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General Meetings, Des Moines, May 1973. Third reading meeting.
Rather than feel about picking up the 5th chapter of First Peter.
I think this is.
If this is good, because so often we take up just the first chapter and we need what's in the last chapter, and of course all the sweet well.
Here is the thought of all grace.
First Peter, Chapter 5.
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The elders, which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder and a witness of the suffering of Christ, and also a particular of the glory that shall be revealed.
These of luck of God, which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy looker, but of a ready mind. Neither is being large over God's heritage, but being in samples of the to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, he shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. Likewise ye younger, submit yourself under the elder.
They, all of you be subject 1 to another.
And be clothed with humility, regard resistance of proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon him, for He cares for you.
Be sober. Be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour whom resist steadfast in the faith.
Knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
But the God of all grace, who has called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus after the Jesus suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you to him, be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
By Sylvanus, a faithful brother under you, as I suppose.
I have written briefly exhorting, and find that this is a true grace of God, wherein ye stands the church that is at Babylon, elected together with you saluted you, and so do Marcus, my son, greeting one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Peter being an elder doesn't mean that he was an official elder such as apostles ordained and their delegates like tigers.
Is because he was a man of security, a man of the years.
That he speaks of himself in this way, or in the moral sense than an official sense.
Elder, that is an official elder doesn't necessarily mean that he was an aged man because he was to have a family and subjection under him.
So it's simply the amount of.
Maturity.
And then quality devotion and faithfulness. But here Peter has a has a man up in years.
With any experiences?
Mature can now exhort.
The elders which are among you who also am an elder and the witness of the sufferings of Christ.
Elders by Titus and others who were told to.
And hear very little of elders in the Epistles. But we do in Philippians, don't we? And perhaps there's a special reason, because the apostle in Philippians no doubt was preparing the Saints for his absence, or the absence of the apostles, and so the Saints were to learn.
To notice that which God had set up in responsibility in the assembly.
Not official appointment, merely because even that would leave with the apostles, but that they might learn to discern.
Those who?
Were qualified and took the lead among the Saints, and oftentimes the one who does so perhaps doesn't even know it himself in a way, because.
If Grace is upon him, he he certainly wouldn't.
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As Peter says, be Lord over.
The Saints but would seek to be an example to the flock, and I believe that if the Saints are walking in communion, they will recognize those that the Lord has set up to to take and guide the Saints, and I believe often times in an assembly.
With a spirit of independence comes in.
Those who really should take the lead have been set aside by some because of that independent spirit. And then we find trouble coming into the assembly. And I believe Peter here brings before us the importance of recognizing what God has set up and to take our place, each one of us in subjection to this, but to recognize it.
With that spiritual discernment that we.
Learn in Corinthians the 1St and 2nd chapter, I think a second chapter where he's given us discernment, spiritual discernment to recognize those that God himself is appointed.
I'm sure we all understand that we have today no official elders because we have no authority for appointing them, the only ones who had authority to appoint elders.
Where the apostles and their delegates like Titus. But as you were saying, we do have men today who morally fill that place and exercise that responsibility. And if you turn to the fifth chapter of.
First Thessalonians. You'll find that class mentioned there 5th chapter of.
First Thessalonians.
And.
The 12Th verse. Now you'll notice nothing has said about.
The the one spoken of here being appointed. But it says, We beseech you, brethren, to know them, which labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you.
And to esteem them very highly and love for their work's sake and be at peace among yourselves, Well, that's important to observe that the result of a steaming very highly such men for their works sake is a brings peace among yourselves, showing just what you were saying, that when those that God provides for the care of his people.
Are ignored and their advice and judgment is refused. It leads to disorder and the lack of peace among yourselves.
A Bishop or an eldest as the spiritual welfare of the Church, do they not deacons to the material welfare of the Church? And we get in Acts 6 and the elder of the the Bishop or elder to get mentioned in Max 20. Isn't that correct? I suppose that what our brother read in Thessalonians would especially fly to that assembly.
Although the principal.
Might go further, but it is particularly the the local office in the assembly rather than the gift, isn't it?
We do find mentioned in Hebrews as leaders. They are not necessarily.
Official elders, perhaps? We all understand that an elder and Bishop and an overseer are one and the same.
All for the elders of the church at Ephesus to meet him at Milito, and then he speaks to them as overseers of the flock of God.
So that there could be many in one assembly. But when you read in the book of the 13th chapter of Hebrews you have this in the seventh verse. Remember them which have the rule, It's better translation is remember your leaders who have spoken unto you the word of God, whose faith follow well now those mentioned as your leaders, there are those who have been among the Saints, and the Lord has called home.
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That they have left behind their teaching and their godly walk, their consistent ways, and their devotion to Christ, so that it says.
Considering the end of their conversation or manner of life, Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever. So we do have the writings.
Are those who instructed God's people in their time and day, and that is very valuable for us and we need to be careful not to get into other pastures as.
Ruth was said not to glean in another field. We have abundant ministry. Beloved Dad was preserved and has been handed down to us by those that God raised up.
To recover the truth that has gathered us to the precious name of the Lord Jesus. And I believe that that character of things, especially in that seventh verse, and then we have further down in the same chapter.
It says in the 17th verse Obey them that have the ruler over you are again obey your leaders.
And submit yourselves for they want for your souls, as they that must give an account, that they may do it with joy and not with grief, for that is unprofitable for you. Now those are the present leaders among God's people.
At the time when?
Around the epistle was written, and there are still those of that character that we find among God's people today. And there they were not necessarily.
Elder sense that Timothy is tall to reminded of a desire to good work. There might be an unmarried man.
You take our brother. Old brother Cloud was really a leader, but he was a he was an unmarried man. So God does have leaders that aren't necessarily are men with families.
Three things were to be characteristic. One, there they spoke the word of God, their own lives were consistent, and that they had a love for the Saints of God. They watched for your souls as they that must give account. And I believe if one is in the position of seeking to help the people of God, those three things will be characteristic, and there will be noticed by those who observe them, because they were to esteem them highly in love, not for their position's sake, but for their work's sake.
In other words, they it was a moral character, as you said.
I believe that's very important because the early church fell into making a great deal of the position and the godliness, the knowledge of the word, the love for the flock had waned. But the position remains, and there's always a danger of this, that we have to watch against. We have to watch against it in this day too, because only these, the moral characteristics will be used of God and blessing among the Saints of God.
For the that 13th chapter of Hebrews and the 17th verse again, for they want for your souls as they that must give an account that they may do it with joy and not with greed. Now it isn't that they're going to carry a report to the Lord and tell how naughty or how.
Badly. Some of his children are walking that they'll have to go and tell the Lord how they have failed and not rightly guiding the clock. That's the what would grieve them to think?
That they had not been concerned enough, or been unfaithful, and had been responsible in any way for leading.
Some of the the Saints of God astray and brethren, that is a very important thing to consider.
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For you know that in every division that has ever taken place among the gathered Saints, it's been some gifted leader that was the one who was most responsible for that division. I heard Brother Potter say that he never knew of a leader who led the Saints astray in division that was ever restored back to the place again, he said. It was too solemn, too serious the matter.
For God to ever permit one like that to come back. So you could look right down the line and think of very, very gifted man whose writing we esteem today is setting forth the truth. And yet because of some personal reason, something that had to do with family connection, why they they refused to take the right stand what was for the glory of Christ.
For some personal reasons and.
Led the Saints astray and sadly broke up and scattered the deer flock. Brother Baylor told me that in London he had known a meeting there where there was much blessing in the gospel. But he said after the Kelly Division, that poor little meeting went all to pieces. The last time he was there, it was nothing left there.
Far as sad and solemn record that awaits the day when everything will be manifested at the judgment seat of Christ.
I was attending the other Night to the Bible written in Richmond, IL and I know that we have that this chapter before us is a Bible reading and some of the things that were mentioned there touches our heart.
In connection with the Apostle Peter that we have here presented before us as an elder, as he one of the elder and the Apostle Peter, he was witness of the suffering of the Lord Jesus.
And he had a sense of his own failure, and ho how without must have been tender towards Harvard as he realized his own failure and what the Lord Jesus did for them, for the clock there at the clouds. He was the witness of the suffering of the Lord Jesus. And I believe that that made the the heart of Peter very tender towards the other, the other of the flock. It's interesting to note that in false later writings and he mentions himself as the chief of sinners.
Well, we have here too, Peter. In this epistle he speaks of God as the God of all grace. He discovered this as he grew, grew older, and in more experience than the things of God. You'll notice too in the first chapter there are manifold tribulations, but Peter counters it in the 4th chapter with manifold grace.
And so Peter is one who has learned grace. As our brother said. There was a time in Peters life when he was in the presence of Jesus before all the other disciples. Because remember, as an apostle he was restored before the other apostles. There's a principle there, isn't there Mr. Berry?
And and I was thinking in that connection that.
In that restoration, Peter felt that the Lord was the only one that knew that his heart was right towards him. He felt that the other disciples.
Had seen his, his failure, and they, they, they really wondered about Peter. But the Lord knew his heart, and he knew now that he could say, feed my sheep.
Notice of all these two things. Here also the he was a witness of the sufferings of Christ and also a partaker of the glory, as our brother remarked with Paul and with the opposite too, wasn't it? He was a partaker of the sufferings and a witness of the glory. But I was thinking of these two things that should particularly characterize one who serves the people of God. He should realize what it cost the Lord Jesus to purchase his flock.
The sufferings of Christ. We just think of what the Lord had to go through in order that he might have his own.
And this would make us think how dear they are to Him. It would teach us, too, that any way in which we might be put out or have to suffer for the good of the flock would be very, very small in comparison to what the Lord suffered because his people were so dear to Him.
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And then the second thing. It's lovely to see the apostle Paul. When writing to their Corinthians, he looked on to the time when they would be glorified together. Now, that is, he raised us up. He'll raise you up, he said, and present us with you.
I think this is a very lovely thought. He associated himself with the Saints even though they were failing, but looked on to the time when they would be together with Christ in glory and like him. And this is what encourages the one who seeks to help the people of God.
He first realizes what it costs the Lord to redeem them, and how minimal anything we could do is in comparison to what the Lord has done, and then, in times of trial and difficulty, enables us to look on to the time when the Saints will all be presented there with and like Christ.
Believe, these two things being brought together here in connection with Peter, and his exhortation to others who sought to serve, are very, very important in this day in which we live, because we need that which sustains us to go on so easy, as Paul said in 2nd Corinthians 5, As we have received this mercy, this ministry, we faint not, and again in the end of the same chapter for which we for which 'cause we faint not.
Why didn't he faint? Well, he said, We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. And may the Lord enable us, because there are trials and difficulties among the Saints, and in many assemblies. I believe these two things will enable us to go on and to be made a blessing among our brethren.
If we have these two things before our soul.
We find that when.
Forgotten the name of the judge?
The first one who took Ax to be his wife. He was given the Upper and Nether Springs, and I believe they represent to us those two things. You know, the Lord in humiliation, The down here and the upper springs, the one up there.
Now those two things are so necessary for us if we're going to be a deliverer among the people of God.
I was thinking of the upper and another springs this morning. That was Caleb, wasn't it? Yeah, And his daughter and.
Yes, perhaps you could also, in the line you've been bringing before us, just mention the expression here, the flock of God.
We have something very important, do we not, in that expression. It's not any one man's flock, is it? It's the flock of God, and I believe that.
There's a special responsibility connected with one who realizes this that.
He's he's one who is being used, perhaps.
In a very important place.
Because it's the flock of God.
There's nothing connected with himself, It's simply that he's.
Serving.
The the Lord is the flock of God. It's not his.
But he is associated in the Scripture with his service. And so when John spoke about the Saints going on, well, he said, And now little children abide in him, that when he shall appear we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him, it is coming.
He's not talking about them being ashamed, but he said that we may have confidence and not be ashamed, that is, having assumed that place of seeking to be a help among the people of God. Now he looks unto the manifestation, and as our brother Barry remarked in connection with that.
A verse in Hebrews chapter 13. It's his own work that will be displayed. Has there been that loving care as being placed in that responsibility? You find the same with the apostle when he spoke about the Corinthians. What is our hope for joy, our crown of rejoicing? Are not even me in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ and his coming? What was Paul's crown of rejoicing?
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The blessing of the Saints in that day of manifestation. And just like a teacher looking on her class and thinking, well, wouldn't it be grand if everyone of my class passed with honors? So she puts a lot of effort into the work, thinking of the time when this will take place.
Well, we ought to serve the Saints in that way, brethren. We ought to serve them in such a way that we look on to the time.
When all will be manifested, and that will be our joy, to see them blessed, to see them rewarded. Otherwise we'd be ashamed that our work was really for self and not for their good and for their blessing. Sometimes. Is it not so that if this Scripture is not before?
The heart, the flock of God, There's the spirit of Diotrephes comes in and.
Basically, in a small gathering, there's a danger of one assuming a place that does not belong to him at all. It's the flock of God.
And he should always remember that and may I suggest that the word feed.
Doesn't necessarily mean what we use the expression for a feed it. It includes the thought of guiding and shepherding, does it not? In fact, I believe another translation would say shepherd, but it also includes the thought of guiding as you get it in the prophets. You'll notice the same expression is used in the Old Testament He and guide.
So that it's not the thought of taking a place of lordship.
And that always brings sorrow.
I'm reminded of a remark of our Brother Lounge.
As to the danger of ministering over the heads of the Saints, he said, the Lord didn't say, feed my giraffes, he said. Feed my sheep, feed my lambs. And he made this remark about it, that we could put the fodder and the hay so high that the poor sheep and lambs go hungry.
Well, we need brethren to remember that, to get our ministry down to the level of.
Of the Saints, for all times we take it for granted, they know more than they actually know because we're familiar with those who minister are often familiar with with truth and take it for granted. Others know are as familiar as they are.
May not have a similar thought in First County Chapter 4.
12 Within the computer is talking about the elders with the agent, whereas Paul was speaking to Timothy and he says.
In verse 12 of the 4th chapter.
But no man despise thy youth, but thought is but be thou an example of the believers. Example is brought first, then inward in conversation, that is manner of life.
In charity, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
In the goddess of.
God of order, and he has given an order.
In the assembly.
And where the confusion comes into the assembly, it is not of the Spirit of God.
It is the lack of that which we have in our chapter and a good many, especially the younger ones today.
Believe that the assembly is something like a democratic situation, every man doing that which is right in his own eyes.
But that is not the truth. When I come into fellowship, when I'm Protestant, gathered in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I come under the discipline of the assembly, the discipline of the assembly. And let us not forget that. And there is an order, And God has given us that order and his word for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, the head.
Well, sorry about feeding on the giraffes or the sheep.
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I suppose that's why the Lord says to Peter, first of all, feed my lambs.
His anxious and the laminar prepared. Then, he said, speaks of the sheep, but not giraffes.
This afternoon the Lambs will be fed. It's nice that there is that provision and these meetings of having young people's meetings.
And this morning, the meeting for the children. Well, I think that encourages us that the work among the children is important and not to be neglected and to just expect the children to grow up listening to.
Deep truths in the reading meetings and nothing especially brought out us to instruction for them is a sad mistake. That's the way I feel about it, because I remember as a child sitting in meetings like this where Brother H Rule was ministering and Brother Potter and.
Brother Hayden, I just wondered what they were talking about. I couldn't. I couldn't understand it. But as I continued to go on in meetings where there was deep truths and it was ministered, I began to see what they were bringing out. And I didn't lose anything. But I'm attending meetings before I was able to to understand. We don't want to just go the other extreme and say, well, we just got to bring everything down.
So that the children can understand it, just make a children's meeting out of it. But I believe where families are brought up in the truth, they they gradually enter into the things that.
Are ministered by.
At the instructions from the word that perhaps are little over their heads while they're young.
Statement made concerning a certain brother that he was well taught.
And the remark was he was rather well read. Brethren, it is better to be a weak voice than a than a strong echo. And OFT times we do go over the heads of God's dear people.
That is one thing that's so very happy among the Latin. It's the simplicity there.
Oh, how we need to.
Remember that limbs need just. You know that Gen. that care. I don't know of anything so precious as this chapter. Peter was, as their brother mentioned, a witness of the sufferings of Christ. Well, that made him a very apartment elder. Of course he could sympathize with the lamb. He had a heart for them and he was able to lead them and to guide them.
According to the proof, but there's a difference between the calls ministry as our brother mentioned, Paul was a witness of the glory as brother God mentioned, and a partaker of the suffering.
Now we do find in the service of the Levites something that's very interesting in this connection. There are three families of Levites in numbers.
And Gershon.
Gershon is 1 and the mayor rights of the others and the coercites Well, this is nothing new but sitting under old Mr.
Ch your other Barker, HP Barker and Mace. They used to say there is a difference here between service concerning elders.
Gershon really means a stranger there, or a stranger here, if you will.
And so we have Peter EIN Ministry.
Now this is Peter Iron ministry. Gershon Gershon teaching is Peter Iron and in connection with with Gershon there were heavy things to be carried around. There were heavy things of the Tabernacle.
And the mirror right mirror area speaks of bitterness and they had cots and to carry the furniture and so on. But when we come to the Coed, which means an assembly.
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You get particular ministry from the Apostle Paul, but here we get Peter iron ministry and there's a care that is manifested beloved.
Here concerning Peter, he could feel for these sheep. He could feel for them. Now it was mentioned here a crown of glory.
This is that's in verse 4, just for a moment.
When the chief capital appears, you'll receive a crown of glory. Well, this is that incorruptible crown which fade a thought away. And it is really for a wholly practical life. I believe this corrupt, this crown that we get here in Peter 5. It's for a holy, practical life. Can the Saints see In those of us who try to minister Christ to them? Can they see?
This holiness and practical Christian ongoing among us.
One day, her brother said to another. I can't hear what you say because of what you do.
Well, that was a real rebuke to that dear man, and he took notice of it and corrected a great number of things that were stumbling his brother. Well, here is something that is very important in the assembly, this question of being an elder. It's a responsible position. It's not a very happy task, beloved some of us who were born.
The heat of the day among the Latins for many years, we found.
That we've had to take it.
From them take it, and then take it on your knees to the Lord.
This is something that is necessary too, concerning an elder. He's able to take it from his brethren and take it to the Lord and leave it there. It's a great secret. Beloved. Now this is called the cause of a lot of trouble we notice, and we're not going to dwell on that. Rather we're going to hang our heads in shame and sorrow. But Mr. Darby said, never defend yourself.
Never defend yourself. Take.
And take it on your knees to Christ if this were done.
In our assemblies, beloved, we would have very little trouble.
The very little come, the moment I begin to write and the moment I begin to discuss.
And quarrel and contradict, even though in sincerity.
Then the trouble begins. Oh, may we?
Some of us are growing old in the service of Christ, and we just feel our nothingness, beloved. But this is something that has been on my heart for a long time concerning the care of the flock.
Just to be able to take it and take it to the Lord Jesus on our knees, There was a time in Bolivia pardon of of a little trouble. It wasn't a little trouble, in fact 5 meetings went with that trouble.
And instead of writing and scolding and talking to my own spiritual children, I left it with the Lord.
But how long?
Five years, beloved. The trouble went on in five assemblies.
I never visited those centuries.
Never discussed anything with them but told the Lord on them.
Told the Lord on them by his grace alone. One day a letter came signed by 9.
And said Brother Smith, will you come? They've been turned aside through this trouble, you know, of writing and discussing things.
Talking and will you come? Well, that meant four days. Ride on, riding on on mulebag Beloved and the rainy season up to the saddle of the mule. The water I got there, there was a little.
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Fold. The last day before I arrived, it was a government form. I sent a telegram to one of them saying, dear brother, I hope to arrive at such and such a time, and I got there at five, 5:30 in the afternoon, and the nine of them were waiting.
And they said, Brother Smith, we are no longer gathered. We are scattered, We are scattered. We are no longer gathered. And we talked it out until 2:30 in the morning.
And they said, brother, this is Lord's day and there's a breaking of bread. I said, well, I couldn't break bread, dear brethren.
Would you like to do something? Would you like to write all those other meetings and tell them what you've done? Tell them just humbly and quietly what you've done. And they did. They did.
God arranged that we left it with the law and all, beloved. It's a very important matter to leave these things with the Lord.
Leave it with him. Let him fix it. Who are those men today? Lee O'Brien, who is 1?
Dominguez, Chalky, the other chira is with the Lord.
10 years is the other These were the men who were opposed and who were discussing and causing problems.
What happened? They learned their lesson, the Lord taught them. And I believe it's a great secret to let the Lord.
Settle these matters that we are troubled with today. I just mentioned that as an old man.
And trust that you will take it, because it comes from my heart at this time.
I think there's a contrast drawn here too between the third and fourth verse. Neither is being Lords over God's heritage. And then when the chief shepherd shall appear, he shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. I believe that all the crowns that are spoken of are contrasts. That is the martyr. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
The crowd of rejoicing, he that draweth forth and weepeth bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. And I believe in connection with what our brother Smith remarked, that most of the troubles come because we want the crown of glory here. We want to be considered somebody here. But the important thing Are we willing to give that up? Are we willing to be misunderstood? Are we willing to let all the glory belong to the Lord?
And wait till the time that he makes it right. And then in that day the crown of glory won't fade If we sought it for ourselves down here we may not only lose it, but we may bring sorrow on ourselves and others. But if we're content to leave it and wait till that day when the Lord will manifest it, then there is that which is to his praise and glory, and that won't fade away. So it seems to me it's the contrast.
And that so many of the problems and trials are that we want, we want to be recognized, We want the crown of glory now, instead of being content to wait for the chief shepherd to show his approval or disapproval as he sees right in that day.
Of encouragement to these under shepherds.
For himself feed the flock of God which is among you.
It isn't those who travel about to preach the gospel who are known as teachers. But it's those who quietly, humbly are seeking to lead on their brethren in a local way, visiting their homes when there's any problem trying to show them what is most pleasing to the Lord and.
Just going on in a humble way that no one would know anything about.
Among the Saints but.
When the when the day of rewards comes, we find that they're the ones that get the crown of glory. They didn't get any crown down here, but they'll get their crown up there.
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Most interesting, which will not take up. I like your comment on that, brother. It helps me. I used to think perhaps I've been too neglectful and not visiting those five meetings, but the Lord fixed it up.
Leave it with the Lord, beloved. He'll he'll, that's his prerogative.
To arrange all our problems. That's his very prerogative, a brother said to me. What am I going to do, brother? Can't you give me a little word? I said. The only word I can tell you, dear brother, is to get on your knees and leave it with the Lord.
Leave it with him. Well, that's a victory. I'd sooner leave the affairs of the of the Assembly in the hands of the Hidden, then leave them in my poor old control.
I would make an awful mess of it.
What about that first brother Smith, the 4th chapter in the eighth verse?
Yeah.
Well, above all things have fervent charity among yourselves, for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
Never behaves itself unseemly. Desert brother love does not behave itself. Nothing. It takes the low place, takes the low place. Will I remember a case, you know, where there were 11 souls brought to Christ in a mountain section of Bolivia. They lived in this high altitude where I just couldn't make it. But a brother got there, got the gospel to them.
Eight of them found themselves with this newfound joy and were spreading the good news. Suddenly they were behind the bars for eight days, behind the bars, without any bed and without food. And I saw a major in the army. And I said, Sir, can't you do something for those dear ones? They're only preaching the glad tidings, he said. I certainly will.
Well, we had a reading on chapter four and five when these dear fellows got out of prison.
And one old brother is now with the Lord, I said. How did it feel behind the bars? Brother, do you know what he said? He turned to his spy when he read this verse 14 of chapter 4.
If he be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye?
For the Spirit of glory and of God rested upon you. On their part he is evil spoken of, but on your path he is glorified. He said. The Spirit of glory and of God rested on us there in that old jail.
On that old jail.
Shepherd.
And the.
In the 10th chapter of John's Gospel, it's the Good Shepherd.
Says There I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
Then in the 13th chapter of Hebrews.
You have the great Shepherd. It reads like this. Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Here in this chapter in Peter, it's the Chief Shepherd. Well, say there are three psalms that correspond to the three different ways that shepherd is spoken of. In the 22nd Psalm you get.
The cross the Lord forsaken begins, my God, my God, why is thou forsaken me, and carries us through the sufferings of Christ. On the cross at redemption work. Then in the 23rd Psalm that begins, the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want there we have the great Shepherd in resurrection there we have the one that.
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Leaves the flock.
To the dark valley, the shadow of death, and provides for them, so that they spread the table before me in the presence of my enemy, and leads right on until he says a nice I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever. Well, in the 24th Psalm you get the chief Shepherd.
And there it is. You get lift up your head though ye gates, and be lifted up the everlasting doors, And the King of Glory shall come in. So how lovely it is that we get the Good Shepherd giving his life. We get the Great Shepherd caring for his flock, now that he is risen and gone back to glory. And then, as the Chief Shepherd, he will reward.
Faithfulness to those who have cared for the flock.
Well, you could say widen out the as a chief Shepherd, he will reward whatever has been done in faithfulness to him.
30 and seven, Brother Barry, what character of the shepherd do we have? There? Away goes sword against my shepherd, against the man that is my fellow Seth, the Lord of Hosts. Might the shepherd the sheep shall be scattered. Isn't that the same characters we have in John 10?
Gladdy flying for the sheep. If the shepherd had not been smitten, the sheep would have to be.
So how thankful we should be this morning to think that the shepherd has been smitten instead of the sheep, we the sheep and gone astray.
Puts his hand over the little one, doesn't it? And I struck by the language of this verse. It's a very solemn verse too, Says away, goes sword against mine, shepherd against the man that is my fellow Seth, the Lord opposed who is God's fellow or his beloved Son? The one who went to the cross of Calvary and bore the judgment due to me.
The shepherd was smitten to save the sheep.
Connection with this First you called attention to Brother Lundeen. Above all, have firm charity among yourselves, for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. There is a certain sense in which sin must be dealt with for God's glory, and that would be acting in love for the good of the person. But when it says here that love covers the multitude of sins.
We might each ask our own hearts, why do we bring out the failure of another? We can do it sometimes to vindicate ourselves, and that's not love, and that's a great snare among the people of God. I believe that when we want to vindicate ourselves, why, it's very easy to find a fault in someone else in order to set ourselves up. And that's not love. Love would rather hide it, rather be misunderstood, misjudged oneself, than bring to light the failure of another.
How beautiful to see in the Lord Jesus as the servant. How he said, even when they had failed. Here are they, which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a Kingdom, as my father has appointed me, so we can each ask ourselves, when we do speak of the failure of another, are we doing it to make people think less of them and more of ourselves? Is it to vindicate ourselves, or is it with tears that we feel it's absolutely necessary?
For their good as well As for God's glory. Well, I believe that's what it means about love covering the multitude of sins.
Wouldn't you see in that too, in that first above all things have fervent charity among yourselves, for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Where there is true love among the Saints, there are many things that.
Otherwise would develop.
Jealousies and hard feelings and frictions and things that divide the effect the hearts of the Saints and maybe lead to serious trouble, but when there is that?
01:00:14
Fervent love among the Saints. There are many things that never develop at all. They stop right there. And as God looks down, instead of seeing Saints all divided among themselves and going on in an unhappy state, why, he sees the exercise of love among them, and that covers up anything that otherwise would arise. I think that's the that's the the really the thought in this word.
Keep suppressed, I believe, is a thought in it. Keep suppressed. I was thinking of it in connection with the word we have in Timothy. He says, Paul says to Timothy, then the sin rebuked before all that others also may fear. Well, when this rebuking is done in love and in faithfulness to the Lord, it has that effect of causing others to fear, and in that way sin is covered up too, as you were saying.
Keeps it from developing in others. They begin to fear and perhaps get before the Lord about it and judge this thing that if it were not judged, it would eventually come out and be manifested, and would have to be judged by the assembly.
But then, on the other hand, love thinketh no evil and just to pass on some report because we've heard it.
Is a very bad thing. There must be witnesses, and even then, if there's real fervent charity brethren, we would hesitate until it was confirmed before we would ever.
And perhaps not pass it on at all, but as our brother says, take it to the Lord. There might be some things, however, that may have to be taken up for the moment to to verify them, but.
To pass things around is a very dangerous thing, especially in writing. So that love thinketh no evil, is a good principle. For us to remember in Scripture how perfectly these things were seen in the Lord Jesus. The verse was quoted a moment ago concerning his disciples, even after they had been so inconsistent and so evidently filled with failure. Here are they which have continued with me in my temptations, and I think the same thing is seen in the.
Words of the Lord in the Old Testament.
In Jeremiah 2 he is about to have to speak very, very faithfully to his people through Jeremiah, but he begins by saying go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem.
Thus saith the Lord, I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown. Well, if we were to read the account of the children of Israel going out from Egypt into the wilderness, we searched long before we would find anything that could be referred to in such beautiful languages, that and yet the Lord before He, has to bring to their attention.
That which was so grieving to him, he said to Jeremiah. Tell them I still remember the love of their espousal, the kindness of their youth, and even in Malachi, the very last of the prophets, when things had become so indifferent and so cold, the very first thing he says is.
The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi, I have loved you, saith the Lord. Now I I really believe that if in an attempt to serve the Lord and his people.
He puts this love in our hearts toward our brethren.
And there comes an occasion where perhaps faithful words are necessary, for we need to receive them, and perhaps at times need to minister them to they should surely come from a heart that.
Recognizes how dear they are to the Lord Jesus, and how dear they ought to be to us when we have to correct our own children. How careful.
How cautiously? How we watch for a suited occasion when perhaps the correction will be received, and should it not be so, in an attempt to shepherd among the Lords people, I have wondered too. From what has been said, surely the suggestion is not made that when there is a problem of one sort or another in an assembly. I know this was not suggested, but I I simply raised it lasted be.
01:05:25
Perhaps pictured by some.
That such an assembly should be avoided until all problems are solved and removed.
There certainly would be a great restriction in visiting among the Lord's people, if we only visited in areas where there were no problems and no difficulties. I feel that as land of the Lord we can perhaps knowing that there are problems, sorrows, difficulties be directed of the Lord to that very place.
To minister Christ among them, is that true? When they're required special caution and waiting upon God, though in some cases.
Indeed, I suggest not necessarily avoiding any area where we know that there are sorrows among the people of God. There would be a danger that we would have to watch of getting involved in it ourselves. If we're asked for counseling advice, well, that may be all right. But as to making any decisions that that wouldn't be our responsibility. That's the assembly's responsibility.
My brother it says here in Matthew 18 and 15.
Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone.
If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. Do you know, beloved, I have never yet had to go beyond this first point in this portion.
Never have had to take witnesses, but if there's been something between two brothers.
I've told them, brethren, you go to that brother, oh, he's guilty, he said. Never mind, go.
And nearly always it's settled right there. The trouble is settled right there. Now I remember a case where a brother thought I was riding him as he said.
Ministry, Well, I never did think of such a thing. I love that brother. So one of the elders said you better not go. He's pretty fiery. Well, I said brother, I'm going to go and going to fulfill this first point and I went straight long journey was went to him and he received me rather coldly and I said, brother, have you anything against me?
And he broke down in tears, put his arms round me and kissed me. Said brother. There's nothing, he says. I'm having trouble with the family and I've been taking it out in you. Well, it was all over in less than one minute. The whole thing was finished.
It was settled, if my brother had thought, against the gold.
How many troubles would be solved, beloved, if we just do that Go.
He can only kick you out of the house.
But go anyway. Go back again. Go back again.
Brothers meeting, spread it around. That's the last thing.
That that first, though I know it's not in our chapter, but I think it's a very lovely verse and pardon me for referring to it once more. This may be an encouragement to those who preach the gospel.
This eighth verse of the 4th chapter.
I know it refers particularly to the Saints, but there's an application that's general.
I love covering a multitude of sins. Some years ago it was my privilege to accompany our brother Alarcon down the Peninsula Ways in Lower California, and as we neared a certain place, he said. I don't know about that house, he said. The man drove me away with a pistol last time.
Let's pray about.
We prayed about it and he said, well, let's go.
So we went to the door, knocked on the door.
01:10:03
And the man said, come in, we went in, he said We'll arrange a meeting.
And they got their soap boxes together, no chairs, And the women put coverings on their heads. And as Alarcon our brother Alarcon presented the gospel to this man who had driven him away with a gun.
I could see the perspiration standing on his forehead as he reasoned of righteousness and temperance and judgment to come. Now that was love covering a multitude of sins, wasn't it? This man was ready to to kill him, but he went back.
With the gospel and he was received, and this man received the gospel. Now whether he was saved or not, I don't know.
But I believe that this verse can apply even there. I don't think there are any rules about these things. Now the scripture says though it says that the discretion of a man defereth his anger and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.
And sometimes it's better, instead of trying to settle the thing, to just drop it. Don't say a word about it, Forgive them in your heart and let it go. Because very often when you try to discuss it, it leads to a very unhappy instead of a happy consequence, and the person seeks to justify himself. The flash is liable to be stirred in you. But as our brother said before, if you take it to the Lord, I think there are many cases of personal trespass that you just passed over it. There's another verse that says.
Take not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee. For thou thyself not that thou cursed him in times pasture. I haven't just quoted the last part of it accurately, in other words.
Just to pay attention to every little word that's spoken and everything that said. Remember, we've said things out of turn ourselves too, and if we were called in the carpet about everything, we might be in some problems as well.
So there are times if The thing is festering and growing into something, when it's a good thing to talk it over and get it settled. But I believe rather and in the light of Scripture, that in nine times out of 10, it's better to drop it and forgive in your heart and forget it.
And the second thing in connection with what was said about going to the assembly, we do have to remember that Paul said in Second Corinthians one and 23 Moreover, I call God for a record upon my soul to spare you. I came not as yet unto Corinth. There are times when the Lord might lead one to go to a place. There are times when he might be before the Lord and feel he should not go.
And that it wouldn't be the mind of the Lord at that time for him to go. So we can't make rules about these things. The scripture gives us principles. But this wonderful alight and instruction there is, And God looks on the heart, and love for the Saints is the important thing. And so it says, if you will hear thee, thou shalt gain thy brother. That's to be the great point in our souls, to gain the brother, not just to justify ourselves.
And so it was with the assembly of Koran. Paul's great desire was to gain those Saints, and that they might go on for the glory of God. And he didn't feel at that point that it was wise. I believe he was giving them space to be exercised, and before he went there and laid it faithfully before them.
Policy was gold, but they felt it that he shouldn't go either. Maybe because of their feelings towards the Apostle Paul, he didn't feel it would be an opportune time for him to go there when there was that feeling there in Corn.
In connection with spreading evil around.
Our old brother that's gone to be with the Lord brother-in-law, who was here in our gathering on more than one occasion, he reminded us.
Which something which he had heard and learned from someone else.
Keep evil in a smaller area as possible and use the illustration of a boil. When you have a boil developing, what do you do with it? You just leave it alone because if you begin to press on the tissues and squeeze it and irritate it that way, it spreads it around into the other tissues and perhaps you get a large pestering ulcer out of it.
01:15:25
Just leave it alone until it comes to a head, and I believe this is a principle just to leave the evil in a smaller area as possible.
And just look to the Lord, see before the Lord to ripen it, to bring it to the head that it might be judged. Perhaps it might be judged by the person himself before it really is fully manifested. But it's not well to stir up in matters until they are fully manifested. And sometimes we have only suspicion of certain evil, but we begin to talk about it and spread it around.
Oh, this, this isn't. This is really a very bad thing to do and it's defiling. And we just need to be more before the Lord. I think the ministry we had yesterday just to be before the Lord, look to the Lord have Jesus before us. This is what we need.
Next, first, Brother Anderson, I believe. Does it not give us the way in which we receive grace at the end of the verse?
God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble. So now we have the thought of humility before us in this verse, and it says to be clothed with it. That's a marvelous expression, isn't it? Be clothed with humility.
Words clothing would suggest, would it not character.
This is something that it doesn't happen overnight. It's the result of this humility.
Which isn't developed.
It's something that is the result of being before the Lord and.
Now the result is being clothed and then grace.
Is the way of receiving grace.
In order to act properly at the right time. Otherwise we wouldn't.
Ye that are spiritual, restore such in one and the spirit of meekness. Considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted that the spiritual brother is the brother who habitually judges a place in himself, That's the one that God can use to.
Restore one who is out of the way.
Say more than once.
Oh, how do I speak to my own conscience? Be very hard towards yourself, very severe, but very easy towards the rocket, the others? I think it's a very good principle, isn't it? And how would I speak to my own conscience? Be very severe towards yourself, waste and easy towards the others.
Is that a good principle?
Thinking about being closed, think of something that was I heard of John Leslie. Someone asked him once, and what were the three 2-3 greater Christian graces? And he put humanity first.
We have to move the second well, he said. That was humility. The third was humility, too.
Speak and talk so much about humility. But a little we shall.
Isn't it quite remarkable here that we have first feed the flock of God, and then we have these exhortations following? Because I believe, rather than that many of the difficulties come up amongst us, because the Saints are starved but they haven't been fed. If they were enjoying the Lord very often these difficulties would pass away.
But perhaps we could speak to our own hearts that when the Saints come together.
As we do in the meetings, isn't the first exercise of our hearts that they should be fed, that souls should be occupied with the Lord Jesus and fed with the living bread? And I believe that very often where our souls are enjoying Christ, that these difficulties pass, they they don't come to be mountains. But if we're not enjoying the Lord, then we get on hard questions, we get on problems, we get after one another, because thoughts don't fully agree one with another.
01:20:20
And first thing you know, we're not fed sometimes said we're just about going to have our dinner. Supposing that when we approach the dining room there, brothers stood there. And he said, now I have AI want to tell you for about 10 minutes how long it took to prepare this food and how many pounds of meat there is and how many pounds of potatoes. And I went on with quite a discourse. Well, this was all quite important to the person that prepared it. But I think we'd be saying, well, I don't know why he's wasting our time. We want to eat.
And I think we can get occupied with a lot of details in our meetings that are not food for the soul. We can get so occupied that when difficulties come up and then we are feeding upon them. Oh, may the Lord grant that when we come together we feed on Christ and that each one who takes part.
Our brother remark, not a special class of people, but each one who takes part would think, is this for the good of the same? Is it for the glory of God and for the feeding of the Saints? I think many of the difficulties would disappear. We took heed to the first exhortation.
The flock of God.
Now we're seeing 172 #172.