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General Meetings, Burbank, December 1964 reading meeting Saturday PM.
277.
M #277.
The Lamb of God our Shepherd is, and he who does must be while he is ours and we're his.
Want and want or need 277?
No.
Yeah.
Yeah.
00:05:29
The 4th chapter, First Timothy.
Wouldn't it be well to read again? Sullen the third?
Perhaps.
Not to spend a great deal of time on it, but to start reading at.
Gate first.
Just reading on yes.
First Timothy, chapter 3, verse 8.
Likewise must the Dickens be grave, not double tongue, not given to much wine, not greedy or filthy lucre, holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. And let these also first be proved. Then let the muse, the office of a Deacon, being found blameless. Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife.
Ruling their children, and their own house as well. For they that have used the office of the beacon well purchased to themselves a good degree and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. These things are right I unto they hoping to come unto thee shortly. But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou Artest to behave thyself in the House of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit scene of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
Now the spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.
Speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats which God hath created, to be received with Thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with Thanksgiving, for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. If not, put the brethren in remembrance of these things. Thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ.
Merry stuff in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.
But refused profane and old wide stables, and exercised thyself rather unto godliness.
Or bodily exercise, Bodily exercise, profitous little but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptations.
For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those that believe these things command and teach. Let no man despise thy use, but be thou an example of the believers in Word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy.
With the laying on of the hands of the presbytery, meditate upon these things. Give thyself wholly to them.
That thy profiting may appear to all take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine continue in them. For in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee.
I.
Bishops and deacons are both local offices, are they not?
And.
I suppose that the first would that is bishops or elders.
00:10:04
Would have more to do with oversight and.
Deacons with service.
The the word that's translated.
Minister in the sixth verse of the 4th chapter.
If thou put the bread in remembrance of these things, I would be a good minister. The word, therefore, minister is the akinos, which is our word Deacon. So the word simply means a servant.
While it's not sad definitely that those that were chosen to look after the distribution.
Of the necessities to the needy in Jerusalem, while they're not called deacons, it's very evident that their services of that character.
And one of them's name was Philip.
And he would be a remarkable example of what we have in the 13th verse, would he not? They that have used the office of a Deacon well purchased to themselves a good degree and great boldness in the fact he's the only man in Scripture that's called an evangelist.
You refer Brother Brown to Act 63.
Yes.
Wonderful to look at the Lord Jesus Christ.
And also referred to as a minister in Master 20 verse 28.
And I'm going as a son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many. Just thank God the Lord Jesus Christ can conserve us. The same words that use that word for ministers.
Trying to wait upon us, to serve us was nothing. That should be a privilege for us then to serve as well. We can serve the own state by going out to them with the dust. We can serve one another in various ways. We can serve the Assembly of God. And certainly we should be exercised about the the little place that the Lord might have for us, the little thing that you might have for us to do.
I swear in the end of Romans about a dear sister in Christ.
That awkward ought to encourage our sisters.
Romans 16, the first verse.
I commend and you, Phoebe, our sister.
Which is the servant of the Church which is at Sencrea?
That's a receiver in the Lord has become a St. and that she is a sister in whatsoever matter. She hath need of you, for she hath been a sucker of many, and of myself also.
Now the interesting thing there about that is that she's called a servant, and that is the feminine of the same word the shoes predicted.
If we if we were to render it literally, it would be ridiculous. Not that she was official, we're not meaningless, but it is a feminine of that word.
Large, large service in that.
As a Deacon.
And in the Romans spoken of as the minister of the circumstance said at the very word is easily applied to the Lord. Is that right, Brother Brown?
What's your reference, Brother Roman?
Yes.
Well, with that, in that.
Second verse of Romans 16.
She had been a sucker of many to myself also. Would that not show the something of the character of the service?
00:15:00
It was more as to perhaps.
Needs.
In helping him in that way, it certainly was in the.
In giving him the word or anything of that kind.
Of the Lord was thought that is referred to there ministering to the people's physical needs. You know he did that he said them he killed them what a ministry that was well that was different from his going to the cross, wasn't it? Yes.
Is referred to Phoebe, brother. Yes, she was a helper, would you say?
Took care of the menial duties, perhaps the kitchen chores.
Well, I wouldn't want to limit that, but things have more along that nature though.
You know, say it certainly wasn't in Ministry of the Word. She wasn't that way.
In Philippians 4.
We got something very similar.
Flippins for reading from verse one. Therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved and long form my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.
I beseech your audience and beseech Syndicate.
I noticed that he doesn't say I beseech thee, odious and syndicate. He doesn't put it that way.
He puts each one on her own responsibility. I beseech you, Odious and beseech Syndicate, that they be of the same mind in the Lord. And I am creepy also. True. Yo fella, help those women that's Yodius and Kinzie, help those women which labored with me in the gospel.
And with Clement also, and other my fellow laborers whose names are in the Book of Life. Well, his brother Whitaker just stated, we don't think that these women were on the platform, but they were in very close association with the furtherance of the gospel.
And oh, how many ways there are in which sisters can be a help along that line.
There's our brother Collier over there in Hong Kong.
Well, he's had some diligent sisters there laboring with him for years.
And we believe God has used them so.
We while we're not looking at sisters as official preachers or anything of that kind yet, the word of God.
Does give them a place as being helpers together in the gospel. It's it's definitely in scripture.
4 dollars.
Yes, well, so we turn to that in the axe.
What chapter is it, Brother Brown?
Acts 21/9.
Reading the eighth verse the next day, we were.
We that were appalled company departed and came to Caesarea and we entered into the House of Philip the evangelist. We've already spoken of him, the only man that's called an evangelist.
Which was one of the seven and about wisdom.
And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophecy.
And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judea a certain prophet named Agabus. And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said thus, that the Holy Ghost, so shall the Jews at Jerusalem, bind the man that owneth this turtle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. Now we notice two things there.
Philip had these four.
Unmarried daughters.
And they prophesied.
It doesn't say that they got up in the meeting and talked.
But, and on proper occasions where the situation warranted it, they gave the mind of the Lord on various matters that might arise for discussion. But when it's a question of public ministry, the Spirit of God did not use one of those four sisters, but he used a certain prophet named Agabus. So for public ministry.
00:20:21
Agabus, a brother, was used, but in a quiet way. Evidently these sisters that they prophesied had someone to whom they prophesied.
We have another.
Thing to the law themselves.
Luke.
Verse one.
Became the past after six years went throughout every time village precinct showing the glad titles of the Kingdom of dawn and the 12 are with him and certain women which had been handled of evil spirits and infirmities. Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven demons, and Joanna, the wife of Tisa, Harold and Susannah.
And many others which ministered the same word here, which ministered unto him of their substance.
Connection One would like to call attention to another situation in the book of Acts.
In connection with the palace.
Chapter 18.
1/4 Thank you brother.
The 18th chapter and 24th verse. A certain Jew named Apollos Barnet Alexandria, an eloquent man and mother in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus.
This man was instructed in the way of the Lord, and being fervent in spirit, is fought on mistake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.
And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue, Whom when Aquila and Priscilla.
Now Priscilla was Aquila's wife.
When Aqua and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.
Now it's instructive to see that this brother and his wife took Apollos aside privately.
And they instructed him, or expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. Now that verb there is in the plural. So Priscilla didn't sit there silent all during the conversation. And some of us can bear testimony.
Personal experience in our lives, when we've been greatly helped and enlightened by conversations we've had where sisters entered very decidedly into the conversation. But it was the circumstances were right. It was done privately, perhaps in the home. It doesn't say so. But Apple and Brazil took him and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly, and God blessed it.
In.
Connection with this, isn't it noticeable that?
Where you have this couple mentioned, the names are often transposed. Sometimes Priscilla's name is mentioned 1St and sometimes the husband, well, here it's Aquila. He is the one that's mentioned first as responsible one in connection with this ministry. That's a question of service or affection. Why we find Priscilla's name mentioned first?
Seems to me that's instructive.
That in Romans 16, verse 3.
Priscilla and auxiliary, my helpers in Christ Jesus was just a matter of giving them a greeting that affects them as you were saying. So her name is mentioned first, but over in First Corinthians the 16th chapter, verse 19.
The churches of Asia salute you, Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord with the church that is in their house. Well, it's something of responsibility connected with that, isn't it? So his name is mentioned first because he's the head, and so his name is mentioned first.
00:25:20
I was going to say in this same chapter in Acts, 18th chapter in the 18th verse, while we haven't mentioned there and the names are reversed there, it's a question of their counting him and his travels and so.
There, Priscilla's name is mentioned first like it's devotion to him.
In the fourth chapter of Second Timothy, the last time we got the mention, they're mentioned six times, and they're always mentioned together, never one without the other in Second Timothy 4.
And 19 salute Priscilla or Priscilla and Aquila and the household of on Zippers. So we say goodbye to them here.
But there they are together. Well, it's a lovely picture.
You were Speaking of?
Brother Collier in the work in Hong Kong area.
Doesn't that raise another issue?
That.
The brother there has had the responsibility for the work. Yes, definitely. And generally we have ministered to him and he if he distributed to others who had any need, who were helpers with him, that was up to him. Yes, yes, Brother Wilson and one will repeat a remark.
That has been made before, and I trust it's true.
We have no living brothers who are sisters.
I believe that's an important principle to remember.
I I think we have to be in our guard along this line.
New things creep up. They have a way of working in among us, and that's one reason. And turning to First Timothy here, where we get instructions how we ought to behave in the House of God.
We have certain principles laid down and we should never vary from it. I remember talking to a sister a number of years ago.
And she was complaining to me that her brethren didn't send her to the foreign field.
And I said, well, my dear sister, you'll wait the rest of your life.
If that's what you're waiting on, your brethren are not going to send you to the foreign field. In fact, they don't send anybody to the foreign field.
If you go to the foreign field, you're going to go because God has called you to go, and you're going to obedience to him. Brethren don't send you.
So.
We need to be clear on these matters.
I we can show fellowship whether I was at a meeting, a fellowship meeting in Montreal a few years back and the meeting was to show the fellowship of the Saints to a young sister who was going out to help over in.
Two seconds here. You're going over there to help she.
Had the fellowship of the meeting, but she wasn't being set out as laboring sister. She was simply going over there to help in the in the proper way.
Going over there as a graduate nurse, going over there to help a physician and surgeon who is already recognized of the Saints over there, well, that was a very happy affair.
What we must distinguish the things that differ.
That's the burden of that verse.
The things that are more excellent. Another translation hasn't distinguished. The things are different.
You give us a word on X16.
Verse 14.
Act 16, verse 14.
00:30:04
Read it, brother.
Certainly in Libya.
Similar purpose.
The city of Thyatira, which worship God, heard us. Whose heart the Lord opened, that she appeared into the things which were spoken by the football.
When she was baptized in the household.
You saw this saying, if he had touched me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and the fire there.
She has something to do with things she certainly did Brother and the sister that.
Has the church in your house for the brother and his wife?
They know something of what that means. That's that's real self sacrifice.
And so this year she was a Gentile, this Lydia. She got converted, and her home evidently became the.
Running place of the believers there because when Paul left there in the last verse that chapter.
40th verse. They went out of prison and entered into the House of Lydia, and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them and departed.
Well, that's a lovely picture.
I remember one time a sister came to me about going to a certain island where there were some gatherings and she wanted to go there as out in the Lord's work. Well, I've been there and I told her, I said, well, now I don't see if you do that, how that we could minister to you as a gathering.
I said individuals might do it, but I said furthermore.
It seems to me that down there you could do a work among the sisters, but it seems to me the real need there is a young man to minister among them so that they don't drift off into various other things. Well, she said she had never thought of it along that line. Well, she didn't go.
There we look at the first verse on the 13th of Acts.
Because these are important principles that we want to be clear on and this brother Wilson was saying.
Practices flipping among us sometimes and we get wrong conceptions along these lines. The 13th of Acts there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers. Notice there's nothing about the preacher here.
There's nothing about the weather and this was a real active assembly.
Certain prophets and teachers.
As Barnabas and Simeon that was called Niger Lucius of Cyrini Manan, which had been brought up with hair of the tetrarch and saw and as administered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Ghost says.
Let's not miss that, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me, Barnabas, and Saul for the work where unto I have called them.
They weren't called by a man, they were called by the Holy Ghost.
So when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. No, let's, let's get the right reading there.
When they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they let them go, not to test them, but let them go.
So they being sent forth by the Holy Ghost.
Now that's an important principle.
They are being sent forth by the Holy Ghost.
The assembly does not assume the responsibility of sending forth laborers. They go as sent forth by the Spirit of God. Now another thing in that connection.
A brother might say, I feel called of the Spirit of God to such and such a past.
00:35:04
Well, that's that's his privilege. It's the Spirit of God that calls.
On the other hand.
If his brethren.
Had doubts and were uncertain and unhappy about his going out.
And they expressed it to him.
One questions the wisdom of his saying, Will I have my orders from the Lord? And I'm going.
Now it might be.
But if one is allowed to speak personally.
Over an experience of approximately 60 years, I have never known a case yet.
Where one went out in that spirit, where the thing ended happily. I've never known a case yet.
But on the other hand, we must remember it's not the assembly that stands, it's the assembly that shows fellowship with the brother that goes, but the one that calls him is the Spirit of God, and he obeys that call.
Would you say here in the 13th chapter of Acts, that is where it speaks of the Holy Ghost said that?
He very likely used one of those prophets. That is, we don't have a record, do we, in the New Testament of the Holy Spirit speaking Apart from that, I think you're right.
After this was apparently. But this was the Lord's mind, I'm sure of that.
Another point to notice there. I think it's worthwhile noticing it separate me, Barnabas and Saul. It doesn't say separate me, Saul and Barnabas. Now when we get further on in the acts, these two that have gone out together.
We find that the Nands are reversed and it becomes Paul and Barnabas, but not at the start.
It's Barnabas and Saul, or Barnabas and Paul in the 14th chapter in the.
And the 12Th verse.
14th chapter in the 12Th verse.
And they called Barnabas Jupiter. That's the heathen.
They called Barnabas Jupiter and Paul Mercurious.
14th verse Which one of the apostles, Barnabas and Paul heard of, they rent their clothes.
So it's not until there is a ripening on the part.
Of Paul experience and threatening that his name is but first and he becomes Paul and Barnabas.
Timothy.
We find that whatever it is that's done for the Lord, any kind of service.
Is to be done faithfully.
And even if it's like the ones that handle the money and took care of supplying the needs of the widows in the days in Jerusalem.
If one was faithful in it, he purchased a good degree.
And we find.
Philip later on going away from there when there was number more need for his work there as a Deacon.
We find him over preaching and a powerful preacher he was, but he didn't aspire to go out preaching.
He did what was committed to him at that time, and he did it well, and he did it as unto the Lord.
The Lord had other things for him later.
And.
There were requirements in the choosing of a Deacon.
There were certain qualifications that were to be looked for, even if it was one handling the financial affairs of the Assembly.
So these things are written for our learning.
00:40:03
Connection. Brother Wilson.
You spoke about handling the finances.
In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. One thinks the case in you of where the brother that took care of the money.
Was offended that some other brother wanted to help him count the money that was in the box. Well what about that? Well, he had no right to be offended. He should have wanted it so.
Could have been. There is a principle in the Scripture that runs all through. At the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. Whether it was a case of putting a man to death, or whatever it was when Paul was going to Corinth, he says that I'm coming again. And the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. And so if a man is given the money for the assembly to hold in trust, it should be counted by at least two.
And a record kept up.
Not because he's dishonest, but that he's working. He acts before God and before his brethren too. Because the money is there. He'd be very foolish and to assume the privilege of doing it alone. Monday yes. And even then, if he did, it would be a snare to it.
I know of one brother.
Now some time with the Lord, who handled the affairs of the assembly as though it were resolved before he died, he called the brethren and confessed that he'd been misusing those funds. Well, think what he'd have been kept from if the brethren had acted in an orderly way.
He was all damn patient when Paul was taking that money to Jerusalem for the needy there, he wouldn't take. He wouldn't assume the responsibility of it alone, would he?
He he made it very plain that others were to be associated with him in that mission. He made it very clear that they were to appoint those ones. He didn't select a hand-picked group.
It would go with her.
We're never wise and in Scripture.
Well, I remember Mr. Potter using time and again.
Rather careful to pay out to stand by the principles of the Word of God. This morning Brother Arizona was telling us that in the New Testament you do not have, thou shalt not, thou shalt do, but you have a book of principles.
And here we have the Church of God as the House of God on earth. And when you get the house character, you get responsibility, get order. And we have to know the order of the house if we're going to conform. Oh, here we get some of the order of the House of God. And God is not the author of confusion.
Let all things be done decently and in order. It isn't a hit and miss affair.
It's it's the.
Thinking that things should be done in a way that commends.
Commands it.
I remember Brother Bill Brown making a remark in Burbank as to the word of God never makes this ridiculous.
No, it doesn't make us ridiculous.
We may be reproached, but the the directions that God has given us in his Word are sound, sane, sensible principles.
The Lord in his ministry.
Did not always refer to direct quotations from the Old Testament in his teaching. Sometimes it was the principles of that of the Word, and it did not have really a direct bearing on at all. But he expected them though to know the mind of the Lord promised.
That's particularly true. And the question as to the resurrection, where they come to him with that impossible case of the woman having seven husbands and they want to know about what would be in the resurrection. Well, he quoted there I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The God is not the God of the dead, but the living. Well, he expected them to know from that that there was a resurrection.
00:45:11
The going out of the gospel is connected with the center, the true center, is it not? And so that the apostles as they went out, they returned and reported at the to the assembly. So the the gathering in as we have in Ephesians 4, these gifts were for the gathering in to the assembly, were they not?
Maybe look at that verse, Brother London, that you've just referred to now. I think that's so important.
14 Acts 14.
26.
27 and 28 do you care to read them?
And then?
Sail, then sail to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended, to the grace of God, to the work which they fulfilled when they were common, and gathered the church together they rehearsed all that God had done with them and how He'd opened the door of faith under the Gentiles. There they abode long time with the disciples.
Now that's an important principle.
They returned.
Once they had gone out and they rehearsed all that God had done, not what a wonderful work they had done, but what God had done with them.
And then they weren't so anxious to get going again.
There they abode a long time with the disciples.
In other words, they didn't have to cut on a move all the time.
They took time for enjoying the local assembly there once they'd gone out and where they really belonged locally.
And they were a help there. So just because one is recognized.
As a servant of the Lord doesn't mean that he's got to be on the goal.
Back in Bloomington, IL, you remember brother Lich? Oh yes.
Certain matter came up in the care meeting about sending some funds to a brother who was writing from the foreign fields and tell him what a great work he was doing.
The local brethren were all interested in sending some money.
He sat back and calmly said, Well brethren, if we knew where there was a brother that had gone up onto the house cop to pray, it might be a good idea to send him a little.
For when Peter had gone upon the housetop to pray in the getting directions. And that's an important part.
I like to read that verse also in ages 4 because I believe it has to do with our subject somewhat this afternoon.
In in the.
11 First he gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers.
Or the perfect thing of the Saints, or the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, and so on.
It seems to me that the gifts were given in connection with the building up of the assembly. Now it might be to gather some in, and that's the gospel work, but still it's in connection with the assembly and it carries with it the truth of the house that we have, I believe in this chapter.
Brother, that would justify that the servants are responsible to the assembly. Is that your thought?
Assembly, and if you feel a responsibility in that assembly and to feel there are definitely, but I also feel that the giving out of the gospel should not be an independent thing. It's a connection with the whole truth of the revealed truth of God. And I've heard of those like a brother in South America who teaches the truth of separation and connection with the God.
00:50:05
The simple principles of it, because I believe that the whole truth is, is wild.
Do you have any thoughts on that? Brother Brown clarify the question as to the servants responsibility to the Lord.
As we have the measure disc here in the fourth of the Ephesians on the ended Lord with a great object of the edifying of the body of Christ.
But how about this matter of the individuals, the servants? Individual responsibility toward the Lord is one thing. And then?
It also must be subject to all the truth of God, and which the assembly may apply to Him. A concern must be that which would dishonor the Lord.
And then last time under discipline. And in that sense he would be responsible. Can you clarify this whether you're a suit or someone?
Well, it seems to me that.
He is responsible for the Lord, but there are some things in which the assembly has something to say to him and he couldn't say, well, I don't have to pay attention to you. I take my orders from the Lord. I've heard that said. Well, I believe that's entirely wrong.
I While his orders are direct from the Lord in a certain sense that he's movement, but his brother may not be happy about some things in connection with those movements.
Well, he should have respect into that.
The matter of the endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit and the uniting bond of peace come in here. I would think so, yes, definitely.
Who is one of you?
I want to turn to that.
It just contains a principle.
Heavens verse all, my state shall take it, because declaring to you who is a beloved brother and a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord, whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, you might know your estate and comfort your hearts with an estimates. A faithful and beloved brother who is one of you, they shall make known to all things which are done.
The reason I call attention to that is this, that we have no brothers.
Who are ambassadors at large?
That is, every servant of the Lord will not only every servant of the Lord, but but every gathered St. has a local connection.
He's locally responsible to his own gathering and to to say, well, I don't have any gathering. I just keep going around. I, I don't belong any special place. No, there's there's no place in Scripture for that.
Each one is regarded as being responsible to his own local assembly, and that's an important principle for us to keep in mind.
I'm thinking that the individual servant is the servant of the Lord.
And I think I don't understand what I'm saying when I said that we do have that. The thing is serving to the assembly too, which is a little different thought. But I think that this servant is responsible to the Lord, and when he gets out of place in his service, then he must still be subject to.
To the discipline of the assembly.
And always to hearken to admonition from his brother.
Yes, he should listen to the admonishment of his brethren. I remember a man one time, a brother who some of his brethren were speaking to him about certain attitude he had, and he says, well, beware of an old man speak well of you. That was sort of justifying his course. Well, I believe that was in a wrong application of Scripture.
They have been doing the Lord's work.
We tried to do it in the world's way.
00:55:02
If we should start to organize and and do the Lord's work that he put on an evangelistic campaign and followed the traditions of of men generally speaking today and.
I should try to do that and then my brother came to me and said to me that.
We're not happy about this.
We have fellowship, bless you and preach the gospel, but we can't have fellowship with you in the way you're doing it. Well, it would be my place to be subject, wouldn't it?
Presentation of our young people here.
And our time is running out. Could we?
Consider the opening of the 4th chapter. Are there warnings here that are concurrent with our day? Well, I would like to hear something on the 14th and 15th verses before we leave this chapter.
Hi.
Well, in that 14th verse, these things right eye under thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly. One has thought how within the act 20, the apostle Paul and taking his leave of the elders there at Ephesus, he says, I commend you to God and the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified.
Now he commanded them to the word of God.
He didn't say, well, now you have Timothy and you have Titus. They'll tell you how I feel about these things. They've been with me many years. Well, Timothy and Titus were faithful servants, but they were not to communicate the word of God or the mind of the Lord apart from the Word. And so the apostle here, he.
Makes a special effort that they would have something in writing from the apostle. And so then we have this in the 15th verse about the assembly.
Now he says that thou mayest know how thou Artest to behave or conduct thyself in the House of God.
Well, it's been mentioned that in First Timothy.
The assembly is looked at as the House of God. Well, here's one who'd been the apostles companion for perhaps 15 or 20 years, and he's writing to him.
That he ought to know how to conduct himself well. As I say, I don't doubt what the apostle had in mind.
Passing this information on down as long as the church was here.
And the assembly here, being the House of God, he says, is the pillar and ground of the truth, he says, which is the Church of the living God, and the pillar and ground of the truth.
The only place.
That I believe, and one has to be careful about making sweetening statements, but I believe it's the only place where we have.
The church spoken of Indiana that way, the Church of the.
Living God and the pillar and ground of the truth. It's the only place that the truth can be maintained, that the Scripture recognizes that it can be maintained. We have seen in Christendom where godly, devoted men have organized.
A system of some kind, maybe a school to propagate the truth, but sooner or later they drift away from it. Well, the assembly is the only place in which it can be maintained.
And I believe the way in which it is maintained is what we have in acts, or I mean in First Corinthians 14, where says let the prophet speak two or three and the others judge, there is responsibility as to what is taught.
That I've heard that mentioned many times how that in this country it was settled by.
Generally or largely by God fearing people.
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And they established some schools for the maintenance of the truth as they understood it. But today Everlast one of those schools.
Has gone into modernism. They are no longer a stay of the truth.
Mr. Armand, you'll remember, I think Brother Irishman used to say that nothing but the truth can hold the truth.
Nothing but the truth can hold the truth.
So if we design some artificial body that is not found in scripture as a depository of the truth, we're we're sure to lose it, but it's in the assembly where it's maintained and since.
I was just going to put that be because the Lord is in the midst and the Spirit of God is reluctant.
Is that it, brother Aaron? Well, I think it's very important to recognize that the Lord is in the midst and when people.
Try to get around actions assembly they're disregarding the presence of the Lord in the midst I breathe. That's very important to see that and the Spirit of God is there We have you know the Lord in the midst and we have God dwelling in the.
In the temple, its temple for the habitation of God by the Spirit, there are the two things, and we should recognize that.
Yes, it is.
I am the light of the world, but an action one. You are my witnesses. We are set for life while he's gone and the track corporately.
As our brother has said, is the depository, and I suppose it says that.
And the ground truth, perhaps the thought, is like the headquarters of truth.
Has been pleased to have his redeemed ones, the other exponents of the truth, and to value it and adhere to it.
And method everything to them to govern that.
The 5th chapter.
We read.
The 5th chapter of Ephesians and the eighth verse.
You were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord. Ye are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light for the fruit of the light that should be light, not spirit. The fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.
I just saw this little comment and one hardly agrees with what has been said, but it's very interesting to notice that in Ephesians 4 and in First Corinthians 13 and here in our chapter, a point is brought in that is very important and that is in connection with the manner in which we carry these things out. In Ephesians 4 it speaks about speaking the truth in love.
And the the edifying of the body in love. And then first Corinthians 12 we have the gifts that are given, but then we have also in the 13th chapter. So I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not love. I am become as a sounding brass and a tinkling symbol. And then as we noticed this morning in our chapter here, the great secret of godliness, the pathway of the Lord Jesus.
Well, it's very important that we should have God's order and the assembly is indeed the pillar and brown of the truth. The problem we must not forget the oil that keeps the machinery machinery running smoothly and how often that is lacking with us individually.
That we may be know these things and seek in our measure to carry them out, but perhaps lack that proper spirit that would give, that would give us smoothness to the manner in which these things are done. So between the 12Th chapter of First Corinthians where we have the gifts enumerated and the 14th chapter where we have them in operation, we have that chapter that's so instructive to us about.
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Manner the law that would keep it going.
And so in in Ephesians 4 again I mentioned that speaks of these gifts given by an ascended Christ that we might be preserved from systematized error. But then it tells us how to talk about these things. And so I'm sure that we we need this in these days because.
There is a great need for maintaining the truth.
Never was there a greater need that we should stand firmly for the truth of God, but if we don't do it in the right spirit, all the emphasis that we want to give is weakened, and perhaps the machinery would stall if we tried to run it without the oil.
All right. I believe that is very important. And that was the difficulty at Ephesus, was it not? They had left their first love. They were going on in things there that were technically correct. Why they even were able to detect false apostles, what they'd left their first love.
Get into the 4th chapter.
At first verse.
It takes us down to a time called here the latter times.
Now the spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons.
The time is described here that would come on the church.
Known as the last latter times and what characterized the latter times.
Is that some would depart from her face.
Now I'm going to Second Timothy 3 Two Timothy.
Three.
Just by way of contrast, the first verse this know also that in the last days.
Perilous or difficult time shall come, for men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, closest, strong, and so forth.
In the latter times it would be a parcel departure.
In the last days, when and we are here, we are in the last days, there would be a general departure. It would characterize the whole time.
Men should be lovers of self, covered as boasters and so on, but we're living in those days. Verse is very important in that connection.
Third of second, the fifth verse.
Having a form of government, but denying the power thereof.
That is characteristic of all the around that poses as Christianity.
It has departed from the faith and.
They maintain the outward form. I suppose. In no other land on earth was it more apparent than it has been this week. In this land. A forearm of pirate.
But you you can answer for yourselves. Do you think that's really characteristic of the land or is it but a form?
Down in the street down the business St. of the city and you hear so-called Christmas carols being played loud enough to be heard for blocks around from the top of public buildings.
Yet all the time that this is going on, that precious name is being blasting.
Within the sound of the of the Carol is being sung.
It's it's so sad to think of the empty form that is all around us and at the same time the person of the blessed Lord Jesus is refused and denied and blasphemed.
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It's it's enough to make angels weak to look down and see such a horrid contradiction.
That's what God says. What's the highly esteemed among manage abomination in God's sight? And every week we have new additions to this.
We've just been greeted by a.
Edict from the city of Rome, declaring that Mary is the mother of the Church.
Did you ever hear of anything like that?
The mother of the Church.
Well, that's out under the official.
You must accept it.
And we change these things. No, we cannot. What's the remedy? That's right in that same verse, isn't it? From such turn away. That's our responsibility. That's what we can do, turn away from them. We cannot change some faith. We can't take the role of a reformer in these days to reform these things. But we can.
Do something about it ourselves. Individually, we can't change others, but we can't change ourselves from such turn away.
First continue thou and the things which thou hast learned and has been assured of knowing of whom now is learning. Let's continue in those things that will never change. Well, that's that's with us right down to the end. Man in introducing something that's apart from the Scripture, he always has to keep adding to it because he introduces something by and by that gets old and it loses effect. Well, then he has to keep changing it and add something to it.
But the Word of God is ever the same.
Who has required to set your hand? What's going on now in the world? Who has retired requiring it?
Bring no more oblations, instances, abomination underneath and new rules and paths recalling of assembly. I cannot waive it. It is iniquity even the follow me.
You're in real rules and you're a point of peace, my soul hater.
They are troubling to me. I am weary to heaven.
With the Lord, please, with what's going on.
In the third verse of First Timothy 4:00 we have.
There, forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from me, so on. Well, that is oftentimes applied to the teachings of Catholicism. Well, while Catholicism does.
Have those things there. They've set aside the word of God, but really this was something far earlier than that.
There was a system of things that was in Judaism that's interwoven into that, these same things, and they were attempting to interweave it into the church. And so the apostle was opposing that.
When analyzed.
Commanding to abstain from mates and commanding to put away marriage. An ordinance of God.
It's a very solemn thing because it's really a full formalism, isn't it? And it's amazing how people can do things legally that have no support in the Word of God. It might look like a very spiritual thing, a person abstaining from meats and commanding, abstaining from meats and forbidding to marry, that might look as if it was to have a higher spiritual life.
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Thought it was placing oneself under a sort of system of legalism, and that's because the heart is away from the Lord. If we're enjoying the Lord, it's not a cold legalism that controls our life, it's a person that's the Lord Jesus. When we come to the second epistle that we've been Speaking of, then we see the whole thing has gone out of bounds altogether. And we always find that what begins with a cold legalism.
Ends by the breakdown of it in open sin.
It's very important, brother, and if we find ourselves occupied in this way with certain forms, certain cold legalistic things that we're doing, and we have lost sight of the Lord Jesus as the object before our souls, maybe the next step will be open departure into something that everyone knows to be wrong. And I think we need to be on our guard about this.
Christendom is filled with that kind of thing. It's it's a weed that grows in our hearts and we can trace it back to the fact that we're not enjoying the Lord. He's not sufficient. So we've got to have something else to replace him.
They were turning to Gnosticism. They were turning to something that had come out of the East, which was a little of this and a little of that mixed up with Christianity. And it pretended to, in adding to Christianity, it pretended to make a Christian better. But what it was doing was a denial of Christ. They were adding such ordinances as touch not, taste not, handle not.
Forbidding this, forbidding that, forbidding the other to make man perfect in the flesh. But it was a denial of Christ. So the apostle there in writing to the Colossians says, but ye are complete in him. What can you add to something that's complete? Well, they were trying to add Gnosticism.
And the same thing is abroad now.
What God condemns in His Word is always wrong, and it's not legalism. To obey the word of God, we must distinguish between obedience and legalism. But legalism is making rules that are not according to the word of God. They're humanly imposed, something that man has thought of, which would seem like godliness, but instead of being godliness.
There a denial of that which God has set up. Because nature is not necessarily evil. Marriage was instituted before sin came into the world.
No doubt it's been abused, but we need to remember that nature is not all evil. It's the misuse of it that is wrong. So I believe that we need to distinguish between obedience and legalism. To obey the word of God is always right.
But are you and I under some restraint that is beyond the Word of God, Something that we just think is the thing that we should do or shouldn't do? Well, we've lost sight of Christ. Perhaps we have something else that's governing our hearts rather than Him, and that's going to lead to something worse.
Obedience can only be maintained by the reading of the word and prayer when it comes to legalism, while that's just a rule and doesn't require that.
Ego obedience that will only display himself.
In a relative way.
You also pumped it up so nicely and Colossians, to which our brother Wilson referred. After the warning was given, his next word was, if ye then be risen with Christ, take those things which are above the things that were the ordinances of men, were the earth earthly. He wanted the occupation of the believer to be with the things of heaven heavenly. And that relieves the problem, doesn't it?
If we are occupied with price sitting at the right hand of God and those things, then.
The danger of the inroads of the.
False ordinances about us is minimized.
Mr. Potter, Speaking of Communion.
As I remember, his way of putting it, I thought is helpful. He said to go on in the path of communion is to go on in continuity of heart and mind, in the path of dependence and obedience.
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Continuity of heart and mind in the path of dependence and obedience. That's what we need, Dependence and obedience.
That's what characterized the Lord Jesus in the 5th chapter of Hebrews as the captain of our salvation, is it not?
Well, we need to remember.
But while we're in the last days.
And the characteristic of the last days is to turn aside. We're enjoying the whole fast.
Continue, thou say. Well, everybody else is turning aside or so, and so is turned aside.
Well, you can never get beyond this word, but you go continue the and first Timothy speaks of the characteristic of the latter times. Second Timothy of the last days we're in. We need the warnings in First Timothy. We need the instructions how to conduct ourselves in the House of God. We need an understanding of what God expects anyhow. Promise people.
And see grace to walk in obedience there.
But remember what's all around and walk in separation from that. But it just as incumbent upon us to walk, or to walk in separation from evil in the last days, to walk according to the divine standards of First Timothy.
The House of God when it was in order. What would you say as a difference in the expression in Hebrews 3 as to a son over his own house and what we have here?
I'd rather like some brother some other brother answer. I don't in further the difference, I just wanted to know what the thought was.
Well, is it not in Hebrews a contrast between what they had in Israel as the house, most of the servants in the house, and Christ was the Son over the house? Is there not that? It doesn't seem to me it's quite the same things we have here.
Both in his own house in contrast to Christ over guard house. Yes, Moses was a servant.
But Christ was the Son over his own house, was he not?
In connection with the 13th verse of our chapter, where we had not referred to till I come give attendance to readings expectations of doctrine, were they not all coupled together? That is, it wasn't simply a reading of the scripture, but there was a I've often wondered if there wasn't something like.
In Ezra the 8th of Nehemiah, Ezra read the law and the Levites caused them to understand it. If there wasn't doesn't refer to something of that kind. There's the reading, exhortation and doctrine.
Well, the expectation would certainly be of a public nature, wouldn't it? And the doctrine there means teaching that would be of a public nature. So that's the reason it seems that the reading would be the public thing too.
Yes, I'm sure that it they're all couple together public things.
Come read this verse till I come as though it's the Lord speaking about His coming. But to be precise, it's Paul going to come back there.
He says till I come, go on with these things.
But sometimes you hear people say, well, we got no scripture for a reading meeting.
168.
M #168.
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No.
Oh, ladies are.
Lifespan.
With one of the dislikes.
Before all alone.
01:30:07
All.