Many, many years ago, a young
preacher in London spent the afternoon with an older preacher
that he greatly admired, a veteran gospel preacher from whom he
had learned much. The year was 1768. The young
preacher was Augustus Toplady, who wrote many of our best hymns,
including Rock of Ages. The older preacher was a man
named Mr. Brewer. I don't know anything at all
about him except what Toplady tells us he told him on that
hot July afternoon more than 250 years ago. Toplady thought
the words were worth writing down and I'm glad he did. This
is what Mr. Brewer said to his young friend
as they were about to part company, I cannot conclude without reminding
you, my young brother, of some things that may be of use to
you in the course of your ministry. Number one, he said, preach Christ
crucified. Dwell chiefly on the blessing
resulting from his righteousness, his atonement, and his intercession. Number two, Avoid all needless
controversy in the pulpit, except when your subject necessarily
requires it, or when the truths of God are likely to suffer by
your silence. Number three, Mr. Brewer said
to Top Lady, when you ascend the pulpit, leave your learning
behind you. Endeavor to preach more to the
hearts of your people than to their heads. And then he said,
do not affect too much oratory. Seek rather to profit men than
to be admired of men. I cannot imagine four more needful
admonitions. Every preacher needs to constantly
remind himself of these things. I try with diligence to remember
these things and give heed to them every time I preach to you.
And I do so this evening. I'm going to talk to you tonight
about the desires of my heart. In doing so, I want to speak
to your hearts. Now let me tell you, Three things
by way of introduction. Number one, I know that I'm a
sinner. The man talking to you is a sinner. That's not just a point of doctrine. It's one thing to believe in
total depravity. It's something else to know your
own depravity. I know that I am a sinner. I was born in sin. I went forth
from the womb like all other men speaking lies, and I chose
the path of rebellion all the days of my life. I despised God's
grace, blasphemed his son, and refused to seek his mercy with
all the stubbornness of a rebel heart. I have never done and
I am not capable of doing any good thing. I hope that acknowledgement rings
in your soul. I know that I'm a sinner, a sinner
fully deserving of God's wrath, fully deserving to be among the
damned in hell forever on my own merit. That's what I am. That's what I deserve. But secondly,
bless his name, God has saved me from my sins. By his free
sovereign grace in the Lord Jesus, his dear son, he saved me. The apostle said, know ye not
that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be
not deceived, neither fornicators nor idolaters, nor adulterers,
nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor
thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners,
shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. Those things some of you practiced, like me,
all of them. And if not all, you all have
practiced some of them. And such were some of you. But
ye are washed, you're sanctified, but you're justified in the name
of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. God the Father
chose me to be his own from everlasting. God the Son redeemed me with
his precious blood at Calvary. God the Holy Spirit called me
by his omnipotent grace, sweetly forcing me to believe on Christ
and bow to him. I was cast out as an unwanted,
useless thing, but he came to me in the time of love. I was
dead beyond the reach of any help except tears, but he raised
me from the dead. Like Mephibosheth, I was in a
place of misery and he fetched me. Like Gomer, I was running
from him. But he found me, called me to
himself, married himself to my soul and married my soul to him.
He brought me to his house and his banner over me was love.
I am by nature a worthless piece of human flesh of use to no one. and good for
nothing. That's not a pretense of humility. That's a stark reality. But God
called me by his grace, made me an heir of heaven, an heir
of Jesus Christ, joint heir with his dear son. And not only that,
He put me into the ministry. And God Almighty, in His infinite
goodness, mercy, wisdom, and grace, is pleased to take such
things as this and use them for the benefit
of others to their everlasting good. Turn to 1 Corinthians 1. First Corinthians Chapter 1.
We were discussing in the office just a little bit ago the blessings
God's put upon us as a congregation, the ministry he's given us here
and around the world. Don't let it go to your head. Verse 26, First Corinthians 1.
You see your calling, brethren? How that not many wise men after
the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. Not many real smart fellows,
not many in the what's called the upper crust of society, not
many strong, mighty men are called. But God has chosen the foolish
things of the world. to confound the wise. God hath
chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things
which are mighty, and base things of the world, and things which
are despised hath God chosen ye, and things which are not
to bring to naught the things that are. And here's the reason
God uses such things as the one talking to you now. Here's the
reason God uses such things as you and I collectively for the
spread of his gospel, the increase of his kingdom, the saving of
his people, that no flesh should glory in his presence. We have
this treasure, Paul said. We have this treasure, the treasure
of the gospel of God's grace in earthen vessels in these broken clay pots, that the excellency
of the power may be of God and not of us. But of him are ye
in Christ Jesus, who of God has made into us wisdom and righteousness
and sanctification and redemption, that according as it is written,
he that gloryeth, let him glory in the Lord. Now, here's the
third thing. In the light of these things,
I know I am a sinner. God saved me by his grace. In
the light of these things, it should be obvious to all, and
I thank God with me it is a matter of increasing conscious conviction. I owe everything to God my Savior. Everything. Everything. I beseech you, therefore, Paul
said, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies
a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable
service. That's the only thing that makes
any sense. That's the only thing that makes any sense, just your
reasonable service. God, who delivered my soul from
the lowest hell, has a rightful claim upon me, upon everything
about me. You're not your own. You're bought
with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your
body and in your spirits, which are God's. These are not matters
of theory, they're not matters of doctrinal orthodoxy, but matters
of experience and deep conviction. For almost 44 years now, I have
been the conscious, constant recipient. The conscious, constant recipient. of God's infinite, amazing grace. I've never yet gotten over the
wonder of this fact. The Lord God saved me. Amazing grace, how sweet the
sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now
am found, was blind. But now I say, I've never gotten
over the wonder of that. I pray that tomorrow when I awake,
I will yet be in greater wonder and astonishment. All that I've
experienced of God's grace has inspired and constantly presses
upon me the pursuit of five great desires. Turn with me to Psalm
38. of the Darren Duff read this
to us two weeks ago. And I've been studying it ever
since. Without question, the psalm primarily
must be applied to the Lord Jesus. And the Lord willing, in a few
weeks, the time I will show you that. But it's also David's psalm. He calls it in the title a psalm
to bring to remembrance. Psalm 38 verse 9. Lord, all my desire is before
Thee, and my groaning is not hid from Thee. The desires of
a man's heart are the things for which he groans. The desires of your heart are
things that lay heavy on you all the time. Things that you constantly groan for. Things that you earnestly, earnestly
pursue. Now let me talk to you for a
few minutes about my desires. These five things, one day as
I was studying, The scriptures, I was reading a book and I wrote
these things down in the back of the book as a prayer, prayer
to God. I wrote them down as they came
to my mind and I've not shared them with anyone except as I
prepared to preach this message. Long ago, I gave up and nailed
to the cross all aspirations for fame, power, property, wealth,
and even earthly tranquility and ease. Now, don't misunderstand
me. My flesh craves those things
just like yours does. But my heart honestly, earnestly
craves liberty from the bondage that such pursuits bring. How men bind themselves. to earthly cares that are just
vanity. Just vanity. I have no desire
for those dead weights. Here are the things I do desire. I won't be long. Number one,
I desire God's favor. Look in the 119th Psalm. Being convinced of my sin and
condemnation before the holy Lord God, I desire the favor
of God. Psalm 119 verse 58. I entreat thy favor with my whole
heart. Be merciful unto me according
to thy word. I know that God's favor is in
Christ. In thy favor, our horns shall
be exalted, the psalmist said. I'm fully aware that God's favor
to men is never given to men except in Christ and because
of Christ. And I know that I have God's
favor. That's a sweeter consolation
than anyone can imagine or describe, except those who know it. I live
every day in God's favor, accepted in the beloved. I live every
day with the smile of God upon me. Sometimes he shows it. Sometimes he hides his face.
But I live consciously in God's favor all the time. And I know
that God's favor alone is my strength. Lord, by thy favor,
thou hast made my mountain to stand strong. So long as I'm
conscious of God's favor, I'm strong. And no one can terrify
me. No trouble can harm me. There
are times, however, when God hides his face from me and I'm
troubled. There's a reason for that. We
must never presume upon God's favor. We must never take God's
favor as a light thing, a matter of indifference. We must never
be content to walk in this world without the consciousness of
God's favor. And when we've lost his favor,
let us seek it earnestly and seek it immediately. Come boldly to the throne of
grace to obtain the mercy that you need, the grace that you
need in every time of need. In the Song of Solomon, the fifth
chapter, Solomon gives us that inspired
record of the Lord Jesus knocking at the door of his beloved, his
chosen spouse, his bride, his church, knocking at the door
for entrance. And we respond, I put off my
coat. How shall I put it on? Don't
bother me now. And that's not the occasional
response. That's not the occasional response.
How often God speaks and we deliberately turn our attention and our minds
to something worthless. And the Lord Jesus put his whole
hand in by the hole of the door. puts his hand right in your heart,
and makes you crave him more than life itself. And the spouse
speaks and says, I rose and opened to my beloved, but he had withdrawn. He was gone. But he left sweet-smelling
myrrh on the door, and I ran after him. And I pursued him,
and I couldn't find him until at last I met the watchmen in
the streets, and they took my veil away from me, and they said,
it's your fault. And I acknowledged that, and
at last I found him whom my soul loveth. That's the picture that's
constantly repeated in the Song of Solomon. It is not occasionally
that we treat his favor with indifference. It's not occasionally
that we turn from Him, deliberately turn from Him when He would speak
to us and make Himself known to us. And so we are compelled
by His grace ever to seek His favor, to seek Him that He might
cause us to walk with Him and rest in Him. Second, with every
fiber of my being, I want to be conformed to the image of
Him who is the image of God. Conformed to Christ my Redeemer. Turn to Philippians chapter 3. I know that one day soon I shall
be like Him. In glory, I shall be perfectly
holy without sin, without one wrinkle, without one infirmity,
with no traces of sin left upon me. The Lord God chose me to
that end. He predestined that it should
be. Christ died to secure it, and the Holy Spirit preserves
me for it. I shall one day be completely
conformed to Christ. And I know that I am even now
perfect in Christ Jesus. But I want here and now to live in this world as God
my Savior lived in this world as a man. I want to live in this
world as Jehovah's righteous servant just as my substitute
did. That means I want truly to love you who are
God's. By this shall all men know that
you're my disciples if you have love one for another. We know
that we love him that loves God if we love God and keep his commandments. I want to love you. genuinely
love God's people. What is that? Merle Hart, to
love somebody means that you laid down your life for them.
That's what it means. You sacrifice your life for them. I love my wife, I'd be willing
to die for her. Well, why don't you then? Lay down your life for them.
Lay out your life entirely to the objects of your love. We
all do. We all do. I want to serve you. The Lord Jesus said, the Son
of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to
give his life a ransom for many. That's what it is to love one
another. I won't like the Savior. to constantly forgive the objects
of my love. And I want to teach you, to be
used of God for your benefit, to help you along the way to
heaven. Bear ye one another's burdens,
is the admonition of scripture, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Let every man bear his own burden, but bear ye one another's burdens.
What does that mean? What does it mean? I want not to expect you to carry
my load, but me to carry your load. Each of you bear your own
burden, expecting nothing else, but let every man look on his
brother better than himself, esteeming them as Christ himself,
and bear one another's burdens. Rejoice with those that rejoice
and weep with those that weep. That's a big burden. I remember back in the 70s, I
think the mid-70s, there was a song, someone sang, he ain't
heavy, he's my brother. You know where the lyrics came
from? During the Vietnam War, there was a reporter who was
doing a story on the war and he saw an American soldier carrying
one of his platoon buddies who had been severely wounded. And
he's carrying him through the jungles trying to get him to
some help and some safety. And the reporter said to him,
after talking with him a little bit, he's standing there holding
this man. He said, isn't he awfully heavy? And the soldier replied,
he ain't heavy. He's my brother. Makes all the
difference in the world. All right, that's, no, that's
not a burden. That's my brother. That's not
a weight. That's my brother. Let it be
so. with we who are in Christ and
one in Christ. Third, knowing something of the
task that lie before me as God's child in this world, as God's
servant, as your pastor, I desire and my heart groans for the presence
of God, for God's presence. I didn't ever read the text in
Philippians, but turn to Exodus. Exodus chapter 33. Brother Lindsey
is the church historian. I get dates mixed up. So if I
get the date mixed up, you can check with him. If I remember
correctly, we came to meet in this building on a permanent
basis for the first time in October of 1980. My text, the Sunday before we
came to meet in this building, was found here in Exodus chapter
33, verse 13. Now, therefore, I pray thee,
if I have found grace in thy sight, show me thy way. that I may know thee, that I
may find grace in thy sight. Consider that this nation is
thy people. And the Lord said, my presence
shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And he said unto
him, if thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. I desire God's presence. his manifest presence. Well, Brother Don, he promised
that he would give us his presence. He'd never leave us nor forsake
us. And when Moses heard that promise, his immediate prayer
was, if thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. And the Lord has graciously granted
that request. And yet, I pray personally, for
this. I grow for this every day. Every day. God, give me your
presence today. Nothing can give us rest in this
world, this world of trouble, but a conscious awareness of
God's presence. I can't preach the gospel. I
can't serve your souls without his presence. I can't endure
the trials and temptations of life in this world without his
presence. He said, fear not for I am with
thee. Be not dismayed for I am thy
God. I will strengthen thee. Yea, I will help thee. Yea, I
will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. He
said, when you pass through the waters, I'll be with you. Through
the rivers, I'll be with you. Through the fires, I'll be with
you. Lord, Give me your presence because I can't live peaceably
in a world of trouble without your presence. I can't worship
without your presence. We come in here. I know you pray
the same. I pray constantly as I prepare
to come here Sunday morning, Sunday night, Tuesday night.
Lord God, give us your presence. Meet with us tonight. Show yourself. Make known that you're ours and
we're yours. Show us your presence. I can't
die with confidence without his presence. I want God's presence. Fourth, I've learned and am confidently
reminded that it's never best for me to have my will. I don't ever know what I need. You don't either. I don't ever know what I need
and you don't either. So I am learning to pray like
my Lord Not my will, thy will be done. I desire God's will. I really do. God's will. In everything and about everything. I want to be obedient to God's
revealed will in his book. Whatever God reveals in his word,
I want the grace of God to obey. I want his doctrine alone to
be my doctrine. His ordinances are my duty. Whatever ordinances he's prescribed,
his word, the rule of my life. Turn to Proverbs chapter three. I want to walk daily conforming
to his revealed will, seeking to do what he directs
me to do. Proverbs 3 verse 5. It's been now 44 years ago, Shelby and I were
dating, reading the scriptures together. and sitting on a park
bench in Winston-Salem, North Carolina one evening about 5,
5.30 in the afternoon and we were, she called my attention
to this passage of scripture and I thank God she did. I would urge you young people and
you older ones alike to take it to heart. Trust in the Lord. Trust in the Lord. Well, I want
to get married. I want to find a good wife or
a good husband. Trust in the Lord. I want to
know what to do with my life. Trust in the Lord. I want to
know how to deal with this situation. Trust in the Lord. Do what you
know is right. Do what you know is right. It
will never cost you. I promise it will never cost,
not in the long run, it will never cost you. Trust in the
Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. That's where we get in trouble. That's where we get in trouble.
We start figuring things out for ourselves. And I'll tell
you what you'll do when you start to lean to your own understanding.
Not occasionally, every single time. You'll figure out a way
to justify yourself and doing what you know you ought not do.
Every single time. Lean not unto thine own understanding
in all thy ways. You did get that, didn't you?
Not just spiritual things. Not just things with regard to
the church. Not just things with regard to preaching the gospel.
in all thy ways, in every affair of your life, in every event
of your life, in everything you meet along the way, in all thy
ways, acknowledge God. Bow to Him, worship Him, trust
Him, and He shall direct thy paths. I want God's will done. I want daily
conformity to His revealed will. I want to do all things by the
direction of His Spirit in His will. And I want my God to bring
to pass His providential will. Brother Don, you know He does.
Fred does a big difference between me knowing he's doing it and
me wanting him to do it. There's a big difference. I know he's
going to do his will. I want him to. I want him to. No matter how it crosses my will. No matter how it vexes my will. No matter how contrary it is
to what I personally would choose and desire. I'm learning. Beyond the shadow of a doubt,
the truthfulness of Calper's hymn. God moves in a mysterious
way his wonders to perform. He plants his footsteps in the
sea and rides upon the storm. Deep in unfathomable minds of
never failing skill, he treasures up his bright designs and works
his sovereign will. Ye fearful saints, fresh courage
take. The clouds you so much dread
are big with mercy and shall break in blessing on your head.
His purposes will ripen fast, unfolding every hour. The bud may have a bitter taste,
but oh, how sweet will be the flower. So judge not the Lord
by feeble sense, but trust him for his grace. Behind the frowning
providence, God hides a smiling face. If I had my life to live
all over again and could choose whatever I wanted. Now, either I'm telling you the
truth or I'm lying to you. That's all there is to it. If
I had my life to live all over again, and could choose whatever
I wanted, I would walk exactly the same paths, endure the same
heartaches, experience the same troubles, weep the same tears,
visit the same graves as I have these 60 years. Because all this
had been done by the good, wise will of my Heavenly Father. I
wouldn't change one thing if I could. I really wouldn't. He knows what's best. He does what's best. I don't
know what's best, and I can't do what's best. Moreover, I want
God Almighty to perform all the good pleasure of his eternal
will. I want God to do what God purposed
from eternity to do. Well, you know he's going to
do that. Yes, I know that. And I want him to. I'm learning to pray as our Lord
taught us to pray. Thy will be done. That's not a cliche. That's not
a good way to end a prayer when you're praying in public or praying
in private. That's the desire of my heart. Thy will be done. And fifth, unless I'm deceived,
this is what I want above everything in this world. The glory of God. Turn to Psalm 40. Psalm 40. Verse 16. You find this same statement
three times in the Psalms of David. Here in verse 16. Let all those that seek thee
rejoice and be glad in thee. Let such as love thy salvation
say continually, the Lord be magnified. The Lord be magnified. The Lord be magnified. Father,
glorify thy name. That's the ambition of my soul. Let my doctrine be the doctrine
that glorifies God. Any doctrine that you run across,
any doctrine that you think might be worthy of consideration, understand
this. If it glorifies God, it's true. If it doesn't, it's not. Let
my doctrine be that which glorifies God. That is the doctrine that
declares His absolute sovereignty. The doctrine that sets forth
the efficacy of Christ's perfect atonement. The doctrine that
sets forth plainly salvation is of the Lord. Let everything
in this house of God be done for the glory of God. Paul said,
whatsoever you do, do all for the glory of God. Every song,
every song chosen and sung because it glorifies
God. Every prayer, as you men lead
the congregation in prayer, seek to lead us to seek God's glory. Every sermon, If it doesn't set
forth God's glory, it's not worth spit. If it doesn't set God high,
majestic, wondrous, it's worth nothing. Every ordinance we practice,
baptism, the Lord's Supper, must be performed exactly as given
in the book for the glory of God. Every activity, whatever
is done in this body of believers, let it be for God's glory. Let
my home be a place where God's glorified. Joshua said, as for me and my
house, we will serve the Lord. How could he say that? Because
he's head of the house. As for me and my house, we will
serve the Lord. We will serve the Lord. Whatever
comes up that interferes with that is not going to interfere.
Let my life be lived and let my life be ended for God's glory. Indeed, I rejoice to know that
all things shall at last glorify my God. Turn to Romans chapter
11. I'll wrap this up. You're going to glorify him either
in his justice or in his grace. And I'm going to glorify Him
either in His justice or in His grace. In fact, everything that
is, has been, or shall hereafter be is for God's glory and shall
at last redound to God's glory. Read Revelation chapter 5. Here
in Romans 11 verse 33. Oh, the depth of the riches,
both of the wisdom and knowledge of God How unsearchable are his
judgments and his ways past finding out. For who hath known the mind
of the Lord, or who hath been his counselor, or who hath first
given to him, and it shall be recompensed to him again. For
of him, and through him, and to him are all things, to whom
be glory forever. Amen. These are the aspirations of
my heart. Here's a hymn I wrote several years ago, I don't really
remember when, when meditating on these things. I would be weaned and emptied
to of earth and self and all but you. Surrendered to the crucified
only in love with Christ who died. Preserve me from the noise
and strife, the boast, the pomp, the pride of life. For heaven
alone my heart prepare, that all my affections be there. My
Savior's steps force me to trace, pursuing grace and righteousness.
This path with Jesus Christ in view, by grace to heaven I'll
pursue. Nothing but Jesus would I know,
nothing but your will would I do. Lord, take my heart, assert your
right, and put all rival loves to flight. My dearest idols,
Lord, remove by violent grace and make me love nothing but
Christ who lived for me and died from sin to set me free. The
sins I hate help me to slay and consecrate myself today to live
for Jesus Christ alone until my work on earth is done. My desire is before thee. For these things my heart groans
and I pray God will make these desires yours for Christ's sake. Amen.