I commence our service this evening
by singing part of hymn number 559. The tune is Arncliffe, number
529. We'll omit verses five and six. The works of God proclaim the
greatness of his power. Jehovah is his name. The saints
his name adore. All creatures are at his control,
he rules and reigns from pole to pole. Such is his omnipotence,
and of such is justice too. A world he drowns at once, except
a very few. He sends his millions down to
hell, and yet is just and holy still. Omitting verses five and
six, hymn number 559, tune Arncliffe, number 529. O come, O come, all ye faithful
joyful and triumphant ♪ The Lord is His name, the Savior
is His own. ♪ The Lord is with thee, and with
thy spirit. God is a man of faith, when soul
is trust and truth, Shri Ram Sarvam Shri Sarvapati He turns his mirror down to earth,
And yet is just and worthy too. God so I know, He looks with
eye in heaven, is his love, yet how precious
is his grace. Blessing and blessings he hath
brought, ♪ To save a guilty wretch like
me ♪ ♪ Never shall I be free ♪ ♪ Neither
because of death ♪ ♪ Blessed o'er thy kingdom reign ♪ ♪ Ever
bluest in the world. ♪ ♪ Was in this way the Lord
did show her ♪ ♪ What is the right thing not to do ♪ Here I will find the sea, The
moon is painting me, Great is His love to me, and
all is well with me. May we be help to read two portions this
evening. The first is in Leviticus chapter 9, the first seven verses. The book of Leviticus chapter
9 and the first seven verses. And it came to pass on the eighth
day that Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel. And he said unto Aaron, take
thee a young calf for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering,
without blemish, and offer them before the Lord. And unto the
children of Israel thou shalt speak, saying, take ye a kid
of the goats for a sin offering, and a calf and a lamb, both of
the first year without blemish, for a burnt offering. also a
bullock and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the Lord,
and a meat offering mingled with oil, for today the Lord will
appear unto you. And they brought that which Moses
commanded before the tabernacle of the congregation, and all
the congregation drew near and stood before the Lord. And Moses
said, this is the thing which the Lord commanded that ye should
do. and the glory of the Lord shall
appear unto you. And Moses said unto Aaron, Go
unto the altar, and offer thy sin offering, and thy burnt offering,
and make an atonement for thyself and for the people, and offer
the offering of the people, and make an atonement for them, as
the Lord commanded. And then if you turn with me
to Isaiah chapter 66, The prophecy of Isaiah chapter
66, thus saith the Lord, the heaven is my throne and the earth
is my footstool. Where is the house that ye build
unto me? And where is the place of my
rest? For all those things have mine
hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord. But
to this man will I look, Even to him that is poor and of a
contrite spirit and trembleth at my word. He that killeth an
ox is as if he slew a man. He that sacrificeth a lamb as
if he cut off a dog's neck. He that offereth an oblation
as if he offered swine's blood. He that burneth incense as if
he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own
ways. and their soul delighteth in
their abominations. I also will choose their delusions,
and will bring their fears upon them, because when I called,
none did answer. When I spake, they did not hear,
but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which
I delighted not. Hear the word of the Lord, ye
that tremble at his word, your brethren that hated you, that
cast you out for my name's sake, said, let the Lord be glorified. But he shall appear to your joy,
and they shall be ashamed. A voice of noise from the city,
a voice from the temple, a voice of the Lord that rendereth recompense
to his enemies. Before she traveled, she brought
forth. Before her pain came, she was
delivered of a man-child. Who hath heard such a thing?
Who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring
forth in one day, or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon
as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. Shall I bring
to the birth, and not cause to bring forth, saith the Lord? Shall I cause to bring forth,
and shut the womb, saith thy God. Rejoice ye with Jerusalem,
and be glad with her, all ye that love her. Rejoice for joy
with her, all ye that mourn for her, that ye may suck and be
satisfied with the breaths of her consolations, that ye may
milk out and be delighted with the abundance of her glory. For
thus saith the Lord. Behold, I will extend peace to
her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing
stream. Then shall you suck. You shall
be borne upon her sides and dandled upon her knees. As one whom his
mother comforted, so will I comfort you, and you shall be comforted
in Jerusalem. And when you see this, your heart
shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb,
and the hand of the Lord shall be known toward his servants
and his indignation toward his enemies. For behold, the Lord
will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind,
to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of
fire. For by fire and by his sword
will the Lord plead with all flesh, and the slain of the Lord
shall be many. They that sanctify themselves
and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the
midst, eating swine's flesh and the abomination, and the mouse
shall be consumed together, saith the Lord. For I know their works
and their thoughts. It shall come, and I will gather
all nations and tongues, and they shall come and see my glory. And I will set a sign among them,
and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to
Tarshish, Pol, and Lud, that drew the bow to Tubal, and Javin,
to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, and neither
have seen my glory. And they shall declare my glory
among the Gentiles. And they shall bring all your
brethren for an offering unto the Lord out of all nations,
upon horses and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules,
and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain, Jerusalem, saith
the Lord. As the children of Israel bring
an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord, and
I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith
the Lord. For as the new heavens and the
new earth which I will make shall remain before me, saith the Lord,
so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to
pass that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath
to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the
Lord. And they shall go forth and look
upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against
me. For their worm shall not die,
and neither shall their fire be quenched, and they shall be
and abhorring unto all flesh. Leave the reading there, friends. May the dear Lord bless the reading
of his holy word to us each. May he help us each in prayer.
Lord, our most kind and gracious Lord God, we do pray now as we
come once more into the sanctuary the house of God. Oh, make it
the house of God to us, we do pray this evening. May it be,
dear Lord, dear Jacob's blessing, even the very gate of heaven.
Oh, as we come to meet with thy people, we do beg, Lord, that
there might be that volume of prayer coming up unto thee, that
we might constrain thee to abide with us this evening. And for
the rest of our lives, we do pray. that we might know thy
more immediate presence as we enter now. Dear Lord, we do not
desire to be out court worshippers, but we desire
to be in a court. Lord, thou knowest each of our
hearts, thou knowest what is upon our hearts, thou knowest
whether we are real before thee or whether we desire to be real
before thee. But Lord, we do pray that that
work might be going on in us each, that work of grace, that
sanctifying work, dear Lord, for thou hast a separated people,
thou hast a peculiar people, and we do pray that we might
have those sweet confirmations that we are amongst them. Oh,
leave us not out, we do pray. And especially when we meet with
them, dear Lord, may we feel one with them. May we feel those
bonds of the everlasting covenant that we're found in, that bundle
of life with the Lord our God. Oh, we do pray then that they
would help us as we come this evening, both young and old.
Dear Lord, we do pray that there might be a word for us. It might
be a season to rejoice in, It might be, dear Lord, that some
are barren as they come in. It might be that some feel to
be far off. Some feel, dear Lord, that thou
hast left them. Oh, we do pray that there might
be a bringing back. In our spirits, Lord, although
we present ourselves continually in the house of God, it can be,
and thou knowest us, Lord, it can be that we are far off. We're
doing other things when we should be worshiping thee. We're planning
other things when we should be before thy throne. And so, Lord,
as we come now, we do pray that thou wouldst draw our attention,
draw our focus unto thee, that we might truly know that we are
in thy presence. And, O Lord, we do thank thee
for the precious throne of grace and him that sits upon it. We
do thank thee, Lord, that we are able to come, we desire to
come, and we have an interest in coming. Lord, we know what
it is to be without that interest. We know what it is, dear Lord,
to be away from Thee. And so we do beg that Thou wouldst
draw us, sweetly draw us, Lord, this evening with the chords
of a man. May we feel it in our hearts. May we feel, dear Lord,
that we can, by Thy grace, draw near to Thee without fear, without
trepidation, without all those things that would inhibit us
coming. Oh, Lord, we pray that we might
be found arriving. Oh, we do beg then, bless this
dear people and their pastor. Be with them, Lord, and help
them. And we thank you for their pastor being with us this evening
and for safe journeys throughout those weeks that he's been away.
And dear Lord, do honour his ministry, all thy words through
him where he has been. And may it be, dear Lord, that
thou hast sown seeds through him that shall grow, blossom,
and bring forth fruit in days to come. Help him in this corner
of the vineyard where thou hast placed him. Lord, do help him
here as he continually comes in and out amongst the people.
Help him to sow the seed, Lord, and wait for the harvest. Wait
for the blade, the corn, and the fall corn in the year. Oh
we pray for him that thou would strengthen him in his lonely
path and bless him indeed Lord we do pray and may the people
hold up his hands in the ministry and in the path that thou has
caused him to walk. May there be much prayer for
him dear Lord continually and for all thy servants as they
come in and out of the chapels and Into the pulpits, Lord, we
pray that there might be real prayer given, that they might
feel the prayers upholding them. They might feel the strength
and the support of a praying people. Lord, this is so desirable. And we do pray for each one found
here. The deacons, remember them in
the burdens that they have. Lord, help them and undertake
for them in all those things the office of a burden bearer,
the office of a deacon, Lord. the visiting and the arranging
and the fabric. Lord, we do pray for them that
thou wouldst help them and bless them indeed, and each of the
families. Oh, we pray, Lord, that thou
wouldst work in the young people. If thou hast not started already,
we do beg that thou wouldst, dear Lord, begin that work of
grace. There is no substitute for it. We must have it, Lord. And we
do pray that the prayers of the godly might be heard and answered,
that sweet answers might be poured out upon this place and upon
all the places of worship. Oh Lord, we do pray that we might
stay by the old paths, those paths lined out, those paths
made, and those paths sprinkled with blood. Lord, help us to
walk in them, help us to be unashamed of thee, Help us, dear Lord,
to follow thee. And do be with us, dear Lord,
in our lives and the pathway that thou hast placed us in.
We pray that we might hold on our way. And Lord, we do beg
that we might, from time to time, hear from thee, that thou would
speak into our hearts. Lord, we would come with a note
of praise and thankfulness that thou hast heard prayer. And oh,
dear Lord, we are so thankful that thou dost still hear prayer. Oh, it were a sad lot if the
way to prayer was stopped up. And so, Lord, we must come and
pray that we might not take these great privileges and opportunities
for granted as we come into the sanctuary. Lord, do make this
people and our people and all the peoples a praying people.
Lord, where there is private prayer, where there is secret
prayer, there will be public praise, there will be public
worship. And oh, we do thank Thee for
the way in which Thou dost work like this, dear Lord. We do pray
that Thou wouldst add to the numbers those whom Thou hast
everlastingly loved. Dear Lord, we do pray even from
the locality, there might be those who find their way into
these calls. There might be those that read
the text outside and that it might convict them. There might
be those, dear Lord, in great need, who need a saviour. And so we do pray that thy work
might continue amongst us, and there might be a refreshing and
a renewing. Oh, thou knowest what we are,
dear Lord, by nature, and thou knowest how frail and fragile
we are and how we need thee. And so do come this evening,
dear Lord, we do pray, And may we have that within ourselves
as a sweet witness that thou art here. Oh Lord, we do pray
for our nation. We don't really know how to pray
for our leaders. And Lord, we seem to have strayed. We've gone so far from thee.
Do help us to get back to thee. Lord, do draw us back into, even
in the public way, dear Lord, into worshiping thee. instead of trying to do those
things in agreeing with everybody else so that they don't harm
or hurt anyone's feelings. Lord, we need to get back to
thee and do help us as a nation, as Britain. Lord, family life
is the backbone and we do pray, Lord, that where we've strayed,
oh Lord, do deal gently with us in wrath, Lord, for we know
not how thou wilt do it. But we do pray that these things
might be laid to heart. Lord, help us to walk out the
Christian pathway in our own little way. Oh, we do pray, dear
Lord, that thou wouldst not leave us to self. Oh, these wretched selves of
ours. And so we come now, Lord, and
we beg that thou wouldst help us look into thy word. Speak
through it, dear Lord, to our hearts. Encourage us from it. We do pray that we might behold
the wonders of redeeming grace, the wonders of the Lamb. Oh,
that thy people, Lord, might be blessed indeed and tell out
of thy faithfulness, thy wonderfulness, Lord, in what thou hast done.
Pick us up once more, Lord, we do beg. Pick us up and help us
to stand aright, we do pray. Help now with the singing of
the hymns, Lord. Bless them to our hearts, Help
us to understand what the hymn writer has penned down, and may
thy spirit be upon the words, both of the hymn, but especially
of the word of God. For thy dear name's sake, amen. Continue our service by singing
hymn number 626, Tune is lovely, number 477. Sinners who on Jesus rest must
eternally be blessed. All Jehovah's love can give,
they from Jesus shall receive. Love of God to Jesus given in
the purposes of heaven. They are bought with blood divine
and they must in glory shine. Hymn number 626, tune lovely
number 477. O give to us, O give to us, O
give to us, O give to us, O give to us, O give to us, O give to
us, O give to us, O give to us, O give to us, O give to us, O
give to us, O give to us, O give to us, O give to us, O give to
us, O give to us, O give to us, O give to us, O give to us, O
give to us, O give to us, O give to us, O give to us, O give to
us, O give to us, O give to us, O give to us, O give to us, O
give to us, O give to us, O give to us, O give to us, O give to
us, O give to us, O give to us, O give to us, O give to us, O
give to us, O give to us, O give to us, O give to us, O give to
us, O give to us, O give to us ♪ The home of the brave ♪ ♪ In
the land of the free ♪ ♪ And the home of the brave ♪ ♪ And I must be gone in time ♪
♪ If I live to see the world again ♪ O come, all ye faithful
joyful and triumphant O come, all ye faithful joyful ♪ The greenest land on earth ♪
♪ Of the single-minded love ♪ And in my home, Michigan, is
the life of every man. ♪ In all the world's unflagging
light ♪ ♪ Here is my testimony's light ♪ ♪ True creation of sin's
death ♪ ♪ To the shepherds of Israel ♪
♪ Christ is risen today in thee
♪ ♪ Holy Savior of mankind ♪ ♪ Grant them eternal rest ♪ May the dear Lord help me to
say a few things from the book of Leviticus chapter 9 And the
last few words in verse four, the Lord will appear unto you. Leviticus chapter nine, last
few words in verse four, it says, for today the Lord will appear
unto you. Now the book of Leviticus must
be one of the books that is least read in the Bible. Sometimes
when you look at it friends and you start reading it, it is a
complicated book because there's so much in it that really the
poor human mind cannot understand. And yet we're told by the commentators
that this book is the book where God has spoken most and where
the gospel of Jesus Christ is found. And that's a lovely thing
friends, that'll make you read Leviticus. If you desire the
dear Redeemer, you'll go after him wherever you can. And really
there's such an attraction for a poor sinner in these chapters. If you know your sinnership,
if you've been taught by God what you are, not to be found
guilty by men, not to just have a guilty conscience because you've
sinned. If you've been found out by God,
there's a difference. There's a difference, friends.
It's a separating work. It's a bringing down work. Isn't
it? You know it, don't you? Those
that have been taught by God. You know that it's not just a
normal guilt, is it? It's conviction before God. Because
that's how we live, before God. And if you live before God, friends,
then you live before man. Just if you live before man,
it doesn't mean to say you're living before God. It doesn't. These things are within the heart
of us each. And so there's an attraction
here for a sinner because they come after Christ. They come
after the Lord Jesus. Somebody that is found on every
single page of the Bible. Yet you can't find him. Isn't
it strange, friends? He's found in every single page
and yet you can't find him. He hides himself. He lets you
discover him at the times that he allows, not you. And so as
we look at this chapter, we can see, can't we, that there's one
thing that's needful. Friends, there's only one thing
that is needful. Do you know that one thing? And
not having many things will ever give you that one thing. It won't. You could know a lot in the head,
friends, and that's not that one thing. I'm speaking to myself,
because I see the necessity of it. I see the necessity of having
an interest in these words. I see the necessity of knowing
something of Jesus. And not what I've read. Not just
what I've read, friends. Something that's been sealed
to the heart of a precious Christ. Well, here we have in this section
here, and this word can be a solemn word, the Lord will appear unto
you. Because one day, he will appear
to the wicked, when they least expect it. And he'll appear to
separate them, to divide them. Won't he? He'll do the work that
he's been saying that he would do, and he appears to do it. But for the child of God, Really,
this chapter here, I didn't read it all, but this chapter, it
speaks about Aaron coming into the priesthood. It speaks about
the beginnings of Aaron and his sons, and all the necessary things. The appointments. He tells him,
if you read this through, he tells him exactly what to do.
Aaron didn't have to look up what to do, friends. He didn't,
and I feel it more and more in my own heart. You don't have
to read a section to know what to do if the Lord is teaching
you. He'll teach you to know what to do. And so Aaron got
his instructions from God, through Moses, but he got it from God.
And he was directed to do everything according to heaven. He couldn't
change anything. He could not change a thing.
Nothing. Everything that is written down,
Aaron had to perform as the high priest. And All these things
were appointed, all these things had to come to pass. If there
was one failing, God wouldn't have appeared. Now you can see
the affirmation of heaven here, can't you? If he had got one
thing wrong, if he had done it on his own, he wouldn't have
had a text. He got everything exactly as
God said he would. And he got the promise, the Lord
will appear. Because everything was put into
place, everything was right of the offerings and the altar,
because it spoke of Christ. It spoke of the dear Redeemer.
It couldn't be wrong! Nothing could be wrong! He did
it perfectly right, because God told him to. And now we have
our text. Isn't it lovely? Isn't it lovely,
friends? The Lord really has his approbation
upon it. You think of the clothes that
Aaron wore and the garments that he wore, the oil that he used,
his head covering, everything was so necessary because it was
pointing to the Gospels. And yet man really in our carnal
nature we make light of these things. If you saw this man in
all his priestly garments and all the jewels and everything
that he had, you would say Well, it's not pointing to anybody.
But the very garments he wore pointed to the Lord Jesus. This
is why the Lord appeared. And what a lovely thing it is
that the Lord still appears. We haven't got all this now,
have we? Because the Lord Jesus has come.
He's actually come, friends. You know, I hope you know he's
come. I do, friends, I really... I
believe all those that love the Lord hope that you know that
he's come, because this is an old history book. Until the Lord
tells you in your own heart that he's come, and then you won't
be able to believe it, you won't actually be able to believe that
heaven came to earth in the person of the Lord Jesus. You'll be
overwhelmed that he actually came and fulfilled all these
prophecies, all these things that came to pass, He was it. He was the Lamb. Now I know you know this, friends,
from your pastor, but just to refresh you in it, this is why
God confirms His people. He can only confirm them through
His Son's work. He can't confirm them. There's
no blessing outside of Christ. No blessing at all outside of
Him. People say they've had this or they've had that, and I'm
not judging, but they don't mention Jesus. What's wrong? What's happened? He can't bless you outside of
his son's work and his merits. It's all got to be there, hasn't
it? It's all flowing through one
channel. This whole Bible's flowing through
one channel. The promise of blood, the shedding
of blood, the forgiveness of sins. It's running through one
channel, and it can't run through anybody else, anything else.
And so, man cannot contaminate these things. And if we do, the Lord will undo what you've done,
friend. He'll undo it. If you try and contaminate anything
to do with the Lord's work, He doesn't like it. You know, it's
today, isn't it? Everything God's love, and you
can do anything really, it seems to be a license given. Have you
got a license to do what you like? Have you? Or have you got
a license from God to stand firm? Have you got a license to God
only what he says? And so really if man does touch
it, I thought of when we were little children and touching
the Lord's Word And you know where the ark came up and the
man touched it and the Lord slew him. He didn't say to him, let
go. He didn't say to him, I've had
sympathy with you. He didn't say, don't do it again.
See how God deals with us. Slew him. Did wrong. Slew him on the spot. And he answered to nobody. Puts it all in a different light,
doesn't it? Doesn't it put it in a different light, friends?
This sort of flippant worship that's out in our nation today,
they don't know who they're dealing with. They don't know who's dealing
with them, do they? So we have this, and I was thinking
when we were children, as I was saying, over the clay pits where
we used to live, we used to go and play a lot when we was little.
It was safe then. And we found a rabbit hole. And
we saw the mother come out, so we rushed to the hole and we
pulled all the babies out and we thought we'd done well. We
got them all out, all little tiny little babies they were,
and we took them home. It wasn't until we got home and
Dad explained to us what we'd done, and sadly, he had to dispatch
each one of them because the mother would reject them. Don't
touch God's work, we learnt it. I learnt it as a little boy.
not to touch what God is doing, because it'll end in tears, won't
it? We must let him work and work
alone. And so Aaron did everything that
he could, exactly as God said he would. Now, the Lord will
appear. These are beautiful words, aren't
they? You know them well. We're going to sing that lovely
hymn, and it's a better sermon than anyone could really ever
preach. Every single verse, the Lord will appear. But it comes
right down to you and me. Doesn't it? If you was a Hezekiah, you would be looking for the
Lord to appear. That dear man, look at his life, spread out
for the world to read. And we feel sorry for him. But
we know the end of it. We actually know how he was delivered. He didn't. And I often think
about us as we come together, whatever you're in today, you
don't know the end of it. But the Lord does. The Lord does. And this is a promise over every
child of God. You might not have enjoyed it
like you want to enjoy it. You might not understand it like
you want to understand it. But it's a beautiful promise
for the children of God. It was for Hezekiah. If only,
if only somebody had gone and told Hezekiah when he was crying
his eyes out against the wall, the Lord will appear. But nobody
did. Nobody did. If only somebody
had told dear old Jacob when he said, all my sons are to be
taken. And Joseph is gone. A bear has
taken him and shed his blood. If only someone had said the
Lord will appear. but they didn't. If only in Nehemiah's day, when
Samballot and Tobiah came, if only someone had said to him,
the Lord will appear, but they didn't. Why didn't they? Why didn't they? Can you answer
it? Do you walk by faith? Not by sight? That's how you
walk. That's how Hezekiah got through.
That's how dear old Jacob got through. Walking by faith. Heaven could have told him a
long, long time ago. The Lord could have whispered
in his ear and said to him, dear old Jacob, he could have said,
Joseph, rule him down in Egypt. But he didn't. Why? Because faith
is what we need. And faith is a gift of God. Without
it, friends, we're in despair or self-despair. And self-despair
is a big thing, isn't it? But we're in that place, and
there's dear old memory in that place. We read their lives like
they walked and they were perfect. They were struggling. They were
strugglers, friends. How many times do you think Jacob
laid awake at night and thought, well, the promise of the Lord's
come to nothing? He promised me. Or do you think they just slept?
and thought the Lord's going to do everything. No, the old
adversary was there, friends. He was there. He was standing
by the bed of these dear old men. He was. And you think of
Hezekiah, how tempted he must have been. Set thine house in
order. Oh, no. Oh, no. What am I going
to do? Hezekiah, the Lord will appear. He'll appear for you. Isn't it
lovely we've got the gospel, friends? Isn't it? They didn't
have it in the way that we've got it. I know they had the records,
and I know the Lord spoke to them audibly from heaven oftentimes,
but when we've got the comforts of the gospel, when we've got
the new covenant, the shed blood of Jesus, think of it! The beauty
of it, friends! For me, it's such a privilege,
even for me to read these words! The Lord will appear. He will
appear. He will appear. In whatever you're
in. In whatever we come into. In
one way or another, the Lord will appear. You read that second
chapter of Song of Solomon about the spouse. I mentioned it before,
I'm sure I did here, but there's one point there where we can
see the Lord appearing, through the lattice. She said, or the writer said,
he's standing behind our wall, she couldn't see him. She couldn't
see him. But often times the Lord stands
behind our wall, especially when we're in trial and trouble, and
we can't see him, but he's there. Sometimes, you know, Frenzy makes
himself known behind the wall. But there are those times when
he passes past the lattice. And she saw him. It changed everything. She saw him. He's appeared to
me, personally to me. And these personal visits are
something that, well, it's a rich experience, isn't it? For the
child of God, it's a rich experience to know that the Lord will appear.
It is something that will do you good. It's something that
will set you up. It's something that will be so
fresh on your heart that you'll be able to continue. So we have
these words, the Lord will. You know, we can't break the
Lord's word up, but when you read something like this, it's
his will to appear. And now, When does he appear? Well, that's all in the timings
of God. And what I never used to understand
as a young man, that all these appearing's are
appointed. Didn't understand it. I thought
the Lord could come when he wanted to. He can. Don't misunderstand me, he can.
But the appointments of him appearing to his people were all ordered
before time began. He doesn't suddenly think, and
I want to speak reverently, he doesn't suddenly think, well,
I must go and appear to that one or that one because of what
they're in. No, it's ordered. Now you can see how the steps
of a good man are ordered, can't you? The steps of a good man
are ordered by the Lord, friends. and they're ordered by the Lord,
so that in these times that he's appointed, you haven't, you've
got nothing to do with this or the appointments or the ordering,
he's done it all. But he brings us to prayer, he
brings us to longing, he brings us to need these times, and then
he fulfills his promise to his people. And we could say, couldn't
we, when did the Lord last appear for you? where did it last appear
for you? Sometimes you can say where can't
you? You can say I was in such a distress and like I just said
self-despair it is destructive it is friends complete despair
is without mercy but self-despair it is completely destructive
to the human mind and that's where we get to and It's sad, isn't it, that in the
world there's so much mental health now. So much mental health. But they haven't got anywhere
to go. They know not of a saviour. They know not of anyone that
can help them. They know not that the Lord would
appear for them, if they were His. Now doesn't it bring that
home to you and I, friends? If we're His children, He will
not fail. How many times in Isaiah do we
read, he faileth not? Yet we don't apply it to this.
We don't apply it to his appearing unto you, our lives, do we? We just apply it to what we're
in at that time. But friend, if the Lord really
does bring you to those places, and it is those places, he will
appear. And what a place it is, isn't
it? You can read of them in scripture,
can't you, where they, like Abraham, he obeyed God. I always try and
stress, friends, it's the obedience of a child of God. He obeyed
God. He did not go against what God
had said, believing that God was able. It's not old-fashioned
language. His walking out experience, that
God was able to raise him from the dead, Isaac. And so he obeyed,
believing. And when he got up top the Mount
Moriah, what did he do? Let's sit down and wait for the
Lord. No, his faith was greater than that.
Carry out what the Lord has said, to the T. To the tea, friends,
he bound the lad. Why hasn't the Lord come? Our
old flesh, Abraham's old flesh, why hasn't the Lord come? How
far is he gonna make me go? He bound the lad, put him on
the altar. How far is he gonna make me go?
How far? Don't you think like this, friends?
Don't you think? Why hasn't the Lord appeared?
Why hasn't he come yet? How far have I got to go? Dear
old Abraham. He took a knife with him. That's faith, isn't it? That's
faith, right? He took a knife with him. What,
to cut the robes off? No. To slay his only son. He took it up onto the mount.
And look, dear old boy, he saw Abraham. The Lord will appear,
Abraham. But he hasn't yet. His faith
was unwavering. Don't you like the example? These
are examples, the apostles said, for our prophets. The old man,
he took the knife out. Don't do it, Dad, don't do it. Never said a word. Just like
here, these typified Christ. So Isaac was a type, he never
said a word. He raised the knife over him,
don't dad, don't. We can't even enter into it can
we, what was going on up on top of that mountain. Don't do it.
And the dear old dad would have said, I don't want to, I don't
want to son, but I've got to. Heaven's commanded me to. He raised the knife over the
lad, he didn't just get it out, he raised the knife over him,
ready to drop it straight into his heart. Do you think the Lord's
left you? Do you think it's too late for
him to appear? Never! Never is it too late. Abraham,
Abraham, stay thy hand. He wouldn't have said that, friends,
if he hadn't laid Isaac on the altar. He wouldn't have said
it. He wouldn't have said it if he hadn't bound Isaac and
fulfilled every obedient thing that he was commanded to do,
he did it. And the Lord intervened. Don't do it, Abraham. Don't do
it. Friends, in your life and my
life, I don't know what you're in, but perhaps you need the
Lord to appear for you. We all do. Do you know if you're
a child of God, friend, you'll need him to appear. In one way
or another, he makes sure you need him to appear. In one way
or another, he brings those things into his life and you You really
think if the Lord doesn't appear, I'm finished. If the Lord doesn't
appear, what doubt? It's not for us to doubt, it's
for us to believe. I know it's easy to say up here,
friends, because get down there and we're back to our doubting.
But to speak on God's behalf, we shouldn't be doubting. We
should believe what he said. He said to the disciples, didn't
he? They said, we now believe. He
said, do you now believe? Do you really believe? Have you
got faith in me to really believe that the Lord will appear? And
when we come, like I was saying, when we come into those things,
we think it's too late. It was not too late for Abraham.
It wasn't too late for the dying thief. It wasn't too late for
all those that came right to that last moment. You see, we
try to think that God works by a clock. Because our poor nature works
with time, we think he does. He works with our time, but not
the way we do. A day to the Lord is as 1,000
years. Well, we can't understand that.
How can that be? And 1,000 years is as one day. How can that be?
Because we're governed, he's not. We're held down by the clock. You know, sometimes when you
get into the Spirit, and I say this without any pride, sometimes
when you get into the Spirit, the time's gone. And I know by
hearing sometimes, you get in the Spirit and the time's gone.
Where's it gone? How did it go that fast? Because with God there
is no time, friends. A thousand years, we can't even
contemplate it, and yet He causes it as yesterday. So in whatever you're in, the
Lord will appear and I'm talking to myself I'm preaching this
to myself friends I've only come here to preach this to myself
and if you you listen to a few things because we need him to
appear in special things oh we need him and I say reverently
but we need him now but it's not now with God it's not now
he's got his nows for his people he's got his Do you remember
the old servant who used to say, didn't he, about the little lamb
that had fallen down onto the rocks, and all the time it could
cry, he wouldn't go down there. The moment he didn't cry, he
went down there, because it would have had strength to jump off.
But he knew when it was so weak that he couldn't cry anymore,
he knew it was laying down and he could go down and pick it
up. And that's how the Lord does it with his people, isn't it?
How many times have you cried? You've said, Lord, I can't do
it anymore. I can't cry anymore. I can't pray anymore. I'm finished.
I'm not saying that's the pattern friends, but what I'm saying
is if you prove it in your own life, don't you? Where you've
got strength enough, you don't need the Lord. You don't need
him friends. It's when you've got no strength,
then you need him. It's when you're lost, you need
a saviour. You don't need a saviour, you
don't need salvation until you're lost. Feelingly lost, then you
need a saviour. The Lord will appear. It's a
wonderful thing that, friend, the Lord keeps this in the background.
If you understand what I mean. He keeps this hidden away as
a secret. He keeps it as a jewel for his
people. He does. And he only lets them
have a little glimpse of it now and again. He just lets them
look at the beauty of it. He shines on this word. The Lord
will appear. And suddenly everything changes.
Nothing's changed around you. You're still in the same problems.
You're still in the same trouble. But the promise is highlighted.
The promise shines forth. Because you know, we should never
submit really to Satan, should we? We should never give up.
We should never bow under Satan. Now I know we have no strength. We have no ability to say these
things or do them. But, resist the devil. That's what the Apostle says. He says resist him. You say,
Lord, I can't resist him. I've got no strength to resist
him. But you can when I appear. You can resist him then. When
I give you strength, when I give you the ability, when I give
you the support you need, then you can resist him. Because he's
far greater than us, isn't he? Satan is. So, why does the Lord
appear to us? Have you ever really wondered
why he does it? Because he loves you. It's easy
to say, but he loves his people. There's a word in Deuteronomy,
I can't think of the chapter it's in, but it says this, and
it's something that really, once it's sealed upon your heart,
you'll understand it. Yea, he loved the people. He didn't like them, He loved
them. And he picks it up in John's
gospel and he says, he loved them to the end. The appearing of the great God. You know, there's a lovely text
in Peter and it says this, and I believe the flock really rejoice. They rejoice before the time
comes, but they rejoice when it comes. The appearing of the,
chief shepherd and now all these how can I put it the Lord sends
his men he sends his ministers those anointed by him to preach
the everlasting gospel and oh we rejoice under them we do rejoice
friends the flock of God because we know that the Savior is speaking
through them from time to time we feel it he may be speaking
all the time But we feel it in our own hearts, in our great
need, we feel that they are the under-shepherd of God. That's
speaking what he's saying. But when the chief shepherd should
appear, oh, the church will rejoice.
The flock will rejoice. You know a flock of sheep. We
go up to the Lake District and around that
area, and really, it's a sheeping country, isn't it? And when the
shepherd appears, not when you and I appear, it's when the shepherd
appears. They don't know me, they don't
know you, but they know the shepherd. And that's so lovely when you
see a sheep. I tried to imitate what a shepherd
would do to one of the sheep up in the mountains, and he just
looked at me. I tried whistling, I tried calling,
I tried doing all sorts of things that the shepherd would do, and
he just looked at me. I don't know you. I could see it, I don't
know here. But the moment the shepherd came
inside, the moment, friend, and these shepherds, they are very
blessed with a good whistle. And we've heard them whistle.
You couldn't whistle like it. And the moment the whistle, the
ears go up. I know that voice. I know that
voice. Now isn't it the same when Jesus
comes, friends? I know that voice. You haven't
actually got strength to say, I know that voice, have you?
Because when he speaks, it breaks your heart. When he speaks, it
mounts you. Stir not up, nor awake my love
till he please. That's the spirit. That's the
spirit, friends. When the chief shepherd shall
appear, I believe that's what the spirit will be inside of
you and I. It mounts us. Don't wake him
up. I'll wait another year. I'll
wait another 10 years before he comes. His beauty goes before
him, friends. It really does. The Lord appearing. Now, the Lord appears in so many
different ways, doesn't he? I think it's a great thing that's
holding people in a snare, because they feel that the Lord appearing,
they've got to see an open vision. There was only a few that had
an open vision. in the scriptures, it's holding
them back because they feel that they've never got enough. They
don't know him enough, they don't love him enough, they've never
seen him like others see him. Well, friends, you've got to
walk your pathway, I've got to walk mine. And the Lord appearing,
sometimes, and I say this reverently, friends, but sometimes he appears
in a £10 note. I want to be right, but if you need that £10 note
at that precise time, and you've got nothing, and that money comes
along, the Lord appears. And why does He appear? So that
you should worship Him. That's why. He appears to enlarge
your heart. He appears to give you and grant
you a token of His love. And he can do it so many ways. You see, we receive these things,
but often we just look at the first cause. Often we just look
at the instrument, instead of tracing it all backwards. Trace
it backwards next time, and you'll say that Lord appeared then.
He appeared for me. There are those spiritual blessings
of faith where we know that he appears. where we can't doubt
it, where it's as firm as the everlasting hills, where we know
with sweet assurance that the Lord has appeared in it, and
nothing can come against it. It's absolutely clear as crystal
that the Lord appeared. But it's not always clear like
that. It's not always clear like that, friends. And you seekers,
if there are any seekers here, and I hope and pray there are,
these things come gradually. As the Lord teaches us more and
more, these are lessons to be learned, and these are lessons
to be watching, and these are lessons for us to live near Him.
These are lessons for us to live upright. You know, when somebody
says the Lord has appeared to them, and their life dictates
something else, you've got to wonder. You've got to wonder
about it, friends. Because I know and you know in
our own hearts, if we wander from the Lord, does He appear
to you? I know He appears to bring you back, to chasten you,
don't misunderstand me, I know that. But you don't get the appearance
of satisfaction of soul, do you? You see, they love disappearing. Later on it said, those who love
disappearing. And there are those times where
you Really love his appearing, don't you? And because you've
known it once, you have known it once, haven't you? I know some of you have. Just
once. But when he provided something
for you, when he did something for you, when he answered your
prayers, when he lifted you out of the mire, when he put you
upon the rock, just once, you know he's appearing. Well, that's
what you'll go after. You'll go after for the rest
of your life. for the Lord to appear to you. You will, once
you've known he appears, and once you know that there is a
God and he does appear to you, you'll never forget him. Things
come upon you, things do cloud out, things do get foggy, things
do get pressed down, but you'll never forget that he can appear,
and he does appear. He does, doesn't he? I'll just
say about my dear old, well, it was my granddad's mum And
she was dying, she was a great age, and she was laying dying
in bed. And my Grandad Mulvey went and he said, Mum, when the
Lord comes and appears to you, lift your arms up. Lift them
up so that I can see that you're going home. And it came near
to, he didn't know she was dying at this point, but she was coming
down. She kept putting her arms up.
My poor old granddaddy kept putting them back down in the bed and
said, Mum, you're going to get cold. You're going to get cold. So he put these frail old arms
back down in the bed and wrapped her up. As she lifted them up
again, he put them back down again. She was carried home to Jesus.
Then he knew what he had said and what she was doing. The Lord
appeared. We have that lovely text, don't
we, in Jeremiah. We can't finish without it, can
we? It's one of the beautiful texts
that stand out, isn't it? It's like apples of gold in pitchers
of silver. It's like the best view you've
ever seen. It's like the best food you've ever tasted. And when the Lord gives you this
appetite, you'll be after Him. You'll be after Him. That new
appetite, friends, Not the old appetite for the flesh, the new
appetite for spiritual things. What does he say? Yay! Oh, dear
old Jeremiah, he says, yay! I have loved thee with an everlasting
love. He says, first off, he says,
the Lord hath appeared of old. Unto my neighbour, unto my husband,
unto my wife, unto my children, unto the other prophets. No,
no. He brought it right down as a
personal application for each one of us and he left it for
us. The dear Redeemer. Yea, the Lord hath appeared of
old unto me. Searching, isn't he? And he's
searching. He's appeared unto me. saying,
yeah, I have loved thee, I have loved thee, I find something
in you that is so different to every other man, I find that
you're a good person, you do good things, you walk rightly,
no, Yea, I have loved thee with an
everlasting love before you were even born, before the world was
made, before you even had a name. I knew you and I loved you with
an everlasting love. Doesn't it make us, in our poor
little concerns, pale, although they're great to us, doesn't
it pale them into insignificance? Everlasting love. We're cold,
we're hot. What did one say? At the top
of the stairs, we're warm. At the bottom, we're cold. Or
the other way around, the Lord says, everlasting love. Therefore,
and I believe this really over top of this verse as a therefore,
with loving kindness, have I drawn thee. The Lord will appear unto
you. Now, if you're in exercise, And
it is those who have these things upon their hearts. It is those
things who the Lord brings in, in by the narrow gate, in by
the narrow way, not over the wall. We can all climb over the
wall, but only a few are led to the narrow gate. Only a few
get in by the way. Jesus says, I'm the door. If
you come in that way, friends, the Lord will appear for you.
If you get in another way, don't expect him to appear. It's his
promise. He's not gonna tread on his promise.
These promises shine before him. I have given to the earth, I
have given to my people a promise. And he's covenant bound. Isn't
it a wonderful thing that he bound himself in a covenant to
be able to fulfill these promises? When he rose from the dead, Glorious
resurrection, victorious, victory in his eyes. He'd finished the
work. He took possession of every single
promise. They were his. They were his
friends by divine right. He took possession of them. Isn't
it a lovely thought? A promise like this. And these
promises, what I do like to meditate or contemplate upon And it would
be more if you had time, wouldn't it? And the Lord helps you. But
to think that these promises come down through the dark. They
come down through heaven's glorious place to this earth. And they rest upon a heart that
was evil, that was black, that was corrupted, that's been changed. I will give you a new heart.
This is where the promises rest. They don't fall to the ground
like fruit rotting from an apple tree, they fall into the heart,
or they're sent to the heart of a dear believer. You look
at the promises next time, friends, and if the Lord grant you special
favour, and if he grant you a soft heart over a promise, and you
can claim it, think where it's come from. Think who sent it. Think why he sent it. think how
he acquired it, think how he got it, think how he got in possession
of these promises because of his own precious death. Therefore the promises are alive
because he's alive. Everything he gives to his people
is alive, it's got life in it, it's got something that is rich
with life, eternal life. And one hymn writer says, at
his command, I better leave it, but it's a lot of thoughts, isn't
it? To think upon these great things, and in our trials and
troubles, the Lord will appear. Man might say different. You
might be told different. But if you've got that witness
within, if you've really got that witness within from the
Holy Spirit, you know that the Lord will appear. Well, I'll leave you with it,
but he says it twice in those first seven verses. And what
a confirmation that is when the Lord says something twice. And
when the Lord confirms it with you and I, we have something
and then we do ask the Lord to confirm it to us. And if it's
real friendly, confirm it to you. And in number six, it says,
and the glory of the Lord shall appear unto you. What a confirmation
to dear old Aaron and Moses. What a confirmation that they
were walking in the way of the Lord would have them. Now, this
is what you and I desire. You'll know you're in the right
way then, won't you? Well, may the dear Lord forgive
anything that's been said amiss. The Lord will appear. May the
dear Lord help us. Amen. I do that service this evening
by singing hymn number 321. The tune is St. Patrick, number
814. My soul, Lord, in flame with
zeal from above, thy praise to proclaim and sing of thy love.
To lift up my voice in thanksgiving sincere, this truth to rejoice
in, thee, Lord, will appear. How joyful this sound, while
daily I find afflictions abound in body and mind. It oft has
afforded relief from my fear. To find it recorded, the Lord
will appear. Hymn number 321, Tune St. Patrick,
number 814. so He is risen from the dead, and
sin no longer yearns. We lift up our voices and sing
His praises. His truth is the truth, the truth
without end. Will you listen from day to night? O praise to God the heav'nly
Lord, heaven and high. He doth measure fully with people
like thee. If I may say, Lord, I love Thee, O say does that star-spangled
banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of And I'm asking thee, O God, have
mercy on my soul. And forever mine is the home
we'll keep. In need of love, God's greater
mercy. ♪ The song I have for thee ♪ ♪
Of the O-Gee ♪ ♪ May flambo'ous joy be to thee ♪ I hear sometimes say, I never
shall die. In days of old and shared, when
peace in are surrounded in deathly poverty.
Thy coping of mind and heart, O River, ♪ Kindle our spirit of praise ♪
♪ And glory in Him be ♪ ♪ And glory to His praise ♪ ♪ In heaven
shall be ♪ There He will keep me, and my
sorrow free, and take me forevermore. And now, dear Lord, we do thank
thee for thy word, and we pray for faith to believe it. Lord,
we pray for that increase of faith. Do help us, we do pray,
and bless this corner of thy vineyard and their pasture, and
make it a fruitful place, Lord, and make it a place where there's
much fruit to thy honour and to thy glory. And now we do pray
that thou wouldst bless us each, and may it have been for profit.
And now may the grace of the dear Lord Jesus the love of God
and the sweet fellowship and communion of thy Holy Spirit,
rest and remain with us each now and forever. Amen.