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

[0:00] seeking the divine help of God I would ask your attention again to the epistle of Paul to the Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 8 the epistle of Paul to the Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever we seem to just be kept a little this morning upon the first part of the text we said perhaps a few words only about the second part but

[1:08] I want to go back a little now to the commencement of the text and try to address the experience of those of the Lord's dear people in connection with this precious promise and the glorious truth of it not that I want to repeat what I said this morning though the truth will ever abide and will ever be a blessing to the Lord's people the unalterable person unchangeable person of the Lord Jesus Christ just to keep things in order to remind you that we said that Jesus Christ himself had no yesterdays or todays as we understand the expression yesterday and today are time expressions we've all had our yesterdays and through God's mercy we have the experiences of today but then we looked at the time when the Lord Jesus Christ came into the world in that respect there was a open walking of the Son of God in human form that wasn't the first time

[2:38] I believe Jesus Christ came the Holy Scriptures in the Old Testament will testify and the Holy Spirit I'm sure will enlighten the people of God to find out and to see those times when Christ Jesus came into the world for specific places and specific people but in the matter of the church's redemption he came into this world the same yesterday then we spoke to the experiences of the Lord's people in the yesterdays and what a comfort it was and is and ever shall be that he is the author and he's also the finisher but what he has done what has been accomplished the Holy Spirit having quickened sinners into divine life brought them to know themselves in a measure that is revealed brought them to seek out and to know some measure of Jesus Christ in a saving way and manner and we said you know that all this truth this glorious promise and truth that's in these few words in verse 8 are truths and promises which are to be certainly attacked oppressed oppressed of the enemy those who rest their all upon an unchangeable

[4:15] Jesus Christ the word the person of Jesus Christ is the foundation the promise of Jesus Christ is the foundation and the eternal blessings and favours revealed to the poor soul of Jesus Christ is their strength and their salvation you know when you well it doesn't apply to many of us here but when you look at the way in which and I'm looking at something very natural now if you apply for a position and this is advertised as a place of employment and the first thing I'll ask you for is what experience have you had what experience have you had it's always a mystery to me when they used to I'm talking about years gone past now when they used to advertise managerial positions and the age group that they used to ask for was of an age group where there was precious little experience surely to be known now my friends this is the word what experience have you had who has been your teacher do you know anything of the experience of the truth of these words

[5:48] Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever my friends if all your experiences have come out of the Bible and I have to say very solemnly if all your experience of Jesus Christ is nothing more than the letter of this glorious person you may believe in this of Jesus Christ that he redeemed his church by the offering of himself upon a cross at Calvary tree you may believe that he took upon his own body on the tree all their iniquities he suffered the just for the unjust you may believe that he is at God's right hand as a mediator you may believe that the grave could not hold him death could not hold him sin could not hold him the devil couldn't hold him you may believe these things dear friends in all faithfulness to your souls what experience have you had what could you testify of this glorious person of

[7:08] Jesus Christ the unchangeable mercy the unchangeable love the glorious covenant of grace which is sealed with his blood how it has not only been revealed by the spirit but applied by the spirit how have you walked it out this word so far in your profession and walk in life's journey that he's the same yesterday and today and forever that's the important part my friends is the experience of it now as I left off this morning so the Lord communicated I believe to my precious soul how to begin this afternoon now how I believe we must begin is this concerning this promise and concerning the truth of it how many of us have had to be brought to a place where we have had to acquiesce to the truth of these words that we brought into submission to these words you know it's one thing to say and it's truthful to say it's the same yesterday and today and forever we must also have in view as we look at these words that we are speaking about deity or trying to my heart is indicting a good matter

[8:42] I speak of the things as touching the king my friends what about his unchangeable will his unchangeable will you know I've learned many a time in my pathway and I'm still learning the truth of it the prayers of the Lord's people cannot alter the will of God cannot change the will of God that's the truth I've learned that's the truth you'll learn the same yesterday and today and forever you say well where's the encouragement here for poor sinners my friends you and I must come where Christ was we read that he entered into extreme suffering he hadn't got to the cross but he was in

[9:44] Gethsemane have you had such an experience Gethsemane three times the dear Lord Jesus prostrated himself on the ground three times he said to his holy father in his petition if it be possible let this cup pass from me nevertheless not my will but thine be done now you can point out as we have done and I'm sure better ministers than me have pointed out to you the unchangeable nature the mercy the goodness the love condescension of a gracious God in Christ Jesus my friends when he putteth forth his will and purpose that is how he is that is what he is unchangeable and you won't praise will away nor alter the thing which has gone out of his mouth now what came to my mind was what is recorded in the experience of David you remember when he was fleeing from Saul he did what I believe scripturally is incorrect the script is correct but he did what was scripturally incorrect he went down to the

[11:16] Philistines and dwelt in a city called Ziklag it was given to him by the Philistine king and he never should be there he was hiding and he made it aware that it was there he would have safety from Saul there he would be preserved from being hounded upon the mountain tops but it wasn't where he should be now we read therefore that they came the enemies of David came and burnt Ziklag to the ground and took away their loved ones as indeed they were kept and they were alive but they were taken away as captives now David was a gracious man he was a sinner but he was also a gracious man and taught by grace as his prayers and his supplications my friends this is where you and I must take notice of holy scripture the apostle

[12:32] Paul this gracious creature of righteousness also had to learn that truth you know there was a time when he was given a thorn in the flesh a messenger of Satan but above it and he knew why it was a trial it was a cross that he got to carry and the first thing he did was to pray and the second thing he did was to pray and the third thing he did was to pray but the Lord said no what he did say was and he said unto me my grace is sufficient now go back to David when he got to Ziklag and found it burnt to the ground all his followers and they were a strange characters if you remember when he dwelt in the cave of Dunham it was said of these followers of David that they were those who were in distress in debt and discontent they were a fair cross of humanity then and so they were so overcome by distress and trouble and what they thought was bereavement what they thought of even stoning

[13:51] David what did David do encourage himself in the Lord any good looking at those 400 men was it or however many they were at that time they were good looking for their support they were beyond reason such was the grief and sorrow that they were entering into my friends in that account the will of God was thought to be known how many of us I say us because I'm just as guilty as you how many of us inquire to know the will of God I believe there's teaching there's teaching in there's every part of the Lord Jesus Christ part of suffering in his teaching if it be possible let this cup pass from me nevertheless not my will but thine be done it is said that holy humanity shrunk from the cross shrunk from the suffering but deity said deity said nevertheless not my will but thine be done now my friends

[15:11] David encouraged himself in the Lord and he asked a question shall I pursue shall I overtake in other words if they were all dead and gone all these loved ones what was the purpose the Lord answered that prayer thou shalt pursue and overtake and without fail shall recover all my friends the will of God is accomplished and it's seen in these words at this time Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever and that's his will that's his purposes to his church none can pluck thee from the strength of Israel's hand I give unto my sheep eternal life and they shall never perish that's the will of Christ

[16:14] Jesus and this is the will of Christ Jesus too father I will that they also whom thou has given me be with me where I am my friends and you cannot alter the will and purposes of God by any amount of prayer and supplication it is indisputable it is as he is it's unalterable that's not for a moment and I tried to preach legality my friends I believe there will be more understanding of the eternal will and purposes of a gracious God if we were given the grace or we had the grace to inquire at the footstool of mercy what his will was you know when you sit and watch a dying person the will of God is being accomplished I sat and watched my own brother of recent days when he was first taken into hospital on a

[17:24] Saturday night and I went and saw him on a Monday and his dear wife said to me pray the Lord that he will shorten tribulations days and that's what we had to pray pray the Lord that he might shorten tribulations days now that cuts across humanity my friends it cuts across natural feeling but it's the will of God and so he did within a week he was taken to eternal bliss what I'm trying to say my friends is what the Lord impressed upon my spirit as we finished this morning the will of God is in these words the will of God is in these words oh we've spoken about his unchangeable nature his mercy his love his saving grace and so many things we spoke a little about the pathway of the Lord's people in their yesterdays we've all got yesterdays you know yesterdays of unregeneracy have we all got yesterdays in redemption have we got yesterdays in grace quickened by the spirit led of life of faith and prayer trusting holiness spirit casting on him all our care my friends these are the yesterdays those times when the Lord was teaching us by his word and by his spirit when we were first brought to seek out it was said wasn't it a soul of pastors behold him prayeth my friends that was the yesterdays of the apostle

[19:13] Paul and the todays of the apostle Paul was this who loved me and gave himself for me for what was the forevars of the apostle Paul I am now ready to be offered in the time of my departures at hand I fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but to all them also that love is appearing that's forever of this blessed word you know this is a preparation for that and that's what the yesterdays and the todays are for there's a preparation for it we hear of expressions like the school of Christ be very careful my friends when you try to illustrate the things of deity with things of time we all make these expressions don't we all use them there's only one class you know only one class and every one of them in the class of the school of

[20:35] Christ is a poor and needy sinner they have a nature that clings to time and the things of time you can't sing as we mutually agreed in the threesome he never takes away all himself he gives us still that's the same Jesus Christ today yesterday and today and forever my friends but in the purposes of God and according to the divine covenant engagement of Jesus Christ my friends the whole of deity are combined in the redemption of the people of God the Holy Spirit in the calling out and the quickening of such souls into divine life and the maintaining of that spiritual life all their journey through and brought to the glories of heaven at last and the redemption work of

[21:39] Jesus Christ because every one of them that are convinced and quickened by the spirit are sinners and they need convincing of their sin they need the revelation of their sin being made known to them that they're brought to know the holiness of God who hates his sin and they're brought to see embraced by precious faith the glorious person of Christ who has been refuge for sinners who accomplished for them what they couldn't accomplish themselves and we must not forget also my friends the eternal deity of the Father in the choice of his people Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and all that glorious work my friends which has brought trouble and trial to your soul has burdened you and made you groan under sin has made you plead on your knees for the blood of Christ to be applied my friends all that work is necessary in the preparation of your precious soul to be taken into the eternal glories at last you don't take sin in there you know you won't take sin it's to be redeemed you to be redeemed from sin you to be atoned he atoned for the sins of his people by his shedding of blood and we'll teach you the need of it but he'll teach you the knowledge of it look at the words of holy scripture with carefulness you know

[23:25] Ephesians 2 begins and you have you quickened who were dead my friends not was dead are dead my friends that were dead that's the difference between life and death that is that's the difference between a professor and a possessor that these characters who were quickened by the spirit were dead but they're no longer dead and never will they know what it is to suffer in eternal woe by the subject of a gracious mercy an unalterable gracious triune God my friends is to the redemption of that soul and to bring him home to glory at last Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and furthermore my friends if I must emphasize it again surely he's the same precious Christ in the days of joy and gladness as he is in the days of darkness and distress he was the same precious

[24:33] Christ that healed the deaf that opened the eyes of the blind he was the same precious Christ that took a few loaves and fishes and fed 5,000 people he was the same precious Christ that stopped the beer of a funeral and brought back to life a young man the son of a widow he's the same precious Christ who spoke peace be still when there was a storm on the lake and he's the same precious Christ who under trust at Calvary said it is finished and gave up the ghost Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and if you can look back and bless the big God there are those who can look back to the days when life and love and joy and gladness flooded your hearts when you had believing views of

[25:34] Christ Jesus and perhaps today you're in the dark perhaps you might say today it seems a long time since I've heard his voice it's your prayer more frequent at time this is me and let them longer last my friends this is heaven below this is your warfare this is your pilgrimage journey this is the times of tribulation in me you shall have peace in the world you shall have tribulation but you won't have tribulation afterwards this is the place where your religion is tested to the hilt this is where you walk out what the apostle Peter said but the trial of your faith what did he say before that though now for a season if measly you are in heaven it's through manifold temptation that the trial of your faith be it much more precious than a gold that perishes though it be tried with fire may be found and to praise and honour and glory at the appearance of Jesus

[26:40] Christ this is the pathway where your faith is tried my friends I come to this to there's an expression we used to hear years ago when you've got to trust him in the dark trust him in the dark you know it isn't all light and gladness you know for saints on earth that's reserved for glory there will we see his face and never never see him and from the rivers of his grace drink endless pleasures in my friends but the path here below is sometimes in the dark and you'll have to venture on him in the dark you know trust him though you can't trace him Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today oh how often the experiences of the church of Christ are put into question in the book of judges if I could find it in the book of judges it is where the Lord frequently it has to be said sadly it has to be said he brought them unto the judgment of their enemies because they were evil the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Midian in the hand of Midian seven years but there was mercy in this teaching because

[28:15] God raised up in those days gracious judges or gracious men who were instrumental for the good of Israel now God sent a man to a prophet an angel rather to to Gideon and the angel of the Lord appeared unto him and said the Lord is with thee thou mighty man of valour now maybe this word is somebody's word oh my Lord if the Lord be with us why then is all this befallen us and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of saying did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt but now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites you know have you lost your way or shall I put it another way have you lost the sight of the beginning of the way is your heart so in the dark and your mind also that you have forgotten the good hand of a gracious

[29:24] God that you have lost sight of his mercy and his kindness that you need reminding David did you know when he said show me a token for good that they which hate me will be ashamed he wanted a token David again in Psalm 51 when he was penning his psalm of repentance and sorrow he said this restore unto me the joy of thy salvation no he hadn't lost the salvation but he lost the joy of it my friends the children of God don't lose Jesus Christ but they know the times when he hides his face and because of sin no chastity for their presence it would be joyous but grievous nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness to them which are exercised thereby well in all those descriptive experiences my friends there's something that stands supreme and that's these words not all

[30:39] Satan will say well and it says doesn't it as a psalm to illustrate experience you know I don't know whether some people call it pathway preaching or what they call it some people decry pathway preaching well my friends we must speak as the Lord gives it to us to speak in the 71st psalm you know it says this and this is the enemies of the church of Christ for mine enemies speak against me they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together saying God has forsaken him persecute and take him for there is none to deliver him was it so did God give the psalmist over to his enemies my friends not with the spirit of prayer he couldn't have done oh God be not far from me oh my God make haste for my help now these and many other ways is which the Lord's people experience the time of faith is indeed my friends a sore affliction there's a wonderful word just dropped in you know

[31:59] I'm beginning to think that preaching is prompting over these years the Lord speaks into the soul as you're inclined to speak from a pulpit and it just dropped in what that wicked false prophet said you know it's I'll get the word and I know the word completely but I must be right in what we must say of this word but in the book of Numbers chapter 23 we find these words or we will find them but the words are this hath he not said shall he not do it my friends there's a word from the unchangeable God he has said which heard the words of God and knew the knowledge of the most high which saw the vision of the almighty falling into a trance but having his eyes open this is this gracious

[33:07] God that spoke even through this false prophet but I find to find a word completely I will find it in a moment God is not a man that he should lie neither a man that he should repent hath he said and shall he not do it or hath he spoken and shall he not make it good well it might be a word for somebody but does it illustrate the truth of his words Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever who once he loves he never leaves but loves them to the end my friends the love of human beings waxes and wanes the love of Christ is rich and free fixed on his own eternally and the promises of Jesus Christ are the same yesterday and today and forever every promise that fell from his lips every recorded promise in the holy scriptures as they may be graciously freely mercifully applied to the people of God my friends you won't interpret them and you won't hasten the moment when they shall be fulfilled but God will fulfill them and the powers of hell can't overcome them upon this rock will I build my church and the powers of hell shall not prevail against it my friends his precious promises what he's accomplished for his people will prevail the offering that he made of himself for their sins and has by his grace put away their iniquities my friends

[35:06] I'll never meet you in eternity at the judgment day there's a wonderful word you know that speaks these truths to us the word of God is full of them oh that we might discover them and have the experience of them in the soul not to use them and as one minister told me promises you know are not to be stolen but they are to be begged now my friend this is a promise that is to the people of God it's in the 38th of Isaiah and it's concerning of course as you know Hezekiah for peace I had great bitterness but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruptions for thou hast cast all my sin behind thy back the Lord apply such a promise to you my friends you are certain eternal glory as

[36:08] Christ himself is in glory that is not said irreverently that is said to confirm my friends the promises of God remember in those days or the yesterdays of your experiences that he might have given you in his mercy here and there in your pathway fear not my friends they're not expendable these promises they're not expendable you don't wear them out you won't come to the end of them my friends what you need is the application of them and in the word of God my friends the fear not to the scriptures graciously applied by the spirit will see you through all your troubles and trials in this vain world Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today there's something you know that we must always remember about this blessed glorious person something that we do pray over perhaps not as much as we ought to and that is his presence his blessed presence you know they are sacred spots and places where the

[37:28] Lord's people are brought to fear his presence sacred places it might be in the deepest of trial in the loss or the cross might be found too you know he's promised to be with his people in his house to feed their souls with the bread of life and I will be with thee he said to Jacob Jacob was a sinner Jacob had usurped he had deceived I was going to say he'd stolen a blessing he hadn't because it was his anyway but it was the way he went round to get it which was wrong he was a deceiver my friends and he lay under the stars at Bethel didn't he and then he had this blessed vision of a ladder set up on earth that reached the heaven and the Lord spoke from above the ladder and

[38:29] I am with thee and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest and will bring thee again into this land and will not leave thee until I have done that which I have told thee of my friends precious promises I will be with thee whatever the way is my friends it is unalterable these promises Jesus Christ the same yesterday his blessed company you know what he said before he went back to glory when he came to ascension to the ascension to glory and though I am with you always even unto the end of the world before you count your empty saints to Jireh my friends plead the promise and lo I am with you always my friends you have the best of blessings you know a few with Christ is better than a lot without him a lot without him

[39:32] Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today this may be your day of tribulation this may be your day of darkness your day of distress the day when the cross becomes heaven perhaps it's a day when you can't see far in front of you in this walk by faith my friends but supporting the children of God is the truth of his promise of his presence and of his self and all of those presence Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever would be quite simple to say well that concludes the text and the sermon really but how can you conclude forever because forever has got no conclusion it's not it doesn't it may end with a dot at the end of it my friends but the experience of forever is forever we may have whatever views we have of the glories of heaven you know and there's some funny views of heaven by some people's estimation but I tell you what heaven is and I can only go by the holy scriptures what heaven is it's not some dressed up picture in one's mind of what heaven's like heaven is

[41:02] Christ my friends and Christ said this I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you I'll come again and receive you unto myself that where I am there you may be also and that's heaven where I am my friends that's where the saints of God rejoice around the throne that's where those glorious redeemed people of God are to be found forever and whatever you've known of him here below is rational I was going to say in comparison to the whole my friends you cannot say as that hymn writer said in the fullness of the word there shall we see his face not in the same sense as you see his face here below not so that you should be found in his company forever not as it is in this world of sin and woe oh but it's fleeting visits fleeting times fleeting moments as it were then you might say and use the word of holy scripture the words of Jesus

[42:15] Christ my sheep hear my voice well my friends how much could you write down about how what is said to your precious soul as you travel through this vain wilderness but what would it be my friends in eternal glory forever to hear the words fallen from the lips of the saviour what a blessed invitation as he puts in the scriptures to the coming sinners into glory come thou blessed of my father enter the glory prepared for you from before the foundation of the world my friends that's another description of the forever Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever cannot be described can it what the forever of Jesus Christ shall be like you know there's such a lot of hindrances in our walk sin is a hindrance unbelief is a hindrance false prophets are a hindrance false friends are a hindrance there's such a lot in us that's hindering grace in the soul my friends there'll be no hindrances there you think about the poor prayers that you offer before God in Jesus name what poverty they must be sometimes to us it seems that way anyway so you see there'll be no prayer there how often do you praise him from whom all mercy slown how often do you really raise your

[43:56] Ebenezer how often do you feel as it were as though your very soul lifted up into glory for all his goodness and mercy to you in your own soul let alone in your pilgrimage my friends that the praises of the saints of God shall be forever that's their employment and we heard read this afternoon unto him that has loved us and has washed us from our sins in his own blood isn't that enough to praise him forever and ever oh my friends it's a text that won't go away but oh I pray as we started this morning as we conclude it now my friends the Lord bring you and I into the so that we know what we're talking about when we speak of God as we speak of Christ here as it's recorded of Christ here rather the same the same there's an eternity of mercy in those words the same yesterday and today and forever amen let us conclude by singing hymn number 969 the tune is

[45:36] Heron Gate 872 number 969 my song shall bless the Lord of all my praise shall climb to his abode the saviour by that name I call the great supreme the mighty God hymn number 969 the the the song the poor the they are

[46:44] The End The End The End

[48:14] The End The End The End

[49:16] The End The End The End The End O Lord The End The End The End The End The End So we thank Thee for bringing us through Lord may the services here be washed in Thy blood from all iniquity and go with us now Lord take us unto Thy care in all the journeys that are taken near or far

[50:27] Lord and some of us go to Thy house tonight may we with us stand and bless us with Thy presence may the grace of the Lord Jesus and the love of God the Father and the fellowship communion of the Comforter the Holy Spirit abide with us now and always's amen Amen you people sizzle hell you who come on your ihm there man Wizard ago