The notices for the coming week
are God willing as follows. Pastor will preach here on next
Lord's Day at 10.30 and two o'clock. There'll be a prayer meeting
here on Tuesday evening at seven o'clock. There'll be no service
here on Thursday as it is Tunbridge Wells Thanksgiving when Mr. Brian Mercer is expected to preach
at seven o'clock. Collections taken during September
amounted to £2,298.95. Donations to the book fund amounted
to £45. We sincerely thank you for your
continued support of this cause of truth. Let us commence our services
today by singing together hymn number 558. The tune is Nottingham
485. Sweet the name of Christ must
be from and to eternity, for it pleased the Father well. Fullness
all in Christ should dwell. Hymn 558. In the name of Christ has been come and fill eternity. For it pleases the Father, Lord God's hope in righteousness. Jesus lives, His name admires,
May I show Thee He is happy. He has saved my
soul from sin. And I stand committed here. ♪ How precious did ♪ ♪ His heavenly
light ♪ ♪ Be to the glory ♪ ♪ To the power ♪ ♪ And His mercy ♪
♪ I have known him each day of
life. ♪ ♪ Then, o'er all his tribes
turning, ♪ ♪ And I shall his glory see ♪ ♪ Therefore in his
name I'll trust ♪ ♪ And on him ♪ O'er the ramparts we watched
were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket's red glare, the
bombs bursting in air, Day to day we'll reach him now, Love
and mercy, love and fear, ♪ God be kind to the church and
man ♪ ♪ May thy heaven be full of life ♪ ♪ In the night ♪ ♪ And it's a crimson
dew ♪ ♪ And in the sun ♪ Let this man be all my joy, Every
word shall be in joy, ♪ And with pleasure keep it here
♪ ♪ While the gloomy Wednesdays pass by ♪ Let us read together from the
Holy Word of God, part of Luke chapter 14 and chapter 15. The Gospel according to Luke
chapter 14. We will commence our reading
at verse 25 and we will read down to verse 10 in chapter 15. and there went great multitudes
with him. And he turned and said unto them,
if any man come to me, and hate not his father and mother and
wife and children and brethren and sisters, yea, and his own
life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his
cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of
you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first and counteth
the cost, whether we have sufficient to finish it? Lest, happily, after he hath
laid the foundation and is not able to finish it, all that behold
it begin to mock him, saying, This man began to build, and
was not able to finish? Or what king, going to make war
against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth
whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against
him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet
a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth to Desireth
conditions of peace, so likewise whosoever be of you that forsaketh
not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. Salt is good,
but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be
seasoned? It is not fit for the land, nor
yet for the dunghill, but men cast it out, he that hath ears
to hear, let him hear. Then drew near unto him all the
publicans and sinners, for to hear him. And the Pharisees and
scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth
with them. And he spake this parable unto
them, saying, What man of you having a hundred sheep. If he
lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness,
and go after that which is lost, until he find it. And when he
hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulder rejoicing. And when
he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying
unto them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was
lost. I say unto you that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one
sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons
which need no repentance. Either what woman having ten
pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle
and sweep the house and search diligently till she find it,
And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours
together, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the peace
which I had lost. Likewise I say unto you, There
is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner
that repenteth. May the Lord bless thee. reading
of his own precious word, grant unto us a spirit of real prayer. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,
which is an art, an art to come, we desire to bow before thy great
majesty, to call upon thy great, thy holy, and thy eternal name.
We desire, O Lord, a spirit of true worship. They that worship
thee must worship thee in spirit and in truth. We pray that thou
would grant us that true spiritual worship here today as we gather
together around thy word. We do thank thee, Lord, for safely
being brought back from our travels. We're thankful, Lord, for thy
tender mercies, journey in mercies, hearing of prayer. And thankful,
Lord, to be among our own people. And we're thankful, Lord, to
hear of thy servants that were helped during visiting here. And we pray that there may yet
be fruit that shall follow their labours among us. And, O Lord,
we do We thank thee for the house of prayer, for the open Bible,
for the freedom and liberties that we enjoy to meet together
around thy word. May we highly prize these privileges. O Lord, we do beseech thee, show
us thy ways, teach us thy paths. Let us see thy goings in the
sanctuary. Let us see thy power and thy
glory as thou usest to be in the sanctuary, and grant 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. Lord, look upon each one assembled
here today, and grant thy blessing, we do humbly beseech thee. and
grant the opening of the blind eyes and the unstopping of the
deaf ears and the opening of the heart. Lord, thy work is
a sovereign work. We pray that we may be favoured
to see that divine work of the Holy Ghost in our midst, in bringing
precious souls from death unto life, from darkness into light,
from bondage into liberty, May the power that brings salvation
be exerted in the Word. May we see that quickening operation
of the Holy Ghost among us. We pray, O Lord, that the glory
and light of the Gospel may shine into this village. Precious souls
may be gathered in. Strongholds of Satan pulled down. The kingdom of the Lord Jesus
set up in the hearts of sinners. Lord, let thy work appear unto
thy servants and thy glory unto their children. We do humbly
beseech thee for thy great name's sake. Oh, we pray at most gracious
Lord that thou would make us more spiritually minded and set
our affections on things above and not on things of the earth.
For Lord, by nature we are earthbound and we each have a heart which
is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. We come,
O Lord, to confess our sins, our wanderings, our backslidings. 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. Gracious God, do incline thine
ear We do humbly beseech them, and do bless us as a church and
as a congregation. Remember, O Lord, our brethren,
the deacons, and give needed grace, wisdom, and help. We thank
thee for the help given in these last three weeks. And we pray,
most gracious Lord, that thou would yet go before us, and would
yet grant signs to follow the preaching of the word, Oh, we
do pray, most gracious Lord, that was blessed the little ones
and the children. We're thankful to see them in
the sanctuary. Pray that they may be richly
blessed of thee, taught of thee, guided by thee. That the tender
fear of the Lord may be placed in their hearts in their young
and tender years. And our dear young friends, as
they stand on the threshold of life's journey, O that thou wouldst
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. Hear us, Lord, and grant the
fulfilling of that wonderful promise, instead of thy father
shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the
earth. Lord, remember the prodigals
that have wandered away, Stretch out thy almighty arm, cause them
to be in one, cause them to return. We do humbly beseech thee. Let
thy work appear unto thy servants and thy glory unto their children. O Lord, we do beseech thee. Arise,
arise, O God of grace, into thy rest descend, thou and the ark
of thy strength. and let thy priests be clothed
with salvation, and thy saints shall shout aloud for joy, O
abundantly bless the provision of thy house and satisfy her
poor with bread, O Lord, we do beseech thee. Let thy power and
thy glory be seen among us as a church and as a congregation.
Lord, remember all in the midst of the journey of life, especially,
Lord, remember parents. Give them grace and wisdom to
bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the
Lord. We do humbly beseech Thee. We pray, most gracious God, that
Thou in Thy great mercy would hear prayer, deliver us from
temptation, deliver us from the power and dominion of sin, And
though sin lives in us, may we not live in sin, but may we live
to him that died. May we be surrendered to the
crucified one. We do humbly beseech of thee. And O Lord God, we do pray that
thou in thy great mercy would remember all in the evening time
of life's journey. We pray that as the outward man
perisheth, the inward man may be renewed day by day. O Lord,
grant that that may be the case. Grant thy blessing, thy favour. Remember, Lord, all thy servants
as they stand upon the walls of Zion. Set them free. Set them at liberty. Grant a
spirit of power. Grant that fresh anointing of
the Spirit that rising well within, we do humbly pray thee. And that
we do pray that we may have the pen of a ready writer and that
grace may be poured upon our lips. For Lord, without thee
we can do nothing. Come and revive thy Zion. Come
and renew thy Zion. Come and replenish thy Zion.
We do humbly beseech thee. Lord, it's thy church, and it's
thy people, and we pray that thou wouldst hear our cries and
our entreaties, and that thou wouldst return unto Jerusalem
with mercies. We do humbly pray thee. We pray
for a spirit of true travail, for as soon as Zion travailed,
she brought forth her children. All thy servants, as they labour
in word and doctrine on the walls of Zion today, some of them,
Lord, with long journeys, help them and strengthen them and
grant, O Lord, thy rich blessing upon their labours. And we pray
thee, the great Lord of the harvest, to send true labourers into the
harvest and to revive and to renew And instead of the closing
of chapels, may we see the building of chapels. Instead of, O Lord,
of declension, may we see a building up, a renewing, a reviving, an
ingathering. We think of the wonderful promises,
I will bring thy sons from far, thy daughters from the ends of
the earth, and they shall come from the north and from the south
and from the east and from the west. O Lord of hosts, O God
of Israel, O Thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine
forth. 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,
do hear us, we humbly pray Thee, and send now prosperity. Lord, we pray for all in the
path of affliction, sorrow, sadness, bereavement, help them. We do humbly pray they support
them, sustain them, strengthen them. We do beseech you. We think of dear Ina in her great
age and pray that thou would visit her with thy great salvation. We pray, most gracious Lord,
that thou would especially be with us as we gather round thy
table this afternoon that we may truly worship thee, that
we may truly remember the tremendous travail of thy soul. We pray,
O Lord, for our nation. We pray for all in authority
over us. Our prime minister, our cabinet,
our members of parliament, judges, magistrates, Lord, be gracious
unto us. Turn back the tides of iniquity. We do humbly beseech thee. Remember
our king. Grant thy rich blessing upon
him and upon the royal household. We do humbly pray thee. Remember those that labour in
word and doctrine among the nations of the earth that go forth from
us. We think of Ian Sadler and his labour of love in the nations
of the earth. Continue, Lord, to help him and
supply all his many returning needs. Remember the Mombasa mission
and grant thy rich blessing there. Remember the Savannah Education
Trust and grant, Lord, that there may be a bountiful harvest in
due time that will redound to the great honour, glory and praise
of thy holy and eternal name. Lord, do hear us, we humbly beseech
Thee. We thank Thee for all Thy tender
mercies, Thy mercies to us each are new every morning, and great
is Thy faithfulness. We thank Thee, most gracious
Lord, above all for the glories of Christ, for the wonders of
redeeming love, for the fullness of that salvation that he has
wrought out for his people. Oh, we do thank thee, most gracious
Lord, that he died for our sins and rose again for our justification,
that he lived a life that was pure and holy and fulfilled the
holy law on behalf of his people and bringing in everlasting righteousness. What glories, what fullness there
is in our Lord Jesus Christ. We thank Thee that He died for
our sins and rose again for our justification. And we thank Thee
that He has bodily ascended into heaven and we have a great High
Priest sitting at Thy right hand. Gracious God, do hear us. We humbly beseech Thee for Thy
great namesake. We do desire that thou wouldst
now be with us as we turn to thy holy word, and that thou
wouldst touch one's lips with a live coal from of the heavenly
altar, and that the word preached may be in power in the Holy Ghost,
and with much assurance we ask for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 556, the tune is Evening Star, number 29. The Lord proclaims his name,
and sinners hear his voice. His mercy ever stands the same,
and we'll in him rejoice. Hymn 556, tune Evening Star, number 29. ♪ And shepherds quake at the sight
♪ ♪ And shepherds quake at the sight ♪ ♪ And shepherds quake
at the sight ♪ ♪ He'll save his nation's savior
♪ ♪ And free the innocent ♪ ♪ God of Jacob, lift up your voice
♪ in the world. It takes the sun and the moon,
and ♪ The points of greater preciousness
♪ ♪ Than joy and peace may have. ♪ ♪ But there's a chance it may
be lost ♪ ♪ King of all, God the King ♪ ♪ Heaven and earth
shall sing in praise of Him ♪ ♪ And make my head a place ♪ ♪
For you see me ♪ ♪ Trusting and believing ♪ Greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, I would direct your attention to the Gospel
according to Luke, chapter 15, reading the last clause of verse
2. Luke's Gospel, chapter 15, reading
the last clause of verse 2. This man receiveth sinners and
eateth with them." And the whole verse reads, and
the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, this man receive his
sinners and eateth with them. It's really that last clause
that has rested on my spirit. But these things were spoken
in a derogatory way by the scribes and Pharisees against the Lord
Jesus Christ, this man. What a beautiful term, this man.
There is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man,
Christ Jesus, who gave his life, a ransom for all to be testified
in due time. See, this man, this holy God-man,
this profound mystery of godliness, of God manifest in the flesh,
this man, receive his sins. You know, how
profound is that mystery of godliness, of God manifest in the flesh,
And as it says in John and the Word, it's a term almost exclusively
used by John concerning the glorious person of Jesus Christ. In the epistle to the Hebrews,
it speaks again of this profound mystery of godliness. It does
throughout the Word of God, So in John it says, and we beheld
his glory. See the glory of God manifest
in the flesh. The glory of the Son of God assuming
human nature. It is a profound mystery. How
that he took into union with his divine nature. That he that
is infinite and eternal, almighty, He assumed human nature and he
lived here upon earth as a man. But this man, the man, Christ
Jesus, who gave his life of ransom for
all to be testified in due time. The Apostle in Hebrews 2, he
speaks of man He quotes from the book of Psalms, what is man
that thou art mindful of him? Or the son of man that thou visitest
him? Thou madest him a little lower
than the angels? What does that mean? What does
that term mean? Thou madest him a little lower
than the angels? It means that human nature is
a little lower than the angels in this sense that man has a
physical body, confined in one place. And he has a spiritual soul.
That is what constitutes human nature. A body and a soul is
made in the image of God. The angels are pure spirits.
They're created spirits, but they're pure spirits. Then God
himself is that infinite and eternal spirit. from everlasting
to everlasting thou art God. And these things are defined
in Holy Scripture. In the creation of man, we read
in the book of Genesis, how that God formed the body of man from
the dust of the earth. And then we read, and God breathed
into him the breath of life, and man became a living soul.
You see these are defined in Holy Scripture. And the Son of God, He became
bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. He took a true human nature.
He had a body and a soul. Now, in that holy body and soul
that He assumed in the womb of the Virgin, and just Let's just
note what it says in Luke. That holy thing that shall be
born of thee. That's a very essential statement. He wasn't stained with original
sin. That's why we have the record
of the virgin birth. He wasn't born by natural generation. The Holy Ghost overshadowed the
womb of the virgin. That holy thing that shall be
born of thee shall be called the Son of God. He is declared
to be the Son of God with power. This man. This man. And then in Hebrews 2, after
speaking of what man is, he says in verse 9, but we see Jesus,
who was made a little lower than the angels. That means he became
a man, a real true man, and yet at the same time the eternal
God. We have what you might say wonderful
flashes of it in his life. You think of when they journeyed
over the Sea of Galilee, he sent his disciples. Across the Sea
of Galilee he himself was weary, It shows how real his human nature
was. He knew what weariness was. And
he was asleep in the ship. And there was a great storm that
came on the Sea of Galilee. And they began to take on water
and they thought the ship was going to sink and they said,
Master, save us or we perish. They woke him up from his sleep,
and he rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the disciples said, what
manner of man is this that even the wind and the sea obey him? You see, they saw the wonderful
power of Jesus, the Son of God. They saw also his true humanity,
that he needed to sleep. And that true humanity that he
assumed, we have a record on two occasions in Holy Scripture,
when angels appeared to strengthen him. Of course, his divine nature
needed no strengthening. He's the eternal son of the eternal
father, but his human nature under that tremendous torrent
of temptation in the wilderness, at the beginning of his earthly
ministry. And we read, there appeared an
angel from heaven, strengthened him. And then in the Garden of
Gethsemane, when the sin of the church was laid on Christ, that
was what happened in the Garden of Gethsemane. He laid upon him
the iniquity of us all, He became our sin bearer. Now, we read
that he being in an agony, sweat as it were, great drops of blood
falling down to the ground. Why? Because of the tremendous
weight of the sin of the church that was laid upon him. And then we read this, and there
appeared an angel from heaven strengthening him. You see, My
beloved friends, we cannot even begin to enter into the sufferings
of Christ by the attacks of Satan and also
by the becoming our sin bearer. He took our sins and he nailed
them to his cross. This man, but this man, this
glorious, holy, God-man, the man Christ Jesus. Now, I think there are about
72 times in Holy Scripture when the Lord Jesus Christ is called
the Son of Man. Most of them are in the New Testament,
most of them by Christ himself. He calls himself the Son of Man,
but he's also the Son of God. So what the term the Son of Man
is highlighting is human nature, that the Son of God assumed in
the womb of the Virgin Mary. David in Psalm 80, he speaks
of it, he has such a clear view of it. Let thy hand be upon the
man of thy right hand, the Son of Man, whom thou madeest strong
for thyself. But we see Jesus, who was made
a little lower than the angels. Now, He gives us the reason why,
for the suffering of death. You see, my beloved friends,
the Son of God, in His divine nature, could not die. We read
in Scripture, God who cannot die, God lives eternally. The Son of God could not be tempted
of evil. God cannot be tempted of evil.
But the Son of God, manifest in the flesh, He could suffer. He could bleed, He could die. He was tempted by the devil. Now in His divine nature that
couldn't be, but in His human nature, that He assumed, becoming
bone of our bone, in that human nature He could suffer. But we
see Jesus who was made a little lower than the angels for the
suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor that he by the
grace of God should taste death for every man. Then verse 10,
he speaks of his divine nature and it says, for it became him
for whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing
many sons unto glory. to make the captain of their
salvation perfect through sufferings. And he became our brother. Paul here, writing to the Hebrews,
he quotes from the book of Psalms, particularly Psalm 22, which
speaks of the sufferings of Christ. And here in Hebrews 2, verse
12, he says, I will declare thy name unto my brethren. In the
midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And again,
another psalm, I will put my trust in him. And again, that's
another psalm, behold I and the children which God has given
me. For as much then as the children, the children which God has given
me, the eternal Father chose a people
from the ruins of the Adam folk. For as much as you are not redeemed
with corruptible things such as silver and gold from your
vain conversation received from your fathers, but with the precious
blood of Christ as of a lamb slain from before the foundation
of the world, before the foundation of the world, for as much there's a children,
the children given to him. He says it in that lovely prayer
in John 17, speaks of all that the father had given him. It's
the church chosen in Christ, redeemed in Christ, set at liberty
in Christ, justified in Christ, delivered from the curse of the
law in Christ. I've often pointed out to you,
how in the epistles, especially the Ephesians, we read these
terms constantly and continually, in him, through him, unto him. Everything that the apostle speaks
of, whether it's doctrine, experience, or practice, in him, unto him,
through him. It's all in our Lord Jesus Christ. For as much then, as the children
are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took
part of the same. Now notice again what he says,
that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death,
that is the devil, and deliver them who through fear of death
were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took
not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of
Abraham, Wherefore, in all things it behoved him to be made like
unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high
priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for
the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered
being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted. You see, this man, this man. Oh, what a glorious, what a profound
mystery. Something that has to be revealed.
This wonderful mystery of God manifest in the flesh. And it
is spoken of throughout the Holy Scriptures. Christ himself said to John in
Revelation chapter 22, I am the root and offspring of David,
the bright and morning star. As the son of God, he was David's
root. David drew all his strength and
wisdom from the son of God. But then it says he's his offspring.
As a man, he was born of the seed of David. of David's offspring. The only way you can interpret
that word is by that acknowledgement of those two natures, the divine
and the human, in the glorious person of our Lord Jesus Christ. This man receiveth sins. What a wonderful thing. When
John the Baptist sent his disciples to inquire Art thou he that should
come or look we for another? John the Baptist was soon to
lose his head at the hands of Herod. And there was obviously some doubt
in the poor man's mind that this is the man that was the herald
of salvation. This is the man that Christ said
there was not a greater man born among women than John the Baptist. This is the man that said, behold
the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. But
this is the man that baptized the Lord Jesus Christ in the
river Jordan. And he gave witness that he beheld
the Spirit descending in the form of a dove and alighting
upon him. And they heard the voice of the
Eternal Father speaking from heaven, this, is my beloved son,
in whom I am well pleased. This glorious, holy God-man. What a profound mystery. But you know, this was spoken
in a derogatory way, but it's so full of precious truth. He does. He did. And He still does receive sinners
and eateth with them. We read here in the Gospel of
Luke, for the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which
was lost. The Son of Man is come. What
a wonderful, sacred, precious truth that is, that He has come
upon this earth. I often used to say that he left
the bosom of the Father to come upon earth. You know friends,
that is not correct. If you look into John chapter
1, it doesn't say he left the bosom of the Father, it says
who is in the bosom of the Father. It doesn't say he left the He
is in the bosom of the Father. And He was when He was here upon
earth. He was still in heaven as the Son of God while He was
still here on earth. God filleth everywhere. He's
omnipresent. Christ is omnipresent as the
Son of God in all places, at all times. His being is infinite. He's co-equal and co-eternal
with the Father and with the Holy Ghost. And these three are
one who is in the bosom of the Father. Christ himself, in his
teachings, he speaks of being here on earth, but also still
in heaven. He's still in heaven as the Son
of God. You can't confine him to any
place. He knows all things, He sees
all things, He understands all things. Just think that when Christ was
here on earth, and it happened more than once, Jesus, knowing
their thoughts, He knew the thoughts of all those that are about Him.
When that dear woman pressed through the crowd and touched
the hem of his garment and was so afflicted and drew virtue
from him, he turned and he said, who touched me? But he knew already
who touched him. But he gives that question, who
touched me? And when she could not be hid,
she came trembling. She spoke of what she had received,
the virtue she had received from the Lord Jesus. this man receiveth
sinners, and eateth with them. You know, we spoke not too long
ago about Zacchaeus, and how the Lord Jesus, when he entered
into Jericho, we have two instances there. comes to that tree, the sycamore
tree. Zacchaeus was up in the sycamore
tree. He was short of stature. He couldn't see, and he wanted
to see this wonderful man, the man Christ Jesus. And he was
a publican. It says he was very rich. He
was very rich. His wealth came from fraudulent
behavior. And it was well known that these
tax collectors always took more and they kept it to themselves.
And that is why he was very rich. And the Lord Jesus, he looked
up in that tree as he came under the tree. How surprised Zacchaeus
must have been. Here he is, up in the tree. The Lord Jesus comes under the
tree and looks up. Zacchaeus, come down. Zacchaeus, come down. You see,
the time had come for this sinful, fraudulent man to be called by
divine grace. Matthew, that is Matthew Levi,
who writes the first gospel, He was sitting at the receipt
of custom. He was a tax collector. He was
despised by all the people. But this man, the God man, the
holy man, he called him by divine grace. He passed the seat of
custom and he said to Matthew, follow me. And he left all and
he followed him. He comes under the tree, the
sycamore tree, and he looks up and he says, Zacchaeus, come
down, for today salvation has come to thy house. You see, this
man receiveth sinners and eateth with them. He eats with them.
You think of the Good Samaritan. The Good Samaritan is Christ.
in that parabolic way that Christ teaches. And the priest and the
Levite, they came to that poor man that was taken among thieves
and they looked and they passed by. That's all they did. They weren't going to defile
themselves. They weren't going to help anybody. They weren't
going to have mercy on anyone. but the man Christ Jesus, the
good Samaritan. He binds up his wounds, pours
in oil, takes him to the inn, leaves the money for him to be
looked after and whatever is required when I return, I'll
pay thee for it. He did everything. It makes me
think of Ruth the Marbitess, fear not my daughter, All that
thou requirest will I do for thee. And that's what Christ
has done. Ruth the Moabitess, she was a
stranger. But everything she required was
supplied. She wasn't an Israelite, she
was a Moabitess. She was despised by the Israelites
because she was a Gentile. But look how the Lord, He brought
her to Bower's Field. Gatsby says in his hymn, To Boaz
Field he led her straight. Jehovah was her guide. You see, this man received his
sinners. She was a stranger. Why hast
thou taken notice of me? She said to Boaz. Boaz is a beautiful
type of our Lord Jesus Christ. He's a mighty man of wealth.
He had the ability to redeem everything that belonged to Naomi
and to Ruth the Moabitess. And he did that. Not only that,
but he married her. What a beautiful type of Christ. Christ says, I am married unto
you. I am married unto you. This holy
God-man, the man Christ Jesus, is to be brought into union with
Him, isn't it? In union with the Lamb. from
condemnation free, the saints were everlasting were and shall
forever be. Because I live, ye shall live
also. Our life is bound up in Christ. We have no life of our own. Our
life is hid in God, in Christ. You see, my beloved friends,
it's a secure life and it's everlasting life that is found in Christ. that the believer receives in
Christ. And this truth, my beloved friends,
is as true and as relevant today as it ever has been for the last
2,000 years. This man receiveth sinners and
eateth with them, and eateth with them. If you think of those
lovely words of our Lord Jesus Christ, 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, and my burden
is light. Come unto me. He says that to
those that labour, When the spirit quickens a poor
sinner, when he gives them life, when he makes them to feel their
emptiness, their poverty, their need as a poor sinner before
a holy God, he makes them realize that they're bankrupt, they're
unworthy. But this glorious holy God, man, This man receiveth sinners. Sinners can say, and none but
they, how precious is the Saviour. Sinners can say. Christ himself said, I came not
to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Sinners to repentance. This man, this holy God man,
receiveth. sinners. I love what Joseph Hart
says when he speaks of the glorious person of Christ in heaven and
that glorious man sitting at the right hand of the Father,
the Holy God man, our great High Priest who is passed into the
heavens, Jesus the Son of God, sitting at the right hand of
the Father, this man, receive his sinners. That's why he's
there. We have an advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. For such a high priest have we
who is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God. And our great high priest, he
sits on no precarious throne, nor borrows leave to be. he receive
his sinners and eateth with them. He does. He invites them to eat
with him. He spreads the gospel table,
those delicious dainties of the glorious person and work of Jesus
Christ, his precious blood and righteousness. That's what the
gospel table is spread with. We sit down at the Lord's table
this afternoon, God willing, and it can be said there, this
man, this glorious man, who we remember at the Lord's Supper,
he receiveth sinners and eateth with them, he does. That sacred
ordinance of the Lord's Supper, this do, in remembrance of me,
For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show
the Lord's death till he come. He invites us to that table. The table of the Lord is for
sinners. Sinners can say, and none but
they, how precious is the Saviour. You see, it's these feeling sinners that know
their lost condition, they're welcome. Welcome, come and welcome
to Jesus Christ, the saviour of sinners. And the prophet Isaiah,
you know, the old Puritans used to call the prophet Isaiah the
gospel according to Isaiah. And in that 55th chapter, ho
everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters. This is the
waters of his grace. Blessed are they that hunger
and thirst after righteousness. Ho everyone that thirsteth. All the fitness he requireth
is to feel your need of him. O everyone that thirsteth, come
ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, that is, he that
is bankrupt, he that is bankrupt has nothing to pay. Welcome to Jesus Christ. Come
ye, buy and eat, yea, come buy wine and milk without money and
without price. Then he speaks of what we do
when we don't come to him. Wherefore do you spend money
for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which
satisfies not? Hearken diligently unto me, and
eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself
in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto
me. These are the words of Christ.
Incline your ear, and come unto me. Here and your soul shall
live, And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure
mercies of David. Seek ye the Lord while he may
be found, call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake
his way, and the unrighteous run his thoughts. And let him
return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him. And
to our God, for he will abundantly pardon You know, the thoughts
of a poor sinner, when they come to God in prayer, feeling the
weight of their sin and their iniquity, their thoughts are
that he will cast them away forever. That he will damn their souls
forever. They fear that that is what will happen. Because
they feel themselves to be so defiled. And he will have mercy on him.
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not
your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways
higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. You see, my beloved friends,
his thoughts are higher than our thoughts, they are. And in my mind it just goes to
that beautiful passage of scripture in the Gospel of John in chapter
7. Our Lord Jesus Christ, he invites poor sinners. In verse
37, in the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood
and cried, saying, if any man thirst, let him come unto me
and drink He that believeth on me, as the
scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living
water. What is that rivers of living
water? The Holy Ghost. He that believeth on Christ has
the Holy Ghost. You can't believe without the
divine work of the Spirit in your heart. It's he that gives
faith, and it's faith that believes. he that believeth on me. As the
scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living
water, but this he spake of the Spirit, which they that believe
on him should receive. For the Holy Ghost was not yet
given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified. You see, there
is salvation in none other than in this glorified Saviour, who
sitteth at the right hand of the Father. He does. If any man thirst, let him come
unto me and drink, drink of these living waters of the blood and
righteousness of Jesus Christ, of sin put away, of divine justice
satisfied, of God and sinners reconciled. Oh, to drink of these
wonderful living water, and that water to flow out of our soul,
out of his belly, shall flow rivers of living water, the precious
gift of faith. You know, friends, we must be
clear on this. If you have faith, you also have
repentance. There are those that appear to
have faith, but they have no repentance. That's not the work
of God the Spirit. Repentance is that which turns
us away from the ways of sin. Repentance
toward God, it brings us face to face with God. Faith is that
which appropriates the things that are in Christ. which hope
we have as an anchor for the soul, both sure and steadfast,
is anchored within the veil that is in Christ. You know, we read in Revelation
22, and the Spirit, capital S, speaking of the Holy Ghost and
the Spirit and the Bride, say, and let him that heareth say
come and let him that is a thirst come and whosoever will let him
take the water of life freely. Oh that we might be enabled to
drink of that rich water that wonderful fountain open for sin
and for uncleanness in the glorious person of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the fountain of his grace, the fountain of his mercy, the fountain
of his love. This wonderful fountain that
has been opened for sin and for uncleanness. That of course is in the prophet
Zechariah, where he speaks there of the fountain opened. What a wonderful precious truth
that is a fountain open for sin and for uncleanness. Zechariah
13 verse 1, in that day, that's in the day of his grace, that's
the day in which we live. In that day there shall be a
fountain open to the house of David and to the inhabitants
of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. It's a founding
open. What a wonderful thing. Opened
by this man, the man Christ Jesus. A door of hope is opened wide
in Jesus' bleeding hands and side. This man, the glorious
holy God man, the man Christ Jesus, he speaks so beautifully
and in John chapter 10. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth
up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he
that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
To him the porter openeth, and the sheep hear his voice, and
he calleth his own sheep by name. and leadeth them out. And when
he put forth his own sheep, he goeth before them. And the sheep
follow him, for they know his voice. Do you know the voice
of the Good Shepherd? For they know his voice. And
a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him, for they
know not the voice of strangers. What a wonderful thing, my beloved
friends, if we know the voice of Jesus, the voice of my beloved. Behold, he cometh, leaping upon
the mountain, skipping upon the hills, the voice of Christ. Or have you heard that voice? Do you long to hear that voice?
You know, we have a parable here that we read together and of
the lost sheep. What man of you, having an hundred
sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety-nine
in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he
find it? And when he hath found it, he
layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth
together his friends and neighbours, saying, Rejoice with me, for
I have found my sheep that was lost. I say unto you, that likewise
joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth more than
over 99 just persons which have no repentance either what woman
having 10 pieces of silver she lose one piece doth not light
a candle and sweet the house and seek diligent till she find
it And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her
neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found
the peace which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there
is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner
that repenteth. All that the Lord would give
us, real repentance, godly sorrow, for our sin and faith in our
Lord Jesus Christ and those wonderful graces of the Spirit, enabling
us to believe and to lay hold, revealing unto us the precious
things of our Lord Jesus Christ. This man is true today as it
was true 2,000 years ago. This man receive his sinners
and eateth with them. Come then, repent in sinners'
cup, and trust upon his grace, O what thou wilt, the total sum
is cancelled by his death. May the Lord add his blessing. Let us now sing together hymn
number 527, The tune is Southwell, 239. What a divine harmonious sound
the gospel trumpet gives. No music can with it compare. The soul that knows it lives. Hymn 527, tune Southwell, 239. Oh, say does that star-spangled
banner yet wave Oh, say does that star-spangled
banner yet wave God our Father, gracious Queen,
♪ Through Christ the Lamb of Sheol
♪ ♪ O come, O come, O come, O come, Yeshua ♪ Oh, say does that star-spangled
banner yet wave I love you. ♪ The throne of grace ♪ ♪ The saviour
unto me ♪ ♪ The Lord be thine to me ♪ O'er the land of the free and
the home of the brave? ♪ Whose broad stripes and bright
stars ♪ ♪ Through the perilous fight ♪ ♪ O'er the ramparts we
watched were so gallantly streaming? ♪ We have no pride there from the
dawn, Nor confidence in Jesus' storm. 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.