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[0:00] As the Lord may help me this afternoon, I would again direct you prayerfully to the 2nd of Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 9. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee, and my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, will I glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me. As we spoke a little this morning, you know Paul, following his conversion, was appointed by God to preach the gospel. As he said, he said, I certify that you brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man, for I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

[1:13] And all true servants of God must have this revealed by God, to give him that divine instruction and teaching in the way that he would have you and me to go. And so, having had a wonderful revelation, Paul was, and yet he was brought to these infirmities, these trials, and brought to be cast down. But, you see, he said, lest I should be exhorted above measure through the abundance of the revelations that was given to me, a thorn in the flesh. We wonder sometimes how we can continue with the trial of faith. But if we are to walk in the footsteps of the

[2:16] Lord Jesus Christ, though far off, we shall realize that in the world he had tribulation. And in the world, he was despised and rejected of man, and so will you and I be as believers. We shall be very much made by his grace to be humbled before Almighty God.

[2:45] But, in his sad state, so will you be brought in the tribulaity of God. So with every true believer, will he be brought in that tribulatory path to call upon me in the day of trouble.

[2:59] and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorify my name. There's so little acknowledgement of Christ in the day and age that we live in.

[3:11] There's many that have not grace in their hearts to walk worthy of him. They want to be somebody and something. They want to be exhorted in the flesh but that will never do.

[3:28] And so if the Lord in his mercy does touch your heart and mine it'll be with a conviction of sin and the devil will do his utmost to bring your heart down and to try you because he's permitted to do this.

[3:50] And this is the pathway of tribulation messenger of Satan to buffet you lest you should be exhorted above measure. We should truly not be glorying in the flesh but glorying in the cross of Christ by whom the world is separated unto me.

[4:10] you cannot be in the world and of it dear friends if you're a follower of Christ. You'll be stripped of all your fancied meatness to approach the dread I am because he's a sovereign God and he's so little thought of in the day.

[4:29] There's all so fleshly excitable religion will not do the soul of anyone any good but it is humbled in the dust as poor was.

[4:41] Oh what a change was wrought in him. But what a mercy if the Lord is determined to save you and me you see you will beseech the Lord thrice as he did that this messenger of Satan this buffeting that he had to be buffeted or to make him sick of self and fond of Jesus.

[5:05] And all how we know this he said my grace Jesus himself said to him my grace is sufficient it's almighty grace arrest that man that woman that child it's almighty grace save that sinner from death destruction and despair what a mercy if you're stripped of everything and you have nothing to bring but through the mercy of God you'll be able to find grace in your time of need and strength is made perfect in weakness when we are weak then are we strong or with nothing in you and me humble before almighty God that you might be exalted in due time casting all your care upon him cast he said on me thy care it is enough that I am not

[6:06] I will all thy burdens bear I will all thy needs supply and you will have little do we take notice well you cannot take notice of the word unless the Lord brings it to your remembrance and applies it with power those things that you have handled tasted and felt of the word of life you should know the truth the truth burnt into your soul you're hungering you're thirsting for it and to know that his strength is made perfect he strengthens your weak hands confirms your feeble knees says unto you a fearful heart fear not thy God will come with vengeance how we need him when this enemy of our souls comes in like a flood how we need the Lord to come and deliver us and how we need him to take us by the hand and lead us through the pathway of tribulation and ultimately we might have that treasure and earth and vessels that the Lord has revealed what a revelation dear old Paul had and what a mercy that only the Lord could turn him around as we said this morning from hailing men and women that are present that truly to take him to present who believed in Christ here he was again on another venture on the on the

[7:42] Damascus road and Jesus stopped him with a revelation it seems to have come to mind today much about revelation Christ with the word revealed not what we read and store up with a good memory it's what the Lord gives us in the hour he's promised open thou my mouth wide I will fill it it is looking to the Lord to speak his word to seal his word upon our souls when you come looking to receive a blessing to enrich your soul and mine and be brought to accept as grace is given to be humble before him that you might be exalted into and cast your care you know if we're true believers we should have burdens we should be made to feel the burden of our sin and we should look for the blood of Christ to be applied be made nigh but the blood of Christ to powerfully instruct and teach us in honoring him and serving him with reverence and godly fear and to be repented of their uncleanness their fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed we've all come short have we not of the glory of God what a mercy if we accept our infirmities if we accept our punishment for our sin because we need our sins to be blotted out as a thick cloud we need him to say come unto me bring your hard things to me and I will hear them and I will save you from death destruction and despair solemn thing so little warning of church leaders in the donates that we live in of what their sins have done to the saviour that is if they're chosen vessels you're not chosen me

[9:50] I've chosen you how can any man choose to follow Christ unless he's had the grace in his heart to repent and believe and he's sorry for his sins and he mourns over his sins and after the Lord Jesus and finds only his grace sufficient so you'll beseech the Lord if it be possible to pardon my sins if it be in accordance with thy covenant sealed with thy blood that I am a chosen vessel because we cannot get away from the scripture we cannot bend the scripture to suit her own lust of the flesh and pride of life we must be brought there nothing says top lady in my hand I bring simply to thy cross I believe why what does the cross mean to you it means that Jesus shed his blood there it's not looking at the cross it's looking at the Christ that died on the cross satisfied the just demands of the broken law on the cross oh what a mercy preaching the cross is foolishness of them to perish but unto us that are saved it is the power of God unto salvation oh what a mercy to know something of the cross and to realize that Jesus shed his blood and he came and he died and gave up the ghost and it is finished prior to that he said it is finished

[11:25] I bought all my sons and daughters with my shed blood blood dear friends but speaks greater things dear friends than those things in the scripture and that the greatest thing in scripture is Jesus my friend that hung on the tree that opened the channel for me and so we beseech the Lord grant me grace grant me evidences of grace oh it'll humble you and me from our proud ways it'll make us to realize that we do need pardon for our sins because if sin be pardoned I sin cure death and no sin besides the Lord gave sin its damning power but Christ my ransom think of the love of Christ oh to feel the effects upon it in your heart and mine we shall ever seek that close a walk with God that calm and heavenly frame that light that shines upon the road that leads us to the

[12:35] Lamb oh blessed Jesus the object of your soul's desire and grace to walk worthy of him yes you may be marked if you walk worthily of him and you'll seek that grace to serve him with true reverence and godly fear and so we glory in our infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon us rest upon you and me because we know the warnings of scripture he that believeth not is condemned already but he that taketh up my cross will look for salvation and he is the one thing needful to poor sinners and we look to him to desire to rest in his love and his almighty grace so we have to prove don't we without him we can do nothing he says without me he can do nothing and so we look to the

[13:55] Lord to give us evidences that we are born of God and that our treasure is above and so the sufficiency of his grace when almighty grace can break through the gloom of your kind of mine and mine and grant us a true spirit of humility and love for having loved his own that were in the world he loves them to the end we want to have our beginnings right because if our beginnings are not right our end will not be right but the Lord knows where his people are and he'll bring back these true converts to Christ because their names are recorded in the book of life and though they be the vilest sinner out of hell they live to fill their need and plead the blood of Christ that cleanseth from all sin all for the Lord then to reveal this to you and to me and feel that the power of

[15:03] Christ when you're most ready to perish almighty grace comes and softens your heart by two degrees and makes your spirit and mind meek there's no room for pride in religion there's room for humility there's room for pity when the Lord softens your heart by two degrees and humbles you before him you might be exalted in due time casting the burden of your soul and your concerns for other selves where as yet you see no evidence of the light to lighten their darkness and as with one of old send out thy light and thy truth he came into the world to lighten the darkness of the world oh but the Jews would not receive him but blessed be the

[16:06] Lord in due time there were those as many as received him to them gave he the power to be the sons and daughters of God by blessed adoption so you came amongst his own his own receiving but as many as received him and only he can open your heart and mind to receive him only he can make you willing in the day of his power to trust him for his faithfulness it's a blessed mercy he's a sovereign God he chooses whom he will blessed is the man whom thou choosest this is not free will this is free and sovereign grace friends it's not of him that willeth or runneth it's God alone that showeth mercy always so clear in the scriptures to the Lord's people chosen of God before the worlds were made they might live to show forth his praise and bless him abundantly that he's found you in this waste howdy wilderness of a world where people exhort one another seeking great things we are told seek them not but seek the

[17:21] Lord while he can be found amongst them and seek to glorify his most holy name Lord give me faith then one of those blessed attributes of a believer faith hope and love and they're all bound up in grace unmerited mercy and favor of the Lord your God that has chosen you in the furnace affliction I will be with the Israel passing through the waters through the rivers and through the flames they shall not hurt thee because I am the Lord I change not like those three Hebrew children in the fire they you know were in the fire from that ungodly king punishment because they would not fall down to his will but see the man the blind king had to see that there was a fourth person in the fire and it was

[18:26] Jesus and they came through the fires not so much dear friends as the smell of burning upon them this is the almighty power of God not man's power this is the will of God he saw them ruined in the fire that loved them not withstanding all he saw them loved so they were in this pathway that Paul had to pass through whereby this messenger of Satan buffeted him and so there they were those three Hebrew children in the fire and brought favourably through they were in the strength and protection of the Lord himself what a sovereign protector preserver we have in the precious word of God as it sealed upon your soul and you bear that witness you've been with Jesus and so my grace oh

[19:29] Jesus' voice to the poor sinner my grace is sufficient we read in the second chapter today our sufficiency is of God not of man how dependent are poor believers without him they can receive nothing but when the appointed time comes he calls them by his grace enables them to bear witness they've been with Jesus and they're able to speak of those things that they have truly fed upon from the word of life he takes his word and seals it and they know the truth and they see grace to walk worthily of the truth whereof they have been anointed by the spirit and that anointing of the spirit you know will be your strength and your help in the day of infirmity ihm love joy love a these things happen unto you but rejoice in as much as you partake as the Christ's sufferings that when his glory may be revealed you may be exalted and you will be joyful in your soul that when he is revealed to you or how you know your cup run over with joy and peace in believing that what his grace has done in visiting your soul the power of Christ none can create this power no it's almighty grace that changes your heart renews your will returns your feet and mine desires we bless God because there is this in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christ's sake for when I am weak then am I strong and you've gained the strength of that meat for many days and bless the Lord you say oh my soul let all within me join and aid my tongue to bless his name whose favours are divine grace and this grace is through the favours of God through the tokens of his love grace exalts your soul to lift up your eyes unto heaven from whence come with your help and oh how humbling this is as you wonder sometimes why was I made to hear his voice and enter father's room when thousands make a wretched choice and rather starve for gum and he says look unto me oh that the Lord would then enlighten your soul and mine to seek that closer walk with God it's a blessed place to be in he heals your malady he heals us of all our sicknesses and makes us young again not necessarily in body but in your soul he comforts your troubled heart and says be still and know that I am God and he says fear thou not for I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God

[23:05] I will help thee I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness Jesus only then is the way to heaven and he will certainly favour you and me while the unbelievers are condemned already but there's no condemnation in Christ Jesus blessed be his name the the the immutable favour of his love upon your soul he'll never change yes there's change in decay all around I see but all thou who changes not abide with me because we know that our days are far spent it's a gospel day but all we we do need much grace to truly to truly press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ he's chosen in him you can't get away from election from God's electing love it's all through the scriptures he has chosen whom he will and discards who he will discard heaven hell is never full heaven is a prepared place for poor sinners to be to reach those mansions in the sky and so you'll beseech the Lord do bring my soul out of prison that though it may be thrice it may be more than thrice it may be many times through life's journey you'll be calling upon the name of the Lord to make you wise unto salvation through faith in him other refuge have I none hangs my helpless soul on the you know our wonderful hymn writers were so inspired by the spirit of

[25:09] God to put down their experiences and that's why we stick fast to our hymn book it is not man's being a poet it is what the Lord has taught them to record in the wonders he has done in their souls they're able to leave it on record and oh how we bless God for it it isn't I would say not in spiritually inspired is the hymn book but it's the experiences that they've been able to pen have been inspired by the teaching of the spirit and teaching of the number of their days that they might apply their hearts unto wisdom and he says if any man lack wisdom let him ask of God who giveth liberally and abradeth the heart so this privilege of being one of these souls that has been born of God and their treasure is above my grace or to being able to feel this working of grace in their souls called by his grace called by the Lord to come boldly unto the throne of grace that you might obtain help and find grace to help in your time of need and the needy are not always forgotten you may feel you've had more than three calls upon the law for deliverance but you know we should go on calling call upon me in the day of trouble

[26:53] I will deliver thee and thou shall glorify my name or have we evidences of that glorifying his name for what he has done for ourselves set before an open door removed the stones of stumbling and rocks of offense and made a way for us where there seemed to be no way because his grace his unmerited mercy and favor and love for your soul has taught you to number your days and apply your hearts and mine unto them of wisdom and he says look unto me all the ends of the earth for beside me there is no savior oh away will their idols they're no profit to you and me dear friends what profit will a man gain if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul what will it profit you but this is the profit in your soul what grace has revealed his word to you that has shown you now the way and shown you the way into the truth and taught you the truth as it is in Jesus oh this is the refuge for guilty sinners the refuge of sinners the gospel makes known it is found in the merits of Jesus alone no other hope for heaven but through the merits of Jesus we cannot turn from anywhere else we cannot look and listen dear friends to those that say you've only got to come and believe how can you come except you're drawn by the cause of a man by the bands of his love

[28:45] Jesus himself draws the chosen race by his sweet resistless grace and he makes them willing in the day of his power to follow him narrow track it's not a broad way that leads to destruction it's striving to enter in the straight gate and few that be that find it but what a mercy if you and I have been touched in your heart by this work of grace and through mercy you have been able to glory in your infirmities it was the means of bringing your heart down bringing your heart to pray making you willing to call upon his name where you've denied and defied him so many days months or even years in your life there's no other refuge God is your refuge and your strength a very present help in your trouble therefore will not we fear all his precious

[29:46] Bible truths may we ever ask for the old paths and stand in the old ways to prove my grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me personal faith hope and love and Jesus is the author of it if he's not the author of it then you're misguided in your pathway but what a mercy to put your trust in the living God God put your trust in him at all times you people and pour out your hearts desires before him that you might follow him in the footsteps of the flock as his grace is sufficient for thee well may the Lord in his mercy bless our few remarks this day pardon all amiss for his name's sake amen amen let us close with hymn 326 the tune is man sir 364 let me but hear my saviour say strength shall be equal to thy day then I rejoice in deep distress leaning on all sufficient grace

[31:18] I glory in infirmity but Christ's own power may rest on me when I am weak then am I strong grace is my shield and Christ my song 326 grace praise Because will my Savior say Strange shall be evil There I am And I rejoice with distressed

[32:27] Here is also a gospel And cleanse Thy glory He présent Thy soon power may rest on Thee.

[33:02] Where I am weak, Where I am strong.

[33:13] Praise is my shield and Christ my soul.

[33:26] I can bear all day, Lord and bear, O sadly, in my holy air.

[33:48] Sweet churches may go with the rain, While we'll have time, Thy haste last day.

[34:12] But if the Lord be once before, And we attempt the work alone, When new temptations spring and rise, We find our great, Our weaknesses.

[34:58] May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, The love of God and Father, The fellowship of the Holy Spirit, Rest and abide with us each.

[35:14]  Amen.