Reading
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
First Timothy, chapter 3, verse 8. Likewise must the deacons be grave, not double tongue, not given to much wine, not greedy, a filthy lucre, holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. And let these also first be proved. Then let them use 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 houses well.
For they that have used the office of the Deacon well purchased to themselves a good degree and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. These things are right I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly. But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest 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 devil, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meat.
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, or it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, where unto thou hast detained.
But refused profane and old wives fables. And exercise thyself rather unto godliness, or bodily exercise. Bodily exercise profiteth 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 acceptation.
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 youth, but be thou an example of the believers in Word, in conversation and charity, in spirit and 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 holy 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.
Are both local offices? Are they not?
And.
I suppose that the 1St but that is bishops or elders.
Would have more to do with oversight and.
Deacons with service.
The word that's translated.
Minister in the sixth verse of the 4th chapter.
If I put the brethren remembrance of these things, I would be a good minister. The word, therefore minister is diaconos, which is our word Deacon. So the word simply means a servant.
While it's not said definitely that those that were chosen to look after the distribution.
00:05:00
Of the necessities to the needy in Jerusalem. While they're not called deacons, it's very evident that their service was 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 faith. He's the only man in Scripture that's called an evangelist. You refer Brother Brown to Acts 6 three, Yes.
Wonderful to look at the Lord Jesus Christ.
Has also referred to as a minister in Matthew 20 verse 28.
Says even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many. Just think of the Lord Jesus Christ came to serve us. The same word that's used there word for minister.
Came to wait upon us, to serve us.
Well, certainly it should be a privilege for us then to serve as well.
We can serve the unsaved by going out to them with the gospel. 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 he might have for us to do.
A nice word in the end.
Romans about a dear sister in Christ.
That ought to encourage our sisters.
Romans 16, the first verse.
I commend unto you Phoebe, our sister.
Which is the servant of the Church which is at Sankria?
That your receiver in the Lord has becometh Saints, and that she is sister, and whatsoever matter, she hath need of you.
She hath been a sucker of many, and of myself also.
The interesting thing there about that is that she's called a servant, and that is the feminine of the same word that's used for Deacon.
If we if we were to render it literally, it would be a deaconess. Not that she was official, we're not meaning that, but it is the feminine of that word.
The Lord Large service in that sense.
As a Deacon and in Romans 15/8 he spoken of as the minister of the Circumcision.
So that the very word is even applied to the Lord Jesus.
Is that right, Brother Brown?
Romans 58.
What's your reference, brother? Romans 15, Eight. It's the same word.
Yes.
In the 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?
That it was more as to perhaps needs.
And helping him in that way, it certainly was in the.
In giving him the word or anything of that kind.
Service of the Lord was that that is referred to there ministering to the people's physical needs. We know He did that. He fed them, He healed them.
What a ministry that was. Well, that was different from his going through the cross, wasn't it? Yeah.
You refer to Phoebe President? 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 say it certainly wasn't in the Ministry of the Word.
In Philippians 4.
00:10:02
We get something very similar Philippians 4 reading from verse one. Therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved, and long for my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.
I beseech your odious and beseech syndicate.
And notice that he doesn't say I beseech ye 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 entreat thee also true yo fellow, help those women that's Yodius and Centigrade. 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.
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.
Yes, also we turn to that in the Acts. What chapter is it, brother Brown? Acts 21/9.
Reading the eighth verse the next day we were we that were Paul's 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 with them.
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 saith the Holy Ghost, so shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. Now we noticed 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.
A brother was used, but in a quiet way. Evidently these sisters, if they prophesied, had someone to whom they prophesied.
We have another night.
The case in the eighth of Luke, as to the sisters ministering to the Lord Himself.
Luke 8.
Commence verse one.
It came to pass after that he went throughout every city and village preaching and showing the glad tidings of the Kingdom of God, and the 12 were with him. And certain women which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven demons, and Joanna, the wife of Chusa.
00:15:00
Stewart. Stewart.
And Susanna and many others which ministered is the same word here which ministered unto him of their substance.
That connection one would like to call attention.
To another situation in the book of Acts.
In connection with the Paulus, the 18th chapter and 24th verse, a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus.
This man was instructed in the way of the Lord, and being fervent in spirit, he spake and caught 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 Aquila 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 a palace 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 badly 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 Aqua and Priscilla 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.
In Romans 16 verse 3, for the apostles giving a greeting to the two Greek Priscilla and Aquila, my helpers in Christ Jesus, well, it's just a matter of giving them a greeting there as affection 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, there'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.
I was trying 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 get the mansion, they're mentioned six times.
And they're always mentioned together, never one without the other in Second Timothy 4.
And 19 salute Priscilla R Priscilla and Aquila and the household of Omeprazole.
We say goodbye to them here, but there they are together. Well, it's a lovely picture.
You were Speaking of?
Brother Collier and the work in Hong Kong area, doesn't that raise another issue?
00:20:03
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, Brother Wilson, and one will repeat a remark.
That has been made before, and I trust it's true.
We have no laboring brothers who are sisters. I believe that's an important principle to remember. I I think we have to be on our guard along this line.
New things creep up. They have a way of working in among us.
And that's one reason in 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.
Remember talking to his 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 go in obedience to him. Brethren don't send you.
So.
We we need to be clear on these matters.
I We can show fellowship with AI 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 Sandakan. She was going over there to help.
She.
Had the fellowship of the meeting, but she wasn't being set out as a 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.
But we must distinguish the things that differ.
That's the burden of that verse.
The things that are more excellent. Another translation has it distinguish the things that different.
You give us a word on X16.
Verse 14.
Acts 16, verse 14.
Read it, brother.
A certain woman named Lydia.
The seller of purpose.
And the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us, whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended into the things which were spoken by football when she was baptized in the household.
He besought us, saying, if he had just me to be faithful to the Lord.
Come into my house and to fight there. Now she had something to do with this. She certainly did, brother.
And the sister that.
Has the church in your house? Oregon? The brother and his wife?
They know something of what that means. That's that's real self sacrifice.
And so this deer, she was a Gentile, this Lydia, she got converted and her home evidently became the rallying 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 Lords work.
00:25:18
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 know.
When we look at the first verse in the 13th of Acts.
Because these are important principles that we want to be clear on, and as Brother Wilson was saying.
Practices slipping among us sometimes and we get wrong conceptions along these lines.
The 13th of Acts there were in the church that wasn't Antioch, certain prophets and teachers. Notice there's nothing about the preacher here, there's nothing about the minister, and this was a real active assembly.
Certain prophets and teachers.
As Barnabas and Simeon that was called Niger Lucius of Cyreni Minaian, which had been brought up with the hair of the tetrarch and saw, and as they ministered to the Lord and fasted.
The Holy Ghost said.
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 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 sent them, but let them go.
So they being sent forth by the Holy Ghost.
Now that's an important principle.
They being sent forth by the Holy Ghost.
The 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 path.
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, Well, I have my orders from the Lord, and I'm going.
Now it might be that he's right.
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 the case yet. But on the other hand, we must remember it's not the assembly that sends, 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?
00:30:04
That.
He very likely used one of those profits.
Yeah, 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.
Apparent to those prophets that this was the Lords 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 names 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 on the.
And the 12Th verse, 14th chapter in the 12Th verse, and they called Barnabas Jupiter, that's the heathen.
They call Barnabas Jupiter and Paul Mercurious.
14th verse.
Which, when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of, they rent their clothes.
So it's not until there's a ripening.
On the park.
Of Paul experience and ripening that his name is put first and it becomes Paul and Barnabas.
Stem of the.
Free. 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 these things are written for our learning.
Connection. Brother Wilson.
You spoke about handling their finances.
In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. One thinks of a 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.
It should have. There is a principle in 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.
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 theirs. He'd be very foolish 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 sometime with the Lord, who handled the affairs of the assembly as though it were his own.
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 an orderly way.
00:35:05
He was all temptation when Paul was taking that money to Jerusalem.
For the needy there he 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.
And he made it very clear that they were to appoint those ones. Yes. He didn't select a hand-picked group.
That would go with it.
We're never wiser than Scripture.
Well, I remember Mr. Potter using a diamond again, rather than careful to take 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, you 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 seeking that things shall be done in a way that commands.
Commended. I remember Brother Bill Brown making a remark.
And Burbank, as to the Word of God, never makes us 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 from it.
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.
And 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 1426.
27 and 28 you care to read them and thence sale.
Then sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for 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 had 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 keep on the on the move all the time.
00:40:01
They 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. Well, just because one is recognized as a servant of the Lord doesn't mean that he's got to be on the go all the time. Back in Bloomington, IL, you remember Brother Lynch? Certain matter came up in the CARE meeting about sending some funds to a brother who was writing from the foreign fields and telling what a great work he was doing.
And the local brethren were all interested in sending some money.
He sat back and calmly said, well brother, and if we knew where there was a brother that had gone up onto the housetop to pray, it might be a good idea to send him a little.
For when Peter had gone upon the housetop to pray, he was getting directions, and that's an important part.
I'd like to read that verse also in Ephesians 4 because I believe it has to do with our subject somewhat. This afternoon he gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers.
For the perfecting of the Saints, for 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.
Perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
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 it would justify that the servants are responsible to the assembly, Is that your thought?
Should have their own assembly and they should feel the responsibility in that assembly and to feel.
But I also feel that giving out of the Gospels should not be an independent thing. It's in connection with the whole truth of the revealed truth of God. And I have heard of those, like a brother in South America who teaches the truth of separation, the connection with the Gospel.
The simple principles of it, because I believe that the whole truth is as one. Do you have any thoughts on that, Brother Brown to clarify the question as to the servants responsibility to the Lord.
As we have the major gifts here in the fourth of Ephesians from the ascended Lord, with the great object of the edifying of the body of Christ.
But how about this matter of the individual's disturbance? Individual responsibility toward the Lord is one thing, and then he also must be subject to all the truth of God.
At which the assembly may apply to him, if his service be that which would dishonor the Lord, and he then must come under discipline, and in that sense he would be responsible. Can you clarify this, Brother Irisman 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 heard that said, well, I believe that's entirely wrong.
I. While his orders are direct from the Lord in certain sense to his movements, but his brother may not be happy about some things in connection with those movements.
Well, he should have respect into that.
Does 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.
That verse or Nesselness, who is one of you?
I want to turn to that.
Wash 4.
00:45:04
It just it just contains a principle.
Seventh verse. From all my state shall take it as 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, that he might know your estate, and comfort your heart with an SMS a faithful and beloved brother who is one of you. They shall make known to all things that 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. Well, 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 was thinking that the individual servant is the servant of the Lord.
And I think I'll understand what I'm saying when I say that we do have such a thing as servant of the Assembly too, which is a little different thought.
But I take it that the servant is responsible to the Lord.
And when he gets out of place in his service, then he must still be subject to the.
To the discipline of the assembly, and always to hearken. To admonition from his brethren.
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 when all men speak well of you. That was sort of justifying his course. Well, I believe that was a wrong application of Scripture.
Have been doing the Lord's work, we tried to do it in the world's way. If we should start to organize and and do the Lord's work, say put on an evangelistic campaign and follow the the traditions of of men generally speaking today.
And.
If I should try to do that. And then my brethren came to me and said to me that.
We are not happy about this. We have fellowship with you in preaching 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?
Thinking 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. Well, in that 14th verse these things right I under the hoping to come unto thee shortly. One has thought how that in the.
Acts 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 commend 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 art us to behave or conduct thyself in the House of God.
00:50:05
Well, it's been mentioned that in First Timothy the.
Assembly is looked at as the House of God. Well, here's one who had been the apostles command companion 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.
Well, it's 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.
It I've heard that mentioned many times how that in this country it was settled by.
Generally or largely by God fearing people. And they established some schools for the maintenance of the truth as they understood it. But today ever last one of those schools.
Is gone into modernism. They are no longer a stay of the truth.
This is your armor, 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 the depository of the truth we're we're sure to lose it, but it's in the assembly where it's maintained and think well, I think it's very important to recognize that the Lord is in the midst and when people.
Try to get around actions, the assembly, they're disregarding the presence of the Lord in the midst. I believe 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, in the temple. It's a temple for the habitation of God by the Spirit. There are the two things and we should recognize that.
Yes, it is.
While the Lord Jesus was here, he said I am the light of the world. But in Acts one he says, ye are my witnesses. We are set for light.
While he's gone and the Church corporately, as her brother has said, is the depository and I suppose when it says that.
And the ground is the truth. Perhaps the thought is like the headquarters, the truth.
He has been pleased to have his redeemed ones.
The living exponents of the truth, and to value it and adhere to it and make it everything to them be governed by it.
The 5th chapter.
Reread.
The 5th chapter of Ephesians and the eighth verse.
00:55:03
Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye like 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.
And I just had this little comment, and one hardly agreed 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 in first Corinthians 12 we have the gifts that are given but then we have also in the 13th chapter, though 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 ground of the truth, the brand. And 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 the that would give a 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 the manner, the law that would keep it going.
And so in in Ephesians 4 again I mentioned it 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. 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, that even were able to detect false apostles, but they 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 time some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons. A 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 the faith.
Now I'm going to Second Timothy 3, Two Timothy 3.
Just by way of contrast, the first verse this know also that in the last days.
Perilous or difficult times shall come.
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, posters proud, and so forth.
In the latter times it would be a partial 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, covetous boasters and so on. But we're living in those days. Verse is very important in that connection.
01:00:11
The second third of Second Timothy. Yes, the fifth verse.
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.
That is characteristic of all that we as Saints see 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 piety?
But you you can answer for yourselves. Do you think that's really characteristic of the land or is it but a form?
On the street down the business St. of the city and you hear so-called Christmas carols being played loud enough to be heard from blocks around from the top of public buildings.
And yet all the time that this is going on, that precious name is being blasphemed.
Within the sound of the Carol that's 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. It's It's enough to make angels weep, to look down and see.
Such a horrid contradiction.
That's what man posted it and that's what God says. That's the highest wind among man is abomination in God's sight. And every week we have new additions to this thing.
We've just been greeted by.
An 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 edict.
You must accept it.
And we came and we changed these things. No, we cannot. What's the remedy? It'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 it. We can't change these things. 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.
Continue thou and the things which thou has learned, and it's been assured of knowing of whom now is learned. That's to 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. The third verse of first Timothy 4:00 we have.
Their forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats so on. Well that is often times applied to the teachings of Catholicism. Well, while Catholicism does.
Have those things there. They have 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.
There it is.
When analyzed.
Commanding to abstain from meats, and commanding to put away marriage. An ordinance of God.
Solemn thing, because it's really a cold formalism, isn't it? And it's amazing how people can do things legally that have no support in the word of God.
01:05:08
It might look like a very spiritual thing, a person abstaining from meats and commanding, abstaining from mates and forbidding to marry. That my look as if it was to have a higher spiritual life, but 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.
2nd epistle that we've been speaking out. Then we see the whole thing has gone out of bounds altogether. And we always find that what begins with a cold legalism and by the breakdown of it in open sin, it's 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 a 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.
Man perfect in the flesh, but it was a denial of Christ. So the apostle there and 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 things abroad now.
But God condemns that 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, they're 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, and 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 legal obedience.
That will only display self in a religious way.
Obviously in Colossians, to which our brother Wilson referred, after the warning was given, his next word was, If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above the things that were the ordinances of man, 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 Christ sitting at the right hand of God?
And those things, then the danger of the inroads of the.
False ordinances about us is minimized. Speaking of of communion, as I remember his way of putting it, I thought is helpful, he said.
01:10:10
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, 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 fifth of fifth chapter of Hebrews as the captain of our salvation. Was it not 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 to say, well, everybody else is turning aside or so, and so has turned aside. Well, you can never get a side. Get beyond this word.
But you go up, continue the.
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 in His house from His people and seek 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 who 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.
In the expression in Hebrews.
Three, as to a son over his own house and what we have here, I'd rather let some brother, some other brother answer. I don't infer there's a difference. I just wanted to know what the thought was. What is it not in Hebrews a contrast between what they had in Israel as the house, Moses served 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 thing we have here.
Moses that in his own house, in contrast to Christ over God's house.
Moses was a servant, but the Christ was the Son over his own house. Was he not over God's house? Is the correct translation there?
In connection with the 13th verse of our chapter.
Where we had something referred to till I come give attendance to reading the exhortation to doctrine. Were they not all coupled together? That is, it wasn't simply a reading of the scripture.
But there was. I have often wondered if there wasn't something like in Ezra they are eighth 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, excitation and doctrine. Well, the exhortation would certainly be of a public nature, wouldn't it?
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 coupled together as public things.
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 and 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.