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.
I want to thank those of you who have been faithfully supporting this program, some of you for many years. We're grateful for your help and pray the Lord will bless you as you share a portion of what He's given you for the circulation of the gospel. There may be others of you that have listened to the program and been blessed with the truths that we bring but have never taken time to send a donation.
If you can do that at the present time, it'll be a tremendous help. Our address is Baptist Bible Hour, Box 17037, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. And I encourage you to go to our website at BaptistBibleHour.org.
There you can read The Baptist Witness and you can conveniently make your donation to this radio ministry. It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds, and drives away his fear, and drives away his fear. It makes the wounded spirit whole and calms the troubled breast. Dismount unto the hungry soul, and to the weary breast, and to the weary breast. I live my prayers excellently, although it's been divine.
St. John accuses me in vain, and I am home the child. Here may the rock of which I build my shield and hiding place, my never failing praise rebuild with boundless doors of praise, with boundless doors of praise. Jesus, my shepherd, cousin, friend, my prophet, priest, and king, my Lord, my life, my way, my end, accept the praise I bring, accept the praise I bring.
Re-gives the effort of my heart, and called my warmest call. But when I see Thee as the heart, I'll praise Thee as my heart, I'll praise Thee as my heart. Till then I would thy love proclaim with every pleading prayer, and may the music of thy name refresh my soul in death, refresh my soul in death. We continue the message based on the hymn, How Sweet the Name. We've already talked about the sweetness that He, that is Jesus Christ, conveys.
His name is not sweet to all men, but to others, that name is precious. Secondly, we talk about the blessings that He brings. It soothes His sorrows, it heals His wounds, it drives away His fear, it's manna for the hungry soul.
And we start there today. And to the weary rest. Some of these words delivered by Jesus are so beautifully precious. In the 11th chapter of the book of Matthew, verse 28, Come unto me, all ye that labor and are habit laden, and I will give you rest.
Obviously He's not talking about somebody that's just physically tired at the end of the day. He's talking about somebody who is weary of the burden of sin. You've been laboring to straighten things out. You've been trying to work out a plan that you can make things acceptable before God, and you repeatedly have been faced with the impossibility of it.
I'm not making any progress, if anything I'm getting worse. He speaks to such a weary soul, one that's struggling, one that's laboring. He says, come to me. You don't go to Sinai, you don't go to the law.
The law is there to convict and to show you your shortcomings. But He says, come to me and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest under your souls. Have you gone for a time in recent days when you haven't had any rest of soul?
You've faced a lot of turmoil, a lot of struggles, maybe some confusion about certain issues. Jesus says, come unto me. I will give you rest. What sweeter rest could you have than resting in Jesus? I was so impressed by the testimony given by Brother Bill Mast during this time of his wife's illness and her death. He obviously loved his wife dearly and will miss her greatly, but he continued to talk about what a comfort to think about where she is, that she has already gone on where he hoped one day to go to be with Jesus and to be there in that beautiful city in the presence of the Son of God, all of her sufferings past. And he just repeated it over and over again.
Even at the graveside, he was still talking about it. What peace we can have even in those darkest moments of life when we realize that Jesus Christ is the source of the peace and the rest that we need. And then we look at the supply, the support that he supplies. Dear name, the rock on which I build. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3.11 that there is no other foundation that any man can lay than that which is laid, Jesus Christ. You try to build on any other foundation and you're building on the shifting sands and they will not support you.
But Jesus Christ is the solid rock, the rock of ages. We can build upon him. That means we have confidence in him. We're not trusting in ourselves.
We're not trusting in man-made concepts and theories. We're trusting in Jesus Christ. He's the rock, my shield and hiding place. He's the one to whom we look to defend us, to protect us. Satan is hurling his fiery darts. He is our great enemy who is seeking whom he may devour. And we're not capable of successfully combating all of his continuous attacks. But if we believe Jesus Christ is our shield, he is our protector, then that means we're going to him on a regular basis.
We're going not just at certain intervals. We're going to him every morning. We're praying for his help as we embark upon the day. We're praying for his wisdom to be given us that we can make the right decisions, his grace that we can overcome any distractions. We're praying continuously.
We sang a while ago the hymn, I need thee every hour, and how true it is that we need him perpetually. And he is our hiding place, a place of shelter, a place of refuge. You remember in Old Testament times they had those cities which were cities of refuge.
And someone who was being falsely accused could take refuge in those cities, and they were secure, they were safe. He is our place of refuge. And then Mr. Newton says, my never failing treasury filled with boundless stores of grace.
This treasury doesn't run short. Jesus Christ is full of grace. I love those words in the first chapter of the Gospel of John that bring that to our attention. He was told that he is the Word, and that the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.
In John chapter 1 verse 14, the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Not just a small amount of grace. Look at my life, I think I've used up an awful lot of grace. I've had to go to the Lord over and over again and say, Lord, I need grace.
Well, there's still plenty left. He's full of grace and truth. How wonderful to know that. Verse 16, and of his fullness have all we received and grace for grace. Not just the initial grace to save your soul, but you have grace, and then more grace is coming, and you need grace today, and you'll have some more of it tomorrow, and there'll be grace all the way to the end, and even dying grace when that is required. By his grace that we're saved, and by his grace that we are kept.
Then we think about the access that he provides. The hymn says, by thee my prayers, acceptance gain, although with sin defiled. Being aware of your sin, you might at times be reluctant to even approach the Lord. I know I'm defiled.
How can I expect that he will hear me? But you're not coming there with the idea that you're worthy and deserving. You're coming to pray in Jesus' name. Hebrews chapter 7 verse 25, wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. We have one to plead our case, one who intercedes for us. So it is by him that our prayers gain acceptance, although we ourselves are sinners. Satan, he says, accuses me in vain, and I am owned a child. In Revelation 12, 10, Satan is called the accuser of the brethren. He appears before God, accusing God's children, pointing out their failings, pointing out their inconsistencies.
He's constantly accusing, and sometimes he accuses you directly. He will come to you, laying charge against you, bringing you to the place that you question and doubt your own salvation. But Satan accuses me in vain because I am owned a child. In spite of his accusation, I know the fact that I am now a part of God's family. I've been born of the Spirit.
I have been adopted into the family. I am his child, so all the accusations that Satan may bring are in vain. Weak is the effort of my heart, and cold my warmest thoughts. Must we not testify that that describes us so well? Oh Lord, I wish I could pray more fervently.
I wish I could serve more effectively. I wish I could read more diligently and gain the benefits that I believe are there available, but so often I'm faltering. Weak is the effort of my heart, and cold my warmest thoughts. But look at the encouragement we find once more in the book of Hebrews. Chapter 10, verse 19. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he has consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, his flesh, and having a high priest over the house of God.
Oh yes, our thoughts, our efforts are weak. But we have one who is a great high priest and pleads on our behalf. And then the hymn goes on to describe the position that he occupies. Jesus, my shepherd. John 10, verse 11 says that he is the good shepherd and lays down his life for the sheep. There was nothing about us that would obligate him, that would demand his attention, that would move him to die for us, but it was by his love and grace and according to the design and purpose of the Heavenly Father that sent him here that he was willing to go to the cross and lay down his life for the sheep. John 10, verse 16 says he brings them to the fold. He redeemed them at the cross, but they are still astray and like the shepherd that's depicted in the book of Ezekiel, he goes out across the mountains through the valleys and seeks out that lost sheep. He's described as picking it up and laying it on his shoulders and bringing that sheep safely to the fold.
He is my shepherd. Jesus, my husband, friend. Revelation 21, verse 2, And I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
The church is considered the bride of Christ. All of these descriptive phrases talk about what an intimate relationship we have with Jesus Christ. My friend. Proverbs 18, 24, There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
Friends are a wonderful blessing, but sometimes friends disappoint us. Sometimes those that have stood with us turn away, but there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother, a true friend, a trusted friend, Jesus Christ. What a friend we have in Jesus. Prophet, priest, and king. In that passage we read from Luke, chapter 4, verse 18, Jesus said he was anointed to preach the gospel to the poor. So he is a prophet, a preacher. He came proclaiming a message.
He wasn't trying to satisfy and entertain the self-righteous Pharisees. He was bringing the message, the gospel, the good news for sinners. It's anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. Then Hebrews chapter 9 describes him as the priest in the 13th verse.
For if the blood of bulls and of goats and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling to unclean sanctifies to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself from that spot to God, purged your conscience from dead works to serve the true and living God, and for this cause he is the mediator of the New Testament that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. Yes, he is our priest. You don't have to go to a priest on this earth.
There is no man on this earth qualified to plead your case and to make access and intercession for you to God. There is but one mediator between God and man, and that's the man Christ Jesus. And then he is king.
Think about it. This one who is your husband, your friend, your shepherd, your prophet, your priest, your heavenly father, he is your king. He is king of kings and lord of lords as is described in Revelation 17, 14. King, lord above all. My lord, my life, my way, my end. He is not only the savior of our soul, he is the lord of our life. Some people have the mistaken idea that if they just pray some kind of a prayer and say I am embracing Jesus, they can go on the rest of their life and think a little about him and still arrive someday in heaven. Let me tell you, when Jesus Christ saves your soul, he takes over.
It's not just a matter of adding him on to a list of gods that you might feel like I want to be safe and touch all the bases. No, Jesus Christ is Lord. He is my Lord. My life, Paul said, for to me to live is Christ.
Can you say that today? He is my way. Jesus says, I am the way, the truth and the life. And then we see the hope that he gives. We shall see him. But when I see thee as thou art. First Corinthians chapter 13 says that now we see through a glass darkly, but then we shall see him face to face. As we read the scripture, we read about the glory and greatness of our risen Savior.
We can rejoice in it. We sing some of these wonderful old hymns that depict the truth of it so beautifully. But right now, at best, we see through a glass darkly. We don't have clear vision, but someday we shall see him face to face.
That's something beyond our ability really to grasp. What will it be in that great day to see him? We will praise him. Then, says Mr. Newton, I'll praise thee as I ought. Revelation 19.1 says, and after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven saying, Hallelujah, salvation and glory and honor and power unto the Lord our God. Sometimes, as this congregation sings, my spirit is lifted and I rejoice.
And I think, how beautiful to hear these voices blending, lifting up praise to the Lord our God. But what will it be then? This old cracking voice of mine is going to be fixed over there. I'm going to be able to sing like I'd like to sing. And you'll be able to sing and there won't be anybody next to you off key.
They'll all be singing it right and singing it together. And what a joyous time that will be that we will praise him. It says, till then I would thy love proclaim with every fleeting breath.
May that be true of all of us. Until that time comes that we see him face to face, may we be faithful in speaking over and over again of his great love. John Newton, who was the author of this hymn, became pastor in London, England in 1779 where he labored for 27 years. Large crowds came to hear him preach. His great desire was to show what Christ had done for him and what he could do for others. Two years before his death, because of his age and infirmities, he was encouraged to quit preaching. His reply was, what? Shall an old African blasphemer stop while he can still speak?
On December the 21st, 1807, he fell asleep in Jesus in his 83rd year. William Jay saw him not long before his death. The bright mind had become clouded and his speech was affected. But the visitor carried away John Newton's dying words.
He said to Mr. Jay, my memory is nearly gone, but I can remember two things. I am a great sinner and Christ is a great savior. Can you say that today? If you know you are a great sinner and Jesus Christ is a great savior, you're blessed. And you can say how sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer's ear. How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer's ear. It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds, and rides away his fear.
And rides away his fear. Indeed, when we rejoice in the sweetness of Jesus' name, we desire to proclaim it to others. And may we say, till then, I would thy love proclaim with every fleeting breath. Be sure to write us and until next week at the same time, may the Lord richly bless you all. And to thy hungry soul, and to thy weary rest, and to thy weary rest, I live my prayers excellently, although it's been divine. St. John accuses me in vain, and I am home the child.
And I am home the child. 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. Here may the rock of which I build, my shield and hiding place, my never-failing praise rebuild with boundless doors of praise, with boundless doors of praise. Jesus, my shepherd, husband, friend, my prophet, friend.
