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Having God and Father, we thank Thee for Thy love to us, Thy goodness and I care. And oh Lord Jesus, we thank Thee especially as we think of what others endure for us on the cross, saving our souls, bringing us into a place of blessing and nearness, keeping us, preserving us, giving us light from Thy precious Word. So we pray now, as we have Thy Word open before us again.
We just ask that I will speak to each one of our hearts and draw us closer to thyself. Lord Jesus, we think of these things and how much we need to be found looking to Thee and desiring the goodness, the grace, the mercy, and the kindness of Thy love toward us. So we thank Thee for these times together. You know this will be the last reading meeting for this conference. We just pray that our guide and direct us in this.
And that we may realize that perhaps before another meeting is another conference comes, we will be at home with Thee. Lord Jesus, we think of this. Thank you for it. So we pray now concerning the going forth of Thy word this afternoon. We ask that Thou guide and direct us in the portion and also the thoughts concerning I love, beloved Son, our Savior, the Lord Jesus. So we ask these things, Lord, as we commit our way to Thee now.
And thy precious and worthy name. Amen. Amen.
Acts Chapter 20.
Verse 34.
Yeah, you yourselves know that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that are with me I have showed you all things, how that so laboring you ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of our Lord Jesus, how he said, it is more blessed to give than to receive. And when He had thus spoken, he kneeled down and prayed with them all. And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him, souring most of all for the words which he spake that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him unto the ship.
00:05:24
1St Corinthians 16.
Now, concerning the collection for the Saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, Even so do ye.
Upon the first day of the week, let everyone of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, then will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem. And if it be meat that I go also, they shall go with me. I will now I will come unto you when I shall pass through Macedonia, For I do pass through Macedonia.
And it may be that I will abide, yeah, and winner with you, that ye may bring me on my journey whithersoever I go. For I will not see you now, by the way, but I trust to tarry a while with you, if the Lord permits. But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost, for a great door and effectual is open unto me. And there are many adversaries. Now if Timotheus comes, see that he may be with you without fear, for he worketh the work of the Lord, as I also do.
Let no man therefore despise him, but conduct him forth in peace, that he may come unto me, for I look for him with the brethren.
As touching our brother Apollos, I greatly desired him to come unto you with their brethren. But his will was not at this at all to come at this time. But he will come when he shall have convenient time. Watch ye stand fast in the faith. Quit you like men. Be strong. Let all your things be done with charity. I beseech your brethren, ye know the House of Stephanus, that it is the first fruits of IKEA, and that they have addicted themselves.
To the ministry of the Saints that you submit yourselves unto such, and to everyone that helpeth with us and Laboureth.
It's obvious that the Apostle was.
Not establishing.
A principle that.
Umm, that men needed to supply their own needs as they ministered the word. There's other scriptures that shows that that's not so, but he was setting a good example, wasn't it, for them. And, uh, so he did that.
His hands administered to my wants and to those that were with me. He not only provided for his own.
Needs, but also for those of his fellow laborers.
That's quite an undertaking I would think and.
And that, of course, backs up what he says in verse 33.
And he has then in verse 35 says, I've showed you all things it does laboring. We ought to come in aid of the week.
And now we get something very interesting. We get a quotation from the Lord Jesus that I don't think we have anywhere else in Scripture. Am I wrong?
Anybody know where there's a record of the Lord saying this other than here?
For the four years, they know quite a bit about the Gospels. Do you ever read that in the Gospels?
I have a list of quotations from scriptures that I compiled. A great effort.
I have a lot a list of a lot of quotations and this is one of the few that have.
Uh, the the refers nowhere else.
But that doesn't mean the Lord didn't say it did that. The Holy Spirit through Paul says remember the words of the Lord Jesus. It must have been something that they had commonly spoken of.
And he had quoted the Lord to them before and tells them, remember that. It's a beautiful expression. I think it's wonderful to consider in the Apostle Paul's life, and I think you alluded to that yesterday, that the commandment that slew Paul was, Thou shalt not covet. He was naturally a covetous man, and you see in the working out of his salvation that he was in a rich assembly at Corinth.
00:10:03
And he was moved among some wealthy people, but he labored with his hands that he would be chargeable to no man, that the ministry would not be blamed. And how often we've seen the ministry blamed by, uh, conduct towards money.
And so he sought rather than a right, men demand their rights. And then he could say with a clear conscience to the Corinthians that they were not to muzzle the ox that tread out the corn. You could say that with a very clear conscience. But he graced rose above the difficulty, and he said, well, he would labor with his own hands. He was an intelligent man, but somewhere he picked up tent making and he used that as a skill.
And apparently, as it said, insufficient funds not only for himself, but for others.
I believe that's too what pricked Paul's conscience, because here he was a covetous man concerning the law, outwardly was blameless. And then he looked at these Jews at Pentecost and they were sharing everything. They were sharing what they had selling. And, uh, by the work of the Spirit of God, there had been a radical change in these people and their natural characteristic. I don't think it's offensive to say that that is a natural characteristic of that people.
And he saw wrought by grace, what the law could not do in him. And so the Lord said to him, It's hard for thee to kick against the ******.
And so Grace produced in Paul what was in the in the Jews at Pentecost, and in Paul what was not common to their nature.
Years ago I was in Yugoslavia on business.
And I made a bus trip, or rather a train trip from.
Ubiana.
Place I like very much to Zagreb.
And there were a lot of interesting things to see out the window of the train.
One of the things that struck me was.
In almost every farmer's field they were not so tractorized. In those days there was an, uh, a wagon, uh, there.
With a horse that had been unharnessed and kind of tethered to the wagon.
And in each case, it was munching on the hay that was in the wagon.
And I thought, what a lesson then a simple thing that's taught in Scripture. And it was kind of beautiful to see. That is what you were just saying. No doubt. Not the muzzle, the ox that treaded out the corn. They didn't say when I come here. Whereas you gotta go over here so you don't get into this, Hey. And uh, it was as if the Lord said to me probably 25 or 30 times on that trip. There's an example of it. There's another example of it.
There's another example. So even in the rudimentary farming that they were doing in those days, uh, there was a, a beautiful lesson, umm.
I don't know what you do with the tracker to to let it, uh, do that same thing, but with the horses. It was interesting to see there were horses outside to every one of those wagons, unharnessed while they were working in the fields and tethered to the wagon, but enjoying itself now. Pole doesn't avail himself of that though, does it? Because you were saying in Carn for for an important reason.
Because of their spiritual condition, I believe.
Umm, and uh, here, he said in a beautiful example.
In emphasis so.
There is a horrible thing that has attached itself, a cancer that has attached itself to the Christian testimony, and that is the picture of servants of the Lord out to get money from those they preach to.
And there have been some terrible examples of it.
The Lord, uh.
Gives us in the Old Testament a wonderful picture in the case of Elisha having given instructions to name and by which he was cleansed, Naaman comes back and the the near the most logical thing in the world is a heart of gratitude. Wants to give something, then.
00:15:05
Why did he refuse it? It's such a lesson. Why did he refuse it?
No, we're representing giving God.
Some people are surprised that we don't, in the gospel meeting, pass around an offering place. They're so used to that system of passing out, of trying to get money from.
And they'll even talk about it, You know, they, oh, I don't go to church because all they want is money.
And so it is prostituted the gospel to an awful degree.
And when Gehazi lets his, his lust for that, his covetous lust, uh, influence him to try and get some of that material.
The the leprosy of mayhem and judges itself to him.
And, uh, it was a terrible thing. And so I believe God sets a wonderful pattern for us there, uh, freely have received really good and I believe that carries over into all, all aspects of Christian ministry.
Is it Wong for Saint take care of one who is preaching the Gospel? Of course not.
But the Spirit should be I've received it.
Freely I'm giving it freely.
He really summarizes the truth.
In that quotation from an unknown source, but from, I shouldn't say an unknown source, it was from the mouth of the Lord is more blessed to give than to receive. Christianity is not known by what it looks for, but by what it gives.
And it it is a lesson to each one of our hearts because we live in a very covetous society and get what you can and demand your rights. And I think you probably found, as I have, that the most difficult time as a Christian is when you're in a bad situation and you're in the right. We put it this way, and you stand for your rights and you walk away saying, I lost a real opportunity to show the spirit of Christ in this situation.
It doesn't mean that you lay down and let people walk all over you. But there really was a case here that he, he wanted God to be known as a giving God. Billy Brockmeyer told the story at the picnic and Walla Walla that when he was young, he, uh, was having a haircut. His dad sent him in with the money for a haircut and the Barber kind of nicked his ear a little bit and hurt him and he howled. So after he got the haircut, the Barber put the money back in his hand. He says, here, keep the money, kid. He goes out and his dad says, why do you still have the money? And he said, well.
He said the Barber nicked my ear and his dad let him buy the hand back in and he said we're Christians. He said you give him his money, he cuts your hair.
No, I'm not saying he would have been wrong to have kept the money, but I do believe that he, uh, he used the opportunity to show a gracious spirit towards the Barber.
I once made a comment West and my brother came. I said we can lose our children for $5. And the brother came up to me and he said we can lose them for two and we can take our kids into the buffet and say he's 11 and the kid knows he's 12 in order to save $2.00. Or we can demand our rights. And even when we're right about a thing and really our kids are watching and we can lose them as a result of that. What you see is Paul, who's speaking to the.
Elders at Ephesus, and he really desired that they would lay hold on this truth, the character of Christianity.
Is known by what it gives.
Now, it's true that people will try to impose their bad conscience on you and demand you unreasonable things, but, umm.
And you can't let people impose your bad. Well, you're a Christian, you'll lend me your car, you're a Christian, you'll lend me your tools and so on. That's not Christianity, that's people imposing their bad conscience on you. But the apostle here, really, his life was characterized by giving.
There are two verses in 2nd Corinthians 12 That I believe are very, very important in understanding the spirit with which the apostle labor. 2nd Corinthians 12 and verse 14.
You hold this third time, I'm ready to come to you and I will not be not be in laziness in charge.
00:20:04
Laziness is a.
Endemic thing and our hearts, you know, we we can be very lazy. I will not be in laziness in charge because if I'm lazy, somebody else has got to pick up the other half of it. I remember a team of horses that we had on my uncle's farm, Baldy and Jerry. And you know, horses are often nicely matched, but these two were not and umm.
Magnum is just up from here. You Dave, you know where Citizen Day this is. That's where it was. I worked up there in Cincinnati.
Five years and, uh.
Baldy was was.
Was a worker.
Just couldn't wait to pull and Jerry was lazy, let the the other ones fall and in laziness he was a charge to Jerry to Baldy and they worked that way as a team and I I watched them.
I said, boy, he's going to wear Boldy out. It's interesting that Jerry died of a heart attack, uh, before Baldy did, but.
Uh, by being a char but lazy, we're charged. Let's go on from there, he says. For I do not see yours.
Click Hue.
I'm not looking for what you've got, I'm looking for you as I want you.
There's a big difference between wanting what people have and wanting them.
And Wall makes it very clear what is is. Umm, motive was.
The children ought not to lay up with their parents, but the parents were the children.
Now the next verse. Now.
I shall most gladly.
Spell and be span.
Different things.
When I spend something, I reach into my pocket and take it out and voluntarily give it.
When I am spent, it's what somebody does to me.
So he says either one.
Most gladly, therefore, will I spend.
And B stand.
For your soul.
Even if an abundantly loving you I.
Less love? Well, that's hard, isn't it?
And yet that's the standard that.
The Spirit of God sets and used for as an example.
For it and set forth then in a practical way what the Lord Jesus said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
It's wonderful when there's the affections are not constricted in the.
In difficulties, no. Paul had to write to the Corinthians. He said, You're not straightened in US or narrowed in us, but in your own vowels. Paul's heart was enlarged in love to the Corinthians, and yet they did not receive his love. He said the more I love, the less I'd be loved. He manifested his love to them. But here in charging these elders at Ephesus, umm, there was real feeling connection and connected with it, and they got down and prayed about it.
And, uh, they all wept, I believe Paul, that includes Paul. And uh, there was affection between them.
And that is really how we're going to go on, as if we have real affection of our hearts. We had a little bit of that in the open meeting.
That the affection for the Lord to go on, and for Paul, and for Paul's doctrine.
But I believe you spoke on the 38th verse in the last meeting that they sorrowed rather that they would not see his face anymore, rather than really soaring over the fact that grievous wolves were going to come in sparing not the flock, and perverse men from among them own cells are speaking perverted things. We're going to come in. And there was a real case when there ought to be tears in connection with these things.
00:25:07
I believe it's a warning to us because one of the most unappreciated works is oversight today and, uh.
Nobody wants to take up that work. I mean, it's not telling people what to do. Everybody wants to be a leader and organize and tell other people what to do, but really just take care of the flock of God and to take a stand against evil and the assembly. That is a very unpopular thing. And I believe that we need to make the job of those who do that work easy.
Paul wept because he saw what was coming and they were going to miss Paul's guidance and direction. But really, this is really the only Apostolic succession that we have is that the authority given to the apostles was passed on to the two or three gathered to his name.
And he's really doing that here. And it was really a a thing that was going to have to engage their hearts.
It's true today that, uh.
Speaking generally for the the church and this theme, they'll see Paul's face no more, and they don't see it.
If we turn to the end of Acts.
Chapter 28. The last two verses.
Verse 30 and 31 and Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house.
Received all that came in unto him.
Preaching the Kingdom of God and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no man forbidding him. All's face doesn't have to be hidden to us, but we have to go to Paul.
We want Paul's doctrine. We're not going to find it generally at large in the church. We're going to have to speak it out.
Well, two whole years in his own hired house, he didn't receive support from any other organization or any, uh, thing that we might say would be the arm of flesh.
And he received all that came to him.
Paul's doctrine is not wanted.
In the Church of God.
But Paul will receive all that come to him. If you want to walk in that Paul's house, if I can say it that way, his hired house is open.
If we could turn also to Second Timothy, chapter 4.
Versetime.
Redeem us hath forsaken me.
Having loved this present world and is departed unsuccessful and icon.
There's 4 assemblies in this last chapter that were all assemblies that Paul wrote to.
And I'm not R.
Perhaps there's many different thoughts that could be brought up, but Cecil and Aika was that assembly.
Where the apostle Paul only was there for a few weeks, proclaimed the gospel, they received it and walked in it, and freshness and vigor and the testimony of it went out to all of Macedonia and nickel. But they needed further instructions in the Kingdom of God, and so those letters were written to them.
To establish some of the truth, Beamus loved this present age, this present.
Electron he went to an assembly that if we could make an application speech source of the gospel. So the fact that put it this way, he said, you know.
I can't walk with Paul anymore. Those things divide the Saints. We can't be nitpicky over these little fine doctrines that Paul takes up. No, let's be happy with just the cardinal gospel truth and let's just all try and get along together. And he said, you know what makes it comfortable in this present age that I love? I can't walk with Paul anymore. Earlier in this book, he said all day in Asia.
All they would be in Asia have forsaken.
Me. It doesn't say they persuade the gospel doesn't say they persist the Lord, and Bemus doesn't say he forsook the Lord or forsook serving the Lord. He forsook all. And I think in that sense, picture to us Paul's doctrine, Paul's doctrine.
00:30:08
Paul dwelled two whole years in his own hired house, and what did he teach?
Because those things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ.
I think perhaps that would take in those deep eternal counsel of God in Christ and all that is in Christ for us. And he also taught the Kingdom of God. We had that earlier in our chapter.
That it was not only the gospel that he taught them, but the Kingdom of God was preached to them. And those councils of God, he shall not to declare all those unto him.
The Kingdom of God is manner of life.
It's our associations in this life.
It's how we talk, it's how we dress, especially in the Lord's presence.
It's our habits, our companion.
All those things, it's our manner of life.
They must didn't want that and he perceived all if you're going to go to Paul, if you want Paul, he's going to preach to you the Kingdom of God. That's Corinthians, the two books of Corinthians, the Kingdom of God.
All those things are taken up first and 2nd Corinthians. If we forsake those things, it won't be long before we say, Paul, I'm just going to leave you behind. I want to be comfortable in the present world.
And will soon lose the truth that we need to establish our souls in the eternal counsels of God and Christ and the place that we have in Him.
Paul said the truth must be maintained and so in Second Timothy 4 Citrix.
And I said to Africa.
He was close to Paul. He was a fellow laborer of Paul, a servant of Paul. We could read that, or a fellow servant with Paul. Fellow prisoners can read that into Washington. I think he would have long to have had him with him, but he said no. Ephesians truth, those eternal councils of God.
In Christ must be maintained.
Go to Africa.
And then?
Erasmus devoted Corinth. All those truths which concern the Kingdom of God are manner of life here.
A practical display that God ruled in my life and displayed an absolute, unquestioning obedience to the Word of God from the heart.
He bought a Corinth that those things would be maintained. He could have bamboozled.
So I just say we might look beyond the man himself and see that Paul also represents his doctrine in Scripture. Let's not forsake Paul.
He's dwelling in his own hired house. He doesn't need any help from the systems of men.
Why people dwell alone?
We don't need any help from assistance with men to go on in the truth of God. We don't need any help from the arm of flesh to go on and the truth of God.
About a year. A little over a year ago.
I had the joy of visiting.
Brother Grenade for the last time.
We spent some time, quite a bit of time together.
Last day came.
I was leaving to go home.
I'll never forget the.
A deep feeling that there was.
Between us.
And I wasn't going to see him anymore here.
Both West.
And I can picture and I don't wanna take away from what Steve has been saying because that has to do with the the application of it, but it was.
Was it? It was a feeling that I just will never forget as we embrace and kiss one another and.
Yeah, he's gone.
00:35:02
With the Lord.
And it made me think of an earlier situation when we were.
Ruth and I went down with Brother Hans Joachim Weber to visit the grenades and we had spent some time there.
We were on our way further on toward visiting other assemblies. Brother Grenadi was a wonderful person and that they would not just often think Gordon used to tell us about somebody who would not just tell you how to get out of there, but he'd show you how to get out and Brother Grenade.
Uh, said no. Come on, we'll you follow me, I'll get you right up on the Expressway to go down to Italy. I had to go up to Spain.
And uh, I got to the entrance to the.
The on ramp to the Expressway and I thought, uh, this is where he'll get us on, but he went right on to lead us on. Then he pulled over and stopped the car and got out.
I think this was about 12 years ago, but anyway, we got down on our knees.
Right behind the car.
We bored our hearts out from the Lord for one another and wept.
And.
I believe that this weeping sore here was, even though they might have it was.
You might say human affection and not enough exercise about what was happening, and I'm the one who made that remark.
I think it was very real for me.
I think the feeling between them was real. They loved him.
And he loves them.
And it was a wonderful experience.
We gotta pull up our knees.
Got in our car and they got in theirs and they went up to the next exit and left.
Ruth and I continued on our way.
It made me think of this. They went down to the ship.
They were.
They accompanied them to the ship.
It's a practical thing, brother, and I think we.
If our hearts are affecting toward one another in that way.
One of the things that's touching in Latin America is that the brethren all want to go to the airport to see you are.
They all want to go and you can have, I remember one time in Buenos Aires, we had such a, a number there that a man who got on the plane, I was taking Canada air that that time and back to, uh, Toronto for a special, umm, fare back to United States and.
I sat next to a professor from one of the universities in Canada.
They said, who were all those people that said that came to see you all?
You look like you were the like you were a dignitary. I said no, this is my brothers and sisters in crisis.
And that opened up. We talked for hours. It's a long trip up from there, something like 10 hours. And we we talked a good bit of the way and open up the gospel.
That affection between the Lords people.
Is a testimony.
It's not a formal thing, is it? It doesn't have to be organized. You know what I'm saying? All right, now you and you and you must go out to the airport and see so and so off.
No, it was. They actually struggled to go out.
We were sitting in a car one time in UMM, in La Plata. Uh, the brethren were driving this over to Buenos Aires to go on the airport, to the airport and, uh, Doug Buchanan.
Leaned over and with tears in his eyes and said to me, I hate these.
Goodbye, say.
He said. Why, he said is tear you up.
They do.
But the accompanying of one another in that way is a testimony. We had a little meeting in the airport in Buenos Aires. I believe Chavez preached the word and who sang hymns.
It was a wonderful time.
Again, I'm not, I don't want to in any way diminish Brother Steve the, the spiritual side of that, but, uh.
00:40:06
These things only have a spiritual meeting because they have a practical side to them.
Maybe we can move on to 1St Corinthians.
Good idea. My exercise in bringing this up is because I believe, I think we've all felt, as Paul said, I've coveted no man's silver and gold. That and we've talked about Paul's exercises and we probably won't even scratch this, but we really do get in this practical side as to the handling of money and the exercise of the Lord's servant as to where he goes. And I believe that there's some helpful things here.
Her brother **** spoke about collecting money at gospel meetings, But there was a necessity there that Saints in Jerusalem had sold everything at Pentecost, as we know, and the gospel had gone out from, uh, Jerusalem. That's where the apostles had been supported.
And there was a debt and a duty that was owed to Jerusalem.
And to the poor Saints in Jerusalem that had been left there because of that.
And we ought to feel that there are the widows of the laborers, there are those that have expanded themselves for the truth of God, and we have a responsibility in connection with those ones. And I really believe that that is what Paul is bringing out here in connection with that.
The care for the poor is a different thing.
And you'll notice here that Paul did not carry the money to Jerusalem.
He said he may go with them, and I believe that it is a mistake according to the word of God, for those that minister the Word to distribute money.
I believe according to the word of God, it is a mistake for those that minister the word to distribute money. I agree. I believe that's the teaching that we have here. And Paul and his pattern of life, he didn't even collect it for himself. He labored with his hands and he I'm not saying never.
But you see, the pattern here was that he would go with those, Perhaps go with those.
That took their liberality, but he was not involved in the collection of it.
Nor was he involved in the taking of it to Jerusalem.
And a great deal of the difficulty that we have seen with money in other places has been as a result of failure to acknowledge what we see here and the pattern that we get in Paul's own life. We have wisdom in the word of God is for these things.
And the other thing is that of course, that those that handled the money, uh, were handled, the money was handled not by ones that umm, Paul should approve, but that the the assembly should approve in a formal way, by letters.
There were ones that were reliable in order to do this, that their liberality would be brought to Jerusalem.
We cannot change people's circumstances, though our heart may go out to them, but I believe that with Jerusalem we have a special case here where there was.
A, A, uh, a giving and a supporting of the apostles in a time of need. And now they found themselves in need and there was a returning of that in liberality to them. And, uh, Paul would have gone with them in that.
Carrying your thought a little further, I recall Brother Evelino Chavez having a long talk with me about the danger and the damage that had been done in South America by that, by laborers being the dispensers of aid. They did a lot of influencing, and his exercise was it. It should be turned over to responsible people who will.
Know how to administer it and I I believe I learned that from my brother.
With the Lord now, but I believe we was correct in that.
In the passage in Acts, Umm Paul determines to pass by Ephesus. So that lets us know this is a different occasion, isn't it? This is a time when he says, I remain in Ephesus until Pentecost because the Lord had opened a great and effectual door.
00:45:04
And.
It's very interesting, beloved. I think we've, we've understood this, that when a great and effectual door is open, the adversaries are many too, because the enemy does not like that.
It's very interesting in connection with this tenth verse.
That Paul had sent Timotheus to Corinth, if we turn back in the chapter in the book.
I just have to put my finger on it. Uh, yes, the 4th chapter and the uh.
16 First, but let's just read, umm, the 14th verse. But I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons, I warn you. For though ye have 10,000 instructors in Christ, yet ye have not many fathers. For in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Wherefore I beseech you that ye be followers of me.
For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved Son and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways, which be in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church. It's very interesting that Paul said that ye be followers of me, but he says of his ways that be in Christ, because man would like to detach the following of Christ with real man.
And that's a little bit what our brother brought before us, that you were to know those.
That have instructed us in the pathway that they have been followers of Christ and not to follow them.
But be followers of them as they have been in Christ, because we see Christianity manifested in a real way.
People would say I don't want to read books, I don't want to follow men, I just want to follow Christ. And generally people who speak that way get into a great deal of danger.
Because Christianity is a real thing, and it's a real work of the Spirit of God in men's souls.
And we see Christ in one another, and we are to follow those that walk in the ways of Christ. But my point in connection with reading this was that he had sent Timothy in the 17th verse unto them, because Timothy, Timothy would go not with Apostolic authority to correct matters at Corinth, but to show Paul's ways which were in Christ. But when we come to this chapter. Now here he says, if Timotheus come.
That Timothy remained this Lord's servant.
And he went. It's not when he comes, it's if he comes.
And then there was a responsibility on Timothy's part as to whether he went or not, if he comes. And there was a responsibility for the assembly there. See that he be with you without fear.
Paul himself, the apostle at Corinth, we read in the second chapter when he came to Corinth.
He said, Brethren and I brethren, when I came unto you, came not with the Excellency of speech or wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
But down in the third verse. But I was with you in weakness and fear, and in much trembling. Why, that assembly of Corinth was a pretty intimidating lot.
And we can, as those that sit under the ministry of God's Word.
We can make it difficult for one to warn us. We can make it difficult to hear the word of the Lord. And so that is why He's exhorting them, that when Timothy came, that Timothy would be without fear.
We very easily get offended at.
And at the way people say things to us, and I'm not excusing saying things in a rough way.
But the other side of the coin really is, is do I make it easy for somebody to come to me and speak to me frankly?
And so you see the exercise there of Timothy going, and you see the way in which the Corinthians were to receive him. And we are to acknowledge those that work do the work of the Lord.
The Corinthians apparently were prepared to receive those that were not doing the work of the Lord, and they went so far as demanding of Tim of Paul a letter of commendation, when the assembly of Corinth really wouldn't have existed without Paul's laborers.
00:50:04
And so we see what the result of that is here.
Nice to see the confidence that if possible had it. Timothy is nothing.
That he sends them, as you say, to uh, to cards and do a certain message work for the Lord on his behalf, you might say.
And then he also seeing we're talking about Ephesians, he also in First Timothy.
Chapter one and verse 3.
As I have besides you to avoid steel emphasis when I went to the Macedonia.
That's all my discharge some, but they teach them all the doctrine. So there again Paul uses if you can say it that way.
This young man, Timothy, who uphold the truth and stand for the truth.
Write an emphasis that where where we've been considering those things were creeping in in offices as well.
It has to be corrected.
Brother John, he also he spoke of the charge not to teach other doctrine at Ephesus. We often talk about what goes on in the camp, but it's much more important that Paul should exercise Timothy that he would charge those at Ephesus where they received the highest truth, not that others teach wrong doctrine. But he also charged, he said to Timothy, charged them that are rich in this world not to be high minded, but to condescend the men of low estate. You know, you think of that. That's quite a thing for a young brother to charge them that are rich, not to be high minded.
He was a timid man.
And we ought not to shrink from the truth of God.
We're living in days of political correctness on every side. I think we understand what that word means today when speaking the truth, we just speak the truth. And love has become a very unpopular thing.
And Timothy was to go there to Ephesus. He was to go to Corinth in the spirit of Paul and to speak the truth. And the assembly was to receive that without intimidating him. And I really believe that if we walked in this way there would be more liberty to go on in the truth of God. There was a tendency to despise him. There were people that the assembly of Corinth well received.
But apparently there was a danger that they would despise Timothy. There's another thing here in the 12Th verse that just bears this out because it's touching our brother Apollos. I greatly desired him to come unto you with the brethren, but his will was not to come at all at this time, but when he shall have convenient time. I think that just in in reinforces the fact that the Lord's servant was to be led by the Lord.
No servant of the Lord has the right to tell any other servant of the Lord where to go and when to go.
Megan and.
Uh, when the when the chips are down.
It's the Lord. He's responsible too. Is that what you're saying? Yeah, He's the Lord. He's responding. Nobody has a right to tell him.
I think it's a beautiful expression of the spirit between two brothers here. Yeah, well, Paula have a right to tell them no, he doesn't.
And he begged him to go.
And.
It wasn't his will right now. No, brother, I don't feel a word it sent me right now.
But he will go when he has opportunity.
That's a nice spirit between the two is.
Don't you think there was a difference between that and Timothy and Titus in connection with Paul?
You know, sort of under his wing, you might say there were young brothers.
And so Paul directs them in a more direct way. But Apollos was a senior, can we say more senior brother? And he is responsible to the Lord to go where he wishes.
But even with Timothy, he says if he comes.
And I I believe what you're saying is true. There's a verse, I'm just having a little bit trouble finding it now, where the spirit for bad Paul to go into Asia.
00:55:06
Umm, in acts, I believe it's helpful in connection with this Sixteen six. Maybe if somebody has the new translation, they could, uh, read that. Umm.
And when they had gone through, uh, out for you in the region of Galatia, they were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the Word in Asia.
And after they were come to miss you, they have to go into Bathinia. But the Spirit suffered them not. I believe Mr. Darby's translation says the Spirit of Jesus suffered them not.
And what is the difference? There are times when the Spirit of God would forbid us to go to a place. Our brother read before us that verse. Come out from among them, and these separate, and I will receive you. There are places and religious associations into which the Christian ought not to go. We're forbidden of the Spirit to go. Touch not the unclean thing. And if I have to get involved with that which is contrary to the truth of God, then I'm touching the unclean thing, and the Spirit of God would forbid me to go there.
There are scriptures that would would make very plain but then it said the Spirit of Jesus suffered them not to go into Bathinia was Why does it say the Spirit of Jesus? I believe Jesus was his name as a man and the Lord didn't go where he wasn't wanted.
There are times when we may press a brother to do something.
And he just simply may not be inclined to do it because of things that have gone on and so on. And we have to just leave that with the Lord.
Our brother has spoken of this affection between Paul and his elders at Ephesus, and some of these things come in and they interrupt the course of these affections and force affections. And Christianity is real, and you see this in these practical ways in the relationship between the Saints.
And the working of the Spirit of God and working these things out, fellowship is not a forced thing, it's a real thing. And so when these things come in, we leave them with the Lord and leave them to the exercise of the, of the servant of God. But there may be a case where the Spirit of God would forbid us to do something. Or maybe I'm prepared to go ahead and do something that the Spirit of God, the Word of God would forbid me to do. Then we ought to be faithful with one another in connection with that and bring the Word of God before a person.
Well, I see our time is going, but it's just in connection with this. I was thinking of these verses 1314.
And 15 But you know, he said, uh, verse 13 particularly watch she stand fast in the faith which ye like man and be strong. Her brother brought before us the armor of God in connection with the, with the, the believer in the open meeting. But he said, quit she like man. There is a time to deal with things, if I may put it this way in a manly way. There is a time when the child has to run to the mother and cry in the mother's skirt.
About a problem. And there is that mothering influence, that's proper. But there is a time, and it was needed at Corinth, when the brethren should put themselves like men. And to fail to do that, there was a time when the elders at Ephesus had to quit themselves like men.
And meet the matter at the door, so to speak.
And so this is really what he's speaking about here to them is what she stand fast in the faith.
You like man, equip yourself like a man and be strong.
And these are necessary things. And I believe that we've had in the chapter that our brother suggested for the readings, uh, Paul's charge to the elders at Ephesus, and we have seen the failure of that.
And we have an exhortation here in connection with these things that we might go on.
When the Spirit of God addresses the seven assemblies in Revelation, He speaks to the angels.
The responsible elements in the assembly.
All spoke to the elders of ephesus and here with this expectation as well, which you like men and assemblies character really is largely formed by the ministry it receives in the oversight.
That is exercised in a.
Hers, the Senate has the numbers 25.
01:00:02
24 I behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace.
It was a difficult day in the assembly of Israel.
Yielded the feasible fruit of righteousness.
Should not fear they could stand according to the truth, even though it may be a hard thing at the time. No chastening to the present seemeth to me joyous, but rather grievous. Maybe a difficult thing.
Yield us, yield us the peaceable fruit of righteousness, and there is a peace.
And the flock of God which is brought about, and that which would trouble it, was taken away.
We don't have time to take it up, but that's very germane to what we've been speaking about, uh, Brother Dave, because Eli was of a line that took the priesthood, but it was not theirs to take the covenant of peace with the line of Phineas. And you see the end of Eli's line in, uh, the book of Samuel. What it led to was that Eli had taken something that was not his. And you see the disastrous results, the sunset and the, uh, temple and took of the offerings with flesh hooks and were drunken.
And then a woman came who was broken in her spirit, Hannah, and she was really broken before the Lord. And what did Eli do? He spoke to her as if she were a drunken woman. And you really see the suffering in Israel caused a failure to acknowledge these things. A man, a man Eli, the wrong line usurping something that was not given to him. And so we need to be exercised about this when it says over which the Holy Ghost have made you overseers.
Is that if any work is done in the Assembly of God that it be done?
First of all, let all things be done with charity. That was the next verse and 2nd Corinthians. The charity has God as its object.
And we're to add to brotherly love, charity or divine love, that as God is the subject, and if we really have the Lord before us and the love of the Saints before us, then we'll do what is honoring to the Lord and we'll have that confidence that it will result in peace for the people of God. We set man as our object like Eli did. It'll just bring in sorrow and confusion.
Sing 312.
Lenovo.
No, almighty Lord.
Lay long stupid.
Don't bring and turn.
Thigh blaze at work.
With joy we fall.
Lovely.
We are.
So they are God.
And.
Dream.
01:05:06
Nsnoise.
Nsnoise.
Uh-huh. So they should, uh.
God and our Father, we.
Look back over these some.
Meeting in these two days of meetings.
Surely we can, uh, thank you for the word of God that we've had before us.
That we just thank you for richly beating our souls.
Think of that peaceful shore that we were just singing out and.
We look for that day, Lord Jesus, when the old come and.
Take us to that home which is always prepared for us, and we will be then in our.
Element we will be where we belong.
But as we sang these 2 * 2 Times what emphasis lead on most gracious Lord, so we just as I keeping as we.
Depart these meetings and uh.
As we go back out to our various, uh, daily occupations, we, uh, pray that, uh, we might remember some of what we've had before us.
We would pray about the address.
Tonight and, uh, pray that I'll give our brother a further portion, uh, from thyself for us. And, and so again, we thank you for this, uh, time. We thank you for so many that have been able to be here. We thank you for fellowship one with another and, and, uh, just thank you for all thy mercies, Our blessed Lord Jesus, we pray in thy worthy and thy precious name, Amen, Amen.