Let us commence our service this
afternoon by singing together hymn number 376. The tune is
Message 481. Lord, I cannot let thee go, till
a blessing thou bestow. Do not turn away thy face, mine's
an urgent pressing case. Hymn 376, tune message 481. Oh, I cannot let Thee go, Till
I pass in Thou'ly sight. Lay thy face, light and urgent
mercy rain, God my Lord, announce my name. Let the Christian gifts of faith. Thou which art serene and pure, Everywhere you lie below Show
thy face, thy power divine ♪ Echo, echo, lullaby ♪ ♪ Once a sinner did despair ♪ O
tidings sweet, sweet, O tidings O tidings sweet, sweet, O tidings
O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings
O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings
O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings
O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings
O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings
O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings
O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings
O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings
O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings
O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings O tidings Many days have passed since then,
Many journeys I have seen, Yet there be of wealth till now E'er that I hold thee in
love ♪ In every need ♪ ♪ This it calls
me to be ♪ ♪ Of the service of the Lord ♪ ♪ Resurrect this living breath
of mine ♪ Take my heart and take my home. Tis thy good that makes me whole. I can learn in my own way When
I've been through Jesus Let us read together from the
Holy Word of God in the second book of Samuel, and we'll read
chapters 8 and 9. The second book of Samuel, chapters
8 and 9. And after this it came to pass
that David smote the Philistines and subdued them. and David took
Mithagama out of the hand of the Philistines and he smoked
Moab and measured them with a line casting them down to the ground.
Even with two lines measured he to put to death and with one
full line to keep alive. So the Moabites became David's
servants and brought gifts. David smote also Hadadiza, the
son of Rehob, king of Zobar, as he went to recover his border
at the river Euphrates. And David took from him a thousand
chariots, and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen.
And David hoed all the chariot horses, but he reserved of them
for an hundred chariots. And when the Syrians of Damascus
came to Sochahed, Edeza, king of Zobar, David slew of the Syrians
two and twenty thousand men. Then David put garrisons in Syria
of Damascus, and the Syrians became servants to David and
brought gifts. And the Lord preserved David,
whithersoever he went. And David took the shields of
gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them
to Jerusalem. And from Betar and from Berethiah,
cities of Hadadezer, King David took exceeding much grass. When
Toi king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the host
of Hadadezer, then Toi sent Joram his son unto King David to salute
him, and to bless him because he had fought against Hadadezer
and smitten him, for Hadadezer had wars with Toy. And Joram
brought with him vessels of silver and vessels of gold and vessels
of brass, which also King David dedicated unto the Lord, with
the silver and gold that he had dedicated of all nations which
he subdued, of Syria, and of Moab, and of the children of
Ammon, and of the Philistines, and of Amalek, and of the spoil
of Hadadisa, son of Rehob, king of Zobar. And David gapt him
a name when he returned from smiting of the Assyrians in the
valley of Saul, being 18,000 men. And he put garrisons in
Edom. Throughout all Edom he put garrisons.
And all they of Eden became David's servants, and the Lord preserved
David, whithersoever he went. And David reigned over all Israel,
and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people.
And Jared the son of Zeruiah was over the host, and Jehoshaphat
the son of Ehilud was recorder, and Zadok the son of Ahitab Abimelech
the son of Abiathar were the priests and Siraiah was the scribe
and Benaniah of the son of Jehoiada was over both the Chirithites
and the Pelithites and David's sons were chief rulers and David
said is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul I may
show him kindness for Jonathan's sake there was of the house of
Saul a servant whose name was Ziba and when they had called
him unto David the king said unto him art thou Ziba and he
said thy servant is he and the king said is there not yet any
of the house of Saul but I may show the kindness of God unto
him and Ziba said unto the king Jonathan hath yet a son, which
is lame on his feet. And the king said unto him, Where
is he? And Ziba said unto the king,
Behold, he is in the house of Makur, the son of Amil of Lodibar. Then king David sent and fetched
him out of the house of Makur, the son of Amil from Lodibar. Now when Mephibosheth, the son
of Saul was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did
reverence. And David said, Metabosheth,
and he answered, Behold thy servant. And David said unto him, Fear
not, for I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's
sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father,
and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.' And he bowed
himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest
look upon such a dead dog as I am? Then the king called to
Sibar, Saul's servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy
master, master's son, all that pertained to Saul, and to all
his house. Thou therefore and thy sons And
thy servant shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring
in the fruits, that thy master's son may have food to eat. Mephibosheth
thy master's son shall eat bread always at my table. Now Ziba
had fifteen sons and twenty servants. Then said Ziba unto the king,
According to all that my lord the king hath commanded, his
servant so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth said
the king he shall eat at my table as one of the king's sons and
Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Micah and all
that dwelt in the house of Zeba were servants unto Mephibosheth.
So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem for he did eat continually at
the King's table and was laying on both his feet. 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, we come to the last service in this house of prayer in this
year of time. And how quickly, O Lord, the
time passes. And we come to bow before thee,
and we look back in confession of our sins, our wanderings,
our backslidings. And we come to remember all the
way the Lord our God hath led us, to humble us and to prove
us, to see what was in our heart. Oh, we do pray that thou wouldst
forgive all our many sins, and that thou wouldst wash us in
the precious blood of Jesus, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We do humbly beseech thee. Remember
not the sins of my youth. Remember not, O Lord, our wanderings
and our backslidings, but wash us and clothe us in that glorious
everlasting robe of the righteousness of Jesus Christ, that he may
be made unto us, Jehovah said, can you, the Lord our righteousness. Oh, we do pray that as we look
forward to another year of time, we know not what a day may bring
forth, all is known to thee. And we pray that thou wouldst
go before us in every untrodden step, that thou wouldst help
us to go forth in faith 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 now set down
at the right hand of the Majesty on high. For we do pray, most
gracious God, that thou in thy great mercy wouldst hear us and
be with us, make crooked things straight and rough places plain,
and graciously cause the prodigals to return and that we may see
thy wonderful grace in this as a church and as a congregation
and remember them for good and remember this village send out
thy light and thy truth pull down the strongholds of satan
set up the kingdom of the lord jesus in the hearts of sinners
let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto
their children. O Lord, we do beseech thee. We think of that wonderful word
of promise, instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou
mayest make princes in all the earth. Lord, let thy work appear,
let thy power be known, let thy grace be made manifest. We're
not worthy, O Lord, of the least of thy tender mercies, but grant
that this coming year may be a year of jubilee, a year of
setting free of the slaves of the servants. Those that were
servants to sin, may they be made servants of the Lord God
of heaven. O Lord, do work. Thou hast promised
in thy word I will work, and who shall let it? And thou hast
promised in thy word that I, the Lord, will hasten in his
time, Oh, we pray that thou wouldst arise. Arise, arise, O God of
grace, into thy rest descend thou in the ark of thy strength,
and let thy priests be clothed with salvation, and thy saints
shall shout aloud for joy. Lord, do we remember us then
as a church and as a congregation and work mightily. We thank thee
for what thou hast done, and we pray that thou wouldst yet
do more. And thou hast said in thy word, open thy mouth wide,
and I will fill it, enable us so to do. O Lord, we do beseech
thee, and go before us, we humbly pray thee. We read in thy word,
and he led them forth by the right way unto a city of habitation. Lord, we pray that thou wouldst
lead us forth by the right way, that thou wouldst revive us,
personal revival in our own souls, that we may be made more spiritually
minded, that our heart and our affections may be set upon things
above and not on things of the earth. Oh, may we be enabled
to let all fruitless searches go, which perplex and tease us,
but desiring not to know that but a bleeding Jesus. Help us
to forsake the ways of sin, we do humbly beseech thee, and to
forsake this world and its maxims. For Lord, we live in a day when
the spirit of Antichrist is so prevalent. There's a hatred of
the word of God. There's a hatred of Jesus Christ.
There's a hatred of the truth. Oh, we do pray, Lord, that we
may be delivered from such a spirit. but that we may be brought to
truly love thee, serve thee, and follow thee in our day and
in our generation, 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. O most gracious
God, do incline thine ear, we do humbly beseech thee, and do
have mercy upon us as a church and as a congregation. We think
of all the little causes of truth up and down our nation, not only
those, O Lord, that belong to us as a church, but other places
where thy servants stand and thy people gather. Do bless them,
we humbly pray thee, and do again send out thy light and thy truth,
and do grant that fresh anointing of thy spirit upon thy servants,
and do grant, Lord, that thou wouldst graciously yet send forth
true labourers into the harvest, that we may see thy work and
thy power and thy glory as thou usest to be in the sanctuary. Oh, do hear us, Lord, humbly
pray thee, and grant that we may see Zion's offspring come,
grant that we may see and feel in our own souls the drawing
power of our eternal Father, drawing us unto his best beloved
and all-glorious Son. Oh, for a closer walk with thee,
a calmer heavenly train, a light to shine upon the road that leads
me to the Lamb, O gracious God, do hear us, we humbly pray thee,
and have mercy upon us, we beseech thee. Help us to love each other,
to serve each other, to bear each other's burdens, thereby
fulfilling the law of Christ. O do hearken, Lord, grant us
that oneness of heart, of mind, of soul, of spirit, we do humbly
pray. Grant us a deeper and greater
communion with Jesus Christ, that we may know him in the power
of his resurrection, in the fellowship of his sufferings, be made conformable
unto his death. We read in thy word that they
that feared the Lord spake often one to another, and a book of
remembrance was written. O gracious God, we pray that
we may be found often speaking one to another, of the things
of God, of the ways of God, of the truth of God. Oh, do hear
us in heaven, thy holy and thy blessed dwelling place. And when
thou hearest, O Lord, forgive, we do humbly pray. Bless each
one of the families, we do humbly pray. And grant, O Lord, that
thou hast blessed them as they gather in their homes. And the
word of God is read and prayer is made. that thy presence may
be known and felt, for all things are sanctified by the word of
God and prayer. Oh, that we might know that sanctifying
influence in our heart and in our lives. Help us, O Lord, to
be much in prayer. Help us to be much in thy word
and reading and studying, that we may understand thy word and
that the Spirit of God may open the word to our heart and to
our understanding. Oh, do hear us, most blessed
Spirit of truth, and grant that we may be led and guided and
directed by thee. For as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. And may we have that
evidence that we are indeed the sons of God, that we are joint
heirs with Christ, that we have that oneness, that union, that
communion. We think, oh Lord, of that beautiful
hymn, concerning that oneness that there is in Jesus Christ,
and that oneness that there is in the hearts of thy people, in
union with the Lamb, from condemnation free, the saints from everlasting
work, and shall forever be. Oh, to know more of that union
and communion With our Lord Jesus Christ, we do humbly beseech
you. We pray to be delivered from
the power and the dominion of sin. We find sin often rising
within our hearts. We find it rooted in our very
nature. We have to say with the dear
apostle, O wretched man, that I am who shall deliver me from
the body of this death. But I thank God through Jesus
Christ our Lord. May we have that joy and rejoice
in In our Lord Jesus Christ we do humbly beseech and that our
heart and our affections may be set upon things of our. Lord we pray for each and every
one in the evening time of life's journey that we might know that
gracious preparation. Lord do hear us and the young
and rising generation may know thy rich blessing. may be brought
into union with Jesus Christ, may become true followers of
thee, and of those who through faith and patience inherit the
promises. O Lord, we do pray that thou
wouldst hear us in heaven, thy holy dwelling place. We thank
thee for every mercy, for every favour. We thank thee for all
thy goodness that has passed before us in the way. We thank
thee that our path hath been strewn with mercies rich and
rare, proceeding from thy tender love and care. We thank thee
that thou art God over all and blessed for evermore, and there
is nothing too hard for thee. We thank thee that the Lord God
omnipotent reigneth, and we do thank thee for the incarnation
of the Son of God. We thank thee for the holy law
he has fulfilled and honoured and magnified on the behalf of
his people and thereby bringing in everlasting righteousness.
We thank thee most gracious Lord for the suffering and death of
our Lord Jesus Christ, that glorious sin atoning sacrifice that he
offered on Calvary when he has put away sin by the offering
of himself Oh, we do pray for hearts of gratitude. Sin has
been put away. Divine justice has been satisfied. God and sinners are reconciled. Death is swallowed up in victory
in that glorious person of our Lord Jesus Christ. And he has
made a new and a living way into the holy place. Come, Lord, and
touch one's lips with a live coal from off the heavenly altar
as we ask with the forgiveness of all sin, for Jesus Christ's
sake. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 378. The tune is Beulah 848. A beggar
paw at mercy's door, lies such a wretch as I. Thou
knowest my need is great indeed. Lord, hear me when I cry. Hymn 378 to the tune Bühler 848.
♪ Christ is born, Christ is born
in Bethlehem ♪ ♪ Christ is born, Christ is born in Bethlehem ♪ ♪ We will be seen by Thee in the
end ♪ ♪ The Father, Lord, I pray ♪ ♪ And at Thy alteration ♪ ♪ We will be with Thee ♪ O'er the land of Israel so bright,
O'er the land of Israel so bright, ♪ In joy we raise ♪ ♪ You, Jesus,
best friend ♪ ♪ I, I am, I, I am, I am, I am, I am, I am, I am
♪ ♪ O God, it shines beyond the eye
♪ ♪ And I need Thee by my heart ♪ ♪ Christ,
the heavenly Lord ♪ ♪ My heart and hand in hand ♪ ♪
My spirit should to thee be led ♪ ♪ To thy set free fall ♪ ♪ God's love has saved me now ♪
♪ Now I'll lead thee away ♪ ♪ Oh, pray let the world remember ♪ ♪ The
Christ that made the world ♪ ♪ The Lord is God, the Lord is
holy peace ♪ ♪ Praise ye the King, praise ye the King, the
Lord is God ♪ ♪ I am riddled by heartache, sir
♪ ♪ And heartache still pertains ♪ ♪ I'm riddled with my sins
♪ ♪ And tempted to sin ♪ ♪ My grace, my joy, my grace ♪
♪ Good health, my mercy send ♪ ♪ Lifted my soul and gave me hope ♪ ♪ And new
faith to find ♪ Greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, I would direct your attention to the second
book of Samuel, chapter 9, and reading verses 7 and 8 for our
text. Second book of Samuel, chapter
9, reading verses 7 and 8, and David said unto him, Fear not,
For I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake,
and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father, and
thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. And he bowed himself
and said, what is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon
such a dead dog as I am? We read in the previous chapter
how that David subdued his enemies, overcome them, destroyed them,
so that they were brought into subjection. In fact, all the
lands just round about the land of Israel were all brought under
subjection to King David. He was a mighty warrior. and you probably noticed as we
read through those things it said on more than one occasion
the Lord preserved David with us however he went. Israel is a tiny country and
yet we see how when the Lord raised up King David and gave him the wisdom and the
strength he had to pass through terrible things under Saul. Saul pursued him like a partridge
in the desert. And he says himself, surely one
day I shall die by the hand of Saul. He said on another occasion
there is but a step between me and death. He had many battles
to fight. In actual fact, when it came
to building the temple of the Lord and it was a good desire
of David because he wanted to build the temple of the Lord
and the Lord said to him that his son Solomon which means a
man of peace he said that the Lord said he didn't want David
to build it because he said thou hast shed much blood but Solomon thy son. So the kingdom
was established and greatly profited under King David and there was
great peace during the days of Solomon. So it was a long period,
David reigned for 40 years and Solomon reigned for 40 years.
So it was a long period of peace and especially under King Solomon
there was great, great prosperity and great wealth in the land
of Israel. And we notice here in what we
read in chapter 8 how that David took the spoil of all those that
he subdued and hence Israel became an exceedingly wealthy country. And this was all according to
the divine purposes of the Lord and David was a man of war. Solomon was a man of peace. We
see in the checkered pathway of David, we notice how that
he fell, fell into sin, taken in adultery. In a moment, it's
a warning to every one of us. David was a man after God's own
heart. David was a godly man. He was
a man after God's own heart and yet David in a moment fell into
sin. And yet in the remarkable and
providence of God it was Bathsheba with whom he fell, it was her
son Solomon that was to take the throne after David. You see
the wonder work in hand of God in all these things. Naturally
speaking, we would say, well there can be no good come from
that, a terrible sin like that. But you see, the Lord worketh
all things after the counsel of his own will. He does. And he says, I will work and
who shall let him? Now, in this, we know that David
had a very close union with Jonathan's Saul son. They were almost of one heart
and of one mind together and so here having subdued his enemies
and David said, this is chapter nine, is there yet any that is
left of the house of Saul that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's
And there was this one child, it's recorded earlier on, how
his nurse, when she was fleeing, it was a time of war, and she
was fleeing and she fell over and damaged both the feet or
legs of that little babe. His name is Mephibosheth. And
as it says in the last verse of our chapter, so Mephibosheth
dwelt in Jerusalem, for he did eat continually at the king's
table and was lame in both his feet. He was lame in both his
feet. What a hindrance that must have
been to be lame in both feet. And yet, this is a wonderful
touching thing because David was so close to his, Mephibosheth's
father, Jonathan, was of course slain at the same time as King
Saul on Mount Gilead and so he wanted to show kindness
and compassion. In many ways David was a type
of Christ. Now all men as types they're
sinful. The most beautiful type of Christ
was Joseph. and beautiful in so many different
ways. Solomon was a type of Christ.
And yet Solomon did strange women cause to sin. So, they were imperfect. No man is sinless. Nor can be. David wasn't, nor
was Solomon. They were godly men. They were
great men. Yet they fell. But in this sense,
David invited Mephibosheth to come. He spoke to Zeba, that
was Saul's servant, probably the head of his house. There
was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Zeba, and when
they had called him unto David, The king said unto him, Art thou
Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he. And the king said, Is
there not yet any of the house of Saul that I may show the kindness
of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king,
Jonathan hath yet a son which is laying on his feet. And the king said unto him, Where
is he? And Ziba said unto the king,
Behold, He's in the house of Mekur, the son of Emil of Lodibar. And David sent and fetched him
out of the house of Mekur, the son of Emil of Lodibar. He restored to him all the lands
of Saul. And those lands would have been
very extensive. Saul was king for 40 years, and
he would have had no doubt great estates. And David restored everything
to Mephibosheth. kindness in remembrance of his
father Jonathan and that union was that was between David and
Jonathan. And King David sent and fetched
him out of the house of Mekur the son of Emil of Lodibar. Now
in this sense David is a type of Christ. I like the way it's put here
and it seems to rest on my spirit in this way that David sent for
Mephibosheth and you know that is what the gospel is. The Lord
sends, the Lord Jesus Christ sends his servants to call his
people and a divine call goes out. There is a period known
to God when all his sheep redeemed by blood shall leave the hateful
ways of sin, turn to the fold and enter in. Now, there's no
doubt that there would have been great trepidation in Mephibosheth's
heart. The vast majority of the house
of Saul were dead. And when he heard this summons
from the King David, that there's no doubt that his
heart would have been greatly troubled. The hymn writer, he says that
concerning the Lord's living family that calls effectual reach
their heart. You know in that first knowledge
that we have of God not always like that but normally the first
knowledge we have of God is a sense of our own sinfulness, our own
wretchedness, our own unworthiness, our own uncleanness and so you find a sense of trepidation
as you enter into the presence of God to pray. You probably understand the language
of the publican, God be merciful to me a sinner. God be merciful to me a sinner.
You feel your need of that wonderful mercy that is in Christ Jesus. We sung in our two opening hymns
of what it is to feel like that and to feel that sense of sinfulness
and wretchedness and emptiness and poverty Feel our need. You know, there's that lovely
hymn, isn't there? Come ye sinners poor and wretched. And it says in one of those verses,
tis to feel your need of him. All the fitness he requiring
is to feel your need of him. I wonder how many here, young
and old, in this chapel this afternoon, You feel your need
of the Lord. And yet you feel also a sense
of your sinfulness. You feel a sense of your helplessness,
your hopelessness, your spiritual darkness, your spiritual bondage. You actually feel it. And you
would tremble to approach unto the God of heaven. Because of
your felt sense of need and wretchedness and hopelessness, The way that our mind works is
that, can ever God be gracious to such a sinner? To such a wretched sinner with
such a deceitful, wretched, sinful heart. Can ever God be merciful
to me? You feel yourself to be beyond,
to be beyond the mercy, because when there comes this sense of
this sinfulness and wretchedness, there comes also from the Holy
Ghost a sense and a realization of God's holiness. And when you
feel yourself to be a sinner and you feel that God is holy,
you feel there's a great gulf that seems to be fixed and you
cannot approach unto the great I am, the eternal God. You don't feel you can. You feel
to be so sinful, so wretched. Now when Mephibosheth, the son
of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell
on his face and did reverence. He honored the king. And David
said, Mephibosheth? And he answered, behold thy servant. Behold thy servant. There's some
lovely words that are before us in the text. And David said
unto him, fear not, fear not. Do you fear to approach God?
Do you fear to come to the Lord in prayer? Do you fear because
you're such a sinner, you're so wretched, you're so undone? You fear because you've sinned
against light and knowledge, you've sinned against the word
of God, you've sinned in breaking the holy law of God. we think of those words that
Daniel spoke unto Nebuchadnezzar when he said to Nebuchadnezzar
when the Lord was to lay his heavy hand upon him he said break
off thy sins in righteousness break off thy sins in righteousness
you know friends it's vital that need and that sense and that
realization of our sinfulness This is not just an initial work
in the divine work of the spirit in the heart. It's something
that is continual. Every child of God, every born
again person, they're quickened. It's what is called the doctrine
of regeneration. You have spiritual life within
you. You may not as of yet know the person of Christ and the
love of Christ. But you have spiritual life,
you have longings and desires. In other words, you're living,
you've been made alive. You're made alive to your sinfulness,
your emptiness, your poverty. You try to stop sinning and you
can't. You try to make yourself good
and you can't. You try to do this and to do
that and to do something else. You try to please God, but you
can't. Now, there's something here in
Mephibosheth It says he was lame in both his
feet. Now, I see a spiritual application
of this. He was lame in both his feet. What a sad condition that was,
wasn't it? A cripple, we would call them
today. Lame in both his feet. You know, that is where we are
spiritually. We're lame in both our feet.
And what I see in these two feet of Mephibosheth, there is original
sin, which we're all born with. Because we're all born in sin,
and we're all shaped in iniquity. And then there is actual sin.
That is the sins that we commit ourselves. So there's original
sin, and there is actual sin that we commit. And I see in
this with Mephibosheth that he was lame in both his feet. And
so are we, every one of us. We have original sin. We're born
in sin. In sin did my mother conceive
me. And that really speaks of our
original sin. In sin did my mother conceive
me. It doesn't mean it was a sinful
thing that she conceived him, but we receive from our parents
a sinful nature. It comes by natural generation.
As in Adam or die. And we receive that sinful nature
through our parents from Adam. As in Adam or die. Born in sin,
original sin. You know it's often, we notice
that among what you might say evangelical circles and it doesn't
matter where they are, whether in the Church of England or not,
that there's often this doctrine of the total depravity of man
is fallen completely and this doctrine in many circles is not
very well received. Man likes to think there's something
that he can do but we are dead in trespasses and in sin. Now it's only that almighty voice
of Jesus Christ that can bring a poor sinner from death into
life. When he speaks his word into
the heart, when he quickens the soul, when the Holy Spirit enters
into the heart, the foundation of God stand this sure, having
this seal upon it, the Lord knoweth them that are his. The Father, the Son, and the
Holy Ghost, they know them that are His. The Father knows whom
He chose. The Son knows whom He has redeemed.
And the Spirit knows them and enters into their heart at the
appointed time and quickens their soul. They're regenerated. They're born again of the Spirit, brought to feel their need, and
brought to seek the evidence of life in the heart. Seek Him. Just as our Lord Jesus
Christ says, ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find,
knock and it shall be opened unto you. There was an invitation,
then King David sent and fetched him out of the house of Mecca,
the son of a meal from Lodibar, a call, a divine call reaches
the heart. Until that happens, you know,
friends, we remain dead in trespasses and in sins. Salvation is an
act of God. Ye must be born again. It's an
act of God. It's not an act of man. It's
not up to the creature to decide whether they want to believe
or they can or they can't believe etc. It's a divine act, it's
sovereign grace or sin abounding. And the reason that that happens,
that that person receives a divine call is because they're chosen. Therefore those effectual calls,
they reach the heart. You know, a person that is regenerate
and brought under a sense of their own sinfulness and wretchedness. In Isaiah chapter 55, it speaks there very beautifully
to those regenerate souls. How everyone that thirsteth,
come ye to the waters. And he that hath no money, that
means he that is bankrupt, come ye. Buy, and eat, yea, come,
buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore
do ye spend money for that which is not bread, and your labour
for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and
eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself
in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto
me. Here and your soul shall live,
and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure
mercies of David. Behold, I've given him who? Christ. Behold, I've given him for a
witness to the people, a leader and a command to the people.
Jesus is the way to God. Jesus is the light of the world.
Jesus is the bread of life. Jesus is that living water and
a living soul can't live without this bread and water of life.
No. Behold, thou shalt call a nation
that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run
unto thee, because of the Lord thy God, for the Holy One of
Israel, for He hath glorified thee. Seek ye the Lord. These
wonderful, divine, gospel invitations sent from the Eternal God unto
His children here upon earth. Seek ye the Lord while He may
be found. Call ye upon Him while He is
near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous
man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he
will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly
pardon. He will abundantly pardon. For
my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways,
saith the Lord. I've just explained a regenerate
soul, spiritual life under a sense of their sinfulness, wretchedness. Their thought is that the Lord
will condemn them forever. Their thought is they're under
the curse of the law. Their thought is can there ever
be a way to God? That's our thoughts. But God's
thoughts, divine light flows into their heart by the Spirit
of God. As for the For as the heavens
are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your
ways, and my thoughts and your thoughts. For as the rain cometh
down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but
watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and batheth, that
it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall
my word be. When the word of the Lord goes
forth with divine power, When there is that anointing of the
Spirit upon the Lord's servants, and mighty signs and wonders
to follow the preaching of the words, so shall my word be that
goeth forth out of my mouth. It shall not return unto me void,
but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall
prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. My word shall not
return unto me a void, but it shall accomplish those things
that he's sent to do, because the Lord's word is sure and certain. Now, in the experience of the
Lord's people, you see this gracious fear not that was spoken unto
Mephibosheth. Fear not, for I will surely show
thee kindness. For Jonathan thy father's sake,
fear not. I will not reject thee, I will
not turn thee away, I will show thee kindness. And you know that
kindness, we read don't we in the New Testament, the kindness
and love of God our Saviour. The kindness and love of God
our Saviour. His heart is full of kindness,
full of compassion. Joseph's heart, he says doesn't
he in that hymn on Gethsemane, full of love, to man's lost race,
full of love. We read, do we not, of the loving
kindness of the Lord. His loving kindness. Yea, I have
loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness
have I drawn thee. How many of us here in this chapel
this afternoon know what this divine drawing is, to be drawn
to Christ. to be drawn to his ways, to be
drawn to his word, to be drawn to his people. Those drawings
are the drawings of a heavenly father. Therefore with loving
kindness have I drawn thee. He says elsewhere, doesn't he,
I will draw thee with the cords of a man. I will draw thee. Fear not, for I will surely show
thee kindness. His loving kindness. Instead of eternal condemnation,
there will be eternal glory. Instead of eternal perpetual
darkness, there will be eternal perpetual light and life in heaven. Think of the words of our Lord
Jesus Christ to his disciples. Let not your heart be troubled.
You believe in me, you believe in God, believe also in me, in
my Father's house. many mansions if it were not
so i would have told you i go to prepare a place for you and
if i go to prepare a place for you i will come again i will
come again and receive you unto myself that where i am there
ye may be also fear not for i will surely show thee kindness and
will restore thee all the land of saw thy father and thou shalt
eat at my table continually. And what a poor, wretched, ruined
sinner. You see, I remember years ago
reading of Stephen Sharmuck, and he was actually expounding,
he was one of the godly puritans, and he was expounding on the
word iniquity. And he said iniquity, in a very
specific way, refers to the indwelling sin that is in every one of us.
indwelling sin. And you know that's something
that deeply troubles the quickened soul is indwelling sin. They find it rising up in their
very nature, in their very nature. Then of course as we've said
actual sin. It's not just that we're defiled
by sin and The hymn writer says, doesn't he? Defiled I am indeed,
defiled throughout thy sin. We are. Is there one here this
afternoon that feels this defilement, this wretchedness? You know, when the Lord reveals
himself, the Lord Jesus Christ reveals himself, because you
know, Real religion is something that is revealed. When the Lord
Jesus reveals himself, it's almost beyond our comprehension. The
hymn writer says, doesn't he, why me? Oh, blessed God, why
me? Why such a wretch as me that
must forever lie in hell were not salvation free, why me? We notice here with Mephibosheth
when David speaks kindly to him and he bowed himself and said,
what is thy servant that thou shouldest look upon such a dead
dog as I am? Such a dead dog as I am. You
think of that Syrophoenician woman when she came to the Lord
Jesus and her daughter was very sick. And we read this and she worshipped
him saying, Lord help me, Lord help me. How many of you have
come here this afternoon and that's the cry of your heart,
Lord help me? You may say, I keep crying. Well,
you keep on crying. You keep on looking and watching
and waiting, Lord help me. And it was as if he rebuffed
her. She come to him. Lord help me. It's not meat he said to give
the bread unto dogs. He called her a dog. What was her response? Lord even
the dogs eat of the crumbs from the master's table. You see the
feeling sense and a realization when the Spirit of God truly
convinces us of our wretched sinful nature, our unworthiness
of anything from the Lord, it will humble us. What is thy servant that thou
shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am? Not worthy. Not worthy. You know, The hymn writer says,
doesn't he, the more thy glory strikes my eye, the humbler I
shall lie. The more we taste and handle
and feel of that free grace, of that loving kindness of our
blessed Saviour, the more humble we shall lie. The more you realise
that you're not worthy of such a rich blessing as this. Not
worthy, to be fair, Not worthy that the Lord should take any
notice of you. And you feel that to be so. And he bowed himself and said,
what is thy servant that thou shouldest look upon such a dead
dog as I am? See the low esteem he had of
himself. And when the Lord truly deals
with you and I, so that we feel our wretched sinful state and
condition and we feel that and know that the Lord would be just
if he was of damas forever. The hymn writer says doesn't
he and it is a real experience and if my soul were sent to hell
by righteous law approves it well. It does, it approves it
well. If my soul were sent to hell
thy righteous law approves it well. What is thy servant that thou
shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am? You know the Lord's
servant David when he came in before the Lord after the Lord
had sat on him in his kingdom and he sat before the Lord in
fact it was when the Lord had said that his solemnist son would
be build the temple of the Lord, not he himself. And we read that
David went in and sat before the Lord. And what did David
say? Who am I? What am I? That thou hast spoken of thy
servant's house in years to come. Who am I? What am I? You know,
friends, the more we have dealings with the Lord, The more His grace,
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ touches our heart, the more we
feel our own hopelessness, helplessness and wretchedness. We have to
say with the dear Apostle, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver
me from the body of this death? You feel it, you feel so unworthy. Not only have you sinned, not
only do you have a wretched, sinful, corrupt heart, But you're still sin. And sin still rises in your heart
even after you've been brought to a knowledge of Jesus Christ.
The Apostle says, doesn't he, 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 then evil is present with me. And
a sense and realization of this will humble you in the dust of
self-abasement. It will. God would be just to
damn you forever. But that wonderful mercy, that
eternal mercy that is found in Jesus Christ, the gifts and calling
of God are without repentance. In other words, he will not change
his mind. If once the love of Christ I
feel impressed upon my breast, the mark of that celestial seal
can never be erased. Having loved his own, he loved
them to the end. Christ himself said, none shall
pluck them out of my father's hand. My father is greater than
I. Why? Because they're loved with
an everlasting love. Because they were chosen before
the foundation of the world. Because they were given to Christ.
They'll never be taken away. That's what it means when the
gifts and calling of God are without repentance. The Lord
doesn't change His mind. Once in Him, in Him forever.
Thus the eternal covenant stands. It's wonderful mercy. It's almighty mercy. It's eternal
mercy. It's the grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ. It is. And David said unto Him,
Fear not, for I will surely show thee kindness. For Jonathan thy
father's sake, and will restore thee all the land that saw thy
father, and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. He had
a place set at the king's table. So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem,
and he did eat continually at the king's table, and was lame
on both his feet. What a wonderful display. is
here when we look at this in a spiritual light of the wonderful
grace of God to eat continually at the King's table. King Jesus
to eat at his table. Those of us who have been enabled
to put on the Lord in an open profession been baptized in the
name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, and followed
our Lord Jesus Christ in the waters of baptism, and then we
come to the table of the Lord. We have a place at the King's
table. What a wonderful thing that is,
isn't it? What wonderful mercy, what great grace, a place at
the King's table. So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem,
And did he continue at the king's table and was lame on both his
feet? You still have that old man of
sin. You still have that corrupt nature. And yet the Lord's mercy
is eternally the same. It is indeed. May the Lord add
his blessing. Let us now sing together hymn
984, the tune is Greaves, 342. Hark how the gospel trumpet sounds,
Christ and free grace are in abounds. Free grace to such a
sinner's be, and if free grace, why not for me? Hymn 984, June Greaves 342. Oh say does that star-spangled
banner yet wave May grace to such a sinner's
being, grant him free grace. where every grace, every grace
I know The Savior died, and by His blood Lord have mercy on
us. He died to set the captives free,
and by thy side And by my soul, and by my soul,
by God, for Thee. Lamb of God, O Christ, how sweet
is Thou, ♪ Till pains and ill-health see the truth. ♪ ♪ For there's a shade there
of the rich and free. ♪ ♪ There's a shade there of
the rich and free. ♪ Stand by my side. Stand by my side. Stand by my side. Stand by my
side. God's Jesus came and brought
him in To come live in with fright and terror The earth is spotless, full,
and free, and by my soul So am I, my soul, am I, my soul,
I'm humbled each day. Jesus, when all life thy
price is paid, And to be recollected there Then sing of grace so rich and
free, Then sing of grace so rich and free, Then say, my soul, 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.