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[0:00] There are three verses at the close of the Gospel according to Matthew to which I would direct your attention.

[0:15] As the Lord should help me, I would try to speak from the 28th chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew verses 18, 19 and 20.

[0:27] And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

[0:40] Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.

[1:04] Amen. Amen. We are truly thankful that these words have been recorded for us by the power of divine inspiration.

[1:19] We are truly thankful that God, in the riches of his grace, did cause his servant Matthew to record in the way in which he has done these latter events and these latter words of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ before his ascension.

[1:36] But whilst we are thankful for that, friends, we do realize this, that the words that we have read are the words of the eternal Son of God, that they are the words not of Matthew merely, though he was the recorder of them, that these are the words of the Lord himself.

[1:57] How great, therefore, is the authority of this that is contained in the last two verses of this chapter? And let us not forget that in the first verse of the text there is a very clear setting forth of the nature of that authority.

[2:15] The Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, who now stands before his disciples as that great Emmanuel, he does say, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

[2:30] It would, of course, have been true to say, friends, that this power belonged unto the Son of God before time began, in the purposes of the Lord it was manifested, and there through all the ages of this world's history, all shall come and have lasted and have ended, as has pleased the great friend of the church of Christ.

[2:52] For that being so, I do want you to notice there, that the eternal Son of God, the second person of the glorious Trinity, the eternal Word, has now become flesh.

[3:06] And having become flesh, friends, he did so for purposes of his own everlasting grace. He became man in order that he might suffer, even as he was God that he could tithe.

[3:19] And there this blessed one Emmanuel stands and lives and suffers. He bleeds and he dies for the accomplishment of those great purposes of everlasting salvation.

[3:34] And now, there he leaves his disciples, he does speak to them this word of greatest command. I do want us to remember the authority, but I also want us to remember the love that there is within the Word.

[3:49] This is the command of divine love to those who are so dearly loved of Jesus, and whom there he has commissioned, and he would again recommission them in that great work that he has committed them to do.

[4:05] And the words that have chiefly been upon my spirit, in anticipation of this day, are the opening words of the second verse of the text. Go ye therefore.

[4:16] What a word this word go is. I do realize, my friends, that there are many persons for whom this word go has been addressed. And there, when it has been addressed to them, they have shown a good deal of unwillingness about the command that has been spoken to them.

[4:35] We have read of that case in the sixth chapter of the book of the Judges, of how that dear man, Gideon, was commanded to go and do certain things by God himself.

[4:47] The angel of the Lord appeared, and spoke to him in no uncertain manner with regard to this command. He told them that he was to go, and there deliver Israel from the hand of the Midianites.

[5:02] And Gideon raised all sorts of objections against them. His family, a very small one, the tribe also one of the least, himself one of the least worthy.

[5:12] I do not doubt he felt like that about it. And yet, friends, the command most graciously prevailed. I was very impressed by the manner in which our friend, Mr. Darnam, spoke about the application of a portion of that word that the Lord spoke to Gideon to his spirit that Sunday evening.

[5:33] Go in this thy might. Have not I sent thee? We have no might other than that, friends. It is because the Lord does say, because that angel of the Lord has now given unto him all power in heaven and in earth.

[5:51] And it is because he will exercise that power according to his own gracious purpose and loving will that as he commands his servants to go, he can say to them, Go in this thy might.

[6:04] Have not I sent thee? That is thy might. The commission I give thee, my person, my authority, my power, my willingness to be with thee, to hold thee up and support thee and deliver thee in all kinds of dangers.

[6:20] This is thy might. Go. Have not I sent thee? When I consider this word that was spoken to the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, I do realise, friends, that primarily it was spoken to eleven men.

[6:36] But I am perfectly persuade of this, that in the mind of God it was not confined only to those eleven men. Because we do read at the conclusion of our text, Lo, I am with you all wise, even unto the end of the world.

[6:53] And you see, the end of the world has not come yet. You may say, but of course, that applies to the end of this world's existence for those eleven apostles. But I believe, my friends, it goes much further than that.

[7:07] I am persuaded that this word has again and yet again been used with divine application to the souls of the servants of God. I am not unacquainted with this.

[7:20] Because I believe when the Lord did commission me to go out into the ministry, and thereafter much rest in the spirit and much resistance in my own person, this, this, the burden of it became so great that I hardly knew what to do with myself at the time.

[7:38] But the Lord did resolve the whole matter with the application of these very words that I have read to you this evening. Go ye therefore and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo, I am with you all by even unto the end of the world.

[8:06] And speaking like that, I do realize, friends, that here is a word suitable to deny and I would that the Spirit of the Lord might show to our dear friend the new pastor of this church, the man in which his power and holy purpose shall continue to be bound up with this matter that we are attending to on this occasion.

[8:30] Oh, that in his heart again and yet again he may prove the authority and love of such a word as this, Go ye therefore and peace. But now to come down more particularly to the meaning of this word Go.

[8:45] In the first place I want you to notice, friends, that when the Lord does say to a certain person or people, Go, there are certain things that are implicated by it. In the first place it seems to me that there must of necessity be a leaving of a certain place, certain occupations, certain circumstances.

[9:06] It may be of dear friends, it may be of companions, of a lifelong interest, but there is of necessity a separation. Now I believe that our friend here has known something of the keenness of this.

[9:22] The Lord has come to him and has said, Go! And there, although it has meant much pain, agony of spirit maybe at times, at the thought of separation from those with whom he has been associated for such a long, long time, nevertheless, the word has prevailed within his spirit of his end that the guy hears within this place under the power and direction of his God.

[9:50] But I would have you remember that it not only signifies this matter of our friend's separation from those whom he has dwelt with so long and so lovingly, but also there are other things implied in the word.

[10:04] I do realise, friends, that a going forth into the ministry, whether it be a young man who is entering upon it early on in his life, or whether it be the labours of an older man who is there constantly being called into the exercise of this work under God, there of necessity is a going forth.

[10:26] I think most affectionately of wives and children of ministry, my dear friends, I do trust that you may pray for them. They know what it is to be separated from so much because of the arduous and continuous labour of a minister in the word of the gospel.

[10:45] May you be unable to really support them with your prayers, to bear them before the throne of grace. Don't only think of the man who is standing in the pulpit on the Sunday, don't only think of the burden he bears and the exercise that is upon his soul.

[11:03] Of necessity this must be very, very heavy indeed. But remember this friends, there may be a dear woman in the back pew there and there may be children who otherwise if it were not for the absence of their father or their husband from them on so many, many occasions would have their company with them in the home.

[11:23] Oh how I beg of you to think considerately, lovingly, prayerfully of this very matter that I am bringing before you. Here is a man to whom the Lord says go and by God's grace to this time he has gone.

[11:40] Yes, in difficulties, winter and summer experiences have been his fortune not only in his person but also in his soul. There have been darknesses and also times of light.

[11:53] The blessing of the Lord has been very powerful and then upon another time it has seemed as though he has walked in personal and spiritual distress of no uncertain nature but through it all the word of the Lord has prevailed go ye therefore.

[12:09] Oh friends what a mercy to realise this. And then of course there is another thing friends and that is there are so many things in ourselves that would intervene in the performance of this word go ye therefore.

[12:25] I speak here with some feeling because I do know friends of the dreadful things that dwell within my own flesh that would hinder my obedience to the word and will of God.

[12:37] And I can deeply sympathise with my friend here. I don't think that he will feel that I am doing any despite to him when I say that I believe we are men of like passions to one another in this manner.

[12:52] We need much grace that may prevail against the feelings the cowardice the weakness of our flesh when the way is hard and very very trying and enemies rise up and it would seem friends as though anything and everything would close the way up for us to go.

[13:11] Oh friends then to maintain the battle with soldier like behaviour to keep the field and never yield and firmly eye the saviour this is no easy matter for the servant of God it isn't for the child of God anywhere but particularly for the servant of God.

[13:28] I do remember how a dear friend of mine Mr. Turner the late pastor of the chapel at Blackheed he was preaching on one occasion for us at an anniversary service at Eddington I wasn't able to be present at the service because I lay in bed that time but afterward I did hear a tape recording of the sermon and I will remember as he spoke about those words we are ambassadors for Christ how he said to the friends in his very winning way he said friends it's something like this with the ministry there are people in his congregation whom the Lord said you must go a mile in trouble and he says then he comes to the ministry he says you must go two miles for their sake I wonder whether you ever thought of it along those lines a very simple description of the man but it seems to me that it does really and wonderfully sum up the whole thing when all sorts of difficulties will be in the way particularly those that arise from the depravity and evil and wickedness that lies within our own breath and it's only it's only the mighty authority and grace and power of this one who says don't that can overcome such things as those oh that the spirit of the Lord may prevail within this place and within the heart of my friend and in the heart of you who are members of the church and of the congregation here that you may be much in prayer that this blessed work may prevail against every obstacle and then of course there are obstacles around as well aren't there remember don't you how when the Lord

[15:07] Jesus Christ was entering Jerusalem with his disciples they were praising him and the Jews said to the Lord Jesus Christ let these men be silent and they offend us I expect that was the meaning and the Lord turns to them and says if these should hold their peace the very stones would cry out why because I said don't my word must prevail why if these should be silent then something must be because my word has been proclaimed my will shall be done whatever the difficulties may be in the way go go ah there is the word then the word of divine authority and of divine power I dare say it's true to say something like this that if in the days when the Lord Jesus Christ had commissioned his disciples he told them to make friends with the Pharisees and do what the Pharisees wanted them to do and always bow down to them and accept the counsel of the Pharisees well friends that have had a much easier sort of pathway wouldn't they than they have because a lot of their trouble stem from those who were very very religious and extremely self-righteous it stem from trouble there but oh then so evil report and good report though there were those my friends who would raise up powers against them like we had mentioned this afternoon how you know the dear apostle was left on the ground for dead because of the hatred that was evidenced against him and he came and reclaimed forth to evil report and good report the word of the Lord did provide with his servant go ye therefore go ye therefore and then there is another thing perhaps I would like to mention and that is this thing there are all sorts of people of course who will say that the word that the servant of God labours under and the authority with which he does receive his commission is a completely wrong one they will say no he ought not to go there he ought not to do that he ought not to leave that place and go somewhere else let me assure you this friend that our

[17:17] God is an absolute problem when I see the hand of God in preserving a man in one place over ever so many years I say thanks be to God for the riches of his grace that has enabled that man to stand in the office all that time and bear that burden all those days thanks be to God for that it's the wonder of his grace that is he able to do but if on the other hand my friends I hear as I have heard clear description of the sovereignty of God being exercised in closing up a door against a certain man and opening another door and causing him to walk in that way whether it may be in painful circumstances of one nature or another oh friends I have to say this blessed be the name of our God that moves according to the counsel of his own will and will accomplish his own purpose either in the remaining of a man in a certain place or the removing of a man into a certain place go you there go you there

[18:20] I do not doubt friends that there are some persons who will say there's something wrong about this I don't think that there's any action that is taken in the fear of God any action that is entered upon under the leading and teaching of the Holy Ghost that what is the subject of criticism I believe my friends the devil is so deceptive and the wickedness of the human heart is so dreadful that yes we could raise up criticism against the clear dealings of God but remember where God has said go you and we shall criticize his word and his command we do so at our own terrible friends we do so at our own terrible all we do is a dreadful thing my friends to attempt to oppose the clear operation of the Holy Spirit to attempt to oppose the clear command of the Lord as he speaks to his servant why is that the Lord on one occasion touch not mine anointed and do my prophets no harm they are not the servants of men they are my servants they have not the commission of the creature but they have the commission of God touch them not that your peril you shall do so go you therefore our friends it's not a human word it's

[19:37] God's word it's God's authority it's the authority of the son of God who loved and gave himself for his people that their ordains that this man or that man shall be in the place where he will have them to be go you therefore nobody can do it instead of them nobody can take their place I need that word in those friends that nobody can take their place I often said you know in conversations with some of my colleagues in the ministry I realised very solemnly and yet blessedly that I can't be in your place and you can't be mine the Lord will have his service to be exactly where he has appointed why we had the description this afternoon so greatly from the lips of our dear friend of the wine which the Lord did close up certain doors and open up certain doors for the apostle Paul to go down into Macedonia to preach ah friends how wondrously the Lord although you do see oh they shall go they must go go he there oh it's not just to be the counsel of a man or his advice here is the authority of God enemies may rise up but they must crawl before divine authority terrify the servant of

[20:55] God maybe because of their strength and their enmity but oh my friends the word of the Lord shall shall go go and I want to notice another thing friends and that is that the Lord will certainly open up the wise where that way where he will have his people to go and where his servants have to tread he will make it known to them those words you know that we heard this afternoon would be much upon my spirit regard to this matter I felt there was a real harmony in the mind of my friend this afternoon to what I've been contemplating about this part of the subject again oh the Lord will open the line it doesn't matter my friends how many enemies may be in the way but the Lord will open up and he'll give strength to the weakest to tread it out whatever the danger or the peril may be and even my friends if the walking out of this will this why of the

[21:58] Lord this going in his path should bring upon that man awful distress and dreadful suffering yet the Lord will do wisdom in that way that he called and through and they would be able to see his crazy even out of the dark dungeon go you there go you there think of the case of Gideon how troubled he was and his spirit about him I felt so thankful as I listened to my friend relating a little of his exercise about the matter of the seat how he had to go to the Lord and die and one token dropped me a confirmation have you ever noticed friends in contemplating the action of Gideon I would ask your attention to this there the dear man he goes to the Lord he says Lord give me a please give me a please there friends in the morning although the ground is dry the bone he takes the freak and he wrings it out and the water pours out of the freak our

[23:10] God doesn't do things for half no he doesn't if he gives a token my friends it no uncertain token if he gives a promise in answer the petitions of his people it isn't a promise unrelated to the circumstances under which the poor man is laboring no oh our God does do things for harm and then he comes to Lord and says oh Lord bear with my witness bear with my fish bear with the trouble of my soul bear with me as the enemy stands who tells me that the next step will be disaster not merely for myself but for the whole of his right the whole of the church of Christ oh Lord bear with me forgive me forgive me if I ask to give me a fleece drop and there my friends the next morning you know the fleece is dry is that the end he doesn't ask for any more if we had read on in the next chapter we find this friend the

[24:18] Lord said Gideon I'm not angry with you I'm not angry with you I'll even give you another token Gideon you know friends it's true of minutes is what the psalm is said like as a father pity his children so the Lord pity his them that fear him for he know it our thrive and remember that we are but just you may think sometimes when my dear friend who preached the father who stands before you that he hasn't got any people you may think well he's a man he's superior to everybody else and you can't really think of him having the same sort of path to walk out that we ordinary sort of Christian people have to walk out I used to think like that friends in the old days that ministers were sort of life apart they didn't have to find trouble and exercise at all they didn't bear the same kind of burden that other people do it I have to learn different lessons now you know friends I don't think there's any more precious words that has been made of some life and power to my spirit in that one

[25:22] I just chosen like as a father to be to save more pity all friends the Lord knew Gideon he knew that he was only dust he knew that in him was all that in here and in here he knew friends in his nature there was cowardice like there is in your heart and my heart and there was he say Gideon go down into the camp and listen to what the problem you have to say when he relates to these I give you my will for you oh don't be afraid then of running into the throne of God's grace don't think that the year of the Lord has grown heavy and grown weary because you asked so many times why what was the zeer he did must say with regard and such the hate there was a widow woman once and she hadn't got anybody to look after or defend or plead for and she kept going down to the local yard and he was an unjust one he would do anything for with money or something like that she can't put anything in my hand when I go

[26:43] I'm not going to bother about her pain but she kept on going and kept on going until at last she said I was absolutely weary of this woman by her continuing humming she weary with me I will avenge her last seemingly and shall not God avenge his only look shall he not listen to that cry oh the contrast spread here an unjust judge just simply giving way because of the importunity of a poor widow woman oh what a greatest life a greatest life infinite in his compassion to body toward his poor needy people why then a God that is willing to suffer glee and die today in human place that's what our dear redeemer is oh the God of all grace the God of all mercy shall not bear with them in their constant coming in their constant addition to him at the throne of

[27:48] God's grace go ye therefore go ye therefore there's a purpose oh there's a purpose don't we get that then every one of these disciples they think there was the purpose of the command as there is natural weakness of their person and their resistance is overcome by the power of divine grace out of weakness they're made strong and they waxed valiant in fire fight and they're unable to turn to flight the armies of the aliens well my friends they proved that there's a purpose oh there is there's a purpose in it who can tell my friends the extent of that purpose we read a little bit of it in the gospel in the acts of the apostles of course wonderful record of the purposes of the living day why the Lord says to Jesus I'll show you Peter what my purpose is goes up into his house pot there and the Lord lets down the peace full of unclean peace arise you

[28:52] Peter call the peace my Lord I've never eaten anything that's common unclean my friends I really understand what would happen to us in some of our ministry if we had to do just what people do and go where people were to do so right against all you know the preconceived conceits of men and the religious authorities and everything else and there the Lord would come and say arise people and there he moves upon the scene and not comes at the door and there are those men my friends who come and the man parties the man my friends who have been pleading and praying with God and the birds of his soul have been so right and there the Lord sent Peter down to him and what's the outcome well the purpose of God show you that my dear friends we don't receive commands in men not when the command of the

[30:03] Lord has been spoken we only have one divine authority we have only one king we have only one Lord and where he has spoken my friends that word shall most certainly be performed and it shall most certainly cross the hand most certainly cross the hand I sometimes wonder then if certain things would have happened in the midst of other people in the coming days what my friends spoke to Father to me to be realized and that is that a time of revival should be granted in the midst of the churches and in the midst of the land and there my friends that the Lord by his Holy Spirit he has a perfect sovereign right to do to go to some most unexpected place a person who perhaps has been a member or even a minister of some rationalistic church and there the mighty power of the Holy Ghost should come upon that man convince him of his sins lead him into the wonderful mysteries of divine grace and bring him out clearly my sins as one of his servants anointed of the

[31:10] Holy Ghost I wonder what he could say about it I do I wonder what he could say about it can this really be of God can he go outside of us we have tried to hold the truth all these years and ordain a man of such a nature as that to be the one who shall be a burning and shining light unto this land all I can say is this my friend if God does it may he give me grace to humble myself under his hand and recognise it as his being that's all I can say oh I do want to recognise the power of my God wherever it may be manifested go ye there go ye there and I want you to notice also there is another thing about these two little words the Lord says to his disciples in this closing word there is a reason why you should go go ye there and there is strength that can this people go and there is a promise in the strength of this people

[32:10] God go ye and what this word therefore we say well thanks the previous book what we say and Jesus came and faith unto them saying all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth do you say like Gideon I'm the least of my father's hell I'm not fit to the town look at this great congregation look at this people look at these people who are so well educated in these days and I don't feel that had the opportunities that they have had the young ones that are growing up around us how can I meet their needs and their requirements show ye therefore upon what ground all power is given unto me in heaven and earth I will make thee wise I will provide all that is needful for thee I will come in the hours of thy trouble and of thy perplexity when questions come that you cannot answer think you that they're beyond my power to deal with show ye therefore because all power is given unto me in heaven and earth ah that's the said there's the blessed answer to the therefore within the word of our text show ye therefore show ye therefore then what teach all nations in your margins you'll see it says make disciples of all nations and if you look my friends in the 14th chapter of the Acts of the

[33:39] Apostle in the 21st verse you'll find this that the same Greek word is used there with regard to teaching and making disciples of all nations prior to this it speaks about preaching the gospel I want you to remember that where there is a rightful teaching of people the Lord has provided the ministry of the word at the lips of his own sent servants to this end that they shall be rightly and graciously taught the truth which is Christ living I'm thanking that your pastor here could stand before you this afternoon and say there was a sincere desire within his soul as he came to you among you that he did know nothing among you so Jesus Christ and in crucibly lots of other things doubtless that he will get to know about you but there is the great desire of his soul to know nothing among you so

[34:42] Jesus Christ and in crucibly that is what he would speak to you of that is what he would teach you of that is what he desires to glorify in your midst Jesus Christ and him crucified and friends belong for the blessed tidings of that one Jesus Christ and him crucified may be made of wonderful blessing to your soul that there may be life and power and liberty in the preaching of Christ and him crucified so you there and teach all that notice all things it's all nations all nations you may say to me well of course that means missionary endeavour doesn't it my friends it just means what it says it means all nations black and white and bond and free it doesn't mean to say any longer that the word of divine truth is contained to the Jewish nation for there the disciples of the

[35:43] Lord at the bidding of their God at the command of Jesus Christ to whom all power and authority is committed and by the greatest sacred leading of the Holy Spirit of God shall go wherever he will have them go and proclaim that word in the midst of the people go ye therefore and teach all them you know friends I'm thankful that this word extends to having me I'm thankful to come home to my own place that it extends to Ed England in Lesterfield I'm thankful it does go ye there and keep all nature and there's another thing our friend was preaching this afternoon this man I was thinking of a certain place where I go to and there I've been preaching there I expect now things for something like for having to speak in here maybe longer than that I've been going there once a month regularly to preach to me

[36:46] I have tried to preach to them the things that well I believe many of you in this chapel love and desire to hear I know supporting that I sometimes ask and I realise the poverty of my words and utterances and prayers very very painfully but I've tried as the Lord has enabled me to go to that place and preach the gospel and law and gospel and I've also reminded them again and again of this blessed teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ with regard to believers back in I've tried to show them very very clearly that it was his command of love to his people who fear him and believe in him and love him and follow him and I've also tried to show them that the command was supported by his own blessed example that he himself would go to John the Baptist and say it is meaningful that we should fulfill all righteousness you must baptize me

[37:51] John whatever your objections are I must be baptized and that is that I've tried to think from that do you know friends I've gone all those 40 years to that place and there is no church ordinances there yet and I feel so solemnly about it friends I wonder whether one of these days I can have to turn to him and say I can't come any longer I don't know but I can tell you this the burden of it being upon my spirit is tremendous like your spirit and that really I don't want to you know produce a whip of small cords and begin to lay that about their shoulders because I believe my friends that there are many of them there that are very very fearful and very troubled and very anxious about the matter it always a burden to my time to live go ye there and teach all nations that high in the name of the father and the father and the holy jesus my friends may I address an affection word what is the pardon really to you it's in the three blessed names you know is the baptism as in this case or what is the pardon to you may

[39:11] I tell you of an incident that's happened to me a long while ago now well it was in the latter days in my father's life once I went to see him and I could see that he was happy ever so happy he said to me oh Leslie he said I've had a wonderful visit from the Lord lately and do you know he showed me the love of the father the love of the father he said I had I had love of the Lord Jesus Christ for me oh I was led into that ever such a long while ago and he said the work of the Holy Ghost within my soul has been so clear and so blessed and so sacred that I haven't had any doubt whatever that the Holy Spirit loves me dearly he would never have come and taken up his abode within such a wonderful love of the eternal Father the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the one who loved so greatly that he was willing to send his own dear son into this world that we might live through him if only that wonderful manifestation of the love of the

[40:26] Father revealed in the gift of his own dear son that great and exceeding precious gift from the hand of the Father to his church and people oh friends would there not be a desire to be baptized in the name of the Father and then what about the Father oh that blessed name angel comes to Mary and what she says thou shall call his name Jesus he shall save his people from that sin oh friends there is a name to be compared with that you've got the slightest hope within your soul things that God is merciful toward you that he has a purpose of love and grace towards such a wretched undone sinner as yourself suffering under the sentence of eternal condemnation because of your guilt under his holy law why friends to be reigned up to some sacred hope in the mercy of God through Jesus Christ toward a sinner well wouldn't the love of Christ can pay you to be baptized and then what about the name of the

[41:29] Holy Son how I would appreciate those words of our dear friend when he was speaking about Christ magnifying the path all the days of his life and then my friends how when the dear son has ascended the church you know the ministry the service of God they take up this blessed theme and they magnify the dear son of God yes they do good all my friends what else is there some of you say and have you said do you desire to be able to say come and hear all ye that fear God and I will tell you what he has done for my soul who's done it who's done it friends who's done it who dropped light in the midst of your darkness who brought life in the midst of your death who granted you liberty in the hour of your bondage who was it that has done this the eternal

[42:30] God yes the blessed spirit of divine truth you know when all the way through the ages I believe that as all as the time goes on so the church of Christ shall magnify the mighty work of the Holy Spirit of God I believe that's one of the distinction that there is between such churches as I believe many of us desire to live and die among and so many materialistic churches as you'll find lots of people will talk about the love of God and the goodness of the Lord Jesus Christ in his life and death and the serpent they seem to know so little if anything my friends at all the sacred operation of the Holy Spirit in the soul of Jesus the one who only can take of those things of Jesus and make them known in the heart of a guilty man the divine power and holy unites oh may there be many friends constrained by love because

[43:36] I believe that's the great motive constrained by love to put on Christ by an open confession of his name and be that fine in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost and may our dear friend be used to bring clearly out to those who are the Lord's own children by the word of God may there be a constrain of their feet to run in wisdom and obedience past yes go ye therefore and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you to observe them to observe them that word seems to me my friend to be a very wonderful and extensive one teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you in the first place teaching them to look very carefully at those things that

[44:38] I have commanded you may God give his servant grace to commend to you my friend the very careful examination of all those things that God has commanded you all that you may be able to do it like that careful examination of them all to look carefully upon them so many people die alone they may have a Bible up on their shelves they may even read it occasionally they may read it daily according to some plan that they've got a daily Bible reading but my thing is there a careful examination of those things that according to this word it whatsoever I have commanded you all to look upon and examine it for something else if you love me keep my command not only one that's an important one I've mentioned but my command my command oh how spated and blessed is the spirit of obedience to be found in the people of

[45:48] God walking in wisdom wise obeying the will of the Lord all friends that blessed obedience of the living exercise of faith within the soul I wonder if there's someone here who's been reading a few of the precepts of Jesus Christ lately as you've read them through you've thought yes I can agree with them all I believe they're good and right and I do want it possible to try and keep the precepts of the gospel I believe they glorify Jesus Christ they're good for the church and good for the souls of his people but there's one or two that I'm having great difficulty with are you talking right now what is it is it just one I only can tell you it's an example maybe an entirely different love your enemy enemy could he teach them love your enemies do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despite the news you and persecute you give you to mine teaching them to observe all if I may put it like this strength not just simply 99% but 100% teaching them to observe all things well you say to me well you're talking like that Mr.

[47:23] Rowden I haven't got the power of the strength to be able to do it I didn't say you had but I hope your dear friend and pastor here will teach you to observe all things and teaching you to observe all things he will point you to the only one in whom your strength will be found to do it he will point away from himself he'll say I can't give you will or power to do this and he'll point away from you and he'll say you don't possess the will or the power to do this but he said he will point to one and say there is one whose grace is sufficient for all things do you really believe that that most difficult thing the thing my friends that you've run more evidence to the throne of grace and death than anything else in all the teaching of the word of God yes with man it is impossible but not with God for with God all things are possible and do you know I find

[48:24] I find myself and I believe many in the church of Christ today coming to that place and sometimes we go alone sometimes we go in company in our prayer meetings and there we have to tell the Lord of all the stumbling blocks there are in the way because of our own baseman or nature and the temptations of the wicked one and we have to tell him Lord oh do thou hold me up give me grace strengthen me Lord lead me on in the way and enable me to overcome for thy dear name hold up my goings in my palms that my footsteps shall not slip I know it's an ancient prayer but all friends isn't a prayer to die to the souls of some of you and lo I am with you always even unto the end of your and lo I am with you always dear Moses he had many difficult things to deal with on one occasion my friends the children of Israel had grievously revolted against their

[49:29] God there the indignation of the Lord was very clearly shown and I don't think there was anybody in the midst of Israel who knew more painfully and more powerfully the nature of that indignation than Moses did the Lord comes to him and says Moses it would be better for the people of Israel that I should no longer go with them in my presence but I will send an angel with you to lead you along to the promised land these people are such a game saying people that my anger will burn out a day I don't know how you would be satisfied with that are there some of you who say well if I get to the promised land in the end it doesn't really matter much about the journey you see Moses wasn't like that why he said how shall it be known oh lord that this people is thy people except thou dost go with us that we have day by day and clear evidence of thy presence with us now the dear man come like

[50:37] Jacob did and wrestle with his God he says if thy presence go not with us carry us not at all what's the Lord done well didn't he say to our friendly other God my presence shall go with you and I will give you rest and love love why the very word he did well I speak amazement and wonder to myself look at this amazing thing but here revolting game saying sinners should have a God who would give such a promise to them as their journey lo amazing wonderful thing lo I am with the always even unto the end oh a little bit of a journey but not covered by this wonderful pillar of fire and pillar of cloud I use that term of course in a figurative sense but oh my friend the preciousness of this promise I would that tonight as my dear friend go home from this service there he reflects upon what he's been attended to remember all the sweetness of that which was spoken this afternoon really broke my soul down as I listened to it

[51:54]  I would also he might just think again of this word the wonder that lo I am with you always even unto the end of the verse with you as my servant with you as my child with you as the pastor of the church with you united to the people for whom I have brought to a place to amount lo I am with you individually and collectively I am with you all even unto the end of the verse may the Lord add his blessing amen to go