The notices for the coming week
are, God willing, as follows. Mr. Joseph Rutt will preach here
next Lord's Day at 10.30 and two o'clock. Pastor will preach
here on Tuesday evening at seven o'clock. And there will be a
prayer meeting here on Thursday evening at seven o'clock. Let us commence our services
today by singing together Hymn number 35, the tune is Moscow,
526. Come, thou almighty King, help
us thy name to sing, help us to praise, Father all-glorious, all-victorious,
come and reign over us, ancient of days. Hymn number 35, tune
Moscow 526. O come, O come, Almighty King, Help us thy name to sing, help
us to praise. Come and reign over us, Ancient
of days. Jesus, our Lord and Christ, scattered
our enemies, and made them whole. ? Let thy almighty head ? ? And
show defense be made ? ? As those on the earliest day ? ? Looked here at home ? ? The Lord in God made fair ? ?
Get on thy mighty sword ? ? And rest at death's door ? God have Thy people blest, and
give Thy word success. Spirit of holiness, Thou dost
descend. of glory come forth now. Thy sacred witness bear in this
manner. Thou who own my dearest, Thou
who live in every heart, and in the mighty word, Spirit of
love. to the great one in three. Eternal praises be, thence evermore. His Sovereign Majesty, may we
in glory see, and to Eternity, Amen. Let us read together from the
Holy Word of God in the First Epistle of John and Chapter 5. The First Epistle of John, Chapter
5. Whosoever believeth that Jesus
is the Christ is born of God, and every one that loveth him
that loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we know
that we love the children of God when we love God and keep
his commandments. For this is the love of God that
we keep his commandments and his commandments are not grievous.
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world. This is
the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the
world? But he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God.
This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ,
not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit
that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there
are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word,
and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one. And there are
three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and
the blood, and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness
of men, the witness of God is greater. For this is the witness
of God, which hath testified of his Son. He that believeth
on the Son of God hath the witness in himself. He that believeth
not God hath made him a liar. because he believed not the record
that God gave of his Son. And this is the record that God
hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son
of God hath not life. These things have I written unto
you, that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may
know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the
name of the Son of God. And this is the confidence that
we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will,
he heareth us. And if we know that he heareth
us, Whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petition that
we desired of him. If any man see his brother sin
a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask and he shall give
him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto
death. I do not say that he shall pray
for it. All unrighteousness is sin. and
there is a sin not unto death. We know that whosoever is born
of God sinneth not, but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself,
and that wicked one toucheth him not. And we know that we
are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. And we know
that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding
that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that
is true, even in his Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God
and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves
from idols. Amen. May the Lord bless that
portion of his own precious word and grant unto us a spirit of
real prayer. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,
which is, and art, and art to come, we do desire to bow before
thy great majesty, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. We desire a spirit
of true worship. We desire the spirit of power. We desire the spirit of understanding. We desire, O Lord, that the eyes
of our understanding may be enlightened. And we pray that thy word may
be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. And we pray that
the, may the power that brings salvation be exerted in the Word,
even today, as we gather together around thy Word. Thy Word instructs
us, O Lord, that as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they
are the sons of God. We pray that this day we may
be led and guided and directed by the Holy Spirit. and that
we may realize and know something of the sweetness and power of
those words. For God has sent forth the Spirit
of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. O gracious God,
may we know that rich blessing. Sons of God, join heirs with
Christ, Sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty, gracious
God, may we know that spirit of adoption, that spirit of love,
that spirit of compassion, the spirit of Christ, we do humbly
beseech of thee. We pray that thou would overcome
all our sinfulness that is within us, the corruption of our heart,
the uncleanness of our nature, sin living within our hearts. And though, Lord, we have sin
living in us, may we not live in sin, but may we live to him
that died. May we be surrendered to the
crucified one. O most gracious God, incline
thine ear. We do humbly beseech of thee
for thy great name's sake. We do pray that we might know
those sacred and divine drawings of our Heavenly Father, even
today, as we gather around Thy Word, drawing us unto His Son,
Jesus Christ, none come except the Father draw. Oh, to know
that sacred drawing in our hearts, in our souls, even today, as
we gather around Thy Word, that we pray for the presence of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of the eternal Father, or
we pray that thou wouldst come and stand in our midst and come
and speak to our hearts. We pray that we may behold thy
glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full
of grace and truth, and that we may draw from that fullness
that is within thee, Lord Jesus. For in thee dwelleth all the
fullness of the Godhead bodily, and of his fullness have all
we received. Oh, that it may be so today,
that we may receive of thy fullness, and that we may behold the Lamb
of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. We pray, most
gracious Lord, that thou wouldst richly bless us as a church and
as a congregation, and that thou wouldst let thy work appear and
thy power be known. We live in days, O Lord, of great
declension, a falling away, a withholding of the Spirit's power, the diminishing
of congregations, the closing of chapels. Gracious God, We
pray that Thou wouldst return unto Jerusalem with mercies,
that Thou wouldst make bare Thine holy arm in the gospel, that
Thou wouldst build the walls of Jerusalem, that Thou wouldst
bring our sons from far and our daughters from the ends of the
earth. Gracious God, arise, arise, O God of grace. Into Thy rest
descend, Thou and the ark of Thy strength. and let thy priests
be clothed with salvation, and thy saints shall shout aloud
for joy. Oh, abundantly bless the provision
of thy house, and satisfy her poor with bread. Oh Lord, we
do beseech thee, send now prosperity. Turn us again, oh God of hosts,
and cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved. O send
out thy light and thy truth, O Lord, we do humbly pray thee. Let thy hand be upon the man
of thy right hand, the Son of Man, whom thou madest strong
for thyself, so will not we go back from thee. Help us to look
to thee, help us to cleave to thee, help us to cast all our
cares upon thee, give us believing views, of our great God. We pray thy blessing upon our
deacons. Do bless them indeed with that
rich grace that is in Christ Jesus. Bless them indeed in all
their responsibilities, not only among us, but among the churches.
Help them, Lord, we do pray thee. Help us to pray for each other. Bless each one of our brethren,
and sisters in church fellowship, grant thy spirit and thy grace
unto us, that we may love each other, serve each other, bear
each other's burdens, thereby fulfilling the law of Christ.
By this shall ye know, shall they know, that ye are my disciples,
because ye have love one to another. Grant us that spirit of love.
union and communion, even the communion of the Holy Ghost.
We pray, most gracious Lord, that thou wouldst remember us
as a church and as a congregation and work mightily, powerfully
and effectually among us, yet gathering precious souls from
this village. Send out thy light and thy truth
into the village into the surrounding villages and hamlets. Bless the
word of the Lord distributed, that it may be down to the great
honour, glory and praise of thy holy name. May the word of the
Lord have free course, thy name be honoured and glorified. Blessed
Lord, we do pray thee, the ministry of the word among us, that there
may be signs to follow the preaching of the word. Grant us that determination
to know nothing among men, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Hear us, Lord. Help us to lay
aside every weight and the sin that doth so easily beset us,
and that we may run with patience the race that is set before us,
looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Deliver
us, O Lord, from an evil heart of unbelief. we do humbly beseech
of thee. Deliver us from besetting sins,
and be gracious unto us, O Lord, we pray thee. We pray, most gracious
Lord, that thou would remember those away from us at this time,
and grant that they may be returned in peace and safety at the appointed
time. Those unable to gather with us
through affliction and old age, We lovingly commend them to thee
and to the word of thy grace, which is able to build them up
and to grant them an inheritance among them that are sanctified. Lord, we pray that thou wouldst
graciously bless the little ones and the children. O Lord, we
pray that thou wouldst bore their ears to the doorposts of thy
house. Bring them to truly feel and know here my best friends,
my kindred dwell. Here, God, my Saviour reigns.
Bless them indeed. Thou hast said, suffer little
children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such
is the kingdom of heaven. Lord, may they come. We do humbly
beseech thee, a generation that shall be raised up to call thee
the Redeemer, bless it. The young friends, Lord, bless
them indeed. Show them thy ways. Teach them
thy paths. Bring them to living faith in
Jesus Christ. Make them true followers of thee
and of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Lord, remember, we do humbly beseech thee, the young friends
in all the paths of providence, whether it's in their education,
employment, partner in life's journey. Lord, be gracious unto
them, help them to commit their way unto the Lord, and to trust
also in him, and he shall bring it to pass. We pray, most gracious
Lord, that thou would remember parents and give them wisdom
and grace to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition
of the Lord. Guide and direct and undertake
for each one Grant that thy word may be a lamp unto our feet and
a light unto our path. Remember, O Lord, each one in
the midst of the journey of life, and graciously undertake for
them. And grant thy healing hand where
there is disease and where there is illness. Grant restoring and
healing mercy for thou art Jehovah Ropha, I am the Lord that healeth
thee. Lord, remember each one in the
path of affliction. Remember the prodigals, Lord,
that have wandered from the sanctuary. Stretch out thy almighty arm.
Cause them to be in wonder. Cause them to return. Even as
thou didst unto Ruth and Naomi, when they heard that the Lord
had visited his people in giving them bread, and they returned
unto Bethlehem in the time of barley harvest, O that we may
see the prodigal's return. None are beyond thy power, none
are beyond thy almighty arm. Lord, thou art able to do abundantly
more than we can even ask or think. We pray for those who
passing through temptation, trouble and trial, that thou wouldst
graciously lift up the standard against the enemy. Whether he
comes as a roaring lion to devour or an angel of light to deceive,
we pray to be delivered from his power and from his influence,
we do humbly beseech of thee. Remember those in the evening
time of life's journey, we pray to be graciously prepared for
that great change which must come. Gracious God, make us more
spiritually minded, set our affections on things above. Come and bless
us this day. Come and grant thy presence here. We do humbly beseech of thee,
but we pray that Thou in thy precious mercy wouldst remember
all thy servants as they labour in word and doctrine upon the
walls of Zion today. We pray that they may dip their
foot in oil and be made acceptable unto the brethren and the word
preached may be in power in the Holy Ghost and with much assurance. We think of thy servant in Australia,
that thou wouldst bless him and also thy servant in the USA at
this time. do grant thy blessing upon them,
and thy rich blessing to rest upon the churches there. Remember,
Lord, our little group of churches that are part of thy Zion. Lord,
remember us for good, and blow with the wind of the Spirit. Lord, we pray that thou, in thy
precious mercy, would revive us again. We think of all in
the path of bereavement, sadness and sorrow, that thou wouldst
comfort every grieving and every sorrowing heart. Lord, we pray
that thou in thy precious mercy remember the little hills of
Zion up and down the nation. Remember those, O Lord, that
labour in word and doctrine in the nations of the earth,
Grant thy blessing, Lord. Grant signs to follow the preaching
of the word. We would especially remember
Ian Sadler and that great work that he does in India and Pakistan
and Burma and Africa. Lord, supply all his needs. Strengthen
and help him. We do humbly pray thee. Remember
the Savannah Education Trust and we pray that thou would bless
that great work that they are doing in Ghana. and remember
the Mombasa mission and thy servant that labours there. Gracious
God, hear us, we pray thee. Remember our nation, our king,
and his consort, the royal household. Grant thy rich blessing to rest
upon them. Give wisdom, guidance, and direction
unto our government. We do humbly beseech thee, raise
up those in Parliament that shall stand for right things, integrity
and uprightness. Put a stop to war, bring to naught
the counsels of the wicked. O Lord, we humbly beseech thee. Send out thy light and thy truth.
We thank thee for our house of prayer. We thank thee for thy
holy day. We thank thee for every mercy
of thy kind, prophet, We thank thee for the word of God in our
own language. We thank thee, most gracious
Lord, for the glories of Christ, for the fullness of that salvation
that is in him. We thank thee for his holy life
and the holy law fulfilled. We thank thee for the holy sacrifice
of Calvary, his precious blood, his sin atoning blood. He loved
not his life unto death, He poured out his soul unto death. Gracious
God, oh, we thank Thee for that glorious sacrifice where sin
has been put away and divine justice has been satisfied. We
thank Thee that He rose again for our justification and has
bodily ascended into heaven and now sitteth at Thy right hand.
Indeed, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous. Oh, we thank Thee, most gracious
God, for Thine only begotten Son, for the gift, power and
grace of Thy Holy Spirit. Lord, hear us and fill our hearts
with gratitude and with thanksgiving for all Thy tender mercies. Come
and touch one's lips with a live coal from off the heavenly altar.
We ask for Jesus Christ's sake, Amen. Let us continue our worship by
singing together hymn number 525. The tune is Viator 428. What joyful news the gospel is
to guilty sinners in distress. It speaks of mercy rich and free
for such polluted worms as we. Hymn 525, tune Viator 428. ? The cross that ends ? ? To guilty
sinners in distress ? ? It speaks of love, it reaches out to those
in need ? Take us as we once were. ? That Thou art ? ? Earth's and
Heaven's ? ? True interchange ? ? We praise Thy name ? ? Upon
this earth ? O'er the land of the free and
the home of the brave? ? Holy in the mighty Christ ? ? We magnify the lowly ? ? And
the poor and the weak ? He loved me and therefrom began. God in my sake hath loved another. As spirit and ? At one with whom the kingdom
comes ? ? Give us, Lord, our daily bread ? Holy tree, O hesitant shaketh
for me. ? Our heaven's worth, the offer
good ? ? For me in Jesus Christ is good ? ? Glory in ? ? God's righteousness
? ? The risen one ? ? Redeeming face ? ? All hail to thee ? ? God-given birth
? Greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, direct your attention to the chapter that we read,
the fifth chapter of the first epistle of John, And we'll read
verse seven for our text. First Epistle of John, chapter
five, verse seven. For there are three that bear
record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost,
and these three are one. One of the most fundamental truths
of our most holy faith. The doctrine of the Trinity. Who God is. And this is revealed
in His Word. It's a very precious thing. When
we have revealed in God's Word, when the Holy Spirit takes of
the Word and reveals unto us the truth. And here is this fundamental
truth for there are three that bear record in heaven. The Father,
the Word, and the Holy Ghost. And these three are one. The term the Word is almost peculiar
to John, the Apostle John. He often terms our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Word. It was obviously something that
had been revealed to him. Jesus, the Son of God, as it
says in the first chapter of John's Gospel, and the Word was
made flesh and dwelt among us. and we beheld his glory, the
glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace
and truth. He's the only begotten of the
Father. As the hymn writer says, begotten,
not created. He always has been. He's always
been, from everlasting, the eternal Son of the Father. Let us not
run away with that strange idea that Jesus did not exist until
he was born here upon earth. He has existed from everlasting. In the eighth chapter of the
Proverbs, we read, and it's Christ himself that is speaking, I was
set up from everlasting, wherever the earth was. He's the eternal
son. of the Eternal God. Now, He speaks
the Word of God. The revelation of God is in and
through Him. Hence, He's called the Word.
It's by our words that we express our thoughts. And it's through
the Eternal Word that God expresses His thoughts unto man. And the
reason that the Son of God became man was made flesh and dwelt
among us. was to redeem His people. I come
not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me.
And the Father sent the Son, the willing Son obeyed. God so loved the world. Oh, that infinite, eternal love
of our Father. Our Father in heaven, our Father
in glory. infinite and eternal love that
is in him he so loved the world he couldn't give anything greater
his only begotten son he sent him he sent him to redeem and
deliver his people as we read in galatians chapter
4 concerning the incarnation of the son of god made of a woman
What a profound mystery. The apostle, when he writes to
Timothy, he says, great is the mystery of godliness. God was
manifest in the flesh. Jesus Christ is the eternal son
of the eternal father. Oh, that we may reverence him
as such. When it says the only begotten
son, it means the co-equal and co-eternal son of the father. the word for there are three
that bear record in heaven the father the word and the holy
ghost and these three are one one blessed infinite almighty
and eternal god my mind it just goes to the um first chapter
in the first epistle of peter and how beautifully there he
speaks of the divine work of the Blessed Spirit in the first
chapter, in the second verse, and the third verse, elect according
to the full knowledge of God the Father, through sanctification
of the Spirit, under obedience and sprinkling of the blood of
Jesus Christ. Grace unto you and peace be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy
hath begotten us again unto a lively, that's a living hope, through
the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Elect according
to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification
of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of
Jesus Christ, grace unto you and peace be multiplied. In the Apostle Paul again, in
the epistle to the Colossians, he speaks there very beautifully
of this sacred doctrine of the Trinity. And he says in chapter
2 of Colossians, and verse 2 and 3, that their
hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto
all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement
of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ. Notice the order, generally,
normally, It's put in the order as it is in our text, Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost. But here in Colossians, to the
acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and that's the Holy Spirit,
and of the Father, and of Christ. You might say, why is that put
in that order there? To show us, to teach us, that
they are co-equal and co-eternal. Father, Son and Holy Ghost are
co-equal and co-eternal together. They always have been. Now, the
scriptures are abundantly clear. There is one God. There's only
one God. It says in Deuteronomy, the Lord
our Lord is one Lord. One God. The eternal God. the almighty
God. Indeed in the epistle to the
Corinthians, he speaks there concerning the benediction which
we are all so familiar with. In Colossians chapter 13, in
the last verse, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the
love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you
all. Amen. The grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ, and the love of God, it's of course the Father, and
the communion of the Holy Ghost. You know the Lord Jesus, we've
just sung it in our hymn, He's the sacred repository of all
the mercy, love, and grace of God. It's all centered in the
glorious person of our Lord Jesus Christ. And this eternal covenant, the
apostle speaks of it in the Hebrews. He says, everlasting covenant,
that's the blood of Jesus Christ. And what does he mean when he
speaks of a covenant? Well, we have the Old and the
New Testament. We're very familiar with those
terms. Testament and covenant are virtually identical words.
So when we speak of the Old Testament, we're speaking of the old covenant
of the Levitical law. And when we speak of the New
Testament, We're speaking of the new covenant of grace, promised
and prophesied by Jeremiah. Behold, I make a new covenant
with you, not according to that first covenant that I made with
you. The first covenant was a covenant
of works. The second covenant is a covenant
of grace. The first covenant under the
law depended on man's obedience to keep its holy commandments. Which, when man fell, it's an
utter impossibility for him to do, to fulfill the old covenant. Obedience to the law in thought,
in word, indeed. And with that old covenant, the
covenant of the law, there was a solemn curse. Cursed is every
man that doeth not all things that is written in the book of
the law to do them. But you see the new covenant
is a covenant of grace. It's a covenant of the divine
favor of God. It's a covenant that was made
in the Godhead. between the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Ghost. A covenant of salvation, of redemption,
in the rites and sacrifices of the Old Testament that we see
into the types and shadows of what was to come, what the apostle
calls in the Hebrews the good things to come. Those sacrifices that were under
the Levitical law typified Christ. And I think it's put very beautifully
by Isaac Watts, not all the blood of beasts on Jewish water slain
could give the guilty conscience peace or wash away the stain,
but Christ the heavenly lamb bears all our sins away, a sacrifice
of nobler name and richer blood than they." That's the blood
of the everlasting covenant. Richer blood than they. You see,
as the apostle makes it clear when writing to the Hebrews that
it was not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats could
take away sin. but they merely pointed to the
place where sin would be taken away. And that is in that glorious
sacrifice of Jesus, the son of God, on the cross of Calvary. And in that chapter that we've
just looked at in the first epistle of Peter, it speaks exactly the
same there concerning the blood of Christ. And it says it's a,
covenant that was made before the foundation of the world.
Verse 18 in 1 Peter 1, for as much as ye know that you were
not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from
your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers
but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish
and without spot who verily was foreordained before the foundation
of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you. You see, the precious blood of
Christ, foreordained before the foundation of the world, that
eternal covenant made in the Godhead between the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit, that divine agreement to the salvation
of his people from the ruins of the Adam fall. There's only
one way of salvation. The saints in the Old Testament
were saved exactly the same as the saints in the New Testament.
They didn't have as much light as the saints in the New Testament,
but they still saw that it was the son of David they found from
the Old Testament. That's why we hear Bartimaeus
when Sitting by the wayside the poor blind man jesus our son
of david That was according to prophecy what was revealed in
holy scripture So what he was saying? Is what had been revealed
to him is that this is the messiah? This is the son of god This is
the redeemer of mankind jesus our son of david have mercy on
me You see something had been revealed. Something had been
revealed. Has anything been revealed to
you? Has anything been shown to you? You know, real religion is more than
notion. Something must be known and found.
there's an experience of divine truth. Do you have any experience as
to your state as a sinner before God? A realization given to you
that you're a sinner before a holy God? An understanding? Paul, he speaks the eyes of your
understanding being enlightened. Have you been enlightened? You
know, this revelation we have here of the doctrine of the Trinity,
the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, as we've noticed
in the first chapter of Peter's Epistle, he says there, sanctification
of the Spirit. The Trinity of persons, the one
only true God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, have here, this last
clause of our text is known as the Yohannes clause, or the Yohannes
comma, it's called. And academics today deny that
it was ever in the original. This is a fundamental testimony
here to the doctrine of the Trinity and the oneness of God. We do
not worship three gods, we worship one God. The Lord our Lord is
one Lord, one Lord. And in my mind it just goes to
the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, that divine commission that he
gave to the apostles to go forth and to preach the gospel among
all nations. But notice how he puts it, the
last three verses of the gospel of Matthew. Matthew 28 verse
18, and Jesus came and spake unto them saying, all power is
given unto me in heaven and in earth go therefore and teach
all nations baptizing them in the name of the father and of
the son and of the holy ghost now correct english would say
that you should put names but it doesn't it says the name and
it's purposely like that because it maintains there is only one
God in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Ghost. These three are one. One blessed,
infinite, almighty, and eternal God, teaching them to observe
all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo, I am with
you always, even unto the end. of the world. You see this precious
doctrine and you know it was Martin Luther that said doctrine
is heaven. Doctrine is heaven. Doctrine
is essential. If you look at a body, human
body and it has a skeleton and then all the muscles and the
flesh around those bones with the sinews, etc. You know, if there was no skeleton,
no bones, it would just be a lump that couldn't function. Now if
you look at that body then, and then look at the truth, the skeleton
is the equivalent of doctrine. The doctrine of truth and the
flesh that grows on it is the experience of that doctrine of
truth. But they're both essential to one another. And doctrine is very important. How many times are we exhorted
in scripture to be sound in the faith? And the apostle exhorts
us, sound in doctrine. It's fundamental. If we're wrong
in our doctrine, We're wrong on everything. The doctrine of
Christ is at the center. He's the head. He's the head. Christ is the head of the church.
And right at the center of all the doctrine of truth in the
Word of God is the person of Christ. It all centers in Him. Every precious doctrine has a
center in Christ. Like the Word of God says, chosen
in Him. Chosen in Him. Elect according
to the full knowledge of God the Father. Chosen in Him. The doctrine of election. The doctrine of divine sovereignty. The doctrine of salvation in
and through the person and work of Jesus, the Son of God. the
only person that could procure it. The doctrine of the Trinity
shows us how this was done. It was our Eternal Father, in
infinite love to his church, that chose a people. The whole
world, without this divine choosing by our Heavenly Father, the whole
world would have been damned forever. Indeed the only reason
that this world still exists and is still functioning is because
God has yet has his chosen people to gather unto Christ. And when
that last vessel of mercy has been gathered unto Christ this
world will depart on fire. It will depart on fire. You know
in the second epistle of Peter and in the third chapter the Apostle Peter he opens on this
very point and speaking in that third chapter of the second epistle
of Peter it says in verse 9 the Lord is not slack concerning
his promise that is the promise of the second coming of Christ
when this world shall be dissolved he says he's not slack concerning
his promise as some men count slackness but his long-suffering
to us wars What does he mean to us Ward? He's writing to the
Christian Church. He's writing to Christian believers.
But his long-suffering to us Ward, that is to the Church on
Earth, not willing that any should perish. What does that mean? He's not willing that any that
the Father has chosen, any that the Son has redeemed should perish.
So what he's saying here is that this world will remain until
the last vessel of mercy has been divinely wrought upon by
the Spirit and brought to faith in Jesus Christ. He's not willing
that any should perish, but that all, that is all those that were
chosen by the Father should come to repentance and faith in our
Lord Jesus Christ. And then he says, but the day
of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. in the which the
heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements
shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works
that are therein shall be burned up, seeing then that all these
things shall be dissolved. What manner of persons ought
ye to be, in all holy conversation and godless, looking for and
hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens
being on fire shall be dissolved? the elements shall melt with
fervent heat nevertheless we according to his promise look
for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness
we look for a new heavens according to his promise the the promises
of God The Apostle Paul, he says in Corinthians, all the promises
of God, they're contained here in this blessed book, the Bible,
the promises of God. And he says, all the promises
of God are yay and amen in Christ Jesus. They're fulfilled in Christ. And that is where the believer
finds satisfaction, in Christ, in his glorious person. or that each one of us, it may
be our chief concern to be found in Him. Just like the Apostle
says, that I might be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness. These are fundamental doctrines
of our faith, not having mine own righteousness, but that righteousness
which is by faith of the Son of God. His righteousness, the
righteousness of Jesus Christ. That is the divine provision
by our eternal Father in sending and giving his only begotten
Son. For there are three that bear
record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost,
and these three are one. These three are one. This glorious,
sacred, precious truth of our most holy faith. There is one
God and one mediated between God and man. The man, Christ
Jesus, who gave his life of ransom for all to be testified in due
time. One God. One God and Father. One Christ. This one Jehovah. Everything centering in him.
in the prophecy of Isaiah that these sacred things are brought
out. In fact, it's the Lord Jesus
Christ speaking through Isaiah in chapter 48 of the prophecy
of Isaiah. And in verse 16, these are the
words of Christ. Come ye near unto me, hear ye
this. I have not spoken in secret from
the beginning, from the time that it was, there am I. And
this is the point, and now the Lord God and his Spirit has sent
me. And now the Lord God, that is
the Father, and his Spirit, that is the Holy Ghost, has sent me. That's Christ, the Son of God. Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer,
the Holy One of Israel, I am the Lord, thy God, which teacheth
thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest
go. You see, and now the Lord God
and His Spirit has sent me, the divine person of the Son of God,
sent by the Eternal Father to live and suffer and bleed and
die for the sins of His people, to fulfill the law, to magnify
the law, to honor Him, and to bring in everlasting righteousness
for his people. That's what Christ came to do.
He not only came to do it, he did it. He brought in everlasting
righteousness. And that is the righteousness
of the believer. It's the righteousness of Christ.
You know, one hymn writer says, righteousness within thee rooted
may appear to take thy path. but let righteousness imputed
be the breastplate of thine heart. That's the imputed righteousness
of Christ. That is the only thing that will
stand in that great day. It's the righteousness of Christ.
Jesus, thy blood and righteousness. That alone is the one thing,
my beloved friends. Now, it's to be Have these things
revealed unto you by the Spirit? Shown unto you by the Spirit?
I think it's in the second chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians. It says there, for concern in
the Spirit of God, it quotes from Isaiah in verse 9, but as
it is written, I have not seen nor heard neither have entered
into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them
that love him. But God hath revealed them unto
us by his Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth all
things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth
the things of a man, so the Spirit of man which is in him, even
so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the
spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that
we might know the things that are freely given to us of God,
which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom
teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual
things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth
not the things of the Spirit of God, for they have foolishness
unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually
deserved. But he that is spiritual judges
all things. Yet he himself is judged of no
man. For we have known the mind of
the Lord, that he may instruct him. But we have the mind of
Christ. God hath revealed them. Real
religion is something that is revealed. It's the spirit of
faith. This is the essential nature
of the work of the Trinity. Just as the glorious person of
our Lord Jesus Christ is the very center and the foundation
of our hope, so the divine work of the Spirit in the heart is
essential. He must be born again. Except
a man be born of water under the Spirit, he cannot enter the
kingdom of heaven. He must be born again. And this
is the vital question for each one of us today. Have we been born again? Apostle
says in Ephesians 2, you hath he quickened who were dead in
trespasses and in sins. Have we been born again? Have
we been quickened? Do we have spiritual life? Does
the Holy Ghost dwell in our hearts? It's vital. The Holy Ghost dwelling in the
heart. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ and that is
in Romans 8, he is none of his. All my beloved friends, how we
need the divine person, power and work of the Holy Ghost. We need it personally in our
own hearts. We need it in the ministry of
the word. We need him to guide and to direct us in our paths.
My mind, it just goes, and it's a very encouraging word, and
I speak especially to you, dear young friends, and all of you,
really, but just think of you, dear young friends. He says in
Luke chapter 11, If ye then, being evil, know how to give
good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly
Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him? How vital
then is this divine person, power, and grace of the Holy Ghost? How vital is His work? And equally,
the vital need of the work of the Father. In John's Gospel, it says very
clearly, none come except the Father draw. How we need that
divine work of the Father, sending the Spirit into our hearts. Sending
the Spirit into our hearts. I often draw your attention to
the last chapter of Holy Scripture, Revelation 22. And there in Revelation
22 and verse 1. And again, it's another sacred
revelation of the Trinity. And he showed me a pure river
of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne
of God and of the Lamb. The river is the Holy Ghost.
The divine person of the Holy Ghost, who proceeded forth from
the Father and the Son. clear as crystal, proceeding
out of the throne of God, that's the Father, and of the Lamb,
that's the Eternal Son. You see, the Spirit proceedeth
forth from them both. These three are one. How vital
and essential is this divine work of the Spirit in the heart? Think of the words of our Lord
Jesus Christ. And he says in the seventh chapter
of John's Gospel, in verse 37, in the last day, that great day
of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, if any man thirst,
let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the
scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living
water. But this he spake of the Spirit,
which they that believe on him should receive, for the Holy
Ghost was not yet given. because that Jesus was not yet
glorified. This wonderful sacred gift of
the divine person, power and grace of the Holy Ghost that
comes to us by virtue of the sacrifice of Christ on Calvary. That precious sin-atoning blood
of Jesus Christ that cleanses the church from all sin. It's
by virtue of that glorious sacrifice His death, His resurrection,
His ascension into glory. He said, I send the promise of
my Father upon you. That is the wonderful gift and
power and grace of the Holy Ghost. Oh, my beloved friends, these
are fundamental and vital truths of our most holy faith. Or that
it may be that It may exercise each one of our hearts that we might indeed know that
divine work of the Spirit in our hearts, that we might indeed
personally know by faith our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of
Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. And that's what he's done. He's
made a way. I am the way, the truth and the
life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me. In Ephesians
chapter two and verse 18, we read there that concerning for
through him, that's Christ, we have access by one spirit unto
the Father. Through him, we have access by
one spirit unto the Father. You see, this way, this door,
this door of hope that is open wide in Jesus' bleeding hands
and side, the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth
us from all sin. Nothing else will. You know,
all the dignity, worth, power, and grace of that glorious sacrifice
of Calvary is in this, that he is the Son of God. He's the eternal
son of the eternal father. He was pure, holy, without spot. Therefore, his sacrifice was
pure and holy and without spot. And the father smelled a sweet
savor in that sacrifice of his son, Jesus Christ. You know,
when Noah came out of the ark and he offered those clean beefs,
and it says that the The aroma from that sacrifice entered into
the nostrils of the Lord God of heaven. Why? Because Noah
offered it in faith. Faith in the Messiah. Faith in
the seed of the woman that should come. And therefore it was a
sacrifice of a sweet savor. For there are three that bear
record in heaven. The father, the Word, and the
Holy Ghost, and these three are one, one blessed, infinite. It speaks in this context here,
and it speaks of love. You know, whosoever believeth
that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. It's what we've been
talking about, being born again. And everyone that loveth him
that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. In the epistles,
the Apostle says, faith that worketh by love. Faith isn't
some cold intellectual thing, it's a living thing that is divinely
implanted in the heart by the Holy Ghost, in one of those sacred
graces of the Spirit. It works by love, love to Jesus
Christ. Love to the Holy Ghost, love
to the Father. And all these three, they love
us. They love us. And that desire, that longing
of our Lord Jesus Christ in his prayer in John 17, how beautifully
he speaks there of this love, this divine love from the Father
and the Son and the Holy Ghost. and he prays there in that prayer
in verse 21, that they all may be one. As thou, Father, art
in me and I in thee, that they also may be one in us, that the
world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which
thou gavest me, I have given them, that they may be one, even
as we are one, I in them and thou in me. and that they may
be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that thou
hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me. Father,
I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where
I am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me,
for thou lovest me before the foundation of the world. Just
in closing, The point here, for love, there has to be more than
one. It's the love of another. And
you know, the eternal love of God, it says in John's epistle,
this first epistle, God is love. God is love, pure, infinite,
eternal, divine love. And it speaks, the father loveth
the son, and hath given all things into his hand, It speaks in scripture
of the love of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.
They love, there's an infinite eternal love between the Father,
Son and Holy Ghost. And this is the love that is
communicated into the heart by the Holy Ghost in a believer. We know that we have passed from
death unto life because we love the brethren. May the Lord add
his blessing. Let us now sing together hymn
number 854. The tune is Taunton 607. Jesus, Lord of life and peace,
to thee we lift our voice. Teach us at thy holiness to tremble
and rejoice. Sweet and terrible is thy word.
Thou and thy word are both the same. Holy, holy, holy Lord,
we love thy holy name. Hymn 854 to the tune Taunton
607. ? Teach us how to love with grace
? ? Teach us how to love with grace ? ? Teach us how to love
with grace ? For Thou and Thy Word have moved
us straight. Holy, holy, holy Lord, for we
love Thy holy name. Banish errors from the truth,
be of good cheer. his right. Thou, the master of heads and
throne, then honed him in his might. Worthy thou'st to be adored,
Lord God Almighty, great I am. Holy, holy, holy Lord, we love
Thy Raise in earth thy spirit world,
pour out thy souls to Thee. Thee she still in secret tells,
And shies to be set free. Lay thy with holy light and shade, Holy, holy, ? Holy Lord, we love thy holy name
? ? Men whose hearts are near but
near at thy perfections ? Lord. Use my name, but not with it,
the holy tongue of God. This I give the holy Save us
from loyalty, sir, play. Holy, holy, holy Lord, Queen of Thy holy
name. Just and righteous is our King,
Glorious in holy grace. Though we tremble while we sing, We would not wish it next. Souls bind who have truths exposed. Boundless of mercy, best for
pay. Holy, holy, holy Lord, we love
Thine holy Now, may the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, the sacred fellowship
of the Holy Spirit, rest and abide with us each. Amen.