The hymns today have been chosen
by our friend Mr. Palmer. Commence our service
this afternoon by singing hymn number 1134. The tune is Teviot
number 731. Come gracious spirit, heavenly
dove, with light and comfort from above, our waiting soul
set free. Be Thou our Guardian, Thou our
Guide, O'er every thought and step preside, and draw us after
Thee. Conduct us safe, conduct us far
from every sin and hurtful snare, that we may not Thee grieve.
Apply Thy Word that rules must give, and teach us lessons how
to live, and firmly to believe. Number 1134, tune Tevye, number
731. ? With my ever-loving God ? ? Ever-living
Son of Man ? ? With my ever-loving God ? To every thought and sacrifice
I give you, so do I give you. ? O come, let us adore him ? ?
O come, let us adore him ? ? O come, let us adore him ? O come, O come, Emmanuel, O come,
O come, Emmanuel, ? And he shall settle down to thee
? ? And love thee to the end ? ? Give up to Christ now ? ? And in His love we give thanks
? ? For in His truth we give thanks ? ? And praise shall show some every
day ? Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ according to St. John, chapter 7, followed by
chapter 13. We'll read a part of John chapter
7, the first 24 verses. In the context of this chapter,
Jesus, exhorted by his unbelieving kinsmen to show himself at Jerusalem
at the Feast of Tabernacles, refuseth, but afterward goeth
up in secret. The Jews seek him and differ
in their sentiments of him. He teacheth in the temple, Some
are ready to lay hands on him. Others believe the rulers sent
officers to seize him. Christ foretelleth his departure
to the Father and promiseth the Holy Spirit to believers. Various
opinions concerning him, the officers struck with his discourse,
returning without him, and are rebuked by the Pharisees who
chide with Nicodemus for taking his part. John chapter seven. Verse 24 verses. After these things, Jesus walked
in Galilee, for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews
sought to kill him. Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles
was at hand. His brethren, therefore, said
unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judea, that thy disciples
also may see the works that thou doest. There is no man that doeth
anything in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, show
thyself to the world. For neither did his brethren
believe him. Then Jesus said unto them, My
time is not yet come, but your time is all way ready. The world
cannot hate you, but me it hateth, because I testify of it. But
the works thereof are evil. Go ye up unto this feast. I go
not up yet unto this feast, for my time is not yet full come. When he had said these words
unto them, he abode still in Galilee. But when his brethren
were gone up, Then went he also up unto the feast, not openly,
but as it were in secret. Then the Jews sought him at the
feast and said, where is he? And there was much murmuring
among the people concerning him. For some said, he is a good man. Others said, nay, but he deceiveth
the people. Howbeit, no man spake openly
of him for fear of the Jews. Now about the midst of the feast,
Jesus went up into the temple and taught. And the Jews marveled,
saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? Jesus answered them and said,
My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. Makes reference
there to God the Father. If any man will do his will,
he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God or whether
I speak of myself. He that speaketh of himself seeketh
his own glory, but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the
same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. Did not Moses give you the law,
and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill
me? The people answered and said,
Thou hast a devil, who goeth about to kill thee? Jesus answered
and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel. Moses therefore gave unto you
circumcision, not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers. And ye on the Sabbath day circumcise
a man. If a man on the Sabbath day receives
circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken, are
ye angry at me because I have made a man every whit hole on
the Sabbath day? Judge not according to the appearance,
but judge righteous judgment. We now turn to the 13th chapter. In the context here, Jesus washeth
his disciples' feet and exhorted them to follow his example of
humility and charity. He foretelleth the treachery
of Judas and pointeth them out to John by a token. He speaketh
of his glorification as near at hand and commanded his disciples
to love one another. He forewarneth Peter that he
shall thrice deny him. John 13. Now before the feast of the Passover,
when Jesus knew that his hour was come, that he should depart
out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were
in the world, he loved them unto the end. and supper being ended,
the devil, having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot Simon's
son to betray him, Jesus knowing that the father had given all
things into his hands and that he was come from God and went
to God, he riseth from supper and laid aside his garments and
took a towel and girded himself. After that he poureth water into
a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe
them with the towel wherewith he was girded. Then cometh he
to Simon Peter, and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash
my feet? Jesus answered and said unto
him, What I do, thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know
hereafter. Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt
never wash my feet.' Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou
hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord,
not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith
to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet. but is clean every wit, and ye
are clean, but not all. For he knew who should betray
him, therefore said he, ye are not all clean. So after he had
washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down
again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye
call me master and lord, and ye say, well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master,
have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
For I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to
you. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
The servant is not greater than his Lord, neither he that is
sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things,
happy are ye if ye do them. I speak not of you all. I know
whom I have chosen, but that the scripture may be fulfilled.
He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against
me. Now I tell you before it come that when it is come to
pass, you may believe that I am he. Verily, verily, I say unto
you, he that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me, and he that
receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. When Jesus had thus
said, he was troubled in spirit and testified and said, verily,
verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.'
Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom
he spake. Now there was leaning on Jesus'
bosom one of his disciples whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore
beckoned to him that he should ask who it should be of whom
he spake. He then, lying on Jesus' breast,
saith unto him, Lord, who is it? Jesus answered, here it is,
to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he
had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of
Simon. And after the sop, Satan entered
into him. Then said Jesus unto him, that
thou doest do quickly. Now no man at the table knew
for what intent he spake this unto him. For some of them thought,
because Jesus had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, buy
those things that we have need of against the feast, or that
he should give something to the poor. He then, having received
the sock, went immediately out, and it was night. Therefore,
when he was gone out, Jesus said, now is the Son of Man glorified,
and God is glorified in him. If God be glorified in him, God
shall also glorify him in himself and shall straightway glorify
him. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall
seek me, and as I said unto the Jews, whither I go ye cannot
come. So now I say to you, a new commandment
I give unto you, that ye love one another as I have loved you,
that ye also love one another. For this shall all men know,
that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered
him, Whither I go thou canst not follow me now, for thou shalt
follow me here afterwards. Peter said unto him, Lord, why
cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy
sake. Jesus answered him, will thou
lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
the cock shall not crow till thou hast denied me thrice. May the Lord bless the reading
of his word and help us to now come before him once more in
prayer, let us pray. O Thou most holy, holy, holy
Lord God Almighty, the Eternal One, King of kings and Lord of
lords. We come before Thee, Lord, this
afternoon hour as poor, needy sinners, and Lord, we do need
mercy. It is a thing we cannot grant
unto ourselves. O Lord, it is a gift bestowed
only by Thee. We pray, O Lord, that thou will
freely bestow it in thy mercy, unworthy though we are. For,
O Lord, we feel the shame, the guilt, the filth of our sins. And, Lord, we need to know that
washing and cleansing in thine own precious shed blood and that
fountain that was opened for sin and for uncleanness. We ask, O Lord, that this afternoon
we may be found standing at the cross, plunged beneath that fountain
to lose all our guilty stains and to hear those sweet and precious
words, fear thou not for I have redeemed thee, I have called
thee by thy name, thou art mine, and as the hymn writer so beautifully
puts it, away sad doubt and anxious fear, mercy and love, are written
there, written in the wounds of a crucified Jesus. May we,
Lord, know it for ourselves, for truly there is no greater,
more sweeter knowledge than to be in that secret of secrets,
the love of Christ to a poor, needy sinner seeking mercy. O
Lord, we pray thee, open our understanding to these things.
By nature, we have no understanding. By nature, we have no desire
for Christ. Do, O Lord, open our understanding. Grant us eyes and ears of faith
to behold thyself and to hear thy voice, that, O Lord, we may
be guided and directed of thee in all our pathway here below. And so, Lord, as we gather for
the afternoon worship, we pray thee, O Lord, that thou would
come down as of the sound of a rushing mighty wind to fill
all this place where we are sitting. and that, Lord, we may spend
a few moments chatting with thee to be taught of thy Holy Spirit
in the things of Christ, in the things of thy word, and to find
much encouragement and strengthening within. Lord, we may prove that
word as thou didst instruct thy servant, the prophet Isaiah,
to write. I will strengthen thee. Yea, I will help thee. I will
uphold thee with the right hand My righteousness. O Lord, may
we know that this day. And truly, Lord, we are poor,
feeble creatures of the natural flesh. We ask, O Lord, that thou
will grant us hearts and minds eager for thyself and thy word.
We are the same as the disciples in the garden. The spirit indeed
is willing, but the flesh is weak. Minds wander to things
of the past and things to come. O Lord, may this afternoon we
have no other desire than to see Christ crucified by faith
and to be fed with Christ the living bread. Bread of heaven,
feed me now and evermore. Do, O Lord, bless us and help
us in this the afternoon hour of thy day for worship. Do grant
a real need, Lord, and prayer in the pew, and do grant much
help and power in pulpit, we plead, for except thou dost help,
Lord, this is impossible. Thy help is greatly needed, light
needed upon the word, light needed in all thy ways. Do, O Lord,
help a poor stammering tongue to open up the scriptures to
the people here, and Lord, by thy Holy Spirit's power, do feed
them, as a shepherd doth his sheep. And so, Lord, we pray
for the pastor, of this place, Lord, do bless him, be with him
as he labours in preaching to the friends of Tunbridge Wells.
Do, Lord, grant a thus saith the Lord with signs following
there. Do, O Lord, bless the people that gather there and
uphold them, strengthen them. And as we do pray, Lord, for
all thy little hills of Zion up and down this land, where
we come from, in Suffolk and here and elsewhere, we do pray,
O Lord, that thou wilt bring in from all the surrounding localities
all those such as shall be saved. Truly, Lord, it is a dark and
evil day in which we live. Lord, it seems as though this
land has done all it can to shake off our Christian heritage, our
Protestant constitution. O Lord, may the day soon be coming,
if it is thy will, that all these things of darkness and antichrist
will be reversed. that, O Lord, true godliness
may reign once more in this our land, could it please Thee? And
that Britain may once more be a land that fears Thee, that
Thy very word becomes once more the very basis upon which the
laws of our land are made. And we ask, O Lord, that Thou
be merciful to our leaders, to grant all needed wisdom and raise
up in authority they who fear Thy name. And do, O Lord, remember
our prayers for the royal house, God save the king. We do earnestly
pray that you have mercy upon him, his heir, and all the family
and household we plead, that they may be made a godly, gracious
example to this nation. And so, Lord, we pray for thy
people wherever they do gather on this thy day, not just here
in these islands, but throughout the whole world. Those, Lord,
in lands where the Sabbath is ending, Do, O Lord, grant thy
blessing upon thy word where it has been faithfully proclaimed.
And, Lord, they who are yet still to worship, do help them and
grant them a need, Lord, and may they find satisfaction in
thy word by the power of thy Holy Spirit. For, O Lord, no
worldly thing can fill a void. Only satisfaction can only be
gained through Christ and Christ alone. We, O Lord, pray that
thou will remember all thy people in the earth, those in persecuted
war-torn lands. Lord, have mercy and be gracious
to them. Do, O Lord, work in them, and
do reassure them, Lord, in their darkest times, that this world
is not their rest, that they are journeying toward a better
country which is yet to come, where neither moth nor rust doth
corrupt, where, O Lord, they will find everlasting glory and
joy, where they will find endless bliss. May that be our aim also
this afternoon, we do ask. And so, Lord, we pray for all
thy servants preaching on this thy day. Do grant all needed
help to them. Truly, Lord, we feel the weakness
of the flesh, the inability, the natural inability to help
thy servants. Lord, to proclaim thy word upon
the walls of Zion. Lord, Grant much power from on
high that the souls of the hearers may be blessed and fed, and also
the preacher alike. For Lord, thou dost know what
thou freely give to thy servants also to encourage them and help
them, and do help them to proclaim thy word with power and unction
from above, we ask. And so, Lord, for our gathering
here, we pray thee that thou strengthen us in faith, O Lord,
we do need strengthening. We, O Lord, are prone to fall
in fear and unbelief. We are prone, Lord, to doubt
and slavish fears. And, O Lord, what misery we bring
upon ourselves. Do grant us, Lord, that sweet
childlike trust which bringeth forth happiness. Do speak, Lord,
those peace be stills. Lord, may we know that peace,
keeping our hearts and minds by Christ Jesus, the peace of
God. And Lord, may we not this afternoon
be as it was with Sarah, laughing within herself. Oh Lord, what
an awful thing to laugh thee to scorn. Lord, thou art faithful
that promises. Thou dost never lie. Thou art
completely true. May we, oh Lord, believe it to
be so. And may we, this afternoon, be
found looking up unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our
faith. How often, Lord, we look at wind
and waves and instead fall in unbelief. And we should be looking
up, not straight ahead, not down, not left or right, but to look
up. Look up to where our blessings come from, to God from whom all
blessings flow. And that in due time, there will
be those moments where we sing the doxology, for when prayer
is so wonderfully, blessedly answered. And so, Lord, we do
pray then that thou watch over us and bless us. We thank thee
for thy keeping hand over us this week. And we pray thou,
Lord, that as we enter into another week, do grant a wall of fire
round about us, watch over us, ne'er forsake us, we plead, Do,
O Lord, keep us safe from not only worldly harms, but also
spiritual. O Lord, as Thou dost know what
Thou wilt use to the blessing of souls, the devil knows what
he will use to their detriment. Do, O Lord, we pray Thee, strengthen
us. Shield us from the devil and
his fiery darts. May we, O Lord, be granted strength
to resist them, to cast them aside, and to continue pushing
on toward the heavenly city. Help us to fight that good fight
of faith, for truly it is a warfare. Thoughts and feelings mingle,
and the devil seeks to use those to spoil and strangle the Word. O Lord, may that not be the case
with us this afternoon. And so, Lord, we give Thee thanks
for all that Thou hast given us. Food, clothing, health and
strength, friends, family, journey, mercies, long and short, Mercies
in the past, doors opened and sometimes doors shut. Lord, we
have much to be thankful for. We are only sorry we've not been
adding these things up as we should be. We ask, O Lord, that
thou wilt keep us in a spirit of continual thanksgiving. It
is not just something reserved only for the end of situations
when prayers are answered, but we are commanded to continue
in thanksgiving always. for we have much to be thankful
for. We do not deserve the things we seek, let alone the things
we have. But Lord, thou art gracious,
thou art good to thy people. And though we are unworthy sinners,
we would, Lord, ask for more. So do hear us in these things,
Lord. Watch over us, bless us and keep us. Encourage us, Lord,
both pulpit and prayer alike. And do, O Lord, grant that we
may go away from this place at the end, saying, truly, we have
been with Jesus, our Saviour, our Redeemer, and friend. Do,
O Lord, make up in giving where we fail in asking for, Lord,
we, from time to time, when we come into prayer, know not where
to begin or what to ask for first. And Lord, we, but Lord, we know,
thou dost know what we mean. If we just pray those simple
three yet precious words, Lord, help me. And that is enough.
Thou dost understand what we need. Thou knowest what our thoughts
and fears are. Lord, grant us faith to believe.
Hear us in these things and pardon and forgive our every sin. Wash
us, cleanse us in thy precious shed, sin-atoning blood. We ask
for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. We continue our service by singing
hymn number 1094. The tune is Helvette, number
135. The souls redeemed by Jesus'
blood, salvation's theme pursued, exalt the sovereign grace of
God, for such were some of you. From head to foot defiled by
sin, deep in rebellion too, This awful state mankind are in and
such were some of you. ? Graceful still in thy keeping
stand ? ? Steadfast in thy mercy stand ? ? Friends, all as one, be kind
to one another ? Oh, say does that star-spangled banner
yet wave ? Praise for the strength and power of Him ? ? Praise for
the strength and power of Him ? ? Praise for the strength and
power of Him ? Christ, the Lord's King and Saviour
God, King of all, reigneth here. The water's deep and healing
tide, Whose light will set you free. ? Let me not chasten from the rest
? ? Till grace my praises hear ? ? Peace for evermore be mine
? Seeking the Lord's most merciful
gracious and very much needed help. I direct your thoughts
this afternoon hour to the chapter that we read, John chapter 7,
and the statement made by Jesus in verse 6. John chapter 7, verse 6. Then Jesus said unto them, My
time is not yet come. but your time is all way ready. Then Jesus said unto them, my
time is not yet come, but your time is all way ready. In this chapter, Jesus speaks
to his brethren, that is they who are also of Mary's seed,
and they've been, Of course, we read at the beginning of the
chapter, he walked in Galilee. We know, of course, Jesus was
a Galilean, and that he would not injure him because the Jews
sought to kill him. Jury being another word for Judea,
because the Jews sought to kill him. And there was a feast that
was due. It was the Feast of the Tabernacles,
not the Passover, but the Feast of the Tabernacles. Now the Feast
of the Tabernacles was a Jewish celebration, or commemoration
rather, for the providing hand of God for all the time that
the children of Israel spent in the wilderness. Now just pause
there for a moment to consider how the children of Israel must
have yearned to be in the promised land as quickly as they possibly
could. How they complained of the wilderness,
but yet did not God in his mercy provide for them every need that
they had, the manna from heaven, the quails, and all other things? Indeed he did. And I wonder perhaps
is there one here in the Lamberhurst Chapel this morning filled to
be in a wilderness. If you feel weary or fainting
and you long to know the end of this wilderness, be it a providential
one, or perhaps a spiritual one, be assured of this, you will
come to the end of it. There is an end to the wilderness.
It cannot go on forever, where you will come into a providential
oasis provided by Almighty God, a promised land that is ordained
for you, as eventually Job did, as you may read in Job 23, verse
14, He performeth the thing that is appointed for me, and many
such things are with him. And of course, later in the 42nd
chapter, he is delivered of his troubles and given twice as much
as he had before. But most blessedly and sweetly
of all, if you were to perhaps be in a wilderness in your soul,
be assured of this, the Lord will provide that living water. Indeed, he most certainly shall
Did he not say to the woman of Samaria that he that drinketh
this water shall never thirst? Indeed, he most certainly did.
And it is this living water, in all its sweetness and purity,
that strengthens and upholds the believer as they journey
through this wilderness here below, providentially and spiritually. He will provide strength in our
upholding. You may perhaps feel that the
son of tribulation the son of temptation hotly beats upon your
back, and the cross may be heavy, but be assured of this, the Lord
will provide. As he provided the ram for Abraham,
that ours it may not be slain, the stable for Mary and Joseph,
the house that they were to dwell in, and the refuge in Egypt. Dear friends, do we not see the
providential hand of God working much throughout the scriptures,
providing the needs for his people, Is this God still changed somehow
now today? No. The words in Hebrews, Jesus
Christ the same yesterday and today and forever, an unchanging
God with everlasting love freely bestowed upon his people. My time is not yet come, but
your time is always ready. Let's just return to the context
of this text. a feast, the Feast of the Tabernacles. Now we've covered what that feast
was, a commemoration for God's providing for the children of
Israel in the wilderness, but this was not the particular Jewish
feast wherewith Christ was to go up to keep and to be sacrificed
as the Paschal Lamb by God appointed. The hour appointed had not yet
come and how true this statement is of our Lord regarding the
Pharisees later on in the chapter, where they are ready to arrest
and have the Lord slain. From verse 45 onwards, you can
read of where they send the officers. And of course, they return They return and say, never man
spake like this man in verse 46. Why? Because it is the power
of God that is able to stay the hand of the most wicked of men.
It's a wonderful example, you know, that even those Roman soldiers,
the centurion at the cross, the centurion whose servant was sick,
all brought to see Christ at a time appointed. My time is not yet come, but
your time is always ready. Now, by nature, we are also like
the Pharisees. When we see him, there is no
beauty that we should desire him. And often, our time is always
ready. We do not wish to wait for this,
that, or the other. Like the Pharisees who would
have had Christ killed as quickly as they could, The natural man
here on this earth is determined to obtain as much as he can as
quickly as he can. But the Lord will have us wait.
It is not a comfortable truth to the flesh, I admit, from personal
experience. But we will one day see that
it was well worth the wait, because his time is appointed. What did
he say to Abraham and Sarah? At the time appointed, I will
return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah thy
wife shall have a son. Genesis 18 verse 14. It is a blessed thing to know
that the time is appointed. All our times are in his hand.
As we may read in Psalm 31 verse 15, my times are in thy hand. deliver me from the hand of mine
enemies and from them that persecute me. But our times are in his
hand, our natural birth and our natural death. What about our
second birth? Well, the Lord knows when he'll
begin with that. We don't know specific, if there
are any here who perhaps feel they have not tasted love divine
or love's excelling quite yet and they wish, long to know what
they who sit at the communion table know, be certain of this,
the time appointed will come. I remember, as helped of the
Lord, making that statement last year when we were here. The time
appointed shall come, be in no doubt about it, as it is also
appointed for men once to die, and after this, the judgment.
You know, a true child of God, a true believer, there will have
times when they feel to be sick of this earth, weary of earth
and laden with my sin, I look at heaven and long to enter in,
and yet also, knowing that there no evil thing may find a home,
feeling that they are indeed unworthy of the Lord's mercy
and goodness, yet I hear a voice, a merciful voice, a loving voice
that bids me come at a time appointed The time is appointed by God,
and dear friends, we need to be given strength to wait for
that appointed time, to be granted peace to wait that appointed
time, both for our eternity and also for providential answers.
Now, to return to our Lord and to take note for a few further
moments, on the things contained in the readings which we have
read. In our second reading, in John 13, the time has come,
well at least for the Last Supper, the time of the Passover. The
time of the Passover was a commemoration of when the Jewish people would
remember the lamb, another provision slain instead of the first born
of the Israelites, the lamb slain and the blood sprinkled upon
the doorposts. This was the institution of the
Passover, as you may read in, I believe it's in Exodus chapter
12, if memory serves me correctly. And here at last, after thousands
of years of waiting, Christ is here. In a few moments, In a
few hours, rather, regarding the context of our text, he is
to be sacrificed as that excellent sacrifice for sin. Just consider
for a few moments, friends, of how all those years, hundreds,
thousands of years passed, and still the promised Messiah had
not come. Perhaps there were those, I would
not wish to be imaginative, but perhaps there were those who
tried to find the Messiah themselves, find some moral upright man who
seems to be right in and of himself and seems to be the one to deliver
Israel, but no, the time appointed. And finally in Luke's Gospel
2, we read of the birth of Christ and finally now we have the crucifixion
in front of us. We have a paraphrase of our text,
in the seventh verse of John 13. What I do, thou knowest not
now, but thou shalt know hereafter. Jesus washing Peter's feet and
the feet of his disciples. What does Jesus mean when he
says, if I wash thee not, Thou hast no part with me. The
washing of the disciples' feet, symbolic of the washing and cleansing
that is to come upon his people from the shed blood at Calvary.
And dear friends, if we are not washed and cleansed in his blood,
then we have no part with him. We have no union with him. What
do we sometimes sing from the hymn book? Pause my soul and
ask the question. Art thou ready to meet God? Am
I made a real Christian washed in the Redeemer's blood? Have
I union that is a part to the church's living head? And so Simon Peter, he replies,
Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith
to him, he that is washed needeth not Save to, and the word save
here is another word for accept, to wash his feet, but is clean
every wit, and ye are clean, but not all. And when Jesus says,
but not all, that is because there is one who is to betray
him, Judas Iscariot, into whom the devil enters and seeks to
use in delivering our Lord to be crucified. Ye are clean. If, dear friends, if that precious
shed blood touched but one part of the soul, the soul is made
clean immediately, as is its purity, as is its cleansing power. It was but one touch from the
woman of the issue of blood that her plague was made whole. Indeed,
it most certainly was. And so to return to the text,
my time is not yet come, but your time is always ready. Jesus
speaks to Peter, hear what I do, thou knowest not now, but thou
shalt know hereafter. That is because not at that present
moment, but in a few moments, he is to be crucified in a few
hours time. And in three days afterward,
to rise again the third day. We looked in Luke, we read in
Luke 24 this morning, where we read of Peter coming unto the
sepulcher. And he looked in, and afterward,
and he believed on the Lord Jesus Christ afterward when Jesus appeared
unto them in that upper room. And so there the time came, the time
appointed, when Peter knew what the Lord had done, and now he
knew. You see this theme of time here,
there's past and present tense. Jesus speaks in the present tense
here, what I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know. Speaking of in future, thou shalt
know hereafter. And in the word which under instruction
of our Lord I trust we have taken for our text, in the sixth verse, my time is
not yet come, but your time is all way ready. The disciples
thought of the Saviour as one who would redeem Israel and his
people from the Roman rulers. But how true, dear friends, that
God's ways are not our ways. Neither are His thoughts our
thoughts. It was not a physical warfare
that should be shed. He had not come to establish
an earthly kingdom. but had come to save his people
from their sins and that they may be part of a heavenly kingdom
for all eternity. Jesus says to Pilate in John
18 verse 36, my kingdom is not of this world. And it is the
kingdom, dear friends, which we must be watching and waiting
for and expecting. Are we watching and waiting in
prayer this Sabbath afternoon? Are we waiting for the kingdom?
Are we waiting for his second coming? Because the time will
come. I would not go as far as to say
that it is not yet come entirely. But we do not know when the Son
of Man shall come. It may be at the end of today.
It may be later this week. We do not know. But how vital
to be watching and waiting in prayer. And it would be wonderful
If we were made all way ready, in a spiritual sense, for death,
judgment, and eternity, to be made all way ready for his second
coming, for often we are not. I heard a very solemn and awful
account of one that used to work with my aunt on the American
base close to our chapel. And the poor woman, she said,
She said to the Lord that he had better not come for her because
she was not ready yet. What an awful, solemn statement
to make, to not be made ready, to not be ready for the time
appointed when our Lord shall come, because as the Lord Jesus
Christ tells us in Matthew 24, in such an hour as ye think not,
shall the Son of Man come. We're always ready for answers
to prayer, aren't we? For the things of this world.
But are we ready for eternity? Are we ready for him? Because
dear friends, they that are made ready are inheritors of an eternal
inheritance among the saints. His riches in glory to a God
who is rich in mercy. And it is to they whom the king
shall say to them on his right hand, come. You blessed of my
father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of
the world. But to they who are not ready
on his left hand, the goats, he says, depart into everlasting
fire prepared for the devil and his angels. My time is not yet
come, but your time is always ready now. As helped of the Lord,
we'll consider for a few moments the things of providence. What
do we have need of this afternoon? You may have been in need of
something in family, business, church, or whatever it may be.
How long you've been praying and waiting for the thing to
take place, I do not know. The Lord knows how long you have
been waiting. And the Lord knows how long I
have been waiting also for things in my pathway to come to pass.
And I can tell you now, dear friends, it is far from easy
to wait on the Lord. As we said a few moments ago,
the natural man seeks as much as he can as quick as he can
while here below. And indeed, yes, those provisions
do come. They are granted. The Lord will
not have the needs of his sheep be neglected. He's the good shepherd,
remember. And a good shepherd always supplies
the needs of each and every one of his sheep, whatever they may
be. But this time of waiting is also
a time of teaching. We spoke of teaching this morning,
didn't we? From Luke 24, verse 45. Then opened he their understanding
they might understand the scriptures. Friends, this afternoon, may
the time of waiting be made a truly blessed time to you, a time of
teaching for you. May the word of God be made a
light unto your feet and a lamp unto your feet and a light unto
your path. Because, dear friends, if we
trust in the Lord and lean not unto our own understanding, not
just in salvation but in providence, then we will also, if taught
of the Lord, be in obedience to the Lord, acknowledging him
and that he shall direct our paths as to where he will have
us to go. We need to be looking unto the
Lord and may it be a time where we know the peace of God that
passeth all understanding, that will keep our hearts and minds
by Christ Jesus. Peace in itself is a form of
contentment. and Godliness with contentment
is without question great gain. For we brought nothing into this
world and it is certain we can carry nothing out. But we do
not gain contentment in and of ourselves. We have our old natures
that live for this earth. It is only given of God. You
just think for a few moments on Hannah. How she yearned to
be given of a child. Penina, her adversary, mocking
her and giving her grief And how she was in agony of soul,
she pleaded before the Lord in the temple on her knees, not
audibly, but her lips moved. And sadly poor Eli mistook her
for drunkenness. But when she explained to Eli
that she was certainly no prophet of Belial, that she was indeed
a woman of a sorrowful spirit, the servant of the Lord says
to her, go in peace. And the God of Israel grant thee
thy petition, that thou hast asked of him. And we read in
1 Samuel 1 that she returned to her house and her countenance
was no more sad, and she did eat. Whatever be your case this
Sabbath afternoon, lay it before the Lord in prayer. Spell all
of it out to him if you can, because as we said in prayer,
there are times when we know not how to begin in prayer, and
we may not know how to begin in asking at times, or what to
ask for first. but the Lord Jesus knows. Matthew
6, your heavenly Father knoweth what things ye have need of before
ye even ask him. And if he knoweth what things
ye have need of before ye even ask him, he also understandeth
and knoweth your case when you pray those simple yet precious
words, Lord, help me. And that is enough. The Lord
knows and understands. Lord, help me. Offer it unto
him in prayer. For prayer, it is the access
point that the believer has to almighty God. And not only offer
your petitions in God, but ask him for your understanding to
be opened in the scriptures, that you may have better understanding
of your pathway and of what awaits the saints, the truths that are
contained within the Word of God. John Bunyan once said, the
truths I have learnt best, I have learnt on my knees in prayer. I never know a thing well until
it is burned into my heart by prayer. Taught of God, taught
of the Spirit, the value of it cannot be emphasised enough.
It is a sweet and blessed time to be taught of the Lord. My
time is not yet come, but your time is always ready. We need patience, we without
question do. And we are told in, I believe
it's in 1 Peter chapter 1, where he says for, or it may be in
James, I think it may be in James actually, Ye have need of patience,
that ye may be pure and entire, wanting nothing, to be content,
to trust that needs will be supplied, that it will come. It is a beautiful
place to be, you know, to be at peace. It is not in a state
of ignorance of where one does not care and ignores all. No, that is not the nature of
this peace. This peace is a childlike trust
which bringeth forth happiness. that the Lord God Almighty will
supply all needs according to his riches in glory by Christ
Jesus. James 1 verse 4, but let patience
have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting
nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let
him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth
not. and it shall be given him. Our
friend here may remember at Tunbridge Wells a few weeks ago, we spoke
on this word, and indeed, dear friends, in times of tribulation,
we do need great wisdom, because you know the natural mind, often
thoughts and feelings arise, fears arise, and all how we need
the hand of God to be placed upon us, to bring us to be still
and know that he is God. that he will be exalted among
the heathen and that he will be exalted in the earth. Will, guarantee, the time is
meant to come, but it is not yet come. And I would encourage
you this afternoon to not be despondent at the point of not
yet come. It's not uncommon, you know,
for any of God's people any of us
of those in the, maybe in pew or even in pulpit, to think that
perhaps we have a very long time to wait. I've been waiting for
so long and perhaps we've got longer to wait. Friends, our
times are in his hand, we do not know. We are not told when
the hour shall come. Only he knows, the Lord knows
what our needs are and he knows what we can and cannot stand.
You just think of Peter, in Matthew 14. He begins walking to his
Lord on the winds and the waves, and for a few moments he is doing
well, but then looks at the wind and the waves and starts to sink. Sink in what? Yes, the waves.
Yes, the water. But it's the waves and water
of fear and unbelief. Unbelief, a dreadful sin which
makes God a liar. And in his mercy, Jesus stretched
forth his hand immediately and caught him. The Lord knows the
time appointed for answers to prayer. If one is in need of
an immediate answer, be sure they will be given one at the
time appointed. The time appointed for Isaac
to be born. The time appointed for Christ
to be born. The time appointed for Christ
to be crucified for sinners. And dear friends, what about
the time of your second birth? Do you perhaps fear that you
have a lacking, that you have a need to know the things that
they who sit around the communion table know, that you have a lacking
in understanding? Be certain of this. The fear
of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the time appointed
will come when he shall quicken you into divine life if you are
truly in concern for your soul, if you know that you have a need
which no earthly thing can fill. If you know that you need to
be in a state of true repentance, of sight, sorrow, shame, confession,
hatred and turning, the Lord will bring you into that state,
and he will bring you through all six of those ingredients
of true repentance, and will bring you into that straight
and narrow path, the way unto eternal glory. And so, dear friends,
great is our need of wisdom, great is our need of understanding
in the Scriptures, Thomas says to the Savior in the 14th, at
the beginning of John 14, or towards the beginning of John
14, he says, Lord, we know not whither thou goest, and how can
we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the
way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father
but by me. It is the Lord God Almighty who
draws sinners unto himself into that straight and narrow way.
There's many Thomases in the world today who know not the
way of salvation, who do not understand the scriptures, who
feel like they have a lacking, and whether they pursue for it
to be filled or not, well, only the Lord knows. But the time
appointed comes when a sinner is called by grace, when they
are brought into that saving knowledge of the truth, into
that straight and narrow way, the way of salvation. And so
may we be brought to run with patience the race that is set
before us. Certainly not an easy path, but
the Lord does bring us breaks of prosperity at an appointed
time. The Lord brought Job out of his
providential straits, and whatever you have need of this afternoon,
if it is a need of mercy, if it is a need of grace, be certain
the Lord will provide, because they that seek shall find. No
sinner shall ever come empty sent back who comes seeking mercy
for Jesus' sake. He does not cast them away. Instead,
he bids them come unto me All ye that labour and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, for my
yoke is easy and my burden is light. He does not cast them
away, in stark contrast to the unjust judge who only answered
the woman's petition lest she troubled him. The Lord Jesus
Christ is delighted to see you continue coming to him, pleading
your petitions, your cases, your causes, for your soul, for mercy,
for grace, and also for those things which ye have need of.
He would have you come unto him, because it is unto him you find
the blessing. It is with him you find mercy,
grace, and love. And answers to prayer, they do
come. It may sometimes seem as though they are never going to
come, but I would exhort you Remember the words of Matthew
Henry, the Bible commentator. The best way to forget our miseries
is to remember the God of our mercies. Remember the mercies
past. Remember answers to prayer, where
you were, how it took place, who you were with. There's times
when you felt the joy, when you knew that the Lord had heard
your petition and answered your prayer, when you could say, With
the psalmist in 120 verse 1, in my distress I cried unto the
Lord and he heard me. That word there, it's a word
of testimony that the Lord, where the psalmist has been heard of
the Lord and his prayer answered. Oh taste and see that the Lord
is good. At the time appointed when deliverance
comes, you shall know those words for yourselves. O taste and see
that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man that trusteth
in him, for salvation especially. Because the nature of spiritual
blessing, of mercy, grace and love, it is a real sweetness.
And just one taste of it will bring the believer to be longing
for more, hungering and thirsting after righteousness that they
may be filled. They yearn more mercy, more grace, Lord, I cannot
get enough. Bread of heaven, feed me now
and evermore. And in providence also they prove
that the Lord is good. They taste his goodness. And
in providential answers the believer only receives more mercy, because
truth be told, you and I do not deserve the things we seek, let
alone the things we have. But the Lord in his infinite
mercy and grace supplies all our need. according to his riches
in glory by Christ Jesus, to the honour and glory of his great
and holy name. My time is not yet come. Do not
be discouraged at that statement, dear believer. It says not yet
come. It does not say that he will
never come. And it is not a statement that says you have a long time
until he comes. We know not the hour when answers
to prayer come. We know not the hour of our death.
We know not the hour of the second coming, but the Lord comes. He always comes. You think of
that account of the disciples on the water, they're fishing
by night and still the Lord had not yet come, but he came walking
on the water. How wondrous, how wonderful is
this story that the Lord still comes to his people, that nothing
hinders him, in coming to his people. Satan would like to hinder
him, but that will not be allowed to take place. I will work and
who shall let it? The Lord always comes to his
people and delivers them out of all situations and distresses
in due season. May you be able to testify with
the words of Psalm 107. Then they cried unto the Lord
in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.
Have you got a distress of temptation this afternoon? A distress of
guilt? A distress of shame? Confess
it all to the Lord. Cry to the Lord in prayer that
this is the anguish within your soul. Did not the Lord come to
the end of his crucifixion? What he endured no tongue can
tell. But finally, those three key
words in John 19 verse 30, if I remember correctly, It is finished. Time appointed has come. The
work is done. And dear friends, may those words,
it is finished, be your comfort this afternoon. That salvation's
work is done. Fought the fight, the battle
won. Now whatever be your needs in Providence, also be assured
of this. God will provide at the time
appointed. My time is not yet come, but
your time is always ready. May the Lord grant you patience
and faith to believe this, and may he also grant you teaching
in his word, that you may find sweet encouragement and consolation
there with a blessed Redeemer, whose glory is found within both
Old and New Testament pages, that you may find spiritual food
for your soul and encouragement, and that you may be strengthened
to continue to walk in your pathway, though the cross may be heavy.
There is a hymn, it's not one we sing, it's an old Church of
England hymn, but there's a verse that is most beautiful. When
the warfare is long, steals on that ear the distant triumph
song, and hearts are brave and arms are strong. It is this promise
of eternal glory that keeps the believer going on, that keeps
them pushing onward to heaven. They do not seek to turn back,
They won't be allowed to. They won't go back. Because they
know that they have no abiding city here. The riches of this
world, though they have need of things here below, can never
fully satisfy. Only God's eternal mercy and
grace will do. And that the heavenly kingdom,
the heavenly city, is their eternal rest. And they enter it at a
time appointed. My time is not yet come, but
your time is always ready. My friends at Lamberhurst Chapel
this afternoon, be encouraged in this word, and be encouraged
in what we spoke of this morning, that the Lord will open your
understanding, and that he will educate you in his word, and
grant you all needed wisdom for your pathway here below, and
that you may realize that the times do come when answers are
given, and finally, most wonderfully, that you'll be delivered from
this time state into a glorious never-ending eternity with him,
with Christ, which is far better. The Lord himself be with you
all to teach you his own will and guide you safe from every
thrall to Zion's heavenly hill. May the Lord forgive anything
I've said amiss and add his blessing. Amen. in my singing hymn number 631,
in June's eventide number 140. The Lord himself be with you
all, to teach you his own will, and to guide you safe from every
fall, to die on this heavenly hill. be with you to unfold His
grace and to prove His truth divine, unveil the glories of
His face and make His counsel shine. ? The Lord is come ? ? He will
take you home ? ? And teach you grace and wonder ? ? And I do
see your heavenly throne ? ? This night so very bright ? He gave His will, and God is
praise, and we are thanks to Him alone. ? And make this world so shine
? ? Whatever be the state of it ? ? The Lord himself begins
? ? Succour and protection ? ? In heaven and earth ? ? And with
you ? O say can you see, by the dawn's early light, What so proudly
we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? ? And every day your
songs renew ? ? Our land and world renew ? ? And the home of the brave ? ?
Until the end ? ? And God is safe at last ? O Lord, in thy infinite love
and mercy, Pardon and forgive all that thou hast seen amiss
in our worship in both services on this thy day. O Lord, bless
all that has been of thyself and apply thy word with power
to our hearts and souls, we plead. Do follow with thy blessing. And may we not leave these things
on the chapel doorstep, but take them into another week of time
to think and meditate upon. made blessing and encouragement
to our souls as we journey toward the heavenly city in the straight
and narrow way. Do, O Lord, watch over us and
keep us this week. Be a wall of fire round about
us. May we know the presence of the Lion of the tribe of Judah,
the Roots of David accompanying us as we go on. And may, O Lord,
we be spared yet to meet around thy word again in the week and
on the coming Lord's day. and on the next Lord's Day. Do
bless this people here. Do bless their pastor also. Do
grant thy gracious favour unto them and increase them, could
it please thee, in church and congregation, for the good of
their souls and for the fervence of the gospel and for the honour
and glory of thyself. Hear us in these things. Make
up in giving where we do so fail in our asking. Pardon our every
sin. Now may the love of God the Father
the grace of Christ the Son, the fellowship and communion
of the Holy Spirit, rest and abide with us each, both now
and forevermore. Amen.