Living with Eternal Perspective: Lessons from Dr. Lloyd-Jones

I agree with Charmers absolutely we do not give enough time to death and to going on it is a very strange thing this death is the one certainty and yet we don't think about it we are too busy we just allow life and circumstances so to occupy us that we don't stop and think I am grateful to God that I have been given this time. [00:14:59]

The hope of sudden death is based upon the fear of death it is a hope of wanting to slip through death rather than to face it Brethren I wish you could have seen him speak on those words the hope of wanting to slip through death he said instead of facing death death should be faced victoriously. [00:16:03]

I am grateful therefore for this experience and maybe my present trouble is to give me this insight s and my great desire now is that I may be able perhaps to Bear a greater testimony than ever before meaning in the face of death and that sentence alone is enough for me to know that he would not be displeased this evening to know that I was speaking to you on such a subject he wanted to face death and to face it with Christian testimony. [00:16:22]

The ultimate test of a Preacher is what he feels like when he cannot preach it is is a real snare for the preacher to live upon preaching that is upon his preaching people say to me now it must be very trying for you not to be able to preach no he said not at all I was not living upon preaching I can and do rejoice. [00:23:49]

The Christian is not afraid of death because he has the Assurance he will not be left alone and then he quoted from the parable of D and Lazarus and he Dre attention particularly to the words the beggar died and was carried by the Angels into Abraham's bosom the angels He said the Angels Came I believe in this ministry of angels I think of it more and more. [00:25:10]

Death is not parting only but more it is meeting and although it is an experience that we have never passed through we have the assurance that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ and that in death we will meet with him he spoke of an old man in his first congregation at sandfields and the doctor had been at his death bed and the man was just at the extremity of life when suddenly he threw up his arms and his face Shone and he was already meeting the Lord to whom he was going. [00:26:07]

We are going to be with Christ and then he said our greatest trouble is that we really don't believe the Bible exactly what it says exceeding great and precious promises we think we know it but we do not really appropriate this and actually believe it is true for us this is Christianity he said to me then he quoted those two verses we so often heard him quote here we have no continuing City and again our light Affliction which is but for a moment we have to take these statements literally they are facts they are not merely ideas. [00:26:47]

The Wonder to him of The Guiding hand of God Providence of God I don't think that he spoke of anything perhaps more than that the way that God intervenes the way that God does things that we never for a moment imagined now his life was full of things like that as most of you know he was well set at the beginning of a great medical career he was Chapel goinging belonged to a church he became a communicant when he was 14 he had apparently a well Integrated Life as a great career in front of him and then at the age of 22 23 crisis about 24 he was smitten with conviction of sin began to discover that he'd never been a Christian at all. [00:37:31]

Whatever Authority I may have as a preacher is not the result of any decision on my part it was God's hand that laid hold of me and Drew me out and separated me to this work I am what I am because of God's grace and I give to him all the glory were I to believe that my future is dependent upon myself and my decisions I would tremble in fear but I thank God that I know that I am in his hand. [00:42:20]

If God does not bless us today or tomorrow our faith does not rest in the success that we see but in the persuasion that we have been given that this is the truth of God himself now I must stop on just this word what a serious thing it is to die Dr Lloyd Jones spoke all his ministry on the fact that here we have no continuing City and yet you know when he came near to the end even he had to say that death was a greater thing a more serious thing than ever he had been able to begin to say in death we go alone into the presence of God in death we have to forget all human judgments all the opinions of men and we have to go and give an account to God at death all our opportunities end all our work ends in this world. [00:54:10]

We need to make make death our company Keeper in a way that another generation did not in a negative sense but rather in the sense of anticipation of a sense now of coveting more than knowledge of the the Savior to whom by God's grace We Trust we shall go death is a very serious thing when Dr Lloyd Jones was a young Minister and I will finish with this anecdote he was called to the deathbed of an old Minister the Reverend Joseph Jenkins a man who had been used of God in the 194 Revival a man who had helped Dr Lloyd Jones when he entered the ministry and in 1929 Joseph Jenkins was dying and doct the doctor went to see him some distance from Port Talbert where he was it was a summer's day and as he came near the house the windows were open and he could hear this old servant of Christ groaning in his bed he was in much pain and when he went to the door and Mrs Jenkins opened it she said to the doctor of course delighted to see him but afraid that her husband uh would not know him so they went into the room and Dr Lloyd Jones took hold of old Mr Jenkins hand and Mrs Jenkins said to her husband my dear do you know who this is your man looks of course I know he says of course I know and then he says to Dr Martin he says can you pull me out of this River he said I never knew that the Old River was so wide and a few more words he was in The Passage through Jordan I don't know that I can do that said Dr Lloyd Jones to Mr Jenkins it's all right said Mr Jenkins I'm going to Jesus Christ but then throwing his hand on his chest he said but I wish I felt it more here well Brethren that is our position if we are Christians we are going to the one who is the author and finisher of our faith we are surrounded by a great company of witnesses we have to remember them we have to mark them as long as we live we have a duty to pass on to Generations to come and God has greatly privileged US to have his servant Among Us these many years. [00:55:09]