The notices for the coming week
are God willing as follows. Pastor will preach here next
Lord's Day at 10.30 and 2 o'clock. Also on Thursday evening at 7
o'clock. There'll be a prayer meeting
here on Tuesday evening at 7 o'clock. Let us commence our services
today. by singing together hymn number
365. The tune is Viator, 428. Where shall we go to seek and
find a habitation for our God, a dwelling for the eternal mind
amongst the sons of flesh and blood? Hymn 365. tune viator 428. So we go to seek and find a habitation
forever that carry forth eternal life
amongst the sons of the ancient blood. And I, one day, will choose the
hill of Zion o'er Is ancient grace, And giant wings
that fail in still, The mortal soul ? His presence there ? ? Here will
I keep my gracious throne ? ? And pray for help ? God's great love
is like a rainbow in the night and fill their souls. With living breath Sinners that
wait before my door Wishing perdition shall be fed I'll live with truth and full
of grace. My feet, my hope is stilled, sheltered, not erring. This course, it is made on a
day and shall be mine. The saints unable to contain
Their hymns of joy shall shout and sing The sun of day in the air shall
reign And Zion triumphant be her king. Let us read together from the
Holy Word of God in the Gospel according to Luke, chapter 12. Luke's Gospel, chapter 12, and
we'll read down to verse 40. In the meantime, when they were
gathered together, an innumerable multitude of people in so much
that they drove one upon another he began to say unto his disciples
first of all beware ye of the leaven of the pharisees which
is hypocrisy for there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed
neither hid that shall not be known Therefore whatsoever ye
have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light, and that
which ye have spoken in the ear in closet shall be proclaimed
upon the housetops. And I say unto you, my friends,
be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have
no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom
ye shall fear, fear him which after he hath killed hath power
to cast into hell yea i say unto you fear him are not five sparrows
sold for two farthings and not one of them is forgotten before
god but even the very hairs of your head are all numbered fear
not therefore you're of more value than many sparrows. Also
I say unto you, whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall
the Son of Man also confess before the angels of God. But he that
denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God. And whosoever shall speak a word
against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him, but unto him
that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven. And when they bring you unto
the synagogues and unto magistrates and powers, take ye no thought
how or what thing you shall answer or what you shall say, for the
Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what you ought
to say. And one of the companies said
unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance
with me. And he said unto him, man, who
made me a judge or divider over you? And he said unto them, take
heed and beware of covetousness, for a man's life consisteth not
in the abundance of the things which he possesses, And he spake
a parable unto them, saying, the ground of a certain rich
man brought forth plentifully. And he thought within himself,
saying, what shall I do? Because I have no room where
to bestow my fruits. And he said, this will I do.
I will pull down my barns and build greater. And there will
I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul,
soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years. Take thine ease, eat, drink,
and be merry. And God said unto him, thou fool,
this night thy soul shall be required of thee. Then whose
shall those things be which thou hast provided? so is he that
layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. And
he said unto his disciples, therefore I say unto you, take no thought
for your life what ye shall eat, neither for the body what ye
shall put on, for the life is more than meat, and the body
is more than raiment. Consider the ravens, for they
neither sow nor reap, which neither have storehouse nor barn, and
God feedeth them. How much more are ye better than
the fowls? And which of you with taking
thought can add to his stature one cubit? If ye then be not
able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for
the rest? Consider the lilies how they
grow, they toil not, they spin not, and yet I say unto you that
Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
If then God so clothed the grass, which is today in the field and
tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more will he clothe
you, O ye of little faith? And seek not ye that what ye
shall eat or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For if these things, for all
these things do the nations of the world seek after you, and
your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things, but rather
seek ye the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added
unto you. Fear not, little flock, for it
is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell
that you have and give alms, provide yourselves bags which
wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where
no thief approaches, neither moth corrupteth. For where your
treasure is, there will your heart be also. Let your loins
be girded about, and your lights burning, and ye yourselves like
unto men that wait for their Lord, when he will return from
the wedding, that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto
him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom
the Lord, when he cometh, shall find watching. Verily I say unto
you, that he shall gird himself, and make them sit down to meet,
and will come forth and serve them. But if he shall come in
the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them
so, blessed are those servants. But this know, that if the good
man of the house had known, what hour the thief would come, would
have watched and not have suffered his house to be broken through.
Be ye therefore ready also for the Son of Man cometh at an hour
when ye think not. May the Lord bless the reading
of his own precious word and grant unto us a spirit of real
prayer. Almighty most merciful and eternal
God of heaven, we do bow before thy great majesty as poor sinners. Each one of us, O Lord, are the
fallen son or daughter of Adam, born in seed, shapen in iniquity,
unrighteous altogether. O Lord, what a mercy it is if
we truly know it to be so. And know, as the dear apostle
himself says, for I know that in me, that is in my flesh, there
dwelleth no good thing. Gracious God, we come to bow
before thee as poor sinners. We come and seek and hope to
find a portion for our soul. We come in all our need, in all
our sinfulness, with all our corruption, and we would confess
our sins and our wanderings and our backslidings. Gracious God,
we have to say with the hymn writer, prone to wander, Lord,
I feel it, prone to leave the God I love. Here's my heart,
Lord, take and seal it, seal it from thy courts above. We
pray that today, as we gather around thy Word, that the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God our Father and
the sacred fellowship of the Holy Spirit may rest and abide
upon us. We pray to be led and taught
and guided and directed by them. We pray that the word of God
may be open to our heart and to our understanding. We pray
for the divine power and the heavenly unction of the Holy
Spirit to apply the word into our hearts. We pray that it may
be with us today as it was with Lydia, whose heart the Lord opens. And may it please thee, O Lord,
to open our hearts, open our eyes and our ears, that we may
behold wondrous things in thy word. We do humbly beseech thee. May thy word be a lamp unto our
feet and a light unto our path. May it please thee to grant those
divine drawings of a heavenly Father, drawing us unto thy best
beloved, all-glorious Son. None come except the Father draw. Gracious God, draw us unto Jesus
Christ. Guide us by thy good Spirit.
Grant that the Holy Ghost may reveal unto us the things of
Jesus. that we may behold his glory,
the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace
and truth, that we may touch the hem of his garment, that
we may draw from that sacred fullness that is in him, that
we may know him in the power of his resurrection, in the fellowship
of his sufferings, be made conformable unto his death. Gracious God,
so bless us. We are completely dependent upon
thee. and upon thy blessing. Without
thee we can do nothing, and we painfully feel it to be so. Come
then, O Lord, we pray thee, in thy spirit and in thy grace,
and that breath thy word into our hearts, that it might be
a living word, reveal unto us the glorious person of Jesus.
We do thank thee for that wonderful, profound truth God was manifest
in the flesh. We thank thee for the holy life
he lived as a man here upon earth, even our Lord Jesus Christ. Fulfilling
and honouring that holy righteous law that we have dishonoured
and broken, he has fulfilled it and honoured it. We think
of those wonderful words of grace, I come not to destroy the law,
but to fulfil it. We thank thee that Christ is
the end of the law for righteousness. We thank thee for that everlasting
robe, that glorious dress that will clothe thy people to stand
in thy presence. Jehovah said, can you, the Lord
our righteousness. We thank thee that thou didst
lay down thy life for thy friends. crucified on the cross of Calvary,
suffering, bleeding, dying for the sins of thy people. He that
did no sin was made sin. Gracious God, we do pray for
truly thankful hearts, for that precious atonement on Calvary's
tree, for that precious blood, that sin-atoning blood, and the
glory of the empty tomb, swallowed up death in victory. and the
wonderful glory of an ascended saviour who now sitteth at thy
right hand and has opened the gates of heaven and made a new
and living way into the holy place and this, O Lord, is all
our hope and all our desire that we might know him and serve him
and follow him. Gracious God, we thank thee for
every mercy of thy kind providence. Thy mercies to us are new every
morning, and great is thy faithfulness. We desire, O Lord, a heart of
gratitude as we come into the sanctuary for all thy tender
mercies. We think of the wonderful promises
of thy word also. My God shall supply all your
need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. What a fullness there is in thee,
Dear Lord Jesus, O most blessed Spirit, come and guide us unto
Christ, and let us hear his voice and see his countenance, that my beloved is white and
ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand. Lord Jesus, we do pray
that thou wouldst visit us with thy great salvation. Remember
our brethren, the deacons, Bless them with grace, wisdom, and
help in all their responsibilities here and elsewhere. Gracious
God, we pray for each one of our brethren and sisters in church
fellowship, wherever they may be at this time. Bless each one. Oh Lord, we do beseech them.
Help us to love each other as a church, as a congregation.
Serve each other. Bear each other's burdens, thereby
fulfilling the law of Christ. Gracious God, we do pray that
thou wouldst bless the little ones and the children, or that
thou wouldst bless them indeed in their young and tender years,
and bring them to follow thee and serve thee. The dear young
friends, as they stand on the threshold of life's journey,
bless them indeed, bring them to live in faith. in Jesus Christ,
make them true followers of thee and of those who through faith
and patience inherit the promises. So bless our young friends, supply
all their needs in providence and in grace. Guide them, O thou
great Jehovah. Be with them in their education.
Be with them, Lord, regarding any future employment. And be
with them and graciously guide and direct them to a partner
in life's journey. Lord, we lovingly commend them
to Thee, to the word of Thy grace, which is able to build them up
and to grant them an inheritance among them that are sanctified.
Remember, Lord, we pray Thee, parents, and give wisdom and
grace and help to bring up their children the nurture and admonition
of the Lord. Remember all in the midst of
the journey of life and graciously undertake for each one. Deliver
us from the temptations of Satan. Deliver us from the allurement
of this vain bewitching world that has the death ten thousands
hurled. Lord, we pray that when the enemy
comes in like a flood, the spirit of the Lord may lift up a standard
against him. Remember those of us in the evening
time of life's journey. Lord, graciously grant that at
evening time it may be light, that the light of thy gospel
and of thy grace may shine in our hearts and in our pathway.
And, O Lord God, we do pray for our dear aid sister, Ina, that
thou wouldst undertake for her and bless her. We do humbly beseech
of thee. We pray for our dear brother
and sister in Holland and seek that thou wouldst bless them
indeed. And, O Lord God, we pray that thou would remember the
prodigals, stretch out thy almighty arm. What a rejoicing there would
be among us, O Lord God, to see the prodigals return. O gracious
God, we can look back ourselves and we can say, to the honour
of thy name, preserved in Jesus when my feet made haste to have
and such there had I been were not salvation free. Gracious
God, remember the prodigals, cause them to return. We do humbly
beseech you, send the glory, light and power of the gospel
into this village and the surrounding villages and hamlets and bring
our sons from far and our daughters from the ends of the earth. 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 today on the walls of Zion. Set
them free, set them at liberty, grant mighty signs and wonders
to follow the preaching of the word. We do humbly beseech them. We pray thee, the great Lord
of the harvest, to send true labourers into the harvest and
to build the walls of Jerusalem We think of that lovely word
in Zechariah, for I am returned unto Jerusalem with mercies.
Lord, may it be so. We see a great declension, a
great falling away. O gracious God, thy church, it
is truly brought low. Remember thy Zion. Return, O
Lord, we pray thee. Bring us each to real repentance
and godly sorrow for sin, and to mourn betwixt the port and
the altar, to see thy work and thy power and thy glory as thou
usest to be in the sanctuary. Remember those from among us
that labor among the nations of the earth. We think of Ian
Sadler and that great work he does throughout the nations of
the earth. in the distribution and exposition
of Holy Scripture. Supply all his needs. Remember
the Savannah Education Trust and that great work they're doing
in Garner. Remember the Mombasa mission
and thy servant there and gird him with all sufficient grace.
We do humbly beseech them and grant good success. Lord, we
pray that thou wouldst hear us and remember our nation. Bless
our King, Bless the royal household with that rich grace that is
in King Jesus. Bless our senators with wisdom,
with understanding, with guidance and with direction. O Lord, we
do pray thee. And we look upon the nations
of the earth at this time and the terrible bloodshed and wars.
We pray that thou in thy great mercy would hear the cries of
thy little remnant. Put a stop to war. Bring to naught
the counsels of the ungodly. Send deliverance unto thy people.
And we think of those that live in those nations of the earth
where the name of Christ is hated. And thy people are persecuted,
imprisoned, even unto death. Gracious God, remember them for
good. Send them help from the sanctuary.
Strengthen them out of Zion. O Lord, we do beseech you. We
pray that thou wouldst now be with us as we turn to thy holy
word. Come and open thy word to our
heart and to our understanding. Come and give us light and understanding
in thy word. Come and touch one's lips with
a live coal from off the heavenly altar. We ask with the forgiveness
of all our sins, for Jesus Christ's sake, amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 704, the tune is Wells 507. Lord we lie before thy feet,
look on all our deep distress, thy rich mercy may we meet, clothe
us with thy righteousness, stretch forth thy almighty hand, hold
us up, and we shall stand hymn 704 tune wells 507 ? O give them glory ? ? O give them glory ? ? O give
them glory ? ? I'll make her a she-man in need
? ? I'll make her a she-man in need ? ? Heav'nly Lord God, Lord God in
the earth ? ? Lord God, Lord God in the air ? ? God and I alone shall be your
King ? ? God and I will be your King forevermore ? ? Give us, God, eternal rest ?
? Give us, God, eternal rest ? Lord, we preach in this our day,
very much faithful and true. May thy glory in all the world
prosper, O let it watch me as I show the great way. ? Everlasting is your glory evermore
? ? Through the perilous fight ?
? O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming? ? ? And the rocket's red glare,
the bombs bursting in air, ? you ? O come, O come, Emmanuel ? ?
O come, O come, Emmanuel ? Greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, direct your attention to the chapter that we read,
the Gospel according to Luke chapter 12, reading verse 40
for our text. The Gospel according to Luke
chapter 12, verse 40. Be ye therefore ready also, for
the Son of Man cometh at an hour when ye think not. Be ye therefore ready also, for
the Son of Man cometh at an hour when ye think not. In the Gospels, in the teaching
of Christ, in the epistles, In the teaching of the Apostles, we read on many occasions, Behold,
I come as a thief. Now the reason that that is put
there is an emphasis, a time when ye think not. Now, of course, coming of Christ,
the second coming of Christ. There's also the time of your
death. It's the son of man cometh an
hour when you think not. There is a time to be born, there
is a time to die. And the time when we die is just
like when the Lord Jesus speaks of
the time of his coming, when he comes a second time in the
end of the world to judge the world in righteousness. No man
knoweth the hour nor the day. And that is so of our death.
No man knoweth. the hour nor the day when the
Son of Man cometh. You know, my beloved friends,
we need to be made ready. Be ye therefore ready also for
the Son of Man cometh at an hour when ye think not. The term the Son of Man, I think
there are 72 times in Holy Scripture But when the Lord Jesus Christ
is referred to as the Son of Man, most of them are by himself
as it is here in this word. So what is being, when he's called
the Son of Man, we know he's the Son of God. He's declared
to be the Son of God with power. He's the Son of God from all
eternity and to all eternity. He's Jesus Christ, the same yesterday,
that's yesterday eternal, and today and forever. He always
has been and He always will be. He lives in one eternal now. And it's He that is appointed
a time when you and I will die. It's ordained of God. And in
the Ecclesiastes We read, and there is no discharge in that
war. What war is he speaking of? Death. Death. There's no discharge in that
war. Every one of us come there, must come there. Some people,
they have sickness and then eventually that sickness they die. Other
people are driving along the road and they have a car accident
and they die. And so it is. You read, surprisingly,
how many people, just a simple thing, they trip and fall down
the stairs and they die. But that thing, that doesn't
happen by chance. We hear people say, if only this,
if only that, if only something else. I can understand the reasoning, but it's in God's hand. It's in God's hand. Think of
the words of the Apostle in Hebrews chapter 9. As it is appointed unto man once
to die, then after death the judgment. Now there's an emphasis
there. Death and judgment, they're joined
together. What God has joined together,
let not man put asunder. As sure as you die, you will
appear. the judgment seat of Jesus Christ
to give account of the deeds done in the body and everything will be made manifest
says here in this chapter in verse 2 for there is nothing
covered that shall not be revealed neither hid that shall not be
known therefore whatsoever you have spoken in darkness shall
be heard in the light and that which ye have spoken in the air,
in closets, shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. I say unto
you, my friends, be not afraid of them that kill the body, and
after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn
you, whom ye shall fear, fear him which after he hath killed
hath power to cast into hell. Yea, I say unto you, Fear Him. Fear Him. According to the teachings
of Holy Scripture, there are only two places to which we are
going. It's either eternal glory in
heaven with Christ, which is far better, or it is eternal
damnation to be cast into the confines of eternal despair,
forever and ever. The destination which we are
going to, my beloved friends, is eternal. It is. It's eternal. The soul of man,
we do not believe in the doctrine of annihilation, which is what
most people believe today. But the scriptures tell us just
the opposite. They say that our body will die,
And the actual, what we call the Aaron article of death is
when the soul leaves the body. As James says in his epistle,
the body without the spirit is dead. That's what death is, being
alone. After death, the judgment. Oh my dear beloved friends, everything
will be revealed in the day of judgment. Nothing shall be hidden
in the day of judgment. The Son of Man, the Lord Jesus
Christ, who is the Son of God, He will judge the world in righteousness
and nothing can be hid from Him. He gives us a warning here before
that time comes. He gives us a solemn warning.
Be ye therefore ready Also, for the son of man cometh at an hour
when ye think not. None of us know if we will enter
into tomorrow, or the next day, or the next
week. We do not know. And as James
says in his epistle, that what we should say is if the Lord
will, we will do this or do that. Not we're going to do this, we're
going to do that, we're going to do something else, if the
Lord will. It's only as he permits it that
you and I will do it. Now this being made ready, in the previous chapter, chapter
11, the Lord Jesus Christ He teaches the disciples to pray.
Now, the significant point of this is that if you and I are
being made ready, the Lord will teach you how to pray. One of the first signs of divine
life in the soul is prayer. And the Lord teaching you to
pray There's a little children's hymn, isn't there? I often say
my prayers, but do I often pray and do the wishes of my heart
go with the words I say? Do they? You repeat your prayers, but is it real prayer? I would always encourage to pray
just as the Lord Jesus Christ himself did. disciples asked
him teach us how to pray as John also taught his disciples and
so he gives them that beautiful prayer it's known as the Lord's
Prayer. I actually think the Lord's Prayer
is much more should be John chapter 17 but here as it is normally
called Our Father, Our Father which art in heaven Hallowed
be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, as in heaven,
so in earth. Give us day by day our daily
bread, and forgive us our sins. For we also forgive everyone
that is indebted to us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver
us from evil. It's a short prayer, isn't it? The longest prayer in the Bible,
you can read it in 10 minutes. Solomon's prayer, but the dedication
of the temple, you can read it in 10 minutes. That's the longest
prayer in the Bible. I remember reading about J.C. Philpott and William Gadsby,
And in their pulpit prayers, there were never more than 10
minutes. I think sometimes we get into
bad habits. Do you pray? I say, do you pray? Not just
an outward repeating of something. Do you pray from your heart? Because you feel need. You feel
the need to pray. You feel the need to seek God. One human writer puts it this
way, there's an aching void in your heart that the world can
never fill. And it's in that aching void
in your heart that you need something. You may not know even what it
is exactly what you need but there's an aching void in your
heart and you pray. Maybe you go aside in secret
and pray. Sometimes, and it was very much
so with me when I was under conviction of sin, sometimes I didn't even
realize There was a Satan, but he sorely tempted me. I didn't
realize it at the time. But you know where the Spirit
of God is working, the devil worked it. He'll introduce thoughts into
your mind, temptations, and it will It will make you
pray, because in those temptations you don't want to do it. It will
make you pray, and seek, and cry. You know, here in the context
of chapter 11, and the Lord Jesus says, which of you shall have
a friend and shall go unto him at midnight and say unto him,
friend, lend me three loaves, a friend of mine is in his journey
has come to me and I have nothing to set before him and he from
within shall answer and say trouble me not the door is now shut my
children are with me in bed I cannot rise and give thee I say unto
you though he will not rise and give him because he is his friend
yet because of his impotunity what's the context here prayer
impotunity because of his impotunity he will rise and give him as
many as he needs because the impotunity went to his friend
now listen to what Christ says and I say unto you and this is
all part of being made ready what we have in our text be ye
ready also And I say unto you, ask, and
it shall be given you. Seek and you shall find. Knock,
and it shall be opened unto you. This is the encouragement the
Lord Jesus gives us to pray. And this form of prayer, the
way that he speaks of it, ask. There was a, up in the North
Country I believe it was, in the last, probably in the 1800s,
and there was a man, he was praying unto the Lord in a public prayer
meeting, and he thanked the Lord for this, he thanked the Lord
for that, he praised the Lord for something else, et cetera,
and there was an old lady sitting by, and she said out loud, ask
him for something. He didn't need anything. She said,
ask him for something. That's what prayer is. Ask Him
for something. You see, my beloved friends,
these things are written for our instruction. And there is
a divine promise that is given here to those that ask. Just
listen. For everyone that asketh, receiveth. And he that seeketh, findeth. and to him that knocketh it shall
be opened. You see, now it doesn't say that
that will be done immediately. The exhortation throughout Holy
Scripture is to wait upon the Lord. Isaiah chapter 40. But they that
wait upon the Lord in prayer Don't give up prayer because
you haven't yet got an answer. But they that wait upon the Lord
shall renew their strength. They shall mount up on wings
as eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk
and not faint. Waiteth. Blessed is the man that
watteth daily at my gates. He waiteth daily at my gates,
at the house of God. there somebody here and you feel
you keep seeking and watching and waiting and many times you
are tempted to give up and no more to pray and no more to ask
and you say oh what good is it nothing seems to happen nothing
seems to keep asking keep looking keep watching keep waiting don't
give up One of the hymn writers says,
doesn't he, does Satan tempt thee to give up? No more in Jesus'
name to trust. Keep looking. Keep watching for
everyone that asketh, receive it. And he that seeketh, findeth. And him that knocketh, it shall
be opened. These promises, my beloved friends,
are divinely certain. They come from God. They come
from God. If a son shall ask bread of any
of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? Or if he
ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he
shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? Of course he
wouldn't. If ye then, be an evil, and we
are, we're sinners, if ye then be an evil, know how to give
good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Heavenly
Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him. What a wonderful promise, isn't
it? Your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that
ask Him. And you know, the teaching here,
my beloved friends, is the vital need of the Holy Spirit. There's
no life without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the heart.
There's no real prayer without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit
in the heart. It's the Holy Spirit that quickens
our soul. that brings us from spiritual
death into spiritual life. And it's that Holy Spirit that
makes us seek the Lord and brings us to ask. He gives
us to feel our need as a sinner before a holy God. But what a
promise here there is. How much more shall your heavenly
Father Give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him. Oh my beloved
friends, the Lord Jesus, He puts it in another way, in the third
chapter of John's Gospel, when He speaks to Nicodemus, one of
the rulers among the Jews, a member of the Sanhedrin. What did Jesus
say to him? Accept a man, be born of water
and of the Spirit, He cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. So how vital here that the truth
that is set before us, how much more shall your heavenly Father
give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him? Oh, my beloved
friends, the Holy Spirit gives life. The Holy Spirit gives light. The Holy Spirit gives power. The Apostle speaks of it when
he was at Thessalonica, didn't he? What did he say? For our
gospel came unto you, not in word only, not just the letter
of truth, but in power, in the Holy Ghost, and with much assurance. Much assurance. When the Holy
Spirit teaches us, we know. have those words in the first
epistle of John, isn't it? In that first epistle John says,
we know. What one of those we knows is,
we know that we are passed from death unto life because we love
the brethren. Do you feel in your heart what
the hymn writer says? I'd love to meet among them now.
before thy gracious feet to bow, thou vilest of them all." I love
the Lord. I love his people. I love his
ways. It's what David said, didn't
he? I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice, the voice
of my supplications. We read of the conversion of
Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus. Clear. Conversion. But what was said
though? Behold, he prayeth, the mark
of life, true spiritual life in the heart. You may often pray
in private. I used to pray for two years
when I was what we call under the law. I didn't tell anyone
else I prayed. I prayed in secret, I prayed
silently. I prayed earnestly. Nobody else
knew that. But I did. What about you? Do you pray privately? Earnestly? Because you need something? Because
you're looking for something? Because you fear you're a sinner?
Because you know you've got to die? Because you have a great
need? Do you pray? And does the Lord
bring things into your pathway to make you pray? Troubles, trials,
needs, concerns, burdens? But it brings you to the throne
of grace that the Lord would grant those things that
you do so desire. Now these are the marks of being
made ready. Prayer, private prayer, earnest
prayer. And that prayer may go on for
weeks, months, years. But listen to the word we've
already directed to in verse 10 of chapter 11. For everyone
that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and him
that knocketh it shall be opened, is divinely certain. The Lord
will hear your prayers. Whatsoever ye ask in my name,
I will do it, said the Lord Jesus Christ. Whatsoever ye ask, whom we ask,
His Heavenly Father. Yes, His Heavenly Father. Whatsoever He asks, that is My
Heavenly Father, in My Name. You see, that emphasis is in
the teachings of Christ and in the teachings of the Apostles
that we cannot ask in our own name. And you may say to me,
why can't we ask in our own name? Because you're a vile sinner.
And God is holy and righteous altogether. He will not at all
acquit the guilty. We cannot go in our own person.
We cannot plead anything that we have done. That was the great
error of the Pharisees. They thought they could broom
their good works, their own righteousness. But the Lord Jesus He very solemnly
speaks of the Pharisees. He speaks against the Pharisees
more than any other group of people. You see here he gives us some
instruction. And he speaks of, in verse 8 of this
chapter 12, Also I say unto you, whosoever
shall confess Me before men, him shall the Son of Man also
confess before the angels of God. To confess Christ, to openly
confess Christ, that you're a follower of Christ, that you love Christ,
that you desire to serve Him. Whosoever shall confess Me before
men, Him shall the Son of Man also confess before the angels
of God, but he that denieth me before men shall be denied before
the angels of God. Again, speaks here very solemnly
concerning the Holy Ghost, and whosoever shall speak a word
against the Son of Man, that's Christ, it shall be forgiven
him. But unto him that blasphemeth
against the Holy Ghost, It shall not be forgiven. It's a very
solemn thought, isn't it? It shall not be forgiven. He's
the glorious, holy, divine person of the Spirit of God. What was it? Well, one aspect
of that sin against the Holy Ghost was this, that it's to
attribute the work of the Holy Ghost to the devil. I've often heard people among
our churches and they look at other churches and people that
go to other churches and they say that's a lot of nonsense
they see there and they say well that's the devil's work when
there's anything done. You know friends, you need to
be exceedingly careful. The Lord doesn't just work among
the Strip Baptists. He works in many, many different
churches. And to say that the work going
on in that place is of the devil, if it isn't, you're coming very
close to the sin against the Holy Ghost. Attributing the work
of the Spirit to the devil. That's a solemn thing to do.
That's what the Lord Jesus Christ is reminding us of. The other
thing that this passage reminds us of is the that we should respect
and honour and reverence the Holy Spirit. Respect and honour and reverence
the Trinity, the Father, the Son, the Holy Ghost. It says
here, and when they bring you unto the synagogues and unto
magistrates and powers, take ye no thought what, thought how
or what thing you should answer. or what ye shall say, for the
Holy Ghost shall teach you in that the same hour what ye ought
to say." Or that the Lord would give us that boldness of faith.
Now the other thing that I'd like to point out here, friends,
it's a common error among us, is that a minister going to preach,
and they will quote that text, and they say, the Lord will give
us in that hour what to speak. That text is not relative to
the ministry. And the reason I say that is
there are many godly people that have said, you know, well, you
shouldn't study. You shouldn't meditate. The Lord
will give you in that hour what to speak. That's a complete misrepresentation
of what the Word declares. What does the Word declare concerning
a minister? Study to show thyself a workman
approved of God that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly divide
in the word of truth. So let us not misinterpret God's
holy, righteous word. Be ye therefore ready also, for
the Son of Man cometh at an hour when ye think not. You just think
of the words of our Lord Jesus Christ. When he, the Spirit of
truth, is come, He will reprove, or the margin says, convince
the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment. So when the
spirit comes to a sinner's heart, he will repent, he will convince
of sin. I've often said it. If I'm spared,
I will keep saying it. I cannot give you anything for
your religion if it doesn't have sin in it. You might say, whatever do you
mean? Listen to the word of God. He that saith he hath no sin,
deceiveth himself, and the life of God is not in him. That's
a solemn word, isn't it? Where the Spirit's working, there'll
be a realization of our sinfulness in a lesser or greater degree. And where the Spirit of God convinces
of sin, there'll be confession of sin. And this is all in this
word, be ye therefore ready also. It's to be made ready. It's to
be made aware of your lost condition. It's to be made aware that there
is a day of judgment. It's to be made aware that you
need salvation. And this is the work of the divine
spirit of truth. He will convince of sin, of righteousness,
that God is righteous and holy. of judgment that one day you
must appear at the judgment seat of Jesus Christ, where the work
of the Spirit is, there will be a realization of sin, there'll
be a realization of the day of judgment, there'll be a realization
of the holiness of God in some greater or lesser degree, and
there'll be a realization of your need as before a holy God,
your need of salvation. need of salvation. Be ye therefore
ready also. I think it's in the last chapter
of the Ecclesiastes that the Spirit of God, he says this
in the last two verses of Ecclesiastes, let us hear the conclusion of
the whole matter. Fear God, and keep His commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every
work into judgment with every secret thing, whether it be good
or whether it be evil. Hell, my beloved friends, is
a prepared place for an unprepared people. Heaven is a prepared
place for a prepared people. Though we often sing that well-known
hymn, may it indeed be each one of our prayers. Prepare me, gracious
God, to stand before thy face. Thy spirit must the work perform,
for it is all of grace. In Christ's obedience clothe
and wash me in his blood. So shall I lift my head with
joy among the sons of God. Prepare me, gracious God. And when you feel with your sinnership,
you then feel the need of the blood of Christ. And the Holy
Spirit will reveal unto you that the blood of Jesus Christ, God's
Son, cleanseth us from all sin. And when he reveals that unto
you, he's revealing unto you the way of salvation. The door of hope is open wide
in Jesus' bleeding hands and side. It is. And the Lord Jesus himself, speaking
to poor, lost, ruined, wretched sinners, what does he say? Come
unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn
of me. For I am meek and lowly in heart,
and ye shall find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy."
What is it to be yoked? To be united. United to Christ. This is the vital thing. Gatsby
says in one of his hymns, doesn't he? In union with the Lamb, from
condemnation free, the saints were everlasting were and shall
forever be in union with the Lamb. The Apostle, he speaks
and he's been many years in the way. And what does he say? That
I may know Him. Who? Christ. Christ. That I may know Him in the power.
He didn't just want to know about Him. He didn't want to just read
about Him in an intellectual way. He wanted to know Him in
a spiritual way. He wanted to know the power of
His resurrection bringing him from spiritual death into spiritual
life, that I may know him in the power
of his resurrection, in the fellowship of his sufferings. Be ye therefore
ready also for the son of man cometh at an hour when ye think
not, when ye think not. Oh my beloved friends, May the
Lord truly, truly convince us of our need. Truly convince us
that Jesus is the way to God. That Jesus is the way to bliss. Truly convince us that the blood
of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all sin. Jesus is the one thing needful. Give me Christ or else I die
is the cry of a hungry soul. Give me Christ or else I die.
Oh, to know him, to serve him, to follow him. The Lord Jesus here in the context
speaks of covetousness. And you know, friends, covetousness
is a root evil. in our hearts, in every one of
us. It's at the root of all the evil
is in our heart. In the holy law of God, thou
shalt not covet, but in our fallen sinful nature
we do covet. And the Lord Jesus warns us here He says in verse 15 to the man
who wanted him to divide his inheritance, he said, unto them
take heed and beware of covetousness, for a man's life consisteth not
in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. And he spake
a parable unto them, saying, the ground of a certain rich
man brought forth plentifully. And he thought within himself,
saying, what shall I do? Because I have no room wherewith
to bestow my fruits. And he said, this will I do.
I will pull down my barns and build greater. And there will
I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul,
soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years. Take thine
ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, thou fool. This night thy soul shall be
required of thee. Then who shall those things be
which thou hast provided? So is he that lieth up treasure
for himself and is not rich toward God. He's not rich toward God. He goes on, here he speaks of
how the He says, take no thought for your life, what you shall
eat, neither the body, what you shall put on. Consider the ravens,
he says, and the lilies, how they grow. If then God so clothed the grass
which is today in the field and tomorrow is cast into the oven,
how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith, and
seek not what you shall eat or what you shall drink, neither
be of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations
of the world seek after, but your heavenly Father knoweth
that ye have need of these things. He knoweth. He knows everything
you stand in need of. But the Lord Jesus goes on, and
this is part of this being ready, but rather seek ye the kingdom
of God, all these things that providential things shall be
added unto you fear not little flock for it is your father's
good pleasure to give you the kingdom sell that you have and
give arms provide yourselves back for it's wax not older treasure
in the heavens that faileth not where no thief approaches neither
moth corrupted for where your treasure is there will your heart
be also. Be ye therefore ready also for
the Son of Man cometh, an hour when ye think not. May the Lord add His blessings. Let us now sing together hymn
number 1134. The tune is Colwyn Bay, 903. Come gracious spirit, heavenly
dove, with light and comfort from above, our waiting souls
set free. Be thou our guardian, thou our
guide, or every thought and step preside. and draw us after thee. Hymn 1134, tune Colwyn Bay, 903. The End Be Thine, Thou Heaven-born, For
ev'ry heart shall praise Thee, The purest of the clean. O let us pray, O let us hope,
for every sinner that we see. He may not be free, Thy power, in thy pow'r, through
rose, by sin, and deed, trust, and trust, thou turn it ever
into belief. He loves to bite the leaflet,
and he gives away the other leaflet. Let all nations adore Thee, All
glory ever sing with You, And praise the Father, 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.