Chicago Conference: 1985
Table of Contents
Making Plans and If the Lord Will
Address—R. Pilkington
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The young people's meeting this afternoon.
Maybe some of us who are older ones always like to think we're young at heart too.
Whatever open the Word of God, there's abundance of meaning for each one of us.
I'd like to speak a few simple words this afternoon.
About plans.
Perhaps this is a meeting for the young people.
Young people.
Whose whole life lies before them.
And plans are necessary.
God doesn't expect us to go by hit and run.
But before I speak about plans, there are good plans, there are bad plans.
I like to speak a simple word.
To those of you who perhaps are younger.
I feel that this is.
A very deep concern of some of the dear young people.
First Samuel, chapter 3.
First Samuel, chapter 3.
Now you are very familiar with the story of Samuel.
Smother has taken them to the temple.
And left him there with Eli.
Samuel was not in a good environment. If you're interested in the story, take a look at the story and you'll see that Samuel's sons were very wicked men.
He wasn't in a good environment. He didn't have his mother.
To protect them and teach them. He didn't have his father.
Dear young person.
There's one thing that I feel very strongly about.
Very deeply about I know that the world in which you Live Today is a very evil 1.
Personally, I wouldn't go back.
And live my youth over again.
Things have changed since I was younger.
Dear young people, dear brothers and sisters, you have problems to meet.
And this is the gist of what I want to say to you this afternoon, that you must go to the Lord about.
There are some things that.
If a brother or sister, an older brother or sister is very close to the Lord and you ask them a question.
And I do value these older brothers and sisters in Christ who can open the word of God and say to me, here is a situation of what you've been talking about. Here's what God says about this situation.
What he likes, what he dislikes, how he says to react in such a situation.
But there's one thing old and young.
And that is, we must go to the Lord Jesus ourselves, personally.
But in First Samuel chapter 3, let's begin with verse one.
And the and the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli, and the word of Lord was precious. In those days there was no open vision.
That came to pass at the time when Eli was laid down in his place.
And his eyes began to wax to him that he could not see, and ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep, that the Lord called Samuel. And he answered Here, my.
This is a very extreme situation to be in.
The sons of Eli. No help would only lead the little boy, Samuel astray. No mother, no father.
Only Eli and the Lord.
The word of Lord was very precious in those days.
Dear young people, today the word of the Lord is very precious.
Have you found depression is preciousness of it?
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You must search and you must dig for yourself. You cannot. You cannot just sit there.
And expect to be spoon fed because the Lord Jesus expects us to grow.
And he expects you to get into the word of God for yourself, to look for answers.
The young person.
If you cannot get an answer.
From an older person like me, then you must look for it yourself.
Just because I cannot answer your question doesn't mean there's not an answer. There is. The Word of God is so full that there's always an answer for every situation in our lives.
Before the lamp of God had gone out.
Eli was lying down.
Eli's eyes were waxed in so they couldn't see.
Dear young brother and sister.
I value my older brothers and sisters in Christ so much.
Someday, dear young brother and sister, perhaps.
You will grow older and responsibility will come upon your shoulders and you will find out what a tremendous responsibility it is.
I wish you to have compassion and love for your older brothers and sisters in Christ.
And there's sometimes.
That the older brothers and sisters cannot answer your questions is a very to me, it's a very simple thing.
Every generation is different.
Every generation is different, you must, for your own personal life, look for your own answers. Not only that, dear younger brother and sister, I'll tell you another reason.
And that is if your older brothers and sisters in Christ were able to tell you all the answers to your problems.
You wouldn't need the Lord. All you need is your older brothers and sisters to give you all the answers God doesn't permit. God does not permit the older brothers and sisters to always have every answer.
You are also in the situation living in this generation.
Will you be like David?
Where asked says.
He lived according to the will of God in his own generation and fell asleep. That is a really high commendation. He lived in his own generation according to the will of God, and then he fell asleep. Will you live in this your generation according to the will of God? Will you be positive and not negative?
Will you be like the Lord Jesus himself, who was so positive always in his life?
Eli's eyes were waxed in, he couldn't see. The lamp of God had not gone out yet. There's still a testimony to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ on the face of this earth.
And Samuel?
Was laid down to sleep.
And then the Lord called Samuel.
And Samuel's reaction?
Was a very simple one and I covered it for you and for me this afternoon, he simply said Here I am.
If the Lord Jesus were to stand in this room tonight, this afternoon, and call your name personally, would you immediately respond, Here I am, Lord Jesus?
You know, some of us have children.
And you probably have the experience those who are older.
And you younger folk will understand this.
The parents call the child.
And the child doesn't hear.
But not really.
The child doesn't want to hear.
How beautiful I covet for you and for me, dear young person, so you might have a quick ear.
If the Lord Jesus would call. But now I want to comfort your heart, dear young person.
Verse five. And Samuel ran unto Eli, and said, Here I am for the callest me. And he said, I called not lie down again. And he went and laid down.
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A quick response.
When the Lord called his name, a quick response. Here I am immediately on his feet, running to Eli, but he went to the wrong person.
And so you lie. Just simply says go on like lie down again.
Let me go down a little bit farther before I tell you what I want to say to you. Verse 6.
And the Lord called yet again Samuel.
And Samuel rose and went to Eli, and said, Here I am, for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not my son, lie down again. Verse 7.
Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed.
Unto him.
A young person I can look back in my own life in my teenage years.
Where I was not 100% aware of what the Lord Jesus was saying to me.
I would look at some other people and I would say.
Well, you know that older brother, that older sister, you know they they pray and they get answers to the prayer on me. I go on and on and on and on and I never seem to get an answer.
What's wrong with me?
You do go through a stage after a save.
And I do not wish to apply this first seven. Samuel did not yet know the Lord.
He was called by the Lord, he belonged to the Lord, he was to be a great prophet.
Dear young person, one thing you do know.
Like that man?
Said one thing I do know. Before I was blind, now I can see.
The young person, can you say one thing I do know I was a Sinner.
But I know that this afternoon Jesus has died for me, my sins.
Are lost clean.
That's the starting point, but after that, when you are saved, and I'm speaking primarily to those of you are saved, dear young people, brother and sister in Christ.
Sometimes there is a time when you go through and you don't seem to be getting too much, you don't seem to be getting too many prayers answered.
Somebody like Samuel right here, it says the Lord called him once and he called him twice.
But Samuel didn't realize that it was really the Lord calling him. Dear younger brother and sister, I want to comfort your heart this afternoon. Your whole life is ordered by the Lord Jesus Christ.
Even in the very minutus, the tiniest little things.
The Lord Jesus cares for you.
He cares what kind of a dress you wear.
He cares whether you play football or not. He cares what your tastes are.
If you only knew.
If you only knew, dear young person, I trusted this afternoon that you will think about it how much the Lord Jesus loves you and how much He cares for you. Can you stop for a minute dear young person and look backward and try and pick out the blessings that God has given to you. May be a Christian father and mother.
Maybe you are in high school. They're very happy studying where you are. Maybe you are in a job.
And you never thought too much about it, but things just seemed to open up and that's the job you're doing.
The Lord Jesus is caring for you all the way.
But it comes the time in your development.
When the Lord Jesus wants to speak very personally to you, He wants you to understand certain things. He wants to be able to communicate with you very easily.
Sometimes we wonder.
Does that mean that the Lord Jesus is going to shout out of heaven to me? No, you won't hear any voice.
Does that mean that I'm going to see some big miracle in my life happen so that I know that Jesus is always beside me? I don't think so, because if you do, if you get a voice from heaven or you get a miracle, you'll start trusting in that and not in the Lord Jesus Himself.
Quite often the most simplest things, the most simple way for the Lord Jesus to speak to you or to me is through the Word of God. But how does He speak to us? Through the Word of God?
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This is only my experience and I'm not very old in some aspects.
But for me to speak, to take up the word of God, sometimes when I'm reading down through, suddenly a verse will catch my eye.
For some strange reason, the verse seems to have some hidden meaning in it.
I will be listening and meeting.
It can be negative or positive, both. Sometimes I will hear someone say something.
And it seems to mean a lot. The verse just seems to stick out.
You know what to do, dear young person, open your Bible and read the whole passage.
Perhaps you are praying to the Lord Jesus about some particularly important decision, because I want to speak in a minute about plans, some important decision in your life.
You want to know which colleagues to go to. You want to know which work should you be involved in?
To have no job, now you're looking for one.
You want to know, the first thought that comes to your mind is that I know that I will never find a verse in the Bible that says you should be a mechanic, you should be an engineer, you should work in Chicago, you should work on the West Coast in California. You say, I know I'm not going to find those kind of verses in the Bible.
But there are certain details in the Word of God that when you're listening to someone speaking, sometimes a verse was sort of stick in your mind. The young person, hold on to it, hold on to it. Probably it's the Lord calling you.
Come back to the story, Samuel Fiddle. Samuel. Can you imagine him lying quietly in the ark or in the inner part there near the ark? Little Samuel? Suddenly he's very, I want to say first of all, he's very peacefully asleep. He's sleeping very quietly. Maybe your life up until now has been a very peaceful and a quiet one. There hasn't been much to decide. And then suddenly some decision comes. It seems as if you must make a decision.
Sometimes in your ordinary light.
Things seem to go along so smoothly and then all of a sudden, bang, something happens.
I feel in my own heart it's the voice of God calling to me.
I don't believe in miracles, but I do believe in one thing. I was just telling the folks yesterday, the day before I left Hong Kong.
We are picking up the summer school kids and we get to the last stop and oh, flat tire.
So they all run into the air conditioning home while I'm out there sweating, changing the tire. You know, dear young person, every time I have to change a flat tire, it comes into my mind.
Not that God has particularly something to say to me, but I begin to wonder. I wonder if I was driving too fast. I wonder if the Lord did give me a flat tire made that I would have gone whizzing into some car or done something. Maybe the Lord Jesus is stopping me for some reason. I don't know what it is. I don't try to force his hand and say, OK Lord, you give me a flat tire, now you got to tell me why you give me a flat tire. Don't force him, don't force him. He will tell you when it's time.
But have that heart.
Of little boy Samuel the Minute.
He heard that call.
Here am I.
How many days? How many times today, dear young person?
Have you said it today to the Lord Jesus? Here, Mine, I'm right here. Anything to say to me?
So I encourage your heart, little boy. Samuel didn't know the Lord.
He wasn't as fast perhaps as he was later on. God didn't speak to him so directly as he was later on and when the call came. But there was one thing. He was ready to listen. He was ready to listen. Are you ready to listen? Do you have all your plans made? Would you rather not have the Lord speak to you about your life, about your friends, about everything about your life? How could you say here, my Lord, I'm just standing right here. I'd like to hear what you have to say to me.
It's a serious thing. It's a serious thing because if the Lord speaks to you very directly, then there's a responsibility upon you to obey. But this is an obedient little boy. The minute he hears the call, he doesn't say 40 more winks. He is immediately on his feet and running.
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I covered that for you and me, dear young brother and sister, that immediate heart that wants to hear what the Lord Jesus says.
Firstly, and the Lord called Samuel again the third time, and he arose and went to Eli and said, here am I.
For thou didst call me, and Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child.
So now Eli discovers after several times.
Three times is it? I'm not sure. I think it's three times. I didn't count them that the Lord must be calling this young child.
Dear older brother and sister.
Are you quick?
To see that the Lord Jesus is calling some younger person. Are you quick?
To give a word of comfort.
Perhaps there is no word to be spoken. Perhaps all it needs is understanding, a sense of understanding and a law.
Perhaps all you need to do is put your arm around someone and give them a squeeze and not say anything.
Older, dear older brother and sister. Those of us who are younger value that very deeply.
We're in the fight now, Energy.
Is for you.
Wisdom For those of you who are older, can you share some of your wisdom in a loving way with us? Can you give us a hand?
Dear young person.
Here's the old man, Eli. Now he understands what it is. He doesn't try to interfere. He just simply says it's the Lord calling you. That's the instruction.
Verse 9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go lie down.
And it shall be that if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. And the Lord came and stood, and called, as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak.
For thy servant here.
I think one of the most enjoyable experiences for me in life is to sit in the midst of a group of young people.
I feel very inadequate and very humble.
Because I know that I don't understand you, dear young people, and what you have to go through, what you are needing to meet.
But I want you to be strong, I want you to cleave to the Lord Jesus, and all else will be OK. Eli doesn't interfere, he just commits.
Young Samuel, go and lie down. When the voice comes again, just say speak, Lord, for thy servant hear it.
Now if you look at the.
Answer of Samuel When the Lord called that fourth time, he didn't say what Eli told him to say. Did you notice it? He left some out.
Eli told him to say, Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth. But when Samuel answered, he said, Speak for thy servant, hear it.
He knew he belonged to the Lord. He knew he was a servant. You dear young people, you know that you belong to the Lord Jesus. I know that in your heart.
I'm sure that there is a desire to do something for him.
I will come to that in a minute.
But.
He only said speak.
For your servant here, he left out the word Lord. Dear young person, this is something that you must face in your life. The Lord Jesus is Lord of your life. He has the right.
To order your life according to his own will.
Now that doesn't sound a very happy message.
In our hearts we say I want to do what I want to do. I don't particularly wish to submit.
Here, young person, let me present it.
You in a very simple way.
A boy says to a girl.
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Will you marry me?
Says OK, they get married.
Have you seen marriages?
Dear young people, some are happy, very happy. It's a pleasure to be in the presence of a happy couple. Others.
It seems as if they're always fighting.
Let me say only one thing. I'm not talking about marriage. I only want one thing.
I think.
I'm not all that old, but I think that if a husband loved his wife and cherished her and cared for it in every little detail, it would be a pleasure for that wife to be submissive.
To her husband.
The word of God.
Warns us who are husbands not to be harsh.
To have that sense of graciousness and that love that looks to every little detail.
And so, dear young person, I want to say to you, if you only knew, if you only knew how much the Lord Jesus loves you and how much he cares for you, you'll be very, very happy to submit to him.
My own experience, dear young person, because we can only talk about our own life.
Try it sometimes.
Try it sometime.
When there's something particularly that you don't really wish to do and yet you feel in your heart that God is calling you to do something and you don't particularly want to do it.
Come to him freely and say Lord Jesus.
I know how much you love me, and I know that what you would have for me is always best.
When you get older, you'll appreciate that I know that what you have for me is always best, but down inside, I don't want to do it.
Want to do what myself wants to do.
And you'll find that if you are willing to be completely honest with the Lord Jesus and confess to Him.
That his way is best.
But in your heart, you don't want to do it.
That the Lord Jesus has ways, and he has means of making us willing.
He will show us certain things.
He will help us to get past that hard part and once we get past that hard part.
And get far enough along, make sure you turn around and take a look, and you'll always be happy that you're obedient to the Lord. So Samuel answered. Speak.
For thy servant here.
We are finished with this passage, but let me give you a little tiny jewel from the Chinese.
This is something I particularly value from the Chinese Bible it says.
Speak for thy servant, heareth. Now, I don't know if it's just because Chinese people are more polite or what it is, but the translation says this.
Please speak, Your servant is respectfully listening.
I enjoyed that. Please speak, please speak. Go ahead, please go ahead and speak. Your servant is respectfully listening. What's your attitude when the Lord Jesus wants to speak to you? Is it a respectful 1?
Instead of Humble 1 knowing that he knows best, I covered that for you and for me.
I would like to turn just for a minute now to.
James chapter 4. James chapter 4.
So I wanted to just say to you before in First Samuel, as you grow older, don't be discouraged if you don't seem to understand what the Lord Jesus is saying to you. Keep on.
Have a heart like Samuel, an obedient heart that is willing, and the Lord Jesus will lead you in the proper way. And as you become more and more mature than you too, when you pick up the Word of God, your Bible, the Bible, the Word of God, you too will begin to see much deeper meaning in it, and you will understand what He is saying to you personally. James, chapter 4.
Go to now ye that stay.
Verse 13 Go to now ye that say today or tomorrow.
We will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain, whereas you know not what shall be on the Morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for little time, and then vanishes away. For that he ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live and do this or that. But now you rejoice in your boastings.
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All such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knows to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
The young person sometimes.
Our life seems to go along smoothly and quietly, and sometimes we get into a path without particularly having come to the Lord Jesus and said, is this what you want me to do now? There are certain decisions, stereo young person that don't take much thought if you were asked me.
If I was to ask you, turn it around, suppose I asked you, is it the will of God that I should remember the Lord in his death? But that doesn't take much thought. The Lord Jesus says in Luke chapter 22. I don't know what it says in English, but it says in Chinese. You ought to do this in remembrance of me. That doesn't take much thinking.
But there are other decisions that are not so clear cut and there are other things that sometimes when they get too busy in our life.
And we're sleeping along the way and suddenly we come to a decision and we have to make it.
And we make a very regretfully sometimes saying, well, I'm not 100% sure that I've really made the right decision.
If that should be the case, dear young person, here is a verse.
Now here's someone who had great plans and they said today and tomorrow we'll go into such a city and we'll stay there for a year. Very clear cut plan. We'll go to the city, we'll go to the city, we'll stay there one year and we'll spell buy and sell and get gained. There's a time limit, there's a place and there's an exact plan of how to carry out this thing.
But he says here, you don't even know.
What is your life? It's just a vapor.
Verse 15 is even more humorous. You know, there's lots of humorous points in the Bible just around the little points that I I love so much. Verse 15 is very ironic for that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live.
How times that, how many times have you prayed like that? Suppose I'm in Hong Kong and I like to come to Chicago Conference. I don't think I got down my knees and said, Lord, if I'm still living when the Chicago Conference comes around, why, it's your will. I, I, I'd like to go, you know.
Very, very ironical, isn't it? But we missed these little points. We missed these little points because sometimes we get away from the Lord. And so if you're into a plan and so on and you're going along.
Why don't you add on, if the Lord will, if the Lord will, Samuel said here, my, I'm right here, Lord, what would you like? And so I encourage your heart that if you are now in a plan, in a life and you look back with a little bit of regret and say, I'm not absolutely sure that when I made that decision it was the Lord's mind. I couldn't even say right now. I'm sure that what I'm doing now is the Lord's mind. That's the best, isn't it? That's the ultimate, but I'm not absolutely sure like that.
Then why don't you add onto your little plan? If the Lord will, if I should live, and if the Lord will, I'll do this and I'll do that.
But verse 16 gives us the key. Verse 16 gives us the key. What was wrong with these few verses? But now you rejoice in your boastings. All such rejoicing is evil. So they're boasting that they were going to go into a city and they had a set plan and it was just going to work. So nice. The young person sometimes the Lord Jesus in his very graciousness.
Destroys a plant.
I have a relative.
Whom both he and his girlfriend were asphyxiated and both died together.
To me, a very private thought.
Looking at his life and he was a Christian. His uncle asked him are you a Christian? He looked at his uncle and he said yes.
And in his head hung down and he said, not a very good one, no.
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And of course, that that young boy and his girlfriend has said would only land them in sorrow for the rest of their life.
And sometimes the Lord Jesus destroys our clients for our own good.
But let's not be boasting in our wonderful plan. Let's put that little thing on the end, if the Lord will, that I should live.
And if it's his will, I'll do this or that. Verse 17 in the ending of this passage.
Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not to him it is sin.
To me that belongs with the whole thing.
Sometimes we don't know about a lot of big plans and so on, but sometimes there's something before us and we know that we ought to do it. Then do it because it says if you know to do it and you don't do it, it's sin. So there are some simple things in your life. Take a look through your life.
The big plans may not all be solid. You might always be able to see very, very clearly where you're going.
Take a look in your life and say, is there anything that I should be doing right now and I'm not?
If there is, go ahead and do it.
Let me turn to a man who had great plans.
And they were smashed. Luke chapter 22.
Verse 31.
And the Lord said to Simon.
And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not, and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee both to prison and to death.
And he, Jesus, said, I tell thee, Peter, the **** shall not crow this day. Before that thou shalt deny thrice deny that thou knowest me.
The Lord Jesus warned Peter that he was weak.
OK, young person, there's a thing that I had to come to cope with.
Never be afraid of feeling weak.
Is a beautiful first in Second Corinthians or is it First Corinthians? Probably Second Corinthians chapter 12. You look it up.
My Grace.
Is sufficient for the My Grace?
In Chinese it says my grace is enough for your use.
I won't run out on you because.
My strength is perfectly revealed on human weakness.
Don't be afraid.
Are feeling weak.
Don't be a coward. Don't be a coward. Take up your responsibilities.
Be obedient to the Lord Jesus when He tells you to do things. Have the courage to be obedient to the Lord Jesus, but don't be afraid of feeling weak.
The Lord Jesus specifically warned Peter here.
That Satan wanted to sift him.
But he said I prayed for you so that your faith fail not.
And Peter had great plans, he said. Lord, I am ready to go with thee both, both to prison and to death.
He thought he was going to do something really good. You know, some of our plans are selfish plans just for me.
Peter's plan was not a selfish plan, it was for the Lord Jesus He wanted to protect.
The Lord Jesus, he said if you're going to go to prison and to death, I'll go right with you. I'll stay right with you.
But he didn't realize that wasn't God's plan for him.
And so he has to be warned very severely said tonight before the clock crows yield Denami three times.
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But in other places we see that Peter.
Does not admit such a thing. He had his own plan.
He even said even though all the rest deny you, I won't do that, which made it even worse.
First number.
Verse #50.
Verse #50 And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. And Jesus answered, and said, Suffer ye thus far, And he touched his ear, and healed him.
Peter was not a coward.
He had his sword. He was up against a good crowd of people with staves and sword. He was going to fight to death for Jesus. He wasn't a coward. Don't ever look down on Peter. He loved Jesus and he was willing to give his life. But there's one thing that Peter couldn't do, and that was to simply stand there and let them arrest him, catch him or kill him. He'd fight to death if he could.
He grabbed the sword. We learned from other, other places. He was going to fight to death for Jesus to take care of him. He was going to go to prison to death with Jesus if he had to put up a fight. But he didn't know how weak a person can be if they're in the right situation. Dear young person, stay close to the Lord Jesus. Talk to him lots. If he tells you things, you nod your head. Don't shake your head.
He wants to help you. He wants to make you even poor old Peter, the Lord Jesus. Imagine when Peter thought back on it. Jesus said, I prayed for you. A personal prayer for Peter by the Lord Jesus Christ. And I can tell you that this afternoon, dear young person, you may feel that some don't care for you, but there is one who does care for you and that's your precious Savior and he's praying.
In heaven this afternoon for you. He knows your weakness, He knows what you find so hard, and He's praying for you this afternoon. Let your faith fail not.
Let's jump down.
To where Peter denies Jesus.
Verse 60.
It doesn't matter for time wise, let's jump down to verse 6159 and 60. He denies him. 61 The Lord turned and looked upon Peter, and Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how that he had said unto him before the **** crow, Thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out and wept bitterly.
To a young person, when you read these verses, think about the actual fact. Think if it had been you standing there and you had denied the Lord Jesus three times. Suddenly Jesus turned around and looked at you. Would it be an angry look? No, it would be a look of understanding, of love.
I don't know what kind of look it would have been, but I sure touched Peter's heart. It made him remember the word. And he turned around and went out and he wept bitterly.
I don't desire this for you, dear young person. I desire that you might walk through this world as you become more and more mature, becoming more able to quickly discern what is the Lord's mind, just enjoying His quiet presence when things start to go wrong.
Dear Samuel fast asleep at night, suddenly someone wakes him and things start to go wrong in your life not getting.
All tensed up about it, but turning back to the Lord Jesus and said did you have something to say to me? Sorry I was kind of busy then I'd be very happy if you'd say what you had to say what you want to say to me. Find some quiet time. You can get down on your knees and quietly pray. Sometimes you might kneel on your knees until it gets sore. OK, we'll get out in in the open. Get out in the open where it's quiet under a nice big tree in the sunshine any anywhere where it's quiet and just maybe walk along without even closing your eyes and just be.
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Thinking, meditating quietly, talking to the Lord Jesus and saying I'm free right now. Or would you like to say something to me? Take your Bible with you, scan through it. If there's something you think of, open it up, read it.
Now, last of all, we have no time. Our time is gone. John, chapter 21.
Peter's plans.
Are gone, destroyed. He couldn't stand up because he forgot to pray. He wasn't resting on the Lord Jesus to make his plans come true and he wasn't able to stay with the Lord Jesus. John stood with the Lord Jesus and the Lord Jesus gave to him his mother to take care of, but Peter ended in disgrace. He ended in disgrace.
Tears. Bitter tears.
The Lord Jesus rose again.
Chapter 21.
Verse 15 So when they had dying, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon son of Jodus, Lovest thou me more than these? He said unto him, Ye Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He said unto him, Feed my lambs.
Peter had said, everybody else may deny you, but I sure won't. And so the first time the Lord Jesus is talking to him, he says, do you love me more than these do? Is your love greater for me than these other ones? Peter doesn't say yes, I love you more than the rest of these. Had he learned his lesson? I don't know.
But all he said is yes, Lord, you know that I love you.
Now we have no time. You know what happens next? The Lord Jesus says to him second time.
Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He doesn't say more than these this time. He just says Do you love me?
Peter didn't boast this time when the Lord Jesus said, do you love me more than these? He said, sure, I love you more than these. He didn't say that. He just said, yes, you know that I love you. So the second time the Lord Jesus, it seems to me, says to him, do you love me?
He saith unto him, Ye Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. Verse 17. He saith unto him, the third time, Simon son of Jonas loves thou be. Peter was grieved because he said to unto him the third time, Lovest thou me?
Can't you see, poor old Peter? You know, if someone asks you a question and you told them the answer and they said what, what did you say?
And you told them again, they said what?
Then that second time means I don't really believe you.
Peter's heart was touched this time.
He knew that the display in his life wasn't very commendable. If people were looking at Peter and John and they asked which one loves Jesus more, of course people would say John because Peter denied the Lord Jesus three times. His heart is touched.
Look at his touching answer in the middle of verse 17. And he saith unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things. Thou knowest that I love thee.
He said to Jesus, said to him. Peter said to the Lord Jesus, you are the all knowing one.
You know that I love you. In other words, unless.
You were an all knowing person. You sure wouldn't know that I loved you.
His heart is touched, but the Lord Jesus is not scolding him, but he wants to reach his heart. And dear young person, if you have done wrong, if you've made great plans, they've failed, went up in flames. I want to encourage you that maybe it's the Lord Jesus calling to you. Maybe there was nothing wrong with the plan itself. Maybe it was simply the fact that you didn't go to the Lord Jesus, you didn't seek His blessing, his his, his company with you in that plan.
And so dear Peter, wonderful plan to protect his precious Savior didn't work because he didn't have the Lord's mind. And when the Lord Jesus speaks to him, he said well.
Because you are an all knowing one. You know that deep down, right in my heart, I do love you. You know some of us are failing.
Others can point fingers at us, but let this ever be a comfort to you.
The Lord Jesus looks deep down in your heart, and he knows that you love him.
Pressing and closing again 318.
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First thing, second verse, it is only in the hiding.
Do You Know "Him"
Gospel—R. Reeves
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'm glad to see that many of you have brought your Bibles with you tonight.
I trust that you will turn to the various scriptures that we read.
That you may see for yourself.
What God has recorded in his word.
Please forgive me for turning to a number of scriptures.
But I don't know how to present the message that has been laid upon my heart.
Without turning to a number of passages in the Word of God.
This afternoon, a number of us had the privilege of sitting in this room.
And hearing a message given to young people.
In that message, we were reminded.
Of a young boy by the name of Samuel.
And it's said about Samuel.
Samuel did not yet know the Lord.
Do you know?
The Lord Jesus Christ.
I would like to introduce.
You tonight.
To the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the subject of my little message.
I would like to tell you who he is.
I would like to tell you.
What he has done?
I would like to tell you.
What he is now doing.
And I also would like to tell you.
What he is yet going to do.
And I hope in the few minutes that we're together.
That there will be created in your heart.
A desire to know him.
I have known him for a number of years.
And I can say by the grace of God that I love him.
I have never had a friend like Jesus.
One who knows all about me and loves me just the same.
So I do hope, dear friend, that tonight.
You will have a desire to get acquainted with my Savior.
Now, since you brought your Bible, would you kindly turn first to Philippians chapter 2?
Philippians chapter 2.
We'll begin reading from the latter part of verse 5.
Philippians chapter 2 and verse 5, The latter part.
Christ Jesus.
Who being in the form of God.
Thought it not robbery to be equal with God.
What made himself of no reputation?
And took upon him the form of a servant.
And was made in the likeness of men.
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself.
And became obedient unto death.
Even the death of the cross.
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him.
And given him a name which is above every name.
That at the name of Jesus.
Every knee should bow.
Of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.
And that every tongue should confess.
That Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
Now, dear friends, in this short passage in the Holy Word of God, which we have just finished reading.
We have covered all of the things.
That I want to share with you tonight.
In this passage, we find out who Jesus is.
We find out what he has done.
We find out what he is now doing.
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And we learned something about what he yet.
Will do.
Notice what it says in verse 6.
Who being in the form of God.
Dear friend of Jesus.
Is more than a man.
We have him mentioned first in the Bible will not turn to it.
But.
We have him mentioned first in the Bible in Genesis chapter one and verse one.
Where we have those majestic words in the beginning, God.
Created the heavens and the earth.
The word for God in that verse is plural Elohim, and it includes all the persons of the Godhead.
And so our Lord Jesus Christ is mentioned in the very first verse of the Bible. You'll see, dear friends, Jesus.
Is God.
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.
It states it that way because there was number reason for him to grasp at equality with God, because he already had that position.
Satan.
One of God's most beautiful.
Angelic creatures did grasp at equality with God.
But had no right to it.
But in contrast to that, our Lord Jesus Christ was always God.
Uncreated the eternal Son of God, and he always had that position as the eternal Son in the bosom of the Father.
Would you kindly turn with me now to Isaiah Chapter 9, verse 6?
Isaiah 9, verse 6.
A verse that we love to hear.
For unto us a child is born.
Unto us a son is given.
Here we have the majesty of the Lord Jesus Christ as a Son who was given by his Father.
God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.
A son is given.
We see there His Majesty.
And the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called wonderful.
Counselor the Mighty God.
Who is this friend?
This glorious person that I'm speaking about is none other than Jesus Christ.
The Lord, the Mighty God.
There is no doubt in the word of God.
Has to his being.
He is true God.
Now if you'll turn with me to Luke's Gospel, chapter one.
We'll notice a wonderful verse.
Concerning his coming into this world.
True God, Absolutely.
Scripture bears clear record to this fact uncreated the.
God, the eternal Son.
Luke's Gospel, Chapter One.
We'll read verse 34 to get the connection.
And said Mary unto the Angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
And the Angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the highest.
Shall over shadow the therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God.
Jesus was born of a virgin.
Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and shall bear a son, and thou shalt call his name. Emmanuel.
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Which is being interpreted God with us.
That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the sun of God.
Yes, this was a different man.
The Son of God.
Nothing like this had ever happened in the history of this world.
People today.
Sometimes voiced.
A little confusion, and they say we don't know what he meant when he called himself the Son of God.
But my friends, let me tell you.
That when he called himself the Son of God, there was number doubt in the minds of the religious leaders. What he meant? Turn with me, please, to John's Gospel, chapter 10, and we'll see that.
They understood very well what he meant.
When he called himself the Son of God.
John's Gospel chapter 10 and verse 30.
I and my father are one.
Now notice what happens in verse 31.
Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them many good works. If I showed you from my Father, for which of these works do you stone me?
The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy.
And because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
In another passage in this book of John, we see that they criticized him because he made himself the Son of God. Yes, these religious leaders understood very well what he meant, and they did not want that truth.
But all my friends.
I'm here tonight.
With the desire to soberly present to you the truth.
That Jesus is truly the Son of God. He is God.
The stun.
And all as such, he demands our allegiance.
Our respect, our worship, our admiration, and every good thing that we can imagine to come from our soul.
Turn with me now to Romans chapter one.
Not only one person in the Bible speaks of this glorious truth.
But we find this truth in the writings of servant after servant that was used to pen holy scripture.
Romans chapter One verse one Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, which he had promised before by his prophets in the holy scriptures concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh.
And declared to be the Son of God, with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.
Now.
I don't know how the English language or any other language could be any more clear about this truth declared to be the Son of God.
So it is.
Turn with me now to Colossians Chapter 2.
There is a brightness.
To his person, that makes me want to speak softly and reverently.
And in the language of Scripture, it makes a believer want to take the shoes from off his feet.
Feeling that even in mentioning his precious name, we are standing upon holy ground Colossians chapter 2 and verse 9.
These also are the words of the Apostle Paul given by the Spirit of God.
Notice the previous word.
The last word of verse 8 in chapter 2 of Colossians Christ.
For in him dwelleth all the fullness.
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Of the Godhead bodily.
In him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
Now kindly turn to Hebrews chapter one.
I realized, dear friend, that it's not necessary to.
Bring out a large number of scriptures to show his deity.
One scripture is enough for the believing heart, but I thought you would enjoy tonight seeing a number of scriptures.
That proved this wonderful truth.
In Hebrews chapter one we have another.
Let's read the 1St 3 verses. God, who at sundry times and in divers manners speak in time pass under the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son.
Whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the world's.
Who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person.
Oh, the brightness of his person.
It is as though the language is exhausted, telling of the glories of this man, this person, Jesus.
Putting the brightness of his glory, the expressed image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power when he had by himself purged our sins, Here's the only purgatory that the Bible knows anything about.
When he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand.
Of the majesty on high.
Now one last verse.
In the 22nd chapter.
Of the book of Acts.
Acts, Chapter 22.
It has been my pleasure, friend, to share with you the truth.
That Jesus is God the Son.
The brightness of the glory of God in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
Oh, what a majestic person he is.
But now in the 22nd chapter of Acts.
We have an interesting.
Report given by the Apostle Paul concerning his conversion in verse seven it says.
I fell onto the ground and heard a voice unto me. Saw. Saw.
Why persecutest thou me Had he answered, And I answered, Who art thou, Lord?
Now that was an honest question.
I wonder if someone has come here tonight to this meeting with that honest question.
You wonder who Jesus is.
Or it is the longing of my heart.
As a servant of Christ, that I may help you know who he is.
Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth.
Whom thou persecutest.
So we see that this majestic person that we have been talking about.
The uncreated.
Son of God.
Now calls himself Jesus of Nazareth.
Yes, he became a man.
He became a man.
God was manifest in the flesh, and he said I am Jesus of Nazareth and all how he loves to take that title.
And for you Bible students, I know there are some Christians here. And you.
Like to read the Bible when you come to that verse in Matthew where it says he shall be called a Nazarene.
You will find that.
You won't be able to find that quotation. He should be called a Nazarene.
Because it doesn't occur just that way in the Old Testament.
But what you will discover as you penetrate?
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You will discover that the word Nazareth means a branch.
And then when you learn that, you see that he should be called a branch.
And then you'll see that he's the fulfillment of the branch prophecies that occur so wonderfully in the Old Testament. He is the branch. He is that new life.
That is going to bring blessing to this world. He is the Nazarene. He is the branch, and in him dwells all the hopes of this poor, sad world. Jesus of Nazareth. And again for you dear believers that like to study your Bible, it it would be very interesting for you to study how often the word Nazareth occurs. It's as though God wants us to know about it.
And don't forget that Nazareth means a branch.
And so our Lord Jesus is the branch that fulfills the prophetic scriptures. He became a man.
Well, I have told you a little bit now about who he is.
Do you want to know him?
I would like to have you know him.
Now let's talk a little bit about what he has done.
In the passage in Philippians that we read initially.
We found that he made himself of no reputation.
And took upon himself the form of a servant was made in the likeness of men.
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself.
And became obedient unto death.
Even the death of the cross.
I would like to say a little word about his youth.
Our Lord Jesus Christ was born.
About 19185 years ago. The historians are not sure about the calendar so.
It might be that this is not 1985, this might be 1989.
God has seen to it that the calendar is confused, so you can't depend on it.
And listen, dear fellow mortal, on your way to eternity.
It's later than you think.
It's later than you think.
But our Lord Jesus was born about 19185 years ago.
And as a youth.
We know little about him, but at the age of 12 we saw that he was subject to his parents. Certainly an admirable.
Condition.
He grew up to be a man and we have reason to believe that.
Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Died at quite an early age and was number longer able to support that big family because you see, Jesus had at least.
Six brothers and six sisters that were born after he was, Mary had six boys and six girls.
Well, excuse me, that's not. I don't mean that Mary had six children, at least after the birth of Jesus.
But I want to restate the fact that the Lord Jesus was born.
While Mary was a virgin, she had no relationship with man. But after his birth, Mary gave birth to at least six other children and their names. Some of their names are given in the scriptures if you want to check on it. Well, we have reason to believe that Jesus, our blessed Lord, took over the responsibility of supporting that family after Joseph had died.
Because God gently phases out Joseph early in the history, and we see that Jesus is called a Carpenter, and so no doubt he did support that family. He was a Carpenter. And then the time came when he was about 30 years of age, when he was called to his public ministry and the door was opened to him by the Spirit of God that he might enter into his public ministry.
And seek to bring.
Souls into a living relationship with his father personally.
He was early rejected in his public ministry.
But he was a servant doing the will of God. He was born king of the Jews.
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And yet he was rejected as king.
But he told his disciples that he must die.
In John's Gospel, the favorite passage that we so often read it, our Lord Jesus told Nicodemus that as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, Even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. Jesus came here to die.
He came here to accomplish a sacrifice that would make it possible for you to be saved, and for me too.
Now kindly turn to 1St Corinthians chapter 15.
We're talking about what Jesus has done.
The last verse of John's Gospel says if everything that he has done should be written, Why? I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written, so it will not be possible for us to speak of all the things that he has done.
But I would like to point out in First Corinthians chapter 15 something vital that he has done.
That affects you and me.
1St Corinthians 15 and verse 3.
For I delivered unto you, first of all, how that first of all that which I also received.
How the Christ died.
For our sins according to the scriptures. Now my friend, this is something that he has done.
He was put upon a cross, and he died for your sins. He died for my sins.
Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.
Human language cannot describe the sufferings of Christ.
God thought to it that the sun refused to give light during those three hours of darkness when the Lord Jesus Christ was hanging on that cross.
Suffering for sin.
The word of God says, For He has made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Dear friends on Calvary's cross.
The spin question was faced square.
And God dealt with Jesus Christ about spin.
Sin must be punished. The word of God had said this. All that sinneth it shall die.
The word of God had further stated without shedding a.
Must be punished. The word of God had said this whole that sinneth it shall die.
The Word of God had further stated, without shedding of blood, he has no remission.
Christ died for our sins. No amount of His good works could put away sin. No amount of his kindness could put away sin.
Death was necessary. A sacrifice must die.
Christ died for our sins.
Oh, I wish I knew how to tell you something of his sufferings for you.
And then you would say to me, oh, did he love me that much, that he would suffer that much for me?
Yes, he did.
In first Peter chapter two we read these words.
Who his own self.
Bear our sins in his own body on the tree.
And every believer can say.
My sins, one after the other, were laid upon Jesus during those dark hours on Calvary's cross. He bore them all. He suffered their penalty, and my friend, that penalty cannot be described by man.
The Holy God has been offended.
And the penalty is large. But Christ died for our sins.
Have you ever had a foolish thought?
Have you ever said a naughty word, a dirty word?
Have you ever had an unbelieving thought or spoken an unbelieving word? Have you ever taken something that does not belong to you? Have you ever wanted to have something that belonged to someone else?
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Have you ever taken the name of the Lord in vain? Have you ever thought a foolish thought?
You are a Sinner and so am I. The word of God says, oh, I'll have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The only way that sins could be put away is that a pure sacrifice could be offered, and that's what Jesus was on Calvary's cross. Christ died for our sins.
And all how we love those words in first John chapter one.
Which say the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin. My friend, there is only one remedy for sin, and that's the blood of Christ. And every believer here tonight can say my sins are gone.
They're washed away in the precious blood of Christ. Christ died for our sins. That is something that he has done.
And that he was buried.
And that he rose again the 3rd day according to the scriptures.
Now, would you kindly turn with me to Acts Chapter One?
We're still talking about some things that Jesus has done.
You see, friends, I would like to introduce you tonight to Jesus Christ the Lord. I want you to know him.
I have told you a little bit about who he is and I am trying to tell you now.
About what he has done.
And so to continue that we'll notice in acts.
Let's read the first verse of Acts one the former treatise have I made, or Theophilus of all that Jesus began both to do and to teach until the day in which he was taken up. After that he threw the Holy Ghost, had given commandments under the Apostles whom he had chosen, to whom he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs being seen of them 40 days, and Speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
Now let's go on down that chapter and read verse 9. When he had spoken to these things, behold, while they beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight, while they looked up steadfastly toward heaven. As he went up, behold, 2 men stood by them in white apparel, which also said, You, men of Galilee, why stand you gazing up into heaven, this same Jesus?
Which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner.
As ye have seen him go into heaven, friends, this is something also that Jesus has done. He has gone back to heaven.
Another part of the Word of God puts it so wonderfully. It says he was received up in glory.
Oh, what a welcome he must have received on the other side of the cloud. He was received up in glory.
Yes, Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. He was buried and he rose again the 3rd day according to the scriptures. These are things which he has done.
Does not make you want to know him.
Now let's talk a little bit this evening about what he is doing now.
We have just mentioned that he went back home to his father's house. He was received up in glory.
What's he doing now?
Turn to Hebrews chapter 10. We'll see what he's doing.
Be interesting to find out what he's doing right now, wouldn't it?
And when you find out what Jesus is doing right now, I think you want to know him.
Hebrews, chapter 10.
Verse 12 But this man.
After he had offered one sacrifice for sins, forever sat down on the right hand of God from henceforth expecting.
He's expecting.
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Another translation says he's waiting from henceforth expecting.
Tell his enemies be made his footstool.
In the prophetic Psalm it says quoting.
David is quoting there. We're quoting David, it says. The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand until.
I make thine enemies, thy footstool, and in this verse we see that he is expecting. He's waiting.
Dear friend, Jesus is in heaven tonight waiting.
What's he waiting for?
I think he's waiting for you.
To accept him as your Lord and savior.
How long has he been waiting for you?
He is waiting for you. He's expecting. He's expecting that tonight.
You'll yield your heart and life to him, confess him as Lord and have the joy of salvation. He's expecting, He's expecting you. Isn't it nice to go to somebody'd house and knock on the door and the door opens right away? Or they say I've been expecting you.
Dear friend, the Lord Jesus has been expecting you. He's been waiting for you quite some time now. He's the one that said, come unto me, all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I'll give you rest. He's expecting.
Turn now to Romans chapter 10 and verse 9 and we'll see what he's doing.
A little more clearly.
You see, this is the day of grace, This is the day of salvation, and Jesus is waiting for you to be saved.
Romans chapter 10 and verse 9.
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Oh, I'm so glad that verse is in the Bible.
You see, Jesus waited quite a while for me.
And he's been waiting for you, too.
And now he tells you how to be saved.
Jesus is in heaven, on the throne of his Father and waiting for people to accept him as their Savior.
And dear friend, I'm so glad to tell you that if you'll come to him on these terms.
If you'll acknowledge him as Lord tonight with your lips.
If you'll believe the fact, and now you know whether you believe it or not won't change it, It's still the truth that God raised him from the dead.
If you'll acknowledge him as Lord and believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, you'll be saved.
Right away, no awaiting.
There's no such thing as being half saved.
No, no.
The moment we accept the Lord Jesus, we're saved right away. It's not a process, you know, It's an instantaneous salvation.
Thou shalt be saved. So that's what he's doing tonight, even as I stand here.
With you, he is on the throne.
Looking into your heart. And He has spent His Holy Spirit to convince you of your sin.
And make you feel your need. You know most people come to Jesus because they feel their need.
I hope you feel your need tonight, because you do need him. And if there is a desire in your heart and a sense of your need, it's because the Holy Spirit has pointed that out to you through His word, and He's waiting for you to be saved.
Had you ever thought, dear friend, that?
If there's going to be any singing in heaven.
It'll have to be done by people like you and me.
If people don't do the singing, who's going to do it?
I remember one man was asked, as he was going around preaching the gospel, what he was doing. Oh, he says. I'm looking for choir members.
I'm looking for choir members. I'm trying to find those that want to sing the praises of Jesus Christ.
The Lord, you know, I think that's why this Gospel meeting was scheduled tonight.
The people here in in Addison, they're looking for choir members.
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You know, I'd like to have you join me in the choir to sing the praises of Christ. All of that upgrades the work of a gospel preacher. I want you to join with me, one person said. I don't know how to sing, but he said I can sing also.
And you can sing also.
And there will never be anybody in heaven that Can't Sing.
Why not join me in that choir?
Jesus has been waiting for you.
We've talked a little bit about what he is now doing.
And I wonder just how long he will wait.
Do you have any idea? I wonder if I were to ask.
Some of the most respected Christians in this room.
How long they think Jesus is going to wait.
What do you think they would tell me?
I think some of our most respected teachers and helpers would say to me.
I really don't know.
I think they would even go further than that and would say, you know, I'm surprised that he hasn't come already. I'm surprised that the door still opened.
And I would not risk waiting any longer. And so, my dear friend, if you have been waiting.
And if you have not accepted the Lord Jesus yet?
You're running a terrible risk. You're running the risk of eternal damnation.
You're running the risk of hell, just as sure as there's a heaven.
There is a hell.
The same Bible that talks about heaven talks about hell.
And you know, friend hell is so awful.
That if it were not in the Bible, I wouldn't believe it.
It's so awful.
Weeping.
Wailing, Gnashing of teeth out of darkness.
Without Christ, without hope.
Someone has said that it's like a clock that ticks. Inhale with no hands on it and the ticking goes this way.
Ever. Never. Ever. Never.
Ever. Never.
Ever. Never.
There is no exit in hell.
This room has many exits, but hell has no exit. It's a lake of fire. A lake is confinement and fire is judgment, and God doesn't want you to go there. Was only made for the devil and his angels, and God will send you there only if he has to, because you won't have his offer of salvation.
Our Lord Jesus Christ spoke the most about hell of anybody in the Bible.
No, I don't know how long he's going to wait.
I cannot invite you with assurance to the Gospel Meeting tomorrow night. I realize that on the cards that have been printed up for this convention, for this conference or as some speaker, but this series of general meetings, I realized that.
Gospel meetings have been proposed for tomorrow night and for Sunday night, but I cannot promise you that you will be here to enjoy that gospel, and I cannot promise you that there will be a gospel.
Because.
That takes me to the next subject that I want to share with you.
We've been talking about what Jesus is now doing, but now I'm going to tell you about what he's going to do.
Will you kindly turn to 1St Thessalonians Chapter 4?
He's not always going to sit down on that throne.
And wait.
When his father gives the command.
He's going to come again, Jesus said. I will come again.
And none of his promises have ever been broken. None of them.
And when he said I will come again, he means what he says.
First, Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse 14. For if we believe that Jesus died.
And rose again, Even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive.
And remain.
Under the coming of the Lord.
Shall not prevent them which are asleep.
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For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God.
And the dead in Christ shall rise first.
Then we.
Would you allow me to insert in there these words then we which are in Christ?
Than we which are in Christ are you in Christ.
If you're in Christ, it applies to you. If you're not in Christ, it doesn't.
Then we which are in Christ, which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Yes, this is called the rapture. It means the snatching away from this world of all that belong to Christ. And that's what's coming next. That's what's coming next. That's the next event on God's schedule.
I'm surprised it has not happened before.
I didn't think I would get as old as I am.
I never thought I would see any grandchildren. I thought the Lord would come long before this, and I'm surprised that I'm here tonight preaching the gospel.
I thought the Lord would have come long before, and so may I warn anyone in this room who's still lost.
And in your sins.
It's a great risk that you're running to wait one more evening. Jesus may come again tonight, and when he comes, he'll take every believer home to heaven and those who are left behind.
Have only the judgment of God to face, and there will be no second chance for anyone who has heard the gospel like you have.
And rejected it.
So shall we ever be with the Lord.
Yes, that's something he will get do and then in first a second Thessalonians chapter one.
And verse seven it says unto you, that are trouble rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power. Do you want to be in that group?
I plead with you, with all it is within me that you not allow yourself.
To be a part of that group.
But you shall be if you refuse the salvation of God.
One more thing I want to tell you about.
That Jesus will yet do.
He will sit on the Great White Throne as found in Revelation chapter 20. Or maybe it's chapter 19.
And every person.
Is going to meet Jesus Christ face to face.
I remember a statement that was made some time ago by a brother preaching the gospel, and I want to share it with you tonight concerning.
The judgment.
He used this expression.
The in as capable Christ.
The Inescapable Christ.
Listen.
You must meet Jesus.
You must meet him. Every knee should bow.
If you meet him tonight. If you meet him in this day of grace.
It will be to meet him as a savior and to get the fullest possible blessing that God can give to man.
But if you wait until you leave this world, either by your own death.
The judgment of God.
You will meet him as a judge. As a judge you cannot escape and interview.
With the Lord Jesus Christ, What an awful thing it would be to walk up to that great white throne.
And have him say to you.
I don't know you.
We've never met.
Depart, he accursed, and to everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
Yes, that's something he will yet do.
And I could go on to say about other things that he will do to glorify his Father. He will rule over this world as King of Kings and Lord of Lords and throughout an endless eternity.
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Our Lord Jesus Christ will glorify His Father in company with His people.
Dear friend.
If you get to know Jesus.
You can forget me.
I could ask these married couples here.
Who introduced you to your wife?
I could say to.
The wife who introduced you to the husband, your husband. And I think in many cases they would say, you know, I really don't remember.
Or maybe it's a everything was so cloudy at that time in my life. I really don't know.
Or maybe you say nobody, but really it didn't make any difference who it was.
That introduced you 2 together.
The important thing is that you got to know one another and it makes no difference friend.
Who has been speaking tonight? The important thing is that you get to know the Lord Jesus Christ.
I want you to know him. To know him is to love him.
I'm going to try to quote.
Part of a poem that I memorized. Hope I memorized it correctly.
But it goes something like this. What has robbed the seeming pleasures of the idols of the earth?
Not the sense of right or duty, but the sight.
Of peerless worth.
And dear friends, I have tried with all it is within me tonight to tell you about the peerless.
Worth of the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm so glad I've learned to know him.
I want you to know him too.
Let's pray our God and our Father.
Repent! He is not Here, He is Risen
Gospel—G. George
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Chapter 17.
Acts 17.
Whenever I come to a conference like this and I hear 1000 people or so singing.
Kind of reminds me of heaven. A little preview. But if you're not saved, you won't be able to join in that song. You might sing the song here that may sound to others like you may be saved because you're joining in, but if you're not saved, you won't be there to sing at all. And that's why this gospel meeting is convened, that you that are not saved might hear the gospel. And I know it's been repeated many times to your ears likely.
Many of the children here have heard the words time and time again, and probably the attitude of many might be another gospel meeting.
Another 7:00 to 8:00 meeting where I got to sit through another preaching meeting. Well, our desire tonight is that God might speak to you personally and might arrest you in your condition and awake you to what you are before God. Acts 17, verse 18.
Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans and of the Stoics encountered him in some said, What will this babbler say?
Other some he seems to be a setter forth of strange gods, because he preached unto them.
Jesus and the resurrection down to verse number.
30.
And the times of this ignorance.
God winked that, but now commendeth all men everywhere to repent, because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained.
Whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him.
From the dead. That's the verse I would like to speak on. God now commands all men everywhere to repent.
Someone told me once.
And it went like this. If the Bible is not true, then nothing matters.
But if the Bible is true, then nothing else matters.
If the Bible is true.
Unsaved one tonight, then nothing else matters. Your pursuits of this life are vain. If the Bible is true, then nothing else matters.
In the Bible, my friend. Tonight.
Is telling us something very serious because it comes from God.
And God now is commanding all men everywhere to repent.
His call to repentance is no longer to an exclusive people like Israel.
Jesus came into the world as the Son of God and as the Son of man.
And on the cross that Christ was crucified, there was a superscription in three languages.
Not just in the Jewish language, but in Greek and in Latin.
And so the whole world is guilty before God.
Even the law of the Old Testament tells us that for by the law.
Is the knowledge of sin, and that we know that what things so ever the last saith, it says to them that are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped in all the world, may become guilty before God. Romans 3 and 19 those that were under the law, and even if the whole world was, they too would be guilty.
But because Jesus has come.
And more than that, Jesus is not here.
Now God.
Commands all men everywhere to repent.
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Now would express the urgency of it.
God would express would express the authority of it.
In all men.
Would express to your heart that you're included in this category tonight.
We read in Romans 2 and verse 4.
The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.
And I trust, I realize, that there are many here tonight that have never repented to God.
Well, my Bible says that godly sorrow worketh repentance.
Not to be repented of.
And so in the preaching of the gospel, God can generate in your soul real repentance. God would not parent, would not mean world, but God would.
When Peter visited the House of Cornelius, Cornelius could say we are all here before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God. Yes, he wanted to hear the words that were commanded of God. And when Paul had gone to Thessalonica, he could write back to them and Thanksgiving concerning the results.
In First Thessalonians, one in five. For our gospel came not unto you in Word only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance. And he goes on to say, in the second chapter, verse 13, when ye receive the word of God, which he heard of us, you received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth the world of God.
Which effectively worketh also in you that believe.
I never read the Bible until I was 19, so I suppose I might be in the minority.
Of the number of people here tonight.
And I never saw my need of repentance up to that time I began to read the word of God.
And God convicted me of my sins. It made me to realize.
That I was not right before God, the Lord Jesus said in Luke 7 in verse 30.
They rejected the counsel of God against themselves. Are you in that category, my friend tonight?
Do you fall in that class? Are you one that is respected the counsel of God against yourself?
You might say, well, God's on my side, isn't he? Well, in a sense he is.
But we read the Word of God that you are alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in you. Ephesians 4 and verse 18. And that's why, dear friend, because you're dead in trespasses and sins.
You have need of repentance towards God.
When John the Baptist came into the world.
Jesus said he was a Bernie and a shining light. We don't read much of John's sermons, but we do read of a few expressions he used in his preaching.
And John the Baptist prepared a people for the Lord, and he said to them.
Repent, for the Kingdom of God is near.
At hand.
When Jesus began his public ministry, he preached.
To men, repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.
When Jesus called unto him the 12 That says in Mark 6 verse seven, and he sent them forth by two and two, and verse 12 Says, and they went out and preached that men.
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Should repent.
They preached that men stood repent.
There was never a time in the world.
For 4000 years when men were ever called. Like the time when Jesus came into the world for men to repent.
Have you repented toward God?
When Jesus ascended on the 40th day.
His disciples were gathered together in the upper room in Acts 2.
And on the 50th day, the Holy Spirit of God.
Filled the room in the hearts of the disciples.
And the eleven stood up.
As the multitudes gathered when they heard the rushing of the mighty sound.
And they heard these men speaking. It says Peter filled with the Holy Ghost.
Said men and brethren and children of Israel.
And he went on to say how that Jesus was taken in by wicked hands, slain.
And when they heard this later in that, Stafford says they were picked in their hearts.
And they said, Men and brethren, what we do, have you ever asked yourself before God, What shall I do?
Well, Peter remember, was filled with the Holy Ghost, and later he wrote the epistle to them. Many may be there that were saved. And he said to them, how did you receive the gospel which was preached unto you by the Holy Ghost?
Sent down from heaven and he's still here in the Holy Spirit, still working, convicting the hearts of men.
And they said, men and brethren, what shall we do? They were pricked in their hearts. They heard about the crucified one. They heard a boat, Jesus of Nazareth, the one who they maybe thought was not the man approved of God. Maybe they were on the side of the majority. Maybe they were in the crowds that cried out, crucify them.
Where to stand unsafe friend tonight?
Where do you speak with God?
Peter said to those men, repent, repent.
And that's what Peter preached.
Now we come to Paul.
Oh, it's repeated again. And now God commandeth all men everywhere to repent. Why? Because He at the point of the day.
In which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man.
That's what they said about Paul, that he preached Jesus.
And the resurrection.
Because He has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man.
We heard last night that expression, the inescapable Christ. You will not escape his person. You might, like Adam and Eve, hide behind the trees of this life. You might be hiding behind the music of this world and the dancing and all the glitter and the glamour and all the trees that men have grown in this world.
But someday.
Like the voice of the Lord in the garden, that said, Where art thou is going to echo in your ears, and there you will stand before that man whom he hath ordained.
But now you have that assurance. You have the assurance that he is the man that you will face someday.
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Why? Because he hath raised him from the dead. That story, man, woman, boy, girl.
That's God's reason to you. That's the assurance that you can know that you will stand before Him someday. How great is our God that He would give us this assurance?
Because he raised him from the dead.
He rolled the stone away.
Not for Jesus to get out, but for you.
To see that he isn't there, that is your experience.
To know that that's the man that someday you're gonna meet, but now God commands you to repent.
You know, if Jesus was here.
Repentance wouldn't be. It wouldn't have to be preached.
Because Peter said in Acts 319.
Be therefore converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that the times of refreshing might come from the presence of the Lord. Well, if man had repented, then if the nation of Israel particularly repented, Jesus would have come then, instead of his Kingdom in repentance. To the Gentile dogs which you and I are, will never have the occasion to be brought in under the blessed gospel sound.
In hear that, yes.
There is room and that the guilty may run vile. They need not fear, yet there is room.
God raised them from the dead, Paul said. Listen, dear friend, tonight in First Corinthians 15 and verse 14.
If Christ be not risen, then as I preached in vain.
There is our preaching vain in your faith is also in vain, and if you were to have it and don't now, it would be in vain. But Christ is risen from the dead. This is the gospel, that Christ died for our sins, and he was buried, and he rose again the third day.
According to the scriptures.
Rose from the dead. So simple, you know. How about it on store? But let me tell you, this is a hallmark of Christianity. This sets it above all others.
Buddha is in the grave. Mohammed is in the grave. Confucius is in the grave.
But she dust. Is that God's right hand?
Exalted in the glory is he your stay here tonight. I'd want to be right with this man, the man that God raised up from the dead, it says in Romans 6, verse three and four.
Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized unto Jesus Christ, were baptized unto his death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead?
By the glory of His Father, so ought we also to walk in newness of life.
Raised up from the dead by the glory.
Of his father.
Jesus said in Matthew 12 verse 39.
And to 41 and even an adulterous generation seeketh after his time, and there's a little sign be given to it. But the sign of the prophet Jonah for his Jonah was three days and three nights in the whales belly.
Of the Son of Man be 3 days and three nights in the heart of the earth, and the men of Nineveh arise in judgment with this generation.
Install condemn it because they repented at the priestly of Jonah, but a greater.
A greater than Jonah is here.
I think Nineveh knew something about the experience of Jonah. I get that from Luke 11 and 29, you can check it. But it seems to me that the men of Nineveh, it could have been because of his appearance. I don't know. I read an article, a brother had cut it out from the 1920s of a man who was swallowed.
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By a whale. It doesn't say in the original that it was a whale. With Jonah, it says God prepared a great fish. It may have been one of its kind.
Well this article actually showed the picture of the whale. Don't ask me how, it's unexplainable to me too. The world and the man that had come forth from the whales belly, he was there 24 hours and they said that his face was all wrinkled, his whole his skin was all wrinkled. He was his pig. The pigment of his skin was changed to a yellow.
Grayish type of a color.
Well, I don't have scripture to say that that's how Jonah looked when he appeared.
To the Ninevites, but I think I can rightly assume that when he went to Nineveh.
That there was something about the appearance of Jonah that made them aware.
That he came from the belly of a great fish.
Well, Jesus, my friend came from the heart of the earth, He came from the tomb, and he was raised up from the dead, and He appeared, it says, on one occasion, up to 500 brethren at one time. And when some of his own looked on him, he doubted, He said, It is I behold and see that flesh.
And bones.
That a spirit hath not flesh and bones. That's how it goes. It is I when Jesus appeared in a vision to John in the Book of Revelation one verse 18, he turned and he saw and he heard a great voice, and this is what was said.
I am he that liveth and was dead, and in my eyes forevermore. Amen, and have the keys of hell and of death.
That was about the year 90 AD Jesus was living then, and he ever liveth, it says, to make intercession for us.
He is able to save to the uttermost.
Them that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make it succession for them. Hebrews 7 and 25.
He was raised up from the dead and a greater than Jonah is here.
Jonah preached and it says that even the king.
De escalated from his throne, and he took off those prestigious garments, he disrolled himself, he took off that which gave him such glory in preeminence among men. He stripped himself of that, and he rolled himself with sackcloth.
Will you get off whatever throne, dear friend, you may be on? Will you come down where Jesus can meet you in your sins and save your soul and give you eternal life when Jesus rose from the dead in Revelation 20?
It says he breathes on them and said, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.
He imparted to them that resurrection life.
And I and others here that are saved have the life of Christ risen from the dead in US.
He that believeth on the Son of God.
Hath a testimony in himself.
Do you have the testimony in yourself? Romans 10/9 Dead of thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus.
And stop, believe in thine heart, that God hath raised him from the dead.
Thou ought be saved.
Thou be saved. Have you believed it yet? It's simple.
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Don't add to it, don't confuse it.
Those stuff be saved. God says it, I believe it, and that settles it. Will you believe that tonight that God raised him from the dead?
Yes, when Peter preached.
He says that the about the father that he loosed the pain or pains of death, for it was not possible that he could be holding of it, and he goes on to say about David.
His double occurs with us to this day. David was a man after God's own heart, and of his seed of promise was said, that of the fruit of thy Lords. I will raise up unto me one who shall be a son unto me, and I will be a father to him, and he shall sit on David's throne.
And so Peter says it was not possible that he should be whole, that he should be holding of it.
It wasn't possible that death, in all of its terror, the grave in all of its sobriety, and with its grip on the bodies of men, could not hold the Son of God in the grave.
He's now, Paul says, declare to be the Son of God by the spirit of according to the spirit of holiness.
Because God raised him from the dead.
The next chapter Peter says in the third, the second he says it was not possible that he should be holding a bit.
The next chapter says about Jesus.
Whom the heavens?
Must receive.
The great couldn't contain them.
Kevin was moved for him.
Heaven Head and Urge had an impressed.
He knew that his place was in the glory.
God raised them from the dead.
Him hath God exalted with his right hand.
Peter says in Acts 5, verse 30 and 31.
The God of our fathers hath raised up Jesus, whom he slew and hanged on a tree, Him as God, exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a center.
For to give repentance to Israel, repentance to you, and forgiveness of sins.
Earlier in the third chapter, I think it's the 14th verse.
He says the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob.
The God of our fathers hath raised up his Son or servant too much to say about it, and I can't but help tonight.
Preached by trust, with the help of the Lord, by the Spirit of God to preach Jesus and the resurrection.
The woman in Acts 28.
They went to the tomb, Jesus said repeatedly.
That He would be live, be delivered into the hands of wicked men, and be slain, and on the third day rise from the dead. That's what Jesus said later He could say to them. Old fools, being slow of heart, ought not Christ to have suffered, and then to enter into His glory? He was going to be glorified.
God was going to see to that that Jesus was going to be glorified.
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The woman came to the tomb.
And they saw this, but of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob.
The God of our fathers hath raised up his Son or servant, Jesus from the dead.
This is the simple truth, isn't it? But God's Word has so much to say about it, and I can't but help tonight.
Preach, I trust, with the help of the Lord, by the Spirit of God, to preach Jesus.
And the resurrection.
The woman in Acts 28.
They went to the tomb, Jesus said repeatedly.
That he would be delivered into the hands of wicked men, and be slain.
And on the third day rise from the dead. That's what Jesus said later He could say to them. Old fools in slow of heart, ought not Christ to have suffered and then to enter into his glory. He was going to be glorified. God was going to see to that, that Jesus was going to be glorified.
The woman came.
To the tomb.
And they saw the stone rolled away.
Because great fear had come on the keepers.
Of the tomb.
So many men are still keeping the tomb as if Jesus was still in it. But the Bible says that the age of the Lord came down, and the earthquake and the men, and I expect that they were.
Mighty men, men of valor, muscular men, Strong men.
Men that were fit to be positioned, men in the Roman army, they became as dead men on that occasion.
Is this an occasion tonight when you will be struck by the Spirit of God? Where is He striking a chord in your hot little boy little girl that have heard the gospel many times?
Is he making you stop?
For a moment and consider.
Those men became a dead man. The woman came and they saw this sight. The stone rolled away.
And the angels said to them.
Ye seek Jesus, who was crucified.
We were hearing in these meetings about crucifixions.
And I had one in my bedroom many years and I prayed before it.
I was seeking, in a sense, Jesus crucified.
Like those women, maybe you could say.
He seeks Jesus, who was crucified.
And they went on to say.
Praise God for these words.
He is not here.
Is he here? No, he is not here. He is written.
From the dead.
Come and see where he laid. I have the picture sent by a brother who went to Jerusalem. I don't know if it was the actual tomb where the body of Jesus was laid, but it's empty and I understand. The brother told me that next to that tomb there is a sign and it says on that sign.
He is not here.
He is risen. Listen to that. He's not here. He's risen. You must repent. You have to repent. God would, because Jesus isn't here. That means you're guilty before God, and God commands you to repent. Wherever you are, whatever your background is, however religious there may be, God commands all men everywhere.
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To repent, to repent because Jesus is not here for the heart of men is so vile. When pot put him on the platform and put him in the arena for men to make their decision. What then do with Jesus who is called the Christ? Behold a man.
What did man say?
For both the men above all, men whose love is above all others.
Who came?
And he did good unto men.
He came, the scripture says. They marveled at the gracious words that proceeded out of his lips.
Others could stay. Never men.
Spake like this man, and that man said repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand. Did they repent? What an opportunity.
Here he is.
Thorn crowned. Behold a man.
There is before men, as it were, with the last plea.
For men to repent.
What did man say?
Crucify them. Crucify them.
Give us Barabbas. Crucify them. Crucify them. You are in the stock that day. Maybe not physically, but you were there. Your heart was there. The heart of me was exposed before the heart of God, the heart of love in God's wicked heart of hate.
What shall I do with Jesus?
Not only once crucify Him, but twice crucify him. But what did God do after he laid in that grave three days? God could say, Glorify Him, glorify Him. Let all men know everywhere that this is My beloved Son, and whom I am well pleased. He walked every step to my glory. He spoke every word to my glory.
And now I'm going to give him a glory. I'm going to give him a preeminence above everything.
Philippians 219.
I should quote the first part, but I will just say that it says that He took upon him the form of a servant, was late made in the likeness of man, and being found in fact as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross cursed. It is everyone that hangeth on a tree we read in God's Word. That's the depth of the love of Christ in His obedience.
The death of the Cross.
That's what man gave him. They gave him a cross to bear. But let's read the next verse, verse 9.
Therefore God now, now God's going to do something about it. God's going to do something with his Son. Man did what he wanted to do. Man give him the cross. Now God says, now I'm going to show you what I'm going to do. You gave him the crop, but Goddess highly exalted him.
And giving him a name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus.
Every knee bow of things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth, and every tongue.
But confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. My friend, will you tonight give glory to God the Father?
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By believing in your heart that God raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand. He's in the He's in us, at the side of God.
In a place of dignity, exalted, glorified, magnified above all others.
It says in Ephesians one and 20 to 21.
Him hath God raised from the dead.
And gave him a name.
Above every name, and gave him to be the head of principalities and powers, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, both in heaven and in earth, and in the world to come.
God's exalted him, God's thought highly, highly, highly of his Son.
And he set him at his own right.
Right hand.
What will you do?
With Jesus.
We've heard how what God has done with him.
And we were singing those words.
There is a Savior on high in the glory.
A Savior who suffered on Calvary's tree. A Savior is willing to save now as ever. His Son is almighty, His love great and free.
Another hymn writer says.
May have closed. What a name for the Son of God who came.
Ruined sinners to reclaim. Hallelujah. What a Savior. He goes on to say, lift it up. Was he to die? It is finished.
Was his cry now in heaven exalted high?
How are you? What a savior.
What a savior exalted high.
When Cain flew Abel.
God says to Cain, Where is thy brother Cain?
Where is thy brother Abel? Excuse me? And Cain said. Am I my brother's keeper?
God took note of that blood that was shed.
Instead that his blood.
Crieth unto me from the ground. From the ground. The blood of Abel was crying to God for vengeance against the murderer of that righteous man, who offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice.
But we have come to justice.
The mediator of a new covenant and of blood.
Which speaketh better things?
Then Abel's, then Abel's blood, I think than Abel's blood, Abel's blood cried to God from the ground.
This is blood cries to men, from God to you.
His blood cleanseth us from all sin. Your iniquity separate between you and your God and your sins, if it is faced from you that he will not hear Isaiah 59 and verse 2.
But the blood has been shed now the word of God says.
How that Jesus is entered into heaven and that He now speaks from that place of glory to you here below.
We get that verse in the book of first John in the 5th chapter. It says this is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ. Not by water only, but by water and blood. Jesus has come into a place he can buy the blood that he's built on the cross.
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Wash away your teeth and save your soul.
Are you saved?
Where will you spend eternity? Are you prepared to meet God?
God has done all that He can for man.
And not the word says in second Peter three and nine, he's not willing to any should perish, but that all should come to repentance in Acts 11 in verse.
18 We read that God also to the Gentiles granted repentance to life, and so God is desirous to give you repentance to life right now.
There's about 3 minutes before 8:00.
God now commands you.
To repent and to believe the gospel.
To believe that God raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand.
In the blood that Jesus shed in the cross is now.
Speaking to your heart, might you plunge beneath that Crimson flood and lose your guilty stains? Will you like to hear my to said? I do believe. I will believe that Jesus died for me, that on the cross He is blood from sin to set me free.
The blood, all the blood's been shed. The work's done. Now Christ is on high in the glory.
God has commanded you to repent.
They rejected the counsel of God against themselves. When Paul went to another Greek city in first Corinthians 2, verse four and five, he says our speech and our preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. That your faith cannot stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
Have you been subdued by the power of God?
Romans 116 The Gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth. Do you believe what you've heard? The meeting is ending. Time is gliding swiftly by. Death and judgment both run eye to the arms of Jesus Christ. Be in time.
Oh, I pray you count the cost ere the fatal line we crossed, and your soul in hell, beloved.
Be in time.
Hell, well, I haven't said much about it.
Maybe I should have said more, but maybe the Lord brought it up at the very last.
Hell will be your doom if.
You continue.
Disobedient to the Gospel.
Paul I rebel of the gospel, one who did all that it could, contrary to the name of Jesus.
In Acts 26, verse 22 Says.
I was not disobedient.
Unto the heavenly vision.
He wasn't, but what did he do after he received it?
1St.
That they should repent. There was a man that repented God would he was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. It wasn't Jesus down here. It wasn't like John says.
Whom our eyes have seen in our hands, have handled of the word of life. I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, Peter later writes to those that never saw him.
Whom having not seen ye love.
00:50:01
Are you tonight disobedient to this heavenly vision, so to speak to the truth?
God raised him from the dead, and now he's speaking from on high in the glory, that you might run here to the cross and see the work that he did in the final words of the finished work when he said it is finished.
The wages of sin is death.
The pleasures of sin for a season.
And the consequences are steep for the pleasures of those sins.
God now, Commander, all men, all boys, all girls, all ages, everywhere.
To repent.
Because he's not here. Jesus isn't here, and that's why the Holy Spirit is.
And he's in the world to convict the world of sin, of righteousness.
And of judgment, of spin. Why? Because I go to my father.
He went to his Father because of me and sin because man didn't repent. But now God's commanding you to repent. I'd rather be right with God than wrong with the world than right with the world and wrong with God. Will you take sides with God? God raised him from the dead. God exalted him.
God gave him a place above all others will get. Will you give him that place in your heart and receive him this moment and peace shall be dined. Jesus says, behold, I stand at the door and knock. He stands at the door of your heart. It was pierced through at Calvary's cross. He's not against you Sinner, He's for you.
He loves you, He died to redeem you. Only believe His word. Receive Him this moment and peace shall be dying. Shall we close in prayer?
A Greater than Jonas is Here
Address—Dn. Spence
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.
Like to welcome you all through the Gospel Meeting tonight.
It's good to see so many of you who stayed. And any of you who are here for the first time, we'd like to welcome you as we open God's word with a tremendous message, a message that we've been singing about Christ is the Savior of sinners.
I was traveling in a bus some time ago.
And I was We were going through the state of Utah, and in the state of Utah we stopped at a little town named St. George, UT.
And there was a man on the bus, about 23 years of age and he was a semi professional boxer.
He was sitting behind me and I was listening to his conversation some of the time.
He was an extremely interesting young man and he liked people.
He liked to talk and so when he got out of the bus at Saint George.
We were standing there in the burning heat of the desert.
He came up as we were both drinking a can of pop and he said, and what do you do for a living? And I said, well, I used to be an engineer, but I said I owed a great debt to a friend of mine. And I went to work for him. And he said, oh, who's that? And I said that person is the Lord Jesus Christ.
He didn't say anything more, and I didn't either.
We got back in the bus and went on down the road toward Las Vegas.
And all of a sudden I felt this tap on my shoulder and I looked around and he said.
He was behind me, he said I like your approach and I said, well, I'm sorry, I don't know what you mean, he said.
Well, I like your approach. He said most people in your profession are pushing, and he said you aren't.
He said, I've been watching you for a long time on this bus. And he said I just appreciate that you're not pushy with the Bible.
And so I said to him, I said, Well, tell me what you believe. Do you believe in the existence of a heaven and a hell?
Do you believe that you are a Sinner? Do you believe that God sent his son into this world? And he said.
Oh, yes, he said. I believe all that.
He said I think it's all true, but he said I just haven't.
Got to the point where I've really gotten serious about it yet.
And I said to him, is it a matter of priority in your life? And he said you're right, you're right, you're right. It's priority.
He said right now I've got a lot of things that I'm doing. I'm trying to climb into the professional ranks of boxing. And he said right now this is a greater priority in my life.
And so I said, let's suppose that instead of on this Greyhound bus.
But you and I are out over the Pacific Ocean on our way to Hawaii, and halfway there the pilot comes on to the speaker system and he says, I'm sorry folks, but we just lost power and all four engines will be going into a dive in just a few seconds and you have 15 minutes to eternity.
I said What priority would you put on these issues now?
He says #1.
And I said to him.
Then how long do you have to live?
He said, well, who knows? He said it could be a long time. It might not be so long. I said, does it not make sense then right now to get right with God? He said. I never thought of it that way. He said, you're right. You talk like a friend that I'm going to see down in Barstow, CA. And he said, you know.
He said. I think when I get down to Barstow, I'm going to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as my savior.
And I said, why wait till Barstow?
He didn't say anything. You see, his priorities were still wrong. They were still wrong.
And as we pulled into Barstow about two in the morning and he went by on the bus, he tapped me on the shoulder.
And he held up his finger like that number one.
I hope that he went through with that.
If he did, he's a part of that heavenly company that's going to escape the judgment. If he didn't, he's still lost.
00:05:07
Tonight.
I want you, at the beginning of this meeting, to examine your priorities.
I know that you've got some plans after the meeting.
Maybe you're going to ask someone to the sing.
Maybe you are going to go home.
Maybe you've got plans at home. Maybe you've just bought a new car.
But I want you right now to examine your priorities in the light of eternity.
My friends, there is nothing.
Absolutely nothing that is more important at this very moment.
Then that you make the priority of eternity and where you are going to spend it.
Number one.
Number one.
We're going to open this book. This book is the Bible. It was written by men.
Who were inspired by God. It is God's word and God's message to you, and it contains in it one of the most wonderful messages. It contains the most wonderful message that man has ever received.
We're going to turn to a portion tonight that was referred to last night and we're going to spend all of the evening on it. I'd like you to turn to the book of Matthew.
Matthew Chapter 13.
I'm sorry, Matthew, Chapter 12.
And verse 38.
Matthew 12 and verse 38.
Then Britain of the Scribes and the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generations speaketh after a sign, and there shall no sign be given it but the sign of the Prophet Jonas. For as Jonas was 3 days and three nights in the whales belly, so shall the Son of Man be 3 days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh shall rise up in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonas.
And behold, a greater than Jonas is here.
The queen of the spouse shall rise up in judgment with this generation and shall condemn it.
For she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
If I were to entitle this little talk tonight, I would call it this.
Greater than Jonas.
Greater than Solomon is here.
He's not here in person. He's here in the Spirit. He is the Lord Jesus Christ.
I've been listening to these gospel meetings the last two nights.
And this portion seems to me to come up what we have had before us the last two nights.
And I just want to say, my friends, that I have a strong feeling that some people went home from these meetings last.
I have that feeling.
And I feel that there are some out in the audience tonight who have never have never.
Gotten right with God.
I want to introduce you tonight to a person who is greater than Jonah.
Who is greater than Solomon?
I don't know how many great people you have ever met.
I have come into contact with two great people.
The first one was back in 1960 when Nikita Khrushchev.
The ruler of the large, powerful nation of Russia visited this country. He came to the campus at Iowa State University and he drove through the campus. He passed by within 3 feet of where I was standing. I listened to what he had to say translated.
And I'll tell you what my opinion of this man was.
My opinion was that he was a little man in a big position.
You know there are some reports that that that after he was deposed from power.
That the reason for it was that he had turned to Christ. I don't know whether that's right or not.
There's a story around some Christian circles that he accepted the Lord. I don't know whether that's true.
00:10:00
But I saw him within a few feet.
I was not too impressed.
But if you, if I were to ask you, who is the greatest person in the world tonight? The.
Who would you say?
I don't know who the greatest person tonight is.
But in the 1970s, at a little company where I worked in California.
Governor Reagan then came to visit our company.
And I have never seen a man with such elegance.
And we're stuck with such simplicity.
And with such authority.
That man is now our president.
And while he was the governor of California, made a profession of accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior.
If he were here tonight, he would tell you that his favorite verse is this. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 316 That's his favorite verse.
You know.
A greater.
Then Nikita Khrushchev is here tonight.
A greater than President Reagan is here. Are greater than President Kennedy, President Lincoln, President Washington, for all of those people, are just mere men.
Who have risen to the top of the political world. They've got problems like you and I.
They're spinners like you.
And I.
They need a savior.
But there is one person that is infinitely different.
It was brought out so well in that first gospel meeting that we had that the Lord Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. That is as it was explained. He was not trying to attain the Godhead. He was not climbing up the ladder of success trying to be God. He was God. He was God, come down in the form of a man to go to a place called Calvary to lay down his life.
To become the savior of sinners so that you tonight might simply.
Be able to look up and see Him by faith as your Savior and receive Him into your heart.
A greater than Jonas and a greater than Solomon is here.
We'll be talking about those two men a little bit and comparing them with the Lord Jesus Christ. But before we do, notice what it says in verse 38. Some of these tribes and Pharisees came to Jesus, and they said, Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation speaketh after a Stein, and there shall no sign be given it but the sign of the prophet Jonas.
It's interesting that these scribes and Pharisees.
Would use this term master, for they had no respect for Jesus.
They hated him.
They despised him. They cast him out. I asked you, my friend, tonight, what is your attitude toward Jesus?
When you hear the name of Jesus, what does it do to your heart? Is it a word that you have used in vain?
Is it a word that you use when you get angry?
Or is it in that category of nothingness where it just means nothing to you?
These men use this term, this term of respect.
But it was a degraded term. It had come down a long ways, otherwise they wouldn't have used it. And they said, master, we want to Stein, give us a sign we'll believe.
And the Lord says, I won't give you a sign except for one, and we'll be talking about that. But I want you to note that he was a man.
Jesus who had walked about that land of Israel, and it was well known.
That he had touched the leper and he had become clean.
It was well known that he had raised people from the dead.
It was well known that he had given sight to the blind. All of these things were not done in a corner, they were done out in the open.
00:15:02
It was well known. Isn't it rather ironic, my friend, that that these people would now come to Jesus and say give us a sign?
We want something to absolutely convince us when they had every sign possible.
That Jesus was God. He had power over disease. He had power over death.
Itself he had power over sight.
This was an evil and adulterous generation that was Speaking of spine, and I wonder if you have ever said that I'd like to see a sign. You know what kind of sign they wanted? They wanted a sign of fire and power that would come in and would destroy.
Their the nation that ruled over them. They wanted that person of power that was a world leader.
That would demand prominence and position.
They were so far out of tune with God's mind they could careless if somebody got raised from the dead.
Jesus was willing to take that place of power, but in his own way, and they wanted a sign.
Well, I met a man.
Used to work with him and a little company that built plotters.
And this man was a Jew.
He had been in the Israeli.
Air Force. He was a paratrooper.
He had flown on missions. He'd been he had been parachuted into the front lines.
And this man was one of the most avid atheists that I have ever met in my life.
He said there's no gun.
I remember one day that I happened to be in his office talking about some pins that he was developing, some high speed pins and.
He brought it up.
He said. You know, I don't believe in God.
He said I don't believe. And I said to him, I said, what would it take you to believe in a God? What would it take?
And he said this? He said. Well, I'll tell you what.
If all of a sudden fire comes out of the sky and burns up this trash in the waste paper basket, I will believe.
I said. Would you?
And he said, no, I don't think I would. I wouldn't believe that.
He said. I said. What would you believe?
He said, well, if that telephone rings and all of a sudden they pick it up and he says on the other end it says hello, this is God, he said. I would believe.
I said, would you believe that he thought for a while And he said.
I don't think I would believe.
And I said, what would it take for you to believe?
Would you believe if somebody arose from the dead?
No, no, he would not believe. Oh, my friends, how serious and how solemn to think of an educated mechanical engineer who it becomes so stupid when it comes to eternal things he would not believe, even though he saw a man arise from the dead.
That's what Jesus is talking about here, he's saying. I won't give you a sign.
I won't give a sign except the spine of Jonas the Prophet.
I want you to well, let's let's read on together and we'll read what that Stein is. Verse 40.
But as Jonas was 3 days and three nights in the whale's bellies, foes shall the Son of Man be 3 days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
The men of Nineveh shall rise up in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonas, and behold, a greater than Jonas is here.
Now before we launch into this little discussion of Jonas.
I want to ask you, is your heart really yielded on this matter?
Are you willing to know God's thoughts?
Are you willing to make this a matter of prayer? My friends? The destiny of your soul is at stake.
I ask you at this moment to pray if you're yet in your sins.
And ask God for the faith to believe, for by grace are you saved through faith.
00:20:04
And that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. What God is saying in that verse is, if you don't have the faith to believe, I have it for you right now as a gift. And if you will just simply look up and ask God to send you down the faith, he will send it to you free of charge.
I want you to turn back to the book of Jonah.
The Old Testament just not too far back.
Amos Obadiah, Jonah, Micah.
And we'll note here some of the things that happened to Jonah chapter one and verse one.
The word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of the Mittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before me. But Jonah rose to flee into Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa.
And he found a ship going to Tarshish, so he paid the fare thereof and went down into it to go with them under Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
Notice Chapter 3.
And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city.
And preach into it the preaching that I bid thee. So Jonah rose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord.
Now Nineveh wasn't exceeding great city of three days journey and Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey and he cried and said yet 40 days and none of us shall be overthrown.
Last chapter and the last verse.
And should I not spare Nineveh, that great city wherein are more than six 4000 persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left, and also much cattle?
Now I want to talk a little bit about the city of Nineveh. It is a gentile city.
Jonah was a Jew.
He didn't want to go down there because it was a gentile city.
This B was the capital of Assyria. It was founded by a man named Nimrod.
1300 years prior to the visit of Jonah.
And this city was a city of three days journey, or approximately 90 miles in circumference. Took you three days to travel around the circumference of the city.
The population of this city was 120 thousand children.
They couldn't tell which hand was the right and which was they left.
And perhaps an estimate of maybe 600,000 total people in this city.
600,000 people that were spread out across this city.
And Jonah was to go to this city. This city was perhaps the greatest wicked city of its day. It had reached the lowest point.
And this city was full of idolatry. Idolatry reigns supreme in this city.
And not only did idolatry reign supreme, but the things that went along with it.
Witchcraft, demonism, violence. Men were taken out in public and they were impaled.
And hung there to die and to suffer before the crowd.
Men were taken according to history, and they were spliced in pieces before people as they watched.
There was a city that was filled with violence and corruption reigned supreme. All sorts of immorality were on every hand.
And God said I cannot stand it. I will not allow this city to go on. I'm going to judge it.
When the sun went down, the evil came up.
The Lord told Jonah to go down to that city of Nineveh.
I have experienced a while ago of coming.
Into contact with the city that parallels the city of Nineveh. I was on my way to Eureka, CA.
For a funeral.
And Eureka often gets fogged in and on the way to Eureka, we landed in Oakland.
00:25:00
And the flight or in San Francisco and the flight was terminated. And so they said, I'm sorry but the flight ends here. We cannot get into the city of Eureka, so you'll have to take a bus.
I called the bus people and there was a bus that left at midnight would get me in at 8:00 in the morning into Eureka. So I went down to the and caught a bus downtown San Francisco and I walked four blocks across the worst town I've ever seen in my life. I cannot describe, I will not describe the things that I saw. But the thing that was absolutely amazing to me was that the judgment of God.
Had not fallen on that city. I'm just going to tell you one thing that I saw.
I saw a man standing on the street corner and this man.
Was preaching.
Phil from the corner, he went on and on and I was carrying my bags down through those four blocks, obviously a visitor to that town, and it was not an easy thing to do. Here was a city that was worse than the city of San Francisco in some ways. And God says, Jonah, I want you to go down there. And we all know the story. We covered it a little bit last night. Jonah went down.
To flee, he was not going to go there. He didn't want to deliver this message, so he went down and he bought a ticket.
On a boat that may have taken him on a long journey, maybe of three years, before he returned.
He didn't want to go and he went down in the bottom of the boat and then in chapter one we would find him cast out into the sea and God had prepared a great fish and the fish swallowed him up.
And in chapter two we find some of the description. Maybe we could just read a little bit of it, some of that description, chapter 2 and verse one. Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fishes belly, and said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord and he heard me, and out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice, For thou hast cast me into the deep in the in the midst of the spees, and in in the floods compassed me about.
All thy billows and thy waves.
Passed over me. I'm going to stop there. We find that Jonah continues to pray and continues to repent, but here we find him in the midst of a terrible situation.
As a little boy, I often picture Jonah in the whale's belly, sitting on a chair at the end of a big room.
But since I have grown up and studied biology, I find out that it is not so. Jonah had the folds of the stomach of that fish around his head.
And his body? There was perhaps a little air gap there for him to breathe.
And as that fish swallowed in gallons of water, Jonah had that water come up to his chin, up to his very nose, and he felt as if he were going to go under. He were going to drown. What a miserable, miserable experience. And Jonah comes out of this, he prays in the Lord speaks to that fish, and he vomits him out under the land. And this time Jonah goes.
Now I want to picture Jonah a little bit going down to that city speaker last night pictured his skin made his skin change and so on. I want to picture Jonah as he walks into that city and there's all of these people milling about and Jonah walks up onto this corner and he says yet 40 days and Nineveh is going to be overthrown. And the people stop for a few moments and they look at around to see where that voice is coming from. They don't like it.
They wish people would stop trying to disturb their peace.
And Jonah goes on to the next corner. 30 days and Nineveh is going to be overthrown.
And Jonah goes on and he sees. Perhaps if you'll let my imagination run, there are some people going into the.
The Coliseum. And so Jonah goes in there and it's half time and Jonah goes out into the middle and he makes this announcement 40 days in. Nineveh is going to be overthrown and he walks out.
He goes down the street and he sees a farmer out in the field, so he goes over and he taps him on the shoulder and he says 40 days and this city is going to be destroyed.
00:30:08
And he goes on his way.
All through that city, three days journey round and around, he went into the schools, if they had them.
Into the marketplace, into the places of business. Until that whole city was a stir at this message, everybody knew it.
40 days is all that we've got left. And you know my friend, the amazing thing is this, that the people of that city.
Accepted that message, they accepted it. Notice chapter 3 and verse five. So the people of Nineveh believed God and proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest of them, even to the least of them. For the word came under the King of Nineveh. He rose from his throne and laid his.
Robe from him and covered him with sackcloth and satin ashes.
Here was a city that believed God. They didn't have a Bible. They didn't have any the testimony in the mouth of two or three witnesses, one man, one message, a message of judgment. They believed it. They repented, and they were spared from judgment.
Now I want you to consider this.
Greater than Jonah is here, Greater than Jonah.
In what ways was Jesus greater? He was greater in life. He was greater in death. He was greater in resurrection. He was greater in power. He was greater in person.
He was greater in an infinite number of ways.
You know, you think of Jonah down there in the fish's belly. I want you to consider.
The Lord Jesus Christ, if you could turn to the Book of Luke.
Luke, Chapter 22.
And we're going to, I'm sorry, Luke, Chapter 23.
We're going to look at several miracles of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Luke, chapter 23 and verse 34.
I'm sorry, verse 33. And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified him in the malefactors one on the right hand.
And the other on the left then said Jesus, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.
And they parted his raiment and cast lots.
My friends, here is the first miracle of the cross that the Lord Jesus Christ, God's Beloved Son, and the perfect, spotless, Holy Lamb of God, God Himself and the Person of his Son laid his arms down upon a cross.
Allowed nails to be driven through his hands.
Allowed nails to be driven through his feet, and as the hatred and vengeance of men came out in that, cross went up in the air.
And the weight of his body came down upon that cross.
In all of that pain and suffering of that moment, the Lord Jesus Christ looked up and he interceded for those who were crucifying him. And he said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. He pleaded the sin of ignorance for those who crucified him. And I say here is the first miracle. It's the miracle of love. The Lord Jesus Christ so loved the very people that crucified him that he interceded for them.
To God's to the throne of God so that the crucifixion could go on. Why, my friends? Because he loved you. He loved you. And you because you are, like those men of Nineveh, a Sinner, a lost headed for judgment. You can never be saved apart from the death of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Notice down in verse 44 we'll talk about the second miracle.
And it was about the 6th hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the 9th hour, and the sun was darkened in the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.
From six from 12:00 noon to 3:00 in the afternoon, there was total darkness over the whole earth. God blotted out the sun because they're in those hours of darkness. He wanted no one to see what was going on in those hours of darkness. God God poured out his wrath upon his beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ in that hour had upon him.
00:35:18
Had taken upon himself the spins of many people. He'd taken the blame for them. And God was pouring out his full vengeance and full wrath upon the blessed head of the Lord Jesus Christ. And God said, I will not let anybody see him in the darkness. At the end of that darkness he cried, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And so Jesus died there upon the cross.
He died for us, noticed in verse 46, and when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit, and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. This is the third miracle of the cross that a man could voluntarily give up his life. Miracle #3 and the last miracle from the book of John. Let's turn to it. John, Chapter 19.
John, Chapter 19.
And verse 34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water, And he that sought their record, and his record is true. And he knoweth knoweth that he stayeth true, that ye might believe, My friends, Jesus shed his blood voluntarily, for it is impossible for a dead person to shed that blood.
And yet God in His Holiness required a shedding of blood, for he said.
Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission. No person could ever be brought into blessing without the shedding of the blood of an innocent victim and without the shedding of the blood of God's beloved Son. And when you look in this book, you will find that there is a trail of blood that goes all the way through because of man's sins. It goes all the way through to the cross, and it stops at the cross, and there is no more shedding of blood.
My friends, the blood of Jesus Christ, God's son, cleanseth you.
From all sin, that is God's only remedy. And tonight, if you will plead the studying of His precious blood for your soul and your sins, you will walk out of this room tonight, clean every wet. The record will be wiped clean.
I know what you might be thinking. You might be thinking, well, I'm not as bad as a lot of people. When we read that verse in the Bible, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Right away we begin to compare and we say, well, if you only knew how bad my friend at school was, or I'm not as bad as that person in the prison and things like that. But you know, everybody in Nineveh was under the sentence of judgment. Everybody.
Everybody needed to repent. Some were better, some were worse. No doubt like a sinking ship, like two people on this ship talking about it, saying, oh, the ship's going to go down, the lifeboats are full and I can swim better than you when they are thousands of miles from shore. It doesn't do any good. It doesn't do any good. And one sin is enough to keep us out of heaven, but the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, will cleanse us from.
All sin.
There was a little boy in a gospel meeting in Buena Park, CA. And this little boy, this little boy sat in the front row or second row back. He was invited in for the first or second time. He did not know how to behave, and all meeting long he was talking to his friends, jumping up and down, carrying on. And so finally, about halfway through the gospel meeting, I said to him, would you like to come up front?
And he said I would. So he came up and I said I'd like you to read this verse.
The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth us from all sin. He looked down at it and he tried to read. He was about 10 years old. He could not read. So we read it together.
00:40:02
Word by word, And I said, do you know what it means to sin? And he said no.
And I said, sin is when you disobey your mother. It's when she tells you to do something and you don't do it. It's when you tell her a lie. It's when you when you steal things that she doesn't know about.
I said, have you ever sinned? You ever done anything like that? And he thought for a while and he said.
Well, I think I did once.
And I said to him, oh, did you know that that one sin will keep you out of heaven? He said, I didn't know that. And I said, but look at this verse. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's son, cleanseth us from all sin. And if that's all the sin that you've got, you'll never get into heaven. But Jesus blood can wash it away. And I said, if you accept him as your savior tonight, then you can go home and you can say Mom, remember.
That one time that I committed that one sin.
Well, tonight I got it washed away in Jesus blood.
And I said, I know what your mom will say, she'll say, but you didn't just do it once. You've done it thousands of times. And then I said, you just get this verse out and say, mom, the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. Every single sin washed away.
And my friends, that's what Jesus is saying here. Let's turn back to Matthew chapter 12.
A greater than Jonah is here.
A greater than Jonah is here because all that Jonah could do was preach the message. All that he could do was preach the message. He couldn't save us all. And the the the astounding thing is this, that he went all over that city and he preached this message that Nineveh was going to be overthrown in 40 days and it was accepted. But here are greater than Jonah was here.
He was standing there before their very eyes. He was going to go into death.
He was going to come out of death and resurrection, and that's that's what he's talking about here. The sign of Jonas, the prophet. We talked about it last night. We talked about how the Lord Jesus Christ came out of that tomb. He came out, He arose from the dead. And that sign stands tonight to the world as a monument, that Jesus was God and that the work of salvation is forever, forever complete.
And that you, by simple faith, can just reach out and accept it. Tonight. If you try to do something, you will spoil it. You will spoil it. If you reach out and accept it by faith, you can have it. God wants to give it to you. I remember the last night we went to a boys home in Elsinore, California. It was being closed down. We had gone there for about 10 years and on this particular evening.
There were only about 10 boys that showed up for the meeting and the speaker spoke with such emphasis. He said, Boys, we are not coming back. We will never see you again. This may be your last chance to receive Christ. How many of you in this audience would like to receive him? Raise your hand. We've never done this before.
Five hands went up out of those ten kids.
Five hands and five young men, ages 13 to 17.
Went out to pray to receive Christ.
All my friends, I wonder in this audience tonight, how many are there tonight that are ready at this very moment as the Gospel meeting is coming to a close? How many are willing to receive Christ?
Let's let's look at this. It says.
The men of Nineveh shall rise up in judgment with this generation.
And shall condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonas and behold, a greater than Jonas is here. What he's saying is this. I I don't know how to explain this. I hope that some of my older, well taught brethren will excuse me if I try to explain something that is hard for me to understand. But it it means to me something like this. There's coming a day when there's going to be a great white throne set up.
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And people who are yet in their stands, who've never been saved, who are not under the shelter of his blood, will stand one by one in front of him. The Book of Revelation talks about it. We talked about it Friday night. Every knee will bow. And as those people come before the great White throne, the Lord Jesus Christ will have the books open and the book of life. The search will be made. No name will be found.
And then the book of their works will be opened, and they will be judged according to their works. Now here are these very men that rejected Christ. They said, we want to sign before we will believe. And there, if I could picture it like a Coliseum, and they're in the background, are all of the Saints. As they look upon this terrible scene of judgment, they look upon it. And here are these men that stand condemned before the great white throne.
And in their mind is a big question mark. They're thinking, oh, if I would have only had a sign, then I would have believed. And just to dispel that doubt, the Lord Jesus Christ will point off in that direction. To those people of Nineveh, 600,000 people will arise.
600,000 people will arise, who were saved, who believed a message, who saw no miracles, who had a mere man preached the message. 600,000 people will stand up at the judgment, and that person who stands before the Lord Jesus Christ will be condemned because he believed not the preaching of one who was greater than Jonas.
If we had time, we would go over a little bit of the Queen of the South. I'll just mention this, but here was Solomon the most what the wisest king. Whoever lived a person who reached the apex of the political world of his day, a person who was wise in every way, he'd received this wisdom from God. He had written 1005 Proverbs. He wrote the Book of Proverbs and the Song of Solomon and others.
His works stand as a monument of wisdom and so on, but here he was as a king, and one woman way down in the land of Sheba heard about him. One Gentile woman, probably a black woman. She heard a report, and she came all that way just to stand in his presence, to test him with hard questions, she believed, just to report that she'd heard.
She believed it all in a greater than Solomon was here.
Greater in wisdom, the one in whom were hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
The Creator of the universe stood before them and they rejected him. My friends, I asked you tonight, are you rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ as he stands at your hearts door and has presented himself?
As the eternal Son of God, the one who has died on your behalf, the one who has suffered so that you might be spared from judgment, are you going to reject him at the end of this meeting?
And go last out of this room, into the night, perhaps forever, into a lost eternity.
Please at this moment.
Pray that God will help you to make this right decision.
You know, it says that this, this very Queen of the South is going to rise up in judgment to. And I picture these people that after the 600,000 people sit down, there is one lone figure that stands up. It is the Queen of Sheba. She stands there, a Gentile woman saved. She stands there as a testimony against those who sought a sign.
And those people will be condemned, forever condemned.
I'd like to tell you a little story about a young lady.
Out in Anaheim or Fullerton, CA.
Dan Brimelow is here.
Can attest to this story. I may not get the details exactly right. It's been a long time since this happened. Maybe nine months.
But some time ago, last fall, I think Dan came to me one day and he said there's a little, there's a a mother of one of our afternoon Sunday school kids that needs help. She needs counsel. Would you be willing to go with me and we'll go visit her? And I said sure, I'd be glad to go. So we went over and we went into this little like one room apartment. Maybe it was 2 room, I don't know.
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And here was a lady 22 years of age. Her name was Beverly.
And we took her and we went down to a little restaurant nearby, walked there and we said, what's troubling you Beverly? And she said, well, you know, I.
I was as a child, she said. My folks had a lot of problems. My dad left. I don't even remember who he is or never saw him. I don't remember him. And she said. I grew up in this home where there was a lot of trouble.
A lot of violence, a lot of sin.
And she said when I grew up to be a teenager, I followed in the same direction and she said.
As I became 16 or 17 years of age, she said the sins, the problems, the difficulties in all of it came down upon my mind. And she said this burden that I was carrying around was too big. I could not bear the burden. And so she said I had a nervous breakdown, my mind gave up and she said the recovery from that was extremely slow.
During that time, somewhere along 16 or 17, she'd had a little boy. She was not married. And this little boy came along only in a sense, to add to the burdens and the problems. And now she was presently living in sin. And she said, you know, I I feel like I was feeling before, she said. Like all of the problems are too big for me to carry.
She said I think I'm going to have another nervous breakdown, she said. I need help.
But she said, you know my little boy goes through your afternoon Sunday school and he comes home and he sings Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so. And she said I know he's got the answer. She said I know that that's what I want. I want Jesus.
So we talked to Beverly. We explained her the simple to her the simple way of salvation. We told her how she was a spinner and that God had the record up there in heaven of her sins. We told her, as we've talked about tonight, how Jesus came down from heaven to die upon the cross.
And how he shed his blood to wash those sins away so that the record could be gone.
We made it. We said, Beverly, all that you have to do is accept it. But we don't want to press you, You know, you can you just tell us, call us sometime whenever you get ready to be saved, she said, oh, I want to be saved this afternoon. Maybe I didn't get my message across to you. She said. I want. That's why I called you. I, I, I don't want to go on one more day in my sins.
So we went a little bit further and we read Romans 10/9 that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth, Jesus is Lord.
And believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead. Thou shalt be saved. We said, Beverly, do you believe that Jesus is Lord? And she said, I do.
We said Beverly, Beverly, do you believe that God raised Jesus from the dead? She said. I don't know what that means. I have never heard of it before. And we explained as was explained last night, how Jesus died, went into the grave 3 days.
Three nights. And how that he arose from the dead and went back to heaven. We said, Beverly, do you believe that? And she said.
I believe.
We said, well, would you care to pray with us? And she said I'd like to pray. I don't know how to pray but she said I will pray. We said do you want to pray out loud or quietly? And she said I I choose out loud.
So we all bowed our heads in there in the quietness of that hour as Dan and I were lifting up our hearts for Beverly.
She said nothing.
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We looked up and we said Beverly, what's the matter?
She said, I don't know how to pray. I don't even know how to begin. We said, well, would it be OK if we start first? So I prayed and Dan prayed, and right away Beverly prayed. And I will tell you as close as I can, how Beverly prayed.
She said.
Oh God, she said. You know what a terrible Sinner I have been? She said. You know how?
I have sinned so many times. I've done so many wrong things. I've made so many mistakes, and you have all of these on record in heaven, she said. Oh God, I I know I'm headed for judgment. I don't know what to do. But she said I want to be saved this afternoon. I want to be saved right now.
She said, oh God, please help me and Lord Jesus, she said. Please come into my heart, come into my life, take your blood and wash my sins away so that I'll be clean and so that I'll be saved.
There was a long silence and finally we looked up and Beverly was looking at us and we she said I That's it. That's all.
I I don't know anything else to say.
She said. Do you think that'll get me in?
And we said.
Oh, Beverly.
That that will get you in. That will get you in. I was just talking to Dan before the meeting and I said, Dan, where is Beverly?
Hadn't seen him for a while and he said she moved to Michigan. Doesn't know where she is, but she's staved by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. And I wonder as I look out on the crowd tonight, that there are boys and girls who have heard this message all the way through. From the time they have been little boys, little girls, they know this message and you have never.
Received Christ.
There are those of you who live in this Christian land, who have this Bible access to this Bible, who have never read it.
And I just wonder. I don't know. I just wonder someday if you ever go into a lost eternity.
If as you stand before that throne, that great white throne, if the Lord Jesus Christ will not say Beverly.
Would you stand up?
Here is a woman who was not raised in a Christian home, never heard the message before, did not know about the resurrection, who was saved.
My friends, the Lord Jesus Christ at the close of these meetings.
Is inviting you for maybe the last time to come to him. Will you come? Let's just sing a couple of verses.
Luke 9:18-25
Reading
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Loop 9 verse 18.
And it came to pass as he was alone, praying his disciples.
Were with him, and he asked them, saying Whom say the people that I am.
They answering said John the Baptist. But some say Elias, and others say that one of the old prophets is risen up again. He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
Peter answering said the Christ of God.
And he straightly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing, saying the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.
And he said to them all, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it.
But whoever will lose his life for my state, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantage, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be castaway? For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's and other holy angels.
But I tell you the truth, there be some standing here which will not taste of death till they see the Kingdom of John.
And it came to pass. About eight days after these sayings. He took Peter and John and James and went up into a mountain to pray.
And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glittering.
And behold, they're taught within two men, which were Moses and Elias, who appeared in glory and spake of his deceased, which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.
But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep, and when they were awake they saw his glory in 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 into the cloud.
There came a voice out of the cloud saying, This is my beloved son. Hear him.
And when the voice was passed, Jesus was found alone, and they kept it close and told no man in those days.
Any of those things which they had seen and it came to pass that on the next day when they were come down from a hill, much people met him.
And behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech you, look upon my son.
For he is my only child, and Lois spirit taketh him, and he suddenly cries out, and it tears him that he formeth again, and bruising him, hardly departed from him.
And I besought that disabled to cast him out, and they could not.
And Jesus answering said, Oh faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and suffer you bring thy son? Hit her.
And as it was yet a coming, the devil threw him down and tear him.
And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.
And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wondered everyone of all things which Jesus did. And he said unto his disciples, that these things sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man shall be delivered into the hands of men. But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them that they perceived it not. And they feared to ask him of that saying.
Then there are rows of reasoning among them which of them should be greatest? And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him, and said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name, receiveth me, and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth him that sent me, for he is the least among you All the same shall be great.
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And John answering, and John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name.
And we forbade him because he followed not with us.
And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not, for he that is not against us is for us.
And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before his face. And they went and entered into a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him.
And they did not receive him because his face was as though he should go to Jerusalem.
And when his disciples John, James and John saw this, they said Lord.
Wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?
Even as Elias did.
But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Do you know not what manner of spirit you're of? For the Son of Man has not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village, and it came to pass, that is, they went in the way. A certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee with us, whoever thou goest.
And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air of nests, For the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head.
And he said unto another Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
Said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead, but go thou, and preach the Kingdom of God.
And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee, but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God.
For a person.
And the glory of the Lord Jesus.
It also exposes our hearts.
As we see.
The disciples and some of the things that.
They did shows our own hearts because we naturally do not have grace.
Not naturally.
And in Luke's Gospel, we have the emphasis on grace.
We have it. We see it here in the Lord Jesus.
At every step.
We also see at the beginning of the part where we read.
Dependence. The Lord Jesus as a man depended.
Upon God.
We were singing that little hymn will teach us more Thy blessed ways. We have them here in this chapter.
I blessed ways.
Dependence.
Is one of the first things as Christians we must learn because Scripture tells us that we are dead.
That means that we have nothing in ourselves.
To depend upon we're absolutely dead spiritually unless Christ comes in.
The power of the Holy Spirit.
Our brother.
Morning before the prayer meeting.
From the last chapter, first Thessalonians.
And among the verses was this pray without ceasing.
We find the Lord at prayer several times in the book of Luke, I believe at least seven times.
And this is because he's the dependent man.
Can we fathom? I don't believe we can, but we can meditate on it. The Lord Jesus Christ.
The creator of the universe who could buy word create.
We see him coming down into this world, becoming a man.
Beginning in babyhood, into childhood and as a boy.
00:10:05
Growing up.
But when he is?
Entering his public ministry, and even when he is baptized, identifying himself with a nation of Israel as to all righteousness, there he was praying.
And we find him praying time and again.
And I believe we have it twice in the portion that we have read here in this verse and also in verse 29.
Pray.
What an example for us.
That one who is God.
Come in flesh, not sinful flesh, but taking on himself the form of a man.
He had that inward urge and desire to pray, to talk to his father. Time and again he went off a load up on a mountain top. Our load. What for? To talk to his father.
I think it's good for us to meditate on this.
Maybe we're wondering, well, what does the Lord want me to do?
What does it mean to be a Christian? How should I live the Christian life?
Well, the Christian life is the life of Christ.
They speak sometimes in Christendom about the victorious life. Well, what is the victorious life? It's Christ in me.
That's the victorious life. And if we're really the Lord, we have the Lord Jesus Christ in our hearts.
We do that. We accept Him as our Savior. We receive Him as our Savior when we believe in Him and receive Him as our Savior. And He comes in to dwell and we have that same life in us, that divine life that was in that is in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is that eternal life and we have that life in US.
And if we have that life in us, surely there must be a desire and urge to want to talk to the Lord Jesus, to want to talk to God, to God our Father.
I know we have an old nature there that opposes it.
But we have the Holy Spirit given to us the power of that new life.
And He helps us. He helps us in our infirmities. Sometimes we know not what we should pray for as we ought.
But the Holy Spirit makes intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered. The Holy Spirit is the power of that new life.
And certainly.
We're missing something if we do not take time to pray.
The Lord took time to pray.
But it's so easy, and I speak of myself, so easy, to get so busy even with the Lord's things, that we forget to pray.
This is something we need to consider.
And really judge ourselves in this matter because it brought forcibly before us when we're looking at the Lord Jesus Christ in prayer, dependent prayer.
Do we sense dependence in our hearts and lives? Dependence upon the Lord Jesus? Do we really feel the need of him?
Do we feel the need of going to God in prayer, talking to him?
Maybe not necessarily asking for anything, but just talking to him.
Thanking him for order to be one of the first things, shouldn't it? Well, here we have the Lord pray, and what a lesson for his disciples.
He was teaching them, wasn't he? The question of Brother Anderson, is there such a thing as a gift or prayer?
Sometimes I get letters from Africa.
Asking me to send them a prayer book.
So they can pray.
00:15:01
I use a simple illustration with them.
I said when you were a child.
And you were hungry.
You went to your mother and asked for food.
I said, did you need a prayer book? Something written down to help you do that? No, it came right from the inside. You don't need prayer books. You don't need a gift for prayer. No, it's not a matter of a gift, it's the matter of the desire of the heart being expressed to God.
In the in the 11Th chapter where you have more about it.
You'll notice in the first verse.
And it came to pass that as he was praying in a certain place when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray.
He didn't say.
It teaches how to pray but teach us to pray. He did add as John taught his disciples. But the point is.
Teach us to pray. You know he wasn't exactly.
Suggesting that this had to do merely with their needs down here, bread and butter and so on. Because you'll notice.
In the 13 first that chapter.
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father?
Give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him now. We don't ask for the Spirit today because he's come, but they did on the day of Pentecost.
They learned here to pray because in this chapter I believe it's been pointed out, there are several times when they missed the Lord's mind. As we go on, we'll see it, and we don't see them praying at all. In this chapter, the Lord is praying twice, as our brother suggested, and so I'm sure that everyone here makes decisions every day.
And.
Quite often we make vital decisions.
Now if we don't pray about them.
Will probably make the wrong decision because we don't have the answer in our natural minds.
It only comes in dependence on the Lord as to the decision we have to make, and some of us older have found out this by experience, that we have made wrong decisions because we didn't pray, and we may do so, continue to do so even as older ones if we don't pray now. We're creatures of habit.
And I don't say we should pray just because of habit, but I think it's a good habit just the same. And I think it should be characteristic of us continually to pray and to pray intelligently according to what has taught us in the word of God.
Now he was teaching them to pray for the Spirit. The Spirit would come and the day of Pentecost. But they prayed for the Spirit and they were in the upper room at the time, and so is going on in our chapter here, it says.
Who say the people that I am?
18th verse they answered saying John the Baptist. Some say Elias and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again. Now you see the various answers.
But Peter says.
The Christ of God. Now he was the Christ of God.
But he was rejected, and that's what Peter missed. And so the Lord says to him.
Straightly charged and commanded them to tell no man that thing. Now the Christ of God to the Jew was the Messiah, and he was rejected.
We see the Lord rejected here, and he tells them that this is the case. What they need to learn is that they have to walk and rejection with the rejected Lord. And so his answer to Peter is although Peter was right, he is the Christ of God. But for the time being Christ was rejected as the Messiah.
00:20:02
And so the Son of Man, he straightly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing sane. The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected.
Thus the Messiah, the Christ rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain and be raised the third day. Well, that's one of the things we have to learn early, and that is that we're following a rejected Christ. If we lay hold of this truth, I'm sure it would have an effect on our lives down here in testimony for Christ if we are following a rejected Christ.
One of the first lessons we have for the disciples in this chapter.
You mentioned earlier that.
We have here in this portion the person of Christ and His glories and then you spoke about grace and I believe that's the key point to.
Understanding the glories that we must learn the grace first. In John One it says grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. There had been grace manifested before. For instance, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, and there was grace even in the giving of the law and mercy that didn't bring it into the camp without putting it in the art.
And grace.
Seen all through the Old Testament, but it hadn't come.
Grace came by Jesus Christ. It was here in His person, and this was something the disciples were slow to understand, and I believe it's why they were asleep as to His glory, because they hadn't yet apprehended His grace as they ought to have, and neither have we. In this beautiful gospel. When the Lord entered His ministry which was mentioned, He stood up.
In his own synagogue of Nazareth to read and.
He read that portion in Isaiah 61. I believe it is where.
He just stops in the middle of a verse and doesn't say the day of judgment of our God. He stops there and then they it says. They marvel at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth and we find the Lord showing that grace all the way in his public ministry here below.
But really not apprehended, even by those nearest to him. Grace seems so hard to get hold of, but here it was in the person of Christ, and then when he.
Reveals himself in in the glory in the Transfiguration, where they went to sleep, and later on they disciples. The two of them at least wanted to.
Know if they could call down fire from heaven, but that's not grace, that's judgment. And the Lord didn't come to bring judgment. He'd come to manifest grace. And he still has come to manifest grace. This is the day of the grace of God. Judgment is postponed even as to this world, of course hours when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ is passed and we will never come into judgment. So then if you and I will learn of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We will see the glory, I believe, because really the grace is the glory.
But dependence, Dependence comes in to depend upon Him, and the disciples had lost that dependence. They had been given the power over all demons in the first verse, and not being in the attitude of defendants, not accompanying the Lord in his praying attitude, but rather as in verse.
46.
There arose the reasoning of my life. Which of them should be the greatest? It was their lack of dependence and their aspiring to be somebody that made them lose the power to perform what had been given to them. Well, what lessons for us?
00:25:02
Three times in this chapter he brings his death before us.
In this verse we've read.
The 22nd saying, The Son of Man must suffer many things, be rejected so on, and be slain. Then again he He speaks of it in the.
31St verse.
For those who speak of his deceased, which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.
And then in the 44th verse the Son of man must be delivered.
Into the hands of men.
And this is what keeps our hearts fresh, is it not?
What he has done for us.
We look back and we see what he's done for us.
He's brought us into relationship with himself on the ground of a finished work.
But he suffered to do it, and he was rejected to do it. And so if we're in Christ, this is our path, I believe, the thief on the cross.
Beside the Lord Jesus is a picture to us of the position of the Christian today.
He was rejected.
He died. The believer is in that place of rejection, and the word of God says we are dead.
That's the way we're seeing so that our life now is hid with Christ in God.
And has been pointed out, the power of our life is the Spirit of God.
And then we learn that Christ is our life.
So herself is gone. Yet there has to be the practical application of these truths in our hearts and ways.
Save them is one thing.
But that it might be in practice. I believe that's why we gather together, so that the Spirit of God can exercise our souls as to the practice of the truth as well as knowing it.
I know that there's some.
There are some in this room that have gone out on the street to preach the gospel.
No doubt there's some heat that is still growing and some young brothers getting out on the street preaching the gospel.
How do you feel when you get out there? You stand up to speak.
About a rejected savior.
One that was cast out, crucified, rejected.
How do we feel?
Well, I remember when my knees would shake standing there. Why? Why do I need shake?
Because we're preaching the one, the Lord Jesus Christ has been rejected by this word.
We're conscious of it, and that is when we need grace, the Lord.
In his graciousness went to Calvary.
But we need grace too.
When we preach him and seek to live him.
And I made it. That's why sometimes, most of the time, perhaps, we get turned aside.
From Really Living Christ.
Because we feel that he's been rejected. He's not popular. We like to feel popular.
And there are young people who are going to school.
They like to feel popular with their peers, those that are of the same age and the same grade with them.
That I should feel accepted.
That's that's an important thing.
Yeah, this just for the flesh.
But if we begin to live for Christ, testify for Christ, keep grace from him, to speak a word for him.
But it's great. It's not the popular way. Let's not say that the Lord Jesus Christ is popular.
00:30:07
He will never be popular in this world. There's one place he's popular now if you want to use that word, and that's up in glory. The angels are bowing before him.
And Saints of God are worshipping him.
Which are we going to do? What are we going to think of the Lord Jesus Christ?
As a popular one or as a rejected 1 Takes grace, suffer with him.
But Paul said to Timothy, and Timothy was shaking. That's why Paul had the right to him.
It wasn't easy for Timothy.
Paul had to write to him to encourage him and he says if we suffer.
We shall reign with him.
It's Psalm 126, Psalm 126.
33.
And verse 6.
Verse 3 The Lord.
Hath done great things for us for every class.
Either gore forth and with the very precious seeds, so that was come again absolutely rejoicing.
Psalm 66.
I'm here.
In your remarks on the cross, brother, I was thinking of the way that.
Much christened.
Treats the cross today, puts it up high and it sets certain buildings apart.
In itself is there and have something that's supposed to be beautiful and religious?
But all affairs we preach Christ crucified. And then he says, God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. We should emphasize in preaching that it it was on a cross that Christ Jesus died and the world rejected him and nailed him there to the cross and keep him.
Before the soul.
Not just as crucified, but bring in the empty tomb. He has been raised from the dead, and that's really more of an emblem of Christianity than the cross they take the children of Israel when they were in a bad state and losing their.
Battles against the fullest turns, but I remember right in Samuel. Why they?
Said let's go get the the Ark. It was 30 bucks. They were using that ark as just a symbol of power and glory for getting the God of the Ark well. So it is with much of Christendom as to the Cross, they try to make it a thing of glory.
And just have it. There's something to be a symbol of some religious system, but we must.
Preach that Christ died on the cross, that the world rejected him and cast him out. They they put him up a Burrow there He died in the 1St heaven, we might say, in the full days of everyone who could look there. There was the world's estimate of of the Messiah. The Christ of God put him out of this world, so they nailed him across but.
He came out of that empty tomb, and the raised raised up to the glory of the Father, raised up to heaven. So if we preach a full gospel and bring in the rejected Christ, then there's blessing from it, and it's not something that the flesh can glory in at all, not the natural man, but it brings life.
00:35:09
We have two things here.
String of teachers more of Thy blessed ways.
The first is prayer.
And the second is.
Occupation with.
The the work that Christ and his finished work.
But now notice in the.
23rd verse.
If any man will come after me.
That's the subject and that little him which sang.
Thy blessed waves, if any man will come after me.
He doesn't say if all of you.
It's rather easy to be a Christian with Christians.
But individually.
If any man will come after me, this is a very powerful verse for our lives.
Because it says let him deny himself.
And take up his cross daily.
Now he doesn't say deny yourself listening or that thing.
But simply deny itself.
Because self seems to be one of our greatest enemies.
It always gets them away in connection with following Christ.
And so the first thing here is deny itself.
But it says also.
Take up his cross.
That is.
Each one has something.
In his life that answers to this.
Daily.
And I think it's a very important verse and it ends up and follow me.
That's the person of Christ. That's before the soul.
First prayer and then taken up with his work, his finished work and all that he suffered for us.
And if you ask the question, how can I follow a rejected Christ? Just that way, get on your knees, have the work of Christ before you, and you will follow Christ because his love, the love of Christ constraineth us.
It isn't a question of command exactly.
But it's the love of Christ that constrains us.
And so this love should have its effect upon our hearts now.
And so we will daily.
Take up our cross and follow Jesus.
Memory services, proverbs.
30 3.
All the second time 3 And it shall be No.
Here we go. The more.
Is going forth as prepared as the morning?
He's become unto us of the rain, and the latter and former rain upon unto the earth.
The thought is going to Shall we know?
We follow along to know the Lord.
To know him better is to love him more.
23rd verse is really the birth of a true desire for kids.
One who was really a disciple of Jesus is one who follows him, and it's a wonderful thing to see the three things we've been bringing up.
You know, the law of the Nazarite in number six typically brings this verse out.
Because.
In that place we are told one who would separate himself wholly under the Lord. That's what we're talking about now, One who would follow three things.
00:40:06
I put it briefly. No wine, no razor and no dead body.
And that's what we have here. See, the wine speaks of joy, the source of your satisfaction and joy.
Earthly in the Old Testament, of course, for us it's spiritual. But if one would deny himself, he's not going to find any joy in this world. All of his joy is an obedience in following the one who loved him so that he gave himself for him. And so there's no wine, typically I'm Speaking of. And then it says take up his cross.
That's the rejection, of course.
And in that sense, then there's no razor.
That's the type of refurbishment who's waiting for the return of the Cape.
He didn't shave his beard or wash his clothes. He doesn't do anything to make himself acceptable to the society or to anything in this world. He wasn't seeking a place for himself. That's the typical thought. And of course then it says.
Take up his cross daily. No dead body. I believe that brings in the truth.
Well, I mean, I'm sorry. Let him deny himself. That's the low razor take up his cross.
That would bring in the thought of holiness.
No dead body.
Nothing that defiles.
You know, if we're going to follow the Lord, we have to follow him wholly.
And is holding us both ways. I like to call attention to Galatians, I think, brother.
Buchanan already?
Referred to it, but not completely. The rest of the verse is so important, but God forbid verse 14 of chapter 6.
That I should glory, take the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
You know, in view of the fact that the Lord Jesus is crucified, we have to see.
That this cross and the fact that the Lord Jesus is crucified and rejected.
By Him being in that position, the world is crucified to Me.
Really what it means is there is nothing in this world for me.
And the consequences, then of the death of Christ and him being the rejected one, when I knew the world correctly. I see there's nothing for my soul in the world.
And there is nothing in me that the world wants either.
The world rejects us as well.
If we're true to rejected Christ, there's nothing in the world for us, and the world has no use for one who follows A rejected Christ. How important that is, isn't it? We follow or reject the Christ in the world don't want us.
Of the Lord Jesus, it says.
He bearing his cross went forth.
He bore his own cross up to that.
Calvary I think that's the picture here.
Arson, Barry's father used to say to us across the something that goes right across your path. Pick it up and go on. You and I are here as burden bearer Levite to serve.
It says bear, you want another birds. And then it says every man shall bear his own bird. We have across the following statistic rejected Christ. That makes it hard sometimes, but still it's a personal thing for every one of us to bear our own draw, just as the Lord bore his. He went on to death. But we're living, and we are to present our bodies a living sacrifice meanwhile.
00:45:19
Self denial and bearing whatever God gives us to bear.
It seems to me that if we refer to a verse like Paul gives us in Galatians 220, I'm crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live, yet not I. But Christ liveth in me 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.
She Their crucifixion comes first and then living it for Christ afterwards.
All had come to that point.
Where he could, he knew he could not live this life.
Unless he recognized that he'd been crucified with Christ and everyone who has received the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior as been identified with the Lord Jesus Christ in his death, and he has been crucified with Christ. That's what Paul says. I am or have been crucified with Christ, with Christ and everyone who has received the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior.
As by then been identified with the Lord Jesus Christ in his death, and he has been crucified with Christ.
That's what Michael says. I am or have been crucified with Christ.
But nevertheless, there's the other side to it I live.
And I don't believe that we're going to enter into the other part.
If we do not enter into the first part.
Speaking of the cross, it is the cross. It's an X.
Children know what an X is.
They do a problem in numbers arithmetic.
And they put down the wrong answer. What does the teacher do with it? Puts a cross through it.
Is no good wrong answer worthless.
Well, that's what the Cross of Christ has done for us. It's crossed out ourselves and something was mentioned about crossing our path.
We can speak of crossing our wheels, and every one of us is born with self will. And as time goes on, it can get terribly bad. And there's rebellion in the heart, Rebellion against parents, rebellion against teachers, against rebellion against authority.
And when there's something that crosses, that will.
There's fire.
That's what's coming. If we really recognize what took place at Calvary. That man in the flesh was crossed out with the Lord Jesus Christ, laid down his life there. Sin in the flesh was condemned. I was condemned. All says I've been crucified with Christ.
Well, that man needed it. He was on his way to Damascus.
To persecute the state. To arrest them, To take them to prison, to whip them. He was doing his own will. He thought he was doing Scotts will. Yeah, but he was doing his own will. And the Lord Jesus Christ, the man who died on the cross, met him there.
And all what he went through during those three days when he was without sight, I believe he was going through the deep agonies and self judgment.
When he looked at Christ on Calvary, because he could not be up there unless he'd been raised from the dead, He couldn't have been raised from the dead.
And not be alive. So he knew that the Lord Jesus Christ had died.
I'm sure he was equated with all of that that had been going on, but he met the Christ of Calvary.
00:50:03
The light from heaven shone down upon him.
And he began to go through the experiences in connection with being crucified with Christ.
Being identified with Christ, seeing what Christ had gone through and suffered for him.
And this is really what each one of us goes through when we come to Christ, receive Him as our Savior. There's repentance to to God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. They're the two elements and in the repentance toward God.
We take sides with God against ourselves, and we really own that. It's right what God did when he crucified the Lord Jesus Christ or allowed him to to be crucified, and we through faith identified with him, and that puts an end to that old thing that's against God. We take sides with God against ourselves when we repent. That's through judgment, self judgment judgment before God and then faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The two sides were through the South. We take the other side and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Receive them as our Savior. We begin a new life.
Altogether separate from that old thing that's been crucified with Christ.
The Lord was delivered by the determinant counsel of God. He never in anything did his own will.
And.
When he was made sin, he already had said, not my will, but thine be done so that no matter what the Lord went through, it was always God's will. I mentioned this because of what we have in our chapter here.
It's so easy for me to say, well, tomorrow I'm going to do this for the Lord of that for the Lord, you see?
I can do my own will in a religious way.
And think I'm.
Pleasing the Lord but.
The Scripture says, teach me thy way, oh Lord.
Moses said that, and also I think we have it in the 27th Psalm thy way, Oh Lord, it's not my choosing my way.
That won't work. As we've already said, the first thing is prayer, and then we have the work of Christ before us. The result is the Spirit of God guiding us. We are able to follow in the path of rejection.
Quest to me determining myself what I'm going to do is the spirit of God operating in that new life that I have because it bears fruit after its character. And that character as we have in Romans 8 is Christ himself. So in this next verse it says.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it. That's the will going to work down here.
I'm going to save my life in this world.
I'm going to save my life in connection with present things.
That I desire myself. Well, you're going to lose it up there in the sense not that you'll lose your soul, but the whole life will be wasted.
Take Saul, for instance.
Take a lot.
We have.
A great deal of loss, although lot we believe was.
A righteous man according to Peter, but his life was lost.
Because he didn't take the path Abraham took.
But Abraham was the father of faith, and leaves us that example because he walked.
In under the eye of God, he didn't walk perfectly, but he walked under the eye of God by face.
And although he didn't know what we know now as Christians.
The doctrines of these things till he had a divine life.
And he walked in it by faith.
Caleb walked.
Numbers 1424.
He followed fully numbers 1424.
00:55:00
But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him.
And and has followed me fully.
Him while I bring him to the land, for unto he went.
And his seed shall possess it.
Hath followed me fully. Matthew Chapter 4.
Matthew 4.
And verse 18.
Matthew 418 and Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Diamond called Peter and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into the steep or they were fishing.
And he said unto them, Follow me.
And I will make you.
Fishers of Men.
And they straightway left their Nets.
And followed him.
Just by way of warning to go on and point it out in this chapter about that John in verse 49 it comes to Jesus, said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and we forbid him because he followeth not with us. Notice the difference followeth not with us. You might say that John had lost the object before him for that time.
We ought to be warned about this. Our teaching here is to follow the Lord, follow me, that is the true disciple, to get behind the Lord and have him out front. Follow after him and the end of the chapter 2 Again we have one who would say me first. Well, me first is not the first, the 1St is. The are the words of a disciple and me first is.
Self coming out. We're taught here in these verses to deny self.
And then to have the object the Lord, have him always the supreme object, the one before our souls, the one to follow.
I think it would be nice to connect our meditation just now with the.
Lovely message that we just heard at the young people's address when our brother was telling us about making plans.
And this first.
24.
Whosoever will save his life shall lose it.
But whosoever will lose his life for my sake.
The same shall save it.
I would just like to say that sometimes this gets a little sticky.
In the lives of our young people, when they must make decisions and make their plans as to where they'll go to work or where they'll go to school or where they might live.
And I've always been really encouraged when I hear of young people who say.
You know, a real good job was offered to me at a certain place.
But I turned it down because it was not close to a meeting.
And sometimes a young person might say, you know, I could have gone to such and such a school. In fact, they offered me quite a scholarship and it was hard to turn down.
But I turned it down because I would not have the privilege of going to the Bible readings.
And the prayer meetings where I might grow in my soul.
So when we hear young people making decisions like that, we're really encouraged, aren't we?
And I think we want to just sit and think about this a while, that sometimes we must give up that which is to our advantage if we're going to follow the Lord of Jesus. And I know here Christians who have not developed their full talents.
That this world wants to buy and instead of developing those full talents that they could sell at a big price.
To this world, they have invested their lives in following the Lord Jesus.
01:00:02
In a simple path of rejection. Now, brethren, that's a good choice to make, and I think that's what we want to get out of this chapter. At least one of the things and our Lord Jesus Christ, as has been already written out, is in himself the blessed example of all of these things that he asks us to do. Earlier in the meeting this afternoon, a brother read that wonderful verse in.
The 11Th chapter when where we see the Lord Jesus praying and the disciples were so impressed watching him pray, they said teach us to pray and now he wouldn't ask us to pray if he didn't pray.
And justice before giving us these verses that we're considering right now in Luke 9.
About being willing to take up our cross.
The Lord Jesus had already told us about the fact that he was taking up his own.
And so I just like to pass on that comment, which we have heard quite often, but never too much. And that is that the Lord Jesus would never ask you or me.
To do something that he has not done himself.
And so in that sense, as in Hebrews 2, if he is a most wonderful captain, he would never ask his soldiers and followers to do something he has not done himself well. This makes us respect him and love him more. But I just would like to put in that word of encouragement for our young people. Don't be ashamed to take the second best offer or the third best offer.
That you may not profit by as much.
But if you take it in rejection with Christ.
Eternity will demonstrate that you made a good choice. Here's the story of a missionary that worked in India and a large company in India was looking for a representative to represent this company in that country. And this missionary was recommended because he had a way with people and he was dependable and so on. And the representative for.
Sent to him to make him a good offer, and he turned it down.
They sent this man again and said make the offer twice as I don't remember exactly how thick of an offer or what it was doubled, but it was significantly, significantly higher. He turned it down again. So he was asked what is it? Isn't he offer big enough? No, he said it's the job. He wouldn't trade the Lord's work for prestigious position in the world. That is what it means to lose one's life, doesn't it?
That brings out the thought rather that in verse 23 and 24 there's really two sides and we don't want everyone to think that you have all laws and rejection, reproach and all that and that's all there is when you take your cross and follow Jesus. There's the both sides and we're taking the blessings now, and the blessings are so great that we couldn't name them the.
Benefits we receive when we follow Jesus, that's the other side. But this must necessarily be sold if you follow him. And I think Peter was told nicely by the Lord in Mark 10 when Peter said in verse 28 below, we have left all and have followed thee, you know, that's really what we're talking about here though now, the Lord said.
And this principle is wonderful, to know that no one ever the loser, when you follow Jesus. And Jesus, answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that has left out the brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lions, for my sake in the gospel, but that he shall receive a hundredfold. Now in this time houses brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children and lions.
And now the part we're in with persecution and in the world to come, eternal life. Well, brethren, we all have to say that's true. That's true. We have brethren everywhere. We have mothers and fathers everywhere. We have brothers and sisters in the Lord everywhere. He's brought us onto a large place, a wealthy lion, a magnificent family heavenly, that's true. But there has to be this with it, and that's rejection.
01:05:22
And persecution and Peter. Just one thought puts it in the right basis in the first Peter chapter.
Three, I believe. First Peter, Chapter 4. Peter has put it in the right sense here first. Well.
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as those some strange thing happened unto you, But rejoice in as much as you are partakers of Christ suffering, that when his glory shall be revealed, he 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 rested upon you.
On their parties evil spoken up. But on your part he's glorified well. The simple fact is, brethren, there, there's so many blessings we ought to just live in the good of it always. But with this goes the identification with the one who was rejected when he was here, and he's rejected now. And so the Lord says the servant is not greater than his Lord.
If the world hated me, it will hate you. Also, there's a principle. And now we're mentioning our brother. Dan said the Lord wasn't popular here. That's true. Very unpopular here. We saw it at the cross because the carnal minds at Embassy with God, that's why. And if you're popular here.
It's a solemn thought and a warning because Dimas means popular and he was popular here.
And the world took him, and he left and forsook Paul's doctrine.
Forsook fall. The word of God. You don't hear about him anymore. Lost his life that his goal. Lost his life. You can't be popular with the world and be popular with a rejected Christ, one or the other.
Her brother Jim killed Cup when he came back from Brazil. He came to Miami and then his wife met him down there.
And they visited around some in Florida.
And being with him for some time, he related this account concerning our brother Gianni Granite in Italy. Now our brother Granite has been responsible for the publishing, printing and mailing out of the messages of the love of God in Italian in Italy.
He had a very lucrative business, a ceramic tile business, expensive material that the rich people in the city, across the valley from him came to buy.
And he did need more time for the messages of love. But he was reluctant to give up this lucrative business.
And this was before Jim got over there to discuss the matters with him about the messages of love.
Brother Garnita got a phone call from a party unknown to him.
And he didn't really know who they were but this party?
Reminded Brother Granite that he had a very lucrative business.
And that this person who is calling him would like to have.
A portion from it.
And if he didn't give over some part of it to them?
The proceeds or whatever.
Something would happen to his son and daughter who were in university in Naples.
The Sun was about to graduate from the medical course and receive his medical degree.
The daughter was not that close to graduating, but she was all quite well along and this person threatened to harm those two children of his if he didn't.
01:10:06
Accede to his to that that request.
Brother Granite, he knew what it meant.
They would probably take over everything. It was evidently the mafia running apart a share in that profitable business.
He went to an attorney.
And immediately liquidated. Everything got loose from the whole thing.
And now he's giving us full time to the work of the distributing, mailing out, publishing, the messages of love in Italian. Now that Brother had a desire to do something but.
He that thing had hold on him. But I believe the Lord allowed this to help him to get loose from it. Sometimes we need help too, to get loose from these things that are tying us down. We know the Lord wants us to, to give our lives to Him.
And live for him. But we have things tying us down. May the Lord give us grace.
And let loose of them before he comes. That's the way to save our life. It says we will save it in the next 2-3 verses. Kill us. Details of this.
For what is a man advantage?
If he gained the whole world and lose himself or be passed away.
I believe.
There are two things there.
But it really means it's a it's a gospel verse, I believe, and is a warning, the one who lives for this world. But it's also a warning to a Christian. But now it says For whosoever shall be ashamed of me.
And in my words of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed when he shall come in his own glory.
And his Father's and of the holy angels.
Now when he comes in these various glories.
We have 3 glories mentioned here.
His own glory.
As fathers and the holy angels, there is a glory that the Lord Jesus has, of course his personal glory.
A glory that no man knows.
But there are glories. I mean his person no man knows. And the glory attached to that person.
But there are there is a glory that.
He has gained in his work.
And there's the glory that the Father has put upon him.
And then there's a glory above the angels. Now those 3 glories.
That last I mentioned are those that he will share with us.
The results of his own work on the cross.
And.
The glorious Fathers put upon him as man, I mean.
And the glory above the angels because.
He passed by Angel.
It took a place lower than the angels for the suffering of death, but now he has the place that his Father has given him higher than the angels as man. I mean, he always had it as God.
But as man he has a place above Angel.
Now we're going to share in that place above angels.
We're also going to share the inheritance with him and we're going to.
Be with him.
In that day in Thessalonians.
Well, now he'll show us as belonging to him.
When he comes in his full glory.
And the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Now that's the answer.
That he gives for those who will follow him in rejection.
So we say to ourselves, is it worthwhile?
The worthwhile to follow.
I speak a Brother laundry and connects what we've had before. Could you connect First Corinthians 15, the latter part of verse 31?
But we've had the force.
01:15:03
1St Corinthians 15 and 31 At the end of the verse I had in mind, half of Larry says the end of the verse. I'll read the verse. I protest by every choice in which I have in Christ. He is our Lord. I die nearly.
You connect that with what we've had.
I die daily. The only thing isn't it? Yeah, all the price.
That's very much in order.
There are several things in that connection in Colossians. He are dead.
In Romans, the man is struggling. Yet he says, reckon yourself dead, He's not delivered.
And this verse Paul says I die daily. He puts it into practice as you say, and then in the 4th chapter of.
2nd Corinthians.
Paul says, the Apostle Paul says.
Or God says, delivered unto death.
In other words, Paul says I'm willing to take that place. The Lord says I'm going to deliver you unto death, not into death unto death.
That's the difference now that Unto Death was in connection with his ministry.
And there are two or three verses there that speak of the apostle going right up to the point of death. But every time the Lord delivers him, he's delivered unto death. And that was the path of the apostle, which is given in detail in the 11Th chapter of Second Corinthians, where he he tells us about what he passed through as an apostle, not because he wanted to exalt himself, but because he was a special vessel raised up of God.
So that you and I might have a little outline of the path that we're called to as we follow.
In in that path following Christ. But he says follow me as I follow Christ.
Though his object was Christ always, even though He had to tell us those things that He suffered so that we'd know the pathway.
In 123.
Luke 9:37-62
Reading
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Chapter 9.
Verse 37.
And it came to pass that on the next day when they were come down from the hill.
Much people met him.
Behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son, for he is my only child.
And lowest spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out, and it tearth him so that he that he formeth again, and if bruising him hardly departeth from him. And I besought thy disciples to cast him out, and they could not.
And Jesus answering said, Oh faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and suffer you?
Bring thy son, hit her.
And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down and tear him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.
And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wanted everyone at all things, which Jesus did.
He said unto his disciples.
But these things sink down into your ears, where the Son of Man shall be delivered into the hands of men.
But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them that they perceived it not, and they feared to ask him of that saying. Then there arose A reasoning among them, Which of them should be the greatest.
And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him, and said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name, receiveth me, and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth him that sent me, for he that is least among you, all the same shall be great.
And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and we forbade him, because he followed not with us.
And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not, for he that is not against us is poorer.
And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before his face. And they went and entered into a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him.
And they did not receive him because his face was as though he should go to Jerusalem.
And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord will tell that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, even as Elias did.
But he turned and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit you're of.
For the Son of Man has not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them, And they went to another village.
And it came to pass it as they went in the way. A certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee Withers, whoever thou goest.
And Jesus said unto him.
Boxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head.
And he said unto another, Follow me.
But he said, Lord suffered me first to go and bury my father.
Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead, but go thou, and preach the Kingdom of God.
And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee who let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God.
Close to the meeting this morning, I believe we were on.
Mark.
The verse 29th verse of that chapter practice 9 where it says.
This come, this kind come us not out, but by prayer and fasting we have emphasized very much.
The need of prayer, of dependence. And it's here, all through the chapter.
And we have had that teaching about self denial in verse 23. Let him deny himself.
00:05:00
I believe in principle that's what fasting is, self denial, but going farther than that and seeking.
The benefit of others we find here in the disciples. They had lost their power because they were not in prayer, and because they were not denying self but rather reasoning who should be the greatest. So the power was gone to do what they had been given to do.
There's another thought here in the portion we began with the Lord's.
Questions about whom do the people say that I am in verse 18 And then?
To further Who do ye and whom say ye that I amverse 20 To Peter, or to the disciples he says, the Christ of God. And we've had in the translation the preeminence of Christ stressed very much, and correctly so. It's always of God to set him up, And when the glory was gone, they saw no man save Jesus only.
Now this ought to always be our.
Abby and testimony is a wrong object to have. We are always a testimony.
And we do, I believe, want to be a good testimony. We are always a testimony one way or the other, but that is not the correct object because that brings us in what we are. The object is right, and there's just no place for self before God or to go on in joy of communion and to really be what we want to be a good testimony.
The way is to have grace before us, and Him the preeminent one, always.
But two things.
Speaking of prayer and fasting.
The two things are often linked together.
Why do we pray?
Just because we have proclaimed the time of prayer.
Or just because it's a habit or we feel it's a duty.
Or even part of a ritual?
Real prayer is having an earnest desire in the heart.
And telling the Lord about you're in earnest, there's reality there.
And I believe the same kind of.
A condition proceeds fasting. We get so in earnest about a thing so exercised about it, that we forget the natural needs of our body.
I believe it's got to come from the inside out, not something that we impose on ourselves.
We impose upon ourselves a time of fasting. There's that's a common thing in Christendom. But I believe when the soul gets really earnest before the Lord about a thing and deeply exercised, you get to the point where you don't even partake of food.
And you don't have time for other things, but just that waiting upon the Lord in deep earnest exercise and.
There was this with these disciples that.
They were really not deeply exercised about this thing. That's where the Lord had to bring it out.
That these do not come out but by prayer and fasting.
And I suppose there are many.
Conditions that we might find ourselves in or circumstances there might be assembly problems.
And we think we can follow some kind of a human made plan for the solution of these problems.
But I believe what we are faced with and should be faced with is a deep, earnest desire in connection with these things and looking to the Lord about it.
Sometimes rather than get together and they discuss it as they discuss it, maybe discuss the thing till midnight and get nowhere. Finally they get down on their knees before the Lord and really cry to Him and they're in earnest. The Lord comes in and undertakes.
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And brethren, I feel we need more of that. And I'm sure that here this afternoon there are many dear Saints of God from assembly for their problem. It just seems like all have problems. They're not peculiar to one place or one assembly, But how are we going to solve them? How are we going to get rid of these things? How we're going to get deliverance?
By just getting before the Lord in real, earnest prayer, to the point even where we don't think about anything but looking to the Lord and waiting upon the Lord in this matter.
But when we hear the Lord telling His disciples this about prayer, fasting, how it speaks to our hearts, how it speaks to my heart, am I really in earnest about these things? Are we just playing around?
Sometimes the expression is used to play in church. We don't want to be found doing that. We don't want to be guilty of something like that. We want to be earnest before the Lord and with the Lord and taking things to Him. And if we really get before the Lord, we'll find that the Lord can solve the problem.
Now the Lord is the one who healed the child, wasn't he? And so it's lovely to see here Grace pursuing the whole thing that we have. He delivered him to his father. That is, the Lord didn't make any claim on him because he'd healed him. The claim had to come through an exercise of soul to the Father. And so this was true when the Lord healed or raised that Son from the dead.
Just delivered him to his mother.
Now this is Grace.
And the Lord taking the place of servant of the Father, he just does the work that's given him, and leaves the rest with the spirit to operate.
So he delivered him to his father, and it shows here how the Lord.
Was gently leading his disciples, I say gently, because all of its grace. And He's leading them. But He has to. He has to reprove them, of course. And he says, oh, faithless.
Why were they faithless? Because he had given them the power.
Now, do we have power today?
Yes, the Apostle in Ephesians does not pray that the Saints might have power.
Because they have already the power, He prays that they might be in the good of the power they have.
You and I have the power now, the powers according to the might of his glory. That's Colossians one. There's no measure there. There's no want of power with the Christian.
The power is there. You don't need to pray for the power. You need to pray that you and I might be in communion that that power.
Will be used.
Power is there. It was provided at the cross, just like everything you have as a Christian has been provided at the cross. You'll never get any more, but the use of it is different, and that's what he's exercising his disciples about the power being used that they have been given in the first verse of the chapter over demons.
Chapter one I was thinking about the prayer and fasting we've been mentioning and in chapter one.
Of Nehemiah. We have both brought together so nicely.
Nehemiah was concerned about the Lord's people, about the place, and about the name of the Lord in chapter one, and when he heard concerning the Jews in verse 2 and concerning Jerusalem, and in verse 3 the great affliction of the reproach. Rather it is much like today, isn't it? Verse four. It came to pass when I heard these words.
That I sat down and wept and mourned certain days and fasted and prayed before the God of Heaven. Well, there's one who really was with prayer and fasting. But who was he? Well, he was a slave. He was in Kushan's palace, but he was a slave. But he had a heart for God's people. His name means comfort of Jehovah.
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And brethren, anyone who has this kind of attitude and desire with prayer and be a comfort to the people in these last days, well, I just mentioned that. And then in chapter 2, of course, when he was asked by the King himself what was the what was the problem in verse four, he said, I prayed to the God of heaven. There was a man of prayer and how he was used, well, that's the thought we were getting into.
On prayer and fasting and brethren, we have the same conditions today. The walls being broken down, separation being broken down, and it's going to take prayer, assembly, prayer. We've been mentioning that our dear brother. I do think what's needed today in assembly is not so much air conditioning. Prayer conditioning is what we need. I believe we need it more and more together, corporate prayer and our assemblies.
Verse 44. The ears, the conscience.
The ear is the conscience.
Unless the truth reaches the conscience.
It won't really do us any good because of what we are by nature.
And that's what the disciples needed. Was their conscience reached?
But these sayings sink down into your ears.
The resting place of the truth is in the heart, but it might pass through the heart.
And never benefit us. It might be a temporary joy as you have.
Privilege with other Christians, but unless it has reached the conscience, it will never stay.
Never do us any good. And so it has to pass through the conscience. There has to be that exercise of soul. Then will be the blessing. So the Lord says, let these saying all that we've had so far sink down into your ears. Now he's going to bring for the third time his sufferings before us, because the only thing that can restore our soul.
The Spirit bring before us Christ has done for us, so that our love might answer to it.
In Acts chapter we take a look at Philippians. First of all, Philippians chapter 2.
And verse 5 Lepien 25 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.
The one mindedness is what brings down the Grace and the Power Acts Chapter 4.
And verse 32.
Act 432 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and one soul. Neither said any of them.
That are the things which he possessed with his own, but they had all things common.
And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
And grace was upon the mall. And then that brought before us again in First Corinthians chapter one and verse 10.
I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you.
But that you'd be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment and the the necessity.
Is found in first Peter chapter two. We know in in systematized error they say they are safe to serve.
They don't have any comments about worship disservice, but here in First Peter chapter 2.
We find the fifth verse there was the spiritual.
Work the holy priesthood verse five ye also as lively stone are built up a spiritual house.
And holy priesthood to OfferUp spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. That's the primary importance. Worship comes first, spiritual sacrifices, our holy priesthood, then the royal priesthood. We have in verse 9 for the same chapter, but ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood and holy nation a security people.
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That you should show forth the praises of him who have called you out of darkness in his marvellous life. There's our privilege of witnessing, holding forth the word of life, holding forth these precious things that we've been speaking about.
God delight.
By his Spirit to bring before us the sufferings and death of the Lord Jesus Christ.
He does that initially when we're saved.
When the gospel is preached, that's the heart of the gospel.
And any gospel preacher ought to preach that Anytime he preaches the gospel, he ought to give that forth, because that's the heart of the gospel. Christ died for our sin.
He was very rose again the 3rd day, the sufferings and death of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Is what saves the souls, what brings life to us. But what about later on as we go on through life? I think we have that also in John's Gospel chapter 6.
And I've enjoyed that so much.
It's in that chapter where the Lord Jesus Christ is presented to us as the bread of light and in verses.
53.
Down to.
57 I believe it is.
John 653 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, you have no life in you. I believe that refers to the initial drink.
An initial initial taking in the Lord Jesus Christ, having given his life and his body.
In death check his blood and given his body in death.
And it speaks of that as giving us life Here, who shall eat as my flesh and drinketh my blood? Past eternal life is appropriating the death, suffering, and death of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that is how we get eternal life by faith, believing that the Lord Jesus Christ died for us and gave his his body, gave his life his blood. At Calvary there is no other way to get life.
But if we do take that in by faith, then we have eternal life. And he says I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat or food indeed, and my blood is drink. Indeed, he puts it very simply and plainly. Now I know a great part of Christendom has perverted this, but still it's just as simple and and just what we need right there.
He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me, and I and him. Now this is a man of abiding in the Lord, dwelling in God, and being in fellowship and communion with him. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As a living Father has sent me, I watch this one as a living Father has sent me, and I live by the Father.
A blessed Lord was living by the Father when he was down here.
So he that eateth me, even he shall not this time get life, but even he shall live by me. He that eateth me, even he shall live by me. The Lord Jesus Christ lived by feeding upon the Father. We live, We carry on our Christian life. We live the Christian life by feeding upon the Lord Jesus Christ.
Is suffering and death, and that brings it out so plainly. How important that is.
But this was the very thing that many of these disciples did not understand, and they went back and walked no more with him.
See, that's what brought about what we have. Following that they began to reason which was the greatest, because if they had understood this, they wouldn't have reasoned with the greatest, because that shows a very low state of soul. And when we get occupied with men in any way in the assembly, that shows a low state of soul, we should be occupied with the Lord, and He may use any vessel that He places.
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But we should not be occupied with the vessel.
And so they wanted to see which was the greatest, and that's only flesh.
So the Lord puts the child in the myth.
And it seems that if there is a danger of.
Seeking a high place or wanting to be with those who are up there, you might say spiritually speaking, this is the answer. Go after those who update, you might say in Christ, anybody that does not enjoy to be in the company of a baby.
Who might not understand very much of the things of God.
That does just not agree this attitude and spirit of wanting to be great among the people of God and at the same time wanting to have to do with those who might consider vague.
So it's a good thing to.
Speak the company of those that are doing the faith that in order that we find grace to.
If at all possible, come down to the level of the little and not.
Trying to get up those who are great.
I think we'll see if we search for them seven things. The disciples missed the mind of the Lord in this chapter. And here we have They missed the Lord's mind again, as we've noticed before, because they were not in communion. So if we are in communion.
We're not happy to miss the Lord's mind.
But here it's quite evident that they weren't in communion and.
That let these sayings sink down in your ears and next thing we we see is they there rows of reasoning among them. Which of them should be graded? But now if this reasoning is not checked, if it's not judged?
Under the 22nd chapter, we'll see what happened.
OOP 22.
Now we find that Peter is at the table, you get the Lords table.
In the 22nd chapter.
The 19 first.
Now what happened?
It says.
22nd verse on the 23rd verse. And they began to inquire among themselves which of them it was. No funny prosperous. I'm sorry. There was also a strife among them. Which of them should be the count of the greatest. You see, what we had was reasoning in our chapter. Now there's strife among them.
Which should be the greatest? And so the Lord says again, we have grace.
He says he goes on to show how the Gentiles do.
And then he says to Peter, or them each 128th verse here, they which have continued with me in my temptation. That's grace. And I employed unto you a Kingdom as my Father's appointed to me grace. But you may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom, sit on Thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel. That's great. That's future. Then he says Peter.
Peter, I have something to say to you.
Behold, Satan has desired to have you, that it may sift you as weak, but I pray for thee.
But I faith fail now. When the arts converted. Strengthen thy brethren now. Peter had not judged the reasoning. If he'd cut the tree down was small, he wouldn't have to cut it down was big.
That's what happened.
If we allow things to go on in our lives, we go without prayer, fasting, we're going to find a big problem.
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And God will have to come in into our lives and.
Correct that problem when it gets big. If we don't judge it and he will not let it go on. But notice he corrects it at the table. After he's at the table, then it comes out one who isn't at the table. It may go on and on and on, but at the table he will not allow this sort of thing and eventually it comes out at the table. This is a wonderful thing to remember.
If we really wait upon the Lord, there may be something there.
But the Lord will take care of this.
This is Mark. As you say, he will not allow it to go on well. It's his table. Judas was not a table, but he no, Judas wasn't at the table. He saw to it that he wasn't there.
The Lord takes care of these things.
That 47th verse does Jesus perceiving the thought of their heart. That's an interesting expression, but it's really the problem.
The only time we have our own thought, they're going to lead us contrary to the Lord's thought, because our thoughts are not His, as high as the heaven is from the Earth, so higher his thoughts to Mars. But here they have thoughts in their heart. That's the real problem we just had in verse 44 again.
In telling them of his death, he stopped frigging death. Now he had told them so many times and in great detail. I'll just give you one example and that's.
Mark's Gospel Chapter 9 and notice the detail verse 32 at the end.
Verse 32 of Chapter 9. I'm sorry. Chapter 10, chapter 10 of Mark and verse 32.
And he took again the 12 and began to tell them what things should happen unto him. Verse 33 Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man shall be delivered under the chief priest, under the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles. And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him.
And shall kill him, and the third day he shall rise again.
Times he told them this was his word, and they also had this truth. In the Old Testament. Signs all pointed to this and to him. But when it happened?
And that brings us back to the 24th chapter, Luke and he appeared.
They didn't believe because they were thinking thoughts in their heart, and that you'll notice those ones at the tomb in the 24th chapter. It's when the Angel said in verse six, he is not here but risen. Remember how he spake unto you? And they remember, Will that help what the rest of them didn't? And finally, not only the two to obey us on the way to obey us who were reasoning.
That took them right away from the place, right away from the people of God, right away from the Lord. He had to go find them, they reasoned. But finally he came to the apostles again, and that's in verse 36 of 24th of Luke. Jesus himself put in the midst of them and said unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted and supposed. Here comes the thought.
That they had seen his spirit. Now notice verse 38. And he said unto them.
Why are you troubled? Why the thoughts arise in your heart?
They didn't need thought in their heart. That's the place that controls us. They needed Christ in their hearts. And he put himself there by the word of God, the prophets and the Psalms and all the scriptures, things pertaining to himself, and he put himself in their heart. But we have the word of God and brethren. Anytime we're using our thoughts, they're going to put us with the two on the way to a mayor.
Emmaus means wandering in earnest.
But wondering, leaving him and going our way, the expression here, the thought of their heart, you see it took over. If you let your thoughts go, they're going to take over. And your heart is what drives you and leads you.
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So then, in connection with those thoughts in the the same gospel of Luke, notice the verse in the second chapter concerning the Lord Jesus.
And it's Simeon talking to Mary the mother of Jesus about Jesus in the 34th verse of Luke 2.
Timmy says to Mary, Behold this child. That's easy, except for the full and rising again of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be spoken against. Yeah, sword shall Pierce through thy own stole. Also he saw the crucifixion, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. Here is the revealer part. This is the revealer of secrets, but the revealer of the secrets of the heart. This is Jesus, and we find him and it.
Always in grace in this gospel, bringing out the thoughts of those hearts, He does it in grace, such tender grace, and we've seen it and time and again already, and the application of it in connection with the reasoning and the strife as to who should be the greatest. And then the child that the Lord Jesus sets in the midst here going on in our portion.
Jesus perceiving the thought of their heart while he's going to reveal it and teach them.
About that he set the child in the midst of them.
And says in verse 48, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me, A whosoever shall receive me, receiveth him that sent me, for he that is least among you all the same shall be great. Now let's go to the doctrine in First Corinthians 14, where we have a chapter devoted to really the assembly in its function.
We've had this coming out in Luke 22, immediately after the institution of the Lord's Table.
The keeping of it, perhaps while still there that the Lord reveals and brings it out, He lets it come out this strike that came out of their hearts. Who would be the greatest.
And it's humbling to thank.
Ben said The Lord takes care of it, and He does. He has the power.
The Lord has the power, the authority, the Lord in the midst. But isn't that humbling that we need it taken care of, and that he is the one to do it? So that in this chapter 14, which is so.
Important for us as to our assembly meetings right in the middle of it. Notice the middle verse 20. It's just as though that.
The ministry stopped as to the doctrine and gives us an example and what is it, brethren? Be not children in understanding, however in malice be children, but in understanding, be men. Now the the Spirit of God in teaching us takes us back to the same example. We can learn from our children and these things that rise up as.
To.
Strive, and we've had it in our past, address strife.
And hate him. Do they come amongst the Saints of God? Oh.
Or tumbling, isn't it?
But we don't lack power. There were comments made about power. We don't lack power because the Lord is there.
In spirit and the Spirit of God is there, We always have the Spirit of God. There's no lack of power. The lack of the use of power we have because of interference of the flesh. And this is the same thing going back to our capture.
Independent and self seeking. We should be dependent in prayer and denying self and seeking the good of others. Then we would be like these little children and.
Be in communion.
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We have in verse 49 a little different side to selfishness.
In verse.
46.
That personal selfishness.
Individual selfishness. But here in verse 49 it's collective selfishness.
And John answered and said master.
We saw one casting out devils in thy name, and we forgot it, because he follows not with us. Is this an old, a new question? No, It comes out in the Old Testament. And Jesus here says unto them, forbid him not, for he that is not against us is for us. Now this came out as recorded in numbers.
In the 11Th chapter it's recorded.
Of numbers.
And verse 26.
And there remained two of the men in the camp. Either were those that went outside the camp to the Tabernacle.
The name of the one was Elder and the name of the other was me, Dad.
And the Spirit rested upon them. He There was a point the Spirit rested upon them, and they were of them that were written, but went not out onto the Tabernacle. And they prophesied in the camp.
And there ran a young man and told Moses and said Eldad and me dad do prophecy in the camp.
And Joshua the son of nun servant Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My Lord, Moses, forbid them.
And Moses said unto him.
Envious thou for my sake.
Would God that all the Lord's people were prophets, that is, that they had the Spirit resting upon them anointed with the Spirit, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them?
And Moses got him into the camp, he and the elders of Israel.
Moses would not consent to this if they had the Spirit of God upon them.
He wouldn't interfere, but it was evidently a sort of a collective jealousy there, just like we have here in our chapters.
We forbade him because he follows not with us.
Well, we need to remember.
That were gathered on the ground of the membership of the body of Christ. And there are many dear Saints of God and Christendom that are members of the body of Christ. And we must not look down upon them, and we must not look at ourselves and get proud and feel that and have this selfish spirit in the matter, and be be jealous of them.
The Lord, if he wants to use them.
And gives them the word speak. And the spirit of God energizes them to do it. Who are we to say if they're giving out the truth?
We cannot perhaps go on with the systems that they belong to.
But we can thank God in our hearts for anyone that is giving out that which God wants given out the names of those two men you mentioned. Eldad and me dad are interesting. The meanings L dad means God love and me dad means would be loving. Well that's the heart of God for his people and he was going to see that they were fed too. So back in our capture about the.
Word let these things sink down into your ears.
Well, Christ was teaching, and he would have any and all who were within.
Is the voice to hear him, to let it get down into the constants, and lay hold of it by faith.
And faith does that. Faith lays hold of its object. There's faith, hope and love. God love and would be loving. That's the names of those two men well for us. Faith, hope and love. What lessons they have for us. So faith lays hold of its object. But what is it all God loved and would be loving. That's the names of those two men. Well for us. Faith, hope and love. What lessons they have for us So faith.
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Lays hold of its object. But what is it all through this?
Bible you might say it's Christ. He is the object for us to lay hold of by.
Faith. Man. Hope desires it oh, when we lay hold of it and know who he is.
That was a question. Who am I? Peter says the Christ of God. Have you and I laid hold of that? All faith will lay hold of it. Then hope desires it. But you know what love does it enjoy? Love enjoys the object, and this will make us serve and have a love for others too.
But the disciples did not cast out a demon, and the Lord's work is going on.
And if we don't do it, the part that He's given us to do, he's going to use someone else. And so he did use someone else in this case, because the disciples were not up to it. But remember that that he has given us work to do. And in the state that should humble us, shouldn't it? Yes. And Mark touch ourselves because God has to raise up somebody else to give out and to help out. If it was just left to us, where would the gospel be preached?
Mark's Gospel is appointed every man whose work, and this should be individual exercise for us. But our work is yet there is a site, isn't it, brethren, that is brought out in the 11Th chapter.
Which is well to mention here in the 9th chapter. The Lord deals with sectarian tendencies in His disciples and they are in our hearts as well.
There might be jealousy seeing what the Lord is doing.
Among others.
Yet itself at the bottom and sectarian ideas, but in the 11Th chapter.
You have he that is not with me in verse 23 is against me, and he that gathereth not with me gathereth. You see, they said he doesn't follow with us. That's the secret, That's the key that manifests their heart. And the way the Lord answers. And Mr. Darby's translation, he does not say he that is not.
Not against us.
He says he that is not against you is with you. You see, he answers their sectarian ideas. We must not be concerned whether people follow with us. The question is, do they follow Christ? Do they gather with him? That's the point. That's why the Lord answers here in the way He does, because he answers the disciples.
Selfishness and their sectarian tendency he does not approve of.
Gathering not with the Lord, that is taken care of in the 11Th chapter. And we have in Acts chapter 20 that men will arise drawing disciples after them. The object is not Christ, but when we have ourselves as the object.
Then these jealousies bring up and go on, and there are many out there who seek to serve the Lord according to the light they have. They do not understand that they are.
Pursuing things not according to the word of God, and the Lord knows where they are in their own souls, but for us, we have to be on our guard that we do not become self-centered.
And look at the Lord's work in light of ourselves. You see, the Lord has a work that is much larger than the gathered thing. And that's a wonderful thing, that that is a fact.
But the truth that the Lord has brought to our attention is the truth of the one body gathering not only on the ground, but also in separation from evil.
But we have to be before the Lord and ask him that we might be faithful in doing that. Because that danger is there for us right now, beloved brethren, that we become so self-centered that we might even forget that we are not only gathered on the truth of the one body, but also in separation from evil, And that we have together with Him. People must not be the object even in our service for him, it must be him and his glory.
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Otherwise we are in danger of whether it is looking at ourselves or looking at the people. That is not the object. Price is the object.
Now the time has come for the Lord to be received up.
You know he could have gone right in heaven. His work was finished as far as showing the perfection of manhood down here.
And his Father was glorified in that part that we have up to this point. The time had come for him to go up.
But to see if he had gone on.
Umm, you and I wouldn't have any portion. And so the corn of wheat must fall into the ground and die. And he sets his face here.
He he steadfastly set his face.
We go to Jerusalem, but that's where he was going to die. That's the place where the prophets were killed, which he tells them about later in Luke.
But he was that fast. He set his face. He couldn't be moved in any way because he came. Christ Jesus came in the world to save sinners. That was his purpose coming. Glorify the Father first, but then to save sinners. And if he had gone up then and he could have, according to.
Exodus as a servant.
He would abide alone forever as man, because he has become man and he will be a man forever.
But as a man forever, he's going to have companions in the glory. And so he set his face steadfastly go to Jerusalem.
In the prophet Isaiah says I have set my face like a Flint. That's Isaiah 50, verse 7. When we get to John's Gospel chapter 18, it developed that.
The first words of chapter 18. When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth, and the fifth verse, the 4th bird, John 18. Four Jesus, therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and John 19.
And verse five. Then came Jesus for wearing the crown of thorn.
And the seven piece verse, John 1917, he bearing his cross went forth. That's where Jesus was going from. Luke 195051. He was proceeding right there, and he knew everything that lay in his pathway, but he looked beyond it to the glory of the Father's house, which we've touched on. He had that in view before him, the return there, but it was by way of the cross, so that in John 12.
Just to notice the further verse.
He is to be glorified in John 12.
And he says.
In verse 31, now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the Prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, we'll draw all unto me This he said, signifying what death he should die. He was to be lifted up on the cross before he was lifted up into the glory.
From whence he draws all men unto him, So he says in the 14th chapter, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me he is the one that draws and really carries us right into that glory which he had in view, even as he now set his face like a Flint to go to Jerusalem to be offered up.
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Seems like he had just another lesson to teach his own, didn't he, in the next verses. And that lesson was really what grace and divine love is.
Because he sent the sons of Zebedee where James and John.
Forced to prepare, prepare this village of Samaria to receive him and they would not. And of course, they said let's command fire from heaven and consume them all. Then women and babies consume them. That's the heart compared to his.
You know, divine love is what we're going to get into, and he wanted them to know what that is. It loves the unlovely thing and his enemy, even. That's us, brethren. When we were enemies, Christ died for us.
But he said he had to rebuke them again.
Rather than our thoughts are not his thoughts. Let's never forget it. They used their thoughts to get it. You know not what manner of spirit you are of, but the Son of Man has not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them.
That doesn't matter if they won't receive him, Doesn't matter if they hate him, Doesn't matter if there is enemy. That's you and I when we're in our sins. That's divine love. What a lesson this is.
That did mean that judgment would not come. But it was not time now for judgment. The Lord had come and prayed in the day. Coming you come in Judgment as judge came as a savior and grace, and God has manifested grace to us in the Lord Jesus Christ. But the day will come when the Lord Jesus Christ will be manifested as judge, and he'll come in the clouds to deal with all of His enemies.
Here's another case where Jesus brings out what's in the heart. When he had chosen his disciples. There's three of them. And he gave surname to Simon. He surnamed Peter. That was just a stone. That's all you are, Peter. Just a little stone. But these two, James and Johnny, call them Brewer nurses, which means sons of Thunder. Well, the Thunder comes out here, doesn't it? They they want to take things in the power in judgment. Now they too.
Hadn't learned great. They didn't know what manner of spirit they were of. Oh, we must learn this. We too. We're acted. What? To have God pull down judgment when we hear men blasphemy and say such terrible things that it affects us? And might be so, but oh, our thoughts ought to be embraced toward them, because God loved them. Till that means God loved me. Dad means loving well.
We ought to have, love, do, and learn the spirit of Great.
Henley not also applied and in a practical way as Jerusalem being the center, God's center.
They'll recognize even at this time. The Lord brings that clearly out in John Chapter 4.
That Jerusalem was the place, not Samaria.
And if we, as it were, that our faith towards the center that we have now, which is the Lord Jesus Christ, we don't have a geographical center, we must not be surprised if there are those who do not want to receive us and that.
Grace is to be the attitude that should be manifested by us is people do not understand our desire.
To be in Jerusalem, so to speak, the center that God, where God has said His name, there is the danger. And self again, is the principle that manifests itself in this way, that if we find no understanding with people about our exercises, that we have about the divine center, that we would want to see judgment fall upon them. That is not according to the spirit of grace.
But that is manifested in the Lord Jesus, and I do believe some of us should have less trouble to show a spirit of grace, because it has taken the Lord a long time for some of us to complete that place, and perhaps have been in opposition to that faith ourselves. So let the exercise, beloved, if you show grace when people do not understand our exercise, the Lord is praying before His disciples again.
01:00:27
Really. His death? So they won't act as they did in the next verse or so. But you see, we have that several times in our chapter. If we really occupied with Christ, we will be aware of the work he's done. And that's what brings out the love. And we wouldn't act as these disciples acted, which we might act and call down fire from heaven. Now the Kingdom of God was mentioned.
The Kingdom of God is especially mentioned in Luke's Gospel.
More in the full sense of what it means. And really, in Luke, it's a vast moral Kingdom with Christ at the head. By that I mean it isn't simply the reciting of facts for us to remember, but the deep moral lessons that we've had in this chapter.
That's what characterizes the Kingdom, God in his present aspect for us deep moral lessons.
As the poet puts the barbed words that fasten where they fall and stay deep in the hearts of men and never pass away. And So what we have here is forming the believer not only for the present testimony, but forming in for companionship of the Lord Jesus for all Ethernet.
If we're reading.
The word of God simply for information we're not going to get to benefit God wants to have.
Putting it in another way, the word of God has been given to us.
To form our life for formation, not just information, information we get in the words good. But if that's all we're getting, it's not enough. And our brother has made a very important point that is to form us and make us more like Christ.
He morally conformed to God, to his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is important and there is that in us that resists that, that whole nature, and it still resists it. But I'm glad that something is best said about the power we have. The anointing that is the spirit of God anointed for power and.
God can help us, and we have grace here, and the Lord will give us grace that we might get the good out of the world, that it might speak to our hearts. So often. I'm afraid we're reading the Word and it doesn't say anything to us.
And it's because we really don't want it to say anything to us. We just want to read the word, the start of a habit and maybe as a ritual. And sometimes I feel that we use the Bible as a sort of a petty or charm like the people have in even countries. Well, it's more than that.
It's the living word of God, and it's to be read by us, and it's to be fed upon, it's to be meditated upon, that we might form our lives, to be made more like the Lord Jesus Christ, morally more more like him. The anointing of the Spirit is the presence and the energy of the Spirit of God in intelligence and power.
In this verse 57 we have religious flesh.
It's everywhere. I will follow thee.
But there's nothing to it, because when they're tested, they won't follow him.
The missionary, who received a letter from a Bible school, said, If you have.
A good road to where you are. I have several young men interested in coming. The answer was, if they need a good Rd. the Lord doesn't need them. That's really what we have here, isn't it? The Lord says if you're going to follow me.
Boxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man doesn't have where to lay his head. You're not going to find any place for yourself in this world if you follow Jesus, and it isn't going to be the easy Rd.
01:05:06
We've got a promise from him. He shall have tribulation. We have that promise and it will be. But he's with you through it. That's what's nice. We often look the mean. Mean. That's what you're talking about, mean.
Instead of the sores. But really, you think of a disciple with the Lord in front of him. What else does he need? He's got the sword. Why worry about the main? Well, it takes faith to lay hold of that thinking about the Kingdom my brother was speaking out too. And that moral thing over which Christ has set up his head, it's something we can't see, but we can see the results of it. We can see the result of it. Well, there's love, faith.
Hope and grace, and particularly grace and the glory of grace.
And people practicing self denial and prayer, That's the results of the Kingdom, we can see that.
It's all that fed in this counter to ignore many good things.
And I think we've come to a point there, something I've enjoyed in my own soul while we're talking about I've never seen it before. But you know, why did Moses and Elias have to disappear from the scene? Why did they have to leave the Lord Jesus there alone so that the witness came from heaven? This is my beloved Son. Hear him. But throughout the chapter, there's perhaps two different ways in which we could.
Trace these two.
That are out of place here with the Lord.
And the first one, of course we've understood, and I've always understood that.
Moses represents the law and crisis, the end of the law, to all them that believe for righteousness to then to all them that believe. And Elias was the representatives of the prophets. But the prophet was to prophecy of one that should come, and they themselves were not the object. So Elias must disappear too.
But now, in this very chapter, a moment ago, the brother brought out the sons of Thunder.
Well, what about Moses? Why? Why didn't he enter the land?
All we remember the words that Mona spoke. Must we catch your water, you rebels? I'm not holding you exactly, but Moses spoke unadvisedly with his lips, and so did John hear in in speaking that way.
Bob tell me a man's fire come down from heaven, that was unadvisable. So the Lord Jesus in that point shows up so wonderfully again as being the object for our heart.
And then what about Elias? You know, a brother brought specially out that the Lord Jesus had his face steadily to go to Jerusalem.
But what did Elijah do? He steadfastly set his face to get away from Jezebel. He went to mark horror. He steplessly ran till he got there. Took him 40 days, He did but the Lord Jesus again, the opposite of all that is in man's heart, a wonderful one here who is so different than Elias. In this case too, he was the one that had his face through Jerusalem. But for to die there. Elijah wanted to flee from being killed.
The Lord Jesus went into death with a face that's better.
And there we see in that blessed one boy. I tell you, brethren, through these meetings here, speaking about this chapter in the growing thought in my heart, Lord Jesus must have the preeminence, He must be shoring off in everything that he does, and that way we can enjoy them all more and more.
It's not following a popular Christ here.
It's forming. It's following a lowly man, Christ Jesus.
Just think of it.
The foxes had holes.
The birds of the air had nests, but the son of man had not where to lay his head.
Who's going to follow a man like that?
Is there anything for the flesh there? I believe This is why the Lord brings it out, because he wants to cut off that which appeals to the flesh. It's not there. This kind of thing does not appeal to the flesh.
01:10:15
And he said unto another, Follow me.
Well, this is discipleship here following the Lord. But what are we going to follow Him for? We'll have to follow him just for himself, what he is and how he presented himself here as the lowest man, Christ Jesus being obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, He went that pathway of faith as we have heard once before today.
Looking on to Jesus, the author or the beginner and finisher of faith, he walked the pathway of faith through this world with his eye always upon God, his Father trusting, always in him, always dependent upon God, his Father. He would not take one step without him. He would not do one thing unless he had a word from the Father part. He was the obedient defendant man.
And when we see what it turns out to be following a man that has nothing.
Is there room for the flesh there? No room for the flesh there. He's not popular, and the flesh in his looks for somebody popular.
And when the Lord Jesus Christ is sought to be popularized in the world that he might get a following, that kind of thing is all wrong.
That's why the cross comes in. And when we preach the gospel, we must remember there's a cross connected with it and it's not popular.
Sometimes we hear gospel preached in places, and perhaps those are saved. But.
It's presented in such a way as to make the people feel that this is a popular thing, and if you follow this, you'll have earthly gain. But it speaks nothing about earthly gain here. And the Apostle Paul realized that he learned that that when you follow Christ, you're cut off from things here and you can't expect earthly gain, but you can expect heavenly gain. The heavenly side of things are brought to force here, not the earthly side, and this is the important thing to see.
But when we follow the Lord Jesus Christ, we're following a man who took the low, low, the lowest place. Are we willing? Are we ready to follow him? There's a special gospel emphasis on this verse you're Speaking of, because in that land they would have feasting for 40 days at a funeral and he wanted to go bury the dead.
So that if a man waited 40 days, when the Spirit of God convicts a man, he doesn't act.
God speaketh once a year, twice.
Man, he does not, and so if he waited 40 days, he wouldn't come to Christ. Now our time is slipping away and we just got a little more in this chapter.
61 verse 61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee, but let me first.
Will bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
Is there anything come before receiving Christ?
Now we have the illustration in First Kings 1919.
Of this passage is taken from the Old Testament.
Elijah.
Came across Elijah and he cast his mantle on him.
And.
Elijah was going to follow Elijah.
But he said let me go home to my house first.
He says go back again. What have I done to thee?
But he goes back. He doesn't go home to his house. He'd been fine with oxen. He slays the oxen. He he prepares the meat for the people of God.
And then he shows his fitness for the Kingdom of God.
01:15:01
Not 5th to the Kingdom of God says here one who goes back. It's not a question of service, it's a question of fitness for the Kingdom of God. Jesus said unto him, No man having put his hand to the plow.
And looking back, that is going back to the old.
He used the plow in all the instruments to burn, to cook the meat for the people of God. He brought in death on his whole former position. Now he's fit for the Kingdom of God, not before.
Jesus said in our verse here follow me. And I was just thinking that's what he's saying to each one of us who belong to him. He wants disciples. And in John 21.
19 He said to Peter, follow me. But the interesting thing is what Peter saw when he turned verse 20 Peter turning about. See if the disciple whom Jesus loved following.
You know what? That speaks to me. The only way you can really follow in this world, this wilderness, the Lord Jesus, is to have a sense in your soul of how much he loves you. John was already following, didn't have to say.
John followed me, and when Peter looked, he saw the disciple who called himself the disciple whom Jesus loved, whom brethren, that teach one of us. And if you have that sense in your soul, following is not a chore, it's a privilege.
#244.
Ephesians 1:15-21
Ephesians 1:22-23
Reading
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Three, and beginning with verse 14.
For this 'cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom every family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit and the inner man.
That Christ may dwell, dwell in your hearts by faith, that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with All Saints what is the breath, and length, and depth and height, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.
The power that worketh in a unto him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
Believe we commented on the last two verses of the first chapter, and put all things under his feet and gave him.
To be the head over all things to the Church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth All in all here I believe.
Christ, that blessed One who went into death, and thou has been exalted over all things. In him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
That Blessed One is seen as our risen, exalted head in heaven.
But then the head needs the body, and so in that sense we find that we're the fullness of that one who fills all things.
The body of Christ.
We cannot be brought into a closer association with that Blessed One.
And it's not something to take place in a coming day.
It is now for love. On a coming day we will enjoy it in all its fullness, but even now we have been brought into that association with him.
Which is his body.
The fullness of him that filleth All in all.
Would you give us Brother Judd?
If you like some thoughts as to what it means to be, head over all things to the Church.
That's not exactly the same thing as being head of the church, is it? I wonder if you could give us some help on that. I'd certainly. You give it to his brother. Well, I was hoping to escape that. I would. I'd like to sit as a learner on this subject.
This thought has been in my mind, but.
Maybe. I do hope others will speak of it, but.
As far as I know, we've had very few, if any.
Presidents of the United States who have been bachelors.
Now those of you who have studied history may be able to help on this point, but.
In general, we think of the president of our country as having a wife.
Well, he's head over the country.
And to his wife, he's head over the country and she shares his place of of prominence with him.
He's head over the country to his wife.
And that's a different aspect than being the head of his wife.
And I thought about it that way. It's it's a bit on the simple side to explain it, but.
Those are thoughts that have been in my mind, maybe others can elaborate more. I agree with you brother and I think it's important to see.
00:05:10
I'd like somebody to correct me if I'm wrong, but we find those individuals. Christ is our Lord.
But I do not believe you ever find in Scripture that He is called Lord.
When it's referring to the assembly.
He is the head of the body.
And I believe it expresses that thought that you have just given us.
That.
Well, with the Queen of England, she is my sovereign, my earthly sovereign here.
But I'm sure Prince Philip doesn't think of her as his sovereign. She is his wife.
And so with ourselves, Christ is our Lord individually.
But I think.
To the church He is the head. Is that right, Brother Brinkman? I thought that that the Lord is the first born of all creation, and the Lord has various positions, but no position is as precious and as wonderful to him than that position of head over the Church. Isn't it correct?
I'm sure it would be. The church is his most precious possession.
Visit your thought, brother Ronald, that this is larger than that. That is what has just been said I believe is true, but I gather that you feel that this is an even wider in its reach.
Ten over all things to the church because it says it doesn't say head of the church to the church head over all things. It seems to me it's well, it doesn't take anything away from what's just been said. It seems to be broader and wider and.
Bringing his wider glories, which we enjoy in that intimate position, he is our head and speaks of those not holding the head in a in a reprehensible way. It's a very serious thing not to hold the head.
You know, but it's nice to think of that larger.
Scope of his honor.
All the glories that are his in every way are associated with the one who is also the head of the Church, and that makes that had that much more glorious.
Right.
To the church, he controls all circumstances.
The world doesn't see him that way, but the Church recognizes that he controls all circumstances in Colossians.
One verse 18 there is, there are. The other thought is expressed where it says that he is the head of the body of the church.
What is in this verse I believe has a different as brother Vargas was just saying a broader context.
But he the Church recognizes him to be in control of all circumstances.
Is the thought too, that as head over all things through the church, that he shares all that he is one, as man he shares with his pride?
It is not true that in the Colossians we find there that.
In chapter one, verse 17, he is before all things, and by him all things subsist.
That He is, as has been generally expressed before, as the One who is over all. He is the Creator and over all.
But he has the church with him. It's his body. So when it comes to the relationship as we have it in in Ephesians.
Its head of the church.
00:10:01
And we have it in Colossians that the wording there on the 18th verse, he is the head of the body, the church.
So as a as a man is the head of the wife.
But still there is. Is it being stressed that wider relationship with all things?
Maybe look at a few verses and as to the subject of Psalm, Psalm 8 verse 6.
Psalm 86.
Thou made us him.
To have dominion over the works of thy hands, Thou hast put all things under his feet, and then some. 110 Psalm 110, verse one.
The Lord said unto my Lord.
Sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
1St Corinthians 15.
27.
1St Corinthians 1527 For he hath put all things under his feet, But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is accepted which did put all things under him.
And the last one over in Hebrews.
Two.
And verse 8.
Hebrews 28 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet, or in that He put all things all in subjection under him. He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.
We can lavish too much praise upon many.
People and and persons, but you can't lavish too much praise on our blessed saviors. This is commitment. You don't have to worry that you've been using superlatives. It's just something that just rejoices your heart to think that you can just let go, shall I say, and you're proud. I speak very simply now. Just you can let go of your praises. There's everything to demand it.
Isn't that wonderful?
What I think that that one allowed spit upon?
Brown with orange peaks on that crown. Haunted if I'll be there twice from town across. And you could go on. Isn't it wonderful to think that there's no praise that's too high for him?
This 23rd verses has been mentioned brings us into this focus because we are one with Him and since all things he's ahead over all things to the Church, which is his body that makes US1 with him in this same association. And I was thinking how beautiful that is. When you think of it, we have a picture of it in a sense of the spirit.
To Christ in Genesis. It's the 24th chapter and I just have one thought there in 24.
Because this is the sovereign grace of God. And in verse 36 the servant says.
In verse 34 my master has become great, but in verse 36 he tells about his Son, and he says at the end of 36 unto him half the given all that he have, then we have at the very end.
Isaac lifting up his eyes and seeing Rebecca and at the very last verse 67, Isaac brought her and took Rebecca. She became his wife and he loved her and Isaac was comforted.
Notice the wonderful blessing there, but everything that the Father had.
He gave unto his son. That's beautiful. Rebecca by grace has brought into that blessing. But now you have it also in Ruth. And I was thinking in Ruth you've got a little different, because in Ruth you have the more bites.
00:15:11
That speaks of us, of what we were. A more bites shall not come into the congregation of God for 10 generations forever. A little more than 10 generations forever.
And a Sinner could never get into heaven forever. And Ruth was in that position and you and I were. But notice that in the 4th chapter we have in verse 10 route the Mobitus have I purchased to be my wife. Who's that Boaz perfect type of Christ. They're a beautiful type of Christ, I should say. And in verse 13, so boys took Ruth and she was his wife.
Now she is one with him.
In everything that he has and Boaz was the one there that gives us that type of Christ so beautifully, but she couldn't have never been in the congregation of God apart from being his wife. So we're the we're the body. That's what we have here. We're the body. And we've seen in verse 21 and two how everything is put under him. He is over everything but brethren.
It's sovereign grace.
Like Rebecca and it humbles us when we think of the Moabites character we have.
And had when He brought us into this blessing.
We have in Genesis, in Adam, a picture of God created everything and then he created Adam and put him as head of this earthly creation, but Adam was alone.
You know, and you might say in that way, he was incomplete.
And he passed before Adam all the creatures, and there was no maid found for him.
No help made for Adam. And then God made Eve for Adam to share that position with Adam, and he called their name Adam. So really Adam was incomplete without a wife. So we reverently say the church is the complement to Christ, and we reverently say it is incomplete without.
The church, and this is an overwhelming thought, that the church is the fullness of him, that Phyllis, All in all.
And he and Ephesians we have what the churches to Christ in Colossians we have what Christ is through the church.
The owners of him and fill it All in all eyes. Never forget when that dawned on me for the first time.
You almost do not dare to accept it when you think of how wonderful and glorious this person is in the position of exaltation and glory that he has, and then have the church us referred to as the fullness of him that fill it. All in all, if the word of God would not say so, how would we dare? But that's here right in that verse, the fullness of him.
That's a precious consideration.
And it shows the limit to which grace has gone to make us, by his unspeakable grace, to be important to him. That's the limit to which grace is gone. And as our brother has just told us, you're just, well, you just wouldn't believe it unless it was in the word of God. How precious it is. We're important to Him.
In.
First Corinthians, chapter 12.
And verse 12.
We have this, whereas the body is one and as many members, and all the members of that one body being many are one body. So also is, I believe the new translation says the Christ.
Christ and the Church. The Christ.
In Ephesians 5.
Few verses there there.
Bring before something of this precious thought we've been Speaking of.
Beginning at verse 27, Ephesians 5 and verse 27.
00:20:05
That He might present it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. So are men to love their wives as their own bodies. He and loved his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the Church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones.
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they too shall be one place. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the Church. Nevertheless, let every one of you in particular so love his wife, even as himself and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
I wonder if we could have again stated for us what the difference in tone.
It is in the prayer in chapter 3.
From the prayer that we had in chapter one, I thought this morning we had that brought out and it might be helpful for those that might not have been here this morning to have it stated again, what the difference in the prayer that is in chapter 3 is from the prayer in chapter one.
In chapter one and verse three, blessed be the God and Father.
Of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And then in verse.
17.
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory. The prayer is addressed to God.
Because in chapter one, Christ as seen as man, the man of God's counsel, but he is seen as man, so is addressed to God. In chapter 3 we find.
Possibly more of the affections we find that it's to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, because there Christ is seen as the sun.
Chapter 3 is see, as the sun goes through the follower of our Lord Jesus Christ. In chapter one he is seen as man, the man of God's councils. It's addressed to the God of our Lord, deep Christ.
'S.
Marvelous thought that's developed in chapter 3.
That.
This relationship into which we've been brought.
June Gentiles together into one body, the body of Christ, And this was in God's councils before the world began.
That the price should have a bride from amongst the children of men.
And.
Gentile together.
Be brought into one body, the body of Christ.
Marvelous thought, too. We might just turn to it for a moment, because we're Speaking of God's counsels first, Peter.
Chapter one and verse 20.
Speaking of Christ, who barely was 14 before the foundation of the world.
Always we think of it, the Christ was chosen as the Lamb of God before the found east of the world.
00:25:02
The cost of Calvary. The need of Calvary had been foreseen, the cost of being foresee.
And Christ chosen as the Lamb of God before this world is founded, that God's eternal purposes might be carried out, that Christ should have a bride from amongst the children of man.
And then God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit went onward with that work of creation, that those councils might be carried up in fullness of time, that blessed One.
AIM is the Lamb of God and went to Calvary Cross that those councils might be fulfilled.
We have in the first chapter, we have more our position and position that God has brought us into and we have brought a relationship.
And the blessing and the desire that we.
Apprehend the extent of our blessing, the breath, the height and depth, breath and length of these things, and the Father and our intimate relationship with Him is connected with that, isn't it?
And we were considering his body at the end of the first chapter. We were getting into the sovereign praise thereof God. And we were also getting into the mercy of God when we remembered what we were. But I think there's one aspect coming out now that brings it even a more deeper thought. And that's that's the desire in the heart of our Lord himself of Jesus.
I was thinking of that.
In Genesis we have just a little thought there of this.
45.
At the end of earth one Joseph made himself known under his brethren.
And at the end of verse 3.
They were troubled at his presence.
And then in For Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you.
That lovely let his desire and we have then in the second chapter here of Ephesians verse 13.
But now in Christ Jesus we who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. And so we get into the beginnings of our chapter of portion. Here we have this in verse nine. First of all, it's Speaking of the unsearchable riches of Christ and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the world has been hitting God who created all things by Jesus Christ.
To the intent that now, under the principalities and powers in heavenly places, might be known by the Church, the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him.
That's come near to me, come near to me. That's really what we're brought into now.
So we can begin to get into the goodness of His heart toward us in love when we get into this new prayer now.
It's a realization in our hearts.
That we belong to him.
That he wants us, That he might share that scene of glory with us.
We are his bride.
And he wants to share all with us.
And marvelous thought too, in those verses that you read to the intent that now, under the principalities and powers in heavenly places, might be known by the Church, the manifold wisdom of God.
All here is now brought up.
God's purpose is counsel from that past eternity.
00:30:06
That Christ would have from amongst the children of men are bright.
The closest of all relationships.
Christ wanted one with whom he could share the whole of the inheritance.
I've had a thought with regard to this 14th and 15th verses I'd like to express. I haven't heard it mentioned, I believe, but the thought had been in my heart for quite some time, and when the apostle considered it, it caused him to bow his knee to garden, to think that what was about to be revealed.
Was the purpose of God and had been from past eternity.
He speaks in the 15th version of whom the of whom? Every family is. Our brother read it and they read it correctly. I believe every family in heaven and earth is named.
There are families in heaven. There are families on earth.
We get different families of angels.
And.
We have. There's going to be different families.
Of their Saints in the glory.
But if we turn to John 14, we find there that the Lord tells His own. In my father's house are many abode. If it were not so, I would have told you.
Then he adds, I go to prepare a place for you. There's been no place in heaven, no family in heaven.
Are those who belong to Christ.
There's a wonderful thing that this is the mystery has been hid in God from all eternity.
That there was a going to be a company which would be in the glory. The Lord Himself was to go there to prepare the place that there might be such a company.
And as we have, as we have here, to whom every family in heaven and earth is named, they're all of God.
But there's been there's a place now prepared for another family.
That which is going to be there and we're going to be with Christ forever.
So, brother, what we would tend to be concerned about is that we would lay hold of what the portion of the family is to which we belong, while we clearly see from the Scriptures even the portion that others have who are not strictly belonging to the same family. And we ought to distinguish these things because we don't want to reach out for that which.
Belongs to them. You know, we have much more precious things. So he's bringing out the fact that there are various families, but we belong to the.
Most blessed family, if I may put it that way, none of the families that ever were brought to God in other dispensations were blessed like you and I or we are today in Christ. Yes, there's, you're going to be the bride there. There are going to be the friends of the bridegroom.
There will be the various families of angels. They all have their responsibilities and.
The angels in that day are going to offer their praise and worship too.
We find it in Revelation Chapter 5.
I think that the one family that has had no place there is a one that Christ is put in love upon.
Our relationship to the Lord Jesus is that we are members of His body.
Our relationship to the Father is that we are his children and that line of things is not fully developed in this chapter like it is in John's ministry, but nevertheless it's mentioned and this is just an added blessedness that we have. And in verse 14 and 15 of our chapter, we see the Father and we see the Word family occurring.
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I've often noticed.
In fact, just last week I was talking to a man that does some work for me in relation to our printing efforts and I asked him about his family. I said.
What effect has your little baby brought into your house?
He just couldn't get over talking about the joy that he had found in the coming into his home of a little baby boy.
Why he just didn't want to quit talking about it. It had meant so much to him and brethren, we have been enjoying the relationship we have to Christ were important to him as his bride. But in this line of things we have now in chapter 3, it's as though God would say to us, don't forget that you're also my children and I love you so much and we have a a place of importance to God the Father.
Because we're part of his family, and what a wonderful consideration. And that leads us right to his heart. And it has been spoken earlier today that part of the Council of God is that there should be a church composed of Jew and Gentile. But I believe that also part of God's counsel in eternity was that he would have a family composed of people like you and me. And that really was something that was in his heart.
And it seemed like that's what that's what this prayer leads us to the very heart of God that enjoys his family and he wants us to have a share in what's in in his heart. Is that not correct?
That's right, we should we should keep remembering, however, the 10th verse by the Church.
How wonderful. That is what we think about it.
All the instructions.
To the servant, which is the type of the spirit in Genesis 24.
Were were keyed in, there's only one thought a wife for my son. That's it. I for Christ, that's it. Nothing else was important. That was the mission and that is in the eternal purposes of God. And we have this thought in in Luke, I believe it's.
Chapter 7 I was just thinking this thought. Verse 28 For I say unto you, among those that are born of women, there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist, but he that is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he.
Closest to the Lord his Son. Closest to the Son of God the Bride.
And brethren will have to remember this blessed truth that this is the the thing that was in the purposes of God, the mystery before the foundation of this world. So when God finally got jobs here and he said, gird up thy loins like a man Job, I'm going to ask and demand of you, you answer me. He gave him 40 questions. One of those questions.
Job, I think is a 39th chapter. Just one question brings in this focus, I think.
These questions are of course all wisdom, but in chapter 39.
Verse 31 Just the first part. Can't thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades?
It's got volumes, but we're Speaking of it now in Ephesians where we are.
You can't bind the sweet influences of Pleiades. No one can.
No power can, nothing can. It goes on for eternity.
Speaks of the Seven Sisters.
Seven is the heavenly number of perfection. Sisters would speak of the Bride and I believe the Pleiades is the sweet influences that permeates everything in creation. It's God's purposes before the foundation of the world. What a lovely thought. They can't keep out goes on and on.
If we could just look back a moment at verse 10. I just like to make this comment. I believe that the principalities and powers see the one what it's referred to here is the wonderful councils and purposes of God and its broad reach it it just must be marvelous to the heavenly.
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Principalities and powers to see the unfolding of God's wonderful councils. But I just like to make this expression.
Doesn't this really suggest though that?
This should have an effect on our.
Our ways.
And what we Because if the heavenly hosts are looking down and seeing God's counsel, what a shame it would be.
And well, the picture, I just feel that there's a certain.
Responsibility that suggested here.
We're things are going on now are not just of interest to us and nephew that know I'm down here. They're of interest to the principalities and powers and heavenly purposes. So even how things go in the church is a solid thing, isn't it? Now I know all of his purposes are going to be carried out and we're going to be presented spotless. That other side isn't it? It suggests a responsibility.
I was enjoying that line of talks too.
In regards to chapter one.
Question. That was great. I would ask my reverend about this consideration.
In verse 21, the Lord has been said above all principality. Well, we are not a principality.
And all power. We're not a power, and we're not a might, nor are we a dominion.
And has been mentioned. We don't even have a name. He called their name Adam and so also into Christ.
So we only bear the name of Christ.
And then I'm not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.
And ask with all things, well, in a certain way this is that's not what we are. We're not a thing. We're none of these things under his feet. And in a certain way the church and you might say is not put under the feet of the Lord Jesus.
But what is our place You give Him to be head over all things to the Church, which is His body. Well, the Church has a very peculiar relationship to Christ, is that?
Of being his body and established we have in Genesis, when it says about.
Atoms or we should say man when he was created it says male and female created to them and he said to him over all of the creation.
So the Church of God, you might say, doesn't find its place under the feet of the Lord Jesus, but rather as his body.
The fullness of Him that fills All in all we share and display His glory. Well, in the first chapter of Ephesians this is going to be made manifested in the dispensation that's to come, the dispensation of the fullness of time.
But in our chapter it now should be displayed in that list of other referred to and displayed.
And there's a brother referred to in verse 10 to the intent that now unto the principle of his empowers in the heavenly places might be made known by the church, the manifold wisdom of God to be displayed now to those heavenly principalities and powers, this wisdom of God. And so you see that Paul uses this motive, I believe in relating to the.
The sisters in the coloring of their heads, the angels, behold that and other things that the Church in her conduct displays what is to be to the glory of Christ.
All of creation will see this display of glory in the in the age that's become. But those principalities in heaven now should see us in us in us now. The angels are watching us.
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Today, our principalities and powers in the heavenlies, today they're watching us. And all might be the Church.
Display his glory. I was thinking too, and in the book of Esther, what's that Vashti, the queen of God, was that she refused to display her beauty for the glory of the king.
Well into the exercise of soonness that we might be.
What we are, and we will be in the coming day, but it's our privilege to be that now. We we are His body, the fullness of Him to fill us all.
Wondering if in chapter one and you were mentioning the whole principality of verse 21.
So forth.
Does indeed include.
All you might say the.
Principalities that are.
Good and and the Evil Chapter 3 and verse.
And the more.
The good powers in the heavenly place this end after 6th and verse 12.
Something of that which is the enemies opposition.
And I was thinking also of Acts chapter 27, chapter 26.
There's 15.
And I said to art thou Lord? He said, I am Jesus, whom thou persecutors.
But rise, stand upon thy feet, where I have appeared unto thee for this purpose.
Minister And a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, those those things in which they will appear unto thee, delivering thee from the people and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee to open their eyes and return them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them, which are sanctified by faith that is in need.
This citing the Apostle Paul.
Possibly an example here that.
You get a member of the body.
As you might see it, what we can see is delivered from.
That which God was through with, that he might be in this world as a as a member of the body functioning.
For the Lord's glory.
He has set many members.
But there's 11 body.
And as these principalities and powers that are that are real and opposed to God's blessing.
It is needed that we have a man in the glory who has.
Who has been in the place of death and is now set?
At at the right hand of God, and he's above all these things that we might fear as powers against us, He says to the apostle, delivering thee from the Gentiles.
And.
Forgot the exact words again, but those.
From the people and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, was mentioned this morning.
In Corinthians 6.
To come out from a Monday and then be separate and touch not the unclean thing. And so there it's mentioned the Lord Almighty.
Believe it's to encourage the faint hearted to take that step and see God in their behalf, the Lord Almighty to deliver that they might stand. And really I was thinking that the body which is His fullness.
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Is is to bring each member.
His function intelligently for His glory.
Delivered from that which is power against him.
And I was thinking in in verse 13 of chapter 3.
Perhaps think not.
Is the.
Directly answered by the end of verse 16. Strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man.
That each one of us might be.
Encouraged at knowing the man that's in the glory for us at the Father's right hand and but we might function.
So that it is displayed.
The manifold system of God.
To those good powers in the heavenlies, and as brother John is bringing out the.
Taking the land, placing our feet upon it. I think more of the thought of chapter 6.
Where there are opposing powers.
I thought too better that the Spirit strengthening by the Spirit is what is necessary for every one of us. We need to be strengthened by the Spirit. We have in these verses different things mentioned of what is necessary in order to.
Apprehend with all things, and so on.
We find first of all, in verse 16 that we have to be strengthened.
With might by his spirit it is not.
In the energy of the flesh that we can lay hold of these things, then Christ must dwell in our hearts by faith. We cannot enter into these things and enjoy them apart from being in communion with the one who has blessed us and in whom we are blessed. So it is a necessity that we have Christ dwelling in our hearts by faith, and that we rooted and grounded in love.
You know that love is operative in US, and also part of that is that we can only apprehend these things with all the Saints. You know if we have any thoughts that are narrower than the truth of.
The body of Christ, if we have sectarian thoughts, you know, if we do not include in our Love's affections all the people of God we can never really enter into.
God's thoughts concerning the church. So to me, to make it simple, these things are pointed out to show us if we want to apprehend these things, this is what has to be found in us. That has to be true of us, that the Spirit is the one that strengthened us in the inner man. We could never merely intellectually really enter into these things. The Spirit of God has to enlighten us and give us understanding.
And we have to be in communion with Christ, and love has to be operative in US. And it manifests itself that we include all God's people in God's councils, you know, Otherwise we have no true apprehension of what the Church of God is. If you only think of this narrow circle of those with whom we walk, That's not the Church of God, I hope.
And trust it is a true expression of the Church of God.
But the Church of God is larger than just a small circle with whom we walk.
Mentioned the word apprehend. I believe that's the 18th verse rather than comprehend. They're both all right, but the fullness is apprehend. Is that where you have the thought we may be able to apprehend, lay, hold, make it good to our own souls with All Saints. I believe that 18th verse brings in really all we have in Christ. It's so wonderful that 19th verse brings in the love of Christ for us.
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And of course that passes knowledge, the love of Christ for us.
In the 17th verse, there's another little change in Mr. Darby's translation.
That the Christ may dwell through faith in your hearts, being rooted and founded, not founded, but founded in love. The foundation of all this blessing, the love that is in the heart of Christ toward you and toward me.
Toward his bride, his journey.
That is the fondest of it all.
We can only measure that love by what it has cost him to have us brought so near to him.
In order that ye may be fully able to apprehend with all the things, what is the breadth and length and depth and height.
Overall, another is said. It's just as if we were inside a cube, looking out in every direction.
Over all the glory of God.
There we are in the center of it all, but in case we should.
Feel out of place there that one whom we have come to know in such closer relationship is there with us. Christ is there with us in the center of all that glory, and we associated with Himself.
Looking out on all the fullness of the glory of God.
Looking out in every direction and we see that bar length and breadth and depth and height.
Then that 19th verse brought right back to the love of that one that we know.
So the breadth and length and height and depth is not the love of Christ. No, there is a distinction between that.
And that says in verse 19, to know the love of Christ, you know that him which we so much enjoy. It passes knowledge that be a love of thine. The hymn writer has not, it does not express the correct thought there. There are two distinct things, and we should certainly lay hold of the love of Christ.
An illustration has been used supposing I was suddenly transported.
Into the midst of the royal family in Buckingham Palace, I would feel entirely out of place because I'm not used to all that.
Wonderful display, but if the Queen.
Had been my own intimate friends there and then I would be perfectly at home for the one that I would know was an intimate friend was there. Well, here we are transported into this marvelous scene of glory and we find there is one there that we know and we know that he loves us and we love him and so.
We're home in that scene of Florida.
To know the love of Christ which passes knowledge. I do trust everyone here knows the love of Christ. We love because He first loved us. It's the love of Christ and we've tasted, but you'll never, never know it fully, not even in eternity.
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It passes all knowledge and I love that. It's like the little example of the.
Man in mid America who walked all the way because he wanted to see the ocean. He got there and spent a little time at the shore, marbled at the ocean. When he went back, he told everybody he saw the ocean, but he didn't. He did it. Of course. You're kind, exhausted, you'll never seek it fully. And we've tasted the love of Christ, We know it. How wonderful it is.
But for all eternity, we are going to be learning more of the love of Christ. It passes knowledge. And I think that's a wonderful thought for that wonderful lesson we're going to have right away when we get there.
He's going to gird himself and set us down to meet, and He's going to come forth and serve us. And brethren, you're going to be able to enter into a little more of the love of Christ and it'll go on forever. And the more you'll learn the grander appraisal. Grow up there. We're never going to reach the crescendo 'cause it passes knowledge.
That's what this verse says to me, the love of Christ. I hope you all know it. I hope you're all in Christ and you know it, but you're never going to know it fully. That's something we're going to do forever. It's so grand.
In his video 47, I just like to read a verse or two.
And he measured this is verse four, think of 47 verse four. And he measured 1000 and caused me to pass through the waters were to the loins. And he measured 1000. It was a river that I could not pass through, for the waters were risen waters to swimming.
A river that could not be passed through couldn't help but think of this wonderful picture here in in the procratic scriptures of what we've come into. It's a river that the waters where you have to swim and you can't pass through the waters. We're touching on what is boundless celebrity wonderful and I couldn't help but think of these wonderful words of the prophet that give you a sense of it, what we've come into.
But I wonder for when you can get to the knees, then to the loins and then swim.
Fullness of his love has began to be taken in, but you'll never pass over. As you say, Never.
It keeps on getting deeper all the time.
We're into something so mighty precious in this nineteen first brethren.
Who? When he found one Pearl of great price, he sold all that he had and bought it. That's the love we're talking about.
That's just the that's just the shoreline, brethren.
Christ also loved the church and gave him Southport. Beloved, as we begin to realize that we have cost Christ everything. Now if I go to buy something in a store, I'll pay what I think that thing is worth to me.
Christ has given everything for the Church. This is the measure of.
Our worth to him. He has given everything for us. He went and sold all that he had and bought it. He who is rich, yet for your sake he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be raped.
We had referred to earlier 1St Corinthians 15 verses 27 and 28.
Maybe we could just read?
1St 28 again.
1St Corinthians 15 and 28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him.
Then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be All in all.
Now God placed man on this earth and put him in charge, and man promptly believed Satan's lie instead of God, and sold God's glory into the hand of the enemy.
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Now Christ as man has come and made good everything that the 1St man failed in. Everything has been placed into Christ hands as man. And Christ here we find, brings everything back into that condition in which God can again take pleasure in US.
And when that has been done, all his hand and back to God, and Christ remains a man in the glory forever, that he might have us there with himself, that he might enjoy our coming and we might enjoy him we have there in Exodus 21. He shall serve him forever. Christ remains a man of the glory forever.
That we might be with him.
In our chapter it seems like.
It's been presented to us that there's more than enough to fill our hearts, and I wonder if someone would give us some practical instruction on how we can make this all happen.
Will it happen automatically to everyone of us, or is there something that we could be exercised in so that we could make this become a reality in our hearts? It was the prayer of the apostle. Let it become a reality. And what would you say as to how we can allow this to happen?
We're really in the days described by Jude and I'd suggest just diverse or two there.
In Jude.
We had that verse 20 read, but he beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. You'll have the four anchors there and we need them all.
Faith like precious faith, your most holy faith, Prayer in the Holy Ghost, the love of God.
And the hope that we have, how precious it is. But now notice it says keep yourselves in the love of God. I would refer you to the 24th verse. Now unto him that is able to keep you under him. That's the way our 20th verse starts in our chapter. Now unto him that is a brethren, you can't keep yourselves in the love of God. You have Christ in your hearts and you'll be in the love of God. You'll be occupied with the one we've been reading about.
He'll keep you in the love of God. It's a wonderful thing, but we do have that responsibility to look up. Be occupied with that one, but notice the rest. He's able to keep you from falling. Present you faultless, blameless before the presence of his glory, with exceeding joy at the church. That's His bride. Blameless, Faultless without, blemish without.
Thought just like him.
Where one with him were his body. Yes, I think the exercise should be. Brethren, more and more. Let's look unto Him, looking off steadfastly unto him. Hebrews 12. There is no other way.
There are four more anchors mentioned in Acts 242.
And one has found it to be.
Very precious and practical.
It's this verse that the Lord used by His Holy Spirit to separate me from Christmas is there in 1938.
The heart of Africa.
And they continued steadfastly in the apostle doctrine.
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And fellowship, and in breaking of bread and in prayer, there are the four anchors. And I noticed that the fellowship is based on the doctrine. If the doctrine isn't right, there can't be fellowship, they continued. In the apostle God, we didn't learn much of that.
But we find it in God's word is mentioned very important. Chris Dunn doesn't seem to know much about the apostle doctors.
And there's no no effort put forth to continue it. They continued as the first church.
Steadfastly, not just plasmodically, but steadfastly, faithfully dedicated in the apostle doctrine. And then there was fellowship.
And then there was a precious privilege, the highest privilege under the sun, worshipping the Lord and the breaking of the bread and in prayers.
Such such procedure continues.
Gives great joy.
Well, then you have that verse 44, all that believe we're together right now. We had mentioned verse 10 that the angels are looking down and watching, and I was thinking we had mentioned likewise in chapter 4, the word that we should walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we're called.
That's the divine summons, everyone of us, the purpose of Our Calling. And you know what it is? It's verse three of the fourth chapter, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit, brethren, in the bond of peace. That is the testimony of the oneness of the body of Christ, and that's what the angels delight to see.
That were his. We belonged to him and were together. I was thinking in Psalms 133.
Behold how good and how blessed it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. Brethren, that's it, That's our testimony. That's the expression of the pride, the body of Christ.
That's Our Calling. That's the divine summit.
Like to draw attention there in Acts 2 The verse 46.
And they continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house.
To eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart. A singleness of heart. Oh, we have a single eye for Christ.
And his glory.
What a difference it would make so often, something of our desires.
And what we would like in truth. But here they had a single eye, a single purpose. If the eye be single, the whole body shall be full of light.
May we indeed have that single eye. And I was thinking of a verse in John 1323 also what you were saying, Ron, in regards to.
Having these things in reality now there was leaning on Jesus bosom, one of his disciples.
So I think if we are leaning on his bosom.
In that close communion, and like John, we can know quite a bit of his love and he expresses it throughout.
The the Gospel of John and also in the Epistle.
Brother Ron, I wonder if the answer to your question is clearly found in the closing chapters of this epistle, and I think if we were to have been able to go on for the next chapter, we would see practically.
Follow these as well in our heart and produce truthfulness in our lives.
There's practical instruction there that would preserve us from quenching the operation of the Spirit of God and developing the extrusion of truthfulness. And I, in fact, I was thinking in this morning's reading, you know, when the Lord and soul proceed, it was all the same seed, but some fell on Stony ground, and some by the wayside, and some in red ground.
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Well, it wasn't. There was no fault with proceeds.
In the precious screws that are being ministered in the reading meetings today. And there's nothing wrong with the sea, but that doesn't mean fruitfulness is going to come and it must fall on good ground. And I think in the remaining chapters of decisions, taking heed to the expectations in those chapters, which are very basic and very simple.
Would produce good ground in which the seed that we've been had dropped into our hearts, you might say in these two reading meetings. The ground would be good if they would produce through. So I I do think that it all does answer your question in the next speech after, I would think it would be well to read the first print in chapter one on verse 10.
We find that the Holy Spirit is oftentimes grieved and quenched.
And here we have a very strong admonition. I beseech First Corinthians chapter one, verse 10. I beseech you now, I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
And then in Acts chapter 4, this is the precious fruit that this produces.
And the 32nd verse. Acts 432.
And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul. Neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed with his own, but they had all things common. And here's the truth. And with great power gave the apostles witness, and of the resurrection, and of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.
Great power and great grace.
And the devil likes to come in.
Bring about situations that are otherwise.
And that that destroys the unity of the Spirit and grieves the Holy Spirit and quenches the Holy Spirit. And so then there's there's that which cannot bring forth fruit of the Spirit, because there's too much of the flesh in operation.
By divisions and heresies of all parts. But it might need not be so.
May I add something to this? We've had some wonderful thoughts expressed. I'd like to refer to the Philippians chapter 3.
All on the way to Damascus had had a wonderful vision.
Of the Lord in glory.
But you never forgot and which is always very real to him.
And in Philippians chapter 3.
He desired to know.
Christ better, but may may I read?
From the 14th verse.
I pressed 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 anything, if you otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
Nevertheless, wait till we have already attained, but hath walked by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. I believe that to be Christ Himself.
Brethren.
These followers together of me and mark them which walks those ye have us for an ensemble.
Then down in the 20th verse where our conversation or a manner of life is in heaven.
From whence on should we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who should change our wild body, that it may be in fashion like unto His glorious body, according to the work, and whereby is able even to subdue all things unto Himself?
I believe rather than nothing can preserve us.
Like having our eyes on friends.
01:20:03
Seems like we've reached the crescendo on on this portion, and I have it on my heart to read the last two verses plus two others. And if I have a feeling it'd be well if we stood while they're red. If you are with my brethren.
Worth plenty now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, ages of ages. Amen. And then our thinking in Jude. Just to conclude.
Again in verse 24 and five.
Now under Him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.
Anyway.
Joshua
Address—L. Judd
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The book of Joshua in the Old Testament.
I'm sure many here know corresponds to the book of Ephesians we had before this morning.
And I thought it might be nice to seek to draw a few thoughts from the opening chapters of this precious book.
Joshua one and verse one now after the death of Moses.
The servant of the Lord. It came to pass that the Lord spake unto Joshua.
The son of nun Moses, Minister, saying, Moses, my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou and all this people under the land, which I do give to them, which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.
Well, these two verses give us the setting, shall we say, For this book Moses represented the Law.
And the law can never bring us into heavenly blessings.
In Ephesians 1:00 and 3:00 we have.
Blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.
We have been brought into those blessings. They are ours now.
And here we find Joshua was to lead the people.
Across the Jordan. But Moses couldn't have done that, for he represented the law. And the law can never bring us into these heavenly things that we were enjoying this morning.
No, it's only in Christ.
Now therefore our eyes go over this Jordan, thou and all this people unto the land, which I do give to them.
Now, there's a passage referred to in Leviticus 25 this morning. We might just turn back to it.
Vertigo 25 and verse 23.
The land shall not be sold forever.
For the land is mine, for ye are strangers and sojourners with me.
Now I believe we can see that corresponding.
Gained what we had before us this morning.
I'll just turn to it in Ephesians 1.
Verse 18 The eyes of your understanding, being enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling.
And what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints?
All wonders, truth. That land belonged to Jehovah.
But he took that inheritance in his people of old.
He gave that land to them.
They were strangers and soldiers with him in that land.
Well, we're strangers and soldiers down here, but that's referring to this world. We were once citizens of this world.
But now, knowing Christ as Savior, we are simply strangers, pilgrims passing through it. We only sojourn here for a short time. The sooner we reach the glory, the better it is for us.
Oh dear ones we are here for. He would teach us lessons while we're passing through this scene.
Beloved, our home is above. This is not our.
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Native land, shall we say as a child of God, we are strangers down here.
But here it says, Ye are strangers and soldiers with me.
All about what a difference we find then no longer strangers and sojourners with them, but brought into the family of God.
Brought into relationship with God as our Father and Christ.
The bridegroom.
There can be no closer relationship. We were strangers.
We were far off from him, without God, without hope in the world.
But now we have been brought nigh. How nigh we could not near be, for in the person of his son we are as near as he.
Oh beloved, what? A portion is ours. If we could only grasp that fact.
That God is our Father.
And he has brought us into all that wondrous relationship with himself.
And we enjoy the inheritance he has for us.
Knowing that relationship.
Well, we'll go back to Joshua chapter one then.
Look at verses 3:00 and 4:00 every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses, from the wilderness, and this Lebanon, even under the Greek river, the river Euphrates.
All the land of the Hittites, and under the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.
All one has often thought of these verses.
Notice that fourth verse, first from the wilderness, and this Lebanon, even under the Greek river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and under the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.
That outline the whole of the inheritance of the children of Israel.
And I believe corresponds to Ephesians One and Three that we quoted just a moment ago.
Blessed with all spiritual blessings, notice that little word all and how encompassing it is.
Blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.
We have it all now.
Now there's another well, turn to verse three first, every place that the soul of your foot shall tread upon.
That have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.
Verse 4 outlines the whole of the inheritance, verse three what they enjoyed.
Every place at the sole of their foot.
Shall tread upon that have I given unto you.
They only enjoy that land where they went in and possessed it. The rest was theirs, but they never enjoyed it, and they have never yet entered into that full inheritance. Even under David and Solomon. They didn't enter into it all now turn over to.
Joshua.
11.
Joshua 11 and verse 23.
The.
So Joshua took the whole lamb according to all the Lord said of the Moses, And Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes, and the land rested for more.
Not one word.
About anything that Israel had done, Joshua took the whole land.
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Joshua gave it for an inheritance.
All but out there we see Joshua was a picture of Christ, and Christ has done it all.
He has taken all their calories cross.
He fully glorified God about the question of sin, and there he delivered us from all the power of the enemy. There he won.
That wondrous victory.
Oh, the little him puts it all he won with us to share.
Well, dear ones.
The Lord is 1 and all. Look at Joshua 13 and verse one.
Now Joshua was old and stricken in years, and the Lord said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remain as yet very much land to be possessed.
All you say is that a contradiction? No, Joshua had taken it all.
Joshua had given all to them, but they had not gone in and possessed the land.
Only a small portion of it.
In fact, they allowed the inhabitants of the land to rob them.
Of that which Joshua had won for them all dear young people.
This speaks to my own heart and I believe will speak to the heart of each one of us.
How much do we really enter into and possess all these wondrous blessings true that we've had before this morning?
There remain as yet very much land to be possessed. Oh, I know my own soul. I realize something of how little it is.
I enter into these precious things, Oh, may we value them and seek after them.
And not allow the world the enemy to rob us all the enjoyment of them.
Oh, he cannot take the blessing from us, but he can rob us of the present enjoyment. He will seek to occupy us with something else.
All that we might indeed be occupied with Christ himself.
Occupied with him, there will be no room for the world.
Verse 5.
There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life. As I was with Moses, I will be with thee. I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Oh we might turn to Hebrews chapter 13 for a moment.
OK.
Hebrews 13 and verse 5.
Let your conversation.
Or I think you would say your manner of life.
So often we have the word conversation through the epistles, and as far as I know, in practically every case it could read your manner of life, let your manner of life be without covetousness, and be content with such things as you have. For he hath said, I will never leave thee nor.
Forsake thee.
So that we may boldly say the Lord is my helper.
And I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
Oh dear ones, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. He is with us.
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Why should we want?
More of the things of this world when He has given us everything he sees will be for our good.
If the Lord has given us all that He sees it for our good.
Why should we be after more?
We can safely leave those things in the Lord's hand. There is a solemn verse we find.
He gave them that which they requested, and sent leanness.
Into their souls. Oh, we go after the things of this world.
Contrary to the Lord's mind as to what he sees is good for us, beware that it doesn't bring leanness into our soul. Oh, what loss it will be.
Current Doctor One and verse 7.
Only be thou strong.
And very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law which Moses, my servant commanded thee.
Be strong and very courageous.
It was going to cost something to walk in obedience to the word of God.
And dear young people, it's going to cost each one of us.
Something if we seek to walk in obedience to the word of God.
But what do we find in Revelation 3 and verse 8?
Thou hast a little strength.
And has kept my word and has not denied my name.
Know how applicable that is for us today.
Thou hast kept my word and not denied my name. Oh, can it be said of us that we have kept his word? This is what he singled out.
But that assembly there in Philadelphia, that they had kept his word.
Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayst observe to do according to all the law.
Which Moses my servant, commanded thee.
Turn not from it.
To the right hand or to the left?
That thou must prosper whithersoever thou goest.
Know that precious word of God that we have in our hands.
Cut, shall we say, in a straight line.
Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left.
Again, the temptation is being, shall we say, to give up a little on the one hand or a little on the other.
It makes the way smoother. It makes.
Those.
That desire to associate with us a little happier.
But beloved, let us not turn aside in any way from the word of God.
You know one thinks the 27th of Acts.
Acts 27.
And verse 38.
And when they had eaten enough.
They lighten the ship and cast out the wheat into the sea.
There may be other thoughts on this verse above. They had got surfeited they'd eaten enough.
They got filled.
Lord, may we never have too much of the precious word of God.
But the effect was they had got filled, and they cast out the wheat into the sea. Or did they throw overboard those precious things which would have given them stability and balance? For very soon we find that they ran into a place where two seas met.
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They couldn't manage the ship, it just stopped fast.
The ship was all broken up. If they had had that ballast then they would have had far more stability. But if we give up any of these persons truths, we're no longer stable. We lose that which would be the keeping force.
So may we not give up any of the precious word of God.
Going back again to Joshua and verse 8, This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night.
I believe again was mentioned this morning in Timothy 4.
Meditate on these things. Give thyself holy to them. Not just the question of reading a chapter of the Word of God, but reading it.
And seeking wisdom from above to know what the Lord would have for us in that portion, meditate on these things.
Crisis thing it is, and I trust everyone here as I have it.
Of reading the precious word of God every morning. We need it, but may we also meditate upon us.
But thou shalt meditate therein day and night.
May we indeed be found so thinking, meditating on the precious word of God.
That thou mayst observe to do according to all that is written therein.
For then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then?
Thou shalt have good success.
There, dear young people, is God's recipe for success.
It may not be success in the eyes of the world.
But after all, who do we want to please? Is it the one who loved us and gave himself for us?
Are we seeking to please the world?
Then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage?
You know.
The verse in Proverbs.
Chapter 12 They Might Just Turn to it.
It's in connection with the thought.
Of meditating.
On what?
We read Proverbs 12 and verse 27.
The fruitful man roasteth not right which he took in hunting, but the substance of a diligent man is precious.
The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting all we read the precious word of God.
But we don't find out.
That which the Lord would have for us because we don't meditate on us.
It's their force. But shall we say we have to roast it? We have to.
Meditate on her and be independent on the Spirit of God.
To reveal.
That portion that the Lord would have for us.
But the substance of a diligent man is precious.
And then in Jeremiah chapter 15.
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Verse 16.
Thy words were found, and I did eat them, and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart.
For I am called by Thy name, O Lord God of hosts.
Thy words were found that I did eat them.
Yes, they became a part of him, He ate them, they were that which gave him nourishment, and they came a became a part of him. And the result was they were the joy and rejoicing of his heart.
Again, beloved, if we so meditate on the precious word of God, we will find it the joy and rejoicing of our heart.
Verse 11.
Pass through the host and command the people saying prepare you vittles.
For within three days ye shall Passover this Jordan to go in to possess.
The land which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it.
In three days they were to Passover the Jordan, Ohio, I believe those three days and we find them mentioned several times in this port of the word of God.
Those three days would speak to us of the death and resurrection of Christ.
It is only through the death and resurrection of Christ.
As the risen man there in the glory.
That we can come into these blessings which we had before us this morning.
Three days. The death and resurrection of Christ. May it never, may we never forget what it cost us.
What it cost Christ to bring us into this place of blessing.
Now just a thought on the remainder of the chapter.
Verse 12 And to the Reubenites, to the Gadites, to half the tribe Manasseh speak Joshua saying, Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you. Say the Lord your God hath given you rest, and have given you this land.
Your wives and your little ones, and your cattle shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side, Jordan.
But ye shall pass before your brethren, armed all the mighty men of our and help them.
Robin Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh.
Had taken their inheritance. They desired their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan because they saw it was a very suited land for their flocks and their herds, their cattle. It suited them for their present needs.
And so they took their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan.
For present advantage, they really gave up the privilege of being in the land of Canaan, that good land that the Lord had promised to them. They were still within the bones of the inheritance that God had given them, but.
It wasn't actually the land of Canaan. They stopped short of that.
And notice, even though they didn't take their inheritance across the Jordan.
Yet they were to cross the Jordan and fight till their brethren.
Had rest in their land of their possession.
Now just.
Ordered, given them but.
It wasn't actually the land of Canaan. They stopped short of that.
00:30:02
And notice, even though they didn't take their inheritance across the Jordan.
Yet they were to cross the Jordan and fight kill their brethren.
Had rest in their land of their possession.
Now just to go over to chapter 4 for a verse there for just a moment.
Verse 13 Speaking of these same ones, Reuben Gad and a half, Dr. Manasseh, about 40,000 prepared for war, passed over before the Lord unto battle to the plains of Jericho.
Oh dear one, they were all to go over.
And if we took the total number of Ruben Gad and half the tribe, Vanessa, I think there was something like 110 or 12,000, but only 40,000 went over.
Oh really? Was their heart, and not much. Over a third crossed the garden to fight.
No, beloved. The greater part by far stayed behind.
Well, does it not again speak to us of allowing present advantage the things of this world, to hinder us from taking possession of that which Christ has for us?
I don't want to diverge, but there's a very striking.
Horse and Joshua 22, striking to me.
Joshua 22 and verse one.
Then Joshua called the Reubenites and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh and sat under them. You have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you? And who obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you?
Just go on.
Verse 6 So Joshua blessed them and sent them away.
And they went under their tents.
Yes, Joshua called them together.
He told them they had done everything they should and exhorted them to cleave to the Lord.
So his word and he sent them back to enjoy their possession.
Now notice verse 7. Now to the 1/2 of the tribe of Manasseh. Moses had given possession invasion. That's the half that has just gone back with Reuben and Gad.
To enjoy their possession on the east of the Jordan.
But under the other half thereof gave Joshua among their brethren on this side Jordan westward, and when Joshua sent them away also under their tent, then he blessed them.
And he spake unto them, saying, Return with much riches unto your tents, and with very much cattle, with silver, and with gold, and with brass, and with iron, and with very much remains. Divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren.
Oh, how precious it is to see.
The blessings.
That that half tribe of Manasseh received.
Because they were willing to be separated from their brethren, they valued the land of Canaan, and though it meant separation from half the pride, yet they crossed the garden, and they took their possession in that land of Canaan, and we find that they had far more.
Then that half pride that went back to the east of the Jordan, All you say, didn't the others take spoil. Scripture is silent concerning it. But here is the rich blessing the rich portion of that half private Manasseh had. And I think if you look at them you'll find every one of those things speak of Christ.
The love may we indeed value above all else.
Those precious things that God has given to us.
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Now I might go on to chapter 3.
Gain verse two, we find 3 days the death and resurrection of Christ.
On verse 3 And they commanded the people, saying, When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priest the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place and go after it.
Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about 2000 cubits by measure.
Come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go.
For ye have not passed this way heretofore.
No, this was a way they had not trodden and someone must go before.
They could not come near that ark. All that ark spoke to us of Christ.
Notice now in verse 15 the latter part of the verse for Jordan overfloweth all his banks.
All the time of harvest.
Yes, Christ was the one that went into those waters of death for you and for me.
All God's waves and bellows flowed over that blessed one. He bore the full storm of God's wrath for you and for me, you know, And celebrating the Passover, they were told. Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire.
Well, raw, there would be no heat at all. Sodden with water, the heat would be tempered by the water. But no, it was to be roast with fire. The hottest heat applied all blood, because it was the blessed Son of God who hung there on that cross of Calvary, the Lamb of God, the one who was taking our place and bearing our judgment, because it was that blessed One.
There was no lessening of the judgment.
He bore all the full wrath of God against sin.
That you and I might be with him in that coming scene of God. Yes, he bore it all.
And not only that, but he bore all the power of Satan, shall we say, brought the bear against him there. That cross of Calvary, Oh, I believe we see in God's wrath falling on Christ. We see the picture in the Passover lamb in Egypt.
And the Red Sea we see how He has delivered us from all the power of the enemy. But now here in crossing the Jordan again still a picture of death, but if we have died in Christ.
Dead and risen with him.
This beloved, is our standing in Christ, dead and risen with him.
Oh, do we realize it?
Dead with Christ. What have we to do with this world when we are dead?
We are risen in units of life with Christ.
All we may indeed walk in the power of that new life, if ye then be risen with Christ. Seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. Set your affection or your mind on things above, not on things in the earth, For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God, when Christ, who is our life, shall appear.
Then shall ye also appear with him in God? Oh, what a marvellous thing it is. We have the very life of Christ himself.
We have been given a new nature.
But love may we walk in the power of that new nature.
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You might pass on to chapter 5.
I know we're passing over much as precious, but our time is limited.
Joshua 5 and verse one. And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorite, which were on the side of Jordan, Westford, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted. Neither was their spirit in them anymore because of the children of Israel.
Well, no. They had crossed that Jordan with the express purpose.
Of conquering the land of Canaan, of taking it for possession. And here we find that the inhabitants of a country are completely demoralized.
Their heart melted. Neither was their spirit in them anymore because of the children of Israel. No, humanly speaking, you would say, well, now is the time to attack them, but such is not God's way.
No, Beloved.
That which would.
Be suggested by the natural man?
Is not God's way. Notice the next verse.
At that time.
The very time when their enemies were completely demoralized. At that time the Lord sent him to Joshua, make the sharp knives and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time.
And Joshua made him sharp knives and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskin.
Oh, circumcision.
Putting the flesh in the place of death, the cutting off of the flesh.
We'll just go on to the next verses that will explain itself and this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise.
All the people that came out of Egypt, that were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness, by the way, after they came out of Egypt. Now all the people that came out were circumcised. But all the people that were born in the wilderness, by the way.
As they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised.
For the children of Israel walk 40 years in the wilderness of all the people that were men of war.
Which came out of Egypt, were consumed because they obeyed, not the voice of the Lord.
Unto whom the Lord swear that he would not show them the land which the Lord swear to their father, He would give us a line that floweth with milk and honey.
The wilderness, dear ones, is where the flesh is tried.
That was where the flesh was tested.
In the wilderness and we see.
There in that which took place for the children of Israel.
We see our own heart mirrored rebellion all the way.
The flesh was tried, but the moment they crossed the garden.
The Flash was tried and found utterly worthless there in the wilderness the moment we crossed the Jordan. All they have to put the flesh in the place of death, and if we are going to enjoy in any measure.
Enter into those blessings that we have had before us. Then the flesh must be put in the place of death.
The flesh must be cut off. It can never bring us into those heavenly blessings. Just as Moses couldn't conduct them into the land of Canaan, no more can the flesh secure those blessings for us.
We war against principalities and powers.
Gain spiritual wickedness in high places.
And beloved, the flesh has no place there.
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Now I notice verse nine. And the Lord said unto Joshua, this day, have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal under this day? Yes, while they had left Egypt.
And.
Cross that wilderness, the Red Sea being between them yet the reproach of Egypt.
Was not really rolled away from them.
Until they were circumcised there in the land of Canaan.
Dead and risen with Christ.
Now notice.
Verse 10.
And the children of Israel and camped in Gilgal and kept the Passover.
On the 14th day of the second month at even in the plains of Jericho.
The children of Israel and Captain Gilgal and kept the Passover on the 14th day of the.
All the months are even in the plains of Jericho.
The Passover.
Is a picture of the death of Christ.
There, that night in Egypt, it was the blood of that lamb that was.
Shed was plain. The blood was shed and it was applied to the lentil and the two side posts of the door.
God's word was when I see the blood I will pass over you, God died.
That on the blood.
Overall, what a picture it is for us of the death of Christ on our behalf. But beloved, does it not remind us just the same as the breaking of bread?
We find.
There they are.
In the land of Canaan.
I redeemed people.
Shall we say completely separated from this world by the death of Christ?
Dead and risen.
There having passed through those waters of death, but they passed through those waters dry shots.
They pass through those waters, dry. Shock. It was Christ that bore that storm of judgment. Now we stand in resurrection ground, and we find them keeping the Passover.
All is if not a voice to us.
As we find there in Luke the Lord saying this, do in remembrance of me.
Here the commandment was given that they were to keep the Passover.
Well, beloved, if not a command, but was on the same night in which he was betrayed that the Lord made that request as was made to his own.
Do you know him as your savior? Then you are one of his own if you do.
And was to his own that he made that request this new in remembrance of me.
Oh, I remember dear old brother, I believe.
Said there was one time when he knew that he was doing what the Lord would have him to do, because the Lord had said this do in remembrance of me.
Oh dear ones, if there are some of you dear younger ones here. Or older ones too, if you've never answered to that request which the Lord made on the same night in which He was betrayed.
Oh, if you might indeed the exercise as to what the Lord would have you to do, they kept the Passover.
Verse 11.
And they did eat.
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Of the old corn of the land on the Morrow after the Passover, unleavened cakes and parts corn in the South same day.
And the manner ceased on the Morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the lamb, neither had the children of Israel manna any more, but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.
They fed on a Christ risen and glorified.
A Christ who has died for us, but risen again. Seed is the right hand of God.
Christ down here as he went through this scene, a picture of the manna.
Or the man, a picture of him.
That which they gathered in the wilderness. But here we find the old corn of the land.
Of Christ prison our proper heavenly food.
No, the children of Israel could only have either the manner or the old corn of the land. They couldn't be in the wilderness and in Canaan at the same time.
But beloved, we find we're in both. This world is a wilderness, wise, or should be to us, and so we can enjoy Christ down here.
And we find them in the gospel.
We also find our proper heavenly food, as Christ is presented to us in the picture in the epistle, dead and risen and seated at the Father's right hand, and glory there for us on our behalf, and soon coming to take us to be with himself in that scene of God that we might enjoy it all with him.
Oh, this is brought before us again this morning.
He would not take that inheritance without his bride. Now, just one last thing. The end of this chapter.
Verse 13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold this to the man over against him, with his sword drawn in his hand. And Joshua went under him and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay, but as captain of the host of the Lord, am I now come.
And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and did worship.
And said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant?
Now it's significant.
That Joshua fell on his face and did worship.
If that had been an Angel that worship.
Would not have been accepted.
We find that John fell at the feet of the angels to worship him. Revelation 22.
The Angel said, See thou do it not worship God. But here that worship was accepted.
It was none other than the Lord himself come down to lead his people against the enemy. Here we find them, a people that have crossed the Jordan dead and risen with Christ, shall we say.
The Flash put in the place of death they have.
Kept the Passover.
And they have feasted on the old corn of the land.
Now there's one last thing. Before they go against the enemy, the Lord himself comes down to lead them against the enemy.
Now notice the last verse.
Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and saith unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant?
And the captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua loose.
Thy shoe from off thy foot for the place where all thou standest is holy.
And Joshua did so.
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All dear ones, there's a world of instruction for us there.
That one who'd come down to lead his people against the enemy. That one with the drawn sword in his hand.
Was sufficient to guarantee victory in every circumstance. The enemy powerless against that one with a drawn Thor. But all, if that was the one who was to be in the midst, if that was the one that was to lean them against the enemy, it required that holiness of walk suited to the person who was in the midst.
Or gain the touch of my own conscience.
Remember who it is is in the midst. Remember.
That we are the habitation of God through the Spirit.
Remember who that blessed One is with whom who has associated us with himself.
No, dear one, it's the measure.
A one hour walk and our way should be as we pass through this sea. Oh, may we see to walk The little time he leaves us here. May we seek to walk to his glory. Shall we just look to him?
We Have Found Water
Luke 9:18-25
Luke 9:26-36
Luke 9:37-