Chicago Conference: 1988
Table of Contents
Enoch
Address—C.E. Lunden
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 believe the scripture says that known unto God are all these works from the beginning.
We read about.
Enoch.
In the.
21St verse.
And Enoch lived 60 and five years.
And begat Methuselah.
And Enoch walked with God after he begot Methuselah 300.
Years.
And begat sons and daughters.
And all the days that Enoch were 360 and five years.
And Enoch walked with God, and he was not.
For God took him.
You know when the Lord comes, there will be literally millions arise, be caught away, but this is a picture of the individual who will rise to meet him.
God has given us a picture in the book of Genesis and what is the state of soul that is expected of one?
Who will rise one of those millions?
Will this be my state of soul?
He walked with God.
Now, that doesn't mean simply that he knew God as his God.
He walked with God. Now if I walked with God, can I take God with me and everything I do, beloved?
Is that not rather searching for our hearts?
Walking with God.
Companionship with God. Abraham was a friend of God.
Three times in Scripture, I believe it's recorded that Abraham was a friend of God. He walked with God, he read his history and you'll see separated from the world, willing to give in and take his place in separation.
So that he might walk with God in separation from what was around him.
Now I don't need to say anything about what was around Enoch because you know very well.
You know that that whole world was destroyed and it will be again.
And before it's destroyed this time.
You and I, who know the Lord Jesus are going to be caught away.
He was not.
It says.
For God.
Took him.
Now this is a little picture of the Rapture.
God took him turn to Hebrews, the 11Th chapter.
The fifth verse of the 11Th chapter of Hebrews.
By faith, Enoch was translated that he should not see death.
And was not found because God had translated him.
For before his translation he had this testimony that he pleased.
Development Now we learn a little more about Eno.
And God is pleased to reserve these portions for us.
They give us a little picture of not only the rapture, but the state of soul that's expected at that time.
Or you say, well, you look for that in the epistles. Yes, you do. But you see in the Old Testament gives us details that we don't find in the officials.
And these little touches, you know, should reach our hearts.
And it says here.
He was translated that he should not see death, should not see death. Isn't that a wonderful thing, that this afternoon as we sit here, suddenly we can hear that shout. We won't pass through death.
00:05:09
No, you won't hear that shout this afternoon.
And remind.
Is it going to be a surprise?
Or is it what you expect?
But now he had a testimony.
He has a prophecy too, but we're Speaking of his testimony now. That isn't prophecy.
It's his own personal walk.
Or you say, well, a testimony is getting up and preaching the gospel. It could be, but there's thousands of testimonies that aren't preaching the gospel.
The testimony is what the world sees in you as a Christian and sees in me as a Christian.
And be sure they're watching you.
Be sure of it.
Two men observed a brother who was working on his lathe in a machine shop.
And they were unconverted men. And one of them said to the other, I don't care, he says. Joe has something in you and I don't have.
Did he say anything? Not a word. He stayed to his lathe.
He had a testimony. They knew what he stood for.
Testimony.
Had this testimony that he pleased God.
Leah Jordan.
Now that's something to exercise our hearts, isn't it? He pleased God.
We would like to please God, and there are certain things in the Scripture that teaches us what pleases God.
And is it our exercise to find out these things that please God?
Should be.
Are we so busy that we don't search to find out what pleases God?
All what he's paid for us through his beloved son, the Cross of Calvary.
He had this testimony that he pleased God.
But he was translated.
And how was he translated by faith?
In other words, he knew that he was going to be translated.
He believed.
I've just heard of recently of two young people families.
That have given up this precious truth.
He believed them.
If you didn't have the truth, you have.
It doesn't take very much truth, evidence, faith, you know?
Are you going to be true to the light you have?
Remember the little story of Naman the Syrian and the little girl that was able to tell about the God who could heal the leper? There was faith and evidence and she was a captive.
And so it says by faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death.
By faith.
Do we have that simple faith at any moment the Lord has come to take us out of this world? Or are we so taken up with present things, business, pleasure, whatever it is?
That we're not.
Pleasing God.
And, you know, Scripture teaches us that these things can become idols in our hearts.
Good in themselves.
That they can become idols if they leave Christ out.
Now we have noticed here the rapture he was translated.
That turn to the book of Jude.
Now we're going to read about his prophecy.
00:10:01
And remember, his prophecy was given before the flood.
The flood that swept everything away.
He gave this prophecy.
It says Enoch.
Also the 7th from Adam.
Prophesied of these same.
Of whom did he prophecy?
Of these.
And who are the these in the Book of Jew?
There are those who have made the profession of Christianity.
But have given it up.
Pasta types.
Anita, before the flood, prophesied of those who today are giving up the truth of God. That's what this says.
Behold, the Lord cometh with 10,000, or myriads of his Saints.
The Lord's coming.
That's his prophecy. It's the same prophecy that we get from the Apostle Paul and others.
Only this was given before the flood.
The Lord cometh.
Or rather, behold, the Lord cometh.
He calls attention to it.
With myriads of his Saints. Now that could be translated to understand as we have in the 68th Psalm in Deuteronomy 33, it could be a holy myriad. Because you see, it will not only be the Saints, but it'll be the holy angels too.
Now can you picture such a company in the 1St place? Lord, the Lord with all his glory, He's coming, and with him all the holy angels.
And all the Saints.
And I asked your dear friend this afternoon, you may be here unsaved, I trust. Not that you might be.
I ask you, are you going to be in this company and do you know it?
When the Lord comes with 10,000 or myriads of his Saints.
And if you aren't?
You're in very dangerous ground this afternoon.
Because he might come now.
And you won't have an opportunity after that.
Have you ever read in Revelation 6 where they call the rocks and the mountains to fall on them from the face of the Lamb? And I ask you, who are those that are calling?
Those who waited too long.
Those who knew all about it because they knew about the Lamb, they knew bodies coming in judgment.
He says so.
They waited too long.
Know how solemn this is.
We're not Speaking of the rapture in this verse exactly. We're Speaking of His second coming in judgment.
Enoch, also the 7th from Adam, prophesied of these.
Saying.
Behold, the Lord cometh with 10,000 of his Saints.
Well then, we have here the two comings of the Lord Jesus.
That is the rapture in his appearing.
The same as we have in the Book of Thessalonians that were mentioned this afternoon.
More detail is given, but here we have the picture before us that was given to Enoch by God before the flood.
And you know, dear friends.
I don't know all of you.
But there's a possibility that there might be children here.
Who have never confessed the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior? There might be.
00:15:01
And if you haven't and the Lord comes, you'll be among those that will be crying for the rocks.
And the mountains to fall on them.
Because you know.
You know all about it. You know about the Lamb. You know about his coming. You know about the Rapture, too.
Behold, now is the accepted time. Now is the day of salvation. That is the day of wrath.
Oh, what a day it will be.
Let's turn to.
2nd Thessalonians.
But first I would like to speak.
Just a moment on.
That what precedes it in the 1St Thessalonians 5.
In the verse 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape.
Now this is the condition that will exist when the Lord.
Comes in judgment.
They will say peace and safety. In other words, they will have men will have things so arranged for their present enjoyment.
Whatever the conditions might be otherwise, they will have arranged it so they can try to be happy here without God.
And they'll say peace and safety, but there is no peace and safety. It just says they say that.
They have developed things in civilization to make it look as though it was peace and safety, but a distant peace and safety, because it's at that moment that Jesus comes.
Just at that moment.
Thus not be deceived.
In the.
Six verse.
Of the 5th chapter of One Thessalonians.
Year, all the children of light and the children of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness now. This is before the Lord comes. We're here on earth, the children of light.
Therefore, let us not sleep as do others, but let us watch and be sober. That's what we had just before this watch, but it adds and be sober.
Now what does that mean? It means first of all self judgment to be sure everything is in order here at home.
Be sober.
But now it also says.
In the seventh verse, were they that sleep sleep in the night? And they that be drunken are drunken in the night? And what does it mean to be drunken?
Well, stupefied. Inebriated.
Accelerated with this present world, the course of this world.
Just the little things that seem so pleasant to us, and they seem as though it's all right. There's nothing wrong with them.
And soon inebriated with them.
It's just the opposite of sobriety.
The Christians to be taken up with sobriety while the world is inebriated with the things of this life.
Ninth verse. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation.
By our Lord Jesus Christ.
Who died for us that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
00:20:00
Oh how precious that verse is. We are going to live together with Jesus.
Those who are Christians. The 1St chapter of Second Thessalonians.
In this chapter the Saints were being persecuted and also had false teaching presented to them that the day of the Lord was already here. And so in this chapter he says to them.
6th verse seeing as a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you?
And to you who are troubled, rest with us. Oh, how precious. 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.
Those who are taken in this judgment are characterized by two things. They don't know God. Now they may know about God, but they don't know God.
Two different things.
Oh, how much truth is known.
And you, dear young people, you know a great deal of truth, but are you walking like Enoch with God so that you'll know God?
Have you received the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, owning yourself a guilty Sinner before God? Owning that Jesus died to pay all your debt to set you free?
So that you can be in this heavenly company that's caught away.
Inflaming fire, taking vengeance in them that know not God, that 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, when he should come to be glorified any Saints, and to be admired, and all them that believe.
Because our testimony among you was believed in that day.
Well.
So solemn subject, isn't it?
A most solemn And so we've spoken of this in Jude of the two.
Cummins of the Lord Jesus, the coming for the church.
And the coming with the church.
With the church.
We have had it in Thessalonians as well.
Talking with the Lord
Address—R. Pilkington
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.
A few more and more the need of prayer as I think of the word prayer.
Very meaningful to me, many of you, your brothers and sisters.
On the other hand, it's not a formal thing.
So if you feel the word, prayer.
And your thinking brings something very formal to you. Then I'm going to want to talk to you and to me this afternoon about talking to the Lord.
Talking to the Lord.
Let us turn to First Samuel, and I think the story begins here.
In my.
Experience prayer begins in One Samuel chapter 3.
Samuel, Chapter 3.
Now this is a well known story, not really necessary to read the whole chapter. I wish to take a look at several instances in the growth of Samuel, but this is the beginning of his story. Of course, the real beginning of his story is Hannah and her prayer in chapter one.
And Hannah knew how to pray also. She knew how to get through to the answer. This is one of the things in a minute I wish to stress.
We might know how to pray, but quite often we don't know how to get to the answer.
The answer may not be yes.
The answer may not mean that you get what you ask for.
But the answer is like Hannah, who turned away and went away with a quiet harm. And there.
Countenance was no more like before.
She got through in her prayer to the answer and in this chapter 3.
And verse 4.
And says that the Lord called Samuel, and he answered here my.
And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I for the callest me. And he said, I called not lie down again. And he went and laid down. Dear young people, dear children, sitting here this afternoon.
I know that some of you know the Lord Jesus personally.
As your savior, it's very wonderful. I'm just so happy.
That maybe you're five or six or seven or eight and you know that your sins are forgiven. You know that you belong to the Lord Jesus.
But you might not know too much about prayer.
And I want to say something. I don't wish to offend and I don't pretend that I am correct or anything, but over this last year.
My little family.
God has blessed us.
And a very meaningful.
Aspect of my little family in Hong Kong, a little bit more isolated.
Is every evening after supper we read the Bible?
And then comes the time that is very precious to me, and we go around the circle and we pray together.
Prayer is not a formal thing.
I have a little daughter.
Every night he says, praise Lord Jesus.
Don't let me have any bad dreams tonight.
I say Amen to that prayer because I know she means it.
If we have a picnic coming up, I want to go swimming or something.
Invariably.
The four girls asked for good weather. Don't let it rain. Please Lord Jesus, we want to have a good time tomorrow.
Prayer. Very simple.
So I encourage you, you may be very young.
But each day find the time to pray to the Lord Jesus.
It doesn't have to be a long prayer. Prayers in the Bible were very short.
Peter, Lord save me.
It's another one. I've forgotten what it is, but it's just about the same length.
No introduction, informal introduction to that prayer, no Amen at the end of it.
Some of the most meaningful prayers in my life have been the most informal at a Chicago conference.
Maybe 20 some odd years ago at Wheaton conference, out the back behind those cement things that you know that they practice tennis in meltdown on that thing.
00:05:04
And I prayed, said Lord, I've got an answer. I've got a prayer that I've got to pray to you. I've got to have an answer.
As I don't there quietly voice came to me. Not an audible voice, but a scripture.
Came into my heart, went back to my room, looked it up. It was the answer. Now looking back over the 20 years, that was the answer that God gave to me. Informal, not in a church, not in a meeting, just on a piece of some men out the back with me sitting there praying in my heart, maybe half my year listening. I was afraid someone come around the back and see me kneeling there. Informal. And so we begin this afternoon with Samuel.
The first call came to him from the Lord, and he didn't recognize it.
The call.
And he ran to Eli and said, You called me, didn't you?
Dear brothers and sisters, young or old, especially young this afternoon.
I have found in my personal life that restlessness He is invariably a call to prayer.
I have found in my life.
When there's something bothering me, that's the Lord calling me to prayer. The Lord had a message here for little Samuel he mistook.
The call the first time maybe you are have have have problems in your life if you're a little bit older young people.
I want to encourage you, if there is restlessness in your life, if there's a problem that is pressing in on you, I'll tell you what it is. It's the Lord calling you. He wants you to pray to him. He wants to contact you because.
When we speak of talking to the Lord, it's a two way Rd.
At least I hope it is. It's a two way Rd. You talk to the Lord, but He will also give you an answer. And so beginning with this verse, the Lord called Samuel.
Samuel has good reaction. Have you got good reaction? Do you know when you're in a problem?
Will Samuel jumps up. Away he goes to Eli.
But Eli doesn't have the answer.
And so I really can now in verse #6.
And the Lord called yet again Samuel.
Samuel rose and went to Eli and he said, hear mine.
For thou dost call me. And he answered, I code not my son. Lie down again, call comes again. Or I could only impress on your heart and my heart.
The Lord is not impatient.
Though is not impatient. You know, I get pretty impatient if I call once and I have to call twice and I have to call a third time. You say I don't call the 4th time.
I think that calls for action.
Obedience is a great thing to learn when you're young and the Lord calls again. He's kind enough to come a second time and give a call. How many times has the Lord called in your life?
Perhaps he is calling this afternoon to you.
Restlessness or a problem in your life that you cannot solve. It's the Lord's voice to you, calling you. He wants you to pray to him. He wants you to find some quiet corner, some quiet time to kneel down in his presence or whatever you want to do. Relax, to be completely relaxed and say, Lord Jesus, I'm listening.
Now could you give me the message again please in verse 7? Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord.
Neither was the word of the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him. And so I start with this little story of Samuel, because I feel it's the beginning of communication, the beginning of talking between the Lord and Samuel.
And dear boys and girls, if you really know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.
The Lord Jesus wants you to talk to Him very simply.
You don't have to use any form.
In one sense of the word.
Talk to him very simply, be honest with him. And so here little Samuel for the first time gets 2 calls from the Lord. If we go through the history of Samuel, Sam is very quick. What can I say? Sam is communication with the Lord is very natural.
00:10:01
He doesn't have to go up on a high place. He doesn't have to offer a burnt offering cut off. And you'll see in Samuel's history, the Lord just simply said to Samuel such and such. And Samuel very naturally speaks back to the Lord.
And so this is his first time. It says he didn't know there was the Lord.
And verse 8.
And the Lord called Samuel again the third time, and he rose, and he went to Eli, and he said, Here am I, for thou didst call me.
And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child.
As a parent with five little girls, pray God.
That He will give me the discernment to see when the Lord Jesus is calling my little girls.
Eli didn't know the message.
He lied and say OK, well I'll go and get the message for you.
You know, I didn't quite understand what was happening, but praise God.
God gave him at last, on the third call, the discernment to understand that the Lord Jesus was calling Samuel. God was calling Samuel.
So, dear young person.
What about your prayer life, so to speak?
His confession at this last year I have felt my really sad neglect of prayer. I'm just too busy.
But when you get too busy, life doesn't go well.
If your connection with the Lord has problems.
And so Eli said to him, he said, go lie down in verse 9.
And it shall be that if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and laid down in his place.
Good advice. Eli didn't try to interfere.
Between Samuel and the Lord speaking now is an older person.
I don't try to interfere with your dear young Christians. I couldn't tell you the encouragement that you bring to my heart.
I see your love for the Lord.
And the earnestness to get out the gospel to others. Tremendous encouragement.
If I can.
Because I'm an older person, middle-aged person, if I can encourage you in any way.
With scripture or prayer?
I counted my tremendous privilege to do such a thing.
But I don't interfere between you and the Lord, I want you.
To be very close to the Lord, the Lord's not going to give me.
What He wants for you, except in the sense that sometimes we can help one another, but there are very personal things that the Lord has for your life and He's going to tell you directly and He wants to communicate with you in a very real way.
And so here, after the third time, Eli.
Isn't that lovely? He said. OK, I know what's going on now. You go down, lie, lie down. When the voice comes again, you say, speak, Lord, for thy servant is listening. Do you know what he says in Chinese?
Lots of you have heard me say this before. It's so beautiful I can't refrain from. It's one of the beautiful parts, Eli told Samuel to say. Speak Lord.
For thy servant is respectfully listening.
He's not beautiful and I want you to come into the presence of the Lord Jesus in a quiet time by yourself with a respectful attitude. I'm not going to tell you how to pray, I'm not going to tell you what to do, but as long as you have a respectful attitude, your heart is tender towards the Lord. OK, I'm quite satisfied. And so in Chinese it says.
He told Samuel to say, Speak Lord, for your servant is respectful listening.
I'm ready to hear, I'm ready to do speak. Lord, this is something that you will have to learn, dear young person, in your prayers, all of us, really old and young.
We all have to learn that He is Lord, and you can't play around with the Lord. You have to come with an honest heart, willing to do whatever the Lord has for you to do.
00:15:04
But quite often when I look at my own heart, I see so many mixed feelings. I know that sometimes I don't come to the Lord because I know what he's going to say and I'm out ready to do it. And so he said, speak Lord.
Lord, remember that He is the Lord Jesus. He is your Lord. And then it says, for your servant heareth, Are you ready to do what the Lord Jesus has for you to do? You are a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is your Savior.
But He is also your Lord. He is a wonderful thing to know and to serve the Lord Jesus Christ in your own life.
To me.
Service does not mean that you leave a job.
And go out with the Gospel to me services for each brother and each sister. Service is spreading the fragrance of the Lord Jesus in your work day, place and among your brothers and sisters.
So to come down to verse 10, it says the Lord came and stood and called as at other times.
Samuel, Samuel, this time it's twice. Dear brother, sister, it's urgent that you get in connection with the Lord. He is urgent that you know how to pray because there will be no growth and no solving of problems.
Unless you know how to pray, how to talk to the Lord Jesus, how to talk to him freely, relaxed.
And so he said, comes and says Samuel, Samuel.
Then Samuel answered, Speak for thy servant heareth he forgot one word.
He forgot one word, He forgot Lord.
In Chinese, it still has the word respectfully speak, for your servant is respectfully listening. So when you come in prayer, dear brother and sister, learn to relax. Learn to do it in a time when you're not rushed. But you say, like me, like last year, my life's too busy.
Well, that's the that's that's the problem right there and to me.
A couple years ago, two or three years ago, I discovered that I just didn't have the time to read. And when I did read, I.
Was always looking at my watch.
And so I decided I'm going to do something very practical.
And so every morning I would get up at 5:30, go downstairs and jog for a while, get the blood flowing quick, come up, have a nice lovely hot shower, or if in summer, lovely freezing cold shower. Get my coffee, sit down at my desk, take my watch.
And it was set for, I don't know, it was something like 6:30 or something. And then I could forget the time and then I could sit down and relaxed in a relaxed frame of mind. I could spend reading over the word of God, maybe in prayer, as what you and I will have to do. We'll have to regulate, shove other things out of the way, say here is the slot for prayer.
So that I don't miss it every day or every week, and if I get into trouble I'll probably have to make more slots.
For it, and so Samuel here.
The Lord speaks to him for the first time, and he gives him the message, not to Eli, but to Samuel. So I beginning this afternoon, I want to encourage you, no matter whether you are young or old.
To talk to the Lord.
I'm not Speaking of formal.
Talk to him.
As you would to your own best friend.
And in fact, personally.
The Lord Jesus is better than a best friend.
Because just what I was telling you before, when I come in prayer, sometimes I have a sixth sense of what the Lord is going to tell me, and I don't particularly want to hear it.
So I tell the Lord Jesus about that.
Said Lord Jesus, I'm coming into your presence. You know right well my problem and you know right well I'm not going to. I'm not, I'm not. I'm not willing to listen to your answer. I think you're going to say such and such, and I'm not very willing.
00:20:06
I just want to confess it to you, Lord Jesus. I want you to know about it. You know about it already, but I just want to say it in front of you because I know you love me so much. You want me to overcome that. And so I continued quietly on prayer in that vein. And the Lord helps me.
And so to begin this afternoon talking to the Lord in this first example, Samuel, someone very young who wasn't aware of what was happening.
But the Lord took time and patience, and He taught Samuel. He got his message to Samuel in the end. And as I say to your as an older brother or sister, a father of a family of five girls.
I value that quickness, that sensitiveness.
That I might discover when the Lord Jesus is calling each one of my little girls, That they might.
Develop.
Not only reading the Bible, but also in prayer, so that prayer comes.
Second nature to them, it's not a big thing. They know how to do it so that when they grow up into teenagers and I have one girl who almost a teenager.
That in that difficult time in the teens, when the world is making its bid for you and the Lord is making his bid for you.
That in that time when I have to step back.
My only resource is prayer. It's a pretty good one.
That that prayer will become second nature.
Dear young people, his prayers second nature to you. As I say to you, I encourage you this afternoon, if there is restlessness in your heart and there is unhappiness, I tell you what it is. It's the Lord calling you.
He's calling you. He's got a message for you. He either wants to comfort your heart.
Or He wants to give you guidance for your life and He loves you like no one else on the face of the earth, and He is all wise and He knows what is best for you.
I trust that you will develop.
Talking to the Lord Prayer.
Now let me go over to Chapter 8.
Also Samuel such a little before that. Let me see. Yes, here it is chapter 8 verse one. And it came to pass that when Samuel was old.
Came to pass when Sammy was old that he made his son's judges over Israel. Now the name of the first born was Joel and the name is second Abaya and they were judges in Beersheba.
And his sons walked, not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes and perverted judgment.
Than all the elders of Israel gathered together, themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Rama.
And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways.
Now make us a king to judge us like the nations. But the thing displeased Samuel.
When they said give us a king to judge us and Samuel.
Pray unto the Lord.
An old man now an old man.
Samuel And it's very beautiful.
This passage because they come to him and say, Give us a king.
That hurt Sammy very deeply. It wasn't a personal thing.
But I heard him very deeply. It wasn't that he wanted to be king.
But he knew that the Lord was king.
And when the people said you make us a king, that hurt him because they were turning away from the Lord.
Does he get angry?
Does he tell people off?
Does he react in a fleshly way?
He prayed quietly to the Lord.
I do young people and older ones.
There are going to be many things in your life that are unjust.
That happened to you. We live in an unjust world.
And when Christians, brothers and sisters, get away from the Lord, and the flesh reveals itself.
00:25:03
And we get problems and troubles.
We get words spoken, they are not fair.
Get a course set that will hurt someone who really 100% wants to follow the Lord.
But what did Samuel do? They say let's get the judgment down on these people now and cut them off. No, he came quietly to the Lord, and he prayed to the Lord.
It's very beautiful. His heart turned invariably to the Lord.
My dear brothers and sisters, I trust.
In my whole life I will have that instant reaction no matter what happens to turn back to the Lord.
But you will see something rather interesting and I want to point out to you now.
They really raped Samuel over the coals. Plus it wasn't unrighteous, it was a fair criticism.
It was a very fair criticism of Samuel because his children were not proper.
Dear brothers and sisters, we all fail. We all have weaknesses. I'm not up here to justify anybody.
Or myself.
And when criticism comes turned to the Lord.
Turned to the Lord, and when he turned to the Lord, what happened? Did the Lord justify?
Samuel, did he say, yeah, those people are pretty bad, you know?
He didn't justify Samuel, but what he said in verse.
Seven. And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all they say unto thee, For they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
How he doesn't justify Samuel. Not only that, it tickles my sense of humor and I appreciate the Lord for doing this.
He's not telling Samuel off, he's not telling the people off. He's just explaining quietly the situation. Before I want to say what I want to say, I'd also point out this aspect and in my own Christian personal life, dear young person, dear middle-aged brother and sister, even older brothers and sisters in Christ, that we often need the Lord to explain situations to us.
We are very narrow minded, we really are. We're very narrow minded.
I'm particularly sensitive on this point.
Because I live in another culture that thinks a different way.
It's rather amusing, you know, after 10 years, I said, now I understand Chinese. Now after 20 years, I say, Oh no, I don't. I never will.
And I appreciate the wisdom of the brothers and sisters in the Hong Kong assembly. They understand their own race much better than I do.
And I try to keep my hands out of things when there are things. When we come to a brother's meeting or so on, I have my say, but boy, I surely listen pretty carefully to the rest of them because they understand the situation. Sometimes you get so isolated. We live our own life, especially if we get into a selfish frame of mind. We can't see things from someone else's point of view. And that goes for older and that goes for younger.
I desire a tender heart and a tender.
Tenderness towards other whether they're younger than I am or older than I am. I desire this because in Ephesians chapter 5, bitterness is a thing that it talks about immediately after it says don't grieve the Holy Spirit of God. And then the next verse talks about bitterness and an unforgiving spirit.
And so here the Lord is very beautiful. You know what he's doing. He's explaining the situation to Samuel. Not only that, he's comforting Samuel's heart. Isn't that beautiful? Samuel was in the wrong. Sure, the people were, but Samuel was also in the wrong. And the people are really blaming. Samuel said your sons are not proper and you brought all this trouble on us.
But the Lord is comforting Samuel's heart and he says they haven't rejected you, they've rejected me. Do you know what that says? When I I stopped to think about it, in other words, way down deep hidden in Samuel's heart, he felt that they were rejecting him. He had been a leader, a God-given leader, a God-given prophet.
00:30:14
Much of his life is praiseworthy and now he gets to the end and feels that he should get some real special honor or something.
And the people turn away from him and criticize him.
And the Lord is saying, just keep calm, Samuel. They haven't rejected you, they rejected me. So I desire on the hearts of each one of us that we might have.
The ability to pray to the Lord, that we might get the comfort from the Lord, and that the Lord might feel free to explain situations to us.
And so he warned them in Chapter 8. We have no time to read it.
Very faithfully.
So he warned them very faithfully. He said if you are going to get a king Israel, you are going to pay for it and you are going to pay for it dearly. And he warns them very clearly. And then down in verse 19, down in verse 19.
Verse 19. Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel, and they say nay. They said nay, but we will have a king over us.
That we may also, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our King may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.
And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord.
And the Lord said to Samuel, hearken under their voice, and make them a king. Verse 21 is my favorite verse. And Samuel heard all the words of the people.
What was his reaction? What was his first reaction? You get upset.
Maybe, I don't know. Probably did. Did he run around and try and find people to talk to? No, Back to the Lord. Back to the Lord I desired, Dear brother and sister, that the Lord might be your resource. Go back to him. He won't tell you any lies. He won't color the story.
He will explain things to you and he will comfort your heart. And so Samuel says he were rehearsed the words of the people in the years.
Of the Lord. That's very beautiful, isn't it? He goes back and he rehearses all these words. In the years of the Lord, didn't the Lord know what the people said? Sure he knew.
But he appreciated.
As Samuel took the time to quietly go back to him. Dear young people, don't get turned away. Dear older ones, don't get turned away. The Lord is your resource.
The Lord is your resource. Satan tries to get us detract every single time.
Looking at one another, finding fault with one another.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I desire that not only you, but I also might have a tenderness.
And a heart open only to the Lord, sensitive to my brothers and sisters. But when I get cut very deeply back to the Lord.
Rehearse the words in his ear. Don't tell anybody else.
That's where our problems sometimes come.
Matthew 18.
Says that.
If your brother has offended you.
You are to go and see him yourself.
And get the thing straightened out with him so that you might.
I'm thinking Chinese now. I can't remember the, the English word, but the, the, the idea is so that you can recover your brother, so you can recover your brother. You can set the relationship right with you and your brother and Hebrews 12 so that the bitterness doesn't spill over and spread to other people. And so prayer is a very precious thing, talking to the Lord, getting it out with him, just telling him how you feel.
I desire that for you and me.
Now almost the last one in the last one in Samuel's.
Just one verse maybe chapter 12, second last one in Samuel's history, chapter 12 and verse chapter 12. Then he sets up the king.
00:35:10
Talks about it and then look down in verse 23, chapter 12 and verse 23. Moreover, As for me, moreover, As for me, each one of our lives is very personal. Each one of our lives is very individual. What you do is for you, so he says. Moreover, As for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord.
In ceasing to pray for you, but I will teach you the good and the right way.
Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart, for consider how great things He has done for you. But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king. Samuel's heart yearns in prayer.
For his brothers and sisters, the Israelites, I desire.
That kind of a heart.
A praying heart.
And he said, even if you've done this now in taking yourself a king, but as far as I'm concerned, I'm not going to stop praying for you and I will do my best in a practical sense to teach you what is the right and the proper way of the Lord.
And then one more verse in Oprah in chapter 16, Samuel, Adam, Samuel and the Lord in there in their life together. I love that. I love the Lord in my life. I like having Him in my life.
Sure, he tells me things black and white he doesn't color.
But that's why I appreciate Him so much. And even if I do wrong, He doesn't reject me. He takes His time to get me straightened back out again. Here's chapter 16. Samuel and the Lord working along together again.
Samuels I don't have the time to read this because I would like to look just for a second at the Lords prayer in Matthew. So this chapter maybe you can look at it tonight. 1616 is very beautiful. The whole thing the same thing about Sangha talking to the Lord. The Lord says please go over there and anoint David Simon Says no way I lose my head on it tells the Lord how he feels.
And the Lord just quietly says, OK, I got a safety plan for you.
Didn't need it actually if he had gone over there he wouldn't have got his head chopped off. But the Lord gives him a little plan so that you know he's brave enough to go ahead and away goes and says and come over here to sacrifice for the yearly sacrifice or whatever you know want to get there. He calls Jesse and now this one verse number six came to pass that when they were come he looked on Eliah and said surely the Lord.
Is before him.
But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on the countenance, or on the height of the statue.
His statue because I have refused him for the Lord seeth not as man seeth for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. If a beautiful isn't it the more more the more I I I I meditate on this is more beautiful. It is Samuel. He's very outright, you know he's tells the Lord how he thinks that's what they desire for you, dear brother and sister.
That you might have that freedom before the Lord.
To turn out your heart to the Lord. He will not despise you. He loves you. He knows what's in your heart already. Why don't you just talk to him simply? And along comes Eli of the the first born. He said, Ah, this is the one.
That's not what the Lord said, and this is what he said almost. I don't know. It looks to me as if he's talking to the Lord saying, oh, here he is, here he is. And the Lord said, Oh no, this is not the one.
That's what I I appreciate in relationship with the Lord. He tells you the things as they are. He'll explain situations that you could never discover. And I appreciate that because I know that.
I fail very much in being unfair to brothers and sisters.
Because I don't know all the factors of the situation, and so quite often my judgment is an unfair judgment.
And I like to say, the Lord, could you explain the situation to me? And the Lord comes along and says.
You were really rough on that brother, but did you know that he's got pressures in his family?
Did you know he's under financial pressure?
Sure, what He did is not right, Sure you should not justify things that are wrong. But you have no compassion because you haven't looked at the situation as a whole. You can see it, but I know it. And how does the Lord do that to me? He doesn't tattletale on my brothers and sisters to me.
00:40:18
But quite often when I pray to him and I say, Lord Jesus, I like to understand this situation. It's a puzzling situation. It's bothering me. Could you not telling anybody's secrets, could you explain it to me? And sometimes you will give me a story in the Old Testament or a scripture in the Old Testament. And I say, oh, I understand, I understand. And then when I look with eyes of compassion.
And my brothers and sisters, I discover that the Lord was right. He was being. The Lord was being compassionate.
I was being unfair because I didn't know all the factors. So here Samir just speaks right out in front of the Lord and said OK, here's the man, let's get on with it. He said. No it's not. The man is the wrong one, he said.
You look at it according to man. God looks at it differently. He looks at the heart.
And so when the next one comes along, the next boy, and verse 8 Then Jesse called Abinadam, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this one. Now Samuel's not so quick to talk.
The second boy comes past and he just simply says the Lord hasn't chosen this one. He's listening to the Lord now. He's not telling the Lord his ideas. So it is good in prayer.
Too, I definitely say learn to empty your heart before the Lord.
But on the other hand, also learn to listen to the Lord.
Learned to spend some quiet just kneeling there in prayer.
I guess my knees are not too strong. So sometimes I lie on my back because then I'm completely relaxed in prayer. And after I've finished telling the Lord, then I just say, Lord Jesus, now, could you give me a verse or a scripture? And sometimes I just lie there very quietly. And the Lord doesn't always give me answers, OK. But it's good to tarry in his presence. And so this, this boy came past. The second one came past.
Summer has no comment, he just has the word of the Lord, he said. The Lord hasn't chosen this one.
And there are seven boys that went past one after another. And he simply said, the Lord hasn't chosen these. So Jesse says, well, let's have another tribe. And the seven go past again.
Samuel says no, I'm sorry, these aren't the ones you've got any more.
And then as you know, there was one in the field, the the boy David. And so in this chapter 16, Samuel, the Lord working quietly together, Samuel giving his ideas, but the Lord also answering him and telling him the situation. Now before we turn to Matthew, we only have 5 minutes before we turn to Matthew. I'm going to give you some homework to do. I'm a school teacher.
Some homework if you'd like to do. There's one more example that is extremely beautiful.
And that is David. And David says I am going to build a temporal house for the Lord.
Very good idea, very lovely idea. And the Lord sends the prophet to him, says no, you're not.
But he says I'm going to build you a house. The Lord said today I'm going to build you a house. And David is just filled with joy and Thanksgiving. Do you know what he did?
Look it up tonight or when you have some time. You went in and sat down. You went in and sat down before the Lord and in his whole heart poured out in Thanksgiving, he said. I don't, I don't, I don't even know how to talk to you. You've treated me as if I'm some very famous man.
I don't know how to thank you, but OK Lord Jesus, you want to do it? Thank you, Please do it for me.
And that is often what I've found in my life. The Lord has blessed me very richly, has blessed me very richly. I have no words to thank Him. And so sometimes I like to go in and quietly sit before him and just say thank you, Lord Jesus, I'm going to enjoy what you've given to me. I'm going to enjoy it. You give it to me to enjoy. I'm going to enjoy it. You give me all these lovely brothers and sisters here at this.
Addison Conference that I can enjoy their fellowship and their prayers and their concern for me. Thank you, Lord Jesus, I'm just going to enjoy it.
And so talking about prayer that that's a prayer of Thanksgiving. That's a prayer of Thanksgiving. Now, last of all, I would like to look at Matthew chapter 27. Is it?
00:45:12
2026 I guess where the Lord Jesus is praying. Now this is slightly different type of prayer.
The Sparrow is getting through to the answer and it is a perfect prayer because it is the Lord Jesus prayer himself. And if it's an example of the Lord Jesus or from his life, he's got to be a perfect one.
If it's example from other people's life, it may not be all that perfect, but this has to be a perfect one.
Verse 36 Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto Disciple, Sit ye here while I go and pray Yonder. And he took Peter, and and the two sons of 70, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.
Then said he unto them, My soul is exceedingly sorrowful even unto death. Tarry ye here, and watch with me now. This is a prayer of pressure, a prayer of pressure where there's real pressure pushing down.
We have heard this morning in a prayer meeting.
Of some brothers and sisters that are really under real desperate pressure.
There may come a time, and I pray God not, but He knows best what is for you. There may come a time.
When there may be tremendous pressure on you in your life, God knows if you can take it and if He gives it to you, He will make you overcome in it. But if that time comes to you, dear brother or dear sister.
I pray God that at that time you will know how to pray in reality, in reality like the Lord Jesus here. And so he began at verse 2630.
36 And you see the pressures start to build up on the Lord Jesus Christ. So he separates and only takes the three that quite often were very close to him and goes a little way.
And he opens up his heart to them.
Could you watch with me?
Could you watch with me? And he separates from them.
And goes on a little bit more.
In verse 39 And he went a little farther and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my father.
If it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will. What is, I will. Dear brother, dear sister, I want to say to you, be honest in prayer, Be honest in prayer. Open up your heart.
To the Lord, He knows what's in there. He wants to comfort your heart.
But quite often, if you're not honest with him, he doesn't do it. And so we hear the perfect example. Here we have the perfect example of the Lord Jesus himself. Under tremendous pressure, he says, not only that, I love to think of this scene because he falls. He falls on his face. He not only kneels down another, another gospel tells that he kneel down, but here he falls on his face. Think of it.
The.
All powerful Son of God.
Lying on his face in prayer, the pressure is so tremendous on him, for you and for me, of course, the pressure of that load. And he says.
It would be possible.
Let this cup pass from me, from me, but not my will. Your will be done. He knew the answer.
But he opened up his heart to his father and said if it's possible, could you please take away this cup but not my will. But thine be done. Now just to skip over to Luke.
Chapter 22.
Just for one characteristic of the Lord's Prayer.
Chapter 22 and verse.
Let's start at verse 42.
Luke chapter 22, verse 42, saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me, nevertheless not my will but thine be done. And there appeared an Angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him, and being in an agony or an anguish, he prayed more earnestly. And his sweat was, as it were, great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
00:50:17
It's another aspect of the Lord's Prayer. He.
He prays and an Angel comes from heaven. Strengthen him. Quite often you will get a release from pressure in prayer. But it seems to me, and I speak, dear brothers and sisters, you'll forgive me if I speak wrongly, but it seems to me as if the Lord, in a human speaking way, hadn't gotten to the bottom of it. He prayed three times.
And if the Angel comes and strengthen them, sometimes you will get relief from prayer.
But don't give up unless you've got to the bottom of it. Don't give up until unless you really get to the bottom of it.
And so an Angel strengthens him, but what does he use that strength for? He uses that strength to pray even more intently in the J&D translation, very beautiful. He prays more intently, more intently to get at the bottom of the whole thing. And it says being in a conflict. Now I don't mean to say that the Lord Jesus.
Was considering not going through with the cross, but the conflict, the anguish.
The new translator even uses the word depress depression, although not in the human sense, I don't believe. But he felt that pressure very real. And even though an Angel comes and strengthen him, he still goes back into prayer and he prays three times until he gets right to the very bottom.
This is my precious savior.
In conflict, In prayer.
And so, if there is any dear brother or sister who feels pressure in your life, learn to pray.
Like the Lord Jesus did, open up your heart completely to him, and May God comfort your heart. So we see the Savior after this in these next few chapters and He is composed. He is thinking of others.
You don't get a glimpse of his anguish except in that cry. My God, my God, why is thou forsaken me?
So, dear brothers and sisters, I just share these few thoughts on prayer with you this afternoon. It is the deep concern of my heart that for you and for me, we might learn to pray.
Properly and in the real sense of the word.
And if there are difficulties and puzzling situations in your life, I commend to you to quietly Mull over the verses on prayer. Learn to do it always, in all situations.
We Are Holy Priests
Address—G.H. Hayhoe
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
I'd like to turn for a few verses in Peter.
2nd chapter of first Peter chapter 2 verse five ye also a lively stones are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood to OfferUp spiritual sacrifices.
Acceptable to God by Jesus Christ, our brother has brought before us the exercise of gift and that each one has a gift and.
My thought is to point out that.
We each won if we know the Lord Jesus as our Savior, our priests.
Are privileged to be holy priests who can draw nigh to God? What a difference it is in Christianity.
Compared to Judaism.
And let me emphasize, this is not the exercise of gift.
You and I do not have to have any gift to draw an eye as a priest.
It doesn't need to be in a way that is with oratory skills.
That might be a feeble prayer or Thanksgiving that is offered up.
But if it is by the Spirit.
And that if it is by Him that we offer up our worship and praise, that is acceptable to God. And I believe, and I have often told our young brothers back home, I firmly believe, that debt is where we begin as young believers to avail ourselves of our priestly privilege.
You do not have to be very far along.
In your Christian life in order to say thank you to the Lord Jesus for what He has done for you.
And how much he appreciates that we know ourselves if we do things for people and they don't show any appreciation.
That grieves us, but when there is appreciation for any feeble service rendered to anyone and they thank us for it, we appreciate that. But what could anybody do for us compared to that which the Lord Jesus has done for us?
You know when we have a conference such as we.
Have had where much?
Was before us about a wonderful position and the wonderful person of the Lord Jesus and so on. We might say, perhaps, that we feel somewhat like.
A let down when we hear about the truth of the body of Christ.
I believe, beloved, it is very fitting that we do because.
If we.
Recognize who the Lord Jesus is.
And that he himself is the head of the body. We honor him.
If we give him that place and allow him to direct as head the activity of every believer in the assembly.
And he is the one really, that also in prayer and in worship.
Leads in the assembly. He would draw out your heart.
And what difference it makes if he fills our hearts. And the praise and worship that flows might be very feeble according to the way man looks at it, but it is so acceptable to God because it comes from hearts that appreciate the Lord Jesus and what He has done for us.
We don't have time to go into depth, into another side of the truth where we also will greatly honor the Lord Jesus in our assembly life, and that is.
In connection with him being Lord over his house.
00:05:03
You know we have gifts.
And we have the Scriptures have been referred to that especially deal with that subject in Romans, First Corinthians, and Ephesians 4 But there is a whole line of truth of utmost importance in connection with our assembly life, and that is offices.
And they're distinct from the exercise of gift. And there might be bread and in the assembly who do not claim to have a gift but seek to serve in administration.
You know, we have the church presented as the body of Christ. We have the church presented as the House of God and as the bride of Christ and as the Candlestick. And when it comes to the body of Christ, it speaks of unity, of oneness. When it speaks of the House of God, it speaks of order, of discipline. And as Christ is honored in being given His place as head to direct by his Spirit.
Individual member to function for the blessing of all and to the glory of the Lord Jesus. So the Lord Jesus is glorified when he is given His place as Lord over His house, and that we acknowledge that order that He has given, and that we make every effort and cry to Him for help to help us maintain godly order.
You know, as the weakness increases, we tend to replace the divine order.
You know, one of the things that was so shocking to us when we visited in Egypt.
Last year.
Was to find that among those brethren once gathered to the name of the Lord.
Now in the amalgamation company.
That they had an order been allowed to be introduced, which is almost unbelievable. Totally setting aside scriptural order for discipline and administration in the assembly.
And the laborers?
Decide everything the laborers actually put out of the assembly. Individuals who come from assemblies who are not even one of the laborers is present.
And they put out a certain brother. And I don't delight to repeat this here.
Except to give us a warning because they at one time were gathered to the name of the Lord. And how is it possible that they could introduce such a system as I'm going to describe it to you? And we are in danger if we don't take heed to scriptural direction in order to fall into the same snare.
To burden the laborers with things and try to have them straighten out things in the assembly. But what happened? Actually, at a conference, a labourer stood up and said, brother so and so, he's going to be put out.
The Brethren testified that the vast majority of brethren protested against that action.
And his home assembly said we have no reason to see him put away. It's our responsibility, leave him to us. 23 laborers as one man stood up and said, you either you have the choice between this brother or with us, we would walk out of the conference. That's the kind of a system that has been introduced among.
Brethren, once scattered to the name of the Lord Jesus.
Like we believe to be still gathered. Let us beware, beloved. We honor the Lord Jesus in giving Him His place as head over His body, to let Him direct by His Spirit, and to ask Him for grace to help us maintain godly order when it comes to discipline and administration in the assembly.
You know one thing.
That I hope you accept as a loving.
Admonition.
I believe that there is a tendency among us that we look at the brothers meeting.
As acting on behalf of the Assembly when it comes to discipline.
00:10:00
Beloved, the brothers meeting, whether it consists of individual brethren from various assemblies or of all the brothers from one local assembly, has no authority for action.
Let me restate that.
All the brothers of one assembly have no authority for action.
Because the Lord has placed his authority in the assembly of the two and three gathered to the name of the Lord, and that includes everyone in the assembly. Now the Lord has given to some brothers in the assembly more responsibility than others.
The elders, you know, an apostle was an office. It was also a gift, but it was also an office, as we see from Acts when Matthias is chosen. But we find that.
The Overseer.
Is a local office local only?
And.
A brother might have responsibility as an overseer in a local assembly.
But in no other assembly, we have no apostles today. Apostles had universal authority. They could deal with problems in any assembly and could even deal in discipline with an assembly. But we have no such an apostle today. But we still have overseers, but we don't have official ones because we don't have Apostolic authority that can put these men into that office.
As we have it in the in the days of the apostles.
But there are two scriptures that are great comfort to us, and that is in Thessalonians.
And in Acts chapter 20.
In Thessalonians chapter 5.
It wasn't Assembly Dear and Thessalonica that was only in existence for a few weeks.
And.
The apostle had to flee, as we find from Acts, and he writes to them, it is believed.
About five or six weeks after their conversion, and there were no official elders there at that time in Thessalonica, but he admonishes them to know them that have the lead among you. Rule is an unfortunate word that is translated in various passages that deals with the office of an elder.
Which misleads, as if there is a hierarchy and those that they're ruling over are down there. But Mr. Darby much more fittingly renders these scriptures usually lead those who have the lead among you. And the Saints in Thessalonica were admonished that they should know that they should recognize those whom the Lord has put into that position.
Unofficially, they were serving the Lord there and in Acts chapter 20.
We have Paul speaking to the elders.
In the elders of Ephesus and he says.
Over which or among whom the Holy Spirit has set you as overseers, we still have to day those beloved that serve in that capacity, and it is our responsibility to recognize them, to acknowledge them, and to esteem them worthy of double honor, especially if they also serve in doctrine. You know, we find that it was desirable.
That an overseer be apartment to teach.
It was not that one who wasn't apartment to teach could not be an overseer, but his office would be more effectual if he was apartment to teach, if he had a measure of ability to bring the truth of God to bear in any given situation where he was to serve as an overseer.
Well, how good it is, beloved, that we remind ourselves, because in the day in which we live, where there is great weakness and weakness increasing on every hand, the danger is that we look to human crutches, to human arrangements, and, well, they don't really know how to deal with that problem in that assembly, so we better go there.
Some of us and we going to tell them how to handle this.
00:15:00
Beloved, beware lest we develop a system of oversight which will dishonor the Lord in not allowing Him to be Lord in the assembly. And you know every week assembly has the presence of the Lord Jesus in the midst to guide them. And you know there is no such a thing as one assembly presiding over another assembly unless.
Of course.
There are such cases where.
Things get totally out of control and we have no apostle that can come to deal with the situation such as we have in 3rd of John where diatrophies throughout of the assembly people and where John could say when I come, I'll take care of that. Well, we have no apostle, but we have the presence of the Lord Jesus.
In other assemblies, that's our resource, and the nearby assembly can be of help when such a condition arises. Well, beloved, we have a wonderful Savior, we have a glorious head, and we have a Lord who is Lord over His own house.
Let us honor him by giving him the place as head.
We honor him when we allow him to use us.
As it pleases Him, and we're really honored, are we not, that we should be elevated into such a position? Once the slaves of sin, now we can serve the Lord.
And we will honor him if we do allow him to do that. You know, when Paul was saved, what was the first question? Who art our Lord?
The second question what wilt thou have me to do?
And what a wonderful thing it is to be able to serve the one who has redeemed us.
At such a cost to himself and to serve those who are the dearest to his heart, his own, and then to recognize His authority in the assembly for discipline and to remind ourselves the authority of the Lord is in the assembly. Not to individual brothers, not even the brothers meeting.
The brothers can investigate a thing and bring facts before the assembly and can even propose an action to the assembly.
But the Assembly has to ratify it.
Otherwise it is not an assembly action.
And may the Lord help us that we.
Honor him and allow him to have his place in the assembly. You know some of us many times.
Are forced to seek to be of help in an area where we feel very incompetent and where we feel.
It would be so much better if people better gifted would be able to do it, whether it is the exercise of gift or bringing ministry to the Saints. In many assemblies things are so weak.
And what a good thing it is to fall back on such scriptures as Apartment to teach. We might not be able to claim to be teachers, but maybe the Lord has given us to enjoy.
Things in our own souls and given us a measure of ability to pass it on for the enjoyment of the Saints. And even when it comes to oversight in small assemblies, perhaps even younger brothers are forced to take responsibility that they would much rather would see older brethren.
To take well the Lord in such circumstances can give the needed grace and the humility to keep us from being proud and uplifted and help us to carry on for His glory.
The Glories of Christ
Address—R. Thonney
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.
2nd Corinthians chapter 4 for one verse.
2nd Corinthians chapter 4 and verse 18.
Well, we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
In a verse in the book of the Acts, chapter 26.
Just one verse from this chapter we'll just mention.
To get the connection that Paul is recounting before King Agrippa.
The story of his conversion in this chapter.
And how he saw that light from heaven above the brightness of the noonday sun. And when he comes down to verse 19, this is the verse I'd like to read.
Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient.
Unto the heavenly vision.
My desire this afternoon is to go briefly to the Book of Hebrews.
To meditate, first of all.
On the many, many glories of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I feel very insufficient and even speaking on such a topic. But Oh dear brethren, we're going to glory in Him for all eternity, and so it should be right to that we glory in Him both here and now.
And so we see in that first verse I read in First Corinthians that Paul.
Was looking not at the things that were seen, but the things that were not seen.
He says the things that are seen are temporal, the things that are not seen are eternal.
We're surrounded by a very materialistic world.
Material advantage is the whole mainstream.
Of life, especially in the North American culture, materialism, and it necessarily affects us to some degree, dear brother, I have to confess it for myself. But Paul says here we look not on those things which are seen, but on those things which are not seen. Our desire here this afternoon is.
In some measure to take your eyes.
From those things that are seen and put them on those things that materially.
Are not seen. You know it says in Hebrews Chapter 11 That faith is the substance of those things that are not seen, the evidence of those things that are not seen. In other words, faith which is based on the word of God. If you have a word from God about a specific thing, you can view that thing.
In a more real way than you view.
Those things that you own materially and can say that there are my material possessions, that is faith. It makes it real. And So what we are going to speak of on the person of our Lord Jesus, my desire is that His glorious person may become more real to our souls. You know, we talk a lot about the Lord, dear brethren.
But how much do we really know him? I have to hang my head sometimes.
And say we're going to meet him face to face any moment now.
But how much do I know him to know him very much yet?
Even that was the ardent desire of the Apostle Paul.
That I may know him.
Paul, you don't know him.
What would He say? He would say, yes, I do know Him, but oh, I want to know Him so much more. And Oh dear brethren, to think as we've been singing that He is the center and Son of God's universe of bliss, and to think that our eyes and our hearts are often detracted from His glory and set on things down here.
00:05:05
Really.
Is unthinkable. Paul got a glimpse of that glory and he said afterwards.
I am not disobedient to that heavenly vision, if we can only get a vision.
Of that blessed, glorious person of our Lord Jesus Christ. I can assure you, dear young people, that we're not going to have to do a lot of exhorting that you shouldn't go after the things of this world. There is exhortation in Scripture about such things, but it won't have to be repeated many times, because your eyes will be on something of far, far superior worth.
When I see someone or if you see me.
Going after the things of this world, he can be assured there's a heart that's not satisfied with that man that fills the whole universe with his glory. Is it possible that's what happens? You're young people, that's what happens. Dear older brother and sister in Christ, too, happens to us all. Our hearts are just the same, whether young or old.
So I'd like to go over to the Book of Hebrews now.
The first chapter to begin with.
First verse.
God, Who at sundry times and in diverse manners spake in time past, 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.
And upholding all things by the word of His power.
When he had by himself purged our sins.
Sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.
What beautiful.
Scripture these verses are Dear brother, I look at these short little phrases of verse 3 just bows my soul and wonder at how.
Full those words can be because it's Speaking of God's beloved Son. There's three words in those first 2 verses that kind of sum up those first 2 verses.
God has spoken. This is probably the only book in the Bible that starts with God.
God has spoken. Want to challenge each one here this afternoon when God speaks.
Are your ears open?
Especially to those who may not know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. Yet you're still here.
I want to beg of you.
For the well-being of your soul for all eternity, to open the ears of your heart to listen when God speaks. It says here briefly that God spoke in times past in other ways. The Old Testament He spoke by the prophets.
Moses was a prophet, and right on down there were many prophets through whom God spoke.
But now, the fullness of time, God has spoken to us in Son, God himself, and the person of his own beloved Son has come into this world, and through him we have the full, the complete revelation of all that Goddess. He has spoken in the fullest sense.
I say he can speak in no fuller sense.
Than he has already spoken in the person of his own beloved son. Notice the end of verse two. He has appointed him his own son to be the heir of all things, by whom also he made the world. He's the creator of all things.
Now come down to verse three, who being the brightness of his glory.
The full shining forth of the glory of God is the person of Christ. All that glory Solomon could say, the heaven and the heavens of the heavens cannot contain thee, much less this house that I have built. But the full shining forth of that person of our God is seen in the Lord Jesus. God has spoken to us.
00:10:29
In son the express image of his person.
When the Lord Jesus was down here at the end of his earthly pathway.
Philip asked him, Show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. He said, Have I been so long with you, Philip? You have not known me. He that hath seen me hath seen the Father. He is the exact image of his person. Knowing the Lord Jesus, you know God in every sense of the word.
I love those verses in Second Corinthians chapter 4 that speak of the glory of God that shines in the face of Jesus Christ when I meditate on that cross where that face was so marred more than any man crowned with thorns bowed in death.
The glory of God shines in the face of Jesus Christ.
Oh dear brethren, what a glorious, glorious person. But going on here in verse 3.
Notice the next little phrase is upholding all things by the word of His power.
When he had by himself purged our sins. Oh, I love the way that scripture unites those little phrases, upholding all things by the word of His power.
And at the same time it speaks of him by himself purging our sins.
Think of it, dear brethren, the same time He was hanging there during those three hours of darkness, under the judgment of God, purging our sins, at the same time He was upholding the universe in all its extension.
Out here, brethren, when I get a glimpse of that glorious person.
I just frustrated his feet. Worship Him, praise Him. What a glorious person. How could we ever be ashamed of such a person? How could we ever? And yet this coward sometimes is ashamed. But Oh dear brethren, it's because we don't know Him sufficiently. That's why we get those feelings sometimes.
And then it says at the end of verse three sat down.
On the right hand of the Majesty on High, the new translation. I love the way it reads.
Sat himself down on the right hand of the majesty on high, in virtue of a work that so completely finished, to the glory of God and for our eternal salvation, He himself, in virtue of that work, sat himself down.
At the right hand of the majesty on high. All those words thrill my soul, dear brethren.
I trust that they thrill yours as well. What a glorious, glorious person we have in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. And so in this chapter one, we have the Lord Jesus presented as God. We have that more directly spoken in verse eight. We're not going to read it now, but he's addressed as God. But now going on to chapter 2, we have the Lord Jesus address.
Or spoken of.
As man and as man as well, there is a real.
Glory to his person, He is God, He is man blessedly, both in one person. And so here we have in chapter 2 we'll read from verse 5 unto the angels. Hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak? But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man that thou art mindful?
Him, or the Son of Man, that thou visitest him. Thou made us him a little lower than the angels.
00:15:05
Thou crownest him with glory and honor, and it set him over the works of thy hands.
Thou has put all things in subjection under his feet, for in that he put 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, but we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that He by the grace of God.
Should taste death for every man.
For it became him whom for whom are all things, and by whom are all things.
In bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect.
Through suffering.
Here the apostle is bringing before us the Lord Jesus as man, and he quotes from the 8 Psalms Speaking of that coming glorious Kingdom.
The Lord Jesus is going to inherit as man, and it says what is man that thou art mindful of him? What is man? Man is really, when you think of it, what is man? When we compare ourselves to the vastness of the universe, we're less than a speck of dust.
In the universe, what is man?
And yet it is man. Dear brethren, dear brother and sister, in the Lord Jesus, it's man.
That's going to reign supreme in this universe in that coming day. That's not so very far off now.
It's man, glorified man of flesh and bones at the right hand of God right now.
It says here we see Jesus, You see him, dear brother. Do you see him, dear sister, as his glorious person fills the soul?
Oh, dear brethren, problems milled away. They cannot stand before him.
Problems seem great to us at times, too great to handle, just can't handle it any longer. But when we get into His presence, when we remove our thoughts from our self and our contemplating His glorious person, those problems.
Melt away. Maybe they don't melt away, but we know from then on that it is not a question of our capability, but of that man to whom we are so gloriously united. Even here and now we see not yet all things put under him, the scripture says.
No, it's not evident in the world around us today.
The Lord Jesus is not owned in a public way.
People name His name, but they do not really. Many of those that even name His name do not acknowledge His Lordship practically in their lives. They do not. But He still is. Even right now, dear young person He is, He has all things in subjection under His feet. That to me is a tremendous consolation when things.
Appear so out of order.
So confusing at times, whether we're Speaking of the things that happen in the world around.
Or whether we're Speaking of those things that happen in Christ and them at large, or even amongst those of us who are gathered to the Lorde precious name, there's things that are confusing. But to realize, Dear brethren, right here and now, the Lord Jesus has all things put in subjection under His feet right now. Do you believe it?
Sometimes we take things into our own hands.
And show that we really haven't let that precious truth sink down into the soul like it ought to. Oh, what a glorious person. Crown. We see Jesus crowned with glory and honor. He was made a little lower than the angels in his incarnation. He took the seed of Abraham. In other words, he was made.
00:20:08
And as a man, he was born here in this world as a man.
He was not born as an Angel, no. And the human race?
Is little lower than the angels. And so he took that place, so that he could taste death for us. Oh, to think of it, that that glorious person that came from heaven to take are the form of our race, dear brethren, that glorious person.
Died for our sins. What a marvelous, marvelous thing to let lay hold of the soul. It wasn't just any person, dear brethren. It was God's beloved Son, that one that is going to fulfill the universe. He's the one that died on Calvary and when God raised him.
He raised him to the highest place that it is possible to occupy in the whole universe.
And he crowned him with glory and honor. We see Jesus.
Let that vision fill your soul, dear brother, dear sister, and the Lord Jesus. Do not be disobedient to that heavenly vision.
We see Jesus and I say to you if you feel your poor heart is mine often has been drawn to things in this world, worldly attractions. I want to ask you again, I'm not going to get after you so much this afternoon.
But I want to ask you to turn your eyes to contemplate.
The glory of God's beloved Son, I tell you, when you see him, all else has to grow dim. It's not that anybody is going to force you into religious observation of different things that you're supposed to do. No, it's that your heart is going to be drawn after.
His glorious person. And so we see the Lord Jesus here.
Crowned with glory and honor as a man occupying the highest place in the whole universe. Chapter 4 of Ephesians it says, above all heavens, the Lord Jesus sits supreme. Doesn't it thrill your soul when you think that we are? Dear brethren, dear brother and sister, in the Lord Jesus we are right here and now.
United to him.
This is Christianity, brethren. This is what Christianity is. Christianity is not a religion that you list along with a bunch of other religions.
No way. Christianity is Christ, and in a very special way, Christ occupying the highest place in the universe, having suffered death for us, having accomplished redemption, having made purgation for our sins. And so, dear brethren, that is the person that we want to speak about this afternoon.
This book of Hebrews was written to Jewish believers.
At that time when the gospel was first preached and the day of the Pentecost, most of those that believed were Jewish believers.
Says in Romans chapter one that the gospel is the power of God into salvation to the Jew first.
And also to the Greek. And so there was great numbers, thousands.
Of Jews who were saved at that time, those Jewish people.
Had an earthly religion and a religion that was given of God.
In the Old Testament, but as we read in our readings in Colossians chapter 2.
And as we read here in the book of Hebrews, 2 Hebrews as well, we find that those.
Rituals of that Old Testament religion, that Judaism.
Were only shadows of him that was to come. It says that in chapter 2 of Colossians didn't really get down to that verse, but there's shadows of things to come. In other words, the Lord Jesus in Old Testament times, if you would have lived there, He hadn't come yet. But God was thinking of the Lord Jesus and if I could say it this way, God was.
00:25:07
Just trying in any way possible to display something of the glory of his Son. So he gave in the instructions to Israel those things that were foreshadows of the Lord Jesus.
Beautiful foreshadows there are if you go back to the Old Testament now that we understand the new.
And the theme of the Bible is the person of Christ. Then we understand the Old Testament.
Sometimes give the illustration to the brethren down South. What would you think? Sometimes I go on a trip.
In Bolivia, away a week, maybe a little bit more sometimes, and maybe I've called ahead and told my wife I'm getting home at a certain afternoon. You never tell exactly what's going to happen on the road there, so you can't fix an hour. But.
Supposing at about 5:00 in the afternoon, she looks out the door and she sees a shadow coming up to the door.
I'm approaching the door and as she rushes out the door, do you think she's going to stop to inspect the shadow?
I don't think she'll do that. I know her well enough.
And I say, dear brethren, this is exactly what the book of Hebrews is about. These Jewish people. Now that the glorious reality of the person of Christ had come, now that God had spoken in his Son, we're turning back to those what Scripture calls beggarly elements of the law. Again, those things that were foreshadows, they were turning back.
To that system of religion.
And so Paul writes to him. We believe it is Paul. His name is never mentioned in this book.
The Lord Jesus is the apostle that's mentioned in this book in the third chapter in the first verse.
But it's not Paul that is mentioned. We believe it was he that wrote the book.
But he never mentions his name at all because he wants Christ person to soul fill their vision, to soul fill their souls, that they would turn from those things that were shadows of things to come.
And in the last chapter, we want to get over there after a while.
We have what is spoken of as the camp. The camp is Judaism. It was that system of God-given religion in the Old Testament. But where? When the Lord Jesus came and presented himself, there was no room for him whatsoever. He was put out.
The camp and therefore we have a call to go.
To him outside the camp, and I want to clarify for especially for the young people here.
Sometimes we use terms that we do not have well defined in our minds.
Sometimes I've noticed that it seems that we mix up the words christen them and the Cam. And I just like to say that Chris and them includes every professor of Christ that includes us as well. It's not somebody in some place out there excluding us. It includes us as well.
It's represented in Second Timothy chapter 2, where you have.
The great House of profession says there, let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity everyone that nameeth the name of Christ.
Is in that great House of religious profession. We are never told to come out of that great house.
We are told to purge ourselves in that house from vessels to dishonor.
And so when we think of the camp, we realize that it is not the same circle that we're Speaking of when we're talking about Christendom. They might overlap, but the camp is Judaism because we are definitely told.
By the scriptures to come outside the camp.
Were to leave it.
That system of religion that was fitted for man in the flesh, that system of religion which were a shadow of things to come, that system of religion that had no place for the Lord Jesus. Our place as believers in the Lord Jesus is so we're called to come out of the camp.
00:30:22
The only way to get out of the great House of Christendom would be to become an apostate to Christianity.
It's the only way, and we cannot do that. We are in that house, dear brethren. We are part of the ruin, and our responsibility is to purge ourselves from that great from the vessels to dishonor within that great house. But why do I go into all these things? I just want to explain, especially for the benefit of those who are young.
That the camp is Judaism.
And that's why there is the definite call to come out of that.
Principles of the camp Principles of Judaism have been incorporated.
Into different sectors of Christendom. Yes, they have they're principles of the Kim. But I would like to say this as well, dear brethren, that we need to be exercised. Sometimes we speak of the camp as being those out there and we are not there speaking in a collective way. I think we need to speak in a way that exercises our conscience about the matter. What do I mean by that? Because I really believe that.
Principles of the camp that can even come amongst those who profess to be outside of the camp.
What do I mean? Sometimes when we go around and we are for breaking a bread meeting, just to put it very practically.
And.
We profess, dear brethren.
The glorious person of the Lord Jesus is in the midst, and yet we sit in silence, in silence, in silence.
And we wait for maybe two or three brethren to take all the part.
Is not that a principle of the camp we need to be exercised about, dear brother?
In the camp of Israel Judaism, there were only certain ones.
That could do the priestly functions, but in Christianity every true believer is a priest born into God's family. And if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus, you should be exercised when we come together on Lords Day morning about taking part doesn't mean that you'll be taking part every time. I'm not saying that, but you should present yourself ready for the Lord's use to pronounce his praise if he should lay it on your heart.
But if we just come and sit down and look to two or three brethren there to take the part.
I say, dear brethren, I really believe that is one of the principles of the camp and we need to be exercised, hold these things and exercise.
The call is to come out of that. And so when we see the glorious person of the Lord Jesus, dear brethren, and we see, on the other hand, that which the apostle in this book is calling those believers out of, because there was no place for the Lord Jesus in that system. Oh dear brethren, may the Lord preserve us from falling into.
Rigid rules like we were speaking about in the Reading meeting, touch not.
Taste not, handle not. This heart of mine has a very definite tendency, as well as all of our hearts, dear brethren, towards religious formality. And even as those gathered to the Lord's name, we can fall into religious formality without there being an exercise and a living present.
Real apprehension of the glorious Person of our Lord Jesus Christ.
That, we profess, is in the midst when we come together as gathered to His precious name.
It's a burden of my soul, dear brethren, that his person may so fill our hearts that those formalities will drop off. We have instruction as to godly order in Scripture, but we need to keep simply the Scripture and not go beyond those those principles of godly order.
00:35:00
But beyond that, we're going to go, we're going back in principle to that which was an ordered.
Set of principles in the Jewish religion and ordered.
Set of system of worship. And so, dear brethren, and the measure.
That we apprehend and value and in rejoice in the glory of God's beloved Son. Our hearts are going to come out of that system of things. And I like to go over to the 12Th chapter now of the book of Hebrews, 12Th and 13th chapter just briefly.
To mention a few practical exhortations in view.
Have all that we've spoken about the Lord Jesus?
Hebrews chapter 12 and verse one. Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about.
With so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and feigned in your minds, ye have not yet resisted unto blood striving against sin. Here we have an exhortation from the Apostle. He says, seeing we have this cloud of witnesses, he's referring to the 11Th chapter.
And those Old Testament men of faith?
That, as we read their histories are such an encouragement to us. I encourage you to read the 11Th chapter.
And meditate individually on those different witnesses of faith, that cloud of witnesses.
We have such a great cloud of witnesses around us to encourage us, but.
Were not to put our eyes on anyone of them. Each one of them and some time of their life or another failed learned about in Sunday school failure of even Joseph that one who was such a perfect example, seemingly perfect example, the Lord Jesus beautiful example. Still there was a failure there and there's failures in any one of us too dear brethren, there's only one place that our eyes are directed.
Says let us lay aside.
Every weight and the sin which does so easily beset us. Let us run with patience. The race set before us. Oh, I love this challenge. There's a race set before you and me. Dear young person. Dear older person too. A race and a love.
To see an older person who has run their full life through and are continuing the same vigor.
Spiritually of desire after the things of Christ to still remember visiting dear brother Jackson down in Florida number of years ago before he passed away. He wasn't able to get out of his house any longer. He sat in an old armchair there and as I visited him he got talking about the Lord's coming and he was very weak and body and as he got talking about the Lord's coming he got more and more excited until he was completely.
Forward and all of a sudden his body just kind of fell back. He was just too exhausted to go any further.
His spirit was too young for his body. And you know, dear brethren, that really encourages me to see a brother who is still pursuing the goal at that age. But Oh dear young person, we have a goal before us, Christ in glory. No earthly goal should satisfy your soul. It's not worthy of you as a believer in the Lord Jesus.
No, Sir.
You know, I've sometimes said that it's so important for young people to get objectives firmly entrenched in their souls from their youth.
If I'm going to start out on a race and I start out running this direction.
And after I'm going that direction, this is a long distance race, I say, well, was the goal that way? Maybe it was over this way. Maybe I've been around over this way for a while, never run over that way for a while. And then I think maybe I was right that first time, so I run back to the original course again. Then I have another thought. Maybe it's over on the other side. Nobody's going to ever win any kind of race and that kind of running.
00:40:08
And yet, sometimes in our lives, that's the kind of running we do.
Our Collective Responsibility
Address—C. Hendricks
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.
Ephesians chapter 4, beginning at verse one. I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation, wherewith you are called, with all loneliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
There is one body and one spirit.
Even as you're called in one hope of your calling.
One Lord, 1 faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Wherefore he saith, when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
Now that He ascended, what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things. And he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints.
For the work of the Ministry for the edifying.
Of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God.
Unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplier, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself.
In love.
The first three chapters in Ephesians give us the doctrinal part of the epistle, starting with chapter 4 and the verses through verse 16 that we've read together. We have our collective responsibility.
Our walk in connection with the truth of the one body.
As being members one of another and of Christ the glorified man on high and then from verse 18, excuse me, verse 17 of chapter 4 of through chapter 5.
Verse 20 we have our walk more out in the world. I walk more in connection with those roundabouts.
And then starting with.
Verse 21 and 22 especially we have.
Wives, husbands, and going on into chapter six, children and father and mother, the parents and then the special word to the fathers. And then in verse five you have the servants in the household, and verse we have masters.
A little bit farther down, verse 9, ye masters. So we have the household, and then the end of the epistle we get the Christian warfare.
So the practical part has to do with our assembly life.
Are functioning together as members of the one body and then our relationship with those roundabouts in the world and how we are to manifest the character of Christ in that regard. And then the family, family relationships, husband, wife, children, parents, masters, servants and then the end is the warfare.
Well, I'd like to talk a little this afternoon.
Briefly on Christian ministry. What is Christian ministry?
Let's just quickly look at these verses we read, have no intention of going into them in detail, but to concentrate on the subject of Christian ministry.
00:05:09
He exhorts them in the first verse to walk worthy of the calling, the vocation wherewith you're called. Now that goes back to the second chapter because chapter 3 is a parentheses and it goes back to true two truths that are brought out in that second chapter, and that is that we're called to be members of the one body and we're also called to be the habitation of God by the Spirit.
These true these two wonderful truths.
Call to be members of the body of Christ. Now he says that here in verse four there is one body. He had already developed its formation in the second chapter and of what it is composed. It's composed of Jew and Gentile.
Brought into one Newman reconciled in one body by the Cross.
All the enmity and all the distance existing between these two classes of peoples on the word in the world removed by the cross. The cross is the great leveler, removes all that would give me distinction from another down here in this world. It's the great leveler.
And then the formation of the one body by the one Spirit, and he also forms the the assembly becomes the habitation, the dwelling place of God by the Spirit. And he exhorts the Christians to walk worthy of that calling. We are responsible to walk.
Worthy of being members of the body of Christ and to walk. Worthy of being the habitation of God by the Spirit. That's our collective responsibility. We can no longer, as Christians, be merely individuals.
At chapter 417 to 521 or so, we have more responsibility out in the world as individuals and the testimony that we render to those roundabouts.
And then we have a responsibility in the in the family. But here in these verses we have the assembly functioning and viewed, I should say, in its in its universal character as composed of all believers forming that one body.
Now we're to walk worthy of that and the practical, and I don't want to get into that in great detail, the practical.
Truth that flows from that is that that eliminates independency.
It establishes the the the wonderful truth that all Christians are one, and that means that all local expressions, every local assembly is a local expression of that one universal church.
Which is, which is referred to here as one body. Every local assembly is an expression of that. So there's no such thought in Scripture as independency, and also the the assembly viewed in its universal character viewed as forming.
As composed of every believer in the Lord Jesus, everyone a member of that one body. You cannot be a believer in Christ sealed by the Spirit and not a member of the body of Christ. This is not a privilege.
For certain, a certain few. Every believer in the Lord Jesus who has eternal life and the indwelling of the Spirit, is a member of that one body of which Christ is the head in heaven. So we have corporate responsibilities. This morning when we broke bread, we looked at that loaf on the table and it told us it. It speaks to us not only of the body in which our blessed Lord Jesus suffered and bore our sins, but it also.
Picture in its undivided form of the assembly, the body of Christ. Now ye are the body of Christ, and it's a picture of that. And so when we break bread, we cannot just say, well, I just break bread for myself as an individual and I'm not concerned with those round about me.
No, the truth of the one body is that when we break bread, we give expression and expressive fellowship. The fellowship of the body of Christ from first Corinthians 10.
Well, I don't want to get into that too deeply because I do want to touch upon the Christian ministry. Let's go down a little bit. It says in verse 3, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. The Spirit of God coming down on the day of Pentecost formed those 120 individual believers into something entirely new that had never existed before he baptized them into.
00:10:12
Body.
And something existed from that point in time onward that had never existed in this world before. It's called the Church or the assembly. And the Spirit of God formed that unity.
We're not told to keep the unity of the body. That would mean we'd have to walk in fellowship with every believer on the face of the earth, which is an impossibility in view of all the divisions round about us. But we're told to keep the unity of the Spirit. And he is a he's the Holy Spirit of God, so we are to keep that unity.
Which he has formed, which he himself maintains, and.
To keep it in the uniting bond of peace. Now that requires endeavouring, and so on. And He establishes there is one body and one Spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling. Notice the emphasis on the Word 1 all the way through here. 1 Lord, 1 Faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all.
And in you all, if one would come from some part of the world that had never heard of Christianity before, and we toured this country with that person and then we read those verses to him. There is one body and one spirit, even as you're called in one hope of your calling. They would have to say, I don't see that.
I can't relate what I'm reading here in the Word of God to what I see out there in Christendom.
Because I see many bodies, I seem to see many spirits. There seem to be.
Various and many views of the of the Lords coming. It's not, it's not a unified thought throughout the ranks of Christians, but the Word of God talks about one hope of your calling, one body, one spirit that has formed that one body.
And there's one Lord. Well, at least we can be thankful that all those that profess the name of Christ do own the one Lord, Lord Jesus Christ.
There's one faith and one baptism, and that baptism identifies us with the Lord Jesus in his death, and one God and Father of all. Now, as I said, if we would look at the actual state of the church today, the professing church, it would be hard for one to relate that to what we read here.
It's a day of ruin, a day of departure.
And yet the exhortation to walk worthy of the calling wherewith we are called, we're called to be members of the one body. Sometimes, you know, we're tempted, as we see the ruin and the worldly state of things, and sometimes the low state of our local assembly, to throw our hands up in the air and say, I'm just going to stay home and go it alone.
Well, God hasn't given us that option. We're to walk worthy of the calling wherewith we're called, and we're called to be members of the one body.
We are called into a unity which the Spirit of God Himself has formed, and we're in to use diligence to keep it in the uniting bond of peace. So the option of independency is ruled out, and the option of individual.
An individual path without any regard to my corporate responsibilities in the member in the body of Christ are those are ruled out. God has not given us that option in the word of God. So we're to walk worthy of that calling. We're called to be members of that one body. We must walk with our brethren, others who are fellow members of the body of Christ.
How can it be done while it can only be done with all loneliness and meekness, with long-suffering?
Forbearing one another in love.
And then we're called to be the habitation of God by the Spirit, to own the sovereign action and presidency and supremacy of the Spirit of God in our midst, whenever we come together for praise, prayer, worship, remembrance of Himself.
Ministry of the Word, that the Spirit of God may be left free to use whomsoever He will, within the limits that its Scripture itself lays down, to use whomsoever He will for the edification of all.
00:15:17
It says in verse 7.
But under every one of us notice that unto everyone of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Christ has measured out a certain gift to each one of the members in that body and.
To everyone of us, sometimes you hear it said, Well, I don't have any gift and.
My presence in the meeting or not doesn't make any difference. The truth of the one body.
If we understand it, if it has weight in my soul, I can never say it doesn't matter if I'm there or not. That would be like saying it doesn't matter whether they have this little finger or not, doesn't matter. Whether I have my left leg or not doesn't matter. If one of those members were cut off and non functioning, yes it does matter.
Because to every one of us.
Is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. There is not one of us brothers and sisters who does not have grace given to him or to her to function. For the blessing and the good and the health of the entire body, the very figure of the human body is used.
To relay to our minds what the what the church is the assembly. It's the body of Christ.
We were hearing about bones this morning and.
We are of his flesh and of his bones, Scripture says who are part of himself, and he is the head, and he is the one that tells what, tells every member what to do. He is the one who has equipped each member in the body.
With that needed grace to function in a way which is for the help and the blessing of all in the body.
Unto everyone of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Wherefore he saith, when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men, when the Lord Jesus ascended upon high, having defeated Satan on the cross.
Having gone through the stronghold of His power and come out in mighty triumph in resurrection, He ascended up on high. He took all the power of the enemy captivity, that power Satan, which had held us captives, which had held us in ******* He led that power captive.
He took captivity, Satan and all his hosts captive. He led captivity captive. And then what did he do? He liberated us. He delivered us from Satans *******.
Who through death delivered them? Who delivered him? Who through death?
Destroyed him that had the power of death and delivered them, who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to *******.
So he has defeated the enemy. The proof of it is Christ going on high.
The vanquishing the enemy, leading captivity captive, taking captive the very power that had held us captive, and then equipping us, we who were once under the power of Satan, deluded by the enemy.
Servants to the enemy, He has now given grace to me, to you, to each of us.
None of us excluded and that's what's so important and that's the message. I I have a burden on my heart to get across. I go bout and I see there are many that do not attend midweek meetings. You, you have to go on a Lords Day morning in order to see them. Some I have not seen in local assemblies because I haven't gone there on a weekend.
That is, that is not.
Endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace that is not walking worthy of the vocation wherewith we're called. We're called into one body, and the only way that can function properly is that every member of that one body in a locality is there and functioning.
00:20:10
It may only be in the way of prayer.
It may only be in the spirit. Have you ever walked into a meeting and you immediately sense I've. I've done it many times. I've sensed it. Peace.
That's what Jerusalem means. It means a dwelling in peace. You, you, you, you come into a meeting and there's a there's a sense of peace there. You can feel it. The brethren are at peace with one another. And other times, sad to say.
I've gone into a meeting and the atmosphere is highly charged.
There are divisions, there are parties.
Opinions of men which have divided the Saints. Have you ever noticed in the first Epistle to the Corinthians, where the apostle addresses.
Many, many ills. The the the immorality.
Which was not even named among the Gentiles is not even addressed until the 5th chapter.
They're going to law one with another is not addressed until chapter 6. What is the first thing that he addresses in the very first chapter?
It's been reported to me by them of the House of Chloe that there are divisions among you, and I partly believe it because some say I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ. Is Christ divided?
Well, if every member in the body of Christ were functioning, you know it's not nice to preach to empty seats.
It's it's not very encouraging for the one who travels about to visit the assemblies.
To preach.
To nothing.
We know God can bless the Word to the few, and He does.
But all.
What a responsibility we have as being members of the one Body. Each one of us has received a gift, grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
And what is characteristic of that wicked servant Luke chapter 12, is that he he didn't use the gift. Matthew 25, Luke 19, he wrapped the gift up in a napkin, laid it by itself.
Maybe he did that under the false excuse that I don't have a gift.
Well, the word of God says we all do.
And so we're all needed every.
Everyone of us is needed there, and when our seat is empty, there's a hole, there's a void, there's an emptiness there in the assembly when it comes together, which which brings a sort of a dead weight upon the meeting.
Is it important that we be there?
Is it important that we function in a God-given way?
May only be in silent prayer for some.
And for others, in a more active way. Our brother was just referring us to the the lack of participation that he sometimes has felt at the remembrance of the Lord.
A heart should be filled, our baskets full.
To praise, to worship, to adore that Blessed One.
Well, he goes on to say, now he that ascended, what is it, but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth, He went to the very bottom.
He that descended is the same also that S ended up far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things well, He set us free. We were once serving Satan. He set us free and then he's gifted us. He says now I want to use you to minister to the needs and the blessing of others.
Could have used the angelic hosts. No, he says. I'm going to use you. He gave gifts unto men.
And he gave some apostles and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers. Now the gifts mentioned in Ephesians 4 are persons, apostles and prophets, the foundation gifts.
00:25:01
He's referred to that in chapter 2, verse 20. You are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone.
The foundation of the apostles and prophets. Paul says I have laid the foundation, Others build upon it. So we had those foundation gifts and then the evangelist, the pastors and teachers. An evangelist is one that goes out. One is like a compass, one leg in the assembly and the rest sweeping out to the world to bring them in to the place where they can be taught.
A pastor is one who deals with souls.
And a teacher is one who deals with the Word and explains the Word of God and what it means to us so that we can be properly fed.
It used to be said, well, brethren have many teachers.
And what we need is pastors, and I agree with that, but I also agree we need sound, solid scriptural teaching.
That's been the that's been the the strength of the gathered Saints is that they are taught of God.
The Lord says to Philadelphia, Thou hast kept my word.
That's impossible without teaching, without being taught in the word.
And studying it and pondering it.
Now verse 12 for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, that is these gifts, these persons. And in in Romans 12 we have the gifts mentioned as spiritual powers. In first Corinthians 12 we have the gifts mentioned as spiritual powers. Romans 12. It's more the gifts in connection with the general good and blessing of all. And in first Corinthians 12.
Those gifts are mentioned which have to do with the functioning mostly in the local assembly.
One of the gifts mentioned in one of those lists is Helps helps.
We don't generally think of that as a gift. Faith is another one, and we know we all have faith when we believe. But that's a special gift to do a work something like, well, George Mueller did with his orphan homes. A work that requires counting upon God. Extraordinary faith to count upon God when there are no resources.
In our hands.
And there are many other gifts mentioned.
But there their spiritual powers here they are the individuals in whom those spiritual powers are operating, apostles, prophets, foundation gifts and then evangelists, those that go out to the world and bring souls to Christ. And then having been brought to Christ, the the shepherd care. The word pastor is shepherd, the shepherd care that is so needed. The shepherd deals with souls.
Never was there a day more needed for shepherds and the teacher deals with the word of God gives the sense gives the sense of the word of God explains it rightly divides the word of truth all how important that is. Paul says thou hast known my doctrine. That's number one. His teaching, my manner of life and so on.
In his sufferings, the outlines, but the first thing he mentions is the doctrine.
The teaching. If our teaching is not sound, and many of the groups round about us in Christendom, their teaching is not sound. How can their walk be according to the mind of God when they are not taught the mind of God when the word of God is not rightly divided?
But these gifts have been given for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. There are three fours in that verse in our King James translation, but the the preposition in the original language is not the same. And if you have a new translation by Mr. Darby, you'll notice that he translates the first four different from the last two.
The first four gives the primary reason for the gifts.
The perfecting of the Saints, that's number one. That's the primary thought for the gifts being given. And then secondary to that and following and flowing from it is the work of the ministry, the edifying of the body of Christ. Now I want to dwell on this a little bit so that we understand the force of what I've just said.
00:30:09
The perfecting of the Saints that's viewing us now individually as individual Saints. The perfecting of the Saints. Gifts have been given for the perfecting of the Saints that we might be mature, full grown Christians understanding the will of the Lord.
That we be no more children tossed to and fro, Verse 14, and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men, and cunning craftiness.
Whereby they lie in wait to deceive. There are legions of false doctrines floating around in Christian circles today, and many not being established, not being full grown, not being perfected as an individual Christian.
Has been misled.
Into wrong collective experiences.
Wrong collective fellowship.
If we are taught of God individually and brought to that state of maturity and full understanding.
Then we are ready to function in our corporate responsibilities.
The ministry and the edifying of the body. Both of those last two thoughts have to do with collective things. The first one is individual. I read a letter from Mr. Darby once he was up in Canada ministering the word said. I've been three months here and I've never yet touched on church truth.
Now what did he mean? They needed to be established in the truth of the gospel. They needed to be established in the Epistle to the Romans and the Galatians and these epistles which firmly established the soul in the faith of the gospel, in the person of Christ, in the work of Christ.
And once that's accomplished and the soul knows where he is and that he is saved and eternally saved, and there's no question is mine, there's no doubting as to whether he's saved or lost. Can you imagine someone that denies or doubts, I should say, his eternal security functioning for the help of other fellow members in the body of Christ? He wouldn't be a help, He'd be a hindrance.
He's not even sure himself that he's eternally saved. He may even lose his salvation if he slips and falls. And the Lord should come at that moment. He would perish. That's the teaching of many in Christendom. Bad teaching, very bad teaching. Well, so these gifts are given.
For the perfecting of the Saints, that we might individually, first of all understand.
Who we are as Christians, A heavenly people.
Not of this world united to Christ the man in the glory. Many truths are individual truths that we have to be established in the first chapter of Ephesians deals with that.
Deals with individual truth.
Where elect were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, that's an individual truth.
He is predestinated, each one of us to be placed before himself as sons. We can cry. ABBA Father, by the Holy Spirit. Each one of us is sealed of the Holy Ghost. Each one of us has the hope of glory before his soul. That's the hope.
These are individual truths, and to apprehend these and to know that I'm eternally saved, I have eternal life, and I can never lose that, Then I'm in a state of soul to help others. And so the secondary thoughts after the primary one for the perfecting of the Saints is for the work of the ministry now that a soul has been matured and fully grown.
And perfected, he can now function in the ministry.
I used to puzzle over this expression. What is meant by the work of the ministry?
The common thought is the clergy, those that wear the stiff clerical collar and long flowing robes and who have reverend at the end of their name, That's the Ministry. Or maybe amongst us, we would think of those that take the platform, such as right now is happening and minister from the platform. Is that what's meant by the ministry?
00:35:10
It's part of it, but a very small part of it.
And as one travels around.
From meeting to meeting.
Sometimes I feel.
What little good can I do?
To help those feeble ones there in that assembly.
I'm only there for a few days.
And I'm sure other brethren that visit assemblies have felt the same.
What can we do?
And sometimes I was at a place recently.
And I was told to go there, they need, they really need church truth.
So I gave them church truth.
But unfortunately, most of the chairs were empty.
And very few heard the needed ministry. And I know it was needed because those that were there and heard it told me so oh, how we need this. And I said, but where are the others? Well, what little good we can do whatever it is. That's the point I want to get across, even though you think your contribution is so small.
And I have felt that so many times and so insignificant.
Don't cease to make that contribution.
Whatever gift he has given you, use it. But that's the problem. You say I don't know what my gift is. I'll give you a a beautiful formula for discerning what your gift is.
It's.
It's a word that the Lord's mother gave us. It's found in John two very simple instructions that she gave to the servants at the marriage feast.
And she said, whatsoever he saith to you, do it.
And if you'll just follow that out, he'll never tell you to do anything that he hasn't qualified you to do. He'll never assign you a task that you're not gifted, given grace to perform from himself. Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. Just do it where you see a need. If he produces an exercise in your heart and you see a need, whatever it might be, it might be just getting to the meeting room a little bit on ahead of time.
So that when the Saints arrive, it's not blistering hot or freezing cold, but it's at a temperature that they can sit comfortably and enjoy the word of God. That's just a simple illustration of a help, a help or setting the chairs up or.
There's 1000 things that you can think of that we can perform and sisters are certainly a part of that ministry. Oh, and it's not just when we're together in assembly character that we're talking about. We're talking about visiting in homes we're talking about.
The older sisters teaching the younger sisters, that's what Scripture says. That's godly order. It's the older sisters. They're the ones who are to teach the younger sisters how to do in the home, how to raise their children, how to love their husbands, and so on. Read it in Titus chapter 2.
It's not going to.
Some some meeting to learn these things, but the older brothers should take in hand the younger brothers and instruct them and help them and the older sisters with the younger.
How to raise children I don't believe it's in place for an older sister to to get a meeting together with other sisters and say, well, we're going to study the we're going to study the revelation and we'll take it up a chapter a week and, and she is the teacher there. I believe that's a brother's function. But there are teachings that a sister can perform with her younger sisters that.
Have to do with the domestic circle.
And how they are to get on.
Sometimes we'll find a family doesn't know how to manage their money.
That know how to handle money. They need help.
They need help from their older brothers or older sisters in the assembly.
How to take care of the tidiness in the home?
00:40:04
How to prepare a meal?
Sometimes a young brother and sister get married and the sister doesn't know how to cook.
She's never cooked at home.
She may need a little help.
This is all part of the ministry that takes place because we're members, one of another and none of us can say I have no need of you. We all need one another and we need to function together. And so there's the work of the ministry. The work of the ministry is every member in that body functioning and using the grace that's been given to him or to her.
For their health and the building up and the blessing of the body. For the edifying of the body of Christ.
The first thing is that we must be brought to a state of perfection individually. Perfection in understanding full growth, maturity, adulthood, if you will. To send one out into the work where he has to do with the corporate responsibilities when he's not fully established in the truth himself is a dreadful mistake.
If you haven't reached that point where you are mature in Christ.
Get better.
Sit at the feet of those that know more than you and be brought into that state of maturity and then he can use you.
What is being done today? Soul gets saved and he knows next to nothing and he's immediately thrust into Christian work. That doesn't seem to be the order here.
The perfecting of the Saints comes first and then the work of the ministry, every member functioning in some small way. It doesn't mean that you have to know all the truth. Don't, please don't misunderstand me. I don't mean that. It doesn't mean that you have to be brought to to understand all the truths of Scripture, but the fundamentals. One couldn't be any help in a in a corporate way to others if you didn't even know he was saved himself.
Or wasn't sure of it. Or had doubts about it.
No, he must. There are certain things that we have to be fully established in before we can really be helpful to others. You can't help someone from if he's a doubter, if you're a doubter yourself.
For the edifying of the body of Christ, how does this really work? Verse 16 tells us from whom the whole body.
It says in the end of verse 15. I'll read verse 15. But speaking the truth in love may grow up unto him. Christ in all things, which is the head, even Christ from him from whom? From Christ the head, the whole body. Notice the language fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth.
If this is going to work, beloved, every joint has to be supplying the needed nourishment.
Has to be making the needed contribution in the body. Notice how it's put.
Compacted by that which every joint supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. The work of the ministry is the functioning of every member in the body of Christ.
Together as led by the Spirit of God, each one doing his little small part.
And whether you think it's small or large.
If he's given it to you to do whatsoever he saith to you, do it. Hospitality.
Wonderful privilege to have the Saints in your home. Sometimes there's sickness or there's feebleness and it's not one is not able to do what one desires to do, but to do what you can do. She has done what she could.
She hath done what she could. Can that be said of you? Can that be said of me?
The work of the ministry. There's a ministry, It's not those that take the platform only. It's part of it, but it involves all of us, every joint supplying the effectual working in the measure of every part. And when that's functioning according to the mind and thought of God, it makes increase of the body. Under the edifying of itself in love, the body becomes healthy.
00:45:09
The healthy articulation of the body is only produced.
By every single member, every joint of supply, every part in that body doing its necessary function. You know it works with the human body. If one member gets, if you stub your toe, all the members suffer with it. If one member is honored and glorified, all the members rejoice with it.
We're members one of another. We feel the sorrows, we feel the joys. We weep with those that weep. We rejoice with those that rejoice, because we're members one of another.
And so there's a ministry that goes with that. It's the ministry of love, the ministry of care, the ministry of concern, one for another and helping one another. And that results in the building up the edifying of the body of Christ.
Till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God. This is the grand end result, the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man.
Under the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ.
That's why these gifts have been given. But if the gift that has been given to you and to me is not being used by him as he sees fit, it says in First Corinthians 12, God hath set the members in the body as it pleased him.
And everyone of us has something to do. And if you're not in the assembly meetings?
When they're there, when the Saints are together collectively for prayer, the reading of the Word, the remembrance of the Lord, the preaching of the gospel, whatever it is, if you're not there, then you're not performing.
Your function as a member of the body of Christ, you are needed. Everyone of you, everyone of us is needed for the health of the assembly where you reside. And if you've been one that is given to the thoughts. Well, now I have to go home. I'm leaving this conference where we've been under such precious ministry and I have to go home and, and now I go to that dead, lifeless little meeting where I go.
Change that. You can change it. The change has to begin with you. You have to start functioning. You have to be there in all the meetings. You have to be there in an enthusiastic spirit.
Fervent in spirit, serving the Lord just to be there with that kind of an attitude can work wonders.
In the state of the local assembly.
May God encourage us to encourage one another to help one another to function. As I remember in this body of mine has to function for its health. One member goes awry, the whole body suffers.
Become sick and if you happen to be in an assembly which is sickly.
You are responsible.
To function in that assembly. Stop grumbling, stop murmuring. Everything you grumble and murmur about may be absolutely true, but grumbling and murmuring never healed the body.
Start functioning.
In a healthy way.
Let them hear your voice in prayer, young brother.
I don't know anything more more uplifting to those of us who are a little farther on in years to hear a young brother.
Pray in the prayer meeting or give thanks even.
At the Lord's table it's hardly ever heard, but oh how encouraging it is. I remember in our whole meeting a young brother gave thanks 1 Lord's Day morning. It just it was such a joy to hear his voice.
You know what I mean? You've experienced it.
Young people.
Don't sit back.
And make a contribution and fail to make a contribution because you feel you have no gift.
Whatsoever he saith to you, do it.
And the assembly will grow.
00:50:01
It will grow. The body will be edified as the ministry is performed.
By those who have been brought into a state of maturity in their souls.
Individually.
Colossians 3
Reading
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Colossians 3. If you then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth, where 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 glory. I believe the thought is when Christ is manifested.
Is it not? It's a wonderful thought. Christ will be manifested, will be manifested with him.
And so we have the same life now.
And that day is coming, when we will be manifested with Christ, when he is manifested.
Wonderful thought might be nice just to notice what it says in first John 2IN connection with the fathers concerning Christ, and that He is all and in all you just rather astonishing in first John two and verse 13. I write unto you Father's, because you have known him.
That is from the beginning.
Verse 14 I have written unto you Father's, because you have known him.
That is from the beginning. This is right, and there is no progress beyond price in the chapter 2. We've been through nothing. That man in his intelligence, his intellect, his mind can add anything to this. Nor can even angels add anything to Christ.
We are complete in Him.
We are of God. Notice also in First John at the end of First John.
Where that statement comes in, we are of God first. John 519.
It's the apostle speaking, and we know that we are of God.
Then the great contrast, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.
Or in the wicked one, you can't have a greater contrast. This is where we are. It's more than standing. It's actually where we are. And then it goes on, and we know that the Son of God is come what learning there is. This is Him that was from the beginning and hath given us an understanding.
But we have that in chapter 2 in Colossians here.
The full assurance of understanding and of the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ. So here it says that we, and has given us an understanding that we may know Him that is true, is still Christ.
There's no progress beyond Christ. He is all, He is everything, and we are in him. That is true, complete in Him. That's where we are, even in His Son, Jesus Christ. And then the link between God and Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
When the servant was telling.
Rebecca and her family.
About Abraham.
And his Son says unto his Son hath given all they have. All that God has is Christ, and Christ is all, and in all, and we are complete in him. So that this is the defense against higher learning, psychology, or the mind of man. And I think we ought to stay.
Because of truth given to brethren that men like Effie Raven through the mind have sought to get in a higher plane and go beyond Christ and what is revealed in the word of God. I think it's a it's a warning for us because the same attacks are around us today.
That simplicity as to the Christ Him, that is from the beginning.
To know Him, just to know Christ, is everything. There is a day coming as we know, and the Lord Jesus will be manifested and will be manifested with Him. In Ephesians we are seen as already seated in the heavenlies in Christ, but now in the Colossians were seen as being still here in this world, but dead and risen with Christ possessing his life.
00:05:09
And our responsibility and privilege to manifest and display that life.
Brother, just been Speaking of John's epistle and I was thinking of that passage. It says as he is, so are we in this world, we'll never have a better standing before God than we have already right now. But what follows in this 4th chapter is that this might be practically seen in our lives, that we who have taken this position coming to the end of our old Adam standing in the death of Christ.
Alive in an entirely new position, would display that we find when the children of Israel entered the promised land, as we remarked a little this morning, the circumcision took place. That was the knife upon self. Then there was the captain who met Joshua, captain of the Lord's host, to lead them into the possession of the Lamb. But they were warned against things.
There were things in Jericho that.
There I might covet and we know he can did. And it became a problem and a snare. Then there were also, there was also the plan of the Gibeonites to try and trick them into an association with them. And so how would they escape all those things? Well, if, if a candidate only listened, he would have been warned and he wouldn't have taken that which became a snare to himself, to his household and to all Israel.
And if when those Gibeonites came with their story, they had instead asked the Lord for counsel what they should do, why they would have been delivered from that problem of receiving those Gibeonites. And so how important it is, brethren, that we are here in this world.
Associated with the one who is up there, we have his life. The time is coming when we're going to be manifested with and like Him. But now we are to display, as it says in the first chapter, Christ in you the hope of glory. And people ought to see in us that divine life manifested, because we shall not have a different new life when we get to heaven. We already possess the very life of Christ.
And now there's an active part, and that is set your mind on things above everything around us in this world, whether it's in the world as it's a world system or whether it's in connection with the religious world is to occupy the senses and that kind of thing. But the heart occupied with Christ finds full satisfaction in him, finds wisdom for all that's needed, finds.
Marked out for us with warnings and encouragement that we might walk in the power of that new life by the Spirit. We should probably for the benefit of the young especially comment briefly without getting lost in that because of brother has suggested to go into these verses in the third chapter.
This verse 20 Why is 2 living in the world?
We are living in the world, aren't we? But this is not what Paul is saying, that we are still alive and are in this body and physically are here in this scene.
What he is saying is that when we came to the Lord Jesus.
And we accepted him as saved. We came to see that we died with him and this whole system of things away from Christ.
We were also crucified to that, the world to us and we to the world as we have it in Galatians. So what he's talking about is not whether we're still on this planet Earth, but he's saying we're no longer living in the world. That world system will no longer governed by the principles that govern the world and so.
This hopefully is helpful to see that.
Rules and regulations.
Which I mentioned right after this.
Is not necessarily the law.
And it's what man adds to it. And we find that even in the Lord's days, the Lord reviewed the Pharisees and scribes for.
Adding to the law and making the people of God actually transgressing against the law by putting more emphasis on their rules and regulations. And I believe this is what we're naturally inclined to also that we really want to appear more spiritual than others by.
00:10:14
Adding to the word of God and adding restrictions, the extreme of such thing. One case that we came across is that a man forbade his children to touch an empty perfume bottle because that was the world. That's how far this kind of thing can go. But as those that have died.
To the world and do not at all want to please God in the energy of the flesh.
We have the Lord Jesus to occupy us and that which he has won for us, and it's outside of the world system altogether. He has nothing to do with it. We have the exhortations.
Based upon what we've had before if or since she then be risen with Christ now that's true of every believer now. That's the new position we are in. We are risen with Christ and so.
Seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
But that has said, it supposes that there's an enemy that would hinder us from seeking those things, and it takes the energy of the Spirit to do this communion with the Lord and the energy of the Spirit who seek those things which are above. We are surrounded today more than ever with the things, especially religious, that have to do with this earth.
The Jewish religion had to do with earth and because that those who profess Christianity have not paid any attention.
To Galatians, they have already joined Judaism with Christianity the profession of it, and the result is a religion for the earth imprisoned them today. It's not a religion for the heavens, it's not for having Christ in the heavens. There are those, of course, among them who do, but in general you'll find.
The the teaching has to do with the earth. I was surprised just right lately to hear of some.
And some who had been gathered with us.
Who no longer believe in the Lord's coming. What a solemn thing have been brought up in the assembly, and having known these precious truths have been led away already. Because, you know, we're so near the Lords coming that the enemy is busy and he's going to try to turn our hearts away from that precious hope. It is a precious hope.
And we want to hold on to it. Don't let the enemy in any way discourage us.
From waiting, watching for Christ, undoing those three things in Luke's Gospel, the 12Th chapter.
Waiting, watching, and doing. And if we're seeking those things, brethren?
The enemy cannot trip us up. If we have Christ as the optic communion, it cannot trip us up. And we'll be waiting and we'll be watching and we'll be doing. You know, there's a special reward connected with each of those 3, and so that the day is coming when He's going to reward those who are waiting, watching, and doing.
And that's what he's left us here for the moment to do. I was thinking too of in Thessalonians 1.
But there was one thing they were given to do, and that was to wait for your Son from heaven, even Jesus, our deliverer from the coming wrath. I wonder if our dear young people here realized what that means.
The coming breath.
You know, dear ones, that everything has The name of Christendom will be swept away. There won't be one soul left. That's after the church is gone, not one left. They shall not escape, but a solemn day, that is.
When the judgment have got them down, and let them know not God.
That will be not the gospel. Those two things are characterized those on whom that wrath will descend.
But now we have the privilege of seeking those things which are above already. But it's where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. The Spirit of God directs our hearts to an object that's right, and He's sitting on the right hand of God. Now we're going to sit beside the Lord in His throne. He sits beside the Father in his throne, of course.
00:15:12
We won't sit there, but we sit beside Christ on his throne, and what a wonderful thing that will be.
But our brethren are much better even than that, to see his face, to be with him forever and ever. I'd like to take another remark about that expression in verse one. Seek those things which are above often Ponder what? What does that mean? What? What are the things which are above?
Well, I've come to this.
Conclusion. And maybe there's a lot more to it than I have seen.
But the things which are above are those things that Christ is interested in.
And those are the things that we're encouraged to see.
Is the Lord Jesus interested in the coming election in the United States? Is that one of the things that is above? No, he's not concerned about that. Well, what is the Lord Jesus concerned about? He's concerned about the welfare of his people. That's one of the things which is above.
He's concerned about the salvation of the lost. And let's not let anybody talk us out.
Being interested in the plight of the lost, because our Lord Jesus is interested in the plight of the loss. One of the things that he's interested in, the things which are above are the things that Christ is interested in and concerned about. And we're encouraged to set our hearts upon those things. And I would just like to refer briefly back to the previous chapter.
There were four things which were below.
And in contrast to the things which are above in chapter 2, and we only considered two of them.
We considered philosophy or rationalism and the wisdom of man in verse eight of chapter 2. That was one of the things that were below and it has no value. And there was a great hindrance to God's people to be concerned about that line of things. And then the second hindrance to God's people was.
Ritualism, the turning back to ceremonies and keeping of days and so on.
Well, that that was a thing that was below, that wasn't one of the things which are above and being concerned with ritualism is, is, is to be concerned with something that's not our proper position. So rationalism militates against the Christian faith.
Ritualism militates against the Christian faith and then in chapter 2, which we did not consider.
But I'd like to mention it because there are those here who would like a little continuity about our chapter.
Umm in verse 18 we have a third attack upon Christianity, which was.
Mysticism. Mysticism, the entrance into those unseen spheres that God wants us to keep out of. And any contact with the occult is wrong. Mysticism, bothering ourselves with unrevealed things about angels and all the powers that are unseen that God has told us nothing about. Let's leave them totally alone. If we contact them, we're going to be defiled. We might even.
Get so mixed up that it'll spoil the rest of our lives.
Leave it totally alone. All that has to do with mysticism.
So that's something that's below. And then the fourth attack upon Christianity that's found in chapter 2 is?
The attack of religious flesh. Religious flesh.
Or asceticism.
That attempt to.
Make a class of people which are better than others and they say, well we don't do this.
I don't read the newspapers sitting down or I don't touch a perfume bottle.
We don't do this, we don't do that. All sorts of human rules and regulations which have been formulated by man, don't touch, don't taste, don't handle. They all sound kind of religious, but they're of the earth. And that's one of the fourth, that's the fourth attack upon Christianity. And they're not the things that are above.
And they hinder the enjoyment of Christ. And so, brethren, I just wanted to summarize chapter 2 in that way.
00:20:02
There were four things that.
Were attacks of Satan against the believers and their enjoyment of Christ. One was rationalism.
The second one was ritualism. The third one is mysticism.
And the 4th is religious flesh. All of these things rob us of our enjoyment of Christ. But now in chapter 3, we're told to set our hearts upon things which are above those things that Christ is interested in right now. And He wants us to be interested in the things that He is in the Lord. Jesus spoke a little bit about that, didn't He, in the 12Th chapter of Luke?
Money told their disciples not to take thought for their body or for their clothes, he said. But he said, your Father knoweth that she have need of these things before you ask him. Now that is God is concerned with our needs. It isn't that material things don't have a place, but there's the confidence that God our Father is concerned about all those things and so we don't have to worry about them.
Just like a child, it's not worrying a great deal if it has a parent who cares about its clothes and about its food and everything. So it can have an interest in those things that concern but is pleasing to the parent. Or very beautifully in the 12Th chapter of Luke brings this before the disciples, he talks of them as a little flock.
He talks about the things that the Gentiles seek after, but he says you don't need to seek after those things because your Father cares for you. But then he tells them about things they were to be seeking after. They were to be a watching and waiting people. They were to be waiting for the return of the bridegroom. They were to be occupying. They were to be feeding the flock of God.
All those things were brought before us. I'm sure it's in anticipation. Anticipation for there is a moral character to the Gospel of Luke.
Now when we come to Colossians, the full doctrine of it is developed because the Lord Jesus has gone into death, He's risen again, the old man, and all that's connected with it has come to an end. In Judaism it was called a worldly sanctuary. It says they had these things, all those things that were given in Judaism, and a worldly sanctuary God gave all the things that would appeal to the natural.
Heart in the way of a grand building and ritual and incense and all those things.
Change the heart of man? Did he draw him any nearer to God? No. So we find that there's an entirely new order of things that is introduced in Christianity. We find that when the Lord instituted the Supper, it wasn't in the temple.
It was just in an ordinary room that was rendered for the occasion, and there the Lord instituted the supper. It's very beautiful to see how the Lord was Speaking of these things in an introductory way in the Gospel of Luke. And now, and we come to Colossians, we see the groundwork of it. All has been laid. The Lord Jesus has died, ordinances and ritual and all those things have come to an end.
There's always a danger for the mind, and as our brother has just been saying.
To go back to those things that appeal to the mind and to the senses. But the Spirit of God would lead us into occupation with the Lord Jesus and see that He is all. Not that he isn't concerned about our clothes, not that He isn't concerned about our health. We're not to neglect the body. Not that He isn't concerned about our relationships of life. That's very clear from the third chapter. But our minds are set free because we know He cares.
And that we can commit all those necessary things to him and have the same interests here in this world as those things which interest him, and know that Christ as head of the body is in control. He's had, as we have in Ephesians, over all things to the church in Colossians. It's the glory of his person. So it says He's head of the body in Ephesians.
It's his gracious provision, his care, and so he's had, we have had over all things to the Church.
But I think this is brought before us in all its blessed fullness here in Colossians. But it's anticipated, I believe, in the 12Th chapter of Luke.
You know what has been pointed out, and it is worth repeating that there is a difference between worldliness and earthliness.
00:25:02
We know love not the world, neither the things that are in the world, but Paul here.
Encourages the Saints to set their affections on things above, not on things on the earth. And I believe that fits in rather with what you just have been saying. A normal responsibility providing for the family and even, may I say the family itself is not an object.
For the Christian.
That is a big thing in Christendom now.
Now certainly we are thankful for the family, but Christ has to be the object even in the family. Let me illustrate what I mean. As a husband I ought to be exercised that I show, in a small measure anyway, reflect the love of Christ for the church towards my wife. My wife is to show subjection.
As the church is subject to Christ and the children.
The same way we have to bring Christ into all of these relationships and the family itself is not an object for the believer. And we know that the cares of this life is mentioned as one of the things that will render the seed unfruitful in our lives. And so we know scripture says.
If a man provide not for his own.
He has denied the faith and his worth than an infidel. But that's one side. The other is that the cares of these things can so occupy us that we have difficulties rising above them, and to be occupied with that which is a true portion, that which we have in the Lord Jesus in heavenly places.
Blessed with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
Nice to know that your life is already here with Christ in God. That's how close we are already. And now how are we going to live our life down here? It's already hit with Christ in God. What becomes one who is in such a position? These are questions we should ask ourselves if our life is already hit.
And soon we see that there will be an appearing.
And a manifestation.
And we will be manifested with Him in glory. We already have that new life.
But there's such a thing as a practical application now, and that's what we have in these verses, an exhortation on the basis of what we had before. And so we have a new life. Life is hid with Christ in God. What a position to be in when you think of the whole world and where the world is today.
And the onward course that leads into hell. And here we are. Life is hid with Christ and God. There should be a response to their not brethren from us. Now connection with this. Is this the 19th of Revelation? When He shall appear, we shall appear also with Him in glory.
Yes, and also of of First Thessalonians 5 and the First Second Thessalonians.
One and then he'll be in Second Thessalonians. One will be manifested as belonged to him.
To be seen to all that we belong to him. Thinking of putting the family first. I was thinking of what our brother was talking about, about Samuel, that Samuel really loved the Lord, but when he made the family the object and he made his sons judges, didn't he? He pushed them forward because that gave him a position of importance that his children were in that.
Position but he should have seen that when the Lord's interest came first and it wasn't for him to do that. Eli had done the same and he didn't seem to learn from what he had seen in the life of Eli. And I believe it's these are important and practical lessons for us, aren't they? We should seek the Lord's glory and blessing to our family, but not the thought of making the family the object of Christ. And if that is seen in the position of the husband and the position of the wife and in the position.
Children, it's to the glory of God, but the object is the glory of Christ, isn't it?
That So in that verse that our brother referred to in 2nd Thessalonians 1, let's just notice that.
00:30:02
2nd Thessalonians one I think, especially if verse 10 and when he shall come to be notice what says glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe in that day. It's it's Christ glory there and to think that we're going to be there, but it's going to be to his glory, the display of his glory. It'll be the day of the Lord for the world.
It'll be the day of Christ, for his own will be with him.
From the ought to speak to his glory down here now too, shouldn't we? Yes, very much so. That's the last verse of that chapter you were just looking at, Brother Clem. The 12Th verse of 2nd Thessalonians 1.
That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and He and Him according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. That is the present thing, isn't it? In the future day. Why there's going to be the display. And it's very lovely what it says here in that tenth verse that you read. When He shall come to be glorified in His Saints, and to be admired in all them that believe there won't be one child of God.
One there who's part of the bride of Christ.
In whom he won't be fully glorified, the flesh will be gone, we'll have bodies of glory like Christ. And so in everyone there will be the perfect display of Christ. Now He says in a practical way that this should be our desire here and now, that as people look at us, the name of the Lord Jesus would be glorified in us. It's all of grace, as he says. But that's what God is seeking to produce, isn't it? That is the practical.
And the future of it is all secure because it's going to be founded upon God's faithfulness all through what Christ has done and what he has wrought for us at the cross, and what he has wrought in us by His Spirit.
Thessalonians Saints were not aware yet of the rapture when he writes to them, and so they were concerned about those who had died.
Who would miss the appearing?
And so God says as he opens that subject in the 13th verse, Oh no, God will bring them with him, with Jesus when he comes. He's going to bring the dead. And then he explains how they'll all be raised in the rapture. He's going to bring them all with him. All those who are dead are going to be raised. And so there was a need for that truth, and God supplied the truth when the need was there.
And the apostle was given that truth to reveal to those Saints.
Vessel like it that God is going to bring those with him who have died when Jesus comes. But be first of all, the dead will be raised, and in Corinthians they'll be raised in incorruptibility.
No, no more of the corruption that was there before. What a condition that is appearing when everyone will be in bodies of glory like Christ.
Even those who have died in the graves today, they might be the furthest quarters of the world that will not shout comes.
You'll find in another translation that says Assembling Shout.
They will all be assembled at once, in a moment, the twinkling of an eye be caught up to be.
With the Lord, so that we might appear with them in one Thessalonians we get.
Two lines of truth. We get the rapture, and then we get to appear with Him, the two comings of the Lord. First, that he's going to come and take his Saints, raise them, take them home with Him. Those who are dead and those were living be caught away.
The second truth is coming back with them, as we've had in Second Thessalonians, going to bring them back again.
And manifest to the world that we belong to Him. And then it says, And so shall we ever be with the Lord.
OK, I've enjoyed rather than thinking where it says.
That her life is hid with Christ in God. Our life is above, it is not in this world. The world around us looks at us and cannot understand the reason for our life because the object that we have for our souls is not in this world.
And really, for a believer in the Lord Jesus to have any, any object, any major object down here in this world is falling short of the true occupation of a believer. Our sight should be set above our minds on things above, then our hearts would follow as well. But it is.
00:35:21
As the world sees this, they cannot see any reason.
Why a Christian has any joy or any fulfillment in life down here? Our life is hid, brethren, it is hid. But when we come to verse four, our brethren have been mentioning is the time when our life is going to be manifested in that day of coming glory as the wondering world.
Looks on as the Lord Jesus comes.
And every eye shall see him, and we are coming with Him. Then they will understand our life. It will be manifested as Christ is manifested in glory. They will see our light too. But we have to be content here in this world not to be understood as to our object. And I say again.
Especially for those of us who are younger.
Importance of remembering that any object down here, even if it is a religious or a seemingly good option for the things of the Lord, but if it's if the object is down here, it falls short of the object of a true believer. Our life is hid with Christ in God we are raised.
And our occupation should be above.
Do is for you, so he says. Moreover, As for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you. But I will teach you the good and the right way. Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart. For consider how great things He has done for you. But if ye shall still do wickedly, he shall be consumed, both ye and your King.
Samuel's heart yearns in prayer.
For his brothers and sisters, the Israelites, I desire.
That kind of a heart.
A praying heart.
And he said, even if you've done this now in taking yourself a king, but as far as I'm concerned, I'm not going to stop praying for you and I will do my best in a practical sense to teach you what is the right and the proper way of the Lord.
And then one more verse in Oprah in chapter 16, Samuel again, Samuel and the Lord in there in their life together. I love that. I love the Lord in my life. I like having Him in my life.
Sure, he tells me things black and white he doesn't color.
But that's why I appreciate Him so much. And even if I do wrong, He doesn't reject me. He takes His time to get me straightened back out again. Here's chapter 16. Samuel and the Lord working along together again.
Samuels I don't have the time to read this because I'd like to look just for a second at the Lord's Prayer in Matthew. So this chapter maybe you can look at it tonight. 1616 is very beautiful. The whole thing. The same thing about Samuel talking to the Lord. The Lord says please go over there and anoint David Simon Says no way I lose my head on it tells the Lord how he feels.
And the Lord just quietly says, OK, I got a safety plan for you.
Didn't need it actually, if he had gone over there he wouldn't have got his head chopped off. But the Lord gives him a little plan so that you know he's brave enough to go ahead and away goes and says and come over here to sacrifice for the yearly sacrifice or whatever, you know, want to get there. He calls Jesse and now this one verse number six came to pass that when they were come, he looked on Eliab and said surely the Lord's anointed.
Before him. But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on the countenance, or on the height of the statue, His statue, because I have refused him. For the Lord seeth not His man seeth, for man looketh on the outward appearance.
But the Lord looks on the heart. It's a beautiful, isn't it? The more more the more I meditate on this is more beautiful. It is Samuel. He's very outright, you know. He's tells the Lord how he thinks that's what they desire for you, dear brother and sister, that you might have that freedom before the Lord to turn out your heart to the Lord. He will not despise you. He loves you. He knows what's in your heart already. Why don't you just talk to him simply?
00:40:22
And along comes Eli of the first born, he said. Ah, this is the one.
That's not what the Lord said, and this is what he said almost. I don't know. It looks to me as if he's talking to the Lord saying, oh, here he is, here he is. And the Lord said, Oh no, this is not the one.
I just want to. I appreciate in relationship with the Lord. He tells you the things as they are. He'll explain situations that you could never discover. And I appreciate that because I know that.
I fail very much in being unfair to brothers and sisters because I don't know all the factors of the situation and so quite often my judgment is an unfair judgment.
And I like to say, the Lord, could you explain the situation to me? And the Lord comes along and says.
You were really rough on that brother, but did you know that he's got pressures in his family?
Did you know he's under financial pressure?
Sure, what he did is not right. Sure you should not justify things that are wrong. But you have no compassion because you haven't looked at the situation as a whole. You can't see it, but I know it. And how does the Lord do that to me? He doesn't tattletale on my brothers and sisters to me.
But quite often when I pray to him and I say, Lord Jesus, I like to understand this situation. It's a puzzling situation. It's bothering me. Could you not telling anybody's secrets, could you explain it to me? And sometimes you will give me a story in the Old Testament or a scripture in the Old Testament. And I say, oh, I understand, I understand. And then when I look with eyes of compassion and my brothers and sisters.
I discover that the Lord was right. He was being. The Lord was being compassionate.
I was being unfair because I didn't know all the factors. So here Samuel just speaks right out in front of the Lord and said OK, here's the man, let's get on with it. He said. No, it's not. The man is the wrong one, he said.
You look at it according to man. God looks at it differently. He looks at the heart.
And so when the next one comes along, the next boy, and verse 8.
Then Jesse called a benadam, and made him pass before Samuel, And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this one. Now Samuel's not so quick to talk.
Colossians 3:1
Ways God Speaks to Man
Address—G.H. Hayhoe
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
I'd like to speak friends tonight about the different ways in which God speaks, because God speaks with a desire for our blessing.
And if there are any here who don't yet know Him, a Savior, perhaps He has spoken to you in different ways. And tonight He is speaking to you again through His precious word. And there would be joy in heaven tonight if you would hear His loving voice, and you would turn to the Lord Jesus and receive Him as your Savior. It would give you peace, will give joy, and heaven would give joy in this room.
And oh, what a mighty deliverance and what I'd like to turn to a few scriptures first of all.
I'd like to turn to Psalm 19, Psalm 9/19, and the first verse.
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handiwork.
Day unto day utter a speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge.
There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath He set a Tabernacle for the Son.
Then would you turn to the next book in the Bible, the Book of Job, or, pardon me, the verse, the book before the book of Job and the 33rd chapter?
Job Chapter 33.
And the sixth verse, Behold, I am according to thy wish in God's stead. I also am formed out of the clay. Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee. Surely thou hast spoken in my hearing, and I have heard the voice of thy words, saying, I am clean without transgression. I am innocent, neither is there iniquity in me.
Behold, he findeth occasions against me, he counteth me for his enemy, He putteth my feet in the stalks, he marketeth all my paths. Behold, in this thou art not just. I will answer thee that God is greater than man. Why dost thou strive against him? For he giveth not account of any of his matters.
For God speaketh once, ye twice, yet man perceiveth it not in a dream, in a vision of the night.
When deep sleep falleth upon man, men in slumberings upon the bed, then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, that he may withdraw a man from his purpose and hide pride from man. He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword. He is chastened also with pain upon his bed.
And the multitude of his bones with strong pain.
So that his life abhorrent bread and his soul dainty meat, His flesh is consumed away that it cannot be seen, and his bones that were not seen stick out.
Yeah, his soul. His soul draws near unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers. If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among 1000 to show unto man his uprightness, then he is gracious unto him. And Seth deliver him from going down to the pit. I have found a ransom. His flesh shall be fresher than a child's. He shall return to the days of his youth.
Shall pray unto God, and he will be favorable unto him, and he shall see his face with joy.
For he will render unto man his righteousness, he look at the bond men, And if any say, I have sinned and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not, he will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light. Know all these things worketh God oftentimes with man, to bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living.
Mark well, old Job, hearken unto me, hold thy peace, and I will speak. If thou hast anything to say, answer me, speak, for I desire to justify thee. If not, hearken unto me, hold thy peace, and I shall teach thee wisdom.
And I'd like you to turn also to First Timothy, First Epistle of Timothy in the first chapter.
And verse 15, this is a faithful saying.
00:05:01
And worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
Well, as I said to your friends, I'd like tonight to speak of the different ways in which God speaks to man.
Because, you know, God desires the blessing of man. It tells us that when He created this world, His delights were with the sons of men. And His own hands planted the garden back in Genesis, and there He placed man and woman, Adam and Eve, to enjoy all the good things that He had given to them. He told them they could eat of all the trees of the garden freely. He gave them one.
One tree that they were not to eat of, one that would do them harm.
And they chose to follow their own wills instead of hearkening to the loving voice of God the Creator.
Who had given them that garden to enjoy, to enjoy in all its fullness? They chose the path of rebellion and disobedience to their Creator. And dear friend, I ask you tonight, is that the path that you have chosen? You're going against the wisdom and love of the Creator who gives you life and breath and all things. Are you going on without Him and leaving Him out of your life?
Don't say that God hasn't given you any testimony of His goodness.
Because you're surrounded with ever so many reminders of His goodness and of His love and of His care. Think of this world in which we live with all those things that God has given. And it tells us there in that 19th Psalm where we read the heavens, declare the glory of God, and the firmament show of His handiwork. Our brother last night spoke of someone who said there is no God.
But I don't think that there's anybody sitting in this room.
That says that all these chairs just flew into place and all these things around the room just came into place without anybody doing it. You all recognize that somebody did it, and you and I are living in a world where God has given us ample evidence that He exists of His creatorial power and that He has made this wonderful world in which we live.
In all intricacies of the creation and how everything goes according to His divine planning.
And the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth His handiwork. Even if you have never read a Bible in your whole life, you would still have to acknowledge that there is a Creator and that if He is the Creator of all things, then you have a responsibility to Him. I don't think that you would walk into this room and say that you have no responsibility to the Marriott Hotels you.
We do have some responsibility. It's their building. And dear friends, you were in this world and you have a responsibility to your creator.
The Bible says everyone shall give account of himself to God. It says, as I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me.
And every tongue shall confess to God. And so don't try to brush it off so easily as saying I just don't believe. The fact that you don't believe doesn't change facts at all. I've never been to Paris, France, but if I told you that because I never saw the city, I didn't believe it was there, you'd say I'm foolish. And dear friends, not believing a thing doesn't change the fact that all. And because you don't believe in a God doesn't.
Way to change the fact that there is a living God with whom you have to do.
And you have to acknowledge his son whether you wish it or not. The fact that people don't believe.
Seems to be, in their minds, a way of escape. Perhaps when your tax papers come, you could throw them in the waste paper basket and say I'm not interested in taxes.
And nobody is going to make me interested in taxes, but you know what would happen?
You know that you wouldn't be able to retain your property if you said you have no interest in taxes. You have a responsibility to the laws of this land, and you have a higher responsibility to your creator. But the wonderful fact is your creator loves you. I don't know whether the ones who are in authority have an individual care about you, but I do know that the God in whose hand your breath is and.
Your ways is looking down upon you sitting in this seat here tonight and says I love you and I don't want to be your judge. I want to be your savior. I want to not only give you temporal happiness in the world, but I want to give you eternal happiness, for in thy presence is fullness of joy. At thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore.
00:10:25
I beg of you, dear friends, not to be indifferent.
To the claims of your creator, it says there's no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.
There is no land where the sun doesn't shine. There is no land where they don't see the evidence of God's creatorial power. There's no escape from that responsibility. And it says, as Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar, he said, the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified when Paul stood up on Mars Hill in that city of philosophy?
Athens, he said. He said truly God is not far from everyone of us, for in him we live and move and have our being.
If happily, we might seek after him and find him. But the wonderful fact that I have to proclaim to you.
Is that God is seeking after you?
Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners. He said He came to seek and to save that which was lost. And friends, He's seeking you and He's been seeking you ever since you were just a babe. He sought even the little ones that says He came to save that which is lost. And when in yourself will you decide to turn your back on Him? Then He started seeking for you.
And He is seeking for you tonight, and He is longing for your blessing.
And you will have to turn a deaf ear to a great many of his warnings if you land in Hell in a lost eternity.
Just as when you're going along, if you're going along and there are warning stop lights there, well, if you go through a stoplight, it's your own fault. If you get into trouble and have an accident, there was a warning given to you. And God's Word is full of warnings. It's full of warnings, but it's full of love. God wants you to. God wants to woo you by His love. He wants to bring you to Himself.
Well, this 19th Psalm says.
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handiwork.
And the Apostle Paul in Romans chapter one, when he takes this up, he says there that the invisible things of God from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. You're without excuse.
If you came into this room and behaved the way you like with no sense of responsibility to this hotel.
I don't think they'd count you without excuse. They would say, well, you ought to have known you did have a responsibility, and how much more to the Creator in whose hands your breath is. Well, let's turn over to this passage in Joel Job, chapter 33.
Job had been doing a great deal of arguing. He'd been saying a great many things. And perhaps you like to argue too. Perhaps you like to give out your own views and your own ideas.
And he seemed to find it very difficult to realize and understand what God was doing in his life. Perhaps that's been the case with you. You say my life has been such a puzzle, I don't understand it.
But isn't it wonderful that God sent along this man named Eli Hugh that would speak to Job and would give him to know a little bit of God's ways with man. And that's what I would like to do tonight with the Lords health, to speak a little bit of God's ways. And now he desires to bless. And above all what he has done. That you might be saved, that you might be sure of salvation, that you might be sure of heaven.
Well as 33rd of job where we read it says.
Six verse Behold, I am, according to thy wish in God's stead. I also have formed out of the clay, he said to Job. I'm just an ordinary man like you. My body is formed out of the clay. You don't need to be afraid of me because I'm just a person like yourself, and that's all I am tonight, dear friends, I'm a person just like yourself, a Sinner saved by grace and the wonderful goodness of God.
00:15:17
But I'm just an ordinary person.
But.
Elonia, who had learned to know something of the ways of his Creator, of his Savior. And by the grace of God, I've learned to know something of that through this precious book. And that's why I would like to bring before you tonight how you might get to know the God in whose hands your breath is, that you might get to know his love, that you might get to know his character as light and love, and that you might receive his free offer of pardon and salvation.
He had been listening to Job talking and noticed the way Job had been speaking. Says in the eighth verse, Surely thou has spoken in mine hearing, and I have heard the voice of thy words saying, I am clean without transgressions. I am innocent, neither is there iniquity in me. Behold, he findeth occasions against me. He counteth me for his enemy. I've heard lots of people talk like that.
Why did this happen to me?
Why should I be in all this trouble? What have I done? And that was just the way the job was talking to. Maybe that's the way you've been talking. But dear friends, if you think you're all right, if you think you're clean without transgression, it's just because you have never been in the presence of God. So I was in a dark room and my clothes were filthy dirty. I might think they were clean, but I'd be a very simple reason. I just wasn't in the light. But as soon as I got into.
I would see that I was clothed as the Bible says. When when the Zechariah got into the presence of the Lord, it says he was clothed in filthy garments. When Isaiah get into the presence of God, he said, I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips, for mine eyes have seen the king, the Lord of hosts.
And tonight, I hope that this gospel meeting will bring you consciously into the presence of God and that you will see yourself as God sees you. A young lady back in Ottawa was invited to the gospel meeting and this was her reply. No thanks. It makes me feel too wicked.
She didn't want to get into the presence of God about her sins. But dear friends, it's a good thing when you find out how sinful you are because God cannot have sin in heaven. Not one sin can enter heaven. And I'd be very when I am going someplace that I want to have clean clothes.
I want to get where it's nice and bright and where the mirror is good and clean, because if my clothes are supposed to be clean, I want to be sure they are.
And dear friends, God wants holiness. He demands that you stand in his presence without one sin upon you. You say, how can that be? You can't do it, but God can. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth us from all sin. Well, Job had been talking about what a good man he was.
And that God was really against him and.
The 12 first, Elihu says to him.
Behold, in this thou art not just. I will answer thee that God is greater than man.
Why dost thou strive against him? For he giveth not account of any of his matters.
Perhaps you say, well, there's so many things that happen in life and so many things in the Bible. I don't understand. Well, dear friends, you have to do with one whose wisdom is infinite. God knows everything. He makes no mistake, the Bible says, As for God, his way is perfect.
And you're going to have to give an account to God, but he doesn't have to give an account to you.
He doesn't have to give an account to you. It says, Why does thou strive against him? For he give us not account of any of his matters. Once the Lord Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate, and Pontius Pilate expected the Lord to give an account of him, give an account to him. But the day is coming when Pilate is going to stand before Christ and he's going to give an account to him.
All what a serious thing when he delivered the Son of God to be crucified.
Old friends, perhaps you look lightly on some of the things in your life, but you're going to give an account. Every man shall give account of himself to God.
00:20:08
Well, then it tells us about the different ways in which God speaks. It says in a dream, in a dream. Well, I suppose all of us have had bad dreams sometime and they were pretty scary. But we woke up and we were very thankful to find that the dream wasn't true.
It didn't really happen, and the thing that we were so scared about didn't really happen. And you know, God speaks in a very gentle way the first time. Maybe you've had a terrible dream. Maybe you've had a dream about your soul. Maybe you've had a dream about standing before God or going through death and it wasn't so and you were glad to find out you were still alive.
But dear friends, God was speaking to you. It may be over and over again.
Speaks. And he always speaks gently the first time. He always speaks gently the first time. And if he has spoken to you, I beg of you not to be indifferent. He spoke gently when our children were growing up. We never spoke harshly the first time. We always spoke gently. And when we got a response of obedience and love, oh, what a pleasure it was.
We love to see our children happy.
We would do all that we could to make them happy. And when they were a bit rebellious, we always spoke first, gently. And so does God. Maybe he's spoken gently to you. Maybe while you've been sitting in these meetings and you heard the gospel meeting on Friday night and you heard it on Saturday night, and like Felix, you trembled.
As it says, as Paul reasoned the righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled.
Nothing happened at that time to Felix, but he trembled. He knew that what Paul was saying to him was true, but he thought there was plenty of time. He put it off. He said that when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee and your friends. Maybe God has spoken to you and you have been afraid. You sat in your seat maybe last night.
And the Lord was pleading with you. He was, as it were, pulling on your coat sleeve.
And saying, Why won't you come? And you pulled away and said, I want to have my fun first. I want to go on in my own way. God speaketh once, yeah, twice. Yet man perceiveth it not in a dream and a vision of the bed. When deep sleep falleth upon man, then he openeth the ears of man and sealeth his instruction that he may withdraw man from his purpose.
And hide pride from man. Why haven't you come to Christ? I think I can answer. Its pride. It's pride. It's because you feel you don't need the Lord Jesus. You say I'm OK, I'm all right, I'll go my own way. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way. And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
God saw you going your own way.
And he longed to bless you. Well, he spoke gently the first time. Then it goes a little further here in this 17th verse. And it says.
Now the 18th verse. Rather, he keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing with the sword. That means that maybe you've had a narrow escape. Maybe you just barely escaped death. I remember visiting a man good many years ago who was in World War One, and he brought out a little testament and showed it to me.
And he said that was in my pocket during the war.
And there was a bullet hole went into that testament. He said that testament was right in my tunic over my heart. He said, you see that that bullet went in there and that testament saved my life. I said, Mr. Burnett, will you let me look at it? And he let me look at it. And it stopped at Revelation 22. I've forgotten the verse, but the number of the verse. But it was whosoever will let him take the water of life.
Freely, I said, Mr. Burnett, have you done it? No. No, dear friend, if you had a narrow escape, have you been close to death and you told your friends you were lucky and you got out of the car without being hurt, or you escaped and the other person didn't and you laughed and joked, your friends, God was speaking to you, he may not speak again.
00:25:13
He may not he that being often reproved hardness, his neck shall suddenly be destroyed.
And that without remedy. Another dear man might be known to some here down in Kentucky. His name was Johnny McDaniel. I remember going to visit him when he was sitting in a wheelchair just one year after a tree had fallen upon him. His back was broken. And this is what he said to me. God had to break my back to save my soul.
God had to break my back to save my soul. He lived for a good many years afterwards.
To be a bright testimony for his Lord and Savior. He was glad that he had that narrow escape. He didn't turn like Mr. Burnett and just think he was lucky to get free and not be killed. No, dear friends, he turned to the Lord. And if you've had a narrow escape, I beg you to turn to the Lord. The next one might be a call into eternity, as it has been with some of our friends whom we've known well.
Just lately, oh, I plead with you, God speaks through creation. He lets you see all the wonders of his creation. God speaks through a dream, in a gentle way, where perhaps the dream was unpleasant, but you found out it wasn't real and it didn't really happen. But then you were in an accident, a close call. You barely escaped death.
Did you hear the voice of your loving Creator?
The one who wants to be your savior? No, perhaps you didn't listen. Then God speaks again. Listen to what it says here.
Chastened also with pain upon his bed, and with the mother and the multitude of his bones was strong pain.
So that his life abhorrent bread and his soul dainty meat. His flesh is consumed the way that it cannot be seen, and his bones that were not seen stick out. Yeah, his soul draws near under the grave and his life to the destroyers.
Well, it's not hard to understand what this is, a picture of some very serious illness and perhaps you're going on, God is going to have to do this to you to try and get your ear. Are you still going to be indifferent? We meet people in the hospital, people who have.
Very serious bodily conditions, as far as the doctors are concerned, they're terminal and yet.
They still closing their ears to the voice of love that pleads with them.
Oh, how good it is when people hear the loving voice of the Savior, the neighbor of ours who was sick.
Told us, he said I left the Lord out of my life for 20 years, turned my back upon him, wondered if he even existed. Can I turn to him now? I believe he did. I believe he did. And your friends, the Lord didn't turn him away. He, he thought the Lord wouldn't want him after turning his back on him 20 years. But the Lord's cry is whosoever will may come.
He invites the Sinner to come. Christ Jesus came into the world.
To save sinners. And so if you have turned your back upon him.
And you've left him out of your life. Perhaps some serious illnesses come into your life. Maybe the doctor has warned you. Are you going to turn to the Lord Jesus? You say, why did God allow it? This is telling us why he allows us to draw us back, to keep us from the pit, to keep us from eternal judgment, to bring us to himself. And so here is this sick man. And it says here in his 22nd verse.
Yeah, his soul draws near unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers, if there be a messenger with him.
An interpreter, one among 1000. To show unto man his uprightness. Yes, God has his messengers. Thank God he does. And the Lord Jesus rose from the dead, he said, to his disciples, going into all the world the gospel to every creature. He said that repentance and remission of sins would begin, was to be preached among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
00:30:00
And so he raises up his messengers.
Those who will carry the glad tidings of his love and of his grace. And as our brother was talking this afternoon, you don't have to have some special gift or something to do that either. It says if there be a messenger, one among 1000, you say, oh, I'm an oddball when I talk to people about the Lord. Well, perhaps you are, but you're carrying a wonderful message.
A message of pardon. A message of salvation.
A message that God wants to bless Sinner is because he wants to. He says he's not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. If there be a messenger with him. One among 1000. To show unto man his uprightness, what does this mean? To show unto man his uprightness? What is the upright thing for a Sinner to do?
Supposing I stole $100 from you.
Would it be upright for me to say I didn't do it or to try and hide it? Or would it be more upright for me to say, yes, I have to hang my head, I am the guilty one. And then you, pardon me, but wouldn't it be the upright thing for me to do to say I am guilty? And dear friends, that's what God's listening for. He's not listening to hear you say you're going to turn over a new leaf because he knows.
The best you can do is not good enough. All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.
The best we can do, you say, what more can I do than the best I can do? And your friends, let me use a little illustration. Supposing you have a letter and you want to have it addressed and you hand it to a three-year old child and say here, would you address this letter for me? I'll tell you the address.
Well, if I know anything about what children are like, because we had them, that child would try. And I, I've seen a child and they really thought they were writing a message too. But I don't think any postal clerk would be able to interpret it. The child did the best they could, but it wasn't good enough. Oh, you say, can you be so foolish? Why don't you give it to somebody who can write? Why don't you go to somebody who's able to save you? I can't save you. Your mother can't.
You, your Father, can't save you, but the Lord Jesus is the Savior of sinners.
He says him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. And if you'll just be upright and take your place as a Sinner, as it says here, He looketh upon man and if any say I have sinned, he's not. He's not asking you to say I'm going to start praying and I'm start going to church and I'm going to do this or that. He wants to hear from your heart and warm from your lips those words.
In all sincerity and all uprightness.
I am a Sinner and I need a Savior. That's what repentance is. That's what repentance is. I've often said that repentance really is a change of mind. That's the meaning of the word. And we are sinners and we have wrong thoughts about two things. We have wrong thoughts about ourselves and we have wrong thoughts about God.
You speak to anybody that's not saved, and he has wrong thoughts about himself. He thinks he's not as bad as God says he is, and he doesn't perhaps believe that God's punishment of sin is as severe as God says it is. He has wrong thoughts about sin and about himself.
And he has wrong thoughts about God because if he only knew the forgiveness that was in the heart of God.
He wouldn't delay another moment. Sometimes you're afraid to tell somebody you're sorry you did something because you don't know whether they'll pardon you. But you never need to feel like that in the presence of God. Because it says, if let the wicked forsake his way in the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him and to our God, for he will.
Abundantly. Pardon, I just love that verse.
He will abundantly pardon how many of your sins? The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth us from all sin. If there be a messenger with him, one among 1000 to show unto man his uprightness, then he is gracious unto him. God is gracious. The grace of our God that bring us salvation hath appeared to all men. Yes, God is gracious.
00:35:00
What is grace? Undeserved favor. I deserve punishment, but God is a pardoning God.
Says in the songs, If thou Lord, should mark iniquity, O Lord, who should stand?
But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. So it says, then he will. He is gracious unto him, and saith, deliver him from going down to the pit. Yes, Isn't this wonderful? A judge himself says that. I've often said, I know there's no judgment for me because the judge himself told me, the judge himself. You're not going to be my judge.
No preacher is going to be my judge.
But God the one who is the Judge, did you ever notice how beautiful that is? In John chapter 5? It says in John chapter 5 verse 22, the Father judgeth no ma'am, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son. And then in the 24th verse, the Judge himself speaks, and he says, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent Me hath everlasting life, and shall not.
To condemnation but is passed from death and delight. The father turns judgment over to the son, and the son turns to the one who believes. Says I'm not going to be your judge. I'm not going to be your judge because you've received me and you have everlasting life. Oh friends, he wants to be gracious to you. Deliver him from going down to the pit.
I have found a ransom. You don't have to find the ransom, tells us in Titus.
The Lord Jesus and Timothy. I should say that the Lord Jesus gave himself a ransom for all.
To be testified in due time. So he's the one God found the ransom God sent his Son. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Here's a little picture of new birth. His flesh shall be fresher than a child. He shall return to the days of his youth. Now that is a little picture of being born again. I was born into this world with a sinful, fallen nature. But God has given me a new life and I've been born into his family. I'm one of his children. I have a life that is going to live for all eternity in the.
Presence of God and enjoy in my presence is fullness of joy. At thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore, old friend. And then it says, thou wilt show me the path of life. Well, this is for you if you'll just listen to your Sinner. And then here's the response, the 26th verse. He shall pray unto God, and he will be favorable unto him, and he shall see his face with joy.
For he shall render unto man his righteousness. Isn't this wonderful?
I'm going to see the judge of all the earth, but I'm going to see his face with joy. Yes. I'm not afraid because the judge himself is my savior. Sometimes I think of a child, for instance, his father's the judge in the court. He's had to pronounce the death sentence on a man in the court that day he comes home.
His little boy runs up to him and throws his arms around him. He said to the boy. Aren't you afraid of that man?
He pronounced a death sentence on a man today. Oh, he says, that's my father, that's my father. Oh dear friends, if you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior, you'll see the judge with joy, because he's not going to be your judge. He'll render unto man his righteousness. My righteousness was filthy rags, but says in 2nd Corinthians 5 He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness.
God in him, you couldn't have a better righteousness than God provides. You don't have to do one thing, but just to receive it. Here's this person. He's been laid on a sick bed. He's been careless about his soul, and now the messenger comes in and tells him what's in the heart of God. Dear friends, I'm just formed out of the clay, but I have the privilege of giving you that message tonight. It's not my message. It's a message from the heart of God. He wants to.
You he wants to pardon you he wants to render his righteousness. You looketh upon man, and if any say I have sinned and perverted that which isn't right, and it profited me not, He will deliver him from going down, going into the pit, and his life shall see the light. Oh yes, the Lord Jesus wants to be your deliverer. He wants to save you from the just penalty of.
00:40:20
Sins He wants you to know the full and the free pardon that he has for you.
And he's offering it to you tonight. And so if you'll turn over with me to Hebrews chapter 2.
Hebrews chapter. Well, I'll read it in the first verse. The 1St chapter first it says here I'll read from the first verse. God, who at sundry times, and in divers manners, fake in time passed under the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom He at the point of heir of all things, by whom also He made the world, who, being the brightness of his glory, and the.
Image of His person and upholding all things by the word of his power.
When he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high. Friends, I want to tell you that tonight, that one who went to Calvary, that one who paid the debt of sin, who his own self bear our sins and his own body on the tree, He's up there at the right hand of God. He's seated there and he wants to deliver you from going.
To the pit he wants to be a pardoning God. To you, he wants you to know the love that's in his heart. His life shall see the light. If you're not saved, you're still in darkness. It says he were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord. And the Commission given to Paul was to go and proclaim this message.
That they might be turned from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God.
Your life will see the light. You will have the joy and peace of salvation.
And you'll know that you have a living, loving Savior seated there at the right hand of God. And I just want to say a little more for those who receive him and those who know him as Savior. He's an all the way home Savior. He says, I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
When you say, oh, but I don't know whether I could live the Christian life.
Well, isn't it wonderful to know that this same blessed Savior who died for us, who went there to Calvary's cross to bear the dead, the load of sin, that He's up there at the right hand of God? I thank Him that by His grace I've been saved for many years. But I've needed Him along the way, needed Him very much. I could never have made it to this hour in my own strength, but the same.
Who died for me? The one who paid the ransom price, The one whose blood has cleansed me from all sin.
Says that he's up there. It says we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are sent apart. And he says if you need help, just turn to me. And there he is. And I found his help all along the way. Friends, He is and all the way home Savior.
Just mentioned too that he also restores it says in the 23rd Psalm he restoreth my soul.
Comes to mind about a lady who came to the gospel meeting many years ago. She received the Lord Jesus as her Savior. She went on her way rejoicing. Know that knowing that she was saved.
But two or three weeks afterwards she came back again to the meeting and she said, boy, I was so happy when I got saved because I knew all my sins were gone. But she hung her head and she said, but I'm afraid I have to acknowledge that I have sinned since I've been saved.
What about that? What about that?
Well, a brother that was speaking, he said, Well, I just want to ask you two questions, first of all.
How, how many sins did you have when the Lord Jesus died? When she said I, I guess I didn't have any. I wasn't born.
Then he said, I want to ask you the second question, Do you think the Lord Jesus is going to die for sinners again?
00:45:05
And she said, no, I don't suppose. And he isn't. The Bible says in that he died, He died unto sin once, but in that he liveth, He liveth unto God. While the brother said to her, if the Lord Jesus didn't settle the question of your sins at Calvary, they'll never be settled. But thank God he did.
Thank God he did by one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. And I want to say to those who are perhaps young believers, you don't have to come to the Lord after you're saved and ask him to forgive your sins. He just some come and confess. It says if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
That is when you come supposing that I did something wrong to you and I come and say, will you forgive me? I'm raising the question about whether you're going to say yes or no. But if you said Gordon, I have forgiveness in my heart, but I want I've already forgiven you, but I'd like you to say you're sorry. I'd like you to say you're sorry. And you know, when I fail as a Christian, I come with the confidence that the blood has cleansed my sins. But that sin.
Communion with God. I can't be a happy Christian and be displeasing my Lord and Savior. Whence all of Tarsus got saved. His first desire was, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? What wilt thou have me to do? And so when you receive the Lord Jesus, you get a new life, you get a full and complete pardon. But if you want to be a happy Christian, you want to be a happy Christian.
Don't allow sin in your life because it'll break fellowship with God.
It will spoil the happiness of your Christian life because just as God wanted to save you from your sins and make you eternally secure, He wants you to be happy in this world as well as in all eternity. He wants you to be a happy Christian. And if you want to be a happy Christian, just think of what the Lord Jesus has done for you. And when Paul got saved, all of Tarsus, when he got saved, he just wanted to devote his whole life to the Lord.
Had done so much for him. And the Bible says the love of Christ constraineth us, that we should not live unto ourselves, but unto him who died for us and rose again. And so I say again, God is speaking, He surrounded you with the wonderful creation, and you've seen all the wonders of his creation, at least a few of them I should say.
Because there's such an extent to his creation that even the best.
Scientists can never discover all the wonders of it, you know, Mr. Einstein said. And I suppose he was one of the most learned scientists that ever lived. His comment was when somebody asked him about how much he knew, he made this comment, he said. I know less than one 100th percent about anything.
He felt that the creation was so great, the little bit that he knew was less than 101 hundreds of percent about anything. And yet, dear friends, you can know and be sure about something that I don't know whether Mr. Einstein knew. I hope he did, But you can know that your sins are all gone and heaven is your home is not more important than understanding all the wonders of God's creation.
And you can know that tonight these things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that she may know that she have eternal life. Will I say God speaks through creation, speaks through a dream, He speaks through a narrow escape, He speaks through a sickness.
He speaks in a gospel meeting, and he speaks as we have through his Son.
God's Son came down into this world because he loved you and because he loved me.
And he tried that loving path to Calvary, and there he died, a sacrifice for sin. And tonight the blood is on the mercy seat. The way of salvation is open for you. But I also have to give you a warning. And if you turn to the book of Proverbs, I don't think I'd be faithful if I didn't give you a warning. What will happen if you refuse?
Proverbs, chapter one, verse 28.
Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer. They shall seek me early or earnestly, but they shall not find me for that. They hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord. They would none of my counsel. They despised all my reproof, therefore shall eat of the fruit of their own way.
00:50:20
And be filled with their own devices. For the turning away of the simple shall slay them in the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
But whose soul hearkeneth unto me, shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet.
From fear of evil.
Friends, you can call for mercy tonight, it says. Call upon me in the day of trouble. I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.
Look unto me and be saved all the ends of the earth, for I am God, and there is none else.
Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. It's still the day of grace.
You have the opportunity, but the master of the house is going to shut to the door.
And I don't know when, but I feel it's getting near. And even if the Lord should not come tonight or tomorrow or very soon, one thing I do know that we're not going to be in this world forever. You have no lease on life. You don't know whether you'll get home safely tonight. And I, I implore you to call upon the Lord now. How shall we escape if we neglect?
So great salvation. It's an amazing verse, isn't it, that 32nd verse? For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
That is, maybe the person sitting beside you is saying, oh, don't pay any attention. There's lots of time. There's lots of time. We used to preach on the street and quite often I would see a young couple come up and stop and listen. Then one pull the others arm, pull her away or pull him away. The turning away of the simple shall slay them.
And the prosperity of fools. You see, I know somebody's not saved. And he.
Things seem to go better for him than for me. It went well for the rich man in this life, but he died in his sins and he lifted up his eyes in hell in a lost eternity. All friends, I played with you. God is speaking to you. He speaks in different ways. I'm sure many of us can bear witness. He's You've had perhaps narrow escapes. You've sat under many, many gospel messages.
You've looked up and marveled at God's great creation.
You studied science in school and yet you say I don't want Jesus, I don't want the Creator.
The little hymn says, what will I do with Jesus? What shall the answer be? Someday your heart will be asking, what will he do with me? Oh friend, why not tonight receive him as your Savior? Just now just tell him that you're a Sinner. He looketh upon men. And if any say I have sinned.
You take your place as a center. You will meet the sinner's Savior and the blood of Jesus Christ.
God's Son cleanse us from all sin.
Grace and Glory
Colossians 2:1-8
Colossians 2:9-13
Open Mtg.