Can two walk together? (Quality Good)

[0:00] Dependence upon the Lord for all needed help.

[0:11] We venture to draw your prayerful attention to Amos chapter 3 and verse 3.

[0:22] Amos chapter 3 and verse 3. Can two walk together except they be agreed?

[0:40] Can two walk together except they be agreed?

[0:50] God and a sinner on earth can two walk together except they be agreed.

[1:08] Husband and wife, brothers and sisters, friend and friend, can two walk together except they be agreed.

[1:30] In meditating upon this subject my mind was moved very solemnly.

[1:40] In this way that we come to consider eternity.

[1:58] Who will you walk with forever and ever? You can't get away from it.

[2:14] Who will be your company? It will either be with the dear people of God, lovers of Jesus because he loved them first and died for them.

[2:29] Or else with the ungodly and the fallen angels. Oh, beloved friend, can two walk together except they be agreed?

[2:47] Now, first, how can it be that a holy God can walk according to his justice with a sinner here on this earth?

[3:04] We again are reminded of the fall of the fall of the events that took place in the Garden of Eden.

[3:17] Where we have the serpent, the devil, seducing. Where we have Eve consenting.

[3:31] Where we have Adam yielding. And where we have God executing.

[3:41] And where we have God.

[4:11] Fallen and ruined state. My dear friends, it's total. The word of God solemnly declares it.

[4:27] Dead in trespasses and sin. And that the carnal mind is enmity against God. That we, like sheep, have gone astray.

[4:45] We've turned everyone to his own way. We will not have this man to reign over us.

[4:57] Who can ever it be? Who can that great, I was going to say, barrier, as we view it in our lost state, of the justice of God, be brought whereby this holy God can walk with a sinner here on this earth?

[5:25] Blessed be God. Blessed be God. There's a provision made. A provision made in eternity past. One whose name is Jesus, the eternal Son of God.

[5:39] The gift of the Father who came to this earth to seek and to save that which was to break down that barrier.

[5:51] To satisfy the divine justice. To meet the demands of the law that in not one iota, one spot, is the justice of God belittled.

[6:07] I can't get a better word for the moment. Lowered. That that holy God manifest at Sinai in all his glory.

[6:19] My dear friend, that that God, that glory is unsullied in this.

[6:31] That he walks with sinners and they walk with him. How can it be? It is because one has stood between. One has paid the price.

[6:44] One has suffered in their room instead. One whose precious blood was shed on Calvary's cross. One whereby that justice of God is satisfied.

[6:57] The payment is made. Payment God cannot twice demand. First at my bleeding, short his hand. And then again at mine.

[7:08] What a solemn separation sin has made. What a glorious reconciliation through the precious blood of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

[7:21] So we say the way is open. We see the purpose of God in his grace and love and mercy to dear people. That there is one that has made this way.

[7:33] Has paid the price. Has satisfied divine justice. Justice. Oh beloved friend. We bless God for it. Do we not?

[7:44] And I pray that we may be led to consider this glorious salvation sealed by his resurrection. But springing from that.

[7:57] And this is the vital point. Christ did not suffer all this for nothing. There is a divine purpose.

[8:11] And that purpose will be fulfilled. That purpose will be fulfilled. Blessed be God. And that is that this people that are chosen in Christ.

[8:30] This people will be brought to love the Lord Jesus. But how can it be? Because my heart by nature doesn't seek the Lord Jesus.

[8:43] It's far away from God. But ye who were sometime afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

[8:54] For he is our peace. That's it. Made nigh by the blood. The blood that speaks for me.

[9:06] The blood whereby I am accepted in the beloved. whereby the holy God sees me in the dear Lord Jesus through him.

[9:18] Through what he has done. The blood shed on Calvary's cross. Sin forgiven. And accepted as I've just said in the beloved.

[9:32] Now how is this done then? How is this made known? It is by the Holy Spirit of God. It's the Holy Spirit that takes the things of Jesus.

[9:44] It's the Holy Spirit that works in a poor sinner's heart. For ye were sometime darkness. But as the word of God says, But now are light in the Lord.

[9:58] But walk as children of light. That you'll find in Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 8. Ye were sometime, at all time, until God began.

[10:09] Ye were darkness. And fit for darkness. Fit for the pit. Fit for hell. Fit for the wrath of God. But oh, he, the great God, In the creation, That commanded and said, Let there be light.

[10:28] And there was light. Visits that soul. Quickens that soul. This one, Who's so far off. So dead in trespasses and sin.

[10:40] Is the object of the Spirit's work. And that work, Certainly in the beginnings of it. And here the sovereignty of God in the degrees of it.

[10:52] But there will be a sensibility, As you've never known it before. Of your sin. Of your lost state. Of your holiness.

[11:03] Of the holiness of God. And that you are deserving of hell. And at first, You fear, I'm perishing. I'm lost.

[11:15] I'm far off. Oh, And what will become of me? But my friend, It's a great mercy. A great mercy to be brought there.

[11:25] I know that's not comfort. I know that's not peace. I know that is a very trying experience. But don't despair.

[11:36] Because the Holy Spirit, Beginning that work, Is going to lead you. Lead you from your malady. From your sin. From your wretchedness.

[11:47] From your lost state. To Christ. And to the one, Who seeks and saves, That which was lost. And so, Ye that were sometimes, Darkness, Light in the Lord, Walk, As children of light.

[12:08] A child, Doesn't walk, At birth. But, After a little while, The appointed time, Takes those first steps.

[12:21] Needs help. In other words, Walk as children of light. Walk as a, A little child. Walk, I say, My dear friend, With a desire, That your hand, Might be put in the hand of God.

[12:37] That God, Will teach you. That God, Will lead you. That God, Will keep you. That God, Will help you. That God, Will bless you.

[12:48] So, Can two walk together, Except they, Here you see, Is the beginning, Of the drawing together. Here you see, The beginning of the uniting. Here you see, The beginning of that, Poor sinner now, Instead of, Looking upon God, As, Without any, Love or desire, Now, Looks with reverence, Humility of spirit, As a guilty sinner, And yet, Longing to know this God, Knowing to know that blood, That's washed away sin, Their sin, Is washed away.

[13:26] So here, They, As we think, Of being drawn, Closer to Christ, We may think of this way, In which we may name it, We are led, To Christ.

[13:40] This is the vital work, Of the spirit. This is the evidence, Of the work of grace. It's a coming sinner, To Christ. A coming, Just as they are, A coming in all their sin, They don't make any excuse, For it.

[13:57] They, They, All they confess, Say, Lord, By my, Thy, Justice, And by my sin, I deserve hell, I deserve the wrath of God, Forever, And, Forever.

[14:12] Ever. But, Oh, Jesus, I say this reverently, I hear, That thou dost save sinners, I'm the sinner, Lord, A poor sinner, A hell deserving sinner, Oh, Will it be for me, Can it touch my heart, Will thou receive me, So vile, So far off, From they, And yet you're drawn, You retract, You read the gospel, You see, Whereas before, You may have had a literal admiration, For the gospel, But now, It's vastly different, You may have said, Well, How wonderful it was, That Jesus did, Cleanse the leper, How wonderful it was, That he did drive out the devils, But now you come, Quite differently, You say, I want that myself, I'm that leper, I'm that one, By nature, Was blind, But, Oh, What a mercy, To be able to say, There's one thing I know, That whereas I was blind,

[15:13] Now I see, Though I only see myself, As a sinner, Though I see myself, As a need of the Savior, Though I come to Jesus, Though as it, I have no blessings, No confirming, But I'm longing to know him, My friend, Keep coming, Keep praying, Keep pressing your keys, I tell you what, Don't be dismayed, If the devil gets at you, I say, It's coming to him, And you know how dear that hymn is to me, Just as I am, Without one plea, But that thy blood was shed for me, And that their beds may come to thee, O Lamb of God, I come, Just as I am, And waiting not to rid my soul of one dark lot, To thee whose blood can cleanse each spot, O Lamb of God, I come, O friend, Sacred coming, This is a drawing, You see, Can two walk together, Except they be agreed, And you know that your sin is standing,

[16:15] And they're barring the way, But now you know there's a blood that washes the way sin, I want to know that blood has washed my sin, I want to know the barrier is broken, I want to speak to God as my father, And my God, But you won't venture without the sweet assurance and evidence of it in your heart by the Holy Spirit, My dear friend, Pray on, Pray on, Pray on, So it is coming to him, And this is the next step, To walk before him, And this is where you see a separation, Walk in the newness of life, I bring the blind by a way that they know not, I lead them in paths that they have not known, And this is the way that God works, You will find, And that, In the early part of your experience, Things are fresh, They're new, Of course they are, And, You walk now,

[17:17] Whereas, You wouldn't scruple about some things, But now, You can see, S-I-N, You can see you can't cheat, You can't, Speak what they term, A white lie, I don't use that expression at all, It's a lie, You start to find that it's, Searching you, And it's not now, That you can sin, And say, Oh well it can't be helped, I can't help it, You say, I've done it, I've done it before God, You'll see it against the Holy God, And you'll pray, Lord forgive me, Cleanse me, And this walking, As we so often name it to you, Walking in the fear of God, Is in love, It is not the abject dread of God, There is that reverence, The fear of God,

[18:17] Ever leads to reverence, But, It's not like a slave, I shall have to do it, Or I shall get the whip, No, I long to, I want to do, Oh my wicked sinful self, It will trouble, And does it start to trouble you?

[18:33] Do you examine your life, And say, Oh how I fail, Oh, Oh, My besetting sin, I keep trying, And pray that the Lord will help you, But you see, It's walking before God, And it's walking in separation, That there before, You could do this, And you could do that, And feel, What you thought, Happiness in it, But it's, That's gone now, Now, Real religion, Isn't a miserable religion, God has given us, Richly, All things to enjoy, And there's an abundance there, Without having to go, Into paths of sin, And to be prayerful, Even there, Lest we can make, A lawful enjoyment of God, If I put it this way, A person could be, So passionately fond of their garden, That they could, Put that thirst, On something, Else, There's nothing wrong to be,

[19:34] And it's right, If you like gardening, To have it nice, But never, My friend, To let it stand in the way, Of worship, Or going to the chapel, For example, Or, And another thing, You will pray, That you don't want to, Bring it with you, To the chapel, Do you?

[19:51] You may say, Whatever do you mean? I mean this, That you can sit in the chapel, And you'd be fond of something, And instead of listening, Instead of thinking, Of what God is speaking, You're so taken up with, Of what you love, And you can't get it out of your mind, Mind you, I know, Against that, Or not to say, Against a separate from that, A different matter, Where sometimes, The poor mind is so troubled, About something, And you can't get it, Get away from it, I know, That's a different matter, But I'm saying love, But you see, It's walking before God, I walk before that God, Though that God is my God, I hope he, I can say that, You may say, I believe he is, I long for it, I believe he will be, To be made known to me, But I do want to do, What is right in his sight, Oh, But I find I've got more sin in me, Than I ever thought before, That's true, You know, Don't be despondent about that, Because that would drive you back to Christ, It'd drive you back to the blood,

[20:52] Won't it? Can two walk together, Except they'd be, Oh great, And then, Not going to him, And walking before him, But after him, What does that mean?

[21:09] Yes, Taking up a cross, Going unto him without the calm, Bearing his reproach, You say, I can't do that, I'm a coward, My friend, The God is of, God of all grace, Pray for it, Pray for that help, Know, Which is best, To walk, In your own path of choosing, With worldly pleasure, Or to walk into some, Perhaps lonely path, And yet to, Have the presence of Christ, With you, And to have a conscience, Clear, Before God, In what you're doing, I wonder if I can find a verse, I found it in the, In my meditation, Just in my vestry, Before the service, I'll try and find it, As I'm speaking to you, It was a word of the, Apostle Paul, But I don't know, If I can find it,

[22:09] But he, It was living, Trying to live, With a conscience, Void, That's it, A conscience, Void, Of offense, Against God, And man, Tremendous standard, Isn't it?

[22:24] Don't, Belittle your conscience, May it be sensitive, May it speak, With a loud voice, So I say, To walk with him, But walk with him, In communion, Oh no, I'm taking it a step further, Just we were talking about, After him first, As a sheep, Follows a shepherd, Following the step, Footsteps of the flock, But walk with him, This is the sacred experience, Of all, Oh, The hymn writer breaks forth, Oh, For a closer walk with God, You see the difference, Go back to what I said, Right at the beginning, There you were lost, And ruined, There was the sword of divine justice, Borrowing the way, To the tree of life, There you were lost, In your sin, There you were far off, From God, But now, Oh, Walking with God, And,

[23:26] My friend, This is a sacred defense, Little is known of it, I pray for it, Communion with God, Like the dear Lord Jesus, Spent nights in communion, With his father, Lord, Bring me closer, Closer still to thee, Oh, Do humble this sinful self of mine, Break down the barriers, Rain in my heart, Oh, May I walk with thee, Because one day, When time shall be no more, I shall pray, And I believe by grace, I shall be in heaven, And to walk with him, In white, Can you think of it?

[24:09] A filthy sinner, With the holy God, In white, In garments of white, What are these, Which are before the throne, Clothed in this robe, That's what, White, My friend, They, Present us, Fortness, Before the presence of his glory, With exceeding joy, And two walk together, Except they be agreed, And this walking together sometimes, I've had just a little, I want more, And though it's been, More often, The path of affliction, That way you may say, I can't go it, That way you find it's struggle, To bow before God, To be submissive to his will, And yet, There, In that lonely path, In that physical affliction, In that sore temptation, In that bitter disappointment, In that lonely bereavement, You've pulled, Jesus is there,

[25:11] Jesus is with me, Can two walk together, Except they be agreed, And what a mercy to come to death, And to feel, Yes, Won't be only a few more steps, To be with Christ, Which is far better, But I must hasten, Just for a brief words, On the other aspects, Of our subject tonight, When I speak of, First husband and wife, Until death do us part, It was named in, A recent friendly companion, Of a dear minister, That was unable, To take a wedding, And he wrote, And I use the words, From memory, He said, To these two, That will be married, That live, As though, You may stand, One day, One of you may be taken, Before the other, And live, As though, As you stand at that grave, Would you have any regrets?

[26:12] No, Nobody is perfect, We, Bear and to forbear, But to pray for grace, That that bond may be capped, And love, And the strength of it, The spiritual bond, And we read in the word of God, In Luke chapter, One, Though two, And let me get it quite right, And it's, It's such an example, And how one feels to fail, And that was, Zacharias and Elizabeth, They were both righteous, Before God, Walking, In the commandments, And ordinance of the Lord, Blameless, Now that doesn't mean to say sinless, But it means, That they served God, They put God first, Husband and wife, That love, Binding together, Bearing one another, Valuing one another, Working together, Is very,

[27:13] Very precious, But when, It's sealed with prayer, The word of God, This is such a strength, To maintaining, That bond of love, And union, My friend, May grace be given to us, I haven't time to enlarge, You must go through, The word of God, And think of those, That Manoah and his wife, For example, And who, Poor Manoah was weak in faith, And his wife was stronger in faith, And sometimes it's the other way around, Doesn't it, But they, Help meets, Working together, Bearing together, Then what about brothers and sisters, You know, I was very fond, And have been all my life, Of my dear sister, But even when we were young, You know, The occasion we did just have an argument, Oh, But we weren't happy, You know, We said, We soon made it up,

[28:15] You know, It's a joy, And peace, When we walk together, Oh, May we, And then, Brothers and sisters in the church, And when I say in the church, I do not confine that to baptized believers, Those who fear God, You love your brethren, And sisters, You do all you can, To maintain that love, And to walk in truth, And in love, Of one with the other, Oh, I think of Joseph, How dreadful it was, Those brothers, How they envied him, Hated him, Well, You know all the story of it, What can rise in a person's heart, Jealousy, My friend, You see, Though, We're a new creature in Christ, A walking newness of life, We've got the seed of all evil here, And we need that to be kept, We need to be preserved, Need to pray, Lord, Do keep me from doing any damage, From hurting any, Now, Let us be also clear,

[29:18] This does not cause, A withholding, Of the word of correction, The word of discipline, Administered in love, And kindness, My friend, Faithful, Are the wounds, Of a friend, And I thank God, For them, Don't rise up in anger, Don't say, Oh, I'm hurt, Don't let pride creep in, And say, Oh, I must bow under that, And ever pray, That no difference may come between you, You remember, You see, Even Paul and Barnabas, Look at that dreadful contention, That they had to part company, Didn't they?

[29:59] You see, Even men like that, It tells us, It warns us, If they fell, What about us? What grace we need to be kept. So here we have, A husband and wife, And here we have brother and sister, And friend and friend also.

[30:16] I beseech you, Oh, Dear, I beseech you, In Tyche, That they be the same mind in the Lord. One little, As it were, Blot, As it were, On that Philippian church.

[30:26] Get together, Pray together, May the bridge be healed, And may that love, That be so, In possession, In the heart, That your hearts may be knit together, In love, And bearing one another's, But being patient one with the other, And praying, Lord, Set a watch upon my tongue, Oh, I do pray for that, I fail so often, Speak so sharply at times, Oh, It worries me, Oh, I don't say, Well, I can't help it, I can, Ought to, Sometimes I've spoken sharply, And I feel, Oh, Lord, Do forget me, My friend, These things are real, We try, And excuse ourselves, May God keep us from it, Rather, May we be helped, To confess before God, Our sin, And if need be, One to the other, Pray, One for the other also,

[31:30] And I think of, Just one case of Peter and John, You know, John didn't say to Peter, No, Look, You betrayed the Lord Jesus, I wouldn't like anything more to do with you, No, We see them walking together, We see them running together to the sepulcher, We see them, And later, And they went up, At the time of prayer, Walking together to the temple, Didn't they?

[31:51] Knit together, Knit together in love, Oh, Friend, This bond of prayer, Spiritual love is so precious, And the devil's going to do everything he can to smash it, To put the root of bitterness into a church, Into a family, To be brothers and sisters, And we're so foolish, We're so sinful, We're so sensitive, That we can be easily worked upon, And we need to pray, Lord, Do keep me, Lord, Do preserve me, But I love that word, Your heart, Knit together, In love, You can't, A dear old George Rose say, You've got woolen gum, You can't tear it up very easily, And, My friend, May there be that knitting together, In love, And in fellowship, One with the other, To bear one another's burdens, To walk together in love, So we come to this word, Don't we?

[32:45] Together, Together, I said right at the beginning, Where shall we spend that eternity?

[32:56] We should be together, Who with? There's no half way, The Lord, And the angels of heaven, And the dear people of God, Or, Banish from his presence, An eternity in the company of those, In hell, Blaspheming, As a great God fixer, I'm speaking, Very faithfully, But very lovingly, Very tenderly, Beloved, Oh, Think of this, Now I close, And I turn, To the, Epistle, The first epistle, To the Thessalonians, And I close with this, And it's, I've named it before, But it's been so often precious to my soul, This word together, And in chapter 5 and verse 9, For God hath not appointed us to a wrath,

[33:57] But to obtain salvation, By our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, That whether we wake or sleep, Now that word sleep means, Whether we're alive when Jesus comes, When, Or when we, That's right, When we wake or sleep, Where sleep is to die, And wake is to be alive, When the Lord Jesus, I'm sorry, I put them right in the wrong way, Getting that quite right, Wake is being alive, When the Lord comes, Because there will be some, Of his dear children when he comes, But sleep, Those that are sleeping, In the grave, And then we read this, That we should live, What does it say?

[34:37] Together with him, Wonderful, That with him, In glory, Forever and ever, To be freed forever, From all that sin, And defilement, And temptation, And pain, But to come, And oh, As you've been singing, That beautiful hymn of praise, My friend, How, That there will be the, Full flowing of it, Forever and ever, In heaven, But there's one other word, In the chapter four, On the second coming of the Lord, When we read that the, Then we which are alive, And remain, Shall be caught up, And it says, Together with them, To meet the Lord in the air, That's the one church, That's the bride, That's all the redeemed, From Adam's day, Right to the end of time, With the Lord, Together with him,

[35:40] Together with them, I close, And summing it up, As you've sung that beautiful hymn, Oh, that my soul, Could love and praise him more, His beauties trace, His majesty adore, Live near his heart, Upon his bosom lane, Obey his voice, And all his well esteem, Can two, Walk together, Except, They be, Agreed.

[36:20] Amen.