Buena Park Conference: 1985
Table of Contents
Colossians 3:1-4
Colossians 3:5-13
Colossians 3:14-16
Colossians 3:17-
Older to Younger Keep the Old Paths
God's Unchanging Precepts and Love
Address—G.H. Hayhoe
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I like to read a few scriptures first of all, and I'd like to begin by looking at one in the Song of Solomon.
Song of Solomon, chapter 4.
Chapter 5 rather Solomon Chapter 5.
And verse 16.
His mouth is most sweet.
Yeah, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.
And then could we turn over to Hebrews chapter 1?
Hebrews, chapter 1.
And verse 10.
And thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of thy thine hand.
They shall perish, but thou remainest, and they all shall wax old as doth A garment, and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed, but thou art the same, and thy ears shall not fail.
And if you'll turn back with me to Malachi?
And the third chapter.
And the.
16th.
The sixth verse pardon me, the 3rd chapter of Malachi and the sixth verse for I am the Lord, I change not.
Therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
And then again in Hebrews chapter 13.
Hebrews, chapter 13.
And verse 8.
Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today and forever.
Well, dear friends, we are living in a world that's full of change. On every hand we see change, but isn't it blessed for us to know that that there is one who changes not?
And I was thinking in connection with that verse that we read in Song of Solomon, that I think the quality that we value most of all in a friend whom we've learned to love and to admire and to think a great deal of is that they don't change.
We feel disappointed because we like them the way they were, and something happens and they change, perhaps in their attitude as time goes on. We also change in our physical condition too. It is a changing world. But isn't it very blessed, dear friends, that we have one who changes not? And I'd like to speak a little bit about that because I believe that is what will sustain us in a world like this.
We so often get frustrated and disappointment.
Disappointed as we see the constant change in this world and people hardly know where they're at because the job is uncertain, friends are uncertain, everything seems to be so uncertain. Banks fail, the weather pattern changes. It just seems that we're constantly reminded of change. But isn't it very precious that we can sit in these seats here this afternoon and be occupied with a friend who is altogether lovely? Nothing.
That we'd ever want to alter because he is so perfect in everything, perfect in love, perfect in grace, perfect in faithfulness. That's what is pictured in the offering when it speaks about the fine flower. You know, when we think of friends, we usually think of a friend who has some particularly outstanding virtue. And so we say that person is very generous, that person is very thoughtful, that person is very kind.
We single outside something.
In which they excel. But we have a friend who equally excels in everything. He excels in love and in grace. And if you, you and I need correction, and we do sometimes, He knows just exactly what we need and ministers that correction to us and wants us to see that it's His hand that is in it. And as we had in our verses that we read here together.
And oh, how precious they are. In Hebrews chapter 1 we see.
See this world constantly in the process of change. But thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. Whether it's a child, whether it's a young person, whether it's an adult, we can have this same friend. He understands your childhood. He understands. Even in the millennial Jerusalem, it tells us that the city, the streets of the city will be full of boys.
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And girls playing in the streets. It tells us too, that when I was a child I spake as a child. I thought as a child I understood as a child. We don't always understand children. We don't always understand what's going through their minds. But isn't it lovely that the Lord understands even the child? And tells us in that happy time for this earth, when the Lord Jesus has his rightful place as our brother brought before us in that millennial?
They then the children will be able to play in the streets and there will be no accidents. Everything will be under the Lord's wonderful care. And then too, as we grow older, we have new desires as young people and we want certain things. Isn't it blessed to know that this is the kind of a friend we have?
One who understands he watched your body and mind before it ever entered into this.
See in a living person, because it says in 139 Psalm thine eyes did behold my substance, yet being unperfect. And in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. You don't have any other friend like that who knows all your physical and emotional make up, who understands you perfectly, but this is the one.
And it's not verse lovely, doesn't it touch?
Your heart. This is my beloved, this is my friend. But he's not one that changes like earthly friends do. It says that he changes not. I am the Lord, I change not. Therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed because you know we're changing all the time. And you know when we have a friend who changes who was close to us and then turns and isn't so close, perhaps even.
As our brother mentioned as some unkind thing to us, well then, it's hard for us to take something like that. But this friend, in spite of all our changes, he loves us just the same. 1 is often said that the assurances that are given in Scripture of the Lord's love to us were always given at times when we might have least expected it.
In the book of Deuteronomy, after 40 years of wilderness, of murmuring and complaining, of displaying what was in their hearts, then we come to the very end of that journey and it tells us, yeah, he loved the people. All his Saints are in thy hand. Those 40 years of their murmuring and complaining hadn't changed this friend. He loved them.
And they were in his hand. And then we turn over to Jeremiah.
And there in Jeremiah we find the people had got so far away that God was going to have to cause them to be carried into captivity. Their state seemed beyond remedy, as the Scripture says. And so the prophet Jeremiah with tears had to warn them that they were going to go into captivity. But did this change the friend that Israel had and that we have?
Know that the 31St chapter of Jeremiah says yeah, I.
I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee.
Then again, we come in, a little remnant has been brought back from the captivity.
And there they came back and you read in the book of Malachi about the things that went on. They said it was vain to serve the Lord. They offered him the lame and the blind. That is, they didn't offer the best to him. They gave him what was second class, something they wouldn't give to the governor. They wouldn't, they wouldn't do the things that were pleasing to him. They weren't obedient to him. But how does he begin the message to them when?
Speaks to them about all those shortcomings and failures. Oh, listen to the way the book of Malachi opens the burden of the word of the Lord by Malachi. I have loved you, saith the Lord.
Then we come over to the New Testament and we think of Martha and we think of how the Lord had to speak to her, how she was finding fault because Mary was sitting at his feet. We might have had a kind of an idea that the Lord had a little more affection for Mary because she was more devoted and she sat at his feet. But when it talks about the Lord's affection to them.
It says now Jesus loved Martha.
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And her sister And Lazarus, Yes, Martha's name comes first. The one who perhaps would have had the last reason, the least reason to have expected that. And then after we read in those letters to the seven churches.
He he felt grieved that they had left their first love. And we have to hang our heads and acknowledge, brethren, that's true of us, isn't it? We have lost that fresh affection for the Lord Jesus. But in the very last one, in the letter to the Laodiceans, it says as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Be zealous therefore and repent. And so how precious.
This is I am the Lord, I change not. Therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. And I think many of us, and especially perhaps as we get older and look back, we can say, well certainly if the Lord's love to us was dependent on the way we had acted as believers, it would be a very small amount. But how precious to know. This is my beloved. This is my friend, the one who doesn't change.
I am the Lord, I change not. Therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Then we read also in the 13th chapter of Hebrews there, and the Lord is speaking about their leaders who had spoken to them the word of God. And he had to add that little word whose faith follow. My father used to often say, remember, it doesn't say whose failures follow and.
We we do see failures in ourselves and perhaps in one another too. And sometimes we follow somebody else that has done something that's wrong. But it says whose faith follow. But then it tells us that there is a person whom we can follow implicitly. There's one who never fails. And so after telling us that we could imitate the faith of those who had sought to instruct us in the things.
Of God, that He points us again to this unchangeable friend Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today and forever. Surely, brethren, when we think of this, it is so encouraging to our hearts. And I believe that this is important not only to know this blessed One, but also I believe that He has laid down in His Word that which we need for our pathway.
We're living in a.
World of constant change and the way we arrived here. I suppose if we look back 50 years ago and none of us would have arrived in the same way that we did today.
Some arrive by airplane, some arrive by cars. It's a changing world. But let us remember that moral and spiritual values do not change now. That is, God has certain standards that He has.
Established in His precious word, and it gives us peace, knowingness, unchanging friend that we have. That the counsel he gives us doesn't have to be brought up to date.
Anybody that's working in the business world today knows very well that constantly the planning and the way things are done is being changed and new bulletins are being issued about constant changes. But isn't it lovely that we can take up a book like this and know that, although the last part of it was written about 2000 years ago?
It's still perfectly up to date. It gives us just exactly what we.
We need to live in 1985 and soon in 1986. If the Lord leaves us here. It doesn't have to be brought up to date. It's suited to us. And I say to those who are young and I say to those of us who are old, how important it is that we go by this blessed book, the path that God has marked out, this wonderful friend that we have, this unchanging friend has marked out a path for us.
Here in this world and going by it as it tells us in Proverbs, her ways, our ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace. And I want to encourage you and I want to encourage my own heart to be like that little remnant that we read of in the last chapter of Isaiah. It says they trembled at God's word. They were afraid, you know, and we're traveling along by we are not always.
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Disappointed with the area in which we travel and we watch the signs very carefully and we're just afraid sometimes we're going to miss a sign because it isn't always easy to get your way back. Sometimes if you have missed that sign, why you can go miles out of your way and it was just because you weren't watchful. Now those signs were set up for our good.
And brethren, God has written His word for our good.
His divine power has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness. We don't have to seek the wisdom of this world in moral and spiritual things. We may be due in those things that have to do with the way we travel and the way business operates and so on. But morally we have divine standards.
And I trust that each one of us will realize this.
And I say this to you, dear young people who are present today. I know that you are being told that the older folks are outdated, they have certain stringent ideas and so on. But I ask you to search the Word of God and to go by this blessed book informing the pathway of your life, and you will find that there's a real blessing in walking in that path that God has marked out in.
His word and he hasn't left anything that is of importance without some direction for us.
I like to look at a few verses more if you'll just turn with me now to Jude.
Jude chapter Well, there's just one chapter and the.
I'll read from the first verse.
Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called mercy unto you, and peace and love be multiplied. Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you and exhort you.
That she should.
Earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the Saints.
Well, here we can see that God is setting before us the faith that was once delivered to the Saints. There has been a book written by.
Brother Charles Stanley and it's called the first years of Christianity. And what is the church when he wanted to bring before us as the Lord's servant now that which God has shown us in his word, what Christianity really is and what the church is, why he went right back to that which God established in the beginning. And here we find Jude in the day of breakdown and apostasy. He didn't.
Say, well, now we have to adopt a few new ideas because things are changing and there's a great deal of compromise and there's a lot of people giving in on this and that instead of this, he says that it was necessary for him to write and exhort them that they should earnestly contend for the faith once delivered unto the Saints. And I believe this is so important for us.
In all the matters that have to do particularly.
I speak it now. As to the assembly, I believe we need to go to the Word of God. The assembly doesn't operate on tradition. We know that that came into Israel and the traditions of the Pharisees became so important that sometimes the Word of God was set aside so that they could carry out their own tradition.
And here we find that the apostle Jude he brings before the Saints.
The very great importance of the faith which was once delivered unto the Saints.
And so we need to read those epistles that have been written over and over again because they give us divine instruction as to the person and the work of Christ, because that's the foundation of all. How very, very important that we are clear as to the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
As we were mentioning yesterday, the assembly is the pillar and ground of the truth. And so in these days when little things are beginning to slip in, there's a large segment of Christendom today who is actually teaching that our blessed and holy Lord Jesus could sin.
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They tell us he didn't sin, but that he could. And it is amazing if you knew some of the important names in Christendom who are going along with this teaching. Oh brethren, let's form our standards of what we believe from the Word of God, not from what is generally accepted, because in this precious book we have that faith once, not twice.
Not renewed, but once delivered to the Saints the blessed truth of the Lord's coming. In all these precious things that have been made known to us and given to us in the New Testament, how should we gather? Is it just that we, shall I say, set up our own ideas of how we should gather, or do we have?
Instruction in the Word of God so that we would know.
That we are gathering according to His Word. Now there may be many, many nice Christians who really love the Lord Jesus and who want to please Him, and we have to leave them with the Lord. But your responsibility and mine individually as well as collectively as an assembly, is to go by God's precious Word.
Oh, let's learn it well. Let's be well acquainted with the truth.
Truth of God's Word so that we would gather according to the word of God, that we would gather to the precious name of the Lord Jesus, only that we should gather as members of the body of Christ.
Early apostle was very much concerned in this day of breakdown and ruin that there would be that exercise. And I say to each one of us, and I speak to those who are a bit older sometimes.
Sometimes I think that we who are older tend to forget that there is constantly a new generation coming up and they see things being done and they don't know why. They don't know why. I remember a young person in one assembly gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus. She went and broke bread someplace else and some brother mentioned that she had broken somewhere else and made the comment. Oh, she knew better than.
That and I said to the brother, well.
I think that she knew the brethren disagreed, but I'm not sure that she knew why for herself. Now you and I should know why for ourselves. We need the faith once delivered to the Saints. We need to know what it is to be gathered according to the Word of God, and if we have learned that blessed and precious truth of the one Body and gathering as members of the body of Christ.
Oh, how precious it is to our hearts and soul that.
We find in the Old Testament they didn't build a wall around Jerusalem until they had first built the temple. And when they had built the temple, and afterwards they built the wall, what would separation mean if they didn't have a temple? But once the temple, that place where it was to speak of the Lord's glory and his presence among his people, then the wall of separation came after that.
Well, there are so many things that I could speak of. And oh brethren, I believe.
They're important. There's another thing that we find that creeps Internet is the teaching about free will. Well, you know many people don't stop to realize that in teaching that that system of things that they are really supposing that there is some good in man because if man of his free will would receive Christ, then there must have been something good in him to make a good choice. Now it's true that man is responsible and the Bible says.
The Bible says that.
Everyone is responsible before God and will give an account of himself to God. But if you and I were left to ourselves, we would never choose Christ and God had to do a work within us.
I think of a simple illustration that was given by Mr. Darby to illustrate this. He said, supposing I put in front of a person an apple and an orange, and he hates apples and he loves oranges. And I say to him, now you have freedom of choice here. You can choose whichever you like. That's true. I give him the freedom of choice. But.
How is he ever going to choose the apple? He hates apples. What will ever make him choose the apple? Why, I would have to do something inside of him, wouldn't I? Or he would never, never choose that apple. And you know that's what God does. No man can come unto me except the Father which hath sent me draw him. Brethren, I believe we need to realize the total ruin of man. There's nothing good in man from His will onward, you and I, as the Scripture says in me that is in.
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Flash dwelleth no good thing.
And so man goes on in his willful way, until God intervenes, and there had to be a work of God for my sins at Calvary, and there had to be a work of God in me, or I would never have received the Lord Jesus as my Savior. This doesn't in any way destroy responsibility. Man is responsible before God, just as a man who breaks into your house is responsible if you offer to pardon him and he refuses the pardon.
That doesn't mean that all of a sudden he's no longer responsible and God offers to pardon man, but his will is so bad that he refuses the pardon and he's still responsible and he's going to have to answer to God as a responsible person. But oh, you and I.
Have learned something of the grace of God that has picked us up and saved us. Well, I just mentioned these few things because I believe we have to watch in these days that we remember that it's the faith once delivered to the Saints. Oh, let us hold that precious deposit of truth that has been committed to us.
Well, I'd like to turn to another verse in Matthew chapter. Matthew chapter 19.
And the third verse.
The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female? And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and a twain shall be 1 flesh.
Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh.
What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
The ninth verse. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery. And whoso marieth her which is put away, doth commit adultery.
Well, I believe these things are written in God's Word as a message to us of the importance of marriage and the solemnity of the marriage union. And in these days when it's looked upon very lightly and there is perhaps a tendency for even Christians to be affected by the light attitude that the world has toward marriage, I believe, brethren, that we need to get back to what God said. What did the Lord Jesus do?
He took them right back to the beginning. He said if you want to know God's mind devoted, you go back to the beginning because the Lord doesn't change. And so he takes them right back to the very beginning. And I believe that we need to receive these things today.
We know that sometimes the relationship isn't as happy as it should be, it's sometimes strain and certainly every effort should be made to promote love. What is often said that for a happy marriage the husband needs to be 100% for his wife, and the wife 100% for her husband and together 100% for the Lord. I believe that's why it says.
A threefold cord is not quickly broken and.
We know that that is what God has planned, that is what he has ordered. But you know, in this day and age when people look on it lightly, say, well, those are old fashioned ideas now, it's a much easier outlet than just to divorce and remarry. But oh, I believe it's very, very solemn. And I believe too, and we think that this marriage relationship is a picture of Christ and the church.
And that the woman in her position represents the church.
And and the husband in his position represents Christ who is the bridegroom of the church. What a responsibility. And that's the pattern that is brought before us in the scripture. Husbands, love your wives. Even as Christ also loved the church and gave him self for it. So we have what God has given now. I know.
You talk to people, they have all kinds of changing opinions. I heard even a Christian say one time, well, I couldn't live with that person if he didn't love me. Well, instead of recognizing that there's a way to overcome even where there's a lack of love, why that was her attitude about it. But it's not the Scripture. The Scripture is that a responsibility has been taken on, and I believe it's a solemn responsibility before God.
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And so I mentioned this because.
Because I believe that all these things are the work of the enemy to try and destroy the divine standards that which God has established in his precious word. And let us go by this that God has set down in his word. And I believe that there's blessing in it when we think of the kind of a church that Christ loved.
Oh, how wonderful. His grace toward us did we always.
Always love him like we should. Did we always respond to his claims like we should? But did he cease to love? No, he's ever the same. So it says, be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Well, I believe that this brings before us the responsibility of the marriage then in First Corinthians 11.
First Corinthians, Chapter 11.
And the.
Third verse.
But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God. Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonored his head. But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered, dishonoureth her head, for that is even all one, as if she were shaved.
Well, there's another thing that we see that's changing in society. There is a complete changeover and the idea of the place that God intended the man to occupy and that he intended the woman to occupy. I've often said if I as a man decide that I'm going to be the head, I have no more right to it than my wife. But if God put me in that place, then I have a.
Responsibility. And that's the difference when people set aside the Bible and they say, what right does the man have to that place any more than the woman? But it wasn't man that chose that place. It was God who ordered this. And so I say to those who are man, it's a tremendous responsibility to fulfill the place that God has given to the man.
To give that leadership in love and in kindness and in understanding.
It doesn't mean that he is not to accept any advice from his wife. The Lord had on one occasion to say to Abraham, Hearken unto the voice of Sarah, thy wife, in all that she saith unto thee. And sometimes it's very important that we listen to the advice of the partner whom God has given to us, because the partner is not at all inferior. But God knew that the man could never fill the place of leadership.
Properly alone. So he made a helpmate, not inferior, but one who could share in every way and help him to fulfill the place in which God had put him. You know how lovely this is. And anyone who has experienced this in their home would say why? I rely a great deal on the help that my wife gives me. I feel a responsibility to give godly leadership. So you see, God has.
Plan this then, too. If the woman is not filling the place in the home, the man is unable to fulfill it. She can go out and fill a place in the business world, perhaps, but on the other hand, the man is unable to take the place that she has left vacant. And that's why it tells us in Isaiah. As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them.
Oh my people.
They which lead thee cause thee to err and destroy the way of thy paths. Once God's order is set aside, by then the home is spoiled and the children grow up to be just what it says, oppressors, because they have no proper leadership in the home which God intended the mother to provide. And so we see how that men try to change the things that God has given.
But you and I are to go back to the very.
First principles that God has established, may I say it kindly to the boys and to the girls, to hearken to what God has said, to realize the responsibility God has given to you as a man and the responsibility he has given to the wife as a helpmate. And how beautiful it is when it's carried out in God's order. How wonderful to see that.
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Plan carried out. What happiness there is.
Because God didn't form Eve from Adam's head or from his feet, but from his side to be his support and his helpmate. You know what a happy order God has established? Well, pardon me, but I'm saying these things because in this changing world, we don't realize how much what the world is doing and what it says is rubbing off on us, affecting us so that we're not careful to follow the.
Instructions of God's Word in the assembly. We're not careful to recognize what a very, very serious thing divorce is and how God says that he hates it in Malachi. He says I hate putting away. And then too, that as we see the disruption of this order that God planned by all the happiness and joy that God planned when a husband and wife are in their right and happy relationship.
Oh, how it's all spoiled.
Brethren, we have God's book. We have the one who changes not. And then turn to Ephesians chapter 6.
Verse One. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor thy father and mother, which is the first commandment, with promise, that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
Here when God is talking about honoring father and mother, why he says it's the first commandment with promise. In other words, he goes back to show that he had established something in connection with that relationship. And in the book of Proverbs, perhaps you have noticed that the whole 1St 7 chapters are all taken up with the father and the mother giving instruction to their family.
Read those chapters for your.
Yourself and you'll see they all every one of the chapters begins with my son or hear the instruction of a father and forsake not the law of thy mother. It's the whole plan that God had for the instruction of the children in the home. And then too that they should learn to honor father and mother. And as someone who's perhaps a little bit older than some who are young here, I can say this.
That in my observation, I have never seen the blessing of God on children who didn't honor their father and mother. I believe that when you see children who honor their father and mother, they come into that special blessing that God talks about. And I want to say to you, dear young people, I was a very imperfect father.
And perhaps some other fathers will say the same, that they weren't always the father that they should be. But nevertheless, I believe that God still would have you to honor them. And perhaps the day will come when you'll be a father and mother if the Lord doesn't come, and you'll be an imperfect father and mother too. It's, it's important though, that we recognize that God has set up and established an order. And so I just want to say.
Young people, never speak disparagingly of your parents. They may not be perfect, they may make mistakes, but always honor them. Honor thy father and thy mother. And that's something why you're not under their authority after you're married. You still ought to honor them. They still are in that place that God has put them in. In other words, God has set up something in this world, something that doesn't have to change with changing.
Times and when man bringing all these changes, why? What do they do, but only spoil that which God had planned for man? Turn to Romans chapter 1.
Romans, chapter 1.
And verse 25.
Who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator who is blessed forever? Amen.
Well, I don't need to read all the verses in this chapter, but I'm sure that many of us who have read these verses realize that this is a picture of what took place in heathendom when they gave up what revelation God had given to man and they changed everything. And it says they changed the truth of God into a lie. The Bible shows us that man is a triune being.
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Spirit.
Soul and body. And one has often said that we always want to make every decision in our lives in that order. The spirit, which is the intelligent God conscious part of our being, the soul which is the seat of the appetites and desires, and the body is the physical. And whenever you're going to make a decision, whether it's the line of work that you're going to take up.
Always get before the Lord.
And ask Him and then to make it intelligently as looking on into the future and making a little planning. You may get into something where you won't be happy or where you can't fully honor the Lord.
Think that out and get before the Lord and pray about it and search His word. You don't want to get into some unequal yoke or something dishonouring to the Lord. So the first thing is the spirit and then the soul. You say, well, I like this. Well, you know, the Lord Jesus could say the good pleasure of Thy will, O God, is my delight. And you will find that if you're in the path of the Lord's will, you'll like it because the Lord's not going to put you into something.
That you won't be able to enjoy if you are in the path of His will. And so then the last thing is the physical, then reverse the order. They usually say body, soul and spirit. So everything in their minds is planned in the very opposite direction of the way God intended it to be. Now in this first chapter of Romans we see that God gave up man. He gave him up as to his spirit and he worshiped.
The idols he gave him up as to his soul and all his horrible desires displayed themselves in all kinds of lustful things, and then their bodies suffered because their body was given over.
Their whole being was given over because they changed the truth of God into a lie. They worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator. And that's what's coming in today. And I ask you, dear young people, and for all of us.
When we're making decisions, whether it's where you're going to live, whether it's the partner that you choose.
Or the line of work that you're going to follow, always think of, first of all, can I honor the Lord in that? Can I give Him his rightful place? Will I be in something that's not according to His word? And then if you find that He directs you in that, then you say, well, I can enjoy it because I believe it's where the Lord wants me to be.
I believe it's his will for me. And your body tapes you there well. And we find that man didn't want God's plan. He changed the truth of God into a lie and he worshipped and served the creature more than the creator. That's the what's coming in known as humanism today to replace the wisdom and the direction of God's word.
And so this is what took place in Pagan Christianity. Now, I'd just like to say a few things in closing, if you'll turn with me to First Chronicles chapter 12.
First Chronicles, chapter 12.
And verse 32.
And the children of Issachar, which were men that had an understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do, the heads of them were 200 and all their brethren were at their commandment.
Let me turn over to Acts chapter 13.
Acts Chapter 13.
Verse 36.
For David, after he had served his own generation, by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption.
Ecclesiastes.
Chapter 7.
Verse 10.
Say not thou what is the 'cause that the former days were better than these?
For thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.
And one more passage in Second Corinthians chapter 3.
2nd Corinthians, chapter 3.
And verse 17 Now the Lord is that spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
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Well, here we find perhaps what we could say our own attitude in a day like this tells us in that verse in Ecclesiastes not to inquire why the former days were better than these. You know, we can spend a lot of time saying, oh, I wish things were like they were five years ago or two years ago or 10 or whatever. Or we can say, the Lord is going to give me grace.
If I look to him to live to please.
Them to find the path that's pleasing to him in 1985 and in 1986.
You and I must press on, brethren. We have to live in this generation, and the Lord is able to give us grace to serve our generation by the will of God. I believe that that's needful for us and we don't, and as I say, we cannot change the conditions in this world.
We may not be able to change a lot of other things that we'd like to see very different. Maybe your job is very trying. Maybe your home situation is not easy. Maybe a school where you go is very difficult too. And there may even be trials in the assembly. But I want to assure you that this wonderful friend that we talked about at the beginning, this is.
My as he says, this is my beloved and this is my friend. He's sufficient for you.
He can fill your life with peace and joy in the midst of a world that's constantly changing, full of unrest, full of uncertainty. He has a way by which you can live and serve your generation. I like that little word. Serve because none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself if you seek to live to please the Lord Jesus.
You are going to serve your generation because other people are going to look on.
And they're going to see in you a person that has found victory in a generation where everything seems to be going to pieces. Oh, I plead with you. I plead with you. It tells us there about those men of Issachar. It's a very interesting feature. If you take time to read in that chapter, it speaks about the ones from the different tribes who came out to make David king.
And in everyone of the 12 tribes, it gives a certain number of people who came out to make David king. I hope we're making the true David, the Lord Jesus supreme in our lives. But it's the most interesting thing to me that the only one of the 12 tribes that it doesn't tell how many there were is the tribe of Issachar.
And in that tribe, I read the verse to you, it says there were men, I think it says 200 in that tribe, who were men of understanding to know what Israel ought to do, and all their brethren were at their command. And may I just pass on a little word to some of us who are getting older. May the Lord help us to have an understanding about the time in which we live. I believe that.
I believe that the young people will listen if they feel we understand. You know, there's two things that the human heart craves and it's understanding and love. If you talk to somebody and you talk for 5 minutes, you, you just say, I know it doesn't understand. You just can't enter into what I'm saying. You feel frustrated and you perhaps don't say anymore. But if you feel that person loves you and that person understands your.
And then perhaps you'll listen. Perhaps that person can help you. And may I say to those of us who are getting older, may the Lord give us more of that understanding and love. I believe if we do that, we can be a help. It's been mentioned often in these meetings that our dear young people are in a generation and in a situation that some of us older ones hardly know very much about.
But I believe we should have an understanding and a love.
And here in that tribe of Issachar, it tells us about these heads of the people.
Who have this kind of understanding and all their brethren were at their command. They weren't looking back and saying, oh, it wasn't like that when I was young. No, they were. They weren't inquiring why the former days were better than these. They were trying to encourage those living in the very time in which they lived, when things were at a state in Israel that were perplexing and trying.
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And what is the final remedy of it all, brethren?
It's to have our eyes upon the Lord Jesus and then we can change the situation. But isn't adverse lovely that we closed with there in 2 Corinthians 3. We all with open face, beholding the glory of the Lord are changed. The Lord doesn't change. The world has changed, but sometimes because we have had part of the world rub on us, why we need to change.
Change more into his likeness.
He's the unchanging 1. And how's it going to be? Oh, it's by occupation with the Lord Jesus, that wonderful Savior, that wonderful friend. This is my beloved. This is my friend. He's not only mine, He's yours too. If you know him as your Savior, He can do for you what He has done for others. And so I just pass on these few thoughts to you. In a world where there's so much change we have.
In the word of God that help that instruction.
Those firm things that God has established so that we can go on in peace, having divine direction from the person whose name is His name is wonderful Counselor, the mighty God, the Father of eternity, the Prince of Peace, May we turn to Him, may we have our eyes upon Him, and the result will be a change take place in us to make us a little bit more.
More like the one who changes, not.
Shall we just look to the Lord in prayer?
The Secret of Godliness
Address—G.H. Hayhoe
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Let me turn first of all to Isaiah chapter 43 and verse 21.
This people have I formed for myself.
They shall show forth my praise.
Then again in the 60th chapter of Isaiah.
Isaiah chapter 60.
Verse 21.
Thy people also shall be all righteous. They shall inherit the Lamb forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified. A little one shall become 1000, and a small one a strong nation. I, the Lord, will hasten it in His time.
Then could we turn to 1St Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 31?
Whether therefore you eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
And in Second Thessalonians.
Chapter 1.
And verse 10.
When he shall come to be glorified in his Saints, and to be admired in all them that believe, because our testimony among you was believed in that day.
Wherefore also we pray all the way for you, that our God which counts you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and He in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
And one more passage in First Timothy chapter 3, verse 15.
But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know, how the oddest to behave thyself in the House of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit scene of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
Well, I was just thinking, brethren, of how wonderful it is to look forward to a glorious day when the name of the Lord will be glorified in heaven and in earth. In those passages that we read in the Old Testament, we could see that there is a day coming when God will be glorified in that nation of Israel. He picked them up in His grace. His purposes toward them were purposes of blessing. And we know that they didn't respond.
And as our brother read to us last night in the.
Prayer meeting there was so much that the prophet Jeremiah had to point out where they had not responded to his claims, but yet he was faithful. And in Malachi, the very last book in the Old Testament, he tells them, Prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing, that there may not will not be room enough to receive it. And then too, he delighted to point.
To that time when He would be glorified in them, and when that day was would take place, when they would not do any boasting in themselves, but all their boast would be in Him.
Well, we know that that's the future for the nation of Israel, but you and I, brethren, occupy a far more wonderful and glorious place. How wonderful a God has picked out of this world a people that would be displayed in a coming day as the bride of Christ. Could there be anything more glorious, more wonderful? The hymn writer has taken up the thought and those words. What raised the wondrous thought? Or who did it suggest?
That we the church to glory brought, should with the Son be blessed. O God, the thought was thine, thine only it could be. Only God could have thought such wonderful purposes toward us. But, O brethren, I feel that we need to be reminded of what He has done for us, that our hearts might be stirred, that there might be more response in us to what the Lord has done for us and what He is going to do.
I believe we need to take that.
Backward look and see what the precious Savior did for us in taking our place and bearing our judgment upon the cross of Calvary. And then to look forward to the time when, as we read in Thessalonians, He shall come to be glorified in His Saints and to be admired in all them that believe. I always enjoy reading that verse because I know He isn't always glorified in everything in me.
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Perhaps there are others of us here who feel the same. And then too collectively, as a testimony gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus, how we have to acknowledge that His name is not always glorified collectively, but all we delight to look on to that day. And if we do delight to look on to that day, then does it not stir our hearts, brethren, that there should be more desire that even here and now?
That it should be so.
In the early part of the Acts we see in the Spirit of God came down, and the Church of God began here upon earth. What a wonderful testimony there was in Jerusalem tells us there. The multitude of the disciples were of 1 heart and one soul. No one counted anything that He possessed was His own. Great grace was upon them all. What a testimony was rendered. 3000 souls saved, and shortly there were 5000.
And it says of the rest, durst no man join himself to them, but the people magnified them. God was showing what He could do, and what his grace could work in the hearts of man.
But when we come here to first Timothy chapter 3, I believe the Spirit of God brings before us through the apostle that which ought to characterize the assembly here upon earth. And perhaps that should speak to each one of our hearts here this morning and especially at the beginning of these meetings, that we should think of what a responsibility is ours, what a privilege is ours.
And how it's not just?
That we should be something in ourselves far be the thought, but that the Lord might be glorified, that there might be that testimony rendered here in this world that would be to His glory and praise. Each one of us can take it to our hearts individually. Each one of us can desire, as it was with the apostle Paul when they looked at him, it says.
They glorified God in me.
They saw in him the manifestation of the life of Jesus. And this can be so, brethren, collectively. And I believe that what is brought before us here in First Timothy chapter 3 is perhaps the collective side of things the apostle Paul writing to Timothy, a young man brings before him.
That which ought to characterize the House of God, which is the Church of the living God.
We know at this time divisions hadn't taken place among the people of God. And so the apostle sets before us in First Timothy the way God planned that there should be that House of God here upon earth. I sometimes thought of it like we sometimes see a new development and there's a model home set up in that new development.
And people can go in and see what is the mind of the builders.
In connection with that development and everything is set up in such a way in that model home so that they would discover what was in the mind of the developer. We know, isn't it lovely that God has done just that here in this world. He has set up that which was intended to display to this world, not man's wisdom. We hear a great deal of that today, but the wisdom of God.
And that's the wisdom that really counts, the wisdom of this world.
In moral and spiritual things is foolishness with God. But oh, the wisdom of God, you and I, brethren, will find happiness and peace and joy in walking in the path of wisdom. It says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Another verse speaks of wisdom. All her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
Well, here in these verses that we have in first Timothy chapter 3, the apostle was writing, as I say to Timothy, and he says that thou mayest know how the oddest to behave thyself in the House of God, which is the Church of the living God.
We know that the church is looked at in two different ways in scripture. It's spoken of as the body of Christ and as such we every believer is a member says by 1 spirit. We are all baptized into one body. Whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, there is the one body and Christ is the head in glory.
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But there's also the house aspect, and in the house aspect we have.
That we are living stones builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. And as such we find the thought of the house is always the thought of responsibility. We speak in that way often. We say, well, such and such things wouldn't be becoming to a house like that. That's a house that should stand for godliness. And it wouldn't be becoming that such and such things would take place.
And more than that, on the positive side.
We'd say, well, I would expect if I went into that home to find an order of godliness. Well, God uses the house in that way and His Word. And so when it brings in the thought of the house, it's the thought of behavior and behavior as we have been reading in the Scriptures, to the glory of God, there is to be an object before our hearts.
We may do things ourselves for a reputation, but that's all in vain.
Tells us about the blessed Savior here in this world, that He made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant. Whose reputation did he seek? Oh, he sought the glory of God his Father, and the heaven could break asunder over that blessed One and say, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
And so I would like to say that the motivation for our behavior isn't that we should be well thought of, but rather that the Lord should be glorified, that there might be that which responds to his desire, his heart.
Just as that model home in the district is for the honor of the man who was the developer. And when we think that God has placed in this world those who are intended, as we read there in Isaiah chapter 43, this people have I formed for myself. They shall show forth my praise.
And, brethren, are we really concerned about this? Do we think in everything?
About our lives for Timothy takes up every aspect of life. It's an amazing epistle. If you read it carefully, you'll see that there's hardly an aspect of life that is not mentioned there. It brings before us how we should act with our relatives, how men and women, husband and wife, should act. It even brings before us bodily exercise, everything that has to do.
Handling of our material affairs.
All this is brought before us because the world is looking on and watching, and they see people, or should see people here in this world who are seeking to walk in the wisdom of God, who in the midst of a world filled with all that appeals to the natural heart, there are people who have found a secret in life and who have found direction.
For their pathway, and that in the word of God, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. And so it says the House of God, which is the Church of the living God, the assembly, the called out ones. God has called you and I out from a world that's under judgment. He has purposes for glory, but he has left us here, brethren, and he has left us here.
In this world to show forth his praise.
I have enjoyed reading in the Song of Solomon.
When the bride had grown cold toward her bridegroom, the Spirit of God shows us how her heart is stirred in occupation with Him.
And fresh desires are wrought in her heart. And then the daughters of Jerusalem say, Where is thy beloved, that we might seek him also? And I believe, brethren, if you and I were walking more in the enjoyment of the Lord, in the wisdom of God's Word, that others too would be attracted, that as we told forth the gospel of God's good news to them, that they would say.
Those people really have something.
And we have the unsearchable riches of Christ united to Christ the Head and glory.
Then it tells us here too, the pillar and ground of the truth. This is a great responsibility for God's assembly here upon earth. And that is I I believe that the assembly is responsible before God to be the support of the truth. We know that the church doesn't teach. The church is taught.
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And that is everything that you and I know is not because a certain group teaches this or that, but because the Word of God teaches it. And we are responsible to hold that deposit of truth that has been committed to us. Do we, brethren, truly value the truth of God? And perhaps I could say that I believe that more particularly in this passage. It brings before us what we what?
Scripture calls Paul's doctrine. Now I know that the Church of God is responsible to maintain the truth of God's word from Genesis to Revelation.
Sad to say, we find today questionings in connection with the word of God. People will say, well this book contains the word of God, but let us word it properly. It is the word of God. If I say it contains the word of God, then I make myself the judge. I say, well, it contains the word of God, but I am able to pick out of it that which actually is the word of God.
And that gives people a right to set aside certain verses that they don't.
Like. But, brethren, it is the Word of God, and it's the whole revealed mind of God. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, truly furnished unto all good works. And I believe that many of us can say that in all our decisions of life we have found the wisdom.
Of God-given to us in the Old and New Testament for our pathway here.
I believe that a dear servant of God once said that he didn't think he had met one single matter in his life, that he didn't find some word in the Word of God, the wisdom that he needed for that decision. And I believe it's here in this blessed book. Even those stories in the Old Testament, I have sometimes said to encourage those who are young to read the Old Testament because you will find that those stories are in the Old Testament are given.
To us, to help us in the situations of life that we meet. And if you get well acquainted with those stories, you'll find I have tried myself when I find myself in a difficult spot, to try and think of some story in the Bible where someone else was in a similar position and how they acted, whether they acted wisely or unwisely.
The results, good or otherwise, in the governmental ways of God.
By acting or not acting according to the wisdom of God's Word. Oh, and so I just want to encourage each one, old and young. Read your Bible right through. You'll find all that you need for life and godliness, that the man of God may be perfect, truly furnished unto all good works.
But then I believe too, that there are special revelations, as I said, that were given to the Apostle Paul, what the Scripture calls Pauls doctrine. I believe there's a tendency to depart from those things in Christendom today. There's a spirit of compromise on every hand, of giving up a little here and a little there, perhaps in order to get influencer numbers. But let us remember that the church is the pillar and ground of the truth.
Responsible for to hold the truth of God that has been given to us, as Paul said to Timothy, Oh Timothy, come up, keep that which is committed to thy trust. And remember a story that our brother Eric Smith told about a man who was given a special responsibility by the government down there in Bolivia. And as it was crossing a stream, he was drowned. But the papers that he had were.
Tightly grasped in his hand that when they found his body, there were those papers that had been given to him, and he was grasping them, even though his body was lifeless. Oh, brethren, may we lay hold of those things, and may they lay hold of us.
I remember a brother saying, have you laid hold of the truth? And the brother said, I hope the truth has laid hold of me. What we need both brethren, we need to lay hold of it in our own souls and we need that it should also lay hold of us and affect us. Well, there were special things that were given to the apostle Paul. There was the truth of justification, a wonderful and blessed truth. There are many dear Christians that know forgiveness, but as to.
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Standing before God, they haven't entered into and enjoyed that. Isn't it wonderful that every believer stands before God in a life that never sinned and cannot sin? That is our standing and as one is often said, we will not have a better standing in heaven than we have right now. We are before God in Christ.
The righteousness of God in him. That is what is meant by that expression. Justification of life.
How many people there are who don't know really what the Church is? To them it's a building or an organization. But how precious for us in simplicity to have laid hold of what the church really is, and know that every blood bought soul indwelled by the Spirit of God is united to every other member of the body of Christ on earth, and that the head is in heaven. Brethren, these are precious things that have been committed to us.
And it's the Church of the Living God, the pillar and support of the truth.
And then too, how precious for us to know that.
We have a blessed hope before us, the coming of the Lord Jesus. There are many dear Christians that don't enjoy this blessed hope and even those who are real, who love the Lord. We find gradually it's slipping away and many dear Saints are expecting to go through the tribulation and not knowing that it's our present hope that before this meeting is over we may hear the shout and respond and rise to.
The Lord in the air, well, these precious things that are given to us.
Then, too, as we gather to remember the Lord Jesus, there are many, many dear Christians who really love the Lord. They see in the loaf and in the cup the remembrance of the Lord's body given and His blood shed. But, brethren, is something added now for us to enjoy, and that one loaf speaking to us of the one body of Christ. Oh, how few Christians have really laid hold of and enjoyed that truth.
One has often said we have never really.
Enjoyed the remembrance of the Lord, as we should, unless we enter into this fact that we are not only forgiven sinners, but we are gathered and remember the Lord as members of His body.
Pardon me for repeating an illustration that I sometimes use just to illustrate what I am saying.
We know the story about Rahab the harlot and how God and Grace met her and she put the scarlet line in her window and she was sheltered from the judgment that was to come upon that city. But the story doesn't end there. We learn from the first chapter of Matthew that this very woman, Rahab, actually married into the royal lion of Israel.
The son of one of the.
Leaders in Israel, what a lovely place she was brought into and her name is mentioned in the lineage of Christ there in Matthew chapter 1.
Well, I've sometimes said, supposing that, she sat down at the table with her new husband and looked across the table and said to him, It's wonderful to be a forgiven harlot.
I think I can hear him look back across the table and say, you are forgiven, fully forgiven, but you're far more than that to me. I don't think of you that way. You're in a place of nearness and affection and love. Brethren, isn't it lovely to sit at the Lord's table and know that we're more than forgiven sinners? That if we could hear his voice speaking to us, He is saying, Thou art all fair, my love, there is no spot in thee. What a glorious.
Truth has been brought to us, the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. What grace has made known these things to us, brethren, they're slipping away to a large extent among many who are dear Christians, just as truly the Lord's as we are. May we value the truth. May we stand by it and support it and live in the enjoyment of it. Now there's let me know way to a large extent among many who are.
Christians, just as truly the Lords as we are, may we value the truth, may we stand by it and support it and live in the enjoyment of it. And then to the as a lovely hope and knowledge that what death is. How often at a funeral you'll hear dust to dust and ashes to ashes. Why don't we say that at a funeral? Well, because if the Lord should come before we left the cemetery, that body never go back to dust.
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We're in the present hope of the Lord's coming. Always love to stand as a person's body is lowered into the ground and think, wouldn't it be lovely if the Lord Jesus came right now? That body would never go back to dust. It would rise, and together we would go to meet the Lord in the air. And then too, that we should have bodies of glory fashioned like unto His glorious body.
May we value these precious things that are given the whole Bible indeed.
But the precious truth that has been given specially to the Church, who is now to be the pillar and ground of the truth, May we not let these things slip away? May we walk in the good and the enjoyment of them. Brethren, Well, I believe in this 15th verse we have.
The church as the custodian, if I can use that expression, the responsible one to hold the precious truth of God and to minister it, because it tells us the ascended Christ has given gifts, as we read in Ephesians 4, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, that is.
The gifts that God has given are to tell out these precious truths and the church and the church is respectful to.
Hold the truth that has been given to us. The apostles and prophets laid the foundation. The evangelist goes out with the good news, telling us salvation. And then the one who is brought into the assembly finds those who care for him, the pastors and the teachers, setting before them the truth. It's a lovely example of this in Acts 11 where we find they went out and preached the Word and then Barnabas who was a pastor.
Encouraged them with purpose of heart to cleave unto the Lord, and then Saul comes down and they assemble for a whole year and taught much people. So we have the evangelist, the pastor and the teacher. And so how beautiful to see the order that God has established everything that we need, brethren, for our pathway.
Now the 16th verse is perhaps the more practical that is the in the 15th verse, I believe we have brought before us the responsibility to hold the truth that's been committed to us and to walk in the enjoyment of it. But in the 16th verse it says without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness.
I'm sure you've noticed here that it doesn't say great is the mystery of God, but of godliness.
Now that is, we're not only to hold the truth, but our lives ought to be so Christ's flight that just as the precious Savior was in this world, the one in whom God was made manifest, the one who did everything to please his Father, so much so that he could say, he that hath seen me has seen the Father.
Now, brethren, the Lord has put in US.
Now that same life, it says.
Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our bodies. That is, people ought to see in this earthen vessel, not that old nature, that I was born with a horrible miserable thing, because it says in Romans 7 in me, that is, in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. How often people even lower Christians.
They don't see the life of Jesus in us, and they see us just as natural man and see us acting as natural man, having natural desires. But we have a pattern and that is the Lord Jesus. We have his life and we have a new power by the Spirit of God. And so it says here great is the mystery or secret of godliness. What is the secret of godliness in the Christian's life?
Point is that.
Well, we might try to attention to ourselves by things that we do, but the secret of godliness is that the what people should see in us is the life of Jesus.
I think we have an example of it, where Elijah said to Elisha, What shall I do unto thee before I be taken from thee? And the answer of Elisha was, that a double portion of thy spirit may be upon me. And he said, If thou see me when I am taken up, it shall be so, but if not, it shall not be so, that is, if he didn't see that one go up.
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Then he wouldn't be his representative.
Was gone and we need to have our eyes on the Lord Jesus up there so that we can be His representatives down here in this world. Well, it tells us that when Elijah went up, his mantle fell. And what did Elisha do? He took his own mantle and set it aside and he put on the mantle of the man that had gone up. Brethren, I believe this is the thought here, that the life of Jesus.
Might be seen in us. That is the secret of godliness.
It isn't trying to make something of ourselves. That's what the world would tell us. They'd say make something of yourself. A brother went out to preach in an unsaved man said why would you identify yourself with a little group? Why not get with a big group and make something important out of yourself? The world knows nothing else but self exaltation, even in the things of God.
Our brother chapter Brown used to say Christendom has become a vast arena where men strive for honors for.
Themselves, O brethren, may we be in the secret of the Lord, that God might be glorified, that He might be glorified in US individually and collectively, and that the life of Jesus would be seen in US.
So here we have the secret of godliness, first of all, the Lord Jesus.
God was manifest in the flesh. What an example Peter says.
That he left us an example that we should follow in his steps.
Pathway of the Lord Jesus.
Going through every kind of situation that we can go through and always acting for the glory of God His Father, always saying the right thing. But it says here, it says in John, He didn't even speak a word of himself. You, you and I often say, what do I say? The Lord didn't even say a word from himself. He didn't do a thing without getting a command from His Father.
Brethren, that's the secret for us. Are you and I speaking our own words?
Or are we looking up to the Lord like Nehemiah did when he found himself in a tight spot and asking the Lord and the Lord helped him to say the right thing in the difficult situation he was in?
Well, I just want to briefly look at these little points that are brought out here in connection with the Lord Jesus, justified in the Spirit.
You know, too often we are looking for the approval of man, Paul said. Not he that commandeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commandeth. Is that what you and I are seeking and everything? Sometimes people may laugh at us, they may say we're foolish and the things that we do, but whose approval are we seeking?
I've often said it's natural, it's right, it's proper to want to be accepted.
But who do we want to be accepted by? Do we want to be accepted by the world, or do we want to be accepted by the Lord Jesus, By the Lord Jesus now in his pathway here?
Justified in the spirit, we know that as far as the world was concerned, it says He is despised and rejected of man, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. But what did the Father think of that one?
Well, we know at his baptism the Spirit of God came upon him in the form of a dove, the sign of peace, and rested upon that blessed One. And the Father's voice said, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. That was at the beginning of his pathway of service. Then again at the end of his pathway, we find again the Spirit of God coming upon him on the Mount of Transfiguration.
Justified in the spirit, brethren, I don't believe that we'll really have peace in our souls and in our pathway. It was always to be well thought of by men. But how? How good just to have the secret of the Lord, to know that we're doing what we do to please Him in obedience to His Word, and then just leaving everything with Him. What peace that gives in the soul. This is the secret of godliness. Are you and I seeking that? And we say nobody.
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Nobody seems to like what I do. Remember, if you're doing it in obedience to the Word and to please the Lord, you can just leave it justified in the Spirit.
Scene of angels. This is remarkable too, because Paul says in Paul says in Corinthians, he said we're made a spectacle to the world and to angels and to man. Why do the sisters wear a covering? Well, the Scripture says because of the angels. And we read in Ephesians that now unto the angels and principalities in heavenly places.
Is seen through the Church the manifold wisdom of God.
God, the angels looked down and saw their Creator in the lower form than themselves, because he was made a little lower than the angels. And they saw one a man here who was living only to the glory of God. They had seen all the ruin that came in by Adam's sin, and now there was 1 here that was seeking to honor the Lord and honor his Father. Brethren, are you and I, the angels are looking down. We're a spectacle.
To the world, to angels and men. So this is the secret of godliness. Are we acting in such a way as to present a display that is to the glory of God? Precious Savior dead, The Spirit could rest upon him in peace.
Then it says preached under the gentiles.
Well, you know, when the Lord Jesus was rejected by his people, Israel, he went up, and it tells us about him reaching out in blessing to a poor Syrophoenician woman. And what is the lesson to us?
Well, I suppose all of us at times have felt rejected and depressed at times and that something has been said or done that has been hurtful. Do we give up, brethren?
Do we just throw up our hands and say, well, I tried but it's no use? The Lord Jesus, when he was rejected by the nation, the branch went over the wall and reached out to the Gentile. Oh, let's not give up. The Lord Jesus didn't. He went on in that pathway of love and at the end he was, he was cut off and had nothing, as Daniel says. But what has been the result?
Oh, the result is all manifested in resurrection.
The blessing has reached out to a wider area.
If you down up a stream, if there's plenty of water, all that you do is make the water rise higher and it just goes out over a wider area. Well, how do you and I react when somebody may be criticizes, somebody says something hurtful, How do we react? Precious Savior, it just made His grace go out over a wider area. He had come to glorify His Father and nothing could stop that flow of love that went out of His blessed heart.
And then it says He was believed on in the world. Well, you and I may not see the results. As I said at the end of the pathway of the Lord Jesus, His disciples forsook Him. The nation cried away with Him. Where were the apparent results?
Well, Paul says to Timothy, Timothy, the only way you can labor on and continue in the path is to look beyond his life and look to resurrection. And brethren, that's what we need to do. That's why Paul so often said that day, that day, and he left the results to another day.
Let's be content just to go on. We have a pattern, brethren. Our precious Savior walked this path and Paul said to Timothy, consider what I say and the Lord will give you understanding. And you and I will never have understanding for our pathway unless we have the thought before us that there is one who has gone before and that it's to have His approval that really counts. So it says received up into or in glory.
Oh, how lovely to see that precious Savior with those disciples. He lifted up his hands in blessing and blessed them, and then he was received up into glory. What a what a glorious ending. His last act was the blessing of those very disciples that forsook him and fled. Oh, may there be more of this spirit of Christ. Well, I say again, I believe in these two verses.
We have brought before us the responsibility that we have.
Here in this world, we're like the model house, if you want to put it that way. The world is looking on. The angels are looking on. What do they see? Do they see that we're holding, standing for, maintaining, speaking the truth in love? And as they watch our lives, do they see that manifestation of the life of Jesus Christ likeness in US? Well, surely it was brought before us last night. We have to humble ourselves that it isn't always so.
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But, brethren, the Lord is still the same. One thinks of that lovely verse. He restoreth my soul. And if these meetings cause us to get afresh into His presence, with renewed desires to live to please Him and for Him.
And that these two verses in some measure might have their fulfillment in US individually and collectively. Oh, how it will glorify that Blessed One who did everything for us, who went to Calvary out of love for us. And if someday and whenever you get discouraged looking around at the weakness and failure, just think of that verse that is in first, the first chapter of Second Thessalonians.
He shall come to be glorified in his Saints, and to be admired in all them that believe, and then that will encourage us to go on, because that day is coming, and oh, how it will rejoice his heart. I believe the Lord's joy will exceed ours, brethren, in that day, when we shall see his face and be satisfied, and he shall see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied.
So we just look to the Lord for His blessing.