Address—S. Jacobsen
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And I believe that there's a tune that we can break at the end of five and then at the end of the meeting to sing verses 6 through 10. So that's number 76 and we'll sing the 1St 5 verses.
'Cause I got directly stranger.
And no, no every day.
Look to God for his blessing our God.
Let's turn first to Genesis 11, and after we've turned to that chapter, I want to give you an outline of what I have in my heart.
Genesis 11.
And verse 27.
Genesis 11 and verse 27.
What I have in my heart is to take up the lives and because of the limitation of time it will be in a very cursory manner. I like to take up the life of lot.
In connection with the aspect of having association with Abraham.
But no attachment.
I'd like to take up the story of Jonathan in connection with attachment to David, but no association. And then to move into the New Testament and take up a little of the life of Timothy. And he had with respect to the Apostle Paul, association and definitely attachment. So let's go back and we'll try to proportion our time. So it will be very cursory.
Genesis 11 verse 27. Now these are the generations of Terra. Tera begat Abram, Nahor and Heron and Heron begat.
Locked, locked down in the 12Th chapter. Now the Lord has said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country.
And from thy kindred and from my father's house, unto a land that I will show thee, and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great. And thou shalt be a blessing, And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee. And in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken unto him, And Lot went with him. And Abram was 70 and five years old when he departed out of Heron. And Abram took Sarai his wife, his wife and Lot.
His brother's son and all their substance that they had gathered and in, and the souls that they had gotten inherent.
And they went forth to go into the land of Canaan, and into the land of Canaan they came.
Every time up to the time of the separation in a chapter or two that we hear of Abram, we hear of Lot. And the exercise that I would like to lay on you that I have on my heart is that I want to mention ahead of time what I believe to be true. There is not one word recorded that Lot ever spoke to Abraham. We don't find that Lot speaks until the two angels.
Come to him as he's sitting in the gate of Sodom. Not until then do we hear any words that Lot has to say with Abram. And to think of the blessing that God bestowed upon Abraham, Abraham, and to think of the association he must have known, Lot must have known something of what God had been speaking to Abram about. And you know, brethren.
It speaks to my heart that there may be the tendency in my heart to have an association with the Lord's people and with the Lord without really attachment to Christ.
There are young people, there are middle-aged people, there are older people that have long been associated with gathered Saints and there is an association.
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Without.
Attachment. Now, attachment to our brethren is very, very important. But I believe that the attachment that you and I have to the person of Christ is really what God is seeking to work. In each of our hearts there are young people, as we had last night, a very faithful gospel message that that they've come under the sound of the word and I wonder association.
Association, but no attachment. Let's go on to the 12Th chapter.
13th chapter and the fifth verse.
See sooner or later.
An association.
Requires some kind of commitment, whether we want it or not. And so we find that in the 13th chapter and starting with the fifth verse, there have been blessings. There have been material blessing to Abraham and to Lot. And notice the circumstances and Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents, and the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together, for their substance was great, so they could not dwell together.
And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of lots cattle and the Canaanite. The Perazite dwelled then in the land.
Now, I didn't say that Abram never talked a lot, but see, there was never a dialogue.
And that's what God desires of Maine, desires of you in connection with.
The things of God. God is not only speaking to us, but He wants us to.
Dialogue, He wants us to understand. He wants us to be attached. Now notice what Abram says in the eighth verse. Lot let there be no strife. I pray thee is not the whole land before thee. Dropping down to the ninth verse, separate thyself, I pray thee from me. If thou will take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if thou depart the right hand, then I will go to the left.
Wouldn't have been an appropriate time for Lot to say. You're the elder, you're asking me to make a decision. I'm going to let you make the decision, and I'll take what's left. But it doesn't say that. And Lot lifted up his eyes and beheld all the plain of Jordan that it was well watered everywhere before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord.
Like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.
We left out, not purposely, but for the sake of time. We left out the journey that Abram made with Lot down to Egypt now, dear Saints of God, myself included, each one of us, regardless of our age, if we're a believer, regardless of our gift, regardless of our knowledge of scripture, have a sphere of influence around which there is someone that is being influenced.
By our behavior, be it negative or positive, Abram was recovered.
Apparently because it says that the place of the altar in the 13th chapter in the fourth verse. So he came back and he had his tent and he had his Alder. But what about Lot? He was imprinted with the the value to be stamped upon. Not what God had given, but what he saw with his eyes. And so he lifted up his eyes and he beheld all that plain. Not one word recorded that Lot said to Abram.
And you can visualize that he must have said something. But you know, I believe that the absence in scripture.
Of Lot saying anything to Abram only accentuates that there was number real communion. There was no real fellowship between Abram and Lot. Let me venture a question that we can't answer from the Old Testament was Lot a righteous man. And you quickly say, well, I'm glad you said the Old Testament because the New Testament tells us that he was just, he vexed his righteous soul from day-to-day. You know, but believe me.
If we're gathered to the Lord's name, individually gathered, and there is not that attachment to the things of God if it's merely an association.
We do well.
Ask ourselves a leading question. What is it that's hindering the communion that God desires for me to have? It may be worldliness. It may be a desire for those colored pages in many newspapers that you can pull out. And it's the sports section. They know that many people are far more interested. And they're not interested in Bosnia. They're interested in the.
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Latest scores or who's going to be hired from from the pool of available people?
From college. So it's the sports section and you know.
We, because of dietary needs, don't have sugar in our house.
But if we did had candy and I offered you some candy before, my wife would give up, give you a meal and she noticed that you'd lost your appetite, she'd say afterwards. You know, brother, so and so didn't have an appetite, you'd think my food wasn't well prepared. And I'd have to say I offered him some of the finest chocolates that I know of on the market and she'd say.
Why did you do that?
And that's the way it is with our spiritual appetites. You know, there's a simple word that sometimes is used called anorexia. It's a very simple word. Take the 1St letter, which is A and in Greek that means without, and the rest of it means appetite. And so the word really means without appetite. And there are reasons for you and for me not to have an appetite.
For the word of God.
There are several reasons. One is you may be dead. You may not know Christ as your Savior. The other is.
That you have spoiled your appetite. And a third reason and I.
Think it's a beautiful way. Reason for not having an appetite is that I just got through eating the word of God. And give me a little time and I'll have an appetite again for the word of God. See, Lot was a man under *******. Bondi, that's a subject all of its own *******. But he never he had association with Abraham, but he had no fellowship. He had no communion now.
Let's turn to the 14th chapter and we must hasten.
The 12Th verse.
See. He pitched his tent towards Sodom.
Many dwelt in Sodom, but in the affairs of this world.
Nothing is static, not even the glaciers on Mount Rainier.
Take a picture 70 years ago and a picture now. The glaciers have receded. Nothing stays the same. Notice the 12Th verse of the 14th chapter. They took they came and they invaded Sodom and Gomorrah. They took lot Abrams brothers son who dwelt in Sodom and his goods.
And departed. But you know God is going to use Abram, and it tells me.
Down in the 16th verse that he Abram brought back all the goods and also brought again his brother Lot.
And his goods and the women also, and the people. Then I'm going to ad Lib. I'm going to extrapolate beyond scripture. And Lot was so grateful for that deliverance that he said, oh, I want to go back with you. And I want not only association, but I want communion. It doesn't say that it would be contrary to the guidance of the Spirit because it doesn't say it. But wouldn't it have been an appropriate time for Lot to have said that you longed that he would have said.
I see it. I see it. I see it. I was wrong. And you know, God gives you and he gives me an opportunity in our lives.
To turn around.
God speaketh once, yeah twice, and as young people.
As middle-aged people, as older people, he gives us an opportunity.
To say I made a mistake.
Let's turn to the 19th chapter.
And there we find the most despicable condition that a righteous man could be in.
He is in Sodom.
And he's probably in the gate of Sodom the first verse. That means he had a position.
I've seen some signs and they didn't mean anything to me because I'm not from this county. I'm from Jefferson County in Colorado. But somebody is running for sheriff and I can just see.
Lot is running for a political office and it became so popular that he was elected.
And so now there are two that come to him.
And he gives the feeling that he's a pious man because he made them a feast in the third verse of our 19th chapter. And he did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.
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Unleavened bread.
God hates mixtures.
You and I as believers, are in a scene that has taken on somewhat greatly the character of Sodom and Gomorrah. But we're in this world, but we're not of it and all that. The pleadings of the Spirit of God through the Word would encourage your heart and mind to maintain that sanctified position that we need so carefully to wend our way through this weary, weary world.
What was the end of Lot?
I don't think it tells us when he died.
But years later, we could find Moab and Ammon.
As the continual implacable, full of the children of Israel locked.
Their father. He had association with Abram, the man of faith.
And nothing of it rubbed off, believe me, being associated with the Lord's people.
Very little rubs off, as it were. What God intends is for us not to have things that are rubbed off from somebody, but he wants us to to have it from the word of God ourselves, with due respect for every recording of scripture for computers that you can call up any verse.
There is no real substitute for what in computer language is called.
A hard copy.
The written word of God. Read it and evaluate above your necessary portion. Let's leave lot association without fellowship and his life ended up.
A disaster. Let's go to Jonathan in one Samuel 13.
What kind of a man was Jonathan?
Well, you'd say he was Saul's son.
Was he like Saul? Well, I don't think so.
The third verse of the 13th chapter tells us that Jonathan smote the Garrison of the Philistines that was in Giba, and the Philistines heard of it. Now let's go to the 14th chapter. We're trying to get a picture of what kind of a man Jonathan was now in the 14th.
To his young man that bare his armor, come and let us go over unto the Garrison of these uncircumcised, it may be that the Lord will work for us, for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few.
We naturally, spiritually, naturally. We're drawn to Jonathan. You know, He was a lovely person, Admirable. He stood apart.
From the schizophrenic attitude that his father had.
Had independent thoughts, but he got those thoughts from God.
You know there may be.
I hesitate to say it.
But there are young people here, and I know of young people that come from a divided home.
And yet, because of the influence of either a father or a mother, they can thankfully say.
Maybe not entirely truly, but they can say they come from a Christian home.
Can Jonathan say he came from a God fearing home? Well, I don't think so, but this is the kind of man he was. Now let's turn to the 18th chapter with with what we've learned about Jonathan.
And here is the first time that he meets.
David.
David.
Upon meeting David, what are the sentiments that the Spirit of God gives us that Jonathan has?
Let's read it first. Samuel 18 verse one. And it came to pass when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul.
That means David speaking to Saul after the Philistine had been killed, that the soul of Jonathan was met with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him of his own soul.
This is attachment, This is affection, this is communion. But if we were to stop right now and go on to Timothy, but we don't desire to, you know the story.
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I'm not going to say he wouldn't, because that's designating A motive to Jonathan. All we can say is that he never did separate himself from his father's house and yet to the very end. And we're going to find the portion where David and Jonathan meet for the last time. And then the first chapter of Second Samuel is where David laments. But we're anticipating.
He never disassociated himself physically.
From his father's house.
But he had affection. There's a dear man that lives. We live in townhouse Roe.
And over Yonder around the corner there is a townhouse where there is a dear Christian man.
He saw me working in the front of my yard and happened to see a Bible verse and he said.
That where you live, dear man. One day he came by and he had a notebook, and I don't think he was trying to show off. He had a notebook and he showed me.
People that he was praying for to be saved. He had spent like 20 years in Scandinavia with the.
A group from Colorado Springs That hit doesn't hit me right now. Navigators. Dear man, lovely.
Attachment to Christ.
Beautiful. Lovely.
Attachment, affection. But to think of what it would mean if I was to, like they said this afternoon about Gordon this morning, speak into that person. It's almost like you disturbed. It's like putting a detergent oil in a car that has only known non detergent. It's not going to do it any good. But you know there are those that respond. And so here is a dear Christian that has association, another has attachment, another neighbor.
Dear man, dear man.
Attachment to Christ. But you know, attachment to the Lord Jesus has to do with an understanding of what God's purposes are in the day in which we live. What is it that God is doing in this dispensation?
Gather together into one all the people of God that are scattered abroad, you say, Oh, that's the one body. Indeed it is. But then there's the expression of the one body.
Let's go on.
20th chapter.
35th 1St.
A tender tender scene, and it came to pass in the morning that Jonathan went out into the field at the time, appointed with David, and a little lad with him, 41St 1St. And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place towards the South, and fell on his face to the ground and bowed himself three times. And they kissed one another and wept one with another until David exceeded.
And Jonathan said today that go in peace, for as much as we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord be between me and thee, and between thy seed, and thy my seed, and thy seed forever.
And he arose, and departed.
And Jonathan?
Went into the city.
Next chapter.
Let me ask a question as if you didn't know it, as if I didn't know it. This is The Cave of a dollum.
Where was Jonathan, you say? Well, brother, I'm not sure Scripture explicitly says.
But at least we know that he wasn't with David.
He had gone into the city, so let's read a few verses, 22nd chapter. David therefore departed thence and escaped to The Cave of Dullum, and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him.
And everyone that was in distress, and everyone that was in debt, and everyone that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him, and he became a captain over them. And there were with him about 400 men. What had been beautiful, if Jonathan would have said, my father, is the cause of this man having to be haunted as a Partridge. I'm going to sever my position, my place, my affection for my father, because I also have been so attracted by David that I want to be associated with him.
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But he didn't.
The last of the 23rd chapter.
And this is the last encounter.
Let me find it.
Let's let's. Thank you. Let's start with 16. But that's the portion. Thank you very much. And Jonathan Saul's son arose and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God. Now notice these words. And he said unto him, Fear not for the hand of Saul, My father shall not find thee.
One hesitates not from a lack of known English how to read. But it's so sad. And thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee. And that also saw my father know. And they too made a covenant before the Lord. And David abode in the wood, And Jonathan went to his house.
He was attached to David to the very end, and he expressed his heart with all of the fullness of God's purposes concerning David. And he wanted to be with David. But there was one thing lacking.
He did not, I'm not going to say would not, did not sever himself from his father's house. Now the first chapter of of First Samuel in the first chapter of Second Samuel.
And just one verse.
There's doctrinal points that are brought out and things of practice and.
And all in this moment, but I just want to zero in on.
One verse, and I believe that this expresses the sentiment that David had.
With all of the attachment that he knew that Jonathan had, he expressed what was the root of it in this verse. Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided.
They were swifter than Eagles, they were stronger than lions. And we might say, and I don't like it exactly, but just to give the thought, even in their death they were not divided. So we've had lot who had definite association but no attachment. We have had Jonathan that had attachment, the likes of which that we want it for the expression of our own hearts.
In attachment to Christ.
But Jonathan ended up dead upon Mount Gilboa and never lived to see David anointed king. He wanted to be with David. He knew David was going to be king.
And he wanted to be with him.
Let's go on to Timothy chapter of Philippians.
There is no doubt in our hearts, any of us of an age, that.
No, just the the minimum about Timothy that he had both attachments and association with Paul.
And we could take Paul as an example of that which God has given us.
And the riches of his beloved Son in all of the things that we know in this dispensation.
And so we take the liberty of using Paul as an example of what we should be attached to, though it's the truth that Paul presented. It's of Christ. What is Philippians 2 Say?
19 First, I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort when I know your state get confidence in that man. They had association, they had attachment. What does it say for? For I have no man like minded, who cares with genuine desire. How ye get on is the way it reads. For I have no man like minded, who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own.
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Not the same.
Which are Jesus Christ.
Penetrating, isn't it?
I'm standing here speaking, but if I was to raise my hand and say, oh brethren, that's so true of me, someone would cry out, put your hand down.
And not a one of us can say.
We don't seek her own.
All seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ. For one person is this.
For another person, it's that. For another person, it's something else. And each one of them.
Is something that spoils spiritual appetite.
Appetite, appetite. You know, in the things of nature it probably is not too good to be overweight.
But to be fat and worshiping in a spiritual sense?
Is encouraged and so have an appetite for the word of God.
You know the easily the things of this world spoil that appetite. I remember telling someone about divulging who it is.
If you want to be restored.
You develop.
Usage and appetite for the word of God.
Comes no other way. I'm sorry for what I did. I wish I hadn't.
I made a mess in my life. Those are platitudes. But if there is that God-given desire for the reading of the word of God.
And let it penetrate. Let it, let it comfort, let it die. There's going to be restoration. Now let's go to first Timothy, the first chapter, and the second verse.
Just for an expression, first Timothy I chapter, second verse. Obviously we could have taken the whole time in catching with Timothy. It says in first Timothy one verse 2 unto Timothy my own son.
In the face.
Have you ever been used of God to lead someone to Christ?
And they've come into the assembly.
You're thankful you realize that the work is of God.
And then something comes in and they wander away.
No more interest in the things of God.
To think of what it must have meant to Paul to have someone that was saved through his preaching and to desire the things of God as Timothy did. Unless I'm mistaken that there are 8 epistles that were either 2.
Timothy from Paul or to others with Timothy's name. Can you imagine? And you know, if we have any desire to be like Timothy, we can't write other books in the Bible. But let me put it this way. You can appropriate everything that Timothy has. You can appropriate first and Second Timothy. We did a a beautiful job, if I can put it that way, an encouraging job of appropriating some of Second Timothy to ourselves.
We can appropriate the other books that were written with Timothy's name to think of it to be a sole associated, so attached to the things of God that we value the word of God like Timothy did.
One last verse in First Thessalonians, the third chapter.
And the sixth verse.
Just to show a little bit of the spirit that that Paul had, and Timothy shared in First Timothy, 1St Thessalonians, 3, and verses 5:00 and 6:00, And then we're through for this 'cause when I could no longer for bear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labor be in vain. But now when Timotheus came from you unto us.
And brought us good tidings of your faith and love, and that you have good remembrance of us always A desiring greatly to see us as we also to see you. Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you and all our affliction and distress by your faith. For now we live, If you stand fast to the Lord, to think of how he had an association with with Timothy, Paul did, And there was that oneness of spirit that he could send Timothy.
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To find out about them in this beautiful.
So in conclusion, which do you believe is the richest?
Path of faith that of lot.
Is a righteous man.
Of Jonathan.
Or Timothy, May God in his grace that works in each individual heart, by the power of the Spirit through the word of God, exercise us that we could take, We would take no other position by marvelous grace and that of Timothy, who was both attached and associated with Paul.
The last five verses of #76 in the desert God will teach thee what the God that thou hast found. Patient, gracious, powerful, holy. All is gracious. There abound. This is hymn #76 starting with verse 6.
Oh yeah. Oh yeah.
In thy mouth, and warm down.
Standing.
Thou shalt take all mercy.
They're all Granger.
Water without me.
Strangers.
The man's ground children.
One last entreaty that I want it to be your entreaty for me and my entreaty for you.
Let's make sure by His Grace.
That we do not fall out, by the way.
Our God and Father.