Commence our service this evening
by singing hymn number 645. The tune is Holy Warfare number
471. Dangerous is the path we go in
this wilderness below. Savage beasts of every kind aiming
to distress the mind. How then can they persevere?
Must they of the prize despair? which is theirs to watch and
pray, for the Lord will guard the way. In number 645, tune
Holy Warfare number 471. In the voices of holy love, in
its children and children, Thy work is on every thigh, Failing
to distress the mind. O'er the land of the free and
the home of the brave? Something fills them with despair. As they shatter day and hour,
They have neither Shepherds quake at the sight of the Lord. Sheldon, come, let us adhere,
Mastering of the righteous pair. Multitudes, to fortune pray,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? Bid his children watch and go. May he a blessing give. Look to the ocean, see his face. When he walks the way he prays, And in prayer watch every day,
And with prayer serve ever the true, ? Who has strengthened from the
rock. ? ? Most of all, death we shall be, ? Lord
and Comforter, Lord to Thee. And whether in danger or sorrow,
live and pray with Thee at last. May the dear Lord help me to
read this evening from the book of Joshua chapter 3 and chapter
4 down to verse 19. Book of Joshua chapter 3 and
chapter 4 down to verse 19. And Joshua rose early in the
morning, and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan,
he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they
passed over. And it came to pass, after three
days, that the officers went through the host, and they commanded
the people, saying, When you see the ark of the covenant of
the Lord your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then
ye shall remove from your place and go after it yet there shall
be a space between you and it about two thousand cubits which
is three quarters of a mile by measure come not near unto it
that ye may know the way by which you must go for ye have not passed
this way heretofore and Joshua said unto the people sanctify
yourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.' And
Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the
covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up
the ark of the covenant, and went before the people. And the
Lord said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee
in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was
with Moses, so will I be with thee. And thou shalt command
the priests that bear the ark of the covenant saying when ye
are come to the brink of the water of Jordan ye shall stand
still in Jordan. And Joshua said unto the children
of Israel come hither and hear the words of the Lord your God.
And Joshua said Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among
you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you
the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites,
and the Gergesites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites. Behold, the
ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over
before you into Jordan. Now therefore take you twelve
men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man. And
it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the
priests that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the
earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of
Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from
above. And they shall stand upon an
heap. And it came to pass when the
people removed from their tents to pass over Jordan, and the
priests bear in the ark of the covenant before the people. And
as they that bear the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet
of the priests that bear the ark were dipped in the brim of
the water, for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of
harvest. that the waters which came down
from above stood and rose up upon an heap very high from the
city Adam, that is besides Aritan, and those that come down toward
the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed and were cut
off, and the people passed over right against Jericho. And the
priests that bear the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord stood
firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan. And all the Israelites
passed over on dry ground until all the people were passed clean
over Jordan. And it came to pass when all
the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the Lord spake
unto Joshua saying, take you 12 men out of the people, out
of every tribe of man and command ye them saying, take you hence
out of the midst of Jordan out of the place where the priest's
feet stood firm twelve stones and ye shall carry them over
with you and leave them in the lodging place where ye shall
lodge this night. Then Joshua called the twelve
men whom he had prepared of the children of Israel out of every
tribe a man and Joshua said unto them pass over before the ark
of the Lord your God into the midst of Jordan and take ye up
every man of you a stone upon his shoulder according unto the
number of the tribes of the children of Israel that this may be a
sign among you that when your children ask their fathers in
time to come saying what mean ye by these stones then ye shall
answer them that the waters of Jordan were cut off before the
ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over Jordan, the
waters of Jordan were cut off, and these stones shall be for
a memorial unto the children of Israel forever. And the children
of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out
of the midst of Jordan as the Lord spake unto Joshua. according
to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried
them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and
laid them down there. And Joshua set up twelve stones
in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests
which bear the ark of the covenant stood, and they are there unto
this day. For the priests which bear the
ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until everything was finished,
that the Lord commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according
to all that Moses commanded Joshua, and the people hasted and passed
over. And it came to pass, when all
the people were clean passed over, that the ark of the Lord
passed over, and the priests in the presence of the people,
and the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and half
the tribe of Manasseh passed over armed before the children
of Israel as Moses spake unto them. About 40,000 prepared for
war passed over before the Lord unto the battle of the plains
of Jericho. On that day the Lord magnified
Joshua in the sight of all Israel and they feared him as they feared
Moses. all the days of his life. And
the Lord spake unto Joshua, saying, Command the priests that bear
the ark of the testimony that they come up out of Jordan. Joshua therefore commanded the
priests, saying, Come ye up out of Jordan. And it came to pass,
when the priests that bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord
were come up out of the midst of Jordan, and the soles of the
priests' feet were lifted up unto dry land that the waters
of Jordan returned unto their place and flowed over all his
banks as they did before. We leave the reading there friends. May the dear Lord bless the reading
of his holy word to us each and help us in prayer O Thou most
kind and gracious Lord God, as Thou hast spared us once more
through another day until now, we do pray that Thou would come
and meet with us in the sanctuary. Thou hast permitted us to enter
into Thy house once again, and we do pray earnestly, Lord, that
it might be that we have a visit from Thee, that we might have
a view of Thee, that we might have a token, a taste, of thy
dying love in our hearts. Dear Lord, we have much to thank
thee for. Thou hast spared us, thou hast been with thy people,
thou hast kept them safe and watched over them. And Lord,
we must confess how often we take this for granted. How often,
Lord, many mercies we take for granted. And yet from time to
time thou dost make us to realise that it is all of thy mercy.
that we are what we are. And so we do thank thee once
again that the chapel doors are open and that there are those
that have come with an interest. Lord thou we believed us weren't
this interest, this desire, this longing in the heart for there
are many without it. There are many that go past this
place even when it's open Lord and take no notice or look the
other way. So we do pray that even this
evening that it might be a time, a special time, when thou wilt
come to us each and display thyself upon the gospel pole. Oh, we
come with those of old, those Greeks of old. Sir, we would
see Jesus. We really would. Thou knowest,
Lord. Thou knowest it is in our hearts to see thee. And Lord, this is not just a
once, but this is continuous. We desire to see thee. We desire
to see thee in our lives, in our loved ones' lives, in the
chapels, in the congregations, in the church, we desire to see
thee. And so do help us as we gather
this evening, Lord, may it be under the banner of thine everlasting
love, and what we have read, may it mean something to us.
May we not just discard it, and may we not just put it from us
as another Bible reading, But may it read us, Lord. May it
search us out. And may we search it out. May
we be amongst those that search the Scriptures. Oh, we do pray,
dear Lord. And may there be those added
to the Church, such as shall be saved. Oh, Lord, what a warning
that is. Oh, we do pray, such as shall
be saved. And so we do beg, Lord, that
thou would work in each of our hearts. We have much to think
about. We have much to concern us. We
have much to pray over. But Lord, we do come with ourselves,
really, and we pray that mercy might be extended to us this
day, this evening, in thy word. Oh, we have temporal mercies.
We have, dear Lord, those benefits at which thou dost daily load
upon us. but may we this evening have
a spiritual blessing. May they reach even unto me.
Oh, thou hast allowed the hymn writer to pen that lovely verse,
the vilest sinner out of hell that lives to feel his need is
welcome to the throne of grace, the Saviour's blood to plead.
And so we do come pleading that precious blood on our behalf. Lord, we have nothing else to
plead, We cannot plead their own merits. We cannot plead what
we have done. It must be all of grace. And
so, dear Lord, do help us in all our prayers, our silent prayers,
and, Lord, our audible prayers. We do pray earnestly that they
will hear those this evening that are praying that they will
come. Lord, we do pray for their dear
pastor. Do remember him in his great affliction. Oh, we do pray,
Lord, that thou would strengthen him to come once again into this
cause of truth and bless him and thy word through him and
make him a blessing, Lord. We do pray that he might be restored,
that he might be brought back to this people. Lord, we do pray
that thou would help him, especially with the engagements coming up,
dear Lord, give him wisdom, give him understanding that he might
know what to do. Oh Lord we do pray, as thou hast
said really, come me aside and rest a while, we pray that he
might be blessed in his own soul and that he might have those
fresh discoveries, that he might be renewed both in energy and
mind and in soul. Lord may he come once again to
preach the glorious gospel of our dear Lord Jesus Christ to
poor dying sinners. And may there be fruit to follow
his labors. Lord, may it not all drop to
the ground, but may some seeds be sown. May something be growing,
Lord, though quietly, though silently. We do pray that the
word might bring forth fruit in due time. And we pray for
all thy servants. There are many that are laid
aside, dear Lord, and those in old age. We pray for them earnestly,
that thou wouldst be with them each and help them. They have
and do serve their generation well. And we thank thee for it,
dear Lord. It is all of thy strength. It
is all of thy grace. And so we do pray that those
continue to help them. We pray for the younger ones
and those in middle life. Dear Lord, bearing the heat and
burden of the day, be with them and strengthen them for the work
and help them, Lord. And what is the house to me?
What really is it, Lord? Just bricks and mortar and a
few windows. if the master I don't see. But oh Lord how different if
the master we see, how different if the master draws near, how
different when the Lord whispers into our hearts. And so we do
pray that we might come with that expectation this evening,
that we will see Jesus. Oh may we not come with a fatalistic
spirit, just another service, May it be something to set us
on the way again, may it be something that sets heaven before our eyes,
may it be something dear Lord to enliven us each and enrich
us. We do pray for the deacons here
to remember them in all that they have to do, their burdens
and all concerning this house of God, bless them and be with
them and may they often hold up their pastor's arms in prayer
We pray, dear Lord, for the church here. Do bring in those to speak
those lovely things that they know of Jesus. Oh, we do pray,
dear Lord, that the church might be built up. And bless the young
people. Be with them and help them. And,
Lord, make them a praying seed, the generation that shall follow,
to call thee the Redeemer blessed. It is no small thing, Lord, to
call Thee blessed. And so we do thank Thee that
this work is continuing, this work is carrying on. We do pray for our nation. Lord,
what sad days we're in, especially as we come into this general
election. Lord, it seems complete confusion,
but all we do pray that Thou will intervene. Thou hast done
over the years, Thou hast done through the scriptures, thou
hast reached down and done thy will and everything has gone
according to thy will and so we do pray that once again it
might lord we know it does continually but we pray lord that thou would
raise up those godly ones and put them in these offices that
they might know what israel ought to do how little dear lord and
how forgetful man is that the earth is continuing because of
the remnant oh Lord when we bring these when these things are brought
home to us the sun still shines because of the remnant and we
do thank thee Lord that there is still a remnant but oh we
do pray that we might be governed right and their laws might be
taken off that are so wrong and put on those ones that are right
put on and we do especially pray for the schools and the children
Lord and where they're schooled at home we pray that the teaching
might be right and not wrong, that they might be led in paths
of righteousness. Oh we do pray dear Lord, even
naturally to be led there, but may they be spiritually. And
so do help us, we do pray for the visitor from America and
pray that they was blessed and help her and be with her on her
visit here. And Lord, we do pray for any
that may be listening in over the internet. Do remember them
and help them. There are those that struggle,
Lord. There are those unable to get up to thy house. There
are those in old age. There are those in affliction.
There are those that bear many burdens. Lord, we pray for them
earnestly that thou would help them and be with them, each one
of them. And oh, may we be strengthened
by the gospel. May we be strengthened by thy
word. O Lord, once again we do pray
that thou wouldst come and stand next to us, and may we know that
a dip in our foot in oil, and be an acceptable unto the brethren.
Lord, what a privilege, what a great privilege this is, to
stand as the mouthpiece of God. May we not do anything, anything
at all, to grieve thee. O Lord, do help them. and bless
us as we sing and help with the singing of thy worthy praise
and may it all redound to thy honour and glory and not to man
for thy dear name's sake. Amen. Continue our service by singing
hymn number 681. Tunis Elsto, number 330. Blessed are they whose guilt is gone, whose
sins are washed away with blood, whose hope is fixed on Christ
alone, whom Christ has reconciled to God. Though travelling through
this veil of tears, he many a sore temptation meet, the Holy Ghost
This witness bears he stands in Jesus still complete. Hymn number 681, tune Elstow
number 330. O say does that star-spangled
banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the
brave? ? You shall be true to Christ your
God ? ? To Christ the true and sanctified ? ? O come, O come, Emmanuel ? ?
O come, O come, Emmanuel ? ? O come, O come, Emmanuel ? His goodness guides, His kindness
keeps, He is the strength of faith. ? It's all right so far so good
? ? In earth and heav'n ? ? It's rich indeed ? Kitchen of my soul, a bed for
me. Kitchen of my soul, a bed for me. Kitchen of my soul, a bed for me. Kitchen of my soul, a bed for me. Kitchen
of my soul, a bed for me. Kitchen of my soul, a bed for me. Kitchen of my soul, a bed for me. Kitchen
of my soul, a bed for me. Kitchen of my soul, a bed for me. Kitchen of my soul, a bed for me. His presence here is more than
all, than all of His existence. ? And the Holy Ghost shall be your
light ? ? As long as I live in Bethlehem ? ? There is wisdom in the air ?
? It warms the heart and strengthens the mind ? ? God save the Queen ? ? Long live
the Queen ? ? God save the Queen ? May the dear Lord help me to
say a few things this evening from Joshua chapter 3 and I'll
read verse 4 by way of text. The book of Joshua chapter 3
and verse 4. Yet there shall be a space between
you and it, which is the ark, about 2,000 cubits. This is the
text friends, come not near unto it. that ye may know the way
by which ye must go for ye have not passed this way heretofore. Joshua chapter 3 and from verse
4 come not near unto it, that is the ark, that ye may know
the way by which ye must go for ye have not passed this way heretofore. Now there's three points really
if the Lord helps me to draw them out of this and that is
the command Because if you As we read it together you could
tell that the command That the Lord was commanding them all
through the verses couldn't you and then we have the unfolding
of the Lord's will and Then we have the prospect set before
the sinner Set before his people. It's not just the sinner. Is
it friend? It's not just a sinner. Is it?
Everyone's a sinner It's those forgiven sinners That's what
the prospects set before them, isn't it? So we have those three
vital points and as we come here, we see really this is a very
similar passage to when the Israelites were passing through the wilderness
and the moment the cloud, the fiery pillar or the cloud moved,
what were they to do? They were to move instantly.
The Lord would have left them behind, friend. Think of it. You say he wouldn't have left
them behind. He gave them a command to follow. Should have followed. Just before we start, friends,
no one's too young to follow and no one's too old to follow.
Children were amongst those Israelites. So were the elderly. The Lord
moved, they moved. How close are we living to the
Lord? Can you let him go past? Can you really let him go past?
And not try and hang on to him? Not try and call him back? Even
the blind couldn't even see him and they called out, we've got
eyes. Do you let him go past? Shame on us. Shame on us, friends.
That dear old blind man by the side of the road knew Jesus.
Couldn't even see him. Blessed thing faith isn't it,
to have the eyes of faith. So we come here and really Joshua
was raised up, wasn't he, to lead the people. That was his
office, that was why he was born. This wasn't an afterthought with
God. Your life isn't an afterthought friends. God raised Joshua up
to lead the people, that was it. That's why he was born and
that's what the office was, that he should carry on until he died.
That's why his mother bore him, friends. And doesn't it make
you wonder about us? Doesn't it? Just born to enjoy
the world? Just born to have everything
here below? No! Born according to his purpose. This is it, isn't it? This is
where I hope we can come in by faith. His purpose, and not ours. Are you living in his purpose?
That's the difference isn't it? Are you friend? Some of us have been living a
few years haven't we? Have we always lived in his purpose? I'll let you answer that before
him this evening when you go down on your knees because you
know and he knows and then we see Joshua he spoke
but he didn't just sew pillows under their armpits. He warned
them. He warned them, friends. It goes
together, the gospel and warning. And he warned them because the
Lord had told him that they weren't allowed to, as the command was,
as the ark passed by, he warned them that they should follow
it. I feel so often, friends, I want
to speak normal and natural, but I feel so often we come so
short, don't we? Don't we come short in these
things? We might put a pretense on, we might be always at chapel,
we might always be looking smart, we might always be saying the
right things, but we come short of what he's commanded us to
do. He gave his life. What have you given? I often think about it, we give
him an hour or so in the week and we give him Sundays. Do you give him more than that? Doesn't mean just going to chapel
all the time, does it? Do you give him more than that out of
your life? So we have this ark and it's a precious thing, the
ark. You know, this ark here was as precious to these people
as Jesus is to you and I. It was their way of knowing that
God was amongst them. And yet we see such a difference
with all the people. Some people wanted to keep the
Ark when they got it. Some people wanted to get rid
of it. Some people it blessed. Some people, look at the plagues
that came because of it. It upset their lives. And just
a question before we really go into this, what think you of
Christ? What do you think of the Ark?
Christ It's a question to take with you into life, you young
people, take it into life and ask yourself every single day
of your life, what do I think of Christ? It'll keep you from grieving
him and it'll help you to serve him. It will, these things are
gracious and when they're working in the souls of a person, a man
or a woman, a boy or girl really, it really does bring you closer. It's when the adversary comes
in and your own heart, I can't get on friends, but when your
own heart starts taking your way. So we have all this before
us and this is the arc of the God of the whole earth. We read,
don't we, that nobody can approach him. He is unapproachable. God is unapproachable, friends.
He will always have the last say and no one will ever be able
to get near him. But we have a secret, don't we?
Don't we have a secret? These people had the secret and
they were carrying it. Yes, dear heart, Christian believer,
you have a secret and you're carrying it. Christ in the vessel. They had this as an outward sign. And really, the Lord is saying
to them, you've got to have respect. Three quarters of a mile they
had to watch it and wait. And then they had to follow.
and the respect and reverence that they had over this box. That's all they saw, friend,
was a box. That's all the Jews ever saw of Jesus. Just a man. Just flesh and blood. He's Joseph's
son. That's all he is. We know him. We know his brothers and sisters. May we never get like that friend.
May he always be high in our esteem. So come not near him,
they weren't allowed, or come not near unto it, they weren't
allowed to walk along the side of it. And they weren't allowed
to walk in front of it. How many today try and get in
front of the Lord? You say, well I don't know any,
well I do. and he's standing here and you've
got the same old man as I have and we want to tell the Lord
what we want we want to guide him into our pathway we do we
must confess these things before him because we have a wretched
heart and we like to know our way and then we like to the Lord
to bless the way that we've chosen it's not like that here is it
they weren't allowed near this They had to reverence it and
be distant from it. You know, I read an account about
this officer in the army and how apt it is as we think of
this that he was marching and all the troops behind him and
one or two tried to get in front of him. Like they do. What did the officer do? Did
he speed up? Did he change his pace for the
people? He gave them a prod, and they soon knew to slow down
and get behind him. Now isn't that what the Lord
does with you and I? If you come too close to this,
if you come too close or try and give in front of the Lord,
what does he do with you? He sends something into your
life, doesn't he? He sends something. You know
what it's for, don't you? He sends an affliction upon you.
It causes you to grieve. It shows you a little bit of
what your sin is. You soon go back. You soon know your place.
A sanctified heart, friends, knows its place. It does. A heart
that's been touched by God knows its place. And that's behind
him. That's behind him. Unless he
says otherwise. Unless he says otherwise, friends,
always stay behind him. Because sometimes he tells his
people to go on. I will be thy reward, I'll come
up behind. So these people, there's lots
of lessons to learn here, just naturally, aren't they? That
the command was, and they had to do the command of God. I'll just draw a bow at a venture,
friends. Jesus said this, if ye love If you love me, keep my commandments. You say, but I have, I've been
walking in the Christian pathway for a long time. Are you keeping
his commandments? It's not just one, is it? It's
a blessed thing to go through the waters of baptism under the
influence of the Holy Spirit and with that desire and that
secret longing to know him more. But are you keeping his commandments?
Listen to what he says. Love one another. Be kind. Think of what he says,
friends. These are the commandments of
the Lord. They're not just advice that we can take or not take.
He commands us to be like him. And so these people, if you picture
this in your heart, or if the Lord bless you with real faith
and you see this, the Ark of the Covenant going before you,
and really it resembles our dear Jesus going before us. We are to move, we are to get
up, we are to arise and perhaps it is a word for one to arise
because friends this is what the scripture is about, it's
a people that are moving. Yes he allowed them to stay still
for a little while but when they had their rest he knew He let
them rest for a little while and then he said he was up and
going. Whoever they were because he knew. What happens if you
have too much? You start getting lazy don't
you? Complacent. You start resting on your laurels.
The Lord will have his people moving all the time. So we have
this command and it goes on and on. We could stay here really
couldn't we? The command of God. in our lives, in your life and
my life. But let's move on to the unfolding
of this. There they were, they were following
the Lord's command and they were following the Ark of the Covenant. Now what about the unfolding
of it? They were heading straight towards
a river. But they could venture. Isn't
it a beautiful thing, friends, they could venture? They could
actually follow at a distance with their eyes fixed upon the
river? No. Upon the priests? No. Upon their friends? No. Their
eyes fixed upon Jesus. How do I know it? Because that's
how we go on. That's how we go on. Looking
unto Jesus. Not one of those men would have
walked straight to the river if they didn't have the Ark. But they had the Ark. They also had something else.
Which I know some of you have been blessed with. They had faith. They could see beyond the river. They had to walk through it.
The unfolding of it. And as the Lord unfolds your
way and my way, what are you looking at? Well, if you look
at the river, it's going to swallow you up, isn't it? If you look
at everything surrounding us, It's going to overpower us. But
if you look at the Ark, if you look at the Ark, where the Ark
is, they were safe. As long as they did what he said,
they were safe. And you and I will be safe if
we keep our eyes on Jesus and do exactly what he says. You know friends, I really mean
this, It's a shame to upset him, isn't it? You know, you love your parents,
don't you? When you upset them, or did upset
them, did it hurt you? Did you think I shouldn't have
been like that? It's not the right spirit. Now, what about
our Heavenly Father when you upset him? How do you feel? How
do you feel, friend? Do you go down on your knees
and you say sorry? Do you confess what you've done?
Do you say I shouldn't have done that Lord, I shouldn't have done
it? Even if it's a thought, let alone an action. Confession. Come not near, come not near
it. And then the unfolding of it
is that you may know the way by which you must go. That's
the unfolding of it now. I don't know what path any of
you are in really, and you don't know what I'm in. But it's a
lovely word to go with us in the way, isn't it? That we might
know the way. How can we know the way? People
say, well, how do I know the Lord's with me? How do I know
this is the right way? How can I carry on? There's two
ways in front of me. How do I know what to do? Follow
the ark. Follow the ark, friends. You
say, but I don't always see it. But do you see it? Do you see
it anytime? Is there a glimpse of him? Just
a little glimpse on the horizon that you can see him? Then the
way's right. The way I take cannot be wrong.
You know it, you're seeing it, don't you? Do you mean it? Do
you mean it? The way I take cannot be wrong.
If Jesus, people there, that you may know the way which you
must go. And these dear souls, they had to go this way, didn't
they? With all their trepidation, with all their fears, they couldn't
even go and ask the servants. They couldn't even go and ask
the Levites. They were too far away. Don't rest on man, as the
Lord's teaching us. Don't rest on man, rest on me.
Rest on me, nobody else. They couldn't run up to the Levites
because they were forbidden. Only the Levites. had faith,
they followed. And think how that spurred on
the rest of them. You think, in our day and generation,
if only there were more men, more godly, raised up with faith,
to lead the people. To lead the people! This is what we need. It used
to be, didn't it? It used to be, when thousands
flocked to hear the gospel, that man that was preaching had faith!
And he preached it. And the Lord blessed the people.
They were poor instruments, I know. So perhaps this is for one here,
you may know the way by which you must go. And there are some
strange places the Lord teaches us to go, aren't there? You know,
we saw a painting, and I do like looking at these sort of things,
and it was all spots. It was just a painting of spots.
And as you got closer, it got more confusing. And sometimes
that's like the Lord's work. Step back. That's why he said,
keep back. Watch what's gonna happen, keep
back. If they was all in front, if they was all trying to get
in front of the ark, the waters wouldn't have opened, would they?
They would have drowned before the waters opened. They were
to keep back. And you know, when I looked at
these spots, it was so confusing, but I stepped back a bit and
I could see a picture. I could see a beautiful picture. And
I thought, you know, that's exactly like the Lord works in our hearts,
isn't it? We try to get too close. We try to see as much as we can
that he's doing. He says, no, no, no. Watch. That lovely hymn your deacon
chose. We're to pray and watch. We're
to watch and pray, aren't we? Then we see things, don't we? The thing is, friends, what you
and I are trying to do is look at something naturally. We're
trying to discern the Lord's work naturally, and you never
will. Doesn't matter how hard you look for it, you won't discern
it naturally. Because this old flesh wants
to see what it wants to see. It doesn't want to see the Lord's
work. But if you give you faith, you'll see what he's doing in
your life. Just like this. Then they knew the way that they
must go. The very point of the river. And it was the Lord unfolding
it all to them and it was becoming clearer and clearer to them.
Must go. Look at the last two words of
that clause. That ye know the way by which ye must go. No alternative. He hasn't given
another way here. He says ye must go. And I think
of the dear Lord Jesus, when he had to go, he must go through
Samaria. You know that's an easy text
to quote, isn't it? It's something easy to preach
on, isn't it? Because you've got all the things
that you could gather around it. He must go through Samaria,
friends. He must need to go through Samaria. There was one person crying from
her heart. She didn't even know it. She
didn't know it until he turned up. You think, friend, must go
there. We're so reluctant sometimes,
aren't we? How many times have you said,
no, I don't really want to go, I must go? The very visitation of God to
that woman. He went to her, then he drew
her to him. I do love to see the Lord working,
don't you? It's such a blessed thing. I
know it's hard work if you haven't seen him working, I know that
friends, but as you go on and experience teaches you and you
see the Lord working, just as you see him in the scriptures,
why did he want that one woman? Surely there were better women
than her? Surely there was somebody who lived a more moral and upright
life than her? The King of Glory. must need to go through Samaria
thirsty and weary for that dear woman must go, I must go and that's exactly what is happening
in glory the Holy Spirit must go to that sinner who's been
redeemed by blood such is the preciousness of Christ such is
his blood The Holy Spirit must go and reveal Jesus to him or to
her. So whatever it is in your little
life, in the way that you must go, and you might be a bit perplexed
tonight to know which way to go. You might truly be wondering
with the Lord. And I say that rightly, friends,
because you really think that he's wondering, don't you? The Apostle Paul said something
lovely, didn't he? What will thou have me to do?
Do you think of all the things that the Lord could have told
him to do? What will thou have me to do? What is that simple
way that I've got to go? Well Paul, just briefly friends,
you think of the Lord Jesus, well Paul, you're going to suffer
a lot. You're going to be beaten. to
within inches of your life. I'll show you the way you must
go. You're going to be hunted. You're going to be absolutely
starving. You're going to be penniless. You're going to wonder why you
ever took it up. But Paul, you must go. So many characters come to mind,
but we have to leave that. I want to get to this last clause
just for a few minutes. For ye have not passed this way
heretofore. Now doesn't that involve the
prospect, friends? Why do I say it's a prospect?
Because God knows you don't. That's why it's a prospect. It's
not a prospect for God. It's a prospect for you and I.
Where is he going to lead me? What is he going to do with me?
How will he treat me in this path? What will I come across? How will I glorify him? How will
he be precious to me in this path? You haven't walked this
way heretofore, and not one of these people had walked this
way. They were following. And it does good to be a follower
of the meek and lowly Jesus, doesn't it? But do you know,
dear old servant, I was in so much trouble, I must just tell
you this personally, Whenever I read this, I was in so much
trouble, personally. It wasn't something that was
outside, it was inside, and my pathway. And I went up to the
House of God at the Dicca, many years ago, and the Lord's servant
came, it wasn't a pastor, it was just an itinerant man, he
came and he took these very words, for ye have not passed this way
heretofore. I could not believe, I've read
this and I've read it since, but I could not believe what
the Lord showed me in these few words. It's not what man was
proposing, it's not what my heart was proposing, it's not what
my thoughts were proposing, it's what he was decreeing. It's what his will was. And as
it unfolds, I don't know whether you, I know you must have done
with your dear pastor at times, where you've sat in the pew and
things have unfolded to you as though it's happening in front
of your eyes. It's just like, you can't bring it on, it's not
fanciful, I'm not talking about fanciful stuff, I'm talking about
stuff, things that you see by faith and it is literally opened
up in front of you. And it's just like the Lord has
turned the page and your name's at the top of it, and there's
your life. That's exactly what happened. For ye have not passed
this way heretofore. I went out of that chapel and
I could have skipped all the way home. I could have done.
Friends, the joy in my heart that the Lord had visited. The
Lord had come in my distress. His joy turns distress into joy. The prospect The prospect, friends,
for these dear family of God that were passing down through
the wilderness following the arc of the covenant. And as the
priests feet, the souls of their feet. Do you think they were saying,
do you think the Lord will be there? Do you think they were
saying, I wonder what's going to happen? No. Why weren't they saying that?
Because when the Lord's there, you don't say that. And the Lord
was there. The Lord was there, they were
carrying him straight to the river. And as they touched, just
touched, do you know if ever anything
strengthened the faith of those dear priests, this did. They
touched the brim of the water and the water separated. They
saw then how precious that ark was. They saw then beyond the
ark to the dear days of the dear Redeemer and they saw how He
would one day come and part the waters for His people. The waters
of affliction, the waters of sorrow, many waters the Lord
parts for His people and they stood on dry ground and let everybody
else go past them, everybody. You think in the disciples' day
how they had to learn this, didn't they? For you have not passed
this way heretofore. As the Lord kept taking them,
and don't you, really don't you praise him, friends. With the
disciples, he only led them gently. Just gently. He didn't lead them
straight into the great depths. of scripture and of the godhead
and all those things he just led them gently step by step
like they were little babies, like they were grown fishermen
and yet he just led them step by step as they drank deeper
and deeper into it. You have not passed this way
heretofore Peter, James, John, Andrew, you haven't passed this
way but I'm going to be with you as you pass it. I'm going
to actually be really close to you so that you have no fears
Yet what happened? They feared, even with Jesus
at hand, didn't they? And that's to show it's for you
and I when we come into those things. But this, not pass this
way heretofore, the prospect. They didn't see that they were
living, the prospect. They didn't see it, friends.
That they were, the disciples I mean, they were the disciples
of Jesus. Their prospect was that he would
be made an earthly king here below. They would have helped
put the crown on his head. They would have made the throne.
They would have given him the best palace that he could have
ever had. But my throne is not of this
earth, he said to them. He knew what they were thinking.
This is not my kingdom. My kingdom's out of sight. My
kingdom's to come. This was the prospect. You're
passing through a pathway now that you don't know. But the
prospect is that that pathway that you haven't walked here
to for is leading to me. Do you know sometimes in the pulpit
it's so clear and sometimes out of the pulpit it's so confusing
friends. The pathway that the Lord is
leading you in leads to his feet. You haven't passed it, he has. For ye have not passed this way
heretofore. He doesn't say he hasn't. He's
passed it. He passed it all in his own heart
in eternity. He passed every single way that
his people would walk in. Then he came and walked it out. And really friends, this you
have not passed this way heretofore you put him in a new pathway
yes you did we as a wretched sinners put
the lord jesus in a new pathway he was in the bosom of the father
as a person as a person From all eternity he was there. Can we grasp it, friends? Can
we really grasp it? And your sin made him walk a
different pathway. Your sin brought him to the earth as a substitute for his people.
This dear Jesus, you have not passed this way heretofore. And
think of, sometimes it doesn't bear thinking about does it,
when you really consider that the most pure holy person that
could ever be became sin for us. Who knew no
sin? No sin. He didn't know sin. And yet it was imputed to him
as though he had committed it and he was brought in guilty.
It was a new pathway. He had never, ever, ever, from
all eternity been brought in guilty. Never! Now he was brought
in guilty with the people's sins as though he had done them. He had not passed this way yet,
he thought. He had never died. These are
basic things, friends, but he had never died. How can an eternal
person die? He came into this earth, into
a new pathway that he had never walked before. He took up a body
that he might die. And he didn't... I don't know
how you think about these things friends, but he didn't lay down
on a hospital bed and breathe his last. with nurses all around
him, ready to comfort him, ready to help him. He had not walked
this way heretofore. Think of it friends when you
go to the cross. He had not walked this way heretofore.
The Hymn writer says that rude iron that pierced his hands and
his feet, he'd never walked that before, never. It was new to
him, completely new. and then to breathe his last
breath, to actually bow his head, give
up the ghost, breathe his last breath. It was a new path, new
path friend. Did he rebel? Did he turn from
it? You must be precious. Oh sinner,
you must be precious. You must be so valuable to this
Jesus. You've got to be the most precious
thing that he wants to be with. To enter into a new pathway and
to follow it through. To the end. Precious people, God's people
aren't they? Oh to be one of them, to be amongst them, to
have those sweet confirmations from time to time that we are
amongst them. Faith believes it. Faith does
believe it. And then they pierced his side
with a spear. This was a new path. It's a new
path, friends. He gave. He gave his blood. He gave his breath, he gave his
life. I want to hold him up as an example
to you and I, because those pathways that you come into, whatever
the Lord calls you into, wasn't like his path, won't be
like his path, it'll never be like his path. nothing can come
anywhere near his path this was a little three quarters of a
mile away they couldn't walk in the same path as the ark and
yet the lord's people taste a little bit but they don't walk close
because he went a little further and the disciples couldn't even
go as far as jesus could they he went a little further and
fell on his face We don't read a Peter doing that, do we? We
don't read a John doing that, do we? Bearing sin, they had
enough sin to crush them forever. But we see Jesus on the ground. For you have not passed this
way heretofore. And then just to briefly look
at Jordan at the end. Oh, the dear people of God. There they were Following the
ark. You know, they followed it right
to the river, Jordan. And then what did they do? You
think as they went past the ark, friend, I'm sure every one of
them looked at the ark. As they went past on dry ground,
you think how they looked. They were on dry ground going
through Jordan. Not one of us know what a moment
might bring forth. Not one of us know what a day
might happen to us. Nobody knows anything, only God. But to be following the ark,
to be following Jesus while we have our life and breath, then
you will follow him right down to Jordan and go straight across.
He will land you safe in Emmanuel's land. It's a lovely little account
this, isn't it, because it's so true. And it's not just... As I was reading this, I hadn't
actually noticed it before, but as I read it, I thought, when
they went through Jordan, these people, these Israelites, when
they went through Jordan, they sent the soldiers first. They
sent those that are armed first. So that when they come up out
the water, if there was anyone coming from Jericho, they were
ready for them. Now that's like in our lives
here below. That won't happen in glory. You're not going home with an
army in front of you. You're not friends. It'll be
your soul and Jesus. No one else. They went forward, didn't they?
And let the weaponry go first and then the poor people followed. I like to think of those people
sometimes, don't you? As they went across. As they
went through Jordan, so joyful, the Lord had done it. He promised
it and he'd done it. And every one of them, as they
came up out of the water, out of the river, the moment the
souls of the priests touched dry land, the Lord closed the
water. I see there, friends, such a
fulfilment of the promise. Those promises that he gave to
his people, he's fulfilled them. And now they could venture on
in the pathway, into this new pathway, into Jericho. So I'll
just leave you with this, but I don't know what's ahead of
you, I don't know what's ahead of me. But it might be something
that you've been tried over, it might be something that's
perplexing you, it might be something that's disturbing you. And you might really feel that
you have not passed this way heretofore. But I want to read
the next verse with the real prospect in mind. And Joshua
said unto the people, sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the
Lord will do wonders among you. What does that tell you, friends?
What does it tell you? He was with them! He was with them all
the way! I will do wonders among you! Isn't it beautiful? Don't be
downhearted. Don't be disappointed. The Lord
always has something else in store for his people. He always
has something for them. There's another day. There was
another day for this people. There they thought they were
hemmed in. There was another day. Because it was in God's
counsel. It was his will. And so the will
be in every believer's life. There's another day. Whether
it's here below, there's another day. Or whether it's in glory. there's another day, because
the opposite to that is night time. I'll just read the
text to you. Come not near unto it that ye
may know the way by which ye must go, for ye have not passed
this way heretofore. Doesn't it make Christ precious?
Doesn't it We haven't passed through the rest of today or
tomorrow yet, but doesn't it make Him precious that He will
be with you? He will be with you all the journey
through. May the dear Lord forgive anything
that's been said of me. Amen. Conclude our service this evening
by singing hymn number 778. The tune is Helton number 808. Though straight be the way, with
dangers beset, and we on the way are no farther yet, our good
guide and saviour has helped us thus far, and it is by his
favour We are what we are. My brethren, reflect on what
we have been, how God had respect to us under sin. When lower and
lower we every day fell, he stretched forth his power and snatched
us from hell. Hymn number 778, tune Houghton
number 808. you ? Send me away ? ? Into angel's
deep sleep ? ? And lead on my way ? ? On earth, all the years
? ? A good guide and saviour ? And help us not to fall, And
destroy Israel, We are what we are. ? And give us a praise ? ? With
our nation's pride ? ? No heaven on earth ? ? Can stop its delight ? ? But the glory so great ? ? Still
to us to show ? ? Till earth and heaven o'er it ? ? Excellency crowned
? ? Alleluia ? ? To old we have been
? ? How long can we stay ? ? Till our son does stay ? Land of the
free and the home of the brave. is the only power that separates
us from heaven May everlasting joy and cheer
for each day, Rejoice in heav'nly host, to Jesus our King. ? Let us go as one, as one even
to God ? ? No mountain high, no valley low ? ? The rest and his light ? ? The world is like me ? ? Shall
not perceive him ? ? Who was dead to me ? ? And was raised
from the dead ? ? Tis great love, tis blessed ? ? To share in your
love ? And now, dear Lord, we do so thank
thee for thy word. We thank thee for helping us
once again and we can truly say now unto him that is able, And
we believe it, dear Lord. I do perform those things that
they will perform for us each, we do pray. But we pray that
they will have all the honour and all the glory. And dear Lord,
do remember this people, bless them and help them, build them
up in thine own time and way. And may they be heirs together. Lord, we do pray for their dear
pastor, Uncle Jay, do remember him and bless him. Hear the prayers
that have gone up for him, dear Lord, continually. Now we do
look to thee now, lead us on by the right way, that we might
go to the city of habitation. Now may the grace of the dear
Lord Jesus and the love of God, and the sweet fellowship and
communion of thy Holy Spirit, rest and remain with us each
now and for evermore. Amen.