Let us commence our service this
afternoon by singing together hymn 121. The tune is Tiltley
Abbey 247. Jesus in thee our eyes behold,
a thousand glories more than the rich gems and polished gold,
the sons of air and war. Hymn 121, tune Tiltley Abbey
247. Jesus, with thee, arise, behold,
? A thousand more be told ? ? Than
the rich gems of Polish gold ? ? The sound of Aaron's horn
? ? Make us ever the glory true ?
? To protect ourselves from sin ? ? By thy prosper ? ? Without a talk ever by nature
free ? ? Yet God has come to save us today ? The day has offered no testing,
And I'm alone in danger. ? Heav'n above the hills ? ? My
priesthood ran through central lands ? O Lord, to us their praise. I will watch thee till all things
are in their rightful place. ? Once in the sacrifice ? ? With
God the Father ? ? His own ? ? Parable within ? ? The
bell appears ? ? Before the congregation ? ? But Christ, the eternal God
? Oh, say does that star-spangled
banner yet wave Jesus the King of Glory reigns
? Of Zion's heavenly hail ? ? Lord,
like a mount ? ? At God be slain ? ? At God be slain ? ? At God
be slain ? ? At God be slain ? ? At God be slain ? ? At God
be slain ? ? At God be slain ? He ever lived to be perceived
Before his father's face Let us read together from the
holy word of God in the First Epistle of Peter, Chapter 2. The First Epistle of Peter, Chapter
2. Wherefore, laying aside all malice,
and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may
grow thereby. If so be ye have tasted that
the Lord is gracious, to whom coming as unto a living stone,
disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious. Ye also as lively stones are
built up a spiritual house, and holy priesthood, to offer up
spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore, also it is contained
in the scripture, behold, I lay in Sion a chief cornerstone,
elect, precious, and he that believeth on him shall not be
confounded. Unto you therefore which believe,
he is precious. But unto them which be disobedient,
the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made
the head of the corner, a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence. Even to them which stumble at
the word, being disobedient were unto also they were appointed. But ye are a chosen generation,
a royal priesthood, and holy nation, a peculiar people, that
ye should show forth the praises of him hath called you out of
darkness into his marvellous light, which in time past were
not a people, but are now the people of God, who had not obtained
mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Dearly beloved, I beseech
you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which
war against the soul, having your conversation honest among
the Gentiles, that whereas they speak against you as evildoers,
they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify
God in the day of visitation. Submit yourselves to every ordinance
of man for the Lord's sake, whether it be to the king as supreme
or unto governors as unto them that are sent by him for the
punishment of ill-doers, for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God that
with well-doing you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish
men, as free and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness,
but as the servants of God. Honour all men, love the brotherhood,
fear God, honour the King. Servants, be subject to your
masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also
to the froward. For this is thankworthy if a
man, for conscience toward God, endure grief. suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it if when
ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? But
if when ye do well and suffer for it, ye take it patiently,
this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called,
because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example
that he should follow his steps, who did no sin, neither was guile
found in his mouth, who when he was reviled, reviled not again,
when he suffered he threatened not, but committed himself to
him that judgeth righteously, who his own self bare our sins
in his own body on the tree that we being dead to sins, should
live unto righteousness, by whose stripes you were healed. For
you were a sheep going astray, but are now returned unto the
shepherd and bishop of your souls. May the Lord bless the reading
of his own precious word. Grant unto us a spirit of real
prayer. Almighty, most merciful and eternal
God, Thou who art the Alpha and the
Omega, the beginning and the ending, the first and the last. Thou hast said, I am he which
is and which was and which is to come, the Almighty. We would
humbly bow before thy glorious majesty. Very conscious, O Lord,
of our sinfulness, of the corruption of our nature. And we pray that though sin lives
in us, may we not live in sin, but may we live to him that died.
May we be surrendered to the crucified one. We pray that this
afternoon the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ The love of God
our Father, the sacred fellowship of the Holy Spirit may rest and
abide upon us. Holy, blessed, divine Spirit,
we pray for thy heavenly power. We pray for thy divine unction.
We pray that thou would open our understanding and the word
of truth may be open to our hearts and sealed there, that it may
become a living word a powerful word in each one of our hearts. We pray, Lord Jesus, that thou
in thy precious mercy would come and stand in our midst, that
we may behold thy glory, the glory as of the only begotten
of the Father, that we may touch the hem of thy garment and draw
from that fullness, that fullness of grace that is in thee, for
thou art full of grace and truth, and in thee dwelleth all the
fullness of the Godhead bodily. Lord Jesus, we would indeed humbly
worship thee, and bow before thee, casting all our crowns
before thee, lost in wonder, love, and praise. We pray that
we may be favoured with the divine power of our Heavenly Father,
drawing us unto his best beloved, an all-glorious Son, for none
come except the Father draw. May we each know those divine
drawings here this afternoon, drawing us unto Jesus Christ.
May we see a beauty, a loveliness in Jesus Christ. May we, O Lord,
behold him as the altogether lovely one, the chiefest among
ten thousand. O Lord, we do pray that we may
be washed in his precious blood, that we may be clothed in his
glorious righteousness, that we may know him as our great
high priest who is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of
God, that we may know him as that one that has made a new
and living way into the holy place, that we may touch the
hem of his garment, have that vital union and communion with
him. We do humbly pray that we may
be led into spiritual things and spiritual things may become
a sacred reality unto us. Bless our brethren the deacons,
give grace, wisdom and help and all their responsibilities. Bless
each one of our brethren and sisters in Christ, unite us together
in the sacred fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom,
that we may love Thee and serve Thee in our day, in our generation,
that the fear of the Lord may be an exercise in our hearts,
an unctuous light to all that's right and a bar to all that's
wrong, that we may hear that still small
voice Thy voice, O Lord, was not in the earthquake, nor was
it in the mighty wind, but it was in that still, small
voice. And we pray that this afternoon
we may hear that still, almighty voice of God in each one of our
hearts, and that the word of the Lord may have free course,
and that thy name may be honoured and glorified. Lord, we pray
that we may be guided and directed by thee, not only here in the
service, but each day in our lives. Enable us to constantly
and continually commit our way unto the Lord and to trust also
in him. And may thy word be our constant
companion. May we read it and study it and
meditate therein and behold wondrous things in thy law. May thy word
be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. Lord, we pray
for the little ones and the children that thy blessing may rest upon
them. We pray for the young friends that thou wouldst lay hold of
them, show them thy ways, teach them thy paths, open their hearts
to receive thy word. We do humbly pray thee. Grant
that a seed may be raised up, to call thee the Redeemer blessed.
Grant the fulfilling of that wonderful promise. Instead of
thy father shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes
in all the earth. Be with them, Lord, to bring
them to living faith in Jesus Christ, and be with them to guide
them in every path in providence. those that would desire a partner
in life's journey we pray that there was granted. That great God has left on record
that thou didst bring a Ruth unto Boaz and thou didst bring
a Rebecca unto Isaac and this was all thy wonderful purpose
that was fulfilled by thee and pray that it may be so with each
one of our young friends. guide and direct. Lord, we pray
that thou wouldst graciously remember all in the midst of
the journey of life, and especially parents, give wisdom and help
to bring up their children. Be gracious, Lord, we humbly
pray thee. And we pray that thou wouldst
deliver us from the temptations of Satan, whether he comes as
an angel of light to deceive or a roaring lion to devour.
We need thee, O Lord, to deliver us from his power and from his
influence. We need thee to fulfil that wonderful
promise. When the enemy comes in like
a flood, the spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against
him. Lord, we pray that thou wouldst
remember all in the midst of the journey of life. and graciously watch over them
and keep them. Remember prodigals that have
wandered away, that do not have that desire to come. Cause them
to be in want. Cause them to return. Lord, they
are able to do abundantly more. We can even ask of them. And
grant that they may become no more a stranger or a guest, but
like a child at home. Lord, we can say with David,
I've loved the habitation of thy house and the place where
thine honour dwelleth. Lord, remember those of us that
are now in the evening time of life's journey. Remember us with the favour that
thou bearest unto thy people. Visit us with thy great salvation, and prepare us that great day,
when we shall soar through tracks unknown, and see thee on thy
judgment throne. And Lord, we do not know how
soon that will be, but we would rest in thy precious
word. There is a time to be born, and
there is a time to die. There is a time for every work
under heaven, and we would fall into thy kind and gracious hands. We would render thanksgiving
unto thee for the wonders of thy loving kindness and mercy,
and of causing thy goodness to pass before us in the way. We
render thanksgiving unto thee, O Lord, for the glories of Christ,
and the wonders of redeeming love and that wonderful glory
that we have a great high priest in heaven above, a friend before
the throne of love, we do thank thee for Jesus Christ, that he
is our great high priest and that he is going to come again
and receive us unto himself. May that be, O Lord, a sweet
expectation in our hearts. We do humbly pray then. Come
and touch one's lips with a live coal from off the heavenly altar.
Come and open the word of truth to our heart and to our understanding.
We ask for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. Let us now sing the first six
verses of hymn 794. The tune is St Sepulchre 406. When Aaron in the holiest place,
atonement made for Israel's race, the names of all their tribes
expressed, he wore conspicuous on his breast. first six verses
of hymn 794 the tune is in sepulchre 406. ? Lord in the highest ? ? Heaven
and earth are full of your presence ? ? Heav'nly Lord, how great Thou'rt
? ? The all-embracing God of Israel ? The winter's come, tis summer's
gone, deep-sleeping in the green grove. ? Lord of the world, heavenly King
? ? I will be with her always to sing ? Each has a role to play to help
with the important things they say. Rejoice, O Bride Unwedded! Rejoice,
O Bride Unwedded! ? And as the winter days die on
? ? Her bosom, her bosom, her bosom, her bosom, her bosom,
her bosom, her bosom, her bosom, her bosom, her bosom, her bosom,
her bosom, her bosom, her bosom, her bosom, her bosom, her bosom,
her bosom, her bosom, her bosom, her bosom, her bosom, her bosom,
her bosom, her bosom, her bosom, her bosom, her bosom, her bosom,
her bosom, her bosom, her bosom, her bosom, her bosom, her bosom,
her bosom, her bosom, her bosom, her bosom, her bosom, her bosom,
her bosom, her bosom, her bosom, her bosom, her bosom, her bosom,
her bosom, her bosom, her bosom, her bosom, her ? His splendid wings ? ? Let it
ring, O California ? ? It's the best
thing ever sung ? ? In excelsis Deo ? ? Gloria in excelsis Deo
? ? Bless each day ? ? Spring open
wide ? ? O Grandma ? O come, O come, all ye faithful
joyful and triumphant O come, O come, all ye faithful joyful Greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, I'll direct your attention to the book of the
Revelation, chapter 8. The book of the Revelation, chapter
8. And we'll read verse 5. And the angel took the censer.
and filled it with fire off the altar and cast it into the earth. And there were voices and thunderings
and lightnings and earthquakes. I actually meant to read verse
four as well. And the smoke of the incense,
which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before
God out of the angels' hands. This verse it gives us a little
light into the old dispensation, the Levitical dispensation of
the Old Testament when they did various sacrifices and offerings
and where there was the tabernacle worship and equally in the temple
later in the days of Solomon and on the day of atonement the
priest took a censer, a golden censer and he put in it hot coals
from off the altar and he took spices or incense and he placed
it on the red hot coals and so when the incense dropped onto
the red hot coals smoke went up and the whole of the sanctuary
was filled with this beautiful perfume. You know with all those
sacrifices and offerings that sanctuary would have been what
we would say a very smelly place. But when the incense was put
onto the red-hot coals the whole of the place was filled with
the most beautiful smell. and we are indeed told in the
Book of Exodus how they made this incense and how it was prepared
and it was what we might say of equal measure the spices that
were put in it. In Exodus chapter 30 And it says from verse 30, And
thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that
they may minister unto the Lord in the priest's office. And thou
shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall
be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations.
Upon man's flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall you
make any other like it. after the composition of it,
it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you. Whosoever compoundeth
any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall
even be cut off from his people. And the Lord said unto Moses,
Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, onica, galbanum, these
sweet spices with pure frankincense, of each shall there be a like
weight, and thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after
the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy. And
thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put it before the
testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will
meet with thee, it shall be unto you most holy. And as for the
perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves
according to the composition thereof, it shall be unto thee
holy for the Lord. And whosoever shall make like
unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from the
people. We notice after the art of the
apothecary, so they would take all these spices and frankincense
each of an equal measure. This is so beautifully representative
of our Lord Jesus Christ. All these spices were to be of
equal measure. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
only holy man that has ever walked this earth. He had a perfect
disposition. Everything equal. You know, we
get people and they Some of them have a quiet disposition, some
of them have a bad temper and they fly off at anything. We're
all different and we're all sinful, but this man, the man Christ
Jesus, he was pure, he was holy, he was even-tempered. And in some way, I feel that
this incense was representing the person of Christ and it was beaten small with a mortar
and pestle and I see in that our Lord Jesus Christ we see
him in the garden of Gethsemane when our eternal father laid
upon him the iniquity of us all sweat as it were great drops
of blood falling down to the ground he said father if it be
possible let this cup pass from me but not my will but thine
be done he was in perfect acquiescence with the will of his heavenly
father and these tremendous sufferings that he was to go through and
uh i feel that this incense sets before us something of the glorious
person of our Lord Jesus Christ on the day of atonement which
is recorded in the Leviticus chapter 16. We find there in
that list of what was to be done on the day of atonement and we
just look through verse 12, and he shall take a censer, this
is Aaron the high priest, he shall take a censer full of burning
coals of fire from off the altar before the Lord and his hands
full of sweet incense beaten small and bring it within the
veil and he shall put the incense upon the fire before the Lord
that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that
is upon the testimony that he dine on. You see this sense and
when he did that that the whole of the sanctuary was filled with
the most beautiful smell. It gives us a little understanding
of the meaning of some of the spiritual expressions in scripture
his name shall be his ointment poured forth that is the name
of Christ and this incense you know when the incense was thrown
on the red hot coals the Lord Jesus Christ he suffered the
awful wrath of God against him because of the sin of his people
red hot coals he suffered he bled he died but you know what
a sweet smell arises from the garden of Gethsemane, from the
judgment hall, from the cross of Calvary, especially when we
see in the light of the prophecy of Isaiah 53, he was wounded
for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities
and the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes
we are healed. The glorious person of our Lord
Jesus Christ. This cloud that covered the mercy
seat that is upon the testimony that he died on and then he was
to take the sacrifice and that day of atonement in particular
it says in verse 15 then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering
beautifully representing the glorious person of our Lord Jesus
Christ. That is for the people and bring
his blood within the veil and do with that blood as he did
with the blood of the bullock and sprink it upon the mercy
seat before the mercy seat. This is so typical of the blood
of Jesus Christ and he shall make an atonement for the holy
place because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and
because of their transgressions in all their sins, so shall he
do for the tabernacle of the congregation that remaineth among
them in the midst of their uncleanness." Something, you know, that the
Lord's people feel. There's much teaching in these
Levitical offerings, etc. especially when we think of the
iniquity that remains in our hearts. Those of us that hope
we've been born again, we trust that we've been brought to live
in faith in Jesus Christ, we trust in his righteousness and
his precious blood, and yet remaining in the midst of us, there is
sin that is in our hearts. It's not that we live in sin,
But sin lives in us. And that is the great trial of
the living child of God. That constant sense of sin within. The realization, like the Apostle
says, that which I would, I do not. That which I would not,
I do. I find a law within my members
that when I would do good, that an evil is present with me. And it says in verse 18, unto
the altar that is before the Lord, and make an atonement for
it, and shall take of the blood of the bullock and the blood
of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round
about, and he shall sprinkle the blood upon it with the finger
seven times. You know, sprinkling the blood
before the golden mercy seat. Remember what the Lord said to
Moses there, will I meet with thee. There will I commune with
thee. And this sprinkled blood represents
the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son. There will I meet with thee. There will I commune with thee. You know my beloved friends,
we cannot meet God anywhere else. Out of Christ, almighty power
can do nothing but devour. But in Christ, There is an atonement
that has been made whereby the poor sinner is accepted and the
beloved is complete in him, in that glorious atonement made
for sin. If we still look at Leviticus
16, and that was what we've read is the reconciling of the holy
place. And then in verse 21, see verse
20 he says and he shall bring the live goat and Aaron shall
lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat and confess
over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel and all
their transgressions in all their sins putting them upon the head
of the goat and shall send him away into the hand by the hand
of a fit man into the wilderness and the goat shall bear upon
him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited, and he
shall let go the goat in the wilderness. See, their sins and
their iniquities will I remember no more. They've been dealt with. And where have they been dealt
with? At the cross of Calvary. Sin has been put away. Divine
justice has been satisfied. God and sinners are reconciled,
and peace is made between God and man. Where? In that precious
blood. What is that name that speaks
for me? In heaven's high courts above,
and from the curse has set me free. Tis Jesus' precious blood. That precious blood of the lamb. And the goat shall bear upon
him all their iniquities. Now we look at this in the spiritual
light and I think it's Isaac Watts in one of his hymns so
beautifully speaks of it. He says, my faith would lay her
hand on that dear head of thine. That's Christ's head. My faith
would lay her hand on that dear head of thine. But like a penitent
I stand and there confess my sin. In a ceremonial, way, the
sin of the Israel was on that live goat. It would be done the
same of course with the goat that was sacrificed. And so it
was put away. Now in a sense the live goat,
the sacrificed goat represents the sacrifice of Christ but in
another sense The live goat represents Christ resurrected. He's taken
away our sins. He rose again for our justification
that we might be declared to be without sin. And the goat shall bear upon
him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited. And he
shall let go the goat into the wilderness. These things are
written, my beloved friends, for our instruction in the ways
of righteousness and of truth and the smoke of the incense.
See, it says here in verse 3 of Revelation 8, And another angel came and stood
at the altar having a golden censer, there was given unto
him much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of
all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
This incense here is so obviously the merits of Christ, the merits
of his sacrifice and it's offered with the prayers
of all saints. You know, friends, it is a very
important thing that when we pray, we always pray for Jesus
Christ's sake. The Lord himself said, whatsoever
ye ask in my name, I will do it. Whatsoever ye ask in my name,
the name of Jesus. So when we pray, it should always
be for Jesus Christ's sake, not for my sake. All my righteousnesses
are as filthy rags. We're all as an unclean thing.
But when we plead for Jesus, we're pleading his precious blood.
We're pleading his glorious righteousness. And it's brought out here just
how much that is meant. The incense means the Lord Christ. He's given him much incense that
he should offer it with the prayers of all saints. upon the golden
altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense,
which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before
God out of the angel's hand. The incense. David, again, this
opens it up a little more. David says in one of his Psalms,
let my prayer be set forth before thee incense. What he means is,
is that may my prayers be perfumed with the sacred merits of our
Lord Jesus Christ. Whatsoever ye ask in my name
I will do it. And another angel came and stood
at the altar having a golden censer and there was given unto
him much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of
all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
And the smoke of the incense which came with the prayers of
the saints ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. You know, I read that portion
in Peter, the second chapter of the first epistle Peter and
the the apostle there he so beautifully speaks he says laying aside all
malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and all evil speakings
as newborn babes what a wonderful thing if here in our congregation
we have some newborn babes well You may say, well, we don't have
any babes here. No, we mean those that are newborn
in Christ. And the word here, as newborn
babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow
thereby. The sincere milk of the word.
You know, friends, we're exhorted several times in Holy Scriptures
to search the scriptures. David says, let thy word be a
lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. It's the way the
Lord feeds even the little babe, the sincere milk of the word. The word feeds us. As the Holy
Spirit brings it into our hearts, opens it to our souls, it feeds
us. In whichever way that may be,
it may be in the opening of our eyes to our lost condition. It's
the Holy Spirit alone that can do that. But it will do it through
the Word. Open our eyes that we've broken
God's holy law, that we're sinners in God's sight. The sincere milk of the Word. when the Lord's servant is led
to speak and where the word of God reveals the glorious person
of our Lord Jesus Christ. And just how precious his blood
is. And why is it so precious? Because
it's the only thing that can appease divine majesty. The blood
of Jesus Christ, God's son, cleanseth us from all sin. This is the
sincere milk of the word. The Word of God reveals unto
us that the glorious righteousness of Christ, the holy life of Christ,
the sacred obedience of Christ, the righteousness of Christ,
as Daniel calls it, everlasting righteousness, this is the sincere
milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby, if so be. It's a question, isn't it? If
so be. You have tasted that the Lord
is gracious. His loving kindness, His compassion. To whom coming? Where Jesus.
To whom coming? As unto a living stone. Not some
cold, hard piece of stone. He's a living stone. To whom
coming? As unto a living stone. Disallowed
indeed of men. That means he was despised and
rejected of men but chosen of God and precious. Now this is one of the verses
I wanted to draw your attention to, verse 5, ye also as lively,
that means living stones, are built up a spiritual house and
holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God
by Jesus Christ. Sacrifices offered up. A spiritual house and holy priesthood. That's what he calls believers.
To offer up spiritual sacrifices. You think of that word in Romans
chapter 12, I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God
that you present your bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable
unto God, which is your reasonable service, and be not conformed
to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that you might know what that good and perfect and acceptable
will of the Lord is. And live in sacrifice. This present life that we have,
having tasted that the Lord is gracious, and desire in the sincere milk
of the word. Ye also as lively as living stones
are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer
up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. And then in verse 9, And this
is really what drew me to the chapter, but ye are a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood and an holy nation, a peculiar
people. That means, it doesn't mean you're
peculiar and odd. It means you're different to
everyone else. You're a peculiar people because
you've been called. You're peculiar people because
you've been born again. You have spiritual light and
life in your heart. And you desire the sincere milk
of the word that you may grow thereby. You know, they've had
that exhortation, but grow in grace and in the knowledge of
our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, but grow in grace. But ye are
a chosen generation. That's what makes you a peculiar
people. You're chosen by God the Father.
You're redeemed by God the Son. You are sanctified by God the
Holy Ghost. The Spirit of God dwells in your
heart. The Spirit of God has brought
you from spiritual death into spiritual life. So you have life in your heart.
A chosen generation. royal priesthood you know when
we think of these things don't we have to really echo
the language of the hymn writer why me why me oh blessed god
why me why such a wretch as me that must forever lie in hell
were not salvation free a chosen generation You know, the Lord didn't choose
you because you're better than anyone else. The Lord didn't choose you because
you're a good strict Baptist. No. It was a free choice. It was according to the counsel
of His own will. And we shall never, not in all
eternity, be able to work out why we were chosen. It was the
free choice. of your Heavenly Father to choose
you and to bring you to living faith in Jesus Christ and to
bring you to pray and to offer up these spiritual sacrifices
unto God. A royal priesthood is something
to be offered. You present your bodies, a living
sacrifice. A royal priesthood and holy nation
peculiar people that ye should show forth the praises of him
who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. He's called you out of darkness. If you have that in your heart
that the Lord has called you out of darkness. It's a divine
call. It's a divine persuasion that
is given. I love to meet among them now,
where the Lord's people? The house of God. I love to meet
among them now before his gracious feet to bow, though vilest of
them all. But ye are a chosen generation,
a royal priesthood, and holy nation, a peculiar people, that
ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out
of darkness into this marvelous night. Now it says here in verse
10, which in time past were not a people. There was a time when
you didn't want to be in the house of God. There was a time
when Jesus Christ meant nothing to you. Which in time past were not a
people, but are now the people of God. Which have not obtained
mercy, but are now have obtained mercy. What a mercy
it is if you can really say that you have obtained mercy. What a mercy if you can say with
David, I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice, the voice
of my supplications. And if you can go with the hymn
writer, here's my heart, Lord, take and seal it seal it from
thy courts above and you see these things my beloved
friends are written for our instruction and everything that the child
of God does it is in in and through our Lord Jesus Christ and another
angel came and stood at the altar having a golden censer and there
was given unto him much incense they should offer it with the
prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before
the throne. And the smoke of the incense
which came with the prayers of the saints ascended up before
God out of the angels and the prayers of the saints. Received
in and through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This incense,
that's the secret to this my beloved friends. This incense
is the secret to it. And may it be, you know
the Lord in his teachings, he said that when they'll bring
this thy gift to the altar, the child of God brings something
with When thou bringest thy gift to the altar, if thou hast ought against thy
brother, leave thy gift at the altar, and go and reconcile unto
thy brother. That is the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ. It will bring you to reconcile.
It will bring you to acknowledge your wrong. You know David, he had to didn't
he? In the book of Psalms, he speaks of how that he was wrong. We have to be brought to see
that we're wrong. It has to be revealed to us and
that perhaps we've had a wrong spirit and perhaps we've spoken
in a wrong spirit. A spirit that comes from our
flesh which is corrupt and sinful. Whereas the spirit that comes
from Christ is humble and sincere. It comes in confession. You know,
when he says, leave thy gift at the altar and be reconciled
unto thy brother, we hear some people, they talk in such a way
and they say, well, I'll forgive you if you forgive me. Friends,
that's not what he's speaking of here. Freely ye have received,
freely give. Not, I will forgive you if you
forgive me. We have to eat humble pie and
we have to acknowledge that we were wrong. We have to repent
of our sins. And what somebody else does,
you have to leave. What you have got to do is to
repent. and to leave thy gifts at the
altar and go and be reconciled unto thy brother. And another
angel came out and stood at the altar having a golden censer
and there was given unto him much incense that he should offer
with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was
before the throne. the smoke of the incense which
came with the prayers of the saints ascended up before God
out of the angel's hand and the angel took the censer and filled
it with fire of the altar and cast it into the earth and there
were voices and thunderings and lightnings and an earthquake
You see those prayers of the saints, they will be answered. And what are the prayers of the
saints? Pray for them that hate you. Pray for them that despitefully
use you. That's it. Pray for your enemies. It's like enemy hunger feeding.
If he thirsts, give him to drink. The prayers of the saints, the
spirit of Christ. That's how Christ lived when
he was here upon earth. He wasn't full of malice or anger
like we are. He was full of love. I love the
way that Hart puts it when he speaks of Christ in Gethsemane,
full of love. to man's lost race, full of love. Do we have that love? We know that we have passed from
death unto life because we love the brethren. Love covereth a
multitude of sins. It does. It covers a multitude
of sins. Apostle, he speaks of it so beautifully,
doesn't he, in Paul's epistle to the Corinthians, chapter 13. Though I speak with the tongues
of men and of angels and have not charity, remember we've often
explained to you the word charity actually means love in action. It's a beautiful word. And we
should be charitable. We should live charitably with
all men. Though I speak with the tongues
of men and of angels and have not charity, I am become a sounding
brass or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of
prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and though
I have all faith so that I could remove mountains and have not
charity, I am nothing. See how vital charity is, love
in action. And though I bestow all my goods
to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned and have
not charity, it profited me nothing. When our Lord Jesus Christ was
on the cross of Calvary, suffering, bleeding, dying, agony,
What did he do? Father, forgive them, for they
know not what they do. Charity in action. Father, forgive
them, for they know not what they do. Charity suffereth long
and is kind, charity envieth not, charity vaunteth not itself,
is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not
her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not
in iniquity, and rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things,
believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things,
charity never failing. Oh that we might have more of
that spirit of love, of charity, of love in action, a love that
moves us, love that moves us. The only way that we can produce
this fruit, my beloved friends, in our lives is to be united
to Christ. It's the love of Christ shed
abroad in our heart that will bring us into compliance with
his will. It will, with no excuses. And another angel came out and
stood at the altar having a golden censer there was given unto him
much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints
upon the golden altar which was before the throne and the smoke
of the incense which came with the prayers of the saints ascended
up before God out of the angel's hand and the angel took the censer
and filled it with fire of the altar and cast it into the earth
and there were voices and thunderings and lightnings and an earthquake. May the Lord add his blessing. Let us now sing together the
remaining verses of hymn 794 verses 7 to 10. The tune is Hope
350. So when our great Melchizedek,
the true atonement came to make, a holy oil anoints him too, richer
than Aaron ever knew. Hymn 794, singing verses 7 to
10. Tune Hope 350. ? Praise God in the highest ? Aret refuge in the Holy Spirit Divinit verse, semper equitur,
Anent verum divinus quam. Shepherds quake, shepherds quake, The fragrant incense of His breath,
to Him with love ? We hail thee, hail thee, hail thee, hail thee,
hail thee, hail thee, hail thee, hail thee. 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.