Seeking the Lord's help for a little while this evening, turn with me to the chapter we read, the second epistle to the Corinthians, chapter five, and we'll read for our text the first verse. The second epistle to the Corinthians, chapter five, and reading verse one. For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hens, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with a house which is from heaven.

Most of you will know that there has been the funeral today at Hanover Chapel, Tombridge Wells, at which our pastor was greatly helped in officiating. And we heard a little of the way that the Lord had dealt with her. and the great trials that she knew of, and yet she was brought to that place at a very old age of having nothing, of being in such darkness, and yet the Lord graciously appeared. And it was her joy to ever be seeking to speak of the precious blood of Jesus.

And our pastor based his comments very much upon that glorious word in Peter's first letter, chapter 1, verses 18 and 19, forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold from your vain compensation, received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. and the hymns were very much all on the precious blood of Jesus. And how uplifting it is for the people of God to hear these glorious truths and to witness the mortal remains of a child of God being committed to the earth in sure and certain hope. of the resurrection, of being raised on that glorious day, their body being raised, a glorious body and reunited with their soul which has gone to be with Jesus.

Last Wednesday, I attended the funeral service of dear Gwen Taylor, the widow of the pastor who had been the pastor at Bromley. And a most blessed occasion that was as well. And we were reminded around her grave that when her dear husband, his mortal remains were laid to rest nearly seven years ago, she said, well, that's not him there. He's in heaven. He's in heaven. And that's the glorious truth of it all, isn't it, dear friends, that a child of God, that we come, yes, and we mourn their loss, but we don't sorrow as those without hope. that the moment, I do believe sincerely, that the moment a child of God dies, he dies in Christ and he is immediately taken to glory.

Dear Chris Pyle, who was a beloved deacon at Wivelsfield, and the dear man he was struck down with cancer, which he bore in a most noble, wonderful, godlike manner. and he was greatly blessed, he was greatly blessed in the hospital just two or three weeks before his death, that there he was burdened, that he was the last man in the church at Wivelsfield and along came one of the members of the congregation and he gave him his testimony. and a little while later he was moved to the hospice, and a few days later as he breathes his last he says, I can see the King, I can see the King.

Now not everyone by any means is favoured with such an end as that, but it's precious isn't it dear friends, it strengthens us, as we groan in this tabernacle, this body that we carry around with us and as faculties begin to fail. So we bless God that though we groan sometimes under the weight of failing faculties and we groan sometimes under the cloud of our sins that rise up and testify against us and seem to separate us from our gods. And yet it's just for a moment, isn't it, as dear Paul, that he ends the previous chapter 4 with saying, for which cause we faint not. but though our outward men perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day for our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen, for the things which are seen are temporal, they're just passing. But the things which are not seen are eternal.

And so dear friends, as we say, as the children of God, they come to the end of the journey and we hear of what the Lord has done for them. And we love to hold on to, don't we, those things which the Lord has favoured His people with, so that when they're gone, there is something, something special we remember them by.

We have David, don't we? It says of his last words that he said, although my house be not so with God. In the second book of Samuel, and I believe it's the, is it the 20? I'm looking at the first book of Samuel, the second book of Samuel chapter 23. And he says there, although my house Be not so with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure. For this is all my salvation, and all my desire, though he make it not to grow.

Now the chapter begins, now these are the last words of David. and he lived for a little longer than that. But I believe from what that is meant is for us to take encouragement that there will be something and all that you and I might desire that will be something that comes from our lips or from our actions that will be remembered, sweetly remembered when we too are gone from this time state into eternity.

And so as dear Gwen, Gwen Taylor, that the last time that she attended the chapel, she was so blessed, it was observed that she's a shock of corn, ripe and ready for the harvest. the text was in Galatians chapter 4 and verse 4, but when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Oh, at the end of the service, she rejoiced in the glory, in the wonder, thanksgiving of being adopted into the family of God. And she could cry, Abba, Father. And a week later, there she was, seeing her Jesus face to face, seeing Him without a veil between.

And most of you will remember that I've told you before about my dear Gran. Hardly seems possible 58 years ago. How we have to prove, don't we, that however long or short we live, our time, our life is but a vapour. It's soon gone. The hymn writer puts it so well, doesn't he? The moment we begin to live, we all begin to die. And dear Gran, she came to us to tea on the Saturday. And I bought a black cardigan. And I said, I don't know why I've bought this. I'm going to take it back to the shop. Don't do that, boy, she said. You wear it to my funeral. And she then went on to repeat the verse of the hymn number 469, I feel this mud-walled cottage shake. and long to see it fall, that I my willing flight may take to him who is my all." And she said, I haven't been able to say, she said, I felt for a long time my mud wall cottage shake. What did she mean by that? That this of which our text is in this tabernacle, this body, which is failing. which is failing. Oh, she'd experienced that for a long time, but she hadn't been able to say, and I long to see it fall. But oh, she said, now I long to see it fall, that my willing flight may take to Him who is my all, and He is my all and in all.

And eight days later on the way to chapel, on the way to chapel, my dear eldest brother driving the car and she was in the front and dear dad and uncle were in the back and they met a car. I went out of control coming in the opposite direction and Graham was taken immediately to glory.

Oh, I haven't been able to say I long to see it fall, but I can now, that I my willing flight may take to Him who is my all. And so we bless God, don't we, for the preciousness, for those words of the dying saints, whether it was as they died or whether it was something perhaps way back in their life, but there's something that remains.

for which we bless God for his goodness and for his mercy well and so as we as we seek to look a little at this text in the second epistle of Corinthians chapter 5 that for we know for we know that if our earthly house is this tabernacle word is old we have a building of God and house of not made with hands, eternal in the heavens."

Dear David, he came to that point, didn't he, where the Lord had greatly blessed him. Oh, he'd had so much trouble, hadn't he? Harassed here and there, many battles to be fought, even after Saul had died, who had hunted him down like a fox.

and so much to deal with, with the various battles and things, but he honoured God and he put things in order, both politically and in the Church of God. But then he came to that point where he was concerned. He was concerned that he dwelt in this lovely house of cedar.

And he called Nathan the prophet. And in the second book of Samuel, chapter seven, he said to Nathan the prophet, see now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains. And dear Krumacker, he quaintly puts it that dwelleth within curtains a poultry tent, that the Ark of God dwelt in a poultry tent.

But you know, Nathan said to him, go to all that is in thy heart, for the Lord is with thee. And it was David's desire, wasn't it, to build that temple. But the Lord wouldn't have him build that temple. No, that was to be for Solomon, his son, to build.

Oh, there was something so, so far, far better for David that he, I will build thee a house. No, David, you don't build me a house. I build thee a house. And so it was this house, this blessed house, this had been promised to Abraham that his seed, that his seed should be numbered.

See the stars, see the stars. Thy seed shall be numbered. And how tried that was. And dear David, so there was that wonderful genealogy, wasn't there? All the way down to King David's greatest son, precious Jesus.

Well, what I wanted to come to was that there is an analogy here, really, with the body. that David that David he said that his desire was to build a temple to build a temple for the Ark of the Covenant for God to be in for it to be God's house in something much more secure and he wasn't able to but Solomon did and he built this glorious temple didn't he No comparison with the flimsy tent that would move along with them, which now wasn't necessary because they'd got a settled rest in Jerusalem.

Well, so much more, isn't it? That you and I, our frail bodies that are getting frailer and frailer as the years go by. You that are younger, you that are younger and are blessed with the vigor of life and strength. Oh, bless God for that, for the time will come when it may be very, very gradually, but gradually that body will be taken down one by one until you begin to really feel the mud walled cottage shake and make it your desire, dear young friends, indeed all of our desires, that it may be as such that we shall long to see it fall.

to be with Christ which is far better and so for we know precious isn't it to know this or to be one with Christ to be to be adopted into the family of God to be able to address a holy God as Abba father or a dear father Oh, as our pastor often prays, doesn't he? As he prays to the father of his people. Oh, do you long for him to be able to say, oh yes, oh yes, he is my father. Oh, to be able to truly pray, my Father, which is in heaven, hallowed be thy name. To be favoured, to be able to look beyond the grave and to plead, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Well, and so dear friends, you and I, you and I, as we all have this body, this body, and if we're in Christ and our souls are taken to Jesus, our bodies will be laid in the grave wherever our dust is or wherever our ashes are for the people of God when Jesus returns on that glorious resurrection day that as he comes so shall the dead in Christ rise first these glorified bodies these glorified bodies No aches, no pains, no aging, no nothing. and body and soul will be reunited, and heaven will be complete.

As that last one is to recede into heaven, that top stone will be this crying grace, grace unto it. For it's grace, it's of His grace all the way. Nothing to do with the poor, sinful man, woman, boy, girl. all born in sin, shapen in iniquity. But blessed be God for that covenant made in heaven before the worlds were made. Oh, and eternity passed between the Godhead that man would fall, Adam would sin that he would fall, and the whole of the human race from his day until now and until Jesus comes again. Every single one that is born is born in sin, shapen in iniquity, but blessed be God that covenant was made that the election of grace of people chosen in eternity past. for whom God would send forth his only begotten Son into the world to save poor hell-deserving sinners.

What a precious truth that is, dear friends. And so the certainty for each one for whom Jesus gave his life, a ransom, a body prepared for him, a body like our own, sin accepted, so that he might represent us, be a representative at the cross as the sins of the whole of the election of grace were imputed to him. And he, the spotless, holy, harmless Lamb of God, who had not a taint of sin, and yet all the sins of his dear people were imputed to him, so that he was cursed. And he, the substitute for sinners, that the wrath of God descended upon him as he bore the weight of all of their sins.

What agony, the agony of his body, the agony of crucifixion. I understand it's the most cruelest lingering death that can be inflicted on someone and our Jesus did. But much, much, much, much more than that, the agony of his soul, as he made an atonement, as he made an atonement for each of his dear people. And so there is that wondrous work of transformation, isn't there? That poor sinners, as they're called out of nature's darkness into His most marvellous light, when that blessed time arrives, they're favoured with living faith in a precious Jesus. They are mine. They are mine. When I make up my jewels, they shall be mine. And all to be one of those jewels. Oh, you might feel to be nothing. And now everything seems to be against you in this world. And yet, and you could mourn over your sins, but aren't you mourning over Christ, after Christ? Oh, it is, isn't it, that as David was to say as he came towards the end of his journey, remember not the sins of my youth, sins that he committed in his unregeneracy. And yet he's mourning over them, having been redeemed, ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven. He's a mourner over his sins because he understands the cost of them.

And we understand, too, as we get older, the older we get, the more we realize that old habits die hard. And those things that perhaps we thought we'd been rid of years ago, that the grace of God had so favored us, they were obliterated from our thoughts. And yet, how we prove, don't we? We prove the necessity of being kept close to God as we tend to wander. And so he'll ever have us groaning in this tabernacle.

You know there's a story of going back many years ago. These two workmen and their work overran. And one of the workmen, he was a drunkard and he had a family, but he would spend most of his money on drink. And they lived a most miserable life. And it was coming up for Christmas and their work overran. and he was groaning and groaning and moaning that he just didn't want to go home it was a miserable home and they would have a miserable Christmas and his workmate too he groaned he groaned And he said to him, why, what have you got to groan about? He said, I'm groaning, he said, because our work has overrun and I can't wait. I can't wait to get home to my dear wife and children. And that's a difference, isn't it, friends? And that's how it'll be with you and I, with you and I, as we get closer to glory.

Oh, as Pastor James's aunt, I believe it was a fool that she had. And it was her longing desire, oh, take me, Lord, take me. We sing sometimes, don't we, after the meal at special services.

In paradise, within the gates,
a nobler entertainment waits,
fruits new and old, laid up in store
where we shall feast and want no more.

And her desire was, take me through the gates, Lord. Oh, to be with Christ, which is far better. And so this groaning, oh, it's a groaning, it's a craving, dear friends, isn't it? Craving to be with Christ. Oh, in His own good time and way. And so it is for we know.

Oh, do you know, dear friend? Is it your longing desire to know these things, to be made submissive? What made us submissive? Well, sometimes it was like we heard today of the dear aunt, that she came into such a heavy trial when a young lady desperately, desperately said to hear it. But friends, it was a means of going on to a work of grace. And so he'll use whatever he will. Trials make the promise sweet. Trials bring us close to God.

Did I make no trials here? Might I fear I'm a castaway? Take comfort, dear friend, for we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, clothed in immortality. For in this we grow earnestly, desiring to be clothed upon with our house, which is from heaven.

You know, there's a preacher that I heard once say that he felt that as he looked upon the congregation, that he's preaching to a lot of caterpillars. They all look like caterpillars. And his longing desire was that every one of them, every one of them would turn into butterflies, would turn into butterflies. Oh, to be clothed with immortality. to be blessed, to be favoured, to reach that place, as the hymn writer quaintly puts it, as he groaned, oh may I live, to reach the place where he unveils his lovely face.

Well, it's solemn, isn't it, dear friends? And as Jesus spoke of those outside of Christ, and he says in St. Matthew chapter 13, of those who groan, And in verse 47, he says, again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world. The angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from among the just and shall cast them into the furnace of fire. There shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

How different for the child of God. Oh, death outside of Christ is to be forever in the furnace of hell. What a contrast to the little remnant, to that remnant saved, saved by the precious blood of Jesus, saved to live forever in heaven, to be forever with the Lord.

Paul in his first epistle, in that glorious resurrection chapter, 1st of Corinthians chapter 15, and he says of the resurrection and of death, in verse 55, O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? the sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law you know it's like a bee isn't it a bee will sting and what does a bee do it leaves its sting in in the body doesn't it the sting is left on you when it stings you the sting's left there But friends, this death, this death for the people of God, the sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law.

But oh, death, where is thy sting? Oh, that sting has been taken by precious Jesus. He has taken it. And so that great enemy, the last enemy, which is death, And although some of the people of God do live in fear of death all their days, it is a fear, isn't it? Sometimes as to how we'll be brought down and whether it will be sudden or lingering or whatever. But friends, the glorious thing of it all is that when we are called to leave this earth, No sting then. No, we would forever have that sting in hell if we're outside of Christ. But precious Jesus, he took that sting. And so thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

How precious that that which we heard of today, of the precious blood of Jesus. Precious blood of Jesus cleanseth from all sin. We sang that glorious hymn, the last hymn in the book, of that glorious fountain, and five questions are asked, and every one of them is answered. Tis Jesus' precious blood. Oh, what a favoured people we are, aren't we? To be amongst the people of God, to be purchased, what's that such a cost? the precious blood of Jesus.

And so Paul says, for we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, and house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan earnestly, desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven. The child of God groans, groans in anticipation. He groans in anticipation of a groan free, of a groan free place, groan free future in heaven.

Oh, as dear John in his revelation, and he speaks, doesn't he, of what the Lord favoured him to see on the Isle of Patmos. And he said to him, now write it down, write it down, write it down for the people of God in Ebenezer Chapel on Wednesday, the 28th of January, 2026. In Revelation chapter 21 and verse 2, and I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them. they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death and neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away.

And in the seventh chapter, of this glorious revelation. In verse 9 he says, after this I beheld and lo a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues. Or we come off, don't we, if we truly know, if we truly know what vile sinners we are, and the Lord has had mercy on us, we come away from such trite, ungodly beliefs that the Lord has a few people outside of the strict Baptist. What a solemn thing. And some of us have been indoctrinated in those things in time past. But it's this, isn't it? It's a great multitude. which no man could number of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands, and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God, which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, saying, Amen, blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might. Be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

Now listen to this, you that have tried this evening. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? And whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest Now listen. And he said to me, these are they which came out of tribulation? No, great tribulation. And have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb. Therefore, are they before the throne of God? and serve Him day and night in His temple, or you might feel trodden down in this world. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple, And he that sitteth on the throne shall, it's certain, shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters. and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

And so as Paul in that glorious Romans chapter eight, he says of being a conqueror. Oh, as Christ conquered sin, death and hell, so in turn his people saved are more than conquerors, he says, as he comes to the end of that glorious chapter. He says in verse 37, Nay, in verse 36 it says, for thy sake we are killed all the day long. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Perhaps you're there today, friends, and you're dying daily. And may you be favoured in that. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us, for I am persuaded. that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Oh and so there is this victory through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to be ever present with the Lord which the 8th verse of our chapter speaks of. We are confident I say and willing. Yes, made willing, as we groan in this tabernacle, as we groan for heaven, as we crave for heaven.

Oh, you know what it's like sometimes, you children, and sometimes we don't get out of it really. We long for things, don't we? There's something in the distant and we're longing for it. How much more to crave, to groan so much under this load that we carry, to groan for heaven?

We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.

And dear Paul, he said in writing to the church, Philippi, doesn't he say, for to me to live is Christ, but to die is gain. Oh, he had that desire, didn't he? To depart. He was in a straight between two, wasn't he? But he had a desire for the people of God whom he was ministering to. And so he would, that he would continue for as long as he's able.

And he's worn out, isn't he? He's worn out. As he said in the previous chapter, in the 16th verse, for which cause we faint not, but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

Oh, and so dear friends, when all must come and last and end, as shall please your heavenly friends. And oh, when at last, when at last you reach, you reach glory. when at last there is, if Jesus tarries, if Jesus tarries, as the apostle says, we shall not all sleep.

Oh, there will be those that are alive when Jesus returns. How precious. How precious that day. I once heard a minister say, I hope I'm not alive then. What a solemn thing. Or for the outside of Christ. Or you wished you weren't alive as you're calling for the rocks and the mountains to hide you.

But a glorious day to see Jesus coming to call his own, to see the graves open, to hear that great shout. as the people of God arise in their glorified bodies and all taken together, all taken together to be forever with the Lord.

there was one minister I heard around the grave and he said oh I do hope he said that if I'm alive when Jesus returns no he didn't say that at all he said that if he if he had died if he had died and he was raised from the grave He believed and hoped that as he's being taken to heaven, he would have a lot, just one quick glance at the open grave and cry, oh death, where is thy stristing? Oh grave, where is thy victory?

It was once a dear old lady. I said that I hadn't been preaching long and she took me to task on it. And, you know, it was wonderful, really. Oh, she phoned me the next day in tears. She said, I should have never said that to you. She said, I've had a sleepless night. She said, I see exactly what that man meant.

And so dear friends, all to be forever with the Lord. Amen. So let it be.

Well, let me close by quoting that glorious hymn of heart number 850.

Ye souls, that trust in Christ, rejoice.
Your sins are all forgiven.
Let every Christian lift his voice
and sing the joys of heaven.
Heaven is that holy, happy place
where sin no more defiles,
where God unveils his blissful face
and looks and loves and smiles. Amen. We're singing and closing from Gatsby's 350 to the 291.

350. Ye pilgrims of Zion and chosen of God,
whose spirits are filled with dismay,
since ye have eternal redemption through blood,
ye cannot but hold on your way.

350. Hail, Prince of Zion and Chosen of God,
Whose spirits are filled with dismay,
Since ye have eternal redemption through blood,
ye cannot but hold on your way.

♪ As Jesus in covenant love did engage ♪
♪ A fullness of grace to display ♪
♪ The powers of darkness in malice may rage ♪
♪ The righteous shall hold on his way ♪
♪ Like his offer eternal shall stand ♪
♪ Though all things in nature decay ♪
♪ Upheld by Jehovah's omnipotent hand ♪
♪ The righteous shall hold on his hand ♪
♪ May no temptation be tossed ♪
♪ Their sorrows may swell as the sea ♪
♪ But none of the ransom shall ever be lost ♪
♪ The righteous shall hold on his way ♪

Surrounded with sorrows, temptations, and cares, this truth with delight we survey. And sing as we pass through this valley of tears, the righteous shall hold on

Dear Lord, we do bless Thee that the righteous shall hold on their way. We thank Thee, O Lord, for the hymns that have been chosen this evening. And Lord, we do bless Thee that pastor and family are safely installed in their home. We ask that Thou would go before us each in all of our untrodden steps. And Lord, and do prepare us each for that day. Or may it be well with us each.

the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, the fellowship and the sweet communion of the Holy Spirit, rest and abide with us all, now and for evermore. Amen.