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[0:00] For our text this morning, let us turn to the Gospel according to Mark chapter 7 and take verse 24.

[0:13] Mark's Gospel, chapter 7 and verse 24. And from hence he arose and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon and entered into a house and would have no man know it, but he could not be hid.

[0:46] Especially these words at the end of verse 24. But he could not be hid.

[0:57] We have a ding-dong discussion going on in this chapter between our Lord and the Pharisees.

[1:14] It's pretty fierce. No punches are pulled. Each of them speak their mind.

[1:29] It is some discussion. As we read from the beginning of the chapter on to verse 13.

[1:44] A regular debate. But what was it about? What was the theme of the discussion?

[1:56] What took up the mind of our Lord at this time? Well, it was the subject of tradition.

[2:14] Yes, believe it or not, tradition was the subject of their discussion. And didn't they go at it.

[2:26] They certainly did. You see, it was the custom among the Pharisees to tell men what to do, what to believe, where to go, how to behave, what to speak.

[2:51] The Pharisees had a law. And men had to obey this law, this commandment.

[3:09] And on this occasion, the Pharisees even accused our Lord, saying that thy disciples, why walk not thy disciples?

[3:29] According to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashing hands. And then our Lord begins his side of the argument.

[3:48] And he says, This people honoureth we with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

[4:07] For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men. He said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

[4:24] Ye make the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered. And many such like things do ye.

[4:37] And so our Lord made short work of the traditions of the Pharisees. Is it possible that tradition has a hold upon us?

[4:58] We have our traditions, of course. We hold to them. We believe them. We would stand up and fight for them.

[5:11] But, is it possible that they have too strong a hold upon us? That we are looking to the commandments of men, rather than to what God says?

[5:28] That we are obeying the word of man, rather than the word of God? My friends, it is terribly possible to make the word of God of none effect through our traditions.

[5:47] Even in our day, as it was when the Pharisees came up against our Lord and his word.

[5:59] Now, as a result of this discussion, following upon it, it seems that our Lord was very tired.

[6:14] He was drained, as we say. His energy was gone.

[6:24] He was not himself. He had said so much. So much. So much had come out of him to counter the views of these Pharisees.

[6:41] Oh, he longed for privacy. He longed for a little rest. A place of retreat. A place where he could be quiet.

[6:52] A place where he could recover his health and his strength. And so, as we are told in verse 24 of this chapter, he left his own country.

[7:10] And he went into the neighboring state of Tyre and Sidon, looking for peace and rest.

[7:22] Looking for refreshment and recuperation. And he would have no man know it. He would have no man know it.

[7:35] Keep it quiet. Keep it dark. I want to be alone here. I want to find rest here and renewal.

[7:48] And then comes the words of our text. But he could not be hid. He could not be hid.

[8:01] You see, the fame of our Lord had gone out too widely for him to travel anywhere without being recognized.

[8:14] And so, although he had gone into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, he could not be hid.

[8:25] Oh, there may not have been a halo about his head. There may have been nothing to mark him out or that sort of thing.

[8:40] But there was something about his appearance and bearing that distinguished him from other men. There was a glow of grace that revealed him to sad and hungry hearts.

[8:57] And so, even in this place, even in a foreign land, as we say, Tyre and Sidon, he could not be hid.

[9:13] And my friends, it is still the same. It is still the same. Our Lord Jesus can be in no place in this world for very long and not be recognized.

[9:33] And he is present in the world now, believe it or not. Oh, you say, is that so?

[9:45] Present in a world like this? Present now? Yes, he is present in the world now, we believe.

[9:59] Not in the flesh, that is true. Not in the flesh, but in the spirit. And whatever his spirit is, he is active.

[10:15] He is active in this land of ours, we believe. And in South America. In the islands.

[10:31] In many lands. Wherever his spirit is, there he is present. Because he cannot be hid.

[10:48] If you hide sweet flowers so that they cannot be seen, soon the fragrance will disclose their hiding place.

[11:04] And the sweetness of the Saviour's life and love will always tell when he is near.

[11:19] He cannot be hid. He cannot be hid. It's as true today as it was in the days of long ago when these scribes and Pharisees, these elders were rising up against our Lord.

[11:40] He could not be hid in those days, in those circumstances. And he cannot be hid in our day, whatever our situation, whatever our emergency, whatever our need.

[11:56] Now, I want to prove the truth of this from three realms of life.

[12:11] First of all, the home, the human heart. Secondly, the home. And then, the community.

[12:24] The community. And in each of these realms, we shall find it through that he cannot be hid.

[12:37] Now, take first of all, the human heart. When Christ is present there, he cannot be hid.

[12:49] His spirit begins to breathe out in all the words and actions and life.

[13:06] Take a man who has lived a notoriously evil life. Christ comes into his heart.

[13:21] And the life of that man is changed. The coming of Christ into his heart is signalized in a very definite way.

[13:38] He's a new creature. Old things have passed away. All things are become new.

[13:50] And this is his testimony. He took me from a fearful pit and from the marie clay and on a rock he set my feet.

[14:06] Establishing my way. And when Christ comes into the heart of a man or a woman or a boy or a girl, wonderful things can happen.

[14:21] Wonderful things do happen. His presence there cannot be hid. It will be evident to his loved ones to his friends to his neighbors that he's a changed man.

[14:43] Something has happened to him. He's altogether different. He's become a Christian. Christian. He cannot be hid.

[14:57] Or if you like take a man who has been well brought up. A young man who is clean living.

[15:11] He owes everything to his upbringing to his godly parents. and when Christ comes into the heart of that young fellow he cannot be hid.

[15:31] Now there's not a great upheaval. There's not a great change in this case. But there are indications of the reality of Christ's presence.

[15:56] Life is raised the life of that man is raised to a new seriousness. Self and self pleasing are no longer the main incentives.

[16:13] the call to a life of entire devotedness to Christ's service cannot be denied.

[16:34] And this is the testimony very often of that young man. just as I am young strong and free to be the best that I can be for truth for righteousness and thee O Lamb of God I come.

[17:01] Now take the case of a little child. We've had some little ones here this morning and they've gone out into the Sabbath school.

[17:12] I believe they're just meeting through there. Take the case. Take the case. We haven't heard them so far. But take the case of a little child. the coming of Christ into his heart cannot be hid.

[17:29] Now you know there are some people who don't believe in the conversion of children. They think that you have to be a certain age before you can come to Christ.

[17:44] You have to be a certain age before you can have faith. Before you can believe. believe. It's not possible for a youngster, a little one, to know what's happening and to open the door of his or her heart to the blessed Lord Jesus.

[18:07] My friend, don't you believe it. Don't you believe it. I'm sure we must believe in the conversion of children.

[18:19] We must believe that our little ones, no matter how young they are, can come to Christ, can love the Lord Jesus and can give themselves unto him.

[18:36] Some of the noblest servants of God were converted when they were in childhood.

[18:47] childhood. And the new life shows in small ways like the tender sprouting of a seed, which may be a great tree one day.

[19:02] You say, what are the signs? What are the small indications that this can happen? well? There's a new earnestness in prayer.

[19:14] Have you ever heard a little child pray, a little boy or girl? Have you ever heard them saying their prayers at night or in the morning? There's an earnestness, a wonder about it.

[19:31] It just amazes us how they can approach God and how they can speak to him in prayer. And there are also perhaps new efforts to conquer temper.

[19:48] Little ones have a temper just as we do. But when Christ is present in their heart, well, they try very hard, as I hope we do, to conquer that temper.

[20:05] To conquer that temper, to get over that, to take control of it, to soften it, not to let it out.

[20:21] There may be that. On the other hand, there may be the new following of a hero. To a youngster, our Lord and Savior may be a hero, a great hero, a great champion, a great soldier, a great example, and they would like to follow him.

[20:46] They would like to follow him. And they will follow him. They will be his servants. They will be.

[20:58] Little signs these are, perhaps, but they are very significant. Except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter the kingdom of heaven.

[21:18] Now let us come to the home. This is the second realm where it is true that if Christ is present, he cannot be hid the home.

[21:35] When Christ is present, he cannot be hid. Now, sometimes there are outward signs. Sometimes it's very obvious when we go into a certain home that it's a Christian home.

[21:57] But there are those in it who love Jesus. Sometimes there are the outward signs. There's the music on the piano. There's the books on the shelf.

[22:09] There's the Bible in a very prominent place. There may even be a text on the wall. But sometimes the signs are not so obvious.

[22:25] But they're nonetheless real. The home is changed. Worldliness and bitterness and sins which there are in so many homes, we regret to say, give place to prayer.

[22:49] and praise to a spirit of love and gentleness. What's it like in your home, my friend? What's it like?

[23:01] Well, if Christ is there, if Christ is there, if he's taking the top place at the table, if he's the head of the house, well, it cannot be it.

[23:16] you've heard of Dr. Campbell Morgan, who was the predecessor of Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones in Westminster Chapel in London.

[23:32] Well, in one of his books, Dr. Campbell Morgan tells how, having proudly furnished his first home, as well as funds permitted, he invited his godly father to look over it.

[23:55] And the old gentleman went from room to room and the son was waiting for his comment.

[24:08] And when the inspection was complete, the father said, yes, it's all very nice, George.

[24:20] It's all very nice, but do you know that there's not a single thing in the house to show whether it belongs to God or the devil?

[24:34] There's not a single thing in the house to show remember the words of Elisha to the Shunammite woman in the second book of Kings.

[24:51] What hast thou in thine house? Remember her reply, I've nothing in my house, sir, but a pot of oil.

[25:07] And yet that pot of oil was the means of blessing that house, of bringing salvation, yes, deliverance to that home.

[25:22] When Christ is present in the home, he cannot be hid. Now let us go on and prove the truth of this in the realm of the community or society.

[25:43] When Christ is present, he cannot be hid. Now, take first of all the community of Christians, especially when they gather for worship on the Lord's Day, just in a meeting like this or in a prayer meeting.

[26:04] Here we have the Christian community, shall we say. Here we have the Christian society, the fellowship of the Lord's people, gathered together in his house on the Lord's Day.

[26:18] Well, if Christ is with us today, or any Lord's Day, or any Wednesday night, when we gather together for prayer, if he is present, then it cannot be hid.

[26:40] It will be obvious. Things won't be so dull and flat as they sometimes are. Prayer will not be so long in coming as it sometimes is.

[26:57] The sermon will not be so uninspiring and uninteresting as it sometimes is. No, when Christ is present, it is evident, it is known, a glory fills the house, a glory fills the house.

[27:18] There's such fellowship, there's such prayer, there's something about the singing, oh, it's just wonderful, we say, that was the gate of heaven.

[27:35] And the same is true when Christ has gone to a heathen land in the person of his missionary servants.

[27:47] His presence is soon manifested. and thank God that although Adoniram Judson had to wait ten years in Burma, yet he came to know the presence of Christ and the power of Christ.

[28:11] And although Mary Slessor had to wait for years in Calabar working hard and praying hard, yet it became evident that Christ had come.

[28:31] And it is the same today in Peru. It is the same today in the central provinces of India. It's the same today in the Transkai and the Siskai in South Africa.

[28:47] When Christ is present, it is felt. Souls are being won.

[28:59] The church is being established. Men are being brought from darkness to light, from the kingdom of Satan to the kingdom of God's dear Son.

[29:16] The Christian community is being set up in these lands. Some of them once ate each other.

[29:32] And if they could get a missionary, all the better. But that has all changed Christ, when Christ has come, and when his message has been made known.

[29:51] Now, the same thing happens when Christ goes into a group at home. His presence is soon felt.

[30:01] It's not all happening in Korea, or in China, or anywhere else like that. It's happening in the homeland, here, amongst us, in our churches, in our meetings.

[30:19] When Christ is present, when Christ is there, his presence is soon felt. The story is told of a young woman who was converted through an evangelistic campaign, and she went back to the workroom in the factory, where twenty other girls were her workmates.

[30:48] At first, there was little she could do but live the Christian life. But presently, others were drawn to her side.

[31:01] then the atmosphere began to change, the wine club died out, much of the gambling stopped, the topics of conversation changed for the better.

[31:19] Oh, not all the girls were converted, oh no, but a change passed over that workroom.

[31:31] Christ was present in the person of his servant and he could not be hid. Christ had entered and he could not be hid.

[31:46] Oh, my friends, we have in this text a call to be faithful to Christ, to show forth his praises in gospel effort and in practical service.

[32:03] Let us remember that we are lights in the world, a dark world, and we must shine. It is our privilege as well as our responsibility.

[32:16] And remember the words of the apostle in writing to the Colossians, as ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him, rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith.

[32:32] May God bless his word to us. Let us pray. O Lord, we beseech of thee to bless us now, and to bless thy word to us.

[32:46] Apply its truth to our hearts and consciences by thy Holy Spirit. Take us safely to our homes. Be with us for the rest of this day. Keep our feet from falling and our eyes from tears, and help us at all times to show whose we are, and whom we serve.

[33:07]  And may men take knowledge of us, that we have been with Jesus. We ask these things with the pardon of our sins, in Jesus' name. Amen.