987, the tune is Orlington 203. Oh, what amazing words of grace
are in the Gospel found, suited to every sinner's case who knows
the joyful sound. Hymn 987, tune Orlington 203. The automating birds of peace
are in the was her fount. Hear the angel choir raising
the angels' voices, As you did to them who sinned and strayed,
who now such a royal sound. Come then with all your halts
and hoops, your every burden. In the harvest time, In the winter,
the water flows. The deepest depths of sin. This grave will live with hope and fear. ? Come give me joy in Christ. ? ? And when earthly sorrows
? ? No more hope despairs, ? ? Come let us make sure, ? Your haunted church can be with
her at full house. To save us, O Lord, I give Thee,
Each day, each day, each day From mercy's sorrow and grief
it drew. From mercy's sorrow and grief
it drew. Let us read together from the
Holy Word of God in the Epistle to the Romans, chapter 16. Paul's epistle to the Romans,
chapter 16. I commend unto you, feed me our
sister, which is a servant of the church, which is a centurion,
that you receive her in the Lord, as become his saints, and that
you assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you,
for she hath been a succorer of many, and of myself also. Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my
helpers in Christ Jesus, who have for my life laid down their
own heads, unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the
churches of the Gentiles. Likewise, greet the church that
is in their house. Salute my well-beloved Eponitas,
who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ. Great Mary, who
bestowed much labour on us. Salute, Andronychus and Junia,
my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles,
who also were in Christ before me. Great Amphious, my beloved
in the Lord. Salute, Urvain, our helper in
Christ, and stackest my beloved. Salute the pennies approved in
Christ, salute them which are of Aristopoulos' household, salute
Herodian, my kinsman, greet them that be of the household of Narcissus,
which are in the Lord, salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour
in the Lord, salute the beloved Persis, which labour much in
the Lord. Salute Ruthless, chosen in the
Lord, and his mother and mine. Salute Assycritus, Pilegron,
Hermas, Petrobius, Hermes, and the brethren which are with them.
Salute Philogos and Junia, Marius, and his sister, and Olympus,
and all the saints which are with them. Salute one another
with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute
you. Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions
and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned,
and avoid them. For they have as such served
not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by good
words and fair speeches deceived the hearts of the simple. Your
obedience has come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore
on your behalf, but yet I would have you wise unto that which
is good and simple concerning even. and the God of peace shall
prove safe and under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. Timotheus, my work-fellow,
and Lucius, and Jason, and Socipiter, my kinsmen, salute you. Aetertius,
who wrote this epistle, salutes you in the Lord. Gaius, my host,
and of the whole Church, salutes you. Erastus, the chamberlain
of the city, saluted you and called us a brother. The grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. Now to him that
is of power to establish you according to my gospel and the
preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery
which was kept secret since the world began and now is made manifest
and by the scriptures of the prophets according to the commandment
of the everlasting God. Make known to all nations for
the obedience of faith, to God only wise, be glory through Jesus
Christ forever. Amen. May the Lord bless the
reading of his own precious word and grant to us a spirit of real
prayer. Almighty, most merciful and eternal
God of heaven, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, we bow before thy
glorious majesty, thou art the Lord Jehovah, from everlasting
to everlasting thou art God, Thou art Him which is, and which
was, and which is to come, the Almighty, and Thou art Holy. We read in Thy Word, Holy, Holy,
Holy, Lord God Almighty, which is and art, and art to come. And Lord, we would bow in humble
reverence before Thy Holy Majesty, realising that we are unholy,
that we're unrighteous altogether, that we're unclean in our very
nature, and yet there's a wonderful way that thou hast named, whereby
poor wretched sinners can approach thy glorious majesty, and we
do desire to do that now, that in the name of Jesus, for
through him we have access by one Spirit unto the Father, We
pray for that free access this evening hour in and through our
beloved Redeemer. We do pray that the grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God our Father, and the sacred
fellowship of the Holy Spirit may rest and abide upon us. We
thank thee for the love of our Eternal Father and we bow in
humble obedience before thee, to thank
thee for that everlasting love, the electing love of the Father,
the redeeming love of the Son, and the sanctifying love of the
Holy Ghost. O Lord, we do thank thee for
that precious fountain of all hope. We pray that thou wouldst
come and be with us here at this evening hour, that Thou has come
and opened Thy Word to our heart and to our understanding, that
Thou has come and grant us the spirit of true worship. We pray
that we may be favoured with those divine drawings of our
Heavenly Father, that we may know by sweet experience, yea,
I have loved Thee with an everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness
have I drawn Thee. And we pray to be drawn unto
the Lord Jesus Christ, for there is one God and one mediator between
God and man, the man Christ Jesus. And we thank thee for that divine
mystery of godliness, of God manifest in the flesh. We do
thank thee for the incarnation of the Son of God. We do thank thee for those wonderful
words of grace, for God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth on him shall be saved. Oh, we
pray for clear, believing views of the glorious person of our
Lord Jesus Christ as we gather round thy Word at this evening
hour. We pray for the divine power
and the heavenly unction of the Spirit of God that we may be
led and guided and directed by him. For thy word declares unto
us, as many as are led, by the Spirit of God they are, the sons
of God. We pray that thou wouldst guide
us, O thou great Jehovah. We're pilgrims in a barren land.
We are weak, but thou art mighty. Hold us with thy powerful hand. We pray most gracious, blessed
Spirit of truth, that thou wouldst shed abroad the love of Christ
in our hearts, and that we may experience what we read of in
thine word, for God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into
our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Oh, do grant them that sacred
spirit of adoption, and that sweet submission unto Christ,
and that we may live by faith in the eternal Son of God that
was manifest in the flesh. But Lord, we thank thee that
there is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus,
who maketh intercession for his people, till he instead of me
is seen when I approach to God, What a wonderful Gospel, what
a full Gospel, what a complete Gospel is the Gospel of Jesus
Christ. We pray that the Lord Jesus may
be exalted tonight in all his glory and suitability as the
Saviour of sinners and that he has promised to bind up the brokenhearted. He has promised to cause those
that are thirsty to drink Lord, we come in his name and pray
that there may be a living spring in our hearts this night, that
the gospel may be poured forth. And we pray that it may be with
us as we read in the word, for our gospel came unto you, not
in word alone, but in power, in the Holy Ghost. And with much
assurance, we pray, Lord, that it may be so. 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. Oh, that
that may be our blessed portion as we gather round the word of
God at this evening hour. We pray most gracious Lord that
thou wouldst remember us as a church, as a congregation. Remember our
brethren, the deacons, that give needed grace, wisdom and help
in all their responsibilities, and give strength and wisdom
and help in all matters, and that remember us as a church,
and that unite us together in the sacred bonds of Christian
love and union and communion. And oh Lord, remember that we
are but dust, poor, frail dust, and strengthen us by thy Spirit
in the inner man, and grant us evening hour that that may be
so, that we may be strengthened with all might by thy Spirit
in the inner man, that we might know renewed grace, that we might
know what it is to be more spiritually minded, and our heart and our
affections to be set upon things above and not on things of the
inner. Oh, do hear us, Lord. We humbly
pray them. We think of all those in affliction
and weakness, that thou wouldst help them, support them, strengthen
them. We do humbly beseech you that
those, Lord, that are in bondage, bring them into liberty. Those
that are far off, make them nigh. Those that are in darkness, bring
them into light. May the light of the glory of
God in the face of Jesus Christ shine in your hearts this night,
that glorious everlasting light. We think of those wonderful words
of grace. Unto you that fear my name shall
the sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings. We pray, Lord, that it may be
so. We come, Lord, in confession
of our sins. a wandering tongue, our backsliders,
our coldness, our hardness. We have to mourn over that sin
that lives in us. But Lord, may we not live in
sin, but may we be delivered from its power and from its influence. And may the fear of the Lord,
which is the beginning of wisdom, be an exercise in our hearts. an unctuous light for all that's
right of God and all that's wrong. Deliver us from temptation. Deliver
us from the power and dominion of sin. Lord, sometimes the enemy,
when he comes in like a cloud, sometimes as an angel of light,
sometimes as a roaring lion, we do not have the wisdom nor
the power to stand against such a foe. that Thou hast promised
in Thy Word that when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit
of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. We pray, Lord, that
it may be so. We pray that Thy Word may be
a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path, and that we might
know that comfort and consolation in the Scriptures, and that the
Word of Truth may guide and direct us in the right way that we may
be delivered from every wrong way, every sinful way. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel
it. Prone to leave the God I love. Here's my heart, Lord, take and
seal it. Seal it from thy courts above. We pray that there will always
be Jehovah-Rophi. I am the Lord, that healeth thee. Remember the little ones and
the children that are brought into the sanctuary. We pray that
thou hast put the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning
of wisdom, into their hearts, in their young and in their tenty
years. Remember the young friends in all their concerns. Bring
them to living, 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. Grant that a seed may
be raised up among us here to call thee the Redeemer, bless
ye, that poor sinners might 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. We thank thee, Lord, for the
number of baptisings at this time in various different causes. O Lord, grant that the wind of
the Spirit may blow, that strongholds of Satan may be poured down,
that the kingdom of the Lord Jesus may be set up in the hearts
of sinners. We do humbly beseech thee. But
we pray that thou in thine precious mercy would graciously come and
blow a gale of grace upon us here. We pray that prodigals
may return, and we long to see the prodigals return. What joy
there would be among us, Lord, to see those prodigals return. And though wonderful power to
be seen in this, for, Lord, there is none that are beyond thy power. The appointed time rolls on a
pace, not to propose, but call by grace to turn the feet to
Zion's care. O most gracious Lord, do hear
us in heaven, thy only and thy blessed dwelling place. We do
humbly beseech thee that we pray, most gracious Lord, for all in
the midst of the journey of life and the various concerns and
burdens Those that are bringing up children, give wisdom and
grace to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the
Lord. Graciously be with each and every one in the midst of
the journey of life and watch over them, keep them, bring them
to thy feet. Bring them to know thee, to serve
thee, and to follow thee in their day and in their generation. Remember those of us that are
now in the evening time of life's journey. And Lord, the clouds
return after the rain. One thing comes after another.
And gracious Lord, we pray to be prepared for that great change
that must come. We pray, most gracious Lord,
that Thou in Thy precious mercy would fill our hearts with gratitude,
with thanksgiving, for the wonderful glories of Christ. We thank Thee for the incarnation
of the Son of God. We thank Thee that He was made
of wool and laid under the law. And we thank Thee that in that
holy night He lived, He has fulfilled and honoured and magnified the
holy law of God and brought in everlasting righteousness for
His people. For we would behold the Lamb
of God which taketh away the sin of the world. We thank thee
for Calvary where the Lamb was slain, where sin was put away,
where divine justice was satisfied. We thank thee for the precious
blood of the Lamb. He died for our sins and rose
again for our justification. And we will bow in humble reverence,
adoration and thanksgiving to thy glorious majesty, who art
now bodily ascended into heaven and sitting at the right hand
of the Father, we do thank thee that through him we have access
by one spirit unto the Father. Be with us now, Lord, as we turn
to thy holy word, that come and open thy word to our heart and
to our understanding. We ask, with the forgiveness
of all sin, for Jesus Christ's sake, Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 970. And the tune is Elijah 881. Holy Father, God of love, throne
in majesty above, just and true are all thy ways, worthy of eternal
praise. Hymn 970 to Elijah 881. Heaven and earth adore Thee,
O great and merciful God. I sing to the Lord my God eternal
rest. ? You are coming, my vision ? ?
Your vision of my dreams ? ? I tell you in your vision ? O come, O come, Emmanuel, Shall I be in heaven alone? ? On earth as it is in heaven ?
? Holy Spirit, make me free ? ? Working out my creation ?
? Listen, my dear, what shall be? ? ? Already I have seen everything
? We have heard it told of all,
We have served it in the school, Through every line, Greatly feeling to need the Lord's gracious
help, I direct your attention to the 16th chapter in the epistle
to the Romans and we'll read the the last three verses of
the chapter, verses 25, 26, and 27. Romans 16, verses 25, 26, and
27. Now to him that is of power to
establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus
Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which was kept
secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and
by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment
of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the
obedience of faith. To God only wise, be glory through
Jesus Christ forever. Amen. I felt it's a very sweet point
in this chapter. I've got a feeling it's in one
of John's epistles. He says, greet the brethren by
name. We see how the apostle Paul did
this. He greets the brethren by name. He salutes them. And he remembers also, he says
in the first verse, I commend unto you Phoebe, our sister,
which is a servant of the church, which is at Centuria. And this
epistle to the Romans was written in Corinth, and obviously taken
by hand by Phoebe, our sister, which is the servant of the church
at Centuria, Corinth. was a port city, and there was
a port, it was on a peninsula, and there was a port on the eastern
side, and there was a port on the western side, and the port
that was all part of the city of Corum. So it was a maritime
city. And essentially it was on the
western side of the city of Corum. and she was obviously a very
godly woman. He says in verse 2, that the
receiver in the Lord has become his saint and that he assists
her in whatsoever business she hath need of him, for she hath
been a sufferer of many, and of myself also. A very useful
name in the church. The other sweet thing we find
in in verse 20 and also in verse 24, those beautiful words of
grace, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. Then exactly the same again in
verse 24. How essential is the grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ? How necessary? for our spiritual
welfare, for our spiritual food, to strengthen us. The apostle,
he says in one of the epistles, doesn't he, that we might be
strengthened by his spirit in the inner man. And he says in
another place that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith.
Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. The word grace means the free
unmerited favour of the Eternal God. That's what grace means. It's always interesting to look
at the first reference in Holy Scripture. And the first reference
to grace in Holy Scripture is when the Lord commanded Noah
to build an ark to the saving of his house. And we read this,
that the Lord that men became so wicked, the earth was full
of violence and wickedness and evil. And the Lord said He was
going to drown the world with a flood. And then we have those
lovely little words, but Noah found grace in the eyes of the
Lord. What that means is the Lord gave
him grace. And he and his house alone were
saved from that terrible flood that came upon the earth. The wonderful grace that the
Lord gave him. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
be with you all. Amen. And this is a form of salutation
that is found throughout the Gospel. this wonderful grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ. It's the source of all our hope. It's the centre of all our needs.
It's the eternal foundation of the Church, the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ. God, who commanded the light
to shine out of darkness, has shined into our hearts with the
light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, the
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Lord Jesus Christ. A fullness
of grace. It says, doesn't it, in the first
chapter of John's Gospel, that he is full of grace and truth. Hope, Jesus Christ. He's full
of grace. He's always full of grace. He's
always been full of grace. He always will be full of grace. That there is a never-ending
supply of grace in the glorious person of our Lord Jesus Christ. And the Apostle says, doesn't
he, in the Corinthians, you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. That though he were rich, yet
for our sakes he became poor. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, that we might be partakers
of that grace. you know, a gracious person is
a person that has the grace of Jesus Christ
in their hearts and that makes them a gracious person and they are taken of that grace
with humility and love now here in our text, now to him that
is of power. This is coming to the conclusion
like the benediction of this epistle, this beautiful epistle. The epistles of the Romans, the
great and the fundamental teaching central to the whole of the doctrine
found in the epistles of the Romans is justification by faith
alone in the finished work of Jesus Christ. says in the 4th
and 5th chapters concerning the justification of a sinner in
and through the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ. And
as we've often explained to you the meaning of the word justification
and that what the Apostle says in the 5th chapter therefore
being justified by faith By faith where? In Jesus Christ. Therefore
being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ. And in that same context he says,
he rose again for our, who did? Jesus Christ. He rose again for
our justification. And this is one of the great
burdens, this fundamental doctrine, it is one of the great burdens
of the epistle to the Romans. The just shall live by his faith. By faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. By faith in me the soul received
new life though dead before. That's where life is. He that hath the Son. Who is
the Son? Jesus Christ. He that hath the
Son. at life. He that hath not the
Son of God hath not life. These are fundamental doctrines
of our most holy faith. And this glorious person of Jesus
Christ, he says here, now to him there is a power to establish
you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ. according to my gospel. But the point here, my beloved
friends, to him that is of power. You know, we read in the first
chapter of the book of Genesis, in the beginning God created
the heavens and the earth, and the earth was without form and
void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the spirit
of the Lord moved from the face of the waters. What I believe
that means is that matter was created and the Spirit of God moved upon
that matter and brought order out of chaos. That is the almighty
act of God the Holy Ghost in creation. We read of the Father
being the creator. We read of Jesus Christ being
the creator. And we read of the Holy Ghost
being the creator. These three are one. Now my beloved
friends, that same almighty power that was put forth in creation has to be put forth
in our hearts to bring us from spiritual death into spiritual
life. And the apostle, when he writes
to the church at Thessalonica, he says, our gospel came unto
you, not in word only, but in power, in the Holy Ghost, and
with much assurance. And that is what we need. And
it's only that that can bring a poor sinner from spiritual
death into spiritual life. The Apostle says in the second
chapter of the Ephesians, you hath equippened who were dead,
in trespasses and in sins. The Bible is very clear, the
dead know not anything, and you and I, until we are spiritually
awakened, we know not anything. Spiritually. In the Corinthians is the natural
man, receiving not the things of the Spirit of God, for they
are spiritually to be discerned. And we by nature have no spiritual
discernment. And we have no spiritual discernment
until the power of the Holy Ghost has entered our heart. Because
it's only by the power of the Holy Ghost entering the heart
that you and I are brought from death into life. We read in the
book of the Revelation, Blessed and holy is he that hath part
in the first resurrection. On such the second death hath
no power. Why? What is the first resurrection? Of course the dispensationalists
will say it's this or it's that or it's something else. My dear
beloved friends, it is very clear in the context there of what
the first resurrection is. It's the new birth. Blessed and
holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection. On such
the second death hath no power. What is the second death? It's when a sinner comes before
the judgment seat of Jesus Christ. Matthew chapter 25, very graphic
description there of the judgment day of Jesus Christ, when all
nations shall be gathered before Christ. The whole world will
be gathered before Christ in that great day. And it says He
will separate. He will separate. It's a divine
act of Jesus, the Son of God. He will put the sheep on his
right hand and he will put the goats on his left hand. See there
are only two types of people. Now those sheep on his right
hand, they're among those people blessed and holy as he that have
parted the first resurrection. They were born again of the Spirit
of God. The Spirit of God dwells in their
heart. Know ye not that ye are the temple
of the Holy Ghost? if so be that the Spirit of God
dwelleth in you. Oh my dear beloved friends, it
is only by the divine power of the Holy Ghost in the heart that
a man, woman, child, boy, girl is made a believer. It's only
by the power of the Holy Ghost. Now to him that is of power to
establish you according to my gospel. The glorious gospel. The gospel means the good news
of salvation. That's the meaning of the word
gospel. The good news of salvation. But the great thing is, my beloved
friends, has it come into your heart with divine power? The Lord Jesus, he speaks very
certainly to us, doesn't he? Many shall say unto me in that
day, Lord, Lord, and I will say unto them, depart from me, I
never knew you. They thought they knew the Lord,
but they only knew him in an intellectual way. They only knew
him with a head knowledge of religion. They only knew him in a Christian
tradition that didn't know him in power. My beloved friends,
how vital this point is. How vital this point is. Now
to him that is of power to establish it. Now where does the spirit
of God establish a poor sinner? It's a very similar word, of
course, to establish. Establish you. On the eternal rock of ages.
On Jesus Christ, the great king and head of the church. Christ
said to his disciples, and he was asking them, who do men say
that I, the son of man, am? And they said, some, said Jeremiah. Some in life, some this, some
that. And then the Lord says to the
disciples, but whom say ye that I am? Whom say ye that I am? And that was quite normal. Peter
acts like a spokesman for all the disciples. And he said to
the Lord Jesus, thou art the Christ, the Son of the living
God. And the answer that Christ gave
him Upon this rock, the Son of the
Living God, behold, I lay inside a foundation, a foundation stone. Upon this rock, this eternal
rock of ages, upon this rock I build my church, and the gates
of hell shall not prevail against it. Christ is the eternal Rock
of Ages, no, to him that is a power. You think of the wonderful power
in the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. The wonderful
power to bring a poor sinner to his feet. The wonderful power
to bring that poor sinner from spiritual death into spiritual
life. The wonderful power to shine
into their hearts and to open to them the wonderful mysteries
and glories of salvation in and through the precious blood and
righteousness of Jesus, the Son of God. And he speaks here according
to the revelation of the mystery. We are told in the Word of God,
aren't we, that great is the mystery of godliness. God was
manifest in the flesh. Great is the mystery of godliness.
God was manifest in the flesh. The glorious person of the Son
of God, assumed human nature, became bone of our bone and flesh
of our flesh. He was made of a woman made under
the law that he might redeem them that are under the law.
What a mystery that is, isn't it? How can the Infernal, the
Eternal, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, how can He become
flesh? And yet that is what we see in
Jesus Christ and the Word. That term, the Word, refers to
the divine nature of the Son of God. And the Word was made
flesh and dwelt among us. And we beheld his glory, the
glory as of the only begotten of the Father. Now, the Lord
Jesus Christ, what did he do? when he was here as a man upon
earth, when he was made under the law, he fulfilled it. What
you can't do, what no man born of the sons and daughters of
Adam, none, can fulfill God's holy law. Why? Because we're
born in sin. Sin is any transgression of the
law of God. Sin is in our very nature. Now to him that is of power to
establish it, That holy life of Jesus when he lived here as
a man on earth fulfilled the law. I come not to destroy the
law but to fulfill it. That's what Christ has done.
He's fulfilled the law. Now that perfect obedience of
Christ is called the righteousness of Christ. Now to him that is
of power to establish it. This is where the Spirit of God
leads a poor sinner by faith and reveals unto them the glorious
person of Christ. And shows to them that in Christ
the law has been fulfilled. And shows to them that Christ
is the end of the law for righteousness unto all them that believe. There's power in the blood of
Christ. There's power in the righteousness of Christ. There's
power in the sacrifice of Christ. There is. It's him that is of
power. You know the Lord Jesus, when
he had done these things, he fulfilled the law, and he then
offered that glorious holy sacrifice on Calvary to put away the sin
of the church, It was wounded for our transgressions. Now these
things are revealed, it says here, but now is made manifest,
and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment
of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the
obedience of faith. To be brought into obedience
to Christ. When Christ had suffered and
bled and died, and rose again, and before, or as he was about
to ascend into glory, he said unto the apostles, all power
is given unto me in heaven and in earth. All, not some power,
all power. See, to him there is a power. Hallelujah. That's one of the
watchwords of the book of the Revelation. Hallelujah, for the
Lord God omnipotent reign. Jesus shall reign where the sun
does up its successive journeys run. He shall reign from shore
to shore. He shall reign eternally as the
King of kings and the Lord of lords. Now to him that is of
power to establish him according to my gospel and the preaching
of Jesus Christ, You see, it's through the foolishness of preaching
that the Lord has purposed to bring poor sinners to the knowledge
of Jesus Christ. When the Lord's servant, preaching
under the power of the Holy Ghost and the Word of God, enters into
the heart of a poor sinner, this is the principal means, not the
only means, but the principal means that the Lord uses to bring
a poor sinner to live in faith in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit
convinces them of their sin, shows them their lost condition,
and then causes them, by His divine power and grace, to flee
from the wrath which is to come, to flee unto Jesus Christ, the
only Saviour of sinners. Now to Him there is a power to
establish according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ,
We preach Christ crucified. To the Jews, a stumbling block.
To the Greeks, foolishness. But to them that are called,
Christ, the power of God, the wisdom of God. Everything that
a poor sinner needs is in the glorious person of our Lord Jesus
Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which was kept
secret since the world began. In the Old Testament, the coming
of Christ was seen in types and in shadows, and through the words
of the prophets. Of course, we sometimes overlook
the fact that one of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament
was King David. The Book of Psalms is the richest
source of prophecies concerning the coming of Christ and the
person of Christ, than there was any other book in Holy Scripture. When the Apostle says, speaking
of David, he being a prophet, and you read through the Psalms,
the richness of the glories of Christ are revealed in the book
of Psalms. Psalm 45, my heart is indicted
in a good manner, I speak of the things I've made touch in
the Who? King Jesus. My pen is the tongue
of a ready writer. Grace is poured into thy lips.
Who? Christ. Grace is poured into thy lips. He has such a view of the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Isaiah, but what wonderful glories
were revealed to him. Especially, right through Isaiah
it is, but especially in Isaiah 53. Speaking of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the man of sorrow and acquainted in grief, and then
he opens the mysteries of the gospel. Speaking of Jesus Christ,
he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities.
The chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes
we are healed. He was numbered among the transgressors. He bared the sin of men. Who? Jesus Christ. The other great
thing and burden of the prophet Isaiah, he constantly speaks
of the righteousness of Christ. That perfect obedience of Christ. You think of Isaiah 42, behold
my servant, my elect, whom I uphold. Who? Jesus Christ. He, he shall
not fail nor be discouraged. Who? Jesus Christ. He will magnify
the law and make it honourable. Who? Jesus Christ. According to the revelation of
the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now
is made manifest. It's revealed where? In the glorious
person of the incarnation of the Son of God. This wonderful
mystery of godliness, of God manifest in the flesh. but now
has made manifest. And by the scriptures of the
prophets, you see, my beloved friends, when it says kept secret,
it wasn't so clearly revealed in the Old Testament. But in
the New Testament, Christ has come. And what is revealed in
the New Testament is fulfilling of what was prophesied in the
Old. And there it's clearly revealed. in the person of Jesus Christ
as he walked as a man here upon earth. But now it's made manifest
and by the scriptures of the prophets and now through the
coming of Jesus Christ, through the fulfilling of the law, through
the satisfying of divine justice, through the glorious sacrifice
of Calvary, then we look back at the Old Testament and it comes
alive. We see in the glorious person
of Jesus Christ the fulfilling of all the prophets. all that
was spoken by the prophets but now is made manifest and by the
scriptures of the prophets according to the commandment of the everlasting
God the commandment of the everlasting God a divine commandment God so loved
the world he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth
in him shall be saved. God so loved, it was a divine
commandment. We read of those divine commandments
in Holy Scripture again, as I've just mentioned to you, the sweet
psalmist of Israel, how beautifully he sets before us the person
of Christ, right in that second Psalm. And how beautifully does
he speak of our Lord Jesus Christ, and reveal to us our Lord Jesus
Christ. And he says those lovely words
which I so often quote to you, yet have I set my King. But what
does it say? Why do the heathen rage, and
the people imagine a vain thing, the kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together. You know, this was, you think
of when the gospel was first preached in the time of the Roman
Empire, and the terrible persecution that was rained down upon the
disciples and upon the believers in Jesus Christ. They were scattered
throughout the earth. The kings of the earth set themselves,
the rulers take counsel together against the law, and against
his anointed, that's Christ, saying, let us break their bands
asunder. What did they mean? Well, the
preaching of the holy law of God, the preaching that the soul
that sinneth it shall die. And you think of that, let us
break their bands, those bands of the word of God, which must
stand forever, binding man, But man says, let us break their
bands asunder, cast away their cords from us. Then there's something
very solemn. He that sitteth in the heavens
shall laugh. The Lord shall have them in division. Then shall he speak unto them
his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet, this is
something, my beloved friends, This is speaking of the eternal
rock of ages. Yet, have I set my King upon
my holy hilltop. You know we have in our text
the commandment of the everlasting God. And here in verse seven
in Psalm two, I will declare the decree. The Lord has said
unto me, thou art my son. This day have I begotten thee. The apostle quotes that word
concerning the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. He does. The commandment of the
everlasting life. It's an eternal commandment.
It's a commandment that will be obeyed. It will. Now it's made manifest by the
scriptures of the prophets according to the commandment of the everlasting
God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith. In the Epistles to the Ephesians,
the second chapter, the Apostle says faith is the gift of God. According to his power, faith
is the gift of God. is given to poor wretched sinners.
And when faith is given, there is something with you. We spoke
recently, I spoke on Sunday evening at Chippenham, from that word
in Luke 19 verse 10. For the Son of Man is come to
seek and to save that which was lost. He's come to seek and to
save that which was lost, that which was ruined, that which
was wretched, that which is under. And this same precious Jesus,
He says, under poor labour and sinners come unto thee, all ye
that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. That means to be united to Christ. take my yoke upon you. It's to be yoked to Christ, united
to Christ. My beloved friends, this is the
very heart, the very centre of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to
be united to Christ. By faith in me the soul received
new life, though dead before. According to the commandment
of the everlasting God, make known to all nations for the
obedience of faith. What a great mercy, my beloved
friends, if you and I have been brought experimentally to know
the obedience of faith, to be brought into subjection. You know, that's what David prays
for in Psalm 45. He's praying unto the Lord Christ. And he says, gird thy sword upon
thy thigh. O most mighty, and ride prosperously. Let thine arrows be sharp in
the heart of the king's enemies, that the people may fall under
thee. How we need, my beloved friends, to faith to lay hold
of that prayer, and to pray unto King Jesus, gird thy sword upon
thy thigh, and ride prosperously, because of truth and righteousness. the commandment of the everlasting
God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith. Such a wonderful thing, when
we are brought, as Paul wretchedly says, into union with Christ. When Christ is first revealed,
how precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed. Can
you remember the hour you first believed? Can you remember that
time when Christ was first made precious? Can you remember that
time when he became to you the altogether lovely one, the cheapest
among 10,000? Can you remember that time when
he became the center, the sum and the substance of all your
hopes and all your desires? Can you remember that time that
when you could sigh an echo in your heart My hope is built on
nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not
trust the sweetest flavor. Holy thee on Jesus' name. And to be brought into subjection
to Christ, made known to all nations for
the obedience of faith. You know, these are the sacred
graces of the Spirit. when the Spirit quickens a poor
sinner into life, when he shows them their lost condition, and
then to that poor lost ruined wretched sinner he reveals Christ
as the way and the truth and the life. Precious thing. And so that the whole focus of
their very being becomes focused in Jesus Christ, And they can
echo with the hymn writer, give me Christ or else I die. Give me Christ or else I die
and make known to all nations for their obedience of faith. The apostle says, and he's speaking
of the obedience of faith there, he says, let us lay aside every
pain and the sin that does so easily beset us and let us run
with patience the race that is set before us. How, looking unto
Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy
that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame
thereof, and is set down at the right hand of the majesty on
high, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith. To God only wise, be glory through
Jesus Christ, forever. Amen. Now, there may be one or
another of you, and it may be at this time perhaps you feel
to be very tried. And the Lord's people do get
tried. As to your standing in Christ, that He is your Rock of Ages, And then there'd be those times
when you really felt He is your Rock of Ages. But you know, the closing verses
of the epistle of Jude, beautifully encouraging verses, now unto
Him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you
faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
to the only wise God our Saviour, with glory and majesty, dominion
and power, both now and ever. Amen. May the Lord add his blessing
to these few marks that we have made. Let us now sing together hymn
539. The tune is Millennium 551. Christians, rejoice and sing
your Maker's lovely praise. He is your God and King, ancient
of endless days. He lives, He reigns, and sits
above. The King of Kings and God of
Love. King 539, 2 millennia, 551 years. Christ the Lord is born in Bethlehem. In the midst of evil things the
Lord has set my heart For the people of this land are
one. O Lord, have mercy on us, for
we have sinned against Thee. Namo'valokiteshvaraya And ever his glory pray. you. To make you hear the glory of
our God. The time where joy may come,
When you receive the prize, When you find yourself in the light,
Once more the time Give thanks to Him, give thanks
to Him, and give glory to the Most High King. 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.