Jeses himself drew near ... our great need of Christ (Quality: Very good)

[0:00] As we seek for the Lord's gracious help, in bringing before you his word, I must just say this before I announce where the text is.

[0:13] In prayer, I felt the Lord himself draw near and take away the word that I intended coming with. And these words drawn into my spirit and in a way it seems as if they were maybe an unusual way of bringing a text before you.

[0:36] But I direct your prayerful thoughts to the gospel according to Luke chapter 24. And we will read the latter part of verse 15 and then the verses 25 and 26 as our text.

[1:04] Luke 24, the last part of verse 15 and then verses 25 and 26.

[1:15] Jesus himself drew near and went with them.

[1:27] Then he said unto them, O fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Ought not Christ who has suffered these things and to enter into his glory?

[1:45] There was a purpose. There was a need to be. There was a reason. And the Lord himself drew near and went with them.

[2:00] Those two, as they journeyed in the way that they did, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about three score furlongs.

[2:15] And they talked together of all these things which had happened. They were communing together of those things that they did not fully understand.

[2:27] For when the Luan said to them, what reason ye amongst yourselves? They said, art thou a stranger?

[2:38] Here abides that thou knowest not what has happened and how they had looked for that redemption in Christ. That he would set them free from their oppressors, from Roman occupation.

[2:54] How whenever we seek to put our own reasoning, our own interpretation upon his word, upon what he has spoken, upon what he has wrought out, we must ever come to a halt.

[3:11] We must ever come to confusion. How we need constantly the teaching of the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth and the Lord himself to draw near and to go with us.

[3:24] Have you known it? Have you known what it is from time to time for the Lord himself to draw near and go with you?

[3:35] But there is a point I must bring before you. In what way?

[3:50] In what way does the Lord draw near? For there are those that he drew near unto and spoke in a very solemn way to them.

[4:05] I feel very searched in my own spirit. And I feel in this way that there is that that comes out in my ministry.

[4:22] I do desire to search the hearts of my hearers. Where stands the reality of your hope?

[4:33] Where is the ground? Where is the foundation? Where is the resting place? For eternity I mean.

[4:45] Not for show. Not to outward appearances. Not that others might view us. For our Lord said very plainly regarding such, they have their reward.

[5:00] They have their reward. Oh, where do we stand? Upon what grind are we to be found? Is it?

[5:12] Oh, as our Lord so clearly brought before them at this time, Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory?

[5:27] Ought not Christ to have walked in this way? Ought not Christ to have walked in this way? Ought not Christ to have walked in this way? Oh, what knowledge do we have of him? Notice how Christ revealed himself unto those two.

[5:43] He opened up unto them the scriptures, beginning at the prophets. He opened up to them the scriptures.

[5:55] And, well, what a sermon that must have been. He preached to Christ unto them, as Philip did to the eunuch. And as it beholds the Lord's servants to preach Christ, to their hearers.

[6:14] And what is it to preach Christ? I fear that there is only one way, and that is to lay the sinner low, that Christ might be exalted.

[6:27] And what a mercy it is if the Lord has laid you low, brought you down to that place where you know that in self there is nothing. In self there is no hope.

[6:38] In self there is only violence. In self there is sin. But in Christ you're all and in all. Oh, to know what it is.

[6:52] Their hearts burn within them. The Lord himself drew me and spoke unto them. He had a purpose of love and mercy. See, there was to be a revelation in their soul that was from Christ and Christ alone.

[7:08] Oh, we read that they talked and reasoned together and could come to no conclusion. There was no prophet to be found there. It was only what the Lord could show them, how the Lord would lead them, how the Lord would speak unto them.

[7:21] There was no prophet in anything else. Oh, have you longed for one word? Have you longed for one sip from the gospel well?

[7:36] Have you just longed, Lord, grant unto me one token, give me some token, Lord, for good? I want nothing to do of man's thoughts, man's ways.

[7:49] I cannot rest on the props of man or upon an arm of flesh. Oh, Lord, bring me up out of the wilderness. Oh, that I might lean upon my beloved more.

[8:01] Oh, that I might be found walking with him. Is this the object of your desire? Is this the object of your prayer?

[8:12] The exercise of your soul? Or are you content with the form of religion?

[8:30] Where is the foundation? Where is the grounding? Where is the hope? Where is your resting place? You'll be just like those foolish virgins.

[8:46] You have no oil in your vessel with your lamp. When the time comes, then there is that rising up and going into the marriage with the bridegroom and the door is shut.

[9:01] You come knocking, seeking there might be entrance there. Depart from me. I never knew you. There is that solemn moment of vital truth that we each must face.

[9:19] None can escape it. when we come to die. There is only one in whom we can rest upon. Christ.

[9:31] None other can help us at all. None other. However holy they might be. However holy they might be. However righteous they might be. However they might speak unto us.

[9:43] We cannot gain any hope from another. We cannot gain any hope from our own selves. Can you, when you come to your deathbed, rest upon this, your good works, your own righteousness, your walk.

[10:03] Ah, if it's anything like mine, stained and stained and stained again with sin. sin. And sin separates. It separates eternally.

[10:21] But for Christ, ought not Christ to have suffered? Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory?

[10:34] That he said this very thing in the 14th chapter of John. I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am, there ye shall be also.

[10:55] Their hearts burned within them. I wonder if there is any burning of condemnation. I wonder if there is any burning of conviction.

[11:10] I wonder if there is any burning of self. I think there are those of my hearers that will understand a little of what I know in this.

[11:21] Oh, and the Lord has been pleased to reveal himself, showing unto us that our only hope is in him. And then we're rightly condemned before him as being nothing.

[11:33] Nothing at all. And all our works and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags before him. Oh, and you have to pray, clothe me in thy righteousness, O Lord.

[11:50] I know what it is to be as that one that was found in his right mind and at thy feet. Clothed, clothed in thy righteousness. O that I might be washed and cleansed from my every sin.

[12:04] O that I might know that my hope is in Christ. That now becomes your language. When the Lord himself draws near and shows unto you what you are, what your need is, what your fallen state is.

[12:20] their hearts burned. and they burned with love to Christ what he had wrought out.

[12:37] You see, there was a setting forth of everything, of the whole gospel of Christ before them. As I mentioned just now, laying the sinner low that Christ might be exalted, their hearts burned because of conviction of sin.

[12:55] And their hearts burned with love unto Christ for what he had wrought out upon the cross. Look, ye sinners, look and live. Do you know what it is for your hearts to burn in love unto him?

[13:09] Do you know what it is to have that zeal for his eyes, for his courts, for his ways, for his commandments? Do you know what it is to have this love welling up in your heart?

[13:20] Oh, I oftentimes have to mention the case of the woman that wept at the feet of Christ. I washed his feet with her tears, I wiped his feet with the hairs of her head.

[13:35] And the very words of Simon the Pharisee, he said, within his own heart, this man, if he were a prophet, would know what manner of woman this is that toucheth him. For she is a sinner, the Lord knew.

[13:49] And what did he say to Simon? She loved much, for much has been forgiven her. Do you long to have more of that love to Christ, more of that love to him and to his ways?

[14:08] And I tell you where it will bring you, a hatred of the world, or a disgust of the world. Yes, the more love we have to Christ, the less affection we shall have to the world and to worldly things.

[14:26] Oh, I know, it's still within us, it's still around us. We have those paths to walk out, we have those ways to walk. if the love of Christ is in our hearts, our desire will be to do all things to please him, all things.

[14:46] We will fail, I know, but we will not use that as an excuse. We will come short constantly, but oh, we'll have to mourn over those times when we come short.

[15:02] Do you know what it is to flee? Do you know what it is to turn aside? Do you know what it is now to turn your back? Oh, there's still the propensity for evil below, I know this.

[15:15] But oh, when the love of Christ is abroad in our hearts, we will do you seek for his smile to rest upon all that you do?

[15:29] Can you ask for his blessing? Can you seek for his favour to rest upon what you do? Oh, may you be enabled to seek for it.

[15:41] The Lord's smile and the older ones as well, all of us in their different paths. Oh, to have the Lord's smile resting upon our thoughts, our words, our deeds, our actions, not just before the Lord's people, not just in his house and those things obviously should have preeminence, I know, and in his ways, but before all the world, before loved ones and before enemies as well, to have the Lord's smile.

[16:14] Oh, that his word may truly come close to us tonight, that it may do us good. Oh, that it may come close to us, that the Lord himself, Jesus himself, drawing near and going with us this evening.

[16:35] Oh, what an examining of our hearts there would be, what a searching out there would be, every idle word, every idle action, every foolishness, the Lord himself to draw near and to go with us.

[16:55] And how about those thoughts one toward another? How about those thoughts? How are they? the Lord that searcheth out the hearts.

[17:07] What did we read tonight? No, in our reading I had no thoughts regarding this word, I had a completely different word upon my mind to come before you, but as it was with my people this morning, particular words that I felt I must read, a particular chapter, and again, words that was elsewhere in the word of God.

[17:34] I was led to that chapter to take a text from it. Oh Lord, thou hast searched me and known me, thou knowest my down-sitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.

[17:48] And how David has to speak in this way. The psalmist, he speaks, whither shall I go, whither shall I flee? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there, if I make my bed in hell, behold thou art there.

[18:05] And oh, he could see this, the Lord watching over all his ways and all his steps to bring him safely through.

[18:22] If we know what it is to be forgiven much, if we know what it is to be forgiven a little. Now, I do not say that in this way that we say what the Lord only blesses in measure nor forgives certain sins.

[18:46] No, if there is forgiveness, it is full and it is free. what I mean is if in our own feelings we feel, well, there is a little hope, I trust that there is that forgiveness with him.

[19:03] What I mean, I am trying to speak to those of little faith and of little hope. you feel then you cannot go to the heights that others can go to.

[19:18] You feel like those that oft times you are down at the bottom of the mines, you are in the valley, you are walking in that way. But oh, isn't there that springing up of a desire in the hearts of those that the Lord has shown a little of his mercy unto?

[19:40] There has been a little revelation of his goodness and of his loving kindness, a desire to serve him, a desire to please him. I cannot think of the word fully, but I bring it before you as it comes into my mind.

[20:03] No, it's gone from me. But it is in this way if we have that love to the brethren, oh, we will desire to do all things right.

[20:17] How is it then with us? Is there love to the brethren that you have passed from death unto life if you have love to the brethren? that love to the heart thing having suits of those that the Lord himself has made brethren unto us.

[20:45] Well, may you have the interpretation of the Spirit in your own soul regarding such a thought. Do you know that you have passed from death unto life?

[20:59] Oh, may it search every heart if ye have love to the brethren. Amen. Jesus himself drew near and went with them.

[21:16] What made their hearts burn? That same love. Oh, that same love that I long to have in my own soul.

[21:30] Oh, when I see my own dear people before me, my heart yearns after them. When I see you before me, as I have come in and I have amongst you for a good number of years and been one of you, my heart yearns for each one of you.

[21:47] You see, I know what goes on within my own heart. And those, perhaps, those certain things, then, I know of your characters or of your ways or of your thoughts.

[21:58] Do you understand what I mean? And I know that in my own heart there is so much that is wrong. You see, us poor ministers, we have to speak of those things that we have walked in.

[22:10] We know what it is to have those many things that are wrong with us. And I know how our hearts yearn for souls that are before us. Jesus himself drew near and went with them.

[22:25] And that love of Christ was known in their souls. Without which, we still walk in darkness.

[22:37] and ever will walk in that darkness. Those disciples would have done if the Lord hadn't drawn near and walked with them.

[22:48] And I say that advisedly in this way, that at this time, they are walking in the darkness of their own mind. But now let us proceed with our thoughts in this word.

[23:05] Jesus himself drew near and went with them. And there was a purpose that he might reveal himself unto them.

[23:18] But of course, their eyes were held. They knew him not. Their natural eyes. There was something that was going on within.

[23:29] And how was the Lord revealed unto them? By the breaking of bread. He came, and there was a constraining, abide with us.

[23:42] He went in to tarry with them. As he sat at meat, he took bread, blessed it, and break it, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him. And they said, did not our heart burn within us while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?

[23:57] Oh, he abode with them that night. He abode with them. But let us look then at what our Lord had to say to them.

[24:10] Oh, fools. Then he said unto them, Oh, fools, and sloweth heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. There they had the witness.

[24:22] We must remember this. The Israelites, the chosen people of God, had been waiting for the fulfilling of the promise of the Messiah for a long time.

[24:37] And there were many that had searched and sought for him here and in this and in that place and found him not. But when Christ was born, when he took upon himself that form of our fallen humanity and yet without sin, there were a few that Christ was revealed to.

[25:04] There were a few that were truly waiting for the consolation of Israel. You think of one that said, Oh Lord, now let us therefore thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation.

[25:18] He beheld his glory. And oh, it had been shown unto him that he should not see death until he had seen the Lord's Christ.

[25:32] Has the Lord spoken such a promise, such a word? We had to hope in this. We had to hold on to it even today. Tempted, tried, tossed, that you should not see death until you had seen the Lord's Christ.

[25:45] promised. As we mentioned earlier in the 14th chapter of John, right at the beginning, the Lord has promised, I will come again. Oh, those great and precious promises that the Lord has spoken, those words that he has revealed unto yourself, those things that he has granted and given unto you, ah, how they have to be tried, how they have to go through the fire, how they have to be proved.

[26:13] It is not just the lightness of a moment. It is not just that thing that enters in and then is forgotten. No, it is what the Lord is pleased to speak unto us so and there to fix it there out of blessed experience.

[26:29] Those trials, those tribulations. Oh, do you know what it is to say, it is good that I have been afflicted for before I was afflicted I went astray.

[26:41] But no, and you have that but now in your soul. Or what the Lord has done, what the Lord has revealed unto you, your solemn need before him and Christ and him crucified.

[26:58] That Christ must need suffer. Oh, must need suffer. and be raised and be glorified. Matters that we seek and hope to deal with shortly as the Holy Spirit may lead us into them.

[27:19] Oh, fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Now, where do we stand? where do you and I stand in this matter?

[27:35] Brought up for the most part in his ways to his highest from an early age under the truth and you know how many sermons have we sat under and how many have we really heard?

[27:57] You consider it. How many sermons have we sat under and how many sermons have we really heard? And I mean heard for our prophet when we come to the house of God with that very real felt desire and need that the Lord would speak unto us.

[28:18] When we come sighing, crying and groaning unto the Lord. Well, I feel that oft times there is one time when we do not come in this way.

[28:32] It's oft times find with those that the Lord meets with and just once when the Lord is pleased to meet with a soul that is not concerned and that is when he determines that the appointed time has come to call by grace to quicken a sinner in Christ.

[29:04] That appointed time they come just as they have done. In love I ask such a question is this in love and tenderness I put this to you.

[29:25] Are there any here this night that have never heard a sermon preached a Klm message in love in love you were in love you a hope be warned stand in a solemn place that your only hope is in Christ as all of us stand in that same place but oh when there is this trembling hope trembling hope our Lord himself speaks in this way oh fools oh fools how many sermons then have we truly heard by that true entrance of his word as a light into our soul showing up all those dark corners and recesses in which evil dwells and showing our need of Christ our great need of Christ

[31:00] I hope there are none of my hearers that are saying at this time I do not want to hear these things I do not want to hear them they make me uncomfortable I am not as those that walk in such a ridiculous way I hope I know where my hope and trust is I hope I know where my faith is dear friends if you have never known what it is for the Lord himself to draw nigh unto you and to search out and to strip out all that is of self all that is base if you don't know what it is for the Lord to draw near unto you and to search out the secret recesses of your sinful heart I fear that you may be walking in a solemn place of delusion a solemn place of delusion that you have deceived yourself and have been deceived oh but if the Lord has drawn near and searched out your heart he will search it out in love and in loving kindness in tenderness and in mercy then searching out will not be convenient then searching out will not be liked by the flesh no we will we will want to we will flinch from it we will want to turn aside from it but oh when that searching out does us good and is profitable unto our soul and there will be that deep searching out when Christ searches out

[32:57] I have spoken of their hearts burning within and so will your heart burn within you and what the Lord has done oh he digs deep but he puts upon that right foundation that blessed foundation Christ and him crucified what a foundation that is do you want anything less than this will anything less satisfy you anything that comes short also as I said earlier you see that time comes when we must die and anything that comes short of Christ and him crucified will cast us into hell there to perish eternally the words is so clear is it not so very clear let us continue what is it then what is it then upon the minds there was given to Moses the ordinances the commandments the sacrifices that were to be made the high priest as he went into the holy of holies the inner sanctuary to make the atonement with the sprinkling of blood for the sins of the people oh how all those sacrifices could not atone for sin there must be that sacrifice that was to be made once and for all and that sacrifice was for sinners consider this oh those that the Lord Jesus Christ gathered around him those that he loved and showed that love unto they were the despised they were the rejected they were those in whom none could see any good do you know and I do not speak irreverently here in any way at all but if we could view those that are in heaven

[35:43] I feel that we would have many surprises many surprises as well as those empty places if I can put it in that way those that we may expect to be there oh as I said may the Lord search out our hearts in these solemn truths that we may know that ought not Christ to have suffered and to have suffered and to have suffered for our sins is that the burning question is that the desire in our heart not that just this ought not Christ to have suffered but ought not Christ to have suffered for my sin for mine iniquity that he might make that I might be with him in glory is this then what exercises our soul our thoughts our mind daily give me Christ or else

[37:05] I die well we were going to speak then of the suffering of Christ the sacrifice that he made and how it was brought about there was given unto the prophet Daniel the very time and circumstances not only the time in in years but also the time as it was in the events of the world that Christ must need suffer and it was according to that divine plan and sovereign plan of God that his dear son should lay down his life and fulfil the law of God you see that holy just law of God demands one thing a perfect keeping of that law and if there is not the perfect keeping of the law there is the condemnation death the soul that sinneth it must die there is no argument with that in any way but God in his eternal sovereign love unto those that he had purposed it must be saved he gave his own son as that sacrifice for sin and oh what a sacrifice it was a mystery that I would not tempt in any reasoning way to bring before you except to say this the son of God he took upon himself that human form and made that sacrifice for poor sinners that was full and complete he shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied there was full satisfaction under the law there and oh what a satisfaction there was for sin there that work of redemption there that purchasing by his blood the debt was paid it was complete it was done it is done it is finished oh blessed salvation blessed redemption in Christ that work is done that work is fulfilled ought not

[39:32] Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory well what did the Lord have to suffer then it was not just the outward bodily sufferings that he had to suffer he had to suffer and suffer being tempted in all points like as we are yet without sin he had to suffer that agony and the death he had to suffer bodily and he had to suffer in his soul oh how he had to suffer but it was for sin that he gave his life for sinners such as you and I ought not Christ to have suffered these things and oh what sufferings he had to pass through it was in love oh the love of Christ to sinners who can make its wonders known that he did suffer in the way that he did oh if we know a little of the love of Christ then that he laid down his life oh that will burn in our hearts will it not there's reality there of what the Lord has wrought out and you know that cannot be taken from us if we are partakers of it you feel to be a partaker of this grace partaker of what he has suffered partaker of what he has wrought out for your soul what he has done blessed truth and this is what he was trying not trying but this is what he was revealing to those two and they tried to understand him oh may the Lord open our eyes may the

[41:40] Lord open our hearts may there be those things that we truly know of these things that we hear not just in the hearing of them but in the writing in our hearts he said oh fools and slow of heart to believe ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory seeing then that we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens even Jesus the son of God there he is as their high priest there he is as their intercessor there he is as one oh that stands in those garments dyed in blood you know that I've oft times quoted that portion in the seventh chapter the revelation there there are those that are in those white robes that multitudes without number out of all nations and peoples and kindreds and tongues and there they are before the throne of

[42:47] God and of the Lamb whence came they these are they that have came out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and the blood of the Lamb and made them white therefore are they before his throne and there they serve him and none shall pluck them out of his hand and none shall pluck them out of my hand oh to be held safe there to know what it is to be found in Christ that true hope for glory there he is oh that wondrous man that gave his life the son of God that now finds as his people's intercessor his people's redeemer pleading at his father's throne for those souls and that work of redemption as the law could not be broken so the work of redemption as it is fulfilled can never fail or lack in any point in any way at all sinner dost thou believe this who cry daily unto him that the

[44:21] Lord would look down in mercy upon you that there could be hope that there could be life that there could be eternal life for yourself that there could be that forgiveness the full and free forgiveness that you so long for how can it be I tell you poor sinner if you're bound up in the covenant of his grace of and of his love none shall pluck those souls out of his hand not one shall be lost that work was complete the law was fulfilled on one hand and every poor sinner upon the other shall be safely gathered to be with him that he died for oh this burning question does it burn within our heart is it to be found within us am I his or am I not shall

[45:22] I be found amongst that number around his throne oh let us go back again to this thought Jesus himself drew near and went with them they were reasoning together but before the end of this journey their eyes were truly upon Christ their hearts burned within Him oh if there is but one soul here at this time that you have been trying to reason your way through the truth trying to reason your way through salvation trying to reason your way in redemption you've never known what it is for your heart to burn with love to Christ and to his ways and I would just before I close speak this to you to those souls that feel to be cold, dead and indifferent you know a soul that is dead has no feelings at all and if you feel to be dead, if you feel to be lifeless and you cry out regarding these things

[46:37] Lord that thou wouldst look upon me Lord that thou wouldst raise me up Lord that thou wouldst have mercy upon you there is the prayer of a living soul and may the Lord himself draw near and warm your poor cold heart before you leave his house this evening oh that his word may have that entrance into your soul that it may give that light in the dark recesses that you may see yes truly ought not Christ Christ to have suffered these things for me to have suffered these things for this poor sinner oh if Christ died for Mary Magdalene he died for me perhaps you can see it in this way he died for those despised leprous ones he died for me yes as the Lord is pleased to bring you down into that low place that you can see that there the Lord himself suffered for your sin as the thief upon the cross said to his companion we indeed suffer justly for our sins but this man has done nothing amiss then he turned himself to Christ and what did he say

[48:11] Lord remember me oh the prayer of those souls in need remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom and what did our Lord say to him this day shall thou be with me in paradise oh if you long for the Lord himself to speak that word that benediction shall we say upon your life that blessed benediction come in thou faithful servant come in thou blessed of the Lord wherefore standest thou with I well done thou good and faithful servant enter thou into the joy of thy Lord oh that we may serve him oh that we may walk in his ways oh that we may follow him may we have this love truly in each of our hearts may we know it as we go out of his house now if we never knew it when we came into his house may we know the true love of Christ in our hearts and you know this love it will reveal all things it will make everything right make everything astray with Christ with God by the Holy Spirit ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory let me just read what we have tried to bring before you then

[49:40] Jesus himself drew near and went with them then he said unto them I feel that there is the Lord speaking in a very personal way here and I trust that it has been so with perhaps one hearer this night that the Lord has spoken in a very personal way unto your soul and perhaps there are two that are journeying on that road and oh what a mercy it is when the Lord is pleased to draw near unto those twos that the Lord has brought together that they do journey on in this way that they can sympathise one with another yes and those two then but he said unto them oh fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory well we know that the grave could not hold him we know then he had the victory over the grave and the sting of death taken away oh grave where is thy victory in Christ there is that victory that has been gained and oh that we may know that same burning in our hearts that burning love of Christ and that we may follow on in those same steps amen amen amen amen amen amen amen as one a amen 37 amen a amen amen sure let me let me amen amen let me amen amen amen amen amen amen amen amen amen amen amen amen amen amen amen amen amen