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[0:00] depending upon the help of the Lord dear friends I would invite your prayerful attention to Timothy 1 Timothy chapter 2 and the verses particularly to be found on my mind are 5 and 6 for there is one God and one mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time now I endeavour to speak from this on the Lord's day and it still seems to be on my mind it is a subject which is so vital we have considered at Hastings since Easter morning the various appearances of the dear Lord Jesus to his disciples following his resurrection and what lessons we drew from those appearances for his love to his dear people and I have also been felt led to speak on the facts of what the Lord Jesus at least some of the facts I should say of what the Lord Jesus has accomplished he is the end of the law for righteousness who to?

[1:37] to everyone that believeth not to the world to everyone that believeth you see those who are believers they come to Mount Zion the city of the living God Sinai still stands for the unbeliever in all its terror and each unbeliever will stand before the terror of Sinai to give an account but those who in the Lord confide and shelter in his wounded side shall see all danger overpassed stand every storm and live at last we see the work of the dear Lord Jesus is so comprehensive in that which he has attained to and yet he remembers as I said in prayer that we are dust and dear friends I find that such a comfort particularly at certain times when we would in true devotion come to the Lord and we find we have a wandering mind and I've been very encouraged on one particular occasion when endeavouring to conduct the Lord's Supper when remembering the words of the dear Lord Jesus when returning to the disciples finding them asleep he said watch and pray lest she enter into temptation they were asleep the flesh indeed the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak now friends remember at what point the dear Lord said that he was right in the midst of the depths of the suffering of his own soul my soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death even in that hour of his own sorrow he remembered that his poor disciples were dust and you see what encouragement for us when perhaps we're perplexed and dismayed quite rightly by our own inability to do those good things in meditation in prayer as we would have you decided sometime to sit down and read the Bible and you've opened up the Bible and you've found your mind is on anything else you cannot bring it to bear on what you wish it to be and what a perplexing thing that is in the experience of the Lord's dear people at times and especially at the Lord's Supper

[4:19] I find when we would really endeavour to push away those things which are not to do with doing this in remembrance of me in accordance with his command and yet still we have to prove a wandering mind and our weakness and yet in it all we have a high priest who is passed into the heavens one who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities was in all points tempted like as we are and yet without sin blessed be his name and that's the hinge point as I often say of the hope of the salvation of the souls of his dear people may we be numbered among them well I want to turn our thoughts just very briefly this evening to this portion which I find is such a wonderful portion of the word of God this first chapter and those verses in the second chapter of Timothy they hold so much for us so much instruction for us

[5:22] Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the command of God our saviour not by his own choosing not by his own ambition natural ambition no but that it was by the commandment of God our saviour and Lord Jesus Christ which is our hope that's a good way to start any letter isn't it dear friends the epistle being a letter of course unto Timothy my own son in the faith I like that I want to reverse it a minute you dear friends here and I can look back and remember those who perhaps now have gone to glory who were spiritual fathers to us in our younger days who spoke the things of God in truth and honesty to us who warned us directed us and comforted us in some way in the scriptures scriptures and we looked on them as spiritual fathers and now I reverse it back again and the apostle

[6:37] Paul looks on Timothy as his spiritual son he's not his natural son we know that he speaks in spiritual terminology here now what is his desire well his desire is the best possible one grace free unmerited favour of God free to us unmerited by us favour but what a cost to the dear redeemer may we never forget that dear friends his own heart's blood his wish is grace mercy and peace from God our father and Jesus Christ our Lord that's his wish and dear friends all God's true sense servants have that wish for every one of their hearers whether pastors or ministers or Sunday school teachers superintendents and deacons and those who have family responsibilities that is the wish that is the desire of all godly people that that grace may be known and seen the grace of God the apostle said he came and when he saw the grace of God he was glad and it gladdens our heart doesn't it when we see the grace of God in one and another and we see the signs and they perhaps don't see it themselves

[7:57] I find it very encouraging you know dear friends at times even this in this day and age where we observe we gather together we observe and we think yes we believe the Lord's dealing with that one and little by little we watch and they come and venture and they're so surprised when they realized that we were looking for them that the Lord's people were laboring in prayer for them they were traveling in prayer oh dear friends there is a place where spirits blend and friend holds fellowship with friend one hymn writer writes where is it it's before the blood stained mercy seat and there is a family on earth whose father fills a throne dear friends and I believe some of you here are part of that family and oh what a mercy it is this is the same thought that Timothy is the recipient of from Paul the aged here now I mustn't dally long in this early part of the chapter but I want to come down to another golden verse or two here you see here the apostle is instructing

[9:26] Timothy in the early part of that chapter but now he as it were looks in the mirror now he looks back on those things which he himself has experienced and he says in the twelfth verse he says I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who hath enabled me for that he counted me faithful putting me into the ministry and then he speaks of himself he says who was before a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious he doesn't hide his past he doesn't try to cover his sin he confesses his sin not only before God but before all who read this epistle and he gives God the honour and glory he says but I obtained mercy because I did it ignoically in unbelief and on the Lord's day it came to me like this that you know

[10:33] I think this is runs through scripture doesn't it it runs through the experiences of the Lord's dear people they often cry with the psalmist and look back over their lives and they remember the sins of their youth the psalmist says remember not against me the sins of my youth and it seems like this with Paul he's looking back and he's remembering those former sins but he said I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief now there's the other side of that question and that is as we are shown as we go on in the journey of life and the Lord shows us teaches us in the way we then have knowledge and then we find something that a few years ago didn't seem to be to us such a terrible sin is now clearly a sin which we must flee from as from a serpent and now that's called groaning grace we're not altogether aware of it it is something which

[11:42] I believe the Lord's people are aware of and it almost comes as a surprise in some ways in the experience of it but why is it well the Lord in his mercy pardons our ignorance pardons our sins of and in ignorance but as we are shown these things more deeply and clearly then if we sin the same sin it is a sin against light and knowledge and will bring darkness of spirit I believe however and the grace of our Lord Jesus and the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus I love this verse that's a lovely verse isn't it and the grace of our Lord oh friends how we need to know the grace of God the grace of our Lord individually made known in our own souls experience oh we can hear these things in the outward ear but to know my Jesus crucified by far excels all things beside all earthly good I can't but loss and triumph in my saviour's cross the apostle says in

[13:12] Galatians God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of my Lord and saviour Jesus Christ friends do you know something about this grace of our Lord you know it'll take eternity itself to praise him enough for saving such poor sinners deserving hell unto salvation to be saved from hell would be reason for praising for eternity but to be brought in as sons and daughters by adoption into heaven's high courts and feed at the master's table as Mephibosheth did friends is beyond our understanding and it's beyond our expectation it's certainly beyond our desserts it's all of grace a good hope through grace one hymn writer says doesn't he the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ

[14:20] Jesus we pray I prayed in prayer that we might know something of the increase of faith I might have said this in your hearing before because I feel it to be so much the case we need to pray for faith we find we keep needing to pray for faith for renewing and we think about it the disciples who witnessed the Lord Jesus three years upon the earth in his ministry following him about witnessing his miracles witnessing all the teaching which he taught them and what did they say Lord increase our faith and they saw him with a natural eye we shall not have that privilege to see him with a natural eye unless he comes again at the end of time and we are still alive upon the earth no but we know at least

[15:22] I hope we do do we know something of the eye of faith my faith looks up to thee the Lamb of Calvary Saviour divine or does your faith look up where does your faith direct your thoughts when you look within and you feel and know your sin does it direct you to the only hope of salvation by grace in the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ the Redeemer the salvation of his people this one who gave himself a ransom gave himself a ransom some who were upon the earth at the time of the crucifixion may have thought that he was taken by force but he was not he was willingly taken because he in the garden you remember when they were come for him with the traitor with that kiss and he said whom seek ye didn't hide he said whom seek ye and they said

[16:40] Jesus of Nazareth and he said I am he and they all fell backwards they all fell backwards we read of other places that he passed through their midst when they had a say to take him in scripture you see he was willing and obedient to his heavenly father and he was faithful to his own covenant undertaking which he made in eternity past in the councils of Jehovah father son and holy spirit before this world was created that he would redeem a people for himself will be his bride eternally with him in glory he would ransom them he'd give his own hearts but I like that chapter we read in well I like so many passages of scripture but that particular passage of scripture has been blessed to my soul in that ninth chapter of Hebrews and how much there is to instruct us in it regarding that ransom price which the dear

[17:50] Lord has paid on behalf of every believer every believer note what I said the sacrifices of the old dispensation were completed you know I've warned about this at home there is today those around who will say ah but that's Old Testament the law was done away with no it wasn't the law was not done away with the law was honoured by the son of the most high God the law was honoured because he kept it in every jot and tittle in absolute perfection not done away with fulfilled to the satisfaction of the father who could not look upon sin with any degree of allowance my old pastor used to often quote this couplet speaking of

[19:00] Jesus himself he said in him in Jesus in him the father never saw the least transgression of his law in him in Jesus we then perfection view by faith and the saints in him are perfect too oh dear friends does that give you an ambition like the apostle boy had that I might win Christ and be found in him because I believe that's the ambition which rises up in the hearts of true believers I might win Christ and be found in him is he everything to you dear friend is he your lord and your god we thought a little around the Easter time of Thomas oh I do have such a sympathy with Thomas I got one in here and I got a Jonah in here as well but you know Thomas he was an intelligent man he'd seen the lord crucified you see and his reasoning it defied his reasoning what the disciples said that he was risen again and so in his reason he says I will not you see that old nature from he inherited from Adam defiled by

[20:13] Satan in the Adam fool I will not it's there isn't it right in the midst of us as we are born poor Thomas when the Lord comes the following Lord's day and he stands in the midst the second time and says to Thomas reach it as I finger and put and thrust it into the print of the nails and thrust thy hand into my side I don't think he ever did mind you but what does he do he says you see the Lord knew what he'd said so straightway Thomas realises the omniscience of the Lord and then he says my Lord it is my Lord risen again it is verily the Lord I saw crucified how his eyes are opened but my dear friends his spiritual eyes are opened as well because he said my Lord meaning Christ in his manhood

[21:15] I believe and my God you see the beauty of that dear friends he was he could see the revelation that he was God he saw his divinity in its all its wonder and beauty and I say this to you I guess that Thomas was one of the most staunch witnesses following that experience no more doubting for Thomas after that like Peter Peter fell didn't he oh I have such a sympathy with Peter but you know he stood up we should perhaps think about that as we think about Pentecost as we come to that time of the year but on that day of Pentecost there's Peter he's standing where's all his fear gone he's vanished he stands and he tells them the truth you the same people who by wicked hands have taken and crucified this same

[22:20] Jesus he says you know looking at it from a human point of view it was a very risky thing to do this same congregation that he was speaking to this mass of people were the very ones that had cried out to crucify the Lord not long before crucify the Lord and yet his fear is all gone the Holy Spirit had filled his soul my friends and equipped him to speak and so blessed be God he has a purpose in all things well I wanted just to bring your attention to those last few verses in the chapter we read in the 24th verse for Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands which are the figures of the true he means by that he means of the earthly temple these things were figures of the true but into heaven itself which is the true now to appear in the presence of God for us that is for believers for his own people not for the world

[23:38] I pray not for the world the Lord said in his prayer to the father didn't he now to appear in the presence of God for us now that brings me back to the thought that I had here who gave himself a ransom a ransom he paid the price to redeem every one of his dear people unto himself completely to pardon all their sins I do like the all's how vital they are all their sins not one will remain no for there is one God and one mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus now this one God he's speaking in these terms in this portion you see at the time that the apostle

[24:42] Paul is writing to Timothy here it's at a point in history where the infancy of the Christian church is needing much instruction there is also much in society around wishing to direct back to the ceremonial law they've been brought up and taught in the ceremonial law they did not realize that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believe as I said because he fulfilled the law in total perfection as I've already said that is the moral law and the ceremonial law all pointed to him Jesus himself in which he was the fulfillment in the coming again coming to this earth of the Lord

[25:42] Jesus Christ was the total fulfillment as saviour redeemer of that one mediator all was completed at the end of the ceremonial law and so all the ceremonial law was now finished and that we refer to as the old covenant the covenant of the law but now the Lord Jesus Christ in the day of grace has brought a new covenant and a better covenant if you read through Hebrews at your leisure and see how many times the word better new covenant better covenant better testament is used for that which Christ has done is revealed in perfection to his dear people and is perfection unto their salvation because there is one living God the God of creation other gods there were many at that time there is today we've got gods little g gods all around us we don't necessarily make an image and worship it we worship cars and we worship many things that you could think of and I don't waste time going into they become little gods what are they little g gods they come between us and

[27:05] God they're all dead there is one God one living God the father of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ the one who so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish to be a mediator one God and one mediator there's no other mediation my dear friends betwixt a holy God who cannot look upon sin with any degree of allowance and us poor fallen sinners one name one name alone can we plead in prayer cannot come to God in prayer and plead our own name for we are fallen sinners we come and plead the only name which prevails before the father the name of Jesus how precious that name is dear friends to your soul isn't it yes it's a precious name yes God one God and one mediator between

[28:05] God and men the man Christ Jesus and my old pastor used to say capital M to that man Christ Jesus oh he fulfilled everything in perfection and gave himself a ransom for all now I used to have a bit of difficulty with this portion and just perhaps for the younger people I would just mention this that we have the word all here you need to remember that the Jews had the opinion that they were the only ones that God would have a favour too and that was based on the Old Testament experiences of the prophets of Moses of being brought out of Egyptian bondage and so on so it was quite understandable in one sense that they felt that that God alone to them singularly had any a favour but you see throughout the

[29:11] Old Testament there are those little foreshadowings that there is mercy for the Gentiles and then we find both Paul and the apostle Peter constantly writing to try to offset that error of their day and so when the apostle here writing says all he doesn't mean all men upon the earth he means all nations all stratus of society we would say today he says I exhort therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions giving of thanks be made for all men for kings for all that are in authority why that we may lead quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty he gives a reason here you see for this kings need our prayers because they're in his day of course they were the total authority but all in authority need our prayers and especially we do today and I don't want to get off on that but you know we're in a terrible mess in this country and looking looking very bleak indeed for what's proposed for this autumn but my dear friends we need to pray and wrestle in prayer for all in authority over us why because in verse 3 the apostle says this is good and acceptable in the sight of god our saviour there is scripture command and the reason given in scripture for us to pray for our country and those in authority over us and the reason is that we might be given peaceable lives that we might live in godliness and honesty the thing

[31:08] I'm trying to bring out of this is this that at this time in history the Jews seem to have we would call today a mental block on the fact that the Jews were not singularly the Lord's people but he had a favour to the Gentiles and what a mercy that is friends because we're Gentiles what a mercy that is for we're Gentiles yes you see it's by faith and this is of course the gospels open this up it's by faith in Christ Jesus Jew or Gentile the spiritual Israel of God whether the seed of natural naturally from from Abraham in a national sense of Israelites or whether Gentiles who by faith believe which is a gift of God and isn't that a mercy

[32:08] I've often thought about that dear friends one mediator then no matter whether you're Jew whether you're Greek whether you're English whether you're a king whether you're a housewife whether you're a pauper it's by faith there's only one God and one mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus blessed be his name oh friends what courage we can take from these precious words are they precious to you I ask you that as before God answer as before him there is one God and one mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransom for all all levels of society of nationality by faith in him is salvation oh friends how is it with you where is your hope for eternal salvation salvation

[33:21] I do trust that you're not amongst those who we meet quite regularly in the street who would say oh I'm as good as most and a little better than I'm as good as any and a little better than most and I give my tithes and I do this and I do that and that will never save you dear friends that's work what a mercy we don't have to plead works our own works for salvation because we should all be lost shouldn't we by grace are you saved yes by grace by faith in him this one mediator between God a holy God who cannot look upon sin with any degree of allowance and yet he can look upon sinners in his beloved son as if they had never sinned because the imputed righteousness of his sinless son is imputed to them and made as if they had never sinned and I come back to something

[34:33] I mentioned last time I was here I think we think of the prodigal son when he returned and to his amazement he knew what he deserved he knew he was in sin he knew he was a disgrace to his father and yet the father stopped him in his words and he would not let him get as far as to say make me as one of thy hired servants no he said bring forth the best robe and put on him a robe of righteousness my friends that represents clear as crystal to me the robe of righteousness which is Christ wrought out his finished work his absolute perfection it's made yours poor sinner yours by his grace and by his mercy you didn't have to buy it you couldn't buy it you didn't have to merit it you couldn't merit it nor could I no nothing in my hand I bring simply to thy cross

[35:34] I cling that's it that's effective prayer friends when we're brought there to really be there you know soon after I was ill I had a dear servant of God say to me you know Ray I was speaking about those everlasting arms he said you know Ray that those everlasting arms are under us from the day that we are born again to the day we are born across Jordan to glory but he said we only feel them when we're brought low and up to sink into them and some of them you know what I mean it's true but what a comfort it is they're there friends all the time we're able to walk and do a few things of ourselves and it's right that we should walk in the means of grace we don't feel those everlasting arms but when we're brought low and weak and we can only cry

[36:36] God be merciful to me a sinner Lord help me now there's no strength from war then we know the power then we know the security the solidity of those everlasting arms and then my dear friends we know the surety of the promises of God and I believe this with all my heart that the words when there passes through the waters I will be with thee is a solid promise it's a solid promise whatever your waters might be my dear friends and they can come in very many different ways waters in life yes and at the end waters of death but it's not I might be with thee it's I will be and I believe I can humbly say glory to his name I've proved it to be the truth it's a promise friends we have people promising us all manner of things in society today and we know as the words leave their mouth they'll never be able to fulfill the promise that they make but my friends we mustn't let that thought enter into our better things because we have one who promised who promises and who fulfills and can fulfill and will fulfill reason the reason is he's risen again because I live ye shall live also there's the reason you see the grave couldn't hold him he burst the bonds of death he holds in his hands the keys of death and of hell

[38:30] I'm thankful for that aren't you dear friends he knows every need he knows every weakness he holds us up by his hand and brings us along in the pathway of life and those things which we think have gone wrong we look back in a few years time perhaps and see they all went right we see we learned something could have never learned another way we proved his goodness dear friends goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life the psalmist said and I might dwell in the house of the Lord forever no I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever oh the surety of these precious promises dear friends you know what the trouble is it's our weak faith you know what another trouble is we look in here and we see what we see and down we go and oh friends if we look up one has said years ago when the outlook is bad try the outlook look to the crucified saviour look to the one who's gone before you in every step of the sorrow of the way and born all for his people ransom them because there's one God who cannot look upon sin with any degree of allowance but one God whose heart was so full of love

[40:16] I mean that figuratively of course God's heart full of love meaning affection for his people that he gave his most precious thing his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life and the son was so willing to come to this earth to suffer bleed and die and ransom his people the happiness of eternity past before this world was created is shown us in the 30th verse of chapter 8 of Proverbs where speaking the Lord Jesus Christ is referred to through this chapter as wisdom doth not wisdom cry speaking of the wisdom in the Lord Jesus Christ himself as a name of the Lord himself then I was by him speaking of the son and the father as one brought up with him and I was daily his delight rejoicing always before him now what a wonderful way the Holy

[41:34] Spirit has left on record for us that picture that with our limited understanding we can just view just a little bit of by the example used and that is the oneness and the joy of father son and Holy Spirit in eternity past in the councils of eternity past which devised the plan of salvation to redeem his people by his own heart's blood to ransom them as many as the father has given me shall come unto me and he she that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out have you come dear friend have you come to the Lord seeking pardon and forgiveness I will in no wise cast out I like that word it's a great comfort why well because it's the Lord's own word it wasn't even the word of an apostle or prophet it was the word of the prophet priest and king may we each know something of that faith which is fixed on nothing less than

[42:49] Jesus precious blood and righteousness I dare not trust the sweetest frame but holy holy lean on Jesus name on Christ the solid rock we stand all other ground is sinking sand as one God and one mediator between God and men the man capital M Christ Jesus he's in glory now at the right hand of the father he's heard every word spoken this evening may he pardon anything that has been amiss and bless everything that has been of himself for his name sake amen great great great

[44:23] God from thee there's naught concealed thou seest my inward frame to thee I always stand revealed exactly as I am hymn number 119 and do or who coroner Through you your heart��uain Exactly as I am

[45:26] In time and hour Ah, day I shall I say And white black ciao follow me Industry, toys, Theòs in the distinguish Oh, Jesus, are praying in the cloud inside of HisJudge.

[46:21] Jesus, he slept, holy as him, where the lyon cry gave him.

[46:39] Amen. Amen.

[47:39] Many bridges of world for all of us and make us pull, O Lord, we do pray that thou would kindly look down upon us, take us our various ways this evening now in peace and safety.

[48:12] Bless thy word this night if it could please me grant peace to our souls and do bring us on the pathway to our desired haven to heaven and to thee. And Lord do cover the mantle thy forgiving love all that thy pure eyes have seen a miss in our worship this evening.

[48:30] And now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ the love of God the Father the fellowship and communion of the Holy Spirit rest and abide upon us each and all who love thy name everywhere.

[48:42]  Amen.