The Baptist Bible Hour now comes to you under the direction of Elder LeSaire Bradley, Jr. O for a thousand tongues to sing, my great Redeemer's praise, the praise of my God and King, the triumph of His grace. This is LeSaire Bradley, Jr., inviting you to stay tuned for another message of God's sovereign grace.
And now here is Timothy Gass, the managing editor of The Baptist Witness, to tell us about this month's edition. In this latest edition of The Baptist Witness, we are featuring three treasured hymns of the Christian faith. Singing is a response of gratitude for the saving grace we have received from a glorious God. But it can be easy for longtime churchgoers to sing familiar words of hymns and lose something of the wonder of those precious words.
So we selected three well-known hymns to feature. First, LeSaire Bradley, Jr. highlights the hymn, O for a thousand tongues to sing. Of course, this is the hymn that opens the Baptist Bible Hour. What an appropriate hymn that expresses the worthiness of Christ, our Redeemer, to be praised and his gospel to be proclaimed far and wide. And what a joy it is to sing the triumphs of his grace. And he breaks the power of canceled sin.
He sets the prisoner free. Read more about this hymn in this article by LeSaire Bradley, Jr. Jack Chandler highlights the rich truths found in the hymn, How Firm a Foundation. Jack's article is full of scriptural references that this hymn is based upon. It highlights the exceeding great and precious promises that the hymn picks up on from Isaiah, Second Corinthians, Hebrews and more. Finally, my article celebrates the gospel truths of, It is well with my soul. God's people will suffer trials of various sorts. Sometimes life is like a peaceful river and other times it feels like we'll be swallowed up in sorrow, as if we're drowning in the sea, as the hymn alludes to.
But through it all, in the big picture, because our sins have been nailed to the cross and we bear them no more, we can say, It is well, it is well with my soul. We hope the articles in this edition of the Baptist Witness will stir your love for the Savior and renew us all in singing with joy and adoration in private and public worship. To read the Baptist Witness, go to BaptistBibleHour.org and click on the Baptist Witness tab in the upper right corner. Again, BaptistBibleHour.org and click on the Baptist Witness tab in the upper right corner. I do encourage you to go to the website and read these articles that are in the Baptist Witness this time.
I think you'll find them to be very beneficial. And I hope that you'll take time to write and let us know that you've listened to the broadcast. The need is particularly great right now.
If you want us to stay on your station, we need your help. Our address is Baptist Bible Hour, Box 17037, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217, and you can make a donation at our website at BaptistBibleHour.org. Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love. Hearts unfold like clouds before Thee, hail Thee as the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness, drive the dark of doubt away. Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day. My works with joy surround the earth and have reflect thy rays. Stars and angels sing around the center of unbroken praise. Field and forest, vale and mountain, blossoming meadow, flashing sea, chanting bird and flowing fountain, call us to rejoice in Thee. Thou art giving and forgiving, ever-blessing, ever-blessed, wellspring of the joy of living, ocean, depth of happiness. Thou the Father, Christ our Brother, all who live in love are thine. Teach us how to love each other, lift us to the joy divine. Mortals, join the mighty chorus, which the morning stars began. Father, love is reigning o'er us.
Brother, love binds man to man. Ever singing, march we onward, victors in the midst of strife. Joyful music lifts us onward in the triumph song of life. The message we bring you today was preached at Cincinnati Primitive Baptist Church, June 30th of this year. Today, Emily and I celebrate our 60th anniversary. We were married here at Cincinnati Church in 1964, rejoicing in the Lord and thankful for His many mercies which we have enjoyed over the years.
We have known joys and sorrows. Our first little girl, whom we named Elizabeth, only lived 18 hours. When she died, Emily said, I want to hold her. But the nurse said, it's against our rule to hold a baby after it dies.
I had to go through three levels of authority, insisting it is our baby and that my wife should be allowed to hold her. Finally, they put our beautiful baby girl in Emily's arms. There were tears in her eyes, but she said, I've got the sweetest peace I've ever known. My comfort had not come yet. I had to go buy her a dress to be buried in.
As I looked for a dress in that store, my heart was so heavy and my grief so deep, I thought I could never imagine being happy again. But ultimately, I found comfort through promises like Isaiah 41-3, when thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee, and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee. And through believing that our little girl is with the Lord, I found comfort and peace. And today we look back over the years and can say with the hymn writer, Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come.
Disgrace has brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home. And then came times of rejoicing when Leanna, Peggy, and Trevor were born. We're very thankful for them and for the ones that they married, and today we further rejoice that we have 21 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, and more on the way.
And we love them all very much. It's good to rejoice in the birth of children, birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and to be sure as we rejoice on these occasions that we're giving thanks to God for His many mercies. In the days of Nehemiah, when they completed building the wall around Jerusalem, the people with much thanksgiving assembled on the wall, and God made them rejoice with great joy, and the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off. What a wonderful occasion when God's people are praising the Lord and their joy can be heard at a distance. But there's even more rejoicing that is expected of us. I read Philippians 4.4, rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice.
You may say I can't do that, but notice in the same chapter, verse 13, Paul says this, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. And let us think about the state of the man who admonishes us to rejoice always. He was in prison and faced the possibility of execution, so he was rejoicing not in his circumstances, but in the Lord, and in the fact that he could see the Lord bringing good out of his adversity.
So we think about the many trials faced with this man. Paul is saying rejoice always in the Lord, but it was his own experience in spite of his many difficulties. 2 Corinthians 6.10 says, as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.
How can you do that? You can have sorrow because of some circumstance that you're facing, but still joy, because your joy is in the Lord. As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing, as poor, yet making many rich, as having nothing, yet possessing all things.
What a paradox. That can only be true in the life of a Christian. And then he was grieved at times because false doctrine was invading some of the churches. In Galatians 4.11 it says, I'm afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain. He was sorrowful when one returned to the world. 2 Timothy 4.10, For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world.
It is always indeed sad to see someone who for a time has professed faith in Christ, and has apparently been one of his followers, and then they turn back to the world. And Paul grieved when that occurred. He was sorrowful in many trials.
2 Corinthians 11.23 says, In labors more abundant, stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck. He stopped there and said, How on earth did the man survive? It was only by the grace of God that he was still alive. But to think that even in the midst of this adversity, he was one to rejoice always in the Lord. Shipwreck, a night and a day, have I been in the deep, in journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren, in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness, beside these things that are without that which cometh upon me daily the care of all the churches. Now you might be able to make a list today of your troubles and your adversities, but I dare say it would not compare to what this man endured. All of the sufferings, all of the hardships, all of the persecutions, all of the imprisonments, and yet he was rejoicing. Throughout that epistle from which we've taken our text, the book of Philippians, the theme is joy, joy in the Lord. 2 Corinthians 1.8, he says, For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble, which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life. So whatever that trouble was, he thought he was near to death. Yet he was rejoicing in the Lord.
While he was in much sorrow, he was always rejoicing, according to 2 Corinthians 6.10, as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing. Can you say that today? If you can't, you ought to.
And I hope that what we look at in this message will help you to be able to do that. Last night, the electricity went out at our house, and I was in our walk-in closet when it happened, and it was absolutely pitch dark. And I was thinking I needed to hurry up and get in bed, because I need a good night's rest to be able to get through the day tomorrow.
And I was reaching for a chest of drawers and got disoriented, and I fell over a storage bin, fell backwards in it, and I couldn't get up. And I could hear Emily hollering in the other room, I'm going to get a light. So I had to wait until she got there, and I still couldn't get up. And I was thinking, Lord, I'm not rejoicing very much right now, and yet I'm going to preach this message tomorrow on joy. So I do rejoice to know my times are in thy hands, and you can get me up and you can get me in bed and give me a better rest in a few hours than I might have had otherwise.
So with Emily helping and tugging and moving, some of the things were in the way. And by the grace of God, I finally got up and was able to stagger into bed and get a reasonable night's sleep, and I'm here today. So when I was down and couldn't get up, I wasn't feeling very joyous, but I still rejoiced in the Lord.
Lord, I'm glad to know that you're available and you're my help, and underneath are the everlasting arms. Now, there are sorrows that we all face. We acknowledge trouble to be a reality. There is sorrow.
We don't pretend to be on the top of the mountain all the time. Troubles and disappointments in life that bring us sorrow and pain, many kinds of trials, physical problems. Oh, there can be many. There can be heart trouble, cancer. We have prayer requests here every Sunday for people who are struggling with physical problems. So you can really be down when you're sick, when you're hurting, and yet you can rejoice. You can rejoice in the Lord. You can be a troubled marriage that brings great pain.
Trying to deal with a rebellious child can be particularly difficult to cope with. Financial problems, we can say that kind of hurriedly, but when you're in the midst of a financial crisis, it's painful. It's a big problem. And then comes the deep grief when loved ones die. Yes, we sorrow, but not as those which have no hope. And then there are struggles with our sinful nature. Oh, you would think that when we come to the house of God and sing these uplifting hymns and we pray and we read His word and we hear His word preached, surely our old Adam nature will be subdued and we won't have much of a problem with it anymore. But it raises its ugly head and we have thoughts that we shouldn't have and we have attitudes and motives that we shouldn't have and do things we shouldn't do and neglect things that we ought to do. And we have to say with the Apostle Paul, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Have you cried out that way more than once? O wretched man that I am, Lord, how can I be so easily ensnared? Oh, help me that I may not entertain thoughts that are displeasing to you. We live our whole life in the presence of God.
God sees all that we do, knows all that we think, and if we live with that understanding, it will make a big difference in how we conduct ourselves. Yes, we have our sorrows. All of us individually go through difficult times. We say sometimes with the psalmist, I sink in deep mire where there is no standing. Lord, I'm trying to get my foot on something solid and I can't find it. I'm struggling.
I'm sinking in the mire. And yet we find in those psalms that so vividly describe our troubles, there's always a message of hope. That is the Lord who delivers us.
He's a present help in the time of trouble. So in spite of all of our troubles, we're rejoicing always. The Apostle admonishes us repeatedly. Romans 12, 12, rejoicing in hope. First Thessalonians 5, 16, rejoice evermore. Philippians 3, 1, finally my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. And then our text, Philippians 4, 4, rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice. So the Apostle was indeed always rejoicing in spite of all of these trials that we've read about. 2 Timothy 4, 16, it says that my first answer, no man stood with me, but all men forsook me. What a sad note to think that this great man of God, this wonderful servant of the Lord, was in such a place that no man stood with him, all had forsaken him. Nevertheless, notwithstanding, the Lord stood with me.
And that's what counts. If everybody else deserts you, if everybody else disappoints you, if the Lord stands with you, you're in good shape and you've got reason to rejoice. Acts chapter 16 describes Paul and Silas being put into prison. Not because of a criminal offense, but because of the preaching of the Gospel. Now, knowing something of our human nature, it could well have been that when they were in prison, they might have grumbled to each other. This is just a real setback. We were out here to preach the Gospel and now we can't do it, we're in prison.
This is a terrible plight. But they didn't do that. At midnight, they began to sing and to praise God and the prisoners heard them. And then shortly thereafter there came an earthquake. It shook the prison and the doors of the prison came open. And the jailer was awakened and saw it and took out a sword and was ready to kill himself because he knew that would be his plight if the prisoners escaped. And Paul and Silas said to thyself, no harm, we're all here, no one is left. And he then says, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? Now, they were in prison for preaching the Gospel and may have felt momentarily we're restricted from it, but now we're going to get to preach to the jailer. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. And it's wonderful when we can see God in his providence leading us to places where we would not expect maybe to be able to preach his word and be able to deliver the message to somebody that becomes receptive to it.
This man did receive it and he and his household were baptized. And then in Philippians 1 12, Paul says, I would, ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the Gospel. Instead of murmuring, complaining, moaning over his situation, he said, I'm rejoicing because the things that have happened, I wouldn't have planned it this way, but God in his providence has worked it so that even my imprisonment has worked to a good thing and that the furtherance of the Gospel has been something that I rejoice to witness. So, how can you rejoice when your troubles come and you say, I'm down and out. I don't feel any joy. I don't know how this can be happening to me. Well, you can't rejoice in your circumstances.
Your emotions are not cooperating. You can't rejoice in how you feel, but you can always rejoice that God is on the throne. That he ruled. He is the same yesterday and forever. Everything may look like it's in chaos, but God hasn't gone on vacation.
He still is reigning and ruling. He knows your circumstances and you can find confidence in him. Romans 8 28 says, we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. And so often I've had people present to me some terrible case and say, you just explain to me preacher, how is anything good going to come out of that?
I say, well, I can't do that. I don't know what God is working. This is a matter of not being able to see, but by faith believing. Didn't say everything that happens to you is good. Didn't say it's good to hurt, it's good to be sick, but he says all things work together for good. And it's to those that love God. I hear people out in the world sometimes say, well, I think this happened for a purpose, but God's left out of the equation. When you understand this is God's work, his providence, what he's doing, that makes all the difference. God moved in a mysterious way, his wonders to third form.
He cleansed his goods, kept in the sea, and rides upon the storm. Deep in unfathomable wine, a never failing still, he treasures of his bright design, and works his sovereign will. How wonderful to be able to rely on the promises of God. And there are things that we just do not understand, but know that God is sovereign and working his will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. I pray the message today will be a blessing to you and that we can all rejoice in the Lord as he has admonished us to do. Next week at the same time, may the Lord richly bless you all. And we'll pray in blessings on your hand. Just not the Lord by feeble sense, but God's gift for his grace. Behind the prowling silence, behind the smiling face, his purpose ends will light the past, unfolding every hour.
The one made half of bitter taste, but sweet will be a part. The Baptist Bible Hour has come to you under the direction of Elder LeSaire Bradley, Jr. Address all mail to the Baptist Bible Hour, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. That's the Baptist Bible Hour, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. My God, believe he is sure to let and spend his works in vain. God is his own interpreter, and he will make it plain.
