Transcription downloaded from https://sermons.heritagesermons.org/sermons/7063/mr-s-delves-jubilee-services/. 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] dear friends as I said in my few marks we thank God for our pastor shall we now sing together hymn number three my shepherd will supply my need Jehovah is his name in pastures fresh he makes me feed beside the living stream hymn number three my shepherd will supply my need [1:03] Jehovah is his name thee may's birth care if thy son is terry this the word is terryulk生 his name is the one And will you in need. [1:35] We live my only Jesus. When I don't take him in place And if he holds his love to stay It comes from truth and faith I can't be shy of all my love How still I gave those friends [2:44] I come with love in love of God I come with love, I come with love How still I gave those friends I come with love, I come with love How still I gave those friends I come with love, I come with love [3:45] How still I gave those friends How still I gave those friends How still I gave those friends How still I gave those friends How still I gave those friends How still I gave those friends How still I gave those friends [4:46] How still I gave those friends How still I gave those friends We could not just let an occasion like this go by Without some tangible offering of goodwill Toward our beloved pastor So for the next few minutes, few moments There will be a little time allocated for presentations Now if I can call first The elder deacon, Mr. John Furmer Thank you Dear pastor And all friends here This is great I feel it's a great honour for me to be given this Although I feel the least worthy of it But As their pastor has been speaking to us this afternoon I must say to you all That this is the word of the truth of the gospel [5:49] That we hear so constantly here Which I know many of you in our congregation here now Know much of the worth of this gospel And we thank you all for being here with us today We feel that it is out of love and affection To our pastor And to us here I With our brother That spoke of being One that was brought here In the arms I myself was brought here the same Only in earlier generations As he said His daughter His wife Was one of the earliest names by a pastor Well she is another one of my family [6:49] She's my own niece And I'm thankful that She and Ron Her husband Have been able to be here with us And that the word has been effectual In their hearts And I know That the word that was spoken By our late dear pastor Mr. Littleton Was the same as has been spoken today But I know That in my own case That it was still That the word came with power From the Holy Spirit It had no effect upon me Although I loved the place And loved to be there And that was all But I feel That now And I know it was the same For a few years after our pastor came But I feel now That I have A greater love To the place [7:50] A great love And esteem for our pastor And although We are still We are just about The same age I hope we should journey on Yet for a little while together And that peace and unity Will still abide with us here And that we Shall still Still hear The same word spoken As you've all heard today And It is a great pleasure It's a great pleasure to me To give To our pastor The things Which are now Being brought up For to present to him This dear friends Is illuminating The dress Which we've given To our pastor We're giving him This [8:51] And Two cheers For his comfort Which we hope He will enjoy Yet for a good season From Our own Church and people At Forest Fault And the rest The money That has been Collected From Our cause Will go With that Which has come From all their friends Into the fund Which we Spoke to you of This morning Now this is The Illuminated address Our highly esteemed And beloved Pastor 1924 To 1974 Mr. Stanley Delves We the church And congregation Together with the Sunday school Worshipping at Forest Fault Baptist Chapel Crobra Desire to acknowledge The wonderful Goodness of God In giving you [9:52] To us And sustaining you These fifty years In this we would Exalt his name In all its fullness And blessedness We present this Address to convey The love and esteem In which you are held We believe that Through all these years As our minister Your one desire Has been to exalt A precious Christ You have not Shunned to declare All the counsel Of God And through Your gracious Ministry The lambs Have been Brought in And the sheep Fed As pastor You have displayed A loving concern For the spiritual Welfare Of the flock Under your charge And have been Untiring in your Pastoral duties In which your Late dear wife So graciously Shared as many [10:53] Can testify The Lord Has owned And richly Blessed The word Of his grace Among us Long Have been The years Of your ministry Great The mercies Deep The sorrows And rich The joys Many Have been Born again Many constrained To walk In the truth And many Comforted We humbly Thank Ere triune God That you Have been Given Restoring Mercies And strength Enabling you To still Preach The unsearchable Riches of Christ At home And throughout The land With much Acceptance And blessing To God God the Father God the Son And God The Holy Ghost Be ascribed All honor Praise And glory [11:54] Both now And forever On behalf Of the church And congregation Deacons John Firmer John H. Ralph Ronald D. Bishop Ernest J. Constable Percy P. Barker This dear Pastor This illuminated Address And This is One of the Cheers There's another One as you Know And I hope That you Will Be given Strength To still Continue Here with Us And that You may Enjoy The comfort Of these Cheers In your Remaining [12:54] Years Whether It will be Very short Or whether It will be Longer But we Know Being about The same Age It must be Cannot be Very many Years now We've got Well Over the Allotted Span of Life But oh Lord May the Lord Still bless Your labors Amongst us Here And elsewhere And we Know it Will be Your desire It is For it to Be all To the Lord's Honor And glory And may You still Receive Much Blessing For Yourself So I Will Ask you To receive These Your Father The Tribute Of Most Loving People Well John I Can't I [13:55] Can't Speak To you As Mr. Furman That's Too Cold And Distant You're My Brother John You Deacons Of the Church And Friends I Know not How to Speak I remember It was once Said by A friend That Stanley Dells Can always Rise to An occasion But I Can't rise To this And It's no Use for Me to Attempt It I can Only say With all My heart A thank You And Throughout These long Years I've had The support Of faithful Men And faithful Deacons And some Of course I could Well I could Mention them All but That's to no Point now But now I've Come to the Evening of my Life And the Evening of My ministry I'm surrounded [14:57] With faithful And affectionate And stable Men In office In our Church And I know Not how to Thank God Enough For them They show me Every esteem Pay every regard To what I Say Consider my Feelings in Every matter And what Could a Pastor Have more Than that From men Around him And I have Faithful members Friends And a few Are still With us Who were Members in The church When I first Came And another Generation is Rising up Well now Perhaps it's Not necessary For me John To make a Speech After what I've been Saying today So very Thankfully I accept These gifts From you And Perhaps I Might just Mention Lest there Should be Any Misunderstanding Or thought That I [15:57] Said I Did not Wish For anything In the Nature of A large Amount of Money to Be given To me I would Rather What was Given in That way Should be So Established As to be A benefit To others In years To come And so I feel Quite Content About that But at The same Time I Appreciate To the Full These Kind And useful Gifts So I Will take This then John Thank you Very much Shall I Sit in the Chair Yes Please No No No No Perhaps Tom You'll Give me These Comfortable Chairs You'll Allow me To Tire And You'll Spend The [16:57] Rest Of My Time Resting In It Not Quite So Faster If you could manage it. Well, well. [17:11] Thank you very much. We're very, very thankful that with our beloved pastor, as you all know, lost his dear wife several years ago. [17:35] We're thankful that he's got two lovely daughters. And so we felt that it would be the wish of all those gathered here that some little gift should be given to them. [17:50] And so now, we'll call on our brother. Here it comes. Thank you. This is Rachel. [18:05] Yes. Yes. Dear pastor, I ask you to accept on behalf of Rachel this tea set. [18:25] Would you say 21? The 41 pieces. This is just a sample of it, which we feel we as a church and congregation give to them because of their love and affection amongst us and in the way they've helped their own father and their mother while she was yet alive and are still caring for their father and took after him so kindly and do all that's possible to make his life comfort now that he is alone in that sense. [19:06] May the Lord still spare them to him and spare him to them. So I ask you to accept this on behalf of Rachel. [19:20] Thank you very much. Thank you very much. That is a very kind thought and of course with all the feelings that I have today thankfulness and affection there is of course that sad feeling at the back of my mind that my dear wife is not here to receive with me the esteem and affection that would have been shown to her so very freely had she been permitted to live to this day. [20:00] That is the one sad feeling that my wife, who was an ideal pastor's wife, she really was. And ideal in every way. [20:13] That is to say, she was ideal in the sense that she would point out anything to me that she thought I wasn't doing that was right and proper. Which is a very good thing in a pastor's wife. [20:25] And she's the best one to do it. But her affection, her usefulness, her quietness, the confidence that the members had in her made it that her memory to this day is fragrant among us. [20:40] But the Lord has spared to me my two daughters and my heart and my life is comforted and enriched with their affection. [20:55] And this wasn't my suggestion but I'm very thankful that it was thought of that seeing that my wife is not here to receive the esteem that would have been so due to her my two daughters in that sense can receive it and accept it. [21:16] Thank you very much indeed, John. Dear Pastor, I ask you to accept these coffee tables for Christine. [21:30] We must still know them by their Christian names. They've been brought up amongst us. We've seen them grow up. And now Christine is not able to do so much for her father as she would do but she's got her own husband and family to care for and there's a way. [21:52] But I know it's a great comfort to our pastor that he can so often go and stay with her and I know that she does all that she can possibly do to help him and to comfort him but may she be may she be able to enjoy this small present from us as a church and congregation for many years. [22:23] Pastor, I'd ask you to accept him I'm behind you. John Well in regard to Christy Rachel and I'm so very thankful for the Lord's Providence now Christine and my son-in-law John and my granddaughter and grandson are able to be with us so much as they are. [22:48] Life is never the same when you've lost your partner but as far as anything can fill in that loss and that gap my two daughters have lovingly done. [23:04] Thank you. John I'm sorry Pastor but this is still not all not really sorry but you look so comfortable there I'm now going to call on to brother Mr. [23:33] Ernest Constable who is a deacon and also a Sondesville superintendent thank you brother Ernest Dear Pastor if I may dear brethren friends speak to our pastor with much thankfulness to be privileged to be here many things have been said today many testimonies to the life of the word that you have preached have been given much thankfulness expressed for the benefit of receiving by your means that gospel I also can add my testimony to that which has been said [24:34] I was thinking I was brought to forest fold when I was a baby and named by Mr. [24:45] Littleton but it was over 20 years before I came to know forest fold and to hear the gospel preached by Mr. Dells and then I found that it was life and power to my soul and like it was said this morning one does wonder at it why the Lord is so very gracious to such poor sinners but now dear pastor though I am least of all yet I'm here representing that which is I feel not the least of your responsibilities as a pastor stand before you to speak to you of the Sunday school for there has been a Sunday school at forest fold for nearly as long as there has been a church and it is a responsibility for a pastor it has been for 50 years for our pastor [25:48] Mr. Delves it was for 50 years before for the pastor Mr. Littleton the very hours of our Sunday school make it that it is not possible for our pastor to come in very often to our Sunday school but we're very thankful when he is able to and we are well aware of his labors for us in his prayers and his guidance and instruction to us as teachers and his help in so many ways it must gladden your heart dear pastor to see some of our Sunday school sitting before you this afternoon and do feel that it is a very important part of the forest fold we do thank you for that which you do in respect of the [26:48] Sunday school in your labors many of them most of them probably are secret and now the Sunday school felt they would like to give you some little token of their esteem and affection and they have brought together this rug which they felt would be very suitable for your study hoping that you will find it gives you a little comfort and enjoyment in your latter days so if you would accept this rug from the Sunday school and the teachers and helpers there well I appreciate this very much and I think the children in our Sunday school know how much I love their affections for me and [27:53] I've often wondered why children show me the affection that they do because I feel there's a big gap of age between us and I thought perhaps I might not be very attractive to children and young girls and boys I remember once when I was preaching at Browton on Avon when the children came home from their school to the anniversary they all came up to me and I was so pleased to see them with their smiling faces and someone said to me that children gather around you like bees round a honeypot but I never thought they would feel that attraction to me really but here and there there are children who really show me very much affection sometimes write letters to me and I almost feel exceedingly tender towards them [28:56] I think we should be very tender towards the children and young people tender the way we speak to them and the attitude they see in us in their impressionable days well now this is very very nice I'm very much afraid that it got round the carpet in my study getting very ragged I think there must be something about it because it is getting very ragged and so this will meet the case very nicely indeed and I thank you I thank you children boys and girls and the young people of Sunday school and the teachers very much indeed thank you very much well dear friends it is joy isn't it to have these times of affection and love of unity as we've had here this afternoon [30:09] I would just mention that you may be interested on the little exhibition that we should have along here presently you will see a photo which was taken fairly recently of all the members of our church and congregation who were here when pastor came over 50 years ago and who have worshipped with us regularly throughout that period and are still with us today there's 19 if you care to count them and there are also some other friends who were here when pastor came but through various reasons left the district but back with us at Forest Fold now and we thank God for these dear friends perhaps I would just like to mention as brother Mr Constable did Mr Littleton predecessor to our beloved pastor was our pastor at [31:11] Forest Fold for 53 years and it is quite a record we feel to have had two pastors for such a long period before I announce our last hymn there's a little verse I'd like to read that has been adapted from a recitation that was written when our pastor's 25th anniversary was remembered and this is the last verse of that recitation thank God for so faithful a pastor thank God for the grace thus bestowed thank God for the love that has fostered these 50 blessed years of the road I'm sure you will all be very interested to know and we take this opportunity at this moment to thank those of you and so many of you who have sent donations by post to Mr [32:20] Barker to go toward our trust fund Stanley Dell's trust fund and the amount which has been collected before our gathering today that is including the surplus money collected from Forrest's Fault after these gifts have been paid for and the other gifts that you've kindly sent is £1,100 we know that some friends have expressed the wish that they would give their donation that their symbol of their love to our pastor today and the facilities have been made in boxes at the entrance door which will be attended by one of our sidesmen for those of you who wish to take this opportunity I have a note to read a legal note regarding this trust fund we would like the friends to know that all the expenses of this memorable day are being borne by the [33:29] Forrest's Fault General Fund but that with regard to the trust fund which the church and congregation at Forrest's Fault and our beloved pastor wish to be established with the donations already received or to be received today or afterwards I am requested to announce following legal advice that all the monies so given will be paid to trustees for the establishment of a charitable trust known as the Stanley Dells Trust the objects of which will be strictly charitable in the legal sense the first trustees will be nominated from among the persons who are the present trustees of the Forest Fold Chapel Crowborough and during Mr. [34:26] Dell's lifetime any new appointment of trustees will be subject to his approval the administration of this charity will be at the discretion of the trustees who will of course be aware of Mr. [34:46] Dell's wishes during his lifetime now after him we'll ask our pastor to offer the benediction for us after which the doxology will be sung and then our brother Mr. [35:12] John Birch has some further notices to read to you and may we close our gathering this afternoon by singing hymn number four on the sheet immortal honors rest on Jesus head my God my portion and my living bread in him I live upon him cast my care he saves from death destruction and despair hymn number four hymn them can go him mother can mend they pay them pay their lack hem his [36:26] De Rid ses��의art . Amen. [37:31] He takes me home And may He raise His Sovereign goodness I have believed When He's salvation Thou art Know it is He is In the world The God Almighty As I have seenwig And save [38:39] As a nation The Most은 cups O God, my soul, O God, that faith in God, He gives us great His majesty of Lord. [39:16] He gives us His hand, God given in God's hand, The great His voice and the great His name bless me. [39:43] Amen. We will bless Thy name. [40:17] We will confess our unworthiness. Bleed the blood of Jesus. Shelter under His cross. And look up to His glory. [40:31] And we pray that all that has been right in Thy sight may have Thy blessing in it to us. [40:43] Whatever has not honored Thee. O Lord, we pray that it has been so may be forgiven. May Thy life be in our hearts. [40:56] Thy love in our affections. Thy light in our understanding. And Thy glory in our view. [41:06] We pray, O Lord, that they were to watch over each one in the journeys homeward today. And with one heart and voice we do give thanks to Thee for every blessing and every favor that has come to us through Jesus Christ and His most precious blood. [41:31] And now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, the communion and the fellowship of God the Holy Spirit rest upon us all. [41:49] Amen. Amen. God, from whom all blessings flow. [42:04] Praise ye His creatures here below. Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. [42:15] Praise God, Son, and Holy Ghost. [42:45] Praise God, Son, and Holy Ghost.