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217.
For those that may not have been here this morning, we were taking up First Thessalonians Chapter 5.
Would it be all right to start with verse 12, or did we not get quite that far?
What do you think, Rob?
Well, I didn't think about right that car, but we might just start at verse 12.
All right. But I remember your comment from this morning that this is the last reading meeting, so.
A bit of ground recovery.
Well, with that loading, GAAP versus 12?
And we BC two brethren, to know them, which they were among you, and are over you and the Lord, and admonish you, and to have seen them very highly in love for their work sake, and be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you, brother, and warn them that are unruly. Comfort the devil minded, support the weak, be patient with all, see that none render evil for evil unto any, but ever follow that which is good both among yourself and to all.
00:05:16
Rejoice evermore.
Pray without ceasing, and everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. When should not fear it, despite not prophesying. Prove all things and hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil, and the very God of peace sanctify you fully. And I pray God, your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless under the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
Brethren, pray for us. Read all the brethren with the holy kiss. I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
One of the things that I think is beautiful in this chapter is what we have in the end of verse 10 that we should live together with Him in.
And that's really, I think, uh, the essence of, uh, Christianity, of knowing the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior, all the truths that we're discussing, it really is essential to hold them into relationship of who Christ is and living together with him. One of the things that's personally hard for me is easy for me to think about things in a very rational way, logic them through, but it's a much harder thing for me to actually enjoy them and enjoy them with the Lord.
And really, that's what, uh, is really essential. The Lord Jesus is looking for a relationship with me and with you and all the truth that we've been talking about today.
If referring to also a future day, we will be physically living with him.
Over the question.
I didn't hear that question yourself. Could you repeat it? I was asking the end of verse 10. We might also live with him with that referring to a future. They also will be physically living with him.
Both are asleep and fright.
Therapist, the Lord in heaven.
When he comes grocery living together with him.
Their diversity 527136 weeks.
Drop 27, verse 13. I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
I know that many of us like to refer to that as the real land of the living is where we're going to be with Christ and glory. So the context is certainly also here on earth as the land of the living. It's mentioned in many other places in God's Word, and I think that in this case also, it can apply to both.
Yes, I would agree with that. I believe the primary thought is here that.
But in the previous chapter.
Whether we are alive or whether we are asleep in the sense of having gone to be with Christ and our bodies are in a grave, we will all live together with him. And the Lord died for us. And that ties in with Rob's thought. He wants us to remember that there was a price paid in order that we might have all these things and on that basis.
There is the exhortation to live in view of all that we have in him and the judgment that is coming on this world. But as we read in another place, like commandment is exceeding broad. And in that sense I believe we who are alive, we do live together with him down here, don't we and those that have.
Gone to sleep, as scripture uses the term. They are in that sense living with them too, aren't they? And so it's nice to apply it that way.
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In verse 10.
For the word wake.
Yes, the word watching.
Yeah, well, there will be, whether we may be watching or sleep.
And they live together with him. What? What is the thought of watching?
Does that refer back to verse 6 where it speaks about let us watch and be sober?
Or would it also have been viewed watching for his return, for his coming?
Well, once again, wouldn't you think?
I would think so. Watch as the idea of being on the alert, doesn't it? It has the idea of being.
Aware of what's going on around us.
End.
It's a state of being.
Totally aware on the one hand of what's going on around me, but then on the other hand to be watching for that which we know with assurance is going to happen. And so we're told to watch when it comes to the Lord's coming too, aren't we?
And so in verse 11, there's we have two things that are necessary in ministry, don't we comfort and.
Edification.
I remember well our late brother Armstead Barry, whom some of us can remember.
And he had a memory that went a long way back.
And he told us a story that I've never read anywhere, but he told it to us how that two brothers back in the 1800s were walking to a reading meeting.
One of them was John Darby and one of them was John Bellitt.
And in the course of that walk, John Darby turned to John Bellett and said, Brother John, I want you to remember tonight that the Saints have consciences as well as hearts.
Well, Mr. Ballard was a good friend and he could, uh, return the compliment. And he immediately said, and you, Brother John, you remember that the Saints have hearts as well as consciences.
Each one had a line of ministry for the heart and Darby's more for the conscience, but each recognized the gift the other had and recognized that perhaps there was a need for balance.
And so these are both needed, aren't they? It's good to exercise the conscience, to build up, to teach. It's good to give good, solid truth. But there's also a need sometimes for the comfort that the Word of God gives us, and only the Spirit of God can give us the right time and the right place for it. And sometimes, of course, different gifts lend themselves to.
Different lines of things.
Sometimes one has more a gift to comfort the comforting than another. Some has more the gift of edifying than another. But both are very much needed, aren't they?
Since they were doing it and that were encouraged.
Things to be compressed to us, to have progress that in place, to be faithful along with those things. That's what I brought before us. But they were continued company edifying each other that they also were doing.
That would include everyone of the believers and successful and unusual.
And it was, by implication, mean it's something that each one of us should be exercising to build each other up.
Correct each other, I suppose the office is regarding hands is not tearing down by the ritual or by mockery or whatever in the world.
00:15:03
For as well single level among them specific ones not referring to verse 11. That's so those there were neighboring among them on the official way to be recognized by the exercise of the gift their careers for the brethren, but eventually before they were no pointed out they were also.
We're lacking in brethren who've had an interest in the state and cares for them. He didn't want it.
Well, it is true that God has raised up leaders and guides in the Church of God. I believe, as you say, Michelle, that these were probably local ones. Who?
Those like Paul had ordained his elders, and in that sense they had the oversight of the assembly there. It's very interesting to see how that it was not necessary for that assembly to have existed for a long time.
For God to have raised up those who could act in that capacity, and whom the apostles could place in that position, and they were to be recognized. But there was never the thought that there should be an exclusive ministry of that kind, was there? As Rob was mentioning, all should be exercised as to the need of edifying and comforting.
And doing what they could to fill those.
Those needs and so it's very, very important to see that on the one hand, we know that the Church of God, as has often been pointed out, is not a democracy where one man's word is just the same as another's. But on the other hand, neither is it a place where.
There is an exclusive ministry to the exclusion of others. No, God intends that each one should feel his or her responsibility and each one seek to help out.
Our brother Steve in the address was springing before us that we meet as members of the body of Christ. And as someone has pointed out, the body of Christ is a unity of individuals, not a unity of assemblies. Yes, there are assemblies because we don't all live in one place, but it's a unity of individuals and what is exhorted here.
Is individual responsibility not so much collective? Would you agree with that, Steve? Yeah, I think we get individual characters of things until perhaps we get down to verse 19 and then it's a little more collective. But I think in the past few verses it's really more individual responsibility.
I believe verse 11 and 12 refer back to chapter one of this epistle where.
Paul, Sylvanus and Timothy came to that. That's, uh, Thessalonica and that's an example could be following as far as ministry is concerned in, in chapter one, it refers to leadership and shepherding. What we were talking about brothers earlier was mentioning about, umm, ministry from the height of ministry to the conscience. And there was in verse 27 tonight of chapter one, there was more of.
A mother, a mothering type of ministry where there was an expression of of the heart of love to encourage the Christians there. And then verses 8 and 10 is more of a fathering type of shepherding where now you're ministering to the consciousness that you would walk further. And so this is the balance that those brothers wanted to leave with the Assembly of Thessalonica. And it's just reinforcing enemies to reverse.
And then also from verse 14 that we have the responsibility towards our brothers, sisters and she completed.
To be a help to them, to be 100 of them patients not thirsty, written to us, an elite in the assembly, but all the things you care for one another.
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For many of these, exhortations are very straightforward and don't need a lot of elaboration or explanation.
The great thing, of course here is to see.
That each has his place and each should seek to fulfill what the Lord has given him or her to do. And we notice an expression here in verse 13.
It's rather unusual in the way that it's worded. It's Speaking of those who were locally there in Thessalonica and who were taking the lead in the assembly and labored among them. It says to esteem them very highly in love for their works saved.
There has always been the tendency and.
I suppose if each one of us is honest with him or herself, we would have to admit that when someone takes any kind of a position of leadership or responsibility immediately, their life comes under a closer scrutiny.
And even in the world, this is so, isn't it? When a candidate runs for political office, especially for high political office, immediately his or sometimes in her life?
Their background.
Their lifestyle, everything that they have done, comes under a very close scrutiny and of course in the world it is with the view from their opponent.
What can we dig up, What kind of dirt can we find that might be able to discredit them?
Am I going too far to say that?
Sometimes that happens among the people of God.
I'm afraid it does.
Not that our lives should not be.
And are an open book to our brethren. And if there is that which needs correction, then that should be something that we are open to very definitely. But on the other hand, there is sometimes.
The tendency to pick on little inconsistencies or character traits, or whatever else might come in among those whom the Lord might use, whether locally or in another sense, in a general way, and I believe these verses would guard against that, wouldn't they? They would say, esteem them highly for their work's sake. If I look at my brethren, I will see Christ in every one of them.
If I look for failure, I can find failure in everyone of them. But let me remember that I can find the most failure right here.
And that's why Paul says in Philippians.
Look, not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. I can always see in someone else.
Something of Christ that I don't have. Let me focus on that and say I value that character in that brother or that sister. Well, I believe Paul could see that there would be the tendency in that way. And in the second epistle he does have to warn those who were unruly, and he tells them here to do that. But he gives an even more specific exhortation in the second epistle.
But nevertheless, if there are those who are seeking to be a help, Paul says, look at what they're doing for the Lord.
Don't spend so much time picking at them and things in their lives. Look at what they're doing for the Lord. No, of course, if there's some glaring fault, that's another matter. If there's something that is hindering their work, that's another matter. But I believe here it's rather the thought that let us be occupied with what is positive rather than always talking about what is negative.
Especially when it comes to being admonished. I think I can speak for everyone here. When you're admonished, the first thing that comes up is your own will just right up hard against it, you know, and you have to ask the Lord for help to, to judge that. But when the Will's active, then the soul gets stirred up. And, you know, when we want our own will, we have no ability to satisfy it. And so we just continue agitated, agitated, agitated, and there's no peace.
00:25:30
And that spreads out into the assembly, doesn't it? But when we resign our own wills and we want his will, and we just have the Lord before us, then there's peace because we have an object before us that forms our soul, that forms what we want, and then he satisfies it. He alone has the power to satisfy a will that's subject and in tune and in concert with his own. And so I think this, those admonishments can really, you know.
Kind of get our hackles up and, uh, but we need to just submit our wills to his and then we can be at peace among ourselves. But I think that esteem being very highly in love to look on that one, uh, that's seeking to serve the Lord and love and value the work of the Lord in their lives is kind of the key thing.
And when you say Steve, you referenced the word peace.
Is that the way to have the piece that's at the end of the verse then? I believe so. There's an order, isn't there?
I've looked at this and thought that the, uh, piece that's mentioned, if we want that piece, uh, between ourselves and our brethren, then read the next bunch of verses because they all lead that direction and apply them to myself.
The one phrase there in verse 15 I would suggest.
Is very important.
Ever follow that which is good.
As you say, brother Steve, when my will is involved.
I am very apartment to, very apartment to.
Want to pay back a wrong word or an insult or something that.
Has been said. And if I am admonished and I don't take it in the right way.
I will look for an opportunity.
To admonish someone else.
Not in the right way, but just to give, as the world says, *** for tat. You found some wrong in me and you pulled me up short. Now it's my turn.
Well, that kind of thing will never really accomplish God's purpose, will it?
Not that I shouldn't if the occasion calls for it.
Be ready to admonish someone else, but the thought here is ever follow that which is good. The thought of rendering evil for evil should never be in my book. It should never be that I hold a grudge.
If I hold a grudge, then we have that scripture in Ephesians. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath. Yes, we may resent something because sometimes things are said that are downright unkind. Sometimes things are said to us that are not true. Sometimes we are falsely accused. It happens.
Sometimes with malice, sometimes ignorantly.
But sometimes things are said that are not according to the mind of God.
Again, I can still remember a remark that some of us heard more than once many years ago.
A brother said I will never know how closely you walk with the Lord until someone crosses you and I see how you react.
That is true, isn't it? We can all be nice, we can all treat people kindly as long as things are going well, as long as everyone treats us well. But let someone treat me unkindly, let someone cross my path in a wrong way. And I have to admit, in my own life there have been too many times when I have been crossed and I have reacted in the wrong way. But it shows that I wasn't walking with the Lord.
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And then the 10 she is to want to render evil for evil. And then that defiles many because that root of bitterness springs up that we get reference.
In Hebrews, and eventually many are defiled, I talk about it to someone else. You know what she said to me, or you know what he did well, and so on.
You know I can take it to the Lord.
As Steve was saying, there may be something I need to learn from it, even if it's unkind. I have to ask the Lord why He allowed it. And if I take it to the Lord and it's untrue, then I can get on my knees and pray for the individual and leave it there. And what a blessed thing it is. When that can happen, then my heart is occupied not with the evil, but with the good. And instead of turning the evil over and over and over in my mind and.
Relishing it and getting all worked up about it and getting more and more bad feelings poisoning my soul. I'm free to be occupied with good. And what a mercy that is to our souls, isn't it?
And I say that not because I've always done it, but because I've seen the bad consequences of not doing it.
I was on a car ride, went with, uh, an unbeliever and he asked the question. He said he thought it said.
No scripture said, uh, that mentioned in my said the Lord, I will repay. It's important to remember that's a promise. And so if we take vengeance into our own hands, we're doing one of two things. That individual is not a believer. We know that what they're doing that is wrong. They will pay a lost eternity and help for it. I cannot add to a lost eternity in hell.
#2 if that individual is a believer, Jesus came and died for that individual. I cannot improve on the cross. And so we're going to leave that vengeance to God. He is. He took care of the vengeance with his sacrifice on the cross so that we don't have to but live in the life of that.
Change chapter UH-3 double starts with a little thing called the tongue.
And I'd just like to read that verse.
And verse five, if we could read the first, uh, 6 verses. I'm more interested in verse 5. And so the tongue is a little member that boasts of great things. Behold, how great a matter is little for fire, Kindred, Kindred. In other words, it starts with our little member.
We have two years. It's better to listen than the tongue, which is very dangerous.
That we are seeking to be a vengeance towards others you mentioned previously.
And, uh, as we were discussing, it's, it's better to think positive about the world's people than negative.
We're exhorted to keep the unity of the spirits in the bonds of peace, and that's repeated in so many different ways throughout all the epistles.
Umm 14B is is maybe expressed in more detail in Colossians chapter 3.
Chapter 3 verses starting at verse 12.
Put on, therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, thousands of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering for bury one another, and forgiving one another. If any man have a quarrel against any, even if Christ forgave, you shall also do ye. And above all these things, put on talent, which is the bond of perfectness.
And let the peace of God root in your hearts to the which also ye are called in one body, and be respectful.
In order to.
Bring glory to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in that expression of this one body here on earth. His hands, His feet, His aroma. This is what depends on us. This is what He defeated us to do.
For the sake of the testimony individual, excellent.
00:35:06
I was thinking how it was mentioned about our own will.
And recently in Kuro, we've talked a little bit about.
Those that built the Tabernacle in Exodus.
And it says that those with a willing heart were to come and do the work. In Exodus chapter 35, Moses gathered them together in verse one.
And in verse 4, Moses fake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the Lord commanded.
And in verse 21 And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him up, and everyone whom his Spirit made willing, and they brought the Lord's offering to the work. Verse 22 And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted.
So we see the men, and the women, and the children. Verse 29. And the children of Israel brought a willing offering under the Lord, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work. Verse 35 Then hath he filled with wisdom of heart to work all manner of work.
Chapter 36 and verse five says the people bring much more than enough for the service of the work and it continues all the way through.
And at the end of chapter 39 it says, according to all, that the Lord commanded Moses. So the children of Israel made all the work, and Moses did look upon all the work, and behold, they had done it as the Lord had commanded.
I consider what a work that must have been.
And how many must have been involved to do it?
And we don't read of it there, but surely there must have been at times difficulties and hardships between certain ones.
But I believe that they must have found a way to encourage one another and to lift one another up.
We read in Hebrews and and I.
Quoted often that we should provoke one another to love and the good works. I like to say that we should poke one another, the love and the good works. We should remind each other we should keep each other and help each other along the way. And that it should be with a willing heart, one that's full of the love of Christ, the example that He left for us to follow Him. And so the work that we have to do today for one another in this world surely can't be that difficult that by the strength of Him we can't have willing hearts.
To go along like they did back in that day. And so if we need a little admonishment or a little correction here or there.
Can't be that hard to take, can it?
So the leader has the attitude of any other look up in him.
Their matter of life and if you see their life right now, but the thought of one having rules towards the other.
Authority is not the wrong place. The authority of the Lord and the authority of His word. We can help each other, none of us in ourselves or in a position of official authority. So just like that French translation, translation is not that we're old regions of the Lord.
Once they believe and they have commanded respect to myself because they have a metal.
Peter, uh, first Peter chapter 5 is a little bit more detailed on oversight. You might like to look at a few verses there.
First Peter, chapter 5.
Here mentioned that he was an Albert in verse one.
And uh.
You mentioned the verse 2 about feeding the flock of God, which is a by you taking the oversight there off not by constraint but willingly, not for filthy looper, but of a ready mind.
To be Lords over God's energy, but heritage being a samples of the flock.
Then in verse five he says likewise, you're younger sub submit yourself on to the elder. Yes, all of you be subject 1 to another and be close with humility. I think that's the secret of getting along, isn't it, that we.
00:40:13
All are to be subject 1 to another.
Humility to read this. It may look very easy to read it, but it has been mentioned our wills get in the way often and only by pride. It says come with contention and we know these things can come in among us.
Of the times were not that quick to own a fault or own that we've, uh, wronged somebody and so on. But, uh, the Lord would have us to be, uh, this way among ourselves would be subject going to another vote of humility.
Why is it during the Millennium that there will be peace? Why is it that the reign of Christ is characterized by peace? It's because first of all, it's a reign of righteousness. It tells us that in Isaiah.
The effect of righteousness is peace.
Client assurance forever.
And that's really what ought to characterize and assembly.
Righteousness. I was thinking of what James said on the subject too. James three and verse 17.
James 317 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, and then peaceable, gentle and easy to be entreated, and so on in verse 18, And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace.
Of them that make peace. So wherever sin is tolerated, there's going to be problems.
And there's going to be discontentment, unrest and conflict.
It's the result of sin.
And so that's worked my own heart that we be willing to submit it.
Somebody points out that.
One is going on with something that's not according to God's word. I need to submit. It's the happy path. And rather than rise up and become resentful.
The Lord can enable a person to, uh, accept that admonish.
And of course the word in Romans 13 is to overcome evil with good.
Good principle to keep in mind.
So the three verses I would suggest are tied together in a nice way versus 1617 and 18.
Rejoicing evermore is the result of carrying out what we have in verse 15.
But I can't do it in my own strength, can I?
I will soon find if I try to do it in my own strength, that I will fall behind.
I will soon find that those things that are not the way they should be will get the best of me. I need to pray without ceasing. What does that mean? Does it mean that I neglect my normal daily responsibilities in order to pray? No, it doesn't. But it means that my soul is always in an attitude of dependence and prayer and reliance on the Lord every moment of the day.
It means that I keep the channel between me and the Lord open at all times so that I can look up.
And seek for help, seek for guidance, seek for strength, whatever may come across my path.
And then what will be the result?
Sometimes a very difficult verse in everything. Give thanks.
In everything, give thanks.
Why Brother Steve has been mentioning how that our own wills couldn't get in the way so often.
And again, I think we all have to say, if we're honest with ourselves, how often that is the case. But whatever comes across my path is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning me. Now, of course, that doesn't take away from the fact that I can bring into my life because of my waywardness, because of my unfaithfulness, because of my getting away from the Lord.
00:45:21
I can bring into my path that which is very very difficult.
But yet in the midst of all of that.
If I turn to the Lord, I will find that His heart is still the same toward Him. His ways may change with me, I may fall under His discipline, but His love never changes. And in that sense, everything allowed in your life and mine is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
He has an individual schooling for each one of us, and He allows that in my life and in yours, which will best conform us as we get in another scripture to the image of His Son. That's in Romans 8. And so I would suggest that these verses are tied together in a beautiful way. And as I say again, they don't need much comment.
Except.
Perhaps to look at them carefully and to seek grace from the Lord, To take whatever the Lord allows in my life and say no matter what the cause, don't look at the second 'cause it is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning.
Reverses have no acceptance goods ever met.
Right, without ceasing strong in everything. Thank.
I think there were excellent comforters for seven days and they were quiet and they kind of entered into when he was going through.
But when he started to respond and advised him and ignored him for both more of his coordinates and difficult. So I believe that he's ready to comfort our brother and our sister. We have some feelings about heart of the Lord or this we might come along with them and try and pray for them. And I remember it was a situation when the funeral parlor was a young sister passed away.
And, uh, several were freezing to fight themselves and not at those that have no hope. And she would come around and say that it believes, Oh no, it's, it's not supposed to be supposed to rejoice the remorse. Clap our hands in Africa. And the master ceremony has three class in hand because the time who's joined in the sorrow? And so you need to take your purses for ourselves. But I just rejoined the remorse. I just pray myself.
Because it's easy and I take my thermostat to come forward. And thanks for that. Thanks for this.
As we go through like, we often wonder what is the will of God for me?
Here's the answer. Here's certainly a very good answer. It may not be specific to my past, but this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. That is, to rejoice over war and to pray without ceasing. And in everything he sang. We read in in Hebrews about the sacrifice of praise to God continually. That is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. There's a certain amount of this that becomes a sacrifice.
It's a living sacrifice. It's not gonna crawl off the altar because it's not on the altar in that sense, but it's a living, giving sacrifices as I'm going to take into my circumstances that this is the will of God and it's the goodwill of God. And I can rejoice in that. The beauty of his presence, the character of who he is, the reality of the power and of the love and the the affection that we have together.
In in my life, His will is for me to rejoice in what he has brought me into the circumstances. And then we don't want to leave out the next verse because it's a quench, not the Spirit. We often speak of this out of context, but the reality is if we're not rejoicing, if we're not happy in what God has brought to us, if we're not praying like we can through each circumstance, through each moment of the day, we don't have that prayerfulness.
00:50:19
We are quenching the Spirit.
I think it's confirmed also in the 4th is the first the first part of verse three of our of our epistle, chapter 4, verse 3. Just the first part for this is the will of God, even your sanctification.
This desire is to set us apart for him.
To be fully His, as he is wholly ours and gave himself completely to us and his purpose in all of this.
For Him, what's important is not what happens to us, but what happens in us. It's already been mentioned earlier how we react to situations. How we react to crises will confirm the level of our walk with the Lord and how much He could be glorified in and through circumstances. That's why He allows them.
He wants to be glorified with them. He wants us to have victory over and through everything He allows in our life. And that's why He allows those things to strengthen us, to build up our faith, to teach dependence and trust in Him, to learn to walk with Him, walking with Him.
We'll never learn that on the picnic. We'll learn that in the hard reality of one thing that's lost into this world, and we are in this world even though we are not of this world and we are showing the world.
How we have grace.
Almighty power to go through circumstances and to accept everything that happens peacefully, confidently, because we have what in whom we have put our trust forever.
The Lord Jesus suffered on the cross, and how could Paul be accomplishing the sufferings of Christ after that? The reality is that this life that we go through, we are going to suffer. Yes, we will. And the response to that suffering is what brings glory to God.
It's specified in that 18 verse.
So with finding the Lord Jesus one, one who enjoys ever more faith of Jesus.
What's the difference between what we have here, praying without ceasing, and what we have in Romans 12 and uh.
Chap Romans 12 and chapter 12 or verse 12 Says they're rejoicing at home, patient and tribulation, continuing instant prayer. It's a difference being the incident prayer and being and you can say the attitude of prayer.
Well, I would suggest Enos. There really isn't much difference. It's the same thought really. I ought to be at any time ready and able and wanting to go to the Lord in prayer whatever difficulty I face, and not necessarily only in difficulty, but to praise Him. I ought to be able to thank Him for what He has done. I ought to be ready to thank Him even for little things, and to thank Him right away from my heart for.
Perhaps something he has done for me, something he's given me, something he has preserved me from.
And so these are all very, very practical things, and I heartily agree that we can quench the Spirit individually in our lives by being occupied with evil, rather than letting the Spirit minister Christ and present and present joy to my soul. But as Steve was pointing out, it can be done collectively to candid. I can quench the Spirit by failing to follow his leading when perhaps he is.
Leading me and that I speak to the brothers now and leading me to take part in a public way in an assembly meeting, and I don't do it. I can quench the Spirit individually when He is leading me to speak to someone about the Lord or to give them a gospel tract, and I hang back and don't do it. Quenching the Spirit can take many forms, can't it? And in the individual sense, I suffer, I lose the opportunity.
00:55:11
And shall we say the Lord in that sense is not honored and glorified as he should be in the assembly? Not only I suffer, but others suffer too if I fail to respond to the spirits leading. And so it's something that we all need to be exercised about, especially those of us that are brothers. But we don't leave out the sisters because although they don't take audible part, you can be just as much in the current of the spirits leading as a brother.
And I know of at least one case that was told to me personally many years ago.
Where a sister made a remark after the remembrance of the Lord, to the effect that she felt some brother had quenched the spirit that morning, because a certain hymn that was sung after the breaking of bread, she felt very strongly ought to have been sung before the breaking of bread.
The young brother responsible told me that himself. Of course, he was much older when he told me that, but he told me that himself and how much he hung his head afterward, hearing that comment outside the meeting room and realizing that he was the culprit.
Well, the Lord allowed him to hear that so that he would be exercised not to hold back the next time. And so quenching the Spirit can take more than one form, can't it? And we need to remember that He's here to lead and to guide, whether in our individual lives or collectively as we come together in assembly.
Sometimes we can doctors who have questions and cost and their souls older ones too and ask their questions. Our sisters hearts only not but the Lord would have them be asked and communicated and shyness to keep us from putting out there the one we use it for education. I'm not speaking out. You know the Spirit of God makes something in our hearts and then speaking up when you have to say something specifically on our hearts because we have knowledge and we know we can take the same truth.
Because that's also clinching the Spirit when the next verse says.
By my Father time the spirit is free and expect the mind of the Lord to be communicated to us and we can have an attitude of the being non receptive to what you said.
So you know the real life said or will not appreciating the brother who's saying it. So despite not prophesying to receive it from the Lord rule things disconnect with the word of God. You feel like it will be reinstated talked about before. Make sure you understand your connection. What about all that it says in the meeting We say well, we would receive it without approving its own approval.
And two or three seats and the other judge, we might not be, whatever you have to say.
And if we do that, when we profit in our souls and being together, crafting our things, we did not be seen without, not ready for them when they lost or no, if we follow these instructions, it is not when you consider nothing, prophecy, ruling out things and we hold fast, that's true.
Should we say that quenching the Spirit is?
Doing anything against which would work against the leading of the Spirit. The we've been we've mentioned holding back from giving out to him or taking some part when the Spirit was actually leading.
But I believe we can also be quenching the Spirit by speaking when the Spirit is not like this. And I think in both cases we are working against the leading of the Spirit and quench therefore quenching Him.
MMM Two other slides that I don't recall the verses off hand, but one is that the sister has a question she used to ask her own husband at home. To me, that's a challenge. My wife would bring a question to me. What does this verse mean? And so there should be an exercise of us husbands to be in the word of God so that we could answer the questions that our wives ask us.
The other one is, well, I'm not married, I'm just a single girl. Well, if you remember the story of Ruth, Ruth was encouraged to go to the well where the young men draw from the wealth with the water. So as young as the sisters, you have a privilege of joy to go to some of the young brothers and ask them. Of course, that puts the responsibility on young people too.
01:00:28
To study the word of God and present it to the Word of God, to their sisters. And so far, while you say, well, I don't have a husband, I'm an older sister, but you can also mention it to someone in the assembly. So there's ways that we can present the truth of God to our lives and to our children and to our sisters without publicly quenching the Spirit of God.
Good question.
So I would just say this, that there is no human parameter by which we can judge the leading of the Spirit.
But I believe if we are before the Lord, we will have no doubt in our souls when the Spirit is leading. And if we are led by the Spirit, it will commend itself to others too, and to those to whom we speak as being of the Lord, because the same Spirit in them will respond to what is said by the Spirit in you and me.
That kind of question has often been asked out in Christendom. It was asked right at the beginning of the history, if I could say it this way, of brethren, when the leading of the Spirit and the presence of the Spirit on earth, indwelling every true believer and dwelling collectively among believers as the House of God. When that truth was first brought out in the days of the early brethren, those from the established churches.
Raised questions and they said, well, that'll never work because somebody's going to say something and.
He will claim his lead of the spirit and somebody else will listen and say, no, you're not. And who's going to be the judge and the advocate of whether or not this one is right or that one is right and they Pooh poohed the whole thing.
I remember once talking to a woman who was a true believer and a nice believer too, who couldn't see that. And I responded to her. I don't know if it was the right way, but I said, tell me, do you think that God made a mistake in sending down the Spirit of God on the day of Pentecost to indwell every true believer? And did God make a mistake in sending the Spirit of God to indwell the House of God?
To lead and guide.
Well, no, no. Well, I said. Do you mean to tell me that God did something that in practice is unworkable? Did God really do that?
No.
Well, I said then I believe if you and I are before the Lord, we will have no question. When the Spirit is leading, the sense of it will be strong. And if we are walking with the Lord, there will not be a question as to whether the Spirit is leading either in US or in those who hear us. Now, sad to say, we're living in days of weakness and sometimes that doesn't happen. And even in Paul's day he could say to the Corinthians.
Let the prophet speak two or three, and let the other judge. Others were to judge, and they had the capacity to judge. And here also the individual listening to the prophecy has the capacity to prove what is said. How? Because he or she has the Spirit of God as well. And so I don't believe God made any mistake, but what He gives us is not something that can be explained.
And quantified in human language.
It's something that the Lord has to make clear to us by His Spirit.
Principal probably found, I think, in One Corinthians chapter 2.
01:05:01
First Corinthians, chapter 2.
1St 13 is the one I was thinking of there which things also we speak not in the words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost, The Holy Ghost teaches, comparing spiritually into spiritual. That is, what we speak should be backed up by the word of God, should be proven by the Word of God that is true.
Before we speak and if we follow the instructions given here.
I I believe that we.
Would know that we're being led by the Spirit of God if the grades before us, the Word of God in such a way that we're able to present it, knowing that that is true because not what I say, but it's because of what the Word of God says and the Holy Spirit always directs us.
To what God's Word says. Not my natural thinking. I have the old nature. I may mix up spiritual things with natural things. Not to be aware of that when you're speaking, but it should be spiritual things compared with spiritual truth.
How we feel.
So I know it after that's confirmed by somebody who comes to you to have the same version, the same camera, we have confirmation from that. Something that we kind of are taught by the Spirit of God through time, isn't it? It's necessary to have the proper state of souls and fellowship with the Lord. The Spirit is free not to occupy me with my failure.
Please be free to bring thoughts to my work and you might have thoughts brought to my heart for me to enjoy, for me to share.
And then I would go ahead and share them if I felt that was burning in my heart and I wanted others to enter into that joy. But you know, one of the secrets is dependence. We're quiet before the Lord. We're allowing the opportunity of the Spirit of God to move in our hearts and to meet someone to offer a prayer or a phrase or a hymn. And I was thinking if someone was really ignorant of the hymn book and the brethren got together and they didn't know any of that hymns.
The Spirit of God knows all the hymns. You could put a number in your mind and say I've got the number 32 in my mind. You go to 32, you sing it and somebody say, well, that's wonderful, that's what I had in my heart, that's the Lord. I've been taking through us and our weakness and ignorance to bless us and the end result is we're in a fight together and challenge to enjoy the presence of the Lord and the leading of the Spirit. We might get into a pattern of meeting with the knowledge of the principles and just going ahead.
And not being dependent and sure they're going to hear good things because we all read ministry and we have all the experience. We can hear one another. But what does the Lord have us enjoy this morning today together? He knows the hearts of everyone in the room. He knows the need, He needs the comfort that's required, the education, the education, the correction. And so the more we are dependent, the more we are going to experience after we've been together to administer many needs, the different ones unaware to the ones that we're speaking. Yet there was brought by him.
Because he was the one doing the leading.
So in fact, I couldn't tell you like no, that I'm being led by the Holy Spirit. I I'd like to refer back to the verse of Brother Steve from Isaiah chapter 32. I just want to read that verse for a second.
Isaiah chapter 32.
17.
And the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. Now, looking forward, that's also referring to the practical aspect of my walk in the world today. And I believe that when we remove all blockage in our relationship with the Lord Jesus.
What I mean is that if I confess to the Lord anything that I know, I should have thought I did not do, or did do and should not have done.
Then I have fellowship with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, with all members of the Godhead. I have that peace and assurance. I just if I'm asked a question, I say Lord, please help me.
Pray instant in prayer and go ahead trusting the Lord. I believe that He will help you and bless your answer. It will be an appropriate answer. It may not be a complete answer, but you will know that the Spirit is guided.
01:10:15
OK, No, I don't care to close the credit at of that, uh Alaska, it should call uh two circuit. Yet the new desktop exhausted to see the importance of all these things have been presented to us.
The benefit umm oh legit said we may put some issues and Tirama.
In regards He sanctified you fully and your Holy Spirit and soul and body to preserve blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Wait, nobody else after a suburb C sub FC. She had a sweet the book of the show Sunday Monday down and they're $50. You know this is first comes after all these things have been mentioned to us in the proceedings in the preceding verses.
No, no, my own that that's different. It's not losing money. They should work on the women.
So we've had these exhortations in the preceding version and we have, we have here the very dollar piece, the gotta be himself. Sacrifice your holy.
Screen we have the whole human being, spirit, soul and body.
You will not move who lose somewhere else in your mouth. Ulnus sequel to someone.
Do you remember the office At the moment? We listen to the Lord and we open our hearts to the Lord. He is Himself active for us.
Men.
Make their women.
It's not just the peace of God, the peace of God that accompany us. What we have here is a very God of Jesus himself who accompanies us.
My Disability and chapter 4.
We find a similar expression.
And here.
Seasonal result of assistance number 7 and.
The seven reasons the peace of God which passed at all understanding, so keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Then we have something to encourage us to put our games and cast our grandfather in his feet. I've heard of him.
Ru Guo I call that shows to tell us seniors do the man after the first aid. We also find other things that George requires of us and if that's in the new.
Service.
Is a free industry in our country. Everyone fixed the show in the duty festival. So this might be those things that we have both learned and received and heard and seen and meet. Do shall be with you. No, do well, I'm talking to you. I'm talking to each other.
But they'll do that whole of truth. They can do that. Hometown, too. They can do that.
He is not OK for the other fair and everything must affect.
The show message we have here, it's not just the peace of God, it's those things that we've been read about and seen and exhorted about, and we put those things in practice and the result is that the God of peace himself will be with us. If I don't know about everything.
It says rapidly, unless you another verse of the Lord Jesus called the disciples that night when she got down before them to wash their feet.
John, Chapter 13.
Verse 17 rupees tenure. That's 10 years.
01:15:04
Do what they want to happen.
Which is the Lord of Lords, the King of things I've done before, his disciples that they're being to Russia.
Every year.
The disciples could have been dishonest and justice stop there, but the Lord reminds them of something in the 17th verse.
If you know these things, happy or ye? If we do, that statement shows the correct potential.
One thing to know these things.
To do with the year new some of the things, but they really would have been. So we're only happy if we do them because here's the model that's going to think he wants us to do.
And if you think 176.
Lord, we shall see thee as thou art.
Yonder mansion spare, we shall behold thee face to face thy glorious image. Bear Sauce Society, size 176.
Lord, we shall see.
See.
You.
All right, now we're going to get into the messages that I'm going to play.
Before we pray, may I make one final remark with those last two verses.
The order of spirit and soul and body is important. Why? Because it has to be the Lord's work in US. Faithful is he that calleth you who also will do it. It has to start with Him and the Word, then work down to the soul and then to the body. Let's pray.