Let us commence our service this
evening by singing together hymn number 1105. The tune is Theodora,
423. Jesus, engrave it on my heart,
that thou the one thing need but art. I could from all things
parted be, but never, never, Lord, from thee. m 1105 tune
theodora 423 She gave it all I had, left out
the ones in need alone. I could frown, think such a thing,
But never, never know complete. If I'm not Thou to take me in
If I'm not Thou, O grace, to give Behold, to guide me past my strain,
Behold, to help me every day. ? Before Him fly the treasured
flowers ? ? Before His thine ? ? Corrected robes ? ? Before
His thine ? in doubt and fear, enter the
true remaining breath. Give all thy grace, and give
it's due, true peace and calm. Full to their full, Keep all
thy promise to impart, ? There's life, a way back to my
heart ? ? People of old, my soul can say ? ? Spare all
life's tough ? ? And so holy way ? ? In death Thou wilt judge
me for me ? ? Then I will love Thee ? I shall hope some day. People of love, purge my dust. ? In shining glory ? ? Wave the
trust ? ? People when I ? ? In heaven appear ? ? To come and
to live ? Let us read together from the Holy
Word of God in the prophecy of Zephaniah and chapter 3. The third chapter. of the prophecy
of Zephaniah. Woe to her that is filthy and
polluted, to the oppressing city. She obeyed not the voice. She
received not correction. She trusted not in the Lord. She drew not near to her God. Her princes within her are roaring
lions. Her judges are evening wolves.
They gnaw, not the bones, till the morrow. Her prophets are
light and treacherous persons. Her priests have polluted the
sanctuary. They have done violence to the
law. The just Lord is in the midst thereof. He will not do
iniquity. Every morning doth he bring his
judgment to light. He faileth not, but the just
knoweth no shame. I have cut off the nations, their
towers are desolate. I made their streets waste, that
none passeth by. Their cities are destroyed, so
that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant. I said, surely
thou wilt fear me. they will receive instruction.
So their dwellings should not be cut off, howsoever I punish
them. But they rose early and corrupted
all their doings. Therefore wait ye upon me, saith
the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the pray. For my
determination is to gather the nation that I may assemble the
kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce
anger, for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of
my jealousy. For then will I turn to the people
a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the
Lord to serve him with one consent, from beyond the rivers of Ethiopia,
my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring
mine offering. In that day shalt thou not be
ashamed for all thy doings wherein thou hast transgressed against
me. For then I will take away out of the midst of thee them
that rejoice in thy pride. and thou shalt no more be haughty
because of my holy mountain. I will also leave in the midst
of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust
in the name of the Lord. The remnant of Israel shall not
do iniquity, nor speak lies, neither shall a deceitful tongue
be found in their mouth, for they shall feed and lie down
and none shall make them afraid. Sing, O daughter of Zion. Shout,
O Israel. Be glad and rejoice with all
the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. The Lord hath taken away thy
judgments. He hath cast out thine enemy.
The King of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of thee.
Thou shalt not see evil any more. In that day, it shall be said
to Jerusalem, fear thou not, and to Zion, let not thine hands
be slack. The Lord thy God in the midst
of thee is mighty, he will save, he will rejoice over thee with
joy, he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who
are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden. Behold, at
that time I will undo all that afflict thee, and I will save
her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out, and
I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have
been put to shame. At that time will I bring you
again, even in the time that I gather you, for I will make
you a name and a praise among all people of the earth when
I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the Lord. May the Lord bless the reading
of his own precious word. Could somebody open a window,
please, another window? It's very warm in here. Gracious, merciful, and eternal
God, we do desire to bow before thy great majesty, to call upon
thy great and holy name. We desire to draw near to thee,
the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
We pray that thou wouldst be gracious unto us as we gather
a little company around thy word, May thy word have free course.
May thy name be honoured and glorified. May the Lord Jesus
be lifted up as a Prince and as a Saviour, for to give faith
and repentance and remission of sins. May it please thee,
O Lord, to draw us unto thyself, into thy embrace. May we feel
those everlasting arms and the divine support and help of those
everlasting arms, we do humbly beseech thee. May thy word be
a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path, and may the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father and
the sacred communion of the Holy Ghost rest and abide upon us. O Lord, we do beseech of thee.
Show us thy ways, O Lord, and teach us thy paths. We do humbly
beseech of thee. We pray, most gracious Lord,
that thou wouldst bless our brethren, the deacons. Give them grace,
give them wisdom, give them help in all their responsibilities.
Bless each one of our brethren and sisters in church fellowship.
Grant, O Lord, that it may please thee to unite us together more
fully, more deeply, and to feel that love to one another and
to bear one another's burdens, thereby fulfilling the law of
Christ. Make us a truly spiritual people. Build us up, O Lord. Gather in
and work mightily in our congregation. work in the hearts of the young
and rising generation, and bring them to living, vital, saving
faith in Jesus Christ. Grant signs to follow the preaching
of the word. Let thy work appear unto thy
servants, O Lord, and thy glory unto their children. And grant,
O Lord, we do pray thee, that we may see thy work in this village
precious souls gathered in, and the surrounding villages and
hamlets, bring our sons from far and our daughters from the
ends of the earth. Grant that we may see Zion's
offspring come. Grant that we may see of the
travail of thy soul, Lord Jesus, brought forth here in this sanctuary,
and that poor sinners may come and tell to sinners round, what
a dear Saviour they have found, and point to thy redeeming blood,
and say, Behold the way to God. Lord, we do pray that thou wouldst
be gracious unto us, and have mercy upon us. Bless the little
ones and the children as they are brought into the sanctuary.
Put the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom, into
their hearts. Bless, Lord, we pray thee, the
young friends. Guide them, O thou great Jehovah.
Bring them to living faith in Jesus Christ. Help us each to
lay aside every weight and the sin that does so easily beset
us, and that we might run with patience the race that is set
before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our
faith. who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,
despising the shame thereof, and is now set down at the right
hand of the majesty on high. We pray, most gracious Lord,
that thou would remember any and any trouble or trial or perplexity. Any, Lord, that could be here,
that have no desire to be here, we pray for them. that thou would
increase that desire, that hunger and thirst in their hearts, so
they have to be here. And, O Lord, we pray that thou
would remember any in afflictions pathway. Lord, we especially
think of Stephen and Helen Jensen and the great loss of a dear
son. And Lord, and his brother also, Lord, bless them at this
time. Draw near to them, O Lord, in
their great distress. O most gracious God, incline
thine ear, we do humbly beseech thee, and help them to fall into
thy kind and gracious hands, and know no will but thine. And
we pray, Lord, for Helen in the coming week, as she expects to
have surgery. We lovingly commend her to thee,
Pray that thou wouldst guide the physicians and that thou
wouldst graciously grant that she may feel that she is in thy
hands and that underneath are those everlasting arms. Lord,
remember them for good. O Lord, we do beseech of thee.
O Lord, we do pray that thou in thy precious mercy wouldst
look upon the churches that thou wouldst graciously revive and
renew and replenish Isaiah, that thou wouldst grant that fresh
anointing of thy spirits unto thy servants, and that thou,
the great Lord of the harvest, wouldst send true labourers into
the harvest. Lord, many of thy servants are
now in advanced years, but we pray that thou wouldst raise
her, another generation of preachers, to preach the everlasting gospel
of Jesus Christ. We do humbly beseech of thee. Lord, we pray that thou, in thy
precious mercy, would remember thy Zion. Truly, Lord, thy Zion
is minished and brought low, and the boar out of the wood
doth waste her, and few come to Zion's solemn feast. Gracious
God, we pray, that thou wouldst turn our captivity as the streams
in the South, that thou wouldst arise and may bear thine holy
arm, that thou wouldst send forth thy Spirit in all his divine
power and heavenly unction to grant, O Lord, those wonderful
signs to follow the preaching of the word, that precious souls
may be gathered unto Christ, and that poor sinners may look
and live And those that feel to be so far off may be made
nigh. And those that feel to be in
so much darkness, may the light shine. And those that feel to
be in great bondage, may it please thee to breathe liberty and light
into their hearts. We do humbly beseech of thee. And O Lord God, we do pray that
thou wouldst remember our nation. Remember the little hills of
Zion up and down our nation, wherever thy servants stand and
thy people gather. Oh, do be pleased to bless the
word, to send out thy light and thy truth, to rebuild, to renew,
to revive thy Zion. For Lord, it's thy church, it's
thy people, and we do plead with thee for thy namesake. that thou
hast let our cry come unto thee. Wilt thou not revive us again,
O Lord? We do humbly beseech of thee.
O Lord, we do thank thee for the house of prayer. We do thank
thee for that door of hope that is open wide in Jesus' bleeding
hands and side. We do thank thee, most gracious
Lord, for the incarnation of the Son of God, for his holy
life that he lived as a man under the law, fulfilling, honouring,
magnifying that holy righteous law of thine, and thereby bringing
in everlasting righteousness. We do humbly beseech of thee. Lord, we do pray for truly thankful
hearts for the sacred and solemn sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. He that did no sin,
neither was guile found in his mouth, but yet laid upon him
the iniquity of us all. We thank thee for Calvary. We
thank thee for the precious blood of the Lamb that cleanses from
all sin. Lord, we thank thee for Jesus
Christ and what he has done. He died for our sins and rose
again for our justification. He is now bodily at thy right
hand. We have a great high priest who
is passed into the heavens. Jesus, the Son of God, we thank
thee for him. We pray, most gracious Lord,
that we might behold more of the glory of his person more
of that great high priest who is passed into the heavens, that
we may behold and know and feel the sacred preciousness of having
a high priest. O gracious God, let us therefore
come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy
and find grace to help in every time of need. Gracious God, Do
incline Thine ear, we do humbly beseech Thee. Do bless Thy people
and save Thine inheritance. We do thank Thee for our house
of prayer. We do thank Thee for the Word
of God. We do thank Thee for the freedom
that we have to meet together around Thy Word. And we do pray
that we may highly prize this privilege. Be with us, Lord, as we turn
to thy holy word, and come and touch one's lips with a live
coal from off the heavenly altar. We ask all, with the forgiveness
of all our many sins, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 1102. The tune is Hand Forth, 673. Why those fears? Behold tis Jesus,
holds the helm and guides the ship, spread the sails and catch
the breezes sent to waft us through the deep to the regions where
the mourners cease to weep, hymn 1102, tune handful 673. O'er the ramparts we watched,
were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket's red glare, the
bombs bursting in air, Oh, say does that star-spangled
banner yet wave O say can you see, by the dawn's
early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last
gleaming, Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the
perilous fight, ? With the moonlit sky ? ? Yet
we feel it ? ? All around us now and then ? ? Spread like
the rising moon ? ? At night ? ? Come, let me hear you, come,
let me hear you. ? ? Come, let me hear you, come,
let me hear you. ? ? Let our faith be filled with
joy ? ? We shall not be stoned by fire ? ? The home of the brave ? ? Spread
fairness far and wide ? ? The home of the brave ? ? The home
of the brave ? Praise to thee we sing, Praise
to thee we sing, Heaven's joys in all their might. Let us sing praise to thee, Jesus
Christ, the Lord of Hosts. ? The heavens sing to thee, praise
thy God, thy nation ? ? We shall be in heaven forevermore ? and never again be found in the
dark and endless night. greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, and direct your attention to Psalm 125. And we'll
read the first two verses. Psalm 125, verses one and two. They that trust in the Lord shall
be as Mount Zion. which cannot be removed, but
abideth forever. As the mountains are round about
Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth,
even forever. They that trust in the Lord. You know, The greatest honour
that we can do to our God is to trust in Him, to implicitly
trust Him. The psalmist says elsewhere,
trust in Him at all times, you people. Wait patiently for Him. To trust is to wait by faith. The word of God informs us that
he is God over all and blessed forevermore. That he is indeed
almighty. He's the almighty. Those wonderful
names that are given to Jesus Christ in Isaiah chapter nine.
The mighty God, the everlasting father, the prince of peace. Those names are given to him
to inform us of who He is and of what He can do. He is the
Eternal God. He's worthy of our trust. The Apostle Peter says, casting
all your care upon Him, for He careth for you. Oh, that the
Lord would give us this spirit of faith, because that's what
it is. It's the spirit of faith. to trust him. Job, in the midst
of all his great troubles and trials, what did Job say? Though he slay me, yet will I
trust in him. He had that implicit trust in
God, born from experience. He proved God to be faithful
and to honour his word. You know, one hymn writer says,
doesn't he, concerning our doubts and our fears, they cast dishonor
on thy Lord and contradict his gracious word. And they do. When we get all tied up in doubts
and fears, we do have them, let's be honest. But it's very dishonoring
to God. Oh, that the Lord give us that
clear, simple eye of faith to the God who rules and reigns,
who sits on no precarious throne, nor borrows leave to be, who
is the creator of the heavens and the earth. And as the hymn
writer says, with heaven and earth at his command, he waits
to answer prayer. They that trust in the Lord shall
be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth forever. As the mountains are round about
Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth
even forever. We have similar Psalms to this. My mind just goes to Psalm 46.
In Psalm 46, the psalmist, he confesses his trust in God. God
is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore
will not we fear, though the earth be removed and though the
mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, though the
waters are raw and be troubled, though the mountains shake with
the swelling door? sealer there is a river the streams
whereof shall make glad the city of God the holy place of the
tabernacles of the most high God is in the midst of her she
shall not be moved God shall help her and that right early
Zion the church of the living God verse 7 he says the Lord
of hosts is with us The God of Jacob is our refuge, Selah. You
see, my beloved friends, and then what it leads to, be still,
verse 10, be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among
the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts
is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge. A refuge. Christ is the refuge
of his people. Christ is the hiding place of
his people. It says in Isaiah, a king shall
reign in righteousness. That's Christ. He shall be as
a shadow of a great rock in a weary land. The Lord Jesus Christ. A refuge for sinners the gospel
makes known. which is found in the merits
of Jesus alone. The weary, the tempted, the burdened
by sin were never exempted from entering therein. Be still. You see, my beloved friends,
He waits to answer prayer, this great God. He hears the cries
of His poor and needy people here on earth. and he will answer. Call upon
me in the day of trouble, I will hear thee, I will answer thee.
These are the wonderful promises of God. When the poor and needy
seek water and there is none, and their tongue faileth for
thirst, I the Lord will hear them. I will open rivers in high
places and streams in the desert. Those wonderful rivers of his
love, of his grace, of his mercy. they will flow and they will
bring deliverance unto his people. Those everlasting rivers of his
love, an unchangeable love. Yea, I have loved thee with an
everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness have I drawn
thee. There are those of you here, you know what it is to
be drawn toward God, toward Christ, have a desire after Him, seeking
Him, searching for Him. He will not fail. It's a lovely
word in Isaiah 42, isn't it? He will not fail. Who? Christ. We fail. And you know that we
trust and we rest upon His love to us, not on our love to Him. His love to us. It's an unchanging love. It's
an eternal love. It is. We love Him because He
first loved us. That is the moving cause of our
love to Him. It's His love to us. Doesn't
the Apostle say, I think it's in the Romans, for the love of
God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. The love of
Christ shed abroad in your heart. Your heart softened under a sense
of His love. A view by faith of Jesus in the
sinner's place. A view by faith of the holy law
fulfilled in His glorious person. Everlasting righteousness brought
in, in His glorious person. It's an everlasting righteousness.
It's the righteousness of Jesus, the Son of God, of infinite worth. It's a righteousness that will
never fade. No. A righteousness that will
never fade. A glorious, everlasting righteousness
of our Lord Jesus Christ in Psalm 45, he speaks there of the king's
daughter. King's daughters were among thy
honourable women. Upon thy right hand did stand
the queen in gold of Ophir. Hearken, O daughter, and consider
and incline thine ear. Forget also thine own people
and thy father's house. So shall the king. Who's the
king? Jesus Christ. So shall the king. Greatly desire thy beauty, for
he is thy Lord, and worship thou him. Look at that word of direction. To the king's daughter, hearken,
O daughter, and consider and incline thine ear, forget also
thine own people and thy father's house. Trust in him. cannot fail. Trust in Him. Trust in Him at all times, in
all places, in all conditions, in all difficulties, in all trials,
in all troubles. Trust in Him that has said all
things work together for good to them that love God, to them
that are the called according to His purposes. And then we read, the king's
daughter is all glorious within her clothing, is a fraught god. That's the righteousness of Christ. She shall be brought unto the
king in raiment of needlework. The virgins, her companions that
follow her, shall be brought unto thee with gladness and rejoicing
shall they be brought, they shall enter into King's Palace. A wonderful thing to enter into
the King's Palace. I go to prepare a place for you
and if I go to prepare a place for you I will come again and
receive you unto myself that where I am there you may be also. The King's Palace. They should
enter into the King's Palace. They'll be washed in the blood
of Christ and they'll have that everlasting robe of the righteousness
of Christ to cover their nakedness. They will be with Christ which
is far better. Emmanuel's all the glory in Emmanuel's
land. My mind in thinking of these
words that we have for our text concerning trusting in Him. In Psalm 2, the beautiful Messianic
Psalm which speaks of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It
speaks of the opposition of the heathen to the Church and to
the people of God. Why do the heathen rage and the
people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves
and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord. We see that
today, don't we? And against His anointed, that's
Christ. Saying, let us break their bands
asunder and cut away their cords from us. Isn't that what is happening
today? With all these different things
coming in so-called changing of laws and rejection of the
Word of God and of the ways of God and of the truth of God.
Why? It's the very spirit and power
of Antichrist. And they say, away with the Word
of God. We want nothing to do with the
Word of God. We don't believe in God. Listen to what the Lord says
here in Psalm 2, He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh. The
Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them
in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet, what
a beautiful word. There are some lovely yets in
Holy Scripture. Yet have I set my King upon my
holy hill of Zion. Whatever the heathens say, however
the wicked rage against the Lord and against His Christ, He will
laugh at them. See, He says, I will declare
the decree. The Lord has said unto me, Thou
art my son, this day have I begotten thee. The Apostle quotes that
relative to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And again, this is speaking of
Christ, ask of me and I shall give thee the heathen for thine
inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron. Thou shalt dash them
in pieces like a potter's vessel. Oh, we see my beloved friends,
and then in the last verse, kiss the sun. This is a way of salvation. This is a way of redemption,
kiss the sun. lest ye be angry and ye perish
from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed
are all they that put their trust in him." Put their trust in him. Are we putting our trust in him? There's that lovely, very well-known
psalm 37 and in psalm 37 we read much there about trust and trusting
in the lord it begins the psalm maybe it's
something that troubles you fret not thyself because of evildoers
neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity For they
shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as a green
herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good, so shalt thou dwell
in the land. And verily, thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord,
and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. What words of
counsel here! Commit thy way unto the Lord. Trust also in Him, and He shall
bring it to pass. He will. And He shall bring forth
thy righteousness as the light and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the Lord. We read in the Word of God, He
will rest in His love. He will rest in His love. God,
not in your love to Him, but His love to you. His is an unchanging
love. It's a love without beginning
and without ending. It's an unconditional love. Yea,
I've loved thee with an everlasting love. It's a love that can never
change. It is forever lasting. Rest in
the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Fret not thyself because
of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth
wicked devices to pass. You see, trust in the Lord and
do good. My mind also, in thinking of
Zion, the church of the living God, was much drawn to Psalm
87. But in Psalm 87, his foundation
is in the holy mountains. The Lord loveth the gates of
Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Jacob was a nomad. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were
all of no fixed abode. They moved from place to place. But here he says, when Zion is
settled in one place, the Lord loveth the gates of Zion, more
than all the dwellings of Jacob. Zion is the church of the living
God. Glorious things are spoken of
thee, O city of God. Selah. And then in verse 5, And
of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her,
and the highest himself shall establish her. The Lord shall
calve when he righteth up the people. But this man was born
there. See that. This man was born there. We go on to Psalm 89 and in verse
19, Thou spakest in vision to thy Holy One, and saidst, I have
laid help upon one that is mighty, that's Christ. I have exalted
one chosen out of the people, I have thrown David, my servant,
my holy oil, have I anointed him? With whom my hand shall
be established, mine arm also shall strengthen him. The enemy
shall not exact upon him, nor the son of wickedness afflict
him. The hymn is Christ. It's his eternal kingdom. It
goes on in that chapter. It says in verse 28, My mercy
will I keep for him forevermore. and my covenant shall stand fast
with him. His seed also will I make to
endure forever, and his throne as the days of heaven. It's the
glorious throne of our Lord Jesus Christ. He sitteth king forever. He sitteth king forever. They that trust in the Lord shall
be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth forever. As the mountains are round about
Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth,
even forever. It's unchangeable love. It's eternal grace. None shall
pluck them out of my Father's hand. I am my Father, I want. None can fall out of grace. Grace is a wonderful gift that
is given to the Lord's people and the Lord will never take
it away from his people. None shall pluck them out of
my Father's hand. See, it's an eternal love. its eternal kindness and compassion
of a God toward his blood-bought people whom he has redeemed. In that portion we read in Zephaniah it spoke of the solemn judgments
that the Lord would bring against the Jews and then in verse 8 It turns,
therefore wait ye upon me, saith the Lord. And then in verse 14,
it turns again into the most beautiful song. Sing, O daughter
of Zion. Shout, O Israel. Be glad and
rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. The Lord hath taken
away thy judgments. He hath cast out thine enemy.
You might say, what does that mean? He's taken away thy judgments. He was judged on our behalf.
He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities.
The judgment bond that was against us, He has taken it away. He was made sin for us. The Lord
hath taken away thy judgments. You might say to me, I'm such
a sinner I'm such a poor, wretched sinner. I deserve the anger,
not the mercy of God. The Lord hath taken away thy
judgments. That wrath that should have fallen
upon you, he's taken it away. He found a substitute. He found
a substitute. It says in Zechariah, doesn't
it? a Waco sword against my shepherd
and the man that is my fellow Christ being judged on the behalf
of his people Christ being punished for the sins of his people he
was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities
the chastisement of our peace was upon him and he says here
he hath cast out thine enemy and what does the Apostle John
say concerning Christ, He came to destroy the works of the devil.
And He swallowed up death in victory. He hath cast out thine
enemy. He's destroyed Satan and his
power and his influence. The King of Israel, of course,
is Christ. Even the Lord is in the midst
of thee. Thou shalt not see evil anymore. What wonderful precious words
of grace and the unchangeable mercy, love and grace of God
in Jesus Christ. The Lord thy God in the midst
of thee is mighty. You think of Zion today. You
think of how she's ministered and brought low. But then think
of this mighty God. The Lord thy God in the midst
of thee is mighty. He will save. He will rejoice
over thee with joy. He will rest in His love. He
will joy over thee with singing. He will rest in His love. The
everlasting love of God in Christ. That's where He'll rest in. That's
where He will dwell. And that's where He'll deal with
poor sinners. In the everlasting love of Christ. Christ as our
mediator. Christ as our prophet. Christ
as our priest. Christ is our King. And that's where the Lord God
deals with His people. It's in Christ. And He goes on
here in Zephaniah, and He says, In that day it shall be said
to Jerusalem, Fear thou not, and to Zion, Let not thine hands
be slack. The Lord thy God in the midst
of thee is mighty, he will save. He will rejoice over thee with
joy, He will rest in His love. He will rest in His love. You know, yes it's very nice
if you and I can rightly, truly confess that we love the Lord.
Like David did, I love the Lord because He has heard my voice,
the voice of my supplications. You know the great thing is,
is the Lord loves us. And we love Him because He loves
us. He will rest in His love. This
is where He rests, in the love of Christ, toward a poor sinner. This is where He deals with a
poor sinner. When it was said in the Tabernacle
worship, there will I meet with thee, there will I commune with
thee, From off the golden mercy seat, the blood of Sprinkly,
the blood of Christ. There will I meet with thee.
There will I commune with thee. He will rejoice over thee with
joy. He will rest in his love. He
will joy over thee with singing. said to me there's something
very beautiful there he will rest in his love his everlasting love he will
rest there and I remember years ago reading a small piece by
John Owen on that very verse he will rest in his love and
he said this it's a love of complacency it's where God rests It's where
he deals with his people in Christ and through Christ. It makes
me think of the first words the Lord breathed into my heart of
a way of hope and mercy in Christ. And ye shall be rooted and grounded
in love and know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge
in its height, its length, its breadth, its depth. the love
of Christ, unfathomable love. On such love my heart still ponders,
love so rich, so full, so free. And he says here to Zion, I will
gather them that I sorrow for, for the solemn assembly, who
are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden. Behold, at
that time I will undo all that afflict thee, and I will save
her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out. I will
get then praise and fame in every land where they have been put
to such shame. At that time, I will bring you
again, even in the time that I gather you. Isn't this what
we long to see, the Lord gathering in His people, bringing them
into Zion, And they shall come to Zion with their faces in the
wall. They shall come with weeping
and with supplication when I lead them. It's not what we long to
see, these wonderful promises of God. At that time will I bring
you again, even in the time that I gather you. For I will make
you a name and a praise among all the people of the earth.
When I turn back your captivity, from before your eyes saith the
Lord, they that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion,
which cannot be removed. Don't forget those wonderful
words in Isaiah 28, where it speaks, behold, I lay in Zion
a foundation, that's Christ. Then you marry that But with
Peter's confession, thou art the Christ, the Son of the living
God, and Christ answered him upon this rock, speaking of himself,
upon this rock I build my church, and the gates of hell shall not
prevail against it. They'll try, but they will not
prevail against it. Oh, that the Lord would give
us this implicit trust. They that trust in the Lord shall
be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth forever. You know, my beloved friends,
sometimes it's hard to see in some of the things that we pass
through. But God makes no mistakes. No. He's infallible. He makes no
mistakes. He knows the end from the beginning,
He does, and He makes no mistakes. That word, that exceedingly well-known
word in Romans chapter 8, all things, notice that, all
things work together for good to them that love God, to them
that are the call according to His purposes. work together for good, or that
we could truly trust Him, realising that He doesn't make any mistakes. And sometimes, in the midst of
our deepest and darkest troubles, when the Lord appears and we
can see how everything is right, everything is right, There's
nothing wrong. There's nothing wrong. Even though
outwardly everything may appear to go wrong, but when the Lord
appears, when the Lord softens your heart, when the love of
Christ is shed abroad in your heart, when you have a little
meditation upon this great God who makes no mistakes, then your
heart is melted. Humble yourselves therefore under
the mighty hand of God, they that trust in the Lord shall
be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth forever. As the mountains are round about
Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth
even forever. The Lord is round about his people.
Oh that we might be enabled to dwell a little on that. To think
on these things. The Lord is round about his people. He will defend his people. The
Lord thy God in the midst of them. He's mighty. He will rest in
his love. and in all His dealings with
you. Doesn't one of the hymn writers
say, just His dealings? Just His dealings. The righteous
God, He's just. And the justifier of the ungodly. He justifies them in Christ.
He sees them in Christ. He loves them in Christ. they that trust in the Lord shall
be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth forever. As the mountains are round about
Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth
even forever. From henceforth even round about you the eye of the
lord is upon the righteous and his ear is open under their cry
he's round about you and just as it said of christ
here in the book of psalms it will give his angels charge over
them that is said concerning our lord jesus christ a prophecy
but it's also true of every single one of the lord's living family
he will give his angels charge over them to keep them, to deliver
them. Look how the Lord delivered Lot
in Sodom and Gomorrah. The angel of the Lord come and
took him by the hand and led him out of Sodom and Gomorrah.
You see, the wonderful loving kindness of God. These things
are written for our instruction. that we should trust in our Lord
Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and
forever. Oh that the Lord would enable
us to trust Him, to believe and to realise and to understand
that all things work together for good to them that love God,
all things, not just some things, Even those very difficult things,
they're among those all things. As the mountains are round about
Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about His people from henceforth,
even forever. May the Lord add His blessing. Let us now sing together Hymn
number 350, the tune is Pilgrim 819. Ye pilgrims of Zion, and chosen
of God, whose spirits are filled with dismay, since ye have eternal
redemption through blood, ye cannot but hold on your way. Hymn 350, the tune is Pilgrim
819. In heav'n's host I look at the
hosts of the world, and see that some will make this world ? Set in ev'ry corner of nature
and heart ? ? In the earth, on earth, as it were. ? How sweet the sound that saved
a wretch like me And promised all praise to his flag The powers of darkness in man
is made to rage, The righteous shall hope for his way. This truth, like its authoring,
shall prosper, and all things in nature become. And help my tree-hearers, O Midlands
and land, The righteous shed hope on this land. They may come to me no temptation
toss, as the sea. But none of the righteous
shall ever be lost. The righteous shall find All
is well Surrounded with sorrows, temptation, and cares This earth
with delight we shall go And sing as we pass through this
valley of tears 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, both now
and forevermore. Amen.