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How you speak and how you pray isn't that presumption?
I presume that what God has said is what he said and that he messed what he said. What he said and anything else is not fake. My brother referred to Malachi 3 and verse 10.
And the last part of the verse says.
Prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing.
And there shall not be room enough to receive it.
And I will rebuke to devour for your sake.
Someone mentioned that there are felt needs. I dare say every single heart in this room has some need or another belt. Otherwise felt or unfeel, known or unknown. Our Lord, our God, our Savior, He knows.
They have that scripture in James that says you have not because you ask them or you ask them. This Father, we just look to the.
We have lifted our voice up to the and ask for help. We've asked the thy Spirit would have free reign in direction and we asked now for us here in this room that you would pour out a blessing and open the windows of heaven so that needs no one and unknown fell and unselled.
Might be not. And that when we leave this place and go from this place that you leave us here through this weekend, then we might leave change and transform in our hearts and minds, and that these things that are brought before us by Thy Spirit in these meetings might stick.
Lord Jesus, we ask it, presume you met what you said in your work in thy name, Lord Jesus.
Amen.
First Peter, chapter 4.
And I'll see why I.
We know that Peter was the apostle to the Jews, the apostle who himself had failed rather signally in denying the Lord.
And the Lord committed to him the shepherding of his sheep.
He knew that one who had himself failed would be perhaps fitted.
Even more than others, perhaps to be a help to the sheet.
But also we find in Peter's ministry what perhaps brings before us the House of God. And the aspect of the House of God among believers brings before us responsibility in our walk.
And yet there is wonderful encouragement in all of that because if there is a pathway of difficulty, a pathway of suffering, a pathway that involves giving up down here. And that was particularly difficult for the Jews who had been, if we could say the word kindly, programmed to expect earthly blessing. Yet God brings before them the wonderful joy of heavenly blessing and.
Everything that.
Lay ahead of them after this life was over.
What would my brethren think of that?
Is there a?
Reader among us.
Likewise with the same mind, For he that had suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in flesh to deluxe in men.
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But to the will of God.
In the time past of our life makes Isis goodwill, the will of the gentiles when we walked into the previousness of us and excessive wine readily and pudding and abominable idolatry.
Well, they think it's strange that you are not with them, with the same excess of rotten speaking evil of you.
We shall give an account to him that is ready to judge who quit in the dead.
But for this 'cause we could offer a priest also to them that hard end, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the Spirit.
But the end of all things is at hand. He therefore sold him and watch under prayer. And above all things have heard about among themselves. For love shall cover them over to sin. These hospitality one for another, without prejudice.
The Every man hath received the gift, Even so minister the same one to another, and this stewards of the manifold grace of God.
Any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God.
Human ministries let him do it as of the ability which God-given that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom He praised, and dominion forever and ever on them.
11 Thing is not strange concerning the fiery car, which is the tribe, as though some strange thing happened unto you. But rejoice, and as much as ye are partakers of bright suffering, that when his glory shall be revealed.
You may be glad also you could see enjoy.
Did he be reproached for the name of Christ? Happily for the spirit of glory and the God resteth upon you. On their part He is evil spoken of, but on your part He is your Father. But let none of you suffer.
Murder, or as a thief, or as a people do it, or as a busy body, and other men's matters. Yet if any man suffereth a Christian, let him not be ashamed to let him go. Or if I got on this behalf, for the time has come, that judgment must begin if the House of God, and if it first begin at us, what shall the envy of them that obey not the Johnson of God?
And if the right should scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the Sinner appear? Wherefore let them that supper, according to the will of God, permitted keeping of their souls to him in well doing it as unto a faithful Creator.
So, as we remarked a few moments ago, this chapter is a serious one and brings before us the suffering that is.
Part of being a believer.
And we find Peter does not shy away from bringing before the believers to whom he was writing.
That that was part of the Christian pathway. It wasn't something that could be avoided.
But on the other hand, what rejoicing there would be in that path, we might summarize this chapter by saying it's the flesh suffering, but the Spirit rejoicing. And that's a wonderful thing. And as we said also, Peter does bring before us ministry concerning the House of God. And so there is a behavior, there is a walk that is proper and characteristic of those who are in the House of God.
And the Lord looks for that in you and in me. And on the other hand, there is the prospect of coming glory, which in Peter's ministry, salvation is looked upon as that which we get at the end of the pathway. That is the full enjoyment, the full realization of it when we get our glorified bodies, when we're both with and like Christ. And so this chapter is very, very practical, I suggest.
It brings before us, for example, that what we read in verse.
Ate there or sorry, verse seven, that the end of all things is at hand. And so there is a sobriety. A character of soberness doesn't mean long faces, but a character of realizing the seriousness of the days in which we live and being willing to suffer for Christ. But on the other hand, they're rejoicing and all that he has given us and in that blessed hope that he has set before us.
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Peter is preparing the same.
Uh, for a pack of suffering, because the very nature of Christianity is that we're going against the grain. This world hates Christianity, hates the name of Christ. If we stand for Christ, then we live for Christ, there is naturally going to result suffering. And so he takes up various aspects of suffering that the believer must be prepared to accept. In taking the Christian testimony in chapter two, he speaks of what is normal to Christianity is well doing, but he shows there that you're, we're going to suffer for that.
That's chapter 2, verse 20, a lot of part of that 20th verse.
It says that when ye do well and suffer for it and take it patiently, this is acceptable to God. And so as I say, the Christian passes one of doing well, but we must be prepared that there is going to be suffering connected with it. Then in chapter 3 and verse 14 he speaks and suffering against but and if he suffer for righteousness sake, happy are ye.
Be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled.
So the Christian path is also one of, of, of practical righteousness. But we must be prepared in our minds that to act in practical righteousness, there's gonna be suffering.
And then in our chapter in verse one, for as much then as Christ suffered for us in the flesh, learned ourselves likewise with the same mind, for he that hath suffered in the flesh has ceased through sin. And so the Christian pathway is also.
One that refuses the flesh. But to do that, there's going to be again suffering in a different way.
And then in the 5th chapter and verse 10. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after we have suffered a little while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever, Amen. And so here we have the Christian path. This should be marked by.
A standing steadfast than what we had been given as far as the truth is concerned. But then again, there's going to be suffering that's going to result from that. But God will use it to protect the believer and to work His graces into him.
To the praise of his own glory. And so you can see that the theme throughout the epistle is to establish the believer in the mindset right at the very outset of the Christian path that it's living. The Christian path is one of accepting a path of suffering as rosewood.
I should have read the end of chapter in chapter 4 and verse 14. Excuse me, there's one more there. 414 If you'd be reproached with the name of Christ, happier indeed for the spirit of glory and of God rest us on you and on therefore he is evil spoken of, but on your part He is glorified. And in verse 16, if any man something for being a Christian. So again you have suffering there.
Verse 17 of this chapter is kind of a key verse to this whole epistle.
Uh, I think it helps to see it, uh, the government of God in the House of God. And second Peter, it's more the government of God in this world and what's going to result.
In the destruction of this present order of things and the establishment of things according to God in what is called the day of God, that if you can get ahold of that verse 17 time has come that judgment must begin at the House of God.
And if it first begin at us, which shall end thee of them which that obey not the gospel of God?
It's helpful to.
Think of a book like Revelation which is really a book of judgment. God is a God of judgment.
But before you get the judgment of this world in the Book of Revelation starts really in chapter 6 on you have the Lord Jesus as a judge standing in the midst or walking in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks and observing in the seven churches which are representative of the test Christian testimony through the ages. He's in our midst, brethren.
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He's watching, he's measuring, and we can look like we're all right on the surface, but he sees right straight through us. And so he's working in our mix and he's dealing with us because the time is getting close when he's going to take up the judgment of this world. But before he deals with the judgment of this world, he's going to judge in his house. And that's what's happening, the trials, the problems.
Everywhere you go, it's notable that the Lord is dealing with us, dear brethren. Might be that he uses different circumstances, but he judgment it has begun.
At the House of God.
At us.
First Peter chapter 2 we have a model and for how we ought to suffer, how we ought to endure suffering because uh, it says in verse 21 for even here unto where he called because Christ also suffers for us.
Leaving us an example of the French translation uses the word model, leaving us a model, a perfect model that you should follow this step, who did no spin, neither with gile found in his mouth. So when he was reviled, reviled not again when he suffered.
Not so. There's a right way to suffer and there's a wrong way to suffer. And you present it to us, a previous pattern, perfect model for how we ought to endure, how this world treats those that live for Christ and that reflect Christ in their walk.
MMM.
So in the first verse of our chapter we have Christ presented as the supreme example of this, don't we?
Of course we know, referring to what our brother brought before us, that he never had to suffer. We say it with all reverence because there was anything in his life that was contrary to the will of the Father or anything in his walk that was untoward. But he suffered in doing the will of God, and that was right from the beginning when he was tempted in the wilderness. And the devil said, If you be the Son of God, command these stones to be made bread.
And the Lord, we might say, said, well, until I have a command of the Father, I, I won't do that. Was he suffering? I don't believe the Lord used any miraculous powers to sustain himself when he was without food for those 40 days. And you can imagine, if we could say it, how a relatively young man would feel under those circumstances. He suffered in the flesh.
And so it is for you and for me. There is suffering involved in refusing that which is not the will of God, and sometimes it may even be in things that are not wrong in themselves.
But if I am going to cease from sin if I am, because sin is really doing my own will. And so yes, we can say I suffer in the flesh. For example, if I'm hungry and I'm tempted to steal, and I don't steal in order to satisfy my hunger, I suffer in the flesh and I cease from sin. But in another sense, I can suffer in the flesh from not doing my own will, but simply saying.
I am here as the Lord Jesus was, to do the will of God. It's a wonderful pathway, but it's not an easy one. And the world of today would say, put yourself first, gratify yourself, and then if there's anything left over, look after someone else. But the Lord Jesus said first of all the will of God, then the good and blessing of others, and never mind about myself. Well, it's a wonderful path to follow.
And were to arm ourselves with that same mind, aren't we?
But it's not an easy path, and it will involve suffering in many different spheres of our lives if we follow it. Our dear believers in other lands, of course, in some cases are suffering the physical persecution that comes from standing firm for Christ. They will not sin in denying him. They will not sin in compromising. But I believe in these lands where we don't suffer in that way, yet there still will be real suffering.
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If we seek a path that is characterized by the will of God instead of our own will.
The subtle thing in art culture is that, like you say, it's self gratification. It's a current of things that is very strong. The whole system of life in this country is based on that, and to not go along with it is going to involve what you say suffering. Not suffering of persecution exactly, but the suffering of denying.
Ourselves.
That's what you've got to do. If you follow Christ, anyone will come after me. Let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. What do you have to deny yourself? Got lots of money in your pocket, don't you? And there's nothing wrong with go ahead and buying it and doing it.
Well, are you doing it for your own gratification? Are you doing it in the will of God? That's the real.
Uh, challenge that's before us. Arm yourselves with that same mind means don't live a life of self gratification. It's empty. That's what really impresses me to travel from country to country to see how empty so many people in this country are because they live.
A life of self gratification that is not Christianity. You want to live a life of fulfillment don't live that way. Remember meeting up with a brother in South America who had.
Uh.
Giving way to sin in his life. And he said to me when I met him, he said, you don't know how much I suffered all those years and I just couldn't take it anymore.
I said yes, all those years you suffered and you didn't sin, but now you've ceased to suffer and your sinning. So it's a challenge to us. Don't get the idea that just because we live in the land of freedom where you have your personal rights, that following the Lord Jesus is going to be easy. It's not.
Christ is an example for us here in this suffering. You read elsewhere in the scripture that He suffered to put our sins away, but the thought here is that that he would rather suffer than to disobey.
And that is the example for us. But Scripture is very careful to guard that he had no sin nature in him like we do. And uh, you'll see that in more accurate and more critical translations such as Jay and Darby's.
When it says the flesh there in verse one the article though should not be there. It should be he suffered for us in flesh. That is when he was a man and here upon this earth the the article the before flashing usually in the New Testament and almost always if not all losing Paul's writings, he knows something completely different and that is of course the fallen sin nature of nature and the believers which the Lord didn't have.
And so it's a very significant here that the article has left off. He suffered for us anyplace in flesh and we're to arm ourselves. Likewise that same mind and the path of the Christian.
Is one of self denial. And I'm afraid in this land in which we live, we don't know much about it because, uh, the, the whole risk of life in North America is to let the, uh, flesh go and do what it wants. But that's not normal Christianity.
The wood used for mine here is intense for attitude, and we often need an attitude adjustment, don't we? In conferences are wonderful for that. We get online how intense our attitudes set by the things in this scene around us. So we might ask ourselves that question, what, what sound it's, how objective in life.
That's going to control the way that you live and behave.
Our Christian liberty is not for gratification, but for glorification. We're here to glorify the Lord, not to please ourselves and do things that the flesh wants.
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So that it's basically the old nature.
That is suffering and we deny those things that really appeal to us and those things that we really would like to do, but we have to realize that we're new creatures in Christ Jesus.
And we don't lost after the flesh.
And so there's going to be that suffering for the name of Christ because we're denying ourselves with something that the old nature would really, really enjoy and partake of. So there is a cost to go on in a pack of projections for the name of Christ. And to be honest with you, brethren, there are many things that we enjoy to do and like to do. There are hobbies. There are things that.
Really turn us on, as they say.
But that's when we really suffer and am I really wanting to do what he would like us to do and desire that we do And then we have to take a look at it and say.
I'm going to let that old man suffer and I'm going to do those things to please the Father. So it is a real trial. And for the younger ones, there's everything, everything in view that really appeals to us. The technology today is taking over. But if we deny something of one of those things that takes us away from the enjoyment of Christ.
Then we're going in the wrong direction.
So older or younger, there are things in various stages of our life we're going to find out the state is going to put something in our way to take us away from the things of God and the things of Christ. And so there's going to be a sacrifice that we're going to have to be made of our own lives, and what are we going to do with it?
And, uh, and you're going to put, we're going to please that we love and desire in the flesh. Are we going to feed that new nature?
And, uh, that, uh, we'll, uh, build us up in his most holy face. So I can, I can speak for myself as a younger, a younger one. And as I get older, there are still things in my life, even as I grow older, there are still those things that Satan will pass us and try us about. I'm not going to let us go. He doesn't want us to let us go. So we have to look to him.
Regard us and keep us from those things that are not profitable.
As to the Saints of God. And so we do suffer, young and old, we're going to suffer. There's a price to be paid for. And so do we want to place our West of Lord gas? Well, there are many things on a prayer meeting night. There'll be something on a reading meeting night. There might be something on the weekend that we deny ourselves from the members of the Lord in these deaths. And so these things bring us and they're tested. They're testing us.
And So what we do for Christ is going to last.
We need to be clear too, that in Speaking of all this, we're not talking about a monastic asceticism or something like that, that.
In in actual fact glorifies itself by denying oneself the necessities of life and afflicting the body in such a way that everyone can see it. The Lord Jesus spoke very clearly about that how that describes and Pharisees when they fasted.
They made sure that everyone else knew about it. No, that's not true Christianity. But if Christ is before us, I will use what the Lord has given me. I'm sure that in a short while after this meeting, there will be a meal provided for us. And I don't think we need to be apologetic or defensive about enjoying it because God says or Paul says in Timothy that he's given us all things richly to enjoy. The whole point is.
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Is it an end in itself or is it simply a means to an end? If it's a means to an end, I will eat, uh, good food. I will look after myself. I won't necessarily let my house run down so that it's falling down around my ears so that everybody sees how much I'm giving up for Christ and things like that. But it will be evident that my object in life is not self, but Christ.
And that's what it means here, doesn't it?
The rest of his time, not to the lusts of men in verse 2, but to the will of God. And God has a will for each one of us. It's not just for a few. There is a specific will for each one of us.
Which I believe he will make clear to us if we really are before him.
How long is the rest of our time?
If you don't know, do it. Lord may come today. Something may happen to us today to cut short our time, but whatever is left, the Lord says.
And Peter says.
By inspiration it should be lived for the will of God.
Verses two and three of our chapters show us that the believers, like every believer's life, is divided into two parts.
There is the time passed and there is the rest of his time.
Again, when they're both besides fast, if we've given way to the lust of the flesh and our own will in our lives in some way, uh, last year or the year before or whatever, even up to this day hour, we can't do anything about that. It is time past very solid really, when you think of it. But we can do something about the rest of our time. And that's the other part of our life is that Peter is addressing here.
What are we gonna do for the rest of our time? And we're gonna continue to live according to our own wills, which is only making us unhappy anyway, or we're gonna do it to the will of God. Verse two, intelligence. There's where real joy is found and satisfaction and fulfillment in life. And so the life, every Christian's life has two parts, the time pass and the rest of our time.
There is similarity here with our verses two and three with that found in 2nd Corinthians 5 and verses 15 and 16. He wants to give us some songs if there is a similarity of the thought here.
Exactly. We have the two parts of a Christian life again in verse 15. We can live our lives in two ways. That verse tells us you're talking about Second Corinthians 5 verse 15.
And he decides for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. There's two ways in which we can live our Christian life. One is under ourselves, and the other is unto him.
And the choice is ours.
The motive there is that he died for us.
I'm thinking of the motive here. He suffered while he was here and then gone, Father.
But in the last verse of the preceding chapter, we see where he is and what authority he has. So we might want to ask ourselves, who's in charge here? What is this all about?
What can we make as we look around and we look within and see how things function?
Where does it all end? What really is our worldview?
We're here as believers. What do we believe?
God has exalted his Son, exalted him above all authority, given Him authority and power, everything subject to Him, but it's not manifest yet here in this world.
But we know that it will be manifest.
There are two wills that are exposed here. The Spirit of God speaks of two wills, and one is the will of God.
And the other is the will of the Gentiles and their directly their diametrically opposed one wants the things of eternity. The heavenly things want what God wants, the will of God.
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But the will of the Gentiles wants everything that has to do with the earth and what we can see, what we can, what appeals to the senses. And so they're opposed. And the only path of fruitfulness is to desire and honestly desire the will of God.
Mr. Kelly made the comment that except for the will of God, all would be lost in this cousin's age, in this present world.
All seven of the will of God.
So some of these things are very practical for us and those things that are listed at the end of verse 3.
Peter says this is what characterizes the will of the Gentiles, not that Israel wasn't capable of those things. We know that God's Word tells us that when they corrupted themselves, they did worse than the nations around them that God drove out before them. But in a measure, through being God's chosen people, they perhaps at least.
Some of them had been kept from.
Some of this, and no doubt there were those who had sought in their way to live in a godly way for the Lord.
And they looked perhaps on the gentile world of that day, the Roman world, which at this point was at its height and characterized by just what we have here. Anyone who has studied history knows that. But it is the natural heart of man. And what is man seeking to do with all those things? On the one hand, to drown the sorrows out that this world brings in?
That sin has brought in and on the other hand, to enjoy himself as much as possible in a world that is characterized by sin, but leaving God out. And so man says, I know I had a nurse at the hospital where I used to work say this to me. She said we're not here for a long time, but we're here just to have a good time. And that was her philosophy of life. But the believers can fall into this. The believer can be led to think that.
Somehow getting into alcohol and getting into the kinds of revelings and partying and all this sort of thing, this is really light. This is really fun. And it is for a while. It is for a short while. It is a pleasure and sin for a season, but it doesn't last, as a brother back home said one time, he said when you do some of that sort of thing, and he had done a bit of it in his past, he said.
You never feel good about it afterwards. It never leaves a good feeling with you that lasts any time. No, you never feel good about it. Nor does the believer, because with the unbeliever there's always been sense longing.
That is unfulfilled. And with the believer, there is a conscience that says you're doing your own will instead of the will of God. And so Peter is very specific here, isn't he? Because there's a reproach connected with doing the will of God. Others and maybe even other Christians will say, why don't you do it? And there's a reproach, as it says in verse four, when you and I are not willing to run with them for the same excess of riot.
Or if you don't, in that sense, carry on with all of the things they're doing, at least come with us. At least lend your sanction to it by your presence. But the believer has something better. It's not that he takes.
Uh, a position of being better than anyone else, He says I have something better. I shouldn't tell a personal story, but I well remember when my daughter was growing up, one of her teachers used to lay it on to her and she was still in the later years of public school. And why didn't she come to some of the parties and get togethers they had? Why didn't she go along with things? One time we had a small Bible conference in our area and she said, well.
I'd like to invite you to come to the Gospel meeting.
And you please stay for the hymn sing afterward with the young people. You're warmly invited.
And he came, came to the gospel meeting, came to the hymns, saying afterward, and you know his remark after that, him saying when he saw the young people having such fun, what doing what drinking and partying and character. Excuse me, carrying on in a simple way, no enjoying the things, the Lord talking around, enjoying refreshments Afterward he came to my daughter and he said, well, he said, I can see why you don't care for anything we've got to offer. He said this.
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This sure is a lot better. And he wasn't a believer, but he could see there was a joy there. There was something there, there. He said we can't, we can't equal this. That's what these verses are bringing before. But it doesn't mean that we have to go to a conference every time to enjoy it, does it? Maybe we're in a small assembly. Maybe we don't have the fellowship and all of the get togethers as much as we'd like some of our brethren in other parts of the world.
They almost never get what we have enjoy together if Christ makes it up and doesn't.
There's another reason too here, Bill. I suggest that I certainly enjoy that which you mentioned, but the solemnity of the days in which we live goes on to stay in her survive.
We shall give an account to him that is ready to judge the quick, the living, and the dead.
To think just where we are in this world's history, to realize that the day in which we live, this age of grace, is just about over. And when you read the Book of Revelation and the book of Isaiah and some of those other.
Prophets and see the awfulness, the abject awfulness of what's coming on this world. Can you and I live lightly and do that? It isn't consistent. There needs to be a seriousness about our lives. Like you say, it doesn't have to be without joy, but like it says in verse 7, the end of all things is at hand. Be therefore sober.
And watching the prayer sober means with your wits about you.
Don't let anything dull at be in recognition of the fact that we are living right on the edge of the worst judgment that will ever fall on this world.
How should that make us when we reflect on that? Oh, the sobriety, the solemnity of the day in which we live. Oh Lord help us, dear brother, not to lose that. Books, hmm.
Until I remember something your your father-in-law said one time he overheard two young people talking.
Young man was introduced himself to this young sister and he wanted her to go to some function that the young people were going to have. And she said well I'm going to pray about it. And he said.
No, don't pray about it because I know if you did, you wouldn't go.
And that was two believers connected with Idaho. They were gathered, but they were connected to the assembly. No, don't pray about it because I know if you prayed about it, you wouldn't go.
How important it is, isn't it? You have that clear conscience before the Lord.
And I should make it clear that.
That incident did not concern some, shall we say, young peoples get together that had been arranged AS4 believers and for the Lord's glory. They were going somewhere to enjoy some worldly pleasures. So just so we have that clear, it wasn't that, uh, he was saying don't go to something that has been arranged for the young people in order to encourage and be helped. That's a helpful, helpful story.
Countries are very important. We've looked at some now the Lord is in charge. That's one he suffered for us and his wife here, that's why.
He suffered forest on the cross, that's why. And all these things should constrain us.
Sin has its consequences that should constrain us. Godliness is profitable not only uh, for the life that now is, but as well later Godness is profitable.
Then can have a very damaging re effect on relationships. Those are important to us.
00:45:07
They can have a very damaging effect.
On our health, that's important to us.
Sin has its consequences.
Past the time of our sojourning here and fear itself.
We don't want to, uh, lose the objective side that there are reasons for these things and they're laid out for us very clearly in the scripture.
And the issue of prayer that was just mentioned, even in all of these other things, we're not sufficient for these things. But the little anecdote that was just told, she would pray about it.
And if we hesitate or plunge ahead without prayer, we're going to fall into some things that will have its consequence.
Where is the strength is the approach to the throne of God with the high priest is and that's how we're sustained, not in our own strength.
The other side of that is there are things that we're told to do or not to do rather, uh, I just use the Leviticus 19 to illustrate what I mean. That chapter, if you were to read it.
That tells the children of Israel various things that they should not do.
And you, you count for your own exercise the number of times it says, I am Jehovah your God.
The charter begins by saying ye shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. And incidentally, that's the verse that's quoted in this epistle of Peter. He says in the first chapter, he as he would just hold you as holy, but as he would just hold you as holy, so he was holy. No manner of conversation. So we need to keep in mind that there are things that God has said that are inappropriate because he has said it. The will is gonna tell you exactly the opposite. It's gonna tell you what's the objection to behaving in this particular way. What's wrong with that? And if you reason through it and follows well with this reason, you're gonna arrive at the same conclusion that they do.
There's nothing wrong with it that God has said. Now there are. There are reasons and consequences being pointed out, but sometimes they aren't evidence for years in their life. But we have one who has made them, who understands the way that people work and the relationships.
And so there are the negative side of things that may appear ultimately in your life, but just remember there are things that God has told us not to do simply because he is God and he is whole. One other point I want to make is that in Regina, sister said to me.
Is becoming the attitude that as long as the young people do it together, it is OK?
Just be careful of that. Just because you deranged an activity with a group of other young people, it doesn't necessarily make that active activity OK. Depends on what the activity is.
Before we leave this umm, conversation, uh, about young people and college, umm, I just, I want to relate this and I hope it's helpful. I don't mean it to be amusing, but this was recently said, umm, in Minneapolis. I have a granddaughter that goes to the University of Minnesota. She's in second year dentistry, a lovely young lady, and I believe the Lords. I have a grandson who goes to college.
In Minneapolis, one of the colleges there, and his purpose is to be a sports medicine guy and, uh, therapy. Sports therapy. And I'm not sure of his salvation, which grieves me greatly. But this was said in jest.
About umm, some college students were talking and they were underclassmen and they were older class and senior classman.
And one of the.
One of the young people said, well, I know I've got a responsibility to go to class. There's a big test tomorrow, but it's Friday night and I want to go to this big party.
I'm, I'm struggling with which to do well. Unfortunately, the older classman who should have been a good role model or an example said, oh, by all means, don't worry about the test tomorrow. Go to the party. You can always make up a test, but you can't make up a party.
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That was the advice, uh, that was given. Well, what a shame. Now, these people probably were not Christian young people. I don't know that. But there may be college people in this room and there may be those who plan to go to college. But I beg of you, be careful.
Who you associate with and what you associate with, because Satan has his, has his claws out there. He, he can OfferUp more enticements and glitter and goodies to distract you from studying for one thing, but also to distract you and how you've been raised and taught by Christian parents in the Christian home. You don't get to just throw that all away because you're away from home and mom and dad and, and wow, I, I, I'm going to, I'm going to try this.
I beg you not to before the Lord.
Well, as we mentioned, the Lord.
Draws out our hearts by a sense of His love. That's what we get in the beginning of this chapter and also in 2nd Corinthians 5. But He touches our consciences, as Bob was saying, by a sense of the solemnity of the day in which we live. And both ought to have a serious effect on us. Shouldn't they? I know I've talked to young men in college when I was going there, and sometimes they would be facing this kind of dilemma.
But I've heard some of them say.
But my parents really sacrificed in order to make it possible for me to go to college, and they are working hard in order to pay.
For me to go here, I have a heart that wants to do the best I can rather than disappoint them. And so there are different things in a natural sense, but the Lord uses both of those, one to exercise our hearts and one to draw our hearts out in an appreciation of His love and all He has done for us, and then to recognize not only what concerns myself, but a responsibility to others.
Because as Bob was bringing out, God is going to judge the living and the dead. And why are we in this world? Are we here just to live a good, morally upright life and then go to heaven at the end?
That's wonderful, but that's only a half story, isn't it? We're here to be living witnesses of the grace that sought and found us. We're here to be a testimony to this world. Not that we should look out to be a testimony, but we should be following Christ.
And we will be a testimony, but we are not here just to say, well, now that I'm saved, I'll just live a good, morally upright life and at the end I'll go to heaven. No, there is much, much more than that in real Christianity. Even though.
I was wondering if in the Ephesians chapter 5.
Two or three verses and I'm wondering if this would would tie in with with what we've been talking about. First, the first verse it says be therefore fathers of God as their children. And then we go on down to uh, verse UH-14 and I'll read it regarding wherefore he says wake up thou the secret and arise up from the moon with dead and Christ shall shine upon thee.
See therefore how you walk carefully, not as unwise but as wise, redeeming the time because the days that are evil and so forth. I was wondering if that would tie in here. What a word of a warning to us. We need to wake up, don't we? We may be sleeping Christians, you know, and I speak personally just to myself. I don't speak to others. I need to wake up. The Lord is coming is so very near, and it might be deeming that time for the Lord. Or am I doing it for myself? Am I living for myself?
Or am I living for the Lord? It says wake up and see that thou walk carefully. Oh how I need that in my life. And sometimes we, we forget that, don't we? Satan is so busy to allow us to sleep and to get us occupied with other things. But what's done for Christ is going to last. Everything else is going to be burned up. Are we living for Christ or are we living for self? That's something to speak to my own soul.
The secret is to fall in love with him all over again.
You know several times that someone has mentioned attitude.
00:55:04
When love is the attitude of the heart towards the Lord Jesus Christ or towards another person if it's difficult.
To operate in that relationship with someone when Love's there, it makes it not so difficult. I was reclaiming myself with the The story of James J Braddock, the boxer from.
Days gone by during the depression, he became well known. He was a devout Catholic. He may have been even been a believer that during the depression he had become a boxer of renowned and had made some money, but he lost everything in the stock market. He was down to living in a basement tenement with his children and he and his wife had very little. They even turned the power off and, uh, he tried to get work. Sometimes he'd go to the soup lines and food lines and.
And there would be nothing there.
And you get work at the dock sometimes you've been injured and wasn't able to box anymore. They've taken away his boxing license and he was down, way down. And then, uh, his old manager came to him one day after he'd been going through the depression and through these things and he said, uh, they're going to give your license back for one fight.
You said that the number one heavyweight champion contender for the heavyweight championship has been injured and they need somebody to box the guy that's supposed to be in the undercard.
And it's tomorrow. No one else will take it because this is a powerful man and, uh, there's no time, he says. I'm not really doing you a favor, but I thought you'd want to know. And he jumped at the chance to take it.
And when the the news people were interviewing him, he said, you're an old man, why are you doing this? You're likely to be injured. You're likely to be hurt, he says, what are you doing it for? He said. Milk.
This is my children, my wife.
And it was the love of his heart for his family that took him as an older man into the ring and fight again. And he was able to get a little bit of money to help his family, but love was in his heart. The story continues later.
He won that fight and he won a few more and he was brought up to face Max Baer, who was one of the most powerful and strong heavyweight champions in boxing had ever known.
And this man had killed people in the ring. And here's this smaller, older man, really a light heavyweight, and he was going to box it. And again, the news people are interviewing them. This Max Bear is the handsome, powerful strongman, and he's enjoying the wine, the women and the song. Everywhere he went, he wore furs, and he always had several women with him. So his motive was the fame and the glory of this. Once again, James J Braddock is asked, why would you step in the ring with this man? You're likely to be killed.
Once again, it was my children, my wife. I loved them and I'm doing it for that. I was thinking about that as we had this conversation about suffering. You know, you can draw back from things that might be painful if you look at them themselves. But even in a natural way, even in, in secular things, people will admire those who press ahead because they love their families and they love people and they sacrifice something. They endure pain or suffering because the motive in their heart is for someone else.
And they're able to go forward with it because they do despise the pain. They despise what might come.
Recently I read of a a young soldier in Iraq.
Who is with his troops and several men about And he was from where I live in Florida. And a grenade came in to where they were. And quickly he put his helmet over the grenade and he threw his body on top of it and he gave his life for the men around there. And these young men were going to the funeral and talking about how this man had suffered and given his life for them. And it sounded like he might have been even a believer from what they said.
But he said he was that way in life, that he thought of others first, he put them first, and he didn't give it a second thought because the attitude of his heart was right and his job and what he was doing there, He leapt upon that and saved the life of his friends. It's true with the believers. If we are walking with our hearts in love with Christ, if we know what Galatians 220 means to live a life yet not I, but Christ, it doesn't seem all that difficult to face difficulties. Some of the pain doesn't seem all that painful when you face it because you're not occupied with that. You're occupied with someone that you love.
01:00:18
And your love grows when that there's greater love that comes back. I don't know how many times I've heard in conferences and, and, uh, all my life, how that if you want to grow in your love towards the Lord Jesus, occupy yourself with his love for you. You know, we can talk about, and, and maybe as a teenager, I heard many times similar things about what we should be doing in the manner of life. You can approach that with religious self too.
You can begin to do what seems to be the right thing to do and begin to not do the things that you shouldn't do.
In a kind of a religious self, and that will end in failure as well until we graduate from God's school that I call the wretched man's school. That's what we'll keep doing. We'll keep returning to that that we need to, if we drift, if we grow cold or like the Ephesian church in Revelation where we've lost, left our first love, we need to fall in love with him all over again. A lot of these things just take just fall into place. They don't even have to give him a second thought.
When your object and you want to do that which pleases him. If you've ever watched a Little League game or, or some game where children are playing and you'll see a little boy or a little girl do something, uh, kick the ball or make a score. They look back where dad's sitting on the bench. They look back to see, did daddy see that? His daddy please.
If our thoughts are like that, we would look to our Savior. Is he pleased with what I'm about to do? It takes the pain and the suffering out of some of the difficult choices that removes it because we're occupied with him and that he's pleased with me and that's enough to do it for that reason. That decision is five and verse two and walk in love as Christ also has loved us and has given himself an offering and a sacrifice of God for sweet spending favor. But what she said it for if we're in love with Christ.
If these are objects.
We can please send and we, the, the herd is gone and it's honor and glory to his blessed name and it makes us rejoice and gives us the strength and the courage to belong because of all we've done for us. You know, the difficulties that, uh, surrounded what my wife has been through in the last year with facing cancer, Somebody said to me, well, that's really put a lot on you, what you had to do. And that must have been really tough.
No, it wasn't. I love this woman with all my heart and soul. Why would that be tough? Because I love her. If we love the Lord Jesus like that, it's not difficult, you know, And we're, that's where he is. Just fall in love with him all over again and a lot of these things will fall into place.
#288.
Oval's birthday card leave all week we will say, and then my people allowing Jesus there is a known display.
But I happen to go large us over here below by virtue of Chinese desk blood by virtue collection flow tip #288.
All the office mercies for exist.
In the market, so I'm getting God anymore.
01:05:19
First John 3.
And chapter 3, verse two. Love it now are we the sons of God, And it does not yet appear what we shall be, that we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, or we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath his hope in him purifies himself.
Even as he is pure, and ourselves for him.