Address—R. Rule
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I'd like to read a verse this afternoon from the 18th chapter of Proverbs.
The 18th chapter of Proverbs, the last verse. A man that hath friends must show himself friendly, and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
There is a friend that sticketh closer.
Than a brother.
I received quite a surprise not too long ago.
Someone suggested to me, have you ever read Proverbs 18 verse 24 in the new translation? No, I said I never have. So I looked it up and I received a big surprise. It reads like this. A man of many friends will come to ruin.
And there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Having looked it up, I began to meditate on it a little.
A man of many friends will come to ruin.
But there is a friend that sticketh closer.
Than a brother. Oh, I would just love to spend the time this afternoon.
Speaking of the worthiness and of the beauty of the friend.
That sickest closer than a brother. But there are two thoughts in this verse. The one I believe is intended to be a solemn word of exhortation, and perhaps I may say a warning to those who are young, as well as the glorious statement.
Concerning this friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
But before we go into it, I do feel that I ought to ask you if you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. It's my intention to speak on this verse in the way of warning and in the way also, as the Lord may enable, of presenting the beauty and loveliness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
But this will have no meaning and no message for your heart unless you really know the Lord Jesus Christ.
As your own personal Savior, sometimes we take it for granted that because folks come here to these meetings that they're probably redeemed children of God and know the Lord Jesus as Savior. But I want to ask you individually and in the presence of the Lord Jesus.
Will you just this very moment answer that question deep down?
In your own heart.
Do you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior? Have you confessed him as your Lord and Savior? Perhaps this burden is on my heart pretty often.
But perhaps the reason is because I was much like the boys and girls and young people who attend meetings like this and don't know the Lord Jesus as your Savior.
I'm afraid I must admit that the truth with me was that because I was brought up in a Christian home.
And have this precious book read daily in that home. I thank God for it.
I believe everything that was read from this book. I would have defended this book against anyone on the street or in the school who dared to cast a doubt upon the truth of it. And I could tell those whom I met the way of salvation. And I am afraid.
That I passed as a Christian, perhaps to my own father and mother.
And perhaps to the rest of the folks in the meeting where I grew up as a boy.
But I had never bowed before God.
As a lost Sinner and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my own Savior and confessed Him with my lips to salvation. And I want to ask you this afternoon, is that the way it is with you? My dear boys and girls, my dear young friend gathered here this afternoon. You know these things are true. You have never stood up in the presence of this.
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And said that you didn't believe its truth. You have never turned on your father and mother and told them that it wasn't true. And yet perhaps this very moment, as we're speaking together, you know that in your own heart you have never received the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. I want to tell you very, very plainly that at this very moment.
Your heart.
And mine.
Is either stained with sin in the sight of God?
Or it's whiter than snow, cleansed by the precious blood of Christ.
Are you willing to answer as to which it is with you? Which is it, my dear young friend? Stained with sin? And what does that mean? It means you're lost and on your road to a lost eternity.
Or whiter than snow, cleansed by the precious blood of Christ. And what does that mean? Redeemed and on your road to the glory? Is there any middle ground? Is there any place for a young person here?
Who believes this book to be the word of God? And you like the company of the other young people. And you went to the sing last night and you enjoyed yourself. And yet right now as we're speaking, you know that you cannot lift up your head and say, thank God my sins are gone. Thank God I know the Lord Jesus as my Savior.
Last Lord's Day after the Gospel meeting in Smith Falls.
As a man went out the door, he grasped my hand and went to say something, and then he slipped on out, didn't say a word. So after I went round with Holmes, began to speak with him and he said, is there no middle place? You spoke tonight of those who were lost and guilty, and you spoke of those who were saved and Christians on the way to heaven.
Is there no middle place? I do lots of things I know I shouldn't do, but I'm an honest man.
And if they were not an honest man, I wouldn't want to be here. Is there no middle place for someone who's not quite as bad as those you spoke of and yet not entitled to call himself a Christian on the way to heaven? What about this book? This book tells us of only two classes, my dear friend. And I had to tell that dear man. So I had to tell that dear man.
That if he had not as yet accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior.
Which he admitted to be so that he was in the sight of God, yet lost.
Guilty, condemned and all. My dear young friend, I want to tell you of the loveliness of Christ. I want to exalt the friend, to stick us closer than a brother. But I want you to ask your heart before we do so do I know him as my Savior? You know that little hymn what a friend we have in Jesus all our.
Sins and griefs to bear. That comes first. You'll never know him.
As the wondrous friend that he wants to be. Unless, first of all.
You know him as your Savior. But the first part of this verse, a man of many friends, will come to ruin. I'm sure that truth is fully borne out by the testimony of God's precious word. A man, a young man, a young lady of many friends. You like to have friends, don't you? And so do I.
And those of us who are parents, we like our children to have friends.
Perhaps we like them to have many friends, and perhaps there are times.
When we're a little unfaithful to the word of God because we're afraid it will cost our children.
Some of these friendships which.
Deep down in our hearts.
We somehow value and you, dear young friend, you dear young Christian, who know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.
Are you and I willing to take this book and walk in the light of its pages?
Walk according to its wisdom and instruction, and leave the results with the Lord.
Or are you, and am I going to take this precious word in one hand?
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And put friendship in the other hands and make our decision.
According to what others may think.
I believe we have an illustration of a man who wanted to be a friend of many.
In the book of Nehemiah, we won't spend too long looking at it, but if you'll turn with me, please to the third chapter of Nehemiah.
The third chapter of Nehemiah and the fourth verse.
And next unto them repaired Mary Moth, the son of your ride to the Son of cause.
And next unto them repaired Masholam, the son of Berkeley, the son of Meshes Abele.
And next unto them repaired Zadok, the son of Bayonne. Now the name mentioned in this verse actually is a Hebrew word for friends, the man's very name, man's friend, and I believe he was a man who loved to have many friends.
And I'm afraid from what we read about him that it brought about ruin in his home. If I speak to the exercise of my own heart, for this book is A2 edged sword.
And will you accept a little word from the heart of a father?
To the young parents here this afternoon, parents of young people. Michelin loved to have many friends, and I believe he saw to it that his children had many friends too. He was busy building on the wall. May I just turn aside for a moment to give you an outline of what was here? In the book of Ezra, we find the company of God's dear people that returned to Jerusalem and they're.
The altar and the House of the Lord. We come to the book of Nehemiah, and we find this dear man comes also to Jerusalem with an exercise that a wall be built around the city. Now it's too long a subject to go into, but that wall was something which was a cause of great.
Opposition by those who were without.
They didn't want to see that wall being built, and they used every method possible to discourage Nehemiah and those who labored with him in the building of that wall of separation. And my dear young Christian friend, you're going to find the same thing. My dear parents, you are going to find the same thing if you want to walk for the.
Honor and glory of the Lord Jesus.
If you want to walk according to the truth of this precious book, you are going to find there will be the mockery and the opposition of those who are without, and mind you, some of those who were on the outside where the blood relations of those who were on the inside. But I'm afraid you would buy sometimes find that to be the case.
Sad to say, we sometimes find.
Hindrance.
Opposition from those who are the Lord, those who are fellow believers, but they don't like the wall of separation. Well, Mary Moth was Michelin brother, was one of the builders on this wall. That was a fine thing for him to do. And I love to see you, dear young people.
Gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I love to see you reading your Bible.
I love to see you faithful in attendance at the meetings and Masholem was one of the builders on the wall.
But there was something that dear Michelle neglected. Others also neglected it in this same chapter.
I am afraid he neglected the building of the wall hard by his own home.
The first man who neglected that was Elijah, if the high priest himself. We find it in the first verse.
He also neglected to build a wall in front of his own home.
And Marymoth, mentioned in the fourth verse, came over and actually built it for him.
Well, shall we turn over to the 6th chapter of Nehemiah?
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And we'll find the havoc wrought in the household of this man Michelin, because of his neglect, because I greatly fear of his desire to be a man of many friends.
The 6th of Nehemiah and the 17th verse. Moreover, in those days the nobles of Judas sent many letters unto Tobiah.
So Bayer was one of the worst enemies mentioned by name, who dwelt outside the wall, an enemy of those who wanted to walk in separation. The 18th verse four. There were many in Judah sworn unto him, because he was the son-in-law of Shechemia, the son of Era, and his son Johannan had taken.
The daughter of Mashallah, the son of Berkeley.
For Mashallah, a man of many friends, that's the meaning of his name.
And he neglected, I fear, the building of the wall in front of his own home. He didn't like to say no to his children.
He didn't like his children to lose their friends.
He didn't want his family to be unpopular.
He didn't want them to be scorned and laughed at.
Dear young people, let me tell you this, if your dear praying father and your dear praying mother are trying to bring you up in separation from this world.
If they're trying to walk according to the light and wisdom and truth of this book.
If they have said no to you on occasion when you wanted perhaps to slip out and taste a little of the friendship of this world.
And you didn't like it. You wondered why Father was so strict.
My mother was so narrow. My dear young Christian friend, get down on your knees and thank God for a father like that.
Thank God for a mother like that that has the courage.
To put the word of God in the claims of the Lord Jesus Christ. First in the bringing up of their children. Perhaps there are dear young people here who don't have a home and family like that. I just turn you to the Word of God and to the Lord Jesus Christ. There's light and wisdom for you in this precious book. And if you are true and faithful to the Lord Jesus.
You will find that those who do not want him, those who do not want conversation about Him, will soon shun you as a friend. If I know you to be a friend of those who despise the Lord Jesus, I know you're not thankful to Him. I know you don't speak of Him wherever you go.
Michelle learned his lesson in a sad way.
In the end of the third chapter of Nehemiah, the 30th verse.
After him repaired Hananiah, the son of Shalomiah, and Hanan, the sixth son of Zelap, another piece after him repaired Mashalam the son of Berakaya, over against his chamber. I've underlined those words in my Bible.
Over against his chamber.
Form asylum.
His daughter slipped out where he ought to have built the wall. His daughter slipped out and formed an alliance with the ungodly. And Mashallah learned his lesson too late. He built the wall at the end of a chapter, right in front of his own chamber. I believe the dear man wanted the rest of his days to walk.
According to the truth of separation.
And my dear young Christian friend, I say to you once more.
A man of many friends will come to ruin. The devil will not come along to you and me and take away just as easily as that some of these precious truths that we've been hearing about. Toward the close of the meeting this morning, our dear brother spoke of those truths which were most certainly believed and held among us. And then he said, Will we still hold them a year from now?
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God only knows I was struck with that statement.
Will you, will I value these precious truths one year from now? God only knows. How could the devil ever take away from you and me these things which we know to be true? I believe very often He does it through the outstretched friendly hand of this world.
He maneuvers you or me into a position where we compromise that which we know to be obedience to the truth of God's Word, so that we may not offend our friends, so that we may not be thought unpopular. I've seen it again and again, but I must say I have experienced it right down in here too. So often there's that which the Word of God will put before.
And the response of our heart is, what will others think? What will even my Christian friends think about this? They don't seem to take the same stand as you or I might take. Surely we're wrong in these things. Oh, my dear young Christian friend, let me tell you this. There is a friend that stick us closer than a brother. And if you want a happy pathway.
If you want a pathway that will have the joy of the Lord day by day through the journey.
And approve the approval of the Lord at the end of the journey. Walk according to the light.
And the wisdom of this precious book, we've had it before us in two Peter one where whereby are given unto us all things that pertain unto light and godliness. You've opened this book and you have found in it that which has brought light to your force. In burdened heart. You've learned to know the Lord Jesus as your Savior.
I remember speaking to a young lady, She had only recently accepted the Lord Jesus as her Savior, and she was looking around for Christian fellowship with which she might join herself. And she began to ask me a little about it. And I said, well, now suppose I came to you and said, you know, the way to get to heaven is to try your very best to keep the 10 commandments and.
And go to church at least once a week. What would you say? Oh, she said, Mr. Hagel, I tell you that was all wrong. What I said, Do you think you could tell me the right way to heaven? Why, yes. And she began to quote a number of good ringing gospel verses. Oh, I said, good for you. You have God's word for it, and you can't be shaken from it by the words of men.
Now are you going to close your Bible? You have found God with salvation in it.
You have found the forgiveness of your sins from this book. You have found the home and glory made known to you in this book. Are you going to close it now and look around and seek to find suitable Christian fellowship and association without the light and wisdom of this book?
She hung her head. I said I'm afraid this is what you have done.
You have taken the word of God in one hand, and you are going to put in the other hand.
The opinions of your Christian friends and see which one bears.
The most weight.
Isn't that the way it is so often? We wouldn't dare. We wouldn't dare accept the opinions of men.
When it comes to the salvation of a soul, we know it must be based upon the Word of God.
But when it comes to the wisdom of God for our Christian pathway, it's found in the same book. Do you read this book? Do you read it every day? Do you read it with a prayer that it may be light and wisdom and guidance for your pathway? There was another man in Scripture. We won't take time to turn to it as well known. His name was Pilot, and I'm afraid that he too was.
Who came to ruin because of that little word, friend? You remember when he had the Lord Jesus before him, and he seemed bent upon releasing the Lord Jesus? They cried aloud, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend.
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Caesar's friends, and there before Pilate stood the friend of sinners.
The Creator and sustainer of the ends of the earth, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Or Caesar's friends. Why, it's all very well for us nowadays to point the finger away back in history as pilot and say he ought to have known better.
But Caesar was a man of some influence. Caesar was a man whose name was mighty well known in the land.
And to be a friend of Caesar was really something to be considered and to lose Caesar's friendship was something that wasn't likely done in that day. And Pilate made his choice. And what happened? Why he gained another friend whose friendship that he gained.
The friendship of Herod and that day Pilate and Herod were made friends together. Now he has two friends.
Caesar and Harris, and they are both men of renown. You have heard their names before.
But they were men who were united against the Lord Jesus Christ and Pilate joy in hand with them.
All my dear friend, I say to you, and I feel I need it so very much, a man of many friends will come to ruin. My dear young friend, if you want to be popular in this world, if you want to be popular as a Christian, you're going to lose the approval of the Lord Jesus Christ in your life.
But I don't want to spend too much time on that. That joy of our hearts that you present to you, the friend that take us closer.
Than a brother. Oh, I must not present to you the pathway of obedience to the word of God as though it was something that was going to bring narrowness and disappointment and sorrow into your life. It will bring joy unspeakable into your life, and the approval of the Lord Jesus Christ from the pathway is over. What will this little span of life be like when we look back on it from the.
When we stand with the Lord Jesus in that day.
And our lives are reviewed. Your life is going to be reviewed. Yes, my life is going to be reviewed. And that which went on in the depth of your heart and mind brought the light in order that he may have the joy of approving that which was for himself. Does he know whether the decisions in your life are according to the light and wisdom of this book? And for his honor and glory.
And does he know if deep down there there is that desire to keep the popularity and the friendship that your soul craves, or are you willing to give him first and foremost place in your life? He knows all about the very thoughts of your heart. All. I so much enjoyed what a brother told me just recently visiting.
In Detroit, brother Harold Krause, we were driving along in the car together.
And I quoted Malachi 316.
Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened and heard it, And a book of remembrance was written before him for them that fear the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And he turned to me, to his brother. What does that little word hearken mean?
Well, I said I don't know. I've asked and quoted the verse and I just thought it meant the Lord just wrote down every time he heard us say anything about himself or even thought about him. All but he said the Scripture says the Lord hearkened and heard.
He didn't let this hurricane mean well. I said, I guess it means so. Listen, it isn't that good. The Lord not only hears it, but He's listening for it. All that was precious to me, my dear young Christian friend. All day-to-day the Lord was listening. What was He listening for? He was listening for anything from your heart or from your lips.
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That was.
Of himself the Lord hearkened and heard it.
He listened all day yesterday. He listened all last week. And there was written down in that book everything you said for him and every thought upon himself. And he's hearkening guests and he's going to hearken until he takes you home and he's going to write it down. Oh, what a friend, what a savior. Suppose we just turn over to.
John Solomon.
Song of Solomon chapter 5 and verse 9.
What is thy beloved more than another beloved old thou fairest among women? What is thy beloved more than another beloved without us so charter, my beloved is white and Ruddy, the cheapest among 10,000.
His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy and black as a Raven.
His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of water, washed with milk and fitly set. His cheeks are the better spices as sweet flowers, his lips like lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrh. His hands are as gold rings set with a barrel. His belly is his bright ivory overlaid with sapphires. His legs are pillars of marble set upon sockets of fine gold.
His countenance is as Lebanon excellent as the Cedars.
His mouth is most sweet. Yeah, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved.
And this is my friend, Old Daughters of Jerusalem.
Does that speak to your heart? This is my friend.
Oh what the God, dear young people, that this were the true language.
Of the death of all our hearts, this is my.
Friend, it's quite a choice to make and your life and mind give evidence of what choice has been made. Is it really true or are there just lovely words that sometimes are put to music? Yeah, he is altogether lovely.
He is a chiefest among 10,000. We sing these words in hymns. But my dear friend, are you able to stand up for the Lord and say this?
Is my friend, he's a man of many friends will come to ruin.
If you want the friendship and the popularity of this world, you'll come to ruin. Even as a Christian, you'll come to ruin. Your life will be wasted. Wasted on the friendship and the popularity of this poor world and even some of the Christians in it. I don't say it disparagingly, but I say it with sadness. There are many in this world who know the Lord Jesus Christ.
Is the one who loved and died for sinners.
They're on their way home to the glory, but they want the approval of the world in which they live. And I wanted to, and so do you. We just have to keep that in the place of death. We just have to recognize that that is part of something that God has condemned. And you and I, by God's grace.
Ought to be able to say this afternoon with joy this.
Is my friend. Isn't it remarkable they come to her?
She has been so occupied with the beauty of her beloved that they come to her and say, What is thy beloved more than another beloved? What does she do? Does she hang her head without an answer? She doesn't seem to be able to get the words out, not at all. And sometimes I speak to young folks, perhaps a boy or a girl. Can I say, Do you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior?
And you know, sometimes the answer is quite a while coming and it's a rather feeble yes. You have to bend down a little bit to hear it. They just don't seem to be able to get it out very well.
But they don't want to say no, and so perhaps they say yes. Now if someone has cool over to ask you, do you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior? Would your heart just overflow with the joy of answering? They came to her and said, What is thy beloved more than another beloved? Oh dear young Christian friend, you and I ought to find it the joy of our heart to speak well.
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See the surprise we ought to be able to tell of the wonders of His love toward us, of that which He has done. Sometimes I think of Mephibosheth having dwelt so long in the barren place called Lodi Bar. I don't think he liked it very well down there, but I believe he lived there for fear of David. He thought surely the day would come when David would find out where he lived, and that.
Be an end to his liberty, and possibly even his life. And the day did come. David found out where Mephibosheth lived. David brought him up into his presence. And David began to make known to Mephibosheth the purposes of love that were in his heart, that kindness that was in his heart toward that poor, frightened, lame man.
And I sometimes gone over the story like this.
I said to myself, Suppose after all the kindness that David has shown to Mephibosheth?
He has made him heir of all false possessions. He has given him the warm invitation four times, repeated to sit down at the King's table, and he spread their continually. He has given him 36 servants to take care of him, and made known the love of his heart toward him now.
Suppose you meet Mephibosheth on the streets of Jerusalem a couple of days later.
And you're surprised you say Mephibosheth? What are you doing in Jerusalem? Last I heard of you, you were dialing Lodi Bar. Aren't you afraid King David might find you? Have you met him yet? Would he just bow his head timidly and say yes, you've met David? And what did he say to you? Well.
He told me it was all right to stay in Jerusalem. Do you think that's the way he'd talk? Oh, no. My friend Mephibosheth would say, David, you just wait here half an hour, a mile, begin to tell you what I think of David. And he'd tell of David exceeding kindness and his rich provisions. And when they come to this ravish heart and say, What is thy beloved more than another beloved? It speaks to me.
Has anyone ever come to you and noticed that you were a Christian?
Do you talk like one? Do you act like one? Do you dress like one?
That last remark, especially for the dear sisters, for it is a day, my dear young Christian sisters, in which you can even dress to please the Lord. I don't think there ever was a day when it's more especially your privilege to act and speak and dress for the glory of the Lord Jesus.
There again, perhaps.
The question of whose friend you want to be comes into the picture.
Oh, May God grant that the beauty and loveliness and claims of our Lord Jesus Christ, the friend, the sickest, closer than a brother, may be more real in each of our lives for his glory. She begins by saying he is the chiefest among him. Thousands. Isn't that lovely? She places him right at the top of the list.
But I don't believe that was quite enough.
Jesus among 10,000, He is at the top of the whole list. But as she goes on with the description of his beauty that had won her heart, she ends by saying yeah, he is altogether lovely. The 10,000 is completely forgotten. He's not at the top of the list now there is no list. He's just all together lovely. And you, dear young.
I stand here and say before you feebly as I may be able to do so, of this testimony is true.
Yeah, he is.
Altogether lovely, I've heard it said over and over again.
From the lips of those who have grown old in the service of our Lord Jesus, and some of them have gone home, that it's a happy pathway to walk in the company of the Lord Jesus Christ. I've heard it said, and so have you, that you will never find anyone in all your experience that walks the journey in the company of the Lord Jesus Christ and regretted the experience at the end of the pathway.
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Never find that I look around among you, dear young people. Some of you I know and some of you I don't. But I know this, that the happiest ones among you.
Those that are walking with the Lord Jesus Christ, not all Christians are happy. You're entitled to be. You're entitled to be. There is that in the person of Christ that will fill your heart with joy and happiness. And I love the language that's expressed here. Yeah, he is all together lovely. This is my beloved and this is my friend, dear young Christian.
Known among your acquaintances that this is your friend. The psalmist says, I am an acquaintance of all them that love thee. I am a friend of all them that love thee, and of them that keep thy precept. Do you seek out as your friends those who love the Lord Jesus, those who want to speak of the Lord Jesus and want to walk according to the light and wisdom?
Precious book that he has given.
As I listened to the conversation between the meetings, I do find that it rejoices my heart, that which is of Christ.
And I just pass this on to you, dear young people, that your enjoyment of the Lord Jesus is going to have its effect upon others. Look at the first verse of the next chapter. I think we always ought to read these two chapters together, whether inviting love of God or thou fairest among women.
Whether is thy beloved turned aside, that we may seek him with thee? Isn't that precious? Her heart was so fully occupied with the loveliness and the beauty of Christ, that the language of those to whom she makes this wondrous description is Whether is thy beloved God that we.
May seek him with thee. We ought to have our eyes upon the Lord Jesus.
We ought to be looking off unto Jesus, the author and finisher of faith. But you know we are influenced. We are affected by those around us. Are you influencing? Are you affecting other young Christians in a way that will encourage them to walk in the joy of the Lord and in the fear of the Lord? Is that your testimony among the young Christians present here?
At these meetings, is that your testimony in the assembly of which you form a part, dear young believers?
Are you one of the young people in the Des Moines Assembly? Is your presence in that assembly an encouragement to the others?
To have their eyes fixed upon the friend, the thickest, closer than a brother.
That little assembly from which you come and from which I come.
Is your testimony, is my testimony that which would encourage anyone else to follow the Lord Jesus, to be taken up with His loveliness and His beauty to His honor and glory and to the blessing of those around you? You are having an effect in the assembly where you are. Your presence is having an effect.
Either for blessings or otherwise.
Upon the other dear young people, I say it with certainty concerning the days of my own youth in the Assembly of Ottawa.
That one of the most powerful influences in my life as a young boy there was the testimony of those who were fellow young people with me. Most of them were at that time a bit older than I was.
And I thank God to this day.
For the memory.
Of those whom I believe were occupied with the Lord Jesus and walking with Him. Now, in spite of all the ministry that we hear in these meetings, in spite of the truths that are being brought out in these meetings by those who have been reading their Bibles for many years, I believe, dear young people, that you and I need to be grounded in these.
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Truth, but I say this to the depth of your heart, from the depth of mind. We do need the 1St and loveliness of Christ ministered to our heart, that you and I might be more taken up with the beauty of the friend that stickers closer than a brother. Just let me turn in clothing to a verse in John.
The 15th chapter of John.
And the 15th verse henceforth I call you not servants.
For the servant knows not what is Lord doeth. But I have called you.
Friends for all things that I have heard of my father.
I have made known unto you even this exceedingly sweet.
The Lord Jesus looking at you and looking at me and saying I have called you friends. He speaks of Abraham in the book of Isaiah. I believe. Abraham, my friend, isn't that wonderful? Does the Lord Jesus actually look at you this afternoon and find it his joy?
To call you his friend, that's the joy to the heart of the Lord Jesus. And how has He made known to us?
This which we find I have called you friends for all things that I have heard of my father.
I have made known unto you. Sometimes you know when real bosom friend get together.
How they can talk, why they just unburden their hearts to one another and they tell one another things that they just wouldn't tell to anyone else simply because there's a real bomb there. You know that friend, It's a trusted friend. And why do you just open your heart and tell your friend all these things? Because he is your friend. Because she is your friend. And when I read this precious book.
And find that which God has told me.
And then I realized why he has told me. My heart is bowed in worship.
Sometimes I look at it this way. Suppose I came home from the office.
I stopped at the grocery store and I bought a few things. I set them on the kitchen table and then I went in and greeted my wife.
And.
Sat down and I began to tell her about the various people I hadn't met at the office through the day.
Some of the problems I had encountered, possibly some of the plans as to what I might think of doing in the future in connection with my work. And after listening with not much interest for five or 10 minutes, she interrupts me and says, by the way, did you bring home the groceries? Well, yes, I did. They're on the kitchen table. Well, that's all that interests me. As long as you provide a home and the food for the table, I'm really not concerned about.
The office, who you meet, your problems there, or what you intend to do. As long as you bring home the groceries and keep the house free of debt, that's what really interests me. Wouldn't I be disappointed?
I thank God that that's not the way our marriage relationship exists, far from it through the Lord's goodness. But you know, I'm afraid sometimes we're very guilty of that attitude with the Lord. I have called you friends. And what has He done? All things that I have received of my Father I have made known unto you. May I ask you this, Why did the Lord Jesus tell me?
All about that which he intends to do after he's taken me home to the glory. Why didn't he close the book there, as far as I was concerned?
Should I interest myself in connection with that which concerns?
The Lord glory His future purposes in connection with this earth and his beloved chosen people on the earth. Or when the dear brethren begin to unfold those things, do I shrug my shoulders and say that's too deep for me? As long as I know my sins are forgiven and I'm on my way to heaven, that's enough for me. I never can follow them when they begin to talk about the remnant and.
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Israel and their future blessing and so on. Don't we talk that way sometimes, dear young Christian friends?
He's chosen you not only to be numbered among his redeemed ones, but he's chosen you as his friend. And when he begins to tell you all that's in his heart, surely if that friendship, that relationship, that nearness is what it ought to be, your heart and mind will delight to take in, as best as we're able, all that concerns the interests of the.
Friends that stick us closer.
Then a brother.