Address—D. Spence
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Thing together, number 76 in the back of the book.
Thine Jesus Vine.
No more this heart and mind shall seek its joy apart from thee.
The world is crucified to me.
And I am fine.
Vine. Vine alone.
My joy, my hope, my crown.
Now earthly things may fade and die. They charm my soul no more for I and thine alone.
76 in the appendix.
Find Jesus.
Life.
Shall seek.
Could we turn Beloved to the 24th chapter of Luke?
The wonderful experience.
This morning we had was that of having.
None other.
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Then our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus Himself before our hearts. He is the one that will be in the midst of that throne as we read in Revelation chapter 5.
That we will be surrounding and occupied with for all eternity, and the wonderful blessing of being gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ is to have, as so many have spoken, just after the last meeting. We have a foretaste of that blessed scene in this world now.
Only as one brother was saying, just a few minutes ago, he said. Only then it will be wholehearted fellowship and praise without distraction, without any sense of weakness or temptations or feelings or reasonings that we are so often distracted with, encumbered by.
Because it will be each heart and every heart being filled with the spirit to such an outpouring.
Can you imagine the praise when we stood up and sung that last song? It was just a reminder of what the praises will be and the praise will be throughout all eternity.
And someone mentioned that when Paul was caught up to the 3rd heaven that he came back with words that were unlawful in the human tongue to speak because just the wonder of the glory of that person and of that scene struck him such that he could not repeat it in human language. It was impossible.
But it is a wonder of wonders.
To have in our lifetime.
Some little sense of what it's going to be in the glory with him and so soon to be realized. Beloved Saints looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. And we repeat those verses. We say He is coming and we know it doctrinally to be true.
But it is a spirit of God that awakens our hearts as to the nearness of that moment.
When he is coming for us.
Luke chapter 24 speaks of Jesus himself.
And I trust, as we just go over a few verses, that he himself will be so impressed upon our hearts and especially the speakers, that there would be a fresh sense of the beauty, the loveliness of his person, the glory, the love that he has displayed, Yes, at the cross, and yet continuously to you and me as we go through this life, and especially if we become discouraged, Beloved.
And how many times we're swallowed up with discouragement and self occupation and past experiences that have happened, that dragged us down and we weep and we cry and we sorrow because of these things. This chapter is given much to and we know this because we've heard this chapter so many times. And the simplicity, the simplicity of it perhaps adds to the beauty and significance of it to our hearts.
Because it speaks of one who came forth from the grave. And one of his first missions, of course we know, was to visit a sister who was weeping by the grave, who had no other place to be than in the presence of the one that had delivered her from 7 demons.
She had never, never met a power like that in her life, or a love like that that drew her to such an one. To deliver her from the awful oppression and possession of such a power. That man can't deal with it today. Impossible. And so to have him gone in her life. She only wanted to be Mary Magdalene, wanted to be where he was last seen in that sepulchre, and she would not leave that spot.
The other two disciples, as we know Beloved, went home. But here a sister's heart was so attached to one that had delivered her from a lifetime, perhaps of we don't know how long but a *******.
He has set her free and she served him and she knew that he loved her.
And she loved him. Thus he revealed himself to her first.
Wonderful.
At all. What joy filled her soul when she saw the reality of his resurrection? Then of course we know that.
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Peter was one that he had a second meeting with after his resurrection.
And not to go into those details, but here we find that when we're too discouraged disciples, Are there any discouraged disciples in the audience today, beloved?
These two were discouraged about something that you wouldn't think that would have necessarily discouraged them that much if they would have believed. Isn't that the way it is with us?
We say, well, we know all things work together for good to them that are called according to his purpose and so forth.
God is for us who can be against us. He's for us, and we repeat those scriptures. But how wonderful to have the sins of not just the scriptures, which is so important, but to show us that He will follow you and me whenever we stray or wander and get out of the way in any little bit. And if there are some that have come here to these meetings.
That are discouraged. Whatever the problem might be, the Lord Jesus Christ has followed you.
In love to fill your heart, not to change the circumstances necessarily.
But to fill your heart with himself.
Verse 13 of Luke 24 Behold, 2 of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem.
About 3 score furlongs and that's about 7 miles.
They were going away from God's center, beloved. And we know where God's center is today. It is where two or three are gathered together unto the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is not a physical place like it was in that day and they were going away, as we'll find a little bit later for a certain reason. It was because of their reasonings and unbelief that took them away from the company of believers there in Jerusalem.
But they were going to a place no doubt where their home was, or a home called Emmaus, and perhaps some of you know the meaning of that.
Term Emmaus.
It means earnest longing.
They were going away to a place where their home was maybe to settle down again. Things haven't worked out as they thought.
They were walking away from the testimony there in Jerusalem, those that they had been with and company with.
And enjoyed the new wondrous revelations of this blessed person, the Lord Jesus Christ. They were going down to Emmaus, to a place where there would be.
And earnest longing put within their hearts to return.
There may be some here and I know I've been in this in your position if it's true.
Who may be looking OK on the outside and everything is well as far as your brethren are concerned, but you have some real problems inside that you've never disclosed to anybody.
Outwardly, everything may look fine, but inwardly you're discouraged.
And we know, of course, as some have said, discouragement is never faith. But.
The blessed sympathy and company.
Of the Lord Jesus Christ understands how you feel.
And he is not only understanding how you feel, he wants to fill you with something that will far surpass any experience that you could ever have in this life. And that's not mysticism.
That is reality.
In the language of the Song of Solomon, it is he is altogether lovely.
Whether is thy beloved more than another beloved? The daughters of Jerusalem asked.
My beloved is the chiefest among 10,000.
He is all together lovely. You could have an experience or a relationship or a job or some kind of education in this world that people look for and they work for. That would raise you to heights of experience here that you would say would be the grandest thing in all your life.
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But there is no experience that would ever compare with or match.
The wonderful companionship of the Lord Jesus Christ, and being gathered to his precious name.
As we were this morning, knowing that he is just as much here, though we do not see him with the physical eye as he was when he stood in the midst. A little later on in this chapter he is in the midst. Beloved, it doesn't matter what we say, what we feel, or what we think. It is what the word of God says.
And they had left the place that was going to become the assembly.
Discouraged going to a place where their hearts would be changed.
But it was only because somebody followed them. Verse 14, they talked together. Of all these things which had happened, have you ever beloved brethren, been occupied with the past?
Is not a common malady with.
Humanity in general.
Is it not a common problem with Saints, especially because Satan puts in our minds? Well, think about what happened back in your life now. How do you reconcile with that concerning a God that loves you and you begin to question why things happened and why sorrow came into your life. A loved one was taken away.
In a moment, perhaps with no warning, someone hurt your feelings.
We talk about these things, do we not? We think about these things. The word of God says in Philippians chapter 3, forgetting the things which are behind. And the believer has the wondrous not only privilege, but power to forget the things which are behind. He is entitled to forget about everything but Christ. Now that may sound like some high doctrine, but it is a grand reality for the believer. Not only the older ones who are a little bit more mature, but four, the dear young people for a newly saved soul.
Have you ever seen one who came to Christ just newly born into the family of God and the joy that lifts them right up out of their circumstances?
And you say, well, they're just a babe.
Well, shame on me.
May we turn return to that childlike spirit of being obeyed in love with a parent, but in love with the Lord Jesus Christ someone mentioned in their prayer, perhaps at these meetings.
About the Church of Ephesus in Revelation chapter 2.
That fell, and it was a common failure in all of the churches that followed. I have somewhat against thee.
The Lord says to them.
Thou hast left.
Thy faithful service.
You have left.
Your missionary endeavors.
Is that what it says?
Thou hast left thy first love.
Beloved, if there was that desire in my heart to return to the joy of that love that he has for me, it's his love for me that brings me back in my response. And of course, we follow that wonderful sequel in The Song of Solomon. When the bride becomes discouraged or involved, she is revived and restored because of her thoughts of his love towards her.
And she seeks him because he loved her.
And he loves you and me, and He loved these, beloved. And they're talking about the past. The Lord Jesus does not want to occupy me with the past, or you with the past and your circumstances. You are entitled to forget about everything.
But Christ, now we're speaking about the things. There's nothing wrong with happy memories.
I have some very happy memories in this city, beloved.
And I want to tell you one of the reasons I have happy memories where my roots go down here in Des Moines. And that is because.
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I have many mothers and fathers.
In this blessed.
Assembly.
Mothers and fathers.
Who cared? Who loved?
Who showed kindness? Who opened their home and hearts?
It is a wonderful thing, the family of God, but I also have some bad memories.
In this place where I grew up.
But am I to dwell upon the bad memories?
Those things that humble my heart, are we to dwell on those things, beloved.
Paul's word to the Galatians was Ye did run well.
And what happens along the Christian pathway is, as we're running the race, so to speak.
With our eye on the goal, sometimes we look back and we think about things that have happened and bad experiences. They may be sinful problems.
Maybe even confess problems, but we lose sight of Christ.
There were two runners that were running, I don't even remember their name, years ago for the four minute mile competition and they were neck and neck close to the finish line. And the one look back, and this was in England, the one look back to see where his competition was and as he looked back to the right, the one passed him by on the left and he lost the race.
He that putteth his hand to the plough and looketh back is not fit for the kingdoms, Brethren. Doesn't mean we're going to be lost, but we'll lose something when we look back, or think back, or are occupied with the past. And it came to pass in verse 15 that while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near and went with him. We know, beloved, He will never leave you nor forsake you.
That is an actual fact. He will never let us go from that pierced hand that holds us.
But we may stray.
We may take ourselves out of the path of his choice. Or maybe we've never really found the path of history. Maybe you've grown up in the assembly like I have and took everything for granted. And I was telling somebody a little while ago, except it was for my friends that I had in the meeting. Because my parents, of course, wouldn't let me associate with with other friends in the neighborhood that I thought were OK. And really, down deep, I knew they weren't.
I just wanted to have some friends.
But had it not been from for the friendships and the love that I felt when I came into the circle of fellowship in the assembly, Had I not felt that, I don't know where I would have ended up today by the grace of God?
And thankful for the mothers and fathers. Spiritual mothers and fathers are so needful. And you folks are in assemblies where there is such a need for the expression of that spiritual care for those who may feel on the outer fringes. And there are some who are very sensitive about feeling the fact that they are on the outer fringes, and we need to take special steps to make them feel loved.
And I was one of those.
How long does it take us to learn the truth when it's so simple Now I knew.
Having had religious seminars going on in my high school, which was in Madrid, Iowa, about 30 miles from here.
And they would have somebody come and preach. And I knew there was something wrong with one man standing up before an audience. I just knew that as a child growing up in the assembly, my father, my grandfather, had a meeting in his home, as many of you know, in this area around Madrid, IA.
But I knew just from the principles that I had been taught in simplicity and you, children.
Know that there is something wrong when only one man ministers to a company of the Lord's people.
There's nothing wrong with ministering to the Lord's people through one voice. But when we're gathered around a man, if he does not, Jesus does not preside. There is something wrong. And if that's all you know, remember that you'll grow in the Word and in the truth. God, who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. And sometimes, and I know it was this way with me when I was younger, The Assembly was born.
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Is it boring to you, beloved children?
Wouldn't it be nice in your thoughts? It wasn't mine if you could move in a little music.
And have some things that would help our singing a little bit.
A little better organization, maybe some clubs and different things to do and activities.
These are the arrangements of.
Man that has brought in those things to make sure that we are entertained and we are attracted, and we love our beloved brethren wherever they are.
They're God's people. They are the sheep of his pasture.
But what a place.
And Speaking of the race, is it not true? Brethren and I asked this question following the character of things in Hebrews chapter 13.
Where it says, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him.
Endured the cross, despising the shame and the verse just before that speaks about let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. The race in Hebrews is not a race to see how well we function in a missionary capacity, or how well we we fare, and general faithfulness to the Lord.
All those things are good, and in our growth in the things of God all those things are good in their place. But in Hebrews is it not true If we follow that truth to the 13th chapter, verse 13, it says, going forth therefore unto him without the camp bearing his reproach.
The human form that Judaism.
Took those early believers were to go outside of that system of things. And the human form that Christianity has taken today is similar. It's an extension in a certain sense of the human government organization that has come into Christianity. We are not to be a part of according to the word and beloved are we running the race in that capacity? I ask my heart the question. I wasn't when I was your age.
I didn't know anything about it.
Is it important to him who loved us and gave himself for us?
Here were souls that were wandering away. They were discouraged, they were reasoning and Jesus said what manner of communications are these that you have one with another and walk and are sad? Are you saddened because you can't be like some of your Christian friends around you and do what they do and go where they go. They have liberty to do a lot of things.
I was talking to a cousin of mine just a few weeks ago.
Who came to visit with me? I love her. She was once in fellowship.
Her and her husband.
Loved by our family and the Saints, useful in the things of the Lord.
And she said. Well, you understand that.
My children have to have some entertainment and activities and so they go to dances in the community where they live.
Please understand what I'm saying, beloved. It is such a blessing to me to come to an assembly where I see the healthy, joyful spirit of young people coming together, wanting to be together, to have fellowship together. It may not always be, as we said yesterday, talking about the things of the Lord.
But being together, having recreation together, young people's meetings together, singing together, it will preserve you from a multitude of ills and evils in this world beloved.
And yet, if we were to go outside to some of our beloved brethren and other places, where are the boundaries?
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Come out from among them and be separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing. Young people. My heart goes out to you, and I know your parents and beloved brethren and shepherds here go out to you because of what you come into contact with in your schools.
What you hear?
What they talk about, what they joke about and everything is a free for all. I know things are different now than when I went to school.
If anything goes, is it? Isn't it true anything goes?
And it would take just a simple invitation accepted by you.
To fall into the same path and perhaps be taken away.
From the path you know to be the right path and the company of friends to be the right friends, you may never return. There was a sister who was.
Raised in a Christian home.
In the assembly.
She left as a teenager.
She was gone for 50 years.
And she returned.
50 or 55 years later I don't remember which to the Lord's table and said.
I have missed 50 years of my life because I left the place where He is in the midst. This is the importance of a portion like this. Beloved, the Lord Jesus Christ will seek your strained heart and affections because he is not happy.
To have you missing in that chair, as somebody mentioned.
Your seat is empty if you leave the Lord's table. He loves you and He loves me. May we love one another. May we seek those who are strained, if there are indications of discouragement, dissatisfaction, or, as we had yesterday, an offense.
Can we not bring them back to the Lord? It's wonderful how the Lord brings these back to himself.
And to the brethren.
He knows your sadness. He's concerned about your sadness. He is the only one, beloved.
That can make you happy, And I know it says in Psalm chapter One, Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, sitteth not in the seed of the scornful, or standeth in the way of sinners. It is an unconditional blessedness. The presence of the Lord in your life, in his presence is fullness of joy. At his right hand are pleasures forevermore. Now we say, well, that's going to be nice when we reach home, no?
When you come into that wonderful relationship of knowing that you you belong.
To him, let it capture your heart for a lifetime.
Take up your cross daily and follow him. The Bible says if any man serve me, let him go his own way. Is that what it says? John, chapter 12. If any man serve me, let him follow me.
The man bearing the pitcher of water, and we know the story, is the man, the Spirit of God. The pitcher of water, the word of God leads to where Jesus was in the upper room with his disciples. That's where he wants you to be beloved, gathered to his precious name. No matter what happens, do not leave.
You may say it would just be easier to give away and go away or move away from some of the problems I've had and discouragements than to have to deal with those things. Beloved, you'll never solve the problem that way, and the Lord knows it. But we don't, we think, just to get away and maroon ourselves somewhere and live like a hermit. And some people do that, Christians.
It will only deepen the sadness and the regret in your life.
The little distance that came into Peter's life came in because of his self-confidence. A little. A very small kind of problem, was it not self-confidence though? He said. Others will not die with thee. Lord, I will. I'll even go to prison.
Doesn't make any difference. He wanted to be the first in the Kingdom. That's where the separation came in. And then it says he followed him afar off, beloved. And when we follow and I have when I follow him afar off, something comes in a little bigger than the fox that is nibbled at the vine. It's a giant that comes in and takes my heart away. Many times with Peter, thankfully there was weeping bitterly because of his sin.
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And confession of it, and a self judgment of it. And he was brought back. He was rescued by a loving heart of the Savior, who was seeking to rescue these. Verse 18 one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering, said unto him.
Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass?
There in these days, it's a wonderful thing, brother. Just go down in these verses and to see how much the Lord Jesus Christ has to say, as we've all heard before, this wonderful listening ear and heart to let you and me and these unburden their heart to one who knows how to fix the problem.
Is a wonderful thing. He knows how to fix the problem in your life.
You come here with a burden. I know some of you have come here with a burden and a sorrow in your heart that's kind of kept you from enjoying the meetings and times together here. Maybe you don't have too many friends.
Maybe you feel alone, a sister told me. If you don't mind me saying it.
When I arrived here, when she came to California, she just didn't have too many friends. She didn't have a real good time.
Didn't seem like we were too friendly from California. I apologize for my part in contributing to the lack of friendliness.
And these are real issues, beloved. They really are. They're real issues to reach out to others beyond our circle.
That we're so comfortable with and accustomed to, to reach out and touch a life and say come on with us, We want you to be part of our group. We'd enjoy to have your company. This is the heart of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Verse 19 And he said unto them.
What things?
And they said unto him, concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty indeed, and word before God and all the people how much they are going to say. And it's about 7 verses they have to say.
And the amount of time that the Lord took up of course was about 3 hours probably, and speaking with them. But in scripture he speaks about one verse and they unburden their heart in about 7.
Verse 20 And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death.
And have crucified him, but we trusted.
That is reasoning beloved Saints.
Are your circumstances such in your life that you thought that things were going to workout differently than they have? It's certainly true in my life.
Have you had your mind made-up about a partner for life and it didn't workout?
Or about a goal that you have set on for this life and it hasn't worked out. Or a job.
Or living in a certain place.
Or just a simple thing like friendships?
Many times our lives are detoured.
Because he wants the road to turn to where he is, to where we can find him and all the resources we have to turn to our friends or whatever. There's nothing wrong with good friends. It's wonderful and I thank the Lord for them.
But he wants.
Our hearts.
He knows how to get our attention, his providential arrangement.
Of our lives.
Is not many times his perfect will, but there is a providential arrangement.
Even when we fail and fall, he allows those circumstances to bring us, in a certain sense, into a more vital and wonderful and loving relationship with himself than we could have ever had before.
That is the heart of God, even when David fell like he did.
He was perhaps a more dedicated, devoted servant and king afterwards. After such failure, have you failed in your life and you say it's no use? I have wasted years. I have fallen to such extent, that extent I'm just an unprofitable person and you feel like your life will never be worth anything to Jesus. That's not the kind of God we have.
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We trusted.
That it had been he which should have redeemed Israel. And beside all this, today is the third day since these things were done. Yeah, and certain women also.
Of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre.
And when they found not his body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels which said that he was alive.
And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre and found it Even so, as the women had said.
But they saw him not.
I just like to say this, beloved. They had no business.
In a mess.
Are we going outside our circle to find a better place to fellowship when we know? And I knew down deep in my heart, really, though, I didn't know very much when I was young.
I knew it was the wrong path to do that.
I met a man once that reminded me so much of our brother Albert. Hey, hone. He was such a an exuberant, happy Christian.
And we were able to invite him to come to some of the meetings and he seemed to enjoy being in the assembly. And then he said one day he said, I just want to show my wife that Christianity is a thing of equal exchange. Please come and spend some time with me at my church.
We lost his friendship.
It was the hardest thing to do.
In my life.
To tell someone.
That I'm gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I can't go back and rebuild the things which I knew.
Were wrong.
Oh, as a boy, I went to church with my grandmother. I enjoyed all of those things they had to offer. I knew Beloved.
It was wrong.
Verse 25 then, he said.
Now this is the perhaps the more appropriate thought.
All fools which should be those who overreact.
By their emotions. Have you ever overreacted because of your emotions about things, got upset and walked away and and become discouraged?
This is really what he was saying.
But you believe not all that the prophets have spoken.
Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself?
I connect those two verses, beloved brethren.
Did he not speak in the Old Testament of those things that looked forward to his sufferings? Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, these things?
And to have entered into his glory, undoubtedly speaking about the things he suffered.
But I wonder if those scriptures that he referred to in the Old Testament.
That spoke so deeply to their hearts and moved them in such a way as we'll find out.
Were concerning his sufferings. I wonder if it was a verse like he was wounded for my transgressions He was bruised for my iniquities the chastisement of my peace was upon him, and by his stripes were healed. All we, like sheep have gone astray, and the Lord hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied. I don't know the scriptures that He gave them, but He expounded unto them.
Beginning at Moses and all the prophets, the things concerning Himself.
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Undoubtedly, there must have been something concerning his sufferings.
That moved their souls. It brought himself before them. And have you ever been overtaken in a fault or a fall?
Where you have been so humbled, you sat down and you thought about how he suffered for that sin and for that problem.
As those who were perhaps in in the Egypt, and they were eating the lamb roast with fire, it's the deep feeling of the sufferings of Christ within the soul that moved the heart's affections towards his great love. As we think of his love that caused him to go to such depths, it will bring such joy and peace to the soul and humbling and brokenness of spirit.
Nothing like it, beloved.
And you get up from your knees and you feel like 100 lbs has been taken off of your shoulders. You feel the joy of His presence once again having returned, because it is the joy. It is the the Lord that restoreth your soul through His word and through his sufferings that he reminds us of, that we have contributed to.
In what we have done or what we have said or offending somebody.
Here we have himself. It was Jesus himself that drew near. Here we have it is the things concerning Himself. And in verse 36 it is. And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst. It is Jesus himself for all eternity, beloved, that we're going to have. What would heaven be without Jesus himself?
Who gave himself?
For our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil world. The Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it.
The man Christ Jesus.
A man.
God manifest in the flesh, but become a man, a body. Hast thou prepared me? Lo, I come to do thy will, oh God.
Taketh away the 1St and he may establish the 2nd.
And by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.
One offering this man the man Christ Jesus, the one that we belong to by faith we're part of the church, but such a favored part in a certain sense. Beloved, I walked into the room of dear Sister Chapter Brown's wife.
Many years ago when she came to California.
And she looked at me as, you know, brethren, she could do many of you here who knew her. And she said, you have such a wonderful heritage.
Like Brother, Ron mentioned that in his prayer the other day.
Have you ever thought about being born into the household of a king?
We have.
His presence, the truth.
That has won your heart and mind, brother, Jim emphasized the other day.
Know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. But the truth will lead us to bow at the glory of the sun. And if the sun shall make you free, you shall be free. Indeed, it's the hearts affections drawn to the Son who is in the midst. Beloved, when we give that up, we'll be at Bay to do our own will, to go where we want to do. And I could do that. I could make choices that naturally might make me feel better in some situations. That is my flesh.
But it's the wrong path, beloved. These were on the wrong path. They got their feet washed.
Brother Jim mentioned yesterday I appreciated her the day before about getting the feet washed.
If presenting Christ to the heart, and these had a three hour lecture from the Son Himself, occupying 2 discouraged hearts with his love and his sufferings, and that he was going to rise again.
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What did they do?
Do they immediately turn around and run away back to Jerusalem? No.
It says They deny unto the village whether they went and made as though he would have gone. They he would have gone, he made as though he would have gone further.
But they constrained him.
They constrained him, saying, abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent, and he went in to tarry with them.
When you get your feet washed by the precious love and grace of Christ, you want His company.
Personally in your life and in the assembly.
There's nothing like his company, beloved. I didn't know much about it at all when I was your age. Age of many young people here.
We're going to spend eternity in his company.
They're compelled now to invite him in. They were wandering hearts at first.
And discouraged hearts. They were listening hearts, and now they are compelling hearts to invite this one into their company. And Jesus breaks bread.
Perhaps, and we know it wasn't the Lords Supper, but as a reminder of what he had asked them to do, no doubt.
We don't know if they saw the nail scars on his hands, as we've said before, but just recognize that he had instituted as our brother reminded us this morning.
As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you show the Lord's death till he come.
They knew that he had done that and when he had done that, it says.
Came to pass verse 30.
He sat at meet with him, and he took bread and break it, and blessed it, and break it, and gave to them and their eyes.
Were opened, they became believing hearts.
Have your eyes become open, beloved as to the truth and reality of the Lord Jesus Christ in the midst when that happens, and maybe there's an impediment in your heart, Maybe something happened concerning one of the divisions or problems. I don't know. The Lord knows what it is, but it's that impediment that is lodged there, that will not allow you to go over around it, above it, until you just simply surrender it.
To the Lord Jesus Christ.
And say, Lord, show me thy way.
And thy Presence the truth as you have it in your word, the.
And stop resisting. Surrender it to him. He will show. Your eyes will be opened. You'll be a believing heart. Their eyes were open and they knew him, and he vanished out of their sight.
And they said one to another, did not our heart burn within us while he talked with us? By the way, there we have burning hearts, beloved, A sister came to me at the after one of the meetings and she said another wonderful time that we're having my heart just burning within me. Why is that? Because there's such good ministers of the word that we've we've heard here at the conference. Thank the Lord for our brethren.
It is a power of the Spirit of God taking the things of Christ and showing them to us. And we know that the Spirit of God dwells in the.
In the house I know that in the Church in general, but gathered to his precious name, where the Spirit of the Lord there is liberty, and there is liberty for that heart to be blessed and encouraged with these wonderful things, and the glories and the person, the loveliness of Christ, perhaps like no other Beloved.
And the heart will burn. And when the heart burns, you're going to return.
You'll want to go on with him.
We have just a little time left these that day, that night went all the way back. They walked 14 miles. It was nothing to them to traverse that same pathway all over again.
But their hearts burned while he talked with us, by the way, and he opened the scriptures to them, and they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the 11 gathered together.
Where two or three are gathered together, and we know this followed when the Spirit of God came down.
Unto my name there am I in the midst of them.
00:55:01
Verse 34 saying the Lord is risen indeed and hath appeared to Simon.
And they told what things were done in the way and how he was known of them in breaking of bread. Our brother yesterday, if I can close with this thought.
Mention about 7 things.
That he'd enjoyed in Matthew chapter 18 and verse 20. And I don't know if I'm going to repeat these seven things exactly.
As he had them upon his heart. But that short little verse is so blessed and so wonderful. And if you get just that verse in your heart, and you say, Lord, show me the truth, open my heart to believe it, and surrender to it, He will show you.
7 principles in that little verse that have been brought before us by our faithful brethren in times past. For where the divine place?
Two or three, the divine testimony, I.
Are gathered divine separation. It is not easy, beloved Saints.
To separate from family members. Sometimes to be faithful to what you know in the word is true.
But he will bless you for it, no matter what the barriers are and the relationships are. Do you want his blessing? Do I want his blessing?
Gathered together divine unity.
Unto my name divine authority.
You say it's difficult in the assembly. When we receive, we have to put away.
It's his authority. It's his table, beloved. It's the authority of his word we exercise.
I know where my children go, two of my children. Things go on there that are just let let go. They pass and they all partake of the Lord's Supper.
They're not at the Lord's table, though.
There am I.
The Divine Person, Jesus himself.
In the midst.
Of them the divine center.
There is no other beloved How can we have two rival centers? There is only one.
Jesus is that center.
And I would be wrong if I said you must come and do what I'm doing or what brother so and so and sister so and so is doing the place they go to. No, this is what the Word of God teaches.
It's not what the Brethren teach, it's what the Word of God teaches.
And if you follow the Word, and you are exercised about what the Word of God says and the way it leads you to himself, you'll have the blessing. Could we sing, just perhaps?
And closing 283.
283.
And I'll just read the 1St 3 verses. We'll sing just the last verse when we survey the Wondrous cross.
On which the Lord of glory died our richest gain we count but loss and poor contempt on all our pride forbid it, Lord, that we should boast saving the death of Christ our God. All the vain things that charm us most, we sacrifice them to his blood. There from his head his hands his feet, sorrow and love flowed mingled down did air such love and sorrow meet, or thorns compose so rich.
A crown.