together hymn number 563. The tune is Requiem 685. Come thou now exalted saviour,
bless us with a solemn frame, teach us now henceforth forever
to adore thy precious name. Lovely Jesus, never let us stray
again. Hymn 563, tune Requiem 685. Thou Thou now exalted Saviour,
bless us with Thy solemn frame. Teach us now Henceforth and ever
to adore thy merciless name. Lovely Jesus, lovely Jesus, Never
let us stray again Lead us both by thy sweet Spirit
Now to Thee, our Alma Mater, And by faith may we inherit The
true riches of our God. And with pleasure, and with pleasure,
trace the wonders of thy blood. In tears I have making sorrows
There a star, sweetly lit, Mary, gaze upon the powers that
dwell in thy God-blessed Unbelieving, unbelieving, fellowship with
Jesus now. May we never pass from glory
in the following that I have. Jesus, make us wise and free. Please to God, our Master and
Lord. and in living, and in living, and
in day forevermore. Call him, ye sheikh, we must
wonder, aid us at our self to thee. And with a trust for demander, my glory see. And when dying, and when dying,
sing of deathless victory. May we be helped to read two
portions this evening. The first is Psalm 31. The book of the Psalms, Psalm 31. In thee, O Lord, do I put my
trust. Let me never be ashamed. Deliver
me in thy righteousness. Bow down thine ear to me. Deliver
me speedily. Be thou my strong rock, for an
house of defence to save me. For thou art my rock and my fortress,
therefore for thy name's sake lead me and guide me. Pull me
out of the net that they have laid privily for me, for thou
art my strength. Into thine hand I commit my spirit. Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord
God of truth. I have hated them that regard
lying vanities, but I trust in the Lord. I will be glad and
rejoice in thy mercy, for thou hast considered my trouble, thou
hast known my soul in adversities, and hast not shut up me into
the hand of the enemy. Thou hast set my feet in a large
room. Have mercy upon me, O Lord, For
I am in trouble, mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my
soul and my belly. For my life is spent with grief
and my years with sighing. My strength faileth because of
mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed. I was of reproach among
all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbours, and of fear
to mine acquaintance, they that did see me without fled from
me. I am forgotten as a dead man
out of mind. I am like a broken vessel. I
have heard the slander of many. Fear was on every side. While
they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away
my life. But I trusted in thee, O Lord. I said thou art my God. My times
are in thy hand. Deliver me from the hand of mine
enemies and from them that persecute me. Make thy face to shine upon
thy servant, save me for thy mercy's sake. Let me not be ashamed,
O Lord, for I have called upon thee. Let the wicked be ashamed,
and let them be silent in the grave. Let the lying lips be
put to silence, which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously
against the righteous. Oh, how great is thy goodness,
which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee, which thou hast
wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men. Thou shalt hide me in the secret
of thy presence from the pride of man. Thou shalt keep them
secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. Blessed be
the Lord, for he hath showed me his marvelous kindness in
a strong city. For I said in my haste, I am
cut off from before thine eyes. Nevertheless thou heardest the
voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee. O love the
Lord, all ye his saints, for the Lord preserveth the faithful
and plentiful rewardeth the proud doer. But be of good courage,
and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the
Lord. And if you turn with me to Paul's
epistle to the Ephesians, chapter six. Chapter six in Paul's epistle
to the Ephesians. Children, obey your parents in
the Lord, for this is right. Honor thy father and mother,
which is the first commandment with promise. that it may be
well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And ye
fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in
the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Servants, be obedient
to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with
fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ. Not with eye service, as men
pleases, but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of
God from the heart, with good will doing service as to the
Lord and not to men, knowing that whatsoever good thing any
man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether
he be bond or free. And ye masters, do the same things
unto them, forbearing, threatening, knowing that your your master
also is in heaven, neither is there respect of persons with
him. Finally, my brethren, be strong
in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the whole
armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles
of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh
and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers
of darkness, of this world against spiritual wickedness in high
places. Wherefore, take unto you the
whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the
evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having
your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate
of righteousness, and your feet shod with the preparation of
the gospel of peace. Above all, taking the shield
of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery
darts of the wicked, and take the helmet of salvation and the
sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Praying always,
with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto,
with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. and for me, that
utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly
to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an
ambassador in bonds, that therein I may speak boldly as I ought
to speak, but that ye also may know my affairs and how I do,
Tichius, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord,
shall make known to you all things, whom I have sent unto you for
the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that ye
might comfort your hearts. Peace be to the brethren, and
love with faith. From God the Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ, grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus
Christ, in sincerity. Amen. May the dear Lord bless the reading
of his holy word to us each and help us each in prayer. Oh Lord,
we do pray for that divine visit this evening We pray, Lord, that
thy Holy Spirit might be amongst us, to take of the things of
Jesus and to show them to us each, that we might have those
views of thee, dear Lord, those discoveries, that we might have
those things in our hearts that come out after thee. Oh, we do
pray then that thou wouldst bless us as we gather once more around
thy sacred word, that it might be life and power to us, that
it might be our food, and drink spiritually. Lord we do pray
that thou wouldst take the words of the scriptures and seal them
to our hearts. Oh that they might truly dear
Lord be applied to us. We need that application of it
otherwise we read it we hear it in vain. Lord we do pray then
that there might be that sealing of the spirit this evening in
our own hearts. and in each one of us that have
gathered. Lord, we do pray that we might
have praise in our hearts upon to thee, that thou hast brought
us safely once more. We can truly say hitherto, hath
the Lord helped me. And Lord, as we come into the
sanctuary, may as the hymn writer said, we breathe a different
air. Oh, may it be dear Lord, that
we have come close to thee. May it be that promise fulfilled
that if you draw near unto me, he will draw near unto you. Lord,
we do not bring these things in a light, frivolous way. We come to thee pleading that
we might know the sweet presence of Jesus in our midst this evening. Lord, we pray that thy name might
be precious to us, that it might mean something to us, that we
might know the reality of it, in our pathways. Lord, help us
each. We do thank Thee that there is
still a people that come here to praise Thy name and to worship
Thee. Oh, we do beg, dear Lord, that
out of them might be raised up godly men and women, that might
be those mothers and fathers in Israel, that there might be
those ministers raised up, dear Lord, to go forth and proclaim
the glorious gospel. There might be deacons Lord,
being raised up, we do pray for this, that the offices of the
church will continue, Lord, and that thou wouldst oft visit this
people and their pastor. We thank thee that he is being
enabled to be out this evening. Do bless him indeed, as he pastors
and leads this flock, dear Lord, as the under-shepherd. Oh, may
he be, dear Lord, keeping close to thee, and may they keep close
to the word of God. Oh we pray Lord that thou would
often show thyself to him through the lattice that he might be
strengthened in his lonely pathway and after this affliction that
thou has brought him through that afterward that he might
see the fruit to his labors that he might dear Lord be strengthened
in the word and that he might have those continually upholding
his hands We do pray for this earnestly, dear Lord, here and
wherever thy people gather, whether they're pastors or ministers,
we pray for them earnestly, Lord, that the word of God might be
powerful through them and that sinners might be brought from
darkness to light. Sinners might be born again.
Sinners might be rescued from the fall. Oh, we pray earnestly,
dear Lord Jesus, that thou would come this evening Open thy word
to us each that we might truly be enabled to have a crumb of
mercy from off the master's table. Lord, we believe that as we gather,
many of us feel like we are under the table, unworthy to sit, like
the dogs, dear Lord. But all that woman came with
such faith that even the dogs have a crumb, even though she
was a Gentile woman, she would have a crumb. And we pray this
night, Lord, there might be a crumb of mercy for us each. Do bless
the young people here and the children. Be with them each and
help them. We do pray in their lives. May
they, dear Lord, truly be enabled to ask thy guidance in everything. May they truly come before thee
before they do anything, dear Lord, and ask if it is thy will. Oh, what it is to be found in
the will of God, this sweet approbation that this is what he has designed
for me to do. Lord, may they know it and feel
it in their lives as they walk on. And we pray, Lord, that there
would provide for them godly partners in life, husbands and
wives. Lord, we do pray that there might
be that equally. There might be those that help
them along the way, and there might not be those that hinder
or put a stumbling block. Oh Lord, thy word is true, and
how we must each take heed to it, thou knowest best. Be with us all, we do pray, in
our pathways. We thank thee for thy kind provision,
thou hast supplied our needs. Lord we pray that thou would
continue to both in providence and in grace and We are so thankful
Lord that they'll give us more grace. Oh If we'd had a quota
speaking After the manner of men dear Lord, what would we
do? But Lord thou hast more grace and more grace To give thy people
and all we come pleading for it this evening Lord that thou
would give it to us each that we might be encouraged and helped
on our way We pray for a nation. We are in sad days We are in
solemn days Lord where our leaders know thee not They desire not
to know They do everything against thee and they turn in the country
against thee Lord. We thank thee for the prayers
of the remnant We thank that there is still a little flock
who are being led by the shepherd, the heavenly shepherd. But Lord,
we do pray that thou wouldst raise up Godly men and women
to stand for what is right in our nation and bring us back
to the Bible, but do it gently with us, Lord. Oh, we do pray. And we pray as thou art the sovereign
ruler of the skies, that thou wilt cause these wars and rumours
of wars to cease. Oh we pray that bloodshed might
cease dear lord before these things escalate and as man says
get out of hand our hands but to know lord that all our times
it's so easy to say it but lord help thy people to feel it and
to recognize it that all our times are in those gracious hands
and so be with us as we gather this evening And if we've left
any out, or if there are any in strange pathways who need
prayer, we ask, dear Lord, that thou wouldst hear prayer concerning
them, if they have something that is in front of them, if
they have something that is frightening them. Lord, we pray that there
might be a fear not, that there might be something for us, each
one of us, dear Lord. Oh, help us to endure until the
end. And we do pray that there would
raise up a generation to follow Thee, even in this place, Lord,
and in our place at Staplehurst, and in all the causes of truth,
that there might be the bleating of the lambs. There might be
those, dear Lord, willing to put Thee on in an open profession.
There might be those who are unashamed of Thee. Oh, we pray
for it earnestly. In this dark day in which we
live, dear Lord, may some light be seen. May, as we have just
read, may the Lord's glory be visited in the servants of God
and the places of worship. Oh, we pray for it, dear Lord.
We ask that thou would answer the prayers that their pastor
has put up this evening in the vestry. Lord, may something be
done. May we be drawn near to thee,
and may we truly find thee attractive. Help us each then, help us sing
thy worthy praise. Lord, may we not let thee down,
may we not fail thee, but may we, dear Lord, although we do
continually fail, may we rest upon him who never fails. Oh Lord, help us then as we continue
with the service for thy dear namesake, amen. Let us continue our worship by
singing together hymn 543. The tune is Everlasting Love,
942. 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 leads. They are safe and only they who
are one in Christ their head. Hymn 543 to everlasting love
942. Jesus is the way to God Jesus
is the way to peace In this way the church has struck Down from
Adam's day to this Jesus is the living Word Obey, sigh, to ruin
be They are slain and only they who are one in
Christ the head. Jesus is a holy way, leads to
endless joys above. Holy Maid, and only thee walk
in this blessed way of love. Now is the Lord awake, Hagarin's
happy in her room. Sons and only sons are they,
Who can travel this way home? Jesus is the humble way Yet the
thought must be brought down Nothing like a beast of prey
Ever can in this one run Jesus is the way of strength
And the Lord Will through the pain We cleanse of the victory
won, Cleanse of the victory won. Jesus is the way of peace, day
from end to end with love. Yes, this way abounds with grace,
and the needy to prayer. All a helpless soul can need,
all a faithful God can give. In this way, His term may pass,
He will come, He shall come. May the dear Lord help me to
say a few things from the second chapter that we read in the epistle
of Paul to the Ephesians, chapter 6 and verse 10. Ephesians chapter 6 and verse
10. Finally, my brethren, be strong
in the Lord and in the power of his might. Ephesians chapter
six and verse 10, finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord
and in the power of his might. Here we have the dear apostle
coming to a conclusion with this chapter from the church at Ephesus. And it's a lovely, he gives them
commands, but just like a father to a child, he speaks to them
with such love, not dictatorial, He speaks from a heart that is
full of love, he's experienced what he's talking about. And
it was these words really, my brethren be strong in the Lord.
Isn't it a wonderful thing that here we have the Apostle Paul
speaking to these people, many of them had obviously been converted
under his ministry and they found him to be the very mouthpiece
of God. which is a wonderful thing to
be used as the mouthpiece of God, a poor sinner. Paul? Paul? God's going to speak
through Paul? It can't be true, can it? This
man, this blasphemer, out of the mouth come forth bitter and
sweet, and he's raised up to speak these beautiful words to
the brethren at Ephesus. My brethren, You know, when the
dear Lord was here on earth, he was preaching and speaking
to the people and they gathered round him and they said, thy
mother and thy brethren are all outside. He said, ah, ah, are
they? Are they? He said, my brethren,
my brothers and sisters, are they who hear the word of God
and do it? My brethren. As we look at this word, another
psalm that comes in is where it says, it is good for brethren
to dwell together in unity. There's something in these words,
my brethren, there's something that really captivates our hearts. Paul, all those centuries ago,
is speaking to me through the gospel. He's speaking to you
through the Spirit. into this day in which we live,
and he's calling the people of God, my brethren. Now, it doesn't
just mean men. It means the whole family, sisters,
my sisters, my sons, my daughters, all of those who are found in
Christ. This word is to each one of them.
Slowly but surely, they will prove this word in their lives.
It will follow them. and they will, by His grace,
be enabled to receive it. My brethren, be strong in the
Lord. Now, who are these brethren?
Well, oftentimes we look at the outward, don't we? You know,
friends, it's such a poor, mortal thing to do, isn't it? Samuel
even fell into that trap, didn't he? Where all the sons of Jesse
And Samuel, one of them, it must be, it must be him. And the Holy
Spirit said, no, none of these, Samuel, none of them. But there
is one of them out in the field. And he came in and he said, arise,
anoint him. My brethren, the ones that have
had a visit from the Lord. Now, I know at times, friends,
the poor people of God, they don't know where they are. It's
not an easy thing being a child of God, is it? Not everything's
clear, is it? Not everything in your life you
can point to, can you? At times you're unable to. At
times you're so tempted. It's because you're a child of
God. That's the reason. If you weren't
a child of God, it's easy to remember. It's easy to pick those
places. But you need God. You rely upon
God to show you. That was a visit from me. We
see it all the way through the scripture. The dear disciples
and the dear saints of old asking the Lord to confirm that he'd
been with them. These are the brethren. These
have no confidence in the flesh. That chapter that we read in
Psalm 31, it's a beautiful chapter, he was strengthened and he was
encouraged when the Lord came. And that's exactly what we have
here. My brethren, He comes to the
end of this list and then he turns to them and he says, but
you're still in my heart. You're actually still in my heart,
my brethren. So the Apostle Paul, you know
if you look at the back of your Bibles, all the trekking he did,
all the sailing he did, Ephesus was in his heart. What the place,
the lovely temple, all the things according to what they had there?
No. The brethren, the brethren. And
when he went to the different places, as we can read the way
it's all laid out, and you see the map, he remembered Ephesus.
He remembered the brethren. And there were those especially
that he remembered by name. And I do like this because being
found where we are, it's as someone remembers me. You think of it,
friend. It's a really someone that remembers
me. Wherever they go, They remember
me. Little Paul, little me. They
remember me in their prayers. They remember me as a brother. But we can go far beyond Paul,
can't we? We can go far, far beyond Paul. He remembered me. He remembered
me. And he called me brethren. He
called me a brother. He is not ashamed to call them
brethren. This is the Lord Jesus himself.
Listen, we come away from Paul's words and we hear the Saviour's
voice speaking down through the scriptures and he says, my brethren,
my brethren, my sisters, my children, I came
amongst you to be one of you. A brother born for adversity. Think how close he came, friend.
Just think how close he came. He didn't come and be born for
a brother full of joy when you were at your happiest. No, when
you're at your saddest, when you're in those afflictions you're
in. A brother born for adversity. This is Jesus speaking here.
My brethren. Oh, I will go to and fro with
Paul and the dear Lord because Paul's experience of the Lord
He was able to say this so clearly, wasn't he? You know, in our lives, if you've
tasted and handle of the good word of life, you too will be
able to say, be strong in the Lord. You will, friends. If you
have really been with Jesus, and he's made himself attractive
to you, you will be able to encourage others. If you don't, you've
never been with Jesus. You've never been with him. If
you do not, if it doesn't bubble up in your heart and you want
to encourage other souls, then you don't know what it is to
be with him. You don't. The fountain is opened and the
dear Lord, he says, if these keep silent, these stones, he'll
make them cry out, the stones will cry out. If a sinner stays
silent concerning the dear Lord Jesus, my brethren, Are you related
to him? Are you a friend? Have you really
got that relationship with him? You can say he's my brother,
he's my friend, he's my father. Can you say these things? This
is the gospel relationship that a sinner, born again, a soul
saved by grace, has with the dear Lord Jesus. It is not a
relationship that is severed or separate. Look, you can go
through, I want to get on with this, but you can go right through
the scriptures and you can go to Romans 8. What shall separate
us? You know, your children. You
were children once. You had parents. What separated
your love, their love to you and your love to them? Death. But you still love them, don't
you? You still love them. Now you look at the Lord Jesus,
nothing shall separate us. This family of his, nothing at
all will separate us from the love of God which is in Christ
Jesus. All these two words, my brethren,
it brought Ruth from Moab, my sister. I've got a sister down
in Moab and she's got to come up. It brought Manasseh to his knees.
My brother. Grace overflowing in the family. And if you and I are in this
family, you and I will receive grace. You cannot be in a family
and not receive grace and love from the Lord himself, my brethren. He's made himself as one of us
without sin. And it's a beautiful thing, isn't
it? You know, be strong in the Lord. I remember you young people,
I remember when I went to a young people's meeting and I believe
that the Lord had started with me and afterwards the minister
came and he wanted to speak to people and he walked straight
towards us, me and this other person and he was stopped, a
man stopped him and he said don't talk to them, go over and talk
to them Do you know that cut me? But it didn't really cut
me. Do you know why? Because I believed the Lord was
making me strong in the Lord. That quiet, secret work that
was going on. And as I've got older and realised,
they are the cuts that wound us. But it only brings you closer
to your brother. It only brings you closer to
him, friends. No one wanted him. Nobody! You
say, well we do. You didn't. You didn't want him.
It's because he wanted you, why you want him now, not because
of you, it's because he wanted you. See a lovely thing, these
things friends, my brethren, and then he encourages us so
much. This is Paul first, Paul encourages
the Ephesians so much, he said, be strong in the Lord, be strong. Come off of yourself, be ready
to hear, be more ready to hear, than you are to speak. This word
should, and I hope it does, reinforce your hope in God. Brethren, be strong in the Lord.
We need those confirmations over and over again to know that the
Lord loves us. And here I really believe this,
friends, the Lord has given us a message this evening from my
heart as well. Brethren, You know if you're a father and
you gather your children round And you tell them a little secret
of your heart They'll always remember it always Not because
you've shouted They'll always remember that little secret that
you told them Now this is what the Lord is doing here. This
is what Paul is doing here to the Ephesians He's telling them
a secret. He's telling them how he's got this far be strong in
the Lord I've experienced it I know what it is to be strong
in the Lord and the dear Lord Jesus my brethren you know when
it gets you close to himself I used to wonder what it was
about when I think we sang it those that live near him his
secret shall learn I couldn't understand a secret from God
I couldn't understand what the old people were singing about,
a secret from God. Now I do. Now I do. You get close
to the Lord and he'll tell you a secret. And this is one of
them. Be strong in me. This is one
of them, friends. When you come to those places,
and I don't know what you've got to face, I don't know what
you've got in front of you, I don't know where you are today, but
I really believe the message from the throne is be strong
in me. Be strong in the Lord. Because
so often we're not, we put our strength in something else, don't
we? First, we go to self. You know, you can almost trace
out your steps of the fall. You go to self. It should be
the last place you go to, but it's always the first place.
You go to self first, see what self says. And then, when self
doesn't help you, you go to someone else. It's another step, you
go and seek help somewhere else. And then when that doesn't help
you, you might go to two or three people. And then when that doesn't
help you, till at last, to Him we cry. Him writing knew it,
He knew it straight away, didn't He? It's always leave Jesus last. Well, I come here tonight, friends,
to tell you to put Him first. I've come here tonight, if whatever
you're in, be strong in the Lord first. away with the flesh, away
with self, be strong in the Lord alone, nowhere else. By grace,
I'm not telling you you can do this of yourself, not at all,
but a child of God knows where to look, no one else does, you
know that don't you, your pastor's told you many times, no one else
knows where to look friends, only those that have a taste
of grace in their hearts, they already know where The dear lady
with the issue of blood, she spent all. She spent all. Is that you or me? When she had
nothing left. Nothing left. She went to her
little can or pot on the windowsill and she tipped it up and had
nothing left. She spent all. Then she went to Jesus. Then
she went to Jesus. Friend, you and I, we've read
the scriptures, we haven't learnt from them, have we? We haven't
learnt. Do you know, I remember being
at school and it really does bring me in guilty sometimes.
I remember going through a whole lesson at school and not hearing
a word. Not hearing a single word. Come out and I didn't even
know what lesson I'd been to. You know, sometimes when we read
the scripture it's the same. We read a passage, we don't even
know where we read it. We don't even know the book it
came from. All we know is it's in the Bible. My brethren, be
strong in the Lord. You know, dear Asa, in the book
of Chronicles, when the nations rose against nation, and cities
against cities, and they were being destroyed, poor Asa's heart,
it failed him. Asa's heart failed him. He was
saying that's in the Bible. Friend, it's not. It's the walk
of a child of God. Your heart fails you, doesn't
it? Oftentimes your heart fails you and you cannot strengthen
it yourself, can you? But who did? God sent a prophet. He sent a prophet. And he said
to Asa, be strong, let not thy hands be weak. And he was encouraged. Just a few words, encouragement. be strong in the Lord. Now you
know as well as I do that you have been pretty downcast in
the week and you've longed for the service. Why doesn't the
Lord always appear outside the service? Because this is his
house, this is the sanctuary. Where do you actually go when
you're a child to know that you're loved? You go home, you always
go home. You know you're loved at home.
The child of God makes his way into the sanctuary. He knows
he's loved in the sanctuary because he's felt it before. And he comes
in poor, dishevelled. You'd never think some people
were the children of God, would you, when you look at the outside?
But God looks at the heart. And he draws them into the sanctuary.
I know it's not always, I know he can appear in a field, I know
he can appear anywhere. but to come home to the Lord
in the sanctuary, and he draws them in. And then what does he
do? He gives them strength. You know, I know it's difficult
for you to speak to me now, but there are those times when you've
come in, haven't you, at the end of all things, you've come
in at the uttermost, there's nothing left, nothing left. You've come in and you're standing
on the brink, and there's no way back until you come home. you come home' and then the Lord
speaks and then the Lord has a word for you. He's kept it
all week. Do you know I do love this gospel
don't you? He's kept it all week for you, burning in the servant's
heart. He's kept it and the moment you
walk in he speaks it to you, straight to you, it's yours.
Why? Because he's watched you all week, he knows where you
are, he knows your circumstances and he says be strong It's a lovely thing to receive
a little. I say a little, it's an amount
that we can't really put English words to, but we say a little
because I believe if the Lord gave you all the strength that
he had, we wouldn't be able to bear it. But he gives you a little
of his strength. He actually gives it to you.
His strength to you. He imparts it to you. And you
come in and you go out a different character. You don't look any
different, You don't sound any different, but inside, the work
of grace is glowing. Be strong in the Lord, and this
is what the apostle is telling the Ephesians. You've tasted,
don't forget it. Be strong in everything that
you do. You know, we're very weak people,
aren't we? When did you really, with all
your strength, give praise to God? You didn't, didn't. You reserve some of the strength
for yourself. If you gave Him everything, in
your heart of thanks, did you do it prostrate on the floor?
Nothing left. That's giving God the glory.
That's giving Him all the thanks, isn't it? We keep 60% for ourselves,
don't we? And we praise Him just a little
bit. I like that in Daniel where Daniel's found on the floor,
he's prostrate on the floor as the Lord's speaking to him. He
says, oh Daniel, man greatly beloved. And he said, he touched
me. What happened when he touched
you? He was strengthened. He was strengthened. That's the place the Lord touches
his people and gives them strength. When they've gone numb. All the
time you can call one might your own, You don't have any full
discharge friends. You might think that you hold
the key, but you don't. It's when you have nothing, the
Lord will give you strength. It's on the back of, or the end
of one of Isaiah's chapters, isn't it? About the youths and
utterly fainting and falling, but they, oh, this blessed brethren, these
blessed sisters, these blessed sons and daughters, but they,
the weight upon the Lord. They shall renew their strength.
Renew it. I didn't even know there was
more strength to come. I thought I had what I had. I
thought I was given this and this was it. No, friend, no.
The storehouse is full of strength. It's full of grace. It's full
of God's ability for poor sinners. You've only just tasted a little
bit. Doesn't matter who you are. Doesn't matter whether you've
been walking in the clouds. You've only tasted a little bit of what
there is to come for the dear Lord's people. Be strong in the
Lord. They shall renew their strength.
They shall mount up as wings on eagles. They shall run and
not be weary. They shall walk and not faint.
Isn't it lovely? Be strong, my brethren, be strong. The race is not to the swift,
it's not to the strong, but it's to the strong that God gives
strength to. It is, friends, you'll never
see one of those run into heaven in their own strength. The Lord
will squash them before they get there and they won't have
anything. He'll bring them into absolute weakness so that they
gently walk to heaven. Yes, running by faith, friends,
but I'm talking about what man sees. God will keep us in our place.
Oh, He will. He won't have... Do you know
I was going to pick that? I didn't even know where it was.
Jesus is the way of strength. Yet the strong this way can't
come. It kept going over. The strong can't come this way.
But this is the way the strong want to come. But this is the
way for weaklings. This is the way for the poor,
for the needy, for the undone, for the worthless, for the despised,
for the offscouring of the earth. This is the way. Jesus is the
way. And the Lord will prove at length.
Weaklings, I can come in there. I really can come in there. Weaklings,
have the victory won. I thought you had to be so strong.
No. The Psalmist said, didn't he?
He said, he hath weakened my strength in the way. He's weakened
it. Why does he weaken the people's
strength so that they rely on him, so they fall into his arms
and no one else's? No strength of self, is it? Be
strong in self? No. Be strong in someone else?
No. Be strong in what you own? No.
Be strong in the Lord. Isn't it a beautiful whisper
from heaven? For you that are weak, really friends, for you
that are undone, I was thinking about this just
before I came out and I thought of the birds making a nest. Simple thing, they all make nests. No friends, it's not a simple
thing. It's not a simple thing at all.
Those birds are nesting and their nest is going to carry the following
generation. They make it as rigid as they
can. They make it as safe as they
can. They make it as strong as they can. Then what do they do?
They step into themselves. They get into it. Before any
eggs are laid in that nest, the two birds have been in there
together to make sure it's strong enough. Now, what do we see here?
Be strong in the Lord. First off, Paul had already been
in this world. So he could say, this is strong
enough for the whole family of God. And then we see the dear
Lord Jesus. And the Holy Spirit tells us
that in his heart, where I hope and pray that you and I have
been laid, where you and I have been laid, is strong enough to
bear us through. It's actually strong enough to
bear us through. And he has the witness. He knows
that there will be not one, the same as a normal nest, friends,
not one chick falls out of that nest. Not one. yes they're carried
out and they drop or they drop out themselves but they don't
fall through the nest not one child of God or this text is
not able to carry and keep safe one not one child of God that
not one of them will fall be strong in the Lord this is so
desirable isn't it it is so desirable friends another way I want to
look at this is um Be strong in the Lord, improve in it. Because
if you do conveyancing on a house, the surveyor goes round and he
makes sure that the property is worth what it's cost is. He makes sure. He will go round
and he will make sure everything is in order according to the
cost. If there's something wrong, he
points it out. If there's something faulty,
he points it out. If there's something under value,
he points it out. He makes a list. And the purchaser
does not buy it until all those things are done and complete.
Now you can see where I'm going, can't you friends? This word
is complete. The surveyor was Paul. The Lord
allowed him to go through his life Surveying the words that
he would say whether they would be true or not and this word
stands up in Paul's survey And he says be strong in the Lord
Nothing will ever come down. Nothing will ever fail. There
will be never any cracks appear. It is sufficient And then the Lord Jesus what
price did he put on your strength Do you ever think about these
things What price did he put on your strength? His own weakness. His own weakness. God in his Son in your place. The Hymn writer again says who
his weakness? Many know the strength of God
don't they? And they would all accredit him to strength, wouldn't
they? But who knows his weakness? Who knows him in the garden?
Who knows him? Did you know him in the garden? Look at him, brought down in
the judgment hall, brought down to weakness. The strongest man
that ever lived brought down to weakness as he was carrying
his people. He didn't just carry them like
we carry our children. Think friends, he was actually
everything of that child of God had been imputed to him. It had
actually been given to him as though it was his. He carried
the people and their sin. Be strong in the Lord. I do want
to point to him. strongest one that can ever help
a poor dying sinner. He shows us our weakness, doesn't
he, so that we should see his strength. You'd never see his
strength if you weren't brought weak, friend, you won't. It's
only the weak that ever see his strength. The strong don't desire
him, the strong don't need him, but the weak do. They need helping. You know, this is for ministers.
Be strong in the Lord. We could go right through the
church of God and we could come right down to the poor widows
and the lonely ones and the feeble ones and say it's for you too.
Be strong in the Lord. Be strong. What a lovely treasure
this is for the Lord's people to understand, isn't it? One
of those jewels out of the darkness shining in our hearts when we
need it. When we need it. There's a difference. How many times have you walked
past this word and you've never needed it? You've only really physically
got to go into hospital and walk round the wards and you would
see the weakness of people. You'd see how weak they are.
You might be in your prime, you might be as strong as an ox,
but you walk round and see what the flesh, how weak the flesh
comes. It comes right down. right down, so that if you put
something on them, it's too heavy for them, the blankets are too
heavy, the grasshopper becomes a burden, because this is us,
this is us, weak, weak, and you and I will never stand that trying
day, if we're left there, You won't stand, friend. Doesn't
matter how hard or high or strong you are, you'll never stand in
that great day in your own strength. There's only one we can be hiding
behind. You think he's been given his
strength, imparting it to generations. thousands and thousands and millions
of people over the years have been brought to him and he's
been giving them his strength and he's no weaker he's just
as strong as he was in the beginning my brethren be strong in the
Lord you know there's a little story just before we go on, there's
a little story about a man that used to carry an oil can, you
may have heard it, and everything that squeaked, he put oil on
it. My brethren, be strong in the
Lord. He used to go round and if a
door was squeaking, nobody knew how it didn't squeak anymore,
but it didn't squeak anymore. If there was a wheelbarrow that
was squeaking, nobody knew how it didn't squeak, but it didn't
squeak anymore. My brethren, be strong in the
Lord. What am I saying? I'm saying,
friends, we should encourage each other. With the little strength
that the Lord has given to us, we should spend it for Him. We should use what He's given
to us. Be strong in Him. When you really look at this
and the Lord help you by His Holy Spirit, to see the strength
that he used in carrying me, in carrying you. The strength
he used, day by day. You know, don't you, you weren't
with him just at the last moments. You weren't with him then, just
then, friends. Just as he's hanging on the tree,
you weren't with him just then. You were with him as he laid
in the cradle, in the manger. You were with him then. Then
he was using his strength for you. Then he was using everything
he had for you, for the people of God. So that from his birth
to his death, your name was on his heart. You were there. So that he could say to you,
be strong. When you have a view by faith
of the dear Lord Jesus, you won't need to be told you're strong,
you will be strong, you will. A view of him in any aspect of
his life, any aspect, you will be made strong, you will. It strengthens the mind, it strengthens
you physically, And oh, it strengthens faith. Faith is so strengthened. At times we think faith is quite
shaky, isn't it? Sometimes our poor little faith
that we have, but one glimpse of Him, one glimpse, you'll know
what it is for the words to enter into your very soul, my brethren,
be strong in the Lord. They will enter into you. And
it helps you for a few more days. Just a few more days it helps
you, doesn't it? And then again the hymn writer says, back to
my old sad state I return. I go straight back to where I
was and I need him again. I need to rely on him. I need his strength again. You know, I was told by a son-in-law,
one of them, my son-in-law, that in the army they never leave
anybody behind. They used to go on long runs
and there were strong ones and there were weak ones. And more
often than not after 20 mile or so people started hanging
behind. They didn't take the rucksacks
off of them. You still got to carry your burden
friend, you still got to carry your cross. But they were falling over, literally
falling over. and laying on the road. So the
officer would shout to those that were stronger to pick them
up and to help them along. This is what brethren is, this
is what it is to be strong in the Lord. Why? They've all got
to get home. The motto or moral is, isn't
it, we don't leave any out. We've all got to get home. Think
of it. Can't you see it here, what Paul
is saying here to the Ephesians? We've all got to get home. I'm
not going to leave one of you out. Be strong in the Lord. It's the only way that you will
endure to the end. It's the only way that you'll
endure carrying this flesh around, this body of sin and death. You
won't endure it without your strength. You won't friends.
We live in a, like the Psalmist said, they've laid snares, traps,
everything. We can't endure it. But you taste
a little bit of the Lord's strength in your life. Mothers in the
kitchen, children at school. You think of it, friends, be
strong in the Lord. And the Lord slowly but gently
strengthens his people. He actually strengthens them
so that they can continue in the vein that they're going,
heading homewards. It's a lovely thing to be a seeker. This is quite high language,
isn't it? But it isn't. It isn't high language at all.
When people say that, oh, this is too high for me, it's far
too high for me. I can't attain to that. If it's
too high for you, friend, where are you? These things are brought
down to the sinner. We cannot rise up to them unless
grace gives us wings. We cannot rise above the ground,
we cannot! And that's why, with that singleness
of eye, and their faith enlivened, we can be strong in the Lord,
to run, to run that glorious race set before us, looking unto
Jesus. What a thought it is to be amongst
the seekers and the finders, isn't it? Well, if one of you
is seeking strength, you know where it is, don't you?
You know where strength is, don't you, if you're looking for it. And I want to be reverent to
the Lord, but it's available. It's available. The Lord leads
you to himself, he'll give you strength. He will. He would have
never put this in the scriptures if he was never going to strengthen
his people. Come unto me all ye that labour
and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. I've spoken that last
time I was here, and this is exactly what he does. He gives
you strength to run after him. Take it with you. You're gonna
need it. We're all gonna need it, day
by day. I remember my old granddad, my
dad saying to me about my old granddad Funnel, and he used
to pull an old cart along, and it went down in the ditch, he
obviously couldn't go back and tell the owner so he got down
on his knees and dad said that he cried out lord give me strength
once more just once more i need thy strength he got up into his
knees and got hold of the cart and pulled it straight out be
strong in the lord naturally be strong in the lord spiritually
be strong in the lord If the seed is there, you will be strong. And this is for the brethren. I did want to go on, but think
of what the Lord has given to the people. The straight on the back of this,
and in the power of his might, straight on it. What does he
say? Put on the armor of God. It's provided for the weakling.
is provided for them, so that they should be kept from the
arrows and the darts of the wicked one. I know your pastor's obviously
gone through this many times, but friend, when you realize
that this armor fits me and it fits you. Dear old Paul, he had
to shrink in size to get into this armor. First off, this armor
would have never fitted him. On his way down to Damascus,
he was far too big for this armor. But slowly the Lord weakened
and weakened and weakened him till he put the armour on and
it fitted him. The same as you and me. It fits
us. It's not like David when he went
to Saul and he went to fight Goliath, didn't he? And poor
Saul, he must have thought, I've got a little boy here, wants
to go and fight a giant. So he said, he thought to himself,
I better keep him safe. So he put all Saul's armor on
him and gave him the sword. What that stripling must have
looked like. What did he say? I can't go. I haven't proved
these. So he took them all off. You
will never take off the armor, friend. Put on the whole armor
of God. You'll never say, at the end
of your journey, I never proved it. No weapon that is formed against
thee shall prosper. because you're wearing the armor.
And inside of that armor is some of the weakest people in the
earth, but they're being made strong by the mighty arms of
Joseph, Jacob. Isn't that wonderful? Friend,
have you ever heard of a gospel? Have you ever heard of anything
that makes you stronger when you're weak? And I'll leave you
with those few words that Paul says. You know what I'm going
to say, don't you? When I am weak, then, then am
I strong. As Jesus came in view, then I'm
strong. Finally, my brethren, be strong
in the Lord and in the power of his might. We haven't even
started. this glorious being, the power
of his might. All we can do really, friends,
is fall at his feet and cry out, unworthy, unworthy. But what
do they cry in glory? They cry, worthy the Lamb. It's
totally different, opposite to you and I. Worthy the Lamb. May the dear Lord forgive anything
that's been said amiss, amen. Now sing together hymn number
326. The tune is Hope 350. Let me but hear my Saviour say,
Strength shall be equal to thy day. Then I rejoice in deep distress,
Leaning on all sufficient grace. Hymn 326. Tune Hope 350. ? Everybody ? ? My Savior say ?
strength shall be equal to thy death. Then I rejoice in dignity,
leaning on all ? Sufficient grace ? ? Thy glory in ? ? Eternity ? ? And Christ on high ? When I am weak, then am I strong. Praise to Thee, God,
the shield and the voice, my song. ? My candor, all things love can
bear ? ? Oh, so cringy, my Lord is there ? ? Sweet passions mingle
? O'er the land of the free and
the home of the brave? But if the Lord be once withdrawn,
And we attempt to find the ground, When new temptations spring and
rise, With arms unwind, the weepers sleep. And now, dear Lord, we bow our
heads before thee, and thank thee for saving grace. Lord,
be with us each, we do pray. Watch over us, keep us each safe,
and keep us in that narrow way that leadeth unto thee. Bless
this people and their dear pastor, we do pray. May he be helped
and strengthened for the Sabbath, and be with us each. Now may
the grace of the dear Lord Jesus and the love of God and the sweet
fellowship and communion of thy Holy Spirit, rest and remain
with us each, now and for always. Amen.