Boy, what a good looking crowd. I'm so thankful to be here. It's a miracle of God's grace that anybody would want to be
here. That you would desire to be here. And that the Lord has raised
up a candlestick in Kingsport, Tennessee. I thank the Lord for
you. As you come through my mind,
I ask the Lord's blessing on you as I do on the other assemblies
the Lord's raised up thankful. I'm going to ask you to turn
back to the passage Brother Bob read while ago, John 14. And I'd like to look for just
a few minutes at that last verse that he read. And as I was thinking over that
last verse just a moment ago, before I came up, I thought to
myself just a few words Just a few words. But all. Who said him? Who said him? That's that's the issue. I could
tell you that. And it carries. No weight at
all. But for him who is the way. And
the truth. And the life. These are words
that God's people can live by and die by. The Lord was soon to leave this
world. He was going to the cross. He
would die for his people, be buried, raised from the dead,
and ascend back to his father. His disciples had been with him
for now over three years. And he knew, he knew their, their
heart. He knew the sorrow that they
felt. He, he told them in verse 16,
he said, I will pray the father and he'll give you another comforter. that he may abide with you forever. And here was going to be the
comforter that was going to come and abide with them forever. The spirit of truth whom the
world cannot receive because it seeth him not, neither knoweth
him. The world All born in Adam, ruined
in the fall. No life. They can't know Him. They can't see Him. Impossible. But the Lord said, but you know
Him. For He dwelleth with you. It was the Lord Jesus Christ
right here in whom dwelled all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. The one who as the God man was
given the spirit without measure. All of God's spirit dwelt in
him. And here he promised him. He
said, I'm going to pray the father. I'm going to, I'm going to pray.
And the father will give you another comforter. He's going
to dwell with you, be in you. And then he tells them in verse
18, I will not leave you orphans. I'm not going to leave you comfortless. I will come to you. God's people are pilgrims. That's what scripture says are
pilgrims and strangers in this world. Really many of you work
and you have to go out into the world and you're, you're, you're
in the world. You're in the world. Lord says,
you're not of it. And you have a lot of acquaintances
in the world. You go places, you have business
dealings, you have, you know. But the only place that you have
any fellowship, right here, in places like this. Here we are, we're traveling
through this world, and you're a stranger. You're a stranger. to this world's religion. You're
a stranger to this world, yes, but it's the religion of this
world that you, you're not of it. Many of you, the Lord's called,
I know for myself, called me out of false religion. Going to church, doing what I
thought was right, He told me I was to give my heart
to the Lord. I thought I had. I'd done everything
that I thought I was supposed to do and felt comfortable in
myself. A dead conscience can console
itself. But when it pleased the Lord,
as Paul said, who separated me from my mother's womb, called
me by His grace, gave me a new heart immediately. He said, I was not conferring
with flesh and blood. The Lord himself had taught Paul
as he does all of God's sheep. Come out from among them. Be
you separate, saith the Lord. God does not leave his people
to an unmerciful world. He doesn't leave them to provide
for themselves, Scratch out a meager existence, trying to do the best
that they can. He's promised my sheep. They're going to hear my voice. I know them and they follow me. Now that's the truth. He who
is the truth. Who is this one, the truth? I'll tell you who he is. He's
God Almighty. He's God. He's the Lord. And he's the bridegroom of the
bride. Who are his people? They're his people. They're heirs
of God and they're joint heirs with Christ. I'm not going to leave you comfortless. He who said that he's the truth
has given his word on that. I will not. What loving parent would leave
his child, his children destitute. And he who has eternally stood
as the surety of his sheep. As I've said before, I don't
know how to, I don't know how to verbalize eternity. Everything that we say, we speak
in time. I've heard people say, well,
eternity past, eternity future, and I understand it. But all
I know is that he who has eternally stood as the surety in that everlasting
covenant of grace, he who has ever purposed, I will, I will
answer. I will bear the guilt of my people. He who has everlastingly stood
as the righteousness in whom God's people are going to be
accepted in Him. I'm not going to leave you comfortless. Isaiah 49 15 says, Can a woman
forget her sucking child? that she should not have compassion
on the son of her womb. I've thought about a young mother having a baby that would be nursing
and a baby that would be hungry and crying out for food and a
mother that would just forget. Here's the baby crying out You say there's something wrong
here, there's something desperately wrong here. Do you not hear that
baby crying? Can a woman forget her sucking
child that she should not have compassion on the son of her
womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. I'm not gonna forget you. Psalm 2710, when my father and
my mother forsake me. then the Lord will take me up.
There is one, there's one that we can depend on. Gabe, I'd never purposefully
forsake you. But I could. He won't. I will not leave you comfort. I will come to you. He, after
his resurrection, The scripture says, turn with me to John 20.
John 20, verse 19. After his resurrection, the scripture
says in verse 14. John 20, 14. Mary Magdalene had
come to the tomb and verse 14 says, and when she had thus said,
she turned herself back and saw Jesus standing and knew not that
it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman,
why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? She, supposing
him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne
him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I'll take
him away. And Jesus saith unto her, Mary, Mary and she knew that voice and she
turned herself and saith unto him Rabboni which is to say master
just his voice he gave his word I'm not going to leave you comfort
I will come to you to his disciples on the road to Emmaus, and they
got to the road where they were going to turn to go to their
house, and he made it appear as though that he would go farther. And they besought him, saying,
you know it's late in the day. Won't you come in and sit down
with us? The scripture says that he sat down and he broke bread. And when he broke the bread,
Their eyes were open. Their eyes had been holding.
And He broke that bread and their eyes were open and they knew
Him. And the scripture says He left
them. This was their conclusion. As
He began with Moses back on the road and all the prophets, He
expounded unto them in all the scriptures those things concerning
Himself. This was the conclusion. Did not our heart burn within
us? Every time I read that passage
of scripture, I think, Lord, ignite my heart. Lord, would
you give me a heart? Lord, come to me. I know this. If he gives me a
heart to say that, he's already come. His disciples were hiding, John
20, verse 19, because of the fear of the Jews. John 20, 19,
the same day at evening, being the first day of the week when
the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for
fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst and said
unto them, peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he showed
unto them his hands and his side. This was the very ones that had
witnessed and then left and fled. They saw him redeem them. They saw him lay down his life
for his sheep. They saw him shed his blood They
fled. And here they are hiding now,
three days later. He's in the midst of them. And
when he had said unto them, peace be unto you, he showed them his
hands in his side. And then were the disciples glad
when they saw the Lord. I'm not going to leave you comfortless.
I will come to you. Disciples, John 21, at the Sea
of Tiberias, verse 4, When the morning was now come,
Jesus stood on the shore. But the disciples knew not that
it was Jesus. Then Jesus saith unto them, Children,
have ye any meat? They answered him, No. And he
said unto them, cast the net on the right side of the ship
and you shall find they cast therefore and now they were not
able to draw it for the multitude of fishes therefore that disciple
whom Jesus loved that's that's there's another one I just have
to just pause just for a second I know it was John I know it
was John who penned this didn't even say, then I said
to Peter, no he said, the disciples, the disciple whom Jesus loved,
said to Peter, it's the Lord. It's the Lord. He didn't leave us comfortless.
He did come. I know this, When it pleases
God, he who was promised, I will not leave you comfortless. I
will come to you in regenerating grace. Just like Paul on the
road to Damascus, the scripture sets for turn, turn their acts,
chapter nine, acts nine. Acts 9, verse 3, as he journeyed,
he came near Damascus and suddenly there shined round about him
a light from heaven. He fell to the earth and heard
a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I'm Jesus,
whom thou persecutest. It's hard for thee to kick. against
the pricks, and he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what
wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise,
go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. Our precious Savior, whose word
is forever, whose word shall absolutely accomplish the purpose
for which it was sent, said unto his disciples in Matthew 28 20,
Lo, I'm with you all way, even until the end of the world. Then
he said, Amen. So be it. It is so. A believer hears the word of
the Lord, hears the promise of the Lord's presence. I think
about our Lord who said, where two or three are gathered together
in my name, I'm in the midst of you. And I think what a privilege,
what a blessing to be able to say, Lord, that you would be
here. Lord, that you would hear the
words. that are being spoken. Lord may they be to your honor,
be to the good of your people. The believer in his heart says,
Lord you that has come to me in regenerating grace, Lord you
that truly has never left me, never forsaken me, Lord as I come to you I know
I do because you came to me. Then I know this, in the hour
of believers departure. We were just talking about our
dear sister, Mary. I know this. I spoke with Donnie
a while back. Some of you know by experience
what I'm about to say. I told Donnie, I said, Donnie,
you're going to see the grace of God. you'll see the grace
of God. The Lord does not leave his people
comfortless. I will not leave you as an orphan. I will not leave you to yourself.
I will come to you. Precious in the sight of the
Lord is the death of his saints. That's a precious thing. and
I realized that this flesh we have a new man that longs
to be with the Lord we've got a flesh that longs to be in this
world and that's just the way it is we've got an old man that
doesn't want to go anywhere and we war I know that but in Acts chapter 7 verse 55
I want you to turn with me here as I come to this. Acts 7.55. I want
to read something that the Lord said was precious. Now the Lord
said this is precious. I want to read about the precious
departure. Precious in the sight of the
Lord is the death of His saints. I want to read something that
the Lord has set forth by His Holy Spirit that confirms our
Lord's Word. I'm not going to leave you. I
will not leave you comfortless. Listen to this precious departure.
I'll start in verse 54. When they heard these things,
Stephen had been preaching, and scripture says those that heard
him, those Jews that heard him, when they heard these things
they were cut to the heart and they gnashed on him with their
teeth. But he being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly
into heaven, and saw the glory of God and
Jesus standing on the right hand of God. Now here is our Lord
who promised His people, I will not leave you comfortless. I will come to you. And here
was Stephen and Almighty God removed the scales from his eyes
and he saw what was actually there. Nobody else saw it, but
Stephen saw it. He said, I see heaven open. I'm looking and I see, I see
the glory of God. I see the fullness of the Godhead
bodily. I'm looking. I see the Lord Jesus
Christ. And he's standing on the right
hand of God. And said, Behold, I see the heavens
opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God. Then
they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran
upon him with one accord, and cast him out of the city, and
stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their
clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul, and they
stoned Stephen. While Stephen, calling upon God,
saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down and
cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.
And when he had said this, he fell asleep. Stephen was leaving this world. He died as a martyr and the Lord
Jesus Christ absolutely in the very moment of his departure. Take heart, believer. Take heart. Here's our Lord's word. He who has everlastingly loved
us, loved his people. He who saw us ruined in that
fall in Adam's rebellion. He who came into this world made
flesh that he might be made sin. He who knew no sin was made sin
for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. He who has eternally loved us,
stood for us, lived for us, died for us, intercedes for us, ever
liveth to make intercession for us. He said, I'm not going to leave
you. He who looks upon his bride and says in Song of Solomon,
you have ravished me with one of your eyes. Lord, you are the truth, you're
the truth. And Lord, you would look upon
me and say that concerning me robed in his righteousness, redeemed
by his, washed by his blood. We stand in him absolutely complete. There's no condemnation to them
that be in Him. Christ Jesus, who walked not
after the flesh, He said, I'm not going to leave you. I'm not
going to forsake you. I'll not leave you comfortless.
I will come to you. Last verse. 1 Thessalonians 4. 1 Thessalonians 4. That final consummation of all
His promises. 1 Thessalonians 4. Verse 13. The Apostle Paul, under the inspiration
of God's Spirit, said, But I would not have you to be ignorant,
brethren. Isn't it wonderful that God doesn't
leave? He said, I'm not going to leave
you ignorant. I'm not going to leave you where
you don't know. I would not have you to be ignorant. You know
who said that? You say the Apostle Paul. He
penned it. But I'll tell you who said it.
The Spirit of God said it. I would not have you to be ignorant,
brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that you sorrow not,
even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that
Jesus died and rose again, even so, them also which sleep in
Jesus will God bring with him. Now, right there, to eliminate
any of our ignorance, the scriptures has set forth that the Lord Jesus
Christ, in whom all the souls of his
departed people are with, absent from this body present with the
Lord. The body is in the ground, sleeping. It was planted in corruption. It's going to be raised in incorruption.
It's going to be changed. That's what the Lord said. For this we say unto you by the
word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the
coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend
from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, with
the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then
we, which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with
them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall
we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another
with these words. Our Lord said this, I will not leave you comfortless. That's the only comfort that
I can have. That's the only comfort I got.
That's all I got. I'm a frail creature. I'm a dying man. This body is going to die. I know that. But I'll tell you
this, based on His Word and by the grace of God that He would
give me a heart to believe it, I know that He will not leave
me comfortless. No matter what. Come what may,
because I know this, he rules in the army of heaven among the
inhabitants of the earth. He orders, he worketh all things
after the counsel of his own will. So whatever comes my way
is by his good appointment. And therefore, it's for my good
and his glory, but in the trials, the chastisements, which proves
his love for me. The flesh doesn't see that, but
the spirit within that new man says, I know that this is for
my good. And I know there's a war. Believe
me, the spirit and flesh strive one with another. But sin doesn't
have dominion over God's people. And God's people can truthfully
say, the Lord is my shepherd. And he said he's not going to
leave me comfortless. He said he's going to come to
me. Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen.