Pastor will preach here next
Lord's Day at 10.30 and 2 o'clock. Mr. Marcus Funnell will preach
here on Thursday evening at 7 o'clock and there'll be a prayer meeting
here on Tuesday evening at 7 o'clock. There is a letter of appreciation
on the notice board from the Christian Institute for our Thanksgiving
collection which amounted to 800 and £15. Let us commence our services
today by singing together hymn number 366. The tune is Birdhurst
103. The Lord in Zion placed his name,
his ark was settled there. To Zion the whole nation came
to worship thrice a year. Hymn 366, tune Birdhurst, 103. The Lord in Zion placed his name,
his ark was settled there. To Zion the whole nation came, To worship
thrice a year. But we have no such lengths to
go, No wonder far abroad. Where'er thy saints assemble
now, There is a house for God. Arise, O King of praise, arise,
and enter to thy rest. Though thy Church waits with
longing eyes, Thou still be our land blest. Enter with all thy glorious strength,
and spirit and life earth. Water thee our fitments contain, Have no such grace afford. Hear, mighty God, accept our
song, Hear, let thy praise be spread, Bless the perfection
of thy house, and fill thy poor with bread. Here let the Son of David reign,
Let God's anointed shine. Justice and truth have God maintained,
With love and body thine. He'll let him hold a lasting
throne And as his kingdom grows, Let us read together from the
holy word of God In the epistle of Paul to Titus. We will read the whole epistle.
The epistle of Paul to Titus. Paul, a servant of God and an
apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect and
the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness, in
hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before
the world began, and hath in due times manifested his word
through preaching, which is committed unto me according to commandment
of God our Saviour, to Titus, my own son, after the common
faith, grace, mercy and peace from God the Father, and the
Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour. For this cause I left the inquiry
that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting,
and ordain elders in every city as I had appointed thee. If any
be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children,
not accused of riot or unruly. For a bishop must be blameless
as the steward of God, not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to
wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre, but a lover of
hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate,
holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that
he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince
the game-sayers. For there are many unruly and
vain talkers and deceivers, especially they of the circumcision, whose
mouth must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things
which they ought not for filthy lucre's sake. One of themselves,
even a prophet of their own, said the Cretans are all way
liars, evil beasts and slow bellies. This witness is true. Wherefore,
rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the faith, not
giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men that
turn from the truth. Unto the pure all things are
pure, But unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing
pure, for even their minds and conscience is defiled. They profess
that they know God, but in works they deny him, being abominable
and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. But speak
thou the things which become sound doctrine. Let the aged
men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in
patience. The aged women likewise that
they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers,
not given to much wine, teachers of good things, that they may
teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love
their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good,
obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Young men likewise exhort to
be sober-minded, in all things showing thyself a pattern of
good works, in doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
sound speech that cannot be condemned, that he that is of the contrary
part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. Exhort
servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please
them well in all things, not answering again, not purloining,
but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine
of God our Savior in all things. For the grace of God that bringeth
salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying
ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously
and godly in this present world. Looking for that blessed hope
and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour,
Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem
us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people
zealous of good works, these things speak and exhort and rebuke
with all authority. Let no man despise thee. Put
them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to
obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, to speak
evil of no man, to be no brawlers but gentle, showing all meekness
unto all men, For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish,
disobedient, deceived, and serving divers' lusts and pleasures,
living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But after
that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according
to his mercy he saved us. by the washing of regeneration
and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which He shed on us abundantly,
through Jesus Christ our Saviour, that being justified by His grace,
we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou
affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might
be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable
unto men. But avoid foolish questions and
genealogies and contentions and strivings about the law, for
they are unprofitable and vain. A man that is an heretic after
the first and second admonition rejects. knowing that he that
is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself. Then
when I shall send Artemis unto thee, or Tychicus, be diligent
to come unto me to Nicopolis, for I have determined there to
winter, bring Zenos the lawyer, and Apollos on their journeys
diligently, that nothing be wanton unto them, and let us also learn
to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful. All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the
faith. Grace be with you all. Amen. I thought I just should
have said, that I'm taking the service from the desk because
I still have vertigo and the pulpit stairs are rather steep
so I felt it would be best if I took the service here. Daniel would you engage in prayer
please? most gracious and ever merciful
Lord God. We would come this morning with
much thankfulness of heart that thou has restored in measure
thy beloved servant our dear pastor to come and preach the
gospel of Jesus Christ to our hearts Lord in thy spirit how
we need thy mighty power and we pray for him and may we unitedly
hold up his arms this morning for thou knowest how he feels
and thou knowest Lord that his eyes are up unto thee, from whence
cometh his help. So be with us now. Lord, and
may the prayers that we have sung together in that opening
hymn be our prayers unitedly. We need thee, Lord Jesus. We need thee to send the power
that by thy spirit of thy love into our hearts we are by nature
full of sin and iniquity and our nature does not change and
as we grow older Lord we feel it and the Apostle Paul felt
it continually that we pray that thou would come over all of this
carnality of our being and stir up our heart to truly worship
thee, to remember Lord what we were and to remember what thou
hast done as the apostle wrote in that that third chapter just
read to us of thy work. Lord, it was thy loving kindness
and tender mercies which stopped the apostle when he was at Saul
of Tarsus on that road to Damascus and how he must have looked back
continually to thy mercy. and Lord we pray that thou wouldst
help us here this day in whose heart thou hast laid some good
thing toward the Lord God of Israel. We would continually
remember that it is by thy grace we are what we are and by thy
loving kindness Lord and power enable us to walk as we ought
to be, as we have read together, O that thou wouldst enable us
so to do, for without thee it is abundantly clear, separated
from thee, Lord Jesus, we can do nothing, so be our helper
this day. We pray that thou wouldst remember
that thy one church, wherever they gather together. Lord, we
in this land are brought very low. We have departed much from
thy truth. The professing church has left
their beloved. Lord, we pray that in thy great
mercy thou wouldst return in this land and grant a revival
of real, vital godliness in the hearts of sinners. Enable there
to be a separation from this world. Come out from amongst
them and be ye separate. Touch not the unclean things. and I will receive you and be
a father unto you. Lord, make known, we pray, that
power of thy glorious headship, Lord Jesus, that thou reignest,
that thou art the King in Zion, and that it is thee that thy
people should serve. Do come then to our country,
and revive thy people and thy work. We pray for our leaders
that thou wouldst, O Lord, give them the wisdom and understanding
they need to discharge their duties for this country. And we pray that thy hand may
be lifted against them to stop them doing What is contrary to
thy word, Lord thou art able, we commit them into thy hand
and beg for mercy. We pray, gracious Lord, that
thy word by thy spirit may yet go forth mightily as it is in
other lands and that thou would cause sinners to be found and
to be led to the feet of Jesus, to see that there is salvation
in none other but a crucified Saviour, a risen and exalted
Saviour sitting at the right hand of the Father, making intercession
for sinners, O may it be, Lord, that each one of us here this
day shall be amongst those found sitting at the feet of Jesus,
clothed and in his right mind. We pray for it. O Lord, do help
us together. We are sinners and we need thee,
Lord. We need Thee constantly to keep
us, and we do thank Thee for that preserving mercy granted
in the last day or so to those returning from holiday. O Lord,
we give thanks for Thy loving kindness and tender mercies. We pray that there was cause
thy dear servants this day, our pastor this morning, and Mr. Warboys this afternoon in their
ministry, that the word may enter in to prepared hearts. Lord thou knowest what we each
need, and we plead for thy blessing upon the word. For thou givest
the word, Lord, and we pray thy blessing upon it. And upon this
village, Lord, we are. In this village, a little chapel
on a hill, it cannot be hid. And may it please thee that the
day may come when the word on the notice board is read, and
thy power applied to it in the hearts of one and another. When
thy power to move hearts is seen, and poor needy souls move to
enter in, Lord, we pray for it. Thou art able to do these things. May it please thee to help us
to pray on and to see answers to our poor petitions. Hear us,
Lord, in these things. Bless thy word in our midst. Make thyself, Lord Jesus, more
precious to us each, and more precious than everything and
anything else. Oh, it needs thee, Lord. We need
to be granted to see thy loving kindness in thy sufferings, and
in thy life, Lord, do open our eyes, touch our hearts, make
us to come to thy feet. And if there is, Lord, one and
another with us, in whose heart thou hast begun to work, O move
them, Lord, move them still, that yet the day may come when
the love of Christ may be so strong and real in their hearts
that they have to come and speak of what thou hast done. So, Lord,
hear our poor petitions. We are but sinners. Help thy
dear servant, our pastor, this morning, and go on to make him
stronger in his body. We ask with much thanksgiving,
for Jesus' sake. Amen. Let us continue by singing together
hymn number 535. The tune is Regent Square 684 O the love of Christ to sinners,
who can make its wonders known. Sin-born slaves, through grace,
are winners of a bright celestial crown. Jesus gives us endless glory
and renown, Him 535, tune region square 684. O the love of Christ to sinners
who can make His wonders known, Send on slaves through praise
our winners Of the righteous celestial crown Jesus gives us,
Jesus gives us Endless glory and renown. We by nature are disgraceful,
nothing but the guilt of hell. All our righteousness is hateful,
pain and happiness, faceless terror. Satan's captive, Satan's
captive, Land Queen of Israel. Jesus saw us, sunk in brewing,
and determined us to save. Shed His blood and brought us
to Him, For a life He gave, He gave He redeemed us, He redeemed
us comes in Satan and the grave. Endless love he dips upon us,
In eternity that must. No, we'll never take it from
us, Endless love shall ever last. Love redeemed us, love redeemed
us, and will ever hold us fast. greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help and direct your attention to the third chapter
of Paul's Epistle to Titus. And we'll read verses four to
six. The Epistle to Titus, chapter
three, reading verses four to six for our text. But after that,
the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according
to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing
of the Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus
Christ our Saviour. how the dear apostle here, writing
to his son in the faith, Titus, and from what we read in the
various epistles, he was a man that the dear apostle could depend
on. He left him in Crete to set in
order the things that were wanted. He was a man that had many gifts
and graces to preach the everlasting gospel. He was a Greek. So he
was a Gentile. As the Jews would say, an uncircumcised
Gentile. And in the various epistles,
the Apostle Paul, he calls him his partner, his fellow labourer. He was a man that he was one
in spirit with. and he writes this epistle by
way of exhortation it says here in a very solemn way really in
verse 12 one of themselves even a prophet of their own said the
Cretans are always liars, evil be slow bellies this witness
is true therefore rebuke them sharply that they may be sound
the faith and this is one of the great burdens here in the
first verse of the first chapter he says Paul a servant of God
an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the faith of God's elect and
the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness and
he comes back to this point continually in this epistle after godliness
In the original Greek, the term or the word godliness, it actually
means God-likeness. God-likeness, to be like God. When the Spirit of God works
in our hearts, when the Spirit of God convinces us of our sin,
when the Spirit of God shows us that we're all unrighteousness,
we're unclean, we're unrighteous altogether, we do not feel then to be godly. But you see, the exhortation
here in the Word is that we should be godly, that we should follow after those
things which are good and right and true. He says here in verse 3 of the
first chapter, but hath in due times manifested his word through
preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment
of God our Saviour, to Titus, mine own son, after the common
faith. You see, he is exhorting him. Ministers need exhorting as well
as people in the congregation and offices of the church there's
that need to be for exhortation because as when he writes to
Timothy Paul writes to Timothy and he says fight the good fight
of faith and you know if we are if we were in a literal fight
we soon become very weakened it doesn't take long before you
come very weakened because you're using all your
energy that you can to fight. I'm speaking now physically,
but of course the Apostle, when he speaks of fighting the good
fight of faith, he's speaking spiritually. That we're to fight the good
fight of faith. And he says, when he writes to
the Corinthians, that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal,
but spiritual, mighty through God, to the pulling down of strongholds. There's a battle, my beloved friends, that
every believer finds, a battle. And a lot of that battle goes
on within. In fact, I would say the vast
majority of that battle goes on within our hearts. It's admirably Described by the
Apostle in Romans chapter 7 That which I would I do not that which
I would not I do I find a law within my members that when I
would do good then evil is present with me There is that constant warfare
and Then then of course there is Satan who is the archenemy
of the people of God And he does battle with them he attacks them
We read in the Word of God concerning the enemy. Sometimes we read, and this is
in the first epistle of Peter, sometimes he comes as a roaring
lion, seeking whom he might devour,
that's Satan. But then he comes in another
way, Paul tells us in the Corinthians, sometimes he comes as an angel
of light. It's a solemn thought, you know,
friends, but what he's speaking of there when
he's speaking of the angel of light, he's actually speaking
of ministers. He says, marvel not, for even
Satan is turned into an angel of light. We're exhorted in the first epistle
of John to try the spirits, to see if they be of God. Try the
spirits, see if they be of God. We shouldn't be naive and think
that every thought that comes into your mind is come from the
Lord. And also, to try the spirits,
and in that context, the Apostle John again is referring particularly
to the teachers and ministers. Try the spirits to see if they
be of God. And he speaks here of those that
are solemnly left in sin in the last two verses of chapter one.
Unto the pure, that is those that have been born again of
the Holy Ghost, quickened by the Spirit, brought to living
faith in Jesus Christ, convinced of their sin, brought to see
that Jesus is the way to God. They're made pure by the blood
of Christ. They're made pure by the righteousness
of Christ. They have no purity or righteousness
in themselves. They all declare, I nothing am,
my all is bound up in the Lamb. That's the language of the true
children of God. But he speaks here of those that
are defiled. And that is what we were. You'll
notice it says in our text, after the kindness and love of God,
that there was a before, after the kindness and love of God.
What it says here in these last two verses of chapter one, unto them that are defiled and
unbelieving is nothing pure. but even their minds and conscience
is defiled. They profess they know God, but
in works they deny him. Now my beloved friends, what
about you and me? They profess that they know God,
but in works they deny him, being abominable, disobedient, and
under every good work, reprobate. What am I? Solemn. condition
to be found in. Then he exhorts in the beginning
of chapter 2 an exhortation to sound doctrine. We're to be sound
in the faith. To speak thou the things which
become sound doctrine. Doctrine my beloved friends is
very important. Indeed it's very fundamental.
We know we need a personal experience of it in our hearts. But it's
still a fundamental thing. It matters what we believe. And we need to be sound in the
faith. Sound in the fundamental doctrines of our most holy faith. Sound in the doctrine of Christ.
Christ is the foundation. Christ is the sum and substance
of all our hopes and all our desires. And if we're wrong in
our views of Christ, we do not have those clear views
of Christ, of who he is. He's the eternal son of God that
is manifest in the flesh. He's termed the son of God, the
son of man. When it uses the term son of
man it's highlighting his sacred holy human nature that he assumed
in the womb of the Virgin Mary. When he is termed the son of
God it's highlighting his eternal nature as being the eternal son
of the eternal father. But speak thou the things which
become sound doctrine. The vital things concerning the
holy life, death, sufferings, resurrection and ascension of
Jesus Christ. These are the things of our faith. Luke, in his gospel, he says
about those things which are most surely believed among us. And he goes on And he speaks
in that same chapter in Luke of the incarnation of the Son
of God And the conception in the womb
of the Virgin that holy thing that shall be born of thee shall
be called the Son of God And we're to be sound in doctrine
now One of the principal means the
Lord uses in the building up of his people in their most holy
faith is the ministry of the Word. And the exhortation to Timothy
was, preach the Word. The Word of truth that we have
given to us. We've got it in our own language,
in the authorised version of Holy Scriptures, the most accurate
of any translation in the English language. And in this blessed book, the
Bible, is sound doctrine, sound teaching. And then, not only that, he goes
on to speak of practical godliness. The aged men be sober, grave,
temperate, sound in faith, charity, patience. There's much emphasis
here in the way that we live. And the reason that it brings
me to speak of it is because the beginning of our text, but
after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man
appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according
to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and the
renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through
Jesus Christ our Saviour. He speaks to the young men, the
aged women. He gives this exhortation unto
the aged women that they may teach the young women to be sober,
to love their husbands, to love their children. We're to exhort
one another and we find this throughout the Word of God and
we find it in all the epistles. We're to exhort one another unto
love, unto good works, unto righteous living. My mind was much drawn, as we
read here, these exhortations concerning the way that we live,
to that very well-known word in Romans chapter 12 and verses
one and two, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, What does he mean? He means the
mercy that you have received in Jesus Christ. The love of
God shed abroad in your heart. The Lord Jesus made exceedingly
precious to your soul. That's the mercy of God. The precious blood of the Lamb.
The glorious everlasting righteousness of Christ. which is the believer's
only hope in the blood and righteousness. Just think of what the spouse
says, my beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among 10,000,
Christ, white, pure, holy, righteous, ruddy, his precious blood. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's
son, cleanses us from all sin. This is our only hope. These
are the foundation truths of our most Holy faith, they are. And those of us that have received
this grace, you see the apostle exhorts us,
I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you
present your bodies, this living body, you present your bodies,
a living sacrifice, holy. and accept the blunt of God,
which is your reasonable service, and be not conformed to this
world. We live in a day when there's
much worldly conformity. And how often we hear it said,
oh it doesn't matter, that's only a little thing, it doesn't
matter. And that's how it goes on. And that's how we backslide. And that's how we lose that tenderness
in the fear of the Lord because we're worldly, because we're
carnal, because we say well this doesn't matter and that doesn't
matter. We hear it all the time friends, oh this doesn't matter,
that doesn't matter. You know we according to the
word of God in 1 Corinthians chapter 11 and these are what
people say are little things and we're not saying they're
fundamental things but in in Corinthians chapter 11 the apostle
very clearly states that a woman should have long hair and a man should have short hair
he clearly states in in divine worship a woman should have her
head covered and a man should have his head uncovered But we
hear today, oh well that doesn't matter. My beloved friends, if
it didn't matter, why did the Holy Spirit put those things
in the Word of God? He put them in there to instruct
us in the way that we should behave ourselves in the house
of God. It was said to me once, I was
preaching from Corinthians 11, And after I came at the pulpit,
somebody said to me, you should preach Christ. And they said
it in a critical way. And I said, friend, have you
read the first verse of Corinthians 11? Be ye followers of me, even as
I also am of Christ. And then he goes on to speak
of these things which so many today regard as not important. You can disregard them. Again,
the same thing goes for, it's always been Western tradition
that a woman wears a skirt or a dress and a man wears trousers. That's always been, and it's
always been in the churches until these last 60, 70, 80 years. And it's coming again very strongly
among our own churches. We often see women wearing trousers,
not when they come to divine worship, but when they're out
and about. People that should know better. And they say, well,
it doesn't matter. They're just secondary things.
It does matter, my beloved friends. That's why it's written in the
Word of God. That's why in Deuteronomy chapter 22, it says, it's an
abomination for a man to wear that which pertains unto a woman.
And it's an abomination for a woman to wear that which pertaineth
unto a man. It's an abomination in the eyes
of God. Now if we're walking in the fear
of the Lord and we desire sound doctrine and sound practice,
then we would desire to do these things. And the reason that the
Apostle, he gives these exhortations, he says to the Young men, he
says in verse 7 in chapter 2, in all things showing thyself
a pattern of good works, in doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity,
sincerity, sound speech that cannot be condemned. But he that
is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing
to say of you. And then down in verse 11 in
chapter 2, he says for the grace of God, that bringeth salvation
hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and
worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly
in this present world. To follow what God has put in
his holy word, to walk in the tender fear of the Lord, humbly
seeking to walk in that way which sets before us the way that we
should live and then the other thing of course so fundamental
in verse 13 of chapter 2 looking for that blessed hope and the
glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ
who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity
Friends, this is the foundation of our most holy faith, who gave
himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity and
purify unto himself a peculiar people. What makes them peculiar? The grace of God that bringeth
salvation. It is. but after the kindness and love
of God our Savior toward man appeared. He's appeared in the
glorious person of God manifest in the flesh and he has appeared
to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify unto himself a
peculiar people. They're peculiar because they're
loved with an everlasting love. They're peculiar because they're
redeemed from all iniquity. They're peculiar because they
separate themselves from the world. They don't do it by their
own strength and their own power, they do it by the power of the
Holy Ghost in their hearts. They love the Lord. And so, we
do not do these things in a legal way, it's because we love the
Lord. It's because after the kindness
and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of
righteousness that we have done, but according to His mercy. He
saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost.
My beloved friends, this renewing of the Holy Ghost, so vital,
so essential, And this makes them a peculiar
people. Why? Because they separate themselves
from this world, and the fashion of this world, and the why of
this world, and the things of this world. They're peculiar
in so many different ways. They desire to live under the
law. And as he says, clearly here in this epistle,
zealous of good works. This is the mark of a true child
of God. There are those, my beloved friends,
that they're very faithful and very zealous in the attendance
at the house of God and reading the word of God, but they keep
themselves to themselves. They're not zealous of good works. You know, friends, this is a
mark of true godliness. Zealous of good works. In the epistle of James, James
tells us so clearly, so solemnly, so searchingly in his epistle
of faith without works is dead, being alone. We read in the second
chapter of the epistle of James concerning faith and works and
he very searchingly tells us in that second chapter he said
in verse 14, what does it profit my brethren Though a man say
he have faith and have not works, can faith save him? If a brother
or sister, I've heard it said, and quite openly by, once by
a minister, that these works that are spoken of are not literal,
practical works, they are the acts of faith, et cetera. Well, that is actually explain
in a way the meaning of the word of God. Look what he says. What
does it profit, my brethren, though a man say he have faith
and have not works? Can faith save him? If a brother
or sister be naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you
say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled, notwithstanding
ye give them not those things which are needful to the body,
what does it profit? Even so, faith If it have not
works, is dead. That's a very solemn word, isn't
it? Is dead. Being alone. Yea, a man may say thou hast
faith and I have works. Show me thy faith without thy
works and I will show thee my faith by my works. We're to be
fruitful unto every good work and word and way. And as he says
here in this epistle, a pattern of good works. Oh, my beloved
friends, may the Lord make us a fruitful people. For these
works, they are the fruits of salvation. They are. But after that the kindness and
love of God, our savior toward man appeared, not by works of
righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy,
this wonderful mercy, The mercy of God. We read in Psalm 103
concerning the mercy of God. And it says in Psalm 103 that
he is plenteous in mercy. God does not give niggardly. No, he is plenteous in mercy. In verse 8 in Psalm 103, And
then in verse 17, Psalm 103, but the mercy of the Lord is
from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him and his
righteousness unto children's children. The mercy of the Lord
is from everlasting to everlasting. It always has been. It always
will be. It's as God is. everlasting mercy
of the ever-living God and you know it reaches us in his eternal
son we read in Proverbs chapter 8
concerning our Lord Jesus he says himself in Proverbs 8 Christ
is speaking my delights were with the sons of men that's before
the foundation of the world he says I was set up from everlasting
And the mercy of God to the church is manifest in the glorious person
of His Son, Jesus Christ. That wonderful mercy and grace,
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. And that mercy is manifested
in His kindness. But according to His mercy, He
saved us. Chosen before the world began,
Chosen in Christ. Chosen in Christ. Redeemed in
Christ at Calvary. He lived that holy life on the
behalf of each one of his chosen people. He brought in everlasting
righteousness for his people. And that everlasting righteousness
of Christ is the righteousness of the Church. They all declare,
I nothing am. all is bound up in the Lamb.
What wonderful mercy. And we consider what Christ has done.
That's where our mercy flows from. But let us consider what
the Holy Ghost does. It says here by the washing of
regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost. That glorious,
divine, everlasting person of the Spirit of God. How vital. How is it that it's only the Lord's chosen people when the Spirit enters their
heart? It's because the Lord Jesus has suffered and bled and
died for them. It's because the Lord Jesus,
their sins were laid on Him. And therefore the Holy Ghost
who proceeded forth from the Father and the Son, he enters
their heart by the washing. You know, we, I often draw your
attention to that beautiful word that we have in John chapter
seven. There in John chapter seven,
we read concerning the divine work of the Spirit, These are
the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, John 7 verse 37. In the last
day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying,
if any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth
on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall
flow rivers of living waters. but this he spake of the Spirit.
You see this river of living water, but this he spake of the
Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive. For the
Holy Ghost was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet
glorified. And that pouring forth of the
Spirit, the Holy Ghost, the foundation of God standeth sure, having
this seal upon it, the Lord knoweth them that are his. And the Holy
Spirit knows every single one whom the Father has chosen and
whom the Son has redeemed. That chosen people were given
to Christ. And he lived and suffered and
bled and died and rose again for their justification. And
as bodily ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand
of the Father. And he said he would shed forth
this Spirit upon them Now washing, there's a cleansing, there's
a purifying. The washing of regeneration is the giving of spiritual life. In Revelation chapter 21, 20 rather, we read of the divine
work of the Spirit there. Blessed and holy is he that hath
part in the first resurrection. Upon such the second death hath
no power What is the first resurrection is to be born again of the Spirit. It's the washing of regeneration
and renewing of the Holy Ghost. Now my beloved friends, each
one of us, young or old, do we know the washing of regeneration? A purifying work of the Spirit. Maybe you knew what it was at
one time, but in some measure you've fallen
away and you become worldly and carnal. No longer burns our love. Our
faith and patience fail. Why? Because we've left our first
love. What is our first love? It's
Christ. Christ made precious. Where is the blessedness I knew
when first I knew the Lord? Where is the soul refreshing
view of Jesus in his Word? There was a time when you ran
to the house of God. You couldn't wait to be there
because you loved the Lord. There was a time when you're
ready and willing to lay aside every weight and the sin that
does so easily beset us, and to run the race that is set before
us, looking on to Jesus. But where are you now? Where
are you now? Cold, hard, unfeeling, worldly,
carnal. You know, friends, This is where
we get to when we backslide. We get away from the Lord and
we're not so tender in the fear of the Lord as we were. But after
that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
I thought much also of that word in the Corinthians, come out
from among them and be separate. Touch not the unclean thing,
and I will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters,
saith the Lord God Almighty. Again in the Corinthians, what
does he say? He speaks in the Corinthians
of the children of God and what
they were, and he says, And such were some of you. You just think
of that. And such were some of you. And maybe you feel that. It's what you were. But it's
not what you are now. You know friends, these things
are written in the Word of God and it behoves me, as your pastor,
to faithfully speak to you. of these things. Where are you
now? Do you still have that loving
desire to follow Christ? You know, the Lord's people,
they know that. It says in 1 Corinthians chapter
6, and from verse 9, Know ye not,
the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God, be not deceived,
neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate,
of course means homosexual, nor abusers of themselves or mankind,
nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor
extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God. Listen to what
he says, and such were some of you. That is what you were, it's
not what you are now. And such were some of you, but
ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name
of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. Oh, that we might know that renewing
the Holy Ghost as you've come to the house of God today do
you feel to need that renewing of the Holy Ghost and that tender
fear of the Lord but after that the kindness and
love of God our Savior toward man appeared not by works of
righteousness that we have done no the Apostle in Ephesians,
he said, not at works, lest any man should boast. No, faith is
the gift of God. It's a wonderful gift. Do you
and I have that gift? It's one of the gifts and graces
of the Spirit, that He works in the heart. He gives faith.
He maintains the life of faith. We have to prove that no man
can keep alive his own soul, You would if you could, not by
works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to
his mercy, oh, that wonderful mercy, he saved us by the washing
of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he shed
on us abundantly through Jesus Christ, our Saviour. shed it upon us abundantly, or
that we might know more of this abundance, of this love, of this
grace, of this mercy. We hope to sing that lovely hymn
number 11, I mercy my God is the tune of my tongue. May it
be that we will sing it with the heart and with the understanding
also. May the Lord add his blessing. Let us now sing together hymn
number 11. The tune is Sabbath Day, 836. Thy mercy, my God, is the theme
of my song, the joy of my heart, and the boast of my tongue. Thy
free grace alone, from the first to the last, has won my affections
and bound my soul fast. Hymn number 11, Tune Sabbath
Day, 836. so so My God is the theme of my song,
the joy of my heart and the boast of my tongue. Thy free grace alone from the
first to the last has won my affection, unbound my soul fast,
has found my affections unbound my soul fast. Why the sin Jesus exempts me
from heav'n? Its glories I'll sing, and its
wonders Was Jesus my friend when he hung on the tree? Who opened a channel of mercy
for me. Who opened a channel the love
mercy for me. Without thy sweet mercy I cannot
live here. Send them away, dear sweetheart,
out of this land. Through thy pure goodness my
spirit revived. And Thee that first made me still
keeps me alive. and He that hath made me still
keeps me alive. Thy mercies more and a match
for my heart, which bound us to Philips, our agnostic heart. So by Thy goodness I fall to
the ground and weep to the praise of the mercy I found, and weep
to the praise of the mercy I found. The door of thy mercy stands,
how can I? To the poor and the needy, how
can I? way. No sinner shall ever be
empty sent back, who comes seeking mercy from Jesus. Who comes seeking mercy for Jesus'
sake? Great Father of mercies, thy
goodness I owe, and the covenant law of thy crucified Son. All praise to the Spirit, whose
grace first divine, Seals mercy and pardon, 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.