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[0:00] Pleased to help me, I would direct you prayerfully to Paul's epistle to the Hebrews chapter 12 and reading verse 2.

[0:13] Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despised in the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

[0:39] We read the first verse and look through there. Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, in the day that we live, is solemn, that we wonder where all the witnesses are.

[1:03] And we are few in number amongst us in their little denomination as well, as I believe it's so in many so-called places of worship.

[1:16] But nevertheless, a privilege to be a witness, and to fear the burden of your sin and mine, and look for relief.

[1:34] We sometimes try to pray in our difficult tears, and wonder sometimes, is the Lord being silent unto me?

[1:46] And you fear sometimes, you hope you've had a witness within, that you've had the call for grace, that you've been born again by the water and the Spirit, and made conscious that he is the one thing needful.

[2:04] But modern mercy, to whom else can we go? Said the apostles to Jesus, to whom else can we go?

[2:18] Thou hast the words of eternal life. They had witness in the pathway of the miracles that he performed.

[2:29] And we shall all be proven to be a miracle of grace, even though Jesus is now in heaven. He has conquered sin and death and hell for every man, woman, and child.

[2:47] He has chosen them before the worlds were made. And we bless God for that faith in putting our trust in the Word. And in our version of the Bible, we want to hold fast to it.

[3:04] Because so many in the day and age that we live, have tried to add or take away from the truth. And it's to their disadvantage, to their souls.

[3:19] But you see, the Lord will chasten his people. He made them conscious of what they are, sinners in his sight, and made to realize that they're born in sin and shape and iniquity.

[3:32] To whom else can we go? And especially, as we look here, looking unto Jesus, whom having not seen this side of the cross, dear friends, only by left on report of the disciples, as he taught them the Emmaus Road 2, he taught them by the way.

[4:02] And he had to admonish them, no fools and slow of heart, to believe. And we want to be enabled to believe and realize that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of those things that are not seen.

[4:19] And Jesus is the author. This is not the faith of man. This is God's given faith. To trust him, yes, and there's so little to encourage you and me to believe in the dying age that we live in.

[4:34] But the Lord God omnipotent reigns. And he will reign. And he will rule in the hearts of his people. And so, he could cause you and me to be chastened and mourn sore like a dove.

[4:51] And you'll have these contradictions in your pathway and mine as to whether your prayer has been heard. But Jesus said that men ought always to pray and not to faint.

[5:04] We hear of the ungodly praying and what mockery it is. But if the Blessed Spirit teaches you and me to pray, you'll have some matter to present to him at the throne of grace.

[5:17] And you'll pray without ceasing as he exhorts you and me to do. And so it's Jesus only, the object of your soul's desire, the author of your faith.

[5:29] If he's begun that good work in your soul of exercising you to have a hearing, ear receptive heart, you'll believe what he says. His word, you know, will be a lamp to your feet, a light to your power.

[5:46] You search the scriptures as believers. There'll be a purpose in your life and mind to look to Jesus. Jesus, shine through the sacred pages of thy word, the entrance of thy word, the giving light and understanding to your poor simple souls and mine.

[6:07] And though that pathway is tried and, as he says here, whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receive it.

[6:17] and you need grace to endure. It's fighting the good fight of faith that the authorship of your faith was the work of the Spirit.

[6:30] We hear so much of religion today, the free willers, you've only got to believe and you'll be saved. It may be the truth, dear friends, but it must be applied, the application of your soul and mind.

[6:48] You look to Jesus. That single eye that your whole body and mind might be full of the light of the knowledge of the truth. You shall know the truth. You have a testimony.

[6:59] Something to live on, something to die on. As your spirit is your remembrance or a mind looking unto Jesus. What a mercy if you've had a revelation of Christ.

[7:13] You look. He shines. He draws you. By the cords of men. He draws you by laying a word into your soul. And you'll trust him for his faithfulness.

[7:26] And you'll want the confirmation that he has begun that good work in you. Pour not on thyself too long lest it sink thee low.

[7:36] You will get sunk lower sometimes with his chastening hand. As it needs be. But you won't be like like Esau who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.

[7:55] No. You see, afterward when he would have inherited the blessing he has rejected well he found no place of repentance. repentance. It is vital that we have repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ.

[8:11] Oh what a mercy. We still have an open Bible. We still have faith if he's the author of it to keep alive your soul. Yes, cast down you might be but hope thou in God.

[8:25] Roger, yet praise him as the health of my countenance the health of your soul and mine is when you meditate upon the word what the Lord has given you.

[8:37] You might be made more and more conscious that you go on of your sins and mine. But to whom else can we go looking unto Jesus? Who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross.

[8:52] joy over all the insults and all the fiery darts that the wicked one fired at him. The temptation of where is now your God to you and me at times in our situations.

[9:10] But still we must venture to look to search the scriptures. The record there of Jesus' work as he came upon the earth to fulfill and to conquer sin and death and hell through the shedding of his blood away with him crucify him say the Jews and all those dead in trespasses and sin had a name to live and dead.

[9:37] And many to die I fear have a name to live and are dead. And this is something that you and I want to have these fruits of faith evidences to shine to confirm to be brought to your remembrance of what the Lord has told you.

[9:54] A living testimony a living evidence that God reigns. Made a way for you where there seemed to be no way by looking unto Jesus and all to confirm your souls and mine with signs following the hearing of the gospel and the reading of the word that we might know that he is that mediator of the new covenant looking unto Jesus the author.

[10:27] It's written upon the fleshly tables of your heart if he is the author of faith. Faith, dear friends, is a substance hoped for and evidence of those things that are not seen.

[10:40] And oh, we need the Lord to grant us this constant faith. Faith, dear friends, waiting upon the Lord, tarrying his leisure, then waiting, pointing out, wait at the bridegroom of your soul, reveal his love with power.

[10:57] We might be out of the depths and sometimes it's a good place to be in for the Lord to hear you. You know it's real when you've got a burden.

[11:09] You'll know it's real. The Lord has planted it there to exercise you. He's dealing with you as a son or a daughter and he's going to win your affections and mine if I may put it that way because he's a sovereign God.

[11:28] He'll wear you down. He'll wear you down and down until in the depths you cry. Oh, how foolish and slow of heart oftentimes we've been to believe and trust him for his faithfulness.

[11:44] But what a mercy. He's the author of it. He's beginning of it. He's began that good work in your soul. You perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. And he, for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame.

[12:02] And you know, he very much has left on record how he did endure hardness. and we as disciples are expected to call upon his name for support and sustaining grace.

[12:21] Supporting and sustaining grace, dear friends. To hold up your goings and mine in spite of the enemy, in spite of the tempter's power that seems sometimes that devil's going to destroy you and me in our faith.

[12:35] said he never will. He might be cast down but still hope though in God for I shall yet praise him as the health of my canvas and my God.

[12:46] All for faith in him to believe in his word. For you and me to have a cross. I must expect to daily cross. Lord, sanctify the pain.

[12:59] I believe if it's sanctified you'll be more diligent in seeking to have this assurance that the Lord in the faith that he's given you will make it plain.

[13:14] Make it plain. And you'll bless him for this exercise. Sat before him is the joy. And there's joy and peace in believing ultimately when the Lord brings you through this trial.

[13:28] drives out the devil. Oh, the working of Satan. A roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. And what have you could do and I against the lion?

[13:43] The fiery trials that are your lot and mine here below. You wonder where the disappointments, the dashed hopes. And then he brings you through into a wealthy place and you look on.

[13:55] And you bless him for bringing you through. he gives you that shield of faith that we sometimes refer to. And that helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, cuts up root and branch.

[14:11] Cuts up root and branch, dear friends, of that sword. Who wields the sword? You? No. Jesus. He gives you strength equal to the demands of your trials.

[14:22] Trials make the promise sweet. Trials give you life for prayer. Trials bring me to his feet to lay me low and keep me there. What a pain.

[14:33] No smooth path to heaven. Stones of stumbling, rocks of offense, wondering sometimes how you're going to conquer. Well, you're going to the strength of the Lord.

[14:44] You'll make mention of his righteousness and his only, and he says, come unto me. And mercy is that in the midst of these trials, looking unto Jesus, he strengthens you.

[14:59] He strengthens your weak hands of faith, confirms your febronies, and says unto you, fear not. Fear not, little flock, it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom and the joy that was set before him.

[15:17] He was more than a conqueror. we should be more than a conqueror through him that has loved us. And you'll be made willing in the day of your power, the power given to you, that he does when you're ready to faint.

[15:35] He gives you power. He gives you that peace of God from time to time. It breaks, it breaks through the gloom, through the gloom, dear friends.

[15:47] and so, though, he does cause you and me to know what it is to be afflicted, to correct you, but, you know, in love and in correcting you, in correcting you, he brings you to his feet.

[16:07] You see Jesus through the lattice of the gospel. You see the reality of what he has performed and left on record in our precious Bible and the experimental language of our hymn writers.

[16:23] Oh, what a mercy to see sin smarts, but slightly to omelip confession is easier still, but oh, to feel it cuts deep beyond expression.

[16:37] And you'll mourn over your sins. It cuts you up root and branch. the conviction of your sins that'll rend the heart of marble of your heart and mind, that'll make you willing in the devil's power to see grace, to endure hardness, and to be favoured to know that we're not to despise the chastening of the Lord nor faint when they're not rebuked of him.

[17:05] He will rebuke you. And you'll know what it is to weep and mourn over your sins. We sung this morning once they were they were wet, they wet their couch with tears.

[17:19] You'll literally know what it is to have a broken heart at time for your sins, past offences. It's a catalogue against you and me. We cannot water what we have said or done, even in an unregenerate state.

[17:36] But blessed Jesus, it's looking to what he endured on the cross. The preaching of the cross is foolish to them that perish but unto us that are saved it is the power of God that makes you realise and know and feel at a time my sins, my sins, immense as is the sea, hide me, O Gethsemane.

[18:04] Jesus then prior to his cross he was sweating as it were great drops of blood falling to the ground. Jesus himself burdened with your sins and mine each one in the covenant every one that shall be bought with a price down through the ages from the beginning of time to the end of time.

[18:30] all given by the Father to Jesus himself. No wonder dear friends he endured as seeing him who was invisible, his Father here upon the earth was unable to say it is finished.

[18:48] I blotted out all thy sins and thy transgressions to turn unto me for I have redeemed me, this blessed Redeemer. and so he had to instruct those Emmaus Road disciples didn't he?

[19:03] They were so ignorant and so we are very ignorant. What a mercy that set time that came when you were given grace to consider him.

[19:16] not looking at self, you know we get very selfish don't we? We've got all the troubles in the world but he's caused it to come and you look to the Lord to have mercy and compassion upon you say unto my soul Lord all this was done for you and if you get a glimpse by faith of Christ on that cross you'll bless him for condescending to look to you in mercy and in pity and he knew that he conquered sin, death and hell for everyone and what joy that brought to him.

[19:57] He's ascended now on high and captivity captivity captivity he had received gifts of men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell among them and now he endured the cross Jesus gave him strength enough and none to spare though he's part of the blessed trinity he endured and so will you and I endure if you go in the strength of the Lord and you make mention of his righteousness and you want that righteousness of Christ to cover your sins and mine oh what a mercy to put on that robe of righteousness of Christ and he says look unto me and be ye safe or beside me there is no saviour what an object of faith we want Jesus our friend that hung on the tree that opened the channel of mercy for you and for me have you ever had it applied have you ever been brought there to know that he's raised you and me from those that deadly nature that you were born in brought you into his banqueting house and his banner over you was love and he applied it with power to your soul yea

[21:16] I have loved thee this is something we long for we want the Lord to confirm our souls with a true token of his love and speak peace and pardon to us to help us to endure yes chasing you me to make you mourn to make you constantly aware that without thee I can do nothing but with thee I can do all things which Christ if Christ strengthened me and that's what you and I would want in the pathway of faith it's looking unto Jesus who for this joy was set before him endured the cross God strengthened him with all might as the father to his dear son and yet co-equal and co-eternal and the blessed spirit reveals it as he says when he was baptized this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased he hadn't yet he hadn't yet suffered dear friends these terrible insults and these and these enmity of the Jews and even

[22:34] Gentiles as well but there was a chosen people there an appointed time as grace is given you're born in grace you're created by his grace and you look to him to favour you to feel these tokens of his love yes you see he says if he be without chastisement whereof all are partakers that means all dear friends that have come into the world will be chastened but they're not all sons because some are bastards he says they're unlawful dear friends they're unlawful of the gospel truths they're not known by them and so when you hear somebody say well you've only got to believe and be saved that dear friends is a scriptural statement but it's all that the father giveth we must ever give him all the praise and the glory

[23:44] God dealeth with you and me as sons and daughters of blessed adoption and so if you're one of these chosen sons there's a time when you'll truly be quickened and you you daren't go away you can't forsake the truth for a massive pottage no you want to know and you want to come again and confirm yourselves that I am the Lord I change not therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed I've laid down my life and my friends and you are my friends if you do whatsoever I command you isn't it a mercy when you fail to lay down your life for Christ's sake and look to him to comfort you and bless you with a token of his love and so your chastening has an effect it changes your heart renews your will and returns your feet and mind as

[24:51] Zion's hill and you pray to be one of these clouds one of the cloud of witnesses that you go in the strength of the Lord and you make mention of his righteousness and you pray that you're not left to be weary and faint in your minds because you consider the intense suffering of Christ we know he was a perfect man but he knew what in his humanity which men deny some in his humanity he was a feeling son of God he passed through the fiery trial he passed dear friends through all these afflictive things that he had to pass through and yet in it all he was setting the example for you and me to follow his track

[25:59] I see and I'll pursue the narrow way to hear my view that I might know what it is to know what that peace of God the past is all knowledge of understanding for the joy and so you endure as seeing him who is invisible who strengthens your weak hands and confirms you in the way of ultimate salvation from this sin-stained world from this body of sin and death and you have an abundant entrance of last into the everlasting kingdom to be forever with the Lord so we bless the Lord do we not for these favours this joy but it's considering him that endure this contradiction of sinners lest you faint and weary in your minds for I am the Lord I change not therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed as we said earlier repeated

[27:00] I fear sometimes but blessed be the Lord if it's applied know the truth and so we have to ask the Lord yes as it needs be for chastening but oh I need thee to strengthen me for the demands of chastening that it might be sanctified that I might be made more meat for my master's use that I might seek that closer walk that calm and reframe that light that shones upon the road that leads me to the Lamb to be favoured to know the truth and to walk worthy of that truth that he is that he is indelibly inscribed upon the fleshly tables of the heart my heart I go in the strength of the Lord and it will be with strength enough and under the spear for you and me to do this as it was with the case of the as he said Lord if it be possible let this cast upon me nevertheless not my will but thine be done and a poor believer will say

[28:09] Lord just give me grace sufficient that I might get the victory over this body of sin and death through the merits of Jesus and so not to pour ourselves and that's a hard thing isn't it naturally we seem to often dwell upon those things that seem to touch our hearts and melt us down and wonder sometimes where are the scenes going to end when are we going to be brought through and that we might truly prove that though this chastening is grievous nevertheless afterward it yieldeth a peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby it's having an exercise of soul you can't shake it off your soul is exercised to know how the case stands and how it will be well how it will be well in the swellings of Jordan we think of those that we know still alive just in the body waiting for the

[29:11] Lord to come and take their ransomed spirit to heaven and likewise with all of us in that set time when it's appointed for us to die and after death of judgment but all to know this blessed Jesus and to be given a little comfort and hope that he has bought us with the price having eternally loved us therefore with loving kindness as he draws and if you love me he said keep my commandments they're not grievous not keeping his commands they're not grievous the chastening was grievous because he has to deal so confirmingly with their souls we're so foolish and slow of heart to believe the reality of the work of the spirit to give us a real living testimony that we're born of God and he bids you come and you'll obey his voice you'll be obedient you repent you're sorry for your sin and he bids you come and you're made willing in the day of his power to cast all for he cared for you what a saviour and he saves unto the uttermost all those that come to

[30:29] God by him and he said I will never leave thee not forsake thee so we boldly say the Lord is my helper I not fear what man should do we're so prone to fear man and he'll only bring you into a snare but it's fear God and keep his commandments this is the whole responsibility and duty of man as the Lord speaks as the Lord instructs and teaches him in the way that he should go and it's by looking to Jesus give me that single eye Lord that my whole body might be full of the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus Jesus endured unto the end and we shall endure as he to reach that desired haven at last but I see the time is God friends I must leave it for now may he forgive anything amiss and get to himself honouring glory anything acceptable in heaven

[31:37] Amen Let us conclude with him 170 the tune is Redhead 492 what a doleful voice I hear what a garden scene is there what a frightful ghastly flood Jesus welting in his blood groaning on the ground he lies seems a slaughtered sacrifice tell me with his feeble breath sorrowful yea unto death we commence ringing singing at verse number three of 170 two if there is

[32:42] ER still ew in US d oh On His face was standing in prayer.

[33:07] Surely He fills a thousand hills.

[33:18] Heavenly Jesus let me learn.

[33:29] What has brought this heavy world? To O house he runs Gestalt with do-day learn.

[33:57] Sinner, thou hast done the deed Thou hast made the sin of me Justice, through its gold on me Pierce my heart to pass by thee Now I take the dreadful count All its threats and drinking love

[35:02] Read my anguish in my gore Look and pierce my heart now O thy bleeping love behind What other love was to hide Ezra and thine mercy Ever fool and ever free

[36:05]  If I loved my Lord before I would love him ten times more Move into his sea outright Lose myself in Jesus Christ May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ The love of God the Father The fellowship of the Holy Spirit Rest and abide with us each Amen