Ends at about 40 minutes.
[0:00] From the prophet Jeremiah chapter 37 and a sentence in verse number 17.
[0:23] Is there any word from the Lord?
[0:35] And Jeremiah said there is. The prophecy by Jeremiah chapter 37 verse 17.
[0:50] Is there any word from the Lord? Jeremiah was one of those faithful prophets of the Lord in Old Testament times.
[1:17] To whom the word of the Lord often came. As we may find quite a number of chapters opening in this way.
[1:34] That the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. Which was a word for Jeremiah to deliver.
[1:51] To the people or the king as the case might be. And I've been thinking of this which has fastened itself upon my mind.
[2:11] That one of the mysteries that we cannot fully understand.
[2:24] Is that God is approachable. And communicable.
[2:38] Although he fills heaven and earth as we read. Yet even so.
[2:52] He has words to speak. And more or less through the holy scriptures.
[3:06] We have a word from the Lord. In this particular circumstance here.
[3:20] It was a very, very solemn word. Siddhartha had desired.
[3:32] That Jeremiah might pray. Unto the Lord for them. In view of the possibility.
[3:43] Of an attack by the Chaldeans. And he said.
[3:54] Is there any word from the Lord? To Jeremiah. And the Lord said there is. For said he.
[4:06] There shall be delivered. Into the hand. Of the king. Of Babylon.
[4:20] Jeremiah would only speak. The word that the Lord gave him. Whatever the cost might be to him.
[4:37] There were false prophets. There has ever been false prophets. And there are today.
[4:47] That these godly men. Were faithful to that commission. That the Lord had appointed them to.
[5:04] And it is a sacred thought. That God does speak to people.
[5:14] Sometimes very solemnly. And sometimes very. Very confirmingly.
[5:28] But more or less. Through the holy scriptures. We hear. The voice.
[5:40] Of God. It may be said. That. The holy scriptures.
[5:54] Are. A word from the Lord. In a general sense. That is to say.
[6:06] They are. A revelation. Of his. Of his. Glorious. Infinite. Infinite. Being.
[6:19] Of his. Divine attributes. And character. And mind. And will. We have.
[6:32] This revealed. In the holy scriptures. Which are. Said to be. The word. The word. Of. God. That is.
[6:43] In a general sense. Although. There are. The words. Of men. That. Even so.
[6:55] There is. Such a thing. As. The word. Of the law. In. Particular. People. That is.
[7:06] Two. Particular. People. As. In the case. Of Abraham. Jacob. And the prophets. And many. Others.
[7:17] The word. Of the Lord. Came to them. With. Particular. Words. Of. Guidance. And direction.
[7:27] Sometimes. In matters. In their lives. Lives. And so. It is. That as. It is said here.
[7:38] Was said by the king. Is there any word. From the Lord. We may say. There is.
[7:50] Although. It was. Very solemn. Word. In that case. That. I have been. Thinking of it. Like this. In relation.
[8:02] To. The scriptures. How that. In the old. Testament. You see. We have.
[8:14] The word. Of the Lord. God. The word. Of. God. As. The father.
[8:25] In a. Particular. Way. He. Spake. To many. People. And.
[8:38] He. Spake. By the. Prophets. Some. Very. Precious. Words. Of. Truth.
[8:49] And. Encouragement. And. Promise. And. In the. New. Testament. We. Have. The word.
[8:59] Of. The. Lord. In. Gospel. Times. More. Particularly. As. The word. Of. The. Son.
[9:10] Of. God. The. Apostle. Paul. Opening. Of. The. Epistle. To. The. Hebrews. Says. That.
[9:21] In. The. Former. Days. God. Spake. Unto. The. Fathers. By. The. Prophets. But.
[9:32] In. These. Last. Days. Are. Spoken. Unto. Us. By. His. Son. So. That. In. The. New.
[9:42] Testament. In. A. Particular. Way. We. Have. The. Words. Of. The. Lord. Jesus. Christ.
[9:56] After. He. Appeared. In. The. Flesh. And. After. His. Resurrection. From. The. Dead.
[10:08] And. After. His. Ascension. Up. Into. Glory. And. In. The. Revelation. If. I. May.
[10:18] Put. It. This. Way. We. Have. The. Word. Of. The. Lord. By. His. Spirit. In.
[10:29] The. Second. And. Third. Chapters. Of. The. Revelation. You. Will. Know. How. That.
[10:40] Each. Of. Those. Addresses. Of. The. Lord. Goes. Goes. Like. This. He. That. Hath. An. Ear.
[10:50] To. Hear. Let. Him. Hear. What. The. Spirit. Said. Unto. The.
[11:01] Churches. So. Here. We. Have. The. Word. Of. The. Holy. Ghost. But.
[11:14] To. Make. Distinction. Too. Particular. Because. The.
[11:24] Father. The. Son. The. Holy. Ghost. Are. One. Eternal. Glorious.
[11:35] Jehovah. Three. persons in one God. Now I would like to apply myself as I may be helped to this in a more experimental way.
[11:56] I know that we could refer to many instances where the word of the Lord came to particular persons and that is for our instruction as for instance the word of the Lord came to Abraham by way of direction and a promise to the word of the Lord came to Jacob on that memorable night and to confirm him of the Lord's covenant purpose and that he would be with him in the way which he went and that would bring him again to that place and so on.
[12:57] Now through the Old Testament we often find this as in the prophecy by Isaiah and Jeremiah and Ezekiel and the minor prophets the Lord spake through them they were instruments the Lord used to convey his mind and will on certain particular occasions visions and it's noticeable that here in the case of Jeremiah it often says the word of the Lord came to him and sometimes this was in to different people in remarkable ways as in dreams and visions of the night and so on we read of the prophet Ezekiel that he saw many visions and that the word of the Lord was in them and with a word to the people through him and in gospel days and in these days may it not be said that the Lord speaks through the appointment of the gospel ministry that is to say that it has been the Lord's purpose in gospel days to raise up as indeed in the olden days to raise up men to be witnesses to the truth of his precious gospel faithful witnesses we read this of the apostles in the acts that when they were assembled together in one place that the place was shaken where they were assembled together and that they prayed and that with great power gave a witness of the resurrection of Jesus
[15:25] Christ from the dead so the word of the Lord at times comes through his ministers to the hearts of the people as a divinely appointed way and means sometimes the word of the Lord comes to one or another in reading the holy scriptures now there is a general declaration of the truth yet sometimes the holy spirit takes a word and applies it in a personal and a particular way so that the power of it is felt in the heart of such an one
[16:27] I've been thinking about this and particularly in relation to the new testament oh what precious words we have there as the word of the Lord Jesus Christ in the gospel by John he says my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me my sheep hear my voice have you ever heard his voice perhaps you may say well I hardly understand exactly whether
[17:27] I have or not heard but I know his people do hear his voice and that may not be an audible voice but it is the Holy Spirit's blessed office to apply this or that word with some power and unction to the heart of one I remember a number of years ago when I was in a trial and it weighed heavily upon me in the early hours of the morning and I seemed to hear a still small voice as clear as though it was an audible voice saying as many as
[18:39] I love I rebuke and chasten I heard it and it began to soften my spirit because I was looking at this trial in the wrong way and I needed instruction but it came again with more emphasis on the first part as many as I love I rebuke and chasten and I fell under it there was a certain person causing me a lot of trial then in the church but I fell under it and
[19:41] I had to look at my own sins which were discovered to me in a way they had not been before and it came the third time as many as I love with still more emphasis I rebuke and chasten and I was quite broken down and before the Lord I had to leave everybody else but had a sweet time of healing repentance and confession and a little communion with the Lord had a sweet time and if I could leave everything in his blessed hands oh it is a great thing isn't it to have a word from the
[20:46] Lord have you ever had a word from him no I think it is very beautiful what we read in the New Testament of the Lord Jesus oh there's a word from the Lord there in the gospel by John in those sacred chapters there are the words of the Lord Jesus to us chapter 14 15 16 and that wonderful prayer in chapter 17 but they're in the scriptures scriptures well that is perfectly true and it's immersive they are they are in the scriptures for the comfort and help of the Lord's exercise people and I know that you may read perhaps quite a lot and read and read and still not seem to get anything as we say while another time you may open the sacred page and the first thing your eyes light upon is something that comes right into your heart and you find yourself weeping before the
[22:20] Lord will it is a wonderful mercy that poor sinners deserving eternal banishment because we are all guilty in this holy sight should ever hear a word of comfort and encouragement and invitation and promise as we have these words in the scriptures.
[22:59] But you may be able to say, well, here and there, I know some people, some people may be a little too free about saying they have words from the Lord.
[23:19] But still, his people do have words from him. I know there's a word in the Gospel by John where the Lord Jesus says, Oh, that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and he that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
[23:48] Oh, I felt a strength in that word. It has been a blessed word sometimes, a very confirming word in my heart, that those who really, by his grace, come to Christ, he will never turn them away or cast them out, never.
[24:15] Oh, his words are words of kindness. His words are words of love. His words are words of compassion.
[24:29] His words are words of grace. Is there any word from the Lord? Now, to look at this experimentally, we may ask the question, is there any word from the Lord for a poor sinner who feels to be in darkness and having no light?
[25:00] There is a word from the Lord for him. And what is that? It is in the prophecy by Isaiah, who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeys the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness and hath no light.
[25:26] What shall he do? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God.
[25:41] Oh, that is a word from the Lord. But there it is in the scripture that that good spirit can make that word yours.
[25:55] He can give you to feel a sweet action in it that can enable you to cast your care upon him.
[26:12] Let him trust in the name of the Lord. Oh, but he is in darkness, darkness. Are you in a state of darkness?
[26:25] You may be. Many of the Lord's people are. I am not speaking of the darkness of ignorance and death that the ungodly are in, but the darkness that the Lord's living people feel in relation to their condition.
[26:51] And whether they have any interest in the mercy of the Lord and his gospel, whether they have any part or lot in the matter, who feel to be in a state of darkness and walk in darkness, and walk in darkness, but still says, let him trust.
[27:16] Let him trust. Oh, that is a word for him. Let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God, however dark the night may be, or however dark the way may be, yet let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God.
[27:46] How there's a word from the Lord for such and one. And is there a word from the Lord for a poor and needy one?
[28:00] I believe there is. There is a word in the prophecy by Isaiah where we read, when the poor and needy seek water and there is none and their tongue faileth them for thirst, I, the Lord, will hear them.
[28:27] I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. Oh, that is a tender word, isn't it?
[28:40] And it seems to indicate an extreme case. When of their tongue faileth for thirst, when of the tongue fails, I understand, who intends thirst, one cannot live long.
[29:00] Ah, but so it is that sometimes the Lord's dear children seem to come to the last thread and fear they will sink into despair.
[29:15] But they never will. They never can. Only inside the Lord's promise I, the Lord, will hear them.
[29:28] I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. Oh, it is a mercy that there is a word from the Lord for any poor sinner who has a real case.
[29:52] If you have got a case for God, there is a word of the Lord for you.
[30:07] Yes, say you, that may be as far as that is in the Scriptures. Yes, say you, yes, say you, but what can I do with that?
[30:20] Well, as your help, you may ask the Lord to make that word over to you. Oh, when he speaks, you will know his voice.
[30:35] Is there any word from the Lord? Is there any word from the Lord for a poor, hungry one?
[30:52] Those who are, as it were, panting, like the heart, panteth after the water brooks? I'm sure there is.
[31:06] The Lord Jesus has a word for such, and he says, Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness.
[31:18] That is the gospel and his precious blessings, for they shall be filled. I will not fail them.
[31:29] And should he will not fail them, they shall be filled, he says. And then sometimes the Lord's dear people have to go into deep waters, do they not, in certain ways.
[31:50] Afflictions, sometimes bodily afflictions, or it may be heavy trials in their life or circumstances.
[32:03] But is there any word from the Lord for such as these? I'm sure there is. If we go to Isaiah again, for that's where quite a lot of them seem to be, we find the Lord saying by the prophet, when thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee, and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee.
[32:33] When thou passest through the fire, they shall not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. Oh, what a blessed word it is.
[32:49] There seems to be a word to fit the case of an exercised soul, whatever his condition may be, whether it be some trial in his life, or some affliction upon his body, or some deep exercise in his soul, or all three together, as sometimes the case may be, yet there's a word from the Lord for such an one.
[33:39] Oh, there are many words. He says, I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
[33:52] He has passed through. Deeper, the Lord Jesus Christ has passed through deeper waters than any of his people have passed through.
[34:11] He has felt the fiery flame of suffering more than any of his poor people have. we don't know what the dear martyrs suffered, or what agony of body they may have suffered or may have been spared.
[34:37] But we certainly don't know the depths of suffering the Lord Jesus Christ have endured.
[34:48] how they surpass all our comprehension. We cannot contemplate the scene of Gethsemane without being filled with amazement and wonder.
[35:13] It is all beyond the conception of our minds. minds but still that we can be. If but we hear his sweet voice saying in our hearts all this was done for you.
[35:40] I suffered all this for you. Oh, it is an amazing thing you know for a poor sinner to feel a hope in the gospel.
[36:02] It's all we need really to take us to heaven to there's every blessing there that will fit and prepare us.
[36:15] There's blood to wash away our guilty sins. There's a righteousness to clothe us so that we can appear before God without spot and blameless.
[36:36] We don't need anything beside what the gospel provides. Is there any word from the Lord? Have you ever heard a word from the Lord?
[36:54] Not in the same sense perhaps as some of these old word is did in the Old Testament or the New Testament but it may be that sometime or another when you have been in trouble the word of the Lord has come to you when you have been down in the depths the word of the Lord has come to you and brought you sweet comfort and consolation oh it is a wonder to hear it in the days of the first war just before I went over to France I was returning from
[37:57] Swanee's to the camp knowing that we had soon to be dispatched to France in a matter of two hours I was in great trouble and distress and I thought of my wife and my business and my own life and I was filled with distress but I heard a sweet voice saying I am with you always way even until the end and I quite transformed me it made a wonderful change I felt I could commit my wife and my little business and my future and my life and everything into his blessed hands and
[39:02] I went into that camp with all this stirring commotion and rebellion and I felt still and quiet and nothing disturbed me I am with you always he said and I couldn't take that to indicate that I should return to my home again but I did return to my home again and what was rather striking about that was just at the very time I felt those words in my heart my pastor was preaching from them in Galib Chapel at precisely the same time it seemed as though the spirit of the Lord brought that word to me and it was a wonderful word have you ever had a word from the
[40:12] Lord that can soon put the crooked stray and make the rough places plain it can soon subdue that rebellion it can soon bring a quiet forward too to it can be decir a Thank you.