in dependence upon the Lord for
all needed help, I ask your very prayerful attention to the chapter
we read, Ezekiel chapter 34. And I read verse 29 by Webber-Tex. Ezekiel 34 verse 29. And I'll raise up for them a
plant of renewal. and they shall be no more consumed
with hunger in the land, neither hear the shame of the heathen
any more. Ezekiel 34 verse 29, And I will
raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no
more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame
of the heathen any more. This chapter is very solemn in
many respects and it searches one out as we read it and read it at
home as well. The first part here, the Lord
is prophesying against the shepherds, the shepherds that didn't feed
the flock. They fed themselves, but they
didn't feed the flock. And neither did they strengthen
the diseased. And they didn't go and see the
sick. And why, what solemn judgments
the Lord has pronounced upon these shepherds. But then further
down here, in verse 17, I think to about verse 22, We have here
the Lord speaking to the flock, to the sheep themselves. The Lord says, I judge between
cattle and cattle, between rams and the he goats. Why here it
seems that there were these, that they were, they've eaten
up the good pasture. Yes and why and how are they
here? It reads, does it not, about
they thrust with a side and with a shoulder and for sure the disease
with your horns shall ye have scattered them abroad. There
was those, you know, a little bit like we read about the Pharisees
in the gospel, isn't it? These are the ones that thought
they were right. These are the ones that thought
they could do what they wanted and they despise others. They despise others. The Lord
speaks about them, doesn't he? Those that would not so much
as lift a finger to help. And why? I believe this prophecy
also speaks about that. Oh yes, how very solemn these
things are. Well, forbid it. Forbid it, Lord,
that the Lord's servants and the people here should be found
in that first part of the chapter and from verse 17 here to verse
22. But what a mercy. if you and I are found. And verse
11 to 16. Oh, what a mercy! Behold, I,
even I, this is the Lord, will both search my sheep and seek
them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his
flock that is among his sheep that are scattered, so will I
seek out my sheep and will deliver them out of all places where
they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day I will seek
them out yes and it may be it may be that that these here that
are scattered you know we don't necessarily have to leave chapel
leave off attending the worship of God to be found walking in
a path of rebellion against the Lord. We can be in the house
of God, we can listen to the sermons, or perhaps we just hear
with our ears, but put it bluntly, it goes in one ear and out of
the other. It has no effect. But you see,
the Lord says here, I will seek out my sheep. and deliver them
out of all places where they've been scattered. There may be
various reasons as to why they've been scattered. But he says,
I will bring them out from the people and gather them from the
countries and bring them to their own land and feed them and feed
them on the mountains of Israel. Verse 16 is very precious, is
it not? I will seek that which was lost,
and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up
that which is broken, and strengthen that which was sick. I will seek that which was lost. Reminds us, does it not, of the
words of the blessed Saviour. who said he came to seek and
to save sinners, came to seek and to save the lost sheep of
the house of Israel. You know, there's a lovely parable,
isn't there, in the gospel of the shepherd that is found. He's only got 99 sheep. And he shuts the 99 up. And he
goes after that one which is lost. Do you know what it is,
Sol? To feel like that lost sheep. You know, we've all seen sheep,
I guess, lost. We drive around the country road
sometimes and there's a sheep running up and down the road
quite frantically. It's got out of the field and
it cannot find its way back. It came through the hedge, but
it can't find the hole in the hedge that it came through. Ah, you know, that parable is
very sweet, is it not? Very, oh, it shows forth the
Lord's loving kindness and goodness and mercy. You know, they're
the shepherd. He doesn't say, well, I won't
bother about that one. I'll let them, I'll lead them
to their own devices. If they get killed, then so be
it. If they hurt themselves, well,
it's not my fault, it's their own fault. But no. Having loved his own, which were
in the world, he loved them unto the end. And he came to seek
and to save the lost. Yes, you know, there's that account
there in Matthew 15, is it 25? 15, where there's the dear woman
got the poor, demented daughter at home. who comes to the Lord
and asks him to heal her daughter, he sends, he doesn't do anything
for her, goes on and so he's not heard. But you know, she
cries out, Lord, help me. But he says, I'm not sent but
to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And she puts in a
worthy claim. Tina, you're putting in your
worthy claim tonight. You know, going back to this
lost sheep, You know, the shepherd finds it, doesn't he? Oh, and
he brings it back, you know, and he doesn't leave it. No, he picks it up and he carries
it and he puts it on his shoulder. He comes back to the fold. Yes. Having loved his own, which
were in the world, he loved them unto the end. weary of wandering from the Lord
now made willing to return. See sometimes you see yes you
could call these sheep the backsliding ones couldn't you? Oh, the backsliders. Oh, and if you and I know anything
of our own depth of wickedness in our hearts, we would have
to put our hands up guilty of backsliding in some way or other. Some may be more pronounced than
others, but nevertheless, we're guilty of backsliding, are we
not? Yes, and the Lord said, you see,
I will bring again. That was driven away. Driven
away. You know, sometimes, some of
God's dear people, they get driven away. You know, sometimes they may
feel that there's nothing in religion for me. It would feel
like that, poor soul. There's nothing for you. And
you might as well give it all up. But you know, dear soul, it'll
be your mercy and mine. I will see that which was lost,
that which driven away. Driven away through the hardness
of our heart. Driven away through unbelief.
But then he will restore them. He will restore them. And he
says, and in that coming to me, I will in no wise cast out. I will in no wise cast out. You know, I love that couplet
in the hymn, the vilest sinner out of that lives to feel his
need is welcome to the throne of grace, the saviour's blood
to bleed. And dear soul, yes, you might
be that one. That lost sheep. I guess you
all heard the account. I believe it was the Welsh shepherd
lost a sheep and he goes out looking for it. and eventually
he found it and there it was on the top of a cliff right on
the edge yeah barring away but you know he didn't go and collect
it for quite a few days he went and looked at it every day three or four days went and looked
at it but he didn't attempt to catch it rescue it And he was asked, why? Why didn't
you go earlier? He said, because his cry wasn't
right. Yeah, you know, what a depth
of work of grace there is there. What a mercy if your cry Ah, seer, poor sinner, dearest
lord, Whose soul, encouraged by thy word, At mercy's footstool
would remain, And there would look, and look again. are looking
unto Jesus. Look unto me and be ye saved,
all ye ends of the earth. I'm God and there is none else.
You see, this whole, it's look unto me. You don't look around
and think, well, how am I going to get out of this situation?
I hold dependence on me fix, nor entertain a thought. Thy
worth is schemes with my turmoil, but venture to be known. Well, I must try and get down
to this text. But what a mercy it is, then,
if the Lord says, behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep
and seek them out. But then we come down, then,
to the last verses of this chapter. Verse 23. And I will set up one
shepherd over them, and he shall feed them. Even my servant David,
he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. So you come
down to this text. Verse 29, I will raise up for
them a plant of renown. I will raise up for them a plant
of renown. a good number of times in the
Word of God. We read, do we not? Oh, this
plant, very often it is called the branch. But here in Isaiah
chapter nine, we have this, do we not? Unto us a child is born. Unto us a son is given. And the
government shall be on his shoulder and his name shall be called
Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father,
the Prince of Peace. by here in chapter 11. Yes. And there shall come forth
a rod out of the stem of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of
his roots and the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him. The
spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might,
spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. Yes, it is Harlem. And what will
this plant of renown do? Oh, this plant of renown. You
know, this word renown, why, it speaks of as being something
very special, doesn't it? Well, isn't Christ special? Huh? What did dear Peter say? Unto you therefore which believe,
he is precious. I'll raise up for them a plant
of renown. Yes, you know, it comes to mind
what dear Apostle Paul writes to us here in his epistle to
the Philippians here in the third chapter. And he says this, that
I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship
of his sufferings. that may make conformable unto
his death, that I may know him, this plan to renown, to know
my Jesus crucified, by far excels all things beside, all earthly
good I count but loss, and triumph in my Saviour's cross, knowledge
of all terrestrial things, near to my soul true pleasure brings,
no peace, but in the Son of God, no joy, but through his barnet
blood. You know, Hymn 399 in Gatsby
says this at the close of each verse. Jesus, reveal thyself
to me. You know, there's the desire,
the request of a child of God. There is the request of one of
these sheep that longs to find the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. longs to be able to say, the
Lord is my shepherd and I shall not want, maketh me to lie down
in green pastures. Ah, you know, David said this,
didn't he? He restoreth my soul. He restoreth my soul. Yes, and poor David needed restoring,
didn't he? Yes, and so have some of us needed
restoring as well, have we not? It is blessedly true, blessed
be God's name. He restoreth my soul. Not for
any good deeds that we have done. but for and through his loving-kindness. Yea, the Lord hath appeared of
old unto me, saying, I have loved thee with an everlasting love,
and therefore with loving-kindness I have drawn thee. Yes, dear
soul, and when you and I were walking in paths of disobedience,
walking in rebellion, walking and going astray. Why, it was
his loving kindness to us all that brought us again, that caused
us to hear his voice, that opened our eyes, that stopped us in
our mad and wild career, that brought us again to his word
and brought us humbly to his feet. and cry not for the first
time, God be merciful to me a sinner. I will raise up for them a plant
of renown. You know, this plant of renown,
why again, what is it dear, Isaiah tells us, the words of the Lord
Jesus. was this, is it not? And the Spirit of the Lord guards
upon me, because the Lord hath appointed me to preach good tidings
unto the meek, hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to
proclaim liberty to the captives, the opening of the prison to
them that are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,
the day of vengeance of our God, and to comfort all that mourn,
to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give them beauty
for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise
for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called trees
of righteousness for the plant of the Lord, that he might be
glorified. Yes, and this is the message
that the dear Lord Jesus Christ came into this world to speak
and to declare and began, according to Matthew in chapter five, opened
his mouth and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. And they shall no more
be consumed with hunger. And he said, Blessed are they
which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall
be filled. Dearsoul, the time of love will
come, when thou shalt clearly see, not only that he shed his
blood, but thou shalt say for me. Towering his leisure then,
wait the appointed hour, wait till the bridegroom of your souls
reveal his love with power. And I'll raise up for them a
plant of renown, and they shall no more be consumed with hunger. Hunger and thirst, their soul
fainted inward. Then they cried unto the Lord
in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. When the poor and needy seek
water, and there is none, and their tongue failing for thirst,
I, the Lord, will hear them. I, the God of Israel, will not
forsake them. What a promise! What a promise! Yes, and heaven and earth shall
pass away, but my word shall not pass away. When the poor and needy seek
water. That time of love. When the Lord changes your heart
and mine. When we went after the things
of this world. But now we go after those things
which are above. Those things that relate to eternity. Those things that relate to our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Now we want, yes, Lord to whom
else can we go? Now that's the words of eternal
life, and it's those words we want to hear. Oh, Jesus, my soul's
at thirst for Thee, absent from Thee, I cannot live. Oh, yes,
that the Lord might bless your soul and mine with the riches
of His grace, His love and His mercy. Yes, there's hope. And He came to seek and to save
the lost. He came to save sinners. He came
to seek them out. because of his everlasting love. And dears whole, oh yes, and
dears whole, you see how he points to his own redeeming blood. And as Moses is lifting up the
serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted
up that whosoever Belief in him should not perish but have everlasting
life. Dear soul, you're not cut out,
you're not cut off. It is whosoever, the worst of
the worst, the vilest of the vile, it's them that come unto
God by him. I will in no wise cast out, I
will in no wise, under no circumstances, You know, that's more than man
can say, isn't it? You and I might say something
very similar. No, I won't, I'll do this. But then, circumstances overtake
us, don't they? And we say, I really can't do
that. I wonder if they're mine, if
I change my mind. I wonder if they'll excuse me
if I don't go. What is said will and shall be
fulfilled. Blessed be his glorious name. And I will raise up for them
a plant of renown. You know dears, and that makes
me think, dears, all of this, what we read here in, well, I
was turning back to Isaiah 53, but I've just turned here and
I've stopped here at 55. Ah, yes, why, dear soul, what
has the Lord said about these characters? And they shall no
more be no more consumed with hunger in the land. Oh, everyone
that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, neither hath no money,
come ye buy and eat, yea, come buy wine and milk without money
and without price. Wherefore do you spend money
for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which
satisfyeth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and
eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself
in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto
me, hear, and your soul shall live. And I will make an everlasting
covenant with you. Now I will make an everlasting
covenant with you. Verse 25 of this chapter. And I will make with them a covenant
of peace and I will make with them a covenant of peace. And what did Jesus say to his
dear disciples? He said it to his disciples,
the twelve. But dear soul, it isn't said
just to the Twelve. It's said to poor sinners in
Ebenezer Chapel Hastings tonight. Peace I leave with you and my
peace I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid. Let not your heart be troubled. He said, well, oh, I wished I
wasn't troubled. What are you troubled about,
Giselle? Well, it's my sin, isn't it? Yes, it's my sin. Oh, Giselle, but what has the
Lord said? What has the Lord said in His
word? about you and I with our sin. John's epistle, first chapter,
first verse, first chapter I think it is, that if we confess our
sins, his faith and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from
all unrighteousness. That's what he said. And it will
not pass away. It will not pass away. The Lord
is very merciful. The Lord is very gracious. You
may be troubled about your sin. I'm going to say it's a good
thing if you are. It's a sad thing if you're not
troubled about your sin. If you're troubled about your
sin and you cry for mercy, then there's hope for your poor never
dying soul. There's hope for your soul. There
is indeed. But dear soul, you know then
there's this, isn't there? You're troubled about your sin.
But he will pardon. And dear soul, and what does
the Lord say in more than one place in the Bible? Why, to use
the words of Hezekiah again. Why, he says, for peace I had
great bitterness, but thou hast in love to my soul. Yes, I'm
going to have to turn to it to get it correct, because I'm not
going to. Here, yeah, Lord, peace, I had
great bitterness, but thou hast in love to my soul delivered
it from the pit of corruption. For thou hast cast all my sins
behind thy feet. Their sin and their iniquity
will I remember no more forever. Ezekiel says, all my sins cast
behind thy back. I think it's Micah says, who
is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, that passeth
by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage, who retains
not his anger because he delights in mercy. and all their sins
are cast in the depths of the sea. What's the depths of the sea?
These are the depths of his everlasting love. His everlasting love. Let's go back there to John 13
again. Jesus having loved his own, he
loved them unto the end. Once in him, in him for ever
and thus the eternal covenant stands. Oh what are this blessed
glorious plant of renown. But then there's all this plant
of renown. Why we go back to Isaiah 52 first
of all. Behold my servant shall do prudently. He shall be exalted and extolled
and be very high. Well, you must read Isaiah 52
and 53 at your leisure. Here's the result of this blessed
plan to renown. I've raised up a plan to renown
him. Surely he hath borne our griefs,
carried our sorrows. Yet we did esteem him strict
and smitten of God and afflicted. He was wounded for our transgressions. He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. When the Lord of life and glory
died on Calvary's cross, Why, he was wounded for our transgressions. You know, last week there was the celebrations
in France, I should say the remembrance of the D-Day landings in France. Yes, and terrible battles were
fought there on the coast of France. And many of the British
and the Allied forces lost their lives. It was an enormous sacrifice. And please don't misunderstand
me, I don't belittle it one bit. Oh, how thankful we are that
we were granted freedom. But dear soul, you know, in one
respect, that all fades into insignificance when you stop
to think of what the Lord Jesus Christ did to save sinners. And from Adam's day to the end
of time. To redeem their souls. Because sin, your sin and mine,
cannot be redeemed with anything else other than the blood of
the Lamb of God. This, as Ezekiel calls, the plan
to renown. Yes. The plan to renown. Jesus, this plan to renown, this
one, this great shepherd, this Lamb of God, Yes, that was crucified
on Calvary's cross, yes, to redeem your soul and mine from death,
hell, sin, and the grave. Paid the ultimate price, you
know, that bore our sins. Why, last verse of Isaiah 53,
therefore, will I divide him a portion with the great, and
he shall divide the spoiled with the strong, because he hath poured
out his soul unto death, and he was numbered with the transgressors,
and he bare the sin of many, and he bare the sin of many. O dear soul, may you and I have
a sweet, a blessed, a glorious hope, that he bore your sin and
mine. Then will I tell to sinners round,
what a dear Saviour I have found. I'll point to thy redeeming blood
and say, behold the way to God. And it all accomplished when
he said, it is finished. And salvation's work was done.
And he gave up the ghost. Ah, yes. He willingly gave up
the ghost. He said he laid down his life
and he did lay down his life for all them that were given
unto him yonder back in the covenant of eternity. Ah yes and I will
raise up for them a plant of renown and they shall no more
be consumed with hunger. They shall no more be consumed
with hunger. Why, you know, what you read
here in the wonderful seventh chapter in the Romans, in the
Revelation rather. Yes. Who are they? And whence came they? These are
they that came through great tribulation and have washed their
robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore,
therefore they are, therefore they before Therefore are they
before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his
temple. And he that sit on the throne
shall dwell among them, and 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. I wish to speak
reverently, but dear Lord, our almighty God, as it were, takes
a handkerchief and wipes away all your tears and mine. Oh, what shall I do? My Saviour
prays. He hath done great things for
me, whereof I am grateful. Ah, yes, dear soul, it's this,
is it not? Why me, why me, O blessed God,
why such a wretched I, who must forever lie in hell, were not
salvation free? Yes, when this poor lesbian's
stammering tongue flies silent in the grave, then, in a nobler,
sweeter song, I'll sing to him that died to save. Amen. Our final hymn this evening is
from Gatsby, 255 to the tune 304. 255. Happy the men that
fear the Lord, they from the paths of sin depart, rejoice
and tremble at his word, and hide it deep within their heart. 255. Thank you. ? Let His throne abideth here within
the heart ? ? In His mercy forever reigns ?
? Within His judgment lies ? When nature's plight, and his
delight displays, ? The world, its spirits pour ?
? Whatever it possess beside me ? ? There is greater love, like Christ
was there ? ? Here lives his love ? And every one who has faith and
flair Has free redemption in his hand. Dear Lord, in thy love and mercy
do own and bless that which has been right in thy sight, and
mercifully pardon and forgive all that's been amiss. Take us
each home now in peace and safety, but also, Lord, do take us each
home to heaven, to glory, when the days of our life are ended. And now may the grace of the
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the love of God, the sweet communion
of the Holy Spirit, rest and abide with each now and always. Amen. Amen.