[0:00] Depending on the Lord for needed help, I would direct your attention to Psalm 25, reading verses 4, 5 and 6. Psalm 25, verses 4, 5 and 6.
[0:39] Show me thy ways, O Lord, teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me who thou art the God of my salvation. On me do I wait all the day. Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses, for they have been ever of old.
[1:24] We might ask the question, who it was that prayed this prayer?
[1:35] For I believe he came out of the heart of the psalmist. Very well. What period of his life?
[1:51] We are not told. But in the sixth verse we have, in speaking of the Lord's lovingkindnesses, they were ever of old, to could well be taken, and is well on in life, when he prayed this prayer to his God.
[2:16] No, I believe this prayer, my dear friends, is a prayer that suits the dear people of God, and is often found in their heart, not only in the beginning, but all through their life.
[2:43] For they are ever coming into those places where they feel to need God to show them the way, to direct them.
[2:56] We might, in the first place, speak of the first praying of this prayer in the hearts of the Lord's people, when it commences.
[3:09] For it is not in their heart, in their natural state. It is not in their heart by nature. All we have in our heart by nature is, depart from us.
[3:24] We know, we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. Oh, what a mercy, my friends. We have been delivered from that dreadful state.
[3:35] Now we are born in. Grow up in. Would live and die in. But not for God's goodness and mercy. But he puts forth his almighty power, as he did with David, in his tender years, and called him out of that condition.
[3:57] What a separating it was. What a difference there was with David and that spirit that his brothers manifested.
[4:09] Oh, my friends. I say what a blessing it is if we have been delivered from that state of death in sin and been brought to know and realize a little of what we are by nature.
[4:31] Our sinful state. And this is just that which the Holy Spirit, when he regenerates our soul, gives light where there is nothing but darkness, reveals to the soulish condition that sinful state and condition.
[4:58] All what then is created in their heart. All that they have shown the way they have been walking, the way of death, the way to hell, all the way to that bottomless pit.
[5:23] How solemn is the condition of all those that have no grace in their heart. What is a solemn matter, my dear friends, to possess another dying soul, a soul that must live forever, that breath of God he breathed into Adam, can never die.
[5:50] But all the wonder of God's grace that he should provide a way whereby poor sinners could be saved, could be delivered from that state of sin.
[6:08] All his own work. The covenant of grace entered into to form the foundation of the world, declared to Adam and Eve in the garden that the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head.
[6:33] for what a salvation is that salvation that God has provided. It's a sure salvation.
[6:45] It's a great salvation. It saves unto the uttermost all poor sinners that come unto God by Jesus Christ.
[6:56] For are you among them. O make sure, my dear friends, that you come unto God by Jesus Christ. There's no other way whereby sinners can come.
[7:10] For Jesus said himself, that I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me.
[7:25] Nor water, by God has provided for poor sinners. I've taught to the Spirit to come unto him and I will ever come to him.
[7:43] Oh, it is not my friend that I may come. Some may come and others may not come. Oh, no.
[7:55] It's a sure thing that everyone quickened by the Spirit will be a true comer unto Jesus Christ as the psalmist was.
[8:07] And I come to him that I might be led and taught of him, showed that way whereby he can be just and yet the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus.
[8:26] Oh, is it this way you're seeking? Show me thy ways, O Lord. Teach me thy power thy power.
[8:47] Oh, I say, what a good prayer this is. And oh, it's a prayer that will be answered. Oh, these souls that come with this prayer to the Lord, he will never turn a deaf ear to their petitions.
[9:04] there will be a receiving of them and in his own time an answering of them to the joy and rejoicing of their poor hearts.
[9:23] For I say that the soul quickened by the Spirit will have this prayer, the first prayer that will be found in their heart. The prayer that was found in the apostles' heart saw Tarsus when the Lord dealt with him and at Damascus row brought him to the earth with that great light that entered into his heart.
[9:51] Oh, what would his prayer then? Oh, it wasn't one that he'd offered many times doubtless at the corner of the streets or in the synagogue. it was, what will thou have me to do?
[10:12] Is that your prayer, my friend? How do any hear with that prayer in their heart? Knowing and feeling what there is in their heart and their need of deliverance from that dreadful curse of sin and to know that way of deliverance, that one and only way of deliverance that God has provided.
[10:42] hand. Oh, what a mercy that the Lord does reveal that to his dear people that way of grace, the way of peace, the way of pardon.
[11:03] have you seen him? Has he revealed it to you? Or is it that way you're ever seeking to be found in?
[11:17] Show me thy ways, O Lord. Teach me thy path. Oh, one of the ways that God chose his people in the beginning when they're called by grace is that salvation is not of works.
[11:44] It is not by anything that they can attain to in their own power. Oh, how the Holy Spirit in those early days does convince those he leads and teaches of their own helplessness, their own total inability to bring forth anything that can be pleasing and acceptable in the sight of God.
[12:26] As one of the hymn writer puts it, the more I strove against sin's power, I sinned and stumbled but the more till late I heard my Savior say, come hither soul, I am the way.
[12:51] For it is just that the Lord teaches his dear people, those tender years, those days of esposage, or when he draws that one that he has quickened by his spirit, shows that soul that Christ is the way, the only Savior, and fills the soul with his love.
[13:24] For those days of esposage of the Lord, so attracts his dear people, while his love gives them the fear, he has loved them with an everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness, he has drawn them.
[13:45] But though there is in their heart them that is so blessed, and Jesus is revealed, what does that soul then desire?
[13:58] To know God's ways, to know that way whereby they can love him and serve him, glorify his name, they can no longer walk in the paths of sin, pleasing to the flesh.
[14:17] All my friends are turning away, are turning our backs, upon the old path that we have walked in, in our unregenerous way.
[14:31] For if there is no change in the walk and in the life of those that may seek to put on a profession, all my friends, we may seriously consider whether the work of grace is in their heart, for all the work of grace will separate from the works of the devil and from the evil incarnation of our own sinful heart, there will be a burden to us, a trouble to us, a cause that we shall have continually to look to the Lord and seek deliverance from all that which would turn us aside from him.
[15:28] For there is this prayer in the heart of one that is filled with the love of Christ, show me thy way, O Lord, teach me thy paths, lead me in thy truth, and teach me.
[15:45] So the apostle, as we have mentioned, desired this, that God would lead him, what wilt thou have me to do?
[15:57] For is this in the hearts of any here, seeking God's direction, feeling and realizing his love, oh, what a wonderful thing it is, to have the love of Christ shall have brought in the heart.
[16:17] That love that knows no beginning nor end, nor it is an everlasting love. I love thee with an everlasting love.
[16:30] Oh, there may be some here, fearing, because I cannot feel that love as I have. Maybe many years have passed away, since I have favored.
[16:42] But the Lord's rich blessing, his love shall abode in their heart. No, the devil tempts them to believe that it was never real.
[16:56] It had been God's work. They would not be in the place they feel to be in. But the Lord has said, that I see you again.
[17:10] Though there are those periods, when he withholds his blessing, it might be through our sin, but oh, he will come again, my dear friend. I'll see you again.
[17:22] Your hearts shall rejoice. Your joy, no man taketh from you. For I say, there's a one here with this desire.
[17:35] Show me thy ways. O Lord, what does the Lord say to his dear people that he so blesses and favours?
[17:52] if he love me, keep my commandments. The Lord Jesus in sending forth the dear apostles to preach the gospel, empowering them as he did.
[18:12] Lord, he commanded them to teach that they that the power of God is bringing them out of our state and condition by nature.
[18:31] and they should be baptized, they should baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.
[18:50] How the apostles followed out their commands of our dear Lord and Master. that was so in the case of the eunuch, that one that Philip was sent to, to meet him in that desert place as he journeyed to teach him that which his soul was longing for, for his reading about Christ in his sufferings, in his chariot.
[19:34] He asked the question, was it concerning the prophet? Who was it the prophet was speaking of?
[19:45] Oh, then dear Philip preached unto him Jesus. Oh, what an opening there was for dear Philip to open his mouth.
[19:56] and to preach unto him Jesus. What effect it had. Oh, I believe that dear eunuch's heart was filled with the love of Christ.
[20:10] Has yours ever been so, my friend, in hearing the precious gospel praise has had effect on you? Has stuff in your heart had drawn out your love to him?
[20:28] And if that has been so, is not this question, this desire, in your heart, gone out to the Lord, he would show you.
[20:46] Show me thy ways. You eunuch, after receiving the Lord's blessing, and now, dear Philip, he must have declared unto him what the Lord had told the dear apostles to do.
[21:06] In that, they should be baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. When they came to water, how wonderful that they should come to such water in the desert.
[21:24] Oh, we can not believe that God made provision that he can, as he calls that river, to follow the Israelites through the desert, supplying them continually with that tremendous amount of water that they needed.
[21:44] Oh, there's no place the Lord's people come into for what he can make provision. No, I believe he made provision in that desert place for that eunuch that had been brought to believe and to love the Lord Jesus Christ, to be baptized, to follow the command of the Lord Jesus, given to his apostles and to his people through all ages.
[22:25] That age, my friends, has not passed away. what Christ declared when he was here on earth, stands as good today.
[22:38] Oh, some may look upon baptism today as a thing they might attend to or they may not. Oh, I don't believe that's a right attitude, but Christ commanded it.
[22:54] And oh, what he has spoken, we should seek rightly to attend to, and to follow him, had a love to him. And so when they came to water, the eunuch said, see, here, here is water, what doth hinder me to be baptized?
[23:15] For he is seeking to be shown that way. If thou believe us, with all thine heart thou mayest, one condition, lay down, believing, with all the heart, in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of sinners, the only Savior.
[23:45] My friends, are you there? can you say, Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief.
[24:02] Oh, if that is so, Lord has blessed you, are you not? dishonoring the dear Lord and Savior, that has done so much for you, in not following him, in his way.
[24:32] Just lay down, for his people to walk in. Oh, look, to that scene, that the dear Redeemer, the glorious God-man, went to John, desired him to be baptized, he would baptize him.
[25:04] John at first refused, we felt the need, however, being baptized for the Lord, and all to think that he, a poor sinful man, should baptize the Lord and Master.
[25:23] To what did Christ say to him? Suffer to be so now, for so it becometh us, to fulfill all righteousness, though he suffered him.
[25:40] What a scene was there. The Father's voice from heaven declaring he was the Son of God, the Holy Spirit descending from heaven in the form of a dove and resting upon him.
[26:10] Oh, how clearly is that precious ordinance set before us in the word of God.
[26:25] other cases we might think of but they didn't lay it aside even in the prison that Philippi all that night when I was jailer his heart was rent to that earthquake that went to prison for God used him.
[26:53] What a change was wrought in that poor man. What a deliverance from the power of sin and Satan. My friends, what a deliverance from the power of sin and Satan.
[27:05] It is for a poor soul to be plucked as a brand from the burning. Oh, every one you see have got to come to stand before God in that judgment day and apart from faith in Jesus Christ, we shall hear that solemn word, depart from me, for I never knew you.
[27:35] Oh, and then to think that the dear Lord should show such mercy, such love, to such poor sinners as we.
[27:49] Oh, how he deserves everything we can do to show forth his praise. So that poor jailer come to the apostles, not to beat them, not to do them injury, not to inquire of them what he should do to be saved.
[28:18] Oh, what a question. What a answer. The most important question we can ever ask. Oh, are there those here asking that question?
[28:32] What must I do to be saved? That's the question he asked the apostles. What an answer.
[28:44] The one and only answer. Needed another. believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved in thy house.
[29:00] Oh, what a precious promise for the salvation of his house also. And under the preaching of the apostles, they too were wrought upon.
[29:13] The whole house was converted. Oh, what a season. Now, how many here would desire also, they might see their whole house converted, brought out of darkness, brought to Christ.
[29:36] What power was put forth there. there. Now, the apostles didn't leave it there, did they? They baptized them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
[30:01] They didn't say in effect, well, we can't carry out baptism here. They did it. all my friends, how Satan will seek to turn the heart of those that love Christ from following him in the ordinance of baptism, as of love to him.
[30:31] So it was, we call Neelius, who I the Lord had brought in the heart of that woman, the centurion.
[30:43] He had blessed him, he had brought him, to pray unto him, to serve him in his house, but there was more he needed to know.
[30:58] And the angel spoke to him, called him to send for Peter, he would instruct him, to God prepared Peter to go, for Peter would doubtless have refused, had not God showed to Peter that vision.
[31:21] He was called nothing unclean or common, which God had cleansed, showing Peter to God, had a purpose of salvation for the Gentiles, as well as for the Jews.
[31:41] Peter went with those that come to tell him of Cornelius. Nor hope Peter was enabled to preach the gospel to those Gentiles.
[31:54] Christ, the one and only gospel, I hope the only gospel we desire to preach, though we may come so short in preaching it, I hope there is that in our poor heart, that there is ours to know nothing among men save Jesus Christ, and him crucified, for there is no other Savior.
[32:24] There is a great Savior, almighty Savior, able to save unto the uttermost all that come unto God by him. And Cornelius and his house received a blessing, the Holy Ghost fell upon them all, oh how wonderful, not one left out.
[32:50] And what did Peter say to those that come with him? Who can forbid water, that these should not be baptized as well as we have received the Holy Ghost, they were baptized.
[33:10] I dwell more on this than I intended to, but all my friends, the important matter is not a matter we should lay aside.
[33:24] And the Lord does own and blesses dear people in walking in his ways. He did that you and for he went on his way rejoicing and so have many of the Lord's dear people in walking in this way.
[33:43] Now there's any merit in it, no not at all, but always honoring, glorifying to the Lord. His people should honor him in following him in that path.
[34:01] He has laid down for them to walk in. Show me thy ways, O Lord, teach me thy paths.
[34:19] And this is also so, whether there are people this prayer. I believe it's often in their heart and with churches. O Lord, God, let this prayer has been much for you, dear friends, in the exercises that have been upon you concerning a pastor.
[34:38] O show us know thy way. Direct us in thy path. So it is in providence with the Lord's people, when we're in a right state and condition of heart and mind, is it not with us?
[34:57] Do we want to be directed, guided, clearly shown, the way God will have us to walk in providence, whether the path that we are seeking will be, that we shall be honoring and glorifying to him.
[35:18] Lord, this prayer then is in the heart of every dear child of God in this wilderness journey, to be shown, to be guided, to be kept in that right way.
[35:39] For it may sometimes be, my friends had a long season before the Lord is pleased to confirm what that way is.
[35:52] And often, God's ways seem vastly different to our ways. Though I believe where there is a committing of the way to God and a desire in the heart that his will, his will alone may be done.
[36:18] And of falling into his hand, the same not my will, Lord, but thine be done. Show me thy way.
[36:30] For I believe the Lord will uphold and keep such from going in a wrong way or being left to their own to satisfy their own heart and their nature.
[36:52] For how good the Lord is in upholding and preserving his people from turning away from him. hold my goings in thy past, my footsteps slip not.
[37:09] Show me thy ways, O Lord, teach me thy past. Lead me in thy truth, for how we feel to need this, how each one of us need it, the revealing of the precious truth, as it is in Jesus.
[37:32] God's holy word. Here we need the Holy Spirit to take of the things of Jesus and reveal them unto us.
[37:44] We may know him, we may love him and serve him. He always promised to do this. He promised to his disciples before he left them.
[37:59] He would give them another comforter that would abide with them forever. Even the Spirit of truth, he should take of the things of Jesus and reveal them unto him.
[38:17] Oh, then, how we need to pray this prayer in every path and walk of our lives. Oh, how soon we can turn aside.
[38:35] You might mention David when he turned aside. For that time he was not praying this prayer.
[38:46] when the Lord had wonderfully delivered him from Saul. And Saul had been put in David's hand.
[39:00] He could have killed him, but he could not lift his hand against the Lord's anointing. David spoke to him after that night, declared that he had taken his spear from his bolster, the cruise of oil, water, I believe.
[39:19] And then there seemed to be a coming together, didn't there? Saul promised he would not chase him again, wouldn't seek to kill him again. Though David could not trust Saul.
[39:35] He said immediately after, he said, I shall fall one day at the hand of Saul. Nothing better for me than to go into the land of the Philistine. I seek me no more.
[39:47] So he went to Achish, remained there for sixteen months. We don't read David calling upon God there until he was forced to that place when Ziklag had been burned, all his dear ones taken.
[40:12] then David again had to turn to his God and encouraged himself in the Lord his God.
[40:26] His God never forsook him. He appeared for him again. Lord, I felt my dear friend, what a know David felt.
[40:38] When that battle that he was so eager to join in with those Philistines against the Israelites and against Saul and Jonathan.
[40:51] Oh, I'm sure David had to bless and praise his God for the Lord delivering him from that being engaged in that battle.
[41:03] how wonderful did God deliver him. And all God's wonderful works are still realized by his dear people in our times of need.
[41:24] For it's usually in the deep waters, the Lord's dear people prove their Lord and Master his goodness and mercy to them, his loving kindnesses as the dear David here says, remember remember, remember oh Lord thy tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses for they have been ever above.
[42:03] All that been to David all through his life. Nor do not we have to say the same. God's goodness and mercy has followed us all the days of our life.
[42:17] Dear Psalmist, the 23rd Psalm declared it. He said, you would dwell in the house of the Lord forever. What a blessed prospect for the Lord's dear people.
[42:32] They will dwell with him forever. Those he has led and taught and preserved and kept in the wilderness, shielded them in times of danger, preserved them from turning to the right hand or to the left.
[42:50] He will bring them to be with him forever. Here I leave the few remarks. May the Lord bless his world and forgive all the mess.
[43:03] Amen. Amen. Shall we conclude this morning by singing hymn number 641 The tune is Corinth 669 641 Jesus, mighty God and Saviour, lead me forth by thy right hand, and be it my fixed endeavour to obey thy sweet command.
[44:13] Let me never at a trifling distance stand. Romans 641 Jesus, mighty God and Saviour, lead me forth by thy right hand, let me never at a trifling distance, let me never at a trifling distance, let me never at a trifling distance, let me never at a trifling distance, let me never at a trifling distance, let me never at a trifling distance, let me never at a trifling distance, let me never at a trifling distance, let me never at a trifling distance, let me never at a trifling distance, let me never at a trifling distance, let me never at a琲ure line by ground, let me never at a trifling distance, cow by jTP, oおい musk, sIpa sP¥e ad at Lanz it, oy!
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