Let us commence our service this
afternoon by singing together hymn number 326, the tune is
Hope 350. Let me but hear my Saviour say,
strength shall be equal to thy day, that I rejoice in deep distress,
leaning on all sufficient grace. Hymn 326. Tune Hope, 350. But with God here I say the same,
Strength shall be giv'n, water thy way, Then I rejoice in deepest rest,
Thee, O Lord, sufficient rest. ? Thy glory in ? ? Eternity ? ?
That rise on high ? ? Arise for me ? ? When I am here ? then am I sure this is my King
and Christ my Son. I can do all things now and then,
But I'm with thee, my only friend. When I first came to live on
earth, I did not know her, I had just heard. ? And if the Lord be with us today
? ? Then may I tell you how great He is ? When muted angels sing their
joys In the land of grace and peace, Let us read together from the
Holy Word of God in the Gospel according to Mark and chapter
16. Mark's Gospel, chapter 16. And when the Sabbath was passed,
Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome had brought
sweet spices that they might come and anoint him. And very
early in the morning, the first day of the week, they came unto
the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. And they said among
themselves, who shall roll us away the stone from the door
of the sepulchre? And when they looked, they saw
that the stone was rolled away. for it was very great. And entering
into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right
side, clothed in a long white garment, and they were affrighted. And he saith unto them, Be not
affrighted. Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which
was crucified. He is risen. He is not here. Behold the place where they laid
him. But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he go
before you into Galilee. There shall you see him, as he
said unto you. And they went out quickly and
fled from the sepulcher, for they trembled and were amazed.
Neither said they anything to any man, for they were afraid. Now when Jesus was risen early,
the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene,
out of whom he had cast seven devils. And she went and told
them that had been with him as they mourned and wept. And they,
when they had heard that he was alive and had been seen of her,
believed not. After that he appeared in another
form unto two of them as they walked and went into the country,
and they went and told it unto the residue. Neither believed
they then. Afterward he appeared unto the
eleven as they sat at me, and upbraided them with their unbelief
and hardness of heart, because they believed not then which
has seen him after he was risen. And he said unto them, go ye
into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth
not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow
them that believe. In my name shall they cast out
devils, they shall speak with new tongues, they shall take
up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not
hurt them. They shall lay hands on the sick
and they shall recover. So then after the Lord had spoken
unto them, he was received up into heaven and sat on the right
hand of God. And they went forth and preached
everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the
word with signs following. Amen. May the Lord bless the
reading of his own precious word and grant to us the spirit of
real prayer. Almighty, most merciful and eternal
God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, we bow before thy glorious majesty,
the one and only true God. We desire to worship thee. And that, Lord, we have that
solemn realisation that we are unholy and thou art holy and
righteous altogether. And that we desire to come in
confession of our sins, and of our shortcomings and we
are encouraged oh lord in thy word if you confess your sins
he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness we do thank thee for those words of
grace and we do pray that thou would receive us graciously and
grant that we may be accepted in the beloved and that we might
know that we are complete in him. We pray that his left hand may
be under our head and his right hand embrace me and that thou wouldst graciously
guide us into thy truth and come and open thy word to our heart
and to our understanding and grant that here this afternoon
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 with us, and that we may abide in Christ. As thou hast
said, Lord Jesus, abide in me, and I in thee, all that we may
have Christ in us, the hope of glory, and that we might know
and feel the divine power and the heavenly influence of the
Holy Ghost in our hearts and in our lives and in our circumstances. Oh, we do pray, most blessed
Spirit, that thou wouldst take of the things of Jesus and reveal
them unto us, and that thou wouldst truly convince us of our sin
and lead to Jesus' blood, to our wandering eyes revealed the
secret love of God. We pray that the word of the
Lord may have free course here this afternoon. Most blessed
Spirit, only thou canst clothe the preacher's tongue with power.
Only thou canst enter into a sinner's heart. Only thou canst stop him
in his mad career. Only thou art able to open his
eyes to realise this lost condition. Lord, we pray that it may be
so, that we may see thy work and thy power and thy glory as
though useless to be in the sanctuary. Do remember, we pray thee, our
brethren, the deacons, and help them and undertake for them in
all their responsibilities among us and among the churches of
God. And do remember, Lord, each one
of thy labouring servants as they labour in word and doctrine.
We pray for those that are sick at this time, that they might
know thy restoring, healing mercy, that thou wouldst be Jehovah
Rophi. I am the Lord that healeth thee. Lord, we pray that it may
be so with each of thy servants that are laid aside. We pray
that thou would gird them with all sufficient grace to preach
the word, to be in season and out of season. Oh, do hear us,
Lord, we humbly pray thee, and graciously bless thy servants.
And we pray thee, the great Lord of the harvest, to send true
labourers into the harvest, and to build the walls of Jerusalem.
Oh, do hear us, Lord, we humbly beseech thee, and remember the
little hills of Zion up and down the land where thy people gather
and where thy servants stand. We pray that they may know thy
blessing, thy favour, thy love shed abroad in their hearts.
We do humbly beseech thee. We pray that we may see better
days in Zion, that instead of a decline we may see an increase
a building up, a renewing, a reviving. Lord, increase our faith. Increase
our love. Fulfill those wonderful gospel
promises. I will bring thy sons from far
and thy daughters from the ends of the earth. And they shall
come from the north and from the south and from the east and
from the west. Lord, these are thy promises
to thy people, to thy church. Let us see O Lord, those promises
fulfilled, for all the promises of God are yea and amen in Christ
Jesus. Lord, may the Lord Jesus Christ
be exalted as a Prince, as a Saviour, to give faith, repentance, remission
of sins unto poor sinners. May He be exalted in all His
suitableness as a Saviour, as a Redeemer, as one that is able
to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by Him. We
thank Thee for Him. We thank Thee for His precious
blood that cleanses from all sin. We thank Thee for that wonderful,
precious truth of the incarnation of the Son of God, the holy life
He lived as a man, bringing in everlasting righteousness. We
thank Thee, O Lord, that He offered that life, he laid it down, a
sinatoning sacrifice on Calvary's tree to redeem his people. O most gracious Lord, we thank
thee for the sufferings and the death and the resurrection of
Jesus Christ, for this is all our hope, this is the foundation
of all our desires, that I might know him in the power of his
resurrection in the fellowship of his sufferings. Gracious God,
O do hear us, we pray thee, and do remember us, we pray, as a
church and as a congregation. Send out thy light, send out
thy truth, and graciously work, even as thou hast promised in
thy word, I will work, and who shall let it? pray that thou would let thy
work appear unto thy servants and thy glory unto their children. We do humbly beseech thee. We
pray that the prodigals may return and their wonderful power and
grace may be seen in this. We do humbly pray thee. Lord,
what rejoicing there would be to see an ingathering, to see
a returning of the prodigals, to see thy work appearing. O,
do hear us, O Lord, we do pray thee, and work mightily and work
powerfully. And loose sinners from Satan's
power and the powers of sin, we do humbly pray thee, and bring
them into the glorious liberty of the people of God, and grant
that they may come and tell to sinners round what a dear Saviour
they have found and point to thy redeeming blood and say,
behold the way to God. Lord, we do pray that thou and
thy precious mercy would hear us and send real true prosperity
and return unto Jerusalem with mercy. We read that the streets
of Jerusalem shall be full of boys and girls playing in the
streets. Lord may it be so today. We do
humbly beseech thee. And oh Lord we have read in time
past in the church of those wonderful outpourings of thy spirit. It
says in the word that he shall come suddenly to his temple and
we pray that it may be so in this day in which we live. that
thou wouldst come suddenly into the church of God, that thou
wouldst turn our captivity as the streams in the South. Lord, we do pray that thou wouldst
remember us then as a church and as a congregation, the children,
the young people. Bless them, Lord, we humbly pray. Bring them to living faith in
Jesus Christ. to know that true liberty, that
true light, that precious love shed abroad in their hearts,
and that gracious willingness to follow thee and to serve thee. Thy people shall be willing in
the day of thy power. Oh, do grant the day of thy power.
And oh Lord, we do pray that thou would remember all in the
midst of the journey of life and knowest, O Lord, where they
are. And we do pray that thou wouldst
be gracious unto them. And we read in thy word that
he received gifts for men, yea, for the rebellious also. And
maybe, Lord, there are those that are rebellious, and they
dwell in a dry land spiritually. But, Lord, thou art able to deliver
them. Thou hast received gifts for them also. And, O Lord, we
do pray that Thou wouldst graciously deliver us from the temptations
of Satan. It goes about as a roaring lion
seeking whom he may devour. And also, Lord, it goes about
as an angel of light seeking whom he may deceive. Pray to
be delivered from the temptations of Satan. We do humbly beseech
thee. When the enemy comes in like
a flood, the spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against
him. O Lord, do graciously be with us. Deliver us from temptation. Deliver us from evil. We do humbly
beseech of thee. And O Lord, we pray that thou
would remember those of us in the evening time of life's journey
and prepare us for that great change which must come. As we
have been reminded even in this past week of the sudden death
of one. And Lord, we do pray that we
may be made ready as thou hast exhorted Lord Jesus, be ye also
ready. For at such a time as ye think
not, the Son of Man cometh. O prepare me, gracious God, to
stand before thy face, that thy Spirit must the work perform,
for it is all of grace. O Lord, we do pray that thou,
in thy precious mercy, wouldst hear our cries, hear our entreaties,
We thank Thee for every mercy of Thy kind providence. We thank
Thee for the love and grace of our Heavenly Father. And we thank
Thee for that wonderful and precious gift of the Holy Ghost. And we
pray that Thou would be present here now with us this afternoon,
that we may truly worship Thee. We ask these favours and blessings
with the forgiveness of all our sins. and pray that thou wouldst
come and touch one's lips with a live coal from of the heavenly
altar as we ask for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 543. that the tune is everlasting
love, 942. When Jesus is the way to God, Jesus
is the way to bliss. In this way the church has trod,
down from Adam's day to this. Jesus is the living way, all
beside to ruin lead. They are safe and only they who
are one in Christ their Hymn 543, to an everlasting love,
942. His mercy is far greater than
all. His mercy is far greater than all. In this way the church has shown ? Down from the mountain to this
? ? Jesus is the living Word ? ? All is calm, clear and free
? Jesus, Jesus, the Lord be with
you. ? When He came, and on He came
? ? All the angels they sang along ? ? Jesus came, and how
He came ? And evermore ? Shall not move away ? ? Thine
as a shadow ? ? I see no doubt ? ? Lo, behind the beams of grace
? ? In this great world ? ? He has
made a way of strength ? ? He has made a way of strength ?
? In this great world ? Jesus is the way of peace. ? This is where the mountain rests
? ? And the mead he gives the fruit ? ? Oh, how good the smell
from thee ? ? Through the rain and the thicket
? ? In this day, this day and night ? ? In the world, we sing of thee ? Greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, I direct your attention to Mark chapter 16,
and we'll read verses 19 and 20 for our text. The gospel according to Mark
chapter 16, reading verses 19 and 20. So then, after the Lord
had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven and sat
on the right hand of God. And they went forth and preached
everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the
word with signs following. Amen. So then, after the Lord had spoken
unto them he was received up into heaven. All the gospels record this wonderful
fact that Christ has bodily ascended into heaven and indeed it's prophesied his
bodily ascension into heaven. I rather like the first chapter,
the Acts of the Apostles, and the wonderful account that is
given there. And it says there from verse
nine, and when he had spoken these things, while they beheld,
he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly
toward heaven, As he went up, behold, two men stood by them
in white raiment, which also said, ye men of Gadolin, why
stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken
up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye
have seen him go into heaven. Then they returned unto Jerusalem
from the Mount called Oliver, which is from Jerusalem, a Sabbath
day's journey. So then after the Lord had spoken
unto them, he was received up into heaven. We read in Psalm
47, God has gone up with the shepherds And again, it's a prophecy
concerning the Lord Jesus bodily ascending into heaven. We read
in John chapter 14, those beautiful well-known words, let not your
heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also
in me. In my father's house are 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 and receive you unto myself, that
where I am, there ye may be also." God has gone up into heaven.
The Lord Jesus Christ is exalted at the right hand of the Father. But we must be clear, friends,
of what is exalted. These things are important. The
Son of God in his divine nature can never be any less than he
ever has been. He's been the Son of God from
all eternity and he will be the Son of God for all eternity to
come. He is Jesus Christ the same yesterday,
that's eternal, and today and forever. He's eternally the same. So his divine nature can never
be exalted any higher than it always has been. But when it
says, wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, it's speaking
of the Son of God manifest in the flesh. And his human nature
has been exalted to the right hand of the Father. So the glorious
person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Son of Man, sitteth
at the right hand of the majesty on high. When the first deacon
Stephen was stoned to death, we read that he beheld the Lord
Jesus Christ standing to receive him into heaven. And in the fifth
chapter of the book of the Revelation, we see there the Lord Jesus standing
as a lamb that had been slain, standing in heaven. I think you'll
find that's the only two references of Christ ascended into glory
standing. All the other references are
of Christ sitting. And what does it mean? He rests
from his labors. He's sitting, sitting at the
right hand of the majesty on high. I remember many years ago
before I was in the ministry and reading Dr. Gill on that and he said that
the Lord Jesus Christ is not on his knees bowing before his
Holy Father. Let us not run away with that
idea that every time a poor sinner comes then the Lord Jesus goes
on his knees before his Father. He said no, he sits. He sits
very clear in scripture. And when that poor sinner approaches
in the name of Christ, the Father looks upon the Son, sitting at
his right hand, and he receives that poor sinner in and through
the precious blood and merits of our Lord Jesus Christ. And
they are accepted in the Beloved. When the Apostle Paul opens the
epistle to the Hebrews, He says, God, who at sundry times and
in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the
prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son,
whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made
the worlds, who be in the brightness of his glory, and the express
image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his
power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on
the right hand of the majesty on high. Indeed, in the fourth
chapter, he says in verse 14, seeing then that we have a great
high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the son of
God, let us hold fast our profession. Why? Because we have a great
high priest We have one that intercedes for us. We have one
that stands between, as the hymn writer says, to see as Christ
is instead of me is seen when I approach to God. And the apostle
there in Hebrews 4, he goes on to say, for we have not an high
priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities,
but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. And then we have that wonderful
word, Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that
we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. You see, these wonderful truths
are set before us to encourage us to take all your trials, perplexities,
sorrows, doubts, fears, take them to the Lord in prayer. all
your troubles, take it to the Lord in prayer. Let us therefore
come boldly. Why? Because Jesus sits there.
We have a great high priest who has passed into the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God. And because of that, the apostles
said, let us hold fast our profession. You may have been tempted to
give up, you may have been tempted to turn back, Let us hold fast,
why? Because we have a great high
priest, an unchangeable high priest, an almighty high priest,
touch with a sympathy within. He knows our feeble frame. He knows what sore temptations
mean, for he has felt the same. He says in the fifth chapter
of the Hebrews, verse 5, so also Christ glorified not himself
to be made an high priest but he that said unto him thou art
my son, there's a quotation from psalm 2, thou art my son today
have I begotten thee and then he quotes from psalm 110 he saith
also in another place thou art a high priest forever after the
order of Melchizedek. who in the days of his flesh,
when he had offered up prayers and supplication with strong
crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death
and was heard in that he feared, though he were a son, yet learned
he obedience by the things which he suffered. And being made perfect,
he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that
obey him, called of God, and high priest after the order of
Melchizedek. You see how he sets before us
here these wonderful fundamental truths and foundation truths
of our most holy faith, that the Son of God, who was made
flesh and dwelt among us, who was a man of sorrows and acquainted
with grief, who suffered and bled and died
for our sins, who fulfilled and honoured and magnified the holy
law of God. My beloved friend, he's done
everything. He hasn't left anything for us to do. It's finished. The work is done, the work is
complete. And it is received by faith in
every poor, helpless believer. 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. Oh, my beloved
friends, may it please the Lord to encourage you with these wonderful
truths, to encourage you to come. The Lord Jesus encourages you
to come. Come unto me, all ye that labour,
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon
you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and
ye shall find rest, rest, the rest of faith. Ye shall find
rest for your souls. What a wonderful thing to know
that rest of faith. It always strikes me in this
last chapter of Mark, of these women as they went, what faith
they had as they went to the sepulcher. What courage they
had. It was dangerous times. The Lord
Jesus Christ had just been crucified. And when the Sabbath was passed,
Mary Magdalene It says here, out of whom the Lord cast seven
devils and Mary the mother of James and Salome had brought
sweet spices that they might come and anoint him. It was love
that motivated them. It was love for them to get up
at the dawning of the day and early in the morning, the first
day of the week, they came onto the sepulchre. at the rising
of the sun and see how their hearts were exercised. That sepulchre
had a great stone and it was a very large stone across the
front of it. And they said among themselves,
who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? Have you got something like that
in your pathway? Something that Naturally speaking
is utterly impossible. How were they going to move that
stone? Who shall roll us away the stone? But it didn't stop them going.
No. They still went. They went in
faith. Who shall roll us away the stone?
Maybe you have this impossible thing. And your language is who
shall roll us away the stone? from the door of the sepulcher. And when they looked, obviously
when they came within sight of it, and when they looked, they
saw that the stone was rolled away, for it was very gray. You see, my beloved friends,
to go in faith, we made the point, I think it was last Lord's Day
morning, of the Lord's servant Daniel, had to go into the lion's
den. We made the point of Shadrach,
Meshach and Abednego, his three friends, they had to go into
the burning fiery furnace and there the Lord wrought wonders.
Daniel was delivered from the mouths of the lions and Shadrach,
Meshach and Abednego were miraculously delivered from that fiery burning
furnace. Who shall roll us away the stone? From the door of the sepulchre
and when they looked they saw that the stone was rolled away
for it was very gray. And then we have this wonderful
account of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. They saw
a young man, who was obviously an angel, and entering into the
sepulcher, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed
in a long white garment, and they were affrighted. And he
saith unto them, Just think, these wonderful words of grace
to these dear women. And he said unto them, be not
afraid. Ye see Jesus of Nazareth, which
was crucified, he is risen. What wonderful news, isn't it?
He is risen. He is not here. Behold the place
where they laid him. behold the place where they laid
him. Jesus was risen from the dead, just as he taught them.
There are several occasions in the Gospels when the Lord Jesus
actually told his disciples that he would be taken by the hands
of wicked men, and he would be betrayed, and that he would be
crucified, that he would die. But on the third day, he would
rise again. But they were to them as idle
tales. were. Be not affrighted. This may be
a word in ceasing to someone here. Be not affrighted. He is risen, you see. The risen
Saviour. He is not here. What a wonderful
thing the empty tomb is. the resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead. He'd been dead three days and
three nights. And now he'd risen from the grave. The bands of death had been broken.
I think it's the apostle that says he had destroyed death.
Him that had the power of death, that is the devil. Christ has
destroyed death. Oh death, where is thy sting?
O grave, where is thy victory? Christ has destroyed death, and
him that had the power of death, on the behalf of his people.
And not one of his children can ever be held in death longer
than the resurrection morning. On the resurrection morn, when
Christ shall come in power and in great glory. The very first
thing that he does is to send his angels to the four corners
of the earth and gather his elect. unto himself. He knows where
they all are. Some of them would have been
burned to death, some of them would have been cut to pieces,
and their remains would have been scattered everywhere, but
every atom will be brought together, and they'll be raised perfect. They will. They'll be raised
from the dead, and they shall meet the Lord in the air. It's
a wonderful truth, the truth of the resurrection he says here
but go your way tell his disciples and Peter I always feel that
that is such a precious thing tell his disciples but then and
Peter Peter that denied him with oaths and with curses go and
tell the disciples and Peter that he goeth before you. The
Lord thought upon Peter. He did. And there was a special
message for Peter. That he was risen from the dead.
Now, that he goeth before you. Isn't that what we want to know?
I think it was last Sunday morning, wasn't it? How will the Lord,
he promises, when they'll pass us through the waters, I will
be with them. The flood shall not overflow. The fire shall
not hurt thee, but go your way. Tell his disciples
that he goeth before you into Galilee. There shall you see
him as he said unto you. It's recorded how Christ said
to them that he would meet them in Galilee, in a certain place. And he sends this message to
them. and they went out quickly and fled from the sekkukah, for
they trembled and were amazed. Neither said they anything to
any man, for they were afraid. These wonderful things had happened. We have these appearances of
Christ after his resurrection. When Jesus was risen early, the
first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out
of whom he cast seven devils. A man recently emailed me and
he intimated that he didn't agree with people saying that Mary
Magdalene was a wicked woman. And so I sent to him, I emailed
him back. I said, the scripture is very
clear. She was possessed of 70 devils, which intimates she was
a very wicked woman. It clearly indicates that. But that surely magnifies the
wonderful grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. He appeared first to Mary Magdalene. What a wonderful thing if the
Lord appears to us. Appears in a revelation of Christ
so that by faith you see him, you know him, you feel his presence. He appeared first to Mary Magdalene. She was there at the sepulcher,
wasn't she? It's recorded in John's Gospel. Lord Jesus he said didn't he
was it to Simon the Pharisee that he that loveth much or was
forgiven much loveth much and it was so in Mary Magdalene she
was forgiven much therefore she loved much. The other disciples
were all gone but she stayed she couldn't she wanted to see
her Lord she wasn't disappointed He came and spoke unto her. She supposed that he was the
gardener. And he said unto her, Mary, my
sheep, they know my voice and they follow me. And a stranger
will they not follow? And she immediately said, Master,
Master, see the Lord Jesus, these disciples, Mary Magdalene was
loved much, she'd been saved from much and he appeared first to Mary
Magdalene out of whom he had cast seven devils and she went
and told them that had been with him as they mourned and wept
and they when they had heard that he was alive and had been
seen of her, believed not. They wouldn't believe it. All that terrible sin of unbelief. They wouldn't believe it. And
then we have another appearing in verse 12. After that he appeared
in another form unto two of them as they walked and went into
the country. and they went and told it unto
the residue. Neither believed they then. They had all these different
witnesses that had witnessed the Lord Jesus had appeared to
them and spoke to them. You know, He appeared to those
two disciples as recorded in Luke chapter 24. And behold,
two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus which
was from Jerusalem about three score furlongs. And they talked
together of all these things which had happened. And it came
to pass that while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus
himself drew near and went with them. And afterwards they said, didn't
our heart burn within us as he walked and talked with us by
the way? said that their eyes were hold and that they should
not know him and what a precious thing how the lord appears unto
his people he still does he still does and even they said verse
22 of luke 24 yea and certain women also that company made
us astonished which were early at the sepulcher And when they
found not his body, they came saying that they had also seen
a vision of angels who said that he was alive. And certain of
them which were with us went to the sepulcher and found it
even so as the women had said, but him they saw not. And they
listened to the words of Jesus. Then he said unto them, O fools,
and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.
He said, this is prophesied in the word of God. Ought not Christ
to have suffered these things and to enter into glory? You know, what a sermon that
must have been to those two disciples. And beginning at Moses and all
the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the
things concerning himself. What a wonderful time that must
have been. And they drew nigh unto the village
Whither they went, and he made as though he would have gone
further, but they constrained him, saying, Abide with us. For
it is toward evening, and the day is fast spent, and he went
in to tarry with them, and it came to pass, as he sat at meat
with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and break, and gave
to them, and their eyes were opened, and they knew him, and
he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another,
did not our heart, notice it's one heart, did not our heart
burn within us? While he talked with us by the
way, while he opened to us the scriptures. And they rose up
the same hour and returned to Jerusalem and found the 11 gathered
together and then with them saying, the Lord is risen indeed. And
that appeared unto Simon and they told what things were done
in the way. and how he was known of them
in the breaking of bread. And as they thus spake, you know,
friends, I've got no doubt that they would not have believed
them either. And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in
the midst of them and said unto them, peace be unto you. And they were terrified and afraid.
And suppose they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, why are
ye troubled? Why do thoughts arise in your
heart? Behold my hands and my feet.
It is I myself, handle me and see. For a spirit hath not flesh
and bones as you see me have. And while they yet believed not
for joy and wonder, he said unto them, have you here any me? Proven
to them that this was literally the Lord Jesus Christ. So he
took it and did eat before them. And he said unto them, these
are the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you,
that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law
of Moses. So I was explaining this morning that the law of
Moses usually meant the five books of Moses. and in the Prophets
and in the Psalms concerning men. Then, you know friends,
this is what we need. Then opened he their understanding
that they might understand the Scriptures. And he said unto
them, thus it is written and thus it behove Christ to suffer
and to rise from the dead the third day. that repentance and
remission of sin should be preached in his name among all nations
beginning at Jerusalem. You see and then he says here
in verse 15 and he led them out as far as Ante Bethany and he
lifted up his hands and blessed them and it came to pass while
he blessed them he was parted from them and carried up into
heaven and they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with
great joy and were continually in the temple praising and blessing
God. Amen. So then after the Lord
has spoken unto them he was received up into heaven and sat on the
right hand of God and they went forth and preached everywhere
the Lord working with them and confirming the word with signs
following. In the gospel according to Matthew
and chapter 28 we if we compare what the gospels teach concerning
this and it says in verse 16 then the 11 disciples went away
into Galilee into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.
And when they saw him, they worshipped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto
them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach all
nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever
I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always,
even unto the end of the world. Amen. All power. You know, they were going to
preach, they were going to have much opposition, but he says,
all power. And he still says that to his
servants and his people today. All power is given unto me in
heaven and in earth with the Lord nothing shall be impossible. There may be things in your heart
and things in your life and you feel that it's impossible but
nothing shall be impossible. Not with God. He's able to do
abundantly more than we can even ask or think. And they went forth. My mind
seemed much drawn in this they went forth and in Psalm 126 and
it speaks there of this going forth in faith. It says in the
verses 5 and 6 of Psalm 126 they that sow in tears shall reap
in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth,
bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
bringing his sheaves with him. Now, my beloved friends, there's
no doubt that the primary meaning of this verse is the Lord Jesus
Christ. He sowed in tears. He was a man
of sorrows and acquainted with grief. He came forth He came
down from heaven to earth. He was made of a woman, made
under the law, that He might redeem them that are under the
law. He that goeth forth and weepeth. And the Lord Jesus was
bearing precious seed, the seed of the whole church of God that
was given to Him by His eternal Father by deed of gift. He that
goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed. shall doubtless
come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him, and doubtless
every single soul for whom Christ has lived and suffered and bled
and died, they will be with him eternally in heaven, redeemed
and saved with an everlasting salvation. But then you think
of the Lord's servant, They're given a divine commission to
preach the gospel. And it's true, they sow in tears.
And it says, shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth, as he goes
forth to preach the everlasting gospel, he that goeth forth and
weepeth bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with
rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. It's a divine promise
unto the Lord's servants. It is. He that goeth forth and
weepeth. And it says here, and they went
forth and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and
confirming the word with signs following. Amen. You know, It
says here in verse 14, I remember preaching years ago now at a
place and I preached a certain doctrine
and very clearly set it out. And the deacon said to me, I
hear what you say, but the Lord hasn't yet revealed it unto me.
I felt that was a very pompous thing to say. I hear what you
say, but the Lord has not yet revealed it unto me. You see,
my beloved friends, that's unbelief. It is. after he appeared unto
the eleven as they sat at me and upbraided them with their
unbelief and hardness of heart because they believed not them
which have seen him after he was risen and the striking thing
here my beloved friends is this and he said unto them these very
disciples that were unbelieving and doubting go ye into all the world and
preach the gospel to every creature. These poor, weak, doubting, unbelieving
disciples go ye into all the world. What a wonderful thing. There's a beautiful piece by
J.C. Philpott in the Zion's Witness
of this month, speaking of unbelief, and how clearly he separates
between person that is literally held in unbelief and a believer
in whom unbelief is a great enemy and they fight against it but
a person that is under the dominion of unbelief is a person that
is dead in trespasses and in sins but the believer he feels
the unbelief in his own heart but he wrestles against it against
the power of it in his own soul and he begs to be delivered from
it. What a difference between those
two people. Where do you come? Where do I
come? Are we among those that are believers in the Lord Jesus
Christ? So then after the Lord had spoken
unto them he was received up into heaven and sat on the right
hand of God and they went forth and preached everywhere, the
Lord working with them and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. May the Lord add His blessing. Let us now sing together hymn
number 489, The tune is Uzzah Well 201. Now for a theme of thankful praise,
to tune the Stammerer's Tongue. Christians, your hearts and voices
raise and join the joyful song. Hymn 489, tune Uzzah Well 201.
? O praise ? ? O praise ? ? O praise
? ? O praise ? O come, O come, to Bethlehem,
O come, O come, to Bethlehem, ? The sky and heavenly ? ? Joyous
sound ? ? Sing from the regions ? ? Of
the land ? Through holy memory The paths of darkest times we've
met ? And ever, never be changed. ? ? Eternally to the cross of
death, ? ? Receive the conquering King ? ? The angel-savior of
the world ? ? And save His people ? He doth hide for you, Thou who
bringest the flames, Slim'st Thou His signature kind, ? Every little grace ? ? Is counted in your sweet intercession
? ? For your salvation praise ? ?
And say that on this ? ? Summer's day ? ? We were intertwined ? 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
for evermore. Amen.