They that are with him are called (Quality: Good)

[0:00] the Lord helping us I would direct your prayerful attention to the book of the Revelation chapter 17 and the last part of the 14th verse the book of the Revelation chapter 17 and the last part of the 14th verse and they that are with him are called and chosen and faithful the 14th verse reads these shall make war with the Lamb and the Lamb shall overcome them for he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings and they that are with him are called and chosen and faithful there is much of this remarkable book which is difficult to understand unless the spirit of truth is pleased to indeed bring about a revelation in our spirit and upon our soul but there are those things which the good apostle John had a wondrous view of which is abundantly simple he was instructed by the Lord Jesus Christ as we read in our chapter in the first chapter to write to the seven churches and to write what he saw write the things which thou hast seen and the things which are and the things which shall be hereafter those things which make this the book the book of the Revelation and in our second reading there were of course that wondrous revelation that he had of heaven and those favoured souls those blessed characters who were there who were there that was a finished people that was a complete people after this I beheld and lo a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kindreds and people and tongue stood before the throne and before the Lamb clothed with white robes and palms in their hands that was the complete work the finished work the church of Christ complete to every person every soul was in glory with Christ now that is simple and that's a simple revelation that's a wondrous revelation and dear John was able to see it and leave it on record those who had reached their eternal abode that had been delivered from the pathway of affliction or evil and wickedness those that had been saved with an eternal salvation and the question was asked of these what are these which are arrayed in white robes or whence came they and I said unto him sir thou knowest and he said said to me these are they which came out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb therefore are they before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them blessed people their tribulations finished their wilderness journeys over their opposition silence for eternity and our safe home how did they get there how did they get there and they that are with him are called and whilst in this wilderness journey they were the subjects of a calling and a wondrous calling it is so the Lord help us to look for a few moments this morning at this all important blessing of which every one of Christ's are the subject of and the work of the

[4:56] Holy Spirit in calling these characters out of nature's darkness and to establish them and to fight and to bring them to the place where they shall be numbered in an open way amongst the people and children of God and my friends this is the blessing you may be weary in prayer you may be tried over this matter you may have many doubts and fears you may have many great temptations but this is the blessing to those that are called and they that are with him and him is Jesus Christ and the place is heaven and they shall go no more out or may there be those that are that labor under temptation or under doubt this day that shall see their doubts and their temptations melt away when we can when they can trace when the

[6:06] Lord by the spirit of God enables them to trace the calling and they that are with him are called and we want to look as the Lord will help us then at some of these callings and the descriptions of these callings well without turning the scriptures too much I noticed in the second epistle of Paul to Timothy this word in the first chapter who has saved us and called us with a holy calling it's not turning to religion my friends that's the all important it's not reformation of which so many speak about today reformation they say leave this behind don't do this anymore my friend you can do all that and be lost but it is this which is the all important matter if the

[7:14] Lord may help us to trace the calling and the calling is a holy calling and it is the work of the Holy Ghost they that are with him are called there isn't anything of doubtful nature you know in God's work no doubtful nature no who can tell we may be brought some of us have to be brought to the place where we hope there's a calling and we hope calling but the word doesn't say that in doubtful terms they that are with him are called and God the Holy Spirit calls them with a holy calling but it is also an effectual calling and my friends none that are under this calling can ever have any doubt as to the authority and I say that very carefully you may say well you don't know my temptations or my fears well you don't know mine either but my friends there is an effectual calling there is a calling with the authority of God in it and the effect of that calling and the authority of the voice that called brings a soul into the knowledge of light and understanding of life eternal they that are with him are called now we looked we sang in our first hymn something like this his love in time past forbids me to think he'll leave me at last in trouble to sink he's sweet

[9:12] Ebenezer I have in review confirms his good pleasure to help me quite through determined to save he watched all my path when Satan's blind slave I sported with death it's a psalm that has not made an open profession of the name of Jesus that has in their heart that hope that belief that realization some knowledge of the truth of these good words of John Newton that there was a day when the Lord put his hand to a work that you couldn't stop you might have determined to do what you want go where you want be found where you would you might find the world then was your home and your delight and the things of this time stayed all you wanted but there was a divine intervention and that's the calling they that are with him are called and what was the purpose and what was the foundation truth of the calling we said it was a holy calling it is an effectual calling but my friends it has this in it this wondrous ingredient if I may so simply put it and that's love that's what's in this calling his love in time past forbids me to think he'll leave me at last in trouble to sink and my friends that's what's the foundation of the calling of every one of the church of Christ out of nature's darkness and it is because there was a love placed upon them for all eternity in eternity past they that are with them are called they are the subjects of this love and I tell you something else it's so effectual is this calling it is so powerful it is so effectual in this respect you have to say respect in the calling you can say it respecting your own soul but you may be able to say it in respect of others determined to say oh it is effectual determined to say you know when Israel came out of

[11:55] Goshen when they travelled the wilderness to Canyon it was said of them not a hoof shall be left behind not a hoof all will come safe to Canyon and so it applies in more greater measure than to the church of God the spiritual Israel of God not a hoof shall be left behind and the choice was God's and the motive in it all was love they that are with him are called and you may say well what else what else about this calling that makes it effectual that makes it a holy calling that has the authority of God on it it is this glory to God they now shall roam beyond the limits of his love fenced by Jehovah's shells and wills firm as the everlasting hills if you've got a soul in your heart that the

[13:02] Lord put there if you've got a person a son a daughter someone else's sons or daughters that God's put in your heart to pray over you watch over that person day and night in your prayers and supplications you see them and you seek to see evidences of your prayers being answered if God's put them in your heart the day will come when you shall joy and rejoice with them I and the children Jesus said in prophecy I and the children which thou hast given me they that are with him are called but who are these characters are called we shall speak again of the effectualness of this call and the power of it but who are these that are called do they merit it have you got any grain of merit can you see any grain of merit in the call been much with mate of light

[14:09] I thought of those two words which really one must look at one day as it respects the salvation of the church of Christ and it's this it's mercy or merit and a lot of people hold much gain and strength and speak much of merit and they look to the upright walk and their pathway all their devotions their prayers their readings their attendances on the Lord's house and all that sort of thing now that's merit my friends I wouldn't I pray the Lord that he will keep his people faithful and indeed keep those that attend the house of God loyal to the house of God but the the calling they that are with him are called is an act of mercy is one of the greatest acts of mercy that God ever showed this world of sin and woe because who are these that are called well we just read in the seventh chapter who are these and whence came they well they had one thing in common my friends they may have been rich some of them they may have been poor they may have been black or they may have been white but they had one thing which was common they were fallen sinners they were the subjects of the

[15:39] Adam fall they were the offspring of Adam our first parent the representative in Eden who fell and all his posterity was born in sin and shapen in iniquity they had one thing in common then they were fallen wretched vile lost ruined sinners and you know you can't paint a sinner black enough my friends that won't offend me if you call me the worst of sinners because I am by the knowledge of the sins of my heart but you can't it's no good standing back and say well they're not as bad as some people are all have sinned the word of God tells us and come short of the glory of God and when it comes to the broken law if we have broken it in one point we've broken it in all and so we each deserve total condemnation but amongst those who fell in

[16:43] Adam was a people for whom Christ died for the gospels preached in the third of Genesis the promise of Christ now the promise of Christ was for the salvation of the church of Christ for the salvation of these that shall in time know what it is to be the subjects of a holy calling subjects of an effectual calling now let me come back to the effectual calling or the authority of the calling and the effect and the power of it in one's own very soul now I can only speak to those here who have made an open profession of the name of Christ in this one respect although we can I trust the Lord has got those in this house of God who have not yet made an open profession who know something of the calling let me take you back a few years in your life when you sat under the truth and you was in attendance on the house of God and you heard the ministry of the word of truth and it was faithful and it had no effect it went in one ear and out the other now that's what it is to be dead in trespasses and sins my friends you can sometimes be moved by emotion when you hear this spoke about or something else and if the man in the pulpit starts to preach about providential religions well you might be moved in your own heart of the Lord's goodness and mercy and providence but as to being a sinner in your own sight and the knowledge of it you just went on in your own careless way indifferent unconcerned in eternity was something that was preached about didn't bother you death was something that happened to other people and it didn't trouble you they that are with him are called but then do you mind the place the spot of ground where Jesus did they meet when the word then entered into not your ears only but into your heart you may have heard me say it before but from the age of 17 I worshipped at

[19:16] Hanover if that was what it was called worship and we used to have 938 sung to sung so often that we got tired of it well I got tired of it and the words of 938 was this when thou my righteous judge shall come to take thy ransomed people home shall I among them stand shall such a worthless worm as I who sometimes am afraid to die be found at God's right hand and so we got tired of that hymn but there came a day my friends when that was the essence of my prayer because I believed there was a calling there was something done in my soul and I was a guilty helpless sinner and those words of that hymn writer was what I used to pray before the Lord that didn't trouble me that didn't bring me into opposition to the hymn then that was my that was the words of my petitions for now so it shall be whatever the

[20:26] Lord is and however the Lord is pleased to call his people when he calls there's an effect you might be as far in the world as it's possible to get you might have made all sorts of promises never to come to God's house anymore and sit under that gospel and hear those words and listen to those hymns or anything like that you may have made all the promises in the world but God puts forth the hand of mercy the hand of love and God puts forth the calling and it's effectual and it has this effect it causes to be a stop made in the career the pathway the walk that you'll come thus far there are of course outstanding cases in the word of truth that we can always refer to and we would not be amiss because the word is our guide and it is also our encouragement the dying thief is one such character who was on the borders of eternity having lived a life of sin and iniquity and now condemned to die justified the law of the land he did he said we indeed justly for we receive the due reward of our deeds oh he didn't find fault with the sentence because he then was a living soul he was called he had eternity he was on the borders of death but he showed the evidence of the call in the prayer that he laid before the

[22:10] Lord Jesus Christ they that are with him are called we could have read the ninth of acts and saw the calling of Saul of Tarsus that was an effectual calling it brought him to be a servant of God in a moment in a moment not for him the long wait for the exercise of the ministry or the fulfilling of that exercise no such thing he became a servant of God as he fell at the feet of Christ and he said Lord what wilt thou have me to do that's the words of a servant they that are called but my friends leaving aside for a moment the witness of the scriptures of truth just for a moment leave them aside look into your own hearts to see the effect trace the calling there's nothing more important than to trace the calling one of our hymns says glory to

[23:14] God they ne'er shall roam beyond the limits of his love they won't you know not one that is Christ's they won't roam beyond the limits of his love they might come in experience in the teaching of the Holy Spirit as David the psalmist did when he said from the ends of the earth will I cry unto thee when my heart is overwhelmed lead me to the rock that is higher than I they that are with him are called and it is God that calls it's God the Holy Spirit that calls it's the soul that hears and life is imparted to the soul you know in prophecy in Isaiah respecting the coming of Christ we read these words that the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light and so it is by the calling my friends you were content with the darkness you was indifferent in fact you didn't know there was a darkness you was a sinner not in your own eyes but in

[24:23] God's eyes and the world was your home and all your delight until the Lord put forth the hand of love and called you they that are with him are called and are called out of nature's darkness and are called into fellowship is the church of Christ they now carry about a living soul they now have within them another nature that wasn't there at birth and that other nature and that old nature is often at warfare one with another the new nature of grace is after Christ the old nature of sin is for this world of sin and woe are you surprised of the opposition to the grace of God in your soul it's the evidence of another nature you know it's the evidence of warfare they that are with him are called called wondrous word that is that's real religion in a word that is that's the work of

[25:36] God in a moment of time but then this you will hear people say is it necessary to trace the beginnings of things do we have to search our minds and go over our past to when the Lord began to do with us we didn't remember the day of one's birth naturally we was born into this world and knowledge and understanding didn't flow into our brain or our understanding wasn't given to us till we arrived at certain ages well it's not necessary to trace the day you was born naturally because the growth of one's intelligence was such that you only came into the knowledge of life as the years went on or the months and years went on but I have to say this my friends I believe this to be so that the day when one is called may not be known by the hour or the date on the calendar but it will be known by the effect it will be known by the effect

[26:47] I am absolutely sure of that my friends and just go back to Saul of Tarsus for a moment the Lord said to his servant Ananias directed him to the house to the street to the person that owned the house and there he should find one called Saul of Tarsus for behold he prayeth if you some of you of course many of you will know the essential blessing of the evidence of a birth of a child and you will say well that's so necessary if a child is born and it doesn't cry they'll soon try to make it cry and the medical profession will say well it's to get their lungs working so that there is an intake of air and so the heart is working right and so on and there's always abundant proofs why a child must cry so it is in this calling so it is in this calling they that are with him are called and the evidence you'll have is in this you'll hear a cry a cry you'll be taught to cry you'll be brought to mourn you'll be brought to know the effect of this calling the life in the soul that it will show you things you never saw before and the effect of those revelations will bring you to cry you often hear I expect those words of one in the scriptures of truth who went to the temple to pray the one a Pharisee and the other one was a called child my friends it was the evidence of the calling because it was the evidence of life

[29:05] God be merciful to me a sinner those that are called they that are with him are called and are brought into this exercise this evidence of life in their soul that they know themselves now perhaps like they've never known themselves before as fallen wretched lost and ruined sinners and it will bring a cry say why does it bring a cry because on the other side of the view of their lost and ruined condition stands a holy and a just and a righteous God they that are with him are called but I want to say something else about the calling which I hope will encourage those that hope in the calling and that's this it's an unchangeable calling it can never be reversed it can never be reversed my friends the dear apostle

[30:16] Paul wrote to the church at Corinth and he spoke of this calling and he said for you see your calling how that not many wise men after the flesh but not many mighty not many noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty and base things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen yea and things which are not to bring to naught things that are that no flesh should glory in his presence it is not only factual my friends it is not only a holy calling it isn't only the authority of God in it it's an irreversible calling can never be changed can never be removed the blessed hymn writer says in contemplation of the words of

[31:30] Christ and the words of Christ of course are more effectual more as the Lord will be pleased to apply them to us but it is this I give unto my sheep eternal life and they shall never perish once in him in him forever thus the eternal covenant runs none shall pluck thee from the strength of Israel's hand they that are with him are called when God puts his hand to a work it's forever you know in the psalms we find a word which is often referred to the creation he spake and it was done he commanded and it stood fast and that applies to salvation and that applies to the calling he puts his hand to the work and it begins and none can overthrow it none can hinder it not all your past sins or the present sins or the sins that may come can possibly overthrow it those that are called belong to

[32:56] Jesus Christ for they that are with him are called Satan becomes their enemy the world becomes a wilderness old things must pass away all things become new and you're a living child you're one that's God has called out of nature's darkness you're coming to the pathway of opposition you're coming to the pathway of temptation and deeper the tribulation of the way and the dark of the way in which the Lord leads and directs and guides you in the way which leads ultimately to glory you'll have much to oppose but nothing can alter this calling the account of Job in the word of God who suffered more than I suppose one must say anyone that we've known on the face of the earth having lost his children all ten of them in a day having lost his health and strength in a day having lost his property in a day from being one of the most richest men of his times favoured soul blessed with grace feared

[34:14] God and astute evil God said of Job was the subjects of the permissive will of God Satan touched all that he had but he couldn't touch his soul and he couldn't touch that life of God in the soul because God had put that hedge about him because God had said but touch not his life what a wondrous mercy my friends that these dear ones that are the subjects of the calling are safe in Christ and whatever comes against them and I doubt if anybody has a pathway that is so descriptive as Job but it is that wondrous mercy that goes through it all that they belong to Christ and they can never be overthrown and neither can that life of God in the soul be overthrown you may say well I lose sight of it sometimes it's almost as if it's extinct but my friends the mercy is that

[35:19] God hasn't lost sight of it because he makes a believer he brings them into life eternal in the new birth they that are with him are called but then there's something else and we come down to this the essential the essential part of this calling because in itself it is essential my friends it's not a change of heart it's not a fleshly reformation it is essential to salvation this calling oh how essential a lot of people make a lot of fuss about turning religious and going to this church or that chapel and so on and they stand on this way and that way in which this church or chapel proclaims what they reckon to believe my friends a living soul a soul must be a living soul because it is essential for all eternity they that are with him are called and are called so that they shall be one day found in eternal glory with him my friends these souls that are called in common with all mankind not only are sinners but have death before them was it

[36:54] Paul said the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord now it is essential for eternal life and for eternal blessings to know this calling it's that which makes the difference between a professor and a possessor it is that which makes a difference between those that go to heaven and those that go to hell it's the calling because all those that are called are in Christ and they that are with him are called well have you got the evidence can you trace the evidence of the calling the day may not matter of the day but the calling itself is so essential this holy calling they that are with him are called there's a lot of people who are called

[38:26] Christians today I would suppose it's the most well used and indeed solemnly misunderstood word what it is to be a Christian they that are with him are called my friends those that are Christians are those that are called and are called effectually with a holy calling are in possession of grace in their soul that are in possession of an eternal work in their soul my friends what it is to be a Christian is not to be religious alone but it is to have in their heart a work of divine grace when the apostle Paul stood before Agrippa and testified to the calling on that Damascus road and spoke of the resurrection of Jesus

[39:29] Christ those essential truths and doctrines of which the church of Christ rests upon for their salvation Agrippa said almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian but he hadn't got a calling he hadn't got a calling there's no such thing as an almost Christian my friends what was lacking was that which was essential unto salvation and that was a calling he might have been steeped in the prophecies I believe he was he understood these prophecies he perhaps was a student of the scriptures of truth but my friends what was so evidently missing was this calling they that are with him are called and there's such an emphasis on the word are because of the necessity of it because of the effect of it because of the essential nature of it and it's

[40:37] God that calls they that are with him are called and chosen and faithful now we must leave the word the time has gone but I do believe this my friends and sometimes we must have we have to say a lot of people say that negative evidences well they're not as good but my friends the evidence of life in the soul is this when you are concerned respecting the calling they that are with him and these dear saints of God are tried about their calling they're tried about anything they're tried about their calling so you want to if you notice the temptations of Satan as it's recorded in the word of God or as it's in your own pathway of experience what does Satan tempt you about when those two disciples went to

[41:39] Emmaus they were troubled they reasoned together of those things which they had heard of and had witnessed and they didn't understand them but I've always felt that those words were left on record because of the teaching of the Holy Spirit that's in them when Satan attacks the church of Christ he'll attack them on the foundation truths of which they rest on he'll attack them on that my friends if you come under the attack of Satan or the temptation of Satan or the doubts and fears flow into your heart it will be upon this ground that he'll attack you on and that's the calling those of you who have gone to chapel all your life and have never left it and wouldn't dream of leaving going to chapel but are called by divine grace in due time and are brought to be in union and in fellowship with the people of

[42:40] God in the church they're sometimes tried over the calling and they've looked at the dear saints of God that have coming out of the world or the soul of Tarsus whose records in the scripture they've probably said within themselves if I had such a calling as that I'd never doubt it they that are with him are called and my friends be not over surprised if Satan begins with you in temptation he'll begin here on the calling we shall look at one this afternoon perhaps who was the subjects of this solemn temptation and he was attacked in his darkest time over the calling not of his own calling but of Christ but there we must leave it they that are with him are called and chosen and faithful amen we'll close this morning by singing hymn number 575 575 the tune is

[44:06] St. Benedict 885 hymn number 575 called to see God's righteous law holy is without a flaw called to feel its vengeful power and to tremble in that hour hymn number 575 chimesaus oh is oh is Oh Oh

[46:01] Oh Oh Oh

[47:03] Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Lord, do bless thine own word.

[47:31] May it remain on our hearts. May it be the subject of our exercise. Lord, make it straight with thy people. Make it plain.

[47:43] Do forgive and pardon all that's amiss. Prepare us, Lord, for this afternoon. Hear the prayers at the prayer meeting, Lord. Help may be given there, we ask.

[47:55] And now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, the sweet communion and teaching of the Holy Spirit, remain with us each now and always.

[48:09] Amen. Amen. God bless. God bless.

[48:21] God bless. God bless. God bless. God bless. God bless. God bless.

[48:33] God bless. God bless. God bless.