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276.
Hey Sir, Umm.
Kind of wondering if we exhausted the third chapter third of Pistol of John or whether there is more to be developed from the latter part of the chapter. What you?
Rather than feel about that.
So often let me think it through.
To the young people who observe comes out as sound and brass tinkling symbols.
It'll be nice to finish to the Third Epistle of John, and from there go into First Corinthians 13, starting with verse four. Love and suffering long.
The same time, we may not have sufficiently covered the question that was asked in the previous meeting about First Timothy 315, the Church of the Living God, the Pilgrim ground of the truth.
Where would we read from 30 Pistol of John verse what?
Did we start at verse 9?
Shall we read first Printing 13 from verse four as well Sounds good.
3rd John.
Verse nine I wrote on to the Church. But the atrophies love it to have the preeminence among them receiveth us not. Wherefore if I come, I will remember his deeds, which he do it praying against us with malicious words, and not content therewith. Neither dusting himself received the brethren, and forbideth them that would and casteth them out of the Church. Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. Neither doeth good is of God, but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.
00:05:02
Demetrius has good report of all men and of the truth itself. Today we also bear record that you know that our record is true. I had many things to write that I will not with ink and pen. Write on to thee. But I trust I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speak face to face. Peace to thee, our friend. Salute thee. Greet the friends by name.
1St Corinthians 13.
Starting from verse 4.
Charity suffereth long and is kind. Charity envieth not. Charity bonneth not itself, is not puffed up, does not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth. Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth. But whether there be prophecies, they shall fail, Whether there be tongues, they shall cease. Whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
Where we know in part, and we prophecy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child. But when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we've seen through a glass darker. But then face to face. Now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abide the faith, hope, charity, history.
But the greatest of these is charity.
We have in verse 9.
That diatrophies love to have the preeminence amongst the president. There's a verse in 2nd Corinthians 11 That says.
Stop.
First Corinthians 11/20.
You suffer from man bringing into *******. If a man devour you, if a man takes of you, a man exult himself.
What a fuss, exalts himself above the others. We suffer. That's what biographies did. He exalted himself and the Assembly suffered. They're all they're all believers.
I compose everything.
But I think on you or the other way around, we all suffer when we speak of truth. Sometimes we speak of truth in an abstract way.
We have an efficient expression.
The truth was in Jesus.
We have in the Second Thessalonians chapter 2.
I guess that's millions of factors, two and the 10 first is an expression there.
Connection with the truth it says that with all the capabilities of unrighteousness in them that perish because they receive not the love of the truth what they might be saved. Some people understand that they didn't they didn't love the truth. I don't think the thought there is that they didn't love the truth because that was the truth presents is love. When you hear the gospel, you hear something that's true, absolutely true. God so loved the world. That's what the truth does. It presents God in his love.
To guilty sinners. And how can that be experienced outside of the person of the Lord Jesus?
And I believe myself that whether the author features problem or difficulties among us, I believe oftentimes we can relate that to the fact that we have separated what we call.
And the person who is truth and the love that comes with the truth is absent. And so we have doctrines and thoughts and understandings of this and that in the mind, but the heart is away from the Lord, and so we would press on things at the expense.
Of the unity and the spirit of going on together in love and glorifying the Lord Jesus. And so it's important for us, I believe when we speak of truth, he says whom I love and the truth we have to run the first verse that was love connected with truth and that's because it comes from the Lord Jesus.
Let's always remember that without a fellowship with the Lord, not enjoying His person, and not filled with the fruit of the Spirit that is the character of Jesus and His sentiment produced in our hearts.
We're gonna cause trouble, aren't we?
Yes, we have earlier in Ephesians force speaking the truth in love mentioned the the truth as it is in Jesus. Do we present it for in a way that the Lord Jesus himself would have presented it? Is there that love of our brethren that we would want to see their blessing in the presentation of the truth? It's not the truth that insults me because I know something that you don't.
00:10:23
Face the truth that desires to sing blessing for another, and to present Christ as I present the truth.
Diatrophy said loved but with a love for himself having second attendance Chapter 3 Baltimore Kennedy those in the last days of the lovers at the moment their own selves. They actually wanted to make a name for himself. They didn't want to give place to others that were in the Lords work that we've seen here and in contrast to guys guys had love for the Lord and he received those in and gave them fellowship and hospitality. You're in the Lord's work. It may seem like a small thing that he was doing, but it really demonstrated his love for Christ and I was I was encouraged by looking into take it back but in verse eight of our chapters.
The word fellow helpers.
It says here we can be a fellow helper by receiving those that are in the Lord's words, by giving them a place to lay their head in. A meal may seem like a simple thing and there may be many in this room that think, I know I'm not gifted as an evangelist, I'm not gifted as a teacher. What can I do for the Lord? Well, the word here that's translated as fellow helpers is found twelve times in the New Testament, once here by the apostle John has used 11 Times by the apostle Paul, and two of those 11 Times Paul's referring to a collection of folks as helpers that he was a part of.
But if you look at the 9 references reviews Speaking of those that have helped him and every once in one of those instances he names those that were his helpers.
We have. We're still in Aquila, Timothy Urbaneous. Aristarchus Markets. Justice Titus.
Apparatus by these American Loop, these people that didn't look for a big place for themselves. They simply were fellow helpers. And yet they were so important, the Lord's work that they've been named and written down in God's word. We may think of no great thing to do to the Lord but hold water, his name, hold off the water. A simple gesture yet further in the work of the Lord. We're fellow helpers in that. So this is an encouragement to others. It's a small thing that you can do, but if it's furthering the work of the Lord, it's a big thing in the eyes of the Lord.
SN.
I was noticing too What Peter?
Has to say concerning an elder in the Assembly, who, I take it, would be one who has a concern for the spiritual welfare of the Assembly.
Which certainly wasn't the case with diatrophies, but in first Peter chapter 5.
If it works here.
That I think.
Would be relevant to what we're thinking about here.
And since in first Peter chapter 5.
And 1St.
Two, feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof not by constraint, but willingly. Not for filthy lucre, But I've already mind. I was thinking of this neither as being.
Lords over God's heritage by being in samples. The flock in sample. I think it would be an example.
And so an elder ought to be an example of Christ. And of course, Lord Jesus, he said I am meek and holy in heart. And certainly that wasn't characteristic of diographies. And he goes on to stay here in first Peter 5 verse four. And when the chief shepherd shall appear, you shall receive a crown of glory that fate is not awake. Likewise the younger submit yourselves unto the elders.
Gay for all of you. Now we're talking here simply about the younger ones, but all the believers. I believe this is the book. All of you. Be subject 1 to another and be clothed with humility. For God resisted the proud and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourself, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.
I believe the Lord can.
You know, lead one into position of perhaps oversight, but it's not something that we should seek to exalt ourselves over one another. That Lord is over God's heritage.
00:15:04
God, you know he appreciates humility.
2006 Nine to those that are of a humble spirit and contrite mind.
Sad to hear that in verse 9.
So on.
Doing exactly what Peter says not to do.
As a Lord over awarding it over the local assembly.
The Seminole local is separately in March, one person or even two or three times to dictate.
What to the assembly? What should be done or not that?
A local assembly is comprised of those who have been gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ by the Spirit of God, and we are to At first they are to be subject to the leading of the Spirit of God and whenever decisions are made and if and as long as.
That so a lot of tractors for Peter Paul.
Or to be subject to each other.
So if there is.
Not one mind.
Between all the brothers and the local assembly.
Then there should be getting down on our knees.
To pray that we would have a word in mind in any matter.
It should not be.
One group of brothers.
Working over the rest of the assembly.
It should be a desire to.
Come to to rock together to one mind, and that can only be done by the Spirit of God going through each one of the same things.
You wouldn't receive what the Apostle John had written.
And so.
He set himself up above what we have in Scripture, because what the Apostle Johns are written would have been on the authority of the Lord, wouldn't it?
And as you were saying, Robert?
Sometimes we look at Scripture and we want some black and white answers. We do this, we do that.
But one thing is very important is things that we do for the Lord is the manner in which we do that and the character displayed of the actors in the action.
So I can preach the gospel, beating somebody over the head with a Bible. I mean, I'm preaching the gospel, but I'm not manifesting the character of Christ. And so it's the same in the assembly. We're all brothers and sisters in the Lord, and if we're subject to him, we're not going to want to take his place like that biography here. We're going to humble ourselves and listen to each other and look for that oneness of mind and spirit that the Lord produces to fellowship with him and one another. And so it'd be something of a natural mind to have scripture to support a position.
But when you say you see the spirit of how that position is held, you might have questions as to that really is the spirit of Christ. And I think we need to have the energy to to address that and grace to help each other out, to not let something like biography to spirit affect the sense. You know, when the Lord was with the disciples, they were arguing among themselves. It was going to be the greatest among them.
And if you remember what our brother James presented to us in the open meeting, in the first meeting, and he presented to us the character of the Lord in his forgiveness.
That would be in our hearts to be in a forgiving spirit. And if we realize as we had this morning, the glory of the Lord and when He had to pay to have you for His own as part of that assembly, that would produce in US a humble spirit, wouldn't it? And we wouldn't want to take His place. Wouldn't we ever ask, I believe, ready for a test that we can all use someone that's getting out of the ministry.
Uh, true ministry will always, uh.
Draw souls closer to Christ and glory, and we'll give glory to God through ministry. We'll always do that.
Paul's ministry will draw souls away from Christ and give glory to men. That's what Demetrius was doing here. So we have that simple test. Someone's drawing souls away from Christ for themselves. We know that's not true ministry, but when someone's speaking and they're seeking to draw souls to Christ and glory, that is good ministry.
00:20:21
So as a simple test, someone speaking.
In this case, the Apostle John appears to anticipate using his Apostolic authority to deal with the, uh, with the diaphragm. And just for reference, perhaps we should read refer to Matthew 16 where we get Apostolic authority, umm.
We've really the latter part of the adverse 19 and it was the Lord speaking to Peter.
Whatsoever they'll show blind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. And so the response the apostles were giving responsibility that the administration of the early church in binding and losing on behalf of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now we notice the similarity between that wording and the Matthew 18, where that responsibility is given to the assembly, the church.
So we find that the apostles use that Apostolic authority. We find Peter uses it in the case of Ananias and Sapphira. Paul uses it in First Corinthians 5, and here John anticipates using it in the case of theatrical. But it does take the question, and I'll kind of raise the question, how do we deal with the diatrophies in these days in our weakness?
There seems to be no spiritual.
Spiritual energy to deal with this area. Can you speak up, John, please?
Deal with this character.
Was she disciplined by the assembly?
We had a similar case like this in Malawi when we first went there. There was a man who kind of set himself up as the Bishop over all the assemblies, and they were getting more and more assemblies and they were called themselves, gathered to the Lord's name and.
The man wanted to have control and power over all these assemblies. But when we came there and we lived there and we started teaching about the priesthood of the believer and how there's not a pastor in the church and there's not a Bishop over everybody and there's not one man who has all this power and control. Then he, this man, he stopped showing up when we're having a meeting. He was my translator and he stopped coming to the meeting. So I have no translator and it became a problem. But the Lord has sent over his own house and.
Things worked out and the Lords for the Lord's honor and glory. This man is no longer wasn't in power, if you might say for for very long before the assembly had to deal with him. But you as you say, brother John. Sometimes the assembly doesn't have the power to deal with that that situation, but the Lord his son over his own house and he has his own means and ways to work things out. If we're patient and waiting and we have in Matthew chapter 18.
Umm, the the authority given to the local assembly for administration. And let's read again verse 1819 and 20. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth, as touching anything that they shall ask, that shall be done for them of my Father, which is in heaven. And then in verse 20 it says, for where two or three are gathered together.
In My name there am I in the midst of them, until verse 20 gives us the authority of the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. His name is there and His authority is there, and He is the one who has the authority to work in the assembly for administration and dealing with such things as binding and losing. That authority does not belong to diatrophies, does not belong to one or two brothers in the assembly who usurped the authority. Those the authority of the Lord is in the midst of the assembly.
And the assembly is is where things are are done there. But as you say, sometimes there's not the the moral character of the spiritual energy to be able to deal with a situation like diotrophies in the assembly. And sometimes it's necessary to give the Lord time to work things out.
00:25:17
First Peter 5, what we heard before and verse 6.
As we speak of, the responsibility that the Lord has could, say, transferred to us.
Because we have this this word in our hands and we have instruction from it. And here's the situation with biographies. And we say we don't have the energy of the power to deal with that. We have for six in first Year 5.
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God.
His hat is never too short and.
And sometimes the things that come in among the things have been growing there for a while.
We've been careless. Uh, we haven't addressed small things. Perhaps that would have been better to address and they just grew and perhaps diopres, he just grew in that opposition to others that he would put himself up. So I believe we need to have that exhortation, humble ourselves before the Lord. What are, what are we doing, brothers?
To divide in the name of the Lord. He died, the rest of you together. How come we were having an argument, raising our voices?
How could that ever happen?
We've been disconnected for a while, so we need to get back to the Lord and humble ourselves under His mighty hand and give him the place ourselves that He deserves of a rust. And then personally and then collectively we realize the need. How important is for us to.
Remember the one who gave himself for us and offered himself up as a sacrifice for our sins and sweet selling Savior to God the Father. And at the same time, what we've just learned now in the last two references mentioned is that we so often forget who is in the midst. There's a good person. Umm, Isaiah chapter 57. Isaiah chapter 57, verse 15.
With us at the high and lucky one that inhabited eternity.
Whose name has told me?
I dwell in the high and Holy place.
With him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the country.
Maybe we should have referring to first Peter 5. Also have read verse 7.
Where it says casting all your care upon him.
40 carats for you and that finishes the sentence in my Bible.
We have tears, but the Lord wants to make our cares his care. And sometimes we are faced with difficulties in our family. Maybe it's at work, sometimes in the assembly that we just don't know exactly what to do. And perhaps we're burdened about situation. Well, how wonderful that the Lord is greater than all of our sins and is greater than all of our cares. And he's able to work things out like my brother finished and.
Experiencing down there in Malawi.
And we I think if each experience in our own lives how that sometimes impossible situations when we roll them off onto the Lord, it comes in in a wonderful way and.
The mounting, you know, it breaks forth in the sea.
And he can work things out in his own way, in his own time.
Cares for you and for me and how he cares for his assembly. It's not.
The Lord's church, and he's head over all things to the church.
And there's no one who cares more about the assembly.
And the Lord Jesus himself.
I'm signed, Trevor. I think that's the other guilty.
I want to be careful how I fitness, but I I think we are guilty sometimes of.
00:30:00
What a person like psychography is.
They have had a gift, we don't know, but putting that person up on a that is still so to speak.
That we they, they really should not be put on.
We cannot enjoy and and profit from a gift that the Lord has given to a brother.
But we shouldn't be guilty of exulting that brother beyond.
What the word is using him, we just look for a moment at a very familiar chapter in in in 20.
We know the story where Paul was speaking to the elders from Ephesus.
He warned them that even.
We've warned them that even from their own cells, with men arise.
Says in verse 32. Acts 20 and 32.
Now, brother and I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up to give you an inheritance on all them that are so tremendous down to the Lord. There's the power to meet that This is available to us to prevent what he has worn them about in 2829 and 30. Now what's the result?
Of that warning.
We can see that in verse 30.
Seven. They all wept through and fell on Paul's neck and kissed him.
Sorry, most of all the words that he faked that they should see his face no more.
They seem to be more concerned about their beloved brother Paul. She certainly was used as the Lord, no question about that. But they seem to be more concerned that they weren't going to see Paul's face anymore.
Uh, how they were concerned about the warning that he had given that earlier?
And I believe that's an example.
And then the results.
Might be the spirit of the in that brother, we are all subject to pride and orders. Whether I'm saying that drive was the last thing to join. We all have a, you know, in our own nature.
Be careful, brethren.
Look up to a brother more than.
Drop it by what the word has given him.
Speaks of opinions in the scriptures, you know, and uh.
Can be of the opinion.
We have our thoughts formed by our understanding from the Scriptures, what we've heard of ministry and perhaps our own life. You know this example that I talked to somebody that.
Where do you go if you want warmer weather and anyway you have to go South?
To our warmer weather, you gotta go north. Where are you from? I'm from the southern hemisphere, from South America. I want to go where it's warmer. I got to go more. Here's absolutely true. Two positions are absolutely true if they're on the equator. You don't have to go anywhere for the work that's already there. And I might be wrong, but I believe the equator is the position on the earth that's always at the same distance from the sun. And so I enjoyed that and in fellowship with the Lord, you know we can.
Consider opinions and enjoy them, but we don't have to divide over them. We can we can appreciate them. We can see somebody thinks like that because he's such a culture in such a country he's had he's had such experiences in his life. And so I go South when I want to get warm weather and he goes N but we still are brothers and sisters in Christ doesn't have to divide us.
If diastrophe had been guilty of moral evil when the instruction had been different, or I guess the assets in another way, is there a difference in how scripture tells us to address?
An Assembly. Moral versus doctrinal evil.
00:35:08
First has a responsibility doesn't do judge evil any evil little Levin Lebanon whole up.
So whether it's doctrinal evil or classical evil or moral evil, church has the responsibility to deal with it.
One is not any better than the other.
Some are harder to discern because her brother is a well versed in Scripture. If you're not, you might be able to justify, argue, persuade. And so if we've been talking together for with a brother for an hour over or over a period of time and we never talk about the Lord, we never enjoyed him, this person, his glory. We're talking about things side issues. Let's be careful brother. The truth is in Jesus. It's about him and then when it's about him that our hearts are set right when it's about things.
It's dangerous.
I was having that thought this morning when we were sitting enjoying remember remembering our Savior and his death and.
And I was considering those verses that we read in Second Chronicles 5 and how the whole congregation, they all praised him, and it was when they all praised and worshipped him that the House of God was filled with his glory.
And it may not be the only key, but I think it is a very important key here in this chapter that we consider that whatsoever we do, we do it for His glory, whether in the assembly or in our lives as believers, which is what we had in that verse in first Timothy 3 and 15, that we know how we ought to behave ourselves in the House of God, but in the assembly as well.
And I think, Mr. Pat, you in your prayer, you mentioned this morning how?
What we, what we give to Him is what he's already given to us. And I thought of these verses in First Chronicles 29.
In verse 10 it says, Wherefore David bless the Lord before all the congregation. And David said, Blessed be thou Lord God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever. Thine, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is dying. Thine is the Kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted his head above all. Both riches and honor come to thee, and thou reign us over all. And in thine hand is power and light. In thine hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee.
And praised thy glorious name. But who am I? What is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? For all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.
I just thought that really put in perspective.
What we should be while we're here in this world, waiting for him to come. And in the assembly, it doesn't say take up thy cross.
And decide that you should do this for me or you should do that for me. It says take up thy cross and follow me.
Gaius is the example of one that knew how he ought to behave himself.
Atrophies is the example of one who did not. So as some of us spoke earlier, just on the side really, that's a picture of obedience, I believe, and the other is a picture of rebellion.
And it made me consider we're talking about a man here, but it can be a woman too. It made me consider.
That if these difficulties are going on amongst us.
In our assemblies.
What? What would it be?
If it's you.
And maybe you were to just take a real clear look at yourself in the mirror.
And ask yourself.
Is this thing that I have such a heart for, such a desire to push, that's causing such an issue in the assembly? Is it for the glory of God?
And so I present to you, if that's the case in your assembly, and if it is, you do that very thing. And if it is not, for the glory of God.
Then stop right away, it says, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in peace. And in Acts chapter one it says. And they all continued.
I can't quote that of one 1/4.
00:40:04
And I believe that that is really the picture that we have here in this chapter.
I I miss Sorry.
In respect to the question asked, and perhaps I'd just like to make a comment, I think in respect of doctrine, we have to be very careful that if we are going to take action against a person, it's a doctrine that directly effects the person, the work, the humanity, the divinity, and on the eternal sonship of Christ.
Michelle.
As mentioned.
The, uh, having an opinion based on where we stand and so and so amongst us. There may be various opinions on various scriptures, but we either not, should not be things that divide us. What divides us is if somebody takes the scripture and perhaps a non conventional view of it and then push it and make causes of division over. When we look at the grand division and the Stewart division back in the year 1880s, it wasn't so much that the doctrine was.
Should I say?
Not conventional. It was it was unconventional doctrine. But in each case one happened here in Montreal where the brother says I'm going to set up a separate meeting and you that agree with me coming.
And meet at this meeting there was a doctrine and made a division over and so we've got to be careful when it comes to doctrine that it's something to affect the person of the Lord Jesus. I know, for instance.
I sat down and remembered the Lord with him a few weeks ago. A brother who thinks the world is 66000 years old.
Who doesn't agree that there's a gap between the 1St and the 2nd verses of Genesis that is the same? Does he know the Lord is a Savior? Does he love the Lord? Can I sit down with you and remember the Lord? Of course I can. I know of another brother that believes the church will go through the tribulation. I'm quite happy to sit down and remember the Lord with him. He's in England and I've remembered the Lord with him and I'm very, very happy. So we have to be careful. I think we told the doctrine of issues with something that directly effects the person, the work, the divinity, and the humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Thinking of the verse there and uh.
Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 31.
Says that all bitterness brought anchor clamor, evil speaking, be put away from you with all mouths.
See that malice is the last thing mentioned, and so these other things came before. Malice mentions bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking, and so on. Malice is really what I understand is it goes beyond what comes before that, and it's the intent to really hurt a brother or a sister in some way. That's malice. It's gone beyond just anger. Bitterness is the intent to hurt a brother or a sister.
Diocracies. That's what he was doing. He wasn't content.
Says he says here that.
He's not content in the 10th verse.
Neither does he himself receive the brother visit them that would be passed by the church. And so it says verse 10. Yeah.
On the next page, OK.
And so they say that he wasn't content.
Just to do what he was doing, he wanted to take it a step further and we know this is serious thing here that the opposite was guilty of.
And Brother Clem mentioned that.
The doctrine is to be protected.
In this case here it's a doctrine of headship, that Christ is our head of the church. He is the one that is to have preeminence in all things over our own lives. When we gather together, the Lord is in the midst. He is to have a preeminence. But here was one that was taken the preeminence instead of giving it to Christ.
He was in a place of the deceiver.
But we know that the enemy Satan is not going to be content until he has a man sitting in the temple.
Pretending to be God himself at the end of the Tribulation period. So.
So we can see where this goes. It's preeminence. It's a serious thing. It's a wicked doctrine. It's around us today. In the world we see it, but here it was in the primitive Church. We might say this wasn't relevant everywhere at this time, but we're reading about apostasy coming in.
00:45:20
And we know that that's around us where men have lifted themselves up and given them a place that is not theirs. They're taking the preeminence of being something they're not. And that was what he was guilty of. And we have to be careful about that, too.
I'm very 9 and 10. You see the first, you get that quite strong and generally we don't like to make reviews public because in a sense it can be.
Well, we can fall into the position of accusing the brother, but it was important that this review was done and those two characteristics and characteristics that it's not the preeminent and that he was not receiving a brethren in this case where very serious things.
I I had a suggestion, if somewhat a burden on my heart, but here that means of an individual person. I'm wondering if it's possible that we spoke of the spirit of geography, but can this even apply through a system of thinking or a group of people? Is it possible that things should be done in in a in a way that there is this idea of preeminence or not receiving the brother.
This is not something abstract, but it's very real to me. Even this morning I received an e-mail.
From a friend who wanted to be with us, uh, but he felt that there was a principle of things that was contrary to scripture and this was directly in relation to reception. It's, it's a very tough thing to work through and we've talked a little bit about under what conditions can we receive, but.
I just wanted to suggest that it was spiritual geography. It's not always an individual. I think it can apply sometimes in the system of thinking. And we need to be very careful to to be before the Lord and to be humbled in in our reception.
Very good question. You know, we have so many scriptures that speak to us about receiving one another.
And this one it was not receiving we had in the second official not to receive such an one. There was motive not to receive. And so we should have receptive parts and be willing to receive, yet not compromising with the principles of scripture. I don't know someone. I think I might be careless if I received if we received someone we didn't know. And so I think that's the principles we we don't know someone, but I I speak of my of myself, what I what I believe if.
Uh, somebody came who was a believer and, uh, didn't have an agenda. He was a member of the body of Christ and he was vouched for by someone have confidence in that knew him. And he said, no, he's, and he's away from home or, you know, pretty big friend with us. But on the ground of the one body, I think it's honoring for the Lord to allow that. And I know it's a difficult thing to, to practice, but you know, it's a lot easier to say no. And so we don't receive, but I, I think we are off what we have in the scripture in the heart of the Lord, if we have that attitude.
Of not receiving, we should have the adjective receiving, but receiving according to divine wisdom and the principles of Scripture. So be disposed to, not disposed not to.
Said that we shouldn't, uh, we shouldn't have an open fellowship or a close fellowship, but we should have a guarded fellowship that is somebody that would want to have fellowship with us. You would think they would want to know something about us, what we're about, what darkness that we hold, what truth we cherish and how we meet and what.
And a lot more. But we would want also to know something about them, what their beliefs are.
And, uh, so on and so a little time should be given somebody that wants to commit to fellowship, give them some time to know about us and we would like to know a little bit about them, what they believe. I believe that's scriptural that we should do that.
Mr. Darby writes a couple of letters on the issue of receiving as a question what what's notable. I think there's probably about 5 or 10 years between those two letters. And in the second letter, he says this confusion come in and we have to be careful. Now, if that happened during Mr. Toby's lifetime, you know, 100 years later, we have to be even more peaceful.
I'd like to point out a version and 1St John 4.
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It, uh, tells us on what basis we're going to receive somebody and there is some teaching that we are not receiving anybody unless it's two or three witnesses. Our, our early brethren did receive just as Brother Michelle spoke that somebody would testify for them and they would be received. I'd like to suggest this verse even goes beyond that. That is this.
We're still here by know ye that oh, I guess we should be first one first love. I believe not every spirit that's there's a guarded testimony, but try the spirit, whether they're of God. How do we do How do we do that because many false and why because many false prophets are going out into the world. That's true. Then it's been pointed out probably worse, no doubt worse now, but now he has instruction how you do it.
Hereby know ye the Spirit of God, every spirit that compresses, that Jesus Christ come into flesh.
The car and it can go on, but that first gives me a party.
If there's no other reason not to, to walk to not the authority of the assembly, authority to receive somebody on their own testimony, they confess that Jesus Christ.
Is is, uh, is common to flesh?
And of God they are making by their own profession.
Their claim to have a place at that table that we partake of. Could I suggest or maybe ask for clarification, that that's why we have verses 11 and 12?
Love it follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. Either do as good as of God. Usually the evidence is there to show that either doeth evil. Have not seen God Demetrius have good report of all.
And of the truth itself. Yeah. And we also bear record, you know, that our record is true.
Is that not an example of testifying?
Might be received.
Which we distinguished rather between someone being allowed to break bread with us on a vacation and someone being received scholarship at the word disabled. We have a distinguishing.
Thought on that.
Look at First Corinthians chapter 10 where the Lord tables mentioned.
I believe we get the.
The reason that we have a guard at fellowship, everyone is expected normal Christianity who want to be at the Lord's table to remember the Lord, but there is a truth of separation in the word of God in doing so.
That is.
We're to be separate from the tables of men. Anything that man is set up that's contrary to the principles of the word of God, we're to separate from it. One of the principles there that we get is.
In verse 18, behold Israel after the flesh, are they not? They would eat of the sacrifices, partakers of the altar. Of course they were. When a sacrifice was offered up under Judaism, the priest had offered it up, had his portion.
Of that sacrifice. And so they were partakers of it.
And so whatever fellowship someone may be in, if it's not a fellowship, where the truth is, is being.
Held, for instance, I'll give one example. The truth of the Lord being.
God holy to not sin. Some fellowship will say, well yes, then you know the Lord Jesus was a man, but he he could have sinned, but he didn't and that's a bad doctrine.
That's a bad doc, and that's a false doctrine.
And so somebody was holding that kind of a doctrine before I broke bread with them. I would wanna know about them.
And so that's why we have a bit of a guarded fellowship. We want to know about those that would ask to break grid with us, what they're in, what they're enjoying to, what they're going on with, and so on. And so we have first Corinthians 10. It gives us instructions that we're not to be associated with ecclesiastical evil, that which is contrary to the doctrine that we have in the Word of God.
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The Apostle Paul's doctrine and all the word of God.
Were to hold it and.
And so we do have a garden fellowship. Nothing wrong with that. And if somebody come in and they wanted to break bread, well, I would ask them, don't you want to know anything about us? You know, when you like to know what truth we hold and all that. I would think it's strange if they wouldn't.
And so in Corinthians 1St Corinthians 10, we have that we should want to.
Honor the Lord in that way to.
Keep separate from those things that would displease and dishonor him. That's really what First Corinthians about. And so it's receiving at the more stable there, but it's a separation from evil to do so.
Not just ecclesiastical evil, but also moral evil and doctrinal evil as well. All three.
I remember some 40 years ago when I first came to the meeting.
I saw back and then, uh, I look at the things that was on comparing with the Scripture and I had a great respect for the brethren for the fact that they did not push me to break brethren.
The honor of the Lord was there and it was important and I respected that. And, uh, I wanted to know also, as you said, brother, what they were teaching.
Uh, but I wasn't stressed by the reverence for the Lord and the respectfully.
I just had visited a couple of Christian group before and they were so happy to see me. They would present me the brand and you know, on the wine as if they would like maybe to make their church to grow bigger. But I really respected the fact that the brethren are in view the honor of the Lord Jesus.
So that waiting time, it took me a couple of months to wait, but I was remembering the Lord anyway, even if I was not breaking with my brother.
I believe that the Lord will believe me there and He confirmed it by when I saw according to the scripture.
Referred to 27.
A garden fellowship, and I'd like to illustrate it in this way. If you've heard the state of it before, you'll have to forgive me, but I feel illustrated like this.
I, I trust earlier Wally. Well, forgive me, I've often been my wife, and I've often at the same time at Wally's house.
And we've always enjoyed being there.
But no matter how long we have stayed there, I.
Cannot start calling it my house or my table that we need out there.
And let us just suppose for a moment that way we are traveling and he knows that I'm going to be we're going to be down there near his place. He said come and use my house, stay in my house while we're away.
And then somebody comes to the door and says, yeah, I know, Wally.
He would. He would want me to be here too.
Should I make a decision myself whether that person should be allowed to come in and enjoy well with house and eat and while we stay? No, I would want to. I would want to check with wallet. Well, you know brother.
We believe, I believe, that the Word has gathered us to His name by His Spirit around at His table.
And why we are at the Lord's table. It belongs to Him, not to us.
We can't make decisions without the Lord's direction and approval.
And I believe whenever there's a question of reception.
We need to go to the water and ask.
And he has the answer. You don't own the table of the Lord, the world. And he is the head that is already has already been said, the head of the body, the church. He's also the head of bookings, local assembly. And he's the one who has the answer.
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And we need to.
First Corinthians chapter 10 because it gives us good outline as to reception because it's talking about the Lord's Table. If you go to 1St Corinthians chapter 10, the beginning of the chapter, it talks about baptism. It's important that the believer is baptized to be identified with the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. If he doesn't want to be baptized, it means he doesn't want to be identified with the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And so if he doesn't want to be identified with him, why does he want to remember the Lord in his death? So the first and foremost thing that we find out about the person that says they are a believer and they want to remember the Lord and his death is, is he been baptized? And maybe the first thing we really want to know if he's saved first, but he's he's professing to be saved. Well, then you go on in the chapter and you see it in verse five that God was not pleased with many of the people. And 1St Corinthians 5 is referring back to Israel. And as we read another, another Scripture.
That Israel. The Scriptures are meant for our learning in the New Testament as they apply.
To the church and here we find that they lusted in verse six Israel lusted after evil things they were at verse seven their idolaters verse eight they were fornicators verse nine they attempted Christ first ten they murmured and and and so on. And so there's these things that if a person is guilty of these things they should not not be included in the remembrance of the Lord at the Lord's table. But then we get down to verse.
16.
And here's the introduction of the Lord's table here. And this is what is required for fellowship at the Lord's table, says verse 16, the cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The first thing that's required is the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ because you cannot be part of the next thing is, is the bread which we break, Is it not the communion of the body of Christ? First is the blood, because without the blood we're not saved. We need to have our sins washed away so we can we can add it to the body of Christ.
That's why at the Lord's table the blood is the cup is mentioned 1St and then then the bread. And so the blood is necessary for our eternal salvation before we're looked at as part of the body of Christ. And then we have the bread, which we break is not the communion of the body of Christ, for we being many are one bread and one body. So are you saved? Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior? Then you're part of the body of Christ, and as the at the Lord's table, the bread represents every member.
Of the body of Christ, and so continue on here, for we are all partakers of that one bread. We all belong in in a picture in that one bread. And so.
From the Scriptures up till now, we find that there must be baptism, there must be a godly life, there must be no immorality, and the person must be saved, there must be the application of the blood. And they're part of the body of Christ. They are, they are. There's a place for them at the Lord's table. And then you go on to verse 18. And I think Brother Enos was kind of mentioning referring to this verse as ecclesiastical evil. Now ecclesiastical evil is a misnomer and it's used for things that we probably should just be calling doctrinal people. But here in verse 18 it says, behold, Israel after the flesh. Are they not? Are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers?
The altar and so when they partake of the sacrifices at an altar that is not what God recommended. They're they're they're identifying themselves with that altar. But what is this altar they're talking about here in verse 18. It goes on to explain perhaps a little more in verse 19. Let's say I then that the idol is anything or that that which is offered and sacrificed to idols is anything. This is talking about a sacrifice that is offered to idols. It's not talking about a believer who remembers or who who is involved in.
Perhaps another church and he's remembering the Lord at that church and he's coming to visit and he wants to remember the Lord in his death with us. He doesn't understand all about these other things, but he loves the Lord. He knows who the Lord Jesus is. He knows the Lord Jesus died for him. He knows he belongs to the body of Christ and he wants to remember the Lord in his death. So when we say ecclesiastical evil, we try, we, we dump a lot of things in there that don't necessarily belong there. But these scriptures are saying that when you are identified with the worship of the devil.
Worship of idols, the worship of the anatomism, you have a lot of spirit worship. And if anything that's connected with that, that has no place at the Lord's table. When we go to Africa and people are putting charms on their children to protect them from the from the demons and from the diseases. Just like a lot of people in America and in Canada, they put on, what do we call those little beads? They're, they're, they're little gold bead beads that they put on them.
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The amber beads, Amber beads, they do the same thing. They're supposed to protect you from disease and sickness and help your teeth.
To be in the baby's teeth to come in. It's the same idea as the charms and you should not be doing that. It's identifying you with the with the the table of demons. And so that should not have any part at the Lords table. And so these these things are very clear in Scripture. We we're not trying to keep people away from the Lord's Table, but we, as mentioned, we need to have a guarded table that we don't allow this the moral and the spiritual, the doctrinal wickedness to come in and we we.
When a person person knows the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.
And they have a godly life. They don't. They're not involved, as was mentioned, with the wicked doctrines about the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then they are permitted to remember the Lord in his death.
It's important to distinguish between.
Evil that would disqualify Thomas remembering the Lord and there perhaps were understanding of doctrine, not understanding something is not as late against the person. I think I have two of my fullest children by the grace of God and taking their place in the Lords Table and I know that at 11 years old my daughter may not have a complete grasp of the ground of the one body not have a grasp of all of those things that we may see as eat truth. If you simply want to remember the Lord your death as a simple Christian.
So with depth of knowledge of doctrine, death of knowledge of truth is a.
Something that's against us in terms of our ability to remember the Lord. I suggest that many of us would not be at the Lord's table. You know, if we went around this room and asked everybody about the Trinity and asked for them to describe the Trinity as I'd be fairly confident we get a large majority that we're describing modalism. Not because they're holding a hair seat because simply a lack of knowledge in the ability to explain things. So I think you need to be careful that we're extinguishing between those that you want to remember the Lord who made seek to be received at the Lord's table and those that are bringing active people in the assembly. Assembly not knowing something or being young in the face and simple. You're understanding it's not a disqualification.
Like I just cringe a little bit, but I think that one of the qualifications is understanding all the fully what the principles that we're gathering on. Maybe I believe that simple in the state and the witness test. I in fact, what brother Hadley referred to her testing experience. One thing that we all had in common if we love the Lord is we recognize him as one that was sinless that died for us. That was the Son of God, God himself.
Was Christians, Christians can understand that and it's the Lord's table and believer that's a place there. Now again there are evil.
More legal doctrine. Legal that can prevent someone or keep someone from being at that table. There's certainly a lack of knowledge about one of those things.
Every matter settled on the witness, two or three witnesses and so if the situation comes up and none of us would have a moral way to take that decision ourselves. We would consult with our brethren. Wouldn't we have whatever the mind of the Saints were in that connection, the DFP like that's how the Lord gives us. You would give spirit in acting in his name, in the right spirit.
What I find encouraging.
This chapter.
This book, I should say, is the fact that in spite of this big problem in the Assembly.
There are no that are as it tells us in verse 11.
They're not following that which is evil, they're not being influenced by this individual and they're not giving in to the evil.
And in fact, it says about Gaius that he was prospering in his soul in spite of this big issue.
That was so contrary to Scripture, the despicable.
Behavior of this man and also Demetrius it says Demetrius had good reports of all men so just because there's a problem in the assembly doesn't mean that we should just throw up our hands in despair and say well what's the use of going on for the Lord because.
It's just so much difficult, you know, these ones, they continue on and that's how we're going to be a help to one another is by following that which is good, ceasing to do evil and doing the good. And it'll be for the Lord's glory and it's going to be the help of our brethren as well.
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Mr. Colville, when he first introduced this chapter, he said that we would love one another in the assembly. And I know in First Corinthians 16 and verse 14 says let all your things be done with charity. And I know that we never got to 1St Corinthians chapter 13, but love is so important and I'm reminded of those ones that built the Tabernacle in Exodus and.
Those ones that their hearts were stirred up within them, and their hearts were made willing, as was mentioned earlier, they came to do that work and they brought more than was necessary. And that's how the Lord would have us in our ascendance to bring more than is necessary to do the work. And at the end of that portion, and after this, Moses looked.
Moses in verse chapter 39 and verse 42, according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work, and Moses did look upon all the work, and behold, they had done it as the Lord had commanded. Even so had they done it, and Moses blessed them.
I believe we will be blessed, very happy in our assemblies.
To help one another in love and in all things.
In John 15 we get.
This is my commandment I'm reading from verse 12. This is client from Almond. You love one another and then the standard is given as I have loved you. Do we love each other as Christ as love is something that's it's challenge to us, isn't it and when we come to.
1St Corinthians 13, of course, the significance is where it is. It's between chapter 12 where the gifts are mentioned and in chapter 14, the orderly use of those gifts in the assembly. What does it mean? It needs to find love, otherwise all ministry. And I say go all ministry. Everybody's got a gift, a cup of cold water and the Lord's name is a gift. But what is it without that divine love? It's it's tinkling bright, it's a sounding brass or simply simple, it's a load of noise and no benefit.
#318.
We still have a lot of young people here and I just wanted to make a comment about Demetrius. It says in that verse about Demetrius that he had a good report of them all.
You know, we spoke about something that's precious in the Lord's sight this afternoon. He said this too, and remembered to me. I don't think there's one of us that we're worthy, but there's one thing that keeps us, and that's the remembrance of the Lord. And we need to remember that when we're receiving one another. It's precious in the sight of the Lord. And Demetrius, I would just like the young people to consider a teenager. He became significant later.
To the point where the Lord could use that teenager to rule as the king of Israel. But if you read in the first in the 17th chapter of First Samuel, you'll see that a young man called David.
When he was told by his father to go and share and encourage his brethren that were their legs were trembling after 40 days of watching delight, it says he behaved wisely.
If you take a look a little later, it says he behaved very wisely in the next chapter when Saul sent him out.
He was just wise in front of all the people. And I think that Demetrius is something that took a challenge of a daily challenge, and he was, he acted wisely when someone wanted a good heart player, someone to play in front of. Saul didn't find someone who's just a good heart play, but they found a man who was prudent in matters and loved the Lord. And young people, if you love the Lord, if you just simply do your simple toss, well then you're like Demetrius and you'll be a wonderful asset in your assembly.
And the Lord will bless you. It's a a wonderful privilege to serve the Lord in your capacity at your very age. And, uh, they'll be a real rich person.
I'll just read 3 verses before we close First Corinthians 1622.
This is the asset test. If any man was not the Lord Jesus Christ. That can be anathema. Maranatha, John 13 verse 34 and 35. A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another, as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if you have loved one to another.
Very good.