Transcription downloaded from https://sermons.heritagesermons.org/sermons/6279/matthew-full-baptizing-service-quality-very-good/. Disclaimer: this is an automatically generated machine transcription - there may be small errors or mistranscriptions. Please refer to the original audio if you are in any doubt. [0:00] The Word of God Thank you. [1:00] Thank you. [1:30] Thank you. [2:00] Thank you. Thank you. [3:00] Thank you. Thank you. [4:00] Thank you. [5:00] Thank you. [5:32] Thank you. [6:04] [8:04] Thank you. [8:36] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. [9:12] Thank you. [9:44] Thank you. [10:16] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. [10:52] Thank you. [11:24] Thank you. [11:56] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. [12:08] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. [12:20] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. [12:32] Thank you. Only in the name of a disciple, verily, I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward. [12:47] The Lord make good unto us the reading of his word, and teach us to pray. Amen. [13:24] As it is our privilege and our pleasure to be gathered where we are in thy earthly courts, in the attitude of worship, our eyes are up unto thee, blessed Spirit, that thou wilt exercise thy great prerogative, for it is thine alone to assist poor sinners to worship God aright. [13:52] And there are many in our assembly, O Lord, thou knowest, who desire to do so. O we do not want our worship to be just bodily exercise, which profited little. [14:11] But we want that sweet, blessed, holy reality, wherein, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh. [14:22] And thy word looks at us as it has done, O so many, many times, along life's way. [14:32] And it searches us. God is a spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. [14:44] For the Father seeketh such to worship him, and such worshipers we fain would be. But, O blessed Spirit, O blessed Spirit, we do need thee to work in us, as thou alone canst do, to will and to do. [15:05] Yea, to create in us a clean heart, O God, and to renew a right spirit within us. [15:17] But, O Lord, more and more, as we journey on into life's, even in time, we do realize what thy word declares. [15:29] A man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven. The preparation of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. [15:45] But blessed be thy name, thou art so ready to help poor sinners in their felt need thereof. [15:55] And we think of that beautiful scripture, which many times has encouraged us, as we gather together before thy holy majesty, as we are at this evening hour. [16:11] If ye, being evil, know how to give good things unto your children, how much more shall your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? [16:25] And, O Lord, we would indeed humble ourselves before thy holy majesty, and ask that the Holy Spirit might be our helper, and that preacher and people alike might realize his wondrous influence. [16:48] Yea, let that wondrous influence provide our assembly, that the house of prayer may become unto us the house of God and the gate of heaven, and preacher and people alike rejoice together, feeling, Lord, it is good for us to be here. [17:14] Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. And, O Lord, we ask that thou wilt help us to rise above every Latin hindrance to worship, within and without. [17:33] Keep outside things outside, and help us to ascend into heavenly places in Christ Jesus, and that for a little while, the things of this life, time things, may recede into the background of our minds, and the things of God be uppermost in our thoughts, and be the element in which we live and move. [18:07] All our askings meet in this, we ask thy presence, Lord, and thy word enjoins upon us to come into thy presence, and to make known our requests with thanksgiving. [18:25] And, O Lord, we ask that thou wilt meet on our spirits with the grace of gratitude that we are indeed what we are, many of us, and where we are. [18:39] And, O Lord, this is indeed an abundant cause for us to give thanks unto thee as the sinner's friend. [18:51] Many of us in this assembly are here, and we have come with willing feet, and there is within that which thou hast wrought an aching void which this world cannot fill. [19:08] Thou hast given us, we humbly believe, many of us indubitable evidence that thou hast made us to differ from the world at large. [19:19] And we are gathered together desiring to get in touch with thee as the sinner's friend. We would be found after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. [19:36] And we ask, blessed Spirit, that thou wilt work amongst us, and do lead us into thy truth, and unfold its heavenly mysteries to our soul's profit and peace. [19:53] Lead us into thy truth, and teach us. For, O Lord, some of us have to lament that we have lived such a long while, and, O, we seem to have learned such a little of thee and thy truth. [20:12] And yet, we would grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Do then, blessed Spirit, exercise thy great prerogative in this matter. [20:29] For it is thine alone to lead poor sinners into the truth of which thou art the glorious author. We would know its power. [20:41] We would know its preciousness. we would feel its reality in our lips and lives. We would hoard up the sacred word and feed thereon and grow, and go on to seek to know thee, Lord, and practice what we know. [21:01] We ask, too, thou wilt accept the tribute of our praise for all thy mercies to us as they have been strewn along life's way. [21:12] we thank thee for thy mercies past and how many they are. We thank thee for thy mercies present and how many they are. [21:24] We would not let them lie forgotten in unthankfulness and without praises die, but we do need the blessed Spirit to pour upon us the Spirit of praise that we may receive thy mercies aright. [21:43] For it often seems to us, O Lord, that many of them seem to be overlooked, and some are not recognized hardly as being mercies, yet it is a great truth. [21:59] In thee we live and move and have our being. and we ask for yet more mercies as we journey on, that thou wilt be with us as we live out life's allotted span, and that thou wilt help us in everyday life to fight the good fight of faith and lay hold upon eternal life. [22:28] And every day grant us grace all sufficient for life's duties and difficulties and to bear a right life's responsibilities and especially help us in these tremendous times in which we are living to show whose we are and whom we serve to endure in our profession of thy dear name which many of us have made before thy holy majesty we would let our lives and acts express the holy gospel we profess and we ask that every day thou wilt grant us thy divine aid that as every opportunity is afforded us we may ever seek to do good to all men and especially they that be of the household of faith and oh lord do help us to be exercised unto godliness day by day in the things that appertain to our lives that in thy dealings with us we may have dealings with thee and be helped to feel with hezekiah oh lord by these things men live and in all these things is the life of my spirit and now lord we ask that thou would look on us especially for what we are gathered together for at this evening hour and thou knowest that we have come to do what thy word enjoins in one place look upon [24:18] Zion the city of our solemnities and oh lord one of those solemnities is when poor sinners wrought upon by thy grace come before the church of Christ to tell out what thou hast done for their souls and then to put on thy name by a public profession thereof and to be baptized in the name of the father and the son and the holy ghost and that this evening hour oh lord thou knowest that is the business which has brought us together it is indeed one of the solemnities of Zion and may we be helped to view it like that surely oh lord it is one of the outstanding solemnities of [25:24] Zion seeing Jesus Christ as barely man walk therein when he dwelt on earth a while and of such importance it was that he should do so and be baptized that he said suffer it to be so now for thus it be cometh us to fulfill all righteousness and oh lord thy word tells us here unto are ye called Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that ye should follow in his steps many of us oh lord in this assembly can look back some of us many long years in doing so to when thou didst enable us to follow thee as the meek and lowly [26:29] Jesus and it is a blessed reflection that with many of us thou didst enable us to do it in life's mourning but many days have passed since then but we humbly hope thou hast helped us faint yet pursuing at times still to be asking the way to Zion with our faces thither ward and at this evening hour if we are here aright oh lord we are looking unto Jesus and we desire to look off all beside but we ask that thou wilt help those whose names are on church rolls to weigh the matter up before thy holy majesty that they may be helped in looking back over the help thou hast afforded maybe through long years in sustaining them in a profession help them to thank thee and take courage to go forward and grant unto all of us with our names on church rolls that we may by thy grace live right and at the last die right this prayer and this ambition mine living and dying to be thine thy word has told us the very searching word he that endureth to the end shall be saved and one has said and his words suit us well lord hast thou made me know thy ways conduct me in thy fear and grant me such supplies of grace that [28:27] I may persevere there are those gathered with us at this evening hour who have not their names on a church wrong yet they love thee and thy truth and we do humbly pray that thou wilt remember them with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people and so grant unto them such an exercise of mind that they likewise may be enabled to feel the love the love of Christ constraineth us and come forward in these inexpressibly solemn times to declare what they humbly hope thou hast done for their souls that they in their turn being added unto thee may be added unto thy church [29:29] O Lord there is nothing too hard for thee and we humbly pray blessed spirit that thou wilt help poor sinners who may be the subjects of many searchings of heart and solemn exercise of mind regarding making a profession of thy dear name O do remember them and grant them such tokens for good that their minds shall be made up and they shall say with ruth of old thy people shall be my people thy god shall be my god maybe in this assembly O Lord there are those who look on such a service as this is and they have no real interest in it because as yet they remain as they were born but thy word tells us the dead shall hear the voice of the son of [30:38] God and they that hear it live O blessed spirit it would indeed rejoice our hearts many of us before thy holy majesty if it could please thee so to work in our cause of truth here and in every other cause of truth where the dead do attend that they might know the power of thy resurrection and be wrought upon brought in guilty before thy holy bar and before the throne of grace as humble suppliance for mercy great God thy kingdom come with reverence we would pray may the eternal three in one his sovereign scepter sway and O Lord we especially pray for thy dear young handmaid who at this evening hour is in the house of prayer before thee with whom she has to do and thou knowest the desire of her soul is to be obedient to thy commands if ye love me keep my commandments and thou hast so wrought in her heart that she does indeed love thee and thy truth and now she desires to keep this special commandment and to obey thy voice wherein thou hast said follow me we do thank thee for thy gracious dealings with her and we humbly pray that thou wilt be with her and grant her divine aid and as she lives her life from hence for having her name on a church roll as it will be if all is well may she every day find grace to help in time of need and may she blessedly prove whatever the future holds in store for her he which hath begun the good work in you will perform it until the day of [33:16] Jesus Christ oh grant her day by day that grace and patience to run the race which is set before her looking unto Jesus looking off all beside do now hear us in heaven thy dwelling place and do bless us together with a javis portion a blessing indeed send us thy unction teach us all good touch with compunction and sprinkle with blood grant that Jesus Christ may be endeared to us as all our salvation all our desire and may thy word be fulfilled and unto him shall the gathering of the people be we desire every mercy and the biggest mercy of all pardon in mercy in the name that ever prevails before thee the name of [34:26] Jesus amen 121 1100 verse 1165 156 121 level 134 143 how sweet believe the world rise and essas de darle ad you dearpha these i With joy is immortal. [35:17] And keep the presence of the Lord. [35:30] Ye'll take him alone like evil come. [35:45] And I'll have poison to thy cross. [35:59] And love and love in love of love. [36:14] How holy, O Lord, that thy King Then he is the King of heaven, King Then he is the King of heaven, King [37:30] Then he is the King of heaven, King Then he is the King of heaven, King Then he is the King of heaven, King Then he is the King of heaven, King Then he is the King of heaven, King Then he is the King of heaven, King Then he is the King of heaven, King [38:34] Then he is the King of heaven, King Then he is the King of heaven, King Then he is the King of heaven, King Then he is the King of heaven, King Then he is the King of heaven, King the look in a and the world and the we go uz [39:44] Lord, may we bear the name? [39:55] As the Lord shall be pleased to help me, I shall call your attention to a subject you will find in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 11. [40:24] And the sixth verse. And blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me. [40:41] Chapter 11, the Gospel of Matthew, and the sixth verse. I have been constrained, I hope, I would say it with great reverence, by the Spirit of God to take this subject at this time. [41:04] And if this word is viewed aright, and remember it dropped from the lips of Jesus Christ, never man spake like this man. [41:21] I say if this word is viewed aright, it contains all that you need to think on in seeking to hold fast a profession of the name of Jesus. [41:41] And blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me. [41:53] And I would, as the Lord shall help me, just look at the subject from one or two viewpoints. The setting of the subject itself is very striking. [42:11] And it is significant. And there is something that is profitable for preacher and people alike to ponder in their hearts as grace is given to do it. [42:24] And now this word stands in connection with the concluding chapter in the life of godly John the Baptist. [42:37] John the Baptist was a unique character. John the Baptist was an outstanding man in the age in which he lived. [42:49] And he was ordained by God to be the forerunner of Jesus Christ as he came down into this world to be seen among men as verily man, verily God. [43:06] And his mission, you do not need to be told. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. I said that John the Baptist was a unique character inasmuch as he was born again when he was born. [43:32] Sanctified from the womb. And when he was born, he was already born again. That is unique of a truth. But then it was given to John the Baptist as he was doing that work, ordained by God that he should do, to have the amazing honor to baptize Jesus Christ as verily man. [44:02] And that was a wondrous occasion. Because the word of God tells us about that event. [44:15] And it will be, well, to think on it, then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John to be baptized of him. [44:28] But John forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me. And Jesus answered and said unto him, suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. [44:45] Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water. And lo, the heavens were opened unto him. [44:58] And he saw the Spirit of God descending like a door, and lighting upon him. And lo, a voice from heaven, saying, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. [45:16] And now think of this honor for John the Baptist, not only to baptize Jesus Christ, as he was enabled to do, but he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove. [45:31] He had a glimpse of the Holy Ghost. Consideration. [45:43] And he heard the voice of God the Father, saying, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And thus it is recorded here. [45:56] And now John the Baptist had lived his life going about fulfilling that mission for which he was specially ordained. [46:11] And to a great degree, his mission was crowned with amazing success. But, John the Baptist, being the man of God that he was, was wonderfully faithful in his ministry. [46:30] And the upshot of it was, that in his later life, he is found in prison. The prisoner of the Lord. [46:41] Because of his faithfulness in rebuking Herod. And now, leading up to the subject, think about John being in prison round about twelve months. [47:01] There he was, in a castle, a prison. And in his loneliness, for round about twelve months. [47:14] And at length, something seems to have moved in John's breast. And he began to have questionings. Temptations. [47:28] And, as the outcome of what was going on, in his turbulent breast, the word of God says, Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said unto him, Aren't thou he that should come? [47:52] Or do we look for another? As though John had been saying, Surely Jesus Christ, being who he is, the great Messiah, knows I have been languishing these many months in the prison for his sake too and preaching the word he commanded me to proclaim? [48:22] Can it be that Jesus Christ has forgotten me? So the devil will suggest when he comes on his people in heaviness with manifold temptations, he brings all kinds of hellish insinuations. [48:41] And sometimes when a sinner taught of God is at a very low ebb in things divine and worn down bodily, mentally and spiritually, like evidently John the Baptist was, then these things seem to gain an advantage. [48:58] Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see. [49:09] The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. [49:21] This was done before the eyes of these two disciples of John the Baptist because there is a parallel scripture in the gospel of Luke which says, following the question, put to Jesus, Art thou he that should come? [49:44] For do we look for another? And now Luke says, And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues and of evil spirits and unto many that were blind he gave sight. [50:03] And then he gave that message which I have just read. Go and show John again. John has forgotten some of the things which he was aware that I have done. [50:16] words that I have spoken. Go and show John again. Those things which ye do hear and see. And the outcome of it was this, that when good John the Baptist heard the tidings that his disciples had to tell of what Jesus Christ was doing, dear John realized realized that the works proclaimed who the worker was and that he was he that should come and that we did not need to look for another. [50:58] But the word I have read for the subject must have been as wondrous balm to John the Baptist bruised breast as though Jesus Christ said to these disciples of John remember last of all tell my dear John my servant and blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me. [51:31] Tell my dear John I am fully aware of where he is and that my dealings with him are not in anger but in my dear covenant love and all will be made plain and he will see that the way he is going is still the right way and heaven awaits him at the end of it. [52:03] blessed happy is he whosoever shall not be offended in me. And now that is the background of our subject. [52:19] This word offended you will understand has got this meaning stumble. You may sometimes look at things to do with the church of Christ. You may sometimes look on the dealings of God as he deals with you as he deals with his people whom you look upon whom you know and love and esteem and you may have many thoughts about those dealings. [52:49] You cannot see the why and the wherefore and you are in danger in your judgment of becoming unbalanced and in your mind you may be stumbled and wonder that God should allow this and that and bring to pass this and that as it appears he does. [53:15] And now this word gets you right down to bedrock. In other words be still and know that I am God and blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me. [53:34] And now looking at the subject from the viewpoint I want to work out as grace is given. Leaving dear John the Baptist soon afterwards he was delivered from the prisoners you were all aware and his redeemed spirit was gathered into the rest that remained for the people of God. [53:58] But this word remains as a word of instruction a word of help a word of comfort and a word to help you to be quiet in your mind. [54:18] However hard to be understood the dealings of God may be. And now if you look through the Gospels and if you read the Epistles and if you read the Acts of the Apostles you will find that the outcome of preaching the Gospel is just this speaking with great reverence the great majority fall out with it. [54:47] fall out with him whose Gospel it is. And they are offended and they say we will not have this man to reign over us. [55:02] Depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thee or thy ways. But there are some blessed be God and many more than most folks thought of God realized who do not fall out with the Gospel when they listen to it but they fall under it. [55:24] And when they hear about Jesus Christ whose Gospel it is as they are sinners born again and they have in their breast an aching void which this world cannot fill. [55:40] Oh they are not offended not stumbled when they hear of Jesus Christ when they ponder in their hearts Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. [55:57] Oh they delight in such good tidings of great joy. And something says within who can tell but what God will be gracious unto me. [56:12] Yes. And the Word of God brings us to this point. What think ye of Christ? Here we are preacher and people before God with whom you and I have to do. [56:30] And now do let your consciences tell you what is the answer. what think ye of Christ? In one viewpoint this word is wonderfully simple. [56:43] It narrows things down. It is not just a question of articles of faith or attainment in doctrine deep things of God or climbing up into heavenly heights. [57:00] It is just this what think ye of Christ. What do you think? Can you appeal to God? [57:12] I'm not offended in Christ. I love to hear about him especially when the preacher can tell us in words simple enough that those of us who are in life's mourning can understand and sometimes feel a little help thereby. [57:33] you have a feeling like this compared with Christ in all beside no comeliness I see the one thing needful dearest Lord is to be one with thee. [57:48] You see when all is said and done everything hinges on this blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me. [57:59] there is another interpretation turning the subject round which is lawful to do cursed is he beyond any preacher's words to describe cursed is he with a curse which is forever and ever who is offended in me who will live as he is born who is determined that he will live after the flesh the things of the flesh and has never a concern whatever to think on Christ if so be he might have an interest in what was done on Calvary's cross. [58:45] There is a line of demarcation in this subject on one side is heaven on the other is hell. You think on it prayerfully the Lord help you to do it and you dear young people lay it to heart what think ye of Christ? [59:08] The soul that with sincere desires seeks after Jesus love that soul the Holy Ghost inspires with breathings from above. Think of it from this viewpoint when Jesus Christ dwelt on earth as Emmanuel God with us and he went about verily God verily man. [59:30] He went about doing good. He never dropped an idle word. He never thought an evil thought. He ever did good deeds wherever his holy feet took him as he went about. [59:50] Yes and how was he treated? He came on to his own and his own received him not. Which is to say he came on to his own land the land of promise and his own people the Jewish nation dwelling therein received him not. [60:15] Oh they were offended. And when Jesus Christ began to show who he was and he wrote mighty miracles there were those who said who is he? [60:31] Is not this the carpenter's son? Do we not know his father his mother? When sat this man this learning? And they were offended and they would not accept him as the Messiah yet that is who he was. [60:54] Oh there were those in the Jewish nation that thought when the Messiah came that he would come in great glory and with much pomp and show and that he would do great things for the Jewish nation and they would be set before the whole world as being who they were and he would be king of the Jews no no he comes and he is to be seen in the manger cradleeth Bethlehem as a weebath and yet his shoulders held up heaven and earth when Mary held up him and blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me it is a wonderful thing to go to Bethlehem and see that thing which came to pass there worship that dear babe holy babe that he was and sometimes to feel lowly babe we fall before thee [62:02] Jesus we would thee adore to the kingdom power and glory be ascribed forevermore you are not offended when you think of the angels singing in the silent night you do not want to look on it as just a fairy tale something conjured up and put into black and white pleasing to children oh but it is a blessed reality to the people who are taught of God for they hear those good tidings of great joy repeated echoed in the gospel whenever they listen to it as grace is given to hear it to purpose and they know that blessed is the people that know the joyful sound they shall walk oh Lord in the light of thy countenance and then there were those when Jesus went about doing good what did they say as they criticized your master eateth with publicans and sinners then drew near all the publicans and sinners for to hear him and the [63:22] Pharisees and scribes murmured or they were offended stumbled saying this man receiveth sinners what an amazing thing for him to do if he is who he is it is just what he has come down into the world to do being who he is whom though we cannot comprehend knowing thou art the sinner's friend we love thee and adore that is how some of us feel all but not so scribes and Pharisees oh they are offended and they showed their enmity and hatred and would if they could have blotted him out of the earth yes and blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me what think me of Christ and now do you really think before God with whom you have to do that he who went about the earth doing good to poor sinners who lived his holy life and then went up with willing feet to [64:36] Calvary's cross and died in the stead of poor sinners like you and me does it offend you to ponder it does it stumble you or is it that which is to you oh so acceptable that sometimes you have been helped to feel my meditation of him shall be sweet I will be glad in the Lord you were not offended with how he was born not offended with how he lived this wondrous life not offended that he died such a death cursed it is every one that hangeth on a tree but but it does not stumble you because you think of it like this how it was done we can't discuss but this we hold sometimes we know it was done for us blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me and now this can be amplified [65:49] Jesus Christ is indeed the incarnate word but he has sent down into the world the written word and now this is an age when more than in any other age the world has known the great majority of mankind are offended with the holy bible book divine what is it that does make them to be offended because if they know anything at all of what is inside the holy bible it condemns them because they know they do not live in accordance with its blessed teaching and they do not wish to do so there you get down to bed rock the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of god neither can he know them for they are spiritually discerned and now it is a wonderful mercy to have in our hearts a feeling not to be offended stumbled as you think of the holy bible book divine and you know if you are taught of god all scripture is given by inspiration of god god spake all these words you were not offended when you were helped many of you to search the scriptures and read therein for it shows you at times exceeding great and precious promises which you desire to participate in and know the comfort the promises give in the application thereof and when you read the exceeding great and precious precepts set forth in the sacred pages you're not offended although it does set up such a high standard as to how you should live the life of the righteous that you may feel it is so high [68:01] I cannot attend to it but you say do you make me to walk in thy commands for it is a delightful road now let my head or heart or hands offend against my God and blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me my word in its entirety the scriptures and the Lord bear one tremendous name the written and the incarnate word in all things are the same I can only give you hints and then when you listen to the gospel when it proclaims what is the essence of it by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast as you listen to the gospel that tells of grace free grace does that offend you does it stumble you because there were those who were offended and stumbled when they listened to it as it dropped from the saviour's lips as you will read in the gospel of [69:31] John and there Jesus Christ was proclaiming his own gospel and he said in preaching it it is the spirit that quickeneth the flesh profit is nothing as he said elsewhere that which is born of the flesh is flesh that which is born of the spirit is spirit the words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life what then from that time many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him then said Jesus unto the twelve will ye also go away there was one in that twelve that did go away mark the word then said [70:33] Jesus unto the twelve Judas Iscariot was there I wonder how he reacted to this question will ye also go away then Simon Peter answered Lord to whom shall we go thou hast the words of eternal life and we believe and assure that thou art that Christ the son of the living God yes you are not offended if you are taught of God when you know as you do know salvation is of the Lord in every jot and tittle God has taught you not the labour of my hands can fulfil the law's demands and blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me offended by my grace in its sovereignty you think of [71:48] Naaman long ago when he was told where to go and wash in Jordan seven times Jordan don't you know I come from Damascus are not Abana and Farpar waters of Damascus better than all the rivers of Israel no Naaman they are not not to be compared to Jordan where you were bidden to go and wash go home if you like wash in Abana and Farpar but you will remain a leper still go and wash in Jordan be not offended with such good counsel and he went and he was healed it is like that sometimes with people as they are wrought on by a conviction of sin at first they are offended and they are ready to argue with the preacher as to what he has set forth but as they are being wrought on by the spirit of [73:05] God they are brought at length to fall under the truth that they listen to and not be offended stumbled but say it is truth and desire to learn it and live it much might be said along that line of thought there is one more viewpoint here and blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me and now there are many religious people I'm not putting any caps on who are offended stumbled by the worship of God because they want it to be of such a nature that their minds carnal minds are pleased thereby therefore they must have notable buildings beautiful architecture they must have churches cathedrals towers steeples spires and things which are ornate and pleasing to the eye but if you are taught of [74:19] God you will be taught this where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth for the father see such to worship him yes and you will be taught this although nowadays there are many so called religious folks who are just offended with it without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins I saw some while ago where a so called great religious leader said that the old blood theology was out of doubt and the doctrine of it was now exploding never never you and I will still sing dear dying lamb thy precious blood shall never lose its power till all the ransomed church of [75:26] God be saved to sin no more this is how God is worshipped when I see the blood I will pass over you the blood of Jesus Christ God Son cleanses us from all sin Jesus blood through earth and skies mercy eternal mercy Christ then there is this viewpoint of it and blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me and I can only say a word or two here Jesus says to each believer be baptized in my name he himself in Jordan's river was immersed beneath the stream the word of God is very plain about it if you read it aright if ye love me keep my commandments and what does he say in the conclusion of the chapter where the subject is take my yoke upon you and learn of me for [76:32] I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest for your souls there is the yoke of a profession of the name of Jesus to tell the church of Christ what you hope God has done for your souls and they to make you welcome and you to be added to the church and take upon you not only the yoke of a profession but the yoke of the word of God in its exceeding great and precious precepts that you might live inside the covers of the holy bible book divine I will give you rest not with the terrors of a slave do they perform his will but with the noblest powers they have do his commands fulfill and blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me and it says then they that gladly received the word were baptized and now that is for you as you are here before [77:40] God and when you go on your way to way up as to on which side of the line you are and in being obedient what did I read to you whosoever therefore shall confess me before men him will I confess also before my father which is in heaven it is a great privilege it is a great honor it is what becomes you who have the mercy to be sinners born again who you're in you're out look on as you do and see the goodness of God passing before you in life's way surely you will say thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift otherwise answer this question is this thy kindness to thy friend surely what [78:49] God has wrought for you along life's way you should tell it out to his honor his glory and go and tell the king's household that they may rejoice with you and they will say come in thou blessed of the Lord wherefore stand it thou without one more thought as I come to the amen and blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me and now there is a great tendency in us who do hope we are taught of God apart from the man in the street who is not there is a great tendency in us to be offended with the dealings of God and sometimes when trouble like a gloomy cloud gathers thick and thunders loud you and I have felt like Jacob all these things are against you and you have been stumbled and you have said why should this be why should this calamity come upon me mine why should this trouble loom on life's horizon why why you were just stumbled and now there is this to be known and blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me there is this blessedness to be known when [80:26] God does what he alone can do he gives you quietness he helps you to rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him he helps you to say Lord I would indeed submit gladly yield my all for thee what thy wisdom sees most fit must be surely best for me and now you dear younger people as I conclude do you listen you do listen and I'm so glad that you often do listen to what the pastor has to declare and blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me my dealings now what is to be attended to at this evening hour in baptizing our dear young friend has got to be related to an event which came into her life and her own dear family circle about four years ago when dear [81:45] Dennis was suddenly ushered into eternity an event which as it came filled us with sadness and we wondered what the meaning of it could be but looking on from the pastor's viewpoint I had to think about it having to see all that was mortal of dear Dennis laid in the grave and God wrote in my mind that there was hope in his end and one thing that to my mind was outstanding was the help that God gave to his dear family circle in his loss it was a heavy stroke it was of a truth of a reason and their cup was filled with sadness brim full but there was something underneath that sustained them therein and like [82:56] Barnabas who when he came to Antioch and saw the grace of God he was glad some of us looked on and felt glad that is how pastors feel I often feel how much I fail as a pastor but I know one thing I possess is a pastor's heart and I can enter into what John said I have no greater joy than to know my children walk in truth and it does give you a joy to see people in a time of testing and trial realizing the Lord is good a strong old in the day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him and now this word says blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me my dealings and now our dear friends in their bereavement were led into this as I view it and I took this subject to preach a funeral sermon for Dennis because it was so evident in my mind that they were not offended humbled under the mighty hand of God and I believed at the time we should live to see a gracious outcome and what have we lived to see since dear Dennis all that was mortal of him was laid in the grave we have seen his brother brought forth sent out by our church unanimously to preach the gospel of the grace of [84:43] God and glad we are to know that as he goes about his labors are being made acceptable there is just something of sweetness in that cup that seemed to be filled with God but then a year or so ago I had the pleasure to baptize Dennis's elder sister there was just a little more sweetness to now at this evening hour yet another sister what does that teach us out of the eater shall come forth meat out of the strong shall come forth sweetness and it helps us to realize whoso is wise and will observe these things even they shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord every state aware distressing shall be prophet in the end every ordinance of blessing every providence of friend and remember and blessed is he not for time only blessed for eternity too blessed by [86:02] God the Father ordained by him to life eternal blessed by God the Son but he died in their stead on Calvary's cross blessed by the Holy Spirit for he leads them into his truth and makes them meet for the inheritance of the saints in life this word means in the original not that I know it godly scholars help us all the heaped up happiness of he whoso ever shall not be offended in me in other words happy is he that after God of Jacob for his help whose hope is in the Lord is God happy is the people that is in such a case yea happy is that people whose God is the Lord what do you say surely you will say with them numbered may [87:04] I be now and in eternity amen in number thirty one number thirty one number six hundred and ninety four thirty one hath those said exalted jesus take thy thought and follow me shall the word which error teeseth shall we from the burdens leave the Lord on take it and rejoice them all of the day thing fourth The End [88:32] The End The End The End [90:02] The End The End The End