you Oh. The notices for the coming week
are God willing as follows. Pastor will preach here next
Lord's Day at 10.30 and two o'clock. Also on Thursday evening at seven
o'clock. There'll be a prayer meeting
here on Tuesday evening at seven o'clock. The collection taken
during September amounted to 2,251 pounds and 50 pence. Donations to the book fund amounted
to £20. We sincerely thank you for the
continued support of this cause of truth. Let us commence our
services today by singing together hymn number 1127 and the tune
is Barnstable Sorry, Isaac 788. That is the wrong tune, friends.
It's a long meter. Look at Barnstable 294. Would you like to play that Katie? when Zion's son's great God appear
in Zion's courts for praise and prayer, there in thy spirit deign
to be as one with those that worship thee. Hymn 1127. I'll drink of heaven's pure Zion's
blissful grace and bread. ♪ There in thy spirit there to
be ♪ ♪ Thus one with us will worship thee ♪ ♪ Thus one with
us will worship thee ♪ Where the lights of renown abode,
Thou who sleep'st on the splendor of old, ♪ The drops of red lemon will fall
♪ ♪ To children with a sick soul ♪ ♪ To children with painless
needs ♪ Jesus, full of love, sheltered
me. He comforted me from his disdain. Diffuse thy fine celestial dew,
Bring garden, breeze, and evening dew. ♪ Bring for him peace and healing
too ♪ ♪ Then shall we have those he should give ♪ Jesus, you speak,
O blessed King! Land of God's loving, sweet and
poor, In hymns of joy to grace that
grows. In hymns of joy to grace that grows. Let us read together from the
Holy Word of God in the prophecy of Isaiah, chapter 65. Isaiah,
chapter 65. I am sought of them that ask
not for me. I am found of them that sought
me not. I said, behold me. Behold me
unto a nation that was not called by my name. I have spread out
my hands all the day unto a rebellious people which walketh in a way
that was not good after their own thoughts, a people that provoketh
me to anger continually to my face, that sacrifices in gardens
and burneth incense upon altars of brick. which remain among
the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine's
flesh, and broth of a bond of all things is in their vessels,
which say, stand by thyself, come not near to me, for I am
holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose,
a fire that burneth all the day. Behold, It is written before
me, I will not keep silence, but will recompense, even recompense
into their prison. Your iniquities and the iniquities
of your fathers together, saith the Lord, which hath burned incense
upon the mountains and blasphemed me upon the hills. Therefore
will I measure their former work into their prison. Thus saith
the Lord, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one
saith, destroy it not, for a blessing is in it, so will I do for my
servant's sake, that I may not destroy them all. I will bring
forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah, an inheritor of
my mountains, and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servant
shall dwell there. and Sharon shall be a fold of
flocks, and the valley of Acre a place for the herds to lie
down in, for my people that have sought me. And ye are they that
forsake the Lord, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare
a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto
that number. Therefore will I number you to
the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter, because
when I called ye did not answer, when I spake ye did not hear,
but did evil before mine eyes, and to choose that wherein I
delighted not. Therefore thus saith the Lord
God, behold my servant shall eat, but ye shall be hungry,
Behold, my servant shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty. Behold,
my servant shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed. Behold,
my servant shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for
sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit. And ye
shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen. For the Lord
God shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name,
that he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself
in the God of truth. And he that sweareth in the earth
shall swear by the God of truth, because the former troubles are
forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes. For behold,
I cried create new heavens and a new earth. And the former shall
not be remembered nor come into my mind. But be ye glad and rejoice
forever in that which I create. For behold, I create Jerusalem
a rejoicing and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem
and joy in my people And the voice of weeping shall be no
more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. There shall be no
more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not
filled his days. For the child shall die an hundred
years old, but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be
accursed. And they shall build houses and
inhabit them, and they shall plant vineyards and eat the fruit
of them. They shall not build, and another
inhabit. They shall not plant, and another
eat. For as the days of a tree are
the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work
of their hands. They shall not labor in vain,
nor bring forth for trouble, for they are the seed of the
blessing of the Lord, and their offspring with them. And it shall
come to pass that before they call, I will answer, and while
they are yet speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall
feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock, and
dust shall be the serpent's meat, they shall not hurt nor destroy
in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord. May the Lord bless
that portion of his precious word and grant unto us a spirit
of real prayer. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,
which is an art, an art to come, We do desire to bow before thee,
to call upon thy great, thy holy, and thy eternal name. We come
as poor sinners. We come to confess our sins and
our wanderings and our backslidings. We come, Lord, with that desire
to be made more spiritually minded and that our heart and our affections
may be set upon things of us not on things of the earth. Gracious
God, truly sanctify and separate us from the things of the earth,
and graciously draw us unto thyself, that we may have the witness
of thy spirit with our spirit, that we are the children of God. Yea, I have loved thee with an
everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness have I drawn
thee, As we gather around thy word today, may we feel those
sacred and those divine drawings unto our Lord Jesus Christ. That there may be that strange
and that peculiar work in our hearts, whereby our souls are
quickened by the Holy Ghost, and that we are brought to see
our lost condition and we are brought to see our need of a
saviour, of a redeemer, of a deliverer, of one that is able to save to
the uttermost all that come unto God by him. We pray that we may
touch the hem of his garment, even of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that we may draw from that sacred fullness that is in him We pray,
O Lord, that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love
of God our Father and the sacred fellowship of the Holy Spirit
may rest and abide upon us. We do humbly beseech of thee. We pray, most gracious Lord,
that thy word, the word of the Lord, may have free course and
thy name be honoured and glorified. But we pray that the Lord Jesus
Christ may be exalted as a Prince and as a Saviour, for to give
faith and repentance and remission of sins. And we read in thy word
that as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons
of God. Sons of God by blessed adoption. O most gracious Lord, give us
to feel it. We do humbly beseech them. And
that we pray, most gracious Lord, for thankful hearts, that we've
been brought back among our own people, and that thou hast been
with us in long journeys and much preaching. And yet, Lord,
we believe that thou hast been with us, and we would do thank
thee for that. And thou hast been with our little
people here, as thy servants have come in and out among them.
May there be signs to follow the preaching of the word. May
the power that brings salvation be exerted in the word. May it
be a seed that is sown into good ground that will bear much fruit,
which will redound to the honor, the glory, and the praise of
thy great and thy holy name. We thank thee for the throne
of grace, a place whereby poor sinners can approach thy glorious
majesty, that sacred throne where Jesus sits, the King eternal,
immortal, and invisible, the only true God, that throne whereby
we have a great high priest who is passed into the heavens, Jesus,
the Son of God. or we think of what the hymn
writer says, thou art coming to a king, large petitions with
thee bring, but for his grace and power are such, none can
ever ask too much. We pray, most gracious Lord,
that thou wouldst look upon all assembled here, and we think
also of those that are listening online, and we think also of
our dear sister in her old age and its increasing weakness and
that we pray that thou would strengthen her in the spirit
of the inner man that daily she may be renewed within and daily
feel thy sacred presence and blessing and help and thou hast
said in thy word at evening time it shall be like May that light
shine into her heart. And oh Lord God, we do pray that
thou would bless our brethren, the deacons, and give needed
grace and wisdom and help unto them in all their responsibilities,
in all their needs, in all their concerns. And we do pray, most
gracious Lord, that thou would remember the members of the church
our brethren, our sisters in Christ, that thou would remember
us for good, shed abroad thy love in our hearts, that we may
love each other, serve each other, bear each other's burdens, thereby
fulfilling the law of Christ. By this shall they know that
ye are my disciples, because ye have love one to another.
Increase our faith, increase our love, Make us more lively
in the things of God. Remember the whole of our congregation,
from the youngest to the eldest. Remember the little ones, the
babes, as they're brought into the sanctuary, and grant thy
rich blessing. The fear of the Lord, which is
the beginning of wisdom, may be given unto them. And remember
the young friends as they stand, as it were, on the threshold
of life's journey. Remember them for good, bring
them to living, vital, saving faith in Jesus Christ. For Lord,
that is the one thing needful. Remember them, O Lord, in all
the paths of providence. In their education, give them
wisdom, guidance, and direction. Provide for them any future employment. And remember them regarding a
partner in life's journey. And may it be their chief concern
to find one that fears God. Do hear us, Lord. Remember the
prodigals that have wandered from the sanctuary. Stretch out
thy almighty arm. Cause them to be in one, cause
them to return. The appointed time rolls on apace,
not to propose but call by grace, to turn their feet to Zion's
hill. Gracious God, may we see such
a thing. May we see thine arm made bare
in the gospel. We do humbly beseech thee, even
as thou hast promised and they shall come. I will bring thy
sons from far and thy daughters from the ends of the earth. They
shall come from the north and from the south and from the east
and from the west. O gracious God, that may they
be as trees planted in Zion, in the wilderness of this world,
watered by thee, cared for by thee, brought to living faith
in Jesus Christ. Lord, we pray for parents that
thou would give them wisdom and grace to bring up their children
in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, that there may be
the raising of the family altar, the reading of the word and prayer
in the family. We do humbly pray thee for all
things are sanctified by the word of God and prayer. Oh Lord,
we do pray that thou would deliver us from temptation. When the
enemy comes in like a flood, whether he comes as a roaring
lion to devour, or whether he comes as an angel of light to
deceive, we pray to be delivered from him. Grant unto us the whole
armour of God. We do humbly beseech thee, show
us thy ways, lead us in thy paths, make a way where there seems
no way, for with God nothing shall be impossible. We pray,
dearest Lord, that thou would remember any and any particular
trouble or trial or perplexity or sorrow or sadness. Grant thy
divine support and blessing and help. Sanctify these things to
the good of our souls. And, O Lord, we pray that thou,
in thy precious mercy, would remember each one of us in the
evening time of life's journey its attendant weaknesses and
infirmities. And as the outward man perishes,
may the inward man be renewed day by day. We do humbly beseech
of thee. O Lord, we do pray that thou
wouldst graciously hear us in heaven, thy holy dwelling place.
And when thou hearest, O Lord, forgive. In any particular affliction
or trial, perhaps known by no one else, that we pray that thou
wouldst hear their entreaties. We do humbly beseech them. We
pray that the glory, light, and power of the gospel may shine
into this village, into the surrounding villages and hamlets. Oh, do
hear us, Lord. May the power that brings salvation
be exerted in the word. Blessed Holy Divine Spirit, We
pray for thy divine unction and power to be known and felt in
our assemblies, in our souls. We do humbly beseech thee that
we may be revived, renewed, replenished. Do grant it, Lord. We humbly
pray thee. Remember all thy servants as
they stand upon the walls of Zion. Set them free, set them
at liberty, guide and direct them and graciously grant a door
of utterance and the spirit of power, and that we may yet see
signs following the preaching of the word. Lord, do hear us,
we humbly beseech thee. And O Lord God, we do pray that
thou wouldst remember our nation, that the glory and light of the
gospel may again shine in the length and breadth of our land,
Nothing is too hard for Thee. We have seen, O Lord, in past
centuries the abundant outpouring of Thy Spirit and the sending
forth of Thy servants to awaken the dead. And Thou art able again
to do that and to fill the houses of prayer with hungry, longing
souls pressing into the kingdom of heaven. Oh, do hear us, Lord,
we humbly beseech thee. Give wisdom to our leaders, O
Lord, and divine guidance, we pray thee, in all matters. Remember
our king and grant thy rich blessing upon him. Give him wisdom, give
him direction, undertake for him. For thou art God over all
and blessed for evermore, and by thee kings reign and princes
decree justice. But we think also of the terrible
war in the Ukraine, where thousands are being launched from time
into eternity. But we pray that thou wouldst
put a stop to war, bring to naught the counsels of the ungodly.
We do humbly beseech thee, have mercy upon that nation. We think
of thy people in that nation, and we pray that they may be
blessed of thee. for thy great namesake, that
thou wouldst send deliverance, that thou wouldst put a stop
to war. And we pray, most gracious Lord, that thou wouldst remember
those from among us that labour in word, in doctrine, and in
the nations of the earth. We especially think of the Mombasa
mission and pray thy blessing and thy favour to be upon them
there. Good success to the Ministry
of the Word. But we remember also the Savannah
Education Trust and that great work that has been committed
unto them in Ghana. May thy blessing and thy favour
be seen there, that there may be a reviving in vital godliness. And O Lord, we pray for thy servant
Ian Sadler as he labours in so many different places. in Africa
and in the Far East, and we pray that they'll give good success,
that there may be an abundant harvest in due season, and we
pray Thee, the great Lord of the harvest, to send true labourers
into the harvest to build the walls of Jerusalem. We thank
Thee, O Lord God, for our little house of prayer. We thank Thee
for our brethren and sisters in Christ, and for the whole
of our congregation. We thank thee for the spirit
of love, union, and communion granted unto us. Lord, what an
unspeakable blessing. We thank thee, most gracious
Lord, for thy word. This is the word by which the
gospel is preached unto you. We thank thee for every mercy
of thy kind providence. for the sacred and profound glories
of Jesus Christ, the eternal word that was made flesh and
dwelt among us. We thank thee in him the law
has been fulfilled and honoured and magnified for thy people,
and everlasting righteousness has been brought in. But we thank
thee for Calvary, where the Lamb was slain, where sin was put
away, where divine justice was satisfied, where God and sinners
are reconciled, where peace is made to its God and man. Righteousness and truth have
kissed each other. O most gracious Lord, we thank
Thee that He died for our sins and rose again for our justification,
has now bodily ascended into heaven and made a new and living
way into the holy place. For such an high priest have
we. Lord, what profound and wonderful
truths He's passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God. Let us
therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain
mercy, find grace to help in time of need. We thank thee,
most gracious Lord, for all thy tender mercies, thy loving kindness. Come and touch our lips with
a live coal from off the heavenly altar. We ask for Jesus Christ's
sake, amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 723 and the tune is Lewisham 678. Come, ye sinners, poor and wretched,
weak and wounded, sick and sore. Jesus ready stands to save you. Full of pity, joined with power,
he is able, he is willing. Doubt no more. Hymn 723. In heaven and earth sing a song. ♪ Jesus, true, He sends you ♪ ♪
Send you to all people ♪ ♪ Join them all ♪ ♪ May you be saved
forevermore ♪ O Israel, we defend thee The oceans may kill me not, nor
all witness hardly breathe. All the days that we may parent,
rest in heav'nly abode. Bless ye, bless ye, bless ye,
bless ye. Let the Spirit rise in thee. ♪ Mary, Mary, my love ♪ ♪ Lost
and broken, I am whole ♪ ♪ If you turn away today ♪ Now the righteous, now the righteous
Savior Jesus, angel of the Lord. Greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, I would direct your attention to the chapter
that we read, the prophecy of Isaiah, chapter 65, and we'll
read verse 24 for our text. Prophecy of Isaiah, chapter 65,
verse 24. And it shall come to pass that
before they call, I will answer. and while they are yet speaking,
I will hear. Wonderful words of grace, wonderful
words of encouragement to approach unto God. We think
of that word in the book of Psalms, call upon me in the day of trouble
and I will hear thee and I will answer thee. He's a prayer hearing,
and he's a prayer answering God. The Lord, in and through our
Lord Jesus Christ, has made a most wonderful provision for the people
of God, and that is the throne of grace. The throne of grace. And on that throne sits a king,
an almighty king. And his name is Jesus. It's a wonderful precious truth,
my beloved friends. And he invites poor sinners to
approach unto his divine majesty, to call upon his great and holy
name, to approach the throne of grace. You know, my beloved
friends, there's no other ground whereby you and I can ever approach
almighty God But at the throne of grace, we all have sinned
and I'm short of His glory. All of us have sinned. There's
none that doeth good, no not one. And yet, that throne of
grace has been put there, established there, by the Lord Jesus Christ. We read, He sitteth King forever. One of the hymn writers says,
doesn't he, Thou art coming to a king, large petitions with
thee bring, for his grace and power are such, none can ever
ask too much. How many times throughout Holy
Scripture that we have those exhortations to prayer, to call
upon the Lord. And we think of those precious
words here in Isaiah, In chapter 45, look unto me, all ye ends
of the earth. Who is speaking? None other than
the glorious person of our Lord Jesus Christ. Look unto me, all
ye ends of the earth. Maybe you've come to chapel this
morning and that's how you feel. You feel to be at the ends of
the earth. You feel to be hopelessly, helplessly, Calling upon the name of the
Lord, you feel your helplessness. You feel your hopelessness. You
feel that you've come to the end of everything. And then we
have these lovely words, look unto me. All ye ends of the earth, and
be ye saved. For I am God and there is none
else. They are the words of Christ,
spoken by the prophet of the Lord. that the Apostle Peter,
he says in his epistle, to whom coming? To whom coming? As unto a living
stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious. You think of that, to whom coming
as unto a living stone. The alternative, of course, is
rock. And what do we read? after Peter
confessed thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. He
confessed that unto Christ and the answer of Christ to him was
upon this rock. Upon this rock I build my church
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. To whom coming? As unto a living stone. Disallowed indeed of men but
chosen of God. You know, chosen of God and precious. Here in the prophecy of Isaiah,
in chapter 28, and we have in verse 16, that therefore, thus
saith the Lord God, behold, stop, consider, behold, I lay in Zion
for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone. a precious cornerstone,
a sure foundation. He that believeth shall not make
haste. This tridestone, this precious
cornerstone, this glorious person, who is Jesus Christ? Why is he
called the Eternal Rock of Ages? He's the Eternal Son of the Eternal
God. God so loved the world that he
sent his only begotten son. He sent him to redeem and deliver
his people. He sent him to make a new and
living way into the holy place. To open that new and living way.
When Adam fell into sin, that way was barred. But we read in
Genesis when Adam fell that that sword that divine sword of justice
which turned every way, which kept the way unto God closed
because of man's sin. We all have sinned. That way
is closed to every one of us as we are in our natural state,
but God has opened a way. He's made a new and a living
way, the Lord Jesus Christ, He said, I am the way, the truth
and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me. What a
wonderful thing, what a precious thing that there is a way, a
way has been made. It's called the way of holiness,
the way of holiness. And it says in Isaiah chapter
35, It speaks of the coming of Christ, a prophecy. The wilderness
and the solitary place shall be glad for them. And the desert
shall rejoice and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly. The desert of this world, the
wilderness of this world. And rejoicing with joy and singing
the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it. So it goes on
right the way through this chapter. He says, strengthen you the weak
hands and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them, that our
fearful heart be strong, fear not, behold your God will come. With vengeance, even God with
a recompense, he will come and save you. And then it explains
what will happen when that happens, when he comes to save you. Then
the eyes of the blind shall be opened and the ears of the deaf
shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leapers
and hearts That's when the gospel reaches into the heart of a poor
lost sinner, when the Spirit of God quickens their soul into
life, when he reveals unto them the things of Jesus. It goes on, verse eight, and
a highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called
the way of holiness. What does the hymn writer say?
This is the way I long have sought and mourned because I found it
not. The way of holiness. Jesus, the
way, the truth, the life. The unclean shall not pass over
it. It shall be for those. The wayfaring men, though fools,
shall not err therein. No lion shall be there. Not any
ravenous beast shall go up thereon. It shall be found there. It shall
not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed
of the Lord shall return. I love these wonderful statements
of divine truth. It doesn't say they may or they
could or perhaps. There's no ambiguity whatsoever.
And the ransomed of the Lord. Who are the ransomed of the Lord?
Those that have been redeemed in Jesus Christ. Those that have
been washed in the blood of Christ. Those that sins were laid on
Christ and that's why he suffered and bled and died for them. They've
been ransomed. I will ransom them from the power
of the grave. And the ransom of the Lord shall
return and come to Zion with songs of everlasting joy upon
their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. You see, my beloved
friends, it's the gospel of Jesus Christ. He, having loved his
own, he loved them unto the end. He lived for them. He suffered
for them. He died for them. He was made of a woman. This
is the Son of God. He was made of a woman. made
under the law that he might redeem them that are under the law.
He paid the ransom price. Oh, my beloved friends, there
is a way to God. There is a way of peace. There's
a way of reconciliation. There's a way of salvation. You see, and we have these words
in our text. And it shall come to pass that
before they call, I will answer. And while they are yet speaking,
I will hear. It says here, in the beginning of
this chapter, these are quoted by the Apostle Paul and the Apostle
Peter. I'm sort of them that ask not
for me. I am found of them that sought
me not. What's he speaking of? He's speaking
of the call of the Gentiles. They didn't know the God of Israel. In general terms, the Gentiles
didn't know the God of Israel. But the time would come in the
days of Christ when the Lord made a way for All his people
said to Abraham, in these shall all the nations of the earth
be blessed. And what's he speaking of? Not
just the nation of Israel, but all the nations of the earth
shall be blessed. And the spirit of God will enter
the heart of the heathen. It will quicken their souls into
life. I am sort of them that ask not for me. blind and dead,
ruined and undone, on the road to eternal death and damnation.
And yet, they begin to seek the Lord. The apostle, he puts it
in quite a wonderful way, really, in the Acts of the Apostles,
them that fear after him. Are you feeling after God? them
that feel after him. Those movings of the spirit in
the heart, you begin to seek, you begin to search, you have a need, you feel an
emptiness. The hymn writer puts it this
way, an aching void that is in your heart, there's an aching
void that the world can never fill. and it never will fill
it. It'll only be filled by the glorious
gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am sought of them that ask
not for me. I am found of them. You see,
he's found. He's a God that can be found. You think of those beautiful
words of our Lord Jesus Christ, words of encouragement to poor
lost sinners Ask, and it shall be given you. Seek, and you shall
find. Knock, and it shall be opened
unto you. Ask, seek, knock. Clear words
of divine grace, clear words of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ask,
seek, knock. Them that seek me early shall
find me. shall find me. So beautiful words
of encouragement that are written in God's holy word to poor lost
ruined sinners. I am sought of them that ask
not for me. I am found of them that sought
me not. When I think of those beautiful
words in Deuteronomy chapter 32 the words concerning the Lord's
servant Jacob And you know, it's true of every single child of
God He found him Speaking of Jacob It's speaking
of God. It's speaking of sovereign grace.
He found him God found him in a wilderness Has God found you? Has God found you? Has his spirit
entered your heart? Has his spirit quickened your
soul into life? Have you been brought to seek
the Lord? Seek ye the Lord while he may
be found. Call ye upon him while he is
near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man
his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord. I am sought of
them that ask not for me. I am found of them that sought
me not. I said, behold me, behold me
unto a nation. This is the call of the Gentiles
prophesied by Isaiah unto a nation that was not called by my name.
And then he goes and he speaks here of the Jewish people. and how the Lord had richly blessed
the Jewish people. And just listen to what he says,
here in this chapter, I have spread out my hands all the day
unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not
good after their own thoughts, a people that provoketh me to
anger continually to my face, and sacrifice it is speaking
of their idolatry, in gardens burneth incense upon altars.
You see, my beloved friends, the Lord was angry with them.
After the crucifixion and death and resurrection and ascension
into glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Emperor Titus, the
Roman Emperor Titus, the Jews were such a rebellious nation.
He came down upon Jerusalem with a vast army of Roman soldiers
and he literally tens and tens of thousands of them were slaughtered
and they were dispersed among all the nations of the earth.
And you know friends we mustn't forget what the Jews said at
the condemnation and the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ. His
blood be upon us upon our children and the Lord took them at their
word his blood be upon us and upon our children and the Apostle
Paul in his he's called the Apostle to the Gentiles how he was guided
by the Lord to preach extensively among the Gentiles to the good
and to the prophet the establishment of churches the light of the
truth shining forth by the power of the holy ghost and it shall
come to pass that before they call i will answer and while
they are yet speaking i will hear you know in these previous
verses look at verse 17 that for behold i create new heavens
and a new earth he's referring here to the gospel of Jesus Christ. That's what he means here by
a new heavens and a new earth. He means the coming of Christ.
He means the reconciliation of his people, that Christ has died
for his chosen people. He has redeemed them. He has
brought everlasting light and life. I am the light of the world. I create a new heavens and a
new earth. When the gospel was to be spread
throughout all the nations of the earth, and as we read in
the word of God, every nation, kindred, tongue and tribe and
people, the gospel will reach them through the Lord sending
forth his servants and anointing them to preach the gospel. For behold, I create a new heavens
and a new earth and the former shall not be remembered nor come
into mind. Be glad and rejoice forever in
that which I create, for behold, I create Jerusalem. This is the
spiritual seed of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob. I create
Jerusalem a rejoicing and a people of joy. And here, it's not speaking
of the geographical Jerusalem, It's speaking of the Church of
God among all nations. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem,
and joy in my people, and the voice of weeping shall no more
be heard in her, nor the voice of crying. See, the glorious
gospel of Jesus Christ, it says, and they shall build houses,
verse 21. and inhabit them, and they shall plant vineyards and
eat the fruit of them. They shall not build and another
inhabit, they shall not plant and another eat. For as the days
of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall
long enjoy the work of their hands. His chosen people from
among all nations, they shall be gathered to one place, Christ,
the Christ who was crucified at Jerusalem. The Christ who
offered that glorious sacrifice at Jerusalem. What is this scene of matchless
grace? Is Jesus in the sinner's place?
Heaven's brightest glory sunk in shame. This scene of matchless grace,
this bringing in. Daniel speaks of it, doesn't
he? To the bringing in of everlasting righteousness. Oh, my beloved
friends, what a sacred and blessed thing is the coming of Jesus
Christ and the establishment of the church among all nations
says in the previous verse to our text they shall not labor
in vain nor bring forth for trouble for they are the seed of the
blessing of the lord and their offspring with them now that's
not speaking of the natural offspring it's speaking of a spiritual
Offspring very clear in the Word of God here in the prophecy of
Isaiah All my children shall be taught of the Lord and great
shall be the peace of thy children That's a promise to Zion now. I've heard people in it I'm not
saying that the Lord cannot do this, but I hope people interpret
as their own family the children of our flesh It's actually a
promise to Zion to the Church of God. All thy children, all
the children that God will gather in, shall be taught of the Lord. The Spirit shall enter their
heart. The power of the truth shall enter their soul. I think
it's the dear Apostle Paul when he writes his epistle to the
Hebrews and he speaks in there of He quotes to us from the prophecy
of Jeremiah. He speaks of the first covenant
and of the second covenant in Hebrews chapter eight. And he
speaks of the things of Moses, et cetera. And then in verse
six he says, but now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry.
by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant. That means
not the covenant that was under the law, which was a covenant
of works, but the covenant in Christ is the covenant of grace,
whereby Christ has done everything for that people in that covenant.
He's redeemed them from all adversity. He's delivered them from the
curse of the law. He's delivered them from their
sins and from the power of it. He is the mediator of a better
covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if
that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place
have been sought for in the second. But finding fault with them,
he saith, and this is a quotation from Jeremiah, that, Behold,
the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel. That means, of course, the New
Testament. Testament means a covenant. It
means the New Testament of our Lord Jesus Christ. I will make
a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house
of Judah, not according to the covenant that I made with their
fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them
out of the land of Egypt, because they continued not in my covenant
and regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant.
This is the covenant, the New Testament. For this is the covenant
I make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord,
I will put my laws into their minds and write them in their
hearts. I will be to them a God and they
shall be to me a people. See, he will write his law, his
truth, his doctrine, his grace. As the apostle says, not with
pen and ink, but by the finger of the living God in the fleshy
tables of the heart. He will write that gospel in
their souls. You see the Jews taught their
neighbors, taught their children, they taught each other by precept,
by constantly continually bringing the word of God before them,
before their children. And That's how they taught them. The New Testament is completely
different. The teaching is in the heart
by the Holy Spirit. When the soul has been quickened
into life, the Holy Spirit is called the teacher. They shall
not teach every man his neighbor and every man his brother, saying,
know the Lord for all, that is all those in Zion, for all shall
know me. from the least to the greatest.
I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities
will I remember no more. In that he saith a new covenant,
he hath made the first old. Now that which decays and waxes
old is ready to vanish away. That was the covenant of the
sacrifices and offerings under the law in the Levitical dispensation. It goes on there in Hebrews,
he said, sacrifice an offering thy wood is not, but a body hast
thou prepared for me. All those sacrifice and offerings
of the Old Testament were fulfilled in the glorious person of our
Lord Jesus Christ. Every one of them typified him. They typified Christ. You see, They shall not labour in vain,
nor bring forth for trouble, for they are the seed of the
blessing of the Lord, and their offspring with them, and it shall
come to pass, and it shall come to pass, that before they call,
I will answer, and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. You know, there are of course
several instances in the Word of God where we read of the Lord
answering prayer. My mind it just goes to two particular
instances in the prophet Daniel, one particular one in the prophet
Daniel and in chapter 9 when the Lord had exercised his servant
Daniel concerning the return of the children of Israel from
the land of Babylon into the land of Israel. We notice in
the beginning of chapter 9, in the first year of Darius, the
son of Ahasuerus of the seed of the Medes, which was made
king over the realm of the Chaldeans in the first year of his reign,
I Daniel understood by books the number of the years whereof
the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he
would accomplish 70 years in the desolations of Jerusalem. Now, it's obvious, friends, that
it was coming to that time. So there's no doubt that Daniel
here would have been an old man. He realized it was coming close
to the 70 years. He'd been 70 years in Babylon. And the Lord had wonderfully
maintained him. And Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
and Esther the Queen, all those wonderful things that happened
during the time of the captivity. And now the time had come when
the children of Israel would return. Now, just look at this,
because it's very important that we should look at this. And that
is, did Daniel, When he found that the Lord was going to send
deliverance and the time had come for them to return from
Babylon into the land of Egypt, did he just sit back? Did he fold his arms and sit
down where the Lord is going to do it? The Lord's the sovereign
and he can do it. No, my beloved friends. Faith,
faith is a living, vital principle. It is not lazy. It does not stagnate. It's a vital grace in the heart
of the Lord's living family. When he discovered by the reading
of books, the time was close to when the children of Israel
would return, he set himself to prayer. He says in verse three,
and I set my face unto the Lord to seek by prayer and supplication
with fast and sackcloth and ashes. And I prayed unto the Lord my
God and made my confession. You see, wonderful prayer this
is, the prayer of Daniel. How he labored, not just for
himself, but for the children of Israel. It was a great burden
of his heart. Oh Lord, the great and dreadful
God, keeping covenant and mercy to them that love him and to
them that keep his commandment. Oh, what a pattern there is here.
His confession, we have sinned and committed iniquity and unwittingly
and have rebelled even by departing from thy precepts and from thy
judgment. Neither we hearken unto thy servants,
the prophets. He confesses their sins, the
sins of the children of Israel. O Lord, righteousness belongeth
unto thee, but unto us confusion of faith.
as at this day. You see, why? Because they were
in captivity. Maybe you're in captivity and
you wonder why you're in captivity. Oh, that the Lord may bring you
to hope that that captivity is going to end just like he did
with Daniel. Now, he speaks here of sovereign grace.
Look at verse 9. To the Lord our God belong mercies
and forgiveness as though we have rebelled against him. Neither
have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God to walk in his laws
which he set before us by his servants the prophets. Yea, all
Israel have transgressed. But it goes on, and this is something
very precious here. I love the latter part of this
prayer, like all the prayer, but the latter part in particular,
he says in verse 17, Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of
thy servant and his supplications and cause thy face to shine upon
thy sanctuary that is desolate for the Lord's sake. It was utterly
desolate. It was burned with fire. But
there was a hope in his heart. through the word of the Lord,
through Jeremiah the prophet, that the Lord was ready to deliver
the children of Israel. How he pleads with the Lord. Oh my God, incline thine ear
and hear, open thine eyes and behold our desolations. My dear
beloved friends, how often do we wrestle like this with God?
With that earnestness, with that labor, with that burden, Behold our desolations of the
city which is called by thy name, for we do not present our supplication
before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies. O
Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hearken
and do! Defer not for thine own sake,
O my God, for thy city and thy people are called by thy name. He appeals to the glory of God. Not for anything that was in
there, but absolutely the glory of God. Now this is the point
I wanted to come to in verse 20. And whilst I was speaking,
and praying and confessing my sin, and the sin of my people
Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God, for the
holy mountain of my God, yea, whilst I was speaking in prayer,
Even the man Gabriel, that of course is the angel Gabriel,
even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning,
being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of
the evening oblation. And he informed me, and talked
with me, and said, you think of our text, whilst I am yet
speaking, I will hear. And said, O Daniel, I am now
come forth to give thee skill and understanding at the beginning
of thy supplications. The commandment came forth, and
I am come to show thee, for thou art greatly beloved. Therefore,
understand the matter and consider the vision while they are yet
speaking. You see, what a wonderful thing,
wasn't it? While he was in prayer, while
he was calling upon the name of the Lord, the Lord answered
his prayer, his petition. You know, my beloved friends,
he still does. The preacher here is a living
witness to answer prayer. Sometimes he comes at evening
late when men are faint, but he will come. He that shall come
Will come if the vision is for an appointed time wait for it
Wait for it. It will surely speak. That's
what we read in the word of god You keep seeking you keep asking
you keep knocking as they were exhorted to Don't give up Does
satan tempt thee to give up no more? To trust in jesus name
he may tempt you to give up but don't give up keep praying keep
looking Keep watching, keep asking. We just sung in that lovely hymn,
come ye sinners poor and wretched, weak and wounded, sick and sore,
Jesus ready stands to save you. You see, he is able, he is willing,
don't know more. He's an able and a willing saviour.
I love that word, for the son of man, that's our Lord Jesus
Christ. the Son of God manifest in the
flesh, for the Son of Man is come. What a wonderful thing
that is, that the Son of Man is come. But what has he come
for? To seek and to save that which
was lost. That's what he's come for. He's
come to rescue his people. There's a beautiful name given
to Christ in Holy Scripture, Shiloh. It says in Samuel, until
Shiloh come, We know that geographically at that time Shiloh was the place
of worship for the children of Israel, had been since the days
of Joshua. But in that context where it
says Shiloh shall come, it's speaking of Christ. It's a beautiful
prophecy concerning the coming of Christ. What does Shiloh mean? It means the rescuer, the deliverer. He'll rescue his people from
sin and Satan's power. He's done that in his holy life. He's delivered them from the
curse and condemnation of the law. They are made righteous
in him. The believer in Jesus Christ
receives an everlasting righteousness. They become followers of him
and of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. You see, so while I was speaking
in prayer, Even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision
at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about
the time of the evening oblation, informed me, talked with me and
said, O Damuil, I am now come to give thee skill and understanding
at the beginning of thy supplications, the commandment came forth. I
am come to show thee, for thou art greatly beloved, therefore,
understand the vision and it shall come to pass that before
they call I will answer and while they are yet speaking I will
hear, I will hear. Now the other instance that we
have in holy scripture is of godly king Hezekiah when he was
in that great strain, a tremendous strain, Jerusalem, this is found
in Isaiah chapter 38, in those days was Hezekiah. Just remember
Hezekiah was a godly king, a gracious king, a king that wrought great
deliverance in Israel. And there was a Passover kept
in the days of Hezekiah such as had not been kept since the
days of Solomon. But look at his condition here.
in those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet,
the son of Amos, came unto him, said unto him, thus saith the
Lord, set thine house in order for thou shalt die and not live.
You see, the sentence of death. We have the sentence of death
within ourselves that we should not trust in ourselves, but in
the living God. And Hezekiah, He turned his face
to the wall. What does that mean? He turned
away from all human help. He turned his face to the wall
and prayed unto the Lord, remember now, oh Lord. You see, in prayer. And while he was in prayer, pleading
with the Lord, he says in one place here, oh Lord, I am oppressed. Undertake for me in verse 14,
Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter. I did mourn as
a dove. When I fail with looking upward,
O Lord, I am oppressed. Undertake for me that short,
expressive prayer. You know, when you're in great
trial, my beloved friend, you don't need a prayer that is a
mile long. Short. You find these what are called
ejaculatory prayers. Just a very short, very intense
pleading with the Lord. Greatly burdened. Greatly oppressed. That's where Hezekiah was. Oh
Lord, I am oppressed, undertake for me. But then just go back
here. Verse four. We're told elsewhere
in scripture, it was as Hezekiah was going out from the king,
and the king turned his face to the wall, and he pleaded with
him, oh Lord, I am oppressed, undertake for me. Then came the
word of the Lord to Isaiah saying, go and say to Hezekiah. We're told elsewhere that this
happened immediately. As Hezekiah was going out of
the king's palace, the word of the Lord came to him. Why? Because
Hezekiah was praying. Because Hezekiah was praying.
Go and say to Hezekiah, thus saith the Lord, the God of David
thy father, I have heard thy prayer. I have seen thy tears,
behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years, and I will deliver
thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria,
and I will defend this city. You know, and the Lord did just
that. You see, whilst they are yet speaking. These things are
written in the word of God for our encouragement. Omnipotence
hath servants everywhere. He never is before his time and
he and it's never too late, that there is a set time to favour
Zion. And it shall come to pass that
before they call, I will answer, and while they are yet speaking,
I will hear. May the Lord add his blessing. Let us now sing together hymn
number 56. The tune is Warwick 258. Let every open ear attend and broken
heart rejoice The trumpet of the gospel sounds with an inviting
voice. Hymn number 56. ♪ O'er the land of the free ♪ ♪ When we have gone our way ♪ ♪
And made this holy way ♪ ♪ That we might go in peace again ♪
♪ In the ever-living God ♪ ♪ Eternal rest at last we pray
♪ ♪ May I be pleased ♪ ♪ And be true
only ♪ ♪ And rejoice ♪ ♪ In the great salvation ♪ Oh, say does that star-spangled
banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? I love you. ♪ Even creatures can join ♪ ♪ Salvation
in heaven undone ♪ ♪ We have each day, and we can
all be part of it. ♪ Almighty play. ♪ ♪ Dream, dreamer,
of it, of your own. ♪ ♪ And bring a happy new day.
♪ ♪ How great Thou art, how great
Thou art ♪ ♪ How great Thou art, how great Thou art ♪ ♪ How great
Thou art, how great Thou art ♪ God is with us today. ♪ Shepherds quake at the sight
♪ ♪ The angels sing their praises to thee ♪ ♪ The angels sing their
praises to thee ♪ Oh, say does that star-spangled
banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? 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.