Commence our service this afternoon
by singing hymn number 232. The tune is Laudati Dominum II,
number 911. Begone unbelief, my Saviour is
near, And for my relief will surely appear. By prayer let
me wrestle, And He will perform with Christ in the vessel. I
smile at the storm, Though dark be my way, since he is my guide,
tis mine to obey, tis his to provide. Though systems be broken
and creatures all fail, the word he has spoken shall surely prevail. Hymn number 232, June, Lord Archidominum
II, number 911. In the morning light My Saviour is near, and all my
relief will surely appear. I have left Thee, and so that
Thee will I go. ? With Christ in the middle ?
? Christ, my help and soul ? ? Lord, help me, I pray ? ? Since He
is my light ? It's time to remember, it's here
to provide, that it shall be better than Britain or France. ? The hand he has taken shall surely
prevail ? ? He shall lift thy cross, for it's needed thee ?
? Till we meet again ? ? In camp of the sea ? ? Between death
and life ? ? There I'll be near you ? ? O come, let us adore Him ? ?
O come, let us adore Him ? ? O come, let us adore Him ? ? O come, let us adore
Him ? ? If Satan's lies today ? ? Might stop him in death,
? ? Then can he help Lord Jesus ? ? In his name? ? ? That would be fair, would be
fair to me ? ? Why should I complain ? ? If my God is dead ? ? Temptation
for prayer, it shall be no more ? ? Reckoning shall be no more
? ? Through my tribulation ? ? That's
all I've been for ? ? And it's a wonder ? ? You're not there
for me ? ? Giv'n with words of hope the
strength of Thy will ? ? Giv'n with words of hope the strength
of Thy will ? ? If I join those heaven and earth
? ? And dwell in heaven ? ? If so will I be ? ? In heaven or
on earth ? The winter is here, the winter is here. The people
have pleasure to sit in for a while. From the Holy Word of God, we'll
read together in the book of the prophet Isaiah, chapter 25, and chapter 26. Isaiah, chapter
25 and 26. O Lord, thou art my God. I will exalt thee, I will praise
thy name. For thou hast done wonderful
things, thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. For thou hast made of a city
an heap, of a defenced city a ruin, a palace of strangers to be no
city, it shall never be built. Therefore shall the strong people
glorify thee. The city of the terrible nations
shall fear thee. For thou has been a strength
to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge
from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the
terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. Thou shalt bring down
the noise of strangers as the heat in a dry place, even the
heat with the shadow of a cloud. The branch of the terrible ones
shall be brought low. And in this mountain shall the
Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast
of wine on the leaves, of fat things full of marrow, of wines
on the leaves well refined. And he will destroy in this mountain
the face of the covering cast over all people and the veil
that is spread over all nations. he will swallow up death in victory,
and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces. And the rebuke of his people
shall he take away from off all the earth, for the Lord has spoken
it. And it shall be said in that
day, lo, this is our God, We have waited for him, and he will
save us. This is the Lord. We have waited
for him. We will be glad and rejoice in
his salvation. For in this mountain shall the
hand of the Lord rest, and Moab shall be trodden down under him,
even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill. And he shall
spread forth his hands in the midst of them, as he that swimmeth
spreadeth forth his hands to swim. And he shall bring down
their pride together with the spoils of their hands. And the fortress of the high
fort of thy walls shall he bring down, lay low, and bring to the
ground. even to the dust. In that day
shall this song be sung in the land of Judah. We have a strong
city. Salvation will God appoint for
walls and bulwarks. Open ye the gates that the righteous
nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. thou wilt keep
him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he
trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever,
for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. For he bringeth down
them that dwell on high, the lofty city he layeth it low,
He layeth it low even to the ground, he bringeth it even to
the dust. The foot shall tread it down,
even the feet of the poor and the steps of the needy. The way
of the just is uprightness. Thou most upright dost weigh
the path of the just. Yea, in the way of thy judgments,
O Lord, have we waited for thee. The desire of our soul is to
thy name and to the remembrance of thee. With my soul have I desired thee
in the night. Yea, with my spirit within me
will I seek thee early. For when thy judgments are in
the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. Let favour be showed to the wicked,
yet will he not learn righteousness. In the land of uprightness will
he deal unjustly and will not behold the majesty of the Lord. Lord, when thy hand is lifted
up, they will not see, but they shall see, and be ashamed for
their envy at the people. Yea, the fire of thine enemies
shall devour them. Lord, thou wilt ordain peace
for us, for thou also hast wrought all our works in us. O LORD our God, other lords beside
thee have had dominion over us, but by thee only will we make
mention of thy name. They are dead, they shall not
live. They are deceased, they shall
not rise. Therefore hast thou visited and
destroyed them and made all their memory to perish. Thou hast increased
the nation, O Lord. Thou hast increased the nation.
Thou art glorified. Thou hast removed it far unto
the ends of the earth. Lord, in trouble have they visited
thee. they poured out a prayer when
thy chastening was upon them. Like as a woman with child that
draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain and crieth
out in her pangs, so have we been in thy sight, O Lord. We have been with child, we have
been in pain, We have, as it were, brought forth wind. We
have not wrought any deliverance in the earth. Neither have the
inhabitants of the world fallen. Thy dead men shall live. Together
with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that
dwell in dust. for thy dew is as the dew of
herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. Come, my people,
enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee.
Hide thyself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation
be overpassed. For behold, the Lord cometh out
of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity.
The earth also shall disclose her blood and shall no more cover
her slain. May God bless to us that reading
from his holy word and may he teach us how to pray. ever gracious, most merciful
and eternal Lord God in heaven. We seek thy presence, thy blessing
here this afternoon as we gather once again for worship. We pray
that thou will come and fill this place with thy majesty and
holiness, that thou pour upon us that thy spirit from on high,
that he may take of the things of Jesus and reveal them unto
us, that he may apply the word that is read and preached to
our hearts, that the power and the unction may be of thee and
thee alone, that thou, Lord, make thy word a living word to
us, Lord, may it be by application of thy spirit. We ask, Lord,
that thou be with us and help us and thy name be magnified
in our worship. Do deliver us, Lord, from the
busyness of our minds, our thoughts. Do draw us, Lord, away from unnecessary
thoughts. Lord, we pray that thou would
open our hearts to receive thy word. We ask, Lord, that thou
would prepare the ground of our heart that it might be as that
good ground, that thy word may take root downward into our heart
and spring up in due time to thy honour and glory. Lord, we
look for fruit. and by their fruit ye shall know
them. We pray for the fruit of the
Spirit to be evidenced in each of our lives. Lord, may we have
that desire to look for the evidences. We pray, Lord, that Thou wilt
grant us that desire to be made right, prepared by Thee, O Lord,
we pray, do work in us to will and to do of thy good pleasure.
Do, Lord, cast out our sin and enter in and be born in us this
day. May there be, Lord, the awakening
of sinners this day. O may thy gospel enter in. May thy word have free course
and be glorified. May all the honour and glory
be to thy holy name. Do deliver us, Lord, from the
power of sin and Satan. Oh, do grant us, Lord, that gift
of a true humble and contrite spirit. Oh, do, Lord, bring each
to truly confess their sin. Oh, Lord, what a precious thing
it is to be found confessing our sins. while on praying ground. Oh, while mercy is still to be
found. For, Lord, it is in time. But
when time is no more, then, Lord, we know that no more mercy can
be found, that that time comes to an end and ushers in that
great and awful day of judgement. Lord, while it is today, may
it be that we seek the Lord while he may be found. Be among those
that call upon him while he is near. Lord, do deliver us, Lord,
from a spirit of fatalism, a spirit of apathy. Lord, do deliver us,
Lord, from the the besetting sins that plague each. O deliver us by thy mercy, to
reach out thy gracious hand and draw sinners to thyself, we humbly
pray, that it might please thee to reveal thy Son in us, as thou
didst to the Apostle Paul, who confessed that he was before
thou didst appear to him, persecuting the church of God and wasting
it. But that time came when it pleased thee, Lord, to reveal
thy Son in him, to meet with him in his way, and to bring
him to a stop, and to turn him, and to convert him, bring him
to preach the gospel to the church of whom he was persecuting. Lord,
thou art able to do exceeding abundant above all that we ask
or think. Thou art able to do what no man
can do. Lord, thou lookest, man lookest
on the outward appearance, but Lord, thou lookest on the heart.
and Thou seest every heart this afternoon, and Thou knowest every
case, and O, we pray that Thou wilt do all that is needed, and
supply every need, and work that precious work of grace, we humbly
pray within each soul, that in due time they may be brought
to testify of what Thou hast done, Lord, we pray that thou
would work mightily in this place. Do remember the church and congregation
here. Do remember those, Lord, of the
church, that too who live in the Netherlands, Lord, we bring
them before thee and pray for them. We ask, Lord, that thou
will bless them and help them. We ask, Lord, that Thou be with
the children and the rising generation. We pray, Lord, that Thou work
mightily in their hearts to help them with the challenges and
the difficulties that come in this day in which they live. Lord, it is a difficult day in
many respects. On the one hand, there are many
privileges and many advances in technology and many things
that make life, daily life easier. But on the other hand there are
so many things that work against, so many things that Satan is
pleased to use, to lay stumbling blocks and hindrances, to turn
away those from the narrow way which leads to eternal life.
Lord, we do pray, Lord, that Thou work mightily and help and
bless this young and rising generation. We ask that Thou call them by
Thy grace while they are still young. Lord, we pray, Lord, that
Thou give them cause to call upon Thy name. Lord, for none
are too young to pray, for themselves. Lord, we thank thee for praying
parents. Lord, do bring the children to
pray for themselves. Lord, in those times of need
that come upon them, may they know what it is to pray that
little prayer, Lord, help me. Lord, do, Lord, in thy mercy,
encourage them in these things. And may we prove each one of
us, from the youngest to the eldest, that we have a prayer
hearing and answering God. And Lord, we ask that thou work
in their souls, in bringing them into want, to feel their need
of a saviour, to be brought to look away from themselves for
any hope in themselves of salvation and find their every need met
in Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Lord Jesus, thou didst say, suffer
the little children to come unto me and forbid them not. Lord, keep any of us from being
a stumbling block to others. but rather may we be encouraging
one another in the things of God. Oh Lord, do remember then
each who have decisions and choices. We think of young people with
the exams and this time of year, Lord, and those who have new things,
changes, that come with the passing of time. We pray, Lord, that
thy presence and thy blessing may be made known, nor may we
hear what Moses heard. My presence shall go with thee,
and I will give thee rest. We pray, Lord, that thou bring
us to truly rest in faith, that faith that is fixed in Jesus
Christ, that's cast anchor in him, that which is within the
veil, whither the forerunner's force entered even Jesus. Do,
Lord, then remember us for good. Do, Lord, grant that Answers
in Providence may encourage regarding answers in the things of grace. Lord, what a precious thing if
prayer has been made and prayer has been heard in the highest
court of all. What a mercy if poor sinners
in their little experience have proved that they have a friend
in Jesus or that one that sits at the Father's right hand. They've
proved Him there by a way of answering prayer, obtaining blessings
and mercies on their behalf, through His merits, through His
person and work. Lord Jesus, we thank Thee, we
praise Thee, we will worship Thee as Lord of all. and thank
thee for mercy known so far, and pray that thou remember us
and help us as we seek to continue. The Lord none of us have attained.
Oh, what a mercy if we have a good hope through grace, that, Lord,
that great change has not come upon us yet. Oh, we pray that
we may be persuaded persuaded that thou art able
to keep that which we have committed unto him against that day. Oh Lord we pray, do remember
us then in all our need. Oh we need thy help, one to preach,
each of us to listen. Oh Lord we need thy help as we
leave this house of prayer Lord, we need thee, Lord, to apply
the word and to follow with thy blessing. We need thee, Lord,
to help us to water the word with our prayers. Lord, we need
thee every moment to keep us from sinning and falling and
grieving thee. Do hold us up. Hold us fast and
keep us by thy grace, for thou hast said, I will never leave
thee nor forsake thee. May we prove that word continually. Do help us then, we pray, ever
keep us mindful of what we are, lest we be puffed up in pride
or in presumption. Grant us, Lord, that tender fear
of the Lord. Grant us, Lord, a tender conscience. Grant, Lord, that we ever may
have Jesus Christ in view. May we ever seek to walk in the
light of His countenance, followers of the Lamb, following the Lamb
with us wherever He goeth. Do then lead us, guide us and
keep us. And Lord, do pardon every sin. Wash us, cleanse us in that fountain
open for sin and for uncleanness. Wash us in thy precious blood. Take our sins away. We ask, Lord
Jesus, in thy name. Amen. You will notice that the hymn
we're about to sing was the hymn that was chosen by my brother
Deacon, his second hymn this morning. When I heard the news,
I felt I couldn't change the hymn. May we prove, even in these
things, a wise appointment, and these things do not happen by
chance, they're not a coincidence, and may there be a purpose in
it. We'll sing hymn number 1033, The tune is Rest, number 833. In Jesus, combine all the riches
of grace. What glory and grandeur I see
in his face. Jehovah's eternal and co-equal
Son took all our transgressions and made them his own. Ye children
of Zion, now dry up your tears, for you the Redeemer in glory
appears. Now he lives, now he reigns,
now he dwells in the sky to answer the needy whenever they cry. Hymn number 1033, tune at rest,
number 833. ? Jesus, have mercy on my soul
? ? Of glory and honor ? ? I sing
in its praise ? ? In my native land ? ? I have a people strong ? ? And all the nations in exultation
? ? We hail you, Lord Triton ? ? And many of your kings ? For you have been a victorious Our victory reigns, while we
fought in the strife. To one another we defend, ever one. How sweet to be near to her,
my God, still this day. I love thee, my Lord, dearly, I fear and pray. With all our dispersations His
kindness He heard, And each day through Christ did He again settle down. Although thy corruptions are
heav'nly ashore, Thine ancients in glory ever be adored. ? It's always the chosen ? ? When
all goes astray ? ? And then shall it be ? ? That they ever again ? Will you turn with me to Isaiah
chapter 25. So our first chapter we read for
our reading this afternoon, Book of the Prophet Isaiah chapter
25. With the Lord's help this afternoon,
I will speak to you from verse nine. And it shall be said in that
day, Lo, this is our God. We have waited for him and he
will save us. This is the Lord. We have waited
for him. We will be glad and rejoice in
his salvation. The book of the prophet Isaiah,
chapter 25, in the ninth verse, and it shall
be said in that day, Lo, this is our God. We have waited for
him and he will save us. This is the Lord. We have waited
for him. We will be glad and rejoice in
his salvation. I was encouraged this morning
as we opened the service to find us singing that hymn 1134. And one of the texts written over
that hymn is this verse for our service, for our text this afternoon,
Isaiah 25 verse 9. And friends, what a precious
word it is. It shall be said in that day,
lo, this is our God. Well, what day? What day is the
Prophet speaking of? He's speaking of this day of
salvation. He's speaking of this great day. this day in which the Lord will
come again and will gather in to everlasting glory his one
true church. This glorious day of his second
coming, when he will come again the second time without sin,
unto salvation. That day when he will come in
all the glory of heaven. That day when time
will be no more. That heaven will be rolled up
as a scroll and that great and awesome day will have come. we are told he will swallow up
death in victory and the Lord God will wipe away tears from
off all faces. That which he has done in the
hearts and lives of his poor and worthy people, that which
was a token of what will be done, that day will surely and certainly
come. You know thinking Thinking of
this, it's really on my mind in two ways. It shall be said
in that day, lo, this is our God. We have waited for him. He will save us. With the Church
of God, with the Lord's dear children, there has been that
bringing them to that point, being brought to know something
of this God being their God. You know, it's one thing to know
that there is a God in heaven, that there is a great and almighty
Lord God of heaven and earth. And it's a wonderful thing if
you and I have the understanding in our minds of these things. But there's something more that
must be known. Everyone will know, everyone
will be with no doubt whatsoever that there is a Lord God in heaven.
One day, sooner or later, everyone that's lived in this world will
know that there is a God in heaven. But friends, what a mercy if
you and I not only know that, but that we are brought to see
that this God is our God. This God is our God. We've been
brought, as it were, to have a relationship with the Almighty
God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, that we have been brought to call upon in prayer the name
of the Living God, this Lord God of Heaven and Earth, to be
able to say What a wonderful thing! If you can say it this
afternoon, this God is our God. Lo, this God is our God. Friends, if you can say it now,
you have nothing to fear when He comes in all His glory. Rather,
the living Church of God, alive at His coming, will be looking
for His appearing. waiting for His appearing. Even
so, come Lord Jesus, it is the waiting of the Church of God. Because this God is our God,
not a stranger, not one in whom we have had nothing to do, but
one in whom we have been brought to put our trust. One whom we
have gone to in our need. One who has led us and taught
us to trust Him. One who has in doing these things
made known His love to us and we love Him because He first
loved us. Lo, this is our God. But friends, let's firstly think
about you and I. While we're in the land of the
living, this God is our God. He will swallow up death in victory,
and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces. And
the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the
earth, for the Lord has spoken it. this that it shall be said
in that day. Oh, have you had, are you having
this made known to you? Oh, are you finding, have you found
him to be one in whom you have received that comfort, that consolation? Has he made known to you that
he does care, he does love you? Is he making it known to you?
Will he make it known to you? You know, dear Hezekiah, the
Prophet went to him under direction of God, set thine house in order
for thou shalt die and not live. What a sorrow, what a grief,
what a distress. His house wasn't in order. There
weren't those things that were set in order. And how could he
set some of those things in order? He had no heir. And the line
down to our Lord Jesus ran through him. And where was his heir? set thine house in order. And
you know, friends, he turned his face to the wall, he prayed
unto the Lord. You know, when things come, maybe
some bad news, some sudden news, something comes into our lives,
not looked for, not envisaged, maybe no hint of it beforehand,
Something suddenly comes. Have you responded in light way,
light manner? Will you respond in that same
way? He cried unto the Lord. He sought
the Lord in prayer. He prayed unto his God. He looked to the Lord, and the
Lord heard. The Lord said, I have heard thy
prayer, I have seen thy tears. Oh, what a precious thing. Friends,
you know, maybe you've had to go, as we read at the end of
chapter 26, you've had to go and enter into your chambers,
and you've shut your doors about you, and nobody's seen you. You've hid yourself, as it were,
for a little moment. You've poured out your heart
in secret. And faith says to God that seeth
in secret, will reward you openly. You've been brought to call upon
the name of the Living God. Maybe you haven't had opportunity
to even do that, as it were, turning yourself quietly aside. Maybe it was an upward glancing
of an eye, Lord help me. In the trouble, in the sorrow,
In the disappointment, the Lord has been pleased to
give you, give you that sense that he's heard, giving you the
help that you needed, giving you the feeling, the persuasion
that he has heard. You know, sometimes the Lord
doesn't doesn't remove the burden that's suddenly come. But he's made known himself. Maybe it's the Lord's will for
you that you must go forward in this matter. Maybe it's the
Lord's will for you to carry that thorn in your flesh. Maybe
it's the Lord's will for you to live out your days in this
way. What a difference! How everything
changes in the moment when the Lord gives you that sense, Your
Heavenly Father knoweth. Your Heavenly Father knoweth.
You know, I could take you to the very spot in Bethel Chapel
and the Lord would whisper that into my heart. Your Heavenly
Father knoweth. That was enough for me at that
point. Just that he knew, really it
was your Heavenly Father. You know, there's one thing to
know, that there is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy
Spirit, that your Heavenly Father knoweth. Friends, what a blessing. You know, everything changed
in a moment. Though I walked out of that chapel
and not a single thing had changed, not a single deliverance had
been done at that point, but everything was lifted. The pressing
weight of it, the overwhelming burden of it, Because I knew
that my Heavenly Father knew about it. He'd seen it, He'd
purposed it. It was according to His Holy
Will. And my Father in Heaven saw fit for it to be so. And I could leave it there. Oh,
for more faith like that. Friends, what a mercy. This God,
our God, forever and ever. He will be our guide, even unto
death. Oh, that this one who can lead
and teach and sanctify Hezekiah says, he goes on to
say in that chapter 38 of Isaiah, I said, I shall not see the Lord,
even the Lord in the land of the living. I shall behold man
no more. He goes on to say, my age departed
and is removed from me as a shepherd's tent. He will cut me off with
pining sickness. He said, I reckon till morning.
that as a lion so will he break all my bones, like as a crane
or swallow, so did I chatter. Mine eyes failed with looking
upward, O Lord, I am oppressed. Undertake for me. And the Lord did. He hears the
prayer of the destitute. regards the prayer of the destitute. He does not despise their prayer. You know friends, how we have
at times many reasons to confess our failing in this. We judge
God according to man. But he's not a man in this sense. that the Lord is merciful and
gracious, long-suffering, plenteous in mercy and in truth. When he
made his goodness pass before Moses, that's what he revealed. Long-suffering, patient, loving. Oh, this God, our God, He says, I shall go softly all
my years in the business of my soul, O Lord, by these things
men live. And in all these things is the
life of my spirit. The Lord's gracious dealings,
the workings in providence and in grace, the sanctifying effect. Friends, the world is full of
trouble. And, you know, the Word of God
says it's through much tribulation. Friends, it's not the tribulation
in and of itself. It is the Lord's sanctifying
effect, His application of the trouble, the way He uses that
trouble How it's used in your life, in your heart. Oh, is that your prayer when
you see one another brought into a path of affliction or sorrow
or trouble? Do you pray the Lord or sanctify
it? That's the vital difference between
the Lord's people and the world. Their troubles bring them to
Jesus. Their troubles drive them to
the throne of grace. Their troubles bring them to
pour out their hearts before Him. Their troubles lead them
to see and to prove His mercy, His love, His faithfulness to
His word. Oh, the blessing, friends, of
sanctified trouble. What a token. What an evidence. What a precious confirmation
of your part in the living family of God. Have you known it? You children, it comes right
down to you children. When you have those things that
come upon you, do you pray? Have you prayed? how many of
the Lord's children can look back to their childhood and they
prayed a little prayer, a simple prayer but no, no little prayer
when it's entered into the very court of heaven but when the
creator of heaven and earth has taken notice of them and given
them an answer you know, what a precious thing Do not let Satan snatch it from
you. Do not let Satan tell you it
doesn't mean anything. Do not let him tell you it doesn't
matter. Friends, if you have troubled
Almighty God with your need, with your case, with your concern, and you know Satan tells you
it's only little, even more glorious then, if it's
little, that He has heard it, He answered
it, He helped you in it. You pray on. You pray on. May the Lord encourage you to
pray on. You know, these things, they lead. They lead on. We follow on to know the Lord.
Here a little, there a little at times. This is our God. This is our God. For thou hast
been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his
distress. What is your need? What was your
need? What was your distress? Was he a strength to you in it? Did he strengthen you? Maybe
you felt that all was over, all was finished. Maybe you felt
you couldn't answer that question in the exam. You didn't know
what decision to make when that was presented to you. You look
back and you got the result you needed. You were helped to finish
the exam paper. You were helped to make that
right choice. You look back now, it was the right choice. Thou hast been a strength to
the poor. What he was to you then, he ever will be to you. A refuge and strength, a very
present help in trouble, a strength to the needy in his distress,
a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, that when the
blast of the terrible ones is as a storm, against the wall. What a precious thing to be brought
to trust in the Lord. We're not born trusting the Lord,
are we? What a wonderful thing if the
Lord has brought you to trust Him. He's causing you to put
your trust in Him. He's showing you you can't trust
anyone else or anything else. that maybe you had to have the
painful experience. You've tried to put your trust
in someone and they've failed you. He will not fail you. He never
fails those that put their trust in Him. We have this in the Lamentations
in chapter 3. The Lord is good unto them that
wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that
a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the
Lord. It is good for a man that he
bear the yoke in his youth. Oh friends, these things are
precious, this waiting on the Lord. committing our way unto
the Lord, trusting Him, casting our care upon Him. How do we
prove He cares for us? Friends, if you have no communication
with Him, what is it? You see, the Lord graciously
encourages the needy to call upon Him. He graciously encourages
poor needy sinners to cast their care upon him. The loving welcome for the coming
sinner to the throne of grace who ventures, ventures in faith
with the burden, with the need that he has or she has, casting
all your care upon him. For he careth for you. You'll prove it. You'll prove
it, maybe you've got to venture, not knowing he cares. But my
soul into thy arms I cast, I trust I shall be safe at last. Oh,
it's that venturing in prayer, as Esther had to venture into
the King's presence. Staying away, well, she and the
Jews were finished. But standing in the way, oh,
was the thought to go in uninvited. Oh, if he holds the scepter out,
she's accepted. If he rejects her, she's put
to death. Can she stay out? Can she stay
away? Can you stay away? Maybe you
think I'm going to give it all up. Maybe there's a few seekers
who say, that's it, I'm not seeking anymore, I can't. Can you afford not to? Friends, if the Lord has made
known something of your need, and you know there's only one
source of help, one comfort, one who can comfort and console. There's only one help, one hope
for you. Can you turn away from the only
hope that is set before us in the pages of scripture? Or is it, Lord, help me to wait? Waiting on Him in prayer, casting
your care waiting for him to show you his care for you, waiting
for him to appear, waiting for his deliverance, waiting for
the word of his grace to enter into your heart. Lo, this is our God, we have
waited for him. Sometimes the Lord is gracious
in this, You know, there are those who
can point to a time when they barely uttered a prayer and the
Lord appeared with an answer. Abraham's servant, he didn't
wait long, did he? He said, before I was done speaking,
it was that Rebecca came down to the well. The Lord in answering,
Oh, immediately there's an appearing. As we're thinking the prayer,
as we're speaking that silent prayer, the answer appears, deliverance
is made. Other times, there's a need to
go again, and again, and again. And I believe a child of God
knows knows what that is. Think of Elijah on Mount Carmel. He had the promise, show thyself
to Ahab and I will send rain. He showed himself to Ahab but
where was the rain? And you have the promise. If
we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. You have the promise. He had
the promise. The deliverance will be made. Friends, there is a pleading
of that promise, isn't there? And the Lord gives these promises.
May He give us the grace to pray and to plead the promises. Elijah, he goes up to the mount,
he puts his head between his knees, he goes to the ground
and he prays that the Lord will send rain and he sends his servant
to look and he comes back and what does he say? There is nothing. There is nothing. We have waited
for him. We have waited for him. But there's
a set time to favour. There's a set time to answer.
Or there's a set time to favour Zion. There's an appointed day. There's an appointed time. There's
an appointed hour. And you and I, What are we to
do? What was Elijah to do? What was
he to tell his servant to do? He said, go again seven times. Go again is that perfect number. Go again. Elijah was to pray
again and again and again. And so are you. That first knock,
there is no answer. Friends, the promise is, isn't
it? Seek and ye shall find. Knock
and it shall be opened unto you. Oh, it's that knocking. Knocking
at that door. Knocking at the door of mercy.
Praying unto the Lord Jesus, seeking that which you need, give him no rest. The impertunate
prayer, how very gracious the Lord is. You know, he didn't
give that Syrophoenician woman the immediate answer. He'd have
a, oh, he'd have a Testify of the living faith that he had
given her. Crumb for an undeserving dog. That's how low she had come.
Yea, Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from the
master's table. Is that what the Lord's doing,
friend, to you? Bringing you lower? You think you're low enough,
maybe? No, that time, that set time
to come and to bless, that set time to reveal. And the Lord
did appear. O woman, greatest thy faith. You see, he's not sent but to
the lost sheep of the household of Israel. He came to seek and to save that
which was lost. It's on His terms. He sets the
conditions. It's all of His grace. His free
and sovereign grace. The Lord is merciful. Lo, this is our God. We have
waited for Him. He will save us. This is the
Lord. We have waited for Him. We will
be glad and rejoice in his salvation. As he made you wait, he's answered
your prayer. Those of you this afternoon,
as he's raised you up to a little hope in his name. You've been
led and taught. You're finding, living in this
body of sin, waiting. What are you waiting for? Living
out your days. waiting for the consolation of
Israel, waiting for the appearing of the Son of Man again, waiting
for the coming of the Lord Jesus, waiting for Him to say, friend,
come up higher, waiting for that call. Friends, you're not waiting
in vain. No, it's certain. What you have
is a sure and certain hope what you have in your little experience. The Lord has given you here a
little, there a little along the way. He's raised your expectation. There's those handfuls of purpose
we thought of this morning and they speak of greater things. And this is the greatest thing.
That day when you will know that great change. You know, if you
and I are not alive at His coming, then we will die. Death for the
believer is that passage into glory. Death for the believer
is the putting off, once and for all, of this old nature,
this body of clay. with all the memories with all
the reminders of our fallen lost condition is that a grief to
you today? you see the marks of the fall
and you look to that day and what a day it will be when you
can cast it aside and have no more to do with it for when that
dying thief was brought to the end of his
life. He saw what he was. He was a
guilty, wretched, undone sinner. And so is every child of God.
And he had exactly the same as every other child of God. No
hope in self, I find. You know he had nothing good
to look to in his own life. And friends, that is the same
of every child of God. Their hope of heaven is entirely
on Jesus Christ. No good work they've done, no
good deed. They have the same as that thief.
And the same will be said to them, today thou shalt be with
me in paradise. Friends, his mortal remains were
taken down from that cross and he was buried his soul is in glory today thou
shalt be with me in paradise oh there's no waiting in purgatory
today death ushers in a glorious a glorious prospect to be with Christ, which is far
better. And what a glorious day, that
second coming of our Lord, when there is that raising in incorruption,
a reuniting of soul and body, and all is right and made right. And all is found in glory at
last, forever and ever. but that soul of the dying thief
waits and those that sleep in Jesus wait and those that are
alive that is coming will be caught up in the clouds and that
great change in the in the twinkling of an eye and the immortal puts
on immortality and it is then forever with the Lord. Oh may
the May we each have that good hope while we are living out
our days. May we have the assurance of
faith that though we see so much yet to be done, may we look to
the finished work of Jesus. May our trust, our hope, our
all be found in him. who loved us and gave himself
for us. And it shall be said in that
day, lo, this is our God. Not crying for the rocks and
the mountains to cover us, but lo, this is our God. We have
waited for him. He will save us. This is the
Lord. we have waited for him, we will
be glad and rejoice in his salvation. May the Lord at his blessing.
Amen. We conclude our service today
by singing hymn number 687. The tune is Hanover, number 807. Ye broken hearts all, who cry
out unclean, And taste of the gall of indwelling sin, Lamenting
it truly, and loathing it too, And seeking help duly, as sinners
must do, The Lord whom ye seek is nigh to your call, attends
when you speak, nor lets a word fall. Your sorrow and sighing
are felt in his breast. He pities your crying, and will
give you rest. ? After the storm we cried out
the name ? ? That made all the world our home ? ? Ever be stilled ? ? Ever be with
me ? ? Ever be with me ? ? And sleep in heavenly peace ?
? And sleep in heavenly peace ? ? And sleep in heavenly peace
? ? And sleep in heavenly peace ? ? And sleep in heavenly peace
? ? And sleep in heavenly peace ? ? Fountains in his keep ? ?
For ever let go ? ? Of sorrow and sighing ? Love is in his breast, He pities
all crying, And will give him rest. ? If thou turn thee mine, be safe
from his grace ? ? And smile on her eyes, for her sin no grace
? ? And thanked the onlookers ? ?
Who came to call his help ? ? And sweetly his power ? ? His grace
and his power ? All their hidden pride is buried
in us, and their tears have sighed, lost in grieving us. Keep us to him, warning, our
treasure to guard, That we to that warning would still in our
hands stay. ? That I may have strength to hear
the rumors ? ? That I may have strength to hear the rumors ?
? That I may have strength to hear the rumors ? ? That I may
have strength to hear the rumors ? Until he is ready, take her with
you well. Be patient and steady, and wait
no less well. Dear Lord, do forgive all that
thy pure and holy eyes have seen amiss in our worship here this
day. Do take us each home in peace
and in safety. Now may the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, the fellowship and
the communion of the Holy Spirit, rest and abide with us each now
and forevermore. Amen.