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.
Our spirits prepare, and shortly we also shall know and feel what it is to be there. 70 in the back.
We sing.
So dry and so clear.
What? Sorry.
With our passage in Second Timothy.
And where would we want to begin? Second Timothy 3?
Verse 12 maybe, but maybe you could read chapter 42 please.
Second Timothy 3 starting with verse 12.
Yeah, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution, but evil men and seducers show acts worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned, and has been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them, and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith.
Which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction and righteousness. That the man of God may be perfect, truly furnished unto all good works. I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and His Kingdom. Preach the word, be instant in season, out of season. Reprove Review exhort.
With all long-suffering and doctrine, For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. But after their own lust shall they heat to themselves teachers having itching ears, and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned on to fables. But watch thou in all things endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry, For I am now ready to be offered in the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good, I fought a good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith henceforth.
There is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me, for Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed on the Thessalonica, crescents to Galatia. Titus to Dalmatia only Lube is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee, for he is profitable to me for the ministry.
00:05:06
Antichecus have I sent to Ephesus.
The cloak which I left at Troas with Carpus, and outcomes a string with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments. Alexander the Coppersmith did me much evil. The Lord reward him according to his works, Of whom be thou where also, for he hath greatly withstood our words. That my first answer No man stood with me, but all men forsook me. I pray God, that it might not, may not be laid to their charge.
Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear. And I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly Kingdom, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Salute Prisca and Aquila, and the household of the nested forests. Erastus, aboated Corn. Petrophemus have I left at my litmus sick. Do thy diligence to come before winter, Eubeless, greed of thee, and prudence, and lioness, and Claudia.
And all the brethren, the Lord Jesus Christ, be with thy spirit, grace be with you. Amen.
Paul Head.
Given us in the previous verse, what he himself had to endure in his path of faith?
And we can be thankful that we did not so far, at least in the East Land, have to suffer like Paul did. But this verse, where we started out with, will be experienced by anyone who desires to live godly. The story is told that one of the brethren that laboured among us in.
Some decades back was visiting in a home and this verse was being discussed.
And a brother.
Whose home? It was said to him, I don't suffer persecution. The brother's answer was live godly. He visited in that same home some time later and the brother said you're right and the scriptures are right. You know he suffered persecution. We do not necessarily get physically abused in these lands. The authorities even protect us, but.
Mockery and ridicule. This kind of a thing sometimes cuts very deep.
At the most painful thing is when we have to experience it from those who also profess to be Christians. You know that cuts the deepest, doesn't it? Just like David.
When his own followers were going to stone him.
But.
Live godly and you will find out for yourself, said you will suffer persecution. They might grant you as a legalist because you have the exercise of submitting to plain statements in the word of God.
I've sometimes said, and allow me to repeat it. If obedience to the word of God is branded as legalism, I consider it an honor if somebody calls me a legalist.
But obedience to the word of God can never be so classified, you know, it's obedience.
Well, this is a promise in verse 12. Yeah, And shall suffer persecution. You know, let's just don't look at the good promises. There's so many of them. But this is a promise. I mean, just like you shall suffer tribulation. That's a promise. And we we shouldn't shun the promises. We shouldn't have shunned what we don't like when God says you're going to have to enjoy it or go through it.
Its first Peter, chapter one, the trial of your faith, which is precious, more precious than gold though it be tried in the fire. So some of these things are the needed things for testimony too and it's really wonderful that we can suffer persecution, you know, Paul said. I believe it's Philippians chapter one, verse maybe 21. I know right where it is, but at any rate.
00:10:26
He says one of the real privileges of a believer is to suffer for Christ sake. That's beautiful. He shall also be able to suffer. You know, this is the only time we can do that. This is the only time we can be in and we can be identified with the one that died for us in his rejection and reproach. That's part of the suffering. May I better read that when Philippians, I mean it, said it way wrong.
Philippians.
Chapter one. I'm sure Paul considered it a gift to suffer.
He didn't consider it a tragedy, you know, And I'll get there here.
Philippians one.
Maybe it isn't 29, oh, 29. Now for under you it is given. That's a gift in behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, we know that's a gift. The faith we to believe was a gift, but also to suffer for his sake. That's a privilege, says Paul. Well, I know many don't consider it that way, but we ought to.
I mean to be identified with him in this world, regardless of the reproach or tribulation or persecution, I want to be identified with it. You know, I get a lot of nasty statements when I drive around preaching with my car, but I get a lot of beautiful ones too. So I don't mind they still heard at least that much, you know, and and that's what I want them to hear. I want them to get saved. They they naturally resist and hate it if they're not the Lord.
But it's wonderful to have fellowship through that way, so let's don't shun this, Peter says. Happy are ye? That's the thing. The spirit of glory rests upon you. So this is really a promise.
Paul sets a wonderful example of suffering.
And I'd like to look at that just a moment. But. But to do that I want to go back to verse 11 and just notice the three cities that he mentions. Persecutions, afflictions which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra. Those weren't the only places that Paul suffered.
But here, in this last book that this beloved apostle is writing, this is a letter being written just a few months, perhaps before he'll be taken out and martyred at the orders of Nero Caesar. And yet he mentions just these three cities as giving an illustration of how he suffered. And I'd like to turn back to Acts and look at that, because that was, I believe, that the three cities that were specially marked in his first.
What we call his first missionary journey. It wasn't his last journey, but it was at the very first. Now, by way of introduction, I'll just say that we know that there were two Antiochs. There was the Antioch where Paul was brought by the Barnabas, and that was not this Antioch. I think that was where Christians, where the disciples were first called Christians. But later in Acts 13 he sent out by the Holy Spirit and the first city that he comes to.
Or one of the first cities he comes to is this one that's mentioned in second Timothy Antioch in Pisidia. And let's start and just look at that real quickly.
Acts, chapter 13 and verse 14. But when they departed from Burger, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into a synagogue and the Sabbath day, and sat down. And after the reading of the Law, the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent out of them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation.
For the people say I'm and so we have this wonderful address of Paul that is given at the invitation of the Jews in that city in Antioch. And by city it wasn't much suffering connected with that. They invited him to share whatever he had on his heart. The door was open. Well, we find that sometimes in our lives that whether it's whatever particular circumstance we're in, sometimes the Lord allows the door to be open and there's an earnest.
00:15:06
You almost might say desire to hear.
What our belief is, why? What is this about being a Christian? And so on. And so we have those wonderful opportunities. But let's look at the end of this, down in the end of the chapter. It says in verse 48, when the Gentiles heard, they were glad again, not much persecution, is it? That's a wonderful result. And it says that and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.
Again, not much persecution. It seemed like a real blessing there, but it's coming. And it says in verse 50, but the Jews stirred up the devout and honorable women and the chief men of the city. You know, it's interesting. The places that persecution will come from. It can come from the very highest level of society. I suspect in Regina today, if you wanted to live for Christ and seek to live faithfully for the Lord, it would be. I want to be careful in my choice of words, but I suspect it would be much easier to do it in what you might call the poor sections of this city. And it might be very difficult to live faithfully for Christ in the very wealthy sections of this city. There are today what answers to the devout women and the honorable men. And they're raised up in persecution.
This persecution isn't a strong physical persecution. This persecution is more a persecution of despising because you don't fit in to our society and to our culture. And what you believe and how you live just doesn't fit. We just don't. We're not comfortable with you around. Why don't you just go somewhere else? Why don't you just leave us alone? We're not interested. So that's the first kind of persecution that Paul met at Iconium. And it says they leave, they shake off the dust from their feet. Well, hurrying on, it goes down and it says to.
In the next verse in chapter 14.
And it came to pass, or they come rather. I'm sorry, they leave Antioch and they come to Iconium. And again there's blessing, but now it's getting stronger. The persecution is becoming a lot stronger now because we'll just skip for sake of time. Verse 5, when there was an assault made both of the Gentiles and also of the Jews with their rulers to use them despitefully and to stone them beloved young people.
And for all of us, beloved brethren, when we live for Christ.
We may not always have a strong, terrible persecution for speaking well of Jesus, but it'll come. And there was blessing and initially it was just that you're a misfit. But then they got a lot more serious than Iconium, and now they're going to stone them. And it says when they were aware of it, they fled. I won't go into that. That's a wonderful moral lesson there. But let's go on real quickly and finish up here. And it says that.
They fled onto Lystra and Derby, and there they preached the Gospel, verse 8 of chapter 4. And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet. Well, he's healed. Now. The persecution doesn't seem like persecution at all. The whole city rises up and say, oh, these are gods, let's honor them.
And beloved brethren, we can live for Jesus, live for Christ. And I say Jesus because you can be a Christian and and everything is fine, but you can't speak well of Jesus without feeling it. That's what will bring the persecution well. At first they thought this is a tremendous honor. The chief women, the devout women and the chief men, they weren't despising them. They wanted to worship them. And that can lead to just as severe a kind of persecution.
And I want to say that, brethren, because sometimes we think persecution, our mind is just bad stuff, Bad things, problems. Not necessarily. Sometimes you have an opportunity, beloved young people. You may have an opportunity in school, through sports, through drama, through academic achievements, to be literally worshipped. And you'll be recognized that here's a Christian look how good they're doing, and you can often be put in a place of being looked up to and worshiped.
But the minute you give the honor of that to Jesus, look what happens. It says that the Jews, those foes, they come down there.
And in verse.
18 Paul and his companions, they stopped him from worshiping verse 19 And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium. That was the first two cities where Paul had been preaching Jesus and beginning to feel the persecution, and it's following him. We don't get away from persecution. We're going to have it all of our life, just like Brother Bobby brought out. It's something we're going to have in one measure, another beloved brethren, all of our life. If we want to live for Christ, let's not think we're going to get to a plateau where, wow, I finally made it. I don't get persecuted anymore. But this persecution is the worst.
00:20:38
It says in having they persuaded the people, these are the people who are just going to worship them as gods.
That was what they were going to do. And in the next instant they draw them out of the city and stone them and leave him for dead. That's the worst persecution now.
Forgive me for going on, but I just want to finish this up because I think this is a wonderful lesson. Remember now, Iconia or Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecution gets worse and worse till finally at Lystra where they were lifted up. And beloved young people, you'll get lifted up in this world and you'll get put in a position of prominence as a Christian. And the minute you seek to give the glory to Jesus, you're going to get stoned too. Not physically, but you're going to feel the pain of people saying, well, if that's what you are, we have no time for you. Get out of here. We don't want you. And that hurts as bad as stones, dude. The difference is that stones stop after all, because you're dead. The persecution that we feel keeps right on and the pain keeps right on. And that's part of the faith of a Christian life, to walk for the glory of Christ. When the pain doesn't go away and we got to keep facing it. And every morning you're going to get up and say, I've got to go right back to that environment.
And I'm going to get more stones, but look at this down in verse 21.
Paul is alive. And they go on down in verse 21. And when they had preached the gospel to that city and had taught many, they returned again. Now get the order here to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch. Isn't that beautiful. They go right back to the very place where they've been persecuted and they do it in the reverse order. You know, nature would say, man, look what they did to me at Lystra. Boy, that's the last place I'm going to go visit. No, that's the first place they want to visit.
Christ was so precious to their hearts.
That they go right back to see those that had been saved and they start in the scene of their very worst persecution.
And they work backward down to Antioch and Pisidia, where they started. And, brethren, that's a wonderful lesson that I just want to share. They that will live God in Christ shall suffer persecution. Absolutely. But does that turn us from the path? No. The faith. And that's what faith is all about, isn't it? To have such a living faith, to say I can go right back to jobs, to school, to your neighborhood, to your those that are.
Unsafe family members.
And to the very places where you got the stones the worst. Remember when they were with David out their wilderness shimmy eye comes out and he casts dust and rocks and he curses David. He's angry at David, who felt the dust in the rocks and the stones. Those that were walking with David nearing. The nearer we walk with Jesus, the more we're going to get that. But that doesn't mean we stop and we go into hibernation and hide in a cave somewhere. Go right back to Lystra. Go back, go home to thy family and thy friends and show them how great things the Lord hath done for thee. Well, beloved brethren.
May it be that we can do that It's going to take faith to go back to the scenes of the worst persecution and there.
Tell him again about Jesus and maybe get the stones again and get the despising again and hear about how worthless we are and how you're just not fit for our society. But these brethren went back. I would like to make a suggestion on this point. Learn to refer to him by his name. Learn to refer to him as the Lord Jesus Christ or my Lord Jesus Christ. Make it a habit.
Don't just say Jesus. The world laughs it up. That isn't really it. Christ is His name has anointed of God our Father. He's the Messiah that was for Israel and that name is precious. God's chosen vessel for Israel and Lord is what he means to us. He's our master and ward. We belong to him and let's own him as Lord.
00:25:08
Jesus means Savior. That's nice, but I like it. Surrounded by the rest of his name, Lord Jesus Christ. And of course your reproach will be greater, but the testimony is even greater than that. There's Jesus only movements. There's Pentecostals who like to say Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Amen. But they don't say Lord.
They don't give him his full title and I just suggest that that's good.
Evil men at seducers shell vacs? Worse and worse. Doesn't that suggest that these men are in the Christian profession? You know, we have said earlier that this chapter points out especially.
What is in the Christian profession and the world?
Has always been against God.
But what we find is that there are those who fill the pulpits or claim to preach the scriptures. They are evil men and seducers.
Deceiving and being deceived. We have to be on our guard against those who take the place of being supposedly Christians. You know people say, Raul, are you a Christian? What do you think I am? A hidden?
You know, but no, there are a lot of deceivers in the Christian profession, undermining fundamental truth of Christianity. And but then, in contrast to that, Timothy is told, you continue in the things which thou hast learned, and has been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them. Now that certainly refers to things that he had learned from Paul.
Just like we have in the second chapter where Dao has heard of Maine in the presence of many witnesses. But it isn't limited to what he learned from Paul. From a child he had known the Holy Scriptures that was the Old Testament, you know, the New Testament had not yet been written. And even at this time when Paul is speaking to Timothy, they didn't have to complete New Testament that we have it in our hand, but the scriptures he knew from a child.
Is the Old Testament.
And even these scriptures.
Are able to make us wise unto salvation. And I like to suggest that salvation here is more in the sense of preservation. You know, because we need New Testament truth to really come to know what salvation through faith in Christ is. But the Old Testament there are many things that will help us live godly.
To know what is expected of us, their principles there. And since we have the Revelation in the New Testament, we can intelligently use the Old Testament for instruction and correction and to help us in our Christian pathway. But you cannot.
Continue in something you don't have.
Hold fast that which thou hast you got to have it first, young people get it.
Older brothers and sisters, we all have that challenge put before us. Get it? You cannot hold. You cannot keep what you don't have and continue in it. You have to lay hold of it by faith, not intellectually merely. You know, I'm afraid sometimes those who have not continued, we have experienced that in our own short Christian life that they overthrew.
But they themselves have preached. Did they really have it by faith? You know. But it's so important that the conscience comes into exercise by the Scriptures. We have been told more than once. All truth enters by way of the conscience, not just merely the intellect. We couldn't lay hold of anything if we wouldn't have an intellect. But the conscience in heart has to be affected by the truth of God, and it has to have.
00:30:02
A forming influence.
Upon us for my character, our very being, spiritually speaking. I'd like to read some scriptures in in Deuteronomy chapter 4 in connection with what you're seeing. Heinz about the importance of of going to the Old Testament for some principles and.
And they were given the statutes and the commandments. This is you. And I are given the word of God now.
And they were to be obedient. Chapter 4 of Deuteronomy might restart from verse one. Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments of which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your Father giveth you. He shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish aught from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you. Your eyes have seen what the Lord did because of veil, pior for all the men.
That followed Bay opior The Lord thy God hath destroyed them from among you. But ye did that with but ye that did cleave unto the Lord your God are alive every one of you this day.
Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do so in the land, whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore, and do them, For this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations which shall hear all these statutes and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people, For what nation is there so great to have ought so nigh unto them?
Who has God so nigh unto them as the Lord? Our God is in all things that we call upon him for.
And what nation is there so great that have statutes and judgments, so righteous as all this law which I set before you this day? Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life. But teach them thy sons, and thy son sons, especially the day that thou stood us before the Lord thy God in horror, when the Lord said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth.
And that they may teach their children and so on what words these are and and directly from the Lord through Moses. And you know, it says, we're told here in this verse 14 in our chapter continue thou on the things which thou hast learned. It doesn't end there. It much learning can puff us out. But it says and has been assured of. And I believe that Joshua and Caleb were two of those.
That, this, that were assured of this word, it got right down into their souls, and they were willing to go in and possess the land that the Lord had set before them. They were willing to do it against all odds. And those those giants were like, there were like grasshoppers in their sight, as far as that was concerned, the other said, we are as grasshoppers in their sight, but Joshua and Caleb saw the reverse and they were willing to go in and possess it. And you know.
Timothy Paul says of Timothy here thou hast been assured of them, knowing of whom thou hast learned them, And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation, as you say to for the present salvation to save you, to keep you until you enter into that land. And so God would have us to be assured of these things, and and to go into the land that and possess it. What is that land? It's all these truths that we have in the word of God.
And they're ours, and we can walk in them, and the length of the breadth of them and possess them, make them ours. But we must be assured of them in our own souls. And that comes, I believe, by meditation upon the Word and and enjoying it in our own souls, not just by reading them and learning them as some theological thing and popping us up. And then when trial comes, persecutions come, Lamel, they're gone. And we're gone. And we and and we become.
Lost dynamics for Christ.
You know everyone of us in this room, every young person, and especially I say, the young brothers in this room. If the Lord leaves us here, you can be a dynamic for Christ if you want, if through the Lord's help, but you must be like Timothy. Here he learned from a child, and he became a He was assured of them from the from the apostles mouth that these things were so and he enjoyed them and he was a servant that the Lord could use a fit vessel and so.
00:35:01
If the Lord leads us here, you're coming up and you're going to replace the ranks that of those that go on and leave this scene. And God can use you and the sisters too, As far as that goes, we're not eliminating anybody. We're all we're all in the body of Christ and we're useful and helpful. But let the word of God take a hold of us and and make it fruitful in our lives and we can go in and we can possess that land, I say, and we can enjoy it. There's nobody can keep it from us.
Except the enemy, if we let him. But God is willing to open up the land as we go in.
And as we the word says, if any man will to do my will, he shall know of the doctrine. You can go in and process it. I can go in and process it and enjoy it and share it with others.
Heights you mentioned in verse 13, the evil man and seducers shall wax worse and worse that they may be among us. I agree, but that's why the continual and I just want to turn to Jude because I believe he brings it out very clearly. Jude is our Malachi. I feel Malachi was for the day of apostasy among the children of Israel, the Jews.
And apostasy is practically upon us in Christendom. So I believe Jude matches Malachi. But Jude says in verse two or three. Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you, that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered under the Saints. For there are certain men.
Crept is unawares who were of old, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation ungodly man turning the grace of our God into a lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. Now Jude is writing to those in the last days probably us. He's writing to us really, and Jude means he shall be praised.
The Lord well be praised if we continue in what we have learned. And I do believe there are those, although the Lord is very careful in His assemblies, and He does sift them out so that which is real will be manifest. But we have to be on our guard ourselves. We have the truth. That's all He was when he says earnestly contend for the faith. Once delivered, that's the whole truth.
The faith is the whole truth of God, and we have it so when I believe, when it says from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise under salvation. I think really I may be wrong on this.
It's Speaking of salvation that's different than the salvation of the soul. I believe it's keeping yourself here. You know, there are three salvations, and I believe he's talking about the 2nd. The 1St is the salvation we have in the Lord by God's grace. And I think Timothy already had that. You know, there was no question that he was a man of God and a St. but.
There is a salvation for all of us, which is the salvation of our life. Here. You can lose that, like Demas did. You can't lose your soul if you belong to him, but you can lose your life for Christ. The third is the salvation of our bodies, and I'm looking forward to that. This body is only good for the graveyard, but I'm looking forward to a new body. That's another salvation. There's three.
Here I believe he's talking about the second. Do you agree? Yeah, I think I suggested that also. I believe that that is the primary thought. But what I also thought in connection with brother Ken remarked about the young brothers.
We have to remember that there is no such a thing as a seniority system amongst the Saints of God. We are all functioning members in the body of Christ.
And Timothy was a young man.
And Paul says that no one should despise his youth.
We have to be careful that we do not intimidate young brethren from participating who have something to contribute, and sometimes more to contribute than the older ones. Let's be honest. And there ought to be liberty for such to participate. Of course it should all be as led by the Spirit now.
00:40:21
When we think of the book of Job, the young man waited till the older ones all had expressed their wrong use of truth. Should we suggest that kind of a procedure in the proceeding in the assembly? Give the older ones the chance to express and apply scriptures wrongly when there is a young person that might be able to express it properly right away? You see it has to be different in the assembly and.
So I'm just giving that to encourage younger ones who have been diligent in the things of God and have things to contribute, that they are not intimidated by the older ones. There is no such a thing as a seniority system, of course, when there are many older brethren at a conference and a younger person.
Takes almost half of the reading. That doesn't commend itself, does it? You know, But there is no such a thing as a seniority system.
The spirit of God is to lead and to guide and to use whosoever hero and don't make rules and regulations as to age. You know, when I grew up in Germany there were some bread and thankful and not in my assembly they said you should never open your mouth till you're 30 years old.
Because the Lord Jesus started his ministry when he was 30 years old. Well, my brethren in my assembly didn't feel that way. What about retiring?
The older better they stress that kind of attack don't apply the truth the other way. Retiring, what was it? 55, you know, No, we don't want to introduce a system that would interfere with the liberty of the spirit. Whatever is presented ought to be in the power of the spirit, whether it is a younger or older person. And we have to allow that liberty. And do we not? Even as older ones have to admit that sometimes.
We say things that are not quite right and need to be corrected. I hope we are willing to accept the correction because the order we get, the more difficult it is to accept correction. But that's what we have here, that the truth is to correct. That's one thing. And we never get to the point that we might never need correction. You know, and I trust the Spirit will give, the Lord will give us the humility.
Step correction when it is needed. May I give a caveat to your statement. We do not have a seniority system. I just think it's important here to take a little caution on verse. Chapter First Kings, First Kings, chapter 12. I'll be brief. Verse six, first Kings 12/6. And I do think this lesson is important and King Rehoboam consulted with the old men that stood before Solomon.
Father And while he yet lived, and said, How do you invite me that I may answer this people Now that's the elders. They were the older ones. They had gone through a lot with Solomon, And they spake unto him, saying, If thou will be a servant unto this people this day, and will serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants.
Solomon's wisdom. But he forsook the counsel of the old men which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him to his peers. Now I do say, brethren, when I was a young pup and gathered, I listened to the old brothers, and I thank God for it. We had some in our assembly.
That I looked up to yet, even though they're gone and I thank God for them, I would have been so wrong without the advice from those brothers and the example they sat in their walk. So I do think there isn't a seniority system, but there is this caution and caveat. Let's don't disregard the words of those that have gone ahead of us. I really feel like Amen.
00:45:02
Hebrews 13, verse 7. To remember them who have spoken the word of God to us, to consider the end of their conversation, imitate their faith and oversight. The wisdom is that the word of God uses elders for that office. There are things where we as younger person take a backseat. You might say the size of gift is different from oversight and there has to be liberty.
Of allowing a gift to be exercised. Oversight, they're the term elders is used. And so we have to realize there are times when we as younger ones take a back seat, so to speak and let the elders go through. I experience take the lead, but there is a difference in the exercise of gift. Remember how young these men were that brought youth to recover the truth.
Some of them weren't even 30 years old when the Lord started using them. So that's the exercise of gift. And we ought to have liberty there, but oversight and leadership.
That is usually connected with experience and maturity.
First Timothy 4 comes in there, doesn't first Timothy 4 and.
12.
Let no man despise thy youth. Notice how they?
Were the apostle exhorted them?
That the youth was not to be despised. What be thou an example of the believers in words and conversation, charity and spirit, and faith and purity?
Till I come, give attendance to reading, to expectations, to doctrine 15. Meditate upon these things, Give thyself wholly to them, by profiting may appear to all.
Take heed unto thyself, that's so important, that's the walk of the believer, and unto the doctrine continuing them. Or in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and then to hear thee so the effect of the ministry will be in proportion as the walk is in accordance with the word of God. There is a place for maturity, a place for learning.
A member of brothers saying.
Ottawa.
He says we should encourage the young brethren.
To participate a little shouldn't certainly cut them off, but, he says. I like to hear their voice. First of all, in the prayer meeting. I thought that was very good. I like to hear a young brother's voice when he starts out to minister publicly. First in the premium. There's a couple of verses in Leviticus 27 that might be of interest in what has been said here.
Leviticus, chapter 27.
Talking about the value of the male, verse 3 and by estimation shall be of the male from 20 years old, even under 60 years old, even my estimation shall be 50 sheckles and silver after the shekel of the sanctuary. And then you'll notice in the seventh verse, and if it be from 60 years old and above it would be a male, then the estimation shall be.
15 seconds.
For the female 10 shackles or it should be an exercise. Isn't it that those years between 20 and 60 are the prime years of life, and we should be exercised to use our what the Lord has given us for His glory?
I'd like to.
Add a little bit to the very helpful and I think we all feel very important things that are being brought before us. First of all, I want to go back to Brother Ken, what you read. I I I didn't want to interrupt, but I was going to have you ask you to read the 40th verse of that chapter and this kind of ties in, I think with another thought of what we've been considering. But would you turn with me back again?
To Deuteronomy chapter 4, where our brother Ken was reading and he read at the first part of the chapter, and we had brought before us the importance of.
Obeying the word of God and so forth, Let's go to the 40th verse. Thou shalt keep this Deuteronomy chapter 4 and verse 40. Thou shalt keep therefore His statutes and His commandments which I command thee this day.
00:50:08
That it may go well with thee and with thy children after thee just want to stop there and and pick up this thread now.
You know, it would talk to continue down the things which thou hast learned and been assured of, The J&D translation says of which thou hast been persuaded.
I think that we persuade people far more by our actions than by our words.
I think it's possible to know the word of God and have a tremendous grasp.
Of the Word of God, and of the writings of the beloved brethren of an earlier generation, that we rightly consider an absolute treasure.
And it's possible to have all of that and deliver all of that, and yet not persuade anyone to continue.
The word was to fathers.
To obey the word of God for themselves.
Their fathers, the heads of families, spiritual fathers that have a care for the assembly. Those were the Father's spirit. The Word came to them. You obey and keep my commandments. It'll be well with you and with thy children. That's persuaded. The children are seeing the example set by those older who love them, and they're seeing them walk in the past.
And that is being used to persuade them. They've already learned those things. You might say they've heard those things, but now they're going to be persuaded of those things. And, brethren, we desperately need that. And so we have Timothy, a young man.
And we've had some good, balanced comments on the various input of older brethren and younger brethren. But I want to point out in If you will please bear with me and turn to 1St Corinthians chapter 16, I want to tell share with you a little thought that's been much on my heart recently.
Regarding Timothy as a young man, and the part he was playing in the assembly gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
First Corinthians chapter 16.
And verse 10.
Now, if Timotheus come see that, he may be with you.
Without fear.
Four, He worketh the work of the Lord, as I also do. Let no man therefore despise him now. Earlier we had the verse about.
In first Timothy about not despising, let no one despise. But here the instruction is not to the servant, but it's to those who are to receive the servant. And let's remember this about Timothy, the beloved apostle said. I have no man like minded who will naturally care.
For your state, this was a young man. What am I saying? I don't know if Timothy was a great, learned wise man or not, but I know he had a heart that loved the Lord Jesus and loved the Lord's people and cared deeply about how they got on. And so Paul was going to send or trusted that he would come to Corinth. Oh brethren, think of that. Why didn't Timothy get sent to Ephesus? They were going on. Look at the ministry that Paul was able to give to Ephesus.
Why wouldn't Timothy want to go to that place where such rich ministry? He went to a place that was wracked by worldliness. He went to a place that was in the worst kinds of moral problems as believers. And he went there because he had a natural care for the people of God, and he could look at that assembly and say, oh, they are precious to Christ and they need help. I want to go help him. And Paul has to say to the Corinthians.
Not to Timothy, but to the Corinthians. He has to say if he comes, see that he be without fear among you. I think that's what Brother Heinz was talking about earlier, that the young men shouldn't have a sense of fear. What if there's a young brother who has a heart burning to help the assembly to survive? Brethren we need.
Young and old, whose hearts are so attracted to Christ and so filled with the love of Christ. And they see what's precious to the heart of Christ and they're burning to see that preserved. And then they make a step. They get slapped. I'm not accusing anybody but all Let's be careful when we see the heart affection coming out among brothers young and old, who desire that the assembly be preserved and go on.
00:55:25
Let's not put them in fear. Let's receive them and be humbled and say, why is the Lord in his kindness sending that brother to us? Is it because we too are a bit like corn? Is it because we too are marked a bit like the world in our associations and our hearts affections? Don't we have to kind of hang our heads, brother, and say, I think it's true?
And the apostle Paul says to the Corinthians he doesn't ball him out. He's been doing that, but he doesn't say you guys are so in trouble. I sure hope Timothy comes and straightens you out. He doesn't say that. He says if he comes, don't put him in fear. And all beloved brother and our brothers Stan. Read that about the age and we all understand the spiritual application. That doesn't mean when you're 19 you don't have to be exercising. When you're 1020, the exercise light turns on in your heart and at 60 it turns off.
What it's saying is there is a time of energy and care.
A time when you have that energy and desire that you need to give that to the Lord and brother. When we see brothers and sisters that want to do that, that have a natural affection for the assembly, let's not put them in fear. Let's get our arms around them and say, Lord Jesus, thank you for sending this one. Not build them up, not make them proud. That'll stumble them too, but not put them in fear. Let them know we need what the Lord is giving us through them.
And appreciate it. Well, thanks for letting me go on, brethren. But I just wanted to add that as a balance to what we're saying, we need the Timothy. I'd like to turn to Hebrews 13 just for one verse. And the balance, I like the balance, I think the ones who were.
Taking a lead are the ones who feel that they can do a little ministry. They sure love and encouragement of young people. I don't think they're putting them in fear. I know what you mean, but I I think they're guiding them along. You know, we'll soon be gone. And it's these young people that give us encouragement that they're ready to fill in the ranks. What reads verse 17? I'll read it of Hebrews 13.
Obey them that have margin is more right.
That guide you. That's the thought not so much rule. That is the thought that guide you and submit yourself for They watch for your souls. You know, young brothers, we love you and we're trying to guide. We don't try to be harsh or hard in that sense, but don't misconceive us. Don't think we're taking a rule over you. We want a guy we hope our walks enough to guide, too.
As they that must give account that they may do it with joy and not with grief, but that is unprofitable for you. Not saying unprofitable for the ones that are helping out and leading or guiding, but it's unprofitable for those that will not take their guidance rightly for themselves, but also the ones who are a little older and have experienced more have to give account.
For themselves, of how they lead those that are coming on. I think our brother Wilson is a brother who is experienced what I'm talking about. When I first went to Pleasantville, I was amazed really. There was nice young brothers there, including brother Wilson, but they didn't say anything at the beginning, the old captain, the old assault that knew the word of God.
And have lived it. I mean, these are old brothers. They spoke. And then brother Wilson and the other young men, Sardi and others, began to speak. And I I thought that was the most godly thing I saw. And I wrote a pamphlet on it and never put it out. But I've got it and I read it every now and then. That taught me a great lesson. There's a difference between verse seven in Hebrews 13 and the verse that you have read.
The verse that you have read refers to local oversight. I'm emphasizing that as refers to local oversight. Mr. Kelly says. As to verse seven, that is a larger sphere of leadership than what is referred to in the verse that you have read. Obey the leaders. And he says they might have had also local responsibility as in the lateres. So what I'm saying is.
01:00:28
This verse that you are referring to fits in with what I said earlier. Oversight is connected with elders. But then remember first Timothy 3, those who were in that position, some of them were considered to have children still in their home. So they weren't 60-70 years old. They had still children in their home and they were already.
Into position of oversight.
Our challenge, brethren. As older brethren, one of the challenges is that we help the younger ones to learn to fit in profitably. We must not be satisfied. We just have an audience. What has happened? In some assemblies, prominent gifts were so dominant that others didn't learn to develop. And then all of a sudden the Lord takes them and there's nobody.
That can really profitably fit in, you know, they have to learn when they are almost having their first stroke. You know, I'm suggesting what I'm saying, that we should help the younger ones to learn to fit in because we need spiritually exercised tools in order to survive as assemblies gathered to the name of the Lord. When I came to this country, a brother that was a spiritual father to me, said Heinz, searched the scripture and see if it isn't true.
That those who God used for blessing amongst God's people.
Started early in life, and that is true. So. But in our society, sometimes young people are encouraged to be forward. We don't want that kind of encouragement. But what our brother John has read is so helpful, You know, we do not just look for boys that are able to talk and express themselves well. They ought to be a godly life.
That goes along.
With the usefulness in the assembly contributing to the ministry, you know and remember they don't have to be 60 years old before they can even be in local oversight. They have still children at home.
That's why we go to the example of Pleasantville. I wasn't idolizing an assembly. I don't know what it's like now, but I just gave that example that it is local on that verse I read. Before we go on, I'd like to ask a question. We've read the verse that says let no man despise thy youth.
How could Timothy prevent that?
And by his walk, right. But I just wanted to. You know what I that thought came to me now. So he someone despises him. What does he do about it?
How do I? How do I correct that? Is it not to be without reproach in his life? Is that right? I felt about the Ken. It is possible that Timothy Wong that lived like John has read the verses is still despised by somebody because he's young and we have witnessed that amongst the Saints. Oh, that's just a young brother, you know, as if you don't have to pay attention to what he's saying, although the young brother might well have been godly.
Spiritually exercised person. But what I'm saying is how does he?
When it says Let no man despise thy view, how does he?
What can you do about it? But be thou an example.
Be down example and then it goes on.
After there is the example in you, the living. Then it goes on. It says neglect not to give. The living comes first. I love that.
Acts Chapter One, the first verse. It's so precious it lays down the most vital principle for our Christian lives. Practically the the the former treatise of Theophilus have I written of all the things that Jesus began both to do.
And to teach.
Let's just take that principle and live it, brethren, in whatever little corner we are. Our blessed Lord Jesus, perfect man and very God. He began to do as man perfectly. We can't be perfect, but we can do. Be thou an example and teach neglect not to give. I think another answer can would be first Peter chapter 4 and I'd only start with verse 14.
01:05:26
Because the other is very good. But we haven't if ye be reproached, that's what you were mentioning. Despised Son, if he be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye for the Spirit of glory and of God. Rest is upon you. On their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or as a thief.
Or as an evildoer, or as a busy body in other men's matters.
Brethren, I've learned one thing from those in my assembly who were older.
When someone as I travel around, starts to tell me about some brother who is in fellowship, I tell them and I can tell it was derogatory. I tell them I don't listen to anything against my brother or sister. I cut it off right there. And I give that advice. Don't listen because.
Satan is the accuser of brethren and don't even listen. It will teach them a better lesson than anything else. But I just go on or as a busy body.
In other men's matters. And yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God. On this behalf, brethren, let's be sure the reproach is of Christ and pork Christ. Don't let the recruit be because of you.
Just to give an example, in school they pressure these kids before they're able to, to take it in or even understand to dance. And if a young girl says I don't dance because my parents told me I can't.
That's wrong. If she say I don't dance because I belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, that's good. The reproach will be the right reproach. That's a very simple example, but you can apply it to anything.
Be Give Christ the credit, not you.
I don't smoke. That's your credit. But my body is the temple of God. Let's give Christ. You can use anything, but I believe that's what Peter is saying.
So they can't be a member of Brother Harry Hales saying walk with God in the spirit of God will testify as the rightness of your ways. So the burden is really on the young brother that he conduct himself in a way that gains the confidence of his brethren. If you come in to say, well, the brethren aren't doing things right, we've got to, we've got to change things. Why he might just as well go on home because the spirit of God is in the midst to lead and guide and to direct. And anytime there's a spirit of overthrow.
Beware. And David hath suffered that from his own son, didn't he? He overthrew him, and he had to suffer the humiliation of it. And we may have to too. But the Lord still sits over it all and he's going to go on with his purposes. So I'm just saying, you use the the word dynamic. If a young person is going to come in as a dynamic, you might just as well forget it. But I know what you were saying.
But to come in and humiliate it and Brother Douglas saying just feel a little niche, just give out of him at the end of this meeting, that's in keeping with what we have enjoyed, that's born of a spirit and we recognize it.
At verse 16, all scripture is given by inspiration of God. Isn't that a beautiful guide to us? You know, this is God speaking to us, and he's given us the Holy Spirit so that we don't make any mistake. And that's what I love about it. Isn't that true? Well, you know, we don't want men's thoughts of what God meant when he wrote this.
And the new translation, so-called versions truly are giving men's thoughts of what God meant when he wrote this. And we don't need that. It's wrong. It's evil. It is dishonest. And one of the most popular ones. And I'm not going to get into translation one of the most popular ones. You can hardly buy a King James or a Darby anymore in the bookstores of the world.
01:10:28
They pushed this popular one, but it is so dishonest, It's poison. Enough said. Yeah, I think of what you're saying there, and that's true. He gives him one of the modern ones who says this, that the words have been put down so that every man can decide for himself what what rubbish. When you stop and think about, listen, anyone has ever done construction, knows this, that when you put form work in it is to form the concrete. The concrete does not form the forms. It's the forms that form the concrete. And when we come to the word of God, that's the way it is, our thoughts.
Should be regulated by the word of God. That's the point. Enough said.
Important that important that the younger brothers, all of us read the Old Testament because there's not only God not only teaches by precepts, but by also by example. And so those Old Testament stories that sometimes we tend to neglect, there's precious lessons for us in all of them yet.
The kings like Josiah, Hezekiah and many others. God shows us what was the result of obedience to His word or otherwise even the the ceremonies and the rituals of Leviticus. We we tend to pass over them as being dead.
Dead teaching. But there's they are replete with with Christ, and they're all types and shadows of precious truths that we have in the New Testament. And so we shouldn't neglect any part of the word of God. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.
There's profit in all of it, and we shouldn't neglect any section of the Old Testament in our In our daily study, we benefit more from the Old Testament than the Old Testament Saints ever did because the life of the New Testament.
Gives us to understand the typical teaching in the old. Take for instance.
The offerings.
That the Jews had. They did not understand when they were bringing these offerings that they were types and shadows of that one and perfect sacrifice that the Lord Jesus would bring in due time. And when we get into the spiritual understanding of the sacrifices that will make the work of the Lord Jesus that much greater in our appreciation, you know, and it will even help us.
Intelligently.
Joining in on Lord stay morning, when we remember the Lord in his death, we will understand the difference between the sin offering and the burnt offering, the peace offering or the fellowship offering and so on. It's wonderful. And we have even referred to Exodus of Brother John, minister after the breaking of bread. And in the New Testament we have the statement Christ our Passover.
Has been slain. So the Old Testament is a picture book that illustrates many New Testament truths and don't neglect it. But be careful not to become fanciful and it might lead to what is called in the 4th chapter fables.
The mind has to be in subjection to the Spirit of God.
Every thought into the obedience of Christ. So be careful because I have heard some applications in connection with Old Testament scriptures that made my hair stand up. You know, be careful.
But it is a treasure book and it will help us take Exodus or take Genesis.
My grandfather used to tell me, you go through Genesis.
Carefully you have been through the scriptures, you know and wonderful. But what is going to result if we take heed to all of these scriptures?
01:15:07
We will be instructed in doctrine. We will be reproved. We will be corrected and be instructed in righteousness.
That helps us. Even the Old Testament helps us in that and that the man of God be perfect. That does not mean to read sinless perfection. Perfection is used in the word of God.
For full growth, and I believe that's how it is here, if we intelligently enter into the word of God.
That will make us mature and become full grown men and women in Christ. That is what the Spirit of God wants to bring about in the life of every believer. He doesn't desire us to remain babes. According to the time. He says in Hebrews 6 he should be teachers.
But they had clung to the types and shadows instead of seeing the fulfillment of it in Christ, and they were stunted in their growth. They were still bakes, You know, That's not a good.
Sign. You know, we should grow up to be mature, perfect, as many as are perfect causes. In Philippians 3, there is those who have reached.
Spiritual maturity in the same chapter says he was not yet perfect, but that is in connection with his being brought into full conformity to Christ. None of us has reached that until we will be like him and with him forever, but.
There is the possibility of reaching spiritual maturity, and that's what the Spirit of God is working towards. And he using the Word of God to bring it about, but not by intellectually leading us into it. Through faith we enter into it and make it our own, but none of the young people should expect to skip any grades and be perfect right away. You know there is the water which speaks of the word of God.
And you can get into your ankles. And I really look back and enjoyed that time when I was into my ankles. I mean, I was just thrilled with anything I found and I learned anything that the spirit of God will keep you going. Then you get to your knees and it's really nice to be to your knees and you pray more. You know, you got to get it from the Lord. And then you get up, of course, to your lawyers and you've got strength then to give it out to others.
And tell your friends and associates these wonderful truths. And then it gets let's see to the shoulders was it or I forget this, waters to swim in. Waters to swim in. Don't expect to start swimming right away. But when you're perfect, that means fully grown, able to take in more truth. You can swim, but you'll never get to the other side. Never. You just keep swimming.
And it's beautiful. You learn more and more. Well, you know, the Lord himself gave us a license to find himself in the in the first five books.
They said we have Moses and he said if you believe Moses you believe me. Moses wrote of me. So you expect to find Christ in in the first five books of benator.
And if you look for Christ when you're reading it, the Spirit of God is going to make sure you find him. It's beautiful. And these types and and principles that come out, they all speak of Christ is beautiful. And of course the Lord said in Luke 24, said the whole thing, all of them, you know, the prophets and the Psalms, things concerning me that don't expect to find anything else or just a good story. Expect to find Christ when you read this and you'll get so much more.
Than you ever expect that there is there and but Iran was speaking.
I was thinking of that scripture, that Timothy was well reported off by the brethren, and of course he had a wonderful background of faith that was in his grandmother and his mother was now in him, but already early. I believe it was made known by revelation that Timothy had a gift.
01:20:02
And Paul.
And the elders had fellowship with them. They put their hands on him. You know, gift is always somebody is ascended Christ. But Paul took Timothy, you might say, under his wings. And he learned from Paul, as we know from the scriptures referred to earlier much of the two. But he had a gift before he learned much of the truth from Paul. So.
My thoughts are to encourage the younger ones and try to help them along, because we need that very much, because I don't believe I'm overcritical. There's such a thing as constructive criticisms. The general understanding of scriptural truth among us is diminishing, and we ought to encourage more diligence in these things and encourage the younger ones.
To be diligent in these things and help them along. So we have to be careful not to be allowing the spirit of the world to come in and for the younger ones to take over, but help them along. And Timothy was well reported by the Brethren, you know, and and filled as we move amongst the Saints, to find such young men among us.
Thank the Lord for them. Yes, there are. But there are young men among us that cheer my heart. I enjoy the fellowship, and I can even learn from them this expression. A man of God, Isn't that a lovely expression? A man of thought, that is. That's that's the only reason you're here is you're just a man here for God.
I first of all I guess using an expression our beloved brother Stan Jacobson uses like Adam and Amen to that. But let's not leave our beloved sisters out. This scripture says all scripture is profitable. All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable only to man. No, there is this. I want to I just want to suggest this as a as a consideration that in a day.
Breakdown and ruin.
Which is the day we're living in where all is in confusion and the individual has to walk the path of faith. The man, of course, is referred to, but we could have, I think, apply it that there is that sense of strength and energy that moves ahead in faith and doesn't give in to the confusion and the breakdown. And in that sense, everyone who knows the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior, sitting in this room.
Can fit into a man of God, complete from Mr. Darby's translation, fully fitted to every good word. Now we've been talking, and rightfully so, about the role of brothers, specifically as brothers interacting in the assembly in various ways, and to encourage the young brothers to that public interaction. But there isn't, I would assume, I believe there's not a husband sitting here.
Who wouldn't say that? Their wife.
A sister has been a tremendous encouragement in the Lord to go on for the Lord. And so, while I fully agree with what we've been saying, beloved sisters, you too, if I can say it this way, can be men of God if you understand that application.
Fully fitted, complete, complete and all that we've been talking about. Fully fitted to every good work and how many times have I sat in an assembly?
And heard a love at older brothers say something like this. There is this dear elderly sister in our home assembly, and what a joy and blessing she is to that assembly. We won't raise our hands, but have some of you heard that kind of a comment? It's true, but what can we say but to say, let's desire that every one of us be complete, fully fitted to every good work?
Good work, isn't it? Are we supposed to be doing good work?
Of course, and I just give you one verse because we're almost out of time. But Titus, Chapter 2?
Begin with verse 14 who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good work. These things speak and exhort. You know, brethren, there there is good work to be done after we're saved, not for poor never think you can do a good work.
01:25:25
As a Sinner.
Impossible. But once we're saved, that's why we've been saved. And that's really what I won't go on. I was going to say a few other things. I think 236. Allow one more verse, please, In Titus.
Chapter 3, verse 14.
And ours also learned to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful. That means that fellow laborers, even of the apostle Paul, were working with their hands for necessary uses. Laziness and lack of diligence in these kind of works is not commendable.
236 Will may thy spirit guide our will our souls, and mold them to thy wills, that from thy paths we ne'er may stray, but keep thy precepts still, that to the Savior stat. You're full when you're still may rise, and all we think and all we do be pleasing in thine eyes. 236.
I'll come by the way.
It's the last 7 rolls.
And come on.
The brain.
And from.
The.
End when my history dreads God forever and for.
I do not.
Save God.
Standard goal.
We are still.
Hanging, right?
And all the winds and.
All the rain.