Joshua (Quality: Good, Quiet)

[0:00] The Lord has laid upon my spirit to bring before you is found in the chapter that we read, in the book of Joshua, chapter 2, and the last clause in verse 12.

[0:17] In Joshua, chapter 2, verse 12, the last clause, and give me a true token.

[0:33] It wasn't until I came here this morning that I, in a few moments before the service, that I heard of the special collection that you are seeking to make this day a worthy cause indeed.

[0:57] As we seek to remember the Lord's people wherever they are scattered, to help and to give them aid in whatever way we can, to send forth the word of God unto all nations.

[1:15] Give me a true token. Have you a concern and an exercise for a brethren in other lands?

[1:28] I believe, if you know what it is to have an exercise and a concern for others, that the Lord has shed abroad his love into your heart, your desire will be this, to give all that you can.

[1:46] My thoughts went to the Lord Jesus Christ, as it is spoken of in the Gospels, as he was standing where they cast in to the treasury, and the great and rich ones cast in of their substance.

[2:15] And then the widow woman, she cast in the two minds. And the Lord Jesus Christ said, she hath given all.

[2:26] There are those that are given of their substance, but the widow woman had given all.

[2:37] Well, may the Lord then open our hearts to give generously, of our glory and of our substance, of what the Lord has given unto us.

[2:54] For all that we have is not ours. We are the stewards of those things that the Lord has blessed us with.

[3:11] It is not ours. It is the Lord's. Oh, consider these things and consider them well. I know that there are many worthy causes, many charities.

[3:25] We have our own causes to support and in different things. But if the Lord does open our hearts and we can freely give, oh, is not this a token of the love of Christ that is shed abroad in our hearts?

[3:45] To have compassion upon those that are around us. And then we think of the case of one that spoke in this way, when the Lord appeared to him and the Lord said to him, I will be with thee, with us whoever thou goest.

[4:09] How the Lord brought him to cry and to plead before the Lord, this promise that the Lord had given to him.

[4:34] And what did the Lord say? And have you proved this? Or have you this token in your life and in your experience? That the Lord has been with you?

[4:46] Oh, what a token this is. A token that is desired by the Lord's people constantly. That they might have this evidence within their soul, that the Lord is with them and with them indeed.

[4:57] Have you this desire? Is this your exercise as you come to the house of God? Is this your exercise even at this time? Lord, give me a true token.

[5:11] And the promises that the Lord has given to you, you've had to walk them out. You've had to plead them before the Lord. Well, to speak then for a moment regarding this, the Lord said, Behold, look, understand, know this path you're going to be called to walk in, and I'm going to be with thee.

[5:32] Behold, I am with thee and will keep thee in all places wither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land. For I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

[5:47] Oh, the Lord gave him this blessed token. A child of God can leave all things in the Lord's kind and gracious hands if they have this token, this evidence in their soul, in their path, that the Lord is with them.

[6:11] Tried and proved it you'll be. And you will prove that he is faithful. Faithful in life and faithful in death.

[6:28] What a wondrous thing. And you feel, I feel, to be unworthy. Oh, we see there his wondrous love.

[6:41] We see his mercy. We see his compassion. When we feel our unworthiness. When we feel that sin, oh, it utterly condemns us.

[6:52] The Lord, holy, just, pure. But the Lord Jesus Christ, well, we have this great and wondrous token in Christ Jesus.

[7:13] And we trust that we will be able to speak more later regarding that. This promise then that the Lord gave to Jacob.

[7:27] Now Jacob awaked out of his sleep and he said, surely the Lord is in this place. And I knew it not. I do not believe that Jacob went out from his homeland without an exercise.

[7:48] But so often with us, and do you find this, we do not have a right concern. We do not have a right exercise in these things.

[7:59] Until the Lord is pleased to bring us into this time of need. And then, like Jacob, we have to say, surely the Lord is in this place.

[8:13] I knew it not. Oh, what a mercy it would be. If souls perhaps have come out of curiosity, they may have come out of form and formality, custom.

[8:27] This is where they come, Sabbath by Sabbath. And then, the Lord graciously speaks, and speaks into your soul how vital this is.

[8:40] A true token. It is not what the Lord has done with others. We can indeed rejoice for what the Lord has done in Zion. No, it is as it concerns your soul at this time.

[8:52] A true token that you desire from him. You will say then, yea, the Lord is indeed in this place. And I knew it not, until he graciously opened my eyes to see the truth.

[9:12] And he was afraid and said, how dreadful is this place. This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. Sweet times they are when souls can feel that it is the very gate of heaven unto them.

[9:28] A true token. And none can take it from you. None can take it from you. Why?

[9:41] It is from the Lord himself. And what the Lord has spoken, what the Lord has promised, will stand firm and sure. I will work, and who shall let it, the Lord has said.

[9:56] Jacob rose up early in the morning, took the stone that he had put for his pillows, set it out for a pillow, for a memorial, and poured oil upon the top of it.

[10:11] Now, Jacob had the promise of the Lord, and he had to plead this promise. Jacob vowed of our saying, if God will be with me.

[10:22] Now the Lord had said that he would be with him. Behold, I am with thee and will keep me. If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, he knew not what the path was going to be, as it might be with you.

[10:37] He knew not what the future might hold. Ah, you know this. It's in the Lord's hand. It's in the Lord's hand.

[10:51] What a mercy this is. What a token for good this is. Your life, your path, everything is in the Lord's hand, even those times of chastening, even those times of trial, even those times when you feel, and would say with many of the Lord's people, that the Lord's hand has gone out against me.

[11:20] Yea, as Naomi was brought back, and she said, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.

[11:31] What did she know? She knew what it was to be emptied of everything that was of this world and of self and of the flesh, but she knew that it was the Lord's hand that had brought her back, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.

[11:48] I went out for her. I am brought home. But the Lord had gone before her. Well, you know, in the case, you read it in the book of Ruth, of how the Lord dealt with one who he had loved with an everlasting love.

[12:08] He did not leave her. Oh, at the end of the account there, we have that wondrous thing, Naomi, holding the son of her daughter in love.

[12:29] If God will be with me, will keep me in this way that I go, will give me bread to eat and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my Father's house in peace.

[12:43] What do we have here then? Shall the Lord be my God? This does not mean that the Lord had not been his God up until now, would not be his Lord and God in those 20 years that he was in that strange land.

[13:04] And only when he returned, when then the Lord would be his God. No, he was meaning this. I would have this token, this true token, this evidence.

[13:15] I will have those things that are proved beyond diet in myself. Is this what you desire? Is this what you seek after? Even now at this time, the Lord's gracious work in your heart, your soul, your experience.

[13:36] Oh, what a blessing indeed it will be. What a blessing indeed. Yea, the Lord will be with thee.

[13:48] Then shall the Lord be my God. I shall have this token. I shall have this token indeed. And this stone which I set for a pillar shall be God's house where the Lord has placed you, where the Lord has brought you.

[14:02] Do you know what it is? That the Lord has given you a home, a spiritual home where you have fed, where he has led you into those green pastures beside those still waters where the Lord himself has been very gracious unto you and given you those tokens for good.

[14:29] And of all, and this was the point that I was coming to, I know oft times it seems to be in a roundabout way with me. We're speaking of giving. Yea, those, he went out empty.

[14:45] Not like Naomi. She felt that she went out full. No, here, Jacob, he went out empty. Oh, the Lord favoured and blessed him.

[14:58] He returned with many riches, we might say, in the things of this life. And what did he say?

[15:10] Of all that they shall give me, I will surely give the tenth unto thee. There's often been a point in my thoughts regarding our path, our walk.

[15:23] what does this mean? Not that we should slavishly give a tenth of our substance.

[15:35] well, let me ask you this question. Of those things that the Lord has given to you, have you held back?

[15:48] Have you sought to lay up in the store those things upon this earth? Have you sought to say, well, I'll lay something up, as the expression is, for a rainy day?

[16:01] In the word of God, it speaks in this way, or after this way, that there is that that withholdeth, that tendeth unto poverty, and to want, but there is that that giveth, and there is an overflow.

[16:30] Yea, there is an overflow. And I believe there are those that have known what this is, that they have no thought, no concern for the things of this life.

[16:44] For after all those things do the Gentiles say, and the Lord, oh, how he's prospered them. We might say that the more that they have given, the more the Lord has given unto them.

[17:00] No, they have not wanted any good things. But I thought especially at times regarding how we return to the Lord our times.

[17:14] do not say anything to any of you in a way to bring distress upon you.

[17:29] And many of you may give much of your time to the Lord's service. There might be some of you that might have come a little weary in this.

[17:41] you feel that. Oh, there's so much that you do. But be not weary in well-doing. What little time really we do spend in the Lord's house, in prayer, in reading the word of God, in serving him.

[18:05] I was speaking to somebody once regarding this and I think they took exception to what I say. They said, well, if we set aside a certain time and we mechanically do it, there is no profit in it.

[18:22] True. But is there this desire in our heart? Oh, do we feel that we have failed? Do we feel that we do not have this exercise, this desire to read the word of God, to meditate thereon?

[18:37] I'm speaking myself here. I feel that I seem to spend so little time in the worship of God.

[18:50] Oh, those of you that have longed for the time to go, are we hasten on to eternity? In the service, when perhaps you have longed for the minutes to tick by, oh, what a short space of time we spend in the house of God, in prayer or reading the word of God, when we consider the length of our lives, the hours in a day, the days in a week, it is just a thought.

[19:24] Oh, may it prove to be a prophet to us. And of all that they shall give me, I will surely give the tenth unto them.

[19:37] Well, as we've spent a little while in speaking of this, have the Lord, we need the Lord to open our hearts.

[19:47] let me ask you this question, where is your treasure? Is it here upon earth, or is it in heavenly places?

[20:04] What did the Lord say? Lay out for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust thath garout with, these do not break through nor steal.

[20:18] Oh, these things soon fade away, pass away, below. None of us can take those things with us.

[20:31] We enter into the world with nothing, and it is certain we can take nothing with us of the things of this life. But oh, have we this token, that we shall have a treasure in heavenly places, a true token.

[20:56] Well, now, let us turn to this word and the context it is finding regarding how Rahab and the people of this land, and especially in Jericho, had heard of the children of Israel, there was a great multitude, but especially how the Lord had brought them out of Egypt, brought them through the Red Sea, how that the Lord had dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what he did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom he utterly destroyed.

[21:46] Was this her concern to begin with? Her life, and this alone, her safety at this time?

[21:59] Now we know, and we believe, that there came the time when the Lord worked in her heart, and quite often with those that the Lord deals with, he brings them into a concern, a concern, perhaps a natural concern over eternity, over their sins, until, by the Holy Spirit, the burden of sin is placed so heavy upon them, when they know this truth, this great truth, the soul that sinned, it shall surely die, and none of us can say that we have not sinned.

[22:53] We stand condemned under the holy, just, perfect law of God.

[23:08] Cast eyes forever from his sight. In heaven, no sin, no wickedness, sin, and no sin can be taken into heaven.

[23:29] And what have you? Sin has stained your very soul. You carry the marks of sin within, sin, and only the blood of Jesus Christ can cleanse from all sin.

[23:55] I remember one saying to me in this way, regarding the truth contained in the word of God, that he is faithful and just to forgive sins if we confess our sins.

[24:10] I said, I know this truth, but how about those secret sins? How about those sins of omission? How about those sins that I've been unaware of?

[24:26] The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin. What do we mention in prayer?

[24:41] Did Jesus once upon me shine? Then Jesus is forever mine. And if you have this token, if you have this token of the love of Christ shed abroad in your heart, oh, in whatever way it might be, has the Lord given you a true love to his ways, to his word, to his people, to his hearts?

[25:08] is there drawing out of your soul unto the Lord's people, and to his word, to his hearts?

[25:24] Whereas before, you had a love to the things of this world, oh, the pleasures thereof, all of those things, there's been a turning round now.

[25:34] you still know, oh, and how you cry unto the Lord that he would deliver you from it. You still know that there is within you that that would go after the things of this life.

[25:51] Oh, there's many temptations that are outside of this place, how there is that within your own heart that would go after them, but the Lord, oh, how he's kept you, how he's brought you, how he's brought you now to hope and to trust in Christ and him alone.

[26:14] Have you then this token? And this is a trial to the Lord's people, especially those that have been brought up under the truth all their lives.

[26:28] Has there been the beginning? Can I point to a clear evidence of the Lord's mercy unto me?

[26:44] May we help then to speak to souls that are tried in this way? Have I something that I can point to? Have I something that I can rest upon?

[26:59] Let me ask you this question. Do you carry with you the burden of sin? Do you mourn over your sin?

[27:16] Do you cry out daily over those things that are found within you? I believe the Holy Spirit led John Bunyan to write in the way that he did in his pilgrim's programs of the life of Christian.

[27:45] We read of him how he had that conviction destruction of sin, how it was shown to him his great need before a holy God, how he dwelt in the city of destruction and there there was no hope for him.

[28:06] And he was brought to flee. He had this burden upon his back, the burden of sin. Now how he sought that he might be set free from it, loosed from it.

[28:19] I will not go into all those things there. But I think of the occasion when he said to one, oh, that he might be set free from this burden.

[28:36] What did one say to him? Be content to bear this burden until thou comest unto the place where thou shalt be delivered of it.

[28:49] Now do you have this burden and you have borne it for a long time. You do not feel that. You have had that forgiveness that others might speak of.

[29:03] view this token that the Lord has directed your steps in the paths of salvation.

[29:18] There by trembling faith you seem to but stumble in the way and stagger on in the way. I tell you there will come the time it may be even at the end of your life when you will be brought to this one place and where was it?

[29:47] Where did Christian find deliverance? Oh, where did souls find deliverance from the burden of sin? what a blessed token he had.

[30:02] He came to a place where there was a cross and when he viewed the cross the burden was loosed from his back.

[30:14] It rolled down and was swallowed out in the sepulter. So the Lord Jesus Christ when he bore the sins of his people, death was swallowed up in victory and those souls then, oh, they're safe in Christ.

[30:42] Let us speak to others that may say, I believe there was a time when I felt my sins forgiven, but oh, how have I been sins?

[30:54] What have I passed through sins? There have been the many trials, the difficulties in the way. You do not walk in a strange pathway.

[31:06] You do not walk in a path that is peculiar and different. No, you walk in the way that the Lord himself walked in.

[31:21] sing sing. Sing then that we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, even Jesus, the Son of God. Let us therefore hold fast our profession.

[31:34] For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of her infirmities, but was in all points, tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

[31:46] And there we have that blessed encouragement are to come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

[31:59] Yes, he knew the temptations, he knew the trials of his people, the path then, the straight and narrow way that leads unto eternal life.

[32:17] Many other temptations that are found there. And there is one. I think of what the Lord Jesus Christ has said to Simon Peter, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not.

[32:44] Now, Peter knew what it was to walk in that path, yea, even to deny his Lord with oaths and with curses.

[32:57] But the Lord turned and looked upon him, a true token, when the Lord looks upon his people. And how did the Lord look upon Simon Peter?

[33:11] He looked in this way, Simon, thou hast sinned, but thy sins are all forgiven made. Simon Peter went out and wept those bitter teeth.

[33:26] That occasion, when the cock crowed, it was after he had denied his Lord those three times.

[33:37] Now, you may have in your life those times of reminder of your sin, your denial, your falling away, all those things. And oh, how is it?

[33:51] Do you remember the time when the Lord Jesus Christ met again with the disciples? On the seashore, when he gave to them the food, after their nights, fishing, doing, when they caught nothing.

[34:13] And he revealed himself to them and he said, children, have you any means? Have you any bread? Have you caught any fish? Nothing. Cast thy net on the right side of the ship.

[34:25] They cast, they caught, and because of the multitude of fishes. Anyway, the Lord there said to Simon Peter. And three times he said to him, Simon, lovest thou me?

[34:42] More than names. Lovest thou me? Now, was this a token? Was this a reminder? Oh, of what the Lord had done for Peter.

[34:53] Oh, it reminded him of his sin. The Lord oft times spoken to you in this way, brought something to your remembrance. And as you've been reminded of your sin.

[35:07] You've been reminded of how the Lord has delivered you. How the Lord has spoken to you. How the Lord has looked upon you in love, forgiveness, and mercy.

[35:24] Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than names? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. Thou knowest all things.

[35:35] Thou knowest that I love thee. And the third time Peter was grieved in his spirit, you've had to say, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee.

[35:49] Thou knowest also that I carry about with me this body of sin and death, the old man of sin within and I feel that constant water.

[36:04] And you've had to cry again and again, Lord, deliver me from this, and you feel that there is no deliverance. And you've had to say, Lord, remember me.

[36:18] Oh, what a token. The thief upon the cross had, when he cried out unto the Lord, Lord, remember me.

[36:28] what was this token then that the Lord gave to him? This day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

[36:43] Does your soul hunger after such tokens, such tokens of his love? Give me some token, Lord, some token of thy special love.

[36:59] But we must come to this account here. The time had come, the time of entrance into the promised land for the children of Israel.

[37:10] Now you remember that they were brought out of the land of Egypt. The Lord in the Red Sea brought them through on dry land, but also destroyed their enemies.

[37:21] And he said to the children of Israel, this day shall they see thine enemies no more forever. No, they were swallowed up. Oh, what a mercy this is. You know what it is for a particular temptation, a particular trial, that the Lord has swallowed up and said unto you, they shall see it no more again forever.

[37:48] And you have known what it is for the Lord to be faithful to his promise in this. What a token this is. Now the children of Israel, they had these tokens when they were in the land of Egypt, all those plagues that fell upon the Egyptians, they had this token when the firstborn in Egypt were slain, take the blind, sprinkle it upon the doorposts and upon the limb.

[38:17] And that night, when the angel of death went through the land of Egypt and slew the firstborn, the children of Israel, as they sheltered beneath the blood, they were saved.

[38:29] And the Lord gave them this commandment, to keep the Passover in remembrance of what the Lord had done. Then, as he delivered them at the Red Sea, he came between the children of Israel and the Egyptians that followed hard after them.

[38:51] To the children of Israel, he was a light and guidance and direction and opened up the way. To the Egyptians, it was darkness and confusion under them.

[39:03] They were brought through, their enemies were swallowed up, this token that the Lord was with them. What happened throughout their wanderings in the wilderness, murmurings, complainings, doubtings against the Lord.

[39:23] Ah, and time and time again, his faithfulness shone unto them. Can you say the same? Have you this token?

[39:34] The Lord did deliver you. The Lord brought you through. He did destroy those enemies. And in spite of your murmurings, your complainings, and diamonds. Yea, he was faithful and destroyed you, God.

[39:52] And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years through the wilderness to humble thee and to prove them. And so it has been, even until this day.

[40:06] And now you stand at this time. Amen. Amen. Amen. The spies then were sent into the land, and the Lord had prepared a place of safety for them.

[40:26] Rahab, the heart, and there they lodged, and there she hid them, and kept them from all danger, and watched over them, gave them deliverance from their enemies.

[40:41] to desire, give me a true token. Now, it came into my thoughts as we were reading this.

[40:53] She desired this token, and the oath that was given to her. Now, the token was the scarlet line that was to be bound into the window.

[41:04] Now, consider this. Those spies, they had to journey back. there would be that interval of time before the children of Israel besieged the city of Jericho.

[41:23] But what did this woman do? What did Rahab do? As soon as they had gone, she bound the scarlet line window. And this is how souls, as soon as the Lord has given them this token, it is bound in their souls and before their eyes.

[41:51] There, every time she looked out, no doubt looking out for the coming of the children of Israel, what did she see? She saw the token, the scarlet line.

[42:03] And is it not with souls? as they look out and perhaps see those dangers, those difficulties in the way, what do they see before them? The Lord Jesus Christ.

[42:16] When they see the temptations, when they see all those things that are before them, what is first in their sight? No, they did not wait till the time, she did not wait till the time of need, till the city was besieged, until danger threatened.

[42:37] I believe we can say here we have a true token. It is not that we say we will wait until we are old.

[42:48] We will wait until the hour of death. We will wait until the time of danger before we consider these things. No, a child of God, they want it now.

[42:59] They want this token before their eyes. Christ, their hope for glory, that he shed his blood for my sins.

[43:17] It comes here very close. Our religion, faith, is so personal to you, to me.

[43:32] Well, we will leave our few thoughts there. This then was her desire and it was granted unto her and it was true. It was faithful.

[43:46] It was a true token to her. And give me a true token. Amen.

[43:57] Amen. Our final hymn in this morning's service is number 214 from Gadsby Selection and the tune is St.

[44:18] Anatolius 555. Dear Lord, remember me, a sinner weak and vile, full of impiety and fraught with sin and guile.

[44:31] I cannot hope but in thy blood. Remember me, O Lord, for good. Hymn 214. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[44:41] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[44:52] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[45:07] Amen. Amen.

[45:22] Amen. Amen. Thank you.

[45:54] Thank you.

[46:24] Thank you.

[46:54] Thank you.

[47:24] Thank you. Thank you.

[48:24] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[48:36] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[48:48] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[49:00] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[49:12] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[49:24] and Lord grant to us each a spirit of prayer and exercise for this evening's service be with the gathering together of the children this afternoon in the Sabbath school and Lord whoever might be found in thy house this evening oh may it be as those souls that are in need who gather with much prayer and now we ask for thy forgiveness upon all that thy pure eyes have seen in us and may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ for the love of God the Father the fellowship and sweet communion of the Holy Spirit rest and abide with us each Amen AMAZER

[50:28] FANS WOOF FROM ANGON