The sovereignty of God (Quality: Good)

[0:00] In complete dependence upon the help of the Spirit, I would again seek your attention to the Gospel as recorded by John, chapter 13.

[0:14] The Gospel as recorded by John, chapter 13 and verse 7. Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do, thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter.

[0:35] Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do, thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter.

[0:51] And we commence to say this morning that this word reveals the eternal mind and the eternal will of a triune God.

[1:07] And we tried to speak a little of this great work of the Lord Jesus, in that he gave himself a ransom for many.

[1:24] A work, of course, which unbelieving sinners will never understand. And then on the other hand, as it is blessedly made known to the people of God, they indeed wonder at the mercy and goodness of God, in that the Lord Jesus Christ came and gave himself a ransom for many.

[1:53] In the second chapter of the Acts, we may have mentioned this morning, there is a word there which describes the eternal mind of God.

[2:08] A hymn being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God.

[2:20] Ye have taken and by wicked hands are crucified and slain, whom God hath raised up. Now, that determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God in the matter of the salvation of the church, both in a general statement and a personal experience, that same determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God has decreed your path and mine.

[2:51] And I believe, too, and it's a most solemn thing to say, we speak of, and it is often said, isn't it, in our circle of churches, the sovereignty of God in the matter of salvation, but it's equally sovereign, my friends, in the destruction of the wicked.

[3:18] And if through the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, your path will bring you to glory, my friends, you would say it's all of grace, it's all of mercy, but it's the same determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God that a sinner left to perish in his sins will find himself in the pit.

[3:45] We must not look on the sovereignty of God one-sidedly. It's a very solemn thing to say, my friends, but there will be only those in glory whom the Lord Jesus Christ died for.

[4:04] What I do, thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter. And everyone who is quickened by the Spirit will indeed be included in, will indeed be found in a pathway which is appointed for them.

[4:29] There is a word in Psalm 37, the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, ordered. And it came to my mind as you were singing that hymn, what we have here also in these words in verse 7 will always be contrary to nature.

[4:53] There will be no blending or compromising with the nature, natural mind of a person and the eternal purposes and will of God.

[5:04] There will be no compromising. There cannot ever be. And there will not be either, my friends, nothing more than a complete submission to the mind and purposes of God and to know the blessings and the favours and the mercies that are found in this text.

[5:30] My thoughts went to the dear Apostle, the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God you know concerning Saul of Tarsus that he did not know.

[5:45] And you just think for a moment that on that occasion what we read of in the ninth chapter of the Acts, we do read of him earlier at the death of Stephen.

[6:04] But particularly in that ninth chapter, very early in the chapter, we have words which reveal the determinate counsel of Saul of Tarsus.

[6:20] He sets all from Jerusalem with instruction and those instructions were from the high priest that he should bring men and women to justice, to the justice of the high priest and possibly to death for that one purpose that they were believers in Jesus.

[6:41] And so he sets forth until he gets to the edge of Damascus and there God stopped him in his wild career.

[6:55] Very religious was Saul of Tarsus. As a Pharisee, he would be well acquainted with the ceremonial law and the law of Moses too because they worked hard to keep that law.

[7:11] But the determinate counsel of God, the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God gave him another birthday, my friends. Another birthday.

[7:24] A spiritual birthday. I said as we closed this morning, do you know those spots of ground where Jesus did they meet?

[7:38] Have you some of those places? It may be the Lord's house when you came in dead in trespasses and sins and went out as a sorrowing sinner.

[7:48] to determine as counsel and foreknowledge of God. What I do. It was questioned what the Lord did.

[8:01] If you read in that chapter 9, it was questioned by believers what the Lord did. And Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man how much evil he has done to thy saints of Jerusalem and here he hath authority from the chief priest to bind all that call on thy name to him.

[8:28] Go thy way for he is a chosen vessel unto me. And that same dear apostle in his letters confirms the sovereignty of God in the call by grace.

[8:45] And in writing to the Ephesian church he says, A newethy quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins wherein in time passed she walked according to the course of this world according to the prince of the power of the air the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of the flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature the children of wrath even as others but God but God what I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter know in the determinate counsel then and foreknowledge of God in that wonderful work where the children of God are made manifest by the grace of God imparted to them by the Holy Ghost what I do and oh were there not

[9:52] I turned from scripture to scripture in between the services to try and find a chapter which would seem to be to something to read that would acknowledge the truth that we have here I looked at Acts chapter 2 I turned to Acts chapter 16 where the apostle was directed to go to Philippi how he has shut the door the Lord has shut the door on all other places and revealed his will by so doing and they were to go to Philippi and we read or rather I read that after this there was a vision appeared to Paul there stood a man in Macedonia and prayed him saying come over into Macedonia and help us and after he had seen the vision immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia a surely gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them there was nothing wrong in the previous places

[11:15] Mycena Asia Mycena Bithynia there was nothing wrong in the preaching of the gospel there but not at that time they were directed to go to Philippi what I do thou knowest not now and so you can read the rest of it and you can watch the hand of God how he should go there and meet with those women who met at the riverside where prayer was wont to be made and for their preaching of the gospel they were put into prison and at midnight we read Paul and Silas sang praises praises and the prisoners heard them and a great earthquake came and the means of that earthquake was to cause that the jailer who must surely have a hard heart and dead in trespasses and sins should be awakened to his standing as a sinner in the eyes of a holy God and to be caused to cry sirs what must I do to be saved what I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter well my friends it's a great mercy if the Lord in his divine wisdom eternal mind and according to his eternal will has decreed that you and I shall be hearers in the house of God with spiritual hearing and a heart made tender by the grace of God and a heart receptive to the truth as it is in Jesus but he should pour his spirit in that we should have to cry as that man did what must I do to be saved he saw me ruined in the fall yet love me not who is standing all but then there are these things which might be called cross-handed providences and we read such a one in the book of

[13:36] Genesis chapter 45 the history of Joseph of course is well known to all who go to chapel but there came a time when Joseph was to reveal himself unto his brethren I am Joseph and where did he put the honour and the glory it was not you that sent me hither but God but then you know they didn't know but Joseph walked this word out didn't he until the word of the Lord came the word of the Lord tried him and he was in prison and you know when you get in prison whether and I mean of course in a spiritual condition you can't see the wisdom and goodness of God when the Lord shuts you up in a path that you can't move from my friends you wonder what it does mean and you wonder whether you made some mistake but the

[14:45] Lord doesn't make a mistake he must needs go if you just go back to those words the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delightseth in his way he must needs go into prison not because he done anything wrong but because in so going into prison he should come in contact with two men who were employed by Pharaoh and they too should be subject to the Lord's divine providential leadings although one can't say that they would know it and eventually to keep this short eventually that he should be brought before Pharaoh as one that was the interpreter of dreams and of course you know the rest of the account of Joseph and how he was raised up to be father of Pharaoh as he said and lord of all his house and what was the purpose in that that the children of Israel as well as those of Egypt should be wholly dependent on him what I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter and the

[16:06] Lord in his divine providence and for the benefit of your precious soul will lead you in such pathways you cannot know the reason why you cannot until it's revealed you make surmising you make suggestions you reason this or you reason that and you are it is indeed impossible to know the mind and will of God until it is known until it is revealed and how and what means it is revealed and my friends and so it shall go on I thought of those words the dear apostle in the second epistle to the Corinthians speaks of a time when he was given a thorn in the flesh he had a blessing which was such a blessing that it was indescribable and then we find the baddest and a child of

[17:13] God will have the balance my friends the matters of his pathway will be such that his blessings will be counted by balancing in the book of Job and chapter 37 we find these words dost thou know the balancing of the clouds well my friends if you know the blessings of his grace you'll know the clouds and you'll know too my friends those blessings are balanced by ballast something that the Lord indeed performs in your pathway so that you're made more dependent on his grace as indeed the apostle was in that account thrice did I pray he said but he said unto me my grace is sufficient what I do thou know it's not now my friends and the more you and I puzzle these things out and the purposes of

[18:19] God you will find my friends you'll come no conclusion which is satisfactory but the Lord in his mercy is appointed today when he will show you why I thought of those words I looked at that chapter in the first book of Samuel is it chapter well I don't know remember chapter 2 perhaps or chapter 3 rather where Samuel was in the temple and the Lord spoke to him and he told him what he will do to Eli's sons sons of Belial they were priests in the temple and Eli asked him and told him not to withhold anything that the Lord has spoken and it had an effect on Eli it is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good and I thought of those words and they take a lot of singing you know and it goes something like this he has an undisputed right to govern me and mine what

[19:28] I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter and again what the hymn writer put in those words and if I can only gather them together in my poor mind concerning the authority of God reign or as king accomplish thy will and powerfully bring us forth from all ill till falling before thee we lord thy blessed name ascribing the glory to God and the lamb my friends you that are believers in Jesus why do you wonder sometimes because that he directs and he does according to his will evil men have fallen under the will and purposes of God not in a way of salvation but evil king in the days of

[20:29] Babylon and the children of Israel's captivity one had to say he doeth his will in the armies of heaven and amongst the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand or say unto him what doest thou what I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter my friends and oh don't you know your own heart in this don't you feel your own natural heart working within we know a dear widow and she said to me oh not so many days ago oh to have one hour to talk to my husband my friends he's in glory he's in glory that man is I wouldn't want to say to her but I wouldn't want to hurt her feelings and I would say to her Christ is more precious than you are Christ is more precious

[21:31] I know what she means in a measure of course I know what she means but oh what I do thou knowest not now the purposes are ripening fast in the life walk and pathway of every believer in that wonderful work of salvation it's for the purposes of an eternal glory with Christ oh you feel condemned by your wretched sin have to beg for mercy and plead that that blood that was shed for many would be applied to your heart and conscience and wash you from all defilement my friends it's the ground of preparation it's the work of preparation and it's to bring your immortal soul into the eternal glories at last but then my friends what are the way that you walk would you truly believe that if it could be said of

[22:37] Jesus Christ his way was much rougher much darker than mine did Christ my Lord suffer and shall I repine would you believe as a follower and a believer in Christ Jesus that your past should be any better than that but though he suffered at the hands of evil men though he permitted evil men to trouble him though he fell under the decree and purposes of God in this that he suffered being tempted remember that word for what purpose was he tempted he was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin it's a mystery my friends but oh it follows on doesn't it that he is able also to succor them that are tempted what I do thou knowest not now God shall alone the refuge be and comfort of my mind too wise to be mistaken he too good to be unkind and he does all things according to his own will determinate counsel and foreknowledge of

[23:56] God what I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter at all my friends you'll have you lean on him and look to him it was a wonderful word and it's only ministers understand it if I may so kindly say that in the 22nd of Luke he said to his disciples when I sent you without purse or shoes and actually anything now my friends you that have walked in the ways of obedience you that have made an open profession of the name of Christ is the way been any better since then is this way to glory therefore more comfortable than the world walk could you say that now that you have made a profession in the name of

[24:59] Christ that indeed lots of things now are better and different and more comfortable or would you say with me that it has become a path of tribulation that it is a place often where you grieve and sorrow and you have to turn to him to make the crooked places straight and the rough places plain you know in the dealings of God with Joseph he is a type of Christ to his people go again to the man we mentioned this morning and that's what he have you to do he's given you a path of grace he'll give you a need of that grace to walk that path out if he's put you in a way everlasting you'll find conflict and not so much from the world outside but from the world inside if he's put you in a way in the footsteps of the flock you'll find that there's adversaries in the way there's oppressors there are those who would persecute your precious soul but then my friends if you've got an enemy in

[26:16] Satan be glad and rejoice if you've got an enemy against you the truth of grace in your soul Christ will become more precious and the world you'll hold with a looser hand in me you shall have peace in the world you shall have tribulation those who can walk with the world on one hand and the church on the other I wonder at their religion or rather I wonder where they've got to in their religion those who find friendships in the world to be so suitable to them my friends I wonder where what their friendship in Christ is because I know this and you know this if you are graciously taught that grace is a separating work and it separates you in heart or it should in heart and affection from the things of the world if your treasure is in glory why do you seek for it here my friends if the pleasures of this world suit your old nature beware lest he comes and chastens you in his hot displeasure because he will what I do thou knowest not now there's a word my friends there isn't there that the children of God have to fall under what's the word as many as

[27:46] I love I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and repent just to the church of Christ and sometimes my friends we're found in places decreed many many years ago I heard John Ward at Hanover and I've walked it out ever since I believe speaking of the divine leading of the Lord and the pathway of the Lord's people he said this if he's put you where he wants you to be it'll be a place that you can't manage my friends and isn't that not true if he's put you in a place where he meant you to be it'll be a place you can't manage and he'll give you a path you can't manage either but he'll bring into that path my friends those things which crucify your old flesh and will bring you so wholly dependent on his mercy and his grace remember old

[28:56] George Rose that had over telling us about a place he was in in Providence I suppose it was and in the matters of his own soul and he got to a place and I believe I know where it is roughly anyway it's in the West Midlands and he got to the end of his own strength and grace and ability and everything and he said I came to this five bar gate I put my head on it and I said Lord carest thou not that we perish and that's how we felt it was as though everything was coming against him everything was coming to an overthrow I thought of those words before we started this service it's written to the apostle Peter in his first epistle and first chapter though now for a season if needs be ye are in heaviness through manifold temptation I quoted this morning that the trial of your faith being much more precious and of gold that perisheth though it be tried with fire might be found and to praise and honour and glory at the appearance of

[30:09] Jesus Christ this is a lot of the people of God though now for a season if needs be ye are in heaviness through manifold temptation what I do thou knowest not now that is not only do can we not understand it because it's not as yet complete but we cannot either understand it by the faculties that we have of the natural mind and intellect his purposes are ripening fast unfolding every hour the bud may have a bitter taste but sweet shall be the flower when they saw their lord of light and life of glory laid in a tomb my friends it was the end of all things to their religion I feel they would have felt it a no no my friends when the lord appears and separates you from your christ puts a darkness upon your spirit withdraws his held presence what I do what I do this is the almighty God in three persons in the blessed glories of eternal purposes of heaven what I do my friends how many there's been of the children of God that have raised a rebellious spirit against the dealings of God with their soul and with their circumstances also how they've questioned the almighty like Ananias did when he spoke he'd heard of many of this man questioned the almighty as to the statement that he said my friends he's not to be questioned what I do thou knowest not now how should a poor, weak unbelieving believer ever come to this last part but thou shalt know how will they come to that well it will not be by any persuasion of nature and they tell you something too he'll unravel the past nobody else will for you you may think you might get a good word from this man or that woman

[32:49] I know how you feel they'll say I know exactly how you feel no they don't my friends because your path is your path your trouble is your trouble the trial is yours not theirs I don't believe one walks the same as another so they don't lean on each other or prop each other up how is it therefore that though it commences this is what I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter what is it that a believer is brought into so that it all unfolds and you'll see the wisdom and goodness of God in it because I know this all the time you and I too feel the warfare of our own nature against the dealings of God my friends will be nothing more than a rebellious heart nothing more you know as sure as you are walking the ways of God's appointment so sure you'll find opposition against those ways well remember my friends oh and it's it's a bitter a bitter thing to recall but there was some opposition in our against against me from a certain minister of the gospel at least that's what he says he is such an opposition that I came to this conclusion in it all either he's right or I'm right in the matter and only the Lord you know can put the crooked straight and the rough place is plain well the servant of God who was here on Wednesday

[34:43] I went down to Wiltshire to preach and he was given a hymns out in that time there was no pastor in the cause so he was given a hymns out and I picked his hymn book up and I looked in the beginning and in that where somebody would write as it was indeed a present to him that hymn book had written two lines Jesus Christ thy father's son bid you undismayed go on and how can you go on when you don't know the way how can you go on when it is not straight what I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter my friends you'll know it by this submission to his mind and will and that's a grace that is needed to be given it matters not my friends your enemies they're powerful they're strong and they're certainly mighty but if you got a path which is decreed of

[35:59] God my friends you can look to him who is almighty oh there's never been my friends any profit in going back but there's a lot of profit in enduring there's a lot of benefit for the preciousness of your soul in the enduring of the cross but oh my friends how one comes to this place but thou shalt know when you finish fighting and you have to eventually give up fighting when the Lord in his kindness and his great mercy comes I thought as I read that 45th chapter and doesn't it begin so sacredly and what a time for the Lord Jesus Christ was that dear man then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him and we went on and read this and there stood no man with him while

[37:03] Joseph made himself known unto his brethren you'll know your path is right when Christ is revealed in that path you'll know that's the way to walk and it doesn't matter how great the opposition is you'll know need to fear in that path and I say that very carefully because we have a natural tendency to fear but blessed be God when he comes and so mounts the soul into submission to his way my friends it will be that place where the blessing is found all the time you fight against him my friends there's no blessing there's no deliverance but when through his grace and it's only through his grace that you can fall at his feet and as Eli said in that chapter we mentioned it is the Lord that endure what seemeth him good it will be the place of blessing it will be the place of peace and consolation to your soul what I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter but all in those eternal truths and teachings that is the lot of the people of

[38:29] God my friends what profit there is in them but there is another purpose I feel here you know we must ever pray I believe we ought to we believe as in Jesus my friends we ever have to pray to have our hands loosened from time things the world indeed shall indeed have the world in its heart I just want to mention this in the 73rd Psalm we have the poor man Asaph in such a threatful state when he was envious at the foolish when he saw the prosperity of the wicked and there's little there about the state of the wicked how they could die in peace no bands in their death they weren't frightened of dying they lived as they lived and they died as they lived but you know then we read this until I went into the sanctuary of God then understood

[39:35] I their end and it was in that place of revelation I want to just come to this my friends his own words when he started the psalm he was complaining about the difference between his lot and the wicked oh how he envied them oh he envied them when he come to the end he said home of I in heaven but thee and there's none upon earth I desire beside thee that cuts close doesn't it that cuts close my friends we all have loved ones and bless God for them but oh how close it comes he was no longer envious of the foolish no longer was he envious at those who was who was sufficient in this life my friends he had a view of him in glory thou shalt guide me with thy counsel and afterward receive me to glory oh when that blessed time comes when

[40:45] Christ is revealed as the way the truth and the life when he comes and speaks into the soul draws your affections Christ toward oh there's such a union between Christ and his church you know it's an indissolvable union how seldom do we feel that union but when it does come my friends it puts all things in order precious but oh the grace that's needed my friends if you've got grace saving grace you'll need grace to walk that path out that he has appointed for you it goes contrary to nature as I've said it goes contrary to the world and it will bring you to separate from the world in heart and affection Jesus answered and said unto him what I do oh no it's not now and I thought too my friends of that poor man

[41:51] Thomas when they told him Christ was risen he said except I see in his hands the print of the nails and thrust my finger into the print of the nails and my hand into his side I will not believe there's something about that desire you know he was no easy believer the hymn writer said until I'm told by God's own lips that he has chosen me he wanted that blessed view well my friends we shall not have that view as he did with the natural eye but the Lord grant us a view with the spiritual eye the person of Jesus and again my friends to make you and I submissive to his will he will show you at times his path and you who walk after him in his steps in his ways according to divine love and mercy will see this my friends that your way is nothing really in compared to him what I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter my friends what heaven will bring we don't know there's a lot of suggestions there's a lot of speculation

[43:29] I was going to say of what the glories of heaven must surely be my friends but I do believe this that whilst we live here below there will be ways we don't understand there will be things that we don't understand in the ways of God's dealing with our soul but when we get past that river and are found in the glories of heaven and in the presence of Christ forever my friends it will be a hereafter and all these other things will be lost sight of amen amen no no no no no no no no no let's close by singing hymn number 232 the tune is Laudate Dominum 911 hymn number 232 begone unbelief my saviour is near and for my relief will surely appear by prayer let me wrestle and he will perform with Christ in the vessel I smile at the storm though dark be my way since he is my guide it is mine to obey it is his to provide though systems be broken and creatures all fail the word he has spoken shall surely prevail hymn number 232 hymn adalah hymn number 233 hymn number 233 hymn number 242 hymn number 243 hymn number 235 hymn number 243 hymn number 263 your asthma Marrily

[46:20] I come as the river before prayer For I bound thee on my way His sted feet is all at night His requisite loving His worship let not be The sum of the 해서 in my name O Christ The worldly brethrenข tease me I'll describe the telling

[47:26] PστOS on this mission In the land of the Sumter CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS

[48:38] CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS The patient who held and gained no inhale.

[48:56] The psalm of baptism I hope of effects of inخرating us. The patient who held andılar.

[49:16] inspiring and inviting him I would sing thank Peter Peter Peter Jesus Peter Peter Peter Peter Paul Earl Andrea Thank you.

[50:09] Thank you.

[50:40] All that has been amiss in the services of thy house, bless thine own precious word. Oh, may the glory, the praise, the honour be given to him who endured all things.

[50:56] Now be with us as we travel on, Lord, through this day. Prepare us to be found in thy courts this evening. May thy presence be there. May thy spirit be there.

[51:07] And now may the grace of the Lord Jesus, the love of God the Father, the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, remain with us.

[51:24] What is... What is...