Transcription downloaded from https://sermons.heritagesermons.org/sermons/25875/walking-in-darkness-and-trusting-in-the-name-of-the-lordquality-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] If the Lord should be pleased to help me, I should call your attention to a subject you will find in the book of Isaiah, chapter 50, and the 10th verse.

[0:16] Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness and hath no light?

[0:37] Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. Chapter 50, the book of Isaiah, and the 10th verse.

[0:59] I would like to feel that this word, which is especially laid on my mind, might be a word in season for some poor sinner in this assembly, desiring to worship God aright.

[1:17] And yet it may be, when you weigh matters up between your soul and God, you hardly know what you are or where you are in things divine, because there seems to be so much obscurity in your soul's experience.

[1:39] Things that you cannot understand the why and wherefore. Thereof, and yet, you were found amongst the people of God and desire to be numbered with them, living and dying.

[1:59] But, you cannot see your signs. The church of old said that in the Selmish days. We cannot see our signs.

[2:11] The great thing is to have some signs which have been seen, because the day will dawn when the light will shine, and those signs will be seen again.

[2:27] The Saviour said, And ye now therefore have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice.

[2:40] And whatever God has done for your never-dying soul, be it little or much, he will make it plain as you journey on through life.

[2:52] And the good work begun will be carried on, but it may be that you will sometimes be like the character in our text.

[3:04] You will walk in darkness and have no light. No bright shining in your soul to help you to feel as you want to feel.

[3:18] And now, I want the Lord to help me to work out that line of thought, and look at the subject from three or four viewpoints of it.

[3:32] And the opening question is very important. Who is among you that feareth the Lord?

[3:44] Oh, this is the character that Isaiah is referring to.

[3:56] And he was inspired by the Spirit of God to encourage such an one. Let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God.

[4:10] And now, dear friends, what are you going to say about it? What answer are you going to render before God this Sabbath morn?

[4:24] Who is among you that feareth the Lord? Oh, I do hope quite a few of you do fear the Lord.

[4:36] But maybe you are not always as sure that you are the character referred to as you would like to be. I have sometimes thought about Jonah when the question was put to him and he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord and behaving in a very unbecoming way for the prophet.

[5:01] And yet, when he was put to the crucial set by the mariners, what did Jonah say? I fear the Lord.

[5:12] And yet, he was not behaving at that time according to the dictates of godly fear. But he makes a very bold confession.

[5:24] I fear the Lord. And now there was another character and it may be you would rather stand alongside him this Sabbath morn than stand where Jonah stood.

[5:44] And now, good Nehemiah when he was addressing the majesty of heaven what did he say? Let thine ears be intent unto the prayer of thy servant who desire to fear thy name.

[6:06] You will stand alongside Nehemiah many of you because in your heart there is that deep down desire who desire to fear thy name.

[6:23] And yet you cannot always out of the abundance of the heart for the mouth to speak about it. But there it is the reality of it.

[6:36] and those feeble desires and wishes so weak that Jesus inspires and bid you still see.

[6:49] And some of you who think on the name of Jesus within and delighting Mary and she pondered all these things in her heart you might not be prepared to say much as to what you do think and put it into words for other people to hear.

[7:14] But the truth of the matter is that you do look on these people in the text such as do indeed hear the Lord and their company is very attractive to you and you have said before God if not before man wisdom numbered I would be now and in eternity.

[7:41] Remember our hymn writer Oh cry we to heaven with one loud accord that to us be given the fear of the Lord. And now you have sung that sometimes did you say amen when you sang it and remember if you did there is one of those signs that will be seen that you are the character in our text we know that we are passed from death unto life because we love the brethren you cannot have a sure evidence than that love shed abroad in your heart causing you to feel the unity of the spirit.

[8:35] He that loveth is born of God love is the golden chain that binds the favoured souls above and is the head of heaven who finds his bosom glow with love.

[8:51] And you know your life as you live it and you know what life you desire to live and many of you know that you desire to live the life of the righteous and that what you do what you say and where you go should be dictated by godly fear as an unctuous light to what is right and a bar to what is wrong.

[9:31] Who is among you that heareth the Lord? Godly I might just say that there are three special characteristics of godly fear one is that it is solemn and when it is active in our souls it brings the things of God to be first and foremost in our lives and the concern of our never dying soul and the welfare of it is uppermost and you have a feeling like this Jesus is the one thing need for I without him perish must gracious spirit make me heed for help me in his name to trust there is a wonderfully solemnizing influence in the fear of the

[10:38] Lord when it is active and you have this consciousness that you are a poor sinner with a never dying soul journeying into an eternal destiny and there is only one step between you and eternity and that step hinges on the next breath that you draw and if you do not draw one after that time is no more with you and you have entered into an eternal state either lost or savedrão minds and it helps you to say so teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Not only so this blessed principle is a separating principle and that means there are many things in the world at large that you can have nothing whatever to do with. Because you are no longer desiring to live after the flesh as you were born. But you want to be after the spirit the things of the spirit. And your feeling is

[12:26] I cannot hear contentedly with all the dainties earth can give. Whatever the world can offer you you have this feeling when you consider it when godly fear is active and that is let others after earth aspire Christ is the treasure I desire and you choose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.

[13:10] It is a great feeling to have it to look round the world with all its emoluments and many things that worldlings are pleased with and pride and you can put your foot on all the earth called good or ground and feel let others stretch their arms like seas and grasp in all the shore grant me the visits of thy faith and I desire no more a separating principle yes and then it is also a sanctifying principle which means that when this fear of the law is uppermost in our thought your great concern is to live unto God show whose you are whom you serve in all that you attend to in everyday life you want to go forward therein with this attitude toward it in the beginning God if you cannot ask the blessing of God on it you want to let your yea be yea and your nay be nay lest you fall into condemnation who is among you that feareth the law and now

[14:57] Isaiah gives another characteristic of this character in the text who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeys the voice of his servant and now the voice of his servant I must not take too much time in going into details about it but just simply tell you that the servant referred to is Jesus Christ and he is referred to by Isaiah in an earlier chapter behold my servant whom I uphold mine elect in whom my soul delighteth I have put my spirit upon him he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles what is the voice of his servant the gospel of Christ when the gospel is preached to right it is just a setting for what you sometimes think about it that will help you to understand it what Christ has said must be fulfilled on this firm rock believer filled his word should stand his truth prevails and not one jot or tittle fails it is the gospel of Christ that is the voice of his servant referred to by Isaiah and that brings us to this point in gospel times in which you and I are living who is among you that feareth the

[16:57] Lord that obeys the voice of his servant that walketh in darkness and hath no life here you see as I view it a character whom others look on and see a consistent life being lived one who is regular in the worship of God always found in the usual seat and not only so one who has gone through the baptismal waters it may be and has a name on a church roll and yet such a character in living his life at times walks in darkness and has no light and can only say oh my God my soul is cast down within me

[17:59] I would look at that viewpoint of the subject who is among you that feareth the law that obeys the voice of his servant that walketh in darkness and hath no light and now there are some viewpoints of walking in darkness which I would like to touch on because in my long ministerial life I've known many people thought of God who have been much in the dark and brought to extremities in their soul's experience and almost the self despair and yet in the end the Lord brought them forth into the light and they died well and their redeemed spirits are around the throne of

[19:05] God and the rest that remain is for the people of God and it might be which is much more to the point some of you are walking in darkness regarding some special matter it may be you are not very clear yet in your soul's feelings as to whether you have a work of grace begun within or no you walk in darkness regarding whether the good work is begun because you have nothing very clear-cut or definite and that may be the case with many people thought of God and glad such people are to remember the soul that with sincere desire seeks after

[20:07] Jesus' love that soul the Holy Ghost inspires with breathing from above you look back over life's journey and you may be no longer in life's morning or even it's afternoon but you're coming into it's evening time and as yet you have not got the sure evidence and in heaven's own light to see that there is within you that religion that God is the author of which alone would do to live by and die by and yet you're in you're out you humbly hope you've been following on to know the Lord and now this is the word of the Lord to use let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God not to settle down and become as it were hopeless because you are helpless helpless you are but not hopeless when the matter is viewed aright some small glimmering light I have yet too dark to see my way

[21:39] Jesus presence till I crave when oh when will it be dark and now the word of God declares weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning unto you that fear my name shall the son of righteousness arise with healing in his wings and I would say to you who are asking the way to Zion and as yet much in the darkest of whether you are in it and a real pilgrim to Canaan Bound I would say to you the time he has set to heal up your woes the season most fit is love to disclose until he is ready to accomplish his will be patient and steady and wait on him still let him trust in the name of the

[22:40] Lord and stay upon is God and is God as said and it will not fail in being fulfilled blessed are all they that wait for him and now you do hope the good work is begun many of you you have got evidences that you have treasured up although sometimes you walk in darkness regarding them and you cannot see them standing out as you would like to do but you have realized in your soul's experience encouragement in God but still you walk in darkness regarding a clear cut interest in what was done on Calvary's cross being done for you oh it is a wonderful mercy when a poor sinner can be found at

[23:42] Calvary's cross and gaze by living faith on him who died thereon and then be able to declare for me oh miracle of grace for me the saviour bled you say I wish I wish I could make such a confession of faith but as yet that mercy has not been revealed to me to my soul's joy what are you to do regarding it oh you you will not give up hope that because as yet you cannot see that Jesus died for you that you must be leave that he did not die for you no no wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart wait I say on the Lord and remember what you sing sometimes the time of love will come when each shall clearly see not only that

[24:51] Christ shed his blood but each shall save from him you will come forth into the light of him who is the light of the world and heal my Lord my God who is among you that healeth the Lord that obeyeth the voice of his servant that walketh in darkness and hath no light you may sometimes be walking in darkness regarding your soul's exercises there may be some matter that you have spread before the Lord and it may be to do with you or those near and dear to you and you have waited on God regarding it but as yet you've got no special light on it the thing is still in obscurity as to how it will be worked out for you or yours it may be often people who do indeed live the life of the righteous and evidence this blessed principle godly fear walk in darkness regarding the outcome of their soul's exercises in this matter and that but the great thing to remember is the lot is cast into the last and the whole disposing thereof is of the

[26:45] Lord and he has got a set time to favor you regarding the matter you have laid before the throne of grace and meanwhile you are being put to the test in waiting and it may be concerning this matter what is to be read in the book of Daniel is a word for you the thing appointed is true but the time is long and you need grace to be still and remember in the word of God how often it is to be seen how very very long those who did indeed fear God had to wait to see his purposes wrought which had been made known to them as what God purposed to do many instances you will search out in the sacred pages it is for you to still wait on God remember the word unto thy servant on which thou hast course me to hope and that word will not fail in the fulfilment of it there is a set time to favour

[28:25] Zion and poor sinners who do fear God are often hard put to it in wait until that set time shall arise you may be in darkness because there are some things in your life in the dealings of God with you that are hard to be understood there may have come events into your life which have made a revolution in life journey for you so that your early plan that you hung up in your mind as pleasant pictures God has fulfilled his word regarding deeds I will mar all pleasant pictures and some affliction has been laid on you or some event has come into your life and blasted your

[29:33] God and overturned your design and now you're in obscurity as to what the will of the Lord is for you as the future unfolds what are you to do the word of God still tells you let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God and remember what Ambrose Cyril says my favored soul shall meekly learn to lay her reason at thy throne to weep thy secrets to discern I'll trust thee for my guide alone and remember regarding the future unfolding you and I must learn to live a day at a time the savior said take no thought for the moral it means in the original take no anxious thought when tomorrow dawn you will find he whom you are following and desire to love and serve is indeed

[30:58] Jesus Christ the saint yesterday yesterday and today and forever I remember seeing a poker work motto hung up today is the tomorrow that you feared yesterday and all is well and you must admit that is the truth of the matter thy love in times past forbids me to think thou would leave me at last in trouble to sin feet sweet Ebenezer I have in review confirms thy good pleasure to carry me right through and regarding the future think again of the character referred to in our text who is among you that fear is the

[31:59] Lord and now if you and I are among these the word of God says it shall be well with them that fear God whatever the future unfolds and the purposes of God reveal in the world ere time shall cease to be the men that fear the Lord in every state are blessed God has guaranteed it it shall be well with them that fear God much might be said along that line of thought who is among you that fear the Lord that obey the voice of his servant that walketh in darkness and hath no light you might be walking in darkness because you are in heaviness through manifold temptations and and a very solemn experience it is if the word of

[33:13] God could go forth concerning you or me Simon Simon Satan hath desired to have thee that he may sift thee as wheat all all that solemn sifting and the calling into question there is of all to do with our religion and what we hope is our soul's experience when you have to analyse it weigh it up whether it is indeed that which is of God or no and when you are brought into such darkness that you cannot see your signs feel extinguished to us past life is very low all our evidence is dark and good work with none to show oh that is a very painful pathway to tread but it is only trodden by people going to heaven do remember that it is not against you if Satan harasses you calls into question what you humbly hope

[34:25] God has done for you what you believe is your little bit of religion that he is the author of for if you were just one with a name to live but dead he would leave you entirely alone the word of God says if need be we are in heaviness through many full temptations there are lessons you and I have to learn at such times and one outcome of it is that you are thankful in the outcome that you have got some religion which the devil does not leave alone but I must look at the subject from another viewpoint who is among you that fear is the Lord that obeyeth the voice of his servant that walketh in darkness and hath no light

[35:27] I look just at this darkness because such a character as the text refers to one who does indeed fear the Lord may be walking in darkness and according to his conscience he does not know the why and wherefore of it he has no light on it and it was that which made Job to feel as he did regarding the dealings of God with him he did not know but God had declared my servant Job is a perfect man perfect in Jesus Christ one that fears me and eschewes evil yet when

[36:28] God allowed Satan to put Job to the test as to his religion being of God dear Job came into darkness and he could not understand the why and the wherefore of it and he said all that I knew where I might find him that I might come even to his seat I go backward I cannot behold him I go forward I cannot see him on the left hand on the right hand I cannot discern God with whom I have to do and he was so much walking in darkness that he said after my hope who should see it my hope was he removed like a tree and yet he was the character in the text and he was helped by God with grace given to do that which was right at such a time

[37:39] I would seek unto God and unto God would I commit my cause he could not sort it out with his friends arguing against him just to the why and wherefore of it but he wanted to get in touch with God and so do you yes let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God and I want you to remember that sometimes people taught of God and they may be people who have been at times deeply exercised concerning the things of God and they may be people who are deeply taught of God and they may walk in darkness and have no light no light after the why and wherefore of it as I said and I try to ponder this viewpoint of the truth and it might help you if I show you that sometimes when people thought of

[38:56] God find at length they walk in darkness and hardly know what they are or where they are they have only got to let their consciences tell them and their consciences will tell them the why and the wherefore of it the answer will be if you walk contrary to me I will walk contrary to you and if those that do indeed hear the Lord should be left to what they are by nature and fall a prey to it maybe give too much attention to the things of this life and time things take precedence of things eternal then the inevitable outcome will be that they will find darkness coming into their soul's experience and they will become cold and formal in their profession of the name of

[40:05] Jesus and good it will be when at length the Lord deals with them to bring them back into the life which he may do by some very solemn affliction who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeys the voice of his servants that walketh in darkness and hath no light and now here is a viewpoint of walking in darkness when you were brought and remember this is an unusual experience but sometimes people thought of God do know it and that is it is possible to be walking in darkness through the sovereignty of God in his dealings with you as he brings you to be a partaker of the sufferings of Christ there is when you feel in your soul's experience it is a tremendous feeling that you were deserted by God then to remember

[41:33] Jesus said on Calvary's cross my God my God why why have forsaken me why have forsaken me as verily man because it is decreed that most must pass their darkest paths alone and Jesus Christ had to drink that cup down to the very bottom and drink the dreg and such was the highnessness of sin when that word was fulfilled he has made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him that Jesus Christ had to realize the hiding of his father's face and very painful it was to him as verily man and there is a scripture which says it is enough to the disciples that he be as his

[42:40] Lord and therefore there is a darkness known in our soul's experience which actually is to bring us to as it were taste the cup that Jesus drank in the fullness of it who is among you that fear is the Lord that obeyeth the voice of his servants that walketh in darkness and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord the name of the Lord is a strong power and the righteous run it into it and is safe and you will find if this experience should be yours that you were just shut up to

[43:41] God vain is the help of man then are they brought to their wits end margin reading all their wisdom is swallowed up then they cry on to the Lord in their trouble and he savesth them out of their distresses and regarding this beautiful injunction let him trust in the name of the Lord I try to make this plain to you sometimes and I want to remind you of it whatever your experience may be whether it be to walk in darkness or regarding some of the things I have named as to a work of grace being begun or your interest in Calvary's cross or regarding answers to prayer or afflictions laid on you and the way you go being hard to be understood there is a name of the

[44:43] Lord whereby you can appeal to the majesty of heaven regarding what your experience is whatever its nature if you walk in darkness and have no light think of his name as the son of righteousness and think of what the saviour said I am the light of the world he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life yes let him trust in the name of the Lord he who is the son of righteousness he who is the light of the world or as you sang in the hymn before the sermon began let him trust in the name of the Lord as the friend who loveth at all times whom though we cannot comprehend knowing thou art the sinner's friend we love thee and adore let him trust in the name of the

[45:52] Lord and that means what he is the name of the Lord denotes what he is and who he is let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God and think of what there is in God for poor sinners in their varied cases and circumstances to stay upon think of his omnipotence he is able to do exceed and abundantly above all that we can ask or even think he is able to save to the uttermost he is able to deliver think too how he delights in mercy and remember Jesus blood through earth and sky mercy eternal mercy Christ stay upon his God it means to stay upon him who is almighty

[46:57] God not just almighty God maker of heaven and earth but almighty God who sighed human breath the lord of life who experienced death how it was done we can't discuss but this we know it was done for us and he is in heaven on our behalf and the word of his grace is trust in him at all times ye people pour out your hearts before him God is a refuge for us but I must come to the amen let him let her trust in the name of the Lord and trust in his faithfulness and you have found him you really must tell the truth as to how

[47:59] God has dealt with you and you have found him the ever faithful God and there is his faithfulness for you to trust in him still he has delivered he does deliver us and we trust he will yet deliver us let every group in saints keep waiting evermore and though exceeding saints still knock at mercy's door cry out and shout till night is past for daylight will spring up at last amen till neartv an in norm l then eve back to神 roux hall

[49:07]  Hep net Money gold Mach your