The person and work of Jesus Christ (Quality: Very good)

[0:00] It's on my mind to speak from the same text as I spoke from this morning. Those of you that are engaged in the building trade will know a foundation, a good foundation, is essential to a solid building.

[0:24] I saw it this morning as the Lord helped me to lay a foundation. Jesus Christ, that is the very sum and substance of saving religion.

[0:42] None other foundation can any man lay than is laid. What, think ye of Christ, is the test to try both your state and your scheme ye cannot be right in the rest except ye think rightly of him.

[1:02] What, think ye of Christ? Whose son is he? Blessed be God for the gift of his only begotten Son as a foundational doctrine for all our hope in time and for eternity.

[1:23] For now, this evening, let us look at the 19th verse again in the 14th chapter of the Gospel by John.

[1:37] Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more, but ye see me. Because I live, ye shall live also.

[1:55] In the preaching of the Gospel, particularly, we have a responsibility to centre our remarks around the person and work of Jesus Christ.

[2:15] Take that doctrine out of all profession and there's nothing of any real value left.

[2:29] And my friends, it's such a precious doctrine that though some of us have been trying to preach for many, many years now, we're still conscious that there's so much that hasn't been said, that could be said, with respect to the person and work, the influence and prosperity revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ.

[3:09] The Apostle Paul, with all his wonderful knowledge through the teaching of God the Spirit in so many ways, that I may know him.

[3:25] That I may know him. The powers of his resurrection, the fellowship of his sufferings, and being made conformable unto his death.

[3:39] My friends, we live in a generation that is pregnant with knowledge. All the increasing expenditure and effort that is centring in the interpretation of knowledge.

[4:02] But oh, there's one subject that's being sadly forsaken and forgotten in many, many spheres, many, many hearts and lives.

[4:22] The only knowledge that is endurable and forever is the knowledge of salvation through Jesus Christ.

[4:35] Our young people, oh, you may learn to be this and learn to be that. Past examinations, many and various, in many and many high-class universities and so forth.

[4:53] You may prosper in your business, you may gather a strong support and be esteemed very highly for your opinions.

[5:06] But if you live and die strangers to the preciousness of the truth as it is in Jesus, you'll be a miserable person in eternity evermore.

[5:22] Oh, may God help us in these days when things are pouring in to suit the natural taste and give a measure of satisfaction to the proud heart of man.

[5:38] My friends, let us, let us be beggars in that sense looking to the Lord Jesus. As blind Bartimaeus did with his companion on that curbstone, as it were, as Jesus passed by going from Jericho to Jerusalem.

[6:04] Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy upon me. Oh, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Supreme Being who is able to save to the uttermost.

[6:24] Seek ye the Lord while he may be found. Call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him turn to the Lord.

[6:43] Full, free, everlasting. Reconciliation is in the heart of God toward all those who trust their soul salvation in the all-sufficient hands of our Lord Jesus Christ.

[7:05] What a wonderful thing to be brought with a single eye and a humble spirit to Jesus precious fate.

[7:18] Well now, I want to look at the text tonight. Yet a little while and the world shall see me no more. The Lord is speaking.

[7:31] He's to be seen, isn't he? Look, look around you, look around you in nature. yet a little while the world seeth me no more.

[7:49] Time is a little while, a little while. The Lord as it was reveals himself in nature, the seasons, the fruits, the leaves, everything.

[8:10] Speaking of life has its rise in God. He's the source of everything living. Whatever, shall I say, in his creative purpose speaks to us of benefit, the Lord is the author.

[8:33] The Lord brings it to pass. The Lord maintains it in its several functions and orders as the seasons pass, as day succeeds night and night succeeds day.

[8:49] The sun rises, the moon shines, the stars of the heaven shed forth their light upon the world here below.

[9:00] It's God, my friends, it's God. all things were created by him and for him and nothing exists independently of him.

[9:15] A little while is given to man to see the wonder of God's creation and where God imparts the light of his Holy Spirit, there is a continual ministry as it were presented to the soul of the very being of our God and creator who brought this world into existence for his own glory and that a number which no man can number of every kindred tongue should partake of the glory with him as lifted from the awful consequences of sin into the glorious benefits of salvation through the love of God the Father, the grace of God the Son and the witness and revealing of God the ever blessed

[10:23] Spirit. who alone can open our eyes to the reality of things all around us. Let me just focus another thought.

[10:38] What about yourself? What about yourself? Aren't you a wonder of the creative wisdom wisdom and power of the Lord himself?

[11:00] Sometimes we've got to lose something to realize its usefulness. Sometimes it pleases God to touch us in a very tender spot and something that has been valuable to us for many years has to be forfeited to bring home to us.

[11:22] That that possession built into us has been a servant to us under God's wisdom for many many years.

[11:35] We didn't realize its value until the Lord sovereignly saw fit to witness to us of his wisdom in giving us the particular part of our being that has served us long and well.

[11:57] I'm talking about the sanctification of the loss of one of my eyes.

[12:12] I didn't think about it and meditate upon it took it for granted used it day in and day out night in and night out as it were as was necessary without really appreciating what the wisdom of God in giving to us two eyes through which to see.

[12:39] How wonderful it is to have one eye. Oh what a dreadful dreadful situation it must be to be blind altogether blind but the worse blindness than natural blindness is spiritual blindness.

[12:59] Natural blindness is lost in death but spiritual blindness is forever and forever. Oh my friends as I ask you from the text as the Lord opened your eyes do seek that he may open your eyes to see the wonder of himself all around us all within us and everything and everything that lays before us.

[13:32] For this God is our God forever and ever and will be our guide even unto death is the real experience of believing souls and the death is a conquered foe an enemy is made a friend because from a sin cursed world death introduces us if I may use that expression carefully to paradise the bliss and blessedness of glory forever and forever.

[14:11] Well now without any further enlargement yet a little while the world shall see me no more but ye see me because I live ye shall live also.

[14:32] Now we see through a glass darkly but then face to face or if the Lord has given us spiritual sight what we know is so small comparatively to what we shall know when we open our eyes in his presence see him as he is having seen him by faith born of a woman made under the law seen him by faith going about fulfilling the will of his father doing good preaching salvation preaching the truth in regard to his sufficiency to help sinners in their various afflictions trials and temptations overcoming for them their enemies overcoming in them their enemies this is this is it which overcometh the world within us even our faith where did we get faith to conquer where do we get it from faith is the gift of God

[15:54] God gives his people faith that overcomes their enemies my friends what a wonderful thing it is for God to give us a victory over ourselves and the sinful intonations of our fallen hearts sometimes in bitterness we're brought to recognize that we've fallen yet again and we have to pray the publican's prayer with a deepening interpretation that God will be merciful to us as sinners and to prove that God is merciful and gracious able to save uttermost sinners to the uttermost oh there's no no room for despondency in the truth as it is in

[16:56] Jesus Christ it's the door of hope in this world of trouble and my friends this world of trouble is the worst part of the experience of the church of God in all eternity the world are having their best now the church is having its worst now that's the contrast that's the contrast and the difference existing between the redeemed church and the condemned world under the just holiness law of God is Jesus Christ Jesus

[17:56] Christ and him crucified looking unto Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith can can you see him a little while and the world see me no more but ye see me ye see me oh does conviction of sin in your heart and conscience enable you to look again even from the ends of the earth to the cross of Christ the suffering saviour bearing the penalty of sin there's a wonderful truth and the bible is full of the teaching of these things when the children of Israel were in the desert and the serpents were biting there was a terrible terrible consequence confronting them

[19:07] Moses was commanded of God to make a brazen serpent and to lift it to lift it up on a pole and we read this and to me it's it's it's beautiful as many as looked lived as many as looked lived what is the condemnation of the wicked they haven't any wish to look they haven't any desire to look to the Lord Jesus Christ who is the antitype of that most blessed truth look there's salvation in a look if that look is sincere from your heart to the person and finished work of the Son of God and you have a real revelation of the uniqueness of salvation in the

[20:17] Son of God you'll go to heaven when you die for as many as looked to live oh my friends the value of a look to Jesus Christ is more than a thousand worlds I'm speaking from my heart heart because I know it's true I know it's true if my poor soul be saved tis Christ must be the way now look I want to come to this because this it was the evening sermon really yet a little while and the world you'll see me no more but ye see me now Christ is very very much to the fore in the will of

[21:21] God from the moment of conversion or the moment of being brought into the life of the truth of God and subsequent experience in the wilderness as well as salvation through Christ in heaven forever the world or they don't see the Lord in the experiences of life but the experiences of life whether comfortable or whether adverse the Lord uses instrumentally to show himself to his people the world get into their troubles and they go to this length and that length to try and get out of their trouble by fair means or foul but my friends the

[22:34] Lord uses the experience of his people as his school to teach them more of himself the world a little while and the world see me no more but ye see me oh have you seen the Lord Jesus Christ and his grace in your experience have you seen in your own heart a change you were in the world and of the world by nature and I was no question about it for a minute and that God left me to the condition I was in when I was born and my mother I should be ignorant of some of those things that I now consider to be priceless blessings and benefits for Jesus sake in my little experience now the world they go on and they fight against this and they rebel against that and they are determined to overcome and they seek as it were their own advancement by their own energies the last place that they would choose to come to is to trust in the Lord

[24:18] Jesus Christ we read did we not in that great Psalm 37 trust in the Lord with all your heart trust in the Lord this is the way of salvation the Lord brings his people into the experiences of trial temptation opposition persecution you say all those things they're against me my friends they would prevail against you if the Lord wasn't with you and the Lord being with you you're made more than a conqueror through him that's loved you and he's given you as it were revelations of his love and of his grace and of his truth and that he is God over all able to deliver you from all your enemies whatsoever thanks be unto God which giveth us the victory through our

[25:30] Lord Jesus Christ now let me just use a few simple facets of experience you see yourself you want to be different you want to be better you strive with all your heart to as it were shed some strong inclination which I will classify as a besetting sin this thing comes in and then it's not everybody got the same weakness but you've got a particular weakness and as a dog returns to its vomit again so you go back and you fall into it again and you make a resolve because of the difficulties that it presents before you that you won't do that thing again and it's not very long before you're doing it again because of the insufficiency of human resolve to deliver you from the power of sin and the temptation of a wicked heart helpless helpless look to thee for grace oh my friends what a depth of interpretation when you plead with God for help plead with

[27:10] God to strengthen you enable you to overcome those evils that bring you into condemnation and you seek to be righteous in a sincere endeavour to improve your situation I don't justify your failures I don't say well you can't help it you're in such a shameful condition by nature that's common to the human race therefore you mustn't be troubled about it I'm going to say the Lord brings conviction into the hearts and soul trouble is great trouble to those that are face to face with the reality of eternity and a soul that must be lost in hell or saved in heaven and you begin to say though by my sins deserving hell

[28:16] I'll not despair for who can tell the bow in the cloud Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief you never can think anybody's worse than yourself when the Lord really comes in and makes you to realize your sinful weakness your readiness as it were to break your every good resolution and bring added condemnation to your catalogue of law breaking well now but ye see me ye see me oh that wonderful revelation that God has anointed his son a prince and a saviour for to give repentance to Israel and the forgiveness of their sins a slate full of black condemnation made as clean and as white as snow but ye see me but ye see me now if you said to me tonight

[29:46] Mr. Crowter you stand and say these things to us but what what's going to happen when you come to die well I believe every one of his people is giving dying grace in a dying hour I don't believe one is left in the dark to go through the river I believe the Lord our great high priest is with his people at the end of their days and gives to them that absolute view of himself as the saviour of their souls that they enter into glory praising blessing and worshipping his holy name with the crowd that are all ready blood washed and in paradise in that dread moment

[31:05] O to hide beneath thy sheltering blood will Jordan's icy waves divide and land my soul with God well now look the devil's a terrible enemy the devil's a terrible enemy what a wonderful world pregnant with misery pregnant with anguish pregnant with trouble pregnant with anxiety look at it was that how it was created sin entered into the world and death by sin trouble is the fruit of the fall man is born unto trouble as the sparks fly upwards says the bible you and

[32:07] I know it to be true don't we we know it to be true to bring this point to a head what a lot of scriptures center around the sufficiency of God to be the helper of his people in their trouble whatever the nature of the trouble whether it be soul trouble whether it be circumstantial trouble whether it be church trouble whether it be business trouble whether it be family trouble my friends the great and precious promises let not your heart be troubled you believe in

[33:08] God believe also in me why are you troubled oh ye of little faith and my friends sometimes the Lord so enlarges his people in faith to see that the Lord is in control that the dimensions of their difficulty are not above the Lord in his all sufficiency see to grant grace to go through grace to endure and ultimately to deliver to deliver I will be with him in trouble the wonderful thing there is a God for whom all the troubles that come in upon us are subject to his appointment control and ultimate deliverance we see

[34:21] Jesus oh what a difference it makes in your trouble when you seem sometimes at the very point of despair you can't see an answer anywhere look to fellow creatures look to this source that source and the other doctors you look to all sorts of legal advisors and you look to governments and all these avenues that are authoritative and promise a certain measure of help and relief everything seems to fail no quarter affords you any comfort and if one perhaps rises up and seems to raise you up to a little hope it's not long before a jealous God comes and he blows upon it and your anticipations of deliverance are scattered and you sink lower than ever you sink lower than ever let me remind you of this underneath are the everlasting arms you can't sink below them fellow believer you can't sink lower than them because the Lord reigns to save his people listen listen because I live ye shall live also oh my friends the endurance of through grace of the people of

[36:02] God will bring everyone to glory he will give grace and glory no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly rightly well now at this Easter time we have thought a little upon the wonderful coming forth of Jesus from the tomb the resurrection death conquered hell conquered great threatening enemies that are the consequence of sin no more no more sufficient neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand the man of sin no the devil can't pluck one of the one of the

[37:20] Lord's people out of the Lord's hand all that the Father giveth me shall come to me and whosoever cometh to me I will in no wise cast out no the Lord has answered every reason for your security and safety in and through himself and then my friends we look at that last enemy of death and it seems like a machine as it were going through a corn field doesn't it sweeps through and cuts down one after the other the standing corn and it falls and you think one day it's going to come along where I am and it's going to cut me down to the roots as it were I'm going to let you say well

[38:21] I'm very young I don't think my friends age is not the criteria age is not the criteria don't trust in your youth and rest with a measure of false security because you're young young people sometimes are taken unexpectedly and suddenly now is the day of salvation now is the accepted time my friends your relationship with God to be in Christ is a present necessity you've got no control as to how long you're going to live and when you're going to be called upon to stand before the holy God oh get things right in your heart now is as the Lord may awaken you by his spirit to the reality of the uncertainty of time it's good for a man that bears the joke in his youth

[39:38] I've got to hasten in I want to say this and it's been on my mind to say it you know when we were families at home a great consideration as to our family pleasure existed around our obedience to our parents our parents had a strong influence of displeasure when they were angry with us we were miserable until restoration was granted sometimes because we were so proud youngsters we were very reticent to make our confessions and to seek as it were restoration in their affections and esteem but there was a hallmark in family life the sweetness of the relationship to a great degree depended upon our acknowledgement of their

[41:13] God given authority over us parents children obey your parents in all things for this is right and when we were enabled to consider the mind and will of our parents and submit to their authority and do those things that pleased them there was a very happy atmosphere created within the family dwelling wasn't there but what when we were in bitterness what when we were in rebellion what when our spirit was antagonistic and there was a terrible discord between what we wanted to do and what they allowed us to do my friends we were always in a detrimental attitude weren't we always personally we couldn't we couldn't enjoy things as well when there was antagonism between us as we did when we were in the correct scriptural relationship one with another now what about our relationship with the heavenly father father you know

[42:51] God has ways of making his displeasure known within the family you say well I know the mind of the Lord I know the mind of the Lord but I'm not going to do it I know what he would have me to do but for this reason and that reason which invariably is personal to you and according to the temptations and arguments that associate with an inclination to rebellion the devil comes in like a flood and says well you can go to heaven many have gone to heaven they've never been baptized they've never joined a church they've never identified themselves very publicly with the cause of

[43:57] God and truth they've been regular in their attendance and they've read their chapter and they've said their prayers and so forth and that's it's not the limit it's good it's right it's proper in its place but it's not the limit rebellion brings displeasure I wonder how many of us are in the dark any of us feel so unfit and unprepared because in some way and manner the Lord having made clear to us his mind and his will we're identifying ourselves with the rebellious we will not have this man to reign over us oh what a wonder it is when we're enabled to humble ourselves to consider the mind and will of God and to submit to his lawful rightful authority to require of us that which he pleases especially in response of tokens of his love and favour that he's given to us over and above many many thousands of people round about us consider your ways and turn again to the Lord the Lord blesses those that seek to know and to do his will you know

[45:50] I do believe my dear friends that the streams can dry up you can't find any liberty in prayer you can't derive anything really from attending a place of worship you read chapters of the Bible there doesn't seem a syllable with any substance in it to give you comfort and nourishment to your soul oh consider your ways the Lord blesses those that seek grace to do whatsoever he has commanded them now that's a tender point for ministers to touch upon some people say oh he's he's on a recruiting drive my friends there's nothing like that in me I want you to consider the prosperity of your soul

[46:51] I want you to consider the blessing it is to walk under the smile and approbation of the most high that it is nearest to heaven when you are brought into the enjoyment of Christ's blood bought peace here upon the earth what did he say to his disciples over and over again after his resurrection my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth give I unto you let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid everything secure safe and to eternity in the all sufficient hands of him who has said I will never leave thee nor for sake then

[47:51] I will give you a throne in heaven when you have finished with the troubles of this present time state I hope you followed my simple remarks your soul's prosperity my soul's prosperity is a great value may God help us to consider these things and may he forgive all that is contrary to his glory and our eternal good Amen lives and others can have sa

[48:54] Wise Birds o outta