in complete dependence upon the
Lord for his much needed help. I'd ask your prayerful attention
this afternoon back to Hebrews chapter 13 and I'll read again
verse 8. Hebrews chapter 13 and reading
again the 8th verse. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday
and today and forever. Hebrews 13 verse 8. Jesus Christ,
the same yesterday and today and forever. as I was thinking about this
anniversary service this afternoon, and really thinking what it represented,
how we remember the founding of this chapel building, And
perhaps the church here, I don't really know about the history,
so I can't really speak about that. But it is a time for looking
back and a time for acknowledging really the Lord's goodness over
these 210 years. But also I thought we cannot
help but know that there has been changes, changes amongst
ourselves as well. Indeed, as we, certainly some
years since I've been here, and I do notice some changes, some
different places that I don't know, I'm sure that I have changed
as well, for those that remember me coming. So there are changes
as well. But my thoughts really went to
the Lord Jesus Christ, because the privilege, the gift of the
church that has been here and congregation of the gospel that
has been preached here is down to or is owed to the Lord Jesus
Christ. And I thought really if these
words came into my mind that Jesus Christ does not change.
We may think that 210 years seems to be a long time, but it is
as nothing, isn't it, compared to eternity. And so that was
really when my thoughts came to this verse, Jesus Christ,
the same yesterday and today and forever. But I have to admit that this,
I'm sure that these are well-known words to all of us, but I hadn't
ever really considered them in their context before. And as
the Lord may help us this afternoon, I want to begin by looking at
this context. Because I believe that the context
of these words really adds so much more to the meaning of them. As we have heard them, I suspect
we all have really, heard them quoted out of context and we
acknowledge the truth that the Lord Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday and today and forever, that the Lord Jesus Christ changes
not. But perhaps we don't or haven't realized really the deep
significance of that, even really going to affect in the whole
way that we read the Bible. So as the Lord may help me, I
want to begin by looking at the context in two ways to begin
with. First of all, in the immediate
context in this chapter, but then also just a little in the
context of this book of the Hebrews. So, first of all then, we see
to look at this verse in the immediate context. I don't know
about you, but sometimes it may seem that at the end of the epistles,
the last chapter or so might seem just to be a series of different
exhortations, perhaps sometimes almost unconnected. and perhaps
it may seem in some ways at first sight that this verse and this
chapter is the same that the apostle has finished perhaps
the main argument throughout this wonderful epistle and now
he's just closing and there's perhaps a few things that he
feels he ought to say Well, I don't think it would be right, really,
to look at any part of the Bible, really, in that sense, almost
as if some of it is less significant or less inspired than other parts.
but especially in this chapter. And as we look at this verse,
it isn't just a verse that is dropped in, almost as we might
say, without any connection to the verses around it. It is indeed
a very important verse, a very important verse not just to this
chapter, but also to this book, and to the whole of the Bible.
So first of all, just to look and see where it comes, and especially
after this seventh verse. In this 7th verse we have an
exhortation. There's been a number of exhortations
before this in the chapter. Perhaps it would be worth just
glancing back at those. And we see in verse 28 of the
preceding chapter, Hebrews chapter 12, we see perhaps the way that
the spirit is moving the mind of the writer. Wherefore we receiving
a kingdom which cannot be moved. And really that is looking back
to the wonders of the kingdom that has been granted to the
Lord's people through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore
we, receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have
grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and
godly fear, for our God is a consuming fire. and really perhaps I should
have started reading at those words because those words underlie
perhaps much of chapter 13. We have then these exhortations
in chapter 13 which are part of serving God acceptably with
reverence and godly fear. I would draw your attention very
briefly to the Towards the last part of this
chapter 13, verse 15, it says, by him, that is Lord Jesus Christ,
therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually.
That is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But
you see it is through the Lord Jesus Christ. And then again,
in verses 20 and 21, that the God of peace, and I'm just summarizing,
make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working
in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ,
to whom be glory forever and ever, amen. And as we just briefly
glance at these exhortations, may the Lord help us to remember
that these aren't, as it were, things for us to go away and
do by ourselves. How wrong it would be to give
that sort of impression at all. These are exhortations which
can only be done through the grace and the power of God through
the Lord Jesus Christ, as is made clear in those verses that
I've just read. But just to look briefly then at the exhortations,
first of all, we have in verse one, let brotherly love continue.
And again, that really, that theme runs all the way through
the chapter. As you know, Jesus said, didn't
he, those two commandments which really summarise the law. Thou shalt love the Lord God
with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength,
and thy neighbour as thyself. Let brotherly love continue.
And then there is an exhortation to not just love those that are
our brethren or sisters in the faith, but those, the wider circle,
if you like, strangers. The Lord Jesus Christ said, love
your enemies. There are no excuses, are there?
And then we have the exhortation to remember those that might
be out of sight, those that are hidden in prison, those that
may be, those that are suffering adversity, and to do it not just
in a mechanical way, but to remember them with empathy. And I couldn't
help noticing that really, that not just to remember them, but
remember them as if we were bound with them, as if we were in the
same bonds, to empathize with them, to sympathize with them.
and the same with those then would suffer adversity as being
yourselves also in the body or if you like suffering adversity
in the body. Then we have the exhortation
to live chaste lives through marriage and the apostle there
reminding us of the judgments of the Lord on those who don't.
And then verse five speaks about our way of life. Not just what
we say, but what we do and how we live as well. And that that
should be without covetousness. And there is a reason given for
that. And it is that the Lord Jesus Christ has said, I will
never leave thee. To put it very simply, if we
have the Lord Jesus Christ, why would we ever want to covet anything
else when we are in our right minds? And verse six goes on,
so that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper. I wonder,
thinking about that, I wonder how many times we can, as it
were, think about this promise that the Lord has made, this
unequivocal promise, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee,
and then go forth in boldness, as it were, so that we may boldly
say, the Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what men shall
do unto me. And then we come to this first
seven. And this speaks about those, especially in a spiritual
sense. And I understand that it doesn't
come across in the translation into English here, but this is
speaking about those perhaps in the past tense. So remember
them, which have had the rule over you. It is about speaking
about past. pastors, leaders, teachers, and
so on, those in the past. Remember them which have the
rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God. And
then it says this, whose faith follow, considering the end of
their conversation, or the outcome of their way of life. And then
I believe this verse eight expresses what that outcome is. Jesus Christ,
the same yesterday and today and forever. Now, I want to try
and convey, I don't know if I can, and maybe, may the Holy Spirit
really convey what is right to us, but for me, there was something
very It's almost surprising about that. If you think about those,
perhaps not just those who are past teachers, I think of Mr
Matrinola here for example, but not just to think about past
teachers, but what would you say would be their main legacy? Or those who preach here now,
what is the main thing that they preach? Well, would we not say,
which is the gospel? Salvation through the Lord Jesus
Christ. Salvation only through the Lord
Jesus Christ. And teaching from the Bible.
But in this epistle, there is one thing that's singled out.
What was the main thing, if you like, that their conversation,
their way of life, which is what that, one way of translating
that, perhaps a more accurate way of translating it nowadays,
is one thing. that their way of life showed,
and it was that Jesus Christ is the same and doesn't change. It was no different in the past,
is no different today, and will never change in the future. That
really struck me because I hadn't really thought about that before.
I think about those that we have, ministers that I have known and
loved, some very dear memories of sermons that we have heard
when the Lord has spoken to us through them, What our attention is drawn to
here is that they were showing that Jesus Christ doesn't change. Now this epistle, I'm not really
clear when it was written. I understand that it was perhaps
written quite early on, in the years following the crucifixion
and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. So perhaps we might
say A.D. 40, 50, something like that.
But quite soon, as I understand it, after the death and resurrection
of the Lord Jesus Christ. So I say that, that we might
have, as it were, a context to what there today was, what there
forever was, if you like, in one sense or another, and what
there yesterday was. And so the apostle here, the
writer here, was drawing our attention to that was what their
testimony was, that the Jesus Christ that they were talking
about, the Jesus Christ that they were witnessing to, the
Jesus Christ that they were preaching was the same then as he was when
he was on the earth. And indeed, that yesterday, I
believe, can be extended back to cover the Old Testament as
well. Indeed, it can, of course, be extended back into eternity. I'm never quite sure whether
the phrase eternity past makes sense, but perhaps you understand
what I mean if we do refer to it. And that was their witness,
that the Lord Jesus Christ doesn't change. That the Lord Jesus Christ
that they were speaking of to those people then, perhaps only,
and the apostle was writing to those people then, and reminding
them of those that they had heard preaching him, that that same
Lord Jesus Christ was the same on that day as he had been when
he was on the earth, and indeed all through the Old Testament
times as well, since the beginning of the earth. And if we think
about that, if you think about that for a moment, perhaps you
have already thought about it. And it has such a significance,
doesn't it? It changes, perhaps, the whole
way that we might read the Bible, if it's not something that we
really, if I use the phrase, taken on board before. Because
as we read through the Bible, and we see, and we learn of the
Lord Jesus Christ, and we read of his grace, we learn of his
grace, we learn of his mercy, we learn of his love, and of
his compassion, of his obedience, of his reception of sinners,
of his eating with sinners. If we don't understand, and as
it were, fully take on board, if I can use that phrase again,
this verse, then all we're doing is reading history, aren't we?
We might understand history, we might understand what the
Lord Jesus was, as it were, in our heads at that time, what
he was upon the earth, but that isn't enough. It is to miss the
point, really, of what the Bible is about. And as the Lord may
help me, that is what I do desire to bring before you this afternoon,
that to look at really at some of those, just a very few of
the occasions, the many occasions really all through the Bible
where we read of the Lord Jesus Christ and just look at some
of the aspects of that. But it is from this point of
view that what we learn of the Lord Jesus Christ then is true
now. that the Lord Jesus Christ is just as loving and compassionate
and merciful and one still as receptive to sinners as he was
at the times of what we read. And then may the Holy Spirit
apply that to us. May the Lord give us that faith
that that might be applied to us, to believe this, that the
Lord Jesus Christ that we read of in the Bible is truly the
same, especially this today, today, here on this Saturday
in March 2023. So if you like, that's just a
few thoughts about the immediate context. just to speak very briefly
about this epistle to the Hebrews. And it seemed to me that, well,
in this epistle we have that wonderful explanation, don't
we, of how the Old Testament sacrifices and ordinances that
the Lord gave spoke of the Lord Jesus Christ. forgive me for
putting it this way but I've sometimes thought you know when
you come into a town or a village you sometimes see such and such
a place twinned with somewhere else often another country well
I almost feel that with Hebrews there should be a sign as it
were that said Hebrews twinned with Leviticus because the two
just go together so beautifully and if you read Leviticus you'll
see that it speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ How many blessings
there are if you look to read through that book of Leviticus
Which I feel is I speak for myself so often neglected and look at
them see the Lord Jesus Christ in there How many wonderful things
there are that speak of that? maybe some of you here that heard
me say this before but for example if I just turn back and I'm going
to just speak very briefly about this in Hebrews 10 verse 26 for
if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge
of the truth I don't want to go into that there's not time
this afternoon but that might be a snare perhaps to some now
if you go to the book of Leviticus with that question as it were
is there forgiveness for those that sin willfully And really
the question is, is there then forgiveness for me? And if you
look, you start reading through the book Leviticus, the first
few chapters, it goes all about the sacrifices that there are
for those that have sinned in ignorance. I'm going to speak
personally now. I can remember reading through
that gospel of Leviticus and going through those chapters
and thinking, no, it's still those that have sinned in ignorance.
Sacrifices for those that have sinned in ignorance. What about
my sins? The sins that I have done? Knowing really what I was
doing. Is there forgiveness for that?
And then I think you come to, I think it's, from memory, it's
either Leviticus 5 or 6, and you come then, and there was
an offering made for those that did sins, committed sins, knowing
what they were. For example, one who was told
to look after his neighbor's ox or ass, and then killed it
for their own advantage, and then lied about it, deceived
about it. There was an offering for that. So you see, that shows
us, that teaches us about the nature of the forgiveness and
the pardon that comes through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus
Christ. That's very brief, but just to illustrate what I mean,
how wonderfully those two books go together. And so we see in
this epistle to the Hebrews, we have this explanation of really what those
sacrifices set forth so graphically to the children of Israel at
the time. We're given the explanation of them and how they all point
to the Lord Jesus Christ. And it is at the end of this
book. See, this is what makes it so significant as it were.
If we read that and we were to think, yes, I can see now how
that explains Leviticus, why there were so many ordinances
and why the ordinances were given to the children of Israel. But
if we were not to appreciate and to realize and to believe
that the Lord Jesus Christ is the same today, then we would
be missing the point of that book, of this wonderful epistle
to the Hebrews. And so, again, in that wider
context of this epistle, how important is this verse? Jesus
Christ, the same yesterday and today and forever. Now, I want to just, as the Lord
may help us, just look at some of those wonderful attributes of the Lord
Jesus Christ. And bearing in mind this yesterday,
I want to go right back to that passage that we read in Genesis.
Now, perhaps there might be some discussion. Was this really the Lord Jesus
Christ that appeared to Jacob? Well, it is on this basis that
I would want to speak about this. It is because we read in verse
24, Jacob was left alone and there wrestled a man. The Bible
describes this as a man with him. But then if you come down
to verse 30, Jacob called the name of the place Peniel. And
the word Peniel, the margin tells us, means the face of God, the
face of God. So we have those two, as it were,
irrefutable things that the Bible tells us it was a man who was
God. And that to me speaks of the
Lord Jesus Christ, the wonderful son of God and also son of man. And so it's on that basis that
I want to just speak about really the wonders of the Lord Jesus
Christ that we have revealed to us in this very familiar passage.
But it is from this point of view that as the Lord may open
this up to us, as the Lord may bless this to us, and I do pray
that he would, that the Lord would give us that faith to believe
that the man, the Lord Jesus Christ that wrestled with Jacob,
is the same today as he was then and hasn't changed I wonder if this is one of those
passages really that because we are so familiar with it again
speaking perhaps for myself then it's easy perhaps to not really
think about it as we read it because we know it so well and
again as I was thinking about this then it struck me how strange
it was that Jacob should be wrestling, if you like, wrestling with God,
wrestling with, I believe, the Lord Jesus Christ. We don't read
of that anywhere else, do we? We read of people coming to the
Lord Jesus. We read of people speaking to
the Lord Jesus. We read of them, just him being
jostled in a crowd. We read of him being touched.
We read of him touching others, but I don't know as we read anywhere
else of anyone wrestling with the Lord Jesus. And have you
ever thought about how strange that was? Why were the two wrestling? Why was Jacob wrestling with
this man who was God? Well, I believe that we are,
the explanation comes in verse 26. As we read this account, I realize
that the pronouns can be quite confusing. It says he for both
of them, and sometimes it's quite hard to follow. But it is plain
really from the context. So verse 25, when the man, if
I may use that, if you'll allow me to use that title, when the
man saw that the man prevailed not against Jacob, the man touched
the hollow of Jacob's thigh. And the hollow of Jacob's thigh
was out of joint, as Jacob wrestled with the man. And the man said,
Let me go, for the day breaketh. And Jacob said, I will not let
thee go, except thou bless me. And the man said unto Jacob,
What is thy name? And Jacob said, Jacob. And the
man said, thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel, which
means a prince of God. For as a prince hast thou power
with God and with men, and hast prevailed. And then we read how
Jacob asks the man his name, and he is not given an answer.
Wherefore or why is it that thou dost ask after my name? And the
man, God, blessed Jacob there. Now, we see then that they were
wrestling because The man, Jesus, was, as it were, could not get
away from Jacob's hold. And in verse 26 he says, let
me go, let me get away for the day breaketh. And this was even
after he had touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh and put it out
of joint and How hard that would be to wrestle,
wouldn't it, if one of our legs was put out of joint? But that's
how it was for Jacob. And still, he would not let this
man who Jacob knew was a man of God at the very least, as
it were. He would not let him go. And why not? because he needed
a blessing. Because he needed a blessing.
And how amazing it is that we may look at Jacob and think what
need and what fervor there was in Jacob to make him wrestle
with the Lord Jesus. But look at it another way. How
wonderful it was that that man came to be with Jacob. In that
time, you know, it was Jacob's time of great need, wasn't it?
When he had heard that Esau was coming to basically to take his
revenge. What a time of great need it
was. And here was, as I said, I believe the Lord Jesus Christ
coming to be with Jacob and allowing Jacob to wrestle with him. Now,
I wanted to really especially bring to your attention this
afternoon, and may there be some encouragement perhaps for us,
is that the Lord Jesus Christ, he allowed Jacob to hold him,
to not let him go, Jacob to cling on to him, even after his leg
was put out of joint, to hold him in such a way that he could
not physically, humanly speaking, get away. Jesus allowed Jacob
to do that. And then, Jesus allowed Jacob
to constrain him to bless him. Now, what came into my mind is
that very beautiful chapter in Luke's gospel, Luke chapter 24,
and there are so many wonderful things in that chapter, aren't
there? The account of the two on the road to Emmaus, the resurrection
of the Lord Jesus Christ, but just One, four words in verse
29 of Luke chapter 24. They constrained him. This was
the Lord Jesus Christ. Again, he had drawn near to them.
They were walking away from Jerusalem. I cannot understand that really,
apart from as we see our own unbelief. Can't understand how
they could be walking away from the place where the things had
happened, where they'd been told that Jesus had risen again, but
they were. And Jesus himself drew near and
went with them. And then when they came to Emmaus,
Jesus, it says he made as though he would have gone further, as
though he would have carried on and said goodbye, as it were.
But then we read this, but they constrained him. Now to constrain
is quite a strong word, isn't it? It almost means to take away
any other options. So to take, as it were, and we
could perhaps easily pass over that. But think about what this
really was. It was two sinners. Two men, I believe, or perhaps
it may not have been men, but two people anyway. who had given
up on the Lord Jesus Christ as being their saviour. They said,
we believed, we trusted in the past tense that it had been he
which should have redeemed Israel. We don't trust anymore. They'd
given up on the Lord Jesus Christ. They'd been with the Lord Jesus
Christ. They'd had eyewitness accounts that the tomb was empty
and that he'd risen again. They had no doubt heard the Lord
Jesus Christ telling them what would happen at his death. But
still, they didn't believe. Those sinners, those unbelieving
sinners, they were able to constrain the Almighty God, the Son of
God, the Lord Jesus Christ. But they constrained him, saying,
abide with us. Oh, how wonderful is that power
of prayer. And it's just the same as it
was with Jacob there. His name was changed. but as a prince hast thou power
with God. What was that power? It wasn't down to anything about
Jacob intrinsically. There was no righteousness as
it were that God should grant him that power or anything like
that. It was the power of prayer. It
was that power of pleading with the Lord Jesus Christ. And it
is in that sense that I wanted to especially, it's been on my
mind to bring before you this afternoon. Oh, if there are those
who perhaps are praying for some particular matter, perhaps praying
for themselves, praying that the Lord would reveal himself
to them here this afternoon, or if there's some particular
thing, oh, may there be the encouragement to continue in prayer, to wrestle,
as it were, with the Lord Jesus Christ, to not let him go. This
is the Lord Jesus, this is the mercy of God, isn't it? The mercy,
the compassion, the love of the Lord Jesus. We sung that hymn,
that first hymn was about the Trinity, wasn't it? And what
a wonderful hymn that was. And here we have, as it were,
the mighty plan of salvation, the covenant that the Trinity
made to rescue a fallen man. May the Lord encourage us then.
It may be that sometimes we, like Jacob, I don't know if he
wrestled all night or not, I don't think that's perhaps clear, but
it wasn't till dawn that he wrestled with this man, but there must
have been times when he felt he wasn't going anywhere, when
he felt his energy was just being sapped for no reason as it were,
that he would never get anywhere with this. But I will not let
thee go, except thou bless me." It was his need for a blessing.
And if there is one, perhaps or more, here this afternoon,
that the Lord has, as it were, put in our hearts and our minds,
that need for a blessing. May the Lord encourage us to
continue in prayer, to wrestle with the Lord. Remember, he is
a God that, as it were, hears those prayers, a God that doesn't
take offense at those who say to him, I will not let thee go,
except thou bless me. Perhaps you fear to say that,
knowing that you have no right to say it, that we are sinners
and we cannot claim anything from the Lord. May the Lord encourage
us to say, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And,
or but, they constrained him. They constrained him. He could
not go any further. But he went in, saying, abide
with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is fast end. the power of prayer there. Now,
there are, I'm sure there are many other instances that are
in your mind as we think about this, of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and how can we really choose between them. So I'm just, without
really apology, going through those things which are coming
to my mind. of the Lord Jesus Christ. And one of those, another attribute of the Lord
Jesus Christ I wanted to draw your attention to is what we
see of him in that John chapter 9. This has been a chapter that
was very blessed to me. It was not the first part of
the Bible that the Lord spoke to me from, but it was the first
time that the Lord Jesus spoke to me from his word in such a
way that it overwhelmed all my objections, all my unbelief. It came with overwhelming power
at a time when Mr. Warboys was preaching. So it
is a very precious chapter to me. But just a few things I wanted
to say about that. First of all, as it begins, we
read this. As Jesus passed by, he saw a
man which was blind from his birth. Again, just as it was
with Jacob, Jesus had drawn near. He had drawn near. He came, didn't
he? At Christmas, we consider that
a very precious name. given to the Lord Jesus, Emmanuel,
God with us. Perhaps we should remember that
every week, at least. Emmanuel, God with us. Because
as we read through the Gospels, we see just a little really of
how blessed it was and what it really meant when Jesus God came
to be with his people as Jesus passed by he saw a man which
was blind from his birth and it comes into my mind as well
Bartimaeus as Jesus was passing by now Jesus came near and it
was because Jesus came near And really because Jesus had been
working in the heart of Bartimaeus, that Bartimaeus was able to,
humanly speaking, to call out so that Jesus could hear him.
If Jesus had not come to the earth, then Bartimaeus could
not, humanly speaking, have called out in the way that he did. But
Jesus came there, and he cried out, didn't he? And he cried
out, a little bit like Jacob, really. He was discouraged. As
he prayed, he was discouraged by those around him. And again,
it may be that there are many things that might discourage
us about prayer. But Bartimaeus, he cried so much
the more, didn't he? And we read how Jesus stood still
and commanded that he should be brought to him. What wonderful
words they are. But in this chapter, again, there's
so much that we could speak of, and there isn't time, but in
this chapter, for example, we read of just a little glimpse,
really, of how the Lord works, how Jesus works, really. And
the disciples asked this question. They were accusing this man or
his parents of having sinned in a very grievous, perhaps,
or offensive way. and that this blindness was the
punishment for that. And what did Jesus say? Neither
hath this man sinned, nor his parents, but that the works of
God should be manifest in him. Again, perhaps it may be as we
go through particular trials, particular times of difficulty,
times that we cannot understand, and perhaps that thought might
be in our minds, is this the Lord punishing me? We know what
we deserve, don't we? Well, I trust we know what we
deserve. But how wonderful is this answer that Jesus gave?
Not because this man has sinned. It doesn't mean he was perfect,
of course. But it was so that the works of God should be made
manifest in him. But you notice that in this man,
in John chapter 9, the Lord worked and he didn't actually see the
Lord Jesus. Jesus worked in his heart and
in his soul and he made him able to see physically. But at no
point, to begin with, had this man seen Jesus. He'd heard his
voice, but he hadn't seen him. I want to come right down to
verse 35. And in the chapter before this,
we read really how this poor blind man was really rejected
by everyone that knew him. By his friends, they didn't believe
him, they questioned him. By his family, they didn't stick
up for him. That's quite Quite harsh, isn't it? When even his
parents, when he was in front of the Pharisees, his parents
were more afraid of the Pharisees than they loved their son. They
wouldn't stick up for him. No one, no one rejoiced with
him and said how wonderful it was, what an amazing thing it
was that this poor man had received his sight. He was just subject
to accusations and challenged and questioned. No one actually
rejoiced with him. And so his parents really didn't
quite disown him, but they didn't really want to be associated
with him. As I said, they're more afraid of the Pharisees.
The Pharisees questioned him. They wouldn't believe him. They
criticized him for believing on the Lord Jesus Christ because
he knew what had been done to him. one thing I know that whereas
I was blind now I see and so eventually he was almost by himself
and how sad that is that there was no one pleased for this man
pleased for what happened to him well that's why I come to
verse 35 and what a precious verse this is we preached from
it or mentioned it at Oakington some weeks ago Jesus heard that
they had cast him out, and when he had found him. Just those
simple facts that Jesus knew. Jesus knew what was going on
in the life of this man. Jesus knew that all these people
had cast him out, didn't want to know him. Jesus heard that,
and when he had found him. Jesus, I am the Good Shepherd,
going to seek and to save that which was lost. He would not
leave it with that man, as it were, half converted, with just
the work begun in him. He would not just leave it so
that he had opened his eyes so that he could see. No. He came
back so the man could see Jesus. He could see his savior. And
when he had found him, and I do love to think of the Lord Jesus,
as it were, for that, I don't know how long it took for him
to find that man. In one sense, he would have known exactly where
he was, wouldn't he? But think of the Lord making
his way, and that was his set purpose. There's one particular
man that I must find. This is where I'm going. But
the disciples, why are you going this way, Jesus? There's one
person I've got to find. And it was this man, because
he's been cast out, and he doesn't yet know me. He doesn't yet know
enough to believe on me. When he had found him, he said
unto him, dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and
said, who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said,
Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday
and today and forever. And as we read this about the
Lord Jesus, how the Lord Jesus dealt with this blind man, this
man that had been blind from his birth, what the Lord did,
and especially the one thing that I have picked out from this
wonderful chapter about how the Lord went and found him again,
it is the same Lord Jesus today. What hope and encouragement there
is for us, isn't there? Perhaps we may feel sometimes
that we do not know the Lord. Perhaps sometimes there is that thought that perhaps the Lord
has begun to work in me. Perhaps we feel differently about
the services than we did before. Perhaps there is that desire
to read the Bible. Perhaps we are trying to pray.
What encouragement there is that the Lord will not leave us there,
not leave us, as it were, just as seekers, because there is
no salvation just while we are a seeker. But the Lord will bring
us to that point where we see him. What encouragement there
is there. Now, how many other things that
we could speak of of the Lord Jesus Christ? My mind goes to
the compassion of the Lord Jesus Christ. And again, we can read
those Examples, can't we, in the New Testament of the compassion
of the Lord Jesus. And at those times, when that
leper came and said unto him, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst
make me clean. And we read how Jesus was moved
with compassion and put forth his hand and touched him and
said, I will be thou clean. Just think about that for a moment.
Just think about that leper, how he must have appeared. with
the result of the disease no doubt apparent on him, separated,
keeping himself separate from other people, using whatever
means he would have needed to, to proclaim the fact that he
was a leper and unclean. You can read about that again
in the book of Leviticus and how again that sets forth sin.
Think about that and then think about this, that the eternal
God, the God who had made heaven and earth, the God against whom
this man had been such a sinner, that very same God didn't just
forgive him, didn't just pardon him, didn't just wash away his
sins with his blood, but that very same God, the Lord Jesus
Christ, the Son of God, came down to be in front of that leper,
to be where that leper could come to him, And when that leper
spoke to him, that very same God, that holy God, put forth
his hand and touched him, touched that man of sin. And oh, may
we, may the Lord help us to see by faith the wonders of this. It does, it's hard to understand,
isn't it? It's hard to take in when we
see the wonder of really what happened there. the Lord Jesus
Christ, eternal son of God, God himself on earth, and actually
not just as it were receiving that sinner, not just not as
it were consuming that sinner with fire and having mercy on
him, but that same God having compassion on him, being moved
with compassion. We read that in other places,
don't we? Even where the multitude have been with Jesus for a few
days. And we read how Jesus moved with compassion. Then asked the
disciples about feeding them. When shall we buy bread? Or give
them something to eat, I believe the Lord said. Moved with compassion. How wonderful is the Lord's compassion. Now I'm going to leave it there
as I see the time is almost gone. May the Lord lead us, perhaps
in further meditation, about this. Especially if you read
through the Bible, it is not just a historical account, is
it? It's more than that, so much more than that. And it is this,
that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today. And then
I want to close on this thought. I haven't said anything about
and forever. And forever. but oh may the Lord
bring each of us Give us that desire and that longing to be
with him forever. To think about what that is,
to be with Jesus in heaven, to see him face to face. We have
all these hindrances at the moment, don't we? Our sins, especially the hindrance of our
sins, the paralysis of our sins. Even when we want to come to
worship him, we feel our sins, don't we, hindering us. there's
that and then there's all the weight and the guilt of our sins
all of that taken away and given the ability to worship and to
praise the Lord Jesus Christ for what he has done and for
the application the grace that he has shown to us and the love
that he has shown to us and not to have a fixed period of time
in which to do it so that it's limited but to have a forever
in which to worship him, to fall down before him, to sing his
praises in voices that are beautiful and divine, or heavenly voices,
to have nothing between us and the Lord Jesus, as it were, to
see him, as the apostle said, face to face, and that will be
forever. What a lovely, wonderful prospect
that is. May the Lord bless these few
thoughts and forgive how little really we have addressed
this subject. Jesus Christ, the same, yesterday
and today and forever. Amen. Let us sing our concluding prose
in the Hymn 215, the True Contemplation 117. Free grace to every heaven-born
soul, who will be there constantly, long as eternal age is wrought,
thou still adores the man. May I be found a living stone
in Salem's streets above, and help to see before the throne
free grace and dying love. 215, tune 117. Long as eternal ages roll, Thou still
art all our life. all lamenting eyes, can raise
our souls from guilty fears to joy that never dies. ? Let it's health outbreed ? ?
And take it's sting away ? ? And souls unto the utmost save ?
? And them to encompass ? With shouting, ringing forth
the hymns of victory. Since I be found no living stone
In Salem's streets above, And have to sing before
the throne, Dear Lord, we again ask thy pardon
for all that may have been amiss in thy eyes and ears in our service. O Lord, we do pray that thou
wouldst give us those eyes of faith to see that the Lord Jesus
Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. And O
Lord, if there may be those at times when we wonder, can I be
forgiven? Will the Lord help me? Lord,
do help us to turn to thy word and to read of those times when
thou didst help the outcasts, the helpless, the sinners, and
didst receive them. And Lord, may we then have that
faith to know that thou wilt also receive us as well. Our
Lord, may the grace of the Lord Jesus, the love of God, and the
communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all. Amen. Looking at the calendar this
morning, I was struck by the fact that the text was that last
verse in the book of Psalms, Psalm 150 and verse 6. Let every finger of that breath
praise the Lord, praise ye the Lord. And I think it's appropriate
that we should sing now the doxology as we desire again to return
thanks to God for preserving the testimony here now in Portmouth,
210 years, and that the Lord Jesus
Christ, as we've been reminded this afternoon, is the same today
as he was 210 years ago, and will be, of course, forever. Let us stand then to sing the
doxology. Praise God from whom all blessings
flow. Praise him, all creatures here
below. Praise him above. the heavenly host, praise Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost. It's 506 A. of course in the
hymn. Let us stand and sing. Praise Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost. Please be seated. As usual, a buffet tea is provided. We do hope you'll be able to
stay and join us and share that food for a little while. I think
you're all aware of the procedure here. have the food laid out
in the room behind me and if you go through the door on your
right into that room, take a plate and then come through with your
food to the table here and tea, coffee and soft drinks I think
are to be served. Also this afternoon there is
a bookstore provided by our deacon, Mr David Parsons. Avoid yourselves
of looking at the books that are laid out there. That's about
everything, really. Let us just ask the Lord's blessing
on these people. Let us pray. Our God, we come
again to plead the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, we thank
Thee, Lord, that sinners can enjoy this blessing. This boldness
is accessed with confidence by the faith of Him. And Lord, we
have much to be thankful for. We thank You for the ministry
of Thy Word, O Lord, my deeply, eat and drink to our souls. And
now, Lord, we receive our thanks for the foods. We think of the
kind hands that have prepared it, Lord, to help us to receive
and to eat and to drink to Thy glory. O Lord, hear us in all
these We ask for Christ's sake. Amen. There was one other thing I was
going to mention and I apologise. I don't think the heating's been
working properly this afternoon. It's fine, I'm thirsty for bread.
But I've been climbing around the chimney. I need to make an
apology for the poorness of the building. It's much more than
we'd like to know. We've all got to be honest. Henry. Thanks. You had the presence of mind
to turn it off? No, I didn't. I think the pressing cutoff was
the wrong thing.