hymn 629 to the tune Old 148, 552. The Lord will feed the poor, nor shall their fare be mean. Rich blessings are in store in Grace's magazine, from which rich treasure Christ will feed the hungry soul that feels his need.

Hymn 629, tune Old 148, 552. The Lord will feed the poor, Nor shall their bearing be. Rich blessings are in store, In gracious packaging, From which precious blood Christ will feed, The hungry soul that fills his need.

O tremble, ye sinner, come, and know that thou seest God. Thou wilt be with me all the time, And all dreams give the call. In ocean clouds the beckons call, nor will be there an empty bed. He came to save the lost, nor will he change his mind. If the sword stands in him trust, he will not leave behind. In him they shall forever live, shall all may die now.

Let us read together from the Holy Word of God in the Gospel according to John, chapter 6.

John's Gospel, chapter 6. And we'll read the first 21 verses.

After these things, Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias, and a great multitude followed him because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. And the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was nigh. When Jesus then lifted up his eyes and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, whence shall we buy bread that these may eat? And this he said to prove him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, two hundred penny worth of bread is not sufficient for them. that every one of them may take a little. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes, but what are they among so many? And Jesus said, Make the men sit down, Now there was much grass in the place so the men sat down in number about 5,000 and Jesus took the loaves and when he had given thanks he distributed to the disciples and the disciples to them that were set down and likewise of the fishes as much as they would and when they were filled he said unto his disciples, gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore they gathered them together and filled 12 baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said this is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force to make him a king he departed again into a mountain himself alone and when even was now come his disciples went down unto the sea and entered into a ship and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them. And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew. So when they had rowed about five and 20 or 30 furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea and drawing nigh unto the ship. and they were afraid. But he said unto them, It is I, be not afraid. Then they willingly received him into the ship, and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.

May the Lord bless the reading of his own precious word and grant unto us a spirit of real prayer.

Almighty, most merciful and eternal God of heaven, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, we bow before thy glorious majesty, we read in thy word these three are one, one blessed infinite almighty and eternal God, the creator of the heavens and the earth, who dwelleth in light inaccessible, unto which no man can approach unto, immortal and invisible. We read, O Lord, from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God, and that Thou art the Lord God, the omnipotent reigneth, and there is nothing too hard for Thee.

O most gracious Lord, we pray, as we gather together round thy word this afternoon, that we may be given the spirit of faith, that we may be enabled to lay aside every weight and the sin that does so easily beset us and 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 through him we have access by one spirit unto the Father.

We pray that we may be favoured with his presence here this afternoon, that we may behold his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. May we behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. We pray that we may be favoured to touch the hem of His garment. We read of those in Holy Scripture, as many as touched Him were made whole. And we pray that we, may be unable to touch.

And we think of that dear woman as she pressed through the crowd, saying, if I might but touch the hem of his garment, I shall be made whole. And we think of the answer of the Lord Jesus to her. Go in peace. Thy faith hath made thee whole. Grant us true living faith. Faith in thee, bleeding lamb, faith in his precious blood, faith in his glorious righteousness, faith in his death and resurrection and his ascension into glory, faith in our great high priest who is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the son of God, or that we might behold him.

We read of those disciples when they'll just take them into the Mount of Transfiguration. And when the cloud lifted, they saw no man save Jesus only. We pray that we too, this afternoon, as we gather round the Word of God, may see no man save Jesus only. May the power that brings salvation be exerted in the Word blessed, holy, divine spirit. Without thy heavenly power, O Lord, no sweets the gospel can afford, no drops of heavenly love will fall. We pray it may be so.

We pray that the dew of heaven may be upon our branch and that we may feel the reviving streams of thy love and mercy. Oh, do hear us, Lord, And we think of that divine and glorious person of the Holy Ghost. And we think of the words of Jesus, if any man drink of the water that I shall give him, it shall be unto him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. Oh, that we might have that blessed spirit in our hearts.

We pray that we may be favoured here this afternoon to feel the divine drawings of our Heavenly Father, and that precious word, and because ye are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. My God, my Father, blissful name. Oh, may I call thee mine. Lord, we do thank thee that there is free access through our Lord Jesus Christ unto our Heavenly Father. And we thank Thee for those wonderful words. I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me. And whatsoever ye ask in my name, I will give him.

So we come to Thee, most gracious and eternal Father, and we ask thee in that precious name of thy dear son that thou wouldst meet with us here this afternoon that thou wouldst breathe thy word into our hearts by thy blessed spirit and that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God our Father and the sacred fellowship of the Holy Spirit may rest and abide with us. We thank thee Most gracious Lord, for that new and living way that thou hast made into the holy place. Lord, we come as poor sinners. We feel our sinnership. We echo in our hearts the language of the dear apostle, that which I would, I do not. And that which I would not, I do. I find a law within my members that when I would do good, that evil is present with me.

And Lord, we mourn because of indwelling sin, because of the corruption of our nature. And as the prophet said, from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot, wounds and bruises and putrefying sores, there is no soundness in my flesh. And Lord, we prove it to be so. We pray, most gracious Lord, that thou wouldst deliver us from all distractions that would remove our heart from Thee and from Thy ways and from Thy truth. That we pray to be led of the Spirit of God, for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

We thank Thee for every mercy and every favour Thy mercies to us each are new every morning and great is thy faithfulness. And Lord, we do pray that thou would remember us as a church and as a congregation. That thou would work mightily and powerfully and effectually in our midst. And that thou would graciously remember our brethren the deacons and give grace, wisdom and help in all matters.

Remember the little ones and the children as they're brought into the sanctuary. Remember them even as we've read in thy word recently. Jesus said, suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them none. For of such is the kingdom of heaven. What precious words of grace. May the dear children be enabled to come to thee. May the fear of the Lord that is the beginning of wisdom be given unto them in their young and their tenty years.

We pray for our dear young friends, each one of them, that thou wouldst be gracious unto them, that thou wouldst bless them, that thou wouldst guide them and direct them unto Jesus, to behold the Lamb of God and to follow him and to serve him in their day and in their generation. Bring them forth into the light that they may come and tell to sinners round what a dear saviour they have found and point to thy redeeming blood and say, behold, the way to God.

Lord, we do pray that thou wouldst guide and direct them in all matters. Remember, all in the midst of the journey of life, Remember them with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people and visit them with thy great salvation. Satisfy the longing soul and fill the hungry soul with goodness. Graciously draw sinners unto our Lord Jesus Christ. None come except the Father draw, or do draw them unto thee.

Deliver us from temptation. Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory. Oh, do come and deliver us from the temptations of the wicked one. Deliver us from the power and dominion of sin and graciously grant a closer walk with Thee, a calmer heavenly frame, a light to shine upon the road that leads me to the Lamb.

Lord, we We do seek that thou wouldst graciously remember those of us that are now in the evening time of life's journey and remember us with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people and visit us with thy great salvation and guide us safely unto thy heavenly kingdom and grant that from time to time we may experience what we read in thy word thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty and behold the land that is a very far off and may that be so lord to behold our lord jesus at the right hand of the father to behold his glory to be to see him and know him as our mediator as our great high priest who is passed into the heavens jesus the son of god

Lord, we do pray that thou wouldst graciously remember all thy servants that labour in word and doctrine upon the walls of Zion today. Grant that they may dip their foot in oil, that they may be made acceptable unto thee, brethren, and that the word preached may be in power in the Holy Ghost and with much assurance. Grant that thou wouldst grant Give them the fresh anointing of the Spirit, the opening of the Word, and the door of utterance, and the Spirit of power.

Lord, we pray that Thou, the great Lord of the harvest, will send true labourers into the harvest. Many of Thy servants now, O Lord, are in increasing age and infirmity, and we pray that Thou would raise up yet more of thy servants to preach the everlasting gospel. Grant them the anointing of thy spirit and that divine charge to send them forth to preach the word, to be instant in season and out of season. Hear us, Lord, we humbly pray thee.

Send out the light, truth, and power of the gospel into this village, into the surrounding villages and hamlets. We do humbly beseech them. Precious souls may be gathered unto Christ. We may see the mighty work of thy spirit and the ingathering of precious souls. We think of those wonderful gospel promises and we plead them before thee. 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 to hear us we humbly beseech thee and send out thy light and thy truth and return in thy power and in thy glory as thou usest to be in the sanctuary. Zion is minished and brought low. We see in our nation the terrible powers and influence of Antichrist. We see in our leaders, in those that have authority over us, who reject the word of God, who despise the holy law of God, who despise the Lord's anointed.

And yet we think of thy precious word, that in spite of all the heathen raging and the people imagining vain thing, yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion. Oh, we thank Thee that He is the King eternal, immortal and invisible, the only true God. Lord, we do pray that Thou in Thy great mercy would remember those that live in those nations in the earth where the name of Christ is hated and Thy people are persecuted, imprisoned, even unto death. for the name and witness of Jesus Christ. We humbly beseech thee that thou would send them help from the sanctuary and strengthen them out of Zion and continue to send out thy light and thy truth in those dark places of the earth.

Lord, we read in thy word that the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord and as rivers of water Eterneth it with us, so ever he will. Oh, we do thank thee, that thou art God over all, and blessed for evermore. We pray, most gracious Lord, that thou wouldst now come and touch one's lips with a live coal from of the heavenly altar, that thou wouldst come and open thy precious word of truth, and open our hearts to receive it. We ask for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

Let us now sing together hymn number 769. The tune is Handforth 673.

Jesus o'er the billows steer me,
be my pilot in each storm,
hold me fast and keep me near thee,
for thou know'st I'm but a worm.
What concerns me by thy power and love perform. Hymn 769, tune handforth 673.
? We are God's creation ?
? The holy ones that live in thee ?
? God of charity, God of charity, God of charity ?

? Seraphs and seraphim ? ? Seraphs and seraphim ? ? Seraphs and seraphim ?

Jesus, Lord, with Thy love,
Salt shall forever, salt shall forever reach the soul within the well.
? In the midst of tribulation ?
? Lord, we come to praise thy name ?
? Salute our leader ?
? And I pray that you will answer me ?
? Listen to my words ?
? Listen to my prayers ?
? Jesus, Lord, at thy birth ?
? Each one who lives there ?
? In himself ?
? Forever bless us ?
? Long live the Lord ?
? Succeed ?
? Alleluia ?

? Alleluia ? ? We shall win ?
? Amen ?

Greatly feeling to need the Lord's gracious help, direct your attention to the chapter that we read, the gospel according to John, chapter six, and we will read verses 20 and 21 for our text.

John's gospel, chapter six, verses 20 and 21.
But he saith unto them, it is I, be not afraid. Then they willingly received him into the ship and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.

We see the wonderful works of God in his son Jesus Christ when it says doesn't it this first miracle did Jesus in Cana of Galilee to show forth his glory and what a glory there is in Jesus Christ

what a glory there is in his birth in the incarnation of the Son of God. What a glory there is in the holy life he lived as a child, as a teenager, as a man here upon earth. He lived a pure, holy, spotless life. We read of our Lord Jesus Christ, he did no sin and we explained this morning what sin was. Sin is any transgression of the law of God. He did no sin. He never transgressed God's holy, righteous law.

And when he commenced his earthly ministry here upon earth, you know, he went forth to preach the gospel, the gospel of Jesus Christ. He sat in the synagogue at Nazareth and he took the holy scriptures and he read Isaiah chapter 61, the first three verses. The spirit of the Lord God is upon me for he hath anointed me to preach the gospel.

And he was divinely anointed by the spirit without measure. the Lord's people, the Lord's servants, each have a measure of the Spirit of God. That is what makes a child of God, is that divine influence and power of the Spirit in their hearts. And each one of the Lord's servants, divinely commissioned by God to preach the everlasting Gospel, the Lord has promised to be with them. He's promised to give signs to follow the preaching of the Word.

And our Lord Jesus Christ, he went about doing good. We've often pointed out to you, I mean, we read the law this morning, and that Jesus fulfilled it absolutely perfectly. And he himself said, didn't he, what it was to fulfill the law. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy mind, and thy neighbour as thyself.

And if we look at the glorious life of our precious Redeemer when he was here upon earth, that's exactly what he did. He didn't break any commandment. He done everything that the commandment says relative to God and he done everything in the commandment relative to his neighbor.

We read here in this chapter how great multitudes followed him because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. see and Jesus went up into a mountain and there he sat with his disciples and he did another wonderful miracle and it says in the Passover a feast of the Jews was nine and he saw this great company and it's very telling and when Jesus then lifted up his eyes and saw a great company come unto him he saith unto Philip obviously one of his disciples, when shall we buy bread that these may eat? And then he says, and this he said to prove him, for he himself knew what he would do. You see sometimes the Lord speaks to us to prove us. And it did with Philip. He himself knew what he would do. And in all our circumstances, in all our troubles, in all our trials, in all our losses, in all our crosses, He knows.

There's two prayers, one in Jeremiah and one in Ezekiel, which have always been very special to me, in an experimental way. O Lord, Thou knowest. And sometimes, you know, friends, we come into circumstances and trials and perplexities, and that prayer can be very precious. O Lord, Thou knowest. He knows all things. He sees all things. He understands all things. He knows the end from the beginning. There's nothing hid from His holy eyes. We read in scripture of our Lord Jesus Christ, how that he read the thoughts of those that were about him. It says Jesus knowing their thoughts. He knows all our thoughts. We read in Psalm 145, his understanding is infinite. That means it's without measure. He knows the thoughts of every person in this world. Billions of people in this world. And the Lord knows the thoughts and the circumstances of every single one.

You know, that word infinite, we have a little bit of a difficulty to grasp the exact meaning of it. But that is only one aspect of it. He knows everything. His understanding is infinite. The hymn writer says, doesn't he, my life's minutest circumstance is subject to thine eye. And it is. Oh Lord, thou knowest. And at times when we're at a strait and a difficulty and have a big problem, that can be a great comfort. to realize that God knows and really it says here as he said to Philip this he said to prove him for he himself knew what he would do and you know he knows what he would do in your circumstances in your troubles in your trials he knew what he would do and then Philip of course looking at it naturally as we would Philip answered him, 200 penny worth of bread is not sufficient for them that every one of them may take a little. In other words, this is impossible. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, there is a lad here which hath five barley loaves and two small fishes, but what are they among so many? You know, that's been a very special word to me since I've been in the ministry. There is a lad here, you see, which had five barley loaves and two small fishes. But what are they among so many? That's how you feel. But the Lord Jesus knew what he would do.

Jesus said, make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place so the men sat down in number about 5,000 so it was a large company of people 5,000 people and I suspect plus women and children as well and he took those loaves and when he had given thanks he distributed the disciples and his disciples to them that were set down and likewise of the fishes as much as they were and they were all filled. And then the disciples gathered 12 baskets of fragments. That was all from those five barley loaves and those fishes. See what the Lord blesses and it expands. We read in Psalm 145 again, thou openest thine hand and satisfied the desire of every living thing. That's here on earth, every living thing. Although I've often looked at in the spiritual sense of the word, of the living in Jerusalem, thou openest thine hand, satisfied the desire of every living soul. We're all dead, spiritually, by nature. But those that have been born again As it says in Ephesians 2 verse 1, you have to quicken who were dead. You see that the Lord has brought from death to life.

And he opens his hand and he feeds every one of his children. They hunger and thirst after righteousness. Why do they do that? Because there's no righteousness in themselves. So they hunger and thirst after righteousness. And as the spirit deepens that work of grace in their heart, they are brought to see the righteousness that their hunger and thirsting for is the righteousness of Jesus Christ. And they hunger and thirst after the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

You see, blessed are the poor in spirit. That's what Jesus said. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. The Lord will answer their petitions, answer their prayers. He'll give them to feel their need. He'll give them to feel hunger and the longing desire.

You see, and the people were so as it were, in awe of him. It says when Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone. And notice that. This was something that regularly happened. Our Lord Jesus Christ He spent whole nights in prayer unto his Heavenly Father, no doubt in communion and union with his Heavenly Father.

He departed again into a mountain himself alone and the disciples were left there. And when evening was come, his disciples went down into the sea and entered into a ship. Remember, several of the disciples were fishermen so they were very familiar with going out onto the Sea of Galilee to fish and went over the sea towards Capernaum and it was now dark and Jesus was not come to them and the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew it was now dark That must have been very trying, mustn't it?

It was now dark and this great storm arose, the wind blew. You see, the sea arose by reason of a great wind. You know, the Lord's people, they come into these places experimentally. They come into places of, when the Lord is, they feel the Lord is not with them. They feel the Lord is not near them. They feel to be alone.

It was now dark. You know, in the night season, especially when we're alone, can be a great trial. Everything seems to get bigger. I've often explained to you the devil has a big magnifying glass. And he makes things look much bigger than what they are. And so that you can't sleep and you can't rest. You feel so troubled in your heart. You see the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew. And maybe that's where you are. The sea has arisen and there's a great wind that blows. And the thing is friends, you feel to be out of control.

We like to think that we're in control. That's natural to our nature. We like to think that we're in control of things. But the Lord brings us into circumstances where we're not in control of things. And we're brought to feel we're not in control of things. When the Lord chastised his servant Jonah for his disobedience, there was that great storm that came and the ship was likely to sink that would have been on the Mediterranean Sea and the men rode hard but the ship was taken on water and they went and found Jonah he was asleep in the sides of the ship. Isn't that the situation of backsliders? Because Jonah was a backslider the Lord brought that great storm because of him and the mariners and Jonah said to them you I've rebelled against God the God of heaven and on earth you'll have to throw me out of the ship and they were reluctant to do that but he said that this storm and when they threw Jonah out of the ship there was a great calm

but then we read this but God had prepared you always need to remember that you know these skeptical people about the Bible and they will say well of course you couldn't live in a whale's belly for three days and three nights well no you couldn't but the Lord had prepared a place in that particular way so it swallowed Jonah and he was kept alive you couldn't be kept alive in a whale's belly no oxygen there you would die you would suffocate but the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah and that and if you look into the prophet Jonah you will find that he said all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me out of the belly of how cried I unto thee That's how, that's what it felt to Jonah in that dark place out of the belly of hell.

Have I cried unto thee? I went down to the foundations of the mountains. That means right into the depths of the sea. Seeing the dear man of God, what did the Lord do there when he was brought into that place where no human arm could reach him? He couldn't control anything. He was completely at the mercy of the Lord. But where did it bring him? Yet will I look again to thy holy temple. That's where it brought him. He was looking away from that. He was running away from that. And the Lord brought him in that place where he couldn't save himself, couldn't deliver himself. He was completely helpless.

And then we read this, when he prayed unto the Lord, and when he looked again to the Holy Temple, what did he see in the Holy Temple? He saw the sacrifices, the offerings. He saw the precious blood of Sprinklin, he saw the way the truth and the life that's what he saw in those sacrifices and offerings he was a man of God he had seen by faith that the way to God will be made by the Messiah when he comes and these sacrifice and offerings they pointed to the coming of the Messiah and that is really the meaning of those words yet will I look again to thy holy temple It was the wonderful delivering grace of God that was revealed much darker than we know it because it was in types and sacrifices.

He would have been familiar with the Passover and with the lamb taken and slain and its blood put upon the side posts of the door. beautifully typical of the blood of Jesus Christ God's Son that cleanseth us from all sin. And the Lord was sending the angel of death through the land of Egypt that night and every firstborn child and every firstborn beast would die that night. But the Lord said that where the pastoral lamb was, which is a beautiful type of Christ, The blood would be on the side posts and the lintel of the doors in their houses and they would be eating the sacrifice of the lamb in their houses. And it says, eat ye all of it, nothing shall be left. And then these beautiful words, when I see the blood, I will pass over you. What precious words, isn't it? When I see the blood, I will pass over you.

So when they had rowed about five and 20 and 30 furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea and drawing nigh unto the ship. And they were afraid. And they were afraid. This figure walking on the sea, This is another time, of course, from when Peter was there.

In the midst of this song, you know, we have those beautiful and gracious words of our God that are spoken to the Lord's people in the prophecy of Isaiah. And in chapter 41 and verse 10, that well-known I've often pointed out to you, it's not just one promise, it's a multitude of promises all in one verse. Fear thou not. Can you imagine how Jonah fell? Can you imagine how those disciples fell? This great storm, this great wind, toiling and rowing. They would have been fearful that the ship was going to sink.

But you think of these words, fear thou not. Now why were they not fearful? For I am with thee. See Jesus came in the midst of that storm. He spoke to them. Fear thou not for I am with thee. Be not dismayed. There's no doubt that they would have been dismayed. Jonah would have been dismayed. For I am thy God, I will strengthen thee.

My beloved friends, when we come into these places, we feel so weak, we feel so insufficient, we feel so helpless, but the Lord says, I am thy God, I will strengthen thee. Yea, I will help thee. Yea, I will uphold thee. With the right hand of mine, Righteousness. See, fear thou not, for I am with thee. You know, we can't always see the Lord is with us. But he says, fear thou not, I am with thee. You may not be able to see that he's with you, but he is with you. You've known the Lord's blessing in the past, and what does he say? I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So he says, fear not.

In verse 14 of that, Isaiah 41, fear not, thou worm Jacob and ye men of Israel. I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. Fear thou not, for I am with thee. The Lord is with you. The Lord will be with you. The Lord has promised, never leave thee nor forsake thee and then we have a word to Jacob you know that's in Isaiah 43 and Jacob he knew many troubles many trials many extreme circumstances that he would brought into in his life but now and this is really Jacob there is representative of the people of God

But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, fear not, fear not, for I have redeemed thee. I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine. And it's particularly this verse that rested with me, when thou passest through the waters, whatever those waters be. Though the Lord gives thee the bread of adversity and the waters of affliction. That's what we read in Isaiah, isn't it? When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee. O Israel, fear not, for I have redeemed thee. You see, I will be with thee. And through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee. When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned. Neither shall the flame kindle upon them.

You see, my beloved friends, the Lord is with his people. The Lord will support his people. He will. And strengthen his people. In these times of great extremity, when you feel everything is out of control, and the devil roars and says that you're lost and you're ruined and you're you see and you feel so cast down but then we have these lovely words but he said unto them it is i be not afraid it is i it's jesus it is i be not afraid the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is I, be not afraid. I had a very sacred experience of this world when the Lord first revealed himself to me. Never shall I forget that particular evening, summer's evening, and in 1972 when I'd been what we call under the law for some two years, in utter darkness and bondage and felt to be completely lost and ruined. I came home from my work and I was alone in the house and I was finished. That's the only way I can explain it. I stood in the living room at my home in Bedfordshire and I was finished.

And I took a a book of sermons off my father's bookshelf, I'd never felt inclined in any way whatsoever to read a sermon before. But as I opened that book of sermons, it happened to be J.C. Philpott's Gospel Pulpit Sermons, and the text was, And ye shall be rooted and grounded in love, and know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge.

Do you know, friends, As I read that text, it was as if scales fell off my eyes. Instead of darkness, there was light. Instead of bondage, there was liberty. Instead of torment, there was peace. It was such a dramatic change. It really was. And the Lord Jesus was so precious to me.

And ye shall be rooted and grounded in love The love of Christ was shed abroad in my heart. What a wonderful time, an unforgettable time. I've often explained it, it's like if you're in a room with no windows and no light and it was dark and you open the door and the sun is shining and it almost blinds you and that's the only way I can explain when Christ was first revealed to me. It was such a sight I had and such light flowed into my heart. I'd never known such light and such liberty.

And I went for a walk. It was a summer's evening. And I went for a walk up in the country lane just near to me. And those words came on my mind. All the trees of the field shall clap their hands. I didn't even know they were in scripture, but my heart just overflowed with love to Jesus Christ. It was so precious.

But as I walked back home, I didn't realize it was the devil, but it was so young in the way. But this voice said to me, well, this is nothing but religious emotion. There's nothing real in what you're experiencing. It's just any emotional reaction that you've got. There's nothing real or solid in what you're experiencing. And in my simplicity, I went in a little farm gate and I knelt behind the hedgerow in the field. And I said to the Lord, Lord, is this real?

And a voice audibly spoke to me. Got up off my knees and I turned round Because I thought someone was speaking to me and it was this word. I didn't even know it was in Scripture until afterwards But he saith unto them it is I Be not afraid And all the peace that flowed into my heart it is I be not afraid then they Willingly received him into the ship And this is another wonderful thing. And immediately, the ship was at the land, whither they went. See the wonderful, with God, nothing shall be impossible.

Jesus, they willingly received him to ship, they were in the midst of the Sea of Galilee, and then they were suddenly at Capernaum. It's wonderful, and you read through the Gospels and the wonderful things that Jesus did. Immediately, they were there. They were at the port to which they were sailing. They willingly received him.

You know, it says here in John's Gospel concerning receiving the Lord Jesus Christ in the first chapter of John's Gospel, it speaks so beautifully there and we read in the beginning, in the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God, the word there is the glorious person of Jesus, the son of God. The same was in the beginning with God, all things were made by him, and without him was there anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men, and the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. What a glorious light. I am the light of the world, said our Lord Jesus Christ.

And it says in verse 9, or verse 8 rather, he was not that light, that is John, but was sent to bear witness of that light. That's written with a capital L, because it's speaking of Jesus, the Son of God. That was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, as the Son of God, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. He came unto the Jews, and He was despised and rejected by men. The majority of the Jews rejected Him. They looked upon Him as an imposter. He came unto His own. and his own received him not, but as many as received him."

What is it to receive him? It's to believe on his name. As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. And then it tells us why they believed, which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. They're born again, and they receive Christ. They see him as the way, the truth, and the life. They see him as their great deliverer. They see him as their savior, as their redeemer, and a light shines into their hearts. And it delivers them. And instead of being in bondage, you're in liberty. And instead of being far off, you're made nigh. You're near, and you feel to be near. Made nigh by the precious blood of Christ. Oh, what a precious thing that is.

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe. That's exercise in faith. Faith that is given, even to them that believe on his name, which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God. And the word was made flesh. See that, that's what they beheld. That's what they received. The word was made flesh and dwelt among them. And we beheld his glory. The glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. He's always full of grace and truth. There's a fullness in Christ that is undiminished. You think of all his people throughout the nations of the earth that are praying to him and looking to him, but that fullness is always there. It's infinite fullness. He ever abides to answer their need.

In Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. That's in Jesus Christ. In Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. He's the eternal Son of God. He hears the prayers of His people. He speaks to His people. He encourages people. He said, ask and you shall receive. seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you. He says to his people, come unto me all ye that labour and are 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.

What does it mean to be yoked? It means to be united and the believer is united to Christ by faith. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me. He shall find rest. This is the rest of faith. The glorious person of God manifest in the flesh. His glorious righteousness, his perfect obedience, his fulfilling of the law. You can rest in that. You can't fulfill it yourself. No, but he has done it. It's accomplished in him. And this is what the believer receives in Jesus Christ, his righteousness, his precious blood that cleanses from all sin for as much as you are not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb slain from before the foundation of the world.

In those eternal decrees, of our triune God, the people of God are redeemed. It's before the foundation of the world, they are delivered from sin and Satan's power by an almighty saviour who has power to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for this glorious saviour. Power to save, power to deliver, and willing to save and willing to deliver.

But he saith unto them, it is I, be not afraid. Then they willingly received him into the ship, and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went. May the Lord have his blessing.

Let us now sing together hymn 329. The tune is Promise 832.

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith in his excellent word.
What more can he say than to you he has said,
you who unto Jesus for refuge have fled.

Haven 329, Tune Promise 832.
? The work of nation ?
? Is its own accord ?
? Facing earth again ?
? Is its own accord ?
? But by it's own accord ?
To whom unto Jesus all refuge have fled.

in every condition, in sickness, in wealth,
in all that is mellow about the earth.
That tower o'er the cold of the land of the sea,
As thy face may be wond'r'd by strength of thee,
In aught I am with thee, O Thee God be slain,
I, I am thy God, and will still keep thee in vain.

? Most thankfully help me, and force me to stand. ?
? God help I, my righteous, hope in contentment. ?

when through the deportes thy holy children come.
The ribbons of hope shall not leave our path now,
For I will be with Thee, Thy troubles to rest,
And sanctify to Thee, Thy deepest distress.

When through fiery trials thy pathway shall fly,
thy graceful salvation shall be thy supply.
The plain shall not the peak I only design,
I trusted consume, and my hope to refine.

In those who are faithful, my people shall be.
My soul, great eternal, I'll change the world now.
Then where nor'eas shall their temples adore,
Thy fountains shall still in Thy bosom recull.

The soul that taught Jesus that painful repose.
I will not, I will not desert you, Jesus.

? There's no narrow path sure enough to shake ?
? A river though never knoweth the course ?

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.