Chicago Conference: 1965
Table of Contents
Glory to Glory
YP Address—C.D. Andersen
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Number 56.
Oh Lord, how blessed our journey, though here on earth we roll.
Who find an obvious favor are Spirit's present full for where thou now art city by faith we found repose free to look up to heaven.
Since our Blessed Head arose #56.
Oh Lord, how blessed our journey.
Oh.
Man.
Cradle.
No way crying fall away.
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Praise God.
Where God.
Is I will be happy?
Shall we ask God's blessing?
We were singing about a blessed journey.
And where is that blessed journey?
It's down here in this world, in this wilderness, in this dry, barren place. But how can a journey be blessed down here?
Because we're free to look up to heaven since our blessed Head arose. We're free to look at the Lord Jesus Christ in glory. We're free to be occupied with him. We're free to look right into heaven by faith.
And see the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's what makes the journey blessed.
It's when we're not seeing him. It's when our vision is dim, it's when there's something that hinders, when there's a cloud between and we don't see the Lord Jesus, then our journey is not blessed. We're not happy, we're not rejoicing. And it's so important to have our eye fixed upon the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let us read a verse in Second Corinthians chapter 3.
Two Corinthians, the third chapter.
On verse 18, but we all.
With open or unveiled face beholding leave out as in a glass the glory of the Lord.
Are changed or transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
It's God's desire that we should gaze on the Lord Jesus Christ.
With an unveiled face without any hindrance.
And God has made it so that now we can look right into heaven and see the Lord Jesus Christ without any veil upon us, without any hindrance. What a privilege. But as we're beholding the glory of the Lord, what happens?
Were changed, were transformed, and you know the word translated. Changed here is the same word that's translated transfigured.
In Matthew 17.
Where we read of the Lord Jesus Christ being.
Transfigured before his disciples.
Ah, they saw him there.
As he really is in his heavenly character.
And it's the same word used here. Change, transformed, changed into the same image from glory to glory.
But it's speaking about us. We. We're the ones who are changed, transfigured, transformed into the same image. How? By looking at the Lord Jesus Christ.
I'm sure that there is in the heart of many here this afternoon.
A desire to be more like the Lord Jesus. Perhaps you've been trying in your own strength to become more like the Lord Jesus. Perhaps you've set up for yourself a set of rules and regulations. You made yourself a little law all of your own. You're trying to shape yourself into the image of Christ.
According to your own ideas and notions.
You failed.
You've been occupied with the law. You've been occupied with trying, in your own strength to be a better Christian, to be more like Christ. And you failed.
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How are we going to become more like the Lord Jesus Christ?
By looking at him, gazing upon him, being occupied with him, there's only one way of transformation, and that's through gazing at the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now we have an example of it in Stephen, going back to Acts Chapter 7.
In that 7th chapter of Acts, we have Stevens discourse.
And Stephen gave this when he was under pressure.
We find that he's been summoned before the Jewish Council.
I suppose the Sanhedrin.
These were the leaders in Israel.
And it wasn't an easy thing for Stephen.
To stand there before that council, to be questioned by them, be examined of his faith, his trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Steven comes before us when he's chosen to be one of the deacons in the church at Jerusalem. That is, Stephen has chosen to serve, to serve his brethren, to help wait on tables, take care of the widows. He was one that was chosen to help take care of the material side of things.
The needs of the Saints of God there in the Church.
But it says in the fifth verse of the 6th chapter.
They chose Stephen, a mindful of faith and of the Holy Ghost. That's what characterized Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost.
I'm sure you and I would like to be.
Characterized by that full of faith and of the Holy Ghost.
That's what we need more harm. Men full of faith and the Holy Ghost.
That doesn't mean that there's any true child of God, any real Christian, without the Holy Ghost. Because having believed, you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, and a moment of soul believes in the Lord Jesus Christ and he knows his sins forgiven, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in his heart.
But this is Speaking of being full of the Holy Ghost in the end of Chapter 7.
Verse 55 we read of Stephen he being full of the Holy Ghost.
Full of the Holy Ghost.
The Holy Ghost not only dwelt in his heart, but he was full of the Holy Ghost the Holy Ghost had taken over.
In his life, what's controlling him and?
Being under the control of the Spirit of God, what was he doing?
Ah, he was speaking well.
Of the Lord Jesus Christ, we read.
Of that as we go through this chapter, and he was occupied with the Lord Jesus Christ in glory.
As I said before, I'm sure that there are many here this afternoon who would like to be more like Christ. You would like to be a better Christian.
The Apostle Paul sits before us in the Epistle to the Philippians.
The normal Christian experience. There is a Christian experience that is normal.
There is normal Christianity, and there are such things as normal Christians.
But I wonder how many of us here this afternoon could claim to be normal Christians. I'm sure that we would admit that we fall far short of being a normal Christian.
That gives us the opposite, or it makes us think of the opposite. That is an abnormal Christian. Do we really want to be abnormal Christians?
As far as the world is concerned, we look abnormal. We look narrow. They can't understand us. But are we trying to please the world? Are we worried about what the world says about us or thinks of us? If they call us narrow, straight lace to religious we're getting too serious about spiritual things. Are we concerned about those charges that the world makes?
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We should be concerned.
About being normal Christians, not being abnormal, not falling short in some way. May God give us grace to be what we ought to be as Christians. Oh, I'm not talking about being saved.
I'm sure most of you hear this afternoon are saved and this is supposed to be an address to young people and I take it that most of our young people here this afternoon are the Lords.
I believe you've taken the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and.
In that way, you're a Christian. But let me ask you the question.
Are you a normal Christian?
Or are you an abnormal Christian? A normal Christian is occupied with Christ.
He is one that is full of the Holy Ghost.
And.
We can tell who is full of the Holy Ghost.
By the way, he speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ if he speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ at all.
Does the Spirit of God lead us to speak about earthly things, to be occupied with material things, things of this life, things of the flesh?
Things of nature.
No, I believe the Spirit of God occupies us with the Lord Jesus Christ. He occupies us with heavenly things. And here we see Stephen, full of the Holy Ghost, and we see him looking up. He's not looking down, He's looking up.
Well, if we have a tendency to be looking down, we should be exercised about it.
And pray God that we might be characterized by being full of the Holy Ghost.
We might be under the control of the Spirit of God.
Because the Spirit of God who's come into this world has come to convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment, and he and he's still here to occupy the Saint of God with the Lord Jesus Christ.
That's what he's here for.
And when we come together in our meetings.
What is the thing that is uppermost in the mind of the Holy Ghost?
Isn't it that we might be occupied with the Lord Jesus Christ? And if you think back, the happiest meetings are the meetings where we've been much occupied with the Lord. That's what has made it a happy meeting. A blessed meeting to be occupied with Christ is what makes a happy journey through life.
We were talking about being in the wilderness.
Our journey is through the wilderness.
Makes me think.
Of a man when he was a young man.
Was very much occupied with material things and.
He was able to buy a new car. Oh, this was quite a number of years ago.
And after he bought that new car.
He went to prayer meeting. Well, as he went to prayer meeting, he was thinking about his new car. It seemed to be absorbing his thoughts, and that's about all he could think about.
For that new car.
The first hymn that was given out that night in prayer meeting.
Was 139. This world is a wilderness wide.
And all he thought. It doesn't look like a wilderness to me. It looks bright to me. But why did it look bright to him? He had gotten something new that belonged to this world, some new material thing, and he prized it. He valued it. It was it was practically everything to him to have this new car.
And it didn't look like a wilderness to him.
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Does this world look like a wilderness to you?
I'm sure it did to Stephen as he got his eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ in glory.
He saw this place only as a wilderness, and you know the story how it ends. He was stoned and he left this world. He left it.
Are you anxious to leave this world, or would you like to stay here a little longer?
I was visiting a lady in the hospital some years ago.
And this lady professed to be a Christian. She'd been in the hospital for several weeks.
She had gone through a lot of suffering and trial and she was improving.
But you were still in the hospital. I talked to her about the Lord. She seemed to appreciate it in a measure. Then we talked about the Lord's coming. How wonderful it would be when the Lord would come and take us all home to glory.
Spoke about waiting for the Lord to come.
And he might come any moment to take us home.
And she made a statement that really shocked me, she says. Well, I'd like to stay here a little longer.
Could it be that such an one was gazing off into the glory that she was seeing Jesus? Oh, I'm afraid not.
Or she could profess that she was a Christian, that she was a child of God, but she wasn't occupied with the Lord Jesus.
She wasn't waiting for his coming. She'd rather stay a little longer in this wilderness.
Is that your desire? Would you like to stay a little longer in this wilderness? Perhaps you have some project before you? Some plan, something that you'd like to do in the next few days, or perhaps in the next few weeks? Or perhaps you have things outlined for maybe a year or so in advance?
And you'd like to stay here to see all of those plans executed. Is that true?
Or would you like to have the Lord Jesus Christ come now?
What is coming upset things for you? Would it disturb you? And does it disturb you to think about the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ?
And a brother who was speaking this morning, and our brother who spoke last night.
Was speaking especially to the unsaved.
That they ought to be ready for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. But you notice there in that 25th chapter of Matthew it calls the Lord Jesus the bridegroom.
That means he has a bride. He has a bride.
And you young people who know the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior are part of that bride. Are you ready for him to come?
Are you waiting for him to come?
Sometimes, perhaps, we forget.
And talk only to the unsaved to warn them, but we who are saved.
Need to be worn too. Our conscience needs to be stirred up. Our heart needs to be exercised.
Because the Lord Jesus is coming and are we ready to meet him? Would we like to have him come right now? Is there any plan, anything in our lives that is greater than that, that would take the place of the coming of the person of the Lord Jesus Christ?
I don't know of anything that can test our hearts, the state of our soul, like the thought of his near coming that he may come any moment.
Oh, it has spoken to me many times and I'm sure it has spoken to many of you. And we need to let the coming of the Lord Jesus the coming of himself.
We need to let that stir our hearts exercise us.
Now we notice in this 7th chapter of Acts. I haven't read any portion of it and I'm just going to refer to a few verses as we go along.
But I want to call attention to what's said about Joseph in verse nine. And the patriarchs moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt, but God was with him and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom.
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In the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. Now remember, Steven is standing before this council, every member of which is eyeing him, scrutinizing him and examining him, accusing him, charging him.
And I'm sure dear Stephen feels it.
And you would feel it too.
If you were in a similar circumstance.
But I believe Stephen finds great comfort in thinking about Joseph. What happened to Joseph?
Well, he was sold by his brethren into Egypt, it says. Here they were moved with envy, envy, and they sold Joseph into Egypt.
Or think of the hatred that his brothers had taught him, how they envied him.
When he told his dreams and then he was sold into Egypt.
They got rid of him. First they put him in the pit and then the merchant then came along. He was sold to them. He was taken down to Egypt.
Oh, what a miserable way for Joseph's brethren to treat him. And I believe Stephen felt some of this.
Right now, here were Stevens, Brethren, Brethren in the flesh, yes.
His brethren, the Jews, and look how they were treating him. And finally they stoned him.
Well, Stevens finds great comfort in thinking about Joseph.
And he says God was with him. Do you have trials, difficulties? I know many of you young people are going to school.
Some of you are in grade school, some of you are in high school, some in college.
Some are out of school and you have a job where you have to work together with ungodly people, unbelievers.
And it's not easy.
Perhaps you are all alone where you are. There is not another Christian there.
And you feel the reproach.
Especially if you're seeking to take a stand for the Lord and be faithful, maybe you're not saying much.
Maybe you have just let it be known that you are a Christian. You belong to Christ.
Well, perhaps that's enough. Then live Christ before them.
Just take the name of Jesus on your lips and own that you're identified with him.
You know what's going to happen when you do that.
They'll cast strange looks at you when your own that you belong to Jesus.
And you will certainly be made to feel that you're outside.
The circle of the office, or the circle at school, wherever it might be.
And perhaps you don't like that, or The Flesh doesn't like it. Of course, I'm sure the Flesh and Stephen didn't like this either, to be cast out by his brother.
But he found comfort in thinking about Joseph, who was cast out by his brethren.
God was with him, and Stephen has the sense that God is with him.
And I'm sure you're faithful to the Lord. You will get the sense in your soul too, that the Lord is with you.
Ah, that's a blessed experience that Joseph had. A blessed experience that Stephen had.
God was with him, and oh, it's much better to be on God's side than to be on the world's side. The world's side is the losing side. God's side is the victory side.
Take your stand on God's side and you'll find that God will be with you.
Finally, he speaks of Joseph being made governor over Egypt and all his house.
First Joseph suffered and then he was put in the place of power.
Steven is Safari and what's opened up before him? The glory.
And before he knows it, being stoned to death, he's gone to glory. He's in the place of power. He's with his blessed savior who's standing at the right hand of God.
Oh, look what's before.
Look at the hope before look at the glory before us as we're looking off into Jesus.
Beholding the glory and we are conscious of the.
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Portion that's going to be ours there or it's going to enable us to suffer with Christ here.
Another example is brought before us here in this chapter, and it's Moses.
We read about Moses.
In verse 22 Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was might in words and in deeds, and when he was full 40 years old, it came into his heart.
To visit his brother and the children of Israel, and seeing one of them suffer wrong. He defended him and avenged him, that was oppressed.
And smote the Egyptian, for he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand, would deliver them.
But they understood not.
And the next day he showed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sir, is your brethren, why do you wrong one to another?
But he that did his neighbor wrong thrust him away, saying who may be a ruler and a judge over us. Well, that indicates that Moses was rejected.
Moses was the rejected one, just like Joseph was the rejected 1.
Now Moses was the rejected 1.
And.
Stephen remembers that the Lord Jesus was rejected and now he himself.
As being rejected. Ah, here we find a whole company together rejected ones. But look at the portion that they get turning over in the chapter ways.
Verse 35.
This Moses whom they refused, saying, who made the ruler and a judge. The same did God send to be a ruler and to deliver.
Isn't that amazing? The very one who was rejected. God sends him back to be a ruler and deliverer.
Now, they said, who made the ruler and a judge?
But it tells us God made him a ruler and a deliverer.
It is not gracious of God not to send him back to his people.
As a judge, but as a deliverer.
He is the ruler, but he is their deliverer, and he brings them out of Egypt.
And the Lord Jesus Christ was sent here into this world to be a deliverer, to be the Savior. God sent the Father, sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Aren't you thankful this afternoon that the Father sent the Lord Jesus his Son to be our Savior, not to be our judge?
That's the thing that ought to speak to our hearts, that ought to win our hearts, to think that God sent him to be our Savior.
Oh, we had him before us this morning in the breaking of bread. As the one who came into this world, stricken, smitten, and afflicted, died on Calvary's crop, he was sent to be a savior, to save you, to save me and all what he suffered.
I saw quite a group sitting back this morning.
And I know there were some of them that are the Lords. Oh, we're thankful. If you have received the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior, we're glad that you have taken your place as a Christian. I know there were many back there who have been baptized.
The name of Christian has been put upon them.
But.
Have you entered into all of your Christian privileges? Nice to be known as a Christian.
Nice to know you're on your way to heaven. You're going to glory.
But what about identifying yourself with the Lord Jesus down here?
How about taking her place at his table?
Let me ask you this question.
Was the Lord happy?
To see you sitting back this morning.
I know there were some sitting with their parents, but you didn't partake.
You haven't taken your place at the Lord's table. This. Is the Lord really happy about that?
Is he satisfied just to have you saved?
Is he satisfied with your merely being a child of God?
Well, he's happy about that, but he's longing for you to have you at his table. He wants you in fellowship with himself and with others who are in fellowship with him at his table. That's what he wants. Or if you only knew the heart of the Lord Jesus, how he yearns over you, how he longs to have you around himself, remembering him.
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It was his dying request just before he went to the cross to die.
He said this too, in remembrance of Maine.
And if you're rejoicing in your sins, forgiven believing that Christ died for your sins, don't let it stop there. Go on and give expression to it in the in partaking at His table in remembrance of Him.
Your place is there.
The scripture does not contemplate.
When we're thinking of a normal Christian.
Does not contemplate a Christian.
That's not breaking bread.
The scripture just takes for granted that everyone who is saved is at the Lord's table, and if anyone is not at the Lord's table, there's an abnormal condition there.
It's part of that which we might call abnormal Christianity.
And the Lord doesn't want us to be abnormal.
And May God give us grace to be in every way possible norm normal Christians.
Well, I said. Stephen found great comfort in referring to Joseph and Moses, because Stephen finds himself in that same company. A Rejected 1.
But he is reminded of the glory that's to follow. Peter speaks of the sufferings of Christ.
And the glory that is to follow. Oh, don't forget it if you suffer.
With Christ, you're going to reign with him.
And I believe every true child of God.
And everyone that wants to be faithful as a child of God is going to suffer with Christ.
And one way or another, in little things, or perhaps big things, in a small way, or perhaps a big way. But I believe every true child of God suffers.
Because if you want to be faithful to the Lord in any measure, you're going to feel it. You're going to feel some amount of reproach or persecution.
Or may the Lord help us to be faithful?
Remembering that the glory is to follow, there's a reward. Or wouldn't you like to hear the Lord say well done.
Thou good and faithful servant, Thou has been faithful over a few things.
I'll make thee ruler over many things. And he also says, Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.
Wouldn't you like to have an abundant entrance, An entrance into the Lord's presence with joy?
The Lord would love to have it that way.
And secretly, we would love to have it that way too. But it's going to cost something. Yes, it's going to cost something. Salvation doesn't cost a penny.
But Christian living, living faithfully pleasing to the Lord, is going to cost something.
Well, I'm so thankful that salvation is free, because I could never pay for that.
But the Lord can give me grace to live for him, even though it does cost something. And the Lord will give grace. Yes, he will. My grace is sufficient for thee, the Lord told the apostle Paul. And the Lord's grace is sufficient for you too.
Now we might consider what's in the end of the chapter.
Verse 55.
They're gnashing on Stephen with their teeth now. They're cut to the heart. Their anger is coming out. It's being manifested. But it says about Stephen. Verse 55, he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus.
Standing on the right hand of God.
Beloved, there's more in this portion of scripture than we realize. There's more here than I can bring out.
This is a new thing that we see opened up before us.
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Is Christ in glory standing at the right hand of God?
Now if you'll notice in verse 44.
Stephen says Our fathers had the Tabernacle of witness in the in the wilderness.
And then we read in verse 47 Solomon built him in house. Both the Tabernacle and the temple are mentioned here. The Tabernacle that Moses built in the wilderness, the temple that Solomon built in the land of Canaan at Jerusalem, both are mentioned. We know that the Tabernacle was the center of gathering in Israel.
The whole camp of Israel was built.
Around the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle was in the center. That was the center at that time.
We read in verse 45 that that Tabernacle was brought into the land of Canaan, Says our fathers that came after brought it in with Jesus or Joshua. I wonder why Joshua is brought in here.
Well, we know that Moses was much occupied with the Tabernacle. God sent her. But there came a time when Israel sinned. They broke the law.
And right when the law was being given and Moses came down from the mount and found that the children of Israel had made an idol.
So he brought the tables of the law at the foot of the mount before he went into the camp, and it was such a grievous sin that Moses took the Tabernacle and pitched it outside of the camp, far off from the camp.
And if you look in that portion of Scripture where it speaks of it and we might turn to it.
Over in Exodus.
Exodus 33.
In verse seven it tells us what Moses did with the Tabernacle.
But in verse 11 it says, And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face.
As a man speaketh unto his friend, and he turned again into the camp. But his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the Tabernacle.
The one that speaks of that over there in the 7th chapter of Acts.
That the Tabernacle was brought in with him, He is the one.
That it tells about here that he departed not out of the Tabernacle.
He chose to remain there. He chose to be occupied with the Tabernacle God Center, which was at this time moved outside of the camp. A far off from the camp. Moses went back into the camp. He must necessarily do that because as a leader of God's people, he must go back there and he must take care of his office. But Joshua remains out there and he's occupied with the Tabernacle God Center. Isn't that lovely?
Occupied with God's center.
But we read about Solomon too. When he built the temple, he was very much occupied with the temple. Well, the Temple replaced the Tabernacle, and it was acknowledged by God as his center, his center here on the earth. And Solomon was much occupied with it. We find many others that were occupied with that temple, God's earthly center at that time.
There were a few in Malachi's day that were occupied with it.
And after the Lord came, when He was born into this scene, we find that there were some that were occupied with it. You read about it in Luke's Gospel.
There were such as Zechariah and Elizabeth, Mary, Joseph.
And Simeon and Anna, they were all occupied with the temple. They loved to be there. That was their delight. God sent her.
Ah, they knew everything was in ruin.
They knew that everything was falling to pieces, but they still were occupied with God's center.
You know, last summer.
At this time, we were over across the ocean.
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And although I knew something of the circumstances of our dear beloved brethren in England and Europe, it didn't come home to my soul.
Until I got over there.
And I saw how few are left.
Gathered to the names of the Lord Jesus Christ, how few are still?
Around the center, the Lord Jesus Christ.
There are 14 places where there is breaking of bread in England.
And there are about 115 or 120 altogether in fellowship there, spread around amongst those 14 places.
Well, those dear Saints over there cannot be occupied with numbers, and I don't believe they are.
Our trust. We're not occupied with numbers here. I wonder why you young people have come to the conference, to these general meetings.
Is it because there's going to be a big crowd here?
Or have you come because the Lord Jesus is in our midst?
You want to see him. You want to get a better glimpse of him. You want to come to know him better.
Let me throw out a warning here.
And I'm going to put it in the form of a question. I wonder why?
Why Satan has succeeded in scattering our dear brethren over across the water like he has.
There's been scattering here too. I wonder how the enemy succeeded in scattering us, dividing us up.
Is it because we got our eyes off the Lord Jesus? We were occupied with something else?
Perhaps with numbers, perhaps with gift.
And I'm sure we can't boast about gift.
Perhaps with the nice brethren perhaps to say, well, I'm in a nice meeting, we have some nice brethren where we are. We have a nice company. Is it that you're occupied with?
Well, there might be other things we could name.
Perhaps there are many reasons why you are where you are.
One might have one reason, another might have another reason, something uppermost in your mind.
As the reason why you are at the Lord's table.
But let me tell you this, if you're not at the Lord's table, because the Lord is there.
You're in a dangerous state of soul.
And I do trust that everyone will be exercised about why He is at the Lord's table.
And if you're not at the Lord's table, that you might be exercised about being there, but be sure.
That when you take your place at the Lord's table, you take your place because you believe the Lord is there.
Because if you have not seen the Lord in the midst, and taken your place at the Lord's table, because he is there.
Sooner or later, when the time of testing comes, you may find yourself.
Divided from your brethren, you may find yourself LED away.
And it is only as we are in constant dependence upon the Lord Jesus Christ.
And seeing the Lord, Jesus Christ the Lord and glory the one who is the center down here.
It's only as we go on in that way that we're safe, he that is born of God.
Keepeth himself, and that wicked one touches him not well. It's born of God. We have a nature, new nature.
That's dependent upon God that trusts in the Lord Jesus Christ. And as long as we go on in dependence upon the Lord, Satan can't touch us all. Let us be much occupied with the Lord Jesus Christ. It's that, I believe, that Stephen brings before us here, occupied with that one in glory. It's the new center. It's not the Tabernacle anymore. It's not the temple anymore. It's not anything else anymore.
No. What is it, Jesus?
The glory of God was connected with a temple.
You read of that in the end of Exodus, the glory of God was connected with the.
Temple as well as the Tabernacle.
We read that when the Tabernacle was built, the glory of God came down. We read that when the temple was built, the glory of God came down and filled the Tabernacle or the temple. But now we see the glory of God connected with Jesus.
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The glory of God is connected with Jesus.
He's the new center. Jesus displaces the Tabernacle. Jesus displaces the temple. Jesus displaces everything. There's only one center, one object as far as God is concerned, and that's the Lord Jesus Christ. And his glory is connected with him.
I wonder, have you seen that the Lord Jesus Christ is the center of gathering? Have you seen?
That he is the object of God's heart. He is everything to God. He is standing here at God's right hand.
We know now that it's seated on the right hand of the majesty on high. God is setting at his right hand on the throne. God has given him the 1St place. He deserves the 1St place. Here May God give us grace to give the Lord Jesus Christ the first place in our hearts, in our midst, in our gatherings.
This needs to be a constant exercise of our soul.
To give the Lord Jesus Christ the place that belongs to him.
I'd cost Stephen something to see Christ in glory and see him as the center and be occupied with him as the center. The object of the glory cost him something. It cost his life. It'll cost us something too. But may the Lord give us grace no matter what it costs to be true to the Lord Jesus Christ. Or you may know a lot of truth.
You may have sat in the meetings year after year, and you can recite scripture from memory, and you can give out doctrine too. You can give out truth, perhaps. I'm sure there are many young people here who know the truth well, but do you know the Lord Jesus Christ as the center of gathering?
The supreme object of your heart and life. That's the important thing. That's the only thing that will keep us.
To make the Lord Jesus Christ the object of our hearts.
Let us keep gauging into the glory. We are free to do so. There need be no hindrance all. Don't allow hindrances to come in. Don't let that cloud come in.
That you might continue to be free to look up to heaven to see the Lord Jesus Christ. Keep him before you honor him. May God give us grace to honor the Lord Jesus Christ and give him the place that belongs to him.
In this passage of Scripture.
Charges made against Israel.
1St in verse 50.
One, they're charged with resisting the Holy Ghost.
Next.
Verse They're charged with betraying and murdering the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 53 They're charged with having the law but not keeping it. What an awful thing. What an awful charge against God's earthly people. But because it failed.
God said you can't be my people anymore, and I'm going to disregard the center.
The temple was not the center anymore.
And from that moment on, a new center was seen, the Lord Jesus Christ in glory.
I trust that we're not going to resist the Holy Ghost in connection with a new center.
They're resisting the Holy Ghost in connection with the old center.
Let us not resist the Holy Ghost in connection with a new center. May we allow the Spirit of God to freely lead out our hearts to Christ.
And to be occupied with him all that we might walk in the power of an ungrieved spirit.
Grieve not the Spirit of God, for by your sealed unto the day of redemption.
Ah, you grieve the spirit of God. You go on carelessly. Your vision will be dim.
And you'll not be occupied with a new center, the Lord Jesus Christ.
I'll remember that he was betrayed and murdered. Let's keep that before. Is in connection with a new center, the one who is now the center. He was betrayed and murdered. He died for our sins according to the Scripture. Oh how he suffered for our sake. And let us remember we have the word of God too. Let us not go contrary to the word of God. Let us be submissive to His word.
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In connection with the new center, May God help us in these days.
To go on with God and fellowship, communion with the Lord Jesus Christ and May God give us grace.
To give the Lord Jesus Christ a place that belongs to him. Paul says to the Colossians that in all things he might have the preeminence that means the 1St place. Is that the exercise of your heart? Is that the exercise of my heart that he might have the first place?
Oh, the Lord Jesus Christ is our center of gathering today. He's the sanctuary for today.
Tells us in Isaiah he shall be for a sanctuary. Oh, what a sanctuary we have in the Lord Jesus Christ. Just to be in his presence there in your room by yourself, to be in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in prayer, talking to him. Is there anything better than that? I don't believe so. Oh, how precious it is. And then to be in his presence, in the assembly, in the character of the sanctuary for his people. There is no other sanctuary today.
But he is our sanctuary. Shall we sing about it in him 309.
309 Jesus, before thy face we fall.
Our Lord, our life, our hope, our all.
For we have nowhere else to flee, no sanctuary.
Lord but the 309.
Jesus.
Before.
Thy face.
Prayer
YP Address—M. Graham
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#46 in the back of the book. #46 in the back of the book.
Have I an object, Lord below, which would divide my heart with thee, which would divert its even flow in answer to thy constancy?
Oh, teach me quickly to return and 'cause my heart a fresh to burn.
Have IA hope however dear.
Which would defer thy coming, Lord? Which would detain my spirit here? Where not can lasting joy afford from it, My savior set me free to look, and long and wait for thee. Be thou the object, bright and fair, to fill and satisfy the heart, my hope to meet thee in the air, and nevermore from thee depart.
That I may undistracted, be to follow, Sir, and wait for thee #46 in the back of the book.
Oh.
And therefore it's just as necessary for you young ones to be looking to the Lord each day and moment by moment.
Or we cannot look away from the Lord, or even a moment. But what that one who's opposes all things of Christ?
Would seek to distract you from him and lead you into the path of sin.
You may think because you have not been given some great thing to do.
That you cannot serve the Lord.
About these things of trying to witness for the Lord among your schoolmates.
I'm sure you will find a very difficult thing.
You will feel the reproach of the Lord Jesus Christ.
As you seek to live the life that you should live.
If you know the Lord Jesus as your savior.
So we would like to look at a few verses of scripture.
Where there is that praying to God.
And we will find that in some of them he answers their prayers.
And that right away.
We'll also find that there are some prayers that are answered, but it's contingent on the coming to pass of certain things.
I believe we'll also find that there are some prayers that could not be answered in the affirmative.
So we'll turn to the book of Luke.
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The book of Luke.
And in the 18th chapter.
And the first verse, we're not going to read many verses, but we.
That are follow chronologically or in their order.
We may just read a verse here and a verse there, but we trust, with the Lord's help, that there might be a continuity of thought.
That first verse of the 18th chapter of Luke.
And he spake A parable unto them.
To this end.
That men ought always to pray.
And not pain.
Now when we find the word man found in scripture, it's not restricted to grown men, but it's mankind and it includes children as well as the older ones.
And we have the Lord's own word here that men ought always to pray.
And not think.
We need to be before God.
In our prayers, we need to be dependent upon him or we will faint.
But the thought here is the word pray.
We know that throughout the Scriptures there have been many, many prayers and we will not have time to look at all of them.
But we look at a few of them. It might turn now to Philippians 4.
And in the sixth verse of Philippians 4.
We have God speaking through the apostle.
Be careful for nothing.
That is, do not be full of cares. Be careful for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.
Now in the supplication we have strong crying.
Too many times our prayers are just.
Well, shall we say that it lacks that supplication, it lacks that earnestness.
It's only that we look to God, and because he's been so gracious, because he has provided so much for us, we in just the.
Simple way, pray to him, but as the heart is exercised, there would be that strong crying to him.
And some of the older ones have experienced this very thing that they've had to go before the Lord and on their knees.
With a strong crying unto the Lord about something that the Lord has seen fit to allow to come into our lives. Things that are unpleasant to us, things that we cannot see, the reason. But we thank God we have a resource in Him, and we can come to Him in strong cry. So we have that word cry, which also has the same meaning.
As prey now this is to make our request known unto God.
We might look at the 6th chapter of Matthew. Here we're exhorted to make our petitions known unto God or our request, but in the 6th of Matthew.
We find the Lord speaking there.
And the.
Eighth verse.
We'll read the last part of that verse.
For your father N what things ye have need of before ye ask?
Well, if God knows what we have need, why should we make our request known unto Him?
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Well, you know, this is one way of revealing to our own hearts what is the desire of our hearts.
We know that the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. And you and I cannot know our hearts, but God would have us to make our requests known unto Him.
And in this way we find out what is the object of our hearts.
Now you younger one, as you live in this scene, there may be many things that.
Are very interesting to you.
Some of you boys may think that the most important thing in your life is a bicycle.
Well.
The girls sometimes think, well, not so much of bicycles, but maybe it's a dress, or maybe it's a doll, if they're small enough.
And they often look to the Lord that he might see that they receive these things.
Well, you know, your heart is no different than the older one. Sometimes the older ones get occupied with a new automobile.
Our new home.
Or something that to occupy the heart rather than the Lord Jesus Christ.
And when you go to the Lord and you say, Lord, I would like to have a bicycle.
You know you're making your request known to him, and he has already known what your heart was asking for before you ever stated this thing.
But do we analyze these requests that we present to God? Is it for God's glory or is it something to please us?
Well, we will move on and take a look at James in the 5th chapter.
We find here a man who was just exactly like you and I.
And yet, here was a petition that went up to God.
And God honored in a most wonderful way the petition of this man in the 17th verse.
Elias was a man subject to lack of passions as we are.
So Elias is not someone who has.
Experienced or had no experience like you and I have, but he was a man of like passions, as we are.
And he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.
And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain.
And the earth brought forth her fruit. Well, we know that this was a time of Israel, when they had gotten far from the Lord, and when there was a wicked king.
But here is a man that trusted in the Lord.
And he prayed to God, and he was no different than you and I. He prayed to God that it might not rain.
And God answered his prayer.
And then he.
Pray it again that it might rain. And it did rain now. This is to encourage your and my heart.
That we ought to go to the Lord. And we may sometimes say, well, I believe this thing is too, too big for me. Well, thank God if you feel that way, because he is able.
And that this would exercise our faith and we have these things brought to us that we might truly know.
That when we go to the Lord in faith, where to expect him to give us an answer?
Now, sometimes the answer may not be exactly what you and I would like to have.
But in his wisdom, we would.
We would ask that God would qualify these requests of ours and if it be pleasing to him.
Well, in the time of Elias, there had to be the reminding of the people that there was a.
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Living in a true God when they were in the midst of all the evil around.
And the false God and the false prophets, well, God wanted to show.
By the hand of Elias, that there was a God who could hear.
And a God who could answer, and a God who could demonstrate that that faith that had been exercised by Elias.
Would be made no, and so he'd have us in the same way come before him.
Nothing doubting now we'll go back to Luke 22 again.
Luke 22.
And.
We have a case here of his disciples.
At the very time when the Lord was going through the great agony.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, and we find here again those that are just like we.
While the Lord was there in such agony.
Those disciples that had been close to him had fallen asleep and apparently.
They were not concerned about the awful agony of our Lord Jesus Christ.
When he was just about to go to that cross.
But the Lord here speaks to them and tells them in a way, the way to keep out of trouble. The way to be kept from temptation is to pray in the 46th verse.
And he said unto them, Why sleepy?
Rise and pray.
Lest you enter into temptation, well, this is one thing then, that we can do as.
We pass through this scene if we in earnestness.
We'll be looking to the Lord and praying earnestly, seeking His mind. He will answer these prayers, and He will keep us from entering into temptation.
Now we must remember that we have hearts that if we're not before the Lord.
In all our journey down here, it only takes a moment for our eyes to get off the Lord and temptation comes in.
And then we have a great deal of retracing of steps to get back into communion with God. And so, as he would tell his disciples, and sometimes our attitude is being asleep to the things of the Lord. But here he says, why sleep? Ye rise and pray.
Lest ye enter into temptation.
Now we've had several verses of scripture telling us to pray.
And where to expect God to answer these prayers now in the 37th Psalm?
We have a promise of God that he's going to give us what we pray for, provided in the 37th Psalm.
And it's a verse that I've enjoyed in my own soul. I don't say that I measure up to it, but the fourth verse of the 37th Psalm, we have God saying that he will grant these things.
Delight thyself also in the Lord.
There's the there's the secret of it all. Delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thy heart.
Well, if we're delighting in the Lord, we're not going to be asking the Lord for things that are contrary to the things that belong to Christians.
But we have to be in communion with God in order that we might delight ourselves in the Lord.
Now, I know that you boys sometimes think of your games as being the most important thing in your life, and you think, well, tomorrow we're going to have a certain game. But I believe I'm just like you are or I was, and those things seem to be so important to me when I was a boy. But I'll certainly say that it was not delighting myself in the Lord.
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And neither will you find God.
To give you all the answers, or all the petitions he may to teach you. And you may wish many times that the Lord had not given you the things that you asked for. But here's the real secret of getting the things that God would have you to enjoy is by delighting thyself in the Lord, and He shall give thee the desires of thy heart. So we must be sure that these petitions of ours according to the mind of God.
So that he might give us the desires of our heart.
Now in first kings.
And the third chapter.
We have.
In this the.
Man who had more wisdom than any king that had ever been on the earth.
And we find that Solomon.
Felt his inability. He felt his weakness, so that he went to the Lord and he prayed to the Lord that he might.
Be able to serve the Lord.
Pleasing to him in the sixth verse.
Of the third chapter first kings and Solomon said, Thou hast showed unto thy servant David, my father, great mercy.
According as he walked before thee in truth and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee, and thou hast kept him, kept for him this great kindness that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. And now, oh Lord, my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father. And I am but a little child. I know not how to go out.
Or come in.
And thy servant is in the midst of thy people, which thou hast chosen a great people, that cannot be numbered, nor counted for multitude. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad. For who is able to judge this thy so great a people?
And the speech please, the Lord.
That Solomon had asked this thing, and God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing.
And has not asked for thyself long life, neither hast as riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies, but has asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment. Behold, I have done according to thy words. Lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart, so that there was none like thee before thee.
Neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.
And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honor.
So that there shall not be any among the kings like unto the.
Like unto thee all thy days.
Now here we have a man that was.
Asking of God a thing that was pleasing to God and he did not ask for riches.
And I wonder sometimes if our hearts aren't occupied with riches or some other thing that is only temporal things that soon will pass away. But here God honored this servant of his in asking for an understanding heart, and he gave him things that he didn't even ask for. Well, this reminds us, does it not, of the Lord when he said.
Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.
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You know God is not going to hold back anything that's good for us.
And thank God that He doesn't give us just exactly what we asked for, but His great kindness He gives us more than we ask for, provided, however, we have hearts that are pleasing to Him, because if He were to give us things that we've not asked for, we might, in trusting our own hearts, use those things for His dishonor and our sorrow. But here it was He had prayed, and at pleased the Lord that He had asked for an understanding heart.
And these are some of the things that you younger folk can ask.
Of God.
You don't need to be occupied with your bicycles and your dolls, but you can ask him for an understanding heart.
You can ask him that he might keep you through the day when you come in contact with your.
Playmates at school and the older ones have found that it's necessary for them to get on their knees the first thing in the morning and commit themselves unto the Lord and say, preserve me, O God. For the older ones come in contact with those who are the avowed enemies of God, those who have filthy conversations, and some of them, some of us have hearings that are not so keen, and how many times we thank God that we didn't hear so well because of some conversation that took place around about us.
And we were not defiled with that conversation. Oh, here it is.
Thanking God for something that we ordinarily would think was adverse to us.
At all. How wonderful it is to see that God has in some way.
'Cause some physical defect that has saved us from some sorrow.
It's a it's a thing that we who have not had some.
Condition like this, it's hard for us to say, Well, we thank the Lord for that, but those who have experienced it and those who have been near them have been able to thank God that such is true. Now there's another man that we'd like to look at in First Chronicles.
4th chapter it is.
First chronicles the 4th chapter and the.
10th verse.
And Jabez.
Called on the God of Israel saying.
Oh, that thou wouldest blessed me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that my hand, and that thine hand might be with me.
And thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me. And God granted him that which he requested.
Why we're trying to put before you is if these things can be used for God's glory, He'll give you the answer of your prayers. But we need to be warned about these hearts of ours, the sea that the things that we ask of Him.
Might be used for his glory and not for the.
Pleasure of the flesh.
And you know, we'll have the flesh with us all the time. We're down here in this scene.
And we cannot trust it. And therefore we need to be before the Lord like these men.
Always seeking of the Lord that which would keep them from evil.
You and I may say, well, we've gotten through the day pretty well without evil, but as our brother was speaking last night, that there is no one of us and get down on our knees at the close of the day and say that this was one day in which we had pleased the Lord in everything that we had done.
Or said or thought. But it does encourage our hearts to know that there are men just like we, having same passions that we have, and go before the Lord and ask him to grant unto them the things that would be for his glory, and that would keep them from the evil.
Might take a look again then at that Matthew 633.
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And this is again to give us to realize that if we ask these things of God for his glory.
That He will not limit these things, but He'll give to us those things that He can trust us with. Not that we're to be trusted in the flesh, but through His grace and mercy He would grant unto us others in that 30.
33rd verse of the 6th of Matthew, where he says, But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you, so that he is not.
As some would say in our day, stingy at all. But he's going to give us everything that will be for his glory and our blessing. But we are responsible for the use of those things that He grants unto us.
When we present our petitions to Him, because we're only stewards down here and we must give an account so that if we're going to use it for our own pleasure, to the displeasure of the Lord, we're going to be in trouble. And it would be wonderful if the Lord would just say no, I'm not going to let you have this because you don't know how to use it. Well, we may be disappointed down here, but when we get up in glory.
And we look back and we see the reason that God had not granted this petition.
This thing on, we had our hearts so greatly set, we'll thank him that he didn't allow us to have the desires of our heart, because it's only if we delight ourselves in the Lord.
That he shall give us the desires of our heart. And if we then look back and say, Lord, we thank thee, that thou didst not give us our petition, because we would have dishonored you so much with that.
Oh, what a wonderful God we have.
Now then.
Also, you might look again in the 23rd of Luke.
And the 39th?
All these things we've been discussing things that the Lord can.
Grant unto us Here is a wonderful prayer.
That we find that the answer came immediately and to the eternal praise of God, and for the good, the eternal good of one who had presented his petition to the One who was rejected, when there was nothing in the man hanging there on that middle cross that would cause the men to say, well, this man will be able to give me whatever I ask.
But we see that God is working in the heart of this man, and in the 39th verse of the 23rd chapter of Luke. And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, that Israel on the Lord Jesus Christ. If thou be Christ, save thyself, and us. We see in this a man wanting to be saved from the judgment was his.
Without.
Acknowledging that he had done anything worthy of that judgment, and all he was wanting to do is to get down from that cross, get away from the judgment that was his. Not that he wanted to give any glory to the Lord Jesus Christ. It was one of those things that he wanted to consume upon his own flesh. But the other, answering rebuked him, saying, Dost thou not fear God, seeing thou art in the same condom nation?
And we indeed.
Justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds, but this man.
Hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto him unto Jesus, Lord, Remember Me when thou comest into thy Kingdom.
And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise. Now look at the.
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34th verse of this same chapter we find another petition.
And we find it's the Lord Jesus here as man looking to his Father while the Lord Jesus is hanging there on the cross. Now he's praying too. And he said then said Jesus, Father forgive them for they know not what they do.
Well, you might ask, did God grant this? Did God grant this petition of His own beloved Son, the one whoever did those things which pleased the Father?
Well, yes, but it was contingent.
That is, it depended upon those who had cried out. Crucify Him, crucify Him, those who had rejected Him.
If they would only receive him, they could have this forgiveness.
So we say yes, God answered that request, but of course it's contingent upon the center receiving that rejected one as their Lord and Savior. Now we might look at Hebrews 12.
And the 17th verse. Now we have another prayer here.
And we find that the petition of this man was not granted.
And this ought to speak to the hearts of everyone here, especially those who know not the Lord Jesus as their Savior, when there has been the telling forth of the wondrous love of God as expressed in the gift of the Lord Jesus on Calvary's cross.
That you don't turn your back on this.
Wonderful good news concerning Christ the Savior. Or if you do, it might be like this man. Or the time may come when it'll be too late for you to reconsider.
In the.
17th verse of the 12Th of Hebrew. Well, we better read the 16th verse to find out who this man is.
That had made a petition, but his petition was denied.
And that for eternity too, in the 16th verse, lest there be any fornicator or profane person as Esau.
Who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright, for we know it. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. Now this word, this as we have here, might make you think that.
Esau sought repentance, but it isn't that.
It was that he sought the blessing and there was number repentance with this Esau. It might be better read if we'd say that when he had.
For you know how that afterward when he would have inherited the blessing?
He was rejected or when he would have inherited the blessing.
He found no place of repentance, and therefore he was rejected. Now he had sought carefully the blessing, but there was no but he had not found any place of repentance, and therefore he was rejected, and that for all eternity now you've been hearing these blessings of the Lord presented to you in the gospel, and it might be that there's some here, and we pray God that it may not be.
It may be.
That if you reject and if you refuse to believe.
That love of God, you die in your sins. It will be too late. It will be too late. You'll have no opportunity.
Now again in James.
In the 4th chapter.
We find why Esau was not able to get this blessing that he sought when there was number repentance on his part.
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He asked, and you received not because he asked amiss that she may consume it upon your lusts.
So we have to be careful that the things we ask of the Lord does not ask for this.
Purpose that we might consume it upon our lust. God's not going to grant these petitions. We've had so many verses here showing how God has granted these petitions, but there are certain ones that he does not grant because we only want to please the flesh. Now we'll go back to Matthew again.
And the 25th chapter.
And we have another petition.
That's also denied.
And this we heard the other night about the foolish virgins.
And how that in the 10th verse while they went to buy, the bridegroom came.
And they that were ready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut.
Afterward came also the other virgin, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily, I say unto you.
I know you not.
So this is the danger of you young people when you still have minds that doesn't require reasoning these things out.
If you go on until some other time after you have enjoyed all the pleasures of this world, thinking that you finally will come to the place when you don't enjoy the things that the flesh enjoy, and then you'll give yourself to the Lord, it may be that you'll never arrive at that place, because the Lord could come tonight. He could come this afternoon. He might come before we finish this hour.
So we're just putting before you that this thing of refusing the gospel.
Heard here, and maybe many times in your own city, it may be that you will come after it's too late.
But there will then be that statement that we find here. I know you not now. There's one more. There's one more prayer.
I'd like to bring that to you, and it's the last chapter of Revelation.
The last prayer of the Scriptures.
In the 20th verse.
He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly.
Quickly.
Amen.
Even so, come Lord Jesus, is that the prayer of your heart and mind? Is there some other object that we would like to see the for the fulfillment of before the Lord comes, or is this our prayer?
Even so come Lord Jesus.
#324.
Lord Jesus, come, nor let us longer roam afar from thee in that bright place where we shall see thee face to face. Lord Jesus, come, Lord Jesus, come Thine absence. Here we mourn no joy. We know apart from thee no sorrow in thy presidency.
Come, Jesus, come.
Lord Jesus, come and claim us as thine own, with longing hearts the path we tread, which thee on high to glory. Lead. Come, save your Come, Lord Jesus, come and take thy people home that all thy flock, so scattered here with thee in glory, may appear. Lord Jesus, come now, if there's any of you here that does not know the Lord Jesus as your savior.
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If you sing this hymn what you're really saying, Lord, come close the door and then I will cry afterwards. Lord, Lord, open unto me. Do you want to sing that Lord Jesus come, if you don't know him or when he comes, the door will be closed and you'll be left on the outside.
It would be better that you do not sing this if you're still a stranger.
To his love.
Oh, Jesus Christ.
Lord promises, let's pray.
John 1:35-51
Reading
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That Phillip call the before that Phillip Crawley. When I was under the fig tree I saw these.
Nathaniel answered and said unto him, Rabbis, thou art the son of God, thou art the king of Israel.
Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, Believeth thou, Thou shalt seek greater things than these. And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I stay unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.
That was a wonderful moment where down the Baptist introduced Jesus there at Jordan.
For the whole.
Land that turns out.
Were baptized.
Confessing their sins.
In a real stirrers to the repentance in need of repentance in the nation.
And then when the Pharisees were insistent to ask who he was.
Why? He says. I'm just the voice of one crying in the wilderness.
Rather remarkable statement, isn't it, At the very one that the Lord.
Calls the greatest born of women.
Greatest of all the prophets. And yet when he speaks of himself, he says I'm just a voice, Father. Words aren't just nothing.
Calls when one gets low enough.
To be nothing, then the Lord.
And exhaust one and his own way for his own glory.
Well, as I said this a moment at last arrived.
When they long looked for Messiah.
Had come their joy.
He doesn't say See the Messiah? Oh no.
He says, Behold the land of God, take it away, the sin of the world.
Isn't there something in that for our hearts, beloved? That's the 1St and most important thought about our blessed Savior is in connection with his death of the Lamb of God.
That's how we'll see him and knowing that the glory as the land, when it speaks of the wedding day, the marriage, it speaks out as the marriage of the land.
Rejoice, and be glad, and the marriage of the Lamb is come. Certainly will be brought before us then, perhaps as never before.
And it will last for all eternity.
How the Lord Jesus Christ is God's land went to Calvary's cross, and we owe all to that land that will be there in the glory with him. We'll never forget it.
We get such a very striking contrast in the Revelation. The Lord Jesus there is called the lion and the lamb, but only once he's called the lion. I believe 27 times in the Revelation he's called the lamb. So it would appear that the Spirit of God would ever direct our thoughts to him as the Lamb of God and of his sacrificial death at Calvary. And that as our brother says we're going to see him in the coming days, the lamb, see the wounds.
His hands and sides and feet.
Which will remind us throughout eternity of his sacrificial death, and of his infinite love that took him there to die for our sins, that we might be with him in the glory.
00:05:08
I was thinking too in the name Jesus is very prominent in the Gospels.
And the name Christ is very prominent in the epistles. The one speaks of His sojourn here on earth, the other speaks of His exaltation up there in the glory.
When I speak here of taketh away the sin of the world.
The thought there is that I suppose morally, as far as God is concerned, the sin question has been settled.
But as far as the administration of it is concerned.
It's yet to be that the sin of the world will be taken away.
And we find that in this same chapter, the very last verse.
The heaven is open, the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man. Well, that's connected with that, isn't it? Purging this world, the Lord is going to purge this seed, bring judgment upon all of his enemies.
And then he's going to read. Well, that's included, isn't it, in taking away the sin of the world.
I suppose his death has laid the foundation for their settlement.
On that ground, the new heaven and the new earth will be established. We're in Renaissance righteousness where there will be no evil anymore.
The world is to be held accountable for the rejection floor. He has made irrigation for our sins on the cross and shedding his blood.
That part has already been taken care of, but the world, though, is going to be held accountable for his rejection.
And that comes in the latter part of it taking away the sin of the world.
Well, this all fits together because in the first part of the chapter we see the Lord is the creator of the whole scene. But when he comes into the world, he's rejected. They won't have it. Well, the crisis comes when the Lord himself, the Creator, comes into the sea that He's created and they won't have him. His creatures won't have him. What a solemn thing. Well, as you said, brother heirsman, this world is held accountable.
Not only for their sins.
But for rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ they have to answer for. And what a mercy.
That God has worked in our hearts.
To own our part in nailing the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross.
That's essentially what we do when we repent on ourselves as sinners.
We acknowledge that our sins put Christ on the cross, and the moment we do that, God Forgives them all. You can wash them all away. They're all gone.
There will be brought to home in the Eternity as the.
Year roll on that every blessing, every glory we over the cross, afraid God is finding a seed to it.
That his son, who went solo in Greece, has to become a sacrifice for sin.
That he's going to honor him and everything in this universe must be the blessing, must be the result.
Of that song when he was hanging their victim on the painful cross, where he suffered under the hand of a righteous and holy God.
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That gives wonderful joy and confidence in the believer even now, because we do live in a world where the person and name of the Lord Jesus Christ is so despised by just to think that the winding moon we trust the one who died to redeem on his according to the season one even now far above all principalities, power, might and dimension of every name that is named.
Not only in this world, but also in that statistic, college, and to be able to read to that day when every phrase of sin will be removed, and the one who has redeemed us and the one who's named by grace we bear now is going to happen. It's a wonderful joy to the soul now.
This is he whom I said after me cometh with man.
Which is preferred before me, for he was before me.
If the Lord wasn't more than man, that statement would be possibly false, because John the Baptist was born about six months before the Blessed Lord was born.
John is referring not to his natural birth there at bestium, but he's referring to his eternally.
Back in those eternal ages, unless the reason why he establishes the glory of this person.
Which so far transcends the glory of every other man that ever occupied any place.
And ways of God in this world.
There's one man.
That is not only a true man.
That is also a divine person, God manifest in flesh.
But John was the forerunner.
As you get in Isaiah 40.
Voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare you the way of the Lord.
Make street is passed.
So we get past foretold in different passages, and they forget it in the first verse of the third.
Of I know we get it in Malachi, and and you get it from my 40th chapter of Isaiah 2. There was one that must go before.
And prepare the way for the Son of God.
Who identify himself with the people here in this world.
And what Doom had accomplished.
Is very important.
He brought a people to repentance.
And whenever there is any real.
Definite positive work of repentance and the heart of any Sinner.
God is deeply interested in that work.
That's why the Lord identified himself, or the baptism of John. There is Jordan. He identified himself with that work that John had begun bringing Israel to repentance.
Well, if we were to try to understand this verse, try to reason about it.
00:15:06
It would only lead to confusion.
But a verse like this verse 30.
Is addressed to faith, because he says after me cometh of mine which is preferred before me, and then he says for he was before me.
Well, if you're to look at that in a natural way, it looks like a contradiction.
He comes after me, but he was before me. But we believe it. It's God's word.
And it's addressed to faith and there are many things in the word of God.
That we're not going to be able to take in unless we receive them by faith. If we're going to try to reason about it, we're going to get far away from faith. It'll result in doubt, because reasoning about the word of God is not faith. Faith just takes God at His word.
And sometimes God is pleased not to reveal his mind in the passage at the time we're searching to get the meaning. There may come a time when we're we'll be in special needs of the understanding of that word, and when it is understood, it becomes like a shining jewel to our souls.
Someone said that when he was eating fish and he bid on something hard, he said he didn't throw the fish away and decided it was a bone and lead it to one side.
And that's very much the way we should act. And we find something that we can't comprehend, we can't understand.
Or don't discard the chapter or the words that you're poor. Cuny mind can't take it in this way aside and wait on the Lord.
Someday it may be.
A. A way that God will let in.
A wonderful ray of truth into your soul.
But you say that The thing is mental apprehension and a spiritual apprehension.
You tell us something about that, Brother Arizona. I think it's very important.
I believe in the world and unworldly Christians. There is an attempt to try to reduce everything to a mental apprehension in the scriptures and I don't think it can be done.
There's some things that are only spiritually apprehended, and God would have itself.
The natural man understandeth not the thing to be of God. Neither can he know them or they're spiritually discerned.
Well, we know a college. There's a place where young people go to store up knowledge. It has to do with the mind.
Well, it seems that Christians don't have taken up with that principle, and so they have started theological schools, and their key fame is for those who go to those schools to store up knowledge of scripture.
Well, in a certain sense that might be all right to store up the word of God in the mind. But the problem is that if you get too much knowledge, it doesn't get all get down into the heart and the avenues get clogged and soon the person becomes, as it were, top heavy and becomes puffed up with pride because he has great knowledge. Well, if the truth gets down into our hearts.
And really exercises our souls. It will humble us and we'll want to get it done to our feet that we might practice it.
Don't you get something like that, Brother Anderson, in the 15th chapter, First Corinthians.
And the eighth verse of.
First, the Festival of Corinthians, 15th chapter.
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He says in last wall he was seen me awful as one born out of two times, for I'm the least of the apostles that are not meant to be cold and powerful because I persecuted the Church of God.
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace which was bestowed upon me, was not in vain. But I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I.
But the grace of God, which was with me, the more all entered into the wonderful revelations that were given him from God, the less he thought of himself.
He starts out, you know, calling himself the least of the apostles. Finally, he calls himself less than the least of All Saints.
In this grace, given that I might preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.
Verse verse 31 brings before us.
But it wasn't enough for him to come into this world.
God purpose that he should be made manifest to his people.
And you had a way of doing that through the through the baptism.
That John was performing there at the Jordan River.
But you're saying that?
John can. Saying I knew him not doesn't mean that he had never seen the Lord had no acquaintance with him at all.
But he didn't know him officially.
Remember reading when President Coolidge was President of the United States?
When he was a little boy in Vermont.
There was an old blacksmith that he admired very much and he used to go to his blacksmith shop.
And watch the sparks fly. And the old blacksmith was.
Was a wise old man and gave the young lad some very good advice.
But after his young friend had become the president of the United States.
Coolidge invited here in the blacksmith from Vermont, to visit him in the White House.
Well, he could say this, I knew or not. He never knew him as a president until he went there. He knew him as a little boy there in Vermont. But now he knew him officially, perhaps. That's the meaning here.
This is something like that that takes place with many who are saved to hear the gospel preach time after time. They know many things about the Lord Jesus Christ. They hear about him in a certain way. They know him. But there comes a moment in that life when the Spirit of God just brings it to their heart.
Who the Lord Jesus Christ really is?
And at that moment they see him as the Son of God, who died on countless cross for their sins.
Ah, they know him in a different way now. Somewhat the same thing, isn't it? Paul said that I might know him. The power of his resurrection, the fellowship of his suffering, being made comfortable unto his death. Well, that was when he was a prisoner at Rome.
Ever so many years after all was converted that followed and served the Lord, but he still desired to know him.
In market tell us that the baptism that they came to John, you were baptized confessing their sins.
Well, there had to be that confessing of their sins before they'd be able to know this one who was coming into the scene. They had to confess their sins before they would know of him as savior.
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And that's the great thing with Israel today. They don't confess their sins.
John Mayer record saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
Hotels who thought Brother gladding in the spirit abiding upon him.
Well, I suppose the Spirit of God never did come down to abide on anybody else before the cross of Christ, except on the Lord Jesus Christ is here and that's all.
And would it be, so to speak, fitting him for service? Would.
Did you say?
That's what proved him to be the Son of God, because no other human being could have called the Holy Spirit come and abide upon him as as a man. In this world. Of course we know, since redemption is accomplished.
And Christ has borne our sins away.
We can be and dwelt by the Holy Ghost today since Pentecost, but that's another thing.
In First Tennessee 3 and 16, isn't it where it speaks of him there is justified in the Spirit?
Well, doesn't that refer to every act of his life?
It was by the Spirit.
That is wholly by the Spirit of God. There wasn't anything himself brought into it, though He was justified in the Spirit and everything that he did, and the cross isn't mentioned there, but that would take in the cross.
In connection with ourselves in the book of Romans, it speaks of us being justified by his blood, and the Lord Jesus had no need of that. He didn't have to have the application of the blood.
And so it's not true of the Lord Jesus Christ as we have over Leviticus, because there we find that the blood was applied 1St and then there was the anointing of the oil, which answers to the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
But here with the Lord Jesus Christ, there didn't have to be any anointing of blood first. The Spirit of God comes upon him without that.
Don't you find that the high priest was anointed without blood first?
And then his sons, after they had been sprinkled with the blood. I'm not just sure of the.
High Priest by himself.
Because when the high priest stands by himself, he's the type of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And we would be a type of Aaron's sons, would we not?
The Holy Spirit came to abide on Christ before the Cross and abide in us after the cross.
So we would be like Aaron's sons, wouldn't we, in that sense?
For a priestly family, yes. Or offer a spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God my deal with Christ, Peter said.
Well, their ballot makes this remark. Sure. Others have read it in in the Leave. It's in the evangelist or the baby arts are sure.
About.
The time when the flood was on the earth.
And Law released the the dove. But he found no resting place for the soul of his feet. All the dove had to come back to north to the earth. Well, he likens the time from the creation of the world.
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4000 years have fallen.
Without seeking a resting place, finding none.
But after that search of 4000 years.
At last there's a blessed manner. There's joy who has done all the will of God.
And the Spirit of God does like form comes down divide upon him.
The second time, the dog went out and found a green tree though, didn't it?
In the midst of those desolate waters, and then brought back a leaf to the ark as proof of the fact that it found a green tree. Well, the Blessed Lord speaks of himself as the green tree, he says. If if these things be done in the green tree, what should be done in the dry? Isn't that what he says? Holly branch wasn't it? Doesn't that speak of the return of God's testimony on the earth during the Millennium?
First time give more the theme of that we're looking at ourselves. I mean the poor of Christ came.
That is the promise of the of the coming reign of grace, and then the last time.
The ark never, and the dove never returns because the waters were dry.
Paid to return because the Kingdom of Christ will be established on the earth.
I was merely thinking of it as Saddam did find a place where it could rest then the second time, didn't it? Yeah, and the Lord Jesus speaks to himself, to the green tree, and he was the only green tree that had life.
Amidst that scene of desolation, everybody else was dead and the dark could rest upon that green tree. And that's what we have here, isn't it? In our verse.
Fruit of God came to abide upon Christ. There the dove found its rest for the time being.
A dog is a clean bird and would remind us that the Holy Spirit is holy and he cannot rest upon anything unclean. And that's why when the Holy Spirit is to come to dwell in our hearts, we must first of all be cleansed by the precious blood.
And as soon as the soul is cleansed by the blood of Christ.
Soon as he knows his sins forgiven through the work of Christ on the cross, then the Holy Spirit can come and dwell there in that heart. For not before Holy Spirit must have a clean place to rest.
There are three wonderful sights recorded in the gospel here under and this is the first one, I believe, at John the Baptist saw.
Screwed, descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him the other two the Apostle John saw.
In the 19th chapter where he saw a blood pouring from the side of a dead Christ, and he saw that the empty tomb and the clothes lying there, which is a proof of his resurrection. So it brings before us Christ in his life and death and resurrection in these three wonderful.
Scenes we have here.
Well, the Lord has spoken love here as the as he was baptized with the Holy Ghost.
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Oh, that was connected with the promise of the father.
And in the in the 15th of John Way the Lord speaks of sending the Spirit Himself.
And the 30th 2026 First the one that Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me, and he shall bear witness, because he had been with me from the beginning.
Well, that baptism that the Lord speaks of.
Or John speaks of because at Pentecost.
There are people baptized.
With the Holy Ghost until that event.
50 days after the Lord went back, or 40 days after the Lord?
50 days after the Lord rules.
Wasn't mentioned here about the baptizing of the fire that does in Matthew.
I suppose that's because he's the rejected one. There has to be the work going on the scene.
And so the fire is not mentioned here.
So if we hear anyone today, and there are those who do it praying for the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire, actually they are praying for an awful thing because the fire.
Refers to judgment, doesn't it? The judgment of the Lord on this sea, on the ungodly.
Like in the.
Where the Lord reads that from Isaiah that.
He leaves off about the day of vengeance of our God.
He hadn't come to bring that in.
It's going to come, but for the time being, that's suspended.
All a period of grace comes in between, doesn't it? Yes, and that's what we're in now. Period of the grace of God.
And if it were not for the grace of God, the fire would have fallen long ago. But God is long-suffering, not willing that any should carry, but that all should come through thin.
The Lord in reading that he knew when to close the book, he knew when to close it at the point where the application ceased for the time being. But the natural man doesn't know that, and so he goes on and on into other things that he doesn't know where out he speaks.
There are many questions not instructed about what Brother Anderson was speaking about.
As for the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire, so it might be well to turn to the third of Matthew.
They may have to.
Answer some who are.
Confused about the scripture?
In the 11Th verse of the third class, I indeed baptized you with water under repentance.
That he that cometh after me.
Is mightier than I whose shoes are not worthy to bear. He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and the fire whose fan is in his hands, and he will thoroughly purge his floor and gather the wheat into his garner. Well, there is the result of the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
It forms the people that are taken to heaven.
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Picture of heaven, but he will burn up the Jack with unquenchable fire.
That's the baptism of fire. So if one insists on.
Their wrong teaching when it can be clearly pointed out that a very serious thing. Pray for the baptism of fire because it means the.
Mitigated judgment of God upon.
Be connected with what John says to the Pharisees and Sadducees, who have warned you to flee from the wrath to come, to let the wrath to come.
I think you'll find that there are three days in this chapter.
The 29th verse you get the next day.
35th, 1St and again the next day after.
Then in the 43rd verse you get the day following, and then the first verse of the second chapter and the third day.
Well, those three days are very obstructive for us.
The first day of the introduction of the Lamb of God.
And leads on to a blessed association with himself.
And even the work in bringing others.
To know him as their savior.
The second day or the the day following. Follow that through. You'll find it takes a century early.
The remnant being brought to own that they're long rejected. Christ is the Son of God, King of Israel, and the son of Dog and the Son of Man.
And the third day is the marriage of King of Galilee and West Square.
As the coming blessing of the Kingdom of Christ that upon earth.
So the first day is the testimony of John the Baptist. They following that's the testimony of Jesus. And then the third day that's the millennial Kingdom.
Why is it brother bloody unlike the?
35th verse of John doesn't say the when he explains Behold the Lamb of God.
That taketh away the sin of the world. He leaves that out.
Well, I suppose in the first instance, in the 29 first.
He's bringing in the sin question, Lamb of God and the sin question, but here he's directing the gauge of the person himself, isn't he?
It's not so much the sin question here. It's the person who has settled the sin question between the gaze upon and be occupied with. Is that the thought?
Have to have the same question settled before you get look upon Jesus as he walked.
And that expression as you walk. And it's very important, isn't it?
Must be gained by watching the walk from the Lord Jesus Christ as we read up and in the gospel.
There we can be occupied with the Lord Jesus Christ as the one walking through this wilderness.
Which walk, of course, culminates in going to the cross. That's where his feet took him. He was obedient all the way through his life unto death and back to death of the cross.
All while the person to be occupied with as he's walking through this sea. Well, in other parts of the Scripture we get the Spirit of God occupying us with him and the glory. Well, whether it's here, whether it's up there, there's only one that God wants us to be occupied with, not his blessed Son.
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And we may know a lot of truth, and we can thank God if he has been pleased to vouch. Safe to ask the truth. Course, it's always been in the word, but to have it and to value it, and to have a desire to practice it, that's another thing. But to have the truth is one thing, and to be occupied with the person of Christ is something else. We might have all the truth, but if we lose out in being occupied with Christ.
Being taken up with him.
Being attracted to him, having his person before us, well, I'm afraid we're going to lose the truth and soon we'll find we'll not be walking in the truth too.
When John says in the 29th verse.
Behold the Lamb of God. He is really addressing Israel, isn't he? But in the.
35th verse He really isn't addressing anyone.
It's just required meditation of his own heart.
He was just looking upon Jesus.
His whole mind, heart of sort.
In that large sight displayed before it.
God's beloved Son, a real man walking in this world.
And it's just as though he gave expression to his communion without addressing anyone and says, behold the Lamb of God.
And that had a definite effect, didn't it?
John didn't seem to be worried about what would happen to his disciples when he pointed out the Lord Jesus as the Lamb of God.
Now he had been, in that case an ordinary man. He would have hesitated to point out praise, because if he knew anything about human nature, he would know that certainly he was liable to lose some disciples, lose some followers of his, they would turn from him and follow Jesus. But John was so occupied with Christ didn't make any difference to him. He just as soon see them follow the Lord Jesus.
Because I'm sure he felt in his own heart, well, I'm not deserving of that place anymore to have any followers. I want to be a follower myself.
It is significant sentiment that it was not the statement made in verse 29, but rather the statement made in verse 36, the small, the two disciples who called diva. I wonder if that would remind us that our own personal occupation with Christ may be more effective with testimony than anything we might say about the Lord Jesus. Now of course, atrocities one of us might dare a faithful testimony by word concerning the value of the work of Christ.
But it is properly to notice that it would not this little statement that seems to be so spontaneous. They hold the line of God and cause the new disciples to fall season. I've enjoyed noticing. Of course it's just the English translation of it, but in the 1St Corinthians 14 we read I'd rather speak 5 words with my understanding and by my teachers also than 10,000 words in an unknown time.
So here we have 5 words, the whole Lamb of God.
Another resource Basement. But the wonderful effect for the two who followed Jesus in turn were used in black others. Well, may it be nothing heard but to us that although we may not have any gift whatever is presenting Christ, the way others might be able to do by word of mouth, surely we can teach one display in our lives that which I think was displayed here in this state all the last dogs.
That's instructed to it If not.
Follow Jesus. He's conscious of it and he turns and.
Saith unto them what seek you that he would encourage them. He would probe their hearts as to what their object was. I think it's nice though, that he was conscious of it, and I don't believe there's anyone ever followed the Lord, but he wasn't conscious of it.
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And that is really a very searching word for this one and all.
What seeking?
Because every one of us here challenge our own heart. What are we really seeking after in his life?
Be honest with ourselves. What is it want to get ahead in the world?
Well, that's a bad thing. The world is soon going to be under the judgment of God.
Well, if we're like the two that we read them here and said Lord.
Where as well as thou want to seek to go on in companionship.
For that Blessed One will not be disappointed in that.
Though the world may pass away very soon.
Alone did not say see and come, he said come and see. People like to see first, don't they, before they come to Christ. But His word is come and see Needs faith, doesn't it?
Same thing was said by the Lord, Lamarth and Martha, remember said. I nodded to thee, That if thou wouldst believe, thou should see the glory of God, the Jews that stood around and insulted the Lord. They said, come down from the cross, that we may see and believe. They reversed it.
That's nice too, that he he doesn't give them an address. Where he dwells, doesn't say it's someone's home, Probably was, but he says come and see. So it's something that would apply to faith in all ages.
And when he says come and see, it surely meant that they'd have to follow him where he was going, that they might see it. And so it's so it is with every one of us. If we want to find the place where the Lord is, we'll have to follow him. We'll have to be in company with him, whether it's looked at as an individual way or the collective way.
Where is the Lord dwelling today? Looking at it from the individual?
Standpoint.
Well, he's outside of the world. He was cast out, he was outside the gate and that's where he was crucified outside the camp.
Well, if we want to go on in communion with the Lord, we want to be where He is, we want to be in the place he dwells, well, we'll have to be in the outside place, in a place of separation.
And that goes for the collective side of it too, where Saints are gathered together by the Spirit of God to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ outside of everything but inside with him alone.
I suppose.
And.
Revive the Heart of the.
Connection with that following they returned to Matthew 4.
Half to four verse 18.
Very important.
Thought in the word of God to follow.
I will read in Peter, follow in his steps. Not just follow him, but follow him his steps here in Matthew 418.
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And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw 2 presidents.
Simon called Peter, and then his brother, casting Anep into the sea, where they were fissures. I just sayeth unto them, Follow me, and that will make you efficient. Amen. This breakfast lecture Nets and bottles, no hesitancy. And going on from that he saw other two brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother, in a ship with Zebedee, their fathers mending the Nets.
And he called them, and they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.
It's a difficult thing sometimes to leave the ship.
Difficult to put issue into action but over in Hosea.
Hosea, Chapter 6.
And verse three is the process.
And the pressure to well thrown heart Hosea 6 verse 3. Then shall we know?
If we follow on to know the Lord, it's a full time occupation. This is something that can be just taken care of, one hour each week at the table, breaking bread, so to speak. But it's that which must be definitely engaged in a diluted engagement day by day.
Following up and to follow.
Will bring us to know him and to know him very well 'cause us to love him more.
Follow in his step, then shall we know that's the proof of reality?
Those that followed on and on him in connection that scriptures our attention is callable in Isaiah.
And it speaks there about the contract and the humble one. There has to be that spirit.
Or we'll miss the way.
Humble person will not go straight.
Well, that is true if it's real humbleness, yeah.
The Lord had to tell two of the disciples, you know not what manner of spirits you're out, but they were weren't going according to the the way of His pathway at all.
What, you're saying that?
The first of John's feet for our brother Whitaker was reading in the 4th of Matthew. This was really wasn't this the beginning of the work of God and the souls of Andrew and Peter, and perhaps John too.
Do you have any thought, brother Paul, as to who the other man was mentioned that left John and call of Jesus nowhere do not.
However, my father telling him actually giving a talk years ago, you thought it was the writer of the Gospel himself, always appealed to me.
He always keeps himself in the background, doesn't he?
This year they came and saw worried. Well, bolded him that day.
Well, that was speak, would it not?
All the time that he leaves the church here, both within that day.
Well, it's important, isn't? Isn't it? To continue with the Lord.
To the end of this present day, as long as we are here in this sea, till the Lord comes, so important to continue on.
01:00:07
I was reading some ministry.
Once it was a reading that was being carried on.
And some brother made the remark.
And it's better to to wear out than to rust out.
And Gay and Darby made the remark. It's better to last out.
Well, it's important to continue with the Lord till this day is finished. There could be a lot of fleshly energy and wearing out.
Is there any any significant in the 10th hour the latter part of verse 39?
Two hours before night. Well, I believe in general John gives us Roman time.
And so that would make it in the morning, they would hardly been going around at 10:00 at night.
See, John's Gospel was written long after the other gospel which.
Supposedly his writings were when he was about 90 years old and.
The Jewish economy was all broken up 20 years prior to that, so he uses Roman times.
So that would make it in the beginning of the day, early morning.
Whatever way you look at it, it was a wonderful time in their lives.
And it says that voters in that day, well, it's 10:00 at night, You wouldn't hardly say they voted within that day.
Well there is one of the 1St results of Andrew being in company with Jesus is to go and find his own brother Simon.
And to bring him to Jesus.
Shows a true preparation for soul winning.
Lord says on the 12Th of John. You know, if any man serve me, let him follow me.
Go to a Barber store, Theological seminary or let him follow me.
Well, that's the true way to be prepared for the service of the Lord.
Follow that lesson 1.
Well, it resulted in Andrew bringing to Jesus.
I suppose we're most prominent of all the 12 apostles.
Simon Peter.
Never crying, Andrew. Doing any special great work, do you?
They were informed that he was a great creature.
He just appears here and there, he told the Lord the time when they were looking for something for the multitude. Andrew Simon, Peter's brother, says There's a lad here that has five balling over and two small fishes. That was a little service for the Lord build a very important place at that particular time.
But yet.
Andrew was used to bring.
I suppose the most powerful creature.
Creature of the gospel that God had, unless it was the Apostle Paul.
So we can't just measure results as to how many converts you get.
I'd say that wasn't much of A work that day, one man he brought. When you think about Peter standing up on the day of Pentecost and 3000 Souls getting saved, what can we say about a work like that?
And don't you think that Andrew must have been rejoicing as he heard his brother proclaim the gospel and sing so many get saved?
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Perhaps Andrew was saying, thank God I brought my brother to Jesus.
Well, the mechanic may have many tools.
Are doing his repair work, and perhaps he might have a tool or two that's very seldom used.
But when he needs that tool, he needs it, and it performs a very important work. And if that work isn't done by the machines, not going to go same way with the housewife, She may have some utensils that are very seldom used, but when she needs a certain one, she can't do without it, she must have it, and it serves a very useful purpose at the time, and so we may not.
Be spectacular, spectacular, really used of the Lord. But what we need to be is to be ready to be used when He wants to use it. And that means that we should be walking.
With the Lord in communion with him.
Well, remember too, or remark Mr. Whitlam made. He says. The Carpenter never has to fear that the hammer is going to take credit for the work that was done, and that's one thing we should remember.
Now Charles Purgin was converted to a very ignorant tailor, was driven off of the street in a snowstorm, got into some little Chapel and.
Before her, man was trying to fill in the hour, and about all he could do was to repeat his text over and over and over and over because he couldn't develop it.
And his extra look unto me, and be saved all the ends of the earth for armed governors none else.
Finally turned on Spurgeon himself.
He says, Looky on the man. Look, he says. I didn't look well. That was his conversion.
The new simplest of men who convert a very remarkable and powerful preacher of the gospel.
And that same thought in the first disaster of the Song of Solomon. Draw me We will run after thee. There's one individual heart rung after the Lord sees us in affection, and the result is we will run after the.
The occupancy that perhaps what we have here, one heart drawn after the Lord and is followed by others, wrong me, we will run after thee. Well, as it has been remarked, it may not have been the very greatest factor that one day.
But if in the gallery together the Lord people here tweeting for me 3 days there is one brother or one sister that was purpose apart, seeks to follow the Lord Jesus devotedly, would it not be as blasting? Would it not be worthwhile all the teach of our hearts I see before the Lord about this that language might be true of us from this day forward that we might say draw me, the Lord will hear that desire to be expressed from our hearts.
Well, the Lord immediately gives Simon a new name, doesn't he?
Thus with all the Lord said.
She adjusted for a center named Simon.
What I'm giving you a new name has a wonderful meaning. And you know, when anyone has the right to change the name of a person, it shows he's in a very high place of authority.
So we find Pharaoh changing the name of Joseph.
Nebuchadnezzar, changing the name of Daniel and the three Hebrew children. Always somebody in a very high place of authority. So the Lord just as much as tells Peter you belong to me now.
And I'm giving you a new name.
1 Thessalonians 1:1
Reading
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252.
God told our gracious Savior children through this earth. Alive we are weak, but now our life hold us with my heart.
Spread up message. Lead us now and ever for justice.
I know.
Yeah, we do have this in the precious and move on with.
John 1.
Or has someone else something that much exercise about?
Well, brother, would I be at a place to make this suggestion in view of the chaotic conditions in which we Live Today and the increasing evil of the last days?
Wouldn't it be nice to meditate upon a scripture which would direct our thoughts homeward?
So the first epistle to the Thessalonians has been, must be for me this morning, if the Brethren are happy to consider it.
First Epistle in the first chapter.
First Thessalonians chapter one.
For all and savannahs and amoebas under the Church of the Thessalonians, which is even God the Father, and in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace be unto you, and peace with God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We give thanks to God always for you all making mention of you and our prayers.
Remembering without ceasing your work of faith and believer, of love and patience, of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father.
00:05:09
Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.
For our gospel team is not unto you and word only, but also in power and little the Holy Ghost, and in much assure, as you know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
And you became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the Word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost, so that you were in samples to all that believe in Macedonia and the care.
For from you sounded out the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and IKEA, but also in every place your faith to Godward is spread abroad.
So that we need not to speak anything.
For they themselves show of us what manner of entry in we had unto you, and how he turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
I'd like to remind ourselves.
That it's a little difficult to hear, especially on the outer freedom of the meeting.
And any brother who takes part, I'm sure will welcome the reminder to raise his voice. And now it takes a little more push.
Erase the voice. But God has supplied it with what we might call bellows to do it. And so if we concentrate a little bit upon that, I think we can put some push behind a hoist so that everybody can hear.
When you reach the account in the book of Acts about Paul going to be.
How the word was received there?
Yet they'll assume persecution stirred up against the apostles and they were driven out of the city.
So Paul was not able to continue there any length of time.
So when he had gone on in his labours.
He writes.
This epistle and then another epistle, the 2nd Epistle of Methadone.
To these states who had in faith brought in the blessing.
To his and the Ministry of Others at that time.
The one thing impresses me and connection.
Where the apostles first laborers, there was how he taught them about the Lord's coming. It must have been a very important part.
Of the preaching of the gospel.
He says how he turned to God from idol to serve the living and the true God and to wait for his Son from heaven. He doesn't stop short of waiting for God's Son from heaven.
I take it that this was the first festival that Paul ever wrote that, right, brother? Yes, I believe that's right. It's remarkable the progress that these Saints there at Thessalonica made in the things of the Lord just said he was a time. I believe he said he was.
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A reasoning in the synagogue 3 Sabbath day.
So it wasn't there much over three weeks, but it's remarkable the way they took in the truth. Well, I suppose it was the way, the reality of things to them. Here they were engrossed in the darkest idolatry. And here he comes along and he preaches indeed. Well, as he says here in this chapter.
How that they?
Turned to God from idol. That is, they hadn't got tired of their idols and were looking for something else, but they gladly left them when he brought the news of salvation in Christ to them. Well, it's remarkable, I say. And you see the progress they made. And there was the reality on their part, and there was the power of the Spirit of God.
Being ungraded by the failure of his people here that he acted in a way that we do not see today, would you say that's right?
Sometimes people say, well, isn't the Holy Spirit the same as he was then? Well yes, the Holy Spirit is the same, but he hasn't got the same material to work on, I don't believe.
I suppose we have to remember too that because of the state that Christendom is in, he's also agreed and he's greatly hindered in his work.
Something like the time of which we read in the Lord life, when he could do no mighty work there because of their unbelief.
Unbelief surely brings in great limitations to the work of God, whether it's Christ himself or the Holy Spirit.
When men get up pretending to be giving the word of God, and yet they stand there and deny the truth of the Word of God, how can the Spirit of God help us be grieved and hindered? Just an expression of unbelief and it hinders God from working.
It's the led to sin character that seems to have its stamp on almost everything. The present time. And what was said about Laodicea, Thou art lukewarm. I would that thou were either cold or hot. Well, it's a day of indifference to the truth of God.
I suppose this and the 2nd Epistle are the only two, are they not, in which we find the mention of the Church which is in God the Father?
And so I suppose the emphasis here is on the relationship, the new relationship in the which the children have been brought to know. God is their father, They are now of his children. Is that the thought there? I'm sure that's right, brother.
Enjoyed that? Enjoyed it again to hear you mention it.
Well, we find that the 1St.
Appointment that a believer has to withdraw is that he knows God is his Father. When John writes to the faith, he says, I write unto you little children, because you have known the Father.
It didn't know much else, but the new God is their father, and I think, as you say, that is characteristic of those assessment, as though they were young believers.
Yet they had this precious enjoy within their souls that gobbled their products.
Call the Potter.
One of the first things that a child of God, of God, God is cry, have a father because as soon as he has believed in the Lord Jesus Christ.
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And they begin to cry our Father Christ, that God and His Father. Well, this wasn't true Old Testament state. They were children of God didn't have that consciousness that God was their Father, because the Spirit of God was not dwelling in their hearts, although the Spirit of God should come on them for special servers. But now we have this wonderful privilege of knowing God as our Father in a conscious way.
Because the Spirit of God wells in our hearts. What a privilege it is to be children of God. And no God is our Father.
And you the fact that we are.
Faced with the laughing kids.
Tendencies. What is the remedy? What is the health? What is the counteractions? What it needs to do?
2021.
Jude wedding at 21.
But ye beloved.
Building up yourselves on your holy face.
Pray is the Holy Ghost.
Keep yourself in the middle of looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
That means a lot of going on in communion with the Lord.
Building up yourselves your most holy faith. No matter how much failure there might be in this world, in Christian profession, the most Holy Faith, that which was instituted by our Blessed Lord and Savior, ever remains the same. It's always that character. The tendency is for us to be occupied with evil.
But in building up ourselves our most holy faith, it turns us back to our blessed Lord and Savior.
We enjoyed our brother, said the Walla Walla general meeting.
This past month or so, he said. We don't have to give up the truth.
So let us not even contemplate giving up.
There is the full provision for every child.
For his glory.
Lenin mentions in connection with that praying in the Holy Ghost.
And that we would get from the Word of God.
Picking up the left skin condition.
There really is no remedy for, is there? But we have to recognize that we're all part of the way to see the condition. We all partake of lukewarmness, and although we can't sit prison.
We can't set ourselves right. And that's what you're Speaking of, isn't it? Setting ourselves right. Getting into the right relationship with the Lord ourselves.
I believe that is practical righteousness. It is connected with also.
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What goes ahead of it? Flea also used lust, if one is.
Speaking about.
The path of faith and their life doesn't correspond with it.
Tireless thing in connection with this.
Situation in the final state of apostles and they were. Read the versions that apply to that in Revelation chapter 3.
Revelation 314.
Even to the end of the chapter.
Revelation 314 And unto the Angel of the Church of the Laodicean right the faith that these men, the faithless, drew witness the.
Beginning of the creation of God, I know that I'm working either cold or hot. I would work cold or hot. So then because of our food war and neither cold or hot, I will pull the out of my mouth. Because out there I have written an increase in good and have need of nothing and know it's not that our rigid and miserable and poor, blind and naked. As a positive side here verse 18 and 19.
I can't believe you buy a meat go private fire that may have been written, And white Raymond, that thou land be full, and that's the shape of thy negative. Do not appear and anoint thine eyes that I sat, that thou may of peace as many as I love a rebuke and taste, therefore prevent the whole life. And the door knob.
An individual matter, brethren, if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and he would need to him that overcome will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also is. And I'm sat down with my father in his throat even happen here let him hear what the Spirit says unto the church.
Well, I believe.
Beginning of this meeting it was to have the coming of our Lord before us, so.
I had no thought of turning away from the subject, and mentioning led to see up. It seems to me perhaps we might go back to our chapter.
Real bombs were formed in Christ as soon as one is brought to know the Lord.
Ones that are for all eternity. To think we need a child of God. We find the love in our hearts for that believer. That's determined. We'll meet him on the train. Never met him before.
Yes, we can sit down and enjoy their company and.
Be a fellowship with with that which is determined. So here Paul has been there, Brother Harrison says. Just three weeks.
And wow, that he is surprised with their company. He's thanking God for always for you. Oh, it's expensive. You in our prayers. I'm singing that the companion.
For the children of God.
Established the divorce blessed.
I was going to say natural because because it's connected with one another, but it's spiritual too. But it's one of the greatest blessings that we can think of in this world.
For you could have the most ideal place to live.
All by little climbers, the loveliest surroundings, everything for for your heart, desire. And yet you are in a place where there wasn't a child of God to have mercy with. Could you enjoy it?
00:25:05
Of course not.
So far, rather be in a crowded city.
Living in an apartment and having the fellowship of God's peace and being removed to some place where?
You're robbed of that philosophy. I don't think that N doesn't at times.
Require that his children move away from.
Standards of fellowship gatherings where they have been with God's people.
Remembering the Lord and so on.
I think when there is something that's forced upon them, they can't change the situation, but that's different.
But I believe we should rather have seen and value privilege.
Going on covering with the children of God.
These dear young converts not only were brought into a blessed relationship and knew God as their father, but they have the promise of grace for the pathway. Haven't they? That the Apostle says, grace be unto you? Well, this is not the grace that saved them that were already saved, but the grace which would sustain them in the pathway day by day. And then they also had the glorious hope of the coming of the Lord to take them home. And dear young people, there may be some here this morning who are lost.
And let me solemnly warn you that the Lord Jesus Christ is not coming for you.
He's coming for every believer. So what a solemn thing for you dear young people if you're left behind. I repeat, the Lord Jesus Christ is coming for his own, not for you as an unbeliever to how Solomon is.
But how cheering for these dear young converts to have the coming of the Lord before them. And surely that should encourage our hearts this morning too, in spite of the fact that we're living in very difficult times today.
But all how bright the hope is, how glorious the prospect soon seeing the blessed person who redeemed us from hell by his blood, now living for us, and is coming for us to take us home to glory.
I see there's a wild statement. Had succeeded in separating the apostles from the Thessalonians Saints, he couldn't injure Paul's free information. That's one provision that has never taken promises.
Go and park, leave the elders and effort, because now forever I commend you to God and to the word of this dream.
Course, there may be times of persecution on the Bible. They can. But if you've been diligent and read it, why, You'll have the memory of the verses, and then you'll have always the privilege of being in the Lord's presence in prayer.
And he chose that why Paul had been deprived of ministry.
He had been serving them with his prayers.
That's one fear that any of God's children are privileged to carry on.
With the provision that the Lord has made for us, our brother Cladding has pointed out, there's no reason, then why each one of us ought not to be filled with joy and contentment, even though we are surrounded by that which is so difficult to try.
And I have felt more and more than that in a world like this.
Is surely A testimony to the unbelievers. They may argue, they may disagree with everything that is said. They may attack the word of God itself. But surely their consciences must be troubled, as they see here and there among their acquaintances, those who are happy and contented and joyful.
Through a world of disillusionment. And to me it's a tremendous challenge to all our hearts, to the dear young people. Just to think that you passing through a world of such aching heart that so many disappointments, you have the opportunity of displaying in this world the joyful, radiant intentions of a child of God that's just waiting to be called home. I can't help but feel that it must be a disturbance.
00:30:24
In the heart of the unbeliever, as they realize that here and there they know it, there are those who are truly joyful in the midst of all these disillusionment.
And yet would you say to that even though there is an unspeakable joy in the knowledge that we are going home, there ought to be at the same time a real burden on our arms, as our brother mentioned, for those who are not ready, the two things are not extremes. I don't mean that at one time we also look terribly sad and burdened, and at another time very joyful. I believe it's quite possible for the sound of God to be sorrowful and joyful.
Sorrowful is a prospect of those who will be left behind. Sorrowful as we see the sad condition of the testimony and yet filled with joy, knowing he is the same yesterday and today is forever and that will soon be with it.
It was after Paul mentioned some that as he wept over, and he follows right upon that to say rejoice. And the Lord always and again I say rejoice.
So there he was, weeping over the disappointment. There were seeing some that he had hoped for.
That turned aside.
Yes, that doesn't give early joy in the Lord, but he could commend to others.
So that is important word for it, isn't it? That's all we may be deeply exercised, borrow a little sorrow, and breathed over conditions, yet we should rise above it in such a way that we can have our heart filled with joy.
That was marked with the Apostle Paul, when he was before Agrippa, was it not When he said, almost persuaded me to be a Christian, he says I would that thou word he must I accept these bonds. There he had.
Those chains on his hands.
And here is question of life or death with him.
But here he's speaking to a king, he said. I was the sour to eat, miss. I accept these bonds. There was joy and rejoicing and sorrow too. Burdens came upon him of all the churches, but he had a path of joy, though which perhaps none of us are able to enter into it in the way that he did.
Covering yet always rejoiced in you pattern for assistance.
And as to the things which he passed through, he could say none of these things moved me.
He had a blessed object before him all the time, didn't he? And we have the same object too.
And he gave not God in this, but God with us, with contemptuous brigade over. In Second Peter one we have two versions that encourage our lives. In times like these we have been outfitted with a complete requirement, necessities for going on.
Second Peter Chapter one, verse 2, Great and deep.
Be modified under you 2 Indispensable Attributes of God Raising People.
Through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, according as his divine power has given unto us all things that pertain to life and godness through the knowledge of Him.
Who have hauled up to or by blowing past virtually.
00:35:11
Well, it's a wonderful thing that the Apostle Paul should give back to these states, and it seems that we have a reason for it right here in verse 3.
You remember their work of faith.
Labor of love and faces of both, he remembered how they were going on. That's what he was thinking about and he could thank God for it. And haven't we had the same experience when we hear of someone that's going on well, or hearts are happy, made happy, they glad and we give God friends. Perhaps we don't do it often enough, but certainly it's something to thank God for.
If Saints and God are going on where and if we want to make our brethren happy, let's be exercised before the Lord that we go on where then they'll have something to thank God for.
Against the three characteristics of Christian in that third place they open charity or love.
And it seems that these memorial sinks.
Founders in these three things.
So there was a work of faith.
There was a labor of love and the patience of whole well when we're.
Going on.
With with that faith in the Lord strong, and when there's love for him and love for the sink, and we're patiently waiting for the Lord's return, that shows.
Very happy on normal state. I would find that when the Boston John is is dressing the street left with the second chapter of Revelation.
That's the same energy is found among those Saints that's found here among these Thessalonians.
I think energy.
What is the second word?
Revelation 2. I know that it works, and thy labour and thy patience be the three things that are mentioned worth labor patience.
But it's not mentioned that it's a work of faith.
Nothing to say about it being.
Labor of love or about anything about pool.
Well, as the shores were state of me where ever when John wrote the wrote the Book of Revelation.
Gold was bad declined.
And what was the cause of the decline?
The second chapter of Revelation.
When you get down to the six words or the 4th.
Revelation 2 and four. Nevertheless, I have somewhat against me, because thou hast left my first love. Well, it's very evident that the Thessalonians had not left their first love. Therefore they were abounding in the three things that characterize.
The Christian testimony.
And you can easily see how that what is what characterizes.
The work of the Lord and the energy among God's people that the energy may continue after the vital thing is gone.
That is weekend. It's one time be very faithful, coming together to remember the Lord.
They think of the Lord being there in the midst and the precious opportunity to remember his death.
Is worth more than material thing? Well, it can form. It can become a habit. We can just go there because we're always with there.
00:40:09
And so you can think of any privilege among God people.
The reading meeting or the prayer meeting or they become just a habit. Then usually they begin to see neglect of meeting. Perhaps the prayer meeting is the first that neglected and the reading meeting they say the last meeting could be given up by God people.
As the breaking of prayer.
Well, there's one answer to a state of things such as John described there. I'll never forget how old Brother Clown brought it out here. In the meeting years ago, somebody asked my Brother Clown what is the remedy and he shouted at the top of his voice. Repent.
That's it.
I feel on my way to judge yourself. I'm with yourself before the Lord.
I suppose the three things you mentioned or which are mentioned in the third verse are found in the 9th and 10th, aren't they? It says in the third verse the work of faith. Well, that's surely. In the ninth verse he turned to God from idols after the work of faith and then it says to serve the living and true God. Surely this is.
The labor of love and to wait for his Son from heaven. And that's surely impatience of hope, isn't it? Yes, you find a different place.
These these three things are linked together several places in Scripture, faith, hope and love, which shows that the Spirit of God put emphasis on it is something very important. And since they're linked together, they ought to be kept together, kept together in practical living. We find the three of them linked together in First Corinthians 13.
Now by the faith, oh.
Get your love these three. But the greatest of these is love.
Well, this is something that.
That's right. In this genius you're characterizing why we're down here faithful and love the three together. We know the time will come when there won't be need to faith or hope, but love will abide forever.
I have been wondering if that is the reason, he says. The greatest belief is love.
Regarding regarding that fourth verse, Revelation 2, remember one of his brother said one time regarding that love because thou has left thy first love, he modified it by mentioning first quality law. Is that true? Would that be correct?
1St fall in love. There's love there yet, but it is not that primary quality.
That's true.
Could that be the case?
Well, I believe it here in connection with what we had as love, it's divine love. There's two kinds of love, divine love and brotherly love we get from that chapter in Second Peter One. Well, this is divine love.
Which has the mind of God connected with us, not merely just human sentiment.
These three things are beautifully brought together, brother in James, Peter and John aren't they? James tells us how faith works. Peter tells us how hope works. John tells us how love works.
Very nice.
In the 5th chapter first Thessalonians, you get the three fought together in the 8th 1St.
Let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, or an illness of hope, of salvation. There's the tree again, alone, out of the same order.
John 15 and 9 gives us a very pointed injunction.
00:45:00
John 15 and 9:00 As the Father had locked me, so have allowed you.
Continue thee in my love. That's what God values continuously.
It's not continuing in our law, our love for the Lord with continuing in His love.
When we're occupied with His love that produces love in our heart, it's his love which will be occupied with.
In order to that, it's been the fight of golf.
Rather, though, the basis of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
In the sight of God and our Father.
There's two thoughts where great importance.
In our Lord Jesus Christ.
I love to find those places, those words where those 3 glorious things are brought together.
Lord Jesus Christ.
I can't see how anyone that has ever known.
Known anything about the sea here cannot be touched by.
Just mention of those three names.
It draws out our heart.
It awakens.
An infection toward him.
Well, we need to have our heart warmed. Without it, our hearts will soon grow old as we go on in this godless world.
But there is another earthquake too, within the site of God and our Father.
That has more to do with the conscience.
We need to remember thou thought seriously.
And as we go on our way through this angle, speed, we're continually running into dangers and temptations, we think.
When he was, when he was tried and seemingly no one would have known, it's been this, he had committed this. But he says, How can I commit this great spin in the sight of the Lord? That's what kept him in a time of temptation.
So we need to be constant. We're going on in the fear of the Lord.
Because Satan is so busy, and if he can catch us off guard, he consumes.
All these two thoughts work harmoniously together.
Our heart being drawn up in deep affections for our blessed Lord, and then the fear of God woken in his friends.
Realizing that everything is naked and open under the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
So these three things that characterize Christmas testimony will then be maintained in their purity.
Oh, I believe it's very important what you say, Brother Barry. They great thing seek to be in the presence of God.
Is that which leads us to judge ourselves, because the question cannot have any place there. No, it has been said that when the Apostle Paul was caught up in the Paradise and he had those wonderful visions and heard those unspeakable things, he didn't need the thorn to flash there, because he's in the friends of the Lord.
There's a deep sense of it whether but after you got back to this world, why then the tendency would be of the flesh. Well, how wonderful it was that I had such a vision and so he needs a thorn in the place.
And in our authorized version it says lest I be exalted above measure, and so perhaps a little of it be all right. But that is the thought lest I be exhausted. He needs a thorn of flesh. So it's been said, we don't need to turn the flesh when we're really in the presence of the Lord.
00:50:03
The glorious title you mentioned, Brother Barry, the Lord Jesus Christ, we find invariably the Apostle Paul uses that, doesn't he?
Because that's the order in which he first knew him as Lord. And in the first chapter of 1 Corinthians we get the Lord Jesus Christ six times in 10 verses. So he's bringing before the Corinthian Saints the Lordship of Christ. But in Peter and John, I believe invariably they use the title of Jesus Christ. That's the order in which they first knew him as Jesus here on earth in the days of his earthly ministry.
Isn't that so?
Way the Lord first revealed himself, Paul.
The fear of the Lord is a very, very striking thing, and to connect it with the wonderful principles of the third verse is very lovely, because the fear of the Lord is in no way offensive.
But connected with a sense of who he is and his love toward us is a very wholesome and meaningful thing in all our hearts and in the day in which we live, I feel it is more needful than ever it was. We've noticed in Malachi 316 that that expression is quite used in that verse. Then they that fear, the Lord spake often one to another.
The Lord hearkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that hear the Lord.
And that thought upon his name.
Well, you can't help but feel that in the difficulties of the day in which they live, it was undoubtedly the fear of the Lord, preserved in their hearts by grace, that kept them walking in that path. For it surely is a sad little book to read. But then another striking thought. Is this the next first day? Then they shall be mindset, the Lord of hosts in that day when I make up my duel, and I will spare him as a man, spare his own son to serve with him.
Then shall he return and deserve.
Between the righteous and the wicked. That's an amazing statement. Who can discern between the righteous and the wicked? Well, we would naturally say anyone can. There's a prop gap between the righteous and the wicked. Surely we can tell that distinction. But no, I believe the word of God would warn us that both Suppo and so evil are the day that it requires a walk in the fear of the Lord.
And discern between the righteous and the wicked. And I verily believe that that is one of the awful problems confronting the world right now, that there has been a purposeful and willful attempt to remove from a whole generation of the fear of the Lord. Whatever manner of the fear of the Lord there may have been is removed, as young people are taught that they are not creatures from the hand of God.
Responsible to God. You to meet God and give an account of themselves. What have they left?
Absolutely nothing whatever left of the fear of the Lord. I believe the lordship or authority of himself, is reflected in the authority we see around us in this world. The authority of apparently, my home, the authority of a teacher in the classroom, the authority of an employer in the factory, or of the powers that be in the land, their God's given authority.
But when the fear of God is removed, what's left? Well, we can see it all around us, and we can see a generation that is left with no desert between that which is right and wrong. And if they went to the very ones who gave them that kind of education and said, now help us please the discern between right and wrong, where shall we turn? What answer would be given to them?
All we do need in our soul.
The fear of the Lord every day, well, it's not on my connection with the world.
The same principle is vastly important in connection with the Saints of daughters. And you find there in Malachi there was an insensibility as to their real condition. No, we're there in the third chapter says He had robbed off and they were. Have we robbed off?
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Or invisible to the way they were going on. So you have one verse after another where?
They're.
Wearing Have we failed? Well, that little godly remnants that fears the Lord and faith, often one to another. They have the mind of the Lord at a time like that, when there was general departure and the state where they were absolute invasibility as to the condition they were actually in. It's a solemn condition to get into business where we're going on in the careless.
Indifferent ways and.
Are not realizing how far we have fallen and how far we have driven away. May the Lord keep us from it.
The first mark of their intensibility is in the first verse, and it's really striking. The Lord says, the burden of the Lord to Israel. By Malachi I have loved you, said the Lord. Yet he say, Wherein hath thou laughter? That was the beginning of it.
Going to say the nation as such could not discern between the righteous and the wicked. You know there's different forms of wickedness in this scene. Well, when the Lord came, the nation couldn't discern who he was, they rejected him. And what Malachi really goes on into I believe, is when they embrace the Antichrist and the times to come. Well, the remnant will have no difficulty, but the nation won't be able to discern it.
There'll be noise.
Late at 1:00.
From a large high school having around 1000 students.
And one of the elderly instructors.
Came out to get his car one day and turn alarm home and I gave him to the gospel tracks and he sent me and he responded this way, he says. I have been teaching in that high school for many years and I'm afraid to be there. They have no respect for morals and there's no respect for integrity, he said. It's not a safe place to be and he's a man at 460 years of age.
And I found the clipping. Clipping in a magazine that I bought is very soft, but it's presented in a very straightforward manner. It is illegal.
To read the Bible in the public school of Illinois.
But a law requires that state to provide a Bible for every prison ending. More of a story. Your query is capturing the Bible school. You'll have the opportunity to do so when you get to prison.
That's a pathetic situation.
And state of Illinois as well as Iowa.
When you get to the 4th, 1St.
It has growing rather beloved. Your election is all.
That's the family secret.
That isn't to be free to the world, but it's a very blessed to seek for business knowing your election goal.
We should enjoy that increasingly as we go on.
To think that I am poor Sinner was marked out back in eternity to be among the chosen of God, to be a member of the body of Christ, And I was chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. Well, the beloved St.
Need to enjoy that more and more, because as Satan gets his work in among Christians and will Christians, he seeks to rob them of that truth.
And they can lose their salvation and perish. Well, if that's true, then there's no such thing as the doctrine of election, is there?
The doctrine of election is not a preliminary question to be settled before the Senate comes to Jesus, but it's a glorious consolation after he has come, isn't it?
01:00:13
So now that he's one of the elect.
Leaders that make your calling and election, sure. Well, it seems to me that that's what these Thessalonians did.
Because there's proof of the election that there's two children of God in that third verse, the way they were going on. A person who's going on badly certainly cannot claim to be one of the elections. The word of God never gives anyone like that. Any consolation?
Put that way, I suppose or left out so that it should exercise their heart.
But we do have the proof of their crawling and election here, and the way they were going on having the work of faith. Labor, block and patients are full, and they were exercised in the presence of God and in the presence of the Father to whom they were in relationship.
I'm going to expect making your calling and election, sure, not in God's mind, but your own. And 1:00 that's going on carelessly, Well, it might be a child may lose the consciousness of it in the soul or.
Often been said, that truth only remains with those who live it out.
The Apostle preached to the Thessalonians as lost sinners, didn't he? And when the Gospel laid hold upon them, then he wrote to them as elect.
Right over in Second Thessalonians.
Chapter 2.
And verse 13.
2nd Thessalonians 213 But we are found to give thanks holy to God, for you present the love of the Lord.
Because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation.
Through signification of the Spirit and the need of the truth were unto he called you by our gospel, through the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, and over in first Peter chapter one and verse two, First Peter 1/2.
Elected according to the four knowledge of God the Father.
I'm through obedience and sprinkling of a blood of Jesus by grace, and you and peace be modified.
And they got it way back in the Old Testament. Deuteronomy 7, verse 6.
Deuteronomy 76 For thou art and holy people under the Lord thy God, the Lord thy God has told thee.
To be a special people by itself, above all people that are above the face of the earth.
I suppose in this fifth verse.
Where our gospel came not unto you and word only, but also in power.
And in the Holy Ghost.
That the gospel may have come there in words that were correct, but somehow rather there was wasn't any power there. It didn't mean much to the one who was giving it out. You know, they said about the Lord that he didn't speak as the Pharisees and scribes.
That is, I take it there they were probably reading the scriptures.
Giving out what was there, But they did not know what was the mind of the Lord in connection with it, so there was no power there. But with the Lord there was power. He spake with authority.
Where would you see then the power? Is that the spring soul and the presence of God? Yes, I believe so.
And that cannot be.
Scuttled by education candidates.
No, it cannot.
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And some of these new translations of the day, you know why they want to make the Bible plain enough so the man in the street, they say, can understand it, but he cannot understand it apart from the work of the Spirit of God. And they leave that out entirely.
Your thought is born out brother Barry in First Corinthians chapter 2 and verse 4.
And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and the power.
You read it. I've lost the place. That's your face should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
If all had gone the car with all the learning he had.
Well, he might have convinced the love of those wise Greeks about the Gospel that he preached just intellectually.
What would become of the workman's whole life? It all depended on just believing things, because all had convinced them of the work before.
Did you find that he was there? With much trembling?
And he avoided anything like human wisdom or eloquence, because he wants to see that that work from the work of the Spirit of God in the world of sinners.
A lot of for many years have enjoyed Act Four regarding this Christian truth. We find the results.
Seemingly, they were made at the bottom of the woman's mind.
Act 432.
As a multitude of them that they need where one heart one soul. Verse 33.
And with great power gave the powerful witness, without the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace for the bottom of all.
The divided space and Kristoff with approximately approximately 2500 division divisions.
That has caused chaos and confusion of the mind of the whole law centers. They don't know what to believe, and they don't know where to go if they didn't believe what to do next.
But John 717 is still good. It made a man will do or desire to practice, was when he thou know of the Doctor.
Well, the life of the apostles of the.
Gospel, that he preached all that he can say, that he knew what manner of men we were among you for your faith.
When you consider they didn't have a Bible to break from in those days.
They didn't have a New Testament.
All they had had.
Again, is playing the message too.
Was what had been revealed to it.
So that you couldn't just say now when you go home you read the book of Philippians and you'll get the crack to walk of the Christian.
So they behavior of the service of Christ was an essential part of their work, because they looked upon them, and they saw in them men who were living out the gospel that they preached. All that he said he became followers of us, of the Lord.
Well, I don't say that.
Making that comment.
That we live at a different time. We have the whole word of God we can direct.
Our our brothers and Philippians for practical Christianity. That means that we can relieve ourselves.
A consistent walk. We're just as responsible as ever.
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And is this as important as ever? But I just call attention to that to show how.
The. The.
Walk and behavior of the service of the Lord. What an effect had, and there's no question that it has the same effect today.
Overnight 17 where we have to come to Paul being a Thessalonica.
And Act 17.
And 1St 4.
It says some of them believe, and consorted with Paul and Charles. Another devout Creek, a great multitude. And of the chief women, not a few. Well, there tells us that they followed with Paul and Silas.
They they wanted to be in that gathering. But it was wasn't only that. There were following these men now.
But the Apostle Paul makes a claim here that they were also followers of the Lord. I saw that when Paul and Silence had to leave, they still had the Lord and they could still follow him.
What his missionary work today seems to work in the opposite way.
Converts are attracted to those who preach the gospel, and those who preach the gospel become, as it were, their pastors, their leaders.
And even the center of gathering. And sometimes when the preachers of the gospel, the missionaries have to leave, then the poor converts are left at sea. They're confused and don't know what to do well, I'm sure, or to what we read in scripture of the way the Apostle Paul talked to dear things. They were all taught to put their trust and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, not only for salvation.
But as the one to whom they were to look all through their life as individuals and as gatherings of brought people.
Didn't the Apostle Paul say be therefore followers of me? But he didn't stop there, even as also I am of Christ.
One of our brother, Anderson said. They're Admiral Bible, and so the Apostle Paul, and when he's there among them, the only place they could hear the word of God, they didn't have any.
Bibles didn't have any epistles.
Well, they had to face These men were speaking the words of truth. You know, I've enjoyed the thought and connection in the.
Verse in the 11Th of Isaiah.
Somewhat along this line.
I'd like to mention it.
The.
Speaking about the Messiah coming into this scene.
Second verse And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him. Well, some have said. There we have in those expressions the seven branches of Candlestick. The main vertical one was the spirit of the Lord is on him, and that was what the Lord quoted when he read that in Luke.
He quoted the 65 There the Spirit of the Lord was upon him. Then they says, the spirit of wisdom.
Understanding there was the two topmost franchise, wisdom and understanding. Well, when he comes forth from heaven, he's going to have wisdom as to what is to take place in this scene and he'll have understanding as to what's true. Well, I think you see the same thing in the Acts. Well then the next is there is the spirit of counseling might. Well that was these councils for them. And then there was the power of God when he comes forth in power.
Well then the result is there is the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. The earth will be full of the knowledge, and that be the fear of the Lord. Well we see there in the second of action, Peter preaching the gospel to them. He tells them what their condition is, and he has understandings what they should do, and he gives them counsel to what they should do. And there was the power of the Spirit of God that was manifested there and resulted in the fear of the Lord.
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Those who heeded his voice there was a fear of the knowledge of the Lord, and the fear of it well that should characterize, I believe.
The result of the ministry of the Word being in the power of the Spirit of God.
For having received the Word with much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost.
We don't naturally connect affliction and joy together, do we?
Speaking a while ago about sorrow and joy being linked together, we find affliction and joy linked together in the same place that Second Corinthians.
In chapter 6 and verse 10.
2nd Corinthians 6 verse 10 We have asked Sorrowful.
Yet always rejoicing.
After seven verse 4.
Raided my boldness of speech toward you. Great in my glory of you I am filled with comfort. I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulations after 8 verse 2.
I live in a great wild affliction.
This on their joy and their deep poverty abounded under the richness of their liberality, while you had sorrow and tribulation and affliction and deep poverty, but you have joy exceeding noise, and abundance of joy, only the presence of joy of the Lord.
Joy of their new found treasure, they had in Christ, in a certain sense lifted them above all the persecutions.
Is something like by the said of the Lord Himself, the joy that was set before him, and yours across and despising the shame set down the right hand, of course.
74 has been given out.
The Christian's Armour
YP Address—R. Rule
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Shall we commence our meeting by singing together?
Hymn #42 in the appendix, #42 in the appendix.
Savior, lead us by thy power. Save into the promised rest. Choose the path the way whatever seems to be. Oh Lord, the best be our guide in every peril. Watch and keep us night and day.
Else our foolish hearts will wander from the Strait and narrow way #42 in the back of the book.
Say.
Say until the promised rest.
Shall we turn to the 6th chapter of the Book of Ephesians?
Ephesians chapter 6.
I had it on my heart this afternoon to talk a little about the Christian's armor.
Starting with Ephesians chapter six, we start with verse 10.
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.
Put on the whole armor of God that he may be able to stand against.
The Wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand.
Stand therefore, having your loins gird about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith he shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit.
Which is the word of God.
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for All Saints. That's as far as we read.
It's my thought to also occasionally refer to other scriptures.
Where we have in the actual life of of.
Someone of God's people in the days of old, where we find in a measure them having on this armor of God.
00:05:07
I'd like to.
Open my comments with his general comment.
We may not realize it as we should.
But you and I, dear young people, we have an adversary.
A very real adversary.
And I'm sure you know that I'm referring to Satan.
He's referred to here as the devil. The reference in verse 11 is the Wiles of the Devil.
This adversary, this foe, is a wily foe.
And you and I, as we journey through this scene.
Are no match.
For this one.
Who was spoken of and other scripture as our adversary. You and I are no match for him, and unless we have on the armor of God.
He's bound to trip us up and bring sorrow into your life and mine. Now, dear young Christian, the Lord wants you and me to have a happy life.
He wants us to go on through this scene, those that are his, and I'm speaking now primarily this afternoon to those that are the Lords. He wants your life to be a happy 1A useful one. And he wants you to know as you journey through life, something of the joy of the Lord. And that's the speaker's desire for you too. And we do desire that God may use these verses that we've read to encourage all of us.
To be found walking down here, having on the whole armor of God. You have that expression used in both the 11Th verse and the 13th verse. In the 11Th it's put on the whole armor of God. In the 13th it's taken to you the whole armor of God.
Well, you know, if we're indifferent.
About the things of the Lord, there is an exercise and and prayer in our lives. We're apartment not to have on the whole armor and if we don't have on the armor of God, we're open.
To the attack of the one who's against you and me. We're open to the Wiles of the devil, and he'll surely trip us up.
So may it be our desire each of us to have on the whole armor of God.
Now the apostle opens his comments by saying in verse 10.
Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Now we heard this morning that you and I have no strength in ourselves, and that's absolutely true.
But the reference here is strong in the Lord. The reference here is the power of His might. Now I said we wanted to refer to a few in the Old Testament as examples of some of these things.
Turn with me in this connection to the Book of Judges Chapter 6, and we just want to read hurriedly or comment hurriedly on Gideon, who was referred to yesterday afternoon in our Reading meeting.
Deuteronomy, Joshua. Judges.
6th chapter.
We were seeing yesterday afternoon we referred without turning to it, to verse 11 where it says.
The end of the verse, Gideon thrust wheat by the winepress. We were reminded how in this chapter we are reminded how the children of Israel have become impoverished.
And this wheat was their food. And so Gideon was seeking food for himself, and perhaps for others.
The wheat referred to here would speak of for to you and me of Christ as the bread from heaven. Well he sought food in a day of impoverishment, and thank God for each one here that had it laid on their heart to come to receive a little food, as it were, for their souls during the last three days. But the verse I had in mind, the thought was this. In verse 12 an Angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor.
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And Gideon said, Oh, my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us?
The end of the verse, he says. Now the Lord hath forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.
Now notice the 14th verse. The Lord said unto him, looked upon him, and said unto him, Go.
In this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midians. Have not I sent thee?
And he said unto him, Oh, my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is poor in Manasseh.
And I am the least in my father's house. Why? Said Lord, How can I be anything? My family has no status, as it were, and I'm the least in my father's house. He says we're nobody is at work. What did the Lord say? He confirms what he said before verse 16.
The Lord said unto him, Surely I will be with thee. Gideon might be nobody, he might have no strength.
But did the Lord have strength? Did the Lord have any might? Did the Lord have any power?
To deliver.
While going back to the 10th verse of Ephesians 6.
Who said says there be strong in the Lord? The Lord said, I am going to be with you and in the power of His might. Well, you know we have no strength in ourselves. Gideon felt that I am the least in my father's house. He said As much as you say I'm nobody. I have no strength. But God could use him. And you know, if we walk in dependence on God, he can use you and me, but it has to be going in his strength.
And his might.
While we mentioned in verse 11.
In connection with the exhortation to put on the whole armor of God, it says that he may be able to stand against the Wiles of the devil.
I say again, dear young Christian, we have a wily foe.
In one sense, his power is gone. In Ephesians 2 it speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ, the one who went down into death, that he might annull him that had the power of death. That's the devil. Yes. The Lord, in going into death, triumphed over him. He annulled his power, but he's just as wildly a full as he ever was.
And you know nothing would please him better than to trip you and me up in our walk down here as Christians.
Yes. Nothing would please him better.
And you and I are all subject to his Wiles. And if we don't have this armor on.
He's going to get the best of us, as it were, to our sorrow, to our loss.
And to the loss of all the joys that belong to you and me, and the happiness that the Lord would have, you and me have in our lives down here.
I can look back over the last 10 years.
And I know a number of dear young people, some of them the one the one loved and had an interest in, some that we've heard about in other directions and didn't know very much. But I've heard of many.
That have taken the first step in the wrong direction.
Allowed some little and carelessness.
The first step is usually not a large one.
But it leads to the second step and the third step if you and I get on the wrong path.
Except for the grace of God.
It might. Its surprising how far that wily foe may take us to our eternal loss.
Well, he's a wily foe, I say again. You're no match for him. You need the armor on, So let us prayerfully consider this armor.
The 12Th verse says that we wrestle not against flesh and blood.
I'm going to speak a little bit about a warfare.
But it isn't the kind of a warfare that.
The men fought in the First World War when they were in trenches. Those that were in trenches know what it was, know what it is to fight against flesh and blood.
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But our warfare is a spiritual one. It speaks here of the better rendering of the end of that 12Th verse is where it says.
Against wicked spirits in heavenly places or in high places.
These wicked spirits are Satan's emissaries, the Devil's emissaries.
And because of the fact that we have.
These enemies, these wicked spirits in heavenly places, we have the devil to combat.
The one armor we need on is the whole armor of God. It's God's armor. And now it says in verse 13, take unto you the whole armor of God. In a sense, this is repetition, But when God repeats something, it's because it's important.
Now he says that he may be able to withstand in the evil day. Well, are there any here that don't think we're living in an evil day?
Indeed we are. And there are things developments that we've all heard about in the last few days that just bring to mind the character of the day in which we're living. We see the beginning of the workings of that lawless one. We see lawlessness abounding in a way that we hadn't expected it would in this country.
We're living in an evil day. Perhaps here this might refer to a specific time in your life and mine, as well as to the general character of the day.
But the the the point here is it says that he may be able to withstand in an evil day, and having done all to stand, there's repetition again to stand.
And the 14th 1St uses for the third time that word stand, therefore having your loins gird about with truth, and so forth.
I suppose we might say that when it says stand.
It's similar to what we have in Revelation 3 that was referred to yesterday.
In the third chapter of Revelation address to the Church in Philadelphia, we read.
Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Lots of you dear young people, by the grace of God, have had committed to you the truth of God. But many others that know the Lord haven't been privileged to enjoy and haven't had the privilege of having made clear to their hearts. They know the Lord as their savior, but perhaps they're going where not all the word of God.
Is clearly brought out and sought to be maintained. But and thus you and I were more responsible even than others. And where God would have us to hold fast that which we have, we're responsible to do it. I repeat, hold that fast which thou hast that no man take thy crown. Now I said we occasionally might refer in the Old Testament to one who is a living. Was a living example of having some of these things. Let's turn in this connection to.
Well, a nice example is in Second Samuel 23, Shannon Second Samuel 23.
In this chapter we have brought before us.
Truth is to some of David's mighty men, and Shem is one of the three especially mentioned verse 11.
After him, that's after Elias of the son of Dodo, verse 11. After him was Shama, the son of Aggie the heroite, and the Philistines were gathered together into a troop where it was a piece of ground.
Full of lentils.
And the people fled from the Philistines.
But he stood in the midst of the ground and defended it, and slowed the Philistines, and the Lord wrought a great victory. Now here we are with Philistines, the enemy of God's people. They were gathered together into a troop.
They probably wanted to forage and take away that ground full of lentils, those lentils. Here again we have food for the people of God.
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And it says.
That Shama stood our verse in Ephesians 6 says, Stand fast. Therefore well here was one that stood fast. It says that he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and flew the Philistines, and the Lord wrought a great victory, my dear friends this afternoon, and dear young people especially.
Satan would take away from us the precious truths that you and I have been brought to enjoy.
We find him one by one, taking this away from what? This company and that away from another. It was mentioned in the meetings earlier how the many groups of various groups or denominations in Christendom, some that held for years the truth of the coming of the Lord, that we've enjoyed being reminded of today and yesterday.
Some have given up the truth of his imminent return.
But the truth that he might come at any moment, they've given it up.
And so those people that have lost the enjoyment of that truth, they're just like the children of Israel here. If they'd lost this ground full of levels, they needed that for food. And you and I need all these precious truths as food for our souls and in connection with the Lord's coming, and especially is intended to encourage us to look up and to be found pressing on, waiting momentarily for that call.
Which will call us home? Well, here is Shama. He wasn't going to give up that which was food for God's people. It says in verse 12. He stood in the midst of the ground and defended it. Now May God put into your heart and mind in a day of giving up. May he put into your heart and mind the desire to stand fast and not give up, not surrender these precious truths that He's given to us. There are many.
If we read of the days of the martyrs, we'd read of many who gave up their lives seeking to stand fast for the truth.
Thousands have done it and years gone by, and you and I may be tested more than we realize in this connection in the days ahead, because we see such a trend to giving up those things that are so vital to the people of God while turning back to Philip, to Ephesians 6.
We are encouraged and three times we have that word stand.
Now in the 14th verse, we come to the first specific part of the Christians armor mentioned. There are a number of things mentioned. The first ones, five or six, the first five or six are all defensive. The last one, we have only one offensive weapon. That's the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, verse 17. But now let us look at some of these defensive weapons, that which we need to defend ourselves from the Wilds of the devil.
The first one mentioned in verse 14 is Stand. Therefore having your loins girt about with truth.
Now some may not know, but I've been told that in the days the scriptures were written, their manner of dress was a little different than ours and even men.
Had at times loose, flowing garments. But whenever they had work to do, whenever there is service or work to be performed, they girded themselves. They girded their loins for service, for work. The Lord has a service for you and me down here. He wants us to be living for him. And if we read in Peter.
The first Peter, the first chapter I believe it is, won't take the time to turn to it, but there it's made very clear that for us, this has to do with our minds.
The truth, it says in First Peter one gird up the loins of your mind. The loins of your mind.
Well, you know, if we've had our hearts opened to hear and seeking to take in prayerfully exercise about what we've been hearing at the meetings, why then in that sense, we're girding up the loins of our mind. Now here it says having your loins gird about with truth.
00:25:05
Here's the truth, the written word, and the Lord Jesus when he was here, could say I am the way, the truth. He was the living word.
And we need the word of God. We need that which has been sold and fully manifested in the life of Christ to guide us as we go through this scene. And so the first reference is.
Having your loins gird about with truth, and then there's another.
Another defensive part of the armor referred to in the end of that verse. It says and having on the breastplate of righteousness.
In those days.
And many years ago, they didn't have. They didn't have planes to go about dropping bombs on places. Then warfare was a personal confrontation with the enemy. We read a little of it in connection with Goliath, if we won't take the time to turn to it.
This time, but you remember, Goliath came against the children of Israel. We may look at it a little later in connection with David, but it tells about how much his the his armor weighed, how many was several 1000 shekels and weight, if I recall at one time I heard the weight of that and I was surprised how heavy it was. I've forgotten exactly what it was now, but the point is, it was.
A heavy.
Armored breastplate or shield or factory read of both in connection with Goliath.
And David, you know, went out and out against him. Well, you and I are to have on what answers?
To what used to be used in warfare? The breastplate that which protects.
A certain very important part of our body here, of course, it's in the spiritual sense. Well, what is the breastplate of righteousness? A brother asked in connection with our readings. Where righteousness was used, whether it had to do with our standing or our state, that's in another scripture, and it was pointed out. It was thought it had to do with our state. Well, this has to do with our state too.
It's practical righteousness in our lives. It's you and I going on in uprightness.
Before our fellow men, whether it's those at work, whether it's those at school, whether it's those at home and our neighbors, or whether it's even amongst our brethren, there should be uprightness or righteousness and.
Now we might look at an example of one who manifested having that part of the armor on.
Suppose we turn for this to Daniel.
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentation, Ezekiel, Daniel.
Yes, the 6th chapter of the book of Daniel.
Now here in the first part of Daniel 6.
We find.
That.
Daniel had been given a very high place.
By the King by Darius.
I think it answered to what would be called in this country, the Secretary of the Treasury.
It says in the second verse.
Over the three presidents, of whom Daniel was first, that the Princess might give an account unto them.
And the king should have no damage. He was the top man as far as the accounts, a very responsible position.
Well, jealousy came in. They were jealous of Daniel having been given this place. And so on verse four, it says that they sought occasion against Daniel.
Concerning the Kingdom, but they could now notice this clause, but they could find none occasion or fault.
For as much as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. Isn't that a lovely commendation?
We should seek that that might be so of our own lives, should we not? But there might that he was faithful. Neither was there any error or fault found in him. Then, said these men, we shall not find any occasion against Daniel.
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Accept.
We find it against him concerning the law of his God. What a testimony.
Daniel had on. As we read here, Daniel had on the breastplate of righteousness. Indeed he did. Well, you know, we should seek.
That our lives might be such that it could be said in a fuller measure of us, as was said of Daniel, that there might be in our lives absolute uprightness and going on in a way characterized by practical righteousness in all the phases of our life.
We find that because.
Of their attitude.
That Daniel was put to the test in a very remarkable way, but God undertook for him because he had faith in God. We might comment on that a little further down a little later.
And now it says here in verse 15.
It says.
Your feet shod with the preparation.
Of the gospel of peace.
When we have the feet referred to in the word of God.
I believe that it often refers to our walk through this scene, our walk. And you know, we're all walking through this scene.
Not me, and merely with our literal 2 feet.
But in a sense it would speak of the whole character of our life down here.
Well, we're encouraged to have the feet shod with the preparation.
Of the gospel of peace.
I suppose in connection with the end of that verse, perhaps there might be two different thoughts. I'm not sure which would should be given the strongest place, but if our walk here, it has to do with our walk. Are we exercised about how we're walking down here?
It's very closely related to to to righteousness referred in the 14th verse.
Is our walk that which would commend itself to others?
And above all to the Lord.
If I'm walking in a way.
That is pleasing to the Lord.
Then your feet and mine.
Will be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
If it's a case of bringing the gospel to our neighbors or to those at work.
Those that know something about us, if you and I are inconsistent in our walk, what we say won't carry any weight.
You've heard the saying.
What you do speak so loud I can't hear what you say.
Well, what we do does speak loud to others, and we need to have our feet shod our walk such that what we say will carry weight with those about us, feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. And then perhaps there might also be that spirit of peace.
That so often Satan would bring in turmoil even amongst his own.
But you know, a peacemaker has to be one that manifests some of the qualities.
Of an upright and consistent walk in his own life, well may we seek to have our feet shod.
With the proper preparation, may your life and mind be that which, so that when we seek to help others.
There might be that consistency seen in our walk that we're in a position to be a help.
Now the next thing says, above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. You know, we were speaking about Daniel.
I think we might have an illustration there of one who had on the shield of faith.
Let's turn back again to Daniel 6.
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Daniel 6.
We saw how they wanted to find occasion against them.
They couldn't as to his life as to his walk, because it says that no one had found any error, fault in him. He was an upright righteous man. Well, the only way they could.
Get him as it were. Trap him as it were, they said. Was if.
They did it in connection concerning the law of his God. So they made a law. But for 30 days no one was to make any petition. We find this in verse seven of our chapter.
The middle of verse that says to establish a royal statute and make a firm decree that whosoever.
Shall ask a petition of any God or man for 30 days save of thee, O king, ye shall be cast into the den of lions.
Well, they made that rule just to trap Daniel.
But you know, dear young friends, he was a man of faith. He trusted in God. He had faith in God. They might talk of the lion's den.
But he still had faith in God. He was going to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Daniel was had no strength to overcome a lion.
But God did. God could shut their mouths if necessary, and He did exactly that. He shut the mouth of the lions.
What we find here in verse 10 after this law was signed, it says verse 10. Now Daniel, when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, wasn't something that he didn't know about. He knew that the writing was signed. He went into his house and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem. He kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did a four time.
Oh, he didn't let. He didn't let this law that indicated he'd be thrown to the lions.
He didn't let that hinder him one minute from going on and what he knew was right. He was a man of prayer and he prayed three times.
And it says his window was opened, even we opened toward Jerusalem. He was carrying out a scripture that we I won't take time to turn to, but we find in another portion of the word. But that's what they and souls were to do. If they were carried away, well, he with the wind is wide open, He prayed in spite of this law.
You'd think, well, at least he'd close the window and pull down the blind, wouldn't you? No. He was a man of faith. He trusted God.
Well, now, that's what you and I need more of. That's faith that will trust him. It isn't. Faith is to salvation here. It's faith in the circumstances of life, that faith which trusts him and then leaves all with him. If we don't have on this part of our armored, you know what we'll do.
Will compromise. Satan will bring in some little test at work.
Maybe we'll be invited to go to some party where we know that we can't be there and be pleasing to the Lord, or take part in this or or maybe do something in many ways where but we feel, well, I don't want to get my boss angry at me, but well, I'm afraid if I do this why this problem might develop. If anybody had a right to have a fear complex, it was Daniel on that occasion, but he had the face complex.
He had on, as it says here, the shield of faith. Well, dear friends, if you trust God, and if I trust him, he'll undertake. But let's have on the shield of faith, let's trust him. Daniel trusted his God and God delivered him.
Well, going on, our time is going by.
It says.
Wherewith he may be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Oh, we have a wicked fold, and he can let loose some fiery darts. We need the armor on, or one of those darts will catch us. And man's armor won't do it either if we were to look back.
In David's life we find when he was going to go against Goliath, it won't take the time to turn to it, but Saul offered him his armor.
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And he wouldn't accept it.
Instead, he trusted God. He was a man of faith. He went down to the brook.
And took those stones out of the brook in his sling, and he went against Goliath, the one who was armed with male. And he had even a man going ahead of him carrying a great big shield. And he went to meet him with sling and stones from the brook. He had faith in God.
Well, it says here.
Where to take the shield of faith? And then it says and to take the helmet of salvation.
Now that might be difficult at first reading is to understand just what it means.
In our book in Thessalonians that we are reading, if we had gone on to the fifth chapter.
We would have read in that 5th chapter of these words.
It speaks there, It says there having.
It speaks of having the helmet.
The hope of salvation. I didn't quote that exactly. Right, so let's turn to it. But it has to do there.
1St Thessalonians 5.
Yes, foreign helmets. The hope of salvation. The eighth verse.
The hope of salvation. By the way, Speaking of faith being needed, you have in that very verse reference to the breastplate of faith, verse eight. Let us who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love. There's faith again and love and friend helmet the hope of salvation. Well here in the first Thessalonians, or rather Ephesians 6, it just says the helmet of salvation, but I think it helps.
To see first Thessalonians 5 from helmet the hope of salvation.
As we saw this morning, when you have hope referred to in Scripture, it's connected with something that's future but is certain.
Something future, but it's certain.
Not a matter of not questionable.
Well, salvation is used to have air in First Thessalonians, I believe.
Has to do with.
The complete deliverance from all the problems down here.
In fact, in Romans 8 it goes on to say it tells us in the 8th chapter of Romans speaks there of how we're waiting for the redemption of our bodies, and it goes on to say that we're saved, saved in hope.
In other words, our salvation, our deliverance from everything here is certain.
But we're waiting for that time when the Lord will come and give us not only the salvation of our souls which we now have, but the salvation, the deliverance from everything down here.
But I believe here in Philippians 6 we can also enjoy the thought of the Lord giving deliverance in all the circumstances or problems that He brings into our life, if we trust Him, if we have on, as it were, the helmet of salvation.
We were referring a little earlier to Daniel. Let's turn to, I believe it's First Samuel 17. Let's turn and see how an example there in that chapter of how David had on the helmet of Salvation, First Samuel Chapter 17.
Here's where we find what we were reading about or speaking about in connection with Goliath.
Coming up against the children of Israel.
And I can't take time to read it, but if we read this chapter, we'd find that that all of the children of Israel, they were all afraid. He challenged them. Goliath challenged them to give them a man, but they were afraid. And finally David came up. He had been feeding the sheep, taking care of his father's sheep. And David came up.
And.
In verse 28 it says.
We find there his eldest brother Eliab will read the verse. 21St Eliab, his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men, and a lie of thank you was kindled against David. And he said, Why canest thou down, hit her? And with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know the pride, I pride the naughtiness of thine heart.
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Start, come down if I might have see the battle, David said. What have I now done? Is there not a cause?
And we find David volunteering. Verse 32. David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail. Because of him thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. Here we have a warfare which one voluntarily took on. Thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. By the way he was this giant Goliath was over 9 feet tall.
And here comes this lad from feeding the sheep, he says, thy servant will fight with this Philistine verse. 33 Saul said to David, Thou not thou are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him. Thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
David said unto Saul, I serve, and kept his father sheep. And there came a lion and a bear. And he took the lamb out of the flock. And I went after him, and smote him, and delivered him out of his mouth. And when he arose against me, I caught him.
By his beard and smote him, and slow him by servants, slow both the lion and the bear. And this uncircumcised Fellowston shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
Now it's the next verse I was leading up to that shows that he had on the.
The helmet of salvation. Notice the next verse, verse 37. David said. Moreover, the Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the land, and out of the paw the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.
Didn't our verses, where we read in Ephesians 6, start with be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might? And that's what David is manifesting? The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the bear, a paw of the bear. He will deliver me out of the hand of his uncircumcised fellowston. Dear young Christian, if you're walking in a way that's pleasing to the Lord, if you're seeking to please him in your life, if you have confidence or faith in Him, have on the.
The breastplate of faith.
You can have confidence that he will undertake in any circumstance he brings into your life.
Yes you can.
The Lord would encourage you to me to have on the helmet of salvation. That is the assurance that God will deliver. That's what David said. The Lord that delivered me, He will deliver me out of the hand of this uncircumcised philistine.
But you know, we must have on the helmet of salvation. That is the assurance.
That God will undertake. And you know, if we have faith in him and trust Him, sometimes the answer to the problem may not be what we might want, but God will undertake in a way that will be for our eternal blessing.
It says in 2nd Corinthians 4IN connection with our afflictions, our light afflictions, which are but for a moment work for us a far more surpassing.
An eternal weight of glory, and that's what God will workout in your life and mine, even in the trials of the Way, if we trust Him.
But it won't be till we get home to glory that we'll read the final answer. No, you don't get the last chapter till we get home to glory. But I would encourage you to have on the helmet of salvation. Don't compromise. When something comes up and you're faced with a decision, don't say well, I'm afraid this will make a problem with my neighbor, or make a problem with my employer, or a problem with someone else. Trust God, keep on the helmet of salvation.
And the God will undertake for you.
Back to Ephesians 6.
And it says take the verse 17 the sword of the Spirit.
Which is the word of God. Now we come to the one offensive weapon. Yes, God has given us a sword to do battle with.
And here it is right here.
And I want to add my Amen.
To what has been said already in these meetings about the importance of reading this precious book.
We are living in the last days. Satan is making unusual efforts.
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To take the truth of God away from us, He's taking away a step at a time with many groups.
Of professing of Christians. Some true Christians too. Giving up this, giving up that.
Oh, dear young Christians, you and I need a sword. We're going to meet the enemy. Here it is.
Do you read it every day?
And not only in a perfunctory way.
Do you meditate on it? Do you seek from time to time to get helpful ministry to help you understand it better?
Oh, you and I. As I say, we need a sword to take any offensive against the enemy, and May God encourage you and me to be more faithful in reading this precious book. And there's one thing that sort of caps everything else.
Praying. Always.
With all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.
Oh, May God give the speaker and each one here.
Each listener may he give you and each of us an exercise more time in our lives for reading the word of God. I know we're living in a we're living in a fast day. Everything seems it's so easy. We're all under measure pressure. It's the character of the day we're living in. But there's nothing more important than time for reading the word of God and prayer.
May the Lord encourage us, each of us, including oneself.
There might be more time for reading this precious book and being in prayer before Him, and then encouraging us to put on or take the whole armor of God. That we might be enabled by His grace to be walking down here in some little measure pleasing to Him in some little way, filling that little niche that the Lord might have for each of us until that time when He comes. And so dear friends.
Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Shall we pray?
Our blessed God and Father.
We thank thee for how much thou does give us my precious word to encourage us.
In a difficult day.
Now we ask that thou use these few scriptures to be of some little help.
Some encouragement, especially to the dear young people that are here.
Thou knowest all the problems that they face in school and starting employment and starting in the.
The raising of a family and the various responsibilities we just ask thee, gracious God, that we might each one seek to have on the whole armor of God.
That we might by Thy grace, be enabled.
To withstand in the evil day.
Now we thank thee for the happy time we've had together over thy precious word these last few days.
We do ask thee that thy word that we've had might indeed we might seek to take it with us, and perhaps share it in the measure with others back home who weren't privileged to be present.
We thank thee now for the kindness of our.
Brethren here, and going to the great effort of having us at this time, and so we thank thee for their loving interest. And we thank thee, gracious God, that thou dost take note of every little thing that is done for thee. And now there are many that are traveling already homeward, and many that soon should be starting home. After this meeting we ask thee, gracious God, for journeying mercies for them.
That thou be with each one of them and give a safe return. And now we ask the again in closing, do keep us, keep us cleaving to that blessed one our Lord Jesus, and feeling and our dependence on Him, leaning upon him, trusting in him, while we await that blessed moment.
When he shall say, Arise my love, my fair ones, and come away.
And so we just leave us now in thy hands, asking all and giving thanks in the precious name of the Lord Jesus.
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Amen.
John 1:29
Christian Armor
Phillipians 4