Burbank Conference: 1964
Table of Contents
2 Kings 2
Address—P. Wilson
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When we're meeting the Bank, December 1964 Address by Paul Wilson, Second King 2.
Gym #52.
Lord, we are thine walk by thy blood.
Once the poor Guild enslaves of sin, thou redeemeth us to God.
And make thy spirit well within.
Now, after our simple wandering, born with love and patience, all divine.
As brands then from the burning torn.
We all, we are holy thy #52.
Turn together.
And the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind.
That Elijah went with Elijah from Gilgal.
And Elijah said unto Elijah.
Very here I praise thee, for the Lord has sent me to Bethel.
The life is said unto him as the Lord liveth and his thy soul liveth. I will not leave thee.
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So they went down to Bethel.
And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elijah.
And said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head today?
And he said, yeah, I know it. Hold you your peace.
And Elijah said unto Elijah, Terry, here I pray thee.
Where the Lord has sent me to Jericho.
He said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee.
So they went to Jericho.
And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elijah, and said unto him.
Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head today?
And he answered. Yeah, I know it. Hold you your peace.
The Elijah said unto him, Terry, I pray thee here.
For the Lord has sent me to Jordan.
And he said, As the Lord liveth in his thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they too went on.
50 men of the sons of the prophets went and stood the view of far off.
And they, too, stood by Jordan.
Elijah took his mantle and wrapped it together and smoked the waters, and they were divided, hit her and thither, so that they too went over on dry ground.
And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elijah.
Ask what I shall do for thee before I be taken away from thee.
And the life is said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
And he said Thou is asked a hard thing.
Nevertheless, if thou shalt see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee.
Not it shall not be so.
And it came to pass as they still went on and talked.
There appeared.
A chariot of fire and horses of fire, and parted them asunder, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
The Lysis saw it, and he cried. My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.
And he saw him no more.
And he took hold of his own clothes and wrapped them in two pieces.
And he took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back and stood by the Bank of Jordan.
And he took the mantle of Elijah that.
Fell from him and smote the waters and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah?
And when he also had smitten the waters, they were parted. Hit her and thither.
And Elijah went over.
When the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him.
They said the spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elijah.
They came to meet him and bowed themselves to the ground before him.
And they said unto him, Behold now there be with thy servant 50 strong men.
Let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master, lest per adventure the Spirit of the Lord has taken him up.
And cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley, And he said, Ye shall not send.
And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said sin.
They sent there for 50 men and they sought him three days but found him not.
When they came again to him, for he tarry to Jericho, he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?
The men of the city said unto Elijah.
Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant as my Lord see it.
But the water is knocked and the ground barren.
And he said bring me a new cruise and put Salter in and they brought it to him.
And he went forth and gasped.
Into the spring of the waters.
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Under the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said Thus saith the Lord.
I have healed these waters, there shall not hence not be from them anymore death or barren land.
So the waters were healed under this day, according to the saying of Elijah, which he spake.
And he went up from thence unto Bethel.
And as he was going up, by the way, there came forth little children out of the city.
And mocked him, and said unto him, Go up thou bald head, Go up thou bald head.
Turned again and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. They came forth to see bears out of the wood and tear 40 and two children of them.
This is a rather remarkable chapter.
In this chapter, Elijah.
Retraces the course of his ministry.
And he takes Elisha with him.
They start on this journey together.
And Elijah said unto Elijah.
Now we know that the name Elijah meant Jehovah is God.
And the life's name means the salvation of God.
Now, Elijah had a very different type of ministry from that of Elijah.
And in this case, as they retrace the journeys.
I'd like to call attention to the various places that they visited.
Elijah said unto Elijah, Terry, here I pray thee.
Where the Lord has sent me to Bethel.
And a life is said unto him, as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.
In order to understand this portion of the word of God.
I believe it's necessary first to recognize.
That there are a number of towns or locations in Palestine.
That have the same name as Gilgal.
We often confuse them and we only think of Gilgal as the place that was down on the banks of the Jordan.
But this is different. This is a Gilgal that was up high in the mountains of Israel.
And this is the starting point.
Elijah says Terry here I pray thee, for the Lord has sent me to Gilgal.
Sent me to Bethel. Rather, the starting point now is from Gilgal to Bethel.
Well, what does that take it to? This takes us back to the Lord Jesus and he's coming into this world.
When he came into this world, he came as sent by God.
He came as the sent one.
He came as the Shepherd to the people He.
Came to his own. Came to his own that were in the world. Oh, it's true. The world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
Doesn't say his own didn't know him, but they wouldn't have him.
So he was rejected from the beginning, according to John's Gospel.
Now he comes forth from God in type here.
Elijah comes forth with Elijah. They're following together. The one is following the other.
From the high points in Palestine and now for proof of the position.
The last clause of the second verse.
So they went down to Bethel.
If the door is the Gilgal that was mentioned here had been the Gilgal on the banks of the Jordan, they would have had to go up from Gilgal to Bethel.
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And so this brings to mind the fact that when the Lord Jesus came into this world, he came to his own, He came to Israel. Now what does Bethel mean? If we go back to the book of Genesis, we find Bethel, we find Jacob learning that the place was the House of God.
And there he worshiped God. Bethel.
There's much said about Bethel, meaning the House of God.
Well, he starts out and he comes down to Bethel.
Well, you trace them, the height, the the descent of the Lord Jesus Christ.
From the heights of glory down into this poor world. But when he came, he didn't come to the world at large.
He came to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. He came with a divine Commission, the 11Th chapter of Zechariah points out plainly.
That God had commissioned him to feed the sheep.
But they wouldn't have him in that same chapter tells us that the people that refused him, whom God sent as their shepherd, will yet end up in accepting the Antichrist that he is called in that 11Th chapter of Zechariah the idol Shepherd or the Shepherd of nothingness.
Who will leave the flock? Leave the sheep? And so he's also the same man that's referred to in the 10th chapter of Guns Gospel, the hire layer, the hireling fleet and leave with the sheep. And so the poor House of Israel, they had the Lord Jesus presented to them in due time according to all the promises and the prophecies of the Old Testament.
He came in by the door into the sheepfold. He came in according to those promises. He came in as the whole thing had been marked out in before He came, and He came to that people, but they rejected it.
And they have reaped and they are reaping the consequences of it to this day. But the worst is yet to come.
I cannot have any sympathy with these so-called Christians who are interested in sending the Jews back to Palestine.
Where we learned from Zechariah that 2/3 of the Jews in that land are going to be cut off and die in the terrible tribulation that's coming. Only one third will be saved. So if a if a Christian were interested in sending the Jews back to Palestine, now he's sending them back to one of the hottest spots on the earth. Soon to be so.
When the Lord Jesus came to Israel, he came to the place that was the House of God. You remember in the Gospels he he speaks out the House of God as a Father's house says the zeal of thy house has eaten me up. He also speaks of it as as his own house.
But then when he leaves it.
He changes it all and he says your house is left to you deserve. What was it if it were up there? Only a building. It could be a fine building. It could be a marble temple. But it were, it was desolate when he went out and departed from it. Well, they're going to get the Antichrist. And incidentally, that Antichrist, that man that's coming is going to head up.
Apostate Judaism and apostate Christianity in himself.
And there will be the combining of all that is apostate under that man.
The Antichrist, rather than we're approaching that day, that day is coming on as a pace, and the earmarks of it are on every hand. Everywhere we look, we find the word of God is rejected. We find the truth of God is rejected.
Now.
We go on.
Third verse.
The sons of the prophets. I would say a word about these sons of the prophets. They were not literal descendants of the prophets, I take it.
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They were those younger men who were taught in a school of prophets.
I would call them.
In the ecclesiastical school of the day.
They were part of that, but we find as we go through this chapter that the sons of the prophets.
Were far from knowing the truth of God. They were far from it.
The sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elijah. They could talk intelligently on some of these things and said to Elijah, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head today? And he said, yeah, I know it. Hold you your peace.
Oh, this is a testing point for Elijah. He's following now that one that has made the descent from the rolling hills of Palestine down to Bethel, that place that was called the House of God.
And now Elijah said unto Elijah, Tarry here, I pray thee, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.
You know how I view these expressions in this chapter. Terry here I pray thee.
They impressed me somewhat. Like the word in the Psalms. Selah. A pause, stop and consider.
Here is something for Elijah to consider.
Is follow the license now from the from the rolling hills down to bevel?
Elijah says Tarry here I pray for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.
Thanks be to the to God that when the Lord Jesus came into this world, He didn't stop with coming to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.
For the next step in his downward course was The Lord has sent me to Jericho. Now where is Jericho? Oh, that's down, Lowell. That's down there by the Jordan. That was the place that resisted the Israelites when they crossed the Jordan.
With Joshua and the city was destroyed.
And God had pronounced a curse on the place, and God had also said be cursed, be the man that rises up and buildeth Jericho.
Well, we find in the first book of Kings that there was a man that rose up and built Jericho.
But it's also important to notice when that man built Jericho, he did it in the days of Wicked King Air.
When wicked King Ahab reigned.
This man and his and he was a Bethelite. He was a man from the House of God.
If we take the meaning of the name of Bethel in his days, did Heil the Bethelite rebuild Jericho?
And when he set up the foundations, his first born died. And when he completed the work, his youngest died, just as it had been predicted.
By the word of God. But now in this descent, as this blessed one came down from God, from the heights of glory, saw man in his, in their ruined condition, his first stop, his first mission was to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. But they rejected him. Well, God's love was not repelled. God didn't stop there.
Many of time we would have thought that God's love would have been cast back. No, he goes right ahead. And now the Lord Jesus makes another descent, as we have to typify it here in Elijah. He says the Lord has sent me to Jericho, down to the place of the curse, down to the place of the fall. And so the Lord Jesus went all the way down.
So we get that blessed verse in John 316 for God's soul of the world.
All, not just Israel. Now God so loved the world.
And He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
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So they go on their journey.
6th verse. Fifth Verse. And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha and said, Noah, thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head today.
And he answered. Yeah, I know it holds you your beast.
And Elijah said unto him, Carry, I pray thee here, for the Lord has sent me to Jordan.
That's further down. That's still lower, going down to the river of Jordan.
And we know that the Jordan River is a figure of death. There wasn't all new good. The Lord Jesus came down from the heights of glory.
To the lost sheep of the House of Israel, or to the lost people everywhere?
He couldn't. He couldn't redeem them unless he first went down into death.
If he had gone back to the glory short of going down into death. If he'd gone back then.
We could not have been saved but he says, Jerry here, pause here, I pray, stop and consider that the Lord has sent me to Jordan.
When we go down to the 7th verse, and 50 men of the sons of the prophets went and stood the view of far off.
Now these young men, these sons of the prophets, were stalwart young men, they were.
In the forefront of ecclesiastical position, they could talk of these things, and somewhat intelligently.
But their hearts were far from it. They can stand the view of far off.
And they too stood by John.
Elijah took his mantle and wrapped it together and smote the waters, and they were divided. Hit her and thither.
So that they too went over on dry ground.
What a remarkable thing. Now the now Elijah. Elijah has gone down into the river.
He's smitten the waters and they've divided and they 2GO through on dry ground.
What a sight, you know the individual finds a lot of fault about the.
River Jordan backing up and letting the Israelites cross.
But sometimes I think they have missed this place, because here the River Jordan is divided twice right in this chapter.
1St for two men to walk over on dry ground and then for one man.
Sometimes they overlook some things.
It came to pass when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elijah, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I am taken away from thee.
And Elijah said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
You know, we find out in Scripture.
That we often discover.
The state of a man's soul by his request.
Solomon was asked in a dream what he would ask of God, you know, and he asked for wisdom.
His state of soul was revealed in that request.
Now here's another request, another statement, he says. You asked for something.
Ask what I shall do for you. What did he ask for?
And this is the worst. It's primarily before me to see this afternoon. What did he ask for?
Oh, he says. I just want to be more like you.
He says, I want a double portion of thy spirit. I suppose the double portion as reference to the portion of the first born.
But he says, I just want to be more like you.
I want a double portion of thy spirit. What a nice request that was. Here's one Elijah who was attached to Elijah, and he's retraced all that journey down, down, down.
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Elijah. Elijah has gone through the river and he's over on the other side now. He's on the other side of having passed through the Jordan. And he says now what can I do for you before I'm taken?
All he says I only have one request.
I want to be more like you.
And dear young people.
What are your requests?
Do you ask the Lord to give you more money?
He asked the Lord to give you a better position.
Is that your real object? Is that what you're asking?
I'm not saying there's anything wrong in the proper use of money.
But the question I'm raising is this.
What is your object?
Each one of us has a certain amount of a goal and certain object, a certain objective in life.
Just what is it?
Well, for the Christian, I know what it should be. For the Christian, it should be just this spirit of Elijah. I just want to be more like my master. I want to be more Christ.
Well, Elijah says thou has asked the hard thing.
He'd asked a hard thing.
But he says nevertheless.
Now notice the key to this. If thou shalt see me.
When I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee. It shall be so unto thee, but if not, it shall not be so.
It all depended on the license, seeing that one would come down from the rolling heights of Palestine down to Bethel.
Down to Jericho, down to Jordan, down in the Jordan and now is on the other side of it.
It depended on his seeing him going back.
Dear young people, most people in the world today do not know what Christianity is.
They talk about it as though it were a certain creed or a certain system that will eventually improve the world.
But let them soberly consider that the world is getting worse, not getting better.
And is getting worse, rapidly, in fact. The wise men of this world wonder what's next.
We're approaching of the day when men's hearts will fail them for fear of looking on those things that are coming upon the earth. Christianity has not.
Changed the world.
What is Christianity?
Christianity is a is to be the followers of a rejected Christ. There was one that came down from golf scent of golf down into this world where man was in sin and a far from God is strange from God and he came down and he went all the way down into death.
He rose triumphant out of it, and he's gone back to heaven. And Christianity, properly speaking, does not begin until.
Christ is in glory.
One another is said Christianity proper begins on the other side of the cloud that received him out of their sight. That's Christianity. But Christianity has not taken all the Christians out of the world.
Remember this, dear young Christian, when you accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, your justice fit for heaven as you ever will be.
But God hasn't seen fit to take all the Christians home. As soon as they accept Christ, all the saved ones are are not taken away. He's left them here. He's left them here to represent him. When the Lord Jesus was going back, he said unto the disciples, As my Father has sent me, so have I sent you.
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That's why we're here. And so now there is one expression I want to read a little further down.
It's in the 18th verse.
When they came again to him, for he tarried at Jericho.
Elijah, now the follower of a rejected master.
Who has gone back to heaven?
Elijah now as the follower.
Carried at Jericho, You and I, dear young Christian, are left in this world.
This Jericho is a type of this world hundred sentence of judgment. The judgment of God hangs over this world.
Well, they're decorating the world and they're improving the world, but they're only decorating it for a funeral.
They're only decorating it for trouble, for judgment.
For he tarried and Jericho.
Now then, dear young Christian, may I ask?
About your object, your objective in this world, I desire one thing.
Of you and I desired for the Lord's glory and for your own good.
For your own happiness that you would desire to please the Lord.
Our desire, as we read in the Acts, that with purpose of heart they would cleave to the Lord.
That's why we're here.
All the Lord may trust you with a certain amount of money while you're here, or he may give you.
Good position that you might be able to use even an honoring the honoring humanity.
But is that the thing that we're here for?
William Kelly said in one of his books.
It wouldn't make any difference what kind of a professional man had.
He says it's to be nothing but a bread trade for him to earn his money, earn his living at while he's going through this world. That is my expression. That was William Kelly's expression.
A breadth for a profession.
Or anything we do is to be done for the glory of Christ and to live for Him. And I know that the enemy is trying hard to turn the dear young people out of the path of obedience.
There never was a time in the history of the Church on earth when the attractions of the world were so manifold.
So gilded and so dressed up as to attract the young people.
If it isn't one thing, it's 500 or more.
Oh, when I was a boy, there weren't nearly as many attractions. I'm not saying that the world didn't have its attractions then, but every year these attractions are being multiplied.
But are we willing to, just as it were, cast them to one side as we get in the Epistle to the Hebrews about weights and about sin, all the just lay aside these things as weights or sin? Well, what's the weight? Well, the weight is anything that would be a hindrance to me and running a race for we're not left here to be stationary. We're left here to get through this world and to get through it to God's glory.
Now, if I found anything was a weight that would keep me from running a race that I wanted to win, I'd toss it to one side as of no value. If it hindered me in winning a race that I was bent on winning, I just talked to one side. Just drop it.
Oh, dear young Christian. The devil will load you down with weights. He'll load you down with anything and everything that will hinder your making progress. We're in an endurance contest. We're in an endurance race, and I might also call it an obstacle course. For the devil is going to put everything he possibly can in your way to keep you from getting on.
It isn't that we don't know the truth. The question is, are we willing to live in the truth?
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Are we willing to walk according to we talk about this world as a wilderness wide, How much do we believe it? Oh, I'm not sure but what the Lord may let us taste what the world is as a wilderness. Why before he comes for us.
I'm not so sure that things aren't getting to the point where it may cost you something to be a Christian into this work in this world, to witness for the Lord Jesus may put you in prison yet someday.
Are you willing to count the cost? Are you willing to count the cost now?
All dear young people.
Your whole future life down here depends on your decision to live for Christ.
To live for him, I want to be more like him. That's the language that we read here.
I want a double portion of Thy spirit to be upon me.
Well, if we're going to have that, there will be many things that we'll have to discard.
Because there are many things that will SAP our spiritual energy and will hinder us in this in this race.
Now I want to mention that.
Going down in the chapter.
50 young men of the sons of the prophets went and tried to find a license. Elijah.
Where were they trying to find?
Here on Earth.
But he was gone, you know, it said of Enoch that he was not found, for God took him.
That he was not found indicates that they went looking for.
One of these days the people in this world are going to be looking for us if we know Christ.
Wouldn't it be an awful thing to be?
To be among those that were left behind.
So how to be those left behind when the Christians are all gone?
I wonder how many would be left in this room if the Lord would come at this moment.
I wonder how many be left behind, left in their seats, if we'd hear that shout and the Lord had called us home right now. Oh, I know for many of us that that would be a happy thought, Happy thought to be instantly away from a scene where we're talking about the Lord and his glory and his things and be transported into the into his presence instantly. Wouldn't that be wonderful?
But here, here these fifty young men want to find Elijah on earth.
And that's the whole character of Christianity Today. They're trying to reject the resurrection of Christ.
They're trying to reject all the supernatural and they're trying to connect a Christ on Earth with Christianity.
All they can put up all the decorations they want at this time of the year.
And talk about Christmas.
But how many of them know Christ?
Very few that take the name of Christ on their lips at this time of year.
No, Him is our savior.
What got the world would like to press on and talk about a Christ that will embellish the world, that he that will accredit their system and improve the situation as they want?
50 young men stole were young men and the world, the religious world is filled with these stalwart young men.
They're trying to connect Christ with the world.
All but the Christ we know is the one that died from the world crucified, and he was cast out of the world. We're followers of the of a man that they hated and the man that they cast out. And if we're faithful to him, they won't want us either. That's what the apostle Paul found.
Now we see another thing here.
Minute in its 19th verse, the men of the city said unto Elijah, bold I praise either situation of this city is pleasant as my Lord see it. The water is not the ground barrier. Now Elisha was tarrying there. He wasn't a citizen of the city. He wasn't like Lot sitting in the gate of the city.
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But he did. He did show mercy. He did his.
Is acts were acts of blessing.
In this chapter.
Well what a wonderful thing it is. The world is blessed by Christians presence in the world.
They don't know it, but the very forbearance of God that holds off the coming judgment is due to the fact that we're here.
All the judgment of God can't fall on this Christ rejecting world while we're here.
But soon we'll be gone.
It was salt here.
New Testament read. We read that we're the salt of the Earth.
Brethren, salt will not always preserve this world from judgment.
But the waters revealed now in closing, one more thing. 23rd verse.
And he went up from said unto Bethel.
Going back now, he's gone up to Bethel and as he was going in the way, there came forth little children.
And I think if you would turn to the revised standard, no, nothing.
The American revision.
American Revised. That was one that came out in about 19-9, wasn't it?
Somewhere about there I think that they render this.
Older man, these were not children, not little children. I take it that these were roadies.
I take it that these were the result of rejecting the word of Elijah. Elijah had spoken for God and they had seen him go and now they say of the one that's left to represent him they say go to. We don't want to go up thou bald head.
This is a language of grace despised, and if you want to know what judgment is, you'll find it when you see grace despise, because grace despise brings judgment, and this is the only act of all the miracles that Elijah performed was one of judgment.
For it was the despising of grace nee curse these these young men. 2 sea bearers came out of the wilderness, and tear 40 in two of them. I remember I knew of a man by the name of John, John Kouser. He's a dear Christian man.
And he had. For a time, he was living in a rooming house.
And there was a man that came into the rooming house occasionally and he had a great lot of fun making sport of the Bible.
And he took this verse one night when he was in the adjoining room where this Christian was, and he had the mall laughing, talking about two sea bears eating 42 Children. He says, my, what stomachs they must have had.
Mr. Kauser picked open the door and he went out with his finger in three or four places in the Bible that this man had called in question, and he answered every one of them by a quotation from Scripture. And then he read this and two sea bears tear 40 and two children. He said they didn't need big stomachs to turn.
Oh, how the Word of God contradicts the vanity of these infants.
But that's not forget that God has put it in here for our learning and it's a solemn thing to reject grace and that's why this for judgment fell there to think of the testimony of Elijah. Think of the testimony of Elijah.
The life is showing blessing and then to know that Elijah was gone, you know there's a day coming when the Christians are going to be gone and the beast, the head of the revived Roman Empire, is going to lift up his voice and blasphemy God and them that dwell in heaven.
Won't be able to put his hands on us. He won't be able to touch us, but he will use his tongue. He'll blast steam them the dwell in heaven. He'll say they're gone. And a good ribbons. Oh, I believe the devil will have lies like that ready As soon as the Christians are gone, they'll they'll control themselves that those that trouble the world are gone. And a good riddance it is. That'll be their attitude.
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But all the judgment that will fall when grace is despised.
The Garments of the Priests
Address—G. Hayhoe
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97197.
I'd like to speak tonight about the garments of the High Priest, the 28th chapter of Exodus.
And we'll begin at the sixth verse.
And they shall make the effort of gold, of blue and of purple, and of scarlet and fine twine linen, with cunning work it shall have the two shoulder pieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof. And so it shall be joined together. The curious girdle of the affidavit which is upon it shall be of the same, according to the work thereof, even of gold, of blue and purple, and scarlet, and fine twin linen. And thou shalt take 2 Onyx stones, engrave on them the names of the children of Israel.
Six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone.
According to their birth with the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet.
Shalt thou engrave the 2 stones with the names of the children of Israel. Thou shalt make them to be set in oches of gold, And thou shalt put the 2 stones upon the shoulders of the effort for stones. A memorial unto the children of Israel and Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord upon his shoulders for a memorial. And thou shalt make ouches of gold, and two chains of pure gold at the ends of wreath and work shalt thou make them, and fasten the wreath and chains to the ouches.
And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work. After the work of the ephod shalt thou make it. Thou shalt make it of gold, of blue and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twine Linen shalt thou make it 4 square. It shall be being doubled, A span shall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the breadth thereof. And thou shalt set it in settings of stones, even 4 rolls of stones. The first row shall be a sardius, a Topaz, and a carbuncle.
This shall be the first row, and the 2nd row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond, and the third row a ligur and agate, and an amethyst, and the 4th row a barrel, and an Onyx, and a Jasper. They shall be set in gold. In their enclosings the stone shall be with the names of the children of Israel. 12 according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, Everyone with his name shall they be according to the 12 tribes.
And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains of chains at the ends of wreath, and work of pure gold.
And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shall put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.
And thou shalt put the two wreath and chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate, and on the other two ends of the two wreath and chains. Thou shalt fasten in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulder pieces of the effort before it. And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the breastplate in the border thereof, which is in the side of the effort inward.
And two other rings of gold thou shalt make, and shalt put them on the two sides of the effort underneath, toward the fore part thereof, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the effort. And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the effort, with a lace of blue, that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loose from the aphid. And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place.
For a memorial before the Lord continually thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and Thummim, and they shall be upon Aaron's heart when he goeth in before the Lord. And Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the Lord continually.
And thou shalt make the robe of the effort, all of blue. There shall be an hole in the top of it in the midst of.
It shall have a binding of woven work round about the whole of it, as it were the whole of the heverage on.
That it be not rent, and beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates.
Of blue, and a purple and a scarlet round about the hem thereof, and bells of gold between them.
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Round about a golden bell and a pomegranate a golden bell and a pomegranate upon the hem of the robe round about and it shall be upon Aaron to minister. And this sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the Lord, and when he cometh out that he die not, And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, Holiness to the Lord, And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be.
Upon the miter, upon the forefront of the mitre, it shall be, and it shall be upon Aaron's forehead that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things.
Which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts, and it shall be always upon his forehead.
That they may be accepted before the Lord.
Well, perhaps some might wonder why we should read all these details that God has given to us in connection with the robes of the priest who was clothed in these robes thousands of years ago. It might seem as if this was a long time and perhaps not of much concern to us. I remember one time when I went to the Bible House in Ottawa and I told the lady I'd like to get a Bible for one of the children in the Sunday School.
Well, she said. We have a nice Bible here, and it has.
The historical parts of the Bible in larger print, but some of those unimportant parts like the Tabernacle and the ritual and so on, that's just put in very small print so the children can sort of skip over that. There wouldn't be much for them in that. But dear friends, it's not so it tells us that when the Lord Jesus walked with those two on the road to Emmaus, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures.
The things concerning himself and if you had been with those two, that went on that.
Walk from Jerusalem down to Emmaus. No doubt you would have heard many, many precious things from these things in the Old Testament and how they picture to us the Lord Jesus. For when we turn over to Hebrews, we find out that He is our great High Priest. And these garments that were placed upon the High Priest in Israel are just a picture of what the Lord Jesus is doing for us.
The work that he is carrying on for us up there is our high priest.
And there are just three particular points that I'd like to bring out in this that I'll mention first. So perhaps you will get the thought that is before me. And that is that we see in the names upon the shoulders. We see how the Lord is carrying us in His strength, just like the just like the shepherd. When He picked up the sheep, He placed it upon his shoulders and carried it home rejoicing. So the shoulders speak of the place of strength. The Lord carries the government of the world upon His shoulder.
But he places the sheep upon his shoulders, and so these names were graven on both shoulders.
So it shows us the place of security into which the believer has been brought, and then upon his heart, well, that's the place we have in his affections, for we not only are carried securely, but we have a special place upon his heart. He loves us and loves us with an individual love. And then underneath that breastplate there was what was called the Urim and Thummim, which means lights and perfections and tells us of the wisdom.
Of all God's ways, we might love someone, and yet in our love we might do something for them or to them. That was very unwise Sometimes with children, we love them so much we spoil them. Well, we lack wisdom. We have affection, all right, but we lack wisdom in the way we act with them. But not so with the One who is our great High Priest. He loves us perfectly, but he is all wise. He knows just exactly what she what each one of us need. And so.
We have in these garments those three particular thoughts, strength and love and wisdom. And that's what characterizes all God's ways with us as His children. And that's why the Lord Jesus is up there interceding for us, because he knows every step of our pathway, just as the high priest was there in the presence of God on behalf of the people, so that they might be accepted before the Lord and that they might have the strength to go.
On through the wilderness and might be maintained in their pathway. Then in the end of the chapter we'll see how the knowledge of all these things produces a response in our hearts, because this is always the way God does. He first of all tells us what He has done for us in His grace and then all all that we could do in worship or service is the result of response to His Law. God always puts the position that He has brought us into in grace first.
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And the exhortations are always founded upon that. It's a mistake to think that we can do something to finally attain any particular favor with God. No, it's all found that dear friends, upon the work of Christ, upon what he has done. These people were a redeemed people. They had found shelter in Egypt under the blood, and God had said when that blood was placed on the lentil in the two side posts he had said, When I see the blood.
I will Passover you That, and that alone sheltered them from judgment.
And then, more than that, he had brought them through the Red Sea into a new position. Oh, isn't this lovely? You're not only forgiven if you know the Lord Jesus as your savior, but you've been brought into a new position. If I stole something from a man, he might forgive me, but I still wouldn't feel at home in his presence.
I'd want to get away from them because I would feel, although he had forgiven me and that I couldn't relax in his presence at all.
But if he told me that he didn't look on me as a forgiven thief, but he loved me as his own child, what a different feeling I would have in his in his presence. Well, God not only sheltered the people from judgment, but he brought them into a new position where their enemies were dead. Upon the seashore they looked back and they saw all their enemies, and the first thing in the Bible is when they crossed the Red Sea came up on the other side. I redeemed people not only sheltered from judgment.
But beyond the place of judgment altogether in a new position.
But alas, we know how they failed in the wilderness, and we were just remarking over in Walla Walla something that has been very lovely and precious to my heart. The people, you know, they failed and they murmured. And because of their murmurings, God said he would have to let them wander for 40 years in the wilderness, that they might learn an experimental way, their own hearts.
And also his heart. And so instead of being able to take them through that 11 day journey at once to the land, he left them for 40 years in the wilderness so that they might have these experiences. And you know, the Lord could have taken you to heaven the very day He saved you.
Your life wasn't necessary in any way to fit you for heaven. The very moment you accepted Christ as your Savior were as fit for heaven.
As God himself could ever make you, because He sees you in all the virtue and in all the acceptance of the person and work of His beloved Son. But why are we left here in the wilderness? Well, we are left here that we might learn two things. We have to learn ourselves experimentally.
But we also learn God's faithfulness, God's grace. There are lessons that can't be learned in heaven. They have to be learned down here. We won't need comfort in heaven. We won't need strength for the way in heaven. Our faith won't be put to the test in heaven, Faith will be changed to sight. And so these lessons of the wilderness are invaluable. But you know, this is what to me is so lovely when the Lord said, well, you're going to have to.
Wander this wilderness for 40 years in tents, the Lord said.
But I want to be with you and so I am going to make a tent, for that's what the Tabernacle is.
It was really a tent, he said. I'm going to make a tent and I'm going to dwell among you. Oh, isn't that lovely? He said you were going to have to walk through all those troubles and difficulties of the wilderness for 40 years. But I love you so much that I'm going to come down and dwell in a tent among you and provide a way of approaching to my presence so that you will be able to know that I love you and care for you. Oh, how tender this was in the part of the heart of God.
For his people. For you know, the Lord Jesus not only died to save our souls from hell.
But he died so that he might have our company. It's our company that he wants.
He wants it here, He's going to have it for all eternity, but he wants it here in this pathway, in this world as we go through it.
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So the high priest he approached in the presence of God on behalf of the people.
And so is our remark before we can see in all this our beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus present work, His work of redemption is past. The blood has been shed. We have been accepted through His finished work. But we have a one who is up there, and the one who died for us lives for us, And there He is in the presence of God for us, for us. You feel the difficulties of the way.
Do you feel how trying they often are? Well, there's one up there who's passed through every circumstance, every kind of suffering that it's possible to pass through for a righteous man. The Lord Jesus has passed through. And there he is up at the Father's right hand, and he's interceding for us. And so that's what's brought before us here in the garments of the high priest. So in this sixth verse where we began, it says they were to be made.
The effort was to be made of gold of blue, the purple of scarlet, and fine twine linen.
Well, I believe these different colors bring before us the various glories of the Lord Jesus. The gold would speak to us of divine righteousness, for in heaven the street is of gold, and so there we find that the first one mentioned is the gold.
Because the Lord Jesus for us is there in all the acceptance of his own person and work.
And it tells us in Two Corinthians 5 and 21 he hath made him.
To the sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him, the righteousness of God in him. Isn't it a marvelous thing to think that as God looks at the believer, he sees him in Christ, in Christ accepted in him? So these garments, first gold and then blue, and what I believe tell us how the Lord Jesus is the heavenly 1.
Because there's the blue sky, and he is the one who came down from heaven and who has gone back to heaven. There it says He's passed through the heavens and he's in the presence of God for us. And then the purple would not now tell us of royalty, because that was how the kings were clothed. And the scarlet in the scripture brings before us human glory, human glory, whatever, with whatever we see something that wishes to display human glory.
We usually see Scarlett. It's often on the robes of very important people.
People who have some high office in this world. Well, who has the right to the highest place? Oh, it's the Lord Jesus. For as man, as man, I say he's going to be the center of the whole new creation scene. That one who's up there interceding for us now is someday as son of man going to be the center, and the whole of heaven and earth will be gathered under a man, that man, God's beloved Son.
And dear Saints of God, that man is there interceding for us tonight.
That man who is going to hold the position as it tells us in Ephesians 1.
That in the dispensation of the fullness of time he might gather together in one all things in Christ.
Both which are in heaven and which are on earth, Even in him. You and I might consider ourselves quite important if we were personal friends of the President. But how much more to think that there's one up there, a real man who died for us and who's coming for us, who's going to have that place of headship over the whole scene? And he's chosen us to be part of his bride, and he's up there for us tonight. Well, I believe this is what is brought before us in the Scarlet.
And the fine twine linen? Well, the fine wine, and it tells us in Revelation.
Is the righteousness of Saints well? The Lord Jesus was the one who walked in perfection.
In every step of his path he was pleasing to God his Father.
Every step it's practical righteousness and the Lord Jesus was that imperfection.
So that as he went through this world, he could say I do always.
Those things that please the Father, So these colors here bring before us the various glories of Christ. And then these they were these two shoulder pieces.
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Were on the shoulders of the high priest, and it tells us that there were two stones, and on these stones six names were graven on one stone, and six names on the other stone.
And it says they were graven according to their birth.
Why isn't this lovely? And it brings before us the fact that when we are born into the family of God, for that's our spiritual birth, and that we're placed upon his shoulders. And so perhaps, as I look into this, into the faces of some here tonight, perhaps there are some who have been on the shoulders of the Good Shepherd longer than I have. But if you have been born again, you have been placed there, and those names were grave in there according to their birth.
Six on one shoulder, 6 on the other.
That the 12 names were represented there, and so how wonderful it is to know.
That when you take Christ as your Savior, you're placed in a position of security, a position of eternal security for the Lord Jesus said in John 10. I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. Some people will say, but oh, you could pluck yourself out, but the rest of the verse guards against any mistake in that direction. For it says.
They shall never perish.
Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. So there is the security that no one could pluck them out unless the person might think he could pluck himself out. Why, he says, they shall never perish. They shall never perish. Oh, how carefully God has worded it so that there might be the enjoyment of this security. Because, dear friends, it all depends upon Christ. Make anything depend on ourselves, and we're sure to forfeit it, I've sometimes said to people.
Who do not believe in eternal security, I said. Well, if I if I thought as you do.
I could never be happy because I would always be afraid that I might have done something.
That I might have forfeited salvation, I am afraid. And you know what the?
Quite often we'll say, oh, well, it's not little sins. It's big sins. If you come in a big sin, well then you might be lost. Oh, they had a little sin's all right. But a big sin is what would take one off the shoulders of the Good Shepherd. All dear friends, any sin would keep you out of heaven. Any sin? One mistaken thought if it depended on yourself or myself. But thank God, it depends upon the value of the blood of Christ.
The blood of Jesus Christ his Son, cleanseth us from all sin. And God is careful in His word to guard always the infinite value of the finished work of Christ. And so here we find that these names were placed upon the shoulders of the High Priest, and they were set. Each of these stones were set in ouches of gold. Well, we remarked before that this gold.
Speaks of the righteousness of God. And isn't that just exactly what that verse said that one quoted, That we might be made the righteousness of God in him? So there were those stones and there were set in gold settings not only on the shoulder, but they were in gold settings. Because my place of security isn't that God has overlooked my sin, but God has taken up and settled the question of my sin. Oh, isn't that a wonderful thing to know why if you were called upon?
To confess your sins and then if you could confess the mall, it would be all forgiven.
Do you think you could remember the mall? I'm sure I couldn't. And more than that, I'm quite sure that I don't know. Some things that I have done are sin in God's sight. That perhaps I don't realize, but all how grand it is to know that God himself took up the question of sin. God himself laid my sins upon the Lord Jesus. As Isaiah 53 and six says, the Lord hath laid on him.
The inequity of us all. Oh dear friends, I want to bring this before you for the blessing of your own heart.
So that you might have subtle peace. Judgment is past if you know Christ.
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You will never have to do with God as a judge. You now have to do with God as a savior God.
God as your father. Oh, how wondrous to say that the work is forever complete.
Well, it's interesting to notice too here that these stones on the shoulders of the high priest were both alike. Now we'll notice here that the stones on the breast of the high priest, they were all different. But on the shoulders of the high priest, they were both alike. They were Onyx stones. Whereas upon the upon the breast they were all different stones. Well, surely there's a reason for this.
Well, there is equal security for all. It says there were graven according to their birth. And if you were just brought to know the Lord Jesus as your savior yesterday, you're just as secure as if you had been saved for 50 years. There's no difference in the security into which the believer has been brought because there were seven ouches of gold and these stones were alike. But then we noticed that when we come to the 13th verse that there were these.
Recent change that came down.
And they connected these on the shoulder with the ones that were upon the heart.
And these wreath and chains, it seems to me, these these chains would bring before us that perfect length that there was between the place of security and that upon the heart, because our place upon the heart of Christ is founded also upon divine righteousness.
No. You might love a person and not know all about them. You might find things about them afterwards.
That disappointed you greatly, and you wouldn't love them quite as much after you found these things out about them, perhaps. But the Lord knew all about us before He saved us. And our place of security and our place upon His heart is founded upon the fact that all these things have been settled at the cross. And so the precious Savior is someday going to look upon all His redeemed, as it tells us in the 53rd of Isaiah.
He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied. Perhaps there's someone here tonight, and you say, But, oh, I've been such a miserable failure. The Lord must be disappointed in me, while he's grieved sometimes, but never disappointed, because he did know all about us. And when each one gets home to glory, whether it's poor failing Lot or Jacob, or whether it's Abraham.
He is going to look upon each one and be satisfied because.
They will be there in all the infinite value of the work of Christ. Now it doesn't mean that we would want to be a lot, because there is such a thing as having a saved soul and a lost life. It says he that loveth his life shall lose it, and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. And you can have a saved soul and a lost life. And I'm sure that no one who responds to what the Lord Jesus has done for us would want to have a lost life.
It's true. He's going to bring us there through his.
Finished work. But he would delight that we should have an abundant entrance. And you know the bridal garments of the bride, it says. She was arrayed in fine linen and clean and white, for the fine linen is the righteousness of Saints.
That is those beautiful garments displayed there at the wedding.
Are the result of practical things in her life that were pleasing to the Lord, just like a girl who's being married. You know, it isn't the dress that she wears on the wedding day that has anything to do with whether she's going to be the bride or not, but it does have a great deal to do with whether she is dressed in a way pleasing to her bridegroom. Probably when he wanted to have that girl for his wife, he never thought about what she was going to wear on the wedding day at all. That thought never crossed his mind.
But if she wanted to be addressed in a way pleasing to him, oh what?
Oh, what effort she would go to, to have a beautiful dress for that day. Well, dear friend, your place in glory is founded upon the work of Christ. But you and I can do things that will be beautiful in his eyes, acceptable to him. And Paul said we labor that whether present or absent, we may be accepted or agreeable to him. What a privilege this is. I just pause to mention this because if I speak of eternal security, I speak of the finished work of Christ.
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But there is the practical side, and you and I have the privilege of doing things that please him.
Who has done so much for us? And I've sometimes said too, you know, the bride is seen 1St at the wedding day, and we get a second view of her 1000 years later, 1000 years later. And it says she still prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, that that bridal dress is still in all its freshness and beauty. Supposing A supposing a bride thought that.
Every day of her married life, she had to put on the dress she wore on the wedding day. Don't you think she'd want it to be exceedingly beautiful? Don't you think she would go to no end of pain? Saw that it would be lovely? Because she said, why? You know, I'm going to display this every day of my married life. I surely want it to be nice. Well, dear friends, you and I are doing in our lives now those things that will meet with his approval and will be to praise, honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
All may we remember that this is our privilege, but let us not confuse our responsibility.
With our standing. Our standing is through the work of Christ, but we have the privilege of doing what's pleasing to Him. But now to pass on here to the to the breastplate of judgment. It also was of gold, blue and purple, and scarlet and fine twine in them. All these same beautiful things that were seen in the in the breastplate, in the aphid, where the.
Had to do with the shoulder pieces. We're also here upon the heart. It's the same blessed person.
That has given us this place of security, who has also given us this place.
Upon his heart. And here again we see this beautiful thought introduced in the 16th verse. 4 square It shall be being doubled, span shall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the breadth thereof. I believe it's four square, because although the high priest was only the high priest in Israel, it was a picture to us of the one who was not just going to be the high priest for that nation, but the one who is up there.
Who has caused this wonderful message of salvation to go to the four points of the compass?
To go out worldwide not whosoever will may come. I believe that's why it was Foursquare. Because God always had in his purposes blessing beyond the bounds of Israel. He had in his purposes the blessing of whosoever will worldwide. And then the fact that it was doubled and that it was a span each way, Doesn't that make you think of those two hands that we spoke of in the 10th of John? There we read, it says.
And no man is able to pluck them out of my hand. Then there's another hand, It says My father, which gave them me, is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my father's hand.
I and my father are one, so there we have the double security of the believer.
The two hands, the two spans the full coverage. And so there how lovely it is that on the breastplate to hold those glittering stones was this four square piece of most beautiful material. And these stones also were set in their settings with gold. Well, why were they different? Why not have them the same upon his heart? Well, you know.
I enjoy this thought, at least for my own soul.
Every believer is equally secure and every believer is equally loved.
But you know, some of us are parents in this room tonight. And some of us have a few children, not just one. Perhaps some of us have two or three or four or five, and we have a special love for each one. We love each one differently. Each one has a different disposition every each one has different physical characteristics, and we have a special love for each one. We look at them.
And our hearts go out in a different way.
For each one of them. Oh, that's the kind of a savior that we have all you say.
There's nobody that understands me. Oh yes, there's one that does. And each one of those stones were beautiful. We couldn't say one was more beautiful than the other, but each one was different. And the Lord loves all his own and He loves them all alike. But I believe that we can say He has a special love for each one. Says now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
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Doesn't say love the family. It says he loved Martha.
And her sister and Lazarus. And so you know, the Lord knows each one of us, Perhaps you say, but if I've been a big failure, I don't believe he could love me just the same as he could love some other believer. Well, you know, one has enjoyed noticing this in the scripture, that when God assures his people of his love toward them, it was at a time when we would least have expected it.
After their 40 years of murmuring and complaining in the wilderness, then it says.
Yeah, he loved the people. All his Saints are in my hand.
All had his had his love toward them changed by all those failures of the wilderness.
No. They might have doubted it, but he loved them just the same. And then we can go through the Old Testament at different instances. Take when Jeremiah was telling them about being carried into captivity and warning them, shedding tears over their sad state. We read that verse that's so precious to us. Yeah, I have loved thee with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness have I drawn me and that verse that I just quoted.
Did it ever strike you that he didn't put Mary's name first?
He doesn't say now Jesus loved Mary and her sister.
And Lazarus? We might have thought that's the way it would have been worded, but not so why?
Well, Martha might have wondered if the Lord loved her as much as that sister who sat at his feet. She might have said, I am sure the Lord loves. I am sure that He loves Mary more than He loves me, because He rebuked me, told me that I was cumbered about much serving, But lest there should be any doubt about it, even skips Mary's name, and it says He loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
Oh, how touching it is. And let me assure you that the Lord loves you, and if you've wandered away from them, the way that you will be brought back is not trying to develop some love in yourself, but thinking of how much he loves you and your failure hasn't altered his love. And sometimes told a little incident occurred in our own home when one of our daughters was quite small and I had to punish her for being naughty.
Why, She was crying and she came to me and she said, Daddy, you still love me, do you? I don't know any time that I wanted to assure of her, of of my love toward her. More than then, even though she had failed that very thought that came in her mind that she should have doubted that I loved her, just hurt me. And dear friend, dear Christian, don't ever thank the Lord doesn't love you. He died to save you.
Drawn by such cords will onward move, and if you have failed, it hasn't altered his love. It may have altered your enjoyment of it, but not his love towards you. He may have felt and does feel our failures, but it doesn't alter his love. And so isn't it beautiful that each one of these stones arranged in rows of three, they were all different. They were all beautiful. And dear fellow Christian, the Lord knows.
All about you. He knows your physical condition, he knows your endurance, he knows the trials of your pathway, he knows your tendencies, he knows everything about you. And he has a love that's suited to your condition and that love is going out towards you.
For when did those stones sparkle the most? Well, it was when the high priest went into the very holiest of all. And there was the Candlestick. There was no natural light there, but there was the Candlestick. And the light of the Candlestick fell upon those stones, and each one of the the names sparkled back in all its beauty. Oh, how precious it is. He's in the presence of God for us.
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He's up there tonight, and he's bearing our unworthy names in the presence of God. And he has a love for us, a love that from which we can't be separated, a love from which we see here. That double security, those two hands and each one of the stones set in golden settings and with all the glory of those different colors. Oh, how lovely it is to see. And it tells us.
That he wore these things, He wore them upon his.
Heart before the Lord. Continually. Continually, yes, at all times, day and night. Why those names were always represented before the Lord.
And then we go on a little bit farther and we notice here.
When we come down to the 28th verse, it says, And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the effort with a lace of blue.
That it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate.
Be not loosed from the effort, while there were the wreaths and chains and everything which speak of divine righteousness, but there was that lace of blue, and it was fastened in such a way that it could not be loosed. And you know of somebody that we love goes far away from us, we might say, well, I wonder how much they think about me. I wonder how much they think about me when they're far away.
Well, that's what I think about the lace of blue, the one who is up in the heavens, Why it was fastened in such a way that it could not be loose, And although he is up there in the heavens, why He's thinking about us, His thoughts are upon us. The hymn writer has caught the thought very sweetly in that little hymn that says there amid the joys of heaven, Sweeter to his ear is the footfall through the desert.
Ever drawing near.
Yes, with all the glory of heaven. What is the sweetest to heaven?
All you hear is the footfall through the desert. He knows that the moment is near when he's going to have his bride. Just like Isaac. He went out to meditate in the field at evening and he lifted up his eyes. Who was coming? His bride. She lifted up her eyes and their eyes mapped.
They were soon. They were soon in the enjoyed relationship that.
Uh, Rebecca had wanted to be in Ohio. How how lovely it is to think that the Lord is lifting up his eyes. He's longing for the time. And so I think that's the thought, brethren in this lace of blue wasn't only the golden chains, but there was the lace of blue, that one who's in the heavens. Although he may seem so far away. Peter said, whom having not seen he loved and whom, though now you see him not yet believing.
You rejoice with joy, unspeakable and full of glory. And now we come to the next in the 30th verse, and thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and Thummim.
It is a striking thing that God has not been pleased to tell us very much about what this is, and no doubt there is a reason for it because.
God doesn't always let us understand his ways with us.
Some things he does allow us to understand, but there are other things that are tests of faith you were just mentioning yesterday and reading first Peter One says the trial of your faith being much more precious than a goal that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found under praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. And sometimes we may understand why God passes us through certain things.
Sometimes we may not understand. So this Urim and Thummim was hidden here underneath no stones, and was upon the heart of the high priest. Well, the Lord's ways with us are perfect in wisdom and perfect in love. And we may not as a remark, always understand, any more than any Israelite could see what was underneath there. But there was the Urim and Thummim underneath those stones.
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Little hymn says we cannot always trace the way that thou art gracious Lord dost take. But we can always surely say that God is love. And so in the 8th chapter of Romans it says we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but we do know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according to his purpose. Our first thought when we get in trouble.
Is to think, how can I get out of this trouble? But we don't know whether it's best for us. Paul thought it would be best to get rid of that thorn in the flesh, but it wasn't best for him. It was best for him to have it. God intended him to have it all the rest of his life, and he lived to thank God for it. Later on he said most gladly. Therefore I glory in mine infirmity, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. And brethren, I believe when we get to glory.
That we will thank God for the trials that He allowed along the way. We'll see then what we may not see now why he allowed them. We'll see that it was in perfect wisdom as well as in perfect love. And I may have mentioned this before, but one has enjoyed this in connection with the eight of Romans. Perhaps others have noticed too. But when you come to that 28th verse where it says, And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according to His purpose.
Perhaps you have stopped at the end of that verse and said, well, it's hard to understand. I can't see how this is going to work together for good. Well, God knew that you and I would have those very feelings and that's why the next verse comes in. Did you ever read the next verse in connection with it? The next verse says for whom he did for now he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the first born among many brethren.
Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called, and whom he called them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Well, I'll illustrate the point that I'm trying to make.
Did you ever read a storybook? And when you came to a chapter in the storybook, when everything looked very sad and everything looked very uncertain and you just could hardly for bear, you looked over to the end of the story to see how it ended?
Did you ever do that? I've done that. And once I knew that the story ended, all right, I could read the darkest chapter in the story and I could read it. Perhaps the tears had run down my face while I read it, but I still read it with confidence. Why? Because I kept saying to myself, well, I know the story ends all right, it's all right. It's going to work out. Looks awful difficult, but it's going to work out all right. And so how grand it is. God says I knew you'd stop at the end of the 28th verse.
And say, how is this ever going to workout? He says. Well, I'll tell you the end of the story. You're going to be conformed to the image of my son. And then he even goes, and he carries us right back into eternity and says, whom he did foreknow. He also did predestinate. Then he gives our life story. He called us and he justified us, and then he carries us into a coming eternity. And he says, then he also glorified, and it's all in the past tense.
It doesn't say then he will glorify but then he also glorified.
Because you know that in God's purposes, your whole life stories all been written, and if you're passing through or I'm passing through a chapter that looks very sad to our mortal eyes right now, remember that under the breastplate is the urim and thumb. God has the end of the story in view. It's already written. You're going to be with Christ, and like Christ and His purposes, you're glorified. All brethren, let us trust him more.
He's up there in the presence of God for us.
When godly kings got into difficulties, you remember how they used to call for the Urim and Thummim? Well, this was just why. Just what we've been saying when they didn't know what to do and the enemy gathered in great numbers against them. Why, they'd say, well, I don't know what to do, but the Lord knows He's perfect in wisdom and love. And so they called for the Urim and Thummim so they might have direction for their pathway. Well, this is the one who's up there.
For you and I. And when the children of Israel had this high priest who was in the presence of God for them in the earthly sanctuary was just a picture of the one who's up there interceding in God's presence for us.
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So in this 31St verse and 32nd, it tells us that there was a robe all of blue.
And that it was, it just had a hole in the top so that it could not be rent.
Yes, that worked. The Lord Jesus is doing can never, never be given up until everyone is safely home. He He's up there and he's going to continue his work. Nothing can rend it, you know. It was fixed in such a way it couldn't be rent. And so the Lord Jesus who's gone into the heavens for us, he is going to continue that priestly work until every one of his own.
Are safely.
Home and glory.
Now, we spoke a little about the response here.
And you notice the 33rd verse beneath upon the hem of that thou shalt make pomegranates of blue and of purple.
And of scarlet round about the hymn thereof, and bells of gold.
Between them round about the golden bell, and a pomegranate to golden bell, and a pomegranate upon the hem of the raw browned about. And it shall be upon Aaron to minister, And his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the Lord, and when he cometh out at he die not.
When the high priest went into the presence of God, there was that veil and the people couldn't see him, he was hidden from their eyes. How would they know that he was accepted? While they could hear the tinkling of those bells and they could listen there and there, they knew that he was accepted because, you know, native and a bayview had tried to go into the presence of God with strange fire and they were smitten dead.
How would they know that the priest was being accepted while they could hear those little bells dingling? And you know God is seeking to bring before our hearts the fact that that precious Savior is up there. Shall I say he's He is seeking to let us hear those golden bells tinkling.
He wants us to know tonight and to rejoice in this fact that he's being accepted there.
And all that we've talked about is blessedly true and the word of God-given to us.
Is to tell us that he has been accepted for us and that his intercessory work there is for us. And it says, let us come boldly under the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. But the fruit didn't make any noise. The fruit was silent. Well, I like to think, you know, in the measure in which these things get hold of us.
Why? It produces in us the fruit of the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit? And so as we realize what the Lord has done for us, why then Christ likeness is produced in US?
And so we hear of all that he has done and is doing.
And now we have the privilege of seeking to bear fruit for him. It says The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, meekness, gentleness, faith. Oh, how many ways you and I can bear fruit. And as my father used to often remark, even a Christian on a sick bed can produce all that precious fruit of the Spirit.
You don't have to have good health to show love and joy.
Peace. long-suffering. If I'd have been writing it, I would have said. Preaching, witnessing.
Because I would have thought that was the fruit of the Spirit and it is, but then it would have excluded some people.
Sick people, ones that couldn't get out and they're a public testimony. They managed to Well, that's part of the fruit I can't bear. But you know, he's arranged it in such a way that whether you're in health and can go out and be a witness for him or whether you're in sickness in your bed at home.
Whether you're away from others or in the company of others, there can always be that precious fruit of the Spirit, and it can ascend as a sweet fragrance to the Lord that the life of Jesus might be seen in our mortal in our mortal bodies.
But now there's just one more thing here, and that is the mitre, says in this 36th verse. And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, Holiness to the Lord. And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the miter upon the forefront of the mitre It shall be, and it shall be upon Aaron's forehead that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts.
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And it shall be always upon his forehead that they may be accepted.
Before the Lord.
Well, here it spoke of their holy things and their holy gifts.
I speak again of the response. He's up there for us, but he knows that in our feeble measure down here we would like to do something for him. We would like to bring our holy gifts. We would like to have some little service for him. But all I guess we feel just like it says here, the iniquity of our holy things, how often we we want to do something. But all there seems so much of self.
There seems so much of blundering in the things that we intend to do and we want to do.
And the enemy says we'll let other people do it. It's no use for you to try. You just plunder every time you try, and you make so many mistakes.
Let's somebody else do it all. Isn't this lovely? The High Priest is there to bear the iniquity of their holy things in all their holy gifts. Brethren, you and I will never do anything for the Lord Jesus, that there won't be something of self that will mix itself with it, because it says distinctly here in all their holy gifts, in all their holy gifts.
You may try to preach.
Not when you've done preaching. You'll find out that there was little pride in your heart about it.
Are perhaps a little bit of discouragement because you didn't feel you did as well as you should. Perhaps you may give out of him, and you really wanted to praise the Lord. But before you hardly knew what you were wondering what the brethren thought of the him you chose. And then you thought, oh, it's all there's so much yourself I don't think I should do anything. Oh, isn't this grand? There's a high priest who accepts what is of himself and puts the other.
On one side, when an Israelite brought his burnt offering out of the flock and he presented a bird before the Lord, the priest took off all the feathers and he took off the crop and he threw it down in the place of the ashes, but the rest went up as a sweet savour to the Lord. He didn't say to the offer, Well, I can't accept this because there's part of it that has to go in the place of the ashes.
No, he took that crop and that feathers. The crop is like the undigested food of the bird. It's things that we have taken in and never made our own, things that we talk about that we have never made our own and our own spiritual life. And then the feathers, that's the shell, because we like to make a good shell when we do things well. This was all put in the place of the feathers of the ashes, rather.
But he did accept the rest.
He did accept the rest all. Isn't this encouraging that precious savior who lives for us up there?
Who settled once for all the question of our sins, He sees that little desire in your heart and mind to please him.
And I suppose everyone of us have felt just like it says here.
All we felt I want to do things for the Lord, but I just find so much of self and so much blundering that I don't feel it's any use. Well, this one who loves us, who carries us on His shoulders, whose ways toward us are always in wisdom, we can say too.
That he accepts the feeble, failing, faltering response of our hearts. He sees every desire that's there to please him, and so don't be discouraged, seek to go on for him. True, we should judge what is of self and the flesh.
It will be too bad if that Israelite was upset because the crop and the feathers were thrown into the place of the ashes.
That would be very sad if he said. Well, I don't like it that you threw away those feathers. They were pretty.
No, he had to be content that that should be done and we should be content.
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Now that the Lord will see and value what is of himself in our lives, may there be more response in our hearts to Him as we hear of what He's done for us and of what He is doing for us. May there be more fruit, May there be more praise, more loving service.
For all that he has done, because he's always there before God for us, there to appear in the presence of God for us, may there be, I say, always and increasingly, a response to his wondrous love.
So we sing #15.
All that we were, our sins, our guilt, our death was all our own. All that we are, we owe to Thee, Thou God of grace, alone, number 5th.
Luke 24
Address—C.H. Brown
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
M #139.
139.
This world is a wilderness wide. We have nothing to seek or to choose. We have no thought in the waste to abide. We have not to regret nor to lose. The Lord is Himself gone before He has marked out the path that we tread. It's as sure as the love we adore. We have nothing to fear nor to dread.
There is but that one in the waist.
Which his footsteps have marked as his own, and we follow in diligent haste through the seats where he's put on his crown #139.
This world is.
Wilderness was.
We have nothing to say or go to.
And we follow.
Our Savior and gone.
And when I was gone to heaven and it's falling and falling.
And.
11 1.
Yeah, let me spell his friend.
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My brother Brown will give the word.
Shall we turn to the last chapter of Luke?
Luke.
Has a lovely title, you know, he's mentioned three times in our Bible.
He was called a beloved physician.
It's a nice term and it's beloved.
Must have been a lovely character.
We presume that Luke was a gentile.
There are 66 books in the Bible.
If we take the Jewish reckoning, dividing the Psalms into five books.
We have exactly 70 books in the Bible. It's all there.
Complete circle.
Now Luke wrote these two books.
Luke and the Acts of the Apostles.
And.
He addresses both of them to this same dear man.
Might notice that in the beginning of Luke's gospel.
Third verse of the first chapter seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto you an order.
Most excellent Theophilus.
That thou mightest know the certainty of those things were in ours been instructed.
Most Excellent Theophilus. He was a man of some distinguished position in this world.
But that name is a lovely name, Theophilus, the friend of God.
Well, you remember that Abraham was called a friend of God.
It's a lovely title.
And I hope that in as much as this is an address to Christians, that.
We are all seeking, in some measure at least.
To be friends of God, for the world is filled with his enemies.
You know our human hearts by nature are enmity against God.
We are certainly not friends of God.
But all he came out to us in marvelous love and mercy, and proved that he was our friend.
And he made the most complete provision for every need.
Of our poor souls.
We have the four Gospels, Matthew.
He gives us the trespass offering. Mark gives us the sin offering, John gives us the burnt offering.
And in Luke we have the peace offering or the communion offering.
Luke comes right down to where we are as men.
And he presents the manhood of our blessed Lord Jesus.
Now, though, he was a Gentile. He's very careful.
Very careful in the introduction of his gospel to trace the Lord's rights to his proper place of Messiah.
These more meticulous about it, perhaps, than any of the other three.
In the 10th of John, our Lord makes a remark there.
That reminds us of Luke.
In the 10th of John our Lord says first verse. Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same as a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the Porter openeth, and the sheep hear his voice.
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And he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them 16th verse. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold them all. So I must bring they shall hear my voice, and there shall be 1 flock, and one shepherd. Now I judged that Luke was one of these other sheep.
But the Lord Jesus when he came and presented himself.
The Porter, the Holy Spirit, was there to throw the door wide open to him.
And so Luke in his gospel, gives us a full account of that.
Now, in this marvelous chapter, this last chapter of Luke, we can only just touch a spot here and there in it, you know?
We have, as I heard Brother Armstead Barry once call our attention.
He said We have 4 openings here in this chapter.
We have an open tomb and we have opened eyes.
And we have open scriptures and we have open understanding.
Well, we need the mall, don't we?
Yes, we do. We need the mall. And if you and I are going to get blessing from God.
We will have to realize the truth of these very things, because these are not facts and blessings to be appropriated by man's mind, by his natural heart.
These apprehensions have to come from God himself by the Holy Spirit.
So I trust that everyone here in this audience this afternoon is here with an attitude of heart that is open to receive what God has to give.
The chapter opens.
With the on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women from Galilee came to the sepulchre, bringing the spices they had prepared.
Well, that reminds me of a little fact.
In the life of Mary of Bethany, you know.
She was the one whose brother Lazarus had died, and was so marvelously raised from the dead by the Lord.
And then they made.
Him A supper at their house there in Bethany, or how the Lord loved that house, that home.
And during that supper.
Mary slipped behind and anointed his feet.
Judas was there. He observed A costly ointment that she was using.
And he said this is a mistake, that that ointment should have been sold for 300 pence and the money given to the poor.
Well, the total valuation of that would be perhaps in present day money somewhere in the thousands of dollars because it equaled the wages for a whole year.
And the Lord said, Let her alone, she's wrought a good work.
For she has kept this for my burial.
Then if she kept it for his burial, why was she pouring it out here on his feet?
Where may I just venture a suggestion? If you challenge me to prove it after this, after this meeting, I'll have to confess I can't prove it. But if she had kept that for his burying, why was she pouring it out on his feet now while he's lying?
Oh, brethren, I wonder if perhaps she and she only.
Had penetrated this veil of uncertainty that was over the hearts of all the apostles and disciples that could not understand or apprehend what he'd been telling them in plain words over and over and over again, that he must suffer, that he must die, that he must be buried, and that the third day he must rise again.
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Perhaps Mary had pierced the veil, and had said to her own heart.
I won't need this. I won't need this to anoint my Lord for his burial. He's not going to stay on the grave.
Oh, how wonderful was her faith. How wonderful was Mary's faith? You know you don't find her at the tomb. Oh, no. You find Mary of Bethany, the very Magdalene there. But not Mary Bethany. No, she's not there.
Well, these women found the stone rolled away from the Sepulchre second verse, and he entered in and found not the body of the Lord.
And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed there about behold, 2 men stood by them in shining garments.
And as they were afraid, and by down their faces to the earth they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
Oh yes, why should they? Why seek the living among the dead?
Reminds me of a little statement I saw once, written by a traveler who was in Palestine and she wrote back to the local paper that she had just visited, the tomb where Jesus.
Was buried.
Aw, he's not there. He's not there. The tomb may be there, but he's not there.
Why seek ye the living among the dead? He's not here. He has risen, remember?
How he spake unto you that he would.
When he was yet in Galilee saying. Now if we want to see those words, turn back to the 18th chapter.
Of Luke, just back to the 18th chapter.
And see how plain his statement is.
Then he took unto him the 12 and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem.
And all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man shall be accomplished.
For he shall be delivered into the Gentiles, and should be mocked, and spitefully untreated and spitted on, and they shall scourge him and put him to death. And the third day he shall rise again. Now note the next verse.
And they understood none of these things, and this saying was hid from them. Neither knew they the things that were spoken. Oh, how dependent we are, beloved brethren, on the help and guidance of the Spirit of God.
You know, you can go to college and you can learn geometry and you can learn calculus and all the rest of it.
You can learn that in college, but here are things that you can't learn there.
You can only learn these things in the school of God as enlightened by the Spirit of God.
These disciples were not in a condition to apprehend these things at this time. They were hidden from them.
Now we go on a little.
Ninth verse.
And they returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the 11 And to all the rest it was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles.
Note that under the apostles and their words seem to them as idle tales.
And they believe them not.
Or can we imagine such stupidity?
Such spiritual darkness as that on the part of the Apostles.
Think of it. The witness of those women that had been there and seen the stone rolled back the empty tomb.
And in spite of all that the Lord had said, their words seemed to them as idle tales. Myths.
Now, I would give a little word of warning to you young folks that are in college, in school.
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You know, we're living in an age when the scripture is being.
Held up to ridicule.
When much of it is being relegated to the realm of myth.
It's a common teaching now.
In the colleges and universities that the 1St 11 Chapters at least of the Bible.
Are simply mythology.
And that much of the scripture is to be discounted as to being fact.
It's more or less looked at as the announcing of moral principles and that the person of Christ is more an ideal, a sort of a mentor, a great personality, the greatest personality that was ever here on this earth. And he's left us a marvelous example, and we are to get into the spirit of his teaching. That is what is going to straighten the world out.
Now, beloved, that kind of teaching comes straight from the accuser.
It's straight from the pit. That is not the truth of God at all. Oh, how jealous Luke was in his ministry to state the certainty of these things.
12Th verse Then arose Peter, and ran unto the Sepulchre, and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wandering in himself that was come to pass.
Not rejoicing, but wondering.
And behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem. About 3 score furlongs.
That's about 7 miles.
And they talked together of all those things that had happened.
What do we talk together? What do we talk about?
What is the great subject that's on our hearts?
What is our favorite topic?
Well, these two had just one matter before their souls.
They talked together of all these things that had happened.
And it came to pass that while they communed together and reasoned Jesus himself.
Notice that Jesus himself.
Now to anticipate just a little.
Look at the at the 27th verse.
The things concerning himself Look at the 36th verse as they thus spake. Jesus himself stood in the midst. 39th verse. Behold my hands and feet. It is I myself.
How intimate, how personal, how precious is this marvelous 24th of Luke?
Jesus himself drew near and went with them. Why did he do that?
They were headed in the wrong direction.
Their faith was weak, but they were occupied with the right subject.
And so beloved, we mustn't think.
That because we sometimes get off the track and get entangled in this or that that the Lord has deserted us.
Ah, that's not like our blessed Lord Jesus himself drew near.
And went with them.
Now he's not drawing here and going with them because they're on the right path, that's not it. But he has in mind to get them on the right path and we'll see before we're through the chapter that the direction of their journey is in reverse.
But their eyes were holding that they should not know him.
And that a sad thing when a child of God.
Gets in that state of soul where his eyes are holding, where he can't discern.
And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that you have one to another as you walk, and are sad?
Now that's commendable that they were sad.
What I mean is this. They weren't going along gaily, conversing and telling about various light matters, passing things of passing moment.
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No, their hearts were sad. As far as they were concerned, they'd lost their precious, Blessed Lord, and it was a matter of deep concern to them.
And one of them, whose name is Cleopas. I wonder who the other was, don't you?
I suppose you have your idea about it. God hasn't been pleased to tell us who the oven was. I've always been disposed to satisfy myself that it was his wife.
Well, anyhow, there are two of them, One of them whose name is Cleophus.
Answering said unto him, Art thou strange in Jerusalem, Hast not known the things?
Which have come to pass there these days.
And he said unto them, What things? Ah, the Lord was leading them out?
He wants the full declaration from their hearts.
And they said unto him, concerning Jesus, Ah, that was the subject that was filling their hearts, Jesus.
Of Nazareth, which was a prophet.
Mighty in deed and word, before God and all the people.
Well, they at least gave him that honor that he was a prophet. Mighty indeed. And in Word. Look just a moment at the 18th of Deuteronomy.
Deuteronomy.
1815.
Deuteronomy, 1815.
The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee of thy brethren, like unto me unto him shall ye hearken, 18 Verse 18.
I will raise them up, a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee. Put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I command him. I wonder if they were thinking of those verses.
Perhaps they had given the Lord Jesus that place, and that was his place. He was that prophet. That's the one about whom Moses is speaking there in that 18th chapter of Deuteronomy, a prophet mighty indeed in Word before God and all the people.
And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death.
And have crucified him. We just throw in the little side remark here.
There's a determined effort being made today.
On the part of Catholics and Protestants alike to exonerate the Jew from responsibility for the death of Christ.
Now there are many answers to it, but here's one of the clearest that I know right here.
20th verse How the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death and of crucified him, but we trusted it had been he which should have redeemed Israel.
Or the tents of that verb in that 21St verse. That's a sad tense, isn't it? We trusted.
All beloved.
I hope none of us here ever have an experience as I have known different ones to have.
Of having a crisis.
In their lives, and they began to doubt all that they had been taught.
Oh, I've known in the last few years of some that grew up in the meeting.
Never gathered to the Lord's name that broke bread.
And then they went out into the world, perhaps the educational world. They got into the universities, and bit by bits, they began to let slip the truth of God.
And now they frankly say they do not believe what they once did. Oh, yes, they believe, but they don't believe any longer. Isn't that tragic? It's taking place today. Beware or take warning.
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We trusted that it had been he.
Which should have redeemed Israel and beside all this.
Today is the third day since these things were done.
Now there's a little flicker of light and encouragement in that remark.
Beside all this?
Today is the third day since these things were done.
That establishes 2 facts.
One is that our Lord Jesus Christ.
Arose on the first day of the week, and that he was crucified.
On Friday he was in the tomb on Saturday, and he arose on the first day of the week. It establishes that the third day you can't make the third day any other day than the first day of the week.
Beside this is the third day what seemed to indicate.
That they had taken in a measure of the warnings that had been given. The third day he should rise again. And they were wondering about it. Beside all this, today's the third day.
Yes, and certain women also of our company.
Certain women of our company.
Ah, dear brother, dear sister, here in this audience.
What is your company?
Our company.
All we read there in the 4th chapter of Acts of the Apostles that after they were apprehended and then set free, it says being let go, they went to their own company.
Where are you finding your company?
Now when these meetings are all over and we all go our various ways.
There are Saints here this afternoon from a good money points in United States and Canada. There are some here from the Atlantic Coast, some here from up in.
British Columbia, some here from the Pacific Coast. Here we are.
When the meetings are all over and we've gone our way.
Where do we settle down?
What's going to be our company?
Yeah, certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the Sepulchre and when they found out the body, they came saying they'd also seen a vision of angels which said he was alive.
And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre and found it Even so, as the women had said, but him they saw not.
Then said he.
Now it's Christ speaking. Then said he unto them, All fools, and slow of heart to believe, all but the prophets have spoken.
Oh dear Saints of God, let's believe it all.
Dear Luke believed it all.
You couldn't shake him.
He believed it all.
In the first chapter of Acts.
Here we have Luke. Luke wrote the book of Acts.
And he says in the third verse, the first chapter of Acts.
To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion.
By many infallible proofs.
Being seen of them 40 days, and Speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
Many infallible proofs.
Ah, we don't have to doubt our Bibles.
The Bible doesn't need any defender.
It carries its own voucher with it. It's the infallible word of God.
Men have been attacking it for ages. They've been leveling their guns at it for 9 to 2000 years.
00:35:03
Trying to get rid of it, trying to cast it aside.
And yet, what are the facts?
Facts are that the Bible is the most printed book in the world.
There are more Bibles printed every year than any other book.
It continues to be read. It continues to be the greatest single power in the world.
And it has to do not only with time, but to eternity.
You can depend on your word of God. It's going to be just as God has said it. And that prophetic clock that the Bible contains has those hands that are going around Now. If you look at that clock there, you see those hands. You can't see them move. No, you can't.
But if you look at them now and look at them 5 minutes later, you'll see they have moved.
And so the prophetic clock of Scripture is moving on, and everything is moving in the right direction.
We're coming nearer and nearer. We're on the verge of the Lord's return, and that's part of the promise that we have in this book. Don't doubt it. It's going to come.
Oh, I trust that many in this room, including the speaker.
May be here to hear that shout when it's given.
All fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.
Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory?
And beginning at Moses and all the prophets.
He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
Beloved, have you sought Christ in the Scriptures?
Is the Bible? Is it your companion in the home? Do you have the lamb in the morning and the lamb in the evening?
Are you searching the scriptures daily? Have you found Christ?
In the first chapter in the Bible.
If you have, and I'd advise you to take your Bible tonight and find them there.
Find the mall through Genesis. Find the mall through Exodus and Leviticus and Numbers and write down the line.
Christ in all the Scriptures He is there.
And this chapter here of Luke.
Is such a precious chapter because it's Jesus himself.
That's brought before us Jesus himself.
And they drew nigh into the village whether they went.
And he made as though he had gone further, but they constrained him, saying, Abide with us.
For it's toward evening the days far spent.
And he went in to tarry with them.
Would you like to have Jesus in your home?
Is your home in condition that you could just take him right now?
And say, come home with me, I'd like to have you as my guest.
Is your home in order? Ready to receive him, or would there have to be a flurry of preparation before you'd feel like inviting him in?
And he went in to tarry with them.
And it came to pass as he sat at meet with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and break and gave it to them.
And their eyes were opened, and they knew him.
Oh, what a moment that was.
They invited him in. They spread before him the evening meal.
And he took in the situation.
He placed himself now as the host and not the guest.
Came to pass as he sat at meet with him. He took bread and blessed it, broke it, gave it to them.
Oh, how significant that was.
00:40:02
Did they remember the provision that he'd made?
Did they remember that marvelous memorial that he had instituted?
Now, it doesn't say that this was a Eucharist. It doesn't say that we don't think it was.
Because there's no such thing as the Eucharist in one kind. That's not scriptural. It may be theological, but it's not scriptural.
But it's significant that he was made known to them In the breaking of bread. Their eyes were open.
Have you not felt dear St. of God?
That many a time as you sat around the Lord.
At the Lord's Day morning meeting.
And the hymns and praise and prayer, and the memorial of the Lord.
Haven't you just felt as though it was a foretaste of heaven?
Do you ever experience a moment in your life when you get near heaven?
Then you're doing that sacred out when we come round the Lord in the midst.
And show his death.
Oh, I wonder, am I addressing any Christian here this afternoon?
To whom this matter is of so little importance that you have never seen fit yet.
To do what the Lord asked you to do.
It's the strangest thing, isn't it, To meet Christians. You don't have any doubt about there being Christians.
You have an assurance that they're born again.
But they seem to have no exercise about remembering the Lord Jesus and his death.
Where, beloved, there's nothing that you and I can do down here in this world.
More pleasing to him and remembering him and his death.
You know, he said. Do this.
In remembrance of Maine. He didn't say do something else. He didn't say go to China as a missionary, go out in the street and preach the gospel. That isn't the thing that he said. No, I'm not discounting these other things. Far be the thought. But in the institution of that memorial, he said do this.
In remembrance of me.
Are we doing it?
And God grant in his grace to you and to me, that we may never be satisfied.
With just going through the formality of it.
Are there are millions of people? Millions of them?
That every large day they take what they call the Eucharist.
But oh, isn't it sad?
That the great majority of them.
Know not the Lord, formalism, ritual ceremony, but no Christ.
Our beloved, the Lord knows the heart. He knows where we are, and He wants us to remember him, to think upon him, to show his death.
And their eyes were opened.
Sometimes we get marvelous, spiritual.
Visions are.
Insights during that moment.
Oh, we're we're LED into such wonderful things during that sacred hour.
They knew him, and he vanished out of their sight. And that 32nd verse.
And they said one to another, did not our heart burn within us while he talked with us, by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
It isn't enough to have the scriptures. We need to have the scriptures open to us.
And he has equipped us as he went back to heaven and received the Spirit of God.
He sent down that spirit.
To seal every believer ever, every truly converted soul, he sent the Spirit down that that one might be enlightened as to the mind of God and the scriptures. You as a Christian are capacitated to get the mind of the Lord and the scriptures if you're submissive to the leading of the Spirit.
00:45:20
He opened to us the scriptures and they rose up the same hour and returned to Jerusalem. Ah, that took faith. It took purpose of heart. 7 miles. And now it's another 7 miles back. And it's late. It's in the night. They rose up the same hour and returned to Jerusalem.
That couldn't take less than two hours.
And they found the 11 gathered together, and them that were with them saying.
The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared unto Simon.
And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in the breaking of bread.
And as they thus spake Jesus himself.
Stood in the midst of them our blessed presence, and said unto them, Peace be unto you.
He wasn't condemning them. He wasn't reproaching them here. Peace.
Peace be unto you.
And but they were terrified and affrighted and supposed they'd seen the Spirit. Ah, brethren, we get a little look into our own unbelieving hearts here.
How apartment we are to be without divine intelligence in these things?
Because of the state of our souls.
And he said unto them, Why are you troubled? Why do thoughts arise in your hearts? All those are searching questions. Why are you troubled? Why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.
Gracious. How personal, how intimate. Behold my hands and my feet. What do you think they saw when they beheld his hands and his feet?
You know what they saw? They saw those wounds. And beloved, that's one thing.
That Christ took back to heaven with him that he got in this world.
And I believe it is going to wear those marks.
No scars for all eternity. Behold my hands.
On my feet the eternal reminder of that death.
That substitution, that atonement, that sin bearing.
That work of God through Christ that opened the doors of heaven.
And gave you and me title to be there, title to be there.
And when we enter heaven, I say it most reverently.
We do not enter it with face of shame.
But we enter it with the certainty of right and title to be there, And if we were challenged this to our title, all we would need to do would be to point to the form of that blessed One in the midst up there that still bears the scars and his hands and his feet, and say that's my title, oh blessed be God for such a salvation.
Handle me and see. Not only look at me, but handle me, be assured.
I am no mythical being. I am flesh and bones handle me and see.
A spirit hath not flesh and bones, as you see me have.
And when he had thus spoken, he showed them his hands and feet.
And while they yet believed not for joy.
All they were saying it's too good to be true. We have him here again.
He's in our midst.
He said unto them, Have you hear any meat?
And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish and a honeycomb, and he took it, and did eat before them. Ah, the tender condescension of the Blessed Lord.
00:50:07
No word of reproach.
He has them give him something to eat down at their level. I want to prove to you that I'm an actual human being, that I've got a spiritual body.
And they gave him some real food and he ate it there in their presence.
He took it and did eat before them.
And he said unto them, These are the words that I speak with you, while I was yet with you, that all things must.
All things must be fulfilled, which are written in the Law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning me now, beloved, that takes in your whole life.
Moses That's the whole Pentateuch and the Psalms. That's the way the Jews divided up the Bible. The Psalms not only takes in the Psalms, but Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. And then you come to the.
The Psalms, the Prophets and the Psalms concerning me.
Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms. Those are the three divisions that the Jews gave to their Bibles. He opened their understanding that they might understand the scriptures. They first had their eyes open.
And then he opened the Scriptures to them.
And now he opens their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures.
If you find a difficult scripture, ask God to help you to understand it. He's not deaf to your request. He opened their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer and arise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sin should be preached in his name among all nations.
Beginning at Jerusalem now notice what they were to preach repentance and remission of sins. Now if he turns us for a moment to the 15th of Acts, the 15th of First Corinthians.
Paul says in that third verse.
I delivered unto you.
I delivered unto you first of all, at which I also received.
That Christ died for our sins.
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day.
According to the scriptures, that's what Paul preached.
And so here repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name.
Among all nations beginning at Jerusalem.
49th verse.
And behold, I send the promise of my father upon you, but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until he be endued with power from on high.
That was the giving of the Spirit of God on the day of Pentecost.
And they led them out as far as to Bethany, all that lovely retreat.
Where he'd spent so many happy hours, I suppose it was the most favorable spot on the earth for the heart of the blessed Lord Jesus, that house at Bethany.
He led them out as far as to Bethany.
And he lifted up his hands and blessed them. Oh yes, the last thing they ever saw of him was those hands lifted up in blessing, and they could see the print of the nails and his hands as he lifted up those hands to bless.
And it came to pass that wildly blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.
And no doubt about it.
No, it stated as a positive fact.
Carried up into heaven.
And they worshiped him. He never refused worship. He was God, manifest in the flesh. And they returned to Jerusalem with great joy. Why shouldn't they?
00:55:07
Do you remember that verse that we read?
That 17th verse, what manner of communications are those that you have one to another as you walk and are sad?
Sad And how do we end up?
They worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.
Ah, there's sadness.
Was turned into joy.
And they were continually in the temple, praising.
And blessing God. What a transformation. What a change. What wrote it? The person of God's Christ.
Arts Jesus himself.
They had him back. He was there for time and eternity, and they saw him go back to heaven.
Well, beloved, we're waiting for him to return. He's coming back.
He's coming back, it's sure. It may be today. Or maybe order our lives in the thought of the nearness of his return. Does someone have a hymn we might sing?
320-5325.
1 Timothy 3
Reading
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
General Meetings, Burbank, December 1964 Reading meeting Saturday AM.
34.
Lord of glory, we adore Thee. Christ of God ascended high heart and soul, we go before the glorious now beyond the sky, the we worship, the we praise excellent in all thy ways.
134.
Lord of glory.
Right now.
Create a.
Folder.
Ah.
Sooner before us yesterday.
Well, I suppose the question might be asked whether anyone else has anything they'd like to have us take up.
Before you, brother, No, I didn't.
Have anything?
And do you have power?
Well, the only thing that I was thinking of would be any different was.
The order in the House of God in First Timothy connected with the disorder in which we find ourselves all about.
00:05:00
But I am I'm not adverse to going on with what we had.
I would think it's very probable to take that off.
Emily about the house first.
In order.
Heard the chap. Yes.
We can find at the end of that third chapter.
Although it's all important, the chapter could be read.
All right, the third chapter of First Timothy.
This is a true saying. If a man desire the office of a Bishop, he desireth the good work. The Bishop, then, must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apartment to teach, not given to wine, No striker, not greedy or filthy lucre, but patient, not a brawler, not covetous, one that ruleth while his own house.
Having his children in subjection with all gravity. 4th A man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the Church of God?
Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
Moreover, he must have a good report of them which are without, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. Likewise must the deacons be grave, not double tongued, not given to much wine, not radio, filthy lucre, holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. And let these also first be proved. Then let them use the office of a Deacon, being found blameless. Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers.
Sober, faithful in all things, let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children in their own house as well, or they that have used the office of a Deacon, well purchased to themselves a good degree and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. These things write high unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly. But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest 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. Grace 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.
Where did you intend to? Well, what was essentially upon my mind.
That we are a part of the House of God.
And as in the House of God, we get the thought of rule and order.
And here we get instructions how we are to behave ourselves in the God.
When everything is in order, we have the regulations laid down.
In the second epistle of Timothy, the house is in disorder. It is now a great house with vessels to dishonor as well as those to honor. And there we need special instructions in walking in separation from vessels to dishonor. So we're living in the last days, and we need the instructions of Second Timothy.
On the path of separation, but we also need the instructions of first Timothy for we're to walk as though the house were in order were to walk according to the rules given to us.
So both epistles are very important for us, as in the House of God.
We think of ourselves in the House of God. There's rule and order. If we think of ourselves in the midst of a great house filled with vessels to dishonor, we need instructions to know how to conduct ourselves there. That's chiefly what was before. The House of God is always seen on the earth, isn't it? It's not in heaven. It's it's not composed of Saints that have died, but it's the house here on the earth.
00:10:18
It's that place on earth where the Spirit of God dwells.
God dwelling in the church, in the body, I mean in the House of character, here by the Spirit.
Matthew versus Ephesians 2, yes.
Ephesians 2, the last verse.
In whom they also are build together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
There it is.
And an octave. The previous verse is another matter, in whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth into an holy temple in the Lord. That's looking forward.
In the 21St verse it's more the temple character. In the last verse is the Tabernacle character. It's the abode of God at the present time.
It's a piece that in that 20 second verse, the House of God as of any given time, yeah.
And there might be some false material there, but still it is the habitation of God through the Spirit. Like say for instance in Corinthians there wasn't any question but what was the habitation of God through the Spirit.
In the first epistle you will not find that there are certain things that first epistle of Timothy that need correction. But there it is recognized though that there's power there in which the those things can be corrected. And so you don't get separation spoken of there. But in the second epistle, while there's all confusion and there is no power for correction, so.
Separation is pointed out as a necessary thing. I think that is important. Sometimes there's individuals may think well.
Half of separation is individual.
Well, the Scripture doesn't recognize the individual pathway in that sense. Would you say that even in the second epistle there's provision made for a path?
Oh yes, yes, there's a provision made for a path. That is, there is the separation, and then there are those with whom you can go on, follow with those that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. I think it would be well to read those verses, Brother Harrisman, in the second chapter of Second Timothy.
Reading from the 19th verse.
Nevertheless.
The foundation of God standeth sure. Having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his.
And let everyone that nameth the name of Christ, or rather nameth the name of the Lord, that is, along with authority.
Depart from iniquity, but in a Greek house they're not only vessels of gold and of silver, but a wooden of earth, some to honor and some to dishonor. If a man therefore purge himself from these, that is the vessels unto dishonor.
He shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified and meet for the masters, use and prepared for every good work. Now there is the refuge that's left for the Saints of God, as long as the Church of God is found here in this world.
There's our refuge right there.
Is there a distinction between the great house and second Timothy and the House of God in the first Timothy, very definitely. In first Timothy, the house is in order and we're given instructions about the order and second Timothy third chapter, we find the conditions prevalent in the great house characters and the word doesn't say.
That the House of God is the great house. It doesn't say that it doesn't. In a great house there are not only vessels that is that great house is the illustration that's used, but it doesn't say that the Church of God is the great house. It's like a great house. That was my question. Primarily. It was A and it doesn't say that we're to separate from the house, does it? Or even to separate from the great house. No.
00:15:23
A man could not separate himself. I'm Speaking of a Christian. He couldn't separate himself from the all that's happened in the great house without becoming a thorough apostate, because every profession of Christ is in the great house character.
The 22nd verse of the 2nd Epistle, the 2nd chapter is to me is very important.
The purpose of God it seems way back when he chose Abraham.
Was to have a people gathered around himself.
And yet we must remember that Abraham had to act individually. Now we have the same In this chapter we have those two things.
The faith must be individual acted upon and so we have the if a man that's in the 21St verse, but in the next verse we have.
That which would.
Give us a basis upon gathering with others.
And the first thing mentioned is God's side or righteousness.
Now, in the third chapter of Revelation, this line of things we've just had.
What was lacking at the very end and Laodicea was the the gold tried in the fire.
Well, that has to do with the subject of righteousness. Man is substituting his own ideas and theories for a basis of salvation.
Righteousness.
Has been brought in through God himself. His own righteousness, and Christianity rests on that.
God claims come first. Now faith is always based on the Word of God. There is no such thing as faith unless it's on the Word of God. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. And so we have two things now. We have righteousness, we have faith.
But love or charity, the bond of perfectness, it's that which would indicate a new nature.
By this shall all men know that you're my disciples, in that you have loved one for another. Now that isn't simply love, that's prompted by some motive, but that's the manifestation of a nature.
Then we have peace, which is the last. I suppose many would put this first, but it's last, isn't it? Because.
God's claims must come first, and in as much as life within you to be at peace with all men. And now we have in this verse.
With them.
That call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
There must be sincerity, there must be that which goes along. I suppose it it corresponds with that second thing that's in the third chapter of Revelation, where we have laid Asia before us. What's lacking there is the garment. The garment. There must be the indication, the evidences of that which is in communion with Christ in the awkward walk.
We would say, would we not that.
One who was exercised as to the behavior of those with whom he finds himself.
Cannot take himself out of the great house, but he can seek the company of those who call on the name of the Lord out of a pure heart. And that is really the exercise of this portion of Second Timothy, isn't it? That one should purge himself if circumstances have placed him?
In the company of those who are temporizing with the things of God.
And in any way mitigating the value of the word.
There could be exercise of heart with such to know that God is not leaving this scene without a testimony of faithfulness, and to seek then the company of those who so walk. There's a verse that would indicate, Brother GAIL, that such a testimony, such a a ground will be preserved in this word. As often to eat this bread, and as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup.
00:20:16
He do show the Lord's death till he come. Well, that is a corporate thing.
Just as our brother Anderson was telling us yesterday about that brother over in England who spreads the table and sits down by it each Lord's Day, he's all alone, perhaps waiting.
If some other brother might appear and then they could break bread, that is, you can't break bread alone.
It's a corporate thing. So the testimony is left with us. As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you do show the Lord's death till he come. Now to go on in a path of division. A division is sin, division is sin, and the Lord isn't going to sanction any of us taking up a path of division.
So if we're going to show His death till He comes and not be in division, then there's positive proof in that verse that there will be a clean place left where we can meet with the Lord Jesus and not be in division. Is that right? I certainly subscribe to that. Well, in this 22nd verse, one thing emphasized seems to me there is the Spirit in which it is done. It wouldn't do, for instance, for me to say, well.
How faithful I was. I had to stand the truth. I had to separate and that kind of thing. That'd be the wrong spirit entirely. It's the the spirit of meekness and the love out of the pure heart should accompany it.
One thing that's emphasized in the first epistle, it seems to me, is a good conscience.
In our chapter we read why they are about the deacons holding the mystery of faith in a pure conscience.
Well, that is something that should exercise us all through our pathway. I remember one time many years ago, there was a question came up on the gathered banks and there was one man who was quite active. And it has been said you generally find activity on a part of the evil. I believe that's true great activity. It does not become one who.
Is going on in this path of meekness and holding faith in a good conscience. Well, our brother, he, there's one brother who was quite active and our brother Heidi says to him, John, have you got a good conscience?
Well, he evidently didn't have because he missed the path.
All is not the giving up of a good conscience, the basic thing that goes wrong with things of God. I believe it is we can go too far in a manner that perhaps we started out Friday. Go too far in it and press it beyond its measure, and we lose a good conscience.
That's good. Conscience is related to this first thought here. All the righteousness, yes. Now there's something I believe in the former verse, the first before. That's very important.
When it speaks about vessels of honor and vessels of dishonor, the very name of Timothy.
Means to honor God.
A very precious thought, and this is Paul's last epistle.
And it is expected for these last days.
These difficult times.
Oh, it's so important to have that thought of the meaning of Timothy before us to honor God. You and I, dear brethren, down in our hearts of that new nature do desire these last days, I trust, to honor the Lord. And the great point to this truth here in separating from evil is for the Lord's sake. Therefore it says in verse 20.
But in a great house.
There are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth.
00:25:05
Well, that's relatively, I believe, incidental to the next thought.
And some to dishonor and some.
Are some to honor and some to dishonor?
If a man therefore purge himself from these, now this is really corporate.
Truth.
Shall be a vengeful to honor.
Identified and meet for the master Zeus Timothy. 2 Timothy.
The epistle stresses the importance of individual faithfulness.
What does that answer the to the question? The challenge is often raised. Well, if you take the path of separation, then you cut off your opportunities for service.
Isn't that the answer right there?
Shall be a vessel, sanctified meat for the Master Chief. Yes, you're not. You're not negativing your place of service by acting on the truth of separation. You're just the opposite. But all has to be measured by Scripture.
We're never wiser than Scripture. And so as you were saying, Brother Harrison, ceaseless activity, noise and display and and witnessing and all that.
If it's done with utter disregard to the corporate truth is laid down in the Word of God.
How can it be acceptable to God?
I'd like to ask in that connection, the meaning of the first part of the ninth verse of our chapter, that is the third chapter of first Timothy. A brother Harrison has spoken of the pure conscience, but now what is the meaning of holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience?
Well, the natural mind would never be able to fathom it was a man in nature.
The vessels of the Lord must be holy, and I suppose.
The mystery of the faith would embrace Christianity.
What we have at the end of the chapter in the 16th verse is it.
Great is the mystery of godliness.
Yes, that's the whole thing there really.
Really the mystery of piety, isn't it? Yes, there's no there's no such thing as real piety in God's sight today if any of these basic facts in the 16th verse are denied, regardless of how great a man standing is and how he's.
Heralded by the public and then Christendom. If he's untrue as to any of those things that are brought before us in the 16th verse, we can just write him off as not pleasing to God.
The mystery of π is contained in the acknowledgment of these basic facts.
And it is the person of Christ. It isn't the work of Christ. Here in the 16th verse. Notice that there's nothing about the cross or the blood, but it's the person of Christ.
But we also connected with the 1St chapter in the 19th verse. First Timothy one verse 19.
Holy faith and a good conscience, with some having put away concerning faith, have made shipwrecks.
Are there not two dangers that we spoke about the importance of maintaining a good conscience?
By holding faith is the whole revealed mind of God that may be beyond our minds, and it surely is because it's of God. So it's a mystery. We can't understand the person of Christ. There are many things in connection with the truth of God that are beyond the human mind. The great tendency today in Christendom is to give up that simple faith that believes what one cannot understand.
So I believe that the two things are brought before us, faith that is unquestioning, simple faith in all that God has revealed in His Word. And this is most important for us in this day. And then a good conscience that would be connected more with our personal walk.
00:30:13
Either of these things given up may lead to shipwreck of faith, and what a sad thing, the soul might be lost, but not necessarily. There are those who have made shipwreck of faith. They haven't given up Christ, but they have got into a dangerous path, linked themselves with those who have questioned the things of God, and also have become careless in their own walk.
So a shipwreck of faith is not necessarily a lost soul, is it? But it's a lost testimony. And this is a very solemn thing, so important, I believe in this day.
I think that is right what you say the a person going on and it's supposed to go off on a tangent and I'm away for several years and then finally maybe I come back well still at the same time.
My testimony as the place would be ruined by that course, that would be making shipwreck in the faith in that particular instance. I think one, as you say, doesn't need to be an apostate to make shipwrecks of the faith. But if we go off in South Wales, we are doing that. We continue in that kind of a course.
I also make a comment in connection with the House of God for the sake of some who are perhaps younger or just visitors here in Christendom. The expression the House of God is connected with a certain building that is used for religious purposes and people speak of how they should behave in the House of God. So in order to have entertainments, a separate place is built because they wouldn't use the House of God for such things.
Let us remember, brethren, that we're in the House of God all the time, seven days in the week, 24 hours in the day.
There's no such thing if we're true children of God or even in the sense of profession of being out of it. So our conduct is to be becoming to those who profess the name of Christ at all times and saw the example of the Lord Jesus in his perfect pathway brought before us in the end of this first Timothy 3 is really the secret of godliness. How did the Lord Jesus.
Walk in his blessed pathway well in everything. His pathway was to the glory of God his Father and becomes the secret of a godly walk for us at all times. When we speak then of the Bray House, it brings in profession and so it doesn't just mean a certain group of Christians, but it speaks of the whole profession body and what it has become.
In these last days.
So our conduct in connection with it, when it's in this confused state, is set before us, not only as to the remembrance of the Lord, although that is the center of all our fellowship, but it's our whole course and conduct in Christendom.
Sometimes Christians will even those gathered to the Lord's name may confuse this they wouldn't have fellowship with those who are walking in a course that is condemned by the word of God at the breaking of bread, but they would in other things that a testimony is connected with it which mixes truth and error. Well, I believe the our conduct ought to be according to the word of God, not only.
In connection with the Lord's Table, but in all it bears testimony to Him here upon earth. Would that be so? Yes, Believe so. No. There's no such thing today as a sacred or holy brick or board or stone in the Old Testament in connection with Solomon's temple.
And God accepted it and owned it and manifested his acceptance of it. That was a holy building.
But on Christianity, we have not one little bit of it. The only building that God is interested in is that building that's composed of his people. Here in this world, as far as a physical building is concerned, is just a place to meet.
00:35:03
I.
I was making a call.
On.
A certain place and.
During the day and the janitor was there.
And he said that.
I want you to see the model of the new church we're going to make.
And he showed me a table about the size of this one.
And there was a little model.
Well, it was very nice looking building, but out in the front here was a tower, a tall tower with a cross on top of it.
And I said, well, the building looks quite nice, as though it'd be a suitable place to me. But what is the purpose of this tower out in front? Well, he said that's just something to make it look like a church.
What I said is that honoring the Lord to spend money that way, to just build a car out there and put a cross on top of it, does that honor the Lord? Well, he said. Some of us have been wondering about that.
Well, I'm thankful to say that I found out afterwards that the tire was never built, but.
The simplicity of the truth would avoid our ever being entangled in anything that resembles that. Isn't that so? A building for averages, whether it's this building here in Glendale, the Civic Auditorium or wherever it is, it's just a place to meet. That's all it is.
There's nothing to the building.
When the Lord was speaking with a woman in the fourth of John, and he mentions how that the hour come and now is when the true worshippers should worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. There He was showing that the change would come in at that up to that time I Jerusalem was the center, but hereafter there would be no center.
Unlike our brother in speaking yesterday about those places in Second Kings 2.
Where Elijah took Elijah around, well Bethel, that had a place, a meaning for them and the Lord owned it as to how they, how they acted at those places. But the time was coming. The Lord says there when they wouldn't worship and be in spirit and in truth.
Now with the background of understanding.
The Church of God is composed of people.
And that we're always in the House of God.
This person is third chapter of First Timothy has a lot of instruction.
Principles and for instance.
Take the very first verse of the chapter.
The true saying, the correct translation is much better here if a man desires to exercise oversight.
Not that he desires the office of a Bishop.
There is no such thing as that as a man getting an office in the Church of God, the House of God. If a man desires to exercise oversight, if there's a real exercise before God of one of the Lords people in seeking to look after others and help others on in the path of faith, that's a good thing.
Isn't this a good one, Brother Wilson? According to what we get in Titus, isn't this just an equivalence of elder synonym? Yeah.
Could we look at that in in Titus?
1St chapter of Titus in the fifth verse for this cause left. I then creaked that thou should set an order. The things that are wanting and are the elders or Dan elders in every city as I had appointed, they're going to be blameless. The husband of one wife having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly for a Bishop must be blameless. Now that two are synonymous.
Elder is the name of the office. Bishop is the designation of the work he does. Bishop means oversight. So he, in the name of his office, is elder. But the work that he does is oversight. Is that right? Yes, and we should not despise those whom God has raised up for the purpose of exercising oversight. We needed it. We need those whom the Lord has given us. Now we do not have official.
00:40:17
Elders or those who exercise oversight because we have no apostle to appoint them.
But there are those who have addicted themselves to the ministry of the Saints. There are those whom the Lord has raised up who just genuinely care for the affairs of the Saints. Now they get off. We should respect such and honor them in love for their work. And we have that. We have those still with us. We thank God for them. And instead of challenging them, say what? What right do you have to be interested in how I do?
We should thank God for them in their care, their godly jealousy over us perhaps.
For if we go to Hebrews, it says it would be unprofitable for us if they gave a report of their stewardship, sorrowfully, if they had some whom they had an exercise and a care over, and then they have to report in before the Lord and say, well Lord, I'm grieved at the way they've turned out.
I and it takes some of the blame on himself and the way they turned out. Well, it's unprofitable for those who have to be spoken of in that way, wouldn't you say so?
Yes. And in connection with that they challenge them why might say well, what's your chapter and verse for doing that well?
New Testament isn't written like that. The Old Testament was is definite instruction. Certain things, but they couldn't plead that they had a special revelation from the Lord as I do it. It has to be in conformity to His words.
And there may not be a single verse that you could point to, but there might be the teaching of the principles in the New Testament that would lead one to act in that way. This first in the last chapter of Hebrews that our brother Wilson has referred us to. 17th verse, the last chapter of Hebrews.
Obey them that have the rule over you or take the lead among you is the better translation.
And submit yourselves for they once for your souls as there that must give an account. Now that verse is often misunderstood. It isn't that they're going to give an account for your souls. That's not the point. They're going to give an account of their own stewardship that then you do it with joy and not with grief. So John says in his second epistle, a similar thought there, second epistle John.
The eighth verse.
Look to yourselves, Look to yourselves that we lose out those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
John wanted them to go on well.
He he thought it would be a reflection in that day.
Just being the local assembly, these overseers, is that the thought? Always officers, always local, never general?
Gift is always universal and never local.
Our power and testimonies all will depend upon our own walk and the condition of our own household. And I believe this is a very important thing because we need to be exercised ourselves. Not that there isn't failure with every one of us, but we should always bear in mind that what we say bears only the weight, that it has its own power and our own practical lives. And sometimes we might say things without the sense of that.
And.
So there's a loss of spiritual power with it. Well, I believe that each one of us who seek to in any way help our brethren should always bear in mind their own weaknesses and our own failures, whether we have conducted ourselves as we should in our own personal life and our home life.
These things have to do with how the word that is spoken is received. So it's when we read on the instructions here, we find much as to the man, his wife and his his whole family, they have a bearing on it.
00:45:07
Well, I believe that we should always have this in mind. I was thinking of a passage in Romans.
Romans, chapter 15.
And verse 14.
And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that he also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. It isn't everyone that is able to admonish another person.
And so we need to be exercised in our own personal loss that it bears the bears the testimony to what we say, filled with all goodness. While supposing I speak to another brother about something in his walk, I speak in love. I seek his good.
While I add to the exercise, have I ever shown kindness and goodness to that person so that he feels?
That I conscientiously and honestly seek his good. Well, he says if you're going to be able to admit, you need to be filled with goodness. And we ourselves know if a brother comes and speaks to us about something. And all his dealings with us have always shown that he loved us. He was interested in us, He did kindnesses to us well. Then when he wanted to correct us now how much more easy it was to take it.
Brother, and I say this because I think very often little things in our personal lives are neglected. That would prepare us for difficulties that arise when we would be able to speak and the word would be more readily received. And then the second thing, of course, is filled with all knowledge, that is, that not only needs to be the weight of our own personal walk and desire and love for the Saints.
But there also needs to be a knowledge of the Word, so as it says in 2nd Corinthians 4, not handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
Well, I filled with all knowledge our brother Harrison just mentioned. There might not be a definite chapter in verse, but there will be that in Scripture which we can bring before that to person that will commend itself to his conscience and carry weight and be a blessing to him.
Well, I feel, brethren, that these things are very important in these days in which we live. Because if, if we speak to someone and he doesn't receive our correction, we ought to ask ourselves, well, is there something in myself? Is there something in my own walk?
Have I failed to present the Scripture in such a way as to reach his conscience? Well, it's a healthy exercise for the one who speaks as well As for the one who receives the word of correction. Would that be so, brethren?
I'm sure it is. And in that verse there in 15th of Romans. Why?
There is the ability there in Rome there was that they could receive admonishment as well as give it.
There will never be a situation arise in our spiritual lives, either individually or in the Church of God. There will never be a situation arise where there isn't some scripture that has the answer to that situation.
Now his brother Arthur was saying it isn't going to be necessarily indefinite terms, but there will be principles there.
That will answer that particular situation.
In that connection, I like to tell of a situation that arose all this many years ago, many years ago, and we were quite puzzled.
But where we believe the Lord LED us and we acted according to a certain scripture.
So I was telling Brother Potter about it afterwards. Well, he said if you had written and asked my advice, I would have directed you to. And he named this very scripture that we had acted upon.
00:50:04
The principal was there in the word, the principal not not just pinning it right down to this specific case, but we'll never find ourselves.
Left with no direction in the Word of God for any situation that arises.
Is there not also this zone that many times we were exercised about some brother?
And if we really went before the Lord about it, we may never have to go to Him.
Haven't we noticed that by being exercised before the Lord about a certain case, they were led to the same exercise? And if that can be accomplished, it's it's by far the wiser path.
Because.
All the flesh is so easily wrangled. Attempt to say something.
Especially of ones in an unhappy state.
Mr. Darby that says, I don't think so. He makes this remark. Flesh never could rebuke flesh, nor will the flesh stand for.
Oh, the flesh is easily antagonized.
But the flesh has no chance if we're carrying it before the Lord, and the Lord would speak to him.
And brother, let us always remember the admonition and spirit of Galatians 6/1 The object of love and bringing before and airing St.
His deviation and seeking to help him is restoration, not discipline, and the restoration there is in the spirit of meekness. If we had this and the principle of the washing of the feet, how much less friction there would be when brother feels compelled to go to another one as to his way. Or perhaps his sister does this to a sister.
Let that object be to restore such an one, and let meekness be what rules the whole conversation.
Many times.
The flesh gets so in the way and speaking to one that all the good effect is lost.
In Ephesians chapter 4.
I believe very often we forget verse 2.
I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy.
Out of the vocation wherewith you're called.
Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Well, I purposely omitted verse 2. But we can't omit verse two. That second verse is so all important.
With all, with all loneliness and meekness, with long-suffering for bearing one another in love. And certainly we'll have to be before the Lord, looking to him for grace, that this thing might characterize other. Anderson. That was the spirit of the Lord, wasn't it? He could say, take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly. And this is the character that we should seek to follow.
Endeavoring to be more like him, doesn't this verse.
The second verse call our attention to something forbearing.
One another.
I should never demand perfection of my brethren until I'm in a position to deliver perfection.
But there's a verse in James.
That is also wholesome for us to read often.
For bearing one another.
That means that my brethren have something to for. Bear with me for bearing one another now, James.
The third chapter.
My brethren, be not many masters or teachers.
Knowing we shall receive the greater judgment, to whom much is given of him shall much be required.
Now this next verse, and I'll read it a little differently from what it's written here.
00:55:00
For.
We all often offend.
Now that's a wholesome verse to remember we all.
Often offend. It isn't that I might make a little slick once in a while, no.
We all often offend.
Well, if we remember that, won't it make it easier for us as we go to a brother to speak to him, to take the low place? If we remember that, another translation.
Very wholesome admonition.
Brother Brown, the word of bend there is that not entirely a different word than what the Lord uses in in the gospel concerning offend one of these little ones there at stumble.
It's really turning them away from Christ there, yes.
The Lord was very sensitive about this matter of offending when he wanted to pay the temple tax there, He said, lest we offend.
The mystery is something that the natural man cannot understand.
And it's only that the Spirit of God revealing it, and here the connection with the House of God. Is it not in this chapter. But the natural man can't understand this mystery.
And if a child of God attempts to unravel in with his mind set upon it, he won't be able to either.
He'll probably end an error.
If the human mind tries to solve or unravel the things of God, error is frequently the result.
Whether view the systematized error?
Is it true that we never read a systematized truth?
Well, I've heard that expression very often.
When his new step system tries the truth, you find you have some error and we can have an outline. That's what Mr. Potter used to call our attention to.
Ends up in systematized error.
In most schools in system.
Theological schools. They have a course that they call systematic theology.
Well, I think it's a very, very dangerous thing to try to systematize the truth of God.
13th verse of Second Timothy, the 1St chapter.
Hold fast the form of sound words. Now is that not an outline of truth which thou hast heard of me in faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus? Now it wouldn't be possible to hold this fast if we didn't have it.
And so it supposes that one gets into the presence of God and waits upon God for it, and then to hold it fast.
I have run across an expression something like this.
Our thoughts are to be formed by Scripture, not to be formed into theological expressions.
Take the various creeds, well known to many, I suppose. There's not a creed formulated by a man that's perfect.
So-called Apostles Creed the first statement and it is false. I believe in God the Father, maker of heaven and earth. Well that's not true. God the Father didn't make heaven and earth.
Yes.
Well, we need to be aware of formulating creeds or any formulated creeds.
What you say that in so-called Bible schools, your progress there really is measured by your intellect. It isn't the conscience.
And one can get a large knowledge.
And not have much exercise and so.
And without exercises solely will neither profit the one himself nor those of hearing.
I was thinking here in this chapter, the sixth verse. I'm more or less just skimming down this third chapter.
01:00:06
Brother Aaron called our attention to the principles of Scripture in the New Testament, principles connected with Christianity.
There's 6 words not a novice less being lifted up with pride. He fall into the condemnation of the devil that is, the devil fell through pride.
If a young man were recently converted and rushed into a place of prominence in the House of God.
You may soon be lifted up with pride and fall. Fall through pride like the devil found. Well, I remember years ago a young man was pushing himself. He wasn't just being pushed, he was pushing himself. And some older brethren objected and said that he was a novice.
Well, he took great umbrage at that statement that he was a novice and he said you can't limit the gift of God like that. He says that is Speaking of of.
An elder or those who exercise oversight. But he says with connection with the gift, there isn't such a thing as enough man being a novelist.
Though it wasn't long till he proved that he was a novice.
And he walked out and left the path.
Beg your pardon, brother? Oh, no, go ahead. These principles are for our admonition. They had a case like that in Columbus years ago.
A young teenager.
Bright and clever.
Read the synopsis and she said well I don't care to go to the meeting and listen, have to listen to those old brothers stumble around in the scriptures. Said I'd rather stay home and read the synopsis.
Well, the last I heard of that brother, I don't know whether he's living or not. I'm going back 50 years, I suppose.
He'd ended up in some kind of a cult God, gotten clear, a strange, gotten into some kind of a call. Well.
This thing of getting all puffed up with head knowledge and expecting that to be acknowledged by our brethren is just the road to ruin.
Case that I spoke up, the young man would get up on the Lord's Day morning after the breaking of bread and exhort all the older things. Young man, well, it was unbecoming. And when he was challenged about it, he said I have the gift of an exhorter.
I don't read about it.
The young man having a gift of them being an exhorter, he forgot the scripture that says what the prophet speak two or three, and let the other judge.
I am not the judge of my own ministry. Never.
When you say something, brother.
What would you say?
That there is a power.
Felt in the spirit of our manifested by the Spirit of God collectively.
That we would not have at home if we said we would stay home and read the ministry. We might be in a week meeting where there wasn't much gift and might say, well, I can get more if I stay at home and read some of the writings of the older brethren. Well, there is, I believe, a power of the Spirit of God when we're gathered together that one couldn't have in that way. I go with that girl. I certainly believe.
To get things revealed to you in the meeting that just don't come to you otherwise.
And the fact that there's discipline in the assembly.
The principle of correction. We have in the Proverbs something joined together in in Pasadena on Thursday mornings. The way of Corrections, the way of life.
That is, there must be that submission to one another, the principle of it.
The principle of it in each one of us as being subject 1 to another, goes along with it and in the assembly.
It looks thoughtful. Chapter 24.
We have the disciples and others gathered together.
And the Lord is in the midst. Verse 36.
There we have a company with the Lord in the midst, really, I suppose, representative of the assembly.
01:05:06
And then in verse 45 it says He opened, then opened. He their understanding that they might understand the Scripture. Where was it? In the assembly where the Lord was in the midst.
Well, certainly if we want to have an understanding of the Word of God.
Get it where the Lord is in the midst. There's no mistake about it. You can't improve upon this. This is God's way, God's order.
But interesting to notice in that chapter, the Lord walked with him on the road to Emmaus, and he opened the Scriptures to them, and he made himself known to them in their home, but when the time came that they ought to have been up there with the Saints in Jerusalem.
He vanished out of their sight. Well, I thought of it this way, that we can get much blessing from reading the Word of God at home, and how often the Lord meets the person, regardless of their state of soul, if there's any turning to him at all, He meets them and ministers to their hearts of himself. The things concerning himself. But when the time came, as our remark that the assembly or the disciples were going to be gathered together.
At Jerusalem he vanished out of their sight. And I thought of it in a very practical way, that we may enjoy these things, but when the time comes for the meeting of the Assembly, we can't expect to enjoy the Lords friends at home, even if we enjoyed it an hour before.
Where He wants us to be is in the place where He shows himself in the midst of His own. When you build a fire on the hearth, the embers that get cold first are the scattered ones on the outside, aren't they? The ones that are together hold the warmth.
It's been it's been remarked that they.
Place of growth and prosperity in the soul is found in the reading and the prayer meeting, isn't it? And we shouldn't neglect this and there are young people can learn, and we wouldn't discourage them from.
Inadequate question, or the injection of a thought, but modesty becomes them. It's line upon line and precept upon precept, through which are the experience of every Christian.
Moves on into a place where he can be used.
Wouldn't their willful isolation be corrected by Hebrew 1025?
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of sun is.
But regarding one another and so much more as you see the day approaching.
You have to remember, do we not, Brother Whitaker, in connection with that in Hebrews 10, that it was a bad sign for those converted Hebrews to start forsaking the assembling of themselves together? It was very often the first signs of apostasy. They were shunning the reproach connected with being together.
And it was a bad sign, and I believe it's a bad sign, yet we need to be careful of it. But then there's the other side of it too. We who are older and who may take some part in the Bible readings in our local assembly need to be careful that the young people are properly nourished. If if we're not careful, we may get into carelessness or.
Lack of care for them. I think we need to be exercised before the Lord that these meetings may be profitable. I don't mean the meeting here today, but all of our meetings in our local assemblies. Sometimes we're a little careless about.
I came in contact with something just recently.
A brother in a in a certain meaning, he'd come, he'd come into fellowship.
But he was staying away and.
Someone spoke to him about it. Well, he said that's the way that I was brought up. He said in the meeting that I came from, if things didn't go right in the in the man where we stayed away to show our disapproval, well, that that isn't Hebrews 13, is it? It's not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as a manner of some is. So that's not the cure.
For difficulty in the assembly to stay away. We don't help our brethren by staying away.
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The thing is to be with them and share their exercises, be on our knees with them. Then we can look for blessing.
And it wouldn't be in accordance with First Corinthians 14 either. What a.
Prophets speak two or three, and the others judge. There's a responsibility there.
I'd like to ask a question in connection with that last remarks about staying away. Would that be in our chapter of First Timothy 3 and the third verse? No striker?
Be in the spirit of it, perhaps.
A striker is a violent character, a man that loses his temper and and says.
Says hasty things.
A violent temper.
I believe is what is meant by a striker.
Regarding.
Verse three of Ephesians 4 Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace. Do we have the principle of unity mentioned in Isaiah?
One latter part of verse 16.
And the first part of verse 17, Isaiah 116 Cease to do evil, learn to do well.
Precious sound principle always can depend on it.
Slipping on down to the 7th verse of our chapter.
Moreover, he must have a good report of them which are without.
Lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
That's another line of things that is overlooked sometimes.
A good report of those without.
If one if one is taking a place in the assembly, well as they have a good report on the outside.
Well you say that doesn't alter is state in the church.
But it does.
Suppose he has a. He has a reputation for dishonesty among his neighbors.
He's disqualified. He's disqualified himself by it. Moreover, he must have a good report of them that are without. We have to be careful of our conduct on the outside.
That can be different than words. It says beware when all men speak well of you, that would be a hail follow well met. But what you refer to is things as to are deportment as to whether clearly as that would commend the truth.
Act 16.
Verse one.
And behold, a certain disciples there named.
The son of a certain woman, which was believed, but his father was retreated, which was clever and more than I by the brothers. Well reported on by the brother. That's right, Mr. Laconia.
Connection with this sixteen first God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit scene of angels preached under the Gentiles believed on in the world. They seized up in glory. This is very interesting and instructive for us is that we don't have the atonement brought in here because it's the example for us. It's the secret of godliness in our pathways.
And here we find that the Lord's pathway was one, as has just been mentioned about a good report to them and or without. Well, the Lord Jesus, the Spirit of God came upon him and marked him out before everyone, as this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
The angels look down here, they saw the 1St man that ever been in this world up in whom God could delight. There was nothing but perfection in him. And then it says preached under the Gentiles. This is quite a remarkable expression here because.
The Lord said on one occasion, I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.
Unto big brethren, that the thought here is that when he was rejected by the nation, that grace caused him to go out in blessing to the Gentile. Well, I think there's a very practical lesson for us here in connection with godliness, and that is perhaps there's been something that we wanted to do. God has allowed some opposition to come in the way. And so we just got angry about it or discouraged about it and said, why, I'm going to give up.
01:15:27
Don't know the opposition well, how lovely it is to see with the Lord Jesus that when he was rejected by the nation of Israel, that grace over leaped the bounds of Israel and reached out in blessing to the Gentile. And I say again, this is a practical lesson for us, President. Is there opposition and difficulties in the assembly and the things that we have to meet and we say, well, it's no use because everything's just in opposition.
Well, grace can always overlea the bounds. Grace can always go on in service of love.
To the Lord and to his people and in the gospel in spite of it all. And this is most important because this is the secret of godliness. This is the way the Lord Jesus acted. We need so much of this because the tendency so often with us is when things go wrong, just to get discouraged.
While the Lord continued in that pathway of service and what was the result? Well, there were results believed not in the world so that we might say well there seems so little blessing for the effort put forth. God's going to look after that believe God in the world and then what was the end received up in glory. That is, should we say the precious Savior ended that pathway of perfect obedience and glory.
Presence of God, his Father having his fullest approval for him when he returned. It says in my presence is fullness of joy. Well, surely I believe there are practical lessons enough here for us in our pathway in all the situations we may have to lead to.
What did you say to brother? Just to guard against any misapprehension?
I had it on my heart.
Something I thought was for the Lord and my brethren thought otherwise that it wouldn't be a case of my leaping over it. It would be my my place to be subject and wait on the Lord to clear it. I just I just mentioned that as somebody might take the other thought out of it because there is such a thing as waiting upon the Lord to incline the hearts of our brethren. Well, that's right. But go on embrace just the same. That's it may not be in that particular thing, but.
We're not to give up a service of love and grace. And if the brethren are not happy, well, there's other works that can be done and can perhaps be done and be acceptable, and the Lord will be pleased with it. So that there's the lesson. I'm not shriveling up in our soul. Don't you think so? Yes. And then I was singing a first of Matthew 11 where the Lord met the rejection of Israel. But.
Accepts it is from the Father's hand, he says Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight. He accepts it from the Father's hand and rejoiced in that hour. He rejoiced in spirit. Isn't the point in the sin of angels that isn't that incarnation?
Incarnation. They had never looked upon their Creator before.
Yes.
238.
Announcements are over. Would you all please go downstairs?
1 Timothy 3:8-4:16
Reading
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General Meetings, Burbank, December 1964 reading meeting Saturday PM.
277.
M #277.
The Lamb of God our Shepherd is, and he who does must be while he is ours and we're his.
Want and want or need 277?
No.
Yeah.
Yeah.
00:05:29
The 4th chapter, First Timothy.
Wouldn't it be well to read again? Sullen the third?
Perhaps.
Not to spend a great deal of time on it, but to start reading at.
Gate first.
Just reading on yes.
First Timothy, chapter 3, verse 8.
Likewise must the Dickens be grave, not double tongue, not given to much wine, not greedy or filthy lucre, holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. And let these also first be proved. Then let the muse, the office of a Deacon, being found blameless. Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife.
Ruling their children, and their own house as well. For they that have used the office of the beacon well purchased to themselves a good degree and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. These things are right I unto they hoping to come unto thee shortly. But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou Artest 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.
Now the spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.
Speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats which God hath created, to be received with Thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with Thanksgiving, for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. If not, put the brethren in remembrance of these things. Thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ.
Merry stuff in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.
But refused profane and old wide stables, and exercised thyself rather unto godliness.
Or bodily exercise, Bodily exercise, profitous little but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptations.
For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those that believe these things command and teach. Let no man despise thy use, but be thou an example of the believers in Word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy.
With the laying on of the hands of the presbytery, meditate upon these things. Give thyself wholly to them.
That thy profiting may appear to all take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine continue in them. For in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee.
I.
Bishops and deacons are both local offices, are they not?
And.
I suppose that the first would that is bishops or elders.
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Would have more to do with oversight and.
Deacons with service.
The the word that's translated.
Minister in the sixth verse of the 4th chapter.
If thou put the bread in remembrance of these things, I would be a good minister. The word, therefore, minister is the akinos, which is our word Deacon. So the word simply means a servant.
While it's not sad definitely that those that were chosen to look after the distribution.
Of the necessities to the needy in Jerusalem, while they're not called deacons, it's very evident that their services of that character.
And one of them's name was Philip.
And he would be a remarkable example of what we have in the 13th verse, would he not? They that have used the office of a Deacon well purchased to themselves a good degree and great boldness in the fact he's the only man in Scripture that's called an evangelist.
You refer Brother Brown to Act 63.
Yes.
Wonderful to look at the Lord Jesus Christ.
And also referred to as a minister in Master 20 verse 28.
And I'm going as a son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many. Just thank God the Lord Jesus Christ can conserve us. The same words that use that word for ministers.
Trying to wait upon us, to serve us was nothing. That should be a privilege for us then to serve as well. We can serve the own state by going out to them with the dust. We can serve one another in various ways. We can serve the Assembly of God. And certainly we should be exercised about the the little place that the Lord might have for us, the little thing that you might have for us to do.
I swear in the end of Romans about a dear sister in Christ.
That awkward ought to encourage our sisters.
Romans 16, the first verse.
I commend and you, Phoebe, our sister.
Which is the servant of the Church which is at Sencrea?
That's a receiver in the Lord has become a St. and that she is a sister in whatsoever matter. She hath need of you, for she hath been a sucker of many, and of myself also.
Now the interesting thing there about that is that she's called a servant, and that is the feminine of the same word the shoes predicted.
If we if we were to render it literally, it would be ridiculous. Not that she was official, we're not meaningless, but it is a feminine of that word.
Large, large service in that.
As a Deacon.
And in the Romans spoken of as the minister of the circumstance said at the very word is easily applied to the Lord. Is that right, Brother Brown?
What's your reference, Brother Roman?
Yes.
Well, with that, in that.
Second verse of Romans 16.
She had been a sucker of many to myself also. Would that not show the something of the character of the service?
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It was more as to perhaps.
Needs.
In helping him in that way, it certainly was in the.
In giving him the word or anything of that kind.
Of the Lord was thought that is referred to there ministering to the people's physical needs. You know he did that he said them he killed them what a ministry that was well that was different from his going to the cross, wasn't it? Yes.
Is referred to Phoebe, brother. Yes, she was a helper, would you say?
Took care of the menial duties, perhaps the kitchen chores.
Well, I wouldn't want to limit that, but things have more along that nature though.
You know, say it certainly wasn't in Ministry of the Word. She wasn't that way.
In Philippians 4.
We got something very similar.
Flippins for reading from verse one. Therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved and long form my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.
I beseech your audience and beseech Syndicate.
I noticed that he doesn't say I beseech thee, odious and syndicate. He doesn't put it that way.
He puts each one on her own responsibility. I beseech you, Odious and beseech Syndicate, that they be of the same mind in the Lord. And I am creepy also. True. Yo fella, help those women that's Yodius and Kinzie, help those women which labored with me in the gospel.
And with Clement also, and other my fellow laborers whose names are in the Book of Life. Well, his brother Whitaker just stated, we don't think that these women were on the platform, but they were in very close association with the furtherance of the gospel.
And oh, how many ways there are in which sisters can be a help along that line.
There's our brother Collier over there in Hong Kong.
Well, he's had some diligent sisters there laboring with him for years.
And we believe God has used them so.
We while we're not looking at sisters as official preachers or anything of that kind yet, the word of God.
Does give them a place as being helpers together in the gospel. It's it's definitely in scripture.
4 dollars.
Yes, well, so we turn to that in the axe.
What chapter is it, Brother Brown?
Acts 21/9.
Reading the eighth verse the next day, we were.
We that were appalled company departed and came to Caesarea and we entered into the House of Philip the evangelist. We've already spoken of him, the only man that's called an evangelist.
Which was one of the seven and about wisdom.
And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophecy.
And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judea a certain prophet named Agabus. And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said thus, that the Holy Ghost, so shall the Jews at Jerusalem, bind the man that owneth this turtle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. Now we notice two things there.
Philip had these four.
Unmarried daughters.
And they prophesied.
It doesn't say that they got up in the meeting and talked.
But, and on proper occasions where the situation warranted it, they gave the mind of the Lord on various matters that might arise for discussion. But when it's a question of public ministry, the Spirit of God did not use one of those four sisters, but he used a certain prophet named Agabus. So for public ministry.
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Agabus, a brother, was used, but in a quiet way. Evidently these sisters that they prophesied had someone to whom they prophesied.
We have another.
Thing to the law themselves.
Luke.
Verse one.
Became the past after six years went throughout every time village precinct showing the glad titles of the Kingdom of dawn and the 12 are with him and certain women which had been handled of evil spirits and infirmities. Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven demons, and Joanna, the wife of Tisa, Harold and Susannah.
And many others which ministered the same word here, which ministered unto him of their substance.
Connection One would like to call attention to another situation in the book of Acts.
In connection with the palace.
Chapter 18.
1/4 Thank you brother.
The 18th chapter and 24th verse. A certain Jew named Apollos Barnet Alexandria, an eloquent man and mother in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus.
This man was instructed in the way of the Lord, and being fervent in spirit, is fought on mistake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.
And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue, Whom when Aquila and Priscilla.
Now Priscilla was Aquila's wife.
When Aqua and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.
Now it's instructive to see that this brother and his wife took Apollos aside privately.
And they instructed him, or expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. Now that verb there is in the plural. So Priscilla didn't sit there silent all during the conversation. And some of us can bear testimony.
Personal experience in our lives, when we've been greatly helped and enlightened by conversations we've had where sisters entered very decidedly into the conversation. But it was the circumstances were right. It was done privately, perhaps in the home. It doesn't say so. But Apple and Brazil took him and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly, and God blessed it.
In.
Connection with this, isn't it noticeable that?
Where you have this couple mentioned, the names are often transposed. Sometimes Priscilla's name is mentioned 1St and sometimes the husband, well, here it's Aquila. He is the one that's mentioned first as responsible one in connection with this ministry. That's a question of service or affection. Why we find Priscilla's name mentioned first?
Seems to me that's instructive.
That in Romans 16, verse 3.
Priscilla and auxiliary, my helpers in Christ Jesus was just a matter of giving them a greeting that affects them as you were saying. So her name is mentioned first, but over in First Corinthians the 16th chapter, verse 19.
The churches of Asia salute you, Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord with the church that is in their house. Well, it's something of responsibility connected with that, isn't it? So his name is mentioned first because he's the head, and so his name is mentioned first.
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I was going to say in this same chapter in Acts, 18th chapter in the 18th verse, while we haven't mentioned there and the names are reversed there, it's a question of their counting him and his travels and so.
There, Priscilla's name is mentioned first like it's devotion to him.
In the fourth chapter of Second Timothy, the last time we got the mention, they're mentioned six times, and they're always mentioned together, never one without the other in Second Timothy 4.
And 19 salute Priscilla or Priscilla and Aquila and the household of on Zippers. So we say goodbye to them here.
But there they are together. Well, it's a lovely picture.
You were Speaking of?
Brother Collier in the work in Hong Kong area.
Doesn't that raise another issue?
That.
The brother there has had the responsibility for the work. Yes, definitely. And generally we have ministered to him and he if he distributed to others who had any need, who were helpers with him, that was up to him. Yes, yes, Brother Wilson and one will repeat a remark.
That has been made before, and I trust it's true.
We have no living brothers who are sisters.
I believe that's an important principle to remember.
I I think we have to be in our guard along this line.
New things creep up. They have a way of working in among us, and that's one reason. And turning to First Timothy here, where we get instructions how we ought to behave in the House of God.
We have certain principles laid down and we should never vary from it. I remember talking to a sister a number of years ago.
And she was complaining to me that her brethren didn't send her to the foreign field.
And I said, well, my dear sister, you'll wait the rest of your life.
If that's what you're waiting on, your brethren are not going to send you to the foreign field. In fact, they don't send anybody to the foreign field.
If you go to the foreign field, you're going to go because God has called you to go, and you're going to obedience to him. Brethren don't send you.
So.
We need to be clear on these matters.
I we can show fellowship whether I was at a meeting, a fellowship meeting in Montreal a few years back and the meeting was to show the fellowship of the Saints to a young sister who was going out to help over in.
Two seconds here. You're going over there to help she.
Had the fellowship of the meeting, but she wasn't being set out as laboring sister. She was simply going over there to help in the in the proper way.
Going over there as a graduate nurse, going over there to help a physician and surgeon who is already recognized of the Saints over there, well, that was a very happy affair.
What we must distinguish the things that differ.
That's the burden of that verse.
The things that are more excellent. Another translation hasn't distinguished. The things are different.
You give us a word on X16.
Verse 14.
Act 16, verse 14.
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Read it, brother.
Certainly in Libya.
Similar purpose.
The city of Thyatira, which worship God, heard us. Whose heart the Lord opened, that she appeared into the things which were spoken by the football.
When she was baptized in the household.
You saw this saying, if he had touched me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and the fire there.
She has something to do with things she certainly did Brother and the sister that.
Has the church in your house for the brother and his wife?
They know something of what that means. That's that's real self sacrifice.
And so this year she was a Gentile, this Lydia. She got converted, and her home evidently became the.
Running place of the believers there because when Paul left there in the last verse that chapter.
40th verse. They went out of prison and entered into the House of Lydia, and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them and departed.
Well, that's a lovely picture.
I remember one time a sister came to me about going to a certain island where there were some gatherings and she wanted to go there as out in the Lord's work. Well, I've been there and I told her, I said, well, now I don't see if you do that, how that we could minister to you as a gathering.
I said individuals might do it, but I said furthermore.
It seems to me that down there you could do a work among the sisters, but it seems to me the real need there is a young man to minister among them so that they don't drift off into various other things. Well, she said she had never thought of it along that line. Well, she didn't go.
There we look at the first verse on the 13th of Acts.
Because these are important principles that we want to be clear on and this brother Wilson was saying.
Practices flipping among us sometimes and we get wrong conceptions along these lines. The 13th of Acts there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers. Notice there's nothing about the preacher here.
There's nothing about the weather and this was a real active assembly.
Certain prophets and teachers.
As Barnabas and Simeon that was called Niger Lucius of Cyrini Manan, which had been brought up with hair of the tetrarch and saw and as administered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Ghost says.
Let's not miss that, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me, Barnabas, and Saul for the work where unto I have called them.
They weren't called by a man, they were called by the Holy Ghost.
So when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. No, let's, let's get the right reading there.
When they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they let them go, not to test them, but let them go.
So they being sent forth by the Holy Ghost.
Now that's an important principle.
They are being sent forth by the Holy Ghost.
The assembly does not assume the responsibility of sending forth laborers. They go as sent forth by the Spirit of God. Now another thing in that connection.
A brother might say, I feel called of the Spirit of God to such and such a past.
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Well, that's that's his privilege. It's the Spirit of God that calls.
On the other hand.
If his brethren.
Had doubts and were uncertain and unhappy about his going out.
And they expressed it to him.
One questions the wisdom of his saying, Will I have my orders from the Lord? And I'm going.
Now it might be.
But if one is allowed to speak personally.
Over an experience of approximately 60 years, I have never known a case yet.
Where one went out in that spirit, where the thing ended happily. I've never known a case yet.
But on the other hand, we must remember it's not the assembly that stands, it's the assembly that shows fellowship with the brother that goes, but the one that calls him is the Spirit of God, and he obeys that call.
Would you say here in the 13th chapter of Acts, that is where it speaks of the Holy Ghost said that?
He very likely used one of those prophets. That is, we don't have a record, do we, in the New Testament of the Holy Spirit speaking Apart from that, I think you're right.
After this was apparently. But this was the Lord's mind, I'm sure of that.
Another point to notice there. I think it's worthwhile noticing it separate me, Barnabas and Saul. It doesn't say separate me, Saul and Barnabas. Now when we get further on in the acts, these two that have gone out together.
We find that the Nands are reversed and it becomes Paul and Barnabas, but not at the start.
It's Barnabas and Saul, or Barnabas and Paul in the 14th chapter in the.
And the 12Th verse.
14th chapter in the 12Th verse.
And they called Barnabas Jupiter. That's the heathen.
They called Barnabas Jupiter and Paul Mercurious.
14th verse Which one of the apostles, Barnabas and Paul heard of, they rent their clothes.
So it's not until there is a ripening on the part.
Of Paul experience and threatening that his name is but first and he becomes Paul and Barnabas.
Timothy.
We find that whatever it is that's done for the Lord, any kind of service.
Is to be done faithfully.
And even if it's like the ones that handle the money and took care of supplying the needs of the widows in the days in Jerusalem.
If one was faithful in it, he purchased a good degree.
And we find.
Philip later on going away from there when there was number more need for his work there as a Deacon.
We find him over preaching and a powerful preacher he was, but he didn't aspire to go out preaching.
He did what was committed to him at that time, and he did it well, and he did it as unto the Lord.
The Lord had other things for him later.
And.
There were requirements in the choosing of a Deacon.
There were certain qualifications that were to be looked for, even if it was one handling the financial affairs of the Assembly.
So these things are written for our learning.
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Connection. Brother Wilson.
You spoke about handling the finances.
In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. One thinks the case in you of where the brother that took care of the money.
Was offended that some other brother wanted to help him count the money that was in the box. Well what about that? Well, he had no right to be offended. He should have wanted it so.
Could have been. There is a principle in the Scripture that runs all through. At the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. Whether it was a case of putting a man to death, or whatever it was when Paul was going to Corinth, he says that I'm coming again. And the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. And so if a man is given the money for the assembly to hold in trust, it should be counted by at least two.
And a record kept up.
Not because he's dishonest, but that he's working. He acts before God and before his brethren too. Because the money is there. He'd be very foolish and to assume the privilege of doing it alone. Monday yes. And even then, if he did, it would be a snare to it.
I know of one brother.
Now some time with the Lord, who handled the affairs of the assembly as though it were resolved before he died, he called the brethren and confessed that he'd been misusing those funds. Well, think what he'd have been kept from if the brethren had acted in an orderly way.
He was all damn patient when Paul was taking that money to Jerusalem for the needy there, he wouldn't take. He wouldn't assume the responsibility of it alone, would he?
He he made it very plain that others were to be associated with him in that mission. He made it very clear that they were to appoint those ones. He didn't select a hand-picked group.
It would go with her.
We're never wise and in Scripture.
Well, I remember Mr. Potter using time and again.
Rather careful to pay out to stand by the principles of the Word of God. This morning Brother Arizona was telling us that in the New Testament you do not have, thou shalt not, thou shalt do, but you have a book of principles.
And here we have the Church of God as the House of God on earth. And when you get the house character, you get responsibility, get order. And we have to know the order of the house if we're going to conform. Oh, here we get some of the order of the House of God. And God is not the author of confusion.
Let all things be done decently and in order. It isn't a hit and miss affair.
It's it's the.
Thinking that things should be done in a way that commends.
Commands it.
I remember Brother Bill Brown making a remark in Burbank as to the word of God never makes this ridiculous.
No, it doesn't make us ridiculous.
We may be reproached, but the the directions that God has given us in his Word are sound, sane, sensible principles.
The Lord in his ministry.
Did not always refer to direct quotations from the Old Testament in his teaching. Sometimes it was the principles of that of the Word, and it did not have really a direct bearing on at all. But he expected them though to know the mind of the Lord promised.
That's particularly true. And the question as to the resurrection, where they come to him with that impossible case of the woman having seven husbands and they want to know about what would be in the resurrection. Well, he quoted there I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The God is not the God of the dead, but the living. Well, he expected them to know from that that there was a resurrection.
00:45:11
The going out of the gospel is connected with the center, the true center, is it not? And so that the apostles as they went out, they returned and reported at the to the assembly. So the the gathering in as we have in Ephesians 4, these gifts were for the gathering in to the assembly, were they not?
Maybe look at that verse, Brother London, that you've just referred to now. I think that's so important.
14 Acts 14.
26.
27 and 28 do you care to read them?
And then?
Sail, then sail to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended, to the grace of God, to the work which they fulfilled when they were common, and gathered the church together they rehearsed all that God had done with them and how He'd opened the door of faith under the Gentiles. There they abode long time with the disciples.
Now that's an important principle.
They returned.
Once they had gone out and they rehearsed all that God had done, not what a wonderful work they had done, but what God had done with them.
And then they weren't so anxious to get going again.
There they abode a long time with the disciples.
In other words, they didn't have to cut on a move all the time.
They took time for enjoying the local assembly there once they'd gone out and where they really belonged locally.
And they were a help there. So just because one is recognized.
As a servant of the Lord doesn't mean that he's got to be on the goal.
Back in Bloomington, IL, you remember brother Lich? Oh yes.
Certain matter came up in the care meeting about sending some funds to a brother who was writing from the foreign fields and tell him what a great work he was doing.
The local brethren were all interested in sending some money.
He sat back and calmly said, Well brethren, if we knew where there was a brother that had gone up onto the house cop to pray, it might be a good idea to send him a little.
For when Peter had gone upon the housetop to pray in the getting directions. And that's an important part.
I like to read that verse also in ages 4 because I believe it has to do with our subject somewhat this afternoon.
In in the.
11 First he gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers.
Or the perfect thing of the Saints, or the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, and so on.
It seems to me that the gifts were given in connection with the building up of the assembly. Now it might be to gather some in, and that's the gospel work, but still it's in connection with the assembly and it carries with it the truth of the house that we have, I believe in this chapter.
Brother, that would justify that the servants are responsible to the assembly. Is that your thought?
Assembly, and if you feel a responsibility in that assembly and to feel there are definitely, but I also feel that the giving out of the gospel should not be an independent thing. It's a connection with the whole truth of the revealed truth of God. And I've heard of those like a brother in South America who teaches the truth of separation and connection with the God.
00:50:05
The simple principles of it, because I believe that the whole truth is, is wild.
Do you have any thoughts on that? Brother Brown clarify the question as to the servants responsibility to the Lord.
As we have the measure disc here in the fourth of the Ephesians on the ended Lord with a great object of the edifying of the body of Christ.
But how about this matter of the individuals, the servants? Individual responsibility toward the Lord is one thing. And then?
It also must be subject to all the truth of God, and which the assembly may apply to Him. A concern must be that which would dishonor the Lord.
And then last time under discipline. And in that sense he would be responsible. Can you clarify this whether you're a suit or someone?
Well, it seems to me that.
He is responsible for the Lord, but there are some things in which the assembly has something to say to him and he couldn't say, well, I don't have to pay attention to you. I take my orders from the Lord. I've heard that said. Well, I believe that's entirely wrong.
I While his orders are direct from the Lord in a certain sense that he's movement, but his brother may not be happy about some things in connection with those movements.
Well, he should have respect into that.
The matter of the endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit and the uniting bond of peace come in here. I would think so, yes, definitely.
Who is one of you?
I want to turn to that.
It just contains a principle.
Heavens verse all, my state shall take it, because declaring to you who is a beloved brother and a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord, whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, you might know your estate and comfort your hearts with an estimates. A faithful and beloved brother who is one of you, they shall make known to all things which are done.
The reason I call attention to that is this, that we have no brothers.
Who are ambassadors at large?
That is, every servant of the Lord will not only every servant of the Lord, but but every gathered St. has a local connection.
He's locally responsible to his own gathering and to to say, well, I don't have any gathering. I just keep going around. I, I don't belong any special place. No, there's there's no place in Scripture for that.
Each one is regarded as being responsible to his own local assembly, and that's an important principle for us to keep in mind.
I'm thinking that the individual servant is the servant of the Lord.
And I think I don't understand what I'm saying when I said that we do have that. The thing is serving to the assembly too, which is a little different thought. But I think that this servant is responsible to the Lord, and when he gets out of place in his service, then he must still be subject to.
To the discipline of the assembly.
And always to hearken to admonition from his brother.
Yes, he should listen to the admonishment of his brethren. I remember a man one time, a brother who some of his brethren were speaking to him about certain attitude he had, and he says, well, beware of an old man speak well of you. That was sort of justifying his course. Well, I believe that was in a wrong application of Scripture.
They have been doing the Lord's work.
We tried to do it in the world's way.
00:55:02
If we should start to organize and and do the Lord's work that he put on an evangelistic campaign and followed the traditions of of men generally speaking today and.
I should try to do that and then my brother came to me and said to me that.
We're not happy about this.
We have fellowship, bless you and preach the gospel, but we can't have fellowship with you in the way you're doing it. Well, it would be my place to be subject, wouldn't it?
Presentation of our young people here.
And our time is running out. Could we?
Consider the opening of the 4th chapter. Are there warnings here that are concurrent with our day? Well, I would like to hear something on the 14th and 15th verses before we leave this chapter.
Hi.
Well, in that 14th verse, these things right eye under thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly. One has thought how within the act 20, the apostle Paul and taking his leave of the elders there at Ephesus, he says, I commend you to God and the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified.
Now he commanded them to the word of God.
He didn't say, well, now you have Timothy and you have Titus. They'll tell you how I feel about these things. They've been with me many years. Well, Timothy and Titus were faithful servants, but they were not to communicate the word of God or the mind of the Lord apart from the Word. And so the apostle here, he.
Makes a special effort that they would have something in writing from the apostle. And so then we have this in the 15th verse about the assembly.
Now he says that thou mayest know how thou Artest to behave or conduct thyself in the House of God.
Well, it's been mentioned that in First Timothy.
The assembly is looked at as the House of God. Well, here's one who'd been the apostles companion for perhaps 15 or 20 years, and he's writing to him.
That he ought to know how to conduct himself well. As I say, I don't doubt what the apostle had in mind.
Passing this information on down as long as the church was here.
And the assembly here, being the House of God, he says, is the pillar and ground of the truth, he says, which is the Church of the living God, and the pillar and ground of the truth.
The only place.
That I believe, and one has to be careful about making sweetening statements, but I believe it's the only place where we have.
The church spoken of Indiana that way, the Church of the.
Living God and the pillar and ground of the truth. It's the only place that the truth can be maintained, that the Scripture recognizes that it can be maintained. We have seen in Christendom where godly, devoted men have organized.
A system of some kind, maybe a school to propagate the truth, but sooner or later they drift away from it. Well, the assembly is the only place in which it can be maintained.
And I believe the way in which it is maintained is what we have in acts, or I mean in First Corinthians 14, where says let the prophet speak two or three and the others judge, there is responsibility as to what is taught.
That I've heard that mentioned many times how that in this country it was settled by.
Generally or largely by God fearing people.
01:00:04
And they established some schools for the maintenance of the truth as they understood it. But today Everlast one of those schools.
Has gone into modernism. They are no longer a stay of the truth.
Mr. Armand, you'll remember, I think Brother Irishman used to say that nothing but the truth can hold the truth.
Nothing but the truth can hold the truth.
So if we design some artificial body that is not found in scripture as a depository of the truth, we're we're sure to lose it, but it's in the assembly where it's maintained and since.
I was just going to put that be because the Lord is in the midst and the Spirit of God is reluctant.
Is that it, brother Aaron? Well, I think it's very important to recognize that the Lord is in the midst and when people.
Try to get around actions assembly they're disregarding the presence of the Lord in the midst I breathe. That's very important to see that and the Spirit of God is there We have you know the Lord in the midst and we have God dwelling in the.
In the temple, its temple for the habitation of God by the Spirit, there are the two things, and we should recognize that.
Yes, it is.
I am the light of the world, but an action one. You are my witnesses. We are set for life while he's gone and the track corporately.
As our brother has said, is the depository, and I suppose it says that.
And the ground truth, perhaps the thought, is like the headquarters of truth.
Has been pleased to have his redeemed ones, the other exponents of the truth, and to value it and adhere to it.
And method everything to them to govern that.
The 5th chapter.
We read.
The 5th chapter of Ephesians and the eighth verse.
You were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord. Ye are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light for the fruit of the light that should be light, not spirit. The fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.
I just saw this little comment and one hardly agrees with what has been said, but it's very interesting to notice that in Ephesians 4 and in First Corinthians 13 and here in our chapter, a point is brought in that is very important and that is in connection with the manner in which we carry these things out. In Ephesians 4 it speaks about speaking the truth in love.
And the the edifying of the body in love. And then first Corinthians 12 we have the gifts that are given, but then we have also in the 13th chapter. So I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not love. I am become as a sounding brass and a tinkling symbol. And then as we noticed this morning in our chapter here, the great secret of godliness, the pathway of the Lord Jesus.
Well, it's very important that we should have God's order and the assembly is indeed the pillar and brown of the truth. The problem we must not forget the oil that keeps the machinery machinery running smoothly and how often that is lacking with us individually.
That we may be know these things and seek in our measure to carry them out, but perhaps lack that proper spirit that would give, that would give us smoothness to the manner in which these things are done. So between the 12Th chapter of First Corinthians where we have the gifts enumerated and the 14th chapter where we have them in operation, we have that chapter that's so instructive to us about.
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Manner the law that would keep it going.
And so in in Ephesians 4 again I mentioned that speaks of these gifts given by an ascended Christ that we might be preserved from systematized error. But then it tells us how to talk about these things. And so I'm sure that we we need this in these days because.
There is a great need for maintaining the truth.
Never was there a greater need that we should stand firmly for the truth of God, but if we don't do it in the right spirit, all the emphasis that we want to give is weakened, and perhaps the machinery would stall if we tried to run it without the oil.
All right. I believe that is very important. And that was the difficulty at Ephesus, was it not? They had left their first love. They were going on in things there that were technically correct. Why they even were able to detect false apostles, what they'd left their first love.
Get into the 4th chapter.
At first verse.
It takes us down to a time called here the latter times.
Now the spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons.
The time is described here that would come on the church.
Known as the last latter times and what characterized the latter times.
Is that some would depart from her face.
Now I'm going to Second Timothy 3 Two Timothy.
Three.
Just by way of contrast, the first verse this know also that in the last days.
Perilous or difficult time shall come, for men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, closest, strong, and so forth.
In the latter times it would be a parcel departure.
In the last days, when and we are here, we are in the last days, there would be a general departure. It would characterize the whole time.
Men should be lovers of self, covered as boasters and so on, but we're living in those days. Verse is very important in that connection.
Third of second, the fifth verse.
Having a form of government, but denying the power thereof.
That is characteristic of all the around that poses as Christianity.
It has departed from the faith and.
They maintain the outward form. I suppose. In no other land on earth was it more apparent than it has been this week. In this land. A forearm of pirate.
But you you can answer for yourselves. Do you think that's really characteristic of the land or is it but a form?
Down in the street down the business St. of the city and you hear so-called Christmas carols being played loud enough to be heard for blocks around from the top of public buildings.
Yet all the time that this is going on, that precious name is being blasting.
Within the sound of the of the Carol is being sung.
It's it's so sad to think of the empty form that is all around us and at the same time the person of the blessed Lord Jesus is refused and denied and blasphemed.
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It's it's enough to make angels weak to look down and see such a horrid contradiction.
That's what God says. What's the highly esteemed among manage abomination in God's sight? And every week we have new additions to this.
We've just been greeted by a.
Edict from the city of Rome, declaring that Mary is the mother of the Church.
Did you ever hear of anything like that?
The mother of the Church.
Well, that's out under the official.
You must accept it.
And we change these things. No, we cannot. What's the remedy? That's right in that same verse, isn't it? From such turn away. That's our responsibility. That's what we can do, turn away from them. We cannot change some faith. We can't take the role of a reformer in these days to reform these things. But we can.
Do something about it ourselves. Individually, we can't change others, but we can't change ourselves from such turn away.
First continue thou and the things which thou hast learned and has been assured of knowing of whom now is learning. Let's continue in those things that will never change. Well, that's that's with us right down to the end. Man in introducing something that's apart from the Scripture, he always has to keep adding to it because he introduces something by and by that gets old and it loses effect. Well, then he has to keep changing it and add something to it.
But the Word of God is ever the same.
Who has required to set your hand? What's going on now in the world? Who has retired requiring it?
Bring no more oblations, instances, abomination underneath and new rules and paths recalling of assembly. I cannot waive it. It is iniquity even the follow me.
You're in real rules and you're a point of peace, my soul hater.
They are troubling to me. I am weary to heaven.
With the Lord, please, with what's going on.
In the third verse of First Timothy 4:00 we have.
There, forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from me, so on. Well, that is oftentimes applied to the teachings of Catholicism. Well, while Catholicism does.
Have those things there. They've set aside the word of God, but really this was something far earlier than that.
There was a system of things that was in Judaism that's interwoven into that, these same things, and they were attempting to interweave it into the church. And so the apostle was opposing that.
When analyzed.
Commanding to abstain from mates and commanding to put away marriage. An ordinance of God.
It's a very solemn thing because it's really a full formalism, isn't it? And it's amazing how people can do things legally that have no support in the Word of God. It might look like a very spiritual thing, a person abstaining from meats and commanding, abstaining from meats and forbidding to marry, that might look as if it was to have a higher spiritual life.
01:15:00
Thought it was placing oneself under a sort of system of legalism, and that's because the heart is away from the Lord. If we're enjoying the Lord, it's not a cold legalism that controls our life, it's a person that's the Lord Jesus. When we come to the second epistle that we've been Speaking of, then we see the whole thing has gone out of bounds altogether. And we always find that what begins with a cold legalism.
Ends by the breakdown of it in open sin.
It's very important, brother, and if we find ourselves occupied in this way with certain forms, certain cold legalistic things that we're doing, and we have lost sight of the Lord Jesus as the object before our souls, maybe the next step will be open departure into something that everyone knows to be wrong. And I think we need to be on our guard about this.
Christendom is filled with that kind of thing. It's it's a weed that grows in our hearts and we can trace it back to the fact that we're not enjoying the Lord. He's not sufficient. So we've got to have something else to replace him.
They were turning to Gnosticism. They were turning to something that had come out of the East, which was a little of this and a little of that mixed up with Christianity. And it pretended to, in adding to Christianity, it pretended to make a Christian better. But what it was doing was a denial of Christ. They were adding such ordinances as touch not, taste not, handle not.
Forbidding this, forbidding that, forbidding the other to make man perfect in the flesh. But it was a denial of Christ. So the apostle there in writing to the Colossians says, but ye are complete in him. What can you add to something that's complete? Well, they were trying to add Gnosticism.
And the same thing is abroad now.
What God condemns in His Word is always wrong, and it's not legalism. To obey the word of God, we must distinguish between obedience and legalism. But legalism is making rules that are not according to the word of God. They're humanly imposed, something that man has thought of, which would seem like godliness, but instead of being godliness.
There a denial of that which God has set up. Because nature is not necessarily evil. Marriage was instituted before sin came into the world.
No doubt it's been abused, but we need to remember that nature is not all evil. It's the misuse of it that is wrong. So I believe that we need to distinguish between obedience and legalism. To obey the word of God is always right.
But are you and I under some restraint that is beyond the Word of God, Something that we just think is the thing that we should do or shouldn't do? Well, we've lost sight of Christ. Perhaps we have something else that's governing our hearts rather than Him, and that's going to lead to something worse.
Obedience can only be maintained by the reading of the word and prayer when it comes to legalism, while that's just a rule and doesn't require that.
Ego obedience that will only display himself.
In a relative way.
You also pumped it up so nicely and Colossians, to which our brother Wilson referred. After the warning was given, his next word was, if ye then be risen with Christ, take those things which are above the things that were the ordinances of men, were the earth earthly. He wanted the occupation of the believer to be with the things of heaven heavenly. And that relieves the problem, doesn't it?
If we are occupied with price sitting at the right hand of God and those things, then.
The danger of the inroads of the.
False ordinances about us is minimized.
Mr. Potter, Speaking of Communion.
As I remember, his way of putting it, I thought is helpful. He said to go on in the path of communion is to go on in continuity of heart and mind, in the path of dependence and obedience.
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Continuity of heart and mind in the path of dependence and obedience. That's what we need, Dependence and obedience.
That's what characterized the Lord Jesus in the 5th chapter of Hebrews as the captain of our salvation, is it not?
Well, we need to remember.
But while we're in the last days.
And the characteristic of the last days is to turn aside. We're enjoying the whole fast.
Continue, thou say. Well, everybody else is turning aside or so, and so is turned aside.
Well, you can never get beyond this word, but you go continue the and first Timothy speaks of the characteristic of the latter times. Second Timothy of the last days we're in. We need the warnings in First Timothy. We need the instructions how to conduct ourselves in the House of God. We need an understanding of what God expects anyhow. Promise people.
And see grace to walk in obedience there.
But remember what's all around and walk in separation from that. But it just as incumbent upon us to walk, or to walk in separation from evil in the last days, to walk according to the divine standards of First Timothy.
The House of God when it was in order. What would you say as a difference in the expression in Hebrews 3 as to a son over his own house and what we have here?
I'd rather like some brother some other brother answer. I don't in further the difference, I just wanted to know what the thought was.
Well, is it not in Hebrews a contrast between what they had in Israel as the house, most of the servants in the house, and Christ was the Son over the house? Is there not that? It doesn't seem to me it's quite the same things we have here.
Both in his own house in contrast to Christ over guard house. Yes, Moses was a servant.
But Christ was the Son over his own house, was he not?
In connection with the 13th verse of our chapter, where we had not referred to till I come give attendance to readings expectations of doctrine, were they not all coupled together? That is, it wasn't simply a reading of the scripture, but there was a I've often wondered if there wasn't something like.
In Ezra the 8th of Nehemiah, Ezra read the law and the Levites caused them to understand it. If there wasn't doesn't refer to something of that kind. There's the reading, exhortation and doctrine.
Well, the expectation would certainly be of a public nature, wouldn't it? And the doctrine there means teaching that would be of a public nature. So that's the reason it seems that the reading would be the public thing too.
Yes, I'm sure that it they're all couple together public things.
Come read this verse till I come as though it's the Lord speaking about His coming. But to be precise, it's Paul going to come back there.
He says till I come, go on with these things.
But sometimes you hear people say, well, we got no scripture for a reading meeting.
168.
M #168.
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No.
Oh, ladies are.
Lifespan.
With one of the dislikes.
Before all alone.
01:30:07
All.
Revelation 1:1-6
Reading
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General Meetings, Burbank, December 1964 reading meeting Friday PM.
Revelation.
Play the seventh verse would be our starting point.
Behold, he cometh with clouds.
And every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him.
And all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him.
Even so, Amen.
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord which is and which was and which is to come. The Almighty I, John, who also am your brother and companion in tribulation and in the Kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the aisle that is called Patmos.
For the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus.
Christ, I was in the Spirit on the Lords day, and heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet, saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the 1St and the last. And what thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia, unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira.
And under Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw 7 golden candlesticks. And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were as a flame of fire.
And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace. And his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars. And out of his mouth went a sharp 2 edged sword. And his compliments was as the sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not.
I am the 1St and the last.
I am he that liveth and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen.
And have the keys of Helen of Death.
Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are.
And the things which shall be hereafter. The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hands.
And the seven golden candlesticks, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches. And the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.
00:05:20
Behold, he summers with clouds. That's not the coming we're looking for, is it? Longing for?
Is the pot in there?
Which begins with part of him that locked us down to the end of Amen. Is that sort of a parenthesis?
And then this beginning with the seventh verse linking up with the Prince of the kings of the earth.
He's getting into his subject here in this seventh verse. This is what he's bringing before us.
Well, the part that you call our attention to Brother Anderson, unto him that loved us and so on is the Church breaking in into this announcement. At the mention there of the name of Jesus Christ, the church breaks in and prays. And So what we get there then is what the church has to say. It's loveless and voices and our sins his own blood and made his kings and priests unto God and his Father and.
Glory and dominion, forever and ever. Amen.
Well then that response the Church ceases and then goes on with the subject. So it is, as you would say, a parenthesis.
What's nice to see that is a response from the church at the mention of the name of Jesus.
Is it correct?
The Church is heard only in the first and last chapters.
Well, the disease hurts. 5th chapter in Heaven asks.
But there is a voice that speaks below, isn't there? First chapter last?
It might be all right to look in Acts chapter one.
Verses 9:00 to 11:00.
And when He had spoken these things while they beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven, as He went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel, which also said, Ye men of Galilee.
Why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This thing Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven.
Well, in this verse nine he was taken up.
And the cloud received him. Now look at Luke 21.
And verse 27.
It is describing the awful distress of the nations and the verses before it.
Verse 27 And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
There is an attempt being made now to.
Deliver different ones from the reproach of the being responsible for the death of Christ.
But God hasn't removed.
His citation of them for guilt in that matter He cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him.
The Jew is going to be held responsible.
Right down to the end for the rejection and.
And murder.
00:10:01
Of their Messiah.
And the present attempt.
Of Roman authorities.
To state otherwise.
There's a flat denial of the Word of God.
Of course, they're not alone in it.
Protestantism is all linked up in the same thing.
They're determined to exonerate.
That people from any particular responsibility connected with the death of Christ.
But the Lord, the Lord said.
He that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.
And he knew.
Would be their primary purpose for such an asset to enlarge room racks? Well in the devil's behind it. And the devil is preparing the way for apostate Christendom and apostate Judaism to link up in one grand confederacy of apostasy.
And then atheism will overthrow the whole works.
This wailing here is judgment, is it not? It isn't the same as when you have them weeping every family apart. Entirely different things.
They're frightened, they're fearful. It's terror.
Doesn't sorrow?
But they don't. They don't want to greet that. And coming out of heaven.
The world has not seen you since they put him on a cross, no.
Now when they see him again, it will be their condemnation.
Or rather, it will be the execution of the sentence.
Pilate said 3 * / I find no fault in him.
And yet, incited by the insistence of the Jews, he not only delivered him over to be crucified.
Saw to it that he was scourged first.
But three times over his lips had uttered that.
That statement I find no fault in him.
The Word of God doesn't leave any doubt as to where the responsibility lies. What turned the tide and had Pilot changed his mind was.
They said if you let him go, you're not Caesar's friend.
They got Pilot into the place where he had to choose between Christ and Caesar.
He'd made them choose between Christ and Barabbas. They turned the tables.
The prison then will turn almost Pagan before the end, and their practice anyhow, it'll be almost the same thing over again, won't it? Yes.
These seven other spirits, more wicked than themselves, will enter in and dwell.
And that condition will be true of both Protestantism or Christianity and Judaism.
In Matthew and Luke you get the difference, don't you? And one of them it says, So shall it be to this generation?
The other it look it doesn't because they'll be combined in their hatred to Christ.
Idolatry was always the national sin of Israel all down through their history. Idolatry.
And the Babylonian captivity cleared them of it for the time being.
But in the end time, they'll go back to it.
As her brother was saying, 7 times worse than before.
Now as far as as one knows at the present time, if we went over to Israel, we did not see any idolatry, any idols put up.
But I'm persuaded as I see the.
The increase of these figurines that are on sale everywhere you can, you can buy the most hideous idols. They're on sale right here in Los Angeles.
00:15:00
You can buy Buddhas and various representations of heathen gods.
Everything is getting ready for the grand plunge into the darkness of satanic idolatry when the church is taken to glory.
That's a remarkable expression, isn't it? Even so, Amen. Because the church doesn't really look for judgment to come. Instead, our message is telling of God's grace and of his desire to bless. But when the time comes, the judgment will have to be executed. Will certainly recognize, as the godly ones do, that it's the only thing. It's like the 45th Psalm where it says.
Birth thy sword upon thy almost mighty, and in thy majesty rise prosperously because of meekness and truth and righteousness. So we don't like to speak of judgment, but when the time comes that it must be executed, we all know that it's the right thing, the only right thing.
Has sometimes heard Christians say they didn't know how they could be happy and think that God was.
Having to punish lost relatives, have to deal with them, perhaps even in the lake of fire. But you know when the time comes that God must execute that judgment, we will recognize that it is the right thing. But the time has come right? And that there is no other alternative for God to act according to His own holy character as He is acting now in grace. Grace reigning through righteousness.
Onto eternal life.
We turn to a verse in Hosea. It might be helpful to see the what has been mentioned in the third chapter of Hosea.
The third verse.
And I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days. Thou shalt.
Not play the harlot that thou shalt.
Not be for another man, so will I also be for thee. For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, without a Prince, without a sacrifice, without an image, without an epod, and without a tariff. In afterwards shall the children of Israel return and seek the Lord their God, and David their king, and shall fear the Lord and his goodness.
In the latter days now verse in the 5th chapter.
The last verse.
I will go and return to my place.
Till they acknowledge their offense and seek my face.
In their affliction.
They will seek me early now, the margin I believe reads. Until they be guilty.
Now in Matthew 12.
The verse that's already been quoted.
In the 43rd verse.
When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places seeking rest, and findeth not. Then he set, thou return into my house from whence I came out. When he has come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there. And the last state of that man is worse than the 1St.
Even so, shall it be also under this wicked generation? Now that generation, we're told in Matthew, will not pass away until all these things be fulfilled. Now, is that the generation that began at Mount Sinai?
To which have the word of God, the law presented to them.
I was more connected with a.
The apostate thing that rejected Christ when he was here.
Of course, in a certain cinching and trace it back to Israel not keeping the law.
Yes, but I believe that in particular it would it would refer to their rejection of Christ when He came. Now somebody else may have a thought on that.
00:20:10
That was the end of the Pepsi Job, John, Chapter 15.
The 22nd verse.
If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sinned. But now they have no cloak for their sin. He that hateth me, hateth my Father also, if I had not done among them the works which none other man did.
They had not had sin, but now.
Have they both seen and hated both me and my Father? But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law. They hated me without a cause. Isn't it so that man was under trial from the giving of the law until Christ was presented, but when they rejected the Lord Jesus?
They not only showed their guilt, but they showed what the root of the fallen man is, because the root of man's nature came out in the rejection of the Son of God. Perfect goodness. Here in this world, a man might tell us, well, I can't help being a Sinner, but why does he hate perfect goodness? Why does he hate God's beloved Son? All this shows what He is in His nature.
That same generation will be here when the Lord He came first in grace. When He appears again as the one who is about to establish the Kingdom, man's rage and enmity will know no bounds, and he will not want to see that one take His rightful place. And this will bring down God's final judgment when man rises up, so to speak, to fight against the Lamb, come to establish the Kingdom.
It might be nice brother. Hail to.
Attention in connection with this verse that you put in or called our attention to in John 15. They hated me without a cause.
The word that's used there.
Is the same word that is in the original language that's used in the third chapter of Romans. And to me it's it's lovely to see that.
In the in the Old Testament.
Psalm 65 nine is where the quotations from They hated me without a cause.
In Romans 3.
And the 24th verse, well, we'll read the 23rd to get the connection. All of sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
They headed me without a cause, being justified without a cause, the same word.
I think it's wonderful exhibition of the grace of God that super abounded over sin.
Can we say that?
God is not condemning man because he is born a Sinner, but he practiced sins and he rejects that which God has revealed. Thomas, isn't that right?
The work of Christ has met man's need, having been born in sin by when he displays his heart and self will against God's grace. By that it's a very solemn thing. It brings down the judgment of God so that a little babies are born in sin.
They don't fall to heaven because they haven't sinned. They go there because Jesus died, because they were born part of a condemned race. But through the work of Christ, the way of blessing has been opened up. And all who do not reject that grace.
I brought in the blessing, but when a child comes to the age of responsibility, it sets its will in the open opposition against the heart of God. And that's that's what brings down God's judgment. Although I will say, and I think it might be important to mention, there is a teaching that man is only condemned for one sin and that's for the rejection of Christ. That is not scriptural.
00:25:07
That the great white strong, They are judged according to their works. They are judged for the sins they have committed. The crowning sin, of course, is the fact that they rejected Christ. But having rejected him, they must be charged with all their sins, which He alone could have taken away.
I remember remarkable, Brother Potter. I think Brother Ashman will remember this with me in connection with the children that you've been Speaking of.
Umm, they're not lost. They're not as, uh, as Calvin used to teach.
I don't want to repeat his expression because it was too wretched, too horrible, but he taught emphatically that.
All the children, babies included, that weren't of the elect were in the Lake fire well.
The what you brought out I think is true. The death of Christ, the Son of man has come to save that which was lost. There was no seeking there, but He took care of that and.
The those that are saved under the age of responsibility, Mr. Potter said, form one of the families of heaven.
Of whom every family in heaven and earth is named. Remember that, brother. Yes, I do.
They, they couldn't be a part of the Church, could they? No, but that's one of the families of heaven.
They're going to be various families in heaven.
When the Lord comes and gives the shout that calls the sleeping dead forth, not all those that answer that call are going to be part of the Church. No, all the Saints of all time, let her asleep, let her dead are called forth, and they go up with us. Well, they're not all a part of the Church.
We get something that we're not in the 12Th of Hebrews. There where we have the the end of the 12Th of Hebrews, we have the Church of the first born. Then we have the spirits of just men made perfect. They're separate companies.
It's I have enjoyed the thought there in the fifth revelation where they're redeemed, are seen in heaven.
It says from every kindred and tongue and people and nations. Isn't it a lovely thought, brethren, that God is going to have a representative from every kindred and tongue and people and nation, and in families where they seem so callous and indifferent about the gospel? To think that God so delights in blessing that he perhaps takes a little baby out of that family and takes it to form part of the redeemed company?
To manifest his grace. And so there will be from every kindred a representative in heaven to show how blessed and how full the work of Christ. And people often speak about the heathen. But you know where the gospel has not entered. Human life is not valued, and many, many babies die in infancy. Our brother Eric Smith tells us that the infant mortality rate in Bolivia is 60%.
Well, this is a remarkable thing. 60% of the population of Bolivia are going to be in heaven. If there wasn't one grown up that was saved. How wonderful. God's grace. Let us not be among those who question that, brethren. Let us be among those who praise Him for His grace. And if there may be, if there are things that we cannot understand, what He has revealed to us is enough to fill our hearts with praise and Thanksgiving.
For the great blessing that is going to come to man and to us through that grace that accomplished redemption of Calvary.
Something we said on the back, rapper, it looks lazy that the first time she was going to take the babies out of our homes from the heat.
No, that's a mistake.
That isn't the way God deals.
Come thou and thy house into the ark. He deals on the household principle. And what would be the point in in God invading the homes of unsaved people to take their children from them? Those children, if they grow up to the responsible age, will have the opportunity of hearing the gospel of the Kingdom and being saved. They're not necessarily going to be condemned because they don't go up. When Jesus comes, they'll have the opportunity of bringing the gospel of the Kingdom preached.
00:30:27
But one does believe with all his heart that in the homes, Christian homes, God isn't going to take the father and a mother and and leave little ones behind by the very thought is offensive. He's going to take the household. I'm speaking now in terms of those that have not reached the age of responsibility.
In this eighth verse we get another one of those verses, such as we were Speaking of this morning, where it's difficult to sort it out. And I think most of us here may have noticed that in the other translation the beginning and the ending are omitted. I am Alpha and Omega, saith the Lord God, which is, and which was and which is to come.
The Almighty.
Now the verse seems to comprehend both Christ and God.
But that's in the nature of John's ministry. He often does that.
I read it I believe as it is in the corrected translation. I am Alpha and Omega Seth, the Lord God. Which is and which was and which is to come, the Almighty.
That was the way Abraham knew him, wasn't it? The Almighty? It isn't quite the the way that it's used in Christendom, or I mean in Christianity, but it's the way it will be used to the title again in coming days on the earth, will it not? The Most High or the Almighty.
My Most High is always connected with these millennial titles.
Abraham knew him as the Almighty enough.
Where you have the millennial scene spoken of, it's the most high.
What the one who is most high is.
Is the Almighty.
Connected together.
As it saw that in the tribulation, the name is Almighty, that is God taking his rights in connection with the earth.
You will assert his rights. In fact, that's when the Day of Man ends.
And Christ comes and takes over. That will bring the day of man to an end. But the day of the Lord is a day of darkness, day of judgment.
And is coming here and.
Clouds of evidence, The beginning of that day of judgment.
Sometimes we hear the best Christians today using that same expression on their prayers. God don't like you. But that's not what goes along with Christianity.
Our prayer should have brought our fathers. That's more what characterizes the present time.
Not even Heavenly Father, because he's not known at a distance. But we've been brought into nearness to call God our Father.
The word Almighty is used once.
In connection with Christianity.
That's the sixth of Second Corinthians.
Reading the 17th verse to get the connection.
Wherefore come out from among them, and be separate, that the Lord, and touch not the unclean. And I will receive you, and will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, Seth, the Lord Almighty.
00:35:20
Well, one believes that the point there is that the path of the believers in going through this scene down here in separation is such a difficult one.
Be set with such problems and involvements that we would tend to be discouraged.
But God is assuring us here not only that he will be a father to us. He's not telling us that He is our father. He said He'll be a father to us. He's going to look after us the way a father looks after his children. And then he assures us that he is the Lord Almighty. That is greater is he that is with us than he that is against us. He's on our side.
And he is going to vindicate us for taking that path of separation.
I don't know. I don't recall another place where Almighty is used in connection with Christians.
With Abraham again doesn't.
He was called to walk a path of separation. The Lord says walk before me and be thou perfect. He says I'm the Almighty, I'll take care of you and I'm able to do it. Well, then you have to go to the New Testament to find them. Called out to walk a path of separation. And there he renews it and says, and I'll, I'll do a father's part for you.
It's connected with Saints on earth walking in obedience and separation.
It was used, was it not, just before Isaac was promised.
Just the chapter before.
Almighty God.
This is the thought of the scripture about the Spirit of God. Let me do when the responsibility to separate was proxy for me and it was wonderful.
To read that deeper and to see the promise that the Lord made.
Are we considering that ninth verse this morning? I think pretty fully.
So perhaps we could go on to the 10th.
Because I believe there's something there for us.
That we wouldn't want to miss.
I became.
I'm reading the other translation I became in the spirit.
On the Lord's Day.
Heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet.
Now that is the only place I believe that we get that expression, the Lords day.
Now there have been those who have handled the Book of Revelation that have tried to teach that what was meant there was the day of the Lord, that is, that John was going to take up the subject of the coming judgments of the day of the Lord.
But.
When one examines the original language, that doesn't workout at all.
If we were to translate this literally, it would be I became in the spirit on the dominical day.
Now what identifies it very definitely.
As not being the day of the Lord. If we go back to the 11Th chapter to the 10th chapter, First Corinthians, we get the only other place where this word is used.
11/20.
Yes, First Corinthians 11/20 When you come together, therefore, into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's Supper or the dominical supper. The word is exactly the same.
So the Lord's Day, the dominical day, is that that belongs to Christianity.
And it's the only day that is sanctified in Christianity.
00:40:02
We have an attempt on the part of the translators of our Bible to.
Sanctify other days and they put in that word Easter in the 12Th chapter of Acts.
But it's not there. It was just gratuitous. They had no right to put it in there.
So that the only day in Christianity that's of any significance.
Is the Lord's day Well, in as much as that word is only used twice.
And is used in connection with the large supper. I think we're safe in concluding that God intends it to me that first day of the week according to Acts 20, when the disciples came together to break bread.
This.
To I have thought perhaps that the Bollinger was the one who made so much over trying to make this teach. That is the day of the Lord, a prophetic day.
I decided it would be good to mention that name because the Saints would do well to leave his ministry alone, for he has a number of confusing things that he teaches that are wrong.
Well, the expressions in the original are altogether different. There's no resemblance to them at all.
If you followed the Book of Revelation for context, how much of the Book of Revelation is connected with the day of the Lord? Yes, very little of it.
These first chapters the Church is still on earth.
Then it goes on through the tribulation, and that that much that is prior to the day of the Lord. Then it goes on into the eternal state way beyond it.
To make that fit into and make the Book of Revelation fit into that picture, it just wouldn't do so that the day of the Lord.
Does not commence in the tribulation period at all. It does not commence until the Lord comes back with power and great glory to take over His Kingdom. Is that right? That's the verse that we have right here when He appears.
Power and gore. What were you going to say, brother?
Say, you could hardly be in the spirit on the day of the Lord, for it hasn't come yet.
Well, of course, the thought that these people have in.
Making that explanation is that he was in that spirit of the last things handling the subject of the day of the Lord, when he gave us the prophecy. That is the way they explain it, but.
I think it's, as Brother Brown says, absolutely without any foundation. He was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, the dominical day, and that day is sanctified for us in the Word of God.
Repeatedly.
The Lord arose from the dead on that day, and he appeared among the disciples on that day not only once, but at least.
Twice this is called to our attention.
The Holy Spirit came down to form the church on that day. It was on that day that the disciples came together to break bread. It was on that day that they were to lay aside.
Their money for the special collection. It's it's mentioned repeatedly with a special significance attached to it. Well, if it is the Lord's Day, then we ought to dedicate it to him.
We have to be very careful about expressions that are in these new translations at the present time. Now the end of the last century there was a great deal of research by God fearing men to try to find out what was the exact meaning in the various manuscripts or in existence. The comparative and translation at that time were more of the thought of giving an exact translation.
Well, at the present time the translations are more to conform to present day usage. Now. For instance, one translation that appeared recently, why in Timothy and wherever the word elder is used while they put in pastor.
00:45:02
Make it conform the present usage.
I was talking with a.
So-called pastor just last week.
And we were talking on friendly terms. There was we weren't arguing at all.
And one said to him.
Well brother, there's no such thing in the word of God as the pastor of a church.
There is such a thing in the word of God as a pastor of the church, but no such thing as the pastor of a church.
Well, he said, what about the Angel of the seven churches? The Angel of the church?
Well.
This shows how these thoughts can get so ingrained in people that when they read their Bibles, they think in terms of accepted error.
With while that's moving ahead, Little Brother Brown, while you've touched on it, what is the Angel of the Seven Churches? Well, the the Angel of the Seven Church, it's a representative expression.
Uh, you remember when Peter got out of prison there in the 12Th chapter of Acts and Rhoda told them that Peter was out in front? They said it can't be, it's his Angel.
Then you get expression about the little children in heaven. They're angels to always behold the face of my Father. It's a word that is used in a representative sense.
And I don't think that it can be tied down.
To literality at all, so that in addressing the Angel of the church he would be referring to that.
Element that had responsibility in each particular assembly.
They were. They were put together in this representative word.
Now if someone can word that a little better and more clearly, I'll appreciate it. I believe that is the force of it.
I thought you have expressed is certainly clearly brought out in the Scripture because we never find the elders spoken of in the singular in any given place they chose elders in every city saw that if that referred to pastors, well then there were there were more than one in each place, so it couldn't refer to one person in the in the assembly. If the word elders means pastor, Welland there was more than one.
So it all ties in together that it must be a plural thing. And so it is. There are those who have godly responsibilities in the assemblies, not just one brother. Would that be so Brother Ground? Yes, I think so.
But the expression Angel.
It's it's used in a representative sense.
If someone can say that.
A little more clearly than I put it. I'll be glad to listen. Are they messengers? Is that the thought? Well, they they weren't. Angel is a messenger, but.
It's that that that God looks at, and that expression represents to him the responsibility that there is in that assembly.
They were. They were responsible to shine.
For the angels, it says, are the stars or the stars are the angels. It's reciprocal.
In the Book of Revelation I believe according to Alfred Burtons little booklet on the symbols of the Apocalypse he has their enumerated about 220 different symbols in the Book of Revelation.
And by repetition of some, of course, it runs higher than that. But when you're in this most unusual book that has 220 different symbols, we must be on the alert to understand what the symbol really speaks of. And that's what we're touching on right now on the Angel. And not to tie it down to literality because we'd be in deep trouble if we do.
00:50:18
Well, I thought this thought, there are those in every assembly who are responsible.
And the Angel represents the responsible ones. But who are the responsible ones? Is everyone in the assembly responsible?
They are responsible as an overcomer.
It seems to me it shows a difference in the ministry in the Revelation and for instance, what we get in the ministry. Apostle Paul, for instance, now when he writes to the clippings, he writes to the Saints which are at Philippi with the bishops and deacons.
That it doesn't come down through the bishops and deacons, but the Saints where the bishops and deacons. But when we come to the revelation, why?
Rewrites to those who are responsible and then he goes down to those who are the overcomers.
Those who princely overcomers before the Lord are a mean responsible for the Lord. He addresses immediately their responsible look upon being responsible for the state. But then he gets down to the overcomers, though they're not to go along.
But they wouldn't carry the same responsibility as those of the mentions as the Angel, whatever seemed to me.
In the Spirit on the Lords day he was completely under the control of the Holy Spirit.
Is that the same thing filled with square? I think it's a special thing here.
We we get different cases of where they were all filled with the Spirit.
And we get a man like Barnabas that was full of the Holy Ghost and the faith.
But I believe that here it's a special thing.
Taken over by the Spirit in a special way.
He doesn't say that he was full of the spirit. I was in the spirit, or I became in the spirit.
Control of the Holy Spirit.
For this special purpose.
And being in that barren Isle has been spoken of this morning, while there wouldn't be other things to attract him and and get him occupied with things around.
I suppose it could have a practical application to us, while it ought to be our exercise at all times to see, to walk in the Spirit, we're told in in Galatians, Nevertheless, there is a special energy of the Spirit of God, perhaps on the Lord's Day and when we are free from business and its cares.
We ought to be exercised if it's possible.
Feels the day for the Lord and not just to use it for our own pleasure.
So here was John. He might have said, well, I can't assemble with the Saints of God today because he was banished to this island, but he didn't use the day carelessly. Even although he couldn't get with them, there he was all along. But the Spirit of God was leading him into occupation with praise and into those things that concern the glory of Christ and the interests of Christ here upon earth.
So for us, if we're able, of course, we delight to gather with the Saints and remember the Lord and be at other meetings on that day. But whether it's the time between the meetings or if we should be in a place where it's beyond our control and we can't get to the meeting, we can always be in the spirit on the Lord's Day and always, I believe, bear in mind to our own souls, Provident for the glory of Christ.
That there is something special about that day, not because we're under law like Israel, but because grace teaches us to value that day when the Lord Jesus rose triumphant over all the power of sin and Satan.
00:55:04
Of John's ministry that he encourages the individual.
We have to remember that John wrote about 30 years.
After the apostle Paul wrote, and when Paul wrote the last part of his ministry, he says that all day and age he be turned away from me. The ruin had already set in. So John now writes 30 years or so afterward, and there's much to encourage the individual child of God. That's of course John's ministry where children of God the Father.
God is our Father, We're his children.
And there's an encouragement for each of us as individuals, and we need to be encouraged as individuals. And not forgetting, of course, that we're also members of the body of Christ. But if we go on with the Lord, encouraged by the Lord as individuals, we'll find other individuals to go along with. I'm thinking of our brother Steel at Broad Stairs, England. Not long ago he came back from division.
He's all alone there, broad stairs, but every large day, morning, he spreads the table. The table of the Lord has been set up there, and he spreads the table.
He puts on the loaf and the cup, and he sits there at the table for the hour from 11:00 to 12:00. If there is a brother or sister that comes along to visit, then they can remember the Lord together. If there's not, he is content to sit there by the table for the hour. And at the end of the hour, if no one has come, he just clears the table again.
But he's had a happy time with the Lord, sitting there with the Lord and the Lord being present with him. And the most encouraging verse for suction one or two, as I've had a little experience in this.
Is Nehemiah part of verse 10 which says?
The joy of the Lord.
Is your strings those two that sat there in patience and did it as unto the Lord, knew that the Lord was getting joy out of their fidelity.
Christendom has lost.
Tremendously.
By confusing the Lorde day with the Sabbath. It's been a tremendous loss.
But The thing is gone to such an extent now that.
There's there's no hopes of any recovery on that point.
But in Christianity we do not get a Sabbath down here. There's no Sabbath in Christianity. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. But that's at the end of the journey. It isn't here.
The Lords day is not a rest day, it's a day that belongs to the Lord. We give our lives, our time, our thought to Him on that day.
Is it due to the fact that there's a tendency of going back to Judaism that to make such confusion with the Lord's day in the Sabbath? Certainly. Certainly it is. It's all a part of the Judaizing process and God will go back to the Sabbath when we're in the glory Sabbath will be reinstated again.
New wine must be put into new box.
If we don't do that, the.
The wine burst the bottles and they lose the bottles and the wine both.
But no man, having tasted old wine straightway desires new. For he sat, the old is better.
So Christina Morales is saying that the old is better, the old Judaism.
Judaized Christianity formed ceremonies, days, weeks.
01:00:01
It's it's the accepted pattern I.
I tore the verse off my calendar this morning.
Skip your calendar.
And it's a German calendar.
And on the front of it. And this comes from those that ought to know better.
It says by Nokia says Christmas.
Well.
I.
I went to the trouble to write them some time back. Not not about today's verse of course, but sometime back I wrote them about this same error.
And they said, well, this calendar is used by a lot of church people and they expect to find it there.
Well, is that our standard?
Wasn't that very thing that Paul was combating in Galatians? Yes, Sir, definitely.
Oh, I'm Speaking of the Lord's Day and the Sabbath, with that question ever clarified in the Reformation.
I don't think it ever was, Brother Aaron. Well, I have no recollection that it ever was.
Something being carried over from Romanism.
But I think that in.
In the recovery of the truth 135 years ago, these things were all.
Clarified crystal clear the truth.
Was recovered.
It's the the Philadelphian line of truth.
We we have the seven churches and.
The only two against which there is no criticism whatsoever are Smyrna and and Philadelphia.
Well, the one was the period of persecution when to be a Christian you risked your life. You had to retreat to the catacombs and live under the under the ground like moles and rats.
There is no criticism there because that tended to bring out reality.
Well then, when we come to the other churches.
We get the darkness of Jezebel, the partial recovery, recovery.
Out of that under Sardis.
And then the loss of much that was recovered, recovered in Sardis, then we get a marvelous recovery in Philadelphia, but not of a major proportions. It isn't looked at as some gigantic affair. It's looked at as a very weak affair. But it's complete recovery. And there's no criticism found of the Philadelphian church.
Well, the Lord said that when he was here did not fear not, little clock. And is that not the character of that revival? A little flock? And some of those at that time said when numbers increase, worldliness increases.
And I believe that's very true.
The tongue goes down.
First day of the week, then, is not the Christian Sabbath. The Sabbath is the Sabbath, and it still remains. It was God's pledge of rest on the earth. When I say it still remains, I mean we don't keep it in this present dispensation. But God hasn't forgotten those promises, and He is going to bring in rest upon the earth. But we're connected with a new scene of glory.
The first day of the week links us with heavenly things, and so we belong to that scene above.
And it's it's not a change from one thing to the other, it's an entirely new thing. And as it's been remarked, God will again bring in his people, and the keeping of the Sabbath will be resumed and will be right because rest will be brought to the earth, but not through man keeping the law. But it will be brought through Christ himself, who is the only one who can bring it in.
01:05:05
Play third chapter of Leviticus.
Would settle the difference between the Sabbath and the Lord's Day for anyone who was subject to.
With the 23rd chapter of Leviticus gives 7 feasts of Jehovah.
Beginning with the Sabbath, with the Passover going on to the.
The last piece, the one was the 8th day, the Feast of Tabernacles, but in between there that which characterizes Christianity, was the Feast of the Wave Sheath and the Feast of the Wave Loads. They were offered on the first day of the week, tomorrow after the Sabbath. One was the resurrection of Christ and the other was the formation of Church on the day of Pentecost.
They took place on the Morrow after the Sabbath.
That characterizes his whole dispensation from the resurrection of Christ on through until Christianity is no more. The Church has taken home.
Marks that day out, and the day of Pentecost was fully come the first day of the week.
Oh wow, what an inconsistent thing it would be for the church to take.
As their day.
One in which the Lord was under the power of death in the grave, enemy soldiers watching to see that he didn't get out.
What? What inconsistency? What mockery? To take that as the day that should characterize us as Christians.
No, we we, we don't have a dead Christ. We have a living, risen Christ that came forth victorious. I have power to lay down my life, and I have power to take it again.
And it came out and they didn't roll away the stone in order for him to get out either.
He came out of his own will and his own authority, a victor the first day of the week. Well, thank God that's our day.
Listen to the ironic that.
We might say most of Christendom follow the Lord to the cross, to his death, but say very little if anything about his resurrection.
I got an expression.
Years ago, I think it was from Mr. Blount, is in connection with the 1St chapter of Acts. We read the verses this morning or sometime today.
About him being taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight.
And the remark that was made was this Christianity begins the other side of the cloud. Now, if we remember that simple statement, it's a big help. Christianity begins the other side of the cloud. Not Christ down here on the earth, but Christ risen and glorified. Now we're ready for Christianity. So the as the Lord has gone back to glory.
He receives the Spirit again and sends it down and forms the church.
But that didn't begin immediately after the disciples went away, when they'd seen the Lord in his ascension. It was the day of Pentecost when that began.
I say that because I've heard some say that's the, that's the hinge point. But really it's the, the Pentecost. But the cloud had to come in between and that was about 50 days after 10 days or 10 days, I should say 10 days, and the Holy Ghost sent down.
And the Holy Ghost was sent down on the day of Pentecost.
With that the we want to be literal.
Would that be the beginning referred to in the first verse of the Epistle of John, that which we had from the beginning?
That be associated with the Lord's presence here, or the Day of Pentecost, the Lord's presence here. That's incarnation. You're referring to the epistle.
01:10:07
That's incarnation there.
Both referring there to anyway to his ministry.
Had seen and heard, and that with all that has been before the Affenti Cup.
You're quite correct, Brother Harrison, if I thought I wouldn't have asked that question because it's what they heard, saw and witnessed in him. One, yes.
Well, the Sabbath is always connected with rested on the earth and I believe if we see that, why it's very simple for us to see. It could not be the day that we keep when we are not looking for our rest down here at all. Our rest is up there with Christ in glory. God rested when the creation had been made a suitable dwelling place for man.
There was a rest in the connection with the giving of manna.
Figured Christ, the only one who could bring rest to man upon the earth. Then it was made.
A Shall I say, when man was put under probation, that was made conditional on his obedience. And that's why the Lord healed and blessed on the Sabbath, to show them that He hadn't obtained that rest, even though He had been placed under law, which made it conditional if He could. So that when it's kept again, it will be because Christ will bring in that rest upon the earth and those who go back to the Sabbath.
Will always find that there are people who do not see the heavenly blessing of the Church at all.
And are connecting the blessing of the church with blessing upon earth. And once we see that plaque that we are a heavenly people, the hope is laid up for us in heaven. Why, we can simply see that the Sabbath would have no place whatever in connection with the people that don't look for rest upon the earth.
It's it's what, the Sabbath?
Typify that's referred to, isn't it in the fourth of Hebrews?
For we have believed, for we were to believe. Do enter into rest, as he said, as I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest. Although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
Then going on down in the chapter 8 verse, if Joshua had given them rest then would he not have backwards have spoken of another day?
There remaineth therefore arrest to the people of God, for he that has entered into his rest, he hath also ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labor, therefore, to enter into that rest, lest any man should fall after the same example of unbelief.
Well, we, which I believe do enter into rest. That's at the end of the journey, isn't it? We enter into rest up there.
No.
Yes.
Well, doesn't this rest in the fourth of Hebrews? It goes off to the eternal state. Yes, I think so. Yes. That is, God does not cease from His works until that time.
On the Lord's Day.
It is not exactly.
In that sense, like the Sabbath, a day of rest, because very often we find ourselves very much occupied.
And I'm sure that it means that since it is the Lord's day, we should be occupied with the Lord and His things.
And there's nothing in common between the Sabbath and the Lord's Day. There's nothing in common with them.
We see #39.
Come back to the same.
Rise.
From the glory.
From.
God.
And squirt wrong legs.
My love for all the frost to the end of the world.
So.
We.
Move forward.
Revelation 1:7-20
Reading
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General Meetings, Burbank, December 1964 reading meeting Friday AM.
Speaking for this morning, the 1St chapter of Revelation.
Revelation chapter one.
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass.
And he sent and signified it by his Angel unto his servant John, who bear record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein, for the time is at hand.
John to the seven churches which are in Asia. Grace.
Be unto you, and peace from him which is, and which was, and which is to come.
And from the seven spirits which are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth.
Unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood.
And that made us kings and priests unto God and his Father. To Him be glory and dominion, forever and ever. Amen.
Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him.
And all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him even saw. Amen. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
I, John, who also am your brother and companion in tribulation and in the Kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ.
Was in the aisle that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet, saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the 1St and the last. And what thou seest, write in the book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia, unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
And I turned to see the voice that spake with me, and being turned, I saw 7 golden candlesticks. And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps where the golden girdle his head. And his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were as a flame of fire, and his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in the furnace.
And his voice as the sound of many waters, And he had in his right hand seven stars, and out of his mouth went a sharp 2 edged sword. And his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead, and he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me.
Fear not, I am the 1St and the last, I am he that liveth and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen.
00:05:01
And have the keys of Helen of Death write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter, the mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks.
The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.
Say Brother Wilson about the.
Title of this book is it as we have it in the King James Version.
First words of the that are written in the book of the title correctly, do they not?
The revelation of Jesus Christ.
It's not the revelation of Saint John the Divine, is it?
This is something that came from the Lord Himself.
And if it came from the Lord himself, it has.
A special claim upon us to read it.
To meditate upon it.
Seek to prophet, but.
Did this have any relation, do you think, to what we get in the end of John's Gospel here?
21St of John's Gospel.
And the 22nd verse. And Jesus said unto him.
That's unto Peter.
If I will let he tarry that he is John.
Till I come, What is that to thee? Follow thou me.
Then went this, saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die yet.
Jesus said not unto them He shall not die, but if I will that he tarry till I come, What is that to thee? Do you think there's some connection there with were you thinking that John's ministry goes on to the Lords coming?
That is certainly true, isn't it?
And John's ministry takes his right on down to the eternal state, really, in this book.
It goes on down until time is no more.
About verse 24, because it says this is the disciple which testifieth of these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true. Well, the matter of his writing comes in here too, although I suppose that's referring to the Gospel of John, yet the very fact that John's writings are brought in here would also indicate that.
It refers to the Epistles and the Book of Revelation.
John outlived all the other apostles.
The nearest we can come to ascertaining, it would seem that this book was written about the year 96.
Tradition has it that John lived to be 100 years old.
Remind notice.
That the source.
Of the book.
Is from God in our verse one.
Also that this book is a gift.
From God to his Son, the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Which God gave unto him.
There are several steps here, aren't there, in this revelation.
God gave this.
To Jesus Christ.
And he gave it to his servants.
And.
00:10:01
They pass it on to us, so it it came down in that way.
John in the Book of Revelation is not leaning on the Lord's breast.
He's not in that position at all.
So that we see further down.
In the chapter just to anticipate a moment 17th verse when I saw him, I fell at his feet is dead.
Well, that's certainly, morally speaking, not the John that you have with his head on the Lord's breast at the at the supper.
You stand in verse 13.
Has a bearing on that thought.
That he was girt about the Perhaps he was girt about the breast with a golden girdle.
Gold, as far as Speaking of God's righteousness.
But the affections were.
Restrained. They were there. They were there, but they were restrained under this particular character as his being a judge.
Would you say that he was seen in three characters in the Book of Revelation? This the 1St, then in the midst of the throne, and then coming out riding on a White Horse?
Connection with this expression the revelation of Jesus Christ could we connect it with the 19th chapter and the I think it's the 10th verse where it says the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. For it's very important when we consider prophecy to remember that God is not simply occupying us with intellectual facts which we might like to know because.
There's a a desire in every man to know the future.
But God is occupying us with the glory of His beloved Son and the place that He is going to occupy as the center of this whole scene that is to be brought in. So how lovely it is doesn't say the revelation of future events. It doesn't say the revelation of the Church's history is a Candlestick in the earth, but the revelation of Jesus Christ, because God occupies us with that blessed one.
Who is now the faithful and true witness, and in a future day will be the bridegroom, the bride associated with him as the center of the whole scene that is to be brought in. Well, it seems to me it gives a beautiful character to the book, even although it's a book of judgment, that the Spirit of God points us to the person who is going to carry it all out and who is going to bring in something beyond the judgment that fills our hearts with praise.
I suppose that the expression, the revelation in verse one would embrace the entire book with all it contains, and that would include all you've said.
Yes, the title.
Has to do with all that he's written.
It's God.
Giving it to him.
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him.
It's his revelation, but God gave it to him.
And it's in the singular, is it not? It's not the plural.
Convention that John here is not in the leaning over in the bosom of the Lord, where you can whisper and say who is it or he couldn't say what is it, but there's angelic ministry in between. It was.
Sent and signified it by his Angel under his servant John. There is a distance in between because of his judgment.
Now it says in Hebrew it doesn't in the 10th chapter Set thou on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. And so when we think of the Lords place of preeminence, why think of the little hymn that says God's just and righteous answer to grace that came to die. And so this is God's just and righteous answer.
00:15:10
There is going to be such blessing brought in, but he is going to also execute judgment.
Solemn judgment upon all those who refuse, and will yet refuse, that wondrous grace that alone can bring salvation.
In this second verse, who bear record of the word of God and of the testimony of Jesus Christ. Now further down in the chapter, the ninth verse I John, who also am your brother and companion in tribulation and in the Kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ was in the aisle that is called Patmos for the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus. I believe that Christ is omitted in the better reading.
For the testimony of Jesus. And then our brother Hal has called our attention to the 19th chapter.
And the tenth verse.
Felony speak to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou doest not.
I am thy fellow servant and of thy brethren, and have the testimony of Jesus.
Worship God for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
If we keep that before us, but the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy, we get profit from it. Otherwise it becomes a dry intellectual affair and we can get so taken up with the details of prophecy that we can wither in our souls.
There's a grave danger of just getting a crowd together to hear what's going to happen.
Well, that isn't the reason the Book of Revelation was given to us.
We are taken into the secrets.
Of the future in this wonderful book.
And it's all connected with the person of our Lord Jesus Christ from start to finish.
We get him in connection with the seven churches.
In the first three chapters here and then later on we.
Having and we have him in various aspects of judgment until everything is subdued under him.
It's it's Christ, it's his person that's before us. And that was what put John in prison in that ninth verse that's anticipating a little.
I was thinking of this expression too, in connection with signifying it by his Angel. When Paul received the truth in connection with the church, he received it from Christ in glory. But here, when it's in connection with the judgment, my it speaks about signifying it by his Angel. And even in the addresses to the churches, why it's the Lord himself that addresses them and in the end of the book.
We have about the Lord's coming. It's behold, I come quickly. But when it's speaking about judgment, why then it mentions the the Angel making these things known. Isn't it lovely, the intimacy with which the Lord delights to make himself known to his people? But when it's judgment, there isn't there? There's the sort of distance in the thought of the Angel. Well, the Lord would have us to enjoy this.
Precious intimacy when he makes himself known when he wanted to.
Tell us the truth of the church. He he caught his servant up. He didn't tell that through an Angel.
And made it known to him personally. And I say again, I believe he speaks to the churches here in person.
Well, he would have us to enjoy this precious intimate. They wouldn't be.
We would never know what the church really is if we didn't have Paul's ministry.
So you say, brother, hey all, he was. Paul was the one that was chosen of God as the depository of that marvelous truth.
And in connection with it, we were reading I think Tuesday night in Colossians.
An expression there that is very significant.
00:20:03
We want to get too far off our subject, but.
This comes before one in the first chapter of Colossians.
The end of verse 23 whereof I Paul and made a minister.
Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions or sufferings of Christ in my flesh, for his body's sake, which is the Church whereof?
I am made a minister according to the dispensation of God, which is given to me for you to fulfill or better complete, complete the word of God. Now that doesn't mean that Paul was going to write the last epistle or the last word in the Bible. That's that's not the bearing of it, but his ministry was to fill out the whole scope.
Of revealed truth.
To complete the Word of God, even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest.
To his Saints, to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory.
Of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Well, that's that's where we get the truth of the church. We never find out what the church is. We just had John.
How about Ephesians chapter one and especially verse 10? Maybe 9-10 and part of 11?
Ephesians 1.
Verse 9.
Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of times.
He might gather together in one.
All things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in Him.
In whom also we have obtained an inheritance.
There we have the.
Object that God has.
In leading up to this particular dispensation.
The dispensation of the fullness of times, which will be the last, and the Kingdom.
Period.
When you head up, all things are those that are in heaven and those that are on earth. And in verse 11.
Also, we have obtained an inheritance. I take it that this is the culmination of God's ways.
In time. Notice that it's a culmination of God's ways in time.
In Genesis we see the beginnings of God's ways in time, but in Revelation we see the culmination of it.
And is that the 10th verse, Brother Brown? The church is not in that tenth verse, is it? No, that is the the whole scene. And then the church is brought in the in the 11Th verse, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance.
Well, we get something similar, do we not, in the 15th of First Corinthians where it speaks about when.
The the sun also shall be subject unto him, that God may be All in all. That takes us down at the very end too, but He doesn't give us the details that we get in Revelation.
Rather, Aaron man, since you quoted that, would you give us a word on?
On that the Son himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be All in all. Would you give us a word on that?
00:25:03
Well, I have thought there that God may be All in all. It is, so to speak, the Trinity, God the Father and God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. The God may be All in all. It doesn't mean that the sun is not included there, but he is included. I would take it. Is that your thought? Yes, that's that's the point that one would make clear that it isn't as though the sun.
Has resigned his place in the Godhead or that he's taking an inferior position? It's not that at all, it's just that he has.
When all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son also be subject unto Him. That is, as the Son of Man in Glory's. He takes that subject place, but not for a moment does He vacate His place in the Trinity, or any of the dignity that belonged to Him. There's no priority of the Father over the Son or over the Spirit.
There's not that thought. We speak of the first, second and third persons of the Godhead.
Not that we're arranging them in order of priority or superiority or inferiority, but just a convenient way to distinguish them. Is that right, brother Airsman? Yes, that's the way I would take it.
If they give up all rule as man in order that God might bring.
As many.
He forever.
Identifies Himself in that verse with those that have been the subject of His, of His mighty work.
He identifies and with himself, and now he in that position takes his place as subject.
Himself be subject unto him that put all things on him.
In that position, a Son of Man associated with his, redeemed in the glory.
He submits himself.
To the one that put all things under him, that is God. But on the other hand, he didn't vacate his position in the deity or in the Godhead.
Can we say that actually in the eternal state there is nothing to be reigned over, so that when the Lord Jesus delivers up the Kingdom, why it isn't that another Kingdom follows there? There is no other Kingdom. Everything is now suited to the mind and character of God. But the Lord Jesus remains a man forever in this way, associating himself with his bride and with his redeemed people.
Isn't that all the thought in connection with his being subject? That is, he remains a man forever.
But he, as our brother, has remarked, and is surely most important. Like he, He still that same blessed, eternal person in the Godhead who always was and always will be.
That word.
Got.
That word God had, The real word for God had is only used once.
I believe, correct me if I'm wrong, in the Scripture and there it's applied to Christ and there it's especially emphatic that it's in connection with Christ in, in humanity, in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead. I believe that's the only time that that word is used in him. That's in Christ. Well, all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
That is in his Incarnate state.
That's Colossians 29 referring to, isn't it?
Blessed is he that readeth.
Remember that.
You couldn't find a scene like this in Bible days.
You never saw Saints of God sitting around their Bible in their laps.
They didn't have them. It would be fortunate if they had a role of Isaiah or.
Perhaps a copy of the Pentateuch?
00:30:01
So they were dependent on public readers. That's what's meant when Paul says to Timothy, give attention to reading the public reading of the Scriptures.
So blessed is he that readeth.
Now somebody's listening while he reads. Blessed are those that hear the words of this prophecy.
In Timothy there is a verse that I would like to explain to some of the help in the last chapter of the first sympathy and passing, keeping the.
Revelation.
14 First Timothy, last chapter.
I'll keep this commandment thus far. I'm going to give them until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which in His eyes shall show who is the blessed and only Potentate, King of Kings.
Lord of Lords, who only have a mortality, dwelling in the life, and snowman can approach us, and no man has seen, nor can see to whom the honor of the power of everlasting Amen. Now in the last, the 19th of Revelation, I believe this is described to the Lord Jesus, as if we are the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Well, do we not find many times, Brother London?
Where there is such a news, Mr. Kelly's word, such a mixing of the persons of the Godhead that is difficult to distinguish them, Mr. Kelly uses that expression.
Now, as you've read the verses.
Which in his times he will show.
Who is the blessed and only potentate that God is God. In the 15th verse, it's God. In the 16th verse, right down to the end, it's it's not Christ, but it's what God is showing. That's right, isn't it?
Now if we turn to the last chapter of First John.
And almost the last verse, 20th verse.
We know the Son of God has come.
And has given us an understanding that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
And the last chapter of John first John 20 and 20th verse.
Well, no, it's practically impossible.
To distinguish, is it not in that verse the persons?
This is the true God in the eternal life of who is. Who is the true God in eternal life?
Well.
You can. One says it reverently, I trust. Take your choice. It's stated in such a way that it applies either to God the Father or God the Son.
Yes, yes it is. And in the 17th of the chapter of the Book of Revelation, verse 14, we see where it is, specifically the land, which is a price.
714.
Shall make war with the land, and the land shall overcome them. For he is Lord of Lords that universe, and King of kings.
Well, that ought to trouble us too much when we know the glory of his purses.
Well, we have those.
Reading and those hearing the words of the prophecy and now.
Now we have something very practical.
What shall we say about this and those that keep those things that are written therein?
How do we keep the things that are written therein?
And when Mary heard, when Mary heard things spoken of her, of Christ, she kept all those things and honored them in her heart.
00:35:09
When we think of this book as setting forth, to a great extent, judgment.
Judgments coming on this world.
Well, I suppose one way to keep the sayings of the book is to remember that this whole scene is going to be judged. And to keep those things would be to hold to these things lightly, not to make them the God of our lives, not to abuse the use of these things.
About having food and raiment therewith to be content.
And keeping the Lord himself before us, the one who is set forth in this book, remembering that Christ will remain, heaven and earth shall pass away, but he says, my word shall not pass away. And we know the blessed Lord himself as the Word is the eternal One. And to keep the words of this book is to keep our eye fixed on him and hold lightly, loosely to these things down here.
I was thinking too that even though John is not seen in that position.
As the affections flowing out, doing here more as a service still, one who wants to take up the subject of revelation with all the awful judgments, must have a sense in their soul what it is to be leaning on his breath. So John was one who did lean on his breath, and he was given these revelations. Think of the awful judgment of the fall by the President.
John now, but have the Lord sake of him, fear not.
The Lord wouldn't say that to those who run with the judgment, but they wouldn't the job.
This makes me think of a little instant, Mr. Heaney told me. I know some of you have heard me rehearse this before, but I always enjoyed it. Someone was taking a brother around to show him.
The sites in the city.
And he?
Did a good third job of it.
And when they got through their trip?
He turned and he said to this brother, well, what do you think of it?
Well, he said. Brother, I, I think, I think it was wonderful if it were not for one thing that I saw written across everything you showed me.
Why you said I didn't say anything? What did you see? He said. Everything has showed me, had written across it, reserved under judgment and he said I I couldn't get very enthusiastic.
Well, brethren, isn't that true? As we pass through this world, all that man is boasting in all his marvelous achievements, his wonderful monuments, all is reserved unto judgment. Is that right, brethren?
But the flesh doesn't like that.
The the term revelation means.
To uncover.
And this book.
Exposes Christendom like nothing else, and intentionally so for your mind and mind to enter into God's thoughts as to what Christendom is worth.
Is there another aspect to keeping?
These truths, these things that are written.
I suppose no book in the God's Word has been more the subject of misuse.
By so-called.
Of prophetic teachers.
And it's important for the believer to have this admonition here. It's very specific. Keep those things which are written therein.
Fancy and the imagination of man when he explores this book seems to have no.
Bound.
And the believer is apartment to be caught up in some of this if he exposes himself to it.
00:40:02
We have seen this sometimes even among our own number, and then the seeking to transmit what they have garnered outside to the Saints in general. We recognize it's a difficult book. Who of us can grasp all of it? But if we stay on the principle that this verse gives us.
That which is written therein, not that which is written by Doctor so and so, but what is written here and the Spirit of God ministering it to us. I merely inject that as a word of warning because every one of us is exposed to some degree to the false teachings of prophecy and the overemphasizing of prophecy where it's actually the soul's need that should be put out. Awful.
There are other thought here also, that the Saints are encouraged to give attention to this particular book. Now verse three says, Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written.
Therein for the time is at hand now in the last chapter, chapter 22, verse 6.
Revelation 22/6.
These sayings or words.
Are faithful and true.
And the end of the verse.
Under the servants the things which must shortly.
Come to pass, it should read in verse 7.
Behold, I come quickly, bless. It is he that keepeth the read it words of the prophecy of this book. And in verse eight, it's these things at the beginning of the verse and the end of the verse and at the end of verse 9.
To keep the words of this book and in verse 10 to seal.
Not the words of the prophecy of this book. Now in verse 16 to testify unto you these things, it is to the churches twice in chapter one, verse four, and I think verse 11, it is to the churches that includes you and me.
Then in verse 18, the middle of verse.
The words of the prophecy of this book, and then at the end of the verse written in this book, and in verse 19, the words of the book of this prophecy and the end of verse 19, the things which are written in this book. Now I read these things in order to bring out.
The particular emphasis that the Holy Spirit is made on the importance of giving attention to this book. I certainly approve that everything has been said about the danger of going at it head first and.
With man's reckless mind that is to be abhorred, but we need our hearts.
Attracted.
To take heed to what the word of God says here.
Our tendency is to neglect it.
I heard of a man in one of the systems that said that the Book of Revelation was not to be the subject of a Bible study because it couldn't be understood.
Well, there might be many reasons behind a thing like that, a statement like that.
But I believe Satan does not want us to read this book.
He doesn't want the words of this book to be heard, and he doesn't want the words of this book to be kept.
00:45:01
Well, in this book we find a three fold doom of Satan himself. Perhaps that's one reason he doesn't want us to read it. And of course we find the Lord Jesus Christ several times put on the throne. There's another reason that he wouldn't want it to be read and to be meditated upon. Well, in the 12Th chapter of this book, there's Satan cast out of heaven. On the 20th chapter we have him bound in the boundless pit.
And then later on cast into the lake of fire. Well, Satan doesn't want us to learn about these things have this before us, but he is a very real enemy and that's why we need to have the Lord Jesus Christ before us and as our brother was spring before us that the word revelation really means uncovering or unveiling.
It seems to me that we have, especially here, unveiled the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and what a precious thing it is to have Him brought before us.
Remember one time in a meeting something like this, it was mentioned that a certain prominent teacher in Christendom said, well, he could never get anything out of the Book of Revelation and was remarked, I think was by our brother Heaney, that.
He had never been in the position that John was in, in that night, first in the Isle of Patmos for the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus. Well, we have to know something of that rejection that the apostle John experienced there, that the Word of God in the testimony of Jesus placed him into that position. We have to know something of that or we won't get anything out of it. Well then in connection with that third verse and the blessings.
To he that readeth nay that.
Hear the words of this process and they keep it.
It reminds one of what the Lord said in the about the coming of the Holy Spirit in the 14th of John. He says, He shall bring all things under your remembrance, which I've said unto you. Well, we know the disciples never seem to enter into what the Lord was teaching.
They just didn't seem to grasp it at all. But the Spirit of God was coming and He was going to bring those things into their remembrance. Well, the Spirit of God is here and how little we take in, in meetings less kind, where there is the ministry of the Word. But the Spirit of God, if there's a reverence for him and His Word, why He can bring those things to our remembrance. Well then in the 16th of John where he speaks about.
Again, of the Spirit of God coming, why? He will show you the things to come. So we have that office of the Spirit of God to enable us to hear these things and to keep them. Is that the significance of Revelation 310?
Is it referring particularly to this particular book Because thou has kept the word of my patience? I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation.
Well, I would think perhaps it took in more than this Book of Revelation.
Leaving the word of his patience, his patience and waiting all these years.
Lord, direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.
Let's turn to that verse. Brother Wilson is quoted Thessalonians.
2nd Testimony 3/5.
Saint Thessalonians, 3/5.
And you notice that he.
Made a little change in the translation here.
The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.
Would you repeat, Brother Wilson, what you said? Well, the Lord is patiently waiting. He was told to sit at my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool. And so Christ is now sitting at God's right hand. And as he sits there, He sits there. He's waiting in patience for the day when all will be his. And now we're not to be impatient. We're to share in that patience while he waits.
00:50:12
He waits there, we wait here. We're not to be impatient about the Lord. Direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ. Which you say that was it? Yes, I believe that's it. And what a sweet and precious thought it is.
It's a.
Is it like what we get? Behold, the camels are coming.
I don't suppose we realized to any great extent what it will mean for the Lord himself to have the place that was denied him when he came the first time. He's going to have his rightful place in this scene where he was rejected.
And certainly his patience takes in that, as well as his patience in waiting to have us.
With himself, I suppose very often we forget that sight, his sight of faith. We're thinking about our side. Even in the matter of thinking about being with himself, we are more or less selfish. Perhaps it's good for us to exercise ourselves in the matter of thinking on his side of things. And I believe as we're thinking about his side of things, it will make us more and more happy.
The thought of it's often remarked that we have the book divided into three parts. 1St, the Lord presented in the character of the judge, then the history of the church is a Candlestick in the earth, and then the judgment of the world saw it all would be brought into order under Christ. Well, isn't that what is important too about keeping.
Because.
First of all, we need to see the Lord Jesus before us. God bless a person, the one who laid his right hand upon John and said fear not, I am the 1St and the last. Then we need to have an intelligent understanding of what is taking place in this church. Period. It's not understanding this has led to so much confusion in Christendom. But if we understand those letters to the churches.
We can see the time in which our lot is cast and can act intelligently instead of being carried away with all the great movements to build a better world or bring in a new social order. We see that we're in the very end, and the important thing is keeping His word and not denying His name. And as far as the world and all its progress and all the great religious system that seems to be advancing so much.
That is about us has to do why we see that God's judgment is going to fall. And so keeping the word of his patience is that we can look out intelligently as thought of God upon all this, and not get mixed up in the great movements to try and check the course of evil or to try and bring in something better, but rather to see that it's all doomed. The Lord is waiting patiently, brethren.
As it's been remarked for that time when he'll have his church with himself and we're to wait patiently. And this is what really gives peace in the soul. We know how many dear Christians who don't have this intelligent outlook, Their minds are all confused and upset, telling us what the church is supposed to be doing and what it's not doing and so on. But how thankful we should be that we have been brought to see this and.
Not only to read it, but to embrace, seek to keep His word and not deny His name. This is our portion now, and this is what is going to keep us through this confused state of things that we see in the Church of God and in the world as a whole.
If a ship was sinking at sea.
We wouldn't be.
Occupied with painting the ship as it was going down.
I think that what you brought before us, brother. Hey ho.
Is practically the same line of things that Brother Harrison was Speaking of about that ninth verse.
00:55:04
This book gives us the proper attitude.
John was in a special, peculiar position when he got this revelation.
He said I'm your brother and companion and tribulation.
He wasn't your brother and companion in the pompous ecumenical movement. Something is going to.
It seems a whole religious world.
He was an outcast, your brother and companion in Tribulation.
And in the Kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, as you have just been emphasizing.
Well, he was in that island of Patmos, a poor, rocky, wretched.
Deserted, desolate place. You couldn't find a more lonely place than that old rocky island of Patmos. What put him there? Two things. The word of God.
And the testimony of Jesus.
Well, in a certain sense, if the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus is dear to our hearts, it's going to give us a taste of patents.
It's been a week or two.
The awful judgments that were.
Overtake this world, there's only one deliver and the whole thing that was Jesus Christ.
So it should impart some measure of peace to our own souls when we think of the patience of Christ, seeing this world going on as it is and keeping up wickedness.
And he waits, one writer said. And while he sits God's right hand, we have a rebel. We have a told us what he's thinking about from henceforth, expecting till his enemies be made his footsteps.
That's what he's waiting in the book of Esther. Why everyone thought that the king was asleep. The city of Shushan was all in the darkness of night, but the king was not asleep, was he? The king was looking in the book of the records of the Chronicles and thinking of the one who was despised and who was soon to be exalted. So it seems to us sometimes as we see things.
Getting worse in the progress of evil, as though God were asleep. But brethren, he's not asleep. He is. He is thinking of the honor and glory of His beloved Son. And if you and I are in harmony with the thoughts of God, that's what we'll be thinking about. Not the exaltation of Haman, which is who is an Amalekite. A picture of Satan's power upon the flesh and how the flash likes to be advanced.
But he was occupied with another person altogether, one who was cast out and despised. Well, how blessed it is for us that we don't need to be upset and worried by all the advancement of man that seems to be going on. But we can face it all peacefully. God is thinking of the glory of His Son. Brethren, if you and I are in harmony with His thoughts, we'll be occupied with Him too.
Don't you think that that Book of remembrance, it's spoken of in Malachi 316, that the Book of Remembrance is written?
That that work is still carried on to this day. Count of things up there being kept of those that fear his name and think upon him. There was no book of remembrance written in the days of Solomon.
When things went on outwardly well.
Wasn't written there, but in the last days, in the days of ruin.
The days of weakness.
A few left that thought upon his name.
All that God saw them and he listened.
He listened to their conversation and he kept the record of it.
And so God is today.
May we turn to that verse that our brother calls our attention to.
Malachi 316.
01:00:00
Then they that feared the Lord now notice it does not say. Then they that love the Lord.
It's there that feared the Lord.
It wasn't.
A mere matter of affection.
But they felt that they should walk before him in obedience, they that feared the Lord.
Speak often, one to another. Now. This was a terrible day, this day of Malachi.
And Jehovah harkened and herded in a book of remembrances written before him for them that feared the Lord.
And thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, says Jehovah of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels. And I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.
One reads that 18th verse with this in mind, brethren.
That if you and I are going to have discernment and divine things, not be carried away by the confusion around us, if we're going to be possessed of the discernment, we must be in the good of that 16th and 17th verse. They that feared the Lord, they were occupied with Him, with His person, with His interests, and it gave them.
Discernment.
I believe that's an important principle.
Brother Wilson, not too disparage comments, but how would we look at the eighth verse of Psalms 56?
Now tell us my wanderings. Put thou my tears into thy bottle. Are they not in my book?
Is that a different thought than Malachi?
Well, of course, strictly speaking, you get the persecuted Jewish remnants in these psalms and they suffer much and they're not forgotten. And God will remember all their sufferings too. He made a record of, well, it's another, it's another class of people suffering for another purpose, but God will always be interested in his people who suffer for Him.
And do not go with the current that traveling in the world.
I think you're worse, brother. Psalms 56, eight.
Yes, now I have a little note here. May I read it?
This Psalm is the lament of the godly.
While driven out of Jerusalem during Antichrist.
So.
It pinpoints itself to a certain situation in the history of the Jewish remnant.
Well, then it really looks forward. Yes, yes.
There is a comfort for every day for the members now in the Book of Revelation in the third chapter.
In the Smyrna, the Tree of Life is set before them, but later on.
At the end we have Laodicea, simply the throne. We don't have the Tree of life, we don't have the the White stone. You don't have other things prevented before.
There is a reward may not be the same as the other, there might be a lower state, but there is a special blessing for the overcomer. But in the sense I believe it less and so we have just the patrol problems from the air.
Well, the only reason I raised the question was that we are assured the brother Wilson has reminded us that God has ever been mindful of the tears of His people and their faithfulness from the days of Abel on has been. And these things will have their declaration in the coming day. Well, that's not Revelation 19.
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Where we have the bride brought before us and speaks of her being arrayed in fine linen and says fine linen is the righteousnesses of the Saints. That shows that there's been a record kept up there of all the churches passed through in our history here in this world.
Yes, with the Book of Remembrance.
The things that she was given grace to do.
Are there as the righteousnesses of the Saints?
She couldn't have done them without done them without his putting it into her art and giving her the grace to do it.
But then she gets she will get a reward.
They haven't said anything, have we on the?
The intervening verses here we've been talking about.
Verse 9 but.
What about versus?
4-5 and six.
Isn't it remarkable in that fifth verse?
Jesus Christ, the faithful witness.
That when he's brought forward.
There's a song race.
You can't be, you can't be occupied with him without some Thanksgiving.
The thought changed.
Unto him that loves.
I believe it should read loves I shouldn't.
Isn't that he once did.
He did and he does, and he always will.
If you thought of that, you thought of His faithfulness as connected with our unfaithfulness, why, we would never think of what we have here, would we? We think of how sadly the Church has failed, but how beautiful it is when it brings forth His faithfulness. And then we find what follows. The Church is an unfaithful Candlestick in the earth. It's blessed to see these thoughts introduced, isn't it?
Unto Him that loves us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, in spite of all the churches failure and our failure as individuals, nothing has changed His love toward His own, and nothing has made him, shall I say, regret the tremendous cost by which we have been redeemed, nor has it made Him withdraw the purposes that we shall be brought into such a place of nearness.
Priests, kings, priests and kings already, but in a future day to be associated with Him, the place of nearness and reigning with Him, that is not going to be changed in spite of all the churches unfaithfulness. Well, this is grace brethren, that surely stirs our hearts and it comes in, as we always find, in God's ways before the introduction of human failure.
Just as we have in the Old Testament, so often God's purposes in grace set before us and then the failure, whether it be of the priesthood or whatever we may take. In the Old Testament we see God's faithfulness and his grace first set before us, then the failure coming in afterwards. That doesn't alter those purposes that will be carried out. So to me it's touching here to see this brought in before anything of the church's failure is mentioned.
Because God do it all beforehand, and that love is unchanged in spite of it, although he may be grieved.
He shall see of the travel of his soul and be satisfied.
Unto him that that loves us and washed us from our sins in His own blood. Brethren, I do not believe we can overemphasize the importance of the blood.
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We are living in days when there is a tendency to discount that phase of our redemption, the blood of Christ. We cannot overemphasize it. We'll be singing about it for all eternity.
This expression, the first begotten from the dead to, is connected with the thought of a harvest also being brought in, isn't it? The sheaf of first roots was waved before the Lord in the 23rd of Leviticus.
And then the whole harvest could be gathered in. And so how lovely it is to think that the the Lord Jesus, the first begotten from the dead, the first fruits, is already there. And because of that we can be sure that all the fruit of His work will also be gathered in. Nothing will hinder the gathering in of all that God is purposed, because He is already there. Whether the Forerunner is for us entered even Jesus.
Made in High Priest forever after the Order of Melchizedek.
What characterizes his resurrection is it was an out from among the dead resurrection. And that's what characterizes our resurrection too. When we're raised, we'll be raised out from among the dead. There'll be thousands, millions of dead left in their graves. When we're raised and caught up to meet the Lord in the air, oh, that should rejoice our hearts.
To know that our resurrection partakes of the same character as his.
If we turn to the third of Philippians.
We see the expression there that our brother is using.
Philippians 3.
And in order to get the connection, we'll read the 10th verse.
That I may know him and the power of his resurrection.
The fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death.
If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection, that out from among the dead now.
If, if the verse stands just as we have it here in the King James Version, it might be said, well, what is there about that? If by any means I might attain under the resurrection of the dead, everybody's going to be raised from the dead.
There would really be no point to the verse.
But the meaning of the verse is, if by any means I might attain unto that special resurrection.
That out, resurrection, that from among the dead, that's what Paul wanted, and he's going to have it, too.
And have made us kings and priests. Are is the other version the Kingdom of priests? Is that it?
That heart reads.
Made us a Kingdom of priests unto God and his Father.
So every believer.
Is a priest.
He has a right to go directly into the presence of God.
To him who loves us and is washed as from our sins and his blood, and made us a Kingdom priests to his God and Father.
We can't go to someone and say now you have an access to God that I don't have, so will you pray for me?
There's no such thing as that.
It's all right to ask prayer one of another, but as far as any privilege is concerned, there's no one of us more privileged than another to go right into the presence of God.
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Father himself loveth you.
It doesn't have to be produced as no.
Would you say in connection with me nuts Kingdom and priests unto God and his father, that we have the title of kings now, but we haven't yet entered into the.
Possession, so to speak. It might be. Could it be said, something like the president-elect? He hasn't yet taken that authority in power.
Abraham comes back from the slaughter of the kings, that Melchizedek comes forth with the bread and wine of the So we have the picture back from Genesis.
With Melchizedek.
And that day when the battle of silver he will come for, but it will be with the bread and the wine, the rain, but there'll be as a priest on the throne of God.
5th verse called the first of the king from Europe, that doesn't mean that he called principal here everything.
I believe it's a contrast that is the the world is trying to bring about peace itself by its own efforts.
Well, there's one who is the Prince of the kings of the earth, the one who we've been Speaking of, who is yet going to be manifested as King of kings and Lord of Lords. And when he takes that place, his blood bought, people will be associated with him, not only reigning with him, but also priests to enjoy a nearness to him, an approach into his very presence, so we find in the Corinthians.
I have to say to them, He have reigned as kings without us. They were trying to take their place as kings before the time came. But the time is coming when the Lord will have His place. Then we'll be associated with Him. Enjoying this in the soul keeps us in peace and also leads at our hearts to praise. That's why we have when these thoughts are brought before us here it says unto Him, be glory.
And dominion, forever and ever. Amen. Well, it leads the heart out to praise and Thanksgiving.
It delivers us from restlessness.
Where as it was remarked by our brother, like the president-elect, they we've obtained the inheritance. It's already ours. We already have an approach into his presence by face. Soon it will be a blessed reality. So we see the same ones who are spoken of in the company. In the 5th chapter of Revelation around the throne, faith changed to sight.
Perfect approach, perfect worship. Here it's anticipated and in praise in the 5th chapter. It's enjoyed in reality, isn't it?
Yeah, well, the sense there of the Prince, the kings of the earth, does not mean inferiority, but he is above them all.
Is that the thought in Ezekiel 44?
Regarding in the third verse.
Speaks about the gate of the Prince. It is for the Prince, the Prince, he shall sit in it to be spread before the Lord, and that the king of the earth.
That was the vice partner. Go ahead.
The vice Dean of Christ during the Millennium, the one that.
Carries on in a special way.
On the earth? Yes, On the Earth.
Shall we say 318 three 1/8.
All and God still keep us. Lord, to thy fears of sight is only there in safety, in peace. We cannot buy it. We fall and snares around us. And plus it feels within it the grace that Sodom found us alone can keep us clean.
Oh, I'm not God.
Luke 7
Gospel—R. Rule
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And we open our meeting by singing hymn #24.
#24
We know there's a bright and a glorious home.
Away in the heavens high, where all redeemed shall with Jesus dwell. But will you be there? And I Will you be there? And I We're all redeemed, shall what Jesus dwell. But will you be there? And I #24.
We know there's a brighter soul.
Turn together to Luke's Gospel, Chapter 7.
The 7th chapter of Luke.
20.
Verse 28.
Luke 7 verse 28.
I say unto you, I say unto you, Among those that are born of women, there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist, but he that is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he.
And all the people that heard him and the publicans justified God.
Being baptized with the baptism of John.
But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.
The Lord said, Where said unto them.
Pardon me, the Lord said. Where unto then shall I liken the men of this generation? And to what are they like?
They are like unto children, sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced, we have mourned you, and you have not wept.
For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine. And ye say.
He hath the devil.
The Son of man is come eating and drinking, and ye say, behold, A gluttonous man and a wine bever, a friend of Republicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of all her children.
And one of the Pharisees desired him, that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisees house and sat down to meet, behold, a woman in the city, which was a Sinner. When she knew that Jesus sat at meeting the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, and stood at his feet behind him, weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and had wiped them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
Now in the Pharisee which had bidden him sought, he spake within himself, saying.
This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman. This is the touch of him, for she is a Sinner.
And Jesus answering, said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee.
And he saith, Master Sayon.
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There was a certain creditor which had two debtors, The one owed 500 pence and the other 50.
And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both.
Therefore, which of them will love him the most? Simon answered, and said, I suppose he to whom he forgave the most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. And he turned to the woman, and said, Simon, seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house. Thou gave us me no water for my feet, but she washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
Thou gavest me no kiss.
But this woman, since the time I came in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet, my head with oil, thou didst not anoint. But this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much, but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And he said unto her.
Thy sins are forgiven.
And they that sat at Meat with him began to say within themselves.
Who is this that forgive us sins also?
And he said unto the woman, Thy faith has saved thee, Go in peace.
Before seeking to comment on the scriptures that I've read.
I'd like to ask another question. The hymn has already raised one question.
In the hymn that we sang, it spoke of the House of the redeemed.
The question asked many times. Will you be there and I?
Friend.
Will you be honest with yourself tonight?
And answer that question as best you can in the presence of God.
Will you be there?
And if you can't answer that question.
Definitely in a positive way.
I'd like to ask you another question.
What value?
Do you place on your soul?
Have you ever stopped to answer that question? What value do you place on your soul?
You know you have a living soul, it says in Genesis.
God breathed into Adam the breath of life, and he became a living soul, Not a dying soul, a living soul. And dear friend, you have an immortal soul and you are going to spend eternity somewhere.
Now I know that you've if you're have reached the age of maturity, or at least approaching it, you've given a lot of thought.
To the years immediately ahead, but you're only going to be here a little while.
Now I'll ask you, how about eternity?
Life is only for a very short time.
But have you honestly given thought to the question of your immortal soul and where you will spend eternity?
Well, I desire by the grace of God tonight to speak a little about your price of soul.
And to seek to point out the way that you may be sure that you will be among that number.
That spend eternity with the redeemed in that home that we are singing about.
Oh dear friend, if when we were singing the hymn you could not answer that question positively and.
And say yes, I will be there in that home above that home of bliss, that home in the glory, if you couldn't say yes.
Will you please give serious consideration to what we want to speak to you about tonight?
Now, I know that most people here have heard the gospel many times.
And if you're one of those that have, I'm not speaking to you primarily.
00:10:01
I want to speak with the Lord's help as simply as possible, having in mind especially.
Those that do not know the blessed Savior that we're here to tell about tonight. Those who have never opened their heart to receive Him, perhaps never felt their need of Him. Oh, dear friend, if you've never felt your need, May God give you to feel your need tonight, that blessed Savior that we wish to speak about our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now turning to the portion that we read in the 7th of Luke.
There is a.
In the 29th and 30th verses we have that which shows two different reactions.
To John's preaching.
Now what John preached.
Wasn't the gospel of the grace of God?
But there is a similarity in this respect.
That John called people to repentance.
Repentance toward God.
In one of the gospels we read of him in the area near Jordan. How he said repent ye.
For the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.
And it says here in the 29th verse that the people that heard him and the publicans justified God being baptized with the baptism of John. But then it tells of a company the Pharisees and the lawyers had rejected the counsel of God against themselves being not baptized of him.
Now, as I mentioned before, John spoke.
His preaching he brought out the need of repentance toward God.
And you know, dear friends.
While repentance is no savior.
There can be no repent. There can be no salvation apart from repentance.
Even for you and me.
Now you might say, I don't know what you mean by repentance.
Well, perhaps as simply as I can put it would be to say repentance.
Is taking God's side against myself.
Owning I'm a Sinner. Have you ever owned that you're a Sinner before God? In Romans 3 it says there is no difference, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Now the Pharisees here in this portion they would make a difference for themselves. Romans 3 says there is no difference all of sin, but the Pharisees would put themselves in a special category.
They were religious.
Outwardly, at least.
But we find a contrast here. It says the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves being not baptized of John.
Well, you see, it says they rejected the counsel of God against themselves. God had called them and through the preaching of John the Baptist to repentance.
To own their condition before God, their sinful condition. They rejected that counsel. They felt they were good enough. They were satisfied with themselves.
Well, dear friend, have you ever, honestly, in the presence of God, felt your need as a Sinner?
And on to God that you are a Sinner and that you needed a savior.
Oh, if you never have done that, May God give you bring you to feel that need this very night.
The Pharisees.
They didn't feel any need. They were satisfied with the course and their with their own life. In fact, if we were to turn, and perhaps we might take the time, I'll just do it very briefly. We might turn to the 18th chapter of this book. And you have a similar contrast of two men. One was a publican.
And the other Pharisee in the 18th of Luke we have these words.
Now it's the Lord Jesus again speaking here, and here's what the Lord Jesus says.
Verse nine of Luke 18.
Spake this parable unto certain, which trusted in themselves that they were righteous.
Is that you by any chance, dear friend? Are you trusting in yourself? Are you one of those that feel that I'm a little better than my neighbor and I know people that go to church and their life isn't what it ought to be, and I'm living a cleaner, more upright right, more upright life than they are. Are you just satisfied in yourself and the life you're living? Perhaps you're like.
00:15:26
Perhaps you're like the one the Lord is going to speak about. Here, let us read on.
He said verse 10, two men went up into the temple to pray the 1A Pharisee and the other Republican.
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself. God, I thank thee that I am not as other. I thank thee that I am not, as other men are, extortioners, unjust adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week I give ties of all that I possess.
How would you sum up his prayer? Well, I'll tell you how I'd sum it up. He in effect, says. God, I just thank thee. I'm such a good fellow. I thank thee. I'm such a fine fellow. I thank thee that I'm better than my neighbors. I thank thee. I'm better than this Republican.
Is there any of that in your thoughts dear friend? He was self-righteous.
Now notice what the publicans said.
The publicans, standing afar off, would not so much as lift up his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a Sinner.
Oh dear friend, that's a blessed prayer to utter if it comes from the heart. God be merciful to me, a Sinner. You know what God says, what the Lord said, he said. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other justified. All the blessed, glorious fact of the gospel is that one may be a Sinner, A wretched Sinner, like that publican he owned, that he was a Sinner, but he went to his house justified.
There was repentance on his part. His prayer was a prayer of repentance.
God be merciful to me, the Sinner, dear friend. You need the mercy of God.
Have you ever realized it? Have you ever felt your need? Oh May God give you to feel your need tonight if you've never felt it.
You need God's mercy, but there is mercy for you, for God is rich in mercy.
For his great love, wherewith He loved us. Yes, He sent his Son in order to die for you and me, that He might show mercy to You and Me who deserve nothing but judgment.
Well, the contrast between the Pharisee and the public and here in Luke 18 gives us a little insight into the the the two classes referred to in verse 29 and 30 of the 7th chapter that we read now going on.
In.
The verses that follow the Lord brings out the inconsistency of those who were critical of himself.
He said, Where until shall I liken? This generation goes on to say, in verse 32, they are like children sitting in the marketplace, calling one to another and saying, We have piped unto you, and you have not danced, we have mourned you, and you have not wept. And then he gives the the illustration of the contrast between John and his ministry and the Lord. It says, John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine. And you say he hath the devil, Well, the Lord came just the opposite.
It says the Son of man has come eating and drinking, and ye say, behold, A gluttonous man and a wine bever. They were ready to find fault, whichever approach and in connection with the Lord, they say, a friend of publicans and sinners.
Oh dear friend. I'm thankful to say he was a friend of publicans and sinners, and he's the sinner's friend today.
And I would to God, if you've never learned that, you might learn to know him as your friend.
And your savior, if we were to turn to the 15th of Luke.
We find you don't need to turn to it, but I'll just mention that at the very beginning of that chapter we find it says there are the publicans and sinners do near to hear him and the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, this man receiveth sinners and eateth with them. Oh, here the Pharisees they murmured, because he was with publicans and sinners friend. He came from glory to meet the need of those poor publicans and sinners to meet your need and to meet my need.
00:20:03
And we find here in this chapter that he met the need of a poor soul who was indeed a Sinner.
But she was one who was ready to acknowledge her condition before God.
And you know, the first step of blessing is to acknowledge our true condition before God.
That's what we said before. That's what repentance is owning our true condition before God.
Taking God's side against ourselves and owning our need before Him? Well, it says here.
An introduction to this woman that we're going to speak about. The Lord makes this comment in verse 35. He says wisdom is justified of all her children.
I believe in what follows, we have this woman proved to be a child of wisdom.
I suppose in one sense we might say this 35th verse. We might say that it tells us that.
If one is wise, their conduct will manifest their child of wisdom.
Well, in what follows we have a woman that was one of the children of wisdom, and would to God that you might be numbered among them too. You know these Pharisees who turned their back on the Lord Jesus? Do you know who they were, Children of folly?
And friend, if you're turning your back on Jesus Christ tonight, you're a child of folly.
Bear with me in saying it, your honor your on a long course and oh when you get if you go on the course that you're on, if you've turned your back on Jesus Christ in a lost eternity.
You'll realize then what folly to have gone on rejecting the Savior. Rejecting Jesus Christ, the one who came in love to save your precious soul. Boy, I hope that there none will go out of this room tonight, still numbered as a child of folly.
Rejecting Jesus Christ.
Well in verse 36.
It tells us that one of the Pharisees desired him, that he would eat with him.
And he went into the Pharisee's house and sat down to meet. That was very gracious on the Lord's part.
I'm sure there was number real warmth of heart on the part of the Pharisee toward our blessed Savior.
That's manifest from what follows further down. But oh, the Lord is ready to get close to any hoping to reach them, hoping to give them to feel their need. And so he goes and sat down to meet, And it says in the 37th verse, the woman in the city, which was a Sinner when she knew that Jesus sat at meeting the Pharisees house, bought an alabaster box of ointment. She stood at his feet behind him, weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears.
And to wipe them with the hairs of her head and so forth. Oh dear friend, it says here, this woman.
In the city which was a Sinner.
Now I don't know. We're not told what primarily it was that worked in her heart.
We're not told whether it was primarily because she felt her great need.
Or primarily because of the attraction of that blessed one had to her heart.
Main thing is this. She was drawn toward him.
She wasn't invited. No, the Pharisee hadn't invited her.
She may have come uninvited.
But I like to think this.
The very fact that she was a Sinner and knew it was her title.
To the Savior, we read in the Scriptures that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
This woman was a Sinner. He was one of those she came to save. And friend, you're a Sinner, and Christ came into this world and died to save you.
But all that you might feel your need of him. This woman, I believe she felt her need.
You know, it's very frequent. You hear people often. They'll talk lightly of sins.
00:25:02
Oh yeah, they'll say. Yeah, we've all we're all sinners. Ah, but that was worth reality about it. With this poor soul, she came weeping. She felt her need and went to God, dear friend, that you would feel your need tonight if you've never known that precious savior as your own savior.
Well.
We find here that the Pharisee.
In verse 39 it says when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself saying this man, if he were a prophet would have known who and what manner woman. This is the touch of him, for she is a Sinner.
Oh, dear friend, how little that Pharisee knew who he had in his house.
He now had doubts. He now had come to the conclusion the Lord wasn't even a prophet.
Ah, that blessed one was God, manifest in flesh.
God come down in grace. He was the blessed Son of God.
And here the Pharisee says if he were a prophet would have known what manner of woman this is for she is a Sinner.
Ah, he knew all about that woman. As I said earlier, the fact that she was a Sinner, that was her title to him. For Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
And not only did the Lord Jesus know who she was, and not only was it a joy to his heart to bless her.
But he knew all about the thoughts of that Pharisee.
You'll notice it says in the 40th verse.
Jesus answering. What did he answer? Had the Pharisee said one word to him about about the matter? No, he hadn't. If you look in the 39th verse, it says that the Pharisee which had bitten him when he saw it, he spake within himself. He talked to himself, not to the Lord. But you know, dear friend, the Lord knows the thoughts.
He knew the thoughts of that Pharisee. He knew exactly what was in his heart.
And he knows what's in your heart tonight. He knows every thought that you've ever had.
In the Book of Revelation we have a record where the Lord comes.
As judge at the Great White Throne, and it says the books were open. Did you know God is keeping a record not only of your acts, but of your thoughts?
He knows the thoughts and the intents of the heart. He knows not only the acts that you've committed and the sins that maybe others have seen. He knows though the very thoughts of your heart.
Yes. And he knew the thoughts of this Pharisee. And the Pharisee was thinking, well, he can't even be a prophet.
Or you have known this woman as the Sinner, but the Lord answered that Pharisees thoughts it says in verse.
40.
Jesus answering, said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee.
And he saith Master Sayon, Well, now these next two verses are very instructive.
There are three things special I want to call your attention in the 40th and 41St verses.
Or 41St and 42nd. There was a certain creditor which had two debtors.
The one owed 500 pence and the other 50, and when they had nothing to pay.
He frankly forgave them both.
Now I'd like to call your attention the fact that in that verse 42.
Some translations, and I believe the most accurate, the critical translations, render that when they had nothing to pay, he freely forgave them both. Now there are three things in these two verses I'd especially like to bring to your attention first.
A certain creditor had two debtors.
You know, dear friends, God is the creditor here. This is a parable. And he's speaking now a picture of these two people.
The Pharisee and this woman that was a Sinner and he's using this parable, in fact, or this illustration.
And.
The creditors, a picture of God himself, he says. This creditor had two debtors, You know, you and I all are debtors.
We've all sinned.
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That's the first thing. The second thing is that it says when they had nothing to pay.
You know, dear friend, there's nothing. You have absolutely nothing.
That you can do or pay to God to answer for your sins. Nor can I.
They had nothing to pay. Nothing. How much is that? Just a great big zero. Nothing. There's nothing you can do to pay your way to heaven. Lots of people think they can. Oh, yes. Lots of people think they can do things to get to heaven and pay their way. In a sense, no, he said, when they had nothing to pay. That's the second point. And the Third Point is he freely forgave them both.
Oh dear friend, if you'll own your condition before God, God is ready to forgive it says he freely forgave them both.
But first there has to be owning one's condition and need before God.
A story comes to mind that I've enjoyed. I read it year or so ago, and I believe in the message of love.
It tells about an incident over in England many years ago.
A man.
At that time was working.
Working for a tailoring firm that made men's suits.
And one day when no one else was around.
He stole a very large roll of material cloth.
But he was found out.
And he was discharged.
And brought before brought into court.
The judge When his case came up, the judge asked him if he had anything to say for himself, but he just hung his head down.
The judge said to him.
I understand you worked 15 years for your employ former employer.
Did he pay you satisfactory wages?
The man murmured. Yes.
Well, he said. Don't you think it's a very despicable thing, a man that has treated you fairly for 15 years and provided employment?
To rob him.
He said. I'm going to find you.
£10, that would have been around $30 in those days, but with all the inflation we've had probably be about $75 today.
And he said I'm going to place that fine or 1010 days in prison.
Well, the man looked up to the judge and he says sorry, but I don't have any money.
Well, and the judge says, well then you'll spend 10 days in prison.
Just at that moment, in the back of the audience of the courtroom.
A woman broke out in tears.
It was obvious that she was the man's wife and she was there to hear what happened. She broke out in tears.
But just a moment later, a tall gentleman in his 60s stood up.
Well dressed, man, he said. Your honor, I have a request to make.
This man was my employee.
I would like to pay the fine.
And then give him his job back. Take him back as an employee.
The judge said your request is granted.
And at that juncture, another broke out into tears, this time the man himself.
He was touched by the love and grace shone on the part of his employer.
So this tall gentleman, he walked up to the front, he paid the fine, and then he took his former employer by the employee by the arm.
And tenderly let him out of the courtroom.
Well, dear friend, that's a little illustration of the gospel.
You and I were debtors.
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Certain creditor had two debtors. You could never pay the debt of your sin and guilt.
But oh thank God, the Lord Jesus came from glory. He went to Calvary's cross, and he suffered, bled and died.
That you and I might go free in the 53rd chapter of Isaiah that says he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities.
The chastisement of our peace was upon him.
And with his stripes we are healed.
Oh dear friend, that's the Lord Jesus.
That's being spoken of prophetically in that verse in Isaiah 53.
Yes, he was wounded for our transgressions. The one that's redeemed, the one that's trusting in him can say yes. He died for me, for my sins. The employer went up and paid the penalty.
That the court had required in connection with that man that had robbed him.
And having paid the penalty, the judge let the Sinner, the man who would sin, go free.
And he could do so righteously, because the fine was paid by another.
Well, dear friend, God can righteously forgive you the Sinner.
Because the Lord Jesus paid the price at Calvary's cross.
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
The Apostle Paul could say of whom I am chief.
Friend Christ died for you.
He's paid the price. Will you have him? What do you think were the thoughts of that man in the courtroom that was found guilty and couldn't pay the fine? What do you think were his thoughts toward the employer when the employer paid the fine and took him by the arm and says come on back, I'm going to give your job back again. I can just imagine how his heart would go out to that employer. But Oh dear friends, the gospel, a story of the gospel, is so much more wonderful.
The Lord Jesus not only paid the penalty for you and me, but those that receive him.
They not only have their sins forgiven, but God makes them his own children.
He doesn't merely say I'm going to give you a job, he says I'm going to make you part of my own family. In the third chapter of John's epistle, it says, behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us. Though we should be called the children of God, and so everyone that's come and brought to the Savior becomes one of God's children. Not only has his debt for his debt forgiven.
Oh dear friend, it's a wonderful salvation that we seek to proclaim to you tonight.
What have you done with that savior? As I said before, the man that was guilty and would have had to go to jail if he hadn't taken advantage of the opportunity, the grace shown by his former employer?
But you know, dear friend, he would have had 10 days in jail.
If you die without Christ, how long will you have?
In the lake of Fire, 10 days.
10 weeks.
10 years. How long? 10 centuries.
Friend, I say to you, think it over. It will be for all eternity. For all eternity.
If I were to stand here tonight and try to talk in terms of.
Well, some larger multiple of 1,000,000 and billions and trillions. I'd just be started if I were trying to tell you how long eternity is. I could never tell you. It's never ending. It's never ending. We're not talking about 10 days in prison, dear friend.
I mentioned those that are going to stand before the Great White Throne when the books are going to be open.
It says that Whosoever's name was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
And friend, everyone that's cast there will be there for all eternity. Oh, my friend, it's a very solemn thing to be like the Pharisees. They rejected the counsel of God against themselves. We saw in that 30th verse. I believe it was rejected The counsel of God don't reject the grace of God, dear friend.
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Oh, I say to you, don't go out of that room tonight without Christ. You don't know how long you'll be here. I often refer to a little bookmark I have in my Bible that speaks of life's clock.
The clock of clock of life is 1 but one and no man has the power.
To tell just where the hands will stop at late or early hour. Friend, you don't know. The clock of life might stop tonight for you. You have no assurance you'll be here tomorrow. You absolutely cannot assure me that you'll be here tomorrow.
Where would your soul be if you died tonight?
Oh, I say to you, now is the time to open your heart, to receive that blessed Savior. It's right. Now behold, now is the accepted time.
Behold, now is the day of salvation. Don't leave this room tonight without opening your heart to receive that blessed living, risen Savior. He died for you. He loves you.
And he wants to bless you.
Well, getting back to our chapter in Luke 7.
We saw that when they had verse 42, they had nothing to pay. He freely forgave them both. Oh, thank God there's forgiveness for all who will own their need. And he turns to Simon, and he points out a few things where Simon was lacking. I said I didn't feel there was warmth on his part. He mentions, among other things, verse 45. Thou gave us me no kiss but this woman, since the time I came in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
I believe over in the Far East, over in the east at the time this was written.
A kiss answered to a handshake. In our country this day, it was a normal way of a warm greeting, but there wasn't the warmth on the part of this Pharisee. But oh, that woman. She was attracted to him.
Now I mention that we're all sinners. I didn't comment but in verse 41 it says these two debtors 10500 pence and the other 50.
I'm not saying that we've all sinned alike. We haven't. We've all sinned. Some have committed more sins than others. That was the 500 pence debtor and the 50 pence debtor. You may be a little better than your neighbor. Maybe you're qualified to put yourself only in the 50 pence debtor. But the point is, you're a debtor. You've sinned and you have nothing to pay. You have nothing. You can give God the answer for those sins.
You need a savior. This woman, I believe the Lord was thinking in terms of her as the 500 pence Debtor.
But that made no difference to him. She could have been a 5000 pence Debtor, and he was still.
Be her savior, he says in verse 47.
I Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven.
70 Dear friend, how blessed this poor sinful woman, and he can tell her her sins, which are many, are forgiven.
Oh, how blessed, how blessed. I remember a brother who was here at the meetings was in Toledo some years ago.
And he gave the gospel on this portion.
I enjoyed it very much.
And in talking to us, he asked this question, he said, You know.
If you were to die tonight.
Wouldn't it be lovely?
To be able to have written that one word over your coffin.
Forgiven.
Friend, could that word honestly be written over your coffin if you died tonight?
It all depends on whether you're trusting the Savior. This woman, her heart had been attracted to the Savior. She was found in tears at his feet. She realized her sinful condition. Oh, but now the Lord tells this Pharisee who didn't realize his need, her sins, which are many. Yes, he knew she was a Sinner. Yes, he did. Oh, but he says they're forgiven.
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Oh, thank God, thank God. Those that are brought to trust in the Savior know that their sins are forgiven.
For she loved much, but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little, and now he turns to her directly.
First he was talking to the Pharisee, because the reason I think he was talking to the Pharisee.
Is that in verse?
40 We find the Lord answering the Pharisees thoughts.
But now that he's answered the Pharisee, he turns right to this poor woman.
And it says, he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
Oh dear friend, there are many here in this room that know that that is true of them.
Is it true of you? Do you know that your sins are forgiven?
While you may know it, but it has to be based on trusting on the Lord Jesus as your Savior, as the one that paid the price when you had nothing to pay, the Lord said. When they had nothing to pay, yes, you and I, we had nothing to pay, but the Lord has paid the awful price.
And oh, what a price it was.
You know, somebody has said in connection with the death of Jesus Christ on Calvary's cross. It says, by the way, in one of the Epistles, it says in Galatians 2 The Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. You know, sometimes we give nice gifts to others. We do nice things for others.
But all connection with the Lord Jesus, it says the Apostle could say he loved me and gave himself for me.
And you know, dear friend, he couldn't have given more. We were seeing this afternoon how he's the creator. He brought the worlds into being.
Just by speaking the word.
But you know, the Lord might have given two stars for your redemption that would never have saved your soul. 100 stars. A whole Galaxy that would never have saved your soul. All He had to do was speak the word to bring the world to for this world to be created.
But you know what?
He had to die for you and I to be redeemed.
Yes, he gave himself, the apostle says. Gave himself for me.
He couldn't have given more, and nothing less would have satisfied the claims of divine justice.
Well, he tells this woman thy sins are forgiven, and then those about him raise a question.
It says they that SAT meet with him began to say within themselves who is this that forgiveth sins also?
Who is this that forgive us sins? Oh, how little they realized who he was.
I've mentioned that he was the Creator. It says in John's Gospel, in the beginning was the Word. That's the same one we're talking about. The Word was with God. The Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. And then it goes on to say all things were made by Him and without him was not anything made that was made. Yes, the Creator. If I turn to the 8th chapter of John's Gospel, I'll read it. You don't have to turn to it, but I'll turn to it hardly and read it.
The Lord in talking to some rejecters there, he said, Verse 24. I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins. For if ye believe not that I am, ye shall die in your sins. Oh, if you believe not that I am the ever existent, 1.
Ah, and they say, who is this? Who is this that forgive us sins? Also, it's the I am.
The one who could say, if he believed not that I am, ye shall die in your sins. Perhaps there's an agnostic here. Perhaps there's one here who doesn't believe that he was the Son of God, that he is the eternal one. Dear friend, if that's you, I say to you, in all earnestness, do you believe not? The Lord said, If you believe not that I am now, these are his words. Ye shall die in your sins. And friend, if you die in your sins, you will perish in your sins. And the Lord says in that same chapter, if you die in your sins, whether I go, ye cannot come.
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Oh dear friend, there's an awful end ahead for those that die in their sins.
Whether I go, you cannot come. It's to spend the lost eternity.
In hell.
Oh my friend, if you have never felt your need of the Savior, May God give you to feel your need tonight.
That's where you're headed. If you die without Christ, won't you open your heart to receive Him? He loves you. He died for you, He says. Whosoever will let him come and take the water of life freely, will you come tonight? Will you have him tonight?
And then he says something else to the woman. Verse 50, for our time is almost up.
He said to the woman.
Thy faith has saved thee. Oh dear friend, this goes even further than thy sins are forgiven. Thy faith has saved thee. Oh, she not only has sins forgiven, she saved. And if we read this book, we find all the blessings that are connected with having the salvation that is in Christ Jesus and being made his children and heirs of God always says thy faith has saved thee and friend. The only way anyone gets saved is through faith.
Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that if not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.
Not of works, lest any man should boast, yes, when they had nothing to pay.
Thank God, salvation is a gift. It is the gift of God, not of works blessed. Any man should boast there's no body going to be in heaven and say, well, I made it. I lived a pretty good life and I made it. Now there'll be no boasting there, Friend, everyone that's there is going to sing what we were reading the other day in Revelation 1 unto him that loved us, loves us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood. It's the blood of Jesus Christ, God's son, that cleanseth from all sin.
Oh, will you have him tonight? Will you believe on him tonight? Trust in him.
And then you can know that you're forgiven. You can know that your faith has saved thee. And then, as the last three words of the chapter puts it, you can go in peace. You can go on your way in peace. Yes, in Romans 5, Speaking of those who know the Lord Jesus as the one who was delivered for our offenses, we read in the end of the fourth chapter and raised again for our justification.
I haven't mentioned resurrection as much as I should have. Perhaps tonight if he was delivered for our fences. It says that he was raised for our justification. We present to you tonight, dear friend, arisen Savior, a risen Savior, and the fact that he's risen is God's seal of the fact that he's satisfied with the work that he accomplished on Calvary's cross. And the next verse, the opening of the next chapter says therefore being justified by faith.
We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, there's peace. Christ has made peace by the blood of His cross, and now faith believes and trusts in him. We're justified by faith. We have peace with God. And he told this poor sinful woman go in peace. Oh, it's a blessed thing to be journeying through this scene, having peace with God, knowing your sins are forgiven. Oh dear friend.
Do you know that? Have you trusted in this blessed Savior? My time is up. Will you trust him? Will you have him? Will you open your heart to him tonight and receive him as your Savior? As I said before, He loves you. He died for you. He longs to bless you. Will you accept his invitation? For he says, come unto me, all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. And so I say to you, believe.
On the Lord Jesus Christ.
And thou shalt be saved.
Shall we sing #10? There is a Savior on high in the glory.
A Savior who suffered on Calvary's tree. The Savior is willing to save. Now, as ever, His arm is almighty, His love great and free.
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Oh come now to Jesus. That dear loving Savior receive him this moment, and peace shall be thine.
You're not glory.
A Savior who suffered on Calvary St.
A savior will need to say how else I.
His arm is almighty, his love free and free.
Oh my God.
Savior who understand my glory.
This world wants rejected and they'll do the streets.
All of the lucky rain complaints are from the sun.
Suffered from sinners like me.
I hear the long wings.
They take it down and fall.
Those hours of darkness he suffered for sinners on Calvary's cross, all forsaken alone while making atonement and bearing the judgment are ended. And now he's on high on the throne. Last stanza.
And patience for sinners killed for us.
And as I receive thee now, just as the Lord.
Salvation and pardons my heart, Golly offers.
To receive me by faith in their heart.
Oh, I'm now to change.
Well, dear friend, there's a nice invitation in that chorus. All come now, not tomorrow. Come now to Jesus that dear loving Savior receive in this moment and peace shall be thine The Lord told that sinful woman go in peace. Wouldn't you like to have peace?
Come now to the Savior, shall we pray?
Wisdom of God - Proverbs 8
YP Address—G. Hayhoe
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
When we survey the wondrous cross on which the Lord of Glory died, our richest gain, we count but loss and poor contempt on our Pride 283.
Plan We survived.
The.
Armour is long Awa.
Oh.
Shall we turn to the 8th chapter of Proverbs?
Proverbs, Chapter 8.
That's not wisdom. Cry, and understanding put forth her voice. She standeth in the top of the high places, by the way, in the places of the paths, she crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors unto you. Oh man, I call, and my voice is to the sons of man.
00:05:17
O ye simple understand wisdom, and ye fools be of an understanding heart here for I will speak of excellent things, and the opening of my lips shall be right things, for my mouth shall speak truth, and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All the words of my mouth are in righteousness. There is nothing forward or perverse in them. They are all plain to him that understandeth and write to them that find knowledge.
Receive my instruction and not silver and knowledge rather than choice gold.
For wisdom is better than Ruby's and all the things that may be desired.
Are not to be compared to it. I wisdom dwell with prudence.
And find out knowledge of witty inventions, for the fear of the Lord is to hate evil.
Pride and arrogancy in the evil way and the forward mouth do I hate. Council is vine and sound wisdom I am understanding. I have strength by me. Kings reign and Princess decree. Justice by me. Prince's rule and nobles, even all the judges of the earth. I love them that love me and those that seek me early shall find me.
Riches and honor are with me. Yeah, durable riches and righteousness.
My fruit is better than gold, yeah, than fine gold, and my revenue than choice silver. I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment, that I may cause those that love me to inherit substance, and I will fill their treasures. The Lord possessed me in the beginning of His way before His works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning or ever the earth was.
When there were no depths I was brought forth. When there were no fountains abounding with waters before the hills were settled. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth, while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world.
When He prepared the heavens, I was there. When He set a compass upon the face of the depth, When He established the clouds above, when He strengthened the fountains of the deep, when He gave to the sea His decree that the water should not pass His commandment. When He appointed the foundations of the earth, then I was by Him as one brought up with Him, and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him.
Rejoicing in the habitable part of his Earth and my delights.
For with the sons of man now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children.
For blessed are they that keep my ways, hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the pulse of my doors. For whoso findeth me, findeth life, and shall obtain favor of the Lord. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul.
All they that hate me love death.
Well, in this very lovely chapter that we have read before, us and dear young people.
I believe we have a very interesting and important message for us. You know, in the first six chapters of Proverbs, we have a father instructing his children. You notice that almost each one of the chapters begins with my son. God intends that we, who are parents, should be the ones to instruct our children, to teach them, to warn them, to encourage them to walk in Wisdom's ways.
But when we come to this eighth chapter, then we find the voice of wisdom speaking. Not the parent here, but wisdom speaking. We know that the Lord Jesus is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. And I like to think of the picture that is brought before us here, something like of a young person walking out from under the parental restraint.
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Walking out the door of his home and going to meet new friends, Going out into the paths of Concourse, perhaps. Going to business, going to school, going to college. He's no longer no longer under the instruction of his father and mother, but now there is a voice that calls to him. It is the voice of wisdom, it instructs him. It tells him the path of blessing and happiness.
It tells him the path in which God can show the blessing that he delights to bestow upon him.
And because of this, I believe it's of special interest to us who are young people.
And more than this, it's sort of a contrast with what we have in the chapter before.
For we see a young man, as he said in the sixth verse of the 7th chapter, at the window of my house. I looked through my casement. I beheld among the simple ones. I discerned among the youths a young man void of understanding. In contrast, here was a young man who started out, and he didn't intend anything wrong. He was just going to go out and see what the world had to offer.
It doesn't say that he had set his mind on something evil and sinful. He was simply undirected. He was one without any real motive or purpose or object in life. Oh, dear young people, is there someone here like that, you say? Oh, I don't intend to get into sinful ways. I don't intend to get away from the Lord. But you're going through a dangerous world. Here we find this one looked out.
No doubt King Solomon looked out the window and he saw this young man and he saw him walking aimlessly down the street. And his attention was attracted by a very promising looking young lady. And she lured him away and she ruined his life. She ruined his life. All dear young people, as I look into your faces, this is a common history. This is something that has happened thousands of times since.
Because young people have started out in life without any real purpose, without any real direction and they have wanted to see what life had to offer and they thought they were only young once and they must find out for themselves and not just go by what father or mother said.
And perhaps the word of God was a little bit old fashioned and saw they were going to try and find happiness in their own ways. They didn't of course intend to get into positive, much less to ruin their lives. But it was an aimless life. All dear young people. You need not walk an aimless life through this world. There are two particular forms of evil in the world. There is violence and corruption.
And we see them both set before us in these chapters, before our hearts are prone to those things. My heart is prone to those things. And if we don't have both positive direction and strength from the Lord, we will surely fall. We were noticing when the children of Israel left the land of Egypt. It says they were to have their loins girded, their shoes and their feet and their staff in their hand.
Why does it say they were to have their staff in their hand? It doesn't say just the old people were to have a staff in hand. We would have perhaps understood that, but it just simply makes a general statement. Their staff in their hand. Did teenagers need a staff? Weren't they steady enough on their feet that they wouldn't need a staffing hand? All dear young people, you need a staff in your hand. And we who are older, we need a staff in our hand too.
We are prone to stumble. We need support outside of ourselves. Have you got a staff in your hand? Are you walking independence upon the Lord? Or are you just simply trying to get what you can out of life? For that is the great subject in this chapter. As you will notice the way the chapter ends, it says whoso findeth me, findeth life. And I know everyone of you young people here. This afternoon you're out to find life.
You say, I want to see life, I want to get something out of life. Well, it tells us in this chapter who soul findeth me findeth life? And isn't it a wonderful thing that the one who created you and I, and who made this very world in which we live, is enough interested in us that he should give us such instruction in his word? Of course, I might say that in the.
00:15:30
Book of Proverbs we don't have about redemption. God is talking to His people as His people.
The name that is used for God in Proverbs is the name Jehovah, which means which is the name God took in relationship to his people, Israel.
And so in that sense it is specially addressed to those who are in a relationship to the Lord.
And if there should be anyone here who is not saved, I know that you're not in that relationship. This has no particular appeal, perhaps to your heart, because your heart is at enmity with God. But I have good news for you just the same. God is interested in you. God doesn't want you to ruin and wreck your life. He doesn't want you not only to have a miserable life in this world, but when you leave it to plunge into a lost eternity.
Now God is seeking your blessing. The very first words that God spoke after sin entered into the world were those words Adam, where art thou? And God became a seeking God, and he still seeking He's seeking you. He's seeking your blessing. He wants you first of all to know how that although you were a Sinner, that Christ died to save you.
He wants you to know that the very fact that you were born in sin mana is not necessarily that which will ruin your life. Because the work of Christ has so completely taken up and settled a question of sin, that blessing, untold blessing, is open for you here in this life and for all eternity. You can lead a successful life. You can lead a happy life if you know the Lord as your Savior.
And seek to walk in obedience to His word. Well, again I say.
This chapter begins by not saying it's the.
Father speaking to the son. But it says, dost not wisdom cry and all. I want to say how you and I can never value sufficiently the wonderful portion that we have in this book. I know that on every hand it's being set aside today. I know that it's being attacked. It's being assailed. But you and I can't fully, we can't fully appreciate, I say.
What a wonderful, wonderful thing it is that God has taken the trouble.
To speak to us, to tell us where we came from, To tell us what is at the end of lifes journey, and in a few simple words to tell us these facts as to the origin of everything in this world in which we live. And then tell us to how he breathed into man's nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. And then when man sinned, how did God?
Was not frustrated in his purposes of good and blessing toward man, and that through the redemption that was accomplished on Calvary, he has opened up even greater blessing than if sin had never entered. Oh, what a heart. The heart of God is all, dear young people, prize your Bible. Prize your Bible. It's the most wonderful thing that you have in your possession. You can rely upon it. The school books that some of us studied in school.
Are so far outdated now that our children just laugh if they happen to see one of them.
But here we have a book, the last part of it written about 1900 years ago.
And it's more up to date than any book in the world. It's suited to the time in which we live. It adapts itself to every community. It adapts itself to every condition. It answers all the problems of home life, of business life, of assembly life. It tells us the future with a certainty that has been proved over and over again, in spite of all the attacks of infidelity. Oh, what a privilege to possess such a book.
00:20:04
What a privilege to read it. What a privilege to meditate upon it. This is the voice of wisdom to us. It's God's word and all I want to say. Never, never take one step in disobedience to it knowingly. It can't be for your blessing. If you had a friend who loved you perfectly and he gave you some advice, he was perfect in wisdom and he.
Loved you perfectly. Couldn't you rely on advice like that? If that's God's word, God loves you. And more than this, he can't make a mistake, it says. As for God, his way is perfect. He wants to bless you.
Again, I say we we have a picture here in this chapter. In the opening of it, it says wisdom stands in the top of the high places in the way of the places of the paths, and other translation says the cross paths. Let us picture this in our mind. Here's a young person. He's been under the parental restraint. He's been under the correction and instruction of his parents.
Now he walks out the door and there's a little voice inside says, Now you can do as you like, now as you can do as you like. Well, if you follow the promptings of your fallen nature, what you like will lead you in the same way. Not it LED Adam and Eve. It'll lead you into that which will only be sorrow and ruin, but wisdom cries, and hear this young person come to the cross path.
He comes to a place where he finds two roads. What's he going to do?
If he if he says, well, I don't know, I suppose I should try them both and I'll find out which one is the best. Oh no, wisdom says you don't have to do that. You don't have to waste your time and bring sorrow into your life by going down the wrong one. I'll tell you which path to choose and there where the young person stands at the cross paths.
The voice of wisdom cries and says, I'll direct you. I'm seeking your happiness.
I'm not here to spoil your fun. I'm here to give you happiness. I'm here to make a real.
Happy path for you here, and a happy eternity above. And so the young man.
Has a voice that cries in his ears. Dear young people, that voice cries in your ears. Do you hearken to it? We've all come to these cross paths. We were a little older. We're young people who sat in chairs like this once and we came to cross paths. We came to places. There was a little urge within that says, well, you never know unless you try. Thank God if we hearkened to the voice of God's word.
Oh, how many of us look back and we say, oh, it was just the sheer goodness of God?
That kept me from going down that wrong path. Oh, what sorrow I would have had. And I don't know why I didn't do it. I can only say it was the goodness of God. Dear young people, wisdom is crying in your ears. Perhaps there's a young person, a young man or a young woman, and you're right at a cross path in your life right now. Father and mother don't even know you're there. You've left the parental home. You're away from the restraints. You've met a situation your parents don't even know about, perhaps.
But the Lord knows He loves you, and He wants to give you direction. He wants to show you the path to take, and His word will give you the answer.
She stands in the places of the past. Then she moves a little farther down.
She cries at the gates. The young man has come to these partings. Now he comes to the gate of the city.
And here again he is about to enter some new situation.
He's about to come into a new place of employment, a new friendship.
And right at the gate, right at the very point of entry, the place where he's about to make in a very important step, or some young lady is to make a very important step again, Wisdom cries and says unto you, O men, I call unto you, O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of men. Wisdom moves a step farther from the gate.
00:25:08
Right to the very door, right to the very point where you're going to enter into some situation. And again, wisdom cries, wisdom cries, and wisdom is crying to you, dear young people.
All I feel when I look into your young faces with life ahead of you, how much we need those amongst us today who will go on for the Lord Jesus, who will live for him.
Who will make him the object of life? Little hymn we sang says love that transcends our highest powers demands our soul, our light, our all. Hasn't love got a claim upon you? Hasn't the Lord Jesus done everything love could do to prove his love towards you?
Then it says in the fifth verse, Oh, ye simple understand wisdom? Oh, he's simple? He asked the uninstructed. That's what it means. It doesn't mean a person below average intelligence. That isn't a thought in the verse. You may be going to college.
That doesn't mean a person that hasn't have normal intelligence or something. The thought is the uninstructed 10, you say? Well, I I'm neglected to read my Bible and so I don't know what to do.
Well, it's as if, Wisdom said. Well then don't take a step until you know. Don't take a step until you know. Because the young man in the chapter before, he didn't know what to do, so he did the wrong thing.
He yielded. And often when we say, well, I haven't read my Bible like I should.
Then we go ahead and rashly run into some foolish path. And then afterwards we have to say, oh, why didn't I? Why didn't I know the Bible said that? Why didn't I know that warning that was in God's word. How many a person has come to that point? Well, it says, oh, ye simple understand wisdom, and ye fools be of an understanding heart.
Here for I will speak of excellent things, and the opening of my lips shall be right things. It's not just simply it's not just simply walking in the wisdom that you have, but it's rather when you come to some point, if you don't have wisdom, waiting upon the Lord for it, turning to His word, seeking light and instruction from it. Because I believe that we can say as it was mentioned this morning.
That there is an answer in the word of God to every situation that may arise.
There is not a place that you come to in your pathway to your young people where there isn't some light.
And wisdom and instruction in the Word of God for you. God hasn't left you without wisdom and instruction. It's there in the Word. And so it says here, for I will speak of excellent things. And so rather than taking the wrong step.
We're encouraged here to wait until we have heard Wisdom's voice.
Then the eighth verse says, all the words of my mouth are in righteousness.
There is nothing forward or perverse in them. That is, there's nothing. I think the other translation is there's nothing torturous. But that is, it's not a it's not something that's difficult. I know the devil whispers in your ear when you hear the word of God, Oh, but that's a hard path. That's a difficult path. Why? If you follow that path, why you're going to have a lot of trouble.
You have got to sort of make some of these decisions on your own.
Can't just follow the word of God in every detail? Well, it says in John's epistle.
His commandments are not grievous. His commandments are not grievous.
Ask any person who has sought to walk in the wisdom of God's Word.
If he's sorry that he did, ask him if he has founded a tortuous path.
Ask him if he has founded a path that was so hard and difficulty, almost wishes he had done differently.
Not so, dear young people. It's not so. There's nothing torturous or perverse in them. There's nothing that is so hard and difficult about the pathway, it says they are all plain to him. That understandeth. That is, if there is a willingness to do what is pleasing to the Lord, he'll show us. He'll make it plain, it says in Philippians 3.
00:30:26
That if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. And perhaps you might say, when you come to some matter, some situation, well, I'm going to ask the advice of a few others. And so you go, and you ask the advice of certain ones about your path, and instead of going to the word of God, you go to one's.
That you think perhaps will give you an answer that will justify your careless walk. You'll find such among the people of God. You'll find Christians that will actually tell you that it's all right to sidestep a little bit. They seem like good friends. They're so agreeable, they're so nice, and you listen to them.
All how we have to be careful, dear young people, that we turn to the word of God.
That we seek our instruction from it, and from those who have sought to walk in obedience to it.
And so if there is a willingness, God will teach us. We just need to be willing because it says.
If any man will do his will, he shall know how the doctrine, whether it be of God or whether I speak of myself. Do you really want to know what's pleasing to the Lord? Well, if there's a real willingness, why he'll make it known to you, He'll make it known.
Well then it tells us here in the 10th verse receive my instruction and not silver.
And knowledge rather than choice? Gold. Well, when we come to such points in life, often it's a question of prosperity. Perhaps you're perhaps.
You're faced with a situation and you know that if you act in obedience to the word of God, it may stand in the way of a promotion. It may stand in the way of some material thing that you really wanted.
And the enemy says you can't afford to miss this opportunity.
You can't afford to do it. There are many other Christians that have done it, and you must just go along. And so you decide that it would be better to accept that better job, accept that more pleasant situation where there is more financial return. But all the time that you're doing it, you have a bad conscience. You know that there's something connected with it.
That's not just the way it should be. You come to the meeting and you find out your mouth is closed.
You like to praise the Lord, you'd like to take part, but you just feel you've lost the joy of the Lord in your soul. Dear young people, Is it worth it? Is it really worth it? Oh, you say? Well, I I got a nice increase in my pay, and I put a little more in the collection box too. God doesn't need your money. He wants your obedience. He wants your obedience isn't a little better that you should please him.
Fly if you walk to please the Lord.
When you come to the meeting, you'll be enjoying the Lord. You'll have something to give.
Perhaps you say, well, when we come to the meeting there doesn't seem to be much fresh ministry.
There doesn't seem to be much to refresh the soul.
But what did you bring? What did you bring to the meeting? Perhaps you had a bad conscience too, and you hoped somebody else would be enjoying the Lord.
Because you weren't, and you hope somebody else would. Well, they did the same thing you did. They did something that gave them a bad conscience, and that's why they couldn't give you anything for your soul. All dear young people, I'm speaking, I trust in love. I say it with humility. I trust because I know that I'm a poor failing thing myself. But dear young people, if you want to go on for the Lord and have His joy and be a blessing among your brethren.
You are coming to Crossways in the youth of your life we had in our chapter this morning.
00:35:01
Here was a man who was seeking to have the oversight of the people of God.
But he needed to have a wife that was a help to a minute. He needed to have a family that was in order according to the mind of God.
He needed to have a testimony without and that was pleasing to the Lord.
And perhaps he had wrecked it in an unwatchable moment. And now it's spoiled. It's spoiled. Oh, how important these decisions are. So it says here there's something better than silver. There's something better than gold. It's to have the sense in your soul that you're seeking to please the Lord, the sense in your soul that you've sought to walk in wisdom's ways.
Oh, what a sweetness. What a sweetness. It isn't that we don't fail.
We all fail. But is it our desire? Is it our desire? It's one thing to stumble in the path, it's another to get out of it all together. And so Paul stumbled in the path. All of us confess. We've stumbled in the path, but what a sad thing to get out of it. And then to stumble where there's no one to help his fellow.
Then we come a little farther here, 13th verse.
The fear of the Lord is to hate evil, pride and arrogance in the evil way and the.
Forward mouth Do I hate this is another danger, pride self? Oh how the enemy likes to fill our hearts with pride. I suppose there have been more lives that have been ruined by pride and arrogance than anything else.
Let us test ourselves. How do we take correction? How do we take correction? Does it make us annoyed?
Do we get an upset? Well, that's because there's unjudged pride in our heart. All you say they falsely accuse me. Well, even if they did, still we could have done it. I've sometimes said this.
If someone falsely accuses you, just say this to yourself.
I could have done it, and I would have done it but for the grace of God.
Why should I be angry about it? We could have done it. There is no thing that any of our brethren could say about us that we couldn't have done if the Lord hadn't kept us.
And there isn't anything that we wouldn't have done if the Lord hadn't kept us. And why do we get proud? Why do we get angry and upset about it? Well, we're really saying I'd never do that. And that was the very thing the Lord allowed it to show us so that we would judge that pride in our hearts. Oh, let us see grace to judge that pride, the judge it when we're young. It's a lot easier to correct these things when we're younger than when we're older.
Then in the 14th verse it says counsel is mine.
And sown wisdom I am understanding I have strength.
By me kings reign and Princess decree justice.
Well, there's another question that might arise in a young person's mind.
Well, if I do such a thing.
So and soul turn against me.
If I do such and such a thing, my friends will be against me.
My employer won't like me then, so we we think we have to do wrong sometimes. Well, isn't this nice? What it says here, counsel is mine. And then it says by me King's reign. You know who holds that employer's heart in his hand? It's the Lord himself. That employer can't do one thing against you unless the Lord allows it.
He can't do one thing.
It's not one thing you say. Well, I have to go along with them sometimes when he wants them to do what's wrong.
Now the Lord says, you just turn to me because his heart is in my hand.
And we find in the case of the Abraham, one time he did something that was wrong.
And the Lord wouldn't even let even then, He wouldn't let Abimelech touch him when he wanted to. You know, dear young Christian, this is something to remember. That teacher in school, that professor, that employer, that brother in the assembly, The Lord holds his heart. The Lord holds his heart in his hand. Did you ever think that the attitude of other people towards you is caused in them by the Lord?
00:40:05
It says in I think it's the 105th Psalm. He turned their hearts to hate his people.
Why did he turn the hearts of the Egyptians? To hate his people. He wanted them to get out of Egypt. He wanted them to get out of Egypt. And sometimes God makes adverse circumstances for us because he has some move that he wants us to make. Maybe we're too contented to stay in a place he doesn't want us, and so he allows something to come up. Oh, it's wonderful. Everything is controlled by him. Back to please the Lord. And why He'll control everyone's heart. The King's heart is in the hand of the Lord as the rivers of water.
He turns it whithersoever he will to remember a certain instance of a young man who sought to be faithful, and it looked as if he was going to lose his job over it. But when he acted in faithfulness, his employer said to him, Well, he said.
He said something like this. He said, well, I shouldn't let you off with this, and I don't know why I'm doing it, but I guess I will. Well, why did he? Well, his heart was in the Lord's hands, and that person had sought to act to please the Lord. Paul, this is a grand principle in the word of God. Don't be afraid to walk in Wisdom's ways. God will take care of you. He'll provide for you. He knows just what you need.
Well then in the last part of the.
Notice the 21St verse that I may cause those that love me to inherit substance.
And I will fill their treasures. I will fill their treasures. We've had some warnings. Now here's something positive. I will fill their treasures. And if you seek to walk in the wisdom of God's Word, why he'll fill your treasures. He'll make your heart happy and glad. I don't say that there won't be persecution. Sometimes I don't say that you may not have a little less financially than other people.
I don't say that you will always have favorable conditions in this world.
But that doesn't bring happiness. A man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things that he possesseth.
To have the sense of the Lord's approval in your soul to know that you're walking in company with him.
His real happiness. What is going to make heaven, heaven to us? Do you think it's the street of gold and the gates of Pearl?
No, that's not what's going to make heaven heaven to us. It'll be the company of the Lord Jesus, and you and I can enjoy His company here. And dear young people, there's nothing sweeter on earth than to enjoy His company here.
Now we might wonder why this sort of abrupt introduction here in connection with the creation. So it begins with the 22nd verse. The Lord possessed me in the beginning of His way, before His works of old.
And then it goes down to the.
30th verse Then I was by him as one brought up with him, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him, rejoicing in the habitable parts of it. Part of his earth, and my delights were with the sons of man. While to my own heart this is most touching here, because it's though God should say to us something like this.
Everything that you see in the world, I created it. And when I created it I was thinking of your happiness. Isn't that lovely? He goes right back to the very beginning of creation. When he gave to the sea his decree, when everything was ordered in this ordered creation in which we live. And he says, when all this was made, he said my delights were with the sons of man.
When God made that place, that lot where you have your house built.
He knew that in 1964 you were going to be living on that spot. He made that spot and he knew just exactly what you needed. And he made that very place on the map, right perhaps here in Glendale. Sometimes I have said to the young people at Otter Lake, when God made this lake, he made this very Bay on here because he knew that there were going to be a group of young people. And he made a nice shore for us. And he just said it with beautiful trees. And he fixed it all because he was thinking about us.
00:45:07
My delights were with the sons of man. Dear young people, I want to impress this upon you, and I want to impress it on my own soul that when God ordered everything, when He made you, when he made that young lady, you hope to be your wife someday, for that young man who you hope to be your husband someday, when he made them, he was thinking about you, and he was thinking of your blessing and your happiness.
Do you want to get out of his plan? Do you want to get away from the place where he wants you to be?
Do you want to have the wrong partner in life? Do you want to wreck your life? Do you want to work in the wrong place?
The Lord was thinking about you when He made everything. And to my own soul, it's touching here that he goes right back and talks about creation and tells us that when everything was ordered in the creation, his delights were with the sons of man all. What love, what a savior we have, what a father we have. Can we doubt love like that? Can we question that He's seeking our blessing?
Can we be so self willed and foolish as to say, well I'm going to have my own way?
I don't care. I'm going to go the way I wish. All dear young people, I beseech you for the Lord's glory and for the blessing of your soul. He wants to bless you. His delights are with the sons of man, and he's made a better place than this world, and he's waiting to bring you there. And when you get there, he's going to sit down and serve you. That's how much he thinks about you. That's how much he loves you.
He says you may have a little tribulation in this world because sins here, but he's waiting the time and he says, behold, I come quickly and he says when you enter that better home above. Then he said I'll make you sit down and for all eternity I'll minister to your happiness. Can we doubt love like this? I say.
That's why it says Here Now therefore hearken unto me.
All ye children, oh, I love this. Notice the change here. This is the first time children are mentioned. Before this it is spoken about the sons of men. But here, a relationship. Oh, he loves us. Does your father love you? Well, the Lord Jesus loves you infinitely more.
God your Father loves you infinitely more. Hearken unto me, O ye children.
For blessed are they that keep my ways, hear instruction, and be wise.
And refused it not. Oh, don't turn away from the wisdom of God's word.
No doubt we all have much to learn. No doubt we all have many things that we haven't seen clearly yet. But oh May God this afternoon open our ears to hear this loving voice that seeks our blessing, that seeks our happiness. And so the next verse says, blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the post of my doors. In other words, he is saying here, and if you still are not sure of your path, just stand right here.
Just wait a few minutes and I'll give you some instructions. I'll show you what to do. And again, I say to your young people, if you've come to a cross path in your life, if you've come to a problem that your parents don't know about, perhaps your brethren don't know about it. But all there's a terrific conflict that's waging in your heart right now. The enemy is trying to pull you aside into some foolish path, some path of self will or disobedience.
The Lord says, just wait a minute, Just wait. I want you to have my blessing, and I want you just to listen and wait and watch. Don't take a step until I've told you the direction to go in. Oh, how tender, when he stops and changes from the sons of men, says all ye children, all ye young people, all ye dear young people that are gathered here this afternoon.
For whoso findeth me findeth life, Oh, you say, I want to see life, or you'll find it. You'll find it. Where will you find it? In the path of obedience to the Lord of communion with him, according to His word. All I trust each dear young person here will find life. I don't mean being saved. Maybe most of you are saved. But to find life is to find.
00:50:06
Through this world where you can walk in fellowship with the Lord, and where you can have the sense that the path is obedience to His word. It's the path of blessing. But there's a little warning. It says who Saul sinneth against me, wrongeth his own soul, wrong with his own soul, and if you sin against the wisdom of God's word.
You know who you'll wrong most of all.
Yourself, yourself, All dear young people. Again, I say the Lord Jesus loves you. He died for you. He loves you more than Father. Mother. He wants your company. He's going to make you supremely happy in heaven forever. But he wants to fill your treasures. He wants to direct your path. Don't go along aimlessly through life. Turn to him. Seek the wisdom of His Word for the blessing of the Lord.
It maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.
2 Corinthians 3:1-