Luke

[0:00] The End The End The End

[1:30] The End The End The End

[2:31] The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End

[3:46] The End The End The End The End The End In the Gospel According to The End The End Chapter 2 Chapter 2 And 4 words In verse 6 St. Luke's St. Luke's The 2nd chapter And 4 words In verse 6 And so it was And so it was And so it was We do well to remember the purpose for which Luke wrote this gospel. He declares it in the preface to the whole of it. He said, for as much as many have taken in hand,

[5:04] And so it was taken in hand, to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word.

[5:27] The certainty of the certainty of those things.

[6:04] In an uncertain world. In that wherein we find so much around that gives us much cause for fear. It is a blessed thing to realize where certainty got lies.

[6:24] And that certainty is indeed in one person and one person only. He who is the very word of God. And that that word cannot be broken. That not one jot or tittle of it shall have a ford of the ground.

[6:51] That this is the word that this is the word which is going to endure through all the ages. It is the ruler and the directive of all that which is relative unto the affairs of men. So long as this world existed.

[7:10] And then we come to ourselves and we ask, have I within my possession that certainty, that assurance.

[7:23] That assurance. Or I may continually give an over unto that where I would build at all the word of God by my unbelief, by my doubts, by my fears.

[7:39] Looking as it were unto myself. Looking unto that which is relative to the affairs of men.

[7:50] Instead of looking wholly unto him. By whom this world was created. And for whose glory that which is relative to the whole history of the world will eventually make known.

[8:11] For that which is contained within our text is the note of certainty and assurance. And it seems to me that in these days this note is sadly lacking.

[8:28] Even in them that profess to be Christians. The unbelief lies within us.

[8:39] And we have surely much need to pray. With one of old who is recorded in the gospel as so declaring, Lord I believe.

[8:51] Help thou mine unbelief. Yes. It is in that wherein he comes and he declares, if thou believest, all things are possible.

[9:07] And what a foundation. What a glorious certainty. He hath given to us in the word. That is unto them who hear, believe, and receive into their very heart.

[9:25] That wherein the word of God becomes the very foundation and mainstay of their life. If you are indeed regenerated by the Holy Spirit.

[9:39] You will have a spiritual thirst. And a spiritual hunger. And there is only one that can satisfy this. And that is he who is in truth.

[9:55] The word of God. It can be obtained from no other source. And you find within yourself. That there is a division.

[10:08] That there is a line. That is drawn. Between that which is relative unto yourself. And the things of God. And that your self has got to be crucified.

[10:22] It's got to be continually mortified. That you may find your life. Yea, that wherein the very substance of your existence is to be found.

[10:38] In the unbroken, sudden, and assuring word of God. He pointed this out unto the disciples, you know, when he was here upon us.

[10:51] In that oft-quoted chapter of the 14th chapter of St. John. He said, let not your heart be troubled. He knew his disciples well.

[11:06] He knew their hearts. He knew the thoughts that possessed them. He knew the many things that were against them. That arose out of the flesh and the food and the devil.

[11:18] But he told them. Let not your heart be troubled. Ye believe in God. Believe also in me.

[11:33] Yes. The unfailing. The unbreakable. Word of the covenant-keeping God. And it's all summed up in those words of our text.

[11:48] Four little words that they are. Yes. Only ten letters. And yet the very substance. The very foundation.

[12:01] Of all that wherein the hope of his people is concentrated. And let us remember that this hope is as an anchor of the soul.

[12:14] And it anchors into that which is within the veil. Whither the forerunner for us has entered. Even Jesus.

[12:25] Now. If I have that hope within my soul. Then I may say to my soul. Why art thou.

[12:38] Why art thou cast down O my soul. And why art thou disfrieted within me. Hope thou in God. For I shall yet praise him.

[12:50] Yes. There is no thought. In that which is relative to the eternal mind. Both in its declaration.

[13:03] And in the working out. Of that thought. Throughout the universe. In the ages. That can ever cause.

[13:16] That one word shall fail. In the book of Genesis. We have that note. Sounded right at the very beginning.

[13:27] In the first chapter. We have our text. As it were not reversed. But put. With these same four words.

[13:39] In the same truth. We read. We read. We read. Of God. How that he created. The heaven. And the earth. We read.

[13:50] Of how that he said. Let there be light. And there was light. Have you ever noticed. In that chapter. You have continually. The recurrence.

[14:02] Of these four words. God spake. God wrote. God spake. God wrought. God wrought. And it was so. That which was the outcome.

[14:17] Of the divine speech. Became a glorious. And a blessed reality. Yes. The word. The working of God.

[14:29] In the word. And the resultant effect. And it was so. And that is the same theme. That is continually.

[14:41] Proclaimed unto us. Through the whole. Of the word of God. You go to the old. Testament. You read. You read.

[14:52] The difficulties. Of Israel. You read. Of how. At times. They seemed. As though. They were going. To be swallowed up. Entirely.

[15:03] By their enemies. You ever noticed. How that in connection. With those scenes. Wherein. Failure. Seemed as it were. To have.

[15:15] Completely overtaken. That nation. That you have. These facts. Continually. Recorded. And. It came. To pass. The same sense.

[15:30] And it was so. Nothing. As it were. Could frustrate. The divine thought. Nothing. Could indeed. Bring to naught.

[15:41] That which was. Relative. To the truth. That he had uttered. Concerning that nation. God. God. Spake. God. Wrote. And.

[15:52] It came. To pass. The impossibility. As they appeared. Unto men. Become. As nothing.

[16:03] In relation. Unto. The almighty. Working. Of a covenant. Keeping. God. Whoever. Keepeth. Covenant. With his people.

[16:14] You go. To the. New Testament. Yes. We have read. The same language. Even in the lesson. That we have read. For our text. We read.

[16:27] Of certain events. And circumstances. We read. Of the movements. Of men. We read. Of their objectives. And.

[16:38] We find. That. Regarding. The enemies. Of. The Lord. Jesus. Christ. They are. All brought to naught.

[16:49] The. That. The truth. Of God. Prevails. So. What. Do we read. You read. It. All.

[17:00] Through. The. The. Scripture. Might. Be. Fulfilled. And. It was. Yes. Herod.

[17:11] And. Others. May. The. Deeds. Of. Destruction. Yet. That. Which. Is.

[17:22] The. Child. Is. Secured. Preserved. And. Maintained. Can. You. Not. See.

[17:33] That. Where. In. The. Can. You. Not. See. That. The. Expressed.

[17:44] For. Of. The. For. Of. The. For. The. The. Enemy. Our.

[17:55] Satan. May. Be. Very. Active. That. Arch. The. May. Indeed. Be.

[18:06] Filled. But. He. Fails. He. Doth. Not. Prevail. No. That. Which.

[18:17] Was. Recorded. Concerning. The. Word. Of. I. Mean. His. Design. Against.

[18:28] Peter. His. Determination. As. To. To. To. Be. A. Hypocrite. One.

[18:39] Who. Did. What. Did. The. Lord. Say. Concerning. It. He.

[18:50] Said. I. Have. Prayed. I. Have. Prayed. For. The. The. The.

[19:01] The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The.

[19:12] The. The. The. Could. Now. The. The. The. Thing. Thought.

[19:23] The. The. The. The. Started. The. trustworthy, but see how God so makes of him through that experience to be his foremost testifier on the day of Pentecost and raises him up to be a mighty opponent of the enemy and the triumphant victor in the gospel.

[19:54] Oh, we bless God for these truths, for so it was. And we come to the book of the Revelation, and we read in it.

[20:11] And when we come to the close of this sacred book, what is the last word that we read? It is, Amen.

[20:24] So it is. All that has been written. All that has been proclaimed. All that is going to be wrought out.

[20:39] All that is going to be brought to its end. So governed. So governed. Controlled. Regulated.

[20:50] By God. And his word. It is the Amen. God. And it is. No wonder the Apostle Paul said, May the word of God drill in you richly.

[21:09] In all wisdom. For if we have the word of God in drilling our hearts, then we shall know the meaning of our text.

[21:20] And so it was. You too may have your difficulties, your temptations, your trials, the times when you seem, as it were, to be utterly brought down to a felt sense of utter nothingness, having no strength, having within yourself no power.

[21:49] And where do you fall? Is it not that he may bring you to fall flat upon the rock of eternal truth, that you may realize the solidity of his divine word, that it was so?

[22:10] And so it is. Amen. Oh, then I say again, word to God that we had more within our hearts of the reality of the certainty and assurance that we might so trust in him and believe in him that everything else that is work and go, we can leave everything else.

[22:38] We know that the word which he hath spoken shall surely prevail. Oh, yes, we all have our difficulties. We all have our problems.

[22:52] We all have our nights of darkness. We all know what it is to go down into the depths of despondency. Yet, nevertheless, we have this wherein the light shine it forth.

[23:11] And that light is concerning the unutterable truth of a covenant-keeping God. What are your lessons in life?

[23:25] I was thinking in the interval of service of some of the lessons during the past year that the Lord, I believe, has been pleased to instruct me in. And I thank God for them.

[23:40] And I believe that the object of those lessons is to bring me down more and more that I may find in him a sure standing, that I may find in him the very object and basis of all true faith.

[23:57] And I think of the lessons that he has taught you to humble you and to prove you and to know what's in your heart.

[24:14] Yes. And what is the consequence of it all? You have said many a time, what I see not, teach thou me.

[24:30] Hasn't he taught you that wherein it is vain to lean upon yourself, to trust in yourself, to depend in any measure upon any of your profession.

[24:44] Yea, and I may say, even upon anything that relates unto one's ministry. And to simply come down to the base upon which the whole structure of divine truth is reared and erected.

[25:01] And to find in him that wherein truth prevails, and so it was. So, you see, we have in our text a fact set before us.

[25:20] It is a fact relating to the time of the birth of Christ. The timing. See how God works in that which is relative unto the affairs of men.

[25:35] They know not why they do certain things. They do not understand why certain impulses may take hold of them.

[25:46] And they do things that they have not premeditated. Now here was one who had sent out an order, a decree, that all the world should be taxed.

[26:03] That had never been known before, not even in that which was relative unto the Roman Empire. Yes, certain districts, certain places were indeed subject unto that enrollment.

[26:23] But now it is that the whole world should be enrolled. From whence came the thought? From whence at that very time did there come into the mind of Caesar Augustus such a proposition that he should enroll the whole world.

[26:48] It was all centered in that which was relative unto the birth. God overruled. God so moved that which was relative unto his mind and his thought, that whether he knew actually as to the purpose or the reason as to why he did it, yet it was brought into effect and so it came to pass.

[27:19] So it was. And therefore we have that which was relative unto the ordering of God's way relative unto the bringing of Mary and Joseph at the right time into a particular place.

[27:44] God's time is always right. It's always correct. God's timing in the affairs of his world is perfect.

[27:59] whatever we may think about it and God's timing in your life is perfect. He will so orderly then he will so direct all affairs that that which is relative to his purpose shall be brought to pass.

[28:25] his purposes shall ripen fast unfolding every hour and God is his own interpreter and he will make it plain.

[28:44] And so it was in the fact of the time in which this man was so moved so to order the enrolling of the world.

[28:58] And not only is it related to time but you have it likewise that so it was in regard to the place of Bethlehem.

[29:11] Would Joseph and Mary have come to that place if it had not been for that which was in conformity with the divine will of God?

[29:25] Had not God mocked it out? Had not God through the prophecies of old so determined that this thing should be so should be so how was it to be brought about?

[29:39] And we see here that so it was that God did so command that he did so bring forth that which was seemingly contrary unto all that would in worldly wisdom be esteemed than he used.

[30:02] He doth not use those things but he uses that which is relative to his own ordained instrumentality unto that end wherein the footsteps of Mary and Joseph shall be directed unto that place of which it hath been foretold that the Savior was there to be born.

[30:30] What a wonderful thing it is when you too can trace out in your own life that wherein God has so ordered your steps for the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and not only so but God delighted in his way and he will bring unto his own ordained place that which is relative unto yourself in that wherein he has prepared according to his word for you yes the promise of God cannot fail and so it was and here they are found at this place the fact is a fulfillment fulfillment to the full there is no detail left out no there is not a dotting of the eye or a frosting of the

[31:42] T that shall indeed be found missing in the wonderful orderings of divine providence and that wherein God so direct it their feet yes there is no room for him in the inn do you do you think that was simply as it were an event that seemed to be haphazard simply a simple fact in which they could not find any refuge or sanctuary there my friend that wherein God was sold to work his wondrous miracle concerning the incarnation was not to be made manifest in the midst of the ribald company of travelers and so forth it shall be found in that wherein the humbler and the poverty stricken state of

[32:46] Joseph and Mary shall indeed be discovered even as they take their place in an outer house I don't know why they talk of this being as it were amongst the cattle there is only one reason for it I suppose and that is because of the existence of the manger many myths as it were are built up upon the suppositions of men regarding these things but do we not as Christians look higher do we not see therefore what God's wonderful provision in that wherein in seclusion in quietness in peace there should be the bringing forth of that child that which related unto the end may indeed have the busy scenes of this life enacted in it but here is that which is far above all those things here is the truth and the fulfillment of that wherein life doth consist that which has been given by

[34:14] God and that which is brought forth by God and now made manifest the fulfillment and so it was and so when we talk of the fact of the fulfillment of what God had declared should be that which he brought to pass so we find the truth the truth as it is in Jesus we see it manifested we see it evidenced before us we look upon him and we see in him that wherein truth is personified that he is the very expression and manifestation of truth yes so it was my dear hero what a blessing if you are brought to the same spot and so to realize let every man be found as liars and only

[35:25] God be true that you are brought away from everything that relates to the flesh and to the carnal mind and so to behold in him that wherein there is the fullness and the perfection of truth one in whom there is no deception one who conveys no delusions but one who is a epitome and the substance of our divine truth yes the fulfillment she brought forth her son she brought forth her son no he never had an earthly father he had a heavenly father he was indeed in that which related unto the godhead of the same essence co equal and co eternal with the father and yet here is the fulfillment of a wonderful truth god god in the fullness of the times yes he brought forth his son and made him many thirst unto us the son conceived by the holy ghost within the womb of virgin mary it is the woman seed it is that wherein he assumes our nature our flesh yet without sin holy pure her yes because that which is conceived within her is of the holy ghost there's a wonderful truth you know in that which relates unto us which

[37:48] I hope as it were to just pass a point on later on but oh think of the wonder of it think of mary she knew that that which was relative to her was the work of God she knew the truth of it and you know if God is pleased to reveal his son in you you will marvel you will wonder at the truth that is so revealed and made manifest in him unto you and so it was the fulfillment the truth here is the arrival who is it none of

[38:50] God himself in the person of his son yes he who so from all eternity had indeed dropped in the eternal realms of glory yet nevertheless by reason of the love that he had for a people whom he would separate unto himself in this time state knowing their condition and their circumstances and the place that they had in this life came and entered into it that he might indeed so undertake for them that he might so represent them in that which was relative unto his own body of flesh that he might in that same body accomplish for them in his sinlessness in his holiness that which none other could possibly have done by reason of not being of such a nature and yet taken upon himself that which was the most hateful and obnoxious and that which he himself hated with all of the righteousness of

[40:16] God and yet he took it upon himself that the sins of this people should be laid upon him that is why he arrived and so it was God had declared this thing should be and it was so and it came to pass and here then is the visitor and the visitor appears who is this the word was made flesh and drought amongst us and we beheld his glory the glory of the only begotten of the father full of grace and of truth and of his fullness have all we received that is to all them that believe on him yes and grace the grace that is in all the abundance of that divine grace and that brings me to this the wonder of it all

[41:43] I see the time is out stripping me let me put a few seeds into your basket for you to take home and to muse about the wonder of it in knowing him the wonder of it in receiving him the wonder of it in the relationship that existed between him and you the wonder of his love and the wonder of possessing him Simeon knew it we read this morning mine eyes have seen thy salvation oh the wonder of it and so it was think of the certainty of it here he is in that human nature yet without sin in human ties having taken upon himself the nature of his children being found clothed with a body of flesh like unto them he unites himself unto his people he brings them into union with himself and that wherein that unity is so made known is unalterable and unchangeable and not all that may come into the lives of those that he represents shall ever cause him to cost them away yes he hated such an act as putting away no they are tied unto him in eternal tax certainty now

[43:57] I mentioned previously and I want just to bring this out that me it was wonderfully sweet in the night even as I was brought to thought upon him and blessed be God when he does visit you in the night seasons conceived in her by the holy ghost taken upon himself that which was relative to our nature suffering for us in that nature rising again in that nature in a glorified body ascending up to the right hand of the majesty on high conceived by the holy ghost that nature if the holy ghost indrills your heart if you are regenerated by the divine spirit then though you not like him may fall on sleep and see corruption yet nevertheless thy body shall yet again rise in union with his and you shall indeed be like him for you shall see him as he is oh if the holy spirit indrills me then the redemption of my body is sure and

[45:39] I shall rise in his glory not in that wherein he can so impart unto me that which is holy and utterly his own but in that wherein he giveth unto me that which he has purchased with his own blood whereby he has sanctified and separated me to all eternity unto himself and you who know somewhat of a new life that wherein God he grows you by his holy spirit remember as you may pass through the trials and the difficulties and temptations of life the subtlety and the assurance that wherein your interest being in him you will indeed even as

[46:45] Job declared that in my flesh shall I see God whom mine eyes shall behold and not another and so it was oh I feel it a good thing to end the year on the note of certainty and assurance it shall stand my dear here to the end of time and then at the end of time there shall be pronounced amen so it is amen men it to them and th them they'll and and and and and and the and next to

[47:59] Thank you.

[48:29] Thank you.

[48:59] Thank you.

[49:29] Thank you. Thank you.

[50:29] Thank you. Thank you.

[51:01] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[51:13] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[51:25] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[51:37] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[51:51] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. disponible a post-d overly And round him And round him And round him May the grace

[53:01] The love And the communion Of the father The son And the holy ghost Be with us each Now And evermore Amen No .

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[54:02] Thank you.

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[55:32] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[55:44] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[55:56] Thank you. Thank you.

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[57:28] Thank you.

[57:58] Thank you.

[58:28] Thank you. Thank you.

[59:28] Thank you. Thank you.

[60:00] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[60:40] I will exalt thee, I will exalt thee, exalt thee, my God. Thank you.