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So we sing 168 #168 the night is for sale.
In the extension to the light of the world.
Don't blast your head off.
What can't run by the way again?
I won't forget everything about that.
All right, I guess. What's wrong?
Nsnoise.
OK.
Our loving God and our Father, we look up to Thee again, and we have sung together words which at the same time are most encouraging and yet most searching and solemn.
We do realize, on the one hand, that the night is far spent and the day is at hand.
But on the other hand, our God we trust that we mean it when we own our coldness of heart.
And when we pray to kindle within us a holy desire, we look to thee then, as we have Thy word again open before us, that Thou wilt speak of us from its pages, not merely to impart truth that may be held in the head, but rather that Thy truth may have its effect on both our hearts and our conscience.
Before we ask it in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
We begin at the 4th chapter again. Then I think it would be nice to start at chapter 4, verse one, and maybe begin to comment a little bit on verse 2. But I know our dear brother Bob brought much before us in connection with the work of evangelism.
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And so perhaps we can lightly touch on versus UH-2 and umm 3 and then a little further down the first five, but it's, there's a lot of instruction here and, uh, Paul was very detailed in his instructions, so it's good to go over it.
Second Timothy, chapter 4. 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, rebuke, 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 heap to themselves teachers having itching ears.
And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned into fables.
But watch out 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, and the time of my departure is at hand.
I have 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 to all them that also.
That love his appearance, do thy diligence to come shortly unto me, or Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica, crescents to Galatia.
Titus to Dalmatia only Luke is with me. Take Mark and bring him with thee, for he is profitable to me For the ministry and to ticket Anticheus have I sent to Ephesus.
The cloak that I left at with carpets when thou comest spring with thee.
And the books, but especially the parchments. Alexander the copper Smith 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.
As my first answer, no man stood with me, but all men forsook me.
I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.
Notwithstanding, the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, that by the 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 Ona Cypress, Erastus, abode at Corinth. Petrophemus have I left at Militum 6.
Do thy diligence to come before winter.
Uvulis Creedacy and Feudans and Lioness and Claudia and all the brethren, the Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit, grace be with you. Amen.
Paul was really seeking to stir up Timothy, wasn't he? It was a really an impassioned plea to Timothy in the last chapter that he, uh, is used of God inspired to write to this young man. And, umm, he had a sense of the urgency because he was about to pass off this scene and he longed for Timothy to, uh, be stirred up in his soul and to take up that work. And so he says in verse, uh, six, I am now ready to be offered in the time of my departure is at hand.
He felt it keenly, and he longed for the truth to yet be ministered among the Saints. And so This is why.
In verses two to four, he really, umm, tells them, tells Timothy that there's going to be a time when, uh, sound doctrine isn't going to be re received. But the time right now, it's still being received. There's still time to minister the truth of God.
And while the in second Timothy chapter one and verse 15 already mentioned in the last meeting.
Thou knowest that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me, of whom are fidelis and homogeneous. There was a great departure, but there were still those that were faithful that wanted to go on in the truth. And he said, You give them the truth, you minister the truth.
And umm, he says, in order to preach the Word, that's what they need, the Word. And so it wasn't ideas or as our brother Bob brought before us at the last meeting, stories, good stories and those sorts of things. But they needed to be.
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Timothy needed to be acquainted with the Word. He needed to preach the Word. Give the Word of God out. It's going to have the power with souls and it's going to have the power with your brethren if you just in love and affection for them, seek to bring Christ before them.
What does it mean in season out of season?
Sometimes the Lord seems to open up a beautiful opportunity, doesn't he? Sometimes the Lord just makes something so easy for us and so clear that there's a tremendous opportunity to bring the gospel before someone. Just as that girl you mentioned in your meeting, Bob, that was quietly going on for the Lord in her work, in her office. And someone comes to her and says.
You've got something and I want, I want you to tell me. But there are other times, perhaps when the opportunity isn't so easy. And I don't mean that.
How should I put it? We can be rude in presenting the gospel, and that's not what is implied here. But at the same time, sometimes we can excuse ourselves by saying, well, there just wasn't a good opportunity or there wasn't a good season. Sometimes we need, would you say, to go on the offensive with the gospel. Is that the thought?
Would there be an example of the in season in connection with the Apostle Paul on Mars Hill as we have in Acts chapter 17?
And verse 22 it says, Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars Hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription to the unknown God.
Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship him, declare I unto you. Then he went on to say, that God that made the world in all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven, and.
Earth dwelleth not in temples made with hands and then?
Uh, he continues there. That seemed to be a ready made opportunity, so to speak, didn't it?
We connect that first verse of chapter 4.
With the 2nd Corinthians chapter 5.
And verse 11.
Knowing therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.
There's judgment coming.
And men are going to stand before the Lord. He's going to judge the living.
And the dead.
When he appears in glory, he's going to judge the living, and in his reign he's going to continue to judge the living and at the end of his reign.
He's going to judge the dead.
And they're going to stand before that one that we know who wanted to be their savior, who could save their souls.
And we were depositors of that light.
So I beseech you before God.
That we preach the gospel, we preach the Word, because there's judgment coming for the living and the dead. And if we share.
In our hearts, the compassion of God is mercy and desire for blessing. We can't know of such judgment.
Coming upon the living and the dead, and not tell them.
They don't. It might be impolite to tell someone. The Gaza can't be impolite, you know, If you're concerned about someone's soul, it's nice to do it quietly and in a nice way and you know, but if the house is in fire, you might have to scream.
And scream if you have to, but you have to tell them.
There's, uh, another nice person that same chapter in Second Corinthians chapter 5.
It's the 14th verse 2. There's two aspects that are brought before us in this chapter. It's for the love of Christ constraineth us. So we we have to know something of the love of Christ too. And both aspects have to be stressed and brought out in the gospel to get a a balance.
The import I suggest is brought more clearly before us in what you get in the 3rd and 4th verses, because.
Paul recognized. And I believe it's fair to say we're certainly living in the days when this has occurred.
The men have turned their ears away from the truth and turned unto fables. And sometimes it's necessary to try and breakthrough all of that. And in order to do that, it may take a little more energy than to speak to the one who willingly comes and says, I want to know more. And as Bruce points out, it can't be with the energy of nature. It can't be with the energy of the flesh. It must be with a sense of God's love for souls and the love of Christ constraining me.
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But it may have to be, as Michelle points out, with real vigor sometimes, and perhaps with an attitude. Listen, do you realize the road that you are on and where it ends?
God uses all certain side, uh, all sorts of means, doesn't he?
Remember Brother Ramon Alarcon telling a story of a man who got saved down in Mexico?
And he was so desirous of his one of his friends to get saved too. He took his machete and he went to his friend's house and brandishing his machete, he says.
Get saved.
Get down on your knees and cry to God for mercy.
And he did it.
Under that kind of pressure.
So he went back and told the brother that had given him the gospel, what he had done. He had gotten his friends saved this machete.
Says that's not the way to do it. Don't ever do that. You need to go apologize that you did it that way. So he went back and he apologized to his friend and his friend says don't apologize to me. I got saved. I really got saved. It's amazing what God uses at times. That's not the way, That's true, that's not the way to do it, but.
God is that sometimes things that we don't, we shouldn't do, but he uses him and it's it's wonderful to see how God uses different means to to bring the word home. The important thing I think in season and out of season is to use every possible opportunity. This is a season that we could say is in season. We got the word open. We're talking about it, but there's other seasons we might visit in the person's home and sometimes it grieves me brother, and we get together as believers, but it doesn't seem like the word has hardly any party in our conversation.
Let's be instant out of Season 2. Let's mention some verses. Let's get the conversation turned in the right direction. We can do that. I think that's what it means here, doesn't it?
There was an urgency that the apostle is pressing on Timothy because it was the very last day, which we're still in today. And the, the, uh, deterioration of all that had been, uh.
Built, you might say, by the apostle and his laborers, and yet.
As a servant of God, he was going to have to have a right spirit and what he did, and he was going to have to have a right foundation and so.
There was a need, an urgent need for reproof and, uh, that the Scripture was profitable for, for rebuking, for exhortation, but it had to be with the right spirit. It had to be with all long-suffering, and it had to be based on the word of God, because that's what commands the conscience of Sinner or St. And it was the maintenance of the truth of God. Really, I think among professing Christianity, that was the, the main part of the charge that was laid upon Timothy and the first epistle. He was sent to Ephesus.
That he might make sure that no one teaches taught any other doctrine.
And that which the apostle Paul had brought before the Ephesians.
And certainly as we have later on, evangelization, uh.
Was part of his ministry and he needed to make sure he didn't neglect that, otherwise he wouldn't make full proof of it.
But the burden of the charge was the maintenance of the truth of God among the Saints of God. And it was rapidly coming to the day when that would not be suffered by the Saints of God. And I would say we're in that day.
When the Saints of God.
We meet brothers and sisters in Christ in our own hearts. I have that same tendency to want a Christianity that's just not based on the sound doctrine and teachings of the Word of God, but good feelings and whatever it might be. And if the Word of God is brought to bear for reproof, for correction, instruction, and righteousness, it's not wanted. You're interfering with with these.
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Things that we want to go on with in the name of Christ it might be, and with all good intention, but don't let the Word of God interfere with it.
And he was rapidly coming to that day. And so there were itching ears that were going to refuse sound doctrine and wanted to receive anything else, something that would tickle the ear, something that would satisfy the 1St man. You know, when the children of Israel came across the Red Sea and Moses went up into that mountain and after a while they became discontent, they.
Press Darren to make them gods and he said give me your earrings.
And out of that itching ear, you might say that golden cap was formed.
And became an idol. And so these things that come in that aren't based on sound doctrines, they really become idols.
To the Saints of God that take the affections away from where they should be. And that that was the day, Timothy, that was just rapidly coming in. It's the day that we're in. And so that solemn charge to maintain the truth of God in a day like that, there's an urgency in season and out of season.
Before us in second Kings Chapter 7 in connection with the leprous men, uh, outside of the city of Samaria, and we read what had happened in the early part of the chapter. But verse nine was a verse that uh came to note says then they said one to another. We do not well.
This is a day of good tidings.
And we hold our peace.
If we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us. Now, therefore come that we may go and tell the King's household. So they felt an urgency, didn't they? Some mischief, uh, might be come upon us.
And they realized that they had something worthwhile to proclaim.
Timothy was raised up of God, wasn't he? It says in second Timothy chapter one and verse 6. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance, that thou stir up the gift of God, which is indeed.
By the putting on of my hands. And so Paul had been, uh, instrumental in, uh, recognizing this, uh, young man of potential. And he had been trained especially in the House of God, in the school of God that he might be of use after Paul was taken. And so the, uh, he tells him here in verse 2 to preach the word and so on. And with, uh, all long-suffering and doctrine and umm.
Because he gives them the contrast that if he doesn't do it, if he doesn't rise up in the energy of faith and in obedience to the word of God, and umm, exercise his gift, because the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. It says then there would be others that would rise up and uh, they would rise up anyway. And uh, they would, uh, rise up, not being sent of God as it were, but they would not endure sound doctrine. But after their own lust shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears.
And so they wouldn't be, as it were, sent out with the, umm, the blessing of their brethren, but it would be, there would be, uh.
Just a desire to hear things that are comfortable, smooth words and they wouldn't want to hear the sharp edge of the word of God. And so Timothy was to use the word with the sharpness, as it were, in season, out of season, but it was to be in love and long-suffering. And he was going to, if he did it, then there would be that, umm, I don't want to say, uh, defense, but there would be a defense in some way.
Against the enemy, the work of the enemy among the people of God. And so those that are taught of God, those that have the energy of faith that know the word of God ought to exercise their gift and to use it to be able to teach the truth. That's what it means at the end of verse five. Make full proof of thy ministry, doesn't it? And it really is exercising when you think of it. Timothy had a gift was given to him.
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By prophecy, with the laying on in the hands of the presbytery, which is the elderhood or those he had the fellowship of his local brethren, and use of his gift, but he had to be told to stir it up. Spanish translation says wake up the gift of God.
Means the gift is dormant and I really think that we are guilty of that a lot. What are we going to do when we stand at the judgment seat of Christ and the Lord says I gave you a specific gift to use for my purposes down here.
I'm going to say I didn't have any clue what the gift was, Lord. I'm going to say that to the Lord. It's very clear in Scripture that.
Every member of the body of Christ has something to use for the benefit of all your sisters as well as your brothers. You young people, it's time to wake up. It's time to use what we have. We don't have too much more time left down here. And I love what he says in these verses to follow. I am now ready to be offered in the time of my departure is at hand.
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. What beautiful statements that Paul could say.
I think of the only perfect servant of the Lord there ever was, the Lord Jesus Christ.
He says in John Four, my meat is to do.
The will of him that sent me and to finish his work. Then in John 17 he says I have finished the work thou gavest me to do. Paul couldn't say exactly that. He could say I've finished my course, I've kept the faith.
But it really exercises my own heart, brethren, to think the Lord has given something to me to do for him. He's given something to you to do for him.
When we get called to the judgment seat to give an account of our lives.
What are we going to say in that day, brother? It's gonna happen, and not too far in the district.
It's gonna happen. The Lord encourage us. Paul could probably the servant of the Lord after the Lord Jesus, perhaps one of the most devoted, but he can say I've finished my course.
But couldn't say I finished the work that thou gave us me to do, not even him.
In the book of Ezekiel, there were those that were called to be Watchmen. And I was just thinking of a verse in the, uh, 33rd chapter of Ezekiel and verse 7 which says, so thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the House of Israel. Therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth and warn them from me. And let's just turn to, uh, another.
Verse back in Proverbs chapter 24.
In connection with responsibility that we talked about earlier.
And verse 11 Proverbs 2411 Says, If thou for bear to deliver them that are drawn unto that death, and those that are ready to be slain.
And I have a note in my Bible concerning that word for Bear, and that is to neglect to perform a known duty. And so that was the duty of the Watchmen, wasn't it? That was the work that was given for him to do, to sound the warning and to the evangelist to deliver a message. And to those that are called to any work of God. God.
Has given them a plain word, and again as our brother Bob has brought before us.
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Uh, there's the end of the course, uh, to be taken into consideration as well.
Timothy, you know in Acts chapter 16 did a work which was close to home. It says in Acts 16 and verse 2, which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium. So we don't need to go very far away to do a work for the Lord. We need to do a work first in our home assembly and in the local area. If we're going to give out the gospel, we don't need to go to a far off place. We just need to exercise our gift in the local.
Uh, area, I just, uh, I'm burdened as I think of, uh, I was just, uh, you know, an assembly and not a small assembly. And I took, uh, time we went to lunch with, uh, a brother there and he was, uh, burdened, very burdened in his soul. And he said, you know, just recently, in the last few weeks, uh, three brothers have come to him in that assembly and he's the one that asked to take the, asked different ones to take the gospel and he says 3.
Brothers, older brothers, like in their 50s perhaps if I, I don't know exactly, you didn't tell me exactly who they were, but he said three brothers have come to him and said don't ask me to take the gospel anymore. I don't want to. I think it's the younger generations that that should take it and so on. And oh, he was so burdened. You know, brethren, if the Lord allows that a brother asked us to take the gospel meeting, we need to exercise our souls. He exercised in the presence of God as to why the Lord allowed that brother to ask me to take the gospel and I ought to get into the word.
And, uh, just seek to exercise the gift that the Lord has, uh, given me for his glory and not sure that responsibility.
In that same connection, I would point out, and I know you'd agree with it, Robert, that while it's very nice to see a gospel testimony connected with the local assembly, wonderful. Yet let's never forget that Scripture does not present gospel work primarily as an assembly responsibility. It's an individual responsibility.
This epistle is individual to Timothy at this point. In fact, I think it's fair to mention that in this whole epistle the assembly or the church isn't even mentioned because it's failed. Now I'm not suggesting that God hasn't in a wonderful way restored to us the precious truth, but when we speak of the local assembly, we really ought to say the local representation of the assembly, because every true member of the Church of God in that locality.
Is not likely there. But the point is gospel work is an individual responsibility. I can't let myself off the hook by saying, well, it's younger brethren that ought to be doing it, or younger brethren say, well, I don't have the gift or whatever it might be. Yes, it's nice to see those that have gifts, It's nice to see them exercise it, but it's an individual responsibility that we all need to feel.
You'll pardon a personal story, but uh, my father-in-law, Alan Hammer, Umm.
I met him really for the first time on May the 7th, 1979 and umm, the umm, weekend of the, uh, Canadian Victoria Day weekend, uh, 30 years ago. He asked me if I would take the gospel there in Hammer Bay and I said, well dear brother, there are others that are older and much more experienced and so on. And he laid his hand on my shoulder and he said.
We're on your side. When you stand up at the front of the room, your brethren are on your side. They want you to do well. They want to see you speak well of Christ and they want to encourage you. You stand up and you give the gospel well. That was an encouragement to me. And I would just say that those of us that are older in the room and we see our younger brothers studying the Word and desiring to in some small way do a work for the gospel, encourage them.
Strengthen them, encourage them, and not only, as you say in the gospel meeting, in the assembly, but gospel work is done on an individual basis 1St and then there the Lord can use you in the assembly or other places.
Well, this expression in verse seven, I have fought a good fight.
There are many in this world that are fighting a fight, aren't there?
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And we sometimes speak about somebody even though they lose, and we say, well, he put up a good fight.
But the sense of what we have here is not that I choose the kind of fight that I'm going to be involved in. We could read this, perhaps this way. I have fought the fight, the good one.
I have talked to individuals who have sometimes spent their time and energy, even those in military pursuits, and who have been very embarrassed and ashamed later on in their lives when they realize.
What they got taken into and what they were fighting for and how that they were fighting for a 'cause that was really a wrong one and now they're embarrassed about it. Wish they had never done it. There is a good fight to be fought. There is a place for your energy and mind to be used. And so Timothy Paul says to Timothy, I have fought, as it were, the fight, the good one. Had Paul been fighting before he was saved? Indeed he had. He had been fighting very vigorously.
And he was now ashamed of all that had gone before he was.
He was saved but now he can talk about the fight that he had fought since he was saved and he says that is the good one and then he says I have finished my course.
What course was that? Once again, I believe here it is not the course that I choose. In fact, I was very much struck, and I'm not in any way finding fault with those who have quoted the verse because I have done it myself. But in Acts 20, Paul says that I might finish my course with joy.
But if you notice in the Darby, he leaves out those words with joy that I might finish my course. And I've asked myself why that is, because if I finish the course that the Lord sets for me, it won't have to be a question of whether it's with joy or not. It will be with joy. And then he says I have kept the faith. How many, sad to say, have started out well in the Christian pathway and have had.
An understanding of the things of God. But then things have come in and it's easy for anyone of us. And then it's all too easy to say, well, that path is too difficult. That course is too much that Paul could say. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith. And as Bob says, that is probably the most that any believer could ever say. But how wonderful to think of the one who could say all alone.
As no other could I have finished the work which thou gave us me to do.
That fight, could we consider that to be the fight of faith?
Someone made shipwreck concerning the faith we have in the Jude chapter one.
There's only one chapter in June, so that's easy. Jude verse 3.
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 you should earnestly contend or fight or combat for the faith which was once delivered unto the Saints. The Apostle Paul, he had kept the faith that he had received from the Lord through the difficulty he'd gone through, and at the end of his course he still had that same faith that the Lord had given him. It's not the faith of trusting the Lord rather than the things that were committed to him to teach the faithful men.
So just so we're clear on it, the word or expression, the faith here really is, you might say, the whole body of revealed truth, isn't it? We speak of the Christian faith. That isn't necessarily a scriptural expression, but the thought is the same. It's the whole body of truth that God has revealed to us.
And he says in Ephesians chapter 4, there is one faith.
Has been delivered to us now.
The faith once delivered to the Saints.
But there was a motivation here in connection with uh, umm, Timothy and, and Paul presents himself as an example. And he says, 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 only not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. And so he presented the fact, fact that there was a crown of righteousness.
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And it's really perhaps in contrast with the unrighteousness of how he had been treated by the Roman government.
And how the enemy had stirred up those that hated the gospel and hated the truth of God, wanted to extinguish the truth and to obliterate the word of God. And so the Lord knows and there's a crown. Paul was going to have a crown of righteousness and it was going to be to the glory of God. He kept the faith.
It's for those who love his appearing.
We look forward, brethren, to the Rapture.
But we also look forward to the appearing.
Remember, my late uncle Clem Dear used to say that Christian can rightly pray two prayers.
One Lord Jesus come.
And two, thy Kingdom come.
And brethren, as we look around and see all the confusion.
All the disorder even in the Christian testimony.
It's discouraging at times to look that way.
But we love his appearing, and we recognize that only in that day of his appearing, when he comes back to reign and righteousness.
Will things be sat right according to God?
And we should love that day we have.
Nature's divine, Nature's now.
We should feel.
The disorder, the.
Injustice, the suffering that's going on in this world.
I sometimes think that when we speak about the fact that the Christians should not get involved in political movements, we leave the impression that we are insensitive as to what's going on in the world. We should not be insensitive.
But we should long for that day. There is no other answer to the confusion.
To the question of abortion, that seems to be on the slide now in the wrong direction.
Question of homosexuality. It seems to be going the wrong direction. What are they going to do, get involved in political movements on it?
That won't remedy the situation.
What we need to do is preach the gospel, get those people saved, then they'll change. But it's not a political movement. And as to a global answer, there is only one answer. That's when Jesus comes back to reign supreme from sea to sea in righteousness, then there will be righteousness then. Do you love that day?
We should long for it, brother. With all our hearts we should long.
And for those who love his appearing.
There's a crown of righteousness.
The end of revelation the Lord presents himself.
In two characters.
Revelation 22.
Verse 16.
I, Jesus, have sent mine Angel to testify unto you these things and the churches. I am the root and offspring of David.
And the bright and morning star in the spirit and the bride say come.
So he presents himself as the true.
Air and the one who's going to come and sit on the throne, Great David's greater son and set all those things right.
And he's going to sit on the throne of his glory. And he presents himself, too, as the bridegroom, the bride. And Morning Star. And her responses come.
You know, was impressed on me recently and the man's name goes through my mind. But there is a man who was appointed.
To a particular political office and as he was being grilled by, uh, different members of Congress and, uh, the cameras were on him for the news event and he was being rather abused by.
00:45:07
His interrogators, as it were, as to his past conduct.
It seemed to be going badly for him.
Until the cameras focused in to the audience behind him, and his wife was sitting in the audience behind him and, uh, she was crying as she felt the dishonor to her husband, whose conduct she knew had been upright.
And it turned the whole tide as to the appointment of that man to office.
And in that same way, there should be a longing on our part to see the man.
Who is?
Coming for us and who is the object of our affections to see him justify vindicated by God himself in the very place where he was cast out. It should be the longing of our hearts to see him on the throne in that day and that really too, You know, there's many thoughts in Isaiah 52. His visage was so marred more than any man.
I think it takes in not only what he received from the blows of men's hands, for he felt what was in their hearts, and it takes in what he endured in those hours of darkness on Calvary's cross, For no man ever suffered like he is.
But whose visage for these last 2000 years has been more marked, Whose form has been more marked than the man Christ Jesus in this world? The visage is what is seen outwardly, like the storefront sign. Whose visage has been more marred? Kings shall be astonished at him. They'll say, This man. This man is sitting on the throne of Jehovah.
This man has been exalted head over all things, heaven and earth. That man, there's going to be astonished at him because his visage was so marred. More than any man we should feel that. And in that way too long for his appearance, he's going to be vindicated.
Is there a thought in the question of the crown of righteousness that in the apostles finishing the course and keeping the faith that he had behaved in a way and his conscience was void of offence between before men and God, that he'd been himself instructed in righteousness by the Word of God? And I lived that out, presenting an invisible Christ to the world and being valuing that privilege of being his representatives here, not only in Word, but in our behavior too.
If we are not looking forward to that man, the Lord Jesus, if we're not looking forward to his coming, we don't love his appearance. It's going to be difficult for us to go out and fight the battles.
Of faith, the Lord Jesus has given us all that we need.
We need to have a love of souls, a love of the people we're going out to speak to.
But the Lord Jesus has given us the resource that we need to go out and and give the gospel back in verse 17 of chapter 3.
We find that the Lord has given us His words in order that the man of God or the person of God.
Maybe, may may be perfect or complete. You're complete. You're complete with the Word of God.
You have the Spirit of God within you. You have Christ.
What do you use? You have all you need to go out and serve the Lord. Now, sometimes we think, oh, it would be nice to go on a mission trip or have someone else organize it, but you have all you need to serve the Lord as an individual.
On your own, it's nice to have fellowship with others in the gospel, but God has given you all you need, the serpent.
And we read the only the Gospels and we read the account of what the Lord Jesus passed through. We would wonder, and we at times still do wonder, what must that have felt like as as Stephen?
Related to a minute ago, but we have the book of Psalms which when we compare we put the two together, we are told in in the most profound language that pierces our hearts.
What it really felt like when he, you know, they, they pierced my hands and my teeth and there he was looking out upon them.
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And so we have a look by the Spirit of God into.
Into the heart of one that was like no other.
In the book of Hebrews in the 11Th chapter that we all enjoy so much, we we have another divine exposition. And it's wonderful when Scripture helps us understand other scriptures. And there we see the motive that many of the Saints of old have. And we might have suspected that they had that motive when we read the account in Genesis or in, in in the books of Samuel or the kings. But we're told by God himself in Hebrews 11, he looked for a city.
That's what motivated him. Uh, we're told of, of Moses that he endured. How did he do that as seeing him? It wasn't visible. And here we have this letter that was written to uh, uh, uh, uh, a son in the face, umm, a letter from 1 soldier, warrior to another who he mentored in modern language, whom he loved, we brought up in the faith. And it's an opening up in a precious way of Paul's heart. And it indicates to us what really sustained him.
This wasn't just a vain patting himself on the back at the end of his course as I know everyone understands when he when he does a self-assessment and says I have kept the faith, I have fought a good fight.
To say well you know, let another, let another man praise you and knock thine own lips. No, this was lead of the Spirit of God to give an assessment and it's an opening up of his heart to pass on to Timothy, not just what he did, but how he was able to do it.
And he had the vision to look beyond. He had the vision of the fact that there was an accountability and the affection that he had to. Stephen and others have indicated looking forward to the time when the Lord Jesus would be vindicated here.
Because it wouldn't just be enough, speaking reverently, it wouldn't be enough.
Just to take the Lord Jesus and raise him out from all the rest of the dead, which God has done.
And and caused him to ascend and given him a name above every name in the highest place in heaven. He's done that already.
It wouldn't be enough still to rapture all of us out and to raise those that sleep in Jesus. That's still not enough.
Because God has said in his word he must reign.
And it's an essential thing with God as that man who was, who was hated without a cause and who was spit upon him, all the rest, it's essential. It's imperative for God and for God's glory. That same man as the, as the angelic testimony said, this same Jesus, same man is going to come back here. He's going to be extolled and exalted and be very high. He's going to do that in this earth and the the renewed heart and every believer just looks forward to that day and makes your hair stand up.
To think about what it's going to be like to stand there and to be able to see him finally given the place and the honor that he is so worthy of.
Verses in, uh, Isaiah 2 That speak about that day. Bruce, I just revel in this. It's just so beautiful. We don't have time to read very much, but verse 10.
Enter into the rock and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord.
And for the glory of His Majesty, the lofty looks of man shall be humbled.
And the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord.
Alone shall be exalted in that day for the Lord. The day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon everyone that is proud and lofty, and upon everyone that is lifted up. And he shall be brought low. And upon all the Cedars of Lebanon that are high, and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of basin, upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up. Verse 17. And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down.
And the haughtiness of men shall be made low, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.
Verse 22.
Cease ye from man whose breath is in his nostrils for weary. And is he to be accounted of? That's that day we're looking forward to, Brendan.
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And would we want to be vindicated in any way then, before he is?
Apostle Paul, as you brought out earlier, remember Jesus Christ of the seed of David raised from the dead.
Content now to go on the day of that crown of righteousness given was not going to be until the day when he's vindicated he has the preeminence.
#40 in the appendix.
Umm hum, that's the Cathedral Creek.
To go to the earth and come away and fell and throws the storm.
All right.
I'm going to try.
And consult you. I don't know why I'm ready to drink glory, so I'm going to be.
We shall come down all the way to the world.
Up on the end of all the travels, all right. And the follow up, all right. No, I'm sorry. So I'll hold my hand.
Really. I'll I'll give you a call on.
Yeah, I don't know if I'll do that. I don't want to experience.
Wrong. Anything else and I don't know why I would be blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. Maybe we could.
Stand for the last two reasons.
For you.
And all the Champions. And Craigslist.
Fallen haste and shallow us all my life here.
OK. Or anything else because you're getting.
Uh.
We also want.
Send in the last verse of 295.
When I gave it to her and run problems and deliverance and pray.
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God.
Very thumb boy and he's gravy when you're grilling and you're starting to sound dangerous when you're graveled. Colorful. I have and.
Revelations chapter 19.
Verse 11.
I saw heaven opened. Behold the White Horse, and he that sat upon him was called faithful and true, and in righteousness.
He does judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns. And he had a name written that no man knew but he himself. And he was clothed with a vestige dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. The armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses clothed in fine linen, white and clean. Not of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations.
He shall rule them with a rod of iron.
And he tried at the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God, and he asked on his vesture and on his thigh, My name written King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
For loving God and our Father, we thank Thee for these minutes that we've spent together.
And for this hymn that we've sung, and we thank you that we can praise.
Be and honor my beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
But we do look forward to that day.
Whenever knee shall bow, please.
When every heart will be smitten.
When his greatness will be known, yes.
We long for that day.
We pray that that day would reign in our hearts even now.
As we wait for his coming.
So would you mind the rest of this day if your right hands?
In the name of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.