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Feed the Church of God, which he has purchased with his own blood. They are made overseers of it now. Morally there are overseers today. Perhaps they were bishops officially appointed then, but it is a moral office that is gained now through affection for the Lord and behavior to him I mean submission to his guidance to.
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Do what he tells you, because each of us have our service from the Lord.
And pastors is a very large field.
Sadly, the work isn't as largely taken out. The doors are so wide open in your own home to shepherd and care for your children, and in all your associations, in the assembly and in special work the Lord lays it on your heart to do.
To feed the Church of God, we have recently been in Australia and New Zealand.
There are 17 million people in Australia and 10 times that many sheep. 170 million sheep in Australia and they say it's 23 to one is the ratio from people to sheep in New Zealand. New Zealand is a very rich and productive.
Country and Australia has lots of desert, but that's a lot of sheep and they know how to care for them there and you watch them.
They will take the lambs and put them in a special corral, and the six month old sheep and the earrings, and they might put the heels in one group on the Rams, and another at times, and they might leave the whole clock out on the range to pasture together. Now they have this same liberty as shepherds as teachers.
We don't have to have the assembly together and do everything in the assembly as such.
No, we have not the assembly over us to tell us what to do either. We have the Lord, and let's be careful to recognize the gifts. We are exhorted to know them, which labor among you and esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. So if we have enough pastors in our assembly, let's support them.
If we have evangelists, let's support them. If we have teachers, let's support them and not hinder them, like the disciples did when they thought the Lord was too busy when the mothers brought their children to him. And he rebuked those disciples and says, let the little ones come unto me and forbid them not, so that he carried out that too with a special group to.
Lay his hands on those children and bless them down in the chapter, we're told, the overseer told Support the weight who is weak in your assembly, more weak than a baby.
The mother cares for that baby, she feeds it. And they're not strong until they get a year old or maybe 10 years old.
And who is weak but a young person?
Who hasn't learned all what the passions are developing in his body, her body?
How to control them? These dear young people need special shepherding care. Thank God for those who are doing it in our assemblies. This is the instruction Paul gave to the overseers at Ephesus, and it's very timely that we get into that now. The Holy Ghost has made you overseers. The the overseers in the assembly are those who morally take up that position.
And it's a very lovely position to take up very responsible and much privilege in it. So this is passed on down to us by Paul. Now let's look and see what Peter says in First Peter 5.
Peter was the special apostle to the circumcision and Paul to the Gentiles, but their ministry didn't not conflict.
In the first Epistle of Peter chapter 5 it begins The Elders, which are among you I exhort.
Now in elder is perhaps a similar.
Title to overseer or Bishop. Peter doesn't take the office of an apostle here.
He does say something about servant, I believe.
It does in one of these in the next epistle he does in second epistle, and the first word, Simon Peter, a servant of Jesus Christ. But he says here the elders, which are among you I exhort, who also am also an elder, but a very special one, and the witness of the sufferings of Christ. Now Peter never forgot what he saw in this epistle. In each chapter he mentions the sufferings of Christ.
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Then in next epistle he talks about the glory, the sufferings of Christ, and the glories which should follow is the order. We are to learn of the sufferings of Christ now and to share in them, and the glory is going to come. But it goes on here also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed. He had been on the Holy Mount. He didn't tell about that in the first epistle. He tells about it in the second epistle, although he does say a partaker of the glory, So perhaps he does now what does he say?
To these elders.
Feed the flock of God, which is among you, taking the oversight. Now that's an overseer. So you see, the elders were overseers.
To watch over, not by constraint.
But willingly, just like we're supposed to give to and we're going to come to giving in our chapter, not by constraint, but out of a heart that is has love for young people, love for children, love for old people, visit the old folks home. We when we get over a special class of people that need a special shepherding care too.
Not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind. Don't do it for money. The shepherd is going to find out that the greatest part of his reward is in the next World.
I'll tell you about the parable of the.
The uh.
The man who went down from Jericho and I took position and Jericho and fell among thieves and that the.
Priest and the Levite walked by.
And but the certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, a figure of Jesus would come from earth down here looking for this sheep.
And.
He was called a Samaritan in John 8 by the Jews who said said we not Weld our a Samaritan has the devil. Jesus only said I have not a devil. He didn't say he wasn't a Samaritan. He didn't answer that. That leaves liberty to apply that Jesus was that certain Samaritan, although we don't need that when he came and he found this man who fell among thieves.
And he bound up his wound, that salvation tear he poured in the oil and wine. That's the joy of the Spirit.
And laid him on his own horse.
His own mouth and took him to the end when he put him on his own mount as a typical of a Sinner who's lifted up into the heavenly position that the Lord came from. And that's what we've been talking about. You and I are not just saved out of the gutter. We're given the position the Lord occupied before he came down to get us. That's the figure. But he takes him to the end and he says to the host.
Now you take care of it. The end is the assembly and bring these ones to the end. Bring them to the assembly.
When they're saved, bring them in and they're cared for there and then, as he.
Was leaving, he said. He took out two pants and he paid him.
Now that's the shepherd getting a little bit of his reward down here. But then he said another thing. Whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. The shepherds, the pastors, are going to have to wait for a large part of the reward till they get to the glory, because it's an unseen work to a great extent, quietly going about. We know some of it, though, and let's support.
The work. And then it goes on here in this next verse, neither as being Lords over God's heritage.
But being in samples of the flock, then we get the chief Shepherd. That's Jesus again when the chief Shepherd.
Shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. You see, here is where the shepherds get their great reward. Oh, it's going to be tremendous. So let's seek to know the pastors, and support them as they labor amongst us.
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Both places, both Paul and Peter exhort them to feed the flock of God. It's a precious thing because it's the word of God is is what's needed. And it needed to be ministered. As a shepherd wood minister, it would feed them tenderly and carefully as a shepherd would watch out for their own sheep. They know their sheep. These are under shepherds. Really, the overseers are under shepherds.
And it says in verse 28 of our chapter over which but it means among which the Holy Ghost has made you overseers to feed the church. You know, it's lovely that although these were appointed and by apostles or Apostolic power, the Holy Ghost can do that. Now he carries on that work. And as they go around it's lovely to see. I know all of you realize that there there are these under shepherds or overseers.
Or those with the Father's heart, which is so precious, who have naturally the care of the Saints in their heart. Or how we must pray for them and cherish them too. They may not necessarily have a gift to the Church that's a little different, but they may be apartment to teach. They may be teachers. They may have a gift too, but they're there. And I think it's precious when you see them, because that's what's so important.
Who have that concern when the Lord restored Peter in John 21?
Feed my sheep, that's the important thing. Feed my lambs, that's the important thing. Shepherd my sheep, that's the important thing. Isn't that lovely? And that's what we have in here. Now, our brother in his address referred to the Song of Songs and I want to just mention one thing there because it brings this in so nice.
Because.
When an evangelist work is done and a soul is saved, they're a babe in Christ. And then it's really the work of the pastor, the teacher from then on, and the shepherd, the one that will take that care and and nurture them on into the truth. For the whole gospel is God would have all to be saved and come into the knowledge of the truth. So in the Song of Songs, which is Solomon's Chapter one, and our brother said you can apply this.
I believe it can be applied three ways, primarily the earthly pride and of course the bridegroom in that sense. But next, the heavenly bride it could be applied, but not every verse. And the bridegroom the Lord our our Lord and Savior.
But thirdly, it could be applied for individual believers, and I believe here.
In my first chapter we have one as a babe. And notice in verse some 7 Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou fetus, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon, why should I be as one that turneth aside? Or I mean, believe it means there's one roving, not knowing where to be sent. And you know, when one is saved, a babe in Christ.
They naturally want more. First it's a sincere milk, the pure mental milk of the word of God. But then they grow and they want more. Now that's where these overseers under shepherds come in. Notice in verse 8. If thou know not, You see, this is a bait. Didn't know anything.
Except they wanted to know more. That's the way it is, isn't it? When you're saved, you don't know much. You want to know more. I didn't know anything about the assemblies. She didn't know anything about the gardens. She didn't even know anything about the lilies where they're a flock around himself. She didn't know anything like that. So he says. All thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock. Stay with those that belong to the Lord.
Say with those that love the shepherd's voice in that lovely and feed thy kids beside the shepherd's ****. Now there they are. Those are the ones, the overseers of the flock, now in the assemblies, of course, then in the gardens, and we could go on. As she grows, she later learns that there are many lilies where he delights to be. And then she learns, not only are there lilies, there's a garden of lilies.
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Where he delights to be. Then she learns There's gardens of lilies, many of them. Where he delights to be. Isn't that lovely? She grows. And he, our brother Tony brought out that beautiful growth in those three verses. But now in our verse we have something that we have today, just like that. And when one is saved, isn't it wonderful when we can bring them in and let them taste them? A reading meeting and let those overseers, those dear under shepherds.
The ones that can really pastor them along and shepherd them along take hold. I'm not saying they're identified. I'm not saying they have a sign on them. I'm an elder, an overseer. I'm a, you know, we don't do that. They'd be the least to say they are. But brethren, we know who they are and let's pray for them. That's the point. The Spirit of God raises them up and thank God for them in every assembly.
They fed. What is the food that is presented?
In the children of Israel's case of the left Egypt, they got hungry and God reigned on them bread from heaven, and it says that it was on the dew.
Do the manner was on the do. It didn't lay on the ground. It lay on the dew. It's Christ, isn't it? Christ is the manna. And they it says that it followed them and also speaks of the water that followed them, and that's Christ. What are we being fed? Are we being fed Christ? Is that what we're feeding on? Is that what the Saints of God are feeding on? Is that what's being ministered to each and every one of the children of God? Christ. If it isn't, that's the wrong food.
Right. And here it's to the church, Feed the church. And in Peter it's feed the flock. A little closer association I would take it, but it's the same food. Christ.
Nothing but Christ is on. We tread nothing but Christ.
Bread of God, how precious if we feed on Christ.
Possibly in the book of Ruth.
Chapter 2 and verse 14 and boys said unto her.
At meal time, come thou hit her, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar.
And she sat beside the reapers and he reached her parts corn, and she did eat and was sufficed and left. Now I like to think of those reapers possibly as the overseers. She sat beside them, all the boys that reached her, the parts cord. It was boys of fed Ruth, and it's our blessed Lord and Savior that feeds us.
And of himself the parts corn, I believe, could speak to us of a risen Christ in glory, the old corn of the land, Christ in glory, And the one that spoke of Christ was the one that fed Ruth.
As it's has been brought out here since, we have personal righteousness of a vital qualification for spiritual usefulness. It's divine order, yourself and then the flock. But it's interesting. I was thinking of this expression, the flock. Judaism was a full without a center. Christianity is a center without a circumference. And so you have here the thought that there is no full built around.
The flock. And so it's vital that we keep near the shepherd, and that the under shepherds are faithful in what they have to do.
Bring to us and that little verse. Take heed therefore unto yourselves.
We can get tripped up, brethren, Take heed therefore unto yourselves.
And if we're tripped up, what are the?
Younger ones going to do.
To heed yourselves and to the flock.
There's something here, maybe 2.
Some of this thing, we know, goes on.
Outside the, we might say the walls of the meeting room. But I believe there's something that's important to for those who are not elders. And that is that if we're not at the meetings where the shepherds are feeding the flock, we might not get fed. And so if the only meeting that we come to is the breaking of bread, we're not going to be there where those elders are feeding the flock of God. And so I believe we see in this verse that importance of being.
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Where the flock is being fed.
And seven and we have an exhortation to remember them, which have the rule over you are really your guides or the overseers.
Who have spoken unto you the word of God, whose faith follow, and then the end of the chapter it says, Obey them which have the rule.
Or are your guides submit yourselves, for they watch for your souls as they that must give an account.
That they may do with joy. While our chapter it says take heed, we could leave out the middle part of the verse because it's really a parenthesis. Take heat to your therefore unto yourselves.
To feed the Church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
So there is a responsibility placed upon these elders that they would feed the church.
And then on the other side, in Hebrews we have the exhortation to the Saints to remember to pray for the elders, those who are their guides or shepherds, and obeying. Why? Because they are those that watch for your souls. So there is that aspect on both sides of being able to.
Find the We should all recognize those who are.
Whose Whose heart is in feeding the flock amongst us.
And I think that it's well put that we should be at the reading meeting, at the assembly meetings that we might be fed, because it's true that the the shepherd might go seeking a wandering sheep, but there's plenty of food in the assembly.
Chapter 3. I've enjoyed the first verse. The way it reads that, Speaking of these same ones who take the oversight says this is a true saying. If a man desire the office of a Bishop, he desires the good work.
Paul and Timothy doesn't exactly delegate authority to Timothy to appoint elders as he did to Titus in Titus chapter One. But he simply says here that if someone desires that office, he desires a good work and may look down at that list. And it's quite a comprehensive list and perhaps not many people can can fulfill all the requisites that are there.
That I think what Scripture recognizes is a desire to do that work. If it is that there is a desire there, let that person know it's a good work that he desires. I think it's a nice way that it puts it. And there's another thought in the 5th chapter of Timothy that to me is kind of impressed me and first Timothy 5 and verse.
17 The elders let the elders that rule well.
Be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the Word and doctrine. For the Scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn, and the labor is worthy of his reward. Evidently there was quite a large assembly, and Ephesus, and there must have been those who dedicated their full time to laboring in the flock in the local sense in Ephesus.
Because an elder was a local office, we use that word, but it was so that they dedicated their full time to the work of shepherding in the local area. So much so that they were exhorted to help those as they might help someone who traveled from place to place. So I think it's interesting and it would be of tremendous help if there were those who felt that burden to labor.
Even in the local area, full time for the good of the flock.
A similar verse along that line, brother in First Thessalonians chapter 5. It's rather nice to see it come in there too. In verse 11, he's speaking about building one another up, edifying one another even as also you do. Well, that's very important that we all have that same concern, one for another in the assembly.
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But then in verse 12 of chapter 5, and we beseech you brethren, to know them.
Which labor among you and are over you in the Lord and Imani ended money, shoes, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work sake, and be at peace among yourselves. So there are those particularly who are the overseers.
The ones in the assembly that seemed to have the greatest care and concern, although all ought to, and then it says that we should esteem them very highly in love.
To that verse in Hebrews 1317 and our brother Esselop referred to.
1.
Feels at times. There's a tendency well throughout the world, very definitely for the young people.
To go their own way, do their own thing.
And sometimes this can pervade the assembly too.
And so just notice the end of that verse. We'll read it all. Obey them that have the rule over you.
And submit yourselves, for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy and not with grief, for that is unprofitable for you.
All dear young people, we love you and we want to see you go on in the truth.
And we want to see the truth maintained, but if it's departed from, that is unprofitable for you.
You will lose out in your own soul.
Only is five. But it seems that we must have the right relationship with our leaders. Leadership is not dictatorship. It is setting the example, encouraging others, leading the way. I believe that it is encouraging others in the path of faith. It's simply that and.
I suppose it's leaders do not demand.
Respect, but their lives would commend it that they receive it.
Five we see a wonderful relationship brought before us between the elder and the younger and beloved. It is so important that there is a proper balance there. There should not be anything like a generation gap in the assembly. And so here we find that the elders are exotic on their part to feed the flock of God. First Peter 5 And verse two, to feed the flock of God which is among them, taking the oversight thereof. Not bikinis train, but willingly not the filthy Luca, but have already mind. And then it says in various 5 likewise he younger submit yourself unto the elder, and then it goes on to say, yeah, all of you be subject 1 to another.
And be closed with humility. For God resisted the proud, and give His grace to the humble that presents before us the proper atmosphere that should prevail in the assembly between those that are in position of being the elder, relatively speaking, at least if not officially, and then the younger ones.
And if there's a happy relationship, then there is growth, there's blessing. There will be food in the assembly, the older exercising their precious privilege of feeding and leading along, the younger ones, and the younger being glad to be led along and to benefit by the ministry of their older brethren, by their efforts in shepherding and thus growing his growth and blessing. That way, if we, if we see the various groups that are presented before us here, the elder and the younger, going on in their proper harmony.
That scripture presents to us here.
The churches, the assembly is to Christ, which he has purchased with his old blood.
There's the love that he has for each one of us, for his body, the church which he has purchased with his own blood, how much we have cost him.
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Church. The Church of God. But the expression I believe would well read, which he has purchased with the blood of his own or his own one. I believe it's his son and it's lovely. You know the Lord did give himself, but it's just as true. God sent him and provided him for us. I like the way it's worded in Ephesians 5. I'll just read it. Don't have to turn to it. Second verse.
Christ have loved us and given himself for us an offering and sweet smelling.
Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling Saber. So this brings both in there. It's God who spared not his own son. It was with the blood of his own. And yet it's just as true his son came to do his father's will. It's a beautiful thing, but that cost brings in the love of both of them and that's how much the church is valued by our Father. It's really God's gift of love to his Son.
Each one of us included in that.
Many of us really understand the depth of that when we consider the portion that is given to us of the Lord as the merchant.
That was seeking goodly pearls.
Well, that's you and me. We're the Goodly Pearl, and it says he went and sold all that he had.
We'll never Plumb the depth of what he sold. All that he had, he gave himself, he gave himself. And in the same chapter that you were reading there in the Ephesians, the 25th verse, it says Christ also loved the church and gave himself, gave himself, couldn't give more.
Said earlier, in regards to what is it that we are fed? That is, what is it that the shepherd feeds and what is it that is exhorted by the apostle? Is regards the feeding of the sheep and the feeding of the lambs? Could we look at John 6?
And.
In what we have in John Six, I would I'd like to hear for myself at least some thoughts as regards this, that the Lord Jesus himself brings before us as to himself being the bread of life.
Particularly the verses that.
Perhaps would apply to what to this thought of being fed?
And what we are being fed, Brother Dave mentioned, Christ being that which we are fed by the shepherds in verse. In verse 54 of that chapter the Lord Jesus says, whoso Edith my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day. I understand that's appropriating Christ in regards in connection with our salvation.
But then in verse.
56 and 57 perhaps?
We have another application of this. The Lord goes on to say He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood.
Dwelleth in me, and I in him.
And then it kind of gives a broader scope of that verse. 57 As the living Father has sent me, and I live by the Father, so he that eateth me, or in in in application to our thought here he that feeds upon me, even he shall live by me. For the thought, I suppose, is that he will continue on.
In his Christian experience, as he feeds upon me, I'd like it would be nice to hear a thought perhaps in that connection in this this portion.
I think it's very nice to look at this.
As Christ indeed, as he says in verse 51 I am. That's the title. The living bread which came down from heaven. This is Christ on earth. This pathway, humbled here below the Philippines 2 Corresponds to that.
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The manner traced as the man on earth humble here below.
Repeat upon that. But we also feed upon Christ in glory, and that's the goal before us in Philippians 3 That's the old corner of the land. In one sense we're in the desert in the light in which of what we have had as being in the heavenlies. There we are feeding upon the old corn of the land. The one who was with the Father came down and went back up. So the whole of it is is.
Christ the bread, the bread of life, to.
Be brought into a given life and defeat upon to sustain that life. Maybe that's the two things you're thinking about, but I believe that is the truth about it. We appropriate Christ to us by eating of him in the gospel and believing in him, and we get that life, but that same life must be sustained by Christ himself. The figure comes out in first Peter One and two.
Just to find the same outline.
In First Peter One at the end we have being born again, not a corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. Now that's new birth that gets that life by feeding upon the word of God who is Christ, and believing it. But then we're babes in the next chapter.
And it's begins wherefore laying aside old malice and old island hypocrisy.
And envy envies an evil, speaking as newborn babes.
Desire the sincere milk of the word, that he may grow thereby so being tasted, that the Lord is gracious, to whom coming as unto a living stone disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, is precious. The life that we get through appropriating Christ as the bread come down from heaven to be our Savior, believing that is sustained by that same one who was humbled here below, And now who is known as the babe grows and enjoys the old corner of the land that.
Christ is the eternal Son, and he's gone back there.
And he's going to bring us there. So we are to desire that milk of the word that we may.
Grow thereby. So the food for the believer is Christ, whether it be the food of the desert, Christ humbled, or whether be the Christ of glory, that old corner of the land. We need both foods, and we have them.
In verse in Hosea 13 it says according to their pastures. So were they filled? In other words, what they were feeding on would be what they were. I understand the beautiful Flamingo, the bird. It changes the color according to what it feeds on.
I always think of my aunt who a few years ago was going to get super healthy by drinking nothing but carrot juice. Well, after a few days of this, she began to turn as you would expect, orange. Her ears, her nose, her cheeks became orange. But just as just thinking about how vital it is that what is evident what we're feeding on, you wouldn't have to come to, I believe, if we're feeding on Christ.
And inquire what you're what your menu was. It would be evident by your love, by your patience, by your gentleness, by your faithfulness. And so, as we feed on Christ, His attributes are are manifested in our lives.
Very pertinent comment. And as our brother this afternoon was speaking, he was exhorting us that if we had Christ within our heart there was going to be a walk that would correspond to us. Amen.
We don't need precepts. They are there, and God uses them, therefore touchstones. But if we want to walk a path for Christ, we must feed on Christ. And as you say, the Flamingo, if he doesn't eat shrimp, he's not going to be bright red. And if we don't feed on Christ, we're not going to demonstrate anything of Christ. Amen.
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Blessed truth that was brought out by the Lord in this 6th chapter that was referred to, it said, This is a hard saying, who can hear it? This is probably some of the deepest truths the Lord brought out when he was here. But when we have that portion in verse 53, except to eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. You're dead in your sins, you know. And I believe it's the life giving work of Christ.
Son of man, it is Speaking of his work here and the cross, and that's the source of it all.
The next verse brings in appropriation by faith, which brings in that resurrection eternal life. Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood half eternal life I will raise him up at the last day. Well, that's very precious. And then in 55 my flesh is me. Indeed, my blood is drink. Indeed, it's really life more abundantly. It's going right on and we need nothing else but himself.
In his work, in his person, and then you get down to.
This verse 57 As the living Father has sent me, and I live by the Father, so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. That's the sustaining. That new life is still Christ. Everything is Christ here for for the the, the power that that saves you, and as he said, born again.
We're not born of flesh or blood. We're born by the Spirit of God through the work on the cross, the blood. But then the eternal life, we come into that wonderful knowledge of it that we have that eternal life, resurrection life and then to go on, it's sustaining that life. And so he brings that out. And the key when they said these are hard stakes, the Lord said in verse 63, it's the spirit by the way, it should be capital S there it is the spirit that quickeneth.
The flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit.
They are light. And so it's beautiful to see this wonderful, deep truth coming out so we can enjoy it now. And as our brother was bringing out brethren, let's feed one another Christ. Here's the word. Let's just continue to get him. So burning in our hearts like those two on the way to Omeias, did not our hearts reburn within us. What did they get? Christ gave him himself. That's what he got. And they returned.
You know, we can give all kinds of rules, We can give all kinds of seminars, we could have all kinds of learned things. But if Christ isn't in the heart isn't going to mean anything. This is going to mean it'll get the flash working, that'll be sure, but it doesn't mean anything for a spiritual.
Christian Heavenly walk. That's what we want, isn't it? I believe that's what's being brought out in this 6th chapter, which is so pretty and beautiful in John's Gospel there.
Nothing. me and I and him. And also 57. That's communion.
That's who you're eating of him in communion day by day.
I'd like to mention two brethren in verse 28 of our chapter that we're meditating.
The.
Commendation of fall to these who were elders overseeing the flock was to.
Feed the Church of God. The translations is the flock of God, which is purchased with his own blood.
Those that feel the Lord has given them something. In this work to feed the flock of God, we need to remember that it includes every true believer on the face of the earth. And then as we narrow our activities to those who are gathered to the Lord's name, and certainly we're in fellowship with them, and there's an association there that may be closer still. We need to remember that as God looks down.
Into this world and he contemplates the Church of God and Walla Walla Assembly. Here it is every true believer, and there's a responsibility to feed everyone. And the measure that the Lord may give us may be places we would not feel led to go to compromise. But still there's the responsibility there to embrace the whole Church of God. The outward testimony of the church is.
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Is in ruins, dear brethren, but still faith embraces the whole. I enjoyed the other day reading in the little further on in this book of the acts of Paul when he was before one of those rulers said our whole 12 tribes instantly worshipping God, hope to come to this hope of the resurrection. You might have said well Paul, 10 tribes are completely gone.
What are you talking about, 12 tribes? It was faith, grasp of the truth of God's earthly people. And I really believe we need to keep this before us, the tendency sometimes and use the word assembly to narrow what we mean. And I say especially for the young people, I really believe they have the idea that when we use the word assembly, we're talking only about those gathered to the Lord's name. We gather on that ground of the assembly. Yes, brethren.
But the assembly includes every true believer in the face of the earth or, in connection with the local assembly, every true believer in a certain locality. So there's a responsibility of these toward everyone, the measure that God has given to feed the Church of God.
Wherever we may meet them, perhaps on the street or at our work, seek to feed each one who may be a true believer in the Lord Jesus. That word feed in Peter and in Acts is more correctly shepherd, and that includes the feeding, but it surely includes a lot more than just feeding. It's the shepherd care. I was thinking and listening to the comments that have been made this afternoon.
Some people, some young person might say, how do I feed on Christ?
Well, let me give some practical suggestions.
Read the Bible set for your goal.
To read the Bible through once a year.
That will mean that you'll have to read about 3 1/2 Chapters a day.
A little bit over 3 chapters a day, three and a quarter actually, I think.
And and there are schedules that you can get to help you.
I've used the Choice Gleanings calendar and they used to have 4 scriptures at the top and I read those through on every day and that way you go through the Bible. Now it's 3 scriptures, but you still get through the word of God every year that way. I remember one year I didn't do that and I really felt it. I really felt it in my soul and I went back to it the next year.
Now that should be a bare minimum.
That should be a minimum.
So we need to meditate on the word of God. If you would spend, if I would spend as much time in the word as I spend in, as I spent in studying to become an electrical engineer in school, I remember the intensity of the study time. And those of you who are going through schools, you know how much time it takes.
To become.
A doctor or.
An engineer or whatever you're going into. An accountant, doesn't matter if you spend that kind of time and diligence in in reading the word of God.
If we would just spend the time that we waste on foolishness.
Or let me not say foolishness. Just things that really don't matter much. I read this thing, this I read this comment recently and it really spoke to me. It was written in the last century and it said if we would spend this person was advocating gaining a knowledge of the original languages of the Bible, Hebrew and Greek.
And the comment that the man made was, I'm not advocating you learn Hebrew and Greek, but the comment that he made was.
In 10 years, if we would, if we would just use the time in our lives that we waste, that we just waste, we just don't use the time profitably, There's so much time that we could be spending in diligent study, he said. In 10 years, one could have a good working knowledge of those two languages, and I thought that was quite a statement.
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But it it made me search my own life and realize how much.
Foolish time I spend. I might sit down and spend 1520 minutes half hour on the newspaper.
Are other things magazines or who knows what all kinds of things?
Needless shopping through malls and who knows what that we like to do? We we waste.
So much time in things like that, if we would really diligently apply ourselves, we would we would have such a knowledge and grasp of the word of God would really feed our souls, and then the ministry that's there, I would strongly encourage young people.
Don't just don't just read your Bible. Make that your minimum. But read these helpful. The helpful ministry that we have, the legacy.
A rich ministry that we have and that's one of the things that the shepherds can do is to encourage the sheep the lambs to get into it to maybe go to a young brother and say I've I really think this little book you can really enjoy let me recommend it to you and my brother came to me at this conference said what would you recommend for a particular subject and.
Young people.
They need to be helped. They need to know they don't know what to read. And and maybe we can help them by putting something in their hands and and say read this and they'll read it. I know I've given my son a few things to read and I've asked him sometime later, did you read it? He said, yeah, I read it. Well, I was glad to hear that.
But that's one of the ways we can feed, isn't it? We can help. We want to be practical and not just theoretical about this.
We really have to get into this ministry and into the word of God and into studying the scriptures and meditating upon it. This is very practical, isn't it?
Paul was also.
1:00 to 1:00, and I believe we should, before we're done, look into it a little bit.
The warning is verse 29 and 30 it begins and 31 if we should watch.
First of all, verse 29. I know this, but after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Now this is from without, and it's solemn when you think about it. And the second thing is, from within also of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverts things.
To draw away disciples after them. And so both things are very important to watch for. And I was just mentioning the way he put it in Philippians in chapter 3, Philippians chapter 3.
He says finally. My brethren, rejoice in the Lord. That's what we were bringing out. The positive aspect, to write the same things to you, to me indeed, is not grievous.
But for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concession, and these things are really blossoming out. Now those from without would really speak of the dogs, and we have to beware. They're a little easier to us to discern the guard against. But the evil workers, those from within even are, are very deceiving and it's subtle and Satan comes on that way.
And the concession is really what appeals to the flesh. I would say even Judaizing Christianity. But it's worth anything that appeals to the flesh. It isn't Christ and Christ alone. So these things he's always warning of. And brethren, we need to be warned. The positive is verse three. We are of the circumcision, not the concision. The circumcision of the heart is the complete cutting off of the flesh.
I know that in me that is my pledge. No good thing. That's the starting point. We worship God by the Spirit, not in by the Spirit. And we rejoice in Christ Jesus. He's everything. No confidence in the pleasure. That's pretty good for us to keep in mind, brethren, this is really the the pattern, the model, the formula that Paul's giving. But here in our chapter, he's warning them because he knows.
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What's going to happen in this world to the church And we know the results.
In criticism today, but we have the as our brother said, an assembly or the church represents every blood blot St. Tomorrow we'll see them all in the lobe because our Lord and God sees them there. That's precious. But there's also the ministry that we should separate ourselves. We should keep ourselves pure and holy. We may be always concerned about them. We should we should offer all the help we can too. We should minister to them when they're willing to hear.
But there is a great House brethren and there is an individual responsibility, there's a corporate responsibility and I believe it's very important to bring that in too.
Verse 31 in connection with what our brother Hendrix was mentioning.
Therefore walk and remember that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn everyone night and day with tears.
We go back to the 11Th of Leviticus. We'll find there there was food that they should eat and there is that which they shouldn't eat. It was an abomination to them and.
I say this particularly to you, dear younger ones. You can spoil your appetite for the word of God.
By getting in things around us that are really an abomination as far as God is concerned, and they'll spoil our appetite for the things of Christ. We want to watch what we feed on. There's that which is good. There's that which isn't good.
The 30th verse, The 29th verse. Rather. An illustration from Australia again.
170 million sheep. A big desert in much of the middle of the country, but on the eastern side it runs up.
Fairly productive.
But there were dogs imported to Australia centuries ago, and then they turned into a wild animal called a dingo. They're nothing but wild dogs.
And to preserve their shape, they have built a fence 1000 miles long through the desert part of that middle part of the country to keep the dingoes north of the fence and the shape South of the fence. And it works pretty good.
Some do breakthrough. And there are a few hunters who are hired by the government to trap, to kill, to shoot the dispose of these wild.
Dogs and their description of when one of the dingoes gets through.
They're rapacious animals that were just ripped and tear one sheep after another. What a picture we've got here. I know this that after my departing shall grieve us. Wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. So Satan raised those up early, and the persecutions were fierce to rip and to tear and to divide the Saints.
But he didn't stop there. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them. Now an illustration on that verse comes from Bolivia.
Where some 15 or 20 years ago, Bob will remember better than I, but there were that was done by the Brethren was beginning in the place called Montero where he lived a number of years. And Avellino Chavez was early in that work. We passed through there quite early too, Bob and I together.
But Avelino was used to find the sheep and to gather them together a little center.
Christ in the midst, and a few gathered there, and he'd come from the higher regions. Avalino had, and he had known a Christian man over there, where he'd come from, who had come also to Montero. And one day Avalino met this.
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Brother in the Lord, but in the systems on the street. And he said to Avalino in a sneering voice, What are you doing over here? Trying to steal my sheep? Have Leno says, whose sheep? Whose sheep are they? Whose sheep are they? And the man caught on. They didn't belong to him, They belong to the Lord, the great shepherd of the sheep. And he would gather.
Us all together.
And it is sad that hundreds of times leaders, Christians have led off in division a part of the flock. This is not the work of God. This is not the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Ghost has made us overseers. We are to follow his guidance and repeating. There is a gatherer in this world, and when he gathers, he always.
Gathers to Christ, let us see that we try to attract to Christ. Then we will be doing the work that the Holy Spirit would have us to do.
Well, we can be that that is true. We have it in our hand. And the grace of God which saved us, for it was by grace we are saved. The grace of God which saved us will follow us, and we'll have that grace right until the moment that we hear His voice call us to himself. What a marvelous verse to end with. And now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace which is able to build you up.
And to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified, true of everyone of us that belong to Christ, He's going to preserve us. He will have a people. He's going to have for himself a church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing that he's going to present to himself. Notice it's not. I commend you to God and to the word of His law.
I commend you to God and to the word of His grace. It's the dispensation of the grace of God today. God is dispensing his grace.
In a wonderful ways, as we've been hearing in these meetings, and it's the word to Timothy be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
Every epistle begins, Grace to you and peace Every epistle ends.
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all. It's grace all the way through, isn't it? The Old Testament ends with, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse or curse, It is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them. And the New Testament ends with the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
What inherent is this?
What inheritance is meant is the question.
Doesn't Paul answer that?
In second Timothy nearly his last words.
Second Timothy 4.
And verse 18.
Neither nearly the last words of Paul, he says, The Lord shall deliver me from every evil word and will preserve me unto his heavenly Kingdom. He's going to get the heavenly Kingdom, and Christ is a center.
And.
He created Christ as the possessor of every created thing. He's he's going to take that inheritance in his St. Saints in Ephesians 1. So we can say that the inheritance is every created thing, but it will be displayed in that heavenly Kingdom and Paul look forward to that.
Saying here that I'm not leaving you helpless or hopeless or in despair, but there will never be a time when you can't retreat into these precious truths, these particularly these two precious truths, as to the word of His Grace.
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Of course, coming to God and word of His grace. But I would just like to think that that we, as we study the word of God, our sanctification goes on practically and more and more in life and heart. We are separated unto the Lord Himself and this inheritance, our relationship with Him, becomes more dear and precious to us in a very practical way. And that's what he wanted to have them to learn and to enjoy.
But I would like to just drop up to verse 31 again where it speaks of his tears.
They were not to forget his loving example of love.
And brethren, always fruitless and dry, without Christ before our hearts, we will not be tender as he was to one another, unless indeed Christ is before my soul. And you notice he He was not ashamed of them.
Although he warned them and he wept over them, he was not ashamed of them.
And that really ought to speak to us too. Do you remember? Abraham never did.
Criticized Lot. He prayed for him.
A real lesson in grace. Here Paul is not only Speaking of grace, but he was living in grace.
Picking up verse 33.
I have showed you all things how that's so laboring. You ought to support the weak and to remember the words, this verse 35 to remember the words of the Lord Jesus. How he said it is more blessed to give than to receive. Let us remember he's talking to the overseers, the shepherds, who will have to expend added energy in their work.
And wait for a large portion of their reward when they get that crown of glory that feedeth not away. So he's encouraging them that the reward will be at the end, but they have the more blessed part in giving. It also applies in the assembly, as we are together to worship. We speak.
Three different characters of meetings that we have.
In a simple way is we're met together to receive, we're met together to ask, and we're met together to give. Receiving is a meeting like this.
To ask for something is a prayer meeting and the worship meeting we're met together to give. This always touches my heart to think that in that meeting.
God himself sets us in the more blessed place. Did you ever think how tremendous it is that we as mortals can give to God? And what do we give? We give Christ. We speak well of Christ to God, and he is pleased. So in the meeting for praise and worship, we are seated in the more blessed place. Of course it becomes more practical.
And in practical Christianity, we ought to think it's more blessed to be able to give than to receive.
But both are blessed, but especially the shepherd. He ought to think now I'm expending a good deal, but if I am, I'm in the more blessed place.
Paul was able was willing to spend and be spent. That's giving.
What a lesson he is in these things.
He's closing verses verse 38. Sorry most of all for the words which he speak that they should see his face no more.
They felt departing from the apostle. They loved him dearly.
But it seems possibly they missed verse 29.
The grievous wolves coming in, and men of their own cells arising, speaking perverse things, that too should have produced sorrow of heart, should have put them in their guard. When the apostle wrote that a second epistle to Timothy, he had to say. All those in Asia have turned away from me. I believe the Spirit of God would put us on our guard against these things that can happen to us.
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When we think.
Of the state of God's beloved people today.
Our brethren.
And ought to cause us to weep.
Instead of congratulating ourselves that we're on the ground of the truth.
As we view the whole testimony of the Church of God on earth.
It ought to cause us to weep.
As we realize that that for which Christ died to gather together into one is scattered.
The enemy has done his deadly work. Divisions are here and there and everywhere, Christians content with calling themselves by names which divide them from their brethren.
And error. All kinds of things. Our own state. Surely, brethren, our faces are in the dust, Should be so, as we realize that we're part. We must not in in our thoughts, and in our hearts separate ourselves from our brethren elsewhere.
We have to walk in the path of obedience to the word of God. That's one thing. But to have a heart so large as to embrace?
All the Saints, if we don't, we're not in fellowship with the mind of Christ because he embraces the mall, doesn't he?
Think about this year. They accompanied him unto the ship, comparing it in this way, which I believe is all right.
That you and I.
Are going to depart.
But we're going to depart at the same time hold as to the ship that carries us to the glory. And when he brings us up the Savior, now am I Are you going to company, Paul, in his doctrine, all the way to the departure out of this world?
In one way that can be. Might be nice to read the verse. It's in Jude.
We should ask the question, but we should know the answer to in Jude verse 24.
Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory, with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen, unto him that is able to keep you.
And sexy.
It is a scone.
And take thy rightful place.
And son of man of.
All the day.
Come, Lord.
Dorang.
Lord Jesus.
Come.
The man of patience.
Waiting now?
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No man of joy.
Forever.
When you're gone, Jesus, come.
Round.
With my many ground.
And take thy father.
'S.
Life.
Frozen Night. Night. Frozen.
I love.
Jesus gone.
Lord Jesus, God.
That lost.
And they are so.
May bow and worship.
The Lord.
In life.
Thy glory.
Is gone.
That quickly.
81 Brave life, a living rain.
Lord Jesus, come.
Come.