John

[0:00] trusting that the Lord might help us let us turn to the chapter that we read together the third chapter in John's Gospel and verse 8 verse 8 in the third chapter of John's Gospel the wind bloweth where it blister and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth so is every one that is born of the Spirit and it is the last phrase so is every one that is born of the Spirit there is a hymn in our book and the second verse begins am I quickened by His Spirit now as those who regularly read God's Word and hear the sermons preached upon it those that bend their knee in prayer who desire to worship in truth and in the Spirit this word is a most important one to us each one our Lord has said in the earlier verses except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God also except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God dear friend with those things that we have been privileged to know all our lives can we be satisfied in merely having the knowledge being acquainted with the form and come at that last hour the hour and article of death and to have nothing that hymn writer when he puts the question am I quickened by His Spirit searches every concerned soul or am I trust that there's not one amongst us this night that's not concerned by that question that it shall be something that waking daily it will be a concern to everyone am I quickened by His Spirit and there are other necessary questions also if one might add these two or three has the Lord done its work am I coming rightly is there fruit found you may say well are they necessary additions

[4:25] I believe they are the law is a schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ and dear friend if we have come in rightly we can only come in by Him for He is the door there are many that try and climb up another way but the Lord speaks very plainly concerning their thieves and robbers their desire is to kill and to plunder and if the Lord has done its work and we have come to Jesus and brought in by Him and through Him then there will be fruit honor and glory will accrue unto the Father's name and we shall fulfill the purpose which the covenant of grace determined before the world was they shall show forth my praise well if we are really concerned with these solemn matters get their sweet matter to a living soul you know a spirit born soul can grieve and at the same time rejoice

[6:03] I know there are those who suggest that we ought always to be happy and that we should never mention anything that has to do with sin sorrow trial affliction but what I mean when I say that a spirit wrought soul can both grieve and rejoice at the same time think of the apostle Paul oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord and I believe that's the life of the spirit wrought children they know what it is to have to grieve and at the same time rejoice now our

[7:11] Lord speaks in this verse fundamental matters and he himself describes in terms that we may understand the evidence and the manner of the spirit work the wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth so is everyone that is born of the spirit now if we stood outside and everything was absolutely still and calm there was no sound nothing moved we should be foolish to say that the wind blows for we have no evidence for what we say there's nothing that it can be established by and yet we can stand outside and it appears calm still we can't feel a breath of wind upon our cheek but if we hear the sound of a leaf rustling or if we see a faint movement in that leaf we can say and rightly so with evidence the wind blows we're not able to discover what it last blew upon or what it shall next blow upon that we have that evidence before it and our lord says and when you consider it it is a most important word and thou hearest the sound thereof so is everyone that is born of the spirit we know we know that the spirit office is to take of the things of

[9:48] Jesus and reveal them to us those earlier words the wind bloweth where it listed and discloses unto us that it is when where and as he pleases not according to your determination or desire we cannot call it forth neither can we prevent it or hinder it because we know not whence it cometh or whither it goeth it is important that we are clear on this matter because there are those in the established churches who state and deceive at the same time that by taking up a child and bringing it to the baptismal font and sprinkling with water that child is made one of the living family of God by the

[11:14] Holy Spirit now I want to put it plainly to you can that accomplish the work which our Lord has described here and which he declares is applicable to everyone that is born of the Spirit not some of them everyone you might just well say that the minister that stands beside the font can go outside and on a day when there is no wind call it forth and it's a deception it's a lie here our Lord the eternal son who alone knoweth the father and hath seen the father who from all eternity was in the father's bosom he declares the manner of the spirit's working you know we ought to take more notice of these things that are written the word says to us how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation but you know there is an awful neglecting amongst us each a neglecting of those things which he who is the faithful messenger but declared unto us don't we often find in many of our circumstances we sigh because if only we could depend upon the word of this or that man or this or that society or this or that group of people nations there is no trust and dependence in any at one time perhaps it was possible to find those in business whose word was their bond how rare it is today but consider here we have the word of him who is the faithful messenger who declares all the things that the father has told him given unto him

[14:12] I have declared them unto you well this wind here is a very gentle wind we know that in the days of the prophets the Lord was not in the whirlwind the word that is used means he was in the silence in the quiet and I believe that when the Lord the Spirit works within the hearts of his people it is a gentle work and perhaps it in my experience is most easily explained by this it is a growing persuasion you know when the leaf moves it doesn't move of itself there is that which makes it to move and

[15:35] I believe it's so in the experience of a living soul that the almighty invincible power of almighty God operates not to destroy the hurricane would come and strip the leaves from the tree the gentle breeze that is so gentle that he can hardly be determined it moves it moves in spite of the deadness and the inability to move that is in the leaf and isn't it so with you and me there is a gradual awakening a gradual persuading and in these operations of the Holy Spirit oh there are many many bitter things that have to be learned oh we have tried to speak about those things and

[16:48] I have no desire to go over any of that which was said recently but there are in God's word those parables which our Lord himself set before us and I would encourage any who truly seek to know the answers and the evidences to these searchings which are by the Spirit is to go unto what the word of God has said see what Jesus had to say about it because I believe this that all spirit wrought persuasions rest in the belief the trust and the conviction of the veracity that is the truth and the grace of

[18:04] God's word and works when the apostle Paul was enabled to say I am persuaded and you know all those things that he had to say the catalogue of things which he declared could not prevent or separate or cause to cease his persuasion was of the love of God toward him in Christ Jesus and the persuasions rested upon the veracity and his dependence upon the truth of God's word and works here is a word to take and rest upon and if there is a persuasion brought within your soul by the

[19:13] Holy Spirit dear friend you can live on this and you can die on it for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation now the spirit your soul rests upon these truths it rests upon the works for God sent his son into the world dear friend we haven't seen him but we believe it and we see thereby the love of God unto us in the covenant and his love unto us in his great compassion before he laid down his life for the sheep we read in

[20:31] God's word of a man that had two sons sons he he doesn't declare one to be the older and the other the younger just two sons and he went unto the first and he said son go to work in my vineyard and he answered I will not and he went unto the second and said likewise son go today and work in my vineyard and he said I go sir and went not now we have two classes of people set before us and yet in the prime state they are exactly the same the first song to whom he spoke spurned his commandment his commandment he rejected his father's will and rebelled against his father's authority the second the second though he pretended to be obedient yet in actual fact he was exactly the same as the first he spurned the father's commandment he rejected his will and refuted and refuted the father's right and sovereignty and authority over him to direct him so that in all things thus far they were the same if you think of what God has said concerning mankind the Lord looked down from heaven and what was his judgment of all mankind there is none righteous no not one all that we shan't say within ourselves that I'm not as bad as this man

[23:16] I've never done this I've never done that think of those two sons the one rebelled openly the one pretended that their hearts were the same dear friend don't you think the Lord knows your heart and my heart what was in it its response unto his word and his will and commandment the rejections the denials the refusions and rebellion that have issued forth from us year after year whether we openly rebelled or whether we pretended and were in form and what a solemn thing it is to be left to that but we see there is something that makes a difference in the heart of the first for though he said

[24:28] I will not he afterward repented and went now you want to know that he is one of the evidences of those that are brought upon of the spirit of God well it's there though with all there are sinners yet there is a moving and a teaching and a teaching and a instructing by the holy spirit so that afterward they repent now we can't repent until we're brought to see these things first of all the rightness of the father's claim upon us that father had the right to say unto his son son go work in my vignette i wonder whether we truly acknowledge that he who made us has a sovereign right to govern us perhaps one of the greatest objections that rise up in the hearts of men is to acknowledge that almighty god has a right to set rules upon us to govern us to make demands upon us if you make something even when we were children if we made a sand castle and we turned it out upon the beach and made another and another if someone tried to step upon them we immediately said that's mine why because you made it and at the same time if you made one that you didn't like you trotted down yourself why because you made it you claimed the right because you made it now now if you can claim a right over those things that you make shall you deny the same right to him who made us all who made all things were it it is written concerning him there is nothing made without him all things that are made were made by him there is a very sweet couplet that

[28:22] I believe the spirit Lord soul enters into from time to time it may be different in one experience from another experience but they still know the blessings of the place and the couplet that I refer to is this sweet to lie passive in his hand and know no will but thine so is everyone that is born of the spirit now this first son though he said no afterwards he repented and in that state of contrition and repentance consider where he was sweet to lie passive in his hand and know no will but thine he first of all acknowledges now the father's claim and the father's wrong he doesn't feel a sense of self satisfaction because of it rather is he grieved and ashamed because that he has previously slighted the father's will and

[29:53] I believe if you and I are wrought upon of the holy spirit we shall know what it is to be ashamed and at the same time to rejoice in as much as he has had mercy upon us now that young man not only repented he went he was subject to his father's will in every respect I wonder whether we truly appreciate when we talk about obedience that spirit wrought obedience cannot and will not differentiate between one commandment of the father and another and our example is Christ and he declares

[31:03] I delight to do thy will oh God he doesn't say I delight to do that which suits me I delight to do thy will in its entirety in its purity in its love in its grace in its power and in its glory okay and there for peace that us the Lord's people if we are wrought of the Spirit like that young man he was made willing to leave all his own ideas all his own opinion all his own judgment all his own standards all his own preferences for he repented and went now the other son there was no way that he could be found in the vineyard except by repenting of his word and of his state and of his actions but devoid of the Holy Spirit he is not able so to do except a man be born again oh this is that which is needful you see it doesn't matter what he might say it doesn't matter what he might think he cannot be found rightly in the vineyard he may even make assumptions and to make a show turn round and go but he's not there rightly because his heart's not right he does not accept acknowledge and labour in that relationship which is between the father and himself you see

[33:42] I believe the first son when that change was wrought in him was ashamed acknowledged the father's right and in acknowledging the father's right saw the real relationship that existed between them perhaps I've told you I don't know I can't remember but oh many years ago that word in Jeremiah searched me for oh such a long while and it is a question that the Lord himself asked by the mouth of the prophet how shall I put thee among the children and I couldn't see a way no inventions of mind determinations of will nothing could answer that question but you know the Lord answers it himself and he alone is able and he is alone able to accomplish that which is necessary for he says thou shall call me my father and here we see that first son truly saying my father previously he had been as nothing in his eye but now by his spirit by his activities by his intention he declares my father you know it is a wondrous thing if the

[35:39] Lord comes and brings us into those places where under the tender ministrations of his love he so changes our heart renews the will and turns the feet to Zion's hill brings us to say not in word only but in revelation by the spirit and with desire my father I sometimes think after those experiences a little in common with the hymn writer that said my God my father blissful name oh may I call thee mine may I with sweet assurance claim a portion so divine and when the

[36:49] Lord is pleased to make it known do you know it is to be ashamed and at the same time to rejoice you know there is only one hymn that really answers for me in these things and it's one that I have to sing from time to time thy mercy my God is the theme of my song the joy of my heart and the boast of my song if there was no mercy there'd be no place no hope no relationship no accomplishing of all these things but in his mercy oh it's sweet to dwell upon that mercy and especially in these things as they're made known for

[37:55] Christ is declared to be the mercy promised well that first son repented and went and the second oh how solemn you see the Lord speaking unto these that were gathered round about and declares that the harlots and the publicans go into heaven before you now he says as it were that the first son depicts the publicans and the harlots yes they were rebels they were outcast by reason of their behavior but mercy lighted upon them and the renewed of the holy spirit they are brought upon and the blessings of the kingdom afforded unto them oh that we shan't be left merely to have that spirit and that state of mind that will say i go and our heart is not in it our spirit is not right our affections are not taken up because consider what the conclusion of this chapter says he he that believeth not the son shall not see life for the wrath of

[39:55] God abideth upon him the wrath of God is upon all who have sinned but it will abide throughout a never ending eternity upon those that are not wrought upon of the spirit of God now it may be that these things bring a question into the mind of song and I heard this matter brought up many times well if the Lord does not work in me it isn't my fault and something to make excuse we shall not be judged because the Lord did or did not give us grace our judgment and the judgment of all mankind will be upon this ground we believed or we believed not the record that

[41:11] God gave of his son for he that believeth not hath made God alive for consider he declared this is my beloved son hear him oh what solemn things for we to whom these things are spoken and not once but hundreds and thousands of times dear friend if you feel an inadequacy if you feel to lack these things and would be possesses problem don't sit in apathy and don't sit to make excuse I believe that where there is an understanding and a desire there'll be much energy in prayer for the obtaining of these things you see if there is a persuasion in your heart of the rightness of what

[42:29] God has said if you believe his word if you know in your own soul conviction of sin and believe the works that are wrought of Jesus Christ then there is the evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit in each of those things don't try and set down lines and standards the wind bloweth where it listed thou hearest the sound thereof so is everyone that is born of the Spirit oh it is a favored place to have heard and to be moved by the things that you have heard go unto the Lord and ask for more for more grace for more of his

[43:29] Spirit he will not withhold he will not reject rather does he say oh everyone that thirst come ye and may there be that desire in each one of us more and more diligently and urgently to wait upon him for in waiting upon him in prayer in supplication and then for the fulfillment of the things that he has promised we have the evidence for so is everyone that is born of the Spirit may the Lord have his blessing Amen