The effects of God's work in saved sinners (Quality: Average)

[0:00] For the Lord's help we will speak again from the 43rd of Isaiah, verse 13. 43rd of Isaiah, verse 13.

[0:14] Yea, before the day was, I am he. There is none that can deliver out of my hand. I will work and who shall let it?

[0:37] We spoke this morning mainly on the witnesses. God raised up in those distant days to testify of the word.

[0:54] They had received from God the blessings that they had received. Give their testimony to the truth.

[1:06] At great cost to themselves more often than not. Great sacrifice. To find that true religion was more than notable.

[1:18] As one has said. Proved that it was a great conflict. Many lessons growed in grace.

[1:30] And adhering to the known will of God. A remembrance of the days past.

[1:42] The chapter that we read, Peter referred to the manner of his death. Even as our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me, you see.

[1:58] And as you will remember in the last chapter of John. He inquired regarding, John, And what shall this man do?

[2:11] And Jesus said, What is that to thee? Follow thou me. We are not told whether anything else was added to this.

[2:23] Whether it was again referred to. But we do know that. That both Peter and Paul knew that their death would be a sacrifice, a martyrdom.

[2:41] They should be bound. And taken whether they would not. So that as witnesses, They were called to know something of the cost beforehand.

[3:01] The price. What was entailed in the service of their great master. His witnesses are not just a fairy character.

[3:17] Men and women made of paper and straw. They're living witnesses. Witnesses that will stand the fire.

[3:33] Of which there are good many, as I am. They will stand. They will stand reproach. They will walk out what God enables them.

[3:46] By working in them. To will and to do his good pleasure. So that to be a witness. Was a matter.

[3:59] Wherein flesh was sorely tried. Not some nominal matter. That could be picked up or put down at liberty.

[4:11] And this is how God has ever worked. I will work.

[4:24] Individual lives of these people. None shall turn it back. None shall prevent it. They themselves are often guilty.

[4:41] Of seeking to thwart the work of God and grace. They have cases in the scripture of deliberate disobedience.

[4:54] And there were those who were very thoughtfully, deliberately sought to obey the cost involved.

[5:11] And were brought at last to humble submission to the will of God. Separation from the ungodly world in which they lived.

[5:30] Dating right back to Abraham. And he was called to go into a land that he knew not of. But we are faced with these noble characters who struggled against wind and tide.

[5:48] Through a grave. Always through a grave. So that those who hear the gospel preached about witnesses.

[6:01] Have to look within and see the way they have come. And how things have gone or are going with them. And how it has been exactly like them.

[6:15] And according to the promise. One thing is needed. And that is faith. We mentioned the cloud of witnesses this morning.

[6:30] And a cloud it is too. Beautiful cloud. They possessed one thing. And that was faith. One common faith.

[6:42] It was by this faith they lived. And in it they died. You cannot.

[6:55] You live by faith. Die. In any other way than in faith. Yet they are such a vast company.

[7:06] As we tried to show this morning. In such different positions. With such different places to fulfill. Some of them are scarcely heard of.

[7:18] Yet there they are. It is just as hard to live. The life of faith. In almost comparative isolation. Indeed some of the scriptural stories.

[7:33] And stories outside of it. As they lived alone. And serene. So that's a kind of daqui. very tellingly of that simple faith which some poor unknown character possessed as they lived alone. As the dear widow in the days of old of whom history outside the scripture tells her she said in her garret as she ate her crust of bread all this she said and Jesus Christ as well.

[8:11] The well known Scottish story of Yeddy. And he said I've seen yon lovely man with these dull eyes.

[8:25] Oh that these are arresting accounts. They hold the affections. They are not matters that are derided by faith.

[8:45] They are the evidence of the witnesses. What faith can do. And how it does it. And how God is honoured.

[9:00] Oh that all these conditions have to be met. And unless they meet in the honour and glory of God in our lives they do not ring true.

[9:15] There's something wrong somewhere that may not be seen. It's like a cup that's got a hairline crack in it. If you ring it or clip it with your finger and it doesn't ring you can tell there's something wrong.

[9:33] Well solemn thing to have a religion with a crack in it. Very solemn. Nobody suspects it.

[9:43] No they say well he sounds he sounds. Are they? Are they? That this faith provides all that is necessary.

[9:58] I will work in their hearts. I will give them this faith. It's called the faith of God's elect. There's no substitute for it.

[10:12] Faith cannot be procured here below. There's no substitute for it. This faith cannot be procured here below. It's like a gift. Through faith the gift of God.

[10:24] Deep in the heart it lies. Live labours under load. Though damp it never dies.

[10:38] And this faith is the faith of the long cloud of witnesses. And it is the gospel's province to outline it.

[10:49] Because individuals can't talk about their own faith. Those that possess it very often don't know they've got it.

[11:04] One of the wonderful things about this faith as the scripture teaches us. Is that those who are least expected to possess this special cloud of heaven.

[11:20] Who are the possessors of living faith. The woman in the gospel that touched the hem of Christ God. Is a case and only one case in point.

[11:37] So these things are for our edification. And comfort. They are as the ninth verse I referred to this morning.

[11:48] It is truth. Let them say it is truth. This is God's challenge to the heathens.

[12:00] Also his challenge to his people. It is truth. It is truth. But this faith is the great antidote to all evil.

[12:13] And the living spark which carries the possessor along through life.

[12:28] Therefore, it would not be scriptural to say that you can say that you've got five. There are many dangers to this.

[12:45] And the same with the exhortation that the enemy is so busy in false doctrine setting about that that we have contact with people who say we must work faith.

[13:10] We must have faith. And we meet them. I've got letters at home, I expect. We must have faith.

[13:21] We must have faith. Must have faith. Take the child to school, give him a history book and he can work faith. Historical faith.

[13:34] Of course he can. He's expected to believe it. There is a historical faith but this is the faith of God's elect which the witnesses have.

[13:52] Now the glorious beauty of this witness is not only in the individuals we mentioned Peter this morning in his reference for the Mount of Transfiguration.

[14:08] where he said we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. Now if you look back upon some important scene in your life you might have a few forebodings that you didn't quite act as you should have done.

[14:29] You can usually pick some flaw in your action somewhere. The bride can sometimes look back to her wedding day and say I wish I hadn't said that or done that.

[14:43] The bridegroom can do the same. The church member can do the same. There's something somewhere that's got a flaw in it.

[14:54] The father can do the same in his home. The mother can do the same in her home. I wish I hadn't done that.

[15:07] You can say as you look back those things that wish you hadn't done. said that in this we all stand upon pretty ground in reviewing the things that are past.

[15:35] Upon this point Peter could look back. and he must have looked back the mount with a degree of unhappiness for we read it he knew not what to say.

[15:56] Just as well just as well to be highly favoured of God and to come down to the mount of transfiguration elevated with pride would have been a thousand times worse.

[16:18] Failures are a good thing when we honestly and candidly see them and admit to them. they therefore didn't know what to say but in after years and this is important comes to them as we we read together didn't we?

[16:45] For he received from God the Father honour and glory. They feared as they entered into the cloud we read it looks at it they did not fully comprehend what was happening neither did they.

[17:06] Moses Elias and Jesus speaking together was an unprecedented scene. Do you think Peter could see in Moses the lawgiver?

[17:18] Do you think he could see in Elijah the great prophet? do you think he could see in the Lord Jesus Christ both prophet and lawgiver or keeper?

[17:33] No. There was God's eternal purpose for these witnesses to get an outline. But in the days to come when they knew more about things they would be able to piece it all together and see the beauty of it.

[17:54] And so we do in our lives. We begin to see the coordination of divine events and how God has worked very humbling as well as very blessed.

[18:14] One of the joys of getting older I am finding is this to see the humbling coordination of God's overruling hand in my life.

[18:29] There the picture being completed the enigmas the riddle being solved.

[18:45] He received from God the Father honour and glory. What a beautiful witness. So in the days of your youth and early days of grace your utter failures your weaknesses things that you've said you shouldn't your poor way of handling matters your grief and anxiety are now felt.

[19:15] cannot the Lord overrule it for your good? Can he not sanctify it? Indeed he can.

[19:27] So that you are able to say of it well it was a dark scene at the time but I'm thankful for it. Thankful that it happened.

[19:41] I would not have been without it. It was a time of paper. Where did he then receive from God the Father honor and glory under such circumstances you say.

[20:04] Now when the voice spoke from heaven she tells her that there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory which he feared.

[20:17] and if this be so then the voice never forgot this is my beloved son whom I am well pleased.

[20:32] Now you will remember that only a Sunday two ago we read the third of Matthew didn't we? That same voice there which is my beloved son at the baptism of Christ.

[20:50] Yes whom I'm well pleased. Does God repeat himself? repetitions in the old Hebrew language you know which we often get in the scripture were intended to emphasize.

[21:14] It wasn't mere repetition it was emphasis. So with great work of divine grace what you are learning now stands with good stead in twenty years time if you're spared and if you've come for that twenty years time and you've got to listen to me like this then has not the time arrived for you to be stirred up moved out of the rut brought to sea why these things came into your life and their purpose by these things God is honored and glorified and this voice which came from heaven we heard when we were with him in the holy mount but here is first hand evidence here is a witness

[22:16] I will work I will work none shall turn it back we mentioned Peter this morning and the sword of Malchus well you see in his zeal Peter was doing the wrong thing he was trying to rescue Christ from the hands of his enemies and therefore from crucifixion and therefore from the procuring of peace oh yes we may often the warmth of zeal is doing the wrong thing nevertheless Lord Jesus healed that year submitted to his captors and away he went bound to

[23:17] Caiaphas out of what I witnessed in that see that Peter stood in the way at least trying to in his ignorance and you will see those times when you have been your own greatest enemy made the biggest mistake who could the Lord has shown you that what he did and how he worked was the best you may have striven to put your hand to the ark heart like us did things were going to topple over and in the best of endeavours put your hand out and steady what happened very solemn one of one of the most solemn accounts in the whole of the word of

[24:24] God is that of us and yet it is written for our exhortation and learning be careful you don't put your hand in the work of God I've got to speak to myself far more than I've got to speak to you on this in the order of the church to put our hand to the work of God be a very solemn thing the pastor has one of his greatest trials in keeping his hand off of the work of God I continue there from experience don't touch God for it don't touch the ark the

[25:29] Lord will see to that but it's very very hard very hard but in this there is the witness of the scripture and here we see the sanctification of Peter's experience on the mount of transfiguration and then he says and this voice which came from heaven we heard when we were with him the holy mount and there is tops on that subject that goes on to another and it is this and we have also a more sure word of prophecy a more sure word of prophecy not a more sure scene nothing could be more sure and certain spare the stamp of heaven and hear the voice of God and the sea upon the mount but we have a more sure word of prophecy and he adds this whereunto ye do well that ye take heed and this was

[26:54] Isaiah the sure word of prophecy wasn't Matthew Mark Luke John Acts or anyone else because it wasn't written now I will work none should turn it back here is the fulfillment of this text God worked through Isaiah and the prophets no one turned it back they didn't understand till their eyes were opened it went through many a dark age went into centuries of disuse a time came when it was found and understood and blessed we have also a more sure word of prophecy well we have and I trust we have seen it in these thoughts on

[27:59] Isaiah's prophecy and Jeremiah earlier in the year these noble men you see who wrote as they were indicted by the Holy Ghost whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn and the star the day star arise in your hearts what a beautiful expression in the old parish church that I used to go to as a boy not regularly but once a month over the lich gate these words were written until the day dawn and the day star arise in your heart and you children may find words like this retained in your memories for many years and not understand them but if anyone asked you to quote them you could quote them accurately

[29:29] I could have quoted this accurately I suppose from the age of about twelve years today how differently I can see these words in their true meaning the day star you don't often see the day star because you're not awake your night watch when you were or had a sleepless night and people that can't sleep often see the day star and a beautiful star of course it is the day star God's wonderful creation brought into spiritual aspect until the day goes does not this then fit in the same blessed prophet bring forth the blind people that have eyes the deaf that have ears

[30:48] I will say to the north give up to the south keep not back does it not fit in with our Lord's teaching to Nicodemus must be born again must see the light of life though Peter the unlearned and ignorant fisherman is inspired to use such glowing terms of thee that would have fitted the lips of an opponent yes indeed they would in this gracious word therefore we brought to another witness and that is the word of God knowing this first that no prophecy of the scriptures of any private interpretation though the wonderful witness of the word of

[32:04] God and I trust to have seen something of it in the past few weeks look at the uniformity of it look at the nature of Isaiah's prophecy with regard to Christ with regard to sin salvation and there's a lot more to come in Isaiah whether we shall be brought to it I don't know look at the setting of it who could so set it with diamonds so to speak sapphires of divine truth that they sparkle almost on every pay midst the solemn sounding judgments of the heathen all about them God drops his word this people have I formed for myself says the same 43rd chapter they shall show for my praise what a witness is the word of

[33:21] God I will work and oh you can't read too much of the preservation of the word of God how it was written how it was translated due time into our native town when our country our island was a massive darkness and there was as it were a new creation by the translation of the word of God people hastened to read it and the Bible as they were then written were chained to the lecterns in the church so that people could take them away can you picture to yourself the people looking over each other's shoulders reading the word of

[34:28] God the language of the great translator when he said his object was to put Bible to the hand of every flower boy wonderful word of God look where it got you today look how dissatisfied men are with it look at the versions there are of it and constantly coming off of the press too only had one the other day sent me for review I couldn't touch it an awful purple look at the sacredness of God's gift the witness of the scripture I know that much may be said that here and there concern me but the beauty of it and God's blessing that has rested upon it there is an unmistakable sign we have a more sure word of prophecy it is a night that shineth in a dark place now to be a witness therefore you must bear witness to the truth of this word shining in your heart heart but you see the day star is only the beginning of the day oh yes it is the good right the normal natural beginning of the day the day star but when that day star arrives in your heart you have got the whole of the day that is the whole of your life in front of you for that day star that disappears as it always does the glory of something else eclipses it and that's the star to you that fear my name says the last book of

[36:46] Malachi shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing it is we so the day star is but the beginning but it must be the day star a good beginning because if the beginning is good then the end must be he that hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of jesus christ but to come back to this one thought which dominates our mind today the witnesses the witness of the word of god now to learn from this the innumerable lessons in providence and grace we have such a mighty provision that there is no equal to all the lives of godly men some in detail some scant and yet there you see and should see the son of righteousness over it all you read the life of joseph the life of jacob or abraham or the patriarch you won't keep your eye fixed on them and you come to the prophets you won't keep your eye fixed on the prophets you come to the end of the old testament then you will turn to the new and see the sign which

[38:40] Peter knew nothing of when he wrote this there was the sure word of prophecy we as I said the other day that the old the new is in the old concealed and the new is by the old revealed this is how god has chosen to unfold his purposes and this is his witness no prophecy of the scripture of any private interpretation this is the beauty of it we have concordances haven't we very useful book too highly commended Croone's Concordance an amazing work for many it the scripture is its own concordance it can only interpret scripture by scripture it wouldn't do it would be fatal for any minister as I have often said to say

[39:59] I think this it doesn't matter what I think your immortal soul is far too important for me ever to say to you I think this you can't come down to the grave on what I think God forbid it to ever should that you can come down to the grave one way or the other on what set the scripture oh oh yes and you will do too and so shall I make no mistake about that there is therefore no private interpretation the interpretation is general the interpretation of the word of God is in itself comparing scripture with scripture truth with truth and look at the way this is done and how necessary it is but look also what a blessed exercise it is to be troubled about a scripture and to say well

[41:25] I don't understand it I hope you've said that a good many times in your life because if you have you have also this side of it to answer for have you searched out the answer in the word of God itself it is here that we're on firm ground and nowhere else what a witness oh it stands as a beacon upon a hill that no prophecy of the scripture many private interpretation now we have the double where the old testament is revealed by the new and here's a case in point and here's the very man like the apostle Paul refers to the old testament but what did their master do when he unfolded the scripture beginning at

[42:34] Moses and the prophets and the psalms he expounded unto them all things concerning himself yes when you look for Christ you certainly won't stop or stop at Matthew there is a danger in this it's an indication of a lack of gracious teaching when a person only reads the new testament I've heard them say that and tremble you know where your help is found no prophecy of the scripture of any private interpretation for the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man had it done so it follows it would have been a private interpretation if it came by the will of Isaiah it follows and follows very clearly too that these were

[43:43] Isaiah's thoughts and therefore they were not a thus saith the Lord but it's nothing of the kind they do not holy men of God's faith as they were moved by the holy ghost moved that's why they have no private interpretation of blessed spirit of truth to set up a witness glorious holy witness in the prophets in the psalm in the new testament now and all these testify to the one great witness the true witness Jesus Christ I will work before the day was

[44:47] I am here there is none that can deliver out of my hand I will work and who shall let it hinder it who should turn it back such is the veracity of the word of God and its utter utmost certainty that it's a true witness true witness and this is a matter of life and death yes this is not an ordinary trial for theft or some petty crime we stand there before God in a matter of life and death time or eternity time past and eternity to be entered into heaven or hell this is a trial that will stand the test only of the heavenly witness inspired word of God and that in itself will lead to the great deliverer from that eternal ruin where hope and mercy can never come amen for末 he added some extreme like

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