The notices for the coming week
are God willing as follows. Pastor will preach here next
to Lord's Day at 10.30 and 2 o'clock. There'll be a prayer meeting
here on Tuesday evening at 7 o'clock. There'll be no service here on
Thursday as it is our anniversary services on Friday when Mr. Gerald Bast is expected to preach
at 3.30 and 6.30. Tea will be provided between
the services. Let us now commence our services
today by singing together hymn number 362 to tune Ascalon 567.
How pleased and blessed was I to hear the people cry Come, let us seek our God today. Yes, with a cheerful zeal we
haste to Zion's hill, and there our vows and honours pay. Hymn 362, Tune Ascalon 567. Love is endless, world's high. To live will be the pride. And let us sing a song today.
Yes, with a cheerful tune, We face the Zion's hill. And in a thousand honest ways. Cyclone's bright happy face,
Adorned with wondrous grace, And Lord of safety grace be grand,
? In good times appear ? ? Him
pray and praise and fear ? ? The sacred God of Israel ? ? Death may betray the sun ? ?
As it did for your throne ? ? He sets for praise the Godhead head
? ? He puts the stakes deep down ? ? He makes the sinner sad ? ? And love of God rejoice with
you evermore ? ? Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice, rejoice, rejoice, rejoice
? ? Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice, rejoice, rejoice, rejoice, rejoice
? and joy with Him relate, to bless the soul of every case.
Ever that seeks thy face, and wishes are increased a thousand
blessings are expressed. I don't repeat the vows. It's in its sacred vows. Though
there my friends are in bread and And since my glorious birth Thanks
be His blessed birth I so shall ever love Thee Let us read together from the
Holy Word of God in Psalms 8 and 9. The Book of Psalms, Numbers 8
and 9. O Lord, our Lord, how excellent
is thy name, in all the earth, who has set thy glory above the
heavens. Out of the mouth of babes and
sucklings hast thou ordained strength, because of thine enemies,
that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. When I
consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and
the stars, which thou hast ordained, what is man, that thou art mindful
of him, and the Son of Man, that thou visitest him. For thou hast
made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned
him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion
over the works of thy hands. Thou hast put all things under
his feet, all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field,
the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever
passeth through the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, how
excellent is thy name in all the earth. Psalm 9. I will praise thee, O Lord, with
my whole heart. I will show forth all thy marvellous
works. I will be glad in rejoicing thee.
I will sing praise to thy name. O Thou Most High, when mine enemies
are turned back, they shall fall and perish at Thy presence. For
Thou hast maintained my right and my cause, Thou sattest in
the throne judging right. Thou hast rebuked the heathen,
Thou hast destroyed the wicked, Thou hast put out their name
for ever and ever. O Thou Enemy, Destructions are
come to a perpetual end. And thou hast destroyed cities,
their memorial is perished with them. But the Lord shall endure
forever. He hath prepared his throne for
judgment. And he shall judge the world
in righteousness. He shall minister judgment to
the people in uprightness. The Lord also will be a refuge
for the oppressed. a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will
put their trust in thee. For thou, Lord, hast not forsaken
them that seek thee. Sing praises to the Lord, which
dwelleth in Zion. Declare among the people his
doings. When he maketh inquisition for
blood, he remembereth them. He forget it not the cry of the
humble. Have mercy upon me, O Lord, consider
my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me. Thou that
liftest me up from the gates of death, that I may show forth
all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion. I will
rejoice in thy salvation. The heathen are sunk down to
the pit that they made in the net which they hid in their own
is their own foot taken. The Lord is known by the judgment
which he executeth. The wicked is snared in the work
of his own hands. Higain, Selah. The wicked shall
be turned into hell and all nations that forget God. For the needy
shall not always be forgotten, and the expectation of the poor
shall not perish forever. Arise, O Lord, let not man prevail. Let the heathen be judged in
thy sight. Put them in fear, O Lord, that
the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah. May the Lord bless the reading
of his own precious word. Grant unto us, O Spirit, of real
prayer. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,
which is an art and art to come, we do desire to bow before thy
great majesty and to call upon thy great and holy name. We do
desire, O Lord, a spirit of true worship. We feel our uncleanness
our unrighteousness, our sinfulness. And, O gracious God, we would
not heedlessly rush into thy presence, but we would hang our
heads in shame, even as thy servant Daniel, shame and confusion of
face, belongeth unto us even at this day. And, Lord, is it
not so, even at this day? And we come to confess our sins,
We do not come to confess the sins of others, but we come to
confess our sins. And we desire, most gracious
Lord, that thou wouldst grant us true repentance, godly sorrow
for our sin, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and that thou
wouldst enable us to lay aside every weight and the sin that
doth so easily beset us. and that we might run with patience
the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author
and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before
him endured the cross, despising the shame thereof, and is now
set down at the right hand of the majesty on high. O most gracious
Lord, this is our only home, and the name of the Lord is a
strong tower, and the righteous runneth into it. And we pray
for that grace to shelter beneath the shadow of thy cross, shelter
near thy wounded side. We do humbly beseech thee, Lord
Jesus. We pray that thou wouldst be
made unto us today and live in bright reality, that we may truly
worship thee. Though we are nothing and we
feel it deeply, And yet we have all things in thee. Our hope
is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. Lord, I dare not trust the sweetest
frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. Oh, that his name may be
as ointment poured forth here today. We do humbly beseech thee,
and that it may be ointment that shall be put into the wounds
have healing, restoring, renewing, replenishing. O Lord Jesus, all
these things dwell in thee, and we pray that thou would renew
us even this day and replenish us, that we may have faith in
exercise to lay hold of thee, the glory of thy name, the wonder
of thy grace, the fullness of thy salvation. For this, O Lord,
is our only hope. It's in what Jesus Christ has
done. It's in what Jesus Christ has
accomplished. And thou hast said thyself, upon
this rock I build my church, and the gates of hell shall not
prevail against it. We pray to be delivered from
the temptations of Satan, for the power and dominion of sin.
And though sin lives in us, may we not live in sin. but may we
live to him that died, that may we be surrendered to the crucified
one. Oh, may the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ and the love of God our Father and the sacred
fellowship of the Holy Spirit rest and abide upon us today. Blessed Holy Divine Spirit of
Truth, we pray for thy heavenly power, we pray for thy divine
unction, We pray that the eyes of our understanding may be enlightened
and that we may behold wondrous things in thy precious word,
and that thy word may be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto
our path. We thank thee for thy word. This
is the word by which the gospel is preached unto us. It's the
word of thy grace. Oh, we do thank thee for All
thy tender mercies, we pray that we may feel the divine drawings
of our Heavenly Father, for none come except the Father draw,
and that we may have the Lord Jesus standing in our midst,
and that we may touch the hem of His garment, and draw from
that sacred fullness that is in Him. For, Lord, a fullness
resides in Jesus our Head, and ever abides to answer our need.
Lord, what a fullness of grace there is in our Lord Jesus Christ. We thank Thee for those lovely
words, and He giveth more grace. For Lord, we feel to need more
grace. And Lord, we pray that Thou would
remember us then as a church and as a congregation. Remember
our brethren, the deacons, and give needed grace, wisdom, and
help, not only in what they do among us here, but also Lord,
in their responsibilities among the churches, to help them in
all matters, O Lord, we do beseech thee. We pray, O Lord, that thou,
in thy great mercy, would remember each one of our brethren and
sisters in church fellowship. Lord, we lovingly commend thee
to thee and to the word of thy grace, which is able to build
them up and to grant them an inheritance among them that are
sanctified. make us more spiritually minded,
help us to love each other, serve each other, bear each other's
burdens, thereby fulfilling the law of Christ. We pray that this
day we may be led of the Spirit. For as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. We come like the dear
apostle that I may know him in the power of his resurrection,
in the fellowship of his son. And, O Lord, we do pray that
thou wouldst bless the little ones and the children, bless
them with that rich grace that is in Christ Jesus, the fear
of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom. And, Lord, bless the
dear young friends. Remember them with the favour
that thou bearest unto thy people. Visit them with thy great salvation. For, Lord, there is but one thing
that is needful. Lord, bring them to living faith.
in our Lord Jesus Christ. Remember them in all the paths
of providence, guide and direct them in all matters, give wisdom
and understanding, guidance and direction. Remember them, O Lord,
as regards a partner in life journey, and graciously appear
for them in this. Each one, Lord, that would indeed
long for this blessing, we earnestly pray that thou wouldst hear prayer,
and that thou wouldst graciously and bless them with this rich
blessing of a partner in life's journey. For thou hast said,
it's not good that man should dwell alone. Gracious God, so
bless the friends. Remember all in the midst of
the journey of life, especially Lord, we pray for parents that
they may be given wisdom and understanding and guidance and
direction in all matters and the grace to deal with matters
in the family. And, O Lord, we do pray that
thou, in thy precious mercy, would graciously remember those
in the evening time. There are those, Lord, that were
in the evening time of life's journey, and we pray to be graciously
prepared and guided unto thy heavenly kingdom. Prepare me,
gracious God, to stand before thy face. Lord, remember this
village. Send out the glory, light, and
power of gospel truth into the village and into the surrounding
villages and hamlets that many, many, many precious souls may
be gathered. We do humbly beseech you. Oh
Lord, we do pray that thou wouldst turn us again, oh God of hosts,
and cause thy face to shine Let thy hand be upon the man of thy
right hand, the son of man, whom thou madest strong for thyself.
Remember all thy servants as they labour in word and doctrine
upon the walls of Zion. Set them free. Set them at liberty. Grant the setting forth of the
glory of Christ where a poor lost sinner is.
and the only place of salvation is. So help thy servants to preach
the word, to be instant in season and out of season. Be with those
that take up pastorates in this coming year and graciously undertake
for them in all the things that are to be done. And Lord, remember
thy servant as he goes to the United States and send a convoy
of thy love before him. And his dear ones, we do pray
thee And, O Lord God, we do pray that thou, in thy great mercy,
would yet send forth true labourers to stand upon the walls of Zion
to preach the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ. Lord, we pray
that thou would remember the little causes of truth up and
down the land and favour them with pastors, with teachers,
with a reviving, with a renewing, with a replenishing. O may there
be O Lord, an outpouring of thy Spirit, for without thee we can
do nothing. Let us see thy work, O Lord,
and bring us to real repentance. O, where we have grieved thee,
we pray that we may be brought to real repentance and godly
sorrow for our sin, and that there may be that morning betwixt
the port and the altar, and that thy servants may take pleasure
in the stones of Zion and favour the dust thereof. O Lord, we
do pray that thou wouldst hear us, turn back the tides of iniquity,
of wickedness, and we think of our nation at this time, such
a critical juncture in the history of our nation, and in the nations
of the earth, and we pray that on the coming Thursday, that
thou wouldst hear the cries of thy little remnant, that thou
wouldst raise up in our parliament men of integrity, uprightness,
of wisdom and of understanding, We do humbly beseech them and
give them that courage to speak out. We do pray them, Lord, all
things are in thy hand. And that we read in thy word,
thou, to set us up one and put us down another. And it's all
in thy hands. Oh, Lord, we're very thankful
it is. We deserve thy solemn judgments, but in wrath remember
mercy. Remember each one of our political
leaders. Give them wisdom and understanding.
Remember our royal household, especially when we think of His
Majesty the King and the Princess of Wales in their affliction.
We pray, if it is thy heavenly mind, thou wouldst be Jehovah
Rophi. I am the Lord that healeth thee.
We pray that thou wouldst bless the royal house with those rich
spiritual blessings. from our great Melchizedek, from
the great king and head of the church. Lord, hear us, we pray
thee. Remember those that go forth
from among us to preach the everlasting word. We think of thy servant,
Ian Sadler, and the great work that he does in so many different
places on the earth, and the many thousands of scriptures
that he distributes. We pray that thou wouldst bless
his endeavors and grant the fresh anointing of thy spirit and the
supply of all his needs. Remember the Savannah Education
Trust and that great work that they're doing in Ghana. Lord,
grant that it may be down to the honor, glory, and praise
of thy great name and the good of thy church in that nation.
Lord, remember thy servant at the Mombasa mission and his dear
ones, and grant, Lord, that he may see fruits from his labours,
and in gathering of precious souls, and the building of a
little church, a cause of truth there, we do humbly beseech them. O Lord, we do thank Thee. Thou art worthy to be praised,
great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness
is unsearchable. And we thank Thee that Thou art
so great, that thou art almighty God, that thou art able to do
abundantly more than we can even ask or think. We thank thee for
the sacred and wonderful glory of the incarnation of the Son
of God, the holy life he lived as a man when he was made of
a woman made under the law, and in that holy life the bringing
in of the everlasting righteousness of thy people. Jehovah Sidkenu,
the Lord our righteousness, we thank thee for that holy and
precious sacrifice on Calvary of our Lord Jesus Christ, that
precious blood that was shed, that cleanses from all sin, that
reconciles unto God. He died for our sins and rose
again for our justification. We thank thee for Jesus Christ
and for that mighty victory that he has gained. over sin and satan
and the powers of hell we thank thee that is entered into heaven
and open those everlasting doors and entered in into glory who
is this king of glory oh lord jesus thou art the king of glory
thou art the great high priest of our profession and we desire
to bow in humble adoration and thanksgiving before thee for
who thou art for thy glorious name and person. Lord, we do
pray that thou wouldst now be with us and come and touch our
lips with a live coal from off the heavenly altar, and come
and open the word of truth to our heart and to our understanding,
and give a door of utterance. We ask all for Jesus Christ's
sake. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 352. The tune is Almondberry, 278. The moon and stars shall lose
their light. The sun shall sink an endless
night. Both heaven and earth shall pass
away. The works of nature all decay. Hymn 352, tune Almondberry, 278.
? God rest our souls ? ? On earth
as it were in heaven above ? ? And on earth as it were in heaven
above ? God rest ye merry, gentlemen.
God rest ye merry, gentlemen. ? Love me as in the morning light
? ? And shelter me in its light ? ? Shelter me in its light ?
? Heaven and earth are thine ?
? Heaven and earth are thine ? ? Heaven and earth are thine ? The Christ has set out in the
world, All things have come, He has willed. ? This I shall say with faith,
amen ? ? And look on God with love, amen ? ? Peace on earth, peace on heaven
? ? Peace on earth, peace on heaven ? ? Peace on earth, peace
on heaven ? Greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, I would direct you to the Psalm 9. And we'll
read for our text, verse 10. Psalm 9, reading verse 10 for
our text. And they that know thy name will
put their trust in thee, for thou, Lord, hast not forgotten
them that seek thee. If the Lord will so direct us,
I would actually like to look at the context this morning of
what is set before us here in this psalm, and then this afternoon,
if the Lord's will, we'll come more closely to the text that
we have before us. So in this psalm, as it is in
so many of the psalms, there is a setting forth of our Lord
Jesus Christ. It's a psalm of praise, a psalm
of thanksgiving. I felt very much drawn to read
Psalm 8 as well and how it speaks there and the Apostle actually
takes this up in Hebrews chapter 2. O LORD, our Lord, how excellent
is thy name. You notice the capital letters
on O LORD and then afterwards our Lord. The first name is Jehovah,
O Jehovah. And the second is taken from
Adonijah, which means the Lord of heaven, the Lord of glory. O Lord, our Lord, how excellent
is thy name. Now, when it speaks of the name,
and we have it actually in our text, they that know thy name
is speaking of his person. We read in the Word of God, in
the Book of Proverbs, the name of the Lord is a strong tower
and the righteous runneth into it. O Lord, our Lord, how excellent
is thy name in all the earth, who has set thy glory above the
heavens. God over all and blessed for
evermore. The Apostle Paul, he opens when
he says here, he sets his glory above the heavens. The Apostle
Paul, he writes of it. He says in the Corinthians, I
was taken up to the third heaven. So you might say, what are the
other heavens? Well, the first is the heavens
that we can see above us. That is the expectable heavens,
the atmosphere around the earth, and then there is the universe
above it, that's the second heaven, the moon, the stars, the planets,
that's the second heaven. And then where the apostle Paul
was taken into the third heaven is where God himself dwells,
which is above all. God actually dwells in heaven,
there is a place called heaven. But God, being what God is, He
is in all places at all times. The sweet Psalmist of Israel
in Psalm 139, he opens that up so clearly, so beautifully. He says, there's not a word in
my tongue, but they'll know it all together. And if I take the
wings of the morning and go to the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there shall thy hand hold me. Thy right hand shall lead
me. God, over all and blessed for
evermore, we believe, my beloved friends, in the omnipresence
of God. I've often explained to you the
prefix omni means universal or complete. So whatever name is
attached to that. So in Revelation 19, we read,
hallelujah, for the Lord God omnipotent reigns, omnipotent. The word potent means power.
So the meaning of omnipotent means complete and universal
power. That's what God has, complete
and universal power. He is God over all. As the Word
of God says, He worketh all things after the counsel of His own
will. God does. He's the sovereign
ruler of the skies. He's ever gracious, ever wise.
He's the creator of the heavens and the earth. In Him, the Apostle
says in the Acts of the Apostles, in Him we live and move and have
our being. In God. He set a time on our lives. It says in Ecclesiastes, there
is a time to be born and there is a time to die. That's been
decreed and purposed. We read in Hebrews, as it is
appointed unto man once to die, so after death the judgment.
It's appointed. The time of your birth, the place
of your birth was appointed. And the time of your death, the
place of your death has been divinely appointed. Now, we read
of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Colossians chapter 1 and the
Apostle there from verse 12. He says, giving thanks unto the
Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance
of the saints in light who have delivered us from the power of
darkness. It's only God that can do that. And every one of us by nature
is in darkness. were spiritually dead. And the
Apostle says in the Ephesians, you hath he quickened who were
dead in trespasses and in sins. And the great thing for each
one of us, whether we're young or old, here this morning, have you been brought from death
unto life? In Revelation chapter 20, We
we blessed and holy as he that hath part in the first resurrection. On such the second death hath
no power. The first resurrection. What
is it? It's the new birth. You must
be born again. Accept a man, be born of water
and of the spirit. He cannot enter the kingdom of
heaven. Oh, I would that those words
would sink deep into your heart. she says he who hath delivered
us from the power of darkness and that translated us he has
the lord has it's only he that can it's a divine act of grace
that a poor sinner is brought from a state of spiritual death
into spiritual life and is translated from the kingdom of satan into
the kingdom of god's dear son in whom, this is in Christ, we
have redemption. You see, just think of the beginning
here of both these Psalms. O Lord, our Lord, how excellent
is thy name in all the earth. Excellent because of that wonderful
attribute of mercy. God would have been just if it
had damned the whole world, eternally. But to show forth that wonderful
power and that wonderful attribute of divine mercy and love and
grace God so loved the world he gave
his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should be saved
in whom we have redemption through his blood that's his dear son
our Lord Jesus Christ God has no blood God does not have parts
arms, legs, we know it speaks in Holy Scripture of the legs
of God, of the feet of God, of the arms of God, of the hand
of God, of the eyes of God, of the ears of God, and yet you
say to me, well why then does it speak eyes and ears if God
doesn't have them? Because the Holy Spirit brings
in Holy Scripture a description of God that we with our finite
understanding can understand. We know what eyes do, we know
what ears do, we know what a heart is, we know what feet are, we
know what legs are, we know what arms are, we know what hands
are and so the Holy Spirit comes down to our level of understanding. We're of the earth earthy and
the Holy Spirit comes down to our level of understanding. therefore
we know what these things do therefore he speaks of God in
that manner although we know that God is a spirit God is a
spirit he hath neither hands nor feet nor arms nor legs he
is in all places at all times in whom we have redemption through
his blood all that wonderful precious blood of Jesus Christ. How then can we break out with
the psalmist, O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in
all the earth. Who is the image, now he's speaking
of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the image of the invisible
God, the firstborn of every creature, our Lord Jesus Christ, the image
of the invisible God. See, God is a spirit. He's invisible. He sent forth his son, as we
often quote from the Galatians, made of a woman, made under the
law, that he might redeem them that are under the law. Who is
the image of the invisible God? Christ is. He's the eternal word. He's the mediator. There is one
God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. The man Christ Jesus. Now he
speaks here in Colossians 1 of the glory of Christ. For by him
were all things created, that's by Christ, that are in heaven
and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be
thrones or dominions, principalities or powers, all things were created
by Him and for Him. Jesus Christ is the eternal Son
of the eternal God, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father
and with the Holy Ghost. You know, the governments we
have, and this is clear, abundantly clear in Holy Scripture, the
governments that we have, are what God gives. They are. The apostle says in the Romans,
the powers that be are ordained of God. And he says here, whether they
be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers, all
things were created by Him, by Christ, and for him. Now it speaks of the wonderful
glory of his divinity and he is before all things and by him
all things consist. And he is the head of the body,
the church. Now it's speaking of Christ who is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead. That's the resurrection of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the firstborn from the dead. Christ is, that
in all things he might have the preeminence, for it pleased the
Father that in him should all fullness dwell. What a fullness
there is. O Lord, our Lord, how excellent
is thy name in all the earth. We read in Colossians chapter
two and verse nine, for in him dwelleth all the fullness of
the Godhead bodily. What any more words do we need
to see so clearly, set out in Holy Scripture, that Jesus is
the eternal Son of God. For in Him, that is in Jesus
Christ, dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. We often quote to you because
it's so simple and clear to understand the Athanasian Creed. Very God. Very man. That's what it says
concerning Christ. He's truly God and truly man. He's the eternal son of the eternal
father. Oh Lord, our Lord, how excellent
is thy name. And then it says here also, and
the apostle quotes it in Hebrews two, verse four of Psalm eight,
what is man that thou art mindful of him and the son of man that
thou visiteth him, for thou hast made him a little lower than
the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour." And
what does Paul say in Hebrews chapter 2? But we see Jesus,
who was made a little lower than the angels. What does he mean? He means the incarnation of the
Son of God. The Son of God took a holy human
nature into union with his divine nature. He became bone of our
bone and flesh of our flesh. He became our elder brother.
Says in Psalm 22, for this cause he is not ashamed to call them
brethren. The apostle quotes that again
in the epistle to the Hebrews. Brother to our souls becomes. That wonderful glory of the incarnation
of the Son of God. It says in the beginning of the
psalm here, Psalm 9, I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart. I will show forth all thy marvelous
works. You know, in a sense here, and
it's so many times in the Psalms we find it, it's Christ that
is speaking. There are many times when Christ
actually speaks in the book of Psalms. And this is what it means
when It says holy men of God spake as they were moved by the
Holy Ghost. They were inspired by the Holy
Ghost to write the things. They speak in the Spirit of Christ. I will praise Thee, O Lord, with
my whole heart. I will show forth all Thy marvellous
works. I will be glad and rejoice in
Thee, I will sing praise to thy name, thou, O thou most high. See the wonderful glory of God
manifest in the flesh. It's the wonder of wonders. It's
beyond our comprehension that the eternal son of the eternal
father should become flesh, that the infinite, because the eternal
son is infinite in his very being. He's in all places at all times.
And yet, he assumes a finite human nature. What a mystery,
isn't it? Great is the mystery of godliness. It's a wonderful mystery. It
says, doesn't it, and I believe that's some of the meaning of
it in Isaiah chapter 9, when his name shall be called Wonderful.
He's wonderful in his very being. When we read name, we read the
person. It says here in verse 2 of Psalm
9, I will be glad and rejoice in thee, I will sing praise to
thy name, O thou most high. His person. Now in the Godhead,
there is the person of the Father, the person of the Son, and the
person of the Holy Ghost. There are not three gods. Scriptures
are abundantly clear on that. There is one God and one mediated
between God and man. But within the Godhead are three
divine persons. The Father, the Son, and the
Holy Ghost. And they are co-equal and they
are co-eternal and they always have been. There's never been
a time This was so clearly open to me when a very young man,
just after I was baptized, and in Proverbs chapter 8, and that
verse 22, I was set up from everlasting. The Lord showed me so clearly
the person speaking was Christ. I was set up from everlasting.
Wherever the earth was, He's from everlasting. Christ is. That's what the Apostle is alluding
to in Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 8. Jesus Christ. The same. Yesterday. That's yesterday eternal. Yesterday. And today. And forever. That's what the Lord Jesus means
when he speaks to John on the Isle of Patmos. I am he which
is and which was and which is to come. The Almighty. I am He which is to all eternity. I am He which was for all eternity. He is the Eternal Son of the
Eternal Father. I will be glad and rejoice in
Thee. I will sing praise to Thy Name, O Thou Most High. Now, He speaks here of the enemies
of the Lord, verse 3. When mine enemies are turned
back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence. We are not the
ones that can make our enemies fall and turn back. We are not
the ones that should take vengeance on our enemies. The Lord says
very plain in his word, vengeance is mine. I will repay, saith
the Lord. You see, just as it says here,
when mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish
at thy presence. Speaks also in verse five, thou hast rebuked
the heathens, Thou hast destroyed the wicked, Thou hast put out
their name for ever and ever. There is coming a time, my beloved
friends, when the Lord will judge this world in righteousness. It says in verse 7 of Psalm 9,
But the Lord shall endure for ever. He hath prepared his throne
for judgment. God has prepared his throne for
judgment, and he shall judge the world in righteousness, and
he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness. You see, my beloved friends,
there's coming a day as much drawn Acts of the Apostles
chapter 17, where the Apostle Paul preaches on Mars Hill and
he found there on Mars Hill an altar with an inscription on
it to the unknown God. Now he didn't stand the rail
against the unknown God, he just said, he turned it right round
and he said, this God whom ye ignorantly worship He's the great
and the only true God. And he sent his son, Jesus Christ.
So he preached to those heathen people on Mars Hill at Athens.
Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars Hill, and he said, you
men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are too superstitious. For as I passed by and beheld
your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription to the
unknown God, whom therefore ye ignorantly worship. Him declare
I unto you. God that made the world and all
things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth,
dwelleth not in temples made with hands, neither is worship
with men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth
to all life and breath and all things, and hath made of one
blood all nations of men, for to dwell on all the face of the
earth, hath determined the times before appointed and the bounds
of the habitation, sovereign ruler of the skies, ever gracious,
ever wise, all my times are in thy hand, all events at thy command. Do you believe it? Do you understand
it? Do you perceive it? Everything
is in the hand of God. Everything. Nothing comes by
chance. Remember in the A&E department
of Eastbourne Hospital, and everything was turned upside down in my
life at that time. I've got utterly to the end of
everything. And then the Lord's afflicted
hand. But you know, as I lay there, those words from Psalm
86, thou art God alone. Oh, the meditation that the Lord
gave me. On those words he breathed them
into my very soul. I had such meditation on the
infinity of wisdom, the power of the Almighty God. You know
friends, nothing had changed in my circumstances. But everything
was perfect. Everything was perfect. I could
truly say Peace. What a quietness. And if He'd
give His quietness, who could make trouble? Nothing had changed
in my circumstances. Everything had changed in that
revelation of the Eternal God, especially of His Son, Jesus
Christ. Neither is worship with men's
hands, though He needed anything, seeing He giveth or to all life
and breath and all things, and hath made of one blood all nations
of men. You know, it's been, and sadly,
very sadly and solemnly, it's been among the Christian church
too, and it should never be, is racism. And I've heard people say and
intimate, well, because they've come from Africa or because they've
another tribe, then, you know, they're different to us. Different
to us and that was a very common view back in the 1800s Well,
these are heathen. They're different to us God is
made of one blood all men I Actually heard it when I was a little
boy. I remember hearing someone say well, they don't even have
a soul. They're just heathen God is made of one blood all
men Upon the face of the earth and hath made of one blood all
nations of men, for to dwell on all the face of the earth,
and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds
of their habitation, that they should seek the Lord." That's
all men. And it's clearly stated in Holy
Scripture, the Gospel is to preach to all men. We're not to make
a distinction as if we think, well, these are more worthy or
those are more worthy. No, not at all. We're to preach
the Gospel freely unto all men, that we should seek the Lord,
if happily they might feel after Him and find Him, though He be
not far from every one of us. For in Him we live, in this great
God. It means, the psalmist says that
He holds my soul in life. In Him we live and move. Have I been? You know, we speak
of accidents happening, terrible things suddenly coming, perhaps
a person has a car accident, a young person, they're taken
from time into eternity. It was all ordered. It was all
ordered. By God. Purpose by God. Time to be born, a time to die. He hath determined the times
before appointed and the bounds of their habitation. For in Him
we live and move and have our being. As certain also of your
own poets have said, for we are also His offspring. For as much
then as we are the offspring of God, and we are, it is He
that has made us and not we ourselves. We ought not to think that the
Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, or graven by
art and man's device, and the times of this ignorance God winked
at, but now commandeth all men, everywhere. You see, what is
the emphasis here? Well, in the Old Testament, the
Jews were the chosen people of God, and the Jewish nation was
the chosen nation of God. But now it's made abundantly
clear and especially to the Apostle Paul, who himself was a Pharisee
of the Pharisees, and the Lord made it abundantly clear that the Gospel was to be preached
to all men. He's called the Apostle to the
Gentiles. But the times of this ignorance
God winked at, but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent. He means all men everywhere the
gospel is preached to all men it is and the doctrine of repentance
and faith is to be preached to all men and the doctrine that
we each must appear at the judgment seat of jesus christ is to all
men verse 31 in act 17 because he has appointed a day in the
which he would judge the world in righteousness by that man
that's our lord jesus christ whom he hath ordained, whereof
he hath given assurance unto all men, and that he hath raised
him from the dead. You see, my beloved friends,
see how the Lord clearly sets these things before us in this
psalm. But the Lord shall endure forever.
He hath prepared his throne for judgment, and he shall judge
the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the
people in uprightness. It goes on and it says in verse
15, the heathen are sunk down to the pit that they made. You won't go to hell because
of someone else's sin, no. You will only go to hell and
eternal punishment because of your own sin. We're all accountable
to God. We must all answer to God for
the deeds done in the body. Every one of us must answer to
God. The heathen are sunk down into the pit that they made.
Into the net that they hid is their own foot taken. The Lord
is known by the judgment which he executed. The wicked is snared
in the work of his own hands, of his own hands. It says Higeon
Sila which means think on these things, consider these things. The wicked shall be turned into
hell and all nations that forget God. We must all appear before
the judgment seat of Jesus Christ. every one of us, to receive of
the deeds done in the body. We read in Revelation chapter
19, we have a revelation of Christ,
verse 11, And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and
he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True. The person
sitting on this horse is the Lord Jesus Christ. and he's called
faithful and true and in righteousness he is the judge and make war
his eyes were as a flame of fire and on his head were many crowns
and he had a name written which that no man knew but he himself
he was clothed in a vesture dipped in blood and his name is called
the word of god we've all so often allude to that don't we
and the word was made flesh and dwelt among us So we know who
this person is. His name is called the Word of
God. The armies which were in heaven
followed him. Upon white horses clothed in
fine linen, white and clean, and out of his mouth goeth a
sharp sword. That's the word of his mouth.
That with it he should smite the nations, and he shall rule
them with a rod of iron. And he treaded the winepress
and fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. Again, this revelation of
Christ in verse 16, He hath on His vesture and on His thigh
a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The King of
Kings, the Lord of Lords. I always feel what a wonderful
witness it is. I know we complain in the day
in which you live of the wickedness and the unrighteousness that
pervades, But you listen carefully to the coronation service and
when the king takes an oath as before God and he acknowledges
very plainly that Jesus Christ is the King of Kings and the
Lord of Lords. What a witness to this truth,
the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. You see, and he says in
verse 17, come and gather yourselves together under the supper of
the great God, see this great day of judgment. Now just look
again at chapter 20 of the Revelation and verse 11. And I saw a great
white throne, and him that sat on it, from his face the earth
and the heaven fled away. This is another revelation of
Jesus Christ. Never forget the first clause
of Revelation. the revelation of Jesus Christ,
which God gave unto him. And what we have right through
the revelation is the revelation of Jesus Christ. And this is
another one. This great white throne and him
that sat on it. From whose face the earth and
the heaven fled away. And there was found no place
for them. And I saw the dead small and great stand before
God. and the books were opened and another book was opened which
is the book of life and the dead were judged out of those things
which were written in the books according to their works and
the sea gave up the dead which were in it and death and hell
delivered up the dead which were in there and they were judged
every man according to their works and death and hell were
cast into the lake of fire those that are consigned to eternal
damnation cast into a lake of fire. A fire that burns. This is the solemn thought. Fire burns and if we was to fall
into a fire it would burn and the pain would be excruciating. Impossible to even imagine what
it must be like. But it would soon consume and
you would die. You would die. very quickly in
a furnace. But the fire of hell, fire and brimstone, it's said
in Holy Scripture, an intense heat brimstone, like a volcano
with the brimstone pouring down the lava, pouring down the sides
of a mountain. But the difference, my beloved
friends, in hell is a fire that burns but never consumes. It never consumes what it's burning. It's forever and ever. The torments of hell are forever
and ever. And these things are very graphically
set before us here in the Word of God. And death and hell were
cast into the lake of fire This is the second death, whosoever
was not found written in the book of life was cast into the
lake of fire. It speaks of the second death
and we've already quoted it, verse 6 here in chapter 20. Blessed and holy is he that hath
part in the first resurrection, on such the second death hath
no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall
reign with him a thousand years. see my beloved friends that these
things are written for us to solemnly warn us and admonish
us that when we die there is a day of judgment that that is
divinely appointed by God and you and I can never avoid it
when you die and we know every one of us will die we shall then
appear before the judgment seat of Jesus Christ. In Matthew chapter
25, and from verse 31, we read there, when the Son of Man shall
come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall
he sit upon the throne of his glory, and before him shall be
gathered all nations, and he shall separate them one from
another. Christ will, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats,
He shall separate them. I always think of that word and
the Arminian people, and there are plenty of people that would
say they're Calvinistic and believe in the sovereignty of God, and
they would explain it the same. It says in the Prophet Joel,
multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision. And they
would switch that round and they say the decision, you must make
a decision for Christ. It's a complete perversion of
the Word of God. What we have there before us
in the Prophet Joel is the Day of Judgment. Multitudes, multitudes in the
Valley of Decision. The grander sizes. When the whole
world will be gathered before the King of Kings and the Lord
of Lords. And he will sit upon the throne
of his judgment. Or as it says here, the throne
of his glory. before him shall be gathered
all nations and he the decision is not the prisoner in the dock
the decision is the judge on the throne and he shall separate
them one from another as a shepherd divided his sheep from the goats
and he shall shut the sheep on his right hand and the goats
on his left hand and the king shall say unto them on his right
hand the sheep are his own chosen people who were chosen by the
Father, redeemed by the Son, and sanctified by the Holy Ghost,
born again of the Spirit, brought to living faith in Jesus Christ,
brought to understand and know that they have a heavenly Father,
that they are the children of God. And he will say to them
on his right hand, come ye blessed of my Father. What wonderful,
wonderful thing, come. you blessed of my Father, inherit
the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. The Apostle Peter says to an
inheritance, now just think of that word, you can't buy an inheritance,
you can't purchase an inheritance, by its very nature it's given
to you, it's your inheritance, you can't purchase grace, It's
a gift. By grace are ye saved, that not
of yourselves, it is the gift of God. What wonderful grace,
come ye blessed of my Father. Why? Because you're washed in
the blood of the Lamb. Because all your sins have been
put away. Because you're clothed in that
glorious everlasting robe of the righteousness of Christ.
Therefore, are they before the throne of God. Why? Because they're washed, they're
cleansed, they're delivered from the condemning sentence of the
law. How? Through the blood of Christ that
cleanses from all sin. And he will say to them, come
ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you
from the foundation of the world. And if we look on into verse
31, when he says, then shall he say unto them on the left
hand depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared
for the devil and his angels where are you where am i going
to spend eternity are you do you have that intimation
that the Lord loves you with an everlasting love? Do you have that intimation that
he's quickened your soul into life? He's raised you up to a
hope in the finished work of Jesus Christ? If he has, you know that however
humble, however little your religion may seem, you'll go to glory.
You'll hear that blessed voice come you, blessed of my Father.
But if you live and die having never been born again, never
brought to faith in Jesus Christ, then you must most certainly
here depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared
for the devil and his angels. I felt very much friends in reading
this psalm yesterday that this is how I should deal with it
and seek to open it. Thou hast rebuked the heathen,
thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name
for ever and ever. O thou enemy, destructions are
come to a perpetual end, thou hast destroyed cities, their
memorials perish with them, but the Lord shall endure for ever.
He hath prepared his throne for judgment and he shall judge the
world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people
in uprightness. And then we have those solemn
and well-known words in verse 17, the wicked shall be turned
into hell, and all nations that forget God. The only place of
refuge, sinner, is in the finished work of Jesus Christ, in the
blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ. May the Lord add his
blessings. Let us now sing together hymn
number 938 to the tune Colwyn Bay, 903. When thou, my righteous
judge, shalt come to take thy ransomed people home, shall I
among them stand? So such a worthless worm as I,
who sometimes am afraid to die, be found at thy right hand. Hymn
938, tune Colwyn Bay, 903. O come all ye faithful joyful
and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem. And this, my child, this, my
child, cannot break to come, become that thy right hand. ? I'm proud to be a member ? ?
If I may just be taken up ? ? For goodness of the Lord ? ? And the nations, O God divine,
? ? Should hear them come, hear them come, ? ? All them shall
know. ? It was preempted by thy grace,
It now, dear old man, I think, may to this accept a name. ? Thy perfect voice ? ? O earth,
we hear it still by ? ? How merry we've been ? ? O gentle Lord,
I pray ? Let me among thy chains rebound,
And when your angels come chastened, Push me in thy shining rage.
? Then help me to the cross I'm
on ? ? And return me and shelter me ? ? Return me and shelter
me ? 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. Amen. Okay. Okay.