Address—Ron Klassen Jr.
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Let's turn first of all to a verse in First Corinthians Chapter 11 to introduce the phrase that's on my heart and the subject.
First Corinthians Chapter 11 and verse one.
Be followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
Hmm, we've had before us in the reading meetings.
The history of the Church.
Picture to us in the seven churches. We were also given to other little, uh, word pictures of the history of the church, and it was brought out how that these churches were in Asia.
The place that Paul could say in in uh, second Timothy, one that all day which be in Asia have turned away from me. And so that's what's on my heart this afternoon to speak a little bit of what it is to follow the apostle Paul who was who followed Christ.
And I I don't want to be misconstrued in what I say in any way.
By anyone thinking that the Apostle Paul is an object that God has set before our souls. God is set before our souls. A blessed person of the Lord Jesus, a glorified man in the heaven.
And he's drawing us even today and and in these meetings by his spirit, drawing us to that perfect object, forming us after that object.
Why then does it say be followers of me even as I also am of Christ? Well, I want we might say this afternoon, perhaps glibly. Well, yes, whose faith follow? And certainly that applies. But I want to just enforce this on our hearts with a couple more scriptures. This thing of Paul following the apostle Paul who followed Christ, First Corinthians chapter 4.
Verse 15 For though ye have 10,000 instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers. For in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel, wherefore I beseech you be followers of me.
And then in Second Thessalonians.
Chapter 3.
Verse 7.
Well, we can start with the verse six. Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us for yourselves. Know how you ought to follow us, for we have behaved ourselves. Behave not ourselves disorderly among you. And then First Thessalonians chapter one.
In verse 6 just to notice how closely the spirit of God ties this together of following Paul who is following Christ verse six and ye became followers of us.
And of the Lord, having received the word, in much affliction with joy.
Of the Holy Ghost.
There are more, but I would just like to look at one more in Philippians chapter 3.
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No, pardon me if I read it in the new translation.
Philippians, Chapter 3.
Roster could start at verse 15. As many, therefore, as our perfect. Let us be thus minded, and if ye are any otherwise minded, this also God shall reveal to you. But where? Until we have attained, Let us walk in the same steps. I was thinking of this verse. Be imitators altogether of me, brethren, and fix your eyes on those walking thus as you have us for a model.
For many, walk and so on.
Well, what is this exhortation to follow, Paul? I believe that God gave it to us.
As a safeguard, because, you know, we're often blind to our own pathway.
There's something like this. I've from little on, I've, uh, grown watermelons out of this big dirt field that I have.
And I like to keep it in a straight row because I've got to drive the tractor on either side, and the the more wiggly it is, the more wedding I have to do.
And I, it took me a few years to realize that I could put a post at the end and I could start down at this end and go towards that post thinking that if I kept my eye right on that post, I'd be just fine. But I turn around and see that there was always a big wow in it. And I thought maybe if you, if you kept doing it, you'd get experienced at it, but it doesn't happen.
Hmm. And so you know, and the apostle is writing to Timothy in the first chapter, and he speaks about the grace of God that laid hold upon him. I'll read it.
This.
So I don't misquote it.
Hmm.
First Timothy, Chapter One.
In verse 12 he says, And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me for that He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, who was before a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious, But I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly and unbelief, and the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus.
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
Of whom I am chief, albeit for this 'cause I obtain mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all own suffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on Him.
To life everlasting.
Yes, God, in his wondrous grace he reached down and picked up this man who is absolutely opposed to the Christ of God.
Who sought to stamp out his name?
And one day God reached down and took him for himself and turned him completely around. And then he was, you might say, the the greatest champion for the Lord. And God did that. Paul is saying here that in me, the chief, he might display the long-suffering of His grace in forming a vessel for his glory, a pattern vessel.
A vessel which?
God was going to display the.
The richest activity of his grace and so then he can say by the Spirit of God, follow me as I follow Christ because I believe that you would find and it could be very true of us.
This afternoon, many dear believers.
Who, if you ask them in their earnestness would say, you could say to them, are you following Christ? They could say, I certainly feel I am. I believe I am. Well, God has given us, can I say a guide, a check for the Dave. Perhaps we'll have to set me straight in connection with this, but.
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When I took the class of aeronautics, and it was a long time ago and I don't remember what you call it, but it's, uh, something like a pre trip planning. And we would get the map out and we wanted to start here at our, uh, starting point in our destination. And we would see where they're going north or South, decide which, uh, how many 1000 feet in the air we would be flying. And one thing that was important is you look for landmarks along the way because when you're up in the air there, you don't have signs to read.
And so if it was a mountain or something else.
The God has put there in his creation. Why? It was a guide to the pilot. He could look at it and say I'm on course.
And so I believe that that's what God has given us in this dear Apostle Paul, one who, as we read in, in Philippians, you know, at uh.
It might surprise us, as we say, as he, he, uh, writes. Fix your eyes on us.
But if we look in that same chapter, we see what he had his eye fixed on. Awe was an object with which he counted everything that he lost. Everything that would have been to his game. He counted it as loss.
Because he just wanted to know the Lord Jesus Christ he wanted to get ahold of.
The reason for why he had been laid hold of it isn't that the desire of each one of our hearts this afternoon.
The God and grace out of how many millions? He said. I want that one.
Then isn't the expression of our hearts is I want to be for him while I'm here, I want to for whatever reason, he laid hold of me. I want to be found in that path and answering to it. Well, we saw, we've seen in the seven churches the result.
Of turning away from the Apostle Paul.
And we know that that really, when we speak of the apostle Paul, he's not here for us to follow this morning.
But we have is that what's the spirit of God used him to write Let's turn to Peter because I want it. I I trust to something that is very real to us. I trust it's a burden on my heart put there of the Lord second Peter chapter 3.
Verse 14.
Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that she may be found of Him, and peace without spot and blameless, an account that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation.
Even as our beloved brother Paul also according to wisdom given unto him.
Hath written unto you, as also in all His Epistles, speaking in them of these things.
In which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable, rest, as they do also the other Scriptures unto their own destruction. Here I believe that through the Apostle Peter.
The Lord is telling us that there is going to be and we we can vouch for that this day and we can. We don't have to look farther than our own hearts to find that there is that you know when you rest something.
It's really you're trying to work it to the angle that you want. And so that's the tendency of our hearts, isn't it when it comes. And I believe it's especially that which is given to us through the apostle Paul, though Peter says as they do also the other scriptures, because I trust we're going to see shortly that they do not. We do not leave one alone, but but cling to the other. They're all the word of God is.
All tied together in a wonderful, harmonious way.
And so if we're going to give up that which we have been given through Paul, it will follow on that will give up others scriptures as well. And so this resting.
It's, it's the will inside me, isn't it? And I believe that again, there perhaps has not been scriptures that have been more arrested.
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By believers.
Than the things that were given to us through the apostle Paul. Let's turn to second Timothy three. We have this scripture before us last night and and yesterday during the day.
And I don't wanna read the whole thing for sake of time, but just to note.
What Paul brought before Timothy as that that was going to be a means of preserving him for what we have. In this first part of the chapter, we were reminded that this condition of things that we have in the first part of chapter 3 is not a condition of that which we find in the secular heathen world, but in fact is a description of as we have in verse 5, having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof. It's a description.
Of the Christian profession in the last days.
And it it does, doesn't it? When our our brother spoke last night of being lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, each one of us can feel happily the edge of the the sword in connection with that. We live in a land given to that, and it's some of those pleasures are so delightful. Not really.
Wicked in themselves, but we find that too easily. They take our hearts affection. They take our time, our energy, our resources.
And the Lord is the one that loses.
And we are really. And so he says after he describes this.
He says, and he speaks about the imitation, that that imitates God.
Godliness through godliness that really is false in its character. But then he says as an antidote to this verse 10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine.
Manner of life. Purpose.
Faith long-suffering.
Charity, patience, persecutions, afflictions which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra, what persecutions I endured, but out of them all the Lord delivered me.
Yeah, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution, but evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But continue thou.
Haven't we been encouraged in this? But continue thou on the things which thou hast learned, and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them, and that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures which are.
Able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
And so on.
Well, here Paul is saying in effect, Timothy, I want you to be preserved from this that is coming on the whole Christian profession and the way you're going to be preserved is thou has fully known my doctrine. Well, I would like.
If I would have had the ability this afternoon to to take up Paul's doctrine, because we know that it's perhaps consists of four revelations given to him of God in the Ephesians chapter 2, that the Jew and the Gentile were formed into one body. 1 Newman, Christ being the head.
Umm, uh, that was the Lord delivered to him in uh.
1St Corinthians 11, the chapter that we're very familiar with the expression of that body, for we know that while the Lord Jesus instituted that when he was here, he confirmed that, would you say to the apostle Paul, he received it directly from the Lord?
So that you and I would be privileged to remember the Lord Jesus as we hope to do tomorrow if he doesn't come. And then the, uh, wonderful truth of the rapture, uh, and it's been spoken of this morning, wasn't it? It was lost. And what a change it made in the church. Why, how dark things became. And so, you know, we're in danger, aren't we, of the same, the same difficulty, this truth being brought before us again, revived to us in the goodness of God.
We are in danger, maybe of well, I doubt that anyone here this afternoon would say the Lord isn't coming.
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But Paul said to Timothy, my doctrine and manner of life, because those two things go together.
And don't we feel that perhaps?
The great danger that we face.
Is still to hold, as we've been reminded to still hold those doctrines, as uh said in in Ezra's day by major but not by weight that it doesn't have a practical effect in our life and that's a dangerous place to be So brother at home and he's here today and I hope he'll forgive me if I don't say it right. But he said and, and he said it's, it's fairly well documented that.
The right in the writings of the early Church fathers you can find that within 50 years of the Apostle Paul writing.
As he says, fulfilling or filling full or completing the Word of God within 50 years, there is little trace.
Of his doctrine found in the early the writings of the early church fathers. That's really it's exercising, isn't it brother? Because we're in that same danger this morning, this afternoon. And that's the burden of my heart that we wouldn't lose because again, I believe that the the doctrines aren't giving up at the beginning the manner of life that accompanies it. And then after a bit it seems almost contradictory and little by little, as we saw in the doctrines and the Nicolaitans first it was just.
The works. And then there was a doctrine to accommodate it and then it just grew on and got worse. And so he says to Timothy Medallist fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose.
I want to just read it that purpose.
Uh, very briefly in Philippians chapter 3.
Rather in chapter one.
Verse 20, Philippians chapter one and verse 20. According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death. That was His purpose. Isn't that a glorious purpose?
I want whether it's in living or whether it's in dying.
I want him to be magnified in my body. A searching isn't that young people for we live in a in a day when there is such moral corruption and the bodies are being given over to lust. But Paul having a sense a deep sense of the love that laid hold on him and having the Lord Jesus is that object in glory. He didn't want to this body that he was given. He wanted it to be for the Lord.
And you know, it says about he and, uh, Barnabas in the 15th chapter of Acts, it says these men who have given up their lives for the work of the gospel, you might say, well, they're very much alive, it seems like to me. But, you know, they had given up their lives. They had turned over their bodies, their lives, their energy, their resources, their strength. They had given it to the Lord.
And they didn't know because Paul said daily, I die, he didn't know which one of those days that would be final.
But he had already surrendered his body. He had already surrendered his life.
To the one that was worthy of it, and we're called to that same path to imitate him.
Oh, it's quite.
That's quite a model isn't to have put before our souls, but the Lord gave it to us. And again I say I believe it's a check because I may say I I am following the Lord.
But then I began to read Paul's doctrine.
And I find that.
In what I'm seeking to serve the Lord in.
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I am going contrary to what I was given. We were given through the Apostle Paul.
Let's turn to.
The other word picture and ax.
Chapter 27.
Well, before we do that.
Let's look at the, uh, second epistle just briefly. Second Epistle of Corinthians.
What was it? What is it to follow Paul? Certainly it wouldn't be to deny his doctrine in any way. But you know, I believe in the second epistle, we went over this not long ago and, and our home assembly and the and the weeknight reading meetings. And I was just impressed that that path, the path to which you and I are called, what a path it is. I think you see it especially in the second epistle.
But just to read a little bit of where that path could take us.
Verse eight of chapter one.
Or we would not brother, and have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia.
That we were pressed out of measure above strength, and so much that we despaired even of life. But we have the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God, which raiseth the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet.
Deliver us and then just notice.
Verse 5 For us The sufferings of Christ abound in US.
So our consolation also aboundeth by Christ, and whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer.
Or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
Let's read in verse 13 of the second chapter.
Well, verse 4.
For out of much affliction and anguish of heart, I wrote unto you with many tears, not that ye should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you. Verse 13. I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother, but taking my leave of them, I went from fence unto Macedonia. Now thanks be unto God, which always causes us to triumph in Christ.
And make us manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place.
For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish.
To the one we are a savior of death unto death, and to the other a savor of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?
Let's go into chapter 4 and verse 7. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the Excellency of the power may be of God and not of us, but we are troubled on every side, yet not distressed.
We are perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted but not forsaken, cast down but not destroyed, always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus.
Might be made manifest in our body, for we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. That's a purpose that the life of Jesus might be made manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in US, but life in you.
Verse 16. For which 'cause we faint not, but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day for our light affliction, which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. But the things which are seen are temporal. The things which are not seen are eternal. We know that the apostles spoke of.
The faith.
His faith that Timothy was well acquainted of. We really have that, don't we? In the 18th verse.
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Looking not at the things which are seen, but the things which are unseen, because those unseen things.
Or eternal there is that that holds us on our course because we are far too inclined.
To be governed by the sight of our eyes. Even in our Christian pathway, we sometimes evaluate, try to evaluate what worked for this person or what worked for that person. And we find ourselves not walking by faith, but by walking by sight. But I perhaps just.
For lack of time, let's go to the 11Th chapter because I want just to see this path that the Apostle Paul was called to, the same path that you and I are called to.
It's not a path that we would choose naturally. In fact, the flesh within us does not wanna tread that path.
Verse 23.
First Second Corinthians 11/23 Are they ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool. I am more in laborers, more abundant in stripes above measure in prisons, more frequent in death of the Jews. Five times received I-40 stripes save 1 price. Was I beaten with rods?
Once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day. I have been in the deep, in journey, and often in perils of water, in perils of robbers, in perils by my own countrymen.
In perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren, in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often.
In hunger and thirst, in fastings, often in cold and nakedness, besides those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak.
Who is offended, and I burn not. I must needs glory. If I must needs glory, I will glory in the things which concern my infirmities. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed forever, knoweth that I lie not. In Damascus. The governor under Arteus the king, kept the city of the down seams with a Garrison desirous to apprehend me, And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall.
And escaped his hands.
Well.
You know, a brother said to me, it was an encouragement this morning because it just seemed to come out of nowhere. And having anticipated speaking on this subject, he said to me, the Apostle Paul wasn't very successful, was he?
And I said, no, he wasn't.
Because of who he was following, you know?
You know, it says of the Lord Jesus prophetically said, I have labored in vain and I have spent my strength for not. And so in this chapter Paul describes the suffering of that path to which you and I are called, and he speaks of being let down.
By his brethren Lieutenant, chapter 12, he speaks of being caught up and I've enjoyed Chapter 11, you know the Lord Jesus says.
In the Gospels he said, if any man will serve me, let him follow me, and where I am there shall also my servant be. And I believe that we see in this 11Th chapter the path as He followed the Lord Jesus in service.
Let him follow me. You know, you can trace these beatings, this nakedness, hunger, thirst, and uh, so on and see that you can trace that He's following the footsteps of the Lord Jesus.
But then in chapter 12, where I am, there shall also my servant be. And so God in His wondrous grace, caught the apostle up to the 3rd heaven.
He saw Christ in glory because he was going to use this vessel in a special way. He wanted to show him the end. He wanted to show him the glory. And then he brought him back down again. And you and I, he testifies to us with that path ends.
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Perhaps you've heard of the story of the martyrs. We've spoken to martyrs here, they and yesterday two martyrs that were awaiting being burned at the stake.
And no doubt is often our faith is weak and feeble in itself if it's not sustained of the Lord. As they contemplated what it would be to be burned to death, they were in trepidation. And they came to this agreement between themselves that whoever went first, that if they could somehow confirm to them that that the Lord was with them and that it it was all worth it just to holler back because the other one was standing there waiting, they didn't know who would be first.
And sure enough, in the morning, one of them was taken out, the other one watched and listened as the fire was lit and the flames began to get hotter and, uh, suddenly.
That one saw the others had raised and said in a triumphant way, it's true, come on, come on. And so the second one went to their death in in peace. And then, you know, I think it's a beautiful thing, isn't it, that the Lord gives us this path and he tells us where it's going to end. And we'll read of that. We'll read of the end of the apostle Paul. But I want to let's turn to Acts.
27.
As we were told reminded, it's a very detailed picture and I believe that primarily it's a picture as we've had of the history of the church, but particularly in its relation to the Apostle Paul.
But for this afternoon, I also want to apply it to ourselves individually and especially to families, those of us who are raising families and feel how much we need the Lord's help and feel that the effects of the enemy against them. Acts 27. We know that Paul was taken on board here as a prisoner.
Verse seven. And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against night, as the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete over against Salome, and hardly passing, it came unto a place which is called the Fair Havens.
Nigh wherein? Who is the city of Lathia now in much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already passed, Paul admonished them.
And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lady in the ship, but also of our lives. Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship more than those things which were spoken of by Paul, and so we get the effect of that.
Now be and because the haven was not commodious to winter in you know, that really speaks to us, doesn't it, of this pathway.
The flesh in US wants to be pampered, but the pathway that you and I are called to, as we read in Two Corinthians.
There is not a place for the flesh.
No, it's a manner of life, a Commonwealth.
That's from heaven and because it necessarily is, it requires suffering. And so no wonder that very soon in the history of the Church.
It left Paul because we don't want that, do we? We don't want suffering. Well, and we we won't the fleshiness won't. But all he's given us a blessed object to to take us on. But I just want to see in this how that the fast was passed and it wasn't commodious to go there. And so they went on. And you know, in verse 13 it says when the South wind blew softly, supposing they had obtained their purpose, losing fence, they sailed close.
Vicrate.
You may be here this afternoon.
And debating.
Whether you can afford to turn away from Paul, for I believe, and we've heard recently, and it just bows the heart and you weep of those who have turned away from Paul.
All they assure us they haven't turned from the Lord.
But they've turned away from Paul.
A couple that have recently done this that we our hearts still bleed for, someone went to visit them and they said.
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They were really looking into hard the, uh, women's head covering.
Well, I believe that there was time, and the Lord gives that time.
To ponder do I want to turn away from Paul? Can I afford to turn away from Paul? What will I lose if I do? Because, you know, there's great promise out there. Promise of a broader field of service, promise of more law.
I don't think we're going to get to it, but you know, that's often the cry. And it is humbling and searching to our hearts because the assembly gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus ought to be characterized the most by love, shouldn't it?
And so it is a voice, but I want to say this.
That if you're turning away from Paul to find love.
It was him that the Spirit of God gave to rote. Write 1 Corinthians chapter 13. And that which is often put out is love. But contrary to the truth we'll find is not really love at all. You know the apostle John and his epistle, he said the elect a lady whom I love in truth. Because the desire and the purpose of the enemy is to try to separate those two things.
If you go on in truth, if you follow Paul, that's a path of not loving. Really. It's too narrow the path, but ah, indeed, it's the broadest path and it really is you. We cannot separate. Don't allow the enemy of our souls to put in your mind that you can separate the truth from love. How do we know that we love the children of God when we love God and keep his commandments? And so this ship.
It seemed like at the beginning, the South wind blew softly. Can't you hear them saying, you know, that's the best decision? I don't know why we haven't made this decision before.
Why? Just look how things are going. They sailed in close to Crete. If you if you look at it on the map, there's sort of a wonderment. And I don't think that anyone that has been raised under the sound of the truth, there isn't some misgivings when one turns away from Paul, but the thought that you stay close to the shore just in case.
I remember a sister who said if we've made a mistake, we'll come back.
Well, I'm not sure that she doesn't realize she's made a mistake.
But coming back is not as easy.
Verse 14 But long after there arose against it a Tempest tempestuous wind called Uroclidin, And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.
That's what we don't count upon, do we?
When we turn away from the truth, there is a blindness that comes over our eyes. We were reminded of that yesterday. And so this that we think is working out so well. What we don't see is the thing that catches us from behind Ural Clyde, and means a storm from the east. And I believe that the East springs before us the wisdom of man, the reasoning of man. And you know when the apostle, as he wrote to the Corinthians, who are in danger of turning away from him.
He said, casting down reasonings and everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought unto the obedience of Christ. We need to exercise that often, don't we? Because I believe that that's what is pictured in this Ural Clyde. Because if I give up any measure of the truth.
Where am I going to stop?
If I feel that there is vital truth and not so vital truth.
Who's determining that? And am I saying that I can dispense with any of the truth? I so appreciated what was brought before us. You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free, if the Son therefore shall make you free.
Oh, you know, there's often a promise of liberty and and turning away from the truth, but all if we learn the Lord Jesus in connection with the truth, if it becomes living to us.
You know, the apostle Paul said in, in Philippians chapter one, and I think it's helpful to look at it in the new translation. Just keep your place there. I'll just turn to it for a moment because it's, it's the exact opposite of the way it reads in, in the, uh, King James. And I think perhaps it's because the translators couldn't reconcile it in their mind.
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It says in in Philippians chapter one.
In verse 6, having confidence of this very thing, that he who has begun in you a good work will complete it unto Jesus Christ day, as it is righteous for me to think this as to you all.
Because ye have me in your hearts. Ye have me in your hearts. Well, how is it that we can have the apostle Paul and I want to speak now on what in connection with what God has given us through him that that is the tendency of my will to rest and to turn away from how is it that we can have him in our hearts? All I believe.
That as we see the truth in the Lord Jesus.
And it becomes dear to us that we can no more turn away from the truth, and we can turn away from the Lord Jesus because He is the truth.
On were set free indeed. Then we see that this one who followed with a single eye the Lord Jesus. He becomes precious, and that which He gave us becomes precious to our hearts.
And we can't turn away from it.
Well, we know the story here. It's a sad story. Things get out of control and you know they will because I believe that as as parents especially, and you know, as you go, you grow up and you're tested by things in your family to realize how important the apostles doctrine is in connection with the family. You might say, well, that's truth that Christ and the Church. Yes, it is.
But the manner of life and again, the truth that we have been given through him, we can't dispense with any of it. Is it practical in raising families? It's very practical in raising families. And so this ship takes off.
They couldn't get it turned around and pretty soon it says.
And verse 19. On the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship, and when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small Tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was taken away. But after long abstinence, Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, you should have hearkened or listened unto me, all beloved brethren.
Don't let that be the voice that we hear down the road.
The Lord's coming.
And may it not be that their shipwreck in our own personal lives that just at the end, we turned away from Paul, we gave up those things that we've been, we've learned and been assured of to adopt what seems to be better and to find ourselves in this darkness. What would it have been to just be speeding through the ocean? You can't. It's dark. You don't know where you're heading. You're out of control.
But you know, that's not a long ways off if we give up any part of the truth of God.
You know it, It was solemnizing to me to think, because I believe that the enemy says to us, you can afford to give a little up.
You won't get too far away, but you know, as we went through Second Epistle of the Corinthians, Paul said.
That he was jealous over the Corinthians with godly jealousy because he had espoused them to one.
And his fear was that they would adopt. Now, these are not unbelievers, these are believers.
That they would.
Receive.
Another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you received, Another Spirit whom you have not received, or another a different gospel which ye have not accepted. Isn't that solemn?
Do you know any heart that loves the Lord Jesus?
It's an awful thing to think of, isn't it?
Another Jesus.
Could it be a believer truly, really. Yes, we're warned of that there. Can you and I afford to turn away from Paul? No, he can't. Do we want to? Oh, you know when you see that pathway says thanks be unto God who causes us to triumph in Christ, Then he says we are pressed beyond measure. But then he says this light affliction, you see that path he goes on and if he would have come to the end of it, and I want to turn there now because our time is up.
00:50:20
Where does that pass?
How does it end?
Second Timothy, chapter 4.
Uh.
He speaks to Timothy in these things. He's not to give up. He's not to give up the work on evangelists. He's not to give up reproving and exhorting. He's to endure wrong.
But he says in verse 6, But I am now ready to be offered in the time of my departure is at hand. I thought should be the good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge.
So give me it that day, and not to me only, but also to all them that love.
Is appearing, and then he speaks of Demas, who had forsaken him, having loved this present world. And I believe that each one of our hearts are solemnized when we think there was one who followed Paul, but he came to the realization.
But if he was going to be anything here, if he was going to enjoy this life, that he and Paul couldn't go on together. And so he forsook Paul. But then it says in verse 11, only Luke is with me. Take Mark and bring him with thee, for he is profitable to me for the ministry.
You know, I think one of the cries when there are those that leave, they speak of service.
In fact, the brother told me last week, he said his son who was raised under the sound of the truth, he was speaking, his father speaking to him of the preciousness of being gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus. And he said it may be, but he said, you know, I'm with a company that they know.
What service is? He said the meeting talks about it and then goes home and sits around. You know, that was a voice to my own heart and I hope it doesn't stop. I can only hang my head and it is not for me to judge.
All that my beloved brethren and Christendom are doing for the Lord. There are many that are giving their lives, many that are giving of themselves and their substance.
For the Lord and His work. But all be careful, beloved.
You know, I thought this, we have Luke here. And if you read the book of Acts and you think of all that that beloved physician passed through as he followed Paul, and he doesn't even speak of himself, you can't even find the name Luke in that book. But surely he went through much as he sought to serve the Lord.
Maybe not in a way that the Corinthians would appreciate, but in a way that God appreciates.
And so he could say at the end, there are those that have forsaken him, but Luke was still with him. And then this one, Mark.
I didn't have opportunity to go over it. I know our time is up. There are three occasions in which Paul addresses separation.
We had that before us, didn't we? The Church marrying the world. How practical and real.
Is separation to the Lord in our lives? We know Paul separated from Mark. You'd say to him, Paul, you've lost your chance. Mark will never, never have anything to do with you again. Isn't it wonderful to see this encouragement that if he went on in that path of following Christ, that young man, maybe not so young now, is turned around and he could say he's profitable to me for the ministry having been truly restored in his heart.
Did it make Mark and Luke Paulites? No, no. God took those two vessels and they wrote of the Lord Jesus Christ.
A gospel? And isn't that the desire of my heart and yours?
00:55:02
That I might know him.
I want to say if we turn away from Paul.
That will not increase, Paul said. I am confident that the work of God is going to go on in your soul because you have me.
In your hearts, I just want to read one more verse if you'll have patience with me.
Verse 20 Erastus about a Corinth patrol Femis have I left at my leading sick.
And why don't you wonder why Paul speaks of that? I can't say I know, I know it's it's been mentioned. Well, Paul had the the power that he could have healed Trophimus, but he didn't. But I just I've been impressed as as we thought to come up here to be with our brethren, to be over the sound of the word, to be encouraged in the Lord. We knew that our brother and here were passing through.
Deep waters.
And you know.
You just ask the Lord to know how to behave yourself when you come here in that way.
It just seems to me that Paul said I've left trophies there, Timothy, because you know, this path that we're so prone to leave, it's often made very real in those who God has chosen to leave sick.
And I think we've experienced it as we've been here because often as they near the glory.
Experienced it in my own dear sister, she said to me.
Hold on just to see his face. I want out more than anything else.
And so as the Lord has left, dear ones here.
Maybe not for very much longer.
Sick. I believe it's that the glory might be more shed upon our souls as we see them nearing that and the reality of it so that we would be strengthened to continue on to fall. Paul who followed Christ. Let's pray.
Our God and Father.
Again, we thank thee this afternoon.
For our Lord Jesus Christ in glory, we thank Thee for the path that Thou has set our feet upon this afternoon.
We thank Thee where it ends. We thank Thee for Thy preserving grace in this pathway. And blessed Lord, perhaps there are those who have pondered or even this day, pondering, turning away from that path that has been set before us. We pray that they'll speak to their hearts. We pray that they would see there is no other path. There's just one path, the path that our Savior trend and that we might indeed.
Test the pathway of our feet against Lydia's servant without its raise up. We might check our feet, the blessed Lord. We might be found as a servant of all, said I, being in the way. We want to be found, Lord Jesus and the path of Thy choosing, we want to be found truly following Thee when not us come. So again we thank Thee for Thy goodness.
And ask thy blessing further upon us this day, and thy precious name, Lord Jesus.
I know.
The next meeting is next meeting is at 3:45 and our brother Walt Porter has some pictures, uh, that from his trip to Japan that he's gonna show, umm, they just project them on this wall here. Uh, that's gonna be in about 10 minutes, uh.
So anyone who would like to see those can enjoy that. I have two things were lost and found here. One is a white scarf. I'll just put that on my chair. And the other thing is, umm, some pills don't ask me to pronounce the name on the back of the pills, but I'm not sure what they are, but I'm gonna keep them in my pocket. So, uh, young child doesn't get them. So just come and ask me for them. Yours.