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See the Mind of the Brethren to consider the second chapter of First Peter.
We have the Pilgrim stranger before us in the prayer meeting the other evening.
And some of it this morning.
The expectation in this chapter an 11 verses. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims.
First, the Council of Fader, Chapter 2.
Wherefore, laying aside all malice and all Guild hypocrisies and envies and all evil speakings.
As newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.
If so be that you have tasted, the Lord is gracious, to whom coming is unto a living stone, disallow, indeed, of men, but chosen of God and precious.
Ye also in lively stones are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to OfferUp spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Wherever also is contained in the structure, behold, I lay in Sion at Jeep Cornerstone, elect precious, and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
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Under user for which believe he is freshness, but under them which we disobedient, the storms of builders were disallowed the same as made the head of the corner and the stone is stumbling a rock of a fence even to them is stumbled at the word being disobedient, for unto also they were appointed. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood and holy nation.
A peculiar people, that you should show forth the praises of him who have called you out of darkness.
Into his marvelous light, which in time fast were not a people, but are now the people of God, which have not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lust, which war against the soul, having a conversation honest among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak against his evildoer.
They made by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. Submit yourself to every ordinance of man, for the Lord's sake, whether it be to the King of Supreme or under governors, is.
From the table door and for the praise of them that do well.
So is the will of God. That was well doing. You may put the silence, the ignorance, A foolish man as free, and not using your liberty for a talk of maliciousness, but as a servant of God.
Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God, Honor the king.
Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the forward, for this is thank worthy.
If a man for conscience toward God endured grief, suffering wrongfully, for what glory is a dip? When ye be puppeted for your false, ye shall take it patiently. But if when you do well and suffer for it, you take it patiently, this is acceptable with God, For even here unto where ye called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that you should follow his death.
Through this nausea neither was Giles found in his mouth, who, when he was reviled, reviled not again, when he sovereignly threatened not, but committed himself to him that Judgeth righteously, who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sin, should live under righteousness. By her strike you were healed, for ye were a sheep going astray.
But are now returned unto the shepherd.
Confession of your souls?
Wherefore refers back no doubt to the position that believers placed in in the first chapter, and being elected and in the place of favor before God. Now the exhortations are on that basis.
Our Big Brother Monteen, if he keeps before us.
The 11Th person you call special attention to. We'll realize the importance of these expectations.
That we're only strangers and pilgrims going through a world that has rejected and exclusive by our blessed Lord.
Allow the counter the ways of those who are cousins and strangers.
Are as clearly marked out for us in these evil days and these very subjects.
Brought before us will have this effect if they're laid hold of by the power of the Spirit of God.
To keep us separate, separated from all course of this world. It will lead to our judgment of the old nature whenever it seeks to interfere.
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It will defeat the purpose of saying to rob us.
Of our testimony, and it will separate us from this French evil word.
So if we just keep that in mind, here is instructions for people who are looked upon as as strangers and fulfillments.
Hearing every day the moment when they leave this theme of their pilgrimage.
To be forever with the Lord.
We have a good example of being a Pilgrim in the 20th chapter of Numbers.
It's a fine picture of a pilgrim's path and in relation to the world.
Still grown, bouncing without encroaching on its rights. Numbers 20 and verse 17.
Let us pass, I pray thee through thy country.
You will not pass through the field or through the vineyard.
They may have looked very attractive, but we will not pass through the fields or through the vineyards. Neither will we drink of the water of the wells. The wells could refer to the places of this life. Speaks of a well in the 4th of John. We will go by the King's Hwy. That's the official path laid out.
Kings Highway We will not turn to the right hand, nor to the left until we are half side ordered.
While occurable, pictures and scenes of the film passing through an enemy's land.
We should notice too in taking this portion up the connection between with the end of the previous chapter.
As connected with the second verse of our chapter.
At the end of the previous chapter, the first chapter of First First Peter.
Peter no doubt is quoting from Isaiah.
And.
All Flashes is grants.
And all the glory of man is the flower of grass, the grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away.
Now this was the.
Character. The message of John the Baptist was it not and it'll be the.
Message to Israel in the coming day when they come back.
The 40th of Isaiah.
It's really the moral restoration of that nation, the basis of it. That man has been proved in the flesh, and there's nothing for God in US. So now his newborn babes, we start out again. We have a new life. It's not in the flesh. It's not on the basis of what the flesh brings, but it's on the basis of.
The fact that we're born again and we're heavenly citizens and so we walk here as pilgrims and strangers. Now we know that oftentimes we don't manifest this character and we're learners, but this is our character before God now as strangers and pilgrims. And we should recognize that practically someone has said that the first verse of the second chapter.
Is like 1 putting the plow on the ground.
Turning the soil over.
So that the seed can be planted.
As laying aside all malice, all malice to be through with the whole thing, the root and all.
In all God, in all hypocrisies, envies.
And all evil speak God rather than this certainly reaches into our hearts this morning and consciences.
How easily we turn to these things, That is the flash, is it not?
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Prominent in middle-aged food.
The pride of life.
How they suffer the blackhead and say I know that it's my face that well it's no good faith.
And so whether it matches us tomorrow, I ask you and just go as middle-aged.
We have to be very careful.
Sonic, these methods the last super question you.
The must of the eyes is his age. Both at the time of life we hold men.
We, Payless we.
Hell said that so many.
Age and then first.
In there.
A brother in England.
Richardson, thank you. He prayed every day that he would never die a wicked old man.
A wicked old man.
And God heard that prayer.
We don't say that he care.
And he adhere to those things exactly. We give the mother, but we do remember his writings.
But we pay that those words of our hearts. It's nice to know though, although we have the Trinity of evil against us, the world of flesh and the devil, we have the Trinity of good forests, the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit.
Keep slow down. They never want the time, but not good when we leave to keep our faces in the bus as today.
My old brother ain't Wilder. Bloomington, IL used to say that in the first verse of this chapter we are told to get the weeds out of the garden.
And these different things mentioned here are the weeds.
A malice God hypothesis. And there's an all evil speaking. And then we're in a state of soul, which we find in the second verse as newborn babe desire the sincere milk of the word that he may grow thereby.
Although the effects of life, the garden is he grown up with weeds.
How it chokes out the young plants or they are not able to grow and develop and then when these weeds are pulled out of the garden then we're in a healthy state so that the pure milk of the word of God.
Enables us to have spiritual growth.
Sincere really means other countries. Other countries were gone when you belong to them. Certainly can't do it. There is such a practical.
Word in verse one you mean various words.
So needful.
You and I not recognize how needful it is to be on our guard.
Our so inclined to fail and to entertain or allow ill attitudes towards some brother, sister.
Wherefore laying aside.
Because we have this new nature, chapter one, verse 23, we're born of God.
We're redeemed, we're elect, We're kept guarded. We have the glory before us because of all that, Wherefore laying aside all malice?
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Malice. Notice it in verse 16 of our chapters.
Maliciousness.
An I'll attitude toward another.
I believe we have some remarkable illustrations of this.
1St in particular not what the others before like in Cain and stable, but you get in the first.
Prominent king of Israel Saul.
How he when he beheld that young man that had won such a great battle beyond.
What would possibly be conceived in the mind of people venture when David slew that giant, then to think of King Saul, The jealousy, the malice, the enemy that rose in his heart.
I David from that day forward now those chapters First Kings 18/19/20 and 21 repeatedly shows that I'll attitude in the heart of King Saul against that lovely one David. So here well we also have.
In, especially in the case of the Lord Jesus.
How they are ending or ending, they could not stand this holy 1. The flesh has that I'll attitude towards. The Lord gives right towards God and all holy things and questions. So for envy they crucified Him and there are other cases that are prominent. But here's an important verse. I love to learn more from it myself and I trust the same if you yourself.
Wherefore, laying aside all malice, don't allow a little Bitterroot, a little bit of a Bitterroot towards any.
It would not be a healthy state of heart to entertain such things that such was never in the heart of God or in the Lord Jesus.
Malice. All God Hypocrisy. Envy.
And all evil speaking that isn't easy, is it?
Would you say that Obadiah Brother Brown was written just for this very purpose? How Esau had a perpetual malice and hatred for his brother Jacob and he's going to lose his inheritance and Saul lost his Kingdom because it's been said that sin doesn't?
Run alone so we have these things in groups when when one gets out of the path.
And begins to manifest and and a heart that's turned away from God, that there is a repetition of sins. If one does evil then he lies about it. And so on. So we have the list here grouped together, showing that it isn't simply an act when these things come out.
Before contention, but a haughty spirit before a fall? And when the haughty spirit is manifest, then perhaps other things are manifest at the same time. And if there is a hatred, if there is a malice towards someone, then comes evil speaking, and all this goes together, those things that are within our mentioned first. Is that right? These things that are mentioned in the verse are very often hidden within the heart and perhaps can only be seen.
Mighty eye of God, but the verse does end with evil speaking. At last it comes out. And I guess we've heard it said that if we would judge those things which our brethren cannot see, we would not have to duck those things which so often, sadly, they can see. And I wonder too how we can discern the very earliest beginnings of these things springing up in our hearts. Sometimes I've heard an attempt made to define and to differentiate between these various.
Words. I have no doubt there is a definition for each one, but I've never been able to.
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The satisfied with those definitions, it seems to me, as I read such a list, that the Lord is telling me that He can deserve in my heart that which I alone would not be able to differentiate, anger off malice, and so on. Sometimes I can't distinguish between the literal meaning of these words, but the Lord himself, looking at our hearts, can discern them. He is able, Is He not, to bring them to our attention? And in what manner?
By looking around and observing the way other people act.
Is there not the danger that I would tolerate a great deal in myself if I judged according to that which perhaps we might observe if we looked around? But if we were to read the precious living word of God, and to find ourselves by grace in the company of the Lord Jesus Christ, would there not be then a speedy discernment of the very earliest beginnings of the activity of any of these things in our hearts?
The company of the Lord Jesus, in whom these things were never found, would, I suggest, cause us to become aware immediately of any of these things springing up within our own heart, And they would be intolerable to us if we really wanted and enjoyed the company of the Lord Jesus.
Hell, what did you think about your last question of the 139th song? Would really give us a win one win at least again, and follow our two that we need before us. Search thee, O Lord Time, are we to see if there be any wicked wave and lead me in the way of her lasting.
To see her own hearts, and then we get along with the Lord.
And let him really speak to us, and search these hearts of ours. And willing to, it disappears. Anything that is not right, that has anything that happens to be done, the Lord will manifest it.
I believe that there's a prayer that is not for the public. I'm a little brother. Just to pray. That is the prayer meeting all the time. It was very evident that it was not really acting and the Spirit of it himself. That's a prayer for the Father and the prayer that needs to be continually.
Spoken before the Lord so that there might be that soul that you speak up.
We get a very sad picture of our heart and the 15th chapter of Matthew.
We usually look on the outside of man, but the Lord looks upon the heart in the 15th chapter of Matthew and verse 18.
But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the past and they defile the man. Now we find 7 things I mentioned.
Of its 7 fallen wickedness.
Or out of the path proceed evil. False.
Murders, adulterous fornications, vets, false witness, blasphemies, blasphemies, these are the things which defile a man. Then in the 3rd chapter of Titans, the third verse, we have another seven goal picture.
The outside picture of man kind of three and three for we all, for we ourselves also were sometimes foolish. 7 things mentioned again, disobedient, deceived, serving divers, lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and painting one another.
The 70s of Jerry Meyer.
We read the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it?
Lord gives the answer, he says. I, the Lord search the up, try the rain, so he knows exactly what's in our house. So we have a very solid picture here of the half in his sevenfold wickedness, the inside picture and the outside picture. I have a little four line.
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The poems here, May I read it? The bitter ill will that you nurse in your heart.
Will not stay inside where it first got a start.
For sinew and blood are a thin veil of lace. What you wear in your heart, you wear on your face, it comes out.
Well, all we've been saying about.
About that first first is preparing for the construction of the 2nd.
And newborn phase desire the sincere mouth of the word.
He may draw their mind.
All our elderly third chapter first Corinthians. Paul writing in the Corinthians, he said that he had fed them with with milk and hot with meat.
Here, here, until you are not able to bear neither yet now are you able, And he goes on telling their Carmela. And so in the 5th capture of Hebrews, they finally passed there again.
Telling those Hebrews.
He was not able to together strong face. He had the only.
How he goes to passage? We have an early fall and it has just remaining and a.
An occupation with the elementary clothes, like the worst gospel of His grace.
Center for Christ.
Well, there needs to be broken.
The form of tour things of existence are standing for God and our acceptance in the beloved and our place in the body of Christ.
Members of his body and so on.
But the impossible killer is speaking up. Here is something that needs always to.
See our Savior soul, that is, we need always from the time we become a child and Bob until the Lord takes away. We need that newborn faith, desire.
One rule, yesterday or today, accepts the Lord as a savior. Have within him that desire.
For the things of the Lord, he doesn't be born again, coming to God's family without a desire, no more Christ, and so he naturally turns to work to find more for his soul about the Blessed One who has saved him.
Well, we need that ever kept.
Right in our memory and we don't grow out of that at all.
So that newborn made desire, and how lovely it is to see that newborn being desire in an old Saint of God who has followed the Lord for many years. He still wants to know more of his senior. His love for the word is Justin Keen as the day when he accepted Christ and his Savior.
And we need to be careful. And what?
We do not become to intellectual earth, or just do too much occupied deep cruise to the forgetfulness of that to which belongs to the being.
Millborn soul.
But he accepted him as his savior.
We have several.
I mean animals. The alligator, the turtle, Well, we also might include the whale. We are told that as long as they live, they grow. The alligator, the turtle and the whale as long as they live.
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Now a babe nurses frequently, does it not? Then newborn babe to the attention. There used to be two 2 1/2 hours apart to the night. I don't know they may have elongated nowadays, but we need to be of that sort as our brother has emphasized it.
It's nice to see also here not only the word that's mentioned, but the order that we have in Peters epistles as well as all of the apostles and although they do exhort.
It's interspersed with setting before us the person of Christ. Now, I believe this is something to notice.
Especially for those who may seek to minister and exhort their brethren, that unless there is the object before the heart.
Unless we start with the right premise.
The expectation is really not doesn't have much effect.
Peter speaks of the Saints as beloved, but he also brings before them the person of Christ.
Here we have it over and over again in this chapter in the third verse, if so be you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Well, that fits in, doesn't it, with the fact that all flesh is grass. That's where we start.
There's nothing in man, and if it weren't for the graciousness of God, we would have no standing. But now that we have a standing through grace, the expectation is to the beloved, and grace is provided as we have in other passages in Peter. He giveth more grace, He gives as much grace as we need. And so we stand in grace, and we are able to carry out these instructions only on the basis of grace.
But it's having the person before us, is it not?
I like to read a verse to in Psalm 119 and verse 9.
Psalm 119, verse nine. I think we have something very precious in this Psalm 119 in connection with the word of God. As a matter of fact, almost in every verse as mentioned the word of God. And so here in verse nine we have something in connection with the word of God, freedom and the Word of God, which is very precious, isn't it?
Where we shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy voice. And so here we find that the word of God not only feeds us, but as we read the Word of God, that cleanses us as the blessed cleanseth effect in our lives. And then in the same Psalm 119.
Verse 3130.
Verse 130. Now here we see another blessed fact that we'll have by freedom and the word of God.
In Psalm 119 and verse 130, say the influence of thy way give it light.
It give an understanding to the simple. So we have a two fold lesser thing here is given for us for life and is given for us for understanding. So it is very blessed to notice that the word of God is good for us not only for food but for cleansing for life.
And for understanding.
Jeremiah would say in the 15th chapter and verse 16-9 words were found and I did eat them.
And thy word was unto me that joy and rejoicing of mine, for I am called by Thy name.
Once said that if we feed upon the word of God and meditate upon it and upon the Fern of Christ, it will keep us from sin, but sin will keep us from meditating from Christ in Word. That's what we have in the 11Th verse of that 119th sound thy word. Have I hidden my heart that I might not sin against thee?
Next to the you imagine.
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In connection with.
Brother, dear brother Eric made the European speaking before off in connection with all age and who how that speaks to my own heart and conscience. And I was taken in connection with that of the man of God in the Old Testament in the 13th chapter of the first book of the King. What a sad story about that man in the old estimate that male God time and time again.
Is called the man of God.
The Old Testament. He started well in one faithful from Judah to Samaria, and to speak against the idolatry that was taking place in Samaria. And he went out faithful. And then he failed, miserable at the end. What a solemn way that is for all age, for me and for every one of us. How faithful that man was. If you read that chapter, the first king, chapter 13 again and again.
This problem is called the man of God. The man of God. What? I just like to read one verse of the child, just that one verse in that chapter.
Verse 26.
Verse 26 of the 13th chapter of A praise King and well, the proverb that brought him back, that is the old heaven. Samantha, from the way Heidi said it is the man of God who was disobedient.
To the word of the law. Therefore the Lord has delivered him unto the lion which had told him.
And slaying him according to the word of the Lord which is spoken to him. What a solemn lesson that is. Isn't he forever? What a solemn lesson that is. He started well. And again I say time and again he is called the man of God. And then he answers, and all her we need to pray. Oh, God, help me, that I not become an old fool. How I need to pray that for myself.
Man of God is mentioned 15 times in this chapter, but.
His carcass is mentioned 10 times. The man of God.
We have to remember, I believe, that the lion there.
It's typical of our enemy Satan.
What a solemn faith, unless mine could be delivered to the lions, and it was by the Lord.
And I trust that we may not get into a simpler circumstance where the Lord has to allow the enemy Satan to do some work with us.
Because this is a solemn thing, but sometimes that's the only way the Lord has of teaching us the lessons, and I promise that we might be very, very tender in our consciences.
And that we might take heed to our ways according to the words. We must remember that the word of God is not some magic thing, that if I simply read it, it's going to do something magic in my life. No, the word says Take heed according to your way, that is according to the word. Take heed unto thy way according to the Word. That's what we have in that ninth verse of Psalm 119.
For a contrast between this man of God and the apostle Paul. He could say I was delivered out of the mouth of the line. He was a man of obedience and dependence upon the Lord. And the man in the 13th chapter, First Kings, he was put to two tests. One was a worldly test. The king invited him to go home with him. He said, not me. I've had my word in the Lord. I'm not coming home with you.
And then align prophets and I'm a prophetess now. So now he brings the man of God down his own level to the product level. He told the man of God, not a problem. And the lion prophet says I am a prophetess hour. And the Angel spake as the me and said invite him towards your house.
Now he fails under a religious test. How careful we have to be about religious tests.
Might resolve for one moment to the question of the word of God.
We read in Matthew for first of all in Psalm 12.
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That the words of the law are pure words.
There is an insidious attack from the word of God, beloved, in these days.
Satan hates Christ and he hates the word of God.
And so we are feeling this, but says here the words of the Lord are pure words.
That is to say that every jot and title of the word of God are imperishable. Now we say that having spent years on the question beloved of translation of the script.
Over in Matthew 5 we read in verse.
18 of Chapter 5.
More vividly I say unto you, Till heaven and earth has one God. Well, you know, that's just a Greek word, John, or one title, and that's a simple Hebrew word.
Shall in no wise pass from the law.
The law, the law. Fulfill.
And these days, beloved, when they are direct attacks upon the precious word of God, we do remember that in these writings Are God free? I was talking to a young professor on this wise, and I was extremely saddened to hear the explanation that he gave a certain scripture. He was just a natural man.
Natural man, he didn't understand. But we do remember, beloved, that every job and every ticket.
These are imperative and not only so.
The doctrines of this message book are complete, are complete, and another little word in 10 is perfect. It's perfect so that the words of the Lord are pure wealth. I just mentioned that because of that word of adultery, the adulterated word is very prevalent.
But here we have the unadulterated word of God. Beloved, we believe this book from cover to cover.
We certainly should if we don't.
Heaven on earth she'll pass away, but my word shall not pass away.
Forever alone, Thy word is settled in heaven. Well, excuse this I just mentioned because there are some university folk here who are playing continually, even as I was as a young man, with the question of the inspired word of God. Oh, may we hold to love.
This is the word of the living God.
Do enough an example of that Brother Smith in Jeremiah 8 and verse 9.
The wise men are ashamed.
They are dismayed and taken.
Below they have rejected the word of the Lord and what wisdom is in them.
How differently, Apostle Paul, you just mentioned there, here, Mayor Firefox, those wise men and the 2nd Epistle of Corinthians, chapter 2 and verse 17. Paul said for we are not as many which corrupt the word of God. I believe that's really I am to adulterate this because of this.
The Word of God.
But as necessarily, but as of God, in the sight of God beat me in Christ, then, then the and the 4th chapter and second verse, right, but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty or shame, not walking through craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully.
My manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God, one can twist the word of God and produce the meanings to suit their own purpose, perhaps to make themselves popular.
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And to.
Lead others astray. Well, Paul went right after the contest. He took the pure word of God, unadulterated, and he gave it in all its forcing power to the souls of those to whom he addressed the Word, so that he says by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
That is, he didn't use the word of God just to please the intellect of man, but he used it to reach the conscience of every man. And that is not only sinners, but God's people. For sometimes we can get into a careless way and try.
To use the word to to fit in with the wrong course, we want to take instead of letting it speak in its solemn message.
It was a conscience. Well, there was number other servant that God ever had that.
Use the word with such power to the consciences of men as the apostle Paul, for in the next verse he says, But if our gospel be hid or veiled, it is veiled to them that are lost. That is that the message of the apostle Paul, who only sought to reach the conscience.
Was rejected. It showed that those who refused it.
Were people that are spoken of as lost?
To fail the truth from their eyes.
There was 0 I'm sure, a service who was so faithful and always seeking to reach the conscience in his ministry with the word of God.
In his last epistle.
The Apostle Paul anticipating these last days we're living in. In the last days, difficult times come and they're here now.
And to this young Timothy that he loved so dearly.
He writes in chapter 2, verse 15. Most people can quote this verse and let us consider it.
Strive diligently in the other translation. Now strive diligently to present Thyself at the individual approved unto not your brethren, but unto God.
A Workman that needeth not to be ashamed.
Cutting in a straight line, the word of truth.
When my wife lays the goods on the carpet and the pattern and pin to it and takes the scissors and travels around that line, she is to follow the pattern with a straight line, as it were.
And what our Father read in first in First, Second Corinthians 217 and 422 wonderful verses that bring this thing character out, strive diligently to show ourselves.
Approved unto God. That's the servant's business, and some of us know it, But we would love to be more faithful than doing it now, in keeping with this same truth.
In chapter 3 in Second Timothy verse 14 continue.
Thou that's individual in the things which thou hast learned.
And in chapter 4.
Verse 2.
Proclaim the word.
And even recruit and rebuke.
And long, so long-suffering and doctrine, for the time will come, And it has come now, brethren, When they will not endure, they'll not bear.
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Sound Doctrine.
If it's put forth, oftentimes all that legality, no obedience to the word of God is not legality.
For the time of come, when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts shall they heat to themselves teachers having itching ears.
Teachers having itching ears.
Fingerprint and they shall turn away their ears from the truth.
Picking off the Galaxy?
Business to flash in office that would rise up and say, well, that's actually gallery.
What if God says this is what we should do, and we shouldn't do that, but remember, we have the born of God.
That wants to please God as much as the Lord Jesus Christ himself please God. That's the kind of an issue we had.
And let's not forget.
What it says here is so be he have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
How do I taste that? Well, I see my own wretchedness.
And how good the Lord has been for me to die, for me to shed His precious blood, for me to pay all my debt, to give me a new life, to bless me with all spiritual blessings in the happiness in Christ I give You, servant Thee. And yet God has done it all for me. That's great. Well, I'm sure that we have not sounded the depths of grace.
And this is what we need to do. And surely kind of our growth is to grow in grace. This is what Peter speaks of in his last, last the crystal growing grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We need to grow in grace and also in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Well, this is not legality and the more we grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord.
The more our lives will be transformed and we will be more like Christ. Would you allow Brother Anderson also in that third verse? But this is a conscience for the word, for the conscience of the unsafe, and how we would love to see this morning if there were one or more unsaved in the room.
They realized that Peter is speaking here, or God is speaking through Peter to the conscience of the unsaved.
Have you really tasted that the Lord is gracious? Are there those here this morning who've never known what it is to have their sins put away? I believe that's included in this, is it not?
Have you ever had the thought?
When you've failed, now this is for the children of God. Have you ever had the thought? When you have failed, you've sinned against the law.
The thought is now I have to do something to make up for that. Now I have to do something to to to offset this thing that I have done.
Well, that's a legal thought. And this is not tasting. That's the largest gracious if we sin, we have the simple word that God gives us. If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
I don't deserve to be forgiven, but the Lord graciously forgives. I don't marry, but He shows me that favor, and He forgives me. Well, I have to be cast upon the grace of the Lord. I think Peter was He had failed, and no doubt this is what He has in mind, at least one thing when he's speaking here, when he says this, if so be He had hastened that the Lord is gracious, Isn't He telling us?
I tasted that the Lord is gracious.
All how I sit against the Lord, but he's forgiven me everything and this is what we have to do. Task ourselves upon the grace of the Lord and own before him. We have sinned and we'll take that same graciousness, my honest.
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You notice Brother Anderson had assumed that as the Lord had publicly restored Peter in the presence there at the Sea of Galilee.
And going right down to the root of his failure, and that was self-confidence. The next thing the Lord says is follow me. And none of this really is a path, isn't it? When the matter has been thoroughly judged, the root of it has been judged in the Lord Christ.
Then instead of, as you say, trying to do something to offset that and getting into a legal state, the next thing is to follow me as the Lord says. And then Peter looking around, he sees John and he says, and Lord. And what shall this man do? The Lord says, what is that to leave? Follow thou me instead of getting our eyes on someone else. How well, brother, so and so is following the Lord, or whether no he is calling the Lord. That's very careful and wonderful that we're following the Lord ourselves.
The Lord will take care of other matters that are coming before us.
Much is being said about the heart of God, and not too much either. I was thinking of the words of Samuel to King Saul in the 9th chapter of First Samuel. He said, But stand thou still a while. The last verse of nice chapter stand there still a while, but I may show these.
Word of God.
Now a few verses in connection with this. The 15th chapter, first Samuel, verse 24.
Now we'll see the end, the solemn end of this. And Saul said, Understand you, I have sinned, I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and thy words, because I fear the people and raise their voice.
Verse 26 And Samuel said on the soul, I will not return with thee, for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.
Now the 26th chapter.
And verse 21.
Then said Saul, I have sinned. Return my son, David. I will no more do the harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes. This day, behold, I have played the fool and have earned exceedingly.
Then the final verse of chapter 28, verse 4.
Let's and so on to his arm of error draw thy sword. And thus Reef thrust me through there with lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through an abuse me but his armor bear would not, for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword and fell upon it. He committed suicide. How did it all stop? He rejected the word of the Lord. That was the sad beginning.
Is on a solid picture for those who reject the word of the Lord.
You'll have been what we've been over. That's all leading up to the.
Verse, that is, the are instructed in a way that brings us into a state of soul where we can be taught.
About the truth and connection with the Temple of God, the House of God, or connected with the Church of God. So our walk and behavior comes first before.
Doctrinal truth is introduced.
And that we have introduced in this way to whom coming as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but children of God and precious ye also have life is really living stones are built up a spiritual house.
And only priesthood to OfferUp spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ, I suppose, to whom coming as more a Saint of God, although of course the Sinner is told to come to the Savior. Jesus says come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, but now the thoughts especially is coming to the Lord.
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As that living stone.
He spoke to Peter about in the 16th chapter of Matthew after Peters confession. Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. The Lord says to Peter, Blessed art thou Simon Barjona, or flakes, and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say unto thee, that thou art eaters, That's a little stone. And upon this rock I will build my church.
It's just as much as all the Lord says, Peter. You're a little stone. But I'm the bedrock upon which the Church of God is to be built, in which the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Well, Peter understood the meaning of the Lord's word perfectly.
For he says. To whom coming? He doesn't say coming to me, but to this one who has been so gracious to us.
As our Lord and Savior, now we come to Him as that living stone.
And then, as Living Stones, he goes on with the subject. We're built up a spiritual house.
Often we should come to him, brother.
That very special negotiations are often we should come to him once a week, once a month, when I believe there should be a daily practice, our exercise and desire to be in his presence daily, to receive the blessing and the correction that we needed.
After whom come?
So they're part of the the thought here is coming to Christ really as the gathering Center for his people. That is really the thought. And you notice the importance Leader makes of that word living.
In his Confession Thou art the Christ, the Son of a living God.
I'll either never forgot that word. The living God now He is He finds that the very light that we see in Christ is the light that we possess ourselves. If He's the living stone, we are the living stones, the same light that we see on that blessed one who tub the weary pathway of this simple world.
The very light that we possess now through grace and that blessed one wonderful amazing truth, isn't it that we should have the very light, the very nature of the Lord Jesus himself?
Let us not forget, though, that the old life, the old nature, is still there and has to be continually judged if that new life is to manifest itself in our daily walking ways.
There's nothing to try the back.
The place, the burden to whom we should come.
Then we find in verse five doing not display should be characterized by worship.
The fifth verse and we find its own in divine order because we get worship in verse 5 and service in verse 9.
But sometimes we hear so much about service and very little about worship. But this in perfect divine order. Here in verse five, ye also has life. Your living stones are built up a spiritual Paris and holy priesthood to OfferUp spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. That's showing me worship in verse 10 speaks of service.
But we are a chosen generation of royal priesthood and culmination of peculiar people, that he should OfferUp no show for show forth the praise is or virtues of him hath called you out of darkness into his mouth.
I do believe it's so important to note because so many people all talking about service today, but very little about worship. We have the same truth brought out in the 13th chapter of Hebrews.
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In the same order.
Verse 15 By him same person. Therefore let us half of the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his names as worship. The next verse is service, I believe, but to do good and to communicate, forget love, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
And we have the very same order in the first four books of the Bible. In Genesis we have sin comes in, Man's a failure is sin. In Exodus we have the fall of redemption brought in. In Leviticus we find man worshipping for the numbers he's serving. So it's all in perfect order.
Your remark, brother Barry made me think of that verse. As he is, so are we in this world.
Well, that's a very important truth that has to do with our standing, beloved, reform God that we do stand. And it's a truth that we seek to get to the younger Christians among the Latin, that we do stand before God in all the perfection of Christ. There's not one spot, not one state. That's our standing. That's our position as He is.
So are we in this world now? I remember a young man, he was in trouble about that, and when we we repeated that verse he got light and of course has gone on ever since, for which we praise the Lord.
Our standing, beloved is in all the perfection of Christ. Our state varies, of course, according to communion.
Go keeping shortcuts.
Sometimes the we get mixed up between the standing of the believer and the state. I just mentioned that by the way in case there's a young Christian here who is in difficulty about that. Our brother Barry mentioned about living stone that the Christ the son of the living God and here we are living stones before God in all the perfection of Christ. It's a wonderful truth.
How?
Or rather, not twice saying what you brought before Timothy the.
House is a great house, and it may include that which is spurious, but here it's something like we have in the third chapter of Hebrews a son over his own house.
And so it's it's being built. That is, it's not yet complete. It's complete in the councils of God. But I believe the word here should be being built, being built, so that when the house is finished, it will be the habitation of God. And of course, now on the earth, the Spirit of God has made his habitation in the assembly, which is a different thought perhaps, but.
Still, we have here that which is composed of living stones. Everything's good in this house. It's being built.
It's a growing temple.
In Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 21. Just a moment they might look at it because of the following verse also.
In keeping with what you said, brother.
Ephesians.
Chapter 2.
Verse 20 says.
And being built upon the foundation.
Of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone. Now that's in keeping with our chapter of half. Now we get the temple in verse 21 which is growing.
In whom all?
The building fit the frame together grow us, it grows until an holy temple in the Lord, soon to be completed. In the meantime, verse 22, in whom ye also are billed together for an habitation of God through the Spirit, the Holy Spirit indwelling the believers as we travel through the wilderness.
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Until all are brought in, the temple is completed. Now another thought. I'd like to go back to what?
Our brother, Gladding was emphasizing.
The order in our chapter as well as other places in the Word of God God's mind does definitely give us.
The importance of worship.
The Father Seeketh worshippers. He produces them by giving the Lord Jesus Christ.
As the object of worship because what he has done in manifesting God's love and grace to us in salvation.
But the the believer is then.
One his heart won and his heart filled, yes, with worship. And that is so important it is related to communion. The burnt offering and the peace offering are very much related so that.
We must remember God's mind gives these things the first place.
As brother said, we sometimes.
Put service before worship and communion. But our chapter definitely gives us this spiritual house and holy priesthood before it gives us the royal priesthood. That is these excellent things going out to others.
Brethren, I have heard in letters and utterances of godly Brethren much of the late years of a danger that lies before us, of neglecting the most important thing, the Lord Jesus wants us to draw near to himself. God wants us as God the Father to God nearer to himself, and we seem to be.
Slow at learning this lesson and practicing it. I know. So is myself.
In the gospel of excuse me, but to give the Lord the 1St place rather than serve as the first place. It is a sad state of soul.
When I have been become so occupied with service that I discover a condemning heart because of the lack of communion. Now I know this by experience and some of you know what I'm talking about.
In the Gospel of John chapter 10 and verse 9, the Lord gives us, just in one verse, the art of the things that we've been here.
The Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse nine. I am the door by me If any man answer in ye shall be saved that salvation isn't he. And then you know that the others are pressure that is just in one word and shall go in. I believe this would need to go into the presence of God.
And out has to go out for service and find pasture. So it is very precious to see the Oren just in one word, salvation.
And then by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus going to the presence of God, as we have in the 10 of Hebrew, to be in His presence, and then to go out to serve the Lord himself, I believe, expressed that in the selection of those who we call the 12.
It says among his disciples he sold 12 That they should be with him and that he might send them forth to preach. I like that they should be with him, and that he might send, of course, the priests. Again, I think it's in Second Chronicles 29.
King Hezekiah in endeavoring this evening restored, he said. Now, therefore, my brethren, be not found negligence, for the Lord hath chosen you to stand before him and to serve him. So I think, although the order is very, very important, that not to be forgotten, it's also very noticeable how the two are brought together without any interval between them. Stand before him and to serve him.
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They should be with him, and then he should send them out. And I think it would be perhaps a vain thing to lay great claim to correctness of worship and be totally indifferent to service. I just mentioned that side of it, for I believe the order is significantly repeated, both the old and the new technical God-given order, But both rock together, the one being, Perhaps we might invade the normal results.
Our time is up forever. Continue verse 11 if you gave.
To stand before him, to serve him, and that ye should minister unto him and.
Bird incense. That's worship, is it not?
99.