Let us commence our service by
singing together hymn number 714. The tune is Belmont 101. Why so cast down, dejected soul? A loving Christ is near. Thy broken bones he can make
whole, and drooping spirit cheer. Hymn 714, tune Belmont 101. I must now reject this hope,
that loving Christ is given. How profound He can be! Oh, how true His Spirit can be! May you be seen by conscience
pure, And fear it's sacred and true, Because The Child is Christ and Hearer,
and of the Creator. ? If trust is strong ? ? It came
in song ? ? And sin did tend to him ? ? On Jesus' cross ?
And trust his word, and thou shalt praise him still. Strong with tempest they may
touch, And shake their surely thrust, It shall bestow on man
a happiness Who makes the Lord his God. Will Jesus show my smiling face? And count with tears his brow? His faith, God of saving grace,
and King of all the world, Embrace His arm in silver night, And we shall
live with Him thy song. is let us read together from
the holy word of god in the prophecy of Isaiah chapter
50 and it will read down to verse
16 in chapter 51. Prophecy of Isaiah chapter 50
and then reading down to verse 16 in chapter 51. Thus saith the Lord, Where is
the bill of your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away? Or which
of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for
your iniquities have you sold yourselves, and for your transgressions
is your mother put away. Wherefore, when I came, was there
no man? When I called, was there none
to answer? Is my hand shortened at all that
it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, at my rebuke I dry up
the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness, their fish stinketh, because
there is no water, and dieth for thirst. I clothe the heavens
with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering, The Lord God
hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how
to speak a word in season to him that is weary. He wakeneth
morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. The Lord hath opened mine ear,
and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. I gave my back
to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the
hair. I hid not my face from shame
and spitting, for the Lord God will help me, therefore shall
I not be confounded, therefore have I set my face like a flint,
and I know that I shall not be ashamed. He is near that justifies
me, who will contend with me? Let us stand together Who is
mine adversary? Let him come near to me. Behold,
the Lord God will help me. Who is he that shall condemn
me? Lo, they all shall wax old as a garment. The moth shall
eat them up. Who is among you that feareth
the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh
in darkness and hath no light? let him trust in the name of
the Lord, and stay upon his God. Behold, all ye that kindle a
fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks, walk in the
light of your fire, and in these sparks that ye have kindled,
this shall ye have of mine hand, ye shall lie down in sorrow.
Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that
seek the Lord. Look unto the rock whence ye
are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are dig. Look
unto Abraham your father, unto Sarah that bear you, for I called
him alone, and blessed him, and increased him. For the Lord shall
comfort Zion, he will comfort all her waste places, and he
will make her wilderness like Eden, and a desert like the garden
of the Lord, joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving
and the voice of melody. Hearken unto me, my people, and
give ear unto me, O my nation, for a law shall proceed from
me, and I will make my judgment arrest for a light of the people.
My righteousness is near, my salvation is gone forth, and
mine arms shall judge the people, the isles shall wait upon me,
and on mine arms shall they trust. Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
and look upon the earth beneath, for the heavens shall vanish
away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment,
and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner, but my salvation
shall be forever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished. Hearken
unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is
my law, fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be afraid of
their revilings, for the moth shall eat them up like a garment,
and the worm shall eat them like wool, but my righteousness shall
be forever, and my salvation from generation to generation. Awake, awake, put on strength,
O arm of the Lord, awake as in the ancient days, in the generations
of old. Art thou not it that hath cut
Rahab and wounded the dragon? Art thou not it which hath dried
the sea, the waters of the great deep, that hath made the depths
of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over? Therefore the redeemed
of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion,
and everlasting joy shall be upon their head. They shall obtain
gladness and joy, and sorrow mourning shall flee away. I, even I, am he that comforteth
you, who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall
die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass. and forget
it's the Lord thy maker that hath stretched forth the heavens
and laid the foundations of the earth and has feared continually
every day because of the fury of the oppressor as if he were
ready to destroy and where is the fury of the oppressor? The captive exile hasteneth that
he may be loosed and that he should not die in the pit nor
that his bread should fail. But I am the Lord thy God that
divided the sea, whose waves roared. The Lord of hosts is
his name. And I have put my words in thy
mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that
I may plant the heavens and lay the foundations of the earth,
and say unto Zion, thou art My people, may the Lord bless the
reading of his own precious word and grant unto us a spirit of
real prayer. Almighty, most merciful and eternal
God of heaven, we do desire to bow before thy glorious majesty,
Father, Son and Holy Ghost. We do desire a spirit of true
worship a spirit of true reverence, and a spirit of true repentance
and godly sorrow, and a spirit, O Lord, of praise and of thanksgiving,
as we gather together around thy word at this evening hour. We read, O Lord, in the word
of God, how thou didst reveal thyself to thine ancient people,
often at the time of the evening sacrifice. and we pray that thou
wouldst do so here today, that thou wouldst reveal thyself unto
us, that thou wouldst come and fill this little sanctuary of
thy glory, and that there may be power in the word of God,
and that the word of truth may be opened, and the spirit of
power be given, and that grace may triumphant reign, and Christ
might exalted be, and sinners deserve an endless pain, thy
great salvation see. We pray for those in darkness,
that they may be brought into light. We pray for those in bondage,
that they may be brought into liberty. We pray for those that
are far off, that they may be made nigh. We pray for the beggar
on the dunghill, that those raise him up, and that those have mercy
upon us, that those give us ears to hear, eyes to see, and hearts
to receive thy word, and that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
and the love of God our Father and the sacred fellowship of
the Holy Spirit may rest and abide upon us as we gather together
around thy word at this evening hour. O Lord, we do pray that
thou would come. What is the house, O Lord, to
me, unless the master I can see Oh, we pray that we may see your
lovely man, that we may worship at Emmanuel's feet, that we may
touch the hem of his garment, that we may draw from that sacred
fullness that is in our Lord Jesus Christ, that we may love
him and serve him and follow him in our day and in our generation,
that we may let all fruitless searches go, which perplex and
tease us, but desiring naught to know, but a bleeding Jesus. Help us to lay aside every weight
and the sin that does so easily beset us, and that we might run
with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus. Oh, do hear us, Lord, we humbly
beseech thee. Show me thy ways, O Lord, and
teach thee thy paths. We pray that thy word may be
a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path and that we may
truly worship thee, that we may be true followers of thee and
of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
We pray most gracious Lord that thou would remember us then as
a church and as a congregation and that there was work mightily,
powerfully and effectually among us. Precious souls may yet be
gathered in, the strongholds of Satan pulled down, the kingdom
of our Lord Jesus set up in the hearts of sinners. Lord, let
thy work appear unto thy servants and thy glory unto their children,
we do humbly beseech thee. Cause the prodigals to return
and thy mighty grace to be seen in this. Remember this village
and grant thy blessing and thy favour in this village and in
the surrounding villages and hamlets that many, many, many
precious souls may yet be gathered in that we may see a rebuilding,
a renewing, a reviving, a replenishing in the dark day in which we live. Remember thy servants as they
labour, in word and doctrine upon the walls of Zion. Set them
free, set them at liberty. O Lord, we beseech thee, grant
that we may see signs to follow the preaching of the word, and
that the Lord Jesus Christ might be exalted as a prince and as
a saviour, for to give faith and repentance and remission
of sins. O do grant that the grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God our Father, and the
sacred fellowship of the Holy Spirit, may rest and abide upon
us, that we may truly worship thee. Holy, blessed, divine Spirit
of truth, we pray for thy heavenly power, we pray for thy divine
unction to be known and felt, as we gather together around
thy word and that we pray that thou wouldst convince us of our
sin and lead to Jesus' blood and to our wandering eyes reveal
the secret love of God. We pray that we might know the
presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, that we may behold his glory,
the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace
and truth. We pray that we may touch the
hem of his garment and draw from that sacred fullness that is
in him. For he is full of grace and truth,
and in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. O Lord,
we do pray that thou wouldst remember us then at this time
and grant us clear believing views of our Lord Jesus Christ.
who is the light of the world. Oh, we do pray, most gracious
Lord, that we may be led of the spirit into the wonderful glory
of that holy life of our Lord Jesus. And in that
holy life, the law fulfilled and honored and magnified and
everlasting righteousness brought in We do thank Thee, O most gracious
God, for the wonders and glories of Christ. We thank Thee for
the sacred, sin-atoning sacrifice of Calvary, for the precious
blood of the Lamb. O tonight, may we behold the
Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. O do hear
us, Lord, we pray Thee. We pray that we might know the
divine and heavenly power of our eternal Father, drawing us
unto Jesus Christ, and revealing unto us the wonderful glory of
his person. For through him we have access
by one spirit unto the Father, and we do thank thee for that
access. And we pray, most gracious Lord,
that thou in thy Precious mercy, let's remember our brethren the
deacons and bless them indeed. Be with our friends away from
us at this time and grant that it may be a time of rest and
change and they may become home again refreshed and renewed,
we do humbly pray thee. Do remember those that are not
able to be with us at this evening hour, whatever that reason may
be. and do bless them indeed, we
do humbly beseech thee. Remember each one of our brethren
and sisters in church fellowship and work mightily, powerfully,
and effectually among us. Remember those, O Lord, that
are spiritually exercised and that desire to follow thee in
the way of thy holy commandments. We do pray that thou wouldst
constrain them in love to follow thee. Lord Jesus, we do pray
for thy great namesake. May they come and tell to sinners
round what a dear saviour they have found and point to thy redeeming
blood and say, behold the way to God. Lord, we do pray that
thou in thy great mercy would then remember us as a church
and as a congregation, and work mightily, powerfully, and effectually
among us for thy great namesake. May the dead hear thy voice. Blessed and holy is he that hath
part in the first resurrection. Upon such a second death hath
no power, or that there might be those born again of the Spirit
and brought to saving faith in Jesus Christ and be true followers
of Thee. And O Lord, we do pray that Thou
in Thy precious mercy would remember the little ones and the children
as they gather with us and bless them in their young and tender
years. May the fear of the Lord that
is the beginning of wisdom be granted unto them. Remember the
young friends as they launch forth in life's journey, no doubt
with many desires and many longings. We pray that thou would bring
them to live in vital saving faith in Jesus Christ, that they
may become true followers of thee and of those who through
faith and patience inherit the promises. We pray, O Lord, that
they may be given that grace to seek first the kingdom of
heaven and thy righteousness and all these things shall be
added unto you. We pray that they may remember
their creator in the days of their youth. Oh, do hear us,
Lord, we humbly beseech thee. Remember parents, give wisdom,
give help, give guidance, give direction in all matters, and
graciously bless them indeed be with the families as they
gather for family worship, that there may be that true worship
of thee in the home. Oh Lord, thou hast promised to
be with those that keep their morning and evening vows. And
oh Lord, we do pray that thou in thy great mercy would remember
all in the midst of the journey of life and undertake for each
one, I know I see, all the needs and the concerns of each one.
We know it's those that have wandered away. We know it's those
that are being drawn aside by the wicked one, by the allurements
of this world. We pray that thou would be gracious
unto them and draw them to thyself. Draw my soul to thee, my Lord. Let me love thy precious word.
So Lord, bless us as a church and as a congregation, make us
a truly spiritual people, and grant, O Lord, that there may
be that gracious determination to know nothing among men, whether
preacher or hearer, save Jesus Christ and him crucified. Thou
hast promised, O Lord, that when the enemy comes in like a flood,
the spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him, So
we pray to be delivered from the temptations of Satan, whether
he comes as a roaring lion to devour, or whether he comes as an angel
of light to deceive. We pray to be delivered from
his power and from his influence. And oh Lord God, we do pray that
thou in thy precious mercy would remember those of us that are
in evening time of life's journey. Remember us with the favour that
thou bearest unto thy people, visit us with thy great salvation,
and at the appointed time grant us an abundant entrance into
thy heavenly kingdom. And O Lord, we realise it's not
by works of righteousness that I have done, but according to
his abundant mercy. that wonderful mercy that is
in Jesus Christ. Oh, that that mercy may flow
into our hearts. The mercy of the Lord is from
everlasting to everlasting upon them that love him. And oh Lord, we do thank thee
for every mercy of thy kind providence. We thank thee for our house of
prayer. We thank thee for the gathering together of the people
We thank thee that thy mercies are new every morning and great
is thy faithfulness. We thank thee for our Lord Jesus
Christ, for the love of our heavenly Father, and for the wonderful
gift of the Holy Ghost. O gracious God, we would enter
thy gates with praise, with the voice of thanksgiving, great
is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is. unsearchable, come and touch
one's lips with the live coal from off the heavenly altar. We ask with the forgiveness of
all sin, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 748. The tune is Ashton 286. In darkness born, I went astray
and wandered from the gospel way. And since the Savior gave
me sight, I cannot see without his light. hymn 748, tune Ashton
286. O come, let us adore Him, O come,
let us adore Him, Christ the Lord. And since the Saviour gave His
heart, I am also without His heart. ? O'er the land of the free and
the home of the brave ? ? When I see thee ? ? Thou in spirit,
in image, in song, and dream ? I cannot go without this light,
I cannot see ? In love's rich light ? ? I can
look on ? ? And say to God ? ? How in your marriage ? ? So rich
was I ? ? Be still, my weary state ? ?
Yet as I shall walk on mercy's way ? And he's a son that's on the
hill, And he'll sing when he can when I'm with him. Greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, I would direct your attention to the prophecy
of Isaiah and chapter 50, and we'll read verse 10 for our text. The prophecy of Isaiah, chapter
50, verse 10. Who is among you that feareth
the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh
in darkness and hath no light. Let him trust in the name of
the Lord and stay upon his God. Who is among you that feareth
the Lord? It says here, that obeyeth the
voice of his servant. And the servant spoken of here
is not the prophet, it's the Lord Jesus Christ. The glorious
person of our Lord Jesus Christ, who's spoken of here, if you
look at verse four and onwards, it's the glorious person of our
Lord Jesus Christ that is being spoken of here. The Lord God
hath given me the tongue of the learned that I should know how
to speak a word in season to him that is weary. He wakeneth
morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned,
as the glorious person of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. The Lord, he says, hath opened
mine ear. And I was not rebellious, neither
turned away back. He had opened my ear. It's Christ
there speaking. I was not rebellious. When the
father gave the church to his son, Jesus Christ, before the
foundation of the world, he willingly, took that gift from his Heavenly
Father to be his bride. He loved her with an everlasting
love. The Father loves the Church with
an everlasting love. The Son loves the Church with
an everlasting love. The Holy Ghost loves the Church
with an everlasting love. A threefold cord cannot easily
be broken. Neither can the eternal love
of God in the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. The Lord God hath opened mine
ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. Though
he knew that it would cost him his life, though he knew that
he would have to suffer, bleed and die, It goes on in verse six and it
says, I gave my back to the smiters and my cheeks to them that plucked
off the hair. I hid not my face from shame
and spitting. How it beautifully, prophetically
speaks of our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ and his humiliation. says in the Philippians that
he humbled himself. He humbled himself as the eternal
son of God to assume human nature, to take into union with his divine
nature, a sacred holy human nature, and to become bone of our bone
and flesh of our flesh. And in that sense he humbled
himself. But then there's another sense
that he humbled himself, It speaks of it in the Philippians, that
even as a man he humbled himself. Even as a man. He humbled himself as the Son
of God, but even as a man he humbled himself. He didn't come to the palaces of the rich and the great
and the powerful. No. wonderful precious truth, the
humility of our Lord Jesus Christ. He humbled himself. He humbled himself as God to take into union with his divine
nature, a holy human nature, a finite nature, What a mystery,
isn't it? And Paul writes to Timothy, he
says, great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in
the flesh as the glorious person of our Lord Jesus Christ. He
became bone of our bone, flesh of our flesh. He did so, and
if you at your leisure look at Hebrews chapter two, you'll find
the reason that he did so. Why he humbled himself? That he might suffer. You know, as you look at the Son of God,
co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and with the Holy
Ghost, and he as the Son of God could not
suffer. God cannot suffer. God cannot be tempted of evil.
It's an impossibility. God cannot die. Again, it's an
impossibility. But in that wonderful glory of
the eternal covenant, ordered in all things and sure, God so loved the world, he gave
his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him shall be saved. He sent his son to this world
to save his people from their sins. He sent his son to this
world to fulfil, to honour, to magnify the holy righteous law
of God. You know, it says here, his servant,
and if we just for a moment look at the Isaiah chapter 42 and
the glorious person of our Lord Jesus
Christ is spoken of there and says in chapter 1 of Isaiah 42,
Behold my servant whom I uphold, mine elect in whom my soul delighted. It's God that is speaking. I
have put my spirit upon him He shall bring forth judgment to
the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up,
nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed
shall he not break, and the smoking flack shall he not quench. He
shall bring forth judgment unto truth. Think of the tenderness
and kindness and compassion of the Lord Jesus. You know, when
we're under the teaching of the Spirit, when we're under conviction
of sin, we can be like a bruised reed. A bruised reed, it bends. And you know, it has no ability
to lift itself back up. And so we, when we come under
the divine teaching of the Holy Ghost, when he convinces us of
our sin and shows us our lost condition, and brings us to feel
our darkness and bondage. Like a bruised reed, we bow down
and we cannot lift up ourselves. And the wonderful beauty of this
word that is before us, a bruised reed shall he not break? And the smoking flax shall he
not quench? Sometimes the Lord's people They
come into great troubles and trials and perplexities, both
providentially in their families, in their business, et cetera,
but also spiritually in their souls. And there may have been a time
when you were so full of zeal for the Lord. You so loved our
Lord Jesus Christ. But now, you feel to be cast
down. Now, the hymn writer puts it this way,
no longer burns our love, our faith and patience fail. You're like this smoking flax. And your spiritual life, it seems
to be so deadened. one time there was a fire that
burned but now it seems to be so deadened, just smoking, there's
no fire, you can't see the fire, is that how you feel? You can't see the fire, you can't
feel the heat of it, you can't see the light of it, this is
in your own soul, but then we have this wonderful truth concerning
my servant, the Lord Jesus Christ. Behold, my servant, a bruised
reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not
quench. He shall bring forth judgment
unto truth. And I've always felt in the beginning
of verse four so beautiful He shall not fail. We fail. We start something and
we can't always finish it. Whatever the reason may be as
to why we can't finish it, the Lord only knows. But we start
something and we can't finish it. Jesus never starts something
but what he finishes it. He shall not fail. nor be discouraged
till he hath set judgment in the earth and the owl shall wait
for his law he shall not fail oh so we have in our text the
exhortation to trust to trust who is among you that feareth
the lord that obeyeth the voice of his servant that walketh in
darkness and hath no light that does this word find you you're
walking in darkness you have no light I mean there may be a reason
why you're walking in darkness and why you have no light you might say what do you mean well if we're not walking in
obedience to the Lord's Word, to His holy commandments. Now
I know that this is not the condition of what is found in this in our
text, but we'll just deal with this if we're walking disobedient. And when we walk disobedient,
or we're rebellious, we dwell in a dry land. dry land. The hymn writer says, doesn't
he, rebellious hast thou been, and art rebellious still, but
since in love I took thee in, my promise I'll fulfil. We need the Lord to break down
that rebellion. Our Lord Jesus Christ, it says
of him, I was not rebellious. neither turned away back. I gave
my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off
the hair. I hid not my face from shame and spitting. This is the
person of Christ. For the Lord God will help me,
therefore shall I not be confounded. Therefore have I set my face
like a flint. He was determined to save, whatever
the cost. The cost would be his life. He gave his life for ransom for
all to be testified in due time. That was the redemption cost. I set my face like a flint. Determined
to save. Jesus, determined to save. There's another aspect to this
determined to save. He that hath begun a good work in
you shall perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ. I will never
leave thee nor forsake thee. I will never leave thee nor forsake
thee. The Lord will not forsake his
people. You may be greatly tempted. The
Lord has forsaken you or will forsake you. He never will. He
will not fail. And this is the spirit of Christ.
Therefore, have I set my face like a flint and I know that
I shall not be ashamed. And then he says, he is near
that justifies me. He died for our sins and he rose
again for our justification. And when he rose again, he was
justified is without sin. when he suffered and bled and
died he was bearing all the sin of the church but when he rose
from the grave that sin was left in the grave never to be seen
again their sins and their iniquities will i remember no more that
is what it is my beloved friends to be justified he is near that
justifies me who will contend with me let us stand together
who is my adversary let him come near to me this is christ speaking
Behold, the Lord God will help me. Who is he that shall condemn
me? Lo, they all shall wax old as
a garment. The moss shall eat them up. There
is now therefore no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. Never will be. No condemnation
to them that are in Christ Jesus. But when you're walking in darkness,
it's like in one of the Psalms you read, we see not our signs
by reason of darkness. Maybe that's how you've come
to the house of God tonight. You can't see the signs of life
in your soul. You have no light. That's how
you feel at this time. Who is among you? Now the Holy
Spirit has left this on record for our instruction. For our instruction. We read
Abraham when the Lord called him out of Ur of the Chaldees
and gave him a promise, the promise of his seed and that was 25 years
before that seed was brought forth. 25 years. This is written for our instruction.
We read in Hebrews that Abraham hoped against hope. Who is among you that feareth
the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh
in darkness and hath no light, And this is the condition that
is found, but there's a world of direction. Let him trust in
the name of the Lord and stay upon his God. I, the Lord, change
not. Therefore ye sons of Jacob are
not consumed. Now we change and we're very
changeable creatures, we really are. We're sometimes hot, we're
sometimes cold. I think it's in one of J.C. Philpott's
through Baker's Vale, he speaks in there of a condition that
he'd known and felt. And those of us that are spiritual
will understand what he's talking about. He said he knew what it
was, to get up in the morning and feel the Lord's favour and
Lord's blessing in his soul. And he said he walked out and
went to go downstairs he said at the top of the stairs I was
feeling such the favour of the Lord. But he said when I got
to the bottom of the stairs I was in darkness, in bondage. You see we are changeable. But the Lord isn't. Jesus Christ isn't. He that hath
begun a good work in you shall perform it unto the day of Jesus
Christ. O thou who changest not abide
with me. Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today. forever. He doesn't change. Our feelings
change. Our circumstances change. Everything
about us changes. But here is one that never changes. Let him trust in the name of
the Lord. Let him trust in the name of
the Lord. Trust him though you can't see
him. That's what, is to walk by faith. In that excellent book of the
Hebrews in the chapter 11, the apostle speaks of the nature
of faith. He says, faith is the substance
of things hoped for, yet not seen. It's what you're hoping
for. It's what you're waiting for.
It's what you're looking for. It's what you're praying for.
Yet you can't see it. The just shall walk by his faith. Faith in him that changes not.
Faith in him that has all power. Faith in that precious Sinatolian
blood that was shed, that Calvary. Faith in that glorious everlasting
robe of the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Faith in his person,
because here it says the name of the Lord, And we find that
right throughout scripture. What it means, and there are
many different names, God discovers himself to us in his word by
many different names. The Lord Jesus Christ has many
different names in holy scripture. But for name, read the person. Because God is what his name
declares. The Lord of hosts. Lord of hosts. That means all
hosts, all hosts, whether they be hosts of angels, whether they
be the whole host of the Church of God on earth, whether it be
hosts of devils, fallen angels, he's the Lord of hosts. Whether it be the whole of mankind,
he's the Lord of hosts. Whether it be the ruler on the
throne, the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, and as
rivers of water, he turneth it with us whoever he will. My beloved friends, never underestimate
the power, grace, and love of God in Christ. Let him trust. in the name of the Lord and stay
upon his God. Like Abraham, hoping against
hope. That narrative in Holy Scripture
of the Lord's servant Abraham, surely it's a picture for us. When we see the Lord's dealings
with Abraham, they were at times very perplexing.
They were. But the Lord fulfilled his promise.
Maybe you have a promise that the Lord has given to you. A promise that has been made exceptionally
precious to you. But now you can't feel the preciousness
or the power of that promise. The Lord hasn't changed. He never
changes. If once the love of Christ I
feel impressed upon my breast, the mark of that celestial seal
can never be erased. You can't feel it at this time.
There was a time when the light and the power of the gospel shone
into your heart. But now you have darkness, who? is among you that feareth the
Lord. What is it to fear the Lord? What is it to fear the
Lord? We read in the Proverbs, the
fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. We read also in the Proverbs,
the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. So what is the fear of the Lord? A person that has the fear of
the Lord is a person that has been quickened into life by the
Holy Ghost. They become a God-fearing person. Now this fear of the Lord is
very different to that which we have under the law. Under
the law it's a slavish fear. You fear the Lord because you
fear his anger. You fear the Lord because he
can send your soul to hell. You fear the Lord because you've
broken his holy law. And that's a terrible slavish
fear. But the fear of the Lord that is spoken of in our text
is the holy filial fear of the Lord. And it arises from the
indwelling of the Spirit of God in the heart. Because your soul
has been quickened. It's a fear that works by love. It's a fear that works by love. It's because you love the Lord.
It's because he's quickened your soul. It's because he's caused
you to flee from the rock which is to come. It's because Christ
in some little measure has been made precious to you. His love
has been made known to you. His love has been shed abroad
in your heart. You know when, especially in
those initial times of the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning
of wisdom, you run to the house of God. There is a sense of anticipation
when you go up to the house of God, because it's there where
the Lord feeds you. is there where the Holy Ghost softens your heart, where you feel a love to Jesus
Christ, when you hear Him preached, when you hear of His precious
blood, His glorious righteousness, when you hear of His wonderful
miracles, the lame walking and the blind seeing and the deaf
hearing, The poor have the gospel preached
unto them and you feel poor and all that wonderful gospel of
Jesus Christ and your heart is drawn to the Lord. Who is among you that feareth
the Lord? That obeyeth the voice of his
servant? You walk in as it were in submission
to his heavenly mind and will. To this man will I look to him
that is poor and of a contrite spirit and that trembleth at
my word that arises from the fear of the Lord. Poor and of a contrite spirit
that word contrite in some ways it's quite a complicated word But in the broadest sense of
the meaning of it, you're brought into submission to the Lord's
will. You're contrary, you're humbled. You know, I think the best way
of explaining or using an example of contrition, it's our Lord
Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. And as we know, it
was in the Garden of Gethsemane where the sin of the church was
laid upon him. And he being in an agony, sweat
as it were, great drops of blood falling down to the ground. But
the other thing that we read in the Garden of Gethsemane is
three times the Lord Jesus went away from those three disciples
about a stone's cast and he kneeled down and prayed. And three times
He prayed the same thing. It may trouble you sometimes,
because you have to pray the same thing again and again. But
Jesus did. When the tremendous weight of
the sin of the whole church was to be laid upon him, Father,
if it be possible, Let this cup pass from me, but not my will,
but thine be done. That is contrition. That is contrition. It's when we're humbled under
the mighty hand of God. That, my beloved friends, is
the Spirit of Christ. When we are humbled under the
mighty hand who is among you that feareth
the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh
in darkness and hath no light. Let him trust, let him live by
faith, that's what it means, in the name of the Lord. In the book of Proverbs, I believe
it's Chapter 18, verse 10, the name of the Lord is a strong
tower and the righteous runneth into it. They run into that tower. David in Psalm 18, where he speaks
to the Lord of the wonderful things that he'd done for him
in setting him on the throne of Israel in spite of all his
enemies, et cetera. And he begins that Psalm Thou
art my rock and my fortress, my strong and my high tower,
and unto Thee shall I continually resort. The name of the Lord,
Thou art my rock. Jesus Christ, when Peter confessed
to him, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God, he
said, blessed art Thou, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood
hath not revealed this unto Thee, but my Father, which is in heaven. And then in answer to that confession
about the Christ, the son of the living God, Jesus said, upon
this rock, I build my church and the gates of hell shall not
prevail against it. We read so many places here in
the prophecy of Isaiah concerning our Lord Jesus Christ. My mind,
it just goes, it did this afternoon, to chapter 47 of Isaiah and verse
four, as for our Redeemer, the Lord of hosts is his name, the
Holy One of Israel. That speaks of the divinity of
Christ. Christ is the Redeemer. As for
our Redeemer, The Lord of hosts is his name, the Holy One of
Israel. Jesus is the eternal Son of God. The apostle dwelling on that
very point, he says, let us therefore come boldly. Why? Because he's
the eternal Son of God. With heaven and earth at his
command, he waits to answer prayer. Let us therefore come boldly
unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find
grace to help in time of need. He does. And the Apostle Paul
in the Hebrews as well, he says, wherefore he is able to save
to the uttermost. Why? Because he's the eternal
son of God. Because he's this almighty, unchangeable
redeemer. He's Jehovah Jesus, the same
yesterday and today and forever. He will never change His mind.
He's begun a good work in you and He will perform it unto the
day of Jesus Christ. As for our Redeemer, the Lord
of hosts is His name, the Holy One of Israel. Of course there is that beautiful prophetic word very
well known in Isaiah chapter 9, the wonderful promises concerning
our Lord Jesus Christ. Verses 6 and 7 of Isaiah 9. For unto us a child is born,
unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his
shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful. counsellor,
the mighty God, that's who Jesus is, the everlasting Father, no
man cometh unto the Father but by me. The only way that we can
know the Father is in Christ, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government
and peace there shall be no end. Upon the throne of David and
upon his kingdom to order it and to establish it with judgment
and with justice from henceforth even forever the zeal of the
Lord of hosts will perform this. Every soul that has been chosen by the Father
has been redeemed by Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. and the Holy Ghost has entered
their heart, that the Lord's appointed time, quicken their
soul into life, brought them to living faith in Jesus Christ. Every single one of those souls
will reach heaven. None shall pluck them out of
my Father's hand. Who is among you that feareth
the Lord? that obeyeth the voice of his
servant, that walketh in darkness and hath no light, let him trust
in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God. Job, in the midst
of all his terrible troubles, though he slay me, yet will I
trust in him. Though he slay me, yet will I
trust in him. May the Lord give us this faith. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 557, The tune is Sweet Name, 730. How sweet and precious is the
name of Jesus Christ, the Lord, the Lamb, to sinners in distress. A name just suited to their case,
pregnant with mercy, truth, and grace, with strength and righteousness. Hymn 557, tune Sweet Name, 730.
? O come, let us adore Him ? ?
Christ the Lord, come, let us adore Him ? ? Christ the Lord, come, let us adore
Him ? ? The angels sing to thee ? ? Heaven
and earth adore thee ? ? For thy praise is true and ever mighty
? you If they but keep the serf's command,
He takes on sin, wrath, woe, and death. One will the slave
experience. ? He'll take me home, never leave
me ? ? And make no plans to go to him ? ? Yes, he'll take me home,
never leave me ? ? Praise thy name ? ? In heaven above ? ? Christ was
born ? ? And all the earth ? ? Sings him a song ? O'er the ramparts
we watched, were so gallantly streaming? ? And I'm still a-sleepin' so deep
? ? And I'm a-crashin' trying to sleep ? ? It is not quite
true ? ? Yes, they, yes, they, they know
the place ? ? On the hills, on the mountains, in narrow place
? ? They know my joy, they know my peace ? you God bless our family, where life
and good are guaranteed, where peace and treatment stay. Keeping the dreams of Churchill
close, All ages sing of his chalice, And in the soul their care. He is the Father and the Son
and the Holy Spirit, Almighty God and King forever. Now may the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, the sacred fellowship
of the Holy Spirit, rest and abide with us each, both now
and forevermore. Amen.