Matthew 28 v 20 - George Mueller
Address on Matthew 28 v20
A sermon preached at Stokes Croft, Bristol
On Sunday evening, 17th July 1887
by Mr George Müller
“Lo, I am with you always unto the end of the world.” There is great need that we should clearly understand the work of the Lord Jesus Christ in its three aspects – his work for us, His work in us and His work with us. If these be confounded, great spiritual difficulty arises to the children of God, and often great distress of minds also. For instance, if from not clearly serving His work for us, on which alone rests the salvation of our souls, we look at His work in us there will be want of peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. His work in us is most important, but not for salvation – it is that we may glorify God after believing. If we desire true, real peace of soul let this matter be clearly settled. All our sins have been atoned for by Christ’s substitutionary death on the cross. He suffered in our room and stead. Settle this clearly. I as a sinner deserve nothing but death. I have not a particle of righteousness of my own. To trust in our own goodness and merits is the greatest folly – if persevered in to the end of our course there is nothing before us but to be lost, finally lost. I must perish if I come before the Holy and Perfect Judge rejecting salvation through Christ. Now there are many persons who do not see this clearly. They say “I have so little love for my Heavenly Father, for the Scriptures, for the children of God”, forgetting that we are not received into Heaven on these grounds. There ought to be all these most certainly, but the one ground only on which depends our salvation is Christ’s work. The vilest, greatest wretch under heaven may become a child of God, in perfect comeliness before Him. Is this matter settled? Do I simply and solely look to Christ’s work for the salvation of my soul? If I mix up in the matter the least particle of my own worthiness, there will be uneasiness. From the first moment of spiritual life to the last breath drawn on earth, it must be nothing but Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. Then my heart is filled with gratitude to my Heavenly Father, and my spiritual strength and hatred of sin and love of holiness grow greater and greater continually.
But while I say all this do I in the least degree mean that there is to be no striving after holiness, – no walking with God, no seeking after conformity to Christ? No assuredly. The more we see our need of a Saviour, the more will our hearts be constrained by gratitude and love to work for Him. This is His working in us by His Spirit, leading to holiness, to the keeping down of the corrupt, evil nature within us, service of the children of light (1 Thess. 5 v5). The two working are thus of the utmost moment that for us in the matter of salvation, that in us in the matter of glorifying God and having peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.
But there is a third point on which I would specially dwell in our meditation this evening: the work of the Lord Jesus Christ with us. “So I am with you always”. Every day, always, all the day, from the first moment to the last, Christ will be with us. Parents may be taken from us, children may be taken from us, good advisers, the best earthly counsellors and friends may be taken from us, but our adorable Lord Jesus Christ ever remains with us. I rest on it and believe it. Brothers and sisters, do you rest on it and believe it? In proportion as we rest on it we shall say “All is well!” Of the precious position of the children of God!
At last we come to the article of death. Vain the skill of doctors, try and try and try they never so much. Go we must, but go where? Go where? To perdition, if we depart out of this world without Christ! Gay young men, fast men, you who have spent never so much in seeking pleasure, think of this! I knew a young gentleman, who before he was 25 had spent three immense properties, more than £700,000, and instead of being happy he was wretched and miserable. At last he had to live on a small property, left him by his mother, but he found Christ and then he became happy. Now it is my earnest desire that none of my fellow-sinners may go to perdition. If I had died 61 years and 8 months ago, I should have lost, but coming the Lord Jesus Christ I have been happy even since. Condemn yourself, put all your trust in Him and your numberless sins will be pardoned. I have got Christ as my Friend, Helper, Teacher, who Himself declares He will be with me “always”. Then especially if we couple with all this that our Lords Jesus Christ declares that He loves us as His Father loves Him – John 15 V 9. What is the Father’s love? Infinite – it cannot be deeper, it is unchangeable! Think of it! Such is the love of the Lord Jesus not merely to John, Philip, Andrew, Paul, but to weak, feeble ones such as you and I. But now, beloved brothers and sisters, do you believe it? Then you must be brimful of joy. “I am His darling child,” each believer should say. His love never alters – ours, alas! Does but His is always the same. Believe and lay hold of this and you will be happy men and happy women to the end of your life. He wishes His children to be happy. He does not want them to be low-spirited and gloomy. To be so is a disgrace to Him. What – a dismal Christian? If our hearts were entering into this truth we could not help being happy. If we love anyone it is our joy and delight to be with them. We do not forsake and turn our back upon them. Thus it is with Him who loved us and laid down His life for us. He is with us to strengthen and help us – to do us good continually. We need to keep before us all that the bible teaches of our relation to Him. Head and members, Bridegroom and bride, Husband and wife. Now in this nearest of all unions we stand to the Lord Jesus Christ. How then can He not be with us to help us and do us good at all times?
Let us now prove this by illustrations. One of the greatest burdens of the child of God is spiritual conflict within. His special aim is to become more and more heavenly-minded, more dead to the world and more conformed to Christ. If these are absent, if no desire be manifested for inward holiness, then there is lamentable want of proof of the individual having been born again! “The secret things belong unto the Lord our God.” Deut 29 v 29. We cannot see the heart, we do not know but if any one goes on contented to be just as he was before, no change being manifest, there is to proof that he is redeemed. The redeemed child is grieved that he is not more Christ-like, does not bear more fruit to God’s glory. Now in this warfare, we do not go at our own changes. The Great Captain of God’s hosts goes with us – Jehovah. Jesus is on our side to fight with us and as He conquered so shall we conquer. Oh, the blessedness of this truth! Our Lord Jesus Christ with us in warfare against the world, the flesh and the devil! But do we make use of His presence as we might? Do we say “Ah, precious Lord Jesus, I shall be overcome if I fight alone, but I know that Thou art with me. Help me! Help me!” Thus owning our perfect weakness and His perfect strength, we shall see our enemies fall before us and in Him we shall gain the victory.
Again in our work and service for the Lord, we may preach, give Bibles and tracts, visit from house to house, the sick and the healthy, the rich and poor. If left to ourselves it will be all useless, even if we travel thousands of miles. But the Lord Jesus Christ is with us to be used. Let us exercise faith in His willingness to help. Oh, let us make confession of our perfect weakness, but also of His perfect strength and what will be the result? Perfect weakness often through Him does wonders! This is a comfort to the soul of the poor child of God who seeks to teach in Sunday or Ragged Schools, visit, act as Bible-woman, preach in rooms, halls, villages and various places. A special comfort and encouragement comes with this knowledge.
Then again, in reading the Scriptures difficult passages meet us, though we have the Revised Version and perhaps some little knowledge of the original. All in vain, these helps, unless Christ be with us. We ought to read as if He were sitting on another chair beside us, looking over us and we ought to point with our finger, as it were, to the verse and say to Him, “Lord help me – I cannot understand it.” Days, weeks, months, years, even may pass, but if we go on patiently and humbly seeking help it will come at last. Now how comforting is all this.
And yet more in regard to the affairs of this life. We have children and we are seeking to bring them up in the fear of the Lord. What trade or profession shall we choose for them? We have no wisdom of our own in the matter and let me affectionately remind thee, dear brother or sister, if thou think in my own wisdom to settle the matter, thou canst not. Go to the Lord Jesus Christ – ask Him in His pity and compassion to by thy help. One of the offices He sustains to the Church is that to by own knowledge of life, but in humility of soul go to Him, the best of Counsellors. So, if you want to manage anything else, go to Jesus. He is “with” you. Only reckon on His love and you will find what a blessed thing it is in everything. In all the little affairs of life come to Jesus. Undertake nothing trusting to self. Renounce all this and lay hold of His infinite love and wisdom, and prove them. Remember particularly that this life is made up of little trials, little difficulties, little burdens and cares. If you try to bear these in your own strength, it is a miserable thing. You will wish to get rid of it quickly. I know this and hence I am a happy man. If I tried to bear only one hundredth part of my troubles I should be miserable. I have continually more or less trial, still I am happy, very happy. I ask God, though nearly 82 years of age, still to give me the great honour and delight of living to work and labour for Him. Life is no burden to me. But the secret of all this is that I look to my precious Lord Jesus and ask Him to carry my burdens for me – and if anyone has not hitherto done so, let him begin this night! Life will then be no irksome burden, he will not say as so many do: “Of, I wish I could come quickly to the end and die.” I do not think that I have said that since I was converted. And the Lord Jesus is willing help, not one, but everyone. He loves the weakest Christian. I look on myself as a worthless, wretched, hell-deserving sinner and know that yet for all this I am loved for Christ’s sake, as a darling child.
One word more. The Second Coming of Christ is the Hope of the Church and is to be kept ever before us as such, but supposed His return should be delayed, at last we shall all fall asleep. With the poor worldling all is then done. No more gathering of riches, no more enjoyment of pleasure, not a grain of gold can be taken away – all is left behind. But how different with the child of God! Growing weaker and weaker, pulse scarcely to be felt, heart and flesh failing, but what does that matter? Christ is “with” us! David, who id not possess the whole revealed will of God as we do could yet say this – in his words we can see our text. Brought into the valley of the shadow of death “Thou art with me” he says, not “Thou hast now forsaken me.” See what precious things belong to the child of God – how he is brought more and more into blessing through the precious work of our Lord Jesus Christ, made more and more holy, more and more useful in service.
God grant it may be so with all here present, for Christ’s sake.
George Mueller