Reading
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
On with the portion that we had.
In first Peter chapter 2, there's a great deal in that second chapter that we probably won't even be able to touch.
Before we do, I'd like to read one scripture in the book of Acts.
Second chapter of Acts.
In verse 42.
The beginning of the Assembly of God, and they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine.
And fellowship.
And in breaking of bread and in prayer.
But first, should we begin with?
Coming up, Chad, there's five that start there, verse 5.
Second Peter or First Peter rather the second chapter beginning with verse 5.
He also has lively stones or build up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to OfferUp spiritual sacrifices to God.
By Jesus Christ, wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture. Behold, I lay in Zion the chief cornerstone he left precious.
He that believeth on him shall not be confounded unto you therefore which believe he is precious.
But unto them which we did disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same has made the head of the coroner and a stone of stumbling.
And a rock of offense even to them which stumble at the word being disobedient, where 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 passed were not a people, but are now the people of God.
Which should not obtain mercy, but now have obtained mercy, dearly beloved.
I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstained from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.
Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles, that even whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man, for the Lord's sake, whether it be to the King and Supreme.
Or under governors as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so does the will of God, that with well doing he may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men as free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants 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.
This is thank worthy if a man for conscience sake for conscience toward God.
Endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, you 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 hereunto where ye called, because Christ also suffered for us.
Leaving us an example that she should follow his steps.
Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again. When he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judges the righteously.
Who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree, And we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness, by whose stripes ye were healed, for ye were a sheep going astray, but now are returned under the shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
Yesterday our brother quoted a verse from the 4th chapter, the 8th person. I'd like to read it again.
And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves, for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
00:05:05
We often ask, how do we do that? When I was in school, I had to read a story by French writer philosopher Baudelaire. And the story was about the woman who got a glass fitter to come up and put windows in her apartment, and she scolded him because he had no pink glass when she looked out at all the misery in Paris. And I think sometimes we feel that that's what that verse means, is to put pink glass in our windows or to put.
A sheet up so that we don't see a thing, but I think in the last chapter of James we get some help as to how we can cover a multitude of sins.
We turn to the last just across the page in your Bible in mind, James Chapter 4, the same expression as you or the last chapter James rather the same expression is used.
And verse 19 Brethren, if any of you do air from the truth, and one convert him, let him know that he which converteth the Sinner from the air of his way, shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. One young man went to another young man about a bad habit that he had, and with tears brought before him the seriousness of it. And he recovered that young man from that bad habit, I believe, by his entreaties. And not only he was saved from it, but his children were saved from it. As the man grew older and had children in his own household, was saved from it, A multitude of sins were covered by the love that saw one airing.
And he went to him. It's not covering things up, so to speak. There is a sense in which we shouldn't uncover the nakedness of our Father and look at the faults of our Father, and that's a very serious thing too.
I believe that we can do enormous harm to our children by uncovering the nakedness of our brethren and showing their faults to them.
But we do see here that the way to if you see something developing in another in me is to come in love. And you know, it may turn an entire course of a life and it takes love to do that.
I just wanted to point that out. There's one other thing perhaps you might notice as we start to read this with Peter, who it's addressed who It's always good to see who the letter is addressed to, and it says to the strangers that are scattered throughout Pontius, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Athenia. These were Jews, and they had a whole host of promises and expectations before them that were now set aside in Christianity.
They had an earthly temple where they could go up to Jerusalem, and even in Paul's heart, the desire to go up there was very strong.
They had Abraham for their father. They had promises of earthly blessing.
And I might say in Christianity, none of our blessings are earthly. We have mercies. We enjoy cars, we enjoy good food, but these are not. We enjoy good health, these are mercies of the Lord. But these are not our blessings. All our blessings are in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. And so a St. may become quite sick or even die. And to think that's a blessing.
Because all things are yours, but our blessings are in heavenly places, what we enjoy in this earth, our mercies. And so Peter in this epistle is really trying to show to them that they had Abraham for their father, but now they have a heavenly father. He had a temple in Jerusalem, but now they have a temple that was not built as Solomon's temple. And each one of those stones were taken out of the bowel of the earth perfectly like the chief cornerstone, perfectly trimmed to be fit into place and the bowels of the earth. There wasn't a hammer heard on the side of the construction site.
Where the Solomon's Temple was built and this temple that we're seeing now, these stones were taken out and fitted by God, perfectly fitted by God himself to fit into that temple. Well, now we have, you see, in Peter we had a they had an earthly hope. But now we have a heavenly hope that's kept for us, reserved for us in the heavens, that cannot be corrupted. So you see, the whole character of Peter's epistle was to turn their hearts from what was earthly to that which was heavenly. And we need that.
The house in verse 5 is a spiritual house, and I think it is important to realize in Christianity that everything we have is spiritual. It's not, as it was in Judaism, visible to the human eye. It's spiritual, and sometimes people may come into our meetings and look around. What is this? What do you have? Who's the leader? Why things in Christianity are not visible? The.
00:10:08
Attraction in Christianity.
Is the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. It must be that way. There is nothing else. If there's something else that attracts us, the nice people that are here or the brother that can preach so well, Brethren, that's not Christianity. Christianity is Christ himself. It must be the central thing in Christianity. That's why it's a spiritual thing. It's a spiritual house now. It is a real thing.
There is a real house where God dwells in this earth by His spirit.
And but it's a spiritual house. It's not a physical thing like they had in Judaism. But going on to verse 6, because I think we touched mainly on verse 5 the other day, we have the question of the cornerstone. I noticed Mr. Darby's translation in chief is not there because there is only one cornerstone. It's just one and it's the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And perhaps we don't build in that way today, buildings, but in the old times they used to first of all lay a stone right at the corner of the building that was to be built, and then all measurements were to be taken from that stone. How long was this building from that stone? How high was it from that stone they measured?
How wide was it from that stone? I understand it. Even diagonals were taken from that stone. That was the reference point in connection with the building and brethren. I think this is a very important thing for us to think about in connection with the truth of God is that the Lord Jesus Christ himself is the reference point. How often?
We tend to think in other.
Ways. We tend to think, how does it affect me or maybe my family? And that's why we get diversity of feeling because we have other points of reference in connection with this truth of the Church. We must get back to the truth that he is the reference point and I must say rather than in connection with the truth of gathering to the Lord's name.
I think we need to challenge ourselves at times.
We give the impression at times that we are the reference point, brethren, We are not the reference point. It must be Christ. He is the cornerstone. From him all measurements must be made. And I had somebody a couple of years ago that left fellowship with us say.
To me.
You people think you have the Lord's table. I said, sister, we don't have the Lord's table, the Lord has his table. But my desire is to be where the Lord has his stable. But I think it's so important, brethren, to challenge ourselves and when we present the truth of God, to present it with Christ.
As the reference point was talking before the meeting about the disciples that came to the Lord and said.
We saw one casting out devils in thy name, and we forbade him.
Because he follows not.
Us, us was the reference point and the Lord Jesus said don't forbid him.
Or if he speaks.
I forget what it how it goes for us. He's not against us.
But brother, and I think it shows the natural tendency of our hearts, And I have to confess, brethren, my heart naturally is sectarian. I like to look at a group of brethren around myself that think the way I do. But brethren, we need to challenge ourselves constantly that the truth of God, that the reference point the the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:15:05
He is the cornerstone.
When the Lord Jesus here on earth at the time of the.
Crucifixion just before it. On the same night which he was betrayed, the disciples came to him said, Where will thou if we have that in our heart? As you've said, Bob, we're not going to miss the past. Where wilt thou have us prepared?
And if the Lord guides Peter, and John gives them direction, he's able to guide each one of us, and he will not guide us in division, brethren. But I want to say a word to brethren as to being a help to those who are coming along and learning the truth of God.
We do best to give them the principles of the word of God, clearly if I say to a brother.
Or a sister, a young person. This is the right place. Right here, this is the right place.
I am giving them a reference point outside of the Scriptures to act on, and that is not faith. They may act on what I say, but that is not a firm foundation for their faith. If they are going to be settled and grounded, they need to have the principles of the Word of God put clearly before them and in acting on that they will not come by the direction of the Spirit to a diverse.
Conclusion if they are truly guided by that one spirit.
But I think it is important that we make that the reference point. Remember Morris Ayersmann when I was a young person and it was Oak Park then saying to a group of us young brothers, He says. I can't tell you where the place is. The right place is if it were, if I believed it were anywhere else, I would not be here. But I can't tell you that you have to go to the Lord.
And get it from His word too. But if you are guided by that same spirit, you're going to find that we will be gathered together in one.
There seems to be a thought amongst many that.
The Spirit of God is going to lead us in a certain way. But let me say this, that the Spirit of God never has, never will lead apart from the Word of God. If somebody says this, the Spirit has led me to do this, and it's denied in the Word of God. You can be rest assured that you're not being led by the Spirit. The Spirit of God never has and never will lead us contrary to the Word of God. Never.
In relation to.
This there's a beautiful and well known expression. It was some advice that was given.
2000 years ago, when there was a lack of what we see in scripture was symbolized as joy. And they wanted joy, they wanted the wine, they'd run out of it. And there was a very beautiful piece of advice that was given whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
Kind of lovely to see down to verse 10.
Of our chapter, it's what God is doing has done. And so we have spoken about the assembly in its gathered aspect. In that aspect there are sheep of Christ who are scattered and not identified with it. But that's not the aspect that Peter is taking up here. It's the work of God and his brother Neil was bringing out. It is important to see and Peter.
The Apostle is referring an analogy or contrast. It's very similar to Hebrews to what they were acquainted with in the Old Testament. And there the temple that was reared was reared out of query.
And it wasn't a living stone, but these are living stones. And so Peter begins his epistle.
He that referring to Jews, he says you were born again. Well, what had happened was in I think it's probably around Ezekiel 16 or so.
00:20:11
The Lord had taken them up, found them in the field, wallowing in their.
Blood in the day of their nativity. And he washed them, and he swaddled them, and he cleansed them, and he and he says to them twice their live, live.
Well, they were brought into a relationship in a certain way of having life before God. And then he adorns them as a beautiful woman and she goes out and corrupts herself. And Paul says, I, you know, I was alive without the law once. I think it's an expression that would communicate to us there is a day of responsibility.
Accountability.
Well Paul was born under the law and he was circumcised the 8th day. But there came a day in his life and he felt pretty good about himself. Live, live he thought he was living but the law came and it said you can't lust or covet and it says same revive and I die. So the commandment which was ordained to life instead of.
Allowing the him to live as a.
I was born a Jew. He died, so the prodigal son.
He says to his father, Father, give me my living. He represents Israel as a nation as they came out of the wilderness of sin into the wilderness of Sinai. And the boy says, well, you just tell me, you give me my living and I'll do it. And what had happened to him? He died. He ended up dead, the son which was dead well.
Fear is using these analogies now, he says. Not only are you born again, but not as simply as you, but you're born of incorruptible seed. And then he says, and God has begotten us again.
Not to a hope that rested upon the keeping of the law, Mount Sinai, but a living hope. And God has accomplished this. This is what we are. It's not what we should be.
This is what we are beginning in verse 11 you get what we should be.
In answer to what we are. And I just say they sing because we don't want to confound things and unless we know what we are, we're going to do a very poor job of trying to be that. And we're answering to it in our lives. But this is what we are, brethren. We we are living stones. And Christ is precious. It isn't that he should be precious to us. He is precious to us because we've been begotten of the word of God.
And so let us, as we consider this, other builders. They disallowed him. But Peter is saying to these You didn't disallow him. And this is the result of your not disallowing him. You've become a living stone in the temple of God, and the gathering truth is important and precious, But there are scattered sheep, but there are no scattered stones in this temple. And you know the Lord said.
Owning that rebuilt temple is God's health, he said. Not one of these stones is going to be left upon another, but Peter said. But I want you to know, though that happened, you're in a temple now that there's not going to be 1 stone removed. And let's enjoy these precious things as living realities because it's the only way we can live.
That's so precious to say.
And just to continue a little bit on that thought and connection with the Jews that were brought into, I just want to get your phrase. The thought of your phrase is sort of living relationship with God. But that's why later in Ezekiel he said he was going to replace her Stony heart with a heart of flesh. And that's why the Lord said to Nicodemus, we often hear about born again Christians. But he said that to a master of Israel, he said art thou master of Israel and knowest not these things that a man needed to be born again. He couldn't see the Kingdom of God. He couldn't enter the Kingdom of God.
He needed a new life. And so we were Gentiles. It speaks of us in Ephesians is being quickened. It's the same thought. It's giving life. But we were never in any kind of our living relationship with God. We were without hope and without God in the world. But we were made, we were quickened, we were made alive. And we're lively stones And as you say there are no scattered stones in this temple. And so and just to I don't want to be pedantic, but just to illustrate this point it's so important young people to get a hold of the fact that every exhortation and Christianity.
00:25:30
Flows from where God has placed us. Christianity has become a religion of do to get. When I was young, I went to some Bible readings and they started in the 6th chapter of Ephesians and worked towards the first because they didn't understand that where God has placed us, we're seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. If I may use this illustration, there are sisters here. I have a sister, I have a mother, I have a wife. A man may have a daughter, he may have a sister. In the Lord, they're all women. But if he doesn't know the relationship into which he's been brought, how is he going to know how to conduct himself?
We know where God has placed us and what God has done. As you say, then we're not going to know how to conduct ourselves properly in that relationship. And the trouble with many Christians is that they don't even really know what relationship into which they've been brought. And it tells and what they sing and the way that they speak and even the way they refer to to God and so on. But we've come to know God as Father, and we've come to know each other as brethren. We've been brought into a family.
And these things are vital because there's no point in exhorting unless we really lay hold of where God has placed us.
I'd like to connect to.
5th verse and the ninth verse.
In the fifth verse were a holy priesthood.
To OfferUp spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
And every single child of God that knows the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and it doesn't make any difference whether he's 10 years old or 90 years old, is a holy priest and has the privilege to go into God.
With praise and Thanksgiving. I don't mean by that to say that he should get up and admonish the assembly and he's 10 years old, but he's still a holy priest. And the holy priest has the privilege and the opportunity to enter into God's very presence with his sacrifices of praise. And with with that in mind, if a person who is a Christian does not understand that, he has the privilege to come into God's presence with praise and worship.
Then the ninth verse is very difficult to come into effect. If we've been in God's presence with our praise and our worship, then we can go out from that presence as royal priests. And that's with a testimony. That's a testimony to where the Lord is, and not only where He is, but who He is. And so those 2GO together. But first of all, we must come into His presence as worshippers, and then we can go out as those that bear a testimony to His great name.
For their imbo, I enjoyed what a brother said to me who hasn't been saved that long and wasn't gathered that long.
He isn't in our own assembly. A brother from that assembly is here. But he said to me, Brother Neil, he said, I've been at a place where really I haven't been able to exercise my priesthood. He said, I hope the brethren are patient with me and it's very sweet and moving to hear him just exercise his priesthood. And he realized he was always a priest, but he was in a place where he couldn't exercise that. And so, but it is a holy priest and there is a character to us that fits us.
As priests, and if we go on with the pollutions of the world, that's a practical side of it. That's our standing. We are holy priests and we need to act like it. But if we defile ourselves and really our character renders us unsuitable to exercise our priesthood. I realize I'm bringing in the practical aspect of it, but it's founded on what we are. We are holy priests.
That was brought up Saturday in regard to Hebrews 13, verse 15.
Let us offer the praise unto God continually, which is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. Well, you know there's the fruit of the heart too. And at any moment in your life, in your school, at your work on the highway, it doesn't make any difference. You can lift a note of praise continually. And I believe that this fifth verse holy priesthood.
00:30:07
You really exercise our priesthood in praise and adoration, but also in prayer, don't we? It's interesting in Revelation 5 where you see the the priestly company above we've been made kings and priests or a Kingdom of priests, But it is they had these bowls of odors and they are the prayers of Saints, and so every time we mention that precious name of Jesus brethren.
It is a sweet savor to God, whether it be in praise or whether it be in prayer. That is priestly activity. And like you say, brother imbo, it's not merely when we are together in public meetings. That is one place.
But it is at all times our privilege to enter in and even though in large sectors of christen them they prohibit women from occupying a public place of priesthood, women are priests just as much as men are. And that's why in praising, even in our public meetings, the women sing. Otherwise they are told to be silent.
But they sang, and I think it is because they are priests as well as the men. They do not take the lead, but they sing, and it is a precious privilege to come into God's presence. Think of it. I sometimes think when at home in my own prayers, they get down to pray on my knees to think, to meditate a bit. Whose presence am I coming into?
The presence of the God of the universe. Somebody has said it's the throne room of the universe from where the whole universe is controlled. That's where I'm presenting myself and I can come with boldness. I'm exhorted to come with boldness.
Because of who he is. Because of who the Lord Jesus is. Because of the work he has done.
Otherwise, we might have reticence to come brethren. But oh, the privilege of coming into that place. I can't go into the White House to talk to the president very easily.
It might take quite a while for me to get in there, but I can come at any time, day or night, into the presence of the God of the universe, who is my father.
And relationship to Peter's addressing these remarks to the.
Jews that have been brought into blessing and Christianity.
Sanctified under the obedience and strengthening of blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
They not only were told that they were kingly or royal priests, their holy nation.
The Lord Caiaphas set its expedient, that one man died for the nation, that the nation perished not.
When the Lord Jesus Christ mentioned in Matthew 16 the commencement of the Church of God.
His remarks couched in such a way as to include the whole council of God.
So that when he set the gates of hell, shall not prevail against it.
The gates of hell prevailed against the First Nation.
And they went into idolatry. And Peter refers to them here as having not been my people, because that's the judgment that God pronounced upon them in the book of Hosea. Well, Jesus Christ became the minister of the circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the promises of the Father's Romans 15 and 8. And so now, based on the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, they have been brought into an intimate relationship.
But God is their father in Christianity. But it also is going to project in that future time when that nation is going to be restored and they're going to receive mercy again in that same portion in Hosea where they were declared not my nation, it was also declared there was no mercy. But now there is mercy based on the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. And there is an Israel of God. There are the first trusters, those who trust Christ now before the.
00:35:15
Blessing is made good to the nation.
Every purpose of God is going to be fulfilled because the Lord Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of all of God's blessing. In him, all the promises of God are ye and Amen. And so the nation is going to be not only restored, but instead of the tail it's going to be the head of nations. And out of that nation all the earth is going to be blessed. And so we have them not only as a royal priesthood, but a holy nation.
People or a possession that they might set forth excellencies of him who has called us out of darkness into his wonderful life. This is true of us as Christians. That's true. We're here as believers now, and we are to show forth these excellencies. But it's going to be true of the nation too in the coming day.
We've gone. It's precious to see that, you know, it's a quote from the Old Testament, but such a contrast in Exodus 19.
In it says in the third month when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai, that they had spent three months in the wilderness of sin under the grace of God. And then he says to them.
I'm going to make you this holy nation.
Any down in verse 5. Now therefore, if he will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant.
Then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people, for all the earth is mine, and ye shall be unto me a Kingdom of priests, and an holy nation well.
They had a decision to make. If we're that's God thoughts about us. Are we going to stay under grace or are we going to take this responsibility upon ourselves. And they said give me my living, you just tell us what we want to do. We'll do it and we'll live. Well, we know that it ended up they lost the nation. They did. They are not the nation of God now. But here Peter is saying now God had those secret counsels of grace. He says the secret thing.
Belonging to the Lord thy God. And he knew he would have to take this people up to make them this in mercy. And so Paul says that we're going to partake of the Gentiles mercy. We're going to come in the same way the Gentiles had to come in not by earning a right to be the nation of God, a peculiar people, but by sovereign mercy and grace toward us. And that's what's so precious.
Because we come in to it, Paul speaks of being an able minister of the New Covenant.
That is these things while especially true of the Israel of God and God of Israel.
We come into it in principle, and so these things are true of us. And let our hearts be established in grace, the tendency of our heart. You sin against the Lord and you say, Lords, done with me, takes away all praise out of your heart. Well confess that sin, and accept the forgiveness that he says you have if we confess our sins.
His faithful and just to forgive us our sins.
And don't let this don't damn up this slow praise that comes from this temple. It's a natural thing. That's why you get the little word let. And so often in Christianity it isn't something that we're going to try to do. Just open the door and let it be. This is what we are. And let this praise come forth to the Lord Jesus. He is so worthy and it and we we are the object.
I don't remember which one was talking about for the father thing to do going into the president's presence. Well, I suppose he has a son, I don't know. But he has a son. That son doesn't worry about going into the president's presence. And that's what we are gathering. We are holy brethren, and we have access. That's why we can come boldly, because we're living stones, we're holy bread, and we're partakers of the divine nature.
00:40:19
There's nothing about that that should cause our hearts fear to come into the presence of the one who is begotten us.
But sin takes that confidence away, and sin takes that joy away, and that's why we won't get to it. But down in verse 11, Peter says, well, you've got to treasure this now and preserve it in reality in our lives.
You wouldn't want to walk into this office.
Even if he was here, he'd want to be suitable to that. And that's really the point. The other point I was thinking is you're reading Exodus 19 is the tendency of our hearts to put ourselves under law. And we say, well, what's wrong with doing this or what's wrong with doing that? And we want a little code of behavior. And really it's a different thing. We have a life that desires to please the Lord. And as you say, let I mentioned this before, and it's not to get off on the question of versions of the Bible, but I read the Bible with a fellow at lunch at work, and he read a modern version of the Bible. It's very commonly used in Christendom, and I noticed that every time.
Can we find the word let in Scripture? Put it should. And so they don't understand a divine nature and activity. It's let this mind be in you, which is in Christ Jesus. And the law said you should do this and you should do that. And dear young people, if you go to your dad and you say, well, what's wrong with doing this and what's wrong with doing that, you're probably going to get a legal answer. But if you get down and you ask the Lord, do you ask your parents? You ask an older brother, what would the Lord? What would be pleasing to the Lord in this situation? You're not going to get a legal answer.
But if we live a legal life and say, well, what's wrong with doing that, or what's wrong with going there, you're going to get a legal answer, but put yourself under grace. And grace would have us to please the Lord and to recognize that we have the privilege as it's instead of coming right into the presence of God, but not with muddy shoes on.
That's why in First John chapter one, verse seven, we have because that's communion there, and to have that communion, God has already done the work.
The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all sins. I know it's used in the gospel sense and that's good, but that's communion that's spoken of there and that's why we can come into God's presence, because His Son, the precious blood of His Son, has cleansed it from all sin.
There's another thing in connection with a royal priesthood, and it's good for us to realize that, is that the king gives, he doesn't beg. And if we don't realize that we're a royal priest, then we're always why would a king sign a petition?
We have, we have the right to go into the very why would you even speak to the president, when you can speak to the one who ordained, who gave him the authority? And so I love that the Apostle Paul the superiority not of standing there before King Agrippa and saying, I wish thou art altogether as I am.
Yet without these bonds and it gives us such power in the most miserable circumstances as we realize that we're not there to get something for ourselves or to other of our brethren or to somebody else, but to look to the Lord is how we can give something. Christianity is known not by what it looks for. Our brother was talking about looking for love, but what it gives. And so that's that's royalty. Royalty gives. It's not out begging. And so we.
It it completely takes us in a certain sense.
When we see this, our brother talked about that character of our priesthood. Is that now that's that's our character.
His royal priest in verse 7, Brethren were fasting over something that is very precious here unto you. Therefore which believe he is precious or is the preciousness? Isn't it characteristic of a true believer that he finds the Lord precious?
There's a treasure in the heart, and I think that is characteristic. If there's somebody here that does not find Jesus precious, you might ask yourself if you are a real true believer at all.
00:45:07
That I like to connect it with what we have.
In first Peter 3 and verse 15.
Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts.
Have that as a treasure, a separated treasure in your hearts.
He is precious, brother, He really is. And the more you think about him, the more you read the Gospels and see the perfection, the glory of his person, the more precious you're going to find.
Him to be to your heart, and then going on to the eighth verse, where he speaks of him as a stone of stumbling.
What does this mean?
I don't know that I understand. Perhaps some other brethren have examples or help on this, but there are those who stumble at the word being disobedient.
And I think it is important, brethren, for us to be exercised.
That when we come in contact with souls if they are going to stumble.
That they stumble over this stumbling stone and not over ourselves.
Sometimes we are stumbling stones, and that's too bad. The Lord help us to so present the person of Christ that if they are going to stumble, that they stumble over that stumbling stone and not over us.
Brother Bob, I believe that the reason that the Lord becomes a stumbling stone and why is precious to us as we consider the Lord in His blessed submission.
And we think it's just lovely we covered that spirit just to submit when we're railed on not to answer and to.
Threatened not to threaten not. And we it's precious when we consider the life of the Lord Jesus. But you talk about that to a man in the world. Submit.
Is that is that what they learn at school?
Flawlessness is the principle of it. And so why would anybody want to be like Christ? All that's taught in the world is how to get ahead ahead of who to get your own way. And so I even gave that lovely tape that her brother read Submission and Obedience and to a brother and system. And he said, you know, I listened to that to my wife and he said I we just looked at herself and I asked yourself, he said, we've been going to.
To Christian meetings. For a long time we said we've never heard such a thing. And yet we realize it's what's central to Christianity is submission and obedience. And yet we see that in the Lord and the world. Even the Christian world doesn't want that. They want to set that. He didn't come to set the world straight. He didn't come, as we were hearing, to make a name for himself. And if we want to make a name for ourselves, even as the assembly, we're going to get into trouble. But if we're just content, there's two or three gathered to his name as David's mighty men to go on with him in the pathway of rejection.
Then he's precious to us. But the world's not interested in that. All their hopes are here. They're not in heaven.
Suspension.
What comes home to my own soul so strongly is the Lord Jesus before Pilate.
Submitted to that terrible, awful travesty of justice.
You know, in today's world we we equate in democracy. Perhaps it's the way we've been taught to think, to submit is to approve of something, but that is not the case.
The Lord Jesus submitted to what was enacted by pilot, and in that submission the tremendous blessing that flows forever.
But that is not like you say what is taught in the world around it's it's standing up and don't submit. Because if you submit, you're approving of what is done. That is not right, brother. That is not right thinking.
00:50:09
Only about 10 minutes left and the most important verses in this whole chapter I believe was verses 21/22/23 and 24.
And I'm sure we can gain some spiritual help in what is here.
I'll just read them. For even here unto where ye called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps, who did no sin, neither was gile found in his mouth. But when he was reviled, reviled not again. When he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously, who his own self bear our sins.
In his own body on the tree.
That we, being death of sin, should live unto righteousness by whose stripes you were healed. I believe the Apostle ends this chapter with his most marvelous expression.
Leaving us who left us without an example, the Lord Jesus that we should follow in his steps. There never was a man on earth that was as humble as he. Never. There never was a man on this earth that submitted as Bob was just saying to all of the indignities that man could be upon him, he submitted.
What about you and me?
We hear comments made about ourselves. One recently came, my wife, myself. And the natural tendency is to say, well, it's not true, you know, and try to correct it. And this portion came over me and it was just a piece that came.
Connection with what is Christianity? Well, it can be a doctrine, it can be certain things. But it's a person, isn't it? And this is the person of Christianity and how he acted. And if I and you don't act as Christ, we're not acting according to the true character of Christianity, which is Christ. And it solves it. I may burn like that song says that while I was musing, the fire burns.
And let it burn. But it's better to burn inside than burn somebody outside. And so here.
Because Christ also suffered for.
An example that's simple. It's simple. Isn't it simple to fade?
Something really precious here that I would just suggest, and that is that in the verse that our brother was talking about a few moments ago, verse 9, the mouth is opened in praise.
But then I don't believe the mouth is opened again in the rest of the chapter.
I thought about it this way, that our testimony is much more.
Effective. If our mouth is opened in praise, and if the life backs it up and that's what we get here now, it doesn't mean there isn't an opportunity. There isn't the need to say a word. Yes, definitely. We're to be ready, always to give an answer to every man that asketh us a reason of the hope that is in US. I don't mean that we aren't to open our mouths, but it's significant in this chapter that the mouth is opened in praise.
And then the rest of the chapter is all our walk and how it speaks.
Through the bill you have that in verse 15, so nicely brought out. And to emphasize what I'm thinking, I'll misread it. For so is the will of God that with arguing he may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. That's the that's the standard of the world. If you and I have a disagreement, we're going to get into a debate, and the the one who is the wisest debater is going to put to silence the other one.
But that's not how we put the silence, the ignorance of foolish men. It's by well doing how important our actions are and how often we forget that, but being.
Misunderstood.
We're being accused of things. We're being despised. What do we do? Talk about and use a lot of words to correct things while doing.
00:55:01
And the Lord Jesus was here and.
The Pharisees sent officers to take him. They came back and they said, well, why haven't you bought him? And he they said no man ever spake with this man.
Just to arm ourselves, you know in these verses 11 down to the ones our brother read that perhaps more and more a believer who walks in the pathway of faith is going to be.
Labeled as an evildoer, even perhaps by other Christians accused of, you know, David went up and his brother and said to him, we know the naughtiness of your heart and that he was come up to see the battle. And if you walk it's gathered through the Lord's name. People are going to accuse you of pride and to walk in obedience to the word of God. And in the world when I grew up in the 60s, teenager that, you know civil, the doctrine of civil disobedience came in.
But we see here there that it is by subjection, and to every human institution, as it says for the Lord for the Lord's sake.
And so it's not by involving ourselves in the affairs of this world and fighting against things, but it is in submission. And you see that so lovely with the Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego when they said, when he asked who would deliver them out of the fiery furnace, he says it's not convenient for us to answer thee in this matter. But they didn't. They weren't disobedient. They bore the consequence of refusing to bow down. They obeyed God.
The man tells his son to get up and do something, and I put out my hand to stop him and he does it. He's not being disobedient. He's obeying the proper authority and we need to learn the pathway of submission and that there will be far more power in that. And I say this in our testimony that often the world it says in Timothy who teach that gain is godliness, that the general character of Christendom is that those that are successful in business and successful in sports and so on and get ahead.
Are used as great testimonies, but I believe the more powerful testimony is going to be when people look on and see.
That perhaps are being treated unfairly and walking with God in it than if it's successful.
Universities, our brother, read that before. This is where into your call. What's that like? Submission and the Lord Jesus Christ is a perfect pattern for you.
When I read the.
And it's nice to just consider the end of our chapter a little bit and see the beautiful.
Picture here we have of the submission of the Lord Jesus, and how that when he was reviled reviled not again, when he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him, the judges righteously, who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree, and so on.
And I was thinking what a beautiful picture we have of the Lord Jesus in this way in the life of Joseph, and how that he went down to his brethren in love and he went down to see how his brethren did just so much like the Lord Jesus coming down to his own, and yet his own received him not. And so they cast him out. And we all know the story of Joseph, so I won't go into that, but we know the end of Joseph too, and how that.
He suffered there in prison, and how he was misunderstood and yet he he committed himself to him, the judges righteously. And when God's time was right, he was brought out of prison, and he was set in the second place on the throne and below Pharaoh. He was next to Pharaoh and.
So we find there that whenever in the time of need when the the.
When that dream was being fulfilled.
The people would come to Pharaoh and he and he would say and they would want something to eat. Well, the mention was made of the Lord Jesus as being our reference point, you know, And what did Pharaoh say to these people? Go to Joseph. Go to Joseph. And so Joseph was reference point for the people at that time. And when they when they to get sustained, they went to Joseph.
And so it's no different now, is it? Our reference point is Christ. We want our soul satisfied. We go to Joseph, we go to our Joseph. And so there's a there's an interesting verse in in Deuteronomy chapter 33. Just.
01:00:07
We'll just briefly read it.
That.
Goes along with our chapter here.
Deuteronomy 33 and verse 13.
And it's to do with the blessings of Joseph.
And of Joseph he said, verse 13 Blessed of the Lord be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dude, and for the deep the couch that's beneath, and for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon.
And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills, and for the precious things of the earth and fullness thereof. And for the goodwill of him that dwelt in the Bush, let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brother. And so we get a beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus here. Who now the one who was separated from his brethren, shall we say, is the cornerstone.
And what a beautiful picture we have of how we are to operate down here. The the, the submission He that exalted himself shall be abased. He that humbleth himself shall be exalted. And so Joseph is a beautiful picture of that, is he not? And you and I have a beautiful example to follow here in the person of the Lord Jesus. And if we're ever some mention was made of being wrongly accused while committed to him, the judge of righteously.
And he'll take care of the matter. But let us look off unto Jesus, this one who has chosen us of God precious, and that the the chief corner, the cornerstone elect precious. And he that believeth on him shall not be confounded unto you, therefore which believe he is the preciousness.
#260.
Lord Jesus, come and take thy rightful place.
As son of man.
Of all the themes come, Lord to reign or all supreme Lord Jesus come.
Lord Jesus, come, man of sorrows. Once the man of patience waiting, now the man of joy forever. Thou come, Savior, come.
Lord Jesus, come crowned with thy many crowns.
The crucified the Lamb once flames who washed away sin Crimson stains. Lord Jesus come 260 beginning at verse 4.