Burbank Conference: 2006
Table of Contents
Philippians 1
Reading
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Falls on peace forever.
Away.
From.
Sun.
From the.
Luke, chapter 10.
And verse 38 when it came now it came to pass as they went, that he entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house, and she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus feet and heard his word.
Verse 42.
Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her. Should we ask the Lord's help from reading the Scriptures?
I'd like to suggest Philippians could take a chapter up in each reading.
I.
You start just the first chapter.
Philippians chapter one.
Beginning of verse one.
The servants of Jesus Christ to all the Saints in Christ Jesus, which are a Philippi with the bishops and deacons. Grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you always in every prayer of mine for you all making requests for joy.
For your fellowship.
In the Gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Even as it is meant for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, in as much as both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.
For God is my record. How greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. And this I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment, and you may approve things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and with our fans until the day of Christ being filled with the fruit of righteousness.
Which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God. But I would you should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel. So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places, and many of the brethren in the Lord waxing confident by my bonds.
To speak the Word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife, and some also of goodwill. The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely supposing to add affliction to my bonds, but the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel. What then, notwithstanding every way, whether it pretends or in truth?
Christ is preached, and I therein do rejoice, yeah, and will rejoice, for I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and my hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness as always, so now also price shall be magnified in my body.
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Whether it be by life or by death. For to live. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor. Yet what I shall choose I want not. For I am in a straight betrayed to having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless, to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.
And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith, that your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again. Only let your conversation be as it becomes the gospel of Christ, that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs.
Let me stand fast in one spirit.
With one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, and in nothing terrified by your adversaries, which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation and that of God. For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake, having the same conflict which we saw in me.
And now here to be in me.
I don't believe the word sin is mentioned in this book.
Joy is mentioned many times and it's really the normal Christian life that we have in Philippians and.
And.
We learn a lot about him.
Of the Lord Himself, especially in the second chapter.
It was a letter of acknowledgment. That's what really caused the writing of it, LED, of course, by the Spirit of God. The Philippians had sent fellowship to him by the hand of Epaphroditus, and he's writing this letter of acknowledgement to the Saints for the fellowship and the funds that they had given to him. And in doing it, he has a number of reasons, a number of things he touches on in the epistle.
The first chapter, as we had read to us, he, he thanks them for their generosity, verse 5 and so on, and he also gives them an update as to the circumstances that he was in. The Lord had put him in, and then he sucked at the end of the chapter to encourage him to carry on in the face of adversity.
He gets back to thanking them in the 4th chapter for their gift to him.
But at the same time, as he gives this update us to his condition, and he opens up his heart to them and gives them his desires, he tells them of his desires and their pure motives. And as you say, it's normal Christian living that he really describes.
Might be valuable to note also that the apostle.
Conscious of all his authority in that sphere being specially called, he speaks as a Christian here and.
What was possible for him is possible for us for certain great privileges he had as an apostle, which we do not have of course, but as a Christian.
As the object before him, Christ as his life in our first chapter and patterned in the second chapter, speaking as a believer, normal Christianity with Christ as the object before him and before us. I remember many years ago it was at a Toronto conference that our dear brother made the remark, Happiness is a state of soul, not a question of circumstances.
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Having heard that for the first time.
It took special notice of it, kind of startled. But then as we look at this beautiful 4 chapters, just in general, here we find the apostle Paul in prison. Circumstances were not very, very good, were they? And yet I've counted perhaps some can find more 19 times in four chapters that he speaks of joy, gladness, rejoicing.
And so on. But in that condition of things, it says something very special to our our hearts about the preciousness of Christ.
That in circumstances like this, he found that which fully met his need. Old brother, what a word you know, I think of the how easy it is for us. Maybe we read these things, but to really experience.
That through closeness to Christ.
Christ is everything and in all, isn't it? It says in Colossians and we certainly find that here in this vessel. I just like to say continuing on from John's remarks in the first chapter, you have Christ our life and that's in verse 21. He says for to me to live is Christ, to die is gain to live in such a way that you can save to die.
Me right now with the game. That's the way the apostle lived because Christ was his life. It wasn't his own interests, it was the Lord Jesus Christ chapter 2 Pat mentioned that if Christ our example verse five. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.
ETC. So this is the example we have before us to imitate Chapter 3. Christ our object.
Verse.
13 and 14 He says, I cannot knock myself to have apprehended this one thing I do for getting those things which are behind, and reaching forth into those things which are before I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God.
In Christ Jesus Christ as the object to which he was pressing towards.
The end of chapter 3, Christ our hope, verse 20 for our conversation is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change.
Our body of humiliation.
Chapter 4.
Christ our strength, verse 13.
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. So it's Christ is everything brethren, and those are things we learn. I hope it's just not a pat little saying that we use when we say Christ is everything. I trust it is something that we are learning practically in our lives as we go on trust. I can say I've learned in the Lord Jesus.
Really, truly, He is everything and in the heavens glory, He's going to be the center of it all. And if our minds and our hearts are not set in that direction, now brethren, we've got to learn that the Lord passes us through trials so that we can know there is a person, a man in the glory of God who is everything. Everything to God. He's going to be everything to us as well.
Another way to breakdown these chapters would be to say that the 1St chapter is Christ, our motive.
2nd chapter Christ our model. Third chapter, Christ our mark.
4th chapter, Christ, our might, and each of these things that I speak of are really solutions, shall we say, to the circumstances that he speaks of in each of the chapters? And that first chapter you see that he's in a circumstance that is not favorable, but because Christ was his motive, he rose above it and rejoiced. The 2nd chapter, he speaks about the inroads of the enemy to divide the Saints.
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And he brings in the solution there as being Christ, the model.
We'll get that when we come to that next meeting in the third chapter. There is a danger of legality and he brings in the solution there. It's Christ, the mark on high.
The 4th chapter he speaks about the circumstances that we are facing, the life, each one of us, and there he shows that he's superior to it all because he says Christ is his might.
Christ, the motive, the model, the mark and our might. That's normal Christian living.
And that first verse of our first chapter.
Has something mentioned there? It's not found in any other epistle, and that is with the bishops and deacons. I think that's put in there because this is normal Christianity that you haven't Philippines and that brings them in too.
Explain. Check what that means, the bishops and the deacons.
Well, a Bishop is an overseer. I like that word better. They he overseas the condition of the Saints locally. A gift is something that is used throughout the whole body. But a but a Bishop and a Deacon Bishop looks after the spiritual needs of the Saints and the deep and after the material needs of the Saints. And this is this is a local situation and it it's here in Philippians, I believe, because those things were not missing. They were they were active in, in that assembly.
Suppose we could say that it really is the essence of Christianity. There's a lot of forms and ceremonies around and rituals and so on. And the Apostle Paul was was very well.
Instructed in all those requirements according to the law, as we have in chapter three, He was at the top of the ladder of legal righteousness. But that's not Christianity. Christianity is the manifestation of the life of Christ.
In the believer, not only possible for an apostle, but possible for everyone of us. I mean, we have that potential, you might say, to manifest. We have the same life as the apostle Paul had and that's what Christianity is. It's not forms and ceremonies and.
Rituals, but it is the manifestation of Christ's life in the believer. That's in fact the meaning of that verse. Great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit and so on. We know that Scripture, that is not the mystery of God there. It's the the mystery of godliness. That is what is the secret of godliness in the life of the believer. It's the manifestation of Christ in his walk, in his ways, in his pathway.
We have in our in our chapter here.
The verse in Isaiah chapter 33 even in the Old Testament. For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king. He will save us. You want to elaborate on that?
I think it speaks for itself, Jeff. Thank you.
There's a scripture in Proverbs 27 I'd like to bring out in connection with the state, as our brother Larry mentioned, that what is the great thrust of the book of Philippians is conduct and state of soul. It isn't outlining the great truths that we have in Ephesians and Colossians where fallen upon his apostleship, nor is it the great and grievous corrective measures necessary in Corinthians or Galatians, whereas apostleship is necessary, but there was this emphasis on the state of the assembly.
In Proverbs chapter 27.
In verse 23.
Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy hers. For riches are not forever, and duck the crown endure to every generation.
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Well, if I can put it this way, that there was a day when the Church of God was endowed with great riches.
As endowed with the crown. But the state of things has come in today. Where?
There is much failure and there is much ruin and there is much that has been lost, and certainly in terms of outward testimony of power in that. But the word is that to look, to know the state of life locks. And so perhaps sometimes we think of the overseers or deacons as an official position, but I believe as we see it in the context here, the real burden of oversight in the assembly is to look after the state of the people of God as to their conduct and as to their state. Turn over to the second chapter just for a verse.
Her Paul references Timothy in verse 20.
For I have no man like minded who will naturally care for your state or to read it in the new translation. For I have no one like minded who will care with genuine feeling how you get on.
This is more than understanding the truth of Ephesians or the great truths of Christianity. This has to do with the state of soul and how we are getting on. And so how intensely practical the book of Philippians is that were brought here to our conduct as it would suggest in verse 27 that our conversation or our conduct because it becometh the gospel of Christ and then the state. Perhaps there is a danger sometimes emphasize so much on the official side of things, the positive side of things.
So we neglect is all important question of state of soul, which is answered so fully in this book. It's Christ himself that's the portion for the pathway.
It's a, it's interesting the way it starts. Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, doesn't write as an apostle, but as a servant, other servants. And there were overseas at Sears and deacons or ministers take care of their needs locally. And and that's what we have today, isn't it? It's a, we don't have apostles with us anymore, but we have those that can carry out the function that the apostles.
Bring before us in this wonderful epistle.
All his epistles begin with grace and peace, don't they? Grace be unto you, and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.
It's nice that he would address them as servants of Jesus Christ rather than Speaking of himself in his official capacity as the apostle Paul, because in the epistle he's going to speak of some things that he enjoyed and, and the state that you see him in and, and just rejoicing, one might be inclined to say, oh, but he's an apostle. That's why he's able to do that. But I'm just an average Christian.
So he takes that away, and he speaks not as an apostle, but as a bondsman of Jesus Christ.
Just like you and I, and it's something that each one of us should be able to, if we walk in communion with the Lord to enjoy, we should be, as you said at the beginning, it is normal Christianity, something that every one of us should be able to walk in and live in and enjoy. So he can include with himself in that first verse, Timotheus, all in Timotheus. It's in line with what you're saying. That's good.
In the second chapter, he in verse seven says speaks of the Lord Jesus. He made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant or of a slave, and was made in the likeness of men. And so the apostle Paul. There's another sweet theme that runs through the book of Philippians and that is submission. And there was no man like the Lord Jesus who submitted perfectly to the will of his Father. And we find that in Acts chapter 20 that they ceased to to speak with him and said that the will of the Lord be done.
And so here we find in the book of Philippians that the apostle Paul with Christ as his object, bright and fair to fill and satisfy the heart, submits to the circumstances that the Lord has placed him in. And there's a special sweetness in it, because he says in verse 12 of our chapter. But I would that you should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel. And so it is normal Christianity to submit to the circumstances that the Lord places us in. And perhaps.
There's a course of disobedience or self will and there are results that come out, but the Lord is sovereign and he overrules in it. And in the Apostle Pauls life it brought out a sweetness in this epistle.
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Here is the great apostle in prison and yet he says in this last chapter he says I'd have there was number other church that ministered to me and yet he tells them that it wasn't quite sufficient.
But he didn't blame them for that. But.
This is the only one that actually ministered to them as an assembly. And that's a wonderful gift, isn't it? The gift of giving.
God has given the greatest gift that could be given, and then the Lord in turn he he gives the Holy Spirit to us.
You can't go beyond that in giving. You can't outgive. God can.
The first mention of joy is in verses 4:00 and 5:00.
And he speaks of what gave him joy, and he says always in every prayer of mine for you all making requests with joy for your fellowship, It should be because of your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now. That's a, shall we say, a veiled reference to that which they had sent to him fellowship. And it was a joy to his heart to see the Saints communicating with them and valuing what he had from God.
And he was cheered by it. And it is nice to see the Saints having fellowship with the gospel.
It's important, it's normal that we should have an interest in the gospel. We say we just want to get on with the truth, leave the gospel to those gospel preachers. That's a dangerous idea. We should all have a healthy interest in the gospel and the fellowship with it. Even if we ourselves cannot maybe get into the to the mission field, we can in some way have fellowship with those who are there, and that's normal Christian living.
It's interesting how often he mentions the gospel in this first chapter.
Verse 5, like you mentioned the fellowship in the gospel. Verse 7, the defense and confirmation of the gospel.
Verse 12. The furtherance of the Gospel.
In verse 17 he speaks of the defense of the gospel. In verse 27 it's mentioned already. Let your conversation or your manner of life be as it becometh the gospel of Christ, That whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, that one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.
Really is a helpful thing to keep a vivid gospel focus. Seems to me, brethren, when we lose that in our local assemblies.
A focus in the gospel to those that are lost around us.
That we sometimes start picking on each other. The gospel puts us all on one front and we need to be exercised in it. Maybe all cannot participate in the same way. Still, there is the fellowship of the gospel, it seems to me. I just suggested that when I see their active interest in the gospel meeting souls where they are in this world.
In all their problems. And let me tell you, we live in a country that is getting more and more bankrupt of scriptural truth and principles. Oh, how important it is to know where we stand in relation to it. And if we don't have that focus and activity in the gospel, we tend to lose that. Brethren, let's be exercised at reaching out in the gospel.
An assembly that has no gospel outreach is not a normal assembly.
It's a strong statement, but I believe that's what Philippians is teaching us.
You know, there's nothing that puts us together to stand together on the street corner and preach or.
Go to a hospital and minister and pass out tracts and sing the hymns and so on. I think of, and I hate to even repeat it, I I'm so opposed to this thought that the brethren stand for the truth of the church and we leave the rest of the gospel. We leave that to the others. That's wrong, isn't it?
That's that's, that's a bad state of soul, isn't it? We should all be gospel minded as well as truth minded of the assembly. They all go together.
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Another Hale used to say that. Excuse me, Mr. Hale used to say that. There wasn't.
If there wasn't gospel activity in the assembly, there wasn't blessing in the assembly.
I think that we can all fill that place.
Although we may not be.
Especially gifted as an evangelist, we can all be evangelically minded and there's different ways of spreading the gospel and having fellowship in the gospel. Perhaps sometimes it's behind the scenes, but as our brother mentioned, a healthy Christian is interested in reaching others and if we ever get tired of the gospel, there's something wrong because the gospel is the.
Revelation of the heart of God to us.
In our deep need, and there are thousands, 1,000,000 out there who are on the road to a lost eternity. You don't have to be a member of the fire department of Burbank in order to knock at the door and get someone out of danger. So we all have that privilege and that and that responsibility too.
I was just thinking that our brother mentioned a little earlier about the gentle rebuke that was given in in chapter four of them having withheld.
The giving.
It's an evidence of spiritual growth, isn't it? And so when the giving is beginning to hold back, it's, it's, it's the beginning of noticing that the Spirit of God is not working in the fullness of that liberty.
And so that's the joy that's really connected here, isn't it, that he rejoices and that there's growth in their souls and that they're having fellowship with him in the work, and it's a work of the Spirit of God. So that's the reason for the rebuke, I think is because of his concern that that could be wavering a little bit.
If I may just go back to the Gospel, I was thinking how this may sound fundamental, but often when one thing of the gospel we are familiar with preaching Christ crucified.
When we talked to other Christians, perhaps they don't feel that is important. The gospel is the love of God. But really we have to keep that in mind that we are the preach that Jesus came into the world as the Son of God to save sinners. And then with the preach that one who was crucified on the cross, the one that not only did he died on the cross, but there is also the resurrection on that cross. That is the gospel, isn't it?
Paul probably had the longest prayer list of any of the early Christians. He says always verse 4, every prayer of mine for you all to give thanks, make a request with joy. This was just one assembly. One group of Saints prayed for them all.
Plenty to pray for.
Probably a thread bar, a threadbare remark, but.
We have often been told that there is no gift of prayer.
And it's true.
We do have gifts in the Church of God that we recognize has given to us from an ascended Christ in the glory. But prayer is not a gift you don't want. That is the privilege of every young brother in the.
An assembly to.
Express their dependence on the Lord and confidence. It doesn't have to be long and.
Flowery or anything like that. It's just the expression of.
Confidence in the Lord and bearing one another up to the throne of grace. So.
We need to remember that prayer is the very lifeline of the believer. Sometimes the prayer meeting is the most poorly attended of all meetings, but I think in the early days when they continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayers, there was just as many present at the prayer meeting as there were at the breaking of bread. And that is really the one of the most important meetings in the assembly.
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In fact, it's a meeting in which the Lord has told us He is present, present by His Spirit in the midst. We could take up quite a subject there, couldn't we? To consider how much Scripture has to say to us about prayer. I was thinking of the.
Ephesians chapter 6.
Just for a moment here.
Where we have the armor of God. Just one little thought here that the the 7th one mentioned.
Is in verse 18 praying always?
With all prayer and supplication in the Spirit washing thereunto, with all perseverance and supplication for All Saints, how good it is that we can pray for one another. So I prayed to the God of heaven, Nehemiah said when he was in.
A very serious position. And think of a little poem too.
Prayer or quote Prayer is the heart's sincere desire, utter, unexpressed. When can we pray? Praying always be not weary in well doing for a due season. Ye shall reap if you faint not. But may we be encouraged to pray for one another? What a blessed thing it is to know that your brethren are praying for you. And may we pray for one another, for one another's blessing.
And to think of the to whom we pray, that's the significant thing, isn't it? The one who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think. Thankful we had a little prayer meeting this morning before this one.
And I like to say what John said about the younger brother and praying in the affair, me. And that's a good place to start taking part in meetings, in the prayer meeting, be exercised about it. And that saying, that doesn't mean that our sisters don't pray in the prayer meeting. They don't pray out loud, but they pray as well. It's assembly prayer and they're praying when the brother says Amen at the end of his prayer.
We should be following that. We should say Amen, the end. And that is we all have prayed. We're all included in that. Prayer doesn't mean that the sisters take part in an audible fashion, but it's that they are praying just as much as the brothers. So it's a state of soul that we need to be exercised in.
And on a practical notice, we could just add this as well. Sometimes as a younger brother, it may be difficult to open our mouth. And the assembly prayer meeting, Well, specifically for the younger brother, perhaps a good way to start is to be at the prayer meeting before the gospel. You know, sometimes in our local gospel means we come and there may be, there's two or three brothers there. There's a lot more at the gospel meeting. Well, if you say I'm not a gospel preacher, but you can come to the prayer for the gospel and add your Amen. We only come when we're going to give the word. Are we there praying for our brethren?
I've shared this with some brother and justice recently, but you'll forgive me. About 25 years ago, we're at this very conference in a different locality and there was a group of us younger brother and listening to our brother Albert Heyho speak to us, suddenly looked at his clock and he said, excuse me, it's time for the prayer for the gospel meeting. He says if I expect my brother to pray for me, but I preach the gospel, I'm going to be there praying for them.
When they preach the gospel, but just a little word of encouragement for us. You're on your knees. No one's looking at you there. You're just there with a few brother and it's AI believe a nice way in which younger brethren can begin to open their mouth in public. An audible address to God in prayer and specifically that prayer meeting is designed for the furtherance of the gospel.
There's a heavenly singing, the children's hymn book, whisper prayer in the morning. Doesn't have to be on the top of a mountaintop or a rooftop.
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His ears are open to hear that whisper.
I like Romans chapter 16, You know, in a practical way. The apostle Paul as an example spoke and mentioned so many names. He speaks of Phoebe in verse one and then he speaks of equivalent Priscilla in verse three. And then he mentioned something about them empanadas of IKEA and then Mary in verse six. We could go on and on. And so he prayed for them individually and how nice it is.
To hear the Saints pray for one another individually and ask the Lord for grace, for strength, for preservation. And not only for those that are going on well, but for those, I should say, not only for those that are not going on well, but for those that are going on well too, that there might be just a preservation. Because we have an enemy that desires to destroy the fruit that is Christ. He destroys. He's a destroyer. And so the apostle Paul, I believe it says here that I thank God.
Upon every remembrance of you always in every prayer of mine, making mine for you all, making requests with joy. And so I believe he spoke individually of each one and what particular joy they were to his own heart. And so it's nice sometimes we pray for all of the brethren in the Central America or something like that. I like it when there's a specific assembly, perhaps mentioned Santiago and our dear brethren there and, and perhaps an individual this morning.
Prayed for. So we need to pray for one another individually, not just a broad brush of approach as it were. And so I don't believe that this is how the apostle prayed. He prayed for them individually. There may be someone here who has prayed for years.
For their children for example, or for some loved one and they would say there doesn't seem to be any answer.
To that prayer.
Thinking of specific cases.
That I know about, and yet I know a story that was so encouraging of a young man who had come to know the Lord and none of the family were saved, but he started praying and one after another got saved, except for his sister, who was, She would tell you she's the intellectual type and she had a lot of arguments as to questions about the things of God.
He prayed for, I believe as I remember the story for 37 years and there seemed to be no answer and he said that I it got to the point where I prayed, perhaps just out of habit. One day she got a he got a phone call.
And she said I've come to know Jesus as my savior.
And so may we continue in prayer, dear brother, say this to myself.
Well, they'll continue because they're going to be the the object of the attack of Satan. If you're going on well, he's going to try to change that. And they need our prayers just as much, maybe even more. Isn't that what his prayer here is? He's he's really supplicating. It's earnest prayer. So he's supplicating for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now.
Being confident of this very thing that he that would be the spirit which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ as the day of judgment. Isn't it where God would give reward Christ would give rewards even that this is it's it's a little bit different than than what's presented here in verse seven. It's I believe it should be I'll stand corrected where where I might make a mistake, but it should be even as it is right or righteous.
For me to think this of you all, because ye have me in your heart, inasmuch as both in my bonds and in the defense and all confirmation of the gospel, ye all are participators of my grace. And so he's, he's giving thanks for the part that they have played and, and their exercise and being a help in the gospel, but he's really earnestly praying that those that are going on might continue on.
Get a taste of that further down, don't we in verse 910 and verse 11. He explained that in a little bit more details because let's let's read that first verse nine he said, and this I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment that he may approve things that are excellent that you may be sincere and with our fans the day of till the day of Christ.
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Being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God. Now we look at it carefully. He actually, I believe mentioned at least seven different incidents or seven things here. You start by saying that your love may abound. I believe that's something that we've been talking about here, isn't it? That our love may abound. And then he said the second thing here is that.
More in knowledge, what kind of knowledge do we need? We need the knowledge of the Word of God, do we not? And then in all judgment or intelligence, perhaps that would be the third thing that he was in his prayer. And then the fourth thing he mentioned here in verse 10 is that he may approve things that are excellent. And then what else do you say in verse five? That we are to be sincere.
Sincere.
And without a fence till the day of Christ, and then just for gravity. Verse 11 and we're told two to be filled with the fruit of righteousness. And then the 7th one he ended up with by saying all this is because it is unto the glory and praise of God.
Was a manifestation of the divine life in the apostle the divine nature, wasn't it? And we have the same life, we have the very life of Christ. We also have the old nature which needs to be continually kept in the place of death so that it doesn't manifest itself and hinder the the fruits of righteousness mentioned here. But.
Every Christian has all these graces within him, but they're not always developed.
And if we walk in obedience and in self judgment, these fruits of righteousness will surely be manifest to the praise and glory of God. We need discernment, however, because as we all know, there's certain believers that we just cannot walk within practical fellowship. We love them in the Lord, but we meet them every day. Or perhaps those who have been in fellowship with us at one time.
And it's a great grief to us that we can no longer walk with them. We love them. But.
Holiness becomes God's house and assembly principles have been set aside and we we cannot walk with them as we would desire. So we need that discernment that our love may be manifest according to the mind of God.
We need to keep moving if we're going to get through this chapter, do you think?
Keep going.
Verse 12.
For work, he speaks about the.
Things that had happened unto him. We know that Paul was in prison when he was.
A In Philippi, actually the assembly really started by the Apostle Paul's being in prison.
The earthquake that took place and the jailer came out a believing man so.
At this time when he writes this epistle, he is also in prison. You know, they might have lamented that we have brethren that are in prison today in many countries of the world for the gospel sake.
Is that a blow against the gospel? He's saying no. Those things have turned to the furtherance of the gospel. It is interesting to listen to the testimonies you hear from China today, brethren, and the severe persecution that believers have been submitted to, But the result has been that the gospel is growing.
Far, far more than in the Western countries.
And so the persecution, imprisonment that believers suffer is not a blow against the gospel, it's for the furtherance of the gospel. And he says in verse 13, so that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace and all other places.
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There were high men of authority that heard the gospel through the Apostle Paul.
Being a prisoner beautiful in chapter 26 the acts to see how he stands and gives that discourse before agrippa and.
As the freest man in that company, those high up authorities that had under their commands so many people, the freest man was that man that was wearing those chains on him. Tremendous testimony for the gospel. Sometimes we think that we don't like to suffer the brethren. Sometimes suffering is the way that the gospel gets out.
And is furthered.
Isn't it lovely, brother? I was just thinking of these words here. Contrary to the reasoning of man in verse 14 and many of the brethren of the Lord waxing confident by my bonds, it didn't intimidate them. It made them wax confidence. Why?
Those bonds spoke of something that the apostle had learned of value. He learned to value Christ.
The apostle tells Timothy that the gospel preacher may be bound, but the word of God is not bound. God will not be frustrated in his purposes of love and grace by circumstances, will he?
It's nice to see from verse 12 on through it, perhaps the end of the first chapter that.
The apostle has this great care for the Philippians. Again, this is normal Christianity. He is concerned that they don't get discouraged by the fact that perhaps we could say the leading proponent of the gospel is now incarcerated and that they would be wanting to give up because Paul, the one who had encouraged them and so on for so many years, was now not able to get around to the various assemblies.
And so you find him here telling them that let not that be the case, because God is using the strange circumstance that He was in for the furtherance of the gospel. And it reminds me of that verse in Psalm 76 that says He hath made the wrath of man to praise him. God can take circumstances where man may try to stop the work of God, and it only turns out for the furtherance of it. And so you see here the Spirit of Christ and the apostle caring for the Philippians, that they would not be discouraged even though he was.
In these restricted circumstances, I say that the Spirit of Christ, because if you turn over to Psalm 69, you see the Lord Jesus praying on the cross, and you have that similar thought in Psalm 69 and verse six. Praise to God. And he says, let not them that wait on thee, O Lord God of hosts, be ashamed for my sake. Let not those that seek thee be confounded from my sake. O God of Israel, isn't this amazing? Lord Jesus was dying on the cross.
And here he was concerned about the little flock that had followed him, that they would not be stumbled by what had happened.
He was concerned for them and he didn't want them to get stumbled or turned out of the way.
Because of what was happening and they didn't understand it. And so we see the beautiful spirit of the apostle here. So to put that to rest, you find him Speaking of the positive things that happened.
There in Rome, where he was in prison, even to the point where summoned Caesar's Palace or Caesar's Court were getting saved.
There were others through four verse 12, it says.
For the Word of God is quick and powerful, sharper than any two Ed sword, piercing even through the dividing defender of soul and spirit, and of the joints and morals, and he is a discerner of the thoughts and intense of the heart.
There were others who were preaching the gospel in another way.
And verse 15 of envy and strife, some of goodwill.
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But one preached Christ of contention, not sincerely supposing to add affliction to my bonds.
The other of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel, What then, Notwithstanding every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached, and I therein do rejoice, and will rejoice. What a beautiful spirit of self abnegation there was in the apostle Paul, not thinking of himself, but that Christ was preached. O brethren, we should rejoice to hear Christ preach.
Must say, sometimes you see it preached in ways you don't think about.
I was walking through the main place of Cochabamba, Bolivia one time and there was a group of Christians out of there. They were doing some kind of they had a man on a chain. They were making an illustration out of him and and he was supposedly being auctioned off.
And then at the end of the show part, why this girl comes out, young sister and the Lord, I take it, and she stands up. She didn't have her head covered. She would have been ordered, but she preached. Let me tell you, it was a clear message.
I had to rejoice in hearing the clarity of the message that was going to those people. It wasn't the right order.
But I have to leave that with the Lord.
But I did rejoice in hearing Christ preached. Oh brethren, thank God Christ is preached in any way that He has preached that message. There is only one hope for lost souls in this world. It is the person of Christ, faith in Him that saves the soul.
So the apostle Paul could rejoice that Christ was priest in any way that he was preached.
Moses went back into the camp, as we know from the Old Testament to account there. Joshua was not encouraged to do that. He remained outside of the the defiled system. But we surely can see that God is working apart from the gathered Saints in the Gospel we we certainly acknowledge this. The Spirit of God is in the House of God.
We are not the only part of the House of God, and he is working. And the apostle could rejoice. He wasn't circumscribed with his own activity. But if Christ was proclaimed and souls received blessing, he rejoiced and so should we, although we don't.
Associate ourselves with them and go along with the system they are connected with.
But we can stand with them and support them as our brother mentioned here in telling forth the glad tidings.
What is verse 19 mean?
I read it in Darby's. It says For I know that this shall turn out for me to salvation through your supplication and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Is he referring to his being released from prison?
Anyone have a thought on that?
She'll turn out for me to salvation, he says.
What's viewed as salvation at the end of the road, isn't it? But it's, I think I, I was going to ask actually that question because I understand he's not really asking that you pray to, to help me get out of prison, but that through the work and, and through prayer and the supplication of this, I mean, the supply of the spirit of, of Jesus Christ, it's, it's viewed as salvation at the end of the road. And it's, to me, it's been rather a little bit of a difficult thing to see clearly. And I was going to ask.
Exactly how does it fit in this context?
But verses 24 and 25 help in this respect.
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Nevertheless, to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. For having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all.
For your furtherance and joy of faith.
That's very helpful. Yeah. I think that in the measure that Christ was preached.
Even those who opposed in an outward way of the apostle, but preaching Christ, the result would be so evident that they would come to the point where they say this man, we should release him. And I think it does have reference to that probably.
But he says in verse.
Through 23 says I'm in a straight betwixt 2 having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. He's looking again. He's looking past what he might want for himself to what his presence remaining here would be for the Saints.
He was very unselfish man.
Always thinking of others and not of himself.
It's because he had Christ before his soul. That's what does that.
To a person because he was an insolent, overbearing man before. What a transformation. But I love the verse 20 here, brother, and I think there's so much to be said here. According to my Ernest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness as always. So now also Christ may be magnified in my body.
Whether it be by life or by death. In other words, he's saying it really isn't that important whether I live or whether I die. The thing that is important is that Christ be magnified. Oh, what a beautiful desire that we should have as well. Brethren, living or dying, This world is very.
Quickly passing, how many lit years can we live? Live up to? Some get up to 100, like brother Dave's father got up to 106. Was that right, Dave? That's right. And but what's 106 years in comparison with God's eternal day? I mean, it goes so tremendously fast. What is important? It's not how long we live or when we die, what is important.
Is that Christ the magnified? And brethren, the more Christ is magnified, you know, you put a magnifying glass. When I worked at Bible Truth Publishers, I noticed that sometimes those that do printing, they put a magnifying glass on the printing that they've done and it shows immediately the defects there. Are there anybody put a magnifying glass on any human being in this room, you're going to see defects. You put a magnifying glass on the Lord Jesus.
You will only see perfection. Oh, what a wonderful thing to have him magnified. And the Lord grant that desire in US. Brethren, there's not a desire to magnify any human instrument that that Christ be magnified.
So that he could say to me to live is Christ, to die is gain. It really is that way for a person who lives with Christ before his soul, to die is gain. If you have an object to earn $1,000,000, have $1,000,000 in your bank account, you get up to 500,000.
And death meets you, takes you away. You're not going to gain your objective. That would be lost to you.
Live in such a way that if death comes at any moment, it can only be gained to you. That was the way it was for the Apostle Paul.
I'd say what is the secret of the Apostle Paul's strength and all that he accomplished? I think verse 19 is one of the answers to that. It's just dependence. It's just dependence. Well, he was a strong mind, yet a good mind, and he was an energetic man. Is that what carried him through? No, it's dependence. So it is with us. He says in verse 20 he didn't want to be ashamed. Here is a man with all, you might say, the tools.
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He could have been ashamed if he had not been in a place of dependence in that's prayer. And he's depending too on his brethren for this, their prayers for him, and so are we.
If we could just keep in mind that to live is Christ. To live we live Christ.
That's right now ties going up there, but we can live Christ down here.
To give us further example in the remaining of the chapters, actually we'll find out often when he put things in there and put them in point forms and often in seven points. We'll find that in verses 26 to to the end of the chapter, there is 7 things that we should live for Christ for verse 26, we find that he said that you're rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ or how precious we can live with that being able to think of that that are rejoicing.
Not just rejoicing, but here it says be more abundant in Jesus Christ.
For me by my coming to you again. And then in verse 27 it says that let your conversation. So here's our walk being mentioned there only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ, that whether I come and see you or else be absent. I may hear of your affairs. Now then he mentioned the third thing here, what he wants to hear about our affair.
That you want to hear here is this, that ye stand fast in one spirit. And then it goes on the fourth thing here, with one mind striving together for the face of the gospel, And to go on and mention the fifth thing in verse 28. And in nothing terrified by your adversaries, which is to them in evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation.
And that of God. And then at the end of verse 29, perhaps I read that verse. For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, and then one more point here in that latter part of that verse, but also to suffer for His sake.
Just before we go on, I'd like to mention verse 23. There I am in a straight betwixt to the words. He was in a place where two things, two possibilities were before him.
Having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is.
Far better.
I don't think there's any question anybody's mind, but that is far better. There's quite a few brethren that have gone to be with the Lord since last conference here.
They are far better.
Scripture doesn't say a whole lot about that state, but here is one thing that is said about those that have departed.
Far better.
So there were two things to stay or to depart and the apostle seemingly even though he recognized it and his heart was drawn in that direction to depart. He says in verse 24, to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. So in a certain way in his fellowship with the Lord, he had a sense in his soul that he was going to abide. Verse 25 and having.
This confidence I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith. What is the purpose of standing here any longer? Is there something to be gained?
Rather than to be a blessing to others, should be, if there's a need, a particular need in souls that are around us, there should be a desire to be a blessing to them in any way possible.
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And that is true of each one of us. Brethren, the Lord has left you here for a little while longer. Perhaps you've been in an accident and the Lord allowed you to be spared. Why did He spare you? He has a purpose in your being spared, not to live for your own advantage, but to live for the blessing of others. So the apostle Paul wasn't thinking about his own benefit, but the benefit of the Philippine believers.
If he had been taken home much earlier, we wouldn't have Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. Timothy wouldn't have those epistles. So he remained that he might be a blessing to all the Saints, and we're profiting from that right now.
So it was better, but it wasn't best.
The best is in chapter 3.
The last two verses last verse last two verses I suppose we could say we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change your vile body or body of humiliation that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body or body of glory according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things to himself. What is best is the glorified state. That's what we're hoping that's what we're looking for. But if it is the will of God that.
One should be called through the article of death into what we might call the separate state of the unclothed state.
They are with Christ and it is far better, but the best is yet to come. Eric Smith used to put it to us in those simple words.
In, with and like. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. That's the gospel, which in that new creation in Christ those have departed as Merle and brother Bill.
Or with Christ, but that's not the best.
Like Christ, we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. That's the best.
And every Christian has that course in a way, in Christ first, some good to be with Christ before he comes. And it doesn't matter. We'll be like Christ, they'll be like Christ. There's no time for those who have been called to heaven.
Abel doesn't know he's been dead for 6000 years. I'm sure that there is no time there in the heaven.
In width and light.
What a comfort though for those who have been left behind now to be able to say that those that have departed.
Are far better we we live here in this world, brethren, and we enjoy natural relationships and they are formed, they are made of God and they when they are severed, we feel it. That is proper, but to realize that they are far better. What a comfort.
Into I often think of it, if we would see an experience, their present portion, we could never really wish them back. It's far better where they are now.
2nd Corinthians chapter 5 verse 6 knowing that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord.
You're willing rather to be absent from the body, to be present with the Lord.
Some would teach us that the souls of believers who die are unconscious.
How could that be far better?
The apostle here was torn between two desires. One was to remain and serve the Lord and his people. That was a joy to his heart, and the other was to go to be with Christ, and that was far better. So how could that be? The sleeping of the soul, the unconsciousness of the believer who's gone on before?
There's something that should be said in verse 27 before we get to the end, brethren.
Let your conversation or your manner of life be as it becometh the gospel of Christ.
Our lives should commend the gospel. Sometimes that is not so. We act in such a way that we are hindered in giving out the gospel. That is not proper. Our lives should commend the gospel.
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Still remember the story I heard of a sister, not in this section of the country someplace else, but she was a very timid person and did not speak much to people. But one day somebody else that worked in the office with her came to her and said, you have something that I want.
What is it you have? And she was able to give her the gospel, and that person was saved is another secretary. So our lives can commend the gospel. And that's the way it should be. Brethren, we should realize that not only what we say, what we say is important, but what we do is.
A preaching of the Gospel.
Both areas in Gideon, he had two things he used in his war. One was a trumpet and the other was a lighted torch in the earthen vessel. That is both areas. Not only what we say, that's the trumpet, but what we are, we should be a lighted torch for Christ. It's a solemn thing, isn't it, when we've heard this little expression many times?
Your actions speak so loud I can't hear what you say. I was thinking about that in connection with the Word to my own conscience here too, very much. Driving along in a car with a nice gospel verse on the back. I better drive in a way that would be becoming to the gospel and all of our actions, how they do things. Our lives are epistles, known and read of all men.
I wanted to ask a question here if we have a moment. I don't I say our time is up, but I was thinking of Second Corinthians chapter 12, perhaps a little bit in connection with the subject of the intermediate state.
Could we learn something, Brother Dave you were speaking about along that line, Brother Graham, if you have a thought on that too, or somebody?
The apostle describes an experience without bringing in his own name even, but perhaps it was him.
The apostle was caught up into paradise, wasn't he?
To the 3rd heaven doesn't say he was. He entered into the 3rd heaven, which is that scene of uncreated glory.
But he was caught up into paradise. He knew what was ahead of him. When he speaks here in our epistle, that is far better to go to be with Christ. He knew whereof he spoke because he had been there. It had been his own personal experience. He couldn't express it, but mortal language for mortal ears.
But he knew what it was and he could pass it on to us, you and myself, that it's far better.
18 in the offending.
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Thy glory, Lord.
Why?
AM.
My.
Right and.
Crying.
Thy soul.
Read 2 little phrases from John 21.
Feed my lamb.
And feed my sheep. Give thanks.
Our God and our Father, we just do. Thank you for the open Scriptures.
Philippians 2
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Gordon has drawn us after thee. Now let us run and never tire. Number 166.
Sweetheart.
I.
Heart, stand by.
A string of mine when apart, when proud.
I can hear.
My redness.
Where they are.
Free by.
Continue with the 2nd chapter.
Philippians, Chapter 2.
Beginning of verse one.
If there be any, if there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies fulfill ye my joy, let ye be like minded, having the same love being of 1 accord of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory, but in lowliness of mind.
Let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also of the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself.
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And became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow Of things in heaven and things in earth.
And things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do His good pleasure.
Do all things without murmurings and disputings, that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as light in the world, holding forth the word of life, that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, That I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain. Yeah, and if I be offer of the sacrifice.
And service of your faith I joy and rejoice with you all. For the same cause also do ye joy and rejoice with me. But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you. And I also may be of good comfort when I know your state. For I have no man like minded who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ.
But you know the proof of him, that as a son with the Father, He hath served with me in the Gospel. Him therefore I hope to send presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me. But I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly. Yet I suppose it necessary to send to you Aphoriticus, my brother and companion in labor and fellow soldier, but your message but your messenger.
And he that ministered to my wants. For for He long after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that he had heard that he had been sick, for indeed he was sick night unto death. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrowed. I sent him therefore the more carefully, that when ye see Him again, ye may rejoice.
And that I may be the less sorrowful, receive him, therefore, in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such in reputation, because for the work of Christ He was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me.
The enemy of the soul, our souls.
The devil himself and his emissaries was attacking the Philippian Assembly from two points from without, and from within the latter verses of chapter one, we find that there was a terrible persecution from without. But chapter 2, which we have had read to us just now, you see that the enemy was also seeking to work from within, and the apostle here gives them the great solution to that difficulty and that danger.
Of the enemy working within.
Put it in a nutshell, the enemy was seeking to create disunity and contention. And so this chapter, he deals with the cause and the cure of contentions in local assemblies. Some will tell us that the subject of this chapter is Christ our pattern or Christ our model. I beg to differ with that. It's not exactly the subject. The subject of the chapter is the cause and the cure of contentions, the remedy.
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The cure is Christ the pattern and Christ the model. And so he lays out here in this chapter the way that they could be saved practically as a company of believers from the inroads of the enemy to divide them. What it actually was at the bottom of it, there was two sisters that weren't getting along, and he knew that the enemy could make use of that and actually polarize the Saints into a situation where the enemy could get a victory.
In that little assembly in Philippi, they think the key verse of the chapter is verse 5, which says let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. What was his mind? He was in the highest place, was willing to take the lowest place and that would that would settle that difficulty that was there.
When difficulties arise, it's because I think.
I'm right, you think you're right, and we set ourselves up as knowing, knowing the the matter perfectly or whatever. But the mind that was in Christ was his willingness to take the very lowest place. He was in the form of God. He was willing to take the form of a servant.
That that mind that was in him should be in US, should be in me, should be in you, to take that lowest place. And that would settle the difficulty, wouldn't it?
That first verse.
Has when I was younger difficulties. I mean, I couldn't understand what's he saying here if there were be any consolation and any fellowship and so on. But he's using the word if what we might call the if of argument and you could almost substitute the word sense. He's really saying in this verse that since there's been such consolation and love and fellowship of the spirit and bowels of mercy extension toward me in the fellowship that you have given.
He says, now if you really want to make me happy and fulfill my joy, verse two, he says, use that on one another and be like minded and have and with one accord and with one mind. You see what had happened was that they had showed such love and fellowship and such grace toward the apostle. He says, well now it would be nice if you could just use that among yourselves and that there would be this like-mindedness that would come as a result.
He says be of 1 accord of one mind, then again in verse.
Three, let nothing be done through strife or Vainglory, but in lowliness of mind, that each esteem other other better than themselves.
The mind of Christ, the mind decrees that that's that would resolve all kinds of problems amongst us, wouldn't it?
But each esteem other better than themselves.
It's beautiful to read those words, but it's not easy to put it into practice.
I think it would be impossible, Chuck, if we didn't have the Lord as our object, wouldn't we could we could take courses on how to win friends and influence people and and go into all the programs that are offered. The bottom line of all that is that we would advance ourselves. That's the purpose of of such hand rings in in those kinds of programs. It's how to advance ourselves.
The Lord never tells us anything that we're to do, that he hasn't been through himself. Every time we see an instruction in Scriptures, it's what the Lord has already passed through. In Second Corinthians 8-9, we have there in those two chapters, chapters 8 and 9, giving you know, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor. That through his poverty you might become rich. Gave himself thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift, every case.
The disciples come to him and ask, How many times shall we forgive? He says 70 * 7. We said, Oh my goodness, how are we going to go about that?
Every time that we find ourselves as an offense to the Lord.
We can come to him and confess that how many times do we have to do that? How many times for the same offense do we have to do that? Now, I won't go into detail. We only have to look at ourselves for this. We probably would think at length.
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The Lord is probably getting tired of hearing me confess the same fault over and over. They may be private things. Nobody else may even see these things. He says we're to forgive each other. 70 * 7 That's unlimited. He forgives us.
We don't have to hesitate in coming to him, in confessing. It's the only deliverance we have every detail in our lives.
How beautifully it puts everything in order, doesn't it? I was thinking of that verse five as it seems to be the center thought of what we have in chapter 2, but more than that.
Thinking of that mind.
The mind of Christ.
I just failed to be able to put it in words that would rightly express all that is brought before us with the thought of the mind of Christ.
If that were taken to heart for each one of us, for me.
And that in a practical way.
As someone has said, and I've enjoyed so much enjoyment of Christ and occupation with Him has never caused one division yet.
The enjoyment of Christ. Let this mind emphasis on the word of this mind in contrast to all other minds, the mind of Christ.
Worth much meditation, beloved brethren, the mind of Christ. We sang that little hymn.
And is it so I shall be like thy son?
To know that throughout the endless ages of eternity, as those who have been redeemed, we will then have the mind of Christ with all the hindrances removed.
Well, I would just say again.
It's worth much meditation to consider the mind of Christ with every decision that comes into our lives. What would He do?
What is his mind? Do we covet that? Is it the desire of our hearts that we might be like him?
Even now, a little more.
The truth of God is that we are one body in Christ, isn't it? It's not a subject of this epistle, but it is the truth of God. We've often mentioned how the Christian testimony has fallen into ruins because of the divided state of the testimony, but it's been a tremendous consolation to my own soul to realize that is divided as the testimony is.
The truth still remains, there is one body and we are to seek to reflect that even in the day of ruins. How can we do that? And that's what we have here in this verse two. You be like minded having the same love being of 1 accord of one mind.
We get to thinking sometimes that we have a cause to campaign for and that brother over there, he is badly mistaken. Brethren, let's be careful. If it is not a matter of the person or the work of Christ and those things, we must be careful to not give in at all. But if it's not a matter of that, if it's a matter.
Of differences, of feeling, of opinions, we need to seek to be of one mind 1 accord, because the enemy well knows that if he can get us divided one against another, we will seek, we will cease to be effective.
In our testimony to the world around us, that's one way the enemy seeks to defeat an army if you can get them divided against themselves. He has been defeated. The Lord help us to realize that we are one and that we need to seek to carry out this unity as the Scripture shows us, having the person of the Lord Jesus before us.
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So contrary to the.
Old nature, all this is we. We know too well how much of the strife among the people of God is because someone wanted to be great, to have the 1St place. Isn't that so? And when we look at our own hearts, we see how much there is to judge. We don't know the evil in our brother's heart may be the same, but we certainly know that which is in our own hearts, and how much we have to judge in the presence of God every day.
So, as Mr. Darby says, use a sharp knife with yourself, say little, pass on and need to be gentle with those who have failed. Is that right?
I remember hearing a brother who used to be among us, now with the Lord James Ryan.
Say, if I knew half as much about you as I know about me, I couldn't have fellowship with you.
Well, God's ways and thoughts are never our ways and thoughts, are they? The world speaks much about self esteem.
Than God thinks it's let each esteem other better than himself.
In James chapter one the Spirit of God records there some instruction in I'll just read in verse chapter one and verse 18 of James of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruit to this creatures. Wherefore my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wroth, for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
Wherefore lay apart all filthiness, and sure profligity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your souls. And so oftentimes the wrath of man is connected with the will of man. And we have that work that is not characterized by the righteousness of God. So the will of man and the wrath of man often rise up in opposition to the truth of God. And so instead of joy there, and instead of like mindedness.
Instead of love, instead of 1 accord, instead of being of one mind, there's that strife.
And So what a wonderful thing it is for us to recognize that it's the Spirit of Christ that we see in one another that we can just encourage. And that is that is Roth. If I feel Roth being stirred up in my own heart, it's not the righteousness of God that's going to be the fruit of it. And so we ought to keep our wills and our Roth in a place of subjection or or the flesh and the place of subjection and exhibit the Spirit of Christ.
One with the other.
What is loneliness of mind?
Thinking little of self.
It's the hardest thing to do.
Brother said if I could think nothing of myself, I should be perfect.
You can't do that.
But we ought to attempt to.
The more we think about the Lord, the more we won't have time to be thinking about ourselves.
That's the. That's the object of this last address we heard. Make room for good things and not for the bad things.
And the more we think about ourselves, the less time we'll have thinking about the Lord, isn't it?
That was Joe's problem.
He says in the middle of the book of Job, I will not give up my righteousness. But at the end he said, I've heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine I see at thee, wherefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes. He had to be brought to that. He had to lose everything in order to lose his confidence in himself and even the so-called friendship of the of his friends that were accusing him. Come on, we know you did something wrong. Confess it, confess it. He says he I'm going to maintain my righteousness.
Until he got in the presence of God himself, and then he abhorred himself. How we can have pride, That's the worst thing that affects us. That's the worst sin that there is for us. Knowing, as David was pointing out, what this brother said, if we really knew ourselves and really judged it ourselves, we wouldn't have much to say in pride, would we?
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In the 13th chapter of Proverbs and verse 10.
There's a familiar verse there about pride.
Only by pride, or pride by pride cometh only contention, but with the well advised is wisdom. And then couple that with First Corinthians chapter one and verse 11, where we read the apostles speaking before. It has been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the House of ploy, that there are contentions among you.
And then you go down to verse 613 is Christ divided. So we see that the pride that leads to contention. One of the one of the fruits of that contention is division among us. And So what a word that is. And this chapter that we have before us Philippians 2. Let this mind be in you, which is also in Christ Jesus who beat in the form of God thought it not Robbie to be eat with God.
But made himself of no reputation, and so on. What a picture we have there. What rooms are exercise our hearts when we see our holy, holy, holy Lord take that humble place. Another verse in Proverbs 2825. He that is of a proud heart. Stirreth of strife you find in our chapter. Let nothing be done through strife and Vainglory.
It's been said that these are the two enemies to Unity. These are the two enemies to Unity, Strife and Vainglory. And I understand that Vainglory has the thought and the word in the original language at least, to do with ambition or self ambition. In fact, I think some translations even put it that way. Correct me if I'm wrong. Oh, what a destructive thing that is. Self ambition, wanting to distinguish myself among my brethren, or whatever it may be.
Maybe a gift or the way I look. Whatever the case is, we all want to be well thought of.
We all like to be well thought of, but that could be the flesh and probably is. And so when that kind of thing is at work, there's sure to be destructive to unity in the assembly. And so his exhortation is that they need to have a lowly mind. And He doesn't leave them there just with an exhortation to be having a lowly mind. He gives them an illustration or example in the Lord Jesus himself, who willingly, voluntarily went down, down, down.
That's the remedy for strife and contention among the Lords people, the willing being willing to take the low place.
There was a man that said that he was less than the least of All Saints.
You know, it's been said, it's easier to say that I'm the chief of sinners, that I'm less than the least of All Saints. There's something in us that desires to be the best in something. But what was it and what was it that motivated the apostle Paul in order to be able to say that it wasn't that he persecuted the Church of God? In that context, he said that he wasn't mean to be called an apostle. But what was it that motivated him to be able to say that he was less than the least of All Saints?
It was that he was given to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. It was that sense of grace that had come out to the Gentiles that had come out to him. And so it's one thing to flog ourselves for how bad we are and how much we failed and so on and so forth, but really, isn't the answer, isn't the deliverance for us that we get into the presence of God and be overwhelmed with a sense of grace. In that context, we will not be comparing ourselves among ourselves, but rather to be in the enjoyment of the grace that has reached us.
Suppose we cannot really be in the presence of God and be proud. If I was in the presence of a mathematician who knew infinitely more about the subject than I did, I wouldn't have to be told to be humble. I would feel humble. And when we had these proud thoughts, it's just an evidence that we are not really in the.
In the presence of the Lord, and occupied with him well as God, he.
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It says here.
He laid aside his glory. We need to be very careful here. Of course He didn't lay aside his deity, He emptied himself.
Of the outward glory that was his in a vast eternity. And became a man humbling himself in that character. But He never laid aside His deity. He never ceased to be the eternal Son. He did not become the Son in manhood.
His position as the only begotten of the Father was from a past eternity. I think we need to honestly contend for that truth because there's a very evil doctrine abroad as to that point.
It's in contrast with Adam Adam.
Grasped after godhood, and he was told, or the enemy told Eve at least he shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And so he grasped after that. In effect, here is one who is God in every sense of the term.
Yet and So what it says at the end of verse six, he thought it not robbery to be equal with God or.
He did not esteem it something to be grasped after, because He was God in every sense of the word. There was no need for such a thing but being in that position of supreme exaltation.
He emptied himself. He made himself of no reputation.
What an example. We all like to have a reputation for something. Here's one who emptied himself completely. Tremendous to try to think about it rather than to meditate on his humiliation. When we think of the contradiction of sinners against himself, we think my just think of it. Here was God manifest in flesh, and yet contradicted it every term.
Misunderstood. Spit upon, Beaten.
God become man, truly God, truly man. But never once did he insist on his Godhead rights, did he not once he exercised his his God had power on behalf of his people, heal them. He raised the dead, but he never insisted upon them for himself.
All is for in love for man.
And an obedience to the will of God.
So he was obedient under death, whereas the first Men had been disobedient unto death.
He was in the form of God, but he took upon him the form of a servant.
O brethren.
Are we not all servants?
And you will keep that form of a servant for all eternity.
It's a marvelous thing to meditate upon that served us in the past in dying for us on Calvary, meeting our deep need of sinners. He's serving us now as our great High Priest. Alas, we need His advocacy as well, but He's certainly serving us now at the right hand of God every hour of every day. How could we ever get through this wilderness scene without that?
Priesthood of Christ Then in Luke 12, we know that he's going to serve us for all eternity, so he's never going to give up that place of service in manhood for us forever. What a what a wonderful thing to contemplate.
Illustrations always fall short when we use them to illustrate the great truths connected with the person of the Lord Jesus. But allow me to just say, take the example of an of a four-star general. You know, there he is, commands an army with tremendous power and respect. But when he comes home, he takes off that uniform and puts it on a chair, but he's still a general.
He's still a general, but he's laid aside the Insignia of his glory, but he's still every bit a general. And so when the Lord Jesus became a man, he didn't cease to be God in any sense. That would be blasphemy to say that.
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He had to give a man to die. He couldn't die as God. He didn't die as God. He gave up his life, the power of the Spirit.
The first man was made a living soul. The 2nd man was made a quickening spirit.
He didn't have the attitude. It says who being let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, did not esteem it something to be tenaciously held on to. I am God, I will never consider to be anything less. That was not His mind at all. It was just the willingness to lay that aside.
Come to where we were.
That's the place he took to save you and me.
As God, he emptied himself.
As man he humbled himself. He used the word empty because in the other translation, verse 7, when it says He made himself of no reputation, it should be and he emptied himself. So as God he emptied himself, but as a man he humbled himself. What an example.
We found that God save God, that too at the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. We found a wise man came and they presented 3 gifts, the gift of gold, the gift of frankincense, and the gift of murder. And do we not find that in these few verses here we know that gold speaks of that divine righteousness. Let's look at our verse again in verse verse six, Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.
So not a beautiful picture of how God knew from the very beginning that he safeguarded that there is that gold, isn't it? And then in verse 7, there's a frankincense being expressed here, but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of man. We found that frankincense was put on top of the meal offering picture of that perfect man that that evenness of that fine flower.
No lungs, no, no imperfection is humanity. There was exhibited as that perfect one. And then of course in verse 8, the picture of myrrh, picture of death for his burial. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
In creation, man was made in the image and likeness of God. It's interesting how careful and how exact scripture is when it speaks about our Lord Jesus and how careful we need to be as well. It does say in Colossians chapter one that he is the image of the invisible God.
But it never says He's the likeness of God. That would be to deny his divinity. But he was made, it says here in verse seven in the likeness of men.
He was God over all, blessed forever He is.
But he was made in the likeness of men.
Hebrews, chapter one, verse 5.
I wonder if.
Remember a few years ago we were enjoying this together, and I remember this being said about that verse so as Hebrews one and verse 5. For unto which of the angels said He at any time Thou art my son, his deity, this day have I begotten thee is impeccable humanity.
And then significant. Nothing was lost in that. He became a man before we read. And again, I will be unto him a father, and he shall be.
Unto me a son.
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And the wonder of it all is that he'll never cease to be a man.
Never cease to be a man. He could have accomplished the work of redemption and and gone back and laid aside his manhood entirely and just resumed all his deity, which he had never lost. Of course. No, but he's always a man.
We'll be able to look into that blessed man's face, knowing that in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead, bodily as a man, bodily as a man. All the fullness of Deity dwells in that man.
It makes me shiver to think that I'll be in the presence of that man. It was God and man in one person.
That's a mystery, isn't it? Yes.
There's so much, so many evil doctrines that are.
Promulgating around the world now, and nearly everyone of them.
That is, promoted attacks the the person and the work of Christ in some way or other. Without naming specifically the sex that we are Speaking of, you'll find that they always attack the person and the work of Christ in some way or other, and his deity especially. So how we need to be extremely careful here.
He is the eternal Son. He was from apostate eternity which says the beginning of the creation of God in Revelation 3. It doesn't have any reference to the Lords beginning that has reference to the new creation which he is the head and the source origin and he's not a creature.
When the angels look down from the glory, that was the first time they saw their Creator.
But I just think it's so important to earnestly contend for this truth because there is so much error, well, evil abroad that would attack the person of Christ.
There are there are two offerings in the Old Testament of which the Spirit of God says it is most holy. And those two offerings were the meal offering which brings before us the humanity of Christ in his life down here on earth.
And the sin offering, which of course presents him to our thoughts as the one who bore our sins. I believe the Spirit of God who indicted those words in the Old Testament, knew already that the question of the humanity of Christ and the question of His sin bearing would both be mediums for Satan's attack and the unbelief of man. And so he takes special care.
To preserve the most holy character of the man Christ Jesus.
There are those that are very well known in Christendom and one of them is themed as the greatest evangelist ever, Billy Graham. And he was a great preacher of the gospel. But he did teach, at least at one time. I hope he had repented of it, that the Lord could have sinned.
He couldn't have sinned in his deity, he said, but in his humanity he could have. But his humanity was not innocent like Adams. It was holy, and holiness cannot sin.
If he could have sinned, then the nature that we have is the same as his human nature, and it's holy. That means we'll still be able to sin even when we get to heaven, which is nonsense.
He could not sin in his humanity. Adam could. He didn't have sinful humanity when he's created, but he was capable of sinning. But the Lord was not capable of sinning, whether you look at his deity or you look at his holy humanity.
To his own mother, to Mary the word says, That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called. He was always the Son of God, but he became the Son of man.
In order to die so that he could take our place, to give us his place. What a contrast it is at the cross.
Verse 8 and being found in fashion as a man.
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Humbled himself even as a man. This is a perfect man.
Never a flaw could be found in him.
The scribes and Pharisees, the doctors of the law, surrounded him to try to find something that could catch in his speech, that they could accuse him. They always went away silenced. They could never find any flaw in him.
But here he as a man, a perfect man, humbles himself all the way to death, and that the death of the cross. Oh, how this should silence any desires. Brethren, to justify ourselves, why can't we take a little bit of black from our brethren? Why can't we take a little bit of abuse? We see the Lord Jesus standing there before Pilate.
And those religious leaders surrounding him, accusing him vehemently.
That man.
Did not answer one word. Even Pilate marveled greatly.
What a beautiful picture before us. And you and I say they treated me wrong. I can't take it any longer. How can we say such a thing when we know that Jesus without a word, submitted to it The worst travesty of justice.
Ever committed was was condemned to die on the cross. Can't we take a little bit of injustice, even if it's handed to us by our brethren? Can't we sit down and just bow?
Oh, brethren, what an example is set before us so that we too can walk.
In humbleness of mind and in unity of spirit before the Lord.
The Lord Jesus said, Thinkest thou, Thinkest thou, that I cannot now pray to my Father, and He shall presently give me more than 12 legions of angels?
He was gone.
If there was any a man who was ever justified in judging the one who had condemned him, what was the Lord Jesus? You know, I was struck as I've been listening to the conversation that our brother Bruce brought out early on, that it all had to do with two sisters, that that this portion of the epistle has been written.
It never, it never brings out who is wrong, because that's not the issue, is it? If the Lord Jesus Himself could suffer at the hands of such wicked men and in love commend Him to the Father.
How much more? Why is it that we have a life that we have such an example and we can't bear a little bit of hurt, a little bit of shame sometimes and a little bit of punishment and just commend it to the Lord and look upon their qualities better than we look upon our own. That's that's the whole purpose of this, isn't it, that we can look at this one if if anyone ever had a right.
To judge the Lord Jesus did, but no, even the death of the cross he would not dishonor his Father.
By doing anything other than what would please his father, would we want the same?
Isn't that what it's really saying? Let this mind be in you that the end result is that interactions. Does it give place for the enemy to divide?
Or in our actions does it glorify our Father and help us to go on one another in an assembly? For Satan doesn't have an advantage.
Comment that Mister Jarvey made somewhere in his writings to this effect that pride is the cause of division and humility is the secret of fellowship. That's nice. You see this beautifully brought out in the Lord Jesus making these steps down. When someone said there are seven steps down here ending in the death of the cross, the Lord Jesus went down voluntarily to the lowest place.
Psalm 88 says, Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, and no one went lower, and no one went higher.
Because verses 9 through 11 tells us that he would hide from a name above every name. Heaven. I believe the verse is 9 through 11 are brought in here to show us this practical lesson. And that is simply this, that God will reward humility.
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Not here necessarily, but he will reward humility. The Lord Jesus in life was not outwardly.
Justified. It was not outwardly vindicated.
He died hung between two criminals. He died completely abandoned by his own followers. Who was not an outward vindication in this life. But it is in resurrection that God's answer is given, isn't it? And I think that is a tremendous lesson too. So often we like to, even maybe after a problem is passed, we like to vindicate ourselves.
Brethren, Lord, help us to not do that.
God vindicated him. God's answer was in resurrection, and that's when the full answer will be given. He might vindicate in this life, but so often that does not happen. God's answer is in resurrection, and that's what we have from verse 9 forward. An illustration of that is Mathivasha. He was slandered by Zaiba. You know the story. At least you should know the story.
Anyway, when David had to flee, he was away and Mephibosheth, being lame on both his feet, couldn't get to David to tell him that it wasn't true that Mephibosheth's heart was with David. And so all the while that David was away, Mephibosheth didn't trim his beard or his nails and feet or whatever it was until David came back. When David came back, then it was settled. We all learned that Mephibosheth was not a traitor, but he was faithful. But he had to wait until David returned, and we may have to wait until the Lord comes back for some of the issues that we feel we have been aligned and misunderstood.
Here in this world, But do we have the faith and the confidence to leave it with the Lord until that day, or do we want to be vindicated here? That can be a problem if we have to be vindicated here. And really at the bottom of it is pride. That enemy that is so dangerous, isn't it lovely? In connection with Mephibosheth, he also said, yeah, let him take all.
And what a spirit that is for us, isn't it? I was thinking of the Blessed Lord and how.
In first Peter chapter 2 we read.
Verse 21.
The end of the verse Follow His steps. I'll read the whole verse. For even here unto recalled, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that we should follow His steps. Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth, Who when He was reviled, reviled not again when He suffered, He threatened not, but committed Himself unto Him that judgeth righteously. And then we read. They marveled at the gracious words that came from His.
From his blessed lips, someone a little quote that I've enjoyed too, that a kind word is like the oil that takes the friction out of our lives. And so in the book of Proverbs, someone has said there's over 90 references to the tongue and many of them are good words. From a positive side, a word fitly spoken is like apples of gold and pictures of silver.
And yet we're also warned so many times in Proverbs 2.
Of the harm that is done with the tongue. But what an example we have in our in our precious Savior.
In every word that came from his lips, may the Lord give us grace, and be we be exercised that. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy side. Oh Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.
I was thinking of your quotation from Darby, God will reward humility, and I'd like to read the last verse of John, chapter one. I think it's there.
John chapter one the Lord is talking to.
I guess it is here. Yeah, it is verse verse 40, but the just the last verse I'll read. And he said unto him, Verily, verily, I said to you hereafter, hereafter.
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He shall see heaven open.
And the angels of God ascending and descending upon who? The Son of man. There he gets it, He's over everything, is the Son of man. They're ascending and descending upon Jesus.
What a wonderful thing.
Well, passing on to verse 12, we have a pivotal word here in that word. Wherefore Mr. Darbys translation marks this verse with a new paragraph. He's now going to lay down some practical exhortations based on the example that he brought before us in the Lord Jesus humility. He exhorts them that now, since he is no longer with them to work out the problems that there may arise being in prison, they were going to have to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling.
This is a practical salvation that the assembly has to workout, each one using the pattern of the humility of the Lord Jesus. He's saying you need to work it out among yourselves, and that way there will be a practical salvation from the inroads of the enemy. So we might say this is an assembly salvation, the salvation of the assembly in a very practical way, and each one of us must take part in that.
If it's going to.
Workout in that way. I know this verse has been very often taken in all kinds of different applications. For instance, people will look at this and think of the word salvation, the salvation of our souls and the penalty of our sins that he would receive when we get the Lord Jesus as our Savior. And so they look at this and say, well, work out your own salvation. Perhaps it means that what I need to do is to get the salvation that I have in my heart out into my life so that people can see that I'm saved.
Well, that's a nice thought, but that's not what this verse is talking about. I'd go elsewhere to show you that. For instance, adorn the doctrine and so on. And Titus 2 here he's talking about a practical working out of our salvation by each one of us going down, down, down like the Lord Jesus. And there will be then a saving of the assembly from disunity. An illustration that was given to me one time before about a man that was walking in the Andes Mountains.
And there was this little trail off the edge of one of the mountains that he was going along with his donkey, his mule full of cargo, and it was just wide enough for him to get along. As he went along, one turned path, this way and that. And as he made his way along that path, what do you think he saw when he came around one corner? Another man with a mule filled with cargo as well. What were they going to do? They couldn't pass.
And off the edge was a Cliff. And so they discussed what they should do. They were asking each other. Do you remember the last time you used the path widened out. Maybe we could back the mules up and get them to a place where they could we could pass together. The other had an idea. Maybe we could unload them all and then fast and then reload the mules. While they were discussing this, the two animals had it all figured out. One of them got down on its knees.
Put itself as close as it could to the edge, and the other one simply stepped around it, and it was solved. And so if there's an impasse in the assembly, brethren, that's the example. Just go down, get on our knees, take the low place, and let our brethren step around us. It'll be for the salvation of the assembly.
I'd like to know that there's two last words here, fear and trembling. Fear. We learn in the songs that that's wisdom. I'm not clear. I'm trembling.
Explain that.
First of all, at the end.
I'll read the last course. You worked out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Fear is system, I presume. And what is trembling? It's the fear I, as I understand it, that the enemy make might make use of any pride or strife or Vainglory that might be in US, and.
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Make use of it by entering in and and destroying the assembly. The trembling I would take it would be the fear of realizing that there's enough flesh in me to to spoil the whole gathering. And so when I realized what I am in myself, I need to carry this out with a lot of fear.
And trembling, the apostle Paul, when he was present with them, found that they were obedient. You've always obeyed.
Not as in my presence, only that was when he was with them, but now much more in my absence.
And then he says work it out.
You know, so often we tend when we get to a problem we have that we don't know what to do, we like to call up a brother that has maybe a little bit more wisdom than we.
Well, they couldn't call Apostle Paul.
He wasn't there.
They had to work it out and I think it is valuable, brethren, when we come together and conference meetings like this, you're not going to get all the individual questions for your life answer, but you're going to get in this book expounded our principles.
Unfailing principles that God has laid out for us.
Now when we go back home and you can't go up and ask that brother what he thinks you should do, but you have the knowledge of those principles, now work it out. And so, like you say, it's going to the Lord with a sense of the fact that if we're not careful, the enemy can use this situation.
So we need to do it in fear and trembling, but if we sincerely go to the Lord, humble ourselves, get down on our knees, confess our weakness, get into the Word, search the pages of Scripture never found it to fail that the Lord will give clear direction. That's what I believe means. Work it out your own salvation.
Workout those problems you have and.
Then the Lord will give clear direction, and the Lord tells us how to do it in the next verse, doesn't he? Verse 13.
God is our resource and our only resource, isn't He?
Like Isaiah chapter 66 and uses the same word there in chapter 66 and verse 2. But to this man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. So what is it that we use in the assembly and amongst ourselves to really discern what the mind of the Spirit is in connection with a problem that might come up? It's really a trembling and a fear.
Of God trembling at his word, to just use it as that measuring stick, as it were to in the wisdom, divine wisdom, not the wisdom of the natural man. And it's not the will of man that ought to govern the people of God. It's the will of God himself. You get that in Titus chapter one. I'll just turn to it. I think of it often. It says in Titus chapter one and verse 7.
For a Bishop or an overseer must be blameless as the steward of God, not self willed, not soon angry. And so he wants the will of God and he wants how did he find out the will of God? He finds it out in the word of God and when he knows he trembles that that word, he vows to it. The Lord wants us to learn to depend on him directly. We can understand when a new person is comes into the faith and at the beginning he may be looking to that person who is instrumental in guiding him to the Lord.
But as growth takes place, then there should be the exercise and the growth to look to the Lord in our situations. Verse 13 says it is God who works in you. And sometimes we go to brethren and they give a solution and we might do what they asked and tell us to do, but they don't understand the full extent of what's going on. It's God that's working in this. And if you get one problem solved and God hasn't gotten you.
To learn the lesson He means you to learn, He'll send another problem along, a little bit worse. We need to learn to look to God. Brethren, it is God that works in us, the willing and the doing. He puts in our hearts the willingness. He gives us the strength to do as well.
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Two great results take place here in the following of the pattern of the Lord Jesus and going down. Firstly, there is the saving of the assembly from the inroads of the enemy to to disrupt the unity as we've had. And then secondly, in verse 15 we have the fact that there will be a bright and shining testimony of the assembly in the community where it is. There's going to be a bright shining testimony in the community.
If we walk together, go ahead.
I was just going to say and illustration of the two donkeys, if they argue this is going to lie down, who's going to take the low place? Well, the one that had the mind of Christ would take the low place. That would solve the problem, wouldn't it? That's our problem. We have too much pride.
Oh, I don't have any pride. Oh yes, you do. Yes, I do. We all do.
Before it.
I'll see what I can do with it back in our chapter, chapter one, where it speaks in verse 27 that the.
If your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ.
We've got a lot this morning about how our behavior can spoil our testimony in the gospel, but the river will Adon saying that goes farther here. It's not simply the gospels of Gosport to the laws. That's true what Paul describes in Acts chapter 20, and he'll go there for a moment for that verse.
The next 20 to verse 27 says why I have not shunned and declared all the council of God. So this was referred to.
The whole council, the whole council not submit the gospel to the last. That's important in this chapter. Here we're looking at it's the collection.
Testimony.
That's concerned about it's not. It's probably worse than my squalling my testimony individually to the world.
See the whole assembly itself, as it were. Well, it's testimony go back to John 17. This is tied in there as well.
Lord's Prayer in John 17.
Probably even more important to themselves is this.
1St.
2/23.
The force in verse 22 at the end says they are one and maybe one even as we are one.
That's where several times in this chapter verse 23 I am them and thou in me they may perfect in one that the world may know world may know that LSA of them as LS love me is what's the collective testimony of going on. Is this quite so important here that these individuals were quarreling and actually mainly the 4th chapter so serious, but.
It's the old gospels that said they were saved, but Mr. This is family information, family of God who could get along. So we don't have these corals and it doesn't show as a word to the world. He wants us to to live in the joy that he has liberated us as a free in here. So let's take that low place instead of causing the problem. Let's be a problem solver.
Something like that.
100 and 69169.
We can see my.
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Name.
We're not translating in the water. It's getting right.
Of every day.
But we also.
All patients.
On our eyes, Henry the Strange.
We lay around.
01:15:20
May we also think 23.
23.
Number #23 was given out.
Oh good.
Philippians 3
Reading
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Come around and pray and color and peace and to all the answers.
Ever liked me?
As well, I hear they are working hard and Holy Land.
May the scripture in First Chronicles 15 and.
Share a thought that was mentioned at the recent Dorothy meetings.
First Chronicles 15, verse 26.
And came to pass when God helped the Levites that bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord, that they offered seven bullocks and seven Rams.
Believe if we go to.
Samuel that it was every six paces, which would have been about 30 feet or thereabouts.
And the thought was that there had been difficulty before with moving the ark, and when they saw the Lord's help even making it another 30 feet.
That they offered to God and gave thanks.
And I was impressed by the prayers this morning. There were a couple about Help Us Today and Fresh Grace.
And may we have the spirit of this, that even if we go 30 feet, we feel the Lord's help, that we would have that sense of praise, Thanksgiving, and just.
Acknowledging the Lord's help and encouragement.
Let's pray.
Our Father.
App.
Lithians chapter 3, beginning at verse one. Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you. To me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, Beware of evil workers.
Beware of concession, for we are the concession which worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, though I might also have confidence in the flesh, if any other man thinketh that he has, whereof he might trust in the flesh. I more circumcised the 8th day of the sack of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin.
And Hebrew of the Hebrews as touching the law, a Pharisee concerning zeal, persecuting the church, touching the righteousness which is in the law blameless. But what things were gaining to me, those I counted laws for Christ, ye doubtless. And I count all things but loss for the Excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things.
And do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having my own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. But I that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.
If by any means I might attained unto the resurrection of the dead, not as though I had already attained either were already perfect, but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus, brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended. But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind.
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And reaching forth unto those things which are before I press toward the mark.
For the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore as many as be perfect. Be thus minded. And if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule. Let us mind the same thing, brethren.
Be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an example for many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you, even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, whose mind earthly things.
For our conversation is in heaven.
From whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working, whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself?
A little, just a little quick outline. My son-in-law gave me this just a few minutes ago. In the first chapter going out with the gospel, Second chapter going down to a lowly Christ, third chapter going up to Christ in glory. The 4th chapter is going on by the Spirit. I like that.
This third chapter is sort of a parenthesis.
You can see that when you turn to the 4th chapter and he.
Picks up the threat of things that he had been dealing with in the second chapter, namely the contentions that were mounting in that assembly.
In this chapter, as you see, we have the upward mind. He's going to bring before us the motivation for living the Christian life. He's told us the the spirit in which we are to live it in the second chapter is to go down and imitate the loneliness of the Lord Jesus. But the motivation for living is to pursue after him in glory. So this chapter brings that out. It's pursuing Christ in glory and he brings his own history in to illustrate how that.
Pursuing Christ in glory has such a power that it can transform a person's life even if someone is entrenched in a certain course of things like he was. That there is such a power in pursuing after Christ and glory that it can produce a radical change and even someone who is such a zealot as he was.
It seems just to add to this, like in the second chapter, verse three, it says let nothing be done through strife or vain glory, but in loneliness of mind by each esteem other better than themselves. He has the whole epistle interspersed with that, those thoughts. It's not just the third chapter or the 4th chapter, but there it is in the second chapter, and it's beautiful to see how I couldn't help but I read through the epistle.
Several times this morning was several times with the King James and then with Mr. Darby's translation. I recommend you do that every day you read this epistle. It is so needed by every one of us.
It's interesting to see how he begins by commanding us to rejoice in the Lord. Believe that foundation of all, isn't it? Often we may want to rejoice in the things that we do ourselves. Sometimes we may rejoice in the people that we like. Sometimes we will rejoice in the circumstances that we are put into or that we are proud of. But here he said, rejoice not just being, not just to rejoice, but he said, finally, brethren, rejoice in the Lord.
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That's the end of the race. That's the goal before the soul. Finally Christ.
The word finally is in the third chapter, it's not in the 4th. So it's the ultimate or ultimately rejoice in the Lord.
And he could say that not from an armchair, but from a dirty dungeon in Philippi with Silas.
Convert chapter 4, verse four says Rejoice in the Lord alway.
Did you listen to that again? I say rejoice. It's important, brethren.
It like has been said, or cannot joy sometimes in circumstances or problems that we have. But brethren, we can always rejoice in the Lord and all that we have in him. We have every reason to be rejoicing, and I think the rejoicing of the Christian is not.
Merely a bubbly exterior, visible joy. It's something that runs deep in the soul. The Lord Jesus when he was rejected in Matthew chapter.
11 He rejoices in spirit. I think that is so impressive to see that our joy is not dependent on circumstances. You mentioned that.
The first day, I think. Larry, didn't you?
Yes, I'm just enjoying so much this thought here that in this first verse finally rather rejoice in the Lord, as you have said, in spite of the circumstances, as we see the warning that he's giving in these first three verses. Beware of dogs. Well, the end of the first verse two, to write the same things into you to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs.
Beware of evil workers, beware of the concision, for we are the circumcision which worship God in spirit and rejoice. We can always rejoice in Christ Jesus and when we may feel like everything is going wrong.
All I think of dear ones, dear Saints of God in prison.
As the Apostle Paul here miserable circumstances.
Everything that, naturally speaking, would make us unhappy and.
Troubled, but yet even there. And that's why he speaks with power. Doesn't he rejoice in the Lord? I need that.
It's good to remember that the Philippians were actually going on fairly well. They were a happy assembly, but there was a danger of.
The contention rising among them.
And so he deals with that in the second chapter, giving the remedy there, of course, to follow the Lord Jesus.
In this downward path. But in the third chapter he speaks of another thing that they were in danger of, and that is Judaizing teachers coming among them and encouraging them to put confidence in the flesh whereby they would only spoil the joy that they did have. So he deals with that in this chapter. I was just looking at Bruce at Galatians 5, verse 5, verse 15. He says if you bite and devour one another.
Take heed that she be not consumed one of another. This I say, then walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
That's characteristic of a dog. They bite and devour, don't they? And that's why he says dogs beware of dogs. There were legalists there that were trying to upset their their foundation, which was grace, wasn't it?
This particular case, the difficulties really is coming in from the within among themselves, not just from the without. So we distinguish these three different categories in their viewer of dogs and I believe these dogs here would be Speaking of a picture of people that as the word, as they put it, shameless evil.
And then they go on and he talked about the evil workers and I believe.
Is a picture here of the false doctrines that are being brought into discourage the things. And then of course it go on and it go and it says be aware of the concisions. And I suppose, as some have put it is that would be those with a spiritual pride. And often it's from the within that the enemy knows the suddenness coming in to distract us. But it's nice to see that he begins the chapter by saying rejoice in the Lord, and then after he'll tell them about the problems that could come in from the within.
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In verse three there he said we are the concessions which worship God in spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh.
The difference between the concision and the circumcision. I think it's this. What's been said is good. Notice the two words are very similar.
We're right at the time of the years when people make New Year's resolutions. I'm not going to smoke anymore.
Not going to drink anymore. I'm not going to swear anymore. And they can go on and on. And they make, in other words, they say I'm going to deny myself in these in these areas. But the circumcision, which is a cutting around getting rid of everything that is of the flesh is different. It's not picking out one or other. The legalist always picks on some point and and hammers upon it and ignores other things because when we put ourselves under law, we're all guilty because we all fail.
You know, if you're under the law, you you've got 10 commandments. Well, which one didn't you break instead of which one did you break? Did you make? But I think that's the difference between concision and circumcision. Do you agree with that? Yes, I do. The very word of the expression, the little part of the first part of the word con means right, and then pro would mean four, right? So they were against.
Cutting off fully con would be against, right? And so there was against the cutting off of the flesh altogether. It was more of a mutilation of the flesh. And it's almost like pruning. You know, when you prune back something, what happens is it only springs forth with more vigor and that's the flex. Excuse me, You can't fix up the flesh. That's it. I found it helpful just to think of concision is cutting at the flesh. Circumcision is cutting off the flesh.
So Judaizers make room for the flesh. They put up rules to control it, but Christianity is completely cutting off the flesh, leaving no room for it at all any longer. That's really where we are in our Christian position.
Is that not the the the theme that comes out here in the passage is that?
God has set aside the 1St man entirely. Now there's there's nothing good in the flesh, whether it be ecclesiastically or in any other way. The systems around us, they presume that there there's something good in the flesh and.
They allow it to intrude into the into the fellowship, into the order and the meetings and so on. But our rejoicing is in Christ Jesus. God has set it aside the flesh entirely in the work of Christ. He's not looking for anything good from the flesh now, and we shouldn't either. It's been set aside and now we have a new standing, as Brother Bob said, in Christ. And our worship now is.
From the Spirit of God, the Newman.
Which does not need a law. The old man cannot keep the law, and the new man doesn't need a law. We're an entirely new position in Christianity. There is liberty.
And the worship is not by ritual and ceremony, but it's by the power of the Holy Spirit. I think that is the point that everything is now in the second man Christ the the 1St man has been entirely.
Put aside.
In the new translation, verse three, it says we worship God by the Spirit of God. It's the IT is the.
New position in Christ, isn't it? And it really is helpful to understand. Sometimes young people don't understand why don't we use music in our services.
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We could sing a little bit more on tune and we could keep up a little better. Well, those are desirable things perhaps. But we are not here to please ourselves, brethren. We are here to worship God.
And what pleases him is worship in spirit and in truth. Musical instruments are not spiritual. They are powerful in moving emotions, and so people like to listen to that. I enjoy listening to instrumental music. But when we are worshipping God, that is not the character of Christian worship. It doesn't really have any place there. What pleases God?
As he looks down into our company is worship in spirit, by the Spirit of God and in truth. It's important to realize that's the character of Christian worship.
It said, isn't it that as we go through this wonderful epistle, we compare it with what's going on in Christendom and just about everything that's going on in Christendom that violates these principles that we're looking at?
And we need to be exercised, don't we, brother Chuck, that these, we don't let these things slip ourselves because we can go right into the same direction. Absolutely.
When Joseph and Mary went today's journey and so on and they couldn't find their son, they went back. It took them a while to find him. Why didn't they know where he'd be? He was just a young boy of 12. Finally they went to the to the synagogue and there he was. That's where he and and and Mary, she was upset. She said, why is that dealt with us? We've we've sought the sorrowing. How is it that she sought me? Didn't you know? This is where I think I'm going. I'm about my father's business.
Where is that?
Yeah, they should have known that.
That's where a spiritual boy would be.
The Apostle Paul was right at the top of the ladder in human righteousness, wasn't he? No one could exceed his attainments here that are recorded, but he found in Christ a righteousness that was infinitely more superior than anything he could produce in the flesh.
But Paul was a man that everyone would look up to. No one could point the finger at him as touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. How few could say that?
Morally and religiously, he was at the very top of the ladder.
And yet when he found Christ as his object and his righteousness, he considered it all as dumb.
I was talking to someone that is very dear to me.
Who has left us and on the system?
And I said to her.
I said the Lord has asked us to remember him.
In his death, when did you last do that? Did you do it last Lord's Day? No, listen to a sermon. They've replaced. Is he? Satan hates the Lord Jesus. He hates it when we no, don't sit down for ministry, but we sit down to give him his place, to worship him, to adore him, to remember him. I said to her with tears. I said.
He's asked you to remember him. Is there anyone here that has sat there, even at the table, but didn't remember him? It's the one thing he wants you to. It's not a command. Some have erroneously said that's a command. No, it's not. He didn't command us to remember him. He expressed his desire that we remember him. He wants response from our hearts to remember him.
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That was of all the meetings that we've had here, the most important meeting was Lord's Day morning.
When we were around Him to give Him His place to worship Him, you see these signs come and worship with us. And that's not worship. They don't even know the difference anymore between worship and ministry. Ministry is from God to us. Worship is from our hearts to Him. And what a privilege that is.
And the sisters can worship just as much as the brothers, not audibly, but they can worship in their hearts. This is what He wants. He wants to see the outflow of our redeemed souls to the one that has redeemed us. I've often thought the Son speaking to the Father when we were around him and giving him his place. Father, think of what they're saying of me.
What they're saying of me, they're worshiping me, and me too. That's our greatest privilege, isn't it? The little hymn.
Part of it, the merits of the Lord appear, they fill the holy place, and that will be our sweet enjoyment throughout eternity. The merits of the Lord and what an object for our hearts now. No confidence in the flesh. And yet even saying this, preaching this, how subtly the flesh will show its ugly head.
But the merits of the Lord appear. The more we're occupied with Him, the more it will.
Stripped the world from us and how we do need do we not each one young and old.
To have eternities values before us and when we value him it puts everything in the right order.
You see, the apostle here listed a few things that he pride himself of and he know that those things he have to set behind. In fact, I believe it listed eight things here that he pride himself up, that perhaps we can look at that. And then once he put away those a things that he prides himself because of the flesh.
Then we find that he knows him. He learned there are 7 new desires that he needs to in order to follow after Christ. Let's look at verse five there. The first thing I believe here was he was proud. He was proud of the fact that he was circumcised the 8th day of the stock of Israel. He knew his origin. He was proud of just that. And then he even go on and say not just the fact that he was circumcised on the eighth day, he said of the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest of the tribes, but yet he was able to be proud of that. And then he go on and he said the third thing here was that he was the Hebrew.
Of the Hebrews Ah is a but that's still not enough. He said. Then you go on further and they said he was as touching the law. He was a Pharisee. You can see that he's getting higher and higher for his own cells as if it were. And then even as a Pharisee, the fifth thing he goes on is just concerning zeal. Boy, how many of us can say we have zeal for the Lord? He did concerning zeal persecuting the church.
And then you still go higher yet touching the righteousness which is of the law. He can say blameless. Oh, from the human standpoint, we see this a qualities there and say, wow, how many of us can even come close to even claiming one or two of this? But what was the result? He said, but what things were gained to me those I counted laws for Christ, all that pride, all that human pride that the flesh would desire.
He counted it all but laws and then let's just jump down to verse nine. He learned quite a few other things actually, the the latter part of verse eight. He said after all this he wanted to set it aside as dumb. He said that I may win Christ. That was the first new desire that he won that he may win Christ and then in verse nine and be found in him. Found in him for what? Not having my own righteousness, which is which is of the law, but that which is true faith of Christ.
The righteousness which is of God by faith. He wondered when Christ he wanted to be found in him, not by his own words of righteousness, but Gods, and then and.
And then we can go down to verse verse 10 there then he said that I may know him. Is that a desire we have this this weekend here as the Lord has brought us here under the sound of his words that we too can say that I may know him or to know more.
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Of Him and then the power of his resurrection.
Do we not find that often, even among Christians, that we forget the power of resurrection? We preach the death, we talk about the death and sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ, but how much more so we have to be reminded that resurrection power. And then they go on and it says the fellowship of his sufferings. And then the sixth thing here is being me conformable unto His death. We're going to be conforming to His image in that future day. But here we can say this too, being conformable.
Unto his death, and one more. I believe the 7th one is further down in verse 12.
Not a part of verse 12.
I follow after that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Interesting to note that.
All of them elaborate much of these eight things regarding his.
Earthly upbringing.
Where we had before, he's top of the 3rd Heaven sees those glories and says I can't describe the things you received there. He has certainly described those to us as we have all these epistles. And I'd like to make a connection between the third Evan and the third law that Eudicus was in.
I think it's the same in the sense we are there in that third law and how important it is to move faster those things and enjoy those things.
Keep them. If you fall asleep through them, we are going to take that tumble down. And as it was with him, the life is still in them. We can't lose our salvation. We certainly lose the enjoyment, the things that we have before us here, all those things that Paul brings before us.
In the epistle to Timothy, in contrast to this list that he gives in Philippians three of the things that he was proud of as a Jew and hatred filled his heart against Christians. In first Timothy one verse 12, he says, I thank Christ Jesus, You have enabled me for that. He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry who was before a blasphemer.
And a persecutor and injurious, but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus is the faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. So in our chapter he's just listing.
That there wasn't anyone that could outdo him in his hatred towards the Christian people, towards Christians. Now he despises all those things and he becomes the most hated by the Jews, the most hated and persecuted man than he used to be. The Lord said to Ananias, I will show him this Saul of Tarsus, how great things he must suffer for my name.
The things that he was doing to Christians, now he's going to get that all back or we reap what we sow. And he got it back in in increased intensity. They did everything they could to get rid of Paul the apostle.
It's interesting to see that in Romans 11/1 he quotes this fact again that he was of the tribe of Benjamin. Someone has said that in Romans 11 he quotes it as saying it was the tribe that was almost wiped out. The grace of God was there and took him up.
Here he quotes it as being the only tribe that didn't effect from the right position.
That's in the cleavage in the days of Jeroboam.
Perhaps it also connects as well with another saw that was of the tribe of Benjamin. I'm thinking of what we have in First Samuel Chapter 9.
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The first 2 verses. Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abuel, the son of 0, or the son of Becarath, the son of Aphia of Benjamite, a mighty man of power. And he had a son whose name was Saul, a choice young man and the goodly. And there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he.
From his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.
Well, Paul here establishes in Philippians 3 that he was from his shoulders and upward higher than any of the people religiously know, that Saul, who was the 1St man, he was set aside by God. God would take up man. That was after God's own heart. And David, he was taken up with a second man. And so just as the first king of Israel saw must go, Saul comes to the point here in Philippians 3 says the 1St man must go.
There is another man. It's the second man. It's Christ and glory that he would set before our hearts. And so all these things he elaborates here are simply a badge of honor and it all must go. I'm thinking of those comments Mr. Chapter Macintosh made when someone is commenting to him. He says, well, you have the flesh among you just as much as we have it among us. And he says, yes, but we realize it is a thing to be judged, not a thing to be honored.
So when Saul of Tarsus got his second name Paul, it means little.
Quite appropriate, isn't it?
That I enjoyed thinking the things here he gloried in verse five and six.
When he came in contact with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Everything changed. Everything changed, brethren. It's not attacking those things of the flesh that's going to get people to leave them off. What is it that will cause a change so that they will be willing to leave it off?
It's showing them the glories of Christ. Nobody was out there in the road to try to convert, fall and say, hey Paul, all those things you do, righteousness are not worth anything before God. No, he got one glimpse of Christ in glory. Everything changed, he says in verse seven, What things were gained to me? Those I counted lost for Christ.
Past tense.
Notice verse eight. He grows in his apprehension. And now verse 8 is not past tense. It's present tense. Yeah, doubtless, and I count.
All things but lust for the Excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things. And now it's not merely lost, but he counts them but dumb.
Get it out of here. It has no place around me. I want to know of Christ. He's the one that is enraptured my heart and my soul. Now the rest is done. It's the it's the principle that you mentioned, Bruce, yesterday or the day before of displacement. And I think that's an important principle, brother. And sometimes we attack those things that we see that are not right.
In Christian circles, and I don't say we shouldn't recognize that they're not right, but what in what way can we be a help to others? It's in showing them the glories of the person of Christ. They will see too, that these things that we glory in naturally in the flesh will have no place once you get the living, glorified, exalted Christ before your soul.
That's our standing, isn't it? Be found in Him not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law. That's the standing of the believer.
Not his state here. So we have now a divine righteousness suited to the very presence of God. We we are accepted in the beloved and.
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We have that robe of divine righteousness before God.
The same as Christ has.
Just want to comment a little bit more on verse eight that's going back a little bit here, but.
What he says here, brethren, the Excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus.
My Lord, I think that's so beautiful, the Excellency. There's nothing more excellent than knowing him. He pursued it, and that's what we have in this portion is.
Paul pursuing the goal. What was it that you want to know more? Paul want to know him better. But don't you know him? Yes, but all the more I learn of him, only what's my desire to know him more and more. And brethren, that's Christianity. I often think that Judaism.
Its focus was on man and what he could produce.
Under a God-given set of rules. And how did that test end up? That test ended with the creator of the universe hanging on a cross. What a story of what man is in the flesh. God in effect said the test is over. I'm not going to test man any longer. Now I want to show you.
My heart. And so in Christianity, the focus is entirely changed. It's not any longer that man that we're looking. We're looking at God and that man who came to make us know who God is. And so Christianity is getting to know him. I really believe, brethren, that we need to be aware of the fact that we are living in a culture.
That is humanistic, and it is constantly pointing back at yourself.
You owe it to yourself. You see that so often in advertising.
Give yourself a break.
Do what you like to do. It's the humanism of our culture. And sometimes I don't believe we're aware of the fact that we are unconsciously being focused back on ourselves. That is not Christianity. That is what was the focus under Judaism. And that's why I really believe we see so many of our young people totally confused. They don't understand.
What are we doing down here?
They're unsatisfied. The comment I hear from so many young people. I'm bored. Why do you get bored? Because you're looking at yourself. You're thinking of your own pleasure. Christianity is something else. Turn around. Look at the Lord Jesus. You're not going to get bored if you're really occupied with Him.
So important that we're aware of the fact that our culture is doing that to us.
And sometimes our young people go off in other directions. Are we aware of the fact sometimes we fall for those humanistic advertising as well? We fall for it, brethren. We need to be aware of the fact we're passing through this culture and we are affected by it. I'm affected by it, brethren, I have to confess. But let's seek in the measure that we can to turn around and to be occupied the.
Excellency of the Knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.
Something was said the other day about Two Corinthians 12 where Paul was caught up to the 3rd heaven.
Brother And it is fascinating to think about. I mean, there's no way that we can understand very much that side of things. But I I like to think of the fact that fossil Paul saw things there and he heard things there because he talks about visions, which is something you see, but he doesn't say anything about what he saw. He only says something about what he heard.
00:45:07
What he says is he heard unspeakable words.
Oh, brother. And we get up there, I'm convinced to the fact that we're going to be wondering what in the world was I so terribly occupied with those?
Toys down there in that life to have the living God before our souls revealed in the person of the Lord Jesus, the Excellency of the knowledge of our God.
And here we are down here playing around with our toys. Lord help us to get our vision refocused.
I think that's lovely Bob. I'd just like to .1 more thing.
In the First Corinthians.
What God's desire is for us, it's the ninth verse of the first chapter. Because if you want to look at it, it's it pushes the same person.
This is the first assembly that has a epistle written to it and the 1St 9 verses are positive and the ninth verse is very positive.
God is faithful.
By whom you recall unto the fellowship of his son.
Jesus Christ our Lord, that's who we're talking about. It's Christ. It's along the way. We're called to that, and we're going to get to the end of the course in this third chapter. Christ and glory. We're present toward that mark, and it's a race that every believer is going to win.
We're going to end up with Christ and glory, but along the way, God wants all this for us.
I just wonder how many of us are Jews in this room?
And and how many of us could boast of being circumcised the 8th day, or being of the stock of Israel, the tribe of Benjamin, the Hebrew, the Hebrews? So one might ask themselves, how does this apply to us?
Is there nothing that you think you might boast in? There might be those that are wealthier than others in this room. It might be those that have a high position. There might be those that are more gifted in the word of God in danger of being prideful for that and perhaps their gospel preachers and, and they feel that they do a great work for the Lord. If there's any number of things, I think that there's a tendency and the danger and that we can take pride in.
Well, those things need to be stripped away as well, don't they?
And even though we're not Jews, we have a prideful heart. And the tendency is as we all want to be accepted and we all want to be recognized for some great things. But the idea is to set aside anything that we are at all because it's all a part of what is in the flesh. And it's all been dealt with on the cross, and Christ becomes the object. And not too long ago, we had actually gone through this chapter and our brother Bruce had brought out that in verses 7 through 9. It's really, it's a process of time.
And I think that's good to recognize because our tendency is, is we might read a portion like this and we might say how in the world this is we're talking about the great Apostle Paul. He saw a vision on the road to Damascus. He was revealed through the Spirit of God and through communication with the Lord the the wonderful mystery of the blessings that are going to be to the church. He's gone up to the 3rd heaven. He had the flesh, didn't he?
It was a process. He had to learn these same things he had. He had to over a period of time, he had to deal with these issues in his life. So that so that at the end.
That that there is nothing he wants to be found.
Standing before the Lord in glory, having Christ as his object, and recognizing that everything that he is.
Is due to that person. There is no righteousness that he could ever boast in, and he wants to strip of that now, and he wants us to strip of that now.
He was not occupied with himself. There was a noticing verse 12 here in 13. He had not arrived, hadn't felt that he did as we read here not as though I had already attained either were already perfect, but I follow after, if that I might apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
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Rather than I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing.
This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth to those things which are before I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus we've had brought before us Why the apostle Paul?
Set aside all his achievements and everything, and I was thinking, today, there's such a thrust in the world and so often it can creep into our mentality too, to know things, to know a lot about a lot of things.
But setting all of that aside.
One who enjoyed the Lord, who knew perhaps much more of him than maybe any other.
Yet in knowing something of Christ, he not only says in verse 10 that I may know him.
That I may know him as the goal, as the purpose of life. There's where the secret of.
Fulfillment and joy and happiness is to be found that I might know him.
And then there's two other things here in this tenth verse and the power of his resurrection.
And then, and this is striking, the fellowship of what? Of his sufferings.
What a sense these these chapters, this book of Olympians seems to bring before us for our own exercise and for our own good.
The press's privilege that is ours to enjoy Christ as Paul was in the enjoyment of Christ in his life, and we see that as something to exercise our hearts, maybe walk in enjoyment of him.
We sing a little hymn. Jesus, thou art enough.
And I love that other little poem that a dear brother faithfully sent me many years ago.
Hast thou seen him, heard him, known him?
Oh, what is another line of it? What has stripped the seeming beauty from the idols of the earth? Not the sense of right or duty, of the sight of peerless worth. Peerless worth. That will be the sweet, blessed enjoyment of our hearts for all eternity. We cannot begin to realize, beloved brethren, how glorious a hope, how blessed.
Our eternity will be in knowing Jesus as our Savior, how it makes everything pale down here, and oh, may our hearts be touched today.
And each day that we might purpose in our hearts to plead to Him, and to see the emptiness of everything that would rob us of Christ.
In verse nine it says and be found in him. That's eternity, but in verse 10 it says that I may know him. That's I don't think that is eternity, is it? I think that's today it's a process of growth. It's growing to understand, to know the person, to know his life, to know his obedient walk before his father, to know what it was for him to suffer on Calvary's cross, to know what it was for him to glorify his God and his father.
To provide a way who we were once so far off to be brought nigh to know the power of his resurrection, to know what we are as a new creation, a new creature, to be identified with a, with a, with a risen savior, to be identified with A to have a life that's identified with that one. It's it's what gives us power to go through this world. And the more we know of Christ, the the less of us appears in our lives, the more that we understand.
What the resurrection has done and brought us into the more we have power to walk in an obedient path before God.
And so that gives us also the ability and strength and power to have fellowship with his suffering. We wouldn't want to have fellowship with his suffering if we didn't know him. We wouldn't want to have fellowship with his suffering if we didn't really enter into the power of his resurrection. And so then it may be to be made conformable onto his death. Well, that's how we know that to know him is down here. It's because at the end it may be that we might die.
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And to be made conformable on to His death, if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection among the dead. That is, that we might experience everything that the Lord Jesus himself experienced as a man in this world, that obedient life, that suffering, that going into death and being raised like He was. That is to experience or to attain on the resurrection from among the dead. It's the complete experience. Not all of us are going to go through that, are we? The Lord may come right now.
But there will be those, and there are those that have gone before us that that will go through the fuller experience of what Christ went through than others. As we think of the power of his resurrection. The 1St chapter of Ephesians comes to mind. I wonder if we could read just a few verses there in the in that chapter, maybe starting with the.
The 17th verse.
Or 16th Ceased not to I ceased not to give thanks for you, making mention of in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His calling, and what is the richest of the glory of His inheritance in the Saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe according.
According to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the death.
And set him at his own right hand in heavenly places, and so on.
Mr. Potter said that's the greatest power that God has ever exercised or ever will exercise, the power of raising Christ from the dead and us associated with it.
The beginning of a new creation.
Man, who is the head of it, resolved it to the highest place. How do you get to know him better?
You're not one of the 12 apostles that accompanied with him when he was down below, heard his words and saw what he did and how he acted in all the circumstances through which he passed. How do we know that? Well, we have the four Gospels, we have the Bible. That's the only way we can find out how he was when he was here. Paul had an advantage over us and that he was caught up to the 3rd heaven. He heard and he saw.
Unspeakable things.
3rd Heaven right where the Lord was. And so he had an advantage that the earthly disciples didn't have, and we don't have those, but we have something the early Christians didn't have. They didn't have this book.
They didn't have this book. We have the most precious possession and anything that you own. Nothing compares with this. If you were given a choice and the enemy came was going to take skip you of everything that you own. What would you keep should be this book because this book tells me what he is what he was like and what he is and.
Do you read it?
Every day, consistently.
You have a set. It's set so you read so much every day and you'll get through the whole book.
It's not just the New Testament, but everything.
We know how we got here. We know how the world was created. This book gives us all these truths.
And how often do we read it? How often do you go out with your pockets full of tracks and go from house to house to tell others about that busted one? We have so many opportunities. You talked about getting bored. You're not going to get bored if you live a Christian life, if you really get out, if you go out, as it says in the first chapter of Philippians, go out with the gospel, you won't get bored when you do that. And when you take the low place and go down, you won't get bored in doing that if you realize that.
That's necessary to get rid of self and then to go up where he is. That's where I'm going to. That's where I'm going to be soon. And and he's my life and he's in the glory. I'm going to be there with him and like him. And then to go on not to give up our numbers. I remember Eric Smith used to tell us that, you know, we're going to be down to the twos and threes. I sat there and shook my head. No, it's not going to get like that. Oh, how wrong I was.
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How wrong I was?
It is that way in many places.
The twos and threes, but he's there, but it's only two or three. If he's in the midst, then then that's the most blessed place you can be on face of the earth. Speaking brother of the reading of the word of God and how much we need it. There are two brothers sitting here right now and I won't mention their names, but one was telling me or telling a few of us about how their peers, they're about the same age.
And they're getting a little older in years now. And you know who you are when I mentioned this, but one of them said, you know, brother so and so he just seemed to be so much into the word all the time. And so I'm going to kind of copy him and do it too. And so I started reading the word and I found the difficulty at first to stay interested, didn't understand the lots and but I kept reading the word.
And little by little I became addicted to it and I became excited. I couldn't wait till the next time I could sit down and read the precious Word of God. And, and so it is with us. I would just, I wouldn't think to encourage our hearts, brethren, is if you read it and you find a little difficulty, I'm not getting much out of it. Continue to read it. Read it and read it and read it. And as a dear brother once said, and I think it was quoted earlier in the conference here.
That read the word of God and tell your soul saturated with it is to think in terms of scripture. Read His precious word. It's not a luxury, it's a necessity, brother. It's a blessing to our souls.
To young people, I said it before, say it again. Don't wait till you're my age.
Do it when you're young, when your mind is keen, when you can retain what you've read.
You have all the energy of youth.
Use that energy for Him. You'll never regret it. Never. And I look back at the hours that I spent in my study in that and in the Word of God, I don't. I don't regret that for one moment, and you won't either if you do it.
We can only know a person as we are in their company. Is that right? I know a lot about Prime Minister Harper in Canada.
But I don't really know him. He lives in my city and very prominent, but I've never sat down and spoken to Prime Minister Harper, who is a believer. But we have a wonderful privilege to know the Son of God and to walk with him. He died in order to have our company, not only for this world, but for all eternity. What I was thinking, brethren, that.
So many things that would militate against this. There's the old nature and Satan is opposed to every step that we make in the things of the Lord, every step of progress and and we have the world that is appealing to the old nature as well.
These things we have to keep in the place of death, don't do we not you mentioned check the reading of the Gospels and how important that is. That's what we get really in chapter 2, isn't it? It's his humiliation when he's down here. I like to think of chapter 3 as more Christ as an object in glory to be pursued. And that's what you get in the epistles, didn't you, is exaltation. And it is something that really forms you the more you're occupied with it, it it.
Transforms you if you look at verse in Second Corinthians.
Chapter 3, last verse, it says we all. It's something that is for all God's people, not just certain ones with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord.
Are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord, so it's Christ in glory, and it is presented here as an object to be pursued.
And I think it is extremely wonderful to meditate on Him in His glory. Those verses you read, Larry, in the end of Ephesians, one you read to a certain point. Do you mind if I go back and read the rest of that because it is so precious?
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Verse 19. I'll read from there forward, What is the exceeding greatness of his power to us word, who believe according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.
Far above all principality and power and might and dominion in every name that is named.
Not only in this world, but also in that which is to come, and have put all things under his feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the Church which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth All in all there is a man in the glory of God.
One of the human race has penetrated the glory of God and he is there the highest position possible.
Brethren.
That's the object before herself.
So that's what he means, isn't it? In verse 12? Not as though I had already attained the Apostle Paul all of his life down here. Even as much as he knew and as knew of Christ, there was still more he could learn about him, wasn't there? Nor either was already perfect. He wasn't there yet.
But I follow after that was his pursuit to know more of Christ down here, wasn't it? I follow after if that that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended in of Christ Jesus. So what a wonderful thing it is. We could we could look at this this man in prison, the most difficult of circumstances and even in prison he can't move anywhere yet his mind and his thoughts are to continue to run the race.
And then not only that, but what is it that his desire was that we would run that race as well. How, how often we would be occupied with our sorrow, our difficult trial, our, our, what we're going through. We'd be so preoccupied with, with how sorrowful we are that that Christ ceases to be an object. But it wasn't that way with the apostle Paul.
He desired more of that object and then not only that.
There he was as an example for us. He desired that we too.
Would follow after that same course, that same path and have him as our object there was.
Diligence and devotedness there wasn't there. And I was thinking that we could turn this for a moment to Second Timothy 2.
And see a verse and I believe that someone correct me if I'm wrong here. I don't have my new translation open to it, but it's verse 15. But I believe the word is do thy diligence there to show thyself approved unto God, a Workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. I remember some years ago when we had the the joy of having our our dear brother Gordon Hay Holt with us and we were he's quite elderly at the time and quite tired after traveling.
And we were discussing something, I don't remember what it was, but he didn't feel like he really quite understood the question or the had an answer. And what really spoke so loudly to some of us sitting there was the fact that as tired as he was, there was that diligence. There was that diligence in the things of the Lord to learn and to know what the Lord was saying.
In connection with this question, but how we there needs to be diligence with us as there was with the apostle Paul that he might know him and here we find it. I believe it is. Does someone have a new translation Agreed that.
That verse it says, Strive diligently to present thyself approved to God.
A Workman that needeth not, that has not to be ashamed. Strife stride diligently. Thank you.
There's a good verse in Proverbs goes right along with that. It's been helpful to me. Proverbs chapter 13, verse four. The soul of the slugger desirous and hath nothing.
And there's possibly a lot of hungry souls here.
But the soul of the diligent shall be made fast in Proverbs 13-4.
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This vert, this word apprehended means to be laid hold of.
So he says that I may lay hold of that for which also I am laid hold of by Christ Jesus. In other words, brethren, God has laid hold of us. He has arrested us. He has a purpose in mind for us. What is that purpose He has in mind for you and me? Is that we?
Might lay hold of what he has in mind for us Christ in glory. And then he says in verse 13, I count not myself to have laid hold on it, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth under those things which are before I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
One thing I do you know, we live in a world where we get so many things in our lives. We get cluttered. Our lives are cluttered with so many things.
And that distracts we need to have.
Purpose of heart, like you say Larry, we need to remember one thing is important and so there was one thing before the apostles soul is to reach forward to that goal, remember.
Chapter Brown talking about these verses and I really enjoyed what he had to say about verse 14. He says it's the word pictures being painted of a runner.
Who is getting close to the goal and he's putting every ounce of strength in just one thing. He's not thinking about anybody around, just one thinking one thing. Every ounce of strength is going and getting to that goal. Brethren, if we would understand the supreme value of that prize, we would run that way too.
Years ago. Or I still do, I don't know.
I have a client who held the long jump record built a special room.
Six hours a day he exercised.
To win that record didn't stop there. He was always trying to beat that record. He had one goal in mind.
Just to continue on.
To win that gold medal.
I also had the privilege of being in the presence of AC Brown, seeing the room where he did most of his work.
In reading in a closet. Very small.
A little chair on the back of the door and that's where he meditated. Read the word of God, that this person who won the gold medal.
My own shame I don't spend 6 hours a day.
So to summarize a little bit, because we're drawing to a close here, he has called the Saints to rejoice.
And he has spoken of the source of the Saints joy, and that is to lay aside everything to do with fleshly pursuits, things that were ambitions that we might have in this world. In his case it was to be the top dog in the Jews religion. But for us it could be in any number of things like he, like you were saying.
With the man that wanted the gold medal, it still lay aside all those ambitions and to pursue after Christ in glory. That is the secret of Christian joy. Dear young people, do you hear what I say? As long as you think that there's going to be real happiness and pursuit after ambitions on earth, you're going to find out that it's not the case. The real joy, real, true Christian joy is pursuing after Christ in glory.
Gives his own experience as an example for us because there was number one that was more deeply involved in the course that he was going on before God reached him and the power of that new object in his life changed everything. And so we have here really at the end of the chapter 3 states.
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It is to be thus minded with the apostle Paul, which he adds as being really perfect, that is, Christian maturity. Then he speaks of a second state, and that is to be otherwise minded. Then in the few verses further in verse 19, he speaks of those who are earthly minded. So we have the thus minded, the otherwise minded, and the earthly minded, and in relation to how he is laid out the Christian path of pursuing Christ in glory, every one of us are in one or the other of these three states.
To be thus minded would be to have laid aside other ambitions and pursuits that we might have in life, and to pursue Christ as our goal, as that one singular object. But he understands that not everybody is at that place in their Christian experience. So he allows for growth by Speaking of those who might be otherwise minded. They may have still a few other irons in the fire that they are pursuing. And he says to them in verse 16.
Nevertheless, whereunto we have already attained, let us walk in the same rule. And So what he's saying is to what you have attained to walk in that what you have understood. Walk up to the light that you do have and God will give it to you and he'll show you even more. And then he speaks in a sad way of those who could be earthly minded, and he speaks in a parenthesis there, verse 18 and 19 of the earthly minded, because really he's Speaking of those who are.
Mere professors who did not have life at all. And that's a reference to verse two, no doubt. And but he is bringing before us really the end of a path of one who pursues the earth with earthly mindedness. And it does have application as far as the principle is concerned that a Christian could be taken up with the earth too, even though he's really Speaking of those who are mere professors. So what a what a summary that he has brought out here in these three mines.
Trusted everyone of us would be thus minded with the Apostle Paul.
And then he speaks about it in the end of the chapter, when we will be with and like Christ, who is the goal and the prize. That's that day, what we're looking forward to when Christ will come and he, he will change our vile body that should really be our bodies of humiliation and make them like his glorious body.
But a days before us, give us the thought on the verse 20, our conversations in heaven. That's not a good translation there the citizenship, isn't it?
It's closer to that. Closer to that, Yeah. The Greek word is polito, Oma. That sounds like politics, doesn't it? And our politics, our associations of life, everything is in heaven, not down here. To get occupied with things here. You're not in the you don't have the Christian object.
Our place is there, our Commonwealth, our associations of life, our politics. Who are you going to vote for? I always say I already voted. Would you vote for? Well, my man's in. I'm waiting for him to come out.
Just one blessed Lord.
But now we've gotten to the point I have two pamphlets, both printed at Moody Bible Institute. One goes back when I was really young and then the other one much later, and they're just diametrically opposed, the one to the other. The first one was very sound, that the Christian is not to get involved in politics. And the second one, if you don't, you're not a good Christian.
That's where we are today.
Second Timothy.
That person was driving diligently. We also got verse 5 where it says no man is crowned except they strive lawfully.
At the end of that verse 16 or 15 where it says.
Not be ashamed. The new translation puts it this way, it says.
Cutting in a straight line, the word of truth. Cutting in a straight line, the word of truth. With those shortcuts and no deviation, they're pressing towards the mark. And as to these thoughtfully as well as those that were.
Just like to mention that the flesh is not satisfied with one object, and the Lord Jesus only had one object and that was to satisfy His Father, to please his Father perfectly in all things. And so we find him repeating the statement in John's Gospel. I believe it's four times. I do always those things that please my Father. You only have one object, but the flesh isn't satisfied with that. And Satan is the author of multiple choice and he would desire to distract our hearts.
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That we might not have one object. And so the apostle Paul says here in verse eight that I have suffered the loss of all things. All, not most, but all things. And he only had one thing left. It was Christ in that prison cell. And the heart is going to be satisfied. You and I are going to be satisfied when we have Christ. And that's all we're going to have in the glory. And the flesh doesn't want it. And so we need to keep that, the flesh in the place of death.
And have that one object. The Lord spoke to that young man in Mark's Gospel chapter 10, and he says one thing thou lackest. There was just one thing that he wouldn't give up. And the riches of this world had attracted his heart. And so may the Lord just give us grace to sell it all, to give it all, and just to have Christ. I'll just give you an illustration, Our brother David Hurlbut and Cindy his wife.
And their two children, their hosts, burned to the ground. They lost everything. They didn't have anything, only the clothes that was on their backs and the car that they were driving. That's all they had. And did it change their joy in the Lord? I believe in a sense that it increased their appreciation of Christ. And so, you know, if we would go on just with that one object before us and seek grace to lay aside every weight and the sin that the Soeizer beside us and have Christ before us.
When we leave this scene, that's all we're going to have is Christ.
And Satan appears to saw.
Good life ain't nothing I'm experiencing.
With my father is great, so calm down.
No Fear reaching others now, preaching where it's Christ on our side.
Philippians 4
Reading
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Philippians, Chapter 4.
Beginning at verse one.
Therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved, and long for my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord. My dearly beloved, I beseech Euteus and besieged syndicate, and they be of the same mind in the Lord. And I entreat thee also, true yoke fellow, help those women which labor with me in the gospel.
With Clement also, and with other my fellow laborers whose names are in the book of life, rejoice in the Lord Alway. And again I say, rejoice, let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with Thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your heart and mind through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report.
If there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things for those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in me do, and the God of peace shall be with you. But I rejoice in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again.
Wherein you were also careful but you lacked opportunity.
Not that I speak in respect of want, for I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things. I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ.
Which strengtheneth me, notwithstanding ye have well done that ye did communicate with my affliction. Now ye Philippians, and know also that in the beginning of the Gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only, for even in Thessalonica.
He sent once and again unto my necessity, not because I desire a gift, but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. But I have all and abound. I am full, having received of aphoriditis the things which were sent from you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God.
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But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now unto God and our Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. Salute every St. in Christ Jesus. The brethren which are with me greet you. All the sayings salute you chiefly they that are of Caesar's household.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Just want to make this comment at the very last verse quite different in the diabetes grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. There was a spirit of contention in the that assembly a little bit wasn't there a problem? So it doesn't just say with you all but your spirit. That struck me as being addressing the problem that existed there.
I just read in Galatians 6 the last verse there is the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Be with your spirit rather than not amendment. Both dealt with legality, didn't it?
The Galatea can really spoil the spirit of an assembly.
In Galatians chapter 5 and verse one, the apostle there uses the same words. He says Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of *******. And then we have the same term used. In chapter one of Philippians verse 27, he says Stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.
And then he uses this term.
In verse one of our chapter here.
Dearly beloved and long for my joy and crowned souls stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. And then I think he uses it only one other time in.
First Thessalonians, chapter 3.
Verse eight, he says now we live if ye stand fast in the Lord. And so there was a tendency and there is a tendency in each one of us not to stand for all of the truth of God and perhaps to take it up, as you say in a legal way. But we need to have Christ in view when we stand fast and the Lord stood for all of the truth and we have him as that example.
He doesn't say stand fast in Christ, he says stand fast in the Lord.
In Christ is an expression used in Paul's epistles to describe the position that a Christian is in.
And there's no exhortation or needed for us to remain in that position because there's no devil or man that can take us from it.
Whereas secure in that position before God.
As ever. But he does say stand fast in the Lord, and that brings in the practical side of things where the lordship authority of Christ should be over our lives. And I think if we acknowledge the lordship of Christ, each one of us individually, then we will get along with our brethren. So he starts here with the exhortation to stand fast in the Lord.
Before he beseeches Yeardius and synthetry. It's interesting too. He doesn't say.
Now, brethren, stand fast in the meeting.
He says stand fast in the Lord.
You know that this chapter is mentioned earlier on how Christ being our strength. So verse 13 I believe mentioned already that how we follow all this. What we really still need the Lord's help is He's the one that can strengthen us. He's the one that give us the strength to stand fast on. I believe there are seven different exaltations here that he listed here to stand fast is being the first one of it that we see in verse one. If I may, I'd like to list the other.
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The six on top of that, just for perhaps for the young people here, I know some like to take notes on that. So in verse one here, the first thing we are told to do in order to strengthen ourselves is to stand fast in the Lord. And then in verse two there we are told to what the louder part of the verse is, that we are to be of the same mind. Now often we try to be on the same mind, but here he stresses the point a little bit more. Not just being of the same mind, but of the same mind.
In the Lord and then the third excitation I believe is in verse four. Then we're told and be reminded again sets here rejoice in the Lord. Oh all these things are in are in the Lord. The 4th one would be in verse 5 is that let your moderation or perhaps another word is let your gentleness be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
And then the 6th, the fifth one would be in verse 6. Then with all this in mind, then we can go on and say, be careful for nothing, be careful for nothing. But in everything, by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.
And then in verse eight, it goes through all these lovely things so every things are true and honest and so on to what the end of the verse is that they encourage us to think on these things. You know, how often do we know what we need to do? But we don't dwell on it. It's like we had the exhortation in the last meeting. Many have said to me how it touches the heart and conscience. But now do we think on this thing? Do we dwell more on it? That's the sixth thing is listed, but then the last, the 7th one that it mentioned here in the next verse is something that we often miss because it's only one little word.
And it has only two letters in this word in verse nine in the very middle of that. Let me read just the word so we can stress the point here. The word is do do. So let's read that verse again. Those things which you have both learned and received and heard and seen in me do, and the God of peace shall be with you. Does that mean the same vegetation as.
The Lord says Remember Me this do and remember to me. Paul did that. He was an example in breaking bread for them I believe.
And for us, do do the little word do is an action word, isn't it? Not just to sit and think, not just to talk about it, but to do we require action.
It also requires the right spirit. I was just thinking, but The Unsheathed Sewer, the little pamphlet by Brother Lundeen mentions this about. I can't quote it, I'll just paraphrase. Paraphrase that he says that.
A brother in a right spirit can be the means of either the salvation or the restoration of the whole assembly, but it just takes one also with a bad spirit that can bring about its destruction to the spirit is very, very important.
The assembly was generally going on well, but there was a little piece of sand, shall we say?
Between a couple and it was becoming and they were being irritated with one another and his fear was that it would affect the whole assembly and so he speaks of them by name here, Jordius and Syntaxy. That they would be of one mind in the Lord shows us that.
It's not necessarily prominent. Brothers in an assembly, if they don't agree, will divide the assembly. Even sisters who may not have a prominent part, if they're not getting along, that bitter spirit can affect others and pretty soon the assembly can get polarized. So it's very important that we all have that, that same mind in the Lord, that mind that we had in chapter two of the Lord Jesus going down.
You probably have heard this story before, but Brother Ironside was in a meeting.
Years ago and they were having a Bible reading and they were reading this chapter and there was this, I believe it was a Navajo Indian brother that was the one who would stand up and read the chapter. And he didn't have that good of command of the English language. And when he read this and he got to that second verse, he said, I beseech, odious and soon touchy that they'd be of the same mind. Well, you can imagine.
00:15:29
How that if there was somebody who was odious and somebody who is very touchy that they're going to be sparks, there's going to be Nitro and there's going to be glycerin. And when you put those two together, even the youngest school child here knows that you got problems. And so we we need the grace of our Lord to to get along with one another.
The remedy was to have the same mind, and of course that mind has been presented to us in chapter 2.
I've seen this illustrated. I used to tune pianos years ago and I would get some because I was a novice tuner. They gave me the junkie pianist to tune and I would.
Get get up in the particular in the upper reaches of the piano where you have three strings together. And the way you bring those three strings together that don't agree is you tune one of them right and tune the second one right and.
Then you tune the third one right. You had a standard you went by, but they had what were called wild strings. Sometimes strings that just you, it could seem like you couldn't make them settle down. But the interesting thing was if you tune two of the strings right, the third string tended to be affected by the harmonics of the two good strings and harmonize. And we can have that effect on one another if we have the mind of Christ.
There are so many ways that a sister can be a help in the work of the gospel, although not publicly. She can do many things to promote the the Lord's work privately and behind the scenes. I think we all have had that experience of sisters who labored for the Lord, whether it be in the kitchen or in the preparation of texts or children's work and so on. They they occupied a very.
Important place.
A place given by the Lord not.
Contrary to the word and they were, they were.
Laboring with us in the gospel. And they were true yokes, fellows, so to speak. So it's an encouragement for the sisters to.
The exercise along these lines.
So they were to be in of one mind, the same mind in the Lord. And so how do we know what that mind is? That was the mind of the Lord. It's really to pick up the word of God and to read of our Savior, the Lord Jesus. And he abode always in the truth. I am the way, the truth and the life. And so we read the word of God and we know something of what the mind of the Lord is. And so we don't set the truth of God aside and.
So to speak, compromise, that there might be peace, and so on. We desire that we would all walk in the same spirit, being subject to the Word of God and to one another. And then there's that sameness of mind.
Let me reread chapter 2 verses one and two. If there be therefore any consolation in Christ with any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any valves and mercies Here it is now fulfill ye my joy that she be like minded, having the same love, being of 1 accord of one mind. And then he says, Let nothing be done through strife.
Or vain glory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Very similar to what he says here about these two women.
00:20:06
You get a beautiful example of the esteeming other better than themselves. Later in that second chapter. We didn't have time to touch on it, but you see that the apostle Paul having worked the mind of Christ out in his own life, when he says in verse 17 of chapter two, yeah, if I be offered or poured out, I think it is upon the sacrifice and service of your faith. I joy and rejoice with you all.
What he was saying there was that their fellowship with him in the gospel by sending fellowship in whatever way funds was, he looked at it as the as the major sacrifice and his would be like a a drink offering sacrifice that would be poured over top of the major one. It's an allusion to what you have in the sacrifices. You know, a person may come with a a burnt offering, which were some major offering like that, and they could elect to put a drink offering over top of it, which was to pour wine over the top of it. It was sort of like a condiment or a something that was added to the major sacrifice.
Beautiful deceit that he does not look at his service for the Lord as the major thing and their fellowship with him as being the little thing. He turns it around exactly the opposite and says your offering is your sacrifice and service of faith. He said I just feel like my life service for the Lord is just like a drink offering being poured over top of yours. There he was esteeming their sacrifice greater than his services for the Lord. A beautiful example.
Of esteeming others better than ourselves. That's a beautiful thing for us to imitate in the assembly.
Then verse verse three it says, I entreat thee also true yoke fellow, help those women which labored with me in the gospel. It's very possible that he's referring to the women in verse two. They were a help to Paul in the gospel.
And here they are now, two sisters at one another. We don't know why, we don't know to what extent, but it was enough for the apostle to be concerned. So if we go back to chapter one and verse 27.
Does only let your manner of life be as it worthy the gospel of Christ, that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit with one mind?
Striving together for the faith of the gospel, here they were against each other. They were a help in the gospel. Now they were hindered from being a help in the gospel. And so.
You see the?
When when you're at enmity with anyone, especially those that you're going on together with, it hinders your prayer life. It it hinders your ability to be a help in the Lord's things.
It destroys communion. There's there's your whole joy is disrupted. And so he says, I entreat thee also true young color, help those women which labored with me in the gospel.
I enjoy thinking brother, and when you talk about being of the same mind in the Lord that.
In the last chapter we had the exhortation verse 15 as many as.
The tour be thus minded, and if in anything you be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Sometimes, you know, we try to fix up the difference. We try to make the person understand the way we are minded, and they want to make us understand how they're minded.
And it doesn't get any better, but I enjoyed I got this, I think from your brother Clam and that Mister Max Priestly used to say, he says there are some Christians that agree to disagree and there are other Christians that agree to agree.
And neither of them is right. To agree. To disagree is to be content. Just accept it. That that guy, that brother, he thinks that way and I think different.
And there are others who say, well, that brother is so godly, I guess I'd better just agree with him. So you agree to agree. Neither of those is right, brethren. What is right then? To leave it in the Lord's hands? God shall reveal it unto you. And I think that is a great way to take care of it. Don't force it.
00:25:09
And Bruce mentioned this morning, sometimes it's a matter of spiritual growth. A child of five years old isn't going to understand things the way a 15 year old would understand. You don't force it on the five year old child. You let him grow up. And so we need to sometimes leave those things in the Lord's hands, not try to force things when there's differences of money. God shall reveal even this unto you.
If you read in the book of the Acts, we find that that's the very case with the apostle himself.
It says that the dissension between him and Barnabas was so sharp that they parted ways.
But now he writes this sometime later, and he has the remedy for those differences, and he's learned it, and he's passing it on to the Saints. Beautiful.
And that's what we have in verse 5, isn't it? Let your gentleness, your moderation, be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. In other words, the Lord's right there, brethren. He's listening. He understands why there's the difference.
Then let's be gentle, one with another.
The thought of the Lord is at hand.
If you knew the Lord was coming in the next hour.
How would you conduct yourself?
What kind of things in your life would you immediately try to change?
Would you want to be in a state of soul that he would approve of when he came? I believe that's the emphasis of the of the Lord at hand is it's always having before us our conduct and that we should we should be living a life that gives glory to his name.
Mr. Derby in his translation, states that this way the Lord is near.
He's near. And so when we find ourselves gathered to the Lord's name, we're in a very privileged situation where we have the Lord in the midst. He is at hand. And so we need to be very careful how we conduct ourselves.
Before we get too far from it.
This is the third time the apostle Paul brings before us in verse 4, rejoicing in the Lord, says rejoice in the Lord always. And again I say rejoice. So he said it three times in this epistle.
It needs it needs our attention, and it's brought to mind 2 verses in the Psalms, the first of which is Psalm 34, I believe.
You notice our verse says rejoice in the Lord always. We say, yes, that's a good idea, so of course we do it. No, we don't. We know we should. Why don't we? Well.
Hint at it in Psalm 34 verse one. It says I will bless the Lord at all times.
In other words, there's a purpose of heart. We heard a bit about that last night or yesterday afternoon, and we need to have a purpose of heart to give the Lord His place in our lives and our lips. I will let, I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth. But it cannot be merely a matter of the will or something else too.
Psalm 22.
Psalm 22 and verse 26.
The meek shall eat and be satisfied as this.
Phrase I had in mind, they shall praise the Lord that seek him. We all want to be happy Christians.
But it's God's intention that we should never be happy apart from Christ. We can't have the experience without the person. We'll have both together in heaven, and that's the way it's supposed to be down here too. They shall praise the Lord that seek Him. If the Lord doesn't fill our hearts with praise, we need to say, have I sought him lately?
00:30:08
It is difficult to rejoice when you see problems and difficulties before you. It's easy to talk about it, but I believe one way to get around that problem is to know what is ahead of the problems. If you know that the end is better than what you see, then it's easier to rejoice. And I believe that's why the Lord let us know what is ahead of us. And we've been reminded many times how our own character should be heavenly regardless of what happened here in this world. We can rejoice because.
We know, we know where we're going to be. We know that we're going to be like Him. We know that we're going to be conforming to His image because our brother reminded us yesterday how we are in Christ, with Christ, and will be with him in eternity. Now I'm thinking of a passage that perhaps many already know. I'd like to turn to a passage in the book of Habakkuk. We don't often turn to that book, but it's a short book. There are only three chapters in it and the Book of Havoc.
Talked about the five different worlds that the Lord speak about.
Nebuchadnezzar but this world speaks of all these terrible things that's going to happen to Israel. This book was written perhaps about 20 years or so before Nebuchadnezzar come and destroy Israel. I just want to look at the last couple of verses because it talked about the problems, but yet they can rejoice. Habakkuk chapter 3. And I don't think we need much comment from just reading these verses.
It's nice to read through the chapters to get the connections, but we'll just read the last couple of verse. Verse 17 says here, although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, and the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat. The flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there should be no herd in the stall. We think of that. That's dreadful and terrible things.
How to see fig trees, the most important fruit that give them fruit and oil that failed here, all the vine and so on. And the flocks were being cut off. What are they to do? They know that it's to come, but yet knowing what is ahead of them, they were able to tend this in verse 18. Yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will joy in the God of my salvation.
What confident they have.
And in our chapter, the remedy for the problems that would impede our joy is in verse 6.
Be careful for nothing or you might read it. Be full of care about nothing. Doesn't mean we're careless, but we.
The rest of the verse in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving. Let your request be made known unto God. In other words, He wants us to tell Him everything. Doesn't mean He's going to answer every request.
But when we do tell him everything, there is a positive result in our own hearts.
And it is in verse 7, the peace of God.
Which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Mr. Eric Smith used to explain that this is a word picture, and it's a picture of a town in those olden days that was surrounded by a wall and outside the wall was.
A division of the army Garrison the city. It's not that we keep the peace of God, but the peace of God keeps our hearts and minds.
So we go to the Lord, we tell Him everything. We make our requests. Doesn't mean we're going to get all our requests, but the result is that there's peace in the soul to keep our hearts and minds. Wonderful provision for us as we walk through this world. There are problems too big for us, brethren. They are not too big for the Lord.
00:35:02
Take them to him. Unload your load of care there.
And the peace of God will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Are we to understand this to be an individual matter or are we to understand it what he's setting before the assembly at Philippines, the assembly matter?
Do you understand my question?
Well, can't you apply it both ways?
Well, maybe so.
I'm sure it can apply as an assembler or as an individual too.
In the second chapter it seems to be more collective there that they all needed to have the mind of Christ so that they could workout with practical salvation from.
The spirit of contention here, he seems to be addressing it on the individual level.
And oftentimes the reason that there is carefulness is because there isn't submission to what the Lord has allowed. And so the flesh profiteth nothing and it it wiggles it, it seeks to escape the circumstances and the situations that the Lord allows to test us and to produce that fruit for himself in our lives. And so he gives this remedy that we might submit, not be careful about these things filled with care and trying to solve the thing ourselves.
But in everything by prayer, that's that dependence that he would desire for us and these issues of life with supplication and Thanksgiving. So to supplicate for others that perhaps are involved. And then with Thanksgiving. You know, our brother Gordon Hale used to say there are circumstances in life that will develop and be sure in those circumstances to thank the Lord. And sometimes you may have to be weeping on your knees with tears running down the face, but still thank them for the problems.
Thank him for the trials that he's allowed. And so let your requests be made known unto God. And so we sometimes feel that we have a perfect solution all figured out. But the Lord says you just request, don't demand, don't make force a demand, so to speak and.
Have that solution, perhaps you might make that request, but then just leave it with him and then it says I was thinking of first, John.
And how lovely the Spirit is there of John. He says in chapter five of first John and verse 14. This is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask anything according to his will, He heareth us. And if we know that he hear us whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him. And so let's just make the request an independent lay the burden down.
And umm, then there's that, not that fretting and trying to solve it ourselves. And then there can be a thankful spirit. Then there's that peace of God which passeth all understanding and it's going to keep our hearts and our minds and our minds and our hearts can be taken up with person of Christ instead of the issues that are at hand.
In connection with that, Robert.
I in first Peter 5 there's a couple of verses that go along with that. I think there is important.
Says humble yourselves. It's verse six. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you. Remember a brother telling talking on those verses and he says this sometimes we have the experience of seeking to cast.
A care on the Lord and we tell them about it, but it seems like we get up and we continue to be burdened by it. And he suggested that verse six comes before verse seven because we need to recognize in what the Lord has allowed. He has allowed it for a purpose. First of all, we need to acknowledge his hand in it and humble ourselves there.
And then when we come, we will be able to cast the burden and leave it there.
00:40:01
Can we imagine ourselves being in that assembly that morning?
When this letter is read.
And the names of.
Sent a key and Yodius are mentioned. You can almost see the heads turn and look at these sisters. So I believe in chapter 2 has been said that we're going to have almost the same instructions just in chapter 4. Yet they're not named in chapter 2. So it's more collective. So it's individual here under even name. So you can imagine the squirming that went on in those seats and but yet how careful the apostle Paul is in the next verse.
Just as I turn my head to look at them, the next verse was red. And then it says, and I entreat the also true young fellow, help those women. Help those women. So it's very serious. When it came down, they actually had to name names. But he involves rest of the assembly too, not in condemning them, but the word has helped them.
I guess there's a difference between.
Peace with God, which is a result of the work of Christ. When we've accepted Him as our Savior, we have been justified by faith. We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. That is eternal in character. It doesn't fluctuate. It depends upon the finished work of Calvary. We we enjoy that unhinderedly, but we don't always speak for myself.
Have this peace of God.
The problem?
In the first case was our sins.
Which were burdening us and we brought them to the Lord, and He settled that matter.
And gave us that wonderful peace through the blood of his cross.
But now with the cares and the problems and the difficulties that we encounter.
We are invited to bring those to the Lord in the same way and lay them at his feet, and there's nothing too small for the Lord. I think maybe the young people might profit by that, that in all the difficulties you have at school or work or whatever.
We tend to go to the Lord in emergencies, yes, but in every detail of our lives. There's nothing too small for the Lord. He's interested in our progress at school, in our friendships, in our business relations, et cetera, et cetera. We can pour everything out at his feet. Not very many people you can pour out your heart to unhinderedly, but we can to the Lord. However, there is a, there is a point that I think we all recognize that is.
There may be something in my life that I am not willing to judge and therefore I don't have confidence in prayer. I we all know the scripture. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. That verse that our brother Bob referred to. Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God. It might be that there's something in my life that I refuse to judge and I really haven't humbled myself and judge that matter in the Lord's presence. I'm still still meddling with something that is.
Dishonouring to the Lord, I'm not going to have confidence in prayer, neither will I be able to cast those cares at His feet. So there is a state of soul that comes into the picture here that I think we have to recognize. Are we walking in uprightness before the Lord and death and judging those things which we we know are not honoring to Him or pleasing to Him in our in our lives?
Remember as a young believer.
Very interesting when you meditate on it that.
Respond to a difficulty. You take your natural response.
Reverse it and.
And check it out with scripture.
Someone smites you on the cheek, What's your normal response?
Reverse burn the cheek. Check it with scripture.
Yeah, that agrees. So here in this case when you have difficulties.
In the assembly.
Speaking as long as you have a sailor in this.
Difficulties in your individual lives what happens when you have.
00:45:06
Some that are loggerheads in the assembly.
Well, here it says to rejoice.
That's not my natural response, but that's what Scripture says.
And to not meet it with harshness.
But we're gentle.
And to realize that there is a resource for us. The Lord is near.
To realize that I don't need to be anxious about it.
He says be careful about nothing.
So what do I do? I go to Yemen. Remember in Matthew 18 where that one who had been forgiven for so much and failed to forgive his full service, there were those that saw it. What did they do? They just gossip about it. Did they just turn within themselves? No.
They were very sorry. And then what? It went and told their Lord, and then what?
And then the Lord, the Lord took care. You know, how wonderful to see that we need to make our request and known it to God, and then that peace of God can come over when we have difficult assembly conditions, we have difficulty in our personal lives. How wonderful.
Do we have we have a pattern for us to rejoice? Not in the circumstances.
But in the Lord to go to him and let his peace sweep over us, and let our hearts be guarded by him and his thoughts, and to think about those things, you know the enemy wants to distract us from thoughts that are positive.
And that's what the apostles saw as convention, as a danger here in the assembly of Philip I. How wonderful they turn that around completely.
I have something positive come out of something that was could be really devastating to the assembly. So as we go back to our home assembly, as we go back to our homes, I think there are principles here that we can apply, aren't there?
Verse eight shows the positive side, doesn't it? For the Georgia, it's once we have unloaded all the cares at the Lord's feet, then we need to occupy our minds with what is positive.
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, so things are good. Report there be any virtue, there be any praise, Think on these things. To me, this is what it means in first Peter chapter one, and it says gird up the loins of your mind. It means to control your thinking. Brother, we should not let our thinking go in any direction.
Without control, and that's the problem with.
TV and movies because you're letting your mind go in directions that are often not true, not pure, not honest.
We are, We're supposed to think on these things. Still remember Paul Wilson years ago speaking on this verse?
And you remember how pointed he was at times. He read it this way. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, that rules out all novels.
He says. I know that there are supposed Christian novels, but brethren, we need to occupy our minds with what is true.
It's scary when I see young people and children who do not any longer know how to distinguish between what's true and what's false.
It's all a hodgepodge to them. It's all just mixed up. We need to know what's true. We need to fill our minds with what's true. And so this is a real way to test that which you allow your mind to be occupied with it.
00:50:00
There's wonderful biographies of of missionaries and other biographies that are true. Occupy your mind with those things. Don't let it go in directions that don't fit this verse 8.
Paul could exhort, be ye followers of me, even as I am also of Christ. So in the next verse and ninth verse, those who do what Paul did, there's a reward that the God of peace shall be with you.
Not the peace of God, but the God of peace.
Were you going to go through the rest of those? Nope. Go ahead.
What a disappointment.
There's other brother in here.
A visit I had with AC Brown shortly before he passed away, he told me the real force of verse eight was these are the things that we should look for in our fellow brethren, and this would be the remedy for degenerating to the strife that developed in that assembly between Yodius and Sintiki.
There is that tendency, brethren, whatsoever things are true, we know a great danger among the people of God that.
Would separate us from one another in affection and thought is gossip. There's much that's said that isn't true, but we should have no part of it. And we can go down this list. Things that are honest, things that are lovely and so on. Are these the things that we feed upon about our brethren? There's many things that could be said, and some of them rightly so, but they're not that which would promote unity among the Saints of God. It's not not that which is edifying in character.
And as we see in verse 9, when Paul says think on these things, he says those things.
But you have seen in me, you have learned, received, heard, and seen in me do so these things that they were to look upon one another. They already had a demonstration for them in the apostle Paul thinking of a verse back in Genesis chapter 32.
That has sobered me along this line of what we feed on about what we hear about our brethren.
We know the story well about Jacob when the Lord met him and wrestled with him.
Genesis 32 and verse 31 it says, And he passed over Peniel, the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh. Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh under this day, because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh, sinew that shrank. Well, that seems odd. Well, there are things perhaps that maybe even we know about our fellow brethren, and the Lord has come in and dealt with them about a certain matter.
That's crippled them in measure and it's been a discipline for them the rest of their life. But the word and warning for us is let's not feed on that. Let's feed on that which is constructive and positive. And this is what we provide, unity among the people of God. Sadly, it seems some brethren perhaps can say very little good about their brethren. Isn't it lovely when we see someone that only has something positive to say about their brethren? Well, if we follow the exhortation in this verse, no doubt it would be a great.
Constructive principle for us to promote unity and joy in the Assembly.
And it makes for growth too, for exotic to grow in faith and grow in knowledge and things like that. And I was thinking of verse 7:00 and 9:00 as being a parenthesis around Brother Mcintosh's life. I understand that the very first pamphlet that he wrote was titled The Peace of God. That's where you'd occupy with first. You know, we've made peace with Gabby. Enjoy that so much. But there should be progression and growth as it was with him and apparently.
The last pamphlet he wrote was Under the God of Peace, and I think that's.
Speaks well of his life and would be instructive for all of us to progress from just the peace of God, to be occupied with himself, that God of peace.
The next verses are interesting, brethren. He talks about the.
Help that the Philippians had sent him. Your care of me hath flourished again, wherein you were also careful, but you lacked opportunity. This is not that I speak in respect of one. I think this is so helpful, for I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content. This was not something that came naturally to the Apostle.
00:55:17
He says. I have learned, and I think it's something we all have to learn.
Not therewith to be content. Godliness with contentment is breaking my say brother, and I've been amongst some poor people in this world. But when there's content, it is a supreme joy to be with him. Not this attitude. Oh boy, if I just add that I could be content, no.
Godliness with contentment is great gain. And then he says in verse 12, I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound everywhere and in all things. I am instructed to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
You know what impresses me? Sometimes people think that if they had such and such, then they could do the Lord's work. If you're not doing what the Lord gives you to do right now with what you have, you will never be able to serve the Lord. It's not having abundance that capacity you to do the Lord's work. It is not a lack of having things that hinders you from doing the Lord's work.
What is it then? The secret is in verse 13. I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me, and it's beautiful to me to see what is done with seemingly so little when there is a right attitude and a looking to the Lord. He is the one who gives the increased brethren. It's amazing to think of that time the Lord was with those 5000 men.
In the desert. And he asked the disciples to give them to eat. They didn't have anything. Well, they did have 5 loaves and two fishes, but they said, what's that amongst so many? Put it in the Lord's hands. He can multiply what seems so insignificant. And the Lord did that. He gave thanks and he multiplied it so that all were satisfied.
And there was enough to carry home to those who weren't there 12 baskets full of leftovers. Oh, brother, And that's our God. And if we're just the simplicity of faith and looking to him, I find it a constant lesson, brethren, being amongst our dear brethren in South America sometimes in such poor circumstances. But the way the Lord comes in when there is simplicity of faith in looking to him.
Don't be discouraged in your whole meetings. We have a God who is fully able for every situation. Let's trust him more implicitly. So the apostle Paul at times had abundance. At times he was hungry, but he found sufficiency in Christ. I think that's nice. And Bob and I noticed that Paul changes the verb here.
He didn't say I know how to be hungry, he said. I am instructed to be hungry.
Hunger is something that's not natural and it's an awful feeling and you might have to go a few days without something to eat and say, Mr. Stomach, it's not coming yet. Just wait a while. God has just wait a while, but he comes in and meets the need if we trust him.
Thinking this land, we think of it a little bit differently. We are so accustomed to having things and having always just a little bit more. In fact, I remember even back in my younger days, my Sunday school teacher said remember the word enough. He said we often don't want too much, we want just enough. But what is enough? Enough is just a little bit more and whatever we have, we just want that little bit more. And it seems that in this land we use the phrase that.
We just don't make enough. We always want to make a little bit more trying to get ahead. I'd like to turn to just one portion in the book of Hageeide because I think it speaks off the conditions that we may face today for many of us because, you know, in the Book of Hageeide, they were our captivities. In fact, they were doing pretty good. And the house, remember that in Ezra's day, they built the foundation of the temple. They laid the the altar down and then things were forgotten.
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Things people were doing well and they've forgotten about the House of the Lord just want to read a couple verses there in the first chapter in the book of Hagei. I'll begin that with verse 5 now therefore, thus saith the Lord of hosts. Consider your weight and I believe this is a message for us here and I believe we'd be reminded that a number of times through the past few days. Consider your weight verse six. You have so much and bring in little.
You eat.
But you have not enough. Ye drank, but ye are not filled with drink. Ye clothe you, but there is none warm. And he that earneth wages, earnest wages, to put it into a bag with holes. And we find that the more we struggle, there seems that the harder things get. Well here it would give us a little bit of a taste of what they have felt, that Can you imagine putting money in that bag, as if that bag have holes in it? But then the Lord gave them a little solutions there.
Verse 7 Thus set the Lord of hosts. Consider your ways, consider your weight, brethren. Verse 8 Go up to the mountain and bring wood, and build the house, and I will take pleasure in it, and I will glorify it, saith the Lord. Oh, do we not? You have to go up to that mountain, bring wood. Think of Christ, the humanity of Christ, think of him. Build a house for the Lord.
And you know, he gave us this comfort like to just jump over to the next chapter, chapter two. He gave them something that he I believe we have today. Earlier on we mentioned about the word of God, what comfort it is that we have the word of God before us. I believe the three things that we have like they do in verse two, in chapter 2, a lot of part of verse four, the Lord gave them this assurance. He said, I am with you.
Sayeth the Lord of hosts, Can we take that assurance? Yes, we can. The Lord said I am with you. Verse five, according to the word. Do we have that too? Yes, we do. We have the word of God before us. He's promised to be with us. He have His word before us. And then the louder part of verse five. So my spirit remaineth among you, Fear ye not. What a comfort we should have to know that we have His Word, we have him.
We have the Spirit guiding, teaching, leading and comforting us.
Proverbs mentioned made of the poor frequently. And he that lendeth unto the poor, or he that giveth unto the poor lendeth unto the Lord. And so here the dear apostle Paul, he was poor, he was perhaps penniless, and he had needs, and he depended wholly upon the Lord for those needs. These dear Philippians, they sent for his needs. But then it says in verse 16, For even in Thessalonica you sent once and again unto my necessity.
And so, you know, the Lord appreciated it and it's written in the word inspired word of God that they gave and they gave and they gave. And so we need to remember that what we have is already being mentioned previously, that we're stewards of what the Lord has given us and it really doesn't belong to us. And those that need it may need it more than we do. We need to have a an open heart to give. I can't remember one of the brethren out West here used to have the saying that the Christianity ought to be characterized by the open palm, not to close fist.
And so our hearts are taken up with those of the Lord's people that are poor, and we ought to have that affection for them to minister their needs in a practical way.
In verse 17 shows that it wasn't that he desired to receive, but that He desired that fruit would abound to their account. I think that's a beautiful thing. We need to be stirred about giving, brethren. That's what characterizes Christianity like you say it. It's important that we be giving. Let's keep our eyes open where we can do it in a way that would glorify the Lord. In verse 18 shows how he felt about it. It was a sacrifice.
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An order of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God if Aphrodite is was the one who brought it. And I think that is such a beautiful example too of service that can be done sometimes a person going to that person and confirming the love. That must have been a tremendous blessing to the Apostle Paul in prison to have that brother come.
And give him I'm certainly he must have stayed there a while to see if he could do anything for him. We know that he got sick while he was there with the apostle Paul. But these are also a sacrifice that God finds well pleasing.
That little statement.
It is more blessed to give than to receive means very, very much as to the character of our meetings. What's the most blessed thing we can do? Give to God, to think of him taking from us, and worship and praise and Thanksgiving and obedience. He puts us in the more blessed place of giving for receiving. Now always pretty rich to receive, and it's pretty necessary to ask, but to give is better.
It's important to see that we are.
Stewards of everything that we possess, we're going to have to give an account of the way in which we have used our time, used our temporal resources, and whether it be money or or talent OR gift or whatever, the money's going to perish, but not the way in which we have used it. That will go on into eternity as a reward. So it it really is an exercise how we are using these temporal things that God has entrusted us with.
Are we exercise?
To employ them for the Lord, for his glory and his service.
Not that a reward is the motive, but it certainly is an encouragement. In that coming day there will be a reward, we know. Make yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness, and when it fails he may be received into everlasting habitations. I think the principle is there. So whether we have a house or whatever, we can use that for the Lord's glory, and for His people, and for the furtherance of His interests here below.
There's a verse that puts.
Lots of emphasis in what you're saying John in First Corinthians chapter 4 and it concerns the apostle Paul but is teaching for us the first verse.
Of First Corinthians chapter 4. Paul is writing to the Corinthians, he says.
Let a man show account of us. I believe he means the apostles as of the ministers of Christ. Now that's the highest, one of the highest officers that you and I have, servants of Christ. That's what that means. Ministers are servants of Christ. But that doesn't stop there. He goes on and says.
And.
Stewards of the mysteries of God. Now that's the gathered Saints that have so much truth. The mysteries of God are made known to us in these meetings by God Himself through the written Word as being gathered in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
They're mysteries of God. The world doesn't know much about it.
We're seeing 312.
On Almighty.
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Lord.
Encouraged by Life by.
When it's going to follow?
We.
Are guide.
To this salvation.
Race.
They've been great.
Long as we.
First Chronicles, chapter 12.
First Chronicles 12 and verse 38.
All these men of war that could keep rank came with the perfect heart that he brought to make David king over all Israel, and all the rest also visual were of one heart to make David kick. And there they were with David three days eating and drinking for their brother, and had prepared for them. Moreover, they that were nigh them even under Issuer and Zebulun and NAFTA lie brought bread on ***** and on camels, and on mules, and on oxen and meat meal cakes of figs.
And bunches of raisins and wine and oil and oxen and sheep. Abundantly. So there was joy in Israel. So I give thanks.
The Golden Key to Spiritual Progress
YP Address—B. Anstey
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#46 in the appendix.
Have I an object Lord below?
I understand that the young people don't like brethren who get up to the podium and speak, as one young person said in Hieroglyphics.
Well, this afternoon it is my intention to use great plainness of speech. Like the Apostle Paul said, I want to speak straight from the shoulder, so to speak.
About a very important subject in your life, perhaps we could say the most important subject in a Christian's spiritual life.
And I trust by the time I sit down at the end of this meeting, you'll know what I said. You may not agree with what I'm going to say because I'm going to speak to your heart, and I trust to your conscience as well. But you'll know what I said I trust. So let's look first of all at an opening verse by way of introduction in First Chronicles.
Chapter 9.
Verse 26 and 27.
First, Chronicles 926. For these Levites, the four chief porters were in their set office, and we're over the chambers or that could read the storehouses and treasuries of the House of God. And they lodged round about the House of God because of the the charge was upon them and the opening. And that should read the the key to the opening thereof every morning pertaining to them. Let me read that last clause again, the key to the opening thereof.
Every morning pertaining to them.
I want to use this verse as an introduction to the subject that I have before me. I think this is very, very interesting. We learned from this scripture that there was a key to the storehouses in the House of God, and these men had the care of the House of God had that key, and the opening and the use of that key would open the storehouses whereby the people of God could be fed and given the blessings that were there in the House of God.
This afternoon, what I want to do is to give that key to each one of you young people. Perhaps we could say it's a golden key, a key that is going to open the the storehouses of God on high for your life. It'll be the key and the secret for blessing in your life in a spiritual way. So I want you to listen very carefully to what we're going to speak of this afternoon, and I want to bring it before you by way of tight.
About 3 things that are so very important that we must make room for in our lives. So suppose we could say that this key that I want to give you, this golden key is a key with three prongs to it. And if you'll use this key, dear young people, you will have great prosperity and success in your spiritual life. And so now let's turn to 2nd Kings Chapter 4.
And I like to look at three separate incidences in the life of Elijah, along the lines of the need for.
Making room for divine things in our life.
2 Kings Chapter 3 to start with.
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Now to save time and to bring us up to speed with regard to this chapter.
It's really from verse 5 on to the end of the chapter. I'm going to just tell you the story and I'll read a few verses. So first of all, let's read from verse 16 of chapter 3.
And he that is Elisha.
He said, Thus saith the Lord, Make this valley full of ditches, for thus saith the Lord, ye shall not see when neither shall you see rain, yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink both ye and your cattle and your beasts. This is but a light thing in the sight of the Lord. He will deliver the Moabites also into your hand, and you shall smite every fence city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all the wells of water, and mar every good piece.
Of grant a land with stones.
And it came to pass that in the morning when the meat offering was offered, that, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water. And when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come to fight against them, they gathered all that were able to put on armor and upward, and stood in the border. They rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red.
As blood, And they said, this is blood. The kings are surely slain. They have smitten one another now. Therefore Moab to the spoil.
Well, the story here is.
3 Kings got together in an alliance that was not blessed of God. There was a godly king, there was a professing, a king of Israel, and there was a worldly man who knew not the Lord the king of Edom. And they got together, they were going to attack the land of Moab. And since if you know the geography of Moab, is a land that bordered Israel to their east, but on Moab's east behind Moab was a vast desert.
Of hundreds of miles and on that side of Moab's land they never took to defend themselves because no one could ever come across the desert to ever come in from behind to get them. They only armored their their West side towards the children of Israel. At any rate, these 3 kings got in a on a mission. They were going to attack the king of Moab and they got this idea that what they would do is that they would take a journey of seven days, make a great circuit out into the wilderness and then circle in behind and attack them where they're not defended.
It was a great idea, they thought, but they hadn't asked the Lord for his direction in the matter. And what happened? After about seven days, they found that they were wandering in the wilderness. They were lost in the wilderness, so to speak, and they ran out of water, and they were in an awful predicament. And so they called on Elisha, and he said, those words that I read to you make ye ditches.
Make the valley full of ditches, and that God would supply water by the miraculous power that he had. And so I believe that this is the first thing that we need to make attention, bring our attention to, and that is the need to make room for the water of the word of God in our lives.
Here we have this terrible and this sad situation of this association with this godly king Jehoshaphat linking himself with these ungodly men and now getting himself into this predicament so that they were, so to speak, circling around aimlessly in the wilderness and in desperate need of water. It may be that our lives are like that. We have made links with people of this world that have sapped our strength and have got us on a course in our lives that is going to lead only to destruction.
And what we need is the water of the word of God in our lives. Dear young people, if I'm speaking to you this afternoon and is anyone here that is found in such an alliance or association with ungodly persons in your life, you're going to end up, if you haven't already, wandering in the wilderness without water, and you're headed towards a spiritual disaster in your life. They did the right thing. Thank God they turned to Elisha.
Elisha, in this chapter and in Chapter 4, is a type of Christ, and that's what you need to turn to this afternoon. If you feel that your life is nothing more than dry and you feel like you're just wandering around and you're making no progress at all, I entreat you this afternoon to turn to the Lord Jesus. Tell him of what you feel in your soul, and he can supply a remedy. And so the exercise for the children of Israel and with these ungodly kings was to make the valley full of ditches. They had to get down, and they had to dig.
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And make holes. They had to make room for the water that Elisha was going to send by the power of God. And that's what we need to do too, dear young people, is to make room in our lives for the word of God. Do you take time in your life to have the word of God have its rightful place in your busy day? Going to school or going to work or whatever you're doing? Do you have a time When you are, you can set aside whereby the Word of God can be opened and God can pour you out a blessing.
This is essential to the blessing that God wants to give. As I said, it's one of those 3 prongs to that important key to our spiritual success in our life. What we find here and then, I'm not just sure, perhaps some older brother can tell us just how the water came. He said it wasn't going to come by rain, but anyway, the water came. And just as the word from Elisha was, the whole country was filled with water. They had more than they needed because they obeyed his word and they made room for it.
I hope that's the case. Will be the case, if it has not already, with each one of us here this afternoon. Isn't this interesting? What we read here in verses 21 and 22, that when the enemy rose up in the morning and the water was filled in all those ditches, they looked out and the sun was shining on it in such a way and it reflected red. And so they looked at it and they saw that looks like blood. They must have slain each other and killed each one. So they decided that they would rise up to the battle. But that wasn't the case at all.
And you know what? It really? It really speaks to us of what is refreshment for the child of God.
Looks like death to the man of this world.
The man of this world that looks at what is refreshment for us, which is the water of the word of God. It is nothing but looks like death to them.
They see a Christian who holds a Bible in dearly and reads it and studies it, goes to Bible meetings like this and so on. And they think that's death. How could anybody have any interest in that? And I'm reminded of that scripture that the apostle gave that word that he gave to the Colossians. He said, Gee, your life is hid with Christ in God. That is the spring of our life. It hid from the man of the world. They can't understand what makes a Christian tick, why a Christian does what he does.
And why he is satisfied and refreshed. From reading the word of God, it looks like death to him. If we take a man of the world and bring him into a Bible meeting and told him what we do throughout the week as a Christian, reading the scriptures and having Christian fellowship, he'd say that's death, that's death. It looked like blood to these kings. But all that was refreshment for the children of God. I wonder. I trust that each one of us know what it is to drink of the refreshment of the water of the word of God.
It is one essential thing that is needed in our lives. Now let's go on in chapter 4, verse one. And there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant, my husband is dead. And thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord, And the creditors come to take unto him my two sons to be bondsman. And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee?
Tell me, what hast thou in thine house In the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not anything in the house save a pot of oil?
Then he said, Go, borrow or ask the vessels abroad of all thy neighbors, even empty vessels, borrow not a few. And when their heart come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and thou shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. So she went from him. She shut the door upon her and upon her sons who brought the vessels to her. And she poured out, and it came to pass them when the vessels were full.
That she said to her son, bring me yet another vessel. And he said unto her, There is not another vessel. More. And the oil stayed. And she came and told the man of God, And he said, Go and sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest. Here we have a second incident in the life of Elijah that really illustrates the importance of making room for another divine thing, and that is the oil of the Spirit of God.
I suppose most of us here know that the oil Oil in the word of God is a figure of the Spirit of God. In the first instance we had the exercise of making room for the water of the word of God here. Now on this story we have the exercise of making room for the oil of the Spirit of God. How important it is that we would have the power of the Spirit of God in our lives and His activity working to help us to live the Christian life.
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And to give us that abundant life of happiness and joy and a life of meaning and fulfillment, Well, the story is we are met with a woman that is poverty stricken. It doesn't tell us how she got into that condition. That's not the point of the lesson. It's how she got out of it that we want to learn what God has for us. But having said that, let's turn to a fruit few verses and we will see what really does bring spiritual poverty in the lives of God's people.
Turn first of all, hold your finger here and turn first of all to Genesis 45. I'm going to run through a few verses just quickly to give you a summary of really what Mark's spiritual poverty and those who are characterized by that Genesis 45 verse 9.
HG Go ye up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me Lord over all Egypt, Come down unto me, and tarry not, and thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen. Thou shalt be near unto me, thou and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast. And there will I nourish thee, For yet there are five years of famine, lest thou and thy household and all that are thou hast.
Come to poverty. Come to poverty. Here we have Joseph, who is another type of Christ, entreating his brethren to come around and live their lives close or near unto him, pick up their lives in the land of Israel, and to come to Goshen and arrange their lives around him. And then he warns them, if he didn't do that, that they were going to come to poverty. And so here we have the first great thing, and that is the need for.
Dwelling or living near to the Lord Jesus Christ.
It says the beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him. And how important it is that we have a life that is arranged around the Lord Jesus Christ. So this speaks to us of nearness to Christ. Turn to Proverbs.
Proverbs chapter.
6.
Verse 6. Go to the Ant thou sluggard, and consider her ways, and be wise, which, having no guide or overseer or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest. How long will thou sleep, O sluggard, when thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep, so shall poverty come to as one, as one that traveleth and I want as an armed man. So here we have another thing that would contribute to poverty, and that is a lack of energy and diligence to gather food like the ants, food from the word of God.
Turn on to chapter 13, verse 8. The ransom of a man's life for his riches. But the poor heareth not rebuke. The poor heareth not rebuke. Here's another thing that characterizes the poor, spiritually speaking, is that he can't listen or won't listen to his brethren, won't listen to rebukes. And if there's a rebuke that comes from this podium this afternoon, will you hear it? Dear young person, dear older person, That's what marks a person.
Who is spiritually?
Poor turn to chapter 21, verse 17.
He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man. He that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich. Now that word pleasure there, and the margin says sport, or it could be translated a recreation, that sort of thing, taking your ease and you know, sitting backwards, the young people say kick back and whatever they do. So the point here is not so much that sport or recreation is sin or wrong, but it's the loving of it. It's the giving ones of oneself to it.
In such a way as it becomes.
The the central thing in the life, the loving of sport and pleasure, You see that today amongst young their lives are filled oftentimes with that from morning to night. I'm not speaking against it, don't get me wrong, But if it's that which is the central part of your life, to the point where you love it to the exclusion of the things of God, then it's utter proportion and it's going to bring you to spiritual poverty. And that's all there is to it. Turn onto one more scripture in chapter 28.
Chapter 28 verse 19. He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread.
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But he that follows after vain person shall have poverty enough, and here we have.
Bad associations, bad companions will lead you also to spiritual poverty, and so that's a good little summary to consider.
Who are our friends and companions? Are they those who will build us up in the things of God and encourage us? When one among your number may say let's skip the next meeting and then someone says no, let's not skip the meeting, let's go and we can go do something after the meeting.
What kind of companions do we have? They will lead us, if they're bad companions, into spiritual poverty. So there you have some clues as to what leads a person into a condition of poverty. Though, as I say, that's not the focus of this chapter that we're reading in Second Kings Four. It's how she got out of poverty that we are to get the license. Now this is very interesting and very instructive. The Prophet again is a type of Christ.
It's beautiful to see that she recognized her condition and she went to him and told him, and I think this is very nice, that we would take our troubles to the Lord, that we take spiritual inventory and realize that we're really poverty stricken. We hardly have any understanding of divine things. We may feel spiritually poorer in the presence of our brethren, go to the Lord Jesus like she went to Elisha and he asked her, have you got anything in your house? And she said, well, I only got a pot of oil. Well, as I said, the oil speaks to us of the type of Christ, a type of the Spirit of God.
And you know something? Every Christian has a pot of oil in his life. Every one of us have the indwelling presence of the Spirit of God.
And he was going to use that pot of oil to pour out a blessing in that woman's life. And God wants to use the Spirit of God to pour a blessing in your life, too. But the exercise for her was to make room for it. She had to go and get as many vessels as possible, borrow them from friends and neighbors, and to bring them in so that the spirit of God, or rather the oil under the power of God, could be poured out for a blessing in her life. But there's one thing I want to point out here that is so very important and gives us a clue.
Having the power of the Spirit of God in our lives, look very carefully now at that fourth verse, he said, One hour come in, Thou shalt shut the door upon thee and thy sons, and shall pour out into all those vessels. She was she was told to close her door first, before she took that vessel, that pot of oil, and began to pour it out. That is very instructive, Forrester. Friends, the closing of the door brings before us the shutting out of the outside influences.
Those influences of the world and so on, that affect our judgment and cause us to lose spiritual apprehension. She was to close that door and then take that pot of oil and begin to pour. And what happened was a miracle took place. It poured and it poured, and it poured and it poured until she had filled every vessel she had in her house, until her house was full of oil. And it's a picture you see for us, of being filled with the Spirit of God.
But isn't it interesting that it was consequent upon her closing the door to the outside influences?
Of the world, dear young person, God has given us these types to teach us some very valuable lessons. You want a blessing in your life? Of course you do. And God wants you to be blessed too. One of the opening verses that was quoted in prayer yesterday was that God wants to open the storehouses of heaven and pour you the windows of heaven and pour us out of a blessing is so great that we won't even be able to contain it, and that's what he wants to do. But it's up to us to make room for the spirit of God to work in our lives. That means that we may need to get rid of some of the trash that's in there.
So she was to shut the door and the miracle took place and the oil ran and ran and ran. What an instructive lesson for us. You know, it's kind of like to make this more simple. And I said, I'm going to speak straight from the shoulder. It's kind of like a man in a room. Now listen to what I'm going to say. It's kind of like a man in a room. And out of the one wall is this great hose leading to the outside influences of this world and all of its contaminations and defilement and everything else.
And on the other wall he has another hose, and it's attached to heaven, and through it pours all of that pure oxygen.
Of the heavenly things that God has for a Christian that would build up his spiritual constitution.
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And on the end of each one of these hoses is a valve that could be turned and would allow to come in.
Those things through the pipe or through the hose.
And you know, if we have the valve open to the influences of this world pouring into our lives, it is going to hinder our spiritual progress. It's going to SAP our spiritual energy and strength. It's going to take away our appetite. It's going to spoil our judgment. 1000 things could be said about it. It'll take us away from the Lord sooner or later, you know.
Sad to say, every one of us.
Live in a room, so to speak, like that.
And there are many, many young people that have not understood the importance of closing down the valve of those pollutants and the pollution, pollutions and the contaminations and so on that are coming in to us and being bombarded from the world. And sad to say, too many Christians really don't have the valve open on the hose that leaves from heaven that heavenly atmosphere that we should have into our lives. And what's happening is, is that we're suffocating.
It's damaging to our souls, dear young people. Am I describing your life?
Am I describing your life?
There are some young persons that I'm not here to point fingers at anybody who seemed to be so intoxicated with the pollutants of this world that they're like a man going over to the wall and putting his mouth on the hose and inhaling with all his worth.
And become spiritually intoxicated by all of that. Now you know what I'm talking about, but I said I was going to speak plain to you today.
There are so much in this world, you know, technology is making advances so fast.
But the devil just sees everyone of those new inventions as another way to bring pollutants of this world into our lives, and we seem to be so simple minded that we don't realize it.
You got the TV, we've got these DVDs and all these movies and garbage that is coming into us. These, you know, iPod and all. I could go on and on and list all these things. You know them better than I do.
Now I know that they can be used, I suppose, to listen to hymns and so on.
But I'm not so naive to think that that's what young people today are doing and using all these technological advances and things for. And, you know, all that kind of stuff is only polluting our souls.
And it's causing the Spirit of God to not have liberty to work. We're grieving him. We're quenching the spirit of God.
You know what I'm talking about. You listen to this rock music.
This kind of stuff is damaging to your souls. You may not think so.
A dear brother that I know, who listened to that stuff for a long time as he walked in the world, got delivered from the world and he said to me as if I didn't know. He said to me 90% of it is all to do with drugs and sex and rebellion and that kind of thing.
Is that what you want to be listening to? That's what they're promoting. It is the music of rebellion against the standards of society and the old blue laws, so to speak, and of young people are just inhaling that full speed. Is it going to do any good for you? No, it's not. Look at the movies that I hear that young people are listening to. In my generation, if someone went to watch a movie, they wouldn't go and tell their brethren. But today I was talking to a young person not too long ago, not naming names.
He said to me it's incredible he had moved from the country to the big city and.
He was used to rejoicing it. He said it's incredible, you know, the things you can do. Everything's at your fingertips. And he said, you know, like, well, movies. So we just walked down to Blockbuster Video and got these movies. He's telling me this.
Like, you know, are we that insensible that here we are even thinking that there's nothing wrong with this kind of stuff?
And what are these movies all about? Usually they got a killing scene in it, a chase scene in it, a sex scene in it, and that's what you're listening to and watching.
Really true, I know it is. Dear young people that kind of pollution is affecting. Desensitizing your moral standards and bringing it down to the level of the world. It is going to kill you sooner or later. Spiritually speaking, it says if we live after the flesh, ye shall die. Romans 813.
Now, you may not like what I'm saying, but you said you wanted to hear somebody talk straight, so I'm talking to you straight.
00:30:06
It's going to suffocate you sooner or later. Now, I know some people, young in various degrees, various young people, We're all at different levels. Some have that one valve partially on a crack open, maybe the other ones in various degrees. But whatever the case is, you know what I'm saying? We need to shut out those pollutions in this world. What's the obvious answer to all this? Well, close down the valve to all that pollution and drink in the heavenly atmosphere, but listen to what I'm going to say next.
And you may not like this either.
You know something? You can't do it. You can't close that thing down on your own strength. You cannot do it, you said. That's ridiculous. I could stop watching a movie if I wanted.
That's the point. You don't want to.
And you can't. The Scripture says it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. You don't have the will to do it. That kind of stuff. Being brought into your life at any kind of degree or at any length of time brings you to a point where you don't have the spiritual energy to reach up and close down that bell. That's the truth. You may not like it. It's a fact. And God knows that, even if you don't know it. And so I think it's so beautiful to see that when God takes up the subject of deliverance from the world and all of its contaminations, that what he does.
Is that he presents the principle of displacement. Displacement is the only answer. Now let's turn to a few scriptures. Hold your hand here and I'll show you what I mean.
And this is the key to deliverance dear young people. So listen very carefully Isaiah Chapter 7 verse 15.
Butter and honey Shall he eat that he may know to refuse the evil and choose the good. Now notice the order of things. It is to eat the butter and the honey. And then we have the knowledge and the power to refuse the evil and to choose the good. That's the way God usually presents deliverance from the power of the world. It's on the principle of displacement. And so this is going to be very important way to get ourselves out of spiritual poverty.
And into spiritual wealth, like that woman that we were reading about. Butter and honey are words that are used on milk and honey are to describe Canaan and its fruits, which is a type of heavenly things. We drink in those heavenly things. It'll give us the spiritual strength to shut down that other stuff. Turn to Isaiah chapter 31.
Just give you a few verses as we sprinkle, as they are sprinkled through scripture as they are 31, six.
Turn ye unto him, That's the Lord from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted. For in the day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, but your hands have made.
You for a sin. Isn't this interesting, The idea of turning unto him and then turning away from the idols.
Let me see if I can find another passage here that might be helpful to this end.
Jeremiah, chapter 15.
Verse 16 and 17.
Thy words were found and I did eat them. Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart. For I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts. I sat not in the assembly of the mockers. Isn't that interesting? He drank in the pure sweetness of the word of God, and it was giving him strength to sit, not with the assembly of the mockers. Isn't that interesting? The Second Chronicles, chapter 30. I think it is where you get Hezekiah.
Second Chronicles 30 This is the chapter where the children of Israel were called to come up to Jerusalem and to enjoy the presence of God at Jerusalem and keep the Passover.
Second Chronicles chapter 30 read verse 26. This is the summary of that great chapter. And so there was great joy in Jerusalem for since the time of Solomon the son of David the king of Israel, that there was not like in Jerusalem chapter 31 verse one. Now when all this was finished all Israel.
That word present went out into the cities of Judah, and break the images in pieces, and cut down the Groves, and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin and Mephram also Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all.
Then all the children of Israel returned every man to his possession into their own cities. Here again they enjoyed something in Jerusalem.
And it gave them strength to go out and break their idols. Who told them to do that? Hezekiah didn't say no, I want you to go home, and I want you to break all those idols. No, they tasted something better and they were through the idols. Now let me give you one from the New Testament. So you don't think it's only an Old Testament principle? 2 Corinthians, chapter 3.
00:35:19
2nd Corinthians chapter 3, verse 18.
But we all with open face, beholding as in a glass, the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord, Chapter 4, verse one. Therefore, having seen we have this ministry as we have received mercy, we faint not, but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully, and so on. Isn't this interesting? The apostle was speaking about looking into the face of the Lord Jesus and enjoying what there isn't from heaven in him. And then he turns around and says, and we renounce all the hidden things of dishonesty and crafty.
And all that. Again, you see that same principle. You'll find it throughout the word of God. I can probably give you a couple of dozen places where that's found. It's usually presented on that line. Isn't that interesting? And so, dear young people, what I'm now saying is what you need to do is to open the floodgates of that one valve and let as much of that heavenly things come into your life as you can.
Mr. Hayhoe used to say, read scripture till you think in the language of Scripture. Just saturate your life with Scripture and the word of God and the things of God. We're thankful that you've come to these meetings and have been to be here under the sound of the word of God. That's good. It'll give you the strength to reach up and to close down that valve that is contaminating your life.
It's important. It's so essentially important. You know, I was thinking of.
The old illustration you've probably heard many times has been among brethren for way over 100 years. It's the story about the young man that complained that he, when he read the word of God, he wasn't getting anything out of it. He just couldn't retain it. So he was telling his older brother, And the older brother said, well, take this Wicker basket and go over to the fountain here and fill it up with water and bring it back to me. So the young man went over there. Of course he came back with the basket. It was empty, just dripping with water. And then the old man said, well, go do it again. So he went and did it again a second time and brought it back.
And.
The older man, the younger man said, well, what's the point here? They won't hold water. And the old man said, as you probably know the illustration well, he said, yes, it didn't hold water, but it's an awful lot cleaner. It's.
An awful lot cleaner. The water flowing through it cleans us up wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way. The Bible says by taking here there are two unto the word of God. There's a cleansing power in the word. Well, anyway, the antidote to this story is Mr. Darby heard that story. Someone told him that illustration. He listened to it and he said, Oh well, if you want the basket to stay full of water, just keep it in the fountain.
I thought that was good. Think of the fountain here. And he keeps pulling it up, pulling it out of the fountain. Well, just leaving in there. Who said to take it about taking it out if you want to be saturated with the water and to keep it, stay in the word. And that's what we need to do, stay in the word, drink in the word. God would have us to do that.
It'll give us the power to live for His glory and for his praise. And so this is a very important key, shall we say. This is the second prong to this great golden key that I'm trying to give you this afternoon. That is to make room for the Spirit of God in your life. He will bring a blessing. He will help you shut down all of those outside influences that you don't have the power on your own strength to do. But the story is not finished. Let's look at one more incident in the life of Elisha. Now let's read on in verse 8.
And it fell on a day that Elisha passed to shoot him, where there was a great woman stopped there.
The word great here should be translated wealthy. The first woman we had was a poor woman. The second woman we have is a wealthy woman. And it's very important we want to learn something from this. You know, you can get books. My wife has had them before. It's never done us any good. But anyway, books about.
You know they people write in chronicles things about rich people, how they get rich and what they do and so on as to how they end up rich and.
You know, they'll tell you what time of year to buy a car and when and why to sell their house and so on and all this kind of stuff. There's certain things that rich people seem to know how to do. The rest of us don't know anything about it, and they even written books about this kind of thing. I know it.
And, you know, they want people to learn from them. Well, you know, in a certain spiritual sense, we should learn something here from the rich people that we find in the Bible, too. Like Boaz. He says he was a mighty man of wealth. And this woman to shoot him, she was a wealthy woman. Let's learn something from her, what she did, and we might get a great blessing. Well, it says that the great woman as she constrained him, that's Elisha to eat bread. And so it was that as OFT as he passed by, she turned in.
00:40:27
Thither to eat bread.
And she said unto her husband, Behold, now I perceive that this is a holy man of God, which passeth by continually. Let us make a little chamber. I pray thee on the wall, or with walls, and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a Candlestick. And it shall be that when he comes to us, that he shall turn in thither. And it fell on a day that he came thither, and turned into the chamber, and lay there. Now we have another illustration.
And the life of Elijah that is so essential to spiritual blessing in our lives, God intends for us to get a understand this typically again Elijah is a type of Christ. And this woman here she sensed or perceived that he was a holy man of God and she and.
Invited him in to come and have a meal with her, and the idea of eating a meal with someone is the idea of fellowship.
Scripture. So the picture here is, is that she wanted to have fellowship with this man.
And as I said, he's a type of Christ. Ah, this is good. This is a good lesson for us. You want to be spiritually wealthy in your soul. We need to copy this woman and what she did here, She encouraged.
And we, I would like to say to you, we would like to encourage you and myself as well, that we make room for the Lord Jesus in our lives. And so they had, she had fellowship her and her husband with this man. And I would like to encourage you to take time to have fellowship with the Lord Jesus, to make room for the Son of God. So what they did was they didn't want just to have an occasional meal with him, just a little fellowship. They wanted to have a more sustained fellowship. So they decided that they should make a little room for him, little place where he could come and dwell there. They enjoyed his company so much that they wanted to have it last a little longer. And So what happened was they said let's build a little chamber. And so when he comes by, why we can have him there longer with us. Oh, that's so beautiful.
It's so instructive for us. And so here we have the third thing, and that is making room for the Son of God in our lives. The first little exercise was to make room for the word of God, the water of the word of God. The next exercise was to make room for the oil of the Spirit of God. But the third exercise is to make room for the presence of the Son of God. Oh yes, we want to have fellowship with the Lord Jesus. And so she said, let's make this little chamber. What would that speak to us all? The little chamber.
Friend Junior speaks to herself. The Chamber of our hearts. We all have a little chamber here, and what we should be seeking to do is to encourage the Lord Jesus to come and dwell in our chamber.
That we might enjoy his fellowship and his company. Dear young people, this is the key to spiritual blessing in your life, to know what it is to have fellowship and communion with the Lord Jesus. And so they said we know what they seem to know, that it would have to have walls in it, and walls in Scripture speak to us of separation from evil. No, She knew that since he was a holy man of God, that he needed to have a place that would have walls in it. And it's the same with the Lord Jesus. You know he can't dwell in an unclean place.
If your heart is full of entertainment of this world and the corruptions and so on, are you going on with something in your life?
You will not be able to have the Lord Jesus in your chamber in this practical way that I'm now speaking. So it's important that we have walls there. And then also, she said a bed. Yeah, she wanted him to stay the night. She wanted him to stay longer where he could rest. And then a table. What does a table speak to herself? Well, and script. Your table is always the thought of fellowship, was where the meals are eaten. And so there's fellowship. And then we have a stool. A stool. Why would they include a stool?
Well that was so she could sit at his feet and listen to his instruction. That's the place of a learner to sit on a stool. And you know that's what we had in the Bible reading here when we read from Luke chapter 10 about Mary. She sat at Jesus feet and heard his word and the demoniac when he was delivered from all of his trouble, where was he found? He was found seated at the feet of Jesus and in his right mind. And every right minded Christian sits at Jesus feet and they and they hear his word and they learn something. So the Lord has got lots to instruct us.
00:45:02
We need to take the stool of the student and hear his word. And then it says a Candlestick. What's that? Speak to us all? A Candlestick. Well, it's big to us of light and testimony. There's going to be light and testimony as a result of having the Lord Jesus in our lives in this very practical way. Oh, dear young people, what a wonderful book of lessons that we have in the Bible. Now let's summarize what we've had.
Let's talk about this now. God wants you to enjoy the storehouses of heaven.
He has stored up so many rich blessings for your soul, and we've read that there is a key to the storehouses of God, and God wants to give you that key. He wants you to use that key to go there and open it up and to take in those wonderful things that he has for you. And as I've put it tonight, this afternoon, it's like a free prong key making room for the water of the word of God in our lives, making room for the oil of the spirit of God in our lives, and making room, most importantly of all, for the Son of God in His presence.
That is the key to spiritual progress I have given to you. Now, as we draw this meeting to a close, I have given to you the key to spiritual success. Will you come and take this key from my hand and let the Lord Jesus pour out a black God, pour out a blessing in your life? It's all there for you. And he wants the very best. And so do we. You know, dear young people, we don't want to take everything away from you. It may sound like, oh, you're illegal.
You don't understand the needs that we have and all. Don't worry about that.
We're not trying to take anything away from you. We want you to get a spiritual blessing and we know.
What is damaging your soul? And that's why we have spoken so plainly here this afternoon. And so the storehouses of God are open to you. If you'll use that key, will you take it from the hand of the Lord Jesus, so to speak, and begin using it in your life, and prove that goodness of God?
Let's sing one more hymn.
153 I believe it is.
Yes, 153 Whom have we, Lord but these?
Some brother raised the tune.
00:50:28
Now let's pray, Father.
Your Living Sacrifice
YP Address—R. Thonney
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157.
257 A hymn we often sing in the breaking of bread meeting, but how important it is never to get far from the cross.
I'd like to suggest we stand up to sing this, since it's kind of a time when we might be wrestling with sleep.
I'd like to begin this afternoon with a verse from Ephesians chapter 5.
Actually 2 verses. The 1St 2 verses of the chapter.
Ephesians chapter 5, verse one. Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children, and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us, and offering, and a sacrifice to God.
For a sweet smelling Saber.
Now I'd like to turn to Second Timothy, chapter 3.
For a few verses.
Second Timothy, chapter 3, verse one.
This snow also that in the last days perilous times shall come.
For men shall be lovers of their own selves.
Covetous, the translation says. Lovers of money.
Boasters, proud blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce bakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce despisers of those that are good traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.
Just rode those two portions to begin with to contrast.
Two principles of life that I think are extremely important to focus in on. First one, we are exhorted to walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself an offering and a sacrifice to God for his sweet smelling Savior.
What I want to focus there is.
The life of Christ is a life of self sacrifice. What we see here in these verses that we read.
Is what we have in the last days, and I think we can recognize as we read these verses that it describes the day in which we are living.
Doesn't take too much discernment to notice that.
But three things in that list.
It tells that people are lovers.
Yeah, this generation are lovers, but what up number one in the list is lovers of their own selves #1.
#2 Lovers of money #3.
The end of the list. Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.
00:05:00
And I would like to just put over this, this is the current of this present age and it is.
Self pleasing.
To follow the Lord Jesus means to.
Follow in the way of self sacrifice. To follow in the way of this world is to follow in the way of self pleasing. I suggest that they are diametrically opposed 1 to another.
Either your life is characterized by self sacrifice or it is characterized by self pleasing.
My desire is to encourage our dear young people that the way of self sacrifice is really the way of life, the way of self pleasing.
Ends up just like it did in the case of Solomon, who had everything his heart could desire at the end of that book of Ecclesiastes, in which he speaks not as a king, but he speaks as a preacher because he had a message to communicate to us. What is the message he has to communicate to us, this guy who had so much of everything in this world?
And who pleased himself? What does he say at the end? Vanity of vanities. All is vanity. You want your life to end up that way? Go ahead. We're living in the culture that does just that. Please yourself. You got a pocket full of money? Go ahead. Go out there. Please yourself. But I can guarantee you, you come down to the end of your life.
You're going to say the same thing that Solomon did? Vanity of vanity's.
All is vanity.
I would like to read a verse that appears six times in the four gospels.
Varied a bit, but the message is basically the same. You don't mind? I'm going to read the six times that it they occur in Matthew's Gospel. It occurs twice. Let's go to Matthew chapter 10.
And verse 39.
He that findeth his life shall lose it.
He that loseth his life for my sake shall find. It almost seems like a paradox, this statement of the Lord, and it takes a little bit of time to stop and think about it. He that findeth his life.
Shall lose it. I'm speaking to those who are professing believers in the Lord Jesus. If you have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.
You are saved, your soul is saved. But there is such a thing that has been pointed out so many times that there are those who have a saved soul, but they lose their life.
I don't desire that for any of you, dear young people.
What I desire is as you get further on in life, that you will be able to say, I'm glad I lived the way I did. Let's go over to Matthew chapter 16 now and we'll see just about the same thing, a little varied. It's interesting to take these and perhaps compare them together.
Chapter 16 of Matthew and verse 25. We're going to read verse 24. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, and whosoever will lose his life.
For my sake shall find it.
Let's go over to Mark's gospel chapter.
00:10:00
8.
And verse 35.
In each place somewhat related, but there are variations that are very interesting. I'm not going to comment much on it, but I just want to show you how important this principle is.
Mark 835 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, But whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the Gospels, the same shall save it.
Luke's Gospel, Chapter 9.
And verse 24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, but whosoever will lose his life, for my sake, the same shall save it.
Chapter 17.
Verse.
33 here. It's in context with lots light, lots white.
Whose heart was back in Sodom, and she turned around. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it, and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
One more place in John's Gospel, chapter 12.
I want to read here.
The previous two verses, verse 23. Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except the corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone, but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it.
He that hateth his life in this world will, shall keep it unto life eternal.
There's a word that is used as in no other places. It's hate your life. I'm not just sure how to understand all those things.
But I want to leave them with you, dear young people.
We are living in a culture where we are taught to make good for ourselves, to build up our portfolio.
To do well economically.
Nothing wrong morally in doing that in a decent way, but to me?
This has come as a tremendous challenge to my heart and I want to present it to you. Do you want to lose your life?
Live it up.
Now love it, live it up. You will lose your life. To me, there's nothing quite so tragic.
As sometimes going to a nursing home.
And sometimes there are people there that have had a very prosperous life.
Perhaps a lawyer, a doctor, and they've been extremely prosperous, houses and lands and vehicles and all sorts of things that they could desire.
What are they doing there?
They've lost their mind.
They're babbling incoherently.
Sometimes.
It's sad to watch him sitting there and what do they have in front of them?
Absolutely nothing. They have no hope. They've lived for down here. They haven't lived in view of eternity.
To me, that's one of the most tragic things to see. I do not desire that kind of an end for you to dare young people, and I want to present to you that.
Laying your life on the altar for the Lord is the way to save your life.
00:15:01
You know, I have to say I have been in the company of some that have been a real lesson to me. One who is now with the Lord is Brother Eric Smith. I must say that man had a real effect on my life, but I'll never forget the first time went with him to Bolivia.
Rather, Clem Buchanan was along that time. It's 1968.
Doug was along. Ramon Alarcon was along too.
I had heard from Brother Smith of his youth. He was from New Zealand and I'm sure many of you know these facts that he came from quite a well to do family in New Zealand. His father was a wealthy man and he was a personal friend of the Prime Minister of New Zealand. He had lots of opportunity to make good in this life.
In a number of different areas could have gone into business. He had a chance to be a sea captain.
But he decided to turn his back on everything and go to Bolivia.
To preach the gospel. And his father, who at that time was not a believer, said, Son, if that is your decision, get out of my house. Don't want you here. And he had to go and make his own way. He was going to medical school. He didn't go the full time.
That in Bolivia, who is known as El doctor, the doctor, but.
That time we went to Bolivia, we were in the city of photo see, which is about 13,000 feet altitude, and we took a truck.
For one day from there to where Brother Smith started his work amongst the Inca Indians in a place called Hulo.
Go over those dusty roads.
In the back of a truck.
I think brother Smith and Brother Alarcon were up in the cab. I remember right. But at the end of the day, here we come down this riverbed, this dry riverbed because that's where they drive. Lots of times in the dry season, the trucks go down the dry riverbed, Baron Desert like area and we come to.
Where Ulo is, and the brethren had fixed up a kind of an arch of branches.
To welcome Brother Smith. They knew he was coming.
And we got there to where they were. They were standing around singing hymns and.
I was in the back and I kind of peeked through the whole air to see Brother Smith.
Dear brother.
He had his head down.
Tears were streaming down his face.
You know, it came to me as such a challenge at that time. I can go back to the United States. I can make good. I can get lots of stuff.
Brother Smith turned his back on all that, and now there's fruit in his life that's going to last for all eternity. I just bowed my head right there, said Lord Jesus, please help me not to be deceived by material things. Please help me to live for eternity's day and not for a few brief moments of time.
It was a tremendous challenge. I don't think Brother Smith knew.
But to see the results of what His work, what the Lord did with that instrument, He was not a perfect instrument by a long shot.
But he was an instrument that God used for eternity. He was one who lived on the principle of self sacrifice. He laid down his own desires and lived for something beyond.
I'm sure there are many others. Many of you have heard of Jim Elliott, who died in the jungles of Ecuador before he died, he said.
Is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. Think about it.
00:20:11
What way do you want to live your life?
Self pleasing. It's the current of things down here in this world, in the United States. And I'm not standing up here to say that I'm an example of living the life of self sacrifice. I've got caught up in the current and I know it's affected me in many ways, but I'm saying in the measure that you live that way, you're going to lose it. You're going to lose your life. Far better to lay your life.
Down as a sacrifice to him who gave everything for you, when I think of the Lord Jesus.
And how much it meant to him. Can you imagine the glories of heaven in that past eternity? There's no way we can imagine it that he would come into this world to be born a little baby. They didn't even have a room for him in the inn. He had to be born in the main, in the where the animals were out in the stables. His mother wrapped him up and laid him.
Where the cows were eating.
Let him eat tremendous humiliation.
In his life, you never find him having a piece of money in his hand. One time he had to say, show me.
Hey, Penny.
You never read of him having a piece of money in his hand, the poorest of the poor.
But always giving of himself, always enriching others, always helping others.
Then it comes down to the end of his life and he's falsely accused.
It's taken to Pilate, to Herod. They vehemently accused him of all sorts of things that they could not prove.
He did not even open his mouth to defend himself.
If they let him out of that city, his head was crowned with thorns.
His back was ploughed upon me.
By the Roman scourge. His hands were stretched out and nailed to that cross.
Never a complaint.
Never a complaint. This is totally unjust. Not a word of it. He accepted it from the hands of his father.
The cup which my father has given me, shall I not drink it?
He said Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.
Across brethren captivates my heart.
Especially when we get to those three hours of darkness.
And everything fades out. The light fades out.
And God lays on Jesus.
Fill these sins I committed, and that storm of judgment breaks in all its fury.
On his blessed head.
For three hours he hung there.
Not one word do you hear in those three hours.
Until the very end.
He cries. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
The God who was his strength, his state, in all his life, He was doing the will of God in the face of the wrath of God.
And God abandoned him there because he could not look. It's him.
And he gives up his life and dies. The sacrifice was complete.
We are now called on to follow.
To walk in love.
Even as Christ loved us and offered himself.
A sacrifice, an offering and a sacrifice to God.
He gave everything.
Is there a pocket of reserve in your heart towards him? How can that be?
I'd like to turn now to Romans chapter 12.
00:25:05
Because there are. Because of what Jesus has done.
That which is called sacrifice.
For us as well.
It should be a tremendous privilege for us.
Let's just read the 1St 2 verses of Romans chapter 12.
I beseech you.
Therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
That you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Doesn't say that you may know what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, but that you may prove it. In other words, it has to be worked out in actual reality in your life. And how can that be worked out?
Just as it says here by presenting our.
Bodies.
A living sacrifice. Some have commented at times that there are areas of this world where our brethren are being called to give up their lives.
That is a tough trial of faith. I don't know how I could handle that.
I think I told you what happened in.
Peru not too many years ago under the.
Shining Path.
Revolution that took place there.
There was a.
Mountain Church. I don't think they were gathered the Lord's name, but they were together having a meeting.
And these Shining Path gorillas were are violent men, and they all of a sudden opened the door and filed in all across the back of the.
The hall that they were gathered in and they had their machine guns leveled at the people and they said OK, everybody throw down your Bibles and stamp on them.
Of course there are all sorts of people there and people that were.
Just visiting perhaps to hear the gospel. So it's kind of a difficult situation for those people.
They continue to threaten them for quite a while, and finally they got all but about 10 to do just that. They threw down their Bibles and stamped on them.
And so those that would not do that, they said, OK, you 10, you come outside with us.
And they feared that that was the end of it.
They took him outside and after they had them outside they came back in and they said you have my grandkids.
And they mowed down all the people that had thrown their Bibles down and stamped on them. Never knew how they would react. Sometimes they did it the reverse. So.
The point is.
Are we real with God?
Is following the Lord Jesus.
A reality in your life or is it just kind of a form that you put up front and then behind you are really pleasing yourself and your life?
It's a way of life in the United States of America.
And I know again, I say, I know I've been affected by this way of life, but I challenge you.
That Jesus, mighty Lord of all in your life.
Present your bodies a living sacrifice.
Wholly acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. I understand that word reasonable comes from the same root word that we get our word logical.
00:30:00
In other words, given what Jesus did for us.
The only illogical thing is to lay our lives on the altar for God.
Does it seem logical after Jesus gave everything, being the Lord of glory, the creator of the universe, he came down and laid down his life for this rebellious Sinner. Does it seem logical for me to say, OK Lord, I really appreciate what you've done on the cross for me. I'll give you 90% of my life, but 10% I'd like to have for some activities I logical.
I suggest it's more like an insult.
Think it through young people, it is not logical.
The young man says to young women, I'd like to marry you.
And she says to him, OK, I'll give you 90%. I'd like to have 10% for somebody else.
You know what would be the result?
Everything or nothing.
Do we treat the Lord of glory?
Less than we accept in a marriage proposal.
I'm afraid sometimes that happens. I say, dear young people, please don't think I'm just pointing at you and exhorting you. This comes as a terrible challenge to my own self.
It's the only reasonable thing to do.
Say Lord Jesus.
I'm all yours from now on. I don't want to do what's pleasing to me, I want to do what pleases you.
It says be not conformed to this world. This world is to do everything for yourself. We read about it in Second Timothy chapter 3. To love yourself, to love money, to love pleasures more than love God in this country is pleasure bent. Having a good time seems to be even amongst sometimes Christian young people #1 priority.
Please, dear young people, don't go that route. I'm showing you another way to live your life so that you won't lose your life, so that you will save it for life eternal. Be not conformed, he says, to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Need to rethink every area of life. We need to have our thoughts transformed to his thoughts.
That's the only way there's going to be real fruit in our lives.
Dear young people, you don't live if you live for yourself. That is not true Christian living. It is laying your life down that you have it for eternity.
Comes as a tremendous challenge to my life and I must say.
I really do believe there are brethren in the world who are practicing that in a very real way today.
We appreciate.
All the comfort we have here at this conference really appreciate what the brethren have provided for us.
But this is not where we prove what Christian living is.
We need these times together to read the word, to be exhorted. But as we go back to our homes, how are you going to live to please yourself?
Or to please the one who gave everything to secure your eternal blessing. Just like to speak some practical words on verse one.
The sacrifice is our bodies.
Present them, he says.
Holy. Acceptable.
Unto God, which is your reasonable service.
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Keep your bodies holy dear young people.
Dear young men, we're living in a sex saturated culture.
People say everybody's doing it.
Don't go that way.
We have a beautiful example in the Old Testament.
Of a young man, Joseph.
Who got into circumstances that were extremely difficult?
He was away from his family, nobody else that he knew was around.
He was in the home of a man who had bought him as a slave.
And that man's wife approached him.
And he said, how can I do that great sin against God?
He kept himself pure, You know, I don't think Joseph would have come to the Kingdom if he would have given in.
Things went bad for Joseph. I've often thought about it for 13 years. Everything went wrong in his life.
He went out when he was 17 years old from his father's house, his brother in Salem as a slave, and he's taken to Egypt. He does his best everywhere he goes and he gets to be trade and put in prison.
The Lord was with Joseph.
But it wasn't until he was 30 years of age, 713 years later.
And finally the tables turn.
And Joseph in one day is elevated from the prison house to the second place in the Kingdom.
God has His way of rewarding you if you will lay down your life on the altar for the Lord. Live is under him. Don't live as before, the brethren.
We're thankful for our brethren, but don't live that way, young people, because when your brethren are not around, you're going to start doing other stuff that's not right.
Live before the eye of God.
Live in company.
The Lord Jesus Christ, who has promised us never to leave us, nor to forsake us.
Dear young sisters, can I say a word to you? Although it's really the place of older sisters to instruct the younger sisters.
Let me say a word to you, keep yourself pure.
I know it's tough in the world that we live in.
But in the end, it will be worthwhile. Don't allow guys to put their hands over you.
Be careful.
At even the slightest suggestion in the wrong direction.
Perhaps there's somebody here who has already messed up.
Encourage you to confess it to the Lord, leave it behind, and from now on live for that One who gave everything for you.
That's all we can address is from here on what is behind confessed to the Lord, leave it and go on for the Lord from here on.
But how important it is?
To be careful of your dress, dear young sister.
Adam and Eve, when they sinned, were given coats of skin to cover themselves.
That's important. Cover yourself.
And let me say a word to our dear young sisters too. Beautiful sisters, beautiful young girls.
Scripture tells the women to adorn themselves.
Not without weird things.
But in First Timothy chapter 2 you can look at it and First Peter chapter 3.
There are some beautiful ornaments that a sister is to adorn herself with. I'll just let you look them up in your own time.
But that's the adorning that is to be done by you sisters. It seems like the sisters like to adorn themselves more than the guys, although today's world guys do it too.
00:40:12
But their moral characteristics that are very beautiful not only to God, but I must say they're beautiful when I witness them as well. That's one area of sacrifice, your body, very important. It's the vessel you live in. It's to keep it for God.
Be ready at any moments notice to lay down your life.
A living sacrifice. You may not be called on to give up your life, but to live day by day for that one who died to save you.
Like to go over to Hebrews chapter 13 now to speak up to other sacrifices that scripture speaks about.
Hebrews, chapter 13.
Speaking about.
Going outside the camp bearing his reproach in verse 13.
For here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come. Verse 15. By Him, therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God.
Or Tuesday morning doesn't say.
Now, continually, that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
Here is a very real sacrifice that God values.
And I want to encourage each one of us, younger ones, older ones too.
Do you know what it means to sacrifice this sacrifice of praise to God continually?
Are the praises of the living God sounded in your home?
This is something that Scripture speaks about that God values.
It seems as we get.
Busier and busier in our lives.
You see less and less praise to God.
A verse that always challenges me is what?
The Lord said when he was coming into Jerusalem, what we call the triumphal entry, and the children were saying Hosanna, Hosanna, and the Pharisees and the scribes were complaining to the Lord, tell them to be quiet.
And he said if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.
We're in a room full of living stones.
But one of the purposes of our.
Being saved is to pronounce his praises.
Do you do that in your home? Is that normal? Sometimes I see young people sitting in meetings and or singing on Lords Day morning with their mouths shut. I don't know why, maybe they think.
I Can't Sing very well.
It doesn't have to sound that awful. Well, I think I've told sometimes the story I had.
Of a brother down in Peru.
Who had recently come to faith in the Lord Jesus.
And I was visiting him in his home.
And he was just bubbling over with his joy in the Lord.
And he picked up his hymn book and he came over and sat down beside me and says, Brother, I want a thing. Can you teach me to sing?
And he opened up his book to one of the choruses we have in the Spanish hymn book.
But he didn't wait for me to teach him to sing. He just started out. I don't know what tune he was using either because.
I didn't recognize it, but let me tell you, you watched his face. It was coming out of our heart full of gratitude to God. That's what God is looking for, that heart of yours. Make sure when you're singing to engage your heart, put it in gear. Sometimes we sing kind of mechanically and we're not even thinking about what we're seeing.
00:45:23
Put your heart in gear when you start singing.
And sing his praises, brethren, it comes to me, if we're not going to sing his praises, God is going to raise up others to sing his praises because He's going to have His Son praised. He is so tremendously glorious. And it's part of our culture, our humanistic culture that is so self-centered. And when you start looking inside, I can understand.
Why you don't sing but if you start looking at Jesus?
And the glories of God that he revealed, you won't be able to stop singing. The Lord help us. And this goes not only for our daily lives, but let me encourage our dear young brethren. We come together in breaking a bread meeting to start taking part in praising the Lord. If you're going to get up and offer a word of praise.
You don't have to be real long like some brethren get when they're praising the Lord.
Remember, somebody told me about one brother who was not very wordy, and when Lord's Day morning he got up in the breaking of bread and he said, Thank you, Lord Jesus, Amen.
Sat down you don't have to be long, just let.
It be the expression of your own heart. Don't try to be like somebody else. You be what you are.
But express that praise if you are occupied in.
Singing the hymns out of the Little Flock Hymn Book. There's so many tremendously beautiful hymns in that book.
Then you will be ready to give out of him that fits the occasion when we come together to break bread. I ask you to be exercised. Not saying that every time you come together in a public meeting that you're going to take part, but the exercise as you sit down in a meeting so that the Lord can use you if He wants to.
It's wonderful to see younger brother and I just want to say to you, younger brother, when you take part.
In an audible way, it is a real encouragement. I'm not saying you have to go take over. I'm not saying that at all. I'm saying be exercised to take part. If the Lord gives an occasion He leads you, then do be obedient to the direction of the Spirit of God.
There's another sacrifice here that is mentioned in verse 16 of this chapter. But to go good and to communicate, forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
Do good communicate. Communicate is another word. Forgiving.
Some people or some have explained this, that that's why we have the collection right after the breaking of bread, because these two sacrifices go together. I think that's nice.
But that doesn't limit our doing good.
Dear young people, there is so much need in this world that we live in. Just want to encourage you to be open to the Lord's direction as to what He might have you to do for Him in this world that is so needy.
There is a sister in fellowship. I don't know if you're aware of this.
That is living over in China right now, Communist China.
A young sister, she was here three years ago at this conference.
That her desire is to be able to communicate something of the gospel in that country.
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Another thing let's be exercised, young people, there's tremendous need in this world. One of the challenges that faces the Christian world is the Muslim world.
It's a tremendous challenge because the Muslims are ready to die.
For a false hope.
Christians don't seem to be ready to die for a true hope.
That's kind of baffling.
But it's something to think about.
I was told John Kemp was telling us about the tsunami that took place last year.
Over 200,000 people swept into eternity and that wasn't the major tragedy. The major tragedy was the millions of that were left to face life in a totally disordered cult society.
And you know what I heard that Muslims are starting to wake up in those countries to the fact that the only ones that really came to help them are Christians.
I was talking to 1 missionary in one place and he told me that that one place at the point of that island that was hit so hard, it was a city right there. I forget the name of the city.
But if you would go there before the tsunami hit and make it known that you were a Christian, you would be pulled to pieces right away.
He told me that now those people are realizing that it's the Christians that have helped them. Their own Muslim countries haven't helped them. So Christians and they're wide open to the gospel. Dear young people, have you thought about going out the gospel? Thank God for something that have gone out. Dear brother Ruben Ruga, I appreciate the exercise he shows on his own to go out with the gospel into corners where?
Perhaps there has not been very much gospel testimony.
I want to encourage you to think positively, aggressively in those areas.
To use your life, you say? Well, I'm going to have to lay aside my own interest back here. Yeah, you sure are going to have to lay it aside. Those own interests of yours. You might have to lose some stuff too. But will it be worthwhile?
Act on your own faith before God, but according to these principles that we're talking about here comes to me very powerfully.
That there are very real principles.
To be occupied with, to give of your time, to give of your energy, to give of your material means.
It may be money, not necessarily. It may be other things too. There are people in your own hometown that are hurting.
Sometimes mothers that have children, they don't have enough to feed their children. You ever think of going there helping them out?
I'm sure they'd be willing to listen to a little bit of the gospel if you really sincerely help them out.
Have you ever gone door to door in the Spanish community, in your cities with calendars? Spanish calendars? That's a tremendous thing you can do at your own expense.
There's so many things, you know, some time ago somebody mentioned to me and I was convicted by it myself, but.
And I don't know how they came across these figures, but they say that.
It is generally recognized that Christians in the United States give approximately between 2:00 and 3% of what they earn to the Lord.
That is taking the Christian community in general. I'm convicted by that.
Is that right?
And justice? Leave that with you to think about.
We really need to think seriously to come to grips. Is Jesus Lord in our lives? He laid everything down. He did not put any limits on his.
Sacrifice. He gave everything.
Properly speaking, everything in our lives now belongs to him, and if he's put a certain amount of money or a certain amount of other material things in my hands, I'm just.
00:55:05
The responsible manager of those things to give account to him in a coming day.
Dear young people, is your life going to count for eternity?
Or are you interested in having a good time down here? I plead with you to rethink the whole issue in the light of the Word of God, in the light of eternity, and to live in such a way that when this life is over, you will not regret the way you have lived. You will have saved your life.
For life eternal.
Let's pray.
Gracious God, our Father.
Thy word searches our hearts.
So much for the way it searches us. Help us.
To obey the exhortations of Thy precious word, we pray for blessing.
And for the meetings that followed to.
In the name of our Lord Jesus, Amen.
Sound Doctrine, Essential Truths
Address—C. Hendricks
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We're not of the world which fadeth away. We're not of the night, but children of day.
Change that once bound us by Jesus our rhythm Your strangers on earth are home is in heaven. Someone raised the tomb. Please.
Let's turn to first, Timothy.
For a few verses.
It's not going to be the main subject of my message, but.
First Timothy 1.
The end of verse 10 if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine.
Sound doctrine. How important that is. The word doctrine is the same as teacher, and we're in a day when sound doctrine is.
Not found too many places.
Let's go to the second epistle. Second Timothy.
And in chapter 2 and verse 25 in Meekness, instructing those that oppose themselves if God for adventure, will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.
And in chapter three we have.
In the last verse.
Now I read from verse 14. Continue thou Paul is writing to Timothy here, a young man, his son in the faith. Continue thou on the things which thou hast learned, and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them. From a child thou knowest the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. This last verse, so important, all Scripture is given by inspiration.
Of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction.
For instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. Doctrine, Chapter 4, verse 2. Preach the word. Be instant in season, out of season. Reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine, for the time will come. It has come, beloved. It's right here in this nation. The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine.
But after their own lust shall they heat to themselves teachers having itching ears, and they will turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
Tables. Well, that's I think enough to introduce what I want to take up. I want to go to the Gospel of John and I want to look at the many passages that bring before us that he was sent of the Father. It's very precious, very wonderful, but.
It's so important that we have sound doctrine. I was visiting David and Billy Jennings coming here and I said to them, what is the the one thing?
That is, has been the most damaging to the Bible.
Through the Bible, all scripture is given by inspiration of God. If you don't believe that, then you're in real trouble. Real trouble. And in schools, they're teaching this awful doctrine of evolution. And that's what it is. If you believe evolution, you can't believe this book. And evolution is supposed to be scientifically back backed up. Which of course is the lie of Satan. It's not backed up by anything scientific at all. I was in the doctor's office recently with Laverne.
00:05:04
She has having a little trouble with her throat and it was eyes, ears, nose, throat and throat. Doctor and I, while he was out of the room, I was looking at all these pictures of the different parts of the human body. And how can any doctor, how can anyone with an ounce of sense on his shoulders believe when he looks at the intricacies of just the ear or the eye or the throat that that that was just an evolved thing is by chance. It's absolutely absurd.
And yet it's for young people. They don't, they don't try to defend it. They just, they just present it and say, well, these these dinosaurs or whatever animals, they were millions of years old. That's a lie. They're not that old and that's not important how old they are. The importance is that God did it. God did it. That's the only thing that makes any sense. I want to what I want to do is now let's go back to John's Gospel Chapter 5.
I want to emphasize for our young men especially.
Read the Bible, read the word. All scripture is given by inspiration of God and the most attacked chapters in the Bible are the 1St 11 Chapters in Genesis And if you can destroy.
Any of the Bible.
Then you of course you've destroyed it all, because it it's all interdependent to 1 on the other.
If you can destroy what it says in Genesis as demands creation in that, then you're making Christ the liar because he said that it was done that way. He's piece of Moses as the one that brought it to us. So the Bible all stands and falls together and as you can't believe a certain part of it and reject another part that is so important.
I was saved as a freshman in college from a lot of studying and engineering.
And I was not a reader.
When I got saved, then I became a reader, because then I had something that was worthwhile reading and.
Word of God and ministry on it.
Very, very precious. I remember reading a book. I went to his office on a Saturday and it was a poor choice and he was going from one office to another. And he saw me sitting there and he knew he didn't have any time to. He knew what I was there for to get over the word with him. He was a Christian and he said just a minute he saw I was going to walk away and probably would never have come back. And he gave me a book by Moody's and it was called Heaven or Hell, which that was just a young believer, Very young, in fact. At that time maybe he wouldn't have even called me a believer.
But anyway, I read that book and the author of the book said heaven or hell, you're going to one place or the other. Which one? And I said, Lord, I'm going to hell.
I'm going to help. I had no background training at all in religion of any kind, and that was probably good in one way and it wasn't very long and I knelt down and I said Lord Jesus.
And lust I reached up the hand of faith, and I laid hold upon the man in the glory, and I received him.
Remember I used to come and I would take his notes down and I was avid writer taking notes and he'd say some things and and I'd have a note down and I'd put an X in it. Wrong. I was reading Mr. Darby's writings just feeding on them. I said that's not right. He said well, I don't know, I don't know about this Darby fellow. You know he was he was very up on his on his ideas. Well, after a little while he saw me. He saw the interest I was showing and.
He used to call me Mr. Hendricks. I'll never forget the time, he said. Brother Hendrix.
And I said I'm no longer outside. Now I'm inside Brother Hendrix and.
The Lord took him home. He was my teacher and it was good for me because he, he had a lot of error and that's how I came amongst the KLC brother. And because Brother Clark was a brother, an Irishman going to a German meeting and I used to pick him up and take him down well.
Be the word young person.
I'm old now. I don't have the kind of memory I used to have, and I can't read like I used to read. Don't wait till you're old. Use it while you're young. Spend your time in this book. Make it your own.
00:10:11
Make it your own. Well, let's go to what I want to talk about in John Chapter 5. You can start there.
John Chapter 5.
Try to make as we go through this Gospel of John, try to make your doctrine, your doctrine, your understanding. We'll point it out as we go through it.
And.
Start with verse 23.
That all men. Well, verse 22. For the Father judges no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son. That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son, honoreth not the Father, which hath sent him. Stop there. Put that down as Dr. #1. That's an essential truth. If you don't utter the Son, you don't honor the Father. There are a lot of religions in Christendom today that don't honor the Son, and yet they say they believe in the Father.
That's enough right there to say you can't do that. That's contrary to Scripture. Have your thoughts formed by the word of God.
And let's go on, that all men should honor the sun, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son, honoreth not the Father, which hath sent him. Verse 24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, He loves to speak of himself, as being sent of the Father hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.
Verse 30.
Another truth I can of my known self do nothing. He did not come independently of the Father. He was sent of the Father, and he was here to give the words of the Father and do the works of the Father. Everything was from the Father. If you know Jesus, if you know him, you know the Father, because he is the one that that revealed him, that sent him.
Don't ever forget that I can't have my own self do nothing as I hear I judge, and my judgment is just because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me wonderful truth. These statements are statements of truth that you should put down in your memory. One of the verses that Paul I didn't read it, but that Paul brought before Timothy was meditate upon these things when I was in the hospital recently or recently, a little a year ago or so.
I couldn't read much, but I could meditate. I did more meditating lying on that bed. I'd bring a scripture before me, and then I'd meditate on it and tears running down my cheeks.
As I meditated.
And the truth of God, meditate, young person, Don't just read it. Don't just read a chapter and then close the book and then forget what you've read. Meditate. Meditate on these things. See what they say. Make it a part of you. Make it yours. Oh, that's so important.
I can't of my own Self do nothing. As I hear I judge, the Lord says, and my judgment is just, because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father, which hath sent me precious truth, everything, he said. You remember the later, the Jews, who wanted the Lord to be brought to them, and they came those that were supposed to bring these, the Lord, and they didn't have Him.
And they said, why haven't you brought him?
And they said no, man.
Ever spoke like that, man?
No man ever spoke like that.
And he No one ever did.
He spoke words that were given to him from the father. If you know the son, you know the father. So any religion that teaches differently, you can forget it, can reject it and don't have anything to do with it.
Verse 36.
I have greater witness than that of John for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do bear, witness of Maine, that the Father.
Hath sent me.
Those works that he did, works that the Father gave him to do as the sent one, He was here to represent the Father, For the Father himself which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me, if neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. And he have not his word of biting in you. So he's talking to the Pharisees for whom he hath sent him. He believed not.
00:15:10
They profess to believe in God the Father, Jehovah, but they wouldn't listen to the Son and everything the Son said was given to him of the Father like Father, like Son.
All you have to know is that simple truth, and you'll be able to reject a host of error that's out there in the Christian world.
Search the scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life and they are there which testify of me in his prayer. The Lord Jesus said this is life eternal.
That they might know these things He's addressing the Father. That they might know the Father and Jesus Christ, who now has sent whom thou hast sent.
He sent one speaking about the Father that sent him. And to know the Son is to know the Father. And if you don't know the Son, you don't know the Father. You know nothing about the true God, really.
I know you, he says. Because you have not the love of God in you. Let's go on through the Gospel of John Precious, Precious Book I.
Verse 28 Chapter 6 Then said they unto him, What shall we do that we might work the works of God?
Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that she believed on him whom he has sent. That's me. He says, Leave on him whom he hath sent. They said therefore unto him, What signs show us thou that we may see and believe thee? What does thou work? Our fathers did eat many in the desert, as it is written. He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven. But my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven, For the bread of God is he.
Which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life to the world. Then they said unto him, Lord Evermore, give us this bread.
And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life.
Yes, he that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
When you're lying in the bed in a hospital, you can't read too much and you just ponder verses like this.
Pretty hard to do without tears running down.
These truths, these truths that we have in this book. Think it's your own, Think it's your own. Don't ever even entertain for a moment that this is not the word of God.
That the Son is not the sent one to the Father.
That's fundamental truth. Don't ever give it up.
Verse 40 He says This is the will of him that sent me, that everyone which seeth the Son and believeth on him, they have everlasting life. I'll raise him up at the last day. This is life eternal, that they might know thee, Father, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent life eternal, doesn't just mean life forever, it is that true, but it's the knowledge of God the Father and God the Son, life eternal.
Verse 44 No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me.
Draw him and I will raise him up at the last day.
Verse 40. I missed that. And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up.
The last day.
Verse 57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father, so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. To eat him is to, is to take him in and make him part of your very being.
This is that bread which came down from heaven.
Let's go on in the Gospel of John.
Verse 18 of Chapter 7, verse excuse me 16. In Chapter 7 Jesus answered them and said my doctrine is not mine but his that sent me. You can't say I believe in the Father but not the Son. You can't say that.
If you if you say that, you don't know the Father because you don't know the Son.
He that speaketh of himself verse 18 seeketh his own glory, but he that seeketh his glory that sent him.
The same is true and no unrighteousness is.
In him.
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Verse 28 Then cried Jesus in the temple, as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and you know whence I am, and I'm not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom he know not.
You don't know him because you don't know me. And I'm here. The very representation I'm here the very exposition of the Father. Every word I speak has given me of the Father. Every work that I perform has given me of the Father. But I know him. He says verse 29, For I am from him, and he hath sent me.
And they sought to take him, but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.
Verse 33 Then said Jesus unto them. Yet a little while am I with you? Then I go unto him that sent me. And remember, after I got saved, I worked at a factory and I had a little New Testament, and I anytime I had a few moments, just a few moments, I spent it reading the Gospel of John over and over and over again. There's nothing like John's gospel, and I'm not saying anything little about others, but there's just some special, something special.
About John's Gospel.
Chapter 8.
Verse 15 Do you judge after the flesh? I judge no man. And yet if I judge, my judgment is true. For I am not alone, but I am the Father that sent me.
Is also written in your law that the testimony of two witnesses is true. I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.
Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me nor my Father.
If you had known me, you should have known my father also. What these verses are telling us. And we should never give one inch to any argument that comes. If you know the sun, you know the Father. If you don't know the Son, you don't know the Father, and you can't know him, because he is the perfect representation of the Father the Father sent him.
And he came as scent of the Father.
Now that sound doctrine.
Sound doctrine. Don't ever give it up.
Verse So let's go to verse. In chapter 8, verse 42, Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, you would love me.
Let me back up to Let me back up to verse 40. So you get the connection. But now the Lord says, Ye seek to kill me, a man that has told you the truth which I've heard of God. This did not, Abraham, you do the deeds of your father? And said they to him we'd be not born of fornication. We have one father, even God. Jesus said unto them, If God were your father, you would love me. For I proceeded forth and came from God. Neither came I of myself as an independent thing. But he sent me.
He sent me. Why do you not understand my speech? Because you cannot hear.
The message that's in my speech, my word, cannot hear my word.
Here, your father, the devil, he tells them.
Lusts of your Father. He will do verse 45 because I tell you the truth. You believe me not.
He was a very expression of the truth. They asked him, Who art thou? He says, Altogether, absolutely annexes John 825. Altogether and absolutely I am what I say.
Very expression of what I said. My mom used to say to me. Do as I say, don't do as I do.
Jesus did as he said everything he said he did. He was the living embodiment of an expression of the words that he taught.
He was given those words and those works to do by the Father.
So if you know Him, you know the Father, you know God.
Father, the Son, and then the Holy Spirit.
Verse 47.
Says he that is of God, heareth God's word. You therefore hear them not, because you're not of God. Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan and has the devil. And notice how he answers that Jesus answered, I have not a devil. He rejects that charge. He doesn't say anything about the Samaritan, because he was like a Good Samaritan.
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Jesus answered, I have not a devil, but I honor my Father, and ye do dishonor me, and I seek not my own glory as one that seeketh and judgeth.
Chapter 9 verse four is one of my favorite chapters.
The blind man.
Verse four I must work. The Lord says, the works of him that sent me. While it is day, the night cometh when no man can work.
As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground and made play of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.
Have you ever, have you ever, you ever reflected on that?
When he had spoken, he spat on the ground.
And made clay of the spittle. The Word became flesh. That's what that's a picture of.
And he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.
And he said to him go wash in the pool of Siloam, which is by interpretation scent.
He was the sent one and he became a man. He made that spittle.
Word became flesh sent to the Father that was used to open the eyes of this blind man, when we see who Jesus is, God and man in one person ascent of the Father.
That's real light that opens your eyes.
He went his way, therefore, and watched and came seeing.
And we know the story so well. I don't want to take too long time reading that, but let's just read at the end of it.
Verse 32 Since the world began, this is this man talking to the Pharisees. It is not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. If this man were not of God, he could do nothing. They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out, because he was born blind, he was.
Altogether born in sins. That was their heretical doctrine.
They answered and said to him, Thou hast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out. Jesus heard they had cast him out, and when he had found him, he said to them, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?
He answered, and said, Lord, who is he that I might believe on him? And Jesus said to him, Thou has both seen him?
And it is he that talketh with thee.
They would see none might see. Well, it was the Pharisees that were blind. This man now had his sight, not only his physical sight, but his spiritual sight. He had come to know who he is. If you don't know who Jesus is really the essence of his person, that he, the Word, became flesh and dwelt among us. You haven't even started. First thing you have to know to be a Christian.
I was talking to a young man.
And you probably know something about this young man.
He had come from the our area to this conference some years ago.
He had stolen money.
Anyway, I was talking to him.
And.
He was talking about a friend of his that was a nice Christian, he said. He's just wrong in a few things.
I said what's he wrong in he doesn't believe in the Trinity. I said he doesn't believe in the Trinity. He's not a Christian. He's no Christian if he doesn't believe in the Trinity. The Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 3 persons One God, oh he's a Christian. I said no he's not.
He doesn't believe in the Trinity. He's not a true Christian.
I don't know where he is right now. These are things that you have to get firmly settled in your soul.
Good sound doctrine that you can always lean upon and refute. Error that's everywhere.
It's amazing the thoughts that are being propagated through the television screen and so on.
Lies.
Satan is a father of lies.
Chapter 10.
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Let's go on to Chapter 12.
Chapter 12 and verse 44 Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me, and he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.
I am come a light into the world, and whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
If any man hear my words and believe not, I judge him not, For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day, for I have not spoken of myself.
But the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment his life everlasting, whatsoever I speak, Therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.
The next chapter.
Verse Chapter 13 verse 16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his Lord, neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
Again verse 20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send, receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
Receive him, You receive the Father. Reject him you reject the Father.
Let's go to the 15th chapter, 15th chapter and verse 16. He says he have not chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain. And whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that you love one another.
If the world hates you.
You know that it hated me before. It hated you now. This is something that should go in your sound doctrine book that you're trying to make up as you go through this gospel and other parts of Scripture.
These things I command you that you love one another if the world hates you.
The first section of John 15 down to verse 17 he's dealing with the relationship among Christians and now in verse 18 it's it's the Christian in the world and what the world thinks of us.
Notice the difference. If the world hates you, verse 18. You know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love his own. But because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. Therefore the world hated you.
Young people, you go to universities, you go to these places of higher learning and the higher you go, the worse the error gets.
Remember, the world hates you if you're true to Christ.
The world hates us who are his.
I've chosen you out of the world. Therefore the world hated you. Remember the word that I said unto you. The servant is not greater than his Lord. They hated him. You're going to be a true servant of the Lord Jesus. They'll hate you and me. That's the way it goes. If they have prosecuted me, they will also prosecute you. If they have kept my saying, they will keep the results so that all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake because they know not him that sent me. They don't know the Father. They don't know God.
They have false gods.
If they have any tried, 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 that strong language. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, They had not had sin, But now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father.
This cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in the law. They hated me.
Without a cause.
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me. And ye shall also bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. So from the 14th chapter on we have the Comforter coming, being sent down of the Father and of the Son. And there we have the whole Trinity, Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
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And then we come to.
17th chapter which is.
So precious it's the prayer of the of the Son to the Father.
His word spake, Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come, Glorify thy Son.
That thy Son also may glorify thee.
So I was giving him power over all flesh.
That he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
And this is life eternal. Here it is that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
I've glorified thee on the earth. I've finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. Here's the Eternal Son, addressing the Eternal Father and glowing back in his thoughts to the glory that he had with him before he ever became a man.
Before he ever became a man.
And now he is a man who never ceased to be a man.
You never surrender his humanity.
And of course, never his deity.
Have you ever just laid there on your bed, or whatever it might be, and justice meditated upon that God and man in one person?
Can you fathom that? Can I fathom that? I don't fathom it.
It's beyond my cuny mind to grasp, but I believe it with all my soul.
Because he said it. He who is the truth said it. I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh to the Father, but by me you can't get there any other way.
All other religions are false.
All other ways are wrong.
Is the only way?
Exclusive. Absolutely exclusive.
Verse eight he says, I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me, And they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee. And they have believed that thou didst send me.
You believe that, don't you? You believe that the Father sent him. If you don't, you're not a Christian.
You don't. You're not a Christian.
On the cross this just comes to mind and I before I forget it again.
The Lord uttered 7 utterances.
First utterances from Luke.
Father, forgive them.
For they know not what to do.
2nd utterance was from Luke.
One of the.
One of the thieves railed on him, and the other one said, this man has done nothing in this. And then he turned to the Lord and he said, Lord, Remember Me?
Here he is, He is. He's been crucified right along with the Lord. And he says, Remember, we when thou comest into thy Kingdom.
Who wrought that in that manner?
God the Holy Spirit did.
God the Holy Spirit brought that.
Two men. One was a thief that died, and what the hell? And the other one, the Lord says today thou shalt be with me in paradise.
Those are the 1St 2IN Luke. And then the third one comes from John's Gospel. The Lord is on the cross, and he sees his mother there, and John, who called himself the disciple whom Jesus loved. And he says, Behold thy mother John, behold thy mother, and his to him. And he says to his mother, Behold thy son.
Joseph was dead. Evidently, if Joseph had been alive, she wouldn't have committed.
The Lord wouldn't have committed her 21 Joseph, but.
John was one that he could commit to remember. I remember the Lord said, One of you shall betray me.
And they all said, is it I? Is it I? Is it I?
And Peter nudged John.
Says ask him.
Peter was always so forward, you know, And he asked it asked him and John said he didn't say is it I he knew it wasn't he. He lay on his bosom.
He was the disciples whom Jesus loved, and he entered into the good of that the Lord. He loved all of them but John.
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Appropriated it for himself and.
He said. Who is it?
Who was it? He knew it wasn't he?
Who is?
Do you know him that well?
Do I know him that well?
Like John did.
Peter made some bad mistakes. He denied him three times, but after he got straightened out and and really repented and was recovered and restored, you read the book of Acts and you'll see how how restored he was.
He used to carry the PA system around with me and I would stop at a park and set it up and preach.
And I stopped at this one part, and it was Jewish. I didn't know, didn't know there was Jews. I set it up and I start preaching to them.
And they were angry and they were really angry. And I didn't realize how powerful Peters message was in Acts two and three. I didn't have to say anything. I just read it from scripture. The the words that he gave to those early Jews. I I preached it to those later Jews and it it had the same effect on them that it had on the first ones.
Word of God is powerful, quick and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, dividing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit joints of marrow. He's a divider and discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Word of God, always use it. Know it, know it. So you can use it as a weapon.
The Word of God.
In his prayer to the Father, he says of his own, He says They are not of the word world. Verse 16. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Father, sanctify them through thy truth. Thy word is truth as Thou has sent me into the world.
There it is again. As Thou has sent me into the world, Even so have I also sent them into the world. We're sent ones of the Son. He was sent ones of the Father.
For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also, which shall believe on me through their word, that they all may be one.
As thou father, Artie me, and I indeed, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe.
That thou hast sent me.
If the unity of the Church had been maintained, it would have been such a testimony far greater than any evangelist. They would see the unity of the Church.
Not not 100 or 1000 denominations that we have today, but just one.
Well, in the 1St century, that's all there were. Every time I would witness to someone, one of the nurses or the nurses aides, they'd sit, they say right away, what denomination do you belong to? And I'd say, well, let's go back to the 1St century. How many were there?
She said just one.
I said That's right. That's the one I belong to. That's the one you belong to if you're saved.
Yeah, but she went away, and then she came back a little later, she said. I've been thinking about that, she says. You're right.
You're right, the enemy has done his work, hasn't he?
That there may be one even as we are one.
The world may believe that thou has sent me, and the glory which thou gave us me. I've given them that they may be 1 even.
As we are, one will experience that when the Lord comes for US1 in glory, all the differences forever gone.
I and them thou in need, that they may be made perfect in one that the world may know.
That thou has sent me, and has loved them as thou hast loved me. Wonderful. The world will see it. The world will know it. Today it's not so, because the work of the enemy work of the enemy.
And then that precious verse 24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am.
That they may behold my glory which thou hast given me. For the love is me before the foundation of the world. We're going to see him in that unique glory which is his. A one that we will not share, will will share the earlier glory. In verse 22 we'll share that, but in verse 24, it's his alone. It's his unique glory, but we'll we'll be privileged to look upon it.
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To look upon him.
And then he says, O righteous Father the world, when he speaks of the righteous Father, its connection with the world, the world.
Hath not known thee, but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.
And I have declared to them thy name and will declare it.
That the love were with us, love me may be in them.
And I in them.
But I've gone through this gospel very quickly.
I hope as you read it.
The other thing that's over and over and over again is where he speaks of of his father as my father, my father.
My father over and over again. I didn't go through it and that way I went through it as the sent one but.
It's very precious, very unique.
He didn't cry on the cross.
My father, my father, wise, thou forsaken me, he said. My God, my God, we didn't finish that, did we?
The first was.
He's covered that in the 1St 2:00.
And then?
What's the third one?
Third one comes from Joe. That's the one where he says.
His He committed his mother to John, and then came the.
Where he doesn't say Father anymore, but he says my God, my God. And he said it with a loud voice. Two times it says loud voice. This is the first time. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? It wasn't God his father that was dealing there. It was God as judge that was dealing with our sins, with him, with regards to our sins.
And.
That was the last three and a half $3 of darkness.
Three hours of darkness and then comes.
And then comes after that.
One verse, one verse in Psalm 69 says in my first they gave me vinegar to drink and he said I thirst.
I thirst that's found in.
Matthew, Mark and John.
And right after in John, you have it with a loud voice. It doesn't say a loud voice, but it was a loud voice, he said, finished.
He took that drink, gave him that vinegar and he drank it and he said finish. In the Greek it's one word. Just tell us die, finished.
When he cried, that cry of abandonment, it was God dealing with our sins.
And then he cries. Another cry, finish, the work is done. And then he goes back to the Father. He says, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit starts with the Father, ends with the Father, and in between it's my God.
By God, by his thou forsaken me was forsaken, that you might never be forsaken, that I might never be forsaken.
Praise him.
Wonderful.
To know him.
Whom to know his life eternal?
Life eternal.
Well, when you read the word.
May it form the doctrine, the teaching of your soul.
So when the enemy.
Tries to introduce something different. You say that's false. That's false.
I won't have it. Let's close by saying 283.
When we survey the wondrous cross.
In which the Lord of Glory died our richest gain. We counted loss in poor contempt and all our pride.
When?
Open Mtg.
Open—D. So, R. Boulard, D. Mollon
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76.
Almighty me.
Right on me.
As long as you're done, He canceled. No more to be.
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They lion songs.
And restrict.
They have no training.
Strange real time.
Before someone.
You need to restrain him.
First Corinthians chapter 14, verse 29.
Let the Prophet speak two or three.
And let the other judge.
I'll read the 1St 7 words again. Let the prophet speak two or three.
Like to turn to the book of Jeremiah.
This this first chapter of the book of Jeremiah came before my heart this morning. We've been enjoying many references to the book of Isaiah in the last few days, and how much more so we find that there's similar characteristics between the book of Isaiah and Jeremiah and here in this book of Jeremiah, I thought of how.
How much it is similar to the days that we are in.
Jeremiah.
Lived in the day that he saw a good time, and then of course he saw a terrible time. And perhaps we'll go any further. Let's just read a few verses together just to get the thought on this. A Jeremiah chapter one, the words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah of the priest that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, to whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the 5th, in the 13th year of his reign.
It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, until the end of the 11Th year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the 5th month.
I'm just going to stop there for now.
It's interesting when we read through the Word of God to see how.
Most folks, if not all, the beginning verse introduces a lot about the thought of the book, or it tells us a lot about things in regard to the book here the very first.
Word mentioned here is the words of Jeremiah. Jeremiah, the name of Jeremiah itself means the exaltation of the Lord. So it tells us perhaps quite a bit now about this book, the exaltation of the Lord. Now he is mentioned here that he is the son of of Hilkiah.
Hilkiah Hilkiah means that God is my portion or is it interesting to see that once the father with the full knowledge that God is his portion and that his son was raised to be the exaltation for God and then we see other names too. That's interesting. Here it says that he Hilkiah of the priest that were in endotheled in the land.
Of the Benjamin.
Well, this name Anosoph, I believe it means a place where it has answers, a place where there are songs. But I also believe it also means a place with poverty. And also hear that it talked about that being in the land of Benjamin. And we know that band in Scripture means the sun and Jermaine is the right hand.
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The son of the right hand. Here's the place. And perhaps this introduced us a little bit about Jeremiah himself. Now this book was written around 600 and 36129 of BC. At that time we knew that he said here he served Josiah and then his sons. We know that Josiah was one of the better kings. Good. We went to class with that. But then it mentioned about his sons.
Zedekiah and Jehoiakim where we know those last. If you were to look at the last book of Chronicles and go through the last five kings of Judah, and you'll find that the last four being Josiah's sons and grandsons, they were not good before God at all. So it give us the conditions as if it were of what? Jeremiah being the one who his whose name is the exaltation of the Lord.
He has to work with people as such, people like Josiah that he worked under a good time, strong time, faithful time on the surface.
And then he has the face, the dreadful time to come. Now we know the history of Scriptures. 630 BC is not very long before 606 BC. A 606 BC was the time that Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, came in and took Israel captive. Man, like Daniel of all were taken away captive.
So here is the man who has to proclaim what is to happen.
Knowing that there were terrible times ahead of them, knowing that the conditions.
That caused the terrible time. We know that the word of God said Nebuchadnezzar was his servant. He actually used that phrase in there. My servant Nebuchadnezzar, he was used as a rod of chastening for his people. So let's read on a little bit. Verse four. Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee, and before thou camest forth, I love the womb, I sanctify thee. And I ordained thee a prophet and unto the nation's.
And said, I are Lord God, behold, I cannot speak, for I am a child. But the Lord said unto me, Say not I am a child, For thou shall go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee, thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of the faces, for I am with thee to deliver thee, sayeth the Lord.
So we see here that a commissions was given to Jeremiah and we see here Jeremiah is like many of us are we not afraid to speak for the Lord. And we know especially prophets of old when a prophet is saying with a message more often than not that message is not well received. The reason a message needs to be delivered is because the people did did not do what was right before God.
So we see here the Lord has encouraged him to let him know that he knew him even before he was born. He was sanctified. Oh, does it not remind us how we have been? We too have been predestinated to be conforming to the image of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ. We're going to be like him. We know that from the book of Romans chapter 8. And it tells us that how we have been justified, we have been sanctified.
In fact, we learn more about that and we shall be glorified. So here he was encouraged to speak for the Lord and you know we find even today when a message is from the Lord, there are often oppositions. There are things that people do not want to hear and perhaps even as a gathering as this with 600 and some odd who we are supposed to be of one mind. We are to follow what the word of God have to say.
And I'm sure there are certain things if we want to cause problems, we can raise certain issues and we would be divided on. But do we go by what the word of God tells us? And how sad, How sad. I had a brother approached me because I made a comment. The comment I made was that we need to walk the path of separation. And this brother believed that he should be with all Christians. Oh, how sad. And then he said to me, he said, you know, we're told if we, if we by eating meat, we offend a brother. You shouldn't eat meat. So you shouldn't talk about things that could offend someone.
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And I begged a difference here, that if the Lord hath on our heart to speak from his word, we're not to be afraid of the people if we are to speak from the Lord. Let's go on to verse nine. And then the Lord put forth his hand and touched his mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. See this, see I have this day, said the over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy.
And you're thrown down, throw down to build and to plant. Moreover, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what see us thou? Well, the Lord has told him that when he will speak for him, he will help him. And what a change of a person he become after that. But now, as a test, the Lord wanted him to see what? See us thou. And perhaps that too should be a question for us.
As we look around us, what seeth thou? Let's read on on this in verse 11, as Jeremiah looked, he said, and I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.
Then set the Lord unto me. Thou hast seen well, for I will hasten my word to perform it.
What see us thou? What do you see, brethren? Do we see what Jeremiah all seen? He sees problems and difficulties around him. There is no doubt about that. As we look at one another, we can easily find fault. As we look around us, they're not there. There are many things that can discourage us, but here the Lord told him to to look around. What see us thou? What did he see? He said, I see a rod.
A rod of an almond tree. Do we see that rod? What does rod remind us of? Often as children, we would think of that rod as a rod of correction, is it not? I suppose we look we we can feel that. But another thought I have on that rod. I was thinking of the rod, the rod that errand had.
They were to choose from those 12 rods. Do you remember that? And the next morning, what did they see on that rod? Oh, it was budded with almonds.
Is it not a beautiful picture as we see that rod? The rod, a picture of our high priest on high, you know, almond tree in another passage? I can think of it for now, but it speaks also of a tree that was being despised.
A tree that as if we look at would be something like a turn all white, as if it was old and be despised.
But here we are looking at this almond tree, or rather this rod from the almond tree.
And we had that before us the other day. Let's turn to that Hebrews chapter and we'll keep our finger. In our chapter, Hebrews chapter 3, we have a picture and be reminded of the High priest, Hebrews chapter 4.
Verse 14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession, for we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Let us therefore come boldly into the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. How precious it is to as we see, as we look around us, what see us thou? We see our High Priest interceding for us. We see Jesus the Son of God, the one that we can say here, let us hold fast of our professions. We know we have that One who knows how we feel.
We remind attempted at all points, like as we were, like as we are, yet without sin. How precious. Now what else did he? Let's go back to our chapter here. And I do not wish to take too much more time here, like to make room for others.
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Verse 12.
Verse 13 And the word of the Lord came unto me the second time, saying, What? See us thou? And I said, I see a seething pot, and the face thereof is toward the north.
This time he sees something differently. He sees there's a boiling, a pot, this seething pot.
His face.
It says the phase thereof is toward the north.
Oh, he see trouble, doesn't he? He sees judgment coming. He sees the fact that the enemies, the Assyrians, the Chaldeans, are coming down from the north.
Do we see that two brethren, as we look around us? Do we see the enemy seems to be so strong, so great?
What are we to do? Do we give up?
Let's see what Jeremiah have to do. Verse 14 Then the Lord said unto me, out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land. For lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the Lord, And they shall come, and they shall set everyone his throne at the entering of the gate of Jerusalem, and against all the wars there are roundabout, and against all the cities of Judah.
And I will utter my judgments against them, touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands. Oh, those judgment not because of these terrible people that have power over the people of Israel. It is rather from the hand of that righteous God for His people that has to be had been defiant to His word.
For they have worshiped other gods.
I trust that.
There should be lessons enough for us.
Lessons enough for us that we do have the righteous God, a God who loved and delights.
To see us worshiping Him.
In truth, in spirit, and in truth.
You know, you may say we are not like them, we don't have other gods. But do we have that undivided heart we ought to do? We see no man save Jesus only.
Is there other things in our hearts that divide?
Our enjoyment that what deferred his coming.
You know, often we will look around, we will address the young people, warning the young people how easily we can be divided, our hearts be divided from things of this world. But you know, as I look around this room.
Speaking, perhaps?
As an older one now.
How much more so we know that our hearts are no different than the young people's hearts.
Perhaps outwardly we can hide it well.
Is there anything in our hearts?
That take us away from the enjoyment of our blessed Lord.
I believe it was at this conference that we mentioned about prayer meeting. Is it not the proof?
Right there when we see.
The low attendance at a prayer meeting.
I say it with shame.
There's always something and we have good reasons for things, but the result is we are not where the Lord would like us to be.
We can justify it.
There was a young man, he's here, I won't mention his name. There were just a few minutes ago actually, after the first, after breaking of bread, I said to him.
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I forget exactly how. I said I didn't see you sitting with your folks and he started defending why he was in the last Rd. I said you don't have to defend to me why you weren't sitting where you ought to be. You don't have to answer to me. But do we have that?
Conscience that bothers us. Oh, we need to turn to the Lord, do we not, and spend our time we ought to verse 17 in our chapter.
Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise and speak unto them all that I command thee Be not dismay at their faces, lest I confound thee before them. For behold, I have made thee this day.
City, and an iron pillar and brazen walls against the whole land, against the king of Judah, against the Princess thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land. And they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee.
So I am with the saith, the Lord to deliver thee.
How precious it is.
That Jeremiah did not. He was not told to give up the fight. Oh, here he was to gird up his lawn.
He was to arise and speak unto them as the Lord has commanded him to do, and he was told not to be dismayed at their faces.
The Lord is with him in doing so.
We know from the life of Jeremiah he was not a popular person, was he?
He had to walk that path, truly, that path of separation.
He had to follow what the Lord had him to do.
He knew the enemies were coming in.
He had to face that the enemies from without.
And more so.
He had the face.
And endure the problems and difficulties from within.
But he at the stand.
He has to stand for what the Lord would have him to do.
He had to suffer with his people.
Still not lessons in therefore, as to brethren, what we stand for the Lord.
We're told to hold fast to the things that we have.
Is there anything you have that it can hold fast to?
What is there to hold fast to?
In the Book of Revelation for the seven churches, I was thinking of the Church of Philadelphia. We know that well. They were commanded with two things.
Says, For Thou hast kept my word, and has not denied my name. They were told that they have but a little strength, but they kept his word and denied his name, and they were told to hold fast.
And I trust that the Lord will helped us to hold fast, that we would keep His word and not deny His name despite of all the problems and difficulties around us. That we would look to the Lord and arise and rise above it all, knowing that He's the One, the only One able to keep and preserved us.
Encouragement this afternoon, if we just turn to First Samuel chapter 30, I just want to read a verse of Scripture that often comes to mind and one that our brother Gordon Hale used to often quote in First Samuel chapter 30. It's speaks.
Of the sorrow because of Ziklag. Ziklag had been burned. Let's read the first verse first Samuel chapter 30 and verse one. And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites and had invaded the South and Ziklag and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire, and had taken the women captives. And there were therein, and were therein they slew, not any, neither great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way. And then just verse 5.
And David's two wives were taken captives, the Hinnuum, the Jezreelitis, and Abigail, the wife of Nabel the Carmelite. And David was greatly distressed, for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters, But David encouraged himself in the Lord. Then let's just turn over to Malachi chapter 3 and read that portion of Scripture that's so familiar to us.
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In Malachi chapter 3 and verse 16.
Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another, And the Lord hearkened and heard it in a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts. And that day when I make up my jewels, and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son, and that service him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not.
And then one other verse in Hebrews chapter 10.
Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 24.
Well, let's read verse 23.
Hebrews 10 and verse 23. Let us hold fast the profession or the confession of faith, without wavering. Free is faithful that promised. And let us consider one another to provoke unto love, and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as a manner of some, is but exhorting one another. And so much the more as you see the day approaching.
Well, you know, brethren, we live in a day of discouragement and this world is filled with tragedy and sorrow.
And heartache and oftentimes one and another experience tragedy and sorrow in the life, perhaps in the family, perhaps in the workplace, and those things that might bring in discouragement. And so David experienced us. The Lord Jesus came into this scene, into his creation, and he saw what sin had brought into his creation. And he sought to comfort those that had experienced the sin, what sin had brought into his creation. Healed the leper quickly. He would bless, dispense, blessing to his creation, heal the one that was blind that we read of this afternoon.
And he would delight to just bring blessing into this creation. So we find that the people were greatly distressed. David was greatly distressed and the people spake of stoning him. But now we find in Malachi, you know, the Lord had a word to the people. It says in chapter one of Malachi in verse one, the burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi. And this is what he gives them right at the end of the dispensation, as it were just before the Lord Jesus was going to come. He has a word of encouragement for them.
And he says then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another. And so, you know, if we have a fear of God, that is that we have a delight to please the Lord. And as it were, we're afraid to displease the Lord. And there are others that want to fear that fear God, that delight to please the Lord. And what do we find? That was the characteristic of the day as they spake 1 to another. And I would just like to encourage every one of us here this afternoon.
That the work of encouragement is an individual work.
The work of encouragement is an individual work. Everyone of us needs to be involved in that work of encouragement to encourage one another. And so this is what the Spirit of God records, especially that it says that he hearkened Mr. Darby's translation. He uses the word observed. The Lord observed this activity. He said here are those that fear the Lord.
They delight in my name. And he hearkened, says he observed, and he heard it. He heard the words of encouragement, the words of strengthening one another, and he wrote a book of remembrance for them.
He wasn't going to forget those words of refreshment and encouragement. They might forget, but he was going to write a book of remembrance for them and they were going to, perhaps I'd like to think of it this way. The Lord was going to remind them a little bit later on. He was going to say, you know, I remember those words of encouragement, those that feared the Lord and perhaps had suffered something in this scene of tragedy and sin and sorrow, Why I remember how you sought to encourage them.
And we find that, you know, in Matthew 25, that little picture of the Lord Jesus and how of those that were of the remnant. And they were encouraged. They were given a cup of cold water even. And so it says in verse 17, They shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I might make up my jewels, and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. And so there was that relationship that they were going to enjoy that communion with himself and dear brethren.
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If we'll encourage one another, those that belong to Christ, whether gather to the Lord's name.
Or not. Why? There's going to be communion with the Lord as we conduct ourselves in this way.
And so he's going to remember, and there's going to be discernment, there's going to be that communion with the Lord and to discern between those that are righteous and wicked. Well, let's just turn over to Hebrews and we'll comment on those verses very briefly.
Here it says that there was. The Lord says let us hold fast. And in Christianity there isn't a command. It doesn't say thou shalt hold fast. No, the word goes out to the heart, to the affections of the believer. Will he have a value for the same things that God has a value for? Will he hold fast or will he release the grip? Will he become so weakened and discouraged that he just releases the grip? And beloved brethren.
Isn't it true that oftentimes we see those that are just weakening and they need the strengthening of the Word of God, They need something, some view of Christ to encourage them. And it's our privilege, indeed our responsibility if we fear God, just to strengthen them, to be able to strengthen the grip, as it were, on the things of God and to hold fast their confession of faith without wavering. For He's faithful that promised and LED us.
Consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works. And so here we were given this instruction to provoke, to have affection one for another, provoke to love and to good works. And we live in a day filled and characterized by hatred and strife and rebellion, civil disobedience. And sometimes it has an effect, perhaps even on the assembly and perhaps even on our individual lives, when we see what is characterized by this wicked world.
All around us. But the Lord Jesus loved us, gave himself for us. Oh, he would delight that we would provoke one another to love and to good works. And it's an individual thing that says here, let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works. And so there isn't a broad brush approach as it were. It's an individual thing to provoke one another to love and to good works, an individual work. And so none of us in this room can say that's the work of the older brethren or the work of the older sisters.
No, everyone of us in this room has the responsibility, and the heart is engaged with Christ. It says, let us God isn't going to command you or I to provoke unto love and good works. Oh brethren, we need to encourage one another to love one another and to provoke unto good works. But it says here as well, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting or encouraging one another.
And so much the more as you see today approaching. And so, beloved brethren, the coming of the Lord draws 9 We have a sense of the coming of the Lord that he's almost here and just at the end of the age in Malachi, the Lord would just write that book of remembrance for them because.
They had a fear of God and they spake often one to another to encourage one another. And now at the end of the age, as it were, he says in this day of grace, why won't you just encourage one another? And so much the more as you see the day approaching. And so we live in a day of weakness and we need to recognize that it is a day of small things, but we have individual responsibility to just encourage one another, not to release the grip on those things that are such value to the heart of God.
And, you know, we have the truth that was delivered to us, and we need to earnestly contend for that truth and encourage one another to hold that truth. I want to read one more verse.
In Luke's Gospel chapter 24.
Just an example of how the Lord Jesus did this.
Maybe worried a couple of verses but Luke Jaffer 24 and verse 15.
And it came to pass that while they communed together in reason, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. And then we'll read just verse 36.
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Well, let's read.
Verse 33, Luke 24, and verse 33. And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the 11 gathered together, and them that were with them, saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to 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, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. Well, I just love this little portion.
You know, the Lord Jesus saw two that were discouraged, 2 That were speaking one with another of these things and didn't have a perfect, a perfect understanding of what had taken place. And the Lord had divine purpose in what he had done and how he had gone to the cross to bear the judgment for their sins. And here these two were walking downhill from Jerusalem down to Emmaus, and He had his eye upon them and He delighted to bless. You know, He drew near to them and we know that.
Their hearts were stirred, he spoke to them of during that little walk.
Of Himself. But you know, what strikes me in this little passage is that he wouldn't appear.
To the 11 in verse 36, He wouldn't appear there until they walked back and were there found with the 11. We've encouraged them and strengthened them and they walked back. They were strengthened and they desired to be where the 11 were. And when they arrived, why the Lord appeared and they received a blessing for their souls as a result of His patience with them all. We need to be patient with one another and just to provoke unto love and to good works, and to encourage one another to hold fast and to wait for the coming of the Lord.
And what a blessing would be if each one of us had that individual exercise to encourage one another. What may it be? So if you have been to Newfoundland, we'll we'll know that it's very difficult to understand the Newfoundlander. Normally along with a cold, it's almost impossible. But I'll speak really slow.
The main question I've been asked over and over since I've been here last day and a half is what did you say?
So I'll really speak slow. I felt this before, maybe before the Lord. I went back to my room and I prayed about this topic that the Lord had given me in Chicago on the way down.
And I prayed about it, and the verse that came to me was that the prophets speak two or three. And so when my brother read that, I said, well.
I missed my first flight in Chicago because I put my watch back two hours instead of 1.
And so I sat in the place and my plane came in and my playing field, and they called everybody and they called me my name. I never heard a thing. I was reading this. I never heard a thing. And.
They went and took my bag off the plane and I sat and missed that plate and didn't get the den for that snowstorm. Got the next flight right here to LA and sat by a girl from Holland who really, I thought was off the Lord. We talked for three hours along the way of the Lord's things. He makes no mistakes.
But I'd like to speak on.
On the well beloved Gaius.
And some of the things that came up already this afternoon and earlier has encouraged me to get up and speak about his brother is found in Sir John First, first need and go there, the elder unto the well beloved Gaius. And I thought about that as I'm like an epitaph for me, you know, maybe each one of us.
What will they, what will they want have said about me?
Later on, you know.
I love to have that commendation that he's, well beloved.
How did Gaius get that title? I think it's encouraging to see how he got that, and it's really encouraging for the young people, I believe. So let's go back to.
Book of Acts.
Chapter 20.
The book of Acts, chapter 20.
And Paul is going on a missionary journey.
And verse four says, And they're accompanied him into Asia, Sapiter of Berea and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus, and Gaius of Derby and Timotheus, and of Asia, Takikas and Traphamas. It struck me one day about these seven people. This is not my topic, but I just want to mention this because Gaius is one of those. The topic is much too big, but I'm like brother David, so would like to look at the meanings of words.
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And this is almost like anyone who will go out into the field, missionary field or what have you.
Prerequisites attributes you might say, that would be good to take along. For example, the first one we have 1 from 1 from Berea, 2 from Thessalonica, 2 from Asia and two from Derby.
And the meaning of Berea is a well.
If you turn back chapter 17.
It says in verse 11, the Bereans that says they were more noble than it has, like those that doesn't like you in that they received a word with all readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily whether those things were so Brethren, we need that.
It's a well, we have a well, but we need to search the scriptures daily to see if those things are solved.
I love the comment that Brother Dave Burns made last year at the conference down in West Palm Beach. Is it? He says. And he's talking about the speed of things these days. As you can. We can read fast and we can pray fast, but we cannot meditate fast.
Is becoming a lost art. How important it is that we get into this well, we drink deeply often, we meditate on it, and so we have a sovereign here who drinks deeply of this well.
Then we have Aristarchus and Secundus, Offes of the Nightgown and Tesla. Nightgown really means victory over falsity especially.
The the rolling of.
Judaism, I guess, is the law. The law. It's the victory over falsity.
And that so and I have no thought right now on Aristarchus, who is best ruler and secondus who is second. So we have the second best ruler there. The Lord is far, by far the best. But that's when we thought of that one. The next we have Gaius and Timothy Timotheus from Derby. Derby speaks of skins, tanning, covering in skins and that would remind us of the the skin.
That almost the robe of righteousness from Genesis, that when we go forth, we're going forth, you know, as servants of the Lord, and we go forth like those two together.
Gaius is on Earth and.
Timotheus is honoring God.
So put them together, honoring God on earth, going forth, honoring God on earth.
And the last two we have out of Asia and Asia means the slime pits, the mire. And that reminds us of our beginnings, where we came from, never to forget that to go forth. And tropomus means fortunate and or psoriaticus means fortunate and prophamous means nourishment. I just tossed that out for your consideration as I think that.
Paul, as it were, was it where it was equipped with these, these attributes, your man with them, along with Luke and himself, of course, but one of them was Gaius. I want to focus on him. If you turn to 1St Corinthians chapter one.
We get this.
In verse 14, he says, I thank God that I baptized none of you but Christmas and Gaius. And I want to mention this, that it's clear from this verse that Gaius was associated with the apostle Paul from the very beginning.
From his earliest conversion, he was baptized by the apostle Paul.
Go back in chapter Romans 16, verse 23, Gaius mine host. Gaius mine host. Do I know this means that Paul stayed with Gaius when he wrote to the Romans heirs where he was staying? So he's still with Paul. But I like to elaborate a little on that, my thought on Paul, my host, and that's to do with Paul's doctrine, you know, the recovery of the truth.
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Came with the recovery of Paul's doctrine. Principally the reason for that is Paul was cut up to the 3rd heaven and it was there he was given this heavenly ministry. You and I are heavenly people. We're not earthly people. We need Paul's ministry. And if we lose that ministry.
We tend to become earthly minded.
So we were recovered, but you know what the attack is today. The attack today is to remove again the doctrine of Paul. We know of some.
Very fundamental groups back home, you know, I've departed from that. They brought in, they got rid of the head coverings. That's gone. They got rid of that, brought in female preachers and things like that. It's going that way. So little by little, the enemy is going to rob us in these last days of those things that are principally for us that we are. We need that heavenly food. We are heavenly people, not earthly people. But the enemy wants to bring us down to earth, wants this.
Focus down there and build our babels down here and not look to him, not look toward the Lord's coming and our our heavenly glory and our Everly character. He wants to bring us down. So Gaius was Pauls host and I want to just toss that out as we go along. And you'll see, I believe that Gaius remained that way. He remained as it were Paul's host. He kept Paul's doctrine and that's what we need. We need to be, I need to be a host.
For this and that's the challenge that's going to be for you young people, especially as time goes on or every every group every era has its challenges and yours will be to preserve these doctrines, especially Paul's. I'm not getting into that. You know what they are Romans Corinthian, you know the truth of the Lord's coming, the one body and and all these different things we we enjoy. That's something I thought anyway, let's go back to our chapter 20 again and you'll notice in chapter 19 he's mentioned again in verse 29.
And 29 is and the whole city was filled with confusion and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Pauls companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theater. This wasn't the first time that that gayest had gone with Paul and so here we find their companions with Paul, but also.
Coming under the.
The discipline, you might say, from the enemy. They're taught and.
Persecuted in some way. Anyway, let's go over to chapter 20 again, and what I want to look at is this.
A couple of things that gayest witness he part took off with Paul. He was with Paul. And there's the first one and verse seven, it says the first day of the week when disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the Morrow and continue to speech until midnight.
Anyway, a little further down we find that verse 11, he talked a long while even till break of day. Well, wouldn't you like to have the MP of that 1A and P3 of that meeting all night? But you know what's interesting here?
The Spirit of God doesn't record this fantastic meeting that Paul had. Nothing is said about what he said to these people. What does the Spirit of God record? It records an incident.
About Eudicus.
An incident about Eudicus, nothing but Paul said to these people recorded. Why is that? Well, look at it. And there sat in the window, a certain young man named Eudicus being fallen into a deep sleep. And as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down asleep. And then he falls in that window. Brother, like I, I can see this young man, can you? Eudicus means well off, well off. And I think maybe he was that a well off young man and curious, probably hanging around. And so he's not really in, he's in the third loft and he's sitting in the window, one leg in, one leg out.
Not committed.
Young man not committed.
Interested coming out but not committed.
To Paul's doctrine. And if we're not committed to Paul's doctrine, we're going to take a fall. And that's what he did. He took a fall.
And now he went. And of course it's Paul. Paul moved a little faster. Paul comes and recovers him. It's a danger. I want to hold your place there and go to 3rd John.
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In 3rd John.
Only got 2 minutes left so.
We'll keep those two places. It's all going to go.
In 3rd John we have this verse, the elder unto the well, beloved Gaius, whom I love, and the truth beloved. I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
Gaius was there when this occurred to Eudicus.
Gaius himself was a young man then, probably not long baptized, not long into work, and it made an impression on them when he went down, when this young man went down. And this is much later, this is now the apostle John writing to Gaius, who's now a much older man, an old man, and he has done on in the pathway and the commendation that John gives him. Here is a friend of John. He says I wish not above all things, but it says, according to Chapter Brown, I believe it is my beloved, I wish in all things.
May us prosper and be in health even as thy soul prospereth. What a contrast that is to the world situation in the world. We want prosperity and we want health and how much money is spent on elf. You know that's amazing. These two things are put first. But he says here, even as thy soul prosperous, other words, don't let the first two outrun the last one.
That can be a tendency among us being become carnal Christians and the tendency would be to run after.
The first two prosperity and health and spend all of our energies and time on that. But he says even as thy soul prospereth, don't get ahead of that.
Don't get ahead of that. And so here at the end of, let's say, the end of it, but later on in Gaius's life, this young man.
Is commended by the apostle John for having a soul that is prospered. That's one thing. So I think he learned from mute against this man who was well off and went down.
And I think he became a depository of the of Paul's doctrine. He became a host of Paul, remained a host of Paul.
Go on, our time has been up, so let's just go to the next one. In the next they go to Ephesus. And in Ephesus we have no incident mentioned, but we have what Paul said to the people and we can't do much here, but let's just look at a couple of verses.
Verse 24, for example, Gaius is in the audience now listen to this and he's listening to Paul speak to these people for the last time. He says, but none of these things move me, neither count my my life dear unto myself.
So that I might finish my course with joy and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
And then he goes on. He hears this verse here. 28 Take heed, therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock. Take heed to the flock of God, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the Church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
This was spoken to the Ephesians.
I think Gaius.
Received that message because you go back to our third John and finish there. Notice that it says here.
His soul is prospering. Then John says in verse three, I rejoice greatly over what two things I rejoice greatly 1.
When their brethren came and testified off the truth that is in thee.
The truth, The doctrine. Read it before Brother Chuck was talking about that. The truth. And secondly, and probably more importantly, even as thou walkest in the truth.
And that's Our Calling is to know the truth. That's why we're here in these meetings. We get this wonderful ministry that you've enjoyed. And then we go back while I was going to, let's go back to the 20th chapter again. Sorry, it's one more verse along the two referred to. It's in the 21St chapter.
Verse five And when they had accomplished those days, we departed when our way.
And.
If you go down next verse and when we had taken our leave one off another, we took ship and they they returned home again. You know, we got to go home again in a couple of days.
Just lay gas and they got back, all 7 dispersed and went back to their own homes. And it's one thing to go on nicely with the apostle Paul. And to hear these, these wonderful messages, you know, all night long, it must have been very encouraging. And it is here, same thing. We go away, we're bringing courage. But then we got to go home. But what do we do?
01:00:06
There, that's the test, isn't it? That's the test, you know, that's going on. And here we know that Gaius did that. Gaius says walked in the truth and he, he, he knew the truth and he walked in it. And then Paul John says here, I have no greater joy to hear that my children walk in the truth. And there's a couple more things about Gaius, beloved.
They'll do us faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren and to strangers. There he was. Feed the flock. He took it to heart. That's something you and I can do, you know, is help one another. We've had that before, since recently in that last message. Feed the flock different ways. Well, here it was, it says.
It is taking care of their brethren and the strangers, and these strangers are not unsaved people. These are people that went around in their journeys. I think next verse clarifies that which have borne witness of thy love. So not only did he have truth, this is a very important aspect. Not only did He have truth, not only did He walk in the truth, but it was sprinkled with love.
And look at someone that said before you know, truth is wonderful. That's like ice. It can be like ice. You can be clear and just as cold. But you need that love as well.
And so Gaius had that that charity born witness of thy charity before the Church, which if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well.
Well, I thought.
It encouraged me to when I was directed there in Chicago, this little abortion.
I said, well, maybe there's different reasons by the Lord, have you missed that plane? When I was into this little portion here, looking at that and the others, I got to speak to this girl from Amsterdam and and it was a wonderful opening, I must say. Name is Helen Esky and she's.
Private detective almost, but very opened. So I just it just blurs amazing and we come here, we get this refreshment, this food and now we go on our way very soon. You know I want like demons, Mary Paul says. I think it's in our chapters in in Philippians 4 Dimas hath forsaken me and that's our test. Think of it as Paul's doctrine. Demons had given it up. He was gone.
Into the world but Gaius.
My well beloved.
My well beloved, he kept.
Paul's doctrine. He was remained a host of Paul. He fed the flock and he walked. He learned the truth and he walked in the truth, and he loved the flock of God.
Hard O'Keefe is gliding.
Praise the same.
Old man, for every time you're glad, you're at me.
Holy man and all the Lords.
01:05:26
I.
Daniel chapter one and verse 8.
Just phrase.
Daniel, Purpose.
Verse 21.
Daniel.
Continues.
Minute or so, yeah.
The Scavenger Hunt
Children—J. Bilisoly
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.
9:15 We still have just a couple of minutes before 9:15, so if there are any boys and girls that would like to come up and fill up some of these chairs, that would be nice.
And if you don't feel like it, that's OK too.
You know, isn't it nice boys and girls, that there's a meeting that's kind of special for you? And, you know, I'm sure that when those older brothers that arranged these meetings, when they were discussing this, I, I doubt if they said, now let's see, shall we have a children's meeting this year or not? I don't think they probably had that discussion, but I do believe that they probably did this. I believe that they probably prayed.
That if there was any boy or girl that would be at these meetings that doesn't know the Lord Jesus as their Savior, that they might be saved, that they might be saved from their sins. I don't doubt that there were some prayers along that line.
And you know, I think it's so nice that they decided to have a children speeding and I believe that probably one of the reasons they decided to have a children's meeting.
And put it on the schedule is because they love you. Isn't that nice? You know those men that organize these meetings, some of them are daddies, some of them are grandpas, and they have boys and girls that they love and they desire that they might be saved and grow up to be pleasing to the Lord Jesus. And so I'm sure that they wanted to have a children's meeting because they're concerned for you and because they love you.
How many of us here in this room like to be loved?
I think we all do, don't we? I think we all like to be loved. And boys and girls, you're loved. Isn't that nice? Isn't it nice to know that somebody loves us? Yes, that's wonderful. Well, you know what I think we should do?
Think we should sing a little? Do you like to sing? Is there anybody here that likes to sing?
OK, I like to sing. Why do you like to sing?
How hard is it to be put on the slide? How about you? How come you like to sing?
Because it's fun. It's fun. OK.
Do you like to sing? How come?
Because it's all fun and best. It's best to practice. That's true. That's important. Do you like to sing? How come you like? I would say because it it makes me happy. Good. I was thinking of that too. You know, we sing, don't we boys and girls, because we're happy.
Have you ever been, have you ever been in your home and you hear somebody just humming along as they're working? You know something, don't you? You know that they're happy. And I hope that you can sing this morning because you're happy. And not only that, boys and girls, I hope that you can sing this morning because you have a song in your heart. Isn't it wonderful to have a song in our hearts? You know, the prophet Isaiah, he could say, now will I sing of my well beloved, a song to my beloved.
And concerning his vineyard there in Isaiah chapter 5, I think it's wonderful that we can sing to our beloved is the Lord Jesus.
Beloved, is he well beloved to us? Well, then he likes to hear us sing and we can sing to him. Now, maybe there's somebody here that says, well, you know, one little girl said it takes practice. It's good to practice. Yes, that's true. Maybe someone here is saying to themselves, well, I, I just have trouble singing. I Can't Sing very well. Well, you know, it says in in Psalm 66 that we can make a joyful noise all right to God. It says, make a joyful noise to God.
All ye the earth. So boys and girls, maybe if you Can't Sing very well, make a joyful noise. OK, we're going to, we're going to say that's permitted this morning to make a joyful noise. So let's do that. Now, who has a song for us to sing?
Anybody with a song? He said. You like to sing?
OK Oh, I'm sorry. OK Jesus loves me, all right.
In this 140, Thank you, let's sing Jesus loves me.
Help me out.
If I trust him, should I?
Be able to make me hold my eyes.
Let's change the bloodstream.
Gas station, that's why.
OK, that was a girl. Now do we have one that a boy would like to give out?
Is there a boy that would like to give out a song that they would like to sing?
All right, 46, thank you.
#46.
OK boys and girls, we're going to just sing one more for times sake and we'll ask a girl now. OK, See, I think I saw Ellie's hands up pretty quick.
Let's sing it from memory.
00:10:16
OK, boys and girls, before we go any further, we're going to just bow our heads, fold our hands if we need to, and let's ask our God and Father for His help in this whole meeting. Now I suppose that there's some of you that might have a burst that you'd like to share with us. Let's just take a couple of minutes and I'm sorry if we don't get to every single one that might have a verse.
I hope you children understand. We love to hear you reciting verses from memory. It's such a good thing to do. We heard that yesterday, didn't we? How we need to saturate ourselves. That means to just have the Word of God so much in our hearts that it just comes out in our lives. OK, who has a verse for us?
Does anyone have a verse? OK.
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. Genesis 27. Thank you.
Would you say you had one? Very.
Come man, I will answer the answer and show you great and naughty things which you know, not Jeremiah 33 three. Thank you anyone else?
OK, you want to stand?
Dennis is 2/7. Thank you. OK, we'll go over here.
For God to love the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting forgotten. Love that He gave, He gave not his Son into the world to condemn the world without the world through Him might be saved. John Three, wait, John.
316 or 17?
OK. Did you have one?
OK, all right, let's Anyone else over here. OK, let's go over here. Any of you girls?
OK, forgot to practice. All right.
OK, anyone over here?
And it's scary, isn't it?
But don't be afraid.
OK, good. All right, we'll come down here. You want to say a verse for us?
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved at six.
Being 31 very good. OK anyone else?
All right. Thank you, boys and girls. That was very nice. It's encouraging to hear you say those verses.
You know, boys and girls, we had a verse last night in the gospel meeting that was a very solemn verse, and we're going to look at that again. You could be turning to it while we talk. It's in Isaiah chapter one. You know, as I look around this circle this morning, I see a lot of very, very nicely dressed boys and girls. And for the most part, I would say that you all look pretty happy this morning. And you were singing. That's nice.
Nice to see you sing and you know, boys and girls, I imagine that there was quite a bit of effort that went into your appearance this morning.
I can just picture your daddies and mommies by getting you all nicely dressed and cleaned up this morning. Hair combed. You look so charming. You look very nice, but you know.
I can only see what I can see.
I can't look inside and see how you're really feeling inside.
I don't know what condition your heart is in. Outwardly you look very nice.
But there's somebody that can see right down inside and can see through that outward appearance and can see your heart. Who's that?
The Lord Jesus, That's right. And you know.
There's a lot of things that we see in this world that look very nice as we're driving up here to this building, for example, they look very nice out there. Very, very pleasant, attractive, appealing, I'll put it that way. But you know, I took a little walk Saturday morning and I walked around the building.
00:15:09
And you know, when I got over there on the back of the building, it didn't look quite as nice.
It was a whole lot different looking back there than out here.
And I think you know what I mean, boys and girls, there's a lot of things that are presented to us that way, and they look very nice. But that's not really the true picture altogether. That's just a part of it. Maybe you've had this experience. I know we have. Or you've gone to a restaurant and, you know, it was very nicely decorated inside and attractive. But maybe from where you were sitting, you could kind of see a door would open up once in a while. You look in the kitchen there. Hmm, Boy, it didn't look quite as nice in the kitchen.
Well, you know, there's a lot of things like that, boys and girls, and you look very nice this morning.
And I'm thankful, I'm thankful that you have daddies and mommies that care how you look and they want you to be dressed up and they want your hair to look nice and combed and your shoes are shined and you just look very charming this morning. But you know, boys and girls, we want to talk a little bit about the inside. We're looking on the outside, but God looks on the inside and what does he see? Well, we had last night in the gospel that he sees something when he looks on the outs in the inside, and this is what he sees.
The end of verse 5. The whole head is sick of Isaiah 1, and the whole heart faint from the sole of the foot, even unto the head. There's no soundness in it but wounds and bruises and putrefying swords. They have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.
And, you know, we could read other verses. Let's look at another passage here and.
Isaiah 64. Familiar Same book. Isaiah 64.
Verse six EW, we don't like to read these things sometimes, do we, boys and girls?
Verse six of Isaiah 64 But we are all does that exclude anyone? We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. And we do all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities like the wind have taken us away.
Now we'll look at one more passage in Psalm 14.
Psalm 14.
And verse one, the fool has said in his heart there is no God, they are corrupt. Well that doesn't sound good does it?
They have done abominable works. There is none that doeth good.
The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men. That's all of us, the children of men.
To see if there were any that did understand and seek God. They are all gone aside. They are all together become filthy. There is none that doeth good. No, not one.
Boys and girls, this is God's view of man that has fallen into sin. You know, when man was created, he was created in the image and likeness of God. Wonderful, isn't it? And he looked at man and all that he had created. He could look and he could say, behold, it is very good. What God had created was very good. But sin came in that awful thing called sin. Such a little word and such devastating results.
Sin, sin, sin came in and spoiled God's beautiful creation and spoiled man. Man became a Sinner, and when man became a Sinner he became corrupt. As it says here. He became filthy. He could not please God.
Oh, that sounds pretty serious, doesn't it?
Yeah, that's that's man's condition, boys and girls, that's yours and my condition. By nature, we're sinners before God.
And you know, the Apostle Paul, we could turn to it, but we won't. He quotes from this passage that we just read here in the book of Romans talks about all having sinned there and come short of the glory of God. What a condition. Well, you know, as I was thinking about this a little bit.
00:20:00
I was thinking of.
How I could just illustrate this a little bit in a some feeble way?
And so I went on a little scavenger hunt. Have you ever been on a scavenger hunt?
How many have been on a scavenger hunt? OK, what do you do on a scavenger hunt? What are you looking for?
You might be looking for all kinds of things, right?
What's that?
Clues. Clues. OK, so you're thinking of that type of scavenger hunt. Yes, I I know what you're talking about, but I was thinking of a scavenger hunt where you're just looking for things and you you find them and you pick them up and you put them in your bag. Well, boys and girls, that's what I did. I went out and I didn't go very far. In fact, I just went around this, the premises of this hotel, this nice hotel we're staying at. And I started looking around this nice hotel and I found some things and.
And my scavenger hunt and I'd like to just.
Show you what I found.
And I gathered up quite a few things here.
And I put them in a bag so that you could see them.
Now this is what I gathered on my scavenger hunt.
I've got a lot of things in here and.
Well, I don't know. It's not very, not a very pretty sight. I've got a lot of dead things in here. You know what that reminds me of? Boys and girls.
That you and I, because of sin, were dead. You know, that's what God's Word says. We're dead in trespasses and sins.
That's before salvation, when the Lord comes in and saves us dead. What a condition. We're kind of like this. And you know, I thought as I was picking up these leaves and these needles, these pine needles, these, I don't know, there's some prickly little balls here. I don't know what they are.
I'm sure the locals do and.
I found something else. I found some filthy rags. You see that? You see the filthy rags?
Well, that's not very nice, is it?
That's what I found just a little ways from here.
See all that stuff? Dead filthy?
It's kind of hard to think of ourselves like this isn't a boys and girls.
You might say I don't, I'm not like that.
That's what we're like in God's sight.
Remember, we read in Isaiah 64 that we're all as an unclean thing. Do you see some unclean things in here? I do.
And all our righteousness is, oh our filthy rags, what our righteousnesses? Is God saying that those things that we think are righteous about ourselves?
That God says they're like filthy rags, And is it possible that boys and girls your age could ever have a thought that no, there's something good about myself.
You know, boys and girls, unfortunately there is there's in each of our hearts.
That which answers to that, those righteousnesses, those things that where we think, you know, I'm not too bad. You know, I work downtown in Denver, Co and Denver's gotten to be big metropolitan Denver's about 2 million people. And you see a lot of of things, sorry sites. And I write a shuttle bus from where my bus stops to get to my building or to get to where I can walk to my building. And I see a lot of things. I see people that get on the bus and.
They start talking.
And, you know, it says in Scripture that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh. Do you know what that means, boys and girls? It means that what I harbor in my heart, what I think about, what I live on, that comes out when I speak. And these people, they open their mouths and oh, it's awful. You feel so sorry for them. Their language betrays what's in their heart. And then I see people sometimes they're walking along and the crowded sidewalks.
And they stop at this round container.
Maybe about this high and it has a lid on it and they'll sometimes they'll take that lid off.
And they'll reach down in there and they're digging around. What do you think they're doing?
What do you think they're doing in that big round thing? You know what that big round thing is?
A trash can. That's right. And they're digging around for something, maybe something to eat. I've actually seen them take things out and open them up and start eating them. Oh, that's sad, isn't it? And so you might say, well, yeah, I understand what you're talking about. I see people like that. And yeah, I can understand. But not me, Boys and girls, your heart is no different. Your heart is no different than that person's heart that digs down in that trash can looking for something to eat. No, it isn't.
00:25:24
And so I thought of these, this bag of things that I collected on this.
Scavenger hunt. I kind of thought of these as.
All those things that make us.
Be what it says here in these portions of scripture. Every time we have a wrong thought, every time we do a little act of of unkindness to someone else or speak a harsh word, it's like we add to this this pile.
Now I have no idea how many things are in here.
But I'm going to say that this pile of leaves and dead things and a few filthy things, I'm going to say that it represents perhaps the lives of maybe the life of the youngest child here that's sitting up here now, boys and girls. It says in Scripture that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. So if this represents the life of the youngest child here that's sitting in this room, Can you imagine how big this bag would have to be if it represented my life?
And that's it.
You know, even by the mercy of God, when he saves us, what a wonderful thing he gives us a new nature that wants to please him. But we still have that old nature. You know, we have these enemies. And, and I was thinking about that too. I was thinking of how wonderful it is to be in this room and we feel secure together and we can hop up from eating when meeting's over and we can run and play. And it's wonderful, isn't it? But you know, boys and girls, we have enemies and they're lurking right outside.
The room now you say, what do you mean by that? Well, we heard a little bit about some of our enemies. We heard about an enemy called the world yesterday. And the world wants to the world wants to fill our lives with this.
Because the God of this world.
Wants to ruin lives and I see a lot of ruined lives when I go downtown to work.
And boys and girls, do you think he waits? Do you think that this enemy, that's another enemy too, isn't he? We call him Satan. He's called different things in the word of God, but we'll say we'll refer to him as Satan. And you know, do you think he waits until you get to be my age to start filling your life with this kind of thing? Do you think he waits that long? No, he starts. When does he start? When does he start?
As soon as we're safe.
Think so.
Anybody else? When do you think he starts filling our, we'll call it filling a bag with this this kind of thing?
I'm going to tell you, boys and girls.
He starts as soon as you're born.
Didn't think about that, did you? I saw some surprised expressions. But that's right, He starts as soon as you're born. You have an enemy that wants to fill your life with things that are displeasing to the Lord.
And so we have that enemy Satan, we have the world that's an enemy, and we have that flesh in us. We talked about that, that that nature in us that wants to do bad things, that wants to take what somebody else's, that wants to say an unkind, harsh word.
That's what kind of a nature we have, and the enemy fills our lives up with these things. And so if I had to represent mine, it would be a big thing. I would be embarrassed. I would be ashamed.
So I'm going to ask for your help now.
What are we going to do with this?
What do you think we should do with this?
Put it back in the back.
Put it back in the ground. OK, Put it back where it came from.
Maybe put it somewhere where we could always look at it when we want to see it.
You're you're a lot braver than I am. I wouldn't want my bag but where I could see it I just thought maybe get rid of it.
Rid of it? Oh dear.
Get rid of it. OK, so just does that mean that get rid of me then? Or if this represents me a bigger bag, just throw it away?
I'm sure that's not what you meant. What else? Anybody else have a thought on what we should do with this?
OK.
00:30:01
Get changed by the Lord Jesus Christ. Wonderful. Get saved by the Lord Jesus Christ. And what will he do with all of this if we get saved?
Clean it. Clean it. OK. He'll get rid of these stands, won't he? How will he get rid of these sins? Can you tell us?
Memory blank. That happens to me all the time. OK, how about you? How? How will he wash him away? Lots of soap and water.
How does he get rid of our sins, boys and girls? I know you know. So how about down here? Can you tell us how He gets rid of our sins?
I'll help you out and then maybe you can help. Help me. The blood of Jesus Christ, his Son. Can someone finish it OK now?
Very good cleanse with us from all sin. Isn't that wonderful, boys and girls? You know, I'm glad that we decided that we wouldn't just throw it away to use that that illustration.
And so.
You know, we could do that, and that's probably what we'll eventually do, get rid of this.
But first of all, before we do that, I would like to give this to you, to one of you. Would you like to have it?
No, she doesn't want it.
Let's see.
I I don't feel bad. I understand. Would you like it?
OK, one of these girls like it. Would you like to have this?
Oh dear.
Hey, boys.
Would you like it? Wonderful.
Wonderful. OK, I'm going to. She's going to have it. But right now we're going to do something a little bit more first because I want to illustrate something. What? What was your name?
Suzie OK.
I'm sorry, what was her name? Suki. OK, very good. Why did you want this?
Why did you want that big? Can you tell me why you wanted it?
I'm glad you. I'm glad you accepted it. And I OK. Anyway, that's amazing that she wanted this. I would have thought that I would have reacted like most of you did. That is there. Let me ask you this. Is there any value in this? Is this valuable?
You know, sometimes you hear people say they're talking about someone else and they say how much are they worth? Have you heard that? Have you heard that? Have you heard somebody say how much are they worth? Maybe they're talking about some. Let's just say President Bush, how much has he worth? Have you ever heard someone say that? Or maybe like a man named Bill Gates, have you heard that name? We throw these names around and we say, you hear people say how much are they worth? OK, I'm going to ask you boys and girls a question. How much are you worth?
How much?
Nothing. That's a very honest answer.
How about someone else? How much are you worth?
Let me put it a different way and then let's see if we get a different answer because I think your answer was right and the way I asked it. Let me ask you this. How much are you worth to the Lord Jesus? Now I see some.
A lot. A lot. OK, what were you going to say? Anybody else with another answer? How much are you worth to the Lord Jesus, Kevin?
Wonderful.
Let me ask you this, boys and girls, if you were the only one that was a Sinner.
And the Lord Jesus came to save you. Do you think he would have gone through Calvary's cross for you?
Yes. You ever thought about that way? That's how much He loves you, the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Can you make it personal like that? And then maybe that gives you a little better sense of how much He loved you, That if you were the only one that was a Sinner in this world, God would have sent His Son to die for you, and the Lord Jesus would have been willing to offer up his life and shed his precious blood for you. Isn't that wonderful?
That's how much she loves you. OK, we have just a few minutes left before we give Sushi her gift. And I want to look at some parents that loved their children dearly. And I'm thinking about two parents that have three children and they love them dearly. And we read about their love for one of these children. And so let's look at Exodus Chapter 2.
And you know, we're going to do this quickly because we're running out of time, but this account that we're going to read in Exodus Chapter 2 is mentioned to us. We have it three times in Scripture.
And each time it's a little bit different, but there's one thing that's the same and I'm going to emphasize that. And you, you tell me after we're done reading these 3 verses or these three portions of Scripture, what thing is the same about all of these three portions that we read of, of this account? Okay, Exodus chapter 2 and verse one. And there a man of the House of Levi and took to.
00:35:18
To wife, a daughter of Levi. And the woman conceived and bear a son. And when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. And when she could no longer hide him, she took for him an arc of bulrushes, and dabbed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child there in. And she laid it in the flakes by the river's brink. And his sister stood afar off, to wit, what would be done to him? Now, who is this that we're reading about, Susie?
I just forgot his name.
Remember.
OK. Thank you, Moses.
Now notice here boys and girls and I just want to digress just a second here and say something to the mommies because you know, the mommies are so important in our lives and I'm sure they were important this morning in making you so nice looking this morning. But here it seems to be that the Spirit of God is bringing before us the faith of this mother. And her name was Jacobed and she saw this boy, this boy that the Lord gave him. And she unsure in her heart, she said, you know, this is a child that the Lord gave me. And even though the king, this wicked Pharaoh king that doesn't know God, he doesn't love God.
He's commanded us to throw this little child in the Nile River and drowned him. Can you imagine? Drown this beautiful baby? And her mother's heart said, no, I'm not going to do that. I can't do that. So she hit him as long as she could. She hit him for three months. And then when she couldn't hide him any longer, she made this little arc for him and put him in the ark. OK, now let's turn over to Acts Chapter 7. And so I think we had there a little, the emphasis put on the mom there, the mother, and how important her role is. Now in Acts Chapter 7, when Steven is standing before the council and speaking for his very life, he recounts this again.
And he says in Acts Chapter 7 and verse 18, until another king arose which knew not Joseph, the same dealt subtly with our kindred and evil entreated our fathers so that they cast out their young children to the end they might not live. In which time Moses was born and was exceeding fair and nourished up in his father's house three months. Now here's a word, if I can put it this way to us fathers. Fathers, we have an important role in the development of this child. And it says here that he was nourished up in his father's house. Are we fulfilling our responsibility?
These dear little ones that the Lord has entrusted with us. This is a word for our conscience, fathers, and it says here that He was nourished up in his father's house. Three months. OK, one more Hebrews 11.
And in Hebrews 11 and verse 23.
By faith, Moses, when he was born was hit three months of his parents because they saw you as a proper child or a beautiful child, and they were not afraid of the King's commandment. OK, Now there was something in each of these. And here I would say that the Spirit of God is emphasizing the faith of both the parents. OK, we have the mother and her faith. We have the father and his responsibilities and nourish up his child in his house as the head of his home. And then we had the faith of them both. Both the parents acted, I'm sure. Now what did we read that was the same in all three? There was something, some little, one little phrase.
Anybody remember?
Anybody remember what it was? There was something in common and all those 3 phrases. The emphasis is a little different, but there was something in common, you know?
What?
Memory blink. OK Anyone else? What was the same? OK, for the sake of time, boys and girls, because we're just about out of time, I'm going to tell you it was three months. Did you notice that? Three months. Now, you know what that says to my heart? It says that our time with you is limited. You're growing up. You're not going to look the same next year if we're here and the year after that. I hope we aren't. But you're not going to say the same. Look, stay the same or look the same. You're growing up and there's only a certain period of time that we have to exercise our influence. Let's say it's three months. Now, I know it's longer than that, but scripture says three months. So I want to say this.
It's just a little bit of time, mothers and dads, that we have with our children. So let's take advantage of it Now. Sushi, do you want to come up here a minute?
I have something for you here because boys and girls, I want to emphasize something. And there's a verse I'm going to read in closing, and it's in Matthew 16.
Matthew 16.
And this is going to illustrate what we are trying to here. I mean, it's going to help us.
Narrative 16.
Okay.
And verse 26 for what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul, or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? You know, boys and girls, you have a spirit, you have a body. I can see your body and you're dressed very nicely, but I can't see your spirit that's hidden, and I can't see your soul, but God can. And you have a soul that's precious to God. And so there's something in all of this mess of things that look so worthless and that we want to get rid of. But there's something here for her. So can you come up here or I'll come over to you.
00:40:19
All right, OK, let's just dig in here a little. I'll do it, OK? Because I don't want you to have to dig in it, OK? There it is, right there where we couldn't see it. Just like your soul. God can't see your soul, boys and girls, but he loves it. Now, what's that?
Paper money. OK, that's for you. OK, all right, that's just a little table illustration of what we're trying to say, boys and girls, that we didn't see anything of value in this. We just said get rid of it. It doesn't look nice, it doesn't smell nice, and let's just get rid of it. But boys and girls, you have a soul, and God sees your precious soul and He wants to save you for him. Okay, we're going to close with a song, and you, boys and girls, have been sitting a long time, so I'm going to ask that you stand up by your chair.
Keep me company here and let's sing a song on the back of this sheet.
Let's sing.
#47 is the last song on our sheets, and we're just going to sing one verse and the chorus. And you know, boys and girls, I want you to think of yourself as a gem. Do you know what a gem is, Kevin?
A jewel, something bright, something beautiful, something valuable. That's how God sees you. You're of value to him and he wants to take you. Just like Moses parents saw value in their boy and they wanted him to be of use to God. Boys and girls, you know something exciting. I didn't read this, I'll just tell you about it. That had Moses parents had an influence in his life so that when he got to be older, he was used to the Lord to leave the children of Israel out of Egypt. And when that king said who's going to go to serve the Lord, you know what Moses said?
We're going to go and our little ones too. He wanted to take his little ones. He had learned that value from his parents and someone else learned from from from Moses. Joshua said, As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. He wanted to bring his whole house in. Isn't that wonderful? We can be an influence to others. OK, let's sing the last. I mean the first verse in the chorus of #47 when?
And now, boys and girls, we're going to get rid of this. We're going to just put it out of sight because that's what the precious blood of Jesus does. He takes our sins away and all he sees is what's a value to him. Isn't that wonderful? Let's pray.
Three Homecomings
Gospel—B. Brockmeier Jr.
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House stands open with its love and light and song, And returning to that father all to you may now be long From sins distant land of famine toiling Neath the midday sun, To a father's House of plenty and a father's welcome come #2.
Turn, if you would, tonight.
To a well known verse in the third chapter of John's Gospel.
John chapter 3 and verse 16.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. I read this verse tonight at the outset of the meeting for two main reasons. The first reason is perhaps there is one or two that have never had the privilege of hearing the gospel of the grace of God. And I wanted to write at the outset get to the very essence of the matter, the very heart of the matter.
And that is the heart of God, that God desires your blessing and your eternal salvation.
How the precious truth of the gospel is summed up in this very well known and very much love verse for God. He's the source of the gospel, friend. It did not come from the great minds and intellects of this world. No, it came from the mind and the heart of God. He's the source of the gospel. It is the gospel of God. It is a message from God to your heart, for God so loved the world. Oh, that's the sweetness of the gospel, that God loves your soul.
Despise Him you may have, but he loves you. Rebellious you may have been, but he loves you. And how wonderful to know, in a world filled with hatred and enmity, that God is love.
Oh, in the world filled with despair and hopelessness, how good to no one. Who is the God of hope?
In a world filled with sorrow and heartache and anguish and tears, to know the God of all comfort.
In a world filled with war and rumors of war, to know the God of peace, Oh, this is God as he would set him forth, said He set himself forth in his precious word that he so loved. Has that ever moved your heart? Has there been any response to think that the eternal Almighty God loves your soul? And so great was his love that he gave. Love gives and love sacrifices and all. What a gift the Father gave when he bestowed his Son. And that's the grand subject of the gospel.
That God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son the very dearest object of His heart. He sent forth that blessed One into this world.
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When he arrived here, there was number room for him, and there is no room for him even today. We would ask you tonight, friend, is there room in your heart tonight for God's beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of man that came to seek and to save that which was lost? Oh, the grand subject of the gospel is God's Son, the gospel of his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, that whosoever believeth in him. That's the simplicity of the gospel.
You know, there was one of old Naaman the Syrian who was a leper.
And he went to the prophet of Israel, Elijah, and was told the way for his healing would be depth to be to dip seven times in the river Jordan. And he was angered at such a proposition that the great.
Syrian general should have to descend into the Muddy Waters of Jordan. It was beneath him for such a thing, but all he had servants that cared for him. And they said if the man that God had bid thee do some great thing which thou not have done it, how much rather when he says wash and be cleaned.
And that's the gospel. It's not some great thing that God requires of you, but to own your need as a guilty Sinner. You qualify, friend, for the gospel because you've sinned against God.
I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. And so he said, wash and be clean. Oh, and his friend, it's simply believing in him. God knows the heart. A look, a sigh, a tear towards himself.
Whosoever believeth in him should not perish. Oh, that's the great salvation of the Gospel.
To reject the gospel, to reject God's Son, it carries a huge price.
We read of those, the Lord will say, and these shall go away into everlasting fire. No, there is a solemn consequence to reject and refuse the story of God's love and his gift of love, the Lord Jesus.
And it's the blackness of darkness, forever suffering. The vengeance of eternal fire is the portion of those that reject the Savior. And such is the course on which you and I would be headed tonight. Apart from the Savior is that Broad Rd. that leads to destruction. But oh, God gave his Son that you might not perish, that you would be delivered from so great a death, but have everlasting life. Oh, that's the satisfaction of the gospel. How God loves your soul. God is for you. God wants your blessing.
Eternal life is not simply unending existence. No, because we quoted earlier, these shall go away and everlasting fire. And we find that scene a great white throne, when the Lord Jesus sits there on that throne in the dead, small and great stand before him.
And the lost or cast out into the lake of fire, which is the second death.
Eternal existence, but it's eternal death. Separation from God, forever in judgment. Oh, but the gospel summed up right here. This is what God desires to preserve you from and to bring you into.
It's the outpouring of the heart of God.
And with all this within me tonight, I would like, with the Lord's help, to in some way set forth the heart of God. And I would like to look at something that's just been before me in recent weeks. I would like to look at 3 homecomings in Scripture, the homecoming of the Sinner, the homecoming of the Savior, and the homecoming of the Saints. So could we turn first to Luke's Gospel, chapter 15?
For we have the homecoming of the Sinner.
We'll begin reading from verse 11, but I would like to note that in verse three it says he spake this parable unto them, perhaps three parts to this parable, and so will briefly just mention the two parts proceeding. We have a man that had 99 sheep, and one of them was gone.
All this brings before us the value of a soul. You know how it is with us. If we had, $0.99 of a dollar would stay close enough. Let's call it a day. But that's not the heart of God.
There was one sheet missing and so he would come and where were the sheep? They were in the wilderness and this is where the Lord Jesus came to save. He came into this world which is a wilderness. It was not a world that throughout the welcome mat for him. If I can put it reverently, this world is opposed to God and opposed to Christ at every step so much so that prophetically the Lord Jesus could say they that the reproaches of them that reproach thee.
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Fell on me.
All the enmity and the antagonism of the heart of man to God.
Now had a place to express itself.
Against God's beloved Son is God came down in lowly grace. God manifest in flesh, and all of the hatred and enmity in man's heart against God now is directed towards God's beloved Son who came into this world. It was a wilderness. It was a place where He was not wanted, but He came here to seek and to save that which was lost. He came to save you.
We find the next scene. There's a woman working.
To find one lost coin, and if in the story of the sheep we find it's a wilderness in the coin, it's lost in the house.
I'm very solemnized when I read this because in large measure we're speaking to those that are in a place of favor in the house, if I can put it that way. Not scattered on the wilderness, but there was a sheep that was lost in the house, or a coin rather, that was lost in the house. And maybe there's a lost coin in the house tonight. And the Spirit of God would work to find you.
This pictures to us the work of the Spirit of God, and there's two instruments in which the Spirit of God would use in order to find that coin, the broom and the light, and the light would be for searching the corners and the recesses.
You know the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword.
No, the word of God would come as a sword. It would come as a light to expose and how God would look through every corner in order to find one that is lost. And furthermore, there was the broom. This is to sweep the house. Why is this to stir things up? Because that coin might be buried under dirt or something in the house and all. I believe this is a great work of the Spirit of God. You know, it was in the house. It wasn't out in the city and the streets were all could see it was within the house.
And that's how the Spirit of God works. He would work within your breast. Some people boast of how they can read faces. I can't read faces and but God can read hearts. I know would to God tonight that there would be the stirring up within your breast.
We live in a day of casual profession.
We live in a day of belief without conviction.
We ascent to certain things.
But where is the sincerity, the depth, the earnestness before God? The Spirit of God has seen typified the work of the Spirit sweeping the house in order that things might get stirred up. Can you casually just set the word aside and say, when's the next meeting? What are we going to do next? Or have you ever heard the voice of God coming down to your soul?
Remember some years ago being down at the Theologian Institute in Orange County?
There was a dear brother spoke to the men there.
And he spoke to them from the passage in Second Kings that.
That was the There was the earthquake and there was the fire and there was the wind and it says.
The Lord was not in the fire, He was not in the wind, He was not in the earthquake. But a still small voice came.
To the Prophet.
And her brother speaking from that said to the men there, he said, you might not get shaken up by the earthquake. You know, it might not be moved by the wind, you not might be impressed or intimidated by the by the fire. But he said, how is it, men, when you go to your bunks at night and you hear that still small voice that says, I love you?
As we filed out to leave, an older man, an older prisoner who knew the Lord, he leaned over to me and says that brother knows how to reach them. How is it, friend? Have you ever heard that still small voice come to you in quietness?
I love you all, the love of God. Have you ever been stirred in your hearts to this one that would reach you?
We live in a day of so much pretense.
The veneer, the facade, every man walks in the vain show. Where is the reality before God? Some of us remember dear Jerry Smith, who was in fellowship there in Los Angeles, gathering before his tragic death.
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Jerry was telling me Jerry was saved out of the gangs.
Large arms, skilled in the martial arts, he had the boldness of a lion, and he would go back to his former associates in the gangs to bring the gospel to them. He says they laugh at me, and he says I quote them. Proverbs 1413. Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful, and the end of that mirth is heaviness.
Oh, friend, how much is just laughter's external? But the end of that mirth is heaviness. There's no lasting joy. Well, let's get on to the third one here in verse 11. Let's read.
And he said, a certain man had two sons, and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me.
And he divided into them as living, And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country, and their wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land, and he began to be in want.
And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine, and he would fain have filled his belly with a husk, that the swine did eat, and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bred enough and despair, and I perish with hunger. I will arise and go to my father, and will send him. Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
Make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose and came to his father, but when he was yet a great way off.
His father saw him, and had compassion and friend, and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in eyesight, and I'm no more worthy to be called thy son. The father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet, and bring hit of the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat and be merry. For this my son was dead and is alive again.
He was lost and is found and they began to.
To be married.
I said there was two reasons why I read John 316 at the outset of the meeting. The one was to to seek in simplicity to set forth the grand truth of the Gospel for perhaps those that have never heard. But there was another reason I read that verse. And if there's a chapter that's as well known in the Gospel as the first John 316 is, it's the 15th of Luke. But I want to ask you.
You that have heard the gospel any number of times.
Think back what I suggested we read John 316. What was the response of your hearts?
Here we go again.
Can the brother do anything better than read John 316? I've heard that before. You've heard it before, and you heard it again. But what was the response of your hearts? When I suggested we turn to read that verse, you know it's not what we know, but what is the response of our hearts?
To really the heart of God as we read this wonderful chapter that no doubt we are all familiar with.
What we find the story of the runaway son.
You know, if we go back to the prophet Jonah, we find the story of the runaway prophet. God said go this way, and Jonah went that way. Do you know God tracked him down and brought Jonah back by way of the whale's belly, the belly of the great fish. He brought him back to do what he desired. You know, if we turn to the book of Philemon, we have the story of the runaway servant, a man that wronged and stole from his master. He ended up in prison and there he met.
The apostle Paul who gave him the gospel, and he was saved, and Onesimus went back to his master Philemon for the epistle of Philemon in his hand.
God brought him back and we find the story here. The runaway boy, God brought him back, but there were some things he had to go through before he went back. He starts off by saying Father give me, Father give me. Says in Proverbs 30 that the horse Leech hath two daughters crying. Give give you know the leeches.
Parsley should just attach itself to the horse and suck the blood. It gives nothing. It just takes oh that's the character of man in this world, receiving from God, giving nothing.
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Hannah in her prayer in First Samuel 2 likens the condition really of the Sinner, where it says he taketh a beggar from the dunghill to set him among Princess, that he might inherit the throne of glory. And that's an apt description of man lost in his sins, where we each were, and perhaps some still are. A beggar has nothing to give. It's only to receive and ****** beggar on the dunghill that placed a defilement. It's a place where you find you find yourself in your sins.
Defiled with nothing to give to God, but God desires to reach down, take that one, that needy soul to set him among Princess to inherit the throne of glory. Well, he says, Father, give me and all the largest of the Father's heart his Father gave him. Oh, how much God has given you.
Health, strength and life and time and the privilege to have the word of God. And some of us have had the word of God before us from our youth. Scripture says to whom much is given, shall much be required? No, there's responsibility and there's accountability. Was it Daniel Webster that said his greatest thought?
Was the sense of his personal responsibility to God. Friend, have you ever considered that that you are responsible to God? We read in Hebrews 4 that all things are naked and open unto the eyes of God. No, under the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
God is not an abstract concept for theological discussions.
The eternal God you have to do with God manifest in flesh, and the person of the Son He will one day stand before.
Father give me his father gives him. He's given you much. And what does this younger son do? He wastes it with riotous living.
But in verse 13, it says he took his journey into a far country.
Or in a country.
A long way off.
Country a long way off. Is that where you would like to be as far away from God as you can get?
Well, we find he's far from God. He wastes his substance.
And he begins to be in want.
Now the effects, the consequences of his decisions begin to begins to feel them. He begins to be in want. It's just the beginning, friend, to leave the presence of God, to walk away from the things of Christ, to begin to be in want. But you know, maybe they had a proverb or a a quote as we have today. When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. So he dealt with it and said, I'll know how to deal with adversity. I'm going to I'm going to join an alliance here.
He goes.
In verse 15 he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country.
I'll work my way out of this jam. There's nothing we can't handle here.
What we have here is an unequal yoke. This young man enters into it.
I'd just like to pause for a moment on this subject.
An unequal yoke in Scripture, and the one I'm thinking of in particular now is the marriage of a believer, one that loves the Lord Jesus Christ, united in holy matrimony with one that does not love the Lord Jesus, one that is not a Christian.
You know, I'm thinking of Samuel Clemens, you know, as Mark Twain, of course.
He took up with a profession of Christianity, ordered married into a Christian home. It was a false profession. He made out and he was a man that was conversant with the Scriptures. In fact, we know he's the one that said it was not the things in the Bible he did not understand that bothered him. It was the things in the Bible that he did understand that bothered him. Now that's honesty.
Well, he had a Christian life. At least one of his children was saved when he came back from a trip to England after visiting royalty. He knew all the great men and women. And he came back and told his family of his visits, and his little girls looked up to him and said, Daddy, you know everybody but God.
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One of his daughters died in her youth.
And to think of a man here is an unbeliever with a family, at least some of them that love the Lord Jesus. One was taken in death.
And as he lost his young daughter, he wrote a poem.
Was this as her body was buried underneath the grave? He said. Warm summer sun shine softly here, shine brightly here. Warm summer breeze blow softly here. Green sawed above lie light, lie light. Goodnight, dear heart, Good night, good night.
Is that the hope that you want to have in the presence of death when you buried a loved one? Good night, good night. That's it. Never to see him again. Oh friend, if you're lost without the Savior, association with Christians does you no good.
Only as they can point you to the Savior, and you have to do with Him.
You'll permit me now to speak to some of you that may be playing with fire. You love the Lord Jesus, and you're finding a companion among one that doesn't love the Savior that died for you.
I was leaving school some years ago, campus and I.
Felt for whatever reason, I should go back and I didn't know why. And I, and I, I did. And I thought, when I wear my, what am I doing here? Where am I going? And they had some of these different booths set up with, with literature of different religions, quote UN quote. And I thought, well, maybe there's someone I should speak to here. And nothing materialized and said, well, that was, that was some crazy notion that I had. And I began to walk to the car and I heard my name called.
And over on the large cement planter was a young man I knew to be a Christian.
And one very nice young man, I had a PE class with him the semester before, he said, Bill, come here, he says. I want to ask you something.
He said I'm going with a girl and she belongs to and he mentioned the name of the religious group that denies the deity of Christ.
He said I want to know what you think.
I said, Ron, what do you think?
He said. That's what I thought.
And I said what does the scripture say?
And return to 2nd Corinthians 6 and it says be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. Can I see that? I said yes. I handed him the Bible and he read it.
And he said to me, and what he didn't say to me was, well, Bill, that's your exercise on that verse.
Or there you go again with your Piper, conservative interpretation of the Scriptures. No, I didn't say that. I said Ron, it's pretty plain, isn't it? He said. It's very plain.
He said I know that that is right. And then he said to me, he says I also know I will not break off this relationship.
A couple weeks later I saw him and his now fiance walking across.
I just caught it in the verse. How can two walk together except they be agreed?
But what so solemnizes me?
Was that when I first talked to him, he was very sobered. He said the word of God is very plain and I knew his conscience was being challenged. But when I saw him just 2-3 weeks after that, he was as happy as a lark. He was in trouble. He wasn't bothered.
The decision had been made.
Oh, it troubles me is when the Spirit of God works in your soul. You suppress it, you push it away as we sing in hymn. Go spirit, go thy way. The Spirit of God is not obligated to entreat your soul forever.
Someone comes to your house and knocks after a certain amount of time, knocking on knock indefinitely. God is a God of patience.
But he's not committed himself to plead with your soul for the rest of your life. If God is speaking to you now, heed His voice, Obey the gospel.
Well, this man, he joined himself to a citizen of that country. Well, he proved.
The truth of the Italian proverb that he that has a partner has a master.
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It's a partnership he joined himself and his partners sent him out in the field to feed swine.
Well, as he's there, what a picture for one. Perhaps raised in a Jewish Home, now feeding swine the unclean animal. But what is the what is the feeling of his heart?
He starved, and he longs that his belly might be filled with what the swine are feeding on.
The things of this world will never satisfy your heart.
And what does this say? And no man gave unto him. He said, Father give me. And his father gave him. But now he's in desperate need. No man gave unto him.
Whenever 17.
When he came to himself, he doesn't say I've got to find another partner in business. No, he came to himself. He looked at things in reality. Where am I as I grovel?
Where the swine He came to himself, Friend, have you ever come to yourself? Have you ever sized up where you are before God?
The mess you may have made of your life, where you are, Have you looked at it honestly?
He did. He came to himself, thank God, Before he came to his Father, He had to come to himself to size things up, things up, to recognize what God said about him was true.
Were lost, were needy sinners. No man gave unto him, but he came to himself and he says, how many hired servants of my Father's have read enough despair, and I perish with hunger. Thinking back now of the hired servants had a better place than he had. So he says, verse 18 I will rise and go to my Father and will send him Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee. Have you ever come to that point? He said, notice two things I have sinned against heaven.
And before thee.
That is, heaven is God's throne, and we know that.
That what characterizes God's throne is righteousness, and he'd sinned against heaven.
That is, he recognized he'd done wrong. He violated the truth of God, the righteousness that God requires of man. But it was more than sinning against light, if I can put it that way.
And sinning against, right, It was sinning against love, because he says I have sinned against thee, not just against heaven, but against his Father.
To realize that it was our sins.
'Cause the Lord Jesus to die and to suffer. It's those sins that grieve the very heart of God. This man had come to himself. He's not sugarcoating it now. He's being honest. I've sinned.
Against heaven and before thee. And I'm no more worthy to be called thy Son. Make me as one of thy heart servants. Verse 20. And he arose and came to his father, but when he was yet a great way off.
Or when he was a long way off, he had gone to a far country, he had gone a long way off. And when he comes to himself, his father sees him a long way off. His father runs. Oh, and there's a turning of your heart to God. He's there to meet you.
He came all the way to meet him. This is the heart of the father. His father saw him and had compassion.
Always sometimes hear of a Sinner in the hand of an angry God, but that's not the picture we have here. Here's the Father that has compassion and all the Father has compassion on you. You may have sinned against him, you may have blasphemed the very name of God and the very name of Christ, but He has compassion on you. You made a made a mess of your life, but he loves you and he wants your blessing. He had compassion. He runs and fell on his neck and covers him with kisses.
Oh, the outpouring of the heart of the Father on this runaway boy. But there's more.
Verse 21 And his son said, Father, I have sinned against heaven in a nice sight, and I'm no more worthy to be called thy son.
And his father interrupts him. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best drove, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.
Oh, the heart of God. We sometimes sing a hymn, and I'm going to quote it a little bit differently. We sometimes singing him trembling. We had hope for mercy, some lone place within the door.
But the ring, the shoes, the best robe, all were ready long before. What is the best robe? Well, if we turn to Ephesians chapter one, we find that He has taken us into favor in the Beloved.
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I love the illustration. And during the Civil War, there was a man that came to see the president, President Lincoln. There was a couple of hours each week that he spent time to see those in need and distress. And this man had come a long way and he'd missed the time and sat outside weeping. He'd missed his chance to meet the president and wouldn't be able to see him. And he's sat outside this consulate in sorrow that he missed his chance. A young boy run by and said, well, what's the matter, Sir?
And he told him his plight and the young boy, perhaps his name was Willie, he said follow me.
He took that man right past the attendants and right into the very presence of the president.
He came in and all the value of the President's son, not now as a citizen of the United States seeking some help, but now one that came in and all the love that the Father had for the Son. That is your place before the Father. When you come to the Savior, you don't come in as a hired servant.
You don't even come in as a rebellious Sinner, but in His presence with the best robe and put it on Him in a ring on His hand. Oh, that speaks of eternal love. But let me say this to you about the ring. A very practical illustration of this is that I like to think of it as the engagement ring. It sets before us two things. Scripture speaks of the Spirit of God indwelling as the ceiling, as the earnest and the anointing, but you know, the ceiling of the Spirit of God.
Is that we're marked out as belonging to him, just as a woman were in the engagement ring.
Says I'm off limits for all others, I belong to another.
But you know, it says more than that. It says it's the earnest in anticipation of all that the husband to be.
Has will be hearse. So God has given us the Spirit of God. It marks us out as belonging to him and gives us the great joy in our hearts that all that is the sons He will share with us. He had the ring. It also speaks of authority. God has given us the right that he might be called the children of God. And then there's the shoes.
You remember when Moses came before the burning Bush and he was told to take off your shoes, for the place where on you stand is holy ground. We read elsewhere in the book of Hebrews that Moses was faithful in God's house as a servant. But you know, and we've been brought into the House of God, it's not as a servant, it's in all the liberty and the dignity of sons.
Oh, friend, this goes far beyond what would have met your need. This is the outpouring and the unfolding.
Of the heart of God in the House of God the Father's house. And I like to think of it in this way, that the Father's house is the place where the Father's heart can be fully expressed, can be fully known and fully enjoyed. What a scene this is where love would bring the Sinner and bring him to the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and be merry. What's the fatted calf?
It's a picture to us of the death of Christ. For you and I to be blessed, the Lord Jesus must die.
Christ Jesus who was delivered for our offenses, but he was raised again for our justification. What's the picture we have here? We have a picture of the Father feeding on the fatted calf, and we have a picture of of the runaway return feeding on the fatted calf that you and I can now feed with the Father on Christ himself. The very portion of God's heart he says you share with me. You enjoy this one.
That is my eternal delight.
And let us eat and be merry. For this my son was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found. And they began to be merry. When he went to the far country, he began to be in want.
And for the one that dies without Christ's eternal want, an unending eternity of judgment and of doom, and of hopelessness.
Where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched, but here. And they began to be merry. All the unending joys of heaven, the unending joys of the Father's heart, this is what our God has for you.
Some years ago.
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Brother-in-law Tom and I, we used to.
Go sing some hymns and share the word Meadowbrook Convalescent Hospital is really a.
An assisted living home.
And there was one lady, her name was Mary Ann. She would sit, it's when you could still smoke indoors, she would sit on the side of the wall there right next to the air purifier and, and smoke. And the poor woman is was in very bad shape. And we were very sad that every time when we came in to share the word, we came in, she went out.
And sometimes it required cutting off the television. It wasn't always the most happy experience.
Well one time we came and we would have loved if she would have stayed and I came over to her and she muttered.
Under her breasts.
Invoke the damnation of God upon me.
I felt sick at heart. Not that I fear the judgment of God.
But this woman, as we speak colloquially, she had one foot in the grave already and my heart was torn up as she went back to her room, not wanting to hear the word of God.
And just just was before the Lord about it.
The poor woman.
Soon enter eternity, not wanting anything to do with the things of God. Well.
No, it was the next week. She may not have been there, but the following week we came in. She sat where she always did and I expected, as it had been gone on for the last two years or so, that you get up and leave but you stayed.
Always a thrilled our heart and so we sought to preach the gospel with all earnestness. She sat there and listened. He's at the front of the room. She was on one side and directly across from her there was this piano. She motioned to me to come down to the piano. She got her Walker and she pushed it over to the piano.
She lifted her hands, leaning over the piano in a raspy voice. She played and she sang. I know not why. God's wondrous grace to me. He has made known the why, and worthy as I am, He claimed me for His own. But I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.
She looked up to me with tears in her eyes and she said my father was a Baptist minister. But I rebelled. I turned my back on God.
But the father's little girl had come home.
Do you know that dear woman? For the next few weeks, every day she came and she sat. She listened to the word, and every week she gave out that song. I know whom I have believed.
Oh, what a word to continue in prayer. My father's prayers were answered many years after he departed to be with the Lord.
But what about you, friend? Where do you stand? Have you turned to God? Have you turned to Christ?
We don't have time to get into the elder son. He was a self-righteous man that had no part.
And all the joys of the Father's house. He was a legalist. There's none too bad for the Savior, but there's many that are too good. And this was one that was too good. You know, there's two.
Common misconceptions about man just this past week.
There's been a few opportunities.
General manager says to me. He says, well, I'm sorry about your father, I said well.
I know he is, He's with Christ.
And he's a man, he's a religious man, but he's not the Lord's, he said. Well, that's where we're all going to be anyway.
Except for so and so.
The soil and soil he's referring to when I know why I said it. He's a man that is a real Christian although.
He's not honoring the Lord in his walking ways, but I simply said to him, I said the blood of Christ is sufficient for the worst Sinner.
No, friend, we're not all going to end up there after all.
God is under no obligation to bring All Souls to heaven. He's made the way plain. Jesus said I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me. It all hinges on this one thing. But think ye of Christ unto you therefore, which believe He is precious, What is your response to Him? We don't need to get into this thing. Why? I had a spiritual experience or a spiritual awakening, or I gave my heart to Jesus when I was a little child. What do you think of Him this afternoon or this night?
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If any man love not our Lord Jesus Christ, let him be a curse. The Lord cometh.
Can you say with clarity what your position is in a relationship to God's beloved Son?
Oh, if there's any hesitancy on your friend, consider it, considering where you stand.
Know there are those that will hear those sad words depart from me, cursed into everlasting fire. I never knew you.
Another man came into my office expressing the same sentiments.
So I'm sorry about your father and I said, well, thank you for your sympathy, but I'm very thankful to know where he is. He's with Christ.
He said and I know I'll see him again. And he said, well, we hope so.
I said no, we know so on the authority of the word of God. We know Christianity deals with that which is sure that thou mightest know the certainty of the words of truth. How wonderful to have the truth of God. I said we're going to speak about 3 homecomings. Let's turn Acts 2 for the second one.
The homecoming of the Savior.
Acts 225.
For David speaketh concerning him. I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for He is on my right hand that I should not be moved. Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad. Moreover also my flesh shall rest and hope, because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, or hades the unseen world. Neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One, to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life. Thou shalt make me full of joy with Thy countenance. Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David.
There is both dead and buried in the sepulchres with us under this day.
Therefore, being a prophet, in knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ.
To sit on his throne. He's seen this before, spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, or again Hades neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
David prophetically Speaking of what was true of the Lord Jesus. David's body saw corruption, but the holy One, the Lord Jesus, his body did not decay. He was sinless. The effects and mark of sin would not even in death would not affect his body. It says his flesh shall rest in hope, that is the body laid in the grave and rest, but it rested in hope, in hope of the resurrection.
But what may I want to draw your attention to?
Is.
Verse 28.
The last part thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
Oh, to think the Lord Jesus who poured out his soul into death, that one that was laid in the lowest pit, the one after enduring all that man could hurl against him, the one that endured the contradiction of sinners against himself, the one that was forsaken of God in those hours of darkness. The hours of darkness passed, he says, Father.
Into thy hands I commend my spirit. What a moment.
When His Spirit departed, and when a moment three days later, when He was raised bodily into the presence of his God, Thou shalt make me full of joy without countenance. Oh, to conceive of the Father's delight in His beloved Son, the one who could say, I do always those things that please Him. I have finished the work which Thou gave us me to do. What a welcome.
For the sun. For the Savior.
But you know, that very same welcome, that same measure is the measure of our own, those of us that are Saints of God.
One end in First Thessalonians 4. But before we go there, let's turn back to Matthew 25.
Matthew 25.
And really looks on to the day of reward for faithfulness of believers in the Kingdom. But I I want to just draw a few thoughts from verse 21.
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His Lord said unto him, That is one that had gained 5 talents and trading. He said, Well done, thou good and faithful servant, thou has been faithful over a few things. I will make the ruler over many things. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.
He says well done.
A good and faithful servant.
You say, how is this in Luke's gospel? We read when we have done all that was commanded us to do, we shall say we are unprofitable servants. We've done what was our duty to do.
If you did everything you were told to do, and you did it in perfection, you're an unprofitable servant. That's the minimum standard. So how is it here we could find one called a good and a faithful servant?
You know, there's two servants in Scripture that are spoken of as being profitable. One is John Mark. We sometimes speak of him as the failing servant that abandoned Paul and Barnabas in the work of the Lord. But as Paul writes from the prison cell, he says bring Mark for he's profitable.
Oh, it's grace. The other man is, when we referenced earlier, it was Onesimus, a man that had stolen from his master, and when he sent back to his master from Paul, Paul says he's profitable to me and to thee. It's all grace. Even in reward here, good and faithful servants is grace. But it goes on. Thou has been faithful over a few things. I will make thee ruler over many things. Do you not see the heart of God? It's not faithful in many, reward in many.
It's faithful and few reward in many, but now this enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.
Sometimes we think of the joy of those that have departed to be with Christ.
But all to think of his joy here it's enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. It's his joy. Now turn to 1St Thessalonians chapter 4.
And this is what we're waiting for.
The homecoming of the Saints.
Verse 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent or go before them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God. And the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
The coming of the Lord.
That grand and happy reunion, I just want to call attention to a couple points here. It says that in verse 17. Then we which are alive and remain, that's our present hope. We're remaining, waiting, just waiting for the coming of the Lord. She'll be caught up together with them, that is, with those that have died before in the clouds.
Then to meet the Lord in the air, It's not to meet the Lord in the clouds, it's not to meet them in the air, it's to meet them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. I see it this way.
That when the last Trump sounds, all the redeemed, all those that have died in faith from Adam to the last one that's fallen asleep and death, their bodies will be raised incorruptible. We shall be changed.
Those of us that remain shall be caught up together to meet them in the clouds. And so you have the entire redeemed company, not just the church, but everyone that's died in faith. All those, as it says in First Corinthians 15, they that are Christs, that is coming, all that belong to Him. The entire Redeem company is reunited for the first time. They're all together on the cloud, and then the entire fruit of the Lord's work goes to meet Him together.
To meet the Lord in the air. So shall we ever be with the Lord? What a hope, what a prospect that awaits the believer.
But friend.
Unless you believe the gospel, unless you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Unless you by faith reach out and say, Lord Jesus, that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in thine heart, that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. If you do not do this, you'll be not part of this happy scene.
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This happy company.
Instead, we hear those fearful works, and these shall go away into everlasting fire. Oh, May God grant you to be decided for Christ tonight.
It's not a time to be half hearted, to be uncertain, to be unsure. Make sure you bow before Christ even tonight on Him as your Lord. Let's sing #5.
Or rather #8.
Before we sing it, I had one more.
Comment Notice verse 3.
When the Savior at his coming shall his own and glory bring, will you be among the number? Will you too? His praise is sing.
Before our youngest was born. Before my parents youngest grandchild was born.
My father said to me, Willie.
I'm already praying.
That this little one.
What we found among the numbers.
That will sing the Savior's praise.
Two weeks. Two days ago.
After seeing my father lying in death.
I left my mother's house. We drove home with happy hearts, but sad hearts.
Reflecting.
The little one and my father had prayed for before he was born.
Unsolicited and announced, began to sing this very hymn. Will you be among the number? Will you to his praises sing? Oh, what a word to grandparents. Pray, pray on, I thought. Well, there's the first answer to Dad's prayer since he's been gone #8 Might we stand and sing it?
Gospel
Gospel—R. Boulard
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Night by singing #10.
There is a Savior on high in the glory, a Savior who suffered on Calvary's tree, a Savior as willing to save now as ever. His arm is almighty, His love great and free. Perhaps someone could start that for us #10.
Know that brother called me last night and asked me to speak at this meeting.
And as he spoke on the phone very briefly, a couple of thoughts flashed into my mind. A couple of pictures that are given to us in scripture.
One of them is an awful picture. Let's read it in Isaiah chapter one.
Of a man, that picture really was a picture of Israel before God.
But it's picture of the fallen nature of man, man in the flesh, and it says in Isaiah chapter one and verse 6.
Well, let's read verse five, Isaiah chapter one and verse five. Why should you be stricken anymore?
Ye will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint, and from the sole of the foot, even under the head, there is no soundness in it but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores. They have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. And then just turn over to John's gospel.
Chapter 3.
And we'll read seven things, six of them in John's Gospel and one of them in Romans chapter 8IN connection with this man, the first Adam that fell into sin.
Chapter 3 of John's Gospel it says in verse three, except a man be born again, he cannot see.
The Kingdom of God And then in verse five, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. And then in verse 27 John answered and said, a man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven. And then in verse 32 And what has he? He have seen and heard that he testifies, and no man.
Receiveth his testimony and then a little bit further on.
In John's Gospel in chapter 6 and verse 43, Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. No man can come to me except the Father which has sent me. Draw him, and I will raise him up at the last day.
Then a little further on in chapter 8 and verse 14. For I know whence I came, and whither I go, but ye cannot tell whence I come and whither I go. And then in verse 43.
Why do you not understand my speech even because you cannot hear my word? And then in Romans chapter 8.
In verse 8.
So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Oh, what a miserable picture is painted by the Spirit of God, of man in the flesh, dead in his sins, cannot see, cannot hear, cannot enter, can receive nothing of the things of God, has no perception. God, Word. And dear friend, tonight if you sit in your seat tonight without Christ, it's going to be a divine act of a holy God.
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To open your ears to hear the word of God. What saith the Lord tonight? It's going to be the act of a holy God acting upon your conscience to bring you into the presence, into His holy presence, to see what you are in His sight tonight. All I want to ask you tonight, have you ever stood in the presence of God? Have you ever felt in your conscience what it is to be a part of that fallen race of the first Adam without God, without hope in this world?
Have you ever felt your need of the Lord Jesus as a savior? Oh, what a miserable picture this is of the first Adam, but I want you to turn to the Song of Solomon just one page over.
From the first chapter of Isaiah, we're going to read in chapter five of the Song of Solomon and God's man is there's a picture painted there of God's man, and what a picture it is.
It says there in verse 9.
What is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us? My beloved is white and Ruddy, the chiefest among 10,000. His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy and black as a Raven. His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters washed with milk and fitly sat his cheeks her as a bed of spices as sweet as flour.
Flowers. His lips like lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrh. His hands are as gold rings set with a barrel. His belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires. His legs are as pillars of marble set upon sockets of fine gold. His countenance is as Lebanon excellent as the Cedars. His mouth is most sweet. Yay, he is altogether lovely.
Oh dear friends, tonight.
God wants you to be a new creation in Christ. It was mentioned this morning or this afternoon that God has his man in the glory we're going to be. If those of us that know the Lord Jesus is Savior, we're in Christ. We're going to be with Christ and we're going to be just like Christ and he's altogether lovely, but this world took that man of the highest esteem that God has.
And they crucified him.
They said away with this man. We will not have this man to reign over us.
Well, I want to look tonight at a few portions of Scripture in connection with those seven dispensations which God tested man, and we'll just turn to Genesis chapter one. Perhaps for sake of brevity, for Brevity's time, we'll turn to chapter 2 of Genesis.
You know man was mentioned this afternoon that he was placed in the Garden of Eden, the garden of the Lord in perfect circumstances. You could put it that way in chapter 2 and verse 8. The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom he had formed and out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life also in the midst of the garden and in the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
And then if we're just looking, verse 17, But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, for in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die.
Man was created in innocence. He did not know what evil was, he did not know what good was, had no knowledge of good and evil. But man fell into sin. He was tested, He was capable of sin. Every one of us here is capable of sin because we have a fallen nature that loves to sin. And man created in this idyllic situation and placed in this garden of the Lord with every provision.
Fell into sin. He was given one commandment, and he couldn't keep one commandment. He had was created responsible before God, responsible to be obedient. And God now commandeth all men everywhere to repent, because he hath appointed a day in which he will judge this world by that man whom he has appointed. And so, dear ones, what a lovely picture we have of Christ.
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As soon as there's a fall in innocence, sin comes in. It says in verse chapter 3 and verse 6.
Just part way down, it says, She took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also under her husband with her, and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made them aprons. And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden of the in the cool of the day. And Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
Oh blessed dear friend, we have a blessed Savior to present to you tonight, a seeking God who delights to bless. His delight tonight will be to bring in the blessing Adam and his wife as soon as they sinned.
They had a bad conscience towards God. They had a bad conscience and there was nothing that was going to remove that bad conscience but the work of the Lord Himself. And so we find that there's a sacrifice as it were in verse 21. It says unto Adam also unto his wife did the Lord God made coats of skins and clothed them. And he says in verse 15, I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed. It shall bruise thy head.
And thou shalt bruise his heel. And so we have a holy Savior who could not sin, it says.
The Apostle Paul says he knew no sin.
Apostle Peter says he did no sin. The Apostle John says in him is no sin.
But you and I have a sinful nature that loves to sin. And Adam fell into sin, and now God in grace, the first thing that he presents, as it were, is Christ. The remedy for sin, the remedy that you might have a conscience set free, a heart and conscience set free. And so here the Lord Jesus is presented as that one that shall bruise his heel.
And the Lord, the God of heaven, desired that Adam would be clothed, not unclothed and naked in his sight. And so, dear friends, here, this man now had a conscience, and he was clothed in the presence of God. It was provided for with clothing. But what did man do in his conscience? It says in chapter 4 and verse 16 that Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden.
And then it says in verse 19 that Lamech took unto him two wives. And then it says in verse 21, the harp, he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ. And Zillah. She also bare tubal cane, and instructor, and every artificer of brass and iron. What we find that men desired to entertain themselves with music, men desired to satisfy the lust of the flesh. This man took two wives.
And then he desired there was the manufacturing of those things that would allow them to go on in a state of comfort, as it were, while they were alienated from God. Man's conscience was a poor guy. Man wanted to have his conscience.
Sat at ease, but not at rest with God. And so Cain went out from the presence of the Lord. Oh, I trust that there's no one here that has a bad conscience before God because of sin, because of disobedience and rebellion against him that will go out tonight from the gospel meeting and not have a clear conscience. God has made every provision that every one of us might have a clear conscience before him.
Everyone of us might know what it is to enjoy the love of our Savior and to enjoy His communion with Him. For thy pleasure, we are and were created well. We find that man tested under conscience continues.
In disobedience to God and God had his man chapter 5 and verse 22, Enoch walked with God and begat Methuselah 300 years.
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Begat Methuselah 300 years and begat sons and daughters.
Enoch walked with God. What did he do? He preached righteousness we find in Jude.
That he preached righteousness in verse 14. Enoch also, the 7th from Adam, prophesied of these sayings. Behold, the Lord cometh with 10,000 of his Saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them, of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. And so God had his man. He was preaching Christ.
There during that age and 16156 years later, the flood came. We know that God looked down upon the earth and man, guided by his conscience, fell into immorality and wickedness, violence and corruption, and conscience was not a guide to bring him any nearer to God. And you dear friends, myself.
Included we need the Word of God.
To bring us into the right thoughts concerning our God, concerning our sins, concerning eternal destiny of our souls. And so here isn't it lovely that the Spirit of God brings before us this grace in connection with Noah? It says in verse chapter 6 of Genesis and verse 8. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. And so while judgment must fall.
God is a God of love and grace and kindness, and so he's presented Christ in the in the ark. He presented a picture of Christ safety and that there might be blessing to lost mankind. And yet Noah preached for 100 years and the floods came and that era under which man was tested in conscience came to an end. And then it says in chapter.
Nine and verse 6.
It says.
Let's read from verse four, Chapter 9 and verse 4.
But flesh with the light thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall you not eat? And surely your blood of your lives will I require. At the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man, at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed. For in the image of God made he man. And you be fruitful and multiply, Bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.
Well, dear friends.
The picture of the first Adam that we read in Isaiah chapter one, and then those verses in John's gospel and then in Romans chapter 8. They that are in the flesh cannot please God. Man was tested now under human government. Would he follow the Lord? Would he come to God? Would he walk in the righteous path if he had righteous government, if he had government of man? While we find in Chapter 11 That the Lord came down in verse 5.
To see the tower, the city, and the tower which the children of men builded. And so the Lord could see that government, human government, wasn't going to bring man any closer to God. Dear friends, I want to tell you tonight that there was only one man that ever submitted to the government of God in the way that he should have. There was only one man in all of God's creation that submitted perfectly to the government of God.
And it was our blessed Savior. If you turn to Isaiah chapter 50, you'll find there.
That when the Lord Jesus was before.
Those that desired his destruction.
It says in verse six, Isaiah chapter 550 and verse five. I'll read verse five. The Lord hath God hath opened mine here. And I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. I gave my back to the smiters and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair. I hid not my face from shame and spitting.
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Here was one man, the man Christ Jesus.
Who perfectly submitted to the government of God, and there when he was going to the cross, it says that he gave his back to the smiters. He gave his back to the smiters. There was no struggle as he went to the cross. He was led from one place to another.
Throughout the city of Jerusalem, seven times you can read it. And then that last time he was led outside the city walls and he was crucified there. Man would not have God's holy man, the one who is altogether lovely. But dear friends, there's only one man that will bring blessing to your soul tonight. It's Christ Jesus, the Son of God who loved you and gave himself for you, the one who would go to the cross. And as we read.
This afternoon in Philippians.
In verse eight, chapter 2 and verse 8, being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name, which is above every name. And so the Lord Jesus perfectly submitted to the will and the will of God, and he went to the cross. And then those 3 long dark hours bore the judgment for my sins, and for yours, if you'll receive Him in love for your soul.
That you might walk out of this room with a clear conscience. That you might walk out of this room with a sense of his love and His grace and of his favor.
Well, we find.
That there was this test.
And man failed miserably under the test of conscience. He failed in his innocent state human government. And now God in his sovereignty desires to pick up one man and bless his family and to give him a promise. And if you turn to Genesis chapter five, he desired to bless man under the principle of promise.
And it says, let's read from verse chapter 15 and verse one.
After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram, I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go charlieless? And the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus. And Abram said, Behold to me thou hast given no seed. And lo, one born in my own house, in my house is mine ear. And behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir.
But he that shall come forth out of thine own bowel shall be thine ear. And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them. And he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the Lord, and he counted it to him for righteousness. And he said unto him, I am the Lord that brought thee out of ur of the Chaldeans, to give thee this land to inherit.
And he said, Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? And then we find that we can read of the sacrifice there. Well, God delighted to bless man under the principle of promise. Would man follow God? Would there be blessing in the earth as a result of the promise to one man in his family? Would men delight to please the Lord while we find that under this era of promise?
The sons of Jacob sold their brother.
Oh dear friends, tonight our hearts are deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Who can know them? Who can know it? Oh, who can know the heart? God favored this family of Abraham, the children of Israel, and they would sell their brother.
They would fall into idolatry and greatest kind of moral wickedness. They wouldn't follow the Lord. But you know, dear friends, God has a man that delights to give the promises of God and to bless man. And he says, I'm going to read it in second Peter.
Chapter one And it says in verse three, according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue, whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. Oh, have you?
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Escaped the corruption that is in the world.
Through lust have you received the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. You know the Lord Jesus could say I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh under the Father, but by me. Oh, what a promise of blessing. What a promise for you and for me to receive a blessing from the God of heaven eternally. And so we find that man under promise.
It says. I'll just turn to Exodus chapter 19.
He wasn't satisfied with the promises of God, wouldn't go on in faith. That man Abraham went on in faith. He's called the friend of God, but his offspring, they wanted a law. Exodus chapter 19.
And verse 8 and all the people answered together and said all that the Lord has spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people under the Lord. And then if you turn over.
A couple of pages to chapter 24, verse 3.
All the words which the Lord hath said we will do.
And then in verse 7, Exodus 27 and verse 4, all that the Lord has said we will do and be obedient. Oh, dear friends.
With man given a law, a perfect religion, a religion given from the heart of God himself in perfection, would he follow the Lord? Would he walk in righteousness before God with a perfect law? Oh, we know the story that as soon as Moses came down from the mount, they had fallen into idolatry, the greatest wickedness.
No, they thought they could keep the law. They thought they could walk in righteousness before God if they had a perfect set of rules.
But, dear friends, tonight there was a man that went to the cross to bear the judgment.
For a curse, the curse of the broken law, he went to the cross. Let's read that in Galatians chapter 3.
It says in verse 13 that Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. For it is written curse. It is everyone that hangeth on the tree, that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, and that he might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. And so the Lord Jesus went to the cross, and it says that he hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.
And so God has shown us that the first Adam.
In his fallen nature, even given a perfect law could not keep it, and it took the death of the Lord Jesus on the cross to bear the judgment for a broken law, for the curse of the law, to set you free from the penalty of sin against the holy God. Oh dear friends, tonight what a man God has presented before us the man Christ Jesus, who is altogether lovely, who always did the Father's will in every way.
He did his father's will. Well, we find that.
Let's read in Matthew's Gospel, and we'll read about the end of that dispensation of law.
Chapter 27 of Matthew.
We won't read the whole thing, so let's read verse 29, Matthew 27, and verse 29. And when they had flattered a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a Reed in his right hand, and they bowed the knee before him and mocked him, saying, Hail King of the Jews. And they spit upon him and took the Reed and smote him on the head. After that they had mocked him, They took the robe off from him and put his own raiment on.
By him.
And as they came out, they found a man of Cyreni, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear his cross. And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, they gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall. And when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. And they crucified him and parted his garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the Prophet. They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
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And then let's just read from verse 45.
Now from the 6th hour there was darkness over all the land unto the 9th hour and about the 9th hour Jesus cried with a loud voice saying Eli Eli.
Lamb of Sabax and I, that is to say, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
And then verse 50, Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom, and the earth did quake in the rocks. Rent.
Who, dear friends tonight, Those that had a perfect law, perfect religion, a religion given by God himself.
All the pictures of type of types of Christ in the Tabernacle, all of the wonderful pictures given to Israel under the law, Leviticus chapter one, all those sweet smelling savers and the sacrifices, all the perfection and holiness of God in a picture of Christ in all of those sacrifices and all that religion.
Didn't bring men any closer to God. They took God's man, the man who he said he's altogether lovely and under the.
With wicked hearts and wicked hands took that blessed man and crucified him outside the city of Jerusalem. The possession of peace. That's what that city means, that name, the possession of peace. God wanted His people to possess peace. The very place where He had chosen to place His name there.
Where there might be offerings given in the presence of the Lord that would speak of Christ himself.
All those that were under the test of the laws, that were the natural man, they took the Lord Jesus, and in disobedience and rebellion, God's holy man, they crucified him. Oh, is there someone here desiring to keep the law, keep a set of rules, walk in religious way?
Perhaps you've been brought up amongst those that are gathered to the Lord's name in the assembly, and perhaps you go on in the religion of the brethren. Perhaps you come to the meetings and you sit there and go on in a religious way, an outward form, but it hasn't affected your heart and your conscience. Oh, tonight you need the Lord Jesus as your Savior. You need to confess before Him that you're a lost, guilty Sinner and that going on in a religious form.
Is not going to bring you the blessing that you need. And so the Lord Jesus came, and He died there upon that cross. He bore the judgment for our sins in his own body on the tree, and for yours, if you'd receive him as Savior. Well, that era of the dispensation of law came to an end.
But you know, the natural religious man still wants to grasp the law, still wants to mix it with grace. You know, it says in John's Gospel chapter one that the that the law came by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Oh, God had something that he wanted for man that far exceed anything that man could dream of. And so it says here in Matthew chapter 27 and verse.
451 Behold, the veil of the temple was rent.
From the top to the bottom. And the earth did quake and the rocks rent. And so that veil of the temple was rent. There was entrance into the presence of a holy God because of the finished work of the Lord Jesus, because the blood was shed. It's the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son that cleanseth us from all sin. And dear friends, what a wonderful thing the rocks were rent.
There was never going to be a going back. There weren't going to be able to glue those rocks back together and to make it just like it was before. After the Lord Jesus died upon the cross of Calvary, the test of religious man was over, was finished, and God was never ever going to put man under law again. Oh, it's the grace of God, for ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor.
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That ye through his poverty might be rich. Oh, how he delighted to bless and to bring us into this era of the dispensation of the grace and kindness of God. And now, dear friends, are the doors, people lined up at the doors, waiting to hear the gospel of the grace and kindness of God.
Our people lined up at the Gospel meeting in your home assembly to hear the gospel.
Are they lined up as you give out tracks waiting to get the track from you?
Dear friends, tonight if you sit in your seat tonight.
Is it the grace of God that you've spurned to sit in your seat day after day, meeting after meeting, and never received the Lord Jesus as Savior? Oh, he loves you. Oh, He would love to have you come to your come to yourself, as it were tonight, and to desire to have a clear conscience before Him and not go on in a religious way, not to go on with a bad conscience, to have your sins forgiven.
For He would delight to forgive you and to make you a son, to make you an heir of God, the joint heir with Christ. Oh, He delights to bless. His desire is to bring you into happiness and blessing tonight. Well, you know, the day of the grace and kindness of God is about to end. You know what? Just as well as I do.
And it says, and we'll read in First Thessalonians chapter 4, we're going to read about the end of that day of Grace.
It's going to end.
First Thessalonians, chapter 4.
Verse 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain under the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, and with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God, And the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be.
With the Lord, Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Dear friends, tonight.
Be therefore patient, establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
Now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed.
It's the year 2007, just about.
And the coming of the Lord is going to occur. It's going to happen. Dear friends. God has decreed that His Son will come and receive His Bride. We know not exactly the hour exactly when, but God has decreed that the era of the grace and kindness of God is going to end.
Those that are saved by the grace and kindness of God from the miserable existence of the lost, fallen Adam in sin and his misery and tragedy and sorrow, they're going to be saved.
Saved by the grace of God, brought out of this scene into the glorious presence of their Savior to be just like Him.
To see him, that man who God says is all together lovely.
And those that have not received the Lord Jesus as Savior.
Are going to be left for judgment. You can count on it. It's God's word.
The day of grace is about to end. Are you saved? Have you ever accepted the Lord Jesus as your Savior? Have you ever come into His presence and had your conscience cleared, as it were, as the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleansed you from all sin? Oh, what a solemn, solemn responsibility you have before God as you sit in your seat here this evening. If you do not know the Lord Jesus as Savior, He's about to come.
Well, there's going to be a time of great tribulation, a great judgment will fall upon this world, and men are going to experience what it is.
To have the wrath of the Lamb.
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This world is going to know how God, how angry God was as it were, to see wicked men take His Son, and to take His holy sinless hands, and to nail them to a cross.
And to take those feet that ever walked in obedience to his Father's will, and to take those feet, and to drive nails into his feet.
They're going to know how God felt when they took the crown of thorns and beat it upon his head.
They're going to know.
Dear friends, have you bowed the knee to the Lord Jesus? We know that they bowed the knee in mockery.
You know, I was visiting in business to place a little plant in Ohio.
And I went to the front desk.
And there was a sign there, the young lady that was doing the work of the receptionist and she had a little sign there, it said.
If you meet me and forget me, you've lost nothing, but if you meet Jesus Christ and forget Him, you've lost everything.
I asked her, Is that your sign?
Oh, she said yes, and this is what she said to me. She said I'm pleased to be numbered among those that have bowed the knee to our Lord Jesus Christ in this life.
16 year old girl, maybe 17. She said. I'm pleased to be numbered among those that have bowed the knee to our Lord Jesus Christ in this life. Dear friends, we read in Philippians chapter 2 That every knee shall bow, every tongue confess just Jesus Christ as Lord. Oh, won't you tonight receive him as your Savior and bow the knee in this life and receive him as your Savior. Well, we know that there's another dispensation after the dispensation of the day of the grace.
And kindness of our God, there's going to be the dispensation of the righteous government of the Lord Jesus. He's going to reign over all, it says in Isaiah. We'll just turn to, I think it's chapter 31.
No, it's chapter 32.
And verse one, Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and Princess shall rule in judgment, and a man shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a cover from The Tempest.
And then we find in verse chapter 35 and verse one that the wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them in the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the Rose. You know, there's going to be a time of 1000 years that this man of God, the man who is altogether lovely.
The man that was despised and rejected by this world is going to reign in righteousness. This world is going to know what righteous government is. This world is going to see that man Christ Jesus, and they're going to bow. They're going to bless that man.
For 1000 years he will reign in righteousness. In the capital city of this world is going to be Jerusalem, that very place where he was crucified. Oh dear friends, he's going to rain.
But after those thousand years are over, after 1000 years of the righteous reign of a holy God, the Son of God, is this world going to follow the Lord Jesus? But we know that Satan is going to be loosed.
That's in the Book of Revelation.
Chapter 20.
In verse 7.
And when the 1000 years were expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth.
Gog and Magog to gather them together to battle, the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breath of the earth, and compassed the camp of the Saints about, and the beloved city and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
Oh dear friends, tonight that man Christ Jesus, who loved you and gave himself for you, would delight to bring you into blessing tonight and to bring you.
The thoughts of His love and favor eternally.
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Always desires for your eternal blessing.
We know that man tested under righteous government will rebel yet against God. Oh, what a solemn thing it is to realize that you have, if you sit there in your seat without Christ, a fallen sinful nature that is in rebellion against God. And it's going to be, as I said earlier, a divine act of a holy God to intervene in your life. Will you cry for mercy?
God be merciful to me, the Sinner. Have you ever cried that prayer?
You pardon the personal story.
But and a friend of mine was a mechanic.
Not too far from the place that I used to work in, Massillon, OH.
Any random mechanic shop and looked after the vehicles that we had.
And he began to speak to him of Christ, began to speak to him of his soul.
And he told me about his good works and how he was going on in a religious way.
And then in January this year, he found out that he had pancreatic cancer.
And we spoke of Christ.
But then you know there were tears in his eyes.
As we quoted the verses of Scripture. For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves.
Not of works, lest any man should boast. Oh, it is a gift of God.
And the tears rolled down his eyes.
And he prayed. He says he prayed.
He received the Lord Jesus as a Savior.
I gave him a gospel tract, The Matchless Pearl.
And he read that track and he was as he was dying, those that would come into his room, he showed them that gospel tract.
He showed them he had it on his night stand when he went home to be with the Lord.
I spoke with him several times and he had.
Perhaps a little doubt as to what Eternal security? His eternal security. I wrote him a letter and sent him a letter with a track in it. Can we be sure that one? Queen Victoria?
And I spoke to him a couple of weeks, maybe a week before he went home to be with the Lord. He was at his mechanic shop.
And we spoke of the coming of the Lord. We spoke of what it was to be assured of salvation and to be able to go into the Father's house.
In my father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, that I might receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.
Dear friends, I called a couple of days before he went home to be with the Lord, and I talked to his wife, who isn't the Lord, and I said, is Tom afraid to die?
And she said, no, he's not afraid to die. I want to tell you what he said to me. He said, no, Debbie, I'm not afraid to die. I've taken Christ as my Savior. I'm going home to be with the Lord.
And I hope he comes soon because I can hardly stand the suffering.
Dear friends, have you taken Christ as your savior? Have you set aside the good works, the religious duties? Have you set aside religion and all the other things that might interfere in your relationship with God himself? Have you set it all aside? That's what Tom did. He set it all aside. He said I've taken Christ instead. I've taken Christ as Savior.
Want to encourage you, dear young ones, tonight. Would you speak to people? Would you speak and hand gospel tracts to them? I spoke to this man. He died. He went home with the Lord. He was 51 years old.
In two months. He was born on June the 10th, 1951. And I asked him one day, Tom, did anyone ever give you a gospel track before I did? He said no, no one in 51 years had given that man a gospel tract.
He said. The only other one I got was the one that you sent in the letter that you mailed me.
Here's a man. He had two gospel tracts in his life.
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Lived in a Christian country, so to speak. Would you speak to your friends of Christ?
Oh, they need Christ. Everyone of us needs Christ. We need that blessed man, Christ Jesus who loved us and gave himself for us. Won't you speak to your friends? And tonight, if you sit in your seat tonight without Christ, with a bad conscience going on in your sins, won't you just bow your heads when you, when we close this meeting, bow your head and confess that you're a Sinner of one of the lost race?
Of Adam and delight just to receive the Lord Jesus as your Savior.
Well, let's just commend ourselves.
Our loving God and our Father, we thank thee for the Lord Jesus our Savior. Those of us that know the Lord Jesus as Savior, we thank thee that thou hast fully met our need at the cross of Calvary, that their Lord Jesus, thou could say it is finished. We thank thee for thy love. We thank thee for thy grace. We thank Thee that the ways made perfect, complete and finished.
To be in Thy holy presence. Lord Jesus, we thank Thee, and we just ask Thee for Thy blessing upon Thy precious word tonight. That these verses of scripture read might just touch the conscience.
And reach the heart of those that know thee not as Savior, and those of us that do know Thee, blessed Savior, that we might just desire to thank Thee for that grace, for that kindness that would bring us into such blessing. And so we ask it, we give thanks and thy precious and worthy name, Lord Jesus, Amen.
Gospel
Gospel—J. Kemp
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Shall we open our gospel meeting tonight by singing number?
23 #23 Behold, behold the Lamb of God on the cross. On the cross shall we stand and sing #23.
Sing the next hymn.
Which will be #26.
This story may have been heard by others, I don't know, but for the sake of those who do not know the background of this hymn, you might be interested. This hymn was written by a sister, her name was Amelia Hall.
She lived in England.
In the 1800s, possibly the early part of that century.
From a very wealthy family.
Amelia was a young lady of fashion.
She had everything that her heart could wish. Her father was a captain in the English army, well respected Captain Hall.
Well, Amelia attended a gospel meeting like you have tonight.
And she was much moved by the message which she heard.
But she didn't make a decision that night. She went home. She told her father where she had been.
Her father flew into a rage and said, now listen, young lady, we're not having anything of that sort in this house. You know, we don't go along with this religious stuff.
And I don't want you to go back to that meeting.
But her need pressed upon her, and she was constrained.
To go back and hear the gospel in a simple little.
Gospel Hall, where the message of salvation was presented. And that night she got saved. She saw her need as a Sinner.
And though she had everything.
Temporarily that she needed.
She felt she was a lost Sinner and did not know Christ. That night she closed in with God's offer of mercy while she went home.
And of course, her father hearing where she had been and what she had done.
Was uncontrollable, he said. Young lady, do you know what you have done?
Listen.
There's a horse whip right here on the table in my study, and I'm going to use it on you tomorrow if you continue with this nonsense. Now you go up to your room, think seriously of what you have done, and come back and tell me tomorrow morning your decision. Well, there was no question in Amelia's heart and soul. Her. She was filled with joy and the knowledge of salvation. She felt so badly for her father.
She retired to her room, yes, didn't get much sleep that night. But during the night she wrote this hymn. There is life in a look at the crucified one. There's life at this moment for thee. She came down the next morning.
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To meet her father at the foot of the stairs. There was the horse whip and he was going to use it too.
And she handed her father this poem that she had composed during the night.
He read it. He sank down in his chair, convicted of his sin.
And Captain Hall bowed the knee to Christ through his daughter's testimony.
And he lived for many years as gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
One of the respected brethren.
Well, there is life and a look at the Crucified 1 not only for Amelia Hall who came from that rich family.
But for you, my friend, here tonight, we may still be without Christ and without God.
Without hope we want to channel to you, though it may be in a feeble way, the message of pardon through the finished work of Christ. So shall we sing #26 Remain seated, please.
Verse 30.
In the times of this ignorance.
God winked at.
But now commandeth all men everywhere.
Repent.
Because the other pointer today into which he will judge the world.
In righteousness by that man.
Whom he hath ordained.
Where obvious given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
The Apostle Paul.
Was probably.
The greatest gospel preacher, that.
God ever used?
To proclaim the message.
He ranged throughout the known world, of course, outside of the Lord Jesus himself, we mean, but he ranged all over the world. He suffered every peril and danger and privation to get the message of the gospel out to the loss.
Just read about the account in 2nd Corinthians 12 and you will see the kind of life that he led to reach lost souls.
And.
He said if in this life only we have hope, in Christ we are of all men most miserable. He faced death every day, I die daily, he said.
Because his love for souls.
Was so great that impelled him.
To Labor.
Without tiring to get the message of pardon out.
The issues with the Apostle Paul were real life and death, heaven and hell.
He preached repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
And that's a very necessary part of the gospel, dear friends, repentance toward God.
I wonder if we understand the meaning of the word repentance. There's various.
Definitions given.
Someone has said repentance is the teardrop in the eye of faith.
It's a nice thought. Another has said repentance is taking sides with God against yourself. That is true.
What the best definition that I know of is this. Repentance is a change of mind.
It's a change of mind about your real condition in the presence of God.
There's a lot of people.
That think they are all right, they have a.
A high opinion of themselves.
To tell them they're a Sinner is an offense. To tell them they're lost.
Umm knocks them right over.
Because man often does not recognize.
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His true condition in the presence of a holy.
The seriousness of sin.
People today, they make jokes about sin.
And they speak lightly about it. God never speaks lightly about sin.
It says in the book of Habakkuk that he is of pure rise.
To behold evil and cannot look on iniquity, we have to deal with a holy and a sin hating God.
And furthermore, every sin is going to receive its punishment. Every transgression and disobedience will receive its just recompense of reward. Every sin is going to be dealt with by God.
Either you must bear the punishment.
Lost eternity or someone takes your place.
But God is going to punish sin. We tried to bring this before the young people in Canada who are going on carelessly.
Indifferently to their needs.
That God, God standard of holiness in 2007 six has not changed from AD 76. No, the moral ways of God do not change with dispensation.
So, dear friends, Paul preached repentance.
The acknowledgement of your true condition in the sight of God and if there is one here was never felt their need of a Savior we pray.
Earnestly pray that tonight the Word of God, which is living and powerful.
Sharper than any two edged sword will penetrate your heart and your conscience and awaken you before it is forever too late. Surely we are on the threshold of the Lorde return, many of us wonder.
Why we are still here? We're on the verge of 2007, as we know.
No promise that we're going to reach 2007, but the normal course of events we may God's long-suffering mercy has waited this long, and he's waiting still, and he's knocking at heart's doors, and he's speaking to this world through the.
Catastrophes that have taken place in the last couple of years, two years ago almost to the date we all know.
The tsunami hit.
Ah, we know the history of that. It was a terrible tragedy.
They say that 10,000 people on the coast of India lost their lives. I'm not sure if that figure is right, but thousands along the.
East Coast of India were ushered into eternity in a few hours.
There was a warning given to the Indian government 3 hours before the tsunami hit.
Along that coast. But they said we don't know how to get the message out. We don't have the the the know all the the technology to get the word of warning out. Goodbye.
In about an hour, the tsunami hit at Nagapattinam, India, the very place where our brethren go with the gospel every year and proclaim it in the streets of Nagapattinam. That's where the tsunami hit.
And thousands, as you know, were ushered into eternity.
Yes, they have warning systems put in place now. Too late.
They knew that the tsunami could hit because it's hit India before anyway.
The warning system was not in place.
And as a result, there was a great loss of life. Well, dear friends, tonight.
We don't want to make things sensational. Sensational, but to press upon you.
The realities of life and death, of eternity that lies before you, my friend, God gives you no promise of tomorrow. Those poor people, if they had had a warning three or four hours before.
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They might have escaped. Many of them were washed away into eternity.
But God in mercy is giving a warning tonight.
Before he brings the judgment, he gives a warning.
Because he's a God of infinite love. He's a God of compassion.
Not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. He gave the dearest object of heaven, His beloved Son. What more could he do? He couldn't give anything more. He wouldn't give anything less.
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, the apostle Paul adds. Of whom I am the chief.
And dear friends, whatever your background may be, I don't know it. I don't need to know it. God knows all about it. Reverently speaking, boys and girls, young people, if the Lord Jesus walked into this room, I wouldn't have to introduce him to anyone. He knows all about you. When that tsunami struck, they said we don't have the addresses. We don't know how to contact these people.
God knows your address, He knows your name, your family, and He knows everything that you have done in your life. Your book, your life is an open book before the Lord.
Would you like to have it portrayed before you?
I don't think you would. I doubt if anyone here would want to have their lives.
Revealed before.
Company that are gathered here tonight.
But God is someday going to open up the books.
And every thought and word and deed in your life.
Will be revealed if you're unsafe.
You're unsaved. There's the Great White Throne and those books. What books are they? Not the Book of Life, but those records of your life.
Everything you have done.
Is there recorded and it will be exposed to you?
At that solemn aside, dear friends, you don't need to be there tonight. You can be saved. You can start the new year knowing that your sins are forgiven, knowing that you belong to heaven. Knowing that.
Peace with God about eternity. You can lay your head upon your pillow with the assurance, but if you passed into eternity before tomorrow morning, you would know where you would be.
How solemn it is.
To be without Christ.
Approaching the end of another year, but you may have a good opinion of yourself and say I'm respectable in my community and I attend a church and.
Which we often hear. I have never done anyone any harm.
And I'm as good as my neighbor. You know, maybe you're better, but that's not the standard by which we go.
Those comparing themselves by themselves are not wise. It's the Word of God that we go by and God has declared in no uncertain terms. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
All we, like sheep, have gone astray and turned everyone to his own way. God does not mince matters. You remember when John the Baptist proclaims repentance among the Israelites?
He spoke directly to their conscience, and many of them were convicted and went through the waters of baptism. It doesn't mean that they were saved through the waters of baptism that John administered. No, but they were.
Exercised. They were awakened, they saw they were sinners, and they submit it to John's command.
Dear friend.
Are you troubled about your sins if they don't trouble you down here?
As has often been said, they will trouble you for all eternity, but God is inviting you.
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Tonight, perhaps the last opportunity.
To hear this gospel message and to be saved, God is knocking.
At your heart's door. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him, and he with me.
The Queen of the North was a beautiful fairy on the West Coast. I guess we all have heard about it, certainly have in Canada anyway. And it was taking a journey from the northern, I guess, from Alaska down to I suppose it was Vancouver on the inland passage. This was within a year. And then it it hit a rock. It was just a bump. It was 101 passengers on that ferry. The captain realized that it was very serious.
And immediately he put the alarm off, and the alarm rang continuously.
And everyone except two people got off that ferry into lifeboats.
They came from all around in the dark night to rescue people.
But in order to be sure that no one was left on that ferry, the captain commanded one of his crew members to go to every cabin and pound at the door to be sure that there wasn't anyone there. And he did that still when they took the final count.
Two people were missing.
That fairy sank in about 1000 feet of water. It'll never reveal any secrets. Now, what happened, we don't know.
Those people had a warning. Were they asleep or what? We don't know.
But they never escaped.
Perhaps they will never be found.
But that captain faithfully gave a warning, and tonight God is giving you a warning because he loves you. He doesn't want you to perish.
All heaven will rejoice if you bow the knee to the Lord Jesus tonight.
And acknowledge your sin, your sinfulness, and.
Like Amelia, Hall looked to the Lamb of God.
The angels look on a scene like this.
Someone has said they weep when they see sinners refusing God's offer of salvation.
But heaven will rejoice if you come to Christ.
In your need. First time that the angels saw their creator.
Was when He was born unto you, as born this day in the city of David, a Savior which is Christ the Lord. We often hear that verse at this time of year, don't we?
All heaven went into an ecstasy. Why? Because Christ was born God.
Became man in the person of his son. Marvelous.
A plan of redemption conceived in the heart of God in a past eternity.
Redemption was number afterthought with God.
Christ was foreordained before the foundation of the world.
To be the savior.
And that question that was asked by Isaac of his father. Father, where is the lamb for a burnt offering? You know, it was 2000 years before there was really an answer to that question.
But when John the Baptist stalked through the land and he met the Lord.
The Spirit of God revealed to him.
There is the Lamb of God.
And he said those memorable words, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. God had now found a sacrifice.
One that would meet all his holy claims. One that would go down into death.
And judgment.
For you.
Was he simply dying as a martyr for his opinion? No, he was dying there as a sacrifice for sin for you.
There he bore the judgment.
To put away my guilty sins, You know, before you're saved, your whole life is sinful. Some people say, confess your sins and come to God. I can't do that.
00:25:06
I had too many of them. I've forgotten a host of them, I said to a young man in Ottawa last week when we were giving the gospel out. I said young men, my sins were like the hairs of my head. He had a beautiful head of hair.
Always says this girl here beside me, she's a Sinner. But what about you? I said your sins are like the hairs of your head. David said that. So your whole life before you're saved is really sinful. One massive sin there's they that are in the flesh cannot please God until you're born again and brought to Christ. There's no fruit in your life for God.
You might be intelligent, you might be well educated, and you might even be a moral person, respectable.
But still without God and at enmity to Him.
You remember that?
Adam.
In the Garden of Eden, he tried to cover up his life with the apron of fig leaves.
But when God called him out and he felt he was in God's presence, he said I'm Naked, but he had the apron of fig leaves on.
But that did not cover him in God's sight. That's a picture of self improvement. That's a picture of good works. And how many people are deceived by that.
As our brother brought before us this morning, all our righteousnesses are as filthy rights. No, my friend, God has a perfect covering for you. A perfect covering. And it's through the work of Christ his Son. When Calvary's cross, it's through that precious blood.
That was shed for you.
The precious blood of Christ that cleanses from all sin.
And God's invitation is still going out. Whosoever will let him come and take the water of life freely. There was a a man in the city of Ottawa.
Who was in the military?
My brother Gordon Hale visited him.
And he had in his pocket a testament.
Where did you get this testament, Sir?
Well, I was given. It was given to me when I entered the army.
I think this is this is probably the Second World War in.
And I put it into my my uniform, my cocky uniform, but I didn't read it.
And I was in active service. I was right on the front lines and the bullets were flying.
And a bullet penetrated through this New Testament. He had it to show to our brother Gordon, and it stopped at that verse. Whosoever will let him come and take the water of life freely. It stopped there.
And Gordon said to the gentleman, he said, what a miracle your life was saved.
By that it could. If it had gone another half inch, you would be an eternity. Yes, my life was saved through that New Testament. And yet he still had not partaken of the water of life.
Himself. Oh dear friends.
The gospel is presented from the heart of God. Tonight it's the.
Is the revelation of the heart of God.
And.
We have it foretold in the dawn of creation.
The woman's seed shall bruise the serpent's head.
That was Christ overcoming Satan at the cross. But.
Man was conquered there in the Garden of Eden.
Wretched, miserable, naked help out of the garden. Why was he put out of the garden?
He was put out of the garden because of his sin.
But also so that he wouldn't partake of the tree of life.
Which was in the midst of the garden.
He disobeyed when he partook of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. We know that.
00:30:00
He speaks of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil as being in the midst of the garden. It wasn't.
But in his view, that was what was important. And Satan by guile and deceit.
LED them led to his wife to to disobey. We know the story and they acquired a conscience that that's the knowledge of good and evil.
But without the power to do the good and without the power to resist the evil.
They got a conscience.
But they were wretched and they were expelled from the garden, God's mercy, because had they partaken of the tree of life, they would have lived forever in that condition. That was really the reason why God put them out. And he put the flaming sword, the chair you've been with the flaming sword, so they couldn't get back in.
When I went to college, we read about Paradise Lost. In Paradise Gained, we don't find anything in the scripture about Paradise Paradise Regained. What we do find about Paradise Lost?
But God has resources, and he had the remedy ready before the disease came and so.
We know that God provided.
Coats of skins for them.
And they left the garden closed. A picture of.
The robe of righteousness the Lord Jesus would provide.
For those who are washed in his precious blood.
Yes, God had the remedy ready and tonight if you realize your need. Supposing a man has a serious disease.
Like cancer?
But he thinks he's all right, and so he laughs about it.
But if he goes to the doctor and the doctor tells him about his condition.
If he believes what the doctor says, he doesn't laugh about it anymore.
He says Doctor, if this is true, I'm interested in a remedy.
And if you realize your condition before God as a Sinner, as a lost Sinner, you would want to know about a remedy. And that's what I'm trying to present to you tonight through the precious word of God, that there is a remedy, God's remedies for sin, God's remedy for your wretched condition, the invitation from the heart of God, come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden.
And I will give you rest.
God has a remedy for your condition. It's not hopeless.
But today is the day of salvation.
God doesn't promise. We've said it before, we say it again. He does not promise another opportunity.
There was a house in Ottawa.
I know right where it is.
And it was occupied by.
Cambodian people, a lot of Cambodians in Ottawa. It was a large family. I forget the seven or eight, several children. One night there was a fire in that house.
They couldn't get out. They were trapped.
About eleven, 12:00 at night.
They all were ushered into eternity.
Within an hour, not one was saved in that family. It shook the whole community. It shook the whole city of Ottawa.
About a week before, calendars were passed out at the school where several of those children attended.
School that I attended when I was a boy, so they may have received a calendar.
And the gospel went out in that community Saturday after Saturday, a few blocks from where they lived.
But God.
Took them suddenly and it was a voice not only to the.
Immigrant community, but to all of those.
In that whole area, well, dear friends.
We want you to be sure of salvation before you leave this room.
And I think of Cain and Abel. I just want to read a verse or two there as we draw to a close.
Genesis chapter 4.
00:35:00
We know the story, but I just want to make a reference here to.
Cain and Abel.
Chapter 4 of Genesis.
Three. And in process of time it came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground, and offering unto the Lord, and Abel he also brought of the first slings of his flock.
And of the fact thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel, and to his offering, but unto Cain, and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. Well, these two brothers, you remember, were born in the same family.
They were born into the world outside of the Garden of Eden, outside of paradise.
And they both heard how their parents were put out of the garden and what happened there. I'm sure they were about the same age. They had the same privileges.
They grew up in the same family and they had a good desire. They wanted to draw near to God. They wanted to draw near to God, approach God. They wanted to be worshippers of God.
Wasn't anything wrong in that. Maybe you say I want to draw near to God too. I want to know how I can be accepted by God. After all, that's the most important thing. I want to be sure that if I die, I know where I'm going for eternity. Eternity is a long time. After 1000 years have passed, eternity has just begun. And your eternity depends upon what you do with the message.
Of the gospel you are hearing tonight, what you do with the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Son of God who died for you.
That will be the touchstone in your life. You cannot be right in the rest unless you think rightly of him. So this is the test in our passage here with Cain and Abel.
We find that they brought an offering to the Lord. But you know Cain, although his offering looked very attractive. What was wrong with Cain's offering? He completely overlooked the facts of the fall.
He completely.
Overlooked the fact that he was outside of the presence of God.
He forgot that the sin had come in between him and God.
He didn't acknowledge that sin had come into the world and that man was a fallen creature.
That he was at a distance from God. He didn't acknowledge that at all.
And so he brought up the fruit of the ground.
His own diligence.
He wasn't a hypocrite. He wasn't a skeptic.
I don't believe that Cain was an infidel.
He was a person that.
Started what we would call natural religion.
War unto them, for they have gone in the way of Cain. Jude tells us how many people there are in the way of Cain still.
They profess to worship God as Cain did.
And.
They approached God without any acknowledgement that they are sinners, without any repentance. They present to God the works of their own hands.
And think that God will have mercy upon them. Well, God is merciful, very merciful. And God is love, infinite love, but he must have a sacrifice for sin. And if we overlook that, then we're all wrong. We're not approaching God the way that he that will suit his character. If we don't acknowledge that we are guilty before God. Now Abel learned that he must put something between his soul and God.
The world is putting all sorts of things between themselves and God. We have education, we have music, we have sports, et cetera, et cetera. In fact, the descendants of Cain, if we read further on Tubal Cain and.
00:40:04
And so on. They were the originators of the world. He built a city, and they went on to make themselves comfortable outside God's presence.
And some of them were the originators of music and commerce and science and all the rest of the the worldly attractions, pleasures.
The descendants of Cain. Cain himself.
Umm did not know the way to approach God. He should have and God was merciful and told him that if if he would go and get a sacrifice. Verse seven if thou doest well.
Shalt not thou be accepted? And if thou doest not, well, sin lieth at the door, or a sin offering. In other words, God said to Cain, You may go and get a sin offering. Cain, it's not too late unto thee shall be his desire. But Cain turned around and walked out, out from the presence of God. And the scriptures tell us that his works were evil. Just think God's declaration in first John is that.
He hated his brother because his own works were evil. That's how God styled his works.
Evil.
And as we said before, before you're saved, there's nothing in your life that can please God. Your life is sinful.
But anyway.
Why was Abel accepted? Turn over to Hebrews Chapter 11 for the verse.
We find that Abel was a man of faith.
But God.
Accepted, Abel.
Because of his offering, let's see we.
Look at verse 4. By faith, Hebrews 11. Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous. God testifying of his gifts, and by it he being dead, yet speaketh. Did you ever hear a dead man speak? Abel is speaking to you tonight.
He's a dead man, but he's speaking. Cain has nothing to say, but Abel is speaking to you, my, my friend, tonight, if you're still unsaved, if you're still without Christ in this meeting, Abel is speaking to you. I put between my guilty soul and God a sacrifice. Of course, it wasn't revealed what that sacrifice meant at that time, but now looking back, we know that it was a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ and his blood.
In his death he put between his soul and God and he was accepted in the person of his substitute, his sacrifice. How wonderful. That's the only way that I'm accepted. That's the only way that many of my brethren that are here tonight, beloved of the in the Lord, they are accepted because of the work of Christ. His finished work was mentioned today, a work that has glorified God, settled the question of sin forever. The Lord Jesus could have gone back to the glory from the Mount of Transfiguration.
He didn't need to go down to die reverently speaking.
Because there was number cause of death in him, but he went down into death for you to become that sacrifice.
Ordained of God to meet the claims of a holy God.
The only one who can save you. The story comes to mind of that French soldier who had such admiration for his general, Napoleon, who was a great commander, we know, and he was lying sick in his tent on his deathbed, wounded. He said, if only I could see Napoleon, it would be all right, if only I could have a word with him.
Send for him, please. Napoleon came at his request.
And he stood there and looked at his loyal soldier, and the soldier looked up into the eyes of Napoleon, whom he admired so much. And he said, Napoleon save me, Napoleon, save me.
And Napoleon had to turn away in sorrow and grief. He couldn't save it. But tonight there is one who can save to the uttermost, those that come unto God by him. And he's reaching out that hand, that hand that has never lost a man, that male pierced hand of Calvary to you tonight, my friend, if you're still without Christ, without God in this room, He's stretching out that hand, a hand that is mighty to say, won't you close in with his offer of mercy?
00:45:15
Before it is too late, there's boys and girls here. I know and thank you for your attention. I'm going to tell you a little story to close. I'm a little boy.
Who lived in Canada? His name was Roger Woodward and Roger was seven years of age. Some boys and girls, 7:00 or 8:00.
And he's the only boy that went over our Niagara Falls.
With only.
A life preserver, a life jacket on.
I won't go into all the details of the story, but there's a place as you come down the river to the Niagara Falls.
It's called the point of no return. If you go beyond that, it's not known that a person can be saved.
And he was in a boat. Little Roger was in a boat with his sister Deanna, and with a friend, James.
And he and his sister had on life jackets, but the man who was running the boat, he didn't have a life jacket on. They went beyond that point.
And they found that the current was too strong. They tried to turn the boat around and go the other way, but it wouldn't do. It wouldn't work. And they sheared a pin. And then they were helpless, floating down to the falls, 162 feet.
And the hole at the bottom is nearly 200 feet over the falls.
Well, the story goes. Then the boat capsized, then they were thrown into the water and someone reached out and grabbed the thumb of his sister and miraculously pulled her into shore.
The other, the man who was running the boat, he had no life jacket. As I said, he went over the falls and he didn't live. They found his body four days later. But Roger, seven years of age, he went over the falls and down into that deep hole and he came up again. There he was bobbing in the water.
And there's a shift going along there called the Maid of the Mist.
And they saw this boy and they showed it. There's a boy out there look at he's calling for help. And they threw him a life preserver. It took two or three throws and it grabbed onto it and they pulled him up into the boat. Roger was saved.
Apart from some scratches and bruises, he was all right. Took him a few days to get over his ordeal, but he lived. One year later when Roger was perhaps 8/8 and 1/2, he went to a gospel meeting and he heard about the Lord Jesus who died for him and he said.
The Lord saved me that time when I went over the falls so that He could save me this time.
From my sins. And there in that meeting, he saw that he was a Sinner, that the Lord Jesus was reaching down to lift him out of that horrible pit, just like he did in the in the Niagara Falls.
And he accepted Christ.
Of course, when he went over the falls with only a life preserver on, the only person who has ever done that. Yes, there's people that have gone over in tightrope, tight ropes and barrels and so on, but he went over just with a life jacket on.
That was splashed all over the papers of Ontario, but when he accepted the Lord Jesus as his Savior, there was nothing in the paper about that at all.
But I'll tell you a sequel to that last time I heard about Roger. Of course he's not 8 years old now because this was 1960. So add on another 40 years. The last time I heard he was preaching the gospel, going around and preaching about the Lord Jesus and telling how they could be saved from not from a watery grave, but from the lake of fire. May God bless His word to us tonight, dear friends, and we trust.
That this feeble presentation.
May bring before you the wonderful remedy provision that God has made, that you might have a happy eternity. I'll tell you, paradise was lost. Yes, you know that. Our brother spoke about it last night.
00:50:06
But.
God has opened a paradise up there, something far better than anything the world can offer.
He's inviting you to a heavenly paradise. You know, Adam was really a thief. He took what didn't belong to him and he was put out of paradise. You look at Luke 23, you see a thief that was brought into paradise through the Lord Jesus, through his work on the cross. He was brought into a paradise that was far better than the Garden of Eden. Garden of Eden was beautiful, but it was spoiled by sin. And so is this whole world spoiled by sin.
We see the effects of it everywhere, but God is inviting you, my friend, tonight to a place that cannot be spoiled with sin.
No defilement will enter there. What a wonderful future the child of God can look forward to, and it's a gift to you tonight if you will bow the knee and repent.
Take sides with God against yourself. Have that change of mind. If God tells you about your condition, don't talk back to Him. Acknowledge that what God says is true and receive His full and free and eternal salvation. Shall we sing?
In closing.
Short him.
#21 Shall we stand and sing #21?
Shall we pray loving God?
I Must Know to Know Myself; God's Family Is Different
YP Sing Address—R. Thonney, D. So
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.
Him one time.
A the King of England, who was at the time King George came over to Canada. I understand. I hope I got this story straight.
But.
Indian Chieftain was asked to sing for the King of England.
And when he got up to sing, they thought he would sing some native.
American songs and Indian song. And instead of doing that, he sang that hymn. We just got through singing.
I'd rather have Jesus than to be a king of a vast domain. I'd rather have Jesus.
And everybody was a little bit afraid that it might offend the king. But after he got done singing, the king got up and came forward and said, I want to say something too. I'd rather have Jesus as well. He gently was a man of faith. Let's just pray before we start, men.
I'd like to start with a verse in.
Second Peter chapter one. Actually it's several verses.
I'd just like to take an expression we find in.
Two Peter, Chapter one.
Let's read verse.
Two to begin with.
Grace and peace be multiplied.
Unto you.
Through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
Notice that expression the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, according as His divine power, has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness.
Notice this next part Through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory.
And virtue.
Verse 8 For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. I just want to speak about that tonight, young people, we're living in a culture.
Where the very basics of our Christian faith are being undermined.
And it's being done in a way that I do not think majority of people have a clue as to what's happening.
It was interesting to me. In October I was over in Europe. Some of the brethren from Bolivia and Argentina have immigrated over there. So I got to visit mainly in Spain, but.
They tell me in Spain that half of the population are now atheist.
50% are atheists. Pretty impressive.
And those that are generally speaking, Roman Catholic are so fed up with that system.
And those that give direction to that system that they are on the very verge of the same.
You know, it really impresses me what the gospel started in Europe. I should say it started in Jerusalem, came to Europe, and from Europe it came to the States. But that same philosophy of life that is in Europe today is coming to the United States. And I say to you tonight, the very basics of our Christian faith are being undermined.
And it shows in the way of life and what impressed me in Europe, you know.
Madrid, Spain is a beautiful city.
And I had chance, I had some free time, and so I'd take the metro, which is the underground trail, a train around the city. I went around quite a bit, but it was interesting to me to watch the people.
And.
The meaningless looks I saw on the faces of so many people? Absolutely.
They're lost.
They've lost the sense of who God is and they're lost. People say I want to know who I am. I want to.
00:05:12
Understand who I am as a person. Let me tell you, you cannot know who you are as a person unless you know first of all, who God is.
That's the basis of all knowledge and what we have here in these verses. Notice that verse two again. He says grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God.
Do you know God?
I think I've mentioned before, but I think it is so important and I want to challenge you with it.
Because the Muslims say, and the Muslims are a fast growing world religion, they say God is unknown and unknowable.
They will never know God. Do you know God?
Dallas, you know God. Yes, you do know God.
Isn't that amazing to be able to say we know God? I think that is most amazing. And I would like to talk tonight about some of the basic attributes of God that I see are slipping even amongst those who profess to be Christians.
I've made a list here and I'm going to ask a little bit further. In our talk, we got 20 minutes more. I've got a list of nine attributes that I jotted down as I was thinking about this subject.
I don't know how far we're going to get with this, but I'd like to ask for participation from you young people too. If you say you know God, tell me what God is like.
And I'm going to qualify it. If you're going to tell me he's like something I want a verse from the Bible to tell to back it up. OK, you'd be thinking about that because I'm going to list my attributes first. That to me just threw my soul. When I think that I know God and this is the God that I know. These are his attributes. First one I put on the list is.
God is eternal.
What's that mean?
It says in Isaiah chapter 57.
God inhabits eternity.
That. That just boggles my mind really. But I find it intriguing to try to understand that.
Sometimes we have a map of the seven dispensations that our brother was talking about tonight.
And we kind of put over on this side eternity and then have the times, the ages of time, and over on this side the future eternity after the world is gone again.
But you know, I prefer to think of time as a little bubble.
In eternity.
Eternity is where God dwells.
God never had a beginning.
It will never have an end. That just boggles my mind because everything I know in life down here has a beginning and has an end.
And to think of this being who never began to be, He always is and has been.
To him there is no present, past or future. It is all an open book. What's going to happen tomorrow? Tomorrow to us is an unknown because we live in the realms of time, but for God who is eternal.
He is not limited by the realms of time. I told you we had to have a verse for it, so I'm going to give you a verse.
Deuteronomy 33 and verse 27.
The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. Beautiful. Let me tell you as we were speaking, as we were reading that verse, Grace and peace be multiplied to you through.
00:10:16
The knowledge of God. When I think of God, this is the God that I have learned to know through the divine revelation of the Word of God. It just thrills my soul. Here's a God that's not going to change with time. I change lots and everybody else here changes lots.
But I have a God who is eternal, who will never, never change.
Second one I put down was God is sovereign.
That's a word that maybe is going to be a little bit difficult to define, but I'd like to read a verse in numbers.
Chapter.
23 verse 19.
Balaam the Prophet spoke these words.
And they are true. It's the Spirit of God came on him and he spoke them. He said God is not a man that he should lie, neither the Son of man that he should repent.
Hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or have he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
Sovereign means that he is over all and that.
No one can tell him what to do.
That's our God. He is sovereign. Perhaps another place that would show his sovereignty, that he is called Lord of Lords. Anybody that exercises authority or lordship, he is Lord of them. He is over all. He is sovereign. That's the God we're talking about. Another one.
God is a spirit. John chapter 4.
Like I say, young people were not talking about what you are tonight. That's not the purpose. My talk tonight. We're talking about who God is because it's only when you get that truth clear will it be clear who you are. You cannot have any meaning to your life until you know God.
John chapter 4 and verse 24. God is a spirit.
And they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. Now I don't pretend to understand these things very well, young people, but a spirit is that which is not visible.
And God is called in another place, invisible, and yet he is very real.
Invisible but very real God is a spirit, and here it says they that worship Him must worship him in spirit and in truth. Sometimes young people say, well, why don't we use music in our worship meetings?
Why don't we have a piano in there? Why don't we do like others do and have some?
Guitar music. Nothing wrong with music in itself. It's a sweet, natural thing, like honey was in the Old Testament.
But if we're going to understand what pleases God, it is not.
Instrumental music. I know how to play the piano too, and I love piano music. It's pleasing to me. But when we come into God's presence to worship him, we do not come to please ourselves. We come to please Him. And what pleases him is worship in spirit, because God is a spirit and in truth.
It's too easy for people to think because they hear this very pleasing music that they are worshipping God.
Many times that's not the case.
So we need to understand God is a spirit and they that worship Him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
00:15:07
Another thing that God is he is triune. In other words, God is 3 in one.
And to show this, I want to turn to a verse in Genesis one verse one.
In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.
In the Hebrew in which the Old Testament was written, God is. Can be the names in Hebrew can be singular, can be dual, there's two, or can be plural. And this word God in the Hebrew is plural Eloise, and it's because God is.
Plural in that sense of the word. The word created is singular. So there you have in the very first verse of the Bible.
That God is 3 in one. That explains why down further in the chapter he said let us make man in our image. He spoke in the plural. This is important to understand because you and I were made in the image and likeness of God and you we need to understand that we are also three in one because we were made in the image and likeness of God.
You are three and one too.
When I speak about a particular person, you're looking at their body, but that person has a personality that we call the soul, and that person also has a God conscious part of their being that is called a spirit.
One person, three parts. So God is triune. God is revealed in the New Testament in Matthew chapter 28 and verse.
19 He says, Go into all the world. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Notice it clearly.
Very exact scripture is, he says in the name, singular. What's the name? The Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
3 distinct persons, one God. These things are being totally undermined in our culture, and that's why even though I know you young people probably know these things well, it's so important to have them firmly in your soul to enjoy them. This is the God that we have been brought to know. Another one God is omnipotent.
Means he is all powerful. Let's read in Revelation chapter 4.
And verse 8.
Here is a scene in heaven, and it says the four beasts had each of them six wings about him, and they were full of eyes within, and they rest not day and night, saying holy, holy, holy.
Lord God Almighty, which was and is and is to come. You could say a lot of in that verse about God.
But it says that word almighty. That's the same word as omnipotent. Omni means all, potent means powerful. There is absolutely nothing that God cannot do.
He is omnipotent. You think of the tremendous power into which he used to create the universe. He spake and he spake the whole universe.
Into existence. That's the God that was revealed in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is omnipotent. We're going to have to keep on going here. He's omnipresent.
Go back to Matthew 28 again.
00:20:04
Anipresent means he's present everywhere.
He says here in Matthew 28 verse 20 it's the Lord Jesus speaking because the Lord Jesus is God.
He says verse 20, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever. I've commanded you, and lo, I am with you alway even unto the end of the world. Amen. Lord has promised to be with His people.
Scattered throughout the globe. It doesn't matter where they are, he is with them necessarily. He has to be present in every place at once.
Is omniscient means that He knows everything? Somebody put it in a way that kind of shocked me the first time I heard it, but he said it this way. He said God has never learned anything, nor can he learn because he knows everything. Isn't that important to understand? He knows absolutely everything. You don't disappoint God.
You might have made a mess of your life.
You're not disappointing God, he knows all about it way before it ever happened.
You know what it does to me when I realize the greatness of this God? It's just what it says in that verse we read at the beginning. Grace and peace are multiplied to my heart in the knowledge of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. The more you get to know Him, the more you're going to have peace in your soul.
I didn't give you a verse for that, did I? John? Chapter 21 please.
John chapter 21 and verse 17.
This is what Peter said to the Lord, but I think it shows we could give other verses too, but says towards the end of the verse.
When the Lord asked him if he loved him. Lord, thou knowest all things. Thou knowest that I love thee.
Is omniscient. He's omniscient, He knows everything. Sin is the same root word that we get our words, science or knowledge from. He is all knowing one more and that I'm going to give and then I'm going to turn it open for some of you to tell me what you've learned about God. And this is in Malachi.
Chapter 3.
We kind of touched on it before, but let's just read it here. Malachi chapter 3 and verse 6.
I am the Lord, I change not. Therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. God is another word we use is immutable. He is unchangeable. Every person you've ever met on this earth is changeable. Everything connected with time is changing.
But God is that being that inhabits eternity, and in eternity nothing changes, everything is fixed. God is unchanging. He cannot change. Tremendous to know God, to let those truths sink into your soul, to enjoy them. Remember, young people, we're living in a culture that is.
Man centered and they're going to try to occupy you with yourself.
Christianity is God centered and that's why we want to turn ourselves around from thinking about who we are, to think about who our God is. OK, I'm going to throw it open. Hopefully some of you have some verses now you want to give me to tell me what God is like.
Hosea, Isaiah 9.
Verse 6.
You want to stand up and read that, Sam, please.
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OK. Which characteristic do you want to talk about here?
Mighty God. OK, tell me what that means.
All ready to do it explains about powerful and.
You ever get into difficult situations?
Situations are too hard for you.
Are they too hard for that? Wonderful to know. You get into situations that are too hard for you, they're not too hard for God. Who else has some way back there?
God is love very good. What's the verse?
First, John 48, OK, I'm going to ask you a real hard question.
What is love?
God.
You're right.
You know what I find Love. One of the hardest words in the English language to define.
What do you say about it?
1St Corinthians 13 talks about a lot about love, what it does, but what is it? I I don't know exactly. I don't have exactly a definition. It's seeking the good of somebody else. But to me that's very poor explanation. I think it is one of the hardest words to really understand. But I want to explain it this way too, because that is one of the most wonderful truths that God has loved.
That love that it speaks about in the Greek language that the Bible was written in, the New Testament was written in.
Is a love that is the love of decision. It's not a mere emotion. It is the love of decision. It's the love of sacrifice for God to love the world that He gave His only begotten Son. Tremendous to think about what he did for us. I sometimes go to a youth village in our area.
And I like to ask the kids there, why does God love us?
The most common answer I get is because we're his children. I say, well we're not his children. If we haven't believed in the Lord Jesus, then why does he love us? The next answer is because we're his creatures. Well that's true, we are his creatures. But there's another answer. God loves us because God is love and there is no other reason. It's not because of who I am or am not, it's because of who He is.
And that cannot change. And if you don't accept Jesus as your savior, you're going to end up in the lake of fire forever.
But you will never be able to say in the lake of fire, nobody ever loved me.
Because He did love you with the love of sacrifice, the love of decision. That beautiful.
And are we over? Just a little bit over 2 minutes over. Let's give a chance a little bit more here. Anybody else? You got one?
Living God? Really. God is living. What does that mean to you?
Very good. God is a living God. You know, sometimes we act in life. It almost seems like God is dead, doesn't he? Let me encourage you, God is a living God. He listens when we pray. And even though he might not answer you right away, remember, never forget He is the living God. One more and we'll quit.
OK, keep on going.
But.
OK, I'll have to explain what is comfort brother?
No, I want you to do it.
We'll read the verse and then you'll explain it to us, Wally.
At Two Corinthians, chapter one.
And verse.
Three, blessed be the God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort. What is comfort?
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Consolation. When we're hurting, he's there. He understands. Jesus stood at the grave of Lazarus.
And he wept. He cried. Why did he cry if he knew he's going to raise up Lazarus from the dead? What was the reason of those tears?
He feels what you're going through. He's not a God that is insensible and you are hurting. Remember, he understands. He feels that young people, we didn't even get a very good start on this subject, could go on and on and on. I encourage you to make a list because the more you know God, the more grace and peace is going to be multiplied in your life.
It is the basis of Christianity.
Very basic subjects, but it is so tremendously important in the day we're living. Remember, it's not a focus on who you are, it's a focus on who he is. And once you get him properly in focus.
Who you are makes a lot more sense. Let's pray ****.
Well, I said, look around here. This is like another conference. There must be a hundred 150 young people here, young and old. This is great.
It's I hope that we can talk freely and be a bit relaxed on this. I was thinking of telling you a story or rather comment I heard early on in the day. Someone said to me actually trying to tell me about a certain young person and they pointed over and told me his name. And then he said, well, I think he's about the only normal one in that family. Now. Stop, stop looking at your friends right now. I didn't tell you who this person of the family is.
It's kind of interesting comment, isn't it, that I think depending on how we are raised, we tend to look at other people to be different, to say the least, right? If you find that, but you look at other family and they say, yeah, perhaps to be kind, we use the word different. I know you're probably thinking of the word weird, right? And I wonder how often we say that. Well, the reason I thought of that is that lead me into what I really want to talk about a little bit.
In a sense, we're in a different family that you wonder how the world look at us. Have you ever noticed someone may say that you guys are different? Weird. Why is that so? Do you know why you are so different than the world?
It's hard to think about that, isn't it? We are different.
You know, tonight we have young people together. Well, I suppose many here are. Some are here over.
1718 And here, I guess, in the state of California, where young people will go outside and have a good time, they want to get drunk, all right? And I trust that none here would have that desire to do so because you're different.
So how are you different? Well, first of all, I trust that.
All of you, and I trust that all of you are different because you have been redeemed by the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. And because of the fact that you've been redeemed, you are different.
Now, I don't really want to talk about young people in a sense because I know when I was a young people, I hated them. People always go, well, you young people. Well, I want to talk about us because we're all in this together. How are we different? Even as an assembly? And I'm sure some here would say, well, there's no difference. There are other places that meet like we do. Why can't we go there? Have you ever crossed paths with that kind of questions? You know, and perhaps some here do go from one place to the next, but let's let's well, we have. I was told that I got to keep this before.
By 9:30, so someone have to keep an eye on the watch for me because I think the food is coming in and we can't spoil that, right? So I have about 20 minutes. Let's see if we can find out how we're different. And I, I thought that and I thought, OK, how can we explain this in an easy way?
Well, I was thinking how the early brethren, when they got together, I believe there were three things that they distinguished themselves or three principles that they follow that made them different than the rest of the world. Now I'm just going to tell you quickly of what these three principles that they believe in.
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The first principle they believed in is the fact that right here in our hand, the Word of God should have the supreme authority on everything we do.
That's the first reason why we're different. How we walk, how we talk, how we act should be dictated by what the word of God has to say. Do you believe in that? That it is the word of God that we abide by? Now, sometimes we go around, we'll say, yeah, but it doesn't make sense. It should be this way. Now, how many of you?
Ever say that to your parents?
No, wow, you folks are so different because I know at home and I won't point any fingers to anyone. I run across that. But Dad, that's not how it's done. Well, we need to go by what the word of God. So that's the first principle they believed in. This is the authority of what is right and what is wrong.
The second thing I believed they believe in is something that have been forgotten throughout the ages.
That is the coming, the imminent coming of our blessed Savior.
And I believe sometimes we forget that too, even though we know we talk about it.
How many of us, and I don't want to make a show of hand because I don't think that's right, how many of us do truly believe that the Lord's coming is so ever near?
They believe in that because the Word of God tells us so.
That the Lord's return we lived. Do you remember brother made a comment that the Paul's epistle was what was that? It was heavenly teaching. We are heavenly citizens. Do we believe that our home is not here?
We believe that this is our home. This is where we want to fix and correct every problem that are available. You know, California, I love this place. I enjoy the palm trees and I enjoy the sunshine. You know, it seems that it's warmer here. The sun even feels warmer than it is at home. It seems brighter. I know my daughter corrected me on how the earth is tilted in different axes and I got better warmth and all that, but that was high school and I don't remember all that now, but I do like it.
But you know what? This is not my home. I don't come here and try to make things right. I'm a visitor here. I enjoy it and I go to my home. Well, where is your home?
It's your home in this world and that's why you'll find even Christians going around trying to correct what there is because they forget that our home.
It's where the Father's house is. So remember that year one. The Lord's return should be very dear to our hearts. And then I believe the third things that they.
Believed in.
Was the fact that there's one body, there's one church, and they believe that?
The fellowship we can have.
Should be wide enough to embrace every Christian and every believer. And we should believe that. Now let me finish the sentence though. It should be wide enough to embrace every believer, but.
Narrow enough to exclude the world, and that's where we sometimes get into trouble. Now with these three things in mind, then a lot of things we do should we should be governed by these three basic principles. Now let's rehearse that and then I'll go into a little bit more detail. Do you remember where they were? The three things The first was.
And no one can help me. I think I forgot now.
Ah, see, he took notes. That was nice. Not only did he record this, he's taking notes on this. The word of God should be what?
I'm sorry, Supreme authority, the supreme authority of everything that we do, our walk, especially in regard to the church and to our personal lives. The second thing that should set us apart is that we have the blessed hope and waiting for the glorious return of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.
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And the third was.
That the Christian walk should be wide enough to embrace every believer. See, there is only one body. We know that, right?
And every redeemed 1 belongs to that body of Christ, having the Lord Jesus Christ as the head of in heaven.
But can we have full fellowship with all? No, because that path has to be narrow enough to exclude things of this world. Now I see we've got a couple of minutes I'd like to turn to.
Just couple verses here. I believe the first verse I like to look at is in Second Thessalonians.
Let's see if we can take something to apply these principles here.
2nd Thessalonians is the last chapter, Chapter 3.
Verse 6.
Sets here now, we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.
Now remember, the authority is from the word of God. It's not up to us to decide, says here, brethren, speaking to us all. Now we command you, brethren, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. So we made a comment that the Christian walk is wide enough to embrace every Christian, and rightly so, because this is not a sect that we're in.
It's wide enough for now. The test comes. So here's this brother from a particular place and we find that he's not walking or they as a whole is not walking properly or walk disorderly.
I'll give you an example.
There was a girl that worked with me at one time. She goes to this big Pentecostal church. In fact, they boast of how many people they have. I believe the hall holds 2000 people and they have so many that they have to have two services in order to house everyone. And they are so proud of that. And I go, wow, all these Christians, 4000 people in this one place. You know, you look at today we have.
What? We have about 6-8 hundred people here. Can you imagine 456 times as many people together? They are so proud of that.
And then she says something to me. She said they have problems there because her daughter married this man there, this young boy there, and he decided to leave her.
Just up and go and I said what did the church do? Oh nothing, because they like the families collections because they're very well off. So they let it go. Now you tell me now I don't know what other doctrine which we haven't gone into that. Can you have fellowship with that? Is that something disorderly young people? Here's the test from the word of God and you can apply it because I don't think you know, I used to say to young people don't go there.
Don't do that. I don't know if your parents ever do that. I do, you know, just don't go, don't ask me why, right? It's always, well, why? Why? Well, there are many times that as parents we just don't have an answer to say why. Because often a lot of these acts by itself, it's really not bad. It's just that what is the next step and where will it take you? So now you have to use the word of God. Well, are you free to be in fellowship with company as such?
Here's this verse tells us that. Now I'd like to turn to another verse is First Corinthians chapter 5. I'm sure many of you know this verse quite well.
Now we're talking about a group of Christians in that verse. Now we are going to change a little bit.
And we're going to talk about now people as a whole, First Corinthians chapter 5, verse 11. But now I have written unto you not to keep company. If any man that is called a brother be a fornicator or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard or an extortioner, with such an one, no not to eat.
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Now here it says, if it says any, if any man that is called a brother, I believe the thought here is that doesn't necessarily mean he's a Christian. If this man or this lady or this young lady said I'm a Christian, he qualified in this. If any man call himself a brother. So these people, whoever they are, call themselves Christians. Now is that Sierra?
Be fornicator.
I believe you know what this word is. You know we don't use this word much in today's language fornications.
Such a sad thing that we don't, because the world you see have accepted these terms and we sort of get used to hearing it that it doesn't sound so bad. We use the phrase today or they're living together.
That's against the word of God, isn't it? That's fornication.
Well, if you know, I don't know about the state of California here or whatever, whichever state you're from, even from where we're from is not an uncommon occurrence to find people that are living together well. And then you see this list goes on. Covetous idolater, railer, drunkard. And you know, I'm sad to hear that sometimes even among our own young people that we hear incidents of that now hear the word of God said if any man call himself a brother.
So here someone said he's a Christian and you know that he's a drunkard. What is the word of God have to say? We can't keep company with them.
We can't even eat with them.
Is what a word of God have to say. That's why we should accept all Christians. But now the test comes. How do we narrow it down into one and there are many more verses that you should sit down perhaps with your parents or someone else in the assembly if you want to search more. These are just two that came to my mind. Now with this couple of minutes left. I want to talk about something slightly different. But back to the second point in the sands because here sounds almost so negative, but we need to know that for our Christian walk because we're told to be holy. He is holy.
And we have to remain holy. In fact, before I talk about the other part, I just thought that is one verse. Let's turn to Hebrews chapter 12.
Because we often hear this.
Don't worry about all the problems, show love.
You don't want to be so strict that you're so legal.
I don't believe that phrase is right. Love. Yes, we should show love, but love and.
Disciplined goes together. Now here's a verse we use often, Hebrews 13, the very first verse. Let brotherly love continue. Isn't it nice? Let brotherly love continue. We should and we need to and we need to do more of that. But here's the balance. How many of you notice? What is the verse before this verse? You know, these chapters and verses were put in so we can use it as reference. So often the chapter before runs into the chapter after.
Now an older brother told me that one time she said David read these two verses together. They go together and we have to read it carefully. So the verse before go like this for our God is a consuming fire. Let brotherly love continue has to change your thought a little bit about what brotherly love is is that we have to keep it in mind of our God who is holy and he's also the God of love.
We have to have that balance. Now let's go back to that point #2 because point #1 about the Word of God. I don't think we have. We can dispute that All authorities is given in this book. The other point, maybe I get my points mixed up. It's about the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. You know, I have to tell you this story because we have about 5 minutes left.
I was in New York City last weekend.
Have to be at a funeral. It's kind of funny that I was a one coaster. Now this week we're back to this coast and it was to a dear brother who used to be in fellowship with us.
He left because he said his father was so strict that he married a Catholic lady just despite his father.
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That was 50 years ago.
I like to read another verse. I think it's in the book of.
Second Timothy. A First Timothy.
First Timothy verse.
19.
Holding faith and a good conscience. Oh, I'm sorry. First Timothy, chapter one, verse 19 Holding faith and a good conscience.
Now then there's an exclamation mark there, or a semi colon there. Then it says which sum.
Some that means in a group like this, perhaps some, and I trust that it would be none, but it says here some, having put away concerning faith, have made shipwrecked.
Oh, when you disobey the word of God.
The word of God used this word, shipwrecked. Does that mean he loses his soul? Does it mean he loses his salvation? No, I believe what it means is that he lose sight of what he ought to do and the work he should. He became shipwrecked. This man went home with the Lord. His neighbors and friends praised him for how great of a man he was. There was a Jewish lady that was a neighbor. She came and she just praised him. She started off by saying that.
The reason he was such a good man was that he was brought up in a very religious home.
The sad story was this. It's not a sad story was that.
At the funeral I was grieved. I've never been to a funeral outside those who have been in fellowship with us. To hear this so-called minister gave the speech. I thought it was nothing more than a jumble up hodgepodge of verses that doesn't connect together, but it sure rhyme and sounds great. There was no feeling, there was no comfort, there was no hope for the family.
We have the blessed hope. He knew the blessed hope, and because he was shipwrecked.
Halfway partway through, I saw his little granddaughter, which I've never met before. She was maybe perhaps seven years old.
And I said to her say Grandpa's favorite verse was John 316. In fact, they printed that in little cards and hardly anyone took it. I said.
Do you like that verse?
Now how many 7 year olds here do you think know that verse? John 316?
Well, to my dismay, she said. I don't know what that is. Isn't it sad?
I read it to her, she said. What does it mean?
Sometimes when we turn our back on the Lord, the consequence young people is not just on ourselves. In the last three weeks, I've been reminded of three brothers, two who are much older than I am.
And one is the same age as I am, that the children know, not the Lord Jesus Christ.
Well, the reason I thought of that was it was a kind of interesting funeral. It was on a Friday evening and the gravesite time.
Okay, at the graveside, the graveside service was the next day, so we have to drive back to New York City the next day and.
The Lord must have been.
Thinking of him and looking after him, wanted that testimony to go on. She came up to me, this is his wife came up. He said the minister can't come today, it's a Saturday. He said. She said we decided to read a few verses as a family at the gravesite. Would you read some for us? So I looked at her and thanked the Lord. I said, I said, do you mind if I say a few words too? And they said yes, sure.
You have never heard me speak before, so they really don't know much about me. So I was given the opportunity and was able to read verses that we all know so well.
With the verse. And the dead in Christ shall rise 1St, and we which are alive and remain shall be caught up. We know that verse, don't we? You know these, these poor ones, they have no hope. The reason I read that verse was I was able to tell them. Here it is. Here's this man.
Dead in the coffin.
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But yet, if you remember the verse John 316, I know this dear one, I know He loved the Lord. He was redeemed by His precious blood. In fact, He was in fellowship with us at one point. So I was able to tell them that He loves this. And I said, if you 2 believe like He did, that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that you too can be saved, and you will see Him in glory.
What an opportunity when we think of that, young people, do you believe that the Lord's return is so ever near? Do you believe, Do you believe that the word of God holds all the authority of everything you do and say, and how you walk? Do you believe that the Lord's return is so soon, so eminent? Rather than being occupied with all the problems around us, we should rejoice because when we see all these problems.
It means his return has to be so ever near.
And do you believe on the Christian walk according to the word of God?
Wide enough to embrace all believers, but narrow enough to exclude the world. Let's commend ourselves.
Bless.
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