The burdens carried by God's people (Quality: Average)

[0:00] I ask your attention to the book of Nehemiah chapter 4 and verse 10. The book of Nehemiah chapter 4 and verse 10.

[0:17] And Judah said, the strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed. And there is much rubbish so that we are not able to build the wall.

[0:32] And Judah said, the strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed. And there is much rubbish so that we are not able to build the wall.

[0:47] Well, we briefly looked at the context of this word.

[1:00] And indeed to those Nehemiah and his men and laborers, fellow laborers. Who were directed of God to return to Jerusalem to put things in order.

[1:19] To build the wall and to hang the gates once more. For indeed it was in great distress and great destruction also.

[1:34] But the Lord laid this burden upon Nehemiah. But as we said, and very briefly before we go on, that wherever the Lord lays a burden there will be adversaries.

[1:50] That will come against that burden. Will come against that. That the Lord has led his people in. Nehemiah proved. And we explained who the adversaries was here.

[2:04] In fact Judah himself. The Judah, the tribe of Judah. Was indeed brought into a low place. Because of the words that they quoted or spoke here.

[2:18] They were as if they looked at those who were bearers of burdens. And saw their weaknesses. Saw that they were insufficient to the burden. So indeed that there is more of the burden there is than the strength to carry it and bear with it.

[2:39] And others also, we won't multiply words or try to, again, go back on what we said this morning. But there was many adversaries. And in the end we said, and once more it is true, is it not, that God's burden bearers have the God of all grace and the Father of all mercies on their side.

[3:06] How great was the opposition. How great was the opposition. I'm sure it is that Nehemiah was as fearful as we are. But he had a God to go to and a God that heard his cry and appeared for them and delivered them from their evil opposition.

[3:28] And those that would overthrow the work and bring it to naught. The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed.

[3:42] We read for our encouragement those words of Nehemiah. And it came to pass that when all our enemies heard thereof and all the heathen who were about to saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes, for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.

[4:05] Where there is a God-maintained work, where there is a burden bearer raised up, he will give the honor and the glory to his God, not to himself.

[4:19] We try to speak also of the spiritual view of this word because throughout the word of God, these historical occurrences, these pathways of the patriarchs, these matters which concern the believers in old time, they have their counterpart in the spiritual walk and pathway.

[4:44] The church of Christ today, as at all times, is a place where we desire to see burden bearers.

[4:56] Those whom God will raise up and whom God will use to carry the burden of the church of Christ or of the cause of truth. My thoughts respecting the burden bearers is this, that they may not carry identical burdens.

[5:17] A minister of the gospel has burdens. Burdens that maybe you don't understand because you don't have to carry them. Great burdens.

[5:29] And surely it could be said of those who serve the Lord in the ministry, the strength of the bearers of burdens is decay. The very nature of the word, the explanation of the word, of the burden is something that's heavy, something that, well, lays them low, causes them to stew.

[5:55] It was once described in a very simple way. If you are given something heavy to carry, for the first few yards, well, you can manage it.

[6:09] For the first few minutes, you can manage it. But if somebody asked you to carry a heavy burden five miles, you would find that that burden would be too hard, too heavy, too great.

[6:23] And you would bow under that burden and it would be brought to a halt. Now, we want to look at some of these burdens that, of which the bearers of burden carry, and for which they often have to confess that it would seem as if the burden is going to be laid down, or that it will be such a burden that will overcome them.

[6:48] But as in Nehemiah's case, so in all those who carry burdens, their strength is not in themselves.

[6:59] It may be that the Lord has showed you a pathway that you've got to walk, and it lies with weight upon you, and it's with fear and trembling that you contemplate such a pathway.

[7:10] But remember the word which we quote often. In the 71st Psalm, I will go in the strength of the Lord God. I will make mention of his righteousness, even of his only.

[7:25] This is where these burden bearers, my friends, will continue, will continue in the strength that's not theirs, continue in the grace that's not theirs. They will draw this strength, they will draw this grace, and they will have to wait.

[7:40] I said this morning, if God puts you in a place which would be in effect to be a burden bearer, my friends, it will be a place you can't manage.

[7:53] If God in his divine ordering appoints in Zion, in the church of Christ, in the house of the Lord, those who shall bear burdens, they will prove this, that it will be a constant seeking of the Lord for grace and for mercy and help and appearance, well, we began to say the burdens are different one from another.

[8:20] I looked at a word in Exodus before I came into chapel. And it goes back to the birth of Moses. And Moses was a child was a child that was to be hidden because he was a man child, because he was male.

[8:41] He was to be hidden and the wisdom of his parents devised a means of hiding him. He was put in an ark of door ashes and he was out of sight of all until the day came that the daughter of Pharaoh came down to the river to wash and there she saw him.

[9:02] It was in her hands to destroy as it was with Pharaoh, her father. But the purposes of God were to be unfolded. The ways of God were to be made known.

[9:18] And she, speaking to the sister of Moses, asked that there shall be someone raised up to look after Moses. And what was the instruction?

[9:32] Take this child away and nurse him for me. It was no burden to Moses' mother but it has a spiritual counterpart, you know.

[9:46] Take this child away and nurse it for me. I believe every child of grace will know that exercise.

[9:58] I'm sure it is. Every servant of God will know that exercise. Because it's the souls of those whom are laid upon them as burdens.

[10:11] Think they stand in a pulpit to preach because they're commissioned to preach. Do not think they will watch they watch for the soul and they watch for the soul because they must give account.

[10:27] Remember that word in Paul's epistle to the Hebrews the last chapter where the man where the apostle is exercising the people of God obey them that have the rule over you and submit yourselves for they watch for your souls as they that must give account that they may do it with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you.

[11:03] These are the burdens of the ministry the souls of their hearers. They don't want accolades. They don't need well formed congratulated words.

[11:19] They long to see the effect of the word of God bearing fruit in the house of God in the church of God. Sometimes they have to say with the wife of Jacob give us children or else we die.

[11:36] These are the burdens. And then there's a burden of the word of God. Who's sufficient for that? Doesn't matter how long you have to read the word of God or to lay it before the Lord that light and understanding be given to those who preach.

[11:57] The word of God is a burden. It isn't always comforting. It isn't always something that will warm the heart as it were. It isn't always something that will bring a sense of lightness to the minds of the hearers.

[12:16] Preach in serious my friends because it's the word of God and it is to never die in souls. The word of God is a burden. The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed.

[12:34] But then might I also as helped try and describe some of the burdens that every child of grace in his measure knows.

[12:45] Everyone who fears the Lord everyone who is where they should be in the house of the Lord in the pathways that the Lord causes them to walk he lays a burden upon them.

[12:57] not only the care of others not over the concerns not only the concerns and I would say this too and I hope you understand it these are not necessarily personal burdens.

[13:12] That is they're not matters which are of your own soul or indeed your own pathway but these are burdens which they concern others.

[13:25] some of your own home and household and loved ones may well be a burden to you they should be a burden to you. You pray to see the work of grace in the soul you pray to see the evidence of the Lord's appearance in the day at whom are your offspring your children or your grandchildren you long to see that the Lord is working in their hearts you long to see that those many prayers and supplications that have been put up to the throne of grace are heard and answered and the Lord's dealing with their souls my friends they are burdens the strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed and surely those who love the house of God those who love Zion the people of God gatherings together in the sanctuary how descriptive was that hymn we began because that is the language you know of all those who love the house of God and the gatherings together of the people of

[14:43] God they say with the good poet how charming is the place where my redeemer God unveils the beauties of his face and sheds his love abroad not the fair palaces to which the great resort are once to be compared to this where Jesus holds his cause isn't it a weight isn't it a burden are you not and I'm sure you are if you love the Lord's house and the Lord's people do you not carry it about when do you carry it when do you pick up this burden when do you lay down my friends if you love the courts of his house the place where his honour dwelleth it's with you every day and every night it will keep you exercised before the Lord the bearer of burdens the provisions of the house of God the word of his grace that there might be food in the house of God spiritual food I mean that the word of his grace shall prosper amongst you and within you that he may prove the promise true that it will not return to him void oh how many things there are in the burdens and are concerning other things not just your own path there's enough burdens there of course there is if you walk in the ways of God and fear the Lord he'll give you many burdens not the least your own sin of course and the concern respecting your eternal salvation but these are burdens that the

[16:18] Lord lays on you these are burdens which they are yours and you cannot lay them down and you will not be able to lay them down though you are often tempted it would be as well so to do the strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed and then we read in our reading in the Colossians I'm sure you saw the reason for reading it two verses there concerning those who are bearers of burdens and whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God and the Father by him then again and whatsoever ye do do it heartily as to the Lord and not unto men and that is the instruction to those who carry burdens in the house of God or in the church of God and these are those words of instruction which in those particular burdens that the

[17:26] Lord lays upon his dear people not only the ministry but the concerns of Zion to see the spirit work in our hearts and in our midst because I'm sure of this you know if you desire for your own soul your desire for the souls of others well is to do it heartily as unto the Lord and not unto men Judah said the strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed there must be we said this morning the last verse of the 40th of Isaiah is a suitable word but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength death what did the poet say you've heard it enough times Jesus Christ thy father son bid you undismayed go on my friends that is how you do remember the word

[18:26] I've thought about it a lot since last year when our good friends from the church at Grand Rapids came and preached to us who is this that cometh up out of the wilderness leaning upon her beloved it's these that carry burdens it's these that are insufficient in themselves it's these characters who the strength is decayed there is to be a going on then there is to be a continuing for these burden bearers there is not to be this natural view of things that if he's getting too heavy and too hard then we lay it down and someone else can do it but then my friends is to be this there's no ulterior motive upon my spirit to say this but burden bearers are not to be disobedient my thoughts went then as it often does when trying to speak about the sin of disobedience to the minister that God sent to

[19:36] Nineveh Jonah he sent him to preach a word that was not acceptable that is not acceptable to the natural man he sent him to preach the word that was to reprove and to warn of the destruction of Nineveh unless they repented before God and oh my friends that burden was beyond beyond that good man how can I go you can you can not putting words in the scriptures that are not there but you can just understand his feelings how could he go with such a word as this one man one man against the multitude that lived in that great city Nineveh and he was disobedient he was to lay his burden down if he could but you know we often say the Lord commissioned to do it and he brought him back in that most remarkable way from the whale's belly and he spoke those words into his heart that he should preach the preaching that I bid thee the strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed look not upon the burdens my friends as something that's simple and easy and that you can accommodate look upon the burdens that the

[21:04] Lord lays upon his people as they shall need his grace his strength his help his presence and his support always constantly day in day out oh in themselves as weak as worms how shall poor believers stand how shall they well they'll lean on him like that beloved coming up from the wilderness did that is where they shall gain their strength that is where they shall find their grace that is where they shall find continuing grace the strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed now I want to come to that last part of this text now and there is much rubbish that we are not able to build the walls I want to turn to a word in the first epistle of

[22:04] Paul to the Corinthians and there you will find instruction an understanding which these burden bearers must ever learn because these were people these were raised up of God loyal to Nehemiah and to the cause of God in the earth and to the city of Jerusalem and the one great matter which the burden bearers were concerned with was the building of the walls you know it's not let's have a chapel full of people that we must need build a bigger chapel it's nothing to do with that it's not we can't find a seat now therefore we must be in prosperity it's a building of the walls it's the establishing of the people of God in their most holy faith this is what the burdens of the people of God are it's not the outward appearance rather than the inward appearance now these that were burden bearers had a task and they were given a work to do which shall be for the building of the wall and which will be for the hanging of the gates once more in their places there was a work to do that they were given and that was the burden of their work and there is much rubbish so that we are not able to build the wall we're now in the first of the Corinthians first epistle of Paul to the Corinthians is this word and this my friends describes it simply for other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is

[24:00] Jesus Christ when you are to build there's a foundation to be laid those old dear ministers of old they used to be so well taught and so well led and so well graciously helped you know they first used to lay the foundation and then they used to build on that we went to a baptizing once at Hanover after the pastor had died and had gone to glory and the first thing the minister said in his sermon was this that he was not building on his work he was building on another's work now there's a foundation to be laid if there's to be a building of a house if there's a building and let us look personally here for a building if there is to be a work of grace in your soul if you're found building upon the rock

[25:02] Christ Jesus as to be a foundation laid my friends this is the work of the Holy Ghost and he is pleased to use the ministry to that end that this foundation is laid for other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ now if any man build upon this foundation gold silver precious stones wood hay and stubble every man's work shall be manifest for the day shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is what a solemn place my friends stands those who have this burden that there is to be a building in Zion what a solemn place because if the fire is to try every man's work how long will the rubbish be before it's burnt up how long will it be before the wood hay and stubble is consumed there is to be a work and there is to be a building and this is the work of those who are bearers of burdens but are to work their work is to build on a foundation that should stand

[26:31] I don't want to be misunderstood here they can do nothing my friends the Lord the Lord Jesus Christ said to his disciples without me you can do nothing if the wall if the church of Christ to be built it will be as the Holy Spirit shall be pleased to come and first lay a foundation and then it is to be built upon that foundation a true religion has a foundation that can't be moved and that foundation is Christ if you and I have a real religion we shall have Christ in the heart the hope of glory if you are assured of your standing for glory when you come to die it is because the foundation is true the foundation of God stand ashore having this seal the Lord knoweth them that are his now if you and I are to be built upon this foundation may it please the

[27:41] Lord that we may be concerned that the foundation therefore is already laid that the Holy Spirit has laid that foundation calling a sinner out of darkness into his most marvelous light breathing life into an otherwise dead soul my friends is laying the foundation being in possession of a work of grace eternal life at his request to every saint is given safety on earth and after death the plenitude of heaven this is the one foundation I'm come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly you who are under grace trace as you're enabled to when the foundation was laid what was there there before there was rubbish I don't I don't hide a word my friends what we are by nature is indeed nothing more inside than rubbish it's no foundation for eternal life it's no foundation for grace it's no foundation for

[29:01] God's work my friends there was to be a clear in a way you would build a wall on rubbish for long it would be down wouldn't it and you wouldn't want a religion if you are graciously led that is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness there's the foundation if you are concerned with the salvation of your soul well then it is to be rest it is that matter is to be put right as it rests upon something that is certain there's going to be a day coming my friends and everyone will be present to that day and that's the judgment day and on that judgment day will stand every one of us before that great white throne and Christ will be the judge and there's going to be a multitude of people there you know that thought they were right because they were in religion and they're going to find there sadly solemnly that the foundation wasn't right now in the things of God

[30:07] God begins the foundation God lays the foundation there's no other foundation and that foundation therefore is Christ and all that he has done the strength of the bearers of burden is decayed and there is much rubbish so that we are not able to build the walls let us look at one or two things that could be described as rubbish of which we must certainly lay up prayers as we should build upon them I do want to be very careful you know lest you should misinterpret these this exercise this day my friends if you rest on anything short of Christ it's rubbish no matter what that is you say well I beat the chapel all my days is that sufficient to go to heaven oh my father and mother were gracious characters is that sufficient to go to heaven upon

[31:12] I read my bible morning and night it's not rubbish it's not sufficient to rest upon my friends my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness I dare not trust the sweetest ray but wholly lean on his dear name on Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand you know that's one of the most hardest and yet one of the most blessed revelations that a soul can have because if you fear the Lord you will fear to come short how will it be in the swellings of Jordan the prophet wrote my friends it will be well with those upon whose heart and upon whose spirit there lays a foundation it will be a mercy my friends if the work of the spirit does this within you that it burns up the rubbish gets rid of all those things that you thought were sufficient to rest upon you read in Luke's gospel of the

[32:31] Pharisee and the publican the Pharisee went up to the temple to pray and he laid before the Lord the foundation he told the Lord what that foundation was that he done this and he done that and he done something else and he wasn't as bad as this publican my friends that was where his foundation was works and God will burn up works there are works which are right of course if you have a gracious work in your soul your desire that the walk and pathway will be under grace that you know there's never to be a leaning upon or resting upon anything before eternal glory but the person of Christ and what he is I still remember that occasion when we read from the seventh of the revelations where the apostle John said who are these that have come up who have washed their robes let us read the word and then we get it right

[33:44] I must have a failing memory what are these which are arrayed in white robes and whence came they the elder said that to John and I said unto him sir thou knowest and he said these are they which have come out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb they were in heaven because there they were washed in the blood of the lamb they weren't resting upon their prayers they weren't resting upon their attendance to the house of God they weren't resting upon some works of righteousness which they had done no merit you know the only merit is the merit of Christ nothing himself you know that's one of the hardest things one of the hardest things that the professor has to indeed contend with that he's got no hand in salvation no hand in it nothing in my hand

[34:47] I bring simply to thy cross cycling naked come to thee for dress helpless look to thee for grace black eye to the fountain fly wash me saviour or I die that's where we should come to the Lord bring us there because it's safe my friends because it's secure because it's the only comfort that will stand at the judgment day his work and not ours again I'm repeating myself but Moses wrote the 90th psalm and he said this let thy work appear that is what will stand my friends will find all sorts of things come against it Satan will come against it the powers of hell will come against it upon this rock will I build my church and what does it go on to say and upon this rock will I build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it if it's

[35:48] God's work my friends the powers of hell will fail but if it's your work or my work then indeed it will be a very distressing time the strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed and there is much rubbish so that we are not able to build the wall but a mercy my friends if you are built upon the rock Christ Jesus remember the parable of the Lord Jesus those two people one man was wise and one man was foolish they all had houses all built houses but then there came a time when it was put to the test and every real work you know is put to the test the fire shall try every man's work we read in that chapter in the Corinthians but there shall come a time when every work shall be put to the test and it was so when the winds and the rain beat against that house one fell why because there wasn't the foundation how foolish was the man you say my friends solemnly today solemnly every day there's been those who have built their hope of heaven their resting place upon something else but Christ if you rest on works if you rest on merit if you rest on anything that you do it could only be described my friends as rubbish and there can never be anything built upon that the Lord gives his people a work to do they don't rest on their work the Lord gives his people a pathway to walk you know how searching is this word to me and to you there is much rubbish and you'll desire the

[37:56] Lord that he'll move that rubbish burn it take it away get rid of it what is to be left what is there to be left well I tell you how much he's left it's said in the word of God what is left but he's sufficient a little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked and I don't that doesn't mean what you've got in the bank my friends it's what you rest upon it's what you have that you feel is necessary for your own soul's salvation the strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed and there is much rubbish so that we are not able to build the wall then you know blessed be God when he begins to deal with his dear people he begins to sow work in their soul his work of grace is the beginning you know let's just look to my friends at that wonderful work the work of atonement the work of redemption let's examine again if we may be helped to see the wondrous work of

[39:17] Christ came to do a work which shall be for the salvation of his people look at the words of the apostle in the first epistle to Timothy in chapter one this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief now he never used to be chief when he was a Pharisee he wasn't chief when he sought the destruction and overthrow of the church of Christ he wasn't chief not in his own estimation God brought him to that place where he confessed to be the chief of sinners what happened my friends Christ took the rubbish away the false religion the pharisaical zeal and the pharisaical pride also took his stain away took took took away what he rested upon for his salvation and he was the chief of sinners you know when God burns that into the heart he's put the foundation there for salvation and upon that foundation he builds and he'll build the hope of heaven atonement is the work of

[40:41] Christ substitutional work on behalf of poor wretched undone sinners who are in the fall of man totally unable in themselves to save themselves from destruction but God works and God works in their heart and he builds upon that work and he'll build upon that work a hope and he'll raise in that heart a hope of eternal glory through the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ that substitutional work work not for himself he didn't need saving he was sinless harmless undefiled and separate from sinners God's beloved son in human form God the son of man yet son of God a body that was free of sin but a work given to him that was for the redemption of his people for the removing of their sins and indeed providing the only way of salvation and there is much rubbish so that we are not able to build the wall oh what a mercy my friends if he's opened your eyes to see that there's nothing to stand on as him

[42:07] I believe that's one of the things I learned in the beginnings of the way when the Lord began to deal with us in soul and in circumstance you know one of the most well understood exercises is the exercise of prayer I suppose if we've had religious upbringings we've been taught to pray from our child I used to pray it I used to say my prayers rather when I was but a child and so being brought up to say prayer to say our petitions before the Lord that wasn't the leading of the spirit that was the accumulation of words in the mind it's the remembrance you know we are taught we teach our children to pray we teach them what to say blessed be the day when God teaches you to pray because this is how it was my friends he began to work in my soul and he began to work in my pathway and you know when you come to the

[43:25] Lord in the ways of grace and under the gracious leading of the spirit and he loads the pathway with burdens and cares and trials and troubles you want something to rest on and that's one of the first things that you'll learn that you've got nothing to rest on as you come to the Lord in your supplications and prayers he'll give you what to rest on my friends but in and of one's selves there's nothing to rest upon what when the matters of your soul are so great a burden your sins are so distressing you feel so far off from God and from the comfort of hope of any mercy to your own soul what are you going to rest on would you rest on promises that you will do better next time and that you'll give this up and that up that's only works you know it's only reformation of the old nature but blessed be

[44:34] God a sinner taught of God will find that he has something to rest on it will be that the person of Christ his precious name and when God begins to deal with his people in their souls he builds on his work and not theirs and by and by the rubbish is shown and the rubbish is removed anything and everything that isn't Christ is not sufficient to build on but what is Christ what is of the Holy Spirit what is the work of God in the soul he will build upon it is it in Ezekiel somewhere there where the Holy Spirit says son of man I will show thee greater abominations and deeds well my friends he'll show you the sad state of your own nature there are people who think that being called by grace you then get better and better but the more you know of grace the more revealing it is to you of the sad state of your soul and your own sinful nature that you carry about with you when I would do good sin is present with me do you suffer unto that

[45:57] Judas said the strength of the bearers of burden is decayed and there is much rubbish so that we are not able to build the wall and one last thing really you know if you find my friends and old natures in religion then you'll find it's all rubbish when you start trying to do things which are things which you think are complementary to the work of God then it's rubbish my friends his work and his work alone oh that is the blessed end of these things something that you haven't done something that he has done something that's real something that's eternal I give unto my sheep eternal life and they shall never perish I see the time has gone once again and Judah said the strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed and there is much rubbish so that we are not able to build the walls now may the Lord own and bless his holy word this day to you and I

[47:17] Amen joy to you enjoy and all to you and all to me so do God it is going on and to you the father may and have it to you you I hey you need to have that may come on ways to you and to set up