Let us commence our service this
evening by singing together hymn 515 to the tune Beautiful Zion,
444. Holy Ghost, we look to thee.
Raise the dead, the captive free. From the mighty, take the prey. Teach the weak to watch and pray. Hymn 515. Tune Beautiful Zion 444. Oh, say does that star-spangled banner
yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? Take the bread, take the wheat,
Devote and pray. Now behold the heavens' red,
Exalted Heaven's red, Night and night, Andrew, you
can go, to some careless sinner's part. Shepherd in thy happy bed, Now my gracious, little dear,
Wicked souls, and make them cry, Jesus save, All I wanted, All I wanted, Saints
forget, Thy sweet options still bring me Day beneath a sundry
prize as a prophet, priest, and priest. Thine it is, the Church to bless, and
to rumble in distress. Trembling, hell-blessed souls
to God, save through tears, Goodness find. How taught Thou to Jesus fear? Lord, have mercy on us. Guide us now to death, and there,
where each hope hath guilt and fear. There and then shall pause the
night, They will give to death return
And with them invoke the sun Thanks to joy Let us read together from the
holy word of God in the first epistle to the Corinthians and
chapter 12. The first epistle of Paul to the
Corinthians chapter 12. Now concerning spiritual gifts,
brethren, I would not have you ignorant. You know that you were
Gentiles, carried away with these dumb idols, even as you were
led. Wherefore, I give you to understand
that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed. and that no man can say that
Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Now there are diversities
of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of administration,
but the same Lord. There are diversities of operations,
but it is the same God which worketh all in all. that the
manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit
withal. For to one is given by the Spirit
the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge by the
same Spirit, and to another faith by the same Spirit, to another
the gifts of healing by the same Spirit, to another the working
of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits,
to another divers kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation
of tongues. But all these worketh that one
and the selfsame spirit divide into every man severally as he
will. For as the body is one and has
many members, and all the members of the one body, being many,
are one body, so also is Christ. For by one spirit we are we all
baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether
we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into the
one spirit. For the body is not one member,
but many. If the foot shall say, Because
I am not the hand, I am not of the body, is it therefore not
of the body? If the ear shall say, Because
I am not the eye, I am not of the body, is it therefore not
of the body? If the whole body were an eye,
where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where
were the smelling? But now hath God set thee members,
every one of them, in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if
they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they
many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto thee,
Hand, I have no need of thee. Nor can the head to the feet,
I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members
of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary. And
those members of the body which we think to be less honourable,
upon these we bestow more abundant honour. And our comely parts
have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no
need, but God hath tempered the body together. having given more
abundant honour to the part which lacked, that there should be
no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same
care, one for another. And whether one member suffer,
all the members suffer with him. Or one member be honoured, all
the members rejoice with him. Now you are the body of Christ
and members in particular. And God has set some in the church,
first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that
miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, governments, diversities
of tongues. Are all apostles, are all prophets,
are all teachers, are all workers of miracles, have all the gifts
of healing, do all speak with tongues, do all interpret, but
covet earnestly the best gifts, yet I show unto you a more excellent
way. May the Lord bless that portion
of his own precious word and grant to us a spirit of real
prayer. Almighty, most merciful and eternal
God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, we bow before thy glorious majesty. And we come, O Lord, to worship
thee. And we cannot worship thee aright
without thy good spirit. Do send thy spirit in the pulpit
and in the pew that we may have ears to hear, eyes to see, hearts
to receive thy holy word, and do graciously bless us together.
We're not worthy, O Lord, of thy mercies, of thy lovingkindnesses. We solemnly and continually have
to confess, we leave undone those things that we ought to do, and
we do those things that we ought not to do. We find a law within
our members that when we would do good, then evil is present
with us. And that which I would, I do not. And that which I would
not, I do. Gracious God, we do desire to
come in a spirit of confession before thy glorious majesty.
Our lack of spiritual mindedness. Oh, we pray that as we gather
round thy word tonight, that thou wouldst set our hearts and
our affections on things above, how soon, Lord, we become distracted. And we pray that tonight we may
be given ability to concentrate and to hear the word of the Lord,
and that the word of the Lord, by thy good spirit, may reach
into our hearts, may be sealed there by the Holy Ghost, blessed
Holy Divine Spirit, We thank thee for thy heavenly power,
for thy divine unction, for the glory of thy person and the wonder
of thy grace. Oh, we do pray that thou would
reveal the things of Jesus. We read, O Lord, in the epistle
that we've read, that God hath revealed them unto us by his
Spirit, for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things
of God. and we pray that thou would come
and search our hearts and come and guide us into thy truth and
come and open thy word. We do humbly beseech thee that
ere the service is gone we may be enabled to say it was good
for me to be here, it was good for us to be here. We think of
those two dear disciples as they walked on the road to Emmaus
and Jesus himself drew near and went with them. And they could
say, did not our heart burn within us as he walked and talked with
us by the way, as he opened to us the scriptures. Oh, we do
pray that it may be so here tonight, that the word of the Lord may
have free cause and that thy name may be honoured and glorified.
and that we may be instructed in the way of righteousness and
of truth, and that we may be edified as a church, as a congregation. As promised, O Lord, I will work,
and who shall let it? And we pray that thou wouldst
work mightily amongst us, that we may see thy goings in the
sanctuary, that we may see thy power and thy glory as thou usest
to be in the sanctuary. Come, most blessed Spirit, and
be mouth, matter, and wisdom unto us at this evening hour.
We pray that the Lord Jesus may come and stand in our midst,
and that we may be favoured to touch the hem of His garment,
and to draw from that sacred fullness that is in Him, that
we might feel that virtue come forth from Him to us, that healing
virtue, the virtue of his glorious righteousness and the virtue
of his precious blood that cleanses from all sin. We do pray that
we may be favoured here tonight to feel thy presence, Lord Jesus,
and that we may be enabled to say it was good for us to be
here. We seek that we might know that sacred and most blessed
spirit of adoption whereby we may cry, Abba, Father, for God
hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying,
Abba, Father, may it be so tonight, that the blessed Spirit may breathe
into our hearts the spirit of adoption. My God, my Father,
blissful name, O may I call thee mine. May we know those divine
drawings of our Heavenly Father, drawing us unto our Lord Jesus
Christ. And thou hast said in thy word,
I will draw them with the cords of a man, the glorious holy God-man,
the man Christ Jesus. Lord, we do pray that thou wouldst
then remember us as a church and as a congregation. and that
we may see thy goings in the sanctuary, and that thou wouldst
fulfil those wonderful 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, let us see thy work. Let
us see thy power. Let us see thy glory in the gospel.
We live, Lord, in a day when there's a great withholding of
the Spirit's power in our assemblies, and we pray that thou wouldst
return. Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, the
Son of Man, whom thou madest strong for thyself. Grant mighty
signs and wonders to follow the preaching of the Word. Grant
the pulling down of the strongholds of Satan and the setting up of
the kingdom of the Lord Jesus in the hearts of sinners. Grant
that the light and glory and power of the gospel may shine
into this village and the surrounding villages and hamlets. Many, many,
many precious souls may yet be gathered in that we may see a
building of the wall. Will they not revive us again,
O Lord? We do humbly beseech them. We
pray for that personal restoration, that nearness, that union and
communion with our Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, for a closer walk
with God, a calmer heavenly frame, a light to shine upon the road
that leads me to the Lamb. Oh, that tonight, Lord, as we
gather round thy word, we may behold the Lamb of God, which
taketh away the sin of the world. Remember our brethren, the deacons.
Give needed grace, wisdom, and help. we do humbly beseech thee
in all their responsibilities and graciously remember each
of our brethren and sisters in Christ and help us to love each
other, serve each other, bear each other's burdens, thereby
fulfilling the law of Christ. We read in thy word how good
and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. And
we read also, Lord, that there the Lord commanded the blessing.
Lord, thou hast given us a sweet measure of love, union, and communion. May it please thee to command
the blessing and to cause the prodigals to return and thy mighty
grace to be seen in this. Oh, do hear us, O Lord, in heaven,
thy holy dwelling place. And when thou hearest, O Lord,
forgive. Lord, graciously remember us, the little ones, the children. We thank thee for them. We pray
that thou wouldst bless them. Put thy holy fear in their hearts
in their young and tender years. Remember our young friends and
bless them with that rich grace that is in Christ Jesus. Bless
them with light and understanding in thy word. Bless them with
that new birth. knew hath he quickened who were
dead, may that be so with our young friends. They may be brought
to know and realise what they are as poor sinners, and be brought
to know and realise what Jesus Christ is as the only Saviour
of sinners. Do hear us, Lord, we humbly beseech
thee for thy great name's sake. We pray, most gracious Lord,
Thou wilt remember all in the midst of the journey of life.
Especially, Lord, we think of parents. Pray that Thou wilt
give them grace and wisdom to bring up their children in the
nurture and admonition of the Lord. Hear us, O Lord, we humbly
beseech Thee. We do pray, most gracious Lord,
that Thou wilt send real prosperity, not only here but among the churches,
that instead of the falling away, instead of chapels
closing, there may be a renewal, there may be a building up. As
the sweet psalmist says, build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
And he says also, Lord, they shall prosper that love thee.
Oh Lord, we believe we can truly say, I have loved the habitation
of thy house and the place where thine honored O Lord, we do pray
that Thou, in Thy great mercy, would remember those of us in
the evening time of life's journey, and that we pray to be led and
guided and directed by Thee. We pray to be delivered from
an evil heart of unbelief, from the power and dominion of sin.
We find the workings of sin. We find the workings of sin more
powerful, Lord, than when we were young. and we pray that
we may be delivered from temptation. As promised in thy word, that
when the enemy comes in like a flood, the spirit of the Lord
will lift up a standard against him. Lord, let thy work appear
unto thy servants, and thy glory unto her children. Remember all
thy servants as they labour in word and doctrine upon the walls
of Zion. Set them free, set them at liberty,
O gracious God, may we see the fulfilling of that wonderful
prophetic word, for I am returned unto Jerusalem with mercies.
Lord, may it be so. We do humbly beseech thee. We
thank thee. We thank thee for every mercy
of thy kind providence. We thank thee for all thy goodness
that has passed before us in the way. We thank thee for our
house of prayer. The open Bible has maintained
us these many, many years. O gracious God, we do thank thee
that thou art a faithful God, in spite of all our wanderings,
in spite of all our backslidings, our waywardness, and yet thou
art the same. We think of those wonderful words
of grace, I the Lord change not, Therefore ye sons of Jacob are
not consumed. We thank thee for our Lord Jesus
Christ. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable
gift. We thank thee, O Lord, that the
word was made flesh and dwelt among us. And, Lord, tonight
may we behold his glory, the glory as of the only begotten
of the Father, full of grace and truth, Oh, we do thank Thee
for that wonderful, glorious truth of God manifest in the
flesh, the holy God-man. We thank Thee for the holy life
He lived as a man under the law, fulfilling, honouring, magnifying
Thy holy law on the behalf of His people, and thereby bringing
in everlasting righteousness for His people. Jehovah said,
the Lord our righteousness. We thank Thee for Calvary, where
the Lamb was slain, where sin was put away, where divine justice
was satisfied, where God and sinners were reconciled. We thank Thee for the precious
blood of the Lamb. He poured out His soul unto death.
He was numbered with the transgressors, for He bare the sin of many.
We thank Thee that He rose again for our justification, and now
sitteth at thy right hand, we have indeed a great High Priest,
who is entered into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God. Oh, we
thank thee for that glorious Advocate with the Father, Jesus
Christ the Righteous. We thank thee that through him
We know the love of our Eternal Father, and through Him we receive
the gift of the Holy Ghost. Lord, we pray that Thou wouldst
now be with us as we turn to Thy Holy Word. Come and touch
one's lips with the live coal from off the heavenly altar. Come and breathe Thy Word into
our souls. Come and forgive all our many
sins. for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 405. The tune is Austro 330. Twixt
Jesus and the chosen race subsists the bond of sovereign
grace, that hell, with its infernal train, shall ne'er dissolve nor
rend in twain. Hymn 405, tune Alstoe, 330. To take the chalice of salvation
on the soul and breast, And help me this, in time of
strain, So help me, O Lord, in time of pain. This sacred bond shall never
break, For I, too, have sent a chain. which thou didst make a show
of this, O God, that there is no holiness. This over-contented devotion,
O Central, I am faith-driven. Christ was born this early, O
that He should come down from heaven there. O say can you see, by the dawn's
early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last
gleaming? And world without end should
ever be a place of holy dignity. ? And in the tomb of Ben-Hiru's
? ? From Ben-Hir cryeth for his rest ? ? For our brave and free liberty
? ? Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave ? ? Joyful, joyful, hymns and hymns
? ? O'er all the earth and heavens extend ? ? With faith and strength we stand
o'er all ? ? Thee we'll honor and glory evermore. ? The shepherd speaks the great
and great, His passion set his people free. ? Come, let every soul ? ? That
angels can be found ? ? In heaven above ? ? Which in the wisdom of His grace
? ? Eternal power and faithfulness ? ? Whose broad stripes and bright
stars ? ? Through the perilous fight ? ? O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
? greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, I direct your attention to the chapter that
we read, the twelfth chapter of Paul's first epistle to the
Corinthians, and we'll read verse seven for our text. 1 Corinthians 12, verse seven. But the manifestation of the
Spirit is given to every man to profit with all. But the manifestation of the
Spirit is given to every man to profit with all. The Apostle lays great emphasis
here on the divine person. power and grace of the Holy Ghost. And I purposely use that word,
the divine person, because there are many errors concerning the
Holy Ghost that have afflicted the church down through the ages
of time. Some would say that the spirit
is just an emanation from the Godhead. They deny the doctrine
of the Trinity. They say he's just an influence
in the church from God, but not a divine person. And of course,
the Word of God is very clear. There are three that bear record
in heaven. The Father, the Word, and the
Holy Ghost. and these three are one. That's found in the fifth chapter
of the first epistle of John and verse 7. There has been many
arguments usually raised by academics saying that the clause what is
called the Yohannes clause should not be there. These three are
one. And of course it is there, it
was in the original scriptures and it's fundamental doctrine,
it's fundamental to our most holy faith. We believe that in
the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Word and the
Holy Ghost. The Word being the glorious person
of our Lord Jesus Christ. the term given to him especially
by John, the Word, it refers particularly to his divine nature. Just listen to how the Apostle
John opens up on that, and the Word, meaning the Son of God,
was made flesh. It doesn't mean that the Son
of God was changed into flesh. It means that he assumed human
nature in the womb of the Virgin Mary and in so doing he became
bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. The Father God so
loved the world he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth
in him shall be saved. He gave his only begotten Son. And it was the only begotten
of the Father that assumed human nature, that became bone of our
bone, flesh of our flesh. And the Lord Jesus, speaking
of the divine person of the Spirit, especially in those three chapters
in John, what are called the valedictory discourse, of our
Lord Jesus Christ in John 14, 15 and 16, he extensively speaks
of the divine person, power and grace of the Holy Ghost. And he teaches us when he, now
my beloved friends, this is important, he is a personal word. When he,
the spirit of truth is calm. He will guide you into all truth. He's speaking of a divine person. The Father, the Son and the Holy
Ghost, they are one. And they are one from all eternity.
From everlasting to everlasting thou art God. Each one of these
divine persons within the Godhead is not three gods. It's one God. These three are one, there's
one God, as the scripture maintains, there is one God and one mediator between God
and man, the man Christ Jesus who gave his life for ransom
for all. Now the Holy Ghost is the author
of Holy Scripture. We read in Holy Scripture that
holy men of old spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
We read also that all scripture is given by inspiration of God
and is profitable for instruction in righteousness, etc. And it's
the Holy Ghost that moved men to write the holy scriptures
of truth. He is the divine author of the
Word of God. He also, and this shows us the
co-equality there is between the Father, the Son and the Holy
Ghost. When the Son of God was to assume
human nature, when the Father gave him, it was the Holy Ghost
that overshadowed the womb of the Virgin Mary. And in this
we see the vital nature of the work of the Holy Ghost. He took
of the seed of the woman, of Mary. She was of the seed of
David. He sanctified that seed. And
as soon as the Spirit of God had taken that seed and sanctified
it, the Son of God assumed it immediately. And these are important
fundamental doctrines. That human nature that the Son
of God assumed never had any existence separate to the Son
of God. It was his own personal human
nature. When he became bone of our bone,
flesh of our flesh. Doesn't the Apostle Paul, when
he writes to Timothy, he says great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. God was manifest in the flesh.
In the Athanasian Creed, it's good to look at these things,
I think it was around about the year 400 when there was a great
controversy in the Christian Church regarding the doctrine
of the Trinity and the divinity of Christ. And in the Athanasian
Creed, a very simple statement concerning Jesus Christ, very
God, very man. In other words, truly God, truly
man. And that is the mystery of the
person of Christ. He's truly God. He's truly man. And the Holy Spirit is the author
of the Holy Scriptures and He reveals these things unto us
in the Word of God. And it's very important, my beloved
friends, that we must stay close to the Word of God. We don't
go to anyone else to find these fundamental doctrines of our
most holy faith. We go to the Word of God, the
pure, holy Word of God, the wonderful gift of God to the Church. And
what a wonderful gift the authorised version of the Holy Scriptures
has been in the English language. It's the most accurate translation
there is in the English language of the Holy Scriptures. You know,
we read, and I often draw your attention to it, concerning the Spirit of God in the second chapter
of this first epistle to the Corinthians But as it is written
I have not seen nor he heard Neither have entered into the
heart of man the things which God had prepared for them that
love him That's a quotation from the prophecy of Isaiah But God
hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit For the Spirit searcheth
all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth
the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him,
even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the
Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that
are freely given to us of God. which things also we speak not
in the words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost
teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the
natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God,
for they are foolishness unto him. Neither can he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned. It speaks of the vital
need of the Holy Ghost to bring us from spiritual death
into spiritual life. We read in Revelation chapter
20, Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection. On such the second death hath
no power. What is the first resurrection? It's when the Holy Spirit enters
the heart of a sinner and quickens their soul into life and raises
them from spiritual death into spiritual life. That is the first
resurrection. And he says, upon such, the second
death, that is the death pronounced upon all those at the day of
judgment, eternal death, eternal destruction, those that have
been born again, They will not come under that
condemnation. They're born again of the Holy
Ghost. Paul, in Ephesians chapter 2, he says, You hath he quickened
who were dead in trespasses and in sins. You see, and the Lord
Jesus, he says, when speaking of this divine work of the Spirit,
Some would isolate his words just at the day of Pentecost.
I do not believe that's right at all. When he, the spirit of
truth, is come, he will reprove, the margin says, convince the
world of sin, and of judgment, and of righteousness. It's the
divine work of the spirit. And what it means is, is that
when he, the spirit of truth, has come to the heart of a poor
sinner, He convinces them of sin. He convinces them that they're
born in sin, that they're shaped in iniquity. Now, you know, friends,
let us be clear that some of the Lord's people have very deep
conviction of sin and they may have that deep conviction of
sin for some time and eventually Christ is revealed. Others of
the Lord's people don't have that deep, profound conviction
of sin. All of the Lord's people to some
extent have it, but some it's very gentle. Just like the Prophet
Isaiah, here a little, there a little, line upon line, precept
upon precept. There's a gradual coming to a
knowledge of oneself, coming to a knowledge of Jesus as the
only Saviour. It's a very gradual work. Now, the Apostle here, he says
in the context of our text, see, but the manifestation of the
Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. The Holy Ghost,
the divine person of the Holy Ghost. You know, a minister cannot
preach rightly, properly, without the Holy Ghost. There'll be no
profit to his ministry without the Holy Ghost. It's the Holy
Ghost that teaches the man to preach. It's the Holy Ghost that
gives him the grace to continue to preach. And it's the Holy
Ghost that teaches him to preach Christ crucified. Christ the
center, the sum and the substance of all our hopes and desires.
Christ the way, Christ the truth, Christ the light. God who commanded
the light to shine after darkness has shined into our hearts. with
the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
This is what the Spirit reveals to poor, feeling sinners. He
does. But the manifestation of the
Spirit is given to every man to profit with all. The great thing with you and
I is, have we been born again? That's the vital thing. The Lord
Jesus lays a great emphasis, doesn't he, when speaking to
Nicodemus. He says, ye must. It's not an optional thing. It's
something that is absolutely vital. Ye must be born again. Except a man be born of water
and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
It's vital. You never get to glory if you're
never born again. Being born again is the sovereign
work of God the Holy Ghost in the heart of a poor sinner. It
is. Have you, have I, been born again
of the Spirit? The manifestation of the Spirit
is given to every man to profit with all. You see, he speaks
very extensively here concerning the work of the Spirit
and the gifts of the Spirit. Now we believe firmly and I believe
this is what the whole of this discourse running into the next
chapter is that gifts of healing etc we do not deny that God can
heal and he does heal and he hears the prayers of his people
to heal I mean the physical healing of our body or of our mind, that
the Lord can do that. We do not deny that in any way.
But there is no doubt that the gifts of healing of tongues were
apostolic gifts and they died with the apostles. It's very
clear in the Word of God. Now in this beautiful discourse
concerning the Holy Ghost, Look at what he says, how fundamental
it is in verse 3. Wherefore I give you to understand
that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed. You remember these people were
taken up with dumb idols. They were pagan. The Corinthians
were. They followed pagan gods. But
he gives us this solemn word. the pagans called Jesus a cursed. It says here that I give you
to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth
Jesus a cursed and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord,
that is savingly so, that's what he means, but by the Holy Ghost. How vital, my beloved friends,
it is the divine work, person, power and grace of the Holy Ghost. It's vital to bring us from spiritual
death into spiritual life. He's vital to maintain that life. The Word of God says no man can
keep alive his own soul. It's only the Holy Ghost that
can revive us and renew us and replenish us. It's that sovereign
work and He can do it in a moment. He can bring you from utter darkness
and bondage into glorious light and liberty, and He can do it
in a moment. I've experienced it myself. When perhaps in the
deepest trouble, trial, affliction, and the Spirit of God reveals
Christ and He breathes the word of His grace into your heart.
I was in the A&E department of Eastbourne Hospital. I had to
be many hours waiting for a bed and I was constantly having seizures
and, you know, I was in such a great trial, providential trial. I really wondered where the scene
would end here. I was now, I felt utterly finished,
helpless. And you know the Lord He dropped
these words into my heart with such heavenly power. There was
a still small voice but all the power that it entered into my
heart. Psalm 86, Thou art God alone. You might say, well that's a
very simple thing and we know that. Ha! But when the Spirit
of God reveals the greatness of God. And as I lay there friends,
I had such a view of the infinite wisdom, power, love and mercy
of God in Christ. It was a most sacred season.
Before, I was so cast down, I was utterly at my wits end, but now
there was perfect peace. There was nothing wrong. I was
exactly where the Lord would have me to be. And those words,
they made me like clay in the hands of the heavenly potter.
I was very sick, I was in hospital for 10 days, but every day, I
couldn't read for long, I couldn't concentrate, but every day I
went to Psalm 86, and oh how I drew from the fullness of that
word, thou art God alone. Christ was made so precious,
so glorious, the altogether lovely the chiefest among 10,000. I
felt such a love to my Heavenly Father. He knew everything I
was in need of. Your Heavenly Father knoweth
that ye have need of all these things. He knew. You know, friends,
you cannot really describe to somebody else when you pass through
these experiences of divine truth. When you come from almost despair,
lifted up high to see the glory of God in Christ, to meditate
on the infinite wisdom, power and love of the eternal God. And there he says here, but the
manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit
with all. He speaks here of the church
as being one body, And he says in verse 11, but
all these worketh that one and the selfsame spirit divide into
every man severally as he will. For as the body is one and hath
many members, that's how he's liking it to our body. We have
hands, we have feet, we have eyes, we have ears, we have a
tongue, we speak. He said that is what the church
is like. And all the different members in the church are the
different members of the same body. For as the body is one, and has
many members, and all the members of that one body being many are
one body, so also is Christ. For by one spirit are we all
baptized into one body. You know there's a very very
sacred when you feel union and communion with your brethren
and sisters in Christ. You feel that oneness. And you
love them because they are loved by Christ. For by one Spirit are we all
baptized into one body. By that, baptized, he means the
entering of the Holy Ghost into the heart of a sinner. the baptism
of the Holy Ghost, the outpouring of the Spirit upon a poor sinner.
For we are one Spirit, we are all baptized into one body, whether we be Jew or Gentile,
whether we bond or free, and have been all made to drink into
one Spirit. See, this is the effect of the
divine work of the Spirit in the church. oneness, union, communion. When I was meditating this morning
or yesterday morning actually I meditated and my mind was much
drawn to the Ephesians and in the fourth chapter of the Ephesians
the Apostle he speaks there very beautifully of this oneness. He says in verse 3, Ephesians
4 verse 3, endeavouring to keep the unity of the spirit in the
bond of peace. There is one body and one spirit,
even as you are called in one hope of your calling, one Lord,
one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above
all and through all and in you all. but unto every one of us
is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
And he speaks of that wonderful prophetic word, verse 11 here
he says, and he gave some apostles, he's quoting here from Psalm
68, and he gave some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists
and some pastors and teachers. He's quoting from in the previous
verse, about our Lord Jesus Christ and leading captivity captive
from Psalm 68. And then he speaks here of the
gifts that he gives to the church. He gave some apostles, some prophets,
some evangelists, some pastors and teachers for the perfecting
of the saints, for the work of the ministry. for the edifying
of the body of Christ till we all come. And this is the divine
spirit that worketh these things till we all come in the unity
of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect
man unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. What a fullness there is in Christ.
And you know invariably This is where the Holy Spirit leads
a poor sinner. It's to Christ. He reveals Christ. We just read
in Corinthians 2, but God has revealed them unto us by His
Spirit. He says to you, will you all
come? And then He says that we henceforth be no more children.
tossed to and fro, carried about with every wind of doctrine by
the slight of men and the cunning craftiness whereby they lie in
wait to deceive, but speak in the truth in love. May grow up into him in all things
which is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body fitly
joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplier,
according to the effectual work and in the measure of every part,
make increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. This I say therefore and testify
in the law, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk,
in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened
being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance
that is in them because of the blindness of their heart. And
then he goes on, he says in verse 20, but ye have not so learned
Christ, if so be that ye have heard him and have been taught
by him as the truth is in Jesus. You see, my beloved friends,
this bringing the church together, into this oneness, this completeness
that there is in the glorious person of Christ. And you know
in that beautiful prayer in John 17, how our Lord Jesus Christ
so very beautifully speaks of this oneness and this union that
there is in the church between brethren, and he says in John 17 verse
21 that they all may be one as thou father art in me and I in
thee that they also may be one in us that the world may believe
that thou hast sent me and the glory which thou gavest me I
have given them that they may be one, even as we are. I in
them, thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one, that
the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved
them as thou hast loved me. Then he speaks here of that divine
will, Father I will, that they also whom thou hast given me,
be with me where I am. that they may behold my glory
which thou hast given me, for thou lovest me before the foundation
of the world. But the manifestation of the
Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. Oh, that the
Lord may grant us this good measure of the Holy Spirit. You know,
it says here, it's a solemn admonition that no man can say that Jesus
is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost. And in Romans chapter 8, the
Apostle speaks very extensively of the divine person and work
of the Holy Ghost. And he says, and he calls him
the Spirit of Christ. That speaks of the oneness of
the Godhead. If any man have not the Spirit
of Christ, he is none of his. It's a very solemn word, isn't
it? It's a very solemn word. That blessed person of the Spirit. And he says here about any schisms
in the body, and he speaks of these, for the body is not one
member but many, If the foot shall say, because I am not the
hand, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body?
He's saying, well this is ridiculous. If the ear shall say, because
I am not the eye, I am not of the body, is it therefore not
of the body? If the whole body were an eye,
where were the hearing? If the whole were the hearing,
where were the smelling? But now God has set the members,
every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member,
where were the body? But now are we many members,
yet one body. The eye cannot say unto the hand,
I have no need of thee. Nor again the head to the feet,
I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members
of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary. And
those members of the body which we think to be less honourable
upon these we be so more abundant honour. And our comely parts,
our uncomely parts, have more abundant comeliness. He's referring
this to the church. He says here that there should
be, in verse 25, that there should be no schism in the body. but that the members should have
the same care, one for another. You know friends, it's a very
solemn thing to cause a schism in the body of Christ. It is. Mark them that cause divisions
among you. That's what we have an exhortation
in the word of God. A division is a schism. that
there should be no schism in the body, but that the members
should have the same care, one for another. Whether one member
suffer, all members suffer with it, or one member be honoured,
all members rejoice with it. Now we are the body of Christ
and members in particular. Now he says here concerning gifts
of healing and that such like be said earnestly but cover earnestly
the best gifts and yet I show unto you my excellent way. See
one of the things in the Corinthian church was there was many gifts
particularly of tongues and of healing and but there was a great
lack of grace. They had many gifts but a great
lack of grace. There were schisms in the body,
he speaks of it here in this epistle. Some were saying I'm a polis,
others were this, others were that, and it was causing division
among them. There was even incest in a family. So there was many gifts, but
there wasn't much grace. You know that these things are
written for our instruction. Now he says, he goes on into
chapter 13, though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels
and have not charity. Some have said it should have
been another word, should have said not love. But I disagree. Charity means loving action. And that's the very point that
he's trying to make in this chapter. Loving action. Though I speak
with the tongues of men and angels and have not charity, I become
as a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. Though I have the gifts
of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge,
and though I have all faith so that I could move mountains and
have not charity, I am nothing. And this is to me a remarkable
statement. And though I bestow all my goods
to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,
and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. What motivates us? Is it the spirit of love? Is
it the spirit of charity? Charity suffereth long and is
kind. Charity envieth not. This is
the unity of the church you see. Charity vaunteth not itself,
is not puffed up, does not behave itself unseemly. When is it brethren
all agree? and let distinctions fall when
nothing in themselves they see and Christ is all in all. All that the Lord would grant
us this spirit of charity, of love, of union, of communion,
love to one another, that we may esteem each other better
than ourselves to be. All that the Lord would give
us then the spirit of love, union and communion. In other words,
the spirit of Christ. May the Lord add his blessing. Let us now sing together hymn
number 1107. The tune is Home 349. when some sweet promise warms
our heart and cheers us under every care, it is the Spirit's
gracious power to take that word and fix it there. Hymn 1107,
tune home 349. O say can you see, by the dawn's
early light, The Spirit of Christmas comes to take our food and makes
it fresh. O say can you see, by the dawn's
early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last
gleaming? His heart created, paint displayed,
The home of everlasting life. Is he that in the comfort tower,
When we come in and mournful sing, And God He sheds a heav'nly
crown, And shows us in how God shall reign. O praise, O praise ye for the
throne, its excellence, its praise, For our servant reaches out And
holds our cause completely at heart. And when the fates of death do
rise, And pain or rage take hold of
me, ? It's a holy place ? ? Every light
? ? Perfumes and faiths ? ? Repentance ? Now may the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, the sacred fellowship
of the Holy Spirit, rest and abide with us each, both now
and forevermore. Amen.