Chicago Conference: 1970
Table of Contents
Heb. 13:10-14
Reading
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
April 13th, verse 10.
We have an owner where they have no right to need the service, one of the bodies of those nations, but is brought in the sanctuary by the High Priestess, here a burden of cat. Wherefore Jesus also that he might sacrifice the people with the gold club, water without the peace.
Let us go to our timber hunting him without the chance, Barry.
We're here having no continuous study with these big water cars. I have car format as well from the sacrifice and praise God continually that is the truth of our lives, giving thanks to His name.
00:05:05
What did you go to the community that happened? What was such sacrifice wrong as well as we obey them and have a rule of submit themselves?
Or they want to be installed to say that was given to the account.
But when they do it with joy and not with grace, but that is unprofitable to do.
Braver on the front, we have a good conscience that all things willing to live honestly.
But I'm a teacher that rather to do this than I may be restored to you.
How they go with me, they brought again to the dead our Lord Jesus, thy grace and effort, and sheep, through the **** of the everlasting covenant.
Make your perfect and every number of you.
I won't see you through all of them as a rule over you and all the things they have Italy.
Gracie with you all in manner.
I have a word that I like to pay before we begin our reach.
And my efforts this morning.
Bring out the true humanity of Christ.
I use the word Greek.
Our word.
Leave no strong force in the mind of any here it is true the Lord.
Was a real man.
He was born in this world.
He was made the hope when he was behind his mother's depressed.
He had threw up in favor with God and then.
I'm sure he was right here.
You have to be careful and that connection can't sleep here. Alright, that just turned the last one as there have been.
All Starbucks cuts down aversion blocking one.
And.
The 15th verse of Colossians 1.
It says who is the image of the invisible God, The first born of every creature. Now that should reserve the first born of all creation.
How the enemy has seized that translation to teach that Christ is destiny thrown an Angel.
And at some time in the past, In the past.
He was created as every other.
Being have been created but that is false.
And if we get the meaning of what is stated here?
In this 15th verse of Colossians 1.
The first born of all creation and remember the love of Saints. That first born is a title.
We get in the 81St Psalm.
Speaking of David, where it says I will make him the first, my first born higher than the kings of the earth.
All the fact is that David was the 8th son of Jesse and yet he was made the first born, showing that first born is a title and has nothing to do with time when used in that way.
So when it speaks of Christ, the first born of all creation.
Is first born in preeminence.
And there is this stated, that when he entered his own creation, for he was the creator of all things. All things were made by Him and for Him.
00:10:11
There was only one plate that he could take in that creation, and that was the first place.
And preeminence, so I trust that is I conveyed any wrong thought that I have.
That I have corrected it, and we need to remember this, beloved. And I speak best for myself. I trust and praise that I may never become a flock. We read in Proverbs an old and foolish king who will not be admonished.
None of us are too old not to need admonishing at times, and I believe that our reading meetings are of great value because things in a reading meeting can be corrected that cannot be corrected elsewhere. I didn't make this little give this little word to divert in any way from our subject in the 13th of Hebrews.
Well, we covered that subject and the brothers who brought out about the.
The the, the large place against creation was very good and I do not feel we need to go farther into that, so if we could continue right where we left off.
I believe at the end of the tenth verse.
A large chapter.
And I just say in that connection.
That we have two portions in Scripture that particularly in the New Testament that particularly set before us.
The personal glories of the Lord Jesus.
In John he's the one who is the author of life, and there we have that which takes us back the furthest, I suppose, connection with the person of Christ we have. But in the first chapter of Hebrews it's very important to notice.
Three personal glories that we have of His person, His first seen as the Son, the Son of God.
And then he's seen as God. Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever. Then he's seen as Jehovah, that is the one known in relationship to his people, but first of all as the Creator, so before the Jews who had been used to.
Traditions have been used to outward.
Displays of of a religious character. Before they can give these things up, they have to be assured of something that's solid that their souls can rest on. And so the Apostle Paul or whoever it was that wrote this, we suppose it was Paul. He gives the solid foundations first of the personal glories of the Lord Jesus.
And also bringing in His word, having made purgation of sins so that not only the Jew but each one of us can rest our souls upon what we have in the first chapter of Hebrews, we can be assured that the one we're trusting in, the one that we call our Savior, is none other but the eternal Son of God. He has God Himself. He is the Jehovah of the Old Testament. He is the Creator.
And as we said this morning, he is the same. That's his name. So before anything is taken up of his offices in Hebrews, his priesthood, or anything else, we have the person and the work of Christ to establish us. So there's no question as to who He is.
For the party of those beasts who in blood has brought into the sanctuary by the high Priest for sin.
Are burned without him.
You'll find that in connection with the Great Day of Atonement.
The priest carried the blood of the offering and of the Holy of Holies bringle them before and on the throne.
00:15:10
While he was sprinkling that blood.
The body, alert to the beast was being burned outside the camp.
And the Apostle is using that as a fifth gear of the Lord. Having gone up to the Father, he presented all the infinite value of His precious blood there.
But what is our place?
Now that he is on high.
And we're down here.
Well, that is marked out by the police.
Where the sacrifices burned without the camp. So he carried it on further in this passage.
Wherefore, Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. That is, Jerusalem was the Center for the religion of the Jews.
He had a magnificent temple.
A great altar and there were wonderful ceremonies and offerings, priesthood, all that went without religious first.
Well, when we think of the Blessed Lord.
Taking his cross, Going outside of that city of Salem, that is.
A nail to the cursive tree. Then we learn that our place is outside.
Of all that man could look upon and value in connection with religion, I think I heard you, Brother Halo, make some remarks about the time you were in Jerusalem. Would you just give us your feelings when you look down? Perhaps the street where the Lord bore His cross?
Well, it was quite different to that which I had expected. I suppose I'm not the only one who had always looked forward to the privilege of visiting in that lab, however.
When I arrived there, those feelings quickly faded and I went up to the top of Mount Zion and looked down over the city and.
Has since filled my soul of the awful guilt of that city in having spit in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ, never having repented of that which they had done and.
I suppose that which added to my feeling was the fact that I had been gone from home at that time about two months, and everywhere I had visited I had been met with loving welcome by the Lord's beloved people. But here I had come to the land where the Lord Jesus Christ himself was born and lived, and I couldn't find one soul that loved the Savior.
And I must admit, I felt so.
Alone and so sad on the top of Mount Zion that.
The tears filled my eyes with the memory of what that nation had done to the Lord Jesus, and that the thought also that which was to befall that nation.
We know the Scripture says that from one end of the land to the other it will be stained with the blood of that guilty people. I must admit it was just not too long after the.
Or was it just before? It was just before the assassination of President Kennedy, I believe, and when I heard of his assassination.
I thought of this parallel, shall I say.
I thought of Mrs. Kennedy being invited to come and spend her vacation in Dallas, TX. I hope I'm not saying anything I shouldn't hear, but the folks of that city making it very plain to her that they had not repented, that they had all joined in this act that they had done to her husband, but that she was perfect.
00:20:01
Welcome to come and spend her vacation in Dallas, TX. I would think she'd feel very out of place. Well, brethren, I felt the same I felt.
A sense of being outside of the whole thing. And I believe that those of us who know the precious Savior and know what this world did to him, the religious world, and they have not changed their mind. They have not apologized. And even today, if we take the precious word of God into the midst of the religious systems of men.
We find that they don't want it. They like to pick out from it that which perhaps will fit in with a few thoughts of their own. But the word of God, with its wondrous message, presenting to us a rejected Savior, is still, I fear, unwanted in the camp of religious Christians of the day.
There was something that made interest in relation to these offerings. It may be a little deviation from our chapter. Here we have the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the High Priest for sin, are burned without the can, in addition to the Day of Atonement. The sin offering of the High Priest failed, and in the case where the whole nation failed.
That's in the 4th chapter of Leviticus. That blood was also brought into the sanctuary, and the bodies of those beasts were also burned without the camp. But the point I have in mind is this, that none of those sin offerings where the blood was carried into the sanctuary could the priest feed on. They could eat of a sacrifice for sin, for a ruler, or for one of the common people where the blood was not carried into the sanctuary.
But was put upon the horns of the brazen altar, and the other case was put upon the horns of the golden author of incense. And I believe that brings the forest a very solemn thing, those sacrifices that bring in the fact that Christ was forsaken of God, having suffered without the gate, but with his blood entering into the most holy of all, no priest can enter into now if my brother sins, or if I sin.
My brother should be able to eat the sin offering on my behalf, But no priest could eat the sin offering where the blood was carried into the sanctuary and where the bodies were burned outside, telling us that only Christ himself and God the Father could enter into that. It was a question of atonement. And so we see two things linked together here. The blood carried into the very sanctuary, bringing us in there within the veil, and the bodies burned without the camp.
Putting us in the place outside the camp. But just another thought for meditation. The skin of the sin offering was burned up. The skin of the buried offering was not buried off. And I'm glad that the skin of the sin offering was burnt up, because that tells me this their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. But when a priest offered the burnt offering, he who offered the burnt offering?
Was given the skin of the animal as a memorial of that work, and I like to look at it in this light. The priest who offered the sacrifice is Christ himself, and he ever has before him the memory and rejoicing in that work in which he glorified God so fully. But the skin of the sin offering that was burnt up, the skin of the burnt offering, remained as a memorial to the priest who offered.
How accurate the scripture is but here.
If the sin offering those sin offerings that carry us by the value of the blood into the sanctuary, and because of the place where the bodies were burned, putting us outside the camp in the place that he was there, not to that degree of course.
Touching is that the subject of sex occasion has looked at in different ways in the 10th chapter by his own will.
Where he looked out and sanctified, but in this place in connection with our separation from.
00:25:03
The whole religious system of this world.
We're reminded of the blood of Christ.
That tells us here wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood.
Our beloved. That should be a deep exercise to our souls.
Are we in any way disregarding?
The preciousness of the blood of Christ not only.
And the way it has cleansed us from all our sins.
Brought us nigh to God, but from the whole of this world's religious system or this world has its religion and its religious system?
That.
Aware to be separated from. But think of the cost that separates us from everything that man has set up.
As a religion in this world.
You say that that sanctification is setting apart.
His brother throat surely is so we're set apart. It's in a special way here, aren't we? That's the way you look at it. By the roses. Give us some thoughts on that.
Well, we know that.
Here we have sanctification.
By his blood was set apart by his blood.
As belonging to him here in this passage. But then there is such a thing as practical sanctification. I suppose we turn to the 17th of John a moment.
I believe the 17th of John will not only show us the truth, as the practical sanctification will also set aside the false thought that sanctification is the burning out of the old nature, the burning out of sin. Some luck upon that is something to be attained to that that only sanctified with all the sinful nature is burned out the 17th of John.
Let us go down first of all to the Lord himself in the 19th verse.
And for their sakes, I sanctify myself.
That they also might be sanctified through the truth. Now here we find the Lord Jesus setting himself apart upon high, so that we down here might be sanctified or set apart by the truth. Go back to verse 17, verse 16. Rather, they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Sanctify them through Thy truth. My word is truth. That is, the Lord lets us know in the 16th verse that we do not belong to the course and order of things here below, but we've got to go through it. But while we're going through it, He shows the provision made that we are sanctified through God's truth, and we're not taken up with what we see around.
We judge it by the word of God. So the Lord Jesus is up on high now, and His presence there is the measure of our positional sanctification. But our state and condition down here is connected with sanctification through the truth, the application of the Word of God to my walk and to my ways. So we start out with sanctification with through the blood. But now the Lord wants us sanctified and set apart.
In a practical way.
What is the camp?
What would you say, Brother Anderson is the camp?
Will I take the camp to be that which answers to what the campus is as it's referred to here, the Camp of Judaism.
00:30:09
And the Camp of Judaism.
Included all those things that the professed Jewish Christians were occupied with.
And all that Christ has taken the place of, and instead of being occupied with Christ.
They were occupied with those things that pointed forward to Christ.
They were going back to the old order of things of Judaism. That is, they had the Tabernacle or the temple and all that was in it. And they had their, their rogue priests. They had their choirs and musical instruments, their altars and all of that. And that's what they were going back to.
To be occupied with.
An earthly order of things. Not a heavenly order of things, but an earthly order of things.
And so we find in Christendom today.
Much that corresponds to all of that that they had in Judaism. And we speak of Christianity generally so as being Judaized today, we have in this world a Judaized Christianity.
Something that answers to the camp, and really we can call it the camp because it corresponds so much to the camp that we read about in Scripture.
Would you say that the 9th of Hebrews gives us that in that principle the 9th of Hebrews and verse one?
It says then, verily the first covenant had also ordinances.
Of Divine Service and a Worldly Sanctuary. Well, there are two things right there that mark the camp. A worldly sanctuary. A sanctified building. A building is considered sacred. And then there's a whole order of ritual ordinances of divine service. Now we go down further and verse 6.
Now with these things, with us ordained, the priests went always into the first Cabernet. Our brothers mentioned this.
In Judaism, there was a separate class of priests. In Christianity, every believer is a priest. But the system that's been built up in the camp denies this because now only a certain class of manna priests. So we've got these these three marks at least of the camp. Another mark that's not mentioned right here, The camp had its music, they had that trumpets, they had their incense.
All these things were part of the religious camp of Israel, which originally had God's approval. Now God disowns Judaism and the whole system. So men turn around at Christianity and take some of that and set it up again and want us want it to be accepted. Go on to set the whole thing aside. So the main points of the camp are divine service, a ritual, A worldly sanctuary.
A priestly class burning of incense, robes, music, all these things that connected with the camp. There were things that.
Appealed to the natural senses of man. That word worldly or sanctuary, should read earthly sanctuary. It was earthly, that which could be seen, that which could be touched, that which there would appeal to the census, the natural senses of man. But what do we have now? That which is enjoyed by the spirit and in the power of the spirit of God? We have something spiritual. We have the Lord Jesus Christ. We don't see him.
We can't touch you. It's a matter of faith. It's something spiritual, and we enjoy the Lord Jesus Christ by the Spirit by faith, and we see him by faith. And this makes a great difference between an earthly religion and the heavenly or spiritual religion. I use the word religion because it's connected with that which.
Man takes up with.
As being the center of his attraction, they that which he makes the center of his worship. Well, what is it? Is it that which appeals to the census? Or is it Christ himself who is now in the glory?
00:35:13
But Hebrews is a good book to clear us from all that which belongs to an earthly religion. By nature it isn't just the Jew, but most of us have been brought up in.
Different forms.
That.
Have that character, that is, they were borrowed from the Jewish system.
In fact, there was a book written called Christianity, the continuation of Judaism. Well, that's what we have. That's what we're in the midst of. So I believe the book of Hebrews is a very timely book for us today because it replaces everything with Christ, takes it all away. There's nothing left but the senses in a religious way. The the natural man has no place.
Senses have no place.
Saying it's all belongs to a heavenly order of things, and the priest is in heaven, it's not on earth.
The the blood has been shed and it's had its approval up there and we're we're accepted also I think we noticed in Hebrew something very personal.
Here's the blood of Jesus.
I think with only one exception in Hebrews, that blood of Christ.
Corinthians. It's the blood of Christ, But here it has to do with his person and his work. It's very personal. I believe it's important to see that we see here a person, not something that's hazy, something that we we just did a religious way grasp, because it's religious. But the spirit of God has put before us a person in Hebrews.
I want the one who came actually and shed his blood.
The one who laid his body down as a sacrifice, The one who himself has gone in as a man into the heavens. He's made purgation of sins, and now he's seated as a man at the right hand of God. Another thing we notice in Hebrews that's very helpful, and that is we have the eternal, lasting benefits of this work.
It's it's that which is permanent.
It's something that our souls can rest entirely upon.
A permanent its eternal salvation.
Its eternal inheritance.
And a very solemn thing for those who this afternoon may be here, who are not saved till the Lord come. It's eternal judgment. I know how solemn that is. And we would warn you in the light of this book, in this last chapter, that eternal judgment awaits those who have rejected the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior, but an eternal inheritance at the end of the path of the desert.
An eternal inheritance to the rest that remains for the people of God is your portion. If you receive Christ this afternoon as you're safe.
We walked by faith, not by sight.
And I'm thinking about the time that the.
Table was spread in Ghana.
On that day.
There were just a few of us sitting around that table. There were two of the native brothers that were received that day.
That was quite a group sitting back.
They were observing.
They had come from various denominations, and.
Church organizations and so on. And they were sitting back to observe.
There were some of them that never showed up again.
There wasn't enough there for them to see. It was too simple.
Just a table with a loaf and a cup on it and a box for the offering and just sitting around quietly around that table and one after another taking part.
There wasn't much of anything to see there. There wasn't anything for the census.
There wasn't anything like they were used to where they came from.
00:40:03
And so they didn't come again, they had no use for this. And there were quite a number who came to the meetings, the reading meetings, the gospel meetings and so on, even to the lectures on the chart.
But one after another, they would drop out. Few others would come and they would drop out. There just wasn't enough.
For them to see they didn't want that, it was too different from what they had been used to in the camp.
I remember being in a small meeting quite some time ago.
And at this particular place, they had just acquired a new meeting room.
And on Thursday morning.
When it came to the remembrance of the Lord, the man came in there.
He's been very businesslike, prepared with a neighbor, he said. What's the name of this place?
Well.
Tried to tell the man that they couldn't understand what it was to be gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus. We have no other name. If you don't hand me that stuff, what's your name?
And he would not accept the fact that we had no name.
Of the Lord Jesus Christ.
But the Lord Jesus is outside of it all, and we're going to be where he is. We're going to have to go outside the camp.
That's where he is.
And to be there is going to be a reproach like our Lord himself suffered shame outside the camp. We look at a verse in Matthew 14 just for a moment.
I know this is just a little picture, but I think it will illustrate what we have here.
We find in the 22nd verse that the disciples are in the ship, are invited to the ship, constrained into the ship, now the Lord but in the.
25th verse we have a new thing we have in the 4th watch of the night which would be a gentile watch which would indicate no doubt the the church.
In a very special way, in its true calling and the 4th watch of the night, Jesus went unto them walking on the sea. Now this is a path that the that nature cannot walk in nature. It's impossible for nature to walk on the sea.
But the Lord Jesus came walking on the sea.
And when the disciples saw him walking in the sea, they were trouble saying it is a spirit, and they cried out for fear.
But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, But be of good cheer it is I be not afraid. Peter answered him, and said, Lord, if it be thou bid me cometh of thee on the water. And he said, Come, and when Peter was come down.
Out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.
Well, here we have Peter leaving.
That fixed order of things, the ship.
In order to walk in the water, he has to let go entirely to the ship. Now the purpose that he does this is to go to Jesus.
Well, that's like we have in our verse. Let us go forth unto him.
Without the camp.
Bearing his reproach.
Now nature can't walk in this path. Peter did, but not in nature. And it's a picture, I believe, of those who.
The Spirit of God has called out to be identified with the Lord Jesus in this outside place that nature cannot walk in. Be associated with him, but it's unto Him, And if their purpose is not to go to Jesus, it will fail.
If it's just a matter of taking a position, it will fail because nature can't walk in it. But where the purpose is right, Where the heart is right.
Christ is the object and it's an obedience to his command. Why then the one who formerly could only walk in natures path, now can walk in a path that the spirit of God bears him up in? I noticed the testimony it says here.
00:45:18
Be of good cheer. I suggest this to be the Lord's coming.
It is I, the gathering point.
And then be not afraid. Peter needed that last exhortation because he began to sink when he got his eyes off of Christ. And so it is for us.
Not only do we have Christ as the object.
In order to be in such a position, but we have to maintain this or we're going to fall.
Now it's true, the Lord will sustain those whose hearts are right towards him, and he'll reach out and put his arm around them so they won't fall. But we still have this exhortation. Be not afraid.
I don't have Lynn Warren, Clare Monroe to give.
Pardon. That is called for. Therefore unto him there are those that see the wrong and Christendom things that we've been speaking about.
That are adapted to man in the place music and beautiful buildings, grand cathedral wires and all that kind of thing with Christ left out. There are those that feel that and see that strong and they just get outside.
But if that is all, it's not the guidance of the Spirit of God. Let us go forth. Therefore unto him we have the person of Christ himself before us, by then all the camp systems of men.
Are something that we have left behind. I know, dear brother Engweather, Bloomington, IL, I said that he was asked to. He'd like to remember the Lord.
Yes.
And he was happy to remember the Lord. But he said, one day he discovered this. The Lord says there are in the midst of them, he said. When I found that I was in the place where the blessed Lord Himself was in the midst, he said, that made him how entirely different matters.
Never wanted to leave that fling, because he found he was in the place where the Lord himself was in the midst. He found on every reproach and everyone that's consistent in going on in that place where the Lord has put his name to find reproach.
The only safe place on earth where we can bring our children and where we have the assurance.
From the word of God, thou in thy house there is no other place, and God has given us this place and preserved it up until now. Well, we have this exercise then, and the responsibility in connection with what has been committed to us in regard to this place. And that is the walk that becomes the believer in such a position.
That rejected this application.
They refused to be called at the camp.
On the grounds that they've received Christ and promote his interest.
And did not crucify Him. Judaism crucified Christ, and Christendom has not crucified Him. Therefore the reason that we are not the guest.
But if it applies to this situation only here.
The verse would have no voice to us in our day.
And if they wanted to keep it on that basis, they'd have to go all the way back to the wilderness.
And would be a matter of tents and States and ropes and states.
00:50:06
You might have something that would be a clue to this.
And Peter's resistance to the Lord.
As he said before his disciples, the necessity of his death.
In Matthew 16.
The Lord rebuked him.
And said to it.
Thou savoured not the things that be of God.
For those that be of man.
And it's that nature of things that we have in the camp.
And if we ask someone.
It's not under the full sound and truth of the word. Are you saved?
They say. I hope so.
That order of things prevails in the camp.
And there's no sense of eternal security.
They're resting on that order of things that man enjoys according to the flesh.
When we add to that productivity, the next verse.
But you didn't read then that Jesus, under the side of any man, would come happily let him deny himself and take up his cross and throw away, I think.
Many times we get the wrong impression of what the cross is, something we have to bear, but I believe the cross of the Lord spoke of it. Here is reproach.
Breakfast across will be taking up that with approach connected with the Lord Jesus himself and to follow him.
And we can't follow him if we join you. Associate ourselves with beverages from the campus. Remember hearing from the Guilford Christensen Woodbridge telling an incident of two men. They were both converted and they went to school together. They were both converted and as time went on.
Became a minister in one of the churches. The other one was gathered to the Lord's name outside the camp. And there's a long while they met each other, both happy that the other was saved. And finally the ministry, after finding out about where this other man met, he says, well, what have you gotten that we haven't got? And then the other man just looked at him and said reproach, reproach.
So in the camp you don't have to reproach. I've often thought of it like this. It's if someone asks you what church you belong to and you can answer such and such a denomination or such and such a name. There's no recroach connected with that because it has a standing in the community. Yes, you go to that one. I go to this one. And so the very fact that we have no name but the name of Christ, that in itself gives reproach that you have no name to identify yourself now.
If we say we're Plymouth Brethren, the reproach is gone. It's gone because we now we've got a name and a standing in the community. We are not climate president unless we come from Plymouth and we are all brethren in Christ by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And I've seen dear Saints of God try to escape perhaps the difficulty in explaining the position by using that term, President. Let's not take a sectarian name, a name that was saddled on the gathered, faint by outsiders.
As I said again, the only Clement present will be those who come from planet. Otherwise, whatever town we come from, the Brethren in that town, we have no such name. Now the United States government, in its book, published Religious Bodies in the United States, a three volume series, lists the gathered Saints in there as Plymouth Brethren #5.
But Brother Gill, who wrote the article as to our what we hold and believe?
Clearly this owns the name, though. He owned the right of the United States government for its own purpose to put a label on us for their sake, but that we do not own this label. It's their label. It's not what we hold. I just mentioned that as a point of interest, for we have no name. But the precious name of Christ is the Gathering center. Brother Larson was preaching in Arkansas.
00:55:08
And there was an intelligent Christian up to a certain point, trying to find out who Brother Larson was.
Do you want to know his connection?
And after a time it seemed to dawn on the man and he said, I know you are, you are Plymouth brother, brother, Larson says. I'm an Iowa brother. Aren't you an Arkansas brother?
His name shall be in their forehead. I love that verse. There's a day coming when his name and no other name will be implanted forever on the forehead of every child of God. I hope we're looking forward to that, anticipating the joy of it. And I've asked the thought of reading that verse, will there be, by the grace of God, a little added joy when that name is placed upon our forehead.
To be able to say in our heart this is the name I bore.
While I was still where he was rejected. This is the name I bore when I knew that it would bring reproach. I hope this is said with humility, but I do believe it will be a loss that can never be regained if I'm there in the glory. That name is placed upon a forehead and some other name has to be removed in order to have inflation. They're just to think.
That of Yonder in the glory. The name that was magnified here has to be left behind in order to his name might be put there. Oh, there is reproach, that's true, But what a joy. I believe the distinction here is so.
Challenging and yet so attractive. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp that's somehow settled what the camp is.
We go forth unto him, If we wish to bear the name of the Lord Jesus Christ alone, if we wish to walk according to the instruction that he gives us in this precious word, that's where we'll find ourselves. I feel perhaps when this side of thing is being emphasized, that it might be well to remark that.
There are those who have deep affection for the Lord and great devotedness and are sowing the good seed of the Word. The Lord is using it in blessing in His sovereignty.
Who are still in the camp, And I don't believe that what we have said is intended for one moment to speak in any way as though we despise such activities. I believe we are called upon through the word of God, to rejoice in the privilege put before us of being found, gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus, bearing his name alone outside the camp.
But perhaps somewhat with the attitude of Moses.
When the news was brought to him, the ill dad and me dad were prophesying in the camp. He said would God, all the Lords servants were prophets and he left it at that. He didn't go over there to see how they were getting along and lend his support to it, nor did he stand afar off and find a lot of fault with it either. I believe he occupied that place with profound Thanksgiving and those who wanted to walk in obedience shared it with him.
Lay the picture here also is one of a.
Tabernacle. Not a temple. That is, it's a temporary thing in the wilderness. And that that the next verse now gives us the thought we don't have here. An abiding city. Nothing here abiding.
Even what we have.
In a religious way, should we put it?
We're looking on to the city.
It's the rest that remains for the people of God. In Hebrew. It's the inheritance, It's really Christ that we're looking on to in the abiding city at the end of the road. And so we're seen here as pilgrims all the way through, not in the temple, not in the Kingdom in the sense that David was there, but in the wilderness, in a Tabernacle that's all temporary until that permanent city comes in view.
01:00:18
So here we have no abiding.
Place, but we're looking on to the city that's to come, so we have hope.
Spoke of Hebrews, made the apostle meet the faith up to this point.
You mentioned brother.
Mundine How he substitutes the Blessed Lord for every person of renown in the Old Testament.
Their Tabernacle as well their sacrifice.
He takes the place of.
Moses. He takes place of Aaron. He takes the place of Joshua.
And everything gives place to the person of Christ himself.
Is then preparing them for a final step. He's kept Christ so constantly before their souls, and when he gets to the last chapter, just as always as well. Now, brethren, let's leave all this behind and go forth unto him.
You're imagining that we get that expression. Let us I believe there's thirteen times the Hebrews. We get that expressed.
Us So he's been telling us, let us come fall in the throne of grace and so on.
Oh, you see all this system here? Here's Christ. He was made outside of your your honored city, with all the ceremonies and nails of the Shameful Cross. Others leave the whole thing behind and go out under him. A blessed one who has done everything for you.
And bear gives reprose.
And instead of establishing something of biting and enduring character and coming out onto him, you remind them that in our Christian testimony, there's nothing abiding here. We have no continuing city, but we seek one to come, and I believe president, whenever we try or make something important or give.
Headlines to our position and our testimony.
Lord has the flow on it. The Lord will not allow us to have anything now a permanent character in connection with the truth.
Those who go on, I believe according to the mind of God, will always be a poor, despised, humble people.
That value the Lord's Prayer, and to desirable opens to be in his house, and to be gathered to his name alone. So the character of Philadelphia.
Thou hast a little strength, and has kept my word, and not denied my name.
The final exhortation there in Revelation 3 to Philadelphia is that which thou asked.
Hold fast till I come, that is.
What we have, the only thing that is really ours, is that we.
Have the person of Christ to which we can gather.
As guided by the Spirit of God, where the Lord Himself has promised to be in the midst.
I suppose.
When he speaks of a city here.
It's connected with the city it speaks of in chapter 12 verse 22.
As their year come unto Mount Zion and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, we belong to a heavenly city, the heavenly Jerusalem, when we're caught up to be with the Lord.
01:05:00
We belong to that heavenly company, and then during the reign of Christ, that heavenly city will be up above the earth.
It won't be down here.
We'll be up there.
With the Lord the center of attraction.
And so that should help us to realize not to settle down here. This is not the place to settle down, because that's what's meant by this being a continuing city. A continuing city is one that continues on. And people would of course have a tendency to settle down in a thing like that.
They say, well, it's going to continue on. There's no chance that it's going to be done away with. We'll just settle down here. People don't usually settle down in a place that's going to be destroyed or they know that's going to be removed sometimes.
The sights of cities are caves. Well, as soon as people find out that the sight of a certain city is to be changed, they begin to move. There might be some that are reluctant to move, but they begin to move because they don't want to be in a place like that, they want to be in a continuing place.
And so this is what has happened to Saints of God down here. The whole Church, speaking generally, has settled down into the world, has been occupied to become occupied with these things, and that the Lord has given up all these things of Judaism.
But God is through with them. But what has the devil done? He has picked up all of these things.
That God has set aside, and he has presented them to Christians again for them to take up with. And these things, although they have religious significance, they are really part of the world and they are part of the devil stocking trade. And he's using these things to deceive the people of God and to drag them down and cause them to settle down here in this sea and become really part of the world.
Which is?
Spoken of here as a continuing city, an earthly thing. It's not a heavenly thing at all.
I like the way Mr. Darby translates. That 14th verse makes it emphatic as to the certainty of the city we're waiting for here. It says we seek one to come, which might leave it a little indefinite, but he puts it this way.
For we have not here an abiding city.
But we see the coming one that is this city is certainly. It's certain to come before you refer to and 1St you referred to in the 12Th chapter, the heavenly city, and then in the Revelation, the new Jerusalem. The city is sure to come, and that's what we're waiting for.
God knew that we could never be happy if left in uncertainty, so he tells us this city is sure we're going to be there in that coming day.
He would have straightened out that side of the truth of the inheritance of the Kingdom and the the blessings in connection with the city. We don't get the church in the sense of the body of Christ. In Hebrew, it's only mentioned twice.
The verse our brother Anderson suggested the 12Th chapter. We have the church and in the second chapter, but that was only by way of identification. But really it's seen here as more of the Kingdom side of things and the the city.
And in that connection, let's remember that.
Before there was a Kingdom.
It was a Tabernacle. It was a tent really. But if it was a Tabernacle for the worship of God, it was also a tent for the people to live in. And so we apply it today.
If, if we are.
In connection with that which is only temporary, down here we seek an abiding, lasting city. Well then, how about the tents? See.
About the 10th, So let's remember that we're not going to be here either very long.
33rd of Exodus this connection in the seventh verse, and Moses took the Tabernacle and fisted without the camp.
01:10:06
A far off from the camp and pulled it the Tabernacle of the congregation.
Came to pass and everyone would thought the Lord went out out of the Tabernacle of the congregation which was without camp. It came to pass when Moses went out under the Tabernacle and all the people rose up and stood every man at his head door and looked out for Moses until he was going into the Tabernacle. Came to pass. As Moses entered into the Tabernacle, cloudy pillar descended and stood at the door of the Tabernacle.
And the Lord kept with Moses then in the 11Th person. And the Lord speak on the Moses face to face of the man, speak in front of his friend. He turned again at the camp, when his servant Josh were the son of a young man, parted not out of the Tabernacle.
We know at the time that Moses fits the tent for the Tabernacle outside the camp, far off from the camp.
When they had made the golden calf, and it worshipped calling that.
Called the brought them out of the land of Egypt. The whole congregation was defiled and so Moses it wasn't the Tabernacle that was built. Later passed Moses own tent.
But it gives us the principle of what we get here in the 13th of Hebrews going out on to him without the camp.
But it might be well to just stress that little expression of far off from the camp.
Sometimes we want a little of the camp mixed up with our position.
Carry something of the camp within.
I was, I told my brother not only saw that of a meeting where they wanted to bring a piano into the meeting room.
They didn't want it poorly breaking the print, but still they wanted a piano. Well, we better be careful brother. How we introduce.
Into our meetings, anything that favors of the camp for those things, you know grow and once get a foothold and a start, we have no idea how far that will go.
Oh, that's the levitate this everyone to himself.
Not only to be outside the camp, but a far off from it, have no connection whatever with that religious system that man has set up and we've been talking about.
In connection with this subject.
What if it is our privilege to go forth unto him without the camp? Is not also our privilege?
Sacrificial praise in the sanctuary.
Here have we no continuing city. I have just in my own thought, connected it with the statement made at the time of the Lord's resurrection. He is not here. Now I know that refers to his empty tomb, but somehow when I read it, I think I see it written over all the boasted works of men, not only over those things that perhaps the believer would shun as being very abhorrent.
But over those very things of which men boast in their supposed continuing city, he is not here. The Lord Jesus was here among men on earth, but He is not here any longer. They didn't want him, They cast Him out, They crucified Him. And those 4 words I believe, are written upon this 4 guilty world. He is not here.
It's a good thing for us to see those 4 words. Well then, when we find here, here, have we no continuing city? We say. Well, no wonder because he's not here. But we seek the coming one. What a wonderful thing it is, and how comforting instead of distressing it is to find that there's nothing continuing here. I remember visiting a brother. You can guess who he might be. If you prefer, he lived in the city of Detroit for quite a number of years.
01:15:09
Then he moved to a quiet little farm near the town of Perth and I thought, well, that's a big change to move from the busy city of Detroit to a quiet little farm. I wonder how he likes it. So after he'd been there for a few weeks, I visited him and said, brother, how do you like living here on the farm after all those years in Detroit? Well, he smiled. I find one waiting place is as good as another, he said.
Oh, I thought. That was so nice. What?
Waiting place is as good as another. Wherever the Lord has placed us, may we see those words. He is not here written all around us, and what He may have entrusted to us is being but a waiting place, while we look for that sure and certain city that is to come.
There is a verse or two in Isaiah chapter 8.
I believe we should look at, in connection with himself, the one to whom we go forth.
Isaiah chapter 8, verses 13 and 14.
Now this is said to Israel in connection with the temptation of associating themselves.
For protection. For protection from the enemy.
So the prophet says sanctify the Lord of hosts himself and let him be your fear and let him be your dread. Don't be looking to anything else or anyone else, but just look to the Lord. Sanctify the Lord in your heart.
Sanctify the Lord would indicate, giving the Lord the place that belongs to him, the place that he longs to have in our affection, in our hearts, in our bits. Thank the Father Lord of hosts himself. Let him be your fear, let him be your dread, and he shall be for a sanctuary.
I was taken by a relative.
To A to a large church building in which he was serving. And he took me all through my church building and showed me the different parts of it. Then finally we came to a beautiful room, a large place, and it had all kinds of things in it.
And he said, this is our sanctuary. This is our sanctuary. Well, all it was was a beautiful room in that large building, large church building, with all the decorations and paraphernalia and so on in it. And to me it was not a sanctuary. And I didn't agree with it. However, I didn't say much of anything about it. But to me at the time I thought, well, I have a better sanctuary than that. The Lord Jesus Christ is my sanctuary.
He shall be for a sanctuary, and that's what he is to us. He is our sanctuary. He is everything. And are we looking for furniture and equipment and so on. Well done. When they come into our meeting room, they look for this and they look for that. They don't find it. While the Lord Jesus Christ is all we need, When He is there it properly furnished, completely furnished.
Is he really enough moral? That's the question we need to ask everyone of our hearts. Is he enough?
It's remarkable that that's voted. That chapter is quoted in Hebrews in the in the 18 first, isn't it? Brother Anderson? Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are presigned for wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts who dwelleth in Mount Zion, and so, although this will have its application in the coming day.
It had its application when the little remnant was called out at the time of the Lord Jesus was here, and he sealed his law on the disciples as we have in the 16th verse after.
Those who had stumbled and fallen rejected the testimony. So we have a double application here, and it it seems interesting that it comes in the second chapter of Hebrews.
01:20:19
It has to be very careful. We're married.
We can act in an unbecoming way.
Here and among our neighbors, so that we bring reproach on ourselves, because maybe greater selfishness or unreasonable.
Behavior and action. I think of one place where a nice work of the Lord was spoken up by someone that made such a talk about some.
What the neighbors had on in their yard.
That the offended people and drove people from coming to the meetings and just broke up the nice little word that had begun there.
So we have to be sure that it is.
The Lord reproach, if we're speaking well again and true to His name and to His cause, and seeking to please the Lord in our ways and its reproach, because we are faithful to His cause, well, that's something we can thank the Lord for, and that will have its your reward at the coming days.
I think that's very important because I am afraid sometimes we'd rather emphasize the bearing of reproach.
Almost to the point where we suggest that.
I am willing to be where I am and bear the reproach associated with the Lord Jesus. Other Christians are not sharing this because they are not willing to bear this reproach. Once in a while you even hear it put that way. Other times it seems to me it's rather strongly insinuated, which to me is a very sly way of patting myself on the back, really.
And say I am willing to bear this reproach. Many other Christians are not willing to bear it, and therefore they don't enjoy this same privilege. I believe there's more than one reason, beloved, why there are true believers who are not gathered where the word of God would direct them. One is because of the reproach associated with the name of the Lord Jesus.
And the other is of failures and the shortcomings and the inconsistencies of those of us right here, those of us.
Who are gathered now? I don't say that this excuse will stand in that coming day when all is brought to light. Nevertheless, I believe it's something that we can be seriously concerned about.
And our own testimony is such that there is a lack of power to draw to the enjoyment of that precious place and privilege many many of the Lord's dear people who might be there.
If we were more consistent with the truth that we speak of.
Hey, Cortana.
Heb. 13:15-25
Reading
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
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.
I fail.
The same chapter we've been considering.
April Chapter 13, verse 15.
By him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually.
That is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
But to do good and to communicate, forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves, for they watch for your souls as they that must give an account.
But they may do it with joy and not with grief, for that is unprofitable for you.
Pray for us where we trust we have a good conscience in all things, willing to live honestly, but I beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.
Now the God of peace that brought a gentleman dead in our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do as well, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ.
To whom the glory forever and ever. Amen.
And I beseech your brethren, suffer the word of exhortation, for I have written a letter unto you in few words.
Know ye that our brother Timothy said at liberty. To whom it becomes shortly I will see you.
Salute all them that have the rule over you and all the Saints they of Italy salute you.
Grace be with you all. Amen.
It's lovely the way this verse starts out.
With a person of Christ before us. But I believe, dear brethren, in the sense of the way that Hebrews reveals him to us.
There is one mediator.
Now I know that Hebrews gives us the dignities of his person, but at the same time we were reminded that he is the same. He's the same one that that trod.
The streets of Jerusalem. He's the same one that was on the boat in Galilee with his disciples. He's the same savior that sat at Sychar as well.
And so it says by Him, therefore, how sweet and how precious that we know that we can approach God on the basis and by the One who is come so near to us to make Himself known in this way a savior God, one who became man, the one who came down to where we were and all our misery and shame.
True, we give him the place that belongs to him. He is the Son of God. He's God himself. He's the Creator. But he's Jesus in Hebrews is Jesus. It's his name. It's the man Christ Jesus. And so if we do.
00:10:08
Praise the Lord, remember that it there's no.
There's no separating of position or persons in this.
We all come on the same basis, and we come by him. Now, there's a there's a scripture in the Old Testament, if you'll permit me to call attention to it. It gives a little picture. It's in the 4th chapter, I believe, of Second Kings.
Second Kings Four, I believe it is.
Verse 42.
And there came a man from bail Shalisha.
That is, bail is Lord, and Silicia is the higher places or heavenly places. And brought the man of God bread of the first fruits, 20 loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people that they may eat. And his servitors said, What should I set this before in hundred men? And he said, again, give the people that they may eat. For thus saith the Lord, they shall eat, and shall leave thereof.
So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof according to the word of the Lord.
I believe we have here just a little glimpse that might help us to see this connection in connection with the the worship or the approach to God we get in Hebrews. Here we have a picture of two coming Really. One brings 20 loaves of the poor man's offering, shall we say, barley loaves. The other one comes bringing the full ears of corn.
Untouched with all the preciousness of what Christ means to God. Now let's apply this. We have a younger person, possibly, who hasn't yet reached maturity in his soul as to the things of God. But his heart is full of Christ and he gives out to him or he offers praise. Are you going to deny him this privilege?
No, when he loaves of barley, it's in keeping.
It's twice tan. It's in keeping with the instructions in the 23rd Leviticus and elsewhere. It's all in order. It may be. It doesn't have the depth of the full ears of corn and the husk there up something that's never been touched by man. It's something the full ears of corn would express, perhaps the burnt sacrifice and all the preciousness of what Christ is to God.
Now in either case, when they're brought to the man of God, who I believe is a picture of Christ, him as we have in our chapter, not only does he take it, but he says set it before the people that they may eat.
Because, dear brethren, the the food that God feeds upon is the same food that he causes his people to feed upon. It's Christ.
Oh, how precious it will be in that day.
When he will say Edo friends, ye drink, drink, beloved.
Abundantly or beloved. And we're going to sit down in the Kingdom of God, we're going to eat and drink, and we're going to partake of that same food that all heaven feeds upon.
But dear brethren, we've been called now to be gathered to his precious name, and there's no partiality if there be those who are mature in their souls and can bring a bullet, shall we say?
Or can bring the full ears of corn, how good and how it rejoices all of our hearts.
But I've had tears brought to my eyes as a younger one.
In with a full heart brings us the 20 loaves of barley, the poor man's bread. And now the question is, shall I set this before 100 men? Oh, I couldn't do that.
I can't get up and speak of Christ to my brethren. I'm not Speaking of of those who are real young. I'm Speaking of those who have a sense in their souls of what is due to the Lord. I speak to you dear, younger people who have never yet perhaps given out of Him, and you who really understand these things. And yet you're you're too timid. You say you don't want to to.
00:15:29
Give out of him. You know you should. You know it's on your heart, but you're too, too backward about it.
Said it before the people that they may eat.
And so he did. And what happened? They left there up. If Christ is really filling your soul, he's going to fill the souls of your brethren too. And there'll be something left that you cannot lay hold of. It'll be so full. And so at the end of Hebrews here.
Where are the apostles? Heart is so full as the doctrine of the epistle has been before him in the 1St 10 chapters. And now in these exhortations his heart is so full, he sees that outside place the person himself, and he sees one who seated at God's right hand. But it's the same Jesus that was down here among men. Now he says by him, Let us this is the last exhortation, I believe in the book of let us.
Let us by him, therefore, let us, all of us, offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually.
Now this is more than simply when we're gathered. This is a state of soul. I believe continually that is the fruit of our lips. Giving thanks to his name. I remember our brother, James Smith telling us that he was awakened in the early hours of the morning by some of the Saints down in one of the islands, I believe in the South.
Singing praises to the Lord. Perhaps you've heard this, brother. Hey ho, I've been kept awake all night by. Well, that's what this verse means, brethren.
There's something very encouraging in relation to what you what was just remarked in the end of the second of Leviticus our brother has been Speaking of.
Our sense of inadequacy in worship, whether we be young brothers or older brothers.
The sense that what we bring and offer may be very short in the presence of the Lord, but there's some things to encourage us to come anyway. And in the second of Leviticus the last verse gives us, I believe, a very encouraging thought in worship.
It says the priest shall burn the memorial of it, part of the beaten corn thereof and part of the oil thereof.
With all the frankincense thereof, why does it say part of the of the beaten corn and part of the oil? Because we never enter in fully in the power of the Spirit what Christ is, but in the measure in which we do, God accepts all the incense. That is, whatever however people our worship may be, God sees it coming from a heart filled with Christ.
And he looks at it, and he takes him all the incense, not part of the incense. And so I believe that's encouraging as we approach and worship, whether we be young or old, that the Lord is there and his the preciousness of Christ is what God sees in it.
I believe that something important in connection with praise in the assembly.
That's brought before us here.
It says by him. Therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually. I agree with Brother Lundeen that that isn't limited to Lords to morning when we offer our praise, remembering the Lord as his death, we should be a happy.
We should be happy Christians, praising the Lord every day for all his goodness and for his love.
That's what will keep us in communion, keep us happy. We're praising him for all he has done for us, but I wanted to call attention to this. I believe it's something that isn't always understood.
00:20:04
That in worship.
That the Lord is the head of the body of the Church, one thing the Colossians are called to task about.
Are not holding the head.
See, we have no head down here. Our head is in glory. He is the head of the body and from him.
All the nourishment comes down to the members of the body.
And in worship, I believe it's important to see that as well. You're speaking Brother Glenden about his young brother having it on his heart to give out of him.
Well, we, we all older and younger, should be looking up to the Lord.
And let's see if we have his mind.
How there, if there is a class of people, you know, that just depend, as they say, on the movement of the spirit of God, that is, they get an urge and they're waiting on the spirit of God to get that urge to go ahead and pray or or to give thanks, or even to break the bread. But I believe that if we're.
If we have the guidance of the Word of God.
That it isn't just waiting for the Spirit to move us, but it's being occupied with Christ himself. And if we're occupied with Christ and waiting on Him, we're not waiting for some some movement of the Spirit in us, but we're occupied with Him. And then the Spirit who is in the believer and is also in the assembly does die, so that the.
What is comes down from the head.
Becomes the worship and praise of the assembly. I believe that's important to so that we might be more occupied with Christ and looking up to Him. And sometimes you know, him comes to mind. Well, is that for him? The Blessed Lord will have me to give us that for the assembly.
Does that lead the phrases of the assembly? I don't want to insane making these remarks to get any of our our dear young brothers under ******* to think, well, maybe I haven't the mind of the Lord. But I think that if we're simple about it and something is definitely laid on your heart, well, don't, don't wait too long.
We don't want to be in haste and justice. Keep the meeting going at a certain pace or speed.
I really, I think the quiet waiting on the Lord is an evidence of the guidance that we should find.
In connection with our worship. But sometimes, and I know every gathering has felt this, that maybe a brother has a hymn or maybe a scripture.
Maybe should have offered prayer praise, and he hesitates and hesitates and doesn't.
Doesn't go far, go on. Well, the whole assembly suffers a loss. Maybe we feel that there's a certain.
Lapse or a certain.
Loss at that worship meeting. I just speak of that. Don't wait too long sometimes. And oh, it gets that we form habits and there are habits that are are a hindrance.
To communion and the blessing of the assembly. Some meetings just get in the habit of one or two brothers going ahead and always offering praise and always breaking the bread and sometimes.
The brothers who feel this wait and wait and wait in hopes that some of the younger brothers, or some that haven't been accustomed to take part, will get furries, do take part.
And I think sometimes it's wise that they do, and not just to form habits of justice, certain brothers always offering the praise or always breaking the prayer to come in connection with your remarks. Would they not? It's a if a person really has something on their heart and feels before the Lord that they should give out to him or even break the bread.
00:25:29
And they don't do it. There is a possibility of quenching the Spirit. There is a danger, though, also of especially perhaps those who might be younger, of getting their feelings mixed up with whether or not the Spirit of God would have them give out to him, or to to even speak. And so we we mustn't allow our natural feelings to enter into these things, although.
There's a fine point there that sometimes we do. And so, Brother Roach, would you explain to us a little the 15th and 16th verses, Leviticus one, perhaps? That would help some of us who are younger to to understand that there's no perfection here.
Leviticus 115 and 16.
Perhaps we ought to note this first that before we get to the.
Offering of the turtle doves as we get here.
Chapter opens up with the offering of a Bullock, because God's apprehension of Christ is presented to us first that in its largest character, Bullock.
Then in what follows, I believe we get our measure of entering into the work of Christ and the production of worship on our part, but it does not come and it's feeble compared to the Bullock comprehension that's God's side of it. So here in the 15th chapter we have the priest bringing the the turtle doves or the young pigeon and he brings it onto the altar between the 15th 1St, the 15th 1St Did I the 15th 1St.
And wring off his head and burn it on the altar, and the blood thereof shall be wrung out the side of the altar, and he shall pluck away his crop with his feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east part by the place of the ashes. Now the crop and the feathers, I believe, bring in the hindrances in the relation with our worship.
The crop was the place where that which was undigested in the in the animal may be found. We may have apprehended certain truths and instead of really fully meditating on them fully and getting the full benefit of them, we haven't allowed the development in our soul. So the crop is unacceptable. It's it's it's taken and cast aside. But the feathers, you know, the flesh in US likes to be seen and heard.
And the feathers of the outward show. And so in all our worship there's the mixture, that which is undigested and that which the flesh would delight in. But notice this that it doesn't hinder the presentation of the worship to God. I've often felt for myself the Lord Jesus bears the iniquity of the holy things in our worship, and I don't believe I can ever get up and worship without some of self being mixed in it. But God accepts it.
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now notice that the crop and the feathers are cast upon the east part of the altar. Where is that? That's away from the Tabernacle. God wells behind that that altar. And when that crop and feathers are tossed on the east side of the off to let us say the eye of the law doesn't see it. He sees the author in between. And so I believe it gives us.
Encouragement to come and worship.
Even in our own feeble measure, knowing that it's acceptable to him.
I remember many years ago in the city of Saint Louis, there is a dear old brother there and it was very poorly taught.
But he loved the Lord.
And it was his habit on Thursday morning every once in a while to give out HIP #316. We are by Christ redeemed, and the second verse was on our earthen vessels break. Well, that's a that's a wilderness here doesn't have any place in the worship on Lord's Day morning.
00:30:17
All our late brother Armand.
Was very much exercised about it and you went to see him at his work, he said. Brother, why do you give out that hymn on Lord's Day Morning?
Oh, he said to the actor. Brother Armand had pointed out to him that it was an inappropriate hymn. He said. I was thinking of this. The cost is precious blood.
Well, there was a turtle dove, the young major, and it was acceptable to the Lord in that way.
But for some of us here it would be entirely unsuitable for us to give it out.
In connection with worship, sometimes we may hear the expression, well, we're going to worship or God wants worship. But if we look at John's Gospel chapter 4.
We find that it's not exactly worship best before the Lord. That is the first thing.
John's Gospel chapter 4.
In connection with the woman at the well.
He's Speaking of the place of worship. He's speaking about the spirit of worship and truth in worship. But in verse 23 he says the hour cometh and now he is when true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father seeketh such to worship him. This brings before us that God the Father seeking worshippers.
It's not that he's seeking worship. It's true that he wants worship, but he's seeking worshippers.
And there can't be worshipped unless we first are worshippers. And I believe we have then the example of a worshiper here in this woman.
The Lord says.
To the woman when she says, I know that Messiah's cometh, which is called Christ, when he has come, He will tell us all things. Then he says I that speak unto thee, and he.
Then what happens? Well, in verse 28 says the woman then left her water pot and went her way into the city and set to the men. Come see a man which told me all things that ever I did. Is not this the Christ? But what happened here? Well, this woman's heart got full full of Christ and there was an overflow. She became a worshipper and she must tell out his praises. She must speak well of him. What is worship then, isn't it?
The overflow.
Of a heart filled with Christ. I believe that's what it is. The heart has to be filled before there can be an overflow.
So it's the overflow of a heart filled with Christ. I have enjoyed this thought, Brother Anderson connection with these verses that what the Father is looking for and desires is that those who worship Him worship Him in spirit and in truth. Nothing else is acceptable to him worshipping in the spirit and in truth.
He mentions there Jerusalem and the mountains well.
At Jerusalem they were not in the Spirit at all.
It was not according to the to the mind of God and then the mountain. Of course that wasn't according to the truth, because that was not God's century, the mountain. So there was nothing according to the Spirit then, and nothing according to the truth. But now there is a place where we can worship the Lord in spirit and in truth. What did you say, Brother Angst? And that in the Old Testament days they did worship according to truth.
Because the place of worship was marked out, the sacrifices were set before them, and all about their worship was thoroughly prescribed every detail. But I don't think you could say they worship held by the Spirit in the way that we worship by the Spirit now. And if you look at Philippians, the third chapter.
00:35:09
We get instruction there that's helpful.
And we read there in the third verse of Philippians 3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the Spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the place.
A better rendering of that verse is.
For we are the circumcision which worship God.
Not in the spirit, but by the Spirit so.
Oh, now we can worship.
In spirit and in truth.
When we come together on Lord's Day morning.
Gather in the precious name of the Lord Jesus. We have truth for our guidance.
From Matthew 1820 teaches us that we're two or three are gathered together.
For my name there am I in the midst of them.
We gather in his name, we have the truth to replace.
And then?
We can not only worship in truth, but we can worship by the Spirit of God, which wasn't possible in the Old Testament times because.
This spirit was not yet given as you get in John 7, because that Jesus was not yet glorified.
Until he goes back to heaven and sends the Spirit here into this world.
Why It wasn't possible to worship by the Spirit and we're now able to worship by the Spirit. And you know in the second chapter of Acts when the Holy Ghost came down that he filled all the house where they were sitting.
And then he sat up. There sat upon each of them tongues of fire.
Tongues lacking of fire, they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. So there was the individual indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and there was also the collective presence.
Presence of the Spirit of God.
Well, we have that today. We each individually have the Spirit of God in US.
But we also collectively have the Spirit of God as an assembly, and so that.
We have a very definite privilege and the skills great satisfaction to know that we're not just taking our own thoughts and ideas about the way we meet and we're meeting a man one time in Grand Rapids.
Christian man and we got to talk in here, told me where he went. I said, why do you go there? Well, he says I I found some nice Christians there and I like the place and I just like to go there. I said, did you ever consider us to going where the Lord would have you to go in that No, He never thought of that. Well, that makes a vast difference, doesn't it? And that's where we get.
Worshipping and truth how you'll notice beloved and.
Our brother Roach has been bringing before us.
Some of the types, well, isn't it noticeable?
How every little detail is given in connection with the worship of Israel, Just where they were to put the the crops and feathers and just how the animal was to be burned and everything about it was described in the minutest land.
Well, now you will notice this contrast in connection with New Testament worship. What I speak of is what we find in the Epistles.
That very few details are mentioned. Now we take the breaking of bread. How much instructions do we have for the remembrance of the Lord? Well, we get the Lord took their breath. He broke it where He gave thanks and broke it.
00:40:07
And said eat this and so on. This is my body. He took the cup and gave thanks, passed it to them. They sang at him and went out. Very few details there. Why is that? Why they on the Israel's day? Was it necessary to have so many details described? Why is it in our dispensation we have so few details?
Well, it's just for this reason.
That they, as we were seeing, did not have the Spirit of God dwelling in them and with them as we have, and so now.
The the worship is left to the guidance of the Spirit of God, so that we have no depth in the prearranged order. We come together and we quietly wait on the Lord.
We recognize the head and glory.
We on the back, the Spirit of God is here and that he guides by the Spirit, so that many.
Much of our worship is just left to divine guidance for us. Now I know of a meeting. This happened years ago before I was acquainted with the place, but my brother got very legal about this matter.
You want to do cut things down just to exactly what the scripture told us about the breaking of prayer. And he insisted that they must come together, do nothing else but break the bread, sing to him and go home. Well, he he caused a lot of unhappiness and friction in the meeting and and it caused all kinds of trouble. But he had his way because he was a leader in a forceful man. And he finally succeeded in getting the meeting.
Under him so that they actually came together, just broke the bread and went home.
Let the man afterwards glad this is true, that he owned to his president, he said. I was under a delusion of the devil.
It wasn't the guidance of the Spirit of God at all he failed to recognize.
The present guidance of the hidden glory by the Spirit down here and so that we are just more left, left, more or less.
Just left to a very simple facts about the breaking of bread. But I believe that this is true, although we need to be careful not to get legal about even this that I'm about to speak of.
That we do come together definitely to break bread in remembrance of the Lord, and I believe that as a general.
Thing that the breaking of bread isn't left too late in the meeting. We don't want to get legal about this and I know it has been mentioned at certain times years ago and some brother would jump up almost to be poorly meeting was.
And communion and.
Break the bread. We don't want to get into a legal state about this matter.
But I believe that there should be a prominence to the breaking of bread, for that's the definite purpose for which we come together. The disciples came together to breakfast and then.
All priests out of them, and continued his speech until midnight, and on till morning.
That is, there was ministry definitely following the breaking of bread, but the purpose in coming together is the breaking of bread in remembrance of the Lord is something we can actually do everyone who is remembering the Lord.
Reforms and definite acts, the Lord has asked of us do this in remembrance of me. How precious. That makes the act of just breaking off a little piece of praise.
I think I'm doing what the Lord has asked me to do, to remember Him and taking a sip of the cup, to think I can remember that precious death and the shedding of His blood at Calvary if one of us are bringing feathers and they're out of the Spirit.
00:45:23
It's it's good for the rest to remain in the spirit.
Supposing I gave out of him, for instance, like I heard given out in the breaking of bread from various cares, our hearts retire. Could you sing that in the spirit, Brother Hale, be able to? You see, that's the point. Just because just because I would be out of the Spirit, that doesn't mean my brethren should be out of the Spirit. And they could sing that him in the Spirit as unto the Lord. Is that not right?
I remember distinctly one time when I was in the Woodbridge gathering, a very striking thing, the brother, dear brother, who was responsible. He's long since with the Lord, but we were enjoying the Lord and it had led up to the point where several brothers, including myself, felt at #150 should be given out. But as my usual method was, I waited because I wanted to be sure. When a dear brother got, he gave up with pilgrims in the wilderness and dwelling as a camp.
Well, you know, it was like throwing a wet blanket on a hot fire.
And what we sang to him through and after meditating a little bit, I I gave out 150. And afterwards our dear brother Cola came. He says, brother, I'm glad we got back on the track again. And the Lord gave us a wonderful time of worship and so that we even though that hymn was a jarring note, yet it was sung heartily by the brethren. The Lord gave us the precious time. Could I refer to the 5th of Luke a moment?
In relation to some remarks of our brother Barry just made.
Verse 37.
And no man put his new wine into all bottles, else the new wine will burst the bottles and be spilled, and the bottle shall perish. But new wine must be put into new bottles, and both are preserved.
That is, we have here the power of Christianity.
The power of the Holy Ghost that wells up in the heart and leads into worship. Now that cannot be put into old Jewish forms. It cannot be narrowed down because these two things are not consistent with each other. So that the the new wine has to be in a in a new form. If we use that term and our brother Barry is bringing out before us, how does we gather? We are gathered around the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
To remember him and his death, The spirit of God leads and if we are watchful we'll see how marvelously he does. So let's be very practical. A brother who gives out the first hymn. Well, that hymn may deal as like the first hymn of the book, all the gifts. There's the gift and it's the blood. With the second brother who gives the hymn out. I've often noticed issues to set the pattern of the meeting because he his soul may have been occupied with the gift.
So he gives out to him about the gift, or he may be occupied with the blood, so he gives out to him about the blood. But it's based on the first Him given out in that sense the Spirit leading. And so we have the Lord as the Lamb, we have worship to the Father, we have Christ as the shepherd. And what a variety of things the Spirit of God brings before us in our worship. Now that cannot be put in these old wine bottles. It won't stay there. And so we need, as our brother pointed out, from Philippians 3.
That we are the Circumcision. That worship by the Spirit of God and we come to wait upon him. It has often been objected to call the Lord's Day Morning meeting a worship meeting. Well, it's true, we don't come to worship. But if it isn't a worship meeting, we fail. We fail to take in what Christ is. It's a worship meeting in effect. We come to remember the Lord. That's our purpose. But how can we remember him without there being worship? It's got to be a worship meeting if we are really there in the power of the Spirit.
But I referred to an Old Testament scripture in connection with by Him. Therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise and thinking of the case of Nadab at the Bayou, the sons of Aaron, who were addressed by a judge in proper priestly robes, and took incense with them, I suppose also correctly compounded, but they bypassed.
00:50:26
The brazen altar. They went into the Tabernacle, They brought this incense, and they used strange fire to cause this cloud of incense to ascend. Now no one but the Lord would have known the difference. Where this fire came from might not seem to be of any particular significance, but they had been told that the coals of fire that produced this cloud of incense.
Were to be taken from the brazen altar, which speaks of the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In other words, to have everything else in order, but to bypass the work of the Lord Jesus Christ does not produce worship that is acceptable to God. And there's a great deal of this I'm sure in Christendom today. But it not only not acceptable, I believe it's abominable. Native and a Bahia were were immediately smitten before the Lord and it's a marvelous thing to realize that that which produces.
This worship within our hearts is by Him, therefore, the heart that rejoices in the value of the person and work of Christ. The heart that desires to approach God with A sense of this, I believe, can approach God with acceptable worship. And another little Old Testament illustration in connection with the very things that have been spoken of the crop and the feathers, seems to me to be evident in the case of Gideon.
He found himself in the presence of the Angel of the Lord. Now he spontaneously wished to bring a present, And this, I think, is very nice. He asked that the Angel might wait until he brought forth his present president. I think this is so lovely, the spontaneous desire of the heart to bring something to the one dear to our hearts. So he made ready flesh.
And unleavened cakes, and a pot full of broth. And he brought these three things out to the Angel of the Lord. The Angel of the Lord looked at these three things. Everyone brought with every good intention. And he said, Take the flesh which spoke of Christ, and the unleavened cakes which spoke of Christ, and lay them upon this rock which spoke of Christ and poor out.
The broth. Well, that might have been a little disappointing to Gideon. I suppose. In preparing this flash he saw this delightful broth. I'll add this to my offering. It will make it much nicer. It will be that much more acceptable. God will be pleased with this pot of broth. But he wasn't pleased. But he didn't scold Gideon either. He said Pour it out. Well, Gideon just obeyed. He poured it out and offered up that which spoke of Christ.
And I doubt very much if he ever tried bringing broth again. I'm sure that in all our attempts to worship our precious Savior, there is broth associated with it. As our brother said, there's crop and feathers. We don't excuse it, but we we own it. But thank God for the one who can separate that which is acceptable, and perhaps would even remind us too, to pour out that which is not acceptable, even though it may seem to be.
So pleasant.
Confessing his name, someone once asked a question.
They feel that there should be any ministry or expectation, the breaking of bread, to send a word on that Lady.
You mean brother?
Before The Apprentice, broken or after, or not at all, there should only be the breaking of bread. There's no ministry or expectation. Well, I believe that that's a mistake. You take care of the order of instruction in the first vessel of Corinthians in the 11Th chapter. You'll get the Breaking Afraid.
00:55:19
In the 14th chapter you get ministers.
Of course, between the there's also the 12Th chapter that gives the gifts of the Spirit, the 13th chapter which gives us.
What is better than gift? And that is the more excellent way and that's the way of love and then you get full instruction as to as to taking part.
An order in connection with it. So it would seem to me, brother, that that is clear guidance for us as to and then what we have already spoken of in the in the 20th of Acts where they came together to break bread, Paul preached on them. Well, someone thought because after midnight that the Euticus fell out of the window and they came back and broke bread without when they remembered the Lord. But I think that is definitely a mistake.
Because it was just simply that they had a little meal there and at midnight. But the language used as they came together ought to hear Paul treat. But they came together to break bread, and this and without question. Now that was the first procedure in the meeting. They woke bread in remembrance of the Lord. And then Paul ministered unto them, showing that ministry as in keeping with.
Well, the occasion of remembering the Lord, although the purpose is coming together to break bread.
How is that right brother?
Besides, is the presence of the Holy Spirit to lead and guide? And if there was no Scripture forbidding such ministry, there's liberty to wait on the Holy Spirit, for you can't go back to Luke Five. We cannot put the new wine into old bottles.
And so I believe, as our brother Barry has pointed out of Acts 20, we have a pattern. And it's interesting how God teaches us certain principles through some historical statement. Paul comes there, they break bread and he ministers. And then after the young man is raised up from having fallen and they go back in the 11Th place, they come up and eat a meal. Here it's breaking the bread to eat. And then Paul, which says he talked a long while, the correct word there was he can first.
The first plot was Paul preaching after the breaking of bread. In the second, it's Paul sitting down and eating and conversing with them until a break of day. It's a different word altogether.
So I believe that would give us scriptural order that there can be a ministry of the word after breaking of bread afterward. I remember Brother Potter saying with many years ago this very same thing that we the purpose of our coming is to break bread. But when the Saints are gathered together, the Spirit of God may lay it on the heart of a brother to minister concerning Christ.
Which I think is a a pleasant thing that.
We can, as we gather those together, have our hearts stirred and have Christ brought before us in ministry.
I'd like to mention 20 years ago we were traveling to Moscow for a month and we stopped in Howard with an old brother in the name of Petri and he was on the bed of sickness and he just opened his heart and poured out for me on his great burden. He said that the breaking of bread, the brother would get out.
And enlarge upon the body of Christ, and to leave the Saints into another truth, rather than than the person priced himself being sacrificed for us. And it was a great lesson to me not to disturb the lines of thought, the Spirit of God, in giving praises and admiration to the Lord for his love to us.
According to the cross of Christ preparing our judgment, and there is bloodless shedding.
01:00:06
So I have always thought that to change the line of thought and the breaking of bread was a diversion, and that was the burden of this old brother teacher. Probably you've heard.
There's another subject from before us in the 16th verse that's important too. You know, sometimes you hear the question asked. Why do we and most meetings, they put the basket on the table along with the bread and the wine? Have we any authority for putting the basket for the money on the same table?
Have even resented this and no one meeting where her brother left the meeting when they started passing the walks around.
Well, I believe we do have definite guidance here in the next verse, but to do good and to communicate, forget not and notice the next the rest of the verse four with such sacrifice. No or with such sacrifice.
Then the plural God is well pleased.
And as he has spoken of in the preceding verse, 15th verse, about offering the sacrifice of praise, there is worship. Then we get in the 16th verse doing good and communicating Money is laid aside for the assembly and for various purposes and connections.
With the Lord's work, and then they too are spoken of together.
As sacrifices.
For he says, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Well, it's surely consistent that if the spirit of God has taught us that the collections, the doing good, and this is the way of doing good and communicating.
That if that is looked at as a sacrifice alongside the worship, it must be pleasing to the Lord, surely, to have the basket on the table as a part of our worship. And it is quite a thought there to us, giving as a part of our worship. We're giving love to our brethren, we're giving to the Lord.
For the very best connection.
Some meetings will last, the last because immediately after the break and thread. Others will wait and they'll become given out of bill later. Is there any particular significance or difference in this matter?
Well, I never saw any special difference, brother.
I'm always happy either way.
And that I have felt that it was rather.
A mistake?
To have ministry and then after they've been ministry and the assembly to then pass the box, It seems to me that is is out of order. If the meeting is following that pattern, I wouldn't. I wouldn't force it. We want to follow the things that make for peace, but I believe it's more in order if somewhere near early.
Sometime.
Shortly following the passing of the emblem, the basket should be passed. The first time that the two things are close together here in these two verses would indicate that, wouldn't it, that they should be kept closer together.
Industry would sort of separate them, but a hymn of praise, wasn't it? I've been in gatherings where there was no set order. That had to be done one way or the other.
Where the cop over where the cup was set back on the table, the basket was passed in other cases in the same assembly for him giving out between the cup and the basket. But if ministry comes in there disassociates the this one second sacrifice from the first, as it were. And so the Spirit of God keeps it together here. Could we go back for a moment to that little expression?
01:05:11
That, I felt, was so in keeping with our brother Hale's remarks.
The end of this 15th verse that we didn't speak of.
Really, if you look at the margin, it says confessing.
His name?
Would you give us a word on that, brother Albert?
Well, we cannot.
Fill the sanctuary with fragrance. That's the work of Christ.
With all our prayers and praises He adds his sweet perfume. But this we can do. We can mention that precious name, and that name itself is the fragrance that fills all heaven. You know how God delights that to hear that name.
Now this should be in keeping with our worship. In the beginning of this 15th verse we have by him. At the end of the verse we have. Confessing that same name or giving thanks is is our version here gives it, but it's confessing that precious name. Now that's what adds all the fragrance, isn't it? To the worship. It's Christ.
Oh, how God delights in the work of Christ.
His person, his own Son. But oh how he's glorified him in the work of redemption, and we come in on that basis, and so it has its place in this verse especially by him. Therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually. God is the source of all blessing. It was in God's heart to provide a ransom for us.
But how did he do it? Well, it was through his son that is the fruit of our lips.
Confessing his name. The sweetness, the fragrance of that name is what?
We confess to God all that that name means. He knows we don't know, but we know what it means to us. And so it's that which lends the fragrance. Now in the Old Testament, I think it's the 30th of Exodus, we have certain.
Certain spices.
Certain perfumes, they were not to be used on anyone, but on the Lord Himself. And I believe that that this is what is inferred when the women at the grave, just on the Sabbath, before the Sabbath, they prepared these spices so that they could go later.
To bring them to the grave on the on the first day of the week, Well, it speaks, does it not, of that precious name of Jesus. There's nothing to equal it. And that's what lends its value to the praise, is it not?
I was thinking of the this expression, the fruit of our lips. Now where does it through the fruit of our lips come from?
In Isaiah 5719 the Lord says I create the fruit of the lips. Now if the Lord creates the fruit of the lips, what form and character will this fruit take? The very things our brother is bringing out confessing his name. So what's he that leads the worship and gives power for it as things have been approved too. Now if anyone has an orchard of fruit trees or.
Plants.
They they fertilize that orchard, they cultivate it. They take good care of it, that it might bring forth good fruit. And so the heart is the place from which the fruit comes. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh. And so we need to cultivate, as it were, our heart. We need to feed our souls on the word of God, feed on Christ and.
Cultivate our heart for souls. That is, meditate upon the word in such a way that it leads to exercise of soul, and so that we might be fresh in our souls when we come together for worship. Or when we're before the Lord privately. That there might be that good fruit without a great brother Anderson with a trantic sex with Deuteronomy where they were to fill.
01:10:21
The baskets of the first fruits of the land.
Well, we know the first truth is Christ because First Corinthians 15 says now is Christ risen and become the first fruits of them that slept. Well they weren't to wait until near the time when they came and presented their offering, but they were to come with a full basket and present it to the priest.
And they were to say I was here and ready to perish with my father, and he came into this land and so on. Then they were to present this basket before the Lord and to worship Well, I believe there is a most valuable lesson for us, that is we're not to just wait till largely morning to.
Be enjoying Christ for the occasion. But if we're enjoying Christ all during the week.
Well then we'll come with a full basket. I have mentioned I think before, but I learned the most valuable lesson from our brother Potter.
One time in Palmdale, Minnesota we were going to have a two day meeting and the Saturday before we had a prayer meeting and.
I was among the number that prayed, and I prayed that we might be in an attitude of worship.
After the meeting was over, the old brother came to me and he says answer when are you to stop praying to be in an attitude of worship? I said what should I pray for brother Potter? He says pray that you may be occupied with Christ and then you will be in an attitude of worship. Well the lesson I never forgot because we may think you know that if we're.
Enjoying just eating nature.
I believe those spirit and so on, and might deceive ourselves. There's no deception whatever in being occupied with a blessed person of the Lord Jesus, and we have to continually.
The exercise about this matter if there's no one like myself that is so prone to have forget and be occupied with other matters and other things.
So that very little time of meditation is given, and thinking of the blessed person and the word of the Lord Jesus. I've always appreciated the second Kim in the appendix was written by Mr. Darby. And you know he says in that him no infants changing pleasure is like my wandering mind.
And oh, how I have to often.
Confess how short I am in that way. But rather, may we seek opportunities when we're alone in the quiet. Maybe before we drop off to sleep at night, let's seek to cultivate the habit Instead of getting our minds all taken up with present things. Troubles maybe and trials and so on. May we get our minds on the Blessed Lord. Something like David. You know, he went in, just sat in the presence of the Lord. Doesn't say he did anything else. He just sat there.
The Lord had told him the wonderful blessings that he had in store for him and his house for generations to come, and his soul was so filled with delight. But he just sat in the presence of the Lord. May there be little quiet times when we are just quietly enjoying the presence of the Lord. Well, that's really communion, isn't it?
A few moments that are left, I wonder if we could go to verse 20 and 21 seeing we've already spoken of.
01:15:02
Verse 17.
Just a few thoughts on the Great Shepherd or the Shepherd, would that be profitable?
We have the Shepherd mentioned in various ways, do we not? In in.
Scripture I know how precious it is to to know him as the Good Shepherd, as we have in John. And then for those who seek to serve the Lord is the day coming when the chief Shepherd shall appear, and he'll reward those, as we have in Peter. But it seems to me that this has a special significance.
And encouragement and comfort for our souls here, if I understand this right, that here we have the Great Shepherd.
We are encouraged here that we have one not only who is seated at God's right hand all the dignity and glory of his person and position, but we have one who is able. He's the Great Shepherd, and if there is a miracle that's greater than any other is to take.
Such as we are through this waste howling wilderness and bring us safely home to the Father's house. And I believe that's what we have here.
Psalms 2223 and 24 Lovely You have the Good Shepherd in Psalm 22 giving himself for us. In Psalm 23 we have the Great Shepherd, who has the power to bring us through through the difficulties, and in the 24th Psalm.
We have a day of glory. We have the Chief Shepherd.
That's 15 to what we have in verse 8. Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever.
Remember Brother Harrison giving a very helpful thought about the way the the blessing of the Chief Shepherd comes in here keeping us.
You see the Goa hunting him without the camp, you're breaking every natural.
Link, as it were, with anything that you might depend upon in connection with.
What they were accustomed to, they were accustomed to the temple and it was a regular system, you know, and they were dependent on that system in connection with their their life, their at that time well, to go out and leave all that money that they were acquainted with and put them in a very.
Strange position.
Well, here he gives them this encouragement. You come out now to a rejected Christ. Just remember this.
That you have a chief shepherd, the great shepherd of the sheep, to watch over and care for you. You're not just cast out like a ship without a without a rudder and without a sail to just.
Sat adrift him in this world, but you have that great shepherd of the sheep, that risen, glorified Christ of God who was going to watch over you. And that might be encouraging to let him or in little people meetings. I know. And years ago Brother Blount was preaching in Arlington, KY.
The great power in the gospel.
He will be going to inquire about.
What kind of people these were? Where does this all come from?
And some said, well, what are we going to do if we go on with this movement or what will become of us when some of our family die? Who's going to look after our funerals? They were at a loss to know what were they going to do if they left their denominations and went off with this company that had nothing to offer as far as anything they were accustomed to.
Religious ways Well, here is the here's the guidance, isn't it? Leave it with the Lord He provides, and he will not fail if he are in a place perhaps where?
01:20:15
You're where man and his wife might be breaking bread at some distance from any gathering. Well, it's quite a test, isn't it? There to be entirely isolated.
Nor Christian associations.
Well, it's well to remember there is that.
That great shepherd of the sheep to care for you.
The story is told that might be helpful for the children here.
I'll be a man who was visiting somewhere in England and he used to take a trip out in the country occasionally and he came upon a shepherd boy. He was taking care of the sheep.
I'm referring to the thought of the Good Shepherd now.
And.
He inquired of him what he was doing, and he all the time he said, Oh, my work is to take care of these sheep.
So he asked him if he had heard about the Good Shepherd.
No, we haven't. So he told him about the Good Shepherd and inasmuch as the boy couldn't read.
He had him use his hand and use that verse.
The Lord, The Lord is my shepherd.
So he said. Now I just remember your third finger.
Your third finger.
What is your third finger say?
Mind sometime afterwards.
There was a Blizzard, and after the Blizzard they found this little boy.
Frozen to death.
And when they examined him, they found that he was holding his third finger.
My shepherd Well, that's a very simple thing, but.
How good it would be if some of these children here today would embrace this truth.
I know we're getting to simpler things here, but it's good for all of us.
The practical truth is what we need now. We can talk about the Good Shepherd. We can talk about the Great Shepherd.
In sort of an abstract way, but dear children this morning.
Is he my shepherd? Some time ago, a couple with their family were invited to a reading meeting in Los Angeles. This was many years ago.
And the subject was the 10th of John.
These people had been following the Mormon faith.
And they left soon after the meeting.
And went back to Utah.
A week later I got a letter from them. They said we've heard the Shepherd's voice.
That 10th of John Reading that morning caused them to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their savior because it was put in such a personal way. It wasn't simply that he is a shepherd, but it came home to them in power so that they could confess him as their shepherd.
Gospel There shall be 1 flock, 1 Shepherd.
That presents to me the picture of the shepherd standing in the midst of his flock, having the flock all around him.
One flock, 1 Shepherd.
Well, the story is told of a of a shepherd that had a flock of sheep.
And he was very careful with them taking care of them.
And there were wolves in that area where he was.
Shepherding his sheep.
And the wolves would come every now and then.
And prey on the flock? Well, as they were feeding, they would.
01:25:03
Wander away from the Shepherd, and perhaps they wouldn't be so close to the Shepherd.
But if the shepherd saw the wolf coming, he would just give out a call to the sheep. A call that the sheep would know that they would have to come together around himself.
As soon as he saw the wolf come, he gave out that call, and the wolf had already gotten in the midst.
Of the flock. But when they heard the call, they all dashed toward the shepherd, and their safety was in being close to the shepherd. Well, when when the sheep dashed toward the shepherd while the wolf ran away. And so I believe that's a lesson for us to keep close to our shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ. Listen to his voice, be in communion, be in touch with him, that we might be kept in these last days.
238.
The Truth of the One Body
Address—D. Andersen
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 Sing Together #210?
One spirit with the Lord.
All blessed wondrous Word, What heavenly light? What power divine does that sweet Word afford? 210.
One Spirit.
Where?
Oh my God.
I would like to.
Make some remarks connected with the truth of the one body this afternoon.
And I trust that we might have it before us in such a way that it will be a help, especially to the young people.
One is exercised about this.
Because.
We see things happening around us and in our very midst to indicate.
That there must be a lack of knowledge of the truth of the one body, what it means to be gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
On the ground of the one body.
And although this is a large subject, I thought, I thought perhaps we might look at a few scriptures that would bring some things before us, and perhaps something especially of a practical nature because.
Truth in the abstract is all right, but I feel.
00:05:04
That for myself and I'm sure.
Other of my brethren feel the same thing, that to put it forth in such a way that we might really get hold of it is another thing.
Perhaps we might know the truth in the abstract and really enjoy it, but I'm sure there are many who might have been exposed to the truth. They might have heard it, but perhaps it doesn't mean much to them, and I do hope that.
That by the guidance of the Spirit of God.
And as you bear me up in your prayers, that we might have something before us.
That would really be a help to us this afternoon.
Shall we look first of all in Ephesians chapter 4?
I'm going to read just 4 words.
In Ephesians chapter 4.
And verse 4.
There is one body.
Now, dear young people, I suppose most of you know that there is one body.
But perhaps.
You don't understand very much about the one body, the truth of the one body. But here a fact is stated. There is one body.
Now it doesn't say there are many bodies.
If you were to look around, and I'm sure you have in Christendom, you would get the impression that there are many bodies.
And outwardly so.
We do see many bodies of Christians, many circles of fellowship.
Many associations of believers, but the fact remains there is one body.
There were never two bodies. Three bodies, only one body.
Now this might be stated a little differently.
The body is 1, the body is 1, and I believe in this statement is contained. Also the truth that there's a unity here, the body is one that is when we're Speaking of the body.
As we'll see in another scripture we'll refer to momentarily.
The body is the church, and it's one. It's one. Not only is there one body, but it is one. It's a unity.
It's not a divided thing, but it is one.
And I believe we need to be impressed with this dear young people, that the church is 1. It's a unity. There's no division in it as far as God is concerned, the division that you see.
Is outwardly, and that which man has brought in it is certainly not what God has brought in. So we have brought before us what God does and what man does.
God forms one body, He forms one body. And that took place nearly 2000 years ago. But let's look at another verse here in Ephesians.
In chapter one.
In that.
Chapter In the last part of it especially you see what God has done for the Lord Jesus Christ. It speaks of his being raised from the dead and seated far above all principalities and powers, and so on. And then in verse 22 it says and has put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body.
The fullness of him that filleth All in all.
There.
We have the body mentioned again.
In verse 23 it speaks of his body, but it also says the church, which is his body. So here we find out that the body that the Apostle Paul speaks of here in Ephesians is the church, the church, the Church of God, and it has a head. The Lord Jesus Christ is the head.
00:10:11
Now I'm glad that the Spirit of God has presented the church under the figure of a body.
And you can read about it in other scriptures. Perhaps we might refer to one later on in First Corinthians chapter 12.
But the Church is presented to us under the figure of a body, and every one of us is acquainted with a body. I'm Speaking of the human body. Each one of us has one, a human body with a head and members.
And so this is the figure that the Spirit of God uses in Scripture in Speaking of the Church, the Body, the body of Christ, the Church, which is His body.
We might turn back to Matthew Chapter 16.
And we'll find out something about the church there, which is the body of Christ.
I believe this is the first time.
That the Church is mentioned.
In Scripture, actually you don't find the Church as such.
As the Body of Christ mentioned in the Old Testament, you have types and shadows of it. It's true, but you don't get the truth of the church in the Old Testament and even though you might find in some of your Bibles.
When you're looking at the headings over the chapters, sometimes they're heading supplied by the editors of certain Bible and they put these things in and they're not part of the inspired word of God, but you will find expressions.
Saying that this is the church and this is speaking about the church and so on. Well, you don't find the truth of the church in the Old Testament. However, now that we know the truth of the church, we can go back into the Old Testament and we can find principles and helps and instruction from it. But here in this chapter, chapter 16 of Matthew.
In verse 15, the Lord asks his disciples a question.
He says. Whom say ye that I am?
And Simon Peter, as he does.
Has done on other occasions. He rises to the occasion and he answers.
He says Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. What a statement.
Now when Peter makes that statement, he really goes beyond what we have, like in the second Psalm. And how did he get it? Who revealed this to him? Well, the Lord says, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father, which is in heaven.
Peter got a special revelation from the Father.
And then the Lord says, Thou art Peter, meaning a little stone.
Then he says, and upon this rock I will build my church, the revelation of the Father.
To us concerning his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, that he is the Christ, the Son of the living God.
There is the rock. He is the foundation rock upon which the Church is built, the revelation that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God, and of course, including also that He's our Savior, our Redeemer, and so on.
Here in this statement, the Lord says I will build my church. That means that the church hadn't been built yet.
Even though there's some that would refer to the church in the Old Testament.
And speak of Israel as a church and that the body of Christians now is just a continuation of that body in the Old Testament. It's not. So the church was still future here. The Lord says I will build my church. It wasn't built yet. The Lord hadn't begun to build. And notice he says my church, my church, the church doesn't belong to anyone here on this earth, doesn't belong to any man.
00:15:13
Even though there are many that might refer to this congregation as my church and that body of Christians as my church.
The Lord says it's mine, my church. Remember, the church belongs to Christ. It's his body.
Now, you dear young people.
You who have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.
You have believed in him and received him, and you're saved. But the Scripture says having believed, you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.
And the moment you were sealed, you were united to the body of Christ. You were made a member of the body of Christ. You're part of that church that the Lord Jesus Christ is building.
If you're not saved this afternoon, you're not part of that church.
You may have made a profession.
Of being a Christian.
But are you really saved?
Have you really believed in the Lord Jesus Christ?
Have you confessed Jesus as Lord? And have you believed in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead?
Do you believe that the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ was shed for you?
That you might have your sins forgiven through faith in the Lord Jesus.
You know, if you've not had your sins washed away in the precious blood of Christ.
The Holy Spirit cannot come to dwell in your heart, and it cannot be said that you are saved. It cannot be said that you are a member of the Body of Christ, the Church.
Now we might look at another scripture, Matthew 18, because the Church is mentioned there as well.
In verse, it begins with verse 15, and it's in connection with a personal trespass.
One trespassing against another and there to get this thing settled between them and if it's not possible.
Even after bringing witnesses along to get the matter settled between the two. Then it says in verse 17, if he shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the church, the church.
The Church.
Is the body of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Their people. It's not a building.
You can refer to a church building. You can refer to a building where the church meets. That is where the children of God meet.
But to call a building a church is not scriptural.
The Church is made-up of human beings.
Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.
And one scripture in Acts.
Chapter 11, verse 22 brings before us that the church has ears. Well, who is it that has ears? The believers, The members of the body? Human beings who are saved and belong to that body. They're the ones who have the ears. So the church is made-up of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.
But in this case.
In Matthew 18.
We noticed that there's somebody in the midst.
Of these who were gathered together.
It says in verse 24 where two or three are gathered together in my name.
There am I in the midst of them, in the midst of whom this church, this group of believers.
And it says something about them in verse 18 and 19. It says whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. This is Speaking of authority that's confided to this group that's called the Church.
And where do they get this authority? They get it from the fact that there's one in their midst.
The Lord Jesus Christ, that's where the authority is, and the Lord Jesus.
Then the body of believers themselves there's no authority, and without the Lord Jesus Christ in the midst, they have no authority.
00:20:05
He is the authority. It's his name that stands for authority.
The name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Should symbolize to everyone of US authority, power.
You remember in the book of the Acts?
When there were healings done, miracles performed, it was done in the name of the Lord Jesus, because it's the name of power and authority.
And so if there's a matter that has to be settled in the assembly, it can be settled in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ by his authority. Well, that makes the company of believers very careful what they do.
What decision they make, Because it has to be done in the name of the Lord. They must claim the name of the Lord His authority connected with it. And so it means that we have to be very, very careful. And if there's dependence upon the Lord, it's wonderful what the Lord can help us to do. Even though we're in a very, very weak condition, If we would just lean upon the Lord and cry to Him and trust Him, he will help us in making those decisions.
Whether they're happy decisions or sad decisions.
The Lord gives grace and strength for it all.
Now it speaks about prayer.
Too, if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. There's power in prayer. Not only power for making decisions in the assembly, but there's power in prayer too. How wonderful to have the Lord Jesus Christ in our midst.
To guide us and help us and empower us in all that we do.
And seek to do for his honor and his glory.
While we could dwell more on this verse.
The 20th verse, but I want to go on to something else because before we know it the time is gone and.
We were mentioning.
In connection with what we have in Matthew 16 that the building of the church was future. So let's go over to Acts Chapter 2.
And we'll see there the beginning of the building.
Of the Church.
Acts Chapter 2 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like us of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues.
As the Spirit gave them utterance.
This was a momentous occasion.
This was the day of Pentecost.
And.
It's remarkable thing that when you read in the book of Ezekiel, you'll read about other feasts, but not the feast of Pentecost. You'll read about other feasts to be fulfilled, but not this one. It was fulfilled here, and I believe that's what's meant when it says fully come. It was fulfilled. The day of Pentecost had come.
And the Lord began to build his church.
Now they have been told these disciples.
As we read in the first chapter.
Verse 4.
They had been told to wait for the promise of the Father, which the Lord said, You have heard of me. What was that promise? Was the promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit. Because he says, John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. So the Lord was Speaking of a baptism here, but it wasn't the baptism of water, it was the baptism.
Of the Holy Ghost.
Baptism with the Holy Ghost.
There is something else said in connection with.
With the Holy Spirit's coming in verse 8, ye shall receive power. After that the Holy Ghost has come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me.
00:25:07
So there are three things brought before us in connection with the coming of the Holy Ghost. The 1St is the baptism, the next is that they were to have power and they were to be enabled to witness for the Lord.
I believe in Christendom, generally speaking.
The real purpose, the primary purpose of the coming of the Holy Spirit, has been lost sight of.
They're looking for the power, yes, and they're seeking to be unable to witness for the law, but the baptism.
They don't understand, it seems. I trust we understand it. I trust that we are able to lay hold upon this.
But we read a very simple statement in Paul's letter to the Corinthians. He says by 1 spirit.
Are we all baptized into one body?
And it was this baptism that took place.
As we are reading of it in Chapter 2 on the day of Pentecost.
It says.
In verse 4.
They were all filled with the Holy Ghost.
And began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Well, there was a sign that he had come, that the Holy Spirit had come down to this earth.
And it was a sign that he had done the work that he had come to do to baptize all these believers into one body.
You notice it says in the first chapter there were about 120 that were gathered together there in the upper room.
And we take it that that was the company that was filled with the Holy Ghost.
It speaks of cloven tongues appearing to them.
And sitting upon each of them and it says that they were like as a fire.
Well, the cloven tongues would indicate that he gave the power to speak with other tongues.
But what about the fire?
Ah, that's that's the piercing character.
But the Holy Spirit brings with him, as it were. That is, the Spirit of God can speak the soul. He can speak and Pierce right into the very heart of human beings.
But here were these 120 or so on the day of Pentecost.
And while they were waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit, all of a sudden come and a house.
Is filled where they're sitting.
What happened?
As we look at those 120 there in that upper room.
They are so many separate individuals independent one of another. They do have something in common. They're all believers and the word of God. They're all believers in God. They're all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. They all have divine light.
That is what?
Is the common characteristics of them, but still they are not united together into one body.
There are so many separate individual believers independent one of another.
When the Holy Spirit, sent down from the Lord Jesus Christ above, comes down and indwells every one of them, what happened? All these believers are baptized into one body.
All united together into one body, which is called the Church, the Church of the Living God.
You have now something you didn't have before. You have a body of believers. It would never show with Israel. There were many believers among the Israelites, but it never could be said that they were one body in that sense that they were united together by the Holy Spirit. They were shepherd, individual believers, and they had life as believers, but not united together by the Holy Spirit.
00:30:10
They had things in common, yes, but it's one thing to have some things in common and it's another thing to be united together.
Thinking again of the one body, the human body is united together into one unity.
All united together into one unit, there's a picture of what was formed on the day of Pentecost.
One body. And not only were they all united together.
They were also united to the Lord Jesus Christ to head up in heaven because that's where the Holy Spirit was sent from.
And so you had a body now with members and a head.
You get to picture young people a body.
We might use another illustration which has been used before.
We might have 120 beads in a dish.
And those beads are just rolling around in the dish.
They're not united together.
But they have something in common. We might say they're all pearls. They have that in common. They might be different sizes and they all have a hole in them they've been pierced through and there they are, rolling around in the dish.
They're independent deeds, independent pearls.
Now you take a needle and thread.
And you string the mall onto that thread.
And when you have all the 120 beads on the thread, you tie it and you hang it around your neck and you say now I have a necklace.
But you have something different from what you had before, when the beats were simply rolling around in the dish.
They were all independent one of another then, but not now. Now they're all united together by the one thread that goes through them all.
Short was with these believers. Before the Holy Spirit came, they were independent one of another. But as soon as the Holy Spirit came and indwelt them all, they were all united together into one body called the Church.
I believe we need.
To know this truth and to have this truth get hold of us.
And it's a wonderful thing for you young people to know.
That when you really believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and receive him as your Savior, you're sealed by the Spirit of God.
And by that you're united to the body of Christ.
You're a member.
Of his body.
I believe here on the day of Pentecost.
There were only Jews that were united together.
And we find that as the gospel was preached, that it brought conviction to other Jews.
And there were there were others that believed and.
We find that the there were about 3000, so there was a good company there to begin with. But they were all one body, all united together into one body. But it was at that time what some might have said a Jewish body.
But was it God's mind to have only a Jewish body?
It was God's purpose that the gospel should go forth to everyone.
It was God's purpose to call out from among all nations of people for His name.
And these Jewish believers?
Many of them, perhaps.
All of them didn't really understand that the body.
Was going to have more than just Jews in it.
But if you'll turn over to the 8th chapter of Acts.
You find that there's a man by the name of Saul. He's leading a great persecution.
And the children of God are being persecuted and scattered abroad through the regions of Judea and Samaria.
00:35:04
Except the apostles. They were not scattered. They stayed at Jerusalem, apparently.
Stephen had been stoned.
And it seemed that the stoning of Stephen just opened up a great persecution against the children of God. Of course, Stephen had laid a charge against the Jews, and they didn't like it, and it seemed to stir up their hatred more than ever.
But God has his way in all of these difficulties and trials, And when these disciples went everywhere, they went preaching the gospel.
And so we find in verse five that Philip went down to the city of Samaria.
And preach Christ unto them. Well, that was really something for Philip to do that because.
We find out from the 4th chapter of John's Gospel connection with the story of the.
Woman at the well met by the Lord that the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans. They were outside, they were not in, they were out.
And they couldn't be recognized by the Jews. They were looked upon as defiled outside all the promises and the covenants of Israel. They had no right to any of the things that belonged to the Jews.
But Philip goes down there and preaches Christ to them. And there was what he sometimes called revival. Down there, souls were saved.
And it says in verse.
Eight. There was great joy in that city.
Great joy because they heard the gospel, they believed it, and they were saved and they got the joy that accompanies salvation.
Now there were some believers in Samaria.
Were they to be recognized?
By the believers in Jerusalem.
There was real test coming now, all those who had believed in Jerusalem.
Were now members of the one body, the Church. What about these at Samaria?
Some might say, Well, what should we do about them? Shall we recognize them? They believe the same gospel that we have believed. What about them?
Well, as you go on down.
In the chapter.
We read that verse 14 when the apostles which were Jerusalem heard.
That Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John.
Who, when they were come, come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost, for yet he was fallen upon none of them, only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Then laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost, now God, in his sovereignty.
Had not given those Samaritan believers the Holy Ghost.
As yet.
Oh, it's wonderful to see the sovereignty of God in connection with the building of the church, the formation of the church, and adding these other kinds of believers to the church.
No, they must not receive the Holy Spirit until there is some identification with the body already in Jerusalem.
And so the Holy Spirit wasn't falling upon them yet.
And then the apostles they sent down Peter and John.
And when Peter and John come down, they pray for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost.
So these believers in Samaria.
Receive the Holy Ghost when the Saints at Jerusalem show their hand of fellowship with them, show that they're identified with them. They lay their hands on, which is a sign of identification, and they say we acknowledge these as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, and they pray for them and they get the Holy Ghost.
Oh, how wise of God.
Why? If God had not ordered it this way, what would have happened?
If those Samaritans could have received the Holy Spirit and made members of the body.
Of Christ before there was this identification indicated by Jerusalem. Why?
00:40:08
We can just imagine what would have happened. They would have said, well, we have a church at Jerusalem, the Jerusalem church, and we have and there's a church at Samaria, the Samaritan Church, and they wouldn't have felt any responsibility or obligation to go on in fellowship together.
You see how?
God was guarding this matter of keeping the unity of the Spirit right from the very beginning. Now they didn't have Pauls teaching to direct them in these matters. Pauls teaching comes out afterward like we have in Ephesians chapter 4, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace. But this is actually what they were doing.
Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit and God was guarding the Church from the very beginning.
That we might see how important it is that there is one body and to act like one body.
Now if you go over to the 10th chapter.
You have Gentiles brought in, and we see the same care that God has.
In connection with the Gentiles.
Here is a man by the name of Cornelius.
And it tells us about him. I'm reading from Acts chapter 10. In verse two it says he was a devout man and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much arms to the people and prayed to God all way.
Well, he had learned something about God.
And he was a devout man. He feared God.
Which I believe indicates that he was a believer in God. He had that which is needed.
The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, and he had the beginning of it, and he was a praying man.
And.
God acknowledges this. It says in verse 4.
Thy prayers and thine arms are come up for memorial before God. This is what the Angel tells him.
His.
Prayer and his arms giving was recognized by God. It wasn't just something that he was doing to merit eternal life.
Oh, it was something that was part of him. He was a real believer.
And he feared God and he was praying. And his prayers didn't go just to the ceiling. They went further than that. Sometimes our prayers don't go very high, do they?
Well.
I trust that we might pray in the Spirit and that God will hear our prayers.
But God wanted to give this man the gospel. How is he going to do it?
Well, if you read the chapter, you find out how God does it. Wonderful. The way God works and Cornelius is told to send to Java.
To get to get help, and at the same time Peter is given a vision by the Lord that he might be ready to give the help.
You know, Peter was prejudice and when this sheet was seen descending down to the earth.
Earth verse 12. It says there were all manner 4 footed beasts of the earth and wild beasts and creeping things and fowl of the air.
And a voice said to Peter, Rise, kill and eat. Peter says not so, Lord, for I've never eaten anything that is common or unclean. But the voice said, what? God has cleansed that call not thou common? Well, of course it was clean. It came down from heaven, didn't it?
That would indicate that it was clean. It was fit for heaven, so it must be fit for Peter to eat. There wasn't anything defiling about that.
Now this was a lesson that Peter had to learn. This was a lesson, no doubt, that all Jewish believers had to learn because they looked upon Gentiles as defiled.
Well, they had been taught that in the Old Testament.
00:45:03
But now a different dispensation had been.
Be gone and God was going to cleanse Gentiles.
And make them fit for this fellowship that had already been begun on the day of Pentecost.
So Peter and others with him, we find out that there were six that went along. You read that over in the 11Th chapter there were 6 presidents that went along with Peter. So there was a good representation of Jewish believers that went over there from Jerusalem.
And when they they came to the House of Cornelius immediately.
They they preached the gospel. To Cornelius, he needed the gospel. He hadn't heard the gospel, but he needed the gospel, that he might be saved, that he might receive the Holy Spirit and become part of the body of Christ. So Peter says, and we'll read from verse 43 to him, Give all the prophets witness that through his name, that is the name of Jesus, whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
While Peter yet speaks these words.
The Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. So the Holy Ghost came upon these in the House of Cornelius, these believers. But they must hear the gospel first. Oh, I believe if there's anyone in any part of the world that's really exercised. And he is doing what Cornelius was doing, fearing God, praying.
Being devoted to God, God will send such the gospel.
We had one young fellow down in the Congo that way. His name was Mushoki. He came to our mission station, he said. I've walked for two days to come to the mission station because I don't believe in the idolatry of my parents and the people of my village, he says. I don't believe it's right to bow down to those idols, but I believe there's a God up in heaven who made everything, and I want to believe in him. I want to trust in him, I want to honor him, I want to worship him.
Well, I believe God put it in his heart to come, and as soon as he came, we gave him the gospel and he believed the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was saved. I believe God has these perhaps here and there in the world.
And if there are any, God will see to it that they're given the gospel.
Well, here were these six brethren and Peter, and they witnessed this.
They witnessed the Holy Ghost coming upon these Gentile believers.
This was something very strange to them. Oh, I'm sure they wondered, because it says here. And they of the circumcision, which believe were astonished as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Imagine it. No doubt they were saying. Imagine God giving the Holy Ghost to these Gentiles.
These dogs, these defiled people.
Well, it was. It was such a wonderful thing. It was so very evident to them. But God was doing that they couldn't gain safe because later on, when Paul is, Peter is recounting this to the to the brethren at Jerusalem. Some who wouldn't wouldn't accept that the Gentiles should be brought in. Peter says we just couldn't.
With standard.
In verse 15 of Chapter 11 he says, When I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, and as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the Word of the Lord. How that he said, John indeed baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost For as much then as God gave them the like gift, as he did unto us who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. What was I that I could withstand God? What Peter and those that were with him couldn't withstand God?
And when they heard these things, those others at Jerusalem, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life? Now it seems that they began to rejoice in it, that grace was going out to everybody.
The vine had crept over the wall that we read about.
00:50:00
In the Old Testament, the vine of God's grace went over the wall, reaching out to the Gentiles, reaching out to everybody.
And so God, as Peter says, in another place.
Was calling out from among all nations a people for his name. Now why have we been going into these practical examples of what took place?
From the day of Pentecost on to show how God was brooding over hovering over the church in the beginning.
To make it very plain.
That they were all one body. Whether they were Jewish believers or Samaritan believers or Gentile believers, they were all one body.
And that God averted any possibility of there being three bodies, a body of Jews, a body of Samaritans, and a body of Gentiles.
Now man has come in today and he has made separate bodies.
How sad.
Does the body has been divided, and we speak of that as the outward aspect of the body. The church outwardly has been divided into many parts. But this was not God's thought at all, that the church should be divided into denominations and divisions and sets and parties and so on. No, it was not God's thought, because the body is one, there is one body.
Now we might go to Ephesians chapter 4 again.
And justice dwell forbid on our responsibility. We are members of one body, and to put it plainly and simply, God says now act like it, act like it. That's really what we have here in Ephesians chapter 4.
I, therefore the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocations were with your call. Walk worthy of Our Calling is a heavenly calling. We've been united to the Lord Jesus Christ in the glory, and we're all members of that one body, and we're one body. What a calling we have. It's a heavenly calling.
But it's a calling in one body to as we have in Colossians.
With all lowliness.
And meekness with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love. Isn't this what they have to do in the beginning? Well, there had to be loneliness and meekness and long-suffering and forbearing to allow the Samaritans to be recognized as members of the one body, and also for the Gentiles to be recognized as members of the one body. And there were some that were not so lowly and meek and long-suffering us, and forbearing at Jerusalem as others might have been.
But the truth of God, and the fact of what God had done as stated by Peter, was so convincing that they had to recognize that they were also members of the one body.
Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace. In the bond of peace are uniting bond of peace. Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit. Now that word endeavour, I believe, is a word that brings before us.
Something like there has to be a trying to do it. It has to be a matter of exercise of our hearts to put this thing into practice that we are one body.
And it's left in such a way.
That word endeavouring to keep the unity of the spirit.
That if there's not this endeavor, there's going to be failure.
And how much failure there's been in connection with keeping the unity of the spirit.
Now we can't do anything with keeping the unity of the body that's already formed. The one body has been formed from the day of Pentecost on, and if anyone gets saved at these meetings, you in turn too will be united to that body made a member of the body of Christ.
There's still one body.
But.
You have a responsibility from then on as soon as you're made a member of that body.
00:55:00
To keep the unity of the spirit.
The Spirit of God.
Will not bring into fellowship.
Anything that's contrary to himself as the spirit of truth or the spirit of holiness.
Or the spirit of life?
The.
We receive souls into fellowship. Someone says I would like to be at the Lord's table. I would like to remember the Lord show his death. The Lord has made that request and I want to answer to his request.
Well, after a while after that one has been talked to, everything is clear to the assembly. He's received into fellowship. He's received into fellowship.
The Holy Spirit is the one who leads a soul to except Christ as Savior. A Holy Spirit is the one who leads the soul to take his place with the Lord Jesus Christ is in the midst and to sit at His table to remember Him. It's the Holy Spirit that leads to this. If you're saved, the Holy Spirit has pointed you to Christ as your Savior. If you are gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, you're at the Lord's table.
I trust it was the Holy Spirit.
That led you there?
Now I recognize that it's possible for some to take their place at the Lord's table without knowing. Definitely the leading of the Spirit of God. Perhaps they do it because brother is there, mother is there, Father's there, sister is there, some friend is there.
The Spirit of God when he brings you to the Lord's table.
Will put before you the Lord Jesus Christ.
He will point out that the Lord Jesus Christ is there, that he is the center of gathering.
But where two or three are gathered together in his name, there he is in the midst. And if you're coming there as being led by the Spirit of God, you will see the Lord Jesus Christ in the midst. And you will also see that we're gathered on the ground of the one body, not a separate, independent individual.
Now I hear from time to time of some who leave the fellowship of Saints gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ on the ground of the one body, and they go elsewhere.
It seems that what is coming out in some cases is that they want an independent path. They want a larger path as they speak of it.
They have forgotten that as members of the Body of Christ, we have a responsibility one to another. We have a responsibility to the Lord Jesus Christ, and there is no such thing, as far as God is concerned, as independency in the body of Christ.
And that goes into many avenues.
Perhaps you feel that you want to do the work of the Lord.
You want to go serve the Lord in some capacity.
Perhaps the brethren speak to you and say, well, we feel that you're not.
Ready yet? For that we believe you ought to stay around in the assembly a while and learn some of the principles of God in the assembly and his ways in the assembly. This is what we have to tell young brother Edward over in Accra. He wanted to be in the Lord's work. We said we feel it would be better for you just to remain here in the assembly and learn God's ways in the assemblies and learn that the principles of God connected with the assembly and so on because the assembly.
The church where we're gathered together in assembly around the Lord Jesus Christ.
What better school is there? What better training place is there than that to prepare us for the work of the Lord? So, so the Brethren say we feel that you should just wait a while. Perhaps you're not disposed to wait a while and you strike out on your own independently.
This is not according to the truth of the one body. No, it's not according to the truth of the one body. And this might affect us in different ways.
But may the Lord help us?
To know that we're one body members, one of another, and of Christ the head in glory, and act like members of one body, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace. Now we said that the Spirit will not lead you to any place that is not a place of holiness or a place according to the truth.
01:00:17
Because he's the spirit of holiness and he's the spirit of truth.
And you can find many places today.
Where you might think it'd be nice to go, but always ponder this.
There's a holiness, there is the truth. There are they gathered on the ground of one body? Do they recognize the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ in the midst? Are they acting like members one of another if a person is put out of fellowship in one assembly?
Can you go over to the next one and be received there? Or does that other assembly say no, you're out over there and you don't come with a letter of combination?
Commendation. We can't receive you here.
If we adhere to this blessed fact that we're one body and seek grace from God to act upon it, it will save us from a lot of confusion. But as it was in the days of judges, so it is in this day. Every man did that which was right in his own eyes. And when we get into a state like that, confusion is going to come in among us. Oh, May God help us to put the Lord Jesus Christ 1St and remember.
That were members of his body. He is the head remembers one of another. And we're not to act independently of the Lord, nor of one another. All much more could be said. But I trust that these scriptures we've had before us and the few remarks made might be a help to us.
Gospel
Gospel—A. Roach
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 sing hymn #37 #37?
The gospel of Thy grace, my stubborn heart has won. For God so loved the world He gave his only Son, that whosoever will believe shall everlasting life receive hymn #37 when someone started, please.
We pray. Shall we turn to the book of Isaiah?
The prophecy of Isaiah chapter.
Chapter 33.
Isaiah 33.
00:05:03
And verse 13.
Hear ye there afar off, what I have done.
And ye that are near acknowledge my might. The sinners in Zion are afraid, fearfulness, have surprised the hypocrites.
Who among us shall dwell with a devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
He that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly, he not despise at the gain of oppression.
That shake of his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shut up his eyes from seeing evil, he shall dwell on high. His place of defense shall be the munitions of the rocks.
Bread shall be given him his waters shall be sure. Thine eye shall see the king in his beauty. They shall behold the land that is very far off.
Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? Where is the receiver? Where is he that counted the towers?
We learned from the first chapter of the Epistle to the Romans that there are two things that God is revealing and sending out into this world today.
Both of these things are found in Romans one, and one is called.
The Gospel of God the Other is called.
The wrath of God.
Now the gospel of God is God's good news of salvation.
The wrath of God is for those who refuse the gospel of God. That's how simple the message is now. The wrath of God revealed from heaven in Romans, one that is not part of the gospel. It is a message that goes out concurrently with the gospel. Our brother reminded us last evening that the gospel message itself is brief and simple.
But our hearts need to be stirred. We need to have our consciences made to realize that we stand in the presence of God. Now it says in Romans. Paul says, I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth to the Jew 1St, and also to the Greek. But then he goes farther and he says the wrath of God is revealed from heaven.
Against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of man.
Who hold the truth in unrighteousness now, no doubt.
Our ancestors were chiefly guilty of the ungodliness in that verse.
The Jew had the truth, and he held the truth in unrighteousness.
So that verse lets us know that God's wrath is not only for the Gentile but also for the Jew. Just as in the Gospel verse, the gospel is to the Jew 1St and also to the Gentile. If God sends out a message of salvation to the Jew and to the Gentile, then if they refuse it, if they take it not, then God has nothing left but his inexorable wrath, the wrath and judgment of God.
Dear soul, we cannot trifle with this message. We cannot trifle with a message from God. You've got to do with God. I've had people say to me I don't want to have anything to do with God, and I've had to tell them you can't help it. You have got to do with God either. You've got to do with them now when he's a savior God and wants to bring you in and and bless your soul all you'll have to do with him in the day of wrath.
Judgment when there is no escape in Isaiah Chapter 6.
Isaiah is before a throne, the throne of the Lord himself. But there's an altar there. And when Isaiah confesses that he has, he was a Sinner, that he was a man of unclean lips. In the presence of that altar, in the presence of that throne, a seraphim flew to the altar and took a coal, put it upon his lips, and said, Thy sin is purged, that iniquity is forgiven. But I want to tell you this, We may look at the verse later. Our brother read it last evening.
00:10:14
There is another throne, the same throne, and a different character where the unsaved will stand. But I want to say this. There's no altar there. There's no burning altar at the Great White Throne. There are no such thing. There is no such thing as the seraphim flying with a coal and going to those poor wretched sinners, ready to be cast into hell and perching away their sins. But today, tonight, that altar is available.
We stand before the throne of God, as it were. And we've got a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, one who is ready to save. For tonight we want to warn you faithfully. We want to be here tonight as a watchman, faithfully warning you of the judgment of God. Why does the word of God speak of hell? Why does the Word of God speak of wrath and fiery judgment? Why, to scare us, to make us afraid?
To warn us.
Some years ago, I remember when I lived in Woodbridge.
Years ago the railroad train ran on the ground. They sense of elevated it without the grade crossing. They had a watchman and they had gates. And one night there was a fast freight coming in from New York City on its way South and something happened to the gates. They were broken. So the watchman got out with his red Lantern.
And he stopped traffic, and he went down a little ways on what we call Green Street. And at that moment an automobile kept tearing around the corner. The watchman stood there faithfully and waved that red Lantern in the front of that car. But the driver kept coming on, and the watchman had to jump out of the way in order to escape injury. What happened? That car met the train, and as always happens between cars and trains, that car was ground up.
And the two people in it kill. Why? Because they wouldn't heed the Red Lantern. They wouldn't heed the warning. You say they were foolish, and I agree with you. But are you and I any less foolish to be here tonight and to be warned of the wrath and judgment of a sin hating God? And they go out of this place unsaved. How can you come here and be warned of a judgment that sure to come? That man might have beaten the train. I saw a motorcycle rider do that once.
To get away from a policeman, he took a chance and he was able to get across and get past the train.
But dear friend, there's no escape when it comes to the wrath and the judgment of God.
Some years ago in the British Army barracks, a Colonel was passing by, and he was, he noticed some of the soldiers in a corner engaged in very earnest conversation about something, and he was a little curious about it. And in a friendly way he went over to them and he asked them what they were talking about. All they said, Colonel, we have been counting the cost if we confess. Christ.
We are counting the cost if we confess. Christ the Colonel very wisely turned it around another way.
He said, Have you counted the cost if you don't accept Christ? Yes, they might have counted the cost. They would lose this friend. They'd lose that friend. They'd be sneered at. There would be a cost to confess Christ, But to confess Christ would mean eternal salvation, eternal blessing. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised them from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
The Colonel put it in his true light. What would the loss be if they didn't confess Christ? Or they'd still have their friends. They'd still go on having a merry time in this world. But when eternity came, when death came, what then? Oh, dear soul, I plead with you tonight. I plead with you tonight. And my voice isn't alone. There are many here who can all stand up and join me in chorus in pleading with your soul tonight.
To count the cost of not receiving Christ as your Savior. Now, let us notice a few things in this chapter we've read.
The first thing we have is God calls and says, Hear ye, hear ye.
00:15:00
That are far off what I have done. God directs attention to what he has done. You know, we like to take up what we have done.
We like to speak of our good works or our good life, or what we intend to do, dear soul, God wants your ear tonight, he says. Hear ye that are far off what I have done. Some years ago, my brother, Walter Potter was walking in a park in Chicago, and he sat down on a bench. There were two men holding a conversation, and as our brother was sitting there, he couldn't help here that one of them was no doubt a Christian.
Speaking to the other man. And the other man was trying to resist and trying to deny the Bible. So our brother father listened for a while and he turned to the young man that was trying to deny the word of God. And he said, young man, he says God wants your mouth stopped so that you can hear what he has to say to you. And so tonight in Romans 3, we're told one of the reasons that the law was given.
That every mouth may be stopped and all the world become guilty before God. God chose out Israel as a special nation, gave them everything that could cultivate righteousness, that could cultivate blessing in His presence and by God bringing them out and testing them, giving them the law, He stops every mouth because they were not able to keep that law. They were not able to carry out God's holy requirements. They turned to idols. They turned to sin.
What is it that the enemy is turning you to tonight? What is there that stands between you?
And faith in the Lord Jesus, though God says here either far off what I have done or what has he done, I realized as a prophetic connection in the Scripture. But I believe we have liberty from the Holy Spirit to use the Scripture in the gospel message tonight.
God wants you to listen. He says He that are far off. Well, no. You know, as Gentiles, that's where we were. The Gentiles were far off. The Jew was there, and outwardly, but we were far off. But there's another way in which we're far off. Sin, sin has separated between US and our God all we need the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
What has God done? God says I want you to notice what I have done.
Let's forget what you and I do. Let's forget all works and let us realize what God has done. What has He done?
Here in His love, not that we love God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins, what has God done? He sent the Savior into the world. He sent the Savior into the world.
What are you and I doing about that, Savior?
What are we doing about that, Savior? It's a very solemn thing to have to do with God. I want to tell you a very solemn thing that happened. And those who were brought up in a Christian home pay particular attention. It's for all of us. But notice this. On December 31St, 1969, I stood in a Funeral Home in Wilmington, DE. Behind me there was an open casket. A man had passed away.
A man in the 70s, the father of one of the brethren in the meeting.
Back in the room was the grandson of this man, the grandson and his wife. They were back there. The grandson had heard the Gospel. He had heard it in his home. He knew the way, but as far as we know, he never took it well as he sat back there. I had the responsibility of conducting the service, and as I went over the scriptures and thought faithfully.
To bring out the gospel of God's grace, what was this young man and his young wife doing? Why, they couldn't have been less interested. They were fiddling around there and fooling around and poking one another and laughing. And I want to say this, almost three months to the day, March 30th, 1970, I stood in the same place in the same funeral parlor. But now there were two caskets 2 and they were closed.
Who was in them? The same young man and the same young woman.
00:20:02
Who showed such gross indifference to the gospel of God's grace three months before?
They were killed suddenly in an automobile accident, without any possibility of deathbed repentance. They were hurled into eternity and they had no opportunity. As far as we know. The last memory for my own soul that I had of them was their indifferent and mocking attitude to the gospel of the grace of God. Three months later they were gone. Where or what? A funeral service it was How difficult we couldn't say they were with Christ.
We couldn't bring in the comfort of the word of God as to their salvation. Oh dear soul, don't trifle with God. Death can come suddenly. God can stop that breath and where will you be? God wants us to hear what he has done. He's provided A savior now, he says and ye that are near acknowledged by might. Well, there are some people who think they're not such bad sinners.
They say, well, I'm not a far off center. I'm a little better than someone else. Well, God still says you that are near. He wants you to acknowledge his might, his might, all in this case. We like to take you back to Calvary Cross. It was on the cross that the Lord Jesus Christ bore that wrath and judgment of a mighty God when he hung there in those hours of darkness doing that work that you and I could never do.
A work that can save the vilest of sinners. God has saved the vilest of sinners.
God will save you tonight. I remember back in 1920, I believe it was around 1927 in New York City. There was a terrible murder committed and there was a man named H Judd Gray who was involved in it and he was sent to the death house at Sing Sing Prison Ossining, NY. And while he awaited his execution, a Christian, a Christian friend of mine, a Mr. Potts, wrote a letter.
To H Judd Gray and brought the gospel before him. I don't know what exposure Gray had before to the gospel, but at home I've got a copy of the letter that this condemned criminal wrote to my Christian friend. In answer to his letter, he said, yes, I am saved. I do believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior. But here is a remark he made. He said I'd rather go to heaven.
By the electric chair.
That's a hell.
By the life I was living, God reached into the prison, into the death house, and saved that man. He was executed. He he fell under the government of God, and he was taken and put into an electric chair and into eternity. But his partner in crime, or how different it was with her, or there was no evidence she was resting in a false religion. Dear soul God would have you to face the reality of death.
And the reality of judgment afterward it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment.
Notice the 14th verse. The sinners in Zion are afraid. Well, might they be the citizens Zion are afraid. Notice where these sinners are. They're in Zion. Zion was that city that had been God center, God center. These sinners were in a place that would, we would say they were outwardly in a in a good place.
Oh, I appeal to you young folks who have been brought up in a Christian home. Are you despising the law of thy father? Are you going to turn away now, after 15 or 16 or 17 years of being brought up under the sound of the gospel? And you're going to go out of this room unsaved, and you're going to break the heart of your father and mother by turning away from Christ after they've prayed for all these years?
Spoken to you of Christ. They brought you to the meetings where you would hear more of that blessed Savior. Don't trifle with God. Don't trifle with God. You cannot mock God, and God is going to hold you accountable. You may be a Sinner in Zion, but I ask you tonight, are you afraid? Are you afraid of the judgment of God? That would be a good sign if you would come trembling like the Philippian jailer. The Philippian jailer didn't tremble the way Felix did. Felix trembled.
00:25:00
With some mental traveling with him, he say he trembled, but he didn't take Christ as a savior. The Philippian jailer did tremble, and he did take Christ as a savior. He came in trembling, and he said, SARS, what must I do to be saved?
Notice he doesn't say what must I do to inherit eternal life? That's the question asked by a self-righteous person. What can I do that I might inherit or be entitled to eternal life? But the Philippian jailer realized he had no right or claim or title to this wonderful salvation. But he came trembling and he says, sirs, what must I do to be saved? What must I do to be saved? And we know the answer well.
The answer was very simple and to the point. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
And thou shalt be saved. Have you ever believed that message? Have you ever put your faith?
In the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, there is no other savior. There is no other way. God has only one way for the high center and the low Sinner for the Sinner. That's a far off in the center, that's near. God has one way of salvation for the drunken in the gutter.
As he has for the highest religious person in the land, God has one salvation. All dear soul, we plead with you tonight to take Christ for notice of solemn consequences, not only with the sinners in Zion afraid.
Fearfulness have surprised the hypocrites. What is a hypocrite? Well, he was a Greek actor who had two faces originally. He had his own face and he had a face that he wore when he was on the stage.
Because actors were ashamed to be identified. In those days they weren't so popular. And so a hypocrite comes from a word with which meant these two faces. When the man was acting in the arena, you wouldn't know who he was. And outside he had a different face. He had two faces. He looked one way here and he looked another way there. Now you can be in that position tonight. You may have made a false profession of Christ. You may have said, Oh yes, yes, I believe in order to satisfy someone else.
But remember this. If your confession of Christ isn't real, fearfulness has surprised the hypocrites. You will be surprised. And the portion of the hypocrites which is an outer darkness, where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth, will be your eternal portion. Or tonight, while God is pleading in love, come to the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. What a precious Savior, he says, And he he says There, come unto me.
All ye that labor and a heavy laden and I will give you rest. He's a giving loving savior. And if you know him or how you'd love him, if you know that blessed savior as your own, what is hindering, what is holding back? Well, let us see what happens.
Now we get a solemn question.
Who among us shall dwell with a devouring fire? Now that's an up to date question.
That question is not obsolete. That question is not out of date. We are dealing with the most up-to-date book in the world. We're dealing with a book that doesn't need loose leaf pages to bring it up to date. This is God's book, and it's always up to date. And this question is just as much up to date tonight as when Isaiah wrote it. The question is, and may this search every heart in this room tonight. Who among us?
Shall dwell with a devouring fire, or is there some soul sitting next to you?
You know yourself as a Christian. You know that if the Lord Jesus came, you'll be caught up. Is it possible that right next to each Christian here tonight, there's someone here sitting here, who's going to dwell with the devouring fire? Notice, it doesn't say who among us shall pass through the devouring fire, Who among us shall dwell with a devouring fire? And the second question makes it even more solemn.
For it says.
Who among us shall dwell?
With everlasting burnings, is there a hell Yes. Who says so?
The Lord Jesus Christ.
There's an everlasting burning ahead. There's a devouring fire. There's an everlasting torment. Again, we say. God tells us of this as a warning. He doesn't want us to fall into the pit of hell.
00:30:14
He doesn't want us to be like the sinners in Zion, to be afraid, or the hypocrites to be suddenly seized here with surprise. All dear soul, come to the Lord Jesus. He's the only Savior and he loves you. Now we'll hold our place in Isaiah and turn to the gospel of Mark. We want to get the words of the Savior himself.
Mark's Gospel chapter.
9.
Mark's Gospel Chapter 9.
And.
Verse 43.
And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off. It is better for thee to enter into life maimed than having two hands to go into hell. Into the fire that never shall be quenched will stop there a moment we'll look at the hand. Notice here the Lord Jesus speaks of a place called hell. Now the Lord Jesus uses in the original.
The word Gehenna. Apart from the Apostle James, I believe the Lord Jesus is the only one in the New Testament to use that word and the Apostle James only uses it to qualify the viciousness of the tone. But the Lord Jesus lets us know that Hell or Gehenna in this place it is the lake of fire. Gahanna is taken from the valley of the sons of Hinnom.
The valley of the Sons of Hinnom was outside Jerusalem. It was outside the city. The people dwelt in the city, but in that valley it was where the refuse was thrown. It was where there were continual fires burning the rubbish, where vultures swooped down to the prey. And where were the kings of Israel, sad to say, pass their children through the fire to Moloch? It's an app picture of the Lake of Fire. It's outside the city, not inside the city.
And our blessed Lord takes that word. He says here, if thy hand offend thee, cut it off. Now we know full well the Lord is not speaking literally of cutting the hand. What he's bringing out is this. Is there something that you do or want to do? Some ambition? You have some energy you're putting forth that you don't want to give up. You, you don't want to come to Christ because you're afraid that salvation will interfere.
With this object before your soul, if there's something that you're doing that you're afraid.
The gospel of the grace of God will take away notice the loss of your soul. Suppose you hold on to that object, hold on to it, and die without Christ. What does it say here? The Lord says it is better to enter into life maim than having two hands to go into hell. All the awfulness of hell, the awfulness of Gehenna. Dr. Walston, who was among the gathered Saints over 100 years ago. He was going into a house.
To minister to some sick person. But he was a faithful man as far as the gospel was concerned. And he met a woman and all woman in the hallway. And as he was going up those steps to the to the patient, he was even wanted to treat this patient, He said to the old woman, he said, are you going to heaven? And she mockingly said, will there be any whiskey there. Doctor Walston turned and looked her in the face. She said no, but there'll be no water in hell either. There'll be no water in hell.
Oh, dear soul, do you ever realize that every desire that you have in your heart, you will carry with you into the lake of fire? You're not going to lose the the desire for for drinking water. You're not going to lose the desire if you're a tobacco smoker. You're not going to lose the desire for dope. You're not going to lose the desire for whiskey. You're not going to lose any of these fleshly desires because you'll be raised in your sinful body and cast into the lake of fire, but there'll be no place in hell.
To get those things. Not only will there be no water in hell, there'll be nothing there to satisfy the lusts and desires that will continue in the heart of unconverted and unregenerate man. The lake of fire doesn't give a sin of a new nature. The lake of fire doesn't convert him. He doesn't convert him. Because in Hell there were three things weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth. Why weeping? Sorrow.
00:35:25
Why wailing pain? Why gnashing of teeth? Rebellion against God? Rebellion. You live in rebellion all through eternity.
In that awful place where there's no escape, no way to get out, no escape. But tonight there is escape. The Lord Jesus says if you've got something you're doing that you prize highly, that's keeping you from coming to him, drop it aside, come deal, deal sternly with it and turn to him. But now notice further verse 45.
And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off. It is better for thee to enter Halt.
Life, then having 2 feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched. Are you walking in the path that you don't do not want to give up? Not that we have to give up things to be saved, but the enemy of your soul will tell you that if you confess Christ. Well, now you can't go to this place if you're a Christian. You won't want to go here and you won't want to go there. Your your feet will not carry you to these places. The Lord says deal unsparingly with it. If there's some path you're walking in, don't let it into you from coming to Christ.
And being saved. Or would you rather go into hell with both feet than to go into life maimed, as the Lord puts it, here? I remember a young man came to me after St. preaching in Brooklyn many years ago. We were preaching out in a section known as East New York in Brooklyn. And this young man came up to me and he said, you know, I've been listening and I've been interested, he says, But I'm afraid that if I confess Christ, that my friends, the young men I pal with, they'll make fun of me.
They'll make fun of Maine, I said to them. They can laugh you out of heaven, but they'll never be able to laugh you out of hell. You'll never be laughed out of hell. Oh, don't let friends or companions or relatives or anyone else keep you from coming to Christ. Well, notice another thing the Lord says.
In the 45th part of the 47th verse.
Anaheim I offend thee, Pluck it out.
It is better for thee to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched. Have you an object before your soul? Is there something before your eyes that you'd rather be whole than to behold the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior all tonight? Face the reality of it. Why this We were Speaking of human things. We would say this is plain common sense to turn to the Lord Jesus.
And to be saved tonight may be your last opportunity. And if you leave this place without Christ, your soul can be forever lost. Some years ago, when I was in the insurance business in Honolulu, I was at an Army base, Hickam Air Force Base. It was known as and I was dealing with a Sergeant. I remember him well. Sergeant Garten. And this Sergeant had a warehouse with $10,000 worth of merchandise in it. It was a frame warehouse that could burn up like that.
And I was there as representative of an insurance company who could very well provide him with protection. We told him about the whole thing. This was a Friday night, and I told him all he had to do was say the word and I would write him out to find it. That would cover him for $10,000 and that the Hartford Fire Insurance Company would would stand behind it with all its assets. Well, he toyed with the idea. He wanted to get the captain's permission, I said.
I'll give you this. And if on Monday the captain doesn't want it, we'll just cancel it and forget about it. But if you want protection now, here it is. But he wouldn't take it. He'd be departed the next day. That warehouse burned to the ground and every bit of merchandise, and it was destroyed. And he couldn't collect the sand. He wasn't protected one bit. It was gone. He had his opportunity. All he had to do was say yes. That's all he had to say. And he would have had this.
Warehouse protected against this law.
But all dear soul, what a greater loss it is for you and me to turn down God's offer of eternal salvation, Not a conditional thing, but eternal salvation to turn that down for the eternal loss of your soul.
00:40:17
Well, let's go back to Isaiah 33 again.
We read these questions. Who among us shall dwell with a devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? Now in the next verse, God brings in those who have turned to Him in faith. We see that that that they turn to Him in faith by the way they are now living. See, when you take Christ as your Savior, He gives you power to walk and to live and to do good.
So that when the resurrection takes place, you will have part of the resurrection of those that have done good. In the 5th of John we have the resurrection of those who have done good. But the ones who have done good were those who confess Christ as their Savior. God can own nothing good except what He works. And so it is here in this next verse we have a different group. Now we don't have the sinners in Zion so much, but we have this brought down to the individual He that walketh righteously.
And speaketh uprightly or speaketh honestly. Now, dear soul, the most honest statement you can make, the most honest confession you can make tonight is to say, I have sinned. I am lost, but I want Christ as my Savior. God will consider that upright dealing, upright speaking, It's confession with a heart. Man believeth on the righteousness.
But with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. I make bold to say this in Romans 10 and 9. When it says that thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised them from the dead, thou shalt be saved. I do not believe that the prime thought in that verse is confession before man. It's confession to God. Suppose I'm on a desert island all alone, and my salvation depended on my confessing command.
I couldn't be saved.
This is confessing to God. No doubt this often happens with others around.
We can hear a sentence say thank God I'm saved. I take Christ as my savior. Now if you confess Christ to God and you own to God that he is your Lord and you believe that he's raised from the dead, God says you saved. Now if we confess him before men, we don't get saved. If we confess him before men, we get a reward. That's something different Again. Those who confess the Lord Jesus before men, it tells us that they will be confessed.
Now before my Father and the holy angels in heaven. But confession in Romans 10 is owning before God what Christ is the assault. I was in an old folks home recently visiting a dear sister, and I was given the name of another elderly person, a Missus Morgan. I know her son. Many years ago he went to South America as a missionary, and he was actually cruelly killed down there by the enemies of the gospel. I looked up as Mother and I couldn't find her in the place where she was supposed to be.
But I saw two elderly women sitting on a bench, and I walked over to them and I handed them each messages of love. And I said to the woman on my right, I said, what does the Lord Jesus Christ mean to you? Why a face lighted up. And she said, why he's my savior. He saved me. And she pointed to the other woman. She said, she's a Christian too. And it turned out to be Mrs. Morgan, the woman I was looking for. Oh, how precious it was to hear that elderly woman. Here she is toward the end of her days.
And she can say Christ is my savior. Oh, don't wait. Don't wait.
Don't put off The graves are small as well as large. You need Christ, and you need them now.
Now, if we if we listen, if we confess Christ. If we turn to Him.
What is the What does God do? Oh what a place of safety puts us in. Notice the 16th verse. In the 16th verse it says of those that speak uprightly those that confess Christ.
It says of them he shall dwell on high.
All at a precious promise he shall dwell on high. He's lifted up above all the possibility of God's wrath and judgment lifted up high. But notice further, it says His place of defense shall be the munitions of the rocks.
00:45:22
On Christ the solid rock, I stand to him right erode, all on the ground is sinking sand. Christ is a solid rock. And here we find that those who confess him are put in the place of the munitions of the rocks. Let's turn to Exodus 33 for a very precious verse in this connection, Exodus 33.
How safe does God make us? We've been talking about the wrath of God.
We've been talking about Hellfire because the word of God speaks of it. We've been Speaking of the precious blood of Christ, which can cleanse from all sin. Now, when God saves, how complete a job does he do? Does he leave any of it to us? His defense shall be the munitions of the rocks. Now notice the 33rd of Exodus. Oh, I love this scene here. Every believer tonight, every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, can follow what we're about to say.
And put himself in Moses place.
The Lord says in verse 20 to Moses.
Thou canst not see my face, for there shall no man see me and live. And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place.
By me.
And thou shalt stand upon a rock. The Lord says to Moses, There's a place by me, right by me, And thou shalt stand upon a rock. What a place to be in. If you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, you're right near him. You belong to God.
In one of God's children the Lord says to Moses as a place by me, or what a place of safety that is. Nobody can get through that. It is true now that the Angel of the Lord and campus round about them, that love him and delivereth them. The Angel forms a camp roundabout, but here it's the Lord himself. Thou shalt stand by me. Or are you standing by Christ tonight? Is he yours? But not only that.
He thou shalt stand.
Upon a rock not sinking sand here is a solid foundation.
Here is one who is standing on the solid truth of the Word of God, that word which shall endure forever. Here is Moses by the Lord standing on a rock. Is that all? No. Let's follow.
Verse verse 22 And it shall come to pass while my glory passeth by then I will put thee in a Cliff of the rock. Now we've got the rock Cliff. Cliff is the the hem rider.
Wrote that ham, Rock of Ages cleft for sin. Here we have a cleft rock. It's cut into the wall. Moses is the stand in there. He's protected on all sides by the rock. He's protected on the bottom by the rock. And the Lord is there. Notice another thing?
And.
Verse 22 I will put thee in a Cliff to the rock, and will cover thee with my hand.
Now I ask you this question. When Moses stood on the rock and in the cliffs of the rock, and the Lord's hand was over him, how safe was he? Who in all the universe could assault him? Who in all the universe could do him harm, all in a place of safety? His place of defense was the munitions of the rocks standing on a rock in a rock, and the hand of the Lord over him.
Oh, I don't think the rock that Augustus cop lady head in was there any as secure as that. But he found shelter, and he wrote that precious hem Rock of Ages cleft for me. Oh, dear soul, if you trust the Savior, this is the place into which he'll bring you, he says of those who trust him. I will. I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand.
For my father, which gave to me, is greater than all, and none is able to pluck out of my father's hand. I and my father.
00:50:05
Are one. Now if I take this pencil and I put it in my right hand and then cycle it with my left hand and hold it with all my might, the only person who can take that from me is a person stronger than I am, and I might not have to go very far to find such a person.
But what I'm getting at is this. We have the hand of Christ, the hand of the Father.
And there were no stronger hands in the universe. How safe do you want to be from the judgment of God? The hand of the Father, the hand of Christ encircling, And even the devil and all his angels could make no impression. That's the impregnable fortress. That's the place of safety in the hand of the Father and the hand of the Son. So coming back to Isaiah, we see here that he shall be.
In verse 16.
His place of defense shall be the munitions of rocks. Bread shall be given him. Don't think that if you take Christ, you're going to be unhappy. You might have that object we were speaking about before, that you may think you've got to give up. If you take Christ as your Savior, why? What will happen? Bread will be given to you. God will sustain you. He will feed you. He will give you joy that the world can never give. We learned this afternoon very plainly and simply about Solomon.
What did he get out of the world? What did the world give him? He got nothing but vanity. Lighter than air. I understand that word means in some places lighter than air. All the weighty things of earth. And the once Prime Minister of England lawed this. Really. He summed it up like this. He said youth is a mistake, manhood A struggle, old age of regret. And yet he reached the highest pinnacle in the British Empire in the days of its mightiest power.
Queen Victoria. And he reached those that point and he could say that it's all a mistake. It doesn't satisfy. It doesn't save. I'm sure his political opponent found the truth. Mr. Gladstone. I from what I've read that he knew Christ. He found Christ as a savior. Owe this all tonight. Don't be afraid to come to Christ. Because once you commit yourself to him, he's a charges for you. It's all in his hands. Bread shall be given unto him.
Not only that, let's go to the 17th verse. Thine eye shall see the king in his beauty. Oh, I've I've often. One can hardly speak of it as we think about coming day.
When for the first time, these eyes of ours.
Will look upon the Lord Jesus.
Our brother solemnly warned us last evening of how the last look.
Of the Sinner before the great white throne, the last face that he shall see before he's cast into the lake of fire, will be the blessed face of the Lord Jesus, the Son of God. For will be Christ and manhood, as well as maintaining deity who will be on that throne of judgment. But all what is the Christian waiting for? All. He's longing to see that face for the first time. He's longing to see that face that will thrill his soul, not only the first time he looks upon it, but through all eternity. I believe that once we see the Lord Jesus Christ.
That, that joy that will fill our souls at seeing him will never, never diminish through all eternity. All. Do you want to look upon the king in his beauty? Do you want to look upon the king in his beauty? All you say is nail prints in his hands? Let me tell you a little story of a mother. Years ago there was a mother. She always wore gloves on her hand and a little girl noticed it one day. She grew older, she said, Mother, why is it you always have gloves on your hand? Why is it you never take them off? Well, finally she told the little girl a story how when she was a little baby.
She was in a crib, and a fire started some way from the stove and got to the curtain and over the crib and there were flames. And the mother had a tear down these flaming curtains, get at the crib and put her hands through and lift her little baby out. And in so doing, her hands were so badly burned that even when it healed, they were very ugly to look at. And so she always wore these gloves. Well, when the little girl first saw the hands, she said, oh, how ugly, mother.
But after she heard the story, after she heard the story from her mother's lips, she said, Mother, what beautiful hands you have all. When we see the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ and know what he had done for us, how beautiful will those hands be to us? And to see the king in this beauty, Isn't that better than going into Hellfire, where the fire is never quenched and the worm dieth not? Isn't it better to be with Christ and glory?
00:55:24
Through all eternity, yes, thine eyes shall see the king and his beauty. But now there's something else in the present verse 18. Thine heart shall meditate Terror. Why? Because now the terror is over. Every believer can look back now and meditate Terror. He can look back to the time when he was fearful of being cast into hell. He can look back to the time when he realized he was a Sinner. And then he might even think of some of the things he planned to do.
To get rid of his sins, where is the scribe? Who was he? Or he keeps the record. He writes down the record of things in the city under siege. He keeps account. Then it says where is the receiver or the Weir? He weighs the weighs, the the, the food that's left in the city he's weighing. Here we find a man's ways, Man's ways here. Here's one that says where is the scribe? Where is the way of where is he that counted the towers? Why they were counting the towers for human strength.
They were looking for human strength, but now the spirit of God says of them, now that they're delivered, their heart can meditate. Terror no longer does the Christian fear. He meditates and he looks back and says, praise God, he's delivered me from fear, from terror. I belong to him. And to think that this wonderful message, this wonderful salvation of those who are the enemies of Christ. In closing, I want to tell an incident.
Our brother spoke last evening of a pardon. I want to tell him another one.
When George Washington became the 1St President of the United States back there around 1789 or so, he had a friend who he had known for many years, and this friend had been converted. He was he was going about as a Christian minister, preaching the gospel to sinners. But there was a man who hated him and did many evil things against him. Harmful things too.
And it was his real enemy.
The one day this enemy of this Christian man committed a crime and he was sentenced to death. He was sentenced to be hanged. And this Christian man prayed about it before they could only get him freed. I'll go to my friend George Washington and I'll see what I can do. So he went to the president and said, told him about the Spanish. And I'd like if you'll only pardon him. So is President Washington considered the matter? He finally said. Well.
I don't see any ground on which I can pardon your friend all but, said the Christian man. He isn't my friend. He's my enemy. He isn't my friend at all. He's my enemy. And I plead for him. Well, a story is told that President Washington his heart was melted at this thought. He said to be sure enemy I'll pardon him. And so here is a man who got a pardon for his enemy.
When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son. This message is for God's enemies, we were told last night. We need to be reconciled to God. Why? Because we are his enemies. He is not our enemy. We are his. Be reconciled to God. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.
So we sing hymn #20. Hymn #20, Behold, the Savior at the door. He gently knocks, has knocked before, has waited long, is waiting. Still, you use no other friend, so I'll open the door. He'll come in, enter in, and Sup with you and you with him. Hymn #20. Will someone please start it?
The Priesthood of Believers
Vanities
Malachi 3
Ambassadors for Christ
Deleverance from Satan's Power