piece by Dr. Owen on the Godhead and on the
love. He said, for love, because the
word of God is very clear, God is love, he said there must be
more than one to love. There must be more than one to
love. God is love and he said that
opens to us the deep and the sacred mystery of the Trinity.
infinite and eternal love between the Father, the Son and the Holy
Ghost. We read the Father loveth the
Son and has given all things into his hand and the Son expresses his love
to the Father and then we read of the love of the Spirit. See
God is love, infinite and eternal love. God so loved the world
he gave His only begotten Son. Now, if we say that we have fellowship
with Him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth. If we walk in the light, as He
is in the light, we have fellowship one with another. And the blood
of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that
we have no sin, this is another fundamental doctrine of our most
holy faith. If we say that we have no sin,
we deceive ourselves. It's a solemn thought, isn't it? And
the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, you see,
what these things open to us is that under the divine teaching
of the Holy Ghost, Every child of God knows that they're a sinner.
They realize that they're a sinner. They painfully fear Him. Sinful
inclinations of their heart. There is a sinful corruption
in each one of us, which comes from the fall of Adam. As in
Adam, all fell. It's a solemn thought, isn't
it? sinners. We sin because we're sinners. We go forth from the womb speaking
lies and hypocrisy because we're sinners. We died in Adam therefore
all of Adam's posterity is born in sin. Adam and Eve fell into
sin before they had any children and because they fell into sin
and they became stained and died in sin, all of their posterity,
all of your posterity, all of my posterity, are born in sin. As in Adam all die, the wages
of sin is death. As in Adam all die, so in Christ
shall all be made alive. Christ is spoken of as the second
Adam. But what you might say, what
does that refer us to? Well, Adam was the federal head
of the human race. and since Adam by transgression
fell, he ruined all his future race. The seeds of evil once
brought in increased and filled the world with sin. So we have the first Adam in
whom we all die and we have the second Adam in whom we all shall
live. Only as we're in Christ shall
we live. We're here in this chapter about
the He that hath the Son, verse 12,
He that hath the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son of God
hath not life. Nothing could be clearer, could
it? Do you have the Son? Do you love Christ? Are you following Christ? Are
you seeking after Christ? Are you looking to Christ? If
we live and die without Christ, we must be lost forever. But he says here, these things
have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son
of God. That you may know that you have
eternal life. and that you may believe on the
name of the Son of God, Jesus, the Son of God. And again, here
in this epistle, he makes it exceedingly clear that those
persons that are truly enlightened by the Holy Ghost are those persons that receive
that Christ is God and man. He's not just a man, not just
a good man, not just a righteous man. He is all those things,
but he's not just a man. He's the God man. He's the eternal
son of the eternal God. And here in the fourth chapter
of this epistle, it says in the second verse there, hereby know
ye the spirit of God, Well, look at the first verse, Beloved,
believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they
are of God. Because many false prophets have
gone out into the world. And what does he mean by that?
That deny, on the one hand, some deny that he's the Son of God,
and on the other hand, some deny that he was a real true man.
They deny the sacred humanity of the Son of God. Because in
their mind, they can't work it out. You know, this is something
that is revealed. And this is what the Lord reveals.
The Holy Spirit reveals the same Christ to every true believer.
Therefore, what he says here, try the spirits. Therefore, if
someone comes and they deny that Jesus is the Son of God, you
have to reject them. You have to. Why? Because they do not believe
that he's the Son of God. And it's fundamental that we
should believe. So if you look here at the second
verse of chapter four, hereby know ye the Spirit of God, every
spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is
of God. And every spirit that confesseth
not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God. And
this is that spirit of antichrist. Where have we had heard that
it should come? and even now already is it in the world. And then if you look at verse
15 in chapter 4, whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son
of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known
and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love. And he that dwelleth in love
dwelleth and God in him, dwelleth in God and God in him. Oh, that we might have this spirit
of love. Mark my words, my beloved friends,
true faith, it is not just some intellectual thing. It's not
you just decide you're going to believe. True faith is a faith
that worketh by love. You love. We love our Lord Jesus
Christ, in sincerity and in truth. Not just believe in that cold
intellectual way, but we love him. And John says here that we know
that we have passed from death unto life because we love the
brethren. Oh my dear beloved friends, do
we love our Lord Jesus Christ? in sincerity and in truth. For there are three that bear
record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost,
and these three are one. One blessed, infinite, almighty,
and eternal God. In the prophecy of Isaiah, And
chapter 48 and verse 16, Isaiah 48 verse 16, we read, come ye
near unto me, hear ye this, I have not spoken in secret from the
beginning, from the time that it was, there am I. Now the person
speaking is Christ. And now the Lord God and His
Spirit has sent me as a wonderful witness to the sacred doctrine
of the Trinity and now the Lord God and His Spirit has sent me. Thus saith the Lord thy Redeemer,
that's Christ, the Holy One of Israel, I am the Lord, as a reference
to the divinity of Christ, I am the Lord thy God, which teacheth
thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest
go, teacheth thee to profit. The Lord teaches his children
to profit, to the profit of their souls. He leads and guides and
directs us in a way that may be very crucifying, often is
very crucifying to our flesh. but equally is exceedingly profitable
to our souls. You may have to walk in some
very dark things, some very perplexing things, some very sorrowful things, but the Lord uses these things
to humble our flesh. You know, the Christian believer,
they spend their whole life, and this is what Christ means
when he says, For it is through much tribulation that you shall
enter the kingdom. They spend their whole lives
in desire and longing, and they have to walk through some very
perplexing things, they have to pass through deep temptations,
afflictions, sorrows, sadness, some perhaps secret inward grief.
But what is the purpose? Timeless. Our flesh will always
be our flesh. The Apostle Paul said, for I
know that in me, that is in my flesh, there dwelleth no good
thing. Our flesh will always be our flesh. It will always
be sinful, it will always be corrupt. And this is the great
conflict that is in the living child of God. We have the old
man of sin, and yet they have the new man of grace. And we've
read together here in the Word how the new man sinneth not.
new man of grace. That's how the Apostle explains
it in the Romans. You have the new man of grace,
you have the old man of sin and in the Galatians the Apostle
he says the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against
the flesh and the one is contrary to the other. How many of us
here in this chapel know what it is to wrestle between the
flesh and the spirit. Behold the Shulamite in whom
there is, as it were, a company of two arms. You see that constant
battle, that which I would, I do not. That which I would not,
I do. I find a law within my members
that when I would do good, then evil is present with me. This
is the inward battle that the living child of God knows and
feels. We read in the last three verses
of the Gospel of Matthew. And Jesus came and spake unto
them, saying, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. What a word for faith that is,
isn't it? Faith in the omnipotent Saviour. Faith in the almighty Saviour.
faith in the saviour that is able to save to the uttermost
all that come unto God by him. Oh that we could have clearer
views of the divinity of Christ, clearer views of the omnipotence
of Christ, clearer views of his almighty power to save. All power. Notice that. Not some
power. With heaven and earth at his
command he waits to answer prayer. All power. given unto me. May I say this, there is nothing
too small, nor is there anything too great to bring to this great
Saviour. No, He understands. You little children, this Saviour,
He says, suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them
not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven. And perhaps you older
ones, you've got a far deeper sense of your sinfulness, when
you may be passing through things that are very difficult, but
never lose sight of this, these words of Christ, all power, doesn't
matter where you are, it doesn't matter what difficulties lie
before you, all power, given unto me in heaven and in earth. But then he goes on, go ye therefore
and teach all nations, baptising them in the name. Again, we've often pointed this
out to you, in the name. Correct English would say that
that should have been in plural. in the names. But it doesn't. Why doesn't it? Because there's
a fundamental doctrine here. These three are one. One blessed,
one almighty, one eternal God. Therefore it only says in the
name. It's correct doctrine. In the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Again, it's connected to baptism. And there's a wonderful revelation
of the Trinity unto us in this doctrine of baptism. You know,
friends, personally, I've found that the meditation in the precious
doctrine of truth, some people much prefer the minister
to speak on experience. Now, of course, there needs to
be a balance. He needs to speak on experience. But you mustn't
do that to the neglect of precious doctrine. Because doctrine will
feed your soul, it will sustain your soul, it will strengthen
your soul. That doctrine of truth received
by faith into the heart, it will sustain you and strengthen you
and uphold you. Whereas experience It's good,
it's nice when the minister's able to speak and to touch on
those things that you may be passing through at that time.
And that may do you good. But in my experience, it's when
the precious doctrine of truth is made so sweet to your soul
and Christ is made so precious. This is what feeds your soul.
This is what strengthens you. This is what upholds you. This
is what, as it were, gives you strength for tomorrow. looking
on to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, or that the Lord
will enable us. You know, friends, obviously
a very personal note, but often when I get up in the morning,
when I first sit up and get up, I usually sit on the side of
the bed for a while and, Lord, it's another day. Lord, I'm a
poor, wretched sinner. Lord, keep me, preserve me, deliver
me, be with me even this day. And that is nearly always the
prayer when I first get up. I feel to be so poor, so weak,
especially on a Lord's Day when I've got services before me.
And I have to say to the Lord, Lord, I'm a poor, weak, wretched
sinner. Come and help me. Come and sustain
me. come and be mouth, matter and
wisdom unto me, because I shall make a mess of it, unless the
Lord comes. Go ye therefore and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever
I have commanded you, and love What a wonderful word, isn't
it? And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. For there are three that bear
record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost,
and these three are one. What did Jesus say? Maybe a word
in season to some poor soul here today, and perhaps you wonder
where the scene will end, and where you're going to end, Let
not your heart be troubled. You believe in God? These are
the words of Jesus. Believe also in me. In my Father's
house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have
told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place
for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that
where I am, there ye may be. also. May the Lord add His blessing. Let us now sing together hymn
number 34. The tune is Roscommon 401. to comprehend the great three
one is more than highest angels can, or what the Trinity has
done from death and hell to ransom man. Hymn number 34, tune Roscommon
401. O say does that star-spangled
banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the
brave O come, O come, O come, O come,
O come, O come, O come, to Bethlehem. O come, O come, O come, O come,
O come, to Bethlehem. O come, O come, O come, O come, O come,
to Bethlehem. O come, O come, O come, O come, O come, O come, to Bethlehem. O come,
O come, O come, O come, O come, O come, to Bethlehem. O come,
O come, O come, O come, O come, O come, to Bethlehem. O come,
O come, O come, O come, O come, O come, to Bethlehem. O come,
O come, O come, O come, O come, O come, to Bethlehem. O come, O come,
O come, O come, O come, O come, to Bethlehem. O come, O come,
O come, O come, O come, O come, O come The truth of which shall
never more The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost to save us all from all consternation. The Father's love in this we
hide, In the heat that the sun has revised, The sun in the heat
I've resigned, The Spirit of God is born of
God. The Spirit of God is born of God. The Spirit of God is born of God. The Spirit of
God is born of God. The Spirit of God is born of God. The Spirit of God
is born of God. The Spirit of God is born of God. The Spirit
of God is born of God. The Spirit of God is born of
God. The Spirit of God is born of God. The Spirit of God is
born of God. The Spirit of God is born of
God. The Spirit of God is born of God. The Spirit of God is born of God. The Spirit
of God is born of God. The Spirit of God is born of God. The Spirit of God is
born of God. The Spirit of God is born of God. The Spirit of God is born of God. The Spirit
of God is born of God. The Spirit of God is born of God. The Spirit of God is born of God.
The Spirit of God is born of God. The Spirit of God is born of God. The Spirit of
God is born of God In unity with Christ our King. Her prayerful hearts and voices
raised, In faith and love our hearts
will stay. Glory to God and God to Thee, Because He sent His Son to die. Glory to God, the Son, the King! Give thanks to such willingness
combined. Glory to God ever leading us, Eternal God, his love reveals. Thus for three, one, two sinners
lost, 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 forevermore. Amen.