Matthew

[0:00] The Lord shall help this evening. You will find the text in the 28th chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew and the latter part of the 20th verse. Matthew 28 and the latter part of the 20th verse. Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

[0:38] Matthew 28 and the latter part of the 20th verse. Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

[0:54] These words, friends, dropped as I walked from the vestry to the pulpit here this evening.

[1:08] I told our friends in the vestry I knew not what to read. As I walked then from the vestry to the pulpit, they seemed to drop low.

[1:21] Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. I do sincerely hope and trust there is a divine purpose.

[1:39] You know, we don't get weight. We don't go down into the depths. We don't have to travel thoroughly ground. We don't have to experience an uphill journey unless the Lord is pleased to bless.

[1:59] That's just how I felt for an hour or two before this service. There are blessings, rich and free, that reside in our precious Jesus.

[2:18] You'll just thank office. How precious he is. We cannot seemingly begin to consider the preciousness of a precious Christ.

[2:33] But I believe there are those, and I hope not a few before me, who have experienced just a little of his preciousness.

[2:47] You can look back in your soul's experience and point to the place where he has been precious, where he has manifested his precious presence.

[3:06] You may have had a tempting Satan. You may have had that within yourself since, which may say, ah, would it true?

[3:22] Could such a thing be true? Could he be precious to such a poor sinner as me? Could he be precious?

[3:59] à separates. blah, blah, blah. Twenty-nine, strings B punkt. Therefore, his preciousness is right the way through. Oh, that we could see more of it and experience more of it.

[4:16] Lord, I am with you. One of you may be saying, or perhaps more this evening, these words were given to the disciples. As they as the Lord Jesus Christ sent them forth to preach to teach and to baptize they were truly they were but I believe they are given as the Lord applies them to every child of God love I am with thee think for a moment as the Lord shall help us what a blessed gracious presence you and I have if we belong to this people. There may be one before me asking the question do I belong to this people? Am I his or none? Can I expect the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in life's journey in my soul's experience? To whom then has the Lord been pleased to reveal himself as the great I am to his people? To the Israelites the true Israelites those who are born again those who are brought into the family of the living God and how this promise the promise of God's presence has been handed down right through the ages given to Abraham given to Jacob handed down again and again

[6:39] Abraham went home and he knew not where he was going there may be one here this evening like Abraham you've gone home and you're wondering perhaps even though where the scene will end I believe we said yesterday sometime you may be like those disciples or like the Israelites you may have entered the cloud you've gone home seemingly the Lord has opened a door for you the Lord has drawn you and now you wonder where you are where the scene will end Abraham child of God dear hear the Lord has said

[7:49] I will be with you Lord I am with you and how as the Lord was preparing Joshua for the what he had before him how the Lord so graciously spoke and handed down that promise as I was with Moses so I will be with thee you cannot dear child of grace dispute it it's a word of eternal life the God of heaven the authority of no land than the Holy Spirit and this I am of whom we have in the times promised

[8:52] Moses promised Joshua not to fail nor forsake you you're the failing creature you're the forsaking creature but not him you can never charge a precious Jesus with failing you can never charge a precious Jesus with forsaking did he fail the disciples when the wind arose when the storm arose there may be there may be one before me now on a high sea you may have winds you may have storms they may seem to hold around you and you may feel the next wave will come right over you

[10:02] Jesus was a slave did he fail his dear disciples did he forsake them no no the Lord God of heaven and earth he was with them but friend they had to come to this place and I believe a few of you know what it is to come to that place save us save Lord or we perish the dear psalmist said save me why because the waters were coming to his soul love I am with you always how the

[11:05] Lord Jesus Christ arose and he rebuked the wind and the waves what did he say to his disciples why are ye so fearful why may be a fearful one before me this evening I know what it is why are ye so fearful why if it was possible you cast your trouble into a lapis of one near to you you cast your trouble upon another one but you cannot it's your trouble it's your sorrow it's your anxiety it's you Lord

[12:08] I am with you and what did the disciples say what have you had to say or maybe a poor soul now travelling this way what manner of man is this what manner of man is this that crooked way has been made trace the rough way it may play what love I am with you and dear Joshua you know as the Lord handed down that promise Moses encouraged him the Lord he it is that doth go before me

[13:08] I remember going to preach some years ago to Allington in Wiltshire and as I was going over the downs begging the Lord for a time those words brought the Lord he it is that doth go before me I remember saying to the Lord then in the car Lord what is it what is it before me I began to tremble and wonder what it was what is before me love I am with you I did I hope as the spirit helped me try to preach an old word but on the

[14:11] Tuesday evening whilst I was getting ready to preach at home I had a message to say that my mother was dying suddenly and before I reached only a few moments she was gone I loved her with a blow to me but I felt friends in that very room the Lord here it is that doth go before me I said to my father brother and sister as we looked upon her let's pray and I felt the presence of God in that room the room of death a loved one being taken love

[15:16] I am with you what a mercy it is if we can feel and if the Lord in his mercy and grace speaks to our soul the Lord he it is love I am with you Joshua you know it wasn't all plain sailing it wasn't a rosy path as the world would paint it he had his troubles he had his anxieties he had the walls of Jericho there may be one before me this evening with the walls of Jericho stoves well grounded a good foundation they were there before him would the

[16:31] Lord lead him thus far and leave love I am with him and how he proved to Joshua and to the children of Israel his presence there is there something hard before you the very impossible do you stand this evening friend on the brink of it and view it how were the walls of Jericho broken how did they fall out by the power of God I believe and I hope a few of you here this evening have seen a few walls fall down taken down or you may have said perhaps within yourself it's more than I can bear more than I can face how the

[17:47] Lord proved love I am with and you know the history the story of how the walls of Jericho they just fell down just fell down there is nothing too hard for the Lord but oh we have to come to those places we have to come to those spots when he shall have all the glory we want we want a little bit to ourselves we try and put our shoulder to the wheel we try and help ourselves but the Lord will bring you to this place where your boots will get so heavy with a miry clay you won't be able to pick them up they become heavier and heavier and what does a poor soul say

[19:00] Lord help me love I am with you if ever by the grace of God you've been able to say Lord help me you've had one with you you haven't done it yourself reduce the self despair then the poor soul cries out and seeks after the presence of God Lord I am you and so would you go on in the case of Joshua and the children of Israel we have it well summed up in Psalm 107 how way were how they sought after the flesh yet again and again then they cried unto the

[20:08] Lord didn't cry before they were in distress today they could help themselves before love I am with them he was with them in their cry he indicted their cry that real cry is the cry indicted by the Holy Spirit and oft times these Holy Spirit cries they're not long cries no you know sometimes dear David he had to walk he had to experience that Psalm where he cried out for his sins he had to walk in that Psalm before he could come to some of the other

[21:10] Psalms so you but in confession parse me with this wash me night with white in the snow lo I am with you with you in confession he had to walk in this Psalm before he could say praise ye the Lord the dear apostle he knew the Sabbath of Romans before he came to the age people put these things backwards sometimes oh wretched man as I am was the Lord with him was the Holy Spirit with him yes he put the cry in he revealed to the man what he was dear

[22:16] Paul could go on to say after that all things work together for good love I am with you I am with you after he knew the wretchedness and spoke with his own heart then the Lord lifted him as it were up into that place all things work together for good to them that love God to those who are cold oh the cold ones you may be saying worries me causes me much sorrow I am thankful for those I tell you for why because there is life there a dead soul feels nothing to these a dead soul may be able to use a lot of well groomed language and perhaps repeat much scripture in him but a living soul knows what it is to cry and that cry

[23:39] I believe is in the ears of one who said love I am with you is there then a way before you is there a problem before you is there a difficult place before you you may have opposition you may be walking in a place where it seems as opposition is coming through every corner and you may say to yourselves can this be the way of a child of God can this be the way the Lord leads his people he led them forth by a right way by a right way they might go to to a city of habitation

[24:52] I did say yesterday I felt much of light Jesus said in the world ye shall have tribulations you you won't escape it you may try to you may try and undermine it you may try and scale above it you won't escape tribulations and those of you before me and I hope that not a few of you know what it is hasn't been in tribulations past when you felt the Lord's presence hasn't he held you up you've had kind friends you've had loving friends they've done all in their power to help you but you better go a step further beyond all the help of kind friends and in that step that very step you felt the presence of one who said

[26:15] Lord I am with you is good and proper we read in scripture that then they feared the Lord spake often one to another but we have dear friends from time to time to go on that step for other the nearest and dearest may not understand you they cannot understand you they cannot uphold you but will the Lord fail will he forsake no why love I am with you how we prove again and again through scripture my do like as a spirit shall help me to keep close to scripture how we prove the

[27:20] Lord leading and teachings with his people he has been with them and with them to bless love I am with you we read that beautiful passage in the 43rd chapter of Isaiah and it is a beautiful passage a blessed passage and remember just that I went out to preach after a few weeks I was in great trouble and persecution trouble and persecution coming together from to her and it brought me very very low in body sleepless nights a path which one would never choose a path which hurt the pastor at

[28:49] Bormann I asked him if he would come and preach for one week evening he was staying with me and it was the same day he came on the Tuesday evening I didn't say a word to him where I was and how I stood not a word and that was the time when thou passest through the water I will be with thee and the water will right up to my day I could feel the heat of the fire I remember the morning before this I said to the Lord it will kill me love I am with you I proved in that service

[29:50] I've looked back many and many a time and wished I could feel again the power of it it was with unction it was with divine power those words entered into my soul for a few moments friends I didn't have a fear all my fears were quelled and a sweet heavenly filial fear was implanted why did not the Lord go on to say I could feel it let Satan say what he would let men say what they would I have redeemed thee I have called thee by thy name thou art mine lo I am with you I do hope

[30:50] I speak these things for your encouragement I don't know where you are this evening but may the Lord use it to the encouragement of some poor souls and again and again he has encouraged his people down through the ages but we got to be in the waters we got to be in the fire to know and to feel these things I know people will say today these things are old fashioned they are not friends they are new fashioned I tell you for why it's the new and living way the new and living way and if I not deceive I hope not it's the only way the way which lead us unto life everlasting things the way which will prove love

[32:04] I am with you and as it proved it again and again he led the people through the wilderness to prove them and to humble them to prove to humble them to prove what he was God to prove what love I am with you what a mercy the Lord in his grace was it to apply this to some poor souls this evening it may be friends bread cast upon the waters if you're a child of God and I hope you are you are needed you need to feel his presence when the bottom has been taken out of everything when you've got nothing left to then

[33:17] Jesus and Jesus only can do your help with soul good love I am with you and the Lord said to Jacob in all places in all places whithersoever thou goest I have told you before the Lord gave me that promise as he thrust me into the ministry in all places but I have been in the places sometimes where I felt is this one of the places can this be one of the places that was my feeling friends but

[34:21] God proved it was one of the places in all places withersoever thou goest what can I hear one saying now you don't know my wandering heart you don't know my fearful heart I'm looking now at a place I'm travelling in a place the Lord going to be with me there yes I must be faithful you may be in a place this evening where nature has led you you may be in a place where seemingly you're laughing up sin the Lord going to be there solemn the truth yes the

[35:27] Holy Spirit will teach you the Holy Spirit will reveal to you this way is wrong this way is sin he wasn't with you friend and left you where you go on and on and on the flesh loves it but there comes that though the pointed places when the Holy Spirit so brings that child to a hold and we said yesterday it won't hurt to say this evening I believe Job was brought there and what did the Spirit teach him he was a good man he thought he was didn't think he deserved what he was the

[36:28] Lord was laying upon him he moaned he groaned he fought against it like he framed on a coth and a bullet to a young Bob dear Job was there when the Lord so imparted that language it wasn't human language the language of the Holy Spirit behold I am one that's teaching love I am with you with you therefore with you do you fill your violence with you do you fill your emptiness with you do you fill your helplessness he's your teacher he's your revealer and where did he take Job to to a precious redeemer to a precious promise and he will to you he will you he will take you to lean on the beloved he will take you to know to feel and realize that none but Jesus can do helpless sinners good love

[37:54] I am with you we we haven't time this evening but if we had to consider some of the places where the disciples had to go some of those dark places some of those deep places they didn't escape imprisonment they didn't escape persecution no love I am with you what a great mercy it is then dear souls if we are one of these people to whom the Lord has promised his presence again we go back to the Old Testament Moses said if thy presence go not with us

[38:58] I pleaded it myself I don't want you to look at me I'm nothing I had to plead this as Bethesda this evening if thy presence go not with me Lord carry me not up lo I am with you lo I'm with you who's speaking my presence shall go with thee how did the dear man feel elevated why have I found grace in thy sight he wasn't the only one that cried that cry dear Ruth cried there may be a Ruth before me this evening

[39:59] Ruth said and she meant what she said she felt what she said she's not like one of his handmaids you may feel it this evening not like one the children of God you see so much within specks blemishes you look at one you look at another I remember once whilst in my teens I knew a dear a gracious man I should never forget praying once in secret to the Lord Lord if only I had as much grace in me as that man had in his little fingers just how

[41:00] I felt you may feel far different to the Lord's people but Ruth or how she proved the presence of Boaz Lord I am with you Boaz why when she went in and laid beside him how Ruth came and laid beside him you have rather come the same way come and lay beside him she crept beside him and covered herself and laid her down dear child of grace one said and how true it is

[42:01] I crept beside him like a worm and see him bleed for me love I am even unto the end of the world there is no ending of his presence no ending the world will end all things here below will end there be nothing but there be no ending of the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ did the Lord take the people of his route to Jordan and leave them did he no there is a way made our dear redeemer said let not your heart be troubled he believe in

[43:04] God believe also in me he goes on to pray that he he prepared a place for his people those mountains in the skies is there a place prepared for you is there a mansion in the skies for you if so you will be brought there because the Lord has said lo I am with you always even unto the end of the world but mercy in times we are unable to lean upon him times we are unable to confide in him turn away from all others and confide in his presence confide in the wonders of a wonder working redeemer confide in those precious promises which are yea and amen in

[44:29] Christ Jesus unto the end of the world amen amen the speaker the lord jesus christ one who promised his presence and now he pronounced the amen so be the eternal manifested will of god i won't just come to this and i'll sit down lo i am with you always even unto the end of the world if by the grace of god you have been the recipient of god himself you understand me rightly the word of god in your soul a promise given a promise rested upon that promise may now seem to be far far away the amen has said it none can rob you none can take it from you for the amen has declared there be an amen brain to your lies and mine what they love i am with you how shall i do one says in the swellings of jordan love i am with you unto the end the one and i believe i'm i'm confirmed that those who know a little of the presence of lord here may know him as he reaches forth and he takes his people through jordan what this very chapter speaks of it this very chapter sets it forth a glorious risen christ jesus lo i am with you they thought they had killed the lord of life and glory annihilated the son of god but no no when he bowed his head and gave up the ghost he committed himself it all unto his father love no break no break love i'm with you unto the end of the war amen way for t grow another once like is mine my is and the son he