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[0:00] The Lord shall help us tonight, friends, we want to turn to the chapter that we have read together, that being the 21st chapter in the Gospel of John.

[0:24] The 21st chapter in the Gospel of John. And verse 19.

[0:35] This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.

[0:51] This is a most blessed and wonderful account of the restoration and commission of Simon Peter, who was indeed the servant of the Lord.

[1:05] And we have read together tonight a most blessed account of what the Lord was preparing his servant for.

[1:16] Just to refresh our memory, you remember that the Simon Peter was that disciple that was called by the Sea of Galilee.

[1:28] One day in the life of Peter, the Lord said unto him, Follow me. And Peter, friends, obeyed the Lord Jesus Christ.

[1:43] He left his nets and he followed him. And if you remember that Peter was a very, very fervent disciple of the Lord.

[1:56] He said, Though all men should forsake thee, yet will not I. But we know the outcome that Peter did deny his Lord and Master.

[2:09] Peter denied him. You know, there is one wonderful thing that happened in the life of Peter. Peter, the Lord looked upon him.

[2:20] And he went out and he wept bitterly. He wept bitterly. He was brought to true repentance.

[2:31] He was brought to true restoration. He was given a commission. And that commission was to feed the church of God.

[2:41] And it was a threefold commission. The Lord addresses this man by the name of Simon Peter, son of Jonah.

[2:54] And he said unto Peter, Lovest thou me more than these? Lovest thou me more than these?

[3:05] What a question it was. How it cut right across all the schemes that Peter had. How it cut right across his own family.

[3:18] You see, friends, when God speaks to a sinner, he speaks with divine authority. He speaks with power. And the Lord said unto Peter, Lovest thou me more than these?

[3:34] Remember, Jesus Christ had risen from the dead. The Lord Jesus Christ had finished the work that he came to do.

[3:46] He had finished the work upon the cross. When Jesus cried, It is finished. He bowed his head. And he gave up the ghost.

[3:57] The finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ is the most wonderful and blessed theme to dwell upon. And friends, tonight, the finished work of Jesus will take the church to heaven.

[4:15] It's a wonderful thing to dwell upon tonight is that finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. He came to do his Father's will.

[4:25] He was born of a woman. He was born under the law. And he magnified that law when he died upon the tree. When he cried with a loud voice, It is finished.

[4:41] And friends, the Lord Jesus Christ died for the church of God. You want to read that wonderful account in the 17th of John, the intercessory prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ for sinners.

[4:58] It's a wonderful account. It's the Lord's prayer to his Father on behalf of the church. And he comes to that wonderful part where he says, Father, I will, Father, I will, that they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am.

[5:18] Friends, tonight, we have a man who had denied his Lord and Master with oaths and curses. We had one who had said, Though all men shall forsake thee, yet will not I.

[5:36] Here we see the weakness of Peter. Here we see Peter being exposed even to the enemy of his soul. And yet the Lord was pleased and gracious to restore Peter.

[5:52] Why? Because, friends, there was a work in the church for Peter. Remember, it was Peter that was appointed to preach on the day of Pentecost.

[6:04] And he didn't preach what you would call a nice sermon, did he? He preached the truth of God. He said, You have taken him by wicked hands and you have nailed him to the tree.

[6:21] This Jesus. You see, there was a wonderful effect in the life of the people. Three thousand souls were added to the church on the day of Pentecost.

[6:35] Each one of them were converted individually. Each one of them were born again by the Spirit of God. Each one of them had the love of Jesus shed abroad in their heart.

[6:50] And Peter was the instrument who was used for that wonderful day of Pentecost. In the prophecy of Jeremiah, the Holy Spirit takes us down to the potter's house and he sees the potter.

[7:08] And my friends, the potter is the Lord Jesus. The clay is the church. And the Lord fashions that clay according to his holy purposes.

[7:20] And when God has a favour to a church, to individual members of the church, to those that gather with the church fellowship, the Holy Spirit is present in the proclamation of the glorious gospel.

[7:40] You have a wonderful example of this. After the Lord's temptations in the wilderness, he returned. Who returned? The Saviour of sinners.

[7:53] He returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee. Where is Galilee tonight? Galilee is the Sea of Life. You and I are upon the Sea of Life.

[8:05] Jesus returns into Galilee in the power of the Spirit. What a wonderful thing it is to be filled with the Holy Spirit of God.

[8:16] Remember the Apostle Paul. He says, Do not be filled with wine. You may know what it is to be filled with wine. In your unregeneracy, you may not know what it is even to be drunk with wine.

[8:34] But Paul says, Be filled with the Holy Spirit. Now, my friends, the Holy Spirit of God, it's wonderful to contemplate this.

[8:46] And the manifestation of the Trinity was so wonderful when Jesus was baptized by the river of Jordan. Jesus was the Son of God.

[8:59] The Holy Spirit descended upon his head at the river of Jordan. And Almighty God spoke from heaven, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

[9:13] The Father is satisfied with his Son. The Father is satisfied with what Jesus has done upon the cross. We have a satisfied Father.

[9:27] We have a Father that is satisfied with what Jesus has done. And you see all the heavenly blessings that were poured out from Calvary.

[9:38] They are poured out tonight in the church through the finished work of the Lamb of God. Every grace and every favour flows to us through Jesus' blood.

[9:51] And here, friends, in this wonderful account, have you noticed in the opening verse, Jesus showed himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias.

[10:05] And you know, these disciples, they were no different. than you and I. Although the apostles had great gifts, they had the power to raise the dead.

[10:16] They were apostles. They had the power to heal the sick. The Lord gave them the power to preach the word of God. But you know, friends, apart from the wonderful grace of God, they were natural men.

[10:33] They were men of like passions as you and I. And Peter was one that always was impulsive. You know, he was always the one that spoke first.

[10:44] And of course, in his natural occupation, he was a fisherman of Galilee. You know, it's wonderful to see how the Lord deals with men and women today in their occupation.

[10:57] My friends, if God has given you a talent, the Lord intends you to use that talent in the church. Of course he does. Peter was a fisherman.

[11:09] The Lord dealt with him by the Sea of Galilee. The Lord spoke to him in kindness and love. And Peter on this occasion, he said, I go fishing.

[11:24] And of course, my friends, the other disciples, they said, of course we will go with you. And what happened? Well, they entered into a ship immediately and that night they caught nothing.

[11:37] Isn't that like you and I? When left to our own flesh and blood, we try to overcome things in our own strength. And what happens?

[11:49] Well, my friends, what happens is this. We make a sorry message. And we have to be taught these lessons over and over again. as the Lord teaches us by his spirit.

[12:01] How patient is the Lord with us, even as he teaches us these things. And then, Peter, my friends, there was Jesus on the shore, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.

[12:15] But oh, how the Lord kindly addresses them as children. Children, have you any meat? Well, they were very honest, they said no. Now the Lord directs them to do something.

[12:29] My friends, is that what God is saying to you tonight in your life, in your family, in providence? Cast the net on the right side of the boat and you shall find.

[12:45] You may be saying tonight, well, I have toiled for many years or I have toiled for many months or I have toiled for many weeks and there does not seem to be an answer. God doesn't always speak by words, you know.

[13:00] God does speak by circumstances. The Lord does speak to us in our daily lives, in our own circumstances, in that particular calling that God has given unto us.

[13:15] He didn't always speak to the disciples with words, he spoke to them in circumstances. And now oft times does the Lord speak to us with a very strong warning in circumstances.

[13:32] Jesus said, have you any meat? And they were very honest and they said no. And so they had to cast the net over on the other side.

[13:43] Now what happened was this, they got a multitude of fishes. What a precious fish tonight is the new birth. What a precious fish tonight is conversion, being born again of the blessed spirit of God.

[14:03] Oh it's a wonderful precious fish is the conversion. You know maybe tonight a lamb, a young and tender lamb, a young person, a young boy, a young lady is seeking the Lord.

[14:19] And the Lord has put that cry within their heart. blood. You see it's the bleating of the lambs. And Simon Peter was given this commission to feed the sheep of Christ and to feed the lambs.

[14:36] You know naturally that if the sheep and the lambs do not get any food, they starve. And you know there is much in the word of God concerning sheep.

[14:48] sheep. My friends, the most stupid animal, the most silly animal is a sheep. And how God lightens his children to sheep.

[15:02] I am the good shepherd. Ye are the sheep of my pasture. The sheep hear his voice. They know him and they follow him.

[15:13] David in the Psalms, he said, the Lord is my shepherd. In Psalm 23, the Lord is my shepherd. David was a shepherd boy when God dealt with him on the hills of Bethlehem.

[15:27] And the Lord gave him his spirit. Friends, what a wonderful thing tonight if we have the spirit of Jesus. Oh, may it be your blessed prayer unto God to have the spirit of the Lord within us.

[15:43] Friends, we were not born with the spirit of the Lord. But the Lord gives us his gracious spirit. And he puts that power within us.

[15:53] And he helps us in our times of need and necessity. In our times of trial. Sometimes God's children are placed in a fiery trial.

[16:06] Sometimes the Lord says it is needful that you have to pass through this certain trial. How we shrink back from going into trials.

[16:17] Oh, my friends, how we would walk a smooth pathway to heaven. But you know, as one truly said, more the treacherous calm I dread than billows bursting o'er my head.

[16:32] It is in the storms, my friends. It is in the trials. It is in the things that God has appointed, that we meet the Saviour. It is I, be not afraid, said the Lord, in the midst of a trial.

[16:48] The disciples were fearful. The Lord said, it is I, be not afraid. Again and again in the word of God, there are fear nots for a fearful people.

[17:00] Fear not, thou worm Jacob, I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name. Thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee. My friends, there are endless fear nots in the word of God.

[17:18] Fear not, I am with thee. And here Peter, my friends, is being given this commission. And you see, friends, the Lord did it wonderfully.

[17:31] You know, while the disciples were on the Sea of Galilee, toiling and rowing all night, the Saviour of sinners was on the seashore, looking at them, watching them.

[17:46] Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fish's coat unto him. My friends, have you got the fish's coat on? I hope you know what I mean by that.

[18:00] The robe of righteousness. Jesus, thy blood and righteousness, my beauty are my glorious dress.

[18:12] Mids flaming worlds, in these arrayed with joy, shall I lift up my head. Oh, my friends, there is nothing, no substitute for the fish's coat, the robe of righteousness of Jesus.

[18:31] It was woven out upon the cross. When Christ died, the veil of the temple was rent from the top to the bottom, and a new and living way was brought in.

[18:43] All the types and shadows had finished forever of the ceremonial law, and a new and living way was brought in, whereby sinners, oh, friends, a sinner is a sacred thing, the Holy Ghost has made him so.

[19:04] Are we a sinner tonight, pleading for mercy? My friends, we're in a blessed place if we have come tonight, seeking for mercy, mercy through blood, I make my plea, oh, God, be merciful unto me.

[19:24] Is that how you have come to the house of God tonight? you see those that you believe are the Lord's family, you see the blessed estate that they are in, and you see, my friends, what happens when they come to die, they die in the Lord Jesus, their body goes into the earth and their spirits join the just men made perfect, you see the blessed estate of the elect, and yet you wonder whether you will be found in that family in heaven at the end of the world.

[20:02] Well, my friends, if you have that desire tonight from your heart, say unto my soul, I am thy salvation, press on with it, keep on, the Lord in his mercy and in his own time will answer your petition as he has answered millions of the human race, look back tonight at the cloud of witnesses that have gone before us, look at those that have worshipped with you, who have died in the Lord, once they were mourning here below, they wrestled hard as we do now, with sins yes, and doubts yes, and fears yes, not anymore, there is no need of faith in heaven, is there?

[20:45] When a believer dies, that faith is finished, and it gives place to vision, my friends, we need faith tonight, while we are in a body of sin, we need the faith of God's elect, but you know, there was one man, we are digressing again, he was brought to Jesus, and you know, he had no faith, but the brethren had, and this man was let down through the roof, and you know, we simply read this, when Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the man, thy sins which are many, are all forgiven, the poor man had no faith, what does that teach us?

[21:26] Friends, it teaches us this, what cannot be achieved if we are all in union tonight, and we all have one coming in, the glory of God, sinners to be converted, the poor man had no faith, but the brethren had faith, and the Lord honoured the brethren's faith, and he said unto the man, thy sins which are many, are all forgiven, and Peter, my friends, was given this commission, and he addressed him, my friends, as he addressed Ezekiel, the prophet, son of man, remember what the Lord said to Ezekiel, as he gave him that commission, he said, son of man, I have set as a watchman to the house of Israel, now a watchman is one that watches for the night, he watches for dangers coming, and friends, God's servants, they are watchmen, your pastor is a watchman, he watches, son of man, and that's how the Lord addressed Peter, that was his title, son of man, watchman, what of the night, and the

[22:31] Lord said unto his Ezekiel, that he had to be that watchman to the house of Israel, and he had to warn the wicked from their ways, as well as preach to the children of God, and you know, friends, as he preached the word of God, you know, he had to be clear from the blood of all men, if you shall warn the wicked from their ways, and they shall turn from their wickedness, then, my friends, thou are saved a soul.

[22:56] God used Ezekiel for that very purpose, he was a prophet, and here we have Peter the apostle, Peter the disciple, Peter the one that betrayed his master, but you know, friends, I cannot help but think this, that this man, by the grace of God, loved his Lord, I always imagined Peter to be a big man, I don't know why, but I always imagined him to be so, and there, friends, by the sea of Galilee, he's casting his net, he's not having any success with it, and the Lord is watching it all, but you know, my friends, when the Lord put forth his power, then Jesus said, bring of the fish which you have now called, oh, how Simon Peter went up first, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, and yet the net was not broken, how often we try to mend our necks, how often we lie away, and take our lives apart, and where do we get nowhere, you know, my friends, after this, the Lord kindly and tenually addresses the church again, and he says, come and dine, now friends, when Jesus says that to the church, when he says it to a collective number of believers, they come, and they dine upon the

[24:23] Lord Jesus Christ, there is a feast of fat things here, there is a feast for the believer, there is a feast for the sinner, there is a feast for the man, or the woman, who seeks for the Lord, my friends, tonight, the vileless sinner out of hell, who lives to feel his need, he's welcome, oh, he's welcome, he's welcome to Jesus, come and welcome, and you know, none of these disciples, they didn't dare ask knowing, they knew it was the Lord, they knew it was their master, remember, they had been with Jesus for almost three years, they had seen the wonderful miracles that he had done, they had seen him heal the sick and cleanse the leper and cast out the devils, they had seen him work in the midst of the people, and they had been with him, he was their master, and you know, when Jesus died, my friend, they really and truly thought it was the end of him, you know, the deceivers of the church, they remembered the words of Christ, but the believers didn't,

[25:36] Jesus said, after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee, but they did not remember that, they were in unbelief, but you know, the unbelievers, they said, we remember that that deceiver, that's what they called the Lord, a deceiver, an apostate, they did not, my friends, believe in his miracles, they did not believe in him, the Jew's friends crucified him, they cast him out, and when you look at the life of Jesus, it was a miracle that he was crucified, how many times did they thrust him to the brow of the hell, and they would have stoned him to death, but his hour was not yet come, child of God, believer tonight, your life is immortal, you cannot die until the time comes, you cannot die until the Lord has need of you, in heaven, we sang it this morning, plagues and deaths around us fly, till he bids we cannot die, not a single shaft shall hit, not any individual member of

[26:49] God's church, till the God of love sees fit, Jesus also reminded the disciples that the very heirs of your head are all numbered, you look back tonight in your lives, and see the preservation that the Lord has been with you, look at the many so-called near accents upon the roads, how the Lord has preserved us, preserved us, he has preserved us from sudden death, when Satan was blind slave, we started with death, when we were unconverted men and women, when we walked the way to hell, the Lord preserved us, the Lord preserved us, look back tonight in your life, whether it be a long life or a short life, you that know the Lord Jesus, you that have had fellowship with him, can you not testify that the Lord was with you, preserving you from all evil,

[27:55] Jesus comes again, and then he gives them fish and bread, oh the wonders of it, Jesus prepared that meal for the disciples, a natural meal, as well as spiritual, that reminds me of Elijah the prophet, you know, he lay down under the juniper tree, he was ready to take his, he wanted the Lord to take him away, he'd had enough, but the Lord was not ready to do that, he fed him twice, he fed him providentially, he fed him spiritually, and he caused him to sleep, you know sleep is the precious gift from heaven, and when God commands sleep, brethren, we are given sleep, sometimes for a reason better known to God, our sleep is taken away, last night I only had about four hours sleep, with the exercise of the ministry friends, you see sometimes the Lord causes us to sleep, oh and how refreshing it is, it may be only a few hours, but God gives us that sleep, oh we should really and truly look unto him tonight and thank him for every mercy and every favour we have received in this life this far, what a mercy that you have known the gospel, what a mercy that your pastor preaches the word of

[29:18] God, that sinners hearing the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ, they believe upon him to the saving of their soul, they are secure for time and for eternity, it is well with them while life endure and it shall be well when called to die.

[29:37] And Peter was going to be given a commission here, oh I think it's a wonderful time, is this in the life of Peter, we read in the 14th verse, this is now the third time that Jesus showed himself to his disciples after that he was risen from the dead.

[29:55] And you know my friend, if you will remember the words of scripture, when the Lord Jesus Christ rose again, he said, go and tell my brethren, and Peter, don't forget Peter, he's my child, he's my servant, that I am risen from the dead and I go before him even into Galilee, remembering Luke, the Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared unto Simon.

[30:23] Simon was going to be used in the church of God, he was a servant of God, and now he's been commissioned by the Lord himself, they'd already sat down and dined, Jesus now addresses his servant, as the Lord's saying to someone here tonight, lovest thou me more than these?

[30:48] Friends, it will cost you to follow the Lord, it will cost you everything, but my friends, compared with what it cost the Saviour, think what it cost the Lord Jesus, to die for the church, it cost him blood, worms and smarled, tears, blood, sweat.

[31:15] He went to the garden of Gethsemane, he said, Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me, nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done, and when the Lord addresses a sinner, whether he's a young man, or a young lady, or a middle-aged man, or a middle-aged lady, it doesn't matter, the Lord cuts right across all his schemes, and the Lord says, lovest thou me more than these?

[31:50] You know, my friends, especially with the ministry of the word, it cuts quite right across everything. You know, there is a sacrifice, there's a sacrifice in our families, there's a sacrifice leaving home to preach the word of God when we are away from our own churches.

[32:10] There is a sacrifice to be made with the pastors and the pastor's wives. Friends, these are sacrifices which the Lord calls upon us, and sometimes, you know, it cuts right across our own fleshly schemes, and the Lord addresses his servant again.

[32:30] Oh, my friends, it was a threefold commission. Remember what Simon did. He denied his Lord and master, I know not the man, I know not the man.

[32:43] Thy speech bereath thee, Peter. Surely thou art one of the disciples. You know, we said this, and how true it is, and you've probably heard it many, many times.

[32:55] The natural sheep cannot see the marks on their back, but friends, the other sheep see it. You may not be able to see your mark tonight, but other sheep can see it, and the lambs can see it.

[33:10] My sheep, hear my voice. My friends, there is a voice, and that is the voice of Jesus. There is no voice like it, you know.

[33:22] You know, this voice, it stills the tempest in our life. It matters not what trial we are in. When God comes to our aid and speaks through his spirit and to our souls, there is a beast still, and know that I am thy God.

[33:42] Is that what God is saying to you tonight? You look upon your life with all the trials and all the difficulties in it, and you say, Lord, I wonder at times where the scene will end.

[33:55] And the Lord comes with a word like this, be still, and know that I am thy God. You know, it was the same with Ruth, wasn't it? Ruth had to be still.

[34:06] The Lord said, sit still, my daughter. Sit still, my daughter. Is that what God is saying tonight? To some hear, be still, my heart, these anxious cares.

[34:20] Yes, to their burdens, thorns, and snares, they contradict his gracious word, and cast his honour on thy Lord. Peter is now being commissioned.

[34:31] Oh, my friend, what a commission it was. Well, Peter, if you love me like you have said, if you actually have confessed that you love me, what have you to do?

[34:42] Feed my lambs. Now, what was the first commission that the Lord Jesus gave unto him? Who are the lambs tonight? Surely, they are the young babes in the Lord.

[34:56] You know, those that have been the workings of the Holy Spirit, God may have been dealing with them from children, and suddenly, my friends, that work of grace is brought to the forefront.

[35:09] Those are the lambs that need feeding. Is there some lambs here tonight? Well, feed the lambs, Peter. Feed the lambs. And you know, he said again after that, he addressed him in exactly the same way, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?

[35:26] And what did he say? Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. Well, Peter, feed my sheep. You see, friends, God was preparing him for the day of Pentecost.

[35:40] This is what was happening. God had a work for him to do. And when God has a work for a man to do, he prepares him for it. He takes him to the backside of the desert.

[35:53] Moses was 40 years in the world, you know. 40 years in the desert, and 40 years leading the children of Israel to the promised land. It was 120 when he died.

[36:05] He had 40 years, my friends, as a man who knew not God. He lived in the pleasures of the world. He was second in command to Pharaoh. And then God took him to the backside of the desert for 40 years to teach him, to prepare him.

[36:21] The apostle Paul went into Arabia for three years into desert. And God takes his servants to the backside of the desert to teach them, to prepare them.

[36:32] You would have thought after Elijah had stood before the wicked king that God would have put him into the forefront of the battle. No. God sent him to the brute chariot, didn't he?

[36:44] God sent him to abide by the brute chariot. I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. Now friends, you and I look at the wonderful life of Elijah, we say, wasn't it wonderful that God sent the ravens to feed him?

[37:04] The ravens are raised up to feed you, brethren. It is a raven that feeds you. There are ravens tonight, friends, and you know the ravens, they feed on dead flesh.

[37:15] The world is raised up. They are ravens I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. And Elijah had to abide by the brute chariot. You know, he came to a position where the brute dried up.

[37:29] Maybe tonight there are some here and the brute is drying up. You have to abide by the brute, haven't you? And you have to watch it. And then, of course, God did not put him into the forefront of the battle.

[37:41] He sent him to Zarephath. And Zarephath was a place of refining. I have commanded, not a prophet, not Obadiah, a widow woman to sustain thee.

[37:55] God taught Elijah more at Zarephath by a widow woman. God and that's what the Lord does, he teaches us to profit.

[38:06] It's not very, very pleasing to our flesh. No, friends, it isn't. It's crucifying, but it's the way the Lord will teach us. And so he gave him this commission, feed my sheep.

[38:21] Now the Lord comes again on the third occasion. Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me, Peter. Yes, he was very grieved, wasn't he?

[38:33] But you see, friends, the Lord was testing them out. He was testing the faith that he had given him. Grace, though the smallest, will surely be tried. You may have received a promise from the Lord, and you don't see the fulfilment of it straight away, do you?

[38:51] You know, friends, the Lord sometimes gives a blessed promise concerning the future, maybe concerning the church, and the building up again of the church, and we don't see it immediately, and we get frustrated, and my friends, we are sure how little patience we really have.

[39:13] But oh, how God is so kind in dealing with us. When we are at the end, the Lord comes. You know, it was in the fourth watch, of the morning, when the Lord appeared to those disciples.

[39:26] The last watch before daybreak, and Jesus himself drew near. What a wonderful word is that. And Jesus himself drew near and went with them.

[39:37] That's what we want tonight. We want the Lord's authority. We want the Lord's approbation. It matters not what man says, it's what our God says. And Peter was grieved, of course he was.

[39:50] And the Lord gives him the same question, lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee. Again, the commission, feed my sheep.

[40:05] You know, I don't know whether you realize this, but the word follow me, followed this man, Peter. You know, he was in prison in the Acts of the Apostles. He was in prison, but there's something wonderful happened there.

[40:18] Prayer was made without ceasing on behalf of Peter. He's not teaching us as churches to pray for our servants and ministers to uphold them.

[40:29] Friends, while Moses was upheld, success was found on Israel's side, but when through weariness they failed, that moment Amalek prevailed. Amalek is the devil.

[40:42] Oh, what wonders happened in the prison house. Prayer was made without ceasing on behalf of Peter. He's in the prison house and there are 16 soldiers surrounding him. Oh, what happened was wonderful.

[40:56] The angel of the Lord came to Peter, bind on thy sandals, cast thy garments about thee, and follow me. Follow me.

[41:08] Now, that word, friends, followed him right to the end of his days. The Lord speaks of the death that he should bless glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he said unto him, follow me.

[41:19] You know, on the day of Pentecost, it was this man, Peter, that had been restored, that had been forgiven from his sin, who preached the word of God. And you know, we could go on to the time when he was going to go to Cornelius.

[41:35] And you know, Peter was a man that had a little bit of tradition in him. We all have tradition, you know. Some traditions are wonderful other traditions aren't so wonderful.

[41:47] And Peter, friend, was on the housetop. He needed to be on the housetop because God was going to send him to the Italians. And he had a revelation of the church of God upon the housetop.

[42:00] And the Lord said to Peter, now look, Peter, there is the church, there is my church. You are going to speak to men who are going to be in the church. Arise and eat, Peter. Not so, my Lord.

[42:13] Peter thought salvation was only for the Jews, you see. And God taught him a wonderful lesson on the house door. But you know, have you watched the providence of God in that wonderful account?

[42:25] Behold, three men seat thee. You know, it's wonderful to me. The Lord said, there is a man by the name of Simon Peter, and he lodgeth by the seaside with one Simon the Tanner.

[42:41] Do you know, the Lord knows the very number of your vehicle. He knows the very number of your door. He knows, my friends, everything about us tonight.

[42:51] He knows everything. Thank God he does. And there, friends, he went to Cornelius. Oh, what a different man was Peter after that revelation.

[43:03] No longer was he, my friends, in that tradition, which was Rome. God released his servant from it. And he went to preach to Cornelius and his family.

[43:16] Have you noticed in the Acts of the Apostles that all households came to know the Lord? The Philippian jailer and his home found the Lord Jesus. The whole household was baptized, fulfilling what Joshua said, ask for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

[43:34] And Cornelius in the home was baptized, and Peter, my friends, preached the word of God. You see, friends, fulfilling the commission that the Lord had given unto him.

[43:48] Oh, it was wonderful. And when he was writing his epistles, you know, at the end of the first chapter of 1 Peter, he says, the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word tonight by which the gospel is preached unto you.

[44:03] Now, my friends, the gospel is the same gospel tonight as Peter, John, Philip, Paul preached. It's the same gospel. Oh, friends, there is the Saviour in the gospels, the Lord Jesus Christ, who was exalted by his Father to give repentance and remission of sins to the church.

[44:28] church. And, friends, the sheep of Christ, they were sheep before they were born, they are sheep when they are born, they are sheep when they are converted, and they are sheep when they die, and at death, they are sheep when they go into the heavenly pastures.

[44:47] My sheep hear my voice, they know me, and they follow me. Now, my friends, that word may follow you until you follow him.

[44:59] I hope it does, because in many cases that word has followed a believer until they have submitted to the word of God, and they come with that wonderful hymn, Lord, glad I come, and their blessed lamb shall take me to thee as I am.

[45:19] Nothing but sin I thee can give, nothing but love shall I receive. Well, friends, time has nearly gone, but you know, Peter went on to preach the word of God, and you know, he said, didn't he, we have not followed cunning and devised fables.

[45:38] On one occasion, the Lord asked him, he said, whom say man that I, the Son of God, whom do you say that I am, Peter? Who do you say that he is tonight?

[45:49] You may have heard it. Now, you know, Peter was unable to say, thou art the Christ. Christ. There, my friends, is a testimony. Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto you, no, but my Father which is in heaven.

[46:06] And every believer, friends, knows that it's revealed to him by the Spirit of God. And they follow in the footsteps of the flock.

[46:18] They follow the way the master went. They choose the pathway that the Lord appoints. We have not chosen him, but he has chosen us and ordained that we should go forth and bring forth much fruit.

[46:33] No, our old man of sin will never bring any fruit for us. In fact, friends, that is our hindrance. You see, the fruit of the Spirit. It's that new man of grace which God has created.

[46:47] It can't sin because it is of God. And you know, friends, those desires tonight, they may be feeble desires tonight, those feeble desires, those wishes so weak, tis Jesus inspires and bids thee still seek.

[47:07] Feed the sheep, feed the lambs, feed the sheep, follow me. Well, friends, time has gone, but may that word be with you as we leave tonight in each one of our lives.

[47:23] May the Lord go before us. And it is a very desirable place to be, isn't it? Where the Lord, my friend, broke Moses, and he said, if thy presence go not with us, carry us not up hence, Moses, my presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.

[47:45] Friends, if we have the presence of God, in his presence, we can conquer, in his presence, we're secure, in his presence, all afflictions, we can easily endure, left to ourselves, we can endure nothing, but in his presence, friends, we can endure, and in his presence, at last, we shall behold him, face to face, and there from the rivers of his grace, drink endless pleasures in, may the Lord add his blessing, Amen.

[48:23] The collection will now be taken. of the Lord, how firm foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in his excellent word, what more can he say than to you he hath said, you owe unto Jesus for refuge and fled.

[49:14] Amen. Amen. him, hope home game you can be ada む rata from the h variables you have said, you who was the sinner of course of your Gent基 anch said, heavens come and you ole come thy  sont In Mary condition, in sinless in hell, in a power that is there, or an abounding in wealth, and hope all alone on our land, on our sea.

[50:47] As thy days may be long, shall thy strength ever be.

[51:04] Fill the note I am with, the O be not dismayed.

[51:17] I am thy God, and will still give thee aid.

[51:30] I'll strength and lead, help thee, and call thee to stand.

[51:42] O help by my righteous, O be not dismayed.

[51:55] When through the deep waters I call thee to know, The rivers of Rome shall not be overflow.

[52:23] For I will be with thee, thy troubles no less.

[52:38] And sanctify to thee, thy deepest grace.

[52:51] When through my retrials thy pathway shall lie, My grace of salvation shall be thy soul blind.

[53:20] The flames shall not be overflow. The flames shall not be overflow. I only desire, thy trust to consume, and thy gold to refine.

[53:46] Any campaigns of glass to run. defining so high, that Geez. the fire will definitely provide. In shadow of my life.

[53:58] In doubt to old edge, all thy people shall burn, The Lord is eternal, our Savior, O Lord.

[54:18] And when for years shall their temples adore, likeOST passe, they shall still in high lows dapatly go on.

[54:47] The soul that of Jesus Shall be Glory Goes I will Not I will Not Dether To His Voice That Soilt Dare Yeah to shame I'll never know never know never I'll say I've been asked to announce that the collections today for the anniversary have come to 400 and 50 pound and 19 pence now shall we all stand to sing together the doxology praise God from whom all blessings flow praise God from whom all blessings flow praise him all creatures here we go praise him all as heaven inside our

[56:57] Now may the love of God the Father, the grace of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and the sweet and blessed communion of thy Holy Spirit, rest and abide and go with each one of us, both now and to eternity. Amen.

[57:27] Amen. Amen.

[58:27] Amen. Amen.

[58:38] Dion. You want it? I'm going to let you turn within.

[58:51] Imagine as you of in. Actually. Yep. Good job. Good job.