Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and for ever (Quality: Average)

[0:00] I look into the Lord for his most needed help. I ask your attention to the reading, the 13th chapter of Paul's epistle to the Hebrews and verse 8.

[0:17] Epistle of Paul to the Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 8. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today and forever.

[0:37] Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today and forever. These familiar words are amongst the comforting words of Holy Scripture.

[1:04] And as we may view them in the light of the pathway, in the light of the mercy of them, may they be a blessing to you and to me.

[1:22] Because if the Holy Spirit will come on this occasion in the house of God and apply them to the Lord's people in their application.

[1:38] If they're not applied, there's no comfort. The truth's all the same. But it is when the truth is applied, because then you'll find, when the truth is applied, it's a foundation to rest on.

[1:55] And whatever's in your light and mine, and whatever the Lord will bring us into, and whatever pathway we should be called to walk, if the Lord is gracious, and he is gracious to his people, he can be nothing else but gracious, though they are pathways of adversity, yet he upholds them in that pathway, confirms them with his word, that though all things change, and did not the poet say, one of the poets say, when all around my soul gives way, he then is all my strength and stay.

[2:37] Now, my friends, this word, this eighth verse has been preached numerous times, no doubt, but you'll never wear the truth out, my friends, of an unchanging saviour, an unalterable God, you'll never wear the truth out, and it will ever be the promise, which is indeed the blessing to such souls that are under temptation.

[3:06] And further to that, it's a reminder too, my friends, that balance is the clouds of which the Lord's people walk under.

[3:20] Now, the truth of these words, then, are surely the comfort of every needy, poor, distressed, and troubled soul, as the Holy Spirit may be pleased to remind us of, and to apply to such pathways.

[3:36] And also too, my friends, the Lord's people are a people set apart for himself.

[3:48] Their lot is described very simply as being a path of tribulation. But it isn't all tribulation.

[3:59] And blessed be God, though it may be tribulation, the word of this text today, my friends, will be the comfort to your soul in tribulation.

[4:13] And I'm sure of this, that if you know the promises, and some of those promises have been made particular to your experience, that you have to say, but yes, I've enjoyed the mercy of that promise, I've felt the comfort of it, but now at this time, it's a tried promise.

[4:35] Now, my friends, the word of his grace, as the Lord may be pleased to grant it to the Lord's dear people, his own dear people, will be a word that's tried.

[4:48] But it cannot change. It cannot change. Because it speaks here, of, as we might say, seasons of time, in the first two instances, yesterday and today.

[5:07] And then, not tomorrow, which is what we would say, but forever. So it's an eternal promise. It doesn't only mean for your comfort here in this tribulation that you're walking through, and this tried path that the Lord has been pleased to put you in, but it speaks not only of that, but it speaks also of a never-ending eternity.

[5:36] All the while you and I live here below, the Lord enable us to rest on this promise. But the Lord enable us to prove the promise. Because then you'll rest on it.

[5:48] But also this, my friends, may this be your comfort, when life is ebbing away. You know, it's a solemn day to die.

[5:59] The dying day is. It's a solemn place to be found. And, I have to say this, you know, in all faithfulness, that's where the testing of religion will be found.

[6:11] It's not in your troubles and trials only. It's not in something unexpected that's come along that is like a body blow to your religion.

[6:24] My friends, it's when you and I breathe out our last. When you and I have come to the place where there's no help of man, and unconscious of any felt realization of an emptiness, my friends, to come there in that time and me to prove this word.

[6:48] To prove this word. It's been said and it's right. The children of God have a spiritual pathway. And those things which the Lord has taught them in that spiritual pathway will be their comfort.

[7:05] And though medicine can't help and the ability of doctors or consultants or surgeons can't help in that great day, my friends, there's a word here that will help and it will be the eternal comfort of God's people to rest on it and forever.

[7:27] And forever. Now, it came to my mind I've carried this word before I ever left Norfolk. The week before we came down here I've carried this word and I've known it's to be the word that's got to be preached here this day.

[7:47] The Lord knows why. I don't know why. But I know this that it's got to be preached. And I did a little review as it were in my mind.

[8:01] For it's 21 times this Sunday that I stood in this pulpit on this day. And of course you have been a witness as I have been a witness of the declining of numbers.

[8:15] The removing away from the sanctuary by death. And also other means and ways that have so affected this cause of truth.

[8:26] death. But it was my comfort and I may be your comfort also though one mourns the decline in the congregations of the denomination my friends that here is a word that isn't for our sadness but for our joy.

[8:46] That those these things will be so and it is more or less the same state in all the sanctuaries of God. But may this be a word that shall be a comfort to you as you pray for the cause of truth and for the work of his grace and the power of the spirit the influence of the Holy Ghost and the word of his truth being blessed to sinners my friends whatever lies whatever lies in our pathways in our churches in your own pathway may this be a word that you can rest on it is a word that you can rest on and the Lord give you gracious faith to rest upon it.

[9:33] Friends fail and foes unite my friends sinners and saints alike change and so how sad it is my friends but we come back to what we might call a foundation truth the bedrock truth of the church the matter is your own soul salvation whatever Satan will tempt you to believe whatever your own wicked heart will have you to believe my friends your own salvation stands on these words and stands upon the glorious person who it is to be preached Jesus Christ Christ now in some Bibles I know of one I can't think of many more I found in the previous verse a comma isn't so in this Bible there's not many I don't remember seeing much more than one Bible in a pulpit that has a comma after the last sentence in verse 7 whose faith follow considering the end of their conversation

[10:44] Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever now it would be true to say my friends that Jesus Christ said no yesterday because he's eternal he isn't yesterday and today are expressions of time now time does not enter into anything that concerns a triune God he is eternally self-sufficient it's a mystery that the human mind cannot understand and certainly cannot believe in a human mind by a human mind but it is so but then again my friends this word is spoken of Jesus Christ but it is of Jesus Christ these other the part of the text is yes today and today and forever that's the expressions that must be understood respecting the person of

[11:54] Jesus Christ and the sameness of Jesus Christ the unalterable nature of Jesus Christ and oh may you and I never forget you know of his holiness holiness he is God a hatred of sin is in God cannot look on sin in any degree of allowance he's a righteous God all in his holiness my friends that's the same yesterday and today and forever with a mind about good people and I wonder how good they really are when they start expressing about Jesus Christ loving sinners you'll have to go you know to a what I have to say is a Church of England funeral well sins never mentioned hell's never mentioned the love of Jesus Christ is mentioned but it's mentioned in such an all embracing way that the scriptures don't mention my friends remember this

[12:59] Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever oh he's therefore my friends holy just and righteous all I want to do if the Lord will give me the grace to speak my friends is to remind believers in Jesus Christ the seeking soul the poor and the needy of the church of Christ those who have life in the soul my friends those who are the subjects of his grace and mercy these are the ones that will benefit and be comforted and supported and strengthened as the Holy Spirit may apply these words today you know he's the judge of all the earth so we must stand before him one day you read what the apostle wrote in the 17th of the Acts when he was walking down the streets of Athens and there he confronted with those words to an unknown

[14:04] God my friends he reminds us there that there's a day to come where the judge of all the earth will judge righteously and this is the man who will judge righteously Jesus Christ now therefore this is a word of sweet experience this is a word to the soul who has been quickened into divine life whether you've been a member of a church for so many years my friends or whether your heart is inclined now your spiritual heart is inclined to seek him whether you're a beginnings of the way whether you may well be towards the end of the way it's a word to those that have begun in the pathway by divine blessing of grace and it's a word to those who are coming closer to the end of their journey and shall one day and shortly lay down on that bed death

[15:09] Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever very briefly because I feel it's right to look more closely to the path of experience but very briefly first of all we might just look for a moment at the yesterday of Jesus Christ in his pilgrimage journey when he was born of a woman born under the law when he came into this world to save his people from their sins just a moment or two of that yesterday how he was in a body like our own how we have a heart that was tender and compassionate and merciful to sinners he who wept at the tomb of Nazareth said to the afflicted to the distress of the afflicted bring him hither to me he who drew sinners to himself when he had been are and sinners found a spot as it were at his feet

[16:23] Mary we read sat at Jesus feet here in his word and we find in Luke chapter 7 a dear woman who was a shall we say a well known sinner and she was found at Jesus feet what did she prove my friends deity and humanity joined together salvation salvation that's what she proved go in peace thy sins be forgiven thee the blessed and glorious place called Calvary where he offered himself a ransom for many and there was the dying thief Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom here's the sovereignty of Jesus Christ here's the deity of Jesus Christ today shall thou be with me in paradise my friends he's the same yesterday the care the mercy the blessing the compassion the impossible things that he did you and I have impossible things in our pathway remember this blessed person who overcome impossibilities he himself said the thing which is impossible with men is possible with

[17:42] God and I'm sure there's witnesses to that truth in this house of God today oh remember his pilgrimage then how he was distressed troubled by the tempter you know when the tempter said to him if they'll be the son of God he took up words that he had started when he entered into Eden and spoke to our first parents hath God said hath God said my friends he as it were spoke of the deity of Jesus Christ as if it was disputable and what did they say to Christ when he was nailed to the tree if they'll be the son of God come down from the cross and save us now the yesterdays then of the Lord Jesus Christ in his human form and all his holiness deity all his gracious dealings with poor sinners this man receives sinners and he does today and he ever will do so my friends sensible sinners

[18:53] I would add all he'll have do with his people he'll convince them of their sin he'll draw them to himself he'll speak peace and pardon to their soul he'll encourage them along the way he'll take up all their impossibilities all their burdens and above all things the greatest burden the burden of their sins he dealt with when he was here on earth and suffered in their room place instead Jesus Christ the same I can't get over those first four words not for a moment the same oh how unalterable is the word my friends but isn't a solemn reminder that it can only be said of Jesus Christ I always remember years ago when the ordinance of the Lord's Supper was announced in one of the chapels that I was brought up in and it was given out something like this that the

[20:05] Lord's Supper was to be administered where the dying and the undying love would be remembered I've often thought about it since it's an expression one doesn't hear now the dying and the undying love my friends be well assured of this that his love for his people is unalterable you know that in this terrible age and changeable circumstances is people call what they call love is not love at all because it alters it waxes and it wanes and sometimes it's removed now that's not love my friends but the poet says you know the love of Christ is rich it's free and it's fixed on his own eternally that's the love of

[21:08] Christ now that's the same yesterday having loved his own which were in the world he loves them to the end greater love has no men than this that a man lay down his life for his friends and furthermore what did the dear apostle say of that glorious subject which is a comfort of the Lord's people who shall separate us from the love of Christ and tribulation or distress or so on and so we go on for I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord now my friends when he came on earth he displayed that love displayed it offered himself as a ransom for many willingly lay down his life upon the tree bled for many my friends that's love that's love beyond all dispute a saviour who loved his people and died for them and rose again for them the same yesterday then just for a moment or two look to my friends at the yesterdays of his law of his church now you who are graciously taught as I said whether it's in the beginning whether you're in the midst of the journey of life whether you're coming towards the end as some of us are you can look back you know some of you look back at those beginning days look back at the time when he quickened your soul into life put a cry in your heart behold he prayeth put a cry in your heart

[23:15] God be merciful to me a sinner brought you down down and down he brought you my friends and not to the place where to the place of his feet the foot of the cross the place where he offered himself a ransom for many when he charged you with his sins I thought on Wednesday night when we listened to dear Mr.

[23:42] Wood when he was preaching about the sins of the Lord's people causing the sufferings of Jesus Christ brought you to see that your sin was laid upon him brought you to see that because it was that he was misneeds come into this world to suffer bleed and die you and I if we are children of God are the cause of his sufferings now the children of God do have a yesterday they have an unregenerate yesterday and we say mourn over now on the very thought of it but then they have another yesterday my friends the beginning of grace when the Lord taught you to pray when he brought you to the footstool of his mercy when he lowered your shoulders well with woe and thus obtained his end the same yesterday when you had not only believe in views of Jesus Christ when you had your first views of Jesus

[24:46] Christ when you went to the Lord's house and you know we did didn't we when we were young we went to the Lord's house and we heard solemn sermons wish ourselves out of the place and the Lord didn't leave us to that dead and dismal condition that brought our soul into divine life convinced us of our sin and made us cry for mercy the yesterdays you know when you cry for mercy you cry for Christ because there's no mercy out of Christ and he is mercy to his people because he brought mercy to his people and he obtained it and mercy is through him it's all in love to the soul of his people my friends that they know what it is to seek for mercy and they know what it is to experience mercy once a sinner I sat in the back of Hanover chapel one prayer meeting night or a prayer meeting occasion and those words dropped in once a sinner near despair sought thy mercy seat by prayer mercy came and set him free

[25:58] Lord that mercy came to me do you remember that yesterday do you remember that yesterday have you forgotten that visit when there was mercy revealed to you the way of salvation was open to you open that is open to your believing eyes it wasn't offered to you my friends it was revealed to you it wasn't a take it or leave it situation that some will preach today it was revealed as the way of life it was revealed as the way of mercy when you looked at your sin stricken soul when you had to pour out your heart before him in absolute sorrow over sin and instead of condemnation my friends there was mercy instead of banishment forever there was hope raised up yesterday and it comes through and it must always be through this glorious person who is the same and never never forget he's the same my friends never forget all Satan will say he's changed you know the only thing that changes in the church of Christ is you and

[27:21] I his mercy cannot change his love cannot change his blessings to his people cannot change he doesn't take them back you know they are without repentance as we read in the scriptures in other words God never repents of his gifts to his people he never takes them back they'll abide and they'll be their comfort they'll be their strength they'll be their foundation upon which they wait and rest upon Jesus Christ the same yesterday now you may say with one and though I have him off the God his love and kindness changes not well it is so isn't it we're changeable creatures that's our nature because we are sinners we're changeable creatures now the holiness of Jesus

[28:21] Christ cannot change neither can his mercy change neither can his covenant engagements to change can change what covenant engagements you spoke about you say his dying upon the tree for sinners oh my friends never forget this about Jesus Christ he stands at God's right hand as a prince and a saviour that's where he is that's where the martyr Stephen saw him you know the heavens opened and there was Jesus Christ at God's right hand standing a man there is a real man with wounds still gaping wide from which rich streams of blood once ran from hands and foot and side feet and side my friends he's at God's right hand the tribulation of the way won't teach you to pray the troubles that you're coming to won't teach you to pray the Holy

[29:28] Spirit sanctify these things and then prayer will be will issue from your very soul a name to plead he's got a name which is unalterable a name which God receives accepts into glory a name upon which your prayers can rest upon for time and for eternity Jesus Christ the same yesterday now my friends that's a wonderful mercy then and grace has made it so when you cannot see him and you stagger on in the dark you know lots of times the people of God have to say that it's in the dark rather than the light their pathway is to be walked out but then might I just say this to you too my friends we come into these places where

[30:29] Satan will say now this is a time this is a time I've sat in a pulpit sometimes when he more or less said to me now this is a time we'll be brought in utter confusion I remember one of those August services at Crownbrook I think about two fingers in this Bible one in one place and one in the other and I didn't know which way to go and Satan saying well now this is the time of confusion and the impossible times you know I sometimes thought is there anything new under the sun but the Lord will teach you there is and what may be that you say well he may bring you a pathway that you've never walked before one or two times in the way well I've had to say before the Lord Lord I've never been here before never been here you know sometimes the way the trial and the troubles the afflictions and so on well my friends life the pathway of life and the journey of life and the divine teaching of God will bring you to these places time and time again and sometimes they are merciful in this respect they remind you of past blessings when my heart is overwhelmed lead me to the rock that is higher than

[31:58] I now my friends sometimes they bring you to a place you have not walked heretofore you know when when Israel came to cross Jordan that was the words of the Lord to Joshua for you have not passed this way heretofore now there might be those in this place who is at such a place in such a spot my friends what are they going to trust in you know the worldly nature of a child of God learns by experience you know I'm talking about circumstances or situations in your occupations and the more you are in an occupation you know the more you learn and you learn by experience the way in of these things and the way out of these things things but that's just a normal natural illustration my friends but the

[33:04] Lord's people sometimes come to pathways they've never walked before what are they going to do throw up their hands in despair my friends the Lord apply this blessing because it is a blessing the Lord apply this truth this promise Jesus Christ the same yesterday I remember once in trouble once in trouble one occasion I was in trouble and I went to preach down in Wiltshire and it was a particular annual event this service and it was before that certain calls had a pastor and so the service of God who lived in Wiltshire used to take turns and giving hymns out on occasion and the occasion I was speaking about was Gerald Buss was doing it and we was in trouble of one sort or another and attacked by this and that and from places where you wouldn't expect to be found and he came into the restaurant and he gave me the hymn book and he said find the last hymn so I opened the hymn book and I looked in there as I'm looking at this one and it says on there

[34:26] Jesus Christ thy father's son bid you undismayed go on it was a word in season that was I told him so afterwards a word in season Jesus Christ thy father's son bid you undismayed go on now friends whoever you are this new past this unexplainable circumstance this disappointment this times of anxiety whatever it is you know there's always anxiety when you look at the future if you're a gracious soul because you can't do what other people think and say well it's bound to be alright it always has been but this is where you can rest sinner sensible sinner this is where you can rest Jesus Christ the same yesterday blessed are those words how can you forsake his people it isn't in him to forsake his people it's unalterable

[35:34] I'm going to read I may read probably this afternoon these words but thou art the same and thy years shall not fail oh may this word it comes to me my friends as a word in season the same yesterday those yesterdays of experiences those times when you first came into some saving knowledge of Jesus Christ those first times when you was brought to see there was a God in heaven there was Christ at God's right hand and everything about this glorious person is unalterable towards his church everything his love in times past forbids me to think he'll leave me at last in trouble to sink each sweet

[36:39] Ebenezer I have in review confirms his good pleasure to help me cry through there's a word in this I was received into the church with this word let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such sins as you have for he has said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee well many will many do my friend let them go hurt they may do but you see there's something better than them something more stable than any person friend on this earth a glorious gracious saviour of sinners a good physician an able mediator one who pleads the calls of his people points to their names upon his breasts and spreads his wounded hands oh my friends whatever you've got in front of you and whatever path you're walking through now whatever dogs your footsteps whatever troubles your conscience my friends whatever's wrong oh may you rest on his promise and plead it

[38:06] Jesus Christ the same yesterday there's nothing about him that can change and when you and I come into some knowledge of this glorious person as he's revealed when you can truly say before God that you've experienced something of that precious blood that did for sin at time when you can rest upon his precious name as you pray to him in heaven pull upon me in a day of trouble I will deliver thee he doesn't say what sort of trouble it is nor what extent it is what height depth length or breadth it is what impossibility about that trouble is pull upon me in a day of trouble I will deliver thee and I think of those words in the 55th psalm isn't it cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee he shall sustain thee you know there's people who pray about us carry us in their prayers and supplications lay them before the

[39:17] Lord and then they forget about us not so with this glorious saviour not so oh there he is my friends again the same yesterday times of blessing times of sorrow times of joy times of darkness Jesus Christ is the same the yesterdays the past times that you've had and it might be but yesterday my friends is it not so sometimes when well you've been to the Lord's house you know on the Lord's day and it's a sacred time to your soul but what about tomorrow you don't know what tomorrow will bring you don't know what onslaughts of the enemy will be you don't know what your poor distrestful distrusting unbelieving nature will bring upon you my friends if tomorrow you walk in the dark may you be able to remember this word

[40:23] Jesus Christ the same yesterday though you are in the dark now we must go on Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and today and I believe my friends that this needs to be as it were a reminder to us again of his unalterable nature today oh my friends it may be a day of trial it is a day of trial it may be a time when one's faith is indeed of a great distress often I have been thankful to the words of the Lord in the prophecy of Isaiah it's a word at time you turn to because it's got such help in it and such mercy in it if you read the 40th chapter

[41:25] I often begin to read in a verse if I'm not talking about the pulpit but it's home I begin at verse 18 to whom then will you liken God or with what likeness will you compare unto him and then he says to whom then will you liken me or shall I be equal saith the holy one but I cling sometimes to this verse but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint often that's a word my friends which brings a little comfort but they that wait upon the Lord this same glorious Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and today these new places these tried times these difficulties what is the word my friends that stands supreme in this eighth verse a word well there's lots of words that do of course and lots of words we might just venture upon to prove what stands supreme of the truth of this verse something that we must never forget you know and that is this faithfulness faithfulness as there was trouble yet before and he refused dear like all has he not his promised past so they shall overcome at last faithfulness that's this glorious saviour faithful faithful unchangeable friend my friends as I said we don't have to listen or look at me afresh here you know even the greatest of friendships my friends can't stand against this word the

[43:40] Moabitess damsel who left Moab and went on her way to Bethlehem you know said this entreat me not to leave the or to turn from following after thee for where thou goest I will go where thou lodgest I will lodge thy people shall be my people and thy God my God where thou diest will I die and there will I be buried the Lord do so to me and more also but death part thee and me my friends there's something better than that isn't there in that text there's something better than that in that 8th verse of the 13th of Hebrews it's a good confession it's a good confession if all but death part thee and me death can't part the children of God from their God part from their dearest and dearest nearest and dearest of course it will my friends we won't part from their

[44:45] God and to die now my friends let us just speak this before we close there's every comfort in those words today as there is in all the whole of the text because you know today's I've often said to the Lord I don't know whether you speak to the Lord like this but it comes often to me in prayer as our morning readings well we started another day and the Lord knows what's in this day you know I've often said I've got engagements to preach this day or this night but then I have to say to the Lord but Lord thou knowest thou knowest what is between this moment of time and before that moment comes before we get to the chapel what is in the divine purpose of

[45:52] God for his people my friends that we walked out a step at a time and sometimes you know you're startled today and it ends entirely different as it started or even it ends perhaps in contrast to what you would thought it would do well I'm looking at this word hear my prayer O God hear my cry O God attend unto my prayer from the end of the earth will I cry unto thee when my heart is overwhelmed lead me to the rock that is higher than I Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever amen stemplation and worship the everything and again let us close this morning by singing hymn number 865 the tune is

[47:11] Palestrina 605 hymn number 865 guardian of thy helpless sheep Jesus almighty Lord help our heathful hearts to keep the treasure of thy word let not Satan steal what's sown forth precious for hearts of stone and make thy word take root hymn number 865 hymn number 865 hymn number 165 hymn number 8falch hymn number 865 hymn number 865 hymn number 865 hymn number 965 hymn number 965 hymn number 865 hymn number 116 hymn number 965 hymn number viu hymn number 775 hymn number 765 hymn number 7 god

[48:57] One bless all the world of God And pray my word Amen Amen O Lord grant thy blessing upon thy word For give and pardon everything that's been spoken and is Lord be with us during the interval And hear the prayers offered at the prayer meeting Lord and hear them for Jesus sake Now may his grace And the father's love And the fellowship of the spirit And remain with us now And always Amen