Let us commence our service this
afternoon by singing together hymn number 168. The tune is
Northmoor, 197. I sing my Saviour's wondrous
death. He conquered when he fell. Tis
finished, said his dying breath, and shook the gates of hell.
Hymn 168, tune Northmoor, O say, does that star-spangled
banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the
brave? ? Is the Libra ? ? The Church
of Israel ? ? It is the Israelite man ? O'er the ramparts we watched,
were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket's red glare, the
bombs bursting in air, His kingdom is become. His cross shall foundation lay,
? All glory and renown ? ? Thanks
for that reason ? ? Judge of the damned ? ? He was to me ?
? Exult in it ? ? His power of
the sun ? ? Teach our victorious Lord ? ? Timber and earth ? His
hands divine the vengeance o'er behold. ? The saints from Israel ? ? Lifted
high our praise ? ? And several crowns ? ? And all the stars
? Let us read together from the
Holy Word of God in the Acts of the Apostles and Chapter 2. The second chapter of the Acts
of the Apostles. We'll commence our reading at
verse 14, and we will read down to verse 36. But Peter, standing up with the
eleven, lifted up his voice and said unto them, Ye men of Judea,
and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, Be this known unto you, and hearken
to my words, for these are not drunken as ye suppose, seeing
it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was
spoken by the prophet Joel, and it shall come to pass in the
last days, saith God. I will pour out my Spirit upon
all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall
dream dreams. And on my servants and on my
handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my spirit, and
they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in heaven
above, and signs in the earth beneath, blood and fire and vapour,
of smoke. The sun shall be turned into
darkness and the moon into blood before that great and notable
day of the Lord come. And it shall come to pass that
whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Ye
men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved
of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which
God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know
him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God, ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain,
whom God hath raised up having loosed the pains of death, because
it was not possible that he should be holden of it. For David speaketh
concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for
he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved. Therefore
did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad. Moreover also
My flesh shall rest in hope, because thou wilt not leave my
soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see
corruption. Thou hast made known to me the
ways of life. Thou shalt make me full of joy
with thy countenance. Men and brethren, let me freely
speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and
buried, and his sepulcher is with us unto this day. Therefore,
being a prophet, and knowing that God has sworn with an oath
to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh,
he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne. He's seen this
before, spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was
not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This
Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore,
being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received
of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he has shed forth
this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into
the heavens, but he saith himself, the Lord said unto my Lord, sit
thou on my right hand until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore,
let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made
that same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ. May the Lord bless the reading
of His precious Word of Truth and grant unto us a spirit of
real prayer. Holy and most merciful Lord God,
what we do desire to bow before Thee with a thankful heart. We think of those Wonderful words
of grace, 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. Gracious God, fill our hearts
with gratitude. We do humbly pray thee for the
sacred glory, power, and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Guide
us into thy truth. Open our hearts to receive thy
word. Grant that it may be with us
this afternoon that the eyes of your understanding be enlightened,
or we pray, Lord, that it may be so, that we might know the
enlightening power of the Holy Ghost as we gather around thy
word, that there may be power in the pulpit and in the pew,
that there may be a hearing ear, a wise and understanding heart,
that shall be given to us, and that we may receive of thy truth. And thou hast said in thy word,
Lord Jesus, that if the Son shall make you free, then shall ye
be free indeed. May we indeed know that freedom
and that liberty. that is in the gospel of Jesus
Christ. And we read in thy word that
where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. Oh, do
come and proclaim liberty to the captives. Do grant, most
gracious Lord, that thou wouldst bless us as a church and as a
congregation and work mightily, powerfully, effectually among
us, that there may be signs to follow the preaching of the word
Oh Lord, we do pray that we may see thy work and thy power and
thy glory as thou usest to be in the sanctuary. We pray for
the little ones and the children, that they may be given the fear
of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom, that they may be guided
into thy truth and receive thy word in their young and in their
tender years. And oh Lord, we do pray that
thou would graciously bless the young friends and undertake for
them, bring them to living faith in Jesus Christ and make them
true followers of thee and of those who through faith and patience
inherit the promises. Lord, do so bless our young friends
with that rich grace that is in Christ Jesus. Bless them with
light and understanding in thy word, and grant, O Lord, that
thy word may be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. And, O Lord, we do pray that
thou, in thy precious mercy, would graciously hear us, guide
them in all the matters of providence, draw them unto thyself, and graciously
work has promised I will work, and who shall let it? Thou hast
promised that instead of thy fathers shall be thy children,
whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth. Gracious God,
do work in our young friends, that a generation may be raised
up that shall follow on to know the Lord. And Lord, we pray that
thou would remember the prodigals that have wandered from the sanctuary.
that thou wouldst stretch out thy almighty arm, that thou wouldst
cause them to be in want, and cause them to return. O gracious
God, this is thy work, and may we see thy work, and thy power,
and thy glory, as thou usest to be in the sanctuary. Lord,
send out thy light and thy truth into this village, and the surrounding
villages and hamlets, and grant that many Many, many precious
souls may yet be gathered in. Spoken, O Lord, open thy mouth
wide, and I will fill it, all that we may see thy work and
thy power. Lord, it's thy work and it's
thy power. It's not by might nor by power,
but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. And we pray that we
may see the work of thy Spirit that we may see an ingathering,
that we may see a building up, that we may see a pulling down
of the strongholds of Satan and the setting up of the kingdom
of the Lord Jesus in the hearts of sinners. O let thy work appear
unto thy servants and thy glory unto their children, O Lord,
we do beseech thee. Remember each and every one in
the midst of the journey of life. bear in the heat and the burden
of the day. Remember parents and give them
grace to bring our children in the nurture and admonition of
the Lord. Lord, do hear us, Lord. We humbly beseech Thee and have
mercy upon us, we pray Thee. And that we pray, most gracious
Lord, that Thou wouldst deliver us from the temptations of Satan,
from the power and dominion of sin. Satan, Lord, goes as a roaring lion, seeking
whom he may devour. He also comes as an angel of
light, seeking whom he may deceive. We pray to be delivered from
his power and from his influence. We pray that when the enemy comes
in like a flood, the spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard
against him. O grant that it may be so, Lord,
we humbly pray thee. Remember those of us that are
in the evening time of life's journey, and we pray to be more
spiritually minded. Our heart and our affection set
upon things above. Oh, do hear us, Lord, we pray
thee. We mourn over our sinfulness,
over the corruption of our heart, of our nature. Oh, gracious God,
do incline thine ear. We do humbly beseech thee. and
have mercy upon us, we pray thee, and graciously guide us safely
unto thy heavenly kingdom. We pray for dear Mrs. Field,
that thou wouldst graciously be with her and undertake for
her. And at the appointed time, O
Lord, grant her an abundant entrance into thy heavenly kingdom and
supply all her many needs as she continues here below. As the outward man perishes,
may the inward man be renewed day by day. We do humbly beseech
thee. Oh, we do pray for our brethren,
the deacons, that grace, wisdom, and help may be given in all
their responsibilities. We pray for each one of our brethren
and sisters in Christ in church fellowship. Oh, be gracious,
we humbly pray thee. Have mercy upon each one of us
and help us to love each other, serve each other, bear each other's
burdens, thereby fulfilling the law of Christ. Oh, we pray that
we may have the mind of Christ, who made himself of no reputation. Grant us humility and love. Oh
Lord, we do humbly beseech of Thee. Oh, we pray for all thy
servants as they labour in word and doctrine upon the walls of
Zion today, that thou would set them free and set them at liberty,
and graciously grant signs to follow the preaching of the word.
For we do pray that thou would return to Jerusalem with mercies,
and may bear thine holy arm in the gospel. We do humbly beseech
of thee. We pray for truly thankful hearts,
thankful for every mercy of thy kind providence, thy goodness
that has passed before us in the way, and thankful, O Lord,
for the profound and sacred glories of Christ, the wonders of redeeming
love. We thank thee for that profound
mystery of godliness of God manifest in the flesh, And we thank Thee that in Him
the law has been fulfilled and everlasting righteousness has
been brought in. We thank Thee for Calvary, where
the Lamb was slain, where sin was put away, where God and sinners
are reconciled. O most gracious Lord, we do pray
for truly thankful hearts that He has died for us in and rose
again for our justification, and now sitteth at thy right
hand. Oh, do hear us, Lord, and come
and open thy word to our heart and to our understanding. Meet
with us around the table of the Lord and grant that we may truly
worship thee in spirit and in truth. We do humbly beseech of
thee. Be with us as we turn to thy
holy word. Come and open thy word to our
heart and to our understanding. Make up in giving where we do
so fail in asking. Touch one's lips with a live
coal from off the heavenly altar. We ask for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 950. The tune is Tremellon 250. What objects this which meets
my eyes without Jerusalem's gate which fills my mind with such
surprise as wonder to create. Hymn 950, tune Tremellon 200. and fifty. ? And heaven beat my heart ? ? And heaven beat my heart ? ?
And heaven beat my heart ? ? And heaven beat my heart ? ? As long as you remain ? ? And
I will be there for you daily ? ? And rose from the deep blue ?
? And rose from the deep blue ? ? And rose from the deep blue
? ? This place above ? ? The heavens
reveal ? ? The promise of old home ? ? Shepherds quake at the
sight ? ? And glory, and glory, and glory,
and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory,
and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory,
and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory,
and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory,
and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory,
and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory,
and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory,
and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory,
and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory,
and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory,
and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory, and glory ? Did he just
hold his tongue? ? ? And did he reply? ? ? It
seems to me ? ? The prize I've won ? ? I've won ? ? The rosy sight ? ? The lovely
glow ? ? Did stir a soul like me ? ? Like me this I am ? Satsang with Mooji ? How sweet the sound that saved
a wretch like me ? ? How sweet the sound that saved a wretch
like me ? Greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, I would direct your attention to the second
chapter of the Acts of the Apostles and we'll read verses 23 and
24 for our text. Acts of the Apostles, chapter
2, verses 23 and 24. Him being delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked
hands have crucified and slain whom God hath raised up, having
loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should
be holden of it. Him, the glorious person of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of the Eternal Father that was
manifest in the flesh, Him. He speaks in the previous verse,
you men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth, the
man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs,
which God did by Him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also
know. Him, that glorious Saviour, man
of sorrows and acquainted with grief, who endured much contradiction
of sinners against himself as he lived here upon this earth.
And the one hymn writer says, and did the holy and the just,
the sovereign of the skies, stoop down to wretchedness and dust,
that guilty worms might rise. Hymn, the sovereign and the just. the Almighty Saviour, the Almighty
Redeemer, Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel. See
how clearly the Spirit of God sets before us, how all the things
that happened unto Jesus Christ happened by the will of God,
by the purposes of God. And the things that He suffered
was on behalf of, in the room and place of his children, him
being delivered by the determinate counsel of God. It says in the 53rd chapter of Isaiah, for it
pleased the Lord to bruise him, when thou shalt make his soul
an offering for sin, it pleased the Lord to bruise him. And there in Isaiah 53, he so
beautifully sets before us, he was wounded. And this is him,
this first word of our text, him. Yet it pleased the Lord
to bruise him. And he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace
was upon him. and with his stripes we are healed,
him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God, ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. When the Lord Jesus was coming
to the close of his earthly pilgrimage and speaking to his disciples
before he was crucified, And he says, to this end was I born. For this cause came I into the
world. This was the purpose of my mission
here below. This is why the Father sent me
into this world, to suffer, to bleed and to die. For my church,
for my spouse, for her that I have loved with an everlasting love.
All my beloved friends, this was determined, purposed, decreed. We read in the Old Testament
in various prophecies of those things that Christ himself was
to pass through. And these are the wounds I received
in the house of my friends. He says, what are these wounds
in thy hands? These are the wounds that I received
in the house of my friends. We read in the Word of God, he
came unto his own, and his own received him not. That is the
Jewish people, despised and rejected, in particular by the Jewish people,
in particular by the leaders of the Jews, by the Pharisees
and the Sadducees, those that were accounted as being the most
religious. people of their generation, but
they rejected Christ, despised and rejected of men, Him being
delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. Ye have taken. when that time was come. I always
think it's quite a remarkable thing that when Christ came out
of Gethsemane and they came with swords and staves to take him
and we read it's in John's gospel how they they fell backward. There was in some way some measure
of the glory of Christ of who he is was revealed to them. and
they fell backwards. And when Peter took the sword
and cut off the ear of Malchus, the servant of the high priest, and the Lord Jesus said to him,
put thy sword up in its sheath, the cup that my father hath given
me, shall I not drink it? Why are these things recorded?
They're recorded to show us that he is Lord of all, he is King
of kings, It was the determinate counsel of God that he should
suffer, bleed and die for his church and for his people. And
that cup of suffering, the cup that my father had given me,
shall I not drink it? So then they came and they took
him. But it's, he voluntarily, he
allowed them to take him. He could have called on legions
of angels to destroy those men, but no, it was purposed, it was
decreed from all eternity that he would suffer, bleed and die
for the sins of his people, that he would walk a path of humiliation
and sorrow and grief such as no man has ever known. Him being delivered by the determinate
council and for knowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked
hands have crucified and slain. It speaks in scripture, doesn't
it, of the son of man will suffer, bleed and die. And it speaks
of Judas Iscariot, but woe be that man. who indeed was to betray
him. Woe be that man. You see, it's
by the hands, by the wicked hands. They thought they were destroying
him. The chief priests thought they
were destroying him. In actual fact, they were doing
the will of God. They were pouring upon him, heaping
upon him the scorn and shame But in that act of humiliation, he redeemed his people. He delivered
his people. There's that lovely word in Philippians
chapter two, when the apostle exhorts, let this mind be in
you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who made himself of no
reputation. who took upon him the form of
a servant, and was made in the likeness of sinful man. You see, by wicked hands, it
was purposed, it was decreed, him being delivered by the determinate
counsel, and for knowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked
hands have crucified and slain. We used to look at the Levitical
law and what is called the voluntary offering. And that voluntary offering that
they took to be offered before the Lord. But you know, I used
to look at it in a wrong way. I could never really understand
what it meant, the voluntary offering. But I was always looking
at the person that was offering it, But what it is, that is the
voluntary offering. It's typical of Christ who voluntarily
offered himself. He allowed himself. Like we've already quoted, could
I not have called on 12 legions of angels? I could have destroyed
all these men. But this is the way that is decreed
and purposed. If I do not suffer, bleed, and
die for your sins, then you'll never be saved. If I do not pay
the redemption price to deliver you from sin and Satan's power,
you will not be delivered from sin and Satan's power. If I do
not suffer, bleed, and die, then you'll be lost forever. Him being delivered by the determinate
counsel and for knowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked
hands have crucified and slain." Crucified and slain. It is the
Apostle in Philippians 2. Even the death of the cross,
it was a most humiliating Excruciating punishment he passed through. Even the death of the cross.
That was usually reserved for the worst of criminals. Even
the death of the cross. And yet this pure, this holy,
this spotless man. The man Christ Jesus. He suffered
that cruel, humiliating suffering of death. respectable
before all those men and women that were there. Doesn't the Apostle say there
in Philippians 2, he humbled himself. He humbled himself and
became obedient. See the reason these things are
written is that He became obedient to the suffering, to the humiliation,
to death itself. Yet he himself did no sin. Neither was guile found in his
mouth. And yet he humbled himself and became obedient unto death. He entered into death itself.
The purpose that ye might destroy death. And him that hath the
power of death, that is the devil, he has destroyed death. Him being delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken by wicked
hands, have crucified and slain, whom God hath raised up. Having loosed the pains of death,
because it was not possible that he should beholden of it. Loose the pains of death. And
then the apostle here in this beautiful sermon, the first sermon
after the outpouring of the Spirit, and it brings together several
scriptures. It says here, for David speaketh
concerning him I foresaw the Lord always. This is Psalm 16. I foresaw the Lord always before
my face, for he is on my right hand that I should not be moved.
This is Christ exalted. The resurrection of Christ marks
the exaltation of Christ. The first act of that exaltation
of this precious Redeemer is in that he rose from the dead.
He rose from the dead. destroyed death therefore again
he's quoted from the Psalms therefore did my heart rejoice and my tongue
was glad moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope hope of eternal
life because they will not leave my soul in hell and that term
hell there means death they will not leave my soul in death neither
wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to seek eruption. And thou hast made known to me,
this is David speaking as a prophet, thou hast made known to me the
ways of life. Thou shalt make me full of joy
with thy countenance. What a wonderful, sacred turnaround
there is here from that humiliation and death which was so profound
we cannot really describe it, of the Lord Jesus Christ, the
King of Glory, humbled, humbled, suffering, bleeding, dying, but
then this complete change, whom God has raised up. Now, we've
often explained As the Apostle says in Romans, he rose again
for our justification. The word justification is to
be declared without sin. Our justification, to be declared
without sin. Why? Because the reason that
he suffered and bled and died was because the Father had laid
upon him the iniquity of us all. He himself did no sin. And yet our sin was laid upon
him. There's that lovely word in 2
Corinthians chapter 5 where it speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ
who made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin. Who knew no
sin. See, we go back to Isaiah 53,
wounded for our transgression. bruised for our iniquities the
chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes
we are healed he was the substitute of his people he humbled himself
he made himself of no reputation whom God hath raised up having
loosed the pains of death because it was not possible that he should
be holding of it He didn't die because of any sin of himself,
because we know from the scriptures that the wages of sin is death.
But he did no sin. He did no sin. But he submitted
himself, as it says in Philippians, became obedient, he submitted
himself. It was a voluntary act of the
Son of God to suffer, to bleed and to die. Christ himself said, didn't he?
No man takeeth my life from me. I have power to lay my life down. I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received
of my father, whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of
death. You know, it reminds me of our
text last Lord's Day. but we're speaking in Romans
8 there, so beautifully, if the spirit of him that, of God dwell
in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also raise
up our mortal bodies. See, he suffered, he bled and
died for our sins, and he rose again for our justification,
because our sins were left in the grave, in the grave of Christ. That's where our sins were left. And when he comes a second time,
it says in the Hebrews that Christ will come a second time, but
what does it say? Without sin. And yet we read, our sins and
our iniquities were laid upon him, but when he comes a second
time, it's without sin. Why? Because he left our sins
in the grave. He rose again for our justification
so that the Church of Christ, the Spouse of Christ, the Lord's
people are free from sin. They're free from sin. Their
sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. No more. He rose again that we should
be declared free from sin, justified. therefore being justified by
faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
whom God has raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because
it was not possible that he should be holding of it. And you know,
he continues in this following scriptures it says here verse
29 men and brethren let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch
david that he is both dead and buried and his sepulcher is with
us unto this day therefore being a prophet and knowing that god
had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his loins
according to the flesh he would raise up christ to sit on his
throne he's seeing this before spake of the resurrection of
christ that his soul was not left in hell, that is, in death.
Neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up,
whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore, this is the glorious
person of Christ, therefore, by the right hand of God, being
by the right hand of God exalted, having received of the Father
the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this which
ye now see and hear. See we read in Psalm 110, the
Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand until I make
thine enemies thy footstool. That is the Father said to the
Son, the Lord said unto my Lord, the Father said to the Son, sit
thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. You see Friends, these are spoken. It says here in the verse 34,
For David is not ascended into the heavens, but he saith himself,
The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand until I
make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of
Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus, whom
ye have crucified, both Lord Christ he's now sitting at the
right hand of the Majesty on high and he will come again when
will he come again well you say with the end of the world yes
that is true but but when is the end of the world it's when
the last vessel of mercy that is redeemed by Christ has been
gathered to Christ and brought to saving faith in Christ. And
when that last vessel of mercy that was redeemed at Calvary
is called by divine grace, the archangel's trump shall sound,
and the dead in Christ shall rise first, and we that are alive
and remain shall meet the Lord in the air. So shall we ever
be with the Lord. You see, and the cost, tremendous
cost of our salvation is in those terrible sufferings
and sorrows of our Lord Jesus Christ, Him, being delivered
by the determinate counsel and full knowledge of God. You think,
think of those words in Zechariah, Awake, O sword, against my shepherd,
and the man that is my fellow." That's the Eternal Father speaking
there. A Waco sword against my shepherd,
that's Christ. And the man, that's God manifest
in the flesh. The man Christ Jesus. The sword
of divine justice was unleashed against him. Spotless, innocent
and pure. Our great Redeemer stood while
Satan's fiery darts he bore and did resist the blood. Purposed by God, decreed by God,
Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and full knowledge of
God. We were in Ephesians chapter
1 this morning and what does it say there? Who worketh all
things after the counsel of his own will. All things after the
counsel of his own will. Him being delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken. How he charges home to them their
sin in crucifying the Lord of glory. Whom ye have taken and by wicked
hands have crucified and slain whom God hath raised up. You know, friends, this is the
very heart, the center, the sum and the substance of the Christian
gospel. Our Lord Jesus Christ crucified
on Calvary's tree. God forbid that I should glory,
saving the cross of our Lord Jesus whom God hath raised up. What a wonderful thing. When
the angel speaking to the disciples, when they came to the tomb and
it was empty, he said, why seek ye the living among the dead?
He is not here, he is risen. The risen saviour. He's risen. Come. See the place where the
Lord lie. This is where he was, he's no
longer there. Death is now swallowed up in
victory. It's a very beautiful word, isn't
it, in the prophecy of Hosea. And I think it's in the 13th
chapter of the prophecy of Hosea. It speaks there so beautifully
of the resurrection of Christ. Hosea 13 verse 14, I will ransom
them from the power of the grave. I will redeem them from death. O death, I will be thy plagues. O grave, I will be thy destruction. Repentance shall be hid from
mine eyes. What does that mean? I will not
turn back. until I have completely fulfilled
what I've come to do. I will die for the sins of my
people, but then I will rise again. O death, I will be thy
plagues, O grave, I will be thy victory. I will rise again. Doesn't the prophet Isaiah, he
himself, he speaks so beautifully of the resurrection of Christ. He says in Isaiah chapter 25,
And in verses 6 and 7 and 8. And in this mountain shall the
Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things. That's
the glorious and sacred crucified saviour. A feast of wines on
the lees and of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees
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 shall wipe away
all tears from off all faces, and the rebuke of his people
shall he take away from off all the earth, for the Lord hath
spoken it." The Lord has spoken it. Just look at Isaiah chapter
26 and verse 19. Thy dead men shall live, together
with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and see, ye that
dwell in the dust, for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the
earth shall cast out the dead. Him being delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked
hands have crucified and slain, whom God hath raised up, having
loose the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should
be holden of it. It's not possible. Why? Because
he's the Lord of life. I am the way, the truth, and
the life. He's the Lord of life and glory. him is life he's the
living one he's the one that has destroyed death and him that
had the power of death it was not possible because he was holy
he was pure he died on the behalf of his people and he rose again
on behalf of his people and he says because I live ye shall
live also may the Lord his blessing to these few remarks that we
have made.