1 Peter

[0:00] Chapter 1, reading verse 5, 1st Epistle of Peter, the 1st chapter, verse 5, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time.

[1:00] Peter has already cited those who shall be revealed in the last time, such as who are kept by the power of God.

[1:16] Peter, he speaks of those in the various states of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bethanyia.

[1:29] But then we have another word here concerning these people of those places. Not all of them necessarily, but those who are lacked according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.

[1:48] And I say so many might fall down here and say that is completely unfair. Friend, but what a mercy if we know that God is just.

[2:05] And if he had sent our souls to hell, his righteous law would approve it well. And there he was just.

[2:17] It remains a wonder of wonders that if we are found amongst his elect, why he should ever look down upon us in mercy and compassion.

[2:34] But in this verse here we read of these people who are kept. What are they kept from? And what a mercy it is to be kept.

[2:48] For by nature we have no desire to be kept as such, but rather that we might let loose and go astray and grovel in all the sin and shame here below.

[3:07] But ought to be kept from it. That the Lord might have that other hand yet over us to preserve us and to protect us from falling away.

[3:23] Falling away. We live in a day when there is much, much falling away. So much so sometimes I feel fearful to speak of it.

[3:39] Lest all I shall be amongst those that shall fall away at last. I shall not forget going to one place when the deacon, he gave out that hymn for his last hymn.

[4:00] When any term from Zion's ways, alas what numbers do. I think I hear my saviour say, won't thou forsake me too?

[4:15] And so some might say, well what a gracious man he must have been. But do you know, he had his case packed in the vestry that night.

[4:25] And off he went after that service with the organist and left his dear wife behind. He said, oh how we need to be kept.

[4:40] How close we can come even with all the form imaginable. All the pretence and guile of a hand.

[4:52] But that will never keep us. Nothing but the mighty hand of God will keep us. But in thinking about this verse here tonight.

[5:05] Who are kept. And where will they be found in eternity. Well in that great day. There will be that great divide.

[5:18] Will there not. Between those who are kept. And those who are not kept. There will be two different verdicts heard.

[5:34] In that day. I don't think for a moment. There will be any more verdicts than that. For how solemn to be found.

[5:46] Amongst that group of people. That will hear him say. Depart from me. Yekosh said. I never knew you.

[5:58] Friend. That will be final. Will it not. Such souls will not be kept. For heaven. They will not be kept.

[6:09] But cast out forever. And ever. The bottomless pit. Will be opened unto them. They will not be kept.

[6:20] How terrifying. That thought is. Lest we should be cast out. Into the bottomless pit.

[6:32] And friends. Ever sinking. Ever falling. In the position. Whereby we never be able to. Return and recover ourself.

[6:45] Friend. But these people. Spoken of here. Are different. They will be kept. They will be mine.

[6:55] In the day. When I make up my jewels. Says the Lord. They will surely hear. The. As that souls. That souls.

[7:07] Will surely hear. Him say. Well done. Thou good. And faithful. Sargent. Enter thou. Into the joy.

[7:18] Of thy Lord. What a contrast. Kept. To enter. Into the joy. Of our Lord. The Lord.

[7:29] Jesus Christ. The almighty God. Of heaven. There to be kept. Forever. Eternity. The length of it.

[7:41] It will ever endure. Therefore. They will ever be kept. Never to be allowed. To return.

[7:52] Into the sin. And shame. That through the mercy of God. They have been delivered from. And brought to that saving.

[8:02] Knowledge. Knowledge of the truth. Of the precious blood. Of Christ. Which atones. For all sin. Kept. By the power of God.

[8:17] Nothing. Nothing. In and of themselves. Will they have to boast about. And be to rest assured of. No. No. If we rest.

[8:28] And rely. Upon ourselves. And we fail. Then we will fail forever. Need to remember that. How we need the Lord.

[8:40] Yea. To come and draw near to us. And. What might lead within us. Oh. To be kept. Oh. My mind turns to David.

[8:51] It. When he said. Create in me. Oh God. A clean heart. And renew. A right spirit. Within me. The dear man.

[9:01] He brought to know it. And to feel it. And thus. He was kept. Friend. He. The Lord didn't cast him out. Because he brought him.

[9:14] To a saving sense. Of repentance. Before him. Capt. My friends. With that plea. In his mind.

[9:24] And heart. And voice. Wash me. And I shall be. Whiter. Than snow. Friend.

[9:36] Unless we are whiter. Than snow. We won't be kept. My friends. What a mark. The Lord does leave. Upon his people.

[9:48] That he loves. And sanctifies. He washes them. With the washing. Of regeneration. Kept. My friends.

[10:00] Turned around. In life's journey. Brought to see. Ourselves. To loathe. Ourselves. And to repent. In dust. And ashes.

[10:12] Oh to be kept. By the power. Of God. Friend. If the power of God. Doesn't keep us. Nothing else will. Nothing else will.

[10:25] God forbid. That we should think. In looking. Upon another. Who's. Completely. Immersed. In.

[10:36] As sins. That we're not like them. Oh I say. That is not true. We are. Exactly like them. By nature.

[10:48] Had we not been. Kept. Yes. That's true. Very true. Oh I say. For nature. The unregenerate. Creature.

[10:59] How. We love sin. And the ways of sin. And we even dare. To justify. Ourselves. Ourselves. In sin. All to be kept.

[11:11] By the power of God. All from sin. We read of one. In the parable. That Jesus gives to us.

[11:25] Though he came in. To the. Wedding feast. Though he came. So far. And so near. Whether he came.

[11:38] From the highways. And hedges. Or whether. From the streets. And lanes of the city. It doesn't matter. But when. The king. Came in. It was then.

[11:49] That he was. Detected. As being. An imposter. Well he said. How. Came is thou. In. Hither. Without.

[12:00] A wedding garment. Friend. That salt. Would never be kept. No. Indeed not. For indeed.

[12:12] We need. That wedding garment. To cover. Their shame. And likeness. To end. The quiet. That we are there. By his saving grace.

[12:25] We are there. Because we are called. By his electing love. We are there. And thus wear. That which he does give to us.

[12:36] To wear. For we have nothing of our own. To wear. All the fitness. He requireth. Is to feel.

[12:47] Our need of him. And we need him Lord. Do we not. To give to us. That wedding garment. Friend.

[12:57] Friend. Kept by the power of God. From trying to prove. Our own fitness. Our own worthiness.

[13:09] Oh I say. Great mercy. To be kept in a sound religion. Oh we can only have a sound. Religion.

[13:20] That is begun. By almighty God. It is by his grace alone. That he calls poor sinners. Out of darkness.

[13:33] Yes indeed. Oh kept. By the power of God. Another came. Comes to mind. Who were not kept.

[13:44] And annoy us. And so fire us. Why they. Pretended. That they were. Amongst. The church of God. But.

[13:55] Oh. When it came. To casting in their lot. With the people. They came to. What we might call. A pact. Between themselves.

[14:06] To keep some back. Pretending. That everything. They had. To give to the Lord. Oh I say. And they wasn't kept.

[14:17] My friends. They were allowed. To go on and on. Until the Lord came. And first struck him dead. And then she came.

[14:29] After. And she was struck dead. Oh I say. How solemn. It is. To be.

[14:40] To be a deceiver. Oh. I say. How can. We be saved. From deception. Only.

[14:51] As we are kept. By the power of God. From deception. And how does he do it. Because it opens.

[15:02] I say. Our hearts. Does he not. Bring us to the place. Yes. Yea. To the Lord. Jesus Christ.

[15:14] See. How he brought. The Samuel. To him. And he was. A most sincere soul. As might. Can any good thing.

[15:26] Come out of Nazareth. Come and see. Says one. But when he came. See how.

[15:37] The Lord Jesus Christ. Received him. My friend. A man. He recognized. That he had kept.

[15:48] And would be kept. Behold. An Israelite. In Deid. In whom. There is no. Guile.

[15:58] How we need. The grace of God. To keep us. From. Guile.

[16:10] Yes. We are all. Subject to it. By nature. Perhaps. If I might use. The term. Some. Are more skilled. At it.

[16:21] Than others. But nevertheless. My friend. Skilled. Or unskilled. Guile. Is deceitful. This at best. Or to be kept.

[16:32] From. Deceiving. And why. Trying to make out. With something. Which we are not. Oh I say.

[16:45] Kept. By the. Power of God. Friend. It is the power. Of God. That brings. A man down. Is it not.

[16:56] God. How Jesus. Jesus. Plainly. Tells. Nicodemus. Who. Came to him. By night. It is the spirit.

[17:07] That quicken us. The flesh. It profiteth. Nothing. Nothing. I say. Oh. To be kept.

[17:17] From saying. King. That our flesh. Can add. A little profit. To. Our religion. My friends. We.

[17:28] Never. Never. Can. But we are told. This. In Isaiah. I am the Lord. Thy God. Which.

[17:39] Teaches. The. To. A prophet. And I say. Oh. What. A difference. That is. Kept. By his. Power.

[17:49] By his. Teaching. Again. Oh. There was a time. When I really thought. That. Oh. By.

[18:00] My own. Study. And reading. Of the word. Of God. I would be so vast. In scripture. That I would improve.

[18:11] In myself. But I say. That was not so. At all. And how soon. We began. To find. Resentment.

[18:22] In our heart. To those things. That we read. Become. Argumentative. With the almighty. Or how we need.

[18:32] To be kept. From that. Kept. Friends. Yeah. By the power. Of God. Where he lays. These truths. In our heart. And we have to.

[18:44] Come and say. Lord. What. I know not. A teach. Thou may. Great mercy. If the Lord. Has been.

[18:55] Our teacher. It will be. To. Our keeping. Kept. By the power. Of God. By his most.

[19:06] Holy word. And I use. That phrase. Is. Because. I. Apparently. Believe. That the gospel.

[19:17] As such. Is the. Believers. The rule. Of life. But the. The rule. Of life. That Lord. God. Lays down.

[19:28] To all. Mankind. Is his. Holy word. And when. The poor sinner. Is called. By his grace. Into the gospel. The.

[19:40] The Lord. It does not just. Evaporate. Away. But rather. It is thus. Brought to. The poor sinner's. Desire. Because.

[19:52] Jesus Christ. Has come. To. Not to destroy. The law. But to fulfill. The law. Oh. By walking. In the gospel.

[20:04] And the principle. Of the gospel. Yes. How we are told. In the law. That we should love. Our neighbor.

[20:15] As we do. Ourself. And I say. When we come. By the mercy of God. Into the gospel. Teaching.

[20:26] I say. What a strong. Factor. Love must be. Love must be. Oh. Kept by the power.

[20:37] Of his love. Love indeed. And if the Lord. So. Loved us. Should it be. A small thing.

[20:49] That we should love them. That even. Hate us. If he has done. Such good. To us. Who are so worthy. Unworthy.

[21:00] Of the least. Of his mercies. Or does it not. Behold us. Also. To have mercy.

[21:11] Upon those. Who are less. Favour than we. Oh. Kept. By the power. Of God. All from that spirit. Of walking by.

[21:23] On the. Other side. So. Easy. For us. Let. I don't know. Anything about it. When the truth is.

[21:34] We don't want to know. Anything about it. And we don't care. About it. It might be true. But don't let it. Bother us. My friend.

[21:47] The keeping. Part of God. Was not so. With us. Was it. He saw me. Ruined. In the fall. And loved me.

[21:58] Notwithstanding all. In those. Show lines. Oh. How well. The. Him. Might have put. The truth. Of. Saving grace.

[22:10] He saw us. As a. So vile. So. Unacceptable. So. Full of sin. And he saw us. In that state.

[22:22] But he didn't say. I'm not touching. Such a creature. As that. But listen. All that the father.

[22:33] Has given me. Shall come unto me. And we find. The vilest. And the most wretched. Amongst that number. They are.

[22:44] To be cared. Not to be preserved. In that state. Of depravity. Oh no. Not to be kept. Oh as we were found.

[22:55] No. But to be brought. Out. Of sin. And thus being brought. Out of sin. We are kept. Being saved.

[23:06] From that ruinous. State. And condition. Why sin. Being like that. Until. Leprosy. It gets worse. And worse.

[23:17] And it will surely. Kill the soul. Will it not. But no. The Lord. Keeps that soul. He has the power. To heal.

[23:28] And to restore. And renew. I say. A right spirit. Within that soul. Oh I say. Can you not say. You know.

[23:39] That something. Of the power. Of his. He's keeping power. Oh. Do you know this. Oh. The solemn fear.

[23:50] Of. Backsliding. And. Turning back. Yes. Turning back. Have you ever said to us.

[24:01] What's the good. These people get home far better than I do. Why don't I cast my lot in with them.

[24:12] Friends. No. You still be found in Sodom and Gomorrah. Would you not. And such evil places that. Upon which the Lord will rain.

[24:24] Down fire and brimstone. But kept. By the power of God. He brings the poor sinner out. Does he look. The Lord make it willing. In the day of his power.

[24:36] To bring you out. What for. To be kept. Will he then allow us to go back again. Will it cost him so much to.

[24:48] Bring us out. Will indeed. It cost him. His own life. By pouring forth his. Precious blood. For that alone.

[24:59] Could atone. For our sin. Not so my friend. It was this. That he could keep us. Yes. From eternal ruin.

[25:11] And I love those. A few words. In one of our hymns. Who once he loves. He. Never leaves. But loves them.

[25:22] To the end. Kept by the. Power of God. We may be fearful. We may be tried.

[25:33] But look. I've gone back. I'm indeed. I'm in such a state. And condition. Can there be a hope. For such. A sinner.

[25:43] As may. And may. Willing. In the day. Of his power. To. Return. Return. It's a very sweet word.

[25:55] To may. The word. Return. We need. To return. To the Lord. Jesus Christ. We need. To return. To his word. We need.

[26:06] Indeed. To return. By his. Holy Spirit. Yes. Kept by. The power. Of God. Have you ever.

[26:17] Thought. Of the wonderful. Work. Of the Holy Spirit. And how. We are so. Indacted. To the Holy Spirit. I will be.

[26:27] Ever. Brought. Be thankful. Yea. And to love. The Holy Spirit. To bring. A wandering. Sinner. Back. Yea. To come.

[26:38] Open. My eyes. And my. Understanding. Thereby. You cry out. Once again. God. Be merciful. To me.

[26:49] A sinner. Lord. Wash me. And I shall be. Whiter. Than snow. Oh. I say. Great mercy.

[27:00] To be kept. By the Holy Spirit. Stopped in the way. Brought to say. Who art thou Lord. Yea.

[27:11] Sometimes. It's this. We know. Who the Lord is. And you say. Now will the Lord. Cast me off. Once and for all. Not so.

[27:22] My friend. They are kept. By the. Power of God. Not by their. Own. Power. What a word.

[27:33] This is. That. Those. Who may become. Highly. Critical. Of others. And they. Find them in. Sin.

[27:44] They got nothing. To offer them. Or to give them. Only. Nothing. Other than. Destructive. Criticism. I say.

[27:56] And yet. Though that may be so. The Lord. Himself. Comes. And speaks. To that poor sinner. Yes. Not with.

[28:06] Destructive. Criticism. Oh. But rather. Indeed. With something. Very. Constructive. He said. Again. To that poor sinner.

[28:18] Follow. Thou. Thou. Me. Follow. Thou. Me. I say. This is a creeping power. Is it not? We may have contemplated.

[28:31] That is a better way. That we. Can. Build up. A situation. Where we. Shall indulge. Ourselves.

[28:42] In the pleasures. Of this life. We may. We may. We may. We may. We may. Think. That we. Are unable. To get round. Certain. Statutes.

[28:54] And precepts. And go along. In bypass. Meadow. Friend. Where do you. Find yourself. Eventually. What is sinking.

[29:06] In the slough. Of this bond. Friend. Cat. By the power. God. It is he. That pulls. That poor. Sinner.

[29:17] Out. He sets. As I say. In the right way. The only way. It causes us. To cease.

[29:27] To. Look. Any longer. At self. At what poor. Little self. Can do. But. Out. To look. Indeed. To what.

[29:37] Jesus. Can do. Capped. By the power. Of God. Good. Peter. Who. Wrote. These epistles. Seems.

[29:48] To be something. Very much. Here. Which he knew. All about. All about. But I say. Poor. Peter. What pain.

[30:00] What agony. He brought. Upon himself. By his own. Internal. Boasting. And. Self. Satisfaction.

[30:12] Although. All men. Should forsake. Yet. Not I. I say. I. How true. It. Could you not. Watch. One hour.

[30:23] One minute. No. The truth is. That we cannot. And when it comes. To being. Hard. Put to it. Instead of.

[30:33] Standing up. Firm. And fast. To defend. The Lord. In the councils. He denied him. With. Ours. And curses. Why.

[30:44] Peter. How far. Are you going to go. Down. This road. And see. A very small thing. That stopped.

[30:55] Peter. It may be. A very small thing. That stops. You and I. Why. He heard. The cock crow.

[31:06] Well. All the people. In that court. May have heard. The cock crow. But it was not. It meant. The same. To them. As it did.

[31:17] To Peter. So that little thing. That may have. A great effect. Upon you. May not have. A effect. Upon those.

[31:28] Round about. You. And I say. What did it do. For Peter. Why. It dissolved. His heart. His treacherous heart.

[31:39] Yes it did. And we read. He went out. And wept. Bitterly. Oh. So was it. And so he should do. And so shouldn't we do.

[31:51] But do we. He did. Oh. Kept by the power of God. I have prayed. For thee. That thy face. Failed not.

[32:03] Friend. His power. The power. Prayer. Of Jesus. In his intercession. Oh. For us. Oh.

[32:13] How we need it. Oh. The power of God. Who indeed. Can intercede. For us. With God almighty. Other than.

[32:24] The Lord. Jesus Christ. His. Oh. Dear son. That ordained. A priest. In heaven. Why. Oh.

[32:34] That his face. Fail not. And I assure. This. Unless. By the grace. Of God. Our faith. Is maintained.

[32:46] Then. In soon. Our faith. Will. Be. Non-existent. But. I say. Kept. By the. Power. Of God. Oh. A little.

[32:57] Face. The Lord. Speaks. To his. Disciples. Some. Might. Be. Rather. Deerogatory. As somebody. With.

[33:07] A little. Face. Face. All I can say. To them. This. Is better. To have a little. Face. That none. At all. It's better.

[33:18] To have a little. Face. As given. Of God. Than a cartload. Of self-manufactured. Face. In self. Which is bound.

[33:29] To fail. All kept. By the. Power. Of God. The good. Him. Right. I said. Oh. Could I. But. Believe. Then all.

[33:40] Would. Easy. Be. Easy. But. They think. We can't. Believe. So. It's not. Easy. But. When. They say. We're.

[33:51] Kept. By. Him. How. Different. Yes. To believe. In. The Lord. Jesus. Christ. Oh. Why.

[34:02] We have to cry to him. Take me Lord. Hold me up. Maintain me. Oh. Through the day. Maintain me.

[34:13] From the beginning. Until the end. My friend. Kept. By the power. To rely. Upon him. Oh.

[34:23] I like that thought. Don't you? That transformation. Within. That instead of relying. Upon self. Or relying upon.

[34:35] People. Or relying to what some man. Has said to us. But no. Rather. Relying. Upon what Jesus has said.

[34:48] And what Jesus has done. Mightily. In our heart. Yes. Great mercy. Is it not. To rely. To rely. Upon him.

[35:01] Oh. I say. My mind. Turns. To the scriptures. Us. We might have much. Of the scriptures. In us. But.

[35:11] Do we understand. What we read. The good man. In the chariot. He certainly. Didn't.

[35:23] Understand. What he read. But he had. Desire. To. Understand. But we find. When the. Scribes.

[35:35] Were. Arguing. With the Lord. Jesus Christ. They were not. Kept from their own. Presumption. Were they?

[35:47] No. For Jesus. Says to them. Search. The scriptures. For in them. Ye think. Ye have. Eternal life.

[35:59] And they. Are they. Which testify. Of me. Why. Can't you. Imagine. This man.

[36:11] Christ. Jesus. Dressed. As a Galilean. Confronting. These scribes. Who. Have already thought. They knew. All the scripture.

[36:22] And to him. Say. Search. The scriptures. They might. Well. As it. But I have. Search. The scriptures. But friend. They only. Search.

[36:33] The scriptures. To justify. Themself. They didn't. Search. The scriptures. To find. Those things. That testified.

[36:44] Of. Jesus Christ. And then. He goes. On to say. And. You. Search. The scriptures. You will. Not. Come. Come.

[36:55] To me. That ye. Might. Have. Life. I say. To be kept. That we. Come. To the Lord. Jesus. Christ.

[37:06] That. Oh. We might. Have that. Life. Divine. Verified. And. Confirmed. Within. Us. That we are.

[37:17] Kept. By him. I am. What I am. By the grace of God. Says Paul. And how. True that is.

[37:32] I receive. Not honor. From men. But I know you. That ye have not. The love of God. In you. And.

[37:45] Surely it is. The love of God. That keeps. A poor sinner. You may. Often wonder. What is it.

[37:55] I am still. Part. Of that. Living. Divine. Because. You have not been. Cut off. From him. But you have been. Maintained.

[38:07] By him. You draw. That essential. Sap. From him. Small. And. Insignificant. That we might.

[38:17] Appeared to be. Yet. Kept. By him. Oh I say. What a wonder. And. Kept. What for. To bear fruit.

[38:29] Not to your honor. And glory. But to his honor. And glory. I say. Oh the fruit. That the church.

[38:39] Of God. Does bear. Is to his honor. And glory. Because it is. He that has kept them. And will keep them. That all praise.

[38:51] And honor. May be due to him. And him alone. But may the Lord bless. His own word. And add much to these few scattered remarks.

[39:04] For his great name's sake. Amen. Honey. Thank you.

[39:42] In number 224. And by that grace, through faith, we stand adoring at our Father's throne.

[40:23] In number 224. In number 224.

[40:36] In number 224. In number 224. In number 224. In number 224. In number 224.

[41:16] Thank you.

[41:46] Thank you.

[42:16] Thank you.

[42:46] Thank you.

[43:16] Thank you.

[43:46] Thank you.

[44:16] Thank you.

[44:46] Thank you.

[45:16] Thank you.

[45:46] Thank you.

[46:16] Thank you. Thank you.

[47:16] Thank you. be with you all, now and for evermore.

[47:51] Amen.