Seeking for the help of the Lord,
I direct your prayerful attention to the Gospel according to John
chapter 14. John 14, it is page 998 in the
Bible Box Bibles. And we read for our text verse
4, particularly the last part of verse 4. John 14 and verse
4. and whither I go ye know, and
the way ye know. And it is particularly these
words our Lord says to his dear disciples, the way ye know. Now it appears from the reaction
of the disciples here that they thought that they did not know
the way. Because Thomas then says to him,
Lord, we know not whither thou goest, and how can we know the
way? Now Lord answers, I am the way,
the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father
but by me. And we find by the further discourse
there, that Philip then is asking, show us the Father and it sufficeth
us. And Jesus says in verse 9, have
I been so long time with you and yet hast thou not known me,
Philip? He that has seen me has seen
the Father. How sayest thou then, show us
the Father? So we have a situation where
They did know, they did know the Father, they knew the Lord
Jesus Christ, but didn't know they knew it. They didn't realise
the import of those things that they'd been told or seen. And so it is possible for us
to know something and yet not know that we do know it, or know
something and don't know what, by knowing that, it means that
we actually have. A believer, if they are a true
believer, ought to know that they have eternal life. We have this with, in John's
first epistle and chapter five, verse 13 at the end, these things
have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son
of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life. So they
believed, but didn't know that they had eternal life, so they
needed to be told that. And that ye may believe on the
name of the Son of God. There are degrees of belief. He writes to them that believe,
that they might believe. How many times have we heard
a sermon, and we said, well, we haven't heard anything new.
We knew all of these things. But we've been strengthened in
what we knew. We've had it confirmed. And this
is what John does when he writes in his epistle there. But do
the disciples really know these things? The Lord says, the way
ye know. that you know where I go as well. Had the Lord not told them? Well, yes, He had. Some nine months ago in Caesarea
Philippi, that is north of Galilee, the Lord had spoken to them of
those things that were to come upon Him. We read in verse 31
of Mark chapter 8 that he began, that is the Lord Jesus Christ
began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things
and be rejected of the elders and of the chief priests and
scribes and be killed and after three days rise again. And it's
evident they understood in a certain amount of what was to happen
because it's at this time that Peter takes him and begins to
rebuke him. But when he had turned about
and looked on the disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get
thee behind me, Satan, thou sabest not the things that be of God,
but the things that be of men. Peter, in another account, he
says, This shall not be unto thee, Lord. try to hold him back
from such a path of suffering and of death. But the Lord had
set it actually before them. We think of John chapter 10 as
well. This is a couple of months before
our Lord was to suffer and the time where our text is. And we
have the well-known passage of the parable of the good shepherd
and our Lord in that very clearly says before them the truths of
him lying down his life for the sheep and that he would lay it
down for them. He says in verse 17, therefore
doth my father love me because I lay down my life that I might
take it again. No man taketh it from me. But
I lay it down of myself, I have power to lay it down, and I have
power to take it again. This commandment have I received
of my Father." And even back in verse 4 to 15, as the Father
knoweth me even so know I the Father, and I lay down my life
for the sheep. And so he had been preparing
them, he had been teaching them of these things, And so he says
to them, whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. They had been taught he was to
go according to all of the prophecies, he was to be slain, as all of
the types showed that the Lamb of God, and John had clearly
pointed out, behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin
of the world, they knew that he was to be suffer in that way
according to the Old Testament times. And yet it seems very
much they didn't really enter and realise exactly what was
meant at all. But the Lord said, the way ye
know. He was to suffer, he was to rise
again from the dead, ascend unto the Father. The Lord then says
this, the way ye know. I want to look at this word this
morning, especially with the thought of those that may know
the way, but not know they know the way. You know, when I was
in my apprenticeship, I did an apprenticeship maintenance fitter
in a hospital in my teens, and I had a very good boss, a fitter,
and for the first three years of the apprenticeship, taught
me exactly how to do things. He'd only just give me one job
at a time, tell me exactly how to do it, how to do it exactly
like he told me to. And when he came to the fourth
year, he then said to me, he said, Roland, he said, now, he
says, I'm not going to tell you. He said, you have got to do the
job, work. He said, and when you think,
go and I'll go and ask Bob and ask him what to do. He said,
stop and think whether you really know it yourself and do it yourself
before you come and ask me. And there was many times that
I thought, oh, I'm going to go and ask, wanting some backup
as to what to do. And then I remembered what he
said, and I thought, well, actually, I do know. He has trained me
in those three years. I do know. And I was able to
do it myself. And so there was many times that
at first I thought, I don't know. But then when I really thought
about it and pondered it, yes, I did know, and I could walk
that path. And it may be there's some of
you this morning in that way. The Lord has taught you, you
do know the way, and yet you don't really realize, and you
don't have the comfort and the blessing of actually knowing
the way. So I want to look then in three
ways this morning with the help of the Lord. Firstly, the way
known by teaching in the mind, teaching the mind. And then secondly,
the way known by seeing others walk it out, observing God's
work and the way in others. And then thirdly, the way known
by God's teaching in the heart, and walking it out ourselves. So I want to then look firstly
at the way known by teaching the mind. Now it's a great blessing
to be like Timothy that was taught in the scriptures right from
a child. He knew the scriptures. And it
is incumbent upon all parents to train up a child in the way
that he should go. Those that love the Lord and
believe the Lord and his word, that they should diligently teach
their children so that the children know the word of God is regularly
read in family worship, that the precious truths that are
in it are known in their heads, in their minds, that is stocked,
well stocked in their minds and that is a great blessing. Some
churches use Sunday schools to teach the children, others they
have the catechism classes and the people are trained up in
the word to actually know the doctrines of the word. We are
taught the fall of man, how that Adam and Eve first sinned, and
that because they sinned, then sin entered into the world, and
death by sin, and that so not only them, but all of their future
race must die. They died spiritually, and we
are all under that condemnation of death. The law of God is given,
and whoso offends in one point is guilty of all, and we are
taught that. through the Word of God, and
we see it all about us, that men die, our parents and our
forebears must die, and we must die. And we are taught the need
of a saviour, the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is taught right
through the Old Testament, that there was needed to be a substitute,
a sinless one that would stand in the place of those that had
sinned, take their punishment instead, but he needed to be
without sin himself. And we know the name of the Lord
Jesus, his name shall be called Jesus, for he shall save his
people from their sins. And we know the account of his
perfect life and obedience to his father and of his death on
Calvary. and that through that death he
has put away sin by the sacrifice of himself and to show that that
sacrifice was received so that God raised him from the dead
and when he rose he appeared to the disciples for 40 days
and then was ascended up into heaven and taken up into heaven
and after Another 10 days the Holy Spirit was given with power,
and the day of Pentecost, and the gospel, the good news of
salvation, powerfully preached that through the Lord Jesus Christ
there was forgiveness of sins, and those that believe on his
name should not come into condemnation, that they would be given Christ's
righteousness to be. their righteousness and to appear
in the presence of God in that righteousness, not their own
evil works. And those truths are known, they're
set forth in the Word of God. And it is a blessed thing to
know them, to be able to answer questions and even be able to
teach children and to teach others in that way. And we may even
go further and know something of the deeper things of God and
know that there is an election. God has known a people from eternity. He's chosen them in Christ Jesus
and he's appointed them to obtain salvation. We may know that the
redemption of Christ on Calvary was a particular redemption.
that he didn't just die indiscriminately for everyone, but he knew exactly
those whose sins he was bearing away, the agonies that he felt
in his soul as well as body, was bearing sins of people that
he knew, and in great love to their souls he was bearing their
punishment instead of them. We may know the truth as well
of that effectual calling, that all that Christ died for, he
will in their lifetime effectually call. That when the gospel is
preached, as we preach it this morning, the Holy Spirit will
apply that word and that those that hear it will hear it not
just in their mind, but receive it in their heart and they will
be blessed with saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and
we may know that that calling is effectual, it is a truth that
is taught in the Word of God. My word shall not return unto
me void, it shall accomplish the thing whereto I sent it. We may all know also the truths
that are set forth in John 10, of the perseverance of the saints,
that no man shall pluck them out of mine hand, no man shall
pluck them out of my Father's hand. They shall endure unto
the end. He that endureth unto the end
shall be saved. And they endure because they
are Christ. He has prayed for them. He keeps
them. He watches over them as the Good
Shepherd. And we may know the certainty
that we are made up of a body and of a soul, and we have a
soul, and that at death it is absent from the body and present
with the Lord. that that soul lives forever
and ever. And this body is a tabernacle,
a holder of that soul for this time. And then when the end of
the world shall come, there shall be a resurrection of the body. And the soul and body shall be
reunited. And there shall be that resurrection
of those that are saved and those that are lost. Those that are
saved in that resurrected body shall be forever with the Lord,
and those that are lost shall be forever in the torments of
hellfire, and punished and banished from the presence of God, forever
and ever, an unspeakable end. And we may know these truths
from the Word of God, and be taught them, and know them in
our mind. And again I'd say, do not despise
that. It is A blessed thing to learn
and to talk and to be studied of the Word in that way. But
what we must most certainly know is that by studying and knowing
and answering correctly all catechism questions and be able to rehearse
it, is not saving. Is not saving. Ahead knowledge
will not save. What is absolutely vital, and
our Lord states this in John 3, he must be born again. Those truths must touch the heart. They must profoundly change the
heart and that they must affect the life of that person. There's
a vast difference from just knowing something in the head and actually
knowing it in the heart, persuaded of it, and putting it also into
practice, and walking it out, knowing the reality of it. So
when our Lord says, the way ye know, we may be able to say,
well, yes, I do know the way. I have known it, and many in
our chapels and our churches have known it from a child. And
what our Lord says may be absolutely true, the way ye know. You do
know it, but not savingly, not effectively, not in a way that
you can rest upon or that even changes your life and how you
act and the things that you do. And we may ask ourselves this
morning, how do we know the truths of God? Do we only know it in
the head? Do we know it at all? Maybe it
is this morning. that you are like many who have
never ever heard the Word and hear it for the very first time. Many of the Lord's people have
come to older age and they haven't been brought up under the truth
and they don't know these truths at all and they are beginning
to learn and to hear it and it's a great blessing to do that,
to have the opportunity, to have the Word of God and Yet when
that is the case, may your desire, your prayer be not only to just
learn in the head, but that God will teach you in your hearts
that this is what is to profoundly affect our lives. It's not just
something like learning English or learning maths or learning
another language and it is something that doesn't really impact upon
us. This is our life, our eternal
life, our soul. This is our condition by nature,
the sentence we're under, and the deliverance from that condemnation. These are things that must be
experienced and known, not just read about and taught to just
know in the mind. But, bless God, if we do know,
in the mind, and bless God if we do know that knowing it in
the mind is not enough. I remember reading about one
of the former pastors of Red Hill and Smallfield, Mr John
Raven, and he said there was never a time that he didn't feel
that he loved the ways of the Lord. He'd been brought up under
the sound of the truth. But he felt there was something
lacking, there was something he didn't have, and his pastor
realized it as well. And when the Lord really began
to work in his heart, then the pastor noticed the difference,
and he did too. And the Gospel Standard have
some books of Mr. Raven, some beautiful sermons
as well, gospel ministry. But we can be like that, and
a natural knowledge is not a substitute for a hard work, but never despise
the natural knowledge and truth. Remember the Apostle Paul, Saul
of Tarsus, that while he was persecuting the church, he knew
the scriptures, he knew the Old Testament very, very well. And
when the Lord did meet with him on the Damascus Road when he
was converted, then he saw those same truths, but in a very different
way, and all what he knew about the Lord Jesus, he knew in a
very different way, and how it so changed his life from being
a persecutor of the people of God to being a lover of the Lord
and persecuted himself. So the words of our text, and
the way you know, and so you might be able to say this morning,
yes, I do know the way, but I know it in my mind, and maybe it is
a great concern to you. Lord, do I know it in the heart? Do I really, am I savingly in
possession of these truths? Well, I want to then notice in
the second place, the way known by seeing others walk it out. Many, especially brought up under
the sound of the truth, have seen those in their own churches
who have been really converted. And though we may not as children,
or perhaps even older, have really understood in our own hearts
the truths, yet we can't help of noticing the lives of God's
people. And we should always remember
that if we truly love the Lord, we are being watched How we walk,
what is the gospel, not according to the word, but according to
us. What kind of gospel are we preaching
in the things that we do, the things that we don't do? Are
we showing forth the praises of him who hath called us out
of nature's darkness and into his marvellous light? Remember
reading of the account of Suki Hali, in the last century, a
century before, and she was a very ignorant lady and she had those
in the neighbourhood which in those days they were Methodists,
devout Methodists. And she couldn't understand them. She thought they were silly people
and did some silly and strange things. But she was drawn to
them and watched their lives and watched what they did and
used to follow on behind them and listen to what they were
talking about and then went to hear the minister that they heard. And it was actually observing
and seeing others that was used to bring her to the truth. We think of the well-known account
in Ruth, of how Ruth, a Moabiteess, was drawn to her mother-in-law,
Naomi, and desired that her God might be her God, her people,
her people, and that where she lived, she would live. Where
she died, she would die. And she was drawn to her. Naomi was widowed, so was Ruth. And when we see then one from
a strange country and not brought up, not a Jew at all, a Gentile,
and she had one that she could see, see God's work in, and even
in troubles and trials and bereavements, how this lady was acting and
still wanting to go to the God of Israel. And we might be that,
to have had those that we've, we've actually seen. When I was
a lad, and quite a while before I was truly called by grace,
but one day I had to go into my parents' bedroom to get something,
but I didn't realise that my father was there, and as I opened
the door, and there he was kneeling at the side of his bed in private
prayer. And yes, we'd been brought up
with reading and prayer at the meal tables. But, you know, I
quickly retreated, but it left this real impression upon me.
Why did my dad need to be kneeling at his bed in private in prayer? And that impression, that first
thought that there is something to religion that's not just going
to chapel. It's not just saying grace at
a meal table. It is not just having the reading
prayer with the family, but it is a private, it is a personal
relationship between that soul and the Lord. And just that one
act of my father left that impression with me, that for many years
after that didn't have any effect, but it was always there in the
background as to that there was something that I didn't have. and something that was real in
religion. We had another dear member of
Melbourne as well, Alice Robinson, and there's many things that
she said and did, and a real example of godliness. And I've privileged to take her
funeral when she died, but she was like a mother in Israel to
me. And when I did not know in my
own heart the things of God, than to see others and to esteem
them as the people of God or having something that I did not
have. And the times that I was exercised
in the things of God, to sit at the back of the chapel, to
see the Lord's Supper, ministered, feel that I was not like that
people, I could not come, I could not join with them, I didn't
know these things in the heart. And many have begun in that way,
and they felt the difference, felt they're not like the Lord's
people. And maybe it's been in specific instances, but then
years later, or maybe not years, the Lord has worked in their
hearts, and they haven't really perceived it or known it. And
there may be those of you this morning, there's been those that
you've looked at others' lives, and you've had a godly jealousy,
you've coveted earnestly the best gifts, You haven't seen
them yourself. But can you perhaps think of
those this morning and to go back and think, well, those things
that I so sought in others and so sought as God's work and God's
blessing, the Lord has. I know these things. What the
Lord says in our text and the way you know. Maybe this morning you first
realise I do actually know that way. That which years ago I knew
I didn't know, now I do know. That which I saw so as a mark
of God's work in another, actually those things are with me as well. Those prayers that I saw answered
for that soul, I've had prayers answered. That trouble I saw
that one in under sin, I've been under sin and trouble as well.
That direction and leading that I so marvelled in another, I
realise that I've been led and directed the same as what I so
saw in another. And those things that we see
in another, those things the Lord has done in us. And you
can be sure that where the Lord does work, He opens the eyes
to see to see his work, the grace of God working in another. And many, they see the blessings
are far off. They see what they would be. They love the people of God. You know, that is a beautiful
token in John's epistle, isn't it? We know that we have passed
from death unto life because we love the brethren. And that
love will begin even when we don't feel to be amongst the
brethren or be one of them. You know, Ruth, when she came
into Bethlehem and she came to Boaz, and she said, why takeest
thou knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger? I be not like
thine handmaidens. She really felt different. You know, when if we go to another
country and we can't speak their language or we have different
customs, we're very mindful that we're different. When I first,
even though I was born in this land in England, when I first
came back after 30 years in Australia, then I was very conscious I had
a different accent and things that I said was different and
I used different words to describe things. Betrayed myself as soon
as I opened my mouth where I came from. To stand in a shop and
to wanting some gumboots and asking for these gumboots. And
the person said, no, we don't sell anything like that. And
I looked behind him and from the floor to the ceiling, there
was gumboots. And I said, damn, that's what
I want. He said, oh, they're Wellington
boots. Well, he didn't know it by the name I knew it from Australia. And so there are things that
we may really be conscious that we are different, we are not
the same, but all of God's people begin that way. They feel they're
strangers. There's some amongst our chapels
that have been with us for 30, 40 years, and they've come from
not a chapel background, and they seem to be always conscious
of that. They have been so much amongst
us and members of our churches and we should never, don't be
put off by feeling like dear Ruth was that I be not like one
of thy handmaidens. Now where the true church is,
the Lord's people will love those that come to hear the word of
God however they come and wherever they come from. So may the way be known by seeing
others walking it out. And those of us that walk it
out, may we walk as to recommend the grace of God and to point
others to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our refuge and help. Our strength, our comfort, a
hopeful time and a hope for eternity. We'll want to then look in the
last place, the way known by God's teaching in the heart and
walking it out ourselves. So this is what is termed in
the scriptures, the new birth and the teaching of God, but
sometimes it is very gentle. We sung in our middle hymn of
the different ways in which God works with his people. But in
a lesser or greater degree, in each case there will be a conviction
of sin. Remember the The whole work of
salvation is a saving from sin. The Lord Jesus Christ, his name
was given as Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sin. So if a people do not feel and
know their sin, they'll never find the Saviour precious. One of our hymns says, sinners
can say of none but they how precious is the Saviour. We won't
be offended about being called sinners. We won't be arguing
with man or arguing with God that we actually are guilty,
our hearts are depraved, are sinful, our thoughts are vile,
and they're godless and that corruption of the heart is known
and felt by a child of God all their life through. We remain
sinners though saved by God's grace and when we are called
we are called to have a daily battle with the corruptions of
our heart. The difference is by nature We
just go along with everything in our hearts, maybe a bit modified
by the fear of man or by custom, but not by a conviction of the
sinfulness of it. But when the Lord works in the
heart, then in greater or less measure, there is a conviction
of that sin brought in guilty and to feel sorry for our sin,
to repent of it, to seek to change our ways, to turn our ways. And
we quoted that in 1 John 1, if we confess our sins, he is faithful
and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He will change our heart. He
will renew our lives. And our path is to confess our
sin. And when we think that those
that Peter, on the day of Pentecost, charged with the death and crucifixion
of our Lord, you'd think what greater sin, what greater atrocity,
could there be any hope for people that were like that? But Peter
preached the gospel to them, and they did repent, they were
sorry for what they did, they were pricked in their hearts,
they were convinced of it, and they were forgiven, they were
pardoned, they were baptised, they were truly saved. And so
when we know the way, and the way ye know, do we know it this
morning in some way or other, a conviction of sin, that sin,
the transgression of the law of God, is very real to us, and
we see it in our lives, in all we say, in all we do, we are
a sinner. What do we know then of the gospel? If we know the law, how it condemns,
it brings us in guilty, can we say in the way you know, do we
know the way, the way of the Lord Jesus Christ? What the Lord
beautifully says here, I am the way, the truth, and the life.
Have that ever been so sweet to you and precious to you that
it be as it were new light shone upon the world? When the Lord
was dealing with me under conviction, I used to read the whole Word
of God, and whether it was in the Gospels, or whether it was
the Old Testament, everything condemned me, everything I read
brought me in as guilty. And then the Lord was pleased
to turn it around, and He showed me Christ, He showed me the Gospel,
and wherever I read, there was hope, there was the Gospel, there
was life, there was not condemnation. There is therefore now no condemnation
to them that be in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh,
but after the Spirit. And what do we know of that way
of the Lord Jesus Christ? No man, the Lord says, can come
unto me except the Father draw him. Would we know that drawing
to the Lord, under the preaching of the gospel, when we've been
reading the word of God, when we've been in prayer, to have
our hearts warmed and drawn to that dear man of God who suffered
for our sake on Calvary. Peter says, unto you which believe,
he is precious. And is he precious? Is he the one thing needful? How do we view the Lord Jesus
Christ? that is central to the true faith
of God and to answer many questions as to where we stand, what do
we believe and what do we feel concerning the Lord Jesus Christ,
believing Him to be truly God and truly man and that we trust
in Him our whole salvation. We are saved by His grace, the
free unmerited favour of God. We are saved by His sacrifice
and His bloodshedding. We are saved by the faith that
He gives us. And we are kept by His keeping
and by His hand. What will be true of everyone
that truly knows the way, the way you know, is that Christ
will be more. and more precious, more and more
needful, because as we go on the way, then part of that walking
is an experience of sin and salvation. We think then of what the way
is. We had in Psalm 107, that picture
of them walking through the wilderness, and how weary they are. The world
will be a weariness to us. Has the Lord taken away from
us the love of this world and separated us from it? Our Lord
says, whosoever will be a friend of the world is an enemy of God. Knowest thou not that the friendship
of the world is enmity with God? I have given them thy word and
the world hath hated them. It is a separation. Come out
from among them and be ye separate. Touch not the unclean thing and
I will receive you. You shall be my sons and my daughters,
saith the Lord Almighty. And it is not a physical separation. In some ways it must be. There
are many things that have to be stopped and companies separated
from where it's completely inconsistent. with the Word of God and the
faith that God has given us. But we will see the world in
a different light than what the worldling does. This is not our
rest. It is polluted. It is under the
curse. We must leave it. Our hands will
be loosened from it. And yet at the same time, we
will know something of the narrowness of the way and how strong the
pull of the world is to our old nature. We know what temptation
is when Satan comes and tempts us on the doctrines, tempt us
on the reality of our religion, on all manner of things to try
and draw us away. We know what it is to walk the
path of resisting the devil, the promises, resist the devil
and he will flee from you. The way of mortifying sin through
the Spirit. That's spoken of in Romans 8. If ye through the Spirit do mortify
the deeds of the flesh, that ye shall live. And the way ye
know. Do we know that way? That way
of conflict with the old nature. The apostle says in Romans 7,
the good that I would, I do not. and the evil that I would not,
that I do. O wretched man that I am, who
shall deliver me from this body of death? Do we know that way?
The way that all the people of God walk while they're in the
flesh and in the body, given a new nature, and the old nature
hates that new, and the new desires to be free from the workings
of the old nature which still Love sin, walks after it, goes
after it. Do we have that conflict with
sin? And maybe feel how poor the conflict
is. Am I really struggling as I should? Do I really hate it as I should
hate it? And yet we're not trusting our
soul's salvation on our resistance. We won't look at our lives and
say, what wonderful lives. How effectively we resist sin.
how much we are in prayer, how diligently we attend the means
of grace, and looking upon all that as being so good that this
is our title for heaven. No, you look at this, you say,
my poor prayers, my weak resistance, my poor efforts, my poor profession,
and you'll see nothing in that you can take comfort in, but
only when you look to Christ, and there is your hope. My hope
is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest
frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. We're not to live on frames
and feelings, and yet we know that way very much engages the
heart and exercises. It is a feeling religion. But
our hope for heaven is on Christ and His work that is in us. And so, do we know this way? And the way you know, do you
know what it is? To be led by the Lord. He led
them forth by the right way. We read in Psalm 107 that they
might go to a city of habitation. You think of, in the truths of
God, has the Lord led you into those truths? in Providence,
where you live, where you are today? Has the Lord led you in
these things? Do you see his hand to go before
you, providing, opening up that way? Do we know what it is to
lean on Christ, to feel our own ignorance and inability and have
to lean hard upon him, casting all your care upon him, For he
careth for you, do you know that way? Going on leaning in the
Song of Solomon, the spouse is pictured of coming up out of
the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved. Do we know that
way? Do we know the way of those times
of blessed peace? My peace I give unto you, not
as the world give I unto you. In the world you shall have tribulation,
but be of good cheer. I've overcome the world. The
love of God shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Ghost. We love him because he first
loved us. Do we know that way of the constrainings
of love? If he loved me, keep my commandments. Sweetly constrained to walk in
his ways. and to do that which is pleasing
in his sign. Do we know the way of a hope
of heaven? Those that say that they desire
that heavenly country, those that profess they're strangers
and pilgrims, they declare plainly that they seek a city. Is that
the way that we know as well? That our hopes are placed above
the skies, that we look for that which is beyond the grave. The
apostle says to the Corinthians, if in this life only we have
hope in Christ, we have all been most miserable. But it is the
most sacred and blessed thing to have that hope beyond the
grave. You know, I mentioned Alice Robinson,
And after I'd taken her funeral, and we weren't permitted to actually
take the committal, so it was quite a while afterwards that
I went to see where she was buried, a very big cemetery in Melbourne.
And driving along those roads, as I was driving, looking for
her grave, the Lord rocked in so clearly, why seek ye the living
among the dead? And you know, I still went to
see where her mortal remains were laid. But so clearly I saw,
she was not there. Her spirit was with her savior. And the reality of the separation
of soul and body, and the reality of that soul, well, the apostle
Paul says, absent from the body, present with the Lord. And that
is a sacred belief, to know that way. and to be persuaded of it
in one's heart. And there'll be times we're more
persuaded than others. Times that we will say, yes,
we know it, but it is only a natural ascent or ascent that we won't
let go of, we know it is true. But it's very different when
you really feel it in the heart. Near Lord Servant in New Zealand
once, I asked him concerning assurance, he turned, he said
to me, assurance, have you got assurance? Don't look for it
10 minutes later. And I knew what he meant then,
I know what he meant afterwards, many times I've felt it. We do
know the things of God, they don't change, but our feeling
of it and assurance of them do change. There's been times, just
a few moments, that I've felt so strongly if my life would
be taken away, I'd be immediately with the Lord. And other times,
I don't have that clear. I'm much tempted and tossed. I know those truths are true,
but I don't feel the real, sweet, blessed assurance of it. And
this way, the people of God walk. Here below is not our heaven. We read it in Psalm 107, many
times falling down, many times crying unto the Lord in our trouble,
and many times, blessed be God, he saves us out of our troubles. You know, the religion of God's
people is not just something tacked on to their lives here
below. The Apostle Paul says, When Christ,
who is our life, shall appear, then shall we also appear with
him. And it'll be everything. It'll affect your employment,
your homes, your relationships. It'll affect everything. Your
worship, private, in the closet, in the house of God. It'll affect
those, your friends and those you're drawn to. The disciples
being let go, They went to their own company. It will affect everything. So, can we say this morning,
that which the Lord said to the dear disciples here, and the
way ye know, can we say, blessed be God, this is true? The way I do know? Some of these
things that we've heard this morning, I do know them. I'm not a stranger to them. I know these things, the way
ye know. May the Lord speak in, with some
sweetness, in power, into some heart this morning, as from the
Lord, and the way ye know. And you might have begun this
morning, and you weren't sure whether you knew it or not. But
come the end of our gathering this morning, May you truly know the way enough. May the Lord add his blessing.
Amen.