Hebrews (Quality: Very good)

[0:00] I ask for the mind to bring before you in dependence upon the Lord are to be found in the epistle to the Hebrews chapter 13 and especially verses 7 and 8.

[0:17] Hebrews 13 verses 7 and 8. Remember them which have the rule over you who have spoken unto you the word of God whose faith follow considering the end of their conversation Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever.

[1:05] Those of you that have a margin to your Bibles will no doubt observe that the word rule is indicated as guide those who are your guides remember them which have the rule over you or are used by the Lord as your guides we need as in this as in many other things to avoid one extreme or the other we are not to remember those who have gone before us and worship them as saints as the poor Roman Catholics do there is one mediator between God and man the man

[2:07] Christ Jesus Peter, Paul, John Mary and others are not intercessors we are to pray to the Lord Jesus Christ alone he is spoken of in an earlier chapter in this epistle that we should come boldly to the throne of grace that we have a high priest that is touched the double negative is used we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin let us therefore in cause of that come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of near so we are by no means to pray to those saints at all but on the other hand neither are we to ignore them but as we are told here to remember them and I want as the Lord enables to speak of those who have gone before us of whom we read in the scriptures to remember them to remember those nearer to our own time in a few hundred years ago that suffered so much that we might have liberties in our land and also to exhort you to remember those that preach the word of God unto you this present time

[4:10] I am thankful that the scriptures faithfully record the faults and failings of the Lord's people as well as the grace that was in them I was recently in Sydney Sussex College Cambridge and the portrait of William of Oliver Cromwell is there that he said was to be painted warts and all all the blemishes were to be recorded which so many painters of course in those days did not and it hangs there to this day remember that let us look a little then at a few of the saints of all recorded in the holy word of God and how differently the Lord dealt with each one as we heard this afternoon the Lord is sovereign in the way that he deals we would be very clear there are certain essential things that every elect vessel of mercy will know just very briefly the new birth one said to George

[5:42] Whitefield why do you so often please from that text ye must be born again he said it is because ye must ye must be born again each one will each elect vessel of mercy will be a partaker of the new birth each one will know themselves to be a sinner through the holy spirit's teaching though we cannot dwell upon it now we may know we are a sinner by a natural conviction some of you no doubt like myself were convicted many times by of your sins but only a natural conviction till the holy spirit began the world some may say how am I to know the difference just briefly like this do you on the one hand blame god for your sins just like adam who said the woman thou gavest me she beguiled me and I did it as if to say it's all the woman's fault or if not hers it's yours not mine a natural conviction but if our conviction of sins is of the holy ghost we shall justify god in our condemnation we shall say with a poet should sudden vengeance seize my breath

[7:20] I must pronounce the just in death and if my soul were sent to hell thy righteous law approves it well each one will the lord's people will be convicted of their sins by the holy spirit and they will repent of those sins and in the lord's time and some may have to wait many many a year but in the lord's time each one will know at least in some measure assurance that their sins are put away through the blood of christ these are the essential things of salvation have you got them at all do we desire them have we that love for them and those of whom we read in the word of god of the lord's people they pass through this way remember them one would perhaps mention the different ways in which the lord did deal with his people the way abraham was dealt with by the lord was not the way that isaac was dealt with nor the way that jacob was dealt with nor joseph nor moses nor samuel nor david and others the lord is sovereign in the way that he deals and he is sovereign in the way that he deals with you as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my thoughts than your thoughts and my ways than your ways saith the lord one has felt much in remembrance of the laws dealing with one's own self of recent days not that a minister's own experience must be before his preaching but it does need to be behind it if he has not experienced these things himself how can he speak of them fifty years ago

[10:02] I believe on the twentieth of june nineteen forty one when I was cut down in my sins I knew I was a sinner many times before then I knew that to tell a lie was sinful I knew I was a liar I was not in any doubt I was a sinner but it didn't concern me not for long but when the Lord begins a work then we experience what heart writes to see sin smarts but slightly to own with lip confession is easier still but oh to feel God beyond expression let us just look then at some of the Lord's people recorded in the word of God remembering we are to follow their faith not to follow their bad examples when they fail it is no excuse for you and

[11:10] I to do the same less excuse because we should be aware of their bad example but let us follow their faithful example what grace was given to Abraham God gave Abraham a promise at the age of 75 years that in his seed should all nations of the earth be blessed year succeeded year no sign of the fulfillment of the promise he was getting older Sarah was of course 10 years younger than he was but she was getting older as well and so after 11 years they tried to hurry things along and so

[12:11] Ishmael was not but 14 more years had to pass before the child of promise was dead when what had seemed unlikely before now seemed impossible but God is faithful and we read Abraham believed God he believed that he that had promised was able to perform we heard this afternoon concerning putting into practice those things that we hear that we profess perhaps some as I'm speaking of Abraham maybe tried concerning that which we read in the epistle of James in the second chapter wilt thou know oh vain man that faith without works is dead was not

[13:27] Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar and yet Paul when he writes to the Romans writes that Abraham was not justified by works but by faith that it is all of grace not of works lest any man should boast is there any contradiction in the word of God God forbid Paul writing to the Romans is speaking of the justification of the soul which is by faith in Jesus Christ and his righteousness not of works unless any man should boast what then is James writing of James in that very practical epistle is writing of the justification of a person's profession that if a person professes to believe

[14:34] God to believe his commands and do not put them into practice it shows that their faith is there Abraham's profession was justified by his works but his soul was justified by faith in Jesus Christ have we that faith of Abraham Abraham looked behind him much might be said concerning that he was not looking in the right direction as we read later he though he believed God could raise Isaac to life again that was not the Lord's will that Isaac should be slain behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horse what a beautiful type of

[15:35] Jesus Christ how well the poet puts it himself he cannot save insulting poet is true the words of sacred meaning have though meant in scorn by you he took him and offered him up in the place of his son and to touch upon Isaac Isaac released from his bonds taken down from off the wood that was on the altar sees the ram offered in his room and place Jesus in the sinner's place have you as it were by faith stood there and seen Christ suffering the punishment that your sins deserve whose faith followed what a mercy if we suffer with the

[16:45] Lord Jesus Christ as Paul writes to the Romans in the eighth chapter if we suffer with him we shall be glorified together you suffer with a person in proportion to your love to the one that is suffering if a stranger it means but little to you but if it is one you love you suffer with them and if we suffer with him we shall be glorified together let us just mention dear Joseph what faith he had at seventeen years of age he spoke those prophetic dreams concerning his brethren bowing down to him and then as so often when the Lord gives a promise things seem to go the very opposite way of that promise being fulfilled but

[17:55] I believe Joseph had faith to believe it would be it seemed unlikely in the land of Canaan but now in prison in far off Egypt it seemed impossible but when he was raised at the age of thirty to a position second in the land he could naturally speaking have sent an army and made his brethren bow down there but he didn't he didn't he had faith to wait God's time knowing that he that had promised was able to perform seven years of plenty passed and in the second year of famine some twenty two years after the promise then his brethren came and how often we read in those latter chapters of

[18:58] Genesis they fell on their faces before they made obeisance unto him and so he was given grace to wait the Lord's time to fulfill his work some of you like myself may have had promises perhaps concerning your own soul perhaps concerning those near and dear to you perhaps concerning the place that you worship that the Lord will build it up again and revive his word may we have faith to believe he will fulfill I believe that where the Lord gives a promise he will give faith in that promise being fulfilled but how often that faith is tried and almost invariably by delays in the fulfillment of the promise another character from the word of

[20:13] God consider dear Hannah she desired a son and of course the reason the women in the east so much desired a son was for their husband not for themselves but that their husband's name and tribe should be perpetuated and if you and I are members of Christ's mystical body his spiritual bride if we rightly exercise we shall spiritually travel for children for our heavenly husband's glory and on and in that first book of Samuel we read how she wept sore she lost her appetite and then Eli thought she had been drunken put away thy wine from me she didn't give him a hasty hard reply she didn't say you should make sure of your facts before you condemn me know my

[21:23] Lord I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit and have poured out my soul before the Lord and Eli speaking as the high priest go in peace and the God of Israel reminding her as it were how Jacob's name was changed to Israel at the brook when he wrestled with the angel through the night season the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him and then what do we read here we have faith have you got the same faith the woman rose up she did eat and her countenance was no more sad you could understand that after Samuel was born you might understand it after Samuel was conceived but he wasn't conceived then not when she rose up was no more sad and did eat he wasn't even conceived then but she believed by faith that he that had he that promised was able to perform like precious faith but let us mention another example of the very opposite consider

[23:04] Zacharias in the first chapter of he was praying for the son but he was not expecting an answer to his prayer wasn't believing that he would have an answer we know he was praying because the angel said thy prayer is her and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son and unbelief wells up whereby shall I know this for I am an old man and my wife well stricken in years thou shalt be dumb because thou believest not my words which shall be fulfilled in their season I say praying for son but not expecting an answer something

[24:09] I have to ask so often is for forgiveness for being surprised when my prayers are answered do you plead guilty or not guilty what a sad condemnation a sad commentary upon our faith to be surprised when our prayers are answered the Lord Jesus said when ye pray believe that ye shall receive and ye shall have remember them coming nearer then to or perhaps just to the New Testament before we come nearer to our present time what a sad example we have with

[25:17] Pete though all men deny thee yet will not I and so say they all and yet before the cock crowed thrice he thrice denied that he knew them all but the Lord had said unto him I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not what did fail then Peter's own strength and his confidence in that strength that failed abysmal but his faith did not fail the apostle Paul writing in the second epistle to the Corinthians that speaks that truth and each of the Lord's people will have to learn that truth when I am strong then am I weak we sometimes sing

[26:26] Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees but Satan doesn't tremble when he sees a strong saint on his knees sight and strength is stronger than that of the strongest sign but he is weaker than the weakest sign that is trusting in the Lord in this 11th chapter and what a wonderful chapter it is probably read more often in our chapels than any other but we cannot dwell upon them now but what wonderful examples we have there and how they through faith subdued kingdoms their faith in God it was so with

[27:27] Israel in the book of Joshua when they thought they were strong and they said let not all the people labour up to that city whose name for the moment I forget and it is but a weak city we can easily overcome it and so they went and how they were beaten in the battle because they were not trusting in the Lord but when faith is given kingdoms are subdued righteousness brought promises obtained and so they were stoned sawn asunder tempted slain with the sword they wandered about in sheepskins and ghost skins being destitute afflicted tormented of whom the world was not worthy these all having obtained a good report through faith received not the promise

[28:35] God having provided some better thing for us that they without us should not be made perfect how have we received a better thing in this sense these patriarchs prophets and so on did not live to see the fulfillment of the scriptures concerning the promised Messiah the Lord said concerning John the Baptist he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than him was John the Baptist out of the secret not a child of God nothing of the sort but John the Baptist was not privileged to live to see Christ die upon the cross to know of it as it were in past tenses the scripture already fulfilled we are more favored than John the Baptist in that we know these things have taken place we have this better thing but coming then briefly to those nearer to our time we heard a little this afternoon of some of the things they had to suffer and we benefit from them not only with material things in the house of

[30:07] God our forefathers most of our chapels I suppose being a hundred years or there about but they were far poorer naturally speaking than we were large families working long hours and so on and so and we have inherited these things they had faith to do these things faith that God would use these things in his service and how many earlier on in the 17th century suffered even death for these things or in the 16th century through Mary whose faith followed but coming then to our own generation and we heard this afternoon we should not expect the

[31:10] Lord's people or his servants to be perfect we are of like passions as those to whom we speak but oh what grace is needed to walk uprightly in our generation we read of Mordecai that he sat in the king's gate would not bow down or do reverence to wicked Haman he knew would have no doubt the consequences that might follow but he would not bow down you and I are as it were in the king's gate our presence here this evening is a profession of our faith in Christ to the world they see us gather here and they are on the watch ever desiring to see our fall and we need to pray for that faith to be kept that we may be preserved from bringing a reproach upon his worthy name

[32:34] I often look at that word in the last chapter of John I've never spoken from it by way of a text but it is often on my thoughts when the Lord said to Peter when thou shalt be old another shall guard thee and carry thee whither thou would not this said he signifying by what death he Peter should glorify God will my death will your death glorify God now how one dreads less through disease or affliction or brain tumours or whatever it may be the vile thoughts that often come in our minds should break forth from our lips and our death should not glorify God oh for grace to be kept but we must move on remember them who have the rule over you who have spoken unto you the word of

[33:41] God yes it is the preaching of the word of God that is so essential from from what we read or may hear of sermons in many so called places of worship discussions on current affairs and of many other things but the essential things in the preaching of the word are to set before our hearers that they are sinners that out of Christ all will be lost but that Christ came into this world to save sinners Paul in writing in the first epistle to the Corinthians speaks of these things how that to the Greeks the wise of that generation these things were foolishness and to the

[34:45] Jews they were a stumbling block but he continues we preach Christ crucified under the Jews a stumbling block and under the Greeks foolishness but under them which are called both Jews and Greeks Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God who have spoken unto you the word of God whose faith follows considering the end of their conversation the object of their conversation the object of those things they set before you and what is this or what should it be

[35:49] Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever and this should be our conversation we read concerning these things be always ready to give to every man that asketh you the reason of the hope that is within you in meekness and fear not in pride with such sacrifices

[36:58] God is well pleased doesn't speak as if it is an easy matter always to speak of these things but let us have Jesus Christ as the object of our conversation Jesus Christ the same yesterday we read of the world being created and of course we read of those things in the first chapter of John but especially in the context of these words the same Jesus Christ was there with Abraham with Isaac with Jacob with others of the Lord's people of whom we read and he is the same to die to die as they were delivered from their trials so will the

[38:07] Lord's people be delivered from their trials in his time God one said in a hymn my thoughts surmount these lower skies and look within the vile their living waters ever flow the springs do never fail he goes on to speak of the saints of God.

[38:34] I ask them when their victory came, they with united breath ascribe their conquest to the Lamb, their victory to his death.

[38:48] These that went before conquered through the blood of the Lamb. His people today have the same Jesus Christ.

[39:00] Just as all things work together for their good as they were amongst those that love God who were called according to his purpose, so all things today will work together for good if you and I are amongst them that love God who are called according to his purpose.

[39:23] And so it will be tomorrow. The generation yet to come if time continues. Many may speak concerning dreading, as it were, what will be the outcome of these things perhaps by the year 2000.

[39:49] As many congregations seem to get smaller. in the 21 years I've been going among the churches, I suppose most congregations are two-thirds or half of what they were then.

[40:05] But the Lord still reigns. That word to know will apply spiritually as well as naturally while the earth remaineth.

[40:17] And it won't remain forever, but while it remaineth sea time and harvest, summer and winter, day and night, cold and heat shall not fail.

[40:30] Well, there we leave these few remarks. Remember them that have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God, who is faithful, considering the end of their conversation, Jesus Christ.

[40:52] The same yesterday, today and forever. Elsewhere we read, I am the Lord.

[41:04] I change not. Therefore, because of that, ye sons of Jacob, always notice when the Lord's people are described as Jacob, and when they're described as Israel, Israel speaks of the grace that is within them, their prayer wrestling.

[41:23] Jacob speaks of their backslidings, their sins. Ye sons of Jacob, not ye sons of Israel, ye sons of Jacob, are not consumed because I changed not.

[41:39] Well, may the Lord bless these things, and pardon anything we've said on this. Amen. Amen. let us conclude this service by singing the last hymn on the hymn sheet the last hymn on the hymn sheet a fullness resides in Jesus our head and ever abides to answer our need the Father's good pleasure has laid up his store a plentiful treasure to give to the poor verse 3 the first line the fountain off flows our woes to redress the last hymn on the hymn sheet a fullness reside in Jesus our head to Mother's good for near him the fourth question how sad he

[43:04] The power of pleasure has laid on his soul The plenitude for treasure to his own home Forget the awes we need not to care Now you must complain his mercy will hear His fullness shall hear the subundance of lies

[44:11] His mother shall cheer us when angels arise But how day of love, how long to impress Till all he gives the moon that prays some of grace His gifts in our fathers we daily receive He has a revenge for all that believe

[45:23] For heaven is grand Thou blakest us in earth Soft death in all ways Praise the Jesus Christ As you shall support us And silence have you O God For the love And service While Jesus While Jesus Is near When

[46:25] Troubles Again For danger or strife In our building's head And guard us through life And when we are fainting And ready to lie Whatever is walking His grace will supply Amen

[47:25] Lord, do grant us like precious faith With thy people of old And bring us safely to thy heavenly kingdom Be with us now as we go our various ways May we have grace to chew the car May thy word bring forth fruit In our lives Grant journey mercies without hindrance To each friend if it be thy will And prepare us for the morrow Whether we speak or hear By the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ The love of the Father And the communion of the Spirit Be with us Amen