Let us commence our thanksgiving
services by singing together hymn number 88 to the tune Lasus
875. How wondrous are the works of
God, displayed through all the world abroad, immensely great,
Immensely small, yet one strange work exceeds them all. O wondrous are the works of God
Displayed through all the world abroad Immensely great Here men cease hope, yet one
stranger exceeds them all. Ye whom the sun hath found of
light, The moon and stars turn blue
through the night But night and stars will turn blue in time
A little while Home at last, home at last Here o'er the sea they're bound
to fly. Make them their sinking back,
mountain dry. The betters come with their debris,
And make the rivers glide between. Upward the seas, o'er skies,
o'er hills, Over the hills, o'er climbing hills, Till wondrous light was born
to give The wondrous light redeeming Days are begun, but words take
their stress. But saints can't be, nor angels
can. Angels have said, How great I
am. Go down and pray, The highest and the short of grace, Tis deeper
than the rock of Scabies, Tis more than stone can conceive,
? Oh, how they tremble, face beneath
? ? Almighty God and human friend ? The Lord of Life experienced
death How it was won, we can't discuss But this we have tossed
down for us. Blessed with this faith, then
let us praise The God-Sinner of our hope, Christ in grace. Oh, things to us must have gone
about, For Herman Love has shed His blood. Try your vagrance of every sort,
They may be full, they must be full. We now believe, but soon shall
hear, The greatest foe is God and you. from the Holy Word of God. We'll read together the first
book of the Chronicles, chapter 28. The first book of the Chronicles,
chapter 28. and David assembled all the princes
of Israel, the princes of the tribes and the captains of the
companies that ministered to the king by course and the captains
over the thousands and captains over the hundreds and the stewards
over all the substance and possessions of the king and of his sons with
the officers and with the mighty men and with all the valiant
men unto Jerusalem. Then David the king stood up
upon his feet and said, hear me, my brethren and my people. As for me, I had in my heart
to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the
Lord. and for the footstool of our
God, and had made ready for the building. But God said unto me,
Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast
been a man of war, and hast shed blood. Howbeit, the Lord God
of Israel chose me before all the house of my Father, to be
king over Israel forever, for he hath chosen Judah to be the
ruler. And of the house of Judah, the
house of my father. And among the sons of my father,
he liked me to make me king over all Israel. And of all my sons,
for the Lord hath given me many sons, He hath chosen Solomon,
my son, to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over
Israel. And he said unto me, Solomon
thy son, he shall build my house and my courts, for I have chosen
him to be my son, and I will be his father. Moreover, I will
establish his kingdom forever, if he be constant to do my commandments
and my judgments as at this day. Now, therefore, in the sight
of all Israel, the congregation of the Lord, and in the audience
of our God, keep and seek for all the commandments of the Lord
your God, that ye may possess this good land and leave it for
an inheritance for your children after you forever. And thou,
Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve
him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind. For the
Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations
of the thoughts. If thou seek him, he will be
found of thee, but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for
ever. Take heed now, for the Lord hath
chosen thee to build a house for the sanctuary. Be strong
and do it. Then David gave to Solomon his
son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and
of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof,
and of the inner parlours thereof, and of the place of the mercy
seat, and the pattern of all that he had by the Spirit. of
the courts of the house of the Lord, and of all the chambers
round about, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the
treasuries of the dedicated things. Also for the courses of the priests
and the Levites, and for all the work of the service of the
house of the Lord, and for all the vessels of service in the
house of the Lord. He gave of gold by weight for
things of gold, for all instruments of all manner of service. Silver
also for all instruments of silver by weight, for all instruments
of every kind of service. Even the weight for the candlesticks
of gold and for their lamps of gold by weight for every candlestick,
and for the lamps thereof, and for the candlesticks of silver
by weight, both for the candlestick, and also for the lamps thereof,
according to the use of every candlestick. And by weight he
gave gold for the tables of showbread, for every table, and likewise
silver for the tables of silver also pure gold for the flesh
hooks and the bowls and the cups and for the golden basins he
gave gold by weight for every basin and likewise silver by
weight for every basin of silver and for the altar of incense
refined gold by weight and gold for the pattern of the chariot
of the cherubims that spread out their wings and covered the
ark of the covenant of the Lord. All this, said David, the Lord
made me understand in writing by his hand upon me, even all
the works of this pattern. And David said to Solomon his
son, Be strong and of a good courage, and do it. Fear not, nor be dismayed, for
the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee. He will not fail
thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work
for the service of the house of the Lord. And behold, the
courses of the priests and the Levites, even they shall be with
thee for all the service of the house of God. And there shall
be with thee for all manner of workmanship, every willing, skillful
man for any manner of service. Also the princes and the people
will be holy at thy commandment. May God bless that reading from
his holy word to us each, and may he now help us in prayer. Most merciful and gracious Lord,
we gather here this afternoon, Lord, for this Thanksgiving service,
and pray thy gracious help and thy gracious presence here this
afternoon and between the services and for the evening worship. Lord, we pray thy blessing to
rest upon the reading and the preaching of thy word. We pray
that thou wilt grant thy presence here, that there may be the power
of God made known in the worship of God here today. Do deliver us, Lord, from distracting
thoughts. Deliver us, Lord, from the sinfulness
of our hearts by nature. Draw us unto thee, we pray. Lord,
as we gather for thanksgiving, we pray that thou would draw
out from our hearts a spirit of true thanksgiving. Lord, that
we may desire to worship Thee this afternoon, to thank Thee,
to praise Thee for the multitude of Thy mercies toward us. Lord,
if we view everything in our lives in the light of what our
sins deserve, then we must truly say with the psalmist, He has
not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to
our iniquities. Lord, we do pray then that thou
wilt be with us and help us in our thanksgiving. Lord, grant
to us each a thankful heart. Lord, that we may not overlook
the many blessings that are ours. The Lord thou hast favoured us
in this, that we are able to meet together this afternoon.
Thou hast lengthened out our days and brought us together
here in this house of prayer. And Lord, as we think of this
service and we look back to a year ago, we look over the course
of the past year Those 12 months since we met in this way, we,
Lord, have much to thank thee for. Lord, thou hast supplied
the needs of thy people. Thou hast supplied the needs
of this church and congregation. Lord, thou hast helped their
dear pastor in his ministry of the word here and elsewhere,
And Lord, we would not leave these mercies to lie forgotten
in unthankfulness, and without praises die. We would praise
thee for thy faithfulness and for thy mercy. And Lord, as we
think of this time of year and the gathering in of the harvest,
and last year, the prolonged period of dryness and drought,
Lord, we thank Thee, Lord, for another harvest. And we thank
Thee for Thy faithfulness to Thy word. For Thou didst promise
to Noah and to succeeding generations that while the earth remaineth,
seed time and harvest, cold and heat, and summer and winter and
day and night shall not cease. And Lord, we gather, and as we
gather this afternoon, though there have been the challenges
in gathering the harvest in this summer, yet we have driven past
the fields and have seen the harvest gathered in. And for
this, we thank thee. and pray, Lord, that Thou wilt
bless the planting for the next harvest in due time. And Lord,
that Thou wilt continue to satisfy the desire of every living thing. Lord, that we may be spared from
a famine in our nation. Lord, may we not overlook the
hand that provides. And so we praise thee and thank
thee for thy gracious dealings in Providence. And we pray that
thou will continue to hear and answer prayer in these things. Lord, we would desire that each
one of us may be brought to see greater needs than our bodily,
our temporal needs. We pray, Lord, that we may be
each brought to truly seek after Thee, to be found calling upon
Thee while we are in the land of the living, while there is
mercy to be found, Lord, we pray that though we may not be in
want in a bodily sense, that each one of us may be brought
into want spiritually, to find an aching void in our heart the
world cannot fill, to find within our hearts a desire, a hunger,
as thirsting after righteousness, finding within ourselves no righteousness
of our own, seeing anything good in us as being coming short of
the glory of God, desiring that we might be found in Christ Jesus,
clothed with his righteousness, washed in his precious blood,
our sins taken away. Lord, do not leave us to pass
through the things in our lives and to see nothing more than
the dying things of this world. Lord, you open our eyes and open
our ears and open our hearts that we may receive that precious
seed, Lord, that thy word may enter in and find an abiding
place in our hearts and bring forth fruit to thy honour and
thy glory. We do thank thee for the sending
forth of thy servants to minister the gospel. And we do return
thanks, Lord, for the sending out of our dear friend, Mr. Joseph Woodhams. Lord, we do
pray for him and his dear wife as he begins this serving of
thee. Lord, do strengthen his hand
and fill his seed basket with that precious seed. And Lord,
do help him to go forth in the ministry of the gospel. Lord,
we thank Thee for this encouragement to the churches and pray that
Thou will continue to send forth labourers into the harvest. Lord,
that Thou would ever have in this nation a seed to serve Thee,
to call Thee the Redeemer blessed. And Lord, that we may never have
a famine of hearing the word of the Lord preached, that thou
wilt send out labours into the harvest, sent of thee, equipped
by thee to serve thee in the churches. Lord, we do pray for
this cause of truth. We ask, Lord, that thou be with
them and bless them. Pour out thy spirit in abundance
upon them, Lord, we pray that thou would remember this village
and surrounding area and do open the eyes of many who see the
witness of the worship of God week by week here. May there
be those who are exercised in their hearts to come in and may
they hear the glorious gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ and may there be a purpose of love and mercy toward this
place, that there may be a cause of truth here to the end of time,
and that now gather in, Lord, and build up this church and
congregation. Lord, gather in from the congregation,
we pray, and do exercise, souls, Lord, in that following of thee,
Lord, do touch the hearts of those outer court worshippers.
Lord, do pour in the love of Christ that constraineth, and
may they be compelled to come in and to honour thee in that
open profession. Lord, we pray that thou be with
each of the causes of truth in this area. Lord, we think of
the sister cause at Tunbridge Wells in their deep time of sorrow. Lord, thou knowest the hearts
that are mourning. There has been a funeral there
today, and friends have stood around the open grave, and one
has been laid up at rest. And all we do pray, Lord, that
Thou would sanctify these things. And Lord, we see in the death
of our aged friend, in the death of the young friend. O that truth, that the old must
die and the young may die. And O gracious God, we pray that
thou prepare us each, that that day may not take us by surprise
when it comes, though the timing of it may be a surprise. may
take us by surprise, yet may it not be that we enter it unprepared. But O, do prepare us each to
stand before thy face. Thy Spirit must the work perform,
for it is all of grace. O Lord, do then grant us a true
understanding of these things. Lord, there is a voice that speaks
in these things. Oh, to have an ear to hear it,
to take heed to our ways. Oh, Lord, do bring us to consider
our ways and to ponder the path of our feet. Lord, remember us
then in mercy and grant to us all that is needful. to supply
every need. Lord, thou knowest the desires
of the hearts of the friends that are gathered here this afternoon.
Lord, thou knowest how they have come. Lord, we pray that thou
meet the desire. Lord, that thou satisfy and send
none empty away. Lord, that thy word may be suited
to meet each case. And though it is delivered in
weakness, may it be received in power and in the Holy Ghost
and in much assurance. May it be to the honour and glory
of God. And Lord, may it do us good.
And as we leave thy house this evening, may it be truly felt
it has been good for us to be here. So help us, Lord, we pray. Do be the power and the glory. Do apply Thy word with power. Be the after-preacher for us
each, that the things that we hear this day may be considered,
prayed over, thought upon in the days ahead, that it might
be something beaten out and lived on in the coming days. Do remember us then, we pray,
in all of our need. We are poor sinners. We confess
our best is stained and died with sin. Our all is nothing
worth. We have no merits of our own.
We come, dear Lord Jesus, we seek that Thou wilt receive us
graciously, that Thou wilt do all and be all that we need this
day, and that Thou wilt forgive us anything amiss, anything spoken
amiss, anything thought amiss, and anything we do amiss, as
we ask for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 410. The tune is Eshterhal 332. O for a heart prepared to sing,
to God my Saviour and my King, while with his saints I join
to tell, my Jesus has done all things well. Hymn 410, tune Eshterhal A heart prepared to sing To God
my Saviour and my King While with his saints I join
to tell My Jesus has done all things well ? His glorious power confess ?
? His wisdom on His heart express ? ? That all His love for me
? My Jesus has done all things
well. Thou Sovereign Lord of all and
free! It's all His love to save the
meek He bought me as a friend from hell, Why, Jesus has done
all things well. And since my soul has known His
love, What mercies has he made me prove? Mercies which all my praise excel
My Jesus has done all things well. Whene'er my Saviour and I come,
has on me laid his gentle brow. I know in awe that has befell My Jesus has done all things
well. Sometimes He's pleased to ask
to hide. To make me pray or stay in my
shrine Yet am I held or placed to dwell My Jesus has done all things
well. Soon shall I pass the bell of
death, and in his arms shall lose my breath. If then my happy
soul shall tell I, Jesus Christ, done all things
well, And went to that bright work
I was, And join me, phantoms in the skies, Among the rest,
their float shall swell. Will you turn with me to the
chapter we've read, the first book of the Chronicles, chapter
28. With the Lord's help this afternoon,
I'll speak to you from verse 20. The first book of Chronicles 28, verse 20. David said to Solomon,
his son, be strong and of a good courage and do it. Fear not, nor be dismayed. For the Lord God, even my God,
will be with thee. He will not fail thee, nor forsake
thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service
of the house of the Lord. 1 Chronicles chapter 28, verse
20. David was at the end of his life. His son Solomon was king, was
to be anointed king the second time and he would soon be taken
in death, David that is. And David could look back over
his life and he could Praise the Lord for all his goodness
and his mercy when he considered all the way the Lord had led
him to be brought to this place with his son to be found on the
throne and the house of God to be built. Friends, We meet for
thanksgiving this afternoon and I wonder if you and I have known
those times of thanksgiving when we desire to honour the Lord,
we desire to truly worship him, we desire to truly serve him. David had a desire when the Lord
had given him rest from his enemies he had a desire to build the
house of God himself. He had been delivered from all
of those that fought against him and there he sat in his house
and the Lord had given him rest and he saw that he dwelt in a
house of cedar and the that the Lord's, the tabernacle of the
house of the Lord was not a house of cedar. And his desire was
to build one. And Nathan said to him, do all
that is in thine heart. And then the Lord met with Nathan
that night and stopped him and sent him back to David and said
it wasn't to be him, it was to be his son. Friends, what a place
that is, when in gratitude to the Lord, we desire to honour
him. I wonder if there's a few here
this afternoon. And like the Psalmist, your feelings
are, what can I render unto the Lord? for all his benefits toward
me. What can I give the Lord in return
for all the many things that he's given me? What can I do? What can I, how can I serve him? What can I render unto him? Friends, may the Lord direct
you in how he would have you serve him It's not for me to
direct you, it's for the Lord. Nathan said, didn't he, do all
that is in thine heart, but it wasn't according to what the
Lord would have. It was not to be David. But here we have in Chronicles
28, David assembling the people together and he gathered them
all together that they might all hear the desires of David and hear
what the Lord has told David in both the pattern and in the
way and who it should be that would build this house for God
and it was to be a magnificent temple that the temple that Solomon
built, a temple like no other. And what a thing, what a thing
for this young man Solomon to have it laid at his feet to do,
to have it put at his door, that he must be the one to build the
house of God. I don't think we truly understand
the enormous task that lay before Solomon. His own father, a mighty man, was not to be the one to undertake
this great thing, it was to be this young man Solomon. Reading
some of the commentators, that they placed David about 20 years
old when, sorry, Solomon about 20 years old when David spoke
to him. You think of it. You younger
friends this afternoon, what a thing. You know, you rely on
your parents. You've grown up under their care. But they won't be there forever.
You know, we have, don't we, those in our lives that we lean
upon. We grow up as children and we,
if our parents are spared to us, we have them to look to,
to ask their guidance, to consult with in the things that we have
in our lives. Solomon was to have soon his
father taken from him. And he had not only to take the
rule of Israel, but he also had this great charge to build a
house fit for the Lord God of Israel. What a great task. What a great
undertaking. Who wouldn't shrink from such a thing. David speaks
words of encouragement. What a time of reassurance for
David himself. When the Lord said to him, we
read in verse 6, He said unto me, this is the Lord God of Israel,
he said unto me, Solomon thy son, he shall build my house
and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will
be his father. Oh, what a blessing. The Lord's blessing to David
in his old age, that his son Solomon, should be one of the
sons of God and they're loved with an everlasting love and
all the assurance of the Lord's help, the Lord's presence through
those things that lay before and he makes it known. David,
he He tells Solomon, he tells the people, and he seeks to encourage,
and we read in verse 9, Thou, Solomon, my son, know thou the
God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart. He
saw the blessings, David knew the blessings, of serving the
Lord God of Israel, walking before Him with a tender heart, walking
in His ways. He knew what it was to go in
His own strength at times. He knew what it was to be left
to Himself. But the counsel He gives, the
advice He gives to Solomon, and these things speak to you and
I, They speak to you and I. My son, know thou the God of
thy father and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing
mind. At times maybe we feel to lack
those two things, a perfect heart and a willing mind. Friends, who is it that can give? a willing heart my people or
thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power and the
word of God declares it and oh may we prove it may we prayerfully
seek it a day of his power one of the days of the sons of son
of man in our own heart made willing made willing that thy
people shall be willing in a day of thy power, willing to serve
him, willing to honour him in all that they do, willing to
walk in his ways, made willing, constrained by his love. Christ
is revealed and Christ is made precious how much David saw of Christ the Messiah. We leave
this afternoon. But he saw something of his greater
Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And it's in this sense
that he encourages his own son Solomon. David said to Solomon
his son, be strong and of a good courage and do it. And do it. There's a time, isn't
there, when talking about things have come to an end and a time
to be doing comes. And so shortly it was for Solomon that the preparations would be
made. David himself had gone to great lengths and great expense
in making the preparations, supplying the materials for the house of
God. But that time came when it must
be done. And oh, the word of God to you
and I this afternoon, be strong, and of a good courage and do
it, and do it. May the Lord grant us His strength
and this resolve to do it, to do it. You know, we have in our
day no temple to build, that we have this afternoon in our
text is a charge of David to Solomon his son with the building
of the temple. But the word of God for you and
I is in a gospel day. And you and I are to, if we are found with the love of Christ
in our hearts, we are to serve him. Every one of the Lord's
dear children are his servants. You might think this serving
the house of God is only for the ministry of the word of God,
but it isn't. We are all, if we are found With
the love of Christ in our hearts, we are all called, found under
that commission, to serve the Lord. To serve the Lord. Some are called to serve Him
as His servants, to stand, as it were, on the walls of Zion
and proclaim the unsearchable riches of Christ. Everyone is
not called to serve Him in that way. May the brethren here who
do serve him in the ministry, may the Lord encourage them.
Be strong and of a good courage and do it. Fear not, nor be dismayed,
for the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee. He will not
fail thee nor forsake thee until thou hast finished all the work
of the service of the house of the Lord. But what about the
majority? The church of God, who are not
called to serve Him in the ministry. Well, this word is a word for
you this afternoon. Be strong and of a good courage. Oh, what a thing it is to take
up the cross and to follow Him. What a thing it is to serve the
Lord in that open profession. It is, isn't it, a service of
love. Love constrains, it is love that
draws, it is love that compels. It isn't the rod which drives
a poor sinner to take up his cross. and follow his despised
master. It is in gospel obedience according
to his commands and moved with love. It is taken up. It is love that's constraining.
Be strong and of a good courage and do it. For Solomon, in the
building of the temple and in the serving as king, there was
much which lay before him. And at this point in time, the
majority of it was unknown to him. Well, he knew he was to
be king and he had been told, he knew he had to build the temple
of the Lord. But how to go about it, and when
to go about it, and the going about it, so much
unknown, and so much which could bring concern, and
time of anxiety. But it's be strong. It's be strong. and of a good courage and do
it and do it because the Lord had called him to do it and friends
it wasn't a path that he had chosen himself he didn't come
to his father one day and say I will build it it was a thing
that he was called to by the Lord. And the calling of a child
of God is the Lord's doing. It is the Lord that calls out
His people. He calls out the sheep from among
the goats. He calls them out of this world
of sin. He separates them in their desires,
in their affections, in their ambitions. He sets them apart,
he sanctifies them, and he calls them to serve. Be strong and of a good courage. So much is unknown. The way before
isn't known. There may be difficulties, there
may be trials, that there may be things that cause distress. Friends, if the Lord has called,
oh, what a place of comfort, what a place of rest there is,
when there is that knowledge that the Lord is in it. The Lord has called. It was so
for Solomon. Be strong and of a good courage. And David knew it, and he sought
to encourage Solomon in this way, that the Lord has called,
and therefore the Lord will be with thee. He says, fear not,
nor be dismayed, for the Lord God, even my God, will be with
thee. that there's an assurance, that
there's a certainty to these things. As it was in the days
of Moses, certainly I will be with thee. It may be plain sailing,
it may be a smooth path. The way David was led was different
to the way Solomon was. David's life was different to
Solomon's life. Your life, my life, may well
be different. Oh, that we might not prejudge. We may not have a preconceived
idea of what the unknown way is. But oh, to have this place
of rest this afternoon. The Lord is in it. The Lord has called. And the
Lord must be, must be with us. He says, be strong and of a good
courage and do it. Fear not, nor be dismayed. There is much isn't there to
fear? You and I, we look around and we see that the world around
us, we see what we are and how we have been in days past. We've seen how we've responded
at times when things haven't gone well, when trouble has come,
when distresses have arisen. We have so many things in one
sense that we see that fill our hearts with dismay. The sinfulness
of our own hearts, the power of Satan at times upon us, the
weakness of our faith, the prayerlessness at times, the coldness, the indifference. We could go on this afternoon
with a list of all the things that would dismay us. But friends, David sought to
direct the eyes of Solomon, the eye of his faith, toward the
Lord God of Israel, toward His God, and may the Lord direct
our eyes from away from the things that would dismay us to where
our hope is, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ himself. Oh, we have, don't we? the Word of God in the day that
we live, so much for our eyes to see, so much in the pages
of Scripture to encourage us. We have the fullness of the blessing
of the Gospel, of the grace of God revealed in the pages of
Scripture. And may our eyes be upon those. May our eyes be up unto Him in
prayer, that he will shine that light upon the pages of his word
and apply it to us with his power give us that strength and that
courage and that resolve though we don't know what the future
holds we know in whose hand the future is and all things are
subject to him and he is still the Lord God omnipotent reigning
still on the throne David's God Solomon's God or may he prove
to be our God for the Lord God even my God says David even my
God the merciful God the one who doesn't deal with his poor
and worthy people as their sins deserve, the God of all grace,
the God of all comfort, whose mercy knows no end, my God, says
David, the one who brought me out from following the sheep
and brought me in, who has set my feet upon a rock, who has
brought me to the end of my days, who David could say, though my
house be not so with God, yet hath he made with me an everlasting
covenant, a covenant God, one who doesn't change his mind or
his word, or his divine purposes of love toward his people, who
doesn't deal with them, as man deals with man, but is merciful
and gracious, long-suffering, and plenteous in goodness and
in truth. David said, even my God, a God
of poor unworthy sinners, who's not ashamed to call them brethren,
even my God, even my God will be with thee. He will not fail
thee, nor forsake thee." He will not fail thee nor forsake thee. David could look back and see
the times where he had failed and every child of God will look
back and at the end will see the many times they have failed,
where they have failed in their keeping of the things that they
thought they could promise to do even. There are failings and there
is sin on our part, but blessed be the Lord God of David, whose
mercy knows no end. Oh, that one who fails not who
doesn't forsake those that put their trust in him, who's not
ashamed to be identified with his poor unworthy people, who
in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, God with us. Friends, this is the blessing
of it, isn't it? The fear not nor be dismayed
for the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee? It is God
with us. It is Emmanuel. It is His presence. And in a shadowy way, they had
it, didn't they? In Old Testament days. How much
more, in a Gospel day, and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
God made flesh, dwelling among us. Friends, the thanksgiving
this afternoon for Emmanuel. Oh, a thankful heart that God
was made flesh and dwelt among us in the person of His Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ, taking upon Him the form of a servant,
humbling Himself, making Himself of no reputation taking the lowest
place, going beneath, lower than the very lowest of his brethren,
that he might be under them as the one true foundation of the
church of God. Oh, to stand by faith upon that
rock, the rock Christ Jesus, the church of God is built. On
this rock will I build my church and the gates of hell shall not
prevail against them. And it is, it is, isn't it? In the person and work of our
Lord Jesus Christ. My God, we'll be with thee. We'll be with thee. Oh, in the
coming of our Lord Jesus. Oh, that glorious coming. that great stoop of mercy and
grace and that the Lord Jesus came into this world to save
sinners as he laid aside the kingly glory of heaven and he
humbled himself and came and walked upon this sin-cursed earth. He tabernacled among men and
He identified one with them. Oh friends, what a refuge, what
a place for our eye of faith to look this afternoon. Is that
what you need, poor weary, tempted, burdened one? You say the word
this afternoon says do it, do it and I feel reluctant, I feel
unable? I feel oppressed with fears and
doubts, what ifs and maybes? Oh, that eye of faith to look
to the Lord Jesus. Oh, to have our eyes on Jesus
fixed. There are hopes to stay. Oh, He came and He undertook
he finished that work that his father gave him to do? Or will
he not finish in you, poor sinner, that which he has begun? Will
it not be performed until the day of Jesus Christ? Will it
not be for his honor and glory? This calling of you This bringing
you up and bringing you out, is it not to bring you in at
last? Yes, bring you into gospel liberty
in this world, but to bring you into heaven at last. Will He
not undertake and ensure it that it will come to pass? You won't
make shipwreck. You must reach that desired haven
that the Lord has begun. The Lord has put it into action. There it is. There it must be. Be strong and of a good courage.
It is I. Be not afraid. In my thoughts,
my mind went to Isaiah 43 and verse 13. Yea, before the day was I am
he, and there is none that can deliver out of my hand. I will
work, and who shall let it? Who shall hinder it? Who shall
stop it? Who shall turn it aside? Who
can stand in the way to prevent it? There may be those that oppose. Maybe there are those that are
opposing you, or maybe your own fears and doubts are standing
in the way this afternoon. So I will work, and who shall
let it? Who shall let it? Has he given you a promise? Has
he put you in a path? And now you're finding you're
coming up against things that are seemingly obstacles in the
way. Oh, may the Lord take you back
to that very verse. I, I am he, and there is none
that can deliver out of my hand. None. Nothing can stand, nothing
can prevail. nothing can overturn the purposes
of God nothing can stop it I am He and there is none that can
deliver out of my hand I will work and who shall let it? sin? satan? your wicked heart? our unbelief? the world around
us? friends What a place of refuge. What a place of comfort. What
a word this is for those weary in the way. For those who may
be feeling the wind against them. Oh, may the Lord help you to
continue to press toward a mark for that prize of the high calling
of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord, David said to Solomon, his son.
And oh, the word of the Lord speaks to you and I this afternoon. Be strong and of a good courage
and do it. Fear not nor be dismayed for
the Lord God, even my God will be with thee He will not fail
thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work
for the service of the house of the Lord. May God add his
blessing. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 329 to the tune St Denio, 915. How firm a foundation, ye saints
of the Lord, is laid for your faith in his excellent word.
What more can he say than to you he has said, you who unto
Jesus for refuge have fled? Hymn 329, tune St Denio, 915. Although my foundation ye saints
of the Lord is laid for your faith in His excellent Word, What more can he say than to
you he has said? You who unto Jesus for refuge
have fled. In every condition, in sickness,
in health, In poverty, spell, or abandoning wealth, At her Lord adored on the land,
on the sea, As thy days make emotion, thy strength ever be. Hear not, I am with thee, thy
reign of dismay. I, I am thy God, and will still
give thee name. I'll strengthen thee, help thee,
and cause thee to stand. I'll help thy righteous, omnipotent
hand. When through the deep waters
Thy pathway to ground, The rivers of woe shall not be overflown, For I will be with thee thy troubles
to bless, And shank it I to thee, thy deepest distress. When through my retrials Thy
pathway shall lie, My grace, O sufficient, shall be Thy supply. That name shall not birth the
irony design, Thy trust to consume and thy gold to refine. In doubting our age, all my people
shall prove My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable God. And, great glory, there shall
thy temples adore, Like that they shall still in my person
before. I will not, I will not desert
to his foes. That sold their own hell should
it differ to say I'll never, no never, no never forsake Now may the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, and the fellowship
and the communion of the Holy Spirit, rest and abide with us
each, now and for evermore. Amen. The collections taken here today
are in support of the Christian Institute Tea will be provided
here in the chapel and you're all welcome to stay. Good.