God's loving leading to living water (Quality: Poor)

[0:00] Let us pray the place to God and I thank you to the officials of the Philippians, chapter 1, and we read this to 7th.

[0:18] To the Philippians, chapter 1, and this to 7th. Even as it is neat for me to think this of you all, cause I have you in my heart.

[0:43] Inasmuch as both in my bonds and in the defense, the confirmation of the gospel, the all-outtakers of my grace is necessary to pass more occasion today.

[1:09] And my mind has been especially influenced for this very sacred word of our own apostles, with dreadful stone, the church that he wanted at Philippi.

[1:33] So he was able under God and by his grace and spirit to regard them as his own spiritual children.

[1:48] I just made an initial observation. The key note to me in this is very touching, very beautiful, very indispensable, very vital, and very beautiful, very beautiful, very beautiful, very beautiful, very beautiful, very beautiful, namely, he says, because I have you in my heart.

[2:26] And in the interpretation of this word, it is both ways. Because I am in your heart.

[2:42] He was in the heart of the believers of Philippi, and most abundantly, as their fatherly God, who traveled for them, who traveled for them, brought them forth, nourished them and established for them, they were in his heart.

[3:11] We shall give initially just a brief sketch of the circumstances relating to this beautiful epistle epistle or letter.

[3:24] As you may well know, it is one of the prison letters or epistles. And the apostle was then prisoner in Rome, from 1963 AD.

[3:44] And this is just what had taken place. You probably very well know this.

[3:55] You certainly do it if you read your Bible and dreadfully study it. They had in their life.

[4:07] Love is so wonderfully fruitful. When you think of love, how love is manifested, pure, holy love, how this is manifested by the people of God.

[4:31] And think of God's love. It's impossible for love not to be manifested. The love of God was manifested in his wonderful gift in sending his own living on the sun, in turn to die for our sins of Calvary.

[4:58] Now you never compute the boundless and effortful nature of the love of God, the gift of his Son, to die of Calvary for the sins of all his people.

[5:19] And so, as I have said, love is always manifesting itself.

[5:30] Very sweet, sacred, powerful, vexed, epic nature as it is. And how was this applicable in the case of our apostle?

[5:47] Well, you just, if you can, visualize this great and bold and dear Nam-a-God, a prisoner in Rome.

[6:03] He was happy. He was not miserable. He was not dejected. For in the loveless of the opening thou of this epistle there is a fear of joy.

[6:19] Why was he happy? Because the law was with him. And because, as he writes in his epistle for the Romans, that monumental scripture, and we know that all things work together, Lord Lord, to them who are not God, to them who are the call according to his purpose.

[6:54] He was happy. He was happy. Now this touches the preacher, and I hope it will touch you. The Church of Philippi did something.

[7:11] And so, in all their life, they sent their pastor, Epaphroditus, to Rome, to see the great apostle. And to take him a present or a gift.

[7:26] And to supply him, with those things that they felt were necessary. And so, in all their life, they sent their pastor with this beautiful gift to their Father in God, the Apostle Paul.

[7:49] And he says, he speaks about it. He says, I am full, having received the Epaphroditus, the things which were sent from you, and over there, or the sweet smell, the sacrifice acceptable well-pleasing to God.

[8:16] And then he goes on to say, and if I paraphrase it, it was as though he said, no, I cannot send you.

[8:28] I have no ability to send you a gift. That my God shall supply all your money.

[8:43] I have no ability to send you a gift. I have no ability to send you a gift to your Father, but I have no ability to send you a gift to your Father. And so, receiving the love, this gift from the church of Philippi, through their master Epaphroditus, he then, of course, receiving the love, he was receiving to write this epistle to them.

[9:20] And so, really, it is love, it is all love. There is no discord, there is no marriage, there is no worth of Satan.

[9:37] It is the worth of the Spirit, it is the pure love of God, in the Apostle and in this church.

[9:49] And they were unique in many ways. Because he says here in the early part of his Epistle, I thank my God upon every remembrance of him.

[10:09] Whenever I do not, always, in every prayer of mine, for you all, making requests with joy.

[10:45] And what I would like to say at this stage is this. The Lord give us grace, so that we may pray, that we may emulate this beautiful example.

[11:00] The union and the oneness between the Apostle Paul and the Church of Philippi and the Catholic of Diocese.

[11:13] How beautiful that is. I feel in the first part of the discourse, it will be wise for me to deal with some of the basics.

[11:28] That is why I read the lesson where I did. The Apostle, the Apostle, knew how he was led to.

[11:44] Though we read that they were the victim of the Holy Ghost and preached the willed nation, the door was shut.

[11:58] If the Lord shuts a door, it is always obvious that he intends to open another door. And they say, that is they make trial to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit shatter them not.

[12:19] Now what did the Lord intend to reveal to the Apostle and to Timothy?

[12:31] They did not have to wait very long. The letters emphasize and underline at this stage the importance of a right and good beginning to end with it.

[12:50] If the thing begins well, it has a good foundation and the Lord will be with you. And this I believe concerning our wrath and this block of right and good and blessed God and test you begin to win his passing.

[13:16] Well, the Lord still made known his divine will. He was in the nocturnal errors. I wonder if you receive anything from the Lord in those nocturnal errors.

[13:35] The hours when everything is hushed around you. When darkness envelops the earth or this color.

[13:48] Now in the night, something amazing took place. A vision. A vision is something supernatural and divine.

[14:01] It is something that comes directly from heaven into one's soul. All powers are suspended.

[14:13] Whilst the sacred pairs of a ransomed soul are activated to receive the communication from God.

[14:26] And in this vision, little kid, there's still a man. And he could see this man. A man of Macedonia.

[14:39] And he said something. And prayed him saying, come over into Macedonia and help us.

[14:56] Now that was a specific word from the Lord, the apostle and Timothy his companion.

[15:08] There was no ambiguity about it. Nothing uncertain. Nothing vague. Precisely.

[15:19] Definitely. There was this word from God. For the apostle and Timothy to come over into Macedonia and help.

[15:37] I pause to ask you people gathered here today, you dear people. Does the Lord speak to you?

[15:49] Does he grant you the blessing of divine revelation? Do you ever see a vision? Is anything presented to your ransomed soul by God concerning matters?

[16:10] May be affecting the church. May be affecting the church. May be affecting a dear family. May be affecting a dear family. Or your future, your moments, the will of God concerning you.

[16:22] And it is with me, O Lord, there is this vision. I hope that I am speaking very prudently.

[16:36] Will I suggest to your minds here this afternoon on the pastor's third anniversary that he revealed what is before us today to his dear Father.

[16:55] I don't know when, but I am positive and certain that he revealed this to dear Mr. Ruben Ness.

[17:08] Perhaps for a number of years before he died. Maybe some of you, his dear widow and the family know the secret. But I believe the Lord revealed it to him.

[17:22] Now what is the Lord revealed here? But you will find that in these revelations and visions that it is a two-way system that the Lord was now revealed it to her God.

[17:42] He saw this vision concerning his future and following his beloved Father.

[17:53] I'm going to pause again. What about you lady friends, you sisters? Do you get anything from God? Does he speak to you?

[18:05] Can you speak of visions and revelations of the Lord? How wonderful it is when the Lord makes clear his gift by purposes and how they will concern us.

[18:24] The preacher knew this from, I suppose, a boy concerning the dead.

[18:36] Something that is inexplicable. It is something that was in my heart concerning the ministry and the beloved Church of God.

[18:52] Now what has the Lord shown you? Have you any secret? Any vision concerning the future or concerning your movements?

[19:07] The will of God revealed to you by revelation or vision. So, the Apostle Paul and Demetrius, his companion, they knew well what the will of God was concerning them.

[19:32] And I admire the terminology that follows. After they had seen the Legion, immediately we endeavour to go into Macedonia.

[19:50] Then in the next verse, therefore those in the Trials became a straight course, no diversion, nothing devious.

[20:02] They came with a straight course. The same as the same as the same as the next day in the Antioch. And from thence to Philippi.

[20:14] Now how did they know what to do when they reached Philippi? The chief city of Epcot, the Macedonia and the Colony.

[20:26] The Lord had called them to preach the gospel in a certain spot. They've gone to this city now. Where are they to exercise, to administrate?

[20:42] Where are these people that the Lord is sending them to? And on the Sabbath we went down to this city. You may think of sailors.

[20:59] You may think of men who rely on a compass. Now my friends, the compass and the charter of God is the word of God.

[21:10] You've got your compass. You go by that compass. You act according to the information that you read in that compass.

[21:29] And so, by a divine tuition and according to the compass of the word of God, on the Sabbath day they go out of the city and it is very fitting by riverside.

[21:48] The river flows in the word of God. The river flows in the church of God. Oh, this river. The river of the water of life.

[22:01] How largely water figures in the vine. Oh, this, you have wells.

[22:14] Living water. Spring water. Rivers. Think of what happened at the Jordan. Now this Savior was baptized by John Baptist.

[22:30] Think of the river. Think of the river. Do you know the river? There is on it. The streams thereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the ten nations of the most high.

[22:47] Go aside for a moment. You will know that in the earliest days of mankind on this planet, they always had a priority.

[23:09] And what was it? Water. And so, in those early days of man, he always went and found water.

[23:23] There he pitched his tent. There he settled. Because water is essential to life.

[23:35] You can very quickly visualize London blowing up round the tenes and so on. It's always known as water.

[23:47] Another God's glorious gospel of his grace is living water, the water of life. and where that water is thirsty souls will find it and settle and the ministry of the spirit a God given pastor there are living waters that flow through that ministry and there people are gathered and there they settle and there they live it calls on the water of life the clouds you must have water oh the wonder of this water to give you eternal life to cleanse your guilty soul to refresh you to revive you to cause you to grow and flourish living water not scatum not system water that living water that flows from the fountain in the Lord Jesus into his church and I wonder why the chapel was built here and another one up the road why and why have they been maintained only for one reason and that is living waters flow if there's no water of life then thirsty souls are never born they cannot be but where is this living water flowing there the thirsty sinner is power if I just change slightly the metaphor of bread

[26:00] I would like us to reiterate something that the minister Frank Gosling said the late year down the guard his father was a man of tremendous business human expertise knew him and he intended to set up his son in business and an arrangement was made for them to visit this prosperous business in the countryside somewhere I don't know where it was and the owner brought out his books they were the rooms and it was a wonderful business Mr. Frank took a quiet walk around the garden and presently he gave him the house in confidence with his father and the owner and he made this observation he said

[27:17] I sleep by my observation which is factual the fear there is plenty of the bread that perishes but where is the bread of life apparently there was no cause of proof nearby where his soul could be nourished he said where is the bread of life now I put that to you who up no although most of the friends are of course elderly but where are you are you where there is this living water these springs that flow from beneath the throne of God from God himself living water now there you can settle and there you can spend your days and as the living water flows end your days and then you'll go to the fountain source of that now do you understand this are you in the very place where you receive living water now I can never understand people who profess to hear

[28:49] God and they bought the things of this life before the things of God first thing and God will honor you and if you're younger there's many say this to you God will honor you if you put this first these springs of living water the Lord will appear for you in Providence if you say that is my home there is the living well there are the springs of living water there is the river of the water of life this water flows in the ministry my soul is refreshed and cheered and grows there by now that's your home now if you put that there and I have that witness that there are those here who put that there now in these days of unemployment redundancies and so on many of the

[30:05] Lord's people come into heavy trial if you put those springs of living water first and say that is my spiritual home that's where my soul is supplied and cheered and refreshed God will open the door for you for me I will give a prophetic word this day you'll see God in a single manner to his own glory open for you a door in divine providence and that will be sweet do you know why because you have a smile of God in your soul that you put in first now I cannot understand those who protest darkness who can go somewhere where there's no red of life no order of life and of course I suppose even if you think of a holiday it will be refreshing to you if you can think that you're going somewhere where there's living water that I'm afraid these are a slap thing generally speaking that if only you can go somewhere where there's living water this is the first thing how can I be a happy how can I really enjoy a few days unless there's a little living water so on the

[31:48] Sabbath they went out of the great city to live by a river side very good the analogy of faith is wonderful by a river side I shall stay here for a few moments I had not anticipated this I suppose many of you when you have an opportunity take advantage of it to quietly walk by a river if you can walk by the tables of Windsor or wherever it may be as a person dying to quietly walk by a river and it's amazing the lessons of the teaching that you receive if you walk by a river they gently flow and if the

[33:04] Lord gives you sweet meditation peace will flow into your soul you look at those pure waters and you think ah my sins I have washed away in that precious fountain of purgation there's love in the water there's life on the banks there's a feeling of tranquility of peace there is something ethereal about it you're right away from all the confusion and chaos of this world now outfitting a river side and they went out of the city by a river side but you know this in Britain not that I know the whole land well by any means but you look in

[34:09] Britain where the living water flows the people there as a congregation bound to be a congregation where the new water flows their souls receive the water of light if they're refreshed and cheered from that living water they're there that's the secret stagnant water oh no life maybe something academic I'm not speaking against that in itself but if it's only that stagnant water there was nothing for a thirsty soul friends are you thirsty this afternoon can you save my soul thirsty for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God if you come up to the house of

[35:18] God with this first for him you'll know what it is sometimes to have full brats of his everlasting life is heavenly isn't it so with a promise I take it then and believe there's a spring here now the spring actually is brought in this book and from this blessed book and in the holy ordinance of the ministry of the gospel and redemption it flows of this soul so they went by riverside and prayer was once made there now this was the place they were in the place that God had appointed for them and the dear ones there were receiving the very minister or ministers that God had appointed for them do you see how wonderful this is the rest of

[36:45] Christ God had appointed for these dear ones in their prayers he had appointed the apostle Paul and Timotheus and they're there God has brought them there and for the apostle and his companion and Timothy the Lord appointed that they should go to this very spot to exercise their ministry about America so you can see what that was really the basic things the vital thing we may summarize it in this way we can say as we see the apostle Paul and Timotheus there with this little company by the riverside we can say this is the Lord's doing it is marvelous in our eyes

[37:49] God is doing man has no hand in it it is entirely and exclusively the work of the holy God now this is how I present to you the case before us today without rather any settlement here say the beginning is right the basics are right the smile of God is on him but just a little word further they sat down you don't sit down everywhere you can't sit down that means they were at rest they were sitting down because they were where God had brought them to they sat down because they were at home you see they sat down they were one in spirit in the

[39:00] Lord Jesus and so they sat down beautiful thing that is to sit down oh feel and especially if you can sit down because that is the meaning of it in all the fullness and consummation of it it is to sit down and be faint the feet of Christ now how many of you said my willing soul will stay have you said this when you go out of the sanctuary or before you went out my willing soul would stay in such a phrase and sit and sing their self away to everlasting grace I take it that there are times when you are highly favored

[40:02] I take it that there are seasons when you are greatly blessed blessed now what about it twelve months since we last met for this pastor's anniversary in the station road chapel now then in that twelve months I would hope you would be greatly blessed if you tell us have you ever felt in that twelve months once or more that you would go straight ahead have you felt that the house of God was annexed ahead that you were very beautiful threshold and with assurance of your interest in it I take it you have been greatly blessed

[41:06] I should feel very sad if you said oh I'm so destitute all the time there must be a reason for it there's a force oh if you have to say every time oh how a destitute I am I should feel very sad because there must be some basic cause for this destitution it's not on God's part if you are not it's not on his part it's on your part you either breathe the spirit of God or something between you and your God and you will have to cry and ask God to show you what it is and ask him he will kindly forgive you and remove it so that the gospel may come freely without any confusion to enter into your sorrow so bear the side where prayer was for they are for they are now can you understand what happened we sat down and straight out to the women which resorted them why apostle

[42:33] Paul's soul was like a bottle of a needed vent he was full of this he had come to them in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ all this liberty this sacred liberty this un sure this power divine this delight in preaching the gospel time is sure we must we must by the grace of God age and preach the gospel well our friend why are we able to preach the gospel right at the very end so glorious and wonderful and so blessed and many poor that is called thy grace effectual so they strike to now can you understand now what he says in this text because

[43:43] I have you in my heart message me the collection is taken for the esteemed pastor of this year we send here number 914 914 2 1 101 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 2 2 2 2 3 2 3 2 3 3 4 5 4 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 7 7 7 7 7 8 8 9 9 9 10 10 10 11 11 11 12 12 12 13 13 14 14 14 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 16 16 17 15 16 16 16 16 16 17 17 17 17 18 18 18 19 18 19 20 20 20 21 22 22

[45:38] Thank you.

[46:08] Thank you.

[46:38] Thank you. Thank you.

[47:38] Thank you. Thank you.

[48:10] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[48:48] Thank you.

[49:20] Thank you. Thank you.

[49:52] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. face of sins and ending us by the fountain of foundation Lord be with us through the table be with us in the evening divine service be with all thy dear ones and this all dear to us each in all parts of our land and the Lord there should be many they may know the wonderful work of the spirit in conversion in regeneration Lord hear our prayer and let our pride come to thee the grace of our Lord Jesus

[50:58] Christ and the love of God and the communion of the living house be with you all Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen