The hymns today were chosen by
the Lord's servant. So let us commence our anniversary
services by singing together hymn number 1129. The tune is
Adoration 528. Jesus, we come to meet with thee,
our Lord and King, to bow before thy feet and hear thy praises
sing. Compassion on us have we pray,
and empty send us not away. Hymn 1129. Tune Adoration 528. Jesus, we come to meet with Thee,
our Lord and King. Were Thou before Thy feet, And
hear thy praises sing. Compassion on us have we prayed,
And empty sin has walked away. And every worldly care Be banished
from our minds. May we with profit live and peace
and comfort Thine. Repress us from Thy Word, we
pray, and temptation must not prevail. Our strength will soon
decrease, Unless our souls depend, We feed our health and eat, Depend
on living bread. Thy gracious hand, O Lord, displayed,
And temptation was not afraid. May all true mourners feel, Their
grief exchange for joy. Thy dove did them reveal, and all their fears destroy. That when they feel thy house
is safe, they may not empty it ever. Pray. Faithful thy children, Perth,
The riches of thy grace, each day's redeeming flower, and see
thy smiling face. So shall we all with pleasure
say, we are not empty sent away for our reading from God's holy
word this afternoon let us turn to the book of genesis the book
of genesis and we will read part of chapter 17, Genesis chapter
17, from verse 9 to 22, and then we'll read chapter 22. But first let us turn to chapter
17, Genesis chapter 17, and we'll read from verse 9 to 22. And God said unto Abraham, Thou
shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou and thy seed after thee
in their generations. This is my covenant, which you
shall keep between me and you and thy seed after thee. Every
man child among you shall be circumcised. and ye shall circumcise
the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be a token of the covenant
betwixt me and you. And he that is eight days old
shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations,
he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger
which is not of thy seed. He that is born in thy house
and he that is bought with thy money must needs be circumcised. And my covenant shall be in your
flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised man child
whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall
be cut off from his people. He hath broken my covenant. And God said unto Abraham, As
for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but
Sarah shall her name be. And I will bless her, and give
thee a son also of her. Yea, I will bless her, and she
shall be a mother of nations. Kings of people shall be of her. Then Abraham fell upon his face
and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born
unto him that is a hundred years old, and shall Sarah that is
ninety years old bear? And Abraham said unto God, O
that Ishmael might live before thee! And God said, Sarah thy
wife shall bear thee a son indeed, and thou shalt call his name
Isaac. and I will establish my covenant
with him for an everlasting covenant and with his seed after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard
thee. Behold, I have blessed him and
will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly. Twelve
princes shall he begat and I will make him a great nation. But
My covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall
bear unto thee at this set time in the next year. And he left
off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham. Now we'll
turn to chapter 22. And it came to pass after these
things that God did tempt all test Abraham and said unto him
Abraham and he said behold here I am and he said take now thy
son thine only son Isaac whom thou lovest and get thee into
the land of Moriah and offer him there for a burnt offering
upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of And Abraham
rose up early in the morning and saddled his ass and took
two of his young men with him. And Isaac, his son, enclaved
the wood for the burnt offering and rose up and went unto the
place of which God had told him. Then on the third day, Abraham
lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said
unto his young men, abide ye here with the ass and I and the
lad will go yonder and worship and come again to you. And Abraham
took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it upon Isaac, his son,
and he took the fire in his hand and a knife. And they went both
of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham,
his father, and said, my father, And he said, here am I, my son.
And he said, behold the fire and the wood. But where is the
lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, my son, God
will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering. So they went,
both of them together. And they came to the place which
God had told him of. And Abraham built an altar there
and laid the wood in order. and bound Isaac his son and laid
him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his
hand and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the
Lord called unto him out of heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham. And he said, here am I. And he
said, lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything
unto him, for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou
hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me.' And Abraham
lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram
caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the
ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his
son. And Abraham called the name of
that place Jehovah-Jireh, As it is said to this day, in the
mount of the Lord it shall be seen. And the angel of the Lord
called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time and said, by
myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done
this thing and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, that
in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply
thy seed as the stars of the heaven. and as the sand which
is upon the seashore. And thy seed shall possess the
gate of his enemies. And in thy seed shall all the
nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice. So Abraham returned unto his
young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba. And
Abraham dwelt at Beersheba. And it came to pass, after these
things, that it was told Abraham, saying, Behold, Micah, she hath
also borne children unto thy brother Nahor, Hazi's firstborn,
and Bazi's brother, and Camul, the father of Aram, and Hesed,
and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlath, and Bethuel. And Bethuel begat
Rebekah. These eight milker did bear to
Nahor, Abraham's brother, and his concubine, whose name was
Ruma, she bear also Teba, and Gahan and Thahash and Meirke. And there we leave the reading
of God's word this afternoon. May we have been instructed through
the reading of it together and he grants us each now that help
to truly pray. Let us pray. Most holy and gracious, merciful
Lord God, We come now once more into thy
presence. And we come and we can look upon
one another. But may we truly come with that
right understanding that thou dost not look upon our appearance,
but lookest upon our hearts. And as we gather under thy gaze
this afternoon, May it be the heart that is made
ready to worship thee. A heart that has been purged
of any idols that are therein. A heart that has been made soft
and ready to receive thy word. A heart that is willing and desiring
to worship thee in spirit and in truth. Lord, we fear lest I or any may
have come haphazardly, may have come out of a felt sense of duty,
may have come, Lord, because they feel they ought to. Show us that we have not come
to please one another, but that we should have come to please
thee. And may our worship be pleasing
unto thee today. Lord, we have to prove continually
that without thee we can do nothing. But may we prove today that we
can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth us. And we need thee, Lord, to strengthen
us and to grant unto us that heart of true thanksgiving. as we gather together on this
anniversary occasion. And these yearly occasions are
a time where we look back. Lord, we look back to one who
came many times on this occasion and is no longer able to. We
look back to those many times where thy word has been faithfully
preached on this occasion. And may there be those that can
look back and truly say, the Lord spoke on this day. Lord, we thank Thee that we have
the strength, all of us in body and mind, to gather today. That
Thy restraining hand has been kept upon us, that we have not
fallen into the depths of depravity that we will do, left to ourselves,
and that This afternoon, we are on praying ground. We can worship
without fear of legal persecution. And we live in a land of outward
peace and prosperity. We thank that we can gather freely
and round thy word and we have it in a language we can understand. We have more copies of it than
we know what to do with. and the great sacrifice that
has been paid to enable our religious freedom. But Almighty God, we thank Thee
chiefly for Thyself, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, blessed
Trinity. May we know Thy love, O Heavenly
Father, in our hearts today. May we prove, yea, I have loved
thee with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness
have I drawn thee. May we know thy grace, dear Lord
Jesus. May we truly see Christ and him
crucified. May he be first, last, and all
in all, knowing that we are living in a changing and varied time. But Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday, today and forever. And may we know that right fellowship
with thy Holy Spirit. May we know, Lord, what it is
to be convicted and convinced of sin and to be drawn to worship
thee. Lord, we gather now and we thank
you for all those that have joined with us this afternoon. Lord,
may it be with the express purpose. To feed upon my word. And through
it to praise thy holy name. Although it's been gracious in
maintaining this church and people through another year. And their
pastor unto them. Lord, there are many ups and
downs and twists and turns in a year of our lives. Thy word has been faithfully
proclaimed in this place and we thank thee for it. And so
do be with their dear pastor to help him in his preaching
unto them week by week and his pastoral care in other matters. May he know strength enough for
the day May he know and have those encouragements from time
to time. May he have that felt sense of
the flock here feeding upon thy word. May there, if it be thy
will, that growing in numbers, but chiefly that growing in grace
and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. So help him in the pathway that
thou hast caused him to walk in. A pathway of loneliness now
for him, but lay he know thy sweet presence continually. Pray for the deacons here to
help them in their needs. Thou knowest their desires, their
prayers. And as they assist the friend, the pastor here and the
church and congregation, to help them in their labours too. And all the church members, Lord,
do unite them more deeply and more fully in the things of Christ.
May they see and admire more of the fruit of the Spirit in
each other and in themselves, and be more fully and richly
knit together, remembering they are many members of one body. And Lord, if it be thy will,
do work in this congregation too, that there may be yet one
and another that must put on their open profession of faith
because of their trust. Indeed, dear Lord Jesus. May
there be those that have to profess how great thou art and how loving
thou art. And may it be a time of blessing
in these next 12 months. But Lord, we have to prove we
do not know what one day, one hour, one minute will bring forth
in our lives. What has had taken place yesterday
in our lives has now gone. We may never yet see tomorrow,
but we are here now. And as we are here now, may it
be our desire today to be strengthened in the inner man. So to be with each one in this
congregation. Pray for the children and young
people. Do bless them richly in their pathways, whether it
be at school or home educated. Lord, may they make the most
of the gifts and abilities that thou hast given them. And as
they go through school and May look to careers or future pathways
or those that are in employment and business to help and bless
them all. May thy fear be implanted in
them while they are young. May they be kept from the many
temptations that are about them. And may they be chiefly thy children. Lord, we would pray for those
that are older in years in this congregation too. or those that
know they cannot have many years or decades left, beginning to
feel the weakness, maybe personally or in their loved ones, and know
that their lives are drawing to an end. Oh, may it be drawing
to an end with a sweet and solid assurance in thy word, a sweet
and solid assurance in the person and work of their Lord and Saviour,
Jesus Christ. so that they are enabled to say,
now I see whate'er betide, all is well, if Christ be mine. So whether young or old or middle-aged,
you be with each and every one. We pray for our fellow brother
in the ministry here today as well, to help him and his wife
and his situation at Cranbrook. What we pray for here, we pray
for there. May thy rich blessing reign and
fall upon them. and grant a godly increase. Lord,
there is much to perplex us, much to trouble us, much to cast
us down. There is, Lord, not only in our
churches in denomination, but in so many sectors of the Christian
community, division and strife and trouble, separation and distress. Oh, by the power of thy Spirit,
Cast out, Lord, the spirit of this age, of individualism, selfishness,
and pride. Make us more humble. Keep us
low, seeking only Thee to know. Lord, may we see more of what
we have been saved from, and then be more diligent, more fearful, and more careful
before thee and others. Lord, do we pray, work in our
nation and work in our churches. As we look back over this past
year in our nation, Lord, we tremble. We tremble for our leaders, what
wickedness they are pursuing. Life, whether of the unborn or
the terminally ill, is being disrespected and is not valued. Have mercy upon us still. Row
back the tides of iniquity. Lord, we are pursuing the pathway
of that which is right in everybody's eyes, but not right in thine
eyes. Bring us back to thy word. that
foundation on which our nation has been built upon and have
mercy upon us, we pray. But Lord, separate us from the
world for a season and shut us in with thee as we gather to
worship thee. Lord, we come with that humble
confession as we are sinners in thy sight. We do not deserve
the least of thy mercy, but we plead thy grace. Help us each
as we gather round thy word now. Lord, thou knowest the prayers
and desires of everyone here, how they have come, their requests.
O Lord, do grant it for thine honour and glory. Grant a word
in season, a strengthening for one and another. For we need
that manna from heaven as we journey through this wilderness.
May it be so this afternoon. Come, Holy Spirit, come. Let
thy bright beams arise, dispel the darkness from our minds and
open all our eyes give the people those ears to hear give us those
words to say and help us to faithfully and clearly set thy word before
them knowing that one can plant and another can water but only
thou canst give the increase it is thy work and we plead for
thy name's sake dear lord do work do work indeed So forgive
all and everything that I have asked and miss, and do make up
in giving where I have failed. I ask all for thy dear name's
sake, Lord Jesus. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 605. The tune is Downham, 840. The just by faith shall live,
Nor fear the powers of hell, All blessings that a God can
give, In Christ most richly dwell. Hymn 605. Tune Downham 840. The just shall live by faith,
Nor fear the powers of hell, Where God can be, in Christ's
house richly dwelt. My faith in Jesus' blood The
just shall live in peace, And have a settled peace with God,
And from their sins be freed. in sense and reason fair, and
all things that have been. Thy faith that shall succeed
its path, ye hope, are with us here. If providence should trail, And
cross is all it brings, Thy faith hath just shown me that and salvation is. I think in Christ as strong as
from the priesthood May the Lord be pleased to help us
each here this afternoon as we turn to his word. And I'll ask
you to turn with me please to the book of Genesis, Genesis
chapter 22. Genesis chapter 22 and verse 14. Genesis chapter
22 and verse 14. And Abraham called the name of
that place Jehovah Jireh, or that is the
Lord will see or provide. As it is said to this day in
the mounts of the Lord, it shall be seen. Abraham called the name
of that place Jehovah Jireh. As it is said to this day in
the mounts of the Lord, it shall be seen. in the very first verse in this
22nd chapter. We have these very striking words. It came to pass after these things
that God did tempt Abraham. God did try Abraham. God tested
Abraham. It's the same God today, dear
friends. that sees fit to try us, to tempt
us, to test us, to prove whether our faith is
real, to try that faith to burn away any impurities that may
have gathered upon it, to bring us back again to worship the
one true and living God. But will we have a testing ever
like Abraham? We read, didn't we, in that portion
earlier in Genesis, that God had made a covenant
with Abraham. The covenant that he would have
a great nation that would flow from him. He was told that Sarah, his wife,
would have a child, a seemingly impossible situation, and that
from that child there would be many children. And there in our chapter, take now thy son, thine only
son, Isaac, whom thou lovest, get thee into the land of Moriah,
offer him there for a burnt offering." Dear friends, this is not only the removal or potential removal
of something that Abraham dearly loved, his son, but also potentially
the very foundation that his religion was built upon, the
covenant promises of his God. But Abraham was a man of faith. He took his son, he gathered the wood and the
rope and made that way up that mountain. And Isaac quite naturally said,
where's the lamb? Where's the lamb, dad, for the
burnt offering? What are we going to do? There's
something missing here. My son, God will provide. Dear friends, do you believe
that this afternoon? God will provide. Whatever you
may be in, God will provide. In this case, it was a lamb for
a burnt offering. Your case may be something different,
but if what we desire, if what we need is based upon the promises
of our God, God will provide. So as we turn to our text this
afternoon, the Lord will help us to look specifically at the
God who will provide or the God who sees ahead, maybe we should
say. Secondly, the God who provides
the substitute. And then lastly in this verse,
the place where salvation is revealed. The God who provides or the God
who sees ahead. You may well have in the margin
of your Bible about the word Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord will
see or provide. because elsewhere in this chapter
it is that same word that is interpreted as saw. In verse
4 on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place
afar off. But with our God it is not a
passive observation. God does not merely notice But
he sees in order to intervene. He sees in order to act. He sees in order to provide. He is not a bystander. You know, we live in a sad culture,
don't we, where you may hear or see of an incident and maybe
someone is being attacked or something Tragic has happened,
and what do people want to do? Rather than help, they want to
video it on their phones. They want to see it, but not
to act about it. That's not our God, dear friends.
Our God sees our needs, and our God acts according to our needs,
because we have that promise. Our God shall supply all our
needs. He will not withhold anything
from his people that is needful for them. You know, in looking
at this word today, it did so strike me with the children of
Israel and Moses. In that account we see in Exodus
chapter 3 particularly, In that verse 7, when God had appeared
to Moses in the burning bush, we read in that verse, the Lord
said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people, which
are in Egypt. And there in those words there,
the Lord said, I have surely seen, it's the same word. So it really could have been
interpreted, in seeing, I have seen. Or, in seeing, I will provide. In seeing, I will do something. Do you believe that this afternoon?
Do you understand that? In seeing, I have seen. Our God's
all-seeing eye, as it was upon the children of Israel in the
land of Egypt, It's upon every one of us in
Lambethurst Chapel this afternoon. In seeing, I have seen. In seeing, I will provide. Dear friends, what we must never
forget with the providence of our God. We look through our
perspective. We look and think, that's not
working together for my good. Don't forget what Moses had to
get to, to that burning bush. Moses, that man, whose child,
that baby whose life was miraculously saved. Who was brought up in the richest,
most learned environment that there was in the world at that
time. That man who, as he grew and he saw one of the slaves,
his brethren, being badly treated, killed that one, didn't he? And as he went through and left
that luxurious lifestyle into the desert to be a sheep herder,
away from that luxury into poverty, what did he see? Well, if he was like us, if he
was like me, I should say, you know, there'd have been many
doubts and fears, wouldn't there? God, is this really right for me?
Is this really the right pathway? Maybe as those years went by,
he became accustomed to his situation, forgot about his past, but God
didn't forget about him. God still had a people. God still
had a work. God still had a plan. I have surely seen the affliction
of my people which are in Egypt. So maybe you have got to that
point in your life. You began to doubt. Forty years Moses had in luxury. Forty years in the wilderness,
to lead that people for 40 years out of captivity. Dear friends,
it's not all about us. It's not all about you. God,
the God, our God, who sees ahead. But in this, dear friends, Abraham
was sustained. The God who saw ahead was the
God that Abraham looked forward in faith with. It was that forward-looking faith
that was given to Abraham. He could say those words as he
walked up that mountain empty-handed, my son, God will provide himself
a lamb. God will provide it. And you and I are called to walk
in the same way, through faith. In that great chapter in the
book of Hebrews, Hebrews 11, we read in verse 17, by faith
Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac. And he that had received
the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was
said that in Isaac shall thy seed be called, accounting that
God was able to raise him up, even from the dead. From whence
also he received him in a figure. By faith. Dear friends, that's the way.
By faith. But we're not called to have
blind faith. Abraham's faith was built upon
something. God's Word. And if you're building
your hopes upon something other than God's Word, you're on very
shaky ground. But the promises of our God,
our unchanging God, change not. This was who Abraham looked to,
even the resurrection of his son. He could have plunged that
knife into his son, believing that God could raise him from
the dead. And you may think, well, that's
impossible, isn't it? What's harder, to bring something back
to life or to create something out of nothing. Remember our
God created us from the dust of the earth. He is able to do
whatsoever he pleases. So, dear friends, the God who
sees ahead, the God who will provide. Oh, there are many promises
for us as we may look ahead There may be those of you nearing the
end of your life, knowing that the greater part of your life
is behind you. There are promises there. As
we may look to the future, there is the resurrection. Think of those words in Romans
8, 23. Not only they, but ourselves
also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit. even we ourselves,
grown within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, the redemption
of our body. Is that what you're waiting for?
That body that is corrupted by sin and sorrow and suffering? There is something before us.
God will provide. There will be that great resurrection
day when we will be perfected, brought unto Him. There is, dear friends, heaven
for the Lord's people. There is that time where there
will be deliverance from all that brings us to grief and sorrow
in this life, but more importantly, brings us into deep and solid
fellowship with our Saviour. Is that what you're looking to?
Is that what your faith is built upon? Those words of dear John
in the book of Revelation, I, John, saw the holy city, new
Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a
bride adorned for her husband. That place where God himself
shall be with his people. That place where he will be their
God. that place where God shall wipe
away all tears from our eyes. There will be no more death,
no more sorrow or crying or pain or any other thing apart from
the glory of our God, the God who sees ahead. Dear friends, we must get more
into this verse. Abraham called the name of that
place. Jehovah-Jireh. The Lord will provide. But the God here who provided
a substitute. Abraham, we read in verse 13,
lifted up his eyes and looked. And behold, behind him a ram
caught in a thicket by his horns. Abraham went and took the haram
and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his
son. The principle of substitution
has begun to be set before dear Abraham here that the Lord will
provide. The pattern of redemption has
begun to be established. Rather than him having to sacrifice
his only son, the Lord will provide a ram caught in a thicket. Rather
than the firstborn being slain in the land of Egypt through
the blood of a lamb, the Lord will provide a substitute, that
blood, so that that death-bringing angel would pass over. the Lord
will provide. And as we go through scripture,
as we go into the book of Leviticus, we read of a substitute, the
scapegoat. The hands of that priest placed
upon that goat, the Lord will provide and those sins removed
far away. Oh, what is God provided for
you? Do you know anything of a substitute? Because dear friends, I do not
want any of you to settle down under this text this afternoon
and say, Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will provide, he's provided me
with this, he's provided me with that, he's provided me with the
other, he's provided me with all these things throughout my
life, and the Lord has been very, very good unto me. Yes, but do
you have a substitute? Because you can have whatever
you want. You can have God providing you with anything and everything
in this life. But so is done to the many billionaires
in this world. So is done to your neighbours.
So is done to a multitude of people throughout the history
of the earth. But do you know the God who has provided a substitute? Do you know anything of this,
dear friends? Because this is what you need from this text.
You need a lamb. You need the pattern of redemption. You need something in your place. Oh, what do we have in that beautiful
chapter in Isaiah 53? It pleased the Lord to bruise
him. He hath put him to grief when
thou shalt make his soul. and offering for sin. There's
such a passage, isn't it, on the substitute. He was wounded,
Christ was wounded, for what? Our transgressions. He was bruised
for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace
was upon Him and with His stripes we are healed. The substitute
Abraham, by faith, saw more than his son being saved. Abraham
saw Christ. Because, as we read in that Hebrews
11, all those godly men and women, they were saved by faith. They
were saved by faith, looking forward. But it's the same faith that
the Lord's people today are saved by looking back. Are you looking back to that
which we know? Looking back to the sure and
certain promises of the Gospel? Looking back to the sure and
unchanging invitations of our Saviour? That's the substitute we need. Is that the substitute you are
looking to. Oh, Abraham saw it. Abraham called
the name of that place Jehovah-Jireh. The Lord will see. The Lord will
provide. But Christ is the fulfillment
of the pattern here. Because I often think Isaac asked
and said, where's the lamb for a burnt offering? Abraham said,
God will provide himself a lamb, looking to a young, weak, helpless
lamb. We read a ram caught in a thicket
by his horns. That's more powerful thing. One that was caught freely, not
harmed, caught perfectly by its horns. But dear friends, I believe
Abraham saw in that the imperfections of this time. And I believe he
looked to that same thing that John the Baptist saw when he
said, behold, the Lamb of God. Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of
the world. Christ is that fulfillment of
the Lamb. And Christ is also the fulfillment
of that scapegoat. Yes, he is. For what do we read? In Romans 8, verse 32, he that
spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall
he not with him also freely give us all things? He didn't spare
his son. Our heavenly father did not spare
his son. He placed his hands upon his
son, as it were, and the sins of all his people were placed
upon that substitute. that taketh away the sins of
the world. Behold the Lamb of God. Abraham called the name of that
place Jehovah-Jireh. As it is said to this day in
the mount of the Lord, it shall BC. Abraham went up that mountain. That place was a special place
to Abraham. We do not worship a place. We do not worship bricks and
mortar. But Abraham worshipped God here
because God had provided for him here. God had met his needs
in this place. God had appeared for him. And you may have those sweet
places, dear friends, but do not worship the place. Worship
the God that made the place special. Abraham called the name of that
place Jehovah-Jireh. But his Jehovah, his God, was
what took the name. His God was the one that took
the praise. But what do we see in this first
morning? In the mount of the Lord it shall
be seen, the place where salvation is revealed. You know as we look
at the last part of this verse, it says quite clearly doesn't
it, it shall be seen. In the mount of the Lord it shall
be seen. What should we see? Well, this
is prophetic, isn't it? This was not the end for Abraham,
but it was the beginning. Yes, we could say, well, maybe
it was pointing to the time where the temple would be built in
this very location or the very similar location. But does it
not point further ahead? In the mount of the Lord it shall
be seen. Do we not see it pointing towards
Calvary? Do we not see it pointing to
Golgotha? Do we not see it pointing to
the sufferings of our Saviour? Abraham called the name of that
place Jehovah-Jireh. In the mount of the Lord it shall
be seen. Dear friends, Abraham took his son, and Abraham, as
he took his son, he had faith. He went up. Dear friends, are we looking
up to the cross of Christ? Are we looking up to Him? That one in his agony, as he
felt forsaken of his father, cried, my God, my God, why hast
thou forsaken me? That's where our eyes need to
be drawn. That provision. Not the provision
of a new home or a new job. Not to the provision of this,
that, or the other in your life. Has your focus and attention,
by God's grace, been brought to the person and work of our
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ? To Calvary. Because, dear friends,
that's where we need to be. Think of those words in Galatians
chapter three. That first verse is so striking,
isn't it? Oh foolish Galatians. who hath
bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose
eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you. There are none without excuse
in this chapel tonight, this afternoon, sorry. You have all
had Jesus Christ, been plainly and clearly set before you. You have all had set before you
God's provision for unworthy sinners. But have you believed it? Have
you trusted in it? Have you trusted in Him? I don't quite think Abraham went
up that mountain carelessly and flippantly. I'm sure he went
up burdened and prayerful, but he went by faith. And the place where a substitute
is revealed, the place of salvation, the only way still we can get
there is by faith. looking unto Jesus, the author
and finisher of our faith. So, dear friends, this afternoon,
what do you know of these things? What think ye of Christ is the
test? What think ye of the marvellous
provision that God has made for a sinner like you? The lamb of God, that bleeding
lamb. We think of that beautiful hymn
number 20, 23. A man there is, a real man, with
wounds still gaping wide, from which rich streams of blood once
ran in hands and feet and side. This wondrous man of whom we
tell, is true almighty God. He bore our souls from death
and hell, the price, his own heart's blood. But then what
does this hymn say? Come then, repenting sinner,
come. Approach, how? With humble faith. Oh, what thou will, the total
sum is cancelled by his death. His blood can cleanse the blackest
soul and wash our guilt away. He will present us sound and
whole in that tremendous day. How? Because the Lord will provide. He has seen, and he has seen
this afternoon your unworthiness, but that's not a factor. He has
seen maybe your backsliding, but that's not a factor. what God wants to see and longs
to see in his people, that spirit of true need. Like as we have
in the parable of the Pharisee and the publican, he doesn't
want to hear about what you deserve. He doesn't want to hear anything
else other than you pleading the precious blood of the Lamb
of God. God, be merciful to me, a sinner. Dear friends, the eunuch
saw it. And what did the eunuch see as
he was traveling on his own in that carriage? He was reading Isaiah the prophet. And what was it he was reading?
He read this. He was led as a sheep to the
slaughter. and like a lamb done before his
shearer, so opened he not his mouth. He was reading of a substitute. He was reading of what the Lord
had provided. We have the gospel clearly before
us. We have the gospel in this account
of Abraham and Isaac. But the lamb, dear friends, has
been provided. But the question is, have you
seen him? Abraham could say, the Lord will
provide. Because Abraham had seen the
provision. And there are many of you here
this afternoon, too, who have seen the Lord's marvelous provision
for sinners in Christ. That provision doesn't change.
God doesn't row back on His promise. No. Once in Him, in Him forever,
thus the eternal covenant stands. And so Abraham had to prove it.
Doesn't mean your faith won't be tried and tested like Abraham's
was. God's covenant stood. Despite
the blade of that knife being inches away from his son, God
called out, Abraham, Abraham. And you may feel to be inches
away too from that covenant promise of God being broken in your case.
But it can't be. Because God will provide. He sees. He sees. and he acts. So as we gather
our thoughts to a conclusion this afternoon, dear Abraham,
he had a Jehovah-Jireh, and I'm sure he would have looked back
to that day many, many times. As it comes to this anniversary
occasion again, Maybe we all ought to look back to those times
where we can say, we were provided with Christ. That place, I don't
know where that place is for you. We've all got those places. I've got a place in a loft space
somewhere in Sussex. I've got a place in a corner
of a barn. I've got many varied places.
Those places aren't special, but the God who provided in those
places is special. Dear friends, reflect back, as
we know Abraham would have done, and therefore strengthen yourselves
as we look forward. It's the same God that provided
last year that will provide in the coming year, whatever that
may bring. Abraham called the name of that
place Jehovah-Jireh, as it is said to this day in the Mount
of the Lord it shall be seen. Amen. Tea will be provided between
the services. Let us now sing together hymn
324. The tune is Houghton, 808. Though troubles assail and dangers
affright, Though friends should all fail and foes all unite,
Yet one thing secures us, whatever betide, The scripture assures
us, the Lord will provide. Hymn 324, Tune Houghton 808. The North Pole's a sail, and
angels are bright, her friends should all fare. And worlds all unite Yet one
thing secures us Whatever be time The scripture assures us
the Lord will provide. And Satan and his to stop Apapa
and fills us with his great triumphant fame. He cannot take from us
With love He has tried This our cheering promise That Lord will
provide. He tells us we'll be Her hope
is in vain The good that we seek We yet shall obtain But when such suggestions
the spirits have cried, This answers all questions the Lord
will provide. No strength of the heart The
goodness we claim Yet since we have known Our Saviour's great
name Is this our strong tower O safety
great Thine! The Lord is our power, the Lord will
provide. When life sinks apace, And death
is in view, This word of His praise Shall comfort us through. No fearing or doubting With Christ
and path sign We hope to die, shout Him Oh dear Lord, we thank thee for
those promises that we find scattered through thy word and for those
characters who could, when their faith was tried, rest strongly
upon what thou hast said. Enable each and every one here
to do so, that we may prove the Lord will provide, and has provided,
himself a lamb. So forgive all and everything
that has been wrong in our worship here this afternoon, but that
which has been of thee do own and bless, we pray. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God the Father, the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
be with you all. Amen.