Address—D. Bilisoly
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192 Great captain of salvation, now crowned with highest glory, joyful, we raise our songs of praise and lowly thou before thee. We worship thee in the Dorothy, each heart and tongue confessing worthy to reign the Lamb once claimed of honor, power, and blessing.
Great captain of.
Our glory.
Glory.
And lonely.
Lovely morning.
We work your hands up and down.
Power and blasting.
Thou had thy crawl a standard in love being a long man, sure.
Locker light grain thy chains to save and have all satisfied treasure.
We need to save.
Their friends, our stands and sorrows.
Bearing.
The land was slain.
Alive again.
Dark Brown House glory.
Where you.
I have to reaction to God's right and love and.
Rejoice with heart and voice.
Before I see glory.
On my Wednesday.
Where all shouts out before.
Turn to John's Gospel.
John's Gospel chapter 4.
John's Gospel chapter 4 and verse 31.
In the meantime, while his disciples prayed him, saying Master E.
But he said unto them, I have need to eat that you know, not us.
Therefore, said the disciple, funds another, Has any man brought him off to eat?
Jesus said, saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him to set me.
And to finish his work.
Say not ye there are yet four months, and then cometh harvest. Behold, I say, and you lift up your eyes and look on the fields, for they are white already the harvest.
And he that readeth receiveth wages, and gathers fruit unto eternal life eternal.
That both Eve itself and he that brief us may rejoice together.
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Here and hearing is that saying to one source and another reason.
I sent you to read about where I need you sowed no labor. Other men labor and near entered into their laborers.
Well, the thought that was before me is the Lord's remark in verse 32 or 34.
My need is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work.
I'd like to talk this afternoon just a little bit on beginnings and ending, Beginnings and finishing, as it were.
It's a good subject, I believe, especially in a spiritual way. Someone said once It's nice to begin well, but it's better to end well. You've heard that.
And what an example we have in the Lord Jesus.
We might be distant. You might be disappointed if you look at me and consider my course and how the enzymes are disappointed.
People, I could disappoint my brother.
But the Lord will never, He never disappoints us. We are never disappointed by Him. We see such perfection in all these pathways. And oh, what a refreshing, what a delightful thing that must have been to the eye of God to witness a man walking through this world that was in absolute perfection.
Oh, how that must have rejoiced the heart of God the Father to see his beloved Son in that word.
But here the Lord Jesus had dealings with one soul, and this speaks to my heart not to underestimate the value of one soul.
There is a tendency, you know, to kind of look to numbers, as it were, and to consider the work by.
Numbers, as it were.
In John's gospel, it seems interesting how that the Spirit of God brings before us his dealings with individuals so much in a peculiar way, and the time he takes with individuals is not instructed to our hearts. Who? Who was it taking this time? The Son of God? The very creator of heaven and earth? You know, the great men of this world. They're too busy. I used to have to enter new people sometimes.
And some people were very hard to get to.
You might have to go through inner office as you know and if you were able finally to get an interview with them, usually it was cut very short and you thought out your words carefully, because if you stammered and stuttered a little bit as his turn this time.
They just wouldn't give you the cash.
But this glorious man was so accessible.
Amazingly so.
And he was mingling in among the poor of the flock.
And here he is. He's dealing with one poor sinful woman.
I'm afraid I would have written there off.
That the Lord knew the heart and he was dealing with this one poor soul and as he won her over, she became a soul winner. Isn't that right? She said. Come see a man which told me all things whatever I did. Is not this the Christ? Oh what a soul winner she became. But the thought here is that.
This was his meat and drink. Do we not use that? Sometimes you've heard that expression. Maybe a person really enjoys what they're doing.
It's their livelihood, perhaps their vocation or whatever. And they might say this is my meat and drink.
What do they mean by that? Well, let me ask you this question. Have you ever been so busy and so interested in what you were doing that you weren't too concerned about meals? Yes, I know all about that. Where you get so taken up with what you are doing that you're not so interested in meals. Your hunger passes away, as it were, and you're preoccupied with the thing that you're doing. Oh, I'm astounded at this. How the the Lord himself.
Was so refreshed in dealing with this one poor Sinner about her soul that he says I have meat to eat that you know about her brother. Don't you think you need to enjoy that meat a little more and share, you know, the answer to that question?
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His dealings with one soul. Oh, I feel it for myself. And so the Lord spoke of a word.
A word.
To do the work and my need is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work.
What does that involve? Well, you know the answer to that.
That work took him all the way to Calvary's front. There was no way he could finish it apart from the cross of Calvin.
Well, we want to consider a little this line of thought, beginnings and ending. Now I'm looking at the faces of those here in the room this afternoon that have all made a beginning. Now, I'm not talking about our security. I'm not talking about our salvation. That's all in His hands. The work is complete and you're complete in Him. It's not a question of our standing in Christ, but.
How are we going to end that is, are we going to continue on? Are we going to finish our course with joy? What is the end going to be? I'm looking at those that I trust have begun. Well, at least you are on the road of exercise and you wouldn't even be here this afternoon.
You're here, I believe, because there's been exercise apart.
And the Lord washes the finish well, It's good to begin well, but He wants us to finish well. He'll help us in every way. But if our will get so active, so determined, he might have to allow us to go our own way. And that's the worst thing that could happen.
And even one who was so much in the will of God as the apostle when he was determined to go up to Jerusalem the last time, and forbidden of the Holy Ghost to do so.
The disciple says the will of the Lord begun. When you say, well, then was he not in the will of the Lord? Well, it was the permissive will of the Lord. It was not the directive will of the Lord in that case.
But of course, that was a difference. There was a totally different motive spreading behind it.
Yes, he was pressing his will, but in what way? A will that have such a deep love for his own nation, a will that desired their blessing, a will that was anxious to be with those people of his childhood, of his?
Nationality.
With those who had the oracles of God and had the covenants of prominence.
Promise. And he longed to be with his people. I think Paul.
By that time was kind of wearing out. He was exhausted, and he thought perhaps that his work was finished, but it wasn't quite finished yet. But God let him go on in the permissive will, in his permissive will, and it ended in prison.
So he graciously God graciously overruled in the whole thing and got the victory. Well, I'm anticipating some thought here, but the perfection of the Lord Jesus and his pure objective to do the will of God and to finish.
The world well may we each one beloved brother, covet that desire to really serve him and to serve him in such a way that it becomes, as it were, our meat and drink to consider his glory here in this world. Is there anything more important? You know, when we get home to glory, when we're with the Lord, will we consider anything more important than how our lives down here?
May have honored him.
Not a thing. In fact, I I'm confident that I personally will abhor those things in my life that were not to His glory, but the value of one soul. You can see how he draws the attention of the disciples to look on the field of their wife, ready to harvest. He was only dealing with one soul, but he's saying, look, the Lord can expand that word. He can amplify that word. Here's an example.
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This one woman who was drawn to him, he spent the time and the result was that she then goes out and says, come see a man which told me all things. Whatever I did is not the Christ many believed as a result of that testimony. And they came and proved it out for themselves. So what a word. And I think it's often been that way.
I'm not sure, but it seems to me I remember reading an account.
Of a man who was having some meetings, who attempted to have some meetings and.
No one would come to these meetings.
Except this one man and a young boy, and it seemed as though the work was very disheartening and unfruitful, just no evident result that that very night of that preaching, that young lab got saved and turned out to be be a Spurgeon. I think that was how the account went, and as a result he was raised up and used to God and many souls were converted through his ministry. And I think that sort of thing.
Has been often repeated. We don't want to conclude from the way a work goes. You know God his word goes forth and it will not return unto him. Boy, we can count upon that. Well, let's follow this a little further here, the Lord Jesus said in this passage. He says.
My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish the work.
Back up here to Luke's Gospel to chapter 12.
Verse 50.
Well, you know, verse 49 is very solemn. We've been we were reading a little in the Book of Revelation this morning, and we're about to go on into a whole series of very solemn judgments in that book. And the Lord says in verse 49.
I am come to some fire on the earth and what will I if it be already humbled? What a calm statement.
But I have a baptism to be baptized with.
And how an eye straighten till a thief accomplished. Oh no, he was to bear the fire of that baptism.
He was to go into death and judgment in order that there would be a remedy for fall for ruin and fallen man.
He did not want to bring judgment upon man, God's strange word.
But he says, how am I straight until it be accomplished or that could be rendered? I think Mr. Garvey renders it finished.
I'm in a straight I'm in a great difficulty until it be finished. The Lord Jesus came into this world to die and at that time drew on and as it was near the time it says he said his face is a Flint to go up to Jerusalem. He would not be deterred to the right-handed to the left. The work had to be completed. I am straightened. How am I straightened? And the difficulty?
Will it be accomplished or completed? Well, you know what the answer of that it is back over to John's Gospel.
And verse 19 or chapter 19.
We have these victorious words of the Lord Jesus.
Verse 30 of John chapter 19 When Jesus therefore.
Had received the vinegar, he said. It is finished.
And he bowed his head and gave up the ghost. The worst is finished. Oh, what a subject. What a subject considered that one who began that work. And actually, in a sense, that work began as he began his public ministry. He sat back there in John 17. He says, I have finished the work. This Dow Davis, need to do it.
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He had perfectly honored and glorified God. His Father in this world perfectly represented them, and he had finished the work.
But here is the grand finale. Here is the real finish. When he laid down his life in death, they couldn't take it from him.
But he exhausted that judgment of God in those three hours of darkness when he was made sin. What a mystery. We can't take it in when he was made sin for us to remove no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God and him, He put away sins for the sacrifice of himself, and here He is.
The work is is exhausted, but that is the judgment and he says it is finished in victory, it's finished and then he.
He bowed his head and gave up. The ghost dismissed his spirit. Miraculous acts of power turn over to Hebrews now Hebrews chapter.
12.
And verse 2.
Looking unto Jesus.
The author. Or you could work at the beginning.
Looking under Jesus, the beginner and finisher.
Of faith.
It's only our faith in connection with receiving it, but since it is his faith, he's the source, you know, James says have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ and so forth and that not of yourself. Paul says it is the gift of God. He's the source.
The author and finisher of faith.
Who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God? Now we have a great cloud of witnesses that were presented to us there and.
In Hebrews 11 and now the Spirit of God brings us to that central option.
The Son of God.
The author and finisher. The beginner and finisher. Faith to look off under him. There he is in the glory and we're pressing on that way, brother. We're soon to be with him. Like him, he's got a marvelous software.
Consider that we're going to go through a change will suddenly be change these bodies so that we have nothing to distract us from the perfect enjoyment of himself, and you'll be just like Christ. We have now the mind of Christ, and we'll be like Him, spirit, soul, starting, and with him forever.
Oh, marvelous to think about it. And so he is absolutely the leader, you know, in that hymn that we sang.
The words go great, captain of salvation. Now that's a unique term. I believe there's only four places in the New Testament where we have that terminology. It's a it's a unique terminology and it only applies to the Lord Jesus that is this terminology.
That expresses him as the author and finisher, the beginner of and finisher.
And in some places it's the Prince and the Captain in Chapter 2.
These expressions are all relative. They're all of the same.
Original word and here.
It's expressed as the captain of our salvation in Hebrews chapter 2.
And there it's in connection with manhood.
Verse 10 Ford became him for whom were all things and by whom are all things, And bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect, to suffer karaoke, the beginning of the finisher, the captain of our salvation, and.
Peter brings that before the people over in Acts chapter.
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Three, we'll just look at these and then you can think about them for yourself. But all these thoughts are the relative in chapter three of the book of Acts and verse 15.
He says. But she denied the Holy One in the just by the way, that's.
The real work of restoration does it not that Peter can accuse them of the very thing he had done. What a work of restoration in his soul, that he could accuse them of denying the Holy One and the just.
And desire to murder to be granted them through verse 15 and killed the Prince of life. Or it's the same thought as the author and finisher, the beginner here it's in connection with life. But he is the the author. He's the author of life or the beginner, and he's the finisher of, as it were.
It's that same expression that is unique to him here. It's worded as the Prince of life.
Over in chapter 5.
Uh.
And in verse 31.
Well, verse 29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, we ought to obey God rather than men.
The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom he slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with the right hand to be a Prince and a savior, or the author in finisher.
For to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins, that they have no idea who they were dealing with. Had they known, they would not have killed the Prince of life. How responsible they were. And they were dealing with the one who was a very originator, and he went the whole course as it were, and he finished it.
So what an example we have in the Lord Jesus.
Now we can take a look at the Apostle Paul because he is a patterned St. I believe God wanted us to see what he could do, how he could change your heart to the extent that he did. The Apostle Paul not only taking him up as the chief of sinners because he was first in ranked you might say, for the hatred he had in his heart against the name of Jesus and against the church.
And God turned him and reversed him, and he became.
The pattern thing.
And so let's follow a little bit of call in his beginning here. It's over to acts.
However, his finishing of his course turned back to Acts Chapter 20. Let's take a look at that 20th of Acts.
And then maybe perhaps we can find an Old Testament reference or two.
But in Acts 20 what I'm referring to is this.
Verse 24 is what I have in mind.
But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy.
That I might finish my course with joy that was uppermost in the minds of the Apostles. And he had a great burden when he called those efficient elders together, because.
He knew how things would take a turn here as he gives them a stiff warning in verse 38, now 28.
Take heed. Take heed therefore unto yourself and all the flock over the which or in which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the Church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
For I know this, that after my decorating shall grievous wolves enter in among you nuts bearing the flock also of your own cell shall mineralize, speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after death.
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For what awarding the apostle gave these Ephesian elders, and what a prophetic warning it was, Because that's exactly what happened. I know how the enemy has succeeded in coming in and in devastating the church.
And tragic enough, we still see how men arise among them speaking perverse things here happening it. It doesn't necessarily mean untrue things, but it's pressing things, even true to the extent of dividing the faith. It becomes perverse in that way to draw away disciples after them. What a tragic debate of them.
But Paul refreshed their memory here.
In verse 18.
He says, And when they were come to him, he said unto them, You know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons.
Now that's not boast, He's just simply stating a fact.
Can my brethren say that about me? Can they say that about you?
Has there been a consistency and evenness at all seasons so sometimes we're tested on that.
And here we see that God gave the apostle grace to maintain an evenness. Oh, I don't believe that that was totally without some fault here. Some little points of failure, perhaps. He spent a good deal of time there in Ephesus, and there was a tremendous work of God.
You know, it's very interesting. We were talking about timing and even the faster noon our brother suggested that we need to wait on the Lords for an opening. And I believe that was very true. Even in the Lakers of the Apostle. If you follow his journey, you'll see at the 1St that he he came up there into the eastern or into the northern part of Asia and he was forbidden of the Holy Spirit to go up into Papinia. And so they keep going on in a westward course.
And he was forbidden to go down into Asia at that time. And so he they continue on a Western course. And what happens, they end up at the seashore. Now what are they going to do? And on that very night that they arrived.
Poland a dream had this message from the man of Macedonia come over and help us, and so dear then that opened up, then a work into Macedonia that includes Philipine, Thessalonica, and most places. And finally they worked and went on down to Athens, and then down in Torres. And he spent a lot of time down there in Corinth, and yet he had not gone into Asia.
And Asia was used to be perhaps his largest work.
Whose largest work. But finally the time came when he seemed to have liberty, and we don't get much record about it. But when he seemed to have liberty to go on over to Ephesus from that area of torrents in Athens, he went over to Ephesus and he left Aquiline Priscilla there. And even at that time he did not say he wanted to go up to Jerusalem again, but when he returned.
The Lord by the Spirit of God opened up wise.
That worked in Asia, and what a vast work it was. And so he reminds them of how he was at all seasons. All that exercise with my heart, that my life has been consistent enough that the thanks of God have not been hindered by it.
Course that they understand. We all have times when we're not feeling this best or maybe something irritation, but overall, how is the overall picture?
Have you Have we made it easier for others to continue on in the past, for the glory of the Lord Jesus? And notice this too, He says in verse 19, serving the Lord with all humility of mind, with many tears and temptations, which he fell me to the lying in weight of the Jews, and how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you.
But I've showed you and have taught you publicly and from house to House of earnings.
What an example he was setting in the course of his ministry that he desired to finish with joy. What an example he was setting because he knew what was best for the Saints. Some brother had to point that out to me when I went too far on a certain line of things. He had to point it out to me that Paul kept back nothing that was profitable. You know what it could have said? How I kept that message.
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Several years. But that isn't what it says. You know, Paul. Paul didn't just give them everything at once.
He was careful how he presented the truth, and there may have been some things that would have been difficult for them to lay hold out. He was careful how he presented the truth, and yet he did not shun to declare unto them the whole counsel of God. That's what he says in verse 27. So he was a very faithful steward, as far as that goes. But he needed the wisdom of God how to present these things.
In order to declare unto them the whole council of God, and so.
He had wisdom from God too, as to the public ministry and as to the whole ministry. And it may well be that in some instances where it's much easier to try and help the soul in a quiet home business, it can't be done in public ministry, if you understand what I mean. It's there are times when it's best that it be done as it were.
In the choir of the home to present, maybe correct these things before a soul, if it were given out in a public way, they might stiffen up and resist it, you know. But we can see how the tall, even at the very beginning, when he communicated unto them that ministry, those revelations given to him, he did so privately with Cheetah and with James and the others in Jerusalem, so that he hadn't would not have run in vain, because had he come out publicly with.
That before those Christian Jews. That might have been too much for them to take in all at once. As time went on, of course, they begin to lay hold of the truth of Paul's doctrine. But they had a difficulty with it, with Paul's doctrine, because they were too taken up with the old wing. You know what I'm talking about, James told Paul. He says when the last time he came to Jerusalem, he says, don't see it, how many thousands of Jews there are wish to leave. And they're all jealous of the law. And they put tall on the spot.
To give an answer. He never did have a chance to give an answer, but I believe that his answer was the Epistle to the Hebrews.
I believe that was his answer when he was in prison.
And there were things he wanted to bring before them, but they were not mature enough, and he had this talk to them about having need of milk and so forth.
Well, what wisdom the apostle had, and what an example he had in all his course of ministry, and that the importance of not only the public, but the the more personal ministry of the House of Health.
And what was this ministry? Verse 21, testifying both of the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance for God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ and so forth.
Well.
Paul had that desire to finish his course with joy. Turn over to second Timothy.
Chapter 4.
Well, he has arrived at that time.
And here's the very last letter. Here's the very last letter that Paul wrote. He's pouring out his heart now to this young man who is, like, minded.
And he knew that he was about finished verse six of chapter 4/4.
I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is attached. I have fought a 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, shall give me at that day.
And not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearance, oh brother, doesn't have encouraged our hearts here. We concede that the apostles spoke very plainly of these things, that he knew that his time was running out. He knew that he was about to finish his course. And he could say, I have kept the faith. Have we kept the faith? Will it be true of us to the end? Oh brother, let's hold fast.
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The Lord is coming very soon. Let's hold fast. I believe that if it were in times of great testing, and I have no guarantee that I will continue on in the pathway of His will. I want to. I want to with all my heart, but it's only by the grace of God that it will be sold. And what lovely words to consider. I have finished my course, I have kept the faith, and so He talks about the sound of righteousness laid out.
And not only for him, but he brings in others too, and all them that love his appearance. Do you know what that means, to love his appearance? Well, if you love his appearing, you're really out of source with this world and all it seems. In our view, that's just what it means, because he's appearing will bring to an end man's day with all its activity and with all its independence, shutting God out of all their ways and doing.
And.
So you won't be popular really with the world if you love his appearance, because that will bring to end all of man's willful doing.
So what a right love that is always beloved brother must not fall into a love like Demon versus him.
Having loved this present world of present age, I don't believe that indicates the way Mr. Darby renders it. I don't believe it indicates that that there was a quest for a worldly course, as it were. He just simply didn't want to go along with the recruits any longer of Paul's doctrine and.
He wanted an easier path, as it were, and his heart was taken up with the present age. I have to be careful of that. It's a very easy thing, and it may not be as if we're a worldly horse, but maybe it's just simply a taking up. With all this age, you know, we're living in an age of great advantage and we all enjoy modern conveniences. We all enjoy the advantages of modern technology, do we not?
But is it stealing away our hearts, as it were, that we aren't enjoying the Lord as we should, and longing to be with him and out of this world and finish with this age? O brotherness, be careful, our hearts are deceitful in these matters. Well, turn over to Revelation and Chapter 11 and look what's going to happen after we're gone.
Verse seven of Revelation Chapter 11.
And when they shall have finished their testimony.
The beast that ascended out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them and shall overcome them and kill them. So here's an amazing thing.
We do get a different we get a glimpse of different classes of people that are linked with the gobbler remnant of Israel after we're gone.
And some of them will follow the instruction of fleeing to the mountains and so forth.
But here's a company that don't budget. They just continue on with their testimony right in Jerusalem of all places.
And the beast and the Antichrist and all their wicked power can't touch them. They can't stop that testimony until it's finished.
Well, you know, this may seem a little remote to you.
But I feel just as confident that the enemy cannot stop the present testimony to the truth of the one body, to the divine Sinner who cannot stop it until it is saved. You say we'll bring women testimony be said.
When the Lord Jesus comes, I believe it will continue on till it comes. I believe there are scriptural indications that there will be a way strictly to meet where the Lord is in in the midst until he comes, and the enemy is not, will not be permitted to stop that testimony till the Lord comes to say, well, what? What could stop that testimony? Our unfaithfulness.
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But if we're willing to press on to the end by his grace.
Then the testimony will be maintained. Yes, it's very true that the Lord can remove the candle stick, but I do not see any thought that would even suggest that the testimony generally corporately is in jeopardy only. Yes, the enemy is really a failure, but still the Lord is faithful and He will and can maintain.
A little company for his own glory.
For his own glory. That's always concerned about it. And the enemy is not, will not be permitted to stop that testimony. And it's an amazing thing that how God has even moved the hearts of the powers that be that they're not outright opposed to the testimony. Even in connection with a meeting hall. You may get the meeting hall tax free. We get the meeting hall in Corner Brook tax free At first. There was some opposition to that and the powers that be told us.
To consult the right people and we just simply prayed about it, the brethren, and and proceeded with it. And the Lord just opened it up and they recognized it. So I think we can just leave that with the Lord And the Lord has certainly is caring for the testimony and he wants it to go on to his glory. Now one little glimpse in the Old Testament and we may pursue this further. I'm not sure it's over to the book of Zechariah.
The book of Zechariah will read a little of this in chapter 4 and then I'll try and give you a little bit of.
Basis of the thought.
Zechariah, chapter 4.
Verse 7.
Well, we better read verse.
Six Then he answered, and spake unto me, saying.
This is the word of the Lord unto the rubble.
Saying not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.
Who art thou, O great Mountain, before Zerubbabel, thou shalt become a plague, and he shall bring forth a headstone thereof with shouting, crying grace, grace unto it.
Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, The hands of the rubble have laid the foundation of this house. His hands shall also finish it.
And thou shalt know that the Lord of peace has sent me unto you for who has despised the day of small things?
For they shall rejoin those eyes, and shall see the plummet in the hand of the rubble with those seven they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth. Well, as you went back historically, you would see that the rubble in the Bush of Ezra was the governor that was sent of the king down to Jerusalem.
To rebuild the temple this was this was after the captivity or into post captivity times in this connection and.
God wanted that testimony established again. He wanted that visible testimony to his presence.
And so he sent the rubble and these others that came voluntarily with him. That's a very important thing to keep in mind. They came voluntarily with him.
Down for the reconstruction of this temple for the name of the God of Israel.
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Well, it looks as though they got a little bit discouraged after they got down there. There were several things that were hindering them, but they got discouraged and they began to slack off of its work. And so God sent 2 prophets to stir them up. And we can be very thankful for the way in which the Lord may stir us up when we need stirring up if we get a little bit lax in our hearts.
And he sent these two deer men of God, these two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah. So when you read the book of Ezra.
By the time you get to chapter five of the book of Ezra, it's very helpful to read the book of Haggai and the book of Zechariah, and this then helps us to see what those prophets have to say to the people that stirred them up and so.
Here's some of the things that Zechariah had to say to the people, and especially to the rubble. This governor that was sent. And by the way, you know, the rubble was really of the lineage of David, but he came from a family line that had a curse upon them, and so they were never permitted to take the throne of David.
Well, we don't see any thought of resentment on the part of the rubble. No, he's willing to function simply as a governor, governor, and do this for the Lord.
And we see that the people come back, and as I say, they were discouraged, and that these two prophets were sent to stir the people up. And it's interesting to notice how the Haggai focuses especially upon that temple that they were to build and construct.
And Zechariah focuses especially upon the city.
Well, it was all relative, for the testimony of the building of that temple could not be anywhere. It had to be at that city where he had placed his name.
And so how did the prophets encourage the people to go on with the work and especially derubable? Well, I believe it is by this very type of exhortation that we're reading here and in verse six, he he tells Rubble. He says.
It's really not by mightness, power. You don't need to use that as an excuse. You don't need to plead that we have no strength, that we're too weak, that we can't do it. It's because it's really not by might nor power, but it's by my spirit, saith the Lord. Now shouldn't that be an encouragement to our hearts? You might say, always feel so weak. How can things go on in such a state of weakness if not by minor power but by my spirit, saith the Lord?
He is well able to maintain that testimony to his name.
And not only that, but I get the thought in verse seven that God is.
Is warning those that would dare to stand in opposition to this work. He's warning them in this case here it was this power of Babylon that originally.
Came in and took the people away, Kathy, and held them in ******* as it were. And God sent the Persian the little Persian Empire, especially under Cyrus, and said love and gold.
And he put down the Babylonian, Babylonian empire and he set the people free. He said if you want to go back, go back. He said that temple should be built. And he made a decree. He opened the way for them to go back and so.
The prophet of the Spirit of God challenges this power of Babylon, says the quotation from Jeremiah. He challenges this power of Babylon as to their interference and said this great mountain is going to be made like a plane. In other words, this whole Babylonian Babylonian spirit will be just leveled out and destroyed.
Now that baby lonely spirit is at work against the present. Testimony in Revelation 17 is called Babylon the Great. And what is that when the Great In Revelation 17 it is ecumenic Christendom, the storms, the true testimony to the name, and to the glory of the Lord Jesus. So makes it snide remarks as well. You're just a little no name group or you have no.
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Minister.
Or some other charge against the same. They scorn a little testimony like this because it does not fit what they expect and what they think is required of the Christian testimony. And in addition to that they resent and they scorn those that will not fall in with the ecumenic spirit of things and the joining in the reunion of all the churches.
And there have been many attempts for the enemy to bring that sort of thing abound, even among brackets.
And so that's what they want to achieve and they will achieve it. After all the believers is on out of this world and there's nothing real left. Then that which only makes a profession will achieve their big ecumenical union and that they will assert their authority, as it were, over the Western nations. And the woman arrived the beast again, that's what you have in Revelation 17, that same spirit of babbling that.
Is developing even now in Christendom.
Was prevailing at that time, and would stand in opposition, as it were, to this work of God. But he said derivable is going to bring forth the headstone, crying grace, grace unto us. What does that mean?
Finish it. That's the idea. He'll finish it. The enemy will not. Would not be permitted to stop him from finishing that work. And what maintained it? Grace. That's the whole idea. Grace. Grace unto us. The enemy could not stop the rubble from completing that work and and capping it off, as it were, and.
The enemy was humbled in their own eyes.
When they saw that this was really a work of God, they couldn't deny it the power behind it. And you might say that the eye of God in jealousy was watching that work at that time. Is there any less true today?
No, I believe that God has. Shall I use such an expression? I say it reverently. I believe that God has an eye of jealousy upon the little testimony to the name and to the glory of his beloved Son.
I am convinced he will preserve and maintain that testimony to the end. And by His grace I want to be there. I want to be gathered to His name. And so we do not want to despise the day of small things. Verse 10. We want to recognize what is really the work of God, and that's what that prophet was trying to bring before them. Don't lose heart. This is the work of God. It's going and Bill and Jewish and complete this work.
And the prophet Zachariah as well as Haggai assured them that God would take care of it, He would see it through, and you just need to get busy and go ahead with that work. That was the word that was derivable and to the other people. And did they turn a deaf ear to such admonition as that? No, they did not. They got stirred up and exercised in their heart, and they went right ahead with that work, and they look at that another time.
They went right ahead with that work and they completed it and the enemy couldn't stop it. So that's very encouraging. You know, if you can trace out some parallels of these things. It is such a sheer and encouragement when we can relate it to the present testimony, which we understand what I mean. Well, let's just give us advice and may we turn to him in every situation. I believe he allows circumstances in our lives.
To make us feel our needs so that we will walk independence before Him. And I would just say in closing again, as we bring those needs before the Lord, let's not forget that he's done so much for us in the past. And let's not forget to thank him and praise him for all the way that He has LED us, and then to trust Him. As long as we're left here. Shall we pray we thank the we're not gathered to a doctrine, we're gathered to a person.
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Now, brethren, that is true, may we never lose sight of the person of Christ will be preserved as we see him, and Him alone in the mid, as we see no man save Jesus only. But, Brethren, let's remember that doctrine is vital. It's important. It's the foundation for everything else. And it says that in the 138 Psalms thou hast magnified thy word above thy name. Let's never put us at where the name above the word I speak reverently. God says He placed his word above his name.
And were never justified in doing anything, even in the name of the Lord Jesus, without the authority of God's word. Well, I'd like tomorrow evening to continue and to look at some other things that he would be have us to be occupied with in relationship to His coming. But all Brad and we may be home by then. We may see His lovely face. May we have this before us, May we be washing, May we be waiting, and may we be listening for that assembling shout.