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[0:00] in my dependence upon the Lord for his gracious help I ask you to turn with me to the epistle of Romans chapter 8 and verse 28 Romans chapter 8 verse 28 and we know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according to his purpose read the word of God you will soon discover this these three features firstly that God has separated the human race into two peoples there are those whom he has chosen before the foundation of the world predestinated and in time they are called called by grace and they are followers of the Lord

[1:57] Jesus Christ they are turned turned by himself from walking in the ways of the world and the ways of sin to walk in the ways of God the ways of righteousness and secondly we shall see this that there are two pathways there is the pathway along which the righteous walk the pathway along which the ungodly walk the Lord that Jesus in his ministry sets this forth very clearly in his ministry when he was here in this earth and we shall also say thirdly that there are two eternal destinies

[3:08] I know it is very popular the day in which we live for men to say whether they believe it or not when they come to the end of this life that's the finish but it is not the finish it is not the end and recently I was sitting in a vestry not my own but I was sitting in a vestry and I turned the leaves of the hymn book you know we've got a hymn six six seven which is well known in mortal honors but have you taken notice of the hymn that is before this six hundred and sixty six I must confess I don't think I had taken all that much notice of it until that particular day and a verse in it poor soul what is thy hope on what dost thou depend art thou a stranger still to Christ the sinner's friend soon thou must leave thy all below and then oh then what wilt thou do solemn isn't it it is before us there is an eternity what a tremendous sound is eternity

[4:49] I remember as a boy when mother used to read to us and that word came in the reading or the word everlasting what does this mean oh it's something that goes on and on and on does not cease we measure things here here by time don't we there's no time in eternity God has I say separated to himself a people they are his own and he alone knows who they are for the foundation of God standeth sure having this seal the Lord knoweth them that are his yes go on what comes after that let him that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity

[6:02] I say there's some very deep truths in this chapter predestination whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son that he might be the first born among many brethren moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified what shall we what shall we then say to these things what can you say what will you say what shall I say to these things will you speak against them will you say these are hard things there were those you know when the

[7:11] Lord Jesus was here they found the things that he said hard things they were offended weren't they offended they were offended at his coming and they were offended at the manner of his coming and they were offended at his teaching and the things that he said he said doth this offend you do these things offend you he came unto his own and his own received him not but as many as received him to them gave he the power to become the sons of God that word means the right the privilege honour what an honour isn't it to be made a child of God to be raised up out of the depths out of the pit out of the mire clay out of that place in which you were found by nature all men are there are they by nature all born in sin shaken in iniquity and the

[8:37] Lord in his mercy comes down to that one and brings him out a chosen vessel one whom he has set his love upon love them from eternity with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee yea I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee drawn out of that place gathered out lifted up drawn unto himself no man by nature will seek Christ will he no man by nature will want a knowledge of him they say we desire not the knowledge of his ways depart from us we desire not the knowledge of his ways now how is it then how is it with you

[10:02] I would ask this in all love and affection you know we have a we're in a solemn position aren't we God's servants his ministers in a solemn position I read you know an account I think it was in an obituary one of the obituaries in our magazine some few years ago now of a man who lived to a great age and he was a deacon in one of our churches a very godly gracious man and when he was about 16 or 17 years of age he had like a good many do you know being brought up in the to attend the house of god with his parents and gone off he had to one day take a message to one of our well known ministers of former diocese and he went to the house and the minister received him in and do you know what he said to him you see he had the burden of souls and he said young man are you ready for eternity he thought he was young and he thought many years many years before me are you ready for eternity and you know it so troubled him he went home and he couldn't sleep he thought about this more and more are you ready for eternity and it brought him to this place you know to seek the

[12:29] Lord while he may be found to call upon him while he is near that was the Lord used it the Lord was working there all things work together for good don't they work together for good read the word of God and you say it condemns me read that word which God has given the law it condemns doesn't it do you know the apostle Paul speaks of the law as being our school master to bring us to Christ there is by the working of that word the law a conviction the apostles you know in their day they preached and they charged home upon the consciences of their hearers their sin and the

[13:53] Lord did work and work in their midst see their consciences were pricked their hearts were pricked not just a little pricking sensation but it was a thrusting through with the sword as it were because the word of God is likened to a two edged sword which divides asunder it separates the Lord uses uses his word speaks by his word friend of mine many years ago servant of

[14:54] God he preached once you know from that word Adam we're out there and it there was a man in the congregation who was searched by that word he was hiding hiding Adam hid himself didn't he had sinned before there was that sweet communion with God walk with God now you see sin had caused a separation God might we are descendants of Adam and by that sin we are separated from God God who is holy and pure and just and cannot look upon sin

[16:00] God in his great mercy has made a way whereby poor sinners can draw near to God be reconciled reconciled to God all things work together for God and God sent his beloved son into the world God so loved that's a word isn't it God so loved I know it's an off quoted word God so loved that the emphasis is there isn't it that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believed in him should not perish but have everlasting life life life eternal life all things we know we know says the apostle and we know what do we know you know it's a very popular expression in the day in which we live isn't it

[17:42] I know you hear people say I know and some of them you can't tell them a thing they say I know ah the dear apostle now he could say this yes and Job in his day in that far off day he could say couldn't he I know I know that my redeemer live it oh dear Paul I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that I know it's a great mercy you know if we can say this I know because the Lord has revealed because the Lord has taught you man will not know these things with a natural understanding natural intelligence he may read a lot of books and he may fill his head with a lot of notions but you know real religion is more than notion real religion is something known and felt isn't it real religion is something which is in the heart brought there by the spirit when the heart is touched when the heart is softened when the heart is moved when the heart is drawn to Christ and there's that feeling and prayer in the heart which the spouse in the son of

[19:48] Solomon pray draw me we will run after thee draw me Lord and when one prays like that surely they are being drawn already the Lord has begun with them hasn't he because the Lord is first God is first God begins in the beginning God and if there is that love felt in the heart surely it is God in the beginning who has put that there and if you feel that love flowing out of your heart to him it is because he has first loved you we love him because he first loved us says

[20:52] John and God I say loves his people eternally and manifests his love to them you know he commends his love doesn't he commends it God commended his love to us toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us for me for me this is how one will come you know there won't be any presumption will there or boasting or pride they will stand before the

[22:01] Lord and say love me the dear apostle now he speaks like this doesn't he who loved me and gave himself for me all things work together for good they did for the apostle in life you see he had much religion as a Pharisee very proud of it all of the flesh and he his heart was bitter towards the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ he held in his hands those letters of authority but you know the Lord met with him today there was a time a time and a place he appointed time rolls on a pace not proposed but called by grace change the heart renew the will and turn the feet to

[23:23] Zion's hill there was a turning complete turning wasn't there in the heart of Saul of Tarsus the Lord did it he was a chosen vessel the word of God tells us and the dear man you know was brought right down wasn't he emptied stripped brought right down upon the earth and began to pray yes he began to pray no doubt he said many prayers before many prayers but he began to pray there behold he prayed is that the word of God yes you know you know what he prayed don't you

[24:27] Lord what wilt thou have me to do thy will Lord thy will not mine thy will what wilt thou have me to do show me Lord teach me leave me give me that grace make me willing to do thy will you know the Lord speaks of those things that soul of Tarsus must suffer for his name I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name sake and did he have an easy pathway was it a smooth comfortable journey the apostle had we breathe don't we that pathway and it was appointed stripes many stripes stoning imprisonment shipwreck opposition persecution yes all for the fervor of the gospel you see it was to preach christ and him crucified this was his ministry christ jesus crucified died laid in that tomb rose again on the third day was seen in his risen form who at the appointed time ascended up on time who is there now who is at the right hand of god whoever liveth to make intercession for those that come unto god by him great mercy this you know

[26:52] I believe I've been truly thankful for this that the lord jesus is in heaven now that he is at the right hand of god that he is the one mediator between god and man the one who intercedes what is your pathway is it a pathway of trouble perhaps affliction now sorrow distress persecution you know the lord knows the lord knows doesn't he your present pathway you think he's present with you the lord knew all about job knew all about his pathway the lord permitted satan to go so far with in the case of job and he lost his possessions and he was bereft of his family and his poor body was afflicted and he the adversary wasn't allowed to touch his life he knoweth the way that I take said job he knoweth when he had tried me

[28:48] I shall come forth as gold all things work together for good yes and we can read about job and we can read about joseph can't we and others but they walked that pathway you know dear joseph carried away sold by his brethren carried away and falsely accused and cast into cast into the dungeon feet were held in the in irons till the time that his word came the word of the lord tried him many many days he was there when you know he was appointed to that high position in the land the governor in Egypt and his brethren came as beggars didn't they they were beggars yes and the governor gave to them

[30:20] Joseph gave to them didn't they and you know he saw to it that they would come back again and the lord will say to it did you come back again yes you you pray you are in a difficulty you are in some trouble and you call upon him in the day of trouble he hears and delivers you call upon me in the day of trouble now will deliver thee and thou shalt glorify me that's the purpose isn't it that's the end isn't it glorify

[31:24] God all things work together for God going back to Joseph what I was saying you know when his brethren were there with him yes he says ye meant it for evil ye meant it for evil unto me those things you did to me you meant them for evil but the lord meant it for good for me and for you the lord saw to it that it was for good you're good my good these things were working together for good we have in Joseph a type of the lord Jesus and I said his brethren came and they had to come back again and again the lord will see to it that you come back again you have the throne of grace the mercy seat the child of god will not be absent from that place for very long yet have you grown hard have you wandered have you rebelled have you murmured have you complained you say yes I have many times

[33:10] I've got a little book at home written about a young lady going right back to the beginning of this century now she died when she was 19 retired for it for you you know read this book what a gracious character Bessie Barnes what a gracious character well of course it will be said that the lord was preparing her for her end she was taken ill and died in a few days do you know she was a children's nurse she lived with her family and looked after the children and there were times you know there are times with children when things don't go too well there are difficulties and she was found in a wrong spirit when she put the children to bed she wrote up her diary and in it she said speaking to the lord oh lord i've been full of complaints today i've murmured i've been in a wrong spirit do forgive me ah now that's a right spirit isn't it that's a right spirit surely repentance repentance toward god and faith in jesus all things work together for good because the lord will bring his people there i know we sing sometimes and it you know it's one thing to sing of these things daily i'd repent of sin but you know you can't work that in your own heart can you you can't give to yourself repentance can you and faith in jesus christ you pray for it lord do give me that right spirit do work that repentance in me because i want to be right that's why you want to be right and you want to be found right and you want to be right at the end you don't have a name to live do you you don't want to just have a religion a form of godliness you want the real thing don't you you want the work of the spirit as many as are led by the spirit of god they are the sons of god many men have not the spirit of christ he is none of his searching words aren't they you want that right spirit we want to be found among the living family of god those people who are his be joined with them to walk with them like ruth of old you see the lord brought her out didn't he brought her out of moan led her along she journeyed with her mother-in-law her mother in israel was naam they journeyed together they they two went together we read because they were joined together in the spirit they sought the same things and dear ruth speaks doesn't she to her mother-in-law and says entreat me not to leave or to return from following after for whither thou goest

[38:00] I will go and where thou lodgest I will lodge thy people shall be my people thy god my god we read of the in the apostles day and being let go they went to their own company no more a stranger or a guest but like a child at home with the lord's people in his house worshipping god worshipping god then came she and worshipped him and said oh lord help me what is real worship what is true worship it's when the fear of god is in the heart and when faith is there and when the love of god is shed abroad in the heart by the spirit and when there is given that gracious humility before god that's worship and you know it's when grace is given and when grace is found in the heart grace to serve god acceptably for god is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him and we know that all things work together for good to them that love god and to them who are called according to his purpose all things working together for god now say your present pathway what is it you know and the

[39:59] Lord knows and is working together for good your good he will work his purposes out for old Jacob you know in his day he said all these things are against me you see one thing after another and he felt to be crushed by these things but the Lord you know doesn't crush his people right down does he like that he was crushed oh yes he tried the wine press out the olive which was a bruised his way was much rougher and darker than mine if my

[41:07] Lord suffer shall I refine and we know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are the cold according to his purpose to them that love God now in the exercise of the heart will be this that rises up now do I love him am I among this people that love God well now when the Lord Jesus was here there were those who were offended and they went off and they walked no more with him and Jesus turned to the others and he said will ye also go away and does

[42:09]  Satan tempt you to give up and call no more on Jesus now he will Satan does tempt you now to whom shall we go to whom shall we go thou hast the words of eternal life now you'll be like Ruth and treat me not to leave me you'll not go there will be a cleaving there's a beautiful word Ruth cleave you know there's a cleaving isn't there may the Lord bless his holy word to us and pardon that which is pure I see a mess for his name sake amen amen amen