Seeking and finding the Lord (Quality: Very good)

[0:00] may be pleased to help me i will again die again direct you prayerfully i trust to the verses the last two verses of chapter 26 we read verse 20 and 21 come my people enter thou into thy chambers and shut thy doors about thee hide thyself as it were for a little moment until the indignation be overpassed for behold the lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity the earth also shall disclose her blood and shall no more cover her slime the judgments of the lord friends for those that do not hear his voice to come and how can we come without any conviction that we're sinners that we're born in sin shape and iniquity we look around the world we don't have to look far beyond ourselves as we've been seeing but we look into the world and see the sad state of mankind those that have authority over us not onlyiteit spirits that would not场 στηνה

[1:55] Hmmm they want to in it would soon love to burn all the Bibles if they could that has been done over the years but still we are favoured to have the word of God and the freedom of worship hitherto in our lives but how vital it is he speaks here we read of those judgements in the earth and we read that when his judgements in the earth his people will learn righteousness we must remember there's a people that will never be his people they will be cast into outer darkness and they will know what it is to realise that only the Lord can cause them to be born again with a new heart to make you and me tender in the fear of God and so we'd have to look don't we at this invitation come my people what a lot that is but what do we examine ourselves to say and know that we are his people we may say that we love the truth what makes you love the truth because because if you love the truth it will affect your walk and mine and their conduct and we have to realise know where our bosom was designed to be certainly it says here in the hymn a house of prayer

[3:59] O Lord for thee a temple undefiled but vile outrageous thieves broke in and we think dear friends of those that are broken in we see dear friends in the day that we live in the folly the folly dear friends of these people that worship these idealistic names the imagination of man and it's contrary dear friends to the sobriety and and the honesty of what our really of our hearts are looking for are we satisfied with folly are we satisfied with make-believe things or do we want to know the truth our school says to live is the truth I wonder how much dear friends is known in the students minds at all to accept it it's always solemn thing isn't it to know the truth and it's not something that you and I have desired to be found just following on with the crowd but we want to know something of the realities in our own heart we have been in the way many years most of you have been brought back from the brink of disaster really if you've known your own pathway and been brought to enter into his chambers into his house house of refuge where he has attracted you and me to the word of God but you want to be able to speak of what the

[6:02] Lord has done for your soul it's all very well us drifting along and having this mind set to go to chapel to go to the Bible with how much is recorded in our souls of what the Lord has revealed to us in his word we need we need a testimony to live and die on we need to know the truth we need the Lord to drive out the buyers and the sellers that draw our feeble foolish minds away from this knowing the truth and looking to be stayed upon God and trusting in the Lord to yet visit our souls with the saving knowledge of his dear son so the invitation is good invited to come unto me all ye that labour and the heavy laden now this labour and this heavy laden business of your heart is mine because deep down in your soul you want to know something and if you and

[7:15] I want to know something we should press to find out more about it I believe to be diligence sought after give diligence to make your calling and your election sure for if you do these things ye shall never fall we're told and so enter thou into thy chambers we shall want to be in God's house as often as we can to hear what God the Lord shall speak it's his house them that honour me I will honour they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed and so you come there's not an attraction to the flesh to meet up with everyone although we are to be courteous and kind and seek each other's welfare and lay their cases before the throne of grace and seek that there might be evidence as yet of this and that one who was born here in Zion the psalmist says about this one was born here was born there and made conscious that there was a narrow way of striving to get in at the straight gate and do remember you see these doors will be opened

[8:37] I set before the in open door come into my chambers come into my courts come in and see thou would do myself good in the pathway of tribulation which seems to be my lot one trouble leaves another seizes and you wonder sometimes Lord how can I go on I seem to have so many burdens and I seem to call upon thy name and I wait for the answers and they don't seem yet to come but do remember the sovereignty of God he has a time that he has set to favor his people my people he says shall know the joyful sound is your ear and mind bored to the doorpost bored to the scriptures or your sight to the scriptures Lord when shall

[9:37] I be favored to have this song as a song in the land of Judah to be one of these chosen people that he is eternally loved and shut thy doors about thee hide thyself as it were for a little moment and where do we hide ourselves in the chambers in the house of God yes but further than that is to hide thyself as it were for a little moment because you feel the indignation is upon you heavy trial you're bowed down with twice ten thousand ties and that's nothing no exaggeration that is sometimes how you are what shall I do whither shall I flee to escape the wrath to me it's God's wrath upon you when we're in trouble when we're in darkness when we're in bondage it's God punishing you and me for our sins do we realize it we will do and we shall cry the more

[10:48] Lord hide me under the shadow of thy wing till these calamities yes calamities to you and me in family circles or in business or whatever calamities will fall there's no perfect world to live in dear friends although everybody's trying to strive for it but all have to realize what a sad world it is of sin and woe but what a mercy their safety in Christ the people of God shall love the joyful sound of the gospel bears them up have you not had it sometimes the gospel bears your drooping spirit up you've come in you've been revived you've gone on your way rejoicing very rare not every time but according to that set time and he favors you with a token of his love it changes your countenance you've seen the countenance of God he said and I counsel thee to buy me gold it's hard to get a blessing from God but what a mercy there's a time when that he's set before you when he's going to enter with you into your chamber he's waiting to receive you he's waiting to instruct you and teach you in the way that he's going to have you and me to go until this indignation be overpassed you know we may never forsake our sins unless we are made willing in the day of his power you want liberty the gospel you want to fee favor to know that here my best friends my kindred dwell and I want to say there my saviour reigns seems in religion today that a lot of the so called priests and what have you it's their own it's their own counsel they're wanting to be made known to others it's what their will is these

[13:02] Arminians dear friends so you've only got to believe what substance in truth but it's not known and felt in the right way that we are to receive a blessing for he says hide thyself as it were for a little moment until the indignation is overpassed you might feel God is a bainstess in the elements of the weather you know it's all under his control and he knows dear friends your weakness is and he knows where to touch you where you feel it and may you cry the more and you want the Lord to be mindful of us that you might truly favour us to feel that life of the spirit within us and so he says here awake and sing ye that dwell in dust for thy dew is as the dew of herbs and the earth shall cast out the dead but come my people oh this special attraction to your soul and mine

[14:11] I hope tonight it is to you and there's nothing and there's something that we need ourselves to know the joyful sound that God has loved us with an everlasting love and therefore with loving kindness has he drawn us you're drawn to the house of God you're drawn to our churches chapels or however you like to apply them and you come with an application a desiring you apply you seek the Lord while he may be found and where shall we find him in the ale house on the sports ground or in the cinema no it's finding him dear friends and rest for yourself you find him in the gospel and what a mercy if he's drawn you away from all these attractions of the flesh in this world and brought to feel

[15:20] Lord the one thing needful you see we have our needs and we ask the Lord for them but how much more do we want the Lord to come not out of his place to punish us but yet we will be punished for our sins and I'm not going to contradict myself in that but he's going to punish you you'll feel that loving sympathy to Christ when he shows you a little and you're our fellowship with his sufferings we need to feel the effects of the sufferings of Christ in our own afflictions and how light are our afflictions compared to his and you'll be very mindful of your own afflictions when you see Jesus suffering in your room place instead it's Jesus only is the way to God your afflictions are well deserved and mine have been and you may not like that statement but it's truth we need to be burdened with our sins and we need to cast our burden of our sins upon the

[16:35] Lord those past offenses that pain your eyes you'll come with weeping and supplication to the mercy seat because he comes out of his place he rends the heavens and comes down he sends his blessed spirit to convince you of what what's pain in your eyes and you will come with weeping and supplication he says to the throne of grace to find rest for yourself we need that diligence we need that exercise of soul when we come to the throne of grace Lord hold back the devil drive out the buyers and the sellers in my heart oh that I might be peaceful and alone because you drift along and though he speaks in this chapter of trusting in the Lord forever you will trust him when he touches your heart and you will wait patiently for him to resolve your difficulties you sometimes think there never be answered your prayers but he has a set time to favor

[17:47] Zion and what a mercy if you're one of these people looking and waiting boring your ear to the doorpost that you might hear something the prophets your never dying soul are mine for the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity none of us sin this and never will be until this carnal body is laid into the grave we shall know what it is if we have the sins pardoned ere we leave this life and this is something that you and I will be earnestly contending for the faith once delivered unto the saints that look to Jesus kind and strong mercy joy and power Lord do grant that I might yet feel the growth of grace and the knowledge of our

[18:47] Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ because the earth he says also shall disclose her blood and shall no more cover her slain the shedding of blood dear friends is when we realise that we shall die the blood but what a mercy if we have the blood of the covenant the blood of Christ that cleanseth from all sin and this is what you want the pardon of sin this is the security you and I need in this dark world of sin and woe we are laughed to scorn we're despised dear friends by many laugh as to scorn but what a mercy to know the Lord has drawn you to come come to his word you say I will not let thee go Lord unless thou unless thou visit me and he visited him there to embrace these precious truths that we need to hold fast to it's all very well you might people that speak about

[20:01] God but they don't know him they don't know him they've not heard a voice of him but they speak of God but what a mercy to being able to speak of God and his visits to your soul and they've been with authority and you have to say why was I made to hear his voice and enter one's room when thousands make a wretched choice and rather starve than come you will mourn over your hunger and your thirst not being satisfied with the bread of life sent down from heaven but it's a time it's a patiently waiting for the Lord as he's called you by his grace he's he's prompted you to pray and you feel sometimes your prayers don't even leave the roof in the room you're in but there is a time and he's a patient waiting

[21:04] God tarrying dear friends for a season but a time he has set and he won't be beyond that time or before it it's the time to heal up your woes a season most fit his love to disclose and all when the Lord burns the truth of love into your soul you will rejoice you'll come with weeping and supplication with praise and thanksgiving what the Lord has done for my soul because he bid you come and you've been obedient to his voice my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me are you following Christ afar off or are you looking to be made nigh by a revelation of the blood of Christ that cleanseth from all sin you won't give him any rest until he appears to you and for you I can say that and sometimes you think he'll never come but he will

[22:06] I think the hymn writer says he toleres off to him and are faint and comes at evening late but he's coming to judge the world in righteousness he's the righteous judge he's looking for the imputed righteousness that he's bestowed upon sinners sinners can say only they how precious is the saviour is he precious to you more than earth and all its comforts are we have to think about that when we say it don't we more precious far than earth and all its comforts are we want our comforts we do wouldn't like to lose them would we wouldn't like to lose them I think of these poor homeless people that have to sleep out all night where are they a blanket to cover them but oh you know they and you and I dear friends need more than a blanket to cover our sins we want the blood of Christ we want to know him the only true God and Jesus

[23:21] Christ whom he has sent punishment for our iniquity oh Lord in wrath do not destroy me do not forsake me do come and comfort my troubled heart and say unto me be still and know that I am thy God although sometimes we go despairing don't we don't get a touch get up in the morning may have a little reading go through the various things of the day go back home may have a reading prayer at night I hope we do sometimes we wonder is there anything in it tempted by the devil of course you will be if you're his but you see it's only he can drive out the buyers and the sellers and grant you that peace of God you want that peace of God that passes the lines of understanding you want to go in the strength of the Lord that you receive the tokens of love in his chambers in your home when you meditate upon the wonders of redeeming love and he's touched your heart are you and

[24:41] I ready to stand before the judgment seat we have to ponder that don't we in that dread moment the dread moment of death we all shrink from it in that dread moment over to hide beneath his shelter in blood Jesus I see waves decayed and land our soul of God oh what a mercy dread moment hand of death eternity before us oh Lord you say have mercy upon me I would delight to do thy will but there's so many hindrances within me coming to the mercy seat but oh what a mercy come my people all this evidence is your chosen vessel for him to say you've not chosen me I've chosen you and ordain you that go forth and bring forth real fruit repentance godly sorrow for sin forsaking dear friends forsaking those things that you've long held fast to that become your idols that become the objects of worship but oh it's worship him in the beauty of holiness can't do it myself

[26:05] Lord only thou canst to worship thee in the beauty of holiness to behold the Lord coming yes coming to judge the world in righteousness he speaks of it in Jude and all about this coming to judge the world in righteousness shall we be ready shall we be prepared oh we do need that preparation to stand before his face his spirit must have worked before him it's all of his free and sovereign grace enter into thy chambers to hear it Lord come now blessed of my father inherit the kingdom prepared for you before the foundation of the world kingdom of immense delight where pure enjoyment reigns shall I reach that rest Lord that rest that remain into the people of God oh do deal gently with me Lord I feel to be so fragile in my religion oh and sometimes

[27:08] I wonder where is the scene going to end it's coming you know when the time is ripe we look around the world and we see iniquity on every hand wars rumours of wars but this is not yet but the time is set to come ripening for judgment is the world want to do away with religion want to do away with proper marriage oh may the Lord drive out these buyers and these sellers that want to to accept dear friends the undoing of their of their marriage laws dear friends may you and I be prepared to see it the men and women that want to live together in that abhorrent way dear friends in the sight of

[28:09] God hateful oh hateful the vileness and the iniquity of the of the sin sin stained man born in sin and shaped in iniquity only the law can change only the law can overrule the things of this government which seem to be for the most part ungodly atheistic sinners and God knows but what about you and me in our unregenerate state such for some of you we must look at home and realise that though Christ aren't all I want all in all in me I find raise the fallen cheer the faint and though they are coming because God's word is prophesied here to be fulfilled what an awful terrible day when he comes to judge the world where hope can only be in him Lord keep alive my soul may I be found one of thy favourites a chosen vessel that shall be kept by the power of

[29:16] God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed the last time for I have no other hope no other refuge but in the merits of Jesus Lord Jesus shine give me a fear not little flock it is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom give me a fear thou not for I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God I will help thee I will support thee I will hold thee with the hand of my righteousness my son of righteousness who rises with healing in his wings and you go forth as calves from the stalk made tender in the fear of God come my people oh what a mercy that that you witness the man of sorrows and acquaintable grief he suffers your heart by due degrees and makes your spirit meet and he says come unto me come follow me because there yet is room what a blessed mercy to be delivered from the end of the wicked see the wicked will be removed

[30:31] God will grant you that visit and it shall be said in that day lo this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us this is the Lord we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation oh what a mercy to know this redeemer redeemed from the curse of the broken law in spite of your sins you'll be able to say I am black but comely oh what a mercy a little hope in your soul and mine that he has redeemed you from the curse of the broken law come my people enter into the safety of these chambers enter you into the safety of Christ and oh Lord help me to walk more worthily of thee in the vocation when I hope we have been called looking unto Jesus who for the joy that was set before him and do at the cross despised and the shame and is now set there the right hand of God the saviour to save you to redeem you to make you willing in the day of his power to bring your hard things to me this vital thing salvation all of his free and sovereign grace sufficient for thee strength made perfect in weakness we glory in our infirmities that the power of

[31:58] Christ may rest with you as I see the time has gone I must leave it now dear friends may the Lord bless his own word and forgive all amiss for his name's sake Amen let us conclude with him 926 the tune is Ernen 331 when overwhelmed with doubts and fears great God do thou my spirit cheer let not my eyes with tears be fed but to the rock of ages led when guilt lies heavy on my soul and waves of fierce temptation roll I to this rock for shall to flee and make my refuge Lord in thee 926

[33:15] BERJOL isolation of these Panam 0331ável Son lath of any coming to the Christ on earth Amen.

[34:13] Amen. Amen.

[35:13] Amen. Amen.

[36:13] Amen.

[36:24] Send to this road May your soul be led No fear to cross To me sin Sing to this road May your soul be led To me May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ the love of God the Father the fellowship of the Holy Spirit rest and abide with us each Amen Amen