The notices for the coming week
are God willing as follows. Pastor will preach here next
Lord's Day at 10.30 and two o'clock. Also on Thursday evening at seven
o'clock. There'll be no prayer meeting
this week on Tuesday. The collection taken on Christmas
Day for the Mombasa mission amounted to 518 pounds. Let us commence our services
today by singing together hymn number 358. The tune is evening
hymn 709. God thus commanded Jacob's seed,
when from Egyptian bondage freed, he led them by the way. Remember
with a mighty hand, I brought thee forth from Pharaoh's land,
Then keep my Sabbath day. Hymn 358. Tune evening hymn 709. What task on earth did Jacob
seek When from Egyptian bondage free He led them by the way? Remember with a mighty hand Thy
holy throne of Jerusalem And keep thy Sabbath day. In six days, Lord, make heaven
and earth They rule over various creatures now, and for all these
while it ceases. In faith to labor we abide, Thus
for the first and second time, And call the day of rest. Till all God's people now remain
The serpent is the best of mates, and the herbs of savage kinds. ? Entwined with toil and thanksgiving
? ? The child of God can interfere ? ? The sleep of precious sleep
? Till this, my faith, the oath
retreats, On which the name of God forgets, And which is passed
adieu. Sighed softly, till from his
breast, Reclines his head on Jesus' breast. and with the sound of truth. This and this only is the way To rightly keep the Sabbath day,
Which God has holy made. O keepers that come short of
this Let us read together from the Holy Word of God. in the book of the Revelation
and chapter one. The first chapter in the book
of the Revelation. The revelation of Jesus Christ
which God gave unto him to show unto his servants things which
must shortly come to pass and he sent and signified it by his
angel unto his servant John, who bear record of the word of
God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things
that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and
thou that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things
which are written therein, for the time is at hand. John, to
the seven churches which are in Asia, grace be unto you and
peace from him which is and which was and which is to come, and
from the seven spirits which are before his throne, and from
Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness and the first begotten
of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth, unto
him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood. that hath made us kings and priests
unto God and his Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever
and ever. Amen. Behold, he cometh with
clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also that pierced
him, and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him,
even so. Amen. I am Alpha and Omega, the
beginning and the ending, saith the Lord which is and which was,
and which is to come, the Almighty. I, John, who also am your brother
and companion in tribulation and in the kingdom and patience
of Jesus Christ, was in the hour that is called Patmos, for the
word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the
Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice
as of a trumpet, saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning
and the last, the first and the last. And what thou seest, write
in a book and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia,
unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira,
and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. And I turned
to see the voice that spake with me, and being turned, I saw seven
golden candlesticks. And in the midst of the seven
candlesticks, one like unto the Son of Man, clothed with a garment
down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle,
His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow,
and his eyes were as a flame of fire, and his feet like unto
fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace, and his voice as
the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand
seven stars, and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword,
and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid
his right hand upon me, saying unto me, fear not, I am the first
and the last. I am he that liveth and was dead.
And behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And have the keys of hell
and of death. write the things which thou hast
seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be
hereafter. The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest
in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven
stars are the angels, that is the messengers of the seven churches,
and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. May the Lord bless that portion
of his own precious word and pour upon us the spirit of grace
and of supplications. Almighty, most merciful and eternal
God, we desire to bow before thy great majesty and to call
upon thy great and holy name We desire to be led and taught
and guided and directed by thy Holy Spirit as we gather together
around thy word this day. And as we approach thy great
majesty at the throne of grace, call upon us the spirit of grace
and of supplications with thanksgiving, we do humbly beseech thee. O most gracious Lord, we come
as poor sinners. We come to the last day of another
year of time. Another year of our short lives
is gone, never to return. And Lord, we're each hastening
to a never-ending eternity. Oh, we do pray that thou wouldst
impress that upon our hearts and our minds even today, the
brevity of time, and the tremendous reality of eternity that lies
before each one of us. Oh, we do pray, most gracious
Lord, that thou hast come in the divine power of thy Spirit
into our assembly, that we may truly worship thee in spirit
and in truth, for the Father seeth his such to worship him.
We come to thee, O Lord, as poor sinners, the poor fallen sons
and daughters of Adam, born in sin, shapen in iniquity. And Lord, we painfully feel it
to be so. Sin lives in our members. We
pray that we may not live in sin, though sin lives in us. We pray to be delivered from
its power and from its influence. And we pray, most blessed Spirit
of truth, that thou wouldst take of the things of Jesus and reveal
them unto us, the things of salvation, redemption, deliverance from
sin and Satan's power. Lord Jesus, thou art the great
Redeemer, the Almighty, the Holy One of Israel, the Lamb of God,
slain from before the foundation of the world. We pray that we
may be enabled to come unto thee this day in all our need as poor
sinners, as the poor fallen sons and daughters of Adam, and that
we may find peace and salvation and redemption in and through
thy precious blood and righteousness. We pray that we may touch the
hem of thy garment, that we may draw from that sacred fullness
that is in thee that fullness of grace, for in him dwelleth
all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Oh, we do pray that we
may draw from that fullness today, that thou wouldst pour it into
our souls, that we may lay hold of that hope that is set before
us in the gospel, that we may be lifted above all the carking
cares of this life, lifted above a spirit of unbelief and doubts
and fears, and led of the Spirit unto Jesus, the mediator of the
new covenant, and the precious things of Jesus revealed unto
us. O most gracious Spirit, grant
that these things may be so. We pray for the divine drawings
of our eternal Father, drawing us unto his best beloved Son,
for none come except the Father draw. Oh, to know those sweet
drawings today. We pray that there may be a soul
here in this chapel, whether young or old, that may be divinely
wrought upon by the Spirit of God and brought from death, from
spiritual death into spiritual life, from spiritual darkness
into spiritual light. Oh, do grant that this may be
so, for where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, and
may that liberty be brought in the hearts of thy people, and
may grace triumphant reign. May those in darkness be brought
into light, and those in bondage be brought into liberty, and
those that are far off, may they be made nigh. Grant that the
Lord Jesus Christ may be exalted in all his suitability as a saviour
of sinners, and that poor sinners may look and live, may hear that
lovely voice, look unto me, all ye ends of the earth, and be
ye saved, for I am God and there is none else. Lord Jesus, thou
art our only Saviour, thou art the only begotten Son of the
Father, full of grace and truth, O that we may truly worship thee
today. Remember us as a church and as
a congregation, remember those not able to be with us, We gather
them all together. We think of dear Ina in her great
age and any others that may be detained at home. We think of
our beloved brother and sister in Holland. Lord, we commit and
commend each one to thee and to the word of thy grace, which
is able to build us up and to grant us an inheritance among
them that are sanctified. Gracious God, bless us together. We thank thee for our brethren
and sisters in Christ, We thank thee, most gracious Lord, that
thou art still with us, and thy presence is still with us. And
thou hast said in thy word, my presence shall go with thee.
Gracious God, as we come to the end of another year of time,
and we enter into a new year, oh, that thy presence may go
with us, and that thou wouldst guide us by thy and afterward
receive us unto glory. We do pray, most gracious God,
remember our beloved brethren, the deacons, and bless them indeed,
and help them in all their responsibilities, which are many and varied, and
undertake for them here in this church and congregation. And
may we be as a threefold cord that cannot easily be broken.
We do humbly beseech thee. We pray, most gracious Lord,
for that grace to pray for each other and to bear each other's
burdens, thereby fulfilling the law of Christ, that we may love
each other and serve each other, that we may esteem each other
better than ourselves to be. We pray, most gracious Lord,
that thou in thy precious mercy would remember the little ones
and the children, We thank thee for them, we love to see them
and hear them in the sanctuary. Oh, that thou wouldst bless them
indeed. And thou hast said, suffer little children to come unto
me and forbid them not. Gracious God, may they come,
in all their simplicity as little children, to cast all their cares
upon thee. Lord, we pray that thou wouldst
bless the young friends, Bless them with that rich grace that
is in Christ Jesus. Bless them with light and understanding
in their word. Bless them with a knowledge of
themselves as poor sinners, and bless them with a knowledge of
Jesus Christ by faith. We do humbly beseech of thee,
show them thy ways, raise up a generation that shall call
thee the Redeemer, bless it. Bless them, Lord, with thy guidance
and direction in providence and guide and direct them in all
matters, whether it's their education or employment, partner in life
journey, we lovingly commend them to thee. Thou art that great
God that is able to do abundantly more than we can even ask or
think and we thank thee that thou art great and above all
that thou art the all in all of thy people. Oh, we pray that
we may be given a sacred sense of the dying love of our precious
Redeemer and a sacred sense of the spirit of adoption, our eternal
Father, the Almighty. Hear us, Lord, for God has sent
forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father,
Lord, may it be so today, we humbly beseech thee. My God,
my Father, blissful name, O may I call thee mine, we do humbly
beseech of thee. We pray, most gracious God, that
thou would remember all in the midst of their journey of life,
we would especially remember parents, that thou would give
them wisdom and grace to bring up their children in the nurture
and admonition of the Lord, and to order the home aright in the
fear of the Lord, that we may be examples unto our children,
that we may live as we ought to live and speak as we ought
to speak, even in our homes. We do humbly beseech of thee,
and we pray that love may reign among us as a church and as a
congregation and as families. We do humbly pray thee. We pray,
O Lord, that thou, in thy precious mercy, would remember those of
us in the evening time of life's journey. Remember us with the
favour that thou bearest unto thy people. Visit us with thy
great salvation. Make us more spiritually minded.
Set our affections on things above. O Lord, we do beseech
of thee. Forgive our every sin, our many
shortcomings and heart-wandering. O gracious God, we find that
great conflict, that when I would do good, then evil is present
with me, and that which I would, I do not, and that which I would
not, I do. And we find that constant conflict,
O Lord, within us and in our lives. O gracious God, grant
that there was rule and reign in our hearts and in our lives,
and continually draw us unto Jesus Christ, that we may truly
worship and follow him. Deliver us from the temptations
of Satan. Deliver us from the power and
dominion of sin. Grant that thy word may be a
lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path, and that grace
may triumph and reign. O Lord, deliver us from an evil
heart of unbelief. We do humbly beseech you. Remember
this village and send the glory and light of the gospel into
this village and the surrounding villages and hamlets that we
may see many, many precious souls yet gathered in. The strongholds
of Satan pulled down, the kingdom of the Lord Jesus set up in the
hearts of sinners. And O Lord our God, we do pray
that thou would remember the prodigals that thou wouldst stretch
out thy almighty arm, that thou wouldst cause them to be in want
and cause them to return. Hear us, Lord. May we have that
rejoicing here among us to see the prodigal return. We do humbly
beseech of thee. Remember thy servants as they
labour in word and doctrine upon the walls of Zion today. Remember
those that commence their pastoral and graciously help them and
go before them. We think of those also that have
a probationary period. Lord, remember each of thy servants. We do humbly pray thee and guide
and direct. We do humbly beseech them and
graciously raise up others. Thou hast been gracious and we
pray that thou would continue to be gracious in the coming
year. that others may be raised up
and sent forth into the ministry, true labours in thy vineyard,
we do humbly pray thee, and the further settlement of pastors
among the churches, and that thou wouldst return to Jerusalem
with mercies and make bare thine holy arm in the gospel, and grant
mighty signs and wonders to follow the preaching of the word. Remember,
Lord, we pray thee the churches of God up and down the nation,
Wherever thy people gather and thy servants stand, remember
them with the favor that thou bearest unto thy people and visit
them with thy great salvation. Wilt thou not revive us again,
O Lord? Let thy hand be upon the man
of thy right hand, the son of man whom thou madest strong for
thyself. O Lord of hosts, O God of Israel,
O thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth we
do humbly beseech of thee. Remember thy church, O Lord,
among the nations of the earth, and remember those that labour
in word and doctrine among them, those that go forth from among
us. We pray that they may be blessed of thee, guided by thee,
and that their labours may not be in vain. In the Lord we do
humbly beseech that there may be an abundant harvest in due
season, That's what thou hast promised, O Lord. He that goeth
forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again
with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. O Lord, we
do pray that thou, in thy precious mercy, would remember our nation,
remember those that have the rule over us, the members of
our parliament and the judiciary, and those have authority. Our
Prime Minister, Lord, do grant guidance and direction, we do
pray thee. Bless our King with wisdom, with
guidance, with direction, with that rich grace that is in Christ
Jesus. Bless the royal household, O
Lord, we pray thee. Gracious God, we do pray for
those war-torn areas, thousands being launched from time into
eternity, O that thou wouldst hear prayer and bring a stop
to war, and yet, Lord, thou hast said in thy word there shall
be wars and rumours of wars. O gracious God, we do pray that
thy gospel may spread. We hear in the Ukraine of churches
being packed, and we pray that thou wouldst pour forth thy Spirit,
that thou wilt work mightily in the hearts of men and women
and gather souls unto Christ in the midst of all these terrible
tragedies, we do humbly beseech of thee. We thank thee that thou
art God over all and blessed for evermore. We thank thee that
thou dost not sit upon a precarious throne nor borrow leave to be,
thou art neither slumber nor sleep. We thank Thee that Thou
art God over all, the Infinite and Eternal One, who liveth for
ever and ever, and nothing changes in Thee or in Thy circumstances. We thank Thee for Jesus Christ,
the Eternal Son of the Father, the Saviour of mankind, the Saviour
of sinners, We thank thee for the incarnation of the Son of
God, the glory of his name and the fullness of his grace. We
thank thee, most gracious Lord, for his holy life and the holy
law fulfilled in it for thy people, the bringing in of everlasting
righteousness. We thank thee for Calvary where
sin has been put away and divine justice has been satisfied the
Saviour died for the sins of his people and rose again for
our justification and has now bodily ascended into heaven and
sitteth at thy right hand we thank thee that we have a great
High Priest who is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of
God. Come Lord and touch one's lips
with a live coal from off the heavenly altar, come and speak
to our hearts, come and breathe thy word into our souls, we ask
with the forgiveness of all sin, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number one. The tune is Abridge, 86. Great God, how infinite art thou,
what worthless worms are we. Let the whole race of creatures
bow and pay their praise to thee. Hymn number one, tune Abridge,
86. Amen. and the praise of the angels
now and ever. ? Light of the future of our nation
? ? Precious star of our faith ? ? Our Alma Mater ? Amen. Amen. Divine invention of grace, O
God of grace. ? The sun to the moon is coming
in ? ? It's coming in, it's coming in, it's coming in ? ? Such merciful giving I do ? ?
To Thee, ye heavenly host, I offer praise ? ? And all the nations sing his
praises for him ? ? As long as his righteousness prevails ?
? Iowa, Iowa ? the the Greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, I would direct your attention to the book of
the Revelation in chapter 1, and we'll read verse 1 for our
text. The Revelation, chapter 1, verse
1. The revelation of Jesus Christ,
which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which
must shortly come to pass and he sent and signified it by his
angel unto his servant John. There are many things in the book of
the Revelation that are very mysterious and that we cannot
seem to understand. The language in it highly symbolic
and much of it should not be taken in a literal sense but there is a deep spiritual
sense but there are many that come to the book of the Revelation
in a what you might say a speculative way. We should never read the
Word of God like that but sadly it is part of our fallen nature
to speculate and they try and work out where
we are in history and what has happened, what is to happen.
Now in some senses there is a right sense of looking into the Word
of God in that way but you know friends I've often said it word
that we have before us it tells us what this book reveals the
revelation of Jesus Christ and it literally does when the Lord
opens our eyes it literally reveals Christ unto us the glorious person
of the holy God man that he is the eternal son of
the eternal father Christ is. Verse 11 here it says, I am Alpha. This is Christ speaking unto
his servant John. I am Alpha and Omega. It's the
first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. Alpha and Omega. If you would say it in English
it would say, I am A to Z. I am A to Z. And then he explains
it, the first and the last. and what thou seest right in
a book. You see, I am Alpha and Omega. I am the first and the last. It's a revelation of Jesus Christ. And here in this, right the way
through this sacred book of Holy Scripture, it's a revelation
of Jesus Christ. Now, it says here in verse 4
and 5, John to the seven churches which are in Asia, grace be unto
you and peace from him which is and which was and which is
to come. It's the same language the apostle
uses in Hebrews chapter 8. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday
and today and forever. I am he which is and which was
and as we've often explained to you there is not the equivalent
word for Jehovah in the Greek language and so what happens
in the New Testament well there's a it gives us that deeper understanding
of the name Jehovah which is exactly what we have here I am
he which is that is the present and which was, that is eternity
past, and which is to come, that is eternity to come. And that
is the essence of the meaning of the name Jehovah, the self-existent,
the almighty and the eternal God. I am he which is in the
present. I am he which was in all eternity
past. I am he which is to come in all
eternity to come. It speaks, it sets before us
the eternity of God. It's something that it's put
in this way in holy scripture as it were so that we can comprehend. We cannot understand the infinite
and the divine. It has to be revealed to us and
the Lord reveals it to us in this way in his word. This is
who God is and this this term Jehovah as applied unto the father
the son and the holy ghost indeed here I believe in this first
piece here grace be unto you and peace from him which is and
which was and which is to come I believe that refers to the
eternal father and then it says and from the seven spirits which
are before his throne that refers to the holy spirit the infinite eternal spirit of
the living God, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and
the Son. The number seven is the number
of perfection, the number of completeness. And the Holy Ghost
is that perfect, complete Holy Spirit, who is the third person
in the Blessed Trinity. And as we are instructed in the
Word of God, these three are one. We go straight into verse five,
which is continuation, and from Jesus Christ. So here we have
the doctrine of the Trinity, and from Jesus Christ, who is
the faithful witness and the first begotten from the dead.
You see this glorious revelation of Jesus Christ, the faithful
witness, the first begotten from the dead, the prince of the kings
of the earth, unto Him that loved us and washed us from our sins
in His own blood, the revelation of Jesus Christ. What a wonderful revelation it
is and how we need the Holy Ghost to reveal Christ, to reveal Christ
unto us. In the second chapter of the
Epistle to the Ephesians and in the verse 18 We read there
For through him that is Jesus Christ for through him We have
access by one spirit. That's the Holy Ghost unto the
Father you see We save and unite all those three glorious persons
of the Trinity Through him that is the Son of God manifest in
the flesh for through him we have access by one Spirit unto
the Father. What a wonderful precious truth
that is, my beloved friends, that we have access unto the
Father. And the Lord Jesus Christ in
his teachings said, whatsoever ye ask in my name, who are we
asking? Our eternal Father. whatsoever
ye ask in my name, I will do it. Oh, that the Lord would give
us clear views of this access unto the Eternal Father. No man has seen God at any time
but the only begotten of the Father, Christ. He hath revealed
Him. And we know our Eternal Father
through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus himself said, I am the
way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the Father
but by me, but by me. All that we might know this free
access unto the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ, by the
divine work of the Spirit in our hearts. It's only those that
are quickened It's only those that are born again. It's only
those that are brought from spiritual death into spiritual life that
have a clear revelation, revealing of Jesus Christ unto their souls. It's a very personal thing. And
every child of God, in a greater or in a lesser degree, knows
this revelation of Jesus Christ. It may be a very gentle revelation,
it may not be something dramatic, but your heart is drawn to Christ. You see a beauty in Christ. It's
like Lydia, whose heart the Lord opened. And is it so with you? Has the Lord opened your heart?
Has the Lord made Christ precious to you? That is what a revelation
of Christ is. Christ made precious. When I went before the church
at Westoning and gave my humble testimony, the church met in the vestry and
I was sent into the chapel to sit and wait and I My father
was chairing the church meeting, and I heard him say, there is
a glorious revelation of Christ. And you know, friends, my heart
sunk. You might say, why? Because I'd
never heard it called that. And to me, that was wonderful
language, a revelation of Christ. And it really troubled me. And
I thought, you've deceived them. How can you claim to a revelation
of Christ? But as the Lord deepened that
work of grace in my heart, and as the Lord leads one on, you
can look back now and I can see that was a clear, beautiful revelation
of Christ. To me, my experience was so small
and so insignificant that I couldn't rise to such language at that.
But I realize now, of course, that it was very true. It was
a glorious revelation of Christ. Have you had a revelation of
Christ? Has Christ been made precious
to you? You know, this is the vital thing
in real religion. It's a revelation of Christ.
It's Christ revealed by the Holy Ghost. You know, there's a lovely
passage in the first epistle to the Corinthians which I often
direct you to in the second chapter of the first epistle and in verse
9 the apostolic quotes from the prophecy of Isaiah but as it
is written I hath not seen nor heard neither have entered into
the heart of man the things which God has prepared for them that
love him but God has revealed them unto us by his Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth all
things, yea, the deep things of God. You know, we hear people
and they get, in a sense, very confused and they speak about
a minister and they say, oh his ministry is so deep, it's this. What they really mean is they
don't understand That's what they really mean. They don't understand what he
said. And therefore, because they can't understand it, oh,
it's such a deep ministry. But you know, friends, there's
nothing deeper, nothing deeper than the person of Christ, than
the incarnation of the Son of God. There's no deeper truth
that you and I can know. There's nothing deeper or more
profound than the Son of God living here upon earth as a man. On the behalf of his people,
he was made of a woman made under the law. And this is who the
Spirit reveals. He reveals that glorious person
of the holy God-man, the man Christ Jesus, in all his glory,
as the eternal Son of the Father. Jesus, the Son of God. I often
think of that beautiful commencement in the Gospel of Saint Mark,
where we read there, the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ,
comma, the Son of God. What a declaration of who He
is. What a revelation of who He is. Jesus, the Son of God. He's not just a man, He's not
just a good man. He's not just a righteous man.
He's the Holy God man. He's the Holy One of Israel.
He was born holy. He lived holy. He offered a holy
sacrifice. He entered into death itself
on the behalf of his people. It was a voluntary act of the
Son of God to do that. Death had no claim on the perfect
person. of Jesus the Son of God who did
no sin, the wages of sin is death, and no claim whatsoever on his
person. But he took our sins. What a
deep there is there, isn't it? He took our sins. Our Heavenly
Father laid upon him the iniquity of us all. Friends, there is
nothing deeper than that. When we think When we speak of
the deep things of God, it's not things like a minister preaching
and you can't understand what he's saying. The deep things of God are those
profound things of the gospel of His grace, of the incarnation
of the Son of God. What's deep? This is what the Spirit reveals
unto a poor lost sinner. poor ruined sinner, poor helpless
sinner. He reveals Christ. But God has revealed them unto
us by His Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth all
things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth
the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him,
even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God. Now we have received Not the
spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God, that
we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Those things that are freely
given to us of God. You think of those lovely words
in John 3. God so loved the world, he gave. They're freely given to us of
God. He gave his only begotten Son. and whosoever believeth
in him shall be saved, shall be in eternal safety in the glorious
person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our law-fulfiller. Now, Paul, he goes on in Corinthians
1, and he said, which things also we speak, not in the words
which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth.
comparing spiritual things with spiritual, that's the Word of
God with the Word of God. But the natural man, what a distinction
made here, isn't it? But the natural man receiveth
not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness
unto him. Neither can he know them, because
they are spiritually discerned. The natural man. We need to be
made a spiritual man. The natural man is dead in trespasses
and in sins. Again in Ephesians chapter 2
the dear apostle commences the chapter, you hath he quickened
who were dead in trespasses and in sins. But he that is spiritual
judges all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. Now the
revelation of Jesus Christ and we've already alluded here to
this revelation here of Christ to John and if we carry on down
through the chapter which we read together and we see Christ
revealed among the churches, the seven churches. And he says in verse 12, And I turned
to see the voice that spake with me, and being turned I saw seven
golden candlesticks. This is the church of God on
earth. In the midst of the seven candlesticks,
again the word seven is the number of completion, of perfection.
In the midst of the church, that's what he means. One like unto
the Son of Man. Glorious person of God manifest
in the flesh. The Son of Man directs our thoughts
to the Son of God manifest in the flesh. That he became a real
man, a true man. He lived here upon earth. He
took into union with his divine nature, a holy human nature,
becoming bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. This is what
is revealed to us in God's Word. Now, he says, clothes with a
garment down to the foot and girt about the patch with a golden
girdle. He saw the glory of Christ. His
head and his hair were white like wool. white as snow, his
eyes were as a flame of fire. This glorious person, the almighty
son of the almighty father, and his feet like unto fine brass,
as if they burned in a furnace, and his voice as the sound of
many waters, that there is something here that overawed the Lord's
servant John. We find this when there is a
revelation made. We find it in several places
in the Word of God. When there is a revelation made
of God unto poor sinful man. My mind, it just goes to Isaiah
chapter 6. And there in Isaiah chapter 6
we see the Lord revealed himself unto his servant Isaiah. In the
year that King Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon a
throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
Now, it's important that we look at the context here. King Uzziah,
he reigned for 55 years in Jerusalem. It was a long reign. And now
there was gonna be a complete change. In the year that King Uzziah
died, I saw also the Lord. So he sees the changing from
one king to another here upon earth. But the Lord showed him
a kingdom that is unchanging. I saw the Lord sitting upon the
throne. Throne is the seat of power and
authority. And this is what was revealed
to Isaiah. High and lifted up, and his train
filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims,
each one had six wings with twain he covered his face with twain
he covered his feet with twain he did fly and one cried unto
another and said holy holy holy is the lord of hosts the whole
earth is full of his glory we find this here in the book of
the revelation i think there's three times when it says holy
holy holy lord god almighty father son holy ghost holy Holy, holy
Lord God Almighty. And the posts of the door moved
at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with
smoke. Now look at the effect it had
upon Isaiah. Then said I, woe is me, for I
am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell
in the midst of a people of unclean lips, and for my knives has seen
the King, the Lord of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims
unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken
with tongs from off the altar, and he laid it upon my mouth,
and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips, and thine iniquity
is taken away, and thy sin is purged. What a wonderful revelation
he had there. Iniquity is taken away, thy sin
is purged, reconciled unto God. There's only one place where
we can be reconciled unto God, that's in the glorious person
of his Son, Jesus Christ. There is one God and one mediator
between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. who gave his life
for ransom for all to be testified in due time. Now look at here
in this first chapter of the revelation in verse 17. And when
I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right
hand upon me saying unto me, fear not, I am the first and
the last. Oh, my beloved friends, here
is another revelation. of Jesus Christ unto his servant
John. Fear not. Just like Isaiah feared. You look into Ezekiel and he
had a great vision and he feared. Just like Daniel when he had
a revelation and he feared. And they all fell at his feet
as dead. Because they saw the glory of the Lord. And when I
saw him I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand
upon me, saying unto me, fear not, I am the first and the last. I am he that liveth. This is
the glorious person of Jesus Christ, of God manifest in the
flesh. He died for our sins and rose
again for our justification. And it says here, we've already
read it together, he's the prince of the kings of the earth. Christ
is. He's the prince of the kings
of the earth. I am he that liveth and was dead. And behold, I am alive forevermore
and at the keys of hell and of death. This is the glorious person
of Christ. He has the keys of hell and of
death. And He says unto his servant
John here, the mystery of the seven stars, which thou sawest
in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven
stars are the angels, that is the ministers. The word angel
means a messenger. And the Lord's servants are messengers,
they are messengers from God. And so this speaks of the pastors
of the churches. And you know, friends, it's very
clear in New Testament church order, that a church should have
a pastor. I think it was J.K. Popham, he
called the supply system, that is ministers supply in all different
churches, he called it the iniquitous supply system. What church is
just like a different minister every Sunday. He saw clearly, and I do very
clearly, that the right scriptural order for a church is to have
a pastor and that is why it's revealed to us here how that
each one of these seven churches in Asia had a minister, a settled
minister, a pastor. In the prophecy of Jeremiah it
says I will give you pastors according to mine heart that
should come in and out among you and feed you with knowledge
and with understanding. You know An integral part of
the pastor's position is the exposition of the Word of God.
I perceive this. I was brought up without a pastor
and I think when I left Westoning they hadn't had a pastor for
44 years. And you know friends, what happens
or has happened among our churches, we have these seven churches
of Asia, And we see all different conditions that were found in
those seven churches. Now, people that are of what
would be called a dispensational mind, and there are Christian
people like that, and they look at these seven churches and they
go right through what they consider to be the history of the church,
right to the end of time. So each one of these churches
represents a period during these last days of the Christian churches.
believe that is a completely wrong way of looking at this.
What we have in these churches in the second and third chapters
of the Revelation is the conditions that pervades in a particular
church at a particular time. We have churches in what they
call the Laodicean Church which I think particularly highlights
the condition of our churches at this time. There's a coldness,
there's a lack of love, there is a distance from God. He says
thou sayest that thou art rich. No it's not that thou art poor.
There's a condition there among the churches. They think that
they're rich and safe and secure and we're the right people and
nobody else is. You see, it's a wrong condition. And in these letters to the churches,
the Lord Jesus, he rebukes them. He rebukes them. He first speaks
of the good things in those churches.
He said to Ephesus, he says, I know thy works and thy labour
and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them that are
evil. Thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and has
found them liars, and has borne, and has patience, and for my
name's sake, and has laboured, and has not fainted." But then
he says, nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because
thou hast left thy first love. What is their first love? Christ.
Thou hast left thy first love. What would Jesus Christ, what
message would he send to Lamb of God? What message would he
give? Because these messages are initially
addressed to the angel of the church. What message would he
address to us as a church and as a congregation? There were
churches here that allowed a false doctrine, false practice. And he says to the church at
Ephesus, remember, therefore, from whence thou hast fallen,
fall and repent and do the first works. Or else I will come unto
thee quickly and will remove thy candlestick out of its place,
except thou repent. This was an exhortation unto
a church. And the other thing he says here,
but this thou hast that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans,
which was a false sect of Christians, which I also hate. And he commended
them for that. You see, my beloved friends,
there isn't a perfect church on earth. There never has been,
there never will be. And the reason being is that
it's made up of poor sinners that err. Some pastors can err,
and their flock errs with them. My late grandfather, his ministry,
Mr. Jabez Field of Black Boys, his
ministry was so greatly blessed at Black Boys, and they greatly
revered him. But what can happen, it happened
with John Bunyan as well, that they so greatly revere him he
actually turned aside in certain points and he was quite wrong
in the things that he allowed to come into the church there. They weren't deeply serious things
but they were wrong and they were unscriptural. But what I
perceived was this, that he was so revered and looked up to as
a godly pastor, which a godly pastor should be, that he led
the people astray. And just in certain points, and
this can happen, I'm merely pointing this out to point out what can
happen in a church. The minister can lead them astray.
Or a church can call a minister that isn't a proper minister.
The Apostle speaks of it in the Corinthians. He says, know ye not that Satan
appears as an angel of light, and he's speaking of the gospel
ministry. There was obviously in the early church men that
were preaching that shouldn't have been preaching. They'd been
allowed to go forth and preach from the churches, but they weren't
anointed of God, they weren't sent of God. How careful we need
to be. that the minister is a true Christian. But the minister can be a true
Christian but not a proper minister. What is the centre of a real
gospel ministry? The divine person, work, power
and grace of Jesus Christ. And if that is not the centre
And I started saying to you, among our churches, something
that I have perceived over the years, is that under the supply
ministry, there's been a tendency to just have experience. And
so you get very little exposition of the Word of God. Very little
doctrine preached. And you know this terrible controversy
that came among us, the denial that Jesus Christ had a human
soul. So many people didn't even begin
to understand what was the issue. I actually had a minister, she
said to me once, talking to him, he brought it up on that issue,
and he said, he was a friend of mine, he said, Jabe, as far
as I'm concerned, it doesn't matter to you or anybody else
whether Jesus Christ had a soul or not. And that was one of her
own ministers. I quickly told him that He was
absolutely wrong in that statement. But what it exposed among our
churches is a weakness in doctrine. And that comes from the ministry.
And there's that word in one of the minor prophets, like people
like priests. And that is what has happened
among the churches. Now of course we don't want to
have a dead dry doctrinal preaching all the time? Wasn't that living
preaching? Certain ministers stand out that
were so clear and precious on their doctrine and the doctrine
of Christ. I think of like J.K. Popham and
John Goston and William Gadsby and J.C. Philpott, but they were
so clear in the fundamental doctrine of truth. They knew it by experience
in their own hearts. They knew the preciousness of
it in the Word of God. The Apostle, he says, for I determined
to know nothing among men save Jesus Christ and him crucified. Now, that is true for the minister
and this is really what we should look for in the ministry. Is
that the center of the ministry? Determined to know nothing among
men. Now, that's so much for the minister, but what about
the hearers? What about the hearers? Is that what you are determined
to hear? Is that what your appetite is? Because you will not feed
under a ministry that doesn't exalt Christ, and doesn't set
before you the essential necessity of the blood and righteousness
of Jesus Christ, and doesn't set before you the glorious person
of God manifest in the flesh and the law fulfilled and honoured
and magnified in the person of Christ. And
that is what is so precious to the true believer. They know
that they can't fulfill the law. They know that their poor wretched
ruin sinners. They know their hopeless state
and condition and the only way that you can be delivered from
it is through the glorious person power grace, blood and righteousness
of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is none other name that
is given unto heaven whereby you must be saved, but the glorious
person of our Lord Jesus Christ, the revelation of Jesus Christ,
which God gave unto him to show unto his servants things which
must shortly come to pass. And he sent and signified it
by his angel unto his servant, John. know here in the book of
the revelation we have set before us something of the glory of
God we in the fourth chapter after this I looked and behold
a door was opened in heaven and the first voice which I heard
was it were a trumpet talking with me which had come up hither
and I will show the things which must be hereafter and immediately
I was in the spirit and behold a throne set in heaven and one
sat on the throne. He sees here the eternal God,
the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. He that sat was to look upon
like a jasper, a sardine stone, and there was a rainbow round
about the throne in sight like unto an emerald. You know, the
central color of the rainbow is green. It's green. which represents reconciliation
and what John saw in this throne was the reconciling grace of
Christ. Around about the throne were
four and twenty seats. These are the elders and upon
the seats I saw four and twenty elders. What do they represent?
Their clothed in white raiment they had on their heads crowns
of gold. They represent the whole church. the 12 tribes of the
children of Israel and the 12 apostles of the Lamb. And that
is what is represented in those 4 and 20 elders sit around the
throne. And he saw something of the wonderful
glory of God out of the throne, verse 5, preceded lightnings
and thunderings and voices and there were seven lamps of fire
burning before the throne. which are the seven spirits of
God that again is the Holy Ghost. And before the throne there was
a sea of glass like unto crystal. You see these things were revealed,
four beasts full of eyes. The first beast and he goes through. If you look into the first chapter
of Ezekiel, you'll find exactly the same revelation to Ezekiel.
And four beasts, six wings, and here again in this verse eight,
they rest not day and night saying holy holy holy lord god almighty
which was and is and is to come and when those beasts give glory
and honor and thanks to him that sat on the throne who liveth
forever and ever the fallen twenty elders fall down before him that
sat on the throne and worship him that liveth forever and ever
and cast their crowns before the throne Thou art worthy, O
Lord, to receive honor, to receive glory and honor and power, for
thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are
and were created. Think of that lovely word in
Isaiah 54, thy maker, thy creator, thy maker is thine husband. The Lord of hosts is his name.
Thy maker is thy husband. That union, that communion between
Christ and the Church. Thy maker is thy husband. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive
glory and honour and power, for thou hast created all things,
and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Well, I hope if the Lord will
enable us this afternoon to look a little further into the revelation
of Jesus Christ. May the Lord add his blessing. Let us now sing together hymn
number 572, The tune is Hull, 714. Before the earth or seas were
made, Jesus was chosen as our head, the Father's first elect. In him the church was chosen
too, and he engaged to bring them through, nor will he then
neglect. Hymn 572. Tune Hull, 714. ? When home seems lonely ? ? He
hears from the children a song ? ? And when he hears the angels
sing ? O come all ye faithful joyful
and triumphant O come ye, O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem He undertook the care and child,
and promised they should walk and talk, and all his glory built. And on the Father's sentiment,
How did the Father mend his name? The Father's will to do, Behold Him, Thou the Father of
us, behold Him, so stiff, but not wise. And do, O Savior dear, In him my soul delighteth well,
My great noblety shall fulfill, And vanish all your pain. Give thy feet, tempted sinners,
now, Till by the acre done hath grown, Sure and soon to Bethlehem. Take it, my beloved, from me,
And you shall of your faith be pleased. And she persuaded all, You must never be too brave a
fight. You never will perfection fight. But in the Lord above, Now, soft knowing God, can I
say, In death that I'm to Jesus lay, Though they and me apart, 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. Q. Sir, can I ask a question?