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[0:00] For I read the word which is upon my mind and heart for this evening.

[0:17] I just read again the text this morning, which those that were with us will remember was found in Paul's second epistle, the Thessalonians and the second chapter, and we read verse 3.

[0:36] Let no man deceive you by any means, for that day, that is the day of Christ, his second coming, for that day shall not come except unless there come a falling perdition.

[1:09] Now we read to you a word, which you will find in the prophecy of Isaiah, the second chapter, we read verses 10 and 11.

[1:26] Prophecy of Isaiah, the second chapter, reading verses 10 and 11. Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty.

[1:51] the lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.

[2:12] I said this morning, that in seeking to bring God's word before you, that we must seek to do so in the light of the second coming of Christ.

[2:32] And as we just turn back for a moment to the morning subject, let no man deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first.

[2:55] And this searching truth is indeed before us every day of our life. It is so in our own beloved land, especially so.

[3:10] And it certainly is something, it is truth that is known throughout the world itself.

[3:22] Dear friends, we are living in the last days. As I said this morning, we do not know how long that will be.

[3:36] And yet our great need is to be prepared for that day that it may not come upon us as a thief in the night.

[3:50] The Lord just help me to speak once more to you of this most sacred truth. When the King of Kings and Lord of Lords will return to this earth with great power and glory and all the holy angels with him.

[4:16] And the exhortation given to the Lord's people in that day is this, then look up for your redemption draweth nigh.

[4:29] Now in that great day and with every one of us here this evening, it will have either one or two differing effects upon our hearts and minds.

[4:46] it will either fill us with terror and that in itself is inexpressible or it will fill us with holy joy.

[5:04] May we then be found in Christ in that great day which alone can save our souls.

[5:19] And then I just read this third verse once more, let no man deceive you by any means. He said this morning that in our land, in high places, in our national church, in religious circles, there are many men who are indeed deceived and are being deceived.

[5:46] The awful effects of it are to be seen. And the Lord may move me to speak a little further from the evening subject in this connection.

[6:01] For that day shall not come except there come a falling away first and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.

[6:12] This chapter really is prophetic concerning the Roman Catholic Church and all that that means and all that it will mean.

[6:27] But God's word will surely be fulfilled. and there are very solemn truths particularly in the Revelation that speak of the downfall of that apostate church.

[6:50] Now as we come then to the evening subject enter into the rock and I would that we might first notice and I'm sure that there is prophecy concerning the second coming of Christ in this chapter.

[7:13] We read or it is over the top of this pulpit Bible it says Isaiah exhorteth to repentance he prophesieth of Christ's kingdom the terrible day of the Lord Lord.

[7:31] And among other things we have read this concerning that day and the idols he shall utterly abolish and they shall go into the holes of the rocks and into the caves of the earth for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his majesty when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.

[8:00] In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver and his idols of gold which they made each one for himself to worship to the moles and to the bats to go into the clefts of the rocks may we notice how this is worded into the clefts of the rocks and into the tops of the ragged rocks for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his majesty when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth cease ye from man whose breath is in his nostrils for wherein is he to be accounted of but in the word that we have before us it says enter into the rock to my heart this word speaks to me of

[9:02] Christ and I hope to be enabled to speak from this word and indeed the closing words in verse 11 will be fulfilled in every particular concerning every soul that reaches heaven and what is it and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day and this is how our God will work among the nations of the earth and among his beloved people but I must see to look for a moment at least into the context and what have we read in chapter 1 how is the faithful city become a harlot it was full of judgment righteousness lodged in it but now murderous and then again in the second chapter their land also is full of silver and gold neither is there any end of their treasures oh may the lord help me to sound a further note of warning this evening indeed it would be right to say that people were judged by their possessions they still are that is after the manner of men but the lord looketh upon the heart and if indeed we are among his people then our treasure will be in heaven but how true it is their land also is full of horses neither is there any end of their chariots surely we might rightly speak of this in the present day concerning the motor car and

[14:46] I'm well aware that one has one and most of us have one and yet what I'm just seeking to convey is this one feels that even in this as we view our land that there is this solemn evidence that the day of the Lord cometh and I believe that we shall as grace is given take these things to heart we shall be compelled to consider them in the light of God's word and then just one more thought concerning our beloved land land their land also is full of idols they worship the work of their own hands that which their own fingers have made what really is idolatry surely it could be summed up like this idolatry in its truest sense is when the heart of men and women their affections are centered upon objects in this life and of course we can have many differing kinds of idols but an idol is something that we worship an idol is something that our affections are set upon and as we look at it as we may use it or whatever way it is when our affection is centered upon an object whatever it might be and we worship it then that in itself is idolatry and one more thought concerning this which

[16:49] I am speaking really to my own heart oh how we need to be kept from idolatry in every shape and form I'm sure that with the Lord's people in a very special way his word is constantly fulfilled from all your idols will I cleanse you we can make idols of men we can make idols of women we can make idols of loved ones we can make an idol of a chapel we can make an idol of ministers pastors we can make an idol of our homes our possessions and everything that we might think of and how only the Lord can reveal this to us but have you known what it is for God to come in your life and to say to you from all your idols will

[17:55] I cleanse you oh if we have we shall have known the effect of it the Lord will have shown us our idolatry and he will have brought us to the rock the rock Christ Jesus the only rock that can never be moved this rock can never be moved Christ is the eternal rock on which the church is built now having spoken as we have and we must leave the word of God with you to consider we need to consider it in the light of eternity in the light of the day of judgment in the light of the day of our death because particularly of this we brought nothing into this world and it is certain that we shall carry nothing out sometimes men and women may have buried with their loved ones objects of great value we hear of it we've read of it we know it has been so and yet anything that may be enacted in this way is completely valueless because when the soul leaves the body it is either to enter heaven or to enter heaven job knew this when he said naked came

[19:51] I forth from my mother's womb it's true of us all naked shall I return thither he didn't mean of course that he would return to his mother's womb what he meant was this we brought nothing into this world and it is certain that we shall carry nothing out dear friends when we come to die we shall have to leave everything everything in this world whatever we may have whatever we may have it was said of Voltaire perhaps one of the greatest atheists that this world has ever known a friend was only speaking to me concerning this man recently and it is said and it is truth that when that poor man who had been an avowed atheist when he came to die the person who looked after him feared to go into the room why did she fear to go into that room because there was terror there because the devil was there and that poor man was heard to say before he expired and now for the leap in the dark and another thing that he said was this he wished he had never been born friends these are eternal solemn truths which none of us will escape well the lord help me then to seek now to preach christ to you our only hope for eternity our only hope in the day of death now it's this enter into the rock how can poor sinners enter into this rock the rock christ jesus the rock upon which the church is built how do they enter into the rock one very sacred truth that follows this is in itself an exposition of what it is to enter into the rock and it's this and hide thee in the dust now to be favored to enter into the rock christ jesus means that we shall be brought into the dust we shall hide as it were ourselves in the dust of self abasement we shall be brought to nothing in ourselves we shall certainly say with the hymn writer when the lord brings us graciously to this rock nothing in my hand

[23:16] I bring simply to thy cross I cling I know I've quoted this perhaps many times through the years and yet how full of truth it is nothing in my hand I bring simply to thy cross I cling naked come to thee for dress helpless look to thee for grace black vile foul I to the fountain fly wash me saviour or I die you know the prophet jeremiah in his lamentations he speaks like this to put our mouth in the dust if so be there may be hope now this is something that mortal man proud man will never do in himself proud man would never bow his head before his maker proud man would never bow his head before the almighty there is that in the human heart that is so proud and horsey and lofty that it is found fighting rebelling kicking against

[24:44] God but when a work of grace is commenced then another word in the Psalms will be fulfilled within us and the word is this when my heart is overwhelmed lead me to the rock that is higher than I well the Lord help me to ask you a question here do we know what it is for our hearts to be overwhelmed to be overwhelmed by sin to be overwhelmed because of the things that are in our life to be overwhelmed as we view things around us and within us and everything to do with our life we shall know what it is to be overwhelmed especially to be overwhelmed by a sense of sin and shame our wretchedness our vileness and this in itself as the holy spirit shines within the heart will make us feel and to know this when my heart is overwhelmed and

[26:22] I think of the lines of the hymn here when overwhelmed with grief my heart within me dies and yet this under the teaching of the spirit will bring us to this rock and oh that the lord may help me to speak of what it is to enter into the rock and hide thee in the dust for fear of the lord and for the glory of his majesty again everyone that truly enters into the rock Christ Jesus is certainly brought to fear the lord the fear of the lord is the beginning of wisdom it is an evidence of the work of grace and however you may feel tonight in your hearts

[27:25] I wonder how many of us could say this with Obadiah now Obadiah feared the lord greatly of course the effect of that fear was seen in his life and what he sought to do for god's servants how he hid them in a cave and all that it meant but if we possess the fear of the lord within our hearts oh we shall have we shall be compelled to flee to this rock we shall be compelled to come to Jesus we shall indeed feelingly say as I believe I mentioned last lord's day evening thou oh christ art all i want oh dear friends is our religion being narrowed down to this could you say you're there tonight thou oh christ art all i want all in all in thee i find great mercy if we can sincerely and graciously express our feelings in such a way thou oh christ art all i want oh if we are favoured to have christ we we have everything that we need and everything else that we need will flow out of this one great and divine favour and that is christ in you your hope my hope of glory of heaven and another evidence of those or an evidence of grace concerning those that enter into the rock they are brought to know something of the glory of his majesty i do feel this is a particular truth that is so lacking in our day we so need to be brought to bow before the majesty of heaven to be brought to bow before and holy heart searching god to know something of what isaiah knew when he was given a sight of the glory of god and where did it bring him it brought him to the rock and the sacred outcome to this in his life meant that he entered into the rock now it's in these two things he came to the rock when he cried out woe is me for

[30:41] I am undone does that describe your case does that describe your heart do you have to say it tonight before god woe is me for I am undone he began with his own heart he really felt it and so should we if we have been brought to come to this rock and then he had to go on and say for I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell among the people of unclean lips for mine eyes have seen the king the lord of hosts we shall be made aware that our loved ones our dear ones mankind upon the earth they are in the same place as we are all of them being sinners and thus we all are even you'll be made aware that the most godly people are sinners if you have gracious discernment you'll understand this and how can we understand it we shall understand it first when we feel what there is within our own hearts and that will give us a gracious awareness of what is in the hearts of others but as we look at others we shall feelingly acknowledge concerning them if indeed we view them in their sin unconcerned in their souls we shall view them like this there go

[32:28] I but for the grace of God it is the grace of God alone that separates and that brings sinners to Christ now again concerning Isaiah the prophet when God brought him into the dust woe is me for I am undone I am a man of unclean lips I dwell among a people of unclean lips and for mine eyes have seen the king the lord of house and then what happened I believe that what happened then meant that Isaiah entered into this rock what was it a live coal from the heavenly altar from heaven itself was sent to that dear man and this is what was said he entered into the rock here lo this hath touched thy lips and thine iniquity is purged now that's entering into the rock that's bringing us into the rock rock and then another thought or two concerning this entry into the rock we shall enter into it when we come to the same place as the public who could not so much as lift up his eyes unto heaven but smote upon his breast saying

[34:06] God be merciful to me a sinner now that is entry into the rock that's coming to Christ we shall enter into the rock in our soul's exercise when we come and we have to pray Lord help me we shall enter into it when we come and have to pray oh Lord I am oppressed undertake for me again concerning King Hezekiah this was the path to pardon and forgiveness he had to feeling me set his house in order he had to cry he said like a crane or a swallow so did I chatter mine eyes fail with looking up oh Lord I am oppressed undertake for me but what do we read later on in the chapter we read this behold for peace

[35:12] I had great bitterness but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back now he entered into the run oh this entry into the rock is so vital it's the only place of safety enter into the rock and hide thee in the dust again I just think of that beautiful hymn 303 and in the hymn it goes like this hide me oh my saviour hide till the storms of life are past safe into the haven guide oh receive my soul at last now a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind as a covert from the tempest as rivers of water in a dry place as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land and we shall indeed come to this as grace is given weary of earth do you know what it is weary of earth myself friends if you are found in this rock you will certainly become weary of yourself oh you will your own sins will be your greatest trouble not the sins of other people you will not be like the

[37:16] Pharisee who looked upon the poor public and he said I fast twice in the week I give tithes of all that I possess but the publican smote upon his breast crying God be merciful to me a sinner enter into the rock and hide thee in the dust the dust of self abasement the dust of nothingness to be nothing to have nothing when we are nothing and when Christ is all in all that means in everything here oh to have Christ in it all enter into the rock and hide thee in the dust for fear of the

[38:16] Lord and for the glory of his majesty the lofty looks of man shall be humbled and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day verse now in closing this evening this will be the sacred outcome to the teaching of the spirit in our lives and in our hearts because when we come to die the only thing that will be of any value to us is this it's to be found in Christ.

[39:15] Be found in Christ. And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. There are many days in the lives of people and yet it's something to be very thankful for when in important days in our life, in special days in our life and in all that that means if we are favoured in this and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.

[39:53] Now that's just how we shall desire it. This is how we shall want it. We shall want Christ to be first and last and all in all.

[40:06] So dear friends, I just leave you with this thought. The Lord knowing what days may lay before us in our life, you may have, as it were, a very important day in front of you this year.

[40:27] Maybe those here tonight that are living, as it were, because of some special event this year. A day that is coming.

[40:40] A day that you're looking for. A day that you're waiting for. A day that you're planning for. But what a mercy even if during this year when appointed days shall come to us if this word is fulfilled and you will want it to be fulfilled and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.

[41:12] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[41:22] Amen. Amen. Amen. May we help to conclude with hymn 1093.

[41:42] How welcome to a tempest tossed amidst the storm's career while horror spreads from coast to coast is some kind haven near, but far more welcome to the soul is that secure abode when terrors o'er the conscience roll, the rock prepared of God.

[42:10] In 1093 Ray Thank you.

[43:12] Thank you.

[43:42] Thank you.

[44:12] Thank you. Thank you.

[45:12] Thank you. Thank you.

[45:44] Thank you. Thank you.

[46:16] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[46:30] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[46:42] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I'm here. Thank you.

[46:54] Thank you.