May the Lord help us to commence
our worship this afternoon with hymn 202, tune Nazareth, 193. Now may the Lord reveal his face
and teach our stammering tongues to make his sovereign reigning
grace the subject of our songs. Hymn 202, June Nazareth, 193. to reveal His face and teach
us the right paths, to make His Sovereign reign in grace, The
subject of our songs. The subject of our songs. The subject of our songs. O say does that star-spangled
banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the
brave? Grace, grace dear father, grace
unsearched, to heaven the Lord is come. And from now on he wanted it,
he never wanted more. ? And all the saints were joining
in ? ? The hymns of joyful hymn ? Sacred and gracious, to Him pray
they all shall go their part. God's grace can move mountains
and clouds. God makes us one with the Lord. Let us read from the sacred pages
of God's Word. from the Gospel according to
Mark, chapter 9. Mark, chapter 9. The Gospel according to Mark,
chapter 9. And he said unto them, Verily
I say unto you, that there be some of them that stand here
which shall not taste of death till they have seen the kingdom
of God come with power. And after six days Jesus taketh
with him Peter and James and John and leadeth them up into
a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before
them. And his raiment became shining,
exceeding white as snow, so as no fuller on earth can white
them. And there appeared unto them
Elias with Moses, And they were talking with Jesus. And Peter
answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here. And let us make thee three tabernacles,
one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. For he wist
not what to say. for they were sore afraid. And there was a cloud that overshadowed
them, and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my
beloved son. Hear him. And suddenly, when
they had looked round about, they saw no man any more. say Jesus only with themselves. And as they came down from the
mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what
things they had seen till the Son of Man were risen from the
dead. And they kept that saying with
themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from
the dead should mean. And they asked him, saying, Why
say the Scriptures that Elias must first come? And he answered
and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things. And how it is written of the
Son of Man that he must suffer many things, and be set at naught. But I say unto you that Elias
is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they
listed, as it is written of him. And when he came to his disciples,
he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning
with them, And straightway all the people, when they beheld
him, were greatly amazed, and running to him, saluted him. And he asked the scribes, What
question ye with them? And one of the multitude answered
and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath
a dumb spirit. And wheresoever he taketh him,
he teareth him, and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth,
and pineth away. And I speak to thy disciples,
that they should cast him out, and they could not. He answereth
him, and saith, O faithless generation, How long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him unto me. And they brought
him unto him. And when he saw him straightway,
the spirit tear him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed foaming. And he asked his father, But
how long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said of
a child, enough times it hath cast him into the fire and into
the waters to destroy him. But if thou canst do anything,
have compassion on us and help us. Jesus said unto him, If thou
canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of
the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe. Help thou mine unbelief. When
Jesus saw that the people came running together. He rebuked
the fell spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit,
I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. And the spirit cried, and rant
him sore, and came out of him, and he was as one dead, insomuch
that many said, He is dead. But Jesus took him by the hand,
and lifted him up, and he arose. And when he was come into the
house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast
him out? And he said unto them, This kind
can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting. And they departed thence, and
passed through Galilee. And he would not that any man
should know it. For he taught his disciples,
and said unto them, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands
of men and they shall kill him and after that he is killed he
shall rise the third day. But they understood not that
saying and were afraid to ask him. And he came to Capernaum
and being in the house He asked them, What was it that you disputed
among yourselves by the way? And they held their peace. For
by the way they had disputed among themselves who should be
the greatest. And he sat down and called the
twelve and said unto them, If any man desire to be first, the
same shall be lust of all, and servant of all. And he took a child, and set
him in the midst of them. And when he had taken him in
his arms, he said unto them, Whosoever shall receive one of
such children in my name, receiveth me. And whosoever shall receive
me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me. And John answered him, saying,
Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth
not us, and we forbid him. because he followeth not us. But Jesus said, Forbid him not. For there is no man which shall
do a miracle in my name that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us
is on our part. And whosoever shall give you
a cup of water to drink in my name, if because ye belong to
Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward. And whosoever shall offend one
of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that
a millstone were hanged about his neck and he were cast into
the sea. But if thy hand offend thee,
cut it off. It is better for thee to enter
into life maimed than having two hands to go into hell, unto
the fire that never shall be quenched. Where there worm dieth
not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee,
cut it off. It is better for thee to enter
halt into life than having two feet to be cast into hell, into
the fire that never shall be quenched. Where there worm dieth
not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee,
pluck it out. It is better for thee to enter
into the kingdom of God with one eye than having two eyes
to be cast into hell fire where their worm doth not and the fire
is not quenched. For every one shall be salted
with fire and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. Salt
is good But if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith
shall ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and
have peace one with another. Let us pray. ever merciful, ever gracious,
holy, eternal Lord God. We would be thankful for the
doors of Zion open this day. And we would acknowledge the
wonders having the gospel pages open to us. But what we do need
is the Spirit. Gracious God, we plead with Thee,
in the name of Thine only begotten blessed Son, in whom Thou wilt
please, we plead His name. Send a spirit to us, we pray,
even in our worship, even in our midst, for without Thee we
can do nothing. For may we not worship in vain,
That is a serious thing. Oh, we pray that we may come
to thy courts in that meek and lowly way, that humble way. Lord, we cannot humble ourselves. We may be able to act sometimes
a bit humble or think we are, but oh Lord, that is not the
humility of thy saints. We have to fall down. dear Lord,
and confess our many sins and our failings with our mouth in
the dust of self-abasement. And it is very necessary. And,
O Lord, when we think of the times we've wasted, the wasted
years, the turning aside to this, that, or something else, O Lord,
it fills our heart with shame. And yet, Lord, we come once more,
confessing our many sins. We're looking, as it were, naturally
speaking, for some form of perfection in faith and so forth. But, O
Lord, Thou art our perfection. Thou art the sinner's righteousness.
We have nothing. And as Top Lady says, truly,
nothing in my hand I bring yet we're always trying to bring
something not for merit but this exercise or that something else
or whatever it is yet we would be mindful of thy word and that
will glorify thee when we plead thy word and thy promise and
we do but still with nothing in our hand to bring empty of
poor and but looking to the Gospel. O Thou who art all things, in
all things to Thy people, all mercy, all grace, all salvation,
all love, all endurance, all strength, all righteousness,
and that blessing of discovering Thou hast gone before us, not
in a pathway only, but through the river. Thus, dear Lord, increase
our faith here, we humbly pray, and do enable us to come then
humbly in all our great need, beholding the Lamb of God, which
taketh away the sins of the world. but we in ourselves are poor
and needy. It is a miracle. Thou dost have
mercy upon thy poor afflicted ones, for thou hast entered into
their captivity, into their sufferings, to lead captivity captive, which
thou hast done for the church. Oh, what a tremendous work! Oh,
bring forth to our hearts, oh, the wine and bread of the kingdom,
thou art that wine, and thou art that bread. All thou didst
say except, but also whosoever shall eat the flesh of the Son
of Man, and drink his blood, hath eternal life, and I will
raise him up at the last day. And thus, in all our impoverished
condition, all we were come venture near to touch the board of thy
garment, or that we may taste the wine of thy love, and to
consider thee and all thy sufferings and all that hast gone, or to
redeem us and to save us. How we need this truth to be
unfolded with power from on high. Open our eyes, open our hearts
to receive this heavenly hope. So we come to thee, Lord, as
poor and needy yet again. Lord, and we don't grow better.
Oh, Lord, we seem to be drifting on sometimes. We hardly know
what direction. And yet our eyes are up unto
thee. Oh, we think of Jonah. We're
going in all directions in the day. Yet he said, I will look
again toward thy holy temple. O Lord, that was a heart look.
O Lord, we're looking to Thee for help now, for Thy blessing
on the word. O be Thou exalted in our midst
this afternoon, that our may something be wrought, that our
worship be in spirit and in truth. For we have to come confessing
our every sin. Lord, Thou knowest more about
ourselves than we do. Thou knowest what is sin in us,
for if we are thine, thou hast had to answer for it and die
for it. Open our eyes to behold wondrous
things out of thy law, or do open up the wonders, the blessing
of Calvary, or that we may hover around the feet of the Lamb the
dying Lamb, hanging, sinking on the accursed tree, bearing
our sin. O make us soft, make us tender,
may we weep much after Thee. O touch these hearts, help us
to be humble, help us to live for this, that Thou hast risen
and now ascended, and that same Jesus, O that didst cry or that
did suffer in silence, or that groaned in his spirit, or that
bled under the curse of the law, or the curse due to us, or to
open our eyes to know, and see him now as our Saviour and risen
in heaven ascended, exalted, now making intercession for us,
as our great high priest. Leave us not just to understand
it naturally in our intellect, but oh soften us with a touch,
with a realization. So we come, the pleading, great
God of heaven, thine only begotten son, whom thou did send, whom
thou did strike for our sin. We pray, give us a token, a clear,
clear blessing, that it was for me, it was my sin, thou hast
put away. Lord, we believe we've had those
tokens, but we want them afresh. Give us that same manner, that
heavenly manner of thy everlasting love. Bless the dear friends,
remember this house, Remember thy dear servant, thy pastor,
this day. Help him much this day. In the afternoon now, as he would
consider thy word. And then this evening, as he
goes forth to speak thy word. May it go forth with blessing. O Lord, remember him. Bless him
here. Bless his labors here. Strengthen
him much in his lonely pathway. O thou knowest, O Lord, no doubt
sweet remembrances. Surely goodness and mercy has
followed him all the days of his life, and it will do, we
believe. But, O Lord, it is an appointed
way. Bless him in it. Open thy hand. Provide for him in all things. And his family, be gracious unto
them. Bless his labours here. Remember the church. Remember
Dear friends, the deacons, support them, the responsibilities, the
burden, the cares. Lord, strengthen them, help them.
And in their denominational matters, we think of one on the societies
committee. Lord, we think of our friend
with the heavy burden of the secretaryship of the trust. Lord, thou hast wonderfully helped
him. We pray thee still to continue
giving grace, but no doubt, Lord, he feels, perhaps I know not,
but increasing years. Lord, do help him and bless him
in it, and go before us in our churches. Raise up men of integrity
and great ability, the men who fear thy name. Lord, to rise
in the place of us who get older. Send laborers still into the
vineyard. Oh, we pray thy blessing upon us as a group of churches.
Bless thy servants on the walls of Zion. Think of thy aged servant
at Black Boys and Pick Hill this evening. Oh, do bless him, help
him, and bless the word. We think of all thy servants.
Some may not preach again. They're very old. Others struggle
in affliction. Oh, do bless them indeed. Thou
their helper. Send laborers still into the
vineyard. Bless the pastors. those that I itinerate, and bless
the word here. Lord, and thy servant expected
on Friday, come up with him. Lord, in his great burdens and
his tremendous labours, do bless him in his soul. Oh, strengthen
him, help him. We thank thee for help given
in the editorship. Do continue, we pray. And his
loved one, Lord, in she has her cares and her afflictions, we
pray thy blessing on them. Remember us in the churches,
return to us in power of the Holy Ghost. Bless thy wild spiritual
Israel in this land, through the earth, the missionaries where
thy name is feared, thy word is read. All many of thy saints
in poverty, war, conflict, persecution, we hardly can understand what
they have to wholly endure sometimes. We have it easy here, yet we
do have our trials of faith. So Lord, give us a thankful heart
for thy mercies to us in the pathway, and a comparative peace
in the nation. Remember the way one church spiritually
is well, and bless them in their sorrow and care, in the poverty
and persecution, and in the war-torn zones of the earth. Stay the
hand of the aggressor. Save us from a nuclear conflict,
we pray. Thou reignest. Remember then,
my dear people, remember us in the nation. Give our Western
leaders wisdom, how to handle matters wisely, or raise up leaders
of integrity. Remember our Prime Minister and
Cabinet. Lord, guide them. Thou reignest. Lord, do raise up men in Parliament
who fear thy name. Lord, statesman, as in former
years, remember our King. We pray for him. May the burden
of office and kingship, Lord, weigh upon him. May he seek thy
face. Have mercy on us on the throne.
Have mercy on us in the land. Lord, do above all Send forth
those, once more out of Zion, to go forth unto the power of
the Holy Ghost. Declare the whole counsel of
God. Sound the alarm. Blow the gospel trumpet, as in
former years, unto the jewel of the Holy Ghost. Turn us unto
thee. Lengthen out still our Protestant
heritage, civil liberties, religious liberties, freedom to worship. Lord, we must acknowledge There
are still many favours and many mercies meted out toward us in
this our guilty land. But O Lord, thy name is trumpet
underfoot. O remember each. Remember our age, friend. O Lord,
those in senior years. One, the former pastor's wife,
unable to meet with us now, very intermittently coming here. O
do bless her soul. Make a room of Bethel, O Lord,
do comfort her, and all thy aged saints, and those in affliction. There are afflictions, there
are trials, a body and mind, matters unknown sometimes to
others. O grant healing and restoring mercies. Women of that grace,
I am the Lord that healeth thee. Remember our young people going
forth in life. Lord, call them by thy grace.
May they hear thy voice. O lead them forth by the right
way. open thy hand and provide for them in business and the
future, and so forth. Lord, provide for them in all
things they so feel to need. So, Lord, here we are. We must
acknowledge so many kind mercies, those gospel mercies we have.
Oh, we have the word of God, the throne of grace, Lord Jesus,
thou art that glory there in the midst. of the throne of grace, to approach
the Son of God, who is one with the Father. I am my Father, O
One, deep-seated, glorious mystery, yet a God manifest in three persons,
the three Father, Son, Holy Ghost, yet one glorious, divine person. Also, open our hearts and eyes
to receive this mercy of thy salvation. We would thank Thee,
Thou worthy of our praise, for many answers to prayer, helps
by the way, for, Lord, those spiritual mercies. We would render
thanks unto Thee for daily anything we have overlooked, Lord, in
prayer do make up in giving. Now, Lord, what wait we for?
Hope is in Thee. Bless the sign of Thy worthy
praise. Holy Spirit, be due come. Bring forth the glory of the
Lamb. Dear Lord Jesus shine, our Father
which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. We ask, humbly ask,
confessing our sins, salvation, forgiveness. Lead us to the fountain,
open it wide for us. May we behold the Lamb of God,
our Holy Father, thy provision to us. And we ask for eternal
life. and blessing now upon the word
and thy presence, I plead for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. Hymn 350, Thune, Harborough,
993. 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. M350, June Harborough 993. The Pilgrims of Zion and Chosen
of Golan, their spirits are filled with disbelief. Since ye have eternal redemption
through my hand, ye cannot but hold on your way. That Jesus, in covenant love,
did engage Her fullness of grace to display The powers of darkness in malice
may raise The righteous to hold on his way This truth, like its author,
eternal shall stand, Though all things in nature decay. Rocked by Jehovah's omnipotent
hand, the righteous shall hold on his way. They lay on the meadow, temptation
be to us Their sorrows they slept at the sea But none of the ransomed
shall ever be lost. The righteous shall hold on his
way. shrouded with sorrows, temptations,
and cares, this earth with delight we survey. And since we pass through this
valley of tears, then may we just travel on his way. In complete dependence upon the
Lord, when you need help and blessing, I'll draw your attention
to the chapter we read. The Gospel according to Mark,
chapter 9, and verse 24. And straightway the father of
the child cried out and said with tears, Lord, I believe. Help now mine unbelief. Mark 9, latter part of verse
24. Lord, I believe. Help thou mine
unbelief. Two thoughts as we come to this
very profound situation view set before us in the Gospel.
The first is this is not historical. This is a living word set before
us and a living scene and God's people follow in the footsteps
of the flock. They follow their master and
they will at times find themselves in those positions where those
who came to Christ were when he was on earth. There are two sides to this account.
One is the disciples, the other is the man with the afflicted
son. And they are named as our text,
the man's request and groaning in answer to what the Lord told
him. It is a tremendous thing that
Jesus said, if thou canst believe, all things are possible to him
that believeth. Often I find this so searches
me. Where do I stand? What is my
spirit like? Where am I found when these words
are brought before us? You know, the word must be in
power. And the word is not only in power,
it's God's leading in life must be in power. We need that power
from on high in all things. And we have, and I did have on
mind the same account in Matthew, but I stuck with the account
in Mark, but the disciples came to Jesus and said, and also we
read that of course in Mark, that why could not we cast him
out? But Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief. Now Matthew records as Christ
saying, Verily I say unto you, that most definitely, most certainly,
if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto
this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place and it shall remove,
and nothing shall be impossible unto you." How do those words
find us in our cares and sorrows and concerns and soul exercises?
But he of course adds this, howbeit this kind goeth not out but by
prayer and fasting, meaning the man's position who came with
his request, It wasn't in the man's power, but he was petitioning
the Lord to do something. Prayer and fusting. And no doubt,
this man had been in prayer exercise before and so forth, especially
now he comes to the disciples. And they could not cast him out.
They were yet to be given power to do so, but they had not yet
been. They had gone forth to preach
the gospel and they said even the spirits are subject unto
us. that to cast out the devils was yet to come. Well, how does
this word find us this afternoon? What pathway are we in? Dear
friend, if you are the Lord's, and it's serious that we should
be, that even before we may be called by grace, all our days
are appointed. Though we may not know it at
the time, but they were, and the Lord leads. Dear friends,
is our sole exercise, is my account in the Bible somewhere? Just
in one sentence, one word, or may it be so? Here we have, excuse
me, this man in great sorrow, no
question of it. Bernie was in deep waters, And,
you know, he said they brought him to the Lord and he speaks
of his affliction. Often this affliction cast him
into the fire, into the waters. Well, that may be a member of
family or someone you love, but what about your own soul? Often
your own pathway is cast into the fire of fiery trial, or the
deep waters of tribulation or sorrow or care. And you feel
the fire be burned, although Isaiah speaks they shall not
be burned, and bring you through the waters. They shall not overcome
thee, and so forth. But that is His exercise. What is our burden this afternoon?
no doubt many burdens. There's one great burden, dear
friend, and we want a burden removed. The burden of guilt
and shame, the burden of unbelief, the reproach, the burden that
we struggle on, if only we could have that clearer view of the
Lamb of God. Now, this man brings to him his
trouble. Are we doing the same? Don't
think this is automatic. Just because you go to Jesus,
he's going to do wonders. He will yet, for this being inquired
of the house, what to do for them. The great point is to receive
his kingdom, his love, and that will make your burden light.
Did not Jesus say, come unto me, O ye that labour and heavy
labour, I'll give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn
of me. for my yoke is easy and my burdens,
spiritual burdens, are light compared to the burden of sin.
Think of the burden of guilt. I'm sure some of you have known
these things. There's the burden of your church membership, there's
a burden of that faith and exercise in yourself. It's a burden. But
think of the opposite side. Who can bear the burden of guilt
and shame? It will sink us down. It will
sink us down. This, the Lord, John Bunyan describes
Christian at the cross, the burden tumbled down into the tomb, didn't
it? When he saw the cross and the
shining ones and so forth. Dear friends, I don't say these
things lightly. We're told to cast our burden
on the Lord. He will sustain us and he will. But how is our position now? Do you believe the Lord? This
word in Matthew, it's a tremendous word, isn't it? Faith is a grain
of mustard seed. Now this means faith that lays
hold, faith that procures in the Lamb, discovering the Lord's
mercy to your soul. This is unfolded by the Spirit. Don't be encouraged. If any seeker
said, don't be encouraged, discouraged I should say. Don't be discouraged.
You may say, well it's all of grace. I seem to got nothing.
Dear friends, are you brought to soul concern? Are you praying? Are you asking the Lord? You
say, well I seem to be so far off. And you'll discover that
many times. But that is that humble inquire.
reaching forth unto the Lord, knowing glory, and making your
request known. First of all, do you believe
He hears your prayers? It's a big question, isn't it?
You say, well, He doesn't answer. Dear friends, He does in His
time and way. He'll have the glory, He'll have
your confessions, He'll have you show Him and confess how
unworthy you are of the least of His mercy, But He does hear
you. I might have said here before,
I said at home quite often, you know, when I was younger, the
Lord wasn't answering my prayers, but I used to meditate and sort
of think to myself, I used to say to the Lord, if I went out,
did something evil outside in the road, Thou wouldst mark it
and see it. Surely, Thou canst hear my prayers. And He does hear. how we need
that little faith given us, that you may feel dark at the throne
of grace, but God is light, and your groans are heard in heaven.
Ought to know the Saviour, friend, groaning for you. Dear young
friends, pray to be led to the Lord Jesus in his sufferings
for you. Discover what he's done, how
he groaned under sin. Inquire, Lord, My sin, was this
for me? Ask, it shall be given. These
are great blessings we may feel. Well, that's beyond me. I don't
deserve. Who does deserve it? No one. Not one. But he will be inquired
of the house of Israel to do it for them. Lovely friends,
and if you've got a burden like this man, you will have to come. You will have to come. Dear friends,
I know I'm as bad as anyone, all for an easy time in life's
journey and to just enjoy going to chapel. But God sees fit to
lay burden upon our soul with groanings and sorrows and cares,
things we can't manage, that we should trust in him, go to
him. Are you coming like this man
in prayer? Well, this man was aware that
he had that little grain of faith. Some would perhaps say he wasn't.
But he says, Lord, I believe. So he must have had what we would
call that little grain of mustard seed of faith, mustn't he? To
say, Lord, I believe. I believe. But he felt the pressure
of the impossibility and unbelief. Why would the Lord have mercy
on you? Why would He have mercy on this man? I don't know what
this man's fear was, in this respect, but, you know, I'm sure
some of us go and say, well, who am I? The Lord should have
mercy on me. Well, we're nobody. Dear friends,
grace is not according to how we feel and how we are. It's
sovereign. It drops down sovereignly. and
yet be inquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them.
And are you that inquirer? Are you inquiring? This man went
and inquired. He had a great sorrow. And this
lad, he fell down foaming. The trial in that moment he came
to Jesus seemed to get worse and not better. He fell down
foaming, wallowed in that hour as he came. You know, and he
cried out, But what did the Lord say to him first of all? What
a statement! Can we believe this dear friends?
Can you believe this in your case? Can He bless you? Can He
give you a new heart? Can He change you to seek Him? He may be exercising you now
in this way that you will be drawn, you will inquire from
Him to do it. There's that in us that still wants to linger.
It still wants to linger. in this earth, I know it myself,
but he can bring us down to his feet, and he will. Well, the
man in this exercise said, when Jesus said, if thou canst believe,
all things are possible to him that believeth. Oh my dear friends,
May we sink down into those everlasting arms. We have to come down into
a low place to receive this faith, don't we? This isn't automatic. You and I can say, well, yes,
I believe he's able to do this. I believe he's able to save me.
I believe he saves the uttermost. We can make these statements.
But when you're in need, soul need, does he hear you? Dear friends, he does regard
the prayer of the destitute And when we get to this low, destitute
place, I believe some of us have proved it, you know. You look
back, he's answered you in due time. Not always in the way we
expected, but he's answered in a practical way sometimes. But
he answers so often by his word, giving strength to trust him. Well, but it's a big statement. Friend, does it cover everything?
According to his gracious will, yes. What about his will then? Is it his will to bless me? Is
it his will to save me? Is it his will that he has elected
me to be an heir of glory? Was I in that gracious will in
eternity of loving them before the world began? Tremendous questions,
aren't they? Dear friend, are you going to
the Redeemer? Are you crying to the Saviour?
Grace will make you go to Him. If you are going to the Lord
Jesus, with nothing in your hand, cast down, and losing your religion. May I say this rightly? Friend,
we need to lose our religion, don't we? To get to the feet
of Jesus. I say that rightly. I say that
rightly. you know, to become as a worm
and no man, reproach of men, despised of the people. Dear
David, friend, his greater son came down there when he bore
our reproach. He came right there when he bore
our reproach. We have a merciful, gracious,
faithful high priest in heaven, touched with the feeling of our
infirmities. What a wonderful word. touch
with them, touch with them, he's born them, instead he remembers. If thou canst believe all things
are possible. The Lord knew what that man felt
and he knows what you feel. But I believe if you're being
taught of him, if I'm right in this, I'm not laying down lines
and saying it's gotta be this, gotta be that, gotta be something
else, I wouldn't do that. We need leading individually
in our own pathway by the Lord. But surely We would come, this
man did come, he said, Lord, with tears he cried out, what
an exercise. Grief, sorrow, Crandon, you will
have to weep before him as a sinner, unworthy. Are you crushed sometimes
by the greatness of God? So unworthy, so unworthy to even
be considered of God, and unfit to enter the kingdom of heaven.
We're unfit. Who is fit among us this afternoon
to receive a heavenly kingdom? If you know your heart, friends,
you know it's not, you are unfit. But he says, if thou canst believe
all things are possible in the believeth, and straightway the
father of the child cried out, said with tears, request humility,
longing desires, Grief, shame, what are our tears? We have to
sometimes weep at the throne of grace, you know. You know,
there's a warning here. Are we softened in tears at the
throne of grace sometimes, or are we in a set religious way,
hardened, knowing it all in the head? Does our heart break, needing
mercy? needing help. Is it broken at
all if we ever consider the dear Lord Jesus Christ, bearing our
iniquities, bearing our sins, that precious blood squeezed
in suffering from him, Fred, squeezed in suffering from his
body, in agonies, to redeem us, to save us. Do we What a mercy. He'll have us weep, you know.
He'll have us weep. He will. And I believe his dear
people are led to weep sometimes. Sometimes in thanksgiving. Sometimes
in gratitude. And praise. And sometimes, but
the grace of God taught us. Isn't it tremendous? If we're
taught ourselves, well, it's amazing grace as John Newton
said, as someone said today to me, I can't remember, it doesn't
matter, amazing grace. But with tears, Lord, I believe. He did, you know, but he felt
his faith was not quite sufficient, didn't he? Is that how you feel? You are believing, you long for
more, long for more. The disciples came to Jesus,
and said, increase our faith. I marked it in Luke. He says to them, if thy brother
trespass against thee, rebuke him, and he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee
seven times in a day, and seven times in a day, turn again to
thee, saying, I repent, thou shalt forgive him. Now the apostles
on this said, increase our faith, increase our faith. Now dear
friends, if we should forgive our brother that treats us against
us, we must consider how we need forgiving, how we need forgiving. And the apostles said unto the
Lord, following this, increase our faith, increase our faith.
And then the Lord answers in a very similar way, but he still
uses a faith as a grain of mustard seed, and says, this sycamine
tree, be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in
the seed, and it shall obey you, and so forth. Lord, I believe. Dear friends, we do believe the
word of God, don't we? We do believe, but when it comes
to personally, in my own life, own pathway. We cannot just go
and help ourselves to things, it's by Spirit. Not by might,
nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts. Friend,
it is by the Holy Ghost. If you've received anything,
and it's a wonderful witness of the love of God to your soul,
that you've received something by the Spirit, given from the
Father. It is tremendous, it is tremendous.
Well, here we are, and this is the pathway which is, Lord I believe, help
thou mine unbelief. Now our case is this afternoon. How does it stand with us? There
are obviously outward things, and there are myriads, well I
say myriads, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, because myriads,
there's no end, isn't it? But many, many close things,
distant things, matters surrounding us, perhaps not directly, but
many things concern us, trials, impossibilities, how we need
that faith given us to yield all up to him. Big word, that,
isn't it? You think of it. Can we? We can't
even comprehend our world in a moment, can we? But we may
sit in one area, one massive area, turn the corner or look
the other way, there's more. And the horizon ever goes on,
casting all your care upon Him. All. What a word. Endless. And the world to come. What is
to come? Well, if ye have faith as a grain
of mustard seed, ye shall say to this mountain, look, guilt,
guilt, guilt, shame, sin, what a mountain. Friend, if we unless
we're brought to the dear Redeemer and cry to him and have those
little touches and tokens from him, come to the end of the journey,
and nothing we shall sink to the bottomless pit, but all that
guilt removed, that shame. But here we have this impossible
mountain of living faith to receive the blessing. I want, I want. Can the Lord really bless me? Lord, I believe. Help thou my unbelief. This man's
exercise was his son. It was a token of God's love
to him as well. What a token of God's love, his
prayer to be answered and to witness the healing, obtain favor
of God. But, oh, what is your name? Oh, Lord, I believe. I do believe thou dost hear my
prayers. Give me much patience. I feel
unbelief in my heart. Lord, how does that arise? Because I'm not so exercised
as I feel I want to be concerning Thy dying love and Thy blood
to me. I want to feel the purple flood.
I want to feel that grace that I have shouted. I know about
it, Lord. I believe I must come and shelter,
I know I've got to shelter, all that I could feel to shelter,
all that I could abide under that blessing, all that I would
remain for a few days under that blessing. Lord, according to
thy gracious mercy, Lord, I do believe. Friend, the point is
the devil may say, well, come on now, you've been blessed.
Friend, I believe Satan, will tempt you to complacency and
to settle on your knees, because that's what he wants you to do.
He wants you to be exercised. He wants a blessing again. You say, but that's unbelief.
Dear friends, do you want the love of God again to your soul?
If you're living soul, you will. You won't be content with one
kiss. You'll want some more ahead, before you die. And tokens, have
this help to be given you in the fiery trial? The trouble
is we think that, as Peter says, beloved, think it not strange
concerning the fiery trial as though some strange thing happened
unto you. We think it's a strange thing that's happening, don't
we? But God doesn't. God doesn't. Oh, canst thou bless me again?
Return, O holy dove, return, sweet messengeress. I hate the
sins that made thee mourn and drove thee from They made thee
mourn at Calvary, Lord. They grieved thy soul. But, oh,
oh, my sins have driven thee away from me. Do you mourn as
a dove? Do you want to hear the voice
of your beloved? Lord, I believe in thy extended grace toward
me. But, oh, I feel the impossibility
of thee continuing with me to the end of the journey. I believe. But look at my life. Look at my wasted years. Look
at my situation. Help thou my numbering. Lead
me to the fountain. There I will see all right, all
put right forever and forever and forever. That's the blessing
we so long for. When we're younger in the way,
the Lord has sometimes favoured many And we don't boast, but
He has favoured many, some just a little leading forth, a little
help by the way, those sweet bedoings of the Spirit, the instruction
in righteousness, to follow me and so forth, they're very precious. But how you long, you long for
the full blessing. Can He give it to you? Lord,
my pardon, my pardon, again. perhaps the first time. Well,
you see, we get freshly defiled, don't we? That's the point. We'll
be, friend, you can't drive down the road without being defiled
sometimes. I'm not saying every time, but things take your mind. And you lose your temper or whatever
it might be. We're full of sin, nameless sins,
thousands and millions of sins. Oh, how we like sheep go astray.
Oh, a fresh blessing from the Lord. That same manner. You know, Jacob returned to Bethel,
and the Lord, look at the times the Lord blessed Jacob. He can bless you again. Help
thou among unbelief. Come with thy almighty power.
Strengthen my faith with the living word. The psalmist prays,
remember the word unto thyself, upon which thou hast caused me
to hope. He wasn't historical, he was
drawing fresh, he wanted to draw fresh grace on the same blessing.
For it is the same gospel, the same Jesus, the same manner every
day. It's the freshness we want. For
it is the freshness, the renewing as in the days of old. Help them
on unbelief, remove it away from me Lord. Oh this barrier, this
barrier, this barrier, this worldly barrier can I say sometimes,
across my heart. I don't want to say wrong things
here but we love the Lord but we know we've got these barriers.
You know it's the trial of our faith. Lord thou canst remove,
help thou mine unbelief, my doubting, my creatures of fear we drag
along and fear where no fear is. That's very true you know
sometimes because we should fear, we need to be in the fear of
the Lord But of course that's the fear of unbelief, isn't it?
But oh dear friends, the Lord can return. He can favour you
again. He can favour you in your exercise. You need a blessing. Assure my
conscience of its part in the Redeemer's blood. Assure me,
Lord, I'm thine. Lord, I believe thou canst. But
oh, the impossibility. my case is an impossible, subdue
the monster of iniquity subdue this in my heart prepare me to
receive thy word dear friends we have to go right down to get
God's word we sometimes have to go right
down lower he will appear he will appear I believe He believed that Jesus was able
to answer his prayer. He believed Jesus was the son
of God. He believed all these things. But he wanted some activity,
a blessing in his soul. He wanted a blessing. He wanted
his prayers answered. Do you want your prayers answered
this afternoon? And all the unbelief, the fear
there is. Friend, this is not the unbelief
of an infidel. that this is the trial of faith. I'll make that very clear. This
is living faith in its trial. Well, what is your case? All
things are possible to him that believeth. Straightway the father
of the child cried out, said it is Lord I believe. Help thy
man I believe. Believe ye that I'm able to do
this. What a word, isn't it? Said to the blind man, Believe
you, I'm able to open your eyes, that you see me. Believe you
I'm able to do this. What's their answer, dear friends?
The Lord only knows, but when He leads, He may not say these
words to you, but is it the exercise you're in? As if He was speaking
to you, in the exercise of your soul. Well, what a tremendous word,
if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed. say to this
mountain, dear friend, you're almost... I mean, it's been a
good word to me, but I don't know, these days, it almost seems
impossible to me. It's a wonder... we wonder where
it applies, you see. This mountain, remove, yonder
place. But I tell you what, I've got
a trial in mind. The things I... The old nature doesn't always
want a bit of comfort here, a bit of hanging on to that, this,
that, or something else. That's our nature. But God will
remove all the barriers from our soul to bless us by and by.
We'll have to sink right down. Like this man with nothing. He
got nothing left. Only Jesus. Nothing left. Look at the woman with issue
of blood. 12 years. Spent all she got on
physicians of no power, no good. Until she came to him. But look
at the face she had. If I may but touch the board
of his garment, I shall behold. You know that, don't you? That
same grace works in his people that works in that woman. The point is, is to get there,
to touch the board of his garment. And I love the line of that hymn. I think it's 991. Larger communion, let me prove. with thee blessed object of my
love but oh for this no power of I my strength is at thy feet
to lie friend there will be a coming down to the feet of Jesus like
this man friend who had nothing left but had just only rely on
the Lord Lord I believe thou canst oh but look look help me
Unbelief, I've still got it. Help me, help me, help me. What
did the Lord do? He rebuked the devil. And he
answered the man's prayer. Friend, he'll answer your prayer.
We haven't spent much on that. But what did Jesus say? Thou
dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee. The dumb spirit. Open thy mouth wide and I will
fill it. Friend, we're dumb. You know
the church is, well it can't be a church, a living church
if it's dumb, can it? It can't be. Open thy mouth,
a praying soul, a pleading soul, a praising soul. There is a returning
of, there is a giving thanks, there is returning of praise.
There must be, if the Lord's done anything for us. You know,
I charge thee thou dumb and deaf spirit that doesn't hear, but The deaf spirit heard, heard
Christ's power. There's nothing too hard for
the Lord. I charge thee, come out of him,
and what's more, some particular matter with someone. Enter no
more into him. Enter no more into him. Friend, what authority. This
man, this child was wholly healed. holy healed and we believe we
don't read anymore but he was never troubled with that affliction
again holy restored well dear friends what is our case is anything
too hard for the lord ask it shall be given you seek
ye shall find knock it shall be, O that thou wouldst bless
me indeed, enlarge my coast, keep me from evil that may not
grieve me, is your cry, forgive my sins, pardon my inactivity,
and so forth. Lord, bless me, Lord, O Holy
Dove, return, come back to me, Lord. Well, I will leave it now,
the time has run. Jesus said unto him, what a question,
oh dear friends. He needs the grace of the Spirit
with us now, doesn't he? Oh, how we need the Spirit with
us. Don't just take it in your head, friends, we all know all
about it. I know, I can understand all this. I need blessing and
I've got no power to obtain. It must be by His Spirit. And
He giveth more grace. It's a wonderful word, isn't
it? He giveth more grace. He'll give you more grace to
the humble inquirer and seeker. Thou canst believe all things
are possible to him that believeth. Are you with this man, this father? He cried out with tears, Lord,
I believe. Help, deliver me, save me from
my unbelief. Amen. We close with hymn 574, tune
Paul's Grove 587. What a precious, needful thing
is the Lord and Saviour! Zion shall His mercy sing, now,
henceforth, and ever. In Him a rich fullness dwells,
and is freely given. Law and conscience Jesus quells,
crooked things makes even. Hymn 574, tune Paul's Grove,
587. Speak for fame is the Lord and
Saviour. Silent shall His mercy sing. now henceforth and ever. In Him a rich fullness dwells,
and is freely given. Lord, while conscience teases
quells, crooked things makes even. Merciful, this bosom close,
The ascending river It retraces all the words Of a weak believer Sinners in corruption's pit Now
they greatly need Him He and He alone is fit from Thee to
relieve them. He is needful as our all, may we
cleave unto Him. Every blessing, great and small,
Flows to Zion through Him. Happy is the man indeed, Who
has such a saviour? Every blessing he can be Dwells
in him forever And now may the grace of the
Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, the communion of the Holy
Ghost, rest and abide upon us, each, now, forever. Amen.