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[0:00] In divine help again, I would direct your attention to Paul's epistle to the Philippians, chapter 1 and verse 12.

[0:15] Paul's epistle to the Philippians, chapter 1 and verse 12. I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel.

[0:36] and I would you should understand brethren that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel we can never really be short of ways to prove the truth of this word even if we should but take the letter the whole scriptures of truth it would bear witness to the truth of these words the things which happened unto me and we said this morning how what grace is needed to understand that truth to solemnly fall before the Lord in submission to his mind and will that whatever means it is in the hands of the Lord to use whatever means that the end of it all is and the fruition of that work must be in the hearts and lives and souls of the people of God it shall be for the furtherance of the gospel the dear apostle here was in prison his voice as far as preaching the word was concerned was silenced and I suppose that those that put him in prison would have rejoiced in that they'd silenced the apostle to the Gentile and really my friends that is how unbelievers have always been if you follow very carefully the desires and designs of the evil one Lord the evil one you will find that in the case of the Lord Jesus Christ that was their one intent that they should crucify the Lord of life and glory that they should silence his holy tongue that they should no more have to deal with those blessings and mercies which come through his revelation of blessing to the souls of those dear ones in his day oh how Satan would rejoice in the pit if the Lord of life and glory was silenced and so he was crucified and died but he rose again he rose again there is a word

[3:36] I don't know what I can find in looking at this Bible but there is a blessing word you know and it is really a sacred word to God's people speaking of that time when he shall suffer he said verily verily I say unto you that ye shall weep and lament that the world shall rejoice and ye shall be sorrowful but your sorrow shall be turned into joy I believe that my friends is the very substance of this word I would you should understand brethren that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel whatever this poor man suffered in the prisons and ultimately of course he lost his life for Christ's sake and for the gospel's sake but the gospel the furtherance of the gospel continued what he couldn't say he wrote so we have the blessed epistles and I can't remember how many there might be at least six that was that flowed from his pen whereas he couldn't he couldn't speak to them so he wrote to them and the outcome was this it was for the furtherance of the gospel and so in the days of Christ Jesus when they sentenced him to be crucified their intention was that he should be no more that he rose from the dead and in his dying in his sufferings and dying on the tree at Calvary and his resurrection from the grave the victory that he accomplished over sin and Satan and the grave and death itself was for the furtherance of the gospel in the experience and blessing both in time and throughout eternity for the whole church of God there were those in those days that didn't understand but they needed a teacher and so the Lord Jesus Christ drew near and went with them and expounded to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself and they believed and rejoiced

[6:13] I would that you should understand brethren that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather than fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel and we gave we said as we commenced this morning that there is no power in hell nor on earth that can ever interfere or hinder or bring to nothing the furtherance of the gospel there's not a man able and never will be that can prevent the gospel being blessed and made a blessing to his people oh how often we start I believe we began to speak a little of the work of grace and the work of grace is for the furtherance of the gospel that work of grace by the spirits teaching and leading and guiding we said sometimes in those early days and sometimes afterwards too we have to confess that in that blessed work my friends that stripping work that work which brings his people to a hopeless lost condition in themselves a work that removes all the props

[7:36] I would stand on the prop of respectability the proper morality and such props that the Pharisees lean so heavily upon well it strips all that away and it brings them into that perishing felt perishing state and they wonder too however there can be mercy for such ruined sinners but oh my friends the blessed spirits work it is to apply the balm of the gospel to sin-sex souls you must go down before you are lifted up you must feel ready to perish for you before you ever know salvation you must be totally lost in your own feelings before you know you are totally saved my mind when we were singing that hymn went to that account of and it's

[8:39] I know it's only a parable but oh it's only the Lord's people know this experience when the Lord Jesus was speaking about the man who went from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among thieves and the scriptures say that said that he was left half dead half dead and then came those two characters who could do nothing for him didn't desire to do anything for him one passed by on the other side one stopped and looked and then went on but there was one that came where he was my friends and there's the blessed gospel and there's the person of Christ or if you fell among thieves robbed and spoiled and left half dead hopeless and helpless in yourself it's no good looking to the Lord for any recovery or blessing that can't help you that demands absolute obedience that demands that you should walk holy life my friends you can't do it in yourself and then the Levite represents the ceremonial law and that can't help either but then my friends comes the blessed gospel in the presence of the

[10:08] Lord Jesus Christ and he came where he was and he poured in the oil and the wine and set him on his own beast and took care of him you know where it says there that he took him to an inn and he said whatsoever thou spendest more when I come again I will repay where's the inn it's the house of God that's where the inn is my friends that is where the poor destitute child of grace will be found that's where the spirit will bring him destitute of comfort hope but my friends it will be in the blessed means of grace and the effect and working of the spirit through the gospel and those things which are of Christ Jesus will be so made sweet and precious it will be a recovery of strength and a reviving in the soul gospel all these are the evidences in the word of

[11:12] God of the furtherance of the gospel may you and I look into this word tonight and the Lord help us in our meditation that I would you should understand brethren that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather to the furtherance of the gospel in the case of the apostle of course it was that in the cessation of his ministry so the commencement of his epistles and we looked at chapter 9 of the acts of that conversion of Saul of Tarsus and who would have considered it possible my friends if we look at it and we need the grace of God to look right at these things there was a man whose zeal was to persecute the church of Christ to hail men and women to prison and to their death also and there he was an ardent enemy of the truth and of

[12:18] Christ Jesus and that was the man that was raised up for the furtherance of the gospel oh it's a sacred evidence of sovereign grace oh when they ridicule sovereign grace my friends tell them to read Acts chapter 9 because there it is the eternal choice of God and for the benefit of the church of Christ was that blessing and mercy realized for the building up and establishing of his people in their most holy faith was this man called out of nature's darkness full of religion and hopelessly lost complete enemy to the church of Christ and its doctrines and indeed of the Lord Jesus Christ himself but there a brand plucked from the fire and from it the eternal counsels of

[13:18] Jehovah the principal purpose and blessing and mercy of it all was that the gospel should be preached oh how he takes the most unusual the most unlikely the most unfitted of characters to do his work and I say that very reverently and so we read and so we read in that ninth chapter that he was raised up by the Lord Ananias was told to find him where to find him and you'll notice too the Lord told him the purpose of it all but the Lord said unto him and you know I said this morning my friends the Lord never makes a mistake never makes a mistake we often do we can't look into the heart we might judge by outward appearances but the Lord makes no mistake here he hath authority from the chief priests to bide all that call on thy name but the

[14:27] Lord said unto him go thy way for he is a chosen vessel unto me to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel and I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name sake from a persecutor to a preacher my friends God's work will continue this man would overthrow the work of God if he could have done bring to Lord the gospel church in the days of the apostles silence those who listen let alone those who preach it but the Lord work and way and will and purposes was such and that how true it was that the things which happened unto me not only now as he is in prison but as he looked back on that call by grace that remarkable blessed call by grace and he saw in the wisdom of

[15:31] God and he saw in the purposes of God we sometimes forget that you know we sing that lovely hymn of his name's gone now in the weariness of my mind William Kelper and we sing that hymn and he says his purposes are ripening fast unfolding every hour the bud may have a bitter taste but sweet shall be the flower oh what a blessed thing it is to be able to trace the Lord's hand you can trace it in soul of Tarsus you say because it's written in the word of God but it's the same almighty power and the same blessed purposes of God in the salvation of every one of his people where is the one that is possibly could be called that would merit such a blessing there isn't one my friends he takes the most vilest and the most wretched of sinners and stops them in their wild career applies the grace of

[16:42] God within their poor souls they are now living souls they have eternal life within them and he convinces them of their sin and leads them into the depths of spiritual poverty when it comes to salvation and the purpose for the furtherance of the gospel that's why my friends his company here when on earth was poor needy souls the purpose if it was that they should be raised up let me just turn back into the old testament I am absolutely dependent my friends on the work of the holy spirit not only in my own soul salvation but when it comes to the preaching of the word that he might move and instruct and teach us in these sacred truths in the second chapter of the first book of

[17:48] Samuel the second chapter of the first book of Samuel we have the song or rather sorry we have the prayer of rejoicing of Hannah now amongst the things that she said in her prayer unto God my heart rejoices in the Lord my horn is exhorted in the Lord my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies because I rejoice in thy salvation now let me just read what I wanted to read concerning this word that we have today the Lord killeth and maketh alive he bringeth down to the grave and bringeth up the Lord maketh poor and maketh rich he bringeth low and lifteth up and this is the word he raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth up the beggar from the dung hill what was the purpose of that to set him among princes that's the purpose he raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth up the beggar from the dung hill to set him among princes and to make them inherit the throne of glory for the pillar of the earth of my friends even in those blessed old testament days there is that evidence of the lord's divine work and the purpose of it well where do you sit tonight in your seat are you not if you are anything like

[19:32] I am and I confess it before you my friends my company are the poor and they are the beggars in Zion there will come a day when the beggar shall die and rest but whilst he's a poor man and a beggar here you know he's wholly dependent on his God those are my company those are my friends and I rejoice with them and I mourn with them and I weep with them because I know how they are but what is the purpose of it dear friends what is God's eternal purpose oh never mind about what people try to trace out that there is the Lord waiting to love them my friends the whole of salvation is an appointed blessing to the poor and the needy and the beggar from the dunghill I would you should understand brethren that the things which happened unto me are fallen out rather to the furtherance of the gospel and to take such as might be described as the beggar to take such as might describe as and set him among princes well surely he would be out of the felt place if appointed place wouldn't he well he would be naturally he would be naturally you take the most abjective characters the most uneducated of people the poor of the land you might say who scrape a living and you put him amongst those who live in palaces well he would be out of place wouldn't he not so in the church of

[21:20] Christ not so they have a common bond and a common union and they have a common work in them my friends they are indeed kings and princes within the kingdom of God I would you should understand brethren now that's the work of the blessed spirit and the purpose if it is to raise up the poor out of the dust and the beggar out of the dunghill and to set him on princes is that they shall enjoy them enjoy the blessings of his grace and they shall enjoy the work of the spirit my friends and it shall make them one with Christ one with Christ the things that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel so every call by grace and every gracious way that the soul is led by the blessed spirit has this principle to be found and to be known the furtherance of the gospel the blacker they are you know and I say it without any possibility of contradiction my friends the more blacker you feel the more downcast you feel by your own sin the more far off that you might have to confess you are because of your iniquity well my friends there is an expression here that must be said how welcome is the mercy in

[23:00] Christ Jesus you know there is nothing more precious to a sinner under conviction than the precious blood of Christ being applied and that's the work of the spirit of truth and when he shows you the remedy and graciously applies the remedy brings you into the sweet knowledge of the remedy and to the comfort and the peace of that remedy my friends it is for the furtherance of the gospel that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel oh how the work of the spirit is for that one end you know let us look also at the time and season in the life the spiritual life of god's people when they become to be lukewarm when things go on in a pleasing way to nature and what is the effect upon the spirit my friends this that they walk and they talk in that lukewarm condition and they lack real exercise of soul they're not now in need as they were once in need they're not cry out of desperation now but they go on this smooth way so comforting to nature and so opposite to the tribulations of the pathway and so it goes on like that but then my friends as the lord surely will have mercy on your precious soul he'll not leave you in that dead state or that lukewarm condition

[24:59] I'm repeating something I've repeated for years my friends but the poet says he loads their shoulders well with woe and thus obtains his end plunged again as the good man Job must know surely plunged again into Job's ditch plunged again into need and concern and burden you know one of the things which is most trying to God's people often prayed against because it is so easy to fall into that sorrowful condition is where Joseph of Mary was in the gospel of Luke they took Christ Jesus Christ down to Jerusalem and they left him there and they didn't know they did and so we read that they were coming back and they travelled a day's journey without him my friends that is the state and condition that your poor soul can come into in that lukewarm state and indifferent condition and satisfied with the smoothness of the way to know my friends he will put his hand again to the work he'll never leave his people to go on in that way of indifference and unconcerned he'll stir up the soul again it bring them into absolute need again there will be a crying for mercy once more out of the soul

[26:38] I would you should understand brethren that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel why is it then dear friends that the Lord permits and I say it very reverently because he does permit to come into tribulation temptation he causes that to happen for your profit and good for the good of your soul my friends it will stir up the soul trouble never made you pray let's get that straight for a start my friends but if he has mercy on your soul and he surely does have mercy on the souls of his people he will not leave them in that destitute and lukewarm state I was reading there the 37th of Job he calls it it to come and why whether for correction or for his land or for mercy dost thou know the balancing of the clouds the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge he calls it it to come my friends when things become smooth when there's little or no opposition to grace in the soul when you just sail along unmolested and little oppression you know oh it's the time to watch my friends because if you're a child of grace he'll bring you to his mercy seat he'll bring you there you look at that instance of the apostle

[28:27] Peter before the Lord Jesus Christ suffered he said to Peter Simon Satan hath desired to have you to sift you as wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not and when thou art converted strengthen thy brethren and then we read of Peter's own words though all men deny me deny thee yet will not I full of confidence in himself and then we read of him going into the judgment hall and sitting amongst the women there and watching the events unfold of the solemn dispensation of the sufferings of Jesus and there they accused

[29:27] Peter of being amongst those disciples and followers and believers in Jesus and so we read he denied his lord and master and the cock crew and the effect he went out and he wept bitterly gone was the confidence gone was the impetuous nature of Peter that's all evaporated now he was ruined by his own sin and this is for the furtherance of the gospel my friends what is the one of the blessings of the gospel one of the most sacred blessings of the gospel well there is an immense way in the gospel which is for the child of grace all those and I don't know how to put it dramatically but the gospel is made up of of the sufferings and death and resurrection of Jesus

[30:34] Christ the gospel itself means good news but in what the Lord Jesus Christ did in the sufferings and death and resurrection there is an abundance of mercy well now the poor man wept over his sin over his fall and mourned but for the furtherance of the gospel and Jesus turned and looked upon Peter and Peter went out and wept bitterly there was mercy in that look and there was pardon in that look and then again my friends when he rose from the dead he said to those to was it to Mary Magdalene who he met and he said go tell my disciples and Peter that I go before him go before them into and to Galilee and then we read in the gospel of John that personal word of the

[31:36] Lord Jesus to Peter all the other eleven disciples were present but he turned to Peter and said unto him lovest thou me more than these my friends it was for the furtherance of the gospel if you read his epistles you will find it there the record of scripture those blessings of the gospel that he learned I was going to say in a hard way because that lesson he never forgot in that chapter one of the first epistle blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that faileth not away reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of

[32:42] God through faith and to salvation ready to be revealed in the last time how precious the Lord Jesus was therefore to Peter I would that you should understand brethren that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel and not only in the declaration of the gospel which of course one is what which we may refer at the moment to the apostles words but when it pleases the Lord to so balance the clouds of your tribulation and that it is for the furtherance of the gospel it is for the furtherance of the gospel within you so that there is imparted to the soul knowledge experience revelation and application you go back my friends to

[33:43] Peter what did he know what did he need more than anything else what does a poor sinner need my friends when we get into this low and unconcerned and indifferent spirit when you come to chapel in your hearts as hard as the saint when you come out of tradition out of duty out of formality when you've got no cry because you don't need anything when you go through the way of prayer as it was because you've always been brought up to do so my friends that is how the child of grace is but remember this too my friends what is in the gospel and there are so many things we might glean out of the word of the gospel you know which is so suitable for its furtherance well there is this grace in the gospel and that's restoration restoration my friends that is what

[34:45] Peter was blessed with restoration if you look in David's psalm of repentance that was what he cried for in the 51st psalm restoration and doesn't that show doesn't that bring into the sacred experience of God's people for the furtherance of the gospel a little more that you and I may know of the gospel is of the mercy that's in the gospel the unchangeable nature of the gospel and all those things which make up the gospel of Jesus Christ it is an unchangeable blessing in the gospel and in that gospel my friends is the something which we must never forget and that is the love of Christ to his people and that's indissolvable it cannot be changed but fallen black sinners who are brought into the gracious teaching of the

[35:46] Holy Ghost are brought to know this truth that though they sin so much though they've fallen so much and so dark has been their path my friends what is so precious to them as it is revealed to them is that the love of Christ in the gospel is not changed I would you should understand brethren that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather for the furtherance of the gospel that is the furtherance of the knowledge of the gospel if you know what it is my friends to seek mercy you will know this that there is mercy in the gospel there isn't anywhere else I thought sometimes of those wonderful places in experience those in the gospels experience from the lips of the Lord Jesus when out of a sense of the knowledge of their sin and brought him to realize that nothing less than the condemnation of

[36:55] God is expected you think of the woman that was brought to Christ in adultery and there these good men brought her to Christ to condemn her the law condemned her the law said she should be stunned and she she was brought to Christ for his judgment as we might put it on it and what a different blessing that was he that is without sin cast the first stone and they all walked they all went out condemned in their own conscience that they were not right characters to pick a stone up to stone that poor woman where are thine accusers oh here was well the old Pharisee would say that's contrary to the law of Moses my friends it's the mercy of the gospel that's what it is it's the mercy of the gospel doesn't condone sin not for a second the Lord

[38:05] Jesus Christ didn't condone her sin but he sat afraid bearer thine accusers whether we're not there neither do I condemn thee go in peace wonderful gospel that is isn't it picks the ruined up when it is sweetly and blessedly applied to poor sinners it finds a sinner where he is ruined and it sweet and precious is that gospel because it doesn't ask for merit and it doesn't ask for that turning one's life around it doesn't ask for reformation for salvation I mean grace in the soul will have the effect of reformation but regeneration comes first before reformation does oh there is the this is what makes the gospel so attractive to the poor and the needy in the church of christ it's the mercy in it it's the love in it it's the compassion in it and oh gather it all together my friends and you have to say in absolute reverence it's christ in the gospel that makes it so suitable to poor sinners and it's free absolutely free that mercy no paying of account you know that was already done by the saviour but the time's gone again we must leave the word but in all your tribulations of the way in all the oppositions that you find against the grace of god may i just give you this word oh watch his hand my friends and you'll see his dealings with your soul or your circumstance in all the tribulations of the path in all the oppositions that you realize my friends it will be blessed for you it will be good for you and it will be for your eternal profit when you see this blessed effect for the furtherance of the gospel it's made you cry unto him it's made you bring your burden unto him it's made you wait upon him it's made you wait for him and so that in deliverance in blessing my friends he shall have all the praise and the honour and the glory that's due to him i would you should understand brethren that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather through the furtherance of the gospel and then this when

[40:57] Saul of Tarsus was stopped we read my friends and how suitable it is how he became a servant of God in a moment of time in a moment of time he became a servant of God Lord what wilt thou have me to do and that was for the furtherance of the gospel Amen if the Lord will Mr Izzard is engaged to preach here on Wednesday evening and our pastor next Lord's Day our closing hymn number three hundred and twenty eight M peace s y amen new f m m m mü y m o麼 efficiency a m m m m m to Christ draw near, thy Saviour's gracious promise here.

[42:22] His faithful word declares to thee that as thy days thy strength shall be. Let not thy heart despond and say, how shall I stand the trying day?

[42:39] He has engaged by firm decree that as thy days thy strength shall be. Hymn 328 Hymn 328 Hymn 328 Hymn 328 Hymn 338 God bless you by my God Bevölkeriggs come happy roku your life worship si your grace

[43:41] Father, why, there is my recreation.

[43:54] Amen. Amen.

[44:54] Amen. Amen.

[45:54] Amen. Amen.

[46:54] Amen. Amen.

[47:54] Amen. Amen.

[48:54] Amen. Amen.

[49:29] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[49:43] Amen. Amen. Lord it is the blessed lot of thy people to know both sides Lord the trials, the troubles, the distresses but oh glory to thy name they know the balance in a declares they know a little more of this precious gospel which is so suited to sinners and oh in all these things we would glorify Christ Lord pardon everything that has been amiss in the services today but do bless thine own word now be with us as we part Lord take care of us all watch over us all until we gather again in the sanctuary now may the grace of the Lord Jesus the love of God the Father the communion of the Holy Spirit abide with us both now and forever

[50:56]  Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen