Conference: 1984
Table of Contents
4 Deaths and Their Recovery
Address—I.H. Klassen
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Not only conference, we've had before us some of those.
Principles and precious foods that were found in the gate.
So we've not been left without guidelines, without.
Without a cornerstone.
And we're very thankful for it. And the Lord gave us quite a few, we might say, instructions in that. And then we also heard that there was such a thing as the Lordship of Christ, which is the very vital and that we have, as it were ahead that we're not left at least in. And then we we've also brought before us as to the priests, the service of Christ, which is going on continually.
And then also that God had provided leadership in the assembly headship, which is a very vital tool and necessary all otherwise we would be at sea. And God has given us to recognize those in leadership and headship. So we're very thankful for that. And then we also had to point it out that there's a way to be fruitful even in this late day.
Maybe things are kind of awry, but would that stop us from bearing fruit for our blessed Lord here after all that He's done for us? If I ever say it's all over with, it might be true. It's all over with to me. But God doesn't think in those terms that things are all over. He's giving us away and a power. And I might add to that tonight.
Being a weak way, but I would just like to add that there are some serious things have happened among us, their souls that have fallen by the way and.
Do they want to give up on those that have fallen, by the way? We really don't want to.
And so I'm on the show tonight if I can. We won't have time to look at many of them, but I like to bring in, we might say, 4 deaths.
When somebody died and the way of recovery from death. Now when I think of death and the way I want to bring it out, I want to bring it out as a moral death. What I mean by that you don't lose your salvation, but spiritually you're going forth close and even from all appearances maybe or dead.
To return 1St to the 9th of John of 9th of March for the first condition and.
It'd be a sad thing to have to speak of a death or a moral death without giving any remedy, because what we have to give up on them? Well, Mark Nine, you know, we'll just read one verse and these places just to get the picture.
Now there's 26 and the spirit cried and rent and shore and came out of him, and he was as one dead in so much that many said he is dead.
But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up.
And heroes now turn the second King 4.
Yeah.
And there's 18.
And when the child was grown, it fell on a day that he went out to these father, to the reapers.
Any children to his father, my head, my head. And he said to the lad, carry him to his mother.
And when he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on his knees till noon, and then died.
Now in the 5th of March.
In verse 23.
And beside him greatly saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death, I pray thee, come and lay thy hand on her, that she may be healed and she shall live.
00:05:13
And there.
32 and straightway in the damper rose and walk, so she was of age of 12.
Now one more in Acts 20.
These are all different so.
And perhaps you might say much different circumstances, but in the 20th of act and in verse nine, and there sat in a window a certain young man named Utica being fallen into a deep sleep.
And as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.
Well, let's just finish that.
And both 10 and Paul went down.
And fell on him and embracing him, said trouble not yourself, for his life is in him.
When all these were real, serious conditions of death, and so far as man is concerned, nothing could have been done. Absolutely helpful.
Another turn to the 9th of John to get this first man and what caused all this to come on him and the remedy again, I say, I think some of you knew Mr. Penfield and he once said why bring in these disaster swings if you don't give them the remedy? So it's nice to have the remedy.
Let in March 9 we have two instances of a father and a son.
Now in the first part of Mark Nine, it's.
The Lord is 3, the Father and the Son and the Lord of Transfiguration. And what a glorious sight that is. It's a Kingdom to which you and I belong.
And in that Kingdom there is love. This is my beloved Son. And in this Kingdom, very light his his, the garments became white and Bush green, and another place shown as the sun. So that Kingdom to which you and I have been brought and are going to enter into in fullness is a Kingdom of life and love. And we might say that we deserve it not at all.
But it's a wonderful, precious thing to get ahold of. Well.
Now when the Lord comes down from the mountain, He walks down the mountain. And so we come to verse 17. Another father and a son that all are different than the one that we notice first.
Verse 17 And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb fear. Now, beloved Saints of God, it doesn't say that I give the right portion. Mark nine, yes, okay.
It doesn't say an evil spirit or a wicked spirit, but it says a dumb spirit. And I don't know of anything harder to deal with in a dumb fear. And today there are many a young man and this young woman that had this young spirit, you could shake them and nothing seems to register. You can talk to them and they, they, they see, see you, but they don't hear what you say. It's a it's a dumb spirit. Well, this has come over this boy and the father is heartbroken about it.
Something done he lost the affections of his boy, and he wants them back and so he brings into the disciples. Notice it says he first says what happens verse 18 wherever he taketh him, he tear of him, and he thrown with a gnash with his teeth and pine us away. And I speak to my disciples that they should cast him out and they could not remember being in a certain assembly and sister, well meaning sister came up to me and said.
You know, Brother Thompson, I want you to speak to my son. He's taken up with Yogi and things like that.
Well.
If this son would have known that his mother came to me and told me to talk to him, it would have only made better years. So I wouldn't say it. I wouldn't talk to him and like that. But I'm sure not going to poetry on something that I don't know that I just heard somebody else say because it had turned them off more than ever.
00:10:22
I heard that just to say that some not too long ago, she said.
My father went to a well known labor among us and complained about me, she said. And so wasn't wrong. And I got a letter from this lady and I sensed in it that I've been told on and she said he just turned me off more than ever. So we have to be careful as we go to personalities, as it were, to plead for our sons and daughters.
Verse 19 He answered him and says, Old faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?
How long shall I suffer? You bring him unto me now. That's the first step. In this case, there's one that still has power to recover such.
Now we're thinking of Warren and spiritually dead one that once maybe sat in the room here, but not here anymore.
So and bring him to me.
He brought him to the Lord, and as he brought him to the Lord, it looked like from verse 20 that he probably did worse than he ever did before. They brought him unto him and when he saw him straight away, the spirit there him and he fell on the ground wallowing and told me, Oh my, what a sight he was doing that right in front of the Lord. The Lord might have said, young man, get up, they'll stop that.
But you know, he didn't do that. What did he do? He looked over to the frog and each other, How long is it that this has been? See, notice when there's 21. He asked his father how long ago since this came unto him. And he said of a child, oh, you know, there was the root of the problem. The father was the root of the problem. And if the Lord had healed the boy.
And hadn't got exercise to the father. Why then the father might have indulged the boy more than ever before, just to keep him. So he turns to the root of the problem. And so many times in all the things we're trying to recover somebody without going to the root of the problem. We used to run irrigation ditches if the ditch broke out and the water began to clog.
There's no sense in going when they end and trying to build a ****. We have to get right where the brake was and recover that. But you know.
When the father said of a child, I think he was just recanting a little bit, he admitted that when that boy was little, he maybe didn't pay very much attention to him. He maybe gave him some money and said go have a good time with the boys, didn't want to be bothered with him.
Well, she didn't realize the training that that boy needed when he was little. I was in a home maybe a month ago where a father was teaching his five year old boy the Old Testament. He was on that night. They had to be on a chapter where your whole *** and your whole chin and some of those kings were. And his boy could say those names and everything. And after he gave the boys a lesson, he turned to me and he says.
I'm sure he felt pretty good about the boy being able to do that and he kind of is amazing. What do you think about this? And I said, well, I would never interfere with the way you're teaching your boy. But I said.
I wonder if they are some very vital things you might teach that boy now that would stand him good as he later on gets into the ward. And I'm not saying you don't teach him verses and so forth, but I said, supposing what would be good to teach boys like this? Well, to clean off their shoes when they come in the home, pick up their clothes and hang them up.
And be respectful to older ones in the summer on show a little attention.
Those actor all Christ life.
00:15:02
Not in all neglecting the Word, but he felt that if you feel them full enough of the Word, that all those things will come natural, that they don't. They all have to be taught from little on those things. Well, the father gets dead. Yeah, it happens when he was a child, but the Lord graciously goes back to the rush. Now the father explains it to him, and all times it had cast him into the fire.
Water to destroy him. But if thou canst do anything, have compassion on us and help my boy and say that have compassion on us and help us. Now he includes himself in the picture. Well, that's a that's a wonderful step. That's a wonderful thing that he came to that he needed help.
Dear friends, how many fathers are really standing in the way of the blessing of the blessing of the children?
Too many times the father has actually gone as far as turning his children against some of the older ones that could come in perhaps and instruct them if if they were taught to respect them. Now here's another thing you want to do with this boy when he's growing up, to respect all the ones, even some of those that maybe you and I have lost a bit of respect for.
We're allowed to tell our children that way, No, because those very ones might say something that would be a real help to the children. So.
He saw that he needed help and then we might even bring that down to fathers in the assembly. Do we have fathers in the assembly? Maybe stand in the frogs way of blessing. Is there any soul that God doesn't want to recover that has fallen by the faith? We have to say no to that. But why are they not recovered? I can be standing right in front of us.
That child or that man, or that brother or that sister, in such a way that God is not able to work.
Now we don't have to limit the power of God, but this father needed to be recovered before his son could be recovered. So now it says Jesus said unto him, if thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth and straightway the father child cried out and said with tears, Lord I believe help my boys unbelief. No, now he comes right to the cross helps my unbelievable.
He saw that he was the one that needed help and not his boy.
But again I say, if the Lord hadn't dealt with him the Father in that way, the Father would have continued standing in the way of God coming in blessing to his Son. He might have said, well, you know, I went to the Lord and I had enough faith so the Lord could heal my body well.
The Lord knows how we are that way. And so he didn't quit. He didn't stop until he had. The father recovered. Now this isn't a hard, hard taskmaster on the Lords part. It's the way of recovery.
We often realize or seem like there's no way of recovering, but there is a way. But the Lord gets back to the worth of the thing. How can you recover a building or anything if you don't get back to the foundation to the roof? Well, notice how graciously the Lord worked. Verse 25. When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the fall Spirit. Sing unto him, thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge, become out of him, and enter.
No more into him.
You know, a lot of our conversions today are kind of cruelty because they have been more or less forced in maybe by by emotion or whatever it might be. They might have been forced into the accepting the Lord and.
Some of those are faulty conversions that when the Lord does the thing, it's never faulty. When the Lord did this, he said enter no more into him. Now I think that's a wonderful thing. When God recovers a person, he's recovered forever. Now I might go and recover somebody. I get him back to the meeting. I might even get him back to the Lord's table and maybe a year later they're off where they were before. It's because I was the one, as it were, that recovered them.
00:20:19
That when the Lord recovers a man, it answers no more into him. And so here we have this dumb and deaf fear. And you know, if we can't hear the word of God, we're done. I mean, a man that that is dumb or is deaf, he can't. If he's deaf, he can't hear. If he's dumb, he can't speak. But often, if you can't hear, why you can't talk. And that's what happens if we cannot hear the word of God.
Will never be able to talk right.
And the spirit cried and rent him sore. Now don't ever think that the devil isn't going to be right there if the soul is going to be saved or the soul is going to be recovered. The devil is right there to make a real thing if he can. And if he runs out, well then it isn't a work of God.
Came home he cried and rent him store and came out of him and he was as one daddy and so much that many said he is dead well.
I think that perhaps you've known something of this, that if you seek really to preserve your children and keep them for the Lord, somebody's going to tell you that they're going to die. That is, they're going to fall away when they get to a certain age where they'll fly the food. Well, it's not very encouraging, but that's not a very nice thing to say. But it's it's been said. But then he said he is dead, but.
Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he rolled.
Well, now, here's a picture of a restoration of a boy, as it were, that was dead, it said. And.
The way he was recovered and the love of Saints of God. I don't know any of you. I don't know your circumstances. But the point is, there could be an exercise whether I'm standing in the way of God recovering his soul. Sometimes it would only take maybe four or five words. I'm sorry. Maybe it would only take 10 minutes.
So here, as it were, he dealt with the father, and then when the father was dealt with and was not in the way anymore, why then he lifted up the boy and you know.
God is for us is not against them. And though he had to deal with the Father, it was for the Father's blessing and for the sons blessings. And I believe that from then on the Father was pretty careful that he didn't indulge his son. Or I told him to run with the boys or maybe to give him the world. You know, I've heard lately of some sons that are drifting away.
And you know what the fathers did?
They got a television in the home and sort of to keep the boy or keep the boy.
That's just the opposite of this, that the Father said it says the Lord.
The fault is right here.
How quickly the Lord might have come in and delivered the boy. Now come to.
Yeah, second.
You find quite a different condition.
Now this boy that we read about, let's just read a few lines in.
Verse.
Second change. For it fell on a day that Elijah passed to Shunham, where was a great woman, and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that is all says he passed by. He turned into the Greek bread. And she said unto her husband, Behold, not perceived as this is an holy man of God, which passes by us, continues, Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall.
00:25:03
Now we had in Nehemiah the wall. The wall speaks of separation. Here's where this woman suggested to build this.
Room for Elijah, and let us set for him there a bed.
You know, we don't have much as Christians really in this world.
Properly, we we don't look for great things here and but there are the necessities.
A bed and a table, and a stool, and a Candlestick. He had this room on the wall, and here was the bed, which speaks of rest. Wonderful to have rest, rest of conscience first, and then rest in our circumstances with the Lord. That is a good conscience before God. And a table speaks of fellowship, and the Candlestick of light. Well, she built this, and then she was asked.
Whether after she had done this, whether she ought to be spoken to the king, you know, or or the captains, none of what she says in verse 14, he said what then is to be done to her? That's what he said to get his life. But before then she in the last part of her 13, she answered, she answered, I dwell among my own people.
No, dear brother, she built a room on the wall for a man of God. She howls a man of God, and she dwells among her own people. Now she wasn't like this father who who was in the way, He was standing in the way of the blessing of his son. No, she was a godly woman and she, she had done these things. She wanted to call her own people in separation.
And so it says further than verse 14. And he said, what then is to be done for her? And he's my answer very She has no child, and her husband is old. Well, now through Elijah she gets a child. Verse 17. And the woman conceived in their son at that season, that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life. Well, here was.
Some blessing that came into our life.
And through her, what she had done, the blossom came then that honor me, I will honor. And so she got this son. And Elijah, you know, had quite a bit to do with this boy now. I mean, he was more or less responsible and so.
Now what happened here verse 18?
Now I'm in March 9, we feel that the father was the wrong. That was a hindrance there. But now it's something else, a child. And when the child was grown, it fell on a day that he went out to his father, to the reapers. And he said unto his father, my head, my head. And he said, carry the last. He said to a lad, carry him to his mother, my head, my head.
We have some of you here know the harvest field and I've known it all my life.
And it's a pretty rough place. Years ago, you know, they used to be maybe as high as twenty men were running these thrashes from farm to farm. And you'd have to board a room, those men.
Well, think of your boy mixing in with that kind of company.
Many times, you know, I say a boy has gone on well until he's gone out to seek his own fortune and begin getting his own money and being able to spend his money the way he wanted to. Parents, I believe, should still be in control even if a boy makes all the money that he made.
It it's wisdom on their part to be careful how he uses us, But here is he seemed to die, as it were, from the result of going out to the harvest field. Now, when I say the harvest field, I'm not just saying the food field. But when a young man or a young sister goes out in the world to work, you know you need to be a colored vessel, otherwise there's something going to drop in and contaminate that vessel.
Well.
00:30:01
And when he had taken him, and you know, a mother can do that yesterday, She can hold her sons and her daughters on their knees. I'm sure I wouldn't be here tonight if my parents hadn't held me on their knees when I went out to seek my own fortune at 19 or 20, left home. Why I began to lose my appetite for the world. And I never could figure out what's happening here. I used to like.
Read read some novels and things and all this sudden I didn't share to read them anymore.
But as I get older and tonight I think back and my mother must have held me on my on her knees well.
Now knows what she does in verse 21. And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out.
What did she do there? You know, she went and put him on the bed of the man.
She might have said, well, I think my son and my daughter need more activity, and so I'll send them off to this activity or that activity. She didn't do that. She took him to that room that was on the wall and to the man that lived on the wall, to the man of separation. You know, sometimes we're afraid to commit our children to those that are walking in separation because you're afraid maybe.
They'll they'll become, as some have called, legal.
We are afraid of that and so we try some something, some others maybe. But she knew that that was the only hope for her boy. Now I'd like to turn back just two pages to chapter 2 and I want to see if we can see something there.
Where there were folks that did not put their children in that room on the wall.
Now Elijah, you know he is headed for.
He had come to Jelly cold and he had made the waters that were bittersweet there. And so apparently that his next stop was going to be Bethel now in verse 23.
Here Elijah comes down the road from from Jericho, and he went up from Samson to Bethel. And as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up the bald head, Go up thou bald head.
Children meeting an old man, older man, you know, usually an older man, they might have said to him, Elijah, you know, we heard about Elijah going to have him and we just like you to tell something of what happened there.
We can't screw up. The bald head grew up there. Bald head. If you think you're so goody, goody going up where he is, why did they say that to him? Where did they get that kind of information?
They got it at home.
Somehow.
The parents that talked the inspiration.
It's a very disaster thing.
Lady came to me with tears in her eyes not too long ago and she said.
My brother and my sister are in the world tonight because of tablet.
My parents turned US against the brother.
My brother was working for a man in the assembly.
And at the table, he was there, three children were there, and he began to.
Destroy the brothers right there from the children and my brother said took him to side afterwards and said no, you're going to ruin those children talking that way in front of them about their brother. You know how he answered them? He says. I want my children to know every hypocrite in the meeting.
Well, it turned out that he didn't only lose his children, they lost himself. And it's been long gone. Well, let's not be likely with it.
00:35:03
You know, if Aisha had come to the door of these fathers and mothers, why he'd knock at the door and they'd come out and say, well, hello, Elijah, I'm glad to see you. Haven't seen you for a long time. But you know, the children are the index of the home and they go out with what they hear in the home. The parents, you know, they can put on this, this awkward show of things and act like they're glad to see it when they're not glad to see you at all.
But they can put that on. But the children tell the truth.
Well, how different from this woman that took her son and she laid him in the room on the wall. He wasn't afraid of separation of the man of God.
Think of the 42 of these children being torn.
Where they come home and father says.
So whatever happened to you where you know the man that you were talking about? The end of the day to us.
Is because and who she bears came out of and tore out.
You know, some of these children, they might have gone on with the Lord afterwards, but they're injured, they're poor. Now the Yellowstone Park was when the bears, you know, they come right up to the, the cars and especially people began feeding them candy until you rolled on your window and you'd give them some candy. Well, it happened to perhaps more than once where a bear reached in and he just came down a man's face and a woman's face and just.
Pardon me. Well, those stars.
Stayed there and so we can injure our children.
Know that there are children today maybe that won't pay any attention to you because their parents have turned them off and all the things of God. Somebody said the other day you'll, you'll take in your children away from the very brother that could help them well.
Now let's go back to our portion here, the 4th chapter. And we're still, for the sake of time, the woman goes to Elisha.
And she doesn't stop until.
She finds him and so Elijah says to be Hazel. I take the staff in your hand and put it on the child. Well, the staff, you know, speaks of the word of God and Sarogi takes the staff and he goes ahead to this boy and.
Verse 31 And gave I passed on before them, and said, Us, and laid the staff upon the face of the child.
And there was neither voice nor hearing, wherefore he went again to meet him and fold in things. That child is not awake. That's as far as the Hazel. He just comes to the decision that there is no hope.
Well, the staff is the word of God.
So sometimes we go to these people that are there and we use the word of God on. We say the Bible says to do that. The Bible says to do that.
The Bible says that you don't go on this is going to be the result and no light on. Well, why now?
Maybe that person knows more about me than than I think he does, but with his eye. And we learn in the next chapter that he wasn't an honest man at all. He liked to use the word of God and all that, but he cooked it on a child's face and there's no results. Nothing happens.
And so he says, well, you got to give up on that man. There's no hope. Well, in life, you didn't give up on anything, so it says. And Mercury too. And while Elijah was come into the house, behold, the child was dead and laid upon his dad.
He went in, therefore, and shut the door upon them clean and prayed to the Lord. You know there's a time like that where you have to shut the door. You'll get all kinds of advice from this side and from that side and from the front.
But you have to shut the door and meet the Lord again. Like they brought this, this boy, the son to the Lord, they bring him to me. And now Elijah brings him to the Lord, the only one that really can recover life. And we sometimes leave him out. It isn't that we don't pray, but the obstacles are not removed. And he went up, and he lay upon the child and put his mouth to his mouth.
00:40:22
And his eyes to his eyes, and his hands to his eyes, and he stretched himself upon the child. And the flesh of the child lack warm. Jeez, I said no hope. So here's the man.
What happens what is the difference between what bees I did in laying with staff on his face or what he liked he did well he forgives love to his mom. It isn't only.
A sketch of Earth.
Elijah practiced what he proved that made all the difference. The boy knew it. The boy knew that it liked you did the very things he said. The Lord said I do all those things that I say, all of those things I I say. And then he put his hands on his hands. That is that service that Elijah did was a real service. It wasn't thinking. He's like kind of service.
But it was something real and it says he put his eyes in his eyes. That is what the what what Elijah talked about seeing. He really thought he didn't just say, well, the Bible says this and it says that no, it's the difference between the living word of God and the dead word, as it were. You know, in the in in Luke 4, four, they marveled at the gracious words that proceeded out of the Lord's nose.
No, I didn't even say they marveled at the gracious words that he said. No, it was those words that came from His very heart out of His love and the marvelous those gracious words and those words affected the people that every eye was passed on the Lord Jesus.
And.
He stretched himself on the child. Now that's a kind of a strange statement.
But I suppose it's identification, No, You know, there's all kinds of things that might fall by the way, some. But I was like, well, sure, some that are very English, some that are in between, well, to stretch themselves on them, will try to meet their conditions. Like I noticed in the house today, don't find fault with an engine until you've gone in these moccasins for a mile.
Well, it's to enter into their their feelings. Then verse 35.
Then he returned and walked in the hall to improve. What do you do that for? Where did he walk to? And so in the house. Maybe he was looking for what might have caused the death of the child.
You know, there's sometimes things in our homes that cause the death of the children or the death of a grown up.
He went up and stretched himself upon him and the child sneezed 7 times and the child opened his eyes.
You know, my mother, when we were in bed, maybe we used to have pools that kept us down. I don't know if people can run all over the place having pools today, but we had to go to bed for three or four days. But when my mother heard her squeeze, well then she would say stunt height that meant.
You're getting well.
Well, you see, when you sneeze is trying to throw off the chopsticks in your system that have caused your thickness. And so here is a man that's throwing, you know, just the opposite. I like to know young men, you know, you better quit some of these habits you've had and you better stay home more and don't run with a boy. Well, no, this all was a work within. He saw the Foley, we might say.
Of his course. And so he sneezed.
Just a complete number.
Again, I like to say, when the Lord doesn't work, it's done forever.
Enter normal into it here 7 times he sneezes.
00:45:05
No, He opened his eyes.
And he called me his eyes. Now why did he call me his eye? Why didn't he just call the woman? Well, I think it was just to to exercise disease. I could behave like I said, there's no hope for that boy came back. He's an honor. So he calls me, right. And when she was coming in unto him, he take he said, take up my son.
Then she went in and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son and went out.
Now, if there's any change here, I'd like to say this, that she now takes up her boy on resurrection ground. Teach me, she takes up a boy in the new creation.
I hope you don't mind me mentioning my mother, but she says, you know, she says I try bailed twice for you children.
I want to bring you into this world naturally, and the next time to bring you in spiritually. I wonder if we're willing for this travail. I wonder if we wouldn't rather send our son to somebody else that can teach them. It never works. People send sons out to our farm to the that the boys might be kept, but they weren't kept while they were there. They read with us, they went to meeting with us and all those things. But when they went away.
They want their own way, not every all of them, but then for the most part so.
It isn't that.
That we can think lightly of this. But anyway, here we see how this boy was recovered.
Now let's turn to the face of Mark.
You know, every case is different. That's the reason each case has to be handled. This, if you can't say this is the way we did it last year, this is the way the brethren did it 40-50 years ago. No, you have to meet every case on its own merit. And that's done by getting into the presence of the Lord. So the Father here in verse 23 of Mark 5.
And verse 22 And behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jareth by name. And when he saw him, he saw his feet, and he saw him greatly, saying, My little daughter lies at the point of death, I pray thee, come and lay thy hand on her, as she shall be healed, and she shall live. Now here's the Father.
Dear, dear man, you know, he senses that his little daughter is dying. You know, I sometimes said, some of these lovely little girls, they know the answers of the Sunday school. They, they can quote the verses better than average, but they get into a certain grade in school around 12 years old where they begin.
Seeing and the world begins to register.
Maybe they come home one day with a little the appearance of the world on them, whatever it might be, and immediately here was a father that sent a death is setting in until he goes to the Lord right away.
He said my little daughter is dying. Is a father willing to do that or will he say, well, you know, my sisters were the same way and now they're in the meeting.
My wife too, you know, she was kind of this way in that way, but now she's in the meeting and going on. No, the father didn't take that for an answer. He saw that she was dying and so he he goes to the only true soul. Well.
Verse 35.
While he gets faith, there came from the ruler of the synagogue Charles Circle, which said Thy daughters dead wife almost thou the master any further.
I wonder if there hadn't been a lot of things settled for death from the children so well.
Source of children The godly man, His children in the world. There's no use.
Your daughter's dead and that's dead. You've got to face that. Well, the Lord saw the pleading of that father, and He wasn't going to overlook that until in verse 40, there were those that lasted to score, and there always are those that discourage and disheartened. But when He had put them all out, those kind have to go out of their life.
00:50:21
Starting to have to go out of the room out of the picture.
No one Israel there were certain qualifications for battle but the one of them the last one of the qualifications was anyone that was fearful and afraid was to go home the lock ship for the guy well those kind I think we have plenty of those that are fearful and afraid and they say well they.
Yes, it can't be done. No, no way. You can win the battle. Gideon, they said with 300 men. Well, there's no way. And yet he, he wrote it. I don't know how many thousand men just was the 300.
When he had put them all out, he taken the floor and the mother and not very vital that the floor and the mother deserve of the damsel and then that were with him. That would be Peter, James and John. A little picture of the assembly. You know, it's wonderful to have all in the assembly as it were in in some of these things unlevered home. That was the assembly. Is it the boy 12 years old that wasn't even in the assembly. That is he wasn't Breaking Bad.
Because they had an interest in him that they wanted him spared.
And the mother was in favor of she was a.
Do you want to see what's alone? And she had this boy.
You know he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her to lose to neither Kumar, which is being interpreted dance by three, and the arise and straightway the danza rules. And what?
Oh thankful my father must have been for the effort he put forth here is his little girl that was he could see her dying and finally she died and now she gets up and she walked in a lovely not just to say well I'm saved and I'm restored but to Warcia was a major 12 and then verse 43 and he charged them strictly that no man should know it that customary of Luke.
Mark he was the servant, but notice commanded that something should be given her to eat.
Now perhaps that was partly the cause of redemption because she hadn't really got things to. Maybe she'd been told the word in a kind of a mechanical way and so forth. But now they saw or he, he brings in the need of that life would be sustained with food. And I think it's kind of lovely too, that there was food in that house the Lord couldn't assign, like give it to eat because.
And many times we have an abundance of our food in the house and maybe the children are starving. Maybe we don't have time to to give them this food. I was just thinking today of a sister that.
And it had four children. And there's no question in my mind but what she must have said. Those children when I came to dinner, 3035 years old and going on with a long word. Now, they must have been fed at home. Now bear with me once once more with that Act 20.
Now we've noticed, you know, maybe the cause of these deaths.
And we don't stop the beloved Saints of God. I think we have found the remedy in each one of these cases.
Now we might say, what is the cause of this man's death? Verse 9.
There sat in a window a certain young man named Utica. Now, his name was mean, fortunate. And you're very fortunate if you're in a, in a room where there are many lights, you know the lights, both of the guests, no doubt there in that upper room. And this man was fortunate enough to be here in that room.
But.
Being falling asleep as Paul was long sweet.
00:55:02
Now you know, I've heard even since I'm in this area that souls are questioning, are we really gathered to the Lord's name? Where do we fit in here or there?
How is it that we say that we're in the place of God's appointment and so forth? Well.
You know.
Paul has been long preaching. Now when I say Paul, I mean the things that Paul thought he he Paul took up the heavenly side of the truth.
And for all is their long future, you know you're looking at a man that never dreams he would ever see 84.
I remember when the coming of the Lord became a reality to me. I was. I was 19, I think 1929.
At that time, 1928, there were plenty of had come to Aberdeen, ID where I lived at that time and he had meetings for six weeks and not only six nights a week, but seven nights a week. And we had snow that was that deep and we went to meeting in the bobsled. But somehow God used that unreasonable such a situation.
To stir in me the reality of the Lord's coming. And it was so real to me at that time. And I don't say it's more not more real to me today, but in a little different way at that time it was it had a certain effect that was maybe somewhat emotional or that type of thing. But anyway.
Here I am in 1984, fifty years later, more than that, but I'm still here. So Paul has been long preaching and the man fell out of the the loft there and was taken up dead. Let me encourage you. You're not you're not going to have much longer to go. We know it couldn't be possible. Many very much farther.
But.
There are those that are finally given up, as it were, and falling because all has been long preaching away well.
This man fell, but the lovely thing is verse 10 and Paul went down and fell in embracing him, said double monsters, all for his life and.
All the long distance people just had the idea Paul get the preacher and he he's heartless, but it was true he was down in engraved in there if we would know for.
So just a little bit, the affection, of course, the affection of the truth, the cause of all things, it can go down and embrace the man.
And say all his life is still in.
And so it says, he was brought up. And when, therefore, when he therefore was taken up again, and had broken bread and eaten, and talked a long while till break a date, so he departed. That's the rapture.
And the IT adds here and they brought the young man, alive or not, a little comfort with my What a joy that must have been to the Saints.
Let that young man that had fallen from the third one.
Taken up, we're dead.
And now he's brought back.
There. What a joy it must have been to the thing.
And I don't love the boy at the sat in the window again. I believe it's one of these ways that God does the thing when he does it, he gets done forever. Whatsoever God do it, God be done forever. And so here was the young man brought up and.
Was comfortably connected with it. Most of all, we need the Lord. So let's say in the last two verses 256.
First and Last Words
Address—C. Buchanan
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The first scripture I want to read is in Ecclesiastes.
There are two.
Scriptures we will read first to introduce the subject we have in mind.
Tonight.
And Ecclesiastes Chapter 7.
And the eighth verse, We are all of us.
I speak now to believers in a race.
To pass through the world.
Some have just begun. Oh, that's wonderful.
The only way to get in this race and reach the goal is to start.
But we all, I trust want to finish it.
And come in like that ship that reaches harbor with the sails up.
And has a beautiful ending. Read that reading this verse 8.
In Ecclesiastes 7 it says better is the end of a thing.
Than the beginning thereof.
And the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Does that. Does that verse speak to your heart and conscience? It does the mind. Well, that's good. You know, none of us have reached that goal yet. It's very sad to see an old brother or sister falter fall, by the way.
But we do at times.
I think if Paul the apostle.
He at the end of his course could say I have fought a good fight.
I have kept the faith.
All could say that.
For myself, I think I have the best mother that there ever has been.
In the world today.
Some few here knew her.
On her deathbed.
I read this verse to her about Paul saying I have fought a good fight, I have kept the faith.
I said mother, you can say that too, can't you?
She would not answer me.
She would not answer me. It astonished me, but as I've gotten older, I respect her very much for it.
Well, it would be wonderful, you know, to be like Paul. Let's turn to another verse in.
1St.
Kings 20.
No, I guess it's. I'll have to look here. Just a minute.
Second Kings 20 Perhaps it is.
No, it's first Kings 20. I'll find the verse here.
First Kings 20 and the 11 verse.
First Kings 20 and verse 11.
And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him.
Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself, as he that put it. All this is the principle of the thing, you know.
I'm not saying that the word teaches boasting, but we all hear it in the world, you know, and.
With young people in their strength, there's often a a boastful attitude.
Well, this is a good verse for such.
Of course, the Scriptures does teach us that young folks are strong, and in my own little service in Latin America, I have valued very much to have young brothers along with me.
I find that they are strong physically, and sometimes it's an endurance test for the body to walk those miles. Often they'll get a horse, or a few times I should say, and I love that, to get on a horse and let the horse use his muscles. But young men are strong. And John says, I have written unto you young men because you are strong. But they're not only strong. Young people are not only strong.
Physically, but in mental things too.
Well, this is the truth. But here the lesson is let not him that girdeth on his harness, a horse harnessed is ready for service.
00:05:10
And it says, Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that put it off. Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof. When I thought, in connection with these verses, it would be good to look at some of the outstanding characters in the Bible, and pick up the first words that they said.
Or wrote.
And then pick up the very last words that they gave utterance to. So we'll turn to Abraham in Genesis chapter 12. And I think you may be astonished to find out what the first spoken words were that Abraham used that came out of his mouth in the 12Th chapter.
Of Genesis. I know. I was rather surprised when I looked this up.
And it's very, very interesting in the 12Th chapter.
Genesis.
And the 11Th verse.
We have.
The first words in the Bible spoken by Abraham.
Genesis 1211 And it came to pass when he was come near to enter into Egypt that he said, now this is Abraham, and he was talking to Sarah, his wife. Behold, now I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon. Now, if we stop there, it's very lovely, isn't it? Here's a young man and he's telling his wife she's beautiful. Well, that's all right.
But he goes on here, and what does he say?
Therefore it shall come to pass, and when the Egyptians shall see thee.
That they shall say, this is thy one, this is his wife, and they will kill me.
But they will save thee alive. Say I Pray thee thou art my sister, that it may be well with me for thy sake, and my soul shall live because of thee. Well they formed this pact.
And really, what they were practicing was deceit.
This is the very first utterance of Abraham, that chosen man.
Deceit. Practicing deceit.
Kind of astonishing, isn't it? Well, he was that wonderful character, Abraham.
Where we get election and promise given to him. Now we'll go to the 24th chapter.
To get the last spoken words of Abraham in that well known.
Story.
Rebecca brought to Isaac the son of Abraham.
And.
The servant is chosen and instructed to go.
To get away from his own people.
And the servant has a question in verse five. Very adventure. The woman will not be willing to follow me under this land. Must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from which thou camest. And Abraham said unto him, Beware that thou bring not my son thither again.
The Lord God of heaven, which took me from my Father's house.
And from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and swear unto me, saying, unto thy seed, will I give this land.
He shall send his Angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence. And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath only bring not my son thither again. Now these are the last recorded words of Abraham.
I believe they have some very particular importance in them.
In being the last ones that God gives us that were spoken by that chosen man.
00:10:03
Where we often draw from this instruction for young people as to getting a partner, and that is all very good and wonderful and helpful and important.
She wants to come from his own country. Money. It was not to be an unequal yoke.
And it was the father who ordered that.
So the principle is.
That a young man is to get his guidance to get his wife from God the Father, not from his earthly father. That's not the principle here. It's from the Father in heaven and Isaac and in Abraham. We have a picture of the God the Father and God the Son, and it's well known to have that. Rebecca is a type of the church.
But what is so important here is that twice over?
Abraham says, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again in the end of verse six, and only bring not my son thither again in the end of verse eight. He double s this warning to the servant not to take Isaac down there again.
Well, it's an emphasis upon the finished work of Christ. He came once to be the Savior.
And he is not coming back to the earth to do any work at all.
The principle fits. He finished his work on the cross and the Holy Spirit has been sent down here to this country to get a people and suit them for Christ in glory and to bring us there. Well, the the emphasis is don't bring my son to there again. The work is done. It's something like.
The guilt of Moses when he.
When God told him to speak to the rock, he disobediently.
Smoked the rock twice.
The rock had been smitten earlier in the book, which was a type of Christ as the.
Sin bearer on the cross, bearing the judgment of God, and that work was complete.
On the cross and Christ is not coming to work that kind of a work again.
So that when Moses said, when God said to Moses the second time.
Speak to the rock, he didn't say Smite the rock. All you and I have to do today is speak to the rock.
Up there, our high priest, that's prayer. We don't and God won't have Christ brought down again. We reach him through the intercession of prayer. Just speak to him. He's finished the work the first time. I thoroughly believe that's the same thing as what we have here. Bring not my Son thither again. Well, we must go to Moses to get the next one in Exodus chapter 2.
It's so interesting to see what these very important characters in the Bible.
Said at the beginning and what they said at the end of their lives, we noticed that Abraham was practicing deceit.
When he first talked and he was giving from God a very important truth.
That says the work of Christ is done.
He doesn't have to do anymore. It's all finished now. Moses in chapter 2.
Of Exodus begins to talk.
When he sees these, this struggle of his brethren down there in Egypt.
Verse 11 to get the picture. Exodus 211. It came to pass in those days when Moses was grown. Now he's a grown man.
That he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens, and he spied an Egyptian smiting his Hebrew.
One of his brethren and he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was number man, he slew the Egyptian and hit him in the sand when he went out the second day.
Behold, 2 men of the Hebrews strove together. And he said unto him, That did the wrong whereforest might as thou thy fellow.
And he said, Who made thee a Prince or a judge over us? Intend us now to kill me, as thou killest the Egyptian. And Moses feared. And surely this thing and said, surely this thing is known.
00:15:10
And when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses, but Moses fled, while here is.
The sad account of what happened when we get the first utterance of Moses, which is this question.
Addressed to his fellow countrymen, where force midest thou, thy fellow he in his strength?
Set up to deliver his own people and murdered one of those Egyptians.
Now that's the strength of the flesh, and that could do that much.
And then it was exposed, and then he had to flee.
This is the beginning of Moses talking.
He said, Wherefore might as thou thy fellow?
What a big ending for Moses, and he had to run, had to flee. Oh, the strength of the flesh won't prevail. That's the lesson we get all through Scripture.
But we come over to the end of Moses, and better is the end of a thing than the beginning. You'll clear over to Deuteronomy at the end. Moses, one of those characters so wonderful in the Bible to study about and to learn from him. He wrote all these books here at the beginning and in the 33rd chapter he.
He finishes his work.
And we have his last utterances in the 33rd chapter.
Now let's begin reading with the 26th verse.
Of Deuteronomy 33.
There is none like unto the God of Joshua, who writeth upon the heaven in thy help, and in His Excellency on the sky. The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.
And he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee, and shall say, Destroy thou.
Israel then shall dwell in safety alone. The fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine. Also his heaven shall drop down dew.
Happy art thou, O Israel, who is like unto thee, O people.
Saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy Excellency. And thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee, and thou shalt tread upon the high places.
And Moses went up into the plains of Moab unto Mount Nebo.
The top of Pisgah that is over against Jericho.
And verse five So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab just before they went across the Jordan end of the land. Moses passed away and was buried by God. But oh, what beautiful words he utters at the end of his course. He certainly goes in under full sail in his.
Race that he ran those.
Many years.
As the servant of God.
And he is so wonderful. Take this 27th verse. The eternal God is thy refuge. He had learned to trust in God. No more was he trusting in the arm of his strength, as when he smoked that Egyptian and had to run away.
They're young people. You can't trust the strength of the flesh, be it your mind or your physical body. We must for the course that we're in, the race that we're running, trust in God, learn that he is the refuge and he is the strength and that always those everlasting arms. What a contrast to the arm of Moses that could smite one Egyptian and then had to run.
Later on, he led the people through and none of the nations could stand before him.
Our king of Beijing and the other, I've forgotten the other kings there, Moab and Ammon, they couldn't stand before Moses.
Now, so he learns these lessons and talks about the future too. He shall thrust out the enemy before thee, and shall say destroy them. He told them they would do that when they got into the land. Oh, Moses learned so much. Then he's going to come down, and he says, Happy art thou, O Israel.
00:20:16
Who is like under the old people saved by the Lord? I'm talking to people that are saved by the Lord.
That's the way we're saved, aren't we happy? Well, we certainly ought to be.
Well, we should be the happiest people on the face of the earth.
Old people saved by the Lord.
Now we'll go to First Samuel to get a bit of a contrast.
To the first in the first king that Israel was given.
At their own request.
In Seoul.
We're getting a notable character now that is very different.
From Abraham and Moses in King Saul.
The man of the People's Choice. Oh, he was a wonderful man as the eye looked at him.
He stood out.
Like one of our tall American brethren stands out when they go down amongst the small short people in southern Mexico and Olaha.
Head and shoulders above the rest. That's only a physical thing, and we learn that the physical.
The strength of the nature does not prevail before God.
No, it is faith and trust from this people who are saved by the Lord.
In the strength and refuge of God that does prevail in this endurance test that all of us are in first Samuel 9 verse one, there was a man.
First Samuel 9.
And verse one, there was a man. What a man he was now Benjamin.
Whose name was Kish, the son of Abuel, the son of Zeera, the son of Bakota, the son of a fire, a benzemite, a mighty man of power. Now that's the father, and he had a son.
His name was Saul, a choice young man.
That is the best that the human race can produce. A choice young man and goodly.
And there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he.
Around his shoulders and upward, he was higher than any of the people.
And the ***** of Quiche, Saul's father, were lost, and Keith said to Saul his son.
Take now one of the servants with thee, and arise. Go seek the *****. He passed through Mount Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalisha, and they found them not. Then they passed through the land of Shalom, and there they were not. And he passed through the land of Benjamin of the Benjamites, and they found them not.
And when they were come to the land of Saul, said unto his servant that was with him, Come, and let us return, lest my father leave caring for the ***** and take thought for us. These are the first words of Saul.
Well, I believe that Scripture brings this before us to instruct us as to the difference between the People's Choice, the man of the People's Choice, and David, which we will take up next, a man after God's own heart.
And the contrast in the animals that they were caring for or looking for.
In the case of Saul brings before us.
Again, the natural man.
Saul is a picture of the natural man in all his strength and vigor.
And we don't make light of it. Man is the highest creation on the earth.
He was given dominion over the lower creation. Here was the choices of Israel.
Head and shoulders above the rest. But what was he looking for? Not sheep, as with David. He was looking for ***** which is a picture of man in his untamed state. Job says vain mind would be wise, though. Born like the wild *****. Cold. That's our natural.
00:25:20
Nature which can never be improved. And Saul didn't even find that.
He gave up.
Well, these are his first words. Let's go to his last words in Second Samuel 1.
And we'll find suicide.
Second Samuel.
1.
And verse one.
Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites.
And David had abode 2 days in Ziklag. It came to even to pass in the third day.
That behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul, with his clothes, rent and earth on his head.
And so it was when he came to David that he fell to the earth and did obeisance. And David said unto him.
From whence cometh down? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel, am I escaped? And David said unto him, How went the matter, I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, that the people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead, and Soul and Jonathan his son are dead.
Also. And David said unto the young man that told him how.
Knowest thou that?
Find him. He saw me and called unto me, and I answered him. Here am I.
And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite.
And he said unto me again, Stand, I, pray thee upon me.
And slay me, for anguish is come upon me.
Because my life is yet in me. So I stood upon him and slew him here, this young Amalekite.
Tells us the last words of that great king, great in stature.
And the last words are these, Stand I pray Thee upon me, and slay me, for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me.
Oh, it's the saddest picture. You know, he tried to commit suicide and it was fatal, so he asked an Amalekite to finish the job.
Oh, what a sad picture. And what a picture of the flesh. Because I do believe that in the Amalekite.
And in Amalek and you can follow this all through scripture, we have a type.
Of the flesh has taken over by Satan.
Because the Lord swore that he would have war with Amalek from generation to generation. I think it's Exodus 17. And that is a lesson that God gives us, that there's always going to be battle.
By God himself against the flesh that is in US.
Wasn't so here it's the flesh against the flesh, and it's just death. There's going to be death to it in the end anyway.
So here we have this awful lesson in soul as to the flesh, the natural man, the flesh profiteth nothing. We are continually to learn this very important thing.
So we'll go now to David and get something very, very much brighter in back in First Samuel chapter 17, that chapter where he slays the giant, you know.
That young man, David, we find his life begins quite well, and of course it ends well also. But we don't speak about some of the things in David's life tonight. We're talking now about the first words that they utter and the last words they utter. What is so important is the end of a thing.
00:30:00
To go on steadfastly all through this race as a Christian.
Finish our course with joy. That's what God wants us to do. Surely we want it to.
Well, in the 17th chapter.
One Samuel.
David is sent down to the people there when they're cornered by the giant.
Where we just read the 26th verse. I think you know the story.
And they would speak to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? And the people answered him after this manner, saying.
So shall it be done to the man that killeth him.
Well, there was a great reward promised for the man that would deliver Israel from their enemy, this giant Goliath. And these words of David are the very first ones we hear from his mouth. We must read it again in the 26th verse. What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine and taketh away the reproach from Israel?
For who is this uncircumcised uncircumcised ballista that he should defy the army's of the living God?
He takes God into account right at the beginning, right in the first words, the utters.
He says to you Israelites, why these are the armies of the living God? Why be afraid of one giant?
Faith to start with faith in God, we find that he had come from keeping the sheep. He had come from keeping the sheep to be there to.
To go down there to combat that giant.
Maybe we ought to read the next verse here, Eliab the elder brother, verse 28. He is, you might say, jealous and a little bit angry with his brother. He's older than David, and he speaks roughly to him.
When and alive his eldest brother heard, when he spake unto the men, and alive anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why Kemest out down hit her? And with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? We wanted to read this. This tells us where David came from.
He wasn't looking for ***** no, he was keeping sheep. He was already a shepherd. Oh, to have a shepherd's heart. This is the training that God gave David, a man after his own heart. And oh, for a shepherd's heart. To look out for the young amongst us, to seek their good. This is a wonderful thing.
Look at verse 34.
David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep.
Well, there are a few here that we might notice besides that verse 15.
David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep.
Verse 20 David rose up early in the morning and left the sheep.
With a keeper, there's still others. What a lesson we have in David as to the sheep, as to who the sheep belonged to. They were his father's sheep. That's what we have here.
One day down in.
Bolivia, The town where Bob and Barbara Ann live. Montero.
When the work was very new there, some 1618 years ago, I visited for the first time and there's a brother there named Avellino Chavi still there. He was one of the early brothers to come in there and seek to care for the sheep. Our brethren, their young, young brothers they were at that time. Oh, the work of the Lord is so interesting, you know.
In that town, it just seemed God singled out boys. I'll call them boys or young men about 15 years of age.
I think there were a dozen of them were saved right there at that time, young men.
And there were cults. Or sex, I should say.
Of Christians in their gathering together, their congregations and one of them knew Avelino and was a little bit distressed that Avelino was in town knowing Avelino's faithfulness in the gospel and so on and he was afraid of the little congregation he was gathering together in this sect and he.
00:35:16
He met Avelino on the street one day and he said to him, What are you doing over here? Trying to steal some of my sheep.
And Avelina looked at him and said.
Whose sheep are they? I thought they belonged to the Lord.
He was calling my sheep, you see.
Well, there's a difference. They belong to the Lord. David kept his father's sheep.
Well, David's first words are just lovely. He takes God into consideration and why should this Philistine defy the armies of the living God? Now we want to get his last words in Second Samuel.
23.
They're very lovely too.
Second Samuel 23 and verse one.
The second Samuel 23 verse one. Now these be the last words of David.
David, the son of Jesse, said. And the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob.
And the sweet psalmist of Israel said.
The Spirit of the Lord speak by me, and His word was in my tongue.
The God of Israel said the rock of Israel speak to me.
He that ruleth over men must be just ruling in the fear of God, and He shall be as the light of the morning when the sun rises, even a morning without clouds, as the tender grass bringing out of the earth by clear shining after rain. Although my house be not so with God, yet He hath made with me an everlasting covenant.
Ordering all things and sure.
For this is all my salvation and all my desire, although he maketh not to grow.
Well, a lovely ending of the conversation that comes from.
David.
Just beautiful this is. He says the spirit of the Lord. Speak by me. You'll find in the book of Acts that David is called a prophet, and indeed he wants.
The whole of the Book of the Psalms, or five books, are prophetic.
And.
He when he talks to solemnly his Son and gives him the pattern of the temple, he says I received it by the Spirit, and that's what he's saying here. The spirit of the Lord spake by me. His word was in my tongue. The God of Israel said the rock, who's the rock? And Corinthians, 1St Corinthians 10. It says they drank of that rock which followed them, and that rock was right.
Yes, Christ is the rock.
The rock of our salvation.
Going on in the third verse, he that ruleth over men must be just ruling in the fear of God.
You know that man hasn't come yet. He's coming. He's coming.
Isaiah 32 one, behold, a king shall reign in righteousness. We won't get a righteous reign until that king comes. It's because of that we get the overturning out here in the nation. Don't worry about the next political election. Leave it in God's hands. He'll take care of it. He'll put his men up there until he gets his mind there and we'll he'll just keep overturning. You'll find it in Ezekiel 21. I will overturn, overturn, overturn until.
Who's right it is and I will give it in Christ is going to get the throne of the earth. It will be taken away from the Gentiles. Meanwhile, it's the times of the Gentiles and we are heavenly people are just to go on in our course, beginning by taking the gospel, finishing. How I hope it's a bright ending for all of us, just to go on steadily and waiting for this man.
Who will bring a just rule to the earth? Well, he shall be as the light of the morning.
When the sun rises, even a morning without clouds, this for the Christian, will be the Lord's coming.
That bright day, although we meet him on the cloud.
00:40:04
These are just typical terms. The clouds of the trouble on the earth will all be gone.
No more troubles in that day when the Lord comes.
Well, now let's go to the New Testament, to John's Gospel, chapter 12.
And get a few lessons from the New Testament.
The first one we're going to use is that notable Judas Iscariot.
Now you know that this is not going to be very bright, but we need to get the other side of the picture and to learn a little bit what brought in Judas's downfall in the 12Th chapter of John.
After Mary had anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped them with the hairs of her head, and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment. In verse four it says Then said one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him. Why was not this ointment sold for 300?
And given to the poor. Here are the first words that we read in the Bible that were spoken by Judas. Don't they signal his course?
The love of money is a root of all evil.
Our brother Brown that some of us remember chapter Brown remarked about Judas. You know, it was prophesied that there was going to be a Judas, something like this, which has helped me ever since to understand the case of Judas. He said there had to be a Judas, but Judas didn't have to be that Judas. He made himself a candidate for it. That's what we get here. Oh, this is so sound we.
The solemn side of this truth too, that we begin our course. Well, if you don't begin it, you won't finish it.
I don't believe Jodis had any beginning. Of course he did not. As a man of faith, he loved money.
And he shows it right here.
He didn't say that because he loved the poor.
Going on reading it here in the sixth verse, this he said not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief.
He was a thief at the start.
He had the bag and beer that was put therein. Now go to Matthew 26 and we'll get his last words.
And they come in the 49th verse.
And he comes up to betray the Lord.
And says.
Forthwith when he came to Jesus, Jesus.
Forthwith he came to Jesus and said, Hail Master.
And kissed him.
And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come?
And there's no answer.
There's no answer.
He was like that man in Matthew.
Well, I think it's 22 you can look it up. That came into the wedding garment without a wedding feast and the master of the feast came and said to him whence Camest out in hit her and he was speechless. He had no answer.
People brazenly talk about replying to God when they meet him at the judgment seat, but not one of them will have a word to say.
This gives the account not a word to say. No, you give your account to God now.
Well, what a warning in the Gospel.
Well, it's better to pass on from.
Judas Iscariot to.
Luke 5 and get something that's bright again connection I believe with Peter.
Luke 5 and verse 5.
We get the first words of Peter.
The Lord had come and he had, he told Peter in Vermont. Into the deep and let down your Nets for a draft.
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Luke 5 verse five. And Simon answering, said unto him, Master, we have toiled all night, and have taken nothing. Nevertheless that thy word I will let down the net.
Now that's this plural in verse four, but Peter answers the Lord and said.
Well, we're pretty good fishermen. We know how to fish. We've been out there all night and haven't caught anything. But if you say so, we'll let down one net. And then he got it so full he was astounded. You see, the Lord really reached Peter's heart through this. He didn't turn the Lord down, but he he didn't fully obey him. This is the beginning of Peter.
And he does listen to the Lord, but he doesn't fully believe him until he gets his eyes open.
Now let's go to Acts 15 and get his last spoken words, and then we'll possibly get.
His last written words.
The last spoken words are in Acts 15.
And the 11Th verse, and it's in connection with the solution to the question of whether the agendas are going to be put under the law of Moses.
Down at Antioch and Peter makes a wonderful statement here.
Now we should read verses 10 and 11.
Acts 1510 Now therefore white, empty God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we, that's the Jews were able to bear, But we believe that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, we we Jews shall be saved, even as you Gentiles.
This is wonderful to think that Peter brings this out so clearly in his last spoken words and he's talking about grace.
And he's talking about the way of salvation, and it's the common salvation. The Jew is going to be saved today, has to take the same ground as a Gentile and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved by grace through faith. So he's talking about salvation in his last spoken words. Let's go to his last written words in Second Peter chapter 4.
Chapter 3 There's only three chapters.
Two Peter, Chapter 3.
And the last verse.
Peter, 318.
Now Peter says, but grow in grace.
And in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to Him.
Be glory both now and forever. Amen. What a beautiful ending.
To his book. What a lovely ending to his spoken word, that dear Apostle Peter.
He fumble around, made mistakes like all of us, but oh so often he was right too. And what a beautiful ending he had. Better is the ending of a thing than the beginning thereof.
Now we'll go to Paul to conclude our remarks tonight. And in Acts 9, we get the beginning here.
As you all perhaps know.
He was that persecutor.
Going to distant cities to apprehend and to.
Hailed to prison men and women who were Christians. If you know I'd been living over there in Damascus in those days, we would have been in danger from the soul of Tarsus.
And the Lord met him and smote him down to the earth.
Verse four. He found to the earth, heard a voice saying unto him, Saul.
So why persecutest thou me? He said. Who art thou, Lord?
These are the first words we get in Scripture from the lips of Saul.
Who art thou, Lord? Do you know who the Lord is? He found out that day. He was a converted man from that moment on.
Nice beginning he had. He's a pattern to those which should hereafter believe. That's the way you get saved. You just speak to Jesus and known him as Lord. That's what he's in effect doing. And he learned who the Lord was and he got the truth of the church and embryo here too.
Now we will go to.
Acts 28 in the last verse to get the last words that we know that he spoke orally.
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Then we will go to the second epistle of Timothy in his last written words.
I want to bring in this end of acts because it.
It's it's lovely too.
And verse 28.
Paul says, Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent under the Gentiles, and that they will hear it. That's his last spoken words we know of, and the book ends with preaching and teaching. A lovely ending to what came out of his mouth. Now let's see what he says when he finished his last epistle. We believe the second Timothy.
And it's a real lesson for us who are Christians to learn these things.
As to finishing our course?
In Two Timothy 4, verse 20, he leaves.
Triumph of us sick, although he had power to heal.
There was no apparent purpose in healing this dear brother for the Apostle.
But he's thoughtful of the Saints.
And I like this next expression. Do thy diligence to come before winter.
If you have been in 18 and 20° below 0 weather, you know what winter is when the winds blowing. I hear you had a little winter here last December, but very mild compared to some parts of the country. Well, it just shows us that God is mindful of our comfort. But I think it's a typical thing and I think it speaks to us in the gospel. You're going to be saved. You've got to come before the winter of God's judgment fall.
Now is the summer when the gospel is going forth.
This is grace and the winner of judgments coming. So the Gospels in this verse. Then he goes on, says Eubulus greeteth thee, and Prudence and Lydon and Claudia and all the brethren he's taking note of very special.
Names here in his love for the Saints. He loved them personally.
And sends greetings. Then he ends his book. The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy Spirit. Oh, what a charge to us, even the spirit in which we live, and in which we walk with our brethren. Is it that that Spirit that was manifested by Christ?
Are we known as Christians?
Paul knew who they were. When he was persecuting them, he sought them out. They were behaving like Christians.
And could be found now he ends up and says, the Lord Jesus Christ be with thy Spirit, the very spirit in which we behave.
And he finally says, Grace be with.
God's Center Authority
Address—N. Berry
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.
Tonight we go on with the other side of the scripture, the thought that.
In the Old Testament, there was one Center for authority that was the same center that was given for worship. Worship. No difference between the two. There wasn't one place that they went to worship God and then another place where they where they learned how to cope with their neighbors and so on. No, it was all one center, one center. Now we're going to see tonight.
When they had problems in the Old Testament days, they had to go to that center. 1 Secondly, they must bow to what they heard in that center on pain of death. Now you might say, well, surely you're not saying that the Christian, if he doesn't obey, is going to die. No, but we are certainly going to lose a lot in our Christian life.
So we will look now first.
At the authority that was vested in that center. Individual responsibility.
Individual, the individuals in Israel, a whole lot of them, they had individual responsibility to do something and that is to go to that center. Secondly, I want to look at the Old Testament script, another Old Testament scripture that shows the responsibility of those to whom the individuals win and that were those were the priests and the Levites.
And the judges? Now there's a word for them as well. We'll stop.
When we complete that and we have a 5 or a little more, maybe interval urge you to walk around.
For to get some air in our lungs. And then we'll go ahead with the spiritual side of what God had in mind when He gave those illustrations. I'm not going to repeat what I said last night about the authority for the Scriptures showing us that this is indeed why those Old Testament stories were given for our learning, but we'll then see.
What God had as the purpose of it all, it wasn't this and then this, but this side was earthly. We have it here, terrestrial and celestial, green, earthly, blue, heaven. So we'll look now first of all, after the individual responsibility that a person had.
In those days, Deuteronomy chapter 17.
Bear in mind this is the first this side the individual responsibility.
That those people in those days had.
Deuteronomy 17, verse 8.
Wherever you get an if in scripture, it's always the responsibility side. No ifs in Ephesians or those scriptures that tell us the position. This is responsibility. Ifs are always connected with the wilderness or responsible. All right now it says in that 7th, 8th verse if there arise a matter.
Too hard for thee in judgment.
That was in the head to make a decision between blood and blood relatives, between plea and plea some cause, and between stroke and stroke, a physical fight.
Being matters of controversy within thy gates, this was God's Holy Land now, and there had to be holy practices connected with it. Then shalt thou arise and get thee up into the place same as last night, place of worship which the Lord thy God shall choose. Identical words.
The one place.
Arise and get up to that place, not down to it. Jerusalem was down at the bottom of the land.
Up to it.
It was 1200 feet above sea level, but it was God's center, His habitation, as we heard last night.
And then it says.
Verse 9. And thou shalt come unto the priests, the Levites.
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And unto the judge that shall be in those days, and inquire now. Let's pause there for a moment. Inquire now. The last thing that people want to do when there's an argument involved is to do any inquiring. I want to do the talking, and they want to do the.
Hammering on the table and shouting loudly. But here is the first thing the attitude that was necessary. God said so it wasn't a question of what they were, whether they were.
To accept it or not, inquire, and had to inquire. 1 center God's choosing, and they were to come there with a mind, with no presuppositions, nothing presumed beforehand.
They had to come and inquire, now what does it say? And they shall show thee the sentence of judgment. Very remarkable statement, because it isn't a question of waiting, as the courts do so often. They hear a case and then they render a judgement a couple of weeks later. Here it is so beautifully stated that immediately.
Immediately there's the answer given, not a question of how difficult it would be.
We're going to look at the judges side and the priests side in a few moments. That's the other collective responsibility. This is the the the attitude that the man has to adopt. He inquires and he hears the judgment right away. Verse 10 and thou shalt do according to the sentence or the tenor which they of that place which the Lord shall choose emphasis.
Time. Double responsibility, double testimony. Twice it says. It shall show thee they'll do it. That'll do it.
Not a question of thinking it over. Had to do it. And thou shalt observe to do according to all that they informed thee or instructed do it, do it. Nobody likes to be told what to do. Do it. Young people here, that's the last thing everybody is just saying they don't do pay any attention to that. That's just some authority, but you just do what you want.
This is the word of God and I hope you dear young people here get this message tonight because this can be the difference between a happy Christian fulfilled life.
Or an unhappy, rebellious spirit that is going to lead you down the road to unhappiness.
And all kinds of troubles. Now here is God's Old Testament illustration of what we will see in the New Testament. Verse 11. According to the sentence of the law which they shall teach thee, and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do, thou shalt not decline from the sentence, the word which they shall show thee.
To the right hand nor to the left, there was number bending of this judgment. It was absolute and truth is absolute and the Scriptures are absolute and we can't bend the Scriptures. Paul says in first Timothy chapter one, verse three. See that they teach no other doctrine.
Christianity is truth and it is absolute, and if you and I are going to bow to this authority, we are going to be blessed because God has given us this recipe and this beautiful but serious warning not to turn to the right hand or to the left.
Verse 12 warning and the man that will do presumptuously, there's the mind coming in there presuming presume means to beforehand pre and zoom is to to think to have a preconceived idea. Anybody who has a preconceived idea of what should be done or what shouldn't be done or how much he's going to accept of this judgment, what happens.
And will not. There's the will working mind and the will.
Disaster for the Christians when we let these things operate in our lives.
The will and the and our thoughts and our presuming.
Will and will not hearken listen.
Listen, these are the days when nobody wants to listen, even in the assembly. We'll come to that later on. But here is the warning that will not listen unto the priest will notice this. Here is the key of it all that standeth to minister there.
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Before the Lord thy God. Oh, isn't that beautiful? How does this priest, what's he know about these problems way up in the north or some?
Quarrel between some relatives or a fight that somebody has had, What's he know about it? He doesn't know anything.
And he's not called upon to know anything, but he's standing before the Lord.
And that's how he knows. That's how he knows he has the answer instantly, because he is standing before the Lord.
That's the key of it.
Or under the judge, even that man shall die. He's dead.
Never gets back to his home if he challenges, even in his heart, No he doesn't. Even if he presumes he's dead, he dies.
That's how strict.
The law is but God is telling you and me by these precepts, by these examples, I should say.
That He is the one who has the key to blessing in our life, if we're willing to follow this in principle, in spiritual application in your life and mine. If not, we're not going to lose our salvation, but we're going to surely going to lose happiness and fulfillment in our life. And here's the man, He's dead.
Even that man shall die and notice this, and thou shalt put away evil from Israel.
And all the people shall hear and fear and do more, no more presumptuously. Well, now this is a it's not a question of the things that the man was doing that was the was the evil. It was a question of the presumption in receiving the judgment. You see what I mean? It was the presumption was connected.
Bowing or not bowing not the evil thing that they were doing. It was to put the evil of.
Lack or or despising obedience to God's prescribed methods, and it was, and it was to be really understood that anyone who was going to presume to act presumptuously, that was evil.
Now that's the one side that is the.
Individual responsibility that the man in Israel had.
Now what about the priests?
These are the collective. This is the collective side. Now, the responsibility that the priests have. Let's go 1St to the 1St chapter of Deuteronomy, one or two verses.
Deuteronomy One, verse 16.
And I charged your judges at that time saying.
Now this is the other side, as I said here, the causes between your brethren and judge righteously, judge righteously between every man and his brother and the stranger that is with him, the poor fellow that is an outcast and he's a stranger, they're a gentile.
No difference. Now this is the charge to the judges.
Like we'll see applying it to the assembly. Verse 17 Ye shall not respect persons in judgment.
No bias. No, no bias.
But ye shall hear the small as well as the great. No difference.
Ye shall not be afraid of the face of man.
No Fear in the judge, in the judges heart now and he sees a powerful man coming up with lots of influence and money, or a poor beggar that has no money at all and there he is in his rags. No difference. The judges to have no difference.
For the judgment is.
Gods see that again it comes back, the priesthood before the Lord. Here it is even higher, if I could use the term God himself. The judgment is God's.
00:15:14
And the 'cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.
There is what Moses was saying, anything that was beyond the ability. This was a beautiful clause that was put in because.
You see, Moses was the go between between He was the king really of Israel, not a priest, but a king. And he was the one who had access at all times into God's presence to inquire. And so he said, now if there is anything that is too hard for you, you come to me. I think that's wonderful, isn't it? Let me say this, beloved ones, I don't believe that there is.
Anything in an assembly problem that brethren would have to say, we can't solve this because we don't have anything in the Scripture to give us guidance, we will have to leave that to the judgment seat of Christ. I don't believe that that is correct. I believe that this principle is taught that there is provision for the solving of every problem.
And there Moses said.
Come to me if there is anything too hard, we can always go to the Lord, no matter how difficult the problem is.
Let's look at one more in Second Second Chronicles Chapter 19. Second Chronicles, Chapter 19.
Now the day has gone way along far past Moses day, way into the day of failure. Way on into the last days of the kings of Judah. 10 tribes gone, 2 tribes left. Here they are in an utter day and a day of decline and failure. Priests have failed. You'll notice here that the Levites are mentioned 1St and.
It it was a decline, but what does it say now?
What is this Second Chronicles chapter 19 and verse 8?
Moreover, in Jerusalem did Jehoshaphat faithful king?
Set of the Levites and of the priests not as the order and of the chief of the fathers of Israel for the judgment of the Lord and that wonderfully 3 Times Now the judgment of the Lord wasn't their judgment the judgment of the Lord and for controversies difference of opinion.
When they returned to Jerusalem, oh, this was a provision. Now when they come back to Jerusalem in ruins and everything is gone to pieces still.
Now here's the beautiful verse, verse nine. And he charged them.
Saying, Thus, shall ye do notice this in the fear of the Lord?
Problems in your life?
Oh, have we access to one who knows every detail? Absolutely.
In the fear of the Lord, this is the judge's side now.
And then where does it say, Thus shall ye do in the fear of the Lord faithfully?
Faith. Not intelligently, not according to jurisprudence, not because of your Father told you no faith.
Act faithfully cast what may popular or unpopular. I used to tell my children I was bringing them up. I'm not running a popularity contest with you.
I'm teaching you obedience to me and your mother because I've got a father that I must obey. I must obey, and I ought to teach you to obey me, and you will learn them to obey God your father.
Grow older now. This is what he's saying here. The judges were to judge faith in the fear of the Lord 1St and faithfully toward others. Fear of the Lord godward, fear faithfully toward others and with a perfect heart.
00:20:02
Three things. Perfect heart. They were to do this now with a good conscience. Good conscience.
That's enough. Well, I think we need to. I see our time is gone. We'll stop now.
And this senior brother Coleman that two things I've enjoyed. One is that the old creation started with light.
Let there be light. First words that God spoke ends in darkness. Eternal hell.
New creation started with darkness, the three hours of darkness, and it goes on into eternal light.
The Old Testament, the old creation, I should say, started with life.
Like God breathed into man's nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul. It ended in death. Everything failed. Everyone failed. The new creation it starts.
With.
The death of Christ on the cross.
And it can't say ends. It goes on into eternal life. The difference between the two? Utter failure.
Whole thing set aside.
And what happens?
The believer dies with Christ on the cross.
We're dead, it's a secret isn't of understanding our life. Now we are crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live, Paul could say Galatians 220 yet not I. But Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh. I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.
Here is the end.
John's Gospel chapter 12 Says now is the judgment of this world. How many people realize that the judgment that the world ended at the cross?
Man's trial ended 4000 years of trial.
Ends and utter failure.
What happens? God's eternal Son, ever in the bosom of the Father. There from that past eternity He would come down and be flesh and bones. He would take upon Himself a human form to fulfill all the promises of Israel. Yes.
Only to find when he comes here on earth that is rejected. Of course, known beforehand, God's predetermined counsel was the whole story. It wasn't something that just broke down. It was God's purpose that He would send his son that son willingly and obediently. How we love to tell him He was the only perfect man that ever lived on this earth.
What did he come for? Didn't come to die for sins.
He came to die for God's glory. That was what he came for. No one else had ever lived for God's glory before. God had given all kinds of tests, and Israel was his showpiece, as it were, utter failure. God's beloved Son lays himself at the end of that perfect life of 33 years upon the altar, giving himself as the perfect sacrifice to God.
God is not only satisfied, God is glorified.
The Lord Jesus said in the 17th of John when he prayed, I finished the work which thou gave us me to do. I have glorified thy name on the earth. Oh, a man has glorified God's name on earth. Just think of that. And what has happened? God has taken that man and he's taken him back to heaven. And now what has God done? He's glorified a man in heaven.
The man glorified God on earth.
His name and hear God glorifies him in heaven. Oh what a wonderful story. The cross of Jesus Christ we looked at last night at that verse in Colossians. Christ is everything.
That was the whole purpose of all these things. As we learned from 1 Corinthians 10 and 11, All things happened written for our instruction upon whom the ends of the world are come. The ends of the world. End of the world took place at the cross. Judgment fell on this world at the end of the cross. God said, I'm finished, but before I destroy it, I'm going to open the floodgates of grace and mercy for whosoever.
00:25:00
Will anyone who will come?
To to God the Father through Christ.
What happened? Nobody would respond.
Not going to be one invited guest in heaven.
Nobody would respond.
Heaven would be emptier. Just think of it. Just think of it.
After all the blessed Lord Jesus has done his blood able to save.
Four billion, 750, seven, 100 million people on the earth.
The blood able to save the one who shed it. What little response?
No response. No response. So what has happened? God and his sovereignty he has chosen.
Some to come in, many called, few chosen. This is the sovereignty side of God. This is what we have been seeing here, God's side all the time. You and I are willing to bow to this and to enjoy this. So it takes all the fever out of life. It makes us calm and makes us deep. Realize our dependence now in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The whole thing turns around. Now God makes that cross the very means whereby He can bless.
Sinners. And here we are tonight, trophies of that love and grace now, and we are in a new circle. We are in a circle of grace, the very body of Christ.
We saw last night that Christ is the Center for our worship. Now we're going to see that he is also the Center for our authority. As you and I, who as I look into your faces, who belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. You have one master and I have one Master, not only a Savior, but a Lord. Is he the Lord of your life? You young people here tonight.
Is the Lord the Master of your life?
If I asked you.
Are you saved all right? And you might say yes. I asked your mother is he saved? Well, she says.
He doesn't act as if he is.
Well, that's.
It might be that you're saved, or might be that you're not saved, but if you are the Lord's ah, then He's the master of your life. And if you're going to bow to that authority, you're going to be blessed in your life. Your life is going to be fulfilled.
You want to have happiness on your side, but living for God's glory on His now.
In God's wonderful wisdom, He has established a circle inside that one body. Every believer is in the one body, we learned last night.
Not only for the worship of the Lord Jesus Christ, but for authority. Now let's turn to Matthew 1818.
Where is the.
Assembly now in action, the Lord's words, the very words of the Lord.
We look at this general statement first, then we will take up the two sides that we have been speaking about before, individual responsibility, collective responsibility.
Matthew 1818 Verily I say unto you, These were the words of the Lord Jesus, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. There is the authority that is vested in the assembly.
Gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm not speaking. I hope I don't tread on somebody's tone.
That I am not speaking about every group of Christians because I believe that corporately.
According to John's Gospel chapter 4, that God is a spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth corporately. I believe it must be according to the Word of God. Therefore, I do not believe that there can be two bodies of Christians not in fellowship with each other that are not in that are that are both gathered to the Lord's name, and they are not in fellowship.
I don't believe that that is possible. 14th the 1St Corinthians and they gets around verse 32 Says God is not the author of confusion, but of peace as in all the assemblies of the Saints. Now I think speak plainly. I don't believe I I hope I don't say this ungraciously. I don't believe that I grow in my soul or you grow in your soul until you can see this now you can't.
00:30:11
Intellectually that's certainly not possible. But if you have your eye on the Lord, oh, it becomes very simple that the Lord Jesus is the center of the authority for my life individually, and it is equally so collectively in the assembly.
Now the family is the physical circle, a little picture of it, and the assembly is the spiritual circle, the father that asserts himself and sees that his children and his wife too, because I believe that the wife is in like the the one of his children as far as responsibility is concerned, not being influenced by women's Lib nonsense, but according to the word of God, the.
Represents God in the home, and His word must be obeyed, right or wrong, right or wrong, unless it is contrary to the Word of God. Now, that's individually. That's the physical circle. A home where the father is living consistently and showing love to his children and his wife, or his wife and his children, I should say.
That family is going to be a happy home.
Where the wife recognizes her place as well as the head of the home, the little texts that we have sometimes seen on some of the homes. Christ is the head of this home. That is not scriptural at all. The Father is the head of the home. He is the authorities. that Channel and authority always comes down. Democracy is not God's principle.
Abraham Lincoln said government of the people, for the people, by the people sounds nice, but it's not. According to the word of God, authority comes down and it is in the family and it is in the Assembly.
Now here we see that in the assembly when the assembly makes the decision.
It's bound in heaven, right or wrong, right around.
There it is, right or wrong.
I'm not to decide whether an assembly makes the right decision or not and then determine whether I'm going to obey it or not, just as we saw in the Old Testament, or if it's made in the fear of the Lord. If the assembly is going on in happy communion with the Lord, they can count upon it to be the right decision. But suppose an assembly makes a decision that is contrary, that is wrong.
Well, then there is access. There is, as we saw in the Old Testament, there is.
The freedom of another brother or brothers or brother, preferably to come from another assembly and point out to that assembly that makes that decision. You made a decision that is contrary to this scripture and show a scripture.
That assembly says that's right, we've made a mistake, correct? That is to be corrected. If on the other hand, that assembly continues on and says you mind your business, you stay out of this, this is assembly. We make our own decisions here. Independence. That's open, brethrenism. That's just the same as my saying I'm responsible to God for my own life and you just keep out of my life and not you don't.
To worry about me, you worry about yourself. That's independency. That's the finger saying to the the foot, I don't need you. That is a very serious error. The assembly has the authority. I use the simple illustration driving along my car and a cop puts up his hand, pulls me to the side as you went through a traffic.
Sign there said stuck.
Or starts to write the the ticket and I recognize him he's Tony that lived down the street and he was a near do well in the village where I live and he was just a dropout and he was a mess of everything and here he is standing there. So I said Tony is that you? Yes, he said I'm Tony. So I say to you giving me a ticket because I'm going to give you 2 Tickets.
One for breaking the law and the other for insulting the uniform.
He has the right to do that because he has the law behind him. That is the authority that is vested in him. I must bow to that. I have access to the courts to go and prove that maybe the sign was knocked down and he didn't know it, but I have to take that ticket now. This is the authority that is vested in the assembly.
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Now that's a general statement. I want to show you now from the scriptures, the individual responsibility of everyone in the assembly.
And then on the other side, the assembly's responsibility as priests, as it were illustrated by the Old Testament of the responsibility that the assembly had. So we first turn now to 1St Corinthians 11.
Verse 27.
Where?
Whosoever individual shall eat this bread.
And drink this cup of the Lord.
Unworthily, or in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
But let a man examine or prove himself.
And so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup, for he that eateth and drinketh on in an unworthy way, as I believe is translated.
In the new translation, eateth and drinketh not damnation but condemnation.
There is going to he's going to bring on his head condemnation to himself, not to anyone else, but to himself. The assembly may not know about it. And he's going on with a bad conscience or something that he's allowing in his life. And he comes to the Lord's Table with a bad conscience, unconfessed sins on him. Nobody knows about it. The Lord knows he's going to bring condemnation on his own head.
To himself, not discerning the Lord's body, just like to point out this little thought that I have enjoyed for a long time, and that is that if I get in a bad state of soul, I come in the Lords Day morning, I see that a bread on the table and I said, say to myself, loaf of bread.
I just don't discern that that represents the body of the Lord.
I lose that discernment. I'm going to lose my discernment, but a lot of things. But here is the first thing. I'm going to be careless. I'm going to come into the presence of the Lord with unconfessed sins on me, and I'm not going to see that the Lord is in the midst and His authority is there. Now let's go on for this cause. Many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
All that is a serious verse now that takes us right back in our thoughts.
To the Old Testament, people would say, well, now you're not saying that we die.
I'm saying that the Scripture says, yes, they did die when they flaunted the word of God. And this says for this cause many are sickly among you and many sleep. That is that the Lord might take us away, take us away, we die. Now there's no trifling with that Scripture. We can't bend it and say, well, it doesn't really mean that it says it there.
For this cause many are weekly among you, and many sleep. The Lord took them away.
Holy privilege that it is to be gathered to the Lord's name.
And I want to make this plain. I don't say that a Christians responsibility is increased when they're at the Lords table in this way. That if I am a believer and I'm not at the Lord's table, I'm really, as we learned last night, in a very bad place. I'm outside of the circle. I'm in a place where God judges. I'm in a place of.
Disobedience to that gentle and sweet request that the Lord Jesus made.
On the night of his betrayal, when he said this, do in remembrance of me. What kind of a heart have I got if I belong to the Lord? You dear young ones that are here tonight, do you say you're the Lords? You're going on well with the Lord. Oh, he invites you and me to that table that's going to keep you back. Nothing but sinal that you allow in your life.
That's individual responsibility, and so here they are told one way.
To cope with this, get into the presence of the Lord before you come to the Lords Day morning meeting often tell the story down in the Dominican Republic. One time I was there for a month or so, I saw a sister.
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Didn't take the emblems and I said to one of the brothers is and so on. So isn't his sister at the Lord's table? And she said yes. I said she didn't take the emblems. Well, he said probably some something on our conscience. So I watched her for two weeks and she didn't take the emblems. And then the Lord's day came and she did. I went to the brother and I said to her, to him, she took the emblems.
This morning, well, he said. Probably restore now in one way.
It was a very good thing for that sister to have a tender conscience about not coming to take the bread and the wine with a bad conscience. On the other hand, she was not instructed.
As to the truth of the Scriptures, for she should have done what that verse says, but let a man examine himself. Verse 28. She should have got this matter cleared before on Saturday, before she came to the Lord's table.
That's the time to get that clear, but.
When she didn't do that and she really sat in judgment on the assembly and she didn't take the emblems, now she has put herself out of fellowship and the assembly responsibility now comes in as to her being received back into fellowship because the conscience of the assembly has been offended. Now there might be something serious in that sister's life that needs to be.
Into by the brothers and that is what we will come to in a minute as far as.
Collective responsibility is concerned, but I think that's sufficient. On the individual responsibility, we have clear access. If I am fit for glory, I'm fit for the Lord's table. The blood of Christ makes me fit for heaven, and it makes me fit for the Lord's table. I can't make myself unworthy to get to glory. I never can lose that, but I surely can.
If I am going on with unconfessed sins.
And coming into the presence of the Lord, holy blessed presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, Am I going to come in with in carelessness and I'm not going to come into the Lords day morning meeting late, unsuitably dressed, chewing gum as I sometimes see a pardon me for speaking bluntly, but I think it is very, very sad when we are not conscious of the Lord's presence.
Not the Holy Presence of the Lord often tell the story that when Queen Elizabeth was crowned.
They say that everyone was in their place one hour before the coronation took place and it took place.
A couple of hours. There wasn't even one cough heard in the whole time of the ceremony. Who is she? She's nobody. The Lord. The Lord.
Below we come into his holy presence. The closest that we ever get to glory to heaven is when we are in his holy presence. All that we might realize the seriousness, not only the the responsibility to not be there, but the responsibility to be there. Now that's the individual side. Now let's go back to the fifth chapter to see the collective side. There's a man that is living in open.
He's living with his father's second wife or another wife.
In the assembly, they know about it.
In the second verse and ye are puffed up and have not rather mourned.
Hi, Moore.
By Mark, that's his individual responsibility. No, it's not. It's the assembly's responsibility.
Yeah, the other side we saw. Don't confuse the two of them. Here is the assembly not mourning. Why? Why? There's being evil brought into the Lord's presence.
A group of Christians who here might be even in Vancouver and a Christian might go there and say, could I remember the Lord with you this morning? And somebody standing at the door says, are you a believer? Yes. Being baptized, Yes. Thumb break bread.
What is that a sign of? That's a sure sign that they're not conscious of the Lord's holy presence. They're not going to be so loose and careless. It is collective responsibility now to make sure that that man or that person that has come to ask to remember the Lord or break bread, as they say. He doesn't know what the evil might be in that assembly. He's a stranger.
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Nor does the Assembly know what he might be going on with. And the Assembly has a grave responsibility. Why? For our sakes. No, no, nothing to do with that. The Lords glory His holy presence. So here was the Assembly going on carelessly.
Now I hear that some Christians that claim to be gathered to the Lord's name, they say well.
Paul didn't put them out of fellowship. He went on with them. I hastened to say this, that that letter was written in order to correct the evil that was there. If that assembly didn't pay attention to its responsibilities, then it would be an entirely different thing. But the Spirit of God allowed this evil to surface, to be there.
That the Apostle Paul would write this letter of instruction for them and for us today.
Now let's go down a little bit farther. Here is how the assembly is to act, verse 4.
Notice two things there.
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now there's the first thing in the name, there's the authority where two or three are gathered unto my name. It's not so much that we're gathered to the Lorde presence because He's he's absent, but we are gathered to his name. But two or three are gathered together unto my name. There am I, in the midst of them, the Lord's presence.
Is vouchsafed. It's given to that assembly.
Gathered to his blessed name and here now is how the assembly is to act. It's to act in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. When ye are gathered together, there's the whole of the assembly. Brothers meeting can't make a decision. It has to be made by the assembly and my spirit that was the Apostolic.
Time we don't have the holy, at least we don't have the the Apostle Paul, but we have his writings here.
With the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. Two things, the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and the power of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now the assembly has that responsibility to put that man out. He's a believer. He was gathered to the Lord's name and he had to be put out.
Why? Because of the Lord's glory. There was something going on in his life that would.
That would affect, in fact, the whole assembly a little. Leaven leaveneth. The whole lump at that assembly had allowed this to go on after they were warned by the whole assembly is turned into evil and into leaven.
So they had to put that brother, that man out. Notice what it says down farther, verse 12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? Do not ye judge them that are within, but them that are without? God judges. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
There was the assemblies full responsibility now just like to say this.
Suppose someone asks for their place at the Lords Table.
Every deliver in Vancouver has their place at the Lord's Table. It's not our table, it's the Lord's Table.
Everyone.
But the assembly has the responsibility to make sure that there is nothing.
That is, in that person's life, morally, doctrinally, or ecclesiastically, 3 evils that exist.
3 evils moral evil, doctrinal evil, wrong teachings on the scripture or disorderly methods of worshipping the Lord or conduct. Give you just a little example of it. A woman stands up and starts to preach. She might be preaching the absolute truth. It's not doctrinal evil, but it's it's ecclesiastical evil because that method is condemned in the scriptures. A sister.
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Is to remain in the Scripture. Well, it's not so much that it's border between the two of them, but ecclesiastical evil is the method of worshipping the Lord, and it must be, according to John, as I quoted in John chapter four, we must worship in spirit and in truth. And so the assembly, when a person asks to be received, what does the assembly say?
What are the brothers say? They say to the man come in, or the woman commence it, sit down at the back.
I don't know whether you have a separate section here, but in our larger assembly, we, we do a lot of people sit there back there, they observe, observe their spirit is going to be revealed. If they say no, I want to break bread today. Wrong spirit. We don't know them, they don't know us. So if they display that spirit, it's obvious that they're not fit for the Lord's presence. Their will is at work. Just they're presuming like.
On Deuteronomy chapter 17, can't presume anything. I can't join take my place at the Lord's table when I when I decide any more than I can get saved when I decide. It's the work of the Spirit of God. It's like being saved over again. And that is the Spirit of God would desire to gather every believer in Vancouver and the world to Christ.
Now when the assembly has this request, it comes before the brothers meeting, Brothers meeting, Brothers meeting is defined in Acts Chapter 15.
Where the problem problem came up and they sent to the brethren in Jerusalem. The brothers heard the matter first. Good thing to bring a matter before the brothers meeting. Act slowly, act slowly, don't act precipitously. Wait on the Lord. The Lord will manifest His mind. He is operating the assembly.
He is. It's not our assembly, it's the Lord's assembly, and He is the one.
Who desires that we act in obedience, collective responsibility to what He instructs us through the Word and so.
That everybody, the brothers might consider the name. I think it's so important for the brothers at a brothers meeting to tell everything that they know about that person. If they say, well, I don't know anything about, well, get to know.
You have a responsibility now in the Assembly not to say I'll leave it to Brother so and so, he decides.
That's all wrong. You have a responsibility, a collective responsibility. The conscience of the assembly is involved now, not only brothers and brothers, but the sisters. To get to know that person, invite them to your home.
And then when the brothers come to feel that they have the Lord's mind, let the name be announced not to receive that person right away. Let it be publicly announced in the assembly. Wait another week. I've often seen it manifested prior to that announcement, or even after the state of soul of that person. That might be wrong.
Wait on the Lord, don't act quickly. It's going to be bound in heaven. Not only bound in heaven, but bound on every other assembly gathered to the Lord's name on earth. Been speaking about this in other lands. They aren't nearly as instructed as we are in these lands. Favored lands that we are and it was in many cases new to them. Or how important it is for us to be established in a assembly authority.
Then as the week goes on and everyone is guided by the Lord.
As to that person's state of soul, because I always say this, that when a person gets before the Lord privately.
That state of soul is seen, allowed to be seen by the other brethren, by others, the other believers. That state of soul is revealed. If we are in a godly state and if we are in a good state of communion with the Lord, well, it's so precious, so tender, so important for us for His glory, well, that person is received.
Now suppose the reverse as in this 5th chapter One Corinthians. Here is something that comes to the surface.
Now we're not to be probing into the life of everyone, but everyone needs to have a tender concern about.
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The others in the assembly or how lovely it is. I've seen some of the boys that have been saved at the Gospel Tent and Nova Scotia early in their life. They had a father's, a shepherd's heart given of God. So important for you young brothers and sisters too, to be concerned about each other. Don't just say, well, that's their responsibility.
Or concern yourself, you younger sisters.
Do you want some advice? Go to the most godly sister in the assembly. You'll get the best advice. Not necessarily to go to somebody that if you want to be a nurse, go to a nurse. Go to the godly ones and they will give you good advice from the Lord. Well, if there is something that is seen, develops in the assembly, that has to be dealt with.
Here again, can't act too fast. Putting a person out of it, away from the Lord's table is not disciplined.
That's when the discipline is finished, when the assembly throws up its hands and can't do anything more because the assembly is responsible to judge. Those are that are within the assembly in Montreal has control over my life. And if they phone up and say, Norman Barry, we want to talk to you, I can't say I'll be back there in a month or so. I cannot say that.
They're responsible to the Lord for me. They judge there. It is plain people say you can't judge each other.
The assembly can judge. It's plain there in that 12Th and 13th verses that the assembly does judge so that when there is something that is noticed, go to that person privately. Don't start to gossip, but don't get on the telephone and start to talk about the situation. Go right to that person. Matthew 5 and Matthew 18 is very plain.
That if I know of something about another brother, I have a responsibility to go there.
To go and talk to that brother and say to him and come and coming here in love, get down your knees before him. You can't just rush to a brother. I knew of one brother that was that prayed in the morning meeting for the gospel before giving before the remembrance of the Lord, an older brother. After the meeting he made a beeline for that young brother and he said that this is no place for you to be preaching.
At least praying about the gospel.
Her brother was offended. He withdrew from fellowship, thankful that he was restored. But that older brother was in error. He didn't take time to pray about it and get in a proper state of soul to do the foot washing. Why? He just acted in the flesh and stirred the flesh in that brother. Same with fathers. You can't act in the flesh with your dealing with your children. You must act in the Spirit and then the authority is going to be understood by.
Child, same thing applies in the assembly. So the first thing to do is to go individually, brother or sister. They don't accept that you have a responsibility then to take another brother or another sister. Go to them and make sure that that second person knows all the details and tell them what that you know and confront that person.
If they don't accept that, then tell it to the assembly 18th 1St of of Matthew.
Only then tell it to the assembly and then the assembly deals with it. And then if the assembly sends delegates, some brothers to go to see that person and they say you mind your business like they like, he said to the two previous visits. Serious statement. But you see the point is don't let it get to that bad state.
Act quickly, be sensitive, just like a father needs to be, and a mother needs to be very sensitive, where the children are all the time a good mother.
Knows where her children are all the time. Good fathers and mothers in the assembly. Those who have pastors hearts, they are very concerned about everyone. Somebody misses the Lord's Day meeting. After the meeting, phone them up, find out why they aren't there. This is what we need to be. Am I my brother's keeper? Kane said. Yes. We are our brothers keeper and so don't let matters get into a bad state.
Act quickly to try to win that person, to point out to them that drift that they may not be conscious of. And then if you've won that person or you've covered a multitude of sin because they may go on farther into sin, but you've covered that love, will cover that love and concern for each other. And so then if that person rejects everything now, then the assembly is confronted with one question.
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Have we got a scripture to put that person away? You must have a scripture or a principle can't just put a person away on opinions or just feeling it. No, you must have scripted First Corinthians 15 here it says plainly, verse nine. I wrote unto you in an epistle, not to keep company with fornicators, yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world.
Or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters. For then must he needs go out of the world.
But now I have written unto you not to keep company. If any man that is called a brother, he's called a brother. Be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner. With such an one, no not to eat.
There, it's plain, isn't It has to be a scripture for putting a person away equally so there needs to be a scripture to keep a person from being received. Always have. If they're kind of reversed, I'll say it again. You have to have a scripture to keep a person from being received at the table. And there must be a scripture in the that the assembly uses for putting a person away from the table.
As we saw repeatedly there in Deuteronomy, it is in the fear of the Lord. Well, other things, but we can just leave that just trust now, beloved ones, that I've spoken in love and to.
Tried to bring before each one of us and to encourage us that we have an unspeakably precious privilege of being gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the worship God through the channel of the Lord Jesus Christ, to lift him up to God. That's what true worship is. Communion with the Father is to be enjoying the Father's delights in what his Son has done for his.
Glory, precious privilege to go through life in this attitude. Christ is the channel. He's the one that we lift up in worship and praise. He also is the one now who is the center of the assembly. His authority is vested in his name and he vote saves. He gives that authority to the assembly. May the assembly here.
Realize their responsibility collectively and also individually.
Before the Lord, for his sake, one of these moments we're going to be in his presence.
One of these moments, maybe tonight, we're going to be there.
Well, may we have that desire in our heart now, individually and collectively.
To be sensitive to His tender heart and not to be allowing anything in my life individually that would be contrary to his mind as revealed in the Scriptures and equally so in the assembly. May we go on in love for each other, deep love, brotherly love, seeking the welfare and the good of each other and the for all for the sake of the Lord who is.
The gathering center, then we'll go on, and then we will be making those decisions.
That will be according to his mind for His glory. Blessed Lord Jesus, as I said the other night, He doesn't have much left for all His works speaking reverently.
God's Center Worship
Address—N. Berry
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Christian doctrine is not learned from the Old Testament. We know that.
It's learned only from the new the revelation that Paul received from an ascended, glorified Christ. He's the one who completes the Word of God and brings the truth of the church for you and for me today.
However, we learn great lessons by illustration, by picture.
From the Old Testament, we must have the key from the new, otherwise we're just going to be using our imagination and then we are off the track. So we will turn to a scripture that I'm fond of to give us permission to do the to do this, to use the illustrations out of the Old Testament and apply them in the new First Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 11.
This chapter is a.
Rapid review right from the first verse of Israel's history in the wilderness.
And threw it into the land.
Good lessons for us and on baptism.
And as we learn there, they went through the Red Sea, but it didn't save their souls.
Because with many God wasn't pleased. So it's teaching us a very important lesson and that is that though our position is secure in Christ, our walk in order to be established and strengthened, but live for God's glory, it must be consistent with the teachings that we learn day by day. So this was.
A warning to them that just because they went through the Red Sea, they weren't. That wasn't the end of the story.
Now then in the 11Th verse it says this. Now all these things, all of them happened, happened. They were the experiences. They happened unto them.
For an example, for in samples or types, as the margin says, that's one thing. Secondly, and they are written, not were written, are written.
For our admonition not something history book and interesting to read some of the history they are written. They're present need for you and for me today they are written.
For our admonition.
That word means stirring up where necessary, upon whom the ends of the world are. Ages are come Now That makes it very important, isn't it, that you and I, young and old alike, here the Old Testament is given for us, and all the things happened to them, and are written down the Old Testament.
But therefore you're in my admonition.
No, I'm looking into the faces of some young ones here. If you listen to what God says through his word.
You want to be blessed, You want to be blessed. Everyone of us, young and old alike, we're going to put it into practice, not just say, well, that's what they say in the meeting. No, we must let this word of God take a hold of us. And if it does, or it works as Thessalonians tells us, it works in those that believe it, not for salvation, but day by day living in the good of these things. Now that's what it says that the Old Testament gives us permission.
To do this now, go over to the 15th chapter.
46 Verse One Corinthians 1546.
Howbeit, that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural, and afterward that which is spiritual.
Now it makes it plain. On the chart you see that we have a circle written in green to represent the earth, the Old Testament story and unequally sized equal size circle in blue heavenly side Old Testament, New Testament.
Illustration, substance, place, person, everything so precise in the word of God, so precise, you'll see as we look now in Deuteronomy to the first of the subjects that I have before me. How that as you take note of it carefully, the words.
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Are so similar in their in their.
In there in the word and the wording that we will see the parallel even in the words Old Testament, New Testament 1700 years between the writings of Moses and the writings of the last of the of of the New Testament. And yet you would think they were in collaboration. It's all the mighty word of God and it's living and it's operative.
In our hearts, our lives, if it groups us, if it takes a hold of our souls, if it.
Is lived out in our life now. This is instruction from the Old Testament.
First, on one subject which is before me and that is worship. You have to pardon us because some of these words are written in other languages and in the Portuguese, and we use this chart in different languages and so we put in the keywords in English. But this means God's center. God center only has one center at anyone given time, never two centers.
Never. Whether it's today or whether it was back in the days of the Tabernacle or two Tabernacles. Tabernacles, one got into the land, one center, Jerusalem.
Prior to that, there was one center and that was up in the north.
Where the Shiloh, where they put the Tabernacle, it went to Gibeon and so on. Only one center at one time. God always works that way. So we're going to look now at 2 main subjects. One is the worship of God.
One place, one place. Moses didn't know what the place was.
When he wrote these books of the first five books of the Bible, but by instruction through the Holy Spirit, he wrote of it, He wrote of that one place. Then tomorrow night, Lord willing, we'll take up the other subject, and that is the authority vested in that place.
After we have the intermission tonight, we will be looking at the person of the Lord and the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is the one not place, but now person for worship. He is the substance of our worship. Worship is lifting up Christ to God.
And then we will see tomorrow evening the authority vested in the assembly. So we will look now for the first half at the subject of the worship of God in the Old Testament in Deuteronomy chapter 12.
Verse 2.
Seven things I'm going to go over this rapidly. I don't want to spend too much time, but you will notice seven different things about these were these verses instructions. First of all, there was the to be the eradicating the clearing out the destroying God doesn't trifle and in your life and mine if we're going to be blessed.
First of all, there has to be the clearing out the judging of those things. I'm speaking now to believers, but young and old, you young boys and girls that are here tonight, if you're going on with things that your parents don't know about and you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, you're going to know that you're going to be in trouble because the Lord doesn't want.
Us to be pretending he wants reality, but when you and I learn.
And may we learn it that when we take a real stand for the Lord, you might say you don't want to do that at school, but when you do take a stand for the Lord, you're going to find that thank you that it is much easier, much easier. You might think otherwise, but that's Satan that is whispering that in into you that if you compromise a bit that then it'll be won't be quite so hard to be.
Christian and live it secretly. It's impossible. You can't do that. God is showing us here.
That if they were going to build.
This center, and it was going to be a place for worship. First of all, they had to eradicate. They had to clean out all the corruption and the filth. But notice now as we read these things that it is religious evil. It's not immorality.
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Religious evil, our compromise in our Christian life leads to immorality, doesn't start with it, it leads into it. But here we are getting rid of the root of these, of this situation. The first thing is they had to utterly destroy verse 2, seven steps. As I said, two of them -5 of them positive. So here's the first one in verse 2.
Ye shall utterly destroy all the places.
Where in the nations which ye shall possess, serve their gods.
Upon the high mountains and upon the hills and under every green tree. Now there is the first thing utterly destroyed. And say, just throw them into garbage heap. Utterly destroy. Get it rid of it. Notice that each one of them that is mentioned here is in the plural. They're all plurals.
It says places plural.
Nation where? In the nations?
Their gods upon high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree. Plural. I'll come come to that in a moment. Next step, verse three. And ye shall overturn their altars.
Or statues and break their pillars. Notice that plural pillars altars and burn their Groves with fire Groves plural. And ye shall hew down the graven images plural of their gods plural, and destroy the names of them.
Out of that place.
All of them in the plural. Why would that be? Oh, it's very simple. And that is that everyone of us here who belongs to the Lord Jesus, you have an old nature and a new nature. The old nature in every one of us is entirely different. As I look into your faces, every one of you has an old nature that is appealed to by Satan in one way, different than even husbands and wives that we are. We are appealed to by Satan. He's a.
Of duplicity and diversity. And he will set before one person something that somebody else will say, oh, that's awful, isn't it? That's the old nature. That's Satan setting before us these things. Here we see the illustrations, all these things. I think there are about 10 of them, and they're all in the plural. Mountains for those who are extremists, hills for those that weren't quite so.
Didn't want to go up so high, all that type of things. Everything to appeal to the old nature.
And they were to be utterly destroyed. First of all, even the names of them. He probably remember in in Catholic history how that the queen of Heaven was a heathen goddess. And they had pictures in their heathen God in their heathen temples. And when in the days of Constantine, they turned to Christianity.
Why they they gave up many of these things, They weren't real about it because.
It was just in name only and so some of the churches, they just left the picture there.
And took out Queen of Heaven and put on Mary. Now what do they call Mary now? Queen of Heaven? That's Catholic teaching. Queen of Heaven, utterly destroy the names out of the out of out of those places. Nothing was to be left, even the names. Now let's go to the positive side, verse 5.
But.
But big change but.
Unto the place, one place.
The place which the Lord your God shall choose.
Out of all your tribes to put his name there?
You could say his name. He was going to be.
The center of that place, one place, one place his name Psalm 84 verse one says, how amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts? Why the the very Tabernacle is the personification of the Lord. He is. He makes that place. I think it's 30 second of Exodus says there is a place by me. Oh how beautiful this is.
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As we go on here now in this Third Point battle of the place which the Lord your God shall choose, that of all the tribes to put his name there even unto his habitation, Oh, isn't that beautiful? His habitation wasn't going to be delegating a place and say go there and worship God. No God was going to be there. He was going to be at the center.
His habitation, he's going to live there with them.
Shall ye see what's that mean? This is the next step. They had to be in earnest about it. They had to be diligent to seek after seek. Matthew 1129 says take my yoke upon you and learn from me. That's a conditional blessing. 28th verse is come unto me all you that labor and Harvie laden and I'll give you a rest unconditional.
That's the rest of conscience that a believer has. But the next verse 29 and 30 are the.
The exercise of your heart and mine as a believer here is the same thing taught in the Old Testament. Ye shall seek, seek.
Are we in earnest about this Christian life, or is it just something that we put on on Sunday and come to the meetings and so on? Unless the Lord Jesus Christ grasped your heart and mind, you were going to drift away. We're not going to lose our salvation, but we're going to lose the meaning of life. Paul and Timothy, I think it is, he says, are Thessalonians to learn what is truly living.
Well, this is a wonderful life, but it must be lived to be enjoyed. And so here it was to seek after. That's the third one, and the 4th one. And scissor thou shalt come.
Doesn't only to seek after it goes to act on it. And faith is acting. It's not theorizing.
It is acting and there they were to come to that place next.
Verse 6 And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your free willing offerings, and the firstlings of your herds, and of your flocks. How does the change there? Not His yours. What are we to bring all these things? What are they all Speaking of Christ?
Christ the written in the middle. Here Christ is all. Or in the new translation, Christ is everything.
Is he everything to you and to me?
You don't get anything else out of these meetings. Get that verse. Christ is effort.
How much is he to us?
Is what he's saying here now. They were to bring. This was the only place where there was going to be the bringing of their sacrifices. Well, that's bringing your life and mine, our bodies, a living sacrifice, living.
And it's a reality they had to do that. This was the one and only place. They had many synagogues throughout that land. 1 temple, one center and.
God was going to choose that place. He didn't choose the middle of the land of Israel so to be equally.
Convened nor Jerusalem as a way down at the bottom, and it might have been 125 miles or so that they would have to come from up down in the north, but it was the place where God chose what to do to place his name there. Now then go on to the 7th verse and here we see the 6th step and.
There notice how often that word there is. Ye shall eat before the Lord your God.
Oh, that's beautiful, beautiful eating, you know, eating in Christ, you're feeding on Christ. Or are we feeding on, on the husks of the world or wasting our time with TV? We've just been traveling around the world. Sad to see so many homes even in those those far less.
Mercifully, blessed lands that we have.
And here yet they have those. The TV, it's going to just deaden your soul. Beloved ones, pardon me for speaking bluntly, and I don't have anybody in mind at all because I don't know of any TV's here. But I'm just going to say that our soul is blighted and our children are going to be put through the fire. And that means that we're going to just be destroying our children because we're going to be teaching them those worldly things.
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Here God is saying that we must be rid of those things.
And then we're going to be able to feed the supper table tonight.
When asked Steven if he'd been eating something else, why did he ask that? Because it's going to SAP your appetite and mine. The worldly things, the things that we allow in our life apart from Christ, are we feeding on Christ? One place for them to feed on.
Those sacrifices that there's the peace offering that they ate. Now then the last part, and ye shall rejoice.
You and me to be a happy Christian. He's made every provision for it, and he's given us the ability to, to enjoy him. That your joy might be full, John said four times in his gospels and in his epistles. Fullness of joy. That's what he wants in your life and mine.
Not only to make us happy, but to be occupied with the same objective that fills.
The heart of God the Father, like the prodigal son, sat down at the table and ate the same food as the father.
That's rejoicing, that's feeding on Christ. And so the two of them run closely together, eating there. And ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto. Oh, that's nice. Isn't every part of our life, our business life? We can't separate our business life from our Christian life. We can't take off one coat and put on another one. We come into the meetings.
No, it must be a consistency. If we're feeding, we're going to be rejoicing.
And so there it is, he shall rejoice.
In all that he put your hand unto, the Lord will do that He'll fill your life worth with with the things that are for his glory.
Unto and your handle and your household. So isn't that lovely households lovely to go into Christian homes and find the children happy to go into many, many homes sometimes that children are unhappy. What's wrong? Parents not enjoying the Lord? That's the key of it all, isn't it? I often say if my children turn out badly, I'm to blame if we if they turn out well.
There's zero credit to us, nothing, because He has given us all things that pertain unto life and godliness.
Or how important it is for you parents and each one of us to be feeding on Christ ourself. Then the children, they just know that the Christian home is the home of happiness and joy. They go into the schools and they hear all the filth and the corruption, The Dirty stories and all the stuff that's going on.
The child that is coming from a home, a heavenly home where Christ is exalted, that child is going to save. I know they've got nothing.
I know there's nothing to this world. That's the way we're going to show it to our children, and that's the way we're going to be living for God's glory. Well, there they were. There was the one place for worship and there was going to be blessing. Look at the where we close. Look at the 12Th verse.
11Th verse.
Then there shall be a place which the Lord your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there. Little different dwelling there thither shall ye bring all that I command you, your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offerings of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the Lord. And ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God, ye.
And your sons, and your daughters, and your men servants, and your maidservants, and the Levite that is within your gates. For as much as he hath no part nor inheritance with you, take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place.
That thou seest, but in the place.
Which the Lord shall choose in one of thy tribes. There thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, and there thou shalt do all that I command thee. One place for worship. I see our time has gone, so we'll stop for 5 minutes to go ahead now with seeing first of all that.
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Everything failed in those in that Old Testament story. Its turn for a verse I think I can find it in.
In Acts chapter.
Seven yes. Acts Chapter 7 and verse 39.
Act 739.
To whom our fathers would not obey.
That was the word of God and God Himself.
But thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again to Egypt.
Verse 41 And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the work of their hands.
Then God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven. That's the stars and the sun and the moon, as it is written in the book of the Prophets. O ye House of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of 40 years in the wilderness. Yay, He took up the Tabernacle of Moloch and the star of your God Rimphan figures, which he have made to worship them.
And I'll carry you away beyond your battle. Well, it showed there that they didn't carry out any of the instructions and they forfeited everything.
Of God's promises and their rights, I should say too, they forfeit them. But God kept his promise, though they didn't. And we know the blessed story how that God's promise was that he would send the Messiah, and he sent him right into that very.
Family of the children of Israel, born into the tribe of Judah, the royal tribe, and we know that the dreadful story they crucified.
But wonder who wonders God turned that cross around?
Turned around, speaking reverently, and made at the very means.
Our blessing. Untellable blessing.
To whosoever will, Mr. Bell, it so beautifully puts it this way, that God, he said as it were, brought his left hand from behind his back, and he gave man the world, but through disobedience and listening to Satan.
Man lost the world. God didn't restore it. He brought his right hand out from behind his back and he gave man heaven. Oh, how sweet. That's what He has given to you and to me. This is why we have it in blue on this side, the heavenly color. Heavenly.
Now let's go over to Matthew 1820.
I don't think there's a verse that is so.
Criticized for laying any stress on.
By Christian groups, then Matthew 18 and 20.
It's constantly thrown.
At us and saying, well, you're taking the verse right out of context. Well, I just would remind you that this is exactly what Moses was doing. He didn't know where that center was. He didn't even know the name of it, but he knew there was going to be a center where God was going to place his name. Remember I mentioned that we could right across here, his name there.
Notice how similar Matthew 18 and 20 is no longer a place, now a person injured.
Read and I will read Matthew 18 and 20.
Or where two or three are gathered together.
In my name.
There am I in the midst of them.
My name.
Not his name, my name.
Unto my name there am I, in the midst of that beautiful closest we ever come to heaven on this earth, when we're gathered by the Holy Spirit.
Are gathered, not gathers, not an act of tense. It's the passive tense. Are gathered. I didn't decide that I was going to get saved. In 1928, God, the Spirit of God saved my soul. He gathered me equally so. Oh, how precious it is. You young ones that are here today. Do you say yes, I'm a believer? Well, then I say to you.
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Do you pray to the Lord? Yes, yes, I pray. Do you remember the Lord? Do you respond?
No.
Ask the Lord to help us keep you at school and so on, and the Lord asks you to do 1 little thing.
No, no, that's what you're doing, increasing your responsibility very much. But you really can't pray with a good conscience. Can't.
Is not responding to what the Lord said one place?
Not one place, one person, one person.
His name my name there.
Elijah was told to go to the brook.
And there.
The Ravens would feed him, but it says the Ravens would feed him there, he said. I don't like the brook like another one. Jay Book is nicer. I'll go up there. No Ravens are going to feed him there.
And it's always, as we saw there, there they were to feed.
Oh how blessed it is when the Lord Jesus becomes so attractive to our heart. Not to say nothing is going to hold me back. I went to one assembly one time and one of the boys that was sitting always at the back, he told me. He said I asked for my place at the Lord's table and he said when I told the other boys that sit with me in the back row, they all said bye John.
He said I couldn't stand it, couldn't stand it, He said I I didn't ask for my place. So I said to him a little while later, what did you do, John?
He said. I decided I was going to put the Lord first. Never mind the boys. That's what it means.
Happily gathered now.
His my name there.
One center.
I don't hesitate to say that I believe that Scripture teaches there cannot be two corporate gathering centers.
Can't be.
Any more than there could be two ways of being saved, One way of being saved, God always has one way.
As for God, His way is perfect.
One center, One center.
Let's turn to Colossians 3 and 11. End of the verse.
That Christ is all or everything.
Christ is everything.
And in all.
What more precious statement in the Word of God? How much? How much does that mean to you and to me?
Christ as ever.
If that is so, is our whole life regulated? Our work, our school life, family life, everything? Yes, yes, everything Paul could say for me to live is Christ. I wondered for years what that would mean. I would believe that it just means that everything in life, he could only see whatever he looked at, he could see Christ in it. Or how precious.
Christ is everything.
Christ is he he's going to be the center of your and my life in or this eternity. He wants to be that now to the degree that he is. He's going to reveal himself. Matthew John's Gospel 14. I think it's in 23 that's turn to it too important, yes.
1423 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him and make our abode with him.
20.
One is the verse, He that hath my commandments and keepeth them. He it is that loveth Me, and he shall, and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and notice this, and will manifest myself to him personally.
But it's conditional.
Obedience to the Word of God and the Lord Jesus is going to manifest himself. He's going to open up as if we're speaking reverently that window and we'll see his face. It's going to be an attraction to my heart.
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If you and I are obedient to the Word of God, we're not going to be worried about whether we're in the right place or not. And if we are occupied by the by the place, we're going to be proud of it. But it's the person of the Lord Jesus Christ who fills and makes that place. Where two or three are gathered together under my name, there am I in the midst of them. We're not gathered to a person or gathered to his name. Tomorrow night we will see the authority that is vested.
That name. But tonight we are emphasizing the worship side of of the one person. Now let's go over to 1St Corinthians.
Chapter 12 and verse 13.
All by 1 Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jew or Gentiles, whether we be born or free, and have been all made to drink into one spirit?
Now we have to look back and in our thoughts to Israel.
When an Israelite was born into the family.
He was a Jew. He didn't join it. There was number preaching of the gospel of the Kingdom to the nations around and inviting them to become Jews. One thing was the gate born into the congregation of Israel when they were born into it. They're in it so that everyone in Israel.
All Israel, they were a homogeneous whole. They were just.
All I was a Jew, all was an Israelite born there nationally. Now this is beautifully illustrated. At least that's a beautiful illustration of the fact that every believer now is in the one body. We're all in that one body, every believer, no matter how we're going on.
Our life hasn't anything to do with the fact that we're in that one body. We are in it because we are born again.
The blood of Christ is that which has made us, is our birthright, and it has placed us now in this wonderful position and the Holy Spirit.
At Pentecost, it wasn't that the Christians were changed at Pentecost.
They weren't indwelt by the Holy Spirit there first it was when the Lord Jesus and resurrection life in 19th of John when he breathed on them and he said to the disciples receive ye the Holy Ghost then was when they received the Holy Ghost individually into their hearts, but at Pentecost they were all brought into.
The one body they were made into 11 body as it tells us there.
In the rest of that chapter, one body, one body, every believer. Now then, what about?
The fact? Let's go back to the 10th chapter.
Verse 16 First Corinthians 10/16 the cover blessing which we bless is if not the communion of the blood of Christ, the bread which we break is it thought the communion of the body of Christ. Now this verse for we being many, that's many.
Individuals.
R1 Low on low on bread.
One body.
For we are all partakers of that one loaf, as it should be translated. One loaf. Large day, morning.
We are gathered by the Spirit of God around one loaf might be two. Four cups at this cup isn't the symbol of the unity. The body, The loaf is one loaf on loaf. Every believer on the face of the earth is seen in that one loaf.
Very important to see that every believer in the city of Vancouver is in the one loaf. When you sit down around that table to eat that low, must see every believer there. Somebody may be next door. They're saved. They're in that one loaf. They're not here. They're not gathered to the Lord's name. Why? Oh, it's because of self will that keeps us, isn't it? Or something that we set before the Lord.
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But to sit around.
That table is to recognize that that loaf is a picture of the one body. That's what we are gathered to. We're gathered to the truth of the one body. Now, there may be others who claim that there are 650 groups of Christians in the world today, true believers probably in every one of them.
What's happened? What has happened?
Wasn't so at the beginning, Acts 2 Says they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship. Just one fellowship, one doctrine. What has happened? 1St Corinthians 110 says.
Beloved, I beseech you by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that there be no divisions amongst you, but that you be perfectly.
United together in the same.
Judgment not quite quoting it correctly and in the same opinion.
Versus before, at least almost immediately after that, Say, is Christ divided? No, he's not divided.
But Paul was writing to the Corinthians in those first ten chapters to correct 10 evils that were creeping in amongst the Corinthian assembly, and the first one was division. The first error that he'd dealt with was division. Oh, it is a sad condition to realize that in the world today Satan has succeeded in dividing the Christians.
I often say this.
A little the Lord Jesus Christ has for all his work.
This just should fill.
With sorrow.
For his sake.
His precious blood is powerful enough to save every soul in this world. 4,700,000,000 people in the world. That precious blood of Christ is able to save everyone, including the man who shed that blood. That is the power of the blood of Christ. How many are the Lords? How many have accepted him as Savior?
So very few. And of all the believers.
How few will respond and bow to the authority of the Word of God will cover this more fully tomorrow night. How she.
What a privilege then, for you and for me.
By God's grace alone, to be gathered by His Spirit to lift up Christ before God Lord's Day, mourning to remember Him in his death. And as I said then, out of that remembrance of the Lord, our hearts are filled with worship and praise and Thanksgiving. Oh, how precious it is. Let's turn to Ephesians chapter 4.
Verse 3. Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit.
In the uniting bond of peace.
Endeavor.
There's the same word as we found in Deuteronomy 12. Seeking. Seeking. That's endeavor.
No, don't be confused with.
The unity of the body and the unity of the spirit. These are two entirely different things.
The unity of the body. The Lord Jesus holds that firmly in his hands. I give unto them eternal life. They shall never perish.
That's the unity of the body. That's unbreakable. But I'm sure that here in your city there are hundreds of people that are saying that you can lose your salvation after you've after you haven't, that it depends on your life and so on. This is impossible. This is an insult to the finished work of Christ.
That body can never be touched. It's his body. We are the fingers and we are the hands and we are part of that one body and never can be separated from Him.
But this verse now is talking about the unity of the Spirit. What is that unity of the Spirit?
Ah, it would.
The Holy Spirit desires.
That each one of us would be gathered to His name to respond to that blessed precious privilege. Another verse just comes to my mind. As in John's Gospel chapter 17, The three unities familiar to many of us. Verse 11, unity of the past. And now the Lord's speaking to his Father. And now I am no more in the world but these.
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In the world, and I come to thee, Holy Father, keep through thine own name.
Those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one as we are. That was a word to the apostles and the disciples in that day. The desire that there'd all be 1:00 and that they would maintain that unity didn't last very long. Wasn't very long after the apasal of the apostles were passing off the scene. Even the Apostle John in his day, there were those that were already.
Creeping in, speaking against the person of the Lord, and that's why.
We have the Epistle of John to warn against that turning away from the Lord Jesus. Come in the flesh. That's the unity of the past. Go over to the unity of the future, verse 22.
And the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them that they may be one even as we are one. There is the unity of the of the glory that is ahead. We're all going to be together in that one unity around the person of the Lord Jesus. I put it this way that I believe this that when our eyes.
First see the Savior might be tonight.
Our eyes are going to be soul enraptured by that vision of the glory of God in His blessed lovely face.
That our gaze is going to be transfixed on that face forever. We're never going to take our eyes off His blessed face.
Nothing in heaven, the atmosphere of heaven is going to be nothing. He is the one that is going to be the attraction of the harvest. How much is he the attraction of your heart and mine Now. Now let's look at the unity of the present verse 21 That they all well, maybe we should read verse 20. Neither pray I for these alone. Those were disciples around him.
But for them also which shall believe on me.
Through their word that they all may be one, as thou Father art in me, and I and thee, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. Oh, how lovely that is, because it connects the testimony to the Lord's name.
With his glory one, and secondly, that the world would might believe.
Now I know people say, well, that's the gospel. I don't believe it's only the gospel.
I know one time in Florida, man said to me, why? He said, you're telling me about salvation. He said I'm talking to somebody else and they tell me something different and somebody else and something different. He showed me a quite a clever poem written by Ogden Nash, very clever. And he said this is what I believe. I read the poem and here he was saying that some Christians say this, some say that and some say this when they all get together.
Let's hear what the story is. That's what he said. It was a rich man, the mayor of the town.
And he said I'll, I'll, if you all get together and tell me one story. That's what this verse is saying.
Now you and I, beloved ones, have the blessed privilege of displaying this unity. I don't say this in pride, but it humbles us, doesn't it? Because surely, surely there is nothing that we can say. Well, look at us. I can prove it. Because when my heart gets cold, who are the first ones that I criticize, my brethren? The first ones? Why?
Oh we are so failing and I see that as soon as I get cold in my soul.
Immediately the inconsistencies of the brethren come before me going on with the Lord. Oh, I just see them, the objects of God's grace that we are preserved. Oh, may the Lord now just so become the attraction of our heart that we wouldn't let anything come between, nothing between, but he would be the object that Christ would be everything. He would be everything and in all then we're going to.
00:50:06
Living for His glory, as I said before. How little credit, how little He has left. Just a little, as it were. Just a little Kingdom left.
Just a little handful.
Gathered to His blessed name corporately, according to his word.
May this be touching our hearts and warming us and realizing what a blessed privilege it is from week to week to be gathered by the Spirit of God into His blessed holy presence to His name, and then having the blessed assurance that He is in the midst well.
We hesitated very much to put this little line around there, and I hope it's not done in pride. But as I said before, I believe that there is a within and a without in that circle. To be within is to be gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Paul in First Corinthians chapter 5.
Return to it for a minute. Verse 12.
1St Corinthians 5 verse 12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without that's outside the assembly.
Do not ye judge them that are within inside the assembly gather to the Lords name.
But them that are without God judges.
I wouldn't like to be in that place. They're believers.
Their neighbors.
That they're in that outside place them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person. That person was still a believer. They had been gathered and I'd say this that in the early days, in those beautiful days, there was just one fellowship and almost all the believers.
Were in that fellowship, I say almost because they weren't all.
But there was only one fellowship.
On fellowship.
And it was the center.
And it went on for a short while, and all were within, except this man, and a few others that are mentioned that were outside. Paul speaks of those in the 20th of Acts that are from among yourselves shall men arise, seeking to speak perverted things, and draw away disciples after them. These were ones that were drifting away.
And bit by bit I use this simple illustration. Suppose this man had been gathered there in Corinthians chapter 5.
And he's put out of Corinth in a while later somebody else has put out for something else. And they're both outside. I'm only using this illustration. And after a while they, they meet each other and they say.
What are you doing? What are you doing? Well, I'm just, I've been put out and yeah, so am I, So they say, well, why not meet together?
Why? Why couldn't we just meet together and we remember the law? I get a bread and wine and we'll remember the Lord by ourselves. That's how division started.
Gradually spread more and more and more denial of the One.
Body of Christ is Christ divided. I hope I make this plain for the younger ones. It's so important for us to see this and what happened or just spread more and more and more.
Groups of Christians here. There are some small What's happening these days is very sad because there are more and more little groups of Christians meeting on their own. We met them as we traveled in many countries.
Meeting on their own, giving up, throwing up and saying, throwing up their hands and saying, oh, we just can't find the right path, so we're just meeting by ourselves. Oh, First Corinthians chapter 12 points out the error of that. That's independency. And that is spreading more and more in the world. But what happened in those early days, in the days of Constantine?
When profession of Christianity without reality.
Spread more and more, and Christian groups became watered down, just as it is today. What happened? That whole thing the center became.
00:55:04
Out of it came the Catholic Church. Out of that came the Protestant church. Henry the Eighth started setting up his own Church of England because he couldn't get a divorce through the Catholic Church. And so the whole thing has become rotten in the middle. And what has happened now?
Let's read the 13th of Hebrews, verse 13. Hebrews 1313. Let us go forth therefore unto Him, without the camp, bearing His reproach. Just a little brief reference.
To the camp of Israel, the illustration.
In the days of Moses when there was corruption in the tent in the congregation of Israel, Moses said all those that fear the Lord or want to follow the Lord go outside and he set up a tent outside the tent of meeting. All those who wanted to follow the Lord go out there. That's what you and I are called on today to do, to go without the camp.
What is the camp boy? It's anything that makes something of the old man.
That what is what has happened amongst Christians now, all seeking and all even claiming that they're gathered to the Lords name. Can there be two gatherings corporately to the Lorde name?
Could there be any division in that one center? No. Is Christ divided today? No.
No, he's not.
And so now that center, as it were, is outside the camp. And if we are going to follow a rejected Lord, it's going to be outside all the claims of of Christendom and all those who would say, well.
There's no center left. That's what every believer that I've spoken to have who has left. Not, I shouldn't say every believer, but those who have left the Lord's Table. One brother particular than new, well taught. He was the most instructed brother in the Scriptures.
In our assembly years ago and he got away from the Lord, or I should say he, he left the Lord's table seven years later, just before he died, he said to me, I believe that the decision that I made seven years ago was the right one.
He said, I don't think there's any testimony left now. And so it's a question of doing it by ourselves. And he said that's what I have followed for the last seven years just before the Lord took that man. Oh, may we be preserved, beloved once. May the Lord Jesus be seen. It's only the person of the Lord.
Let me give you one last verse before I close and in.
John's Gospel Again, 14th chapter, verse 3.
And if I go and prepare a place a place?
What was that? That's heaven.
No man had ever been in heaven before.
The Lord Jesus was the first man to enter heaven, and he's the only one still in heaven.
Bodily.
And when he went into heaven, he prepared heaven.
Our place spoke about our place.
Notice now how that changes and if I go and prepare a place for you.
I will come again and receive you into that place, no?
Unto myself.
Unto myself, O may the Lord.
So attract our hearts now. That's what I'm here for, to encourage you, beloved ones.
The Lord Jesus must be the attraction of our heart.
Being here in the meeting, no, the singing will never attract us, certainly in the building and anything about it. And if I allow the flesh to arrive and to be active in my life, I'm going to lose the attraction of Christ.
I'm going to get my eye on the failures of the breath, but oh, the Lord Jesus is the object before me. If Christ is ever in in our hearts and our lives, then he's just going to fill our hearts with himself. And as I read there, he's going to manifest himself to you and to me. And beloved ones, if you and I have this.
Mutual desire.
One mutual desire to exalt Christ in your heart and life.
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There's going to be unity here. Of those who are gathered to His blessed name, nothing will produce unity.
Like the mutual desire to exalt Christ, may He be the object of our hearts now while we wait for Him from heaven. Maybe tonight. 8:20 Now in 5 minutes we may be in His blessed presence. See His face that our eyes have never seen. See. Hear His voice that our ears have never heard. Blessed Savior.
Blessed Savior, He waits. May we be faithful now until we hear the show.
The Way of Salvation
Gospel—C. Buchanan
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.
Let us turn to the second book in the Bible, Exodus chapter 12.
As you are turning there.
I'd like to say.
That.
Recently I was thinking.
Of the most dangerous position.
That is possible to be in.
There are some very dangerous conditions.
To be in in this poor world.
Well, this is what I came up with.
It is to know.
The way of salvation and not be saved.
That you ever think about that?
I believe most, if not all in this room know the way of salvation.
And might even be able to speak it out more clear than I can.
But to know that and not be saved.
Are there those kind of people in this room?
I would like then for you, everyone to ask.
To answer this question for yourself, not to me.
Are you saved or are you lost?
It's one or the other.
Then I'll ask you, do you know how to be saved?
Well, we want to announce that tonight.
And we have chosen to begin in the second book in the Bible, which is Exodus, which brings before us the story, a true one, of a people that God chose to redeem out of slavery, ******* in the land of Egypt.
Many centuries ago, the Israelites.
They were down there, had grown up as a nation in that land and were in hard *******.
Making bricks.
A hot work in a hot land.
And had to gather their straw. They used that in making bricks and take that clay and burn it with fire. And they had to keep up their toll, their number of bricks.
At first they were given something to help the minute and then even that was taken away.
But the hard master, they had said, you've got to keep up that number of bricks.
Daily. Anyway, this is a picture.
Of every Sinner who is under the hard master.
They the world is a picture. Egypt is a picture of the world.
And you will find out that that hard master who controls the world.
Binds his slaves harder and harder.
And harder.
Recently I preached the gospel to a group of.
Old men in the city of Toronto who had spent.
Almost all their life.
In the kindness of the city, the state, really it was there was a home provided for those.
Old man.
To live in the rest of their days.
And young brethren in the city of Toronto began preaching the gospel to them.
It was a treat to preach the gospel to those men.
You think of those men, There they were. They had spent almost all their life.
Were they saved or were they not?
Well, we believe that a few of them were saved.
But they all heard the gospel.
And oh, they were so near the end. There are none of that class of people here before me tonight.
But we don't know when the end will come.
Of our stay upon earth.
One thing we do know is that we will not stay here upon earth, and another thing we do know is that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins. Now he wants to forgive your sins, the Son of man, the Lord Jesus, and you can have it through faith in his precious blood. So here in the story of.
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Israel, they get redemption. It's a wonderful story to be redeemed.
With the precious blood of Christ. So we will read a few verses in Exodus 12.
And the Lord spake unto Moses, verse one.
And Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months.
It shall be the first month of the year to you.
Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying.
In the 10th day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb according to the House of their fathers, a lamb foreign house. And if the house will be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls. Every man, according to his eating, shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish.
A male of the first year, he shall take it out from the sheep.
Or from the goats, and he shall keep it up until the 14th day.
Of the same month.
And the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it. In the evening they shall take of the blood and strike it on the two side posts of the upper and the upper, on the upper door post of the houses wherein they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread and with bitter herbs shall they eat it. Eat not of it raw, nor sudden at all with water.
But roast with fire his lay his head with his legs, and with the pertinence thereof, and he shall let nothing of it remain until the morning, and that which remaineth of it until the morning, he shall burn with fire. And ye shall. And thus shall he eat it with your loins guarded, your shoes on your feet, your staff in your hand.
He shall eat it in an haste. It is the Lord's Passover.
For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the first born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast, and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment. I am the Lord, and the Lord shall be, and the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are.
And when I see the blood, I will Passover you.
And the plague shall not destroy you. The plague shall not be upon you to destroy you.
When I smite the land of Egypt for the comparison here is easy to see. God was going to deliver his people out of Egypt.
But he was going to bring government upon Egypt, His judgment upon Egypt in so doing.
Now God has a sentence over this world.
When the Lord was being judged, the Lord Jesus.
Before Pilate.
Those Jews at that time?
Said.
To pilot his blood be upon us and our.
Children.
The world is guilty of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Who came to be the savior? The marvelous thing is in that very act.
Of crucifying the Lord Jesus.
The Lamb of God, the Savior, his blood was shed to put away sin. That's the story of the gospel tonight. And so it was that judgment was coming upon Egypt.
The judgment of God for sin, and upon Egypt to deliver His people.
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The destroying Angel was coming, and the only way of escape from the judgment of the destroying Angel that night was to be sheltered by the blood of the slain Lamb.
And that is the only way tonight for any of us to escape the judgment that's coming upon this world because they crucified the Lord Jesus Christ and all the rest of the sins too. It is coming. And we speak of judgment now. Judgment is coming.
And God made a way of escape that night.
That is a God of mercy that always has a good news for the world before he sends judgment. It was so in the days of Noah when God brought that flood. The gospel preached those years by Noah.
And the only ones that escaped were those who took God's message.
And went into the ark.
And they rose up above the floodwaters of judgment and lived.
Through it.
And here, the only ones who escaped the destroying Angel were those who took the Lamb. The Lamb died.
The blood of that lamb was taken in faith, believing the word of God.
By those who did believe it, and his blood was taken and placed over.
The door and on the side post.
And this wonderful verse says two things to us.
In the.
13th Verse The blood shall be unto you for a token.
Upon the houses where ye are now, this is.
The value that those who place the blood saw in it, it was a token to them.
Now if you picture yourself, particularly the first born.
Who are here tonight? It was a judgment which was to fall upon the first born, which is only a typical thing of the strength of the flesh.
That cannot prevail. But God brought out really the guilt of all in the guilt of the first born. It's the Adam race. It's the first man. So he picked out the first born and said now they're going to die, which is a picture of all of us who belonged to the first man, that we're going to die if we don't get the shelter of the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the picture. Well, suppose you had been in living in Egypt that night and you believe.
God had said, and perhaps your parents went out.
Kill that lamb and.
Did you watch while your daddy went out there and put that blood on the outside of the house?
Or were you indifferent about it and maybe an hour later you woke up and said, Daddy, did you put that blood out there?
I think you would have gone out and looked to see if it was there if you believed it.
Now this is the personal side of salvation. Boys and girls have to be saved for themselves, just like mothers and fathers.
And so if that sun went out there and saw the blood, well then he would say it's there, he could go back and go to sleep. Now suppose he he wasn't real sure and he was restless and he didn't have enough energy to get up and go out to see he was a little bit sleepy.
He would. He wouldn't have any peace all that night, would he? But he would be just as safe.
As if he went out and looked and saw it was there.
But we want to have peace. We're going to find that out as we go through these scriptures.
The thing for everyone of us to do is to know that I have believed in the value of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ to put away my sin. Then we can all go to sleep tonight, I think in peace, knowing that if judgment comes tonight or tomorrow upon this world for what they did to the Lord Jesus, we won't even be here. We are to get ready to go, to put our shoes on our feet.
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To eat the eat the slain lamb and to be ready on the morning, oh, that's the morning and we're looking for to go on our journey right up to heaven. It's a very beautiful picture here. And so there is man's side here of that blood to see and know that the blood is applied for me. It's to see and know that I have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ and that his blood has washed away my sins. You have to answer for yourself.
That's it. You'll have to answer for yourself to have that peace. Now the other side is the next part of the verse.
God speaking in the second part of that 13th verse, When I see the blood, I will Passover you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you. When I smite the land of Egypt. You see God looked at the blood too.
He looked at it.
And he would not, he could not touch that person.
Living in that house with judgment, No, we have a little line that goes something like this. God cannot judgement twice, demand once at my bleeding Savior's hand and then again at mine. You see, if Jesus blood has put away all my sin and he was judged for my sin, God can't judge me.
Well, that's a wonderful thing to know. He can't. He's not unrighteous. He won't.
And so God says I, when I see the blood, I will Passover you wonderful thing to believe that.
Now down in the Dominican Republic, I spoke about a little bit this morning.
There's a nice little story.
About the blood of the animal, the death of the animal. We have read about this here.
The Lamb had to die its death. That puts away sin.
The value, of course, is the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that puts away sin.
An old brother larceny used to give us this statement.
It's so wonderful, no one to think about, he said. Were it not for sin.
Death would have had no beginning. It wouldn't even have started.
If Adam and Eve hadn't sinned, the children said that verse this morning.
By one man's sin entered into the world, and death by sin.
Well, he did sin, and sin came in.
But were it not for sin, death would not have had any beginning. It wouldn't have started.
Now the rest of that statement is were it not for death, sin would have had no ending.
And that's a wonderful thing to think about.
What stops sin?
It's death.
It's death. You never saw a dead person sin, and you never will.
But it's the death of the Lord Jesus that really puts away sin.
Well, I started to tell about the Dominican Republic. Where?
The in the conference is down there two day conferences. The first thing on the 1St morning that generally happens is that a steer or a cow that's been fattened up is killed.
The blood flows.
They don't have refrigerators and live quite like we do down there, so they get their meat fresh.
And we live off that animal those two days, and it's very nice.
But that animal has to die.
And Speaking of that, our brother Paul Javadan remarks that.
All the world believes in the blood when it comes to eating.
And.
All the world believes in the blood when it comes to eating you. We need to believe in the blood when it comes to being saved, putting away our sins.
Death is what sustains us natural life by feeding upon.
What has died so that we can live? That's how simple the gospel is.
Well, the conditions in that land are such that they can't keep their meat, so the animal dies. But besides the conferences, they have a custom.
And.
The people live in this rural area, the they want to have something to eat every day. They get hungry every day, don't you? So do I. And they want something to eat every day. So every farmer can't kill an animal every day. So one, one man will have an animal. It might be a sheep or goat or a cow, but he'll kill it.
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And the next day or a couple days later, some neighbor down over the hills will kill an animal.
The next day or day to later, another one over farther away will butcher an animal and they'll call their neighbors to come and get the meat. And they have this practice of calling attention to the fact that an animal has died.
The blood has been shed and they get a conch shell down from the sea.
A conch shell Do boys and girls know what these big shells are? And they push the end off of it and then they blow it just like a trumpet and oh, it makes a beautiful sound that carries over through those hills and they will blow to.
Two times for cow and no three times for a cow.
And two times for a goat and once for a pig, so that if the neighbors over there want some meat, they know what kind it is.
They listen for the blowing of that conch shell and then they will come and get their meat.
While a brother was down there and he learned about that.
And he asked.
The brother that told him the story if he could.
Borrow that conch shell.
So he said sure.
So that night the brother was asked to preach the gospel and he got right up in front of the audience and he pulled that horn out and he blew it just as loud as he could blow it. And I'll tell you, the people that were listening to the gospel that night thought that man is going crazy, you know?
But that's what he did, and I'll tell you they listen to the rest of the message, he said.
The blood has been shed. You are being notified. Come and get the blessing.
It's all here. The animal has died. There's something for you to feed upon.
That's what we're telling you tonight. The blood has been shed, the blessed Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.
Has died for us and you can be sheltered by his precious blood tonight.
Turn to the next book, Leviticus.
Chapter 17.
It's death that stops sin, and we have sinned.
And we need our sins washed away, and it's the blood of the slain Lamb, the Lord Jesus that washes our sins away. And these things we have in tight quite clear back in the Old Testament. So Leviticus 17 and verse 11 Says this.
For the life of the flesh is in the blood.
And I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls.
For is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.
How very clear this is.
It's the blood that atoms for the soul brings, that reconciliation of the Sinner with God to put away our sin so that we can come into the presence of God and come there justified with no more conscience of sins. The value is in the blood, the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now we'll go to the New Testament and the book of Romans where the children said a verse from this morning. That book, not that verse, but the 9th, the 5th chapter.
And you children that said verses, You said the 12Th verse, didn't you?
We want to read the ninth verse.
Romans 5.
Well, we read the 8th and the 9th verses of Romans 5.
But God commandeth His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners.
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Christ died for us.
Much more than being now justified.
By his blood.
We shall be saved from wrath through him. Oh how beautifully this.
Fits the tank that we have read about in Exodus and Leviticus.
To have our sins atone for, to be sheltered by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
But again, I'd like to say that everyone of us is responsible.
As to the application of the blood, that is to take the Lord Jesus for ourselves.
Really, the fathers and mothers can't do it for the children. Now I know the fathers and mothers.
Can bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and teach them to believe in the Lord Jesus from the very earliest years.
And then count upon God to save them.
But really it comes down in the end. When we grow up, we have to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for ourselves.
To apply that blood for ourselves.
And the wonderful thing is that God loved us when we were yet sinners.
That's what this eighth verse says. God commendeth His love toward us in that while we were yet centered.
You know, God didn't wait until we got good before He loved us, did He?
You never would have loved us if it went on that basis. No, He loved us when we were yet sinners, and He loved us so much that He sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him. And that meant that Jesus had to give his life.
That his blood had to be shed to put away my sins, and your sins too, if they are washed away. So God commands that love when we were yet sinners.
That.
To us, Christ died for us. And then the ninth verse, much more than being justified by his blood, we wanted to get to that point.
It's by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that God can.
And just the bias.
That's the foundation of the blessings.
Were justified by faith.
And by His grace too. But the foundation of it all is the precious.
Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
There's a little more about when God loved us here in this.
Same chapter.
And the sixth verse says when we were yet without strength in due time.
Christ died for the ungodly.
God loved us when we were without strength, and He loved us when we were.
Pass through him.
Takes us on past the judgment and also a present kind of salvation that we get.
Through the Lord Jesus who lives for us there on high that that's really the next verse we will read. 10 For if when we were enemies. This is another part of the love of God. He loved us when we were ungodly. He loved us when we were sinners. He loved us when we were his enemies. If when we were his enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son.
Much more being reconciled. We shall be saved by his life. Here's that other.
Salvation which we get besides the salvation from our sins.
Which is a present keeping that we get because Jesus lives for us in glory and prays for us as our High Priest, and He keeps us while we are passing through this world as well as having put away our sins. Oh, you just get so much, so very, very much when you come to the Lord Jesus and take Him as your Savior. The blessing just goes on and on.
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And on.
And we get peace with God. Well, we also brought near, let's turn to Ephesians 2 to get just another little thing, or I should say a big thing that we get when we come to the Lord Jesus and.
Take Him as our Savior.
This book of Ephesians was written to Gentile people. I think that's what we were by our natural birth. So it very much is a book for us. And in the second chapter.
We'll read from verse 11.
Wherefore remember that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh.
We're called the Uncircumcision.
By that which is called the circumcision. Those were the Jewish people.
In the flesh, made with by hands, that at that time, now this is the Gentiles who were out there in the world.
And uncircumcised that at that time you were without Christ, they didn't even know Christ.
Being aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise.
Then look at the dire picture, the awful state of we who are Gentiles having no hope.
And without God in the world.
I was struck by a comment of our brother Jim today.
Said he went to a funeral.
And an old man got up at the end of the funeral and he looked at all the audience.
It was a dear Christian man who had died.
He just said this.
This man has gone to an endless hope.
Are you going to a hopeless end?
And he sat down.
That Christian man, he went to an endless hope, that blessed hope.
The hope of the glory. That's where our dear Christian departed friends have gone to. An endless hope. It never stops. It's the glory, sinners. They're going to a hopeless end.
And that's the Gentiles here having no hope. Do you have a hope? You can have the hope of the glory through receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.
Going on in verse 13 here.
But now in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off.
Are made nigh how? By the blood of Christ.
All the precious blood of Christ.
What it does for the Sinner who comes and takes the Lord Jesus as their Savior.
Puts away all those sins so that God himself can bring us.
Near right into His presence, in perfect peace, to enjoy it even now in fellowship, but to one day be brought right into the Father's house. All this is the blessing that comes to the Sinner who is washed in the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Are you saved? Are your sins put away? There's only one way.
Only one sacrifice for sin.
It's the Lord Jesus Christ, and his precious blood ought to be brought near by the blood of Christ.
Turn now to Colossians.
Just over a few pages.
And let us read the 20th verse.
Begin with the 20th verse. Colossians 1. Colossians 1.
Beginning with the 20th verse.
Speaking of the Lord Jesus, it says, and having made peace.
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Through the blood of His cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself.
By him I say, Whether they be things in earth or things in heaven, and you.
That were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works. Yet now hath He reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you wholly and unblameable, and unreprovable in his sight.
Made plea peace through the blood of his cross.
Think, dear Senator friend, think what it costs the Lord Jesus.
To make peace for us with God.
We were who were enemies of York by wicked works, yet now reconciled. The cost is precious life.
Over a price he has paid for us here we get 2 reconciliations.
And it is a full gospel. It's all right to preach a full gospel, isn't it?
We're preaching salvation and reconciliation tonight for lost sinners.
In the end, Mark, it says to those disciples, Go ye into all the world.
And preach the gospel to every creature. What does that mean?
There is good news also for the lower creation.
Which has been suffering ever since sin came into this world.
When Adam sinned, he not only fell.
But he dragged down all the creation that was under him through sin.
And the whole creation groaneth and travaileth together in pain. Until now.
Waiting for the adoption to win the manifestation of the sons of God. What's that?
Well, it's the lower creation that hasn't been delivered from the ******* of corruption and cannot be delivered from it until the sons of God come back in manifestation. Manifestation with Christ and He sets up His Kingdom and then delivers the lower creation. This is what that means in Mark.
Preach the gospel to every creature.
Well, I just add that because it's a full gospel we have to announce.
And because of the guilt of man, which has dragged down the lower creation.
And man feeds upon them in order to sustain the temporary life he has. But it's all a picture of the work of Christ that brings life to us through his flesh and blood, and sustains that life too, in a spiritual sense, feeding upon Christ to sustain the new life.
As we get in John 6A full Gospel, all the blessing that has come.
And the reconciliation that has come now to us, that's what it says here.
In.
The 21St verse you that were sometime and alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled you and I as lost sinners can get reconciliation with God now. We've got to get it now if we're going to get it. You can't get it when you leave this world. If you're going to get eternal life, you get it now. If you're going to get your sins forgiven, you're going to get it now while you're in the world.
If you leave this world, it's too late.
Judgments. The only thing that's left?
So there are two reconciliations. The lower creation is going to be reconciled to.
Well, we go on over to Hebrews and get a verse on.
This wonderful subject of the precious blood.
The 9th chapter of Hebrews.
And the 22nd verse.
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Hebrews, I might say, is a book which.
Teachers upon the basis of the Old Testament.
Teaching there so it picks up these types that we have read like in Exodus.
And Leviticus, and this is what it's saying right here in this 22nd verse, Hebrews 922, almost all things are by the law. That means under that old dispensation that they were in in the Old Testament. What about it? Almost all things are by the law purged with blood, and without shedding of blood is no remission.
No remission, no forgiveness without the shedding of blood.
Like Mr. Larson's statement, were it not for sin, death would have had no beginning.
Were it not for death, sin would have had no enemy. Death stops it. Sins paid for by the precious Savior and life given.
So without shedding of blood is no remission.
Well, perhaps without turning to it.
We can quote from First Peter.
For as much as you know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things.
And as silver and gold.
Going on to the next verse, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
Owe the price.
The precious blood.
Salvation is offered free tonight. It doesn't cost the center 1 cent.
It doesn't cost him gold or silver. That has no value with God.
The price has been paid. It's the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish and without spot, that perfect sacrifice that God has accepted when he died there on the cross.
And the proof of it comes from God himself, in that he raised his own Son from the dead.
By the glory of the Father, and has exalted that man to the right hand of the majesty on high. There is one man in the glory.
There is one man in the glory already, that's the Lord Jesus Christ. It's the one who bore our sins in his own body on the tree. And just assure as there's one man in the glory, there will be every saved one in the glory to enjoy that salvation there and the Father's house with their Savior. Will you be there?
The only way is the precious blood of Christ.
And it puts away all sin.
As first John 17 says.
When God does something, he doesn't do it halfway.
That verse says if we walk in the light as he is in the light.
We have fellowship, one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son.
Cleanses us from all sin. It does. It puts them all away. The price is paid.
Are you still in your sins? Are you saved, or are you lost?
It's one or the other. Now is the accepted time. Now is the day of salvation. We cannot promise you tomorrow the fathers can't be saved for the boys and girls, neither the boys and girls or their fathers. But we do want you to be saved, and God wants you to be saved.
Down in the.
Work in Brazil.
Here and in the Sunday school.
We had the mothers and mothers bringing the boys and girls.
To the Sunday School and here tonight to hear the gospel.
Because it's an individual, personal thing, I mentioned this.
But a wonderful thing has happened to young people down in Brazil. The Spirit of God going in there about 5 years ago.
And saving chiefly young men and women in their teens.
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Or 20s and some who were older.
Saving them just the way that I got saved and every other saved person gets saved through the precious blood of Christ.
Rightly saved and enjoying their salvation, what did they want next?
They wanted the rest of the family saved, and the wonderful thing is the strange to.
They wanted their fathers and mothers to get saved. Oh, boys and girls, you ought to be thankful.
That's your fathers and mothers are saved and have brought you here so that you can be saved. And the last night we were there.
In November.
After five years.
There were at least 4.
Sets of parents who came with their children.
To hear the gospel, and I know one or two of them for the very first time, that really moved my heart to think that the young people were bringing their parents to hear the gospel. Well, those parents are really in a more dangerous position than boys and girls who know how to be saved and aren't saved in that.
They don't have as many years.
Days.
Months, whatever it is to live in the natural life as boys and girls. But that doesn't really make any difference now because the Lord's coming is so near.
That.
It just could well be today. Behold, now is a captive time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.
I'll ask you to think again. Can you think of a more dangerous position to be in than to know how to be saved and not be saved? I can. Let's sing another hymn about the precious blood. It's #31.
Precious.
Precious blood of Jesus shed on Calvary shed for rebels.
Shed for sinners, shed for me. Can you sing that truly?
That blood was shed for me. Well some brother please start #31.
Perfect.
Now is our.
Evening.
Oh my sins and glory.
Deep in scarlet, the Lord.
Yeah.
Praise shall bless us.
Every hour and free.
Oh, believe it.
Or receiving.
Till.
All ye.
Make last night.
Glory.
Praise and warm.
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And we'll pray.
Blessed God, we thank thee for the gift of the Son of thy love, and that thou didst love us when we were yet thine enemies, when we were ungodly, when we were sinners and loved us so much that thou didst sin the Lord Jesus to be our Savior. We thank thee, Lord Jesus.
That thou was willing to leave that glory and come down.
And become a man in order that thou could die.
And pay those wages that we had so rightly.
Earned the wages of sin, which is death. And so thou does give thy life, and now thou dost offer free and full and complete salvation to any Sinner who will come to the in faith and accept thy work on Calvary's cross.
Thy person and thy work, that work that has put away sin.
Accept it for themselves. All we know Lord, a salvation is an individual thing. It is a personal thing and we ask that every soul here present in this room tonight might feel that they stand before the individually either as.
Cleansed from their sins, or yet in their sins.
Either as saved or lost and oh, it is so dangerous.
To know how to be saved and not be saved. We just ask that they will convict any such who are here present, that they might turn to thee in faith and in believing tonight and be saved. We pray for the gospel in every other place that has gone forth. We thank you for the mercies of the day, commend ourselves to the and ask blessing upon thy word in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
David the King Type of Christ
Address—P.L. Johnson
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Two Samuel.
Chapter 5 and verse one.
Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.
Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou was he that led us out and brought us in Israel. And the Lord said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel.
So all the elders of Israel came to the King, to Hebron, and King David made a league with them in Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel.
David was 30 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 40 years.
In Hebrew he reigned over Judah 7 years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned 30 and three years over all Israel in Judah.
And the king and his men went to Jerusalem under the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, which spake unto David, saying, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hit her, thinking David cannot come in hit her. Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion, the same as the city of David.
And David said on that day, whosoever get it up to the gutter and smite at the Jebusites, and the lame and the blind that are hated of Davidde soul, he shall be chief and captain.
Wherefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.
So David dwelt in the Fort and called it the City of David, and David built round about from Millow and inward.
I will turn to First Chronicles Chapter 11. We have the.
The account given.
In that book of the same circumstance.
First Chronicles, Chapter 11.
Then all Israel gathered themselves to David and to Hebron, saying.
Behold, we are thy bone in thy flesh.
And moreover, in time past, even when Saul was king, thou hast he that led us out and brought us in Israel.
And the Lord thy God said unto thee, Thou shall feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be ruler over my people Israel.
Therefore came all the elders of Israel to the king, to Hebron, and David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel according to the word of the Lord by Samuel.
And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, which is Jesus, where the Jebusites were the inhabitants of the land.
And the inhabitants of Jesus said to David, Thou shalt not come hit her. Nevertheless David took the castle of Zion, which is the city of David. And David said, Whosoever smite at the Jebusites first shall be the chief, shall be chief and captain. So Joab the son of Zarah went first up and was chief.
And David dwelt in the castle. Therefore they called it the City of David.
And he built the city around about even from Millow roundabout and Joab.
Repaired the rest of the city.
We know that.
Prior to this, even while Saul was still.
The king in Israel.
God sent Samuel down to the House of Jesse.
And he told him that he was to anoint one of Jesse's sons to be king in the place of Saul. Saul was rejected because he had not obeyed the commandment of the Lord. He had demonstrated that he was not a man of faith, that he was not a man of God, that he was not really God's man. He was not truly the anointed, that is, he did not correspond to what God had in his mind.
In the anointing because in the anointing.
I believe the fact of being anointed, the anointed king would bring before us a man.
To whom God could commit everything.
One to whom God could make a committal.
The man that God would use to carry out his will to perform all that God had in his heart.
And I believe that's where that's carried over in connection with the person of the Lord Jesus. He's called the anointed, the Christ.
He's God's anointed man, the one who was to carry out and who carries out.
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All of the mind and the will of God. But Saul had demonstrated that he was not God's man.
And God sent to Samuel to the House of Jesse, and told him to anoint one of the sons of Jesse to be king over his people Israel. And you remember there that when the when the first born came before Samuel.
Samuel felt undoubtedly this would be the one that God would have to be anointed.
That God said no, this is not the one, and when the second came, why God likewise said this is not the one and all of the sons of.
The sons of Jesse were made to pass before Samuel, every one of them the seven sons of Jesse, and not one of them was the chosen of God. But finally, when the Samuel asked if there were not another.
They told him of David, the youngest, and the one who was keeping the sheep. Keeper of sheep.
And even there we see that the character of David would qualify him to be the anointed. You remember what what characterized Saul when he was chosen by the people and he was anointed king. He had gone out to seeking the the ***** of his father, and he was occupied with a different class of animal.
Than David. David was occupied with a sheep. What does that mean?
We know in the word of God that the sheep we have the people of God seen in the figure.
Are under the symbol of sheep.
The people of God are spoken of as sheep, and the keeper of sheep, I believe, would mean that David had an exercise.
In regard to the things of God, he had a concern for that which belonged to God. But we read in the in the book of Job that man is born like a wild ***** coat.
And so I believe that a Saul would speak of the man, the man in the flesh.
Who has his interest in the things that belong to man in the flesh? Natural man is born into this world.
The things that are of foolishness, and that's what Saul was occupied with. But.
We see that David was a man who was occupied with a sheep, a keeper of the sheep.
And we know of course, that he had, he had cared for those sheep, and he had delivered them from the enemy that had sought to destroy the sheep. Well then, that when he is brought in, God says to Samuel, arise and anoint him. And there he was, anointed in the in the midst of his brethren.
But Saul did not relinquish the throne. If you remember, Saul continued as a usurper.
He no longer had right nor title to that throne as king of Israel, but he maintained it, and he persecuted or he, he sought after David to put David to death. And we know that there were those who were who went out to David and the hold in the wilderness when he was driven out of the court of Saul, and they accompanied him.
And eventually, of course, Saul met his doom.
When he.
Was demonstrated to have been a man who did not have faith why he was brought him to judgment. You remember there was one who who shared that judgment with him. Jonathan who was a lover of David. But he never was one who took the outside place with David. Jonathan was drawn to David when David you remember defeated the giant Goliath.
And he loved him as he loved his own soul. But Jonathan?
Would not take the outside place when David had to flee from Saul's presence for his life.
And we read that when Saul had his court together and Jonathan was there, we read that David's place was empty. That's a remarkable statement said in First Samuel. David's place was empty. David had had a place there at Saul's table, but he was rejected now and he had gone out into the wilderness.
And David's place was empty. And there was Jonathan, a lover of David.
In a place where David's seat was empty.
Well, I think of that in regard to any who might know the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior.
A lover of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because that's what a Christian, a true Christian, really is. He's a lover of Christ, just as Jonathan loved David.
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But the Lord Jesus is rejected.
He was He was put outside the camp. That's what we have in Hebrews 13. He suffered outside the gate.
What we read, and that's why it says, Therefore let us go forth unto him.
Outside the camp, that is his place in the camp as it were, is empty. There is no place for the Lord Jesus and the camp of where he has been rejected and His place is outside. But Jonathan didn't take that outside place, but there were those who did. But now when we come to first Chronicles 11 and 2nd.
Samuel 5 Saul has met judgment and the enemies of David have been cleared away, and now David is the one who is preeminent. And we see that the people are brought to the recognition of what God had already done when they anoint David king over Israel, that is they're they're brought now in the.
In the their own souls to recognize.
What God had already made him to be, you remember in the second chapter of Acts.
When Peter is preaching there to those Jews on the day of Pentecost, he says of the Lord Jesus that God has made him both the Lord.
And Christ.
The Lord Jesus raised from the dead and taken up into glory. And he is there the the man, the center of all of God's purposes and councils. He is the anointed one. That is, he's the Christ. He's the one in whom all of God's purposes and counsels are to be carried out, and he is Lord. He's made him both Lord and Christ.
Well, I believe the anointing here by the people would be their their recognition.
Their response to that God had already anointed David and now they're brought to recognize the place that he has. And so God has given him that place in the glory and he would have us to to give him that place to to recognize him as the the Lord and to recognize him as God's anointed, that there would be no other man before God.
Other than the Lord Jesus Christ, everything that God desires in man is found in Him.
And as I say, all of God's purposes and counsel center in Christ.
He is the He's the beginning of the creation of God, everything that God has ever determined.
To accomplish has always been and is taken up in reference to the Lord Jesus Christ.
You take the very fault of man himself.
Adam, we read in Romans 5, is the figure of him that was to come.
God had Christ before him, the man Christ, even when Adam was created.
Adam didn't fulfill the full thought of God in regard to man, but Christ did. All that God ever looked for or that or that God ever thought of in regard to man, All of His thoughts of man are centered in the person of the Lord Jesus. You take when he took up the thought of a king, and as we see here in David, why he had Christ in view.
Because David is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ as the great King and all that God ever had in mind in regard to one who would be head and who would be in authority and who would bring everything into subjection to God is found in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the anointed. He is God's man, and I believe that the anointing here of the people.
When they anointed David, it was a recognition.
Of what God had made him to be, they were saying, as it were. We agree with that. We accept that.
You know, in the Gospels that is in the I was thinking now of Matthew, Mark and Luke.
Well, actually in all four gospels.
John as well. We have the Lord Jesus anointed.
By a woman Now in Matthew, Mark and Luke we have him anointed by God.
First you remember it is baptism, all three of those writers.
Record the anointing of the Lord Jesus. How that the Holy Spirit came down from heaven.
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Upon him and while we don't have the historical.
The actual historical fact in John we have a reference to it. You remember when John the Baptist refers to how he would know God's beloved Son, He said God had said to him, the one that he found, whom the Spirit of God came and abode upon him, the same as the Son of God. So we have the anointing of of the Lord Jesus Christ by God in those gospels.
The historical fact in Matthew, Mark and Luke, and a reference to it in John.
That is, God was declaring his delight in this one, the Lord Jesus. God was declaring his word. God was declaring this is the man who is before me.
But then we have the anointing of the Lord Jesus by a woman in each one.
In Matthew and Mark.
The woman is not named and you remember it takes place.
There when the toward the end of the life of the Lord Jesus Christ, when they were in the House of Simon the leper, there was a woman came and anointed the head of the Lord Jesus in Matthew and Mark, and I suppose that there it would be.
Symbolizing the.
The recognition that the Saints have that all that the Father saw in the Son.
As the great administrator, the head, the son of David, as we have in Matthew.
And that's where he's presented there in Matthew. He's presented as the great administrator that is the one who is head like David and the anointing of the Lord. And Matthew would be a recognition of that.
And in Mark, of course, we have the Lord Jesus presented as the servant of God.
Serving here in the liberty of sonship, the one who was here as a great servant of Jehovah, the one of whom it was said that he hath done all things well. It's not only that he served, but everything he did, he did according to the mind of God. He, he did all things well. Well, there's the anointing by the woman found in the Gospel of Mark.
And I suppose there would be the response of the heart of the believer. It would be a picture of the response of our hearts.
That would answer to the anointing of the Lord Jesus as the servant of God.
And then in Luke, you remember there was an anointing there.
In the I believe it's the 8th chapter of Luke.
It was the woman who was a Sinner in the city, and she came and she.
With the tears she anointed the feet of the Lord and wiped his feet with her hairs of her head.
She was recognizing there the the grace of God that was brought to her in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And in John's Gospel chapter 12, we have we have one that we have the one mentioned.
Mary there as anointing the Lord when the she breaks that alabaster box of ointment. Well, I believe that all corresponds to the anointing of the Lord here. That is, the people are brought to recognize.
I suppose before this they hadn't really properly appreciated the value of David Godhead. God saw in David the one who was His anointed, but the people had not really been brought to it. And now they're brought to recognize that He is the one who is, who is to be their head, and they anoint him king over David.
Now you'll notice that the first action of David here is that he goes to Jerusalem.
You know in the book of Acts when the Lord Jesus goes up into heaven.
And.
Peter declares him to be made both Lord in Christ.
The first thing that he does is establish here on Earth a divine center.
Well, you might say there was already a divine center. Well, there was. We know that Jerusalem, as we see it brought to light here was the divine center when the Lord was on earth. But you remember, the Lord wept over Jerusalem.
Jerusalem, Jerusalem and he speaks of how often he would have gathered her children as as a as a hen gathered her chicks under her wings, but they would not. And so Jerusalem is set aside and the there's a new center established on earth when the Lord goes on high for the church is established here on earth. And I believe we have here the the in tight that very thing.
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That when David goes to Jerusalem, he brings delight.
The divine center on earth because God had promised of old back in the book of Deuteronomy before they ever entered the land of Canaan. Many years before this, God had said that he would that there would be a place.
There would be a place there in the midst of His people, where He would place His name, and that would be the divine center. That's where He would dwell. That's where He would be served. That's where the gathering together of the people of God would take place.
Now that place never came to light.
In the days of Joshua, or in the days of the judges that that followed Joshua, it didn't come to light in the days of Samuel, the days of Saul, it was only when David became king.
When David had his right place. When David was enthroned.
Not only by God but by the people, and He had His rightful place that the divine center came to light and was established. And that's what we have here. David and all Israel went to Jerusalem. Turn over to Psalm 122. I believe it's 122nd Psalm.
I think we see the significance of the.
Jerusalem.
As the divine center.
Psalm 122 I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the House of the Lord.
Our feet shall stand within thy gates of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together. Whether the tribes go up. This is the verse I had especially in mind. Whether the tribes go up. The tribes of the Lord unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks under the name of the Lord.
For there set Thrones of judgment, the Thrones of the House of David.
Jerusalem was the place where the tribes, where the people of God went up. That was the gathering center, that was the divine center, that was the place that God had placed his name. Of course, when the psalmist writes here at some years after David and that place had come to light that it was Jerusalem. So in the book of Deuteronomy, when God says that there would be a place.
That he would place his name.
And here we see that the place is Jerusalem, and that's where the tribes went up and it was to the testimony that was the testimony of Israel. And that's where the the House of God was in that city of David. When I turn back again to First Chronicles.
When David goes up to Jerusalem.
We see that it's in the hands of the Jebusites.
That is, that God is going to.
Take a city.
That was in the hands of the enemy.
And he was going to overthrow the power of the enemy, and in the very place where the.
Where the enemy had a stronghold, where the enemy had this, had this great power, he was going to come in and break the power of the enemy. And in that very place he was going to establish a divine center where he would dwell with his people and where his people could approach him and where his people would serve him and where he would be known.
Right in the place of a stronghold of the enemy.
And it was a very, very strong place because in verse five, at the end of the verse, it says nevertheless David took the castle.
Of Zion.
That shows us that it was a stronghold. It was taken out of the hand of the enemy.
Where we read in the in that verse 5. Nevertheless David took the council of Zion, which is the city of David.
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Verse seven And David dwelt in the castle, and therefore they called it the city.
Of David.
It's called the City of David. It was rested from the hand of the enemy, a stronghold of the enemy, and now David takes it and he calls it after his own name. Well, I believe we have here a little picture of how God comes in.
And A and and.
Delivers from the hand of the enemy those who were under Satan's power, and constitutes them his house.
Turn over to the book of Acts chapter 18.
Before we go on, I'd like to make this little distinction. It might help us.
We know that.
The Church when we speak of the Church or the Assembly.
And it's.
Broadest aspect We speak of all the believers on the Lord Jesus Christ everywhere.
And we know that when one believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, his heart is purified by faith and he receives the gift of the Holy Spirit. He is united to that company on earth called the body of Christ. Every believer, when he believes his heart purified by faith.
He receives the gift of the Holy Spirit. God gives him the Holy Spirit. It's not automatic. God gives it. It's the gift of God. And then one is made a member of the assembly of the church, which is the body of Christ. It's a universal thing. The it's not some local gathering, but it's universal. Likewise we have in the.
First epistle to Timothy in chapter 3. The thought of the House of God.
Paul says that thou mayst know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the House of God.
Which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth. That also brings before us the church in its universal character, as we have in Hebrews chapter 2, that Christ is Son over God's house. And it says whose house we are, the believers are the House of God. Now Christ is over God's house. He's the head. He's the one who has authority in charge.
God's house as Son.
But the House of God are the believers on the Lord Jesus. It also has a universal aspect, of course. The thought of the body brings before us the thought of union, That is, that we're actually united together and united to our living head in heaven, Christ.
And the thought of the house is testimony.
It's the pillar and support of the truth that is the Church has been set in this world.
As the center of testimony for God in the place of public witness.
And testimony. But what I was thinking, especially now, is the way in which God.
Comes in in a locality.
And he establishes in a locality that which corresponds, I believe, to Jerusalem.
That is a local assembly. Now, of course, a local assembly is not seen in Scripture as independent of the one church on earth. It is the local aspect of it. It's a part of the church. But nonetheless, we find in Scripture that the assembly functions locally. That is all of the truth, the truth that we find in Scripture, that is.
That in regard to the assembly or the Church.
Is to be carried out in localities where believers.
Have been saved from the power of Satan and where they have been gathered.
That's the thought we find that in the book of Acts, do we not? When there were those that were saved all the way through? And I was thinking of this 18th chapter, especially when Paul comes to a corner.
And when he is there?
We read that he preached the gospel.
I was thinking especially in verse 7.
After the Jews had rejected and blasphemed, the Gospel says he departed thence and entered into a certain man's house named Justice, one that worshipped God, whose house joined harm to the synagogue.
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And Christmas, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house, and many of the Corinthians hearing believed and were baptized.
Now Corinth, of course, was a Gentile city.
And characterized by heathen darkness.
Indeed, they were under under Satan's power. Now. There was a synagogue there.
And we know that with the synagogue being there, there were Jews, and these Jews had the more light than the Gentiles.
But they they had fallen into mere formalism, and so there was number reality.
We might say that when Paul entered this city, it was in the power of the enemy, just like Jerusalem was in the when it was under the power of the Jebusites. As David approached the city of Jerusalem, he would not find a city there where there was the light of God and where there was a testimony of God, where they were lovers of God, but the city was filled.
With those who were opposed to God and those who were.
In darkness and so when Paul comes to Kant, he doesn't come to a city where there's.
Where there is light of God there and where there are Saints of God, that he comes to a city that is a stronghold of Satan.
An idolatry city and those who were in darkness. But God comes in and we see that he, he delivers souls.
Just as we had in the in the.
Capture of Jerusalem when David captured Jerusalem.
He delivered that city from the hands of the enemy. So God comes in, we see in verse 8 and many of the Corinthians hearing believed.
And were baptized. Now notice verse 9. Then speak the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision. Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not by peace. For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee. For I have much people in this city.
And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God.
Among them.
God says I have much people in this city.
There were many souls who had been saved.
And those who were saved were of course joined to that body on earth, the body of Christ that had already been formed here on earth by the baptism of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.
And God was adding to the church daily. We read back in the early chapters of Acts and now God added to the church here.
But I believe what's involved in verses 10 and 11.
Goes beyond the fact of souls being saved and dwelt by the Spirit and so united to the body of Christ. Now that's one thing for them to be a part of the body of Christ, but what God had in mind was that in that city of Kant that there would be a gathering.
A gathering of those who were his, that there should be a center like we have in Jerusalem, it said. Whether the tribes go up, that is the people of God actually gathered there, They came together.
They came together that there should be a gathering of those who were saved and made members of the body of Christ. You know, there are those who I believe overlook this important truth.
They preach the gospel and we can thank God for that. And the gospel preached God uses for the salvation of souls. And those who believe the gospel and are indwelt by the Spirit, they are added to the church, the body of Christ.
That God has more than that for his people he has the thought that there would actually be the.
Gathering together of his people like Jerusalem, a gathering center and I I feel that here in the in Corinth, God came in for that very purpose, not only to save these souls for heaven, not only to save them from a crisis eternity, but that there should be a testimony established there in that city, just like Jerusalem was the spoken of in the Psalm 122 is the testimony.
Of Israel. That was the testimony of God. That was the Sinner, the testimony of God in Israel.
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And so God wanted, as it were, a temple in that city. You remember what it says in First Corinthians chapter 3 when God write or the Paul writes later to these to to the assembly there he says, ye are God's temple.
Now I know in First Corinthians we have that expression.
That we're the temple of God in two different ways in chapter 6.
There who our bodies are spoken of as being the temple of God.
But in the third chapter when he says Ye are the temple of God.
And the temple of God is holy. He's not talking about our bodies there. He's talking about the assembly.
He's talking about the gathering of the Lord's people in that city, those who came together.
Those who were walking together as members of the body of Christ, he says, now you're God's temple, and the temple of God is holy. Now that's true as to our bodies, but it's also true as to the assembly.
Well, God wanted a temple in this city.
And in order to secure that temple, a dwelling place for himself in that city.
A testimony to himself in that city, why he he sent Paul there, and the preaching of the gospel secured the material.
You know what I mean? It was the preaching of the gospel that secured the material for this temple that God would have in that city. But the actuarial, you might say, formation of the temple involved teaching. In verse 11, he continued there a year and six months.
That is, it wasn't sufficient that these souls were only saved, but in order to have that which he could own and call his temple.
Why Paul remained there a year and six months teaching the Word of God, among them teaching the word of God so that in a, you might say in the practical sense, there was farmed a divine center, there was farmed an assembly. I don't want to be misunderstood, but I I believe that it's sustained in the Word of God.
Here and in other places that.
There's two.
Different faults.
As to the assembly, which is the body of Christ that everyone belongs to when he's saved.
And the assembly in a practical sense of functioning, you know what I mean? That is coming together as God's assembly and functioning as God's assembly.
Coming together to break bread, coming together for edification, coming together for fellowship so that and coming together too for discipline in the care of God's people and the maintenance of God's testimony and order in this world.
You know, we read in the 11Th chapter of Acts.
When?
Who went as far as Antioch preaching the gospel? That is, they want they were scattered there on account of the persecution that arose in connection with the stoning of Stephen.
A great persecution arose against the Christians.
Over the in connection with the stoning of Stephen and we read that some went as far as Antioch preaching the gospel.
And souls were saved in Antioch.
And when the tidings of this reach the ears of the church or assembly in Jerusalem, they sent Barnabas up there. And Barnabas, you remember, exhorted them with purpose of heart to cleave to the Lord. But Barnabas felt that here was a gathering, here was a number of souls that have been saved.
And he felt that perhaps he wasn't equal to the task of instructing and teaching them. So he sent for Saul in Tarsus, who had been converted. And undoubtedly he, he felt, and he had seen already that this was a man who was to be greatly used of God. So he sent to Tarsus and had Saul come up to Antioch. And we read that.
They assembled themselves with the church.
And taught them they assembled themselves what I had especially in mind that thought of assembling you see the.
The the Church, the body of Christ.
In one sense does not really assemble it, the universal aspect, but the Saints who are members of that body, they assemble. They come together and they assemble. And that's the thought I believe in connection with Jerusalem that we have back in First Chronicles and in Second Samuel, just as Jerusalem was to be the center of the city where the people of God were to come together.
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So God would have this assembly established here in Corinth and in other places too, and in every place.
As he would have an assembly established here that there might be the gathering together.
Of the Lord's people, it's his thought that they should gather together. We know that the very work of the cross had that in view. That's in John 11.
Where you remember it, we said of him that he should die for that nation Israel, and not for that nation only, but that he should gather together the children of God scattered abroad.
His death on the cross had the gathering together of God's people, not just the salvation of their souls, but to gather them together in testimony to Him and to and testimony to God that they would be that gathering center.
And I'm reminded of this. You remember back in Samuel when David slew Goliath to John?
And he ran upon him and cut his head off.
We read there that he took the head to Jerusalem.
I think that's a striking type of the verse that I just quoted in John 11. Of course, he is defeating the giant. There is a picture and a type of his victory on the cross of Calvary, and he took the head to Jerusalem, showing that there is a connection with the work of the cross with the divine center Jerusalem will now turn back to.
The account that we read in Second Samuel, chapter 5.
In Second Samuel chapter 5 we have some details given that are not found in First Chronicles. In First Chronicles we have the general statement of how David went up and how he arrested that city of Jerusalem from the Jebusites and how he established it as his own city.
And so, as we've seen in Corinth, God comes in in grace, and he secures material for the assembly. He snatches them from the hands, as it were, of the enemy, and he establishes.
That which is to be for his own name, because when Paul writes to Corinth, he writes to the Church of God.
See, they have they take the very name of God. Of course, that's not a title that anyone would put on a sign out in front of a meeting room, the Church of God, but it means it's God's church.
It's God's assembly now.
And so the city of Jerusalem became the city of David. But notice in Second Samuel 5.
We have some details and if you will.
Allow me, I'm going to change the translation and it's not arbitrary.
I mean by that, that I'm not just changing it to suit my, my thoughts. If you would check with Mr. Darby's new translation, you will see that generally the way I'm I'm going to read it is the way he puts it because.
The the translators in this particular occasion, and especially in in verses 6:00 and 8:00, we'll see that the the the translation that King James is not really that accurate.
In verse six, when the king and his men went to Jerusalem under the Jebusites, inhabitants of the land. Now here's what they said when David came up, the inhabitants of the land, they speak unto David saying, and this is the way it should read.
The blind and the lame shall Dr. thee back.
That's what they said when David came up to take the city. Why they, they derided him. They spoke in derision, mockery. They, they were so secure. They felt so secure, that is, and their stronghold, their castle. So secure. They said why the blind and the lame will drive David back, thinking that David cannot come in, hit her. That's what they thought. They thought there's no way David can.
There's no way David can take this stronghold. And they said why are the blind and the lame? They were not even good. They were not. They didn't have to use their choices of their soldiers. They didn't have to bring the greatest of their warriors against David. They said by the blind and the lame will drive thee back thinking David could not come in, hit her. That's what they thought.
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Well, we know, that's why it says in verse 7 nevertheless.
Despite this secure feeling, despite this derision and mockery, David took the stronghold. It was a stronghold, but he took the stronghold. Now in verse eight, we have what David says.
And David said on that day.
Whosoever smideth the Jebusites, let him cast into the water spot.
The lame and the blind hated of David's soul.
I had a question asked from you one time by sister where I was staying. They had read this before the day before I arrived and and she said to me, she said I'm troubled about a a verse that we read in our reading here at home yesterday and second Samuel 5 and she referred she read this to me. She says that that doesn't sound like God, that David would hate the lame and the blind.
She said. You would think that you would have compassion on poor, lame and blind people.
Well, I I explained to her what I'm going to bring out now. That's what David said here. Whosoever smites the Jebusites, let him cast into the water. Course, that's a waterfall.
Of course it means casting them into death.
The lame and the blind hated of David's soul. Now what David is saying here, he's taking up the language of the Jebusites.
They said.
That the blind and the lame would drive David away.
And David takes up that language. He takes that up and he applies it to all the Jebusites. He says you're the lame and the blind. So he says let them be cast into the water. Course. It wasn't just the poor lame and blind ones that he's talking about. He he's Speaking of the character of the Jebusites. They said the lame and the blind would drive him back. But David is saying you're the lame and the blind, so that whoever.
The Jebusites let them cast them into the water course, that is, into the place of death.
And what I believe is involved here in type and in picture is this.
It's a picture of man by nature, natural man. He's blind and he's lame. Now we're we're speaking morally, we're not talking about physical blindness and physical lameness.
It's the moral thought that man by nature, and that's what the Jebusites were, they, they represent a natural man and with all of their vaunted strength and with their position they had and whatever they thought of themselves from the standpoint, from God's standpoint, they were just poor, blind, lame persons. That's all they were. And when Paul came into calm.
That was a city, as the Greeks are noted for their wisdom.
And the Greeks boasted of their wisdom, but as far as God was concerned, they were just poor, blind, lame souls. That's what man is in the flesh. That's what natural man is. He's blind and he's lame. He cannot see the things of God except a man be born again. He cannot see the Kingdom of God. There is nothing in man that responds to God.
Natural man. It must be a work of God.
Ye must be born again, because there is nothing there. He is blind. He cannot see the things of God. And then the Lord goes on to say that except you be born again, you cannot enter the Kingdom of God. They're lame. They can't walk in the ways of God.
Natural man does not walk in the ways of God. He cannot see the things of God. He does not understand the things of God. The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them because they're spiritually discerned. They that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Well, those are plain language, isn't it? And I think that's what's involved here.
You see this just like in Corinth and justice as we were.
We were those who were in the flesh and we could not please God. We couldn't receive anything from God.
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God must do the work Himself, and so He has begottenness of His spirit, so that now that which is born of the spirit is spirit. We have a life, we have a nature that is spiritual, that can take in spiritual things.
As those who are born of the Spirit. But now, then they were cast into the place of death.
They were cast into the place of death.
That is that we recognize, we recognize that what belongs to the flesh and man in the flesh has come under the judgment of God. That's the first chapter of first, first Corinthians, that man in the flesh has come under the judgment of God and we recognize that. That's why he says let him cast into the water course.
The lame and the blind hated of David's soul because that's where the cross of Christ has put man in the flesh.
Notice at the end of verse 8. Therefore they said, the blind and the lame shall not come into the house.
Oh, I believe that's important.
The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.
You know, that was the trouble in Corinth. They were trying to bring the blind and the lame in the house.
They were bringing in the first man, They were bringing in man's wisdom and man's religion, religious thoughts, all that belonged to the first man that David had said. Let him cast it into the water course, and they shall not come into the house.
They're being brought into the house and that's what brought in the difficulty. I believe that's an important principle in connection with with the with the assembly as functioning. And you know, when we come to the First Epistle of the Corinthians, we have set out the assembly and function that is we have the assembly actually functioning in that locality of corrupt.
And we have the instructions as to how they were to go on and.
What is lame and blind, what is of man in the flesh has no part. And I believe that all of the difficulties that arise among the Saints arise by bringing in that which is blind or lame. Something of man, something of man. It's not of the Spirit of God that is not of the 2nd man, something of the first man that should be put in the place of death.
And that's where the difficulty arises is we don't modify our members, which are upon the earth.
And we, we don't put them in the place of death, and we bring in the that which says here that they have no place. They have no place in the House of God. Now I'd like to refer to one other incident here. And in First First Chronicles 11, we read in verse nine that David dwelt in the Fort and called it the city of David. And David built roundabout from Millow and inward.
This expression.
Miller this word.
Means a rampart. I take it to be a high.
Plot of ground a place that was, you might say, natural defense. We know, of course, that that in in warfare.
Why high ground is perhaps better and easier defended than some low lying ground. This the word mellow means a rampart.
So it had to do with the defense of the city. Now that's the thought. You see, the city has been captured and taken, and the principle of the city had been set out. The blind and the lame have no place there. So we might say that the assembly has been established, and in a locality assembly has been established where souls have been gathered who are members of the body of Christ. And the principle is established that the blind and the lame have no place there.
But now that city needs to be defended because the enemy is not going to give up. We find that Jerusalem was always the object of the attack of the enemy. The enemy wanted to destroy that because it was the city of David. It was a testimony. And so the assembly today where their Saints going on coming together, gathering together and walking in the light of the assembly, they're going to be the object of the attack of the enemy because it's a testimony to the Lord.
That's the thing, It's a testimony to the Lord.
And so the enemy would attack this and and they needed a defense.
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So he built.
From Miller and inward when I turn over to First Chronicles 11.
And verse 8.
And he built the city roundabout even from Miller Roundabout or outward.
In other words, the starting point was this rampart, this high.
Piece of land, ground. And from there he built fortifications outward, and from that point, mellow, he built fortifications inward toward the city. And I believe that it brings before us the two ways in which the testimony of the Lord in the assembly is to be preserved and defended.
That is in an outward way, which I would apply to the.
To the gathering that is the form, the outward form of the gathering of the Lord's people, as we come together without organization, as we come together without an appointed head, as we come together without committees, and all of these organizations that man has introduced coming together simply as those who are under the headship of Christ.
And under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and directed by the Word of God.
And coming together as we do on the first day of the week, as Paul writes to the Corinthians, when you become together in the assembly, why it was for the breaking of bread. And when they become together too for edification, how that there is a leading of the Spirit of God, and how that the Spirit of God furnishes all that's needed for their good and edification in the 12Th chapter.
In other words, the outward order, so to speak.
That belongs to the assembly needs to be defended. We need to preserve the outward order order and not allow.
Disorder to come into the gathering of the Lord's people, that which is the center here, we're not to allow disorder to come in. That's I would say the building from the mellow outward preserving the outward order and it has its place. And 1St Corinthians, I believe, is chiefly occupied with the with the outward order because confusion had been brought in.
And the armor had been.
Perverted there in Corinth.
Even sisters taking part and so forth and being without head covering. Those things all have to do with the outward order.
But in the book of Samuel we read there that he built from the mellow inward.
And there I believe that there is a the fault of preserving the testimony and defending the testimony inwardly. And I believe that's what we have in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, the ministry, the ministry that preserves the testimony. Because, you know, outward order will soon give way if there is not the.
Ministry of the Spirit of God, the ministry of the truth, the ministry of new creation.
The ministry of glory. The ministry of Christ.
If there is not a building up and the souls of the Saints with true ministry, eventually outward order will decay and give way. You can't really preserve outwardly without the inward power, and that comes from the the ministry. You remember what Paul says in 2nd Corinthians 4, having therefore received this ministry.
Its new covenant ministry. It's the ministry of the Spirit. It's the ministry of righteousness, a ministry of glory.
A ministry of new creation. If any man be in Christ, it's a new creation, you see.
These are wonderful truths, and if we let them slip away.
Then we're not preserving the we're not going to preserve the the testimony inwardly and then eventually the outward defense will give way. But here we see that David built from the mellow that speaks of the defense, the rampart and he built outwards and he built inward and both need to be maintained the outward order that becomes the House of God and the.
Ministry. The New Covenant Ministry.
The ministry that is peculiar, you might say, to Christianity. Now, of course, there's many things that are administered in the Word of God, and I'm not saying that it's not without profit, prophecy and the position of Israel and the dispensations, all of these things. But if we lose that which is characteristic of Christianity, the new covenant, new creation ministry that I think is is brought out.
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Largely in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians.
Of course, others as well, like Ephesians and Colossians, this will preserve the the ardor even outwardly. So the the defense of the city. It has been secured just as David secured this stronghold of the Jebusites to be the city for his name.
Where the people would be gathered, a gathering center. So God has come in in grace and he establishes a testimony in the local gatherings here and elsewhere. And it's a testimony to his name. And so he would desire that the principles that govern that assembly and especially this thought of the blind and the lame being excluded and then it being it's being defended as to its outward order and as to the.
Power.
God's Anointed One
Address—P.L. Johnson
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Want to turn to Matthew chapter one?
The first first chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. Well, as we all know, this is the beginning of what is called the New Testament.
The very opening of that portion.
Of the word that brings before us the introduction into this world of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
And I was thinking of the contrast.
The way the New Testament begins, verse one says the book.
The first thing that is brought before us.
In this gospel, and indeed this whole portion of the Word of God is the book.
Contrast that with the beginning of Genesis One you remember there we have in the beginning.
God, there's nothing said about a book.
God is brought before us because we know, of course, that there was a time in the past eternity when there was nothing existing but God himself. In the beginning God, there was a time when there was no physical elements in the universe. Indeed, there was no universe, there was nothing but God.
The Supreme Being, the one who inhabits eternity from everlasting.
But when they come to the New Testament.
We have not the the beginning here is does not begin with God, but it begins with the book, because we have a history now recorded.
In the books of the Old Testament, from Genesis right through Malachi, we have a recorded history of man and God's ways and dealings with man, the 1St man.
Because as we've mentioned before in some of these addresses that not only was there the 1St man, Adam, but there is a second man. And the the prior to what we have here, what the book would suggest to us is that God has recorded a history and he's recorded a history of the first man. And we know.
Something about his history. Those of us who are familiar with the Old Testament, we know that while.
Man was created upright and in innocency and without sin.
We know that he fell into sin and the history of man and God's dealings with man.
That we have in this book, when we arrive at this point, is a history of failure in responsibility, but a history too of patients on the part of God and a history of faithfulness on the part of God and prophetic utterances too, that would declare what God is going to do despite the condition and the failure of man and his lack of fulfilling his responsibility.
But I think of the.
When we come to the New Testament, and we know of course, it's only fitting that we should have in the beginning of the New Testament, these four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, that bring before the bring before us the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Brings before us that one who was introduced after the long period of recorded history of man and his failure in God's dealings with him. There is introduced in this Gospel of Matthew the Lord Jesus Christ, as we have read, and he is introduced in this Gospel especially I believe.
In connection with the title The Christ, well, you'll notice as we read the genealogy.
And when we when we start with Abraham, the genealogy starts with Abraham, and it goes down through all of the descendants of Abraham, through David, right down till we come to Jacob.
Who was who begat Joseph? And Joseph was the husband of Mary.
And it was of Mary that Jesus is born, who is called Christ. So you might say that the.
The genealogy.
Culminates and terminates in the the expression the Christ Jesus, who is called the Christ. So in the Gospel of Matthew he is presented especially in that light as the Christ, the son of David, the anointed one. That's what the Christ means, the anointed man, God's anointed and David is especially.
Set forth in the Old Testament as God's anointed king, he was the.
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He was the one who whom God raised up to set forth God's thought in regard to man being in the place of administration.
We know, of course, that when man was created, in the beginning God had had, you might say, thoughts in regard to man, just like when anyone would would perhaps.
Build a piece of machinery. Why you have the the builder, the inventor or the architect. Whoever builds that particular machinery has certain faults in mind as to what it how it should perform.
And what it would be used for, and its usefulness and things of that nature. Well, God had thoughts in mind in regard to man. His thought was that man should be the one who would be.
His administrator on the earth, you remember Adam was placed put in a position of headship and he was told to have dominion.
Dominion over the fowls of the air and the beasts of the earth and the fishes of the sea. God's thought in regard to man is that he should be the administrator of God's bounties, the administrator of God in God's representative, the one who really bore testimony to God here in this world.
And we know, too, that God's thought was that man should serve him.
He was put into the garden to tend the garden. He was given a little service to do. God's thought was that man should be his servant and serve him. And we know also that it was God's thought that man should be, should reflect the glory of God. He was made in the image and likeness. Image, of course, speaks of representation, likeness, all that brings before us.
A moral thought that man should bear a moral likeness to his Creator.
Some of the thoughts that God had in regard to man, and I believe that when Israel was chosen to be God's people here on the earth, those thoughts were brought over into that nation. He redeemed that nation and and brought them to himself with the object that they should fulfill. These thoughts that God had in regard to man, that in that nation all of the families of the earth might be blessed that they might be.
The dispensers of blessing on earth.
To administrate, to be the center of administration, and to be the center of testimony. He established a testimony in Jacob. The testimony of God was established in that people.
And we know too, that it was God's thought that Israel should be his servant, as he said to Pharaoh. Let my son go, that he may serve me.
And it was God's thought that Israel should be a reflection of himself here in this world to bear testimony.
To himself. Well these thoughts that God had in regard to man and in regard to the nation.
I believe when the Lord Jesus came into this world, he filled out those thoughts.
He filled up the thoughts of God in regard to man and what we have in the first three gospels.
Matthew, Mark and Luke I believe, is the Lord Jesus filling out those thoughts of God.
In Matthew's Gospel, he is the great administrator. He's the son of David.
He's the great administrator. He is the one who is the anointed man to whom God can commit everything.
Into his hands.
And he's to be head.
That's why we find in the Gospel of Matthew takes the place of teaching like the Sermon on the Mount where we have those various teachings of the Lord. You know, in chapters 5 through 7 of Matthew we have what is called a Sermon on the Mount. Actually those.
Those things that the Lord brought out in those three chapters, 5-6 and seven, were not uttered all at one time, but the Spirit of God has Matthew to bring them together because he's emphasizing.
The Lord Jesus as the great Administrator, the Son of David, and the one in whom the testimony of God is set forth in this scene.
And in the Gospel of Mark, we know, of course, that he is the.
He is seen as the servant.
The one who serves God, the one who does everything well, that's the great, you might say The sort of the theme of the Gospel of Mark. I think it's in Chapter 7 when the the word is uttered. He hath done all things well.
There have been many who had served God in the past.
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And served in measure. But here is one who served God well. He fulfilled all that God looked for in man as serving him.
And in the Gospel of Luke, I believe we have there brought before us the Lord Jesus Christ in manhood as the one who bears all of the moral features and characteristics of God. You remember in the Gospel of Luke when the when the Angel Gabriel speaks to Mary, he says, That holy thing that shall be born of thee shall be called.
The Son of God.
Shall be called the Son of God. Now in the Gospel of John chapter one, John says that that the Lord told him that the one upon whom he saw the Spirit descending and abiding upon him, he says the same is the Son of God. I believe the two expressions are not identical. In Luke it says He shall be called the Son of God.
In John's Gospel it says he is the Son of God.
And I believe the distinction is this. In the Gospel of John, it's designating his person. He is in his own person, the Son of God. But in Luke I, I believe he's bringing out the fact that that man would bear the moral features and characteristics of God. They would come out in his walk, in his ways and his words and his deeds and everything about him would bear all of the features of God.
Of course, as I say in his person, he is the Son of God.
But he also revealed, or you might say exhibited.
In his walking ways, that which would be an exhibition of God in his love and his compassion, His Holiness, His righteousness, everything that and all of the the features that belong to God himself. The moral features that belong to God were seen in the Lord Jesus. Well, the 1St 3 gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke in a way.
Is a continuation, you might say.
Of the beginning that we have in the book of Genesis, in the beginning God created and that that started a story, so to speak. And that continues on through the Old Testament, right through these first three gospels. And you might say that in these first three gospels we have the Lord Jesus Christ filling out all of the thoughts of God that he had in the very beginning when he created.
The heavens and the earth, and he placed man here.
It's the Lord Jesus coming in to fulfill all of the thoughts of God.
To carry out.
Imperfection.
That which the 1St man failed to carry out.
You know, I believe it's, it's a very, it's a wonderful thing to see that God never let the thing fall to the ground. In other words, whatever object or whatever thought he has is always brought to fruition. God never begins a project and then has to break off. That's a characteristic of man. You remember those that began to build the Tower of Babel.
Well, they didn't finish, they had to leave off building and we find that this is a characteristic of man.
He may not be able to carry his thoughts through, but God had fulfilled them. Well, we know the 1St man wasn't able to fulfill those thoughts of God. He failed. But the Lord Jesus comes and he, he fulfills every thought of God in regard to the king, in regard to the prophet, in regard to the priest, in regard to the administration in Matthew, in regard to the servant, in.
Mark and in regard to the the moral characteristics of himself to be displayed in man in the Gospel of Luke.
But now John's Gospel is stands apart from the other three.
And I believe that scene in the way John's gospel starts.
We have another expression of in the beginning. You see, we have two beginnings.
You might say in the Word of God we have in the beginning in Genesis one, and that carries us right through these synoptic gospels. But when we come to the Gospel of John, we have in the beginning was the word that we're going back even beyond the beyond the creation of the world.
We're going back to that.
Beginning when God created the heavens and the earth.
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And in the beginning was the word.
And the word was with God and the word was gone. Takes us right back. And so the Lord Jesus is presented in the Gospel of John, not as coming in to fill out all of the thought thoughts of God in regard to to man here in this world, but he is presented there is that which comes down from heaven, that which is divine, that which is is altogether of God and has no relationship to man and responsibility at all.
And so in the Gospel of John, we don't have the Lord being presented.
To the Jews to be received, we don't have him presented. To man to be accepted.
Man is seen in the very beginning of John's Gospel to be in total darkness, and without life and perishing, and that which comes down from heaven.
Gives life under the world. It's a divine person come down in this world because the Word was made flesh or the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We read well back here to the Gospel of Matthew.
As I say, the primary thought in connection with the Lord here in the Gospel of Matthew is the Christ as we read.
In verse 16 because when we come to the terminus of the genealogy, we have.
The expression Christ. But now we have other names in this chapter.
Notice verse 21.
Word to.
Joseph.
She shall bring forth a son, and I shall call his name Jesus.
The name Jesus brings before us the man.
That's his name as man, Jesus.
And here it's in connection with his being the Savior. We know, of course, that Jesus is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew Joshua.
And incidentally, I might say that if.
If some have wondered if you when you read in the third chapter of Hebrews.
And when they read their about it says that if Jesus had given them rest, they would have been no promise of arrest to come. Maybe you remember that expression. Well, the word there, of course is Jesus in the Greek, but it it's referring to Joshua.
It's referring to Joshua because Joshua is the Hebrew name and Jesus is the Greek, and it means literally Jehovah saves.
Our Jehovah's savior. That's the meaning of the Word, the name Jesus.
But Jesus, you might say, designate the man.
The man Jesus. But now notice another name in verse 23.
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel. Now Emmanuel is not Greek, it's a transliteration of the Hebrew, which means literally God with us.
As you see, it's interpreted here by the Spirit of God. God with us.
This is a designation of his person.
He is God. He is God.
Jesus brings before us his manhood as the man Jesus hear God with us. It brings before us his deity, a divine person, God with us. And these two names given to the Lord here bring before us what God is for us, what God is for us.
That is, that God has come down to be with us. God with us.
And we know why He has come down. He has come down in order to save us, to be our savior.
In order to be our savior.
Of course, in order to do that, he had to become man. He had to be a man.
But this is what he is on God's heart for us. But as I've already referred, you look again to that verse 16.
When he is called the Christ, this is what he is for God.
As Jesus and Emmanuel, it's what He is on God's part for us.
As the Christ is what He is here in this world for God.
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Here I believe that's why we have the expression in First Corinthians 12 when the apostle Paul says as the body talking about the human body has many members and yet it's one body, so also is the Christ.
Now you're not talking about Jesus.
He's not talking about the man Jesus when he says so. Also is the Christ. He's talking about the church.
The church, the body of Christ. It's called the Christ because the church is here for God.
It's it's the anointed vessel, you might say. It's the church is here as the depository of all of the blessings of God to be in the place of administration in this world. It's the place where God puts his testimony.
It's the church is that to which God is committed everything.
God has not committed anything to this world.
Remember John's Gospel when we read there in the second chapter of John's Gospel that that when there were many that saw the miracles that Jesus did and they believed on him, but he says that he did not commit himself and demand because he knew what was in man. God would commit nothing to man in the flesh. He did one time he he anointed Saul. He anointed Saul to be king and when he anointed Saul that meant that he committed.
Himself to solve that, Saul might represent him as head over his people. But Saul we know failed, and I believe that that's the only time we can say that God committed himself to man in the flesh.
And man proved that he could not bear that committal. He was not faithful. And so the Lord says he didn't. He says he didn't permit himself to man, for he knew what was in man. But we read in the second Epistle to the Corinthians how that God has anointed us.
He has anointed the believers. Those who find the assembly have been anointed of God.
That is, God has committed himself to us that we might be for Him in this world.
That we might bear his testimony, That we might preserve everything that is of himself.
And that we might dispense the blessing that he has for this poor world.
That's why the House of God is called a pillar in support of the truth, and the church is called the Christ or the Anointing. God commits himself to his people.
And I was thinking of the 31St Proverbs 31 in connection with the virtuous woman.
It speaks of the have her husband.
As he would go off to to his daily work, it says that the heart of her husband, Speaking of this virtuous woman, the heart of her husband can safely trust in her. He more or less committed everything of the household to her. He went off and he could safely trust in her to do what? To feed the household.
We read that and to clothe them so that she wouldn't be afraid of the cold because they were all clothed in scarlet and so to discipline them, but the heart of her husband could safely trust in her. And I, I thought of that's a little picture I believe of, of Christ the Lord Jesus committing his things to to his bride. We know, of course, we're not united to him as his bride yet, but we are those who have been espoused to Christ.
Virgin. And we would we would want to be like that virtuous woman and say that the heart of our Lord can safely trust in US of what he's been committed, what he's committed to us. You know, that's what Paul says to the elders of Ephesus.
When he called them to my leaders in Acts 20, he says I have not shunned.
To declare unto you all the counsel of God.
He says I've committed everything to you. The whole truth of God, it's all been committed to you.
Now The thing is, can the can the heart as it were of our husband safely trust in US? Well, God committed everything to the Lord Jesus as Christ. He says in the 11Th chapter of of this gospel that all things have been delivered into his hands.
God could safely trust in Him. He's the Christ.
Well, I'd like to look a little bit of this genealogy that we have here in connection with the thought of the Christ as being the one who was here for God, and you might say the one with whom the testimony of God was associated.
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The vast authority of the United one, and the testimony when God, if God, has a testimony in this world.
The first thing we can say, I believe about it is that that testimony will be supported by His word. It'll be validated by His word.
And I believe that's what the genealogy. The purpose of the genealogy in Matthew's Gospel is to give validity to the title of Jesus as the Christ.
He would not have right, he would not have the right to to be presented to the world. God could have never presented him to the world as the anointed, as the Christ if he were not of the lineage of David, if he did not have right and title to that place and the genealogy is brought in here to support the.
The title of the Lord Jesus is the Christ as the Son of David.
United 1 as the King.
And so the genealogy comes first in the Gospel of Matthew, you'll notice in verse one.
The birth of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Now it doesn't say the son of Abraham, the son of David, as one would think Abraham was prior to David. But David comes first. He's called the son of David before spoken of as the son of Abraham because he's presented in this chapter, in this God, in this gospel, as the anointed, the anointed and David.
Is typically the anointed man the anointed king?
So was it did not, did not fulfill the thoughts of God as to the United. That's why he was set aside and Samuel was sent to the House of Jesse to anoint David to be king. He's God's anointed man, the son of David, and he's a type of the Lord Jesus as the Christ.
So he is mentioned first before you have Abraham. But when we come to the setting forth of the genealogy, rightfully in verse two, it begins with Abraham. Well, you know, it's remarkable really to see how precise and accurate the word of God is.
I'm satisfied that the mind of man could have never written a book so precise and so accurate, without any slip UPS, without any flaws. It would take a divine hand with divine knowledge, a divine person, to set out what we have in the Word of God so accurately.
To see here that when he begins, the genealogy doesn't begin with David.
He began with Abraham as the father of the nation, and we go on down the line. But as I say, the.
It's all with a view of validating the title of the Christ. So we had to begin in in Matthew's Gospel, we have to begin with the genealogy.
And I'm thinking now in contrast with Luke's gospel.
Remember Luke's gospel? The genealogy comes in in chapter 3.
It comes in after we have the record of his birth. It comes in after we have the record of of an experience of his in Jerusalem as a boy of 12. We find the genealogy comes in after his baptism.
Upon the occasion really of his baptism, just after that we have the genealogy in Luke.
It comes in in the beginning, in Matthew, because you could not speak of him as the Christ without the the lawful right to take that title. And the genealogy establishes that. But you see in Luke it's not a question of being the Christ. In Luke what is emphasized is the manhood, the humanity of Christ.
That holy thing, that one who would be called the Son of God, the manhood of Christ. And so we find there that it's after we have demonstrated the perfection of himself in manhood, we have him as a perfect boy. Isn't that right? As a boy of 12, he's perfect because he's even then in the things of his Father.
And while he's in the things of his father, he is at the same time subject to his parents.
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That's perfection, isn't it, to have a heart for the things of God, an interest in the things of God, and yet subject to his parents because he was a boy of 12 Perfection and it's after the the Father exclaims from heaven, thou art my beloved son in thee. I'm well pleased and it seems to me as if the genealogy comes in.
To tell us where this man came from.
Because there's never been another man like him. There's been never been another boy like him.
And where did he come from? Well, you'll find the genealogy in Luke begins with Jesus and goes backward and goes right up to God.
It goes backward, whereas here it begins with Abraham and comes downward to Jesus.
He is at the terminus of the genealogy in Matthew, but in Luke.
He's the beginning because the genealogy begins there, as if to say this man Jesus.
And it treats him right back to God, Right back to God well.
But here we have the genealogy, as I say, validating his title as the Christ, which is in connection with the testimony. And keep in mind as we think of the of the Lord Jesus as the Christ, that now that he's gone back to the glory.
And there is the continuation of the Christ in this world, in the church.
I believe the Church is looked at in that way as a continuation.
Of the Christ, the anointed one now is the church, and the testimony is found in the church, the testimony of God. And so the the testimony is validated, you might say, even today.
I'd like to say this in regard to the testimony of God. You know, there's a difference between.
The testimony of God and what people speak of as being a testimony. We hear that expression sometimes someone say, well, I want to be a testimony.
To the Lord, well, that's all well and good. I know what they mean. They mean they want to honor the Lord.
They want to give a good account of themselves that they might be they might reflect the the graces of Christ and the the love of God and the goodness of God. And that's all well and good. But there is in Scripture the thought of the testimony. Paul says to Timothy, be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony. He doesn't say, don't be ashamed to be a testimony.
But be not ashamed of the testimony.
And there's a difference. The testimony is what God has established himself in this world as his testimony. Like in the Old Testament, the testimony of God was in Israel, nowhere else.
He established a testimony in Jacob.
And I think we read the other day in Psalm 122 how that Jerusalem, that whether the tribes go up to the testimony of Israel, that's the testimony of God was found in that people and specifically in the city of Jerusalem, nowhere else.
Not in Nineveh, not in Babylon, nowhere else except there the testimony of the Lord. But does that mean that God did not work anywhere else? No, that isn't true.
Now we don't if when you read the Old Testament, you may not be aware in reading of the Old Testament that God ever worked outside of Israel.
Well, I mean there are certain occasions like we know that like the Lord said that there were many lepers in the days of Elijah, but none were healed.
Except name and the Syrian that's outside of Israel.
But Naaman wasn't associated with the testimony of the Lord, testimony of God.
After he was healed, he went back to his own country, and he says, the good Lord, pardon me if he went into the House of his God and so forth. But God worked even outside of Israel, and that's true today. God may work anywhere.
God may work in any places, but the testimony of the Lord is not just where God is working. And sometimes there's confusion in connection with that. Some people think, well, if God is working over here, I want to be there. I want to be where God is working. Oh no, we want to be where the testimony of the Lord is.
We want to be where God has placed His testimony, and there's only one way we can find that, and that's through the Word of God. We can't find that place by looking around to see where God is working.
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God can work anywhere, and He does, and He always has. But he has a testimony and he establishes a testimony, and that testimony is validated by the Word of God. Just like here when the Lord Jesus came as a testimony to Christ in this world, it was validated by the book of the generation.
He had a right entitled to it, and so we want to remember that that God has a testimony.
And we find it through the Word of God, as the Spirit of God opens up to us, the mind of God in the Word, we will find where He has established his testimony. But I'd like to point out a few things in this genealogy that we might say characterizes the testimony because we can be sure of this, that God is not going to allow anything in the line of the genealogy that would be a blight on the testimony.
I think that's why Joseph.
Is presented here as a righteous man. In the Gospel of Luke, Mary is prominent, not Joseph.
Of course, the reason being in keeping with Luke's theme of the humanity, the manhood of Christ, we have the Mother, the one of whom Jesus was born prominent. But here Mary is only mentioned, as it were. By the way, Joseph is the prominent 1.
Because Joseph is the one who is in the lion of this genealogy. And Joseph.
Is the one who is not spoken of as the father of Jesus. Oh how accurate the word of God, how careful the word of God is a God in recording is there's never a slip. It's remarkable that that and I as I said a few moments ago, it's evidence, I believe of a divine hand. Notice how it reads in verse 16. We have this beginning all the way down in the genealogy. Jacob begat Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Of whom was born Jesus. It doesn't say Jacob begat Joseph and Joseph begat Jesus.
It says that Joseph was the husband of Mary because Joseph was in the line of the genealogy and the right or the title to be the anointed, the king came through Joseph.
As being of the lineage of David, it didn't come through Mary, it came through Joseph. So Joseph is the is the husband of Mary, but it's scripture is very, very careful.
To present it as it really was, he was the husband of Mary, but she it was of Mary that the the Lord was born by the Holy Spirit as the verses that follow show. But you notice in verse 19, then Joseph her husband being a just man or righteous. You see God would not have had an unrighteous man in that lineage right here. I believe that is the fault here is that he was he was a just man.
Righteous man, because righteousness is.
One of the characteristics of the testimony of the Lord.
And in the day of ruin we have in two Timothy 2. In the day of ruin, when.
Evil has been brought in to that which professes the name of Christ.
So that we have a great house condition.
We're told to depart from iniquity and to separate from vessels under dishonor and follow righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart, but follow righteousness because righteousness characterizes the testimony of the Lord.
And anything that is characterized by unrighteousness.
Is not the testimony of the law.
Anything that goes on with positive evil.
And allows vessels under dishonor is not the testimony of the Lord, it's not following righteousness. But now if you look at in the genealogy, the first thing I want to point out is that we have four women mentioned in the genealogy.
In verse three we have Tamer mentioned.
And in verse five we have Rahab.
And Ruth and in verse six her that had been the wife of your eyes Bathsheba 4 women are brought before us and we know, of course, that with each one of them there was some particular blot upon either their character or their lineage. Like Ruth Ruth was a Moabites and the Moabites were were excluded from the congregation of Israel, even to the.
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Generation.
She was one outside and had no place, no right, No title to a place of blessing.
The others were involved in Sin Tamer and Bathsheba and rehab, of course the harlot it brings before us persons who had no merit of their own.
Persons who had no claim upon God's blessing, who had no right nor title the blessing, but nevertheless were brought into blessing, each one of them brought into this lineage of the Lord Jesus.
I believe it speaks of grace.
That's another feature of the testimony of God. It's characterized by the grace of God.
The grace of God, that grace of God that bring us, bringeth salvation.
And that grace of God that teaches us, you see, because we read in Titus not only.
That it brings salvation for all men, but it teaches us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live righteously and soberly and godly.
In this present world, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ.
That's what characterizes the testimony Grace, not only the grace that saves in the gospel.
But the grace that would cause the people of God to be exercised about a godly walk and ways.
And I think of the number 4 two, and I suppose that most of us are.
Have some understanding that numbers are significant in scripture.
And the number four is used in Scripture to denote universality. As we read it, we know of the four corners of the earth in the four points of the compass, four winds of the sea, as you've spoken of #4 is the number that speaks of universality. So I believe it speaks of that, that universal grace going out to the whole world.
That's one of the features of the testimony. Not only righteousness, but grace.
Grace reigns through righteousness, we know. But now notice another element.
As we go on down to the through these kings of the lineage of David.
When we come to verse 8.
We read that ASA begat Josephine. That's Jehoshaphat.
In the Old Testament and Jehoshaphat begat Joram or Jehovah.
And Jehovah.
'S or Uzziah.
And I will turn back for a moment in the Old Testament to the genealogy, and we will see.
That between Jerome and Osias, Jehovah and Uzziah, there are three kings.
That are not mentioned here.
Someone might say, oh, oh, the rider made a mistake. No, the rider didn't make a mistake. It would have been very easy for Matthew.
Very easy for Matthew to have to have.
Resorted to the scriptures and look to the scriptures and read in the in the Kings and the Chronicles.
The kings as they went on down the line, and he would have known that that there was Jehovah has and Josiah or Joash rather and Amaziah.
That are omitted here. He would know that they were there, but they were omitted for a reason.
And the reason is not merely as we have in the 17th verse where we have 14 generations from Abraham to David and 14 generations from David to Le Carring way of Babylon, and then 14 generations in the caring way of Babylon under Christ. It wasn't merely to get that number. I believe we'll see in the Scriptures themselves a reason for the omission of those three names that God could not include them in the genealogy because.
What those 3 kings were connected with?
Had to be expunged.
To indicate that the character with which they were connected has no place in the testimony of the Lord. So turn back to First Chronicles chapter 21.
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Or rather.
The second book of Chronicles.
Chapter 21.
And verse one Now Jehoshaphat slipped with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Jehovah his son reigned in his stead. Verse 5 Jehovah was 30 and two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 8 years in Jerusalem, and he walked in the way of the kings of Israel.
He was of the tribe of Judah, but he walked in the ways of the king of Israel like as did the House of Ahad, for he had the daughter of Ahab Dwight.
He had the daughter of Ahab. And who was that? Athelia. And who was the mother of Athelia? Jezebel. Abraham's wife was Jezebel. Ahab and Jezebel their offspring. Athalia became the wife of this king Jehoram.
No doubt before he was king but became his wife.
Now notice we have after Jehovah passes off the scene in chapter 22 and verse 2.
40 and two years old was a Haziah. Now he's the youngest son of the king Jehovah.
40 and two years old was a his eye when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Athelia. The daughter, our granddaughter. It should be in the Hebrew it's the same word, daughter, granddaughter, the granddaughter of Umrah. Umrah, of course, was the father of Ahad. So Anthalia was the wife of Jeholem and was the mother.
Ahaziah was the offspring of.
You might see the family of Jezebel.
Offspring of Jezebel's family, now a haziah, is omitted in that genealogy.
And his son Joash is omitted, and Joash his son Amaziah is omitted. And then the genealogist taken up again in Uzziah 3 generations. And I believe the thought is there. I think we have a statement in Scripture and various occasions, how that God visits the iniquity of the fathers on the children. And even unto I forget the expression even of the 4th or 5th generation. But here we see that you might say.
Generations are omitted 3 Generations are expunged from the genealogy because of that hateful thing, idolatry. Introduced into the House of David. Introduced into the House of David through that wicked woman Jezebel. Jezebel brought it in, of course, to Israel. She was a Sardonian and a worshipper of Bail, and when she came in as the wife of Ahab, she brought in the prophets of.
Worship of Baal, and now it's brought into the House of Judah.
Because Ahaziah is the offspring, the offspring of that wicked woman, and so they're expunged.
Well, you know, I might just say a word to you in a very practical way in regard to this turn back in the Second Chronicles, I believe, to chapter 19.
Chapter 18 This man Jehoshaphat, You know Jehoshaphat was a good king.
And there were many godly features about the man, and he was as to his own walk, he seemed to be very circumspect.
But he was careless about his associations.
We read there.
In verse one, Jehoshaphat had riches and honor and abundance, and joined affinity with Ahab.
Ahab Now Ahab had Jezebel for his wife, and here he is joining affinity with Ahab. And notice what he says in verse 3. And Ahab king of Israel, said unto Joshua, king of Judah, wilt thou bear with me to Ramoth Gilead? And he answered him, I am as thou art, and my people as thy people, and we will be with thee in the war. It's sad to see this man Jehoshaphat so careful about his own walk. He didn't take up idolatry, he he.
Took away the high places out of Judah, but he was careless about his associations.
And the result of his affinity, where they have the result of his associating with Ahab.
His son Jehoram became acquainted with Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, and hear a marriage ensues. And so now that wickedness of Jezebel is introduced into the House of David, and God says the three kings that are descendants of that Jezebel are expunged. So when we go back to that genealogy in Matthew, we see that those 3 kings.
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Are omitted and we go from Jehovah to Uzziah.
Indicating that the testimony of God is to be in separation from evil.
Jehoshaphat didn't do that.
He joined affinity where they had and idolatry came in and that's what we find in the history of the Church in Revelation 2 and three, isn't it because the separation was broken down. Why there were those who who had the doctrine of Balaam. They were allowed in there in the midst to teach the people of God to to commit fornication and eat things, sacrificing to idols and then finally in Thyatira Jezebel.
Is permitted to teach and seduce my servants. Well, those elements are not to be found. And the testimony of the Lord. And we might say that where those elements are found, it's evidence that it's not the testimony of the Lord.
So back in the Gospel of Matthew again and that genealogy.
We find that.
This genealogy is presented to to validate the title of Christ. He, the Lord Jesus, is to be presented publicly as sustaining the testimony of God as the anointed one in this world, and God would validate that title, that place by the genealogy. Now the Church is in that place.
The church is the Christ, the Saints who formed the church, and God would would have his testimony to be according to the book. The Scripture would would validate that testimony and he would have it to be characterized by righteousness, that which is right according to his, to his precious word. He would have it to be characterized by grace, the grace that saves, that sends out the gospel, the grace that that teaches.
As to the godly walk, and he would have it free from idolatry. Anything that would displace Christ, anything that would displace God, anything that would bring in evil, anything that that would introduce the idolatrous elements of this world, he would have the testimony to be free from that, even as is indicated here in connection with the Lord Jesus as the Christ.
Now I would just like to say in closing that the 14 generations that are mentioned three times.
We know that three is the number that speaks of the fullness of testimony, 2 is an adequate witness, three is fullness of witness and testimony, and 14 would be twice times seven. I trust you don't think I'm getting fanciful, but I believe the numbers are found there and the number seven we know is the number of.
Completion and finality.
I think that we have here, we have the we've reached finality as to the testimony of God and the person of Christ.
And the church is not looked at as a new testimony, but a continuation of that testimony.
So that there is that when the church is taken out, we find that the judgment of God.
Comes into this world and the we The Kingdom is not really a time of testimony. The Kingdom is a time of display.
The present time is a time of testimony, and the church is the Christ, and to bear the features of the Christ and the features of the testimony that is seen in this chapter, shall we pray?
The Service of David's Mighty Men
Address—D. Bilisoly
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Turn to Luke's gospel chapter 22 Luke chapter 22. I really want to go to the Old Testament, but I believe if we read a few verses here in Luke 22, we may find we may discover a parallel to what I have in mind taking up in the.
Old Testament verse 19.
Luke 2219 And he took bread, and gave thanks and breaketh, and gave to them, saying, This is My body which is given for you. This do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you.
But behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table.
And truly the Son of Man goeth as it was determined, but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed.
And they began to inquire among themselves which of them it was that should do this thing.
And there was also a strife among them. Which of them should be accounted the greatest?
And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so. But he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he that is chief, as he that does serve. For whether is greater he that sitteth than mate? Or he the servant, is not he that sitteth?
Me, but I am among you as he that serveth.
Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations, and I appoint unto you a Kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me, that she may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom, and sit on Thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel and the Lord, said Simon. Simon.
Behold, Satan hath desired to have you.
That he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for thee that thy fate fail not, And when thou art converted, or should read restored.
Strengthen thy brethren. Well, let's pause there and think a little about this.
Hear the Lord Jesus, you know he's talking to the disciples about his sacrifice, the laying down of his life, and he's made remarks to them already. And now in the institution of this feast of remembrance, He plainly speaks of His body given for them. He plainly speaks of His blood.
Shed for them. Not only that, but.
He also makes it known that there is a betrayer in their midst.
And then how about the disciples? Oh, they're discussing verse 24. They're discussing among them who should be the greatest. Well, you know, brethren, one thing about the disciples, they were unfeigned. They tell it all out, as it were, and.
Our hearts are no different than their hearts. We know that and hear the Lord Jesus is so gentle with them. That's very instructive for our hearts. How gentle he was with the disciples of old. And he tells them, he says, now look, he says the Gentiles, the kings of the Gentiles, they love to have that recognition.
They love to be called benefactors.
And they love to be served, as it were, But the Lord reverses all of that if I can use that expression. And he says it shall not be so with you. No, He says he that is greatest among you. Verse 26. Let him be as the younger and the and he that is chief as he that does serve well.
The Lord Jesus gave the outstanding the supreme example of what he was saying.
He says I'm among you as he, the servant. And he proved that, didn't he? Over and again, even on that last occasion together in that upper room, he girded himself with a towel and he washed their feet. A real servant and set that example. He was setting examples before his disciples and I'm sure.
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When they finally received the Spirit of God and all of these things came back to them, as it were.
They remembered those things and they benefited in their souls. It's wonderful, isn't it, when things begin to register with us, maybe things we heard a long time ago. This is why it's very important to keep bringing the truth before our children. They may act as though they don't really hear, as though they're not taking it in, but we might be surprised what they do take in.
And just keep.
Presenting these things to them and, and repeat them. It's important to repeat things. You know, that's what they do in the schools. They just by repetition, they really drill a thing in as it were. And this is good for us too. We need to just keep repeating the word, the truth and the word of God to our dear children. And God can really make it good to them in due time.
But now, our gracious Lord, you know, you see the grace of the Lord Jesus loom out again and again.
Well, it says the law came by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. And what does he say? Verse 28 year they which have continued with me and my temptations. Oh, I think that's so, so gracious of the Lord to say that about these disciples.
Who were discussing among them who should be greatest? Well, one thing about their discussion, you know, they really believed who Jesus was. They were fully convinced that he was the Messiah, that he was the king, and they were anticipating the Kingdom. They had a hard time really getting beyond that thought. The crucifixion was a difficult thing to them. They just couldn't quite take it in and yet.
The scripture foretold of it that it.
There were illusions to it.
And the Lord spoke plainly about it, and yet they didn't really quite hear. It seems like we're that way sometimes we just don't hear what we don't want to hear. And if our minds are set in a certain way, like the two on the road to Emmaus, they said we had thought it was he that would redeem Israel, that is out of the hands of the Romans and established the nation.
And even before the Lord ascended up, you remember there in the first part of the book of Acts.
They said that wealth out this time restore the Kingdom to Israel. You see, they were thinking of those things.
And the Lord had to say, it's not for you to know the times or the seasons. No, He couldn't say anything to them then about those things. There had to be the Church period first, which they wouldn't have understood. And here we are still within this period of time. Nearly 2000 years has gone by and the time is hastening on when He will restore the Kingdom to Israel.
But that isn't the time yet. He's drawing a people out of this world.
For his own glory.
But he looks ahead here and he says in verse 29, And I appoint unto you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed me, that she may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom and sit on Thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel. Oh, I think that's lovely to see how the Lord rather than rebuke them and scold them and say how ungrateful you were for all of your thoughts about these things.
No, instead, he graciously reminds him, You will have a place in the Kingdom. You will have Thrones. You will sit at my table. Oh, brother. And that's marvelous grace. But.
Verse 31 is solemn to consider because Satan was looking, looking, looking for opportunities to take advantage of these disciples.
And just such discussions as they were having in verse 24 endangered them for the devices of Satan. And the Lord warns them. Now, brethren, I'll just bring this to your attention.
I believe this is one of the reason the King James translators chose the Middle English, because it best expresses.
These distinctions in these.
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Pronouns here.
For instance, you you see the word you hear wherever you have the word you. It is always plural in our translation.
But thee and thou is always singular.
Now you see what the Lord is saying.
He's saying Simon, Simon.
Behold, Satan hath desired to have you, everyone of you.
All the disciples.
That He may sift you, all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for these. Peter was the most endangered because he was so bold. And the Lord in a special way prayed for Peter. He knew what was going to happen. I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not. Well, those are very solemn things. But the Lord certainly had His eye on Peter.
And all the disciples.
In his loving care for them and ourselves too. Turn with me please back to first Samuel, second Samuel, I'm sorry, second Samuel 23. Now the Lord spoke about true greatness there in Luke 22 and he said he that is chief as he that does serve.
Now I believe we get a listing here.
Of those that were true to David and that sought to serve him Davide mighty men. Now I'm sure that this passage here in.
Second, Samuel 23 is rich with thought.
And I can only skim the surface of it, but there must be some tremendous lessons I believe we can draw from this thought, things in connection perhaps with the judgment seat of Christ. What I'm saying is this, that in this listing of names of those that were included as David's mighty men.
There are names there we have never heard before, and I believe that tells us that God keeps all the records and He sees what we don't see. And a person may not have a public part, but they're real faithful for the Lord. And what a difference that will make in the coming day. We just have to leave the values with the Lord. I've thought of that in connection with.
With Dorcas there.
In the middle of acts, where is it? I'm not just sure.
In the 11Th or 12Th of Acts.
Here is a woman that was simply seeking to serve the Lord in her care and interest towards the poor widows among them, and she died. And so here God sends the mighty apostle Peter to go and raise her from the dead. And this occurs right in the midst of these great works through Peter and through Paul.
And what was she doing? Was she was making garments for these widows?
And they so missed her and they were weeping over her loss. And God through Peter presents her back alive to them. Well, I've thought of that passage that God knows the values, you know, He has all the values and he recognized what is really done for him. Just like the poor widow that cast 2 mites into the treasury. Well, it was all that she had, even if.
Only cast one, it would have been 50% of what she possessed. So God knows the values. But here we have a listing of those that that really were faithful to David and here come their names up.
Let's read a little from verse one of this 23rd at first Second Samuel. Now these be the last words of David. David, the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, The spirit of the Lord, spake unto me.
And his word was in my tongue.
The God of Israel said the rock of Israel spake to me.
He that ruleth over men must be just ruling in the fear of God, and He shall be as the light of the morning when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds, as the tender grass springing out of the earth by the clear shining after rain. Although my house be not so with God, yet He hath made with me.
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An everlasting covenant, ordained, ordered in all things and sure.
For this is all my salvation and all my desire, although he make it not to grow. But the sons of Billy old shall all of them be as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands. But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear, and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place. I believe these.
Opening verses here.
Indicate the character of David's future Kingdom. Of course, we know there's only one person that can meet the qualification of that Kingdom. It has to be the Lord Jesus, David's greater son. David frankly admits that it was not so with his immediate house, but David had full confidence in the Lord to bring this about in his own purposes.
God made a promise with him, and David was simply resting upon that promise. But all you know, when the Lord Jesus, as David's great, takes control, what a marvelous time that will be for this world. A morning without clouds and as the sun rises even in the morning. Well, that's a millennial thought.
That's in connection with the beginning of that Kingdom.
Now, you know, in connection with these mighty men of David, everything that is reviewed about them, I believe, is in connection with the Kingdom. And after all, brethren, when it comes to a time of rewards in regard to ourselves, it will be in connection with our reigning with Christ. You see, Scripture speaks about crowns, crowns of righteousness, crown of glory.
Crown of life and all of these things.
Connected with a Kingdom and be thou over 5 cities, be over 10 cities. Such expressions as that indicate that the reward time will be in connection with the time of His Kingdom.
But now it seems that the Spirit of God is focusing upon a few names here of Davide, mighty men of verse 8. These be the names of the mighty men whom David had the Tacmanite that sat in the sea, chief among the captains. The same was Adeno the Ease knight. He left up his spear against 800, whom he slew at one time.
As far as I know, this is the only account that we have right away here. The first one mentioned is an unknown personality up to this point, but God have fully recognized the faithfulness of this man and what a tremendous victory and brother.
This victory was the putting down of a vast number of men all at once. But maybe, maybe only.
Between your soul and the Lord's is known. Some great victory you have had, I don't know, maybe no one else perhaps could share in a certain great victory you've had, something perhaps you've had to overcome in a special way. Well, the word of encouragement in the New Testament certainly is to the overcomer. Again and again we see that.
That God would address the overcomer in Revelation 2 and three. In every age of this churches period there have been things to overcome and each one of us individually have things that we have to overcome in life. But the Lord recognizes all of this. He keeps all the records. He knows of the faithfulness and the grace.
To overcome and an overcomer, you might say in simple terms.
Is one who goes on with God in spite of things, and we're all faced with things to overcome. So the Lord keeps the records. I'm thankful of that. And I'll be so happy to see my brethren rewarded and honored for their faithfulness in those things that they had to overcome. Oh, I don't think anybody here has had to face 800 men at one time and put them down. Tremendous victory, but.
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Umm. How was he able to accomplish a thing like that?
Were these been that we read of? Were they more than ordinary men? I don't believe so. I believe that they had such an example in David. Now that's the the key to the thought. I believe that their minds, their hearts were on David. He was their example. Well, I I really believe that the Lord can help us.
He can enable us to overcome anything that we must be faced with.
By His grace and by having him as our object, all the dear Saints of God all through the ages have been faced with things, and the Lord has helped them to be overcomers. So here we see what a victory this man got. Verse nine. And after him was Eliezer, the son of Dodo, the whole height, one of the three mighty men with David.
When they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together.
To battle. And the men of Israel were gone. Away he arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword. And the Lord wrought a great victory that day, and the people returned after him. Only to spoil. Well, you can picture that, can't you, The battle that Eliezer was in.
It was such a battle that there was no opportunity for any rest, no.
No chance to get a little break. It was a matter of life or death. And he couldn't lay down the store for one moment. And so the sword claved to his hand. Have you ever had that experience? Maybe framing up something using a hammer a lot? And your hand gets so weary, as it were, and you go to lay down the hammer and you feel your hand very stiff. You know, the tendons are so sore and stiff you can hardly let.
Go as it were. Imagine a person so tightly engaged in a battle, the enemy coming at him from all directions, and he can't let that sword go. And finally, when the enemy is put down, he can finally lay down and relax. I can just see him flat on his back, exhausted, and that sword still cleaving to his hand. What an interesting picture.
I'm sure the Spirit of God is has got a lesson for us in all of this.
You know, here is the sword of the Spirit, and dear ones are, is this cleaving to our hands? Is this what we're using? You know, we can't meet the enemy in our own strength or by our own wisdom. I observed and listened in on a young Christian that was trying to meet the arguments of an infidel, and he wasn't getting anywhere with it. He was trying to use a dull sword. He was trying to match him in his own intelligence.
And another Christian came up and applied the word of God in a skillful way and closed the mouth of that infidel. That was so good to see that other Christian simply used the sword of the Spirit in such a way that the enemy couldn't resist it. The enemy was put down. So let's let this sword truly cleave to our hands. There's nothing to equal it.
And the Lord brought a great victory that day, and the people returned after him, only to spoil.
Oh, the Lord's able to do that. You know, he told Gideon that he would defeat, defeat those Midianites as by one man. And I believe it could have been that way. I believe the Lord would have given Gideon alone that victory. He didn't even need those 300 men. I believe the Lord would have done that. And then you've got Shama here in verse 11.
And after him was Shama, the son of Aggie the high right, and the Philistines were gathered together into a troop where was a piece of ground full of linerls, and the people fled from the Philistines.
But he stood in the midst of the ground and defended it and slew the Philistines, and the Lord wrought a great victory. Do you know what littles are? They're very insignificant. They're just a very, very small vegetable. And you might say, was it worth it?
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Indeed, it was worth it that food belonged to the people of God. He was not going to yield it to the enemy. I think that's remarkable. And others may have criticized him and said, do you think it was really worth the risk? But what does it say? It says the Lord wrought a great victory. Well, brethren, let's think of it this way.
Let's leave the estimation of it to God.
I mean, to press on in the little testimony to the truth of the one body, to take a defense of it, even though others might say, oh, you're such a small group and we're doing such great things over here, and what are you accomplishing? Oh, let's leave the estimate up to God. See, let's leave it to him, because in this account it says the Lord brought.
Victory. So let's be concerned about his thoughts about it and let's have our values right like dear Shama, who wouldn't give up that little patch of ground that was food for the people of God. Now this next part might even raise greater question as to the folly of the risk. Verse 13.
And three of the 30 chief went down. You know, we have so many threes here in 30s and what have you. I think it's an abundant testimony.
I don't know how far to take that thought, but certainly we have an abundant testimony to God's thoughts about these things. And so here's three of the 30 chief. Now mind you what the Lord Jesus said there in Matthew or in Luke 22 heated that his chief as he that does serve. And here's some chief that could easily have said to their men. Now look you men, we have something that we feel we should do. You go get the water for.
But no, no, let's read on here. And 30 and three of the 30 chief went down and came to David in the harvest time under The Cave of Adela. And the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rifum, and David was then in an hold, And the Garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. And David longed and said, oh, that one would give me drink of the water.
Of the Well of Bethlehem that is by the gate. Well, I don't know what your boyhood experience is, but I can look back in my memory and picture a setting underneath a a trestle up in Leiden Junction in Colorado.
Where my grandfather had a well, they didn't have running water in their house in those days.
Especially where he worked, it was kind of an outlying area, so there was no electricity or running water. So I got just a little taste of the early days when we'd go up to my grandparents. Anyway, grandfather had this well underneath this train trestle, and there was no water in the world like it. It was so delicious.
And my brother Bob and I would go down there and Granddaddy would pull up a bucket of water and we would trade off, you know, drinking from that delicious. Well, it was always cool, right? Midsummer coming out of that deep well under the trestle. So I can look back in my boyhood memories and understand such a thing as this. And here is David that has, you might say, two things.
Hindering him from the enjoyment of this water.
From the well of Bethlehem. One is that Saul was chasing him like a Partridge on the mountains. He did not have free access to go anywhere. Another thing here were these garrisons of the Philistines in the land, blocking the way, as it were. And here's David longing. You know, I can't help but believe that there are some prophetic thoughts.
In the longings of David here because.
In the prophecy of Micah it says something like this. And now Bethlehem, Africa, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall come forth He that shall be ruler over my people, Israel.
Whose going forth are of old from everlasting. So here's a prophecy that spoke of the one from Bethlehem that would be the absolute ruler over the people. And actually the thought conveys the idea that he was God. Who's going forth our goal from everlasting. And David is longing. You see, He's the true King, and yet here he is in rejection. He's in this cave of Adelaum.
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It took faith, if I can put it that way. It took faith for these three chiefs to come and to.
Cast in their luck with David because at this particular time only those that were in debt discontented and.
Oh, I can't remember the other thing about them, but they certainly weren't the pick of the crop.
And here come these chiefs. They gave up their position, as it were, and they identified themselves with David. And now another thing that comes before me is this, that they must have been near enough to David to hear the longings of his heart. I'm sure that David didn't shout this out. I'm sure he didn't speak out loud. I can just picture David thinking and as it were, talking out loud.
Maybe a loud whisper. Oh, that one would go and get me water from the well of Bethlehem. Here I am in such a state of rejection.
Things are so out of order, you know. But you know, these dear men, I like to think of it this way, that David's wish was their command. Brother, doesn't that speak to our hearts? What does it take? You know, we should be so ready in heart to respond to him, and I believe He's made His will clear enough unto us. Like someone said, we certainly don't need to pray.
As to whether or not we have the Lord's will when a scripture is so plainly stated like.
This do in remembrance of me. We don't have to question that that's so clearly put and.
That's made plain to us that that certainly is the desire of his heart. And how difficult is it for us to respond to that request? We don't have to break through any garrisons of the Philistines to get to the meeting room. We don't have to fear that we'll be shot down by an enemy like Saul, you see, and so.
We have the liberty to to come and to answer to that request, but I think this is so excellent.
These deer men, you know, they never lifted a sword. They never put down 800 at one time. They didn't accomplish anything that would have drawn great recognition by the others. Their act was purely an act of devotedness. Oh, brethren, I am confident that every little act of devotedness on our part, the Lord is writing them down. He's putting them in His book of remembrance.
Maybe no one else sees or knows what we're doing as an act of devotedness to the Lord, just even the enjoyment of Him. Do we even just simply give Him thanks and talk to Him as one that we greatly appreciate? Oh, he, he, He would remember that. He'll record that and hear these dear men.
They went immediately. They rose up. They breakthrough the host of the Philistines. They drew water.
Out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, they took it. They brought it to David. Nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out.
Unto the Lord, you know, the apostle Paul said, if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I join, rejoice with you all. Paul was ready to do that if it were necessary. He was ready to be poured right out as a drink offering for the good of the Saints. That's a spirit and attitude of these men. They were ready to pour out their life's blood if necessary to do this for David. No wonder David wouldn't drink that water. It was.
Even though he longed for such a thing, it was too sacred. It's just like David. It's not surprising that he would pour it out. He said be it far from me. Verse 17 O Lord, that I should do this. Is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? Therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men seems to me that the Spirit of God draws more attention to this act of devotedness because that's.
All it was was an act of devotedness, and David well understood what they did. Oh, I think that's lovely. Now here's a solemn note to this listing. In verse 18, we have Abitier, the brother of Joab, mentioned as being one of the chief, and he accomplished some remarkable things here too, as we noticed.
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And we see also that.
References made to Joab in verse 24. Asahel, the brother of Joab, was one of these. 30 chief.
And also I think Joab's armor bearer in verse 37 as he elect the Ammonite, mind you not even a true Israelite, was one of David's mighty men. And also Uriah the Hittite in verse 39 was not even an Israelite and he's listed as one of David's mighty men. So you see the Gentiles come into the picture too. But here is 3 mentions of Joab.
And yet he was not ranked with David's mighty men.
Was Joab a mighty man man Oh, there's no question that he was a real warrior. There's no question that he was a mighty man. But let's think of it this way that Joab did not really have a heart for David. He shows it in different ways. And finally, he he betrays his treachery against the throne of David right at the end time and loses his life under Solomon as soon as.
Come into power he's like one of the rebels that that slips through into the Millennium yielding feigned obedience and he's finally put down I think it's very instructive that in that I believe it's the third chapter of first kings all in one chapter the old enemies are put down and I believe that's a little hint of how it'll be in the Kingdom that right away these rebels will show their.
And be put down South. Here we see these men doing great things all through their inspiration of David.
Here's a banana, quite a bit of said historically about him in verse 20, and he did some unusual things he put down to lion like men of Moab, or I think the margin or at least one rendering of it indicates heroes. And then he actually slew a lion in the midst of a pit in the time of snow.
I would suspect that he slipped down.
I would suspect that he fell into that pit. I don't know. And here he had no choice, couldn't get out right away. There was a lion also, and he had no choice but to meet that lion and was able to overcome that mighty beast under such a handicap. And then in verse 21, he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man, and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand and so forth.
I believe we have in thought here those three enemies of the believer, the flesh in that which would figure the heroes of Moab, as it were.
Satan certainly is looked at as a lion, a roaring lion, and the Egyptians certainly figures the world. And here you got the three basic enemies of the believer flesh, Satan and the world, and we see that there is power.
To overcome as it were. But David being there object their example. Well anyway, as we read on down through this list here in chapter 23 we see name after name after name that there is no other mention of these names. And there again, I believe it just tells us that God knows and keeps all the accounts and we may be in for some surprises.
When we get home to the glory, now turn over to 1St Chronicle. No, it's twelve First Chronicles 12. We have a similar list in the 11Th chapter of these mighty men.
Some differences.
But Chapter 12 seems to take us a little farther.
First Chronicles. Now these are they which came to David to ziglag, while he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kish. And they were among the mighty men, helpers in the war Now.
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The setting here is farther on. See, because at ziglag this was coming near the end of David's rejection. This was right on the threshold of his Kingdom.
Back in the last account we have The Cave of Adela in focus. That was at the very first of David's rejection. But now this is toward the end of the rejection, and it seems to me the thought comes before us that.
This was, as it were, their last opportunity to identify themselves with David before.
He came into the Kingdom, and the Kingdom was established to him. And so as we notice, many, many of Saul's brethren of these men of Benjaminite were falling out unto David in verse two and and verse 3.
And.
And then in verse 16 we notice. And there came of the children of Benjamin and Judah to the hold unto David, and David went out to meet them, and answered and said unto them, If he become peaceably unto me to help me, mine heart shall be knit unto you. But if he come to betray me to mine enemy, seeing there's no wrong in mine hands, the God of our fathers, look there on and rebuke it.
Then the spirit came upon Amazon, who was of the chief of the captains, and he said.
Thine are we, David, and on thy sight, thou son of Jesse, peace, Peace be unto thee, and peace be to 9 helpers, for thy God helpeth thee. Then David received them and made them captains of the band. Well, it looks like a total surrender. Good thing, but they would have lost out come the time when David asserted his full power and authority over the Kingdom. And so.
Well, we're beginning to see now tremendous falling out to David.
Their last chance, verse 19 And there fell some of Manasseh unto David, and so forth. And verse 22 For at that time, day by day there came to David to help him, until it was a great host, like the host of God.
And many, many of these are kindred of Saul. Now notice here.
To get the true perspective of the picture, it says.
Verse 29.
And of the children of Benjamin, the kindred of Saul, 3000. For hitherto the greatest part of them kept the ward of the House of Saul, you might say, What does that mean? The greatest part of them kept the house, the ward of the House of Saul. I believe it is simply telling us that they would not, they would not give up their dedication.
To Saul, To the House of Saul. They recognized that David was the king.
But.
Some family fidelity or tribal fidelity or whatever it was.
Detained them, hindered them from identifying fully with David. They were the losers. They were the losers when David came into the Kingdom. But oh brethren, can I put it this way and I don't mean to to cast a slide on to families because.
We thank God for the way in which He works in families, but to me it seems an exceedingly tragic thing to recognize that God does delight to come in and to bless families and then to turn around and allow families to keep us from fully honoring the Lord, if you follow what I mean.
Sometimes dedication or fidelity to a family.
Will take people out of fellowship away from the Lord Jesus that's tragic that's pitiful The greatest ward the greatest part of them had kept the ward of the House of Saul. That's a that's a sad note and God recognizes.
Faithfulness wherever we see it young men verse 28 oh certainly he values all the young men he wants them to go on in trueness of heart and.
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Even people that might be famous in the House of their fathers. Verse 30. The Lord certainly recognizes their willingness to share with Him in His reproach. Just like he said to the disciples, year they which have continued with me and my temptation. He valued that very much.
Notice verse 32 and of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do. The heads of them were 200 and their brethren were at their command. I think that's good, wholesome thought for ourselves. How good it is if we have understanding of the times, if we recognize what is necessary, what needs to be done.
Their brethren were at their command. It shows that their wise judgment and discernment in things gave them weight with the others. Verse 33 of Zebulun such as went forth to battle expert in war with all instruments of war 50,000 which could keep rank. They were not of double heart.
Well, what are we learning here? They knew how to go along properly with their brother.
Before God they weren't at variance, they were able to keep rank. They were in step, as it were for the Lords glory. Because there was not doubleness of heart. The object was pure. It was David. You know I took up this passage one time back east.
And a brother came to me after the meeting.
And I didn't know anything about him and he said, were you insinuating that I was out of step with my brother?
And I said, brother, I don't know what you're saying. I said, is it something that bothered you? I said maybe the Lord, maybe the Lord was saying something to you, but I have no idea what you're talking about.
Well, I'll just tell you plainly, I believe, I believe that brother was very out of step with his brethren and the Lord took him home suddenly within a few months after that.
He was so out of step.
They were not of double heart. Oh, how wonderful it is if our object is pure, if it is Christ that you speak the same thing, that you be of the same mind. You know, that's the exhortation that we have in the New Testament. And if we really have the person of the Lord Jesus Christ beer for our hearts, we won't be out of step with our brother.
No, no, there'll be one cause and one objective.
Well, it looks as though the Spirit of God records all these things. Verse 38 All these men of war that could keep Frank came with a perfect heart to Hebron to make David king over all Israel and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king. Well, that's all it takes, you know, if there's a pure object.
Then all the problem is removed. And there weren't, there were.
Many occasions of disagreement between these tribes, but when they had a pure object, no problem. They're all of one heart. They can all keep rank. And what a lesson this is for us in the assembly. So in verse 39 it says, and there they were with David, three days, eating and drinking, for their brethren had prepared for them.
I suppose this is the closest thing in parallel to a a conference of the present day.
You know, some of us had the privilege of being over in La Mirada for three days, eating and drinking with the greater David's greater Son in our midst, and our brethren made nice preparation for us. We all agreed to that. It's lovely. Moreover, and they were nigh. Verse 40 them even unto Isekarns, Zebulun and Nephili brought bread on ***** and on camels and on mules.
And on oxen and meat and meal cakes of figs and bunches of Raisin and wine and oil and oxen and sheep abundantly. For there was joy in Israel. Well, I think those things spiritually could suggest to us those precious things brought for our spiritual enjoyment to the meeting. And we can all enjoy and share in those things the joy of wine, of the activity of the Spirit of God, the oil.
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And all those things that would suggest to us the person in work of the Lord Jesus Christ, then there's got to be joy. If he is the object, if everything truly centers around him, there's going to be joy and blessing.
For there was joy in Israel. Well, brethren, the Lord certainly wants us to rejoice in Him. We had that so much in the meetings. And even though we can't rejoice in circumstances.
Always He is the same, yesterday, today and forever. We can always rejoice in the Lord. And what a happy thing it is that we're able in any measure to go on together in peace and really enjoy the Lord together. After all, this is what heaven is all about.
And every hindrance will be removed at that time, but is to His glory when we seek by His grace to go on together, keeping rank until the Lord comes. He'll reward for that, for the effort to really follow after things that make for peace, and to hold fast that which we have, that no man take our crown to fully recognize.
The great privilege and responsibility we have.
Is being gathered to His precious name, where He is in the midst. Nothing to duplicate it, nothing to equal it in the world. Shall we pray?
The Believers Two Natures
Address—G.H. Hayhoe
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The Lord's help tonight I'd like to look at some scriptures about the two natures in the believer. And let's begin with John chapter 3. John chapter 3. There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, the ruler of the Jews. The same came to Jesus by night and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher, come from God, for no man can do these miracles that thou doest except God be with him.
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, He must be born again. The wind blows where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth? So is everyone that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, we speak, that we do know, and testify that we have seen, and you receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, Even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.
That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Well, as I said tonight, I would like to speak about the truth of the two natures and the believer. And here in the third chapter of John we have the Lord Jesus talking to a man, a master in Israel, and bringing before him the importance of new birth. Nicodemus thought that all it was necessary was good teaching, and so he said, Art thou?
We know that thou art a teacher. Come from God.
No man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. But the Lord Jesus immediately, almost abruptly, says to him.
Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God. And that is, it's very important for us to see that salvation is not the improvement of that fallen nature with which we were born. It's naturally as we have in Jeremiah. It says the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Who can know it?
So that nature with which we are born is a Fulham nature.
It's one that is incapable of pleasing God. They that are in the flesh cannot please God.
It is so bad that it cannot be improved, and so the Lord is bringing before Nicodemus this master in Israel.
That it was necessary to be born again. You know, there's a wrong idea in the minds of many in the world today that new birth is really a sort of a change in their lives. But in the Scripture, it's an entirely new life that God gives to the one who believes. And that's why the Lord brings this soul so solemnly before Nicodemus.
And in the fifth verse he says, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.
We know that in the Scripture, water is often used as a figure of the Word of God.
And so we find in Peter's epistle it says being born again, not a corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. James and his epistle says that we are.
Of His own will begat he us by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of His creatures, and we know that in Ephesians chapter 5.
Water is used as a figure of the word. It says that he might sanctify and cleanse it by the washing of water by the word.
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So we can see this, and more than this, Nicodemus ought to have known from the Old Testament scriptures.
How the Lord had spoken of this in regard to his people Israel. In that future day when they will be brought into blessing, He'll put his law into their hearts and in their minds. He will write them, says he will sprinkle clean water upon them and they shall be clean, and a new heart he would put into them.
And so new birth is the action of the Spirit of God through the Word of God.
A spirit of God applying the Word and imparting new life. Nicodemus understood how a child was born into the world, but he couldn't understand new birth. And so the Lord says that it's an entirely new life that is given. So that which is born of the flesh is flesh. It never improves. And this is very important. And I believe as we look at other scriptures, we'll see that it's necessary for us.
Recognize this, that that fallen nature that we receive by our natural birth cannot be improved. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Now you know some people get occupied by whether they can with whether they can remember when they were born again. But what the Lord says in this eighth verse I believe is important. He said the wind.
Where it lists us, and I'll hear us the sound thereof. But canst not tell when, whence it cometh, and whether it goeth. So is everyone that is born of the Spirit. That is, you never heard, you never saw the wind in your life, but you've often seen the results of the wind. You've heard it, you've seen trees moving in the wind, you've seen dust flying. But you didn't see the wind, but you saw the result of it.
And when a person is born again, he has a new life, and it's not a question of remembering a special experience that you went through, But if you're a true child of God, there are certain things that will characterize your life. It says if any man love not our Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha. If I met a person who told me that he was born again.
But I didn't see any affection for the Lord Jesus. Why? I would have a very great reason to question whether he really was born again, because the character of the new life is affection for the Lord Jesus, a desire to please him. And so the Lord is really saying here that the way we know whether a person is born again is that we see the result of it.
Many have been very discouraged because.
They couldn't point to an actual experience in their life that they could remember.
But none of us can actually remember when we were born into this world. It's our parents that know that, and we don't actually remember. I remember a dear old sister down in the Maritimes and she had been brought up in a Christian home and in her childhood, in a simple way it opened her heart and received the Lord Jesus. And someone else who had been brought to the Lord later in life was asking her.
When she was born again, well, she said, I can't just recall. I know as a child in a simple way, I put my trust in the Lord Jesus and this person was quite concerned that she couldn't remember. And I thought her answer was very sweet. She said, but my father knows and isn't that a very blessed thing? God knows when he gave you new life and when you were born into the family, but the way.
That we know it is the result that is seen. Our hearts respond to the claims of the Lord Jesus and others can see too in the fruit that is produced. The man made a loud profession in the Gospel meeting and you saw no evidence in his life. It's not the profession, but it's rather the evidence in the life that would show that he possessed a new life.
And then the Lord Jesus goes on to put it before us in a very, very simple way.
And I believe what the Lord says here is very important in regard to salvation. First of all, in the 13th verse the Lord says, and no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. I believe this verse brings before us in a very striking way.
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The deity or the Godhead glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.
That is, while I'm talking to you, I can't be in another place at the same time. Here I am standing here, but I can't be in two places at once. But while the Lord Jesus was talking to Nicodemus, he could say that he was on earth. He said, No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man, which is in heaven. So while he was talking to Nicodemus.
He was in heaven at the same time. I asked a little child in the Sunday school.
How could that possibly be? And her answer was so blessed, so simple, she said.
Because Jesus is God now that's the answer. And if a person told me that he didn't believe.
That Jesus is God. I would have a very grave reason to question whether he was a true child of God. You know, there's a very solemn verse in Isaiah. It says I am God and beside me there is no savior. If the Lord Jesus is not God, he couldn't be your savior. There's another verse in the Psalms that says.
None can by any means redeem his brother and give to God a ransom for him.
No man can redeem another man. So the Lord Jesus speaks of this blessed and important fact of his deity, who he is. And Jesus is really God, God the Son. And then he brings before us in the next verse the work of salvation. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, Even so must the Son of man be lifted up.
When the children of Israel had been bitten by those serpents.
Then the ones who look to that serpent lifted up upon the pole.
They were healed and so at Calvary we see the Lord Jesus lifted up, and it 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 of God in him. I see the Lord Jesus on Calvary's cross made sin for me, bearing the judgment as we sang in our little hymn. God who knew them, that is our sins, laid them on Him.
And believing thou art free, so we have his person, and we have his work, and then we have eternal life. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. So new birth is founded upon what the Lord Jesus has done upon the cross.
It is true that there were those who lived in the Old Testament who were born again, but it was always in view of the Cross.
And when the Lord Jesus did that work, he made remission for the sins that were passed, and those that had been committed by David and Moses were laid on Jesus at the cross. And so we see here then the simple and yet blessed truth of new birth. And I'd like to say, just to make it very simple, that before I was saved I only had one tenant in my body, and that was the fallen nature with which I was born.
A nature that loved sin.
A nature that was incapable of pleasing God had that foam nature which God tells me.
In it in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. But when I was born to the family of God, then I received a new life. And we look at a couple of scriptures that show us the character of that new life. But from the very day that I was born into the family of God, my body became like a house with two tenants before I was saved. Just had that one.
Fallen sinful nature. But now God has communicated to me a new life.
I've been born into his family and one of his children by new birth.
Let's turn over to what God tells us about this in Ephesians chapter.
3-4 I believe it is Ephesians chapter 4 verse 21. If so be that she have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus, that she put off concerning the former conversation. The old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind.
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That you put on the Newman.
Which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
The turnover to Colossians, chapter 3. Colossians, chapter 3.
And verse four, when Christ, who is our life, shall appear.
Then shall ye also appear with him in glory. And then one more passage in First Epistle of John.
First Epistle of John and the third chapter.
And the ninth verse, Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin.
For his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
I might say that in Ephesians chapter 4 in the other translation it is having put off concerning the former conversation the old man, and also in the 24th verse having put on the new man. It is something that takes place when we are saved. God brings us into an entirely new position.
Standing before him and he sees us in that new position.
But I wanted to mention what God has to say about the character of that old fallen nature. The old man, it's called. He says it's corrupt according to the deceitful lusts we read in John 3.
We read that which is born of the flesh is flesh. It also tells us in Romans they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Again the Lord Jesus said it is the Spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing. Another verse in Philippians 3 says and having no confidence in the flesh. So what I want to bring out is what God has to say about this.
Nature, he doesn't have one good thing to say about it. He says it's corrupt according to the deceitful lusts. It's totally ruined and ruined by the fall. And So what has God done? Why he's given us a new man, and the new man is created in righteousness and true holiness. A righteousness is as to our position before God.
Holiness. The word holiness means delight in good and abhorrence of evil.
That's the character of the new life. And then it tells us in that passage you read in Colossians that it's the very life of Christ. It also mentions in 2nd Corinthians 4 that the life of Jesus might be seen in our bodies. And then it goes even farther in 2nd and 1St Epistle of John and the third chapter to tell us.
That when we are born of God that we have this life.
That cannot sin. Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin, and his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin. So I have within me two natures, one called the old man. That's corrupt, that's bad. Everything that God has to say about it is that it's totally ruined and that it's evil. And then he tells me that he gave to me a new nature, a new life.
The very life of Christ.
The Lord Jesus could not sin and we possess His life. Christ himself is the believers life and it's that new life is created in righteousness and true holiness.
And so God is telling us the character of this new life that he has given to us. And so the shall I put it this way, The old man can't do anything but sin, and the new man can't do anything but please God. And you and I, when we get to heaven, will not have a different new life than that that which we already possess right now, if you are a true child of God.
You have the same life that you're going to possess in heaven. I believe that's why it says in Jude.
Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
That is, we possess the life that's suited to heaven. And I love to think that when the Lord gives the shout and calls us home that we're going to feel totally relaxed because we have a life that is suited to that scene. We'll never have to guard against an evil thought. We'll never have to say no to anything because everything in that whole scene is suited to God, and the nature within us responds to all those things.
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Because it's the very life of Christ. Oh, had a blessed thing to know that we already possess that, and that's why it tells us looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Let me illustrate it like this. Supposing we took a fish out of the water and we placed it on the dock, and there it is. It possesses a fish life. It's out of its element. While it's sitting there upon the dock, it still has a fish life.
But it's out of its element. And as the fish could talk, it would say, please put me into my element. I'd like to get back in the water. And you know you and I possess that life and that's why we long to see the Lord Jesus. If an unsaved man get into heaven, he wouldn't feel happy there at all any more than putting a cat into the water. Why it doesn't feel at all at home. That's out of its element totally feels very uncomfortable. It doesn't have.
Suited to that. But the fish does. That's home to it. And if a man who hasn't been born again got into heaven, he wouldn't be happy there at all. But you and I, who are children of God, we love the Lord Jesus. His presence is our home. But now I'd like to look at a few scriptures that show what God has done about that fallen nature with which we were born.
Because he tells us very carefully in his word.
That he has taken up that whole question, not only of our sins, the wrong things that we have done, but the very nature that produced those sins.
You know.
Perhaps some of you have read the book called Pilgrims Progress and perhaps you remember in the story how when Christian came to that cross with a bundle of sin upon his back by there, he looked at the cross and the bundle of sin rolled off his back into the sepulchre, and he was so happy that his bundle of sins were gone.
But if you read The Life of John Bunyan, you have perhaps discovered.
And that he really wasn't a happy delivered man because the rest of his life he was struggling with the fallen nature that produced those sins, and he didn't know what God had done about that. And I tell you what my father used to say, and I thought he put it very nicely, he said when John Bunyan looked at the cross there, if he himself had fallen into the sepulchre, sins and all, and come out a new man, he.
Been a delivered man, but he didn't know that the cross was the end of John Bunyan as well as the end of his sins. And this is true of many, many true Christians. And so they go about all kinds of ways of trying to improve themselves after they're saved because they don't know what God has done about that nature. Some try to strive to a point of holiness. Some seek a victorious life.
Kinds of things. Whereas if they would just sit down and listen, like the Lord said to the children of Israel as they stood on the banks of the Red Sea, He said, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. And the Lord wants us to know what He has done about this, because He has taken up the matter of that nature. Let's turn over to Romans now.
Romans chapter 6. He'll begin at the first verse. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
God forbid, how shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein?
Knowing not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into or unto His death, therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death. That like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, Even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death.
We shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection.
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin, for he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him, knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dieth no more.
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Death has no more dominion over him. For him that he died, he died unto sin once.
But in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that she should obey it in the lust thereof. Neither yield you your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the.
And your members, as instruments of righteousness unto God for sin, shall not have dominion over you, for you're not under law, the law, but under grace.
In the first part of Romans, He brings us all in Jew and Gentile is guilty before God, and He tells us what God has done about our sins. It tells us in the end of the fourth chapter that the Lord Jesus was delivered for our offenses and was raised again for our justification. That is, our sins were laid upon the Lord Jesus. He bore the punishment for both sins, and there's not one sin.
Charged to the believer, but after settling this question about our sins, then he takes up the question of the nature that produced those sins. And that's very important. That is what is spoken of as the old man. And he's explaining to us in this chapter what God has done about that old man, he says.
How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein? And those brethren, has to do with what we might call our standing before God.
And our standing before God is, ye are dead, and your life is healed with Christ in God. The actual practice of it is working yourselves to be bred indeed unto sin, but alive unto God. Perhaps I could illustrate it like this. I'm a Canadian solution and as a Canadian citizen, when I cross the border, we'll say into the United States, I have to declare.
That are a Canadian citizen by birth. But Buddhists suppose that I decide to become an American citizen, I'm accepted and I become one. Then I have a moose standing in the eyes of the government officials and when I enter the United States, I don't have to say I'm a Canadian citizen. I say I'm a naturalized American citizen. I'm in a new standing, a new.
Before them. And you know, that's what happens when you're born again, you're brought into a new position before God. And if the officer was to say to me, well, there used to be a person who crossed here named Gordon, and he was a Canadian citizen, what's happened to him? I could say, well, as far as the United States government is concerned, he's dead. There's no such person in their eyes anymore as a person named Gordon.
Canadian citizen. I died out of that position and I entered a new one. And this is what He's telling us here. And so I act differently because I'm in a different position and He's bringing before us the practical result. But I must know my demanding. If I didn't know that I'd been accepted, then I would be very uncertain as I try to answer the question. But I must know what my standing is. And brethren, God wants us to know where He has put us.
He has brought us into this new position. And what happened about that old man? Our old man was crucified with him. And why? We'll turn over to the 8th chapter and the.
3rd.
For what the law could not do, and that it was weak through the flesh, God sent me his own Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh.
If you have some rotten lumber, what do you do? You try and improve it. No, you condemn it. You say it's no good, it's rotten. And that's what God did. He condemned sin in the flesh. And so he tells us that that which he condemned was crucified. It was put to its end.
At the cross, and we recognize that in baptism. And so when a person is baptized and placed under the water, it's really the recognition and that God has put an end to that nature in which we were born, that fallen nature. It's condemned, it's been crucified, and in baptism it's buried. And so we're brought into a new position. Isn't it a blessed thing to know this?
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To enter into it and to enjoy it. And this is what God has done, and he wants us to know it. And then when we know it, he brings before us the practical result in our lives. A man said to me in connection with the law, he said, when did God set aside the law? I said, does the law have anything to say to dead men? And he said, no, I don't suppose it does. Well, he said it. I said it tells me in Romans Chapter 7.
That I'm dead to the law by the body of Christ, and married to another, even to him that is risen from the dead.
That's why a Christian is not under law, because he died to the law. That isn't that God set it aside. It's lawful to use it on unsaved people. But for the believer, there's a much higher standard and a much greater reason why he should please God.
A man who couldn't understand this. He thought that as Christians we should be under law. They were going along the street. Another Christian man who was rejoicing in his liberty in Christ.
And they were going to go into a still orange just before they went into the store.
This brother caught hold of the man who thought he should be under law. And he said, now listen, don't steal anything while they're in that store. And he said, what kind of a man do you think I am? And he said, well, the law said thou shalt not steal. I was just reminding you of what the law said. Well, you can see we're in a new position. Why didn't you steal in the store? Because you're under law? No, because you have a new life. You have a new object. You have a person whom you want to please and the life.
God has given you, is created in righteousness and true holiness, and now he's telling us that we have a right to reckon ourselves dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. And then he goes on to say that we once yielded our hands, our ears, our eyes, everything to what the old man wanted to do. That nature with which I was born, the whole world is set up on that process.
All the advertisement and everything is making an appeal to the fallen nature in man.
Because that's what man does. He yields himself to the desires of the old man, to the fallen nature.
But God said that old man was crucified at the cross, and I see you in a new position, and you act as if you were in that new position.
And so when a temptation is brought before a believer, why, instead of letting the old man deal with the situation, we're told now you've got a new tenant in your body, a new life, and it says, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
And so this to put it simply again.
Why there are two tenants in my body, but I only recognize one as the lawful tenant?
The other one is no longer the lawful tenant of my body. The lawful tenant is the new life that God has given to me.
And so how blessed it is to enter into and enjoy this. And he's making it very simple. When he says yielding your members, he's just talking about the members of your body. And he said that we should let that new life, that new tenant be the one who directs the the movements of our body, not because we're under law, but because we're under grace.
We're saved by grace. We stand in grace.
But grace teaches us God, having saved us and brought us into his family, now says, I've given you a life that wants to please me. And I've often said this. And God will never ask you as a Christian to do anything that the new man that he has given you doesn't find delight in doing. That's why it tells us in John, his commandments are not grievous. That's why James calls it the law.
Because to please God is the desire of the new life.
Do you ask your boy to do something that he doesn't like to do? That's *******. But if you say here is a dollar, go to the store and get something that he's been asking for for a long time, why, That's liberty to him. He enjoys doing that because that was something he wanted. And God has given you a new man that's created in righteousness and true holiness.
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But he's telling us here in these verses what he has done.
In connection with that old man with which we were born, it was crucified with him.
And if we understood baptism, why that's what was placed under the water, it was that we recognized it. Just as when a person is sick while you do all you can to bring that person back to health, but once they've died, there is no other thing to do but burial. That's the end. And that's why it says once you've recognized the dead, then baptism is the figure of that. It's a figure of burial. It's the end and the recognition of it before God.
Now if we turn over to the 7th chapter of Romans, I believe we have the practical application of it. And this may be helpful to some here tonight, perhaps young believers, because.
I might hear a person say, well I understand what you're saying, but I still have a big conflict because I don't understand why I still find within me that I want to do those wrong things.
So it tells us here.
In 14th verse.
For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do, I allow not. For what I would that do I not, but what I hate that do I if then I do that I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
You can see here that there's a conflict and sometimes if you read the chapter, it seems to me that.
The one who is going through all this exercise in the chapter, in one breath he is calling the old man I, and in another breath he's calling the new man I. He's really not reckoning the old man dead, but he's acting as if both of them had a right to say what he should do. And so he says, I do the things that I don't want to do, but he must learn.
That God has done something about that old nature, and I believe this chapter brings before us in a practical way.
Deliverance in our lives. Now there are three things that I'd like to point out.
First in the 18th verse. For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing, for the will is present with me. But how to perform that which is good I find not. And this is the first thing, and I believe it's a very important thing for us to.
Get hold of in connection with the truth of Deliverance.
That is, that there is nothing good in the flesh. Perhaps after you were saved there was some bad thought come into your mind. And then you said to yourself, I never thought a Christian would think a thing like that. And well, that just shows that you didn't really believe what God said about the fallen nature, because if you didn't expect anything good from it, then you wouldn't be surprised at anything.
That was suggested by that fallen nature. Oh, you say I thought it would have improved after I was saved. No, God condemned it. He says it's corrupt according to the deceitful lust. He says that which is born of the flesh is flesh. There is nothing good in it, and it doesn't improve. After you're saved. You might tie up a dog for a year and then let him loose. You haven't changed his nature. He might bite somebody the day you let him loose.
He wasn't any better.
When he was tied up, he was just restrained, that was all. And you might restrain the old nature, but you don't change it.
It's corrupt. And so Paul had to learn this and.
I remember a brother illustrating it like this one time. He told about two railway men and they were comparing their watches. And in the days when I was a young man they were very, very anxious that they their watches were accurately correct and they were having a little discussion which one was correct. And there were only 20 seconds difference between the two men.
And they were having little discussion and another man walked up to them and he said, sirs, did you want to know the right time?
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And they said, yes, do you have the right time? And it pulled a very cheap watch out of his pocket and says yes. And he told him the time wasn't 10 seconds, it was 10 minutes out. And they looked at him and they looked at his watch and he said this watch has never disappointed me. And they were still more surprised, never disappointed me. He said it never disappoints me because I never trusted. And you know, you'll never, you'll be disappointed in the flesh if you trust it, but you'll.
Be disappointed in it unless you expect something good from it. If you expect something good, you'll be constantly disappointed. But God himself didn't find anything good in it. He condemned it. Our old man was crucified with him. And so this is the first point. Get hold of this. And this is, shall I say, almost like the first step to understanding in a practical way, deliverance in our lives.
Don't expect anything good from that fall nature.
And that's why we need to constantly say, preserve me, O God, for in thee do I put my trust. We need to constantly remember that he that trusteth in his own heart is a fool. And so this is the first thing. And then he says in the 19th, in the 20th verse rather.
Now if I do that, I would not, It is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. Well, here we find that He has come to the point now where He doesn't call both those natures within him. I He said it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. That is the fallen nature.
Is sin that dwells in you It's.
More I it's no more I, It's sin that dwelleth in me. Let me put it like this. Supposing before you were saved there was something that was a particular sin in your life. When you get saved, you're so happy and your newfound joy in the Lord.
You say I'll never want to do those things again because now I'm saved and I love the Lord Jesus and I want to please Him. But as time goes on, perhaps through the neglect of the Word or other things, why the heart gets a little bit cold and then someone comes along and makes a suggestion that you do those things that you did before.
And you say to that friend, no, I'm saved now. I don't want to do those things anymore.
After your friend has gone away, the devil comes along and says he didn't say the truth. You know that you wanted to go and do that, and you told him you didn't want to, and you didn't tell the truth. And you know you can come to the point of even doubting your salvation over things like that because you wonder why it is that you did want to do them when you didn't think you ever would again. But you didn't tell a lie. You told the truth. You just let the right tenant answer the door.
Did the Newman want to do those things? Did he want to? No. You could say no, I don't want to do them. It's true you have that old man within that still wants to do them, but you're told to reckon that dead. As it's been said, if a man was a drunkard and he just loved strong drink, when he's dead you can put all you like in front of him and it has no appeal Why he's dead. He's dead.
And so when the enemy comes, remember where to reckon ourselves dead indeed unto sin. And so instead of being upset, doubting your salvation, why, you've realized there's nothing good in that flesh, in me that is, in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. And you've learned to associate the eye with the new man. And so whenever anything is presented, you can say, I want to please the Lord.
And it's the absolute truth because you still have within you the old man, and the old man still wants to do the wrong things. It isn't improved since you've been saved. And this is what God shows us that He has done. He's taken up this question for us so that we might know not just that our sins are gone, but that we might know deliverance from the power of sin.
Well then he goes on here.
And he says in the 21St verse, I find then a law, that when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death.
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I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind, I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh, the law of sin. He says I understand these things, but I still have a conflict. And he says I'm wretched because every time those things come, I don't know how to get rid of the temptation. Perhaps that's what someone is saying here tonight. It's very nice to know those.
Things. But I don't know how to get rid of that temptation when it comes. And that's what he's speaking about here. He says, oh, wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me? You notice he doesn't say how shall I get deliverance, But who? He's now looking outside of himself. He's not going to get deliverance. Someone has said he'll get just as dirty fighting a chimney sweep as hugging him. Did you ever try to?
Bad thoughts? Well, I certainly have. I've sat at the Lord's table and tried to fight them away. And you didn't find yourself very successful. They just kept coming back. But what would you do if there was a chimney sweep that wanted to get hold of you? I don't think you'd fight with them. I think you'd get away from him. And he is showing us here that there is a deliverer. And that deliverer invites us to look to him and find that deliverance in him.
I use a little illustration here that.
I think may help to bring this home because you know, we can be so wretched because we find that old nature popping up.
Let's suppose now that I want to build a little garage for my car behind my home, and I've saved up a pile of lumber which I'd like to use to build this garage. And so I hire a Carpenter and I say I'd like to put up a garage and I'd like to use this lumber that I've been keeping here.
To put it up well, the Carpenter goes out to look over the pile of lumber and.
He comes back shortly and he says, well, I guess I have bad news for you. Your lumber is all rotten. I won't be able to use that lumber. I'll never be able to build a garage. You say, aren't you a good Carpenter? That has nothing to do with it. He said. I'm a good Carpenter and I've got good tools, but the lumber's rotten and I can't do anything with rotten lumber. Well, that is bad news, isn't it? But let's go a little further, he says. But I also brought.
For you, he said, I brought a pile of good sound lumber for you. We'll use that lumber and it's not going to cost you anything. Now wretchedness is turned into thankfulness. You were miserable when he he just thought, oh, I feel so badly because that lumber has been condemned. That's what God did. He condemned sin in the flesh. But now you change and thank him and you say, oh, thank you very much.
Thank you. The old lumber didn't improve, did it?
It's still as rotten as ever, but you're giving thanks because you have that new pile of lumber. Are you making yourself miserable because you have a fallen nature? Are you thanking God that he sees you dead, having died out of that position, and he sees you alive in a new position? I tell you, if you get hold of that, you'll be thankful. You'll be rejoicing. You'll be saying, oh.
I surely can understand that I have so much to be thankful for.
Well, that that old lumber doesn't improve. In fact, the longer you leave it there, why, the worse it's going to get. And perhaps you might say, well, I know Christians that seem to be happy. I don't think they have such a pile of rotten lumber inside of them as I do. We all have it there, brethren, every one of us. But some of us have learned what God has done about it, and we're just giving thanks that He's given us a new pile.
Let's suppose to carry on the story a little bit that the Carpenter goes away and.
You start talking it over, perhaps with your wife. And so the next morning you go out and say, I can't believe it. I think there's some sound lumber there. I'm going to look over the pile myself. And you start pulling the pile apart, looking for some good pieces in there and.
The Carpenter comes by and he sees what you're doing. He says, what are you doing? Well, I felt so badly when you went away because I couldn't believe it that there was no good pieces there. You know, I feel a lot better if I could just find a few good pieces there. He says, listen, it's all bad. I checked it all. And he said, you're just making yourself wretched for nothing. And he takes a tarpaulin and he throws it over the top. And he says, now give thanks for the new.
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Is it going to improve under the tarpaulin? No, it's still as bad as ever. And brethren, that old fallen nature is going to be rotten to the very end of our journey.
Saints of God who have grown older have sometimes got away from the Lord and dishonored him. And why? Because that which is born of the flesh is flesh. But oh, how wonderful that we can give thanks that God has brought us into this new position. The new man is created in righteousness and true holiness.
And so he says, who shall deliver me, not how shall I get deliverance? So next time that temptation comes and Satan presents it to the fallen nature, he always does, why just look up and say, oh, I'm so thankful God's given me a new life that wants to please him and he sees me in Christ. And that's why the next chapter goes on and he says there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in.
Jesus, that's where God sees you. Have you been condemning yourself for having that fallen nature? God says I don't see you that way. I see you in Christ and there's no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. This is the believer standing and now it tells us here in the second verse for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Perhaps I could use a little illustration in connection with that verse when it says the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
God has not only given you a new life, but He also has sent his Holy Spirit to indwell you, and the Holy Spirit is the power for that new life. And so the law of the Newman, that is the ruling principle at which the new man always delights to do, is to please God. And so he says, that is what has set us free.
You know, here's a book and if I let that book go.
The law of gravitation would take it to the ground, wouldn't it? Would it be possible for me to set that book free from that law? That would take it down without changing the weight of the book and without changing the law of gravitation? Well, supposing I attached to that book a balloon with helium gas in it. Then you'd see the book start to go up. I didn't change the weight of the book, and I didn't change the law of gravitation, but I set it free.
Because I brought in a new law, and that's what God is telling us here.
The way you get free from a bad thought is to allow the Spirit of God through the Newman to occupy you with Christ.
And so the next time that bad thought comes, instead of saying, I didn't think a Christian would ever think that because Christians are capable of anything if the Lord doesn't keep them. But well, I just think what God has done about that horrible old man and allow the Spirit of God through the Newman to occupy you with Christ. And then you're set free. Not by improving the old man or changing it, but you're set free.
The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus that made me free from the law of sin and death. Well, brethren, it's a very blessed thing to get hold of this. It's more than just knowing your sins are forgiven In the Scripture. When it speaks of our sins, those are the evil things we did. But when it speaks of sin, the old man and the flesh, it's talking about the nature that produced those sins. It's just the difference between an apple tree and the tree.
And the apples that grow on it, you could pull off all the apples, but it's still an apple tree. And you don't change the fallen nature, but God gives you a new one. He tells you what he's done about the old. He tells you how to get deliverance. And he points you on to the glorious day when we'll have glorified bodies and we won't have that old man within.
When we get to glory, we'll be able to relax because we won't have the old man within us.
And then what a deliverance that will be when we're forever with him, as it says, to hear see thy face and hear thy voice, and grieve thy heart no more. But just before I close, I just want to say this because we're talking about the believers standing. Perhaps someone might say, But what about when the believer sins after he's saved? Could I carry my illustration about the lumber a little bit farther?
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Supposing after the carpenters starts to put up this.
Garage for me. I go out to that old pile and I pick out what I think is the very best piece in it. And I say, I'm going to nail a couple of these pieces into the building because I don't really believe they're as bad as he said they were. And then he comes along in the morning and he says, oh, what's happened here? And I said, well, I thought those pieces weren't so bad and that they would do. He said they've got to come out, they can't be in this building.
And so, you know, we sometimes do let the old nature act. We sometimes, as it were, lift the cover and let the old nature act. And God tells us then we have an advocate we need to get restored. I better tell the Carpenter I'm sorry because that was displeasing to him. And you know, when we let the old man act, we have an advocate with the Father. Let's keep short accounts, own it to the Lord and get restored.
But what a blessed thing to know that God has not only settled the question of our sins, but he himself took up the question how that fallen nature brought us into a new position. And he says now just give thanks for this new position. I brought you into living the good of it and allow the Spirit of God to occupy you with Christ. And that's the only way that you'll be set free from the actions of that.
Fall nature which never improves. Well May God bring our souls into the enjoyment.
Place into which He has brought us not only forgiven, but the righteousness of God in Christ justification of life. Let's thank Him more and more for what He has done. I think there's a little Him 289.
If I remember correctly, yes, 289 no condemnation, precious word. Consider it my soul. Thy sins were all on. Jesus laid his stripes.
Have made thee whole 289.
No condemnation.
Precious.
Word causes.
Her all of Jesus.
Name.
Is right, I've been home.
And glory.
By his name.
Philippians 2
Address—C.E. Lunden
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The return to Philippians, the 2nd chapter.
I'd like to read though from the 27th verse of the previous chapter, and I want to read it in different parts so that we'll just read a section first.
We read down through the fourth verse of the second chapter to start with.
Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ.
Whether I come and see you, or else the absence, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, and in nothing terrified by your adversaries, which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation and that of God.
Frontier, it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake, Having the same conflict which she saw in me, and now here to be in me.
If they've been there for any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies fulfill you, my joy that you be like minded having the same love being of 1 accord of one mind.
Let nothing be done through strife or Vainglory, but in loneliness of mind. Let each esteem one and other better than themselves.
Not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
The subject that we have in this epistle is quite different from what we have in the other epistles.
We don't have exactly the believers seated in the heavenly spoken of, nor do we have the truth of Colossians like we have the other day, but we have rather the the ordinary Christian life before us, normal Christianity and we we read in these verses about.
The word same through other expressions, but they mean the very same thing, that is that there should be 1 mindedness in the assembly.
And the way that is accomplished is that everyone is walking communion. There can only be one mind. That's the mind of the Spirit.
And that really is the thought of the unity of the Spirit.
As we have in Ephesians 4. But here's the practice of it the.
And so it's what is normal here in this world for the Christian, so that the same Spirit that starts with the Spirit, the same Spirit and the same.
Or one spirit, same thing, one mind. The spirit will only bring.
The same thing to each one.
One mind as to our conduct and walk down here in the fellowship one another.
The Spirit of God is not the author of confusion.
And there is a confusion where the Spirit of God is in control. And so he says also striving together for the faith of the gospel. And now, of course, in the first chapter he mentions the fact that when he was in prison and he was here, but there was some who were taking advantage and were making a way for themselves, even in preaching the gospel. Envy and strife.
Some of goodwill, but the apostle rejoiced regardless.
But still those who were carrying on in this way were not going on in oneness of spirit and.
So he speaks here of this and you'll notice too.
Having the same conflicts, same conflict. Now I know that the apostle Paul went through a great many things that you and I will never be called upon to go through. But the principle of it, the same conflict because the world opposes Christ.
We find ourselves being opposed by the world in one way or another in our walk through this world. And so we're to have, we have the same conflict as the apostle and it says, which she saw in me and now here to be in me. He was in prison.
We're not all called upon to go through prison. Of course some are. And so he on that basis, he says if there be there for any consolation in Christ, any comfort of love, any fellowship of the Spirit, then he bowels and mercies fulfill you. My joy that you be like minded like minded.
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Having the same love being of 1 accord.
In one mind, now this is normal Christianity, this is what is supposed in an Assembly of God that represents Christ down here in this world, and he's spoken of this. He now sets before us the Lord Jesus as the example of it. Now I know we use this passage, this following passage that we're going to read on Thursday morning in connection with his death and suffering, which is proper.
But I believe that the Apostle is sitting before us in this book.
Primarily is the graciousness of Christ, how he conducted himself. Will it be in his walk through this world or whether it be at the cross? His whole path is one of grace. This is especially brought up out in the Gospel of Luke, heavenly grace. So we'll read this this part now.
I know there are, there are very steps. We're not going to speak of that, but simply to read it and comment a little on it. And I left this mind. He's been Speaking of being one mind. I said let this mind.
Be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.
Being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation.
And took upon him the form of a servant, who was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that is the name of Jesus. Every nation bow things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.
Heavenly, earthly and infernal beings. Really, the thought.
That every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the Lord, the glory of God the Father. Now here we we have before us the example in this book of how we should conduct ourselves. Grace should be the pattern.
With a believer now this is natural with us, you know?
James, was it not James and John who were the sons of Thunder? And yet look at the lovely epistles and gospel that John wrote and the language he uses in the epistles. I know it's inspired, but it was intelligent on his part as well as inspired. He, he added in the very thing he wrote, I'm sure, and walked in it, at least in measure. So there's supposed to be, you know, some change when one becomes a Christian.
There should be in evidence in our lives that we have been in the presence of Jesus, and that's what we have here, the one set before us in this chapter and how He carried himself even in the most extreme circumstances, you know, we never called upon, of course, to go through.
Extreme circumstances as a rule, but still there's the everyday life and it's being tested continually. The enemy is always setting things up for us to test us. And how do we respond to it? Do we carry on in this way? We do it for walking communion. It isn't a question of exhorting anyone to.
To use the flesh in effort to do it.
The point is to be exercised that we have that one pure object before us continually, and this will be so with us. These very things we've been reading about will be so. There will be a proper conduct. There will be that fellowship and one mindedness in the assembly. And if there isn't, there should be an exercise in our souls. Why this is so. We don't have sin in this epistle. We do have two sisters that have a little difficulty, but no sin that I know of is mentioned and.
That is true of normal Christianity. There should be no sin allowed and there isn't if we're walking in communion. You know, dear ones, that when when we were saved, we were brought directly into communion and it's only sin that breaks up. We are in communion. We don't seek to be in communion. We are in communion. It's a happy thought.
We break it if we sin.
And how often has been the case with us. We have to confess, and we are restored by our advocate to that happy place again of fellowship and community with our brethren, with the Lord, first of all. So we have the Lord before us. And of course we've been over there so many times about his sufferings and his death, but I was.
Primarily wanting to speak of the fact that He is the example for us of this line of things that we have in this epistle. The gracious way in which He conducted Himself at every turn is the picture before our souls here, the Lord Jesus Himself. Now I'm going to read in the 12Th verse.
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For my beloved, you see wherefore. Wherefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in My presence only, but now much more in My absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings or reasonings, that you may be blameless.
The word is simple and harmless. Harmless and simple.
That you may be harmless and simple, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked, perverse, really generation. Among whom you shine, it should read among you appear among whom you appear as lights in the world.
Holding forth the word of life, that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain. Yay. And if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all. For the same cause also do ye joy and rejoice with me.
There's another subject following this. Now he says, wherefore the apostle is in prison. He was with them. The very fact of their being alone now without the apostle gives them opportunity to exercise the for these principles that are involved.
In the assembly, the conduct and so on.
And the working out of their own salvation. Now, some have even thought that this first meant that they were to work, to have salvation. But of course, that's not the meaning. He's speaking to those who are already saved. It's not a question of working because there's no way that you can have salvation by works. It's all by faith, simple faith in Christ. If you're here tonight unsaved, remember that just one touch in the hem of His garment of faith.
Means eternal relationship with Christ. Isn't that precious?
One touch of faith, because it's all the work of God. How precious and how simple the truth is. No, they have a salvation, but now how do they carry it out?
And that's the point here. It's the everyday life of the Christian.
Well, we'll notice first of all he speaks of fear and trembling. Is it the thought that we're afraid of God? No, that's not the thought. But certainly if we love someone, we don't want to displease them, do we? And there is a path for faith. And so it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do. Of His good pleasure. The new nature always wants to please Him, the old nature doesn't. So it isn't difficult to tell then.
Which nature's at work doesn't Is it? You want to place him a new nature. It's God that is working. It's the work of God in the soul. Both are willing to do notice that of his good pleasure.
Now his good pleasure is found within the pages of this book. We may find even that in the Old Testament which will instruct us in it. And so we find all of Scriptures profitable or that instruction. The book of Proverbs, for instance, how important for the for the home, for the children and the reason of the the difficulties today with families, whether in the assembly or outside is because the book of Proverbs is not read. The principles of the book of Proverbs are not being.
In the first place, the father and the mother many in many instances have not taken their true place connected with nurturing and admonition. Besides that, there hasn't been the desire perhaps on the part of the children to follow the word of God. And so we find sometimes some very sad conditions both inside and outside of the assembly. So we have all of Scripture. It's important do all things without murmurings and reasonings and so I'll often we.
Now if we have the mind of the Spirit of God, we don't reason. The reasoning is setting ourselves up against the word of God, setting man's mind against the word of God. We were warned of that in Colossians reasonings. That's disputing here that she may be blameless or harmless and simple. Now that's not the way the world teaches us.
The children of school are taught to make something of themselves, to be something in this world.
But that's not the teaching of Scripture, not to be anything in this world, but about the pattern that we've just had before us. He made himself of no reputation. Reputation is what you are before men. Character is what God forms in you, and He forms it in the little ones through the parents. And then parents may not even be saved, but if the children are, they're to obey their parents and they're very disciplined and love of the parents.
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Will have its part in form of the character of that child.
Under the hand of God through the parents. So it's important for the children even to recognize the truth that they're to obey their parents. Be subject the sons of God. That's what we are for the sons of God were the children of God too, and were the sons of God. Do not rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation and how we feel this today, crooked and perverse generation.
But it says among whom ye appear.
His life now, it isn't the thought of any effort to shine. That's not the thought. The thought is if you and I are going on normally, according to the scripture and communion, we will appear as lights down here. It'll be manifested in the world, the testimony that we carry as the sons of God. And that's so important. The effort of the flesh has no place in it. I was, I was on a train and I went to the counter next to the dining room to get a sandwich at noon. There's quite a crowd there.
And I saw the steward walking back and forth, placing guests at the tables and taking these checks and so on. And I could see it was a Christian. I've never seen him before, but I could see he was a Christian. So I pulled a tract out and put it right in front of him, right through the two lines in front of me. He stopped, and he says I'm a Christian, too. He took the track, went on with his work.
In the afternoon he came to me, found me in the train, sat down and he told me how he'd just been saved recently.
You see it all over him. Didn't have to be told Among whom you appear as light swirl. There's no effort there, was there?
He said, Do you have anything with you that I can lay on the table? My wife is a Catholic. She won't read anything that I give her. If you have some little thing I could give her, I want her to be saved, and I did. I had some things in my bag. I've never seen him since. Among whom you appear as lights in the world. Well, this is natural to normal Christianity. Some of us have to confess how short we come of this now. Pierre's lights, but falling forth the word of life.
Now the apostle speaks of this in a very special way.
He says that I may rejoice in the day of Christ. And what's the day of Christ? Well, it's the day when Christ is going to have everything the way he wants it, and you'll be with him. Be a wonderful day. It's not the day of the Lord. It may parallel the day of the Lord at least part way, but it's not the day of the Lord. The day of the Lord is on the earth. The day of the Lord is the day of darkness and not light, but the day of Christ is when Christ is going to have his bride with him and have everything the way he wants it.
Be a wonderful day.
The apostles speaking now of rejoicing in that day because of something, what is it? It's what the Saints are doing that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain. And why does he speak of this in this way? Because he's in prison. He had formally said a dispensation of the gospel is committed to me. That is, God had entrusted the apostle Paul with a special line of faith, the gospel.
This fullness is completeness as we had in Colossians one chapter completing the word of God. He's in prison, he can't carry it out. And these Saints that Philippi taking the work up and they've gone out with the gospel instead of the apostle.
Nice as my work is going to be completed.
That lovely. But there's something else here, he said. That I may rejoice.
In the day of Christ, because there's going to be fruit seen in that day. Now that's that's a line of things that should encourage us because we should plow and hope. You know, you don't know when you say a few words to somebody, whether it's going to mean a blessing for their soul or not, but you hope you do it in a sense of hope. I remember there, there were some, we were talking about the age of brother rule some years ago. It was in Des Moines.
Who had made the remark that in all the years that he had preached and so on, that he had never known of one convert?
Standing by, she said, well, I was one of his converts. He didn't know it, but there was fruits, you see, It was just, well, perhaps he didn't know it, but he's going to rejoice in the day of Christ. And that sister that speaks over the fence to her neighbor, she's got to rejoice in the day of Christ too, when the fruit appears. No, we don't look for the results now, but it's faithfulness that is the point. Are we faithful? Are we going on in a normal way that a Christian should conduct themselves in this world?
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If we will, there is fruit, and we know there is. First Corinthians 15 tells you absolutely that you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Isn't that comforting that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain? There's a positive side here that should encourage us tonight. Now we have something lovely.
He said yeah and if I be offered.
Upon the sacrifice and service of your faith I joy and rejoice with you all. For the same cause also do ye joy and rejoice with me. Now the thought is a libation or of drink offering. Ford, Ford. If you read in the in the book of Exodus about the morning and the evening sacrifice, the lamb was offered. It was a meat offering, though spoken of in that way.
A bird offering, but it also was a meat offering. But there was a part of a hint of wine and part of a hint of oil.
It was poured over it. Now that's a picture of joy going along with the offering and there was just the same amount of of oil, which is this a picture of the Spirit of God as there was wine which speak of things of joy same amount. There won't be any more joy than what the spirit brings. It's the spirit that brings it turn with me for a moment back to.
Genesis 35 And God said unto Jacob, Arise.
Go up to Bethel and dwell there, and make there an order unto God that appeared unto thee when thou fled us from the face of Esau thy brother. Now that he's referring to the 28th chapter of Genesis, remember when Jacob slept with a stone for his pillow, and God made a covenant with him, or promised really, Jacob made the covenant. Then Jacob said unto his household.
Until all that were with him put away the strange God that are among you.
Be clean and change your garments. Let us arise and go up to Bethel, and I'll make there an altar unto God, who answered.
Me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went. And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods that were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears, The 2GO together, and Jacob hid them under the oak, which was by Shechem. And they journeyed, and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.
Now go down to the ninth verse. And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Peyton Arum and blessed him. And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob.
Not be called anymore Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name. And he called his name Israel. God said unto him, I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply a nation, and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings should come out of thy loins. And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac to thee will I give it. I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land. God went up from him in the place where he talked with him.
Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone.
He poured a drink offering thereon, and he poured oil thereon, and Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him Bethel. Now in this passage, Jacobs is brought back to Bethel just as God had promised him. Why was Jacob delaying to go to Bethel? Because he had idols in his house. He couldn't go to Bethel with idols in his house because he had already said this is the House of God, this is the gate of heaven. You remember that in the.
Chapter He couldn't go to Bethel with idols in his house. And as soon as God says that Jacob, you go to Bethel. Then Jacob said to his family, you put away these idols.
But he had to get the word of God first. Oh dear ones, remember, you can never take one step of faith except it's directed by the Spirit of God. And that's why we need to be in communion. Can't do it in the flesh. It's God that told him to go to Bethel. And God goes before every step we take, ever so little. It may be that he goes before and he orders the way, and he clears away all the idols too. And so if this is the condition of your house tonight, remember.
God, and God alone is the one.
That kind of stuff, things right in your house.
How could he go to Bethel with idols?
So immediately he realized that God sends him to Bethel, he'll have the power to cleanse his house, but he couldn't do before. And at the same time, God renews again all those promises that he made on the ground of Jacob's faithfulness, because Jacob had already proved.
00:25:01
That he was unfaithful in Laban's house and all.
He was a clever schemer. No, Jacob couldn't get blessing in that ground. He was beginning to learn the sovereignty of God. The blessing must come on the ground upon which God acts and acts in his sovereignty. That's the only way blessing can come. And so Jacobs now so overcome with joy that this has all taken place in his house. Everything is cleared up.
It's clean. It says clean. Morally, of course idols are gone. Everything's gone. That's wrong. And he.
Takes and fours out a drink offering with the oil on the rock.
Only once in his life that I know, he did this. He set up a rock for an altar before, but he didn't pour any wine on it. And so you see, it's a picture.
Of extreme joy because God has come out to do for him what he could not do for Himself. Have you had this experience?
God coming into your circumstances to do what you cannot do for yourself. I'm sure it's an occasion of real joy.
Now that's what we have in our chapter tonight.
The apostle was in a position where he could not carry out what God had given him to do.
And when he sees that God orders the hearts of all those Saints to go out and preach the gospel and do the work that he was supposed to do, he's so overcome with joy. He says, on top of your service, I'm going to pour out my life as a libation. And he was beheaded not long after that sacrifice of joy. Well, now and the rest of this passage.
He's Speaking of the fact of rejoicing with them all for the same cause also. Do your joy and rejoice with me. You see, it was the same spirit.
Apostle.
It was a normal thing without assembly. It's true they were young and learning.
But it was a normal thing that there would be the one mindedness with the apostle if they were in communion, when all we desire this.
Little assemblies here and there. If we could only manifest this oneness of spirit character. What a testimony how we would appear in this world is lights. That's what God intends, that we appear as lights. No effort of the flesh. No, just appear as lights. Now in the 19th version on we have another subject. In the first part of this epistle we have.
Deacons mentioned.
And the elders or bishops. But the apostle is in prison.
And there is no continuation of appointment of elders and deacons. The Saints are going to have to work out their own salvation.
That is, they're going to have to discern in the assembly those that God has fitted for that office, because it's a question of office, not gift. In the assembly. There are offices of those who have a care, whether it be in the spiritual way or in a natural way. Now we have in the third chapter of first Timothy, detailed instructions in an outward way how we could.
Notice who it is in the assembly that would fill this place.
But here we have the moral qualifications because it's more it's more than just a man.
Who has children? And so on.
All these qualifications mentioned in the Epistle of Timothy.
There has to be something underneath at the same time inside, and that goes with this book. Now, I wouldn't say for a minute that Timothy was an elder, nor would I say that.
Papaditis was a Deacon. But I say that God brings truth in in different ways in Scripture. He hides it here and there. It's the glory of God to conceal a matter. It's the honor of kings to search it out. And so right here in this epistle where it belongs.
He gives a moral qualifications of a Bishop or an elder, and a Deacon will notice them. But I trust in the Lord. Verse 19 to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort when I know your state, for I have no man like.
Minded. Notice that like minded who will naturally care for your state. Now he's not talking about him as a natural man, he's talking about him as one in normal Christianity, in communion, who just naturally cares for the Saints, their spiritual state.
That's what he's talking about. This line of works is at home with him, natural to him. Oh, how good it would be. So if we're selling all the assemblies.
00:30:04
Where there was a care right from the heart for the Saints of God, not simply an outward appointment for outward qualifications, but inward qualifications. Notice for your state not standing. That's all been handled already. That's taken care of. It's a question of the state of soul down here as we walk through this world. On the contrary, all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ. We read elsewhere.
I think it's in Second Timothy.
All day in Asia forsaken me. That doesn't mean they weren't Christians, but they forsook the apostle. They forsook the line of teaching that the apostle held. We find Timothy almost alone as the apostle leaves the scene. Timothy has to carry the torch, as it were. Timothy was like minded with the apostle. Would he be a good one to care for the assembly? I think he would. You know, there's such a thing as gift. When the Lord Jesus went on high, He gave gifts unto men.
Not to assemble, but to men.
But that's not the same as an office. But then also there's such a thing as a leader. He may not be able to fill an office, may not even have a special gift of evangelist or teacher, but he may be a leader. And so we're told to respect our leaders, and they may have this qualification here, moral qualification, who naturally cares for the state of the assembly and the individuals in the assembly. And that would be normal on the part of the elder. Paul is going away.
He wanted them to learn how to know who they were, know them, which take the lead among you. We get that in Hebrews. We're to know them, we're to recognize them, and we're responsible to recognize them. That's order. That's normal Christianity. But you know the proof of him.
That as the Son with the Father, He has served with me in the gospel. He came up the right way. He learned as he went. He didn't start out at the top of the ladder. He began at the bottom. He followed with the apostle. He served with the apostle. When the apostle left the scene, he carried on. He was ready then because the apostle not only taught the truth and and the revelations that were given him.
But all the care of the churches fell on the apostle.
This was true in measure with Timothy as well, and there had to be a moral preparation by the Spirit of God.
And that was through walking day by day in communion, being built up in his most holy faith as the Spirit opened the scriptures to him, that he might be one who would be a help to the people of God. Proof of him that as a son with a father, that's respect for an older one which is proper in the assembly.
He has served with me in the gospel. Now that's not just the simple gospel as we say, that is going out and preaching.
The minimum you might say of showing your soul how to be saved. But he's Speaking of the whole gospel that was committed to Paul. Timothy had been instructed in it.
To get that in second Timothy two, we won't turn to it. That's the seminary of God him therefore I hope to send presently as soon as I shall see how it will go with me. He was going to send Timothy to them and here they have a picture set before them of what characterized.
An elder. He was not an elder, but he had the moral qualifications of one, not the outward qualifications.
As far as we know, and they would learn from Timothy after that how to recognize in the assembly those who were qualified for such a place that they might respect them. So now we have something else. But I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly. There is a question, you know, with some, whether the apostle was allowed out of prison again.
But there's quite a bit of evidence that he was.
We believe that he probably did come back to this assembly again, although the scripture doesn't give us anything real definite except that we've had the first part of this first chapter or the last part of the first chapter. Now he speaks of these things that he's sure he will see them again, and there's probably he did.
Now he says, yet I suppose it necessary to send to you a pafford Itis. Now we have a moral picture of what a Deacon is like.
Not the outward qualifications, but a moral picture.
How they could recognize them in a spiritual way. My brother and companion in labor. I suppose if Aphrodite us from the record here took care of many of the apostles needs, temporal needs. That's the work of a Deacon and fellow soldier. But your messenger, he was carrying the gift from the assembly to the apostle and he that ministered.
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Wants, that is, he carried on the practical side of things while the fossil preached or perhaps wrote letters in prison, whatever it was the apostle was doing, the apostle had needs even in prison in the in connection with his circumstances, and he was going to take care of these needs. Well, God would see to it that someone would.
An Epaphroditus was chosen to do it. He had moral qualifications, and one who goes on with the Lord and communion in a normal way will soon find the place that God has fitted him for in the assembly. And notice what he does here. But he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that she had heard that he had been sick. Is this not the spirit of Jesus Christ seen in this man? These are the evidences of true Christianity.
He didn't want anyone to know that he was sick. He didn't want to be occupied with him, for indeed he was sick nigh unto death. That God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. Why would the apostle have sorrow from sorrow? Because his heart was entwined with Epaphroditus. Was Epaphroditus a great orator? No.
He was going out and doing work so that he could buy things that the apostle needed until the money came from the assembly. And he worked so hard that he was nigh on the death. He was sick. That's the true heart of a Deacon, isn't it? Although he wasn't a Deacon, as far as we know, outwardly he may have been.
But the outward qualifications, but he does have the moral qualifications. I sent him there for the more carefully that when you see him again, he may rejoice. And if you go through this assault, you'll be writing pretty fast. Put down all the rejoicing full of them. And the one who's rejoicing the most in this epistle is the apostle who's in prison. That's normal Christianity. A higher aspect of it perhaps, but it's normal Christianity now it says.
Receive him, therefore in the Lord.
With all gladness. With all gladness and.
Hold such in reputation. Hold such in reputation, reputation among Saints, not in the world. Outward appreciation for a man like this, because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life. To supply your lack of service toward me. Now when he speaks of their lack of service, it's not a reprimand.
It's simply that what they tried to do did not go through and they did not receive what the assembly was sending at that time. And so this man fills in with his own laborers to take care of the situation. True Deacon. True Deacon.
God's Sovereignty, Man's Responsibility
Address—N. Berry
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We joy in our God.
That's the highest joy that there is.
Joy and God. I think it's Romans 5.
And we sing of that love.
So sovereign. There's the word sovereign.
So sovereign, that means it just comes. It comes from God, Entirely, wholly from God.
Nothing to do anything in us that ever drew out that blood.
So sovereign and free, which did his heart move?
When lost, our condition all ruined, undone, He saw with compassion.
And spared not his son that was his son, that was always.
With him, Son of God in heaven.
So #135.
Michelle said that he.
Asked me if I like trains because I have a picture there. Well, this is an illustration of of train that I want to speak about this afternoon.
2 tracks never go together.
Always the same with the park. Train can't operate if the track suddenly come together, can it? Or if they go farther apart, train falls in all they always have to be maintained in a straight line and in parallel. And that is what the Bible teaches us now.
So let's look at Two Timothy 2:15 to get that verse.
That tells us this. Second Timothy 2:15.
Study to show thyself approved unto God.
A Workman that needeth not to be ashamed.
Rightly dividing the word of truth. Rightly dividing or dividing in a straight line the word of truth.
Now there are two tracks. See, one is God's side entirely.
The other is our responsibility, the responsibility of every person in this world to hear the gospel and then, as believers, to walk in the truth.
One side our responsibility, the other what God?
Has done what he has promised and what he has fulfilled entirely. Not only I will go ahead for a little while on this side and then we'll have a little intermission of 5 minutes or so and then we'll go ahead with this side. I want to make a break because I don't want us to be confused between the two lines of truth.
No, I I guess I learned it from the Gospel tent in Nova Scotia, but I like to try to take basic fundamental truth concerning the person of Christ and the Godhead and say it in a simple, a simpler way as I can so that younger ones can grasp these very important truths.
When you build a house you don't start putting the windows on 1St do you guys?
Right. They have got to get the foundation and then the pillars, the columns, and then you start to fill in the detail. Now that's the same way it is with the truth. And you, dear young ones, they're here. We need fundamental truth because the very foundations of Christianity are being undermined. They're trying to break it down. And you and I need to have these basic things brought before us and get.
Get a hold of us so that we will be preserved and then the building will will stand firm. When somebody says something that isn't right, maybe at school or so right away you say it's not right, it's not right. Now you have to have the truth to be able to say that you don't learn a lot of bad things and study all the bad teacher the cults and so on and say, well, the more I study them and the better I'm going to be able to understand them. No, no, no.
No, we don't do that. We learn the truth and then our ear is tuned to the Shepherd's voice. So that verse says rightly dividing the word of truth. Very important for us to understand the difference between these two. Many groups of Christians don't understand them and I would go so far as to say.
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Maybe I could be contradicted, but I would believe this that it is only in the assembly.
Gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that we hear this these two lines of truth.
This is what was known as Calvinism. John Calvin lived a long time ago and he taught just this side of truth. He thought the Scripture was saying God does everything.
God does everything. One man I met down in the state of Maine one time, he said if God wants me to smoke, he'll make me smoke. Now he was getting Calvinist doctrine. He was getting that Calvinist doctrine, and it was not right. God wouldn't make anybody smoke.
Now on one side.
He was right, He was right. God does everything. And that's what we will look at for the first, this first part of the meeting. We're going to look at what God does from beginning to end, and he does everything. And the other side, we will look later on at men's responsibility and oh, here comes along another evil, and that's called Arminianism.
Arminianism and to be very frank, open Brathanism is a continuation of Arminianism because.
The emphasis is always laid on men's responsibility, but oh, how wonderful it is to learn that the two are absolutely necessary in order to understand. This gives us our perfect position before God.
Absolutely perfect position. This side is our state of soul. Just like a thermometer, it's going up and going down.
And if I am enjoying the Lord, my state of soul is is high, I'm warm, my heart's warm, and I get cold. Why? I begin to lose my discernment and my joy. But this one can never change. This depends entirely on Christ. This depends on my Christian life and how obedient we are to the truth that we know.
Doesn't depend on how much we know, but it is how much.
We are walking up to the truth that we do know.
No, I would just like to quickly go over some promises that God made in Exodus chapter 6. Seven of them.
I'd like to illustrate these points from the Old Testament because it's so much easier for us to understand when we see seven points here in what God was going said he was going to do. Now we know, we know very well that those children of Israel, they just made a mess of everything and they were disobedient and they 4 footed it all.
No they didn't. They got into the land, see on one side and their responsibility. They just disobeyed and not one man that was over 20 years of age.
That started out on that journey to the land of Israel. Ever got there? Everybody over 20.
After 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, they're all dead. Then God took all their children who were grown up and in they go to the land. So the ones to whom the promises were made, they they lost them. Now that's the same as you and me, as you and I as a Christian now, unless you and I are walking, are living in the truth that we do know.
We're not going to grow and we're not going to learn more. I'm not going to lose my salvation.
That I'm going to lose the joy of this side. The more I enjoyed this side, the happier my state of soul is on the sack. Now here are the seven promises quickly to go over over them. Exodus chapter 6, verse six. Here's the first one.
There are there are seven I wills, as you will see.
Verse 6 wherefore say under the children of Israel, I am the Lord and now here's the first I will. This is the I will of deliverance. I will bring you out from under the ******* of the Egyptians. There is the first promise he makes the promise of I will. I'm sure you younger ones going to school. You know the difference between I will and I shall I shall is the future tense I.
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Is the determinant of tense, and only God can really say.
I will, I will, please say I shall. That's future, but I will now. When God says I will, he will. He's sober. That's that word, sovereign.
He can do what he wants. He's perfect, perfectly good. That's what righteousness means, perfect goodness. And so there's the first one.
Second one in the middle of that verse. Here is the I will of liberty. I will rid you out of their *******.
There's the second one, he's going to rid them. Notice the outs there. We'll see the ends later on. Now the third one is.
I will redeem you with a stretched out arm.
And great judgment. There's the I will of power. God says that he can carry it out. Nobody else can. There's the third. Here comes the fourth, verse 7. Here is the I will of intimacy. I will take you to me for a people. Wasn't that beautiful?
God says I will, I will take you to me for a people.
And he shall know that I am the Lord your God. There is the next one. You'll know that I am the Lord your God.
There was the the I will of the relationship verse 8 and here is the I will of blessing. I will bring you in. We saw the out before now here's the end always has to take us out of what we're in before he takes us in I will bring you in unto the land concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob.
Here's the last one. Here is the I will of inheritance and I will give it you for an heritage.
When he made that promise, not one of the most fulfilled, they all the people in the responsibility, they all fail.
Now let's look at 7:00 or so of the not I wills, but I have in Ephesians chapter one.
Ephesians, chapter one.
We just go over these things quickly now.
Verse 12/13/14 Verses Here is the Godhead speaking now, the Godhead, the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. 1St 6 verses have to do with the work of the Father. They end in a doxology of praise. From 7 on to the end of 12 is the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It says in whom seventh verse we have redemption. That's the work of the Lord Jesus. It also ends a doxel in a doxology that we should be to the praise of his glory, and then 13 and 14 are the work of the Holy Spirit.
Three persons of eternity, the work of the Holy Spirit also ending with that doxology unto the praise of His glory. There's the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit having completed now having completed the promises that God had locked in his heart. Far more so than Exodus 6 because they were talking about a promise into a land.
Oh, it's beautiful to be like, to enjoy the thought that Mister Ballot. I think maybe I mentioned it.
The other day some other country, but God took his left hand from behind his back, and he gave man the earth, the world, and Satan in. Through Satan's influence, man lost the world. He didn't patch it up and give it back to man again. As Mr. Ballard said, he brought his right hand from behind his back, and he gave us heaven.
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Now that's the difference between Exodus and Ephesians. He has brought us now into heavenly blessings.
He's not saying to you and me, I will. I will take you up there. No, he says. I have, I have. It's a completed work. Let's look at them quickly now.
Verse 3.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath now, that's the Father. Blessed us with a few spiritual blessings. No, all spiritual blessings, not mercies. I can lose my mercies. I never can lose my blessings. Getting ahead well in business isn't a blessing. That's a mercy. And every mercy I often say is a potential snare.
So blessings we never can lose. They are spiritual and we have the mall and forever and they are this side. God having done that, the Father. Now let's go down farther.
Verse 4.
According as He hath hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him.
In love everybody, one in this audience who has put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. You were chosen before God made the world.
Isn't that wonderful? Before the world came into existence, He chose you. How could you lose that salvation?
How can you lose? You were telling him before he made the world, and you're going to be in the glory after. The world is this world is gone, glory to glory.
That's the second. Here's another one, verse 5, having predestinated on us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself. Oh, there is the next thing. Now just a little word on predestination. A lot of people say oh, I was predestinated, but it Scripture never speaks of a person being predestinated. The word predestinated is you can break it down.
Pre, which means before and destinies, that's the place you see to which you're going. So it was known before, not the people, but where we're going. Maybe the other couple of weeks ago we went to a bus terminal and there were a lot of buses there and they all had different names on them. The bus wasn't the important thing, but it was where they were going that was the important thing and the bus driver could go up there.
Little handle and change the names quickly, you see, and the destiny has changed now. That's what this verse is referring to. It's the position or the condition to which the elect and that looks back are going to find their resting place. Our destiny is determined beforehand and that is nothing less than the glory.
Now then, verse 6.
Wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. Notice they're all in the past tense Has made us accepted in the beloved. Oh, isn't that a beautiful thing? I used to work for a big company president, had a magnificent office almost the size of this room, all paneled in in cedar and a lovely big fireplace and oriental rugs and magnificent desk.
On some Hollywood Call me on time, he called and the secretary said wait.
For a few minutes here at the desk, while I was waiting at the secretary's desk, two boys came prancing down the hallway, making a little bit of a noise, but they were jumping as they came along. And they walked right by me and right into the president's office. And he looked up and he said, oh, hello, boys, they were sons.
That's what it means to see you and I have acceptance in the beloved. Who is the beloved? Oh, it's Christ. It's Christ. He's the one who has access and he has gone into heaven. And I don't need to worry where I'm whether I'm going to make it or not because I'm accepted in the one who is already there. You see, this is all the sovereignty side, all that you and I have. Are you enjoying that blessing?
That's this side.
Not going to get anymore by enjoying them, but you're going to find happiness and you're going to be finding fulfillment in your life and you're going to be living for God's glory. But that's the other side. So there we are. There is one. Now here's another one, verse seven, first time that sin is mentioned now because here we are dealing with the work of the Lord Jesus in whom we might have redemption. As I say that boy, what's the same?
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We have, that's good. We have redemption. We have, we don't. We can't lose it, but we have it. We have redemption through his blood.
And then it says wonderful forgiveness of sins.
And then fellow one time said to me, if you can show me a verse in the Bible that says that God will forgive me my sins, I'll accept it. I showed him that verse.
He's saved now, Postman. He's saved. There it is. Forgiveness we have. Forgiveness of sin present. Possession. No. Another one.
Verse 90 It is a beauty. Verse 9 Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which he hath purposed in Himself, the whole secret, that God, the Creator of the vast cosmos, the whole of the creation, He had a secret locked in His heart, and He didn't tell it for a long, long time. He didn't tell it to the Old Testament Saints.
He only revealed it through the person of His of His Son the Lord Jesus to Paul the Apostle. The full mystery of God's purposes and will. And God says that He has given it to you and Domina.
Isn't that something?
Are we rich?
Now there's another one. Yes, verse 8. Now here's a nice one too. We're in the hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence abounded. That doesn't mean that to say speaking reverently just gave us a little cup full, you know, it's not quite full. And he says, and I'll be careful. No, it's abounding. It's pouring over.
Overall, more and more and more, it's more. There's more over all the time.
Have a wonderful day. Does that fill your heart with with with joy this afternoon. That's what I'm here for to fill our hearts with Christ and to realize that he is the one who has satisfied the heart of God forever and God says I've just given poured out to you like to tell the story of the the rich men in the Middle East when they want to entertain another sheep and they invite him into.
Beautiful tent and it's got beautiful oriental rugs on the floor and they seek the man in a special seat and they give them a a cup and a saucer there a couple of saucer and then a servant with a long pull doesn't get too close. You've got there some tea there. And he takes that pull and he pours the teapot, the tea into the.
The cup and they start to fill up and it goes over the top and into the saucer, keeps on pouring into the magnificent oriental rug. Ruins the rug.
Doesn't matter because the man wants to let that other fellow know how much he is welcome there. That's what God has done to us.
He is abounded toward us, no limit, joy unspeakable and full of glory. First Peter, chapter one. Oh, it is wonderful. And he's abounded to us, to us not having anything to do with how you and I live. I want to emphasize that. Nothing to do with our life at all. He has done all that.
Now let's have a look at one or two more verse six, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance.
An inheritance one time years. They go way back in the old days of just when the depression was starting in 19.
30 or so 29 I worked at Eaton and.
A young fellow in the advertising department where I was, there he had a proposition made to to go on a world cruise for a year.
And all the different ports in the world going to have a nice white uniform. And so they said you pay a certain just a little amount, $100. That's quite a bit in those days. But anyway, you're going to go on this trip. So he paid the money and he was talking about this for days and days and weeks.
00:25:11
About this wonderful trip around the world that he was going to take.
Is to meet the people at 10:00. Windsor station in Montreal went down there at 9:00 to make sure he got there on time, wasn't late like we are for the meeting sometimes and down he goes and.
Waited to 9:30 and 10:00 and nobody turned up. 11:00 that had a party in his home for him the night before. 12:00 nobody came there. The whole thing was a fake.
Went back to his home. There he was brought his big kit back there. Came back Monday morning to find his to to see to see if he could get his job back here. In the meantime, the boss had been away on his holidays. When he came in on Monday morning. Why he had found that Leslie had quit his job and he said no job. That boy was out of work. The depression just struck and that his even his life.
Was ruined. I saw him afterwards. He is an alcoholic.
I never forgot that story. But we were never going to miss our inheritance. We have it. We have it. No disappointments in the Christian life. Oh, it's a wonderful life to be enjoying these things. There. We have those beautiful things. And then it speaks of the 13th verse, the work of the Holy Spirit in the middle of the verse.
In whom that's Christ.
Also, after that, he believed you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise. Got the stamp right on us. That's the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, we're sealed guarantee, absolute guarantee seal. Never can lose it. Now. Those are some examples of the blessings that we have.
That we never can lose, never can lose. Let's go over to another one in Second Peter chapter one.
The 1St 4 verses of second Peter chapter one.
Are this side.
Sovereignty, particularly 3:00 and 4:00.
Every believer has these, never can lose them. We have them.
So we just read verses 3:00 and 4:00.
Two Peter chapter one, verse 3.
According as his divine power.
Half has given.
Unto us that's all, believers, a few things that pertain unto life. Is that what it says, boys?
What? Oh, that's right. Oh, are given unto us all things.
All things that pertain unto life. And what's the next word? Godliness.
Well, that is not only salvation, but that is the ability to live the Christian life.
He has given us fully equipped us now, fully equipped to live the Christian life, not only salvation life, but godliness. He's given that ability to every one of us. Am I living a godly life? If I'm not, it's because not because I can't help it, it's because I don't want to. I only sin because I want to sin as a Christian, not because I can't help it. Because you and I have been given this full power now.
Live a life of godliness for His glory.
That's what he's given us, and you and I are going to be responsible. And let me say this, that hearing these things in the assembly since we are children, I've heard it all my life, since infancy.
Oh, I'm much more responsible than somebody in a, in a church that only hears 1 little side of this. We are very responsible. And it's so important too, to remember that when you come into a meeting and you're not listening and something is being said there, you're held responsible for what you should have been listening to. It's very important to listen when we come into the meeting. Very important. Don't get into the habit of counting.
Lights and the flies flying around don't do that. That is a bad habit. When you go to school, get into the habit of listening and you don't need to work nearly as hard, but listen because we are responsible. But that's the other side. But here, now we have all things pertaining to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him that have called us.
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To glory by glory and virtue.
Verse 4 Whereby are given there it is, are given, not might be given, not conditional at all, whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises. Who isn't that language? That's exaggerated language, not a word of it. It is a fact exceeding great and precious promises. Who says that? God?
Who does he say it about? You and me?
Do we believe that?
Our life shows, whether we believe it or not. There we have.
That by these precious promises.
Ye might be partakers. Oh, look at this, the divine nature. God has made you and me a partaker of his very nature. God's nature. I have it, you have it, if you're a child of God.
Having been made that we might be partakers of the divine nature. Here's that word having again having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Those are sufficient, I think, for the sovereignty side. Lots of other scriptures, but these two I wanted to just emphasize, well, our time is gone, we'll stop now and let's sing 166.
We've seen how the Lord has drawn us.
Now what are we to do? What's the hymn say, boys?
Call it out when you see it.
See it John 166.
No, that's one thing.
Right, that's it. Run.
Run. That's energy, and if you just dawdle along, it's not so good. But when you run.
Song of Solomon says that he has drawn us into his chamber and now. And so now we run.
All right, now let's sing 166 Lord, thou hast drawn us after thee. Now let us run, and never tire. Thy presence shall our comfort be thyself, our hope, our soul desire, our present Savior, while nor fear, nor sin can come if thou art near, and so on, 1/6, 6:00.
You know that brings before us the responsibility side to run now.
So we will look at scriptures that are going to bring this side before us, but we all have to remember that though this is full responsibility for you and for me, I can only go on in that responsibility if I am enjoying this side.
Now let's look at Joshua Chapter 1, Old Testament first. I always like to get illustrations for this truth, these truth, this truth.
From the Old Testament.
They're just replete with these illustrations.
Hidden there. That's why we can't read the Bible too fast. Read it slowly.
Not read too much at one time because it's so full.
After we haven't eaten for a while, we don't sit down and eat 10 meals, do we? No.
So it's better to eat slowly and regularly and chew the food well, and that does us good. Now here is a verse, verse 3, Joshua one, verse three. I have to misquote the verse in order to get the point over quickly. I'm going to misquote it and see who of you young ones can see the mistake that I made.
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Joshua chapter one, verse 3 every place.
That the soul of your foot shall tread upon that will I give unto you, as I said unto Moses.
Ah, that is right. Now, that's a strange thing, doesn't it? Isn't it? To read every place that the soul of your foot shall tread upon.
Obviously the correct thing would be that will I give you, but it doesn't say that.
What does it say?
Every place that the soul of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you.
They were entering the land now.
They had to put their feet on the ground, but when they did all they discovered that God had already given to him. Now that's Ephesian truth.
Enjoy this side. I must put my foot down on this side. I must be walking in this too.
I can't just be saying, Oh yes, that's nice that what they say there in the meeting, but.
Or it is, as you and I are living this truth, living it day by day. You bought younger ones. Here you may not know very much of the truth. And here would be one of the older brethren. He knows a lot of the truth. I'm not referring to an older brother here. Maybe I'll use myself. And here I might know quite a bit about the truth, but I'm only walking into up to half what I know.
And here is a young person that just got saved recently.
And they don't know very much of the truth. They only know about that. But they're living right up to that much of the truth. But what they're living in is much more than what I'm living in. Who's the happier person?
This little fellow or this old timer?
That's right, because he's living up to what he knows. One time my brother said to me, Oh my. He said, you must be very happy. You've been saved a long time. And I said I'm only saved a year. Oh, I told him it doesn't depend on how long we're saved, it's how much you and I are living what we know now, you boys and girls and older ones, we hear a lot.
Meeting sometimes.
Oh, it is nice to hear it, but it's only made good to my soul when I walk in it. Luke 818 says, Take heed how ye hear. To him that hath shall more be given.
I only have the truth I'm walking in.
And then it says, And he that hath not from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have. See, I can lose not the blessings, they are secure forever in Christ, but I can lose the joy of it.
No, every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon. If you walk in the truth that you know, you're going to get more and you're going to discover that the Lord has given it all to us. Ephesians chapter one. I'll give you another example farther on in this book.
Joshua 11.
So Joshua took the whole land. Now this was the general Joshua picture of Christ, and they took the whole land. That's the land that had been.
Belonging to these Canaanites and others. Joshua Chapter 11, verse 23. So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord said unto Moses.
Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes, and the land rested from war. Chapter 13, verse one.
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Now this follows after.
Now Joshua was old and stricken in years, and the Lord said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth very yet very much land to be possessed.
Now that seems like a contradiction, doesn't it? They took the whole land and there now Joshua, end of his life. The Lord says a lot to be possessed yet.
What would be the answer to that?
Just like we were talking and speaking about in the first chapter.
And I put my feet down, foot down on, and walk in the truth.
Then I possess it.
But if I just hear the meeting and say, well, that's really nice and go out and and live carelessly or live like you used to live before I was saved or drifting into the world or TV attracting my heart or allowing that in the home and so on. Oh, that's not enjoying the Lord. That's just bringing the world into my home. And so here it says that they had all the land.
Now the Lord said to Joshua.
There's very much land still to be possessed. Ah, that's the thing, isn't it? That's this side. Are we possessing it? Are we making it good in our own souls?
Then if we are, then we're going to learn more.
I must be walking in that truth in order to.
Learn to learn more, otherwise I'm going to lose what I thought I had. Now let's go over to the New Testament and we'll see in Colossians chapter 3.
The responsibility side.
Verse one. Colossians 3. Verse one.
If there's the responsibility I mentioned last night or the other night, when we get the word if, it's always responsibility, no ifs there in those early chapters of Ephesians, That's the position, that's God's side. But when we get an if it's the wilderness side, it is your and my life here on this earth.
So if either now it doesn't mean to say that some Christians have been risen with Christ and some not, but it's almost like since.
Since if he then be risen with Christ, Oh, here's that seeking, here's responsibility.
Here is that diligence that is, we'll see in a few minutes in another years. Seek those things which are above.
Where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Seek those things. Is that what you're seeking? Is that what I'm seeking? Or am I trying to get a bigger job, more money or whatever it might be, a better education so I can hold a better job? Sometimes those things are just nothing but a snare. And what happens to us end up with a handful of ashes and so on.
Never happiness.
Why mine's not occupied thinking about?
Heavenly things. Now it doesn't mean to say you get up in the morning and don't bother with school because but I think of heavenly things. So to spend the morning reading the the Bible, No, it doesn't mean that, but it means to set our our thoughts.
Our goal, our goal, our objects. What does our object in life?
Is it to live for the Lord's glory? Oh, then you and I are going to be guided into the right job and everything is going to be nice because as I often say, when the Lord gives us a job, we can do it easily.
There's no effort to do it because in Second Timothy 2 tells us that he has prepared us when we are willing to separate. So there it says.
Where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Your affection or your mind, the margin says on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead. Dead. That's what God says now about us. We're 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. And then the fifth verse.
00:45:14
I like to use this illustration.
Follow the A ship becomes a captain of a ship.
And he comes on board and he finds that there's a bad crew there on that ship.
So he calls the first mate and he says bring the the crew up, give one.
So the first meets as well, They're a motley crowd. Do you want them by groups? Yes. You divide them up into groups and bring up a group at a time. So up come five fellows. Here they are, verse 5.
Mortify therefore your members, which are upon the earth. Here's the first one, fornication.
Uncleanness too. Inordinate affection, evil concupiscence and covetousness, which is idolatry. There are five members of the group. Filthy bunch of guys. So you look at them and say get rid of them, get them off this ship. They are filthy and they're corrupt. Get them off so they're no longer on the crew. Get off, put them off.
Say the first mate, bring up another crew. All right, brings up another group. Here they are.
Verse 8 But now ye also put off all these there another group.
Here's #1 what's your name? Anger.
Two graph 3 Malice 4 Blasphemy 5 Filthy communication out of your mouth. Although they're not quite so bad, are they? Not quite so bad sometimes.
They get angry. Does anybody get angry here? Yeah, I guess we get angry now. That is one of that old crew. That's the old life that I had before I was saved.
Well, what does it say? Get him off the ship? Get him off. Put him on.
And the other one, Wrath, that is a bad temper, isn't it? Sometimes you say, well, I can't help. I was born with a bad temper. Put that fellow off the ship. He's a member of that old life that we used to have, that we were born with, and get them off. Get them off. Next one, Malice, that's a kind of a smoothie.
Now what's he do? He doesn't talk very much, but he thinks.
And he doesn't say what he's thinking, but he's thinking bad things about others. Ever do that?
Have you think bad things about another brother or sister? That's malice. That's not saying anything, but it's thinking bad thoughts about others. Got to be careful. Get that fellow off the ship, get them on, judge him and get them off. Don't let him come back on again and so on.
Blasphemy. Serious thing, isn't it? Blasphemy.
Saying bad things, almost like railing.
Has to do more of that. God may be thinking about wrong things, blasphemy, very bad thing. What's the last one there? Filthy communication, out of the mouth, bad, dirty stories and so on. Not maybe doing them, but of the communication, just saying that things.
All those things have to go off, you say to the first mate. Is that all the crew noise says I've got one fellow. He's a kind of a handy man from the crew there. I'll bring him up. Let's see, what is he? So here he is.
Verse 9 Lie not one to another. Oh.
He's the worst of them all, isn't he? He's back. He's singled out here in the Scriptures.
It's easy to not necessarily tell a lie, but sometimes to infer a lie and.
Incurred to live what isn't right.
And yet be inferring that we are. How easy that is. Off the boat that fellow goes.
Off they go, there's eleven of them gone. So now you say bring on the new crew. Here they come. It doesn't have them divided now up into these divided groups, but here they come. Verse 12, Count them as we go along. Put on, therefore, here they come as the elect of God.
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Here's #1 holy and beloved bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering. What a crew is coming on.
Forbearing one another.
Forgiving one another. If any man have a quarrel against any, here they are. Seven of them, I think. Nice number, isn't it? Seven all on there. Does that characterize us?
Does that characterize us in our assembly life? Does that characterize us in our daily life at school or wherever we are?
There's the new crew. That is our new nature now. That is what God has given us.
And here comes responsibility now to put them on, put the others off first, just like we saw the turning out and then the turning in. God always does that cease to do evil, learn to do good. So.
There are some of the points and then.
Just enclosing on that connection, then you might say, well, I want to have a logbook now and I want to have a whole set of rules for this new crew. What are the set of rules for the new crew? This here they are.
Verse 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts.
To the witch also you are called in one body, and be thankful. Now here are the written rules that would apply to the running of the ship. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. The comma is in the wrong place, I understand, and here's the way it should be in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing, admonishing one another. The comma should be after the word richly.
The Word of God, Christ, dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing.
One other in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing with grace.
In your hearts to the Lord.
There's one member of the new crew that I forgot to mention. I just see him there in verse 14 and above all these things, put on love.
There's a nice fellow, he'd be kind of in charge of the crew a little bit, and there he is. Love. I understand that that thought is a little bit of an overcoat. In other words, the whole thing is to be characterized by love. Is that characterize you and me in our relationship with each other in the assembly? Love. That's what the new nature is. That is this lived out in our life, though.
Not not just talking about these things, but living them out. This is what is going to be honoring to the Lord and a blessing to your soul and mind. If we live in it, you can't say, well, I don't have the power. I'm I'm working on it all. We have to remember this side. He's given us all things that pertain him to life and godliness.
Now let's go over to Second Peter and continue on with those verses.
Because the sharp break takes place in second Peter chapter one, verse five. Very different.
Sharp contrast.
Verses three and four this side verses 5 on to around 14.
This side man's responsibility. So here we are now #5.
Verse five of first chapter of two Peter and beside.
This the translation says and for this very reason.
What? What is that? Well, on our chart, it helps us to see it.
How am I going to be able to walk in this? It's right beside it. It's right beside it for this very reason, because God has given us all these things now for this very reason.
For this very reason, responsibility. So what does it say?
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Giving now doesn't say gave it now. It changes to the present imperfect tense giving, going on and on and on, day by day in our living Christian life. Now giving a little bit of diligence. Is that what it says, boys?
Oh, do you find an all? Who can find an all in the?
4th.
Who can find the gnaw in the third verse?
But to say that an all in the third verse.
Got her, John.
Or what?
You're right. That's it. He has given us in his past tense. There, you see it says has given us all things, all things. Now that's this stuff. Now this side says beside this, giving all things, no diligence. Oh, he doesn't want us to fall asleep, does he? He doesn't want to in our Christian life. He doesn't want sleepy Christians. He wants diligent Christians. Diligent.
Giving all diligence now, then we start to build, adding to your faith. Faith is the foundation of evidence.
So we add 1 by 1. We build now like blocks.
Giving all diligence add to your faith.
Virtue. Virtue. That's truth.
And to virtue knowledge, you can't just be dashing around with lots of energy with like virtue and so on, but it has to be guided by the truth. One of the boys that got saved in the gospel 10 years ago, where he was very diligent and he read the scriptures and he was reading Darby's writings and he made tremendous progress. And then we left one area and we went to another.
And he said next year, oh, I think I want to go back to that first place and stay there and try to help them. Well, I said to him, John, there are no, there's no assembly up there and you're going to be isolated. There wasn't any groups of Christians that we knew of for 100 miles. That was Stellarton, Nova Scotia. And so he said, no, I want to go there. Well, I said, don't put service before worship.
Well, he said no, but I feel I should go there. Next thing he went. Wasn't very long until he was feeling the loneliness and he started to go to some of the group of Christians who were there.
Still a believer, but away from the Lords table now.
You never can put service before worship.
And if a job comes along, just let me say this and pass it. And I hope I'm not preaching at you, but if a job comes along for some of you brothers, and it's going to take you farther away from the assemblies or the assembly, don't, don't hesitate. But the Lord 1St and He will honor him that honoreth me, I will honor. It's in everything. It's our daily living. You sisters here in your home, put the Lord first.
Do what is right according to the word of God and you will count on the Lord may have problems in our homes that are in our family relations and so on. Put the Lord first at all costs, all cost, and the Lord will bless God.
Add to your faith virtue for virtue, knowledge, it must be according to the word to knowledge. Temperance, that's our bodily relations, body, soul and spirit are here in these verses. And so temperance, that is a very important thing, isn't it? Temperance, not abstemiousness, but temperance in all things. The Lord is at hand, Paul says in Philippians.
Temperance not to be extreme in the assembly.
Don't get ideas and start to push them and push them and push them. That's not temperance.
Be subject to one another, older brethren, be subject to them. You'll be blessed in your life, you young brothers tendency these days. Throw over the restraints and the teachings of the older brethren. The great mistake. Add to your faith, virtue, virtue, knowledge, knowledge, temperance. What's the next one? Temperance, Patience.
01:00:11
Oh, patience.
Just telling.
For the water, the table, the reversing Colossians that speaks of just like a launching pad for these missiles that they or whatever they call them, they send them off into space and it, it requires tremendous power to get them up. Notice. Just hold your place here and I'll give you that verse.
Colossians.
One and 11 here's the launching pad.
Strengthened with All Might.
Almight, there's another all again, strengthened with all Might according to His glorious power or power and glory. There's the launching pad. Now what's going to come off here unto all patients?
That's how important patience is in your life and mind. We get impatient easily, don't we?
Now God is telling us that that mighty power is going to lift that.
Object and what is it? Patience with long and long-suffering.
With unhappiness? No, it doesn't say that at all. What's it say? Right. Joyfulness. Yeah. Oh, isn't that love? He wants us to be joyful. We're not going to be joyful if we have this, but we're going to be joyful if we are walking in this.
So what else after? Let's go back to Peter there.
Patience to temperance. Patience to patience godliness.
Godliness. Honest dealings in our work. Job starts at 9:00. Don't get there. 5 past 9.
That's not what it says here. Godliness is doing a good job for your boss not to be going around talking to, even preaching to other people during the time we're at work. That's not godliness. That's stealing from the boss because he's hired you to do 8 hours work. Do that 8 hours work and then you're going to be living a godly life and then your testimony is going to be good when you speak to another soul.
About the Lord, they're going to be diligent in your work. So there is what it says, godliness and to godliness, brotherly kindness. Here's another block on the top. And brotherly kindness. That's so important. That's this sign. That's your responsibility and mine. In the assembly, in the home, we talk nicely to each other. Husbands and wives, are we snapping at each other? That's not what this is saying.
This is application, personal application, family application.
Application, business application, it's how we live that is going to determine now how much we're going to be living for his glory and how much we're going to be be learning more of what he's telling us and how much happier we're going to be. And then it says, what's the capstone love?
Divine Love.
That's the top base faith capstone love.
Oh, how lovely.
Word of God is gentle and yet houseward.
One other verse in John.
1317.
Get one of you boys to read. You haven't read any verses?
Right, we did good and lively now.
Right, notice the if there two its emphasis if you know these things.
What is that referring to these things? No, no, no these.
You know these things.
Happier ye, does it say that?
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Well, it says that, but what else?
Yes, that's it. There's the happiness. Not knowing them doesn't make us happy, but the doing of them. That's this stuff.
The doing of them, knowing of these things, you see, they're so involved together, they're they run on like the lines of a railroad track. You can't do without one without knocking the train off the track. And the Christian life is a balanced life. Our assembly life is a balanced life. It's a peaceful life.
1St Corinthians 14, verse 32 or so it says God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all the assemblies of the Saints. Does that characterize the assembly? Oh yes. If there doesn't, there's something wrong. I need to judge my heart. If there's something wrong in the assembly, don't look at the problems. Judge my own heart. Find out what's wrong in my heart that I'm the things that I might be going on with. Judge those.
And what does it say in Proverbs? He that confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
If we are going on with things that we know don't please the Lord on this side, confess them to the Lord.
Confess them quickly and then we're going to go on in communion, in the joy.
Of God.
Nothing more. Wonderful days are getting dark now. Lord is, if he doesn't come soon, we're going to be in awful, difficult days. You can just feel it. Troubles everywhere. Violence, increasing filth and corruption, drugs and all these things. You young people know more than I do about those things. It's getting worse and worse every day.
Is the answer to go into seclusion to pull ourselves?
Into a monastery? No, no, it's to be drawing strength from the Lord day by day. I heard it's just her one time saying well the world is getting so bad that.
It really shouldn't be bringing children into the world.
That's as much as saying if it doesn't get any worse, I can manage, but if it gets worse, I can. It has nothing to do with that at all. It's the Lord. He is well able. That's what Joshua said when he came back from the searching of that land. He said we are well able. Oh beloved ones, may we not be depending on ourselves. May we realize this is.
Absolute position for us Hebrews 10/14 says, For by one offering he hath perfected forever.
Made perfect forever. Are you enjoying that?
Them that are sanctified. We are standing in all the perfection of Christ. If you and I are enjoying this now, oh, we're going to be going on for his glory. Your life is going to be a life of fulfillment, of peace and tranquility and joy and happiness. And there we are going to be going on and happy fellowship with one another. May the Lord preserve us and may the Lord.
Give us the grace to keep our eyes.
Singly and upon him until they hear his voice.
Angels Observing
Address—P.L. Johnson
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I want to read first of all in the First Epistle to Peter.
Chapter One.
First Peter one.
And we'll read verses 9 through 12, receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you?
Searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify.
When it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow.
Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us, they'd administer the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven.
Which things the angels desire to look into.
And we read a passage in the Epistle to the Ephesians.
Chapter 3 and the 1St 10 verses of this third chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians.
For this 'cause I, Paul the prisoner of Jesus Christ, for you Gentiles.
If you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God, which has given me to you word.
By revelation He made known unto me the mystery as I wrote afore in few words, whereby when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ.
Which in other ages was not made known under the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.
That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs and of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ by the Gospel.
Wherever I was made a minister according to the gift of the grace of God-given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
Unto me, who am less than the least of All Saints, is this grace given.
That I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.
And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the world has been hidden. God, who created all things by Jesus Christ, to the intent that now, under the principalities and powers in heavenly places, might be known by the Church, the manifold wisdom of God.
And one other passage in First Corinthians chapter 10.
Rather First Corinthians Chapter 11. We'll read the 1St 10 verses of this chapter.
Be followers of Maine, even as I also am of Christ.
Now I praise you, brethren, that you Remember Me in all things, and keep the ordinances as I delivered them to you.
But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is the man.
And the head of Christ is God, every man praying or prophesying having his head covered.
Dishonored his head.
But every woman that prayeth prophesied with her head uncovered, dishonored her head.
That is even all one as if she were shaved.
For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it be a shame for a woman to be shown or shaved, let her be covered.
For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, for as much as he is the image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of the man.
For the man is not of the woman, but the woman of the man.
Neither was the man created for the woman, but the woman for the man. For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head.
Because of the angels.
Perhaps you noticed her in the reading of these passages. We have the angels brought before us in in each one of them.
And no doubt the angels referred to here are those angels who are not fallen angels. So we know in Scripture we have we have those who are who are fallen angels.
Though we read of the devil and his angels.
No doubt that is.
A.
That fall occurred before man was created, when Satan.
When iniquity was found in him.
And we know that he was the anointed cherub, and every precious stone was his covering.
And yet iniquity was found in him, and there was a rebellion against God.
And doubtless there were angels who joined with him in that rebellion.
And they're angels that are spoken of who kept not their first estate. And their angels are spoken of who are kept in chains of darkness, reserved in judgment. But I'm not going to talk about angels that are associated with wickedness, are associated with Satan. But we find in Scripture that there are angels.
00:05:20
Who are characterized by doing the will of God.
I believe that's Psalm 103. That's what characterized the.
The unfallen angels that they do the will of God. But another thing we find in connection with the thought of angels is that I believe the angels represent heavens interest of what is transpiring or taking place on earth. The angels are observing and it's not only that they're observing, but I believe they represent the fact that there is an interest in heaven.
As to what is going on on Earth.
And.
Not just necessarily the events that are taking place among the nations and the world at large, but when I speak of Heaven's interest, I believe they represent what belongs to heaven, that is, what is of special interest to heaven.
And I thought that this might be a little.
Hint, as it were, to us to give us to realize what it is.
That God takes great interest in what is found here in this world. You know, as you look around in the world, there's many things going on and there are many organizations and their, their nations and their religions and there's, there's all sorts of activities and going on in this world. And different persons have different interests.
And I suppose everyone in the world has some things of interest to him.
Outside of even his family, they find there are certain things that they take up as an interest and and they pursue them.
Well, God has interests in this world. He has things that are special interest to him.
And I believe the angels represent that interest. And where we find the angels being occupied with something here on earth, people or events or whatever it is, it would represent that that has a special interest before God. There's a special interest in these things. I thought this evening we might touch upon these three portions that we have read where we have the.
Interest of angels spoken of as bringing before us not only the fact that angels are actually observing.
But that it represents what is of great interest to heaven.
And I believe this ought to be encouraging.
Well, we know that there are things that God has or that is to him of great interest that people of this world could care less about, have no real interest. In fact, we we find in Scripture that what is of great interest to heaven and what the angels are looking into, are observing and have an interest in, are not the things that are of interest to man.
When I think of the interest of the angels, it goes even back to creation.
Of the as we read in the book of Job, that when this world was created that the the sons of God shouted for joy.
But I think especially the great interest that the angels exhibited.
When the Lord Jesus was born into this world, you remember there the heavenly hosts were seen there.
And praising God and saying glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace, goodwill toward man, or good pleasure in man. And what a rejoicing it was for the angels, as they they saw here on earth that which was of of great interest to them. Because we read in the first epistle to Timothy in chapter 3. Great is a mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh.
Justified in the spirit scene of angels.
He was seen of angels, I have no doubt, but what the angels?
Of course they knew that that one who was born in Bethlehem's Manger was none other than God himself. God manifested the flesh, and perhaps it might even be said that the angels had never really seen God. Now they see him, but they see him in manhood. They see him born into this world as a man, and we we know that all during the.
Pathway In the life of the Lord Jesus, the angels were constantly observing.
00:10:05
We read of the angels ministering to Him. We read of angels strengthening him.
And we read at the end of his pathway in the Gospel of Luke that he was taken up to heaven.
No doubt it was the angels who took him up into heaven, because the Angel started from the very beginning of his pathway and celebrating the fact that that God had expressed His good pleasure in man because his beloved Son was born into this world, the only begotten Son of God. Here he is seen in this world now, and God is expressing His good pleasure in man.
That he would become a man in this scene.
And they followed him in all of his pathway as he passed through this scene. And they, they observed, they observed the Lord Jesus in his obedience and in his submission, and in his going about doing the will of God as God would have him to go about doing good, healing those that were oppressed of the devil. No doubt they looked upon that pathway with great delight. I think of that expression scene of angels.
How they observed him because.
God had expressed heaven's delight, his own delight. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
And the angels would observe everything in connection with the pathway of the Lord Jesus.
As showing the great interest that heaven had. But you know when the Lord Jesus was born into this world.
There wasn't a great stir as far as the world was concerned. In fact that event was, well, it was no event as far as the world is concerned. It was very uneventful as far as this world was concerned. And we read that there was no place for him at the end. So we see that that which is of interest to heaven is, has no place as far as the interest of this world is concerned.
And I was struck one time.
When I was in university.
And studying the classics Greek and Latin and reading the.
The Greek authors at that time, I'm in classical Greek authors and I read some of the authors that wrote that were even contemporary with the with the life of the Lord Jesus and they never make any mention, no mention whatsoever. They they speak of events that were going on. They speak of other men who were.
Who were great men in that day as far as the world was concerned, and they make no mention.
Of Jesus, no mention at all. And it struck me at the time.
That, that, that which was the, you might say, the greatest interest to heaven, that which the angels were observing and had great interest in. The historians, they had no interest at all. It did not create any interest in their minds at all, but in the interest of heaven as they look down and observe the Lord Jesus passing through this scene. And he was here for God. That's the wonderful thing.
And I thought the angels for the first time.
They saw a man in this world holy for God and maintained everything that was of God. You know, I, I think when we observe the life of the Lord Jesus, sometimes we we perhaps overlook some things that are important.
In Christendom, the average person in Christendom, if you were to ask them to.
To give a delineation of the life of the Lord, they would speak about His.
Raising the dead, They would speak about his healing the sick. They would speak about his compassion upon the widows.
And that's all true, and that's all well and good, but they completely overlooked the fact that he was a man here who maintained every institution of God.
It struck me one time in reading in the Gospels about the Lord Jesus and all of the things that he did, that if a man came to a city, any city, city where this city right here, and he was able to heal all the sick people in this city.
And open the eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf, and give the dumb to speak.
And he went about doing good to everyone.
I believe he would be a very popular man.
I really believe he would be a very popular man. I don't think people would speak I'll of him. Everyone would say he's a wonderful man That's wonderful. He wouldn't have an enemy in the city and someone might think well that's what the Lord Jesus did and why was it that he was so hated? Well, I will tell you why he not only did that, but he maintained everything that was of God. In other words, if if God instituted.
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If God had set up the temple.
And he had given the character of the temple. There was a House of prayer and a holy place. Others might come in and out of that temple and they saw the money changers. They saw those that were buying and selling there, you know, but it didn't bother them. But when the Lord Jesus came in there, he says this can't be.
This is not right. This is the House of God. And what did he do? Why, he overturned the the tables of the money changers and he drove the animals out. And he he said that that they had made this the House of God, a den of thieves. In other words, he not only did these wonderful works to men in helping them, but he maintained everything that was of God.
And you take, for instance, marriage. There were those that came to him and spoke to him about marriage.
And he set out marriage as it was in the beginning. Oh, they brought up about Moses and so forth, but he took them right back to marriage in the beginning.
And we find all the way through, even as to those who sat in Moses seat, you remember the Pharisees and he told his disciples that as sitting in Moses seat in the place of authority, he said submit to them whatever they bid you do do but don't do after their works morally, but where they had official authority. He never encouraged anyone to be an insurrectionist. He never encouraged anyone to.
To to go against the government or to go against the authorities. He never encouraged anyone to.
To be an activist and things like that. No, he encouraged, he told them to render under Caesar the things that are Caesar's. And this is really what incurred the wrath of men. What incurred the wrath of man was not the healings, the compassion, but it was because he was a man who maintained what was of God. Every institution of God he preserved and he walked according to God. And that's why it says.
69 The reproaches of them, that reproach thee are fallen on me. That's why he was, That's why he was hated rather than revered in love. Because of the enmity of the human heart toward God, that rebellion against God was vented toward him. Because here was a man, you might use the expression, who dared represent God in this world. He dared to stand up for everything that was of God.
And he did. He maintained it well, I believe. The angels.
Scene of angels they saw a man here that was not only filled with compassion and love and loneliness and meekness and humility, but a faithful devoted man to God and a man who maintained everything that was of God. What a unique man the Lord Jesus is. Well, the angels observe that but now the angels are the Lord Jesus has gone up to heaven and as I mentioned the the way it's presented.
Gospel. It says he was taken up to heaven. The angels.
Took him up into heaven this one who the earth is rejected. He was received up in glory. That's what we have in first Timothy 316 after we passed after the Spirit of God brings before his pathway here it says he was received up in glory. So he's up there now. What is it that is of interest on heaven the interest of heaven on earth turn back to.
First, Peter.
The first portion that we read what we have here, Peter says in verse nine that we have received the salvation of our souls.
And that salvation the prophets inquired and searched, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto us?
Searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them, did signify, when it testified beforehand, the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow, unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us, they'd administer the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven.
Now it's these things that it says the angels desire.
To look into these things are not for angels, no.
This is the grace of God that comes unto us to you and me. This is the the grace of God, what the grace of God has brought to you and me. And it's the things that have been reported unto us. Now the Holy Spirit has come down from heaven to make these wonderful heavenly things known to you and me. Now when it says.
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By them that have preached the gospel.
We don't want to restrict that to the to just the truth of Christ dying for our sins, but I believe the gospel in its fullness, the gospel in the in the full breadth of it, brings before us all of the benefits.
Everything that accrues to you and me in the way of blessing as a result of that work on the cross, it all flows from the from the work of the cross. But my what a what a ever widening and deepening blessing. You might say sort of like, you know, the water that came out of the house and temple in the in Ezekiel there when the water came out and how that it increased in the in depth as you went and finally you got into waters to swim in.
I believe that's really the thought of what flows out from the cross, from the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. We might say that when we first, when we first enter into the truth of the gospel, the great thing is our sins are forgiven. How wonderful that is. I suppose that's where every believer begins, with the joy of his sins forgiven.
That he's not going to be judged. He'll never come into judgment. His sins are all forgiven.
But the water gets deeper and we see that there's more to the gospel, there's more to the benefits that the gospel proclaims. There's more that comes from the the work of Christ and that how it brings us.
Into the presence of God, taken into favor in the Beloved, and how it unites us to Christ himself so that we're members of His body.
And how that we are so brought before the Father that.
He can identify us with Himself as his brethren, so that his Father is our Father, and his God is our God, associating us with Himself. He's not ashamed to call us brethren and then to see our place already seated in the heavenlies in him, and that we're going to be united to him as his bride, and come forth and reign with him well. And not only that, but the Holy Spirit.
And when I say the Holy Spirit, that's the.
Designation of the person.
The Spirit of God, and he's called the Holy Spirit, but we find in Scripture that he has spoken of as the Spirit of Christ too. In fact, right here in this verse 11, searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them.
Now we know that.
These men who wrote scripture, that's what they're referring to, the men who wrote the Old Testament scriptures, they were moved by the Spirit of God. That's what we have in the second Epistle of Peter, the end of chapter one. We might just read that in second Peter at the end of chapter one.
And verse 21.
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
But here in this chapter, the 1St chapter of Peter in verse 11, he refers to the Spirit that was moving them along as the Spirit of Christ.
But I believe it's called, he's called the Spirit of Christ here because the Spirit moved those men to right of Christ.
It was the Spirit giving testimony to Christ.
He's called here the Spirit of Christ and we know it was the Spirit of Christ in Noah. We read again in second Peter, or rather First Peter. It is there when when Noah preached.
Speaks of the. We might just refer to that in the third chapter.
Of this first epistle.
And verse 18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins that just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. And the King James translators are accurate in putting a capital S there with spirit, because it's the Holy Spirit quickened by the Spirit, the Holy Spirit. Now notice by which that is this spirit.
Also he went and preached under the spirits in prison. And when did he do that?
Verse 20 tells us it was in the days of Noah when the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah.
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When when Noah preached, he preached in the power of the Spirit which is spoken of here is the Spirit of Christ.
That spirit that was to was to animate, you might say, and which was to be the power in which Christ went about as a man in this scene was the spirit that worked in Noah, or was in Noah when he preached to those souls in his day. And it was the spirit that was working in these men of old and writing the Scriptures.
And telling about the grace of God that was that was to be brought to you and me. But there's another.
Place in which the Spirit of Christ or the Spirit is spoken of as the Spirit of Christ. And that's Romans 8, when it says that if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
The believer has indwelling him the Spirit of Christ, the same Spirit that was in Christ as man here below, the same spirit that begat the Lord as to his humanity.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee.
The Angel told Mary that that it that the Holy Spirit would come upon her, and that holy thing, the the humanity of the Lord Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit.
And that spirit?
By which the Lord was born, as to his humanity, and that spirit that came upon the Lord Jesus at his baptism as a dove.
Is the same spirit that indwells you and me the Spirit of Christ?
What a wonderful privilege. Now these are some of the things that have been reported to us.
By those who preach the gospel with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven.
Why these? They would have never known these things except it was the Holy Spirit making the known. Turn back to the Gospel of John chapter 16.
John 16.
When the Lord is speaking to his disciples and verse 12, John 16 and verse 12.
I have yet many things to say unto you, but you cannot bear them now.
How be it when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come? He will guide you into all truth.
For he shall not speak from himself. It should be.
But whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will show you things to come.
He shall glorify Me, for He shall receive of mine my themes, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine. Therefore said I, that He shall take of my or my things, and show them unto you. Oh, think of that.
That the themes of the Lord Jesus.
The things of the Father, the things that belong to them.
Are to be shown and to declare now by the Holy Spirit that has come down from heaven.
Well, these are wonderful things, and I believe that we have them unfolded to us in the epistles.
Paul or the Lord said you cannot bear them now. They couldn't bear them now. It's only when the Spirit is come.
And now they have been unfolding. We are those who are in the benefit of the full unfolding.
Of the things of Christ, the things of God, the things of the Father, the full revelation, the whole council of God. These things have been brought out now. And you know, angels.
Find have an interest in that because there is nothing in this world to compare with it you can read.
All that man has to offer, you can take up. You can take up every or any interest that man has in this world. You can take up every hobby.
Or whatever it is. And nothing compares with what God has made known to us recorded in this precious book. That which has been reported by those that preach the gospel with the Holy Ghost come down from heaven. And you know, I believe that this should stir up our hearts to a greater interest in these things, to think of the things of Christ, the things of God, all made known right here in this precious book.
You know, I've often thought.
That if, if one had an invitation by the president, well, I'm thinking now of the president of the United States. You could use the illustration here of your prime Prime Minister and what they call him. But anyhow, the the head of the state, if you had an invitation to come to visit with him And he said, I'm going to I'm going to tell you everything of how I feel about.
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About government and about the country.
Not what he says publicly, you know, for, for consumption by the public, but to, but to make known his, his real thoughts and his real feelings. Well, I'm sure that most people would say, oh, that would be a very interesting thing to be able to. I'd really be interested in hearing what he really feels, what he really thinks, what his real interests are, what his real thoughts and feelings are.
Well, you know, that's what we have now. We have the.
The thoughts, the mind, the heart, everything that.
That the father has and the son has. They are revealed now to us. They're found in the word of God. I believe it's all told forth. You know, sometimes we we have we see here. I've seen hymns that speak about how much we're going to learn how much we're going to enter into when we get to heaven. Well, I'm not saying that we that we enter into everything here.
But sometimes I I fear that there is a feeling of of.
Something like this, that while we're down here, there is really nothing for us. We are going our way. We're on our way to heaven, and we're going to get to heaven one of these days. But in the meantime, we're just poor sort of paupers going through this scene. But it isn't. So these things, notice it's by the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven. These things have been brought down now.
Into this world. That's what I like to think of it. These precious things have been brought down right here in this world where we live.
We don't have to wait till we get to heaven to know the things of Christ, the things of God, what is in His heart, what is in His mind, what His purposes are, what His counsels are, what He thinks of us, how acceptable we are. One could go over all of these subjects. What a wonderful revelation. Now the angels, it says they desire to look into it.
And I've opened that too. You know, it's, we find sometimes that that that's the case.
You know, a person perhaps, and I've heard of this of individuals, an individual who perhaps is living in in a very fine house. It belongs to a noble family and he lives in a very fine house and he has a beautiful, a beautiful house and maybe beautiful paintings and beautiful furniture and everything is ornamented and.
He could care less about it, no interest, someone else coming from the outside. And he comes into that house and he says, my, what a beautiful place.
And he's interested in everything there. He's interested in the antique furniture, he's interested in the paintings and the and the beautiful carpentry and everything, the cabinet work.
Sometimes those who have great possessions don't have any real interest in what they have.
And I fear sometimes it is with us. The angels don't possess these things. These things that have been announced by the Holy Ghost that come down from heaven do not belong to the angels. That is, it isn't their possession, but they're interested in it. They're looking into it. And I trust that we would have an interest in them too.
Would have an interest in them too Now turn over to Ephesians. We have the interest of angels mentioned again the word angels are not is not found here, but I think that the.
They are referred to in verse 11 rather verse 10.
Is where the angels are referred to.
When he speaks to the principalities and powers in heavenly places, that's angelic beings.
They are spoken of. Here is the principalities and powers, angelic powers and principalities.
The good angels, of course, And he says to the intent, that now that is the present time unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be made known through the Church.
The manifold wisdom of God.
They are interested here. Their interest here is in this expression, the manifold wisdom of God, the wisdom of God.
They're interested in this particular expression of the wisdom of God. I see the wisdom of God has been expressed in various ways. The wisdom of God was expressed in creation.
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It was by wisdom the world was created. I believe the wisdom of God is was demonstrated in salvation. We read that in First Corinthians. One you know.
I can't quote it, but I'll read it. In First Corinthians chapter one, we have the wisdom of God in regard to salvation.
For after that, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew God. It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
And he says that after that in the wisdom of God, you see, in the wisdom of God's ways, he allowed man to.
To show how bankrupt he was.
And then he comes in with the gospel.
So the wisdom of God had been expressed in various ways, but there is a particular way in which the wisdom of God is displayed in the church that the angels are interested in. That's why it says that it might be known by or through the church.
They're they're learning something through the church. They're learning a particular wisdom of God that spoken of here is a manifold that is, it's all various. It's not restricted to one particular thing, but it's it's a fullness, it's a wisdom.
That goes beyond even the creation and I believe goes beyond redemption.
It goes beyond that. The manifold wisdom of God and it's being seen or it's being learned by the angels in the church. They're observing it in the church. That's God's thought. Now, what is this?
Well, I believe in this wisdom if you'll turn to the first chapter of Ephesians.
Verse 9. Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in him. Now I'll explain what I mean in in reading this, and connecting it with that manifold wisdom.
What the apostle is saying here is this.
That God is made known to us. The secret of his will he makes known to us.
What He had in mind from the very beginning, when He created the world and placed man here, God had a great purpose in mind. He had before him the thought of a of a scene of glory.
With everything headed up in a man, everything headed up in a man, the man Christ Jesus.
Both which are in heaven and earth, everything ranged under his headship.
Everything governed by him, everything deriving from him.
Everything receiving its impulse from him, He would be the center of everything. That's what's involved in the expression to gather together in one. You'll find that in Mr. Darby's translation. I believe he has it to head up all things in Christ. That's really the thought. Everything is headed up in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth. That was the great.
Principle that the great thought that God had, and we know, of course, that this is going to be demonstrated.
In the coming Kingdom, as we speak of it, often as the millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ, everything is going to be headed up Him.
God is going to have a public demonstration.
In heaven and earth of the headship of Christ.
In other words, that's going to be the display, I believe, of the greatest wisdom of God, the all various wisdom of God.
All of the ways and thoughts of God sort of culminate in that thought of everything being headed up and centered in Him.
Because you see up until the Kingdom.
Many things have been accomplished.
But right now, the while we know that redemption has been accomplished and souls are being blessed, yet the place that belongs to the Lord Jesus is not being fulfilled. There's there's something lacking, but I believe they're in the Kingdom. Every thought of God is going to be fulfilled. Everything in that that God has had in his thoughts down through the years, the thought of a king.
The thought of headship. The thought of administration.
Everything righteousness and peace and joy and all of these things derive from Christ as Head.
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The reason there's going to be peace.
The reason there's going to be prosperity, the reason there's going to be joy in the Kingdom is because everything is derived from Christ. He's the head.
Everything derived from him. Nothing is derived from man. Fallen man, everything is headed up in Christ, Everything is derived from Him. That's the thought of head.
That's the I believe the demonstration of the public demonstration of the manifold wisdom of God. The word is going to see how that everything can be a peaceful and with joy and with equity. Things don't have to be now you know today.
The government and those who have responsibility in government have to admit that whatever measures are introduced in the way of of the financial world and in the way of of their program for people's benefit, everyone doesn't benefit whatever program is instituted someone.
Comes out on the short end of the stick, so to speak, no matter what the whether it be capitalism or whether it be socialism or whatever it is. But God is going to demonstrate in the Kingdom how that how that everything can be equitable, everything can be righteous, everything can be peaceful and all of these things at the same time because everything is headed up in Christ.
When I turn back to the third chapter, see, that's future. That's a future day when everything is headed up in Christ. Heaven and earth is future.
But verse 9.
Of chapter 3 says.
That Paul wanted to make no make all men see what is the fellowship or the administration of the mystery.
Now that word fellowship here I'll have to make a little criticism of the King James translators. That word fellowship is the same word if you look back in verse 10 again of chapter one.
As the word dispensation there.
When he says that in the dispensation.
And over there it says fellowship really both of them is the thought of it is administration that in the administration of the fullness of times. And in Chapter 9, verse nine of chapter 3, it's the administration of the mystery.
Administration. That means that something is put into effect.
Like when one, when a, when a man comes into office, I know they use the expression over in the States, they speak of the present administration. They're referring to those who are in power and they have instituted a certain line of things governmentally and they're administering the affairs of state according to their political philosophy. And that's the thought of administration. And so the administration of the fullness of times is when everything is headed up.
But there is a present administration in verse 9.
And that is the mystery.
The mystery which was kept secret, that was hidden God. And what is this mystery?
This mystery is Christ in the church.
This mystery is the Church joined to Christ and He.
The head so that the assembly draws everything from.
Its head Christ. So the angels are seeing now a little preview of the Kingdom.
They're learning now what is going to take place in the Kingdom when the whole heaven and earth derive everything from Christ, when all is under his direction and everything comes from Him. This is the this is the thought of the mystery, that the assembly here in this world derives everything from Christ and is under his direction, under his headship.
Well, that's an interest. That's a, that's a thing, that's a wisdom that is of interest to these angels, and they're learning that.
At least this is what should be the exercise of the Saints.
And I thought, you know.
In this city, as well as others where they're Saints gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We know that in general, there's no really no interest in our gatherings. They're not. They have. They could care less, I suppose. Generally speaking, people in this neighborhood, they may know that there's some people meeting over here, but there's no real interest. They could care less as to how we meet, what we're concerned with, what we're exercised about.
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What we seek to go on with, but that isn't true of the angels.
That isn't true of the angels. They are very concerned. They are very concerned because God would have them to observe this great truth of the mystery of the headship of Christ. And they would be very interested to see Saints moving under the headship of Christ, deriving everything as to their walk in their ways and their surface, their worship, everything deriving from Christ and not from man.
Deriving nothing from the scene around them.
They do not find anything that they take up with. They do not do not find the source of it in the world. The source of it is Christ. I believe that's what's involved in holding the head in Colossians. It means that the Saints derive everything from Christ. The way they live, the faults they have, the interest they have, the company they keep, everything is in connection with Christ and under His headship, whatever He directs them in the Word.
They.
Under that direction, and the result is of course there is peace, there is joy, there is that which is glory to God and the angels. I believe the principalities and powers are observing that they're observing this manifold wisdom of God in the Saints here below. It's of great interest to them and I believe as a result should be of great interest to you and me and a desire to to go on.
In that pathway of being subject to him as head and deriving from him his head because it's a great interest.
To heaven, even though it may not be to those roundabout in this world. When I turn over to the passage in First Corinthians 11.
Like just touch on this one here briefly another.
Matter that the angels are concerned about.
We read in verse 10 of this chapter.
This pairs out the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.
I believe that indicates that the angels are observing this order.
And I suppose that what really aroused the interest of the angels in regard to this.
You see, the head covering is in connection with the thought of the order of God in creation here in this world, the order of God that prevails in this world.
In regard to man, not just Christians, God has instituted an order in this world in regard to mankind, if I can use that expression.
So much so that when the Lord Jesus became man, he was subject to that.
Why do I say that? Well, we read here in verse three, the end of the verse, that the head of Christ is gone.
Now you couldn't make a statement like that before the incarnation.
Before the incarnation he was not. You couldn't speak of God as being his head, but when he became a man, he came into that scene where this order of God had been set up, that God is over all and man is subject to God and he was to derive from God. That's why when the Lord Jesus, as we read in John's Gospel, he said I can do nothing of myself, he derived everything from God.
There's a man.
He would do nothing of his own will, but he derived everything from God. He had God as his head. He had God as his head. Now we know that, of course, that when he became man, when the Word was made flesh, he was the first born. That is, he had the preeminent place, it's true, but nonetheless He took the place in manhood of having.
God as as his head.
It says here the head of Christ is gone. Well now in this order of things here.
We read in verse three that the head of every man is Christ. Now Christ has come into that place of headship over man. We might read that verse in Colossians because I believe this is what is involved in Colossians chapter one.
And verse 15.
It speaks of the Lord Jesus, who is the image of the invisible God.
The first born of every creature.
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When he became man, he took the place of preeminence. First born, of course, doesn't mean.
1St in time. It means first in preeminence.
David wasn't the first born of Jesse, but in the Psalms God says that I will make him my first born higher than the kings of the earth. That's the thought of the first barn. It means as to preeminence. And even though he became man and he came into that Arbor of things where man was subject to God, he was preeminent and he, he becomes the head of every man.
Not only Christians.
And in the Millennium, he's going to demonstrate that headship.
But he's the head of every man, and we read that the head of the woman is the man.
The head of Christ is God. Now this is God's order in creation down here. This is God's order in creation. It's it's not only God's order in the assembly now it's taken up in the assembly, of course, because you see, the Saints are to take their cue from the Lord Jesus to maintain every institution of God. I believe that's important.
Everything that God is instituted.
It's the responsibility of the Saints to maintain.
You see, marriage for instance, is not a Christian institution that was instituted of God long before Christianity was known.
The family is not a Christian institution.
The family was an institution of God long before Christ ever came. And this order here of the man being the head of the woman.
And was not, is not a Christian institution. I mean by that it's something that God instituted long before Christ came. And it's it's the order that God has set up in this world for man marriage.
The family and the headship of man so that.
It's a violation of the rights of God, even for the unsaved, those that are lost, to violate this order.
And certainly it would be a dishonor to the Lord for the Saints to violate it, even though it's not a Christian institution.
Just as when the Lord was here, whatever God had instituted on earth, he, he preserved it. He, he, he knew that it was an institution of God and he preserved it. And so God would have us to preserve that institution. And that is why, of course, that the woman is to have the head covering the sign of authority. That's the word in verse 10 when it says power, there is literally authority, that which is the sign of being.
Under the authority of man.
Not just because that they're Christians. Of course the Christian does it. He wants to please the Lord. But this is really God's order in creation. And you know, the thought of the thought of being under headship does not imply inferiority.
You know what I mean. The fact that the head of the woman is the man does not mean that the woman is inferior. And for a woman to take that place of acknowledging and owning that headship does not, does not mean that she's taken an inferior place. For instance, Christ, when he took the place of coming under the headship of God, that didn't mean he was inferior.
It did not detract from the truth of His person. He was number less God in that place than He was before. He was God here manifest in the flesh. He was God on earth as much as He was God in heaven. He never ceased to be God.
Even though he took a place of subjection.
He took a place of coming under the headship of God that did not take away from the truth of His person.
And so I believe that that we can see that coming under the headship of another does not involve inferiority and it's not taking a place, you might say, belittling one. Sometimes I think some have the feeling that if that if the woman recognizes the headship of man, that it belittles the woman. No, it doesn't, no more than it belittles the person of Christ to say that the head of Christ is God.
No, it's really, you might say for one's glory. And that's what's involved, you see, with having the long hair. It is her glory because it's a symbol of her acceptance. It's it, it denotes her acceptance of this headship. And it's really for her glory, Just like it was for the glory of Christ to accept the headship of God, it's the glory of man to accept the headship of Christ.
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And the brothers in the meeting.
Whatever they take up, whether it be in the public service.
In the assembly, or whether it be in matters in the brothers meeting, we want to remember that the head of every man is Christ, and no brother can take the place of being head.
One cannot take the place and say, well now the Saints are under me and they have to listen to me.
They have to derive from me. The head of every man is Christ.
The head of every man is Christ. And so the brothers would remember that too, that the brothers, the men are under headship. They're under headship. That doesn't belittle the brothers, but it means that they that they, they are under that guidance and they derive from him his head. And so the angels are observing this.
They know the order of God in creation. They know that order.
And they observing it and as they look down on the Saints and the gatherings, I've often thought what a sight if they would look down on the on the bare heads of this of any who who profess to know the Lord. And it doesn't comport at all with the order that God has set up in creation. And then he looks down and hears a brother taking the usurping the place of head.
He takes the place of being the head of a congregation or what a what a sight for angels to look upon because they see that that is not according to the order of God. The head of every man is Christ. The head of the head of the of the woman is the man and the head of Christ is God. And I believe the head covering is connected with that whole thought of headship. The head covering is connected with that and it should be of an interest to us, not just something that's done mechanically, you know, not something that we.
Because this is the practice of a certain group of Christians, or it's the rules of the brethren. Now we do it because it's connected with this truth that this ardor that God has instituted and which the angels find an interest in and which they're observing. Well, as I said in the beginning, these angels, I believe, represent heaven's interest. And what is found here in this scene, the precious truths that have been brought out through the preaching.
The Word and that manifold wisdom of God that is seen in the assembly moving under the headship of Christ.
And then to observe this ardor even in God's creation of the headship of the man and the woman, and the headship of Christ over the man. Well, I trust that we might be, might be ourselves, realize that this is the interest of heaven, and seek to go on in these things and to have an interest in them ourselves.
New Creation
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.
Well, I thought this afternoon we would continue a little in what we've had this morning.
So many precious things that were before us, and I'm going to speak a little bit this afternoon.
We might meditate together on the subject of new creation.
New creation.
And we'll read several scriptures not too long, but the first one will be in Revelation, the third chapter.
One verse 14 first in the middle of the verse.
These things set the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God.
Now we'll turn to 2nd Corinthians.
The 5th chapter.
Verse 17.
Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, or he is a new creation.
All things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new.
And all things are of God.
Who hath reconciled us unto himself by Jesus Christ?
Now, in this verse, we're told somewhat of what this new creation is like.
We read in that verse in Revelation.
About the creation of God.
Since since the time of Adam there has been a new creation.
The second creation.
And every believer who is in Christ belongs to this new creation.
I will admit that I know very little about it.
But we belong to it just the same.
And through all eternity will be in the enjoyment that which is a new creation.
Now in connection with that new creation.
There is new birth.
And so that everyone who is a part, who is in Christ, has been born anew.
The expression born again doesn't give us the thought, nor born from above either. It's born anew.
You'll notice in the verse in Second Corinthians that expression knew.
So it's being born anew.
But beside that, there is a new race entirely.
A new race.
A new creation, A new race.
And it says here.
All things are passed away.
Now I suppose the first thought to our mind is that all the things that we had to do with in connection with sin before we were saved, those are all passed away. But that isn't what it says. Old things are passed away.
Do you know that everything that belongs to this first creation is to pass away completely?
Even the heavens and the earth will melt with the fervent heat.
Everything will pass away, so there will be a new creation. There is a new creation, but it will be completed.
And our part will be when we receive our new bodies.
Bodies of glory.
Like the body of the Lord Jesus.
All in a day to look forward to.
But you'll see the reason He has given us these thoughts from His word is He wants us to enjoy it now.
And I'm sure there was a measure of it this morning.
As the Spirit of God LED us into those precious hymns and scriptures that we had before us.
So it says here.
Old things are passed away.
Now, I think that most of us have the thought in our mind, at least to start with, that there are certain things we shouldn't do.
And that's true, but you see.
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Much has been said about being dead.
But if we're in the good of resurrection life, we won't have to talk about it, will we?
Yardale.
One is in the enjoyment of resurrection life. He's already they decide that as far as practice concerned down here.
And so our lives then are really in resurrection. We haven't our bodies yet, but we have a resurrection life already.
All things are passed away. What is the creation of God?
Well.
The creation at the time of Adam.
Was not the creation of God.
There was, of course, that which God created.
But we here have here explained what it is.
What the creation of God is?
It never said that the creation of Adam was perfect. It was good, but it never said it was perfect.
But when we speak of the creation of God, we speak of that which is of God.
18 first.
All things.
Are of God.
And in that new creation, when we get into the fullness of it, every place we look and what we'll see, what we'll experience will be that which.
Speaks of God.
Not of the old creation at all.
But what speaks of God?
The God of love.
In that day when he pours out exceeding kindness by Christ Jesus upon those that are now His.
But it says behold, and when he says behold, he wants to call our attention to this.
All things are become new. We won't need the present things after that.
Well then, why do we give so much attention to them?
I'm speaking to my own heart. Why do you we give so much attention to present things?
They're all to pass away.
All things are become new, yet Adam all die in Christ will all be made alive.
And all things are of God.
What a wonderful thing to be surrounded by everything that's of God.
Do you think so?
Do you and I surround ourselves now with that which is of God or of this present world? I speak to my own heart.
Oh, how we oftentimes find ourselves deep in the things of this world.
Whatever it may be.
You know what it might be in your case.
And I in my case.
Deep in the things of this world, they're all passing away. The.
Who hath reconciled us to himself? Now I think of the prodigal when I think of this verse, and I see the Father's arms around the prodigal.
Before he ever gets to the house is at work.
And then we hear no more about the prodigal. All we hear about is what God is doing for him. The best role. The ring. The shoes on his feet are sandals. Perfect liberty in the Father's house forever.
Simple picture of it all, how full it is of that, and it's where we're going to enter into the coming day.
Yes, and then the feet on the fatted calf.
To me, remembering forever the basis of all our blessings.
Then now let's turn to Ephesians, the 1St chapter.
Few more thoughts in connection with its new creation.
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We'll read the.
Verses 3:00 to 6:00.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1/3.
Who hath blessed us with all or every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ, according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy without blame before Him in love?
Having predestinated us under the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, and so on.
Now what do we have here?
Well, in the second verse or the third verse, we have God, as it were, reflecting on the work of Christ for His own glory and eternal joy. Think of it.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And what is the subject then? It's what we are.
To God in Christ, that's what he's thinking about.
Can you picture God being occupied with what you and I are to Him in Christ?
That's what this is Speaking of.
And what are we in Christ? Well, first of all.
We are blessed with every blessing in the heavenlies. The full scope of divine glory belongs now to the believer.
There will be his place of eternal rest and joy.
And God is reflecting on this.
You know what makes me think of the days of Abraham?
When?
Abraham said to God on that starry night to remember.
The heavens were open.
And he said to God, what will you give me? I have no child, I have no heir.
And your beloved God was thinking the very same thing at the same time.
Why did God go to all of this work of these 6000 years?
Because he wanted children in heaven, that's why.
He wanted you there and he wanted me there.
Why? Because it'll have to do with his eternal happiness.
He's a God of love and he wants to express that love.
Is going to express it.
Now what we're reading about.
Is Our Calling.
Our Calling is in the through the 3rd to the 6th verses. That's our present calling.
Hath chosen us in him.
We have been chosen before the foundation of the world.
Now what have we been chosen to that we might be holy?
Holy, that's separate.
Holy means to be separate.
That we might be holy.
And without blame.
No, before him.
Holy and without blame before him.
In love.
Now that's our eternal portion.
In love.
God is love.
And behind every movement of God with this creature.
Is love.
Sometimes we may not think so, but that's what it is.
Love.
So it says here having predestinated us under the adoption of children.
Now we have adoption.
We're children.
And you know what God said to Abraham in the illustration we were using?
He said Abraham look into the heavens.
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So shall thy seed be.
In other words, Abraham, how much do you want?
How large a blessing do you want? There are no limits to this blessing.
Has man never been able to find the ends of the universe? No, an end to it though.
But you know, beloved, there's no end to the blessings that we're Speaking of.
Infinite.
But God has in view.
And think it's all for his own eternal joy that he's doing this. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now we have two things here. We have his nature. That's God.
Think of it, you and I have a divine nature.
Why? Because He wants us to enter into and enjoy the very same things that He enters into and enjoys.
But he is also father.
That's relationship. We belong to the heavenly family already down here.
Now this is by Jesus Christ, and again we have to Himself.
It's to himself.
What God is doing is for Himself.
Oh, we get the blessing, of course.
But is doing it for himself.
According to the good pleasure of his will.
Now the sixth verse.
To the praise of His, of the glory, of His grace.
Now we have the glory of His grace.
In a moment we may speak of the riches of his glory, but here's the glory of his grace.
And what's this why it says wherein you have made us accepted in the beloved?
Now, in order there be no question in our minds as to our eternal portion, we learned that our acceptance is in His beloved Son.
You know.
God has one son, and He's his beloved.
And he sent him to die into this world, to take our place in judgment. And the result is that you and I who have believed through grace have now been accepted in the very same position as his Son, the Man Christ Jesus.
Oh, that precious truth we have here accepted.
Not one. One cloud in between. Oh, there's clouds here.
In our pathway sometime, but remember.
Our standing before God is established.
Oftentimes in our state down here, we find that clouds come in, but that's different.
Our standing is perfect.
And you know to beloved that what God has undertaken with each one of His own will be accomplished.
He that hath begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
You know, sometimes we get a little bit upset because something comes into our life and we get discouraged and Satan comes in and we think, well, I don't know.
Afraid it's all over with me.
I've had young people tell me they weren't saved.
At the breaking bread at the table, though, we have a strong enemy. But let me tell you something.
What He has begun in your soul, it will complete.
He will complete it.
Yes, he will.
No doubt about it.
And though there may be certain paths you'll have to take in connection with it, He's going to complete what He has begun in your soul. Oh, how good to be in his hands and to be at rest there.
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How wonderful to be at rest in the hands of the Lord Jesus.
Accepted in the Beloved.
Now it isn't just accepted in the Son of God, as precious as that is, but it's being accepted in the affections of the Father. That's the way we're accepted.
Are we enjoying this?
Or do we just know it? I'm not telling you anything new this afternoon.
I want to remind my own soul these precious things. Are we enjoying the fact that we have been accepted in the Beloved?
According to the good pleasure.
Of his will.
God's will.
He's the one that's doing this for His own eternal joy. Whatever He does in regard to us for His joy will be for ours too.
Remember Eternal.
Now we turn to the third chapter of Ephesians.
The 10th verse. To the intent, that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose, or the purpose of the ages which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
Wherefore I desire that she faint not at my tribulation for you, which is your glory.
For this 'cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole or every family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to.
Really apprehend with All Saints.
What is the breadth and length and depth and height? And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge?
That you might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in US. Unto Him, the glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.
This chapter is a parenthesis in Ephesians. It brings out the very heart of the subject of the mystery.
We have here in this second prayer. The 1St is in the first chapter.
That which has to do with the inner man.
There are no limits.
Oh, what a marvelous thing the creation of man was.
God anticipated all this back in eternity. Predestination.
And every believer has been fitted as a vessel.
To be able to lay hold of this glory, the divine glory.
In its very dimensions spoken up here.
The capacity.
Is given to each one for it.
How do we lay hold of it?
Well, it's very clear here that before we speak of that, I just want to mention a few things at the beginning of what we've read.
God has an eternal purpose. It's the purpose of the ages.
It has to do with his own eternal joy. It has to do with the glory of Christ.
And it has to do with our blessing. God wants to be known.
He's making himself known.
You'll notice the word wisdom here.
The manifold wisdom of God in the 10th verse.
You know the law was given by Moses.
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But there was nothing accomplished in that way.
But when God made the world's, he used wisdom.
And understanding.
Remember that with your children.
Beloved.
It takes wisdom and you're bringing up of your children, not just law.
Law on itself will never accomplish anything.
It takes wisdom, takes grace.
God used wisdom.
But what about this?
All this wisdom is different.
Not just to create worlds. He spake and it was done.
But think of the 6000 years.
Since God broke the silence.
And the darkness before this creation, to prepare a sphere in which he might make himself known, and all his godhood, glory and wisdom and power.
And he's been working for these 6000 years.
And he's been working in each individual soul, not just the church.
The Old Testament Saints.
All he's been working in each one, patiently, day by day.
In your heart, mind, day by day.
Not speaking, and it's done in a moment. That's the world.
But the inner man.
The inner man, the love of the inner man, is connected with the riches of his glory.
You can't go any further than that.
But now, because of time, we are going to just refer to a few things here.
16 First, that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory.
To be strengthened with might by his spirit.
In the inner man, notice it's by the spirit.
That Christ may dwell in your hearts.
By faith.
That she, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to apprehend with All Saints. What is the breadth, length and depth and height?
And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that you might be filled with or unto all the fullness of God.
Now what is the fullness of God?
In him.
Dwells all the fullness.
Of the Godhead bodily.
Not marvelous.
In Christ.
You see how the subject here all reverts back to that blessed Savior?
The one who we were remembering this morning, who died on that cross for us, took our place. The one who gave himself. That means he gave all that he is for us, He gave himself.
In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead in a human.
Body. Think of it.
Now how do we lay hold of all this that we're Speaking of?
It's very plain here, very simple, if our hearts can lay hold of it.
17 first.
That Christ.
May dwell.
Not occasional visit.
In your hearts, by faith.
Now, by faith, you know.
When you speak of faith, you're talking about the Word of God. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.
So it supposes that you get your information from the word of God.
By faith.
Christ dwelling in the heart by faith.
That she being rooted and grounded in love.
Now that comes after Christ, dwelling in the heart by faith, rooted and grounded in love.
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Dwelling, not simply occasional visit.
Christ Dwelling.
Not in the mind, but in the heart.
By faith.
Occupation with the Word of God, and that's where we learn about that blessed Savior.
Now rooted and grounded in knowledge, know and love.
Because that's the theme for all eternity, isn't it?
And it begins down here.
Rooted and grounded in love, by this shall all men know that you're my disciples and that you have love for all the Saints? No. And that you have loved one for another.
Oh how we need this brother.
You know, brethren, we don't have love for one another when we're always introducing new doctrines that are will divide the Saints. That isn't having loved one for another.
What we need is peace in the Assembly.
Not man's ideas introduced.
Loved one for another.
Oh, we need this.
There's just a little while left, brethren. Let's go on in the enjoyment of these precious things.
Not introducing our own thoughts.
But to go on and established in the faith, enjoying it, the person of Christ dwelling, rooted and grounded in love.
Now this is the basis of all true spirituality.
Dwelling Christ, dwelling in the heart by faith.
It's the basis of all purity in our lives.
It's the basis of all intelligence and divine things.
Christ dwelling in the heart by faith.
And to know the love of Christ with passive knowledge. And what's this?
Well, haven't you ever had the experience of that which you couldn't tell anyone else about?
That you enjoyed.
You couldn't explain it to anyone else, it's your own personal experience.
With another.
A loved one.
That's what we have here.
The love of Christ, which paths of knowledge?
This brings us to the fullness of God in Christ.
Whatever those dimensions are.
The fullness of it. Yes, beloved, our portion is the fullness of divine glory. Oh, how precious.
The 21St verse.
And now we have in this 21St verse.
It speaks of the glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages.
The Church will be the vessel by which the glory of God will be seen to all created intelligence throughout the divine eternal ages. Think of it.
Turns me to the fifth chapter please.
In the middle of the 25th verse.
Christ also loved the church.
And gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word.
That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Now when it says Christ loved the church and gave himself for it.
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We think of the fact that he went to the Cross of Calvary and died in our stead.
Oh, how precious that truth is.
He gave himself, but there's more to than that.
He just gave himself, that's it.
All that he is, is man.
And you know, beloved, we're going to be just like him in every respect as man.
Everything that was true of him as man will be seen in the church in that coming day.
Just like Christ.
That's a part of the glory.
Now we have in the 26th verse.
Cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.
We've had some of the subject of chastening, but that isn't what it says here.
Chase Lane is not bringing that particular thought before us, although I'm sure it's connected.
But the thought here is his love for the church.
He wants the church to be prepared to enjoy the things that he enjoys.
And he's fitting the church for that right now. It's his love that does it.
He wants his people to be one with him and everything.
You think of that when you're passing through a trial.
The washing of water by the word.
Do you think of the fact that he's fitting you for companionship for all eternity with himself?
In that coming glory, he's going to have his people with him and like him.
And you know.
His people are going to be the joy of the Father, because when the Father looks upon his people, they will seek Christ.
In them.
That's what Abigail means, one of the types of the bride in the Old Testament. Abigail means joy of the father at home, in the father's house. All think of it.
What a day that will be when you oh, you say, well, I'm my life is pretty, pretty rough. Never mind about that. God's purposes are going to be completed. There'll need to be a little bit of washing and cleansing in my life and there may be in yours too, but he's going to accomplish his purpose.
And all that belongs to the former creation has to go.
Even now, in our thoughts, in our thinking as Christians, there has to be a new order of things.
And that's the washing of water by the word.
In our lives down here.
And what's he going to do? He's going to present the church to himself, his bride.
Without spa, without wrinkle, won't be any old age there or immaturity.
Oh, what a day.
Full manhood and the enjoyment.
Of the full divine glory.
With Christ and in Christ for all eternity.
And what does that have to do with our lives now?
Should have its effect on them.
There should be some response. We sing in our little hymns, you know about this, but is it in practice with us in that same way?
A glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, I.
But you know, it's wonderful to be occupied with these precious things.
But we're here in the wilderness.
We're still in a place where Satan makes his attacks.
That it wouldn't be faithfulness this afternoon just to speak of that one side of these things, precious things. They are. And I want to turn you to the last chapter of Ephesians.
The 10th verse.
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Finally, my brethren.
Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the Wiles of the devil.
Not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high or heavenly places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day that's today, and having done all to stand.
Stand therefore having your loins skirt about with truth.
Having on the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, above all taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, Take the helmet of salvation from the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, praying with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.
And watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for All Saints. And so on.
Now we have here at the close of this book.
It's interesting, isn't it? At the beginning of the book we have that which is the highest.
We can reach.
And now we've been introduced to the wake of spirits and the heavenlies in this chapter.
Our enemies, the ones who are going to keep us from the enjoyment of these things. And as we said, if our hearts are not dwelling in, if Christ is not dwelling in our hearts by faith.
There will not be any spiritual intelligence in our lives. There won't be any purity in our lives.
No, and that's what the wicked spirits want to do.
Did you ever think of this, that as a believer you're either under the control of the Spirit of God?
And if we grow careless, Satan is liable to take over.
And to bring things into our lives.
And turn us aside. He's a strong enemy.
We have to have the whole armor of God. I believe there are seven things here. We can't go over the mall, perhaps, but.
The whole armor of God.
What for? Because we wrestle not against flesh and blood.
But against principalities.
Those are angels, wicked angels against powers, against the rulers of the dark of this world.
Universal Lords of darkness, in other words, against spiritual wickedness or wicked spirits in the heavenly places.
You are in the heavenly places, dear friends. You and I have been seated in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus.
But that's where the wicked spirits are.
And they're the ones that want to trip us up if they possibly can. He's a strong enemy.
Though our saddest is to see the enemy tripping up one after another.
In one way or another.
What's the answer? Christ dwelling in the heart by faith.
A constancy of spirit in reading and prayer.
Not only for ourselves, but for others. The spirit of Christianity, not only for ourselves.
Take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand and to stand.
What do we have here? Just stand the battles all won.
Christ, wanna now stand?
It was a question of testimony. Of course you have the sword of the spirit.
Which is the word of God.
But first you have that helmet of salvation, which is the assurance of salvation.
Keeping out all the fiery darts of the enemy.
And you know, the breastplate is a place where the enemy attacks.
And.
You need a breastplate right there.
Most vulnerable place where the heart is.
00:45:04
And its righteousness that's in question there.
The little things of life.
Righteousness. Be sure it's righteousness.
Loins girt about with truth, the place of strength.
He that trusts his own heart as a fool.
The truth.
Truth of God is what we need, not our own thoughts.
In closing, I want to turn to Timothy.
I know these are scattered thoughts perhaps, but.
Give us something to think about a little bit.
Second Timothy, the third chapter.
I won't have be able to say much of this, but just to read it and a comment or two.
This know also that in the last days perilous times shall come, for men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent fears, despisers of those that are good traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of.
More than lovers of God having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof from such turn away.
Now the reason I bring this in is this.
It's so easy to make a profession of Christianity.
It's so easy to even take up with all these precious truths that we have been Speaking of.
And have them in the mind.
But you know what? This is a picture of.
It doesn't tell us about the physical conditions about us like wars.
Famines, pestilence, they're around us. That's true, but that's not the subject.
The subject here is the end of Christendom.
These verses that I have just read.
It's the end of those who started like Ephesians, one with all the blessings.
By profession.
And now look what has happened to it.
The truth slipped away like out of a leaking vessel.
Generation after generation until.
Infidelity.
Are these the works of the Spirit?
Indeed, they're not.
All beloved left search our hearts that none of these things are true of us.
Think of it.
Lovers of their own selves covetous boasters without natural affection.
Having a form of godliness.
Form outward, form no heart.
Thou hast left thy first love, that S Ephesians.
The Book of Revelation.
After their history.
Is over, Thus left thy first love.
Denying the power thereof.
The heart Christ dwelling in the heart by faith, is the power thereof.
That's the power of true Christianity, Christ dwelling in the heart by faith.
Children of Light
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 tonight to Psalm 27.
Psalm 27.
The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though in host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war should rise against me. In this will I be confident.
One thing have I desired of the Lord.
That will I seek after, that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion. In the secret of His Tabernacle shall He hide me.
He shall set me up upon a rock, and now shall mine head be lifted up above mine, enemies round about me, Therefore will Ioffer in his Tabernacle sacrifices of joy. I will sing, yeah, I will sing praises unto the Lord. Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice. Have mercy also upon me, and answer me when thou saidst seek ye my face my.
Said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek. Hide not thy face far from me, Put not Thy servant away in anger. Thou hast been my help. Leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up. Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path because of mine enemies.
Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies.
For false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. I have fainted unless I have believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord, Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord.
Following this little hymn that we've just been saying, it says with Christ our theme begins, the Lord of truth and love. We know that in the Psalms why we don't have the full revelation of the accomplished redemption and the blessed place into which the believer has been brought. Now we can say, as we often sing, Israel's God is ours. We find our resource in Him, even though we know him now in a much fuller way than they did in Israel.
And nevertheless, as we read the Psalms, how blessed to bring in the light of the New Testament and see in these Psalms that just as they in their, in their state found their satisfaction and their joy and all they needed in the Lord, so we can, as I say, in a much fuller way, because God has made himself known now in all the riches of his grace. The veil has been rent. The heart of God is fully told out, and you and I are.
To know and enjoy these precious things. And so I just like to look at this Psalm in a practical way and see how it brings before us some of those things that we can enjoy that we have in the Lord. Notice how it begins. The Lord is my light and my salvation. First of all, the Lord is my light, and that's the first thing that is necessary.
The Sinner must find out his true condition before God.
He must get into the light of God's presence. How many people there are, They've never been in the light of God's presence.
They're satisfied with themselves, as it tells us in Romans chapter 10. They, being ignorant of God's righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves under the righteousness of God. They don't know what God requires. They have never been in the light. I could have very dirty clothes on, and if I were in the dark, I wouldn't know it, and I wouldn't be conscious that other people knew it either because I was in the dark. But when I get into the light then.
Everything shows up. And that's what happened with Job. When he got into the Lord's presence, he had justified himself. He had said his heart wouldn't reproach him as long as he lived. But when he got into the presence of God, he said, I repent and abhor myself in dust and ashes. The same with the prophet Isaiah. He had pronounced judgment and woe upon many nations around Israel. But when he himself got into the presence of God.
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He said woe is me, for I am undone. And so the first experience that the soul has is to find his true condition before God.
That's why the Lord Jesus said there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one Sinner that repenteth. Notice it doesn't say over one Sinner that gets saved. And why does it say over one Sinner that repenteth? Because when a person sees themselves as God sees them, by then they realize their need. There's joy when the center is brought to realize his true condition because there's no refuge for his soul and.
From Christ. And so it is with us as believers too. We have been brought into the light first. John one and seven says, if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. That if in that verse is not the thought that some believers walk in the light and some don't. It's rather a contrast between the unbeliever and the believer.
We were sometimes darkness, but now we're light in the Lord. We're children of light. We've been brought into the light and that's where we've been brought and fitted for it through the blood. As another has said, all that the light makes manifest, the blood cleanses from. And so that's where the believer is. We may not always walk according to the light. So if we're exhorted to walk as children of light.
Someone asked Mr. Darby. But what if a Christian turns his back upon the light?
Well, Mr. Darby said the light will shine on his back. We're in the light, brethren. That's where we are. We're fitted for it through the blood, but we may not be in the enjoyment of it, we may not be walking according to it, but that's where we are, and we'll never be happy unless we're walking in the light of His countenance. Happy is that people who walk in the light of His countenance. And so this is the first thing brought before us, just as in the Epistle of John before it.
That God is love, it says. God is light. It must show us his character, because holiness becomes his house. And in heaven nothing that defiles will ever enter there. So we have light first. But isn't it lovely? And my salvation, the very one who tells us what our true condition is, the one who hides nothing from us of how guilty we were and how vile we were, is the very one.
Who has taken up the question of our sins and settled it? Oh, that's what gives us peace, brethren. Sometimes unbelievers are asked to confess their sins and come to God. I'd like to ask anyone here, could you remember all your sins? And if you could remember a good many of them, Are you sure that some of the things you might think were all right are really.
Sin in God's presence, and so if it was something that depended upon us.
Why? Surely we couldn't remember them all, nor would we fully realize the holiness of God, but it tells us that we're just to take our place like that publican. He didn't try to confess all his sins, but this he did say, God be merciful to me, a Sinner.
What, you know, before we are saved, we have never done anything to please God. Scripture says they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Such was our condition. So the confession of sins is for believers after we've been brought into the light, after we've been fitted for the light, then then anything and that is unbecoming to being consciously in His presence.
Why were to confess it not to get saved again?
Not to have those sins blotted out, they are blotted out, but to restore communion with the Lord. But how blessed this is. The Lord is my light and my salvation. Salvation is a person. As Simeon picked up that blessed babe in the second chapter of Luke, he said, Mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou has prepared before the face of all people, a light to light.
The Gentiles and the glory of thy people, Israel, He looked at that little babe and saw in that babe God's salvation. And every one of us here tonight who have Christ as our Savior have salvation because He is salvation. And so this is what the psalmist could say. As I say, he wasn't in the blessed enjoyment of it at that time, but that you and I can be in now. Because redemption wasn't yet accomplished, but it was the same.
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Person, the past look forward to the cross, we look back to it. Those in the past look forward because as soon as sin entered, God promised that there would be a Redeemer who would come, one who would bruise the serpent's head. They look forward to it. We look back, we can say that our sins are gone they were looking forward to the payment being made and it was made in full at Calvary, but.
Blessed brethren, let's never forget these wonderful words. The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? So it tells us in Romans chapter 8. It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? Let everyone bring charges. We've been cleared in the highest court. No one can lay a charge against the one who has been cleansed in the precious blood of Christ.
And justified from all things.
Someone has said justified means just as if I'd never sinned. But you know, brethren, it goes further than that. Because if that is as far as it took us, why Adam hadn't yet sinned when he was placed in the garden, but he afterwards did sin and had to be driven out of the garden. But to be justified for us as believers is more than just being before God as though he had never sinned. It is to be before God.
In a life that never sinned and cannot sin. That's why it says in Romans justification of life. That's why it says in John's epistle, whosoever is born of God does not commit sin, and his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God. And every believer is entitled to enjoy this blessed and wonderful truth.
That we are before God in a life that never sinned, and Canton cannot sin.
Because we are made the righteousness of God in Christ, that's where we stand before God.
He views his son, and there's a verse in First Epistle of John that says, as he is, so are we in this world. I remember talking when I was quite a young man to a dear old sister, and she was telling me about how she was saved.
And she had attended a meeting. She'd never been brought up under the sound of the word.
But she attended a meeting in which the speaker took up that verse. As he is, so are we in this world? She'd always thought she had to wait to find out until the day of Judgment to see how it was with her before God. And when she heard that while you're still here in this world, you can be as he is. That is, you're standing before God is in a rhythm glorified Christ.
And that's why it tells us here.
Whom shall I fear? Who is he that condemneth because God has justified?
But then we need something more, the same One who is my light and my salvation.
The psalmist could say the Lord is the strength of my life. By his grace I've been saved for a good many years, but I didn't have the strength for the Christian life in myself. The Lord Jesus said without me he can do nothing. And let's never forget this, because just as sure as we rely upon our own strength or lean upon some arm of flesh are going to prove that.
Only one that we can truly rely upon for strength is the Lord himself. Trust ye and the Lord forever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. Oh, may we draw our resources from him. So I say, the one who is our light, the one who is our salvation is also our strength. And I think it's beautiful the way it's brought out in this Psalm to show us.
How that everything is in a person?
That's why I was enjoying that little hymn. With Christ, our theme begins. It's a person, and this person is everything to us. As it says in Colossians chapter 3, Christ is all and in all or is another translation renders that Christ is everything. He's everything in Christianity, and so he is the strength of my life.
Oh, let's rely upon his strength. We cannot go on. And as the days get darker and they are getting darker.
New problems, new difficulties are arising everywhere, not only in the world but also among us too, and we're going to find out more and more. I believe that the only source of strength is in the Lord. As we rely upon Him. Then we're going to be able to meet these situations that arise, but not in any other way. Just knowing truth is not enough because.
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Knowledge will never keep us, but a person will.
A person will, and that person is the one who went to Calvary and died for us.
Who lives for us and who is soon coming for us?
So he says, Of whom shall I be afraid? He doesn't minimize his foes. He says, When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. And we should never minimize the power of the enemy. There are two powers that are above man, the power of God and the power of Satan.
And you know.
We're not a match for Satan. He is far too strong for us. We can't beat him in an argument. He can bring up all kinds of arguments and get us very upset if we try to meet him by our own wit or wisdom. We don't have the strength to meet these things that come the power of Satan and all the attacks of the enemy. Not only.
In false doctrine, but in all kinds of other ways.
The enemy is busy, and so it says. When they came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.
Now that simply means, I believe, brethren, that the only path of safety is the path of dependence. You know, when Satan came to tempt Adam and Eve, his first attempt was to get them out of the path of dependence. God had said that they were not to eat that tree. Were they going to depend on God's Word? Was that enough, or did they have to try it to find out?
You hear the expression? Well, try anything once.
Well, he tried something once and they brought a lot of misery on themselves and into this world.
Didn't they? And if we rely upon God, if we have that confidence in him.
Then there is safety because He's marked out the path for us in His precious word.
It says in Psalm 17 By the word of thy lips.
Have I kept me from the paths of the destroyer? So Satan came to Eve.
And he first tried to put a doubt in her mind. He said, yay, half God said. He put a doubt in her mind about whether God had really spoken. And then when he saw that she picked up that doubt and said, lest she die, then he flatly contradicted God. And that's the way he always does. The first recorded words of Satan in the Old Testament are this.
Yeah, hath God said, and the first recorded words of Satan in the New Testament are.
If thou be the Son of God, he's always going to try to raise a question in your mind as to the truth of God's Word and as to the glory of the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because once he has shaken that, then we're in a dangerous position because then he can lead us astray. When he when he tried this with the Lord Jesus, the Lord Jesus was the perfect dependent man.
And every time he brought a temptation.
The Lord answered by it is written, he couldn't get him from the path of dependence.
And so he was, he was powerless because the Lord Jesus met him as a perfect dependent man should. Oh, you say the Lord couldn't sin. Indeed, that's true, He couldn't sin. But he showed us how to meet the tempter. And if you and I are walking in the power of that new life, we actually possess the life of Christ. And so we have the power to meet the tempter in the path of dependence. But.
Path of our own wisdom, not in the path of our own strength. So it says here they stumbled and fell. And that's what happened when Satan tried it with the Lord. Now he's trying it with the family of God. He tried it with Adam and Eve and they fell. He tried it with the Lord, and he couldn't get the Lord from the path of dependence. But he hasn't given up on the family. And it says in John's epistle.
All that's in the world, the lust of the flesh.
Lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father, but is of the world. He still is trying it with the family of God.
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And we still have the old nature within us, but we have a new life. May we seek to meet these things by reckoning ourselves dead indeed unto sin, but alive under God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Well then, he goes on here, though unhosted in camp against me. My heart shall not fear the war should rise against me. In this will I be confident? That is, in what will he be confident? He will be confident that the Lord is his strength, that the Lord is able to give him the strength to meet the temptations that Satan presents Peter.
Thought that he could do it in his own strength. He thought he was a self confident person. When the Lord warned him and said that he would deny him three times by Peter answered, though all should deny thee, yet will not I? In other words, he really boasted to the Lord that he was the best disciple he had. He really was saying to the Lord Lord on the best disciple that you have.
The others might but not made and he had to learn that that was self-confidence, self-confidence. But here the psalmist says in this will I be confident we can be confident on the authority of God's word. We can be confident that when we meet situations by the word of God that there is the strength to meet them, but all how we tend just like Peter to be self confident to thank.
I've had a lot of experience As another has said, when difficulties arise, we often tend to lean on experience and say, well, I know I met a situation like that before and this person said, when these situations arise, it's God that we need. It's the Lord that we need. How often when we lean on experience, we're leaning on our own wisdom, on our own strength. We become self confident. But the.
Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.
We don't realize the wretchedness of our own hearts. We don't realize how deceitful they are, desperately wicked. So we need to have this kind of confidence. And you can be as confident as you like in the Lord. You can't be overconfident in Him, because in Him is everlasting strength. In Him is all that we need for the pathway as we walk in the light of His word.
Now when we come to this fourth verse, we have these two little words.
So often found throughout the scripture, he says one thing.
Have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that one, those two words, one thing we think of that rich young ruler who came to the Lord and the Lord had to say to that young man, one thing thou lackest, the most important thing was lacking in his life. He he was a very well brought up young man.
What we would call a a fine moral young man.
But he lacked the most important thing. He really didn't have in his heart any love for the Lord Jesus.
He was really confident in his own self righteousness. He lacked the important thing. And then we know the story about Martha and Mary. Martha was careful and troubled about many things, but the Lord said one thing is needful and Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her.
Sometimes I thought that little story.
Is somewhat misunderstood. That is, as I gather from the context of the story.
I believe that those two girls were working together in the home because.
Martha's complaint was that Mary had left her to serve alone. And I believe what happened was that they were both busy. And when the Lord came, Mary said, oh, this is an opportunity we must not miss, and I'm going to sit down and listen to what the Lord has to say. But Martha thought the work had to go on.
And so, you know, we all have responsibilities. They're necessary, they have to be done. But I'm sure that there are people at this meeting tonight that knew that there was a lot of other things that you could have done, but you had to leave something to be here. In fact, I think it's usually so that to have time to sit at Jesus feet, you have to leave something that you perhaps wanted to do important in itself, but you had to leave it.
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Mary chose the good part. She left things because.
The Lord Jesus visited her home and she wanted to hear what he had to say. And let's never miss the opportunities that we have of sitting at the feet of the Lord Jesus. I know that there are necessary chores and things to be done. When later on the Lord was going to come to that home, it says they made him a supper. So Mary wasn't lazy. They made him a supper. But when the Lord came, we see Mary again at the feet of the Lord Jesus.
Oh, may the Lord grant that we will value these privileges. One thing is needful.
And then the apostle Paul could say this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth under those things which are before. He had a purpose in life, and his purpose was to have Christ as his object, and he pressed toward the mark. What was before him was the glorious time when he was going to see a Savior face to face, and everything else was measured in relation to that.
Other things dropped off as to their importance in relation to that wonderful thing that he had before his soul, that he was going to gaze into the face of his Savior, but he was going to be with the one who was his object, who was his righteousness, who was everything to his soul. And then this brings us to the one here. One thing have I desired of the Lord.
Most of us have things that we desire in life. When we kneel down to pray, we have.
A good many requests to make of the Lord, but the psalmist here had one.
Prime thing that he desired, and that one thing was that he wanted to live his whole life in the company of the Lord. And that's a wonderful desire to have. It's a very, very blessed thing because that's what's going to make heaven, heaven, to be in the presence of the Lord for all eternity, to be in the enjoyment of himself and of his love for all eternity. And I believe the psalmist is saying here.
That he wanted to enjoy this here in this life.
We all recall the verse at the end of the 23rd Psalm where it says, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever. And we like to think about that blessed future before us of being in the Father's house forever. But is it our desire? Is it my desire to walk through this world?
In his company. Well, this was the one thing that he's talking about here.
Not at the end of the journey, but all the days of my life, all the days of my life. And I like to think too, brethren, that there are two different ways in which we can enjoy the Lord's presence. I believe they're brought before us in the 28th chapter of Matthew, and that is collectively and individually. We find that in the 28th of Matthew, the Lord appointed.
A special place where the disciples could go and.
He would meet them, it says, a mountain that Jesus appointed them, and so they had to put forth some energy.
To go to that particular spot where the Lord said that He would meet with them. And you know, I believe that if we're exercised before the Lord and seek to follow the guidance of His Word, He will show us how we can meet together according to His Word, where the Lord is in the midst.
That's a very blessed privilege. I don't think there's anything more sweet on earth than to be gathered around the Lord Jesus and know that we're gathered according to His word with Himself in the midst. And it says when they saw him, they worshipped him. But when the little gathering was over, they all had to leave that mountain place where the Lord had said he would meet with them. And the Lord said something wonderful to them.
When they left that he said, lo, I am with you always, even under the end of the world, as though he were saying, you have to leave this little gathering where we can be together collectively, the Lord in the midst out into a hostile world. Do we have to leave His company in an individual way? You can enjoy the company of the Lord in your home as you drive your car.
You can enjoy his company at work. And so I believe this is what the psalmist is talking about. I know he didn't enter into it in the way that we can now, but I do say that I believe there's something very beautiful in your home as you drive your car. You can enjoy his company at work and so I believe this is what the psalmist is talking about. I know he didn't enter into it in the way that we can now.
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But I do say that I believe there's something very beautiful in this, to that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.
Isn't this a nice thought to behold the beauty of the Lord?
That is when we come together to gather around the Lord Jesus. It's very easy for us at times to get occupied with one another.
But it tells us here that his desire was that he might dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of his life, to behold the beauty of the Lord. We find something of that thought in the 28th of Matthew. It says when they saw Him, they worshipped Him. And it's a great thing for us when we come to be gathered around the Lord, just to be occupied with Him, to behold the beauty of the Lord.
And then it says to inquire in His temple, that is in His presence. I believe He makes known to us, shall I say, precious thoughts concerning Himself. And even when we come in the prayer meeting, for the Lord is in the midst of the prayer meeting, we're invited to come boldly to the throne of grace, to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Well, this is the one thing of desire.
And now when we come to this fifth verse, we have a hiding place. For in the time of trouble, He shall hide me in his pavilion.
In the secret of his Tabernacle shall he hide me? He shall set me up upon a rock. God doesn't promise us as believers that we're going to escape all the troubles of this world. No, it says unto you, It is given on the behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for his sake. It also says in the world.
Ye shall have tribulation. We were just reading in this another Psalm this morning.
And it says many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of the mall. God doesn't promise us that we're not going to have trouble, but we have a hiding place which the world doesn't have. Solomon said in the book of Ecclesiastes. He said, I beheld all the oppressions that are done under the sun, and behold the tears of those that are oppressed and on the side of their oppressors.
There was power and they had no comforter. Isn't that like the world? They have these kind of troubles, plenty of them, and they have no comforter. But we're not in that position. Before the Lord Jesus went away, he assured his disciples they were going to have trouble, they were going to have tribulation. But he said he said be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. And so we have.
A hiding place in him in the time of trouble. And so it says, he will hide me in his pavilion, in the secret of his Tabernacle shall he hide me. And he also said to the disciples that seeing he was going away to leave them, he said, I'll send you another comforter, that he may abide with you forever. So the Spirit of God.
Indwelling the believer is our comforter who helps us to rise above situations that are trying.
And he'll set us upon a rock. The Lord is our rock, says in Deuteronomy.
It says their rock is not our rock, even our enemies themselves being the judges. And this is what it means Here now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies. People of the world have all their arguments and philosophies and all that kind of thing, but when trouble comes, why they realize that those.
Arguments sweep away. They seem of little value when the difficulties come.
And they often end up in despair. But as Christians, how different for us. I believe it was DL Moody one time was asked to speak to a group of infidels and that was the verse that he took. He took that verse in Deuteronomy. I quoted. Their rock is not our rock, our enemies themselves being the judges. And he told about.
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Men of the world and how they were heroes and wonderful people.
But often when they came to the end and they lost their fame and perhaps lost their wealth, they had nothing. And then he told about believers and told about the end of their journey and how they had something. They had a rock. They had someone to lean upon. The Lord is our rock and our fortress. He's the one that we have. He's the rock of our salvation. And so it tells us here that.
He shall set me up upon a rock, and now shall mine head be lifted up.
Above mine enemies round about me. It's the way we meet these troubles, brethren, that is a testimony to the world. That's what it means in Peter when it says that they speak evil of us as of evil doers. They may buy your good works, which they shall behold. Glorify God in the day of visitation. They watch you. We may do some talking, but they watch us, and when they.
US in trouble and they see that we have something that sustains us in trouble. We have a rock, we have the Lord. Why then they they realize this and then in the day of visitation for them, when trouble comes into their lives, they know who to turn to. They knew like this the jail keeper, he was there and I suppose totally thoughtless about.
Paul and Silas because it says he thrust them into the inner prison, but when he heard these two men sing in the prison.
I think it made a tremendous impression on that jail keeper. But he didn't say anything at that point. Now he wasn't in any trouble himself and he didn't feel his need. But when the earthquake came and the prison doors flung open and he thought the next morning might lose his life.
Then he knew who to turn to. It was those men that could sing in prison with their backs bleeding.
And if that, in that sense he glorified God in the day of visitation, when the visitation came and he realized that he might lose his life, then he turned to them. He didn't turn to the other prisoners. There were other prisoners there. But he comes to these men that he had heard singing and says, what must I do to be saved? What do you have that we don't have? Isn't this beautiful, what it says here?
Therefore will Ioffer in his Tabernacle sacrifices of joy.
I will sing, yeah, I will sing praises unto the Lord. That is, we can lift up our voices, as the little hymn says. And so amidst our sorrow, a joyful song we raise, and the Lord enables us to offer praise. And let's remember too about that. Those 10 lepers that were cleansed, every one of the ten were cleansed, but only one came back to.
Thanks. And the Lord said, were there not ten clans? But where are the 9? And do we glorify God when He has helped us in trouble? When He has proved His presence near, do we then return to him and thank Him?
Sometimes I think that we forget we're just so glad to get out of the trouble. We forget to give thanks. I'm afraid we're like the other nine very often. But it says here, I'll offer in his Tabernacle sacrifices of joy. I will sing, yeah, I will sing praises unto the Lord.
So he goes on here in this seventh verse. Here, Oh Lord, when I cry with my voice, have mercy also upon me, and answer me, When thou saidst seek ye, my face, my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.
This verse, which is just about the middle of the Psalm, seems to me to raise a question here the Lord is saying, Seek ye my face. And if I can put it this way, he's waiting for our answer. And the psalmist could answer and say, My heart said unto thee, thy face, Lord, will I seek you know. The Lord knows what our hearts are saying. We can often say things.
With our lips. But the Lord knows what our hearts are saying and I believe right now.
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In his very meeting, brethren, the Lord is looking upon us, and he is saying.
Seek ye my face, he wants our company. When you love somebody you really find your pleasure in their company. I've often said even in married life the test of true love is you don't get tired of a persons company. You know if you really love a person why is fine satisfaction in being in their company? I've heard it said a friend is a person that you can be with for 15 minutes or half an hour.
Word. But you still get something from being in their company. And so there's a wonderful thing that you and I can enjoy, and that is just being in His company. And He wants it. The Lord Jesus didn't just die to save our souls from hell. That's a wonderful deliverance. But He died for more than that. He died because He wanted our company, and he's not going to be fully happy until He has us with Himself.
And it says.
Heal joy over thee with singing. He'll rest in his love. And doesn't this speak to your heart and mind? To think that he really wants to have our company? And what do our hearts say when you really want to have somebody'd company and they don't want yours? It's awfully frustrating, isn't it? That makes you feel badly. But when we think who it is that's saying seek ye my face, what does our heart say? It might.
Somebody that hasn't done very much for you and you might say I don't feel any obligation to them.
But how could we think for a few minutes even of what the Lord has done for us?
And not feel a response spring up in our hearts. And that response would say, thy face, Lord, will I seek. Well, this was the answer of the heart of the psalmist.
And in contrast with this, in the ninth verse he says, Hide not thy face far from me.
Put not Thy servant away in anger. Thou hast been my help. Leave me not, neither forsake me, O God, of my salvation.
This verse might be a little difficult to understand, but in the light of the New Testament, we know that the Lord will never leave us nor forsake us. But I believe, brethren, that it is quite possible for us to lose the enjoyment of His presence. And in the 24th chapter of Luke, there were two discouraged people that were going from Jerusalem down to Emmaus, and the Lord was right beside them, and they didn't know it.
As far as they were concerned, they didn't know what had happened to their, to their Messiah. He had been crucified and they had expected that he would redeem Israel. And they were totally frustrated and they didn't know that he was standing right beside them trying to draw out their hearts. And so hello, the Lord will never leave you nor forsake you. I remember a older brother saying to me when I was very young, he said, Gordon, I never asked the Lord to be with me.
But I do ask him to give me a sense of his presence because he said that he won't leave us. But are we enjoying his presence because he doesn't leave us? He wants us to be in communion with Him. But we let clouds come between. We let things, reasonings and doubts and all kinds of things, perhaps even carelessness in our walk.
Sins that we allow, they come between us and the Lord, but he's right there.
Always ready to restore. And so this verse is very practical. That is what should we fear more than anything in our lives. We say I I'm really afraid that I might lose my health or I might lose my job. The worst thing that can happen to a Christian is to get out of fellowship with the Lord. That's the very worst thing that can happen. And so I believe that's the import of this verse. Hide not thy face far from me.
And that is to lose. The enjoyment of his presence is the most serious loss that a Christian can have.
So he goes on. My father and mother might forsake me because they're the perhaps the dearest ties here upon earth parents who have done a great deal for us. And then sometimes they do give us up. Sometimes they do forsake us. Young people who have been saved, and older ones too, have sometimes been forsaken by their parents. Their parents have given them up because they accepted Christ.
But he says.
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When they do, the Lord will take me up. He'll never leave you nor forsake you. And He comes to us, especially at times like that man in the 9th chapter of John, when they put him out of the synagogue, it says Jesus found him. Jesus found him. And you know, when we are cast off by those that we love, then that's the time the Lord makes himself very real and precious to our hearts.
And now we come to the 11Th verse, because in this Psalm, as I say, we have the wonderful resource that we have in the Lord for any and every situation of life, says in the 11Th verse, Teach me thy way, O Lord.
We need him to teach us. We can't find the way ourselves, says in the 53rd of Isaiah. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. I heard a brother say one time that if we're honest with ourselves, but we like most of all, is our own way.
It's a sad compliment about us, isn't it? That we are like that we're naturally self willed.
But the heart that has been brought into the presence of the Lord and knows his love says, teach me thy way. And I think this is something we can ask the Lord every day of our lives because He has not only told us the way of salvation, He's not only told us the way to gather. But isn't it true that we start out on a day and we'll never have a day exactly the same again as today?
Tomorrow is going to be different if the Lord leaves us here. There's no two days alike. And we need the Lord to teach us the way we need in His Word, the instruction that He gives. But there's so many decisions and things that we have to meet in everyday life. I think it's a very good prayer for every one of us over and over again as we start the new day to say teach me.
Thy way. Of course, it is most important that we read his word.
Because He has shown us in His Word much that we need for our pathway all things that pertain unto life and godliness. That is, He has given us principles to guide our footsteps and things that we should shun and all this. But then they're also a great many decisions that we have to make that we don't have a definite verse of Scripture. We have principles, but we do have the privilege of.
To the Lord about where we should go and where we should work, and all kinds of things that we can find. We can't find a direct Scripture, but we come to the Lord and ask him, and it says, In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and he shall direct thy paths. But then it goes a little farther in this verse.
And lead me in a plain path because of mine enemies.
He not only teaches us, but it says in the 10th chapter of John, when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them. Sometimes I do a lot of traveling about, and sometimes people will give me directions about how to get to a certain place. And then after they've explained it all to me, they'll say that there's one point there that's very, very difficult. You're liable to miss it when you come.
But it's quite complicated, so I'll just jump in my car and take you that far, and then I'll let you go on from there. But I don't want you to miss that. That's a very important spot. Isn't it wonderful that this is just what the Lord says? He not only teaches us, but He says. He said the psalmist asked him to lead, and the Lord says that He will lead. When he putteth forth his own sheep, He goeth before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know His voice.
And then there's another nice verse in the book of Ecclesiastes, the book of Isaiah, that says, thou shalt hear a voice behind thee saying.
The the thou shalt hear a voice behind these saying this is the way walking in it. When you turn to the right hand or to the left, notice the chains there. The Lord says he goes before. But we do run ahead of the Lord sometimes, don't we?
We run ahead of him and then he's he's behind and he's saying you took the wrong path here. You took the wrong path. He saw us turn to the right hand or to the left. He doesn't forsake us even when we make these bad steps in life. That voice behind says this is the way. Let's ever be ready to listen to his voice. He teaches us. He goes before and then when we.
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Are willful or something? And then behind us he's still interested in our pathway.
This is the way walking in it when you turn to the right hand or to the left.
And the 12Th verse says, Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies, for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.
All these things, as we have been noticing, are all found in the Lord. They're not found in any wisdom of our own. It's a person that's brought before us. He's everything to us, and He's our deliverer. And I think every one of us in this room have had an experience at some time or other when somebody has said something unkind and untrue about us, something that was hard to bear.
And there was no use trying to explain because.
People didn't understand when we did try to explain and so all we could do was just look up to the Lord and say.
Deliver me the Lord always has the story down properly and it's a good thing to have that quiet confidence in the Lord. And I say to you, when you get into a situation like that and someone has said something untrue about you, you'll usually find that when you try to defend yourself, it only makes matters worse. But when you look up to the Lord and say.
Lord, deliver me, because You have sought to act before Him and He knows the whole truth of the situation.
Then he gives you that peace, and that's the only thing. Poor job. When his friends started to say things about him that were hurtful, he tried to defend himself and he got annoyed with them. And what did he gain? He didn't really gain anything by all his arguments, did he? Because the Lord was trying to teach him something. And it's a good thing, brethren. It's a thing for us to remember.
My father many years ago.
Told me about an experience that he had and he was a comparatively young man and someone had said something that was rather hurtful. And he went to an older brother and said to him, he said, what do you do when your brethren say things that are unkind and untrue? And I thought the brother gave him very wise advice. He said brother.
Walk with the Lord and they'll change your their opinion about you.
Just leave things with the Lord. And in time, Paul, Paul had to go through this. All those in Asia turned away from him. And he said the Lord is the righteous judge. And so it's a blessed thing to maintain a good conscience before God. And we have to learn in life, brethren, over and over again, just have to leave things with the Lord and count upon him.
And so he says, I had fainted unless. I had fainted unless.
I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. I don't believe that this world is really.
The land of the living. For the believer, it's the land of the dying, the land of the living.
Is ahead for us the time when we're going to be in his presence, where there's fullness of joy and this is what sustains us, that at the end of life journey we're going to be in his presence. And brethren, if we are not confident in his grace and his strength and his health for the pathway, we're going to faint. We're going to get discouraged over and over again we find faithful servants.
Like poor Jeremiah, he became so discouraged.
He said, he said that he had tried to speak faithfully and he said everyone hated him and he got very discouraged. John the Baptist, when the Lord allowed him to be shut up in prison, he actually got so discouraged he sent to the Lord saying, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? It's easy to get discouraged if we get our eyes off the Lord. I had fainted. Unless and we'll faint, we'll get discouraged. We'll never be able to stand all.
Ups and downs of Christian life unless we have an eye to the.
Future and Paul said the things that are seen are temporal, but the things that are not seen are eternal. And so he closes this little Psalm by saying, wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart. You notice that's the opposite to fainting, to be of good courage. And I enjoy thinking about this little expression. Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and he shall.
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Strengthen 9 heart weight I say on the Lord.
Sometimes when someone comes along and wants to press you to make a decision.
But you have a dear friend that you want to talk the matter over with, and they keep on pressing you. You say, no, I don't intend to make a decision today. I want to talk it over with my wife or my husband or some friend. And you won't let them push you into making a decision because you have confidence in that loved one or that friend. And you won't do it without talking it over with them. Well, you know, this is very important for us.
It's when we don't take the time to talk matters over with the Lord, when we don't seek His help, we don't seek his grace. We think we know the right thing to do and we don't wait and say even even in situations that come up suddenly we find dear Nehemiah when he was in the court of the king and the king asked him a question and he was puzzled, I expect, about just how to answer that question because it was very important that.
Answered it the right way, and it says so I prayed unto the God of heaven.
And I said unto the king. He didn't answer the king until a swift little prayer went up to the Lord, because he wanted wisdom from above. Sometimes you have the time to go to your room, or perhaps a couple of days to consider a matter. Sometimes things have to be done suddenly.
But you can pray to the Lord quickly too. You can look up to him. He's always there. As I've sometimes said, there's 24 hour service day or night. He's always there ready to help us. And so I say again, as this little Psalm brings before us, we have everything in him, brethren, all that we need. The psalmist who wrote this little Psalm didn't know the blessings that you and I know in Christianity, but the same one that he found his.
Source of strength and help in is the one that we have only he's made himself known in our time in a much fuller way. Let's enjoy his presence, his guidance and look to him in every situation. I say again, I believe things are going to become more difficult. I don't think we can expect that things are going to get easier in the world or even for us as Christians or even as gathered to the Lord's name. But I do say.
The Lord is sufficient, and he says, My grace is sufficient for thee.
For my strength is made perfect in weakness.
Gospel
Gospel—G.H. Hayhoe
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Where there's love and light and song.
I'm turning to that father.
After you may now be home.
From 7 still Sunland of farmers.
Darling, neither.
To our Father's House of planting.
And the Father's welcome, Tom.
Come for tiny village gathering quickly.
Are the world's best pleasing day.
Here you linger till the darkness.
You will shortly miss your way.
I still waking sadly when it is.
Killed.
Our damned cars has run.
With his station son of a Beijing.
He's lost lingers for you.
Come for Angel hosts, are you saying?
Are their sights so strangely sad?
God.
Using.
To be made forever glad.
From the world lasting delusion.
All our voices rise as one.
While we shall gossip the patient.
And self reactors come.
Shall we ask the Lord's blessing and prayer?
Our blessed God and our Father, we look up to Thee and thank Thee for the privilege of announcing Thy wonderful love and thy way of sin.
Salvation to whosoever will we thank thee for thy long-suffering patience that still waits over the world that crucified thy Son, who set away with him. We will not have this man to reign over us, but oh our God, thy heart is still full of love and grace. Thou art not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. And we pray tonight.
As the gospel message is sounded out.
That in my goodness, thou wilt speak to hearts and consciences, that if there are those here tonight.
Who do not yet know thee is Lord and Savior, that they might be drawn to thee by those cords of love.
They might see their need and that they might receive the Lord Jesus while it's still a day of Thy grace. We thank Thee for the privilege of telling out the message, and we pray that it might indeed be in simplicity and sincerity. We ask Thee for Thy help and guidance. We commend the time to Thee and give thanks in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
I'd like to read first of all two passages first in Proverbs chapter 8, Proverbs chapter 8, and verse 6.
Here, for I will speak of excellent things, and the opening of my lips shall be right things. Then if you'll turn to Jeremiah chapter 12.
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And verse 15.
Hear ye and give ear, be not proud, for the Lord has spoken. Give glory to the Lord your God, before he caused darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains. And while he looked for light, he turned it into the shadow of death. And make it gross darkness. But if he will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride.
And mine eyes shall weep sore and rundown with tears, because the Lords flock is carried away captive.
Well, dear friends, tonight this is a gospel meeting and the word gospel means good news. It's the telling forth of the heart of God. It's His love to those who are still in their sins, His willingness to bless, His desire that you might be saved. That's the purpose of this meeting. And I just like, with the Lord's help, to look at different scriptures that tell us about ways that God uses in speaking.
Because, you know, He desires to have our ear. He wants us to listen in order that we might be blessed. And so He has told us very many different ways how He speaks through creation, through conscience, through troubles, through all kinds of things that God uses because he wants to get your ear so that he can bless you.
You know, the very first words that God spoke after sin entered this world are these.
Adam, where art thou? That is, God became a seeking God.
And he has been seeking man ever since. Many of us in this room rejoice that he has found us with some of us. He sought us for a long time. We wouldn't listen to His entreaties of love. But he didn't give up on us. He kept on like the shepherd. He sought the sheep until he found it. And he has different ways of speaking, dear friends. And I hope tonight that you'll hear His voice.
He wants to tell you of right things. He wants to tell you of good things.
He wants to bless you, you know. And sin entered this world. It became spoiled. And all around us we see the sad results of sin. One time I was in a large audience like this and I heard a brother say, supposing everybody in this room started to tell us of the troubles that they had had in life, He said what a tale of woe and sorrow it would be. It would be almost.
Unbearable to listen to a few 100 people.
Tell about their troubles and their sorrows. And friends, the world is full of it. This world has been spoiled by sin, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin. So death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned, and all the tears and the sorrows that are here. But to me, brethren, the wonderful thing is just this, that when sin entered this world and spoiled it.
God said I love my creature so much that I'm going to provide a better place than what he spoiled. I'm going to open the door of heaven and invite him there, and I'm going to provide a way that he can be there at no cost to himself. And friends, that's just the gospel.
Your life has been spoiled with sin, I'm sure. I'm sure that if you alone were to tell some of the troubles and sorrows that you had had, why it wouldn't be a very pleasant thing to repeat. But all how wonderful God tonight, friend, is inviting you to a place that you can't spoil. The cost was great to Himself.
He could create this world by just speaking. He spake, and it was done.
He commanded and it stood fast. He only had to speak the Word, and this world came into existence. But in order to fit you or I for heaven, in order that we could be in those courts of glory where God Himself shall wipe away all tears, where there will be no more sadness, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor pain, His blessed Son, God's beloved Son, had to go to Calvary.
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Had to take the place of the Sinner and bear the judgment of God before.
He could open the door of heaven to sinners like you and I God is light and God is love. He hates sin, but He loves the Sinner. And so tonight, as I say, I just like to speak tonight about some of those instances in God's Word where we see the different ways in which He speaks. Surely they are excellent things as He tells us what He desires for you.
This afternoon, our brothers spoke of the glorious future that's ahead for the believer.
How wonderful to be blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies, to know that we're going to be in that home. I've sometimes thought how wonderful it'll be. I can hardly imagine it that everybody I meet in that glory and say, well, how did things go today? There will be no complaints. Everything will be perfect. No one will have any tears. However, things yesterday and how will they be tomorrow?
Friends, that's the home that the Lord is inviting you to.
But if you choose to go on in your sins, then instead of being your savior, he will have to be your judge. The one who tonight is saying, come unto me will another day assume another character. He'll have to take the place of being your judge. And instead of receiving you into those courts of glory, to say, depart from me. And this gospel meeting is a tremendously important thing because you know.
If it was a political meeting, you might be interested in politics. If it had to do with financial matters, it might have a great interest to you. But your soul is worth more than this whole world. What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Well, here in Jeremiah the prophet says.
Hear ye and give ear. Be not proud.
The Lord has spoken. Are you going to be proud and harden your heart against your Maker who hath hardened his heart against him and hath prospered friends, if you harden your heart against him, as the Prophet could say here, he said, I'll just have to weep in secret places for your pride. And I see my blessed Savior when he was here upon earth with his heart full of love and grace, healing the sick, cleansing the leper.
Blind eyes on his way to Calvary, and then at the end of his life, being so rejected and not wanted by those he had come to bless, he stands above that city of Jerusalem. And it says He beheld it. And he wept over it, and said, If thou even thou only have known the things that belong to thy peace, but now they are hid from mine eyes.
Oh friends, the things that belong to you, if you will receive Christ, the unsearchable riches of Christ.
Are you going to say no to them all? Are you going to listen to the devil's lie and reject the Savior? They often say, What have you got to lose by receiving the Lord Jesus? Your sins? Won't you be glad to get rid of them? And what will you gain? Everything that's worthwhile for time and for eternity. I've known the Lord Jesus as my Savior for many years.
And even though there have been ups and downs in life, I wouldn't trade places with anybody in this world.
That doesn't know the Savior, friends, He is his friend for this world and for all eternity. Oh, if you'd only know His love. As another has said, you couldn't help but trust him if you knew him. But you don't know him, and Satan is doing his best to keep you from knowing him too. Well. I'd like to look at a few scriptures that show us the different ways. Let's turn to Romans chapter one.
Verse 18. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of man, who hold the truth in unrighteousness, because that which may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has showed it unto them. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things which are made, even his.
Eternal God, power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because that when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God. Neither we're thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Well, this I perhaps could speak of as the first testimony that God gives to man, and that is the testimony of His creation.
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It says in the 19th Psalm there's no speech in their language where their voice is not heard.
You can go to the darkest place in Africa, or you can go to India, or you can go to South America and all have this wonderful testimony from God. He left not himself without witness that he did good, sending rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling men's hearts with food and gladness. Think of this wonderful creation. As someone else has said, God could have made your food all taste alike, but He's given.
A lot of variety so that we can enjoy eating. He could have made this world all one color and it would have been drab, but he's made an endless supply of color, beautiful flowers and everything. He set the stars up above so we can look up and see them there. His mighty handiwork to declare the glory of God. And are you living in a world like this and say I'm not interested in knowing anything about my creator and you're inventing an idea that.
All just flew into place without the hand of a Creator because you don't want to have to do with him. You don't want to meet him, and yet He wants to meet you. And he's seeking you, my friend. He's seeking you in love. He's seeking you to bless you, not to punish you. Indeed, He's seeking you so that you wouldn't have to be punished for your sins, but that you might be saved. And I asked you, how are you using your creation, the his creation?
Are you just enjoying all those wonderful things of His creation and forgetting about the Creator and giving him no glory? You sit down and eat your food without ever giving Him thanks. You use your body as you like, and if anybody tells you you're dishonouring God in the way you use your body, you say it's none of their business. But God is the one to whom you're responsible. And if you read on in this first chapter.
It tells about how men abused their bodies and dishonored them.
And yet they were the handy work of God. They used their souls, their affections in all kinds of vile ways. And then they allowed their imagination to go out. And they'd rather have a philosophy, They'd rather have an idol. They'd rather have anything than the true knowledge of God. And when they did receive it, they turned their back upon it. Oh, friends, did God give up? Oh no.
He's still in his wondrous grace seeks man.
Seeks His blessing. The Son of Man has come to seek and to save. And that which is lost. Are you living in a world with all these wonders of God's creation and trying to find some other way than having to do with your Creator? You don't want to recognize Him, so you try to invent some way to do away with Him. Oh, I say, as it says in the 22nd chapter of Job.
Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace.
Thereby could shall come of it. I am glad I have become acquainted with my Creator.
I know him as my father, as the one who sent his son to die for me. Oh how blessed God has made himself known. Couple of men were standing on the side of a ship looking over admiring the sunset and one said to the other, Isn't it wonderful just to look at a sunset at sea? It's so beautiful.
The other one said, oh, I know something more wonderful than that.
I know the person who made the sun. I know his love, I know his grace. I know Christ as my Savior. Friend, You say, well, I admire the creation, but I don't want the Creator. And he still seeks you, my friend. He still after you. He brought you to this gospel meeting tonight, perhaps so that you'd become acquainted with him, so that you would get to know him as a Savior God, one who is able to.
Away your sins and fit you, so you can be in that home above that can't be spoiled by sin. For this wonderful world is one of the poets wrote, where every prospect pleases, and only man is vile. Man spoils it all, in spite of all the wonders of God's creation. Are you despising the testimony that He gives you as in creation, and just using your spirit and your soul and your body?
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Exactly the way you like, with no reference to your Creator. Well, He still loves you. He still seeks you, my friend, and He wants you to be blessed. Turn over to the second chapter in the 14th verse.
For when the Gentiles which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these having not the law, are a law unto themselves, which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing them with us, and their thoughts, the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another. Here we find there's another testimony from God, and that is.
Conscience.
Conscience. Every man, whether he's seen a Bible or not, has a conscience and knows that he has sinned. He knows that he is guilty. He may not know how guilty he is, but he still knows that he's guilty. So he invents some way of trying to save his conscience some way. Are you trying to do that? Some way of saving your conscience? Perhaps you think that religion will take care of that.
But friend, it's Christ that you need. Perhaps because you have a guilt complex, you go to a psychiatrist to help get rid of that guilt complex instead of coming to the Savior and having your sins washed away in His precious blood. The devil has all kinds of excuses, you know, and whenever your mind gets troubled. The lady was invited to come to the gospel meeting, and she said no thanks. It makes me feel too guilty.
All dear friends, the purpose of the gospel meeting is.
So that your guilt would be gone in the blood and that you'd have peace. But she preferred to turn to somebody else to get rid of her guilt complex instead of turning to the Savior whose precious blood cleanses from all sin. Oh, how wonderful those words, friends. I hope they're precious to you. One dear old preacher who was dying, someone said to him on his death.
Bad you have any doubts now? And he said I have no doubts about the value of the blood of Christ. A little boy who was a 7 years old and the doctor told his father that he was going to die. The father was quite concerned and he at last broke the news to the little boy that said that he didn't expect him to recover. And his father said but you haven't got very many sins, you're just a little boy.
The little boy looked up.
With a smile on his face, he said, Daddy, I have no sins. His father said, well, not very many. He said, Daddy, I have none. The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin. Isn't that better than trying to get rid of your guilt complex?
Isn't that better than trying to, some way or other forget your sins? It says in the Book of Job that if I try and forget my trouble, He'll plunge me into the ditch and I'll be all covered in mud. And dear friends, isn't it true that the more you try to get rid of it, the worse it seems to come until you throw up your hands? You don't need to. The Savior invites you. He gave you that conscience as a link with Him so that you'd feel what was hindering.
From being blessed and that you'd come to the Savior and be pardoned and be saved. So God speaks in through conscience. He surrounds you with all the wonders of his creation, and then he speaks to you through your conscience. It's interesting that both of these have the message from God quite apart from the Bible, because I've heard people say, well, what about the heathen? What about the heathen?
But God gives them those two testimonies. They have creation.
They have the testimony of their conscience. And because the heart of man is so hard, you know, I remember our brother who labored down in Bolivia telling on time that when he went down to Bolivia that as far as he knew, the infant mortality rate in Bolivia was over 60%.
That is, of all the babies born in Bolivia, about 60 of them died before they grew up at all just.
When they were tiny babies and I thought, isn't that wonderful? If we're not sending the gospel to those people? God has his own way of taking people to heaven, right from Bolivia. There may be more people going from those heathen countries up to heaven than from enlightened America. Because you know, where we've learned to value human life. Then we grow up and come to the age of responsibility.
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A baby who dies below the age of accountability goes to heaven because Jesus died.
But you who are older and able to express your own will, what are you saying to Jesus?
Are you saying no I won't have him or friend? How sad it is.
God, in His goodness and in His grace is still doing what is right. He's blessing, He's saving. He gives a testimony to man. I say, what are you doing about His testimony? You trying to deny the facts of creation? Are you trying to quiet your conscience without the blood?
Oh, don't try any longer. Come to the Savior tonight. His blood will cleanse you.
And you will go out of this room with peace in your heart. Peace. It says He made peace through the blood of his cross. It says in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. Well, let's turn over to Job and we'll see other ways that God speaks. Job chapter 33.
Chapter 33 Verse.
Verse nine. 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 stocks, 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, how many people you've heard say, what have I done? What did I do to deserve this? Why did this happen to me? Well, what they're really saying is I'm not a Sinner. I didn't deserve any punishment from God. But God has a record. Every idle word that man shall speak, he shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment. The eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding.
Evil and the good, that darkness and the light are both alike to him. And the psalmist said, Thou hast set my secret sins in the light of thy countenance. You can't hide anything from God. Are you striving against Him? Why do you strive against him? He wants to bless you. He wants to save you.
Saul of Tarsus was kicking against the ******.
In his grace was following him. He kept the clothes of those who stoned Stephen. But God didn't give up. And he kept on until finally that light above the brightness of the sun shone down upon him and told him that he was just kicking against the ****** of his conscience, fighting against God. But God was seeking his blessing, and he found the Lord, or the Lord found him.
Oh, what a moment that was.
Yes. And so I beseech you tonight to not take that attitude towards your Creator. He wants to bless you, He wants to save you. He doesn't want to be your judge, He wants to be your Savior. So notice what it says here, the 14th verse. For God speaketh once, yeah, twice. Yet man perceiveth it not.
In a dream, in a vision of the night when deep sleep falleth upon men in slum rings upon the bed, Then he opened the ears of men.
And sealeth their instruction that he may withdraw man from his purpose.
And hide pride from man.
Well, here's another way God often speaks. He often speaks through dreams. I've met quite a number of people. I've met boys and girls that have said no, I was saved because one night I had a dream and I thought the Lord had come and left me behind. My Sunday school teacher, when I was a boy, told me that that was how he got saved himself.
He said he had a dream, he thought he was left behind, that he opened his Bible.
And read that verse in Proverbs one, because I have called and ye have refused.
I stretch forth my hand, and no man regarded. I also will laugh at your calamity. I will mock when your fear cometh. And he really shook. And the Lord used it to bring him to himself. Oh, you say they've done a lot of research on dreams. Yeah. The devil doesn't want you to hear the voice of God. He's going to do everything he can. If you look at creation, he'll try and deny that.
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If your conscience bothers you, he will have some other way of trying quiet your conscience other than the blood. If you have a dream that God speaks to you, he'll do his best to try and get you reading something. A little research on dreams and everything to try to do away and hinder you from hearing the voice of God. Isn't that a very gentle way? I always enjoy this chapter because it talks about other things that God what uses.
To us. But the first one is something so gentle. A dream may not be pleasant, but at least it's not painful. I've had bad dreams and then wakened up to find they're not true. And how glad I was. And so a dream is a warning, friends from God. And so I ask you tonight if God has spoken to you, Perhaps some of you boys.
Perhaps some of you girls, perhaps you. I know another man. He's now with the Lord in glory.
And he had a dream that he attended his own funeral. And he said, I knew I wasn't ready, but he said I was terrified when I thought, here I am. It's not my friend that's died, it's me. And they're carrying me down to bury me. He woke up, found, thank God it wasn't true, but he turned to the Lord.
Put his trust in the Lord Jesus. Friends, God speaks in different ways. He said, Adam, where art thou? Jesus said, come unto me. He says here, for I will speak of excellent things he said here, and don't be proud because I it's the Lord that's speaking and I ask you, are you hearing his voice?
Well, you say, I don't know whether I heard his voice in the dream. Listen to what it goes on to say.
In the 17th verse, that he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man. You know what is man's purpose? Usually just to go on in life his own way. All we, like sheep, have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Yes, the natural purpose of man.
Children would just love it if parents would just let them do what they liked, but you know, that would be the worst thing possible to lead them to do just what they like. I'm glad the Lord didn't leave me to do just what I like because I would have just gone on down the Broad Rd. I'm glad he arrested me. And perhaps somebody here tonight will say, like I heard a young man say at a gospel meeting some years ago, he said to the friend who brought him he.
Glad you dragged me to this meeting. He didn't want to come, but he heard the voice of God and he got saved. And perhaps the Lord has brought you here for a purpose of blessing too, that he may withdraw man from his purpose and hide pride. Are you so proud that you won't hear the voice of God? You're afraid to let a friend see you? Shed a tear. Friend, I want to tell you this.
You die in your sins. Your friends will see your tears.
In hell there will be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. And it won't come to an end either in that awful place. I hope you won't be there. And God doesn't want you to be there. That's why he's speaking to you tonight. He doesn't want you to go on in pride. He doesn't want you to go on in your own way. And it says in the 18th verse.
He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword. Seems to me that that refers how.
God often brings you into perhaps a very serious accident and then spares your life. Perhaps I'm talking to someone here and you were just a moment, just a moment between you and death. You were in an accident and when they came to.
See what had happened? They just marvelled that you were alive and God spared your life because He wanted to give you another opportunity.
Are you going to be indifferent to? It was a man that I knew and he had a little testament that he showed me. He had it in his tunic pocket in the war and he pulled out this when I was visiting in his home. He had he was at home and he pulled out his drawer and he said, I want to show you something. And he had this testament and he said that was right in my tuna pocket, right over my heart, he said.
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See that bullet mark? He said. That testament saved my life.
I looked at it and the bullet went right through right to the 22nd chapter of Revelation and staff to the verse.
Whosoever will let him take the water of life freely, I said, Mr. Burnett, and are you saved? He said no, No.
God saved his life, but he rejected the Savior and as far as I know he went on that way.
My dear friend, maybe you've had a narrow escape. God has kept you from perishing with a sword. God has saved you from going into a lost eternity.
And you, maybe you're still going on, indifferent and careless, just saying to your friends, oh, it was just my good luck.
That I didn't get killed in that accident. It wasn't good luck, friend. It was the goodness of God, the goodness of God that spared your life so that you'd have another opportunity perhaps. So you'd be in this gospel meeting tonight and open your heart and receive the Lord Jesus and then you will thank him. You will thank him that he spared your life and gave you this opportunity.
So here he speaks through dreams. People don't listen. He speaks a little louder. They're in a serious accident, close to death. Their life is saved.
And do they hear his voice? God speaketh once, yay twice. Yet man perceiveth it not. He says, oh it was just luck, just that I it wasn't my time to go all friend. It was the voice of God. The Lorde voice crieth unto the city.
The man of wisdom shall see thy name, hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it?
He speaks through sickness. Notice the 19th verse. He has chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain, so that his life abhorreth 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 unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers.
God speaks through sickness.
Just before I left to come on this trip, I had the pleasure of going to the hospital and visiting a man who don't even say for three months.
He was apparently in good health and his wife enjoying what men would say, a good time as far as this world is concerned, living in his sins. And then he got an incurable disease. He went to the doctor and the doctor told him, I'm afraid we can perhaps delay things a little bit, but I'm afraid that we can't spare your life.
He knew it was the death sentence, so to speak, and he knew he wasn't ready.
And God, in his goodness and mercy, spoke to his soul, and he was brought to know the Lord Jesus. It was a happy experience to visit him. He was glad that that sorrow had come in his life. God didn't want to have to speak to him that way, but he had spurned everything else. And at last God brings him right as it tells us here, right down to the point where he knew that his life was having a way. And he had.
Opened his heart and heard the voice of the Savior put his trust in him. His wife was sitting there. She'd been brought to the Lord through too. And I'm sure that when I meet that man in glory, because I am going to meet him in glory, He's going to say Gordon. I'm so glad that the Lord put his hand upon me. I wouldn't listen in any other way, but He brought me to Himself.
I talked to a man some years ago down in Kentucky.
Sitting in a wheelchair with a broken back. And this was his comment to me. He said God had to break my back to save my soul. And there he sat in that wheelchair singing the Lord's praises like someone wrote a little poem. A shattered wreck of my enjoying now a chair to sit and sing the whole day long to him who placed me there.
Content a shattered wreck to be, because my God it pleased with thee.
Going to wait and reject him until he has to speak louder and louder.
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He speaks in creation all the wonderful things, the good things that he gives you. He gives you a conscience and you try to dull your conscience or sear it. He speaks you in a dream and you say, well, I have to do some research about that. So then he scares your life and you say, oh, that was my good luck. And then you get sick. Are you still going to refuse his loving voice?
He is still going to say no to the Savior. Notice what it says here in this 23rd verse. If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one another thousand, to show unto his, 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 will be fresher than the child's. He shall return to the days of his youth. He will 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 looketh upon man. And if any say, I have sinned and perverted that which is right, and it profiteth me not, he will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light.
Lo, 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.
Well, here's the other way. God has a messenger, a messenger. And what does this messenger say? Turn over a new leaf and try and do better. Keep your chin up and don't feel too down. Oh no, the true messenger doesn't do that. The true messenger tells the person to be upright, to tell God just what he is.
So not to say I'm going to turn over a new life because a new leaf, because turning over a new leaf will never remove the past.
It says, you know, God requires that which is past. A man 80 years old told me, he said when I was young I lived a sinful, wicked life. But I think I've lived a pretty good life for quite a few years. Do you think God will forget the past? Said no, not unless it's under the blood. Not unless it's under the blood. Oh no, my friend, it's no use. And I wouldn't be a faithful messenger if I stood here and said.
Just turn over a new leaf and live better and join a church and do some good deeds. It'll help outweigh the bad ones on all friends. What is the upright thing for you to do to look up to God and acknowledge what you really are? Tell Him that you have sinned. That's what God is listening for. Two men went up into the temple to pray.
The one man told God what a good man he was, that he was better than most of his fellow men.
And nothing happened because God knew all about him. But the other man says he wouldn't lift up his eyes to heaven. He just smiled on his breast and said, God, be merciful to me. A Sinner friend, will you take your place as a Sinner tonight? Will you just acknowledge that you're what God says you are, a Sinner, a lost Sinner, and your road to a lost eternity to be banished from his presence? Oh, you say, I don't like that. I don't like to.
I think I'm not as bad as other people, but friends, why compare yourself with other people? It says they measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves among themselves are not wise. Be just comparing yourself with another. What good would it be for two men in jail to compare themselves one with the other?
They're both there bearing the penalty of their crime. No use comparing themselves with the other man and friend. There's no use doing that.
All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We just acknowledge this to God. He's listening to hear you say this tonight. Have you ever said it? King Saul said it to David one time. He said it to Samuel one time, but he never said it to the Lord. And maybe you say, well, I know I've told other people. I know I'm not perfect. Friends, have you ever got into the presence of God and told God that?
Sinner, you are a lost Sinner on your road to hell. Have you taken that place, friends? That's what repentance is. That's what repentance is. Do you know what repentance means? Repentance is a change of mind. And I want to tell you this, that you've got wrong thoughts about two things. You've got wrong thoughts about God and you've got wrong thoughts about yourself. If you're not saved, you don't know how much God loves you, and you don't know how holy He is if you're not saved.
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And you think you're not as bad as God says you are until you believe what he says?
And repentance is that someone has said to take sides with God against yourself, to acknowledge that what God says about you is true. When you go to the doctor, you know the doctor can diagnose your condition. You go to him because he knows more than you. And I went to God and he knew more than I did because I've forgotten some of my sins, but God hasn't until I accepted the Lord Jesus, and then he could say.
There are sins and iniquities. Will I remember no more? Dear brother used to say the work of Calvary has affected the memory of God. What a grand thing it is to know that God can blot out your sins and put them all away in that precious blood. Well, the messenger tells him that it says.
The Lord says I have found a ransom. Friends, you don't have to find a ransom. God found it. You know who it was, was his own son says in Timothy he gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time. The Lord Jesus came down and you say, well I'm going to try and do the best I can, but God rendered to me his righteousness.
My own, the brother said. My own was only filthy rags.
But God rendered to me his righteousness, and listen to this lovely verse. He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. If you will take your place as a Sinner, God will place you in Christ, and Christ himself will be your righteousness.
Then you can say, as it says in the Epistle of John, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment.
Because as he is, so are we in this world. And so you can know that. You can know that blessed assurance for yourself. And so it says.
All these things worketh God, oftentimes with man friends. I'm nothing myself but a Sinner saved by grace. God speaks, as it says, in different ways. I have the privilege to be a messenger for him to bring his message to you and to tell you.
That he loves you, that he has found the ransom that your soul needs, says he gave himself a ransom for all that precious Savior was a ransom. He paid the price and he paid it in full. And now when you come to the Savior, will you receive him? Well, let's turn over to Hebrews chapter one and.
Hebrews chapter one.
First, one God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time passed under the fathers by the prophets.
Have 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. Well, as I said, friends, I'm just a poor messenger at best. But God spoke by his Son. The Son of God came down into this world, that one who always did his Father's will and walked through this world perfectly. And all his heart was so full of kindness that he healed a second. He cleansed the lepers, and he opened the blind eyes.
And then he went to Calvary, and by himself purged our sins. Oh, there's none less than God's beloved Son who could meet the claims of a holy God and become your Savior and mine. Oh, friend, I ask you, God is speaking to you tonight through his son. I'm just a poor, feeble messenger, but God's Son came into this world.
The manager in the place where I used to work.
And tried to say a little feeble testimony to him about the Lord. He said, you know, I'm interested in what's going on in the world today. I'm not interested in what happened 2000 years ago. I said 2000 years ago the creator of this world came down, walked through this world. That was the most important time of its history. And friend, that Savior went to Calvary.
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By himself purged our sins.
Oh, surely God has accepted the work that He has done. If I tried to do it, it would be imperfect because I'm an imperfect person. But my salvation was accomplished by God's own Son, and he died for our sins. He was buried, He rose again. He's at the right hand of God. And as I stand here talking to you, there's a living Savior, and it says Christ died for our sins. He was buried, He rose.
The third day, and there he is. God has exalted him to his right hand, as the Scripture says, to be a Prince and a savior. He wants to be your savior tonight. He wants to be your savior. God spoke through the prophets. He speaks through poor creatures like me, but he spoke by his Son. You look at me and you say, Oh yes, I know preachers and they're not perfect. That's true.
But I'm not trying to sell myself to you or present myself to you.
One time in the DL, Moody was walking along the street and there was a man and he was drunk by the side of the street and someone said, Moody, there's one of your converts. He said he looks like one of my converts. Dear friends, when God saves a man, he saves his soul. He's able to save and he's able to keep what a Savior he is. Yes, we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord and ourselves.
Your servants, for Jesus sake. Well then it tells us too in John chapter 16. John chapter 16.
In the seventh verse, nevertheless, I tell you the truth, It is expedient for you that I go away, right? If I go not away, the comforter will not come unto you, but if I depart, I will send him unto you, and when he has come, he will reprove the world of sin.
And of righteousness and of judgment of sin because they believe not on me. Of righteousness because I go to my Father and you see me no more. Of judgment, because the Prince of this world is judged.
And the Lord Jesus had accomplished redemption. He went back to glory. He seated at the right hand of God, and he sent down the Holy Spirit. And for those of us who are believers, he sheds abroad the love of God in our hearts. He's our comforter. He abides with us forever. He'll never leave one of his own. But to the world, He's something else. He's a reprover.
A teacher asked her girl and son of the girls in the Sunday school class to read.
This chapter and I asked them what they had learned about the Holy Spirit. One of them who was not a believer. He said he's not a comforter to me. He reproves me and friend. Perhaps the Spirit of God is speaking to your heart tonight. The scripture says my spirit shall not always strive with man. And if tonight.
He's catching a hold of your coat sleeve, as it were, and saying, won't you come?
If you feel inside that the Spirit of God is stirring a feeling, are you going to?
Spurn those strivings of the Spirit of God as he speaks to you of righteousness and of sin and of judgment to come, and you say I won't listen. I won't listen. Oh, I plead with you tonight.
While the Spirit strives, yield and take your place at the side of the Savior.
He may not always strive with you, He may not always. I heard a man, his wife told me that after the gospel meeting, he made this comment to to his wife who was a believer. He said he almost got me tonight and yet he went out unsaved old friends, I plead with you, don't go out of this room refusing all these different ways that God speaks. He loves your soul.
He couldn't do more to win your heart than he has already done.
He couldn't have done more to meet your need than He has already done. Because let me say it again, the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin. And tonight you can come. Tonight you can know Him in a new way. Know the Spirit of God, not just as a reprover who makes you uneasy about your sins.
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But who sheds abroad? The love of God in your heart fills you with gladness and rejoicing.
That you can sing like the young people do. You ask me why I'm happy and I'll just tell you why.
Because my sins are gone. Oh friend, are you going to say no to the Savior? Perhaps in some way we've learned tonight the different ways that God speaks. And yet how many are still refusing God, beseeching man, refusing to be made forever glad? The last chapter in the Bible, God couldn't close his word without saying.
And not him, not hear us say come, let him. That is a first come.
And whosoever will let him take the water of life freely, God couldn't close his word without giving a last invitation. Oh, what wonderful grace, my friend. But I, I must say that if you refuse all these ways that he speaks, the very one who tonight is saying, come, who's putting, as it were, his arm upon you and saying, won't you come?
We'll have to say that the Great White Throne.
Or in that awful day of judgment, depart from me. He cursed into everlasting fire. You're making a choice tonight, my friend. You may say, well, I'm not. I'll think it over. But you are making a choice. You're either an acceptor or a neglector or a rejector. A friend. Which is it going to be with you? I remember talking to some children.
School a good many years ago and I spoke about those 3 verses. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?
Now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him. So I said, everybody here is either an acceptor, or a rejector, or a neglector.
And I was glad when one girl raised her hand and she said I'll be an acceptor. I hadn't met that girl for many years and just a very short time ago I met her and I was so glad to find it was real. She had truly received the Lord Jesus as her Savior that night in the little hobby class. Oh friend, will you be an acceptor tonight?
God is going to record your answer inherits judgment, Hall, it was said.
What shall I then do with Jesus, which is called Christ and God records the answer. I hope your answer will be I'll take him tonight as my Savior.