Address—P. Wilson
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Wake up in the morning and the lost world all my friends have sown. Are you right with God? May you receive Christ tonight. Let us pray.
In fact, I would like to read first the last verse of the 15th chapter.
And they came to Elam.
Where were 12 wells of water?
And three score and 10 palm trees.
And they encamped there by the waters.
And they took their journey from Elam.
All the congregation of Israel came into the wilderness of sin.
Which is between Elam and Sinai in the 15th day of the second month.
After their departing out of the land of Egypt.
This first verse that I read. The last verse of the previous chapter here.
Was read to us.
1St morning of these meetings.
Amniques. It's important.
The children of Israel have started out from the land of Egypt.
When they were in the land of Egypt.
They were amenable to the judgments of God that fell on that land.
For they were not better than the Egyptians.
But God made a way.
Whereby he could Save the Children of Israel when the judgments fell on the land.
It says there in Exodus 12/13 that you may know how that God does make a difference between the children of Israel and the Egyptians.
The difference was accomplished by means of the lamb, the Passover lamb.
That was slain at the appointed time.
It had to be a lamb without blemish. It had to be taken at a certain time.
And killed at a certain time, the blood had to be put into a basin.
And then it had to be sprinkled on the outside of the houses where they took refuge.
And they went in through the door and were sheltered on the inside by the blood on the outside.
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That was the way that God made the difference. And God has made a difference between His people today and those who are not. And the difference lies in one thing.
His owner sheltered by the precious Blood of Christ.
The unbeliever is not.
It isn't, not that he may not be.
But if he hasn't accepted Christ as his savior, he is not young.
Now there was that difference.
But then after there being sheltered by the blood of the lamb.
They were brought out of the land of Egypt by God's almighty power.
That brought them down through the Red Sea, across the sea.
And into the land of Canaan.
And there, on the banks of the Red Sea, they saw their enemies dead on the seashore.
Figured of Satan and all his power and all the hosts of darkness.
Defeated A vanquished bowl on the banks of the Red Sea.
But as soon as they were across the Red Sea.
They began a journey, and that journey went from the Red Sea.
To the other side of the Jordan River.
Took them all away from the borders of Egypt into the land of Canaan.
Into the land that God had promised to give unto his people.
And so he kept his promise. His promise was fulfilled, and they were carefully shielded and taken across the desert. It was indeed a desert. It was a wilderness. There wasn't anything in the wilderness for them.
They didn't want to make a home there.
There wasn't water. There wasn't food.
For everything, for their sustenance as they traverse the wilderness from Egypt to Canaan, they had to depend on the power of God.
Now on the way as they journeyed across.
God made special provision for them, and one of the provisions was this place called Elam.
At Elam, there were 12 wells of water and 70 palm trees.
There was shelter and there was refreshment.
Something they needed very badly in the wilderness.
And they were dependent upon God for it.
So when they came to Elam, they no doubt rejoiced. She was a veritable Oasis in a wild, howling wilderness.
Now you know that the numbers 12 and 70 are connected with ministry.
The Lord appointed 12 apostles and 70 disciples.
So 12 and 70 are those numbers.
Now, brethren.
We have been brought out of the world and we have been sheltered from the judgment that is hanging over the world.
We have been delivered from the wrath to come.
By the work of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We are not only brought out of the wilderness, out of Egypt, but they're brought into the wilderness.
And as soon as we enter into the wilderness, we are on a journey.
We want to remember, dear fellow Christians, that we do not belong to this world.
We are merely in a journey through it.
Our destiny is heaven, and that's where we're going.
But our way lies through a wilderness, and God has made provision for us as we go through the wilderness.
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And this that we have had here these last three days.
It is a veritable Elam.
Now you and I and the rest of us have very much enjoyed the Fellowship, the Ministry, the food, the refreshment that we've had these days. I know I've enjoyed it. It's been an eel of work.
And I trust that there is no one here who knows the Lord as His Savior that cannot say the same thing.
If you haven't enjoyed it, there's something wrong.
You're probably sick in your soul.
A member of.
Farmer taking a friend who came to see him and they were looking over the farm.
He was looking at his sheep and there was 1 sheep that wasn't with the rest. He was all by himself.
The farmer said to the friend. You see that sheep off by himself.
Suggests well, he said. He's sick.
If he weren't sick, he'd be with the flock.
So if you can't enjoy this Elam, you may be sick.
You know, we can be spiritually sick in our souls too. Other things come in and eclipse.
The beauty that we see in Christ, and that which we see in our fellow brethren.
So that it spoils the happiness of our fellowship. I trust that none of us are that one.
But now the first verse of the 16th chapter.
Because most of us here have to leave this place. I don't think any of us plan to stay here and.
In Warren, MI, we have to move on. Some have already left duties. Call them, and they're on their journey. Most of us will be on our way by tomorrow, I suppose. Back to our places of abode.
Now, when the children of Israel had been refreshed at Elam with God's special provision for them, they began afresh on their journey. Wasn't it gracious? Wasn't it wonderful that God would cause them to pause and be refreshed? I think it's beautiful that such a place as this has been ours. And we thank God for the Elam.
But now, what did we gain here? What have we profited by being here?
I trust that what we have gained is simply this strength.
At Energy to Pro ceed on the journey.
That our steps may not lag, that there may be no faltering and if.
There are any who are weak and stumbling in the way. May we seek to help them.
For as we read in Hebrews 12, we're in a race. We're on a journey.
And we find that we do not run single file. We do not run singling. We run as a flock, and in the flock there are some who are weak, some who are feeble, some whose knees are weak, some whose hands hang down, and the rest of the flock are supposed to help.
If we know some who are weak, may we help help them, May we encourage them. And I trust that we'll all be encouraged to go back to our respective places of abode and to our little meetings, which we came from with renewed courage, with renewed purpose, with a renewed sense in our souls, that we're only pilgrims in the world, that we belong to heaven.
We are redeemed from the earth and we are passing through the world where there is nothing to satisfy the new nature. We're not only passing through a wilderness, but we're passing through an enemy's land. This land is occupied by enemies.
There are wicked spirits in heavenly places, and there are wicked spirits controlling the minds of men.
And we're passing through the midst of it. Everything in this world is contrary to the mind of God.
I remember some years ago our brother Mr. Brown came to California.
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I gave an address and he said at that time, he said I have just come from Iowa.
And he says, in Iowa, we have a geranium, we put it in a pot and we put it in the window.
And we water it and we move it from window to window. World get the most shape, most sunshine. We move it around for for its good.
But, he said, if we get one to Bloom, we think we've accomplished something.
But, he said. I came out here and I see your geraniums are as high as fences.
And that was number exaggeration. Now he said, why the difference? He says this is a natural habitat. This is where it naturally grows. And so he likened it to this, that this world is where Satan is a God and principle, and everything that is sustained or backed by Satan is nourished. It flourishes in this world.
But the things of God grow in an adverse climate, and we belong to that climate of heaven. We can't expect to find our refreshment here. If we feel perfectly comfortable and at home and the company of the ungodly. There's something wrong with our sights. We have forgotten whose we are.
Oh, it isn't just what we belong to whom we belong.
We belong to one who was cast out of the world. We're his, and the world hated him.
It still hates it. I read not long ago a statement of a noted grabber who said that if the Lord were here today.
Any self respecting community to would do to him what they did when he was here before.
Charges, but that's the heart of man. He wasn't wanted then and he's not wanted now.
And if you and I, as fellow Christians, are going to walk faithfully to the Lord, we will in our measure share that reproach. We'll know something of what the cross of Christ means.
But now they go back to Exodus 16.
The second verse.
And the whole congregation of the Children of Israel murmurs.
Isn't it sad to see the sunset at noonday?
They had just been delivered from the power of peril. They had been delivered from the mighty judgment of God in the land of Egypt.
On the banks of the Red Sea they sang lustily.
What a deliverance it was and how they appreciate it.
But the song had hardly died away, and they were specially encouraged by the refreshment of Elam.
Till murmuring broke up.
Brennan That's a sad commentary on Israel.
Is it no less true of us?
We get discouraged in the way and murmur a bit.
It isn't here that they murmured against God, but they murmured against his servants, against Moses.
And error.
A sad state of affairs.
When the dear children of God, especially those gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus.
Begin to murmur.
Complain.
Now let us not say that's not true, because I think if we search our hearts.
We will find too often that the root of is. It is there.
They murmured. And God?
Often bore with them, sometimes he judged them, but how often? They murmured.
Brethren, when we get back to the little meeting, when we get back to the familiar faces that we see Lord's Day after Lord's Day, week in and week out, reading meetings, prayer meetings and all, may we not give way to disgruntled feelings or murmurs.
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These are practical things. Now remember that the children of Israel were brought to Elam.
For their special refreshment and nourishment. And then when they left it, they fell into murder.
Well, the Lord has been very gracious to us here, and I think we have much to praise God for. For these three days we've had happy meetings. I believe the ministry has been this ministry of the Spirit of God. In most part, at least we thank him for.
But may the spirit of murmuring not overtake us when we get back to the little.
When I want to pass on to the Gospel of John, I merely wanted to.
Connect this meeting, the last meeting for ministry, with the verses that were read in the first meeting about the children of Israel coming to Elam. Well, we've been to Elam. It's time for us to go on. We can't stay here.
But we've received, I trust, strength and encouragement to press on in the wilderness.
Let us not expect to find it anything but a wilderness. Suppose you went into the wilderness and you planted a lot of flowers there. You thought you'd make a veritable paradise out of the wilderness. What would you find? You'd soon find that they were all withered. We can't make a paradise out of this poor earth that cast Christ out.
I was passing through.
That desert in Southern California.
Down off the border of Arizona.
There, it's a bad desert.
I understand when people want a picture of the Sahara desert, they only have to go there and take a picture.
It's so similar.
The shifting sands drifting across there. There was a time when they thought they couldn't even build a highway through. And when they did build a highway, they they nailed planks together and they invented the machine that would go out there and pick up sections of these planks and dump the sand off.
In fact, you can find sections of that old road on the side yet, and even to this day, that road through there. While it's a modern concrete highway, there are signs along at Watch Out for Plows where they have to run plows through there at various times, just like you would run snow plows to move the sand off the highway.
One time I was coming through there and I saw a real looking Oasis look like water palm trees.
Somebody had sent it out there for a picture.
I came back through that country 60 days later.
And everything there was dead. Drooping over it was a sorry sight. They planted those things out there in the desert without any root or any way of getting refreshment for them. And down they went. It was a sorry sight when I came back by there. Well, brethren, if we're going to make this world a paradise.
We're going to have the same kind of success as those people have. We'll find that will all will before our eyes.
Well, we must press on now. I want to go to the end of John's Gospel.
Just that we might find a little more.
Of the enjoyment of Christ and the things of Christ, for that is what sustains us as we press on through an enemy's land and an enemy's land that's ruined by drought.
In John's Gospel.
The 19th chapter.
There are some little couplets of three words in these end chapters of John's Gospel.
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And I would like to emphasize some of them.
And in the 19th of John and the 30th verse.
When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said.
It is finished.
And he bowed his head and gave up the ghost.
3 solemn sublime words.
It is finished.
Now what to what does this refer?
This is a language, the Son of God.
This is the one who came down into this world and passed through it perfectly.
He's gone to the cross at this time.
He has endured all the indignities and hatred of the human heart.
And great it was.
And while you do not get it in John's gospel, for John's gospel presents him as the Son of God, And it would not be in keeping with the truth of the revelation of him as the Son of God to tell of his agony in the three hours of darkness, nor hear that cry of abandonment, abandonment as we read this morning in Psalm 22. It's not in John's Gospel, but that's all behind now at this point.
As been mentioned in John put the sufferings, the forsaking of God all that's behind.
And now the Son of God from John's gospel when he is presented as such.
He is able to look back over it all. He's able to renounce his own judgment of his own sentence of it. He knew all the scriptures, the prophetic scriptures that prophesied of his coming and of his rejection, and they were all fulfilled in detail, one after the other. He came of the Virgin came as the son of the woman. He came at the appointed time according to Daniel. Nine he came into the appointed city, Bethlehem.
Everything was done according to those scriptures.
And now at the close of that life, at the close of that surrender, they looked out over the whole scene, nothing more to be accomplished. And he is as the Son of God, he can pass judgment on it and say it is finished.
All at work, the Son of God.
Saying it is finished.
Oh and God created the earth. He could look over the scene and say it is good or very good. But here now looking over the work of redemption and all connected with it, he can say it is finished.
Oh, who can add anything to a finished work?
I remember hearing of a man that was an artist. He just completed a beautiful painting.
And a friend came in to see see him and he was showing him the beautiful painting.
The friend picked up a brush and put it in the picking paint and he started to dab it on the finished painting.
The artist stopped him and he said you will ruin it.
What could an untrained hand do with a finished picture by an artist?
And here is the Son of God reviewing it all. And he says it is spinning. And if we go to the Epistle to the Colossians, we find there that the Saints were being spoiled by philosophy and vain deceit. They were listening to the false philosophy philosophy of Gnosticism.
That sought sought to add something to the finished work of Christ. And what's the answer to it? Ye are complete in him.
Who can I add to a completed work?
You'll never be any better than when you're complete under the shelter of the work of Christ.
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Well, here it says.
Yeah, it is, honey.
Only one thing more Now he must needs go down into debt.
And in John's Gospel he says, I laid down my life, that I might take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. And then he just quietly lays down his lane. He delivered up his spirit and said, he had said it is finished and everything was done. And he descended into the grave and came forth a mighty victory.
Brethren, that the Savior we have and everything is finished.
Not only finished for our blessing, but finished for the glory of God.
To perfection. Now I want to go on to the next chapter.
Then the first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark unto the sepulcher, and see if the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
She came when it was yet dark.
Strange time for a woman to be out alone.
Late in the night before the break of days when it was yet dark.
What took that dear woman out there?
Into a cemetery at that hour.
Or it was an attachment of heart to Christ that dearer woman had found him the engrossing object of her heart.
She was so occupied with him. He was her all.
And when he was gone, she felt bereaved. The world was a wilderness to it. The world was more than the wilderness it was. It just had nothing to hold her.
She was briefed.
She went to the sepulchre early in the morning. Maybe she didn't know much.
Mary of Bethany didn't go there.
Mary of Bethany seemed to enter into the mind of the Lord. She wasn't found there.
She didn't look for the living among the dead.
Mary Magdalene did.
Maybe her knowledge was deficient, but you couldn't say her affection was deficient nor her affection was.
Full, full blown. She was attached to him and everything else was lost.
Well, what did she do?
Early in the morning she runneth and cometh to Simon Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved. John speaks of himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved. Peter, you know, spoke of his love to the Lord. John speaks of the Lord's love to him.
And she says they have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid it.
She couldn't lend her into it that he was risen. She thinks human hands had removed his body and she's all distraught.
Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the decipher.
Forth where shall they ram both together?
The other disciple did outrun Peter and came first to the sepulchre.
And he's stooping down and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying yet when he not in.
Then Simon Peter. Then cometh Simon Peter, following him, and went into the sepulchre, and see if the linen clothes lie. The napkin was that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes would wrap together in a space in a place by itself.
Then went in also that other disciple that came first to the sepulchre. And he saw and believed, for as yet they knew not the Scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.
Then the disciples went away under their own homes.
When they looked into this sepulchre, they found everything in perfect order.
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The linen clothes line. It wasn't. It wasn't what you would expect to find after a thief leaves. When the thief leaves, he leaves everything in disarray. When when the Lord was left that sepulchre, everything was in perfect order. He didn't leave there in a hurry. And this, the napkin that was wrapped about his head, was in a place by itself.
I understand that in the original you can tell pretty much about the position, the shape of things. I believe he left them there in perfect order, and these disciples are impressed. But what? How much did the impression mean to them? Not much.
And the disciples went away unto their own, began to their own home.
It's one thing to be satisfied in our minds of the truth of Christianity.
Another thing to embrace them in the affections of our heart.
They could be satisfied that he was risen. They could look and see, for the stone was rolled away. Not to let the Lord Jesus house, but the Lord the stone was rolled away to let them look in, to let them look in and see that he was God, and see that he'd gone out as a victor with everything in perfect order. But then they went away to their own home.
You know, I read a little note.
Of callousness in this a little note of lack of warmth.
Now compare that with the 11Th verse.
But read the ****.
But Mary stood without the sepulchre.
They went in, they satisfied their curiosity. They went away to their own homes, in the comfort of their home.
But.
Mary continued, standing there, just outside the tomb.
And what did she do standing there? She went.
Still didn't possess him? Him, you say? Yes, Him.
She doesn't even stop to explain to the one that she thought was a gardener of who she was looking for.
She merely says, Tell me where thou hast borne him, and I will take him away.
She just refers to him as him.
You know if you go to the door to inquire about a sick person.
You don't go to the door, probably as a friend, and say, well, how is Mr. Johnson today?
If you know the family well and they meet you at the door, you say, how is he today?
How is he today?
You don't have to say who.
The one whom you are looking for, the one whom you are seeking information about, is the one that is the object of those who live there.
And so.
Here it is too.
But Mary stood without the sepulchre weeping, and as she wept.
Here's a here's a devoted woman, a woman who found out what Christ was and he was precious to her heart so that nothing took his place. And through those tears, those bitter tears.
She stooped down and looked into the sepulchre, looking through tears.
Into the supplement and what did she see? She saw two angels in White City, the one at the foot, the other defeat where the body of G at the head, and the other defeat where the body of Jesus had laid.
Oh, what a sight. Peter and John didn't see this sight.
They were satisfied he wasn't there and went away.
No, she saw something more. She saw angels in White City. There was perfect calm, perfect peace.
There wasn't peace in her own mind, but there was peace in that sepulchre.
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Everything was serene, 2 angels in white, not fluttering about, not trying to do something.
They're sitting. It's all settled.
Well, wasn't that a wonderful sight for human eyes?
To see two angels in white brethren, what would you have done if you saw two angels sitting?
Wouldn't just stop and gaze upon them?
Not married?
Even angels knowing they were angels.
They couldn't detain her.
And they say unto her, Woman, why weep us up?
She said unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord and I know not where they've laid him. That's the language of devotion. She doesn't calculate on her strength, she just wants to get to him. Where did you put him?
When she had thus said, she turned herself back. Here's a dear woman that turns her back on angels.
A sight that would glue most of us rivet as steadfastly to the sea. She turns her back on angels, and when she does.
She saw Jesus then. Oh, that's the one she was looking for.
But she couldn't. She couldn't distinguish him.
She hadn't entered into the fact that he was to rise.
And looking through her tears, she doesn't deserve it.
And.
Jesus saith unto her woman.
He breaks the news of who he was gently and with affection.
Woman.
Why we preserve, he draws out. What's motivating her woman? Why weepers now?
She's supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him supposing him to be the gardener. Now she speaks to him. This brings out her whole heart's affection.
Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou has laid him, and I will take him away.
Oh, she doesn't calculate on her little strength on what she could do if she could find his body. She just thinks that she could even claim his body. It would be a recompense. Oh, you know, you take a a family that has one member that's gone, we say to sea or on a long journey.
And they get sick.
The family is all concerned about their welfare.
How they do?
A mother will say, Oh, if I could only get the boy back.
If I could just get him back, even if he's sick.
How they'd like to have the sick one back. Just a comfort to have him there.
And she thinks it would be just a comfort if she knew where his body was. But one thing she didn't know that he was risen. And she was never more to know him as a man down here. But she would soon know him in a better way.
Jesus said unto her. Mary, Oh, how often she'd heard that word, Mary from his very lips.
You know, it tells us in the tent of John that the sheep know his voice.
And Mary knew his voice. She recognized the shepherd's voice, and it beat within her heart. Suppose that you thought that this afternoon you would hear that shout from the Lord's blessed lips. Be caught up to see him. Would it's really.
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How much would our hearts be thrilled to think?
We have heard his voice.
Calling is my name. He calls his own sheep. Fine name.
And he says, Mary, she turned herself, and says unto him, Rabona, which is to say, Master.
Jesus said unto her, Touch me not now. In Matthew's Gospel they do touch him.
But in Matthew's Gospel, you have another line of truth, for the Lord Jesus is presented to Israel in Matthew as their Messiah.
And when rejected by them, he still has a contact with a remnant of faithful remnant.
Which he resumes with them in Galilee after his resurrection. You don't get that here in John's Costco.
But here he says, touch me, not, she said. No, I'm in a better relationship.
For I am not yet ascended to my father, but go to my brethren.
Now, did she need a book of instruction to find?
Who his brethren were.
No, he just says go to my brethren. We read the 22nd Psalm this morning. And when you come to that point of the resurrection of Christ.
All at once you get Christ in resurrection. And he says, I will declare thy name unto my brethren.
As soon as the Lord comes forth in resurrection victory, he says, I will declare thy name unto my brethren.
And he says to Mary, And now she is commissioned to carry a message, and the greatest message that had ever been trusted, had been entrusted to human lipstick, carrot, the son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, telling a poor redeemed woman, You go over and tell my brother, I ascend, I'm going back to my father and your father.
Before that the Lord was down here, you know, and he told about the Father.
But he didn't reveal him as their father. He couldn't bring his disciples into relationships.
You know in the 16th Psalm he refers to the disciples who pleased him.
As the excellent in the earth, the Saints.
In the 22nd Psalm, when he comes forth in resurrection, he refers to him as brethren.
In the 45th Psalm which gives him the Lord Jesus coming back to reign.
He will have associates, and in the 45th Psalm he calls them his fellows.
His associates never mix the three words of those 3 songs.
Leave Saints in the 16th.
Fellows in the 45th would keep this blessed title in this 22nd.
Brethren.
And so this blessed message is given to Mary to carry. Now I know that people have taken this out of its connection and said that Mary was commissioned to preach.
The Lord never commissioned a woman to preach, but he commissioned her to carry a message.
A message that none of the disciples had the privilege of carrying blessed position, blessed place Mary had. And why did she give it? Because she her heart was devoted to Christ. This world was all. Nothing to her without him but all she says, Don't touch me, but go to my brethren and say unto them. I ascend to my Father, and your Father, my God, and your.
Brethren, we've been brought into that blessed place of relation.
He would When he was here, he spoke of his Father, but now the one that he called his Father is our Father. And as we had yesterday in the eighth of Romans, by the Spirit of God we're brought into this enjoyment of this relationship, and the very words of the Lord Himself are put upon our lips.
00:50:21
ABBA, Bob.
Father, Father, Father, in the simplest way of expressing A and father-in-law the consciousness of who we did, of what he is. Brethren, that's our privilege.
Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples, he said, My brother.
Where did you find him, His disciples?
His disciples were here this morning. His disciples came together to break bread in this very room this morning.
And that's what we should have done. It was our blessed privilege. It may have been for the last time, for before we do it another time, we may hear His voice as the voice that spoke to Mary, but the voice that calls all the redeemed to himself. And that may take place before we ever reach our regular places of Ebola.
Now we.
19 verse The same day at evening, being the first day of the week when the doors were shut, where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus, and stood in the midst.
Notice this that Jesus came into their midst with the doors being shut. The Lord Jesus came forth with a resurrection body. He could go into the room with the door shut. He could leave the tomb without moving a stone.
Oh, he came forth in resurrection in the power of.
And he stood in their midst. And then what does he say?
Peace unto you, and to bolster that to back it up.
He shows them his hands.
Sigh, brethren, think of it, that there was the one that could save peace and show them that he was qualified to give it because he was the one that had been in death when he was raised.
I often think of this scripture in connection with this word in First Samuel.
You know, David went down into the valley of Elam and he overcame that mighty fog. Goliath. David is a beautiful type of Christ there.
Goliath had challenged and defied Israel for 40 days.
Satan had defied man and God for 40 centuries when Christ came.
And David is a rifling went down into the valley and he overcame him.
No sword in the hand of David, but he cuts off Goliath's head with his own sword.
O the mighty Lord Jesus, he rose from the dead, Satan says. If I can get him in death, I'll have gained the victory.
With the Lord Jesus broke the bands of death. He came out of death of Victor, and he goes into the midst of his assembled disciples and shows them his hands.
Brethren, I like to think of this, that it was like it was with David. When he appeared before King Saul, he went before King Saul, the one who gained the victory, and he had the head of Goliath in his head. Here was evidence, here was.
True proof of his victory he had the head of Goliath and he said, And now the one who was down in death for Satan had held the power of death and kept man in fear.
40 centuries This what Blessed One, now comes forth.
The proof of his victory. And he shows him his hands and his heart. Yes, this was the true David with the head of Goliath in his hand. Here was the true day. That is a mighty victory. And he speaks peace to troubled souls. Oh brethren, we have peace, peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
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Where he not only discharged all that was against us by a holy God bore the consequences in himself.
But rather he went down into that which Satan held the power over, and he came forth a mighty victory. All our closure are vanquished and his associated us with himself. We sometimes sing his be the victor's name who fought the fight alone. Triumphant Saints no honor claim his conquest was their role. Yes, it's our old and.
Well, can we have peace?
For the mighty victor came forth for us in victory, and he associates us with himself in the victory.
Now we.
I wanted to look at another verse right here, the 21St verse.
Then said Jesus to them. Again, peace Chickenly that.
Be out. It's an italics peace unto you.
As my father has sent me into the world, Even so send I you.
The Lord Jesus had been down here in this world of enmity toward God.
He had suffered their enmity, their rejection, and now he's leaving.
And He has these disciples here, and He commissions them, and He sends them forth back into the place.
Where he was rejected to witness for him.
And he commissioned them for that. But he says, peace unto you.
Oh, when we find the combat. When we find the enemy arrayed against us.
We do not do so at our own charges. For the one that met him and conquered him, that conquered death, and all the power of us, is the one that has commissioned us to witness for him, and the one who has said peace unto you in connection with that very mission.
I want to turn to the next chapter for.
Just a few moments.
Now in the next chapter we have an entirely different scene.
We find Peter and six of the disciples.
Seven in all.
Going out on an unauthorized fishing expedition?
Peter had been fishing, and the Lord had called him and said he would make him fishers of men.
But now the Lord is gone, and he isn't right there with them visibly.
And so Peter wearies and he gets a hankering for the old net and he says I go a fishing and six others go with it. Now I've mentioned the fact that there are 7 fishermen here.
In the Gospel Net in the 5th chapter of Luke, you'll find that the net broke.
That's a figure of the gospel net.
Here it's the figure of the nations that will be brought in to blessing and the Millennium.
You know God is going to have other people in another time, and he's going to have fishermen. And Peter will be the chief fisherman. And so seven other seven fishermen go to work and they bring in a great all of fishes. And although there were so many.
Yet the fish, the net, did not break well. There'd be no breakdown there.
The Lord will have it all different in another day, and I might add just another thought as a.
Accompanied when the Gentiles were brought into the Kingdom, into the church in the 10th of Acts.
Peter and six other fishermen went to see Cornelius.
The 11Th chapter of the Acts, he says. These six brethren from Joppa accompanied me. There were seven fishermen again going on an expedition, and there the Gentiles were brought into the Church of God, Cornelius and his house. What a what a wonderful day that was. What a wonderful hall when the Gentiles were first introduced.
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Into the church.
I just mentioned that is interesting that there were seven fishermen in the 20th of John and their seven fishermen in the tent of backs. They're only mentioned of course, in the 11Th.
Now looking at this.
Fourth verse of the 21St chapter. And when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore with the disciples, knew not that it was Jesus.
Then Jesus said unto them, Now mark the delicacy, the warmth, of this the Lord says, children.
Have you any meat?
Notice his warmth.
Notice the term of affection here, children. Have you any meat?
For our world, how blessed? How do they respond to that warmth?
What did they say?
They answered him no.
See any warmth in that?
All their hearts were cold.
He speaks with freshness. He says children have you any meat? They say no.
I I like those touches that you get here and there.
And.
Then what happens? He says. Cast the net on the right side of the ship and you shall find.
All he directs the net.
And they get this tremendous catch of fishes and all. There were so many, yet the net did not break.
Kingdom Net.
And now we go down.
The 12Th verse Jesus saith unto them, Come and die.
And none of the disciples durst asked him, Who art thou, knowing that it was the Lord?
Jesus then cometh and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.
Oh, you had a meal over prepared for them. They had nothing for him. He has a meal for them all prepared. But then he even takes the fish that they bring and he uses that too. Yes, it'll all be used for their bliss.
Rather do we know the heart of our Lord Jesus Christ? You know we'll be all eternity discovering that the heart of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And.
Now I want to go down to just one or two points before we close the 19th verse.
This he spake, signifying by what death he should glorify. God. He tells Peter, You know, Peter had boasted that he would die with the Lord rather than deny him, but to save his life he denied him. And now Peter had been quite broken up over. And so the Lord says to him now, but Peter, I'm going to give you that which you lost.
And so he says.
The 18th verse describes his coming martyrdom.
Forth his hands and others had gird him and carry him with it He would not.
And now what does he say in the end of the 19th verse?
Another triplet, another 3 words linked together.
Rather, in their words, from the lips of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And their words to your heart and mind follow me.
Peter very characteristically gets occupied with John and what John was to do.
And then the Lord says again the 22nd verse. Jesus says unto him, If I will let he tarry till I come, the Lord had said.
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If I will let he tarry till I come. Peter thought that he meant he wouldn't die.
And that the disciples circulated that story, but it just says to Peter if I want him to live till I come.
What is that to you? Peter was minding John's business. What is that to be?
Follow thou me.
Now those 3 words.
Contain the Lord's direction to every disciple of this day.
We often get our eyes on others and.
See some whom we respected even in the truth, and we see them turn aside at times.
Brethren, it's no excuse for you or for me.
If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?
If someone turns aside, it's still true. What is that To thee follow thou me, You follow me. If we go to Second Timothy, we find the characteristic of the last days. It will be general departure from the truth.
But then he speaks to the man of God about continuing, holding on, going on faithfully. Brethren, you can't think of a condition that would be so bad that would ever give you or give me an excuse for not following the Lord. Now it's easy to say that. But when conditions pile up, sometimes we need to remind ourselves if we see certain ones turning aside, we become kind of dejected or depressed over.
Brethren, what is that to us?
Our responsibility is to the Lord and to Him alone.
What is that to thee? Follow thou me.
And so in the end of John's Gospel, it's a sort of a scene where the Lord Jesus is leaving the scene, He's walking off of the scene and he says to us, follow thou me.
Oh, are many things there are that would turn us aside from this one purpose of heart to follow Christ.
And if we are truly following him, and doing, all is unto him, and for his glory.
Other things I am sure will take on a lesser importance.
Now one more point.
The end of the 23rd verse and I'm through.
He said he should not die. He was correcting the mistaken idea that John wouldn't die.
But if I will that he tarry till I come.
What is that to thee now? There is another couple in there.
Till I come.
3 words that ring out above it all.
Till I come, the Lord does not rescind this word. Follow thou me, he said. I'm going away. He was going off the scene. But the one who said I will come again and receive you unto myself confirms it. Now as he leaves and said, I'm coming back, but till the very moment that I come.
Follow thou me, brethren, It may cost us something.
It may cost us a lot of difficulty at times, and if we're left in this world a little longer, we may suffer reproach for his name, even suffering for his name. For the devil is heading this world up into open rebellion against Christ.
And when he gets it all his way, religion, politics and all blended together.
For the devil's world and the culmination of man's days, man likes to boast about man's day. Brother Ernie Wakefield was telling me that they're getting ready for a sickness Centennial celebration in Canada and the whole theme of his man, man, man. Yes, it's man day and it will be super saved by the day of the Lord when he comes to.
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Break man in all his works to pieces.
But till I come, follow thou faith.
May the Lord encourages to go off a little while it's there. Had some brother in him.
Beg your pardon?
Thank you, 117.
Not to ourselves. We owe that we are God, as I am.
Jesus the Lord our night broke through.
And he was light divine.
Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. Blah.
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In view of this being the last meeting except the gospel.
In closing, may we also sing 286, just that one stanza.
In connection with the hope.
Of the Lord's coming and thy closing tripeth of our chapter till I come.
286.