May it please Almighty God to bless us together as we meditate in His Word this morning. Let's turn to the first epistle of Peter, the fourth chapter, and we'll read the last three verses. That's verses 17, 18, and 19 in the fourth chapter of the first epistle of Peter. This is what it says. For the time has come that judgment must begin at the house of God. And if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore, let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing as unto a faithful creator. The Apostle Peter was called by Almighty God not only to be a disciple, not only to be an apostle, but also to write these two epistles. And we're thankful that God did ordain Peter to write these words because As we read them we can recognise that they really emanated from his heart and the truth that they contained. We're thankful therefore that we have these gracious words of instruction. And we should recognise, therefore, that God's Word is recorded for our eternal good. It's not just a mere string of verses or words joined together. It's written for the eternal good of the Church of God. And therefore, as we read His Word, we should recognise that it does have relevance to each one of us in our lives and we should not therefore read it and think well that doesn't affect me and that doesn't have any relevance to my life we should always be concerned to realize that as we read God's Word and to see what relevance it has to each one of us because it is the ever-living Word of God and therefore we should always inquire whether such a Word is directed to us and to encourage us, to instruct us, to direct us, to correct us, whatever we need. And we continually need the Word of God to speak to us as we journey on through this world. And so here we have these words at the end of this fourth chapter. And how important they are to realize that God speaks such words very directly. And he tells us, therefore, for the time is come. Now, remember, that was written some 2000 years ago. The time is come. It was relevant then, 2,000 years have passed, and it's still relevant to us today. So we should not therefore think, well, this was written for the time when it was written, but it's written for time still. And we should realize, therefore, that as the apostle is directed by the Holy Spirit, nonetheless, to write such great truths we should always be concerned to recognize the relevance of them to us each one today and so he says for the time is come and he makes a very strong statement that judgment must begin at the house of God judgment must begin at the church of God and we might perhaps ask, well why should that be? Well the solemn reality is that the Church of God, the House of God, really is without excuse. Because we can never turn and say, well of course I never realised that those commands had an application to me. We should always realise that God's Word directed to each one of us and although it's an amazing and wonderful privilege for all of us to have his word yet also it is a tremendous responsibility because none of us can turn around and say well of course I never knew about that I never realized these truths because often we've read the Word of God and perhaps Many times we read the Word of God and have not read the Word of God. It's just gone over our head. And that's a very solemn statement, isn't it? But sometimes I've thought myself as I've read the Word of God and how easy it is to read the Word of God and to not read the Word of God. Because what we do, we read the Word of God and we don't know what we've read. We come to the end perhaps of verses or perhaps chapters or perhaps even a book and we realize we haven't really absorbed what has been written. And the devil is so powerful and the last thing he wants you and me to do is to absorb the truths contained in the Word of God. And as we read those words, they may influence us in our thoughts, and in our words, and in our actions. And you know, the devil is so powerful. You may read, perhaps, a chapter, and come to the end of it, and think, well, I didn't really know what I was reading. I better read it again and you may have a good intention and you may even read it again and then not realize what you have written, what you read rather. The devil doesn't want you and me to absorb his word at all. He wants us to turn away from God's word and to think about things of no value. the vanities of this poor world and therefore we should recognize that God gives us therefore his word and he tells us such a solemn statement as this for the time is come now the judgment must begin at the house of God that means that God speaks to us and corrects us and directs us and instructs us in his word. And we are not, therefore, to think that it is of no value. And how many times, I'm sure, how many times it's been our wonderful favour to gather together to hear sermons preached through our lives. And how many times we've heard sermons preached And we got outside chapel, and if anybody said, what was spoken this morning, or this evening, or this afternoon, whenever the scene might be, and we wouldn't know. We haven't really listened. It's just come in one ear and gone out the other. So it's a very solemn consideration, isn't it, to think that as we sit under the word of God, and yet we're so arrogant as a set and really not be concerned about the things which are spoken, the things which are read. And we're satisfied. We're just really having a form of religion and no life. So it's a solemn thought, isn't it? And we need to be reminded that you and I are in the presence of Almighty God. And that's a tremendous consideration in itself, to think the God who rules and reigns over the whole universe and yet knows precisely what you and I are thinking every single second of our life. We cannot think things that God isn't aware of. And how sad it is to realize that so often instead of benefiting from reading the Bible or benefiting from hearing the preaching of the Word, all we do really is to add to our sins of failing to undertake the great truths which we are able to hear and to read. And so we can understand, can we not, why the Apostle writes such words under the blessed influence of the Holy Spirit. For the time has come, the judgment must begin at the house of God. You see, we stand, don't we? Judged by Almighty God. We're not able to say, well of course, I never ever read the Bible, I never even had the Bible. All of us today cannot ever make such excuses like that. All of us can never say, well, of course, I never heard the Word of God preached. All of us know very well we've heard the Word of God preached. And so how wonderful it is to realize that God gives us statements like this, perhaps just to stir us up, stir us up with that real concern. that we are those who do hear God's Word and that we come into the house of God with a concern that that Word may speak to our souls and have a real and a lasting effect upon us and instruct us and may bring us nearer to the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. Our great concern should be that we've come to learn of Christ. We've come to hear about him. We've come to consider his great work of salvation. And we've come to have that good hope that we have an interest, a personal interest in what he has done to redeem our souls so that we can go on our way thankful to know that this great and almighty God has looked upon us and not passed us by. So what a blessing it is today if we have the understanding that God has given us a concern, that indeed we've come to hear what God the Lord will speak to our souls. Remember then, for the time has come that judgment must begin at the house of God. It's a place where God's judgment begins. We are those who are under judgment. We are those who are condemned by the word of God if we have turned our back upon his word. And so, remember the time is come and that judgment must begin at the house of God. Yes, this is where it starts. We probably think, well, it surely begins with the unbelievers. Well, the Word of God tells us here, it starts at the house of God. And if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of God? You see, we have the truth of God. God's given it to us. And you know, it's an amazing privilege that you and I have the Bible to read. But it's not just to read it and not to take notice of what it contains. And we go back, really, don't we, right through the Word of God to the beginning. And we find there, throughout the Word of God, God's commands, God's word, which tells us to obey in this way and that way. And again, throughout the history of the world, people have disobeyed the word of God. And what a wonderful favour for you and me today. If God comes and questions us, as it were, he sits beside us, and asks us the question as to whether we have obeyed the Word of God. God's given us so many great words of instruction and of course perhaps one of the greatest commands is to obey His Word, to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. That may be a great concern for us, to know that we are saved. And that means that we're right with God. And it may be that we just seem to lack any ability to do that. Well, we may. God's very gracious and I'm sure hopefully we're all very thankful that we have some wonderful words of encouragement, wonderful accounts of perhaps that which we find relative to us in our little lives. And there was a case when there was A man who brought his son, one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit. And of course, that can be quite extensive. We can apply that today to someone who appears to be dumb spiritually, has nothing to say. And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him, and he foameth, and gnashes with his teeth, and pineth away. And I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out, and they could not. He answered him and said, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? And how long shall I suffer you, bring him unto me? And they brought him unto him. And when he saw him straightway, the spirit tear him. He fell on the ground and wallowed foaming. And he asked his father, how long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, of a child, and oft times it hath cast him into the fire and into the waters to destroy him but if thou canst do anything have compassion on us and help us and Jesus said unto him and this is very straightforward words but listen to what he said and the result if thou canst believe All things are possible to him that believeth. Well, that's a very straightforward statement, and I'm sure it's familiar to us, but what does the man respond? Straightway, he answers, straightway. The father of the child cried out and said with tears, Lord, I believe. Help thou mine unbelief. Very simply, what that meant was he wanted to believe. It wasn't that he didn't want to believe. He wanted to believe. But what did he have? He had an evil heart of unbelief. We may say, well, I understand what that father said, because such a word is suitable to me. I want to believe, but I don't seem able to. Well, here was this wonderful answer which he gave to the Lord Jesus. Because we're told, he said, Lord, I believe help thou mine unbelief. That may be a suitable word for you and me today, as we want to believe. And yet we don't seem able to. Well, let's remember then the word of encouragement. Jesus saw the people came running. Together he rebuked the foul spirit saying unto him, thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him and enter no more into him. And the spirit cried and rent him, saw and came out of him. And he was as one dead, insomuch that many said he is dead. But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And he was come into the house. His disciples asked him privately, why could not we cast him out? And he said unto them, this kind came forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting. So the reality is that means that you and I shouldn't just rush into God's presence. We should come very carefully and very painstakingly praying that the Lord will give us faith to believe that God is able. We know he's able, but you and I need faith to believe. And so here we have such a statement as this. And if it first begin at us, What shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And so we have very clear words that you and I are to believe, but we may feel just like that father. We're not able to, we want to, but we don't seem able to. Well, we can be encouraged by that because he did pray, Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief. They're gracious words, and they're important words, and the Lord's recorded in an account like that to encourage his church, his people as they journey on through life. And so may you and I be encouraged by such a statement. Remember, as the Lord says, Judgment must begin in the house of God. And if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? So we shouldn't just fold our arms and say, well, I can't believe. We should be concerned about it and pray that God will help us to believe. Help us to come and to cast all our care upon him, believing that he cares for us. And so the Lord goes on, and we're told here through the Apostle Peter, and if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Well I hope we're not happy to remain as an ungodly without any hope in his mercy, without any conscious realisation that he has given us that grace to believe. What a wonderful truth the Word of God contains believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Yes, it's a word of encouragement, it's a word of statement. It was given, of course, to the Philippian jailer. You may remember that on that amazing night when Paul and Silas had been beaten and now they were in the jail and the Lord came and sent an earthquake And all the doors were open and the chains were loosed and the jailer was about to kill himself. And Paul called out, do thyself no harm, we're all here. And then his cry was, what must I do to be saved? Yes, what a blessing that is for you and me today, if we've come to position and we've asked perhaps God what should I do to be saved we realize we need to be saved we need that we must be saved and therefore he cried out what must I do to be saved and it's a mercy when God put such a cry into our heart what must I do to be saved and then We have that grand and glorious statement that the Apostle was able to give to the Philippian jailer. And we're told, of course, all his house joined him were baptized. They may have been there listening to what he said. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Without the gift of grace to believe, we're lost. We're lost. No one gets to glory who has not believed. Write down, as you may remember, the occasion of that thief on the cross. He wanted to be saved and what did he cry? He cried to the Lord Jesus. He said, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. He wanted God to remember him. And that's a wonderful blessing when you and I want to be remembered. We don't want to be forgotten. We don't want to be cast out. We want God to remember us. Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. A very direct question, wasn't it? To the Saviour. He wanted to be remembered. And what did the Lord answer? He didn't cast him off. He told him, this day shalt thou be with me in paradise. What a wonderful response the Saviour gave. And so we see there that that dying thief who just a few moments previously was speaking against the Saviour, but the Lord came and gave him that grace to realise that here was the Son of God. Here was that one who could hear and answer prayer and he gave him that faith to believe and to come and to speak those great and glorious words to the Saviour. And what a wonderful answer he received. So may you and I come and recognise the relevance and the importance of being amongst those who do indeed believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, my friends, how important it is. And so here we have this great statement, and if the righteous scarcely be saved, perhaps we feel like that. Will I be saved? Am I saved? I seem to be outside. It seems that The door shut. Well, my friends, remember, and again, just quoting the lines of a hymn, the door of God's mercy stands open all day to the poor and the needy that knock by the way. It's not for the self-righteous. No, it's not for the self-righteous because we're told here, and if the righteous scarcely be saved, We need to come like that, feeding on need, crying to God for his mercy, crying to God for his favour. And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Or let us not, my friends, come and give up. No, the Lord stands ready to receive us. we're still on praying ground. That's a great blessing, isn't it? We're still able to pray. While God gives us breath, we're still able to pray. Therefore, let us never give up. Let us always press on. Let us be very thankful that we do have a kind and gracious God who looks upon us and remembers us with that favor he bears unto his people. And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Well, we don't want to remain, do we, as an ungodly person. We want to remain and be found as a godly person. One who have received that grace, that free unmerited favor, to cry unto God, to call upon God, to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. God gives grace. What a mercy it is then. That's why we sing that lovely hymn, Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound. that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost. We're all there. We've all been there. Perhaps we're still there. I once was lost, but now I'm saved. His grace has set me free. Free from what? Free from condemnation. And that's why the apostle was able to write to the Romans when he said, there is therefore now to die. There he is. Therefore now, no condemnation, no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus. That's a great, wonderful truth, my friends. And all of us, of course, need to be in Christ Jesus. We don't want to be outside, do we? We don't want to be left outside. No, we want to be in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. And it's the Spirit of God which enables us to walk after the Spirit. It's the grace of God which enables us to walk after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free, free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, and that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh. but after the Spirit." Well, what a blessing, my friends, if God leads us to walk after the Spirit. That means to hear God's gracious words that we have recorded in the Word of God to instruct us and to bless us. And so may we have that True concern, and if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Well, may we be found amongst those who have received this grace of God, this wonderful favor to cry unto him from our hearts. And then finally this 19th verse tells us, wherefore? because of what's gone before, wherefore let them suffer according to the will of God and we should not think that although we have believed We're free from suffering. We're free from the evil heart of unbelief. No, the devil never gives up this side of the grave. And therefore, we will suffer. And the Lord tells his disciples so very clearly, at the end of that grain ceremony preached to them in the upper room, that they should recognize the great truth that they would Suffer they would have opposition. Yes, it wouldn't be an Easy path and it's not my friends. It is not an easy path Wherefore let them suffer according to the will of God Commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing as unto a faithful creator What does that really mean? It means this I? casting all our care upon Him, for He careth for us. That's a comfort, isn't it? To know that God gives grace to come there, commit the keeping of our souls to Him. He can keep us. No man can keep alive his own soul. You and I won't be able to. But if God gives us grace to come and to commit the keeping of our souls to Him, nonetheless, the Saviour of sinners, that One who indeed gave His life for us, but one who indeed suffered for us upon the cross at Calvary. in order to deliver us from the curse, the curse which said that so that sinneth it shall die. Oh, the blessed Saviour took away that curse. He bore the punishment instead. Oh, my friends, what a Saviour. Nothing less than his life, the shedding of his most precious blood would suffice in order to redeem our souls. That's why the Apostle Peter tells us in this first chapter the precious words which he knew, redeemed with the precious blood of Christ. That's a consolation to the believer. That's a consolation to someone who is suffering perhaps from the evil heart of unbelief. to come and cast all their care upon Almighty God. Let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls or their safety in Christ. There's no safety outside of Christ. There's safety in Christ. That's why we refer to that first verse in the Eighth of Romans. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ, eternal safety. We cannot fall out of that safety. To the will of God, commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well-doing. And he concludes with this tremendous statement, really, as unto a faithful creator. That's a very encompassing statement, isn't it? A faithful creator, a faithful God who created all things. The Lord God Almighty who always was. He always was. It's a great truth my friends. Utterly beyond our ability to really comprehend. But what a mercy when God gives us faith to believe. This God who always was. This God who is. and this God who always will be, no one else, no one else can come anywhere near to the greatness of our Creator. And so here we have an amazing statement. It's good to ponder, it's good to think upon. Wherefore, let them that suffer according to the will of God, God's will, God's will for you and me, commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing as unto a faithful creator. My friends, God doesn't change. This God is the same yesterday. and today and forever. And what a blessing if you and I receive that God-given faith to come and commit our soul unto our God, believing that we have a God who knows all about us. He knows the end from the beginning. He watches over us. And what is He doing? By the grace of God, He's preparing us for our eternal home. preparing us for glory. And what is he doing? He's bringing us to that position where all our hope, all our trust is founded and in a despised and crucified man. Amen.