Chicago Conference: 1964
Table of Contents
Entanglements
Address—R. Rule
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Meeting by singing together.
Hymn #42 in the Appendix 42 in the back of the book.
Savior, lead us by Thy.
Could we turn together?
To the second epistle to Timothy.
Epistle to Timothy in the second chapter.
Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
And the things that thou hast heard of Maine, among many witnesses the same, commit thou to faithful man who shall be able to teach others also.
Thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
No man that warth entangle himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
And if a man also strives for masteries, yet is he not crowned except he strive lawfully. The husbandmen, the laborers, must first be partakers of the fruits. Consider what I say, and the Lord give the understanding in all things. Remember Jesus Christ of the seed of David, raised from the dead, according to my gospel, wherein I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even unto bonds. But the word of God is not bound. Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sake, that they also.
Now that they may also obtain salvation, which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
It is a faithful saying. For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him. If we suffer, we shall also reign with him.
If we deny him, he will also deny us. If we believe not yet he abide, as faithful he cannot deny himself.
Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no prophet.
But to the subverting of the hearers, study to show thyself approved unto God.
A Workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth, but shun profane, vain babblings, for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
And their word will eat as death a canker of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus, who concerning the truth of aired saying that the resurrection is passed already, and overthrow the faith of some. Nevertheless the foundation of God stand ashore. Having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his.
And let everyone, the name of the name of the Lord, depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth.
Some to honor and some to dishonor. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel on to honor, sanctified, and meet for the masters use, and prepared unto every good work. Flee also youthful lusts, but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace within the call on the Lord. Out of a pure heart, but foolish and unlearned questions, avoid knowing that they do gender strife, and the servant of the Lord must not strive.
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But be gentle unto all men have to teach, patient in meekness, instructing those that oppose themselves, if peradventure God will give them.
Repentance to the acknowledging of the truth, and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil.
Who were taken captive by him at his will.
It isn't my fault at all to give an exposition on this chapter.
Aware that this has been announced as young people's meeting and I would just like to use from this chapter certain verses.
But I feel that I trust will be a hope and encouragement to some of the young people to be found going on in the path of faith and faithfulness. You know, in this chapter we have.
The Apostle Timothy, the he's referred to in a number of different ways, I think at least seven. In the first verse, Paul writes to him as his son in the seventh verse, Pardon me. In the third verse you have a reference to a soldier, soldier of Jesus Christ in the. In the fifth verse we have an athlete brought before us.
In the sixth verse, the husbandmunder, we might say today the farmer.
In the.
15th verse a Workman.
And in the 20th and 21St verses a vessel and in the 24th verse a servant. And I'd like to refer to some of these different ways in which.
A Christian is brought before us when it speaks of a soldier that gives a certain idea, a certain aspect in connection with our lives. We're to be soldiers of Jesus Christ.
But before commenting in detail on this chapter, I'd like to speak generally of the character of the book. If we had read the first verse of the third chapter, and we can do it now, we would see this says this Know also that in the last days perilous times shall come. Another translation says difficult times shall come, brethren, we're in those last days.
These are the last days that you and I are living in.
And we're living in difficult times.
But there's one thing about the difficult day. We have a resource.
In the Lord Jesus Christ.
That is sufficient for every circumstance, regardless of what the difficulty may be.
The first verse of the second chapter, the apostle writing to Timothy, speaks of him as my says my son be strong.
And the grace that is in Christ Jesus was he to be strong in himself.
Not at all.
Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. His strength was to come from another.
I remember enjoying the thought someone passed on years ago.
When he spoke of the grace that is in Christ Jesus, he said, you know, we'd all like to have a Father who had a bank account of several $1,000,000 and he made US1, made it a joint account to where we could draw on it at will, wouldn't we?
Well, he said. You know, we have something better than that.
The resources of Jesus Christ are unlimited.
And he says here, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
Something that we see. Something when it speaks of grace, it's something that you don't buy.
It's a resource that's available and so we have resources available.
For every circumstance down here and that's why.
In a day of ruin, in a day of weakness, in a day of declension, we can still say be strong, not in our own strength. But you and I, we have a resource that nothing can take away. Now Timothy was living in a in a difficult time. The Apostle Paul knew what it was to be in bonds in Timothy's day, but he had a resource.
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The one that he spoke to Timothy about. And dear young Christian. We're aware that the days are difficult, but there's a resource that you and I have, and we're encouraged to draw on that resource. We spoke of the Father giving a son, making him one of those who could draw on his own bank account. You have resources that you can draw on. They're found in Christ, and if you have the desire, he can help you and help me.
Through this scene, even though we're in the last days and they're difficult days.
Now, before commenting in detail on this chapter, I would like to just go back. I didn't want to limit myself to the one chapter, but more in a general way. Some of the apostles exercised in connection with Timothy, and I think Speaking of Timothy is quite consistent when talking to young people. If we were to turn, I won't take the time we were to turn to the first Epistle of Timothy, We'd find there that the Apostle Paul, in writing to him, speaks of his youth.
He was in an old one that had gone on for years, and the truth he wasn't, and one that would be spoken of as an elder in any sense. The Apostle Paul speaks of them as I youth, of his youth rather. And so it's very fitting that we seek to learn from Timothy and we will find in it that which should be helpful for us in our youth and in our younger days, now in the first chapter.
And the 12Th verse.
He speaks of suffering.
The Lord hasn't marked out a path of roses, as the world would say for us down here. If you and I are going to be faithful to the Lord, it may involve a little suffering. But he said to Timothy, verse 12, chapter one for the witch, 'cause I also suffer this thing, these things. Nevertheless, I am not ashamed.
For I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
Oh dear young Christian.
Have you committed to him your life, your joy, your all? Have you put your life into his hands?
You'll never make a mistake if you put your life into his hands, as it were, the apostle Paul says. I know whom I have believed, Oh, that blessed person whom I have believed, the man in the glory. And he says I am persuaded he wasn't dubious about it. No doubt in his mind I am persuaded.
He's able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. What day?
I believe this refers to the day of Christ, all the day of Christ. That's when we'll find the answer to all the problems down here. We'll be with him up there and have our place with him in glory. Well, he says in verse 13, hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me in faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus.
You know, dear young Christian, in this book we often have words such as hold fast and stand fast, and it would be a very helpful occupation if you were to take an hour and you use your concordance. Use the crutch if you wish. Look up the scriptures that say hold fast and stand fast. There's stand fast in the Lord, for example, but here it's hold fast, the former outline of sound words which thou hast heard.
Of me in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. Yes, by the grace of God, you and I, the Lord has brought us into association with those that seek to hold the truth of God, as we saw this morning. It isn't tradition that we have to guide us. We have this book, and here we have the outline of sound words. Now he's being encouraged, Timothy is to hold fast the outline of sound words.
He says it says in verse 14 that good thing that was committed unto thee. Keep, I believe the good thing. It's the deposit of truth that's been put into our hands. The deposit of truth, he says. Keep it, hold it fast.
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Has the Lord laid in your heart any desire to carry this out, to hold fast? That's what she's given us.
That which he's given you, I was Christ struck several years ago when our brother Eric Smith gave an illness, something that illustrated this very touchingly to me. And I'm going to pass on to you the story because I'm sure there are many here that didn't hear it at that time with several years ago he told of an incident down in Bolivia down in South America among the Indians.
As I understand that the Indians, the chief of the tribe was to collect rent and turn it into periodically to the governor of the particular province involved and the the chief of this tribe, the red belt Indian tribe he was.
Chief of this particular province by the name of.
Nor teach us this Governor had collected the rents, and when the time came for these to be sent into the.
Governor of the state of the province of Norchiches. This chief selected a trustworthy assistant and he turned over to him and he put in a little bag.
The funds they had been converted from coins into bills.
And he took them. He took this bag, and he started toward the capital of that province. It happened that a brother in the Lord, a brother. Now he wasn't a brother then, but one by the name of villages, was the governor at that time. And by the grace of God later on he was converted and has since been gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, this trusted young man, he started.
With this pouch, with this bag of bills to take to the governor, it rained on the way they didn't have, everybody didn't travel automobile there and it rained on the way and the floods came up and they don't have bridges over the rivers down in Bolivia in most places And he came to where the waters were quite high and but he thought by being careful and hurrying across that he could get across the river. It was deeper, however, than he realized.
This was the To Musla River. It was deeper than he thought.
And he got out in the center, and all of a sudden the waters were coming fast. And they were over his head apparently, And he got swept by the current of that river off his feet. And he was found sometime later 2 miles downstream. Most of his clothes had been torn off him by the rocks and so forth, and he was quite bruised. They found that he was quite bruised, but finally it was to the point where it took his life and he was thrown out on the side of the stream.
When they came along and they found his bruised body, he had something holding in his hand that he'd held tightly all that time. And when they looked in, they found these funds that had been entrusted to him. He gave his life holding on to human wealth, to a human treasure. You and I are told to hold on to something more valuable than anything could be measured by silver and gold.
This word says that good thing that was committed unto thee, keep.
Have you asked the Lord to help you to keep that good thing that's been committed to you? We've mentioned here is a deposit that dollars can't measure. It's a deposit of truth that we have in our hands and we're encouraged to keep it.
By the power of the Holy Spirit that dwelleth in US. Well, dear young Christian, have you ever realized?
The value of what has been entrusted to you if you're a believer in Christ.
Oh, I trust you are a believer in Christ.
Timothy we know was he was spoken of as a son in the first verse of the second chapter. It was the Son in the faith. I don't think it was by flesh and blood, the Son and the faith. I trust you're one of God's children by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Well now the apostle told him verse one, be strong.
In the grace that's in Christ Jesus, oh, you know how thankful we can be that we have in the Lord strength even though we don't have it in ourselves. You know when David came down at the time that Goliath had challenged that the people of God, I think for 40 days and there wasn't one to stand up and meet him.
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David came along and they laughed at him because he was just a lad. They laughed because of his youth.
And they made deriding remarks. But David's answer to them was he told about how earlier he had been delivered from a lion and from a bear. And he said, the God that delivered me, the Lord that delivered me from the paw of the lion and of the bear, he will deliver me from this uncircumcised Philistine. He might have been a youth, he might have only been nothing as compared to Goliath the giants.
But he says, he That is Jehovah, the Lord will deliver me. There is no circumstance in your life but what the Lord can deliver you, if you have the purpose of heart to draw upon the resources that are available in Jesus Christ. And so let's be strong in the grace that's in Christ Jesus. Now I mentioned in the third verse, we have a soldier. Thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier.
Of Jesus Christ no man that warth entangle himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him that hath chosen him to be a soldier.
Have you ever stopped to think of yourself as a soldier of Jesus Christ?
You say? Just what do you mean? Well, when we speak of soldiers?
It immediately brings the thought of warfare of an enemy.
And you have a warfare to fight in the 6th chapter of Ephesians.
We learn who our enemy is or who heads up the one that we have to contend with. There. It says put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand the Wiles of the devil. Now Satan is a defeated foe, thank God. The Lord Jesus triumphed at the cross and he annulled his power, but he's still the foe of a Christian, and now it's his Wiles that he would use against you.
And so it says, put on the whole armor of God, that he may be able to withstand the Wiles.
The devil. You have an enemy, dear young Christian. He's more wily than you are.
If you try to meet him on his own ground, you'll go down to defeat shore.
But God has provided for the Christian in armor. You have that armor brought before us in Ephesians 6. I couldn't take the time to go into it in detail now, but.
Just very briefly, I might just read a verse or two. It says.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God. This is Ephesians 613, that he may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all the stand I mentioned a little earlier.
That we need to be reminded that we're encouraged to hold fast and to stand fast.
Here we have the word stand used. Having done all to stand, stand therefore having your loins gird about with truth.
Here it speaks of truth, the word of God. In Peter it says, Gird up the loins of your mind. Are you filling your mind from day-to-day with the truth of God? Do you seek not only, perhaps with the family, but privately to read this blessed book for yourself? Meditate on it, that you might receive that which would help you from day-to-day. If so, then you're girding up the loins of your mind.
And it says having on the breastplate of righteousness.
Are you one who seeks, by the grace of God, to be upright in your relationships in every respect?
Righteousness, seeking to do that which is just and upright before God in all the various aspects of life.
Says having the feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Thank God. The gospel tells us of a peace that God has made through our Lord Jesus Christ. But you know our walk, when it speaks to the feet, it has to do with our walk. Is your testimony before your friend at school or at work, or wherever it may be such that will commend itself to the sounding forth of that gospel?
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And then we could go on, it says, taking the shield of faith.
David had the shield of faith. He had confidence in God, trust in God. The first verse of the 16 Psalm says preserve me, O God, for in thee do I put my trust. Oh, do you have that confidence in God. You know, to have that confidence in him, we have to seek to please him. Who are you seeking to please? Are you honestly seeking to please the Lord? Is that your main desire?
Well, then you can have on the breastplate of faith. Then you can trust God, and then you will have a sense of the need of being preserved. It says, preserve me, oh God, for indeed do I put my trust. Dear young Christian, you can't keep yourself. You can't preserve yourself. Only the Lord can do it.
But you have to lean on him. Do you honestly get down on your knees every morning?
Before going to school, Oregon, to work and ask the Lord to keep you that day, you need that. I need that. We all need that. Well, then there would be that which speaks of the breast, the shield of faith, faith and trust in God and so forth.
And well, I won't take time to go over the whole armor there. But coming back to our chapter in Timothy, we have a Warfare.
We have an enemy to meet, and the Lord of the Apostle encouraged Timothy to endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
Well, what kind of a soldier are you as far as Jesus Christ is concerned? You know, to be a soldier, one thing is necessary is to endure hardship. We just can't go along lackadaisically as one of the world might do. There are times if we're going to be a good soldier of Jesus Christ and something is presented to us, the easy thing might be to go along with the crowd, but you can't go along with a crowd and be a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
It says here no man that warth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him, that hath chosen him to be a soldier. Dear young Christian, I ask you, is it honestly your desire to please him that has chosen you to be a soldier? Oh, if you've never thought of it in that way, May God put into your heart the desire to please him that has chosen you to be a soldier.
Now, one of the things that are necessary for a soldier, you know as well as I do if we're talking of.
A soldier in a material sense, such as the one that goes to do battle for his country. Not that I'm recommending that at this and that I'm using this as an illustration, but one that does. He has to say goodbye to certain loved ones. He has to give up certain connections that he has at home, and that's used here is a little illustration, but for example, Speaking of connections, one goes to the army has to quit work.
At home altogether, he has to break certain ties in order to be free to be a good soldier of him that's chosen them well. Now, here, you and I, if we're not careful.
Might make ties with others down here that would hinder us being a good soldier of Jesus Christ and one is seen to their sorrow. Dear young people are getting entangled with the things of this life that are truly hindrances to being a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
It says here no man that Warth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life. I know when you get into school and into college.
There are various things that the enemy would seek to use to get you entangled, trying to get you involved in certain associations, whether it's socially or maybe what seems to be for a good cause, or in sports, or various things that form entanglements for the Christian.
Oh, if you and I want to be a good soldier of Jesus Christ, we have to ask God grace to keep us from being entangled with the affairs things in this life. That would be a hindrance to our being a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
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Now in the fifth verse, if a man also strive according to the masteries, yet is he not crowned except he strive lawfully. That word lawfully, probably, if it were translated today would be translated strive according to the rules. Now some of you may not realize that speaking here of an athlete.
If a man strive for the masteries, most of us here, I suppose, I'm sure.
That this has to do with. In fact, another translation puts it this way. If one's driving the games, yes, man makes a lot of in connection with various sports.
Ones are encouraged to strive to be the master, to come out on top. But if one in a contest such as the and they had them in these days, such as the Olympics that we speak of in our day, there were those that wanted to win the prize to be #1.
But they had to strive according to the rules. And if someone broke a rule, if it was a race and one started before the word goal was said, that one might be the first one down to the end of the line, but he'd be ruled out. He broke a rule. He left before the word go. Well, here it says if a man strive for masteries, he's not crowned except he strive according to the rules. Here's where we get the rules.
In connection with the crown that you and I should be seeking.
Yes, the Lord has given us a different crown to seek.
We've been Speaking of the fact that Timothy was faced.
With and encouraged by the Apostle to suffer some things for the name of Jesus Christ sake in First Peter I think it is. You don't need to turn to it, but I'm going to.
Read a verse. I believe it's in Peter.
Says there the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory after the jihad suffered.
A while make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you here it speaks of God of all grace, who has called us under his eternal glory.
The crowns that you have that are encouragements to the believer. All crowns that are going to be dispensed when we get home to glory.
In the.
Another portion.
It speaks to us. We have, we have these words.
And James I won't. We won't take the time to turn to it. But it says, Blessed is the man that endureth trial or temptation, For when he has tried, he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to them that love him.
Oh, if it's a question of being crowned, we have various crowns in the word of God here. It's the crown of life.
Is that the kind of a crown that you and I are seeking? One that the Lord will dispense as a reward to faithfulness? And that day when he's called us unto his eternal glory? That's what you and I should be striving for. And so it says here, we have brought before us here, A1 being crowned, be thou faithful unto death.
We read in the second of chapter of Revelation, and I will give thee the crown of life.
Oh yes, the Lord wants you and me. He encourages us to be faithful to His precious name. There's a day coming when God is going to recognize every little thing or big thing, whichever it may be, that has been done for him. Well, may the Lord help you and me. The point brought forward here is in connection with the crowning that it be striving according to the rules. Let us stand by this blessed book. Here's where you get the rules.
He's not crowned except they strive according to the rules. Now the next thing you have here is the husbandman verse 6.
The husbandmen that laboureth.
Now the rendering is poor. This should read, the other translation says.
Another translation puts it this way.
A husbandman must labor.
Before partaking of the fruits. That is, the thought here in the original is first there has to be labor.
One, sometimes a farmer works hard to get the ground ready and then to sold his crop and then to cultivate that ground, perhaps after the crop has started to grow to keep the weeds from crowding it out. And finally he gets the fruits of his labor into the crop, whatever it is. But he has to put a lot of Labor in first. This is the day for labor. It's your privilege and mind to labor in some little measure for the master.
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All will enjoy the fruits of those laborers in the coming day. Are you seeking by the grace of God to be found laboring for the master?
Using your energies in whatever little may you can, and whatever little way you can for him.
A little while that the Lord leaves you here, you will never regret. When you get home to glory, you'll never regret.
One little bit of Labor for the master. You'll be thankful, then, that the Lord encouraged you in that measure to seek to work in some little measure for him that died for you.
Well, in the eighth verse we have a nice word. Now here again, I'm going to read it in another translation. You see, when we read it this way, it seems as though we're encouraged to remember historical fact. It says remember that Jesus Christ was raised in the dead according to my gospel.
That's a historical fact, and it's a fact that's taught in this book, too. But the point isn't the fact that I believe one has encouraged to remember but the person. And so I'm going to read that in another rendering. Remember Jesus Christ of the seed of David raised from the dead according to my gospel? Oh, we're encouraged to remember the man and the glory. You know, that man that died for you and me.
He's in the glory now. And if I remember him, if I have my thoughts on him, if he is the one before me, a risen, triumphant Lord, it will be an encouragement and a stay to me As I journey through this scene, Dear young Christian, remember Jesus Christ raised from the dead. You have arisen, exalted Savior. And what's on his heart, what he's waiting for.
Is the moment when he's going to have you with himself. He hasn't forgotten you in 2nd Thessalonians 3 it says, Keep yourselves in the love of God and in the patience of Jesus Christ. What does it mean when it says keep yourself in the patience of Jesus Christ? Why, Jesus Christ, the blessed Savior, is waiting for that time when He shall have you and me to be with himself in the glory then?
He shall see of the travel of his soul, and shall be satisfied.
So he's waiting in patience for that moment. Are you looking forward with joy and impatience to that moment too, when you shall be with and like him? Oh, let us remember Jesus Christ.
Raised from the dead according to this gospel.
The Apostle Paul says when I suffer trouble that is connected with the gospel, he suffered trouble even under bonds. He says, oh but he goes on to say in the 10th verse I endure all things for the elects sake that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. Oh he has the glory before him. He's thinking of those that the elect, those that are to be those that are Christ or to be his.
And that the ultimate deliverance from everything down here, that salvation in a complete sense of being with and like him up there, as it says here with eternal glory.
Does the glory shine before you, dear young Christian? I'm afraid it does. We don't keep it before us as much as we should, the hymn writer says. The glory shines before me. I cannot linger here. Oh yes, Is the glory shining before you?
You may have some things. You may be faced with some decisions in school, Oregon at work, and it's a question of whether to compromise and go along with the crowd or seek by the grace of God to be separate and to go along with the Lord's people, those seeking to go on in separation. If we keep the glory before us, then it'll be easy to know which decision to make, and the Lord then will encourage us to be separate from things down here that would tend to defile.
Well, here he said that I believe so. We're encouraged then to remember Jesus Christ, the one that's raised from the dead, the man and the glory.
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It says here in verse 12, I'm just hurrying through because my time is getting away. Verse 12, if we suffer, we shall also reign with him. Don't be surprised if it costs a little something to be a Christian down here. You know, down in Peru, we had the privilege, some of us down in South America.
For our little season, visiting our brethren down there and I remember a dear family there, there was one girl.
A sweet looking Christian girl.
And we were told a little bit about the problems in school.
I could. I'd like to rehearse a number of them. I'll just mention one.
One of them was.
They expected everybody to have their hair cut rather short in that school, and every soul in that school had their hair cut short. In this book, I know that. You know, it speaks of long hair being a woman's glory. And this girl, I believe about 11 years old, she had read that.
And she said she didn't feel she couldn't. She couldn't agree to that because of what this book the Bible said, which meant something to her.
95% down there belong to A, as I understand, I'm told 95% of professing Christians to a certain large.
Group and to really, in any measure, stand for the Lord, you more or less have to stand alone. Well, anyway, this girl just said no, she couldn't do it. And finally they had to decide whether to throw her out of school or not. And they finally said, well, we'll just if if if she really feels that she's doing that to please God, why they'd let her?
Keep her long here. Well, I only mention that as just one little illustration that it may cost something. She suffered a lot of reproach for something that she felt this book encouraged.
Well, if we suffer.
Dear young Christian, if you stand true to Christ.
You'll have to suffer in some little ways. If we suffer, we shall also reign with him.
Oh, you know that's God's answer to suffering down here. It's raining there. If we were to turn to First Peter 1:00, we'd find it speaks there of the sufferings of Christ and the glory that you'll follow. Don't forget, suffering may be the order down here, but the glory is what follows.
And I believe the measure of that glory. I believe in a measure. It will answer to the measure.
Of suffering for his name's sake down here. If we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him.
Oh dear young Christian, don't forget there's a day of raining coming.
A day of when crowns will be handed out. Are you seeking to suffer for his namesake in some little measure that you might have that place the Lord would like to give you in glory in that coming day?
Verse 15.
Study to show thyself approved unto God.
A Workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Oh, here, we're encouraged to study, to diligently read this blessed book.
You know, I was just telling a brother at lunch today.
How it bothers me that my memory isn't what it used to be. I wish now I did seek for the grace of God in my younger years to spend some time in this blessed book, but I wish now that there had been the purpose of heart to have spent more time then.
Every time spent in my late teens or early 20s.
Probably would have. I probably would have retained three to five times as much.
As now on the same amount of time spent in this book, dear young Christian.
Study to show yourselves approved unto God, a Workman that needeth not to be ashamed. Now in your youth, is the time to diligently meditate on what we have in this book, and to seek help from writings that are those that have ministered the Word, Ministered the truth faithfully. Now is the time to enjoy it and take it in, and you'll never regret it.
In a coming day.
And so we would encourage you to find the time daily to read and meditate in this blessed book. And then you'll be among those spoken of as workmen that don't need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
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Well, in the.
Verse 19.
We find another line of things brought before us.
We find in the verses 16/17/18 about some who had got involved in error. Oh, we find error all about us. It's rampant. It's on the increase.
But thank God the foundation of God standeth, sure as we read in this.
The 19th verse the Lord knows them that are his.
There is great profession in Christianity. Some are mere professors without reality.
Some are true possessors. Sometimes it's hard to tell when talking to 1.
In Christendom it's hard to tell whether they're a true possessor of life or not, but the Lord knows. Sometimes we may not be sure, but it says the Lord knows them that are His. But for you and me it says let everyone that nameth the name of Christ. I believe in other translation I believe it's considered that that's more accurately translated the Lord, but it says let everyone the name of the name of Christ to the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.
As we saw this morning, we can't go on with all that who make a profession of faith in Christ.
There has to be separation from evil. There has to be a seeking to go on with those that are seeking to walk in separation from evil. I won't take the time to go over what we had, but here it says here, here it says in a great house. Now in First Timothy, it's the House of God, Speaking of those that are his, but here it's a great house. And when you get the great house, it's profession, including the real and the unreal, the false and the true believers.
And so it says, there are both kinds of vessels, vessels of gold and silver, vessels of wood on earth, some to honor, some to dishonor. What are we to do go on with that mixture? No. If a man therefore purged himself from these, the way we purge ourselves is to by separating from the mixture. And it says, if a man purge himself from these, he should be a vessel unto honor. Now I mentioned there are seven ways that the Christian is spoken of. Here's the 6th way of vessel.
Dear young Christian, may the Lord put in your heart the desire to be a vessel unto honor, and going on in separation from that which is evil.
A vessel underwater. We don't have reference made here to an empty vessel, but other scriptures bring before us the fact that the Lord would also have us as empty vessels, emptied himself, so that there's much room for Christ.
The man therefore purged himself, that is from that mixture. From these he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, that means set apart, set apart to God, sanctified, and meet for the masters use prepared unto every good work. And then we have an exhortation. Flee also youthful lusts. Oh, our poor hearts, youthful lusts, we have different kind of lusts spoken of in the scriptures. And 1St John and John's epistle.
Speaks the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes. And here we have reference to youthful lusts. I don't say they're synonymous, but anything that's a lust we should seek to be separated from that which the natural heart would seek after. And then it says follow, righteousness, faith, charity or love, peace within the call on the Lord. Out of a pure heart, you know.
A pure heart. There will be separation from evil, and here it's with them that call on the Lord. Oh, let us seek our companionship amongst those where we we see a desire. You know, you young people come to a conference. You may even find the wrong type of companions right here at a general meeting if you find that some young person you're thrown in company with.
Is ready to tell the wrong kind of stories.
And occupy you with the lusts of the flesh. Find someone else to be your companion here at the meeting.
Seek those by the grace of God, even when you're with.
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No matter in all we send your company. Seek those where you find a desire to please the Lord.
Those that are calling on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Well, the last reference I mentioned is as a servant of the Lord. By the grace of God, even young people and the small little measure are able to be a servant of the Lord. Oh, what a privilege it is to be left here to labor in some little measure for the master. May the Lord encourage your heart and mind to seek to live unto him, to have the man in the glory before us. But he might be the object, bright and fair.
Before our hearts.
I see our time is practically up. We might sing a verse or two at the end of 256.
Where we?
Show.
What we shall be?
So shall be.
A.
Ephesians 4:1-3
Reading
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188.
Number 288.
Oh.
I'm going to have a portion for us to take up.
The mind of the law that I was thinking of. Ephesians 4.
Well, I had some thoughts about itself whether that was thing for take up or not.
Decisions, Chapter 4.
I therefore the prisoner of the Lord.
See purely do you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called it all, low enough, with long-suffering or bearing one another in love.
Endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace.
There is one body and one spirit, even as he are called in one hope of your calling.
One Lord, one faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all, and in you all.
But unto everyone of us have given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Wherefore he sent when he ascended up on hind you let captivity captive, and gave gifts under man.
Now that he ascended, what is it? He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth.
Either descendant is the same old ascended up far above all heavens that he might build all things.
And he gave some apostles, and some proverbs, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. So we all come in the unity of the faith and other knowledge of the Son of God, under a perfect man, under the measure statue of owners of Christ.
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That we henceforth be no more children across to and fro, and carried apart with every wind of doctrine by the slider men, cunning, crafting, whereby they lie and wait for deceit.
By speaking the truth and love may grow up into him and all things which is ahead even right.
From whom the whole body fitness joined together and compacted by them every joint supply.
According to the effectable working in the measure of every part, make an increase in the body under the edifying of its topping law. This I say, therefore, testifying the Lord that he henceforth want not as other criminal, walk in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the light of God, and the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart.
Who, being past feeling, have given themselves over into lasciviousness.
We work all on cleanness with greedy.
But ye have not so learned Christ, you shall be here to hurt him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus.
That you put off concerning the former conversation, the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful loss, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Wherefore putting away lion, speak every man truth with his neighbor.
For we are members one of another.
Be angry, and sin not, but not the strong. Go down upon your round, neither place to the devil.
But in a stroll, steal no more, but rather than labor working with his hands, the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that need it, that no corrupt communication will proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace under the heroes.
And read another Holy Spirit of God, whereby here sealed into the day of redemption.
But all bitterness and rounds and anger and clamor and evil speaking and put away from you with all mouths, and be the kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake that forgiven you.
In the reading of the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians, we have found it helpful.
To consider the 1St 3 chapters of this epistle.
As dealing with our standing, which, beloved, we know.
Is in all the righteousness all his righteousness fought his righteousness.
The theft is to say the 1St and the 2nd and the 3rd chapters deal rather.
With their standing, and we stand in all his perfection, not a spot.
But chapters 3 and 4-5 deal more with their state they love.
As we know, varies and is.
Regulated by Communion, Communion. So I thought that might be a beginning.
In a simple way concerning this matchless chapter.
The chapters 4-5 and six you meant for that last division. Sorry, 4-5 and six. Thanks Brother Brown. We sometimes say that the 1St 3 chapters are doctrine and the last three chapters are exhortation. I like it. The way our brother Smith has put it. The last three chapters has to do with our state. But in chapter 4, our chapter.
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Exhortation is in the 1St 3 verses.
And then from verse 17 on existing but verses 4 to 16 are doctrinal.
But the provision for our state?
This vocation mentioned in the first verse.
Is really a collective thing, is it not? It's that to which we've been called collectively and connects back with the what has been brought before us in the second chapter where.
We are members of his body and also we're building together for habitation of God through the Spirit.
Well, you'd say, well, you'd say there that.
Are walking worthy of the vocation or the calling as to walk worthy of the truth. And we're members of the body of Christ, and also that we're built into the household of God.
2 distinct.
Views of the Church of God.
Carrying with it, it's baseball responsibilities.
We're members of the Body of Christ, united by the Holy Spirit to a glorified Christ in heaven. Mar was wonderful truth to consider well the very fact that we're members of the Body of Christ.
And let the Holy Spirit is dwelling in US. Uniting us to Christ in glory carries facial responsibilities that we might walk worthy of such a position given to God's people here on earth, Something peculiar to this presentation.
You couldn't speak of Abraham and Isaac and Moses.
Being members of the body of Christ, they were a part of God's people, Israel and earthless people.
The special blessings and with the knowledge of God and faith given them to walk with God during.
Their day of dispensation. But now, since the day of Pentecost, God's people are brought into a peculiar position.
And blessings that only have to do with the beginning at Pentecost, until the Lord comes with a shout and takes His church away. So there are those special blessings and those special privileges and those peculiar responsibilities that go with this high calling. And to think then that we are.
Built into the House of God, living stones.
As it speaks in the second chapter.
In whom the last verse, in whom also ye are builded together, or inhabitation of God through the Spirit, What a marvelous line of truth is presented to us in those words for us to consider.
That the believers united now has built into the House of God? Are they brought together in that way so that God himself?
Glorious home and peace might have a dwelling place here below.
And that is decision carries its responsibilities with it. That's why we're to walk worthy of the vocation where we're here called.
Our Calling is a heavenly calling, isn't it? That would be an Hebrews 3, isn't it?
3rd chapter Hebrews, The third chapter and the first verse where for a holy Brother, partakers of the heavenly college.
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When the Lord Jesus was going around here on earth.
He was passing by the seaside and he saw.
Some people their man mending and Nets.
And he said to them all me and I'll make officers and men. And they left their Nets, and their father unfollowed Jesus, that is James and John. Well, not calling at that time was an earthly calling, because the Lord's ministry was down here on earth, And they followed him here and there through Galilee and to Jerusalem, and compared them here and there, the Parliament, he said.
Ministry as he went about doing good, healing the second, raising the dead, and so on.
But after Pentecost?
The calling as soon as the heavenly calling.
And then too, I suppose, because to contrast, that would be the call of God in the Old Testament. God's people were unearthly people, and their their shop of their journey is where on earth went through the wilderness, 40 years in the wilderness.
And then at the land of 10 And their blessings were earthly too. The 28th chapter of Deuteronomy tells us that there, that God stands there through motions, that if they walked in obedience to God's word and to his commands, that the earthly blessing would be their blessings shall be thy basket and thy store. Blessed be in the field, blessed shall be thy flocks and thy hairs.
And so on. Earthly blessings.
And the victory over the enemies? They would come against them one way and flee from them seven ways.
Such overwhelming victories that have against their worldly earthly enemies. But that isn't the calling of the Christian. We're not called the prosperity on there.
Because oftentimes a Christian may be a very poor person. I have known them especially in the old country where their their their trousers were patched to the knees.
And then go around, and even their Sunday best would have patches on them, on their clothes and on their shoes. And yet they were godly children, children of God, blessed followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, their blessings and our blessings are heavenly. And so we're told in the peace and the first chapter of this family Bissell, we're studying reading.
That the blessing of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ through heart blessed us with all spirit of blessing.
In the heavenlies of Christ, so our blessings are spiritual blessings.
And they're in Christ, up there in the heavenlies. And we're told there that that God hath blessed us. But in the case of Israel, their blessings were all future and dependent upon obedience. And if they didn't obey, calamities and trials would fall upon them and they wouldn't have the blessings. But our blessings are they're ours already. They're all in Christ. We've got them all people used to speak years ago.
And perhaps they do yet about receiving the second blessing.
And the second lesson was supposed to be the baptism of the Holy Spirit that we get after we pray and and call upon the Lord and mourn for a long time. God might give us that that power, but that's not according to God's word. The believers blessed with all spiritual blessings and the heavenlies and Christ and her brother was speaking about the and communion we enjoy.
These heaven addresses, they're all ours. They're in the Bank of heaven, make us say to our accountant, and all we've got to do is to draw the check on them, and they're ours so that Our Calling is a heavenly calling. And as we go through this world with the walk as those that belong to heaven and separation from the world, they are not of us worth, even as I am not this world blessed, the Lord says in John 17.
And are calling us heavenly. And our separation from this world is to be like our blessed Saviors, because he was not of this world. He was the heavenly man down here in this world. And where to be walking as those who belong to heaven and separation from everything is not in God down here in this world.
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There are three walking worthily. It involves epistles. We might look again.
The first one we've noticed in our reading this morning.
Walk worthy of the vocation.
Well, I remember reading Mr. Darby's explanation of vocation, and if I remember right there, I think he said it's concerning all the councils of God in grace, directly affecting us. The practice of it as Christians here. Well, beloved, if if we would look at their poor testimony when we'd get in the dollar about it, we have nothing to boast about.
But we have here walking worthy of the vacation. I was not singing in Colossians.
1.
At verse 10.
Verse nine, we might breathe with it for this course. We also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of His will.
In all wisdom and spiritual understanding.
That he might walk worthy of the Lord.
Unto all pleasing.
Being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God, and so on.
Well, here it is, The Walking beloved worthy of the Lord.
Unto all pleasing so that does affect our testimony here. But there's another one I was noticing here in the Colossians, or rather in Thessalonians.
I think it's first Thessalonians 2.
Yes, verse 12.
That he would walk worthy of God.
Who have called you?
Unto his Kingdom and glory. And so we find here it's a progressive thing, Beloved, the actual practice of it all we have in the first instance, and then the final issue.
Walking worthy of God, who has called you under His Kingdom.
And glory.
That's something that truly should affect our Christian testimony, beloved, here below.
Why would you say that blind Bartimaeus was walking worthy of the Lord, after the Lord had opened his eyes? The Lord says, go thy way.
It sounds that he followed Jesus in the way.
Well, he was following that blessed man who had opened his blind eyes.
That blessed one who's given him sight.
Well, now that obviously for it. Full hair is a little simple example, one walking worthy.
The Lord, but of course, in this chapter before us, before we eat them this more waterworthy of of the truth of God.
Position the privileges that are ours by grace.
And we get that question, one who is the truth away, and so on the walk worthy of him. And we think of that as you say, that coming Kingdom and glory where we should walk, worthy of one who has chosen us. Mark this out will have us glory to enjoy a Kingdom that will endure through all eternity.
Our brother has already spoken about Ephesians 1/3 that we are blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavens, in Christ.
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As to our position as to our blessings, all of that is perfect. He also then mentioned that we should walk in the good of it. Well, I like to read some verses to that effect back in Deuteronomy Chapter 11, where Moses is speaking to the children of Israel about that good land that they were about to go over into a land that flowed with milk and honey.
It was full of goodness, but in verse 24.
Deuteronomy 11/24, he said.
Every place where on the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours. Well, already it was all theirs, but in another sense a practical sense.
They would have to walk in it as enjoying the possession of it and venturing into all of its recesses to get the good of this for their own self.
Now again, let us look at First Corinthians chapter 4.
Our verse speaks of walking worthy of the calling.
To walk worthy of it our high heavenly calling. But here in First Corinthians 3-4 we find the Saints not walking, so for ye are yet carnal, for as there is among you envying.
And strife and divisions are ye not carnal. And walk as men, walk as men of this world, down in a low level that is unbecoming those that are of the heavenly calling. Now look at it. Philippians, Chapter 3.
Verse 17.
The Apostle Paul, says brethren.
Feed followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as you have us for an example for many walks of whom I have told you often, and I'll tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ.
Whose end is destruction? Whose God is their belly?
And whose glory is in their shame? Now notice these last words.
Who mind earthly things? That was what characterized their walk. But the next verse?
What a contrast for our conversation is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our bodies of humiliation.
Then it may be fashioned like under his body of glory, according to the working, whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. May we read once more our verse in chapter 4, verse one.
I beseech you now. This is the apostle in prison. He was walking in the good of all his truth. He was sustained in his sufferings and in his imprisonment he was walking worthy.
I beseech you that you walk worthy of the calling, wherewith your call.
To walk in keeping with this high heavenly calling.
Very impractical. We can all understand.
With all loneliness, meekness and warm suffering for bearing one another in love.
We do not require love.
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Explanation as to the meaning of these different words. We all know what loneliness means, being willing to take the loyalty. And we know about both that he was the meekest man in all the earth when he was falsely accused and condemned by his brother and by his sister while he meekly bore their accusations.
Accepted this humbling.
There was no resentment to things that were said about him.
For bearing one another, sometimes we have to endure things that are said and the humble fly spirit holy's in the ways in which we walk worthy the spirit of which we walk worthy of the vocation. See, it isn't just having a lot of doctrine in our minds, knowing all about the the calling and product implies, but walking in a consistent way.
That all about us can see us who our miners, our ways of life, that there is that and connection with our conduct that was like our Blessed Lord who was meek and lowly in part.
That's in the next chapter, chapter 5 and verse 2.
We could walk in love.
Well, how much do we have to love each other?
As Christ also have loved us and how much did he love us?
Have given himself for us. That's what he loved.
All of the man half will give for his life.
But the Lord Jesus gave his life for his enemies. That's what we wear.
Oh, what love? The love of Christ. And that's eternal. I have loved him with an everlasting love. There for the loving kindness have I drawn thee. As love goes away, back into the past eternity, He looks forward. He saw what we would be.
And he loved us. And the time came. He went to the cross and died for us. He's going to have himself in the glory forever. And he's going to love us forever and ever. His love will never weaken. Earthly lovers sometimes have their love weakening.
But his love is eternal. And wait, a walk in the same kind of love as the Blessed Lord He's had for us. What a standard that is.
Good. And say we do it. I can't. Who can? But there's your standard and nothing less than that.
Essential to that I say, what is essential to do that would be to keep ourselves in the love of God, in his presence, in the good and enjoyment of his everlasting love. For this love here is divine love.
This is not merely A brotherly love in this verse. It's divine love, that which is of the new nature and the fruit of the Spirit.
Is that why Brother Brown and the rest of the verse fell there in Ephesians 5 and two? For an offering and a sacrifice of God of a sweet smelling fever showing that it isn't human love, mine love. And the God himself is the object before the soul while the Lord loved the person.
Lay down his life, if he ever had, as the object before it, to do his Father's will in all his pathway, even to the going to the cross. And during our sins it was for the glory of God that he went on from that past, that brought such untold suffering to him. So we need to remember that connection with our loved ones to another, lest it degenerate, and to just postpone.
Affection.
That God is the object must be the object before the soul if there is to be that.
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Sacrifice of a sweet smelling savor the dog.
As Christ in that chapter 5 verse two to walk in love. As Christ also hath loved us under him that loved us, or under him that loveth us, and hath washed us from our sins in his own blood, but the Lord Jesus in John 15 tells us to abide.
That would be continued.
In his love. So I believe the way to succeed and let her brother has spoken about would be to keep ourselves in the good of the love of God and to abide in the Lord Jesus, my love. Another thought here.
In our verse 2.
Is.
The thought there of.
Love those two little words. There are many young people here.
That know what it means to be in love.
You're right here in our temporal affairs.
But here it is that divine love that we have been brought into, and we should enjoy it more.
To live in the good of us, that we are in love.
It is five times mentioned in Ephesians, besides quite a few other places. The expression in love. May we have this think down into our hearts, and we have brought and brought to that place of being in love. Now one other thought, I must add another thought, for it says with all lowliness.
And meekness and long-suffering.
Before I read the next expression, if we are going on in our loneliness and meekness and long-suffering, we are not going to take offense.
And we're not going to give offense, but the next word says for bearing one another or bearing with one another, which would be enabling us to.
Get along with one another with all of our little.
In. In consistent.
Our little ones, I say insignificant things that crop out in our four ways.
The thought here is that we just simply go on overlooking such things in love.
I believe this is the most minor of all the offenses recorded in our New Testament that I know of.
Just in all these little things that we bear with one another in love.
Senator Brownwood, that burst in the 13th chapter. First Corinthians be in keeping with what you're saying, where you read the love sufferers long.
And this kind sometimes love suffers a lot but gets very much irritated and shows and unkind spirit, but divine love suffers from that weight. Whether here would you give us that quotation from your Father about don't try to love the Lord even more than you do. Think that would be helpful for us and connection with abiding in the love of God.
Well, I believe you used to say that we ought never to try to love the Lord any more than we do, but simply to sit down and enjoy the faithfulness of His love toward us. To me, that very lovely in the way in which it's brought out in this epistle, as was mentioned, the first two chapters unfolding the heart of God and the wonderful blessings His love is made known, and then on the basis of all that.
Exhorting us. And I was reminded that it was being outlined. And as our brother Macmillan told us all how rich we were, I sat here and thought, well, now, how many times have I heard that before? Some of us have been to meetings like this for a good many years, and we've often been told how rich we were. We've often been told that all the Lord's people are equally blessed of God.
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In spiritual matters.
But I wondered whether that we come here and hear it once more, Are we going to rise up and leave as we came, or is it really going to speak to our hearts this time? I remember our brother Barry pointing out to us one time in Perth. I thought I had never considered before from the Scripture if he had been unfaithful in that which is another man who shall commit to your trust that which is your own?
Now I believe he said, What is it we have that is another man? Everything that we possess down here, that we so like to call our own, is in reality another man. It's entrusted to us for a purpose for which we shall one day give an account to God. And if we're unfaithful in those things, if we take those things, be their abilities or possessions, and use them for our own.
Improvement in this world.
The Scripture says, who shall commit to your trust that which is your own. I believe perhaps that would point out to us why we are so often.
Barren In our souls we are rich spiritually, but I'm afraid that the enjoyment of those spiritual possessions is so little known to us because we're so much occupied with that which is another man.
Or like the woman that I read about some years ago.
She was picked up on the street of a city in the United States here.
And should a poor, wretched creature and appearance.
She was taken to the hospital. She collapsed in the streets, taken to the hospital.
The doctor said she was starving and after all the different in the hospital, she died. And the diagnosis was she had died of malnutrition. That meant she died of hunger, starvation. She wasn't there. Her body wasn't sustained. She was starved, being starved. Well, in the hospital they took her old clothes off her, of course, and put her to bed when she got there.
Well, after she died, they got their old clothes to dispose of them and the nurses had felt a kind of a rustling sound coming from the garments and the the tore open the lining of the garments and they found $9000 in bills sold into the inside, the lining of our coats. And there she died of starvation with $9000 on her person.
She didn't need to starve.
That could have bought lots of bread, lots of food, that $9000. But she was a miser and that's why she so much money and that's why she wouldn't spend any of it and died of starvation That the doctor said, well, that's just like a lot of us, we're blessed with all spiritual blessings and heavenly places in Christ. They're all ours. Are we enjoying them or are we trying to find a little bit of enjoyment? And this poor passing scene in which we live this poor world rejected our blessed Lord Jesus.
And made them to a cross, and are still rejecting him. Are we trying to find little pleasure in the things of this present life that that pass away, or are we enjoying our heavenly portion in Christ?
The children of this world.
Are wiser.
In their generation and the children of light, Isn't that to our shame?
How?
Busy. They are going about to get temporal riches. They're wiser.
In their generation only a temporal generation, then the children of Light, who have all these eternal blessings that belong to us, and then sew them up in the hem of our garments.
Thinking of the first part of that second verse with all loneliness and meekness, that when the world speaks of meekness.
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As being weakness, a person as meek and they they won't resist even even wrong. Don told them all the world says is a weekly The world likes a man of little faith back and struggle for his own race. The world says stand up for #1 and #1 means self and the world is a man that will fight for his rights. But the Lord Jesus applies his first to himself.
And not let the chapter of Matthew I am meek and lowly in heart that one who was the strongest man that ever lived.
That is, God's dear son is a man here. Next he had power over the powers of darkness. He can command the demons at the Picasso that believe, and the devil had to step back to his power. He could command the stormy sea to be still, and those big waves tumble right down platinum. There was a great can, not merely a can, but a great calm. The word helps.
And the disciples to say, what manner of man is this, leaving the winds and the sea of vain, What power that was there? And that one to say, I am meek and lowly in heart, and he's the one that and this verse fits exactly. And how long he suffered, how he born with his disciples, and how you go over the world, and even on the cross, when they were mocking him after having nailed him there.
When they were mocking him and jeering at him as you hung there in his agony upon the cross, they they could cry out. Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.
Oh, how how loving is our best behavior. What what meekness and loneliness is there. And that's what we have to be, where to be like him, he's our example that we should walk on his steps leaving us an example.
That we should walk on his steps and that would be for the honor and glory. The more we're like him in this poor world that doesn't want him and doesn't want us either, and we're following him. But that would be for the Lord to glory. That we should be more and more like our blessed Lord Jesus Christ.
Hottest man find ever to keep the unity of the spirit of peace.
Well, that's rather a large subject I believe.
If we were not going on that's been mentioned in the good of that second verse, we wouldn't be able to carry out the other. And I was thinking about thinking about blowing this meekness in.
Connection with assembly, light. Our position in this world, will it be wealth or actual position as having certain responsibilities? And key as to whether it be maybe our education blending itself. The Lord can use those things, but that in itself doesn't give us a place in the ascent. Well now endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirits.
There would be.
The absence of leverage might come in through pride, that is, that one would seek to.
Keep down anything that might bring up contention.
Or strike in any way that hinders the keeping of the unity of the Spirit, the uniting bond of peace. The unity of the Spirit is that which the Spirit has produced, as I see it, bringing us together as we have in the second chapter.
Into this one body, and they're being built together as a House of God. Well, that's a unity. The spirit of God is produced, but there is the uniting bond of peace connected with it that has to do with us individually as to how we conduct ourselves.
Well, one was thinking in connection with what we said here and speaking about that if there isn't this individually with us.
Why then we won't be able to manifest it collectively? And it may be as fixed about intimacy. And one of the things there is evil surmising. Well, that ought to be something that's judged and put down with it. Well, evil surmising comes in, it may affect me personally, and it may permeate to among others. Well, the sad thing is, it comes in collectively, and there's jealousies.
00:50:15
Not only individually, but assembly light too. It's been very sad thing. So endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit.
Walking in self judgment before him and seeking to bring out that which would be for his glory.
The unity not of our spirits, beloved, but the unity of the spirit of God, were enjoined upon to keep.
In that uniting bond of peace, now there's a great deal of talk about that they may be one, they all may be one, and they the various bodies around this crystal from John 17 there that they all may be one. And so they get together, as you know.
And there's a pretense there of the unity of the spirit, but it's not the unity of the spirit.
It's the unity of their spirits, for they all go back to their various churches afterwards.
The thought theory in John, of course it's it's one in communion, beloved there. And three times we have those words in that high priestly prayer of our precious Savior.
In the next place, it's one in testimony.
And of course, the final time it's mentioned there, it's one imploring.
One in communion, Bill Oven. Truly, our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
If there's anything that comes in that is contrary to his will and His word, then there can be no uniting bond of peace there. Oh, may we just get that really down into our hearts, the unity of these spirit of God, not the unity of our spirits as the world and its systems should teach us.
I remember her brother Otter's destination was that the unit of the Spirit is about the wondrous and to which the Spirit of God seeks to bring the children of God.
According to the truth of God and that's very important you mentioned it brother Smith. According to the truth of God and the blessed Lord says in that 17th of John thy word is truth. Here's where we get the truth and.
Any unity that is contradictory to the word of God could not be the unity of the Spirit of God.
I remember talking to a cousin of mine, listening young man, the Christian man.
And he contented that any place where Christians meet together in sincerity.
That's they're just as much on the right ground, one as another. Well, I said to him, William, I said, suppose here's a company meeting in the same town, and a little further on as another group meeting in this same town.
I said no. The Spirit of God direct some of the children of God from one of these meetings, some of the children of love to this other meeting.
Really had no answer. Well, I went on to say that if the Spirit of God acted in that way, then he's contradicting his own words. For the Spirit of God has indicted through Apostle Paul in the first chapter of First Corinthians.
And Speaking of division, he says, is Christ divine? So according to that, if one place is just as much the place for the children of God together as another.
Well then Christ is divided. So if the Spirit of God is guiding according to the Word of God, there must be a divine center to which he is seeking to gather God's people together.
Laughing when the guidance of the Spirit of God.
You have a spirit of God, beloved never leads country to this blessed book. Never. And that's a good thing to remember the young believers here. God's Holy Spirit never leads, contrary to this word, never could. Now some might remember a missionary saying, Brother Smith, why do you hate us so much? I said, brother, you're talking nonsense.
00:55:27
It's not a question of hating you at all.
We love every child of God.
But we just can't walk with them, beloved, because they don't walk, according to this book. That's all. And why should we not be favored? Why should we not in love, be faithful?
To inform them. To that effect we love God's people. They belong to Christ. If they're washed in the precious blood of Christ, they belong to him. But beloved, we never can walk with them. If they don't work according to this blessed world, we can't do the first and last year, eighteen, 20th then referred to, were two or three are gathered together. My name there am I in the midst of that.
Well, it isn't where two or three gather, but it's our gathered. There is a power outside of themselves, the friends them together. That power is a spirit of thought. It isn't something of our own religion. Certainly they took the separation brethren is to a person.
To Christ and consequently from the world. It's sin, it's pleasures.
And that sisters, who separation is 2 now the different sects around us, they gather in the name of Christ. Rome professes to do that too, but they're not gathered unto the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. If they were gathered unto the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, beloved, that would put them outside of every system.
Our brother Fleck once wrote to me that if we are.
Gathered in the power of the Holy Spirit, we are gathered outside of division.
40 years ago, Brother Leck wrote that To my mind, that's a lot of truth in that short statement if we are gathered by the power of the Holy Spirit.
We are gathered outside of Division.
In First Corinthians 110.
If possible, this is referred to as why I'm reading it now. I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all.
Speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you.
But that he'd be perfectly joined together in the same mind and the same judgment.
The unity of the spirit embraces two thoughts.
It is the unity as much as to say there are not two or more. There are not many unities.
And it's of the Holy Spirit.
That same Spirit that was sent down by the glorified Lord to baptize every member of the body of Christ into one body, or by 1 Spirit, are we all baptized into one body.
That is a fundamental truth for exercise souls who are wondering as to God's mind, as to gathering well, there is the basis of it. If I am a child of God, Washington is precious blood. I am in guilt for the Holy Spirit, and I am a member of His body. But that same truth is good for every other member of of the body of Christ on earth.
And therefore the unity of the spirit gathers.
Unites and blesses us together, but the work of the enemy and the work of our own naughty will does just the opposite. And that is why divisions and strikes and evils and all such things come in and defeat the carrying out the unity.
01:00:11
Now the unity and the spirit is always perfect on the side of the spirit, on our side. It is our responsibility to endeavor to keep it.
Perhaps we find a picture of this principle in the Old Testament.
I believe in the book of Deuteronomy the Lord said 21 Times that he reserved to himself the right to choose a place to place his name. Well, that must have been a very, very real thing. The Lord would express it so frequently 21 Times. Well, that was established. But there came a time in the days after the reign of Solomon when Jeroboam and Rehoboth.
Disagree. And Jeroboam with 10 tribes, turn his back on the House of the Lord at Jerusalem. Now we all know the account, but it's rather striking that when Jeroboam did this and took 10 tribes away with him, he let slip. If I might use that's an expression, what he really knew to be the truth, he said. And it's recorded in scripture.
That unless he did something about this matter, they would return to the House of the Lord at Jerusalem. He knew where it was. He knew where the name of the Lord belonged. And he said, unless I establish something, these people are going to return to the House of the Lord at Jerusalem. And so he established 2 centers, one at Dan and one at Bethel. Now, through careless reading on my part, I didn't understand what the sin of Jericho and the son of Nebat might be.
We read that statement in connection with many a subsequent king that reigned over Israel, that he sinned after the sin of Jericho and the son of Nibat who made Israel to stand. I thought, well, probably terrible sin was so wretched and evil that the scripture itself doesn't record it, just that it had an influence on those who followed. But the scripture does tell us what it was. It was that very sin.
Standing up to other centers than that which the Lord himself had predicted and owned.
Where it seems to me that although this world priest has something very light and very unimportant, the centers that men have set up in the sight of the Lord, it's a very, very serious thing. And along came dear King Hezekiah, who was moved by a picture of the principle we have here.
Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit, dear king Hezekiah desired the keeping of the Passover at the House of the Lord at Jerusalem. But his heart longed after those of his separated brethren, the Israelites, and he sent messages to them, saying, Come to the House of the Lord at Jerusalem, that we may keep the Passover together. This is Second Chronicles 30. Well the invitation went out.
And most of those who received it, the Scripture says.
Lasted to score and mop the 10th verse of the 30th chapter. And that's the general attitude today. The people laugh at the suggestions that there is a place to which the spirit of God would direct them. But the sequel to that invitation to me is very beautiful. The scripture says. Nevertheless, divers of Asher humble themselves and return to Jerusalem.
To me, it's so very, very sweet to read that because when we turn to Luke's gospel, we find there that there was a widow named as of the tribe of Asher. What was she doing in Jerusalem? Her tribe had lasted long ago. I suppose that one of Anna's ancestors humbled himself and returned to Jerusalem and never went back again.
Remained there, and now his descendants, there was dear old Anna to welcome the Lord Jesus. Oh, what a joy it would be if by the grace of God.
01:05:00
We were preserved, gathered to his precious name till he comes to college.
That formula you spoke of in Deuteronomy as being recorded about 21 Times.
Is that they were to gather under the place. The Lord thy God shall choose to place his name there.
21 Times our brother has emphasized. Now we read on signs As we travel, go to the Church of your choice, which is directly opposite to what God would have us do. Not our will. Not our choice, not a a burden for us to solve As to where we go, no, it's for us to find out.
The Lord's joy.
The Lord thy God shall choose to place his name there in the 22nd of Luke. The disciples asked him, Lord, where will thou?
Where will thou that we prepare? Well, that is the right upright attitude of soul.
You know the Lord's mind.
One was thinking about what I was thinking of.
Couple of verses in the 4th of Acts.
They.
32nd verse.
And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart, one soul. Neither said any of them that thought of the things which he possessed with his own. But they had all things common, and with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.
Well, I suppose primarily this refers how they're in the beginning. They did.
Give up their earthly possessions brought them to the apostles. But one was thinking here they Then the police were one heart and one soul. Well, that applies not only as to earthly possessions, but also as to spiritual possessions.
And one has thought, neither said any of them. Of all the things that He had with his own that were here together, it isn't what we've mastered and studied out and that kind of thing, but it's what the Lord has given to us all. And if there was that spirit, neither said any of them out of the things which he said with his own, it would have a great effect, as it did here in the spiritual power that was manifested before we read. And a great power gave the apostles witness to the resurrection of Lord Jesus and great grace upon them all.
We'd like to see power. Well, how much does my attitude? How much does my the spirit I manifest do to hinder that? Well, here, seems to me, here's the secret of it.
Great power gave the apostles witness the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. It had to be manifested in more than one life.
If you notice too that when Derek Warm set up the golden calves, that he had an imitation of of the true sacrifice, God's order Jerusalem, and it says he divides him out of his own heart for living that always the way when there is a departure from the word of God, then the mind of man begins to invent.
Something to substitute the way that God has provided the order that God has set up for his people to continue this, I was surprised to see it picked up quite a fundamental magazine, and it made this statement that we can't say that.
That all tradition is to be rejected. We have to know what is the right tradition.
Well, what is tradition? But just what Gary Boone did, setting up something according to what he had conceived out of his own heart. Or perhaps we could say somebody else. Someone had said a certain way of going on, way of meetings are to be carried on the way ministries be conducted. And so there's no foundation for it at all.
01:10:27
But what man has invented?
Nor we can say without any hesitation that all tradition is condemned.
Tradition is what has been handed down from Father to Son or from one generation to another, and the professing Church of God is just full of tradition, no foundation for it at all.
There was a writer that wrote up the history of so-called brethren, he said. Here was the most astounding thing.
Was a group of people that cast aside all that had been established.
Through all the ages of Christianity, and started out with nothing before them, but to be guided entirely by what is found in the Bible itself. Well, the very condemnation of this writer did think, I think his name was, was the very thing that we can rejoice in, which is absolutely true.
We're going on in the way that pleasing to the Lord, or as you get here, keeping the unity of the Spirit, it must be in keeping with God's word and with God's word alone.
Well, they were tradition the way it is.
Been translated in the Authorized version, they had a little different feeling than what it has at the present time now, for instance in 2nd Thessalonians 3.
Where the apostle speaks about those that walking disorderly and not after the traditions received of us. But he wasn't talking about what had been handed down. But really there is the instructions received plus and that's the sense really in which it's used in the New Testament primarily I believe.
But anything like the tradition of the Fall is that Peter speaks of is something that is caused the death of Christ. Deliver a gentleman, yes.
Or he know that he were not redeemed with corruptible things of silver and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your father. That will be kind of tradition that I was Speaking of bad you mentioned the other, so that no one would be.
Given the wrong thought.
Remarkable that the Spirit of God used Peter to be the one who condemned for this. Again in the second official I I feel he condemned it when he says, Whereby are given unto us all things that pertain unto light and godliness. If I wish to be the possessor of divine life. I have all I need in this book. If I wish to walk through this world of please God, I have all I need in this book, and Saint Peter himself has told us so.
So that the traditions which have been added there really in his name and his successors are condemned in his writing.
The Jews were prone to add to the Old Testament scriptures. They would bring in explanations, and those explanations were the thoughts of men, not as from the Spirit of God. The Talmud is full of them. There are.
There are two.
Lines of energy at work in the connection with this thought of unity.
One is that great, so-called ecumenical movement to try to unite.
All of Christendom into one.
World religion and we know what is back of that. We know what it will eventuate into for all of the the tares, that is not the wheat, but after the wheat is caught up, all of the tears, all of the earthly minded.
Earth dwellers that are not real, they will eventuate into Babylon the Great and after the system is destroyed, they'll go through that black apostasy of worshipping Satan and the beast, the beast image, the Antichrist and demons. They'll go through all that and they'll land in the lake of fire and be tormented.
01:15:18
Forever and ever.
Now that's one line of energy that's going on today in a so-called unity, but it's a unity of evil. Now another line of unity.
Activity going on is what we call amalgamation.
In other words, let bygones be bygones, let us break down the bars, and let us all get together as brethren.
Now this side of the subject I think we ought to touch on at this time. In First Corinthians Chapter 11 and verse 19 we read that there must need to be.
Divisions among you.
That they that are approved might be made manifest among you. So the word of God shows the necessity of division. Now Why? Because God is holy. God has his government, and he is faithful in his dealings with us when we have grown careless and willful and ventured to set up a little religious societies of our own.
Why? It is because of that bad, bad state we've fallen into.
Now let us look back in first, Kings.
First Kings, Chapter 11.
Our brother has spoken about Jeroboam.
And.
The.
Back to Jeroboam was the inventor of.
You might say competitive centers or many centers. Instead of God's one center he sets up, Dan is another center 2nd and Bethel is 1/3. So then the people can make the choice as to where they would go.
Now I want to read in verse 10 or no verse 11 of Chapter 11 The first king.
Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, For as much as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant, So here is unfaithfulness on the part of Solomon.
And he says, I will surely win. God says this, God says, I will surely rent the Kingdom from thee. And in the next verse, the last of the verse, I will rend it out of the hand of thy Son.
Turn over to the next line is up.
Versus Could we sing?
Lord Jesus, hardly one with me.
We're working on pretty close schedule, all right.
327.
Ephesians 4:4-7
Reading
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21 two 212.
Season 4.
Let's start reading with the fourth verse.
There is water, body, and one spirit, even as the earth called in one hope of your calling.
One Lord, one Faith, one Baptism.
One God and Father of all, who is above all and through all, and in you all.
None to every one of us is given grace according to the measure, the gift of Christ. Wherefore he says, when he ascended upon Hind, he led captivity captive, and gave death unto men.
Now that he ascended, what is it that he also descended person to the lower parts of the earth?
He that descended to the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all things.
And he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints, or the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, until we all cover the unity, the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man under the measure of the statue of voters of Christ.
That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrines, by the spite of men and cunning craftiness.
Whereby they lie and wait to the sea, but speaking the truth in law may grow up into Him and all things which is ahead even Christ, from who the whole body fiddly joined together and contacted by that which every joint supplies according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, make it increase of the body, and the edifying of the self in love.
This I say, therefore testify in the Lord that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their minds.
Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the light of God's and ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart.
Coping past bidding have given themselves over into lasciviousness. You work all in clean ingredients.
But ye have not so learned Christ, if so be, that you have heard him and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus, that you put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of their mind, and that you put on a new man, which, after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man's truth with his neighbor.
But we are members one of another.
00:05:02
Be angry and sin enough, Let not the sun go down upon your wrath, neither give place to the dollars, but in the stole steal no more, but rather let him labor working with his hands, a thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that need it. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that was just good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace under the hearing.
And bring another Holy Spirit of John, for thine ye are sealed under the day of redemption.
That all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking to be put away from you with all malice, and be a kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ sake hath forgiven you.
Color brown. We rather abruptly cut you off what you were saying at the close of the meeting and the floor, if you'd like. Maybe you'd like to feel maybe you'd be elected to finish up your thought.
Because of the days we're living in.
And.
The Ecumenical movement to unite all of the religions of Christendom into one.
World system leading on to Babble in the great, the great Apostasy and finally.
Eternal judgment as the end of that program. It's all a seat to get the tears, the mere professors on the slide that goes down to the pit.
Well, that's one great union that the world is endeavoring to work these days. But another is that amongst believers we call it amalgamation. It's really reuniting and.
The tendency there is to.
Just lay a slide off at the past and as a word to forget it.
On the ground of some kind of a confession, but it's generally wholesale.
In order to unite groups of Christians together.
They have a common end that we all might be together. Well is it of God.
I believe that the scripture we had this morning.
Quoted was First Corinthians 11 verse 19 which says.
There must.
Needs be divisions among you that they that are approved might be made manifest among you. Well, it was mentioned that it is because of God's holiness and government over those that profess the name of Christ.
And that are gathered in the highest privileged position.
God requires that the low state that we get into our hearts, getting away from the Lord, that some kind of evil is allowed to come to a head to manifest the bad condition. And then God allows some poor instrument maybe to head up this thing or instruments, and the result is?
That division takes place while those who are walking close to the Lord in lowliness.
They're they're deeply exercised. They feel themselves incapable to know what to do about it. They are cast on the Lord. They own their own shame and their own part, and their meriting are meriting what has come to pass, well, that kind of a soul.
The Lord gives to know his mind, so that they might be called the approved, while he sloughs off the careless ones who go with the evil that has had to be judged.
Now.
There's some importance in going over these things. Let us go back to first Kings Chapter 10.
Or 11 it may be.
Chapter 11.
00:10:07
And verse 11 Wherefore the Lord said.
End of the verse.
I will surely rend now we see it. It is God that is bringing in this division of the Kingdom.
And again in verse 12 I will.
Friend, that's God is the one that's undertaking it.
Now over in verse 31, again in the middle of the verse, I will rend the Kingdom.
Out of the hand of Solomon, and will give 10 tribes to thee that is for this.
Jeroboam.
Well, I think we have other scriptures. We cannot go into the mall but turn over to chapter 12 and verse 15.
Verse 15 he says in the middle of the verse.
The cause was from the Lord. Now the original cause was the low state of hearts getting away from the Lord and their own unfaithfulness with which merited the Lord's dealings with them.
Now again in verse 24.
The middle of the verse. This thing is from me.
Now all these truths, there are more of them. All these truths show that God not only allows divisions, but when the people become so very unfaithful, they are needful.
Yet God maintains a testimony.
Of those who go on in lowliness of heart independence upon him.
Now this principle is important because there are leaders and teachers amongst those professively gathered that print pamphlets.
One of them tries to make out that this division was not justified and we could be forgotten. And this one he goes one time right down the line to show that the divisions as it were, were not justified.
Brethren, the word of God says that whatsoever is bound on earth is bound in heaven.
And so it is. And the well, the conclusion now my remarks is this separation from evil.
Is God's principle of unity. I must judge the evil being communion with God about it, know his mind, and then I am walking by faith.
In connection with what you're saying in First Timothy, we have the.
Church. They're spoken of as the House of God.
And directions were given as to how one was conducted oneself in that house.
It has been said, and we can see it, that there were certain things there that.
If possible deployed but.
The condition of things there was such that there was power to deal with it.
So there isn't any question raised there of separation, But when we come to Second Timothy, it's no longer there. Paul the House of God, but spoken of is a great house, and there there was not yet power to deal with what was evil, and so the One was called upon to separate oneself from those vessels.
Dishonor and.
Follow righteousness, faith, charity with those that call on the Lord out of your heart.
In the First Corinthians.
There was a deplorable state there, never spoken of as carnal by the apostle.
00:15:04
But it hadn't yet gotten to that point.
That we have in Second Thessalonians.
The divisions that were spoken of in part were not really actual divisions worthy. They were sects or parties within the assembly factions is well, the reason I speak of these things that I believe it's a very solemn thing and it's not really in the assembly.
Yes, the Lord's name. It's not really on the part of the individual to say that it's a leprous house or anything like that. The individual can't pronounce that judge.
In the Old Testament, where we have the question of leprosy in the house, whether the priest that was to pass the judgment on it was not the individual, well, I just want to make those remarks, the word of cautious, and be connected to what I can say.
There's another thought that comes brethren that.
If we look at the state, and that's the portion we're dealing with of Ephesians, if we look at the state of the testimony around us, well, not only would we get on our faces in the dust, but it's enough to break anyone's heart.
But there is something to that we need to take care of.
We do remember need to remember that the power and the faithfulness of the hidden glory can never be touched, and I think that's been a comfort to my soul during many years, the power and the testimony of that blessed man in glory.
Can never be touched. The rule is great, but we can thank God that that's concerning the professing Church.
But in the mind of God, the Church is ever perfect, and so we can thank God for that, Beloved.
So it's just as true to say as it was. When the apostle can mean words, there is one body.
The Church is just as much one now as it was when they met on the day of Pentecost, or any time that we read of the Church in the days of the Apostles.
One body there. That's one body still. What? God does this forever?
This man comes in with his failure. He breaks up the testimony and is connected with it.
But still, the foundation stand assured. He can't touch the foundation and never undo what God has done.
We're never told to keep the unity of the body army, brother. No, no.
We are told to keep the unity of the Spirit in that uniting bond. Peace. Well, this is a challenge to us. Below us, we're at the close of this dispensation and we needn't think to look for great things.
But we can always count upon the faithfulness of God. We can count upon that blessed one in glory ever.
Brother Wilson, how about word on the three circles of truth in the three verses?
You're a part of the 4th, 5th and 6th verses.
00:20:09
Well, verse four, I take it as vital.
There's not.
Mere Professor in verse 4.
They're all real believers.
There is one body of real believers on earth. By 1 Spirit, are we all baptized into that one body?
No exceptions.
There's one Spirit, the Holy Spirit.
The power.
Of making us members of one body and keeping us.
Even as you are called in one hope.
The blessed heavenly hope of which we have been speaking out.
Or as a worthy hope that attaches to the heavenly ones and the heavenly truth that we have been having before us.
One hope of your calling, I suppose it is your calling on high.
Like anything in Philippians 3.
Well, I'd rather not try to go over the other verses. We might get ahead of ourselves.
Surely as a joy, the brother.
Mr. Saying that we can trust in our blessed Lord to to fulfill and to finish his work successfully and perfectly.
Because we know that there must be 1 member of that party missing in heaven. There's a teaching between the world today that's having quite an effect, and that is that Christianity has been a failure that's been taught by by infidel. Infidel teachers and the young people seem to act in order to act except that were true.
Well, Christianity is not a failure, but man is a failure.
The truth of Christianity, that salvation is to the work of Christopher, when the cross is over, to lost sinners and the great last refusers, And as the Lord Jesus himself has said, that there are two ways, the downward way and the upward way, And the Lord says of the upward way few there be than when there are of the downward way.
May there be that go on that don't wait obstruction.
So the great Mass of the world is going to have rejected and is going to reject the Lord Jesus Christ. But of those who receive the Lord Jesus, his own dear ones, his redeemed ones, they want me. One single one missing in the glory. We're going to bring them all home.
And his house is going to be filled.
I speak and and all the terms. There won't be one empty chair in the father's house that my house might be filled.
So that the word of Christ is successful and and we can thank the Lord for it, in spite of all the divisions that have occurred. And there are hundreds, actually hundreds and hundreds of divisions of professing Christians.
In this world. And that has caused a great seal and a great many of the infidels to blasphemy, blasphemy. The Lord and the Lord's people too. The Lord's Prayer was that they all might be one, but instead of being one, they are near 1000 divisions and groups and sex and parties.
What failure man has been, what failure things have been in the hands of even.
Those that are real Christians but are good to know that the Blessed Lord is going to have everyone of his own and glory to sing his prayers forever.
And that gives joy, Brother Smith was saying. That gives joy to the heart to know that the Lord's work is and will be successful.
But just noticing that there are seven one in these versions.
00:25:06
Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit, There is one body, one spirit, Even though you're called 1 Hope of your calling, 1 Lord, one faith, one Baptism, one God, and Father of War, as they often are reminded that seven is the perfect number. Well, here's the perfect disclaim.
All the oneness that's according to the mind of God.
That they all might be one was the prayer of our blessed Lord. When we stop to consider the love that prayer the Lord uttered that we read in the 17th of John within that upper Rd. the very night that he was betrayed.
From the shadow of the cross lay across his pathway. Think of the Lord in such earnest intercession with His following and treating his fault.
That those that the Father had given him, that they might be all one, they might go on in that unity and that oneness community, and in testimony, and then in glory, it should touch our hearts. Very special way to think of The Cave, and to think through what it means to the heart of Christ himself.
I was thinking about what you were saying, President Brown, in connection with God's allowing division, both in Old Testament times and these times.
Without a doubt, it is true.
He has seen the needs be he's.
Allowed it to come in.
But on the other hand.
I suppose we should never.
Think of division any other way, but as hateful to God.
It should be abhorred.
And.
One who is really walking in communion.
Would certainly forego anything of self.
That would help to promote it.
It's the work of the wolf.
Scatters the sheep.
It's not the work of the Lord.
You feel Green Brother Wilson over a statement of brother made some years ago. He said that every so often the history of gathered strength through the disease. And he said the time had come when division must take place. Well, he wasn't satisfied until he helped Tom with the division. He divided the people he saw. That kind of a spirit I'm sure is hateful to the Lord.
It's it's justifying causing division.
In advance of what it's laying the groundwork for.
And it should be a port.
May we never utter a thing like that.
That would lay the groundwork for division.
They're told to follow the things that make for peace, whereby one may edit by another. That doesn't mean in any sense whatever that we are.
To ignore evil.
Or to move it over, cover it up.
Act as though things were right when they're not right. It never means that it's false, but we're at this. Seek to encourage those that go on in faith and faithfulness to the Lord to go on in peace and then fellowship and communion among themselves.
Many, many cases could be avoided.
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Small parties, troubles, if there were the consideration that's mentioned in the 12Th of Hebrews.
There we find that we're to run. We have a race set before us. We're to run with endurance.
And in that chapter we find that we do not run single file. We do not run alone.
We run as a group, we run as a flock, and there are those that are weak, there are those that are discouraged, there are those with people needs. I suppose it could be safely said that there are some in the Church of God that all their lifetime need to be helped on.
Carrot.
Well, we're very apt to overlook that side of things.
Especially if there's a legal tendency we'd like to lay down the rules, make every man follow.
But there is a consideration for those that stumble easily.
When the Samaritan picked up the wounded man by the side of the road, he not only bound up his wound and poured in the oil and the wine, but he brought him to the inn and made provision for his care until his return. And then he added this thought. Whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee well. Anne is rather an unusual place to take a wounded man.
You would normally expect a man left to be cared for at an end, to be able to take care of himself. But this man was wounded. It appears that he might need a little special care, and perhaps for quite a while. And so the Samaritan says to the innkeeper. Now, I know all about this man's condition, but I have brought him here, and I'm entrusting you with the special care that this wounded man will require. And I'll keep a record of it, too. And in that coming day, I will repay you.
Well, perhaps there are those by the grace of God, and we should thank him for it, who, as you say, all their life long in the assembly, seem to need special care. Perhaps they're easily wounded. Well, the Lord is taking note of all that, and I believe brothers and sisters alike, do we not share in the responsibilities that are just spoken of, when perhaps there seems to be a tendency toward these things and this or that assembly?
What is our attitude for others and sisters alike?
Visiting in an assembly a little while ago where there was a condition that appeared as though it might be quite serious, one dear brother whom I visited was in tears. Always said brother, every time there's any little trouble, I'm always afraid that perhaps I'm the Jonah in the assembly and he was really on his face. Well, of all the brothers in that assembly, he was certainly not the Jonah as far as I was able to discern, but I thought it was a commendable spirit.
He personally was downloaded for the Lord.
The cause, the love of the many of our trials and their troubles, is through self will, self will.
We have no will of our own beloved, and the moment that myself will get in exercise, the old nature gets in exercise and we are capable of anything.
Brother Harry Haver always said present. We are capable of anything unless he keeps keep his hands of love upon us. But it is true that where self will comes in.
Trials and troubles without number appeared.
Our place is indeed in the dozen. I suppose there is no such thing as a division that has not been preceded by self, will someone.
Oh, how easily?
To go before God and seek to know his mind.
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The Lord's direction to know it and to do it would stop the trouble.
If Saints would, if we would only learn this, I believe the love of them, The path and the responsibility of the Saints is the maintenance of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ in our midst.
Having that before the soul.
There's not much room for Southwest.
The maintenance.
Of the Lord Jesus glory in our midst.
And is never for his Lord. And cover up evil isn't it? Evil must be purged out. It's taught everywhere.
We might look at the portion in First Corinthians there.
Just five.
Verse 6.
In verse four, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
When we are gathered together and my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ.
To deliver such an one unto faith for the destruction of the plague, that the Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your glory is not good. Know ye not that a little less leaveneth a whole lump Urge out there for the old leaven, that you may be a new love.
As you are unleavened for even price.
Passover is sacrificed for therefore let us keep the peace, not with old heaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
I suppose the Corinthians boasted there.
When they should have had their faces in the dust.
Well, it's a lesson to us. Who doesn't feel the weight of these work, These words of the apostles, these things.
The beauty of the assembly is to.
Not only recognize sin, but the judges and put it out, put it away.
Oh, the happiness that would approve if we would do that. And beloved.
Parental affection.
Must never intimidate God's men.
Who are responsible before the law? And yet it often happens.
I think that's sad. It's hard, we know.
But nothing should come in to depreciate in any possible way.
The decision of an assembly.
The moment we do that below us, we are on independent ground and the testimony is practically gone.
And we feel that. We feel it.
And there's one who has been serving the Lord a good many years, or trying to.
We are really consumed sometimes.
When we think of God's dear people forgetting the glory of Christ in our midst.
For mere parental affection or the affection of something.
That concerns us personally.
Oh beloved, may we be on our basis before the Lord about.
Would you say that in connection with a matter of discipline, where there was a case of natural affection or parental affection, that'd be better to leave the case with others rather than one seeking to put their own views in connection with it? We may say, you know well, our natural affection doesn't enter into this and what I'm saying, but we can't keep promises there.
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There was a case in point in Bolivia. I've mentioned this before.
We had the joy of leading to Christ, an officer in the army, in the Bolivian army.
And that Dean man.
Serve the Lord faithfully for 20 years.
One day fell into the sin of adultery.
If the assembly in connection with that officer had been in a good state, they could have sensed it, beloved. But it wasn't sent and he went on ministry.
Until the Lord struck him with paralysis, and then it came out.
Well, naturally, being an influential officer in the army, the humble souls in that meeting were rather afraid to take a stand.
But God gave them courage.
To stand firm concerning the judgment of that and the judgment of that meeting stood.
A number went along to this officer and sympathized with him. Now I always think of dear answer.
He sent them all home.
He said, brethren, he was an officer and he had a blunt way with him and a commanding way, he said, Dear brethren, just go home.
The verdict of the assembly is right, and if it were not right, he said the Lord Jesus would clear it up. And I always remember that if it were not right, the Lord Jesus was clear enough. But he said it's ten Well, that dear man was taken to be with the Lord.
His pillow was wet with his tears.
We loved him.
But he wouldn't allow any intervention whatsoever.
And that strengthened the Assembly for this day.
Poor humble brothers.
But it strengthens them.
That's a very solemn charge the Apostle Paul brings before Timothy in First Timothy 5.
Verse 21.
I charged thee before God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without.
Preferring one before another, doing nothing by.
Our shallow there well, I believe it is rendered without prejudice or partiality well.
There are two ways to which we may sway one or the other personal lights dislike. Well, that's here. He charges him before.
God and the Lord Jesus Christ to guard against that.
There's something to which we're all susceptible to.
Well, it's a very strong shot.
Sometimes it's hard to distinguish one's own motives and things like that.
I wonder if I might go on with our verse 4.
Sometimes it is sad that we do not get the Second Coming Truth and the Epistle to the EP.
But do we not get a little suggestion that my point to that inverse the end of verse 4?
Ye are called in one hope.
Of your calling. I suppose that's Our Calling on high at the coming of the Lord. So it is. It is at least suggested there. And one other place, Chapter 5, verse 20.
00:45:10
27.
That he might present it to himself a glorious.
Church.
Well, I believe the truth of the coming of the Lord Boris not given to us as a doctrine of patience, but it is alluded to, and like that verse in 527 he just referred to, that he might present it to himself a glorious church. Well, how's he going to do that? Please come first, take her out of the scene before he presents to himself.
And one is thought in the second chapter.
And the sixth verse we get there, It's raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Well, now there, that's where we are at the present time, seen in the purpose of God, seen in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. But the next verse goes on that in the ages to come, he might show the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. Well, that's after he's coming down in the air and take the stuff to be with him.
So it is alluded to I believe several times, but this brought out of the doctor.
In the first chapter where he says.
Then the fullness of time he might gather together in one well, that's referring to his taking us to glory, and also when he's making everything in order here in this world. So I think it is a move several times.
But it has been said we're in a feeling we're seeing a seated in the heavenly places.
And so it's coming for us individually, so to speak. Bring this out of this world is hardly in keeping with that. So it is brought forth as a doctor.
Then you would say that one Lord, one faith, one Baptism.
Is the circle of progression.
Or we well know there are many in this world that day that have been baptized in the name of Father. Son and Holy Ghost were never born again.
There are many that have offered their own Jesus as Lord, like those who will say, Lord, Lord, have we not.
In thy name done many wonderful works, he'll answer and say unto them, I never knew you. Oh, in that sense one can call on him as Lord, and yet not be one of his own at all, although if it's real. And from the heart with a heart man believeth unto Dragons.
Those In that case it says no one can call Jesus Lord but by the Holy Ghost.
At that verse in second Peter 2.
Even denying the Lord to walk them, they're the distinction is between purchase and redemptionism.
Christ has walked the whole field.
For the Treasurer.
But only the Christian acknowledges is his right of purchase.
And therefore they come under the benefits of redemption the Christian.
But even the world has benefited by Christ having bought the field, but the unbeliever denies the Lord that body.
So the Lord has rights on the bar over.
Everyone has.
He just owns his right like a slave, and he's been bought money. This slave refuses to obey his master. Well, he has a right over him, but he won't submit.
Why? He's not under his authority or he has rejected his authority and that's the way the unbeliever is going on.
Rejecting the very one who has perfect world has given him the opportunity of having the salvation and all the blessings that are connected with salvation.
So we have a little circle in the fourth verse. We have a larger circle in the fifth verse.
00:50:07
We have a still larger circle and the sixth verse. There we get one God and Father Hall, who is a lovable and through all well that takes in the whole human race. But then he returns at the end of the sixth verse to the little purple of the fourth verse again, and he says, and in you all.
Mr. Darby's translation.
Makes it us, which I think is helpful.
The father One Baptist here has nothing to do with molds of bathroom. There are some people that take this picture and say, well, you folks, you have different holes and baptism. There isn't one baptism that you hold. That is a thing.
And one is always baptized in the name of Father, Son of Holy Ghost.
Why he has submitted to the only baptism and scripture recognized?
Yes, there were other baptisms. For instance, the Jews had some baptism, John the Baptist had one. But that wasn't Christian baptism, as we learned from Acts 19, where the apostle Paul had been rebaptised because he'd been baptized John's baptism.
It was the one message we have since the Lord has started building the church, so to speak. But baptism of any mode whatsoever never saved a soul, no.
So that the water baptism you mean? Yes, I'm Speaking of water baptism of any met of any method.
I was just going to mention that.
And we have this threefold unity Notice brethren, one body, one spirit, 1 hope and their crawling. And then with this we have the outfit. Profession I think you would call it, wouldn't you? One law, one faith, one That's an out of profession.
Heard of professed Christian just recently quote that verse in Mark on being baptized, Whosoever believeth and is baptized shall be saved.
Arguing from it that the baptized person is safe.
My remark to him was.
You could just as well say of that verse.
Whosoever believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but whoso believeth not, shall be damned, even though he were baptized.
Baptism isn't what says it's faith in Christ. God has never committed anything vital into the hands of Mass. God knows too well he could never trust man with anything as vital as the salvation of the soul.
So he's given us the outward testimony after the Lord's Supper and.
Privileges that we enjoy as people, but it's all something that's outward. The inward work, the work of God, the new birth, salvation of eternal life. Paul's never committed that any of his creatures.
Well, Brother Barry, you would be loath to admit a man was called a man, a Christian who would refuse baptism, wouldn't you?
If a man refuses, baptism says it's not formal, there's something wrong.
You take the Jew, for instance, if you it was necessary for him to receive baptism.
And Speaking of the book of the Acts now.
There's something wrong with a man that refuses.
But there there are a lot of people today.
Call themselves.
Hyper dispensationalists.
They set aside baptism in the Lord's Supper.
00:55:04
There's a large sector there.
Like the Salvation Army, they they don't baptize or keep the Lord suffering. But I'm sure there's some Christians among them. Yes, and the Friends, or the Quakers. And also the Teacher, the followers of Bollinger, who sets aside the two ordinances.
Well, that's a wicked doctrine. If you follow the teaching of that system, there's no salvation to it. It's on the order of.
Jehovah Witness they they deny eternal punishment.
And their darkness is very serious. There are those that do not go to the extreme by O'Hare or Bollinger himself. Is impeachment very serious.
So wicked doctrine, and we had some experience with leads to positive witnesses.
We need not.
Continue on this subject of baptism, but I'd just like to mention that water baptism.
Has to do with an earthly sphere.
We speak of the Kingdom.
Of heaven in mystery, as it is in Matthew 13, another.
Well, water baptism is the initiative.
In the way of a reception.
Into that sphere of the profession of Christ on earth, and it's a merely earthly sphere of profession, privilege and responsibility.
And being thus related to the Kingdom, we could distinguish it from the other ordinance as to the Lord's Supper, which really is related to the Church.
About the Potter used to say that the Lord never committed anything in the hands of man that was by who hasn't been mentioned here. And he said there was just two ordinances, we might call them, that are committed to hands of man, and neither one of them were for the means of giving life that was Lord's supper and baptism. But he said man has encrypted life giving to the poor.
I twist 2 scriptures to in particular and the third of John born of water of the Spirit and make that water baptism give him life which it does not. Then they go to the other verse eating his flesh, drinking his blood in the 6th chapter and make that partaking of the Lord's supper has nothing to do with the Lord's supper.
That would be the daily feeding upon Christ with his brother Wilson. Yes, there are two. There are two statements in that chapter. One is passed and the other is constant.
Correct translation is necessary to see it. Shall have eaten is the appropriation of the death of Christ to oneself, and then shall eat. That's the daily feeding.
Isn't that right? And that was in connection with abiding in Christ biting in me.
So we should be daily, constantly feeding our souls.
On the death of Christ, minding our hearts what it cost our blessed Lord to save us, finding ourselves of his suffering, being the sacred of God.
Well, that's feeding on his death and constant thing. I think it's worth turning to the 6th of John to get that.
Take myself. It's very lovely and very important.
Would it be that in the 53rd and the 54th verses there is that which is life giving. And in the 56th verse there's that which you were just now Speaking of Speaking of feeding on price, to actually see the verses and distinguish, I think is a hell yes, that's very true. You see the 53rd verse, then Jesus fell to them, except verily, verily, I say to you, except to eat the flesh of the front man. Well.
01:00:20
Hey, that's better. Translated empty shall have eaten other words. That's your conversation. When you came as a poor lost letter and accepted the one that died on the cross as your savior, you appropriated the death of Christ or your needs as a lost spinner. Well then, the 56th verse. He that eateth my place and bringeth my blood.
In me is here doesn't the question there of getting light. The other versatility has no life in Him, But here is dwelling in Christ. Dwelling in Christ speaks of communion. Fellowship are mine plus Lord. All we need to be careful is to go on enjoy the word ever to get too far from the cross of Christ.
So easy for the enemy to just get us occupied, even with scripture, in an intellectual way.
All the way through all the sacrifices, there must be the land for the morning and the lamb for the evening, the death of Christ.
Beginning the day and ending the day.
Those who are away from home and loved ones quite a good deal realize perhaps something of what it means to actually devour a letter when you get one. When you read the good news from home, you don't just read it casually and then put it away. You really read that letter more than once. I don't want to speak in any light way of these things, but it is a very, very precious reality to take the word of God ministering Christ to the heart.
And actually to feed on it. To feed on it. I remember as a young fellow the impression that it used to make on me. But I would see older brethren whom I knew had read this book for years, since the days of their boyhood, when I would see the very way in which they'd read it. When I see the look on their faces as they would read it. When I see them look up from verses they've known since their boyhood.
You could see that they had actually.
Taking it in and made it their own and still they wanted more. Well, I think there's something very, very fragile about the truth that we have in this 6th of John.
When you get to the eighth verse of our chapter, or the seventh verse, but on every one of us is given grace according to the major of the gift of grace.
Every believer has a distinct place in the body.
And have a distinct.
Function in connection with the body. So every one of us has given grace. Grace is really the gift God has given every one of his children, and he has given the major that he's been.
Told all, we need to be satisfied.
I've covered the gifts or the ability that some other ones have answered.
But to seek the place the Lord in his wisdom has committed.
To our trust, do the little work the Lord has for us anyhow, the work that's fancy house grace for every one of His children.
Mr. Dobby says that the grace here is the gift itself.
What was that, Brother Smith? Mr. Darby says that the that grace here given grace is the gift itself. It is the gift. Well, I thought that was very interesting when I read that. But we do have a distinction in the gifts in Romans 12 and verse.
6.
01:05:00
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us.
Well, isn't that another?
Brown special gift and that seventh verse.
Yes, like here that are given every one of God's children. Now when we get to the 81St getting from that verse on that wherefore is when he is headed up on high he led the captivity captive and gave gifts on the men. Well just for the sake of time we drop onto the 11Th 1St and he gave some apostles some apostles.
Some evangelists and some pastors and teachers, well, though they're special gifts.
They stole the song The Body of Christ Church here on earth.
But the seventh verse is quite a different line of truth. As we get everyone there then, yeah, makes a little difference rather what you say then in connection with the seventh verse it through.
Love of.
Prominence or something of that kind, we attempted to get beyond our measure, then we wouldn't have the grace part and was short of faith.
One might be pressed into a position where perhaps S would put in their line where the Lord could sustain them. But if we attempt something that might make more proper, then we wouldn't have the Gray sport and failure sure to come in. King Saul is a case in point, is it? He said. I forced myself.
And he was seeking prominence, and Samuel said when I was little in 909.
Strange how easily self gets in.
Well, the gifts that are mentioned beginning with the eighth verse.
Are gifts that are bestowed by an ascendant, glorified Christ who has become the head of the Church down here.
Well, when the Lord is here on Earth, He sent out his wild recitation to them. Go out and reach the Garfield. But that isn't a mission, that.
Here in the 4th chapter of Ephesians, because it's only after Christ has defended up on I that it tells us that that he gave some apostles. Well, doubtless they were the same 11:00 that were with the Lord and were commissioned when he was here, but now they receive a special Commission.
On the glorified Christ showing the.
Ministry comes directly from Christ the head and glory, giving out a new few dogs. Praise God's blessings here on earth. Now he has a glorified man in heaven, and it's through that glorified mass.
All true ministry is bestowed to His people down here in the sea.
With Christianity.
It's some apostles, isn't it?
Before the days of Christianity, there were 12.
In fact, when you get to the New Testament, if you examine it, you'll find others who were called apostles. Wasn't Barnabas called an apostle?
And others.
I Paul was apostle by the Lord's call, but he wasn't one of the 12. But.
The numbering, the 12, is not true in Christianity.
Some apostles, it's broader, and the prophets here are not the Old Testament prophets.
They were New Testament prophets.
So you get the apostle, and then the problem, half of the problem, and then the apostles.
01:10:01
In that sense, they would be those who would pronounce on the word rather than.
Ask Brother aired.
Well, they were the ones to whom the words to whom the word was communicated, I suppose. So I can get the second chapter built upon the foundation, the apostles and prophets.
See we they didn't have the scriptures that we have them. They Lord was using the apostles and prophets to convey his mind to his people. At that time I've often thought about take their insurance. Why?
I doubt if they had. They may not have had any of the New Testament Scriptures there, because they were.
They weren't written right away after the crucifixion, and then it took a long time to.
Get them restricted among the different churches.
First Thessalonians, I guess, was the first epistle written, and it was sometime later when.
Paul received the communication as to the Lord's coming for the Thessalonians.
So I'm afraid to question why they weren't reading meetings in Corn. Well, they didn't have the scripture, so to speak, to read.
The gift of prophecy was an important thing in the early church.
That is, communicating the mind of God to their circumstances.
Reading the 13th chapter of Acts, how they were in the church, that was an Antioch certain promise.
And teachers as Barnabas Simeon called Nigeria Lucia for Cyrini and.
Man manifest.
And here so Well, there's doesn't say all those men were impossible, but.
They were prophets among them.
And as the ministers and prayed, while the Spirit says separate the barnacles control it worked around to I have called them, and he may have used one of those prophets communicate that to them.
Well, I believe our time is up, brother.
174.
Ephesians 4:8-11
Reading
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Britain, August 22nd, 1964, Reading site, 1:00 AM.
Well, shall we go on with our 4th of Ephesians this morning?
But first let me start with.
Well, I believe the.
Not as far as age verse.
Season 4.
Verse 8.
Wherefore he sat.
When He has set it up on high, He led captivity captive, then gave gifts unto men. Now that He ascended, what is it but that He also sent it first into the lower parts of the earth?
The descendant of the same also that I sent it up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.
And he gave Trump and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers.
For the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ, until we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God.
Man under the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that we henceforth be no more Children taught to and fro, and carried upon with every wind of Duncan by the slightest man, and cunning crappiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.
Speaking the truth in love, make her up into him in all things which is ahead, even right from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplier.
According to the effectual working in a measure of every part mega the increase of the body under the edifying of itself in love.
This I say therefore, and testify on the Lord, that you henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darken the alienator from the light of God to the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart, who being past feeling, have given themselves over until lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greedy nuts. But he had not so learned fright, if so be that she heard him.
And have been taught by him as a truth is in Jesus.
But you put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful love, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
00:05:04
Wherever putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.
Be angry and sin not, but not the sun Go down upon your round, neither give place to the devil.
But in this dull deal no more, but rather let him labor working with his hand the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needle.
That no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that are made minister great under the hearers, and read not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed under the day of redemption, but all bitterness and wrath and anger, clamor and evil speaking, they put away from you with all malice, and be kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another.
Even as God for fright, Satan hath forgiven you.
I.
The teaching of the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians.
The theme, shall we say, is heavenly places.
And five times those words appear in the epistle. I don't know why 5:00 but they do appear five times.
Well, here we have when he ascended up on high, brethren, that's where he is.
Having purged our sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty in the heavens finished work and the proof that.
He the fact of him being there.
Is the proof that we shall be there.
And it's nice to remember that, isn't it?
As the member shall be where he is, he won't be there ahead alone there his body.
Where he is, his members shall be, and not one, not one missing.
The marginal rating in that eighth verse that a mother to the captives.
That is wrong, and it's led to a false stock that when the Lord died, he went into the bowels of the earth.
And were God's people were in captivity there their souls were in captivity, and that he freed them, led them all out of that captivity.
How there's a group of believers.
That teach that doctrine and is widely taught among fundamental groups, but we want to get that matter straightened out because it's misleading, it's harmful. The way it's worded here by the King James translators is correct.
It's a quotation from the Book of Judges.
Where it says arise.
There can lead captivity captive that is, you know Cicero and his army of Canaanites at.
Kill God's people Israel in captivity there were slaves to his king and.
Vera.
With his army and account for Deborah.
Why he defeated?
Bearer and those that.
Held Israel captive, were made captives themselves. Well, that's an illustration of what the apostle is talking about in this verse. We were held captive by Satan and all his hope, the blessed Lord.
00:10:01
Went down.
Into the very stronghold of state.
Or death. No was the power that Satan got the Satan out from the fall of man. But the Lord descended into the very stronghold, and he has led captive Satan and all his hopes. So now the one who has led captivity, captivity captive.
Our faith.
Is now ascended on I He's gone up beyond the power of Satan because Satan is spoken out as the Prince and God of this world, and he's called the Prince of the air.
So the atmosphere above us has permeated, as it were. Well, Satan and his agents, the Lord went clear beyond them all.
Took his place on high so that we need no longer fear the of the Satan that is getting possession of our souls. We know he can do us a lot of harm and he's always about begin to make trouble and do a divide the people of God.
Arabs get us out of communion and introduce false doctrines.
All right, do all kinds of harm in this very meeting that as far as our soul salvation is concerned, Satan has lost his power and his lost his power forever.
That's nice, there you quoted from.
Judges 5 Didn't you, brother? Yes, that's right. Might we read that verse? That's the 12Th verse.
Awake, awake, Deborah, Awake, awake, utter assault. Arise, barrack, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoa. Well, that's just what our brother has been saying. And it's a blessed fact that Christ's victory over Satan, beloved.
Means this, that he's led him captive.
Ah, that's the truth we need to remember.
Now I have lived for many years.
Among people who are plagued with witchcraft, the power of Satan.
And God has been very gracious to us.
Sustaining us there, mentally and physically.
The powers of darkness.
There is power in the name beloved.
And there is power in the precious blood of Christ.
I remember on one occasion when we were in deep affliction through these witch doctors.
And some of his dupes were making a lot of trouble. The Lord arranged it so that I happened on them in the midst of their seats.
And.
I didn't say a word to them. They were oblivious to make my presence, and I didn't say a word. But suddenly they ceased from their sciences and glared at me with their eyeballs like fire.
Full of demons, Demon possession.
And you'd be so happy to know.
That just the pronouncing of that blessed name, the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Has given deliverance to Satans, captives, and a number of those dissolved today. Rejoice in the knowledge of sins forgiven through just mentioning the name is Powell the name? I just mentioned that because this verse came up in our readings and the Saints want to know about it.
You'd hardly believe that a great percentage of those Indians have been medium, medium and.
God has delivered them.
Homing at the mouth on the on the ground.
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It's astounding to see it the.
Power invested in the in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and His precious blood. Some of those are bright souls today and they never go back there. It was a comfort to their hearts to know that Satan was a defeated foe. And oh how hard it was to convince them that Satan was a defeated foe. Yes he is. May we rejoice in it.
Heather Smith, what you were telling us?
About your presence and the way the Lord used you in connection with that witchcraft. Just an illustration. Isn't it of the power of ministry that the Lord when he defended up on high?
He led captivity captive and he gave gifts on the men, and he dispensed those gifts into the very stronghold of Satan to deliver his captains. Isn't that the connection with ministry here? And I thought there was another thought. Brother married too.
Than something we sometimes forget, beloved, the power of the Spirit of God in our midst, the power of the Spirit of God. There was no power in me, just the poor Sinner saved by his grace. But there was a person dwelling in this heart of mine, and the Spirit of God was there and and they fled out of the house. Nobody said the word to them, they fled.
James 47 might be good to read in this connection. James 4/7.
Submit yourselves, therefore, to God.
Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
That God's daughter, isn't it? Submission first?
Do we not get something of the Lord's triumph in nowhere, Satan?
Host in Colossians 2.
License 2.
14 and 15.
Blotting out the handwriting, the ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross, and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them, openly triumphing over them in US.
Once Satan and his host.
Had crucified the Lord and put him in the tomb and sealed it guard.
Why then was when the Lord made a show of them openly, He burst through bonds with death, came out of that tomb, and now he's ascended on high?
We find perhaps a little picture of it in the case of Saxon. That's the city of Gaza there. He was a prisoner there, but he rolled up in the night and took the gates of Gaza Bar of all away with him, carried them to the top of the hill. I've wondered if that's a picture perhaps leading captivity captive. I think it is. Then I noticed too, that the language here is so very, very triumphant.
In Acts One, Speaking of the Lord's ascension, he is said to have been taken up from them into heaven. In the fourth of Hebrews, as our high priest, he has spoken of as having passed through the heavens. But here the triumph is so wonderful, and the blessings so glorious, that he's said to have gone far above all heaven. It's a wonderful trial.
In the.
2nd chapter of Hebrews.
And verse 14.
Hebrews 214.
For as much as the children are partakers of flesh and blood.
He also himself likewise took part of the same that through death.
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He might destroy.
Him that have the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver them.
Through fear of death where all their lifetimes subject to *******.
Now in the first chapter of the Thieves.
And verse 19.
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power?
To us we're who believe according to the working. That's the energy of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ when He raised Him from among the dead, and sent Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places.
Above all, principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.
And that put all things under his feet and then.
We get our benefiting by it in the next chapter, quickening us with Him. Now I admit that these verses show God's side and what He's done in raising Christ, and our thoughts are in the victory in Christ as we're raising Himself.
But there's another verse, one more Revelation 118.
I am he that liveth.
And was dead. And behold, I am alive forevermore.
Amen and have the keys of hell and of death.
Somewhat in keeping with what our brothers read in the Judges chapter 16 as the Samson taking the two gates and the posts up to the top of the mountain, it's translated also.
And it was a great distance away, according to what we're told.
What a victory.
Do we see something of a climax of that in Ephesians 3?
10.
The season 310 to the intent, but now on to the principalities and powers of heavenly places, might be known by the Church, the manifold wisdom of God. That will be the day when you have us on display.
Yes, we have translated the words manifold wisdom. We've translated into the Inca tongue many colors. Now, beloved, these are not angels that you find in in Ephesians 6, where we find there that warfare is against principalities and powers.
Rulers of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness. High places, those are demons.
And that warfare is not against human beings. And it's wonderful to remember that in assembly life and testimony that our warfare is not against our brethren or anyone else, pleasure, blood, but it's against principalities and powers behind it all, the sinister work of Satan. And we need to remember, beloved, that God is never the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all the churches of the Saints. But we believe that verse 10 of chapter 3.
These are good angels, and they actually read in US, read in the church, the many colored wisdom of God.
I was remarking on this to some of our native brethren. They want to know the meaning of it. Well, I said, I don't know much about it, Rib, but.
They do actually. These good angels read in the church the many colored wisdom of God. And one brother says, Do the Angel sing, and I will, He said no, But they do say, they say. And the brother says, and what do they say?
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When a St. is walking carelessly? And what do they say when we walk in division?
And what do they say to when we get restored in soul? I believe they see in that, beloved, the many, the shining wisdom of God, the shining wisdom of God.
In connection with that 10th horse in the third of the Ephesians.
To the intent, but now at this present time, the.
Principalities and powers and heavenly places.
Learned by the Church, looking down here on the Church, something of the manifold wisdom of God. There is a time when he's gone to this place exceeding riches of his grace and kindness, sort of true Christ Jesus. But it's a comfort to know, and I don't doubt it was a comfort to the Saints in the day when they were persecuted, meeting in the obscure places and hiding in the catacombs of Rome and so on.
That there they were kept from any outside testimony of.
Practically and nothing we might say, but still there were those who in heaven were looking down and seeing the manifold wisdom of God, and how He had taken up such creatures as way and made them the object of His affection, and the purposes, you might say, of His glory.
Another verse of encouragement to our hearts. Revelation 12/11.
This has been a great encouragement to many.
Revelation 12/11 and they overcame him.
By the blood of the lamb.
And by the word of their testimony and the love, not their lies unto the death, Well, we we can praise God this morning for the protecting power of the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Shelter under the blood many times in my dark land of South America when sleep leaves one.
We learn by His grace to just pronounce that blessing precious blood of Christ, and one goes to sleep, goes to sleep.
Oh, I remember starting out in the work of the Lord Beloved 50 years ago and an old brother, said Brother Eric.
When you go to that distant land of South America, remember to make much of the blood of Christ.
That's just what the professing Christendom Christendom is making little of, beloved.
Little of it, but that's another thing. However, make much of the precious blood of Christ. For we are not redeemed with such corruptible things as silver and gold, but for the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without spot and without them.
You have the order here. The 68th or the 69th?
And the 68th Psalm, you have the Lord ascending up on high 69 song. We have the Lord going down into the depths of humiliation and suffering that took him to the cross. Calgary, the one that the 69th sound. If you'd like to look at it, I believe this was a quotation, isn't it?
From 68 Bob.
The 18th, 1St. I'll have to send it on high. Thou hast met captivity captive. Thou hast received gifts. I'll read that in as it is in the margin which in this place is correct. Thou hast received gifts in the man with that man that glorified Christ on height in the man.
Yeah, for the rebellious also is another thought. That's for the rebellious of Israel, but before.
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Here.
Received gifts in connection with the blessings of Israel.
Why you receive gifts in the man and that takes us into the present dispensation when these gifts that we're going to consider I trust as we go on.
Are now sent forth by the glorified head into the very realm where Satan has his power.
But now if you and the reason is that the Lord God might dwell among them, then in the 69th Psalm it begins, Blessed save me, O God, for the waters are come in unto my soul. I think in deep mire, where there is no standing, I've come into deep water.
Where the floods overthrow me, well, we can say the words of the apostle, that the one who asked then, when the 68th farm is the same one who G spins in the 69th song, the same Blessed One. And the Spirit of prophecy has so beautifully set before us, that Blessed One both in his exhortation and then taking.
To the depth of his humiliation before he offended and took his place on high.
Would you say in the 40th Psalm where he.
That he's taken up are the horrible pit set his feet on the rock, that that was in resurrection, that he was brought up on this horrible fit, that he's in the 69th South.
And isn't that horrible pit in the second and third verses of the second chapter Ephesians?
Where he speaks. But you had the Quicken who were dead in trespasses and sins.
Where in times past you walk according to course of this world, according to Prince, the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation in times past. Lust for our flesh, fulfilling the desires, the flesh and the mind and the nature of the children of wrath, even as others. And that's the depth to which the Lord had to descend.
Well, we can't measure the depth of the Lord's humiliation, how low in grace He stooped in order to set us free from sin and the power of Satan. And when we consider the depths to which he descended, there is a corresponding.
Thought of a height through which he has offended far above all heavens.
That he might fill all things. And we need to remember, beloved, that it's as man that he has ascended far above all heaven.
He was from all eternity the eternal Son, but in wondrous grace he became a real man in order to suffer and die, to put away our many sins. And that one who went into death a real man, mailed to the accursed tree, sovered the the the wrath and judgment of a sin hating God.
Was forsaken because our sins were laid upon.
And now, as man, he has ascended into the highest glory in order that he might feel all things and God's purposes will never be complete.
Until Christ has filled that place of glory and connection, what is spoken of here is filling all things. The very heavens have to depart. There must be a new heaven and a new earth in order that there might be.
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A wider, a greater display of redemption glory.
Than there is now of creation's glory.
For if we compare.
Creation's glory, Well, redemption's glory. Redemption glory must have the 1St place.
Is that what we get in the end of the fifth of the Revelation?
The phrase that goes up to him.
Well, in the 5th of Revelation we get first the phrase of the redeemed, and they sing that new song.
Then we find there's a.
There encompassed the Bob with a.
Thousands of angels and they pray, but their praise is not on the same.
We might say height of key that the redeemed saying.
And it's been mentioned, it doesn't say same there. Then we go on farther and we find the creatures praising him.
Well, it seemed then that that song the redeemed.
Is some after the Lord has taken us to glory?
Blowing there joined in with the angels, but the creature, though, really cannot praise him until after the Lord comes forth out of heaven and he delivers the creature from the ******* of corruption, so that we might say goes on down through the Millennium.
And into the eternal state, yes.
The whole adamant creation rule. Be blessed with us.
Yes, yes, and they ate the Romans. Why there is the anxious looking out of the creature, waiting for the manifestation. The manifestation there it says the sons of God, well, they're coming forth from heaven. When the Lord comes, do that work.
Then the creature will come into his blessing, yes.
Speaking of the.
Lord's victory. We often see his be the victor's name who fought the fight alone.
Triumphant says no honor. No honor claimed his conquest was their own with all his victims.
Putting chairs at results.
We have nothing to do with.
The children of Israel on the shores of the Red Sea were told to stand still.
See The Salvation of the Lord.
Well, the Lord had not gone down into death.
He had not overcome Satan, that all the powers of darkness we would have still been in *******.
But he went down into the into that which displayed the power of death.
He rose triumphant.
Well, we can rejoice in his victory. That's a wonderful victory. I was thinking of Psalm 88. Two, beloved.
We get that. That's a messianic sound. My life draws near to the grave. I am counted with them to go down into the pit. I am as a man without strength.
Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave. Who the whom thou remembers no more their cut off my hand. And that wonderful version shall thy wonders be known in the dark. That's Calvary wonders in the dark, beloved, When he finished the work given him to do. And righteousness in the land of forgetfulness.
As far as the east is from the West, so far have you removed our transgressions from?
I have blotted out thy sins as a thick cloud. I put thy sins behind my back. Well, it takes it back to Leviticus 16, doesn't it?
Where you get the first goat? The audible voice of the priest wasn't heard over that goat. It was slain before Jehovah. But on the head of the second goat, the sins of the children of Israel were confessed and born into an inhabited land in an uninhabited land.
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Never to return woe, beloved, what a wonderful work is done. Who is all self. Bear our sins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead and to sin, might live unto righteousness, by whose strife we've been healed. For you were indeed a sheep going astray, but are now returned unto the shepherd and Bishop of our souls. What a wonderful world. I'd like to think to John 13 verse one.
He loved his own to the end. Well, we've translated that word end uttermost. Can you measure it? Never. We can never measure that. The atoms, they love the sun to the utterance.
How good it is to develop that?
Redemption by power.
Which follows the redemption by bus.
Exodus 1429, Thirty and 31.
But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were all under them, on the on the right hand and on their left. Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead about the seashore.
And Israel saw that great work which the Lord said about the Egyptians, and the people feared the Lord and believed the Lord and the servant Moses really had something to sing about in that first song is enough. Exodus 15.
And you read about the.
Eight goals.
Only sins of the people were confessed.
To find that he was led by a fit man never returned, but the man who leaves the gold is believed into the wilderness returns. So we can say that both the dope a man leads him into the wilderness.
Our type of Christ, right? Right.
Omar Sims for one and all eight. And here's the one who returns. After having taken all that guilt for himself, he returned.
To.
To be with his people, you find him coming back to the camp or associate himself now with those.
That whose sins were carried away by the substitute.
That's something like the two birds.
Well.
Concerning gifts beloved girls 11.
That he gave some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers.
Well, what has said?
The difficulty is in the duration of these gifts. The duration and when we read here gives the love. We don't get the same in First Corinthians 14 as some might teach. Not the same.
The duration of these gifts, that's a problem with lots of people.
In other words, you will not find the sign gifts in the 4th chapter receives. You will finally find gifts in the 12Th chapter of First Corinthians and there's nothing stated in the first the 12Th chapter First Corinthians.
Those hips are to continue till we all come under the major of the natural force of Christ. But the gifts mentioned here are definitely stated to continue till we come into that perfect state not of the major, the statue of fullness of Christ, showing that the gifts mentioned here will continue.
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Will will be the restored by the glorified hits.
Until our journey here is over and all the Saints are with our blessed Lord and glory seated up there in heaven with Him and like it.
Would you say that the gifts here are not the gifts that a man gets, but the man possessing it is the gift of the church?
Speak louder please. Would you say that the gifts here are the individuals that are given?
These are the gifts, brother. They are the gifts, yes. Not the gift that he possessed, but the individual given to the church by the exalted head is the gift, yes. It's nice to keep that clear.
And the first two are causes and profits without at the end of the second chapter and the 20th verse.
The reading from verse 19.
Now, therefore, ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with their Saints and the household of God, and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ themselves being the chief cornerstone and room. All the building fitly framed together, grow without unholy temple in the Lord, and whom ye also are builded together for an obitation of God through the Spirit.
The apostles and prophets are the foundation.
And the foundation has been laid, and so apostles and prophets passed away.
And evangelists, pastors and teachers.
Still remain so there are those that are still amongst and still given as it helps to the church to help along the Lord's people and to bring in the unsaved.
So that you don't find apostles now, you don't find prophets now, and they and that particular sense, although we're told in Roma and 1St Corinthians 14.
That the gifts of prophecy is for the education, exhortation and comfort of the Lord's people. And we have that still with us. We have that character of the of prophesying.
There are those and a measure we all ought to be able at times, and no doubt are able at times, to speak words that to be for the help of our dear brethren and for comfort to those in sword were on trial. And words that may be stirred each other up, because those 3 words, education, excitation and comfort have been described in this way to build up.
To stir up and to bind up.
Comforters like binding, binding a wound to and pouring in the oil and wine, let's say to to give comfort to the wounded member.
Well, so we're enabled from time to time to speak words of comfort to the to the sick and afflicted ones. We tell them, well now the Lord's coming very soon. It'll soon be all over. Your pains and your sufferings and trials are simply all over the Lord's coming some of these days.
And we bring the word before them and they're comforted. They say, Oh, that's, that's nice to keep thinking of that, nice of that. But before us it'll soon be all over. And then the exhort, and we have to be all have to be exhorted. We're told in Hebrews 11. Isn't it Hebrews 10 other that forsake not the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another.
And so much the more as you see the day approaching so that the sense can speak words of exhortation to each other. That is, you have to exhort me and I have to exhort you because we all need it. We never get to the point where we say I never need any odds exhortation. I am the exhorter, but I don't need any exhortation. We never get there because we all need it.
Even Peter had to get a word from Paul. In the second chapter of Relations, we're told about it.
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Whole heart to talk pretty plainly to Peter, and I suppose that Paul himself had to have some exhortation because Paul blundered. There was one time, we're told, that that Paul spoke rather sharply to the high priest, and he was reproved for it, and the words were spoken. Speakers thou lost to God thy priest. I want not that he was the high priest.
We're sitting there shalt not speak evil of the rulers of thy people for to go back as it were, and so everyone of us have to at times be exalted well the the prophetic.
Word that is to say, those that prophecy and the 14th chapter First Corinthians speak unto men to edification, exhortation and conquer, and we all need that, and from time to time we receive them.
But in this world, necessary a proper innocence, one report tells the future.
Those prophets are not among us anymore, and those who profess to be prophets and repair got them and they're foretelling is usually always wrong.
But.
We have the evangelists, pastors and features. Those do the work of any languages, giving out the gospel, reaching unsaved ones. There are those that are doing that work.
There wasn't anything mentioned present about apostles.
I remember talking to a minister just not so long ago, and he was talking to me about Apostolic succession. And he says, what do you think about He was saved, man. What do you think about it, Brother Smith? And I told him quietly that the only Apostolic succession that I know in the book is Matthew 18 and 20.
Where two or three are gathered together unto my name, there am I in the midst of them. And he just didn't say any more. He didn't say anything.
That's the only Apostolic succession that I know.
But you get something of Apostolic frustration and the 20s of Acts where Paul says after my departure, shall grievous wolves enter in among you, and men arising, speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them after my departure, that's the men that would come in.
Disturb a turn to God, but Paul doesn't say after I part why there will be other possible raised up that will continue on and carry on the work that that I've started. Nothing of that at all, isn't it? No. Well, the comfort that X20X20 is a great comfort because he the ruin was so great that he couldn't commend those few disciples gathered with him.
He couldn't even commend them to any anyone else, but he could commend them to God and to the word of His grace. I'd like to tell you a little story, brethren, when we left Bolivia.
It was hard to leave them, of course.
But we were confident in the statement made by our dear brother Talies. I would ask prayer for Talies. Since 1934 he has gone on Hepburn.
And he's going into the work of the Lord, as the Lord leads him.
And he said, Brother Smith, we may never see in the flesh again, which is very, very probable.
But he said we I want to comfort everybody. And so he takes out his Bible.
And he said, Brethren, we have this blessed book open in our hands. That's one thing.
And we have the Spirit of God indwelling our hearts. That's another thing. And the Lord Jesus Christ in our midst. And then he looked at the at the group of Saints. He said, what more do you want, brother? And that was accomplished a real cop.
Heather McMillan While we couldn't say that we no longer have a fossil problem, yet we have their writings, we have their ministry preserve for us in the word of God.
00:55:03
The only way that we have.
The apostles and prophets that are mentioned in this 4th chapter, that would be. That would be Second Timothy 22, would it not?
And the things which thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commits thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
I was thinking.
What said about the apostles and prophets? They laid the foundation, and we're never told we're going to get a new foundation and Jesus Christ the chief cornerstone. So the work of the Spirit of God is taking that. But it's been laid down and our education and come to the Saints. I was thinking of what our brother Michelle was saying about punishment. You know, the loss of Paul. He commends Saints at Rome because they were able.
Admonish one another, that is, they could take it as well as gift, and that's harder to do than to give it.
We find the foundation and the truth of the word yes.
And the wisdom of God.
The original apostles were kept on the scene until practically.
Every error that has ever been brought into the church had appeared.
So that we have divine wisdom granted to us by their writings for the problems that come along in the whole history of the Church.
Within the order given here in these guests that mentions apostles and prophets first always said they laid the foundation. Well then we have mentioned the evangelist. Well, the evangelist is the one that goes out. I'd say it brings in the new material.
Well, then you have the teachers and pastors.
They take care, so to speak, of what's brought in.
We're connected, aren't they Pastors and teachers?
It's always in the plural, isn't it brother? Always in the plural.
A missionary came to one of our meetings and he said, who is the pastor here? And an Indian brother said we're nine.
Oh, he said, there must be a rich assembly to support Night.
And the poor old Indian says there's, there's one there, that old brother there, there's another there and another over there. He went round the nine of them. Well, they were, they were fast as the kid for the sheep, you know, in their simple way. And that is the teaching, isn't it, of the pastor. There's never such a thing as a pastor of a of a church, brethren.
Not just singing Scripture, but here we have shepherds who have a heart for the sheep, who just love those sheep, whether they're good sheep or unruly sheep, and they love them and care for them and wind up their wounds. As you said, brother, the whole knock of God isn't it? And they care for not just one and one little field somewhere with a fence around it, but the whole flock of God, the pastor's care for. I was thinking in this connection of a verse in First Thessalonians 5. It says comfort the feeble minded.
Now that's misunderstood, brethren. That doesn't mean that a person is bereft.
Of his mind or her mind. It just means this.
That there is a troubled soul there.
And if God's dear people who shepherd the sheep could sit down and let these troubled Saints pour their woes into his ears, into their ears until they get better, well, that would be a wonderful thing. And that is really the thought there. We found out in our translation work.
To just have enough spirituality and patience, beloved, to sit down and let this troubled brother or this trouble sister for his or her woes into ones ear until he or she gets better. Gets better, yes.
The faint hearted, isn't it? Yes.
Yes.
01:00:02
You get a pattern of the evangelist capacity in the future, perhaps in the 11Th chapter of the Act.
The 11Th chapter of the Act, beginning of the 19th.
Earth, while they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen, traveled as far as Penny and Cyprus and Adiox, preaching the word to none, but under the Jews only, and some of them were man of Cypress and cyrenium, which, when they were under Antioch, Spade, under the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus.
The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned up to the Lord.
The faithful labors of an evangelist, and the 22nd verse. Then tidings of these things came out of the years of the church which was in Jerusalem. They sent forth Barnabas. He would go as far as Antioch, who, when he came and had seen the grace of God, was glad and ignored them all, and with purpose of heart they would flee under the Lord. Service of a pastor, or he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost in the faith and must people was added under the Lord.
Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus for a seat. Saul when he had found him, he brought him under Antioch, and it came to last for the whole year. They assembled themselves with the church and pop must people. Service of a teacher. That's being a spiritual example of the order of the three pastor perceives the teachers.
Well, it's nice to see there that when Barnabas came to Antioch and saw that work and rejoiced.
In the grace of the Lord there that.
He went from tarsus to seek salt. He realized that it needed someone of, so to speak, of greater capacity himself, and he was willing to face himself and get that one to come forward. Would we be justified?
And perhaps commenting.
And at the end of the days which we are, we do not always find the gift separate and distinct as at the beginning.
In the scripture in the New Testament, there's only one man called an evangelist, Phillip, I believe.
He had a distinct gift as an evangelist. Many may do the work, Many may preach the gospel.
But he's an evangelist as a special man who has a heart for soul.
And.
I doubt the wisdom of people handing out cards so and so an evangelist.
The the distinctions are not as clear. Clearly marked the answer. Would you agree with that?
One might have 4 kids and just one gift.
For instance, Second Timothy 1:00 and 11:00.
Where do I'm appointed a preacher? Well, that's that's the work of the Landers, an apostle. There's one with depth of authority, fired men and the teacher of the Gentiles. Well pull exercise and leave all again for whoever cared for the Saints of the apostle Paul, even when he had to write a letter.
Wrote it. He wrote it with many tears. Well, there was a shepherd's care over the flock. But, as you say, even in days.
The time in which we're living there, you don't see the gifts filling or functioning so distinctly in the definite capacity that belongs to their particular gifts as you did maybe 50 years ago.
I know when I was young my we had men that went around and L 10th meetings and meetings in school houses and had crowds coming out to care of the gospel. Well, in these days it's very difficult to get.
Strangers to come in.
They seem to succeed better off in the maritime where people are simply or poor. But looking over the whole springs of the country, we don't see the opportunities for evangelistic work that we didn't come 50 years ago. Would you agree with that, Brother McMullen?
01:05:13
Yes, I wouldn't be because we've seen it publicly. Remember, nearly 50 years ago, the 10 down in Kentucky would be packed to the to the walls. And then they had to raise the walls and put a lot of seats outside, outside the walls of tent to accommodate the people night after night. And that was a Saturday night as well. And twice on Lord's Day. The specific place, you know, And it's the same in a way, in many parts of the country all over.
But today?
Today it's hard to get an outsider to come anymore. Well, I think that the times have changed in this way that the Prosperity House might receive struck the country and people have They have their cars now and they have.
More luxury in their home and life is easier and they have machinery in their houses that they can they can spend their evenings.
With their overall, don't have to change clothes, you know, just push the button and there the whole world comes into the house and you can see things going on all over the world and you can see them even as they're happening. Well, all that kind of thing has had its effect.
And I'm told, I remember when I was over and facing over England 40 years ago, we used to have in one place where I was for quite a while, we had as many as 700 people come out to hear the gospel and there'd be 500 at the Sunday school.
700 go to the gospel night after night and so getting saved people crying out in distress at the at the end of the meeting and the close of the meetings and the nose very places today. They have a tremendous job getting 1/4 as many or 1/5 as many hope to hear the gospel as they depend. And I think that what we have is what believe Mr. Darby is supposed to have said about.
Prosperity, that enemy of the Christian prosperity, and it's the enemy of the Sinner too, because he can, he can go off and they can spend these money and spend his time and the things of the world that he enjoys. Well, as formerly they couldn't afford to do that.
And unevenly spending a gospel tense at the gisma diversion. And they come there and and they measure, enjoy the singing. And then the Lord will speak to their souls. Well, we've seen that great change taking place in our little lifetime. And that's very, very sad.
To keep us humble, realize it. I believe there's a parallelism between the.
History of Israel and the judges.
Days of the Church and that is that the Lord had to take up seemingly weaker vessels. Weaker and weaker approach the end. So it's not anything for us to be proud of.
Maybe a man left-handed or something of that kind and think of use the man like Samson. Well, he never rose above what my enemies. He never considered him the Lord's enemy. I believe there's another factor, brethren.
In these favored lands, truth is largely rejected.
And the Spirit of God is grieved, but that's further down that chapter.
The two very.
You spoke about the pastor preceding the teachers. It'd be nice if you would enlarge on that old effect.
Well, it seems to me that the portion.
In 11Th of Acts and Brother Hill read.
Gives us that something too clearly as we can find it anywhere. That is, these young Congress have been so many have been voted for less salvation. And then Barnabas comes along and he exhorts them all at the purpose of heart based in cleave unto the Lord. Well, that's the work of of a pastor. He wasn't.
18 On the truth of the church then. But he was telling them plea for that blessed one that they had so recently accepted as their Savior that delivered them from them. And darkness always doesn't that they deserve.
01:10:08
Well, and following that we get.
Barnabas finding Saul and bringing him. And then you have a teacher and for a whole year, well, you don't read it by Barnabas and Soil. I mean, it's all at that time going out in an evangelistic campaign. They've spent a whole year just teaching those who had already been saved through the dark preaching of others.
So I chose that.
Time spent over the Word and the instruction that we get through teaching is just as important as evangelistic work.
There are those, you know, they say, well, we should be out preaching the gospel. We shouldn't be sitting around here.
On these seats and talking to all of the scriptures together, we'll be out preaching the gospel, finding a new field.
Proclaiming the word well, the scripture doesn't teach things that way. The scripture makes a dust is important to.
To have teaching as having a golf or preach, would you say these are days that there's the effort put forth, strengthen, strengthen those things which remain.
And if that's true, brother, I've got to know it's true, brother. It's a Whitaker.
But you get in next. Do we not wear Barnabas or Paul speaks to Barnabas about going, visiting the places again where they have been and they went and farming the soul.
The lack of interest in the Gospel might be linked with the failure of the Saints to walk in the truth.
All the families that heard the word in 19 and 14 in Kentucky had walked in the truth. There would be little need for government in the government.
A very true statement.
Peter puts it into the puzzle. Let it not grow in grapes and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. There's a glory and grace first. Knowledge by itself will pop up.
But there needs to be the stirring up of the heart and the affections first.
Walking in that path.
No other, no proverbs and as a boy world ethically proverb that speaking about the rich fathers whose sons went through the money and went into poverty. The property was the father gathered in the gold with a rake and the sun threw it out of the shovel. Well, that could be applied in a in a spiritual way.
Many of our of the older folks, it cost them something.
To get the truth by the truth and sell it not it cost them reproach and separation from their families and the persecution. And it was it was hard for them to turn away from the traditions of their fathers and grandfathers and stand alone for the truth. And then don't refine that often times the children and grandchildren, where are they?
In many cases.
You get some lovely thoughts on.
The work of the past year in First Peter chapter 5.
The elders which are among you are exhausted, and also an elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory. And, it shall be revealed, feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, taught by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind either, as being Lord over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock.
Well, that speaks about the exhaust and the different assemblies.
Were to whom Peter was writing, there may be a distinctive depth of a plaster, but if one has that gift, and this call of God as a pastor, he pleases to be.
01:15:14
He should not or he could not expect.
Gift to be done Exercise and one assembly is a gift to the whole body of Christ. Well, take the example of.
Of Phillips, you know, he started out as a Deacon in Jerusalem, but he did the office of a Deacon well, and he purchased to himself a good degree in great folders.
And the word so that after the persecution over Steven rules we never find.
Back in Jerusalem.
Functioning as beacon, but we find in going from place to place as an evangelist, from the time that he was definitely called out, he became a gift to the whole church. But I believe that in this place we fossil Peter is encouraging all the dearer Saints to feed the flock.
That rifle there, yes, I think so. Yeah. We all have responsibility. You can't say I have no gift. We have responsibility for the law.
I remember the last time I ever heard whether age rule she was she made this remark completing his Ben Lewis. He said that no one could say that I have such a gift. He says all we can do is to do a little work of those who have the gifts that are mentioned here in the word. That is, we can preach the gospel and whatever little.
Humility or capacity of the Lord gives us.
We are all privileged to feed the flock, shepherd the flock, and to instruct our president and try to help strengthen the things that remain. No one is sufficient for it but the Lord Himself.
No one man is sufficient for it.
We need our brethren.
#4 in the appendix.
Differently.
Ephesians 4:12
Reading
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August 22nd, 1964 Reading Ephesians site, 2:00 PM.
15115.
Head of the turn of thy body, Christ, the great salvation.
Right now.
Down to the 12Th 1St.
In season 4, verse 12.
For the perfecting of the scene.
For the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity of the faith and other knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, under the measure, the stature, the fullness of Christ.
That we henceforth be no more children, talk to and fro, and carry it upon with every wind of dumplings, by the flight of men, and funny crappiness whereby they lion wake your disease.
Truth in love, and grow up into Him and all things which is ahead, and even Christ, from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplier, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, make it any place for the body under the edifying result in love.
Yes, I say therefore, and testify in the Lord that she henceforth walk knowledge of the Gentiles, walk in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated in the light of God for the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart. Two being past feeling, have given themselves over into lasciviousness to work. All in Queensland. Greetings.
Ye have not so learned Christ. It shall be that He have heard of Him, and have been taught by Him as a truth in Jesus, that you put all concerning the former conversation, the old man which it corrupts according to the deceitful laws, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, that you put on the new man, which after God created in righteousness and true holiness.
00:05:02
We're putting away lying. Did every man truth with his neighbor where we are members one of another?
Be angry and sin. Let the sun go down upon your wrath. Neither give place to the devil.
Steal no more, but rather let him labor working with his hands. The thing which is done that it may have to give to him that needeth but not corrupt communications proceed out of your mouth, but that would just go to the use of edifying. That'll be ministered grace under the hearings and breathe not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby he are sealed under the day of redemption.
But all bitterness and wrath and anger and planner, and the evil speaking to put away from you with all mouth.
And be a kind one to another, turn their heart and forgiving one another, even if gone for Christ sake hath forgiven you.
Get the gifts in the 11Th 1St and we get the purpose of the gift.
In 12 first, then we get to the first.
Of the purpose of the gift.
For the first thing of the Saint.
That doesn't mean that the president may arrive at a state where we don't fit.
But but during full growth.
Children who remain infants all their journey down here.
So all dreams over the fact of the Corinthians.
The only thing that there was meat with. No, not with me.
Well, that's horrible.
To mature men and women.
With the knowledge of the truth. And they should walk first. They warm the floor in the sea.
What you say that?
That would be in accordance with the prayer of the apostle in the first chapter and also in the third chapter.
Bring it out, brother. Well, in the first chapter you have a prayer there in the latter formula you mentioned in the 16th verse by making mention you my prayers. Well.
He desired to have them to know something of the council of the purpose of God concerning.
And it's a marvelous.
Saying that he has before him there in Speaking of all those things.
Why the mark will think such bridges are we are included in.
What He has purpose in Christ.
Well, the prayer in the first chapter is sometimes been called objective truth. That is, it's an object outside of herself. It's the.
That album is Christ and Glory, and that in the dispensation of the fullness of time, when you gather all things Himself.
And when he's head over all things to the church or we're going to be associated with him. Now what sometimes thought of the latter part of that first chapter where it speaks about.
All things being in subjection under his feet gave him the head over all things. Well, evidence reporting to the HR everything there.
Is suffered through the.
Thought what? The one thing that we don't get in the Old Testament concerning those things that when the Lord is in that position, we get here in the season.
00:10:05
Put all things under his feet and gave him a head over all things to the church. Don't get that illness to the church. The church is going to be associated with it. In that time of glory, we'd have us to.
As at the forest. Well then let me come to the third check. And there's also a prayer there and.
He.
Says in the 14th, 1St for this cause, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Of whom the whole family or every family in heaven earth is named. They didn't grant you.
According to riches of His glory, be strengthened with might by spirit and inner man. The Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, ye, being rooted in ground and love, may be able to comprehend with All Saints for His length and breadth, depths and heights. Well, now there is a state that should correspond to those of purpose and counsel throughout the force in the first chapter. Well, it seems to be then, that the perfume the same the.
Are entering into those things and have those things punished.
That's where I look at.
The expression.
Vades in Christ.
And is often new and that is used in several places.
Is really a term of something to be afford.
Today's in Christ is lack of maturity.
But they haven't gone on and made progress.
It is used both in a good sense and a bad senses. It's in a good sense why folks just been newly brought to Christ. Like you get the first John 2 The base and contrast the fathers and young men. But in Corinthians when he tells them they're babe why they ought to have been teachers, he said.
Yes, and in Peter's epistle too, as newborn babe desire. We should never lack the desire for the word of God and have them the relish for it. And a new Burton born babe has for milk.
But.
The exact expression.
Is.
The term of lack of maturity, lack of growth, something was hindering.
And in in the Corinthians of the carnality.
What do you think when a baby is born into a family?
Why the parents delight in its little innocent place.
But if that they've never matured beyond that, they'd be sorrow connected with it.
And God wants his children to make progress.
It isn't the question of just getting people saved.
Some people seem to think that's the whole objective of a Christians life is to get people saved.
Leave the word here anticipates a maturity to full growth.
I remember an incident present in one of our readings, and one of the first groups of the work in Bolivia is an old professor. He's an old man and an old bachelor, and one day one of the brothers in the reading said Brother, we've had some meetings before we came here and we've been just having.
The truth just we just open the mouth and in spoonfuls of milk we have been taking.
We've just been having spoonfuls of milk and the old brother says, poor brother, that's all he said. Poor brother. So evidently he'd caught the the the truth of that Bay being Bay. He didn't say any more, but poor brother, as if he had, it was time he was eating some meat.
00:15:03
That is Hebrews 513.
Was in his mind.
But you have to have a state tree. They can't take the meat. You can show them on meat. Or everyone that uses milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness, for he is a baby. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
We sometimes hear the expression of.
Better put the hay down low in the crib so the younger ones can reach it.
I enjoyed another brother we all know and love and the truth you said. Well it's sometimes good to put it up just high enough so they have to do a little reaching.
And here our thought in our chapter 4 this afternoon, commencing verse 12 Through the verse 16 is broke, but it is God's or the Lord's provision by His gifts in giving persons like teachers.
Evangelists and so on. It is his gifts that he has given to make provision for the growth of the body.
I believe in our readings in chapter 4. It is a good thing to bear in mind that we have God's, God's purpose in all this. God's purpose is running through these truths that we had this morning and this afternoon. So his purpose was after having descended and then ascended and given the gifts.
It is to provide the growth of his body.
Fuel administering.
Children's ministry here.
Here the gift for that purpose.
And for the hidden line of the body of Christ.
Is merely an individual thought of this one here and there.
The that was in collectively the children of God, members of the body of Christ. So ever industry is carried out according to the mind of God will not leave one here and there, it will leave them together.
Around the person of the blessed Lord.
Might be together.
And be established together, walk together and go on together. Learn how to feed the Lord as.
Members of the body of Christ.
In verse 12 you already emphasized that it is the object of this ministry of special gifts. Well, that little word at the beginning of that verse 4.
Makes that plain. There's four the perfecting. That is the growth of the Saints. In this case, it's a guest, the individual.
That there is the interest in everyone, that they all are in the good of this edifying one another in the developing of the body.
So I say individual Saints because the end of the verse says for the edifying of the body.
00:20:03
They had to find the body would take in our relationship. One was another that we're not simply independent units.
Part of the thought from the earth about view of the ministry or the work of the Ministry.
Well, isn't it in connection with the work of the Lord?
Your father Paul uses that expression, but you're not.
And Speaking of Timothy.
Here it is the gifts. Is it not their work?
Yes, well, that would be the work of those that the Lord is using. It's his work, working hard.
I saw the important thing to call attention to and and connection with all ministry.
It it comes from a glorified Christ and he ended up on high. He gave these gifts. Then it speaks of the ministry.
Call that in worm is given ministry.
It should and will come directly from that source and glory right on heart doesn't. Just something that cut it out.
And one gets theological or personal Bible school. It's something you received directly, definitely.
And the Lord and glory.
How far man and his sisters have departed dog anything like an ordination of mass getting theological degree to go off absolutely they deny what is left before us here in connection with ministry is one that really.
He gets his commitment, he gets his word, his ordination only from the Lord and glory go. And Paul was writing to the isolation and they were accusing him.
Of not being an apostle at all because he doesn't start out at Jerusalem because he didn't get his credentials from the 12 People who were ignoring were in the city of Jerusalem. But he soon settled her that matter with him. Except all an apostle map of man neither primary by Jesus Christ.
And that principle always abides.
We have already said we have no apostles now, but wherever there is a ministry.
Yet if it's a law, it's what comes directly from the Lord.
So one if he is sent out in the service of the Lord. Anything like going through school to get a degree and getting some more than math.
His own way man is appearing with the authority and with the true source of true ministers that is bestowed by the offended Christ.
You say brother Barry though.
The 6th word either 44 characters of the ministry of the blogging on early.
Watch a six chapter back.
Murphy's Chapter 1414. Chapter 6.
And they were aware of the list and dirty. That's the verse 14 chapters, Verse 24.
First Corinthians six first.
Our brother, if I come on to you speaking with Tom, what shall I BBQ? Except I speak to you either by revelation.
00:25:05
Or by knowledge, Or by doctor.
The force is hard. Revelation is concerned.
That only belongs to the time when the apostles were here, so you don't have anything like that.
Oh, there's that 14th chapter, First Corinthians. He is opposing that parking in town.
Making it clear.
The importance of what edifies the things Lord Paul came.
Speaking with Thomas.
If he doesn't speak by revelation, or by knowledge, or by half time, or by doctrine.
He didn't give him something that was intelligent, something they could understand.
Something that would be possible to it why would only be a difference to the blessing of the assembly.
So that is an important principle that all things be done. Edification of your speaking out, Brother Brown about putting her in the air where the animals need to reach up a bit for it. Well, we want to be sure, though, that we don't put it up too high.
Well, they're saying the Lord didn't say feed my duress, He's my thing.
Put the water in the head before she are not able to reach the food, and we see a principle till that when there was a State Park where things were going on such a disorderly way by Paul saw this.
Not minister high Truth, it would be a mistake. The minister I believe high truth when Prince needs to be corrected about their walk and we behavior of ministry have to take that carried here.
So when Paul wrote to the Corinthians.
Out of this official to the Ephesians, we find that all the tables and give solid mean.
But it wasn't always in the mind of God for him to do so.
Right into the Corinthians, he would hold back on many of the things that are mixed up to the Ephesians because they were not in the state to receive it.
They have one who is walking in the communion and seeking the Lord's mind and guidance. It would seem that he would have a sense of what was becoming, what would be suitable.
So you see then, Brother Wilson, that not only does the Commission come from Christ and glory, but.
The ministry flows down from Christ and glory through the vessel that he used.
Who is subject to his will?
So that should give much exercise in connection with any line of ministry. It would keep the service dependence on on his knees before the Lord. He might have the mind of the Lord as the justice character of ministry that's needed for the assembly or the place where he is giving instructions.
Yes, we're not sufficient for these things of our own fruits.
We need wisdom from God.
The character of the second official to the Ephesians would show that. I sometimes think of that in connection with the letter to the church that happens in Revelation 2, and I sometimes refer to it as the second official to the obedience. The character addressed to them here is so beautiful, and I believe indicates the state that permitted this wonderful ministry to be brought before them and for our blessing too.
And then when they are addressed the second time a number of years later.
There's that very sad statement. I was left thy first love, so that even though by the wondrous grace of God, practice and written ministry may be made known to us.
00:30:13
There is always a danger that we slip into that which is Bolton out in Revelation 2 to this same assembly that led by First Law. What is the remedy, Brother Hill?
Repent and do the 1St works.
That's why they're so needed. Self judgment.
Going back to where you started.
That freshness of love for Christ. There isn't self judgment among the faith. There is no really getting things right before the Lord. One may put on a lot of pressure and make a big show and so on, but if there's a lack of self judgment, it doesn't carry with it the power of the Spirit of God.
That is going to eventually only leave to a further departure from the truth. How much need there is among us of self judgment.
And to be willing to get into the Lord's privacy. It's an exercise to see how much we have contributed to the failure in the church and all we all make mistakes that none of us work. When we made a mistake, we need to get before the Lord, humbly confess, and if it affects our brothers, never be reluctant.
To admit to our brethren, for many sorrows be saved in an Assembly of God. If there was a willingness, a humbleness, a brokenness to own to the brothers, when we have caused any sorrow to own it, then the Spirit of God can come in and bless, and otherwise things just build up into a further difficulties, and.
Then further departure.
I have been interested in.
Checking the dates of the references to emphasis here.
Here.
In well in the 20s of blacks, the elders of Ephesus, and I believe that was in 58.
And then this epistle to the Ephesian is about three years later, and we have this wonderful truth drop before us. And then when we come to first Timothy, Ephesians epistle Ephesians was possibly three years later than the 20th of Acts. And then when we come to the first official of Timothy.
It's another two or three years later, and there he says that he left him an Ephesus, that he might charge some that teach no other doctrine shall the working of the will and the mind of man had come in well, and there's quite a few years before the apostle John writes the Revelation, and there have been quite a development of things that had led them away from the love of Christ, which is stressed in this epistle.
That's really the beginning of all the part three. Yes, heart grows cold toward Christ. The infections waned and something else takes place. But it's quite striking to think of this, though, as here, some wonderful troops that you have here. And then about three years later, he has to tell, coming to the stay there, left to charge something to teach no other doctor.
We cannot say that we've reached a certain stage.
We'll be content to hold that.
Chances are that's our attitude. We lose.
10.
Well, we said the object of all ministry in the 13th verse, till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, for the major of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
It was mentioned yesterday, but it's worth repeating.
00:35:04
But the statement there shows that the gifts.
Mansion here, this warped chapter will continue to the end of the dispensation or to the time when the Lord comes and takes his church away. And that is helpful in connection with the understanding of the gifts mentioned in the 12Th chapter, First Corinthians, where you get the sign, gifts, tongues, the mirror, so on interpretation.
Lot of things mansion there, but there's no word said that these would continue until we reach the major of the statue of the fullness of Christ. So while we have the the apostles who are the foundation in their in their writings which we have incorporated in the word.
We have the last three presents today. That is the event.
Faster than teachers. And with that we have till we all come in the unity of the faith.
Now, would you not say that while the court described here?
Of.
The perfect man, the major, the statue of the fullest of Christ, can only be attained in glory.
That's when we reached fully the image and likeness of Christ. When he comes and gives the shout, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, will be perfectly like Christ.
This mortal will put on immortality, and we'll see him and be like him in his glory, and then all that's described here will be fully realized, but ministry as it is given.
Why the gifts bestowed by the heaven Glory is always leading upward in that direction so that.
There might be more of that unity of the faith, there might be more of the knowledge of the Son of God, more of what he speaks of a perfect man, and more of the major of the statue of the fullest Christ. So true ministry always leads in that way.
What you say is this. What you've been referring to here in the latter part of that verse comes to measure the statue of the close of Christ would be a comparative truth of what we have in the second chapter where it speaks about the building.
Grow up into a holy temple in the Lord and that a comparative truth looking at there from the building standpoint. Here's the body.
His growth in in both cases. God's purpose in both cases.
And I take it that it might be helpful for many on this difficult verse at 13, and that there are so many bits of ministry that give you different ideas that in this verse it is not a question of when.
So many minds think, well, what? There must be a death in a time when this is accomplished. It is not a question of when. It is not a question of when we arrive in resurrection and the glory. It is a question of the ministry that's going on now.
In the meantime, and the object of that ministry is the growth of all the bodies.
The first clause of that 13th verse, we all come the unit of faith. Well, that wouldn't leave any ground for saying, well, everyone has to write their own opinion. I can have mine, you can have yours. Well, that wasn't we'd never come to unity to faith in that matter. Another thought that's important is that the the purpose stated here is regardless.
Of the failures that you and I see, it is not looking at the failures, it's looking at the purpose of the Ministry.
Isn't that very beautiful, the things that we do have this prospect before us? Mention was made of the very great weakness that is so apparent. Mention was made in the book of Judges and the increasing weakness and the character of those in the Lord raised up.
00:40:19
To be used in deliverance to His people, Israel, the left-handed man to be their deliverer and the woman to be their leader, and so on. For these things, if we looked at them and became occupied with them, would cause us to be discouraged. That's why I think it's 13th verse is so very, very lovely and so very precious. Here is something that is not only the purpose, but the assured end that the Lord has endured.
For his beloved people. I wonder if we get a little hint of it in the second chapter of Haggai.
Because I believe one of the weapons that the enemy uses is a weapon of discouragement. These dearly beloved young people who are here, and they're enjoying fellowship with other dear young people. Perhaps they're bleeding a little too from the ministry. But I wonder when they get home to their own assembly, is there the danger of our eyes looking up on the weakness?
And we feel cast down. Weakness does not need to mean discouragement. The 2nd chapter of Haggai was written in the days when the foundation of the House of the Lord were being laid in Ezra time, while we were hearing about the foundation of the apostles and prophets. But there were those who were so discouraged because it all seemed so very, very small. They hoped and thought and expected that it would have been a much larger thing.
And they wept aloud. The Lord heard their weeping. The Lord saw their discouragement. And he sent his dear servant Haggai on in his second chapter, the third verse, Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory?
Then how do you see it now? Is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing yet? Now be strong owes a rubble, said the Lord. And be strong, oh Joshua, son of Joseph the high priest.
And be strong all the people of the land, says the Lord, And work, for I am with you, said the Lord, according to the words that I covenanted with you when he came out of out of Egypt. So my spirit remaineth among you. Fear ye not. Are these not the same resources that that dear Bolivian brother gave to his fellow believers? The same.
Three wonderful resources.
I am with you, my word and my spirit fear ye must and then to go down to the.
My verse.
I believe it could be read. The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former. Oh, what occasion there was for encouragement to the heart, even of those who were weeping. And what occasion there is for encouragement for our hearts today. We realize we're living in a day of weakness. We realize the weakness in our own hearts.
In the little assemblies from which we come. But what does the future hold? All presidents. 13th verse in the glorious encouragement to the heart. It's going to be fully realized.
You have much the same line of things in the 4th chapter of Zechariah, who prophesied at the same time as the tagyard. And you look at the ninth verse. The hand of the rubble have laid the foundation of this house. His hands shall also finish it. And thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts has sent me unto you. I want to just comment on that Lord, of course.
No, the first mention of the Lord of Post is when El Canaan and his family went up to Shiloh.
There was another great weakness, and if you fall you through that word, the Lord of hope seems to be at a time when everything was happening to discourage God's people. The Lord reminds them, although you're a weak company till you have the Lord of hosts with you. Well, to go on then.
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The Lord of hosts has sent me unto you. And 1St For who hath despised the day of small things? Well, we surely live in the days of small things. One might think, being here this afternoon, where several hundred are together, that this didn't exactly describe our condition when we break up and go back to our little assemblies.
And attend the next prayer meeting. They may be very conscious of the fact that there is a danger of despising the day of small things. So we see that.
The danger there in the time of Zechariah and Brother Hale has called our attention to the subject that it was when those return captives went back from Babylon.
Jerusalem and we're rebuilding the temple that had been destroyed.
And when the old men who had been Solomon's tenant and temple and all its glory for the small poor little temple that they were able to rebuild on that spot, why they wept over while the young men were so happy to see the temporary bill, that they showed it for joy.
Well, I believe the tears and the shouting were all of God, because we should be conscious of the facts of how much fat failures come in among those who hold the truth that has been restored of the Church of God, the ground of the truth of God, our freedom. Finish this verse. Who hath despised the day of small things? For they shall rejoice.
And shall see the plummet in the hands of the rubble with those seven.
Well, in the end, why they're going to seize rubble with a plummet. That is, the work is complete, and that which was so despised now stands as a monument of God's favor and blessing display of his glory. And I was just thinking of it this way.
We think of the little meetings, maybe there's only two or three.
Maybe firm meetings get down so very small and so very weak. And yes, let's remember that if we have gone outside the camp until that rejected Christ and are gathered in his precious name, Lord.
That we are occupying a position that is going to be the same position in a certain way when we all get home to the glory above for when we reach the Father's house, as you get in the 5th chapter of Revelation.
Will be the center of all that redeemed family, the Lamb that was slain. What is the center then for those little twos or threes that meet together and so much weakness. The same blessed person is in the midst, beloved, and may that encourage us to sustain us and give us the judge any.
Photo rising in our minds that would make us despise.
That day of small things.
There's nothing secret of the commendation, the Lord to the little meeting in Philadelphia.
A little company.
They were certainly going on in weakness.
And felt dependence on the Lord.
But there was also obedience there, and perfection of the name of Christ.
But the warning?
To that old church.
Withhold that ******* cell half that. No man takes that crown.
There's always a danger of giving up.
And there is a way of handling.
The truth that we're in the at the end of the time.
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There is a way of speaking about the last days, and the weakness tends to discourage.
Let the hands hang out.
But God has guarded his word that we should be strong, and given us that which makes for encouragement at such a doubt.
That word was read from.
That word that was read from.
We not be strong, be strong now. Well, what do we get from the speech?
To be strong.
Go back to the book of Joshua. Joshua was exhorted to be strong, but the strength is in ours, not in ourselves.
I was thinking of Joshua crossing the job present.
He was met there in the land by a man with a drawn sword in his hand.
I suppose Joshua must have thought he was someone having brought over that.
Multitude of souls across the John.
And I've often thought of it there when he went up to he met the Lord there.
And he says, Art thou for us or for our adversaries? And the reply was.
Made as captain of the host of the Lord in my account, and we read that Joshua fell off his page and worship for the mercy did so well. I thought of it this way, brother.
It's just as if.
The Lord would say to Joshua, Joshua, a great general.
But I'm cheap here, I'm the head, I'm boss here.
And you're just a plain soldier, Joshua. Get into the ranks. I'm supreme here. Well, it's a great truth, bro, that in the midst of all our failure, we have that heavenly Joshua in our midst. He's right in our midst.
And as we mentioned before.
The path and the responsibility of God's dear children.
To is the maintain his glory and when we come to the question of discipline, of times, we're disturbed concerning this. Why not leave it to the law and respect the decision that's made? It's a great secret, but I've often thought of the case of Joshua and the Lord Jesus. He was just a soldier there, just a very ordinary soldier. That's what we are, a very poor soldier.
Present, but we can always count on the Lord Jesus in amidst, and we can always count.
If we walk humbly and softly before Him on that gracious ministration of the Spirit of God tomb, I was enjoying during these last days the remnant testimony that we get in God's Book. It goes right through God's Word, a remnant testimony.
Why? Take for instance, in the case of Hezekiah.
In the 29th, that's the 29th of Sacramento.
What he did he was despised, but there was an evidence of.
Special.
Power given to him, being in the current of God's purposes. And so in the midst of the confusion there we have a bright ray of light. And when we go over to the testimony of Josiah, we find the same thing.
And if we go over into the case of Daniel, we have the same truth. And you can go right on to the end of the New Testament.
How blessed it is, brethren, to know that there will be a remnant testimony in this scene until the Lord takes us out all that we might be happy to be just in the minority and not as far as a great thing, just to be happy to be nothing but God will. He will sustain the remnant in this day. You know, it's been a great comfort to my heart, that truth.
A remnant testing we get, but we can count upon his presence there.
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One of the most striking thoughts I ever came across concerning the Remnant Festival. He was from the strangest page you'd ever think of in the Word of God. I opened my Bible one day rather thoughtlessly for meditation, and it opened up that blank page between Malachi and Matthew.
And I looked at it and I thought, well, here's the only page I know of, and the word of God that doesn't have something for the heart. But you know, the longer I looked at it, the more I thought, well, you know, I believe there is something even on this blank page. And my thoughts went back to the closing message in Malachi. God, all words concerning the little remnant that existed that day. This was said about them. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another.
And the lower heart, and then heard it, and the book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His name, that seemed to be the character of that little testimony that was so dear to his heart, the fear of the Lord. In fact, it said in the 18th verse, Then shall he return and discern between the righteous and the wicked. Oh, we think naturally. Well, anyone can do that. That's not much discernment.
But the day is so difficult, the discernment between the righteous and the wicked is granted only to those that walk in the fear of the Lord. Well then, there was 400 years of silent history, 400 years in which there was no sound of a prophets voice in all the lands. And to turn over and read at the birth of Christ. And there you find still a little remnant testimony.
Hannah, those that look for redemption in Jerusalem, how can it be that a random testimony so weak as they were in Malachi Day would continue until a birth of Christ 400 years and I just felt I could see in that blank phase representing the silence of God for 400 years. I felt I could see the fear of the Lord written on that page. I believe rather than that's what kept the little testimony during those years.
From father to son the fear of the Lord was handed down.
One has no listing connection with.
The history of the return of Ezra Nehemiah that whenever failure come in, why they seem to bind themselves under an Oakland. Now we won't do that again. We won't have anything to do with that again.
Well, when we come to Malachi.
Why?
Failure is there from the beginning, and the people don't seem to respond at all as a whole. Why? Wherein have we sinned?
So the remnant there.
Their whole thought is that then they that feared the Lord, speaking often one to another, and the Lord hearkened and heard, that is, that they instead of buying themselves, now under nose, and put themselves under a fresh law. Why?
Their whole resources and Speaking of one to another and thinking upon the Lord's name and so we see that thing carried on down during the 400 years until we have the when the Lord is brought to.
Jerusalem there.
To the temple. Why there were those that were still going on that way to welcome him.
I often thought I would. While there is a gap there, there really wasn't a gap. You read the of the little remnant in Malachi, turn right over to the beginning of Luke. There they are.
It's still a remnant, it's still weak, but they're still recorded. They should be mine. And he makes a note of it, and they're there, their names and all about it when you come to Lutheran.
Oh, how good is it, all that was carried on and all recorded by God too.
Paying special attention to the days of weeks.
The truth was always and weakness, wasn't it? From the very beginning. You have the whole world and the early part of Genesis.
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The word telling us that the wickedness of man was great in there for every imagination with lots of his heart, was only evil continually. Every thought that went through the minds of man were evil thoughts.
And how smaller Emland was then. There must have been millions of people living in the world at that time. I would judge because it was over 2000 years from Adam down to Noah and the families lived a long, long time.
And the population must have been the statistics show us that 1000 years in any country makes a tremendous increase in population. Some of us here that are a little bit older can remember when the population of the world was was given and it was just about what is now the population of the world has about doubled and the lifetime of some of us here, that's the statistics. Well, there's must be a tremendous number of people living at that time.
And yet.
There's all gone the ways of wickedness and all their thoughts were evil thoughts and how small dilemma Noah and they live a family. I thought about what about no one brothers and sisters. They didn't impose part of the remnant and yet that we're told of Noah's father that of Noah's born. He lived so many years.
And they got sons and daughters, and those sons and daughters would be the brothers and sisters of Noah. And then there is nephews and these cousins and their nephews and all what a what a large relationship and yet just no one is family. Then they come out of the ark and they start over again with the three sons of Noah. They start over again and the population grows and then the world becomes so wicked again.
That God fathered Abraham.
And evidently from what we would read in the days of Abraham, was available of spirituality.
Abraham was a friend of God, but all had few there were that God recognizes going on himself. Of course there was Melchizedek that's spoken of, but how very, very few. Well then, we're finding that a little while the children of Abraham may drift away too. And there they are, all done in Egypt.
And and the word they were worshipping the gods of Egypt.
Well, there got out of Egypt and the bottom of the land after a while and in a short time where they go again.
Until we have in the days of the kings of and chronicles, we have a tremendous department, God and just a few they're carried away by the Assyrians. The 10 tribes are carried away by the Assyrians because of their wickedness.
You know, and and things became about the 5th chapter of Jeremiah.
A very remarkable statement there. God says to Jeremiah, he says you go through the streets of Jerusalem.
And see if you can find.
A man, not 100 men, or 1000 or 10.
But.
That works righteousness.
And so on. And I was spare the city, but the city wasn't spared the days of Jeremiah. The city was smashed to pieces, the devil was destroyed and the little remnant a little a number of those that were lived in the land located in the Babylon.
And then we have after a while a little remnant comes back and what a curl up. Some of them wear are to be continually exhorted by Ezra Nehemiah. We're told Nehemiah to give some of those many have to cook their beards and get them a good beating. Sometimes even the nobles. There's such a poor law and then down and come back to the lining up when the Lord comes so few that they were hearing about.
And the children of that remnant.
That came back to the line in the days of of Malachi and and Ezra. They're the ones that murdered the blessed Lord Jesus wouldn't have. And then we're not at the end this dispensation living on now. We know they're going to be a tremendous departure from the faith and very few to go on with the Lord and that is true and that remnant appears to be diminishing.
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Because there's a falling off over and kissing them all around us, even what are called fundamentalist groups. There's a tremendous department. The men is falling away from the faith and many are that are about members of these fundamentalist groups When they're spoken through with the blessed Lord. Oftentimes there's no spiritual response at all. There seems spiritually there great many of them.
A big fundamentalist preacher out, are we?
The large congregation made the statement not very long ago.
He says, always says. I wonder.
Of 10% of my members are really born again.
That's a fun, big fundamental service. And that preacher moral more he paid separation.
From evil from the world, one of his members came to him.
Well, he said, if you go on the goddess all go and joining the brother.
Well, he said that one thing we can say about the brethren, they know what separation is. Those were their words, he said.
Well, we're a poor lot, but we can thank the Lord for for the measure of separation that bias grace enables us to walk with and it gives us gives the power to his own to exercise discipline for the glory of Christ. A big Baptist preacher told me one of the biggest Baptist biggest Baptist Church in Iowa. Thank you The pastor told me many years ago I was speaking to him visiting that town where my.
Brother and family live and I got the conversation with him.
And Speaking of discipline, among the sins goddesses of God, he said, well, he says that's one thing that we're very weakened, disciplined. We're very, we can discipline.
Well, we can thank the Lord for the grace he gives that makes us a small measure we have to own with loud heads to her through a lot. But we've seen I believe.
To honor the Lord by having a pure little testimony for his glory.
May the Lord keep us going on seeking His glory above everything else in all the world and all our lives.
I believe our aim and our motive is right.
I certainly don't think we have much to boast. Amen. No, we certainly have. I was thinking there is an encouragement in the difference between the last two verses of the second chapter, this book.
Referred to that as being a comparative truth of what we have in our 14th.
14th or the 13th First. Well, in the 21St verse of the second chapter we had in the 20th verse about being built upon the foundation, the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone.
And then in whom all the buildings fitly framed together, growth into the holy temple and the Lord, Well, there is the action of the Spirit of God. It's fitly framed together, it's perfect. And there as the Lord sees us building, Why here it's all perfection, and there's no dead material in it. Livingstone.
Well, we might think that's.
That's wonderful to have that viewpoint of it, but we realize, oh, that there's failure. Well then in that last verse, why it's looking at it from a different aspect in whom ye also are building together for inhabitation of God through the spirit. In the 21St verse, I believe it was the God is the builder through these spirits.
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In the 22nd verse, it is in the responsibility of man. The building is carried on, and though it may not, and it isn't in all that perfection as the Lord sees it, but it is the habitation of God through the Spirit in spite of all that. Why do you take that? We referred to the assembly at Corinth and what there was there for the apostle to straighten out, but.
It was still all the habitation of God through the Spirit. Well, that's an encouragement to realize that that in spite of all of failure, as long as there is that exercise before him on the part of the many as we get in Corinthians. Why it is the habitation of God in the church.
I might mention thought a little meeting.
Which I never lived in the town, but I visited there many times.
It's a meeting as far back as I can remember, even as a little boy, that it was a weak little meeting and all of it appears and ready to fold up.
But that meeting has gone on now. I believe it well over 100 years.
Gone all that time as a weak little meeting, but it's still going on in dependence on the Lord and with all the difficulties that have beset those that have been gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus.
They've not been affected by it.
Dependence on the Lord and the Day of small things is that which will preserve the gathered Saints.
To tear them. Pardon me, some brother was speaking a little while ago of.
The Book of Haggai and How's the rubber bowl was the one that was doing the work, ordering things for the building of the temple, and he was going to complete it.
The problem line was to be in the hands of Sir Opel. He was going to complete.
And isn't that a type of crisis?
He warned his church.
And nothing can prevail against it as he has, and it's all going to be completed.
Take the word Zerubbabel. The name Zerubbabel means deliver from Babylon. Well, what's Babylon? Religious confusion. What is it that's all about religious confusion? But there's a deliverer from Babylon. Christ himself is going to see it all delivered in his top of security before he's finished.
I like the names of rubble in Latin Mexico. She's going to complete.
He holds the Plumb line and he is the one that states how much is our line but and he is the one who does the correct and so we would seek to be in conformity to his mind as to what he sees.
And it will eventually all come to perfection as he planned.
So there's really no, no base for real discouragement. I was thinking of reference to Joshua about being the captain of Lord's house. You know, Joshua says, art thou for us?
Well, when the captain speaks.
The large host while that was served rebuke to Joshua isn't your host Joshua, it's the Lord's host. Well, Joshua seemly and perhaps in the fact that he everything come through all right well he's taking credit to it for us. That's the Lord so.
As you notice too, that the one with a drawn cord didn't directly answer the question of Joyce's art thou force or for our adversaries? He didn't say yes, I'm for you and against your adversaries, but as captain of the host of the Lord and my sin. That is, as long as Israel were going on.
And obedience, like soldiers at our dustbin to obey the orders of their general, of their captain. Then there's victory. But as soon as they acted in independence like they did, AI just said all that's a little place. They'll just spend a few thousand, clean them up. They didn't go back to Gilgal faith or mortification of the flesh.
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When I was in self-confidence, well did they have the captain of the Lord's host leading them to defeat AI as they were led to?
Bring down the walls of Jerry Cornell or they didn't have the Lord living. And so we need to remember it's only as we go on.
In full, humble submission to the word of the Lord.
Trusting Him and Loling the self judgment that we can expect the leadership of our blessed Lord carry a song to the downfall and defeat of the enemy. Otherwise, if we act in independence, if we ignore His word and invent something of our own, try to just go on and cover up evil and be indifferent to it.
Will not have the Lord and may make a show but will not have the Lords presence leading on to the victory over the enemy.
They even increase the numbers by making a bigger show and dropping out discipline in this and that and the other, allowing one kind of error of doctrine to keep in and then another. But they will not have the Lord as the leading.
Leading in all.
And I don't and come to not yes, I was singing to in connection with Joshua when he makes himself know Joshua asked to take his shoes off his feet. But the place where all these stands with holy ground that's.
That connects us with Moses, who thought revealed himself to Moses as he sent him forth to bring Israel out of Egypt. The burning Bush he had to take his shoes off last week, for the place where all these stood was holding ground. Whether it's the Lord coming forth to deliver according to his own holiness and majesty, and bringing Israel out of Egypt, or whether it's the Lord leading his people in triumph through the wilderness and bringing them in holiness becomes His house forever.
Take off my shoes from all thy feet to the place where I'll now stand. This is holy ground. Was was as true in one case as it wasn't the other.
So the Lord is addressing the the Church, Philadelphia. He calls himself the holy and the truth.
Isn't so much his position being officially falling the seven stars, but it's his holy character especially brings before those who really belong to that remnant testimony.
#256.
The Voice of the Lord
Under Bondage
Shiloh in Samuels Day
Jude Contend for the Truth
Remnant Testimony