Matthew (Quality: Very good, Quiet)

[0:00] As the Lord may be pleased to help me again, I would ask your attention to Matthew chapter 16 and verse 24.

[0:20] Matthew 16 verse 24. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

[0:45] Matthew chapter 16 verse 24. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

[1:05] Friends, how short we come in these things, in serving our God.

[1:19] We are to take up our cross, and follow him. What is your cross, and my cross?

[1:34] Are there not those things, that are pleasing to the flesh, and hinder the Spirit's work in our hearts?

[1:54] Are there not, is there not, the lust of our heart, the lust of our flesh, the lust of our eyes?

[2:13] All friends, we are to deny ourselves.

[2:30] It says so in this verse. Let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

[2:49] We are to deny ourselves, of those things, that we love. that is, those things, that are of the flesh, those things, that are carnal, those things, that are sinful.

[3:21] The Lord knows what they are. And so does Satan. And so does you and I.

[3:42] Friends, these things, they come between us, and our God.

[3:56] They cause us, sometimes, to follow afar off, because we feel, the guilt of those things.

[4:19] They come between us, and our God. friends, Satan would have them come between us, and our God.

[4:35] And he would have us, feel the guilt of them. and he would have us, and he would have us, to, keep away, from the Lord, because of our sin and guilt.

[5:04] he would have us, to, hold back, and say, how can I come like this?

[5:25] he would have us, wait till we're better. But it does not work like that.

[5:40] We don't, we find we don't get better. We find, we can't stop sinning. We are powerless. We are powerless. But friends, we are to deny ourselves, and take up our cross, and follow him.

[6:03] We're to follow him, not Satan. we're not to listen to Satan. We're to listen to God's word.

[6:16] Deny ourselves. What a solemn thing, friends. If we don't deny ourselves, what will be the end?

[6:27] Look at the man, that prospered in business, who pulled down his barns, and built greater. That's all he was thinking about.

[6:39] Prosperity, riches, enjoyment. He never took into consideration, eternity.

[6:51] He never denied himself. He never sought God first. He achieved what he wanted to do.

[7:05] And then the Lord came, and he spoke to him, and he said, Thou fool, this night, thy soul, shall be required of thee, and then, who shall these things be?

[7:25] What's Solomon? Solomon. how we need to be delivered, from this spirit, this spirit, this spirit of covetousness, this spirit of the world, this spirit that is in, our carnal hearts, friends, you and I are no better than the world, not one scrap better, not when we're left to ourselves.

[8:05] Paul knew it. Paul knew it. He knew it. He said, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body, of sin and death?

[8:24] Do you and I know anything of that? Friends, I'm sure, there are those of us, know, more and more of this, the older we get.

[8:46] The older we get, the more wretched we seem to get, and feel. The older we get, the more emptiness, and the poverty do we feel.

[9:05] Ah, friends, we are to deny ourselves, and take up our cross. All those things, that are laid upon us, that Paul had a thorn in the flesh.

[9:22] It was a cross. He had to carry it. He wanted to get rid of it. We're no different, are we?

[9:34] We want to get rid of our crosses. We want to get rid of our burdens, our thorns, in the flesh. Many things, we don't understand.

[9:54] Many things, we don't understand, in providence, and in Christ. Friends, there is a pathway, to be walked out.

[10:09] And it's going to be, and it can't be any other way, when we are, rightly exercised, it's going to be, looking unto Jesus.

[10:22] Looking unto Jesus. The way will be rough, it will be rugged, it will be, full of tribulations, and afflictions.

[10:36] But we're to take up, those things, and we're to deny, ourselves, and we're to follow him.

[10:47] Follow him. What is it? To follow him. Friends, our Jesus, set the pattern, here below.

[11:06] He walked, humbly, in love, before his father, doing his father's will.

[11:22] Him, Jesus, and his father, were one. They were one. And friends, his children, and Jesus, are one.

[11:43] you, who, and I, may, may, think upon this, sometimes.

[12:01] How can it be possible? How can we be one? friends we can only be one when Jesus is looked upon when Jesus is leaned upon when Jesus is trusted he is trusted with our lives our Jesus he loves his children he loves his sheep they are one with him he leads them in his paths he saves them from their sins he has died and suffered for them and he is risen again he is in glory above and friends those that are his they will die they will die but they will rise again and they will enter glory to be forever with him forever and ever a poor sinner saved by grace saved by grace our friends we may well say however however shall this poor soul of mine be saved at last however can it

[14:05] I am so wretched so vile it is by grace ye are saved through faith not of yourself not of yourself it is the gift of God friends oh to have a real religion a holy ghost religion it is all of grace from the beginning to the end it doesn't depend on you and I it doesn't depend on our obedience to him it doesn't depend upon our walk it doesn't depend upon us one bit it's all of grace but friends if we are saved by his grace we are not the strangers to him we shall love him we shall mourn over our sin and our failings and we will love him oh friends to walk in these paths to deny ourselves take up his cross our cross and follow him and follow him friends think of the cross of Jesus think of the pathway that he walked in think how he was persecuted hated spit upon falsely accused but he answered not a word that's the pathway friends you and I have got to walk in very humiliating to the flesh the flesh says why should I the flesh would fight the flesh would resist the flesh would justify itself but he answered not a word and he had done nothing amiss nothing amiss oh friends what a narrow pathway is set before his children then said

[17:23] Jesus unto his disciples if any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me all the many many many hindrances that are in our pathways the stumbling blocks the temptations of the devil the unbelief of our hearts the weakness of our hearts all these are some of the many stumbling blocks that are before us in our way but we are to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow him we are to realize like the hymn writer says all our times are in his hands and all events at thy command have you got an enemy persecutes you friends there will be from time to time he answered not a word we are to follow that advice that example answer not a word take it to the

[19:07] Lord take it to the Lord he will deal with those things what does the Lord say regarding his dear children he that touches you touches the apple the apple of mine eye friends such is the love and the unity that exists between Jesus and his children we might find it very hard to believe that Jesus could so love us but he does yes yes he does if we're his children if we're born again if our names are written in his book if he shed his blood for us friends he loves us and he that touches us toucheth the apple of his eye ah if any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me friends there have been times no doubt with you and there has with me when we've been absolutely amazed at some of the

[21:00] Lord's dear children in the pathway they are walking in I think of one in particular up the north where I go a dear woman and she is sorely afflicted sorely afflicted she still gets to the house of God once on the Sabbath day in a wheelchair she'd be there twice if she could get there but she can't it's impossible she's in a home she's not able to feed or drink she's fed through a tube into her stomach she cannot speak only mumble a few words which are hard to be understood who that friends that dear woman she said she wouldn't swap with anyone else no one else would she swap me why because

[22:48] I believe she's wrapped up in that bundle of love with Jesus she takes up her cross she denies herself she follows him what a blessed example I believe it's 20 years now she's walked in that pathway she was alright but she's walked in that path all those years and she wouldn't swap with another no one's heard her complying oh friends how short some of us come who have perhaps small tribulations in comparison and afflictions in comparison with her yet friends can we say we've never murmured can we say we wouldn't swap with anybody else can we say the will of the Lord be done thy will be done ah friends all to have that grace that we might walk in that pathway in love and humility or that we might be enabled to commit ourselves and everything into his blessed hands if any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me oh friends there are many things that are laid upon his children but it is in love it's

[25:39] God's love oh how wonderful it is when we can see it and feel it and accept it accept it in love from the Lord it's only as the dear Lord is pleased to give us grace in these things that we can bow before him and say thy will be done ah we might wonder why the Lord so deals with us but he makes no mistake friends and what do we read what does him writer say once in him in him forever whatever may come whatever trial whatever affliction whether it be short or whether it be many years it will not wear out that is the love of

[27:19] God as I've already said that dear woman after twenty years can still say she wouldn't swap with anybody oh the love of Christ is past finding out and friends you might wonder why one has to walk in such paths but friends I believe these things are a voice to many I believe these things are used sometimes to humble others to make them realize that their pathway is such a small pathway compared with theirs their sufferings are so small compared with theirs and thus we are humbled we are brought to confess before our

[28:30] God that he has done all things well oh we may not often come there friends but the children of God do come there sometimes into that beautiful hymn my Jesus hath done all things well all things well all the love of God to his dear children it is past finding out oh how we desire to know that same love how we desire to for that grace that we might endure unto the end unto the end oh how we need it friends if I know anything about this pathway we need more and more grace as we journey along we need more and more help as we journey along it seems the afflictions and the tribulations get greater it does with that dear woman that I have spoken to you of

[30:22] I have seen in a few years a considerable deterioration in our health when I first knew her she was able to eat through the mouth and no longer is she able oh friends oh friends oh that we might be enabled to pray for one another to pray for his dear children for his afflicted ones I love to see that dear woman at that chapel her son is there he's a man you would not perhaps expect to find humility

[31:48] I say this right now for he's a policeman I'm not suggesting that all policemen are hard they're not but oh the humility I've seen in that dear man there's a taking up a denying of oneself and a taking up of the cross he gets his mother to the chapel when he can generally most

[32:54] Sundays you might say well how can he do it every Sunday the Sunday duty friends for the most part the Lord makes his workmates willing to take his shift Lord the Lord the Lord honours them that honour him we are to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow him and friends I know this I'm sure of this it'll go a lot easier with you and I when we are able to take it up and follow him when we are able to say

[34:05] I will be done we may have to pray much we will have to pray much that the Lord would grant to us help and strength and humility yes it's not easy to the flesh but friends to know that love of God to know the love of God we said this morning I say it again there all things all things work together for good to them that love God and friends if you love God if I love God then he loves us as we would never love him he first loved us he shed his love abroad in our hearts he came he melted our hearts oh that we could know more of these things the love of God in our hearts and will come after me let him deny himself take up his cross and follow me oh friends to be found following him ah follow me the

[36:23] Lord said him I believe in the facts he says it to all his dear children and there are those in fact I believe sooner or later all those that are his and are called will leave all and follow him how is it possible to leave all and follow him it is when the dear Lord comes and he'll do it little by little and he will wean us from this world he'll wean us from this world ah friends all to be weaned from this world to know the love of

[37:30] Christ in our hearts ah my Jesus hath done all things well all to know this in our hearts the love of God follow him oh to follow him follow the Lord with a soul every guy yes that dear afflicted woman still follows the Lord after so many years and so will you and I if we're his children we shall follow him whatever trials whatever tribulations afflictions it would be the one thing needful to have

[38:44] Jesus to know him to be with him oh that we might be so taught of the Lord this friends I believe is to be a Holy Ghost religion a religion that is of God and it will get us to heaven at last well friends may the Lord bless these few things for his dear name's sake Amen to

[39:51] God to God we are service by singing hymn number 309 the tune 822 so strange to call the question of sin how can access the path of sin hope of this happiness right in life in peace fear and redemption all in his best resolution he could nor can he expect to be under his son he finds himself under his heart business number 309 in name everything might matter smelled and their balls the rest黏 hel

[40:59] ST оченьard Gr Janet商辰辞 pl estud AN fonction 드�lor to sin the nurse-nated chief of the son of the shepherd of his servant The new day of glory.

[41:59] Buying time is sitting. All I may have.

[42:11] These Allah пот Maybe I'll do some new glory. The End The End

[43:19] The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End

[45:02] The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End

[46:04] The End The End The End The End The End That Which Has The End The End The End The End The End and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with us each, now and for evermore.

[46:30] Amen. Amen.