Carolina Conference: 2023
Table of Contents
Earnestly Contend for the Faith
Talk—Sam Ludvicek
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Just ask the Lord's help. Father, we ask thy help. Both speaker and hear alike need thee.
We need thy spirit, that not only that we might hear well, that we might speak well.
Lord Jesus and thy name we pray. Amen. Turn with me to the last part of Jude.
Last part of Jude.
There are 4 short exhortations at the end of the chapter.
Beginning with verse 20. But ye beloved, building up yourselves in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
Keep yourselves in your most holy faith. One, praying in the Holy Ghost to keep yourself in the love of God. Three, looking for the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
For.
The beginning of the book.
If you go back.
Verse 3.
Down towards the end.
That ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the Saints.
We live in a time where Jude is very real. What's going on here? And the warnings that are given and the exhortation to those that know the Lord are that they should.
Build up themselves in your most holy faith. If you're going to contend for the faith, you need to know it. The faith is that body of truth that was once for all delivered to the Saints. It is the truth, and it's in this book.
And we have something there to win it. If we've gotten saved, how could we not? We've heard the gospel. That's the most basic part of the truth of this book, is that Jesus was sent to this earth to die on the cross, to shed his blood for our sins, and that through that work that he did there, we can be saved.
Well, if we understand that we had the most basic understanding of the gospel, but on top of that, not only is that being attacked, that truth, but all kinds of things are being attacked now in churches all around us and formerly fundamental evangelical churches in Christendom altogether.
Things are being attacked over and over again. So to be prepared for that if you're going to contend for the faith, I don't care how young you are, you might be a little kid.
If you'll pardon a personal reference.
Kid, little kid, I went to school with little Jehovah's Witness fellow.
Called me out of the blue a few years ago and said I want to thank you for how kind you were to me.
At school we used to talk about the Bible. We got in trouble together once because somebody overheard us talking about hell and we were accused of cursing.
Well, we got sent to the principal's office and after I explained to the principal what we were doing, got to give him the gospel and that we were talking about hell because I said my friend here doesn't believe in hell and the Bible says there is a hell. That's what we were talking about. We were not swearing. So even as a kid, you may not know much, but if you have an opportunity, you can contend for the faith once delivered to the Saints, can't you? I don't care how young you are.
You know enough to stand up for what you do know. Now, in the back of my mind, I'm thinking of David. I've been thinking a lot about David, this young man quite a bit when he faced down Goliath. But here in this chapter, when it says building yourself up, your most holy faith, well, if you're going to defend it, how do you build? How do you build up muscles?
How do you develop a skill in anything?
It takes some work, doesn't it? I don't. Computers, if you're going to learn to code, they say that every young person should take classes on learning how to code because you're going to need it in the near future. But all kinds of things. How do you build that up? How do you develop the skills you there's practice, there's work that goes into it.
You know, Wesley didn't become a Carpenter overnight. Somewhere he had to learn. Ben, who was under his tutelage, started out hardly knowing how to swing a hammer right. Eventually he learned and became very skilled. How do you do that? Well, the same thing with this book.
Now I tell young people all the time, I said, do not bore yourself with this book. If you get bored reading the way you've been reading or the way you've been studying, find something else to do in studying this book. Change it up. Do something, talk with others about it.
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How can I study this book and not bore myself? You know, there are different things you can do. There are word studies you can do. There are individual book studies you can do. You can read a book fast and then read it slow. You can read it really slow and unpack each verse. You can even write your own commentary as you go. Whatever it takes. Young people, older ones too. If you bored yourself with this book, do something different. Get the Lord's help to not do that so that you can learn these things and be more prepared.
Now, I have a good friend back in Colorado by the name of Nick Simon. Nick and Amy Simon, a lot of you know them. Maybe you know Nate, the oldest boy. I think he's the oldest boy. He's the veterinarian in that family. Well, on Sunday, dinner, often in their home after the breaking of bread.
Nick would have Bill Weiss and others come over and sit at the table with his sons. He knew his sons and his daughter were all going to go to college and he wanted to be prepared for what they were going to face. So he would help build them up in their most holy faith by talking about apologetics and things of that nature, helping them understand so that they could stand when they faced off a professor or somebody in school.
So much so that when Nate ended up going to veterinary school.
He was able to talk with a professor and they picked on him a little bit. But things would happen, like where a professor might ask a question and Nate could respond either with the textbook answer or the truth. And what happened is there were people watching and there was a young lady watching that got saved because suddenly they realized that there was something more than what the professor had to say. There were actually some reasonable.
It could be put forth, it made sense, and at the very least holes were poked into what the professor was putting out there, while it helped Nate with his own personal faith that he was ready for that. But people watched. I loved what our brother read earlier about. I think it was you that about. They noted that they had been with Jesus.
While they were so-called ignorant men when I was first witnessing.
As a young man in my 20s, I was intimidated a little bit by college educated people.
Not for long, but I was because I had not gone to college. Well, what I realized is most of these people have never read a book or hardly any books after they got out of college. And all they knew was the outdated information they had. And don't you know that just about any field that you study in college, very quickly it becomes outdated. And if you don't keep up with it like the medical profession does where they have to take courses and classes and keep up with things, there are others that where you have certific.
Maybe in computer science you have to keep up with to keep your education, but I realize that a lot of these people didn't know enough because they hadn't continued with their education, self learning, that kind of thing. And I learned that with the Lord's help, you could stand on an even keel with somebody even if you thought maybe they were even smarter than you or maybe had a higher IQ. Well, when you've been with Jesus and you spent a little time with him.
Then you can stand in front of that. So I'm thinking of David again.
And we're going to talk about David, but in in this building yourself up and being ready to defend.
The Lord will give you the words, you got to put it in the well. Talk about the Spirit of God drawing up from the well of your soul the words what you need to express the truth you're trying to share or respond to a question. Well, you got to put it in there for the Spirit of God to draw it out and He can connect the dots in a way you've never even thought of. I was sharing this recently saying how that I've been asked questions before in my life where by the time I got done answering the question, I knew more about it than I did what I when.
Started answering because in the conversation the Lord put together connected some dots that I hadn't connected yet, but in the conversation that came out. So do what you can to build that up. The next part is keeping yourselves in the love of God, the love of God. What that is talking about is in a practical way.
Keeping yourself intimately acquainted with his love for you, and consciously so, in a practical way, in a moment by moment way.
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So one way would be to remind yourselves. It's one of the reasons the breaking of bread is so important.
To really remind ourselves of what the what price that the Lord Jesus really paid for us and how much love their love there is there. But the last part of Glaciers 220 the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. That's very personal when you meditate on it and think about that. Let's say you do it right after you've sinned. You sinned a sin.
You are your conscience is beating you up, and you go to the Lord, and you confess that sin.
And you're feeling pretty low. How about reminding yourself of that love?
The Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. It's very personal.
Brother Bob, Tony, does the Lord love you anymore today than the day you trusted him?
That's the truth, no?
You ever think about that?
The day you trusted in Christ as your Savior, the love He loved you with at that moment, loved you before that. Does He love you more now? Is there anything you've done in your life that can make him love you more? No.
So that love was shown on Calvary's cross to you, the Son of God who loved you and gave himself for you. Very personal. But when you say it to yourself, quote it as it is. He loved me, He gave himself for me. If you keep yourself in a practical way in the knowledge of that, you know, bathed in it. FB hole I think said something like when you put a bucket in the ocean.
Fill it with water. You got a bucket that's in the ocean and the oceans in the bucket.
And there's a sense in which that compares to the love of Christ. Not only that, but we are in Christ, and Christ is in US.
But it is his love, His love that we should be keeping conscious of in a practical way. Mr. Darby, one of his quotes throughout his writings is our motives must be in God.
Our motives must be in God. Well, that's absolutely true. But the love motive, that comes from understanding that.
Is in Second Corinthians.
Chapter 5.
Verse 14.
For the love of Christ constraineth us. John Le Ben's favorite verse. He quotes it all the time.
The love of Christ is the best motive you can have for seeking to walk with him, to defend the truth and so on is to have the a true sense of His love for your for you and be.
Just very conscious of it. And your motive then coming from that makes all the difference in the world. The love of Christ constraineth us. If you put a brass ****** on the end of a garden hose, what does it do? A little adjustment you make. It constrains the water, pushes it in, shoots it forth in under power. Yeah. That's the love of Christ constraineth us. It pushes us forward. It draws us forward. It draws us after him. What better place to be drawn after?
Than the Lord Jesus Christ.
Back to Jude again.
Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ on the eternal life.
Mercy.
We often quote to ourselves that the mercy of the Lord are new every morning. They're fresh and new every day.
Well, we know that from the Old Testament, but we also know it from our experience that it is true in our lives as believers that that mercy is fresh and new every day. And when we see it, God's mercies and all kinds of provisions and ways, we should take note of it and magnify the Lord for it as we do that. Well, that's a brief conversation about this part.
I want to go back up to.
Praying in the Holy Ghost.
We just had a sister who went home to be with the Lord. I believe it was yesterday or the day before. Billy Jennings. Boy, was she a prayer warrior.
She prayed for a lot of young people over the years and she would tell you, I'm praying for you, brother.
You keep going, you keep it up, you keep on track, you serve him, you preach the gospel, whatever. She would come in and do that kind of encouragement. I'm praying for you. And I dare say there's probably a lot of people that could say that she personally had told them that she prayed for them. Well, sisters, someone needs to step up.
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Like somebody in the military that's lost their life, another soldier needs to step up and replace them.
So, dear sisters, I don't care how young you are or how old you are, some of you're probably already doing this.
But prayer warriors are really important.
2nd Corinthians, chapter 10.
And verse 4.
Says For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. Have you ever thought about that? How do you pull down strongholds?
How's that actually happening?
I can't remember anybody ever talking about this in recent memory.
How do we pull down strongholds?
They don't exist and we can't see it. It's not here. You can't knock on it. How do you pull down strongholds?
Well, this the verse in Jude says praying in the Holy Ghost, that's how you pulled out strongholds and you don't even know what's going on, what's being seen around and what's being observed and what kind of effect that's having when you stand and you contend for the faith, you just stand for Christ in whatever circumstance you are and you stand.
Now I want to go talk about David a little bit and as an example maybe of imitation.
Visit with some people in recent weeks and we've shared, I've shared some thoughts about this, but I'm looking at David, 17 year old youth. He comes down from the mountains sent by his dad and he's supposed to take food out there to his brothers and what do they say? They just say he's naughty. He's just there, you know, gallivanting around, you know, he's he's he's gone by his father's orders out there, but he's come by faith really.
In obedience.
He looks around and he sees the armies of Israel just shaking in their boots. What is this? Why are your hearts failing you? And he says, I'm, I'm willing to go out there. Saul says to him, you, you, you're just a stripling. You're nobody. You're just a kid. And this guy is experienced. Yes, that guy was experiencing military maneuvers.
But so is David. As young man he'd been, his faith had been being built up in the mountains.
As he faced the lion and the bear. So what does he tell? So he tells him. Well, look.
I fought a lion and a bear. The Lord delivered him into my hands.
You know, it's interesting as you go through that account, the Lion.
Takes a sheep in its mouth. So does the bear. Says he went and he took the sheep away. He smoked. He took him away. Well, the lion turned on him. What did he do? He grabs that thing by the beard and he slides a sword into it. Kills him. A 17 year old boy, Young lady, young man. Do you see yourself doing something like that?
Well, in the Spirit you can do stuff like that.
The unseen world trembles when it sees a dear child of God on their knees.
Praying and crying out for someone. David saw a lamb in the mouth of a lion and a lamb in the mouth of a bear, and he goes after it. Do you see someone, a friend of yours that the devil's got in your friend in his mouth?
The Lord can use you to help deliver that one.
He can come alongside you and strengthen you to go and grab it by the beard, so to speak, and slay them.
Now he tells Saul, that's what I've done in the mountains, and the Lord delivered him into my hand. He's going to do the same thing here. So Saul lets him go, gives him his armor, and he says I can't use that. So what does he do? He picks up five smooth stones. We all know those. Sunday school story, puts him in his bag. Then he does something astonishing.
He runs at the guy, he runs at him. They're behind him. Is this huge army all arrayed there, mocking and his guys are all trembling in their boots here.
Here's David looking around. What is this now? Our brother read at the prayer meeting about boldly come before the throne boldly. Well, we can boldly face what enemies come against us. Sometimes we don't act like that, but in our prayer, in our actions, if we really have proved the Lord and he's proved us up in the hills with the bear and the lion.
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That's how you build up your most holy faith in smaller things. Now he's facing a whole army and he runs at him.
And he swips that thing up, and he lets that thing fly, and it sinks into his forehead.
Modern day tests with those kinds of slings say that those stones travel at the speed of a bullet from a rifle.
He didn't miss, God was with him and he defeated, glad he didn't have a sword. He had to go take his sword to cut his hand off.
That the Lord is with you.
And The thing is, is a 17 year old stripling up in the mountain, he'd learned some things from his father, no doubt, and his faith came from his father.
But he learned some things on his own up there in the hills. Now all of you, especially you young people, in that God is teaching you in your field where you're conducting yourselves in your life. And there are tests that come along the way, and you can either respond to them with boldness and by trusting in the one who.
Redeemed you and face it and then prove him and have the thrill of that in your life.
That you have proved God when nobody's watching, because nobody saw that.
That God was with him, and God supported him, and God helped him, and God delivered them into his hand.
He can do that for you too. Do you have some victories? Some small victories maybe?
Compared with an army barren alliance, not that big. It's pretty big for a 17 year old stripling.
Whether it's taken care of she well. Just a few thoughts from Jude and about David.
And about how we can be as God's servants, bold, but we need to build ourselves up in our most holy faith. We need to remind ourselves of the love of Christ, the love of God for us, in a very practical way, consciously remind ourselves of it. We also need to pray in the Holy Ghost and really take on those challenges and go after it.
Ask the Lord.
To give you a person's name in your heart and mind, even wake you up in the middle of the night if need be. So you can pray for that person and then when he does.
Because he will go after with gusto, go after with fervency, go after it with sincerity, and you will make the devil's Kingdom tremble on the other side of the veil. And that's one way that we do that. We pull down strongholds, but God's angels take care of all that are doing out there. God will send them. We don't command them, but they are sent to serve us.
And just remember that with the smallest kid in this room, when you're facing the enemy in some way, shape or form.
Right behind you are these angelic beings that are there watching out for you.
And because Christ is in your heart and with you, I will ever need the never leave thee, nor for safety. He's with you and He can deliver the lion and the bear into your hands.
Father, again we ask a blessing on thy word and on the words.
Lord bless these things to our hearts and our minds and our conscience as well. Then we might have exercised by them.
Until now, we give thanks for the food that is going to be set before us, the refreshments and the snacks. Lord Jesus and thy name we pray, Amen.
Hebrews 13:4-7
Reading
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Lord, thou hast drawn us after Thee.
Let us run and never tire. By presence shall our comfort be thyself, our hope, our whole desire. 166.
Come on.
Shall we go on with Luke chapter 13?
Chapter 13. What verse?
For sport Hebrews chapter 13 begin at verse 4.
Marriage is honorable in all and the bed undefiled, both ************ and adulterers. God will judge.
Let your conversation be without covetousness, and be content with such things as you have. For he has said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee, so that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. Remember them which have the rule over you, and who have spoken unto you the word of God, whose faith follow considering the end of their conversation.
Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today and forever.
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Be not carried away with divers and strange doctrines, for it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace, not with meats which have not profited them that have been occupied therein. We have an altar where they have no right to eat, which serve the Tabernacle. For the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin are burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also that he might sanctify the people with His own blood.
Suffered without the gate. Let us go therefore. Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp.
Bearing His reproach. For here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come by Him. Therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually. That is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But to do good and to communicate, forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves, for they watch for your souls.
As they that must give account that they may do it with joy and not with grief, for it is unprofitable for you.
Pray for us, for we trust we have a good conscience in all things.
Willing to live honestly, but I beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.
Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep.
Through the blood of the everlasting covenant make you perfect in every good work, to do His will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation, for I have written a letter unto you in a few words. Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty, with whom, if he comes shortly, I will see you.
Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the Saints Day of Italy salute you.
Grace be with you all.
Might be helpful just to review very briefly what we had this morning.
Because, you know, God's word is written in a very orderly fashion. It's not just haphazard as we might write a letter or something. He writes and he writes with purpose. And so the very first thing we have in the verse 28 that we read is in connection with reverence or respect for the Lord.
And what this world in their religious system that the Jews had, they had a mighty temple and they they had incense, they had all the vestments and everything. And it would produce in the natural man some sense of awe, you might say, of being in that situation. But in the assembly might be a little hall like this, or some simple place, some simple.
Location in a far off land where there isn't much, there might be a temptation not to have the respect or reverence for the person in whose presence we are. But it was one of the things that was to characterize Christianity was reverence for the Lord as we're in his presence. And then the second one, instruction that we're given here, exhortation, is connection with brother, brotherly love. So we're to have love for our brother.
And then we have entertainment through the.
Hospitality and where to have into our homes those that we have liberty to have into our homes. Then in the next exhortation in verse three is in connection with those that are in bonds. Those are prisoners that can't come into our homes. Even if they wanted to come into our homes, they can't come because they're hindered, perhaps because of age or whatever it might be. And there are those that are indeed in affliction.
And so on. And so they're not able. But now we have another feature of Christianity that ought to market.
And it ought to be evident in our lives is that the institution of marriage ought to be held in the highest esteem. And so the new translation says, let marriage be held in every way, every way in honor.
And so this world dishonors and sets aside the order that God has instituted and married.
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And under Judaism, they didn't recognize, they didn't know it was really Christian revelation that the man and the woman in the marriage union are a representation of Christ and the church. And so you and I understand that we enjoy the fact that Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. And in a future day he's going to present it to himself, a glorious church, not having any spot or wrinkle or any such thing.
And so a Christian man and a Christian woman, married and pulling together.
Enjoying the the Lord together and having a home that is suitable to labor together for God's people and for the blessing of the Christian testimony. This is what God intended and under Christianity we don't want to see the type marred. But we know that in Judaism they asked the Lord Jesus. They said, shall a man divorce his wife for any cause?
The Lord had to rebuke that spirit of things. What a lovely picture. It is Christ in the church.
A husband that sacrificially provides for his wife and loves her, and they go on together for the glory of God.
Maybe I'll I'll just further that.
Cindy and I were at a wedding a few weeks ago.
We've all been to weddings. Beautiful.
The bride looks stunning beautiful.
The Bridegroom.
Soulful and love, his eyes are crossed.
We we've all been to those days. We remember, many of us here remember that day in our own lives. And I say this because there's a lot of marriages represented here.
And perhaps some that are anticipating marriage.
And at a time like that.
Almost invariably, Ephesians 5 is taken up.
And the responsibilities of the husband has gone through the responsibilities of the wife.
But what about five years down the road?
What about 10 years down the road?
20 years down the road. 30 years down the road.
When on the day of the marriage, you know, we're so caught up by the romance of the day.
That we always go away and we're just, we're just delighted.
But what about down the road?
Dare say I look at some marriages.
And they don't look like the wedding day.
We've just been singing a hymn.
It's beautiful to sing that hymn.
With regards to the marriage relationship.
Lord, thou hast drawn us after Thee.
Let us run and never tire.
Some marriages, you look at them and you think, you know they're tired.
I say this because some of the most exemplary husbands.
That I have seen.
And some of the most exemplary wives that I've seen have had obnoxious partners.
For all of us that are in the marriage relationship.
As our brother has just been bringing before us.
It's it's the most beautiful way that we can portray to this world a picture of Christ in the church.
I I trust I'm not saying this from high ground because I understand life is real. We, we, we enter the relationship of marriage down the road. Sometimes we're faced with poverty, sometimes we're faced with our health that goes upside down. Sometimes we're faced with teenagers that go haywire. There are so many things that enter into our marriage relationship that can the enemy can use.
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To disturb it, but I appreciate what our brother read here connection with and I the the way the verse reads in the new translation. This is another one where we have the word left at the front.
Says let marriage.
And I would encourage those here at you in your spare time read the note in Mr. Darby's translation with regards to this.
Because I believe it points down the road.
And so I'll just read it again as our brother has just read it.
Let marriage be held in every way.
In honor.
Well, may we have the grace in our marriages down the road to recognize that we have the privilege of displaying not only to this world a picture of Christ in the church. We have the privilege of doing that to our brethren in the assembly. We have the privilege of doing that to our families.
And it's a blessed result and it's a wonderful end for someone particularly.
Who's had a difficult time in their marriage to be able to pull those vows and seek via picture of Christ in the church?
I would say that the.
Owners principle on us is on the man.
Because that's the picture of Christ. Christ is perfect. Am I perfect, Barbara? I can ask my wife, but I say we are to love.
As Christ loved the church.
And gave himself more so sacrificial love. It's not love when everything goes nice. Well.
Love of sacrifice. When I think of the Lord Jesus standing before Pilate, falsely accused, crowned with thorns, his back ripped up and hailed to the cross, did he ever say this is just too much abuse? I can't take you any longer, I'm going, I'm out of here. Never, never.
Oh, brother.
You and I, their husbands, the Lord give us.
Is that unconditional agape love? You know, it's interesting in scripture the life is never told to love her husband.
With a copy of In Chinese chapter do it says that the older women are to teach the younger women how to love their husbands. But that's the file that it speaks there. So there is love from the part of the woman, but it's in the hard part. As men, that's where the problem comes in so often that we hear they should respond better.
Let's not think that way. Let's think as it says in Scripture. He is so beautiful.
Black urge to be held in every way and honor and the ban on the five. In other words, those intimate relationships.
Are very much in order in place.
They're not to be held in this honor either.
Sex is something that is sacred with God. I just want to say to the young people, remember your body. Not only your soul and your spirit are holy, but your body too.
Keep it for the Lord.
Knowing First Corinthians Chapter 7, it speaks towards the end of the chapter about virginity.
That applies to a man as well as a man, and to keep your virginity before you are married is going to make your marriage much more solid. So I just want to encourage those of you who are not married in your virginity.
And you will not be ashamed of it, you will not be sorry for it, but it will make your marriage that much more solid.
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Say a practical word to our sisters, too.
You know and.
Man and woman were created in the beginning. They did not use clothes.
It was after sin came in that God.
Flows there.
With the skins of an animal.
And that's important to cover yourself. Dear young sister, Remember, your body is precious to God. It is holy.
Recover yourself so often this world's way of living is to try to uncover as much as possible.
That way, cover yourself. And I appreciate sisters who properly cover themselves. I don't think sometimes young sisters realize that they they don't cover themselves. It is a provocation to men who watch them.
I know I'm steeping 30 planning, but I just have a burden on my heart to to encourage you dear young sisters. I really appreciate those that are here.
To cover yourselves properly. It speaks about it. First Timothy, chapter 2 of modesty. What does that mean? It means you do it in a way that is not provocative. Lord help us rather than these things. It's so important because.
What is the resolve and not doing these things?
For mongers, adulterers, God will judge.
People say I've had such a rotten marriage, I'm out of here and they find something better.
Don't.
Work on sacrifice yourself because the alternative is a tough one.
My brother Gordon Hale used to often quote it weddings, and maybe you remember him doing it, but Ecclesiastes chapter 4. And I think it's very helpful to have the principles of Ecclesiastes chapter 4 before us as we enter into the marriage relationship and then all during the time that we're married in this scene, because it's only for this time. So it says in verse 9, two are better than one.
Because they have a good reward for their labor, for if they fall, the one will lift.
Up to his fellow, but woe to him that is alone when he falleth, for he hath not another to help him up again. If two lie together, then they have heat, but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him. And a three full cord is not quickly broken. And he used to remind us often times. I'm thankful for the reminder that a three fold cord represents.
The man 100% for his wife, the wife 100% for her husband, and both of them together 100% for the Lord. And you know, you see this little passage of scripture too, laboring together.
You'll forgive a personal reference, but I had a young brother come to me not too long ago and asked me about marriage and I said well, the sister that you're keeping company with.
You need to, he said, what's the real key to having a good marriage? What's the key to marrying the right one? Said you need to marry one that you have a love for and that is a suitable partner. And your home is going to be used for the service of the Lord. And so you desire to have one that you love and in love together serve the Lord and the Lord's people.
And build the testimony in the place that you're at. That's really what God intended. We might just turn to Malachi chapter three. I think it is. And he the truth is given there in the very last book in the Old Testament.
Chapter 2 of Malachi, he says.
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Let's read verse 14.
Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the Lord hath been witnessed between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously or unfaithfully, yet she is thy companion and the wife of thy covenant. You made a promise to love this woman.
And did he not make one, make them one flesh, yet had He the residue of the Spirit? And wherefore 1.
That you might seek a godly seed.
Therefore, take heed to your spirit. Let none deal treacherously or unfaithfully against the wife of his youth. So why did God institute this institution of marriage? It was that he might seek a godly seed, that in that home there would be children born. They would be brought into the presence of God. They would learn about the Savior, They would become worshippers in time, and they would just magnify the grace and the love of God. They would just reflect something of Christ.
In their lives. So God had that purpose.
So let's the exercise about having that threefold cord and maybe it's got a little loose. The knot has got a little loose. Let's tighten the knot a little bit. It is a sacrificial love.
They come so self-centered in our American culture that we think that it does not suit us.
That is wrong thinking and we need to correct it. The Lord Jesus suffered so much and He persevered to the end and we are the beneficiaries of His sacrifice. And now let's do the same in our marriages.
Don't think it is because I'm getting something good out of this, but think of it as the one. Can I sacrifice myself?
That's the secret.
You mentioned the onus being on demand.
David mentioned he's observing.
American.
Do you have a hypercritical spirit?
Get rid of if you can't love anybody with that.
Hypercritical spirit will destroy a very depressed and destroyed relationships of all kind. Have you had that with the Lord? Have you ever read it? It's destructive, played in your own heart. Don't bring that into a marriage during your family.
It will destroy do you know what it is before the Lord get it out?
Might be helpful just to go over. There are four specific characteristics of divine love that are helpful for us to understand and to appreciate. The first one was mentioned, I believe this morning in Jeremiah chapter 31. It says in verse three, yeah, I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee. And so the Lord's love is an everlasting love. It will never cease.
For you and I who have been redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, it will never cease. You cannot do anything to have that love cease. But then in Malachi again in chapter one, we could just read it. It says I'm just going to split it up there in chapter one, verse two, it says I have loved you, saith the Lord. And then in the second chapter he says in verse 6.
I are the third chapter. I'm sorry, Malachi 3 verse six. For I am the Lord, I change, not God's love is unchangeable.
He has loved you from the beginning, and he loves you with intensity that cannot change.
He loved you so much, He saved you, chose you from beginning time. But then we have in Romans chapter 8, we have the power of His love.
Given to us there. I'm not going to read much there, but Romans chapter 8, verse 39. Let's read verse 38.
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Romans 838 For I'm persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers.
Nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. It speaks the power of His love. The power of His love is such that once you have received Christ as your Savior, He will never let you go. It's impossible to lose your salvation. His love. In His love He gave Himself for you.
We can say with the apostle Paul, the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me, so we have the power of his love. But then in Ephesians chapter 5, as we've been quoted quoting it says that it's a sacrificial love. Let's read it.
Just so that we don't misquote it.
Revelation chapter 5.
I'm sorry Ephesians chapter 5 verse 25 Husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved the church. Notice it's action, it's it's active, it's not in the past. It love your wives, do it now even as Christ also loved the church.
And gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it.
Washing of water by the word, That's what he's doing today. What he did in the past is in verse 25, and what he's going to do in the future is in verse 27, that he might present it to himself. A glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing that that should be holy without blemish. And so the sacrificial aspect of marriage. You know, Brother Gordon also used to say, you'll forgive me for quoting him.
He used to say you want to have a happy marriage. Try to please your partner.
The happiest person is someone trying to please someone else.
And you will have the happiest life as A and a fruitful life for Christ. If you're trying to please him, not trying to please yourself, not thinking that you have rights and all those sorts of things, but seeking to please Him, you'll have a happy Christian life.
And so you'll have a happy marriage by seeking to please the other partner. And then there will be that expression. Can you imagine in that heavenly scene with Christ above, with his bride? She'll be happy, radiant for all eternity. But Christ himself will serve her, and she will minister to his needs, and the affections will flow, will respond in our affections to him. But it can be a picture now.
In this world. And that's what God wanted, and that's what he gives us in Hebrews chapter 13.
I think it's important to.
Remember.
That the.
Wife that you're going to marry the sister in the Lord 1St and we will answer.
To the Lord, how are you how are you respecting and honoring that his child so we we are human, but we're also now marrying in the Lord and I'm a brother and a sister when we cover the assembly with a brother and a sister and just wouldn't need to be enacted that that ends when you come in the door, but we will answer for it is interesting in future 5 where we have here before the wives before husband.
His first 21.
Submitting yourselves 1 to another in the fear of God.
That is first before he deleted submitting results one to another in the fear of yes within that marriage are there is the responsibilities that are there. But if we would submit one to another and that's hard. I'm a male, I have pride. It's hard to say you're wrong.
But it gets easier before you submit breakdown and do it. But to begin with it, it's tough. So there's a book I can strongly suggest, Gary Thomas.
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It's sacred marriage. What if marriage is more about holiness than happiness? And I challenge you to read that before you, even if you're married. It's a very good book. It's not just about our happiness. If we live a holy life and they're serving one another, like you've been saying, you will be happy.
If we seek us to be happy and not only won't work out, but we do it God's way.
It will work and the world is we're all about selfishness today. But brethren, if we do it God's way, he wants us happy. He wants us happy. Satan says no, he doesn't. He's hiding good things from you. He's the liar. God, let God be true in every man. A liar. He wants and he said buddy, but that is under plow. He made that. He made love. God is love on his life first. He's holy and God is love, but he made love. Love is love. He wants it to have a happy marriage.
Do it in his order and we'll be happy. As strong as Gary Thomas. Sacred marriage.
Submit to exactly interfere awarding, because Christ is his dad, and right as the woman's head is the man, the man's head is Christ, and so submission is the end of his darkness.
And Christ is submitting to God at the end of the glamour you will OfferUp the Kingdom to God. It will be but so even Christ and there's an order that he has established. So it's we a wife is submitting in the fear of the Lord as unto the Lord. So really you're doing that as unto the Lord you.
Under the Lord, and sometimes He's not. We're at the age now, you know, after about a couple years here.
You're wondering whether she really loves you, you know, and then you get to that point where she really loves me. That's amazing, you know, and you're worried about that anymore. But then you get to the point where we do say some things that are not likable. We may not like each other about something that we did, but the love is there. And that's a security that, you know, people never understand until you get there. And you don't worry about this one that you love me anymore. No, she will die for me and I will die for her. But we do worship him and we disappoint each other. So we don't like each other temporarily. But that's where you constantly say this offended me. But really I didn't seem to, you know, you see, work it out. But it's that is marriage. It gives the opportunity to work out of Christianity.
You've got someone really close to you. There could be sparks, but that's good. You get to live your Christian life and work it out. So it's a very good thing marriage is.
The best like, you know, say that.
I know we're not making very much progress in our chapter, but maybe this is what we're supposed to do. I know we're not making very much progress in our chapter, but maybe that's what we're supposed to do for a few minutes.
One other comment, you talked very I was just in the back. They can't hear you back. There's a speak up a little louder. We can't turn up the volume anymore. It's as high as it goes. So we're going to have to elevate. Maybe nobody should hear me. No.
You should be speaking to God. So we want to hear. So the end of Ephesians 5, the very last phrase.
Is directed to the white, it says. Sorry, I'm gonna have to talk here.
It says.
See that she reverence?
Her husband.
It doesn't say see that she loved her husband.
It says see that she reverence her husband. I I just asked this question. Dear sister, I'm not asking if you love your husband.
Do you reverence him?
We have two references to Michael.
In David's life where it says that she loved him.
But we also have reference that shows us that she didn't reverence him.
But what I would like to do, just read a verse. We we've spent quite a bit of time on what Paul has to say.
What about Peter? What does he have to say?
As one who was married, so let's go to his epistle.
First Peter, chapter 3.
And verse 7.
Says likewise he husbands.
Dwell with them according to knowledge.
Giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together.
Of the grace of life.
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That your prayers be not hindered. I don't know what it's like in the Carolinas, but where I come from.
My wife and I were were wired different emotionally.
A very different.
And it's, it's good. It's, it's good to to recognize as our brothers have been bringing before us, that.
The husband's love is to be unconditional.
But there is this aspect that Peter brings before us and says live.
Dwell with your wife according to knowledge, and I believe that's recognizing the emotional difference.
That we have with our wives and if we're not able to do that, he gives the result and the result is that prayers are hindered. It's it's really wonderful to be able to pray with your wife and for a wife to be able to pray with her husband.
Sometimes at the end of the day, that's when I find out what's happened in my wife's day is when we're praying together. But this concept of dwelling with them according to knowledge.
Is a big help recognizing the emotional difference.
In A husband and a wife.
Might just give one warning. It says here that warmongers and adulterers, God will judge. And you know, there are young people in this room. And Brother TH Brown used to have this little expression. He would say, what's the surest way of never marrying an unbeliever?
That don't go out with them the first time. Don't do it because you cannot trust your heart. Your heart is deceitful above all things, desperately wicked. And God tells us not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers in any way in business or in any other way. But the marriage union is for a believer to marry an unbeliever.
You're just asking for trouble, you're asking for sorrow, you're asking for your disobeying the plain teaching of the word of God, and you're just asking for sorrow. And you never take something that God didn't give you and get away with it says what have what hast thou that thou hast not received? Isn't it nice to receive a wife from the Lord? Isn't it nice to have enter into the marriage union and for a sister to say?
I have been given a husband that loves me today.
But to reach out and to take one who is unsaved, lost, an enemy of God's people.
It's a sorrow and so this term that used fornicators often times the apostle Paul uses it in different ways, but.
You know, he really warns against fornication, against adultery, against it really admiring of that type of Christ in the church. He will be faithful to the church for all eternity.
So perhaps we could go on to verse five that really speaks of covetousness here.
And something that is really a problem in the Western world, it's a problem even in poor countries like your conversation or your manner of life. Be without covetousness. Be content with such things as you have. For he has said, I will never leave leaner for safety.
Some of us have gone into places where it's literal, people don't have anything.
But they have the Lord.
And I haven't counted how many bibles I have in my home, but I wouldn't be surprised if I had 50.
But for our dear brother or sister in the Lord to receive a Bible in some of these countries.
And maybe you've had it happen to you is they pulled out their their Bible that they've just received very reverently and asked you to just sign your name and the date that you gave it to them. And then they'll just sign their name and very reverently take care of this precious book because they've got one. And it's probably the most prized possession that they've got.
But here we're being exhorted. Let your manner of life be without covetousness.
00:45:08
We don't need stuff, we need Christ, and we need to have a sense that you'll never leave us or take us. That's the best possession that we have is the Lord Himself.
Every advertisement that you see in the world today is to the bottom line is to make you dissatisfied with what you have.
And we know the verse as well in First Timothy 6. To become godliness with contentment is great game.
So the Lord has given us what He can trust us with, but to make a gain of money, an object is certainly going to interfere with our spiritual progress and.
And fellowship.
With our brethren too. So it's not.
Money, that is.
That is the problem. It is the love of money which is the root of all evil and so.
We can can be displayed in a poor person as well as a rich person, is that right?
I'd like to ask people in South America sometimes who has a lot of money together, which person? Or a poor person? Sometimes they'll say a rich person. I say rich person loves it because he has it, the poor person who loves it because he wants it. And so it's something that afflicts everybody. It's interesting that the new translation is said instead of college. Is this the love of money?
And it's such a.
Challenge to remember that money is just, again, as we said this morning, a means to an end. It's not an end in itself.
I must say I've been challenged. Still a member of Revenue for Republic.
Years ago, Clinton and I were invited to his home for the new Mia.
And his home was made of sticks stuck in the earth for the walls.
The doors at a convenience spot and banana leaves for the roof. And if it rained, you had this situation yourself. In this position, you didn't get ripped on.
And when we went in, invited us to sit down, the only place to sit down was at the table. The system is still preparing the food.
And you didn't have anything to show us of value.
Brother and I'll never forget.
As we sat down at the table to wait for the Leo, he took out his Bible and he sat down at the head of the table and he started reading. I died.
Afterwards I understood you didn't know how to read.
He was quoting that, remember.
Never, ever forget the joy that radiated from that black face, that dear brother.
I just had to put my head down and say Lord Jesus.
Please.
Believe the idea that having stuck will make me happy. That's not the secret. It's having a relationship with the God of the universe that will make you happy. Not having things the Lord deliver us from that. That's the error of the American Dream.
Have more and more and more and you never have enough.
To have the Lord, it is incredibly satisfying. So it's it's.
The what it says here is.
Being content, that's not exactly the American dream.
Be content and they already read that person verse 256 Godliness with contentment is great. I ask you right now.
00:50:00
Are you sincerely content just as you are right now?
That is a secret.
I think this is a very important topic for.
12 more years ago I did a study of it and it's an interesting subject to look at in both the Old and in the New Testament. There's a book written by a Puritan called The Christian Jewel of Contentment, but there aren't that many books written about it because.
I don't think most of us, we want to hear about it or talk about it because this world offers much to fix the eye on heart from Christ. And if you compare the Old Testament with the New Testaments, intriguing to see what we find there. There is much about covetousness. They was promised earthly blessings. But one of the only references to contentment in the Old Testament is in Genesis 37 when they put Joseph in the pit and then they sold him. Reuben persuaded them not to kill him. They sold him away and it says then his brethren were content.
So they sold their own brother and they were content. We live in a world that that's how they define contentment. It's by sinful activity. But God has given us and we see this in the New Testament. We find it in the end of the epistles, First Timothy chapter 6, Philippians chapter 4, Hebrews chapter 13. It's towards the end of the epistle. It's intriguing to look at how it's laid out in Scripture. Covetousness, there is much because everything that the eye can see, it can attract our hearts away from Christ.
But we have in Christ all things that pertain unto life and godliness. We have everything we have treasures in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Paul could say I have all things and abound. And when we put our heart on that which is true and real and precious and eternal, that is our deliverance. There is another word we use the word contentment. But I like in the Psalms. David used the word fixed and I'm going to read some verses and they've been a help to me and again.
This was an intriguing subject to look at. It says in Psalm 57 verse 5, be thou exalted, O God above the heavens, Let thy glory be above all the earth. They have prepared a net for my steps and you know in this world everything around us is a net for our steps. We need to be aware. My soul is bowed down. They have digged a pit before me into the midst where of they are falling themselves. See love.
My heart is fixed. Oh God, my heart is fixed.
I will sing and give praise. There is deliverance in looking to the King of glory. Who is the King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty.
We turn also to.
Psalm 108.
Oh God, my heart is fixed. I will sing and give praise even with my glory.
Verse three. I will praise thee, O Lord among the people, I will sing praises unto thee among the nations, for thy mercy is great above the heavens, and thy truth reaches under the cloud. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens, and thy glory above all the earth. And then in Psalm 112.
Psalm 112 Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighted greatly in his commandments.
And then in verse.
Seven he shall not be afraid of evil tidings. We allow the little alerts on our phones, the little messages, the news. We allow the media to instill fear.
In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence, and His children have a place of safety. We need to have the fear of the Lord so that the fear of this world cannot touch us, because it's in the fear of the Lord. That's the beginning of wisdom. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings. His heart is fixed. Trusting in the Lord, his heart is established. He shall not be afraid until he sees desire upon his enemies. We need to look to the Lord and have our heart filled with all that is great and grand and glorious, because He is great above the heavens, worthy of our worship, and we will one day in the Father's house.
We will see His face, and the things of this world will go strangely dim in the light of His glory.
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That goes along with the verses 5 and six. So the end of verse 5I or he has said, I will never leave you nor forsake thee, and that wonderful than those the Lord with us.
Some time ago I have a sister who said to me.
I think the Lord has abandoned me.
I stay aware to get that.
I said, does your feelings ever change? Yeah, they change. Just the word of God ever change? No. What do you think? You better trust your feelings or the word of God.
God, let's say I agree with you.
You said I will never even though you don't feel with you.
And then it says in verse 6, this is associated world, so that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
Rather than that question of fear.
It really tested us in the time of voting and I saw so many brothers under the power.
Yes, we need to take your documents.
The Lord is with us and He is taking care of us.
So he says, I will not fear, but man should be. Lord help us in these things, brethren, where perhaps we'll be tested.
Again, in our lives, are you going to get place to be here or are you going to let the word of God guide your life? I think that's so important.
We were talking about this thought of contenders.
And I asked the question, I said there was a Christian man.
We were having a conversation, he said I have a son that got straight A's through high school, got straight A's and college graduate guys degree and he's living in my basement playing video games and working at 10 and he keeps telling me I'm content that.
What do I do?
Best answer I got was after the media from John Kaiser, he said. Complacency is not content. Is that good?
Places it's not dependent, you know, Jackie tells us Tiki. First the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. God can bring things into your life that will help make your life better.
One of the things that is to characterize or the believer is to have courage in a day that's filled with adversity, isn't it? We live in a day that's.
At the at the end of the day of grace, we know, and the apostle Paul said that in the latter days perilous times shall come. Men shall be lovers of their own selves. And he lists 19 things. I think it is. And so we live in those days.
Men are lovers of their own selves, but we don't need to be afraid. We can take courage, and the reason is that we can have the Lord, a sense that the Lord is our helper.
Would you desire to have anyone else helping you?
You know, I just been doing a little bit of work on the cottage up at the top of the hill. We have a guest cabin and we have people come in the summer.
And I need a hand every now and then to hold something. And I have to call for my wife and she comes and she helps me. She holds something and I screw it up or whatever. And but to have the Lord, to have a sense that the Lord is working with you and helping you in the day of adversity is a strong, strong sense, gives a strong sense of courage to just press forward in the path of faith.
I just want to refer to Joshua chapter one. You think of some of these men of God and the their stories are told and you think they would have had the courage to just press forward and never be afraid. But it says in Joshua chapter one verse 2, the Lord said to Joshua, Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise go over this Jordan thou and all the this people under the land.
01:00:22
Which I do give them even to the children of Israel. And then a little bit further on it says in verse six, it says be strong and of a good courage. A little later on in verse seven, only be thou strong and very courageous. And then a little further on in verse 9, be strong and of a good courage, be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed. And then the last time is in verse 18, It's really the people of God now that speak to Joshua.
They say only be strong and of a good courage. And so the Lord spoke to him and said four times, Take courage, Joshua.
And so don't ever think that your older brethren sometimes aren't afraid of situations that develop and things that they feel might harm the people of God and.
Sometimes there is a little bit of fear. I don't know how often it's spoken of in the Scriptures. Fear not, but it's used. The little expression is used even in the Gospels. The Lord Jesus uses it. And so we have that tendency to fear, to be afraid. But what's the remedy? Have a sense that the Lord is helping us.
Have a sense of the presence of the Lord, have a sense of the grace of God. Cultivate the sense of the presence of the Lord, and walk in communion with Him. Anything that would hinder that communion with the Lord. Judge it, have it away, have it dealt with, and walk in fellowship in communion with the Lord.
So help me with this.
There's.
You and I are two very different brothers.
Some some of us here.
Are of a more timid nature.
Honestly, I'd rather be sitting right back there. That's where I'd rather be.
I was kind of dragged up here.
So.
Some of us have have a a more forward, a more.
A more bolder character. Some of us have a more timid character.
We have the apostle. He addresses Apollos in one portion, he addresses Timothy and another portion. They're both. They're both very, very different.
So can we take those, those two characters and put them together? How do we do this? You're giving us some good instruction here, but it's for all of us as if we're all the same. And I'm, I'm asking this is a question. How do we, how, how, how do I deal with this when I'm have a character that's much different than yours?
I don't have the answer brother.
But we each individually walk with God and we each individually are loved as a savior. We each individually ought to have a sense of his presence. And regardless of the temperament that is ours, the character we each there's only one person like you, brother Dave. There's only one person like what you were thankful.
Every single one of us is an individual. We have individual likes, dislikes. We have individual features that the Spirit of God has formed in every one of us. And at the time that we were sealed by the Spirit, He gave us each a gift, a spiritual gift to exercise.
We're all different, but we he's loved us as individuals, he'll love us. We'll keep our individuality into eternity.
And so He desires that in the condition that He has placed us, in the circumstances that he has placed us, that we would be satisfied with him and that we would take courage and walk in fellowship with Him through the wilderness scene. I just say that my expression, my answer to you, would be to walk with God in the circumstances that you are in, in the place where God has placed you in with us.
Satisfaction for the person and companionship of Christ.
01:05:03
It's not so much Brother Dave.
Of who you are, it's the God considered that's the voice. Keep that focus. It doesn't matter what you're doing, the whole you're going to prove his faithfulness and that's what's working.
But we still deal with it. We still deal with it and it's in our lives. You know, people laugh at me when I tell them I was painfully shy as a child, painfully shot, almost to the point of throwing up the social situation. Will God change that over time? But as Robert was reading some of the scriptures about fear and about trusting the Lord, I think there are two verses that have often been contrasted that I will.
What I'm afraid, I'll trust in the Lord. In the opposite of that is I will trust in the Lord and not be afraid. But there are times where fear comes in with every one of us. Courage.
Is being afraid and moving forward anyways. I have never admired my wife more than when I've watched her with fear and trembling move forward in the right direction. When you see that it's to be admired because being afraid, and you move forward because you believe that it's the right thing to do from the Word of God, in spite of the fear and friendly that is current. And even the world admires courage because it's one of the highest attributes that mankind has ever attained to.
Well, what about a Christian with whatever is facing them? They may be in fear, but they move forward anyway. So Dave, when you travel to Malawi, I think it takes some courage to do that. And others, whatever you're facing, if it's got fear down deep, you can still move forward. Take courage in the Lord and trust Him. Then even if you're trembling, you move forward. That's courageous and that's to be admired.
I was thinking of the.
The breastplate that was on the high priests garments. I guess we're familiar with the.
Description there the Onyx stones that were on the shoulders bearing the names of the 12 tribes of Israel that speaks of strength, but on the breastplate were 12 Stones.
And they were all different. You can read that in Exodus 2829. Each one was individually different. And I've enjoyed the thought. The Lord loves us the way we are. He knows our disposition, our weakness. In fact, the 1St man is not really looked upon as sinful. We all have likes and dislikes. This is an entirely apart from the question of sin.
So it's wonderful to know that the Lord as our High priest, he has a special love for each one of us. He understands us perfectly.
He understands our personalities and temperaments and what have you, and it doesn't excuse our sin. That's another thing. We don't want sympathy for our sin. We want to judge that unsparingly when it raises its ugly head in our lives.
But it's wonderful to know that the Lord is understanding. We were speaking at the supper table last night, that the Lord is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. He was.
A mistake made in Christendom is that the Lord had infirmities like we do. That's entirely erroneous doctrine. The Lord did not have infirmities. Infirmities are a result of sin.
Because we're part of the groaning creation in which we live.
The Spirit of God help with our infirmities.
To keep us from murmuring and grumbling, which I often fail in, but he doesn't remove the infirmities.
So isn't it wonderful that we can turn to the Lord as our great High Priest? We don't dwell upon the.
Wonderful provision that we have. Hebrews 4 and many other parts of this epistle brings before us a high priestly work of Christ. That was not so during his life down here. The Lord became High priest only in resurrection and ascension to the right hand of God.
01:10:02
There is a man up there and he understands the temptations that we go through, so it's been a comfort to me. We speak in being an education myself for years. We speak of the children having special needs.
What a lot is made of that in the educational circles? Well, we all are in that position. We all have special needs. The Lord understands we can turn to him in that time of feeling our weakness and that we're going to, we're going to.
We should be trembling where we're going to fall, but we can draw upon the resources. Every time we fail, it's because we do not avail ourselves of the resource that we have in the Lord at the right hand of God, a man, a man up there with all the feelings of a man.
And we don't we tremble and we don't our unbelief.
Had those of us who are older will remember Mr. HEHA Hole whose ministry I came up under as a young man. He says we are unbelieving believers Remember that Robert. So I think we can, it humbles us, but let us never excuse our failure and say, well this is my personality, I can't, I can't prevent doing this.
It may be something dishonouring to the Lord.
But this is the way I made No, no, we have a great high priest who is able to sucker to save to sucker to sympathize. How wonderful that resource is that right, David very nice. Thank you. In the world, counselors, coaches try to build self-confidence in people. Christian, there's no place for self-confidence not not a spiritual thing.
I mean, if I ask a brother who knows how to build a house, does he have confidence in the fact that to build the house? Yeah.
When it comes to spiritual things, there's something you can call Christ confidence.
And for a Christian, that is an important thing because in our lives, when we start out on the Christian pathway, God proves us and we prove him. And the more that happens over time and fear go.
Why was David unafraid when he came down and faced Goliath? Because he'd already proved him up in the mountain.
And he had learned to have confidence in his God, and knowing that his God walked with him, now we have Christ.
That Christ is with us, that he proves us and we prove Him. So over time, when you prove Him, why should you be afraid anymore? Now you may be surprised by something. If I jump out in the dark and you're walking through one of these trails and go boom, you'll jump. What you do next makes a difference. And that happens in all kinds of circumstances in our life.
Something will surprise, something will happen and we are startled and we react a certain way. What happens next? If you have price confidence, the fear will go and you will rest there. No matter how timid you are or how old you are, the same thing, the same circumstance can happen, each one, and the response may be slightly different, but it still comes from Christ conference having proved Him and He's proving us.
It's John, 56.
Before Sam, I would like to read 2 verses that.
It's interesting the difference between versus Psalm 56 and first of all, there's three.
What time I am afraid, I will trust your name and notice being afraid comes first.
OK, what are you doing? You're afraid.
But now notice the difference in verse 11.
In God have I put my trust. I will not be afraid.
Here he puts God first, and then what place is there first?
It doesn't, it doesn't. And so I find that it is true that fear sometimes is very strong when we get situations in life before us instead of the Lord. Keep the Lord before the 1St and then there's no place for fear. But it's because we get a looking at the situation. Can't handle this. This is too much for me.
01:15:00
Is it too much for the Lord?
So.
The worst day of my life was when.
We got the news. My wife at state for lymphoma.
Well, we didn't know it was that at first. He had a tumor the size of a grapefruit in her right long. We went home and we went together and cried together and went to sleep. Still with you.
Dear brother, normally.
Sends out the next morning I got up to turn my computer on and in bold letters. Be not afraid, only believe.
That was and that day three times. God brought that before us in the story of Jared.
The fear less and we began to trust the end of that story is that little girl live isn't it from that moment we do that God was going to save her life from that moment change.
We might just take note that there's a principle that Paul uses here and that is he quotes the passage of Scripture. And so he says, so that we may boldly say or take encourage the Lord is my helper, and I will not fear, what shall man do unto me while he's quoting this Psalm that you read? And so he says in verse 11, I will not be afraid. What shall, what can man do unto me? Well.
It's a good thing to have the word of God before us on a consistent basis. It's vital to have the word of God before us daily, hourly. It's not an option for a believer to read the word of God lackadaisically or every couple of days or whatever, but to search the Scriptures diligently, not only to learn the truth, but to feed your own soul. And so it's vital. So this is really the apostle Paul.
He didn't have his own copy of the Scriptures. I don't believe he memorized these things, and so he quoted them.
And so it was an encouragement to him. Well, if we go on to verse seven, he really begins a new subject here and Speaking of the oversight in the assembly. And I might just say that in Judaism they had an organized system and the high priest had authority and he had there were scribes and Pharisees and so on. So there was an order of things in Judaism.
And it was set up of God, the Levites serving in the ironic priesthood and so on. And there was authority. And so we could read Deuteronomy chapter 17. And if they had difficulty, they would go to the place where the Lord had chosen the place's name, and they would bring the matter before those that were there. And it would, there would be a judgement rendered and so on. Well, God has ordered and organized Christianity, you might say. There are those that God raises up in oversight.
And so he says, let's read it in Acts chapter 20.
Acts Chapter 20 and.
Verse 28.
Take heed, therefore, unto yourselves, and to all the flock over the which or wherein the Holy Ghost hath made you overseer. What's their responsibility? To feed the Church of God, which He had purchased with His own blood. So God loves His Church, He loves the Saints, and He raises up different ones that will be shepherds among His people.
And will preserve the flock, feed the flock. There is a work we could go into the work of a shepherd. But here we have in the last chapter of Hebrews. I think it's five references to those that are in oversight. And so this one here remember them which have the rule over you really should be the ones that have had the rule over us. Those that have passed on those that have taught us in the past and brought the truth that for us and we should.
Remember what they taught and walked in the same truth. And then it says imitate them in the same verse follower, imitate them, imitate their faith, the end of their conversation, their purpose of life. And then the third one would be in verse 17, those that are alive now obey them that have the rule over you. And then the fourth thing is submit yourselves. And then in verse 24, salute.
01:20:24
All them which have the rule over you and all the Saints they have Italy salute you. So there are five different words, five different terms that he uses in connection with oversight and these that are raised up of God by the Spirit of God to shepherd the Saints and that is really their under shepherds. Peter speaks of it. Let's read it in I think it's first Peter chapter 5.
First Peter chapter 5 and verse two feed the flock of God.
It's not the flock of the brethren, it's not the flock of anyone but God himself, the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly, but not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind. Neither is being Lords over God's heritage, but being in samples to the flock and when the Chief Shepherd shall appear.
He, he shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
So largely the work of oversight is not very glamorous, you might say.
And so the shepherd is sometimes kicked in the shins and he's unappreciated. But isn't it nice how the Spirit of God brings it out here in Hebrews? They were going to leave the temple and that whole organization of things with the high priest and so on, and they would be gathered together under the precious name of the Lord Jesus. They would be in the upper room and it would look like there wasn't the Spirit of God who just created, made them there.
Brought them there and it would be like a democracy. Everybody had an equal vote. But no, that's not the way it is. He is ordained that there would be order, that there would be those that would be raised up of the Spirit of God and that his people would be fed and they would be protected.
There's a couple of guards here. I believe in this verse for the leaders and the lead that are critical.
And the first one is that remember your leaders who have spoken to you the word of God.
A leader in Christianity is not somebody who leads according to their thoughts, gets a group rallying around them according to their beliefs. A leader in the Word of God is somebody who points you back to the word of God and can show you plainly that the Word of God says this word to remember those leaders. And for somebody who's leading, it is critical that we can lead according to the word of God. We've heard a lot of quotes here this afternoon.
And I think that we need to be careful on quotes because we can set brothers on par with the word of God.
Saying we can't make both, but we need to be careful that we are not making men synonymous with the word of God.
Leaders leave according to and back to the word of God, and then those who are led, it doesn't say imitate their conversation or their manner of life and consider their faith. It doesn't say imitate their personal exercises, their beliefs, their thoughts, their ministry, their mannerisms is not what it says. It says consider that and then imitate their faith.
Their faith, not what they do, not how they act. Consider how they do and how they act, but imitate their faith. Faith is intimately connected with the Word of God.
This helps us, those who lead, not to have the Saints rally around them and it helps us not to set a man or look around this room and say, well, that you know, Brother Nathan, he's a godly man. I'm going to try to imitate him and look like him and act like him because that must be the key to God limits. It is not. It is through faith.
It's helpful to notice in verse seven in the new translation, Mr. Darby's translation, a little more accurate. He uses the word conversation, considering the issue of their conversation, and then he has a note. It's very helpful. It's used to use it in different places, but their conduct, manner of life.
01:25:16
There is a manner of life that is consistent.
With that which is brought out before the Saints to feed the Saints and in a position of.
Being able to feed them and lead, take a lead in ministry perhaps, and those kinds of things. There is a consistency of the manner of life that is necessary, and I believe it's really referring to a consistent walk with the Lord in holiness.
And that the character of such a one is impeccable, that he's beyond reproach. He speaks of those that would desire to have the work of oversight. It's really Titus chapter one and first Timothy chapter 3. We don't have time to go into it. Our time is up. But really there is a character.
And a mode of life that is consistent ought to be consistent with one that is in a place of oversight.
I just like to say that the schedule has 10 or 530, so we can go to 5:15.
We have 15 more minutes. Thank you.
Well, maybe we maybe we should turn to Titus chapter one then.
We're not going to make comments on all of these differences, but these qualifications, you might say.
Now elders were.
Ordained of the apostles. They were selected by the apostles, and here Titus was an Apostolic delegate.
And he was given the instructions as to how to identify one that would be suitable for the work of oversight as an elder. And so he says in verse.
Let's read verse five, Titus chapter one for this cause left four and creep that thou should have set in order the things that are wanting and ordained or established elders in every city, as I had appointed thee. If any be blameless. The husband of one wife having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly for a Bishop must know it should be oversee or must be blameless.
As the steward of God, not self willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre, but a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, or good things, or goodness, sober, just, holy, temperate, holding fast the faithful word, as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers, that is, those that would argue against the truth.
Where there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, especially, they have the circumcision whose mouths must be stopped. And so God is very careful to outline the characters, the features that would be necessary in one that would take oversight, exercise oversight among his people. Isn't that nice to get this list I think of. We've just been Speaking of the husbands and wives, but the husband of one wife. Why does it say that?
It means it shows that the brother.
Has stick to itiveness. He has devotedness. He's devoted to one woman Christ for all eternity will be devoted to one bride. Yes, he will have an earthly people. They are presented as in the affectionate way that the Spirit of God refers to them as a bride, but he'll only have one wife, only one bride. And so you and I need to as those that are in oversight.
Need to be very devoted to Christ.
These are the these are the qualifications. These are the qualifications for the office of elder, I believe, or or overseer.
Which is an office, not a gift. And not every elder brother is is in that position.
01:30:05
The the qualifications are given to us here, as Robert has read in.
Titus There is no official appointment now for an elder or a Bishop or or an overseer.
But each one of us can cultivate these qualities that are listed here essential for an overseer or a Bishop or a guide who is going to.
Lead the children of God.
Administratively, really, it's administration that is prominent in an office.
But all these qualities, these moral qualities are not only for them. We should cultivate them ourselves. Even though we don't feel that we occupy that position of that office, we should cultivate those qualities. You believe that, that Robert? Yes, it's necessary in all of us, but he's saying particularly that there, if we could put it this way, that there are must have.
On the list that God has morally so a man might disqualify himself if he was.
A bigamist, he might have two wives in Africa or something. Well, he couldn't be in a place of oversight because he was disqualified in this matter. But it's nice to see, it's encouraging to see how the Spirit of God desired that the people of God would be cared for and that they would have proper examples. And they were to consider those that had followed the Lord, consider their lives and the end of their lives.
Brother, I think prayed this morning about those that have young people that have a good beginning, but some of them don't have a very good ending. And Brother Gordon used to often remind us that it was necessary for us to have a good beginning, but make sure you have a good ending. And so there are brethren, older brethren that began well in the assembly. They began well, they lived well, They were stable in their assembly life all their lives, and then they ended well.
Where to imitate their faith and to remember what they taught. This is the passage. This is really the force of the passage. Where to remember what they taught us, and to go on in the same things.
Find it helpful to see the difference between Titus.
And the instructions to and overseer bills and Timothy, he's not full to appoint or Dave elders, have you simply given the qualifications for them? And I think that is helpful for today.
You determine them by their moral qualifications. We live in a dead ruin, and sometimes, perhaps, there's no one.
That can fulfill that. I mean the fact that it says here that Timothy Free must be blameless.
That's a pretty heavy qualification. I don't know how many of us can fulfill that.
I remember a brother in a certain assembly of Bolivia who said, you know her other night. I really like to be a help to my brethren here in.
Alaska and he says that.
I can't fulfill those qualifications, I said. I'd like you to read verse one, please.
This is a true saying. It is if a man desire the office of official the desired.
I say, I see you have that desire. Let me tell you that. The desire.
Do what you can. We're not going to call you an elder patient and do what I think that's what we need to be encouraged to those of us who are perhaps in the Senate that needs help.
Do what you do. We're not going to be following any official way, but.
It is beautiful that you can be occupied in that way.
Maybe.
Encourage younger brother, and where there are perhaps assemblies where there are brethren of confidence to cultivate, fellowship with them.
01:35:08
Can I first went from Walla Walla to Oak Park, IL? There was an older brother there.
John L Airson he was.
Grandfather Holidays and.
And I was only 18 years old. I wasn't scared.
And I remember I tried to be as polite as I could. And hello, Mr. How are you tonight?
You're right around.
I'm doing something wrong. I don't know what it is. So I decided I would wait for him to come to me. You know, that turned it around and then he came to me. And hypocritically. But I think it is helpful for you to definitely.
Drive to smoke the village, ask him questions about scripture. See I have this question. Could you help me understand this? It is it's very helpful in the long run. So I just encourage when the young people to do that here. We're told in our chapter to remember in like Robert said as those that have perhaps passed on because it talks about the cans of their conversation.
That verse 17 is for those that.
Exists now obey them which have the rule over you or your shepherds, your guys, and submit yourselves for they watch for your souls as they that must give account. They may do it with joy and not with grief, and that is unprofitable to do. Those are the ones that are now so listen to your brother doesn't mean they always understand, but take what they say and take it to the Lord and let them hear it.
Often been said is their faith we are to follow, not their failures.
And too often.
Leaders have have been.
A source of sorrow in the assemblies because they have influence.
And they lend that influence to the decision they make, and it may not be according to the word of God, and they get a following and it leads to much sorrow in the assembly. So it's their faith we are to follow.
In in humility.
I realized we're just about done here.
Maybe just to breakdown this subject of oversight for us.
The the scriptures that we've had read to us.
With regards to oversight earned 4 places we've had them read to us there in Acts 20.
And then we had first Peter 5.
Then we have the Scriptures read to us in Timothy and in Titus.
Oversight.
Looked at in the local assembly has to do.
In this translation with bishops and deacons.
There's only one epistle.
In the New Testament, that is addressed to bishops and deacons only one.
And it's the book of the Philippians.
So we we might ask the question, what is the difference between bishops and deacons if we could?
Break it down simply without, with just a little bit of time. The deacons.
Are those that look after the practical needs of the Saints.
The bishops are those that look after the spiritual needs of the Saints, and they're not isolated. There's a crossover. Someone saw to it that there was chairs set up for us here. Someone saw to us that there was some negotiation with this, this Conference Center that we're going to get fed. They were going to have rooms. There's those that have looked after the names that came in there are those, all those things that are looked after.
And that's a Deacon or a deaconess work.
The the bishops is more difficult.
01:40:03
Because we have the gifts brought to us in three different places. We have them brought to us in, in First Corinthians 12. We have them brought to us in Romans 12, and we have them brought to us, of course, in Ephesians, Ephesians 4. But a Bishop does the work of some of those gifts. Even our brother John is brought before us. It's an office. But there may not be the gift of a teacher in an assembly. There may not be the gift of an evangelist in assembly.
There may not be the gift of a pastor in an assembly, but it's those who are bishops, those who are in that position of oversight that do that kind of work in a local setting. And I think that's helpful for us because.
Primarily if we look at the the elders that were called in Ephesus in Acts 20 and those that are referred to in first Peter 5 primarily.
Their responsibility was to provide food for the people of God. In both cases, one says feed the Church of God, the other says feed the flock. And that's such an important position of those in oversight to see that the Saints get fed. Feeding the Saints doesn't mean I just present something I've enjoyed. It's having a sense of what the Saints need and providing.
Food for them. We're very careful in providing food for our children. We're very careful about that. There needs to be carefulness in providing food for the Saints. And so that is really what those in oversight primarily do in the local setting.
I find it helpful today to see that bishops and deacons are offices in the Church as the House of God.
But the gifts are given to the Church as the body of Christ. That distinction is helping.
277 We have crisis, the Good Shepherd in John 10 and the Chief Shepherd first Peter 5, and here in Hebrews 13.
He's the great shepherd of the sheep and seeing him through 77.
Yeah.
We.
01:45:00
Are.
Sad about everyone.
Yeah.
Openings
Hymnsing 2
Conviction vs Condemnation
Talk—Michael Hapanowicz
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.
Romans chapter 8, verse one.
There is therefore now.
No condemnation.
To them which are in Christ Jesus.
Let's pray.
God and Father, we have to admit that our hearts are prone to wander and we feel it.
They're prone to leave the God that we do love.
And so we just pray that you would take and seal them for your courts above. We just pray for help too, for the word to be shared now.
For the speaker to have something for myself delivered from the heart to the heart. So we ask this in Jesus name, Amen.
I wonder if we have in the audience, are there any 910 or 11 year olds here in the audience tonight? I've got an eye. OK, There's a, there's a few 910 and 11 year olds. You know, I remember being that age and it really bothered me, the thought.
Of these these messages in my head.
Did they come from God or did they come from Satan?
And, you know, you get a little older and I think you get better at.
Discerning the voice of the Savior. And I'm not that old now, so maybe I'll eventually grow out of it, but I haven't.
Yet to grow out of the need to discern the difference between those two things.
And may be described in that way. It's not something that you can identify with.
But I think that what I'm talking about is something that others have experienced here as well, and So what I want to call it is the difference between conviction.
And condemnation.
The difference between conviction and condemnation. Now, why is it important to be able to distinguish the difference between those two things?
Well, I think it's helpful for our own souls.
But there is a more important reason than that.
And that is that God is robbed.
When we listen to the voice of condemnation, the.
We had.
In the verse that we read here in Romans chapter 8, verse one, there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. When he says that there's no condemnation, I think it's more than just the fact that you and I are not judicially condemned, but that in that nation, part of the word condemnation, there is something to do with our experience here in this life.
And he says there's no condemnation to them.
That are in Christ Jesus, so we can say authoritatively if there is an experience in the soul of the believer.
Of feeling condemnation.
It does not come from God. So the first thing that I want to do is I want to look at the source.
Of conviction, I want to look at the source Of condemnation, I want to look at an overarching principle for distinguishing the one from the other. And then we'll look at 3 examples. So we're already 5 minutes into our meeting. Turn to Psalms chapter 51.
Psalms, chapter 51.
And verse 4.
This is David speaking. The header of the Psalm is to the chief musician a Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him after he had gone into Bathsheba. And he says in verse four Against thee the only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight, that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest.
And be clear when thou judgest.
You know, header of the Psalm told us that this was when he had done this in with Bathsheba and he says here against thee he's referring to God, against thee the only have I sinned and it's like.
Really, David?
00:05:01
Because I can think of some other people that you sinned against in this example. I don't believe in this verse.
That there is a denial of the way in which our sin effects other people. But rather Psalms 51 verse four is a recognition that at the end of the day, every sin is a sin against God and He is the ultimate victim of every sin that you and I have done.
And David has two implications.
Of that fact that it is against God, and only against God that the sin was committed, He says here that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest. The fact that your sin is against God means that he has the the prerogative to bring to your attention.
The fact that that sin took place.
And the second implication is.
That thou.
May be clear when thou judgest as the victim of that sin crime. God has the authority to pardon or pass judgment on the sin that took place.
Now turn to Revelation. This is Revelation chapter 12.
Revelation 12 and verse 10 and I heard a loud voice saying, in heaven now is come salvation and strength, and the Kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ, for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God.
Day and night. If we had read the previous verse, verse nine, it refers to him here as Satan.
Accusing.
Believers is a full time job for Satan.
Now we were using the word condemnation as a sea, so it fits better with conviction, but we could use the word accusation.
Accusation are brought against you on a 24/7 basis. Now consider the implication of who brings the accusation. Was your sin against Satan?
Was he the victim of that crime?
No, he wasn't. So does he have the authority to release you from the claims of that sin?
No, he doesn't. And it's more than that either. He doesn't have the desire. You know, I was thinking of the example of Judas.
It tells us in Luke that Satan entered into him and led him to betray the Lord Jesus.
And then we find that later Judas regrets it and he goes out and he hangs himself.
And I don't know that this scripture ever draws a direct connection to Satans involvement in the suicide of Judas, but I believe that he must have played a part. And so you think about that Satan first led Judas to do the sin.
And then he used the fact that he had done the sin to bludgeon him with into despair and ultimately suicide.
That was mean, very mean.
He's not going to be any kinder to you.
And so there is no confession, there is no sorrow, there is no repentance, however thorough, that will itself silence the voice of condemnation. Why is condemnation so implacable?
Because the source.
Has neither the desire nor the authority to release you from the claims of that sin. So let's turn to 2nd Corinthians Chapter 7.
And I just want to look at an overarching principle for distinguishing the difference between conviction and condemnation. Verse nine. Second Corinthians, Chapter 7, verse 9.
Now I rejoice not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance. For you were made sorry after a godly manner, that you might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation, not to be repented of, but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
00:10:12
For behold this self same thing that he sorrowed after a godly sort. What carefulness is wrought in you?
Yeah. What clearing of yourselves? Yeah. What indignation? Yeah, What fear? Yeah, what vehement desire? Yeah, what zeal. Yeah. Yeah. What revenge. And all these things. You have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
Sorrow over sin.
Is not necessarily a good thing.
Does that strike you as odd?
What does he say here?
There is worldly sorrow.
Not good, and there is godly sorrow.
Which is good.
How can you tell the difference between the two?
You can tell the difference.
Between the two, by the effect that it has. Look at verse 10. He says there godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation, not to be repented of, but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
The principle here that you can tell the difference between a thing by the effect that it has. This verse is the mother of 1000 applications, and we obviously don't have time to go through 1000 examples, but I just wanted to run through three things real quick with you. First of all, consider the statement. I am so unworthy.
But thank God that he saved me anyhow.
Versus I am so unworthy.
So would Why would God even care to hear my praise?
Both statements have an identical start.
How can you tell the difference between the two though? You can tell the difference between the two by the effect that it has in the soul. So I just want to give you 2 examples of how this principle works out in the context of what we're discussing, conviction versus condemnation. Let's give this to you really quick.
Conviction.
Leads to repentance that produces worship.
Condemnation leads to a self focus that stifles praise.
Conviction entertained restores communion.
Condemnation entertained, destroys.
Communion.
Do you see how God is robbed in that by when we listen to the voice?
Of condemnation.
There's one other thing I want to mention on this verse. He says that he makes an interesting comment. He says godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation, not to be repented of. Why does he say it's not to be repented of? And I've sometimes thought about this, you know, have you ever done anything that was right and you regretted it?
Now maybe you're thinking you haven't, but let me give you an example and see if you change your mind. OK, say someone does something to you or says something to you that's really annoying. It's really offensive and you want to bite their head off, but instead you bite your tongue and then later you think I should have given it to them.
Right, you did the right thing and not giving it to them, so to speak, but later you kind of wished you had.
That that is, that's repenting of a good thing. But I think there's a more particular reason in connection with the subject for why he says that in this chapter. I think the reason he says that godly sorrow is not to be repented of is because.
Worldly sorrow is to be repented of.
And you might be thinking, so now I have to feel bad about feeling bad. And it's like, look, relax. It's to be repented of in the sense that it is to be abandoned. It's to be forsaken. So we have 3 minutes so we don't have time to develop the examples, but I just want to run through a couple. One is in Luke chapter 22.
00:15:11
Two verse 32.
He says this is the Lord speaking. He says of of Peter.
But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not, and when thou art converted, strengthen by brethren.
Satan says that your failure means you can never be used again.
And God says that there is fruitfulness on the other side.
Of restoration.
The Lord told Simon, I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not, and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. Now I have a question, could could Peter of strengthen his brethren while he was in the act of denying the Lord Jesus?
No, he couldn't. And it's not just a question of the Lord choosing not to use him in that moment.
He could not strengthen his brethren while what he was doing was robbing them of courage.
Which is denial of the Lord Jesus necessarily must have done so God was robbed.
Of the service that he should have received from Peter by that sin.
Now, what would happen if Peter had listened?
To the voice of condemnation and said because I've denied the Lord.
I can't be used by him anymore.
God would have been robbed of the service due him from Peter.
Twice.
From the same sin.
And Satan can get a lot of mileage out of our sin when we listen.
To the voice of condemnation, so for his glory.
It's important to distinguish between the two. The next one I want to look at is in First Corinthians.
Chapter 10.
We'll just go through this one pretty quickly.
Can't read my own writing.
Umm.
Let's see, no temptation hath taken you. Verse 13. Verse 13. There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man. But God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it.
Satan says that you are uniquely sinful.
God says there is no temptation that you face that you find appealing that someone else hasn't also faced and found appealing to.
There's more to be said on that, but we don't have time, so let's just go to Romans. Romans chapter 2 and verse 4.
Romans chapter 2 and verse four. Or despises thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance, and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.
Satan says that your sin excludes you.
From the goodness of God.
And God says, my goodness is a reason for you to turn from your sin.
We're really out of time, but I just wanted to share this. You know, we think about some of the reasons why it's important to be able to distinguish conviction from condemnation. I think one of the reasons is that you may be given an opportunity to identify in the life of another believer that they are experiencing condemnation. And I'm going to speak of it as if it's a particular individual or situation, but I can think of a couple examples.
Of people where there was a marked sin in their life and they repented, they turned from it and it was dealt with in the fullest possible manner and years later some tragedy struck in their life.
And they said that God is punishing me for what I did.
00:20:02
And here that breaks my heart because what they're saying is my sin places me outside of the goodness of God.
And it's a lie we need to be able to identify in the life of each other.
Where there is conviction and condemnation, and this is especially important for you young people who will one day be shepherds to be able to identify.
In someone else's life, that because damage can be done to a soul that is experiencing condemnation and if you treat them as if they're under conviction and an opportunity is missed.
If they are experiencing conviction and you treat it as if it's condemnation. And so we need it for our own souls, we need it for the souls of each other, We need it for God's glory to be able to identify the difference between these two, that we might listen to the voice of conviction and heed it.
And we might not listen to the voice of condemnation and rebuke it.
And so I just hope that this is helpful for us to be able to see.
The source of conviction comes from God, who has the authority and the desire to release you from the claims of your sin. Condemnation comes from Satan, who has neither the authority nor the desire to release you from the claims of your sin. You can tell the difference between the two by the effect that it has in your own soul. And there are examples from Scripture where you can go line by line and say, how does this message compare to what's in the word of God? Because.
Your experience of condemnation might be different than my experience of condemnation, and there are certainly other messages than those 3 verses that we looked at. But like I said, I think that overarching principle is helpful for us in being able to identify. Just ask the question, what effect is this message having in my own soul? So let's just close in prayer. God and Father, we thank Thee for the truth of Thy word.
And how it answers.
To really the experiences that we go through in the messages.
That we hear and we just pray, Lord, if there's any soul here tonight that is struggling.
Under the voice of condemnation that they would turn to your word to find the truth about what it says on the matter.
And we think of if there are any soul who is experiencing conviction that they might heed the warning, and if the two are mingled together, would they be able to separate the one from the other? We ask Lord, that we would be of a help in each other's lives in identifying these things for your glory, that you would not be robbed of worship, you would not be robbed of praise, you would not be robbed of service, and you would not be robbed of the delight that your heart has.
In our hearts, delighting in the measure of our acceptance. So we ask this in Jesus name.
Amen.
Not Ashamed
Children—Don Mackewich
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.
Good morning, everyone.
Welcome to Sunday school, we're glad you're here. Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers here as well. Let's begin with #18.
And by the way, there are two different pieces of paper with songs. There's the children's one, and there also is another one that looks like this. We'll be using both of them.
But we're going to start off with #18 off of the children's one.
Verse two, it says still today he's calling, seeking those to serve him, some to tell the story of his love so true, some to seek the lost ones.
Bringing them to Jesus. If you love the Savior, he has work for you #18.
There were 12 designs.
You drink the sun above you, I assign the truth.
Thank you for all of you. He asked all my students. He asked all my students.
With your ideas, disciples, I am what I knew.
He has all students. He has fallen.
And for his disciples we must work, must do.
Today is gone.
To tell the story of the thoughts are true.
To sing the last one's breaking manages.
If you love the same girl, he has worked for you.
He has pursued. He has gone pursued.
In religious disorder closely his work must.
All right, this is how it's going to work. If you have a favorite, you can go ahead and raise your hand. I'll try to call on some. Remember, we're at a conference setting, so it's a lot more people than normal, probably in your local assembly. So I won't be able to get to everyone. OK, We'll try to sing as many songs as we can, maybe in the next 10 minutes, but I won't be able to get to everyone. And if your song is not on the song sheet?
And it's one from back home in Sunday school. You can give that one out, too. We'll try to sing it by memory.
If we start with you, what would you like?
#20.
#20.
Wide. Wide.
Household.
And my child of despair.
For his birthday, just behind his body.
Anybody over here?
Yes, Caleb.
No.
Number would #12.
#12.
Leav.
ITT.
Dragon House, you have to go to God. The show in the shore. The shirts are shortly fall.
00:05:48
Thank you, Caleb. Yes.
16.
Salvation is.
Trust Him to save him from his sin. A Savior comes with peace and joy to dwell in front, within.
Salvation, salvation, salvation, forgiveness, free for Jesus side for sinners.
One grace John 316 will do. God love the world and gave his Son to die for me and you.
Salvation, salvation I get the God is created for Jesus side for sin, mercy by you and me.
Salvation is for us.
The word of God explained, She come by the shepherd cannot be lost again, or they shall never perish. Some what's some promising? So they are only happy when they follow his command.
Salvation, salvation, salvation, salvation. The gift of God is free.
Or she is outside for emergency. Thank you and.
Do you believe that?
Do you really believe that?
Jesus died for sinners, even you and me. Thanks for giving that one out. That was a good one. How about over here? Yes.
We can do both. We'll do start with this one here first. What's your name?
#15.
123-4567.
8082.
7654321.
5678, 9654 3/2.
Grace and grace and so on.
And 987654 tell the story or endor.
If someone asked you, are you ashamed of the gospel?
What would you say?
It says tell the story or, and, or are we ashamed of it? We'll talk more about that later. I want you to think about that. And we'll also talk about what that big word ashamed means.
#5.
00:10:01
Around the throne.
Singing Glory.
Glory, glory to God.
I bring.
Bright and 1St, where all this peace and joy and love have gave the children their singing Lord.
Come on.
Because the singer Shine is love to wash up with person.
I'll watch it. That was precious. Lovely. Hold the wire and wire and clean. Insanely hold.
Thanks for the Saviors grace on earth. They love to sing, so then they'll see this blasted face and praise people that I am singing glory.
Glory.
To God.
All right, we're going to pray and then we're going to sing a song or two off of the other piece of paper that we have. OK.
Our blessed God and Father, we are so thankful that we can be here this morning, this Mother's Day, beautiful day here in North Carolina for Sunday school. We want to learn more about the Lord Jesus and we want to open up His precious Word and learn from it.
We think of the dear children and everyone who's here.
We pray that they would have listening ears in an open heart to the message.
And if they've not accepted, thee is their own personal savior.
We pray that they would do it this morning.
And for those who know the Lord Jesus as their Savior.
We pray that they would not be ashamed.
Of the Gospel.
And that they would tell others.
May we be stirred up, encouraged as we spend some time together.
Enjoying thy precious word, and we ask this in thy worthy and precious name.
Amen.
There should be another piece of paper song sheet that looks like this.
And before we say our verse this morning, we're going to sing our verse.
OK.
So when I was a young boy.
My mother would take the Sunday school verse, the verse in the Sunday school paper, and she would set it to a tune that us children would recognize or that we would learn and would help us memorize God's Word.
And even though I'm 45 years old, I still remember many of those songs.
And now my mother does or yes, my mother does it for her grandchildren, Jewel, Caleb, William and Cambria. And I enjoy hearing them sing the songs each week. And so we thought we put it on the paper. We're going to teach it to you to this morning, the verse for this week. And then for the dads and moms, we have the verse for the next three weeks. But first we'll start with this week. So we're not going to sing all of them, but I do want to sing this one here because this one goes with our memory verse. I am not ashamed of the gospel of.
Price for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes. So the tune that we're going to sing this one to is the tune to the song The Wild Little Donkey. You guys remember that song there once was a wild little donkey, So we're going to sing that to that tune. OK, everybody see where it is? It's on the front side of the paper here. OK, nice and loud. You guys want to stand up and help me with this one.
Too early, I'll come out here.
I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ and the power of God.
The power of God with salvation.
Unto everyone that believes.
00:15:04
I have got the shame of my soul.
Of grasses, of power, of God.
Salvation.
Unto everyone that believes, I have not seen that my gospel of Christ is the power of God.
The power of God to salvation.
Until everyone that believes.
That sounded really, really good. Thank you. And so for dads and moms, parents, grandparents and grandparents, the Sunday school paper for this coming week starting today will be for by grace. Are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves. That is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. So you can take that verse and sing it to the tune Jesus saves. And then if you turn over to the next page.
It would be a week from now. The verse is going to be the Son of Man has not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. Luke 956 And you would sing that tune to one door and only one. And then there's one more verse to finish out the month.
So again, we grew up with that and my mother still does it for my grand or for our children, her grandchildren. And it's a chance for them to be able to practice singing the verses and.
Hopefully storing them up in their hearts. There is a QR code for the Facebook page that my mother has and you can go on there and you can also get the get these verses as well and the the song. So they go way back and she keeps putting them on there. So a great resource. All right, Hopefully we've stored God's word in our heart. Who would like to start by saying it first?
We'll probably start by having everybody say so I'm going to step up on the stage if you can.
See it up here or if you've got it stored in your heart.
We're going to start with this one over here all together. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth. Romans 116.
All right.
Christ confidence right, Mr. Levitic?
Right. So sometimes it might be a little scary to try to say it in front of everybody, but think of what Mr. Luba Chick said yesterday. It's not about self-confidence, Christ confidence.
I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God and salvation to everyone that believes. Romans 116. Very good, nice job. We give him a round of applause each time.
Who else?
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto everyone that believeth. Romans 116.
He knew I was going to ask him. We've been practicing.
I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. What is the power of God unto salvation that everyone believe if Romans 116.
I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God into salvation to everyone that believed. Believeth Woman's 116 Good job.
I'm not ashamed of the dashboard, but it is the power of that unto selfish and unto everyone happily. What was 116?
Doesn't it make dad and moms hearts feel good when they hear their children say I'm not ashamed of the gospel?
Romans 116 I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God.
To everyone that believeth Romans.
00:20:02
116 Excellent.
Couple more.
I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes. Romans 116. Excellent.
For I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.
For.
Is the power of God to anyone that believes Romans 160?
Well, I'm not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power.
Of God.
Unto.
Salvation.
To everyone that believeth Romans chapter chapter one, verse 16.
I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believe of Romans 116.
Excellent.
Do you mind if I tell a short story? It's a true story.
I have the same problem back home in the classroom and mine doesn't work on my shirt so usually I carry it around. I'm holding it in like this or I'll like I was doing having the students talk into it so.
This is a true story. I did tell this one two years ago at Michigan Family Camp, but it happened in the month of May.
There were two boys that came to the Gemini Gospel outreaches back home in Michigan and Vacation Bible schools. Their names were Mason and Justin. Do you remember those names? Mason and Justin? Mason was probably about two years older than his brother Justin and when they first started coming, Mason was probably about.
8 years old and Justin was about six years old. Are there any children here who maybe are six, 7-8 years old right now?
Are there any children who are going to be six, 7-8 years old in a few years?
Good. Are there anyone, is there anyone here who was 6-7 or eight a few years ago?
Mason and Justin, they came to the Gemini Gospel outreaches and they heard the gospel. They came to Vacation Bible School and they heard the gospel. They heard Richard Makwich give the gospel. They heard Dave Van Holstein give the gospel. They heard Tim Roach give the gospel. You might have heard Mr. Bullard give the gospel. They heard me give the gospel. They heard it many, many times.
They heard many different verses.
They heard many different gospel illustrations, two boys hearing the same message.
Mason, the older boy.
Believe the gospel and accepted the Lord Jesus as His Savior.
And I remember one time at one of the gospel outreaches, Brent Missoula asked if the boys, the ones there, could say Jesus is my Lord and Savior. And he was able to say it publicly. It was very precious.
But you know what? Mason's brother Justin, who heard the same gospel messages, he didn't believe it.
Or maybe he was putting it off.
Or for whatever reason, he never accepted the Lord Jesus as his Savior.
Well, those two boys who came, they grew up and they eventually became teenagers.
And eventually into their early 20s.
Two years ago, Justin who had got a motorcycle or a crotch rocket, one of those fast bikes.
Was riding his bike.
And going too fast.
And swerved out of the way.
Of another vehicle and he lost control.
And he was killed instantly.
This is the young man in his early 20s.
Who heard the Gospel?
And he didn't accept the Lord Jesus as his Savior.
Where do you think he is right now?
And is he going to get out of there?
No, and so we went to the funeral.
And I was there at the funeral and you go to a funeral where somebody's not saved. It's very sad, sad event. A lot of the ones there were dressed in their black or Gray clothes. Quite a few of them were standing around smoking.
00:25:17
The one pickup truck had its tailgate down and they're passing some beer around.
This was a sad, sad scene.
A bunch of America's youth.
Late teens, early 20s.
Standing around without hope. Sad.
What can we do for these people?
How could these people be helped?
Is there any way that their lives could be changed? Is there any way that they could have the same joy that you and I have?
What do you think?
She said. I think that others can tell them about the gospel, and that's where we're going with this.
The problem in our society is not going to be solved by electing a new president. Do you believe that that's not going to change those young people's future? Not a new president. It's not going to change their lives if we send them to counseling.
It's not going to change their lives as we pass.
Whatever, let, whatever laws they pass, what's going to change their lives is what we're talking about this morning.
The gospel of Jesus Christ that will change their lives. Our verse says For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes, believeth. Do you know who said that or who wrote that verse?
He's one of my heroes. I've never met him.
But I love his writings. I love his Savior. Who is it, Paul. And would he know anything about the grace of God and the power of God?
I heard a loud yes over here.
Do we know anything about his life before he came to know the Lord Jesus as his Savior?
Yeah, what was he doing?
Persecuting Christians. Satan to hear.
Killing God's people. Killing God's people.
Killing God's people, What else was he doing?
He was, he was killing God's people and pulling, putting them in jail. Yeah.
Don't need the microphone for him. He was blind. Well, his vision was changed, so you're kind of getting ahead of us. But boy, he was on the wrong Rd. wasn't he? He was hurting Christians. He was imprisoning, wanting them to be killed. You think what's going to change this man's life? Would a new president change his life? Maybe some new legislation? Would that help change his life? Maybe going to counseling and therapy?
No, he needed something that would change his life. You know he was dead in the trespasses and sins.
He was killing Christians. He needed someone or something to change his life. But God had his eye on him. And God has his eye on you this morning. He sees right down through this roof. He's right down into this roof in this room. And God had his eye on Paul. And as you were saying, the light shone through.
And Paul got converted, didn't he? He put his faith and trust in the Lord Jesus.
And he went from being the man who is having others persecuted and killed to being the one who is spreading the gospel.
The worst of the worst, he calls himself. You know what? He calls himself in First Timothy. Do you guys remember that?
He calls himself the chief of something.
The chief of sinners. He was the chief of sinners, but God had his eye on him, and he has his eye on you. This morning in the gospel, Paul's life was changed, and your life can be changed as well. What is the gospel?
Here it is very simply the gospel is Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. But before I go any further, I want to back up.
Each one of us is born in sin.
Do you believe that?
Each one of us is born with a sinful nature that wants to do bad things.
00:30:00
And do our sins go away on their own?
What if I decide I'm just going to ignore them?
They're still there. What if I decide I want to ignore my credit card balance? Is it still there? It doesn't go away if I don't have a balance, but if I was to call up.
PNC and say I'm just going to ignore my credit card balance. Would you let's just call that good? Do you think they would say, Oh yeah, no, they probably are very happy that the interest rate is way up here now. OK, Our sins don't just go away.
That's not good. And what happens when we die in our sins?
Yeah, we sure don't go to heaven in our sins.
Does anyone want to go to hell?
You wouldn't be able to see your dad or mom again, might not be able to see your brother or sister again. Hopefully they're not going there. We don't want anyone to go to hell. So this is where the gospel comes in. God saw us in our need and in our sins and on our way to hell. And he provided his son, the Lord Jesus to die on Calvary's cross. And there on Calvary's cross, the Lord Jesus was punished for your sin and my sin.
If, as John mentioned yesterday, last night, if we will repent and put our faith and trust in Him.
And when the Lord Jesus was on the cross, a soldier put a spear on his side in what came out.
Blood and water came out, didn't it? And it's the blood of Jesus Christ that cleanseth us from all sin. And when we put our faith and trust in Jesus, we can have our sins forgiven. The gospel can change our lives. It's changed my life. Has it changed your life? Have you accepted the Lord Jesus as your savior? Or are you still kind of thinking about it?
Don't know? That's an honest answer. It's important that we start thinking about these things. When is a good time to get saved now? Well, how about tomorrow?
No, today is a good time. Did you know that the Bible doesn't say tomorrow is a good time to be saved? It says now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.
In fact, it also says.
I'm going to get my Bible. Listen to this. Verily, verily John 525 Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live. So this is I wanted to just get this part done taken care of first. If you don't know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, can you share the gospel with others?
You can.
However, the most important thing is is that you get yourself saved first, right? And when you accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, then you have a choice. You can decide to tell others about Him.
Or you can decide to keep it a secret.
Is that a good idea? No. So let's go back to our verse. I want to talk about the word ashame, so I'm going to step up on the stage. Can you kind of track me as I'm going this way?
It says I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. What does ashamed mean? It means hesitant or unwilling to do something because of fear or embarrassment.
We all know what it's like to be kind of afraid of what our friends will think, right?
Oh, you're a Christian?
I'm kind of afraid of that. We don't like that. Oh, you know, Jesus says you're I'm not playing with you.
And then they go to church on Sunday, we go swimming in the pool.
Fear.
Hesitancy. Embarrassment.
Should we be ashamed of the Gospel?
Should be ashamed of the Gospel, Brother Tony.
No.
So this is where we're going to need to ask the Lord's help, and I want to challenge us these last 15 minutes. This is where I want to take the Sunday school from here. We have a great opportunity with everyone here to think about how we can be bold and courageous for the Lord in sharing the gospel because it's not something that we should be ashamed of, is it?
Ashamed means to be unwilling to do something because of fear or embarrassment.
Some people are afraid to come stand up and speak. There's a real fear.
Underneath it, it says I gave you some examples. I was ashamed to be seen with him.
Or I am ashamed to admit that I don't know the answer.
00:35:02
I left the blank for the last one, it says I am.
Ashamed of the Gospel of Christ.
Oh good. I like hearing that. I am not ashamed and that's what I want to try to stir up. Or as Bob Tony would say, I want to encourage you, challenge you. Let us not be ashamed of the gospel of Christ. So I have up here as our third exhibit.
Fill in the blank question. We're having school this this morning. I am ashamed of the gospel of Christ. Which one would you check off this morning? Would you say I am sometimes ashamed of the gospel of Christ?
Usually ashamed not.
I hope we can all say not. I have to say that I I sometimes AM.
I sometimes AM, and I think that's all natural, that we are OK. I don't think anyone could stand up here and say I'm not ashamed every single time, but we want to have the mindset of not being ashamed.
And how can we have that mindset? I'm going to back up here. Did you know that fear is a spiritual?
And this verse tells us very clearly that God has not given us the spirit of fear.
When you go to share the gospel with your friend or coworkers or someone at school, did you know that that fear is not coming from God?
Who do you think that's coming from?
Because he doesn't want you to share the gospel.
Pay close attention to this God hath not given us the spirit of fear.
So when we're at school or at work or with our friends. And that fear is not coming from God.
The devil doesn't want you to share the gospel. He doesn't want people to get saved.
God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of sound mind.
God will give you the strength, the courage, the boldness to tell others about Him. You guys remember that song in Sunday school? This little light of mine? I'm going to let it shine. The devil wants us to hide it under a bushel. He doesn't want us to tell others about Jesus. But we need to ask the Lord for help and courage, and he will give us the spirit of power, the spirit of love, and of sound mind.
And then it goes on to say, Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord Paul.
Is encouraging a young man named Timothy. Don't be ashamed.
Preach the word. Tell others about the Lord Jesus.
So I have a homework assignment for us.
What homework at a conference in North Carolina? Here's how this homework assignment is going to work.
Can you guys see up on the wall where it says homework with the stars?
With the Lord's help, I want to challenge you, and I want you to choose which one you want to do.
This month I'll give you to the rest of this month. This month I will share the gospel with which one are you going to check off?
Oh good, good, I like that. Hopefully nobody checks off No one.
There's probably some people saying he's speaking to me right now. I haven't shared the gospel with anyone all year.
This month they will share the gospel. Hopefully we don't choose no one.
One person. Let's start with one.
OK. And then after we do one, hopefully we can go all the way down to the bottom with more than one?
Would you be happy if your friend got saved this this month? Would you be happy if maybe your neighbor got saved this month? That would be wonderful. How about your teacher at school? How about somebody you work with? Wouldn't that be exciting? If they came to know the Lord Jesus as their savior? Do you think the Lord Jesus would want to save them? Yeah, because he died on the cross and he shed his precious blood for them.
So I've asked my friend Andrew. He's going to come up here.
And as we wrap this up with a challenge and then we're going to sing the song, Jesus says, I want to get the different states that are represented here because John Kemp yesterday in the gospel said, go ye into all the world and preach the gospel. And how exciting would this be if we start to see names of different states where a boy or a girl with the Lord's help is going to share the gospel with someone this month. So if you're interested in sharing the gospel with someone this month, would you raise your hand and we'll put your state up there so we can.
00:40:11
Get that represented. What state are you in?
Alaska, New Jersey.
We have someone who's going to share the gospel in New Jersey. What state do you live in or province, um?
Virginia. We put Virginia up there. The gospel is spreading to New Jersey. Virginia, yes.
All right, we put a check mark next to New Jersey. Let's do one. Other states that aren't up there.
Yes.
Faster.
New York.
It's a good thing I'm not doing the spelling either. All right, so we have New Jersey. Virginia, could you write New York?
Listen to what state this one's going to come from.
Bahamas, Bahamas.
America. America.
America.
We can put America. I see a hand over here.
Yes.
Michigan, oh, Michigan goes up there. We have anybody from Ohio here. Are you going to share the gospel with somebody this month? I try to.
What state are you in? Ohio. OK, there goes Ohio. What else do we have?
We're going to go back here. We have Canada back here.
Really, we have to do this Quebec. We have Quebec.
Saint Thomas and Ontario Gospel spreading into Ontario.
Anyone else? We have anybody from California here.
Where's our California ones?
Anyone else? Yes.
You have a friend from California, but I think you guys get the picture right? That's excellent. So we're going to sing a song in closing, but here's what I want us to leave you with. We started off with the song still today he's seeking.
Still today he's calling, seeking those to serve Him, some to tell the story of his love so true, some to seek the lost ones, bringing them to Jesus. If you love the Savior, he has worked for you. Boys and girls, do not be ashamed of the gospel. Be bold, be courageous. God has not given you the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of sound mind.
And someone might end up being in heaven because you told them about the Lord Jesus and they put their trust in him. Wouldn't that be wonderful? So in closing, I'd like to sing. There's a song on the Backpage here. It comes from the.
Him book The Echoes of Grace 132 We have heard the joyful sound. Jesus saves.
If you're bold and courageous and want to help share the gospel with others, would you stand with me and sing this song? We have heard that joyful sound, so please rise.
We have heard.
Like the six across the West?
100 years our Lords come out, Jesus.
Says Jesus.
Says.
Rolling time, Jesus.
Says.
Far in life, Jesus said. Jesus said.
Singing islands are the same and go back.
00:45:03
2nd.
Jesus name.
Love the battle. Strike Jesus.
Says Jesus, says.
Why it's done an endless life, Jesus says. Jesus says sing a song with the world when the hearts were mercy, Christ.
Singing Troy.
Jesus.
Jesus.
And shouts away some point through the light of Calvary.
This is our song of victory.
Shall we pray?
We thank Thee, Lord Jesus, that we could have this Sunday school this morning to be reminded of Thy death for us on Calvary's cross, Thy precious blood that was shed for us. First and foremost. We pray that any boy or girl in this room who has not accepted you as their own personal Savior would do it today. And then for each one in this room that we would be challenged, that we would not, with thy help, be ashamed of the gospel of Christ.
It is the power of God unto salvation.
And that this month we would tell at least one person or more spread the gospel all around. We ask this in thy worthy and precious name, giving thanks, Amen.
Prophecy
Open—Joseph Countouris
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.
#277 The Lamb of God, our shepherd is.
And he who doth us speed.
While He is ours and we are his, what can we want or need 277?
The Lamb of God, our Shepherd.
Of us being a wild dear sister, and we are pills for them who we want for me.
Making me transparent. November breath and the best. And they're beginning.
Gently by sinful, we have the best.
And if we?
Straighten up.
For our disbursement.
Our heads only name, yeah, and that's a shame.
May we recall?
Our joyous increase.
Like sweet and wondrous love. Shallow man Trevor all our days.
My father's house.
Where God eternal friends.
But the man of God.
I have on my heart.
This afternoon to speak for a few minutes about prophecy.
And specifically how it relates to the meeting that we're in right now?
00:05:03
Oftentimes after a conference, at the end of a conference, I will speak to different young people, peers and I'll ask them what they thought about the meeting, what they thought about the the meetings.
And.
One repeating theme that oftentimes comes up.
Is that the prophecy meeting did not have prophecy in it.
And it's not that we haven't had any prophecy.
But there is, I believe, perhaps a lack of understanding of what the great.
Resource that God has given us in prophecy.
And it's been reduced. And so there's been a lack of suffering of this great resource. So what I would like to do with the Lord's help is to look into the Word of God, what is prophecy? And my hope is that we will all benefit from this.
Not just in this meeting, but in meetings to follow. What is prophecy?
Prophecy. If you look at the word, it comes from 2 Greek words pro Femi. Pro means before on behalf of. Fami means to speak to speak on behalf of.
Prophecy is speaking on behalf of somebody. Almost always. Prophecy in the Word of God is speaking on behalf of God, though not always. Aaron was.
The prophet to Moses, God would come to Moses. He would tell him what he wanted to say. Because of Moses, his failure, he would speak it to Aaron. Aaron would speak it to Pharaoh. He was somebody who spoke on behalf of.
Let's look into the Old Testament to see if we can find examples and definitions of what prophecy truly is. So first let's look at Jeremiah chapter one.
Jeremiah chapter one and verse 4.
Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I sanctified you, I ordained you a prophet to the nations.
Then said Eyes is Jeremiah. Oh Lord God, behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth. But the Lord said to me, Do not say I am a youth, for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.
Then the Lord put forth his hand and touched my mouth, And the Lord said to me, Behold, I have put my word.
In your mouth.
Prophecy is speaking the mind of the Lord, and it's not just the mind of the Lord at any time. It's the mind of the Lord for the moment. What God needs to communicate at a particular time for a particular reason. That's what prophecy has always been. This is just one example. You can look through the myriad of the Old Testament prophets and find the same thing over and over again.
God speaking to a prophet to a man, and saying, thus saith the Lord, go.
And that man would go and he would say sometimes there was failure though.
Let's look at First Chronicles chapter 17.
Sometimes a prophet.
Said something that wasn't from God.
Sometimes it wasn't malicious, as we're going to see here. Sometimes it was this we're going to see later.
First Chronicles 17 verse one. Now it came to pass when David was dwelling in his house, and David said to Nathan the prophet, see now I dwell in the House of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under tent curtains. Then Nathan said to David, do all that is in your heart, for God is with you. Did God say that? He didn't.
But it happened that night.
That the word of God came to Nathan, saying, Go and tell my servant David. Thus says the Lord, you shall not build me a house to dwell in.
Now we're going to skip down to verse 15.
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According to all these words and according to all this vision. So Nathan spoke to David.
He spoke what God told him to speak. That's prophecy. It was a needed word for the moment. That's what prophecy is. That's what we need.
We need a needed word for the moment.
Not just a generalized thought.
A an enjoyable passage, as nice as those things are.
It's not prophecy. It's not in the character of the meeting that we're taking up. It's critical that the Saints receive the mind of the Lord for the moment, for the issues that we're dealing with at hand. This is a tremendous resource that we have and that we need.
Let's look at Deuteronomy chapter 18.
Deuteronomy chapter 18 verse 18. I will raise up for them a prophet.
Like you from among their brethren. And will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.
This technically could be any profit that followed Moses that the Lord spoke through. Yet there is something here that would speak of a future profit and the children of Israel actually knew that. And when John was here they said, are you that prophet? And he would say, no, I am not.
They looked for this profit, and what was going to characterize this profit is he was going to speak the words that God gave him to speak, not his own words, not his own thoughts, not thoughts that weren't for that moment. It was what was needed for that moment and only what God had said to speak.
Let's continue. But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.
This is serious. It is. It's a serious thing that God looks upon in regards to prophecy, in regards to the prophetic word.
When a prophet verse 21 And if you say in your heart, how shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken? When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken, the prophet has spoken it presumptuously, you shall not be afraid of him. So in the Old Testament they didn't have the completed word of God.
God was speaking by revelation through prophets.
And God was revealing his mind and his word to them through prophets. And so if a prophet came and said thus, says the Lord, they didn't have the completed word of God to say, no, that's not quite right.
And so they ask this question, God asks a rhetorical question. If you ask how do, how are we to know? And so the Lord says, if that prophet says, if you don't do this, then all your tents are going to fall down and all your tents didn't fall down, you know that that was a false prophet.
That's what he gave to them.
He's given us something else and we're going to get to it in a little bit.
So the prophet comes, he speaks Hebrew, says that God came, has spoke in Son.
The Lord Jesus Christ spoke on behalf of God. The words that the Spirit of God gave him to speak, He spoke. He was that prophet. The world rejected him. They crucified him. He went down into the grave. He rose again. He ascended into heaven.
The church period starts. He sends the Spirit of God. The church period starts. What about prophets? Do we have profits today? Do we have profits during this dispensation?
Let's look at Ephesians.
Ephesians chapter 2.
Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 19.
Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens, with the Saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, and whom all the building being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
God used prophets again during this dispensation at the beginning of the church period, similar to what we had in the Old Testament. Those Old Testament Saints didn't have the completed Word of God, nor did the Saints at the beginning of the church period. The Word of God was not complete. It was still being written. And so how was somebody to know what to do?
00:15:07
God would put his revelation in the mouth of a prophet, and the prophet would speak in an assembly and the.
People would know what to do over the course of time through the apostles Paul, Peter, James, Jude and the prophets. He wrote and completed his Word of God. The apostle Paul you can read in Colossians chapter one said it was given me to fill up or to complete the word of God. New revelation has ceased. We have the completed word of God now.
Our prophets no longer necessary.
Let's look at First Corinthians chapter 14.
First Corinthians chapter 14 and verse one pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophecy.
If you read down this chapter you will see that the Apostle Paul is addressing two things, prophecy and tongues, and he is trying to show that that tongues in the assembly, just speaking in tongues is not for the profit of the assembly.
The gift of prophecy, speaking the mind of the Lord for the moment.
Was a better gift. It was a critical gift. It was a needed gift.
And in this chapter we see a distinction between prophecy and revelation at least two times, showing us that the character of prophecy that is in this chapter and that we still have today is that of speaking the mind of the Lord for the moment what God wants to say, not revelation. The Word of God is complete, It's filled up, and yet prophecy continues.
How do we define prophecy? The word of the Lord for the moment. Thus saith the Lord, the Lord comes to somebody.
And says I want you to speak.
How does that happen?
Through his word, His completed word.
And what is the prophet to speak his completed word? It's not Revelation anymore. It's what's in this book already written on. But it's for the moment, it's something to address an issue and what you'll find, we'll read these next verses. The effect of prophecy. What happens when somebody prophecies as opposed to when somebody speaks in tongues?
Verse 2 For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men, but to God, for no one understands him.
However, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. He could be saying all kinds of incredible things, but nobody understands him.
But he who prophecies speaks to unto edification, and exhortation and comfort, this is the great result of speaking the mind of the Lord for the moment that the Saints are built up, that they are stirred up, or that they are comforted in regards to something that the Lord needs to speak for the moment.
That's what we need. That is critical.
To what we need now let's go down to the the end of this chapter, First Corinthians chapter 14.
Verse 26.
Speaking specifically of the time that we have before us, how is it then, brethren, whenever you come together, each of you has a Psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation.
Let all things be done for edification. If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two, or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in the church, and let them speak to himself and to God. Now here's the part. Let two or three prophets speak. Our brother just mentioned this, and let the others judge. But if anything be revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent.
For you can all prophecy one by one, that all may learn.
And all may be encouraged in the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all the churches of the Saints. And so this chapter that we have before us is giving us liberty for the meeting that we have right now.
And God intends for this meeting to be used for a specific reason, to help the Saints to give us a what we need for the moment.
Not just something that is nice, as nice as it would be to take up a chapter that we've enjoyed or to give our favorite thought or to to enjoy with the Saints. Things that have that have helped me. That's not what prophecy is. And that might be enjoyable and we might actually.
Benefit from that. But we are not benefiting the way God wants us to benefit. He wants to give. He wants to give His mind for the moment what he needs to say right now, and that will be to edification.
00:20:15
So what are the issues? Why is it that the young people.
Peers are struggling sometimes with prophecy meetings. Well, it very well could be.
A me issue or a them issue, right? It might be that that we are not going on with the Lord.
And we just don't want to hear what's being said, or we're just bored or we don't want to hear that speaker yet.
That's something that each one of us has to judge if we're struggling with the ministry that's being presented.
We need to be honest with ourselves. Is it a me issue? And we need to be before the Lord about that.
Or is the issue that the great need for prophecy has been set aside by the great need to speak?
I want to say something I need to get up here.
I need to speak that is not for the benefit of the Saints.
We need prophecy.
We need what the Lord has for the moment.
Another issue that we have is when we rest with Scripture, when we take prophecy and we dumb it down and we turn it into something that God has not defined and God has not intended.
Than the word of God and the ministry suffers when we make prophecy something that is generalized. Just a nice thought, a nice teaching. Then it hinders God's ability to be able to use somebody to speak to us, his mind for the moment.
When we add to a prophetic message extra biblical thoughts, we take up with the spirit of false.
Profits, Bob Tony often talks to us about the current of apostasy, how that a believer can't be an apostate. We are saved, we are sealed by the Spirit of God. But as we go through the Word of God and we see different chapters and sections over and over again that talk about apostasy, somebody who professes to be a Christian then turns his back on it, crucifying to himself again the Son of God afresh.
That's apostasy. We can't be apostates, but we can take up with the current of apostasy. We can take up with the spirit of apostasy. And when we add extra biblical thoughts.
To our prophetic message, what is not in the Word of God?
We are taking up with a current of false prophets and God said.
In the Old Testament we read it, he says you cannot do that.
You cannot do that.
How do we know if what's being presented?
Is right.
In the Old Testament, they didn't know because the word of God wasn't complete.
At the beginning of the church period, they didn't know because the Word of God was not complete. What about now? The Word of God is complete. And so you guys can take everything that I'm saying and everything that every other brother says when he comes up here. And it is critical that you do this and that I do this. Weigh it in light of what the Word of God says. Don't say well, Joe said it, the word of Joe. Well, if Joe says it, then we should do it.
No, my word is not enough. My word is just my word.
There are two types of people that will lead you. One will lead you to this word in this word alone. Others will lead them lead you to themselves.
And what they say.
Follow what the word of God says. God has completed it. It is critical that each one of us.
Does this.
Proverbs 30 verse six says do not add to his words lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar. We cannot in a prophetic message or anywhere else add to what the word of God says now to the audience. I spoken to those who may stand up here, myself included.
We must judge. We read it. Let two or three speak, and let the others judge.
This, this is as you out there in the audience right now and me in a few minutes. It is imperative that you judge. And what are you judging? You're judging two things, is what I said according to the Word of God. Can you see plainly what I'm saying in the Word of God? Or have I twisted it? Have I, have I, have I taken liberties here and there to make the word of God say what I wanted to say? You need to judge that. Have I done that?
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And if I have done that, you need to be faithful in coming to me and saying, Joe, can you show me where you said what you said?
And if I can't, you need to judge that what I said was not right.
The second thing you need to judge.
Was it prophecy? Is this something that is needed for the moment? Where is this me just standing up here?
Talking to you guys about something that I wanted to talk to you guys about. Something that I enjoyed, however enjoyable it might have been.
And if you enjoyed what I said, but it wasn't prophecy.
Come up and say I really enjoyed that. Come up to me and tell me brother, that was nice.
But it wasn't prophecy. If we don't do that, what the word of God tells us to do.
We can't expect there to be a change with those who come up here. We can't expect there to be a change. And apart from the grace of God, the grace of God could could do anything. But we as those in the audience must be faithful in doing our part. Last thing, those of us in the audience need to make sure that we just don't like the brother that's up there or, or we're cold in our souls or that we are actually despising.
Prophecy.
1St Thessalonians 520 says do not despise prophecy.
Maybe you hear me standing up here saying this exhortation to my brethren and you say yeah, yeah, yeah.
That those those brethren never talk in any prophecy, and yet when they do minister the word of the Lord to you, you despise it. You turn it aside. Don't despise prophesying. Make sure it's according to the word of God. Judge, discern that it is prophecy, and don't despise it when it is.
Despise Not Prophesying
Open—Bob Thonney
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.
That verse, you put it at the end there Joe in First Thessalonians 5 despise not prophesying, so I want to tell you.
Of a instance in my youth, I used to travel quite a bit with.
Clem Buchanan And he was a spiritual father to me.
Anyhow, at one meeting, particular meeting, there was a brother that sometimes didn't have that good of a testimony and it rather bugged me a little bit what that brother said.
Anyhow, I said to Clint Buchanan afterwards. I said.
You know, some brothers speak. I can't hardly hear them.
He looked at me and he said.
Despise, not prophecy, science.
He says maybe it wasn't according to your liking, but listen, God uses instruments sometimes that we least expect. He used the mouth of a donkey to reprove.
A disobedient prophet. So I found that very helpful.
This about prophesying is very good, especially this beginning of chapter 14.
That verse three specifically says what prophecy is to speak unto men to edification.
Exhortation and comfort. So it's discerning what the need might be. Sometimes I meet up with believers who don't have a lot of teaching and they don't need exhortation. What they need is teaching, and so it's discerning the need and speaking accordingly. Maybe sometimes we know the teaching.
But we're not acting on it. What do we need then? Exhortation.
And of course, there's times when we need comfort as well. And so.
It's interesting.
And I just want to say this.
That although from verse 23 notice verse 23 of this chapter 14 says, what if therefore the whole church become together into one place?
This is a meeting of the assembly.
What we say is a meeting of the assembly and Brother Joe mentioned verse.
26 as well.
If how is it then, brethren, when he come together? So here's a meeting of the assembly, and he gives.
Principles for the Meeting of the Assembly.
You know another thing that Brother Clem Buchanan said to me? That was a big help to me.
Was that this is not.
Exclusively what we call an open meeting.
He says. I think it applies very much to what we call a reading meeting.
Because.
Generally speaking, when we take up a portion, a verse or two, two or three brethren may explain it. So there's understanding, maybe there's exhortation given accordingly, and then we go on to another set of verses, and it may be another two or three brethren that speak there. And so he says, you may all prophecy 1 by 1.
It's to be done in order.
And I must say, thinking it through, brethren, I do believe that the principles of the end of this chapter apply in a reading meeting. And in that sense, like you say, Joe, the judging can be done right in public. I remember a brother at a Walla Walla conference years ago.
Who made a rather serious mistake in what he said about the person of the Lord Jesus?
Albert Hay Hole is there.
Immediately, he countered that with another scripture and ministered the truth.
He judged and so the Genji can be done right then. It might be like you say afterwards, but I want to say this too, that this prophecy is not confined to assembly meeting.
It is whenever there may be a time to speak to edification, exhortation and comfort.
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And so it's something that we need to be exercised about to use the gifts that are given for the purpose as we see the need.
And I want to amplify this.
A little bit going back to Chapter 11.
Where we have in the beginning of the chapter of the subject of head coverings.
And let me just read a little bit verse three. I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ and the head of every woman is the man and the head of Christ is God in that interesting that the Lord Jesus as a man also has a head. And so as he was down here in this world, he always.
Recognized.
His father's authority, and so there's a order of authority.
Christ, his head, is God.
The head of the man is Christ, the head of the woman is the man. And then he goes on to say, every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered.
Dishonoured his head, lose his head, it's Christ.
So it's a serious thing for a man to leave his hat on or whatever kind of a head covering he might have on because there's places where it's pretty cold outside and people use a scarf or whatever it is on their head. If you're going to speak a word, take it off. That's a testimony not merely to men, but in verse 10 it says.
Because of the angels. You know the angels.
Are watching and they see in this room men with their heads uncovered. They see the women with their heads covered, and they learn there's people who understand the order of God's authority.
I find it increasingly.
What shall I say?
A challenge to to remember that. And I say brethren going into my and out amongst our Latin brethren, they are more careful about this than we are up here in the United States. And it's been kind of an exhortation to me to be careful about it. Every woman that prays or prophesied with her head uncovered.
Woman doesn't prophecy.
In the meeting, where does she prophecy outside the meeting necessarily? She might have a another woman that is her neighbor that she gives the gospel to, or it may be other believers. It tells in Titus that the older women were to teach the younger women.
And so there was teaching involved by.
Women. And in that case they were prophesying. And so she was to have her head covered. For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn. And if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head for as much as he is the image.
And glory of God, but the woman is the glory of the man.
And so it goes on there. And I just say this, brethren, we prophecy not only in assembly meetings, we prophecy at other times too. And one of the ways we prophecy is singing hymns. Let me show you a verse that I was impressed as we read through these verses recently in First Chronicles chapter 25.
And this of course is talking about.
Times that David was giving instruction to Solomon about.
The house that was going to be built to the name of the Lord.
Notice it's mentioning all those sons of Asaph and he, Man and Judathan.
Notice in verse one who should prophecy with harps and sultries and symbols, and the number of the workmen was according to their to their service was.
00:10:08
Notice at the end of verse 2, which prophesied according to the order of the king, verse three toward the end, Jonathan who prophesied with a heart to give thanks and praise to the Lord. We prophecy in singing. Notice in Colossians chapter 3.
A verse that I find interesting.
And I think it relates to this.
Colossians, chapter 3.
And it says.
In verse 16, here's one of the 316 S of Scripture.
Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom teaching that's building up, that's edification and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
So we prophecy in singing.
And I found this very interesting, and I think it's a challenge to us here in the United States. When it speaks in First Corinthians 11 about the woman having her head covered and the man having his head uncovered, it doesn't say anything about being in public meetings. What does it say when they pray or prophecy? Praying is addressing God.
And prophesying is speaking about God. In either case, the head of the man needs to be uncovered. The head of the woman needs to be covered. If they don't, they are dishonouring their head. Now I say this, brethren.
That my wife dishonors me? That's not quite as serious.
As me dishonouring my head, which is Christ? That's far more serious.
And I say that because I've noticed that sometimes when it comes to the matter of a saying.
Then all the sisters take off their head coverings and I've noticed in certain places that men put on head coverings.
Put on their cowboy hat or something, whatever it is.
Let's be exercised, brethren, to go by the principles of the Word of God.
First Corinthians Chapter 11 doesn't say that it is an assembly meeting there. It's when you pray or prophecy. I must say I really appreciate that my wife every time we pray or prophecy she reaches for her head covering.
And I have found that the brethren in Latin America are very careful about putting that into effect. And I think that's important, brethren, because the angels are watching still. Remember Brother Eric Smith saying, say the angels never disobey, not even once. If they disobey once, it's eternal condemnation. There is no.
Redemption for angels.
So what do angels say as they are observing and they see?
Believers that do not follow God's order.
What do they say about a disobedient child of God?
I don't know.
But I think it is a reflection because the angels learn in us the manifold wisdom of God.
I'm going to take the liberty, brother, and I did have something.
Before Joe got up, and I'm glad he got up because I did have on what I mentioned and had out of my heart to say something about it. I didn't know how to do it. But thank you Joe that you spoke up and I could.
Go on a little bit about that, but I want to speak to young people and really applies to all of us if we who are older are not in line in this or their young people.
00:15:01
Don't see a good example.
But I want to speak about priorities.
I just see in the United States of America, our lives are cluttered with so much stuff. And I'm not saying it's bad stuff, but it's just one thing and another and another and another.
You know, it gets so distracting to me at times when I pray.
In the early morning, I have a little notebook pad beside my where I pray.
And I'm jotting down things because I don't remember very well. I need help that way.
But to have priorities, what is #1 priority in life? And you know, I'm going to speak briefly about three times. Scripture says one thing in the 1St place. Let's go to Psalm 27 because I really am challenged by this.
This is David speaking, and David had a real heart for the Lord. He made some bad mistakes.
Like we all do.
But notice what he says in verse.
For one thing have I desired of the Lord.
That will I seek after, that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of my life.
To behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.
And this beautiful What was the thing that was a priority with David?
To dwell in the House of the Lord. He didn't only say he desired it, he sought after it. There was energy. There was a desire to go after it with all his might.
To dwell in the House of the Lord. And then what is the purpose of dwelling in the House of the Lord? There's two things.
To behold the beauty of the Lord.
And to inquire in his temple. So often we go to the Lord when we want to inquire.
And it's good we do, but that's not the first. The first thing was to behold the beauty of the Lord.
Oh brother, what a God we have. What a glorious God we have.
And to get into his presence, and to behold his beauty.
The glories of that man who is our Savior. You know, in our prayer meetings so often I notice we're mentioning this person that's sick and that person that's sick and another person that's having a special trial, and that's fine.
My brethren, do we go there?
To see Him, to give him glory and honor like we ought to, this is important. And according to what we read in First Chronicles 25, it's prophesying.
To praise the Lord.
And to honor him, I don't know if any of you saw the.
Coronation the other day of King Charles.
I was astounded.
When they had the Prime Minister of England who is a Hindu.
Get up and read Colossians chapter one about the glories of Christ, I said. What in the world is going on?
I was astounded.
I don't know if any of you saw it or heard it, but he stopped. Let me just show you where he stopped because.
It's kind of telltale Colossians chapter one. Here's one of the places where it speaks of the glories.
Of the person of the Lord Jesus. I think he began with verse.
12 I'm not totally sure.
But when we get to verse 15, it talks about the Lord Jesus and his glories. Notice what it says verse 15. Who is the image of the invisible God, the first born of every creature. For by Him were all things created that are in heaven and in earth visible and visible invisible, whether they be Thrones or dominions or principalities or powers or all things.
00:20:20
By him and for him, and he is before all things, and by him all things consist. That's where he stopped.
You know why?
Because the very next verse says he that's Christ, is the head of the body, the church.
And in the.
Church of England. The head of the Church is the King.
So they stopped reading, right?
I don't know if they did that purposely, but I assume that that may have been the reason.
Oh, brother, And do we get into His presence to think about His glory? Is this something we do daily, The glories of that man?
That man in resurrection glory that sits at the highest point of all authority, principality and power and might and dominion, that man is intimately united to us in the body, the Church. Oh, it's such a wonderful thing. And rather, we are priests, and part of the reason of being a priest is to offer to God.
The sacrifice of praise.
To worship Him for the excellencies of his person, to praise Him for the work He has done on that cross for us. Oh brethren, we have so much to be occupied. That's the first reason that David wanted to dwell in the House of the Lord.
And then the next reason was to inquire in this temple.
Yeah, we need to inquire to. That's important. But brethren.
Is that a priority in our lives? I just want to say.
Dear young people especially.
But all of us, really.
Don't neglect the assembly meetings. I know that in many places.
There are a lot of weakness, but I want to encourage you younger brothers to be there at the assembly meetings. When I was 18 years old I went to work at Bible Truth Publishers. That time it was located in Oak Park, IL and there were some men that were very able.
Expositors of the word of God. I thank God so much for the building up that I got through them.
You may say I didn't get that much out of that meeting, but you'll get something if you're listening.
And I found it such a blessing.
I considered that understanding that little understanding that I have of the the scope of scripture.
A treasure in my soul.
Your young people.
Attend the assembly meetings, be exercised about participating. I grieve sometimes when we're sitting in meetings and there's young brethren.
Silent, silent.
Be exercised. There's so much need in the world we have. There's people that are suffering for the name of Christ. There's people that are being slaughtered.
Don't we pray for them? That's the least we could do. There are other things you could do too, but that's the least you can do.
Lord help us to be exercised in that way.
Like to go back to the New Testament and Luke chapter 10?
For the second one thing that is mentioned, and you probably know what I'm referring to verse.
Luke chapter 10 and verse 38 Now it came to pass as they went, that he entered into this certain village in 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.
But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him and said, Lord does not now care that my sister had left me to serve alone. Did her therefore that she helped me?
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Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled.
About many things, but one thing is needful, and Mary has chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her.
What a beautiful story this is.
Mary and Martha, and we know that their brother was Lazarus.
And.
It evidently was Martha's house.
But Martha was known for serving, but she had a sister who sat at Jesus feet and heard his word.
I guess it's so beautiful.
She listened intently.
This is interesting and you never find Mary defending herself.
She didn't do that. Martha comes up and I can understand exactly what Martha was thinking. Here's the Lord Jesus with 12 disciples, 13 men to cook for. That's quite a task.
Lord, my sister.
She has left me serve alone.
Tell her that she helped me.
I can understand why she felt the way she did.
Thank you.
But the Lord.
Said Martha. Martha, our careful.
And troubled about many things. You know what In the world that is so cluttered with things.
What it has the tendency of doing is troubling us.
Making us full of care. Not that those are wrong things in themselves.
But she was distracted.
That's why we need to establish priorities. But here is Mary sitting at Jesus feet. What's she doing there?
Hearing his word and the challenge that comes across to my own heart, young people and older ones to.
You know how to listen to him when he has his word opened as we have it here. You listen, You know this Mary, I truly believe was the only one that it got through to that the Lord Jesus multiple times said we're going to go up to Jerusalem. I'm going to be delivered into the hands of the.
The scribes and the Pharisees, and they're going to condemn me to death and they're going to be crucified.
And I'll rise again the third day.
Those 12 apostles, none of them got it. I say, wow, we come on, what in the world don't they get it? He said it so many times.
Brethren, that's what happens to us. We get occupied. We have our own thoughts, and our own thoughts often impede our understanding with the Lord's trying to give it across to us.
So Mary sat at his feet.
And heard his word, and the Lord says one thing is needful.
I want to ask you young people, do you have a time set aside in your daily life to listen to His word and to think about it? What I was going to say about Mary of Bethany here, She, I really believe, got the message that the Lord Jesus was going to.
Be raised again, because you don't find her at the tomb. You don't even find her at the cross. She knew that he was going to rise again, and she even came at that Last Supper that we have.
They prepared for him in Bethany and John chapter 12. She even came with a box of ointment to anoint his body for the burial. The Lord Jesus said that.
Hand to me, that is so amazingly precious. All the 12 apostles were complaining about her. She doesn't say anything, but everybody knew what Mary had done because the order of the ointment filled the house.
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One other place that one thing is mentioned that I find a challenge, brethren, is Philippians Chapter 3.
And this is the apostle Paul speaking.
And.
Here he is comparing himself to a runner in a race. Very important that a runner know where he's going and what he's doing, what he's running towards.
He says in verse.
7.
What things were gained to me those I counted loss for Christ. You know, there's some things in our lives that brethren are just downright weights in our life are hindering our running properly.
Verse eight. Yeah, doubtless, and I count all things but lost 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 dumb.
That I may win Christ. What do you do with dumb? Do you start around in your house somewhere You get it out of there and sometimes, brother, we don't have the right of valuation of the things of this world. They're positive hindrances to us. It says 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, that I may know him.
The power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.
If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead, not as though I had already attained either were already perfect, but I follow after 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.
For getting those things which are behind and reaching forth into those things that are before I press.
Toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Oh brethren, we have such a goal before us. I think if we would get a glimpse of the glory like the Apostle Paul when he was caught up to the 3rd heaven, we would come back and we would be one thing.
One minded as this one thing that would be what would really dominate our thinking brethren. I just say this because.
We live in a life that is cluttered with bunch of stuff.
That, in the end, will not make much difference. If we can use it for God in His glory, great, but they're not the end of our being here. This one thing I do for getting those things which are behind reaching forth to those things are before I press toward the mark.
Let's get a glimpse of the glory.
Revelation 19
Open—John Kemp
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Well, brother and I don't propose to speak for any length of time. We only have a few minutes.
But I'm just thinking of a few verses in Revelation chapter.
19.
We won't expatiate any 20 great lengths on this passage, but just a few thoughts.
Revelation 19 and verse seven. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor unto him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready, and to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white.
For the fine linen is, the righteous should be. It should be translated here in the plural.
The righteousnesses of the Saints. And he saith unto me, Right blessed are they which are called unto the married supper of the Lamb.
And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
Well, we spoke last night of the Supper of Salvation.
This morning we had the supper of Communion. We had the privilege of remembering the Lord in his death. That is just like a photograph. You have a photograph of a loved one on the wall who has passed away. When you look at that photo, it reminds you of that person when she was with you. That is the remembrance of the Lord. It's like a photograph of his death. It brings to our mind.
A fresh.
What what it cost him to put away our sins and to give us?
Redemption. But here in this chapter, it's this supper of joy.
And it's a future event hasn't taken place yet.
But it will without doubt this supper of joy, which is called the marriage supper of the Lamb in our chapter Here will be the time when we will be manifest with the Lord.
We are the bride of Christ, but we're not that yet manifest.
Before the world, but in the coming day we are going to be manifest.
And.
That that garment is something that is seen by others. If the woman comes into the room arrayed and with jewelry she adorned, she is quite obvious. But just think brethren, that the day is coming when we will be manifest. Everything in our lives will be manifest.
How are we living now? Are we living for the things of this world that are going to pass away?
Are we occupied with education? Or it may be other things that are legitimate?
But they rob our souls of Christ.
And of time that we should spend in the precious word of God.
But remember that there's a book of remembrance in heaven. We haven't time to look at Malachi chapter 3. There's a book of remembrance there, and you have a page and your name is on there. And every act of devotedness. Yeah, every thought that you had this morning, you sisters who do not publicly take part in their in the assembly meetings.
You are just as much a priest as the brethren are, and every thought that you had this morning about the Lord or at any other time is recorded Those little acts of devotedness that are done in the background and that nobody sees. The Lord sees that He will not. He is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love.
And this.
This garment that is mentioned here in this chapter, it speaks of the righteousnesses of the Saints. Now there's some confusion here. Sometimes people say, well, are we not the righteousness of God in Christ? Do we not have a perfect standing before God in the person of Christ? We have a divine righteousness without doubt, but that's not the thought in this.
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The thought in this verse is your conduct, what you do, your walk, your ways from day-to-day. Everything is recorded there in the annals of eternity, and someday that book of remembrance will be opened and the Lord will delight to reward you.
For everything you have done for him.
It may be something trivial that is not prominent in the eyes of others.
A little visit to a sick believer, giving out a gospel tract. Whatever service the Lord has given you to do in the body of Christ to every man, his work will, if done for the Lord, will be rewarded. Now often, we're told.
As you can remember that reward is not the motive for service. I agree with that. But remember, reward is an encouragement, It's an incentive. As Miss Doctor Wilson says, it's an incentive that what we do for the Lord.
Will not be forgotten, it's recorded. The Lord will reward at our place in the coming Kingdom. We mentioned this in second Peter chapter one. Our place in the coming Kingdom will be according to our walk down here.
That the thought is there administration, we're going to reign with Christ, but our place there will be, according to as we have walked down here, our beloved brethren here in this Carolinas.
Gone to a lot of work, and they have made everything so commodious and comfortable for us. Certainly we should appreciate it, and I think we do. But they'll be a reward for that. But let us remember, brethren, that the judgment seat of Christ is before us, not to condemn us.
Our persons will never be judged, but our acts, our words.
Our actions.
Our interactions with our brethren.
It's all going to come out there, all. May we live in view of that day when the Lord will unveil or manifest our lives, that there might be something that would remain for His glory and.
And will be for our eternal blessings. So may the Lord encourage us. Because the time is short and we are on the threshold of the Lord's coming. Remember, Dimas didn't go on well at the end. Demas hath forsaken me, having loved his present evil world. Is that right? No.
Thee must have forsaken me. Having loved this present world, the things of the world got into his heart.
Paul, you're too strict for me. I I appreciate you, but I don't want to walk with you anymore because it's pretty costly to separate from other Christians that are lovely people. Probably that's what you're saying. Young people, remember you are at the Lord's Table. It's the greatest privilege on earth.
It may not it it is not popular with the world in Christendom, but you continue on.
In the path that the Lord has marked out in His word. And you will never live to regret it. May the Lord bless His work.
318 #318.
Will them of God still keep us?
Inside.
There's only there insanity.
00:10:02
And this weekend?
Some steps around us.
I love our hearts so. Spain man.
Shine our eyes, behold me, the great grandchildren.
Hebrews 13:8-25
Reading
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Remaining.
#31 #31.
The Father from eternity shows us Jesus Christ indeed #31.
Eternity. Those are soldiers, those Christ and they.
In the middle is well, beginning to love the rest of the rest of this.
Strange uranium.
What's the energy?
May we also.
Forgive.
Them before our world. Wake me in the end.
Where we shall.
Stay in grace to face.
And glory by God, the Lord of the King.
Let's suggest we start at verse 88. All right, Hebrews 13 beginning at verse 8.
Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today, and forever. Be not carried away about with divers and strange doctrines, for it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace, not with meats which have not profited them that have been occupied there in.
We have an altar wherever they have no right to eat, which served the Tabernacle. For the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought in to the sanctuary by the high priest for sin are burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come.
By Him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But to do good and to communicate, forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Obey them that have ruled over you, and submit yourselves for they that watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy and not with grief.
00:05:09
For that is unprofitable for you. Pray for us, but we trust we have a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly. But I beseech you the rather to this, to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner. Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead, our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect, and every good work to do his will.
Working in you, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation, for I have written a letter unto you in few words. Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty, with whom, if he comes shortly, I will see you.
Salute all them that have the rule over you and all the Saints they have. Italy salute you. Grace be with you all. Amen.
Well, from verse seven on in this chapter, we have some instructions given to us as to how we might strengthen the testimony in the day that we live in. And one of the very first things is in verse 7, to remember really our Christian heritage and those that have brought the word of God before us and to imitate their faith to go on faithfully and to.
Just remember.
What was taught? And then there's a tendency in our hearts to want change and to want modernization and that sort of thing. And so he really brings before us the necessity of being on guard of false doctrines and those that would bring in doctrine that was not according to the truth of God. And so he says Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever.
You'll notice in I think it's in the new translation that the note is the same. It's one of the titles of the Lord Jesus should be capital S He's the same yesterday and today and forever be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace and not with meat which have not profited them that have been occupied there. And so the great danger at the beginning of the church period was there would be a mixture of.
Grace.
And the law and so we have that brought out the warning of it in Acts Chapter 15 at the beginning might be helpful just to look at that just to get the.
Principle of it. And Paul, as you know, struggled with those that brought in false doctrine. He could say that there were false brethren come in unawares. Chapter 15 of Acts verse 1. Certain men which came down from Julia taught the brethren, and said, Except he be circumcised after the manner of Moses, he cannot be saved.
When therefore, Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, which should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. So this is very serious. They said the work of Christ was not sufficient to save the soul. You had to do your part. And so it said. They said you had to be circumcised after the manner of Moses, and you cannot be saved, you have to keep the law.
And so.
Really what the apostle Paul is bringing before these beloved Saints of God and good instruction for us.
Is to remember that Judaism and Christianity are distinct.
They cannot be mixed. God has set Christianity apart from Judaism.
Teaching this verse 11 of that chapter we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saying even as they so it's the same way the Gentiles are going to be brought in the blessing as they.
00:10:01
It's interesting in Second Thessalonians chapter 2 uses that term that you just used.
Now Second Thessalonians chapter 2 and.
Verse let's read verse 14 whereunto he called you by our gospel according to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions or really should be the sense of it is the traditional teachings.
Which ye have been taught, whether by word or by our epistle. And so the apostle Paul spoke to them, and it was given to him by revelation, that in connection with the truth and the mystery of Christ and the Church and all those things that had to do with the church. And so he revealed it in his speech and his addresses. And he also was used of God to write the epistles that he wrote. He wrote well over half of the New Testament.
And so there were traditional teachings that were brought before the Saints at that time. And so we need to be careful about those things that come in that creep in and.
Really, quite frankly, come into among the Saints because of a lack of separation. Ecclesiastically, things come in and they are really in opposition to the truth of God, that we are not to be brought under law.
We have a similar thought to what's being brought out here in Ephesians 4. Here we have leaders specifically it would be, as was mentioned in the last meeting, those in oversight and Ephesians chapter four. We see the Lord is sending up on the high. He gives gifts to men who give some apostles and prophets and evangelists. And what was what was the purpose for the equipping of the Saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ?
It was to build up the body of Christ.
Why, until we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, talking about Christian doctrine, Christian Christian knowledge to a perfect or full grown man, to the measure of the statue, of the fullness of Christ, that we should no longer be children tossed to and fro, carried about with every wind of doctrine. I'm just going to read this in the Darby version because it really shows us that.
This work of the enemy.
To try to introduce law into the day of grace is insidious.
So it says, in order that we may be no longer babes, tossed and carried about by every wind of that teaching which is in the sleight of men, an unprincipled cunning, with a view to systematize error. These, these, these.
What Paul's addressing these actual literal Judaizing teachers, they had an end goal. They were coming in there and they were saying, man, we're losing a lot of people. A lot of people are leaving our synagogue.
And we need to go after that. And so they with that, with a systematized era, they went in to try to sow the seeds of Judaism into Christianity to then draw them back, which is the danger in Hebrews that he's bringing out is no different to that. The enemy maybe not working with literal Jews, but as we read in Revelation 3, those who say they are Jews and they're not are still seeking to introduce Judaizing principles into the day of grace.
And we need to be on guard against that. We need to make sure that what is being introduced to us is not according to Judaism. How do we do that? We just have to make sure that it's according to the Word of God and the dispensation that we've been given. Understand that there is a difference between Israel and the church. Understand that there are different doctrines that were given to Israel and to the church. And if somebody comes telling you, you know, you really should take up with the offering offerings, this is obviously an extreme.
Looking at the word of God and say that's a different dispensation that is not today. There is something that we have today in Christianity that does not answer to that.
I'd like to just turn back to Acts 15 for a moment.
Just to point out.
The overwhelming strength of the argument.
And the conclusion that they come to, and it's in that 11Th verse.
00:15:01
It doesn't say.
That we believe.
Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
That the Gentiles will be saved like us.
That's not what it says.
The overwhelming strength of the argument is that we will be saved as they and that's the conclusion that they came to in Acts 15.
It's important to see that Christianity is not an improvement upon Judaism. It's something entirely in contrast to that whole Judaistic system which was ordained of God in its inception, but it became corrupted and distorted and.
Where it speaks of meats, here in our verse it's referring to the the ceremonies and the ritual of Judaism.
And the apostle is exhorting us to to take the true Christian position now around us in Christendom.
Often the pattern of meeting and assembling assembly is according to the Old Testament scriptures.
The the ministry and the the architecture and everything.
Their pattern is the Old Testament instead of realizing our Christian position now as as united to Christ in the glory and having a priesthood of all believers and all the other truths that are connected with our Christian position is is that right, Robert Yes. The meats really here speak of the physical sacrifices too. And so we don't have physical sacrifices.
There are sacrifices that we have and two of them are actually in Christianity. 2 of them are mentioned in this chapter. We might just mention them in verse 15.
By him, therefore let us God is not going to command you to give an offering or a sacrifice. She says let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually. That is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. So that's the first sacrifice. It's God's portion first. Then there's a physical sacrifice that we can offer in connection with our resources to build the Christian testimony to support the Christian testimony in verse 16, but to do good and to communicate.
Forget not for with such sacrifices God and his well pleased. So that's the physical our resources. We use it for the Lord's glory, for his honor, not for our own benefit. Then the third sacrifice is found in Romans chapter 12 verse one says, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God or by the compassions of God.
That you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable or intelligent service. And so all the sacrifices in the Old Testament, they never felt the fire of the judgment. They were consumed. And there was evidence there that the fire had consumed the sacrifice. But you and I are living sacrifices. And if I could put it this way, our brother Gordon used to often remind us that.
Young people can offer themselves, their bodies and living sacrifice in their youth. God is gracious and He accepts the sacrifice of an older person. When an older person gets saved or finally begins begins to get serious about divine things, he offers himself as his body a sacrifice. But years have gone by, so a young person that offers his body a living sacrifice to the Lord is a great, great gift to the Lord.
So this is really what he's Speaking of in connection with the sacrifices to meet physical sacrifices. But we have spiritual sacrifices. We worship in spirit and in truth.
So that's really what he's Speaking of when he speaks of the altar. We have an altar whereof they have no right to eat, which serve the Tabernacle. It means that there's an approach to God that you and I have within the veil in the holiest of all, every single one of us that's a believer in the Lord Jesus can come into the very presence of God and we can offer our sacrifices of praise and Thanksgiving to God.
00:20:15
We have an altar. We have an approach to God that the Jew has no right to eat of. He has no, he doesn't have that same approach. If he stays and he's connected with Judaism, he doesn't yield to Christ. He has that earthly religion. He cannot come into the presence of God and offer those spiritual sacrifices. It's a wonderful position, isn't it, to be able to come and to offer freely.
A sacrifice to the Lord in this way.
Christ is the altar as an Angel, and Christ is the sacrifice and Christ is the priest.
Practice is everything it really is. It's beautiful to think about it in verse 15 if you quoted like him. Therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise so you come to the altar from to the Lord Jesus and through him we offer sacrifice of praise to God under God.
In the Old Testament, the forms of the ceremonies set the Jewish nation apart from the Gentiles. They were in separation. They had an external sanctification.
But they didn't have to have a divine life to go through with the rituals and ceremonies. They could go through with those without a divine life. But now the believer, as we read in the 10th chapter of our epistle there it speaks of.
A new and living way, having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.
New and living way, which he hath consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, His flesh. So as Robert has pointed out, we have access into the very presence of God now, and it's not through keeping ceremonies, but it it is the possession of a divine life.
New it's in contrast to Judaism, and we have that access into the immediate presence of the Lord.
At all times.
He uses a bit of irony here.
Very similar to what you have in Philippians chapter 3 and Philippians chapter three, he says see to dogs, see to evil workmen, see to the concision, for we are the circumcision.
The the irony is that the Jew would look on the Gentiles that.
The Gentile was the the dog, the Gentile was the uncircumcised, and the Spirit of God, through the apostle Paulians turns it around and says that's not the case anymore.
And in our chapter where he says we have an altar, he's remember, he's talking to these these Jewish believers, mixed multitude addressing in our section Jewish believers as they're in Jerusalem, no doubt locked out of the temple, Marcus, Christians being persecuted. And there was there was something in their heart that was attracted to that. And somebody says.
We have an alternative information. They have no right to eat the server that happened at all. There's something that there's something better than what they have and he's turning their eyes to that better than that.
Well, there's been a lot of discussion about the what the camp is.
Even among evangelical Christians, many of them believe the term camp is only referring to the whole Judaistic system.
Originally, that was the meaning of the camp, no doubt.
It was the Judaistic system. But now in Christendom, as we mentioned, there's a mixture of those Judaistic principles with Christianity. So when we're called to leave the camp, we're not, we're not leaving the synagogue, but we have to separate from that which really dishonours the Lord and mixes in the.
00:25:09
The Judaistic Old Testament pattern with Christianity, is that right?
Yes, it's helpful, you know, to look at Numbers chapter 2 and some of the Old Testament scriptures tell us what the camp was. We can understand what it is and from a Jewish perspective, Numbers chapter 2. And let's just read for the sake of time, verse 2. Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch by his own standard with the end sign of their father's house far off about the Tabernacle or around the Tabernacle of the congregation. Shall they pitch?
On the east side toward the rising the sun, they shall stand. They have the standard of the camp of Judah shall pitch throughout their armies and napped nation. The son of a minidab shall be captain of the children of Judah. Well, you read this chapter and all of the children of Israel would be camped, 3 tribes per side. I believe it was around the Tabernacle. And so the Lord, the Tabernacle would be in the midst and the Lord symbolically there. And so they were. It was an organized system.
You might say with the Tabernacle in the midst, but in Christianity we come outside of the camp of Judaism. We don't have the Tabernacle, we don't have a temple, we don't have a physical place to call the center. It's Christ himself. And so This is why it says here that.
Wherefore Jesus also that he might sanctify the people, that is.
It's a work of separation. He separated his true disciples from Judaism, and he brought them into a new position of Christianity to be identified with him in the position of a heavenly people in liberty before him. So he sanctified the people with his own blood.
Suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the Kent bearing his reproach.
There are some things that will, as you say, the tendency of Christendom is to go back to the order of Judaism and to to have the vestments of the priests and all those things.
But really we're called to leave it all behind, those physical things and to go forth under the person of the Lord Jesus. And if we do it, then there's a reproach connection with the therapist. I think it's I believe it's brother Hamilton Smith that in his.
Little booklet on Hebrews mentions that there are some things that are unique to Christianity. His blood, his name, and his reproach.
They're not connected with Israel. They're not connected with the camp. And if you go leave the camp, leave organized religion behind the organized systems of man, and be gathered at the Lord's name alone, you're going to have, obviously you're going to be cleansed with the precious blood of Christ, but you'll have reproach as well. Those three things are characteristic of those that are without the camp.
You mentioned the word.
And your last comment, religion, and it's interesting that you find religion.
Only three times mentioned in the scriptures and it's with the exception of James. It's in Paul's writing in the first time. Return to the book of Acts.
Acts 26.
I'm sorry.
Galatians chapter one verse 13 and 14. Two times we see religion mentioned there consecutively. Paul is saying we have heard of my conversation in time past the Jews religion now that's beyond measure. I persecuted the Church of God and wasted it and profited in the Jews religion above many mine equals my own nation being much much more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my father's. I don't know.
How many times we've been asked, and perhaps others in this room can say you've been asked that question, you're religious. Are you religious or you, you must be religious. And I like to respond that religion is a system or a form perhaps.
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But Christianity is a relationship with a person. It's a personal relationship with Christ. And Paul found that out, didn't he?
I think religions translated.
In Colossians 218 as worshipping and James the writer James of of course the book James the book James it's only spoken of favorably as considering the treatment of widows and such not. But we're not religious, are we We can say no, I'm not you can say I'm religious, but I'd rather say no I have a relationship with Christ and.
As you mentioned. And how wonderful is to say redeemed by the blood of Christ? That makes all the difference, doesn't it?
I just wanted to make a comment here on this phrase, the camp and a warning about going too far with it which can really get us off, and that is that in the context of Hebrews.
In the context of this chapter, in the context of this section, the Spirit of God is defining the camp as Judaism. That's what it is. He's literally telling the believers who used to be Jews who have been called out to become part of the the church, don't go back to Judaism. Don't go back to the camp. That's the context. That's the teaching.
So anything that comes from that teaching is an application.
And applications are not wrong. The difficulty is when we make the doctrine of a teaching that this is any system.
Inevitably, we become the gathered Saints become unto Christ, and every other group of Christians becomes the camp. But that isn't so.
Other brethren groups are out there are not the camp.
Many Baptist groups are not the camp.
There are many systems of men that have been set up that mirror the camps.
You can walk into their.
Into where they their meeting room like this and they will, they will literally have a section in the corner of the room that is marked off with the with ropes. And it's like the holy place. You're not allowed to go in there. You're not allowed to touch it. And there's all these different articles and items and and shrine and things in this set apart thing. Those are elements of, of Judaism they have.
Not followed the exhortation that was given here and they have envied elements of Judaism. And so how do we apply this then? So we as Christians, we we read this epistle that was written to Jewish believers who come to this this section that talks about the camp not taking on things of Judaism. How do we apply it?
We mentioned that Hebrews doesn't go so far as to give us assembly truth. It's it's not the church.
But there's still applications we can find here and as we lookout into Christianity.
And you see system after system after system, and you're asking the Lord with a pure heart and saying, Lord, where would you have you prepared? Where do you want me to go? What believers do you want me to go and have fellowship with? And you have an honest heart. And as you look out the Christianity and you see a church that has something like that, be careful. Those are the elements of the camp. This epistle is saying that is not right.
That is not going to remove everyone in Christianity and just leave the gathered Saints.
That's not what it does. And sometimes we go too far, brother, and we give this feeling that it's us and it's that we need to be careful about that. We need to be careful about that spirit. Take it up in its context. Use the full force of what the Spirit of God is presenting to us, but don't go beyond the truth of of gathering on the basis that there's one body and separation from evil. It's a tremendous truth and it's found in many places in Scripture and we can take it up there, but we need to make sure that we don't force it.
Into every chapter in every section, or else we start getting this us for staff mentality. I find it interesting to that in my thinking as a young person, I used to have the idea that the camp was christened and I think that was an error. The camp is not christened. The camp is Judaism.
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Christening is where the name of Christ has been protected and professed.
Second Timothy chapter 2, that everyone that came with the name of the Lord departed iniquity. That's Christian and we're never told to come out of Kristen.
To the only way to get out of prison then would become an apostate.
But we're closing them out of the camp, and the camp is those Judaistic principles. Just let me go over a few of them that have been mentioned briefly. One is they had a temple.
Elegant temple made of stones and all that. All sorts of elegant things.
Now I'm Chris in prison. Done. They have buildings they call temples. That isn't the temple. That's just the building where people meet. The idea that it is attention. You go there, you better behave because the Lord's there. And when you go out and then you can start doing stuff that's a little messy.
But we're in the temple of God 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We never leave the temple. We are there. And so that distinction is not clear. And that's the camp. Another point is worship with instrumental music. I love musical instrument, but what God wants is worship in spirit and in truth. And so in the New Testament, the only instruments that are mentioned to praise the Lord are.
The lips.
And the heart, it doesn't mention any instruments, not that instruments are wrong in themselves, but it's what God wants is worship in spirit and in truth. And so that distinction is broken down in many Christian groups because they haven't had Twitter teaching on those things. Another point is the principle of clergy. Brethren, I think we need to be exercising about this because.
I have people say hello, you're in the Lord's word. I say yeah, just like you're in the Lord's word. You're a believer in the Lord Jesus, you're in the Lord's word. But we tend to put certain bread and learn the Lord's work. Please, brethren, that's establishing a clergy. That's the principle that we're talking about here. There is no set group of people that have the right to function and the others, they don't make the brain. That's the principle of mechanic.
In the Old Testament, there was one tribe that was appointed to do the service of God, the tribe of Levi. Of that one tribe, only one family, the family of Aaron, the high priest, that could go into the holy place. And of that one family, only one person could go into the holy of holies only once a year. That's the principle of the camp. Now we have it's already been mentioned that the.
Veil in the temple was written to him and God has come out into the light and the fullness of his character. Wonderful bear, and we are told to come in with boldness. Oh brethren, privilege. Does that belong to just a certain brother here it belongs to every true believer in the Lord Jesus. So those are principles of the camp is God. Let me mention one other thing that is very common in Christmas in the day is.
The principle of tithing and that was a principle that was applied in the Old Testament. 10% for God I have 100 dollars $10.00 for God, $9098 is mine.
That's a direct contradiction to what we have in the New Testament. Everything is the Lords, and I'm just the steward of what God has put into my hands. So these are important distinctions.
Of what the camp is that those Judaistic principles?
Sometimes I say to people, if you practice typing, I'm sorry, but you're robbing God of 90% because everything belongs to that. So these are important principles to understand Christianity.
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Is completely different. And so we need to have understanding. Yes, there are many believers out there in those systems where they have adopted Judaistic principles, were called out of those Judaistic principles we got that's the gap. But we're never called to come out of Christmas.
We are part of prison brother, and that's important thing in the great House of Christendom. We're going to separate from vessels to dishonor. But we don't leave the house. We don't, we don't leave Chris. So I think it's important to distinguish the difference between the 10 and Preston with two different things.
It's helpful to see in Hebrews Chapter 9, we're not going to look at read it, but Hebrews Chapter 9, verses one to 10, he gives those principles of what the camp is. He says it's a worldly sanctuary. In verse one he says, you know, he speaks of the inner shrine. In verse two and three, he speaks of the priests, the separate priesthood. In verse six he speaks of the high priest who went in once a year.
And so the priest, and then he speaks of the people at the end of verse 7, then he speaks of the holiest of all of brother for Speaking of it's all cordoned off sometimes in some of these churches. And then he speaks of the fact that all these sacrifices that they had the physical sacrifices, verse nine, that could not make him perfect, that did the service as pertaining unto the conscience. So they didn't have a purge conscience.
So the Spirit of God brings those principles out, and it says, here, let us go forth therefore unto him.
And it has the sense when the Spirit of God uses that term, let us go forth, it means to go out in the energy of the Spirit to go forth and to get up and go. And so we could just read, and I think it's Matthew chapter 25. He uses the term there.
And in connection with the last similitude of the Kingdom.
Of heaven, it's 10.
Virgins, it says.
Maybe somebody can find it here that they went forth.
Yes, it says in verse six, at midnight there was a crime made. Behold the bridegroom, go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And so you read that term, that little expression in the book of the Acts as well. They went forth.
It's going to require spiritual energy to separate from that which is not consistent with the Christian position and which is not pleasing to the Lord. And so we need to separate from those things. We need to recognize that they're not according to his will. And if we do, the Spirit of God says that we're going to bear his reproach. There's a reproach.
And so in the.
Systems of men and where we have those priests, a separate priesthood, we have a the temples they call them, and all those sorts of things. They've introduced a mixture of Judaistic principles and Christianity. The Spirit of God calls us out of it. Isn't it wonderful to just go forth in the energy of faith to the person of the Lord Jesus?
It's interesting and perhaps helpful to see that in the Book of Exodus there was a time when Moses took the Tabernacle of the congregation. Let's just read a few verses there.
In Exodus chapter 33.
And verse 7 when they have made a golden cap and we're celebrating saying that.
These are the gods that brought me forth out of the weapon terrible idolatry so soon after they come out of Egypt and so Moses verse seven of chapter 33 took the Tabernacle and pitched it without the game a far off from the camp and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation and appeared to pass that everyone.
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Who sought the Lord went out into the Tabernacle of the congregation.
Which was without the gem in the past when Moses went out into the Tabernacle, that all the people arose and stood every man at his door with Doctor Moses, until he was gone into the Tabernacle.
Need to pass. As Moses entered into the Tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended and stood at the door of the Tabernacle, and the Lord talked to both. All the people saw the cloudy pillars stand in the Tabernacle door. All the people rose up and worshiped every night in his tent door. The Lord speak unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh of his friends. And he turned again into the gap.
But his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed, not out of the town. So it's interesting that there was a time in Israel too, where Moses had to take the Tabernacle outside again. Why is it way up there? Because of idolatry with them. And when you put something in place of God's order, especially in the case of the quarter Jeep, instead of letting the Lord direct in our meetings.
Brethren, I think it is so beautiful to come together in assembly, letting the Lord direct us. He is in the midst, in the Spirit of God is here to direct. Now I'm going to stand up front as a pastor to take and to direct the meeting. I'm really setting the Lord Jesus to one side. That's a serious thing. I don't think people do that.
Purposely, I think there's too many Christian circles that are very real and hard for the Lord. They're not criticizing, but thank God for simple teaching of the Word about these matters so we can give the Lord His place.
You notice that L dad and me dad?
Went into the camp and prophesied, and Joshua would have stopped them but Moses.
Did envious thou for my sake, and would that not bring before us the fact even Moses was went into the camp himself, that God is sovereign, and He can use his word in whatever association it might be, but.
Path of obedience and separation from moral and doctrinal and associational evil. But God is still sovereign and he's using his word in in the systems that we don't feel free to to join. But God is sovereign and using his word in in blessing and power is is that not right? Yes, we need to be careful not to hinder the work of God in other places.
And so it's a real privilege to be gathered by the Spirit of God under the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ. But God is doing his work in other places. And we have that in the Old Testament and connection in connection with Elijah and Elijah. God loved those, his people of God and those 10 tribes and those there were many that were of faith and he ministered to their needs. And we ought never, ever to interfere to hinder that work of God.
Never find any life in a relationship, Jerusalem. I don't believe that they were like you say, or the men of God. And so we need to be careful, obviously.
I'd like to make an application if I could. There's an expression in verse verse nine it says which have not profited them that have been occupied therein. We live in a world where we get alerts from phone. We are constantly bombarding. We need to be very, very careful.
What are we occupied with which have not profited them? There's an expression that was very transformative in New Hand, like nearly two decades ago. The three It's the middle of verse ten of our previous chapter.
It's it's just this one expression. They'll read the whole verse. Hebrews 12 and 10 for they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure, but he.
For our problem he for our profit that we might be partakers of His Holiness. That one expression, the word of God is living in powerful and sharper than any two edged sword piercing issues that are biting us under a soul and spirit and a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. So we need to be able to reveal the word of God when you're dealing with souls and you're seeking to convey.
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God stop, we're not our thoughts for God's thoughts just like to connect that with something that I think is helpful. And I, I read it, I believe yesterday. It says in Exodus 24 and 10 and they saw the God of Israel and there was under his feet as it were of a work of sapphire stone, as it were the body of heaven in its clearness. The truth of God is clear in plain. It's precious, it's powerful, it's transformative. We need to have wisdom how we apply it. It says in the Book of Revelation chapter 21.
Verse 10.
Revelation 2110 and he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God and her light was like unto a stone. Most practice even like Jasper stone, clear as crystal. That expression there from Texas. It was clear as crystal. God's word has revealed and as applied by the Spirit of God. It's clear, it's plain, it's precious and had a wall great and high that 12 games.
And at the 12 at the gates, 12 angels and names written thereon, which are the names of the 12 tribes and the wall of the city at 12 foundations, verse 14. And in them the names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb. Then in verse 10, it says in the foundation of the wall of the city were garbage with all the land of precious stones. The first foundation was Jasper. And that's what was mentioned in in verse 11, even like a Jasper stone. And then it says.
That the second sapphire, and that's from Exodus 24. So there's those 12 Stones and we may meet another soul.
Who's saved with the precious blood of Christ, His blood, His name, His person. And they have a grasp of them that they don't see at all. And God can open eyes to give them to see beauty and glory and majesty in that One in whose all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and our hearts are transformed as the work of the Spirit of the Lord through His Word gives us to see.
Comfort
Hymn Sing
Hebrews 12:27-13:3
God's Faithfulness - The Palms of My Hands
Hold Thou Me Up-Hold Fast