As many as receive Him (Quality: Good)

[0:00] Hymn number 10, having a death. To begin us, 4.29.

[0:13] Amidst the sorrow of the pain, Lord Jesus, keep my soul alive. Let me take those people away, and run the earth, and the place of death.

[0:23] Let me take the death. Amidst the sorrow of the pain, Lord Jesus, keep my soul to pray, and let me take thy special grace, and run to write my hiding place.

[1:07] Thou knowst the fullness of thy heart, So true, as the heavens fall, And when thou hails thy lovely pain, Where can I find the hiding place?

[1:45] Lord, guide my day, Lord, raise thee, And throw me to thy mercy, Thy cross to trust the sorrow of grace, Thou hold me at my hiding place.

[2:27] For how unstable is my heart, The wonder of my faith, The wonder of my faith, The dead of the fall, And strike the broken, Lord, I pray, That in truth was no hiding place.

[3:11] But when thy spirit shine with it, And make it feel the pain of it, That in truth was no hiding place.

[3:33] Love, guide my God, And make it feel the pain of it, And make it feel the pain of it, That in truth was no hiding place. I say, listen, I walk the hiding place.

[3:54] Lord Jesus, shine as when I can, He'll bring as His salvation's land.

[4:15] And let the day of the day for grace Through Christ the day of the shining place.

[4:45] As the Lord shall be pleased to help me, I shall call your attention to a subject you will find in the Gospel of John, chapter 1, and the twelfth verse.

[5:08] But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.

[5:28] Chapter 1, the Gospel according to John, and the twelfth verse. The subject is very solemn and searching and one of unspeakable importance inasmuch as it affects all who are in the sound of the preacher's voice.

[6:02] The text tells us as many as received Him. And now that opens up a very solemn consideration.

[6:14] The hymn referred to in the text, you all know, Jesus Christ as the sinner's friend. And this is the consideration I want to emphasize in approaching the subject.

[6:33] Ere you die, you will either receive Him and love Him, believe in Him, trust in Him at all times, and follow Him, and follow Him where'er He designs that you shall go along life's way, seeking to do His will, and at last dwell forever with Him where He is, or you will reject Him.

[7:11] And if you do reject Him, the onus of you doing it will be upon your own head. In thinking upon this subject, I light it upon a word very apposite to it in Deuteronomy.

[7:35] And I would like you to ponder this word very prayerfully and especially any in our assembly who as yet have no concern whatever to receive Him and to win Christ and be found in Him.

[8:01] I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren like unto thee and will put my words in His mouth and He shall speak unto them all that I shall command Him.

[8:19] Listen and it shall come to pass that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name I will require it of him.

[8:35] A very solemn consideration. I will require it of him. So that in living as you were born and nourishing a determination to continue to do so notwithstanding all the warnings you receive and all the encouragement that the gospel makes known to poor sinners who do desire to win Christ and be found in Him if you still persist to live such a life as you were born and continue to feel and evidence we will not have this man to reign over us God with whom you have to do says

[9:37] I will require it of him which is to say when you appear before the judgment seat of Christ then you will have to give an account of your behavior and now I begin the sermon like that because that very much impressed my mind and my great concern as the pastor is that if God would grant that mercy to you that every one of you who worships under Union Chapel rule might receive him for who he is verily God verily man and that you might be among the many of whom our text tells us but as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name the margin is to them gave he the right or privilege to become the sons of God and now in looking at the subject as grace is given

[11:01] I want to do so from two or three viewpoints the setting of the subject is very beautiful and yet it is very searching and solemn but as many as received him and now in the context it tells us he was in the world and the world knew him not the world was made by him and he stood from heaven to come down and dwell in the world which he had made and as he went about doing his great work love's redeeming work how evident it was the world knew him not how often it was made manifest depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thee or thy ways we will not have this man to reign over us when jesus christ came down into the world the jews as a nation were in a very cold formal dried up state as regards the worship of god there are two phases to observe in the dealings of god with the jews as a nation before they were sent into babylonia's captivity they were captivated by the little g gods of the nations round about them and their great evil was idolatry and in departing from israel's god who had done such great things for them as a nation and made them to be what they were at one time the nation where god himself walked among them in the land of promise and while they sought his face and put first things first in their everyday lives the blessing of god rested upon them but when they forsook him then his judgments were abroad in the land of promise and it was emptied of the israelites and they were found afar off in babylonia's captivity but when god appeared again on their behalf and they returned they did did not fall or pray again to idolatry but they continued the worship of god in a very cold formal way so that god declared concerning it this people draweth near to me with their lips but their hearts are far from me and that is how they were when jesus christ dwelt on the earth and went about doing love's redeeming work he found that israel as a nation was honeycombed with hypocrisy the pharisees and the sadducees and their religion was just outside show there was no reality in it no real worship of god and they built their hope of heaven on the fact

[15:02] that we be abraham's children and then the lord jesus came into the world and the world knew him not and now the great thing is do you know him ere i open up the subject as my mind runs to do so let your conscience tell you the truth do you know him if you tremble to venture an answer that is very definite is it your concern to know him can you join with the hymn writer to know my jesus crucified by far excels all things besides have you looked longingly at the apostle paul's petition that i may know him in the power of his resurrection the fellowship of his sufferings and be made conformable to his death it is a wonderful mercy if you have got lodged in your heart a living concern to receive him although as yet you cannot say what you hope you will live to say my lord and my god i do like one hymn writer's approach to it we humbly pour thy coming weight seeking to know thee as thou art we bow as sinners at thy feet and bid thee welcome to our heart let your conscience tell you how matters really are between your souls and god from that viewpoint are you concerned to receive him as your lord your god and that your life as you live it the government of it should be upon his shoulder and does this feeling rise up within your breast at times this prayer and this ambition mine living and dying to be thine but as many as received him how many there is hope for you in thinking about how many because the word of god tells us it is a number which no man can number how many isaiah will help you to ponder in your heart and he bear the sin of many and it is that many who receive him into their hearts to rule and reign over their lips and lives as they journey on and as many as are led by the spirit of god they are the sons of god as many as received him and then there is just another thought here the world knew him not you hope you do know him many of you and the lord bless you and grant you what i know you desire that you might grow in grace and in the knowledge of our lord and savior jesus christ and now do you know his people when you meet them weigh that

[19:04] matter up because it will help you do you know his people people who have received him and lived their lives unto him and for him when you get in touch with such people can you recognize who they are do you feel like barnabas who when he saw the grace of god he was glad if you can recognize people taught of god and your heart goes out toward them for who they are and what they are it is an evidence to encourage you we know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren love is the golden chain that binds the favored souls above and he's a heir of heaven who binds his bosom glow with love and now if you do know him ever such a little and if you do know his people and there is that deep down concern with them numbered

[20:24] I would be now and in eternity that will be the governing factor in your life you will not be living for this world only time things will not be uppermost in your minds but there will be times when you feel to know my jesus crucified by far excels all things besides he came unto his own his own land the land of promise which he as the eternal son of god in his divine nature with the father and the holy spirit but guaranteed to israel as a nation that they should dwell therein and the way was made plain for them to do so and yet his own people when he came into his own land wherein he had instated them as a nation his own people received him not and this thought comes to my mind and that is all who do receive him have to learn a lesson it is not easy to learn it but i can tell you from one viewpoint of it it is a very blessed lesson to be learning and that is if you and i belong to as many as received him we shall have to live our lives and be always content to be receivers god will be doing the giving and you and i as grace is given must learn to be receivers and acknowledge thee we own a perfect savior only source of all that's good and every grace and every favor flows to us through jesus blood but as many as received him and now let us look at that line of truth and it is very evident that the sovereignty of god is manifest in as many as received him because it tells us also as many as received him which were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of god oh this great doctrine of divine sovereignty is a very blessed doctrine but you need divine aid sometimes to submit to it and acknowledge it to be the truth that it is and to which everyone taught of god must ever be subject i have heard you as a people singing very sweetly and i have had my own thoughts while you were singing sovereign ruler of the skies ever gracious ever wise all my times are in thy hands all events at thy command ever gracious ever wise and your consciences will tell you you who are indeed pilgrims to can

[24:24] and bound that there have been times when you have wished things could be otherwise in your lives than they were if to be you could persuade god to rearrange them and tell the truth about it to make it a little more comfortable for the flesh the flesh dislikes the way but when you help to humble yourselves before god you realize in his divine sovereignty we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of god yes and go back a moment to this scripture which were born not of blood and that means there may be a godly father godly mother but that does not ensure that their children will be godly because grace does not run in the blood and i can assure you one thing and it has often made me thank god and take courage as the pastor under union chapel roof and that is while grace does not run in the blood it often does run in the line of succession so that you can see fathers and sons and grandsons and great grandsons all among the many as received him and that is a wonderful mercy to prize but it is not of blood and i want to warn you young people about one thing it just occurs to my mind and i will make it plain do not conclude because you hear your godly father and you know your godly mother too is ever praying for you that the blessing of god might be upon you and that you might be found amongst the many as received him you must not build your hope of heaven on that foundation the word of god will make it very plain if you look into it that there have been godly fathers godly mothers whose children did not receive him and they lived and died without god and without hope which were born not of blood do you realize that if you are to be amongst the many as received him you must not build your hope on other people's prayers concerning you you really ought to say thank you to god that they do pray for you but you must pray for yourself and that will be your concern if you should be born again god be merciful to me a sinner you must not let that thought hang round about your mind that you can go on living as you like because you have an interest in a godly father a godly mother's prayers and take an unholy advantage of it to still live as worldlings do there have been many godly fathers godly mothers who had to realize the will of the lord be done and we have each to learn that lesson if we are godly fathers and mothers regarding the salvation of our children the will of

[28:27] the lord be done the spirit maketh intercession for us according to the will of god and that must be ever manifest in our prayers for those whom we love and meanwhile there is every encouragement to wait on god and wait for god concerning your children and your children's children who can tell but what god will be gracious but it must be on this basis which were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh all godly fathers and mothers would like all whom they love to be born of god too but while it is good to entertain such a thought from one viewpoint there is no guarantee whatever that the will of the flesh will be fulfilled nor of the will of man what is called free will has no voice in the matter at all to be amongst as many as received him you cannot earn it you cannot buy it you cannot merit it here it is laid down but of god i will be gracious to whom i will be gracious i will have mercy upon whom i will have mercy but let us look at this other line of things which may help you to feel a little more hope as regards you being found amongst the many as received him but as many as received him and now man as he is born cannot do it he has no concern whatever to do it the carnal mind is enmity against god is not subject to the law of god neither indeed can be and it means something must be done which only the blessed spirit of god can do ere you have any concern whatever to receive him and here is the beginning a new heart will i give you a new spirit will i put within you i will take away the stony heart out of your flesh i will give you a heart of flesh and now with that new heart there comes what the apostle paul proclaims as an enlightened understanding and in your understanding with the new heart there comes light on how poor sinners are saved and you begin to realize other foundation can no man lay than at his lane which is jesus christ if ever my poor soul is saved is christ must be the way and then as many as received him he is received like that when in heaven's own light you receive him in your understanding and you know that jesus is the one thing needful and i without him perish must and he is received also in our consciences that we must live our lives henceforth according to two scriptures keep in

[32:29] mind those two scriptures you have heard them very often from this pulpit but it will do you good to think them over every day in how you live first of all what think you of christ let that govern your lips and lies where you go what you say what you do and the company you keep and when you are brought to a pause and some problem arises the next question is this what set the scriptures and if you are helped to look into the sacred pages to see what set the scriptures you will find the answer there to show you wherein is the good and right way that you should go you will find like the psalmist thy word is a lamp unto my feet a light unto my heart another thing will be the outcome as you are helped to receive him

[33:38] I'm only describing the initial stages as it were from when a sinner is born again you will receive him in your understanding and know that neither is there salvation in any other there is given unto heaven among men none other name whereby we can be saved you will receive him in your conscience as the blessed standard whereby you henceforth desire to live what think ye of Christ what seth the scriptures but you will receive him also in your affections you will find there is room in your heart for Jesus Christ as the sinner's friend you will find you have been made to differ altogether from what you used to feel before you were born again you will have this feeling like the psalmist had one thing have I desired of the Lord that will

[34:46] I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple which is a wonderful mercy to have a little love well enough toward Jesus Christ as the sinner's friend and to feel Lord Jesus make thyself to me a living bright reality as many as received him and now this knowledge being imparted to you in your understanding in your understanding your conscience and your affections it will bring you to receive him in felt necessity and you will be taught a great truth nothing else can satisfy give me

[35:50] Christ or else I die but as many as received him and now the next viewpoint of the subject is to show in what way Jesus Christ is received because there are various characteristics whereby you can tell that you have received him because if you have received him there will be certain fruits given evidence of it you will receive him for who he is verily God verily man I have often reminded you and do you look it up for yourselves which you really should do you should never just take the sermon for granted but you should be like Ruth when she went home and beat out that which she had gleaned and it was an ephah of barley and that was food for her for the future days and it should be like that with listening to the gospel you should be like

[37:10] Mary too and she pondered all these things in her heart for it might do you even more good that you get while you listen to the preaching of the gospel if you pondered it prayerfully in your heart and so you find in the gospels poor sinners in their incurable cases came to Jesus or were brought to him and you find out often those who came to him made known their request it was evident they received him for who he was as verily God think of the poor woman then came she and worshipped him saying Lord help me you might think too of the dear dying thief there is a wonderful instance of how the dying thief was constrained in life's latest hours to receive him for who he was

[38:14] Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom many such instances you will find and it is ever the evidence that you have received him inasmuch as you receive him for who he is he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of all them that diligently seek him have you received him for who he is verily God verily man have you found in drawing near to the throne of grace the God shines gracious through the man there is one God one mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus Emmanuel

[39:15] God with us as many as receive him and then here is a crucial test especially nowadays you will receive the word of his grace in the entirety of it not as it is regarded nowadays by many supposed to be religious and some of them religious leaders in the professing church of Christ who cut out this and that and the other portion and suggest it has no authority and is not relevant to the life that people are living nowadays you dear young people keep one thought in your mind regarding the word of God and that is it is never out of date all books written by man sooner or later the great majority of them die out and are forgotten but the word of

[40:27] God is always up to date and you will always find counsel to guide you aright along life's way comfort when you say oh my God my soul is cast down within me and when you know not the way wherein you should go if you help to search into the sacred pages of the word of God and plead like Moses if I have found grace in thy sight show me now thy way there will be some word some exceeding great and precious promise some direction lodged in your heart and it will say in equivalent this is the way walk ye in it the word of God in its divine authority received is the holy bible book divine it is received in the origin of it do not forget it

[41:37] God spake all these words and what words there are suited to every poor sinner's case or circumstances wherever he may be and whatever his case or circumstances may be oh what amazing words of grace are in the gospel found suited to every sinner's case who knows his soul's deep wound as many as received him how glad you are at times to receive the word of God as the word of God when you read it and it is not just reading a chapter but some scripture nodges in your heart and you find it to be meat to eat which the world knows not of and you say like the psalmist I rejoice in thy word as one that find it great spoil and there is one more evidence as many as received him still thinking of the word of God do you put yourself to the test for what

[42:57] I'm going to tell you you will receive the word of God when it rebukes you when it says to you thou art the man you will receive its truth in the love of it your conscience may remind you how guilty you are in some circumstance wherein you have not behaved according to the pattern set forth in the word of God and then sooner or later you will learn as many as I love I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and repent and when you are helped to repent there is something about repentance which no preacher in any pulpit can really describe because it is an experience but it will help you to feel like the psalmist when he said

[43:58] I have gone astray like a lost sheep seek thy servant for I do not forget thy commandments I know O Lord what I should be according to what I profess to be but alas when I would do good evil is present with me but you will fall under his chastenings you will receive them as from the heavenly father's hand and you will kiss the hand that wields the rod and you will say it is the Lord and let him do what seemeth him good his chastenings therefore prize the privilege of a saint their hearts are hard who this despise and theirs too weak who faint as many as received him I say they receive his chastenings his rebukes whom the

[45:04] Lord loveth he correct and scourge every son whom he receiveth another thing you will receive as many as received him each one everyone will receive the cross that Jesus Christ ordains for them to bear love and if you can only be helped to believe that the cross given to you is one given to you by God it will wonderfully help you in bearing it it will bring you into a wonderful experience sometimes tis my happiness below not to live without the cross but the saviour's power to know sanctifying every loss as many as received him and remember whatever cross

[46:06] Jesus Christ ordains for you to bear is ordained in infinite wisdom for he knows you he knows your temperament he knows your weaknesses he knows your disposition he knows what you are by nature and the cross he ordains is to discipline you regarding what you are thy nature and that you shall follow him whose you are and whom you serve and that brings me to this point as many as received him you will receive life go back to that beautiful word the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delighteth in his way and now many of you in the attitude of worship this sabbath morning being where you are is not where years ago you ever expected to be but there is an overruling providence that wisely marshals every circumstance and so it comes to pass that you are found where you are where you reside and you are found under union chapel roof desiring to be a true worshipper and when in heaven's own life you search into these things you can only conclude that there is indeed the hand of

[47:46] God made manifest and that he is leading you forth by the right way and you are going on to a city of habitation the city of God but as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name this word power means privilege as I have already pointed out which were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God and now coming to the amen there is just one thing more I want to say as many as received him if you have received him how did you receive him the saver himself quoted a beautiful scripture

[48:48] I've looked at it many times what did he say to his disciples when he sent them out to do that work he ordained for them to do freely ye have received freely give by grace he say through faith that not of yourselves it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast and there is a word here what know ye not that your body is the temple of the holy ghost which is in you which ye have of God and ye are not your own you sometimes think you are and some of you dear young people think you are your own and you can do as you like even if it is to do what you know those who love you do not desire you to do you think you are your own you can do as you like and go your own way but if by the grace of

[49:56] God you receive him Jesus Christ as the sinner's friend you will have to learn ye are not your own for ye are bought with a price therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God's you see freely ye have received freely give your time is not your own you sort out your life every day what you would do apart from what you must do to earn the bread which perisheth or your school life and when there is what you think is leisure time you think you can do as you like about that not if you receive him of whom I have been telling you your time is not your own your talents are not your own and your sympathy is not your own your love is not your own you see it means this if you are among the many as received him more and more as it is made manifest what

[51:18] Jesus Christ is to you in your everyday life and in your soul's esteem you will learn that lesson difficult to learn love so amazing so divine demands my life my soul my all amen for And just there, let it there, we are.

[52:07] We are going to do the job. Let's go. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[52:18] And in the holy and the joy, the storm and all the sky, to come to heaven, heaven, heaven, heaven, heaven, the guilty world of my pride.

[53:03] Yet our dream of heaven is firm, He laid a throne on high, The bright emerging, The light above, To suffer free and high.

[53:51] He rose by God in great God's name, As the of Jesus And death, For that, O miracle of grace, For that the day of grace, Dear Lord, for every wonder dwell,

[54:53] In my adjoining blood, Like it wasmed,成活 on Him Am repairing road to home, For that rhythm can I impart, For they have so divine,

[55:54] To take my all this worthless heart, And make it holy thine.

[56:20] May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, And the love of God the Father, The communion of the Holy Spirit, Be upon us, And upon all who love the truth everywhere.

[56:38] Amen and Amen. Amen.

[56:56] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[57:08] Amen. Amen.