Seeking the Lord's help for a
little while this evening, turn with me to the psalm we read,
Psalm 66, and we'll read verse 16. Psalm 66 and reading verse
16. Come and hear all ye that fear
God. and I will declare what he hath
done for my soul. Come and hear, all ye that fear
God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. The psalm is headed to the chief
musician, a song or psalm, and there are the exhortations to
give praise to God. And the psalmist, he goes through
the various things that the child of God has to come into, the
ups and downs of the way, the various tempests that they're
tossed about with, and yet he can testify brought safely through. And he seeks to emphasize the
goodness of God, that despite everything, that God is good,
that God is faithful. You know, it's said of a soldier,
isn't it, that a soldier, he witnesses some most dreadful
things in battle, but you'll never hear him speak about that. He'll speak about the lighter
things, perhaps the more amusing things, the palatable things.
well much more here with the psalmist that he can look through
everything that's gone on the whole of the pathway of life
and he can see that all has been working together for good And
he can see that those trials and tribulations and deep afflictions
have been sanctified and have been used for the good of his
never-dying soul and for the glory of God. And so he calls,
he calls, come, come and hear. Come and hear. In the fifth verse,
he says, Come and see. Come and see the works of God. And now he calls. There is this call to come. Come and hear. And who is it
called? Who's the calling to? He's not
casting pearls before swine, is it? It's come and hear all
ye that fear God. All ye that are soldiers. All ye that know what it is to
do battle. As you take up your cross daily
and follow a bleeding Jesus. And so the call goes out. And
how good it is when that call does come out, when there is
that desire to speak of what the Lord our God has done for
our never-dying souls. It's good when we can speak of
what He has done for us as families, as collectively as a church and
people. And it is right that we should
speak and it's to the glory of God that we call, come and hear,
come and hear. Our God is good. Our God is faithful. Though we have gone through flame
and through flood and through fire, we've proved I am with
thee, Israel passing through the fire. And so he speaks, doesn't
he? His desire is to make a joyful
noise. Make a joyful noise unto God,
all ye lands, and sing. Sing forth the honour of his
name. Make his praise glorious. Well, as we alluded to, verse
5, come and see the works of God. He is terrible in his doing
toward the children of men. References made to that glorious
Psalm 46. God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble. And he says there in the eighth
verse, come Behold the works of the Lord, what desolations
he hath made in the earth. But then he goes straight on
to say, he maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth. He
breaketh the bow and cutteth the spear in sunder. He burneth
the chariot in the fire. And so he says, he said, and
in making wars to cease to the end of the earth, that warfare
that is going on in your life at this evening, he goes on to
immediately follow that by saying, be still, be still, and know
that I am God. I will be exalted among the heathen. I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge,
Selah. And so he speaks about that deliverance,
that deliverance of the children of Israel out of the bondage
of Egypt. And friends, as yours and my
life, the Christian pilgrimage, mirrors really that of the children
of Israel that being delivered from the bondage of Egypt. and
them being having that precious way made through the Red Sea. And what is that Red Sea? as it's the Red Sea of Jesus'
precious blood. And that's what we'll declare,
isn't it? That's what our desire is. That's
what your desire has been, hasn't it? And are there none of you
here that your desire is that you have this exercise that I
must come and tell? I can hold back no longer. These are my people. This people
shall be my people. I must cast in my lot with them
fully and come and tell what the Lord has done for my soul. Oh, he turned the sea into dry
land. He made a way where there was
no way. First of all, he made that way,
didn't he? When you was dead in trespassing,
in sins, in the bondage, in the bondage of being under the law,
captive under the law. And there you would have stayed
and been condemned to an eternity in hell. But he appeared, didn't
he? He appeared. Oh, as he sent Moses,
as he sent Moses to be that deliverer. So he delivered you. And it was
through, perhaps, perhaps it was suddenly, perhaps it was
over a long period, perhaps it was many frustrations, perhaps
the Lord was gracious and delivered you quickly. But as Pharaoh's
heart was hardened, and he, oh yes, I'll let them go, and this
plague comes, and that one comes, and then his heart is hardened,
I will not let them go. And then they go, and he brings
all of his chariots, All of his men after them and on this that
it's impossible. It's impossible There's everything
either side of us that which we can't get out the mountains
and in front is the Red Sea and we can't go back because the
Egyptians are coming after us and And that's you and I have
proved, haven't we, that He was the God of the impossible in
redeeming us, in redeeming our souls, in washing our souls in
the precious blood of Jesus, that He favoured us with a new
heart, He blessed us, He quickened us into life, and we can testify
this evening that we were born again. But it wasn't long, was
it? It wasn't long before trouble
came. Trouble comes along in various
shapes and sizes, but it's the trial, and you've found, haven't
you, your faith has been tried. Those of you that have been in
the way, and there's some of you here that have been in the
way for years and years. I believe some of you for 70
years or more. But it's still a trial of faith,
isn't it? It's still a trial of faith.
And these, these, oh, this great army, Pharaoh's army that's coming
after them. But a way is made in the sea. Moses, stretch forth your hand
and the sea is parted. And there's about two million
of them. What a wonder of wonders, this
great parting of the sea. It's dry land. It's dry land
and they go forwards. They go forwards. And just like
you and I, that our wretched hearts, that our sins, our sins,
they still testify against us, don't they? And these Egyptians,
they're coming in after us. They're taking advantage of this
dry land, this of which we've been delivered from, but they're
coming in after us. But blessed be God, that same
sea, that same Red Sea that was our deliverer, That same Red
Sea drowned our enemies. And friends, how precious it
is. that when a precious Jesus, that
He made an atonement for yours and my sins, it was for the sins,
yes, committed in our unregeneracy, our sins committed prior to being
called by grace, and indeed our sins right up until He either
returns or He takes us by the hand of death. This is something to declare,
isn't it? This is something to declare. Come. This brings all divisions
down, doesn't it? It's to all that fear God. I must come. I must come. I must call. Come and hear. All ye that fear God, not single
out one or two, but know all. All. This brings all opposition
down. Come and hear, all ye that fear
God. And I will declare what he has
done for my soul. And the wonderful thing is, isn't
it, that as they were safely brought through, brought across
the Red Sea, and they see their enemy destroyed, they see their... and the way is safe. The way
is safe, and they sung that beautiful song, didn't they, which in Exodus
chapter 15, and the first verse reads, then sang Moses and the
children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spake, saying,
I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously. Come and hear, come and hear
this song. The horse and his rider hath
he thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and song,
and he is become my salvation. He is my God, and I will prepare
him an habitation, my Father's God, and I will exalt him. The Lord is a man of war. The
Lord is his name. Pharaoh's chariots and his host
hath he cast into the sea. His chosen captains also are
drowned in the Red Sea. The depths have covered them.
They sank into the bottom of the stone. Thy right hand, O
Lord, is become glorious in power. Thy right hand, O Lord, hath
dashed as dashed in pieces the enemy. And so it goes on. But
there's something more precious, friends. There's something even
more precious than that. As you declare, as you respond
to the call, to in turn call all to come and hear what the
Lord has done for my soul. That you can speak in glorious
hope. that you too will be found singing
the song of Moses, that very song that was sang as they were
delivered from the Red Sea. And what was it that we read
in Revelation chapter 15? And I saw another sign in heaven,
great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues. For in them is filled up the
wrath of God, and I saw as it was a sea of glass. mingled with fire, and them that
had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and
over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea
of glass, having the harps of God, and they sing. What do they sing? The song of
Moses. That's what you'll come and declare,
that that is your glorious hope, that is your prospect, my prospect
I trust, that hope beyond the grave. that glorious hope, delivered,
safely landed on Canaan's heavenly shore. They sing the song of
Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,
great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are thy ways, thou
King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord,
and glorify thy name? For thou only art holy. For all nations shall come and
worship before thee, for thy judgments are made manifest. But now, what do they prove now? Between singing the song of Moses
at the Red Sea and singing the song of Moses in heaven, there's
the wilderness way, isn't there? And again, those of you that
have been in the way for 70 years or longer, or just 70 days or
however long it might be, what are you proving? You're proving,
aren't you, it's a wilderness way. Oh, there sometimes are. There seems to be the calm, doesn't
there? And it seems as though there's
no trouble, not a thing can seem now to cast us off course. then we see in his goodness and
in his mercy doesn't he that he sends something he sends something
and sometimes it's so bitter that we feel this will be the
end of us but blessed be god it's for the good of our souls
isn't it we can't see it when we're in it but blessed be god
it's when we're when we've been brought safely through And we
can then notch up another Ebenezer. Hitherto hath the Lord helped
me. And it's come, come and hear
all ye that fear God. And I will declare what he hath
done for my soul. And so dear friends, as we come
into this wilderness way, And sometimes we fear, don't we,
that it'll be the end of us. There's a step between me and
death. But he's there in it, friends.
He's there with you in it. And not a single shaft can hit. Oh, you say, but the shaft has
hit. Yes, but it was in the Lord's
time, wasn't it? A single shaft, each of those
shafts, they hit as the Lord sees fit. Oh, he's the sovereign ruler
of the skies, ever gracious, ever wise. All, all my times,
all your times are in his hand. All events at his command. Well, in verse 10, he says, for
thou, O God, hast proved us. Thou, O God, hast proved us. Thou hast tried us, as silver
is tried. The margin refers us to Psalm
26, which is, Judge me, O Lord, for I have walked in mine integrity. I have trusted also in the Lord. Therefore I shall not slide. Examine me. Examine me, O Lord,
and prove me. Try my reins and my heart, for
thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes, and I have walked
in thy truth. And sometimes, dear friends,
in the midst of trial, isn't it, in the midst of the fire,
in the midst of the deep waters, that we're favoured, we're favoured
with living faith, with living faith to plead such a prayer
and to say in it all, Lord, examine me, examine me, oh Lord, and
prove me, prove me, I my reins and my heart thy loving kindness
all thy loving kindness thou art too good to be unkind thou
art too wise to err too good to be unkind faith rises doesn't
it even amidst all the sorrows of the way and believe and believes
that he who has helped me hitherto will help me all my journey through
and give me daily cause to raise fresh Ebenezers to his praise. Well he says for thou O God has
proved us thou has tried us as Silver is tried. And we're referred there to Zechariah,
the prophet Zechariah, chapter 13. And that chapter begins,
In that day there shall be a fountain open to the house of David and
to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. Now when the Lord graciously
dealt with us, when he brought us out from under the condemnation
of the law, when he blessed us, when he blessed us with the eye
of faith, when he led us to the cross by faith that we were favoured
to see Jesus, We were favoured, weren't we, by faith, the eye
of faith. Not with a natural eye, but with
the eye of faith. We were favoured to lay hold
upon a precious Christ. We were favoured to understand
and to see by the eye of faith our sins imputed, our sins laid
upon Him as He suffered, bled and died for us. as he hung upon
that cross in that three hours of darkness. And in that three
hours of dreadful, dreadful darkness, as the father hid his face from
him, and Zechariah, by prophecy, he refers to God referring to
his own dear son as my fellow. In verse 7, how precious my companion,
my dear son, God the Father, God the Son, equal, equal, and
yet a God the Father hides his face. They've ever been united. He stepped out of heaven. Yes,
a body was prepared for him. He lost none of his deity. but
oh now after those 33 years that the father has hid his face and
you're favoured aren't you it broke your heart didn't it broke
your heart with love As he said in effect, didn't he? I have
loved thee with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving
kindness, will I draw you. And you were drawn, weren't you?
And you were lifted out of that pit. It was like a lifeline,
wasn't it? Going down into that awful pit
that you were sinking in. And he delivered you. He brought
you up out of the mare clay. set your feet upon a rock put
a new song in your mouth and so dear friends this fountain
Oh, as we think of, oh, as we think these soldiers, the soldiers
pierced his side, they come along, don't they? They come to break
the legs of each of those three that are on the cross, precious
Jesus, and the malefactors either side of them. They come to Jesus. He's dead already. No man can
take his life from him. He gave his life, a ransom for
sinners. And not a bone shall be broken. What happens? The soldiers, they
pierced his side. Henceforth came out blood and
water. Oh, a fountain opened to the
house of David. Oh, as he suffered, didn't he,
in Gethsemane? In Gethsemane, as he knew his
hour was come, and he prays in agony. He prays in agony. My God, oh my, if it be possible,
let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but
thine be done. And he sweats, he sweats great
drops of blood. It's the agony, friends, and
that's the fountain being opened, the agony of his soul, as he
makes an atonement, an atonement for the sins of all of his dear
people. Verse 7 in this 13th chapter
of Zechariah says, Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against
the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts. smite the
shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered, and I will turn
mine hand upon the little ones. You know you have the picture
here that Jesus, O God, so loved the world that he gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life, and he sent his Son into the world. The sword is ready, but it's
asleep, it's asleep. There's no sin upon my dear son. The sword to smite him, that's
not ready yet. As Jesus would say, mine hour
is not yet come. But the time has now come, hasn't
it? Awake, awake, O sword, against
my shepherd. and against the man that is my
fellow. What love, what love that God
the Father shall smite, shall smite with his sword his own
dear son. The love against my shepherd, And against the man that is my
fellow saith the Lord of hosts, smite the shepherd." Oh, this
beloved shepherd. He has a flock. He has a flock. The flock is his elect. The flock is everyone named in
the Lamb's Book of Life, way back in eternity past. And his
hour has come. And he, the good shepherd of
the sheep, giveth his life a ransom for each poor sinner that fell
in Adam. But he, the second Adam, the
last Adam, that as all mankind, we all fell in him, we were all
born in sin and shapen in iniquity. But blessed be God, that covenant
that was agreed way back in eternity, that Jesus would come and as
the first Adam, the whole of human mankind fell in him, this,
his people, his flock, his elect, that as he rose triumphant from
the grave, He was delivered for our offences. He rose for our
justification. And as He rose, so the whole
election of grace, the whole of the church of God, His bride,
that this flock that they, every one of us, rise
with him. That same power, dear friends,
that he rose from the grave and ascended into heaven 40 days
later. Friends, that same power. That none, none of his sheep
shall be lost. Whilst we travel through this
wilderness of life, he's ever leading us, he's ever delivering
us, he's ever throwing out, if it were, the lifeline and pulling
us back to safety. When we backslide, he's in mercy
restoring us. But blessed be God, blessed be
God, that that time is coming when either he returns and we
are taken to him and we have we do not have to pass through
the veil of the shadow of death that last great enemy but if
we are called if we are if he tarries and we are called to
die to pass through the valley of the shadow of death. Then, friend, it'll be as it
were, as it was with the children of Israel, that after 40 years
in the wilderness, again, there is a great miracle as the Jordan,
the River Jordan, opens up its banks, a way again is made, and
they're taken safely across into Canaan. And friends, and that's
how it'll be. Oh, in the swellings of Jordan.
Some of the Lord's people, they live in fear of death all their
lives. Well, death is a great enemy,
isn't it? But dear friends, it is that
from the moment, from the moment that a child of God, that a child
of God breathes his last, I believe that his soul goes immediately,
is immediately with the Lord. And there the body, the body
waits. for that glorious resurrection
day when Jesus shall return again, this time and not as a helpless
baby, but as the King of kings, Lord of lords, as the judge of
the whole earth. And he shall come, and he shall
come. and that glorious day which Paul,
when he writes to the church at Thessalonica, and he says
in his fourth chapter of his first letter, I would not, in
verse 13, in fourth chapter of the first epistle to the Thessalonians,
but I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning
them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which
have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus
died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus,
will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the
word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the
coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend
from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and
with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. That's something to call out,
isn't it? Come and hear what the Lord has
done for my soul. I trust that by his grace, God's
riches at Christ's expense, that my Jesus has suffered, has suffered
what was due to me in eternity in hell and he's gone to repair
a place for me in heaven. and he's coming again to take
me to himself? For the Lord himself shall descend
from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and
with the trump of God. and the dead in Christ shall
rise first. Then we which are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the
Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another
with these words and so dear friends Zechariah he says in
that 13th chapter and the 7th verse of Waco sword against my
shepherds and against the man that is my fellow speaking of
God in the person of his own dear son my fellow what love
what love Seth, the lord of hosts, smite
the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered. Oh, friend, all
his disciples forsook him and fled, didn't they? All came to
pass. Oh, the agony of his soul. and
I will turn mine hand upon the little ones, and it shall come
to pass that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein
shall be cut off and die, but the third shall be left therein,
and I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine
them as silver is refined, friend you're knowing aren't you you're
knowing even after many many years in the way or just a few
days weeks or months you're still you're still experiencing at
times this refining aren't you Oh, it's to eventually bring
you forth as gold. He was pleased, wasn't he, as
he delivered you, as he blessed you with the eye of living faith,
that he did try you, he did bring you through the fire, that you
found that, oh, there was so much dross, wasn't there? And
blessed be God that he continue to refine you, he continue to
purge you until he could see as the goldsmith sees when all
the dross is gone, he knows it's all gone because he can see his
own image in it. and friends, and it was when
God could see His own dear Son in you, reflected in you, that
He blessed you with the eye of living faith to behold a precious
Jesus and to say, my Lord and my God, and friend and you won't
be able to help yourself, it will be. Come, come and hear
all ye that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for
my soul. Amen. We conclude our worship with
singing 148 from hymns for worship to the tune 409. 148. From every
stormy wind that blows, from every swelling tide of woes,
there is a calmer, safe retreat. It is found beneath the mercy
seat. 148. Every stormy wind that blows,
from every swelling tide of toads, there is a calm, a safe retreat. Tis found beneath the mercy seat. when Jesus sheds the oil of gladness
on our heads. A place an old disciple sweet,
it is the bloodstained mercy stain. There's a spot where spirits
blend Where friend holds fellowship with friend For sundered far
by faith we made A well-known calm and mercy There, there on eagle wing we
soar, and time and sin seem all no more. And heaven comes down, our souls
to grace. Oh, let my hands forget their
skill My tongue be silent, cold, and still This bounding heart
forget to beat, if I forget the mercy seat. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God the Father, the fellowship and the sweet communion
of the Holy Ghost rest and abide with us all now and for evermore. Amen.