Chicago Conference: 1984
Table of Contents
God's Way with Peter
Address—C.E. Lunden
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So we turn to Peter rather to John. The 1St chapter start with the 35th verse again the next day after John stood in two of his disciples and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he said, Behold the Lamb of God.
And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned and saw them following, and said unto them, What seek ye?
He said unto him, Rabbi.
Where dwellest thou? He said unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt in the boulders in that day for just about the 10th hour.
One of the two which heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We found the Messiah, which is being interpreted, the Christ, and he brought him to Jesus, And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jonah. Thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation.
A stone.
We like to speak this afternoon a little bit about Peter and God's ways with him from Lukes Gospel but.
We must begin in John, because John gives us the subject of life.
And before Peter could be have any connection with the Lord at all, he would have to have life.
He would laugh to have life anew as we have in John 3.
Born anew, a new life.
And so we.
Pardon me, we have the beginning of God's ways with Peter and giving him life.
Now he gives them a new name. A new name is a new beginning.
A new name is a new beginning.
And I would like to ask you this afternoon, dear ones, if each one of you here have a new beginning with the Lord.
Have you taken the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior? Have you had your sins washed away? Because if you have not, you have no connection with the Lord Jesus.
All the rest that we're going to speak of this afternoon will mean nothing to you unless you have taken the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and He's given you a new name, a new beginning.
The flesh profits nothing.
And it'll do you no good when it comes to facing God in eternity. You must have a beginning with the Lord Jesus.
Now we'll turn to Luke's gospel in the 4th chapter. We'll probably hurry over various things here, but just to get the thought.
That before we read this in Luke's gospel.
I'd like to say that.
We've already had Matthews Gospel, the public testimony that God recognizes here on this earth. We've had that in our readings. It's the Kingdom of the heavens. But in Luke's Gospel, we have the Kingdom of God.
And.
The King of God.
Is the vast Kingdom.
Where the Lord Jesus as man is head over it. It's a moral line of things. It's not the outward thing that you see, but it's characterized by righteousness. You don't see that, do you? You see the results of it.
And peace.
You see the results, but you can't see peace itself.
And joy in the Holy Ghost. That's what characterizes the Kingdom of God.
Righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
And so it's rather the line of things that operates not outwardly as in Matthew, but inwardly.
And what we're going to trace a little this afternoon is God's ways with Peter as he works with Peter down here for two purposes. One is companionship with himself.
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And the other is for service.
Because Peter, you know, was called to be an apostle.
Now everyone here of course is not called to be an apostle or nor any because the day of apostles are over, but you certainly have a service for Christ of some kind.
And so the Lord leads in all this in each individual life.
But we get in Luke's Gospel a pattern.
As we trace it of God's ways with Peter, both for companionship and for service.
Now there are certain things that in our lives that have to be set aside.
Their holdovers from the old order that we once were connected with. All that has to go.
But we find the Lord Jesus as he works with Peter.
He does so on the principle of grace, Heavenly grace.
And so you could write that word right over this gospel. Heavenly grace.
That's the subject of the operation of the Lord Jesus with his people down here. And we see the Lord Jesus, a man going about as anyone, we might say, on the street, but where would you find him? With the poor, with the needy?
And with sinners, and he would eat with them.
That's Grace.
Oh, how near God has come to man in the person of Jesus. Jesus became a man.
Now there's another thing before we speak of this passage in the 4th chapter.
You get the word great over 30 times in Lukes Gospel. We won't speak of them all.
Great.
And so everything in Luke's gospel is great in the first chapter. John the Baptist was great before him.
Also in the first chapter it says of the Lord Jesus, he shall be great.
And truly, it saw.
Because he fills all things.
All the greatness of his person. But also we have the opposites. In the 6th chapter we find the man who builds his house on the sand. The fall of that house was great, and the gentile.
In the 7th chapter the Lord said of him, great, I've no not found greater of faith.
In Israel, in the 14th chapter, there's a great supper.
But the father spreads for his son.
In the 16th chapter there's a great gulf fixed for those who refuse that supper.
Where they will spend their eternity in hell.
So we have greatness in two aspects.
But especially beloved.
The sufferings that the believer goes through down here.
Well and in greatness because we will be associated with the one who is great as his companions for all eternity. Now the 4th chapter. This is a very simple thing that we're going to read about that is one of those parts of God's ways.
The 38th verse.
From the 4th chapter.
And he arose out of the synagogue and entered into Simons house. That's Peter. And Simons wifes mother was taken with a great fever, and they besought him for her. And he stood over her and rebuked the favor, and it left her, and immediately she arose and ministered unto them.
You'll notice here that this is a great fever. In Matthew, it's just a fever.
The Spirit of God is pointing out something here.
That Peter has to learn one of the first lessons he has to learn as he follows Jesus, and that is.
If Peter takes up and follows the Lord Jesus in the place that he appoints for him, the Lord will take care of his circumstances at home. Isn't that lovely? Yes, the Lord is standing there ready to wait on Peter's household.
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A principle in Scripture.
God's ways with us.
This was true of the woman who was carrying her son out to bury him.
And as she turns, Jesus is standing there.
Many cases can be mentioned where.
All they needed to do was turn, and Jesus is there. And that's true, beloved, in everyone of your circumstances, no matter how difficult they may be, you, if you turn, you will find Jesus is standing there ready to wait upon you. And that is grace too.
Now the 5th chapter.
It came to pass that as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Ganesha.
And saw two ships standing by the lake, but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their Nets. And he entered into one of the ships which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people out of the ship. Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your Nets for a draft.
Simon answering, said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night.
And have taken nothing.
Nevertheless, a thy word I will let down the net.
And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes and their net break, and they beckoned onto their partners which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came and filled both the ships as they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus knees saying, depart from me.
For I am a sinful man, oh Lord.
For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draft of the fishes which they had taken. And so was also James and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not, from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their ships to land, that forsook all.
And followed him.
Now we have a scene at the shore of Galilee, where Knesset.
If you were to look on the map, you would see three cities about 5 miles apart at the top or the north part of the lake or sea.
One of the cities is where Jesus lived, Capernaum.
And to the right, as you look on the map, you would see the city where Andrew and Peter and Philip lived to say it.
A little further north you would see cursing.
Now these cities had more ministry of Jesus than any others I believe.
Especially Capernaum and Corazon.
And but we find that it's just a natural scene.
Where the fishermen are casting their Nets out.
They're going out after fish.
But if you look in Matthew 13, you would see the same scene where the Lord is teaching the people those parables that you read in that chapter.
But here we have him, and the parables are not mentioned because there's a very specific thing that the Lord has before Him to teach us in this chapter.
And it is something that's very necessary for Peter if he's going to be a companion of Jesus.
And he was a companion of Jesus, a disciple also if he's going to serve the Lord Jesus.
He has to learn that lesson in this chapter.
But you'll see how gracious the Lord is in teaching him. He doesn't go to Peter, say no, Peter, you're going to have to learn a lesson. No, Peter learns the lesson without realizing, perhaps, that the Lord is trying to teach him a lesson.
Oh, how gracious the Lord is.
So the first thing we noticed that the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God. You don't see that today, do you?
No, you don't see that today.
Now there are two ships standing by the lake, and the Lord chooses one of them because he says his eye on Peter.
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He singles Peter out.
And he says to him.
Entered in one of the ships which was Simons, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land, and he sat down and taught the people out of the ship. The rest of it you get in Matthew 13. Now when he left speaking.
He said unto Simon, Lodge out into the deep, and let down your Nets plural for a draft.
And Simon, answering, said it to him, Master, we have toiled all the night and have taken nothing. Nevertheless a thigh word, I will let down the net.
We have.
I and we here.
Peter had to break with his companions in order to carry out the instructions of the Lord Jesus.
Now you may have to break with your companions in order to carry out the instructions of the Lord Jesus.
And they may be companions that seem to be good companions in a way.
But still, whenever you take a step of faith, you have to take it alone in the presence of Jesus.
You don't take steps of faith collectively, you take them individually.
In his presence.
This is a lesson that Peter had to learn.
And he had been with the Lord before.
And he had heard his word, as in John one. And so he says, nevertheless, that thy word.
I will let down the net.
He didn't let down the Nets.
I don't know what would have happened if he let down the net.
Because the one that filled not only his ship, but another one too.
No, you can't limit the blessing that comes as a result of obedience to the Word of God.
We're so slow to believe what God says in our lives.
We're so used to using our own thoughts and we're we're so often taken up with others to the point that we are not able to act on the scriptures that God has given us to act upon. We have to do this alone in our souls. But you'll notice immediately when Peter acts, so do the rest. If you take a step of faith, somebody's watching you and they're going to take a step of faith too.
But be sure of this.
If you take a wrong step, people are watching you and they're going to take a wrong step too. Not solemn.
Very solid, toiled all the night, taking nothing, nevertheless a thy word.
I will let down the net.
And when they had this done, now we have the companions brought in the blessing at the same time with Peter, and closed a great multitude of fishes and their net break.
And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them.
And they came and filled both the ships as they began to sink, when Simon Peter saw it.
He fell down at Jesus knees saying, depart from me for I am a sinful man oh Lord.
Well, didn't Peter know that he was a Sinner before?
Oh yes, he knew that.
But he never knew before that the whole thing was bad. Everything.
Have you discovered that?
Are you still trying to salvage something from the flesh? Have you discovered that the whole thing is bad? That you're a sinful man?
And that God can't use one thing of the flesh in you, not one thing.
Oh, what a lesson to learn if Peter's going to follow the Lord.
In companionship he must discover this, because the Lord will be everything to him. He doesn't need the flesh.
Depart from me, for I am a sinful man.
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Oh Lord, he owns his lordship. Does the Lord depart from him? No.
The Lord is taking him up for blessing.
Peter's willing to take that low place now, and he owns what he is before God because.
He had gotten into the presence of God.
Do you know, dear friends, that Job never got into the presence of God until the end of his history?
The last few chapters.
It was then that he repented. In dust and ashes. He'd gotten into the presence of God.
You know, it's a good thing to get into the presence of God when you're young.
Have everything out like Peter did and learn that in me, in my flesh, dwells no good thing, not one good thing. There's anything for God. It'll have to be what he brings.
Not in you, in yourself. He was astonished. And so is also James and John, the sons of Zebedee.
Which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, fear not, from henceforth thou shall catch man. Peter said, depart from me. Oh, the Lord says, fear not, I'm going to make you a Fisher of men. You've been fishing for fish, now you're going to fish for men.
Well, we must not tarry here. Let's go on to the 9th chapter. In the 9th chapter we find the certain disciples with the Lord on the Mount of Transfiguration and.
In the 32nd verse, we can't tarry here. We couldn't speak of this whole chapter this afternoon. It's so wonderful, but we're just going to take a verse out of it or two. But Peter and they that were with him were heavy.
With sleep.
And when they were awake, they saw His glory and the two men that stood with him.
And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here, and let us make 3 tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias, not knowing what he said. While he thus spake, there came a cloud and overshadowed them, and they feared.
As they entered the cloud, there came a voice out of the cloud saying, This is my beloved son, here him. And when the voice was passed, Jesus was found alone.
Now we find.
Peter.
In a very favored place.
Where the glory is seen.
The Lords glory is seen but Peter is asleep at the time of the display of glory. He was awakened and he did see some of the glory.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter was asleep again.
But in Luke's Gospel, you do not follow a chronology, you follow moral principles.
And so if you're asleep, if I'm asleep, as to the sufferings of Christ.
I will be asleep as to the glories of Christ.
This Peter had to learn.
And you'll read in his epistle.
Later.
That he speaks of this occasion as the excellent glory.
It is firmly fixed in his mind.
This scene of glory.
It had made an impression upon him.
And you'll find in his writings he speaks of the sufferings of Christ and the glory to follow.
The glory was impressed upon his mind and heart.
Without vision, the people will perish. Unless you and I have the glory firmly fixed in our hearts and minds, we may become discouraged along the way.
But in order to have the glory fixed in our minds, we will have to be occupied with the death and sufferings of Christ.
That comes first. Now we turn to the 12Th chapter, the 41St verse.
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Thor has been speaking about.
That coming day of his. His coming.
Now Peter says in the 41St verse.
Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all?
And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise Stewart, whom his Lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant whom is Lord, when he cometh shall find so doing of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he have.
This is Peter's call. Doesn't sound like it doesn't. The Lord doesn't say to Peter, now, Peter, you're going to be over the household. He doesn't say that. Here. Peter learns the language that the Lord is going to use with him. Not direct, but that which reaches into his innermost soul.
Where he has to weigh things in the presence of the Lord to discover the pathway. God isn't going to tell you that you're to do this or that right out in so many words. You're going to have to discover it in His presence. Communion.
Then you'll get the answer for what you're to do, whether it be service or whether it be anything in your life that you're to do.
It's a result of communion if you're going to learn it rightly.
And it'll be from the Word of God, a principle at least from the word of God. And notice to the reward that he gives him at the same time he tells them when he comes again, he's going to reward it. I'll make him. He will make him ruler over all that he has. Takes care of the household down here.
Later day he'll make him ruler over all that he have.
Well, we turn to the 18th chapter, the 28th verse. Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all and followed thee.
And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that has left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife or children, for the Kingdom of God's sake, who shall not receive manifold more in this present time and in the world to come.
Life everlasting.
Now Peter, I don't know whether Peter was discouraged or not. It seemed that he was a little bit discouraged.
As he saw those around him probably that had wealth and he had just heard from the Lord's lips about this rich young man who had come and wanted to know how he could get eternal life. But he went away sad because he had great possessions.
No doubt there was an impression made upon Peter that the path he had taken didn't seem to have much reward to it.
Is that the way you feel about the path of faith?
I don't know the circumstances of all of you here. Some of you may have more than others.
But sometimes.
The pathway gets.
A little bit trying.
We see others and present things. They they become large in front of our eyes and we forget the end of the road.
And we forget, too, that the Lord who is leading us is going to provide everything for us here that we need, and then in that coming day, He's going to give us life everlasting.
Do you know of anyone in this world or anything in this world that could measure up to this?
Manifold more in this present time is what he promises to the Christian.
Who follows in discipleship?
And in the end, life everlasting.
That's the encouragement for Peter.
Is this grace though? We go on to the 21St chapter.
Now we come to the Lord's table. Peter's at the Lord's table in picture at least. Well, we noticed in the first in the ninth verse.
The time for the Passover and the ninth verse. They said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare? And he said unto them, Behold, when you're entered into a city, there shall a man meet you bearing a pitch of water.
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Follow him to the house where he entereth in 13th verse. And they went and found as he had said unto them, and they made ready the Passover.
And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the 12 apostles with him. And he said unto them with desire, I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.
Verse 19 And he took bread.
Gave thanks and break it gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you, this doing remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the New Testament in my blood which is shed for you. Now we have the Lord in the midst of His disciples.
The occasion is the supper.
Passover first, then the supper. It's a beautiful scene, isn't it? The Lord in the midst. But we've been Speaking of in these meetings, the Lord in the midst. We find that.
When this takes place, when a soul finds themselves in that particular place, gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus.
That there is a certain amount of responsibility connected with it.
Holiness becometh thine house, oh Lord.
And so many things that might have gone on before.
Now are brought into the limelight.
Because in the presence of the Lord.
Some things have to be set aside.
Judas is not here.
Judas has gone out this night. We learned that from John.
It's the heavenly family here on earth with the Lord in the midst.
Now look at verse.
24.
And there was also a strife.
Among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest? Notice that word greatest, greatest. Again, which of them should be counted greatest?
Does that belong at the Lord's Table?
Comparing one with another.
As though that one would be greater than another.
No, that doesn't belong with the people of God and at the table.
No such thing in the things of God.
There's no partiality there.
Each one has its place. It's true. One may be an evangelist, one may be a teacher.
One may do something else, but remember there's no one greater than another.
If it be, be one who was serving and that's what the Lord was doing.
And he sets his own example for them, that the one who served was the greatest.
Now we find that Peter has to be corrected. He was the leader of the disciples. He had come a long way, that's true. But he still had many lessons to learn, and this was one of them.
That he could not strive.
Especially about a matter of this kind.
Striving does not belong among the people of God. What are you striving about? He's already learned that he has everything in Christ.
But he hasn't yet learned his lesson. The Lord is saying certain things to him about the Gentiles, exercise, lordship and so on.
But Peter doesn't learn from that. Peter has to go through a deep trial to learn to discover this.
Because he hadn't judged it in the 9th chapter, now we didn't read about it in the 9th chapter.
But in the 9th chapter they were reasoning which should be the greatest.
And if you don't cut the tree down when it's small, you'll have to cut it down when it's big. Sometimes it's pretty hard.
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He hadn't judged this sin in the 9th chapter, so he had to judge it in this chapter.
And the tree had grown big. They were striving.
So.
We see the Lord's grace towards Peter and the disciples here and before he says to Peter what he's going to tell him about his own condition, he says 28th, 1St year. They which have continued with me in my temptation. Isn't that lovely?
He's correcting Peter and that's what he's saying.
Heavenly Grace.
Year they which have continued with me in my temptations trials, and I appoint under you a Kingdom, as my Father hath appointed me, that she may eat and drink at my table.
In my Kingdom sit on Thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel.
The Lord is conditioning Peter for the trial.
His setting is his eyes on other things.
He's preparing his heart for the trial he's going to pass through.
In David's case of another day before David had sinned, the Lord had. As David sat before the Lord, he showed him about his house for a long time to come. That's the way the Lord acts with his own. We don't always treat our children that way, do we?
Condition them for the trial in the correction.
That's Grace.
And that's the way you win your children.
That's the way you keep your children.
Let them know where they belong and they're dear to you, even though you have to correct them. That's what the Lord is doing here. He lets Peter know how much, how valuable he is to him. And then he says to Peter.
Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as weak, but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not.
And when the art converted, strengthen thy brethren. You know when we go through trial, Satan has a place in it.
If you were to read the book of Job carefully, where we get a pattern of this.
See certain agents employed in this.
First of all, you would see.
The sons of God which are angels in the book of Joel. Then you see Satan.
You'd see job the elect.
You'd see his kindred.
Who oppose him?
You see his three friends.
Who?
Just caused him a lot of trouble.
And finally you see Elihu, the daisman that stands between.
And then you see the Lord.
Now you don't know this, but this is what's true in generally in the trials that the Christian passes through.
These are the agents employed.
Not simply amidst the people gathered to the Lord's name.
Israel was the people of God, but God was dealing with Job, a man outside of the the country of Israel.
And the same principles applied.
To job as it did to Israel and does today, those are God's ways.
Satan, the desire to have you. But remember, Satan can't touch one believer unless God lets him do it. He desired to heaven and the Lord allows him in measure to correct Peter. Now notice in the 50th verse.
Someone uses the sword.
Someone uses the sword.
John is the one who tells us who it was. It was Peter.
Peter used the sword.
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Peter said that he wouldn't deny him.
That the Lord told him before the **** troll crow that would deny me thrice.
Again, we see the Son of Man, and that's what lukes about the Son of Man. He has control of the birds of the air and the beasts of the field. He's created that bird for that purpose.
For this very occasion, the Son of Man, he has control of them, just like he had control of the fish in the sea, to bring the coin to him.
He had to control the fall of an *** to ride upon unbroken.
Said a man has control of all this.
Oh what a person Jesus is. Now notice in the 50 in the 54th verse at the end of the verse.
The fall of Peter is rapid.
And Peter followed a far off Peter sat down next verse.
Three times, he says. I don't know the man.
He said he would die with you, but now he doesn't know him.
You see, Peter's fall was not a question of willfulness.
It was weakness.
You and I are no match for the enemy. He that trusts his own heart as a fool.
Peter has to discover that all of his strength lies in the Lord alone.
Not in himself.
Not one bit of it.
Hard lesson to learn, isn't it?
Peter has to learn if he's going to be a companion of Jesus, if he's going to serve the Lord, he has to learn it where his strength lies.
When Samson gave away his secret, all his strength was gone.
Your secret, beloved, is that you're a heavenly citizen when you forget that you've lost your strength as a testimony down here.
Peter has to learn.
That.
There's no strength in Peter to stand against Satan.
Satan used the different ones to point directly at Peter, and God allowed it because Peter was being trained.
For blessing at his latter end, Peter in the 60th verse said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake the cock crew and the Lord turned and looked on Peter.
And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him before the **** crow, Thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out and wept bitterly.
Now those three days and three nights.
Or the part of them.
Must have been very bitter for Peter, because you see, Peter's heart was set upon pleasing the Lord.
But he didn't have the strength to do it.
He was trusting in the wrong person to carry out what he wanted to do.
It's entirely different thing from one who finds himself in willful evil. Entirely different thing. Peter's desire was to please the Lord.
And yet he found that he was in trouble because he was trusting in his own heart.
Bitterly now, we turn over to the.
24th chapter.
33rd verse and they rose up the same hour.
Have returned to Jerusalem. These are the ones on the way to Emmaus. We can't read it all. And found the 11 gathered together and then that were with them saying the Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.
Now we learn from Corinthians that.
Peter was the first one of the apostles that the Lord appeared to after his resurrection.
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It's true that he did appear to some of the women.
But Peter was the first one of the apostles that the Lord appeared to. And why was this?
Because Peter's heart was broken, that's why.
All the grace of our Lord Jesus, He didn't allow a moment to elapse. He went right to Peter on his resurrection to restore his soul. And that's the present work of our blessed Savior on high to restore our souls.
Or to keep us in the path as the case may be.
That appeared under Simon. Oh how much that means.
Hath appeared unto Simon. The Lord is risen indeed, and appeared unto Simon.
Now we turn to Acts. Acts 2.
Verse 41. Peter is preaching now.
Peter has come out of school, shall we say, not entirely, because he has a great deal more to learn in the pathway, but now he's prepared as a servant.
The day of Pentecost has come.
And Peter stands up fearlessly and proclaims the glories of his master and the guilt of the nation that has slain him.
We have here then they that gladly received his word were baptized, and the same day they were added more added unto them, about 3000 souls. If you read in a chapter 2 following, you'll find that there were 4000 on another occasion.
This couldn't be if Peter had not been prepared for it.
No, this is the end of a of a schooling that Peter was put through where he could stand up fearlessly in the power of the Holy Spirit, not in the flesh as he was before.
He has power now to stand, stand in the face, prison or whatever it may be, or death.
And at the end of Peter's life, history tells us, not the scriptures, that Peter, when he was to be crucified, he requested that he be crucified upside down because he didn't feel that he was worthy of being crucified like his master. I say history tells us this, not the word of God.
Oh, what a change had taken place in Peter the.
Result of that gracious master that is working with each one of us individually today.
Now in the closing, I just want to read what Peter says in his epistle at the end of the first Peter.
In the 10th verse.
Of the 5th chapter, first Peter.
It's a lovely closing to statement for what we've had before us.
But the God of all grace, just think of it. The God of all grace. Peters learned this now.
The God of all grace.
Who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus. After that she have suffered a while. Make you perfect, establish strength and settle you to Him. Be glory, dominion forever.
And ever Amen should we sing that little hymn? 47 Grace taught our wandering feet to tread the heavenly road and new supplies each hour we meet while traveling home to God.
The Restoring Grace of God
Address—C.E. Lunden
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First Peter a verse, chapter 4.
And verse 12.
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange thing happened unto you.
But rejoice in as much as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy. Now I will turn to a passage in the Old Testament.
In First Kings.
That perhaps may illustrate what we have in these verses.
First Kings 19.
A familiar passage, and Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done.
And with all how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, Elijah saying, So let the gods do to me, And more also if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.
And when he saw that, he arose and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belonged to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree. And he requested for himself that he might die, and said, It is enough now, Lord, take away my life.
For I am no better than my father's.
And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an Angel touched him.
And said unto him, Arise and eat. And he looked, and behold, there was a cake, bacon on the coals, and a cruise of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. And the Angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him.
And said, arise and eat, because the journey is too great for thee. And he arose and did eat.
And drink, and when in the strength of that meat, 40 days and 40 nights under Horeb, the mount of God.
And he came feather under a cave, and lodged there. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him. And he said unto him, What doest thou hear, Elijah?
And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts, for the children of Israel of forsaken, thy covenant thrown down thine altars slain thy prophets with a sword, and I even I only am left, and they seek my life to take it away.
And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord, and behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and breaking pieces of the rocks before the Lord.
But the Lord was not in the wind.
And after the wind and earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake of fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.
And after the fire a still small voice. And it was so when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out, and stood in the entering end of The Cave. And behold, there came a voice unto him, and said.
Doest thou hear Elijah?
And he said, I've been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts, because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, slain thy prophets with a sword, and I even I only am left, and they seek my life to take it away. And the Lord said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus.
When outcomes to anoint the zeal to be king over Syria and Jehovah the son of Nimshi.
Shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Abel Nihola, shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room? And it shall come to pass that him that escape of the sword of the zeal shall Jehu slave, and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay. Yet I have left me 7000 in Israel.
All the knees which have not vowed unto bail, and every mouth which have not kissed him.
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No doubt you noticed in the letter that was sent out of invitation to these meetings.
That there was a note there of of suggestion that we were in the very last moments of the churches history.
And that the desire was that our hearts might be solemnized as we think of this. And also, dear brethren, in taking up this subject, I'm thinking now of some who are not privileged as we are.
You know, there are probably more assemblies in South America than they are in the North America.
And some of our brethren down there are passing through deep trials.
Some do not even have food.
I'm thinking too, beloved of some of our dear brethren that have been passing through trials.
Not just trial of brethren, but deep trials.
So these things not solemnize our hearts.
Are we not one body?
When one suffers, do not the rest suffer?
We have here in these verses we read in the New Testament.
The subject of chastening and trial.
There are various kinds of trial in Peter. The Jews were going anticipating a deep trial. The whole economy would be swept away in the Christian Jews would suffer under it.
A fiery trial.
And he said, don't think it a strange thing.
No, and so it is, beloved, with all the trials that you and I may be called upon to pass through, individually or collectively. Don't think it's strange because there's a hand holding reins. He has control of everything. I say everything. God is still in charge.
Remember that.
But if there is a trial, as Peter says, there is a need to be.
But I feel this, that if there is a trial for one, all should feel it.
The Lord doesn't send a trial on all, but He sends it on certain ones, so the rest of us may take notice.
Now we have enjoyed many lovely things in these meetings and I just want to call attention to the Lords attitude.
And the Prophet's attitude in the trial.
We have here a little picture, I believe, in this passage in the Old Testament of the Lords attitude toward the one who is being tried.
We have also a picture of the one who's being tried, and it's a real picture of our hearts.
We may look at the prophet and we say, my Elijah, you really have dropped, haven't you? But you know, dear friend, when you drop, you don't even know you've dropped.
Samson didn't even know the Lord had departed from him.
Think of it.
We have here a prophet that was used mightily of God, Elijah. He could command fire to come down from heaven.
He could cause the rain to stop. He could cause the rain again.
Mighty prophet.
But when the trial came, he ran from a woman.
Think of it, he ran from alone.
And he ran for his life.
You wouldn't think that of Elijah, would you?
You know the difference why he did.
When he called for the rain to stop from heaven, he said before the Lord God of Israel, whom I stand.
That's the difference.
He doesn't say that when they threatened his life. Jezebel threatened his life, no.
No, he ran for his life.
And then the strange thing it is that is he requested for himself that he might die.
Oh, how inconsistent we become when we get out of communion.
Well.
When he saw that, now you say, brethren, we've been speaking about having our eyes on Christ and the prophet did have his eyes on Christ, at least that's the picture we have in these earlier passages. But now he's gotten his eyes off. And when he saw that, the circumstances.
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No, that's not the place to have our eyes on the circumstances. That won't help. We just keep our eyes in the right place and everything will be all right.
And here it says he himself.
Says he came to Beersheba verse 3 which belonged to Judah and left his servant there.
All this was ordered of God.
The prophet has to go through this trial alone in the presence of God.
And wonder wonderful thing this is.
That's the sanctuary we were singing about in the presence of God.
Oh, how good to be in the sanctuary. It's better if we were in the right state of soul in the sanctuary.
But here he was in the sanctuary just the same.
Even though he was running.
He left his servant. His servant couldn't go into this.
But he went a day's journey into the wilderness, and that's the way it seemed, doesn't it, brethren, when we are under the trial of wilderness? Oh, how different from what we've had before us in these last few days. But, you know, tomorrow we might go out into the wilderness. Who knows what's before us?
You know it isn't. A great deal of ministry and fellowship isn't going to keep our souls.
Communion will.
To fill our heads with knowledge won't keep us.
But to be maintained in the presence of the Lord will keep us.
Sat down under a juniper tree. Wild broom tree.
And requested for himself that he might die and said it is enough now. Lord, take away my life, I'm not better than my father's. There seemed to be just a little bit of anger there. And what is it all about?
Well, he had been used to deliver God's people, and now the tables are turned upon him.
It's one thing, Brandon, to be able to speak to others and to tell others what to do, but it's quite a different thing when the arrow turns home.
Yes, and the time will come in each of our lives when that which we may have been ministering to others may turn home on our own souls. It should turn home before we minister it.
To others.
Was he better than his father's? No, he found he wasn't.
That was the difficulty with the disciple. They're trying to find out who was the greatest.
That's the shows a bad state of soul. A bad state of soul.
Now he lays and sleeps under this wild broom tree.
Where is he? Miles away from his mission.
Left his mission asleep instead of at work.
Discourage man. And who's the one that goes about to restore his soul? Does he seek to do this himself? No.
And justice like you and I never would have been saved except the grace of God had reached out to us. Our souls would never be restored unless the Lord comes in. And that's the beautiful picture we have in this chapter.
It's the Lord that restores our souls. And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, notice that word. Behold, then an Angel touched him. I say that's touching, beloved.
Who was the Angel? We learned a little later it was the Angel of the Lord is the Lord Himself.
He touched him.
Someone has said that the husband is never nearer to the vine than when he's pruning it.
And that's what we have here. Each believer is under the tender care at all times, in communion or out of communion of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The tender care of the Lord Jesus Christ.
He may allow us to pass through difficulties and trials, but he never leaves us. He's told us that over three times in Scripture, in those words, I'll never leave you never sake you never.
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He said unto him.
Arise a knee and he looked, and behold, there was a cake, bacon on the coals, and a cruise of water at his head.
And he did eat and drink and laid him down again.
He didn't have to go after anything there. It was right where he could reach it.
This is a picture of the tender love of our Savior when we get out of communion.
But we have to look to see it.
And the Angel of the Lord, that's the Lord himself.
Came again and the second time and touched him. Touched him.
And said arise and eat because the journey is too great for thee.
Oh, what a discovery.
That the journey is too great for thee. Have you been carrying it? You can't carry it, it's too great for you.
You're going to have to have the Lord carry it for you. You can't carry it.
And he took his servant aside now to teach him that the journey was too great for him and he'd have to have some help on it.
And so he he takes care of his need.
And he looked and behold, there was a cake. Bacon on the coals, Some translations read Hot stones. Hot stones.
And a cruise of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. And the Angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for thee. And he arose and did eat and drink, and went. And the strength of that meat, 40 days and 40 nights under Horeb, the mount of God.
When it comes to The Cave and the Lord says, what doest thou here? Elijah, why are you here? A good question. What is? Is that not a good question for us this afternoon? I don't mean why are you here in this room, but I mean why are you where you are in your life this afternoon?
Why are you there?
Is it because you have the direct orders of the Lord from His Word?
That you're doing what you're doing day by day. What doest thou hear? Elijah, perhaps 200 miles away from his mission. I've been very jealous.
For the Lord God of hosts. And then he speaks against the people of God. You know, beloved God will not tolerate this from anyone. He loves His people too much. He will not allow anyone to speak in His presence.
Against his people. So don't do it. Don't ever pray against his people.
He's the only prophet.
Whose failures mentioned in the New Testament?
He spoke against God's people. No, God loves his people.
Don't speak to God against his people.
Well, that's what he did.
At Horeb.
Now the Lord Jesus, when he was at Mount Horeb, or we might say in the garden.
What was he saying? Was he not pleading for God's people?
But here Elijah was pleading against God's people, and so he gets the word go several times, you go forth, not come. And that that distance must be felt of the soul between the soul and God in this instance, because of his attitude towards God's people. And now the Lord gives him to feel the fire and the wind and the earthquake.
Those things of power that he was so used to.
He has to learn now what they mean to him himself.
And then?
We have the still small voice.
In the 13th 1St. And it was so when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mandolin, went out, and stood in the ending of The Cave. And behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou hear, Elijah? And again the same answer twice.
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Twice the same question, twice the same answer.
I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts, but thy people.
And then he speaks against God's people.
Again the Lord tells him to go.
What now is before him?
He's going to anoint those who were going to be trouble for his people.
It says.
Go return on the way to the wilderness of Damascus.
When thou comest anointed, sail to be king over Syria.
He was the one who was going to dash the little children against the stones.
And Jaya, the son of Nimshi, though anointed to be king over Israel.
And in light of the son of Japheth.
And Abel Mihal, shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. Your mission is over. I can't use you anymore. Isn't that solemn?
I can't use you anymore in your mission.
Oh, how solemn this is. But you know something.
We learn from the subsequent scriptures that his heart was broken.
By these he couldn't and never did.
He never did anoint anyone except his successor.
He couldn't anoint that king to dash The Who would dash the little children against the stones. He couldn't do that.
No, but he does anoint his successor because his mission was over but his ministry wasn't over.
And all of his mission was over.
Once he learned his lesson than he did.
He became a beautiful type of Christ, and we see him in a later chapter in the beginning of the Second Kings.
Is going into the heavens in a whirlwind as a type of the Lord Jesus in resurrection?
Oh, gracious God is.
Once there is the turning of the soul and accepting the discipline that God has allowed.
In the life, Oh, a tremendous blessing comes as a result. I won't take any more time, brethren. I just leave these few thoughts with you. There's much to this subject. But he doesn't. He doesn't anoint these others, but he does anoint his successor. And Elijah becomes a beautiful type of Christ in his ministry, typifying Hall's ministry later.
Philippians 3:12
Reading
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Philippians 3, verse 12.
Not as though I had already attained either were already perfect, but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended.
Of Christ Jesus.
Rather than I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do.
Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I pressed for the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Let us therefore as many as be perfect, be thus minded, and if anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
Nevertheless, virtue we have already attained. Let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walks. So would you have us for an example.
For many walk of whom I've told you often and now tell you even weeping.
But they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end of destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.
For our conversation is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who should change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working, whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself.
These three little words in verse 12 I follow after.
Are the true position.
And come from the heart of a true disciple, if we would notice in Luke Chapter 9, the contrast in the little word very easy to understand. And it's such a little practical important lesson for all of us there in the end of Luke 9.
One says.
In verse 59, Lord, suffer me first, and then in the 61St verse the same thing. Lord, I will follow thee, but let me first. That's not a disciple. A true disciple says the first. Well, that was Paul.
And he had that blessed man in the glory before him.
And.
In his.
Love for Christ and in the beauty that he saw in Christ he says I follow after.
In Hebrews chapter 12 we have a like thought in verse two, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. That is the same obstacle.
Christ in glory, seated on the throne, but the course to be run.
Of faith for the disciple below, so I follow after is very simple.
Important instruction for every Christian.
That's what a disciple means, isn't it? A follower of Christ. And there are disciples and there are disciples. Indeed, as our brother's been mentioning, you find disciples who weren't real in John six. It's sort of nice to see the contrast. And John 6, the Lord brought out the six chapters, some very deep truths, and that's what separates.
Followers from reality in verse 66 of John 6. From that time, many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him. Those were not disciples. Indeed, there's a lot of them today who ostensibly unprofessionally are followers, but when the truth gets deep, they leave.
Now we have disciples indeed in John 8 verse 31.
And then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If he continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed? And he shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. That's what makes a disciple indeed, one who not only follows, but continues in his word. And then we have a nice portion on discipleship that our brother was bringing out.
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Matthew. I like this. Matthew 16 verse 24.
Matthew 1624 Then said Jesus unto his disciples.
If any man will come after me, that's the first thing following.
Let him deny himself, that's the second thing. Luke 9 it says daily. And take up his cross. That's the third thing. That's really the sufferings of Christ, the reproach and rejection in this world. Follow me.
You know, we take all kinds of titles saying children of God, brothers and sisters and the Lord and many other titles. They're precious. We don't often call ourselves disciples.
That's exercising disciples. We've had a little bit about that in our last meeting. To the young people having to take the low place to be a disciple, you have to get down into the dust and realize you're nothing, and then you can follow the Lord.
That's his example.
Well, it's nice to see these ideas. There are disciples today, the masses. When Jesus was here, the multitudes were always with him.
But they were the same multitude that said, not this man, but perhaps. And you have the multitudes following today too.
But brethren, let's have reality and be disciples indeed.
Perfection here in two ways, do we not in this chapter?
This verse, not as though I had already attained either, were already perfect. That is, I suppose that he's referring to the object that he has before him. He has not yet attained, and he's following after still, but he's not already perfect.
Perfection. There is the condition that all the Saints will be in in that coming day of glory.
There will be nothing but perfection. There's no perfection down here, but there will be up there.
But then you have another perfect.
In the 15th 1St let us therefore as many as be perfect.
Now that suggests more maturity, but along the lines that we have in our chapter here, it's a it's a sense of being mature in the soul as to the particular things that he's been bringing before us.
Because he's going to use that expression later as to walk. But in our verse, it has to do really with the end of the road and.
He speaks here of now following after it, that I may apprehend or lay hold of.
That for which I also am apprehended, or have been taken possession of, I think is the thought.
Christ has already taken possession of us, but we want to.
Have a complete possession in our souls quality is that the Spirit of God would open to us.
And in that coming day?
We're going to in his presence, we'll see him as he is. But now there's nothing perfect. We only know in part. And that's why reading meanings are so helpful, because no one brother knows very much.
And as the Spirit of God opens the scriptures through the different ones.
Why we got a little better glimpse of these precious things. We're dependent not only on the Spirit of God, but on one another for these things.
To help in the understanding and appreciation of the truth. Here in the 11Th verse, I don't think we mentioned that.
But when it speaks about the resurrection of the dead, it should read Resurrection out from among the dead.
Now that was a revelation that was given to the apostle Paul, that there would be that kind of a resurrection.
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Out from among the dead until that revelation was given.
And until the Lord said some words about it that are recorded in the New Testament, no one had an understanding that there would be anything but a general resurrection of everybody. But now it's distinguished here that there's a special resurrection out from among the dead. That's what we read about.
In the 15th chapter, First Corinthians, where we have.
The Apostle Paul stating that he had gotten this special revelation from the Lord about we shall not all sleep, but we there are some that are going to be raised from among the dead. There are many millions of dead that will remain in the earth.
When we are raised, if we have died.
When we were raised and caught up to be with the Lord in the air, all those that are Christ, we read in that 15th chapter First Corinthians. All that are Christ will be raised at that time, and that includes all those who had faith in Old Testament time.
And it includes all of this dispensation, all who have faith, faith in God, faith in the word of God, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who are the true believers, they will be raised at that time, at that resurrection, and it will be out from among the dead. But later on you have the resurrection of the of the unjust.
Of all those who died in their sins. But that's an important thing right here.
In connection with what the Apostle Paul is bringing before us.
What a joy it will be for us to be in that resurrection, the out from among the dead resurrection brought up to be with the Lord. And this is what Paul is looking forward to. And no doubt he's referring to that in verse 12, that he hasn't reached that yet.
But there was always that desire in the heart.
Of the Apostle Paul to go on.
And I believe that's why he wrote through the Jewish believers as he did in the book of Hebrews. Let us go on. And he's pointing them to Christ in glory in that book and.
Perfection is mentioned there in the book of Hebrews in connection with that, going on to perfection he occupied with Christ in glory. Those Jews were tempted to go back to the old order of things that they were used to the temple and all the things in the temple and all the rituals.
And all the ceremonies and all the sacrifices and the altars and all of that, the priesthood, they were tempted to go back to that because Christ had gone now and they were growing weary. And evidently some of them were going back because we read about their being babes and they have need of being taught again the 1St principles.
But he speaks of going on to perfection, looking often to Jesus.
Who's mentioned four times in the book of Hebrews as sitting at the right hand of God?
Now that truth was given to the apostle Paul that Christ is at the right hand of God.
And that is where he wants us to find him practically down here. And that is what we're looking forward to, seeing him up there in the glory and being with him forever. But he hadn't attained to that yet, and he wasn't perfect in that sense, and he was following after down here in a practical way.
This is where we have the opportunity of following him.
Are we making use of that opportunity, a blessed opportunity?
And an opportunity that gives us to follow on, that we might hear and say, Well done, thou good and faithful servant, do we covet.
That they will be able to hear at the end of our journey here.
That word of the Lord to us, well done.
Not anything in a material way, not anything that we can enjoy by the census, but still not well done, His word of approval.
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All to have the approval of the Lord Jesus Christ. What a thing to cover. This is what he was following after, to have his approval to please Him. Is there anything greater than that? To have a desire to please the Lord?
To honor him.
May the Lord give us grace to do that a little while. Let remain. The other resurrection you mentioned. Is that 1000 years later? Yeah, that's when they're raised to stand before the great white throne and be judged by the Lord seated, seated there.
In John's Gospel chapter 5, it is called the resurrection unto life.
Which in Revelation is called first Resurrection and the 2nd resurrection is unto judgment.
You know which picture I'm referring to.
55 Yes, the resurrection after life is at the rapture, and at least 1000 years later the 2nd resurrection when all the dead are raised. That's why this translation is not accurate. The resurrection of the dead. All the dead will be raised and standing before the Great White Throne to be judged.
In that resurrection, But blessed is he that has part in the first resurrection, because it is the resurrection of the life.
But the second is to be judged at the Great White Throne. But the two are brought together in John 5 because it's.
It's the subject is Christ is going to be the judge.
As the Father has life in himself, so I have to give him to the Son to have life in himself. And also he's given all the judgment to the Son, that all men might honor the Son even as they honor the Father. And so the Lord Jesus is the one who will be honored and publicly displayed as the one who has control of all things, but as a man.
Under the Father, as it were, by carrying out all the counsels of God in this person. And that's why the Lord Jesus became man and died, as we have in Hebrews.
Two, because he's the one who's going to fulfill all the counsels of God. He's begun by making atonement and delivering those who are out, living out from under Satan's power and death, and now to be the great high priest.
But the day is coming when, as the Son of Man, he's going to be over all things as man. And so in that chapter.
John, we have what has been generally accepted in the olden times, like Martha, you remember in the 11Th chapter John says I know that Lazarus must be raised in the last time. Well, the Lord said I'm the resurrection and the light.
She got something new there and then he said, believe us thou this. In other words, applying it to her conscience. But in John 5, the Lord Jesus does not explain the full.
Thought of resurrection because the church hasn't yet been formed and it's when the Saints in fourth chapter of First Thessalonians were concerned about the loved ones who were dying.
And wondering what would happen to them, that the Spirit of God gave Paul a revelation as to this and it was made known the details as to the resurrection and the rapture first.
Although that was referred to in a general way in John 14.
But not the full thing brought out as in connection with the church, because that was brought in Thessalonians.
The holiness doctrine that some hold.
Teaches that.
That we arrive at a state of sanctification where sin has been burned out and we no longer have any sin. These verses refute that, Paul says. Not as though I had already attained the prize, which is Christ in glory either. We're already perfected.
But I follow after, and he says in verse 13, Brethren, I count not myself to have.
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Gotten possession to have apprehended or gotten possession but he.
Fresh towards the mark and the new translation in verse 14 reads, I pursue looking towards the mark or the goal for the prize of the calling on high of God in Christ Jesus. So Paul says I haven't attained to it yet. I haven't reached that state of perfection yet where sin is all burned out and I'm all together like Christ and with him.
That's the prize, that's the goal ahead. But what is it that sanctifies us? What is? What is it? That's the power of sanctification down here. Sanctification merely meaning being more and more like Christ. It's Christ in glory as the object before our souls. And as we look at him and we pursue that goal, and we have Christ before our souls, we come out like him.
That's that's the way of proper practical sanctification is having Christ, a man in the glory before our souls. But Paul disclaims having achieved it.
He says I haven't arrived at this state of perfection yet. We're all going to arrive there when the out resurrection from among the dead takes place and we're brought there and we're with him and like him, but until that moment we pursue, he says we press towards the mark. We continue with that object before us. So it's a process going on by the Spirit of God by which we are occupied with.
Christ in glory and we come out more like him. But as soon as we arrive at the point where we say we've made it, we've attained it, we've achieved perfection, then when we fail, we have to either ignore the failure. When we sin, we have to either not call it sin or not call it by its true name. But if we realize we haven't achieved it yet, we're on the way and Christ is before our soul that.
Gives us power if we do fail to say that was sin and to judge it and to forsake it and then press on towards the goal.
God has something to say about it and 1St John chapter 3.
Every mind verse three. And every man at this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. The exercise about that will go on until the Lord takes us home, and we need to be exercised about it. I don't know what leads people to believe that the old natures burnt out.
But there are many things that.
We have a tendency to believe to avoid the exercise that we need to go through.
And if they are using that as an excuse to avoid exercise about purifying themselves and living holy lives as Peter brings before us being holy for I am holy, the Lord says, then it's sad. We need to be an exercise about this all the time. And what helps us is.
To have this hope in him, waiting for the Lord to take us home.
To be with himself when we're going to be like him. Well, if we're going to be like him there, we want to be as much like him here as possible before we go. And so that means that there's a continual exercise going on in our souls about it. And we do need to be exercised about this. Sometimes we get a seared conscience and we don't pay attention to what our conscience is telling us.
And our conscience by itself is not enough.
But when the conscience is exercising our souls, we're exercising our conscience by means of the word of God.
That's real exercise, and that's why it's important for us to be over the word.
Because I have had the experience that as I'm reading the Word, there's something that comes out, pops out of it, and it speaks to me. I may have a conscience about something, but my conscience needs help. And the Word of God helps me and I become aware of this thing.
Someone has said that the conscience is.
Is a good policeman.
But it doesn't, it doesn't do the full job by itself because the policeman, he can't ferret out everything.
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But there's conscience by the word of God brings before us so many things that perhaps if we were left just to have conscience, we'd never see it. That's why it's important to read the Word of God. Read the word of God where the spirit of self judgment waiting for the Lord to come. And we're looking forward to being just like him when he comes. And we want to be as much like him down here as we can. And that's why.
Speaks about pressing on. Well, when he's saying that, I don't suppose he's just saying, well I'm just waiting for the Lord to come.
That word pressing on indicates energy being expended while you're on the way. It's like the racer, every step that runner takes.
He's using energy, he's exerting energy to get there and that's what we should be exercised about. Where do we get our energy?
We have nothing in ourselves, it's in Christ we look to Him for grace and mercy to help us in our time of need. Every time we meet up with something that needs energy, we need to look to the Lord and so often we fail in doing that. But that's what that brings before me, pressing down toward the goal when he says in verse 13.
This one thing I do that's really the single eye, he has it and nothing else can get into his mind or heart.
What? It's got two prongs to it. It's one thing, but here's what it is. Forgetting those things which are behind and then reaching forth under those things which are before. In that way, he presses on towards that mark or the prize of the high calling. I was thinking that's important for us. If you look at Chapter 9 of Luke.
Nine of Luke, verse 62. Nine of Luke, verse 62.
The Lord Jesus said unto the man who wanted to go back and do things before he followed Jesus. No man having put his hand to the plow, looking back his 5th for the Kingdom of God. Oh brethren, that's what Paul's saying here. We forget those things which are behind before we were saved. We forget them. They're not important.
They become weights in a sense here, reaching forth, one of those things which are ahead or before I press toward the mark that brings in the race.
We are all in this race, every Christian. It's an endurance race. It isn't any Sprint, it's an endurance race. But I was thinking it's not just forgetting those things that are behind. Just the thought there in Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy 6 verse 23. I think this is precious where Deuteronomy 623.
He brought us out for such mercy.
That He might bring us in. That's great to give us. That's the whole thought, brethren, we've been brought out of this world.
This President evil world, but that isn't all. He brought us out so he can bring us in a large place, a blessed family, heavenly. That's the thought here and there's purpose in it. So we not only forget those things. If he brought you out, don't look back and go back.
That's a problem. You don't want to go back. It's a narrow path, necessarily so, but oh, what a wide place it is. What a grand family we're in. That's the thought there now, he says, reaching. I press toward the mark, Hebrews 12, just for a thought here, because this is important. We're all in this race, and it's endurance.
At the middle of verse one, let us lay aside every weight.
And sin, which thou so easily beset us. And let us run the race with patience, with patience. The race that set before us. How do you do that? Looking steadfastly off under Jesus, that's how. That's what we got in a in, in, in Philippians. Looking steadfastly off unto Jesus. What about the ways?
Anything that gets in the way is a weight. Anything that takes your mind off of Jesus becomes a way. That's the thought and you can name it yourself in your life. We all have them. Get rid of them. It hinders you in the race. It hinders you in going on and laying hold like Paul wants to do. He wants to lay hold fully of Christ.
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Because he's laid hold of Paul, and for good and forever. That's the thought here.
Just a thought on the race. It's nice turn to Second Timothy. I think. One more thought, Second Timothy, I'll be quick. I believe it's chapter 2.
Second Timothy, chapter 2.
Verse five if any man strive for masteries, yet he's not crowned except he strive lawfully, we have rules. We don't have the law, we have rules.
Principles and when you're in this race you don't just get rid of the weights that hinder you and by the way, if you let a weight continue and you keep it it becomes sin. Let's say it sin that so easily besides us a weight maybe not sin at the beginning, but if you let it continue and you go on with it it becomes that follow. Well, we go according to the rules and one last thing first Corinthians I believe it's.
Find one Corinthians 9 because it's important in this race.
Verse 24.
Know ye not that they which run in a race run off one receives a surprise, so run that you be obtained. And every man that striveth for mastery is tempered in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crowd. We at incorruptible. I therefore so run not as uncertainly, so finite, not as one that beat us the air.
What an expression.
You're not going on.
According to the rules, you're as one that just beateth the air. You wasted your time.
Let's drive lawfully. We're getting the rules today. You get the rules every time we look into the Word of God. You get the principles for this race. But all the weights are so important to get rid of. And that's what Paul says. How else could he press towards the mark of the prize, of the high quality? He forgot it all. He forgot it all. He had everything ahead.
Would you not agree, Brother Bauman, that forgetting the things that are behind, certainly the things connected with a sinful life, have to be forgotten?
But we might also have to forget the things that we might if we become overly occupied. My glory in even our successes. They do not assure strength and guidance for today.
We find with David that.
He had to one day follow this direction and the next day it was exactly the opposite. So I believe that there is perhaps more of a snare for us as Christians.
To dwell and be occupied with victories that the Lord has given to us, and we forget that we are dependent for wisdom from Him for every step. And we see how Elijah after the greatest victory.
Fled because he got his eyes off the Lord and the woman said that she would make him like one of those prophets. He started running for his life and it says literally when he saw that.
As if it already had taken place. You know he ran. So I believe we can take encouragement from the Lord giving us grace and difficulties in the past, but they can also become a snare and hinder us in the path of dependence. I'm sure we can apply all of these things to it. However, I believe the thought in this chapter is particularly a religious thing.
The apostle has been telling us about all that he had been engaged in beforehand, and each one of us have some kind of a religious background.
And it has to do with gaining favor with God on the ground of.
A legal stand that we can do something to like. People speak of keeping the.
Keeping the 10 commandments or the Golden Rule and that sort of thing. But the apostle had been one who was fully engaged in religious things. Now he's going to forget all that.
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He wants to forget it all. He doesn't want to have anything more to do that would hinder his gaining this particular object that he has in view in a religious way. And so it's in that sense particularly, although I'm sure these other applications are good.
That he wants to.
Forget all that's behind in that sense. And then it says.
Reaching forth and pressing on.
Under those things which are before those spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus that are before. I think that's that's what we have really here in this chapter. And the one thing of course is Christ.
There Christ came in and overshadowed all of these things that he was really glad to leave behind and forget them. And now he had Christ. All the rest of it was trash and rubbish.
And now he has Christ. What more could he want? He's found the price.
And he wants to reach that praise as quickly as possible. He wants to go to glory. Christ is the prize, isn't he? Paul had been arrested. And I believe that's what he's referring to in the end of verse 12, the last time we get this word apprehended that could be arrested.
And that was when he was stopped on the way to Damascus. He was arrested by the Lord Jesus.
He says so I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which I am also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus right there. He was stopped, he was apprehended, and from that point backward he wants to forget all the.
The righteousness that he had in a certain sense, under the law, those good things of the religion.
Which was now done away with in Christ, and he had been stopped by Christ there. Now he says, I follow after looking to that Christ in glory, but for to apprehend in himself why Christ had stopped him.
This morning it was referred to in.
Acts 9.
Just look at that, because right there Ananias was told something of why the Lord Jesus had arrested him.
And in the 15th verse that we had, the Lord says unto Ananias, Go thy way, that's the pole, or he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles. What a new thing that is, what a new thought.
And kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how great things he must suffer.
For my name's sake. Well, all this Paul had to get into his own.
Knowledge to know why Christ had stopped him. And of course he got it. He saw Christ in glory. He got the revelation.
Directly from the Lord in glory, and he sends it to us, all this wonderful church truth so.
These all this is in Paul's mind as he think of being stopped there on the way to Damascus, and given all this from a risen Christ to minister.
And to tell us about that bull before the soul. So now he is really homesick to get there. And this one thing I do and the goal explains. I believe the second time we get the word perfect in verse 15. Let us therefore as many as be perfect. It's already been pretty well explained. It's those who have Christ as their object.
That he looks at as being perfect.
They have that, just that one thing that he had before him to reach that place. That's the kind of perfection he talking about, the single eye that sees only Christ. It was referred to this morning too, by our brother London. As to the race. Those who are running, they look towards the goal if they're running well, instead of looking over at somebody else that's running.
Well, that's really the thought too. It's the same thing. Those who have priced as their object have a perfect object and then going on finally we will reach that absolute perfection that's spoken of.
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Earlier.
He doesn't want to reach the end of the race alone.
And so he's writing this to the Philippians, and since it's my inspiration, it's to all of us, we're going to be in company with the Apostle Paul at the end of the race. He wants us all to be in that state because.
Because he says that let us therefore as many as be perfect, be dust minded.
He wants everyone of us to be of that one mind.
Of running the race together and to obtain the price at the end of the road. He doesn't want it just for himself.
Apostle Paul was really stirred up about this, and his heart was so changed that where he'd been persecuting the dear Saints of God, the members of the body of Christ, he was reversed, turned completely around.
And he wanted the very best for them. That's what we have in these epistles. We find out that the writer of these epistles not only is writing for himself, but he is writing for us. And the God, the Spirit inspired him to write these things for the sake of all of us.
That we might in reading these things together, meditating upon them together.
Might have the same mind about that.
And it just would remind us of a great big race course.
Where everybody has his eye on that one goal and they're running down the race course. Maybe it's a long course, but they can see the goal at the end, the price, and we're all running together.
Oh, that, that's what it seems to me. That is his desire here. And of course what he writes is the desire of God by the Spirit.
That verse that you referred to in First John, I think we should look at it First John 32 and 3:00.
11 Now are we the sons of God, and does not yet appear or be manifested what we shall be, but when we we know that when He shall appear or be manifested, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is, and every man that hath this hope in him that is to be manifested as the thought.
And so I believe that the IT reaches us on not only to know Christ.
Now in heaven, but the one who is to be manifested, and that's when He is manifested or when he appears, we're going to be like Him because we're going to see Him as He is. It isn't only that we know Him now, it's in the heavens, but it's at that time when everything will be fulfilled is what the hope is. That's the full hope.
Complete, and that's the state of perfection.
We have AI believe.
A very helpful part of this character. And if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. That fits in with the thoughts that were before us as to grow we have to realize that as we need to go on together.
Of God and there are people at different stages in their spiritual development and it's a very gracious way how the apostle Paul deals with the subject. He counts on the law that God would reveal them wherever they were still lacking understanding and I believe this is where we can benefit now of course there is such a thing as the.
Willfully refusing to accept truth.
Here is strictly that there were those who in their spiritual growth had not developed.
To have her reach that state of maturity. And he wasn't pressing them. Now come on, grow up. But he counted on God that he would make them to understand things that they didn't understand. But then he also says, now listen what you have learned of God and through the ministry of others, you better cling to that. Don't let go.
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Because that is possible and how sad that is.
When Juan notices that people give up, but they at one time have understood, then how sad that is. When the Lord says in the gospel, if the light that is within thee becomes darkness, how great is that darkness? So I believe we need on the one hand to be admonished to be gracious and count on the Lord that He will give understanding to those who do not have it, where the Lord in grace has given us understanding. But then also beware.
Blessed be would give up, but he has taught us that if we don't walk in it and practice it, we'll lose it. As to growth, I think of that illustration in the 12Th chapter of Luke.
Where the Lord speaks of the fact that you and I can't make one hair white or black, and then he says, consider the lilies.
Solomon and all his glory were not raid like one of these, and yet that was just the grass of the field.
So we have to learn from this that you and I cannot do one thing in regard to our growth.
Except to have the right object for our soul, then the Lord will take care of the growth. But if the if the fire shatters into it, the law only be some more religion. That's all man made religion. But the growth comes by feeding on Christ. We have some of that today. Feeding on Christ is what makes the growth. Nothing in the efforts of the flesh.
There is a tendency for every one of us.
To have some religion of our own.
Some little things that we have before us that we think will make us better Christians.
Some little rule to follow.
Some little law, some standard we set up for ourselves. That's just religion. This is what the apostle Paul saw was all wrong, and he gave it up.
It's only Christ and I believe he's continues to refer to this when he says.
God shall reveal even this unto you, if there's any tendency in us in that way to be occupied with our own things, what we can do in a religious way.
If we really want to go on.
If we want to be thus minded, 1 minded with the apostle Paul, God will reveal this to us. He'll show it to us. There has to be real exercise about this, and only a word like this that we have in this chapter can exercise us.
Then he says, nevertheless, where do we have it already attained? Let us walk by the same rules. Let us find the same thing with what's he referring to this same thing Christ.
Seeing that everything else is rubbish, when we have Christ, when we get Christ and he's before everything else is done, there's nothing to it. And so He keeps on in this way. Let us walk by the same rule. Let us mind the same thing. What is that rule? What is that same thing? Isn't it right?
He's deprived. He's the rule. He's.
He's the same thing. He's the one, the one object.
It's so easy for us to get away from that.
The enemy is busy drawing us away from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Is basically keeping souls from being saved, seeing that they're sinners and in the need of Christ. And that's fine if they accept Christ as their savior, they have all they need as a savior. But it isn't long. Like the Galatians. There were some that came along and said that Christ wasn't enough. You have to keep the law in order to be saved.
Well, that's adding something to Christ. It's not Christ, and it's Christ only.
For salvation, it's Christ only for the center of gathering. It's Christ only for the Lord of our lives as the object of our lives and the one that we're pressing on to be with in the glory. But we were tempted by Satan and we're so easily LED astray, and we surely need to ask the Lord for grace to help us.
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What we want is revelation then, instead of religion.
Revelation comes from God. That's what it is here. Most of the religion is from man, but it's wonderful to have the word of God and learn what he has revealed to us in it.
Minding the same thing takes us back to the the 2nd chapter in the first chapter even because there it's repeated that word same. You get it over again and again and Paul even speaks of the same conflict, the same spirit, the same mind. Now this is what characterizes.
A normal Christian assembly, and that's our subject here in in Philippians.
Not only normal Christianity, but a normal Christian assembly is what's before us in this epistle. And it isn't so much the teachings that we have in in Ephesians and so on, but it's more the practice of it. And even in our chapter we should remember that it's the practical side.
An application of that truth that we get another places that's before us.
The application of these truths that we hold so precious. We speak of them as high truths, and they are. But now in this epistle we have the practical application of them. And how is it well?
The two sisters that are in question in the 4th chapter.
They didn't have the same mind.
Now what mind were they to have?
Notice in that chapter.
That they be of the same mind, the Lord. Now, if you and I are walking together.
With the Lord as the object, and it's really so with us, we'll have the same mind in the assembly. And the reason there are differences of mind, we might as well put it very practically, is because either I or you are not walking with the Lord, one of the two.
For both of us, probably so.
The principle that prevails today in Christendom of union by mutual concession is refuted by verses 15 and 16. Let's look at them very carefully, he says. Let us therefore as many as be perfect. Be thus minded here as we've been commenting the perfect mind.
Is the one that's achieved maturity? Is the one that has Christ as his object?
And so he says, Let us therefore these two verses give us the principle of how we can walk together.
To to be thus minded, and if in anything he'd be otherwise minded. Should we then agree to agree on a level, something less than the truth of God? No, not a bit of it. God shall reveal even this unto you. So the one that hasn't attained to the mind of God.
In any point he gets it because God reveals it to him, and then he's elevated to that place where he enters into the thoughts of God. No such thought as agreement by mutual concession. Well, we don't know who's right on this point, so we'll agree to walk together on the ground of compromise. That's not what we have here at all. It's the revelation of God making known to us.
And when we enter into that, then we can walk together in that. So he says, nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule or walk in the same steps. And so it's a walk together not on the principle of mutual concession, which is really a very wicked principle, the principle of reunion.
It it says that the truth of God is at my disposal to do with as I like, in order to come to an agreement with my brother that we might walk together.
Now that the the principle we get here is that God reveals his standard to us, which is always Christ, and it's on that ground that we walk together. And if in any measure I haven't attained to those thoughts and I haven't come into the thought of God, God reveals it to me and lifts me up to it. But it's not one who is in the thought of God.
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Lowering himself to meet someone that hasn't arrived at that point.
But there's the room for growth, and we've had that before us here. But there's no such thought as agreement by mutual concession. That's really a carnal worldly principle, and it's what is out there in Kussendam, and it's what's going to end up as the great apostasy, Babylon the great. So how important it is that it's the standard of truth that we have in Christ. He is the truth.
And we have him before our souls.
That standard is never to be lowered. If we haven't achieved to the thought of God in some measure, the Scripture says God reveals it to us. And in whatever measure you and I see God's thought, we can walk together that truth. And if in any measure I haven't arrived at it and you have, you wait on God to reveal it to me. And then once revealed to my soul, then again we can walk together in happy fellowship.
That's the principle that we have here in Philippians 3.
That's right, isn't it, Chuck what you get in Romans 14 him that is weak in the faith receive ye but not to doubtful disputation. Such are to be received, but they can't put.
Their own thoughts upon others. They can't bring in those doubtful disputations. We have the word of God as the rule in Christ as the object and.
Such you haven't learned many things yet. They're weak in the faith and be received, but they can't compromise the truth at all.
In the next verse, it doesn't necessarily refer to the Saints in that assembly.
It's a general principle that the apostles putting out.
It says, rather than be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as you have us for an example, for many walk of whom I have told you often, and I'll tell you even weeping. They are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is their shame.
Who mind earthly things. Now there were the apostles giving general principles here. He's not accusing this assembly of of this sort of thing necessarily, but still leaving it for the conscience of those who may be walking only occupied with earthly things which are directly in contrast with the truth we've had before us.
And so if if this is the object.
If we're only bearing a religious.
Outside and our hearts are set. Like Lot's wife who looked back, her heart was set upon what was in Sodom and though she took the the path outside, her heart was set. It became a pillar of salt as an example for any who who would play the double game of having the heart set on the world and still make it profession of Christianity.
Well, the end of this is destruction, and their God is their belly, that is.
The things that apply to and characterize the natural man and all his desires.
That's what would be the earthly things in the Book of Revelation and also in Isaiah you have the expression earth dwellers.
There will be those who have made the profession of Christianity that are left behind when the Lord comes, will form the company that will fill up that great apostasy of Christendom. Their earth dwellers. They aren't heathen, they're those who've had the truth.
And they minded earthly things. Now another verse in Thessalonians, Second Thessalonians 2.
Where it refers there to those who will be left behind.
01:00:01
At the Rapture, it speaks of those who receive not the love of the truth. They may have had the truth.
Esther Doctrine. But they have never received the love of the truth.
Dear friends, be careful that you have not merely received Christianity as a doctrine.
Because unless.
Unless we walk at it, it doesn't belong to us at all. It's only profession. And I believe we have that practical line of truth here and the awful, awful destruction of those who have had the most truth.
Is before us here. Now, it's possible that a Christian, of course, could be occupied with, and I suppose that some of us have to confess at least that there's a great deal of earthly things in our lives.
But that's not the point. The point is, what is the object in our lives? That's the point. Are we pressing on feebly as we are? Are we pressing on? That's the point. Do we have one pure object before us? We may fail along the way. That's not the point. The point is, do we have this pure object before us? I believe.
You're correct in that that God by his Spirit brings this before us.
So that those who are the Lord.
Are warned here that they should not walk in this kind of a path because the path leads to destruction. And to be careless and indifferent and even wanting to walk that kind of path, we must be reminded that that path leads to destruction. Do we want to be on a path like that? That's really what the Spirit of God is saying. Do I want to be on a path like that?
I love God is faithful to us. He lays it out as it's going to happen through the one that is not real, but do you want to be on that path?
Or what a challenge God gives us here.
Heaven and earth here. Remarkable that not one person can voluntarily stay on the earth. They may think they would like to, but voluntarily can't do it. There's not one person that can voluntarily go to heaven either. You have to have somebody to take you there. Well, that's heaven and earth. Which is it? Which is the core? Very searching, isn't it?
We look.
Or the Savior, Paul can't get away from that. He keeps on looking, looking up there, looking for the Savior. And our conversation, our citizenship or manner of life is in heaven. We're heavenly citizen. Yes. Do we? Do we walk like heavenly citizen?
Do we have our eye on that heavenly country where strangers and pilgrims down here?
We're on our way to glory like Abraham was a Pilgrim and he was on his way to the land of Canaan. We're on the way to glory. Let's not forget that, that we're heavenly citizens and we're on the way to glory and we're looking for a Savior for the Lord Jesus Christ, John 14, he says.
I am the Way, the Truth, and the life. No man cometh under the Father but by.
Me Then in Hebrews 2 it says it became Him for whom are all things and by whom are all things. In bringing many sons to glory, He has undertaken to bring many sons to glory. That's the only way we're going to get there. We're going to be brought there by the Lord.
Body, soul and spirit. And the body comes in here, the complete redemption. There's nothing more comforting than these verses.
We wonder about dear Saints of God who died at sea.
Have already been placed on a board.
And the board has been lifted up on the railing and it's all wrapped up, of course, in the body inside. And as the board goes up, it slides down and that body goes down into the sea. What happens to it there? I don't know.
But you can think of a fish eating that that body, and perhaps the smaller fish being eaten by larger fish, and so on. Where are all the elements of that believer's body?
01:05:02
I don't know but who is going to bring them all together? Who is going to raise that body of that believer, the one that it says here He is able even to subdue all things unto himself. Those 3 words settle everything. He is able.
He is able.
For the Lord is the Creator.
He put the whole universe together. He put our bodies together in the first place.
He is able to bring all the elements of our body together at resurrection.
And what a moment that will be when our bodies are raised. I believe they'll be raised, changed, like under His body of glory and fit for heaven pit for the glory, pit for the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. We should be like Him, for we shall see Him.
As he is.
Had the cross of Christ before us, and that we have in this expression enemies of the cross of Christ, I don't believe a real believer could be an enemy of the cross of Christ.
But I believe the cross of Christ speaks of rejection here, and I believe sometimes many of us have when we could have been a testimony because of weakness.
We, as it were, took that side of those who were enemies of the cross of Christ. The moment you know.
It isn't so much that we need to pray that we might be a channel of blessing today.
Be better if we prayed that we would be in a state of soul, so when the test came, we'd be ready for it.
Because there's no lack of opportunities to be a witness for Christ.
And what hinders it is our state of soul, and the result is that we will not stand out and confess Christ when we should. I think at least I found that to be true in my life, that when the opportunity came, I was not ready because I was not in the right state of soul to be a witness in a testimony. I believe that's our difficulty perhaps, rather than.
As people speak of always living a victorious life and being ready for everything, well, that's all right, that's all right. But to to be before the Lord in communion so that when the test comes, we're ready for it. We're ready to speak one word, perhaps at the right time.
To be willing to identify ourselves with the cross of Christ.
It's interesting to notice that this chapter begins with the 1St 3 verses, which is all plural, he says. Finally, my brethren.
For verse three says, we are the circumcision which worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. And then he changes to the singular. He talks about his own state of soul and his own exercises, though I might also have confidence in the flesh.
And it's all I all the way through to verse 14 or he ends by saying I press towards the mark or I pursue looking towards the goal for the prize of the calling on high of God in Christ Jesus. And having said that, and all the exercises through which he went, he then says, let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded.
And down at the end.
Our conversation, it's all plural now. Those that are perfect even as he was, that had no other object but Christ, now can look forward to the Lord's coming, which will affect that change when we will be brought into the final state of perfection and be altogether like Him, even according to the power.
Whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself. Well, that's what's before us.
That word conversation is really our way of life, isn't it? And as believers, as heavenly people, it should be seen. We have a language all our own, and let's don't give that up either. It's family language and we have it. And let's use those words that become Saints and children of God. But we have a walk too. That's what he's Speaking of here. The walk. And our way of life is in heaven. Our whole life is there and.
01:10:15
Should be seen before they were called Christian Saints were called them in that way Paul was out searching any in that way. It's a way of life that they were after they they walked Christ walking believers here. It's lovely. Now the word Christian means a lot of things in the world would that we were called them in that way again.
But would that individually they'd see that we our way of life is such.
That we belong up there. We don't belong here. That includes everything, doesn't it? Everything. The way of life is heavenly.
A little pamphlet A little pamphlet has been printed, just recently reprinted.
Taking up the subject that our brother Hendricks brought up about.
Mutual decision by mutual concession and it's available at the Bible Truth and it's called the Unity of the Spirit. Just been a reprint. I think that would be nice if all would read it. Very important.
Our citizenship, we could read that verse 20 that would do away with entering into politics of this world, wouldn't it? We don't belong here. We don't have any rights down here. Our fatherland is heaven.
If I go to Europe.
And I'm a citizen of this country.
I can't vote over there. Why? Why can't I vote over there? I'm a stranger.
I'm an alien.
I'm not a citizen of that country.
Well, if you apply that to heaven being our country, we're citizens of heaven and are being down here in a strange country.
How can we vote here? We belong up there. Our citizenship is up there.
And so we're not, not we can't legally vote here, rightfully vote.
Well, we don't find the Lord entering into politics.
He could have been a great politician.
But the very thought of that is a dreadful thought.
And perhaps they wondered why he didn't enter into politics. No, he was a stranger here. He was a citizen of heaven. He belonged to heaven. He came from heaven.
And this, this was a strange place to him. And they treated him in a strange way. And we know what they did to him. They refused him, they denied him, they respect, they crucified him.
Where we are identified with Him, that's what makes us heavenly. He's our head up there. We're united to Him by the Holy Spirit who came down on the day of Pentecost to unite all believers to the Lord Jesus Christ. Perform the one body of the Church and everyone who is saved receives the Holy Spirit, having believed you were sealed without Holy Spirit of promise.
We're united to him.
We belong to him, He belongs to heaven. We belong to heaven too.
He had no rights here. He was denied his rights. And how can we expect to have any rights here or title to do anything as part of the government here? No, we don't. We don't demand our rights. We pray for the powers that be. That's our privilege and we should pray for the powers that be. But to act?
In the capacity of being part of the powers that be, that's not our role at all.
We are citizens of heaven and we are alien. We are strangers. Here is another important point here. I believe that our wild body or body of humiliation is what every one of us presently has. It's not just that body that has gone into the grave and has decayed. And what a comfort that is to know that this body which is subject to sickness as a result of.
Thin and decay.
That this is not going to be the final thing, but how encouraging too, that we are not waiting for the undertaker.
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We're waiting for the upper taker. You know. We don't wait for that. Our hope is that we will go through a change without going through death. That's our hope. You love it, isn't it? I believe that we can even be a testimony in not making preparations for death because we're waiting for the Lord to come.
AG Bell It makes a wonderful little statement I think about.
This world in which we live, the way he said it is this, that.
This earth is a swinging sepulchre containing much dust, precious to God. You see, he's up there and thought God's thoughts, looking down at this little orb swinging around in space. And he buried Moses. He knew where that body was when he wanted to bring Moses there to the Mount of Transfiguration.
He knows all from Abel, even perhaps well. Abel was the first one to die.
Right on down who have died in faith and here's the one who has the power to bring them forward and the Lord Jesus, it's expressed of him in Revelation one. Well, he says it. I am he that liveth and was dead and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen and have the keys of hell.
And of death, or you might say, Hades, the peace of departed spirits.
And the tomb 2 keys belong to a man. Now that's what we have here.
Him who is able, He is able to subdue all things unto himself in his own time. He will unlock the place of the departed spirits and the tomb of everyone and bring them together. Now that's what resurrection is. Resurrection. I'll make this statement. I believe it'll be understood here. Is not the imparting of life.
Life is quickening and we get that when we hear that gospel and believe.
To get that link, death is spoken of in James as the body without the spirit is dead. Well, that's the separation of the two. Here's the man who has the power to bring them together. Well, God looks down at this fear swinging around in space and every one of those bodies, he knows where it is. And here's the man that will bring them out. And that's what they're looking for, The one who.
Also the change of our bodies.
These bodies will be changed. We don't expect that, but we will get the fruit of the resurrection in the new body. It'll be this body that's changed. It'll be Moses, same body that he's raised in it whole same body of the blessed Lord has that power.
Philippians 3:1-8
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Chapter 3. Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord.
To write the same things to you, to me, indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.
Beware of dog, beware of evil workers, beware of the concession, for we are the circumcision which worship God in the Spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
Though I might also have confidence in the flesh, if any other man thinketh that he hath, whereof he might trust in the flesh.
I am more.
Circumcised the 8th day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, and Hebrew of the Hebrews, as touching the law of Pharisee concerning zeal, persecuting the Church, touching the righteousness which is in the law blameless.
But what things were gained to me, those I counted lost for Christ.
Ye doubtless knockout all things, but lost with the Excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and to account them but done, that I may win Christ and be found in him.
Not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, for that we through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith, that I may know him in the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, they made conformable unto his death, if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
Not as though I had already attained either. Already perfect.
But I follow after it, that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I'd do for getting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Let us therefore as many as be perfect. Be thus minded, and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
Nevertheless, where to have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk. So do you have us for an example for many walk of whom I've told you often, and now tell you, even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ.
Who has ended destruction, whose God is our belly, and whose glory is in their shame?
Who mind earthly things? For our conversation is in heaven. For whence also we look for the Savior of the Lord Jesus Christ, who should change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working, whereby is able even to subdue all things unto Himself.
We've been reminded.
That this epistle.
Brings before us normal Christian living.
The normal Christian life. And that's why we have Christ brought before us.
In all three, in all four chapters, in a little different aspect, but that is what the Christian life is, is Christ.
Christ.
And without the Lord Jesus Christ, there is no Christian life.
But when we have the Lord Jesus Christ, we have life, and that is Christian life.
Now our brother brought before us, in a lovely way, the Lord Jesus Christ as our example.
And when you meditate?
Upon the Lord Jesus Christ.
And all of these steps downward.
If our hearts are not touched by it.
We need to examine ourselves.
Oh, how touchy it is to read of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Going down, down, down, down.
Even to that scandalous thing of being put on the cross.
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Always thank God for such an example.
That's what we need today. That's the only example, the real example, the Lord Jesus Christ. Every one of us is a failure. Maybe we have in the past looked at some brother or some sister.
And maybe consciously or unconsciously.
We have been making that one our example.
And then something happens that brother or sister. Does something fail somewhere along the line? And what happens to us?
Who have been following an example like that were let down, but you look at the Lord Jesus Christ and you never get let down, you get lifted up.
So in this chapter, chapter 3, we have the apostle Paul bring before us the Lord Jesus Christ as our object.
Now we find in the second chapter that the Lord goes to glory. God has exalted him to his right hand, giving him a name which is above every name. That's where he is. And I believe in this third chapter, that is where Paul is looking. He's looking up there where Christ is sitting at God's right hand. And I get the picture of the apostle Paul running a race, and he's running as fast as he can to get there.
To get to Christ in resurrection, the one who is his righteousness. I believe that's what we get in this chapter. Always occupied with that one. How could the apostle Paul go through what he did if he didn't have that kind of an object before him?
And you would say that the third chapter perhaps presents Christ as food, like the corresponding to the old corn of the land, whereas the 2nd chapter presents Christ as food for us.
Like the manner that the children of Israel ate as they went through the wilderness. Now both of those.
Foods are necessary for the Christian Here we are walking through the wilderness, but our position is, according to Ephesians, as seated with Christ in the heavenly places. So we need both kinds of food. To explain it a little further, the children of Israel, as they were going through the wilderness, God fed them with the bread from heaven.
And that manner.
That small, like coriander seed white, fell upon the dew.
Upon the ground, how it corresponds. What our brother was saying is Christ humbled right down here as a man amongst men. But they're in all purity so that we need that food for us as we pass through the desert, as we're pilgrims and strangers here like we were singing.
But the object before the soul is so important too. And to think now this chapter, it's the old corner of the land that is Christ that had come out of heaven, come down and gone to the cross. And as you were saying, he's gone back to heaven. So that's where he is now. And nothing that will make us press on toward that mark like seeing Him up there.
I was thinking also as we read it, that those games going on out in Los Angeles.
There's only one that wins the prize. That's not true of this race. Everyone who is the Lord will win this race. It's an endurance race. There's no doubt about the end of it. But the enjoyment of the end of it before we get there is a different matter. So how good to have Christ before us?
First word you have here. That is the thought.
Is rejoice.
We find rejoicing all the way through this epistle.
And.
Some would wonder how it was that the Apostle Paul who was in prison.
Could set before these Saints in his ministry here continually the expression rejoice.
And I believe that would be the answer that.
The occupation with Christ and the path that He took for us.
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That was enough to give the apostle to forget all the circumstances that he was in.
He was in prison.
And to rejoice over and over again. We have it in this passage, in this.
In this book of Leptians, I was thinking too of the.
2nd chapter.
That.
Not only.
Is it the example for the Christian but?
It gives us the.
The Lord Jesus.
In his graciousness.
The graces of Christ are seen there in that chapter.
And that's the manna that our brothers spoke of that the children of Israel were feeding on day by day. They didn't know, of course, the meaning of that, but it was it was something sweet that they fed upon. It was something that first the the frost was laid down, then the man are laid on top. But wasn't it?
And came from heaven.
Well, brethren, that's what ministry and the Spirit should be always.
If the Spirit is is ministering to our souls, he lays down first the the frost on the ground, and then he puts the man on top of it, and he gives us something sweet. Now we may not feel it's sweet at the moment because it may hit our consciences, but it is sweet.
And so it's the graciousness of Christ that you have in that second chapter, as well as the example. It's part of the example.
But now in this chapter, the apostle, although he has righteousness, he has eternal life.
He's pressing on to it.
And that's the thought in this epistle that is the practical application of the truth through our lives.
It's a practice of Christianity. It isn't enough to say, yes, I know that truth, or I know another truth, but it's to enjoy it in our souls.
That's what the truth is for to enjoy, not just to know. In fact, brethren, we don't really know it. If we don't enjoy it, we can say we know it.
But we don't enjoy truth that we we don't enjoy truth. We don't know truth unless we enjoy it.
And so finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord, not merely some doctrine, precious as doctrine is, but in the person of Christ was before us here.
To write the same thing to you, to me, indeed, is not grievous or irksome, but for you it is safe.
Now there are things here that he has to call attention to in the assembly.
Although I do not think we have sin mentioned in the epistle, do we? Although there is a little differences.
Brought in between some, but I don't think sin is brought in and it should not be brought in a normal Christianity. Sad to say it is.
Brought in sometimes in our lives, but not in normal Christianity.
Sin is not there.
Would you ever thought, brother on the manna in Exodus it says it is sweet like honey, but in numbers the oil is mentioned, isn't it?
There seems to be some significance to that difference.
But the oil that speaks of the Spirit of God.
If that's what you're referring to, we might be.
In circumstances where that side of the manna especially has to be emphasized, especially when it has to do with our tendency to rebel against God's orders and God's way with his people and guiding us through the wilderness, that this side of the Spirit of God be emphasized at times while normally.
The site of the honey might be emphasized.
The normal thing, that's how originally it is mentioned, that is sweet as honey. But how important that, especially as we have it even in this chapter where the flesh is mentioned and the spirit contrasted with this, that we realized that that this can only be made good to our souls.
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In the power of the Spirit and as we submit to it.
As he gives us grace, Exodus becomes 1St and then numbers.
And in Exodus, it's like the believer who has just saved he's he's in the full enjoyment, you might say, in the measure that he has.
Of of the work of Christ for him and the position he has now in Christ. But in numbers. You have the experiences of the wilderness and you have that to exercise the conscience. And no doubt that's why there is that difference. Well, it's often been brought out.
But numbers and Philippians go together.
Numbers answers to Philippians. Philippians answers to numbers.
And of course, in the book of Numbers we have the journeys of the children of Israel described, detailed, and they go through a lot of experiences.
And didn't they even murmur about this manner?
And it was a sad thing to see that.
Well, there are a lot of sad experiences related in the Book of Numbers.
Well, there can be a lot of sad experiences in the Christian life.
But I believe this book of Philippians has been given to us to help us through the wilderness.
To encourage us, to give us grace, to give us strength, to give us what we need.
To get through the wilderness, because the wilderness journey.
Hard journey. I believe when Rebecca took that journey to Isaac, she didn't find it a very pleasant journey.
I'm sure it wasn't a pleasant thing to write, that camel day after day, and maybe there were privations along the way, and maybe she wondered sometimes whether it was worth it, but she had the servant there.
To encourage her, to speak to her, to speak to her about Isaac.
And that's what I believe kept her going. And when she got to Isaac, she lit off the camel. She had no use for the camel anymore. She was there in the presence of Isaac. This is what she had been looking forward to. And this is what encouraged her along the way. And we have the same thing for ourselves. We have the Spirit of God pictured in Eliezer.
Ministering Christ to us at the end of the road to encourage us to continue on.
Not to get discouraged, not to lay down the cross as it were, but to go on in separation unto the Lord, which of course separates us from the world, and feeding upon Christ in all the different aspects we find Him in, even in this epistle. Because first, He's our life, that is.
He is the one we're living for. He's one the one we're living by.
It's by means of him feeding upon him that will live. And then of course, he's our example and he's.
Shows us his grace and then he's our object. And finally in the last chapter he's presented to us there as our strength. Well, if we have Christ in his fullness, in his fullness in resource and all that he can minister to us and grace and mercy, we'll get through the wilderness. And may the Lord give us praise just to keep our eye fixed on Him and feeding on him until we get.
I was just saying that's what Paul is really bringing out in this epistle, that Christ is sufficient for whatever the situation or circumstance, because he was in probably the worst of conditions in prison, and yet here you see him speak, Rejoice in the Lord. And in the 4th chapter, fourth verse, rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say rejoice.
He's feeding on Christ. That's all he could do, but that was enough.
For where he was, it sustained him, and it let him rejoice in the gospel going forth, even in his bonds. I was thinking, if we have Christ, not just the expression occupied with him, but feeding on Christ, that's important. We have a new life. That life is Christ. We have the minds of Christ, but it needs to grow in.
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Us that life needs to be fed and the word of God is the only way.
That's how you feed on Christ. And it was mentioned, not only rejoicing, but their sweetness.
Paul sense the sweetness even where he was and I was thinking along that line in Nehemiah just for one or two verses, one verse in a chapter 8, verse 10. The people were in a condition much as Christendom today, walls broken down, things given up.
But God in grace restored the wall and the temple, and here they were for the first time, feeding on the word of God. Feeding on the word of God. Four hours worth. As they stood there and listened, Ezra read and their hearts were filled with joy. And this is what he said. Go your way. Verse 10. Eat the fat, drink the sweet.
And send portions under them for whom nothing's prepared.
For this day is holy unto our Lord, neither be sorry, for the joy of the Lord is your strength sweet, and joy mixed here. And that's what we have in Philippians. Eat the fat, brethren. Christ is the fast, the excellence. Himself is person altogether lovely. We can feed on Christ in this word of God. The fat and the sacrifices was all for God.
It's the excellence, but we can take it now and enjoy that part and drink the sweet. That's the work of Christ for us. Isn't that sweet when you know what He's done for you? Take the tree and cast it into the waters, and the bitter waters were sweet. And that's the thought here. And then the joy of the Lord is your strength. Paul had strength in prison.
Strength like none had and he want them to have it. So we've got something beautiful here in this portion.
I was thinking it's mentioned each chapter has sort of a title for the young people. I like the four peas. I could remember them clearer. Purpose for the first for me to live is Christ. That's verse 21. There's your whole purpose. If you got prize, you got everything. You got purpose.
And then of course, in chapter 2, we've had that pattern. That's verse five. Let this mind be in you. That was in Christ Jesus. It says in First Corinthians, second chapter at the end, we have the mind of Christ. That's a wonderful thought. We have it, but are we letting it rule in our lives now? Our third chapter we're in. It's beautiful. This is the prize.
It says in verse four that 14 I pressed toward the mark for the prize.
There's a prize ahead. We're all going to get it, but let's work for it. It's the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. We can attain it even here in fullness there, but isn't that a wonderful thoughts that prize and the 4th chapter power, verse 13. I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me and oh how wonderful the Lord. We have some extras. We have an extra provision in verse.
29 a verse of the first chapter. Here's AP that is extra, just a bonus thrown in. For unto you is given. It's a gift in behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake. Are you taking that gift? Are you taking that special privilege? It's yours, Peter said, Happy are ye? If you be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are you. You'll never have that opportunity.
You'll never have that privilege again for all eternity. Well, there's another bonus notice.
19 in the last chapter, verse 19, probation, probation, a lovely fee. My God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. That's the blank check. Very believer, full provision. If you're doing his will, don't worry about how you take care of that. And I believe there's one more.
Chapter 4 and verse 15 I think.
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May I believe that's perfect that she may. I'm sorry, verse 15.
Now Ethiopians know also that in the beginning of the Gospel.
When I departed from Macedonia, no church communities with me. I'm sorry it's not diverse. Maybe someone knows where it is. There is one. Oh, chapter 3, verse 15. I know there's one here. It's perfect.
I Let us therefore as many as be perfect, thus minded, fully grown spiritually.
I'm growing it in Christ. Well, it's lovely to see those bees as we're going through it now, we're in the one that brings out that object we have.
It's the liberty every believer has. It's it's freedom. What is freedom? It's the liberty to please the Lord. And that lovely thought? That's our object now.
We ought to feed on price in the divinely prescribed way that this comes out in connection with the manner. You know, we find in Exodus that it was to be bacon and was to be seated or cooked. And in Numbers 11 we find that they added two additional ways how to prepare the manner, and we ought not to imitate that. And that is.
That day in verse eight of Chapter 11.
They grounded.
In mills and beat it in a mortar.
I believe there is much of this going on, and we might ourselves be tempted to do that when we no longer are satisfied with the divinely given food. We're looking for deviations and human ways of feeding on it. We ought to be guarded against that, beloved, and it is in this connection that the oil is mentioned in verse eight of Chapter 11. How important that is, Beloved, There is a divine way.
We should feed on Christ and not use human techniques and human wisdom. This is not going to accomplish what God gave us this food for, and it will eventually lead to even more complaining. We are no longer satisfied with the divinely prescribed way of feeding on Christ. How careful we are to be, but nevertheless we know this is given to us for our food.
Our soul to sustain us in the wilderness and how good we.
In Hawaii we should be to listen to the divinely prescribed order, how to feed on Christ. Expectations here are very important and they're not given without purpose.
Wherever expectations are given and the connection they're given in are for a very special purpose and so.
These these.
Enemies here of the believer that are mentioned would hinder the soul from adding in to the subject of this chapter.
So there are those who.
Would be.
Careless as to the truth that the dogs would suggest just tearing things to pieces. And there are those who do that, you know.
And not careful about the truth of God.
But then there is also.
The evil workers. Now I believe that that refers to the Judaizing teachers that would come in to rob the Saints of their liberty in Christ.
Anything of illegal character.
Will rob us of our liberties in Christ.
And to allow these things to come in among us.
Is entirely wrong.
For any anyone to set themselves up and look down on others is not esteeming other better than themselves.
And this is this is what takes place sometimes as though there were certain classes in the assembly of some were better than others.
Some who take a lower path, all that's contrary to scripture.
There may be those who take a lower path, but that's not our place to judge. We consider the truth of the one body is a very precious truth that includes every believer. And as far as God is concerned, there's no partiality. There should be no partiality with us.
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We should regard all the Saints.
In that way.
The Tabernacle was all covered with gold. There was no not seen in the Tabernacle and we're not to be occupied with the failures of others.
We're to see Christ in them if possible, and that's what we should be thinking about. We should not be tearing down. We should not be separating the Saints.
We should regard them all as the founding in Christ.
And so here we have beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
Well, those are.
Or the ones that are operating in the churches of Galatia.
They were saying you had to have the law besides believing on Christ, you wouldn't be saved. That's the line of things that was being introduced.
Now all this would hinder the enjoyment of that pure object for the soul that we have here in this chapter.
If we start with this first sentence here again and stress the importance of the Lord His person, I think it will help us in going on in the chapter. We might notice in Ephesians chapter 6 that we have a very similar statement.
In the 10th verse.
Of Ephesians 6, but it's different.
Here in Ephesians 610 it says finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord. Now our chapter says, rejoice in the Lord. The difference is important. Let's go back and read a verse in Ecclesiastes now in the 9th chapter of Ecclesiastes.
The first part of the 11Th verse. Ecclesiastes, 9/11. I returned and saw.
Under the sun that the race.
Is not to the Swift.
Nor the battle to the strong. Now it's a battle in Ephesians. It's the race in Philippians, and the flesh can't win it either way.
If flesh can't win the battle and the flesh can't win the race, fixing up the flesh is what our brother was talking about. Beware of the concession.
You can't fix the flash up and win the race to the glory. It's the person that we need before us. And in Ephesians, it's it's the warfare. We have to take the whole armor of God to come back in this warfare in heavenly places, to abide in that heavenly position. But here in Philippians, we're not there. We have that before us.
And so this is the prize. This is the goal before the soul. What is it? It's the Lord.
Rejoice in him. Well, we need both in Ephesians to have these wonderful truths and to enjoy them ahead of time. Before we get to heaven, we have to combat, we have to be strong, and it's in the same way in the Lord as.
Paul wrote to Timothy, Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus. Our brother was Speaking of grace. Oh, to see that grace.
Of that blessed One to see him. So it's the person that's immediately before us.
Finally, my brethren rejoiced in the Lord. Well, if we're rejoicing in him, won't we want to be where he is or we're going to be there? But it's not a race to the swift. It's a race of endurance just going on every day. We might see a fellow Christian going on in a way that we wondered about.
And maybe doing things.
That we would question.
What should be my course of action toward one like that? Go and preach the law to him, or minister Christ to him.
I've seen, dear souls.
In the assembly.
They continue to come to the assembly meetings.
Where we read the word.
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Where Christ was ministered.
And those dear souls could be seen to be growing.
And perhaps some of those old things that we might wonder about.
And we might feel like giving them a set of rules to go by, those things dropped off.
As they were fit on Christ, and as they themselves read the Word and fed on Christ, how are we fed on Christ? The Spirit of God does the feeding as we read the Word and meditate upon it.
That's how we're fed upon Christ.
And the Constitution would try to straighten out a person by giving him a set of rules to go by, or what happens when that takes place? The person looks at those rules and then he looks at himself, and then he begins to think, well, how am I doing? How am I doing? At what stage am I? Where am I in my growth and progress?
He's looking at himself, it's not Christ.
Well, the Constitution is something like.
While we were still living in Des Moines, in the neighbors yard there was a big, great big oak tree.
I don't know how.
Bigot was in diameter, but it was a good size and it had some big strong branches and they reached up a long way.
When it came time for leaves to fall in the autumn.
Some of the leaves of that tree didn't fall. I noticed some branches there that had nearly all of their leaves all the way through the winter.
Well, it didn't look very nice. It looked all ragged, perhaps like we look sometimes to one another.
I felt like going out there and climbing up that tree and pulling all of those leaves off.
But no, what was the use of that? I knew what would happen in the springtime.
When it warmed up, the rains came, the stamp, the SAT the life and the tree started flowing up into the branches and out to where those leaves were.
When it started to push out new life there, what happened? Those old leaves chopped off.
Oh, to me that has been an example of what we need.
Life of the Lord Jesus Christ flowing through us, feeding upon Christ, growing in grace and knowledge of Him. And those things that not might not be according to what a Christian ought to be, they will drop off.
The important thing is to feed upon Christ. If you begin to minister rules and regulations to people, it occupies them with themselves and they begin to think that they can do something and they get puffed up with pride.
But if you're feeding on Christ and looking at Christ as we have here in the second chapter and all of his loneliness and grace, that will encourage you to humble yourself. And if you read about him in the in the third chapter in the glory, the object for our hearts, oh what it does to you.
And it wants it makes you want to be more like him without having any set of rules before you. You just want to be more like him. You want to please him.
May the Lord give us grace to really feed upon Christ, and I have Him before us in all of His loveliness, that we might grow in grace and knowledge of Him. Not in grace and knowledge of what I can do, but in grace and knowledge of Him.
And as we've been reminded of what he can do, his power.
The fixing up of the flesh or this statement. Beware of the concession. If we would read a verse in Galatians, I think it would help us to understand what this is.
Beware of the concession in Galatians chapter 6 and verse 12.
I believe it's a fine example of what the Spirit of God is bringing before us. Any faith in Philippians?
The Galatians Saints were suffering from those who came along and sought to put them under the law under which they never had been as Christians. And here it says why in verse 12.
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As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh. Notice that a fair show in the flesh they constrain you to be circumcised. Why? Only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.
In the first part of our verse here in Philippians 3, it says beware of dogs. Now that's tearing, rending. The last part beware of the concession is fixing up.
It's the flesh fixed up and he says beware of it.
Well, how, how very profitable is to take that warning. The flesh profiteth nothing, and those who had gone to Galatians taught these things.
We're wanting these people to be under the law to be circumcised so that they wouldn't suffer that persecution for the cross of Christ. Oh, how much better to go along with Christ and rejoice in the Lord and have a new life and not go back to that old thing that God gave up with in the 6th of Genesis. God says in the 6th of Genesis.
The end of all flesh has come before me, but he went ahead and tested it.
Up to the cross and that's the end of the test of the flesh. So in Christianity there is no such thing as profiting from fixing up the flesh. Say then we are the circumcision. We'll go ahead and explain that, brother. That's the next verse. Well, in Colossians we find Colossians 2. I believe we find that.
Christian circumcision took place at the cross of Christ.
That's where it took place. The flesh was cut off completely.
That's what Paul means when he says we are the circumcision.
We are our whole position is found in Christ is death to everything else.
For in Christ and so the flesh is cut off.
And we're to regard it in that way. And we're seen as those who are in a new position, the old having been cut off completely. Not in anything we have done in fixing up the flesh or anything else, but it's what Christ did. All the blessings that the believer has is found in the finished work of Christ. And you don't need to seek elsewhere because you won't find anything.
Christ is the answer to it all.
And all the work that he's accomplished has brought us into that new position and has given us that real liberty where now we can enter into the precious truths that the apostle setting before us here with the eye fixed upon Christ, because that's where we're going.
We have life in Christ. We have righteousness.
And we have an inheritance, we have all these things, but brethren, do we have it practically in our souls? That's the point here. Christian experience is Philippians practical Christian experience, making these things good in our souls, not trying to make something over in ourselves.
But just to recognize that it's all dead and now we have everything.
Practical Christian experience, making these things good in our souls. Not trying to make something over in ourselves, but to just to recognize that it's all dead and now we have everything we want in Christ.
What will we have in heaven? We have anything else?
No, we'll have just Christ. But you see, we learned so slowly, and we need to take each thing separately and enjoy it in our souls as we read it, as we hear it and realize these things practically. And that's why Philippians was written Philippians, entirely different from the other epistles for that purpose. You don't sit down to the table.
And eat a meal for the whole.
Of the rest of your life.
Sometimes that's what we want to do.
And as far as I can see.
The institutions or Christian institution, Christian colleges by and so on, they're set up to do that thing to give you in a little while.
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Some things for the whole rest of your life.
But that isn't the way it is as our brothers bringing out. It's a little here, a little there, eating upon the Lord Jesus Christ, getting a little here and a little there, Day by day eating our soul. That's what what it really is. Day by day, feeding upon the Lord, reading a little of the Word.
Perhaps we find it difficult to fit it into our scheme of things or our planning for the day, to have a time for reading of the Word and for prayer.
But it doesn't seem to me that we find any problem in fitting into the scheme of things a time to sit down at the table to feed our bodies.
Where are the priorities? What are they? What do we put first?
Well, I believe we find here that the Apostle Paul was putting the Lord Jesus Christ first.
Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. We are afraid to take the Lord at His word. I'm afraid to do it. And it's a testing for every one of us. We have to come to grips with it. And if we would grow really as a Christian ought to grow, we'll have to come to grips with it.
Otherwise we'll find ourselves going backwards.
We're either going forward or we're going backward. There's no such a thing as a child of God standing still.
If we're feeding, our Christ will grow. If we don't, we'll wither away. Wonder if we might add?
Word to what has been said as a kind of a word of warning to us in Galatians chapter 2.
We find this.
Legal.
Group and party that we face in the epistles, beginning back with those that are of Christ.
And we encounter them time and again.
I was thinking of this as we're speaking about a battle and a warfare.
Galatians 211.
But when Peter was come to Antioch, I was stood him to the face because he was to be blamed.
Before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles.
When they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision, and the other Jews dissembled likewise with him in so much that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.
When I saw that they walked not uprightly, according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, liveth after the manner of Gentiles.
And not as do the Jews. Why compel us now the Gentiles, to live as to the Jews?
Here we have a an apostle.
Peter.
Who is walking straightforwardly?
At least outwardly.
And some come from a man named James. And Peter is afraid of James the Apostle Peter afraid.
Well, he withdraws and follows the line of thinking that there is an inner Christian circle for those who have kept certain rules.
And I was thinking of this in the sense that even Peter was caught in it and Barnabas was caught in it.
Now this happened, I believe, shortly after the letter was written in the Gentiles being under law back in Acts 15.
And if that were so, we see something else about James.
That is, he had a way. It was his suggestion, as I remember, that they write a letter to the Gentiles telling them they were not at all.
But apparently James never changed his attitude toward Gentiles. He still saw them as an inferior level of Christian.
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And theater. This happened, I believe, shortly after that letter was written and sent around. And Peter knew that.
So when he comes out to Antioch, he falls under the influence of one.
To form or to follow one that's already formed a higher Christian fellowship?
We might recognize in James a man who had a way to keep the outward thing together, so to speak. He had the letter to write about the Gentiles not being under law, to keep them all into boats. But his heart hadn't changed. He hasn't seen the truth of the one body.
And now when he comes, are some come from him. Even Peter is frightened away from walking straightforwardly according to the truth of the gospel.
I was thinking of just as a word of warning for us, I would like to read in Philippians again about I believe this same kind person because there is an open warfare against the flesh and the spirit. One is against the other. You can never make them meet.
Philippians one verse.
15 Some indeed preach Christ.
Even of envy and strife. Oh, what a use to make of the good news of that blessed person. And some also of goodwill, the one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely supposing to add affliction to my bonds. Oh, this is what it is. It's when the flash becomes active, any movement is going to be against the things of God.
One more thing comes to mind I'd just like to mention as a warning to us.
James was at least one of the star witnesses of Paul's innocence when they carried him off to jail.
And he never comes forward.
To bear witness to his brother.
He lets him go off to jail and perhaps even to death, and later he did go into death, and James never opens his mouth to his to bear witness to his innocence.
Or we can never expect anything good out of the flesh under any level of education, be it biblical or not.
Except that which is against the things of God. And we've heard it. It says beware.
And we've heard of a battle of warfare, so it is beloved. We need to remember that these things do, as we've heard, rob us of Christ. We're no stronger than Peter if they're strong, and look how he succumbs to that.
May we do have Christ.
For our portion and not find something less than Christ and think that I've got it only Himself and be satisfied only with Him when we're with Him. And until that point press on.
Just as He gave us in verse 2-3 specific things to be aware of, it's nice to see the positive in verse 3. Three things to rejoice it and continue on in. The good of the first is we worship God in the Spirit.
By the Spirit it's the same thought and I was thinking how nice in John Ford 23 when the Lord said to that dear woman, The hour cometh, and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father seeketh such to worship him. What a wonderful thought that is. And this is the positive. We have three things that we.
Beware of, but this we should rejoice in is all grace. We're worshipping according to the Spirit and the Word of God, and the Father seeketh such. Well, the second thing is we rejoice in Christ Jesus. That's this epistle. The proof of it is this epistle. It's the prison epistle, but it's the epistle of rejoicing 16 times.
And it isn't a matter of circumstances when one is saved.
It's a matter of how much you're enjoying Christ.
You can't receive Christ without joy. It's impossible, But that joy gets better and better as you go on with him. That's the thought. The third thing, we have no confidence in the flesh. And the apostle Paul in Romans 7, verse eight says, I know that in me that is my flesh. There's no good thing. Well, it's nice to have that incitement against yourself in your heart continually.
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And then Christ can fill that heart and you can have things that are profitable and lasting for His glory. So we have 3 positive things. It's nice that He gives us these three things and how wonderful they are. We should strive to continue in the good of them all three.
The last one is what he uses to open up the following line of things that he has before him here.
Have no confidence in the flesh, though I might also have confidence in the flesh.
If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more the Apostle.
Is speaking here.
Of religious flesh.
That is that which.
Can appear as the worst form of an enemy to us there's nothing worse than.
An religious evil.
Think that over.
The world is full of evil, but what could be worse than attacking the person of Christ?
What could be worse than setting aside the truth of God?
And so.
We find here that.
It's religious flesh we find the Pharisees. You know when the Lord was here, they attributed his works to Satan.
That's religious flesh.
They're the ones that had the oracles of God.
And Paul was in that group at one time.
He was among the Pharisees, He was among the Sadducees, He was the one of the leaders that was.
Are seeking to do away with the name of Jesus. That's religious flesh.
Now it says, though I might also have confidence in the flesh, if any other man think of that death where he might trust in the flesh I more. And then he gives a list of things that characterize his former life.
All religious. Religious flesh.
Paul wasn't engaged in what people speak of generally as evil, except the fact that he did resort to hitting men and women in prison and killing them.
For the truth sake, he thought.
The Jewish law.
But now he says circumcise the 8th day of the stock of Israel.
That's something wonderful, isn't it, of the tribe of Benjamin and Hebrew of the Hebrews, as touching the law of Pharisee concerning zeal persecuting the Church?
Touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
It's all religious flesh.
Righteousness in the law, blameless.
He couldn't they couldn't find blamed on Paul as to his outward.
Character.
Ah, but there was blame. We get that in Romans 7.
Thou shalt not covet. You see what was going on inwardly. There was not a new nature.
It all belonged to the old man, the old Adam, nature, religious as it was, that all belonged to man in the flesh.
Now this all has to be done away with. Falcon glory in that. If he was going to glory from that side, he could glory in that. But it's all religious. And then he says.
But what things were gained to me?
Those I counted lost for Christ.
Doubtless, and I count all things notice that.
All things but lost for the Excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.
Paul trades it all off for one thing, and that's the Excellency.
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Of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. And then he adds, For whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but done that I may win Christ, had he not Christ, yes.
But you see, this is practical Christianity. Paul wanted to be in the full enjoyment of what he had believed. It wasn't enough to have the knowledge of it.
And he wanted to do away with all the religion that belonged to the flesh. He didn't want any part in it. He was through with it. Although he had attained to the highest point in it of the day, he didn't want any more of it. He wanted Christ. Christ isn't religion, it's a person.
Knowledge.
Of Christ Jesus my Lord.
Just think of what he's saying there.
Christ Jesus my Lord, what good words for us.
To meditate on.
And to get the Gouda.
You meditate on something like that.
And it comes to you.
Can you say that? Can I say that, Christ Jesus my Lord?
Well, there are other things, other people and other circumstances and all that would like to be Lords over us.
And this Apostle Paul, in his days of exercise, had gone through this.
There were things that.
Wanted to Lord themselves over him, be Lord of him.
All these things that he delineates here.
And that's where our problem is, if we have any problem at all.
It's allowing other things to have dominion over us.
Even sin allowing it to have dominion over us, but we're told in Romans sin shall not have dominion over us.
And her brother touched on that.
In his address this afternoon.
We're dead with Christ and risen with Christ. And I love that verse, verse 57.
1St Corinthians 15, the Resurrection chapter.
Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. No wonder the apostle could say that and write that. I know he wrote it by inspiration, but I believe he felt it himself.
And here he is using the same kind of words. Christ Jesus my Lord.
And if there is any victory in our lives, where is it coming from?
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, the victory has been won by Him when He rose from the dead, victorious over all of our enemies, and that's why this is brought through to us here in this chapter.
Righteousness. On which side of death is it?
It's on resurrection site. That's the kind of righteousness we have in Christ.
And that's the kind of righteousness he was looking forward to, to meet Christ in the glory on the other side of death, resurrection side, on victory side.
And we need not go through life defeated. Christ is our Savior.
Christ is our Lord, and when we have Christ Jesus, Jesus brings before us what we have in chapter 2.
But Christ brings before us the exalted 1, the anointed one, And then he says, My Lord, that one is my Lord.
And we confess that to the Lord Jesus. Thou art my Lord.
Thou art my Lord. Yes, we confess him as Savior, but what about confessing him as Lord?
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And see that he is everything.
May the Lord give us grace to say what the apostle Paul says here.
And he is the subject of our worship. I'd just like to make another statement or two about verse 3.
We are the circumcision which worship God in the Spirit or by the Spirit that's already been said, and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh.
Sometimes young people as they are learning more of truth.
Want to know why we do not have instrumental music?
In our meeting, and I think it's a good thing to get a little bit of help on and I believe this verse is one of them that does help us in that way.
Worship.
God.
By the Spirit. And then the last phrase, no confidence in the flesh. There's no place for the flesh in worship today. As we've already said, the end of the test of the flesh.
Was Christ on the cross the Jew had been tested with a visible.
And material form of worship in the law, ordinances, Tabernacle and temple, priesthood, and the kings and all the altars and sacrifices that has terminated Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. But God has a people today and he wants to worship today just like he made provision for it and wanted it in the.
But now what is it? It's by the Spirit. There are two scriptures we ought to read. First one in Acts 17.
To help on this subject.
As to not using instrumental music in our meetings for worship in particular.
Here Paul was preaching to the Athenians.
Not educated people of that day.
And he makes a wonderful statement.
In verses 24 and five, God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands, neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed anything. Well, that's final there. There's no place for the hands.
To be used in worship today at all? Well, what do we use then in worship? Turn to Romans 15.
And we get what we can use.
And what pleases God?
As to worship today by the Spirit.
No place for the flesh.
Romans 15 verses 5:00 and 6:00.
Now the go to patience and consolation grant you to be like minded one toward another according to Christ Jesus that he may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. And we take these three different references. They're very helpful as to worship and what pleases God today.
Certainly it's by the Spirit, and the subject of it is Christ Jesus our Lord, our Savior, what He has done for us, and the heart that is.
One for Christ and touched with his loveliness is the person whose mouth will be opened to give praise and adoration and worship to God. So these three things again in this verse, worship God by the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus. They those two are positive. The other is really negative. There's no place for the flesh there. God will not.
He has done with that test. It's over with and we should not try to reintroduce it in any form. Our brother in John 4.
We there, we have worshiped the Father in spirit and in truth. And that's very important to see because.
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All that man has raised up in his worship is not according to the truth.
He may have parts of truth in it, but we have to have the truth of God or it's not real worship.
Spirit and truth, I think that's important.
Expression here that we are considering two. In the eighth verse we have the word knowledge.
You'll find a little later that the apostle speaks of knowledge again, or to know.
The 10th verse that I may know him.
We're living in a day when knowledge is being stressed.
There seems to be such a wonderful thing to to have a lot of knowledge of all kinds of things.
But the Spirit of God tells us in Corinthians that.
Knowledge will cease.
So we have two kinds of knowledge in Scripture, more than that I understand, but two that we more or less are acquainted with. And one is the knowledge of things that are passing before our eyes continually. The fact that we're sitting in a room with so many chairs in it and so on. All that knowledge will pass away.
But the apostle is speaking about a knowledge that will not pass away.
It's to know Christ.
Now wouldn't it be nice, brethren, if we spent our time on the things that won't pass away?
Instead of spending so much time on things that will pass away.
And we mustn't be taken in with the day. I know that a great deal has to do with making a living.
But let's be temperate in everything. Let's not go overboard on knowledge because it's going to pass away. The kind of knowledge you get in this world. You may make a little more money, but you're if you go very far, you'll find that your mouth will be silent in the assembly if you go after the things of this world, and there won't be the worship in the spirit.
You're going to lose in that measure in which you take up of the things of this world as an object.
So let's be sure that we have the right knowledge before us here.
Here it says.
Yeah, doubtless I count all things but loss for the Excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.
For whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and to count them. But done that I meant may win Christ.
That's the knowledge that he wants. He wants to be filled with it.
And be found in him.
That is practically an experience, not having my own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, or the faith in Christ, the righteousness which is of God.
By faith.
Now that's a different kind of righteousness from what he was Speaking of that he had attained to in the under the law.
Under the law, it was before man.
But here it's a kind of righteousness that you cannot attain to.
It's a righteousness that God gives to those who simply believe in Jesus. That's the kind of righteousness that he wanted. But he wanted to be in the enjoyment of this, and he wanted to get rid of the last little bit of human righteousness that he had been so used to talking about. He wanted to be through with it all.
All here was benching the knowledge of Jesus Christ as the one thing He's seeking and and desiring to know more of Him.
And so everything he had before, he could not only count but lost, but has done, he just found it as unworthy to even mention, even mention. Well, you know how wonderful it is when you reach that point.
Peter, when he was with the Lord, had a sense that he gave up things when he followed the Lord. He hadn't reached this point yet though. But it's nice to see the Lords answer for that in comparison to this in chapter two. Well no, it's been back in Mark's gospel.
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Mark's Gospel chapter 10 and verse 28. At the middle, Peter said to the Lord, low, We have left all and followed thee.
And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, there is no man that's left, house or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lambs, for my sake and the Gospels, but he shall receive 100 fold. Now in this time, houses and brethren, sisters, mothers and children, and lions with persecutions, and in the world to come eternal life.
Well, Peter was thinking about these possessions. It wasn't really given up the world in a sense, but he left all that. He called possessions and his work and went and followed the Lord. He hadn't really realized that you have to give up cell. That's where Paul is. He gave up cell. Peter learned that lesson at the cross. He hadn't given up self yet.
But his epistle, of course, tells us he gave up self. That's a cross.
He still thought there was something himself. And so we have this beautiful high point here that Paul said, whatever it is, even myself, my reputation as we reminded of with the young people, anything, it's dumb. It doesn't mean anything. I can know Christ.
And you know, the more you go on with him, the better you know him, and the better you know him, the more you love him. And that's what Paul was telling us here is to know him, that I might know him. What a wonderful thing it is to realize that we're nothing, but by the grace of God through Christ, were children of the King.
You know, that's a wonderful thought, and that's what Paul's got. He wants a little more about that one.
It gives real dignity to one. That's what he has here. Dignity, but no pride.
There's no pride left, it's just dignity because of Christ. And that's why he says our glory in that, our glory in him, our glory in the cross, because I'm everything through it. And yet humbleness comes in and humility, I'm not worthy. So it's just a wonderful thing that results when you get to this point. Dignity of a believer, no pride. And that's a lovely place to be.
Philippians 3:9-11
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Philippians 3.
Verse nine And be found in him not having my own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.
That I may know him in the power of his resurrection, the fellowship of his sufferings being be conformable unto his death, if by any means I might attain under the resurrection of the dead.
Not as though I had already attained either. We're already perfect.
But I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Brother and I count not myself to have apprehended but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth into those things which are before I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded, and if in anything he be otherwise minded, go on to reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto, if we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
Brethren be followers together of me, and mark them which would walk so as he have us for an example.
For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you, even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ. Who then to destruction, who had God as their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things? For our conversation is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Who should change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body?
According to their working, whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto himself. Like to make a few remarks to bear with me as to the person of Christ, because that's the subject we have now. The apostle desires that he might know him. We know that the Lord Jesus came down into this world to reveal the Father.
That's John's gospel.
Because John's Gospel is the subject of life, all his writings are.
And the Lord Jesus came down to reveal the Father.
And so the Father has been made known to us in Jesus, both in what in his ministry and also.
In his person he could say, I am altogether that which I say unto you.
Marvelous person.
And yet we are told in the Gospels.
That no one knows the Son but the Father.
The mystery of his person is eternal.
A mystery surrounds his person that none can penetrate.
And yet.
We learn in Ephesians that.
Through the Spirit of God, where you enter into the unsearchable riches of Christ.
So that's another aspect of things.
But now looking back.
We learned in Corinthians 15.
Of the first Adam that he was of the dust. We're not Speaking of Adam who's fallen. We're Speaking of Adam now.
Who?
Was created.
He was of the dust, He was of the earth, earthly.
But the last Adam is from heaven.
So we have two distinct lines of things. We have the first one who was of the earth, of the dust.
Now the Lord Jesus is from heaven.
When he was born, it was said of him, That holy thing which shall be born of thee, Mary, shall be called the Son of God.
Adam was never holy. The Lord Jesus is holy and.
We find that.
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That the woman is of the man.
First Corinthians.
11:00 and 12:00.
But the man is by the woman, not of the woman.
Mary and Joseph had no part in the conception of Jesus.
He would conceived of the Holy Ghost entirely. I say that because that's one thing that's being attacked today. Men are saying that Jesus could sin, but the Lord Jesus did not have a nature like Adam. Even before Adam was created. That is when Adam was created, Adam was innocent.
But.
He had the possibility of sinning and he did sin. That was not true of Jesus.
He could not sin.
He did not sin. He knew no sin.
Is that holy one?
And all this person, the Holy One, so you see, although he is man and born of a woman.
Still, and because the children were partakers of flesh and blood, he partook of the same.
But not the same flesh.
You see, there was number sin connected with it.
With the his flesh.
But the time came when the Lord Jesus.
The apostle Paul could say of him.
We know no man after the flesh. We don't know Christ after the flesh.
We don't know him anymore in that way.
Is entirely new order in resurrection.
Life is in the spirit, not in the blood. His blood was poured out on the ground.
And.
As the Apostle Paul.
Saw the Lord Jesus on the Damascus Rd.
He saw the man because he said, I have seen the Lord.
He saw the man that you and I are going to be with for all eternity, the man Christ Jesus.
He had a vision that when he saw Jesus, that could not be erased from his mind and his heart.
The Man Christ Jesus.
And so.
This that the apostle is Speaking of here.
It's not simply that Jesus was a man, but he was a different man from any other man that ever lived.
He was holy, but now in resurrection life, He is the object and the life of every believer.
And the apostle Paul now wants to know him. He does know him as Savior.
But because his name is called Jesus, Jehovah's Savior, but all the apostles said, I want to know him and all how much there is to know him about him. But to know him personally is not simply know about him.
It's a different thing, and the apostle wants to know him.
To lay hold of his person. To be in the enjoyment of his person.
Is what we have coming up in this chapter. It isn't simply knowledge to gain knowledge so we can talk about it, but it's something that should affect our hearts and our walk down here, the person of Jesus Christ. I just wanted to make those comments because otherwise we might approach the subject to simply.
Something that.
We've heard so many times and.
We don't give the place it should have in our hearts and our affections. The apostle had only one thing before him, brethren.
And that was Jesus.
Only one thing before him, one person. That was Jesus. It was not just.
In 2nd Corinthians 5 verse 17 it says if any man be in Christ Jesus, he is a new creature, a new creation. All things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new.
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In our Little Flock hymn book, in the 73rd hymn, the last line is Jesus the Lords, my righteousness here where we began reading it says.
And be found in him.
That's in Christ, in Him, that person you're talking about.
The new creation.
It will be absolutely so when we are there in the glory. That's what Paul doubtless was thinking about.
To reach that goal, Christ in glory, and be like him fully.
According to this verse, I believe we can say.
That nothing that Christ has done is our righteousness, nothing that He does is our righteousness, but Christ Himself is our righteousness Be found in him. That was the longing of the apostle, and it's a completely new thing, this righteousness to have this best drove on.
Wonderful thought to think, to be found in him.
Now it will be so at the end, but isn't there a measure of practical truth here to attain more fully to that now in a practical way, to be found in him in practice, and then in the measure in which we are?
Enjoying Christ and all he has done and this new position, it will be seen in us too, this righteousness down here, but fully it will be seen when we are there. For this first man has gone into the glory as man. To know him is a precious thing, but we're getting into something beautiful as our brother brought out to be found in Christ.
As we had in Corinthians Second 617. It's beautiful.
We're all in Christ if we're safe. We're in Christ and old things passed away and all things have become new. You see that in Ephesians 2. We had that last night. It's nice to see this, that that's our standing in Ephesians 2, verse 13. We were this way without Christ, having no hope, without God in the world, but now.
In Christ, the wonderful thing in Christ.
And we have that expression coming out again.
In fact, Romans 8 says there is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. That's where we are. One other place I think Galatians. It brings it off very beautifully in Galatians 3, Galatians 3 at the end, I think.
Verse 27 Well verse 26 ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ.
Jesus, for as many as you have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither bond nor free. There is neither male nor female. Ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you be Christ, you are Abraham's seed heirs according to the promise. Now that's our standing in the new life for what we have here in Philippians.
Be found in him practically. And I think that's laid out so beautifully in the Song of Solomon in one place. Song of Solomon. And I think it's so beautiful the way he wants her to be found in him and he wants each one of us too. You see, she was in Christ when she described him so beautifully.
In the second chapter, but now down in the 4th chapter.
He's bringing her along and he says in verse 8.
Come with me, that's all your befound in him, in this world. Come with me from Lebanon. Notice at the end from the lion's den. Well, from the place of danger, that's this world. Come apart with him. And then it noticed. Look from the top of Amana, from the top of Sheena, from the top of Herman.
00:15:06
What is he Speaking of?
Found in him. This is what he looks for in each one of us, and we can have it if we go on with him. Amana.
Constancy of your soul, one object. That's what we have in the third chapter, Christ. It's a constant settled soul in Christ. That's constancy. He wants you to have that look from that mount and then you'll have the real, the real view. And then he says also.
From Sheena.
The lamp bearer, that's what it means. The light. He wants us to be a light in this world of himself. There's only one way found in him. Come with me, he says. That's apart from this world. The last thing she Herman from Herman devotion, that's Mary and John 12 at his feet to vote Devotion. That's the highest.
And he wants it all from us that we can only have it one way called. Got it here.
That I might be found in Him. All brethren, everyone of us that are saved know Him. But to be found in Him daily is what we have here. A constancy in your soul, not just when you're with the Saints. Continual devotion and a light. A light isn't that beautiful? That's what He wants here in verse 6.
We read touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
Turn back with me to Deuteronomy 6.
Deuteronomy chapter 6.
Verse 24.
And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God for our good always.
That He might preserve us alive as it is at this day, and it shall be our righteousness if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as He hath commanded us. Now in the verse we're looking at in verse in chapter 3 of Philippians.
Verse 9 to be found in him not having my own righteousness now had he kept the law perfectly.
As he says in verse six, touching the righteousness which is in the law, outwardly he was blameless. Now he says.
No, I don't want that kind of righteousness. I've learned, I've found as our brother Clem was bringing before us a righteousness now which is altogether of a different kind. It is Christ himself. And in the in the seventh verse of our chapter, he talks about the past.
What things were gained to me those I counted loss for Christ that was that was a past decision that he had made. And then we have in verse 8, the present, yeah, doubtless I count all things but loss for the Excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered past the loss of all things, and do count them present.
But dumb that I may win Christ.
And now we have in verse 9 the future, and He looks on to that day when he will be there in the glory. And he looks on to that day, and he says, And to be found in him not having thine own righteousness, which which is of the law. Had He kept the law perfectly, it would have been His righteousness, but no to be found in him.
Not having my own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ.
The righteousness which is of God by faith. And then in the next verse he goes back to the present to know him. But verse nine is the future. He looks on to that day when he'll be there, and he delights in the fact that it will be Christ that will be His righteousness. Nothing of himself, nothing that he has done but looking on to that day when we will be.
Surrounding him, and in his righteousness, Christ himself being our righteousness. First Corinthians 130 of him of God are ye in Christ Jesus, who is made unto us, wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification and redemption, that according as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
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So to have Christ as the one who will be our righteousness, Who is our righteousness now?
But He looks on to that day when it will be complete, and it will be displayed in that day perfectly that it is Christ who is our righteousness. He didn't want any of His own. Rather, had he kept the law perfectly, all He could have said was, that's my righteousness. I've kept it.
But now he wants to lay that aside and to have a different kind of righteousness, Christ in glory as his righteousness. That's what we're on going on to now. There's a difference. We must keep things too in their place, and that is.
God has made him righteousness to us. It's the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.
It doesn't proper for us to say that we have righteousness in the sense that we have Christ's righteousness as a man down here.
That's a different thought. Be a transfer of the righteousness of Christ in his acts down here.
To us. But God has made him our righteousness. He is our righteousness, His person.
There's a difference there.
So we want to keep the two separate. You notice in that horse nut referred to in First Corinthians chapter one in verse 30.
There are four things mentioned there, but of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God?
Is made unto us wisdom.
Righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Four things. Christ is our wisdom.
He's made to us wisdom by God.
And he is righteousness. He's made righteousness to us of God.
He is made of God's sanctification and redemption.
Now there's so much error.
In Christendom in connection.
With at least the three last ones, Righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.
He himself.
Is that whole thing his person?
And you run into it all the time. There are those that are preaching.
What righteousness the Lord Jesus did is imputed to us. No, the Lord Jesus Christ of God is made unto us, righteousness His person.
It seems to me that is it is. It is a subtle thing.
A subtle thought that the enemy will bring in.
To get us away.
From glory in the Lord Jesus Christ, his person.
Oh, there's the most subtle things that will come up to rob us of that very thing.
That no flesh should glory in God's presence.
But glory in the Lord Jesus Christ, who is made by God. Righteousness. He is personally our righteousness, His person himself.
And I believe God wants to impress us with this, that the person of Christ is everything.
And when we have him, we have everything. We're even blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ.
His person.
Without the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, we wouldn't have anything.
Oh, it's a wonderful thing to know that that we have Christ and I believe that's why we get in John's gospel as many as received him.
Him.
Not something from Him, but Himself. He is our life, He is our righteousness, He is our sanctification, He is our redemption. As many as received Him to them He gave the power to become the children of God.
Oh, what a wonderful thing to have it that simple that it's in the person. Why does God reveal it to us in this way?
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That we might be occupied with the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Not just with the gifts he gives.
Just what we have gotten that we can name.
But himself.
I'm struck with with little children.
11 Times.
That I've come home from a trip when the children were younger.
And they were waiting for me to come. Well, I gave them that little gift. From that moment on, they were occupied with the gift and not me.
So often we're like that. We're like little children.
We get occupied with the gift of eternal life that we've gotten, and we forget the person.
Oh, this is a very simple thing, but it's a very real thing. Are we forgetting him?
Do we spend time with Him every day? Do we value His person so much that we want to be in His presence? Do we value His person so much that we want to read in the Word about Him and get some food for our souls himself?
God wants to bring that before us, I believe, especially in this chapter that we're reading in, and we pray that we might really get the good of it, that we might have our eyes fixed upon Him as being All in all, everything.
And if we don't, we're missing it. The Lord is able to help us.
God by his Spirit is anxious.
To present Christ to us, to keep Christ before us. And we have the help of the Holy Spirit in it. We have have the help of the word of God in it.
We're not left to our own devices and if we are really exercised in these matters.
We can go to God our Father and present our case before Him.
And tell him help me.
By thy grace to be more occupied with the Lord Jesus Christ, because we get impressed.
From the word of God, that this is the important thing. I think this is so important especially for the young people and the children and those, any of us who are older who think you can look anyplace else.
We have the simplicity of Christ. That's what our brother was bringing out. We preached Christ and him crucified, and it's enough.
I was thinking of that prayer meeting we just finished. All of you that were there, did you sense the theme?
It was beautiful. It was an outreach. I know we don't use that term so much. It's a missionary term, but young people, I find are looking for an outreach, a broader base. And brethren, is there a broader base in what you heard in that prayer meeting with the arm of the Lord, reaching out from his assembly where his truth is and He is and the light is in this world?
That's the outreach, and I was so amazed at the request that went up all over the world.
The work going on all over the world, we don't need to count coup as the Indians say.
We don't need to know the results. We know Christ does the work and we preach Christ. It's that simplicity. We're not burdened with anything else of man and young people. I tell you, you don't need a broader base than you've got in the assembly where Christ is and the truth is, and the Spirit of God works and the arm of the Lord reaches out. It's wonderful to see it, isn't it?
And that's what our brother was saying. We have Christ, we need him, but we can give Christ.
And it's so precious in its simplicity. That's really what falls. Bring it out here, the simplicity of Christ. In Galatians 2, we have a verse that I'd like to just read in connection with our brother Anderson was bringing before us.
I'm going to read verse 20, but it's the last verse of the chapter that I have. I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.
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And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Now notice carefully verse 21. I do not frustrate the grace of God. For if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain, as is so commonly taught in many circles in Christendom. Is that the Lord Jesus? We fail to keep the law, none of us.
So we don't have that legal righteousness by our own keeping it, but Christ kept it perfectly and He did. He kept it perfectly, but that righteousness of His law keeping is now put to our account.
This verse the apostle says, no, that can't be. If righteousness come by the law, whether it's our keeping it ourselves or Christ keeping it for us, then Christ is dead in vain. Then we have a righteousness which is before Christ died, but rather Christ risen and glorified. The man in the glory has become our righteousness, as we've been hearing, and that's what Paul brings before us in.
Philippians 3 He says that I might be found in Him. We want to stress this because He's really we are in Him now and we have that righteousness now, but he's looking on to the full display of it in the future, to that full bright display of this whole thing He says to be found in him in that day, not having any righteousness of my own, but only that which.
Of God through faith. And what is that righteousness which is of God?
It's Christ, and so to be found in him is to have Christ as our righteousness, not something He's done for us, but rather himself as the glorified one. He there is the expression of our righteousness before God. I was thinking of the last words of Brother Darby. One of the things that he rejoiced in was he could say Christ is my righteousness.
And that's what we're going to say when we get home.
Will be in that scene around himself, and will be found in him, like him, in him altogether. He himself, our righteousness, nothing of our own. Oh, what a day, Oasis. Well, that is pictured in the return of the Prodigal.
That.
Younger son who had gone down into the far country.
And been converted. Turned his heart back and returned.
When he reached that place, his father really ran out to meet him. But then the father says bring forth the best drove and put it on him.
We were quoting from 2nd Corinthians 517. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation or creature. All things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new, and the next words are all things are of God.
And then there in First Corinthians, those precious verses, how that of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, according that as it is written, he that glory, let him glory in the Lord.
Oh, all the glory is going to go to the Lord. Nothing that we have done or can do. And so when we arrived there.
Like that prodigal when he returned to the father. We're going to get that best role. That's the only thing that will suit us there for that place.
I like to make a comment on.
That I may win Christ. We know that we have Christ from the day that we are saved.
But Paul is speaking. Then I may win Christ.
I believe it's important for us to realize that if we do not learn to count like the apostle Paul did, we will lose out in winning Christ. But God does not expect us that we.
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Learn to turn our back on the things that we once considered worth going after before we can win Christ. It's like we find it in Genesis 24.
The servant brought the things of Isaac, which spoke of his wealth.
And that which would be hers if she would answer to this call.
To wean her away from the place where she was. This is God's way. The most beautiful example that I've ever heard.
Be used to illustrate this is if you have a child that is playing with something that is dangerous to the child.
To make the child drop it.
You put something beautiful and desirable before the child, and if the child plays with a knife, which is a danger for the child, you put a candy or an ice cream cone before the child will drop the knife and reach for the cone. That's God's way. And so I believe, beloved, there is such a thing as turning our back.
To that which we once esteemed valuable. But God will not do that without first showing us.
Something of Christ that is desirable so that these things of.
Time and sense no longer have the attraction to us that they once had. And if we do not want to turn our back to these things, if we do not want to count like the apostle Paul did, we will lose out, spiritually speaking, not our salvation, but we will lose out to enjoy the preciousness of Christ. Just like a runner, you know, who is running in a race and.
If he has the object before him, he doesn't look to the right hand of the to the left to see whether someone else is gaining on him.
The thing that inspires him is the object ahead of him.
And that's what we have here. Paul had only one object.
That's the theme someone suggested this chapter, the one object, and so he doesn't look around. He's running in a race and he has Christ before him. I was thinking as.
Some of you were bringing before us the person of Christ.
That He is our righteousness, That the one who enjoys John 316 enjoys this truth.
And that could be the youngest one here, because God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son. Now that's the gift of God, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. And so we say, thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. Now that's the really the heart of the subject.
It's it's a gift from God. That gift is Christ.
And that is our righteousness, is our hope. He's everything to us. And so the apostle has his eye upon the one person, nothing else. Now, of course, remember.
Life is very practical and we have a responsibilities here and so just to make a statement to have your eye on Christ.
You may some may feel what is what are they talking about?
You have to go to work in the morning, you have to go to school and all of these things. But the point is, what is the object of the heart? It isn't simply that we don't do anything else but sit and look at the scriptures. It's very important that we do read the scriptures, but everything in our lives has.
Is towards one object, and that is Christ.
And whatsoever we do in Word or deed, we do it all for the glory of God. And so Christ is the object in it all, and we can do anything we have to do unto Christ.
In that tenth verse I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, the fellowship of His sufferings.
That's a lovely thought. Not just knowing Christ. Everyone that is a sheep of His knows Him. I know my sheep, they know my voice, they follow me. That's beautiful. But the power of His resurrection. Paul has that in simplicity in the 13th verse of the 4th chapter. I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me. That's the power of His resurrection.
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Paul learned in myself there's nothing, but in Christ I have everything. I can do anything.
We have the same it's like more than conquerors.
In Romans 8, that's a beautiful thought more than conquerors.
You know when the when a ship is in the Gale and this mass breaks and everything falls apart, it's doomed, It's perishing in that terrible storm. But if a ship comes along and tows it into port?
It's saved. That's right. A lot of Saints are like that. They come in and they're brought in, but that's it.
But if that ship could turn about to the right way?
Put out its jib and let that Gale blow it into port. It's more than conqueror. That's what happens to a St. who is delivered and who has the power of his resurrection in him. Realizes it's really a Romans 8 Saint, isn't it? Compared to seven? But I was thinking of the sufferings, the fellowship of his sufferings. How much do we really know that?
Paul says that's our privilege. Peter says Turn to Peter just for that, because Peter knew something about it.
Two chapter 4 of I Peter, verse 13.
Rejoice in as much as you are partakers of Christ sufferings.
When His glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy, if he be reproached for the name of Christ. Happy are ye for the Spirit of glory and of God are upon you. On their part he may be evil spoken on. On your part Christ is glorified. That's lovely, isn't it? Now we can have both.
Brethren, we can know the power of His resurrection in our life. That's deliverance from ourselves, really.
Its deliverance from ourselves.
And then let Him have the power of His resurrection in our life. But the sufferings, the fellowship of His sufferings, oh, how much do we know about that? The only way you can know about it is being conformable unto His death, being made conformable unto His death. You can't be popular in this world and enjoy the fellowship of His sufferings. It can be if you enjoy the fellowship of His sufferings. The world doesn't want you.
It will reject you like it rejected Christ. And what a blessing.
When they excommunicated the blind man in John nine, he was cast out into the arms of Jesus.
What a blessing.
I want to be a part with him, don't you? That's the sufferings, the fellowship of his sufferings. And I mentioned to the young people, there isn't much time left. He's coming. We expect him today.
Whatever time you have here, that's why it says, let's see. I think it's in Ephesians, but I will turn to it. But the rest of your time, Peter speaks of Ephesians, speaks of redeeming the time. There isn't much and this is the only place and the only time.
Will ever have that privilege Paul speaks of and that joy that's very special Peter speaks of.
To be identified with Christ here in his rejection and sufferings. And that's only by going on with Him. You have that fellowship, you enjoy it of his sufferings. And that's only by going on with Him, you have that fellowship, you enjoy it of His sufferings. Oh, it's precious, I believe probably the finest singing.
That ever took place in Flip Eye was in the jail at midnight.
A duet fellowship of his suffering. They were learning, weren't they, a little bit about Christ sufferings. They were suffering for the name of Christ in bonds in the inner prison in the muck. And Meyer after being beaten, and Paul and Silas sang a duet. I'd love to advertise the prisoners heard, the prisoners heard and the jailer heard.
Rather, that's what we're talking about, and it's precious Paul's trying to tell us.
That I may know him.
How do we know him? What was Paul's thought?
To know Him as the one who's now in the glory.
To know him as the object altogether outside of this world.
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Not to know Him as He was here, that's very precious. We get that in Philippians 2, and that's so important, as we heard yesterday, that's feeding on the manna. But in order to feed on the old corn of the land, they had to cross the Jordan, which is a picture of our death and resurrection with Christ. And then to feed on the old corn of the land, which speaks of Christ in glory, to know Him there.
Well, Paul, when he talks about his conversion.
In Acts 9 he says a light from heaven.
And then when he talks about it in chapter 22, he speaks of it as a great light from heaven.
And in chapter 26, he says a light from heaven brighter than the noonday sun. And so that light from heaven eclipsed everything here. For him it was a glorified Christ. Who art thou, Lord? I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest. God had glorified his Son Jesus.
The world has rejected him and young people hear this this morning.
If you have your eyes gazing upon Christ in glory, all the offerings of this world, all its trinkets, all its tinsel, all its false promises of grandeur and glory, here you can count it as dung, as Paul did, because he found.
A glorified man on high whom the world doesn't want.
Whom the world has hated and rejected and cast out. And he says I want to know him.
The one that the world won't have.
The one who is my righteousness and then the power of his resurrection. It's only in the power of the resurrection that we can enter into these things.
Paul prays in Ephesians 1.
That the exceeding greatness, that you might know what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us word who believe according to the working of His mighty power which He wrought in Christ, when He raised him from the dead, and set him far above principalities, and powers and authorities. In every name that is named, not only in this world, but in that which is to come. 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.
And the New Testament speaks of that power over and over again. It's not the power that God used in creating the universe, but it's the power that put a man in the glory. AS2 aspects of Paul's gospel, the gospel of the grace of God. That's what you get in Philippians 2, That God was manifest in the flesh. He came down to where we were. But then there's the gospel of the glory. There's a man now that's been exalted to the glory of God.
God's power has put a man there. He wears our nature on the throne. He's now our object. He's now the one that we want to know. We want to know him there. That's where all our interests are. They're not here. We belong to heaven. And if death comes to us or to our loved ones, it just sends them home. They're home now, and we're soon going to join them.
What a Hulk, what an object, what a portion that enables us to suffer here.
To know the fellowship of his sufferings. What a privilege. We know Christ in glory now. We're privileged to share his sufferings. That's how he got there, through sufferings. What a privilege. And even to be conformed to his death. That's what Paul wanted.
Then turn to Ephesians 3 to continue a little.
Brother, what you're bringing before us?
Ephesians 3.
On the 16 first, that He would grant you according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that she, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to apprehend. It should be with All Saints. What is the breadth and length, and depth and height?
And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that she might be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now we have.
Here that which should be our present occupation.
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In anticipation of the glory.
This is connected with the inner man.
So that you and I now can enjoy.
What the apostle has before him in this race is he's running with one object before him. It's Christ dwelling in our hearts by faith.
May I just make this comment? You and I could never attain to anything in the things of God.
Except the Spirit of God opens them to us, all of our efforts.
In ourselves will not avail.
But when one is in the position that we have in Ephesians, both in the first chapter that our brothers brought before us, and here we find the Spirit of God is the one who opens these things to us.
And we cannot attain to them by our efforts, but being in that state of soul, God is pleased to open the things of Christ to us, and that's the way we are able to enter into them, and also in connection with His sufferings, whatever it may be.
It's a privilege to suffer.
For Christ.
But here we have to know something of his sufferings.
And with him, that's a little different thought, isn't it? And so the believer now.
If he has Christ dwelling in the heart, that isn't simply an occasional visit, is it? It's the dwelling in the heart by faith. Now the Spirit of God opens to us those things and leads us into the paths of blessing that we have before us. Here. That the apostle was taken up with our brother mentioned a verse in Ephesians 319. I just come in a minute on it.
And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge.
Now we have in our portion to know Him and to be found in Him. That's true.
But this almost sounds like a contradiction. In a sense, it is to know the love of Christ. That's beyond knowing.
The beautiful thought.
The love of Christ.
You're never exhausted, not even in eternity.
There's three things in Ephesians 113 Faith, hope, and love. Now the greatest is love.
Because faith is grommeted. Be needed when we're there. We have sight. We'll see him as he is. Hope won't be needed either. We'll have fruition. It'll all be in fruition. Love just begins. You'll just begin learning the love of Christ. It passes knowledge. It's so deep, it's so vast, it's so beautiful.
And we're going to have that school of knowledge forever.
It's only going to be one subject in postgraduate school. Glory, Love.
And we're going to learn it and learn it and learn it. And the more we learn, the grander is going to get and the better our praise. And we'll never reach the crescendo. We'll always be reaching out and going greater and greater. And the first lesson I believe in, correct me if I'm wrong, I may be, but I thought of this as the first lesson. He's going to sit us down to meet and gird himself in service.
Now, if you're not going to Start learning about the love of Christ, you'll never learn. That's it. That's the first lesson in glory.
And how long? Forever.
I can't take that in, brethren, but I know it's true. It's beyond me, and so is His love. Oh brethren, to know the love of Christ, we're getting into it here in our portion. It's so wonderful, but I love it in that verse. Pass this knowledge. What are you going to be doing in glory? I don't worry about that. We'll never be done learning of His love. That's enough for me.
Brother brought out this once in a very simple way.
The love of Christ is past knowledge. I stand at the ocean shore and I take my pale and I dip it in the water and fill it up and hold it up. And I say I have ocean in my field, but I don't have the ocean in my field.
I have what's genuine ocean in there, but all to think of how many pales for that's endless.
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I suppose the thought in that in Ephesians is unto.
Really. If you're referring to that verse, the fullness of God.
It's unto it not a question of comprehending.
Its apprehension, but the love of Christ and feeding on Christ is what brings us into it.
Now you'll notice that that's connected with the riches of his glory. It isn't simply.
The glory, but it's the riches of the glory, it's the higher part of the glory, and then it brings us into or unto all the fullness of God.
May I just make this comment when you think of the fullness of God?
There are two scriptures. One is in First Corinthians 15 I believe.
Where Christ is seen as the first fruits of them that slept, Christ is the first fruits, that is.
There wasn't any before him in the New Order. He's the 1St.
It's entirely new race that you belong to if you're a Christian.
We've already had those verses before us in Second Corinthians.
New creation entirely, but Christ is the first fruits.
There was, there were none before him.
But then we have the expression first born. It's a different thought.
He's the first born one.
That's mentioned even in the Old Testament in Psalm 89. I'll make him my first born higher than the kings of the earth.
Well, the thought of first born, I believe, is simply this, that Christ is the beginning.
Of the manifestation.
Of the power and the glory of God.
That's the first born.
Now you see, rather than that, Christ is the key to it all.
In the Gospels, he told the Pharisees that they had taken away the key of knowledge.
The key of knowledge, It's Christ.
Is the key of knowledge. Men talk about knowledge today. They don't know what knowledge is. Christ is that knowledge is the key to it. There's no real knowledge outside of Christ, and it's his person.
That brings.
And so we have then the one who is the center and the Son of that coming glory. And when you speak of the fullness of God, well, Christ dwelling in your hearts by faith gives us to enter into, to apprehend these precious things. Wonder if we might.
Be able to.
Use a word that Brother Hendricks used.
Eclipse.
I've enjoyed the thought that.
Philippians is a man who just went through Ephesians.
And his feet are on earth, but his heart he left up in glory.
And he has found something that has eclipsed all that he was and fought and desired.
He's found a person.
And when he saw this person, he says that person is worthy.
Of every movement of heart and mind, he's worthy to be motive and object of every movement.
And he sees that in the worth of that person.
Such beauty that he recognizes that.
Any movement of anything else.
Is only a stench.
And so he begins a path. He's walking with a person.
And in a certain sense, he has a way to gauge.
The stench and that is whatsoever things are gained to me.
01:00:05
Or could he be a competitor with God himself? Could he be a rival for the glory of God?
And so as he would walk through this path here below, he would recognize things that kept coming up, that he was taking credit for it. They became gain to him.
And he would see that doesn't suit the presence of this person.
And he was ceased negotiating.
He would stop negotiating with God. He would stop trying to introduce.
Oh, even after having Christ for righteousness, as we've heard, you want nothing to interfere with that. You wouldn't want to negotiate to get anything out of God after he's saved. Now to gain Christ. He would want none of his own thoughts because he wants all of Christ he can possibly have, and whatever the cost is is negligible.
Because he's had a taste of something that's better.
Beloved, we get in this epistle to the Philippians that which is better discerning the things that are more excellent.
Satan would come along and offer us, can we not say something good to rob us of something better? And we'll never have any better than Christ himself.
And as he walks along, he say, oh, I just want to know what it is.
What did He do? How did He suffer? What did he assess in the way of strength? Every day to know Him and the power of His resurrection, the fellowship of His sufferings, only one thing set before Him.
To know that person better and better.
And it's a path that is set before us, that has glory before us.
It has the glorious men before us.
But all you know, we have it on Earth.
And we walk in a step at a time, and each of us are learning to know him.
And he's very active in winning my heart, gaining me over that. I love him more than I just simply say with the apostle Paul, just one thing.
The soon will be home in glory as we've heard and justice. Think of what it will be to be in His presence forever and ever.
And we heard yesterday that's all we'll have. We'll have himself. Well, he's enough for time and enough for eternity. But as the brother was Speaking of this word, eclipse, the glimpse of Christ should have eclipsed everything else.
And if someone would have come along and say yes, but look how good of an education you have all look at all these advantages you had, He says don't mention it, don't mention it, it stinks, throw it away because he had found something to eclipse all else.
And I believe that's the sense of the stability of our souls and our joy in life is that everything is eclipsed by him as Christ. I found him looking for brother, mentioned Mary. At the feet of Jesus. She had found what she was looking for. She stopped looking. Maybe so with us that all these things were finished with. They don't bother us anymore. They don't attract us.
They're not attractive. It's only himself.
Being made conformable unto his death, I thought of in the sense of obedience.
Had it before us yesterday. Obedience unto death. All the Lord obeyed until he had nothing left to obey with.
That's where we're calling Mr. Walk those steps with him, alongside him, conformable unto his death. We walk with him until there's nothing left to obey with. And then what do we have?
Or himself in glory.
If by any means this next verse here verse 11. If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Looking over at the 2nd chapter and seeing what Paul is talking about himself there helps to explain that in the 17th verse 217.
Yeah, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all.
If by any means it didn't matter if he was poured out as a libation offering in his life, what was the end of it? It was Christ in glory. He wasn't concerned about the means, the way of arrival there. It was getting home to that person that He had before him.
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And the power of his resurrection we have there in that tenth verse.
We find in our last verse of our chapter that power belongs to this man.
Who shall change our bodies of humiliation?
May be fashioned like unto his own glorious body. That's the power of his resurrection to arrive there, and that power will be exercised for we who are living when the Lord comes too, we'll get the change of the body without going through death. So we ought to be like Paul, he says here in verse 17, be followers together of me.
Who had this object before him?
And was really desirous to be there.
With Christ, and in Christ, and like Christ wholly.
That's what we will be every believer.
Can say now that he is in Christ.
And one day we shall be with Christ, and one day we shall be like Christ. The whole thing. That's what Paul is looking forward to. So the means doesn't concern him, but the arrival there. Don't you think too that in this thought we have?
If you wanted to be conformed to.
His sufferings, he wanted to be like him, even in passing through death, and raised out from among the dead just like his master, to follow the whole pathway all the way through. And Paul was martyred.
And.
He will be raised out from among the dead and that day of resurrection, but he wanted to pass through the very experiences that his master passed through. So it all fits together, does it not? In this chapter, we might benefit by looking at Acts Chapter 9.
Doing three things in connection with what we've been speaking about.
Here we find.
The record.
Of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, who was later named Paul.
And we notice in verse three that as he was journeying, there was this light from heaven that we've already been reminded of.
That Shinedown on him, he fell to the earth.
That was a remarkable thing. Something happened there that was so strong that knocked him down. He fell to the earth.
And that's when you heard this voice speaking to him. Saul. Saul, Why? Persecutors tell me.
Well, persecution was suffering, but here Saul of Tarsus finds out.
That it's Jesus that he thought was dead.
That he was persecuting.
Although he was persecuting those Christians, that is, he was inflicting what he thought was righteous judgment upon them, But he finds out now that he's persecuting them. And since he's touching these Christians, he's touching Christ. What a revelation to him. He learned something about persecution in reverse order here. He's the one that's giving it.
And then he trembles, and his astonished, and says, Lord.
What would thou have me to do?
So the Lord tells him.
And.
In verse 8, Saul rose from the earth.
And when his eyes were open, he saw no man. He was blinded.
He saw no man.
You cut off from man and you had to be LED around like a little child.
Just think of what he was going through. That arrogant man, he speaks of himself in that way.
01:10:07
Three days without sight.
We don't know really what Saul of Tarsus was going through there, but I believe it was deep, deep exercises. We find the number three given to us quite often in Scripture, and it's connected with testing and no doubt so all of Tarsus was going through all kinds of thoughts within himself.
A real trial. A real testing.
And he didn't eat or drink. He was cut off from any desire of the flesh.
Any natural desires cut off from everything?
And then God wants to send somebody to be a help to him.
And he says to Ananias.
The Lord said unto him, Arise, go into the street which is called straight.
And inquire in the House of Jesus for one called Saul of Tarsus. For behold, he prays. To whom was he prayed to? That one that had appeared to him immediately. He's in touch with him, he's in contact with him, he's talking to him, not just saying a prayer. Perhaps you went through a lot of that ritual and ceremony before.
But now it simply says, Behold, he prayeth, and it's the Lord.
God that's telling him Ananias this.
But Ananias is afraid of him. He's heard what Saul of Tarsus had been doing, what he'd done to his Saints at Jerusalem. Verse 13.
And now he had authority from a chief priest to bind all that called on the name of the Lord.
But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way, you just go, Ananias, for he's a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel, for I'll show him.
How great things he must suffer for my name's sake. There is the fellowship of his sufferings, a fellowship of Christ's sufferings. There it is.
Saul of Tarsus was to be shown what he should suffer for the sake of the Lord Jesus.
And he did suffer, and it was for the sake of the Lord Jesus.
He entered into the fellowship of the Lord's sufferings. Well, he gets more of it, and we read further down.
That verse 20.
Straight we preached Christ. It should read Jesus in the synagogues that he is the Son of God.
He is the Son of God.
The very thing for which the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified rejected claiming to be the Son of God.
And that's what he is preaching.
He sees Christ in resurrection. He knows him in resurrection.
His eyes are open to see the Lord Jesus up there alive in glory.
He's occupied with his resurrection now.
And then he's occupied with his sufferings. And before we go any further, we read in verse 23.
After that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him.
We find that the Jews, the Pharisees and all the the council together to kill the Lord Jesus.
They are taking counsel together to kill him. Is that the fellowship of his suffering?
I believe it is, and if anyone is killed or persecuted for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ, for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, he is having fellowship.
In his sufferings, I must tell the story.
Of the young man.
Over in the Congo that accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior.
I usually had a few young men travel with me to carry my things and he was one of them.
He was the son of a chief.
And he gladly went along. I treated them well. I paid them. I saw to it that they had food. I had my gun along to shoot wild game and they always had some meat. And they were glad to go along. I never had any problem getting any to go along with me.
01:15:20
And when I preached the gospel.
In the village, the people would gathered around in a circle, like they would sit around their chief when he had something to tell them. And I sat down and just gave them the gospel.
These men, young men with me.
They listen to the gospel, too.
This young man, his name is Puma Kanda.
He listened and he got converted. He got saved.
After we'd finished that trip.
It was a long trip, several weeks. We traveled through the villages preaching the gospel.
Living in those simple, primitive circumstances.
The Lord sustaining us by his grace.
But it was a hard trip for these young men.
And after we'd been home a little while, I heard that this young man was sick.
He was in a nearby village nearby where we were staying. Mission station.
So I went to see him.
And I was amazed when I saw him lying on a mat outside of his Hut in the sun, trying to get a little warmth into his body.
All emaciated, sick, hey looking.
I said funk and what has happened to you?
He says when I came home.
I tried to testify of Christ to them, to my own people.
And they hate me now.
And they poisoned me.
I said, how could that be? Why should they do that?
Always says you don't know how they hate me.
He went through the fellowships, the fellowship of the sufferings of Christ, suffering for Christ sake. And I said, how could they do this? How could they poison you?
Always says you don't know what these people do. You don't know what my people can do. You don't know what I've been taught being aligned to be chief. I've been taught what poisons to use.
And he says they can carry enough poison under their fingernails to kill a person.
And I know how that poison acts.
And it's acting that way on me.
I said, well, how did they get it into you? Well, he says, you know how we sit around after dark after our mother has cooked the food made from the manioc flour that's mixed with water and mixed into a ball of food? She puts it in a basket. And usually some of us young fellas, we sit around that basket and we partake of that food, eating it with our fingers.
He says. I surmise that that night.
One night.
There were some young fellows with me eating out of that basket. There must have been one of them that was an enemy.
And he had this poison under his fingernail and he just deposited over on the side where he saw that I was pulling out my little bit of food.
And it got me, he says. They got me. I'm poisoned. I'm going to die. Oh, I said no, you're not going to die. That bad to see you go.
Always says don't worry about me.
Don't think about me, think about that. I'm going to be with Jesus.
I'm going to be with Jesus in a few days. He died. They killed him. Is that the fellowship of his suffering? Fellowship of the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ, I wonder.
How much we are willing to suffer for Christ's sake. May God give us grace to mean business with the law.
To really go on with Him, to yield to Him, surrender to Him, and make Him our All in all. Are we really exercised about this? I trust we are and we are God, by His grace and by His fear, will help us to be real and to go on with Him for His glory. For we think. Could I just bring it up to date on that? I think it's beautiful to see.
01:20:29
Up in the on the trees, Brother Bateman suggested that they go to a village and see.
10, lone child who was saved three months before, 27 years old, single. We found him. He was working on the whole Carpenter. He was sad and we talked a little bit and I said, brother, you've just been saved, how come you're sad? He said I told all my friends about Jesus and I've lost all my friends.
And he said. I'm confused and troubled now.
That's the same thing you're talking about. Brother Bateman wrote me a letter about four months later and said I went back to encourage Ken Lone Child and I can't find him and no one.
Pretends to know anything about him, any place up there.
The reproach up there is physical too, right here in this continent, right here in this land.
We have a dear sister, Darlene Bird, who came to Christ at the conference.
Two years ago, her husband was a wife feeder, an alcoholic, and she was all right as long as she went along with him. Three children once she was saved.
She went back with him, with her children.
Physical approach, yeah.
He dug her by her hair, across concrete, ripped up her face because she wouldn't do what she did before. This is going on now here, Marshall Ross.
He said he went for a family reunion. It's a matriarch tree up there because they have one mother, but not always the same father.
And all of them came together.
And their custom is the first Kiss Mother.
And he's the head of the family, the oldest. When he came to kiss mother, she turned her head. Can't kiss me. He belongs to Christ. Before that reunion was over, a big man came up and threatened him. Marshall was a small man.
He said. I thought he was gonna kill me.
One of his brothers stepped between, just like Gamaliel, you know, and protected Marshall and that brothers saved now. But I'm just reminding you, the approach is here in this land and young people, it may be subtle and not physical, but you're going to feel it.
That's the sufferings of Christ. You're going to feel it.
And that's how you know the glory of God rest upon you. It's wonderful, isn't it, that this is real?
Ecclesiastes Nothing New Under The Sun
Address—R.F. Bauman
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We're gonna turn to Ecclesiastes.
Written by the wisest man that ever lived in this world, apart from Christ. That's where he got his wisdom. You know, it's wonderful, but Solomon can warn you, young people.
He wrote 3000 Proverbs, 1005 songs, and one faithful servant. That's this one faithful servant. Sermons are for men today in the world. In criticism we had a lot of sermons, I know.
God doesn't need a sermon. God needs worship.
He wants his son offered up.
He doesn't need a servant. We need the servant. That's the faithful sermon right here in the heart of the Word of God. Young people, this world is going to take your heart and not leave any room for Christ. That's the sermon we're going to have.
Solomon wrote three books and their perfect order in the perfect place in the heart of the Word of God.
Proverbs, That's the heavenly wisdom for an earthly pathway right down here.
If you're saved or lost, you read and follow Proverbs. You're going to have some blessing in your life that hasn't taken care of eternity, of course, but you have some blessing.
And then Ecclesiastes empties one of self. That's what we need. Empties one of self. So that's a Song of Solomon can fill that empty self with Christ. That's what we want. Lovely is it? Our brother yesterday was bringing it to us that we must grow as Saints, as children of God, or we go backwards, no standing still.
No standing still.
He said grow up, but to do that you got to go down. I like that you got to go down. That's that's what we had in the second chapter of Philippians. We had a brother in Toledo who said, would thou be great then, lowly Sir, which thou go up, then go down.
But go as low as low thou will the lowest. The greatest has gone lower still. The greatest has gone lower still. You can't get down that far.
For young people, you've got to go down. You need the emptying out process. You need to be warned about this world and yourself. Then you could be a testimony for Christ. There isn't much time left. You can do what I should have done and didn't. What a privilege you've got. What a privilege.
If we had more.
Double D's, we'd have more double OS and less double HS. You say he's speaking pigeon English of the Carabs. No, that's just initials double DS down in the dust. That's where Jill was. It took 42 Chapters to get him down, but he got down. And then God blessed his latter end more than his beginning. And that's what I'm concerned about with you young people. Your ladder ends, not the beginning.
Now the rest of your time.
Rest your time. You have your double D if you're down the dust, if you've emptied yourself and realize what you are.
Then you can be a double O, out and out, out and out for Christ. Wonderful to be a double O. We'll have less double HS, half and half and half and half is nothing. Half of this world and half of the assembly is nothing, because the world crowds in. Satan will make sure of it. Now let's look at Ecclesiastes.
This man was equipped to do everything, and he did it.
Yeah, let's turn to, I want to show you this. Let's turn to Kings. We'll look at the first Kings chapter 4. I'll just read a few verses. Time goes.
Time goes first Kings chapter 4.
Verse 20 Judah and Israel were many as the sand which is by the sea, and multitude eating, drinking and making merry, and Solomon reigned over all Kingdom.
Verse 22. Solomon's provision for one day was 30 measures of fine flour, 3 score measures of meal, 10 fat oxen, 20 oxen out of the pastures, 100 sheep, besides hearts, robots, fallow deer, and fatted fowl. He had dominion over all the region on the side of the river.
Verse 26 Solomon had 40,000 stalls of horses for his Chariots and 12,000 horsemen and those officers. His chefs provided victual for King Solomon. For all that came under King Solomon's table, every man had a month. They lacked nothing. 29 God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding, exceeding much larger of heart, even as a sand that's on the seashore.
00:05:09
Solomon's wisdom exceeded the wisdom of all the children of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt. He was wiser than all men.
Now turn to Second Chronicles Chapter 9. Second Chronicles Chapter 9.
Verse 13 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year, 603 score, and 10 talents of gold, beside that which Chapman and merchants brought, and all the kings of Arabian governors of the country, brought gold and silver to Solomon.
Verse 1920. And all the drinking vessels of King Solomon were gold, and all the vessels of the House of the forest of Lebanon were pure gold, none silver. It was not anything accounted of in the days of Solomon, for the kingships went to Tarshish with the servants of Herman every three years. Once came the ships of Tarsus, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and Peacocks, and King Solomon passed.
Kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. I could go on, You could read on. None like him in wealth and power, in the ability to do anything he wanted. Now, Ecclesiastes, this is a warning, and young people take it. You don't have to learn, you don't have to have loss. You can have all blessing.
All gain all advantage in your life.
All glory and Christ as well. Wonderful.
You see the Song of Solomon first. I mean, the Ecclesiastes views death on this side of the grave, and it views death not as the result of sin or the wages of it, but a few deaths, sort of as a worm eating away at the root of life and finally taking it. Taking it.
There are seven times Solomon speaks to the dearest one he knew. He took him as his companion. I communed with my own heart seven times and seven times we have this expression. Pursuit of the wind. That's it, pursuit of the wind.
Chapter One.
Nothing new under the sun. That's what I call it. Nothing new under the sun.
It's the one grand circuit. That's what it is. Chapter one, he gives the conclusion. First verse two vanities of vanity, says the preacher, vanities of vanities, all is vanity. And he comes to his conclusion after doing everything. That would be chapter 12, verse 18, vanity or verse 8, vanity of vanity, says the preacher, all is vanity. Vanity is the same word here as idol, nothing.
Nothing. Nothing.
Pursuit of the wind, that's what it is. Now let's look one Grand Circuit. That's chapter one. There's nothing new. Nothing new under the sun. You'll find 28 times in Ecclesiastes, because that's where we're talking about.
If you're lost, this is what you're gonna have. Nothing.
And if you're saved, this is going to be the result of your life. Shipwreck worse than nothing. Not your soul, your life here.
What prophet has a man of all his labor which he takes under the sun? There's the question.
One generation passes away, another generation is common, and the generations just keep going. One grand circuit. This earth is in a circuit. All the heavenly bodies are in a circuit. Everything is going in a circuit.
The sun, it rises, the sun is set to rise again, and so it goes, a grand circuit.
I have some long trips. My longest is Houston to Phoenix. I don't like motels and so I try to make it. It's a long one.
Last time I left about four.
I watch the sun come up beautiful. I love that. And I watch the sun go down.
And after dark I pulled into a rest area and in the rest area I pulled right up behind a beat up old van. Mexican plates. But I saw something on the bumper. I can't speak Spanish, but I know Christo.
I saw three girls coming out of the building for the van. So I went out and gave him something that speaks of Christ and three scripture balloons. They thanked me and I went in. When I came out to my car, they came running over from the van. Mr. Everybody in there are Christians too. Oh, I said, all right, let's go see about this. So I went over, opened the van. It was like sardines back through. They were all smiling and grinning from ear to ear.
00:10:25
Why says praise the Lord, Christ is everything. Amen, Amen. That lovely fellowship right away, the old man at the wheel, I said, after we talked a while, I said, how do you like Texas? He says, how do you get out?
How do you get out? He said the sun she rise, the sun she said, I'm in Texas here. You know what I said? I said the day she come, the day she go. Me too, amigo. And they all laughed at the van because somebody pulled one. Little greater than no granddad. Well, that's what we have here. You see, it just never ends.
I bet it down. I suppose they did, because the next day I watched the sun come up again and they passed to me with their horn blasting and everybody hanging out and the arms flying. That's fellowship. You know what that is? That's the fellowship. I love it. All right, Luin. It goes towards the South, it goes towards the north it world, and then it returns and starts the circuit again. That's the grand circuit of this world in life.
All rivers run into the sea, but the seas never full.
To the place from whence the rivers came, they returned, and I'll tell you something.
The waters that were enjoying now the farmers and everyone else is the same waters that came down on Noah. It's a circuit now, one grand circuit.
The thing that has been verse nine, it is that which shall be, and that which is done is that which shall be done. There's no new thing under the sun, and that's chapter one.
Young people don't expect to find anything in this world. It isn't there. That's what he's saying already.
Satan has his baubles, but they burst and there's nothing there.
In Ireland, on a mountainside was a huge boulder.
Young man found it a little village.
And there was an inscription, barely visible, ancient looking.
Turn me over, I'll tell you more. He was so excited he couldn't understand. Get back to the village. Quietly, secretly gathered together his closest friends. This is going to be great, probably a treasure.
They went up there and with great effort they turned that boulder over and another inscription of the bottom put me back where I was before.
That's what you've got in this world. There isn't anything new. There's no remembrance of former things, neither shall there be remembrance of things that are to come or with those things that come after. Why? Because man can't learn from experience, that's why. Alexander the Great wasn't the 1St to try to conquer this world, and Hitler won't be the last.
I gave my heart to search out and to seek everything. The rest of this says this. I communed with my own heart. Verse 16, I've come to great estate. We've seen that estate. I'm going to do everything and he did. Now I'm going to tell you young people, he did everything. I mean everything.
I made a list. I'll give it to you. Don't try and copy it. If you want it, I'll give it later. But I made a list. I may be wrong. If I'm wrong I'll send corrected. But here it is and I'll give you just quickly the chapter and verse. I'll just say the chapter and verse. You know, science and knowledge was the first thing. Chapter one, verse 4 to 16, Pleasures and mirth 21 to two, Wine and strong drink 2, verse 3.
Construction and Building Trade 2, verse 4.
Agriculture and Farming 2. Verse 5. Reservoir and Irrigation projects 2 Verse 6. Great possessions 2 Verse 7. Wealth and treasures. Two were the Music and entertainment 2 Verse 8. Lust and Gluttony, Chapter 210. Misanthropy, 217 to 22. Materialism, 224 to 25. Fatalism.
3-1 to 15 Z ISM 316 to 22. Natural Religion.
516 Philanthropy 5 verse eight children 63 Morality 7 One to six nostalgia 710 Philosophy 816 to 17 Marriage, Family and Planned Retirement 9 verse 9 to 12 Youthful Pleasures 11/9 and Writing a book 1212 Education and Learning 12 verse 12 In those 24 categories, you're going to put everything.
00:15:10
Everything. Everything.
Vanity of vanities. All is vanity and vexation of spirit. Take it from the wisest man that ever lived who could do it.
That's what I'm telling you. Let's go on. I would like to say something though. Science and knowledge. The first one he tried, Timothy, it tells us.
Avoid, avoid the profane. I'm trying to get there without turning a proven and vain babblings and oppositions of science falsely so-called. That's what he tells you now.
Any science book, any book that contradicts this book is science falsely so-called. That's it. Because this is true. That's an easy test. Is it? This is true. He tried it. I could tell you this. The largest library collection in the world is in France. All scientific books copies, if not the originals, ever written. Not one has lasted 50 years without being disproved and discredited and shelved.
All right, we go on. I just want to mention what other pleasures at birth.
11 Says this pleasures of sin. God's honest there is pleasure of sin for a season.
That's the bad part for season. You reap what you sow. Wine and strong drink. I think that was mentioned yesterday. Let's turn to a chapter Proverbs. Proverbs. He tried it, by the way. Proverbs, Chapter 20, verse one. Wine is a mocker. Strong drink is raging. Whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. Chapter 23, Chapter 23, Proverbs.
Verse 30 they well. Verse 29 Who hath woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has contentions, Who has babbling, Who hath wounds without a cause? Who has redness of the ice? They that tarry long at the wine, They that go to seek mixed drink, mix wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it's red, when it giveth this color in the cup, when it moves itself a right at the last, it biteth like a surf, and its stingers like an adder.
It moves itself a right when it's moving itself a right insight, it moves itself to out of sight right there. And when mine moves, the 1St place it moves through is your mind and your brain.
And it takes over.
Satan captives, captivates your brain, Then you're no longer your own in control at all. Nothing. Solemn thought.
I was walking early this morning. I got near a park. It was dark and I heard voices. Maniacal voices. One sounded like Tarzan the man, the other like a cow in travail.
I knew what it was. The wine was moving all right inside. Taking over their minds. Solemn, isn't it? It's taken over their minds. They were going to hurt themselves or hurt some innocent person, maybe me. I prayed I didn't take 20 steps. I saw two lights coming. God's wonderful. And I saw on the top of that car some colored glass.
And I stopped it. I said, officers, there's some men in this park.
And they're not in control of themselves. They're going to hurt themselves with some innocent party. I suggest you give them free lodging and board until they're all right. They thanked me and went, and I went. This is what we're talking about. Solomon tried it. Don't you try it. You lose control. Satan takes over, and the devil makes your mind his placing, and he loves to do that. Well, let's go on. I just want to mention a couple others. Maybe I shouldn't take this time.
Children, that was my 17th. He tried it.
I don't know how many.
Children could be a disappointment.
When they receive Christ we rejoice, but when they go on with Christ we rejoice more, but they can be a disappointment.
Luke, 15. The man had two sons. They both wanted his money. That's really what's in the heart of children. They want that they covered.
Gave it to him ahead of time, the younger son said the first recorded words. Father give me.
In Proverbs 30 it says the Leech has two daughters. What's the names of the two daughters? Give me a Give me both the same.
You know, that's it, children. That could be disappointment, too. He tried this.
But today, the parents are just as bad that way as the children. I see bumper stickers. We're out spending our children's inheritance. That's great too, isn't it? That this is bad? That's the heart. That's this world. All right, we go on. Let's see.
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Mirth, he tried it. Mirth. Just pleasure and mirth, you know, that's something that really gives away fast.
There was some men who were followers of Rousseau.
And he's one who said there is no God, just have a ball. And they were either exhausting or atheist, but it didn't matter. They were mockers. And they decided to go into catacombs just to have some fun. Ridicule, really, I'll say it. And as they're in the catacombs, embarrassing all the ones that were there among those bones of the martyrs, Christian martyrs.
One of them got lost.
Wasn't long till the light went out. There he was in darkness.
Total darkness, groping around among the decaying bones of the martyrs.
And the hidden tombs and vaults.
And it wasn't very long till he cried out to God, the one he didn't believe in the.
The search party found him the next day and they led one out of there. No longer a scoffer, but a fate. You see, mirth gives way in darkness. Mirth gives way a death. Mirth is nothing. He tried it. He tried everything. I better not go on in there. Let's go on. Chapter 2. Chapter 2. No advantage, I call it. It's no profit under the sun, no prophet under the sun.
He gave himself to do all these things and what he say.
Notice verse 11. I looked at all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I labored, and behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit. There was no prophet under the sun, no prophet. Prophet here means advantage, something that you have more than what you had when you began.
None. None.
You know Jonah went the wrong way.
He went towards Tarshish, the world destruction, but he paid the fare all the way. He paid the fare all the way down.
He's not called a prophet in the Old Testament. He's not worthy of it. He was unwilling.
And I would suggest for young people, if any of you are paying the fare and going into this world after a time like we've just had, turn in your badge, your ambassadors badge, you're not worthy of it. We're ambassadors of Christ. What all the grace of God. Jonas called a prophet in the New Testament. That's grace. That's the way the Lord is. That's grace. He gives you credit for anything you do, whether you deserve it or not. He's just that way.
But how sad he went down. He paid the fare. No profit, no advantage. Just look at it.
There's no prophet under the sun.
Notice verse 12. What can a man do that comes after the king? Young people, take that from Solomon.
He had everything, he could try anything and he did.
What can you do in this world after him but gain loss? That's all loss.
One event happened to a wall. The end of verse 14, and here it comes.
DEATH that's continually knowing away in this world that all the lives.
Verse 16 at the end, how does a wise man die? He dies as a fool.
And so we get down to the end of this second chapter when we find out. I'm not going to read the verses, but here's what he says. If all there is is in this life, then you might as well eat, drink and spend your earnings. That's it. It's terrible. Chapter 3, Responsibility. I call it responsibility.
And chapter 3, I'm going to skip verse 13, Verse 15, I better get on at the end. God requires that which is passed. God requires that which is passed. He's bringing God into it. Now all this is just lost. But more than that, you're going to count to your Creator.
God requires what's passed.
And he says in verse 20, we all go to one place, we are all dusted, we all turn to dust again. Now apart from something after death, man is no different than a beast.
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That's what he says, except this verse 21. The spirit of man goes up and the spirit of peace goes down.
The spirit of man returns to the God who gave it. The spirit of beat the beast goes down. The spirit of man is going to have to go on forever and ever. A man has a life that never ends. And Solomon is getting at it right here. Responsibility.
Chapter 4 we'll go quick because we got some thoughts here. I want to get out.
I call this more than conquerors. You know, I told you, you find Christ anywhere in the in the word of God, Old Testament to now he starts out with there's no comforter for those that are oppressed. That's what we need. We need a comforter and Christ is the comforter and he said another one, the Holy Spirit, but we'll go on. He said, if there's nothing else but this.
Then verse 13 or two, I praise the dead, which are already dead, more than the living which are alive, and yet better is he than both of them.
Which has not yet been. Who has not seen all this evil under the sun?
The dead are better than the living, and better he that hasn't even been born than he that's already lived and gone through the evil that's this world.
Now verse nine, I'm not going to read the whole verse 9:00 to 12:00, but you know the verse it's twos, twos and all of a sudden a three fold cord is not quickly broken and that is Christ, not beautiful Christ.
Chosen before the foundations of the world in Christ there's three chords, the Father, Son, the Holy Spirit. There's the three chords. You can use it, husband and wife and Christ in the marriage. Three courts. Christ is brought in quickly here in how beautiful it is.
Chapter 5.
Five, of course, is the.
Human number, number of man, there's no difference is what I titled it the king or the beggar? It's all the same. It's all the same. I'll go down to verse 9. The prophet of the earth is for all. The king himself is served by the field. The king eats the same bread from the same field that a beggar does on. Its wrapped a little nicer. It's all.
The king enjoys the same warmth of the sun that the beggar does, only he sits in the palace.
Lawn or in the palace patio in a nice chair, and the beggar sits on the ground, leaning against the wall. But they both enjoy the same heat, Solomon says. What's the difference?
Moreover, verse 9, The prophet of the earth is for all. The king himself is served by the field. But he that loveth silver shall never be satisfied with silver. He that loveth abundance never with increase. This is vanity. When goods increased, they are increased that eat them, And what good is they are they save beholding them with their eyes.
When good and goods are increased, they're increased. They got to have more. I just mentioned this young people, a double income family can't cut back to one.
We've increased with the goods.
The sleep of the laboratory band is sweet, but the abundance of the rich does not suffer him to sleep. And there's a sore evil. Verse 13. Riches kept for the owners thereof to the earth. It isn't the money that's the root of all evil, it's the heart, the love of it. It's the heart, the love of it.
I don't have to tell you the stories about the millionaires now, billionaires that leave everything behind. They came in with nothing, they go out with nothing and they don't even know who's going to enjoy it.
But I was called to a hospital once. It doesn't have to be a billionaire to have this problem.
As called to a hospital by a daughter, her father, mother dead, her father was dying. He was in intensive care when I got there. He had tubes in him every place and needles, nose and mouth. Couldn't say a word, all the noises of the machines. At the foot of his bed was a man with a long black robe and on either side.
Were some women in in habits?
And I went to that man. I know he didn't have much time.
And he had something clutched in his right hand. It was a book.
They couldn't get it away.
And I preached Christ to him. I told him, you receive Jesus now as your Savior. You go directly to glory. You'll be absent for the body and present with the Lord. And that's so wonderful. I can't tell you how wonderful it is. I gave him Christ. He didn't need rights, he need Christ. What are last rites when you don't have Christ?
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I saw tear from his eye. I was holding his hand. I felt a squeeze.
I left after prayer.
He died shortly after.
And the coroner said he had a long time.
Releasing that grip from the book, It was a bank book. That bank book ended on my desk. And his daughter said that's all dad had. Everything he had right there is something.
What are we going to do? I opened it up, $123.47.
I said we're not going to do anything. It costs more to release it than to let the state have it. That's it. That's what he had it it. It tore him. It grabbed him. He had it. He clung to it.
She said one of those women in black told me about the tear.
I told her about the hand squeeze. We leave it with the Lord. We leave it with the Lord. Let's go on. Riches kept for their hurt. Young people don't get into it.
A lot of my brethren are in jobs in which they can get rich. If the Lord wants to, as a good steward, he'll do it.
I had a prayer, I prayed every day. I give it to you, Lord, keep me from riches and keep me from poverty. I wanted to pay my bills and he helped me.
As he came forth out of his mother's womb naked, he shall return to go as he came, and to think nothing of his labor, He shall carry nothing away. At the end of 16. He labored for the wind. He labored for the wind. The expression the pursuit of the wind is 7 times, though in this in this book. The pursuit of the wind. Young People. Chapter 6.
He'll leave all behind.
Six is the number of incompleteness, 1 short.
And I'm not going to go into all this, but that second verse says if you have wealth without health, you have nothing.
If a man began 100 children verse three and leave many and live many years, so the days of his years be many, but his soul is in full, it's empty, he has nothing.
The last Verse. For who knoweth what is good for man in this life? All the taste of his vain life, which he spends as a shadow? Who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun? Chapter 7.
None good.
None. Good. I'll just read the verse. I'm not going to take time to get into all this because I can't. I wish you would. Let's see.
Verse 20 There is not a just man upon earth that doeth goodness, and it's not. Notice verse 29. Although this only have I found, God hath made man upright.
But they've sought out many inventions.
Earth dwellers invent Children of God discover there's a difference in there.
We were discovering for two days.
And will discover the rest of our time here until he comes and the discoveries are so precious.
And they get better and better. We discover Man invents many inventions. That's all he does. Inventions keep his mind occupied. Inventions try to cover up his problems.
Religion is an invention of man king.
But the first invention was Adam.
Mother, they say is necessity is the mother of all invention. I suppose that's what the world says. Adam and Eve had a need. They sinned, they were naked, and they knew it.
What's that first adventure? They sold fig leaves together, Made an apron.
I suppose if it worked and anybody else to buy it, the Taiwanese would have mass produced it. But it didn't work. It didn't work. That was the first invention. He's been inventing ever since. Man invents. That's all he can do.
I've often thought when we go, we may go through this gold ceiling. Beautiful. Won't keep me when the show comes. Won't keep you when the chow comes.
But there may be astronauts up there, or the Russians too, in all their grand inventions. And won't we pass them fast?
Won't we pass them fast?
8.
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New beginning There's no power in the day of death.
Verse eight, There is no man that has power over his spirit to retain the spirit, neither has he power. The day is death. There's no discharge in that war, no discharge in that war. Verse 16 I plied my heart to know wisdom and to see the business that's done under the earth. For there also there is that neither day nor night see asleep with his eyes. And then I beheld all the work of God.
Man cannot find out the work that's done under the sun because though a man labor to seek it out.
He cannot find it.
We know things and are discovering things and are learning things that the wisest in this world can know.
First Corinthians second chapter. They can't know spiritually discerned. We know the deep things of God and praise the Lord for it. That's what he's saying. Man can't find out the things of God.
Chapter 99 is the number of judgment.
C7 is a heavenly number.
We're heavenly people. 8 is a new beginning. That's the shot.
But nine, the judgment comes after the shout. That's nine. And it is an interesting 9 brings out Christ fully. Oh, you got to have the Spirit of God, but he's there Christ fully. That lovely. Why 9? Why judgment? Because it's a judgment of Christ, just like we were singing that has given us everything in him.
O cross of Christ, who wonders 3 What place could be compared with thee?
God's own Son was crucified for our sins. A ransom died judgment, I read.
Verse.
14 There was a little city, that's the Garden of Eden first place. This earth is a little speck in the dust in the in the universe. But a lot of people think there could be men on other planets or life. But look at Psalm 115, verse 16. Psalm 115, verse 16.
The heaven, even the heavens are the Lords. But the earth, he's given to the children of men. All the rest of the Lords, all the rest of the Lords, This little earth, all right. There was a little city, the Garden of Eden, and few within it, Adam and Eve. And there came a great king against it, Satan.
He's got power.
He's powerful, but God's all powerful. Greater is he that said you, that he is in the world and he besieged it.
That's what he deceived Adam and Eve with a lie. He's a father of the lie and he got him that way to sin. And that was it. He besieged it and broke right in and built great ball works against it. And what a ball works for a continual bombardment and he's continually bombarding everyone in that city, this world, earth.
Now there was founded a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city poor. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, he became poor, but through his poverty you might be rich. Poor, How poor? First verse Psalm 22 My God, by God, why hast thou forsaken me? You'll never know how poor.
Never.
The way the brass can't be found out.
Man, a poor wise man. Wise. He's wisdom personified.
Proverbs 8 read it. He's wisdom himself in person. Solomon got everything he knew from him, all the wisdom.
Man, poor wise man, that's Christ. One God, one millionaire between man and God, the man Christ Jesus gave himself a ransom for all.
There it is, Christ 9 Judgment. Beautiful, isn't it? No man remembered that same poor man.
His words are not heard. The end of verse 16. That's what you got today. That's what you got today in prison. His words aren't heard.
They like to have their ears tickled to get it. But his words aren't heard. They don't care about that same format. Chapter 10. I'd better move on. Chapter 10 is the number of responsibility of man towards God. And I would title this man's his own worst enemy. It's self harm. I won't go into too much averse aid. You could read it. He's a ticket. The pit shall fall into it. He break into the heads of serpent shall bite him.
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Young people.
The assembly's the hedge, the word of God, your Garrison.
Have him guarantee you about and don't break their heads down the serpent bikes. That's what Solomon saying.
Self destruction, how solemn. Shipwreck, how solemn.
Demus has forsaken me, says Paul, having loved his present world. He's out there, we're safe, and Serpent can bite him.
Let's go on. I gotta get done. Chapter 11, Finality of Death.
Chapter 11 Finality of death Verse three The tree fall toward the South, fall toward the north. The place where the tree falls, there it shall be. It's all over there forever.
Verse 8 But if a man lived many years, rejoices the mall, let him remember the days of darkness. They shall be many. In verse seven it says light is sweet. Light will never be so sweet as it hell blackness of darkness forever. One glimpse of the light will be so sweet they'll never have it. One drop of water will be so precious they'll never get it.
Will be in the presence of light forever. Presence of light forever. All the contrast, all that cometh is vanity. It's vanity. Chapter 12 I'm I'm there. I'm a clock racer. I'm there. Time for hear death for eternity and judgment. That's what he's saying. Remember now thy creator in the days of thy youth, young people, The wisest man that ever lived, who tried everything.
Says don't try it.
Remember the Lord while you are young, take the blessing, get full with Christ, be happy, let the dew come down, let the blessings flow, have the goodwill of him that dwells in the Bush. He says oh how wonderful to get this with the wisest man that ever lived. Now notice he brings in the fact that youth goes pretty quick. I can say Amen.
It's fair so fast.
I'll just go quickly when the sun and the light shall not be darkened. That's what you've got now.
Nor the clouds return after the rain. You've got that young people in the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble. That's the hands they start to shake. The strong men shall bow themselves. That's the knees they begin to give out. The grinder cease because they're few. That's the teeth.
And those who lookout of windows, it darkens. That's the eyes. This comes quick, and the doors shall be shut. In the streets you don't go out much anymore. And when the sound of the grinding is low, you don't even hear a mill anymore. A factory.
And he shall rise up at the voice of the bird. But you can't sleep, even the bird gets you up. And all the daughters of music are brought low, 'cause you're not interested in that anymore.
And when they shall be afraid, fear comes in. And the almond tree flourish. There's white hairs now, And the grasshopper shall be a burden. I know my dear old mother was burdened by a cricket for a long time. I couldn't find it in the basement. The desire shall fail because man goes to his long hole. I'm going. I'm going to my long home. And I'm looking forward to it.
I don't want anything to do with this world anymore. All I want to do with this world is given what I got.
I got what they need. That's the thought. And thus shall return to dust. 7 And the spirit returns to God. Vanity of vanity says the speech is all vanity and vexation of the Spirit. If you're not going on with Christ. Oh, I hope you take this to heart. I had a poem. I heard it was sung. Really it's sort of worldly, but that poem.
Reminded me of verse three to seven. Yeah, three to seven.
Read it. I added one verse at the end.
The snows fall a bit deeper these days, and they're building stairs a bit steeper these days. And the town really changed in so many ways. Time, time, time. Young folks are grown exceptionally tall, and a newspaper print is becoming unusually small.
And folks speak so softly you can hardly hear them at all. Time, time, time. The jokes don't seem as witty as old jokes were. And girls aren't half as pretty as I remember her. And a day in the park. A man even called me Sir. Time, time, time. I breathe very heavy when I climb up the hill. What of it? My life is really much more fulfilled.
00:45:02
But they're tearing down buildings I watched them build.
Time, time, time. I can't seem to remember what, where or why, yet I recall so much.
Of the days long gone by and this morning a mother told her boy, let that old man by time, time, time. I'm unable to brittle her even too gum. What's steak tastes like I just imagine for fun. I sit on the bench, I bask in the sun time.
Time, time, but I'm not idle, I'm not bored with my lot. I'm waiting and I'm watching and I worry not because my Lord soon coming and they'll just say and he's not then no time but eternity my lot, eternity my life. Young people, you haven't reached that yet, comes fast.
You know, we're filled up. I hope you're filled up. A good portion press down, shaken together and overflowing. But if you go back in this world, Solomon tells you what's going to happen. There's loss.
The bride and the Song of Solomon went into the city at night on the Broadway.
Lost loss. She was hurt too the second time. Not only lost, but she lost her dignity as a child of God, the Bride.
You can't take Christ to this world and go with the world. You can't do it.
If Lee.
May you didn't really think about that trip all the time. He couldn't have told me like he did. He had no words, but he did. All right. I want to go. I hope you're able to do it. I'll just end up without turning to it, The bride when she came back.
She said I'm sick of love. That's Paul. We just had it. I'm sick of love. What does that mean? I got such a long thing for him. There's an age here. I want to be with Christ, that's all. That's his ministry. That's what demons forsook.
And they said, Who is he that thou I so so moved?
And she said.
He's the chiefest upon 10,000. There's none like him. He's altogether lovely. Isn't that lovely? That's what that's what you said. He's all together lovely.
To me, he's precious and he gets better every day.
I just can't wait to get out tomorrow and tell somebody you feel that way. Can't wait. We've got what they need and it's so wonderful.
Young people, don't let this world take away what the Lord's given you in the last three days.
Get that banner up, it's love, but keep it there.
And empty yourself. Go on down, join job in the dust. Hit it.
That's where you're blessed.
Consider the end of job.
We end the job. Oh, how wonderful.
Continue with the Lord
Address—P.L. Johnson
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.
I'd like to read a few scriptures and before I get into the portion that I'd like to take up more in detail.
First of all, I'd like to read in the.
First epistle to Timothy.
First Timothy 4 and verse 16.
Take heed unto thyself and under the doctrine.
Continue in them, for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee.
And in the second epistle.
To Timothy, Second Timothy, chapter 3.
And verse 14.
But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned, and has been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them.
And another verse in the 14th chapter of Acts.
Acts 14 and verse 21.
And when they had preached the Gospel to that city and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra and to Iconium and Antioch.
Confirming the souls of the disciples and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that with much that we must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God. Now, as I said, I read these verses, not that I desire to speak on the verses that we've read, but I read them to bring before us the thought of continuing.
I was thinking in regard to as our brother was bringing before us in connection with Elijah.
How that Elijah did not continue in that that pathway and that mission and we see that he was turned aside.
You know, sometimes I get the the impression.
That we do not realize.
That to continue in the things of the Lord, continue in the things that we have learned, to continue in company with the Lord.
And in the faith.
Requires much more exercise and diligence.
And such a path or such a course is indeed more difficult for.
We think of perhaps the pathway or the life of one who goes out into a foreign field and into remote areas where they are deprived of perhaps some of the comforts that we enjoy and normally have in this country as being very difficult and perhaps we're not aware of the fact.
That to continue for the little while that is left to us, till the Lord comes to continue.
Is it requires diligence and exercise and a dependence upon the Lord and we might say, and I believe this is the important point, we need the help of the Lord. You know, the apostle Paul says to King Agrippa. Therefore, having obtained help.
Of the Lord I continue under this day.
And I believe the Lord wants to help us in that.
I believe the Lord wants to help us because He he desires that we would continue in the faith, that we would continue in the things that we have learned.
Knowing of whom we have learned them, and that we might continue with him.
In the 22nd chapter of Luke.
Even when the disciples were there with their vying for the chief place.
Considering who might be the greatest, the Lord says to them, Ye are they who have continued with me in my temptation. He took note of the fact that they had continued.
We had brought before us in the reading on an occasion in John's Gospel, when many of the disciples went back and walked no more with him. But the Lord takes note. Ye are they who have continued with me.
And I emphasize that last verse that I just referred to in Luke, because the continuance that I have before me that we might obtain help from God to to do is not a continuance in some outward association with the Lord's people. I mean by that one might go on outwardly.
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In association with the Lord's people and not be continuing with the Lord personally.
Going on with the Lord and continuing with me.
I was thinking of Joseph and Mary.
When they returned from Jerusalem, having gone up to the feast.
And Jesus had been with them, and as they journeyed a day's journey, he was not with them.
And it says that when they went this day's journey that they supposed that he was in the company. They were not personally in company with him, but they had supposed that he was in the company. And I thought of that. You know, it's, it's one thing perhaps to say, well, I'm in fellowship with those who are gathered to the Lord's name, and the Lord is in the midst.
Whether two or three are gathered together under my name.
But what about our going on, as it were, a day's journey without that continuing with him personally?
And I believe the Lord takes note of that. And the Lord desires that we might continue, and He gives us that help in His precious word. And I trust that this afternoon we might, in considering Daniel as one who continued, that we might have something that would help us to continue, not only in that association with the Lord's people.
In the company that the Lord owns.
But that we might have that continuance with himself personally going on with the Lord, because there are many things that come in to.
Wear the Saints out. I think there was a brother that mentioned that some years ago that the effort of the enemy was to wear the Saints out and to cause them to become weary in the way.
And their trials and their testings and I believe one of the things that was a trial and a test to.
Elijah that we've had brought before us was the state of the Lord's people, and what a test.
And what a trial this can be, but the going on or continuing?
With the Lord, I'm sure that all of us have had the the sad experience of knowing those who were once going on not just in fellowship, they were in fellowship, but they were perhaps going on to in a way of they appeared to be enjoying the Lord and going on with the Lord.
But they're no longer going on with the Lord, and they're no longer going on with the Lord's people in the truth and the testimony. So I'd like to turn back to Daniel, if you will, first to chapter one.
And we'll just touch on a few points in connection with Daniel that might help us.
In an exercise to continue.
With the Lord.
I refer to the last verse of the first chapter first Daniel one and verse 21.
To bring in the connection with the thought of continuing.
And Daniel continued.
Even until the first year of King Cyrus.
Well, you will remember that Cyrus was the king who issued the decree.
That allowed the little remnant to return back to the divine center that had been destroyed. And in a sense you might say that that terminated the captivity because Jeremiah had prophesied, of course, that they would, that they would be carried away into captivity for 70 years, and that period was terminated.
In the first year of King Cyrus.
And perhaps this would be a suggestion.
That Daniel continued right through that period of captivity.
Which I believe would be a little picture of the ruin and failure of the church.
00:10:01
In which we find ourselves even today.
That is that the church is not in its pristine condition. It's not in that condition that it was has set up in this world according to the mind of God. It's in ruin and failure.
Daniel was taken into captivity because of that ruin and failure of God's people.
But he continued.
He continued with the Lord until the termination of that captivity.
And I suppose that would correspond to computers thought of the rest of our time, the little while that's left to us, because the only way that we will ever get out of the ruin of the church is when the Lord comes for his own.
I remember seeing a little tracked by Lord Cecil and the title of it was the Ruin of the Church and the Believers way out of it.
And that struck me and I thought, well, I'd like to read that. I want to read that and find the way out of this ruin.
But he had the right idea. I believe from scripture that the believers way out is the coming of the Lord.
No, we will never get out of the ruin. We are part of the ruin, and it's only when the Lord comes. But here, as we see with Daniel, that he continued. He continued until that first year of King Cyrus and I turned to the 6th chapter.
And the last verse of that chapter, verse 28.
So this Daniel prospered.
In the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian, he not only continued, but we read that he prospered. Oh, what a word this would be for us.
To not only continue, but to prosper.
This is what the Lord desires, that we might prosper in our souls. I'm sure we understand that the prosperity that the Lord would desire for you and me is not that material prosperity, but prospering in our souls, that we continue.
Not just in an outward way, but to be prospering as well. So if we want to continue and prosper, the Lord would give us help.
Now we notice back in the first chapter of Daniel that the first thing.
In regard to Daniel's exercises in this book was that he would not be defiled with the King's meat.
When he was taken into captivity there, the king was ready to furnish food for Daniel and his companions.
And he offered them the food of Babylon.
But Daniel refused it. That's the first thing I believe in being able to continue and prosper in our souls till the Lord comes is that we take a firm stand in regard to separation from this world, this world and and all that it has to offer. And I suppose this food that was offered would represent that.
Food is that by which people live.
And he would speak of the things by which this world lives. And of course we know that this world is the fashion of this world, and this world system is built up.
To supply everything that the natural man, the heart of man, that man in the flesh would desire the things by which he can live in this world. And I'm not talking about making a living. I'm talking about the things that the desires of the flesh and the mind, the things that that.
The will of man goes after.
Not only its entertainment.
But it's positions of of power, dispositions of of reputation and its religion. We find that this world in which we live, and of course the elements of this world are made-up of things that come out of the heart of man.
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Angels never formulated this world, man formulated it, and everything formulated in this world that constitutes the world system has come out of the heart of man. And so everything there is in this world is constituted to to feed.
And to sustain the man in the flesh man, a natural man in this world. Well, Daniel took a stand and he says we're not going to eat that meat. He says just give us pulse and water.
And I'm sure that those who brought that fair to Daniel and his friends thought, my, my, what a thing to give him to eat. And they weren't interested in that. I suppose they looked upon them with pity. And we find that those in the world, they have no real appreciation of what we can enjoy, of the things of God, what God supplies for his people.
Of Christ and of divine things, eternal things.
Things that are unseen, you know, these are the things that God feeds our souls with.
Paul says while we look not at the things that are seen, but the things that are unseen, they're divine, they're eternal, they're spiritual and that's what God would feed our souls. But we find that the the food of the world will rob us of the of an appetite and rob us of the enjoyment of that. And I believe that the reason that.
Daniel and his companions here.
We're able to thrive on this fair is because they rejected the other and if we reject the world's food, then we will have an appetite and we will find that the food that God provides will build us up and it will it will enable us and help us to continue and to prosper. Now in the second chapter.
We read in verse 18 after Daniel had made known.
Of this dream of Nebuchadnezzar to his friends.
In verse 18, it says that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret.
Well, they, they had to do with the God of heaven. I know that this expression, the God of heaven has a connection with the, the times of the Gentiles and the fact that God had had, as it were receded from the earth and he's now the God of heaven, not the God of heaven and earth. And I was thinking of it in this regard, that as as we have had before us.
And the readings in Philippians 3.
We have there the that we'd have before us.
One who is gone not only in the heavens, but through the heavens.
And made higher than the heavens, and everything is made subject to him. We read in first Peter that one who is, who is made gone up into the heavens. And every read that angels and principalities and powers are subject to him, the God of heaven. And everything is in his control. And that's where our interests should be.
So what we find in Philippians 3, is it not? You know what he says there are citizenship.
Is in heaven as it was quoted, I know. And the King James, it says our conversation.
The word literally means Commonwealth. It means that that's where all of our interests lie. Everything that really belongs to us lies in that region.
In the heavens.
We read there in the Philippians of those who mind earthly things.
Earthly things, well, I'm sure that that would not include our livelihood, for the Word of God makes it very plain how that we're to work with our hands that not only provide things in honest the sight of all men, but that we might even have to give to those that are in need. That surely wouldn't be that. But minding earthly things, it means having this earth as the circle of your interests.
Where are your interests?
Are your interests in what is going on in this world? I'm not talking about now, just the base things. For we find that generally speaking, the Lords people are repulsed by the the base things of the world. But there are things that are respectable and there are things that in the in this world and the course of this world that.
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That that upright and moral people are interested in.
Sometimes we get occupied with them. You know, the more we talk about things of the world and what's going on in the world, and the more we read about it and hear about it why, the greater our interest will be.
I believe that the constant talking and conversation about just events and everything going on in the world has the effect of increasing our interest in earthly things. Well the here we see that they prayed to the God of heaven.
I believe this is another way in which the Lord will help us to go on is to have our interest in heavenly things. That's where we should be looking.
You know when the the next movement.
When God's program is a heavenly movement, not an earthly 1.
The Lord himself shall descend from heaven. That's the next movement.
In God's program and it's coming out of heaven. That's why it says in Philippians 3 that we our citizenship is in heaven from whence we look for the Savior. Here we see that Daniel prays to the God of heaven.
I have turned over to the 6th chapter. In chapter 6 we have something of the character of Daniel brought out further.
Verse 4.
In the presidents and Princess sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the Kingdom, but they could find none occasion nor fault, for as much as he was faithful.
Neither was there any error or fault found in him.
I take it that he was characterized by practical righteousness, practical righteousness and we had much in our readings about righteousness according to the law and we had the righteousness of God. Every believer of course, is is held righteous before God, but.
There's thinking of this in regard to personal righteousness.
And if we're going to continue on with the Lord.
Why there is a need for personal righteousness in our walk and in our ways. You know that's a word that we shouldn't be we shouldn't shrink away from that we shouldn't feel is a is not a very attractive word. Now this may sound strange, but I have found sometimes.
That in the Lords people feel that righteousness is a little severe, but it's not. Righteousness is a is a wonderful truth to be brought before us. It is one of the attributes of God.
I was struck one time. I know I read him many times. And this is the wonderful thing about Scripture is we can read the word over and over again, and sometimes after we've read it many times, a verse will come out to come to us in a way that we'd never seen it before.
In Romans one we often quote that verse. I'm not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. What is the power of God unto salvation? For therein is the.
Righteousness of God and it struck me once. It doesn't say therein is the love of God revealed.
We often associate the gospel with the revelation of the love of God, which of course it is. But there the apostle says that this gospel that he's not ashamed of in it is revealed of righteousness of God. Righteousness is a wonderful thing. God is righteous.
And it's wonderful to know he's righteous, that he is, as we heard in the gospel the other evening, just and the justifier that is he is righteous and the one who makes righteous those who believe in Jesus.
And I was impressed once too in reading Hebrews one in regard to the Lord Jesus. It says Thou hast loved righteousness.
Now that's not the righteousness in which we stand before God, that's practical righteousness. Thou hast loved righteousness. He loved it, and he hated iniquity. Therefore God, even thy God is naughty, anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy foes.
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As a man here, he loved righteousness. The Lord said to the Jews, that John came unto you in the way of righteousness.
O righteousness is.
That which is desirable.
That which in which I believe the bride is going to be.
Adorned.
At that wedding, when the the Lord Jesus takes his bride, he was granted unto her that she should be arrayed in that fine linen, clean and white, which is the righteous acts of the Saints, the practical righteous things.
And I'd like to say this, that there is nothing righteous, nothing can be righteous that does not give God his rightful place.
And if we want to know what is right, we find it in the word.
For instance, we read Children, Obey your parents and the Lord for this is right. That means it's righteous.
It's right practical righteousness. I believe Daniel was a practically righteous man and he continued. This was one of the things that kept him on the pathway continuing, but now notice in the same chapter.
In verse 10.
When that decree went out, you remember by the king that none should pray unto any God.
Well, Daniel in verse 10 we read when he knew that the writing was signed. He knew all about that.
He went into his house.
And his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem.
He kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did before time. He just continued right on.
But here we see that he had his window open toward Jerusalem.
I believe this would, you might say, indicate that we are to be.
Assembly oriented. Now let me explain what I mean.
I believe that Jerusalem would represent the assembly as the divine center.
The divine center Jerusalem in the Old Testament corresponds, I believe, to the Church of the Assembly in the New Testament is the divine center where the people of God go up.
And even though there was a ruin and failure in captivity, he still had his eye on that place where God had put his name. That's where his interest was.
His interest was there, where the Lord had put his name.
Even though the conditions were not so wonderful.
He continued with that.
He continued.
I have no doubt this was his habit. As it says here. He did it a four time every day. You have that window open toward Jerusalem. He had in his affections and in his thoughts.
And in His desires, that place where the Lord is with His people, the divine center, but not only that, we see that He.
Prayed.
That is, he was dependent and he prayed. He committed things to.
To God he was one in prayer, a man of prayer and not only that we read he was giving thanks, he was thankful or indeed what how necessary this is and sometimes we find that those who have not continued.
That the beginning of the pathway that leads them astray is when they begin to complain.
They complain about things in the assembly, they complain about this one or that brother, and rather than being thankful and then sometimes we then later we see that they no longer have an interest in the divine center, the place where the Lord has placed His name.
Well, Daniel?
Was thankful he he gave thanks, he was dependent, he prayed, and he had his interest directed toward the divine center.
Turn to Chapter 9.
And verse 2.
In the first year of his reign, that's the reign of Darius I, Daniel understood by books the number of the years where of the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet that he would accomplish 70 years in the desolations of Jerusalem.
He understood by the books.
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And he identifies that book here, the writings of Jeremiah.
As he was moved of the Holy Spirit, holy men of God removed of the Holy Spirit.
And we know that it was the IT was the word of God. And he, he was one of understanding. That's what I would gather from this. He was one who had understanding.
I'm not just talking about knowledge.
One might have.
A A hidden knowledge of the Word of God. But understanding, I believe, even goes beyond that.
And understanding is is the Spirit of God making known to us. The mind of God is found in Scripture.
There is such a thing as just having the letter of the word.
But understanding comes by the Spirit of God.
John tells us in his epistle that it's the Spirit of God that gives us understanding of the mind of God in the Word of God. Not just the letter, the letter kills, but the spirit is that which gives the real understanding the the life of it. The life of the the word is found in the Spirit of God. Well, here is one who had understanding.
And if we're going to continue, we need understanding of the word of God. We need understanding.
And of course, this can come only as we read the Word of God and meditate on the Word of God. We become acquainted with the mind of God and we understand things. We understand things as God knows them. That's one of the most wonderful things to me about having the Word of God is to think that we here in this world.
Weak and failing as we might be. Just mortals, as it were.
Have the privilege, the opportunity and made available to us to have understanding of things as God understands them. Now I'm not saying in all of its extent.
But we can see things as God sees them.
And understand them. And that's why he's given us 66 books of the Bible.
If God's thought was only to tell us how to get to heaven, we wouldn't need.
All of these 66 books, but we need every bit of it from Genesis, the beginning, right through Revelation in order to have understanding. I'm not saying that we have to know everything in the book from beginning to end. No, but it's only by this precious book that we're going to get an understanding. Well, I'm not ruling out books that.
God might have used men of God who had understanding from the scriptures to help us as to an understanding.
But books that are written by men, that is man's thought.
Will not give us the understanding that will cause us to continue.
And I believe also that books.
They do not contain the truth that is found in the Word of God will not give us the help we need to continue on with the Lord either. The understanding comes in the books that are true to the Word of God, the books, the word of God itself. And then we have that understanding as Daniel was one who understood.
By books.
Well, I believe that the Lord wants to help us.
Obtaining help from God. God wants to help us in the pathway of continuance we don't have. We cannot count upon the help of God in a pathway that is not according to His mind and His will.
And I would like to just say in closing that what I've had before or sought to bring before us is in connection with those who have an exercise.
To continue as and Paul exhorted them to continue in the faith. The things you have learned. Those who have had a desire like Paul to press on.
Toward the mark. And if so, I believe the Lord would give us the help from his precious word, and we might be able to say with Paul that obtaining help of God, we continue under this day. And may we be like Daniel, to continue and prosper right till the very end of the of the pilgrimage, until the end of the captivity, as they were, when the Lord Jesus comes to receive us unto himself.