The tune is Lloyd, 172. A friend there is, your voice
is joined, ye saints to praise his name, whose truth and kindness
are divine, whose love's a constant flame. Hymn 132, tune Lloyd,
172. The pitch of voices' joy, We
say to praise His name, As to the kindness of divine, Her stars are constant there. When her sweet peace shall be
near, His friend is always near. If you're in love, let it come
on. He waits to answer you. Is the bow and no-man's-arrow,
No change can break its course, If you to be the same it was. from our eternal source. Then wilt thou fear to bear his
weight, and clouds around it go. Behind him there, a song
he spreads to make it better know. And make the dearest comforts
all Before his soul they will He who takes away the whole In whom shall we keep our stead? Can our sorrows in the stairway
rise? and it just out of place. The moment's gone, it's gone,
out of place. Each word it changes, Let us read together from the
holy word of God in the first epistle of Peter, chapter two. The second chapter of the first
epistle of Peter. Wherefore they incite all malice
and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and all evil-speakings,
as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may
grow thereby. If so be, ye have tasted that
the Lord is gracious, to whom coming as unto a living stone,
disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious. ye also as lively stones are
built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual
sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also
it is contained in the scripture, behold, I lay in Zion a chief
cornerstone, elect, precious, and he that believeth on him
shall not be confounded. unto you therefore which believe
he is precious but unto them which be disobedient the stone
which the builders disallowed the same is made the head of
the corner a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence even to
them which stumble at the word being disobedient were unto also
they were appointed but ye are a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that you should show
forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness
into his marvellous light, which in time past were not a people,
but are now the people of God, which had not obtained mercy,
but now have obtained mercy. Dearly beloved, I beseech you
as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts, which war
against the soul, having your conversation honest among the
Gentiles, that whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they
may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God,
in the day of visitation. Submit yourselves to every ordinance
of man for the Lord's sake, whether it be to the king as supreme
or unto governors as unto them that are sent by him for the
punishment of evildoers and for the praise of them that do well.
For so is the will of God, that with well-doing you may put to
silence the ignorance of foolish men, as free and not using your
liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. Honour all men, love the brotherhood,
fear God, honour the King. Servants, be subject to your
masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also
to the froward. For this is thankworthy if a
man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it if when
ye be buffeted for your faults, ye take it patiently? But if
when ye do well and suffer for it, ye take it patiently? This
is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called,
because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example
that ye should follow his steps. Who did no sin, neither was guile
found in his mouth. Who when he was reviled, reviled
not again. When he suffered, he threatened
not. but committed himself to him that judges righteously,
who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree,
that we being dead to sins should live under righteousness by whose
stripes ye were healed. For you were a sheep going astray,
but are now returned under the shepherd and bishop of your souls. May the Lord add his blessing
to the reading of his own precious word and grant to us a spirit
of real prayer. Gracious, merciful and eternal
God of heaven, help us to bow before thy great majesty and
to call upon thy great and holy name. thy word declares that thou art
in heaven and we upon earth therefore let thy words be few for in the
multitude of words they're wanted not iniquity lord we come as
poor sinners each one of us are the fallen sons or daughters
of adam and thereby lord we are born in sin shapen in iniquity
In sin did my mother conceive me. And, O Lord, we bow as sinners
before thy feet. We come to confess our sins and
our wanderings and our backslidings. We confess with the dear Apostle
that we leave undone things that we ought to do. We do 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. So we
prove the truth, O Lord, of the apostles' words, of the prophets'
words, from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot. Wounds and bruises and putrefying
sores, there is no soundness in my flesh. For, Lord, by nature
we are dead, in trespasses and in sin. But there are those of
us here, O Lord, that can truly say that you hath he quickened
who were dead in trespasses and in sins. And we thank thee for
the quickening power and the divine unction of the Holy Ghost.
We pray that we may feel his heavenly power tonight as we
gather round the Word, and that the Word spoken may be in power
in the Holy Ghost and with much assurance, that it may reach
into our very souls, that it may be a sealing time, as the
Apostle himself speaks, whereby you are sealed unto the day of
redemption. Oh, that we may have the seal
of the Spirit of the King of heaven upon us, that we may be
sealed the sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty. We
pray for grace to be given, to heed the exhortation, come out
from among them and be ye 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. All that we may be enabled continually
to flee to Jesus, to cast all our cares upon him, to look unto
him, even as he has said in his word, look unto me, all ye ends
of the earth, and be ye saved, for I am God and there is none
else. So we come, Lord, to look to thee. We pray for grace to
lay aside every weight and the sin that does so easily beset
us, and that we might run with patience the race that is set
before. We pray that the doctrine of
truth may reach into our hearts and that we may meditate therein
and know the sweet experience of the precious doctrine of truth
in our hearts. As one of thy servants said,
doctrine is heaven. We pray that we may experience
the wonderful doctrine of truth. We do humbly beseech thee. But
we pray to be led of the Spirit, for as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. We pray for a manifestation
of the love, mercy and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, a view
by faith of Calvary where the Lamb was slain, a view by faith
of that precious sin atoning blood in its sacred application
unto us. and a view by faith of that glorious
everlasting robe of the righteousness of Jesus Christ that we may be
clothed upon with it. We pray that thou would grant
then divine guidance and leading. May we know the sacred drawings
of a heavenly Father, drawing us unto thine only begotten Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ. and that may we know and feel
that we are complete in him, that we are accepted in the beloved. Lord, we pray that these wonderful
truths may be a living reality in our hearts. We pray for any
seeking souls that are feeling after thee, that long to lay
hold of thee, that long to see thy countenance, and to worship
in thy holy hill of Zion. We pray that thou would reveal
thyself, show thyself through the lattice of thy word, show
thyself in the ministry of the word. Grant that the Lord Jesus
may be exalted as a prince and as a saviour for to give faith
and repentance and remission of sins. Oh, we do pray that
that may be the sweet reality as we gather round thy word tonight.
We pray, most gracious Lord, that thou would remember our
brethren, the deacons, and richly bless them. Bless them with that rich grace
that is in Christ Jesus. Bless them, O Lord, and guide
them and direct them in all matters. Grant that we may be as a threefold
cord that cannot easily broken. Remember each one of our brethren
and sisters in church fellowship. Remember us, O Lord, with the
favour that thou bearest unto thy people. Visit us with thy
great salvation. Lord, we do pray for those not
able to gather with us tonight. We commend them each to thee.
to the word of thy grace. O be gracious, Lord, we humbly
pray thee. And continue to grant us the
spirit of love, of union, of communion. Deliver us from the
temptations of the enemy, even Satan. And graciously grant that
when the enemy comes in like a flood, the spirit of the Lord
will lift up a standard against him. that glorious standard of
the cross of Christ, of the person, power, and grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ. Oh, that he might be exalted
among us. And Lord, we pray that thou would
graciously bless the children. Bless them, oh Lord, in their
young and tender years with the fear of the Lord, which is the
beginning of wisdom, and graciously bless our young friends. Bless
them with living faith in Jesus Christ that they may become true
followers of thee and of those who through faith and patience
inherit the promises. Bless them with a partner in
life's journey, one that fears the Lord. All who hear us, Lord,
we pray thee and grant thy rich blessing, thy divine favour upon
our young friends. Fulfil that wonderful promise.
Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest
make princes in all the earth. We pray, most gracious God, that
thou wouldst graciously remember parents and give them wisdom
and grace to bring up their children in the nurturing admonition of
the Lord. Remember all in the midst of the journey of life
and graciously undertake for them. Remember those that wander
hither and thither and we pray that thou would be gracious unto
them and that thou would grant that they may find a room and
a place among thy people. that the appointed time may roll
on apace, not to propose, but call by grace, to turn their
feet to Zion's hill. Lord, we all do these things,
we humbly pray thee. As promised in thy word, I will
work, and who shall let it? We pray for any in affliction,
and trouble, and trial, and perplexity, and sorrow, sadness, and bereavement,
that thou wouldst draw near, comfort, console and strengthen
and help. And oh Lord we do pray that thou
would remember those of us in the evening time of life's journey. Remember us with the favour that
thou barest unto thy people and visit us with thy great salvation
and prepare us for that great change that must come. Oh Lord we do pray as the outward
man perishes The inward man may be renewed day by day. We do pray, O Lord, that thou
in thy precious mercy would remember us for good. Remember this village,
the surrounding villages and hamlets. May there be an ingathering. May there be a rebuilding, a
renewing. May it please thee, Lord, to
constrain to awaken many sinners round, to come and fill this
place. There's nothing too hard for
thee. Oh, do hear us in heaven, thy holy dwelling place, and
when thou hearest, O Lord, forgive. We do pray, most gracious God,
that thou, in thy precious mercy, wouldst hear prayer for thy servants,
as they labour in word and doctrine upon the walls of Zion. set them
free, set them at liberty, grant light and understanding in thy
word, grant that fresh anointing of thy Holy Spirit, we do humbly
beseech thee, that we may see light in thy light, and that
thy word may be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.
Remember the little hills of Zion up and down the nation,
And Lord, we truly live in solemn days. Iniquity abounds on every
hand. And that, Lord, we do pray that
thou would put a stop to violence and wickedness and evil, that
the spirit of Antichrist is so prevalent that we pray that thou
would deliver us from it and from its influence, and that
we may be guided by thy word. we do humbly beseech thee. We
think, O Lord, as a nation, and we pray that when the enemy comes
in like a flood, the spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard
against him, that the glories of the gospel may shine forth
in heavenly power. We think of the many thousands
that come from around the world to this place, and we pray, most
gracious Lord, that it may be that they've come here to hear
the Gospel and to find Jesus Christ the only Saviour of sinners. Lord, what a wonderful thing
if that was the case. We do pray that it may be so.
And, O Lord, we do pray that Thou, in Thy great mercy, would
graciously remember our King, Queen and Royal Household to
bless them with that rich grace that is in Christ Jesus. And
where there is sickness, grant healing and strength. We do humbly
pray thee. Lord, remember our government,
our judges, our magistrates. Give wisdom, give guidance, give
direction. O Lord, we do beseech thee. Lord,
we do pray for truly thankful hearts. We thank thee for the
liberties that we enjoy in being able to freely meet around thy
word. We thank thee, O Lord, for every
mercy of thy kind providence, for all thy goodness that has
passed before us in the way. Truly, Lord, thy mercies are
new every morning, and great is thy faithfulness. We do thank
thee for Jesus Christ, the incarnation of the Son of God. We thank thee
for the holy life he lived and the holy law he fulfilled on
the behalf of his people, bringing in everlasting righteousness.
We thank thee for Calvary, where sin was put away, where divine
justice was satisfied, where God and sinners are reconciled.
Oh, we do thank Thee for what Jesus has done. We thank Thee
for His precious blood, His blood that cleanses from all sin. We
thank Thee for the new and living way that He has made into the
holy place. He died for our sins and rose
again for our justification and has now bodily ascended into
heaven and sitteth at thy right hand. Lord, what a blessed reality. We have a great high priest who's
passed into the heavens, Jesus, the son of God, and he is our
only hope. Gracious God, be with us now
as we turn to thy word. Come and open thy word to our
heart and to our understanding. Come and touch one's lips with
a live coal from off the heavenly altar. We ask for Jesus Christ's
sake. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 924. The tune is Abbeydale. 274 great rock for weary sinners
made when storms of sin distress the soul here let me rest my
weary head when lightnings blaze and thunders roll hymn 924 tune
abbey dale 274 ? We sing in excellence ? ? When
to God's own city we stand ? O say does that star-spangled
banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? ? In heav'nly glory to thee we
raise this song ? ? Where all creation sing thee praise ? And I look from Jesus' serene
eyes, God, my Lord, hear my prayer. Please take care of your health
this year. And you will be nice to your family. ? To every age ? ? Our God who
stood ? ? In the shape of man ? ? Heirs of sacred truth ? O'er the land of the free and
the home of the brave? greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, direct your attention to the chapter that we read,
the second chapter of the first epistle of Peter, and we'll read
verse four for our text. First epistle of Peter, chapter
two, verse four. To whom coming as under a living
stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious. I think perhaps we should read
the fifth verse as well. Ye also, as lively stones, are
built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual
sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. To whom? Coming. Unto the Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ, the Eternal Son of the Eternal Father that was manifest
in the flesh. To whom? Coming. What a mercy,
my beloved friends, if we are coming. The Lord Jesus, he says himself
in his teachings in Matthew chapter 11, come unto me, all ye that
labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my
yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart. And ye shall find rest for your
souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Come unto
me, that lovely hymn, in union with
the Lamb. Come unto me, in union with the
Lamb, from condemnation free, the saints from everlasting work,
and shall forever be to whom coming, as unto a living stone. I like the emphasis here, because
the stone by its its very nature is cold and hard, inanimate. It's the last place you'd expect
to find life, isn't it? But of course, the Lord Jesus
Christ is the eternal rock of ages. And think of his answer
to Peter, when Peter, in his confession, he said, Thou art
the Christ, the Son of the living God, And the Lord Jesus answered
upon this rock, I build my church and the gates of hell shall not
prevail against it. They'll try, but they'll never
prevail. This is the eternal rock of ages. We spoke recently, didn't we,
from that word in the Gospels, in the teachings of Jesus Christ,
the man that built his house upon a rock. upon a foundation. Read in Isaiah, Behold I lay
in Zion a foundation, a precious cornerstone, the rock of ages. That's who
Jesus is. He's the rock upon which the
church is built. He's the foundation and the Apostle
says in the 1 Corinthians, other foundation can no man lay than
that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus. It's the foundation
that is laid. Behold I lay in Zion a foundation. My dear beloved friends, what
are you and I building on? Are we building upon this eternal
foundation? Are we building upon this eternal
rock of ages? Are we building on the finished
work of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, manifest in the flesh,
who came to save His people from their sins? He shall call His
name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins. That's the meaning of the word,
the name, Jesus. He shall save His people from
their sins. Oh my beloved friends, this is
the only rock we read concerning Jesus that there is none other
name that is given under heaven whereby ye must be saved. Just
this one name, just this one way, Jesus said, I am the way,
the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by
me. And I often quote those lovely
words in Timothy to you. There is one God and one mediator
between God and man. The man, Christ Jesus, who gave
his life, a ransom for all to be testified in due time. To who? Coming. As unto a living
stone. A living stone. disallowed indeed
of men, but chosen of God, and precious. Is Christ precious? You know, it says here in verse
7, Unto you therefore which believe, He is precious. But unto them which be disobedient,
the stone which the builders disallow, The same is made the
head of the corner unto you therefore which believe he is precious. To whom coming? Do you feel the
preciousness of Jesus Christ in the need of him? Do you feel
the preciousness of Jesus Christ in your desire after seeking
him? Do you desire like the dear apostle
did that I might know him in the power? You can't be satisfied with just
knowing about him or just reading about him. You need to know him. You need to hear his voice. You
need to see his countenance. You need by faith to lay hold
of that hope that is set before us in the gospel, in the person. of the Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ to whom coming as unto a living stone. We do not worship a dead Christ.
We worship a living Christ. We worship a Christ that has
the power of an endless life. We worship a Christ that has
destroyed death and him that hath the power of death that
is the devil. to whom coming as unto a living
stone. You know, in this sense of the
stone, the living stone, it's warm, it's loving, it's kind. It's a living stone, full of compassion. full of love
to man's lost race. That's what this living stone
is, our Lord Jesus Christ, when he invites poor sinners to come.
We read in Isaiah chapter 45, look unto me, who's speaking? Jesus Christ, the King of Kings
and the Lord of Lords, the mighty God, the everlasting Father,
the Prince of Peace, come unto me, he says. unto me, and be
ye saved, for I am God. And this is the point here, friends,
this eternal rock of ages, for I am God, and there is none else. I am God. Wherefore He is able
to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by Him, seeing
He ever liveth. He ever liveth. He's the eternal
son of the eternal father who ever liveth to whom cometh. Now he speaks
here and he speaks of our old nature in the first verse. Wherefore
laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies
and all evil speakings that's our old man which is corrupt. as newborn babes, what a mercy,
if we are indeed newborn babes, as newborn babes desire the sincere
milk of the word that ye may grow thereby. I remember in my
very early spiritual days after Christ was first made precious
and the The Book of Psalms became a very special book. Solomon's
Song became a very special book. The Book of Proverbs became a
very special book. I read them again and again.
And it was the sincere milk of the Word that strengthens us. You see, my beloved friends,
Do we read the Word of God? Do we have an appetite for the
Word of God? Do we desire to feed in the Word
of God? As newborn babes, desire the
sincere milk of the Word that you may grow. Thereby, if so
be, you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. His mercy has
touched your heart. You may not have the assurance
of faith, no, but you, Christ is precious unto you therefore
which believe he is precious. Is he precious to you? Is he the one thing needful to
you, to whom coming as unto a living stone? My mind was much drawn
in meditation to Isaiah chapter 42. And in those first four verses
of Isaiah 42, the glorious person of our Lord Jesus Christ is set
before us in all his suitability as the savior of sinners. Behold
my servant. What a wonderful thing. He said
I come to do the will of him that sent me. Behold my servant
whom I uphold. Father speaking of the Son. Behold
my servant whom I uphold. We have several instances in
the Word of God when the Lord especially upheld and supported
his son. It's recorded in the Gospels
of the temptation of our Lord Jesus Christ when he was driven
of the devil into the wilderness. He was tempted of the devil for
40 days and 40 nights. And then we read this and there
appeared an angel from heaven strengthening him. My servant
whom I uphold strengthened him. In the garden of Gethsemane,
when our Eternal Father laid upon him the iniquity of us all,
that was what happened in Gethsemane, friends. Our Eternal Father took
the sin of the church and he laid it on his only begotten
Son manifest in the flesh. He laid upon Him the iniquity
of us all. He transferred our sin and our guilt upon His only begotten
Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. And there in the Garden of Gethsemane
under the tremendous weight of the sin of the church, we read
this, that He being in an agony, Sweat as it were, great drops
of blood falling down to the ground. And there appeared an
angel from heaven to strengthen him. Touched with the sympathy within,
he knows our feeble frame. He knows what sore temptations
mean, for he has felt the same. Behold my servant whom I uphold. Mine elect. The church is chosen
in Christ. Chosen in Christ. He's the Father's
first elect. And the church is chosen in Him. In whom my soul delighteth. This
is the Eternal Father speaking of the Eternal Son that was manifest
in the flesh. in whom my soul delighteth. He
delights in the glorious person of his only begotten son that
was manifest in the flesh. He delights in that holy life
he lived as a man under the law and thereby fulfilling and honouring,
magnifying that holy righteous law. It says here in chapter
42 and in verse 21, the Lord is well pleased for his righteousness
sake. He will magnify the law and make
it honourable. Who my servant, whom I uphold,
mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth. He delights in him. And he delights
in him when he was baptised in the River Jordan. and we read John the Baptist
he gave witness that when he when he baptized the Lord Jesus
Christ in the river Jordan that he saw the Spirit of God descending
upon him and lighting upon him and he heard that the voice of
the Eternal Father from heaven this is my beloved Son in whom
I am well pleased in whom my soul delighteth He is well pleased
for his righteousness sake. Well pleased for his righteousness
sake. He's well pleased in that holy,
sinless life that his son lived as a man here upon earth. As
the apostle puts it so clearly and beautifully, made of a woman,
made under the law, that he might redeem them that are under the
law, in whom my soul delighteth. I have put my Spirit upon Him.
The Lord Jesus, He was anointed by the Holy Ghost without measure.
If you care to look at your leisure in the third chapter of John's
Gospel, and it declares very plainly there that the Spirit
of God was poured upon the holy human nature of Christ without
measure. I have put my Spirit upon Him.
he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. Christ read
that scripture when he was to be sent forth in his public ministry
in the synagogue at Nazareth. He sat and he opened the scriptures
on Isaiah chapter 61. The spirit of the Lord God is
upon me for he hath anointed me. He was anointed with the
spirit without measure. He hath anointed me to preach
the Gospel, to declare the acceptable year of the Lord, the day of
vengeance of our God. I have put my spirit upon Him.
When Christ preached, it was under the divine sovereign power
of the Holy Ghost, and it reached its mark. It did. you know, the anointing of the
Spirit. He said on one occasion, if I
by the finger of God, and he's referring to the Holy Ghost,
if I by the finger of God cast out devils, by the Holy Ghost, when he wrought
miracles it was by the Holy Ghost, the divine sovereign power of
the Holy Ghost that anointed His holy human nature. I have
put my spirit upon Him. He shall bring forth judgment
to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up,
nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. And these wonderful words of
grace, loving words, a bruised reed shall He not break. You
know the bruised reed It bends down, doesn't it? It can't lift
itself up. And the Lord's people, they come
sometimes like a bruised reed, they're bowed down, they cannot
lift themselves up. A bruised reed shall he not break?
And the smoking flax shall he not quench? And sometimes our
spiritual exercises, our religion, It's as if it's just smoking,
smouldering. Is that sometimes how you feel?
You can't see that burning fire, you can't feel it either. But what a wonderful mercy, the
smoking flax, shall he not quench? He shall bring forth judgment
unto truth. This glorious, precious Redeemer,
He shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He would be judged on the behalf
of His people. He was brought into judgment
because He bare the sin of many. And He was brought into judgment
for the sin of many. He bare our iniquities. And He
was brought into judgment for our iniquities. He suffered the
penal wrath of God. The hymn writer says, doesn't
he? All penal wrath does I and do, in finite justice on him
through. There, on the cross. And shall bring forth judgment
unto truth. He would rise from the dead. Judgment unto truth. He suffered, he bled, he died
for the sins of his people. And he rose again for our justification. That we should be declared to
be without sin. That's what justification is.
To be declared to be without sin. Oh my dear beloved friends,
these are the fundamental doctrines of our most holy faith. Now in this wonderful work of
redemption, in the holy life of Christ he fulfilled the law
and the Lord is well pleased for his righteousness sake. In
his sufferings and death he satisfied the demands of divine justice. We read in Zachariah Awake o
sword against my shepherd and the man that is my fellow I see
sword of divine justice wielded by our eternal father Awake o
sword against my shepherd That's what happened All the penal wrath due to Zion
fell upon the Lord Jesus Christ But in this tremendous transaction,
it says here in verse 4, he shall not fail. It's been a very good
word to me, not only relative to the person of Christ, but
sometimes in the great trials that we have to walk in. He shall
not fail. He won't fail you. He shall not
fail nor be discouraged. In that tremendous work, the
weaving out of the glorious everlasting robe of his righteousness for
his people in his holy life with all the opposition, with all
the contradiction of sinners against himself and yet he did
not fail, he was not discouraged. We read in Isaiah that he set
his face as a flint, he was determined to save, he was determined to
bring in everlasting righteousness for his people. And he was determined
to put away their sin by that one glorious offering of himself. When he offered himself without
swap to God, he shall not fail nor be discouraged till he has
set judgment in the earth and the isles shall wait for his
law. In whom my soul delighted. The Lord, the Father, delights
in his Son, to whom coming as unto a living stone disallowed
him deed of men. You know, when Christ was on
Calvary and the suffering, we mentioned it on the Lord's Day,
Jesus knowing in himself that all things were now accomplished,
he knew He cried with a loud voice, it is finished. It's finished. He did not fail. He was not discouraged. He set his face as a flint. Oh
that we might be followers of him and of those who through
faith and patience inherit the promises to whom coming as unto
a living stone disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and
ye also as lively stones, that means as living stones. What
a wonderful thing. We read in Ezekiel that I will
take away the heart of stone out of your flesh and I will
give you a heart of flesh. That's what happens when the
Holy Spirit descends into the heart of a poor sinner, their
cold hard heart. It's quickened. It's given life. It's convinced of sin. It flees
to Christ. That's where the Holy Spirit
leads a poor sinner when he works faith in the heart and reveals
Christ unto the soul as the way, the truth and the life. Ye also
as lively or living stones. built up a spiritual house and
holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God
by Jesus Christ. Spiritual sacrifices. He hath
made us kings and priests unto God. And the believer is made
a priest unto God to offer up spiritual sacrifices It makes
me think of that well-known word in Romans chapter 12 and verse
1 and 2. I beseech you therefore brethren
by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies. Where to? To Christ. You present
your bodies, a living sacrifice. A living sacrifice. holy and
acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service. Why?
Because He's redeemed you, He's delivered you and this is your
reasonable service. Ye also as lively stones are
built up a spiritual house. What a great mercy to be made
spiritually minded. What a great mercy to be given
spiritual desires. The Lord Jesus speaks of this,
blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness,
for they shall be filled. They're blessed characters that
are brought to hunger and thirst. They're made alive to their lost
condition. They're made alive to their need.
They come as poor needy sinners. He also has lively stones, I've
built up a spiritual house. We're brought by that divine
work of the spirit, we're brought from spiritual death into spiritual
life. Uethy quickened who were dead
in trespasses and in sins. A spiritual house with spiritual
desires, with a spiritual appetite. with a longing for Christ. It's
like the apostle says that I might know him in the power. And these
spiritual children, that's what they long for, the power of his
resurrection, the fellowship of his sufferings being made
conformable unto his death. He also has lively stones, I've
built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual
sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ and he quotes
that well-known scripture in verse 6, wherefore also it is
contained in scripture, behold I lay in Sion a chief cornerstone,
elect, precious. This word precious comes up again
and again isn't it? elect, precious, and he that
believeth on him shall not be confounded." No. Just as Christ
never failed, just as Christ was not discouraged, but continued
having loved his own, he loved them to the end, until that came
and knowing with himself that all things were now accomplished,
and then he gave up the ghost. He gave up his holy human soul
into the hands of his Eternal Father and so thereby doing entered
into death itself. You know that human nature of
Christ never had any existence separate to the Son of God. And only as soon as the Spirit
overshadowed the womb of the Virgin, the Son of God assumed
human nature. It never had any separate existence
to the Son of God. And it remains and will remain
eternally. An indissoluble union was made
there in the womb of the Virgin. And even in death, even in death,
the Son of God was there in that lifeless corpse in the tomb. And on the third day, He rose
again. He rose again to justify His
people, to declare His people free from sin. It's His work. It's a wonderful, glorious truth,
therefore being justified by faith. We have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ. Unto you therefore which believe
He is precious. but unto them which be disobedient
the stone which the builders disallowed the same is made ahead
of the corner and a stone of stumbling. When Christ came to
the Jews he was a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence even to
them which stumble at the word being disobedient whereunto also
they were appointed but ye, he says to the Christian believer,
but ye are a chosen generation a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people,
that you should show forth the praises of him who hath called
you out of darkness into his marvellous light, which in time
past were not a people, but are now the people of God. which
had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. Then we have these exhortations,
Dearly Beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstained
from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your
conversation honest among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak
against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which
they shall behold, glorify God, in the day of visitation. Lord Jesus in his teachings,
he speaks about glorifying your Father which is in heaven. How can we, a poor wretched sinner,
by living a life that is sanctified, separate from the world, but
a life of love, a life of kindness, a life of compassion to our fellow
human beings. Just as the life of Jesus was,
love, kindness, compassion. That's what our life should be.
That's how we should be walking with Christ. I often draw your
attention to it but we read in 1 John chapter 2 verse 6, he
that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk
even as he walked, even as Christ walked. So when we read in the
Gospels Jesus having compassion on the multitude, that's where
we should be. That's where we should be. That
is the Spirit of Christ. Do we have the Spirit of Christ?
You know, friends, we hear much talk about the Muslims and all
these immigrants that come from other countries and come from
a different people. But you know, friends, we should
pray for them. We should pray for them. The
Ethiopian unit came all the way from Ethiopia to Jerusalem and
that was the time. the time appointed when Christ
would be revealed to him as the way, the truth and the life.
It was the Lord's set time. What a wonderful thing. If among
the multitudes that have come there may be those, it's the
Lord's set time to bring them to living faith in Jesus Christ,
to turn them away from idols and from heathen religions and
to worship the Lord Christ. You know, friends, That's what
we should be praying for. It is. Instead of despising them,
we should be praying for them. We should be praying for them.
To whom coming as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men,
but chosen of God and precious, ye also as lively stones are
built up a spiritual house, and holy priesthood. You know, one
of the offices of the priest was to mediate and to pray. Now, he says that that's how
we should be, lively stones built up a spiritual house and holy
priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God
by Jesus Christ. Oh my beloved friends, may May
the Lord exercise our hearts in these matters. May he give
us a spirit of love, a spirit of kindness, the spirit of Christ,
the spirit of compassion, all that the Lord would grant it
to us, so that we don't despise others or set them alort, but
that we pray for them. We pray for them. as a royal
priesthood, to whom coming as unto a living
stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious. You know, our Lord Jesus Christ,
chosen of God and But the Apostle says to us in the Hebrews, consider
him which endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest
ye be faint and wearied in your minds. Consider him. Consider what he passed through.
Consider what opposition he had. Consider what temptations he
passed through. Consider him which endured such
contradiction of sinners against himself lest ye be faint and
wearied in your minds to whom coming as unto a living stone
disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and precious ye
also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house and holy
priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God
by Jesus Christ. May the Lord add his blessing. Let us now sing together hymn
1106. The tune is Walton 430. My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest
frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. Hymn 1106, the tune is
Walton 430. ? Holy Spirit of God, how He grows
? ? When peace is gone and righteousness comes ? ? Hark the herald angels sing
? The darkness fares His lovely face I rest on His
unchanging We run and slowly bend, I can't
get home within the bend. His earthlings comfort and His
blood, Supporting in the well-being flood, When all around thy throne gave
way, Neither then didst thou my word ever say. I trust his righteous character,
His counsel glorious and his power, His honor and His names, and
strength to save Thee from the burning flame. When I shall go deep out of sea,
Though may I then be found in grief, Trust in His righteousness above, For
us to stand before the Throne. 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. Okay.