The glory of God revealed in Christ (Quality: Poor)

[0:00] With the Lord's help, we will speak again from the book of Job, chapter 30, verse 21. Book of Job, chapter 37, verse 21.

[0:18] And now men see it up, the bright light which is in the cloud, but the wind passeth and plengeth. It is always, never has been, a source of comfort that nature and bright teach us very similar lessons and move in similar pathways.

[0:46] You know, as we said this morning, we cannot state clearly or categorically that nature and grace are the same, because they're not.

[0:58] And their workings weren't very similar. God has been pleased to make nature and his way of creation, such as death and life, such as sunshine and rain, that night and all his remarkable and wonderful works in creation.

[1:27] Object for our attention, so we rejoice in this most simple and ready-to-hand means, which God has given him the youngest child, what God does in nature, can do and thus doing grace.

[1:50] Birth is the work of his hands. The beginning of creation, as in his hands, was in his hands, a continuous performance of it.

[2:05] So with the new birth, he that hath begun a good work in you will carry it on and perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

[2:19] There shall be no failure, any more than there is in creation or human life. I shall retain full control.

[2:33] My times are in thy hands, said David. In this, there is a wealth of rule of power, because hope requires the mighty power of God to accomplish.

[2:50] He spoke this morning of the light that first came when God's creation said, let there be light. That light that is common to man, in which he rejoices.

[3:05] God's grace. And then the light of the gospel, which is God's gracious gift, as we read in the chapter from Corinthians, God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, to shine in our hearts.

[3:28] The object and purpose of it, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ.

[3:40] So that we may, without any fear, proceed upon these lines to look at this text and see how wonderfully the clouds are part of the gospel order.

[3:56] And without clouds, and that light behind them, and that face in that light, that it is there, though we cannot see it, and as the hymn you say, declared, and a good many others will live, and it is by faith, that it is by faith, the believer walks, and that he cannot see, but he can believe, so that we learn to value clouds, because they are testing times.

[4:39] that it is God's purpose to test his creation, as he does, with the most arid heat, as he did in this country a few years ago, and also with the most strickening process, and to bring nature to a standstilling, and yet, to revive her, by his own power and means.

[5:12] In this, the believer sees the work of grace, was brought to feel that though there is a cloud, there is a light behind it, a good hand of God behind it, the light of the Redeemer, Son of Righteousness, who spoke of his sins this morning, and how he's under a dark cloud very, very often, and his sins rise up upon him, he feels the separating hindrance, your iniquities of separation.

[5:53] It's a sad, a dark, and exceedingly painful thing. And although it may be something you're not fully acquainted with, time may well come when you are, but those of us that know and feel the withdrawing of God's face, know how we wilt under this, know when the enemy comes in like a flood, we are cast down.

[6:28] Know that we've heard of the Apostles teaching on this in the chapter that we read. It wasn't all light with him. It wasn't all shining sky by any means.

[6:45] We have those most acceptable words of his, cast down, not altogether without hope, as the martyr said, cast down, but not destroyed, troubled on every side, not distressed, perplexed, but not in despair.

[7:11] Oh, what a fine balance it is, isn't it? And yet, the balancing's of God's cloud. And were they not balanced, we know that despair would be a lot, utter perplexity.

[7:30] The balance is preserved in the Apostles' words, persecuted, but not forsaken. So that in this, we are comforted, supported, to feel that it is the piton of the land.

[7:50] And now there are clouds, yet, those clouds are not marked against us. They are more than testing towers.

[8:02] And a religion untested is merely no religion at all. For God is a jealous God to try his own testing, his own way, and by his own means.

[8:22] And those means that the Apostle mentioned here, one of them is persecution. Which is one of the sorest of all the texts which God has all day.

[8:37] Nevertheless, he brings his people remarkably through persecution, petty persecution, those pinpricks, right down to the sword of persecution.

[8:56] And this, no small thing, some of us can't talk about the sword of persecution, though we can, the pinpricks of persecution. But now, when see not the bright light which is in the cloud, the wind passed and scattered.

[9:21] There is a cloud we mentioned this morning which preserved Egypt coming out of Egypt, that cloud which afterwards proved to be the guiding cloud and thinness that died now.

[9:40] And its wonderful movement. And what a blessed cloud providence with this. They found a crowning providence. none of them from this.

[9:55] The world know this. To the Lord's people, it is of double weight because their belief and faith is in this that it is the Lord who orders their very providence.

[10:10] They cannot move in providence without his guidance. or would they take a step without it? Oh, the sacred cloud of providence, the cloud that sometimes brings bitter tears.

[10:30] Feel that God has forsaken and not given you the desire of your heart. Yet, in retrospect, how awful can you not look back and see the motive?

[10:52] Though you accounted it not as such at the time which crossed all your fair designs and plans, blasted your goals and laid you low.

[11:06] This remarkable cloud brought you to him when you were able at last to submit to his way and feel further the truth that he makes no mistake we must not omit this sacred cloud in the pathway of the believer because there is a summing up of it at the end of the journey.

[11:39] the longer we have this guiding cloud the more we are in the kingdom of grace that is brought to examine it and see how kindly gracious it was thou thou thou shalt remember thou shalt remember all the way the Lord thy God hath led thee these forty years.

[12:12] This is a heartwarming view of the way that God has stopped you and led you like the pillar in the desert or the cloud Israel moved when that moved and when it remained stationary they did so too.

[12:35] When men see the finger of the Lord in their providence their gracious way opened up how they rejoice.

[12:46] and this can be done in such a quiet unobtrusive manner that you may miss God's leading at the actual time feel that there's scarcely any leading in it but in the light of subsequent events how blessed that moment was when you took that turn to the right hand instead of the left and when you said yes instead of no he let them fall by the right way they might go to a city of habitation by the right way and then of course they acknowledge it was the right way whereas the hymn writer says of the path of difficult faith could we see where all were right where the need for freedom by faith and not by sight do

[13:58] Christians yield obedience this cloud is one therefore of that sacred number we spoke of the light light of God's word the light of the ministry of his word the light in searching his word all things become new and two more lights with regard to this one exemplified very clearly in the life of Paul when Ananias was said to him somewhat reluctantly at first God overcame the reluctance of Ananias by saying to him go thy way Ananias for he is a chosen vessel unto thee and behold a prayer associate a chosen vessel with prayer you have the complete work of God in a few words the light of prayer shed abroad in your heart how quietly the

[15:19] Lord leads his people to prayer we read of those who when first are blessed with this arrow of conviction try to pray and put there is such an experience and then they begin as a little child Lord teach me to pray for what and and think and think that this will possibly pass away in course of time to more mature language and so it will but not in the way they think because there will never be a time when they will not need to pray Lord teach me to pray teach me how to pray takes me for want to pray what a night this is what a strange night and so agreeable the work of God that his leading not to romantic language mighty words swelling promises fleshly undertakings and in the pathway of scriptural prayer and now what a field here for the ground of prayer how it must be there the need must be there allowing all these things to be in the right places but what prayers come out of the word of God and a few words too you may think of one or two that have struck you as I see to go with the material conditions of your later years which you knew when you were young and you entered into now you see in one instance and another their deeper suitability take the prayer of

[17:49] James for example oh that thou wouldst bless me indeed what weight and emphasis there is on there that thou wouldst keep me from evil the positiveness of this prayer why why keep you from evil that it may not grieve me as I told some of you before I knew a person who always used to think that prayer said that it may not grieve me it doesn't it's true it does in one respect gave this prayer may not grieve me in this just one instance quite apart from innumerable others there is the cloud and the light in which you're walking the consistency in this life that it is according to the word of

[19:02] God that it's a heartfelt desire that the more simple and expressive it is the more suitable and real it is in this you're coming to the light as I said this morning doing truth he that doeth truth coming to the light that his deeds may be made manifest you may come to the other extreme of this where there is that burdenship need search me oh God and know my house try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me lead me in the way of an asking suspicious of yourself suspicious there's something yet that needs

[20:07] God's examination we have enough fears naturally over some weakness or pain in body and our fears may rise pretty high when it comes to grace how often is there that thought there's something wrong up there and this scriptural prayer is so fitting search me oh God this is light and you well know that I'm not deceiving you because you can search it out for yourself and have done this is so intensely practical and so perfectly true that we see in this prayer the light in which the Lord brings us to war and there is one other and that is of praise the night of a thankful heart and this is a sweet night indeed oh the beauty blessedness of walking in the light of liberty the Lord showing you the way of salvation the perfections of the Lord

[21:46] Jesus his perfect righteousness his sin cleansing love his dealing with you individually begin to face those things together and see where are leading that good fight lying hold of this that they would not have dealt with you thus to bring you to confusion this encourages to walk in the night but what a sweet light it is to return to give thanks thanks to the Lord the Lord Jesus when he was upon earth remember ten lepers were cleansed and one of them returned to give thanks thanks to and

[22:51] Jesus and Jesus takes this fact because it's not a parable it's literal fact up and he says were there not ten then where are the nine who are not found but this one to return and give thanks so that gratitude thankfully is in this life this sacred life that follows the Lord's gracious answers to your prayer how sweet work it is to return to give him thanks mellowing work is thankfulness and as the days wear on and the heart receive these benefits as the psalmist calls them forget not all his benefits and as we receive day after day his kindness care blessing and teaching the providence and grace unite but cause there is for humble gratitude but there are those particular faces which call for particular things and I believe that when the

[24:19] Lord bestows particular deliverances and particular blessings they're always without exception follows a spirit of gratitude a spirit of thankfulness the object of the Lord's goodness is that his name shall be glorified so that when we see this light and walk in it and these several things are known by experience we are fully aware that there are clouds above and that this isn't all that we want now I come to the point we want something more we want a greater blessing yet we want we ask we look we search again upon higher ground and after higher things newborn soul is never satisfied with regard with standing in the

[25:40] Lord Jesus until such time as the Lord gives to them the spirit of adoption and then that light which is behind the cloud is a reality when Simeon went into the temple on that notable morning he went in as usual he went in with that usual burden upon his spirit he long waited for the redemption in Israel and so it had had a prophetess and those two servants of God on that particular morning when the Lord Jesus was taken in in the arms of Mary he took him up in his arms and the climax was ring now

[26:46] Lord he says that is thou thy servant depart in face mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared before the face of all people and light there it is lighten the gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel as it was necessary to preach from that day what were depths of value there is it first confirmation of an individual person's own soul and their salvation I've finished Lord now my greatest desire has been granted glory of

[27:52] God and the remaining yet unfulfilled purposes of God flowed out of his lips like the lips of a prophet but they were all words that had been uttered already by the prophets they were fully consistent with revealed prophecy to sin the gentiles were to receive the night of the gospel such words as these in the temple now how clearly these have been revealed to be true so that upon this notable occasion the light was seen in the arms of Mary without any hesitation did the noble servant of God cry so tenderly and another prophetess too similarly blessed so that it was a day of great sin so confined to the knowledge of the spirit in this we see the night breaking through the wind the wind what is this emblem before us there in grace the wind there's only one nothing comparable nothing the work of the holy spirit glorious glorious power who not only brings her to the birth the wind blower very stiff but also finishes the work in his own powerful and gracious way the wind passes and until the wind passes the clouds remain until the Lord is pleased to ease the burden of guilt by the wind of the holy spirit in other words the graces of the holy spirit but remain but when this life is enlarged by the gift rise of clearer fire then it is as you can see that behind the cloud there was a gracious life all the time it was set through searching the word of God yet again to see how true this was spoke of some of it on

[31:00] Wednesday from I think what the 14th of Acts wasn't it persecution of the apostle Paul at this very nervous how he was taken up for dead and he revived and how he went on to confirm the churches exhorting them to continue in the faith and that it was through much tribulation that we must enter the kingdom here in that hour of weakness and bruises and bleeding and persecution the apostle utters those words which have stood as a pillar all through succeeding ages declaring that the way to the kingdom is through the pathway of much tribulation and who better qualified to say that than such a servant who had thus been stoned and persecuted and rejected and hated as his master but no the light shone upon him and he had declared with a gracious declaration for all to listen confirming the souls of the disciples in this that this was no more than they must expect and that

[32:40] God had promised so that the wind of truth the Holy Spirit not only with regard to doctrine and practice but also experience who will blow and remove the cloud but associated with this there are the precious promises Peter whose beginning in spiritual things was what shall I say not marked with any great mark the Lord began with him we believe when he did him follow him from his nets by the sea gallant and you may be troubled about your beginning to think it wasn't as conspicuous as some others and you may be very tried and tempted that perhaps there's no beginning at all that few serfs come to

[33:49] Peter in later years in his epistle he speaks about God's marvelous life where did that life first dawn on you don't say it wasn't at Galilee you cannot say that the first dawnings of light upon God's servant Peter kind and mighty years they didn't but when he gets older he looks back to that distant shore beyond Galilee and he says marvelous light who delivered us from the power of darkness into his marvelous light now it's all stuff that follow me now now expanded into a brilliant life did he follow him oh yeah did he follow him perfectly oh no are there many ideas did he get a woeful trip for his parents yes indeed he did is that any less real with regard to seeing a son of righteousness when he speaks of the exceeding great and precious promises are not these enlarged by faith walking into light you walk in the light of God's promises in a way of earnest desire don't you?

[35:37] you can't say that promise is mine but you can long for it to be made over to you don't you? you can be on the stretch after it how many there are say unto my soul well this is being on the stretch isn't it?

[35:56] I am thy salvation this is looking for and hasting unto the fulfilment of the promise is this any new pathway then?

[36:08] indeed not the apostle speaks also of not being redeemed with corruptible things as a silver and gold but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ as of a lamb slain from before the foundation world where did he learn all this?

[36:32] on Galilee shores? never but that was the beginning where did you learn as much as you know and believe? where did the Lord begin with you?

[36:45] was it a little beginning? as I have just said was it not spectacular ever? beware won't you with regard to the enemy's temptation in wanting great things for yourself not all souls of time there was light in that appearance indeed there was it struck him down but that light led him to the same place as undoubtedly it has led you and that is beholdly prayer and despise these things as if they were something in the nature of scaffolding that one day will be taken down they're not you'll never be able to dispense with prayer or reading the word of God or hearing the preaching whilst you have health and strength or praying or praising oh no this veil appears is the place for that when you get the end of the journey they well be here we're told quite plainly that now abideth faith hope and love these three the greatest of these is love that will never fail never die love love will still remain now the creation and gift of this is only too clearly sight of the Lord Jesus but what do we mean by this well there was the Mount of Transfiguration and I feared as I entered the cloud but this wasn't a cloud which hid individuals from their eyes it was a psychic cloud but it wasn't a dense one because

[38:57] Peter clearly saw these three persons there and he said let us make three tabernacles if you're going to stay if Moses is come to stay if Elias is come to stay if you Jesus are going to stay here then shall we make three tabernacles to accommodate there was Peter Peter himself looking at things from point of view of human convenience because then he now we're told he want not what to say but now this is a blessed cloud to be in such a cloud as if when you can see the Lord Jesus as I said this morning we pass through these clouds these ethereal clouds that we can see we know the other side is the sun so with the glory upon the mount of transfiguration

[40:00] Lord Jesus could be seen and he could be hope and the subject they discuss the typical representative of the prophet Elijah and typical representative of the Lord Moses and the great poor pillar of both there together and the disciples saw but there was a cloud and they feared as they entered the cloud and when Lord when the Lord draws near can it be other than a sacred man though we might decline and do our individuality and our earthiness yet is there not sacred majesty about it the Lord is near he is calm we hear him discussing his deceit

[41:11] Moses spoke of it Elijah typically represented the prophet who spoke of it at great length and now humans are permitted to see that scene before their very eyes now this is the son the Lord does break through in glory in what way as far as we can bear as far as we can bear human nature flesh could not bear glory fully revealed of the Lord Jesus now it was given to John in his time of the dark cloud when he was exiled to a path separated from all else and under this scourge of Rome the Lord

[42:18] Jesus first to appear to him we read he was in the spirit on the Lord's day and if we read the fast of revelation we see the majesty of the Lord Jesus and that very person that he knew so well and whose voice he had heard so often he says I heard a voice behind me and I turned to look I didn't recognize it I turned to look and there we have that sacred description comparable with that in the 6 of Isaiah where the Lord Jesus took his servant aside he fell down before he was dead such was the magnitude and the majesty of the Lord Jesus but it was a bearable sight that light shone upon

[43:22] God's servant as it had shone upon no other and is never likely to again until the great day when he shall come the second time in his glory wills to those that look for him says Paul now this is the breaking through of the light in its spiritual form as is revealed to us from the authority of the word of God now what about it in experience what about the Lord shining on your and my pathway if you're likely to be such times are such times promised and he will make his goodness pass before you in the way and show you his glory as Moses asked are such times as his promised perhaps we ought to ask they are indeed it is his purpose as we read together in the

[44:35] Corinthians that he shall give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ this are set before us in his precious promises now this is why Peter calls them precious he'd experienced them the answer to them this is why he calls this light marvelous light when he looked back upon it he couldn't see that he stood in a most marvelous way in this light understood there the poor man was knowing not what to say is not this typical awful the more thy glory strikes my eye the pamphlet

[45:38] I shall know now then see not the bright light which is in the clouds that the wind passes and cleanses who is this sacred person therefore other than the holy spirit who is it that takes of the things of Jesus which include and paramountly include and ultimately include his glory if it isn't the holy spirit this sacred wind will make all the difference in our lives all the difference in your life this is worth waiting for worth praying for doubt not that it will come in a cloud that it will put you in a right posture that you will be in a place where you are overcome with the sacredness of God's majesty the tenderness of his demons that you will prove him to be true oh you've had many a doubt and fear through life's journey you've wondered where the seed would end how it would end now he told you fear thou not for

[47:19] I am distraved be not dismayed I am thy God and so enough to set you and me searching the sacred word according to the night we have the more night we have the more light we have the darker and deeper the clouds will be to test that face which comes with the light as I said this morning one crowding blessing deepening of your affection you will not fall out with your God you will not misjudge you will be clearly of that knowledge and mind that what he does is ever best who cannot say so at times you will see it was the right way as the hymn writer said no doubt and rough hysteria though displayed enough when our faith is turned to say shall see the ways of God were right and amen we will close this evening so just by seeing it number 7148

[49:14] June 405 in number 748 June 405 in the time to destroy my way to strive and wander across the divine and since the same day is dying I cannot see the death of the time this the how the

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