[0:00] With the Lord's help, I will speak to you once again this evening from the Gospel according to Matthew, chapter 28, reading verses 18, 19 and 20.
[0:21] So, the closing chapter in the Gospel according to Matthew, and the last three verses in the chapter.
[0:37] And Jesus came, and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
[0:57] Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.
[1:30] And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
[1:47] The way which this word rests on my spirit for today is in three different ways, but three connected ways.
[2:05] First of all, all power is given unto me. Second, go ye therefore.
[2:17] Third, I am with you. In other words, the divine power of a risen almighty Savior, his commandment to go, and the gracious promise of his abiding presence.
[2:42] Now, I tried to speak to you this morning of how it comes in its context. The risen Savior, on the mountain, where he had appointed the meeting with his disciples, and then the things he said.
[3:01] The commission, to preach the everlasting gospel, to make disciples of all nations. as the head of the church, his divine appointment.
[3:16] Believer's baptism, for those who have been made true disciples by the Holy Ghost. The sacred Trinity, the Father and the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
[3:32] the many things, that the people of God must be taught to observe. So, this morning, it was in the context, and it was especially opening up, as it affected, the fulfilling of it, in the preaching of the everlasting gospel, to the end of time, and God's blessing resting upon it.
[4:03] Now, I think I said at the beginning this morning, that this word, primarily, immediately, was spoken, to ministers of the gospel.
[4:15] even more than that, to the apostles. But not only to them, not just to them, in a sense, to all the people of God, right down to the end of time.
[4:38] Go, ye, therefore. there are many ways, that the Lord's people have to go.
[4:50] Redeemed by His blood, and called by His grace. There are many ways, that they have to go.
[5:02] But when the Lord leads them in those ways, bids them walk in those ways, ever remember, that He's the Almighty Savior.
[5:15] All power is given to Him, in heaven and earth, and He is graciously promised to be with them.
[5:28] All power is given unto me, in heaven and in earth. Go, ye, therefore.
[5:39] there is one way, in which, all God's people, in all ages, are called to walk.
[5:51] And that is, the pilgrimage to heaven. That is, the narrow way, which leads to heaven. heaven. And when the Lord, in love and mercy, calls a sinner, by His grace, He puts His feet in that way, and He says, go ye, therefore.
[6:15] And there isn't any shortcut. He has that way to walk out. He has that way to walk out. And it's a rugged way.
[6:27] And He's weak, and helpless, and unworthy, and sinful, and liable to fall. And He knows it, and He feels it. And He has an unbelieving heart.
[6:40] And He has a tempting, opposing devil. And He has the world, either against Him, or alluring Him. And the Lord says, go ye, therefore.
[6:58] So the apostle says, did Jesus, that He might sanctify the people, with His own blood, suffer without the gate, did He?
[7:14] Let us therefore go forth, unto Him, without the camp, though bearing His reproach.
[7:25] For here with no continuing city, that we seek one to come, all power is given unto me, in heaven and in earth.
[7:41] Go ye, therefore. Sometimes, that narrow way, which leads to heaven, instead of being talked of, as a pilgrimage, is spoken of, as a fight.
[7:57] In other places, it is spoken of, as a race. And in yet other places, it is spoken of, as a heavenly voyage. Oh, but you see, our complete, and absolute insufficiency, and yet the Lord says, go ye, therefore.
[8:22] It is leaving the world behind, forever. It is pressing on, towards the mark, for the prize, of the high calling, of God, in Christ Jesus.
[8:36] And at times, you'll be tempted, to sink, to give you dull up, to turn back, and Jesus Christ, your Father's Son, bids you, and His maid, go on.
[8:49] And the only reason, you can go on, all power, is given unto me, in heaven and earth. It's not given to Satan. It's not given to the world.
[9:01] Oh, but it's given to the Savior. And that power, is put forth, on behalf of, His beloved people, to help them along, and to support them, and keep them, and bring them safely through.
[9:23] He says, no, I am with you. There are many against you, without and within, but, lo, I am with you, always, even unto the end.
[9:43] Go ye therefore. So, what does living faith say? The way the holy prophets went. The road that leads from banishment.
[9:56] The king's highway of holiness. I'll go, for all his paths, at our pace. Are you familiar with that, very, very interesting, passage in, the prophecy of Zechariah, chapter 8?
[10:17] Those days of real prosperity, when the people of one city, shall say, to another, let us go up, speedily, to the house of the Lord.
[10:30] And then we have this, I will go also. I wonder if someone here, who echoes that word, you see the Lord's people, in love and mercy, going after Christ, of necessity, fleeing for refuge, to him, leaving the world, leaving it forever.
[10:54] You see them, the great cloud of witnesses. And through grace, by faith, you say, humbly, yet willingly, I will go also.
[11:06] All power is given unto me, in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore. Now, as you journey along, in this pilgrimage, as you go, therefore, at times, there will be, special ways, in which the Lord, leads you.
[11:37] Perhaps you never thought, you were going to be led this way, but it's go ye therefore. I mean, how many of our old people, they never thought, they would end up their days, in the Bethesda home.
[11:52] Many have found, completely new things, in their circumstances. They know what that word means, ye have not passed, this way, heretofore.
[12:06] And, sometimes, the Lord, leads his people, in a special pathway. Sometimes, it's with our, young people.
[12:17] when they're leaving home, or they're going to college, or there's a decision, or there's some work, with older ones.
[12:31] At times, there comes a disappointment, a change in circumstances. And you're walking some way, you haven't walked this way before.
[12:43] And then there are times, carrying a burden. Those with responsibility, in the church. The parents, with little children.
[12:56] And, the Lord is, saying, go ye therefore. Sometimes, he stirs up your nest. You're settled on your leaves, you're settled in your nest. He stirs it up, and, well, you've got to go forth.
[13:09] Go ye therefore. Go ye therefore. But when the Lord leads you forth, by a way, you've never walked before, or there's some special burden, in providence, or in grace, in your home and family, or in the church of God, he says, all power is given to me.
[13:36] And he puts a therefore. Go ye therefore. Apart from this, you couldn't. And you mustn't. But go ye. He didn't just say, go ye. He says, go ye therefore.
[13:54] Go ye therefore. Why? Because you're helpless and incapable, but God isn't. The Lord Jesus isn't. He's almighty.
[14:04] He says, all power is given unto me in heaven and earth. Go ye therefore. And then he says, I will be with thee. Though I am with you, all way, even to the end.
[14:22] All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore. Go ye therefore.
[14:32] So, I read you this evening concerning Gideon. Now the Lord clearly and definitely directed him in a new path, in a new way, that he never walked before, and he never thought he would walk, and he felt it was completely impossible.
[14:58] He felt he was unworthy. He felt he was weak. He felt he was sinful. He felt he was helpless. What did the Lord say to him?
[15:12] Go in this thy might. Have not I sent thee. It's not just go.
[15:24] It's in this thy might. It's the very same point, the very same principle we have here. Go, but all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
[15:41] Go in this thy might. Have not I sent thee. You know, beloved friends, there's a New Testament counterpart to this.
[15:52] When the Apostle Paul is speaking to his son in the faith, Timothy, and Timothy felt his weakness and helplessness and unworthiness and unfitness, and the Apostle said, Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
[16:26] Be strong well, poor Timothy thought, I'm anything but strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
[16:38] All power is given unto me. Go ye therefore.
[16:50] And how many have proved that word? I will go in the strength of the Lord.
[17:01] All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and lo, I am with you. But as the Lord leads his people forth, in that narrow way, that pilgrimage will lead to heaven, and sometimes a new pathway, and sometimes a pathway of responsibility.
[17:27] there are times with all God's people when he leads them into the path that their flesh would rather not walk in.
[17:40] That of sorrow, bereavement, loneliness, disappointment, trouble, and the flesh shrinks from it.
[17:57] You feel something like Samuel did when he was commanded by Almighty God to go to the house of Jesse the Bethlehemite and there to anoint one of his sons to be king.
[18:19] And poor Samuel shrank from it. He said, How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he'll kill me. It's impossible.
[18:31] I can't go. How can I go? And perhaps you feel that sometime. you've got deep waters before you.
[18:43] How can I go? You're walking in the midst of trial. How can I go? You can sympathize with Samuel. He was a godly man.
[18:56] Oh, but when the Lord told him that this is the way walking in it, he said, How can I go? But you know what happened? He did go. Didn't he?
[19:06] And it's a mercy he did. Because, you know, the result of it. A young boy taken from among the flock and anointed as Israel's king.
[19:20] David, the shepherd boy. There was a very good and blessed outcome of Samuel's obedience of faith. All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
[19:38] Go ye therefore. But you know, many of the Lord's people, it's not just like Samuel.
[19:51] They sometimes say, How can I go? But sometimes they ask that question and they put a little word at the end. They say, How can I go on?
[20:04] How can I go on? I believe many of the Lord's people come there.
[20:16] Many of his servants come there. That weary mother. That aged one. That one with illness and affliction.
[20:28] That one with difficulties is before you. A young people in some of the terrible pressures. How can I go on?
[20:39] Well, this is it. All power is given unto me in heaven and earth. You are weak, but your Saviour and God isn't weak. He's almighty. How can I go on?
[20:51] All power is given unto me in heaven and earth. Go ye therefore. And we have that little word to it. Go on therefore, Jesus Christ.
[21:04] Your Father, Son, bids you and is made. Go on. All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
[21:24] The wonderful thing is that the Lord Jesus is almighty, but he has a gracious ability to communicate divine strength.
[21:40] If you read that wonderful 40th chapter of Isaiah, it's a great chapter on the omnipotence, the greatness of God.
[21:52] As you read on through the chapter, well, that divine almighty power of almighty God is for his people, not against them.
[22:04] And then at the end, he gives this power to the faint, to him that hath no might, he increases strength.
[22:17] So that's it. All power is given unto me in heaven and earth. Go ye therefore.
[22:29] Go on therefore. because this glorious God and the saviour who possesses all power is going to give power to you.
[22:42] He's promised it. He giveth power to the faint. Power so that you can continue. Power so that you can go on.
[22:53] Power so that you don't sink. So there's that blessed relationship between this fact that the one who speaks to you has all power and the commandment he gives.
[23:10] Go ye therefore. And if he gives more power, he giveth more grace. And that's what we need.
[23:21] He has a wonderful fullness of grace and power. All our springs are in him and he giveth more grace. He's never the worst for it.
[23:33] And he gives more strength but he's never the weaker for it. You see there's a living union here between an almighty saviour and a helpless sinner.
[23:46] Jesus Christ your father son bids you and his maid go on. All power is given unto me. Go ye therefore. So we have that beautiful word seeing that we have a great high priest.
[24:04] It's the same glorious person this almighty saviour who has all power. Seeing we have a great high priest who is passed into the heavens.
[24:15] Jesus the son of God let us hold fast our profession. It's the same truth. There's a union between heaven and earth and almighty saviour and a helpless sinner.
[24:30] And see here's this unworthy sinner and he's called to hold fast his profession and how can he hold fast his profession? And we have solemn words like these we are made partakers of Christ if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end.
[24:54] But how can I hold it fast? How can I hold fast my profession? There's a great and glorious high priest in heaven. His name Jesus the son of God and he's a great high priest great in his power and great in his love.
[25:18] But there's a connection a vital a virtual connection. Whatever this sinner needs is provided in that great high priest. Whatever this sinner needs is supplied by this great high priest.
[25:36] Go on therefore all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and lo I am with you always.
[25:50] You know the Lord Jesus didn't use words artificially or anything. Lo sometimes he says behold there's always something vital to follow.
[26:02] Lo I am with you always. That means at all times times of sorrow times of joy that means all the way all this pilgrim way you have to walk out.
[26:32] Go thou thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock. Follow them as they follow Christ. All power is given unto me in heaven and earth.
[26:44] Go ye forth therefore by the footsteps of the flock and lo I am with you always even unto the end.
[26:56] You know there's another word spoken of the Lord Jesus which concludes even unto the end. And the two are joined together and the other one is this.
[27:13] Having loved his own who were in the world he loved them even to the end and here lo I am with you always even unto the end and the one is the foundation of the other the one is built upon the other it's because he loves his people to the end that he's with them to the end.
[27:45] You know one of our little hymns finishes my soul O Lord to thee I therefore now commend since Jesus having loved his own will love them to the end and lo I am with you always even unto the end of the world the sweet assurance of his presence lo I am with you at all times in all circumstances despite your sin despite your back sliding when you feel it when you don't feel it the Lord is always with his people he said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee what a mercy under times when the
[28:52] Lord's people sweetly experience and feel his gracious presence and his peace one thing is this when the way is rough lo I am with you always my grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness another thing is this when you fear the unknown way my presence shall go with thee and I will give thee rest all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth go ye therefore and though I am with you but how many of the Lord's people they fear the unknown way tomorrow what it holds next week the coming months things you have written in your diary those mountains those deep waters and over above it all how will thou do in the swellings of
[30:11] Jordan which is at the end of the unknown way for each one of us how wilt thou do in the swellings of Jordan perhaps someone here says oh that in Jordan's swellings I may be helped to sing and pass the river telling the triumphs of my king but there is the unknown way before you and what a word that is behold he goeth before you the risen saviour this one who says all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth behold he goeth before you into Galilee if you will the Galilee of the unknown way there shall ye see him lo I have told you when he putteth forth his own sheep he goeth before them and the sheep follow them all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth go ye therefore and lo
[31:27] I am with you always so I am with you always to uphold you in the trying hour I am with you always to bring you safely through I am with you always to give you strength equal to you a day for thy shoes shall be iron and brass and as thy days so shall thy strength be I am with you always to supply all your need great and small providence and grace
[32:29] Jehovah Jireh the Lord will provide my God shall supply all your need all of it according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus all power is given unto me go ye therefore and lo I am with you always even unto the end of the world we speak of this as a promise don't we we know what we mean and God's faithfulness to his promise but really it's more than a promise the Lord Jesus doesn't just say I will be with you he says lo
[33:30] I am I am with you I am with you now and right at the very end it will still be this I am with you lo I am with you always even unto the end of the world as a king to rule over you and defend you as a shepherd to lead and feed and guide you as a savior to forgive you as a great high priest to wash you in his precious blood so we might go on with all his glorious offices and all his attributes I am with you in love I am with you in compassion I am with you in mercy but of course the emphasis here
[34:32] I am with you in divine almighty power so if God be for you who can be against you lo I am with you in one sense the Lord's presence is the greatest of all blessings what do I mean by that and why do I say if you have the presence of the Lord Jesus you have the Lord Jesus himself not just his blessings you have the Savior himself lo I am with you always even unto the end of the world amen it's the end of the chapter it's the end of the verse it's the end of the book amen but it's more than that all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth go ye therefore and lo
[35:45] I am with you always even unto the end of the world amen there's nothing else that needs to be said there's nothing more that can be said what more can he say than to you he has said amen amen so let it be that's the cry of every living soul but there's a response from heaven and it's this amen so shall it be lo I am with you always even unto the end of the world amen